《Saving Nora》
Chapter 1 - 1 Returning With A Counterattack
?1: Returning With A Counterattack 1: Returning With A Counterattack ¡°Miss Smith, you¡¯re pregnant.¡± The doctor¡¯s words were like a thunderp, making the sleepy Nora Smith¡¯s eyes widen suddenly.
¡°¡ What?¡± How could this be?!
Although she was neen years old, she had never been intimate with anyone of the opposite sex!
However, the doctor handed her the medical report.
¡°You¡¯re already in your fourth month of pregnancy.
You¡¯re not in good health, so you won¡¯t be able to surgically inducebor.
You can only choose to give birth to the child.¡± Nora returned home in a daze.
After Nora¡¯s father gave her a stern scolding, he searched the surveince cameras, only to find that four months ago, she was indeed staying at home obediently due to poor health, and hadn¡¯t gone out at all!
However, outsiders didn¡¯t believe it.
Everyone secretly mocked her: ¡°Her belly is already so big, yet she¡¯s still giving excuses and saying that she didn¡¯t stray with some man.
The Grays are so pitiful.
Why do they have to be engaged to such a person?!¡± ¡°She¡¯s fat and ugly from the start, and neither is her family background very good.
It was a few lifetimes¡¯ worth of blessings that she could climb the socialdder by having a connection with the Grays.
Now that she¡¯s gotten herself pregnant before the wedding, surely the Grays will break off the engagement, right?¡± Amid all the spections, Anthony Gray paid the Smiths a visit.
At that time, Nora¡¯s belly was already bulging.
At eight months of pregnancy, her belly was big enough to cover her toes.
In the study, Nora¡¯s father asked cautiously, ¡°Anthony, are you thinking of breaking off the engagement?¡± Anthony gave an unexpected answer: ¡°¡No, my grandfather refuses to!¡± The Grays were a top-ss rich and powerful family while they, the Smiths, were just middle-ss.
Even if they took the opportunity to break off the engagement, no one would be able to criticize the Grays for it.
By refusing to break off the engagement, what were they after?
The more Anthony thought about it, the angrier he became.
He cursed irritably, ¡°The sight of her pig-like face already disgusted me from the start, and now she¡¯s even pregnant with some guy¡¯s child.
Why should I be the hero to take over the responsibility?¡± Nora¡¯s father immediately said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Anthony.
I¡¯ll send the baby away immediately after she gives birth!¡± Nora, who had kept quiet this whole time, suddenly raised her head.
¡°No.¡± In the past few months, she had gone from hesitating to being at a loss, and then to a state of reluctantly epting reality.
She could feel her child¡¯s heartbeat more and more clearly as each day passed, and she had already long since developed feelings for it.
The child was innocent.
They mustn¡¯t abandon it.
She wanted an annulment!
But it was at this exact moment that she suddenly felt waves of pain and convulsions in her abdomen.
This¡ She was about to go intobor!!
¡ª Five yearster.
¡°Mommy, wake up.
The ne is taxiing.¡± The crisp voice made Nora open her eyes, upon which she immediately saw a delicate, adorable, and young face.
Cherry Smith¡¯s big grape-like eyes blinked, and she rested her chin on her hands.
¡°Mommy, did wee back to the States this time to look for Daddy?¡± Nora stretched and sat upzily in herfortable business-ss seat.
She said lightly, ¡°You don¡¯t have a father.¡± Cherry sighed like an adult.
¡°I¡¯m not a three-year-old anymore.
I¡¯m not going to believe your nonsense.
I don¡¯t have a father?
Surely I couldn¡¯t have just popped out of a rock, right?¡± ¡°¡¡± Nora didn¡¯t reply, as she tied up her shoulder-length hair.
Her fair skin and sharp, pert nose, coupled with her rosy lips and graceful figure, made her a beautiful sight on the ne.
Cherry continued to mumble dissatisfiedly, ¡°If it isn¡¯t to look for Daddy, then is it to find my elder brother?¡± Elder brother¡ A cold glint shed past Nora¡¯s downcast almond-shaped eyes.
That year, she had actually given birth to a pair of twins¡ªa boy and a girl.
However, Nora¡¯s father had disregarded her wishes and forcibly abandoned the two children.
She had climbed down from the delivery bed and fought with all her strength.
In spite of that, she had only managed to save Cherry.
After that, she even went into critical condition.
Had her aunt not rushed back in time and took her overseas to recuperate, she would probably have ceased to exist in the world.
It took five years before she finally recovered.
Her obesity, which was caused by the mistaken use of hormones during her childhood, was also finally cured.
On the surface, her return to the States this time was because the Grays had finally agreed to call off the engagement, so she hade to handle the affairs.
However, the most important thing was actually to continue looking for her child.
Half an hourter, the ne came to aplete stop.
Nora let Cherry sit on the suitcase.
Then, she walked while pushing the suitcase forward.
As soon as she turned on the phone, she received a call.
On the other side of the line was a frivolous but lively voice.
¡°Anti, you have to be careful!¡± Nora asked casually, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Justin Hunt, the head of the number one family in the States, is currently collecting your personal information from all around the world.
He¡¯s probably not going to give up this time until he finds you!¡± The voice sounded a little like its owner was gloating.
Nora said, ¡°¡Oh.¡± ¡°Anti, you were overseas previously and weren¡¯t in his territory, so you were able to avoid it perfectly.
But now that you¡¯ve returned, you won¡¯t be able to escape anymore!
As the most prestigious surgeon around, can¡¯t you just treat his grandmother¡¯s illness?
¡°I heard that Justin Hunt is very generous, and is even a man so handsome that it¡¯s hard toe by one like him.
Maybe the two of you can even develop a romance that¡¯ll move one to songs and tears!¡± Nora yawnedzily.
The number one family was a big family with a big business.
Interpersonal rtionships within it wereplicated.
Treating the illness of someone from there might even end up involving the struggle for power and inheritance.
Why would she involve herself with the open and secret fights of such top-ss rich and powerful?
She was back in the States to look for her son.
She mustn¡¯t cause anyplications.
As she approached the exit, Nora suddenly spotted a familiar figure in the arrival hall in front.
She replied perfunctorily, ¡°I¡¯m not blessed enough to enjoy such beauty.¡± After hanging up, she tossed the phone into her pocket and cast her eyes downward coldly.
She didn¡¯t expect to see an old acquaintance so soon.
A man stood at a prominent spot at the exit of the airport.
He was wearing a suit and looked quite bright and cheerful.
He looked a little more mature than how he had been five years ago¡ªhe turned out to be her fianc¨¦, Anthony Gray.
With a pick-up card in his hand, he stood there impatiently and grumbled, ¡°When exactly is that damned fattying out?¡± Behind him, his butler said, ¡°Mr.
Gray, please be patient.
The old sir has specially instructed you to refrain from making things too ugly even if you are calling off the engagement.¡± Anthony frowned.
He looked a little irritated.
¡°Patience?
Isn¡¯t it more like disgust?
She was so fat previously; and, she must be even fatter after she gave birth.
She probably wants to save the engagement even more strongly now, right?
Why am I so unlucky to be entangled with someone like that?!¡± His words reached Nora¡¯s ears, but she didn¡¯t bat even an eyelid.
In the past five years, she had repeatedly brought up her desire to break off the engagement.
However, neither the Smiths nor the Grays had agreed.
Who exactly was entangling with whom?
She couldn¡¯t be bothered to pay attention to that man and intended to leave immediately with Cherry.
After grumbling, Anthony turned¡ªand his eyes lit up!
The beautiful woman, who was the first to walk out of the airport, was gorgeous and unbelievably stunning.
It was as if the entire airport had lit up a few notches brighter the moment she appeared.
Seeing the woman getting closer and closer, Anthony straightened his back and neatened his luxury suit.
Then, he smiled and asked confidently, ¡°Hi beautiful, can I ask your name?¡± He was the exact picture of a male peacock with its train spread open.
Nora paused and looked at him coolly.
¡°Nora.
Smith.¡±
Chapter 2 - 2 An Identical Child
?2: An Identical Child 2: An Identical Child ¡°Nora.
Smith.¡± Cherry, whose head was originally lowered as she yed a mobile game, pointed to the card in Anthony¡¯s hand and read out the name written on it in her young, tender voice.
Then, she asked excitedly, ¡°Did I read it correctly?¡± Cherry had grown up abroad all this time and was currently in the literacy development stage.
Nora rubbed her head and said in a cool and melodious voice, ¡°Yes, you did.¡± Anthony was dazzled by the casual smile at the corners of her lips.
When did such a big beautye to California?
She was even more beautiful than those B-list celebrities!
Nora was indifferent to the burning fervor in his eyes.
Cherry, on the other hand, blinked and asked innocently, ¡°Mister, are you here to pick¡¡± Before she could say ¡®¡us up?¡¯, Anthony hurriedly tossed the card behind him and interrupted her.
¡°Of course not, little girl.
I have nothing to do with that damned fatty.¡± A touch of disdain appeared in Cherry¡¯s big eyes.
¡°Mister, you¡¯re so pitiful to be blind at such a young age, sigh.¡± Which part of her mom was fat?!
Her words stunned Anthony for a moment.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Nora stepped forward and left the area coldly.
Anthony wanted to go after her, but his assistant stopped him.
¡°Mr.
Gray, don¡¯t forget the old sir¡¯s instructions.¡± Anthony looked at Nora from the back and made a dissing remark.
¡°How wonderful would it be if that ugly freak was even half as beautiful as those sisters?
I would have put up with her antics from back then and decided not to call off the engagement!¡± ¡ª At Hotel Finest, a hotel under the Hunt Corporation.
In the presidential suite, Nora looked at her cell phone after Cherry went to bed and fell asleep.
There were already seven or eight missed calls from the Smiths.
When she returned the calls, she heard her father¡¯s angry cursing.
¡°Nora, what are you doing?!
Why aren¡¯t you picking up?
Weren¡¯t you making a huge fuss about breaking off the engagement?
Get your a*s back here right away, and stop wasting your younger sister and Anthony¡¯s time when they¡¯ve got something good going for them!¡± It was impossible for Nora¡¯s father to let go of the Grays after climbing the socialdder and establishing a connection to such a prestigious family.
This was also why he had insisted not to break off the engagement.
Now, the Grays had finally relented and agreed to let her half-sister marry into the family instead.
There was no loss in this for Nora¡¯s father.
It was only then that the two families finally reached an agreement.
Nora said lightly, ¡°I¡¯lle back now.¡± She entrusted Cherry to Mrs.
Lewis, the nanny that had returned to the States with her, and went out.
When she was waiting for the elevator, she suddenly heard some soft footsteps.
She turned to see a child dressed in gray silk pajamas, her short hair tousled as she stood in the elevator hall with sleepy eyes.
Her daughter had short hair, and her exquisite, adorable facial features made it hard to distinguish whether she was a boy or a girl.
When they were living abroad, Cherry would give Nora a hug every time she went out.
Therefore, she didn¡¯t think much about it.
She habitually squatted down, and hugged and kissed the child on the forehead.
Although her voice was low, it was gentle.
¡°I¡¯ll bring you some mousse cake tonight, baby.
Go back to your room now.¡± Her daughter¡¯s usually quick-witted eyes became dazed for a moment¡ªshe was probably so sleepy that she had turned silly.
Then, under her gaze, she nodded, turned around, and walked back.
This floor was the top luxury presidential suite, and there were only two suites in total.
Apart from the one they were upying, it was said that the Hunts had left the other for themselves, so it was not open to outsiders.
There likely wasn¡¯t anyone staying there at the moment.
Ding!
The elevator arrived.
Nora went in right away.
Thus, she didn¡¯t see the door to the other presidential suite opening.
A tall, capable, and steady figure walked out.
The man¡¯s back was to the elevator entrance.
His voice was low and deep, and he had an aura around him that was hard to ignore.
He ordered the child, ¡°Go back to your room, Pete.¡± Five-year-old Pete Hunt stared in the direction of the elevator.
The soft hug and the kiss on the forehead from thatdy just now had made even him, the sole grandson of the Hunts, blush uncontrobly.
Pete¡¯s face tensed up tightly.
He had been brought up strictly ever since he was a baby.
Even the nutritional value of his meals had to be calcted.
However, a strong desire suddenly emerged in the boy who had always exercised self-control: ¡°I want to eat mousse cake.¡± ¡°¡¡± Justin Hunt nced at him and carried him into the room with one hand.
Exuding an icy aura that kept people away from him, he walked over to theputer and continued the video conference.
The person opposite him gave him their report.
¡°Mr.
Hunt, we¡¯ve confirmed that Anti has indeed returned to the States.
On top of that, we¡¯ve just bought a photograph of her at a high price.
I¡¯ll send it to you right away.¡± Justin¡¯s thin lips parted slightly, and he coldly spat out two words: ¡°Find her!¡± ¡ª It was brightly lit at the Smiths¡¯ vi.
Outside the door, Nora listened to the digital lock¡¯s ¡°Input error¡± voice prompt, her lips curling up into a mocking smile.
The password had been changed, yet she, the Smiths¡¯ daughter, didn¡¯t even know.
She lowered her eyes emotionlessly, raised her cell phone, and tapped it casually a few times.
Then, she ced it on the digital lock.
A few secondster, the door opened with a click.
The lively atmosphere in the living room rushed toward her, and the crowds going about made her realize that it was her younger sister, Ang Smith¡¯s, birthday today.
Seeing that no one had noticed her, Nora found a sofa in the corner and sat down, intending to nap for a while.
However, a low cry came from the deck where no one was looking.
A few youngsters had surrounded a girl and were assaulting her.
Ang, who was wearing a blue dress, held a red wine ss and sneered as she looked at the girl that had been pushed onto the ground.
It was her cousin, Lisa ck.
She had always been on good terms with that damned fatty, Nora.
Smack!
Someone gave Lisa a tight p.
¡°Did you just say that the fatty¡¯s facial features actually look pretty good?
There must be something wrong with your eyes.
I¡¯ll treat them for you¡¡± ¡°Hiss¡¡± She took a ss of water infused with hot peppers and sshed it at Lisa¡¯s eyes.
¡°That ugly freak looks like a pig.
She can¡¯t evenpare to one of Ang¡¯s toes!
How were you even able to say that she looks pretty good, Lisa?¡± Lisa wanted to scream from the burning pain, but someone had covered her mouth, so she could only produce muffled cries as she choked with pain.
Ang suddenly squatted down.
She took out a photo of Nora at her fattest and yed with it in her hands.
¡°Hey, all of you are being too rough.¡± When the others heard her, they giggled and let go of Lisa, who covered her red and swollen eyes with her hand.
¡°Please, let me go¡¡± Ang smiled.
¡°Let¡¯s act in a more refined manner, and make a bet.¡± Lisa¡¯s weak voice came out of her throat.
¡°What kind of bet?¡± Ang pointed at the photo.
¡°If you can prove that she really is good-looking after she loses weight, I¡¯ll eat this photo.
If you can¡¯t do it, then you¡¯ll eat it.
How does that sound?
Isn¡¯t it very fair?¡± The rest immediatelyughed.
¡°But what are you to do if that fatty can¡¯t shed the pounds?¡± ¡°For the sake of a bet, is she really going to get liposuction done just to prove that her ugliness isn¡¯t because she¡¯s fat?
Hahaha¡¡± ¡°Lisa, you have absolutely no way of proving that she¡¯ll look good after she slims down, so¡¡± ¡°Eat the photo!
Eat the photo!¡± Everyone pped and made a ruckus.
Ang held the photo up in her face.
¡°Are you going to eat it yourself, or do you want us to help you with it?¡±
Chapter 3 - 3 The Childrens Father
?3: The Children¡¯s Father 3: The Children¡¯s Father Ang¡¯s eyes gleamed viciously.
Everyone was congratting her and cursing that damned fatty, but that little bitch Lisa actually said that Nora¡¯s facial features weren¡¯t ugly?
Hah.
Ang was about to pass the photo to Lisa when suddenly¡ A cool, fair, and slender arm reached over and took it away.
With her eyes downcast, Nora casually balled up the photo and grabbed Ang¡¯s hair.
When she opened her mouth to cry out in pain, she stuffed the photo into her mouth!
Her actions were as slick and smooth as butter.
It was only when she tasted the bitter and unpleasant taste in her mouth that Ang finally reacted.
She was about to spit it out when she heard a low and indifferent voice.
¡°A bet¡¯s a bet, Ang.¡± Ang¡¯s movements suddenly froze dramatically, and she looked at her as if she had just seen a ghost.
The girl wore a simple white shirt with jeans, which made her legs look long and her waist slender.
Her hair was tied casually behind her, and a few trifling strands covered her neck.
Her skin was as smooth as silk and was fair and clean.
Her entire self was iparably beautiful!
That familiar voice, though¡ At the sight of the situation, the others gathered around.
A boy frowned.
¡°Who the heck are you, pretty girl?
Ang is Mr.
Gray¡¯s fianc¨¦e!
Aren¡¯t you afraid of offending the Grays?¡± Nora ignored him and helped Lisa up.
Seeing that the condition of her eyes wasn¡¯t too serious even though they had turned red, she whispered, ¡°Go and rinse your eyes with clean water.¡± Lisa bit her lip and shouted with some uncertainty, ¡°Are you, Nora?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°¡¡± Everyone was stunned.
They looked at her incredulously.
Someone subconsciously spoke.
¡°That fatty¡¯s actually this stunning after she lost weight?¡± Everyone looked at Ang again.
She was actually pretty good-looking and could be said to be rather beautiful.
She had always been proud of her looks.
However, in this instant, as she stood next to Nora, she instead seemed a little dull.
The look in their eyes made Ang feel as if she had been given a few ps across the cheek, and her face was burning hot¡ She had deliberately told the fatty toe back and annul the engagement during her birthday party just to let everyone see that she, Ang, was so much more beautiful than Nora.
But now, she had be the joke instead!
¡°What happened?¡± Nora¡¯s father strode over with his current wife.
When he saw Nora, he was taken aback.
Surprised, he called out, ¡°Nora?¡± His elder daughter was actually so beautiful after she slimmed down?
The light in Ang¡¯s eyes flickered at the sight.
Suddenly, she broke into tears and took out the photo from her mouth.
¡°Nora, I know you¡¯re unhappy that Anthony is breaking off his engagement with you.
You can continue to hit me¡¡± Her sobs snapped their father back to reality, and he reached out to hit Nora without any warning.
¡°Nora!
Anthony is breaking off his engagement with you because of your immoral behavior and premarital pregnancy!
You were the one who didn¡¯t know better.
What does your sister have to do with it?¡± Nora felt the depths of her heart turning cold.
Five years ago, her biased father¡¯s heartlessness had thoroughly broken her heart.
She was about to avoid the p when her stepmother, Wendy Simpson, unexpectedly came forward and stopped her father.
¡°There are so many people watching, Henry.
Don¡¯t forget the more important matter.¡± The more important matter¡ Henry Smith suppressed his anger and spat, ¡°Come upstairs with me!¡± In the study.
Henry, Wendy, and Ang sat together.
Nora sat opposite them.
She leaned against the sofa, her eyelids drooping, making her look like a defiant madman who despised everything.
However, anyone familiar with her would know that she was just sleepy.
Henry went straight to the point.
¡°Nora, the Grays have agreed to annul the engagement, and your sister is also going to marry into the Grays.
It¡¯s your sister¡¯s birthday today.
Why don¡¯t you give her thepany that your mother left behind as a wedding and birthday gift?¡± Ang said eagerly, ¡°Your premarital pregnancy has embarrassed the Smiths, and also caused the Grays to be the subject of ridicule for so many years.
Take it as you¡¯repensating us by giving me thepany!¡± Henry threw the contract that he had prepared in advance over and ordered, ¡°This is an ownership transfer agreement.
Sign it.¡± Nora¡¯s eyes were cold.
The Smiths had obviously been the ones who didn¡¯t want to annul the engagement because they wanted to climb up the socialdder.
The Grays had also refused to annul it for some reason.
Yet everything was now her fault?
Besides, everything that the Smiths had was left behind by her mother¡ Not only were they hogging the house, but they didn¡¯t intend to spare even thepany now?
Their insatiable greed was disgusting.
She looked up slightly, and said coolly, ¡°No.¡± As if a cat with its tail trampled on, Ang shouted sharply, ¡°Nora, what do you mean by that?¡± Nora nced outside¡ªit was gettingte.
She wanted to go back and sleep with Cherry, so she went to the point and said, ¡°Calling off the engagement, okay.
Wedding gift, nope.¡± Then, she stood up and walked out.
¡°Stand right there, Nora!¡± Henry yelled angrily.
Unfortunately, Nora turned a deaf ear to him.
When she reached the front porch, Ang came chasing after her and blocked her path.
¡°Tell me, Nora, do you have no intention to annul the engagement at all because you can¡¯t bear to give up Anthony?!¡± Nora found her annoying.
¡°Get out of the way.¡± ¡°So, that¡¯s really what you¡¯re thinking!
You¡¯re so shameless!¡± Ang reached out her hand and sent it flying toward her face arrogantly and unreasonably!
The next moment, however, Nora grabbed her wrist.
Unable to break free, a flustered and exasperated Ang cursed angrily, ¡°Don¡¯t you dare think that Anthony will have a change of heart ande back to you just because you¡¯ve be pretty!
He¡¯ll never marry a sullied woman like you who¡¯s saddled with little bastard children, no matter what!
Oh, and by the way, why didn¡¯t you bring back that little bastard child whose father¡¯s identity is unknown?¡± Smack!
With all her strength, Nora returned to her a ruthless p of her own.
Her pupils were very dark, and she looked like a demon crawling out of hell.
¡°Cherry is not a bastard child.
If I ever hear you spouting nonsense again, I¡¯m not holding back!¡± After leaving behind a warning, she turned and left.
Ang¡¯s cheek stung fiercely.
She widened her eyes in shock and was so scared that she seemed to have even forgotten to cry.
¡ª Neon lights flickered at night in California.
Nora sat in the cab with her eyes closed and rested.
Light flickered on her face, shining and dimming erratically, giving off a feeling of loneliness.
Unknown father¡ Little bastard child¡ These two phrases made her sigh in mncholy.
It was still a mystery how she had be pregnant five years ago.
She had no clue as to who Cherry¡¯s father was.
¡°We¡¯re here.¡± The cabby¡¯s voice interrupted Nora¡¯s thoughts.
She had only just alighted and entered the hotel when a row of bodyguards suddenly rushed out in front of her and stopped her at the side.
¡°Please step aside!¡± Many people who were stopped spected in low voices: ¡°What is Mr.
Hunt going out for when it¡¯s already sote?¡± ¡°I heard that the Hunts¡¯ sole grandson wanted mousse cake¡¡± When Nora stretched out her hand to yawn, she immediately saw a tall and noble figure striding out of the elevator with a boy about five or six years old in his arms.
The man kept his gaze straight as he walked forward.
However, when he passed by Nora, he suddenly stopped.
He looked at her with a deep gaze, and said in a deep voice, ¡°Miss Smith¡¡± Nora paused mid-yawn.
Chapter 4 - 4 The Investigation Results Are Out!
?4: The Investigation Results Are Out!
4: The Investigation Results Are Out!
With her mouth half-open, Nora looked at Justin in astonishment.
The man was very tall, and was a little over 6¡¯2¡å.
Dressed in a ck bespoke suit, his legs were long and straight.
Thevish hotel lights spilled onto his expressionless face, making his facial features appear three-dimensional and refined with a firm outline, and he gave off a sense of loftiness.
However, the mole at the corner of his eye forcibly merged allure and coldness, adding a sense of abstinence to him.
The little boy he was holding was also wearing a suit.
He was leaning on the man¡¯s shoulder and had buried his head into it to hide his appearance, so as to prevent the media from secretly taking photos of him and exposing information about him.
Unfortunately, she was in no mood to appreciate his good looks.
Had Justin Hunt¡ caught wind of her identity as Anti?
She was just thinking about it when she noticed Justin frowning.
In an imposing manner, he said, ¡°Stay away from my son.
Also, you¡¯re not my type.¡± His voice was deep and melodious like a baritone hitting one¡¯s eardrums.
It made people want to hear him speak a little more, yet they were dissuaded by that chilly aura of his that reached bone-deep.
Nora¡¯s eyes, which had been drooping because of drowsiness, widened big and round in this instant.
A question mark slowly appeared in her mind: ?
While she was stunned, the man turned away and strode off.
The people around looked at her all at once, and they took a step back as if she was some kind of virus while they engaged in private discussion: ¡°In recent years, countless people have tried to approach Mr.
Hunt by pleasing the Hunts¡¯ sole grandson, but Mr.
Hunt hates that the most!¡± ¡°It seemed like thest woman who had dared to have ideas about the Hunts¡¯ sole grandson had married a 60-year-old man in the end.
That woman is too bold!¡± It was only when she overheard thements that Nora finally understood what he meant.
¡Is that man out of his mind?
Soon, Justin left the lobby.
The bodyguards also withdrew, and the hotel lobby went back to normal.
Inside the extra-long ck Bentley.
Pete had a sullen look on his face, and he made a silent protest.
Justin frowned.
His son¡¯s abnormal behavior tonight had caused him to check the surveince camera footage in the corridor.
There, he saw that the woman had kissed and hugged his son.
The problem was that for the very first time, Pete, who had always been averse to others and disliked physical contact, hadn¡¯t resisted.
Was it because that woman was so fair and beautiful that she was overly eye-catching?
He thought of her sheer beauty that even her simple dressing couldn¡¯t hide, and the kind of careless wildness in her actions when she was yawning.
And, in particr, the rejection and indifference in her cat-like eyes when she was facing him.
She was unlike other women.
She certainly had a few tricks up her sleeve!
¡ª At the Smiths.
The birthday party was already over when Anthony arrived.
Ang¡¯s face was swollen, and a clear handprint could be seen.
She applied a towel wrapped around ice as a coldpress to her cheek.
In tears, sheined, ¡°Why are you here sote, Anthony?¡± Anthony looked ufortable for a moment.
On the way to the Smiths, he had taken a detour and asked a private investigator to help inquire about the beauty he saw at the airport today.
He coughed and put on an anxious and concerned look.
¡°What happened?
Did that fatty hit you?
Is she refusing to annul the engagement?
Where is she?
I will pay her a visit myself!¡± Pay her a visit himself¡ That means they¡¯ll meet.
For some reason, Ang thought of that aggressively beautiful face, and a sense of anxiety formed in her heart.
If Anthony were to meet Nora, he definitely wouldn¡¯t take a fancy to her¡ Right?
Ang tightened her hold on the towel.
Then, she immediately said, ¡°Anthony, you don¡¯t need to go in person.
She just can¡¯t bear to let go of thepany.
Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll make her agree.¡± Anthony didn¡¯t insist.
After all, his mind was no longer here.
He nodded and said with emphasis, ¡°Without thepany, Grandpa will never agree to our engagement!
I¡¯ll leave this matter to you.
I don¡¯t want to see her pig-like face, either.
By the way, did she be even fatter?¡± Ang became wary.
She didn¡¯t answer but said, ¡°Don¡¯t meet her if you don¡¯t want to.
I¡¯ll definitelye up with a solution about the wedding gift.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± After leaving the Smiths, Anthony drove absentmindedly.
However, his mind waspletely on the woman whom he had met at the airport.
He didn¡¯t know who she was, but the air around her, and her beauty were something that he had rarelye across in his whole life.
It¡¯d be great if I can take her as my wife.
As soon as the thought formed, he couldn¡¯t curb his strong desire to see her again.
Suddenly, he received a call from the private investigator.
¡°Mr.
Gray, I couldn¡¯t find the identity of that beauty, but I found the hotel where she¡¯s temporarily staying at.¡± Anthony¡¯s eyes lit up.
¡°Send it to me!¡± ¡ª When Nora reached the hotel, Cherry was already asleep.
She went straight to the study.
She sat on the sofa and made a call.
¡°Solo, give me all the information about Idealian Pharmaceuticals.¡± The lively voice sounded a little powerless at the moment.
¡°Say, Anti, don¡¯t go too far.
Do you think I¡¯m your subordinate just because I owe you my life?
Don¡¯t I, the world¡¯s number one hacker, deserve some respect?
You¡¯re asking me to do even something as trivial as this?
How about you name your price, and we call it even?¡± The corners of Nora¡¯s lips curled upward slightly.
¡°Sure.
How much is your life worth?¡± ¡°¡¡± After a moment of silence, Solo said, ¡°Fine, you win.
Give me five minutes.¡± Five minutester, Solo emailed her all the information about Idealian Pharmaceuticals.
Idealian Pharmaceuticals was thepany that her mother had left behind when she died.
She was still young at that time, so thepany was handed over to a dedicated manager to handle in her stead.
She had never taken over the reins all this time, either.
However, for the Smiths to want it so much, and even wanted her to give it to Ang as a wedding gift, there must be something fishy going on.
She carefully looked through the information until she heard faint footsteps in the soundproof corridor.
Disturbed by the sound, Nora frowned.
Mrs.
Lewis exined, ¡°There are people staying in the presidential suite next door.
I heard it¡¯s Mr.
Hunt.¡± Her cell phone beeped at this point¡ªit was a message from Solo: ¡°The number one family is impressive indeed.
Mr.
Hunt offered me a few million dors just to know whether you¡¯re a man or a woman.
Anti, you¡¯re done for!¡± Justin Hunt again.
Nora cast her cat-like eyes downward slightly.
Her long, slender fingers tapped a few times on the keyboard, and she replied: ¡°Pass him a message for me.¡± In the presidential suite next door.
The tall and slender Justin sat on the sofa and leaned back.
His assistant Lawrence Zimmer stood there respectfully.
¡°Mr.
Hunt, Solo has brought a message from Dr.
Anti.¡± Justin looked up coldly.
¡°What is it?¡± Lawrence coughed and touched his sses.
Then, he read out the message methodically.
¡°Dr.
Anti asks, ¡®Mr.
Hunt, are you looking for me in such a hurry because you require brain surgery?''¡± ¡°¡¡± With this, the temperature in the room dropped to a freezing point.
After a long while, Justin finally suppressed his anger and squeezed out two words: ¡°The!
Photo!¡± Lawrence instantly understood what he meant, and he immediately brought out a photo of Dr.
Anti that he had bought at a high price and handed it to him.
Justin took it.
He would see just who exactly the person making fun of him was!
Chapter 5 - 5 The Monsters Last Name Is Hunt
?5: The Monster¡¯s Last Name Is Hunt 5: The Monster¡¯s Last Name Is Hunt The photo, which was taken half a year ago, was just a snapshot taken during one of Anti¡¯s surgeries.
The subject wore a surgical cap, and their body was wrapped tightly all around.
All one could tell was that it was a slightly chubby woman.
She was looking down, her cat-like eyes slightly downcast with a focused and serious look in them.
Those eyes look a little familiar¡ Justin quickly dismissed the thoughts in his mind.
The physique of the woman next door didn¡¯t match.
It wasn¡¯t her.
During this time, Mrs.
Lewis was chasing Nora to bed.
¡°Nora, because of your poor health, you usually need more sleep than others.
You¡¯re not allowed to stay up anymore¡¡± Nora stretched and said in a slightly hoarse voice, ¡°Okay.¡± Although she had recovered, her constitution was weak, and she had little energy.
She needed a full twelve hours of sleep every day.
When she was living abroad, her aunt had even nicknamed her the Queen of Sleep¡ªbecause if nothing happened, she could just sleep for three days and three nights straight¡ The next day, she was woken up by the phone.
She picked up the call with her eyes closed.
Ang¡¯s voice reached her.
¡°Have you given the matter about thepany any thought?¡± ¡°¡Not really.¡± In a charitable tone, Ang said, ¡°How about this¡ªwe¡¯ll both take a step back.
I give you half a million, and you transfer thepany to me.
Surely you¡¯re satisfied now?¡± Nora turned over and found afortable position, but still did not open her eyes.
Idealian Pharmaceuticals¡¯ annual ie approximated $5,000,000.
All the money had been handed to her nominal guardian, Henry Smith, during all these years.
Although the money wasn¡¯t much, her mother¡¯spany wasn¡¯t to be given away so thoughtlessly!
Ang continued sarcastically.
¡°Does your aunt¡¯s savings even amount to $100,000 after she¡¯s worked so hard for so many years?
That¡¯s $500,000 we¡¯re talking about.
You¡¯ve probably never seen that much money in your life, right?¡± ¡°¡¡± The presidential suite cost $100,000 per night.
Moreover, worried that Cherry would be ufortable in her lodgings before they found a house, her aunt had straight-up booked a one-month-long stay.
Indeed, she had never seen such a pittance.
Seeing that she still wasn¡¯t speaking, Ang changed her strategy.
¡°Nora, you may not know this, but thatpany isn¡¯t making any money at all, and is close to bankruptcy.
If you transfer thepany to me, there may still be a chance to turn the losses into profits!¡± Nora thought, Ha ha ha.
Ang went on.
¡°It¡¯s a pharmaceuticalpany.
Trash like you that didn¡¯t even go to school undoubtedly know nothing about it.
I¡¯m a high-achieving medical student, and I¡¯ve always taken first ce in professional knowledge all these years.
And, I¡¯m even intending to apply as a postgraduate student at Professor Anti¡¯s!
¡°Anti is the most amazing surgeon in the world, and they can perform even the most difficult operations.
They are a legend in the industry!
However, they¡¯re very mysterious.
The Boston University had put in a lot of thought to invite them over as a professor¡ ¡°Why am I telling an idiot like you all this?
It¡¯s not like you understand what I¡¯m saying!
Nora, I¡¯d advise you to quit while you¡¯re ahead.
Don¡¯t puff yourself up at your own expense!
Thepany will only go bankrupt faster.¡± Nora knitted her brows, a little annoyed.
¡°¡It¡¯s too noisy.¡± An agitated Ang demanded, ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± She threatened her fiercely.
¡°Are you feigning ignorance because you don¡¯t want to annul the engagement?!
I¡¯m the only one that Anthony loves, and what he values about me is also my talent in medicine!
Even if I don¡¯t get thepany as a wedding gift, he¡¯ll still marry me all the same!
Seems like you want to do this the hard way, huh?!¡± ¡°¡¡± Nora hung up decisively and tossed the cell phone aside.
Then, she hugged the pillow and fell into a deep sleep once more.
As for Ang¡¯s threats¡ No matter what kind of demons and monsters they were, all of them could juste over and send themselves to death¡¯s door!
After a full twelve hours of sleep, Nora finally got out of bed reluctantly.
She decided to go to some private investigators to look for clues to her son¡¯s whereabouts.
Nora changed and went out.
At the door, after a very perfunctory hug with Cherry, she slowly instructed, ¡°Don¡¯t y games all day.
Take care not to spoil your eyesight.¡± ¡°Four kills, four kills!
Oh, you¡¯re so stupid!¡± Cherry¡¯s hand tapped away quickly on the phone she was holding.
When she heard her mom, she nodded without even looking up.
¡°Okay.
Don¡¯t worry, Mommy, I¡¯ll take care of Mrs.
Lewis.¡± ¡°¡¡± She clearly wasn¡¯t listening at all.
Nora looked up slightly and added, ¡°There¡¯s a very difficult person next door.
Don¡¯t go out if you don¡¯t have to.¡± Cherry¡¯s eyes immediately widened with interest.
¡°Is he a monster, Mommy?¡± With Justin¡¯s arrogant appearance in mind, Nora, who had always been reticent in nature, said slowly, ¡°Well, this monster is as beautiful as a woman and has a mole at the corner of his eye, but it seems that his brain isn¡¯t working very well.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Cherry waved.
¡°I definitely won¡¯t go out, then.
I don¡¯t y with dummies.¡± Noraughed.
Then, she closed the door and got ready to go to the elevator.
However, when she looked behind her, she immediately froze.
At some point in time, Justin was actually standing behind her.
The man¡¯s tall figure made the spacious hallway seem a bit cramped.
His dark eyes were staring at her, and even the mole at the corner of his eye seemed to be exuding a bone-deep chill.
He was probably going out.
An assistant and a bodyguard followed behind him.
There were only the three of them, but his presence was no weaker than yesterday¡¯s.
Nora raised her eyebrows.
To be honest, her aunt had given her a thousand reminders and warnings before she returned to the States.
Here, she could protect her, no matter who she provoked.
However, the only person she mustn¡¯t mess with was Justin Hunt!!
She had given a sarcastic reply as Antist night, but that was because they were separated by the Inte.
But now¡ Nora cast her cat-like eyes downward slightly, and she exined in a careless and sloppy tone, ¡°Mr.
Hunt, I was just joking with the child.
I definitely wasn¡¯t alluding to you or anything like that.¡± ¡°¡¡± The corner of Lawrence¡¯s lips spasmed a little.
Can that woman¡¯s tone get any more perfunctory?
Is there any monster out there that has a mole at the corner of its eye?
That monster¡¯sst name is probably Hunt, right?!
There was no visible emotion on Justin¡¯s face, making people unable to tell what he was thinking.
He merely cast a long look at Nora before taking the lead and walking ahead.
Nora deliberately dawdled where she was, and waited for them to enter the elevator before she walked out and let out a sigh of relief.
That man had only given her a simple nce just now, but she had sensed fierce murderous intent.
He was indeed trouble.
It was best that she stayed far away from him.
In the elevator.
Justin narrowed his eyes slightly.
The lighting had been bad the previous night.
He was nearer to her today and discovered that the woman was astonishingly fair.
Her cat-like eyes were casually downcast, and her curly eyshes were long and ck.
She appeared sweet and docile, but how was it that he found that wild energy around her when she dissed people without using expletives a little familiar?
¡ª At the same time.
After Pete was sure that the demon lord was gone, he immediately dialed the neighboring room¡¯s phone extension number.
Someone picked up, and a young voice sounded.
¡°Hello?¡± Pete paused.
¡°I¡¯m staying next door.
Can I visit you?¡± The little girl was surprised.
¡°So, you¡¯re the little dummy from next door?¡± ¡°¡¡± As the youngest genius in the field of finance, this was the first time someone had called him a dummy.
However, the little girl quickly spoke again.
¡°Can you y games with me?¡± The light in Pete¡¯s dark eyes flickered a few times, and he replied, ¡°Yes, I can.¡±
Chapter 6 - 6 Cheating
?6: Cheating?
6: Cheating?
The lobby of Hotel Finest wasvishly decorated, and the neat and clean marble floor reflected light.
Anthony sat on the sofa and stared in the direction of the elevator.
The Hunts¡¯ hotel management was strict, and the front desk refused to sell their customers¡¯ information.
Thus, he could onlye over early in the morning to wait, in hopes that he could catch the woman.
His hard work paid off, and he finally found her.
He jumped onto his feet when the graceful figure carelessly came out.
With a bouquet of roses in his hands, he blocked her path in what he thought was a very charming manner.
¡°Hello, beautiful.
What a coincidence, I didn¡¯t expect for us to meet again!¡± Nora was rendered speechless.
They had already annulled their engagement, so why was this guy still showing up in front of her again and again?
Anthony, who didn¡¯t notice her annoyance at all, said with a smile: ¡°Since it seems like we¡¯re destined to be, surely you should tell me your name now?¡± Nora narrowed her eyes.
She originally couldn¡¯t be bothered to pay him any attention, but when she thought of how he had also been in the delivery room back when she was giving birth¡ Perhaps she could try sounding him out.
Her lips slowly parted.
¡°Isabel Anderson.¡± Anderson was her mother¡¯sst name.
Anthony¡¯s eyes lit up.
¡°Are you free, Miss Anderson?
Coincidence is a wonderful thing.
How about going to the cafe next door and having a chat?¡± Nora nodded without much care.
Anthony walked in front eagerly.
¡°This way, Miss Anderson¡ By the way, where¡¯s your younger sister?¡± Nora raised her brows.
¡°My younger sister?¡± ¡°Yes, that little girl who came out of the airport with you yesterday.
You look only about 20 years old; surely you can¡¯t possibly have a daughter who¡¯s already that age, right?¡± Anthony jested, thinking he was being humorous.
¡°¡¡± Nora couldn¡¯t be bothered to exin.
Instead, she replied, ¡°Let¡¯s go upstairs.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just as well that she isn¡¯t here.
That way, she won¡¯t bother us¡ The cakes from the cafe over there are pretty good.
You can bring some back for your sisterter¡¡± The way to chase a woman was to please everyone around her.
Anthony was very experienced in this.
Nearby, Justin, who had just inspected the hotel, stared coldly at the two of them from the back.
Behind him, Lawrence, his assistant, curled his lip.
¡°That woman¡¯s too much, Mr.
Hunt!
Never mind that she had deliberately approached Pete to please you, but she¡¯s actually two-timing?
¡°And, she even referred to her daughter as her younger sister when she was lying to someone else!
I didn¡¯t even see her putting in that much effort when she was lying to you!¡± The bodyguard behind him had question marks all over his face.
Was this really something to bepared?
Justin¡¯s expression darkened.
A sharp look shed across his deep-set eyes, and even the temperature in the entire lobby seemed to drop a few degrees.
He said frostily, ¡°Look her up.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± After walking into the cafe, Nora found a table by the window.
In a matter of a few words, she had made Anthony turn the topic to the matter of his engagement.
Anthony was eager to exin himself, yet his tone was mocking and awful.
¡°I¡¯m really not a scumbag, Miss Anderson.
You don¡¯t know how ugly that fatty is.
There¡¯s so much flesh on her face that even her eyes were nearly squeezed shut.
When she walks, it¡¯s as if the whole ce is shaking.
¡°She even insisted on using the excuse that her obesity is due to hormonal injections.
Hah, she speaks as if she¡¯ll be a beauty if she slims down.
¡°She¡¯s also mentally ill.
She dropped out of elementary school in third grade, and stayed at home ever since, cooping herself up every day in her room.
She doesn¡¯t even kick up a fuss when anyone hits or scolds her, much less retaliate.
¡°It¡¯s unfair to make me marry an uneducated, illiterate, and mentally impaired fatty like that, isn¡¯t it?!¡± Nora was close to nodding off as she listened to him with her cheek in her hand.
She had known since she was a child that crying and kicking up a fuss were useless in a home as biased as theirs.
The reason why she hadn¡¯t fought back despite being hit was that she had always kept her mother¡¯sst words firmly in her mind¡ªshe must be in and mediocre, and that she was not allowed to show her wit and ingenuity before she became of age.
She had said that this was the only way her life could be saved.
¡°I really hate the Smiths¡¯ behavior.
If it weren¡¯t for thatpany, I wouldn¡¯t be humoring Ang now, either¡¡± Anthony, who realized that he had said too much, hurriedly asked, ¡°Oh, what am I saying such things for?
Where are you from, Miss Anderson?¡± Nora casually made up an answer.
¡°New York.¡± The Andersons from New York?
Anthony swallowed hard.
That was a big-name familyparable to the Hunts!
Anthony fawned on her even more.
¡°I didn¡¯t expect you toe from such a wealthy family.
No wonder you have such apelling presence and air of elegance around you.¡± Nora didn¡¯t care about his assumptions and continued to sound him out.
Her disposition seemed casual, but her grip around her coffee cup had tightened slightly.
¡°I heard that your fianc¨¦e gave birth to a child five years ago, but it was abandoned.
I¡¯m really curious¡ªwhere did that child go?¡± Anthony hurriedly exined.
¡°That¡¯s just a rumor, Miss Anderson!
That fatty took the child abroad!¡± What the Smiths publicly announced was that Nora had only given birth to a baby girl.
After all, they would incur the people¡¯s wrath if anyone knew that they had done something like abandoning a newborn infant.
Nora scoffed.
¡°I¡¯m just curious.
Since you don¡¯t want to say it, then forget it!¡± She put the coffee cup down heavily on the table and pretended that she was leaving, vividly acting the part of a rich, spoiled princess.
Sure enough, Anthony panicked.
He reached out to grab her.
¡°That¡¯s not what I meant.
Don¡¯t get mad¡ª¡± Nora subtly evaded him and raised an eyebrow.
¡°So, are you going to answer me or not?¡± Her behavior didn¡¯t raise Anthony¡¯s suspicions.
After all, such secrets about wealthy families were what many people liked to talk about idly.
Just like gossip about celebrities, a lot of people would find it interesting.
He spoke reluctantly.
¡°Uncle Henry¡ªHenry Smith¡ªwas the one that handled it back then.
I really don¡¯t know anything.¡± Seeing that Anthony didn¡¯t seem to be lying, Nora lost interest right away.
What a waste of her time that she could¡¯ve spent sleeping.
She got up and walked out straightaway.
Anthony was stunned for a moment before he went after her.
¡°I¡¯m telling the truth, Miss Anderson¡ Are you busy with something?
In that case, why don¡¯t you give me your number?
We can contac¡ª¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± Nora left behind only four words and went straight out, got into a taxi, and left.
A confused Anthony was left behind frozen in ce.
His expression couldn¡¯t help but darken.
Were the temperaments of all the girls from top-ss wealthy families this vtile?
She was too hard to chase!
¡ª Nora got a few private investigators in California to try and look for clues.
It wasn¡¯t until the evening that she finally dragged her tired self back to the hotel.
Beep.
As soon as she opened the door, she heard the conversation between Cherry and another childing from within: ¡°The princess is here!
Everyone, step aside!
The little dummy is to escort her!¡± ¡°¡ Okay.¡± ¡°Heh heh, do you want to try my cannon?
Little dummy, tank the damage from the defensive tower.
Go!¡± ¡°I¡¯m out of HP.¡± ¡°Hey, why are you running?
Tank the damage for me, and I¡¯ll be able to get the five kills!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll die.¡± ¡°Are you a man or not?
You¡¯re so cowardly even in a game.
What are you so scared of?¡± ¡°¡¡± Cherry was usually very cute and well-behaved, but once she started ying games, she would be very irritable and foul-mouthed.
Her behavior today was already considered rather self-restrained.
Whose kid was this ying mobile games with her, though?
Chapter 7 - 7 Are You My Mommy
?7: Are You My Mommy?
7: Are You My Mommy?
Nora walked into the living room and saw Cherry in her pajamas holding a cell phone.
She was sitting cross-legged and was ying happily with the game¡¯s audio turned on.
Hearing the sound of the door opening, the little girl turned and looked over.
Seeing that Nora was about to get mad, she put on a bright smile and blinked her big round eyes.
¡°Mommy, you¡¯re finally back.
I was so bored.
I missed you so much!¡± ¡°¡¡± Nora sighed silently.
Wasn¡¯t the reason why Cherry yed games every day exactly that she was either busy or sleeping, and didn¡¯t have any time to spend with her?
She resisted her drowsiness and desire to immediately jump into bed, and said, ¡°Clean up the ce, Cherry.
Let¡¯s have dinner outside tonight.¡± Mrs.
Lewis asked, ¡°What would you like to wear tonight, Cherry?¡± Cherry thought about it seriously.
¡°The little gray suit from Gi!¡± Nora frowned.
¡°Are you wearing boys¡¯ clothing again?¡± Cherry had a quirk¡ªshe liked going out with her dressed like a little boy.
She continued to stare at the phone.
¡°Uh-huh.
This round¡¯s ending soon.
Mommy, what are we having?¡± Nora reached over and grabbed her cell phone before she answered, ¡°We¡¯re having pizza downstairs.¡± Then, she turned off the game.
¡°Hey!
We¡¯re raiding soon.
You¡ª¡± An irritable Cherry was about to throw a tantrum, and she was even about to curse.
However, when her eyes met Nora¡¯s, the little girl pursed her lips and squeezed out two words from in between her teeth: ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± In the room next door.
Pete stared at the cell phone.
¡®sweetcherry¡¯ had logged off the game, and the voice call had also been disconnected.
He felt a small sense of loss at the bottom of his heart.
Chester Hunt, who was sitting on the sofa, breathed a sigh of relief at the sight.
¡°Kiddo, you¡¯re done atst.
My tyrant of an elder brother ising back soon, so hurry and clean up the ce!¡± Pete, who looked sullen, didn¡¯t speak.
Chester came over and looked at his cell phone.
¡°Who are you ying with?
You look so reluctant to log off.
If you want to y it again, why don¡¯t I y with you next time?
I¡¯m really good.
I¡¯m ranked among the top ten yers on the local server.
The top yer on the server, sweetcherry, is our team leader, and the two of us are online buddies.
I¡¯ll get him to let you join and y together next time¡¡± At the sight of him looking over, Pete turned off the screen and stood up.
¡°Uncle Chester, I wanna have pizza.¡± Chester suddenly felt a headacheing on.
¡°C¡¯mon, behave, kiddo.
Justin¡¯s not gonna agree to that!¡± As the only grandson of the Hunts, Pete was treated like a VIP.
His daily schedule was scientifically nned, and he executed it in strict ordance with the timing.
Although he didn¡¯t attend sses, he was busier than even adults.
As Justin wasn¡¯t around today, and Chester felt really sorry for this poor little nephew of his, he risked his life and indulged him in ying games all afternoon.
But¡ Eating out?!
This was definitely testing the limits of Justin¡¯s patience!
Chester tried painstakingly to dissuade him.
¡°You forced him to take you out for cake yesterday by refusing to take your medication, but this method isn¡¯t going to work today.
C¡¯mon, kiddo, behave¡¡± It was as if Pete didn¡¯t hear him at all.
He went straight back to the bedroom and opened the closet.
He was about to take a random piece of clothing to change into when he suddenly spotted the limited edition little gray suit from Gi.
He put on the suit impulsively and walked out.
Shocked, Chester stopped him.
¡°Justin¡¯s already downstairs!¡± Pete looked at him coolly.
¡°Uh-huh.
It¡¯s fine as long as he¡¯s not at the door.¡± ¡°¡¡± Chester watched him leave, feeling as though chills were going down his spine.
He felt like a violent storm was about toe.
One minuteter.
Justin opened the door and strode in, his presence as strong as ever.
As he entered, a terrified-looking Chester lowered his head and greeted him weakly.
¡°Justin¡¡± Justin, who was taking off his coat, paused.
His inky eyes swept across the room, and his expression darkened.
¡°Where¡¯s Pete?¡± He sounded displeased.
Chester became even more scared.
¡°¡ He¡¯s at the pizza ce downstairs.¡± As soon as he spoke, the tyrant suddenly turned around, scaring Chester so badly that he shouted, ¡°I know it¡¯s my fault, Justin.
Hold back a littl¡ Huh?¡± Justin had already bypassed him and left.
Chester, who thought that he had managed to narrowly escape, had only just heaved a sigh of relief when he heard the other man¡¯s deep voice.
¡°I¡¯ll deal with you when I¡¯m back.¡± ¡°¡¡± ¡ª The pizzas at Hotel Finest were $99 each.
There were all kinds of varieties, and one could order their fill of vors there.
With a menu in her hand, Nora walked toward the empty tables.
Cherry followed her.
Dressed in a little suit, her daughter looked awfully handsome, and there was a sly look in her spirited eyes.
¡°Mommy, I¡¯ll go look at the cakes.¡± Nora let out an ¡°Okay¡±.
However, when she turned around, she saw her ¡®daughter¡¯ standing behind her and staring at her all wide-eyed.
Pete was only trying his luck.
He didn¡¯t expect that he would really meet her again.
A bit of joy that had never once been there before appeared in the eyes of the usually taciturn boy.
When Nora saw him staring at herself silently with a menu in his hand, she asked in confusion, ¡°Did you not find the cake disy counter, baby?¡± ¡®Baby¡¯¡ Pete blushed.
Although his grandparents also asionally called him that at home, the woman¡¯s voice was casual andzy, and it actually sounded exceptionally affectionate.
His eyes suddenly turned red, and he asked sadly, ¡°Are you my mommy?¡± Nora was puzzled.
She felt like something was wrong with Cherry.
Was it because she had forcibly logged her off the game just now?
Although Cherry was a spoiled little princess, she had always been a lively and active child.
Surely not, right?
Nora bent over and rubbed his head.
With a low chuckle, she said, ¡°Alright, it¡¯s all Mommy¡¯s fault.
What do you wanna have?
I¡¯ll order it for you, okay?¡± She held up the menu.
¡°Do you want pepperoni pizza?¡± It really is Mommy!
Pete¡¯s eyes widened.
He wanted to ask ¡°Mommy, why did you abandon me?¡±, as well as ¡°Where have you been all these years?¡± Yet, when all the words reached the tip of his tongue, he swallowed them all down again.
He, who had grown up being taken care of by Justin, had difficulty expressing his feelings.
He could only nod heavily.
¡°Yeah!¡± Nora waspletely unaware of howplicated the boy¡¯s emotions were at the moment.
She took him by the hand and walked to a rtively quiet and inconspicuous table in the corner.
Cherry, who was lingering at the cake disy counter, looked at the mousse cake, and then at the ck Forest cake, unable to decide.
In the end, it was only after she decided that she would have both that she finally decided to go back to where her mother was.
However, as soon as she turned around, she noticed a very good-looking young man walking toward her aggressively.
Then, he stretched out his long shapely arm, picked her up, and forcibly brought her out.
¡°This is all junk food!
Don¡¯t eat it!¡± Cherry, who was dumbfounded, struggled fiercely.
¡°Who are you?
Why are you ordering me around?
Let go of me!
Help, someone¡¯s kidnapping me!¡± Themotion attracted the attention of the entire dining hall.
Justin had a stormy look on his face.
As they were in public, his good upbringing made him suppress his anger in the end, and he snapped, ¡°I¡¯m your father!¡± ¡ª
Chapter 8 - 8 My Mommys Over There!
?8: My Mommy¡¯s Over There!
8: My Mommy¡¯s Over There!
Chester, who hade after them, couldn¡¯t help holding his forehead when he saw the situation.
It was all over.
The kiddo and the tyrant were at it again.
Pete was stubborn and obstinate.
Justin was domineering.
Everything was usually fine if Pete was obedient, but once he refused to behave, chaos would undoubtedly break out at home.
He was just thinking of calling their family home and asking them to save his little nephew when he noticed that the tyrant had suddenly stopped in his tracks.
Mild surprise came over his countenance.
The few heated droplets on his neck stunned Justin and froze him to the spot.
This can¡¯t be¡ He loosened his hold slightly and was immediately faced with a bawling little face.
Cherry was crying hard, and her sobs wracked her tiny little body.
She touched Justin¡¯s face with her hand.
¡°Daddy¡ You¡¯re Daddy¡¡± Justin was at a loss for words.
His son always had a sullen look on his face, but his facial expression was a lot more animated at the moment.
Big teardrops rolled down from his dark eyes.
It made one feel extraordinarily¡ helpless.
¡°Don¡¯t cry anymore.¡± Justin said hoarsely.
Then, he stretched out his hand awkwardly, trying to wipe her tears.
However, a soft little hand grabbed his fingers instead.
¡°Daddy!¡± She finally had a father.
She was no longer a child that had popped out of a rock.
Although Cherry was lively and outgoing, she nevertheless felt terribly envious every time she saw other children being lifted high into the air by their fathers.
Her soft voice caused Justin to swallow back the ¡°Real men don¡¯t cry¡± line that he was about to say.
Pete was only five.
He was still a child.
His usually hard and tough heart actually softened a bit.
With a sullen look, Justin chided, ¡°Oh, really now.
Crying and kicking up a fuss just because of some food?¡± Despite that, he put Cherry down in an unprecedented move.
Cherry sped hisrge hand tightly as though she was afraid that what was already in the bag¡ uh, afraid that her father would disappear.
She looked up and said, ¡°Let¡¯s have dinner together, Daddy.¡± Justin pursed his lips and looked at his watch.
¡°I only have an hour.¡± Chester, who was already dumbfounded a long time ago, was rendered speechless.
In the past, Pete had always rather gone hungry and be punished than give in!
Had he be enlightened?
Cherry was terribly excited.
She had found such a handsome father!
Whether he really was her father or not, it was in no way a loss!
The world of a looks-obsessed fanatic was just that simple!
¡°Eat this, Daddy!
This is expensive!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t just drink juice, Daddy.
It¡¯s too filling, and you won¡¯t get to eat much.¡± Justin stared solemnly at his son who was behaving like a totally different person.
Meanwhile, Chester, who was seated next to him, whispered, ¡°Justin, has Pete been possessed?¡± ¡°¡¡± After choosing what she wanted to eat, Cherry took Justin¡¯s hand and walked towards the table in the corner.
¡°Daddy, Mommy¡¯s over there.¡± Justin¡¯s vision followed her finger and saw the woman in the corner again.
She was leaning backzily on thefortable sofa, her eyes downcast as if everything happening around her had nothing to do with her, and indifferent as if she was isted from the world.
She supported her cheek with one hand while holding a fork in the other as she ate absentmindedly.
There was an inexplicable charm in her movements.
Her fingers were long and slender with well-defined joints.
Such fingers were very nimble and flexible and were very suitable for ying the piano.
They were very beautiful.
Opposite her, a child sat with their back to them.
As the child was too short, they could only see the top of their hair.
It was likely her daughter.
Justin retracted his gaze and looked at Cherry solemnly.
¡°She isn¡¯t your mommy.¡± ¡°She is my mommy.¡± With a cold look, Justin bent over.
¡°Remember this, Pete.
Don¡¯t trust any women, especially¡ beautiful ones!¡± Cherry¡¯s eyes widened.
Pity?
It would really be a pity only if he didn¡¯t ept Mommy!
Her eyes suddenly became red.
¡°If you don¡¯t recognize her as my mommy, then you¡¯re not my father!¡± ¡°¡¡± Justin looked displeased.
His sullen gaze was as if it wanted to pierce right through people, and even the mole at the corner of his eye felt scrutinizing.
Just how had that woman bewitched his son?
She actually made Pete say something like that!
And¡ He suddenly realized something, and he asked, ¡°Did youe down together with her?¡± Cherry replied, ¡°Of course.¡± It was just like what he had thought.
He knew it.
Why would Pete suddenly want pizza?
Justin scoffed.
That woman was still flirting with some other man downstairs this afternoon, yet now she was trying to seduce him by using his son again.
It seemed that the verbal warning he gave herst night was not enough.
He turned around forcefully.
¡°Don¡¯t talk to her anymore.¡± Cherry was confused.
She looked at her mother aggrievedly, then looked up at her big and tall father.
In the end, she gritted her teeth and left with Justin.
She wanted to help Mommy kidnap Daddy home.
¡°Daddy, isn¡¯t my mommy good-looking?
She¡¯s even prettier than the celebrities.
If you marry her, how impressive would it be when you take her out in the future?¡± Justin was perplexed.
Just what kind of indecent things did the woman say to his son?!
¡ Nora, who was eating slowly, was close to falling asleep.
Her daughter was being exceptionally sensible this evening.
The usually picky eater surprisingly didn¡¯t pick out the carrots and had eaten them all.
It was just that she was taking quite a long time to eat.
She was slightly worried.
¡°Are you eating too much?¡± Pete rubbed his round belly.
He knew that he would probably be grounded by the tyrant when he returned.
He had dawdled for over an hour because he was reluctant to part with Mommy.
When he heard her, he pursed his lips and said, ¡°I¡¯ll get another cake.¡± ¡°¡ Go ahead.¡± The corners of Nora¡¯s lips spasmed a little.
Then, she leaned back and closed her eyes.
At the same time, Cherry took the opportunity while the others were taking their belongings to sneak back and check on Nora.
When she discovered how sleepy she looked, she felt a little sorry.
Having dinner with her was already taking a lot of time away from her sleep.
Yet she had apanied Daddy and abandoned Mommy.
She shouldn¡¯t have done that.
Cherry walked over and sighed.
¡°Are you sleepy, Mommy?
Let¡¯s go back.¡± The little fellow¡¯s finally full.
Nora stretched and let out an ¡°Okay¡±.
Then, she held her hand and left the restaurant.
A minuteter, Pete came back, only to see the empty table.
The light in his eyes slowly dimmed, and his shoulders also slumped.
At this point, a deep voice came from behind.
¡°Time¡¯s up.¡± Pete¡¯s tiny body trembled.
When he turned around, he saw the tyrant standing impatiently behind him.
He knew that he would definitely be scolded when they got home.
Unexpectedly, the next moment, Justin bent over and picked him up.
He even asked, ¡°Are you full?¡± Pete was puzzled.
Did the tyrant decide to turn over a new leaf today?
¡ª In the top-ss presidential suite.
Ding!
Nora was about to go to bed when the doorbell rang.
She asked impatiently, ¡°Who is it?¡± An unfamiliar male voice reached her.
¡°My name is Hunt, Miss Smith.¡± Hunt?
Nora got up and called out, ¡°Open the door, Cherry.¡±
Chapter 9 - 9 How Did I Seduce Him
?9: How Did I Seduce Him?
9: How Did I Seduce Him?
¡°Mommy, I¡¯m in a fierce team battle now!
¡Be careful of the ones at the back!
Hey Chesty, how many times have you already died?
Why are you more fragile than even ss?!¡± Cherry, who was sitting on the sofa, dissed her teammates angrily without even looking up.
Resigned, Nora walked over to open the door.
It wasn¡¯t Justin standing outside but a man who looked to be about 20 years old.
He wore a white casual outfit and was leaning against the wall as he yed a game on his cell phone.
His deep-set eyes that looked simr to Justin¡¯s were slightly upturned, and there was a bright and harmless feeling in his facial features.
He looked just like a well-brought-up boy from a rich family.
At the sight of the door opening, Chester lowered his voice and said in the call with his gaming team, ¡°Leader, I¡¯m already dead anyway, so I¡¯ll count on you for this round.¡± After turning off the microphone, he raised his head and looked Nora up and down.
The woman was astonishingly fair.
Her originally docile-looking and cat-like eyes were slightly lidded, and there was some fatigue and sleepiness on her expressionless face.
Her voice was very low as she asked, ¡°Is something the matter?¡± No wonder she dared to seduce Justin.
She did indeed have some impressive assets.
Chester said, ¡°Miss Smith, I¡¯d like to discuss something with you.
Can you move to the suite downstairs and give up the presidential suite?¡± Nora raised her eyebrows.
¡°Why?¡± Chester offered her a check.
¡°Let me kindly remind you that this hotel belongs to the Hunts.
ording to the regtions, if the hotel cancels a booking without a reason, they¡¯ll have to pay double the damages for breaching the contract.
Here¡¯s a check for one million dors.¡± ¡°¡¡± Nora stared at the check wordlessly.
Did she look very poor?
Why was every one of them trying to dismiss her with money?
Seeing that she wasn¡¯t giving in, Chester threatened, ¡°If you don¡¯t agree to it, then I can only trouble the guards to throw you out.
I¡¯m sure Miss Smith wouldn¡¯t want to escte things to such a degree, right?¡± How dare he threaten her?
The look in Nora¡¯s eyes turned cold.
Then, she heard Chester continue.
¡°Miss Smith, you¡¯ve been trying time and again to seduce my elder brother.
I¡¯m cutting you some ck because it isn¡¯t easy taking care of a child.
Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t just be changing your room reservation!¡± Trying time and again to seduce his brother?
Nora yawned and askedzily, ¡°I¡¯m curious¡ªhow did I seduce him?¡± Chester replied angrily, ¡°Didn¡¯t you spend a huge sum of money to stay next door exactly to enjoy the benefits of a favorable position?
You¡¯ve managed to deceive Pete, but I¡¯m not that stupid.
I¡¯ve looked into you; your fianc¨¦ broke off his engagement with you, and you even gave birth before you got married.
What makes a woman like you think you¡¯re worthy of pursuing my brother?¡± Gee.
It turned out that one was in the wrong just by living next door.
Where did Justin get that sense of superiority from?
Nora asked coldly, ¡°So, no one¡¯s worthy of staying in this room?¡± Chester was shocked by the sudden increase in forcefulness in her aura.
Nevertheless, he said sarcastically, ¡°Of course not.
My brother has found out that Dr.
Anti is staying right in this hotel, and he¡¯ll find her very soon.
He¡¯ll definitely invite her to stay here!
Only distinguished guests like that deserve to stay next to my brother!¡± Nora was puzzled.
Had her information been found out?
She wasn¡¯t afraid of Justin, but getting entangled with such a man would be a very troublesome affair.
Nora cast her eyes downward and thought for a while.
Then, she took the check from Chester and said lightly, ¡°Thank you.
Get someone to help us with the room transfer.¡± Being too close was really troublesome, indeed.
Chester breathed a sigh of relief.
¡°At least you still have some self-awareness.¡± The presidential suite downstairs wasn¡¯t as good as these two top-ss ones, but it was nevertheless more than enough for three.
Most importantly, the room card assigned to guests that stayed downstairs didn¡¯t allow ess to this floor.
This way, that woman wouldn¡¯t have any chance toe into contact with Pete anymore, let alone Justin!
Why did she thank him, though?
A puzzled Chester returned to the room.
Then, he reported his meritorious deed to Justin.
He said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me, Justin.
With this, I¡¯ve made up for my mistakes!¡± Justin was sitting behind arge desk, with both hands tapping away quickly on the keyboard.
Without even looking up, he chided him in a low voice.
¡°How meddlesome.¡± Chester was perplexed.
Why was he detecting a bit of dissatisfaction in those two words?
He sneaked behind Justin and saw that theputer¡¯s ck screen was densely packed with various intertwined lines.
Among them, a red dot was slowly moving.
It was Anti, the person whom Justin had been keeping tabs on for half an hour.
With a solemn look, he was about to continue tracking her movements when the red dot suddenly shed a few times and disappeared.
¡°¡¡± The temperature in the room dropped by a few degrees.
A silly Chester said, ¡°You¡¯ve lost her, Justin.¡± Justin slowly raised his head, his dark eyes a difiting sight.
He slowly said, ¡°I can see that very well.¡± Chester instantly shut up.
Lawrence nced at Chester and sighed mentally.
The situation in the Hunt family was soplicated, and everyone there was an elite whose thoughts people could hardly fathom.
How did they produce such a simpleton?
He coughed and said, ¡°Mr.
Hunt, why would she suddenly go offline at this critical moment?¡± Was there a traitor among them?
However, Justin was personally taking part and had suddenly ambushed her this time.
Only the three of them knew about it.
If it wasn¡¯t because Anti had receivedst-minute news, then¡ it could only be a coincidence.
¡ª The hotel was very efficient.
Half an hourter, Nora was already in the study of the new suite.
After she sessfully blocked an external attack, she called Solo.
The other party spoke first.
¡°Sorry.
Mr.
Hunt found some top-ss hacker from somewhere and found information on you from me.
At the moment, he¡¯s only found out that you¡¯re staying at Hotel Finest, though.
Your exact location hasn¡¯t been exposed.¡± Nora gave an ¡°Mm¡± and said, ¡°Be careful next time.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± After hanging up, Nora got up.
When she passed by the second bedroom and saw that Cherry was already asleep, she walked back to the master bedroom.
After such a dy, she was already sleepy to the extreme.
Two minutester, the second bedroom door suddenly opened.
Cherry¡¯s head poked out from within.
After confirming that her mother was asleep, she gently closed the door, took out her cell phone, and logged in to the game.
Chesty said, ¡°You¡¯re finally back, leader.
What were you doing just now?¡± Cherry curled her lip.
¡°The idiot next door suddenly demanded that we change rooms.¡± ¡°F*ck!
Which idiot is that?
How dare they bully our leader!
May he choke to death on a ss of water!¡± Chester didn¡¯t think much of the incident even after cursing.
After all, one would always meet all kinds of strange neighbors when staying in a hotel.
He asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say yesterday that you¡¯re back in California after living abroad all this time?
I¡¯vee all the way to California to look for you.
Where are you staying now?
The top-ss suite next door just so happened to be vacant.
It¡¯s on me!¡± They didn¡¯t find Anti in the end, and it was empty anyway.
He took a sip of water from his ss.
Right away, he heard ¡®sweetcherry¡¯ scolding him.
¡°Get into position, Chesty.
Even the monsters in the river are better than you in getting into their positions!¡± It was only after she scolded him that she replied, ¡°I¡¯m staying at Hotel Finest.¡± ¡°Pft!¡± Chester choked hard and started to cough violently.
After getting over it, he eagerly said, ¡°I¡¯m also in Hotel Finest.
I¡¯lle to you!¡± ¡°Okay.¡±
Chapter 10 - 10 See You At Eight In The Evening!
?10: See You At Eight In The Evening!
10: See You At Eight In The Evening!
Cherry and Chesty had known each other for over half a year.
They got along very well and were already good friends.
They had already nned to meet when she got back to the States, so she agreed as soon as Chester said that.
Chester asked eagerly, ¡°Which room are you in?¡± Cherry was about to tell him the room number when she suddenly thought of something.
Instead, she said, ¡°Not tonight, my mom is asleep.
Let¡¯s do it tomorrow instead.¡± Chesty suddenlyughed.
¡°Everyone says that you sound like a little girl only because you¡¯re using a voice changer and that you¡¯re, in fact, a dirty middle-aged man.
Can you tell me whether you¡¯re male or female?¡± Cherry grinned.
¡°It¡¯s a secret.¡± California was in the west of the States, and the humidity in the air was just right.
It was mild in winter and dry in summer.
With the curtains in the room closed, the room waspletely dark, which made it very suitable for sleeping.
It was already in the middle of the day when Nora finally slowly opened her eyes.
She checked the time¡ªit was already past one o¡¯clock in the afternoon.
Cherry and Mrs.
Lewis had already had lunch, so she simply called for takeout.
At the same time at the hotel entrance.
With aplicated look, Ang watched Anthony hurriedly enter the lobby.
She clenched her fists.
During the past few days, Anthony¡¯s attitude toward her whenever she called had been very perfunctory, and all he asked about was Idealian Pharmaceuticals each time.
A woman¡¯s sixth sense told her that something must be wrong.
Thus, she had trailed Anthony early this morning.
Little did she expect that she would be here.
Hotel Finest was one of the most expensive and upscale ces in California.
Ang quietly followed Anthony in and saw him turning into the bar on the first floor.
He took out a wad of cash, handed it to several waiters, and instructed softly, ¡°¡You know what you¡¯re supposed to do, right?
Act ording to my signals tonight!¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± After they dispersed, Anthony took a deep breath nervously.
Then, he lowered his head and started to draft a text message.
¡®Hello, Miss Anderson.
Sorry if this is a little sudden, but I got your number from the bar on the first floor.
I¡¯d like to invite you to the bar downstairs at 8 pm.¡¯ After sending the text message, he raised his head and looked at the setup in front of him with satisfaction.
He didn¡¯t know how he had offended the pretty womanst time, but she would definitely fall for him tonight.
After all, no woman would be able to resist a romantic move like this.
Seeing that she didn¡¯t respond even after a long while after he sent the message, Anthony thought for a while and sent another text message to his friends: ¡°Eight o¡¯clock tonight at Hotel Finest¡¯s bar in the lobby.
Be there or be square.¡± He had reserved the whole ce and was asking his friends toe over and cheer for him.
However, he didn¡¯t realize that he had identally also selected Ang¡¯s name when he mass-sent the message.
After he left, the waiters whispered among themselves.
¡°What¡¯s Mr.
Gray intending to do?¡± ¡°He¡¯s prepared such a huge surprise.
He must be intending to propose to his fianc¨¦e, right?¡± ¡°His fianc¨¦e is so lucky¡¡± An excited Ang¡¯s cheeks turned a little warm as she listened to their soft spections.
A warm current also surged up from the bottom of her heart.
How could she suspect that Anthony was being unfaithful?
She really shouldn¡¯t have!
Buzz¡ She received a text message sound notification on her cell phone.
She looked down¡ªit was a message from Anthony: ¡°Eight o¡¯clock tonight at Hotel Finest¡¯s bar in the lobby.
Be there or be square.¡± Ang couldn¡¯t helpughing.
His tone was exactly the same as whenever he asked her out for a date in the past.
If she hadn¡¯t secretly seen all these, she would never have imagined that Anthony had prepared such a huge surprise for her.
Ang was in a good mood and walked out slowly.
When she looked up again, she just so happened to see Nora, who was dressed in her pajamas and slippers,ing out to pick up her takeout order.
Her eyes were downcast, and her smooth and silky hair draped behind her.
She was fair-skinned, and her facial features were impably refined.
Her sleepy appearance made her seem a little as if she was taking a leisurely stroll.
Despite being dressed like that, the air around her still attracted people¡¯s attention, nevertheless.
Ang¡¯s hands balled up slightly.
She couldn¡¯t curb her jealousy.
How could that woman possibly afford to stay in Hotel Finest?
She was definitely just pretending to be rich.
She quickly took a couple of steps toward her and reprimanded her.
¡°You don¡¯t even have any clothes anymore, yet you still insist on staying in this hotel.
Are you nning to seduce some rich guy here, Nora?
How about taking a good look at yourself first?
Do you really think you can trick people into paying for you just by using that face of yours?¡± Nora, who was carrying her takeout in one hand and reading a text message on her cell phone in the other, looked confused.
She casually tapped twice on her cell phone and deleted the spam text messages sent by Anthony.
Then, she said indifferently, ¡°Uh-huh.
At least I have a face to be proud of.¡± Her cat-like eyes swept across Ang¡¯s face casually.
Those few words of hers were very insulting.
Ang was infuriated.
Was she saying that she was shameless?
Or was she implying that she was ugly?
Or perhaps¡ She meant both?
She narrowed her eyes.
Then, she suddenly smiled.
¡°Nora, do you want to know where that abandoned child of yours is?
If you do, then I¡¯ll see you at the bar at 8 pm.¡± So what even if she was pretty?
Didn¡¯t Anthony dump her all the same anyway?!
She wanted Nora to see with her very own eyes how Anthony was going to propose to her!
Ang turned and left after leaving these words.
A slightly chilly look entered Nora¡¯s eyes as she looked at her from the back.
8 pm at the bar again.
Hah, she would see what her precious little sister and ex-fianc¨¦ have prepared for her!
She retracted her gaze and went upstairs with the takeout.
Although the presidential suite they were staying in wasn¡¯t the best of the best, it still had a kitchen.
Cherry was still growing; they mustn¡¯t eat out all the time.
The meals that they ate every day were all made by Mrs.
Lewis.
At dinner, Mrs.
Lewis prepared a healthy meal with both meat and vegetables.
Nora had been busy all afternoon.
When she sat down to eat, she noticed that Cherry had a troubled look on her face.
She propped Cherry¡¯s chin up with her chubby hands and sighed deeply.
¡°Mommy, I¡¯m bored.¡± Nora pinched her facezily.
In a slightly hoarse voice, she said, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you ying your games, baby?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the weekend.¡± Cherry said disdainfully, ¡°All the school kids are on holiday.¡± ¡°¡¡± The corners of Nora¡¯s lips spasmed a little.
She felt that Cherry might possibly have forgotten that she was just a kindergartener.
She passed Cherry her food and asked, ¡°What do you want to do?
I¡¯ll spend some time with you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.
Mommy¡¯s busy.¡± Cherry put on a very sensible expression while her round eyes darted about here and there.
¡°Can you get Mrs.
Lewis to take a walk around the hotel with me at eight tonight?¡± Nora pretended not to notice her sneaky thoughts and chuckled softly.
¡°Sure.¡± Her daughter was very cheeky and always came up with all sorts of entric ideas.
She had also always been a smart and sensible child and had never let others take advantage of her.
She didn¡¯t need to worry about letting Mrs.
Lewis go out with her.
After they ate, the trio split up at the door.
Nora went to the first floor for her appointment.
When she saw that her mother had entered the elevator, Cherry took out her cell phone and sent a voice message: ¡°Chesty, I¡¯m out!
Where are you?¡± Chester¡¯s reply came very quickly: ¡°Table 28 at the cafe on the first floor.
I¡¯ll be waiting for you here!¡± Cherry grinned.
¡°Okie Dokie!
I¡¯ll be there right away!¡±
Chapter 11 - 11 Eating Her Words!
?11: Eating Her Words!
11: Eating Her Words!
The bar on the first floor was already bubbling with people¡¯s voices by now.
Anthony was quite well-known in California.
Under the power of his summons, his friends brought more friends along and filled up the ce.
The lights in the entire bar were blurry, and men and women were twisting their bodies fervently on the dance floor.
Ang, who wore a long red gown, was sitting in the corner with a drink in her hand and her cheeks rosy.
Next to her, her group of fair-weather friends wasplimenting her.
¡°Hotel Finest¡¯s not cheap, Ang.
Anthony must have big ns in mind, right?
Is he¡ going to propose?¡± ¡°He must be proposing!
I¡¯m sure of it!
Isn¡¯t your sister back?
I heard that even the marriage certificate has been torn into pieces.
With that, their engagement can officially be considered annulled!¡± ¡°It¡¯s all that damned fatt¡ damned woman¡¯s fault!
If it hadn¡¯t been for her hiding abroad for so many years and refusing toe back and annul the engagement, Ang and Anthony would have been married long ago!¡± ¡°Hey, why is that woman here?!¡± With these words, Ang also looked at the entrance.
Nora was still dressed just as casually today.
Jeans and a ck T-shirt set off the skin around her neck, making it look so fair that it was glowing white.
She was expressionless, her eyes were slightly lidded, and she gave off a world-weary feeling, yet her looks were eye-catching and beautiful.
As soon as she entered, she immediately attracted the attention of everyone around her.
The moment she walked in, a waiter rushed to the back.
¡°Mr.
Gray, she¡¯s here!¡± Anthony stood up immediately and walked forward.
¡°Get ready!¡± The loud music in the bar gave Nora a headache, and overwhelming irritation filled her.
She looked up.
When her indifferent gaze located Ang, she walked over to her.
Before she had even gotten near, she heard a pretentious Ang say, ¡°Why are you here, Nora?
Anthony will never agree to meet you.¡± As soon as she said that, her unsavory friends also spoke.
¡°Nora, are you here to make a scene because you caught wind that Anthony¡¯s going to propose?¡± ¡°You were the one with immoral conduct, sleeping with some guy and getting yourself pregnant before marriage.
That¡¯s why Mr.
Gray dumped you.
Yet you¡¯re here to harass him now?
Where¡¯s your sense of shame?!¡± ¡°Even if you¡¯ve be pretty, it won¡¯t change the fact that you¡¯re saddled with extra baggage!
Why would Mr.
Gray ever pay any attention to you?
Is there any point in pestering him so persistently?¡± ¡°¡¡± Due to the deafening music, themotion here didn¡¯t reach far.
Nora didn¡¯t care what others said about her.
She looked at Ang.
¡°Tell me, where is that child?¡± Ang approached her with a sardonic smile.
She pointed to the sofa next to her and spoke in a voice that only the two of them could hear.
¡°Nora, sit down obediently, watch tonight¡¯s exciting show in its entirety, and give Anthony and I your blessings after that.
If you do that, I¡¯ll tell you.¡± Nora understood now.
She wanted to use the marriage proposal scene to humiliate her.
However, the private investigators didn¡¯t have any leads at all.
As long as there was a glimmer of hope, she was unwilling to give it up.
Nora sat on the sofa and leaned back.
She closed her eyes, her long eyshes casting shadows on her cheeks as she uttered, ¡°You sure have nothing better to do.¡± Ang stared at her fiercely.
Things had already reached this stage, yet her sister was still so calm.
It made her look like some kind of clown.
She clenched her fists.
Suddenly, she started to mock Nora.
¡°Say, Nora, if you hadn¡¯t been fat and had always been this pretty, would Anthony have broken off the engagement?¡± Nora¡¯s eyes suddenly flew open, and a sharp glint appeared in her cat-like eyes.
¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Her obesity had been due to the mistaken use of hormonal injections.
Even though she had worked so hard to lose weight and suffered so much, it was useless.
Her body needed to slowly repair its bodily functions.
Judging from what Ang said, could it be that¡ Seeing that her expression had finally changed, Angughed arrogantly.
With a venomous look in her eyes, she said maliciously, ¡°We¡¯re both Smiths, so why should you be the one to marry into the Grays?
But what if you were a fatty?
Take a look at what¡¯s happening now¡ªsure enough, Anthony has fallen in love with me!¡± ¡°So what even if you¡¯ve slimmed down?
It¡¯s toote!
What a waste of that face of yours.
If you weren¡¯t saddled with extra baggage, you might have been able to find another man¡ But now?
Tsk, tsk.¡± Anger roiled in Nora¡¯s eyes.
To think her stepmother had been so vicious just for the sake of an engagement!
She was only five when she was injected with hormones!
She was just about to lose her temper when¡ ¡ All the lights in the bar suddenly went out, and the music came to an abrupt stop!
Two secondster, a white spotlight shone at the center of the dance floor!
Anthony was wearing a white suit and he looked handsome and elegant.
He held a guitar in his hands.
The moment he appeared, the audience screamed.
¡°Anthony!
Anthony!¡± Regardless of whether they were male or female, everyone cooperated and shouted his name.
Anthony smiled.
He stretched out a finger and gestured for the audience to keep quiet.
The ce instantly becamepletely quiet.
He strummed the guitar a few times and a melody formed smoothly.
Meanwhile, he also hummed the most popr love songs.
Although it wasn¡¯t a celebrity-ss performance, it was bearable.
Ang stood up excitedly, her tears flowing with emotion.
Anthony was so handsome!
After finishing a song, Anthony put down the guitar.
Then, he held the microphone and said, ¡°I booked this whole ce and got so many friends over today because I would like to tell a certain girl something.
From the very first moment Iid eyes on you, I¡¯ve thought that you are a very extraordinary girl.¡± ¡°Wow!
Anthony!
Anthony!¡± Everyone cheered again, livening up the atmosphere to a climax.
Anthony gave a wave.
Immediately, a few ¡°pops¡± sounded, and the balloons on the ceiling burst, scattering a shower of roses from above!
This is so romantic!
Ang covered her mouth.
Her eyes were filled with surprise.
She turned to the side excitedly and said sarcastically to Nora, ¡°Did you see that?
Anthony was so dismissive toward you back then, but he¡¯s putting in so much effort for me today!
¡°Even ten of you can¡¯tpare to a single toe of mine!¡± Ang felt invigorated.
Especially when she saw the envy in the eyes of the girls around her.
Her heart felt like it was going to burst from happiness!
Then, she saw Anthony slowly walking step by step toward her with a bouquet of roses in his hands¡ The surrounding crowd voluntarily stepped aside, as if building a bridge between them.
Ang straightened her back.
She couldn¡¯t help but take a few steps toward him.
She felt like this day was the highlight of her life!
She didn¡¯t notice that there was only one person in Anthony¡¯s eyes at the moment.
Even in this dimly lit bar, the woman sitting on the sofa was dazzling and eye-catching.
There was no one else¡ªincluding Ang¡ªin his eyes at all.
The only thought on his mind was that this was dramatic enough even for a proposal, so the beauty would probably give him a chance again, right?
Ang stopped after taking a few steps forward.
Seeing Anthonying nearer and nearer, her smile blossomed uncontrobly.
Anthony would probably get down on one knee in front of her next, right?
But unexpectedly¡
Chapter 12 - 12 Im Alone, I Didnt Gather Anyone
?12: I¡¯m Alone, I Didn¡¯t Gather Anyone 12: I¡¯m Alone, I Didn¡¯t Gather Anyone Ang watched Anthony pass her by to finally stop in front of Nora.
He bent down and offered her the roses in a gentlemanly manner.
¡°Miss Anderson, may I have the honor of bing friends with you?¡± ¡°¡¡± Ang¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment as she stared at the scene in disbelief.
The light in the bar was a bit dim, which made her feel as if she was dreaming.
Why had Anthony gone up to the damned fatty?
Nora didn¡¯t expect such a dramatic twist, either.
She had only met Anthony twice, yet he had dumped his prospective fianc¨¦e to woo her?
But when she saw how surprised and furious Ang looked¡ªto the extent that it made her look rather savage¡ªher anger from just now calmed a little.
The corners of her lips curled upward with great interest into a mischievous smile.
Her smile, which was as bright and dazzling as a blooming sunflower, made Anthony¡¯s eyes light up.
He was about to say something, but Ang couldn¡¯t control herself anymore.
She screamed, ¡°Anthony!¡± It was only when he heard her voice that Anthony finally noticed Ang standing beside him.
He frowned and asked, ¡°Why are you here?¡± Ang was still fantasizing that perhaps Anthony had mistaken someone else for her because of the darkness, but his question had shattered herst vestiges of hope.
She red at Nora angrily.
¡°You bitch!
You¡¯re so shameless!¡± After she shouted, she raised her hand to Nora.
Anthony immediately stopped her.
With a sullen look, he snapped, ¡°What are you doing, Ang?
Don¡¯t make a scene here like a shrew.¡± Ang¡¯s eyes flushed angrily.
¡°Are you actually defending her?
Do you know¡ª¡± ¡°Enough!¡± Anthony interrupted her.
¡°Take a look at yourself now, Ang.
Can¡¯t you take a leaf out of Miss Anderson¡¯s book and pick up some of herdy-like air and charisma?¡± Ang was stunned.
¡°W-who did you say she was?
Don¡¯t you know who she is?¡± Anthony was taken aback by her question.
¡°She¡¯s Isabel Anderson¡¡± He turned to the side to see Nora seated leisurely on the sofa.
With her lips curled into a smile, she saidzily, ¡°Isabel is my middle name.
I also have another name¡ªNora.
Smith.¡± ¡°¡¡± The whole bar suddenly fell quiet for a moment.
The situation had confused everyone.
Anthony stared at her in disbelief.
¡°Y-you¡¡± He was so shocked that he couldn¡¯t say anything even after stuttering for a long time.
Ang managed to react, however.
¡°She¡¯s tricked you, Anthony!
She¡¯s tricked us both!
She did it on purpose just to take revenge on us and make us a joke!¡± That damned fatty had ruined her proposal.
She hated Nora¡¯s guts now.
Ang shouted to everyone around her, ¡°What are all of you still in a daze for?
Beat her up!
Beat that woman to death!¡± Everyone in the bar was friends of Anthony and Ang.
Upon hearing her shout, everyone surrounded Nora.
At the sight of so many people throwing their lives away, Nora stretched and loosened her muscles to warm up.
Meanwhile, at the entrance to the lobby.
Justin entered the lobby.
He was about to go to the elevator when he suddenly heard the noise in the bar.
Through the ss walls, he immediately spotted the woman on the sofa.
There was a little more frostiness on her usually distant expression.
There was malice on the faces of everyone around her.
From the looks of things, it seemed like she was about to be assaulted by the group of them?
Seeing that they were about to start, Justin suddenly turned and entered the bar.
¡°Stop!¡± His deep, cold, and fierce shout made Nora, who was about to jump into action, pause.
Then, a group of well-trained bodyguards swarmed in.
In no time, they had surrounded the bar.
The elegant man at the entrance wore a luxurious bespoke hand-tailored suit.
The mole at the corner of his eye exuded a sense of chilliness.
His cold eyes swept across the ce and he slowly said, ¡°Group fights are prohibited in Hotel Finest!¡± ¡°¡¡± Nora, who had only just gotten into the mood to fight, lost interest in an instant.
Gee.
That man sure had a lot of rules.
It was affecting her performance.
Intimidated by the aura around him, everyone else also stopped moving.
Anthony, the one calling the shots, braced himself and asked, ¡°Who are you?¡± Lawrence, who was following closely behind Justin, answered, ¡°This is Mr.
Hunt.¡± Mr.
Hunt from Hotel Finest¡ Justin Hunt?
That man at the top of the golden pyramid?!
Anthony had heard that he was here in California on a business trip.
His family had given him a thousand and one warnings and told him not to mess with him.
Everyone¡¯s expressions changed drastically.
Lawrence didn¡¯t understand why his boss was suddenly being nosy, but since he had set the rules, they had to implement them.
He cleared his throat, raised his chin, and ordered, ¡°How dare you fight at Hotel Finest?
Are you sick of living?
Get out!¡± Everyone hurried out as if they were fleeing.
When Nora saw that Ang was also preparing to leave with the crowd, a sharp look shed across Nora¡¯s eyes.
She grabbed Ang¡¯s arm.
¡°Ang, there¡¯s something you haven¡¯t said yet.¡± Ang was already in a panic and at a loss at this point.
She nced at Justin fearfully, wishing only to leave quickly.
She lowered her voice and retorted, ¡°What are you going crazy for?
Let go!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Nora obediently let go of her arm.
Ang heaved a sigh of relief.
Just as she turned away and was about to leave, a huge force suddenly struck her from behind and kicked her into the air.
Bam!
Ang hit the table in front and fell to the ground.
She felt as if all her internal organs were aching.
After kicking her, Nora walked over and grabbed her by the hair.
In a fervent tone, she said, ¡°Do you remember what you wanted to tell me now?¡± Ang¡¯s eyes widened.
With her eyes red, she shouted, ¡°She¡¯s being violent, Mr.
Hunt!¡± Justin frowned.
That woman¡¯s kick just now was unexpectedly forceful.
She seemed to have some pretty good moves, which made him seem as if he had been too much of a busybody.
Before he even spoke, Lawrence reprimanded her.
¡°Group fights are prohibited in Hotel Finest, Miss Smith.
Do you have no regard for Mr.
Hunt¡¯s rules?¡± Nora looked up slightly.
Her looks made her look well-behaved and sensible.
She replied softly, ¡°I¡¯m alone.
I¡¯m not in a group.¡± ¡°¡¡± Her words shut Lawrence up.
When one thought about it, there indeed wasn¡¯t anything wrong with what she said.
Stunned, Ang screamed, ¡°Help!¡± Seeing that someone was about toe over, Nora nced over coldly and asked, ¡°Are you trying to gather a group of people?¡± ¡°¡¡± Seeing that no one dared toe over anymore, she looked down at Ang whom she was pressing down on.
Originally, on ount of how they were sisters, after all, she had only wanted to know the whereabouts of her son and hadn¡¯t intended to make things so ugly.
But injecting hormones into her when she was only five?
Such a grudge had removed all of her restraint.
Smack!
She pped Ang ruthlessly across her cheek.
When she saw her cheek visibly swelling, she slowly said, ¡°If you continue to keep silent, I¡¯ll beat you up so bad you won¡¯t even recognize yourself anymore.¡± A trembling Ang couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore.
She burst into tears and said, ¡°I¡¯ll talk, I¡¯ll talk!
That child¡ª¡±
Chapter 13 - 13 Cherry Looks For Her Daddy
?13: Cherry Looks For Her Daddy 13: Cherry Looks For Her Daddy ¡°That child¡ Dad was the one that handled it.
He never told me.
I don¡¯t know anything¡¡± The sobbing Ang¡¯s speech was unclear.
As the others were a distance away from her, they couldn¡¯t hear her clearly.
Nora frowned slightly, frightening Ang so badly that she spoke again.
¡°I really don¡¯t know!
I swear!
If I¡¯m lying, then let my face be pockmarked!
Sob¡¡± Ang had always been vain since she was a child.
The fact that she had sworn such a vicious oath showed that she really didn¡¯t know.
Nora couldn¡¯t hide her disappointment.
She couldn¡¯t be bothered to waste any more time, and she stood up and walked out slowly.
When she passed by Justin, Nora thought of how she had ultimately been violent just now and ended up embarrassing Justin.
She wanted to exin, so she looked at Justin.
The man was also looking at her, his eyes deep and unfathomable.
Nora thought for a while.
After she thought of what to say, her lips parted.
However, the moment she opened her mouth, she couldn¡¯t help but yawn.
Justin was rendered speechless.
Next to him, Lawrence was furious.
Never mind that she had hit someone, but she¡¯s even yawning so arrogantly at Mr.
Hunt now?
Was she showing off?
As soon as the thought appeared in his mind, the expressionless woman spoke.
¡°I definitely wasn¡¯t trying to provoke you, Mr.
Hunt.¡± The corners of Lawrence¡¯s lips spasmed a little.
Only a fool would believe that!
He was just about to give her a sarcastic reply when he heard his boss¡¯ icy-cold reply: ¡°¡ Uh-huh.¡± Lawrence was confused.
After exining, Nora walked past him slowly.
Justin stared at her from the back and narrowed his eyes.
The woman¡¯s actions just now had been decisive and straightforward and hadn¡¯t been sloppy in the least.
They were wild and fervent.
But it seemed like she hadn¡¯t gotten what she wanted, and she looked a little sad.
Her listless appearance unexpectedly made him want to help her.
As soon as the thought appeared, he heard Lawrence, who was standing behind him,in, ¡°It¡¯s a good thing that you forbade them from fighting.
Otherwise, judging from Miss Smith¡¯s skill, that group of rich kids would have been beaten up by her.¡± ¡°¡¡± Lawrence said to himself again, ¡°But surely she didn¡¯t misunderstand and think that you were saving her, right?
She¡¯s already currying favor with Pete to get close to you.
If she misunderstands, it¡¯ll be even harder to shake her off!¡± Justin gave him a frosty look.
¡°You¡¯re too noisy.¡± Meanwhile, at the cafe.
Cherry wore a small T-shirt, overalls, cowboy hat, and sunsses, and she looked as if she was dressed in an endearing hip-hop style.
She bounced into the cafe and picked up her cell phone to find that Chesty had sent her several text messages.
¡°Are you here yet?
You¡¯re already ten minuteste!¡± ¡°Surely you didn¡¯t run away because you¡¯re really a super cute girl?¡± Cherry was about to reply when she received a call from Chesty.
She picked up and said, ¡°I¡¯m here, Chesty!
Table 25¡ 26¡ 28!¡± An awfully bored Chester was already seated there with three empty sses in front of him.
¡°Yep, yep, Table 28, that¡¯s right.
You¡¯re here?
Where are you?¡± ¡°Look down.¡± He looked down and saw a cowboy hat.
His gaze continued down past the hat to see his nephew, Pete¡¯s, incredibly familiar face.
Chester was perplexed.
He rubbed his eyes and opened them again¡ªthe person in front of him was still there.
He became even more confused, and he subconsciously said into the phone, ¡°Leader?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here, Chesty.¡± Beside him was his young nephew¡¯s childish voice.
Coming from his cell phone was the familiar young girl-sounding voice.
The two voices ovepped, causing Chester to copse into the chair as if he had just seen a ghost.
He looked at Cherry incredulously and stammered, ¡°L-l-leader?¡± Cherry blinked her big, round eyes.
¡°Uh-huh, that¡¯s me.¡± She didn¡¯t expect Chesty to be her uncle, either.
The two of them had even had pizza with her father!
Cherry hung up, climbed onto the chair opposite, and sat down.
Then, she said to the waitress, ¡°A ss of milk, please.
I¡¯m still growing up, so I can¡¯t drink coffee.
Thank you.¡± Her adorable self melted the waitress¡¯ heart into a puddle of goo.
¡°Sure, kiddo.
Just a moment.¡± Then, she quickly ran off to get the milk.
Chester felt as if the sky was falling.
Was this really his nephew that had always been clumsy with words?
He really was just pretending when he went against Justin all this time!
Also!
It was more than enough to have just one member who was derelict in his duties and ying games all day long among the Hunts.
Pete was the one and only grandson!
He was Justin¡¯s only son!
If Justin were to know that he had been ying games with Pete¡ Chester swallowed hard.
He felt as if he could already see himself in his grave.
Chester shuddered.
Suddenly, he thought of something and jumped to his feet anxiously: ¡°Sh*t!
It¡¯s already half-past eight!
Justin will be back soon!
Hurry and go back up to do your homework, Pete!
Otherwise, Justin¡¯s gonna kill us both!¡± He threw $30 onto the table, picked up Cherry, and ran out as if he waspeting in a 100-meter dash race.
But as soon as he ran to the entrance, he immediately saw Justin exiting the bar with a group of bodyguards and waiting for the elevator.
Chester was shocked.
He put down Cherry and promptly said, ¡°Go up the stairs to the second floor while I stop Justin.
After that, hurry to the top floor!
Don¡¯t let anyone find you!¡± Without waiting for Cherry to reply, Chester rushed toward Justin as if he was all prepared for his death.
¡°I need to have a talk with you, Justin.¡± Justin asked, ¡°¡ What kind of talk?¡± Chester braced himself against his icy gaze, bit the bullet, and said, ¡°A¡ h-heart¡ heart-to-heart talk.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not free,¡± Justin said coldly and entered the elevator.
Chester followed him in.
In order to buy more time, he pressed the elevator buttons for every floor in a panic.
¡°I-it¡¯ll only take a little of your time, Justin¡¡± Justin narrowed his eyes and said with mild displeasure, ¡°You¡¯d best really have some kind of trouble that you want to talk to me about.¡± ¡°Justin, I think I¡¡± Chester racked his brains, but he couldn¡¯t think of any troubles that he had.
Finally, he forcibly said, ¡°I don¡¯t like women?¡± As soon as he said that, even he himself was dumbfounded.
What the f*ck?
What did he just say?
When he saw the contemtive look in Justin¡¯s eyes, he panicked.
¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant, Justin.
I¡¡± A rambling Chester said a whole lot of things before he finally made it past the hurdle.
When they reached the top floor and opened the door, upon seeing Pete sitting obediently at the desk and studying, he breathed a sigh of relief.
When he saw that Justin had entered the study, he sneaked over to Pete and winked.
¡°For your sake, I¡¯ve been totally misunderstood¡¡± A question mark slowly appeared in Pete¡¯s mind when he heard his inexplicable words: ?
Had Uncle Chester gone mad?
Downstairs.
A puzzled Cherry, who watched her father and uncle enter the elevator, ran after them with her short little legs.
Unfortunately, she still missed the elevator.
Did her uncle tell her to go to the top floor just now?
Wasn¡¯t there only two presidential suites on the top floor?
As it turned out, Daddy was the dummy next door that Mommy had mentioned?!
She was going to the top floor to look for her father and ask him why he had driven Mommy and herself downstairs!
Didn¡¯t Daddy like her anymore?
With that in mind, she entered the elevator, tiptoed, and pressed the button to the top floor.
Chapter 14 - 14 Narcissism Is An Illness
?14: Narcissism Is An Illness.
Get It Treated 14: Narcissism Is An Illness.
Get It Treated Hotel Finest¡¯s management was very strict, and one needed room cards in the elevator, too.
Cherry¡¯s room was not on the top floor, so she couldn¡¯t light up the button for the top floor even after she swiped the room card through the card reader.
She pouted unhappily.
After thinking about it, she decided to return for now to the 38th floor where her room was and go up the stairs after that.
But as soon as she got out of the elevator, she ran into Nora.
Cherry instantly suppressed her desires.
She could still look for Daddy tomorrow, but Mommy was obviously a little depressed and needed her very much now!
Nora had called several private investigators, but there were still no leads.
After all, if even Ang didn¡¯t know where her son was, then her father might be the only one who knew the truth.
But to negotiate terms with her father¡ He was no simple-minded fool like Ang.
Just as she was lost in her thoughts, a small figure jumped over and hugged her leg.
¡°Mommy, I love you so much!¡± Her thoughts interrupted, Nora rubbed her head and asked softly, ¡°Where did you go to have fun with Mrs.
Lewis?¡± Cherry looked at her fingers.
She didn¡¯t dare to look at Nora¡¯s eyes when she lied.
¡°We just strolled around in the hotel.
It isn¡¯t any fun here at all.
Mommy, I¡¯ll sleep with you.¡± Nora let out an ¡°Okay¡± and opened the door.
Then, she turned around to see Cherry leaning against the wall and striking a handsome pose.
¡°Mommy, if you miss my brother, then you can just look at me.
He probably looks just like me.
We¡¯re twins after all!¡± Nora chuckled.
¡°Boy-girl twins are fraternal.
Just like ordinary siblings, it¡¯s very difficult for them to look exactly the same.¡± Cherry hung her head in disappointment.
¡°Is that so?
I thought he would look just like me.¡± Noraughed and brought her into the room.
After taking a bath, the two were lying on the bed when Nora¡¯s cell phone rang¡ªit was from the Smiths.
She cast her eyes down and contemted for a moment.
Then, she turned off the cell phone and went to bed with Cherry.
When she woke up the next day, Cherry had already quietly gotten out of bed and was ying with Mrs.
Lewis outside.
She took a look at her cell phone.
Aside from dozens of missed calls from the Smiths, there was also one from her paternal aunt.
Her paternal aunt had been the kindest to her during all these years.
Because of that, her rtionship with Lisa was also pretty good.
Thus, she returned the call.
Someone picked up very quickly, but it was her father¡¯s voice that rang out instead.
¡°Here I was, thinking that you¡¯ve already left the family, Nora!¡± Nora lowered her eyeszily and got out of bed to get something to eat.
¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°What kind of attitude is that?
I have something to ask you¡ªdid you shamelessly sabotage Anthony¡¯s proposal to your sister yesterday?
And even hit her when the sabotage failed?
Also, you have been saying that you wanted to annul the engagement.
Now that you¡¯ve gotten your way, why are you trying to seduce Anthony again?
He¡¯s your sister¡¯s fianc¨¦!¡± ¡°¡¡± It had always been like that ever since they were children.
The moment she and Ang had a disagreement, Henry would me her for it without even trying to find out the truth.
Nora was already used to it.
She slowly said, ¡°He doesn¡¯t seem to be her fianc¨¦ yet, right?¡± ¡°He was going to be very soon, but you¡¯ve messed everything up now!
Come back right away and apologize to your sister!
Otherwise, don¡¯t me me if I disown you!¡± ¡°Do what you want.¡± Nora was about to hang up after giving a frosty reply when she heard Henry yelling angrily, ¡°You ungrateful woman!
Not only are you disobeying me, but do you also not care whether your aunt is alive or dead?!¡± Nora paused.
¡°What¡¯s wrong with her?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her?
She has a brain tumor!
If you have even the slightest bit of a conscience, thene to the hospital in town.
Otherwise, you won¡¯t even be able to see your aunt for thest time!¡± ¡°¡I¡¯ll be right over.¡± After hanging up, Nora quickly washed up, changed, and went out.
When the elevator arrived, she entered to see that there were already two professionally dressed female elites inside.
Nora closed the doors after she entered.
Her eyes were closed on the way down.
She overheard the discussion between the two behind her: ¡°Isn¡¯t it inappropriate for us to treat the little mister like this?
This is corporal punishment.¡± ¡°What nonsense are you spouting?
We were sent by the old madam.
Besides, didn¡¯t you see that the little mister didn¡¯t even cry after he was hit?
He doesn¡¯t talk very much, either.
I heard that he¡¯s autistic.¡± ¡°What?
No wonder he looks dull and slow-witted.
I¡¯m telling you this secretly, but I felt a little good when I saw him being reprimanded.
So what even if you¡¯re rich and prestigious?
In the end, he still has to listen to us obediently!
But what if Mr.
Hunt finds out?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be because he didn¡¯t finish his homework, then.
Mr.
Hunt is very strict with the little mister.
Fathers would be at their wits¡¯ end once their children cry or kick up a fuss, but Pete only knows how to stubbornly endure it¡ Even if I don¡¯t give him lunch, I betcha he won¡¯t even say a word about it at night.¡± Ding!
When the elevator arrived on the first floor, the two tutors walked out and went to eat in the hotel restaurant.
Nora, who exited along with them, frowned.
She felt exceptionally ufortable.
Those two hade from the upper floor, so they could only havee from the presidential suite on the top floor.
Therefore, the ¡®little mister¡¯ whom they spoke of must be Justin Hunt¡¯s son?
Nora cast her eyes down and decided to mind her own business.
The cab she booked had already arrived.
She was about to get in the car when she heard amotion behind her.
Sure enough, it was Justin who hade out with his bodyguards.
Nora looked away and got into the car.
Before the car started, the sight of the child that had buried his head into Justin¡¯s shoulder while being carried by him suddenly shed into her mind.
Although she didn¡¯t get a clear view of his face, he looked about the same size as Cherry, so he was likely about the same age as her.
Ire welled up in Nora.
She suddenly opened the car door, got out, and walked straight towards Justin.
She was stopped by the bodyguards before she even got close.
Lawrence had already noticed her wandering around the entrance just now.
He said mockingly, ¡°Miss Smith, I know you¡¯re intending to express your gratitude to Mr.
Hunt for his help yesterday, after which you¡¯ll then ask for his contact information.
We¡¯ve already seen these methods a million times.
Can you put in a little more effort and use a more novel pickup line?¡± Nora was puzzled.
In the distance, Justin, dressed in a ck suit, kept his eyes straight and entered the Bentley sullenly.
He didn¡¯t see her at all.
At the sight of the car starting, Nora¡¯s eyes narrowed angrily.
This was a rare moment where she decided to meddle for once, yet she was being misunderstood in such a way?
She turned around to leave.
After taking a couple of steps, unable to suppress her anger, she turned back and went up to Lawrence.
She repeatedly tried to hold back her anger, but still failed in the end.
She said, ¡°Mr.
Zimmer, you should have Mr.
Hunt visit the neurology specialists when he¡¯s free.
Narcissism is an illness.
Get it treated.¡± Lawrence was confused.
It was only after she snapped at him that Nora finally got into the cab as if nothing had happened, and went straight to the hospital in town.
There weren¡¯t many people in the hospital.
Nora went upstairs and entered the VIP ward.
She hadn¡¯t even seen her aunt yet when Henry walked toward her furiously and threw the contract in her face.
¡°Nora, you have to sign the ownership transfer agreement today, and also apologize to your sister!
Otherwise, don¡¯t dream of saving your aunt!¡±
Chapter 15 - 15 The Siblings Meet
?15: The Siblings Meet 15: The Siblings Meet Nora frowned.
Before she could answer, a gentle but anxious voice reached them.
¡°Are you trying to drive me to my grave, Henry?¡± On the hospital bed, a gentle middle-aged woman wearing a hospital gown struggled to get out of the bed.
Her hair was all shaved, and she looked frighteningly skinny due to her illness.
Her cheeks were sunken, but it nevertheless couldn¡¯t hide her gentle personality.
She was Irene Smith, her aunt.
Nora took a couple of quick steps forward and sat on the edge of the bed.
She held her hand and greeted, ¡°Aunt Irene.¡± Irene looked at Nora up and down for a moment.
Then, her eyes turned red.
¡°You look so much like your mom after you¡¯ve slimmed down, Nora.¡± Her voice trembled as she spoke.
¡°You¡¯ve had such a hard time outside all these years.¡± During the five years when she lived abroad, Henry had never given her a single cent.
It was instead her aunt who always sent her some money as living expenses.
Although it wasn¡¯t much, it was her way of showing her kindness.
Nora¡¯s heart was warmed.
At this point, her stepmother, Wendy, said, ¡°Nora, your aunt has been pretty nice to you ever since you were a child, right?
She¡¯s sick now, and you¡¯re the only one that can cure her!
You won¡¯t watch her die, will you?¡± Nora frowned.
A brain tumor¡ She casually tugged off the medical report and CT scan next to her and started to read them seriously.
A naggy Wendy said, ¡°Your aunt¡¯s operation is too difficult, Nora.
A moment of carelessness and she¡¯ll suffer brain damage, so no one in the hospital wants to do it.
Dr.
Larson, the head of the Department of Neurology in this hospital, is Ang¡¯s professor at the School of Medicine in her college.
If she begs him to do it, maybe he¡¯d be willing to take the risk and give it a go.¡± Wendy sighed at this point before continuing.
¡°But now, Anthony¡¯s saying that without thepany, he¡¯ll never get engaged to your sister.
Your sister is terribly upset and in a bad mood.
You can¡¯t possibly ask someone for help in such a gloomy manner, right?
So, as long as you give your sister thepany, we¡¯ll let Ang beg Dr.
Larson for help.
Whether your aunt¡¯s operation goes through or notpletely depends on you now.¡± When Wendy finished speaking, Henry shouted angrily, ¡°You must also apologize to Ang for sabotaging her marriage proposal, seducing Anthony out of spite, and for hitting her!¡± Wendy, who was pretending to be the good guy, said, ¡°We¡¯re a family.
What are you saying all these for?
Sigh, Nora, your aunt¡¯s illness can¡¯t be dyed any further.
Why don¡¯t you sign the agreement immediately?¡± While the two were putting on a joint act, Nora finished reading her aunt¡¯s CT scan.
It was indeed a little tricky.
The tumor had enveloped the blood vessels, so the slightest carelessness would lead to mistakes and cause her aunt to die in surgery.
Not many doctors would dare to take on a surgery like this even in New York, let alone Dr.
Larson in California.
Well, aside from her, that was.
Irene yelled angrily after hearing what they said.
¡°Henry, thatpany is the only thing that Nora¡¯s mother left for her.
How can the two of you be so shameless?!¡± Wendy smiled.
¡°That isn¡¯t quite right, Irene.
What do you mean by she left it for Nora?
Henry and Nora¡¯s mother were husband and wife at that time.
That¡¯s their joint property.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so shameless¡!¡± Irene looked at Nora again.
¡°Don¡¯t listen to their nonsense, Nora.
My illness is incurable.
Even if you sign the agreement and have them perform surgery on me, there¡¯s a 90% chance that it¡¯ll fail anyway.
Hurry and go!¡± ¡°Okay.
I¡¯ll visit you again when I have time.¡± Nora put down the medical record and turned and walked out.
Her aunt was in serious condition, and it indeed didn¡¯t brook any further dy.
What was important now was to contact the hospital and borrow their equipment and facilities first.
Henry and Wendy didn¡¯t expect that she would just up and leave like that.
Moreover, she even disappeared from the ward in the blink of an eye.
Henry cursed, ¡°She¡¯s a total ingrate.
Your kindness toward her was all in vain!¡± Wendy also spoke sarcastically.
¡°You were so kind to her, Irene.
But in the end, she didn¡¯t even want to stay a moment longer here with you!¡± Irene bit her lip with her eyes red.
¡°Finding me a doctor had nothing to do with Nora from the start¡¡± ¡ª In the top-floor presidential suite of Hotel Finest.
¡°Why didn¡¯t you finish your homework from noon, Pete?
This section ispletely nk!
How are we supposed to proceed with the afternoon sybus if you do that?
Finish your homework.¡± With a chilly look, Pete looked at the assignment that obviously hadn¡¯t been given to him at noon and was already beyond his sybus.
He didn¡¯t speak but instead stared at the tutor just like that.
The tutor curled her lip.
¡°What are you looking at me for?
I heard that your fatherpleted all these lessons effortlessly when he was your age.
Don¡¯t you even know how to do this question?
If that¡¯s the case, then it must be your mom who lowered your IQ genes!¡± It was only when he heard the word ¡®mom¡¯ that Pete finally reacted.
His jaw was taut as he picked up the pen.
Then, he started to write silently on the workbook.
He already knew how to solve these problems a long time ago.
His mom wasn¡¯t stupid!
But as soon as he finished answering it, the tutor said, ¡°It¡¯s wrong.
Why didn¡¯t you include the problem-solving process?
I¡¯ve already told you so many times!
Stretch out your hand!¡± Is including the problem-solving process even necessary for such a simple question?
Pete didn¡¯t move.
The tutor immediately grabbed his hand, took the ruler, and struck his palm hard a few times.
Smack!
Smack!
Smack!
The pain made Pete¡¯s eyes widen, yet he pressed his lips together tightly and refused to speak.
¡°This is punishment for not attending the ss seriously.
Now, your punishment is to attend ss while standing!¡± Pete stood for two hours until even his calves were sore.
Only then did the tutors end the afternoon lesson.
The two tutors were still whispering between themselves when they left: ¡°He really can¡¯t speak?¡± ¡°Alright, don¡¯t talk too much.
The old madam has instructed us to take good care of the little mister!¡± ¡°Okay.
We¡¯lle again to report to Mr.
Hunt in the evening.
We must make him sound a little more stubborn and misbehaving.
Children who don¡¯t do their homework aren¡¯t good children!¡± After the two of them left, Pete looked at the homework assigned by the tutors on the table.
He knew that his answers were definitely ¡°wrong¡± again.
Even if he hadpleted them, they would still say that he didn¡¯tplete his homework.
But even so, he didn¡¯t want to speak.
If he spoke¡ He pressed his lips together tightly when he thought of the consequences.
All he wanted now was to talk to Mommy and the little girl next door who was great at ying games¡ The light in his eyes dimmed again when he thought of that.
Unfortunately, thedy next door had been driven away and she had moved one floor down.
One floor down¡ Pete suddenly stood up.
He put on his clothes and quietly left the room.
It was impossible for him to take the elevator because the bodyguards were all standing guard there.
He went along the wall toward the corner and slipped into the stairwell.
Then, he opened the door and darted in.
At the same time.
Downstairs, Cherry took advantage of the opportunity while Mrs.
Lewis was preparing dinner to also slip out quietly.
She didn¡¯t manage to go there yesterday, so she would go upstairs to look for her father today!
The tiny form of Cherry, who was wearing a cool children¡¯s outfit, entered the stairwell.
Her short little legs climbed up the stairs with great effort.
As she walked, she suddenly heard footstepsing from above.
As soon as Cherry looked up, she saw Pete walking down.
¡°¡¡± Their eyes met, and for a time, the air was incredibly still and quiet.
Chapter 16 - 16 Why Do You Look The Same As Me
?16: Why Do You Look The Same As Me?
16: Why Do You Look The Same As Me?
Due to it gettingte, the light in the narrow stairwell was rather dim.
Pete stared at Cherry in shock.
Her eyes were widened as round as grapes and her mouth slightly ajar.
The two stared at each other for some time.
Cherry was the first to speak.
¡°Why is there a mirror in the stairwell?¡± Pete was puzzled.
The corners of his lips spasmed.
¡°This isn¡¯t a mirror.¡± Cherry was dazed and dumbfounded.
¡°Why do you look exactly the same as me, then?¡± The stairwell fell quiet for another few seconds.
Then, a hesitant Pete said, ¡°Are we¡ twins?¡± Tiny Cherry, who finally reacted, leaped forward and hugged Pete excitedly.
¡°Wow!
I found my brother!¡± ¡°¡¡± Pete, who had always refused physical contact with others, stiffened.
Blood rtions were simply so peculiar.
For example, physical contact with people such as one¡¯s mother and younger sister would give one a very heartwarming feeling.
But as it turned out, had Mommy hugged him and eaten dinner with him because she mistook him for someone else?
This realization made Pete turn pale.
He sounded a little sad as he asked, ¡°Why did Mommy abandon me?¡± Cherry let go of him and hurriedly exined, ¡°Mommy didn¡¯t abandon you.
It was our horrid grandpa who sent you away.
The reason why we came back to the States is so that we can look for you!¡± ¡°Really?¡± Afraid that her brother wouldn¡¯t believe her, Cherry nodded repeatedly.
¡°It¡¯s true!
It¡¯s true!!¡± Her soft hands grabbed hold of Pete and she dragged him down the stairs.
¡°Let¡¯s go find Mommy.
She¡¯ll definitely be very happy to see you, and then she¡¯ll take us home!¡± Pete was taken aback.
¡°But what about Daddy?¡± Cherry paused.
¡°Oh, that¡¯s right.
Mommy definitely won¡¯t want Daddy.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Mommy thinks he¡¯s trouble and that his familial rtionships areplicated, so she finds him very bothersome!
Does Daddy like Mommy?¡± With an awfullyplicated expression, Pete replied, ¡°Daddy seems to hate my mom.¡± ¡°What do we do?¡± ¡°¡¡± A minuteter, the two little cuties sat on the steps together.
The two of them looked just like peas in a pod as they tried to think of countermeasures with their faces, which still had baby fat on them, propped in their hands.
¡°By the way, my name is Cheryl Smith!
You can call me Cherry.
What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Peter Hunt.
You can call me Pete.¡± ¡°I want both you and Daddy, Pete.
And, I can¡¯t leave Mommy, either.
Do you have a solution?¡± ¡°¡Yes, I do.¡± Cherry suddenly jumped up excitedly.
¡°What is it?¡± With a solemn look, Pete replied, ¡°If we get Daddy and Mommy to fall in love with each other, they won¡¯t despise each other anymore.¡± The two children leaned their heads against each other¡¯s and talked about it.
When they finally separated, Cherry suggested, ¡°I wanna y with Daddy.
Can I pretend to be you tonight?¡± It just so happened that Pete also wanted to spend some time with his mother, so he nodded with his eyes shining brightly.
Harboring the noble mission of reconciling a broken family, the children then quietly sneaked back to each other¡¯s residence.
¡ª Nora contacted the hospital after she left the ward.
The dean agreed to her request immediately.
Anti was known as the top surgeon in the world.
Several of her surgical videos had be ssics in many hospitals and medical colleges.
Having her perform surgery in the hospital was undoubtedly the hospital¡¯s honor.
However, he made a few irrelevant requests¡ªhe wanted a few people from the hospital to be assistants so that they could observe and learn from the operation.
Nora, who didn¡¯t mind, eded to his requests.
Next up were the operation site and facilities.
The hospital¡¯s equipment was outdated and couldn¡¯t meet the demands of such a sophisticated operation.
As such, she could only borrow a few from New York atst-minute notice.
As the relevant procedures involved were cumbersome, by the time she was done with the calls and settled all the arrangements, more than two hours had already passed.
Only then did she return to the ward, intending tofort her aunt.
She thought that Henry and Wendy would already have left by then, but unexpectedly, she immediately heard a dispute in the ward as soon as she arrived.
Henry was very arrogant.
¡°If you want Ang to ask Dr.
Larson to perform the surgery, then get Nora to surrender thepany!
Which is more important¡ªthat lousypany, or her aunt¡¯s life?¡± Irene¡¯s breathing was unsteady.
¡°Ang, I¡¯ve always treated you well since you were a child.
This is also what I would like to ask you¡ªis thepany or my life more important?¡± Ang curled her lip.
¡°When have you ever treated me well, Aunt Irene?
You obviously favored that damned fatty.
Back when you were a seamstress, you would make the same clothes for us.
But you must have used more fabric for hers, right?
If you had really treated me well, then you shouldn¡¯t have made any for her at all!¡± Her words angered the thin Irene lying on the bed.
¡°Ang, you¡ª¡± A dissatisfied Ang went on.
¡°Also, although you gave us the same presents during Christmas, did you think I didn¡¯t know that you always gave that damned fatty another one in private?!
Hmph, she¡¯s more of a niece to you than I am, isn¡¯t she?
In your eyes, what do you even see me as?¡± Irene clenched her fists.
¡°I was giving them to her in her mother¡¯s stead!¡± Ang curled her lip.
She was just about to say something when suddenly¡ p!
Lisa grabbed Ang¡¯s hand.
She must have been crying for a very long time because her eyes were all swollen.
¡°Please, Ang.
Put in a good word for us in front of Dr.
Larson and save my mother!¡± Right after she spoke, she fell onto her knees and pleaded, ¡°Please, Ang!¡± Ang shook her off and stepped away.
¡°Don¡¯t think that I¡¯ll relent just because you¡¯re doing this.¡± Wendy also said, ¡°Oh, Lisa, what are you doing?
You should be begging Nora for help instead!¡± This immediately caught Henry¡¯s attention.
As though he had just thought of a good idea, he said, ¡°Heed your aunt¡¯s advice, Lisa.
Go to Hotel Finest now and get down on your knees at the entrance, and beg Nora to save your mother!
¡°Isn¡¯t Nora staying at Hotel Finest because she¡¯s hoping to snag a good husband there?
If she doesn¡¯t want to be embarrassed, then she¡¯ll definitely agree to sign the agreement!
¡± ¡°¡¡± Outside the door, Nora¡¯s downcast eyes were filled with an icy look.
When she was a child, she had simply thought that her father was partial to her sister because he had misunderstood her.
But now, she suddenly understood that he had understood everything all along.
There was actually no real reason for his partiality.
He could even bring himself to say such horrible things in such a justified manner.
¡°Henry!¡± Irene shouted sharply, ¡°How can you treat Nora like that?!¡± She turned to Lisa and ordered, ¡°I forbid you to go over!¡± The blood on Lisa¡¯s face drained little by little, and she wept silently on her knees.
¡°Don¡¯t beg them anymore.
Get up, Lisa.¡± Nora¡¯s uncle, Will ck, suddenly shouted.
He pointed at the Smiths and yelled, ¡°Get out of here, all of you!
You¡¯re all ingrates, all of you!
Irene had given her all for her nieces, yet not a single one of you is a decent human being!¡± He picked up the bouquet of flowers at his hand and threw them at Henry.
When he drove the three of them out, he happened to see Nora and he paused.
Nora pressed her lips together, intending to tell him about the operation.
¡°Uncle Will¡¡± Will¡¯s eyes were already red at this point.
He snapped, ¡°You¡¯re just as much of an ingrate.
Get lost!¡±
Chapter 17 - 17 How Dare She Insult Mommy And Even Hit Her Brother
?17: How Dare She Insult Mommy And Even Hit Her Brother?
17: How Dare She Insult Mommy And Even Hit Her Brother?
The door of the ward was then shut.
However, one could still vaguely hear the conversation inside: Lisa said, ¡°Dad, Nora is¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t speak her name!
How kindly did your mother treat her?
She treated her like she was her own, but how is she any different from Henry now?
She¡¯s holding on so stubbornly to thepany and just standing by as your mother dies!¡± Irene said, ¡°Don¡¯t say that about Nora.
She¡¯s not doing anything because she knows it¡¯s useless even if she lets go of thepany.
Don¡¯t vent your anger on someone else¡¡± ¡°I know, but I feel so awful when I see her so indifferent!¡± Will suddenly couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore, and he started to sob bitterly.
Nora, who was standing outside, could feel their helplessness and anger even through the ss windows.
¡°Don¡¯t you feel bad?¡± Henry stood behind her.
¡°For the sake of apany, are you really going to disregard your aunt¡¯s life?¡± Their disputes here were too loud, and it had attracted a circle of onlookers.
Nora looked down and sent a text message to Lisa on her cell phone, telling her to get ready and that someone would being to operate on her aunt in a few days.
After sending the text message, she ignored Henry and the others¡¯ angry castigation and turned to leave calmly.
Nearby.
Justin stood there with Lawrence.
A rtive had happened to be hospitalized today, so he had speciallye to visit.
However, he didn¡¯t expect to encounter such a situation.
Lawrence said, ¡°The Smiths are certainly shameless, but isn¡¯t she a little too callous?
No wonder she looks so unfeeling.¡± Justin frowned and said, ¡°Check if there¡¯s anything that can be done about her aunt¡¯s illness.¡± This wasn¡¯t anything hard to find out.
By the time they were in the car and on the way back to the hotel, he had already found out everything.
¡°Her condition is indeed hard to operate on.
There are only two experts in the States who can do it, but the sess rate is only 50%.
Coincidentally, both experts are currently employed in our hospitals.¡± ¡°¡¡± Seeing that the icy Justin wasn¡¯t speaking, Lawrence couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°If Miss Smith knows what she¡¯s doing, then she¡¯ll use this as an opportunity to approach you.¡± When the car arrived at Hotel Finest, as luck would have it, Justin spotted Nora getting off the cab.
Additionally, when she noticed their car, she even stayed where she was and did not enter the hotel.
Was she waiting for them?
Nora had indeed spotted them.
She didn¡¯t understand what was going on.
She obviously had nothing to do with that four or five-year-old child, but she simply couldn¡¯t help but feel ufortable the moment she thought of him being abused by his tutors.
They misunderstood and thought that I was pursuing him this morning.
If I go over now, I¡¯ll really be seen as a stalker.
Nora lowered her cat-like eyes slightly.
From the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of Justin walking past her, surrounded by bodyguards.
Nora suddenly spoke.
She said, ¡°I have something to say, Mr.
Hunt.¡± As expected.
Justin stopped and looked at her with a deep gaze.
His exquisite features exuded an aggressive air of heroism, and the mole at the corner of his eye gave off a feeling of slight interest.
¡°What can I do for you, Miss Smith?¡± He had already given her a chance, so she would probably start begging him pitifully, right?
In a slightly deep voice, Nora asked, ¡°Are your son¡¯s tutors professional, Mr.
Hunt?¡± She had only heard what the tutors said in the elevator, and hadn¡¯t seen anything with her own eyes, so she had no way of judging whether or not their words were true.
Thus, she merely gave him a subtle reminder.
Justin frowned, however.
Why was she keeping quiet about the doctors and talking about the tutors instead?
Was it because she was too embarrassed to ask him about it, so she decided to talk about something else first?
Justin was a straightforward man, so he went straight to the point.
He asked, ¡°Do you need me to introduce two doctors to you, Miss Smith?
Do you want to speak with Dr.
Lane or Dr.
Wright?¡± Nora was confused.
Although Dr.
Lane and Dr.
Wright were the most famous neurosurgeons in the States, the sess rate was only 50% if they operated on her aunt.
Why would she go to them?
Besides, she was talking about the tutors.
Why was he bringing up doctors?
Nora replied impatiently, ¡°No, I don¡¯t.
Please concern toward your son instead if you¡¯re free!¡± If the tutors really were abusing him, then the responsibility would lie only on Justin.
He must have been neglecting the child.
For some inexplicable reason, she was a little angry, as if it was her son that was being abused instead.
She left immediately after saying that.
Justin stared at her from the back with a slightly stunned expression, but he quickly came back to his senses.
Anger welled up in him, and his countenance turned a little colder.
Lawrence couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°I had thought Miss Smith was so indifferent to her aunt only because she was at her wits¡¯ end.
I didn¡¯t expect that she really was leaving her to die.
She¡¯s too heartless!¡± Without surgery, her aunt was doomed.
However, ff she went through with the operation, then she would at least still have a 50% chance of survival.
The choice was obvious.
But that woman was actually so crazy and heartless, and had rejected his kindness?
Forget it, he would just take it that he had unnecessarily meddled into someone else¡¯s business and misjudged her!
Justin entered the elevator with a sullen look.
In the top-floor presidential suite.
Cherry stealthily returned to the room.
She was just about to enter the study when she turned and saw a stern-faced woman walking toward her with a ruler in her hand.
She said viciously, ¡°How can you bring yourself to loiter about elsewhere when you haven¡¯t finished your homework, Pete?
Judging from how stupid and dull you look, you must have taken after your mother!
Oh, wait, that isn¡¯t quite right because you¡¯re a little bastard without a mother.
Hold out your hand; I¡¯m going to teach you a good lesson today!¡± Cherry was confused.
How dare she insult her mother?
And, she was even hitting her brother?
The soft little girl immediately transformed into the hot-tempered little girl from her gaming time.
With her hands on her hips, she was about to hurl insults back at the tutor when the door suddenly opened.
She turned to see her handsome father, who had the potential to be bossy, cool, affectionate, or reassuring, striding in.
Cherry immediately forgot what happened just now.
Her tiny form leaped forward as if she had wings, but it was at this moment that the tutor caught her by the arm.
Justin took off his jacket after entering.
As per usual, the first thing he did was to ask how his son was doing.
¡°How was Pete today?¡± The tutor sighed.
¡°He¡¯s not doing his homework again.
Because he didn¡¯t reinforce what he learned, he doesn¡¯t understand when we delve into moreplicated topics.
He¡¯s awfully stubborn and refuses to listen to us.
As a result, his progress is nowgging behind his cousin¡¯s by two semesters¡¯ worth of lessons!¡± A troubled Justin frowned when he heard her report.
Although his son¡¯s IQ was excellent, he was introverted and autistic and had trouble expressing himself.
He really didn¡¯t know how he shouldmunicate with him!
He walked up to Cherry, squatted down to face her, and asked patiently, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you do your homework?¡± Wow, looking at him up close, Daddy looks even more handsome now!
Cherry couldn¡¯t answer him for a moment there.
Seeing her silent, the tutor secretly scoffed.
He was indeed a dimwit that didn¡¯t cry, kick up a fuss, or know how toin about others.
Relieved, she started to spin more lies.
¡°We¡¯re really at our wits¡¯ end, Mr.
Hunt.
We can¡¯t discipline or scold him, so your only option is to employ certain special methods of educating now.¡± Cherry, who was currently captivated by her father¡¯s good looks, thought to herself, What?
They couldn¡¯t discipline or scold me?
Chapter 18 - 18 Teaching The Tutor A Lesson
?18: Teaching The Tutor A Lesson 18: Teaching The Tutor A Lesson Just as Cherry was about to speak, Justin frowned and asked, ¡°What kind of special methods?¡± The tutor sighed and replied, ¡°Pete was born autistic.
He doesn¡¯t like to talk nor does he know how tomunicate with others.
If this goes on, it¡¯ll impede his development.
I think you can consider either sending him to medical specialists for treatment or to a school for children with special needs.¡± Her eyes shone after she spoke.
Once Pete was sent to a school for children with special needs, he would be diagnosed as being mentally handicapped.
With that, they would be able to ruin his future!
Cherry was confused.
That teacher was horrible!
She looked at Justin.
Should Daddy agree, she would stop seeing him as her father and would get Mommy to save Pete from their clutches.
Hmph.
Justin¡¯s expression instantly darkened.
He retorted fiercely, ¡°Pete is fine.
He doesn¡¯t need to attend a school for children with special needs!
If you can¡¯t teach him, then I¡¯ll find someone else!
Lawrence!¡± ¡°Yes, sir?¡± Justin ordered, ¡°Settle her wages immediately.
She doesn¡¯t need toe in anymore tomorrow!¡± The tutor was shocked by his sudden wrath.
Justin was usually very polite to them, which made her forget how domineering a man Justin really was.
She had made a mistake.
She shouldn¡¯t have said something like that.
She should have taken it slow.
Seeing that she was out of a job, in order toplete her mission, the tutor put on a sincere and earnest expression and said, ¡°I am the top domestic tutor in the States, Mr.
Hunt.
My advice is undoubtedly in your son¡¯s best interests.
Since you refuse to listen to the truth, then take it as if I didn¡¯t say anything.
I enjoyed myself very much during my time with Pete.
Goodbye.¡± Her speech was very in line with what an exemry teacher would say.
Justin¡¯s anger faded a little and he said, ¡°Give her an extra half a year¡¯s wages.¡± The tutor was ecstatic.
Half a year¡¯s wages were a lot of money!
Together with what that person had given her¡ Cherry, who was listening to them intently, was very satisfied.
Daddy hadn¡¯t given up on Pete.
He was indeed protective of him.
However, he had been deceived by that teacher!
As she watched the wicked teacher walk happily toward the door, Cherry¡¯s big grape-like eyes swiveled a little and she asked, ¡°Daddy, am I a little bastard without a mother?¡± Justin was taken aback.
He looked down suddenly to see his son looking up at him trustingly.
His young, childish voice made what he said next sound particrly heartbreaking: ¡°Am I really very stupid and dull?
Did Mommy lower the quality of Daddy¡¯s genes?¡± Justin was stunned.
His son rarely spoke this much.
However, the content was especially shocking to him.
He restrained his overwhelming fury and asked gently, ¡°Who told you these things, Pete?¡± Cherry stretched out her arm and pointed her chubby little finger at the door.
¡°She did!¡± At the door, the tutor¡¯s legs went limp the instant she felt Justin¡¯s murderous aura and anger.
She said fearfully, ¡°Stop spouting nonsense, Pete¡ª¡± Cherry hid behind Justin and hugged his leg.
She stuck out her tongue at the tutor and said, ¡°Please don¡¯t hit me again.
I¡¯m sorry!¡± The tutor was taken aback.
Was this really that little dimwit who didn¡¯t talk?!
At the sight of how fearful his son looked, Justin didn¡¯t give the tutor a chance to exin anymore.
He ordered, ¡°Bring her out, Lawrence!¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Lawrence grabbed the tutor and pushed her out.
Justin rubbed Cherry on her headfortingly and said, ¡°Can you y by yourself for a while, Pete?¡± The uing scene was too bloody and unsuitable for children.
Although Cherry wanted to be with her father, he needed to deal with the vicious teacher now.
It was just like how Mommy would also blindfold her and tell her to count sheep whenever she fought others when they were abroad.
She nodded.
¡°Okay, Daddy!¡± Justin only left the room after seeing Cherry pick up a toy without any significant fluctuations in his emotions.
Lawrence was a very efficient man.
By then, he had already interrogated the truth out of the tutor.
With his head down, he said, ¡°¡ It¡¯s your uncle and his family that bribed them.
They wanted to make Pete into a stubborn and problematic child so that their own children can take over the corporation.
The two tutors were sent by the old madam, so were negligent and overlooked it.¡± The old madam doted on Pete the most.
Who would have imagined that the tutors she sent harbored ill intentions?
Justin clenched his fists and asked, ¡°What did they do to Pete?¡± At the mention, Lawrence¡¯s head lowered even further.
He answered, ¡°They punished him by making him stand, hitting his palms, and reprimanding him.
Also, they didn¡¯t teach him seriously.
They didn¡¯t dare to do any kind of physical abuse worse than that; because they were also afraid that someone would discover what was going on.¡± Justin looked at the trembling woman kneeling on the ground and kicked her in the chest.
The blow caused her to immediately cough up blood.
His dark and overcast countenance made him look as if a demon.
He ordered, ¡°Throw her out.¡± Lawrence¡¯s heart trembled upon sensing Justin¡¯s fury.
However, even he himself was furious, let alone Justin who had always loved and doted on Pete.
It was just that his way of expressing it wasn¡¯t quite right.
Justin returned to the room.
When he saw Cherry¡¯s tiny little form sitting on the sofa and ying with the toy car, his heart tightened with guilt.
Pete had been with him since he was an infant.
He had personally nursed him and changed his diapers, but even until he was one and a half years old, he didn¡¯t speak at all.
When they saw a doctor, he was told that Pete had slight congenital autism.
Grandma said that it was because the boy didn¡¯t have a mother and thus, had no sense of security.
They mustn¡¯t have him, a grown man, taking care of him anymore, so she had arranged for babysitters, family doctors, and tutors for him.
As Pete slowly grew up and became able to have short conversations with people, it convinced him that Grandma was right.
Pete was a stubborn boy and always went against him.
He often made him so angry that he almost wanted to give him a good thrashing.
Despite that, he continued to think that this was a phase that all normal children went through.
That was, until that incidentst week¡ It was all his fault.
Justin walked over slowly.
He sat beside Cherry, softened his voice, and said, ¡°Daddy is sorry, Pete.¡± Cherry stretched out her little arms and hugged her handsome father.
¡°Everything will be fine as long as you can acknowledge your mistakes and turn over a new leaf, Daddy!¡± Justin sighed.
Then, he said seriously, ¡°We won¡¯t engage any more tutors.
I¡¯ll personally teach you in the future.¡± The happy Cherry was instantly petrified.
What??
She hated having to do homework the most!
Help, Pete!
Downstairs.
When Nora returned to the room, she found her daughter sitting on the sofa and looking at her obediently instead of ying games like she usually did.
She walked over and kissed Pete on the forehead.
¡°You¡¯re so well-behaved today, baby.¡± The soft lips pressed against his forehead, causing Pete to freeze.
Yet at the same time, a sense of anticipation also arose in him.
Mommy¡¯s so soft and gentle.
He looked at Mommy longingly and subconsciously stood up and followed after her.
As he did, he suddenly found his mother stopping and looking at him with a half-amused smile.
¡°Are you intending to take a bath together with Mommy, Cherry?¡± Only then did Pete realize with a start that he had followed her into the bathroom in the master bedroom!
He was about to retreat, but Nora stooped over and picked him up.
She said, ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s bathe you first.¡± rm bells rang in Pete¡¯s head.
Wouldn¡¯t his identity as a boy be revealed if she were to bathe him?
Chapter 19 - 19 My Brother Looks Just Like Me
?19: My Brother Looks Just Like Me 19: My Brother Looks Just Like Me Pete blushed.
¡°No, no, it¡¯s fine, Mommy.¡± Nora chuckled softly and said, ¡°Cherry¡¯s a big girl now.¡± Pete ran away in a hurry after Nora let go of him.
He stood outside the door to the bedroom and listened to the movements inside.
The sound of running water, the sound of someone in the bath, and the sound of Mommy walking around in slippers after she was done bathing.
After confirming that Mommy was dressed, he opened the door and saw her lying on the bed.
With her eyes closed, she said, ¡°Mommy has a very important operation in two days, Cherry.
I need a crazy amount of sleep for the next few days, so I¡¯ll go to bed first, alright?¡± ¡°¡ Okay, Mommy.¡± His sister had told him before that Mommy had poor health and that her hobby was sleeping.
She was usually either asleep or dealing with troublesome issues so that she could sleep.
Therefore, he mustn¡¯t disturb Mommy.
Two minutester, when he heard steady breathinging from where the bed was, Pete tiptoed over to his mother.
His tiny little form climbed onto the bed.
Then, he found a spot in Nora¡¯s arms and curled up there.
Before he knew it, he had fallen into deep sleep while listening to her heartbeat.
How wonderful.
He also had a mother now.
As a result, he didn¡¯t see the SOS messages from Cherry on the cell phone in his pocket: ¡°Help, Pete!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s exchange our positions again, Pete!¡± ¡°Sob, I don¡¯t love Daddy anymore!¡± Downstairs.
Cherry took advantage of the opportunity while Justin was pouring a ss of water to send another text message to her brother on her cell phone.
When she saw that he still wasn¡¯t replying, she could only give up and start tackling her assignments.
She bit her pen and stared at the textbook, her face all wrinkled as she frowned.
She, who had grown up abroad, was still at the literacy development stage.
She couldn¡¯t understand the questions on the papers at all!
Justin sat next to her when he returned.
It had been half a year since hest tutored his son.
As such, he didn¡¯t know how far their current progress was.
He pointed at the simplest question and asked, ¡°Do you know how to solve this?¡± Cherry¡¯s big eyes werepletely nk.
Justin fell silent for a moment.
Then, he flipped back to sybus from half a year ago.
¡°What about this?¡± Cherry shook her head hard.
¡°¡¡± Justin stared at her.
He wanted to ask Pete why he couldn¡¯t solve the question now when he could do it half a year ago.
Also, was he really shaking his head when he hadn¡¯t even read the question?
Cherry wordlessly suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t we learn about history instead, Daddy?
I¡¯m very knowledgeable in that.¡± ¡°¡ Alright.¡± Justin flipped open the textbook.
¡°Who¡¯s the first president of the United States?¡± Cherry¡¯s eyes lit up.
She raised her hand and said, ¡°I know this!¡± Justin breathed a sigh of relief.
His son had fallen behind in his mathematics, but it would also do if he was doing well in his history sses.
As soon as the thought formed, he heard her yell, ¡°Tom Cruise!¡± ¡°¡ It¡¯s George Washington!¡± Cherry blinked.
¡°Oh right, I must have remembered it wrongly.
Next question please, Daddy.¡± ¡°Which American politician was assassinated in 1963?¡± ¡°Leonardo DiCaprio!¡± Cherry immediately answered.
¡°¡¡± Justin took a deep breath and told himself not to get mad.
His son had just started talking a little more.
He mustn¡¯t lose his temper.
He decided to try again.
¡°Who invented the light bulb?¡± Full of confidence, Cherry answered, ¡°Keanu Reeves!¡± As Justin looked at his son¡¯s usually stern countenance that seemed more alive and animated today, he couldn¡¯t help yelling, ¡°Peter Hunt!¡± Cherry looked up, her expression as though she was eagerly seeking praise.
¡°Aren¡¯t I great, Daddy?
There¡¯s still a lot more that I know!¡± Justin was perplexed.
But when he saw how his son looked, he immediately reined his temper in.
The tutors were the ones who had taught him all these, so what was he losing his temper at the kid for?
He would just ¡®reward¡¯ those two tutors even handsomely!
Justin said glumly, ¡°Let¡¯s continue tomorrow.¡± ¡°Okay, Daddy!¡± Cherry heaved a huge sigh of relief.
Seeing Lawrence poking his head into the room every now and then because he probably had something to talk to her father about, she carefully climbed down from the chair and said, ¡°I¡¯m going off to y now!¡± ¡°¡¡± Justin rubbed his temples as he watched her run off.
Lawrence entered the room.
With aplicated look, he said, ¡°Pete seems to be doing worse than how the tutor had put it.
If this goes on, he¡¯ll probably fall to thest ce in the year-end assessment, right?
Do you want to quickly contact a few other tutors?
There¡¯s still time until the end of the year¡¡± The Hunts held assessments for the children at the end of each year.
Pete always took top ce in the past.
That was how he became known among outsiders for having a high IQ.
Yet his grades had deteriorated so badly in just half a year.
No wonder it was said that even though children had good memory, they were also prone to forgetting.
Once they stopped learning, their grades would suffer immediately.
mes of fury red in Justin¡¯s eyes.
He closed his eyes and pondered for a long time before he finally sighed and said, ¡°Forget it.
Let¡¯s not force him to do it anymore.¡± It was exactly because he had ced too much emphasis on education in the past that he always fell out with his son.
But when he saw how he smiled and how he cried and kicked up a fuss, it was then that he realized that his son¡¯s mental health was more important than anything else.
Even if his son were to really forget everything that he had learned and take thest ce in examinations every time, he could just live from day to day in the future.
He would pave the way for his son¡¯s future.
Justin, who had always been bold and resolute when facing the unscrupulousmercial world, hesitated for a moment.
Then, he asked, ¡°Do you find Pete very different today?¡± The abuse had been ongoing for a very long time, but his son had never once mentioned anything.
Yet not only had he spoken up today, but his personality seemed to also have be a lot more cheerful?
For some reason, Justin suddenly thought of what that woman had said downstairs¡ How did she know that the tutors were problematic?
Had Pete been keeping in contact with her all this time?
A pondering Lawrence also said, ¡°Could Miss Smith have counseled Pete?
Speaking of this, she¡¯s really not a simple woman.
After all, so many women have tried to gain Pete¡¯s favor in order to get near to you, but all of them have been unsessful.¡± Lawrence couldn¡¯t even keep count of how many of Justin¡¯s suitors he had had to handle in the past anymore.
He thought for a while and asked, ¡°Do you want to consider giving Miss Smith a chance to get near you if she really has a positive influence on Pete?¡± Justin hesitated for a while before he asked, ¡°What is she doing now?¡± A hesitant look appeared on Lawrence¡¯s countenance again.
¡°When the cleaners went to clean the room just now, they heard from the nanny that she¡¯s asleep, and she forbade them from disturbing them.
Her aunt¡¯s life is still in limbo, yet she can still bring herself to sleep?¡± A person who could do that was too unfeeling.
Justin¡¯s expression darkened.
¡°Don¡¯t let her make contact with Pete so often anymore.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Lawrence wanted to say more, but Justin suddenly noticed that the little fellow had fallen asleep on the sofa.
He gestured to Lawrence to keep quiet.
Then, he walked over and picked up Cherry, intending to carry her into the bedroom.
A dazed Cherry suddenly ced her arms around his neck and said, ¡°Mommy, I¡¯ve found my elder brother.
He looks just like me¡¡± Justin paused and frowned.
Chapter 20 - 20 Lets Have A Date, Mommy, Daddy!
?20: Let¡¯s Have A Date, Mommy, Daddy!
20: Let¡¯s Have A Date, Mommy, Daddy!
Justin stared at the young child in his arms.
Her murmur reached his ears.
It seemed like she was calling out for her mother¡ The light in his eyes dimmed.
Pete rarely asked about his mother.
But as it turned out, to his son, his mother was such an important figure.
He lowered his eyes, hiding theplex emotions within.
Then, he carried Cherry into the bedroom, took off her shoes, and tucked her in.
He gazed at his son¡¯s young, sleeping visage for a long time before he quietly exited the bedroom.
The next day.
¡°Sorry, I fell asleepst night.
Did Daddy scold youst night, Cherry?¡± Cherryy on the bed and sent her brother a voice message back.
¡°Nope, because even though I don¡¯t know much about mathematics, I¡¯m awesome at history!
Daddy was so moved that he canceled my homework!¡± Pete believed her.
He said, ¡°Okay.
Don¡¯t forget our ns today.¡± Cherry was about to reply when the door opened.
Justin pushed the door open and walked in to see his son on the bed with his butt perched high into the air while texting on his cell phone.
At the sight of him, his son turned off the cell phone screen in a slight panic.
Then, with a guilty conscience, he blinked with his big cute eyes and eximed, ¡°You look even more handsome today, Daddy!¡± Justin couldn¡¯t help but smile when he heard the little fellowplimenting him.
¡°¡You¡¯re a handsome fellow, too.¡± ¡°No, that won¡¯t do.¡± Cherry corrected him seriously and said, ¡°¡®Handsome¡¯ is used to describe boys.
I¡¯m going to be pretty when I grow up!¡± Justin was perplexed.
Cherry flipped the quilt aside and climbed out of the bed nimbly.
Then, she held hisrge hand with her own small one and asked, ¡°Wanna have breakfast, Daddy?
Cherr¡ Cherry Pit is really hungry!¡± ¡°¡¡± Justin nced at her hesitantly again.
Grandpa was the one that had named him Peter, in hopes that he would be as resilient and down-to-earth as a rock.
How did that be ¡®cherry pit¡¯ instead?
It sounded a little sissy.
He took Cherry to the dining room.
The presidential suite was bigger than 5,000 square feet.
It had four bedrooms, two studies, a living room, a lounge, a gym, a kitchen, and a dining room.
While they were eating, Justin instructed, ¡°Get the family doctor here.¡± Cherry ate slow, so Justin got the nanny to look after her after he finished.
Then, he entered the study with the family doctor who had hurried over.
As the doctor stood there, he saw his employer¡¯s expression changing again and again before he hesitantly asked, ¡°Is it possible to tell a five-year-old child¡¯s sexual orientation?¡± During the history quiz the day before, all the names that his son had mentioned were good-looking and attractive men.
Moreover, his son¡¯s wish to be ¡®pretty¡¯ and how he had called himself ¡®cherry pit¡¯ this morning was rather worrisome.
Was Chester being a bad influence on him?
When the family doctor saw how serious he was, he replied solemnly, ¡°One¡¯s sexual orientation is generally already decided at birth.
But if you have concerns about this, I can prepare a test for Pete.¡± ¡°¡Okay, get the test ready.¡± After giving the doctor instructions, Justin exited the study.
The moment he returned to the dining room, he saw Chester and his son¡¯s arms slung across each other¡¯s backs while they spoke with each other in low voices.
His face immediately sank.
¡°Why didn¡¯t you log on to the gamest nigh¡ª¡± Chester was stuffing bread into his mouth and speaking with a muffled voice when he suddenly felt a chilly auraing toward him.
He turned his head slowly to see the tyrant standing behind him.
The look in his eyes was as if he wanted to kill him.
Chester was so frightened that he jumped up from the chair.
¡°A-are you okay, Justin?¡± Justin retracted his scrutinizing gaze and walked in between Chester and Cherry.
He said, ¡°No one¡¯s living next door.
You can move in there instead.¡± Chester was confused.
Why was he sensing acute disdain from the tyrant?
When Cherry was full, she walked over and put her arms around Justin¡¯s leg.
Then, she looked up and asked adorably, ¡°Can you apany me to the movies today, Daddy?¡± Just as Justin was about to refuse, his son wheedled, ¡°C¡¯mon, Daddy!
Pretty please?¡± That tone¡!
Justin bent over and picked Cherry up.
¡°Don¡¯t plead with others so lightly, Pete.¡± Cherry¡¯s big round eyes blinked.
¡°Will you go, then?¡± ¡°¡ Alright.¡± In order to make it up to his son, he had already postponed all his work and meetings today.
Since he wanted to go to the movies, he would apany him.
The two picked an afternoon screening for a cartoon film.
Before leaving, Cherry secretly sent a message to Pete: ¡°All set, Pete!
What about you?¡± Pete replied very quickly: ¡°We¡¯ve already set off.¡± How could Nora possibly reject the request?
She was always sleeping, so she was already spending less time with her child than other mothers.
Thus, as long as the request wasn¡¯t too much, she agreed to every one of Cherry¡¯s requests.
As she had to perform surgery the next day, she had slept all the way until 2 pm.
Then, she took Pete to the movie theater while yawning.
At the entrance of the movie theater, the corners of her lips spasmed a little as she looked at Pete.
¡°It¡¯s just a movie, Cherry.
Is this really necessary?¡± Pete had a mask on.
¡°¡It¡¯s to prevent being infected by contagious diseases.¡± Nora held her forehead with her hand.
¡°And the shades?¡± Pete pushed them up a little and replied reticently, ¡°It looks good.¡± ¡°¡If you say so.¡± After Nora bought some popcorn and c, she took his hand and led him into the movie theater.
After taking their assigned seats, Pete took out his cell phone and sent a text message to his sister: ¡°Are you here yet?¡± Cherry was currently following Justin into the movie theater sulkily.
She wanted popcorn, but her father had adamantly refused to buy her some, saying that it was unhealthy.
He was horrible!
Justin intensely dislikedrge movie theaters like this.
Not only were there a lot of people, but the air was also very dirty.
But because his son wanted the experience, it wasn¡¯t quite appropriate for him to book the whole theater, either.
He entered the cinema sullenly with Cherry in his arms.
When he reached the seats assigned to them based on the tickets that his son had bought online, he immediately spotted the woman already seated there.
The theater was very dark, but she was so fair that it dazzled one¡¯s eyes.
Her eyes were lidded and she seemed very sleepy.
Her arms werefortably crossed and she was currently asleep.
Justin¡¯s expression darkened.
He had been wondering why his son suddenly wanted toe to the movies and even bought tickets.
So, in the end, it was all still that woman¡¯s scheme.
He wanted to turn around and leave, but when he thought of his son¡¯s mental health, he suppressed his impatience and ced Cherry between the two of them in the end.
He would never give her a chance to get close to him again.
The two cuties, who both had masks on, exchanged a look with each other.
How were Daddy and Mommy going to fall in love with each other if they didn¡¯t sit together?!
The movie started at this point.
The theme song of Frozen started to y.
With just a nce, the movie instantly grabbed Cherry¡¯s attention and she started to watch it with her eyes widened.
Half an hourter, Cherry suddenly smelled popcorn.
Engrossed in the cartoon, she subconsciously nudged Nora and said, ¡°Popcorn, Mommy!¡± Nora, who was dozing off, let out a dazed ¡°Okay¡±.
Then, she picked up a piece of popcorn, took off Cherry¡¯s mask, and stuffed it into her mouth.
Pete was astounded.
Chapter 21 - 21 The Operation!
?21: The Operation!
21: The Operation!
The expression of Justin, who wasn¡¯t interested in the movie, instantly darkened after he saw what she had done.
Instead of feeding her own daughter, she was feeding his son.
If even something like this wasn¡¯t her attempt at trying to please him and pursue him, then how else was he supposed to interpret her actions?!
Upon sensing a cold auraing from the side, Nora slowly opened her eyes and looked over.
When confronted with Justin¡¯s deep and dark eyes, which also had a bit of a sharp look in them, she was taken aback for a moment.
Was she dreaming?
Otherwise, why was she seeing Justin in the movie theater?
Her sleepiness disappeared instantly.
She lowered her eyeszily and wondered, Is this a coincidence?
Or is Justin here because he suspects that I¡¯m Anti and hase to sound me out?
Things had gotten troublesome.
She wanted to pretend that she didn¡¯t see him, but her instincts told her that the man seemed to still be staring at her at the moment.
On top of that, he had a rather hostile look in his eyes.
Nora turned to the side and gave a perfunctory greeting.
¡°What a coincidence, Mr.
Hunt.¡± A coincidence?
The look on Justin¡¯s face turned darker.
¡°Never mind that we¡¯re watching the same movie, but even our seats just so happen to be next to each other¡¯s?
What a coincidence, indeed!¡± Nora was puzzled.
Why did he sound so sarcastic?
She frowned.
¡°What do you mean by that, Mr.
Hunt?¡± Justin replied coldly, ¡°I told you, I hate it when people try to approach me by using my son.
Did you forget what I said, Miss Smith?¡± Nora was astonished.
He was misunderstanding her again and again.
Had he had enough yet?
Nora slowly retracted her gaze and looked in front of her seriously.
She said, ¡°You are indeed an attractive man, Mr.
Hunt, but you shouldn¡¯t be too narcissistic, either.
Men like you who look prettier than women aren¡¯t my type.¡± Justin sneered, ¡°Your actions are so tant, Miss Smith, yet you¡¯re still trying to hide your intentions?
Let me make things clear¡ªI¡¯m not interested in you.
If you have the time to seduce me, why don¡¯t you think about how to cure your aunt¡¯s illness instead?¡± His words angered Nora.
That man must be sick in the head!
She said coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you needn¡¯t bother yourself with my aunt¡¯s illness at all!¡± When he heard how she glossed over the topic, Justin became even angrier.
He was about to retort when the moviegoer with their children seated in the row in front of them suddenly turned around and snapped, ¡°Hey, we¡¯re in the middle of a movie here.
Can the two of you refrain from quarreling with your other halves in here?!¡± Justin was bewildered.
Nora was bewildered.
The movie theater was pitch-dark.
Justin didn¡¯t know why, but he didn¡¯t immediately feel any disgust when someone else misunderstood him and Nora as a married couple.
Instead, a dazed feeling, not easily detectable, arose in him.
The moviegoer added earnestly, ¡°Can¡¯t the two of you, as husband and wife, control yourselves a little better in front of the children?
You¡¯re scaring them!¡± Nora looked at where the moviegoer was pointing and looked down to see Cherry who was sitting there with a mask on and only her eyes exposed.
Justin bent over and picked her up.
He said with displeasure, ¡°This is thest time I¡¯m warning you, Miss Smith.
The next time I see you approaching my son, I¡¯m not holding back!¡± He strode away right after saying that.
Nora was bewildered.
She nced at the other side, finding herself mystified when she saw Pete there.
It seemed like her hand had gone the other side instead when she was feeding Cherry just now, right?
While she was hesitating, Pete held her hand silently and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go too, Mommy.¡± He hereby dered that the first date had failed.
When they returned to the hotel, it was already four in the afternoon.
Nora went to sleep again.
The next day¡¯s operation wouldst seven or eight hours.
If she didn¡¯t get enough sleep, she wouldn¡¯t have enough strength and energy to support her through it.
Pete, who was next to her, anxiously sent a text message to Cherry: ¡°How¡¯s it going over there, Cherry?¡± Meanwhile, on the top floor.
Cherry was facing off with Justin.
Justin ordered, ¡°You¡¯re forbidden from making contact with that woman in the future.¡± Cherry¡¯srge eyes were full of grievances as she asked, ¡°Why?¡± Knowing that it wasn¡¯t right to speak badly about other people in front of children, Justin didn¡¯t answer right away.
However, Lawrence, who was next to him, answered, ¡°It¡¯s because she¡¯s someone that just sits on the sidelines and watches without doing anything even though her aunt is sick.
On top of that, she¡¯s even going to the movies!
That woman is too cold-blooded!¡± Cherry panicked and retorted angrily, ¡°Mommy isn¡¯t cold-blooded!
She¡¯s someone that values rtionships the most!
She¡¯ll definitely save Grandaunt!¡± Justin¡¯s expression darkened.
Never mind that she was cajoling his son to call her Mommy, but he¡¯s even addressing her aunt as Grandaunt now?
¡°You¡¯re a bad Daddy!
You can¡¯t say that about her!
I¡¯m ignoring you!¡± Cherry pouted aggrievedly.
With tears in her eyes, she ran straight into the bedroom.
Justin clenched his fists angrily.
He had been getting along well with his son today, yet now, he had actually made his son cry because of that woman!
At this point, Lawrence came over and said excitedly, ¡°Mr.
Hunt, we¡¯ve received news that Anti ising to the hospital in town for an operation!
Observers are allowed during the operation.
I¡¯ve asked for a spot, and I n to send someone there to stand guard.
We¡¯ll catch hold of her this time for sure!¡± Justin thought for a while, then looked at the bedroom.
Atst, he said, ¡°I will go in person!¡± ¡ª The next day.
Nora didn¡¯t go to the operating room after entering the hospital.
She went to the ward to visit her aunt first, intending tofort her.
As soon as she entered, a worried Lisa came over.
¡°Nora, is the message you sent me yesterday saying that Mom will undergo surgery today true?¡± Nora nodded.
¡°Yeah.¡± Next to them, Ang sneered, ¡°You¡¯re such an unlearned piece of trash, Nora.
Do you know that Aunt Irene¡¯s tumor is located in a very risky area?
It¡¯s impossible for ordinary surgeons to operate on her!¡± Nora looked at her.
¡°I know that.¡± ¡°Since you do, then why did you still look for someone to operate on her?
You¡¯re obviously taking her life lightly!¡± Ang looked at Will and Lisa and said, ¡°I¡¯ve already shown Dr.
Larson Aunt Irene¡¯s CT scan a long time ago, and even he is hesitant to take on the task.
Do you really think she can get a better doctor than Dr.
Larson?¡± When Will heard this, he asked somewhat hesitantly, ¡°Tell me the truth, Nora.
How high is the operation¡¯s sess rate?¡± Before Nora could even reply, Ang scoffed and said, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you the truth¡ªthere are only two doctors in the States that can achieve a sess rate of 50% in this operation.
Apart from them, everyone else can only achieve 10%!
If you don¡¯t undergo the operation, Aunt Irene can still live for another two months, but if you do, there¡¯s a 90% chance that she won¡¯t be able toe out of the operating room alive today!¡± Her words frightened Lisa so badly that blood drained from her face.
¡°I-isn¡¯t there a better doctor?¡± ¡°Oh, there is!¡± Ang said, ¡°There¡¯s Dr.
Anti, the top surgeon in the world.
To her, there is no surgery that cannot be done!
She can achieve a 100% sess rate.
Unfortunately, Dr.
Anti is currently abroad and a great distance away from here.
Even so many of the wealthy and powerful can¡¯t find her, so how can ordinary people like you possibly convince her to do it?¡± ¡°¡¡± The ward was dead silent.
Just as Ang was all smug and both Will and Lisa had lost all hope, the three suddenly heard Nora¡¯s low voice: ¡°In that case, do you know who the doctor I got is?¡±
Chapter 22 - 22 Anti!
?22: Anti!
22: Anti!
Ang said sarcastically, ¡°Did you not understand what I was saying?
Unless it¡¯s Dr.
Anti, the situation won¡¯t change, no matter who you¡¯ve gotten over!¡± Scaring a patient before their operation, and making them nervous and full of distrust toward their doctor held zero benefits for the operation.
Nora hade over intending tofort her aunt right from the start.
At the sight of their pale faces, she was just about to utter the name ¡°Anti¡± when Irene suddenly said, ¡°I trust you, Nora.
Let¡¯s get ready for the operation.¡± Nora paused.
Ang said sharply, ¡°What a fool.
Are you also in a hurry to die?¡± Lisa became even more nervous.
¡°Mom.¡± Irene gave her a wry smile and said, ¡°How many doctors have your father and you approached for this operation?
No one dares to do it because none of them wants to be held responsible.
It¡¯s hard no matter who does it anyway, so why bother so much about who the operating surgeon is?¡± She would take the risk.
And see if God also thinks that this should be the end of her life.
She looked at Lisa and Will and said, ¡°Remember this, Will, Lisa.
No matter whether the operation seeds or not, this is what I¡¯ve chosen.
It has nothing to do with Nora.¡± Nora lowered her gaze, her heart warmed.
The door to the ward opened and a nurse came in.
¡°Mrs.
ck, we¡¯ll be transferring you to the operating room now.¡± Outside the operating room.
After waiting for Irene to be transferred into the operating room, Nora decided to head off to make pre-operation preparations.
However, the moment she turned, she heard Ang¡¯s voice.
¡°Where are you going, Nora?
I get it now.
You must be having a guilty conscience, so you¡¯re too scared to face what¡¯s going to happen, right?
You¡¯re afraid that the cks will me you for Aunt Irene¡¯s death when the hospital staff brings her dead body outter!
¡°You can¡¯t go!
You have to stay here and take responsibility for Aunt Irene¡¯s life!¡± Nora paused and slowly said, ¡°I have something on.¡± Ang scoffed and said, ¡°What do you have that¡¯s more important than Aunt Irene¡¯s life?
Why are you so cold-blooded?¡± Will, who was listening to the conversation between the two, clenched his fists.
His eyes were filled with fierce disappointment.
No matter whether the operation seeded or not, he wasn¡¯t going to cast any me on Nora.
But as his wife¡¯s most beloved niece, couldn¡¯t she even stay with her during the surgery?
At this time, a nurse came up and said, ¡°Can I get her family members to sign the medical liability waiver form, please?¡± Will¡¯s hand trembled at the sight of the surgical consent form and the liability waiver form she handed over.
With her eyes red, Lisa¡¯s voice trembled as she asked, ¡°What does this mean?¡± Ang stepped forward, her face still sporting a rxed and happy smile.
Obviously, she wasn¡¯t concerned at all about the life of the person in the operating room.
She said sarcastically, ¡°It means that the doctor won¡¯t have to take any responsibility even if he causes the death of the patient during the surgery!
Aunt Irene¡¯s surgery is such a difficult one.
The doctors aren¡¯t fools; they¡¯ll definitely ask for liability waiver form to be signed.¡± Lisa¡¯s face turned pale with fright.
Ang was extremely satisfied.
Her eyes swiveled a little and she grabbed the consent form from the nurse.
Then, she looked at the section naming the chief surgeon at the bottom as she said, ¡°I wanna see who this surgeon is, so brave to actually undertake Aunt Irene¡¯s operation!¡± The operation was bound to fail, but that surgeon had agreed to operate on her aunt, thereby potentially ruining her grand ns to usurp thepany.
She wanted them ruined!
There was a sinister look in Ang¡¯s eyes, but when she saw who the chief surgeon was the next moment, she suddenly froze!
How could this be?!
¡°Anti?¡± Beside her, Lisa eximed, ¡°Is this the top surgeon in the world that you guys were talking about just now?!¡± ¡°What?¡± Will also eximed, ¡°Let me take a look!¡± As the two of them stared at the chief surgeon¡¯s name, their eyes started to light up again.
Will looked at Nora in surprise and asked, ¡°Nora, how did you manage to get Dr.
Anti to do the operation?¡± Nora cast her eyes down and randomly made up a story.
She said, ¡°Anti likes challenging operations, so I tried emailing them Aunt Irene¡¯s CT scans.
I didn¡¯t expect them to agree.¡± Will¡¯s eyes turned red.
¡°I¡¯ve misunderstood you, Nora!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Nora said dispassionately, ¡°But I really do have something up, so I¡¯m going off first.¡± The shocked Ang was still frozen in ce even after she left, and she watched Lisa and Will sign the forms.
Will even cried because of how ecstatic he was, and she felt as if she had been made to eat her words.
¡°Hurry up, Dr.
Anti has already arrived!¡± Several doctors from the hospital strode into the operating room.
They were representatives that the dean had carefully selected to observe Anti¡¯s operation.
This was a rare opportunity for them.
Dr.
Larson, the head of the Department of Neurology, happened to be among them.
When he was about to enter the operating room, he suddenly caught a glimpse of Ang and he stopped immediately.
He called out, ¡°Ang, is that you?¡± Ang came back to her senses and greeted him.
¡°Dr.
Larson.¡± Dr.
Larson was Ang¡¯s professor at the School of Medicine in college.
He asked, ¡°Why are you here?¡± Ang hurriedly answered, ¡°My aunt¡¯s the patient.¡± Dr.
Larson¡¯s eyes lit up right away and he beckoned to her.
The two went over to the side and he asked, ¡°What¡¯s your family¡¯s rtionship with Anti?¡± Ang replied, ¡°My aunt is in serious condition, so the operation¡¯s a challenging one.
Practically none of the doctors in the States are capable of performing it, so I tried emailing Anti.
Unexpectedly, she really agreed to take on the operation!
Can you bring me in to observe the surgery, too?¡± A scheming look filled her eyes.
It was that damned fatty who had sent the email, but how would Anti know who the sender was anyway?
It is undoubtedly an honor to be able to observe Anti¡¯s surgery!
Enlightened, Dr.
Larson said, ¡°So, you¡¯re the one that got Anti over.
You¡¯ve made a huge contribution to the hospital!
Of course, I can bring you in.¡± Ang hurriedly followed after Dr.
Larson.
Among those here to observe, apart from the well-known specialists in the hospital, there were only a few promising doctoral students.
She was the only undergraduate there.
If she became a well-known doctor, then Anthony definitely wouldn¡¯t find her beneath him anymore!
Nora slipped into the operating room through the side door.
As soon as she entered, she spotted Lily, her surgical assistant.
She had flown into the States overnight in order to help out today.
In order to keep their identities secret, the two of them were the only ones in the dressing room.
Lily put on the surgical gown for her.
Afterpleting the disinfection procedures, they entered a room in the second hallway.
There, they ran into the doctors present to observe the operation.
They had changed rtively quickly and were currently crowding around Ang and chatting.
¡°To think you actually managed to get Anti over, Ang!
I heard from Dr.
Larson just now that he intends to get the hospital and college to focus on training you!¡± ¡°Wow, that¡¯s so awesome.
You¡¯ll definitely be a well-known surgeon in only a few years!¡± ¡°What an honor it is for undergraduates to observe Anti¡¯s surgery!¡± Ang, who was surrounded by them, felt as if she was on cloud nine.
At the sight of Anti, she hurriedly walked up to her and said, ¡°Hello, Dr.
Anti.
I¡¯m the one that sent you that email.
Thank you for operating on my aunt.
I really look up to you.
Can you give me a chance to be a postgraduate student under you?¡± Nora was bewildered.
Chapter 23 - 23 Eating Her Words!
?23: Eating Her Words!
23: Eating Her Words!
Nora had a mask, goggles, and surgical cap on, so she was totally covered from head to toe.
No one could see what she looked like at all.
Therefore, none of them saw the mocking smile at the corners of her lips.
She really didn¡¯t expect her younger sister to be this shameless.
Had it been before, she might have considered being a little nicer, but now¡ Nora suddenly smiled and said, ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re Nora Smith?¡± She had deliberately lowered her voice, which made her voice, which was already deep, sound even deeper as if she had a sore throat.
As soon as she said that, the whole operating room suddenly fell silent.
Everyone, including Dr.
Larson, looked at Ang.
Ang¡¯s smile froze, and a cold sweat broke out on her forehead.
Did that damned fatty actually sign off the email?
Dr.
Larson¡¯s expression turned sullen and he asked, ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this, Ang?¡± Ang braced herself and started to make up a story.
She said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Professor Anti, Dr.
Larson.
I was afraid that Professor Anti would reject my request, so I was too embarrassed to use my real name and ended up using my sister¡¯s.¡± Dr.
Larson¡¯s expression mellowed.
¡°I see.¡± Gee.
All of her sister¡¯s ingenuity had been put into use here instead.
Nora cast her eyes down.
As she walked to the operating room, she asked seemingly curiously, ¡°How did you get hold of my email address?¡± Ang, who had just heaved a sigh of relief, was bewildered.
Why would anyone ask about this?
Besides, her aunt was the patient.
Her im that she had sent the email made logical sense, so there was no need to press the issue at all.
She wiped off the perspiration that had formed on her forehead again and stammered, ¡°I¡ I asked a friend for it.¡± Nora continued her questions as if nothing had happened.
She asked, ¡°Can you tell me what my email address is?¡± Ang abruptly stood still, the exposed parts of her face already pale.
Her reaction was too telling.
A red-faced Dr.
Larson reprimanded, ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you, Ang?
Were you the one who sent the email or not?¡± Ang could only tell the truth.
¡°N-no, it wasn¡¯t me.¡± Having reached the doors to the operating room, Nora opened them.
Before entering, she heard Dr.
Larson shouting angrily behind her, ¡°To think you could bring yourself to say something like that in order to observe the operation!
A student of poor character and upbringing like you is not worthy of observing Anti¡¯s operation.
Get out!¡± In the operating room.
Irene clenched her fists nervously as sheid on the cold bed and stared at the ceiling.
She turned her head toward the door when she heard it opening.
When her gentle eyes met the doctor¡¯s, she swallowed nervously.
She knew that she would probably die on the operating table today.
A 10% sess rate was too low.
Just as a wry smile appeared on her lips, the doctor suddenly came over.
In a low voice, she said, ¡°I¡¯m Anti, Aunt Irene.
Go ahead and sleep.
When you wake up, you¡¯ll be all fine.¡± Irene¡¯s eyes widened suddenly.
Past the goggles, a pair of familiar cat-like eyes entered her sight.
¡ª On the top floor of Hotel Finest.
¡°Daddy¡¯s a bad man who misunderstood Mommy.
I¡¯m not talking to you.¡± In the bedroom, Cherry hugged the one and only plush toy in the pile of toys and turned her back to the door as she sat in the corner.
The big and tall Justin stood at the door.
The little fellow had such a bad temper.
She had been ignoring him since the day before, and she kept staring at him usingly with her big and teary eyes, making it seem as if he had done some terribly heinous things.
Lawrence was in the room trying to coax her.
He said, ¡°Don¡¯t sit here anymore, Pete.
Why don¡¯t we go over to where the toys are?¡± Cherry raised her head and curled her lip as she said, ¡°There are only cars and airnes there.
It¡¯s no fun!
Why aren¡¯t there any Barbie dolls?¡± Justin¡¯s jaw tightened.
¡°¡¡± He looked at the family doctor and asked in a low voice, ¡°Is the test ready?¡± ¡°Yes, it is.¡± After answering, the family doctor walked into the bedroom cheerfully and said in a cajoling voice, ¡°Why don¡¯t we do a little test, Pete?
I¡¯ll give you a Barbie doll when we¡¯re done.¡± Cherry, who waspletely unaware that this would put her brother in a rather unfortunate situation, immediately nodded.
¡°Okay!¡± Seeing his son happily following the doctor and walking out of the bedroom, worry appeared on Justin¡¯s countenance.
The test was over very quickly.
A short half an hourter, Cherry bounced out of the study with the Barbie doll that the family doctor had rewarded her with and ran past Justin into the bedroom without looking anywhere else.
¡°¡¡± While looking at her from the back, Justin, who had an indescribable expression on his face, entered the study and asked, ¡°Are the results out?¡± The family doctor coughed and replied, ¡°Yes, it is.
Please be mentally prepared, Mr.
Hunt.¡± Justin clenched his fists tightly.
The family doctor said tactfully, ¡°It is obvious that Pete pays more attention to men than women.
The test has shown that he thinks he¡¯s¡ a little princess.¡± Bam!
Justin mmed his fist on the desk.
He, who had always faced all the dirty deception and trickery in themercial world with skill and ease, actually found himself feeling a little helpless.
What was he to do about this?
The sound startled the family doctor.
It was only when he looked back and saw Lawrence beckoning him at the door that he finally walked out of the room.
After waiting for another half an hour, Lawrence said, ¡°It¡¯s time, Mr.
Hunt.¡± He had already asked around¡ªAnti¡¯s operation would take seven hours.
The timing would be just nice if they went over now.
Justin stood up solemnly.
¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± He nced at his son when he was leaving the roombing her doll¡¯s hair.
He hummed a little song as he nimbly braided the doll¡¯s hair.
Then, he picked a set of clothes and started to change the doll into it.
He tried, again and again, to keep his temper under control.
Atst, he said, ¡°Daddy¡¯s going out for a while, Pete.
Let¡¯s y with the airnes together when I¡¯m back.¡± Cherry ignored him.
Justin then said, ¡°I¡¯ll buy you a Barbie when Ie back in the evening.¡± Cherry¡¯s eyes brightened and she looked at him eagerly.
However, she forced herself to look away.
She said, ¡°Cherr¡ Cherry Pit doesn¡¯t want a Barbie doll.
I want Mommy.¡± Sob, she had already changed ces with Pete for two days.
She missed Mommy.
¡°¡¡± What the heck was ¡®Cherry Pit¡¯?!
Justin, who felt as if his heart had been pierced by a million arrows, left the hotel brokenhearted together with Lawrence and headed to the hospital in town.
In order to ensure that he could catch Anti, Justin decided to enter the operating room.
While he was changing, next to him, Lawrence said, ¡°This is a psychological issue, Mr.
Hunt.
How about we ask Miss Smith toe over and talk to Pete?¡± Justin cast his eyes down.
The thought of Nora irritated him even more.
When he came in to change, he had noticed that her aunt was still in the middle of her operation, yet she was nowhere in sight.
A woman like that¡ He rejected the suggestion again.
¡°No, it isn¡¯t necessary.¡± Even if his son wasn¡¯t normal, at least he wasn¡¯t a heartless and callous person.
After leaving him a cold reply, he pushed the door open and entered the operating room.
Inside the operating room, all the lights were focused on the operating table.
His eyes locked directly onto the woman who was currently performing the operation with full concentration!
Upon seeing her, a slightly stunned expression came over his countenance.
Chapter 24 - 24 Meeting Each Other
?24: Meeting Each Other 24: Meeting Each Other Justin had seen a photo of Anti before, but the woman who was performing the surgery.
She seemed much thinner than the one in the photo?
He stood quietly behind the crowd.
No one was allowed to enter the operating room in the middle of the operation.
If it weren¡¯t for the fact that this hospital belonged to the Hunts, it would also have been very difficult for him to enter.
Therefore, Justin abided by the rules very much and didn¡¯t go forward immediately.
He intended to wait until Anti had finished the operation before he approached her.
The operating room was very quiet.
Only a woman¡¯s professional but hoarse voice sounded from time to time: ¡°What¡¯s her heart rate?¡± ¡°Her blood pressure?¡± ¡°#10 de.¡± ¡°Hemostatic forceps.¡± She had likely already been operating on the patient for six and a half hours.
The assistant behind her was constantly wiping the perspiration off her brow, but even now, her hands were still very stable and didn¡¯t show any traces of trembling at all.
Her eyes, as she stared intently at the operating table, were focused and serious.
Although one couldn¡¯t see her face, she nevertheless exuded an indescribable charm.
Justin initially thought that he had arrived too early, and felt rather irked that he had to wait here for twenty minutes.
But as he watched her perform the dry and boring surgery, before he knew it, the time had actually already gone by.
This continued until she finally said, ¡°Close the wound.¡± The assistant who had been behind her all this time replied, ¡°Okay.¡± The chief surgeon was the one who performed the operation while the assistant did the simple stitching at the end.
Everything had gone smoothly in the operation so far.
But at this point!
It seemed like someone had identally bumped the tray that an assistant was holding, and the scalpel on it suddenly fell onto the ground!
The scene instantly became a little chaotic.
The lights around the operating table were very bright, which caused the sides to look a little dark inparison.
Anti was hidden right among the assistants moving about!
Anti, who was among them, reprimanded, ¡°Why were you so careless?
It¡¯s fortunate that the final stitches are the only thing left.
You guys, go and clean up with me!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The assistants, together with Anti, were all wearing surgical gowns of the same color.
They headed straight to the sterile area.
Justin quickly followed after them.
After entering the sterile area, they took off their goggles, masks, and gloves, and washed their hands with running water.
Except for one, the rest were all blond.
Anti wasn¡¯t blond.
Thus, Justin walked straight behind the only person who wasn¡¯t blond there, pped his hand over her shoulder, and said, ¡°Hello, Anti.
I¡¯ve heard a lot about you.¡± However, the woman that turned around was a in Jane.
She looked at Justin in surprise and said, ¡°Dr.
Anti has already left.
I¡¯m Lily, her assistant.
You are?¡± Justin frowned.
It was then that he realized that he had been fooled.
Did Anti really think she could get away today, though?
He took a step back, picked up his cell phone, and called Lawrence.
He ordered coldly, ¡°Lock down all of the operating room¡¯s exits and check all the personnel inside!¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± In the operating room.
From the corner of her eye, Nora could see Justin going out of the ward.
She let out a huge sigh of relief as she stood in front of the operating table.
She had already known before she came as Anti to perform the operation that the news would definitely get out and attract the attention of that man with high social status.
Therefore, she had already made preparations for it beforehand.
It wasmon knowledge that the chief surgeon didn¡¯t do trivial things like sutures.
However, Nora demanded perfection when operating on her aunt, so she would definitely do it herself.
To everyone else, Anti had already left with the assistants.
Who would have thought that she had merely turned around amidst the chaos earlier and was actually still here?
She moved quickly.
Within a mere ten minutes, the stitching waspleted.
Finally, after checking her aunt¡¯s various data indicators, she announced, ¡°Operation sessful.¡± The duty of postoperative care was given to a professional nurse.
She and the two remaining assistants then followed the observing doctors to the sterile area.
Nora yawned sleepily.
The toll that a seven-hour operation took on one was unimaginable.
To people who naturally had a weak constitution like her, it was very punishing.
She would probably have to sleep for 14 to 15 hours straight when she gets backter.
She was just thinking about that when she suddenly noticed Lily, who was in the sterile area, giving her a look.
Nora paused.
A foreboding feeling suddenly arose in her.
The next moment, she saw a row of bodyguards in ck standing at the operating room entrance and checking everyone¡¯s identities one by one.
Lily demanded angrily, ¡°What is the meaning of this, Mr.
Hunt?
We were invited to perform an operation.
Why should we undergo your unreasonable cross-examination?¡± Justin stood guard at the door with an unweing presence, his tall figure exuding a strong sense of oppression.
Next to him, an expressionless Lawrence replied, ¡°My apologies, miss.
You¡¯re not doctors employed by this hospital after all.
Should any idents happen to the patient, I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll have to take responsibility.
Therefore, please leave behind your contact information.¡± Nora cast her eyes downward slightly and sighed inwardly, That tyrant is really hard to get rid of.
How about fighting her way out?
However, her sore fingers and weak legs were telling her that she currently didn¡¯t have enough strength to do that!
She didn¡¯t notice that Justin had been staring at her.
Even though she was wearing a surgical gown, her figure was very simr to Anti¡¯s.
Everyone in front was cooperating with Lawrence¡¯s investigation, but she was the only one standing at the back and looking a little like she had a guilty conscience.
Justin strode over to her.
His thin lips parted slightly and he said, ¡°That was a really good trick.
You almost had me there.¡± Everyone looked over, making Nora the focus of the sterile zone.
Justin said solemnly, ¡°Dr.
Anti, why don¡¯t you take off your mask?¡± The man was tall, and there was an intimidating and oppressive air around him when he stood in front of one.
Nora suddenly let out a low chuckle.
Then, she reached up and took off her mask and goggles.
The goggles hooked onto her surgical cap, causing her dark hair to also cascade along with the action.
Justin¡¯s eyes widened at the sight of her familiar and exquisite visage.
How could it possibly be her?
Nora lowered her eyes like she always did and said in a low andzy voice, ¡°Since you¡¯ve caught me, I have nothing to say.¡± Justin¡¯s heart skipped a beat.
Then, he heard her continue and say, ¡°I am indeed in the wrong for sneaking into the operating room to watch over my aunt.
If the hospital wants to hold me ountable, I¡¯ll take it.¡± Then, she looked up and said frostily, ¡°However, as a family member of the patient, I should think that the hospital can understand why I did that?¡± Her voice was cool and clear like the clink of sses, which gave off a sense of steadiness.
The first thought that came to Justin¡¯s mind was actually ¡°So, she didn¡¯t ignore her aunt!¡±.
Nora observed the man in front of her.
The look in his eyes was unfathomable and his eyes were deep and dark.
Even the mole at his eye exuded an unpredictable and mysterious air.
She didn¡¯t know whether he believed her or not.
While she was thinking, the man suddenly said, ¡°If Miss Smith agrees to a condition of mine, then on behalf of the hospital, I can promise not to hold you ountable.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Justin let out a low cough and said, ¡°Come back to the hotel with me and y with my son for two hours.¡± Pete had been angry with him since the night before and had ignored him even all the way until he went out, and kept asking for Mommy.
Now that he knew that she wasn¡¯t such a cold-hearted and unfeeling person, his son would definitely cheer up if he brought her back, right?
Nora was bewildered.
Chapter 25 - 25 Triggered
?25: Triggered?
25: Triggered?
If her memory was serving her right, the first time they met, he had warned her to stay away from his son.
When they were at the movies the day before, he had also given her another warning.
Was the man suddenly out of his mind?
Seeing her surprised, a somewhat ufortable look came over Justin¡¯s face.
In order to get close to him, that woman had done everything possible to get Pete¡¯s approval.
Therefore, she would never miss this opportunity!
He was just thinking about it when he saw Nora casting her eyes downward coolly.
¡°You must be mistaken, Mr.
Hunt.
I¡¯m not a childcare teacher.
Neither do I have any fantasies about you.¡± Justin paused.
Nora took a step forward.
With a momentum that didn¡¯t lose out to his in any way, she said, ¡°Also, if the hospital really wants to hold me ountable, please contact mywyer.¡± After saying that, she covered her mouth, yawned, leisurely walked past Justin, and left the operating room.
She was already on the verge of falling asleep.
How would she possibly have the time to y with a kid?
The most important thing now was to hurry back home and sleep!
Even Justin didn¡¯t have the right to detain people at will.
If he couldn¡¯t find Anti, then the only thing he could do was release them.
In the car back to the hotel, Lawrenceined, ¡°Can Anti be an eel?
Why is she so slippery?
How did she get out when I was obviously standing guard outside?¡± Justin, who was in the back seat, replied, ¡°There are three possible exnations.
One, our intel was wrong and Anti is blond.
Two, Anti has very good moves and managed to escape, but this is unlikely.¡± ¡°Yes, we surrounded the area very securely.
Unless the hospital has an underground tunnel or she can fly, there¡¯s no way she can get out.¡± Then, Lawrence asked, ¡°What¡¯s the third possibility?¡± Justin kept quiet.
Then, he turned and looked outside the car and slowly said, ¡°Nora Smith is Anti.¡± The corners of Lawrence¡¯s lips spasmed a little.
¡°Compared to that, I¡¯d rather believe the second one.
We¡¯ve already thoroughly investigated Miss Smith.
Someone who has never even gone to school can¡¯t possibly be Anti.
Speaking of her, though, it turned out that she was the one that emailed Anti.
That was why Anti hade.
No wonder she was always so calm whenever her aunt¡¯s surgery was mentioned.
As it turned out, it was because she had total confidence¡¡± Justin pressed his lips together tightly and frowned.
Then, he suddenly said, ¡°Find somece where we can buy a Barbie.¡± ¡ª In the stairwell on the top floor of Hotel Finest, the two children had sneakily met up.
An aggrieved Cherry whined, ¡°I haven¡¯t yed any games for two days, Pete!
Daddy is too strict.
He doesn¡¯t let me use the cell phone!¡± Pete replied, ¡°Let¡¯s switch back for now.¡± Cherry nodded.
¡°Yes, yes, yes!
Let¡¯s switch again after I¡¯ve yed my games for a day!¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Cherry sighed.
¡°Daddy really hates Mommy, Pete.
What should we do?¡± Pete frowned.
After pondering for a while, he said, ¡°if the soft approach doesn¡¯t work, then let¡¯s try the hard approach.¡± Cherry¡¯s eyes lit up.
¡°What kind of hard approach!¡± The two little ones put their heads together and discussed for a long time before they finally reluctantly separated.
Before leaving, Cherry blinked and said triumphantly, ¡°By the way, the doctor made me do an IQ test today.
My IQ is really high!
The doctor rewarded me with a prize, and even Daddy was speechless with astonishment!¡± Mommy had also let her do something simr before, and even praised her and called her a genius.
She had made her brother proud today!
Pete, who believed her again, praised her.
¡°You¡¯re so awesome.¡± He returned to the room.
He was just about to enter the study and spend some time doing some revision when he heard the door open.
Justin strode in.
He took off his coat.
Then, he walked over and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be mad anymore, Pete.
Take a look at the toy that Daddy bought you.¡± Pete¡¯s eyes lit up.
The tyrant was always urging him to study every day and rarely let him y.
He had actually bought him toys today?
Then, he saw Justin walk over with a big pink Barbie and ce it on his desk.
A question mark slowly appeared in Pete¡¯s mind again.
Seeing that his son didn¡¯t react, Justin thought he was still mad and asked gently, ¡°Shall Daddy y with you?¡± Pete stared at him with an indescribable expression.
¡°¡¡± Seeing that he was finally reacting, Justin braced himself and suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s style Barbie¡¯s hair and change her.¡± He opened the Barbie¡¯s box packaging and took out the doll.
However, after picking up a lock of hair, his fingers¡ªwhich were extremely nimble and flexible while ying the piano¡ªfroze.
¡°¡¡± With a constipated look, Justin looked at his son and asked, ¡°Do you know how to tie a braid, Pete?¡± Pete was speechless.
After the two stared at each other for a long time, Pete finally slowly uttered, ¡°¡This is so stupid.¡± Justin¡¯s face instantly darkened.
For some reason, his son¡¯s calm and unppable expression made him unable to control his anger.
¡°I¡¯m doing this all for you!¡± Pete lowered his head and flipped open the book,pletely ignoring him.
Justin was shocked.
Then, he stared at the question that his son was looking at.
The question was beyond Pete¡¯s current sybus, so he asked, ¡°Can you understand such a difficult question when you don¡¯t even have a strong understanding of your basics?¡± Pete raised his head and nced at him again.
Which part of this simple question was difficult?
The tyrant¡¯s behavior was simply a mystery today.
He said coolly, ¡°Don¡¯t disturb me when I¡¯m studying.¡± ¡°¡¡± Justin felt very speechless when he saw how his son was acting as if he totally understood the question when he clearly couldn¡¯t solve it, and he said, ¡°Fine, do what you want!¡± He would see for himself how long Pete could carry on the pretense for!
After dinner, a perplexed Justin sat in the study.
His son had obviously been behaving very adorably, so why did he suddenly be reserved and taciturn again?
Although he seemed more normal now, for some inexplicable reason, Justin instead missed the way he had wheedled and how animated and quick-witted he had been previously.
He picked up his cell phone and called the family doctor straightaway.
He asked, ¡°Why is Pete¡¯s personality switching back and forth?¡± The doctor thought for a while and replied, ¡°Maybe something had triggered him previously, causing his personality to change.¡± A trigger¡ What could have possibly triggered him?
Could it be that woman?
Downstairs.
Nora took a bath and fell into a deep sleep immediately after she came back.
With her cell phone in her hand, Cherry sat on the sofa and yed games with Chester.
Chester was as talkative as ever while they yed.
He said, ¡°Did you get into an argument with Justin again?
That behavior doesn¡¯t work on him.
Why don¡¯t you wheedle instead?
Also, Justin didn¡¯t manage to find Dr.
Anti today, so he¡¯s in a bad mood.
Aren¡¯t you just asking for it by doing that?¡± He was looking for Dr.
Anti?
Cherry was stunned.
She nced at the bed in the bedroom and asked, ¡°Chesty, why is Daddy looking for Anti?¡± Chester replied, ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious?
It¡¯s for you¡ª¡± Before he finished, the doorbell rang.
Mrs.
Lewis was busy in the kitchen, so Cherry jumped off the sofa and walked over to the door.
She didn¡¯t think much and opened the door right away.
Justin was currently outside the door.
He wanted to try asking Nora again to go upstairs to take care of his son.
He got ready to speak when the door opened, only to spot Cherry right away.
Chapter 26 - 26 A Single-Celled Organism
?26: A Single-Celled Organism 26: A Single-Celled Organism ¡°¡¡± One was big and tall while the other was small and short.
The two stared at each other for a full two or three seconds before the shocked Cherry subconsciously tried to close the door.
Pete had told her that they mustn¡¯t acknowledge each other before Mommy and Daddy fell in love with each other.
Otherwise, it would trigger a terrible battle for custody!
However, the man reached out and held the door open.
He asked in surprise, ¡°Why are you here, Pete?¡± Cherry was terribly rmed.
Justin¡¯s expression was dark and overcast.
He bent over, picked up Cherry, and ordered, ¡°Come upstairs with me!¡± But Daddy will discover what¡¯s going on when we go up and run into Pete!
Cherry struggled and shouted, ¡°Let me go!
Mommy, help!¡± Mrs.
Lewis, who heard her cries, rushed out of the kitchen to see Justin entering the elevator with Cherry in his arms.
Shocked, she ran over to the bedroom in a panic and woke Nora who was in a deep sleep.
¡°Nora!
Wake up!
Something has happened!
Mr.
Hunt took Cherry!¡± Nora was in a deep sleep, but she instantly woke up when Mrs.
Lewis shook her awake.
She got up and went straight out after putting on her slippers.
She didn¡¯t even have the time to change.
At this point, Cherry had already been brought upstairs.
After they entered the presidential suite, as she watched her angry and handsome father walk toward the study with her in his arms, she thought to herself, We¡¯re finished!
We¡¯re finished!
Because her father was holding her tightly, she couldn¡¯t even inform Pete about what was going on.
They would definitely be exposed now.
Creak!
Justin stopped in his tracks as he opened the door to the study.
To prevent her father from scolding and disciplining her, the quick-witted Cherry decided to take the initiative to admit her mistake first.
She said weakly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Daddy.
Cherr¡ª¡± Before she could say ¡°Cherry didn¡¯t mean to keep it from you¡±, she saw that¡ The study was actually empty?
After a short pause, the words at the tip of her tongue turned into ¡°¡ªy Pit didn¡¯t mean it.¡± Herrge eyes were full of confusion.
Where was Pete?
Where had he gone?
His son¡¯s soft and tender voice made Justin¡¯s anger slowly fade away, and he couldn¡¯t bring himself to lecture him anymore.
He gently put Cherry down and held her shoulders tightly as he said, ¡°Don¡¯t leave the top floor so casually, no matter what happens, Pete.¡± He was trembling.
As the heir to the number one family in the States, a lot of people had their eyes on the Hunts.
Justin had been kidnapped before when he was a child and had only managed to return alive after going through hell.
The events had almost traumatized him.
That was why he had worked so hard all these years to protect and hide his son from the public eye.
But how few many times had Pete met Nora Smith?
Yet he had sneaked downstairs!
And, the most frightening thing was that he didn¡¯t even notice it!
What if she had ill intentions, or what if someone were to kidnap him on the way downstairs?
The consequences¡ He didn¡¯t even dare to think about it!
Sensing her father¡¯s inexplicable fear, Cherry suddenly hugged him and patted himfortingly on the shoulder.
¡°I won¡¯t do it anymore, Daddy.¡± The soft and tiny figure in his arms made Justin stiffen again.
This was the first time in all these years that his son had been so affectionate to him.
Justin¡¯s turbulent emotions gradually calmed down as he took in the faint milk-like scent on her.
He sighed deeply and, as apromise, said, ¡°If you really like Miss Smith that much, we can let here up here to spend some time with you.¡± Cherry was at a loss for words.
Seeing that she had sessfully glossed over the issue with her dad, Cherry looked at the halfpleted workbook on the desk and wondered, where¡¯s Pete?
Meanwhile, Chester, whom the other two had neglected, was currently on the sofa in the living room and doubting his life choices.
Two minutes ago, he was ying games with his team leader when he suddenly heard Justin¡¯s angry voice and his nephew¡¯s calls for help.
As his sidekick in the game, Chester absolutely had to stick up for him.
Thus, even though he was terribly afraid of the tyrant, he had still rushed over, intending to save Pete from ¡®danger¡¯.
This way, Pete would probably scold him a little less often in the game, right?
But in the end, what he saw was that Pete was currently safe and sound while doing his homework?
He had suspected that his eyes were deceiving him at that time, and he even deliberately rubbed his eyes.
But when he looked over again, he found that his nephew was still sitting right there.
He picked up the phone again after that.
The game¡¯s voice chat was still connected, and he could clearly hear his team leader calling for help: ¡°Stupid Daddy, let me go!
I¡¯m gonna look for Mommy!
I don¡¯t wanna go upstairs!¡± ¡°¡¡± Then, he saw his nephew put down the pen and rush out without a word.
About twenty secondster, the door was pushed open.
Justin walked in with Pete and the two of them entered the study again.
Chester rubbed his eyes again.
The child that Justin was carrying did indeed look exactly like his nephew.
And, her conversation with Justin was also still being transmitted to his cell phone through the game¡¯s voice chat¡ But if the person who had been ying games with him all this time was his nephew, then who was it doing homework here just now?
Also!
His nephew had changed into another outfit in the span of twenty seconds?
He stood up nkly and walked out with his cell phone.
As soon as he went out, he ran into the family doctor.
He grabbed the doctor¡¯s hand right away and said in a troubled voice, ¡°Please give me a checkup, Doc.
Why am I hallucinating when I¡¯m still so young?
Do I have some kind of mental illness?
I don¡¯t want to die yet!¡± The doctor was rendered speechless.
It seemed like he had suddenly be terribly busy.
Meanwhile.
Pete was in the stairwell and going down the stairs.
Through the ss on the door to the stairwell, he saw his father enter the suite with Cherry in his arms, and he became relieved right away.
It was fortunate that Uncle Chester had arrived in time.
Otherwise, everything would really be exposed.
He waited there for a while until Cherry sent him a voice message.
After the two little ones exchanged information with each other, a troubled Cherry asked, ¡°Uncle Chester saw both you and me just now.
Will he realize something?¡± Pete replied, ¡°No.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Pete pursed his lips and replied, ¡°He¡¯s a single-celled organism.
He can¡¯t imagine anything thatplicated.¡± None of them knew that he had a younger twin sister.
Had he not bumped into Cherry, he wouldn¡¯t have understood why Mommy had acted so familiarly with him.
Even the tyrant had never once imagined anything like that, let alone his simple-minded uncle?
Pete put down his phone and walked downstairs.
He had only just taken a step down when he heard hurried footsteps.
Right after that, Nora came rushing up.
She looked terribly angry as if she wanted to fight someone to the death.
When she saw him, relief came over her and she asked, ¡°Are you on your way back, Cherry?¡± Pete nodded.
¡°Yeah.¡± Nora hesitated for a moment but didn¡¯t say much in the end.
She turned around to head back down and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go home first.¡± Then, she took Pete¡¯s hand and went downstairs.
On the way back, she felt as if her daughter had be a lot quieter than before.
After returning to the room, Nora scanned Pete up and down.
She stared at him and asked, ¡°Are you sure Justin didn¡¯t do anything to you, Cherry?¡± Seeing how Mommy was so nervous, Pete nodded.
At this point, Mrs.
Lewis came over.
She frowned and asked, ¡°Why are you in a different set of pajamas, Cherry?¡±
Chapter 27 - 27 Pete The Little Princess
?27: Pete The Little Princess 27: Pete The Little Princess The look in Nora¡¯s eyes instantly sharpened when she heard this.
A girl going out and returning in different clothes¡ªnow, this was no doubt something serious.
Seeing that Mommy had be suspicious, Pete looked at Mrs.
Lewis calmly and replied, ¡°No, I¡¯m not.
Did you remember wrongly?¡± Mrs.
Lewis hesitated when she saw how sure he was.
¡°Really?¡± ¡°Uh-huh.¡± Pete then changed the subject.
He imitated Cherry¡¯s way of speaking and said, ¡°Go to bed, Mommy.
I¡¯m gonna go y games too!¡± Her daughter was behaving a little weirdly, but Nora was simply too sleepy.
Even her mind was in a total daze.
She nodded and said, ¡°Alright.¡± She would settle the scores with Justin again after she woke up.
Abducting her daughter from her ce without even so much as a greeting was absolutely intolerable.
This time, she slept straight until noon the next day.
When Nora woke up, she saw a text message from Lisa saying that her aunt was awake and that she wanted her to visit her together with Cherry if she was free.
Nora went to wash up first.
But when she came out, she instead saw Mrs.
Lewis having a staredown with her daughter again.
Mrs.
Lewis, who was holding a beautiful princess dress, was trying to coax Cherry into wearing it.
She said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you wear this, Cherry?
You¡¯re visiting your elders, so you have to be appropriately dressed.¡± Pete was expressionless as he stared at the pink puffy dress.
¡°¡¡± He felt that he would probably die of embarrassment if he put on the dress!
Nora frowned and asked softly, ¡°Can you tell Mommy why you don¡¯t want to wear a princess dress today, baby?¡± Although Cherry had boys¡¯ clothing, deep down, she was actually a little princess.
She loved dressing up the most whenever she had to visit her elders.
Seeing that Nora had be a little suspicious, Pete could only grit his teeth and take the dress from Mrs.
Lewis.
Because it was autumn, the dress even came with a pair of white leggings.
Pete was lost for words.
He entered the bedroom, put on the dress with much difficulty, and came back out after that.
When he saw Nora¡¯s satisfied expression, he heaved a silent sigh.
For the sake of their reunion as a family, he was really doing so much!
When she saw how her daughter looked as if she couldn¡¯t even walk properly anymore after not having worn a princess dress for so long, Nora decided to just pick her up.
Then, she walked out.
When she entered the hallway, she subconsciously hid her daughter¡¯s face.
Nora¡¯s mother had passed away just a year after she was born.
She left behind only herst words that forbade her from behaving in a way that showed off her abilities.
She was to keep a low profile and be in and mediocre until she gained the ability to protect herself.
Otherwise, she would be in danger.
She didn¡¯t know what kind of danger her mother was referring to, but she had always followed her instructions.
This led to her forming a habit of being cautious and staying low-key.
The two of them went downstairs and took a cab to the hospital.
When they arrived, they went straight to the VIP ward.
Irene, who had bandages around her head, was already awake.
A checkup in the hospital had shown that she didn¡¯t suffer any damage to the brain at all.
The operation had practically gone perfectly.
The troubled looks on Lisa and Will¡¯s faces a few days ago had already disappeared, and they were ted to see her.
Lisa even rushed up to them and hugged Pete.
¡°Are you Cherry?
You¡¯re so cute and pretty!¡± Pete was lost for words.
Amidst all the joy and happiness in the ward, a hostile voice suddenly reached them.
¡°Tsk, disappearing during the operation because you were afraid of being held responsible, and then returning like a good person once the operation went smoothly.
Nora, you¡¯re very scheming, indeed.¡± What apanied the voice was a red-eyed Ang walking in.
She had rather serious dark circles under her eyes filled with a hateful look.
The school had issued her a warning after Dr.
Anti exposed her the day before, which cost her the title of Most Excellent Graduate in her college¡¯s School of Medicine this year.
She tried to incite discord between Nora and the cks and said hatefully, ¡°All she did was just move her fingers a little and send an email to Anti, and all of you are already so grateful to her?
If she really cared about Aunt Irene, she wouldn¡¯t have left during the operation!¡± As the patient in question, Aunt Irene would definitely be sad, right?
As soon as the thought formed in Ang¡¯s mind, she heard Irene say, ¡°Thanks for yesterday, Nora.¡± Nora chuckled and replied, ¡°No problem at all.¡± The two exchanged a look.
As if they had some kind of tacit understanding between them, both of them turned a deaf ear to Ang¡¯s words, which made her cheeks burn.
She looked like a clown for trying to sow discord between them just now!
Mad and anxious, she was about to say something when Wendy asked, ¡°Is this your daughter, Nora?
She¡¯s so cute.¡± Nora frowned.
She found her annoying.
At this point, Irene also asked, ¡°Why are all of you here?¡± The Smiths had never once expressed any concern when she was hospitalized, yet they wereing here so frequently these days.
They were really getting in the way of her catching up with Nora.
A look of disdain shed across Wendy¡¯s eyes.
Did Irene really think that she wanted toe to a ce like a hospital?
It was all because Nora refused to answer their calls, so they had toe to the hospital to look for her.
Henry, who was thest to enter, frowned and replied, ¡°We¡¯re here to visit you, of course.¡± After speaking, he followed Wendy¡¯s gaze and looked at Pete.
He put on a fake smile and said, ¡°So, is this Cherry?
Although her father may be a ruffian, she looks pretty cute.¡± Pete retorted, ¡°My father is not a ruffian.¡± Ang scoffed and said, ¡°You¡¯re right.
Not even your mother knows who your father is.
Maybe he¡¯s not a ruffian but an even more unbearable beggar?
Or perhaps a criminal?
In any case, based on your mother¡¯s looks back then, no man who¡¯s even slightly normal would ever take a fancy to her!¡± Nora blocked Pete from them, rolled up her sleeves, and asked coldly, ¡°Was the beatingst time not enough?¡± She didn¡¯t care about their mockery, but she was afraid that Cherry would be sad.
Thinking of the p Nora had given her previously, Ang took a step back and hid behind Henry.
¡°Dad, look at her!
She wants to hit me even when you¡¯re here.
She¡¯s too overbearing!¡± Henry threatened angrily, ¡°You just tryying a hand on her, Nora!
You¡¯re really running riot, aren¡¯t you?!¡± Wendy stepped forward to mediate between them.
She said, ¡°Don¡¯t be violent in front of children.
Nora, when I saw Cherry, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder, if that little boy from back then is still alive, he¡¯d probably also be very good-looking, won¡¯t he?¡± When she said that, Nora suddenly looked at her.
All these years, she had repeatedly asked Henry where he had abandoned the child from back then.
He had always kept mum about it, so why were they bringing it up today?
Sure enough, Henry took out the agreement again the next moment.
¡°Aren¡¯t you looking for your son?
Sign the ownership transfer agreement and I¡¯ll tell you where I abandoned that little bastard!¡± Nora clenched her fists.
A grave look appeared in her eyes.
Henry added forcefully, ¡°You¡¯ve been back in the States for a week, haven¡¯t you?
You¡¯ve also approached a few private investigators, but I believe they don¡¯t have any news, right?
I¡¯ll tell you this¡ªI¡¯m the only one in this world who knows where your son is.
If you really want your son back, then sign the agreement.¡± Nora¡¯s son was her weakness.
Nora took the pen from Henry without hesitation to sign the agreement.
At the sight, the eyes of Pete, who was next to her, widened in horror.
¡°Mommy, don¡¯t!¡± Nora turned to him and said, ¡°Stop making a fuss, Cherry.
If we can find your brother, I¡¯m willing to give up everything I have, let alone thepany.¡± He realized how much Mommy loved him.
Pete¡¯s eyes reddened and he hurriedly grabbed Nora¡¯s hand.
Chapter 28 - 28 I Know Your Sons Whereabouts
?28: I Know Your Son¡¯s Whereabouts 28: I Know Your Son¡¯s Whereabouts Pete wanted to tell the truth, but if Nora were to know the truth now, she would definitely take him and his sister away and leave their father here alone.
Although he was always going against the tyrant, Justin was nheless still a qualified father.
He still remembered how the tyrant would always bring him to work and all his meetings when he was a baby¡ Seeing that Mommy was about to sign the agreement, in that split second, Pete suddenly picked up the ss of milk next to him and sshed it all on the papers!
Nora had only written a word when the milk soaked through the papers.
The ink immediately ran, obviously invalidating the agreement.
Henry cursed angrily, ¡°What are you doing, you little bastard?¡± Pete held the ss with an innocent look and replied, ¡°My hand slipped¡¡± Upon hearing his reply, Ang stepped forward angrily and raised her hand immediately.
¡°You little bastard, you did that on purpose!
I¡¯m going to kill you!¡± Nora bent over, picked him up, and held him protectively in her arms.
With a sinister look, she snapped, ¡°How dare you!¡± Lisa braced herself and held Ang back.
¡°I¡¯m sure she didn¡¯t do it on purpose, Ang¡¡± Irene also stretched out her arm anxiously.
¡°What are you being serious with a five-year-old for, Henry?
It¡¯s just a contract.
Just print another copy!¡± Henry was terribly furious.
He was just about to get his hands on the agreement, but a five-year-old had actually ruined everything!
Wendy gnashed her teeth in fury.
However, she managed to stay more rational and she ordered, ¡°Go back to the Smiths and reprint the agreement.¡± Nora narrowed her eyes.
She looked at her daughter in her arms and said, ¡°I¡¯m sending Cherry back to the hotel first.¡± Even if it was for the sake of finding her son, there was no way she would let her daughtere to any harm.
Henry sneered, ¡°Heh, you sure are being rather protective of a little girl who isn¡¯t even worth a few dors.
We¡¯ll wait for you at the Smiths.¡± Nora walked out with Pete in her arms.
Wendy pushed Ang lightly and said, ¡°Take the car and follow your sister to the hotel, Ang.
Your dad and I will take a cab back home.¡± Ang stomped her foot and demanded, ¡°Mom, why?¡± Wendy lowered her voice and replied, ¡°What if she doesn¡¯te over after returning to the hotel?
Go and keep tabs on her.¡± Only then did Ang finally realize what she meant and hurriedly chased after Nora.
On the way to the hotel, Pete sat in the car¡¯s back seat, his eyes cast downward in deep thought.
He had only temporarily interrupted Mommy from signing the agreement just now.
If he wanted to destroy the baddies¡¯ ns, he¡¯d need to think of another solution.
He quietly picked up his cell phone and sent a text message to Cherry: ¡°Cherry, are you there?
It¡¯s urgent!¡± Cherry replied very quickly: ¡°I¡¯m here!
What¡¯s up?¡± With his eyes downcast, Pete continued to send her messages: ¡°Use Daddy¡¯s cell phone and send an anonymous email to Mommy.
Do it fast!
The email¡¯s content is¡¡± Nora¡¯s cat-like eyes were slightly downcast.
She looked unperturbed, but in truth, waves had long been churning in her heart, and she felt awfully restless.
Would her father really tell her where her son was after she signed the agreement?
She was still thinking about it when her cell phone suddenly vibrated.
She picked it up casually, but after ncing at it, she suddenly froze.
An anonymous emaily quietly in her mailbox.
There were only a few words in the email: ¡°I know your son¡¯s whereabouts.
Don¡¯t sign the agreement.¡± The look in Nora¡¯s eyes immediately turned cold.
Who had sent her the email?
She ced the phone horizontally in herp.
Her two cool, pale, and slender fingers quickly tapped away on it as she tried to track the sender¡¯s location.
Suddenly, her eyes widened in shock and her hands abruptly drew back.
That was so close!
It was fortunate that she had stopped in time.
A little more and her cell phone would have been forcefully shut down and rendered useless.
Who exactly had sent her the email?
They were actually able to get Y, the internationally renowned hacker, to write firewall software for them!
The authenticity of the email¡¯s content was worth considering, but more importantly, it had suddenly given her a wakeup call.
Nora¡¯s long slender fingers tapped against the car seat as she thought about everything that had happened during this week after she returned to the States.
Both the Grays and the Smiths seemed to hold great interest in the smallpany that her mother had left her.
There were definitely secrets that she was unaware of hidden in thepany.
The car quickly arrived at the hotel.
¡°What?
You¡¯re not signing the agreement anymore?¡± Ang yelled sharply, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to look for your son anymore?!¡± Nora raised an eyebrow and sneered, ¡°I¡¯m not stupid.
What if Dad gives me false information after I sign the agreement?
How am I supposed to tell whether it¡¯s true or not?¡± Ang stomped her foot in anger.
¡°Nora, how can you go back on your word?!¡± Nora took Pete¡¯s hand and, with her eyes downcast, said coldly, ¡°You want me to give you thepany?
Sure.
Tell him to find my son and bring him to me first.¡± After leaving behind those words, she took Pete¡¯s hand and walked straight into the hotel.
She had only just taken a couple of steps when she suddenly heard someone exim, ¡°Wake up!
Wake up!¡± Her keen intuition as a doctor made her look over abruptly.
At once, she saw a middle-aged man copsed at the side.
His face had turned pale and he was clearly not breathing anymore.
Nora said to Pete, ¡°Go upstairs by yourself first, Cherry.
I¡¯ll go over and take a look.¡± On the top floor of the hotel.
Cherry wasbing her newly bought Barbie¡¯s hair.
Justin was seated on the sofa next to her and staring at his cell phone solemnly.
Q, the international hacker, had actually tried to bypass his cell phone¡¯s firewall just now.
He didn¡¯t know what Q¡¯s purpose in doing so was.
While he was musing over it, Cherry picked a pink tutu dress from the Barbie¡¯s row of princess dresses and asked, ¡°How does this one look, Daddy?¡± Justin, who couldn¡¯t bring himself to watch, replied, ¡°¡ It¡¯s passable.¡± ¡°What about this one?
There are so many pearls on it and it¡¯s shiny!¡± ¡°¡It¡¯ll do.¡± ¡°Daddy, you¡¯re so patronizing!
You didn¡¯t even look at it!¡± Justin looked up to see his son with his hands on his hips.
He looked very adorable and very much like a little princess with his cheeks all puffed up angrily.
¡°¡¡± Although Justin liked his son lively, he was nevertheless still blinded by how he looked.
Thus, he simply stood up and went to the study.
¡°I¡¯ll go and finish some work.¡± He needed some time alone.
He tried hard to convince himself to ept it.
In the end, he consoled himself by telling himself that as long as his son didn¡¯t wear a princess dress, everything was fine!
At this point, Lawrence walked in and gave him his report.
He said respectfully, ¡°Mr.
Hunt, we¡¯ve re-investigated Miss Smith.¡± Justin sat upright and said coldly, ¡°Tell me.¡± ¡°Nora Smith has been fat since she was a child.
Due to poor health, she didn¡¯t go to school much.
¡°Five years ago, she couldn¡¯t bear the loneliness and became impregnated by an unknown man before marriage.
She gave birth to a daughter afterward.
It¡¯s said that the Grays were very displeased about it, so the Smiths had to send them abroad to get out of the public eye¡¡± Lawrence frowned after he finished going through the basic information.
¡°There¡¯s something very strange, though.
There¡¯s no information at all about Miss Smith during her five years abroad.
It¡¯s as if someone had erased all the traces.¡± Anti had be famous three years ago.
It was very hard for someone to pick up medicine in just two years.
Moreover, her technique was so immacte, so she must have gone through a great deal of practice.
Lawrence continued and said, ¡°But one thing is for certain¡ªNora Smith has never learned any medicine.
Therefore, we can nearly rule out the possibility that she¡¯s Anti.¡± Justin was a little disappointed.
At this point, Lawrence suddenly heard a voice in his earphones.
After listening, his expression changed slightly.
¡°Something has gone wrong in the hotel lobby.¡±
Chapter 29 - 29 First Aid!
?29: First Aid!
29: First Aid!
Justin asked solemnly, ¡°What happened?¡± Lawrence exined, ¡°A guest fainted in the lobby.
ording to the lobby manager, he¡¯s not breathing anymore.
They¡¯ve already dialed 911.
A doctor happened to be nearby, so they are currently giving him first aid.¡± Hotel Finest¡¯s guests were either rich or enjoyed a high social standing.
The hotel would also be held responsible if something were to happen, so Justin immediately instructed, ¡°Go and take a look.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± After Lawrence went out, Justin walked out of the study and found that his son was not in the living room.
He asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Pete?¡± The nanny replied, ¡°He went next door.¡± Justin was puzzled.
A foreboding feeling arose in him.
In the suite next door.
Chester pointed to the mountain of clothes piled up on the sofa and announced, ¡°These are for you!¡± Cherry eximed, ¡°All of them?!¡± ¡°Yep, I went to a few children¡¯s wear stores and got them to give me one of each design in your size!¡± Chester circled around her a few times and asked, ¡°Can you scold me a little less in the game in the future?¡± Cherry looked at her poor uncle and blinked.
¡°I¡¯ll try!¡± Whenever she started ying, she would immediately transform uncontrobly into a little ogre.
This really wasn¡¯t her fault, though, because it was her uncle who was simply too lousy!
Cherry sighed and rummaged casually through the clothes.
While doing so, she suddenly took out a pink princess tutu dress.
¡°They must have packed it in by mistake.¡± Chester reached over to set the dress aside, but he instead saw his nephew¡¯s eyes lighting up.
¡°This is beautiful!¡± Chester was perplexed.
Cherry said, ¡°I¡¯m gonna try it on!¡± In order to y the role of her brother, she had been forced to dress like a tomboy every day.
This had seriously impaired her looks!
Cherry entered the bedroom, changed into the dress, and looked at herself left and right in the mirror.
It was at this moment that her cell phone suddenly rang.
She picked up.
¡°Hi, Pete!¡± Pete said, ¡°Let¡¯s switch back right away, Cherry.
You used Daddy¡¯s phone to send an email just now, so I have to remove the traces, or he¡¯ll find out otherwise!¡± ¡°Okie-Dokie!¡± Cherry slipped out of the bedroom.
She was about to leave when she saw Justin exit their suite and about toe over.
She panicked and said, ¡°I¡¯m at Uncle Chester¡¯s, but Daddy¡¯sing over now!¡± Pete, who was hiding in the stairwell, stuck his head out.
If Daddy brought Cherry away with him, they would probably have to wait for another chance to switch back.
However, if that happened, the likelihood of Daddy finding out about the email would increase.
Pete decided to wager on his uncle¡¯s IQ.
Pete suddenly darted out of the stairwell and called out, ¡°Daddy!¡± Justin, who was about to knock, was taken aback for a moment.
He nced over at the source of the voice and found that Pete was standing nearby in a princess dress.
The sight shocked Justin.
With a troubled expression, he took Pete back to their suite.
After the two of them went in, Cherry quietly opened the door, ran to the stairwell while holding her dress up, and went downstairs.
A stunned Chester was rooted to the ground.
His nephew had gone home in a princess dress?!
After a while, he suddenly thought of something and rushed next door in a panic.
¡°Justin, I was the one that bought the dress, but listen to me¡ It¡¯s not what you¡¯re thinking!¡± Bam!
Justin mmed the door shut and gritted his teeth as he said, ¡°Stay away from my son!¡± Chester was lost for words.
I¡¯m innocent!
He thought.
After shutting out the culprit that was to me for all these, Justin turned back to look at his son and observed him seriously.
Pete was wearing a princess dress, and there was a pink headband on his naturally wavy short hair.
His exquisite facial features, as well as the smooth and practiced way he hadbed Barbie¡¯s hair today¡ Doubts finally formed in Justin¡¯s mind and he asked, ¡°Are you really my son?¡± Pete nodded seriously.
Justin suddenly asked, ¡°What did I get you for your birthday when you were three?¡± Pete was silent for a moment before he answered, ¡°¡French For Kids: First 100 Words and Introduction to Programming.¡± ¡°How much Christmas money did Grandma give youst year?¡± ¡°¡ Two million dors.¡± ¡°¡¡± At the sight of Justin¡¯s look of self-doubt, Pete couldn¡¯t help but feel a little bad.
He tugged on his dress and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go and change.¡± Justin watched his son enter the bedroom, but even after thinking about it for a while, he simply couldn¡¯t help but feel like something wasn¡¯t right.
He suddenly walked over and pushed the door open.
There was no one in the bedroom, but he could hear the sound of running water from the bathroom.
His son was probably peeing.
Ever since Pete turned five, he refused to let him bathe him anymore.
Justin strode over.
The head of the dignified number one family in the States, at his height of 6¡¯2¡å, stood secretly at the door and nced into the bathroom¡ It really was his son.
He hadn¡¯t been reced.
While he was relieved, he actually found himself a little disappointed.
How nice would it be if the one spending time with him before had been a daughter instead!
After relieving himself, Pete turned to see Justin staring at him.
Their eyes met, and the two of them kept quiet for a long time.
Atst, Pete frowned and said, ¡°¡ What a pervert.¡± ¡°¡¡± He walked out disdainfully as he said, ¡°Daddy, you should go see a psychiatrist.¡± ¡°¡¡± ¡ª At the lobby downstairs.
Nora looked at the man who had copsed.
He was motionless, and it looked like he wasn¡¯t breathing anymore.
¡°I am a medical student.
Step aside, I¡¯ll perform CPR on him!¡± Ang had also rushed over.
She took out a piece of paper to cover the man¡¯s mouth and then, she started to perform CPR on him.
It was obvious at first nce that the man who had copsed was either wealthy or enjoyed a high social status.
If she saved him, she would definitely be handsomely rewarded.
However, even after doing chestpressions for two minutes, the man still showed no response.
Nora pushed her aside.
¡°Let me take a look.¡± Ang, who was pushed aside, frowned and yelled angrily, ¡°What for?
Nora, you¡¯re not a doctor.
Don¡¯t waste time that I can use to save him instead!¡± Nora quickly pressed down on the man¡¯s chest a few times.
He was experiencing tension pneumothorax.
This was an acute condition.
As there was fluid umtion in the chest, performing CPR was useless.
By the time the ambncees, it would probably be toote.
He needed immediate chest drainage surgery!
When she saw that Nora was ignoring her, Ang shouted even more angrily, ¡°I get it now!
Are you trying to curry a favor because he looks important?
Come on, take her away!
Don¡¯t waste time that I can use to save him!
I can¡¯t continue with the CPR if she¡¯s here!¡± The middle-aged woman kneeling next to the man looked at Nora when she heard Ang¡¯s words.
She said, ¡°You¡¯re not a doctor?
Then get out of the way!¡± Nora turned a deaf ear to their words.
She stood up and rushed over to the front desk.
After asking them for the first aid kit, she quickly returned.
She took out gloves and rubbing alcohol, pulled a paring knife from her waist, and sterilized the tools.
Then, she pulled the man¡¯s shirt open, pressed down on the mid-vicr line of his second intercostal space, and plunged the knife down without hesitation!
Splurt!
Blood spurted from the wound, scaring everyone around them into backing away.
However, the man on the ground still didn¡¯t show any response.
¡°Murder!
Murder!¡± A bright-eyed Ang shouted, ¡°Call the cops!
Arrest her!¡± She had tried every possible means she could to get rid of that damned fatty, but little did she expect that she would actually selfbust!
Just as Ang was all smug and triumphant, her expression suddenly froze.
Chapter 30 - 30 Hes Alive!
?30: He¡¯s Alive!
He¡¯s Alive!
30: He¡¯s Alive!
He¡¯s Alive!
The crowd around them went into a furor.
The man¡¯s wife also shouted, ¡°What are you doing?!¡± But the next moment, the man, who had been motionless, suddenly started breathing again!
Everyone shut up.
Seeing that the ambnce hadn¡¯t arrived yet, Nora took out an infusion tube from the first aid kit and inserted one end into the patient¡¯s chest cavity.
The other end was inserted into atex finger glove.
She cut an opening slightly smaller than half an inch wide on the hard end of the finger glove.
This was to act as a p to allow air from inside the chest cavity to be easily discharged while preventing the outside air from entering.
The breathing of the man on the ground gradually became steady.
¡°He¡¯s alive!
He¡¯s alive!¡± The people around them started pping while the man¡¯s wife also heaved a sigh of relief.
She fell onto her bottom on the ground as if she had just had a narrow escape from death as she repeated, ¡°Thank you, thank you¡¡± There still wasn¡¯t much of an expression on Nora¡¯s face.
The patient was fine now.
It would be fine once the ambnce arrived and took him to the hospital.
She stood up to leave, but at this point, Ang yelled sharply, ¡°Thank you?
Simple CPR could¡¯ve saved him, but she insisted on operating on him instead!¡± Everyone was taken aback.
¡°What?¡± Ang took out her student ID and said, ¡°I¡¯m a senior at the School of Medicine in my college, and I¡¯m about to go for my internship soon.
This gentleman here obviously just lost consciousness temporarily and went into shock.
CPR would have been enough to resuscitate him.
Nora, how could you perform surgery on him under those chaotic circumstances?¡± She reproached, ¡°All operations have to be performed under sterile conditions.
Do you know how many germs and bacteria there are here?!
What if his wound bes infected?¡± The man¡¯s wife didn¡¯t believe her one-sided opinion.
¡°But it didn¡¯t work even when you performed CPR for so long.
It was this youngdy here that helped my husband to breathe again!¡± Ang sneered, ¡°CPR needs time for effects to show.
How can he possibly get better in two minutes?
If she hadn¡¯t stopped me, your husband would have been totally fine now.
He wouldn¡¯t have had to lose so much blood!¡± The man¡¯s wife frowned.
She didn¡¯t know much about medicine, so she became a little unsure.
However, she didn¡¯t say anything.
Ang then spoke again.
She said, ¡°What¡¯s more is that she isn¡¯t even a doctor.
She was probably bold enough to mess around because she¡¯s watched a few episodes of some medical TV drama?¡± The wife looked at her husband who was still lying on the ground, his breathing steady.
Then, she looked at Nora uncertainly and asked, ¡°Are you really not a doctor?¡± Nora found the whole thing awfully stupid.
She said coldly, ¡°Does it matter whether I¡¯m a doctor?
The point is that he¡¯s still alive.¡± Ang replied aggressively, ¡°Of course it matters.
He didn¡¯t need to be operated on.
It¡¯s all because you pretended to know more than you actually do and messed around!¡± Nora yawned.
¡°Everything will be clear once the ambnce gets here.¡± Unless she exposed her identity as Anti, these people would never believe her, no matter what she said.
Ang scoffed and said, ¡°You¡¯d better not leave, then.
Why don¡¯t you stay here and prove your innocence?
Ma¡¯am, I¡¯d advise you to call the police now.
This is assault!¡± While she was being noisy, the ambnce arrived fashionablyte.
The paramedics hurriedly carried the stretcher down.
A doctor that had followed them here quickly rushed in front of the patient.
After performing a full-body examination, he asked grimly, ¡°Who performed first aid on him?!¡± Ang¡¯s face lit up.
She pointed at Nora as she answered, ¡°She¡¯s the one that did it!
She¡¯s just an idiot who has never even gone to school.
How dare she operate on someone else¡¡± The doctor¡¯s expression instantly became hesitant when she said that.
He asked, ¡°She¡¯s never even gone to school before?
How did you learn your medical skills, then?¡± Before Nora could reply, Ang spoke again.
She scoffed, ¡°She probably just blindly copied whatever they did on TV¡ Doctor, it¡¯s illegal to treat someone¡¯s illness without proper knowledge, right?¡± As soon as she said that, she saw an astonished look form on the doctor¡¯s face.
He eximed, ¡°You can actually perform such a wless chest drainage operation when you haven¡¯t studied medicine professionally before?
And, you¡¯re so young, too!
You must be a genius!¡± Ang¡¯s triumphant expression suddenly froze!
What?
A genius?
Was someone like Nora even worthy of the title ¡®genius¡¯?!
The corners of Nora¡¯s lips spasmed a little.
Any doctor would know first aidmon sense like this.
How did that make her a genius¡ Next to them, the man¡¯s wife immediately understood after hearing their conversation.
She said, ¡°Doctor, about my husband¡¯s condition¡¡± The doctor said, ¡°We would have treated him in the same way even if he was sent to the hospital.
It¡¯s just that the equipment would be more professional.
There aren¡¯t any chest drainage bottles here, so she could only make do like she did.
¡°Also, it was fortunate that the operation was done in time.
Otherwise, due to his inability to breathe, once suffocation had sustained for a long time, his internal organs would have suffered damage.¡± After the doctor finished the exnation, he got the others to carry the patient into the ambnce.
It was only after the man¡¯s wife got into the ambnce that she suddenly realized that she hadn¡¯t thanked her husband¡¯s savior yet.
However, when she turned, she could no longer find any traces of Nora among the crowd¡ By the time Lawrence came down, the ambnce had already left.
After hearing about what had happened from the service staff, Lawrence asked, ¡°Do you know who the patient is?¡± The service staff replied, ¡°It¡¯s Mr.
Anderson from the second-highest floor.¡± Mr.
Anderson?
Lawrence suddenly realized something.
His eyes widened and he hurriedly picked up his cell phone and called Justin.
He said, ¡°Mr.
Hunt, this is terrible.
The person who was feeling unwell just now is Mr.
Simon Anderson.¡± The Andersons from New York and the Hunts had been on close terms for generations.
Now that Simon was hospitalized, it wasmon courtesy for Justin to visit him.
Justin immediately said, ¡°I¡¯ming down.¡± He went to the study to check on Pete, who was reading.
He seemed to have reverted to his taciturn temperament in the past.
After notifying Pete that he was going out, Justin left.
Before stepping out of the suite, he wordlessly picked up the dress that his son had set aside and tossed it into the trash as he went out.
In the hospital.
When Justin arrived, Simon was still undergoing an operation.
His wife, Melissa Anderson, was seated on the bench outside the operating room, her well-maintained face full of worry.
Justin walked over and greeted her.
¡°Aunt Melissa.¡± Melissa¡¯s eyes reddened when she saw him.
She said, ¡°He rushed over here because he heard that someone in California had news about his eldest sister.
But when he heard that his sister may have already died 23 years ago and only left a daughter behind, he suddenly got sick and almost died.¡± More than twenty years ago, the Andersons¡¯ eldest daughter had run away from home.
She disappeared without a trace ever since.
Over the years, the Andersons had been searching for her everywhere.
Justin consoled her and said, ¡°Uncle Simon will be fine.
I¡¯ve already talked to the doctors just now.
They said that he received timely treatment, so he¡¯s not in danger anymore.¡± At the mention of that, Melissa immediately said, ¡°Justin, it was a youngdy that saved Simon today.
We¡¯re deeply indebted to her.
Can you find out who she is?
When Simon¡¯s condition stabilizes, I¡¯d like to pay her a visit and thank her.¡± Justin nodded.
After Simon was pushed out of the operating room and his condition stabilized, Justin returned to the hotel with Lawrence.
When they were getting out of the car, Lawrence said, ¡°Mr.
Hunt, let¡¯s go to the control room and check the cameras to see who that kind soul is.¡±
Chapter 31 - 31 Anti!
?31: Anti!
31: Anti!
Justin thought of the genius that the doctor had sung praises of when they were in the hospital just now, and he nodded with great interest.
¡°Okay.¡± Unfortunately, as soon as the two of them entered the lobby, one of his assistants walked over.
In a hushed voice, he said, ¡°Mr.
Hunt, you have guests from your family home.
They¡¯ve gone up to the top floor.¡± Justin¡¯s expression changed drastically when he heard this.
He strode over to the elevator and, with a dark expression, asked, ¡°When did they arrive?¡± ¡°They went up five minutes ago.
The hotel belongs to the Hunts after all, so the front desk and lobby manager weren¡¯t able to stop them.¡± ¡°A bunch of good-for-nothings!¡± Justin cursed angrily and entered the elevator.
Lawrence let out a silent sigh.
He wouldn¡¯t be of any help with the situation upstairs anyway, so he went to the control room by himself.
In the presidential suite on the top floor.
Pete, whose eyes were red, clenched his fists and looked at the people in front of him.
More than a dozen bodyguards in ck from both parties were ring at one another as they faced off.
Chester, who had an awful look on his face, stood in between them and Pete.
He said, ¡°What are you doing, Howard?
Justin won¡¯t let you off when hees back!¡± Howard Hunt, the man in front of him and also his second cousin, had sinister eyes and a hooked nose.
He smiled sinisterly and said, ¡°This has nothing to do with you, Chester.
Get out of the way.
I¡¯m here on Grandpa¡¯s order to bring that disrespectful little bastard back to the family home!¡± Chester wasn¡¯t agreeable to it.
¡°Whatever it is that you want to do, do it only when Justin gets back here!
You can¡¯t take him away now!¡± Howard¡¯s expression turned cold and he said, ¡°Don¡¯t think too highly of yourself, Chester.
What makes you think you have a say when you don¡¯t even give two hoots about the family?
Get lost!¡± Chester was so furious that his face was all flushed.
The only reason why he could y games all day long was that Justin had taken all the pressure off him.
Besides, his nephew was even his team leader.
How could he possibly ignore what was happening?
He said furiously, ¡°I won¡¯t let you!¡± Howard cracked his knuckles at once.
It was obvious at first nce that he was very skilled at fighting.
¡°Don¡¯t me me if I don¡¯t hold back, then!¡± As soon as he said that, an icy-cold voice reached them: ¡°Who are you nning on not holding back on?¡± His voice, which was as low and deep as cello timbre, was emotionless.
It made Howard stiffen, and he immediately withdrew his fists and gave the man walking over an ingratiating smile.
¡°You¡¯re back, Justin.¡± Justin¡¯s big and tall form stood in front of Chester and Pete and blocked them from Howard.
His bottomless gazended on Howard, and the mole at the corner of his eye exuded murderous intent as he demanded, ¡°Who said you coulde here?¡± Fear shed in Howard¡¯s eyes.
He touched his nose and replied with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m not that fearless toe here and mess with you either, Justin, but these are Grandpa¡¯s orders.
He said that since you¡¯ve returned with that disrespectful boy, then you should return to the family home.
This way, you can also discuss how Pete should be punished.¡± A grim Justin took a step forward.
¡°Why does he have to be punished?¡± Howard was so frightened that he took a step back.
¡°Why are you feigning ignorance, Justin?
There¡¯s something mentally wrong with that boy.
How nice was Grandaunt to him?
But just because he argued with her a little, he pushed her off the stairs and caused her to suffer a brain hemorrhage.
Even now, she¡¯s still lying in the hospital with her life in danger.
Someone has to answer for this!¡± Arge family held great power.
The reason why the Hunts could keep their position at the pinnacle in the States was that they had talents in every industry.
Justin¡¯s permanent residence was in New York, but the family home had always been in California.
During the holidays, the Hunts would return and gather.
Disciplinary action toward members of the family was also carried out in the family home.
Justin had always respected his granduncle who watched over the family home.
Howard was his granduncle¡¯s grandson.
He was the one who would have to take over the responsibility of watching over the family home in the future.
Justin narrowed his frosty eyes.
¡°I told you, it wasn¡¯t Pete.¡± Howard shrugged.
¡°Do you have any proof?
Because we have witnesses.
Moreover, Pete was indeed upstairs when it happened.
There were signs that the two were having a dispute.¡± Justin clenched his jaw.
¡°I¡¯m already looking for Dr.
Anti to have her take a look at Grandma.¡± Howard curled his lip.
¡°It¡¯s not easy to find Anti.¡± Justin let out a cold snort.
¡°I will drag her back here even if that¡¯s what I have to do!¡± ¡°Justin, because you¡¯re staying here with Pete, my side of the family has been inciting everyone and causing a lot of dissatisfaction among them.¡± Howard cast a disdainful nce at Pete and went on.
¡°Besides, who knows where that boy even came from?
Neither do we know who his mother is.
On top of that, he¡¯s even mentally ill.
Even we aren¡¯t convinced about having him be your heir, let alone everyone else from my side of the family!
¡°Grandpa asked me to talk to you.
You¡¯re still young and healthy, Justin.
Won¡¯t it be nice to have another child?
As for Pete, just give up on him.¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Justin¡¯s eyes shed with murderous intent and he warned, ¡°Pete is my son, and he¡¯s the only son I¡¯ll ever have!¡± Howard was intimidated by his presence.
As the ones watching over the family home, his immediate family held very high status among the Hunts.
Even all the previous heads of the family had to treat them with courtesy.
However, his grandfather had mentioned before that Justin was different from the previous heads of the family.
He had other identities, so they mustn¡¯t mess with him.
Howard also respected¡ªand even slightly feared¡ªJustin.
But the more that was so, the more he felt that Pete, as his son, wasn¡¯t outstanding enough.
Howard fell silent for a moment.
Then, he took a step back and lowered his head as he said, ¡°My side of the family is making a lot of noise.
By next weekend at thetest, Grandpa will have to hold a family meeting.
If you cannot prove his innocence by then, the Hunts will expel Peter Hunt from the family.¡± After saying that, he turned and left.
A panicked Chester asked, ¡°What do we do, Justin?¡± Justin, who had a dark and grim look on his face, didn¡¯t answer.
The most ideal solution was to find Anti and have her prove his son¡¯s innocence.
But if they couldn¡¯t find her¡ He lowered his gaze dispassionately, his eyes cold.
Had it not been for his father who had insisted that he take care of the family, he wouldn¡¯t have bothered himself with a trifling presence like the Hunts.
But now, they actually had the guts to expel his son from the family?
In that case, it was time that someone else took over the ce of the number one family in the States.
A sharp look shed across Justin¡¯s eyes.
He turned behind and looked at Pete, his voice gentle and mellow as he said, ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be afraid of, Pete.¡± Pete lowered his head and entered the study.
He wasn¡¯t afraid.
But Great-Grandma had really treated him very well.
That was also the reason why he hadn¡¯t said anything about the tutors she had sent, despite them being problematic.
He had kept quiet because he didn¡¯t want to tarnish Great-Grandma¡¯s name.
After all, her life was still in danger, so she had no way of speaking up for him.
He didn¡¯t want Great-Grandma to die, either.
Chester returned to the suite next door while looking at the back view of his dejected little nephew.
He let out a sigh and logged on to the game.
He had initially thought that his team leader was feeling down, but what he saw was that sweetcherry was currently active in the game¡?
He was taken aback for a moment.
Then, he connected to the other party¡¯s voice chat and said, ¡°Here I was, thinking you were feeling down and out!
I didn¡¯t expect that you¡¯re still in the mood to y games?¡± Downstairs, Cherry, who was seated on the sofa, blinked when she heard him.
She asked, ¡°¡ Why would I be sad?¡± What had happened to Pete?
Chester replied, ¡°That¡¯s true.
Don¡¯t worry, your father will definitely find Anti and prove your innocence!¡± Cherry was confused.
Chapter 32 - 32 Exposing Her Own Identity
?32: Exposing Her Own Identity 32: Exposing Her Own Identity Pete had called Uncle Chester a single-celled organism before, so Cherry happily probed him for information with peace of mind.
After she learned what had happened, Cherry was dumbfounded.
Why was Pete so unfortunate?
First, he was bullied by his tutors, and now, he was even being maligned!
Meanwhile, her life¡ Even though Mommy was always sleeping, it seemed like she had never had to suffer anyone¡¯s unkindness since she was born.
Could someone tell her why she suddenly felt like transforming into a pitiful little girl bullied by everyone?
Cough, she had digressed.
Still, it was no wonder that Mommy said big families were trouble and forbade her from telling anyone that she was Dr.
Anti!
Cherry hung up in a hurry and sent her brother a text message: ¡°I¡¯m gonna tell you a big secret, Pete!¡± In the study, Pete, whose head was down, replied after seeing the message on the phone: ¡°What is it?¡± Cherry replied: ¡°Uncle Chester said that Daddy has been looking for Anti.
In that case, do you know who Anti is?¡± Pete immediately understood something when he saw her message.
As expected, one secondter, Cherry sent another message: ¡°Anti is Mommy!¡± Pete¡¯s eyes widened as he stared at the message.
He suddenly remembered how Mommy had told him to head upstairs first when they were on the way back this afternoon.
After that, she had gone to treat the patient who had copsed¡ He was about to send another message to Cherry when she sent him a voice message.
It sounded like she was hiding in the bathroom and whispering.
She said, ¡°Mommy has been saying that Daddy is trouble and she doesn¡¯t want to treat Great-Grandma¡¯s illness because she¡¯s afraid that she¡¯ll be dragged into your familial disputes.
What should we do?¡± Downstairs, tiny Cherry sat on the toilet bowl and rested her chin on her palm, feeling awfully troubled.
What could she do to get Mommy to treat Great-Grandma¡¯s illness?
At this moment, her cell phone vibrated.
Pete¡¯s reply was very assuring: ¡°That¡¯s easy.¡± In the study, Nora, who was dressed in a nightgown, leaned backzily on the chair in an awfullyfortable manner, forming a very sloppy sight.
Her pale fingers tapped lightly on the keyboard as she destroyed the surveince cameras¡¯ footage of the events when she was performing emergency first aid in the hotel lobby this afternoon.
She had to stay low-key.
She mustn¡¯t let anyone¡ªespecially that man upstairs¡ªfind out that she was medically trained.
He had probably already be suspicious when they were in the operating room thest time.
Nora stretched.
She was about to think about the anonymous email she had received this afternoon when a new email arrived in her inbox with a ding.
Nora narrowed her eyes.
Sure enough, it turned out to be another anonymous email.
¡°Do something for me and I¡¯ll send your son to your doorstep.
Operate on the elderly Mrs.
Hunt and cure her.¡± Nora was puzzled.
She stared at the email for a very long time as if she wanted to reach through the Inte and catch the mastermind behind the scenes.
The email was sent anonymously, so she couldn¡¯t catch a glimpse of the sender at all.
She couldn¡¯t even talk to them even if she wanted to.
She could only choose whether she wanted to believe it or not.
If Justin Hunt was the one that sent the email¡ Then this transaction would make sense!
Besides, the reason why she hadn¡¯t wanted to do the operation initially was that she didn¡¯t want any trouble.
However, if she could really get her son back, then a little trouble wasn¡¯t an issue.
She would just have to sleep a little less, that was all.
After thinking through it, she stood up.
If she wanted to treat the elderly Mrs.
Hunt¡¯s illness, then she would have to go through Justin for sure.
But how was she going to let him know that her medical skills were very impressive without revealing her identity as Anti?
She suddenly looked at theputer.
Was it toote for her to try restoring the camera footage?
In the study upstairs.
Lawrence, whose head was down, said falteringly, ¡°The surveince cameras are broken, and there are signs of intrusion.
Mr.
Hunt, do you¡ have a spare moment?¡± He had gotten a few hackers to fix the cameras, but they hadn¡¯t been sessful.
Thus, he wanted to ask Justin to personally attend to the matter.
A sullen Justin said, ¡°Do you need me for something even as trivial as that?¡± Lawrence lowered his head even further, feeling like he was terribly useless.
There were so many hackers in the Hunt Corporation, but even they couldn¡¯t handle it.
He gave a sheepish smile and said, ¡°Um¡¡± ¡°I¡¯m busy.¡± Justin gave him a cold reply.
Then, he stood up and left the study.
He went over to the bedroom beside the study and stood in front of the door.
He called out, ¡°I¡¯ming in, Pete.¡± After being scolded by the people from the family home, Pete would undoubtedly be in a bad mood.
He had given his son some time to cool down, but he couldn¡¯t possibly leave him alone in his room all the time.
Therefore, he intended to have a good heart-to-heart talk with his son.
Before he opened the door and entered, he looked back at Lawrence and ordered, ¡°No visitors, no matter who it is.¡± Lawrence went out dejectedly.
It was understandable that Justin would want to spend some time with Pete after those people from the family home showed up.
However, the Andersons also wanted information about the person that had saved Simon¡¯s life.
What was he supposed to do?
While hesitating, he heard a dispute at the door.
When he went out, he saw Nora standing at the entrance of the stairwell arguing with the bodyguards.
¡°You can¡¯t enter without a prior appointment, Miss Smith.¡± Nora looked up, her cat-like eyes somewhat intimidating.
She said, ¡°In that case, please pass a message for me.
Tell them that¡ª¡± ¡®Anti was looking for him.¡¯ She had thought it through.
If it meant that she could really find her son, then exposing her own identity was the fastest way to arrange for the surgery, lest it led to unnecessary trouble.
But before she could say what she wanted to say, a seemingly half-amused Lawrence walked over and interrupted her.
He said, ¡°Have you thought it through and decided toe over and y with the little mister for two hours, Miss Smith?¡± Nora was puzzled.
Lawrence went on and added, ¡°Unfortunately, Mr.
Hunt is currently busy and instructed a moment ago that he wasn¡¯t having visitors.¡± Unless Anti appeared out of thin air, there was probably no one that could solve Mr.
Hunt¡¯s pressing issues.
Nora fell silent for a moment.
Then, she said, ¡°I¡¯lle back tomorrow, then.
By the way, tell him that I can treat his grandmother¡¯s illness.¡± After saying that, she walked back to the stairwell and went down.
Lawrence looked at her from the back and sighed.
He said to the bodyguard beside him, ¡°Girls nowadays are so proactive.
Look at her; in order to get close to Mr.
Hunt, she can even bring herself to say something like that.¡± The bodyguard asked, ¡°What if she really can treat her illness?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already looked her up.
She¡¯s never been in any contact with medicine since she was a child.
How is she going to treat her illness?¡± ¡ª Nora had originally thought that Justin woulde down to look for her after receiving her message.
But even until the next day, she didn¡¯t hear from him at all.
From the looks of it, his grandmother likely wasn¡¯t in urgent condition.
As such, Nora went to the hospital in the afternoon to do a follow-up check on her aunt.
She went straight to the VIP floor.
In the hallway, Lawrence was apologizing to someone.
He said, ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Mrs.
Anderson.
Someone destroyed the surveince camera footage, so we didn¡¯t manage to find anyone.
I¡¯ll find her for you as soon as I can¡¡± A frowning Melissa was about to speak when she suddenly spied a familiar figureing out of the elevator.
She rubbed her eyes and looked over again.
That figure with azy yet firm gait; and that face so gorgeous that it almost seemed like she was showing off¡ªit was hard for anyone to forget her once theyid eyes on her.
Who else could it be other than the woman that had saved her husband¡¯s life?
She hurriedly pushed Lawrence aside, took a few steps forward, and grabbed Nora¡¯s hand.
¡°Are you working in this hospital, Miss?¡± Lawrence was bbergasted.
Chapter 33 - 33 He Knows Now!
?33: He Knows Now!
33: He Knows Now!
Nora didn¡¯t expect to meet the man¡¯s family here.
At the sight of the gratitude on the woman¡¯s kindly countenance, she replied unhurriedly, ¡°I¡¯m here to visit rtives.¡± Lawrence stepped forward hesitantly and asked uncertainly, ¡°Mrs.
Anderson¡?¡± A smiling Melissa did the introductions.
¡°It¡¯s alright now, Mr.
Zimmer!
This is the kind youngdy that saved my husband¡¯s life during the emergency yesterday!¡± Lawrence looked at Nora in surprise and asked, ¡°You¡¯re medically trained?¡± Nora raised an eyebrow.
It seemed like Lawrence hadn¡¯t taken what she said the day before seriously?
During their conversation, Justin, who heard their voices from inside the ward, came out.
Upon seeing Nora, he paused for a moment.
Then, he asked, ¡°Are you the one who saved Uncle Simon?¡± The look in his eyes as he watched Nora suddenly became deep and unfathomable, which made one feel as though someone had seen right through them.
Nora didn¡¯t know what he was thinking, but since she had bumped into him, she might as well just ask him about the matter.
She asked, ¡°Have you given my proposal from yesterday any thought, Mr.
Hunt?¡± Justin frowned.
What proposal?
Nora could tell that he didn¡¯t understand what she was saying.
She deliberately looked at Lawrence and said a little sarcastically, ¡°Did you not convey my message to Mr.
Hunt, Mr.
Zimmer?¡± As soon as she said that, Justin¡¯s displeased gaze fell on Lawrence!
Lawrence wiped the beads of perspiration off his brow and swallowed hard.
He looked at Justin and exined, ¡°Yesterday, Ms.
Smith said that she can treat the elderly Mrs.
Hunt¡¯s illness.¡± But after he said that, he couldn¡¯t help but add, ¡°Even if you really are medically trained, Miss Smith, you likely picked it up during the five years you spent abroad, so your medical experience is rather short.
I¡¯ve asked about Mr.
Anderson¡¯s condition; his operation is considered one that¡¯s within a reasonable scope of difficulty.
But do you know what Mrs.
Hunt¡¯s condition is?¡± Nora raised an eyebrow and replied coldly, ¡°How would you know whether I can do it or not if we don¡¯t give it a go?¡± At once, Lawrence said, ¡°Dr.
Anti is currently the only person who¡¯s capable of performing her surgery.
An inexperienced doctor like you who¡¯s new to medical trainin¡ª¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± Justin¡¯s rebuke made Lawrence flinch.
After that, Justin stepped forward and stared at Nora and asked, ¡°When will you be free, Miss Smith?
It¡¯s not advisable to transfer the patient, so we¡¯ll have to head to New York.¡± So, she¡¯d even have to go over to New York¡ As expected, it really was very troublesome.
Then again, he had agreed even though she hadn¡¯t revealed her identity yet?
That man certainly was a little narcissistic, but he was also pretty considerate, wasn¡¯t he?
For the very first time, Nora didn¡¯t find him as much of an eyesore.
She thought for a moment and replied, ¡°Let¡¯s do it two dayster.¡± She needed to observe her aunt¡¯s condition for another two days.
Justin nodded.
In a deep and mellow voice, he said, ¡°I¡¯ll take care of the itinerary.
Do you have any requests?¡± It was a five-hour flight from California to New York.
Nora thought for a moment andzily made her request: ¡°I have to sleep during the flight, so just make sure it¡¯s quiet.¡± After she spoke, she turned around to leave.
However, Justin suddenly stopped her.
¡°Miss Smith.
Why did you change your mind and agree to help?¡± Nora paused.
Like what she had thought, he really had guessed her identity.
Thinking about it carefully again, even if she didn¡¯t reveal her identity, it probably would have been really hard to keep it a secret from him anyway.
She cast her eyes down and suddenly said, ¡°I have a condition.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°If I cure Mrs.
Hunt, please help me look for someone.¡± ¡°Who are you looking for?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you after I cure Mrs.
Hunt.¡± The anonymous email was something that she had no choice but to believe.
However, she mustn¡¯t ce her full trust in it, either.
It would be most ideal if her son showed up in front of her after she cured Mrs.
Hunt, but if he didn¡¯t¡ Well, Justin was capable of finding even her.
In which case, it shouldn¡¯t be hard for him to use his connections to find her son, right?
After Nora entered Irene¡¯s ward, Justin withdrew his scrutinizing gaze from the woman and looked at Lawrence.
The realization had slowly dawned upon Lawrence when he was listening to the conversation between the two.
His head was currently down as he said, ¡°I was wrong, Mr.
Hunt.¡± Justin asked coldly, ¡°Where did you go wrong?¡± Lawrence looked at him and answered, ¡°I was too stupid and didn¡¯t realize Miss Smith¡¯s true identity¡¡± Justin scoffed.
¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you¡¯re stupid, but how dare you intercept her message to me?¡± Lawrence was bbergasted.
He still remembered when he had first joined thepany.
Because he didn¡¯t dare to make decisions on behalf of thepany president, when a woman had asked him to convey her message to Justin, he had done so ordingly.
At that time, Justin had called him an answering machine and asked him why he didn¡¯t filter the messages before dumping everything on him as if he was emptying the trash.
Therefore, during thest few years, Lawrence had acted on his own and blocked a lot of unwanted propositions from women for Justin.
But why were things different when it came to Miss Smith?
Sob¡ Justin stared at him and said frostily, ¡°You must have too much spare time on your hands.
There happens to be a business dealing that requires attention in Burundi.
Go and handle it.¡± Lawrence was shocked.
What kind of ce was Burundi?
It was the poorest country in the world!
However, he knew he was in the wrong, so he didn¡¯t even dare to beg for mercy!
Justin turned around.
When he saw Melissa staring after Nora in a daze, he asked, ¡°Aunt Melissa?
What¡¯s the matter?¡± Melissa came back to her senses.
She replied, ¡°What?
Oh, it¡¯s nothing.
I just found Miss Smith a bit familiar to the eye¡ I¡¯m probably over-thinking it, though.¡± She shook her head and followed him back into the ward.
The man lying on the hospital bed had bandages around his chest, but he was already out of danger.
At the sight of theming in, Simon smiled gracefully and said, ¡°Justin, I know you¡¯re really busy, so you don¡¯t have toe and visit anymore.
I¡¯m fine now.¡± Justin said politely, ¡°Feel free toe to me if there¡¯s anything you need, Uncle Simon.¡± Simon heaved a sigh.
¡°I came here to look for my eldest sister.
It¡¯s been more than twenty years, but I finally found a lead on her whereabouts.¡± A sorrowful look came over his face as he went on.
¡°I found out that she married a man named Smith.
In their second year of marriage, she died of an illness after giving birth to a daughter.¡± He choked back a sob as he spoke of his sister.
Back then, his sister had protected him in every way possible.
It was also because of her that the Andersons hadn¡¯t fallen into decline back then.
How could she leave them so early more than twenty years ago?
Melissa walked over and held his hand.
¡°Take care of your health, Simon.
Your sister might be gone, but at least she still has a daughter.¡± At once, Simon looked up and nodded with his eyes red.
¡°Yes, that¡¯s right!
The Smiths are just a middle-ss family, but back then, Sis was such an outstanding woman¡ Let¡¯s bring her daughter back home and nurture her well, lest the Smiths hold her back!¡± Unable to wait any further, he tried to get up.
¡°Let¡¯s go to the Smiths now.¡± Melissa held his arm and pressed him back down.
She said, ¡°You¡¯re just so impatient.
Why are you immediately acting out?
Her daughter is right there; it¡¯s not like she¡¯s going to run off somewhere¡ Forget it, I¡¯ll pay them a visit for you.
Will that do?¡± Simon coughed a couple of times.
Then, he took out his wallet, plucked out a photo, and handed it to Melissa.
¡°Here¡¯s a picture of Sis.
When you go over, have a look at her daughter for me and see if she resembles her or not¡¡± Melissa took the photo from him and looked at it.
Suddenly, she was stunned.
She was just thinking why Miss Smith had looked so familiar to her just now.
As it turned out, she bore a 90% resemnce to the woman in the photo!
Herst name was also Smith.
Could it be that¡
Chapter 34 - 34 Poor Relatives
?34: Poor Rtives?
34: Poor Rtives?
When the thought formed, Melissa, whose eyes were shining brightly, looked at Justin.
¡°I may have to trouble you with something, Justin.
Can you help me look up some information about Miss Smith whom we met just now?¡± An unaware Simon asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± A smile formed on Melissa¡¯s face.
¡°If I¡¯m not wrong, your niece is probably the one that saved your life!¡± ¡°¡¡± When Justin heard this, he said to Lawrence who was standing behind him, ¡°Bring a copy of Miss Smith¡¯s information to Uncle Simon and Aunt Melissa.¡± After Lawrence brought the investigation report over, both parties cross-referenced the data.
An overjoyed Melissa eximed, ¡°It really is her!¡± Simon¡¯s eyes were all red.
¡°Nora¡ What a nice name.
Call her over and let me have a look at her¡¡± If it wasn¡¯t because he had just had an operation and couldn¡¯t get out of bed, he would have raced over right away.
Unfortunately, when Lawrence went to the VIP ward next door to look for Nora, she had already left after giving Irene a checkup and ensuring that she was fine.
However, he managed to get Henry¡¯s number.
Justin¡¯s help wasn¡¯t needed anymore after that, so he returned to the hotel to spend some time with his son.
On the top floor of Hotel Finest.
Pete was in the study and talking to Cherry on the phone.
Cherry was as sweet as honey when she spoke.
¡°You¡¯re so smart, Pete!
If Mommy does that, she¡¯ll be able to clear your name!¡± Praised by his sister, Pete, who had never openly shown his emotions, blushed.
¡°You¡¯re great, too.¡± Cherry grinned.
In a sweet and cute voice, she then said, ¡°You went off while wearing Little Pink yesterday, Pete.
Remember to return it to me next time, okay?¡± Pete, who was holding some books, paused.
¡°Little Pink?¡± ¡°Uh-huh!
You know, the pink princess dress!¡± His sister even gave her clothes names.
What an adorable little princess she was.
As soon as the thought formed, he heard Cherry saying adorably, ¡°Wait a second, Pete.
I gotta tell my teammate something, okie?¡± Pete nodded.
¡°Okay.¡± Then, he heard Cherry go on a sudden rampage: ¡°Do you really know how to y as a support?
Have you used your ultimate skill correctly even once?
And, the open world fights!
Do you have a feud with the wild monsters or something?
Why are you staring only at that patch of grass there?!
Do you even know what support is¡ Also, ##%£¤%&*@¡¡± Pete was dumbfounded.
¡°¡¡± That really came out of nowhere.
After dissing her teammate for a whole two minutes, Cherry finally turned off the game voice chat and said, ¡°Don¡¯t forget Little Pink, okie?
It¡¯s my favorite dress!¡± ¡°¡¡± After hanging up, Pete immediately ced his books down, got up, and went to the bedroom to search for the dress.
He remembered taking it off the day before and tossing it on the sofa.
Why was it gone?
While he was looking for it, the door opened and Justin strode in.
The tall figure stopped in front of him.
¡°What are you looking for, Pete?¡± Pete replied casually, ¡°The princess dress.¡± Justin stiffened in the midst of taking off his jacket.
With mixed emotions, he replied, ¡°Oh.
Don¡¯t bother anymore.
I might have tossed it.¡± Tossed it?
Pete thought of his sister¡¯s verbal might and panicked.
¡°Why did you throw it away without asking me?!¡± Justin frowned.
A resolute look shed across his deep-set eyes and he said solemnly, ¡°You¡¯re a boy.
Don¡¯t ever wear dresses again!¡± This was his absolute limit!
Pete¡¯s face tensed up and he said angrily, ¡°You¡¯re such a despot and a dictator!
No wonder Mommy hates you!¡± Justin handed his jacket to the nanny, walked over to his son, and squatted gracefully.
He always looked at Pete at his eye level whenever he talked to him.
This way, the child would feel like they were being respected.
Seeing how his son was ring at him with his big round eyes, he suddenly asked, ¡°Did Miss Smith say she hates me?¡± Pete replied, ¡°¡Yes!¡± Justin let out a low chuckle.
Even the mole at the corner of his eye exuded a bit of charisma as he said, ¡°Women sure are creatures that say one thing but mean another.¡± If she really disliked him, why would she approach his son again and again?
Pete was perplexed.
He took a silent step back.
¡°Have you seen a psychiatrist, Daddy?¡± ¡°¡¡± Justin got up and said, ¡°I have a dinner appointment with a family friend tonight.
Let¡¯s go together.¡± Pete didn¡¯t answer, but Chester, who was sprawled on the sofa and ying games as if no one had noticed his presence, said, ¡°Okay!¡± Meanwhile, Nora just received a call from her father.
Her eyes widened.
¡°My uncle?
Really?¡± Henry sneered, ¡°They even know your mother¡¯s name is and what she looks like.
How can it be fake?
They¡¯ve arranged toe over at 3 pm today.
Come back and receive them.¡± Nora frowned after hanging up.
To be honest, her mother was quite a distant concept to her.
Ever since she could remember, the only impression she had of her mother was herst words to her.
It was a voice recording.
The person had a gentle voice, and had told her to stay low-profile¡ However, her family had never had any contact with her mother¡¯s family.
Even her aunt abroad was just her mother¡¯s god-sister.
The sudden mention of her uncle today made her very curious¡ªwhat kind of person was that mysterious mother of hers, exactly?
She took a cab back to the Smiths.
As soon as she entered, she heard Wendy ask, ¡°Did Nora¡¯s mother ever mention her family, Henry?¡± Henry replied disdainfully, ¡°I asked her about them before.
She said that her family lives in the mountains and is very poor.
She escaped from there, so she never made any contact with them after that.¡± When Wendy heard that, she hesitated for a moment before asking, ¡°What?
Will Nora¡¯s uncle pester us after hees, then?¡± Henry was also troubled over the same thing.
¡°Just now, they specially mentioned that her uncle was sick and hospitalized, so her aunt will being by herself.
She won¡¯t ask to borrow money for medical expenses as soon as she enters, will she?¡± Wendy curled her lip.
¡°Do we lend it to her if she does?¡± Henry immediately sneered, ¡°That¡¯s Nora¡¯s uncle.
What does he have to do with the Smiths?
If there¡¯s anyone who should be lending them money, it¡¯s her!¡± Outside the door, Nora, who was listening to their conversation, cast her eyes down.
Her clenched fists suddenly loosened and she let out a scoff ofughter.
Only then did she finally step forward and enter the house.
Ang was leaning on Henry¡¯s shoulder and acting like a baby.
The family of three looked happy and blissful.
At the sight of Nora, Ang curled her lip and said smugly, ¡°Tsk, no wonder you¡¯ve never mentioned anything about your mother¡¯s family.
So, it¡¯s because they¡¯re such an embarrassment!
But Nora, you shouldn¡¯t forget your roots.
They are your mother¡¯s family; surely you should still acknowledge those penniless rtives of yours?¡± With her eyes down and as if she didn¡¯t hear her at all, Nora walked over to the one-seater sofa and casually took a seat.
She ignored thempletely.
Despite that, Ang spoke with a sense of superiority and said, ¡°My uncle just bought me a handbag some time back.
I wonder if your uncle will buy anything for you, Nora?
Oh dear, I forgot.
He¡¯s currently sick and hospitalized, so he probably can¡¯t even afford his own medical expenses.
Mom, Dad, let¡¯s show them some pityter and give them a few hundred dors.¡± After saying that, she frowned again and called out, ¡°Mrs.
Lane, get the disinfectant and air purifiers ready.
I heard that people from the countryside smell!¡± At this moment, Mrs.
Lane called out, ¡°They¡¯re here!¡±
Chapter 35 - 35 The Andersons from New York!
?35: The Andersons from New York?!
35: The Andersons from New York?!
Nora stood up and got ready to head out to receive the guest.
However, after she took a couple of steps, she saw that Henry and the others were still seated with their noses in the air and putting on an arrogant disy.
It was obvious that they didn¡¯t care about the guest.
She ignored them and went straight out.
At once, she saw an elegant and presentable middle-aged woman standing at the door.
The woman was well-maintained and wore a ssy long-sleeved dress.
It seemed as if a beauty had walked straight out of a painting, and there was a kind of serene andposed charm around her that was found only in a schrly family.
Mrs.
Lane, who was holding disinfectant spray, originally thought that she would see a meek and dirty country bumpkin entering.
Little did she think that the guest would actually look like that instead.
For a moment, she didn¡¯t even dare to spray the disinfectant she was holding anymore.
Melissa Anderson smiled gently and said, ¡°We meet again, Nora!¡± Nora didn¡¯t expect to meet her here.
Rather surprised, she said, ¡°You¡¡± Melissa came forward a couple of steps quickly and grabbed her hand.
¡°This is fate, child!
It was your own uncle who you saved!¡± Inside the house, Ang, who was dying to mock them, couldn¡¯t wait anymore.
When she saw the two of them speaking at the door, she walked straight toward the door while saying, ¡°Have you disinfected the ce, Mrs.
Lane?
We mustn¡¯t just let any random person into the h¡ª¡± Her words came to an abrupt end when she saw Melissa!
After a three-second pause, her voice instantly became much louder and she eximed sharply, ¡°You¡¯re Nora¡¯s aunt?!¡± Upon hearing her reaction, Wendy and Henry also stood up and walked toward the door.
Wendy whispered, ¡°Ang is still too young and inexperienced.
It¡¯s because she¡¯s never seen a country bumpkin before that she¡¯s overreacting so badly.
Sigh.¡± With a look of smugness all over her face, she straightened her back quietly.
When she married Henry back then, everyone had said that she wasn¡¯t as pretty as his deceased wife, so she had been holding a huge grudge all these years.
But now, she could finally hold her head up high when it came to the family background!
She would show Nora¡¯s poor rtive what she was made of!
The next moment, she immediately spotted Melissa.
Wendy came from an average family.
When she married Henry, she was considered as having married someone of a higher social status.
During all these years of socializing with rich men¡¯s wives, she had worked hard to learn and copy their style and mannerisms.
She had originally thought that she was doing pretty well, but little did she think that the air around Melissa and her presence when she was merely standing there would already give her a crushing defeat!
For a while, none of them spoke.
Melissa had grown up in a wealthy family.
Her emotions had overwhelmed her when she first saw Nora, but now that she had calmed down, she immediately sensed something amiss.
The corners of her lips curled up into a smile.
She ignored Wendy and looked at Henry instead as she asked, ¡°You must be my brother-inw?¡± Henry had already recovered from his surprise by then.
The arrogance on his face hadpletely disappeared.
Instead, he gave her an ingratiating smile and asked, ¡°You¡¯re¡?¡± Melissa cast her eyes down and said, ¡°Oh, I forgot to introduce myself.
I¡¯m an artist.¡± After glossing over the topic, she said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like I came at a good time, Nora.
Let¡¯s find somewhere else to talk instead.¡± Nora nodded.
¡°Sure.¡± She took the lead.
Her voice sounded a little deep as she said, ¡°Slow down.¡± Ang only dared to speak again after the two of them got in the car and left.
She asked, ¡°Dad, Mom.
Who is she?¡± During the emergency at Hotel Finest the other time, Melissa hadn¡¯t looked her usual self because she was crying very badly due to worry, so Ang didn¡¯t recognize her just now.
Wendy gritted her teeth.
Then, she immediately took Henry¡¯s arm and said, ¡°Oh you know, artists.
No wonder she looks so ssy.
But I¡¯ve heard that there aren¡¯t many artists who are making money nowadays.
Instead, there are a lot of people that try to scam others by calling themselves artists.¡± Ang curled her lip.
¡°So that¡¯s what it is.
I thought she was from a wealthy family because of how she had behaved!
That makes sense, though.
If Nora¡¯s mother¡¯s family were rich, her mother wouldn¡¯t have been so down and out!¡± Henry, however, was staring at the doorway and looking very distracted.
All the outsiders thought that Nora¡¯s mother was destitute and had only managed to survive because she married him.
But actually, she had apany under her name back then¡ While he was lost in thought, Wendy spoke up and said, ¡°Nora¡¯s mother¡¯sst name is Anderson, right?
That¡¯s an unusualst name in our circle.
There isn¡¯t any distinguished family with thatst name apart from the Andersons in New York.¡± Her words made Henrye back to his senses.
She was right.
Apart from the Andersons in New York, all the other businessmen with thest name Anderson weren¡¯t important people.
He snorted and said, ¡°They are probably just putting on an act.
I¡¯m just afraid that Nora is stupid enough to let them trick her!¡± Wendy smiled and said, ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough.
Don¡¯t we have a dinner appointment with the Grays tonight?
Let¡¯s get ready, lest we bete.¡± Henry nodded.
¡°Yes, that¡¯s more important.¡± Ang grumbled, ¡°Someone has already reserved Hotel Finest¡¯s VVIP room.
Otherwise, how nice would it be to have dinner there?
Sigh!¡± Outside the house.
Nora saw an understated ck Cayenne parked there.
The car was a high-end model and its estimated value in the domestic market was around $700,000.
For her aunt to be able to afford such a car¡ Was she really just an artist?
However, she didn¡¯t ask about it and just followed Melissa into the car.
Melissa instructed the chauffeur, ¡°To Hotel Finest.¡± After the car started, Melissa observed the girl next to her.
Her cat-like eyes were downcast and she had long eyshes.
Although she was beautiful, she was unusually pale.
She sighed and said, ¡°You must have suffered a lot all these years, Nora.¡± Nora thought to herself, ¡ Actually, it wasn¡¯t that bad.
After all, it makes no difference where you sleep.
When Melissa saw her keeping quiet, she knew immediately that she didn¡¯t want to talk about the Smiths.
The report that Justin had sent them was more detailed than what they could see on the surface.
She felt sorry for her niece, so she changed the subject and said, ¡°By the way, your uncle is still in the hospital.
The reason why we were able to find you was because someone helped us greatly, so your uncle wants us to treat them to dinner tonight as thanks.
Is that alright with you?¡± Nora didn¡¯t mind, so she nodded.
¡°Okay.¡± Melissa breathed a sigh of relief.
When they arrived at Hotel Finest, Melissa said, ¡°Don¡¯t you have a daughter, Nora?
Can I meet her?¡± Nora could sense that Melissa was a kind person, so she agreed.
She called Mrs.
Lewis and told her to bring Cherry to the restaurant on the third floor.
The two headed to the restaurant first, intending to have a good chat with each other after entering the private room.
Half an hourter, the Smiths arrived just in time to see a distracted Anthonying over to pick them up.
After meeting up with them, he said, ¡°I heard the Andersons from New York are in the VVIP room.
Let¡¯s see if we can talk to themter.¡± The Andersons from New York?
An indescribable feeling suddenly arose in Henry as if he had just let something slip by him.
At the same time, at the elevator hall on the third floor.
The presidential suite on the top floor had an exclusive elevator while the rest of the floors used public elevators.
Ding!
Ding!
The doors to both elevators opened at the same time.
Justin, together with Pete and Chester, came out of the presidential suite¡¯s exclusive elevator.
The other elevator¡¯s doors slowly opened to reveal Cherry standing inside.
Chapter 36 - 36 Two Petes!
?36: Two Petes?!
36: Two Petes?!
The presidential suite¡¯s exclusive elevator and the normal elevator were built side by side.
The former was slightly more toward the inside, so Justin and the other two would have to walk past the normal elevator to reach the restaurant.
Justin¡¯s movements were very purposeful, so he always kept his gaze straight while walking.
He stood straight and tall like a tower and had a chilly air around him when he walked.
His countenance was covered with ayer of frost and that iconic mole of his exuded nobility and alienation toward others.
Next to him, Pete, who was a miniature of Justin, had the exact same expression.
It was just that that he was too young, so his young visage looked a little cuter.
Overshadowed by them, Chester, who was a little less dazzling, walked beside them energetically.
He was overjoyed that he could tag along with his leader and freeload.
He was a cheerful and animated person and looked around when he walked.
When he glimpsed at the person in the elevator, he suddenly froze.
When he looked again, he saw the face that was identical to Pete¡¯s!
He swallowed hard and slowly looked down, only to see his nephew right next to him.
He was so shocked that he eximed, ¡°Justin!¡± Justin turned and looked at him unhurriedly, his deep and bottomless gazending with dissatisfaction on the person making a ruckus.
Chester pointed to the normal elevator and said, ¡°There are two Petes!¡± Chester looked at the elevator again after his exmation.
This time, however, he only saw a few adults inside.
The child that he saw just now was nowhere in sight.
He rubbed his eyes and looked over again, but there still wasn¡¯t any child in the elevator.
Puzzled, he said, ¡°I really saw Pete in the elevator just now.
Why is he gone¡¡± A look of worry appeared on his face.
¡°Oh no, has my condition gotten worse?
Should I get my eyes checked?¡± He was actually seeing things¡ Justin said coldly, ¡°You should be getting your brain checked instead.¡± Chester looked aghast.
That was such a harmless but insultingment!
After the three of them walked past the elevator and turned into the hallway to the restaurant, Cherry, who was hiding behind a few hotel guests, finally peeked out and patted her chest in relief.
She had almost been discovered!
She darted out of the elevator and secretly ran over to the corner.
She was just in time to hear the service staff saying respectfully, ¡°Good evening, Mr.
Hunt.
The VVIP room is this way.¡± The VVIP room?
That was exactly what Mommy had told her to go when she called just now!
If Pete went in, wouldn¡¯t everything be exposed?
They had already reached the door to the VVIP room and were about to open the door.
It was toote even if she called her brother now!
Cherry hurriedly shouted, ¡°Hey!¡± Pete was about to follow the tyrant into the room when he suddenly heard her voice.
His heart suddenly skipped a beat and he hurriedly turned around.
The corner of his mouth spasmed a little when he saw the little runt running toward him.
Cherry had a scarf wrapped all around her head and was wearing a pair of sunsses, which made her look veryical.
However, Cherry didn¡¯t have the luxury of caring that much.
She grabbed Pete¡¯s hand and said, ¡°You¡¯re the boy that stays upstairs, right?
Is your father here to have dinner with Mommy?
Let¡¯s go and y at the yground!¡± It was only when Pete heard what she said that he understood why his sister had suddenly appeared.
It was fortunate that he hadn¡¯t entered yet, otherwise, everything would have been exposed!
He reacted very quickly and nodded.
¡°Okay.¡± Justin, who was about to open the door, looked down.
His eyes narrowed when he saw the child who had wrapped the scarf all around her head.
So, she¡¯s that woman¡¯s daughter?
Sure enough, she was just as weird as her.
After seeing his son silently asking for permission with his eyes, Justin, who had never liked Pete associating with outsiders, paused.
Atst, he said, ¡°Go ahead.¡± He didn¡¯t know why, but he subconsciously felt that it would be nice for the two children to y together.
There was a small children¡¯s yground inside the restaurant that was specially meant for the restaurant¡¯s young guests.
There was also special service staff there that watched over the ce.
There were absolutely no issues with Hotel Finest¡¯s service and safety standards.
This was also the reason why Nora dared to let Cherrye downstairs by herself.
After the two children ran off, Justin opened the door to the private room and strode in, leaving only Chester who was still standing there and staring at the two children from the back.
It seemed like the child he saw in the normal elevator just now who looked identical to Pete was wearing that exact same Spider-Man outfit?
When he thought of that, Chester said, ¡°Go on inside, Justin.
I¡¯ll go and look after Pete.¡± He quickly walked toward the children¡¯s yground after saying that.
Inside the private room.
Although there was a door separating them, Nora could still hear what was happening outside.
That young voice just now was probably Cherry, right?
Nora stood up.
She was about to go out and take a look when the door opened to reveal Justin outside.
The man¡¯s exquisite facial features were wless.
His deep-set eyes narrowed slightly upon making eye contact with her.
The corners of his thin lips quirked slightly and the icy aura around him slowly melted.
He said, ¡°We meet again, Miss Smith.¡± Nora looked down nonchntly.
Was he the person that her uncle wanted to treat to a meal?
The boy that Cherry invited to y with her just now was his son?
Judging from that man¡¯s numerous warnings to her, it was obvious that he was very protective of his son.
Cherry was mischievous and had an unforgiving tongue.
She¡¯d best not thoughtlessly make the boy cry and bring them more unnecessary trouble.
In a slightly deep voice, Nora said, ¡°Let me go over and talk to Cherry a little, Mr.
Hunt.¡± After she spoke, she went past him and then straight out.
With his eyes downcast, the smile at the corners of Justin¡¯s lips widened.
So, her daughter¡¯s name was Cherry?
His son¡¯s name was Pete.
If one connected the names, it would sound like¡ What a coincidence!
In the hallway.
Anthony paced about anxiously with his hands behind his back as he thought about how he could create a chance to meet with the Andersons and make their acquaintance.
But while he didn¡¯t meet any of the Andersons, he did spy a familiar figure.
The girl wore a simple T-shirt and jeans and was dragging her feetzily as she walked.
She looked half-asleep, but even that raw and unpolished appearance couldn¡¯t hide how attractive she was.
It was actually Nora!
Anthony clenched his fists.
During these past few days, her form had kept popping up in his mind.
Upon meeting her again, his gaze continued to subconsciously be captured by her.
It was then that Anthony finally realized that he had really fallen in love with her.
He took a step forward and stood in front of Nora.
¡°Why are you here, Nora?¡± Nora, who found her path suddenly blocked, frowned.
The look in her eyes was a little cold when she saw Anthony.
She replied, ¡°Surely I don¡¯t have to exin my whereabouts to you?¡± Seeing how distant she was being, Anthony suddenly lifted his chin and said arrogantly, ¡°Do you know what I¡¯m doing here, Nora?¡± His words puzzled Nora.
She wasn¡¯t interested in knowing.
However, without waiting for her response, Anthony continued and said, ¡°The Andersons from New York are also here today.
I¡¯m here for a business meeting with them!
When the Grays form a connection with the Andersons, we¡¯ll definitely be even bigger and be the wealthiest family in California.
If you do what I say, I can choose to forgive you.¡±
Chapter 37 - 37 Weve Been Discovered!
?37: We¡¯ve Been Discovered!
37: We¡¯ve Been Discovered!
Nora wasn¡¯t listening to what he was babbling on and on about at all.
However, when she heard what he said at the end, she looked up in surprise.
¡°What?¡± Anthony, who looked a little bashful, said, ¡°While I can forgive you, your reputation is already a mess.
If I marry you, it¡¯ll embarrass the Grays.
But I can buy you a mansion elsewhere and take care of you for the rest of your life.¡± Nora found him hrious.
Her voice dispassionate, she said sarcastically, ¡°You want me to be your mistress?
I¡¯m afraid you can¡¯t afford it.¡± Anthony hurriedly said, ¡°I¡¯m rich!
I can give you $15,000 as living expenses every month.
You can buy whatever you want with it.¡± $15,000 wasn¡¯t even enough for her to buy Cherry¡¯s clothes.
Nora found him annoying and went around him from the left as she said, ¡°I¡¯m not interested in being someone¡¯s mistress.¡± Anthony also stopped her from the left.
¡°You want to marry me?
That¡¯s not impossible, either!¡± He gritted his teeth and went on.
¡°Grandpa keeps forcing me to take you as my wife anyway.
Besides, you only have a daughter, so we can just give her some money and marry her off somewhere in the future.
As long as she¡¯s obedient and refrains from fighting or arguing with her younger siblings in the future, the Grays can take her in, even if we¡¯re reluctant.¡± He felt that his conditions were lenient enough.
Any woman would probably be grateful to him, right?
Unexpectedly, a look of displeasure appeared in Nora¡¯s eyes and a chilly aura formed all around her.
¡°I will not let my daughter suffer any injustice.¡± Anthony frowned and said, ¡°Don¡¯t push your luck, Nora!
You can¡¯t possibly want us to let your daughter take ourst name and enjoy the same treatment as our children?
That¡¯s impossible!¡± At this moment, a sharp voice suddenly reached them.
¡°Nora!
You¡¯re trying to seduce Anthony again!¡± Together with the voice, Ang also rushed over.
Her arms iled in the air as she rushed toward Nora.
¡°I¡¯m going to kill you!¡± Anthony stopped her and shouted angrily, ¡°What are you doing?!¡± In the private room, Henry, Wendy, and Anthony¡¯s father heard themotion and came out.
Upon seeing the three of them, Henry yelled, ¡°Nora, are you bullying your sister again?
Apologize to her!¡± Wendy also spoke up.
¡°Nora, your sister and Anthony are discussing their engagement today.
I know you¡¯re unhappy about it, but that doesn¡¯t mean you cane over and make trouble¡ You were the one that did something wrong to the Grays by getting pregnant before your marriage and damaging both families¡¯ reputation!¡± Anthony stepped forward.
¡°Uncle Henry, Aunt Wendy.
Nora isn¡¯t to be med for that.
The two of us are truly in love with each other.
I¡¯m willing to ept her.¡± Ang¡¯s eyes widened.
Hurt and sad, she took a step back.
Henry was shocked.
¡°Anthony, my daughter has been stubborn and contrary since she was a child.
Don¡¯t be fooled by her!
She got herself pregnant before marriage.
It¡¯ll sully your name if you marry her!¡± Wendy also nodded and said, ¡°Besides, her maternal grandparents¡¯ family is also very poor.
They live in the mountains and even begged us for money today.
These rtives are trouble!¡± After speaking, when she saw how Anthony was still looking at Nora like a young man in love, Wendy turned to Anthony¡¯s father and said, ¡°Mr.
Gray, you have to think carefully about this!
We don¡¯t want the Grays to be implicated.¡± Anthony¡¯s father¡¯s gaze fell on Nora when he heard what she said.
She was leaning against the wall, her posturezy and sloppy.
Her cat-like eyes were slightly downcast, and she seemed to have a half-amused smile on her lips.
She looked as if she was being entertained by what was going on.
That sense of detachment was as if the dispute here had nothing to do with her.
Anthony¡¯s father was someone who had been immersed in the world ofmerce for many years.
His deep and unfathomable eyes darkened and he suddenly said, ¡°Marriage is a lifelongmitment.
Let¡¯s have the children make their own decisions instead.
Miss Smith, do you really want to be Anthony¡¯s wife?¡± His words caused everyone to shift their gazes to Nora.
Tsk, they were finally willing to listen to her.
Nora lifted her head, raised her eyebrows, and her lips curled up in a smile.
She replied, ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°¡¡± Everyone was dumbfounded.
Anthony was the first to react.
Furious, he demanded, ¡°What do you mean by that, Nora?¡± Nora straightened her back and said clearly, ¡°It means I¡¯m not interested in you.¡± Anthony looked at her incredulously as if he still didn¡¯t understand what she was saying.
Ang, however, shouted, ¡°What makes you think you can be disinterested in Anthony, Nora?
You make it sound like he¡¯s beneath you.
Not only do youe with baggage, but your daughter is even a little bastard.
Is a woman like you even worthy of being picky?!¡± Anthony finally came back to his senses.
In his anger, his choice of words was also very malicious.
He said, ¡°Nora, who are you interested in, if not me?
The entire California knows that you got yourself pregnant before marriage.
Apart from me, who else would marry a wanton woman like you whose reputation is in shambles?!¡± Wendy sighed and said, ¡°How can you say that, Nora?
You shouldn¡¯t reach for something beyond your grasp.
Do you really think you can do the same thing as your mom?
It was sheer dumb luck that someone like her, who came from the mountains, could marry your father.
Even if you¡¯re a little prettier than most, anyone with a decent family background will never take you as their wife.¡± Wendy then changed the subject again and asked, ¡°By the way, are you here for dinner with your aunt?
Where is she?
Your uncle needs money for his hospitalization fees, right?
Are you short of money?¡± Sure enough, Anthony¡¯s father frowned when he heard her.
At this moment, a gentle voice reached them: ¡°Who says we don¡¯t have enough money for medical expenses?¡± The few of them looked into the distance and saw the approaching Melissa.
The smile on her face didn¡¯t reach her eyes.
She said, ¡°Mr.
Smith, Mrs.
Smith.
You don¡¯t have to worry about the hospitalization fees.
Also, you don¡¯t need to bother yourselves with matters regarding Nora¡¯s marriage in the future, either.
The Andersons will take care of it!¡± Shocked, Anthony¡¯s father asked, ¡°The Andersons?
Which Andersons?¡± Melissa¡¯s lips curled up into a smile.
Her voice was gentle, but what she said ringed like a thunderp: ¡°The Andersons from New York.¡± Anthony¡¯s father¡¯s eyes widened immediately!
Even Henry and Wendy were so astounded that they couldn¡¯t say anything!
The Andersons from New York¡ Were they really the ones they were thinking of?
While they were hesitating, Melissa looked at Anthony again.
After looking him up and down, she shook his head and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the private room, Nora.
Don¡¯t keep your blind date waiting.
¡± She deliberately emphasized the words ¡°blind date¡±.
Nora knew that her aunt was trying to back her up, so she went along with her wishes and nodded.
¡°Okay.¡± The two finally turned around, only to immediately see Justin standing behind them.
His deep-set eyes were raised and even the mole at the corner of his eye seemed to be smiling.
With an emphasis on each syble, he repeated, ¡°Blind date?¡± ¡ª While the few of them were arguing, Cherry dragged Pete with her and sneaked into the stairwell.
She took off the scarf to reveal her delicate and adorable face, panting heavily as she said, ¡°That was so suffocating!
It¡¯s a good thing that we weren¡¯t found out, Pete!¡± Then, she saw her brother pause and slowly lift his head.
Cherry turned around and also slowly lifted her head.
At once, she saw Chester standing there in disbelief with his eyes wide.
Chapter 38 - 38 Nora Is Petes Mother!
?38: Nora Is Pete¡¯s Mother!
38: Nora Is Pete¡¯s Mother!
The hallway outside was bustling with all kinds of noise.
However, the three in the stairwell were silent.
Atst, after a full half a minute, Chester pointed at Cherry as if he had seen a ghost and stammered, ¡°Y-you¡ You¡¡± Pete pressed his lips together and sighed.
¡°Since you¡¯ve seen us, then I won¡¯t keep it a secret anymore.¡± He said solemnly, ¡°Actually, I have a superpower¡ªI can create clones.
If you don¡¯t believe me, close your eyes.
I¡¯ll withdraw my clone.¡± Chester was perplexed.
The corners of his lips spasmed.
¡°Do you really think I¡¯m that stupid, Pete?
I¡¯m not going to believe that!¡± Cherry cupped her hands around her mouth and leaned toward her brother.
She looked like she wanted to whisper, but her voice was in no way soft as she asked, ¡°So, Uncle Chester does have a brain after all?¡± Pete was also puzzled.
¡°I¡¯ll look it up when I get back.
Can single-celled organisms think?¡± Chester was speechless.
He felt humiliated!
But right after that, he said triumphantly, ¡°There are too many loopholes in your superpower.
Can you really make a little girl version of yourself just because you can make a clone of yourself?
Are you a hermaphrodite?¡± That child wearing the Spider-Man outfit might look like a little boy, but she was Nora Smith¡¯s daughter!
Cherry was confused.
Pete was perplexed.
As expected, single-celled organisms really do think differently!
The two little cuties looked at each other.
Cherry tilted her head and asked, ¡°What do we do, Pete?
Do we silence him?¡± Pete hesitated.
¡°He¡¯s my uncle.
We shouldn¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Cherry was a little disappointed.
The corners of Chester¡¯s lips spasmed again.
He said, ¡°I¡¯m going to tell Justin that apart from a son, he also has a daughter!¡± He ran out after saying that.
Pete hurriedly called out, ¡°Uncle Chester!¡± However, Chester didn¡¯t stop.
Cherry panicked.
She ced her hands on her hips and yelled, ¡°Don¡¯t you dare move, Chesty!¡± Chester¡¯s instinct to obey instructions whenever he yed games made him freeze instantly, and he even remained in a running stance.
¡°Come back here!¡± Chester obediently returned to the stairwell.
He squatted down like a silly puppy and eximed, ¡°So, you¡¯re my leader!¡± Cherry held her cheeks and tilted her head.
¡°Yes, that¡¯s right!
I¡¯m sweetcherry!¡± ¡ As it turned out, not only was his leader a five-year-old, but she was also a little girl!
Chester felt very deceived.
Pete said, ¡°You mustn¡¯t tell Daddy what happened today, Uncle Chester!¡± Chester was puzzled.
¡°Why is that?¡± Pete was silent for a moment.
Then, he said, ¡°Think about it.
If Daddy knew Cherry¡¯s mom was the one who gave birth to me, what will he do?¡± Chester felt as if his brain cells weren¡¯t working.
He said, ¡°Her mom?
The one who gave birth to you¡ Sh*t!
You mean Nora Smith is that damned biological mother of yours?¡± ¡°¡¡± Chester finally understood why the two children didn¡¯t want him to tell the truth.
Five years ago, Justin had suddenly brought a baby back and said that it was his son.
When everyone asked who the child¡¯s mother was, he had flown into a rage and strictly forbidden everyone at home from ever mentioning the child¡¯s mother.
At that time, the few of them were even secretly wondering what exactly the woman, who had given birth to Pete, had done.
Justin had looked as if he wanted to rip that woman into pieces¡ Cherry said adorably, ¡°Chesty, I want a father and a brother, but I also want Mommy.
So, I want them to fall in love first before we acknowledge each other.
This way, our family of four can be together.
Can you keep this a secret?¡± Chester shook his head.
¡°No, I can¡¯t keep this a secret from Justin.¡± Cherry instantly transformed into a grumpy little ogre.
¡°If you tell Daddy, I won¡¯t bring you along in our raids anymore!¡± Chester was speechless.
That was a rather serious threat!
¡ª Meanwhile, in the VVIP room.
The three people who had returned sat there quietly.
Melissa looked a little embarrassed as she exined: ¡°I don¡¯t mean anything by that, Justin.
I was just forced by the circumstances to say that just now.
Please don¡¯t misunderstand.¡± Although the Hunts were family friends with the Andersons, Justin¡¯s identity wasn¡¯t as simple as just the head of the Hunts.
Moreover, he hated being involved with women the most.
Melissa didn¡¯t want to offend him with what she said just now.
Justin was staring at Nora.
The woman¡¯s eyes were downcast as she stirred the water in the ss in boredom.
Her dazzling features and the icy aura around her made one unable to dislike her.
Not only was he not angry, but there was even a smile at the corner of his eyes.
¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± Melissa and Justin chatted politely.
When she realized that Nora was going to New York with him the day after tomorrow, Melissa smiled and said, ¡°Nora, your uncle and I were also thinking of having you stay with us in New York.¡± Her eyes reddened as she went on.
¡°Your grandmother has been crying so much ever since your mother¡¯s disappearance that she has gone blind.
She has been talking about your mother all these years.
She¡¯ll definitely be overjoyed to see you.¡± Nora had originally intended to refuse the offer.
She was already an adult; she didn¡¯t need to stay with them.
But when she heard that, she paused and said, ¡°¡Okay.¡± Food was served after that, and the three of them began to eat.
Justin observed the woman in front of him.
He realized that the way she ate was very interesting.
She liked stuffingrge pieces of meat into her mouth and chewing on them, yet her casual movements didn¡¯t appear crude.
Most women that Justin had met chewed slowly, but she finished the steak on the te in just a few bites in an extremely efficient manner.
How would he possibly know that Nora just didn¡¯t want to waste time on anything apart from spending time with Cherry?
Melissa had only just taken four bites when Nora ced her cutlery down.
¡°Aunt Melissa, I have something on in a while, so I¡¯ll go first.¡± Melissa was dumbfounded.
Nora left the private room after saying that.
When she saw Mrs.
Lewis¡¯s text message saying that Cherry had already returned, she didn¡¯t bother going upstairs.
She hailed a cab and went out instead.
Although she knew that it wasn¡¯t appropriate to leave the meal midway, she really did have something on.
Two days ago, she had already made an appointment with Wayne Myers, the acting director of Idealian Pharmaceuticals.
Back then, her mother had entrusted him with thepany, and he had managed it for over 20 years now.
When Nora arrived at the cafe, Wayne was already there.
He stood up excitedly and said, ¡°You¡¯ve returned to the States, Nora!
You must be 24 years old by now?
If your mother could see you now, she would definitely be very happy.¡± Wayne managed thepany wholeheartedly.
Despite so many years passing, he hadn¡¯t developed any thoughts that he shouldn¡¯t have.
Nora nodded slightly.
Then, she took a seat and asked, ¡°Wayne, I asked you out today because I wanted to ask you if my mother has left me anything apart from thepany?
Or whether she left me anything in thepany?¡± She had already looked into it.
Idealian Pharmaceuticals really was just a smallpany with an annual ie of $5,000,000.
Over the years, they even moved and changed theirpany address a few times.
She didn¡¯t quite understand why the Grays and the Smiths were so hung up over such a smallpany?
Wayne solemnly nodded and answered, ¡°Yes, she did!¡± Nora looked up at him.
¡°What did she leave me?¡± So, thepany really was hiding something?
Chapter 39 - 39 Sharing The Same Room
?39: Sharing The Same Room 39: Sharing The Same Room Just as she thought so, Wayne answered, ¡°Love andpany.¡± Nora was rendered speechless.
Wayne went on.
¡°Although she left us early, she has paved the way for you.
She may not be around anymore, but her heart has always been with you.¡± ¡°¡¡± After listening to Wayne bber on and on about maternal love for over an hour, Nora, who had just eaten, couldn¡¯t help but yawn.
It was only then that Wayne realized that he was being too long-winded.
He said, ¡°You¡¯re already a grown-up now, Nora.
When do you n to take over thepany?¡± Although he had alreadye to care for and developed a sense of belonging to thepany, the business was Nora¡¯s.
He had to return it to her.
Nora replied detachedly, ¡°You¡¯re taking care of it pretty well, so just continue with it.¡± A smallpany didn¡¯t have the usual few departments.
The owner had to basically see to everything themselves.
This took up too much time that she could spend sleeping!
Wayne was confused.
Nora asked, ¡°Have the Grays shown any interest in buying over thepany?¡± If what the Grays were interested in was really thepany¡¯s development potential, then there was no need to use Anthony¡¯s marital bliss as a bargaining chip.
They could just buy over thepany at a high price.
It wasn¡¯t like they didn¡¯t have the money.
However, Wayne shook his head.
¡°No, they haven¡¯t.¡± Nora frowned.
However, since she couldn¡¯t figure it out, she decided that she won¡¯t think about it anymore.
¡°If you ever think of anything that my mom instructed you to hand over to me, give me a call.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Then, Wayne said, ¡°Can I get your bank ount number, Nora?
I¡¯ll transfer all thepany dividends directly to you in the future.¡± Back then, Nora was still a child.
But when she grew up, she had gone abroad.
That was why Wayne had paid the dividends to her guardian instead.
It was just five million dors.
While it was nothing to Nora, why should she give it to the Smiths?
She gave him her bank ount number and left.
On the top floor of Hotel Finest.
Howard Hunt sat on the sofa arrogantly and watched Pete, who was in the study, contemptuously.
By this generation, the only direct descendants of the Hunts left were Justin¡¯s immediate family, as well as Howard¡¯s immediate family in New York.
As the head of the family¡¯s direct descendant and the eldest son, Justin had also inherited the position.
However, his second uncle refused to ept this and ended up causing a lot of incidents.
The Hunts living in the family home didn¡¯t participate in the family¡¯s business disputes.
They were only responsible for presiding over family issues.
As for Howard, he was obsessed with martial arts.
He despised his family¡¯s ways and also admired Justin from the bottom of his heart.
However, he simply disliked that child of unknown origin.
It was him who brought shame to Justin¡¯s glorious life!
Moreover, not only was he mentally ill, but he was so small and weak.
How could a child like that be worthy of bing Justin¡¯s sessor?
Howard snorted and withdrew his gaze disdainfully.
The door opened at this point¡ªJustin was back.
As the man entered the room, his almost-solid presence rushed toward Howard, causing him to sit up in a hurry.
He greeted him respectfully.
¡°Justin.¡± Justin made a sound of acknowledgment and asked, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Howard touched his hooked nose nervously and replied, ¡°Grandpa heard that you¡¯re going to New York to have your grandma¡¯s condition treated, so he wants me to go with you and act as a witness.
At the same time, I also thought I would see if the old Mr.
Quinn would be willing to take me in and teach me some traditional martial arts techniques.¡± It might seem like traditional martial arts were falling into decline as time went by, but in fact, there were still mysterious masters of the art among regr folks.
The Quinn School of Martial Arts and the Irvin School of Martial Arts ranked top in traditional martial arts.
It was Howard¡¯s dream to be their apprentice.
Justin nced at him.
He knew that the part about him wanting to join the school was true, but not so much the part about him being a witness.
But joining the Quinn School of Martial Arts and learning martial arts there?
His deep-set eyes looked toward the study.
Dim light flickered in his eyes and he said, ¡°Take Pete with you.
Mr.
Quinn is strict when ites to enrollment, though.
You may not meet his requirements.
Pete, on the other hand, has a chance.
¡± He had already checked Pete¡¯s body when he was a toddler.
Pete was very suitable to learn martial arts.
However, he was reluctant to have his son go through hardship at that time, so he hadn¡¯t taught him any martial arts.
His son was behaving rather ¡®uniquely¡¯tely, so it would be good to send him to the Quinn School of Martial Arts to pick up some martial arts.
This way, he could ¡®straighten¡¯ him out!
Howard curled his lip disdainfully.
¡°Him?¡± However, when he made eye contact with Justin¡¯s sharp eyes, he shut up and swallowed whatever he wanted to say next.
Deep down, he was scoffing, though.
With that small and weak body of his, why would Mr.
Quinn ever pick him?
Nora returned to the hotel at this time.
Her cell phone started to ring.
After she changed into slippers, leaned on the sofa, and picked upzily, she heard an angry shout from the other end.
¡°You little rascal, have you been cking off again?!
And skipping practice?!¡± Nora rubbed her ears that were stinging from his volume.
¡°I have to sleep, Quinn.
I don¡¯t have time.¡± ¡°Send me Cherry, then!
She¡¯s your daughter, so her body must be even more suitable than yours.
I¡¯ll take her as my apprentice and have her seed me!
Have you found your son yet?
Our style ultimately still suits boys better.
Bring them both if you¡¯ve found him!¡± Nora repliedzily, ¡°Has the Quinn School of Martial Arts be that destitute that they have to rely on a five-year-old to breathe new life into the school?¡± Quinn yelled, ¡°¡And who¡¯s to me for that?
It¡¯s all because I was blind enough to take someone aszy as you as my apprentice!
That Irvin fellow keeps showing off his apprentices to me.
My apprentices can¡¯t fall behind, either!
Come to New York and have a showdown with his apprentices if you¡¯re free!¡± Quinn and Irvin were lifetime rivals.
Nora replied unhurriedly, ¡°I¡¯m not free.¡± Then, before Quinn got mad, she added, ¡°But I am indeeding to New York.
I¡¯ll bring Cherry over and visit you.¡± ¡°When, and what time?
I¡¯ll send someone to pick you up!¡± After Quinn eagerly said that, he immediately heard Nora¡¯s soft chuckle.
The elderly man then said awkwardly, ¡°The one I miss is Cherry, not you!¡± Nora chuckled again.
Then, she hung up after informing him about her arrival date and time.
She picked up a ss of water from the coffee table, took a couple of sips, and then went to take a bath.
Outside the house.
When Cherry, who was holding her cell phone, saw all this through the gap at the door, she said into the voice chat, ¡°Chesty, Mommy¡¯s back!¡± Pete said, ¡°Hide, Cherry.
Daddy¡¯s gone downstairs to look for Mommy!¡± Cherry darted into the stairwell.
Sure enough, she spotted her handsome Daddying out of the elevator.
When he reached their suite and saw that the door was open, he went straight in.
As soon as he entered, Chester dashed over and locked the doors with a huge metal padlock.
After that, he sneaked into the stairwell and asked, ¡°Did you make them drink what I gave you?¡± Cherry replied, ¡°Yes, she drank it!
I put it in her ss of water!¡± Pete also replied, ¡°The tyrant also drank it.¡± Chester then said, ¡°Perfect!
Cherry, your mission now is to prevent Mrs.
Lewis froming back.
Things will definitely heat up between your dad and mom tonight!¡± Cherry asked suspiciously, ¡°What kind of drug did you give to Mommy?¡± Chester grinned.
¡°Children shouldn¡¯t ask about things like that!¡± It was that type of drug, of course!
Additionally, because he knew that Justin had good self-control, he had given them a luxurious, upgraded version!
Inside the room.
Nora was taking a bath when she suddenly heard a sound outside.
She walked out in a bath towel and askedzily, ¡°Cherry, Mrs.
Lewis, are you back?¡± As she spoke, she noticed the man sitting on the sofa.
¡°¡¡±
Chapter 40 - 40 Justin Eating His Own Words
?40: Justin Eating His Own Words 40: Justin Eating His Own Words Justin had immediately realized that something was amiss when he heard someone locking the door.
A short whileter, when he started feeling unwell, he realized that he had been drugged.
There were a lot of people in New York who wanted to be his woman, and they had tried various methods one after another over the years.
It was hard for him to guard against all of them.
During a moment of negligence half a year ago, someone had also sessfully drugged him with the most potent drug in the world.
However, he had been practicing martial arts since he was a child, so his physical fitness was stronger than most.
Thus, he had managed to stubbornly suppress it with his willpower.
Therefore, he was confident that everything would be fine this time as well.
With the door locked, when he heard the sound of sshing watering from the bathroom, he simply sat on the sofa, intending to see what exactly that woman nned to do.
To be honest, he didn¡¯t quite understand her.
She frequently made contact with Pete and even allowed him to call her Mommy.
It stood to reason that she intended to use his son to get near to him, yet every time she was faced with him, she would adopt an indifferent attitude.
It almost made him think that he really was misunderstanding her!
But in the end, she suddenly colluded with his son this evening by drugging him first and then sending him a message asking him toe down.
And now, the two of them were locked in here.
Was she finally intending to go all the way and have the final showdown with him?
For some reason, he was actually looking forward to it a little.
Just as he thought so, the bathroom door opened and a woman walked out surrounded by mist and moisture.
Through the porti¨¨re, what entered his sight first was a pair of delicate feet.
Her feet were bare, and her toes were round and fair.
They looked a little cute.
Justin felt his mouth going dry.
The desire that he had suppressed emerged a little.
Next, he saw her slender ankles and her straight and fair calves.
The porti¨¨re was pushed aside, and the woman stood there wrapped in a white bath towel.
Perhaps because she had juste out of a warm bath, her cheeks were flushed and her hair was damp.
They stuck to her fair and slender shoulders as water droplets slid down from her face to her corbones before sliding further down and seeping into the bath towel¡ In that instant, he felt a sudden surge of warmth in his lower abdomen, which made his brows draw together.
He felt as if all the blood in him was surging into a certain ce!
He clenched his fists and lost control a little for a moment.
His abnormal behavior also entered Nora¡¯s eyes.
The cheeks of the man on the sofa were abnormally red, and his deep-set eyes were stained with desire.
He seemed a little less cold and standoffish than usual, and the mole at the corner of his eye gave him a bewitching allure that wasn¡¯t usually there.
The sight of him slumped on the sofa was actually exuding a sense of enticement?
Nora frowned and asked, ¡°Why are you here?¡± She had only just spoken when the man on the sofa abruptly dived toward her.
The huge force pushed her straight onto the wall behind!
Then, he suppressed his voice and said, ¡°Since Miss Smith has already taken a bath and is exhibiting such enthusiasm, then I¡¡± Before he finished, he had already lowered his head and started kissing her neck.
His scalding hot breath made Nora shiver.
The man¡¯s domineering pheromones entered her nose forcefully.
As he was very tall and had pressed right up against her, his back was slightly arched as he bent over.
An indescribable heat permeated her whole body, making her mouth gradually feel dry and hot.
As a doctor, she instantly understood something.
She tried to push the man away, only to find that he was very strong.
He was still kissing her neck haphazardly.
Nora suddenly lifted her right knee and attacked the most delicate part of the man.
However, the man¡¯srge, scalding-hot hands grabbed her ankles the next moment.
His voice was hoarse and he sounded puzzled as he asked, ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this?¡± Nora snorted coldly.
She leaped nimbly into the air and gave him a roundhouse kick with her left leg!
Bam!
Justin reached out his arm and blocked the blow.
Nora came at him again with a punch.
Upon feeling the sharp momentum of her fisting toward him, Justin turned and ducked.
The woman¡¯s other fist then came toward him with a whoosh, scraping past his ear.
What speed!
In the blink of an eye, both of them backed away after exchanging a few blows and put some distance between themselves.
Nora frowned.
There was concealed anger in her cat-like eyes.
She was about to say something when the bath towel suddenly slipped off and she felt a chill all over her body.
¡°¡¡± Nora¡¯s brain stopped working for a second.
Then, she quickly squatted down to pick up the bath towel, only to find that it was twisted into a clump and couldn¡¯t be straightened out quickly.
Seeing the man looking over in astonishment, Nora picked up the bath towel in a split second and flung it onto Justin¡¯s face.
Justin was about to grab the bath towel and remove it when he heard her shout coldly, ¡°I won¡¯t let you out of this room alive if you take it off!¡± Justin was astounded.
No one had ever threatened him like that in his whole life!
However, the anger in the woman¡¯s voice made him pause his movements.
She¡ didn¡¯t want to do it with him?
Nora took the opportunity to hurriedly pick up a nightgown from the side.
With her back to him, she put it on while saying, ¡°I¡¯ve also been drugged.¡± Justin, who had keen senses, could hear the sounds.
Judging from them, the other party had already put on her clothes.
He took off the bath towel and stared at her with a frown.
¡°Are you trying to say that it wasn¡¯t you?¡± The corners of Nora¡¯s lips spasmed.
Her gaze swept across a certain part of his body as she replied, ¡°Don¡¯t be too confident of yourself, Mr.
Hunt.¡± Justin was rendered speechless.
He used the bath towel, which he was holding with both hands, to block his body in a seemingly casual manner as he asked hesitantly, ¡°If you weren¡¯t the one that did it, then who did?¡± Seeing that he was no longer being impulsive, Nora turned and went to the study.
¡°Wait a minute.¡± She dug out a set of clothes from the study and put it on.
Then, she picked up herptop and walked to the living room.
By the time she saw him again, the man had already returned to the sofa and sat back down.
Apart from his cheeks that were still a little red, he looked fine.
If it weren¡¯t for the bulge at the bath towel around his waist, the man would have seemed like his usual self.
An impressed Nora secretly sighed and thought¡ª¡¯What powerful self-control.¡¯ If it weren¡¯t because she had been taking a lot of medicine since she was a child, making her immune to most drugs, Nora would probably have lost control!
Yet he had actually suppressed those distracting thoughts in just two minutes.
Justin¡¯s deep-set eyes flickered with dim light when he glimpsed the look in her eyes.
He said, ¡°You still have time to change your mind, Miss Smith.¡± Nora was puzzled.
That man was really overconfident of himself.
She said sarcastically, ¡°I¡¯m really not interested in you, Mr.
Hunt.
Even if both you and I fall victim to someone¡¯s schemes and you¡¯re standingpletely naked in front of me, I still won¡¯t feel anything.¡± It really wasn¡¯t her?
Justin actually felt a vague sense of regret.
In spite of that, he showed no verbal mercy.
¡°¡ It seems that you were the one who waspletely naked just now.¡± Nora was dumbfounded.
Her face tensed up instantly and she walked straight over.
She ced herptop on the table, opened it, and pushed it in front of him.
Justin was taken aback.
¡°What?¡± Nora slowly said, ¡°Enter your ount password and check the surveince cameras, of course!
Even if we don¡¯t know who the person that drugged us was, surely we can find out who locked the door just now?¡± Seeing how sure she was, Justin became increasingly displeased.
He tapped a few keys at random and then tapped the Enter key.
Real-time surveince camera footage instantly appeared on theputer.
Three people were currently standing at the door.
Their faces were nearly all pressed against the door, seemingly trying to hear what was going on inside¡
Chapter 41 - 41 They Came Too Late!
?41: They Came Too Late!
41: They Came Too Late!
All three of them were facing the camera.
However, ever since the two children realized the truth, they had deliberately started to wear face masks whenever they were in the hallways to prevent anyone from discovering anything.
The camera¡¯s resolution was also very low, so it was impossible to differentiate between the two children right away.
Justin hesitated for a moment.
Then, he pointed to one of the children first and said, ¡°This seems to be Pete.¡± Nora scoffed and said, ¡°That¡¯s my daughter.¡± To be honest, not only were the two children exactly the same height, but their physiques were also identical.
Nora was only able to recognize Cherry because of the Spider-Man outfit she was wearing.
Unconvinced, Justin asked, ¡°Really?¡± He couldn¡¯t tell.
As such, he fixed his gaze on Chester instead.
When he did, a fierce murderous aura immediately emerged from him!
Nora¡¯s sarcastic voice rang out beside him.
¡°That seems to be your younger brother, Mr.
Hunt.¡± ¡°¡¡± Outside the door, three heads were lined up in turn.
Their heads were turned sideways, and they had their ears against the door as they quietly listened to the sounds in the room.
Thud!
ng!
Bam!
Themotion inside the room made all three of them bewildered.
A puzzled Cherry and Pete looked at Chester.
¡°Uncle Chester, what are Mommy and Daddy doing?
Are they tearing down the ce?¡± Chester replied triumphantly, ¡°They are ¡®fighting¡¯ with each other!
It¡¯s not something that children have to understand!
In any case, their rtionship will definitely improve after the fight!¡± Cherry was a little worried.
She asked, ¡°Is the fight supposed to be this intense?¡± Chester raised an eyebrow and answered, ¡°Of course!
Lives may even be ¡®at stake¡¯ here!
The two of you are exactly the results of their fight in the past!¡± ¡°¡¡± Cherry was confused.
She frowned and asked, ¡°But what if Mommy beats Daddy up so badly that he breaks?¡± A sullen-looking Pete even became angry.
¡°How can Daddy lift his hand against a woman?
He¡¯s too ungentlemanly!
No wonder he can¡¯t woo Mommy sessfully.¡± Chester was confused.
Then, he continued to listen to the sounds in the room for a while with great interest while secretly being impressed¡ªJustin really was Justin after all.
Themotion they were making sure was huge.
However, the sounds stopped after just a short while.
He pressed his ear closer against the door and asked in a low voice, ¡°I can¡¯t help but feel bad helping you guys hide the truth from Justin.
When are you going to tell him the truth?¡± Although Cherry was quick-witted, she didn¡¯t have any concrete opinion on this matter.
Thus, she looked at her brother.
Pete pursed his lips and answered, ¡°I¡¯ll tell him everything after Mommy cures Great-Grandma¡¯s illness.¡± Pete had thought it through very clearly.
Blindly keeping this a secret was disrespectful toward his parents, especially when his mother was still searching all over the world for him while going through unimaginable mental torment.
If they didn¡¯t fall in love with each other even after spending the next few days together, then he wouldn¡¯t force them anymore.
Just as Chester was about to say something, the door suddenly shook¡ªsomeone was banging on the door from inside.
A furious voice immediately came from within the room: ¡°Chester, open this door right now!¡± ¡°¡¡± A minuteter, the metal padlock was opened.
A furious Justin took Pete and Chester upstairs.
Nora didn¡¯t care how he was going to punish Chester.
Instead, she was currently sitting on the sofa and staring at Cherry.
She asked sternly and severely, ¡°Why did you do that, Cherry?¡± Cherry hung her head and stared at her fingers, so intimidated that she didn¡¯t dare speak.
Nora softened her tone and asked, ¡°Do you want me to get together with Justin Hunt?¡± Cherry nodded and replied, ¡°Mommy, if you trick Da¡ª I mean, Justin into bing your husband, how impressive would it be when you take him out with you?!
Not only is he handsome, but he¡¯s also rich!
Don¡¯t you want that?¡± Nora was rendered speechless.
She rubbed her temples and asked, ¡°Whose lousy idea was this?¡± Cherry unceremoniously sold her uncle out this time.
¡°Chesty¡¯s!¡± Upstairs.
Chester looked at Justin, who was sitting on the sofa with a serious look, with trepidation.
He swallowed and said, ¡°J-Justin, I meant well.
You haven¡¯t been with any woman for so many years.
What if you go crazy from excessive abstinence?¡± He was so frightened that his legs were jelly.
He had only just mped his legs together when he heard Justin¡¯s deep voice: ¡°As punishment, no living expenses for you for half a year.¡± His words stunned Chester, and he blurted, ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± He had thought that because he had plotted against Justin, going by the tyrant¡¯s way of doing things, he would have castrated him and made him an invalid from the waist down.
Justin raised an eyebrow.
¡°What, do you find it too lenient?¡± Chester immediately reacted and jumped back anxiously.
He replied, ¡°No, of course not!
That¡¯s half a year¡¯s living expenses!
How am I going to buy game credits?!
It can¡¯t get any worse than that!¡± After he fled, Justin leaned on the sofa.
The scene that shed across his mind, however, was him holding down the shoulders of the woman staying downstairs and kissing her.
He touched his lips¡ªthere, the smooth sensation still seemed to remain.
Then, he subconsciously thought of when the bath towel had suddenly dropped¡ Nope, he hadn¡¯t seen anything.
Not at all.
¡ª The next day.
Nora got Mrs.
Lewis to pack their belongings early in the morning.
Then, she went to the airport at noon.
Knowing that she was going to New York with Justin, Simon and Melissa also decided to take the same flight back.
Upon return, Simon would be transferred to Hospital Finest in New York.
There, the standard of medical care was much better than in California.
It was only upon arriving at the airport that Nora found out that they were actually taking a private jet.
An impressed Melissa remarked with a sigh, ¡°Private jets have to be scheduled in advance, so everyone else has to make reservations in advance.
For Justin to arrange for all these so quickly, the Hunts live up to their reputation as the number one family indeed.¡± At the mention of the Hunts, Nora¡¯s eyes flickered awkwardly a little.
Thereafter, Nora also got a taste of how meticulous of a person Justin was.
Justin had arranged a room for her that not only had arge andfortable bed but also came with a shower room so that her sleeping needs could be fully met.
She slept the whole way there.
Two hourster, they arrived in New York.
Melissa went home with Cherry and the luggage first, while Nora and the hospital staff who came to pick them up apanied Simon and Justin to Hospital Finest.
When they arrived at the hospital, Nora helped Simon to settle down in the VIP ward first.
Then, she went to the ICU ward.
Justin had already sent her the elderly Mrs.
Hunt¡¯s medical records back in California when she first agreed to treat her illness.
Nora didn¡¯t want to waste time.
The day she saved the elderlydy¡¯s life was the day that her son would return.
As such, she wanted to go over and take a look and schedule surgery for her as early as possible.
But little did she expect to hear urgent beepinging from the heart rate monitor inside the ICU ward the moment she reached!
At the door, a few people from Howard¡¯s side of the family were confronting Justin and Pete.
Pete, who was wearing a mask and a cap, was looking at the ward anxiously.
Justin¡¯s second uncle was pointing at Pete and yelling, ¡°You jinx!
Your Great-Grandma went into critical condition the moment you came back!
Given her current condition, she won¡¯t be able to undergo surgery even if we find Anti!
It¡¯s toote!¡± Pete¡¯s eyes reddened as he clenched his tiny fists.
Great-Grandma, you have to hold on!
Justin frowned.
He had a look of consternation all over his countenance.
His grandmother had obviously been in stable condition.
Why would her condition suddenly deteriorate so quickly?
Beep¡ Suddenly, a sharp voice reached them from inside the ICU ward.
¡°We¡¯re losing her!¡± The doctor¡¯s shout also traveled out of the ward¡
Chapter 42 - 42 Mommy, Save Great-Grandma!
?42: Mommy, Save Great-Grandma!
42: Mommy, Save Great-Grandma!
The ce was in chaos.
The sound of doctors and nurses administering emergency medical treatment could be hearding from the room.
¡°Mom!¡± ¡°Grandma!¡± ¡°Great-Grandma!¡± Justin¡¯s uncle¡¯s family burst into tears.
All of them were crying and they acted as if they were terribly sad.
¡°Shut up!¡± Justin barked fiercely, causing their sobs to stop abruptly.
Justin¡¯s second uncle, Raymond Hunt, immediately said reproachfully, ¡°Never mind if you¡¯re not crying because you¡¯re cold-blooded, Justin.
Why are you forbiddi¡ª¡± Justin shot him a re and snapped, ¡°Grandma isn¡¯t dead!¡± Raymond was so frightened by him that the words he was about to utter became stuck in his throat.
His family also gradually stopped crying.
Justin pressed his lips together and stared hard at the ward.
Pete¡¯s tiny body started to tremble.
Even someone like him who was usually clever and quick-witted for his age was at a loss now.
As if sensing his panic, Justin ced hisrge warm hand on his shoulder.
Pete gradually calmed down.
When he turned to the side, he immediately saw Justin looking down at him from above.
Justin¡¯s voice was rich and mellow as he said, ¡°Don¡¯t be scared, Pete.¡± Pete¡¯s eyes reddened again and he nodded.
Nora had already walked over to the ward by then.
She nced at Pete.
When she was on the ne, because she needed to sleep, she had stayed inside her room with Cherry the whole time and hadn¡¯t interacted with Justin and his son.
Now that she was observing him so closely, she realized that his physique really was very simr to Cherry¡¯s.
When she wanted to observe him a little more, the sounds in the ward caught her attention.
When Justin noticed that she didn¡¯t enter the ward immediately upon arriving but instead looked at him, his heart sank.
Did Anti also think that Grandma was doomed?
His voice was very low.
For the first time, there was helplessness and pleading in his voice.
He said, ¡°Miss Smith, pleas¡ª¡± However, before he could finish, Nora had already retracted her gaze and entered the ward.
Hospital Finest was indeed worthy of its reputation as a renowned hospital in the country.
Ranging from their equipment to the doctors, it boasted the best medical conditions in the States.
Even the nurses were highly professional.
Everyone moved in an orderly manner as they tried to save the patient.
¡°Prepare to apply electric shock!¡± ¡°200 volts!¡± Bam!
¡°¡¡± Beep, beep, beep!
¡Beep¡ beep¡ When her heart finally started beating again, the doctors and nurses breathed sighs of relief.
Nora, however, frowned.
She had observed the patient¡¯s various data previously¡ ¡°Mr.
Hunt, the old Mrs.
Hunt¡¯s body is already at its limit.
The cardiac arrest just now has caused multiple organ failures.
If she doesn¡¯t wake up in time, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll be life-threatening.¡± The chief doctor, who was part of the emergency rescue efforts just now, took off her mask, revealing a bright and attractive face underneath.
Her voice was calm and steady as she rted the patient¡¯s condition.
A frowning Justin asked, ¡°Dr.
York, Grandma has always been healthy.
Why did this suddenly happen?¡± At his question, Tina York frowned and let out a sigh.
She replied, ¡°Mrs.
Hunt is already 80 years old after all.
Her body is no longer as healthy as before.¡± Justin looked at Nora and asked, ¡°Do we proceed with surgery immediately?¡± ¡°No, you mustn¡¯t!¡± Tina shook her head before Nora could reply.
Her voice was mild and gentle as she spoke, making her seem like a reliable person.
She said, ¡°Mrs.
Hunt is too weak at the moment.
We¡¯ve only just snatched her back from the jaws of death.
If she undergoes surgery now, the operation will bring further harm to her.¡± Nora didn¡¯t speak.
Instead, she was carefully observing the patient.
Mrs.
Hunt¡¯s eyes were closed.
She was thin and her face was filled with dense wrinkles.
There was barely any sign of life in her as sheid on the bed.
Her body was indeed in an extremely weakened state.
However, if she didn¡¯t undergo surgery, resulting in the blood clot in her brain impeding blood cirction for a prolonged period of time, it was possible that the chances of her waking up in the future would be very low.
While she was thinking, another quarrel broke out outside the door.
Raymond and his family had also heard what Tina said.
Infuriated, Raymond eximed, ¡°Does that mean my mother is doomed?!
Oh, why is your life so hard, Mom?
We¡¯ve already told you that the boy that Justin brought back is an ingrate, yet you refuse to believe us and insisted on keeping him by your side!
But in the end, he so cruelly pushed you down the stairs instead!
He might as well have killed you!¡± Raymond was 55 years old this year.
He looked thin but energetic, and had a shrewd look in his eyes that came from many years of life experience.
His son, Roger Hunt, had the Hunts¡¯ exclusive deep-set eyes.
However, the look in his eyes wasn¡¯t as deep and unfathomable as Justin¡¯s.
On the contrary, he was always smiling and gave off a feeling as if he was up to no good.
He sighed and choked on his sobs as he said, ¡°Don¡¯t say that, Dad.
Pete isn¡¯t a normal child after all.
He¡¯s mentally ill.
He didn¡¯t mean to suffer a rpse.
He didn¡¯t want to hurt his grandma, either¡¡± There was a boy in their side of the family who was in the same generation as Pete.
Because he was fat, he was nicknamed Fatty.
His cheeks were so fleshy that even his eyes had disappeared.
Fatty rushed up to Pete, stretched out his chubby hand, and sent it flying toward Pete¡¯s face fiercely while he shouted, ¡°You little freak and murderer!¡± Justin was about to ask Nora for her opinion after hearing what Tina said.
However, at such a critical moment, his uncle and his family were actually ignoring his grandmother¡¯s condition and were starting to attack Pete again.
When he saw Fatty raise his hand and send it toward Pete¡¯s face, Justin¡¯s eyes darkened and he couldn¡¯t restrain the anger that he had been suppressing anymore.
He lifted his foot and knocked Fatty onto the ground as fast as he could!
The kick caused Fatty to slide a meter away on the ground.
As he was fat, his blubber acted as a buffer.
Moreover, Justin had also deliberately kept his strength under control, so he didn¡¯t suffer any internal injury.
However, the pain nevertheless made him burst into tears.
He crawled and scrambled over to Raymond and hid behind him.
¡°Save me, Grandpa!
Uncle Justin¡¯s trying to kill me!¡± Raymond shouted angrily, ¡°Justin, what are you doing?!¡± Anger roiled in Justin¡¯s deep-set eyes.
The beauty mark at his eye was cold and ruthless as he said, ¡°If you can¡¯t keep your grandson in check, then I¡¯ll do it for you.¡± Raymond yelled, ¡°Why don¡¯t you keep your son in check first instead?!
He caused his own grandmother¡¯s death!
That¡¯s absolutely unforgivable!¡± Justin, who had an imposing aura all around him, took a step forward and said, ¡°Pete didn¡¯t kill anyone.
I trust him.¡± Roger stood in between him and Fatty and his father.
He let out a sigh that was as gentle as ever and said, ¡°Justin, there¡¯s no use even if you trust him.
It¡¯s obvious from the footage from the surveince cameras in the living room that Pete had pushed Grandaunt.
We¡¯ve already given the footage to Grandpa, and they¡¯ve decided that they¡¯ll hold a family meeting this weekend and expel Pete from the Hunts!¡± Apart from the servants at home that testified that Pete had quarreled with his great-grandmother, the most fundamental evidence supporting the usation that Pete had pushed her was the surveince camera footage.
The video footage was taken from the back.
In the video, the elderly Mrs.
Hunt was falling while Pete¡¯s arm was outstretched¡ No matter how one looked at it, it simply looked as if Pete had pushed her down.
They had both witnesses¡¯ testimonies as well as material evidence.
Therefore, they had only one option left now, and that was to save Mrs.
Hunt and have her regain consciousness.
She was the only person who could prove Pete¡¯s innocence!
Although his son had never spoken up for himself, Justin trusted him from the beginning to the end!
Pete stared hard at the ward.
He couldn¡¯t hear the others reprimanding him at all.
The only thing he cared about was Great-Grandma.
Seeing the elderlydy lying motionless, his eyes reddened.
He suddenly rushed into the ward, hugged Nora¡¯s leg, and pleaded, ¡°Mommy, save Great-Grandma!¡±
Chapter 43 - 43 Wheres Your Son
?43: Where¡¯s Your Son?
43: Where¡¯s Your Son?
Nora was shocked.
She, who was checking Mrs.
Hunt¡¯s various health indicators, froze.
She slowly lowered her head and immediately saw the little boy who always brought her a sense of familiarity.
He was currently looking up at her.
He had a mask and a cap on, so his looks couldn¡¯t be clearly seen.
However, those familiar eyes of his were full of familial love and pleading.
Nora¡¯s mind suddenly went nk.
Some kind of thought was about to sh across her mind, but it was at this moment that another machine sounded an rm.
Saving the patient was what mattered the most at the moment.
She refocused on the situation in front of her and looked over¡ªMrs.
Hunt¡¯s blood pressure had risen a little.
Tina also hurried in at this point, and it was then that she finally noticed Nora.
She put on a mask and frowned as she asked, ¡°Who are you?
This is the ICU ward.
Please go out immediately!¡± ¡°Miss Smith is here on my request.¡± Justin shortly also entered the ward.
He ordered, ¡°Let her take part in the rescue efforts.¡± Tina paused for a moment and a sharp look shed across her eyes.
However, she suddenly thought of something and she nodded and said, ¡°Alright, sure.¡± The ward entered another busy period.
Justin took Pete with him and left the ward.
Nora wisely stood at the side.
Tina suddenly looked at her and asked sarcastically and disdainfully, ¡°Sodium nitroprusside, Dr.
Smith?¡± Sodium nitroprusside was the most basic drug to lower blood pressure.
Nora nodded.
Tina quickly injected the drug into Mrs.
Hunt and stabilized her condition again.
After reading the medical records, looking at thetest CT scans, and getting a good idea of the patient¡¯s condition, Nora finally walked out of the ward with Tina.
Tina was walking in front.
As soon as she left the ward, she saw Justin striding toward her.
She took off her mask and, with a solemn look, was about to speak when Justin walked straight past her to Nora instead.
He looked nervous as he asked, ¡°Is surgery possible?¡± Tina quickly spoke ahead of Nora.
She said, ¡°Mr.
Hunt, Mrs.
Hunt¡¯s current condition is veryplicated.
She has high blood pressure, multiple organ failure, and it¡¯s taking a huge toll on her heart.
If she undergoes surgery now, even if Anti were around, there¡¯ll only be a 30% sess rate if we can¡¯t protect her heart.
¡°There¡¯s a 70% chance that the patient will die mid-operation.
Additionally, the operation is also very traumatic to the patient.
Even if she¡¯s lucky enough to survive, her heart would be damaged, and she may only end up having half a year left.
Dr.
Smith, am I right?¡± Her analysis was very reasonable.
Nora nodded.
When Tina saw that she at least still had some self-awareness, she didn¡¯t pay any more attention to her.
She nced at Raymond and the others who were nearby and suddenly lowered her voice and said, ¡°However, I do have a safe suggestion here, Mr.
Hunt.¡± Justin finally looked her way.
Tina raised her chin slightly and said unhurriedly, ¡°As you know, I¡¯m a student of Mr.
Myers, a master of alternative traditional medicine techniques.
I¡¯m also familiar with some of these techniques.
To be honest, I can use acupuncture to allow Mrs.
Hunt to temporarily regain consciousness.¡± ¡°Temporarily?¡± Justin was puzzled.
Tina had both hands in the pockets of her whiteb coat and her straight hair was all tucked behind her head.
At nearly 30 years old, her age made her look reliable yet also feminine.
Her voice was even and mild, which made people put trust in her.
¡°Yes, I can use acupuncture needles to forcibly break through the blood clot in her brain so that she¡¯ll wake up temporarily.
This is themonly known phenomenon where one experiences a short-lived period of good health prior to their demise.
However, she¡¯ll only be able tost one day after she wakes up.
After that, she¡¯ll¡¡± Justin¡¯s eyes suddenly widened and he pressed his lips tightly together.
When Tina saw that he understood what she was saying, she slowly said, ¡°Mrs.
Hunt¡¯s condition is such that if she undergoes surgery now, even if it goes well, she¡¯ll only be able tost half a year after using the best medication.
If the operation fails and she fails to regain consciousness, going by her current condition, she¡¯ll only be able to live for another two months.
¡°But if you take up my suggestion, Mrs.
Hunt can wake up immediately and clear Pete¡¯s name.
You don¡¯t want him to be ndered for life, do you?¡± Nora, who had been standing next to her all this time, was bewildered.
Doctors should be benevolent.
However, her suggestion was tantamount to murder!
She cast her cat-like eyes down slightly to hide her disdain.
As the head of the number one family in the States, Justin was a ruthless and domineering man.
Tina¡¯s suggestion was indeed in his son¡¯s best interests.
The thought had only just formed in her mind when she heard Justin¡¯s cold warning.
¡°Dr.
York, your duty is to the patient.¡± Suppressed by his aura, Tina immediately lowered her head and said, ¡°My apologies, Mr.
Hunt.
I watched Pete grow up, so I ended up too concerned and got my priorities wrong.¡± Justin didn¡¯t pay any more attention to her.
He asked Nora, ¡°Ms.
Smith, is surgery possible or not?¡± These words were something that Nora had heard countless times from her patients or their families.
However, the man¡¯s voice was as low and rich as cello timbre, which made her mood improve for some inexplicable reason.
The corners of Nora¡¯s lips quirked upward slightly and she slowly uttered, ¡°Yes, it is.¡± Then, she even added an extra line as reassurance for the narcissistic man in front of her: ¡°The sess rate is 99%.¡± The remaining 1% was attributed to force majeure.
After all, what if an earthquake were to suddenly ur?
¡°Dr.
Smith, you must be bluffing?¡± Tina said, ¡°Mr.
Hunt, as Mrs.
Hunt¡¯s doctor, I must tell you that the sess rate would only be 30% even if Anti were here.
You mustn¡¯t let her fool you!¡± However, Justin didn¡¯t seem to have any doubt about her words.
He immediately ordered, ¡°Prepare the operating room.¡± Seeing that he wasn¡¯t listening to her at all, Tina tried to calm herself down.
Then, she secretly sneered, That doctor honestly thinks too highly of herself!
She¡¯s just courting her own death!
Let¡¯s see how Mr.
Hunt deals with her when the elderly Mrs.
Hunt dies mid-operation!
By the time the operating room was ready, Lily and her other assistants had already arrived.
There was no way she would use outsiders for such a difficult operation, of course.
Nora entered the ward after she put on the surgical gown in the sterile room.
Lilyined softly, ¡°The patient is very advanced in her years, Anti.
The biggest problem isn¡¯t the head but the heart.
Surgery indeed isn¡¯t rmended in her case.
Why did you take it up?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take care of the heart.¡± Nora took out a few needles and pierced the olddy¡¯s heart with them quickly and urately, thereby sealing and protecting her heart meridian.
Her cat-like eyes gleamed.
The top surgeon was just a title that others had given her.
No one knew that she was actually more skilled at alternative medicine instead.
Five hourster.
An exhausted Nora removed her surgical gown and walked out of the operating room.
As she was drugged the night before, it had resulted in her being a little short on energy today.
She leaned against the sofa in the sterile area and closed her eyes.
In her daze, the familiar voice rang in her mind again: ¡°Mommy, save Great-Grandma!¡± Those eyes and that voice¡ªthey seemed so familiar to her!
Nora woke up with a start.
She hesitantly went out and immediately spotted Justin who had been waiting outside the whole time.
The man was leaning against the wall.
When he saw her walking toward him in a rare show of emotion, the corners of his lips curled up a little.
Even the beauty mark at his eye seemed to be smiling.
And yet she denied having feelings for him.
That scorching look in her eyes at this moment was so passionate.
While his imagination was running wild, the woman rushed up to him and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s your son?¡± Justin was bewildered.
Chapter 44 - 44 Investigate His Son!
?44: Investigate His Son!
44: Investigate His Son!
Justin had a puzzled look in his deep-set eyes.
Why was she instead asking about his son aftering up to him?
Without any change in his expression, he replied casually, ¡°He¡¯s gone back first.
Is something the matter?¡± The operation hadsted for six hours and it was already 1 am in the morning.
Pete had originally nned to stick it out, but he was still young after all and couldn¡¯t endure it.
Thus, Justin had sent someone to take him home first.
He¡¯s left?
Nora immediately lost interest.
She retracted her gaze and reverted to herzy stance.
¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.
Why are you still here?¡± Justin slowly stood up straight and looked at her intently.
The beauty mark at his eye looked a little more bewitching under the light and his voice was low and alluring as he replied, ¡°I¡¯m waiting for you.¡± ¡°¡¡± It waste at night.
Moonlight shone through the windows onto the quiet hallway.
The man was now a little close to her after he straightened his back, making the atmosphere seem somewhat amorous.
In this instant, Nora even formed the misconception that the man was flirting with her.
She shook her head slightly to get rid of the distracting thoughts in her mind.
Then, she chuckled softly and said, ¡°It¡¯s understandable that the patient¡¯s family is worried about her.
Don¡¯t worry, Mrs.
Hunt will be fine.¡± She took out her cell phone and checked her text messages.
¡°The Andersons have sent someone to pick me up.
I¡¯m going off first.¡± The woman turned around neatly after saying that.
When she walked, it was as if she was toozy to even lift her legs.
The way she walked was definitely not an elegant one; in fact, it even felt a littlezy.
However, she wasn¡¯t slow and her back view actually felt intriguing.
Justin, who was a stepte, followed after her.
He didn¡¯t doubt the skills of the person he had found.
He trusted that she had done a good job.
Besides, it was exactly because he intended to personally send her home to the Andersons that he had waited here.
But unexpectedly, right after he turned the corner, he saw the woman holding her cell phone and making a call.
Her voice was a little low as she said, ¡°Look up Justin for me.¡± Justin was puzzled.
He stopped in his tracks.
There was genuinely some puzzlement and perplexity in his usually cold and tough countenance at this moment.
After so many years of immersion in the world ofmerce, he could almost see through everyone¡¯s thoughts by now.
Yet that woman was the only person who seemed covered in a magical veil.
Her form was vague and charming, and he couldn¡¯t see through her at all.
For example, wasn¡¯t she a little too fickle?
She had been cool and indifferent toward him both the night before and just now, yet she was getting someone to investigate him a momentter?
He didn¡¯t go after her again and neither did Nora notice the man behind her.
After another turn, she continued and said a second line: ¡°I want all the information about his son.¡± On the other end of the phone call, Solo¡¯s mind was full of question marks.
¡°Why are you looking up his son?
Oh, I see, you want to be his stepmother, right?
Heh, I told you Justin is a first-ss beauty, didn¡¯t I?
Sure enough, you can¡¯t control yourself anymore after seeing him, right?
Say, is he especially handsome?¡± The light in Nora¡¯s eyes flickered.
Was he handsome?
The way he looked on the sofa the night before, when he was obviously drugged yet still highly restraining himself, was indeed rather alluring.
She replied dispassionately, ¡°He¡¯s passable.¡± Solo whistled and said, ¡°Tsk, in all these years that I¡¯ve known you, there are only a rare few that you even deem passable.
I think the two of you have a chance!
Are you nning to¡ª¡± Nora interrupted him and said, ¡°I hope to see the information in my mailbox when I wake up.¡± Solo replied, ¡°¡ Alright.¡± After hanging up, she got into the car that the Andersons had sent to pick her up.
Not in the mood to admire New York¡¯s night scenery, she closed her eyes and fell asleep in a daze.
¡°Miss Smith?
Miss Smith?¡± When a dazed Nora opened her eyes, she found that she had already arrived at the Andersons.
The car had stopped at the porch and the small three-story vi was brightly lit.
It was obvious that the upants were still awake.
Nora yawned and nced at the time as she got out of the car and found that it was already two o¡¯clock in the morning.
The Andersons¡¯ vi was decorated in a simple European style.
As soon as she entered, she was greeted with a simple and refreshing aura.
Four people sat on the sofa.
An olddy who was nearly 80 years old was seated in the middle.
The years had left their marks of vicissitude on her visage and her eyes looked ahead of her nkly.
She asked, ¡°Is she here?
Why do I hear the car?¡± Melissa, who was sitting on the left, smiled gently and said, ¡°She¡¯s here!¡± The elderly Mrs.
Anderson immediately stood up excitedly.
She stretched out her arm in front of her and grabbed about as she called out, ¡°Nora?
You¡¯re Nora, right?
Do you look like your mother?¡± A youngdy sat on her right.
She looked to be in her early twenties and resembled Melissa a little, and there was some gracefulness in herrge eyes.
She held the elderly Mrs.
Anderson¡¯s arm and said, ¡°Grandma, Nora is a spitting image of her mother.
She looks just like her.¡± Melissaughed and said, ¡°You make it sound like you¡¯ve met your aunt before.¡± Back then, when the Andersons¡¯ eldest daughter had run away from home, Melissa hadn¡¯t wedded Simon yet.
Even after the wedding, she saw more photos of Nora¡¯s mother than her actual person.
Sheril Anderson stuck out her tongue and replied, ¡°Although I¡¯ve never met her before, we¡¯re connected by blood.
I felt a sense of kinship with Nora the moment I saw her!¡± ¡°Meh, what a fawner.¡± The young man sitting across from the three of them was likely a college student.
His handsome face was full of wildness and unruliness.
Sheril ignored him and took a brisk step forward instead.
Then, she gently pulled Nora over to Mrs.
Anderson and ced her hand on the olddy¡¯s.
Nora was actually taken aback a little.
She grew up with the Smiths.
When she was a child, she had always been ridiculed for being obese.
Moreover, because of her poor health, she didn¡¯t go out much and had stayed in her bedroom all the time.
Initially, she still went downstairs for her three daily meals, butter on, Wendy got someone to bring her food upstairs, so she didn¡¯t even have to leave her bedroom to eat anymore.
When she was a child, she was a lonely person.
She used to envy how happy a family the three of them looked.
Whenever she saw Angtching onto Henry and wheedling, she would also hope for love from her family.
But the way Henry looked at her with disgust every time made Nora gradually lose that desire.
Thus, she ced her focus in other ces instead, such asputer hacking, medicine, martial arts, and so on.
Therefore, she was rarely this intimate with people.
However, the disgust that she had imagined didn¡¯te.
The elderlydy¡¯s hands were a little soft because of her loose skin, but the dry heat of her palms seemed to prate the distant disguise she had put on.
¡°Nora¡¡± The olddy was so worked up that her hands were shaking.
¡°You¡¯ve had such a hard time all these years!¡± ¡°¡¡± Seeing that Nora didn¡¯t know what to do, Melissa said, ¡°Mom, Nora is back now.
It¡¯s already two in the morning.
Why don¡¯t we go to bed first?
We can talk tomorrow instead.¡± ¡°Okay, okay¡¡± Mrs.
Anderson wiped her tears and said, ¡°Nora, you must be tired, too.
Go to bed for now.¡± Melissa got Sheril to take the olddy back to her bedroom while Nora followed her upstairs.
Melissa said, ¡°We¡¯ve kept your mother¡¯s room intact all these years.
Now that you¡¯re back, you can take her room.
Cherry is already asleep.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°By the way, Nora, I didn¡¯t tell anyone that Mr.
Hunt asked you to go to the hospital to perform an operation on his grandmother.
I was afraid that they would be worried.¡± Nora didn¡¯t want to reveal her identity, either.
She only wanted to stay here quietly for a few days.
Once Mrs.
Hunt woke up, she would return to California to look for her son.
She nodded.
As she was simply too tired, she didn¡¯t even take a good look at the room and went straight to bed.
The next day, as soon as she woke up, she saw Melissa in a panic outside her door.
She said, ¡°Nora, something¡¯s gone wrong in the hospital!¡±
Chapter 45 - 45 She Mustnt Let It Pass Her By!
?45: She Mustn¡¯t Let It Pass Her By!
45: She Mustn¡¯t Let It Pass Her By!
When Nora opened her eyes, Cherry was no longer by her side.
She was likely ying downstairs.
She took a look around the room after she got up.
It was twice asrge as her bedroom in the Smith residence in California and was decorated in white and gray tones.
One could vaguely see that her mother had been a strong woman.
After washing up, she walked to the study that came with the room and found that it was very clean.
From the details, one could see how thoughtful the Andersons were.
Nora picked up a book¡ªit was about biological sciences and the pharmaceutical industry.
It was no wonder her mother had founded Idealian Pharmaceuticals.
Someone suddenly knocked lightly on her bedroom door.
Nora opened the door and immediately heard an anxious Melissa say, ¡°Nora, something¡¯s gone wrong in the hospital!¡± Nora raised an eyebrow.
¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Mr.
Hunt called just now and said that Mrs.
Hunt still hasn¡¯t woken up.
He asked you to give him a call once you wake up.¡± Nora was rendered speechless.
Here she was, thinking that something terrible had really happened.
She called Justin.
When the call connected, the man¡¯s low and deep voice was as if a musical instrument striking her eardrums.
He said, ¡°Miss Smith, my grandmother still hasn¡¯t woken up.¡± ¡°Sorry,¡± Nora coughed and said, ¡°I forgot to tell you yesterday that the patient is too weak, so she¡¯ll only regain consciousness this weekend.¡± It was indeed her mistake not to inform the patient¡¯s family about the details.
Justin fell silent for a moment.
Nora thought of the dispute that had taken ce in the hallway when she was busy checking the olddy¡¯s condition the day before, and she asked, ¡°Will it cause you any trouble?¡± ¡°Those are just trivial matters.¡± Justin paused.
Then, he suddenly asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you have toe over and take a look today, Miss Smith?¡± Nora asked straightforwardly, ¡°Is your son in the hospital?¡± ¡°¡No, he isn¡¯t.¡± Nora immediately replied, ¡°Oh.
It¡¯s pointless even if I go over.
It¡¯s fine as long as the patient¡¯s vitals are all normal.
I trust that the doctors in Hospital Finest would be more professional than me when ites to nursing care.¡± Hospital Finest was directly affiliated with the number one family.
The family was strong and powerful, and the wages and work benefits they offered were extremely attractive.
40% of the renowned experts in the country were working in Hospital Finest.
¡°¡¡± In the hospital, Justin looked through the ss window on the door at the olddy in the ICU ward.
His lips were pursed tightly and there was a bit of doubt in his eyes.
Why had she asked about his son first?
It was as if she would havee over, had Pete been here.
Justin had a dark and sullen look on his countenance after he hung up.
When Howard noticed his expression, he asked hesitantly, ¡°Is Grandaunt alright, Justin?¡± Justin snorted and replied, ¡°She¡¯s fine.¡± Howard nodded.
Although he hated Pete and felt that he wasn¡¯t worthy of being Justin¡¯s son, in his heart, Howard still hoped that his grandaunt would wake up earlier.
Suddenly, he noticed that Justin was frowning as if he was thinking about the biggest problem in the world.
After a short internal struggle, Justin finally looked at him and asked, ¡°What might be the reason behind a woman showing great interest in Pete?¡± Howard answered, ¡°It must definitely be because she wants to marry you and be his stepmother!¡± A hesitant Justin asked, ¡°But what if she¡¯s very cold and distant toward me?¡± Howard scratched his head.
Then, the brawny but simple-minded man grinned and said, ¡°Uh¡ Surely she isn¡¯t thinking of bing your daughter-inw?
Even though Pete isn¡¯t strong enough, he¡¯s inherited your good features.
He won¡¯t starve to death if he bes someone¡¯s pretty boy in the future.¡± ¡°¡¡± Seeing the cold look almost capable of freezing someone in Justin¡¯s eyes, Howard rubbed his nose and asked carefully, ¡°Justin, if you¡¯re free today, can you take me to the Quinn School of Martial Arts?¡± Justin turned and walked out.
Howard followed after him and asked, ¡°Where are you going, Justin?¡± ¡°To pick up Pete and go to the Quinn School of Martial Arts.¡± At the Andersons.
After Nora hung up, she opened her email inbox and saw an investigation report and message that Solo had sent: ¡°Anti, Justin is surprisingly easy to investigate.
Hacking into hisputer was a walk in the park.
I¡¯ve attached a document with all his information from his childhood to the present.
His everyday whereabouts are listed clearly.
There¡¯s something very strange, though.
Apart from his son¡¯s name¡ªPeter Hunt¡ªeverything else about him is securely hidden.
I couldn¡¯t find anything at all.¡± Nora was rendered speechless.
She opened the file and looked up the month when she had gotten inexplicably pregnant five years ago, only to find that Justin hadn¡¯t been to California at that time.
She closed her mailbox somewhat disappointedly.
Was what happened yesterday really just an illusion?
No, she had to find a way to meet Justin¡¯s son.
She knew it sounded rather crazy, but after five years of fruitless searching, she didn¡¯t want to pass up any possibilities.
¡°Mommy!
Didn¡¯t you say that you¡¯re taking me to Grandpa Quinn¡¯s today?¡± Cherry, who was wearing a princess dress, ran into the room.
Nora saw the text messages that Quinn had sent early in the morning.
She knew that the old man was probably all out of patience by now, yet he still didn¡¯t call her for the fear that he would end up disturbing her.
That was exactly the kind of person Quinn was.
On the surface, he seemed like a cheeky old man who scolded her for beingzy and sleeping every day, yet he was also afraid of disturbing her rest.
The corners of Nora¡¯s lips curled upward slightly and she made a video call to Quinn.
Quinn picked up almost right away.
He reprimanded her loudly, ¡°Are you a pig?
How can you sleep until this time of the day?
It¡¯s already afternoon!
If I had known that¡¯s how you were going to be, I would have sent someone to pick up Cherry long ago!¡± Nora ignored him.
Instead, she pointed the phone camera at Cherry.
When they were abroad, they had often made video calls to each other.
Cherry waved and said adorably, ¡°Grandpa Quinn, Mommy and I will visit you right away!¡± ¡°Good, good.¡± Quinn stroked his gray beard and said, ¡°Let¡¯s hang up and stop wasting time then.
Hurry over now!¡± Nora took Cherry with her and went downstairs.
After greeting Melissa and chatting a little with the elderly Mrs.
Anderson, she learned that Simon would be discharged in another two days.
After that, she took the Andersons¡¯ car and went to the Quinn School of Martial Arts.
Half an hourter, at the Quinn School of Martial Arts entrance.
Justin stood there with his hands behind his back as he looked at the ancient gates.
The words ¡°Quinn¡¯s Martial Arts Hall¡± were written on the signboard above.
Howard, who was standing behind him, nced at Pete with disdain.
Pete had a straight face on and resembled Justin quite a bit when he mimicked him.
But no matter how hard he tried to mimic him, he was still nothing but a little good-for-nothing.
Howard had heard that not only was he mentally ill, but his grades had even dropped again and again in the exams held by the Hunts.
In their generation, Justin had always been far ahead in the lead!
Would Mr.
Quinn even take an interest in someone like him?
He curled his lip.
When he heard footstepsing toward them, he hurriedly stood up straight.
Quinn came out with his hands behind his back.
He didn¡¯t look very happy to see Justin.
He asked, ¡°What are you doing here?
Is Irvin dead yet?¡± Justin bowed respectfully and replied, ¡°Mr.
Quinn, I¡¯m not here by my teacher¡¯s request this time.
Rather, I¡¯d like you to take my son as your disciple.¡± Quinn curled his lip and scoffed, ¡°I¡¯m not interested in your son at al¡ª¡± He had only just said that when he became instantly stunned upon spotting Pete.
He eximed, ¡°Cherry?!¡±
Chapter 46 - 46 Noras Son
?46: Nora¡¯s Son 46: Nora¡¯s Son Quinn stared at Pete.
Then, he rubbed his eyes and looked at him again.
Even the wrinkles on his visage couldn¡¯t hide his surprise.
In the past five years, although he hadn¡¯t seen Cherry in person before, they often made video calls to each other.
However, people would always look a little bigger and fatter in videos than in real life.
As a result, the child in front of him ended up looking a little smaller and a little skinnier than Cherry.
But his facial features were practically identical to Cherry¡¯s!
Pete had immediately realized something with a start when Quinn eximed Cherry¡¯s name.
His tiny form took a step forward.
With his back to Justin, he looked up and asked, ¡°Did you mistake me for someone else?
Children generally look alike.¡± Pete gave Quinn a look as he spoke.
Upon sensing the look he was giving him, Quinn quickly reacted.
He touched his beard and said with a cough, ¡°Yeah, I must have made a mistake.¡± At the bottom of his heart, though, he was puzzled.
He had been on a video call with Cherry only a moment ago.
How did she suddenly be Irvin¡¯s disciple¡¯s son in the blink of an eye?
¡ Son?
Quinn suddenly looked down.
He pointed at Pete and asked Justin, ¡°He¡¯s your son?¡± Justin, who was in the dark, was also confused about the conversation between the two of them.
But when he heard his question, he nodded and answered, ¡°Yes.¡± Quinn swallowed in disbelief and looked down at ¡°Cherry¡± again.
He looked so much like Cherry¡ Could it be that¡ Upon noticing how hesitant and contemtive he looked, Justin took the initiative to exin.
He said, ¡°Mr.
Quinn, Pete is my son and should, by right, join the Irvin School of Martial Arts.
But when I thought about it, I found that my teacher¡¯s martial arts aren¡¯t suitable for Pete because they¡¯re too feminine.
The Quinn School of Martial Arts¡¯ style is more masculine and more presentable, so I hope you can ept my son as a disciple.¡± The Irvin School of Martial Arts¡¯ style tended to be more feminine and the disciples also often used insidious tricks when they fought.
They were famous for being unpredictable, insidious, sly, and taking the enemy by surprise.
On the other hand, the Quinn School of Martial Arts practiced the path of masculinity.
The disciples¡¯ strength and speed were all trained through sheer hard work and most of them were men.
Pete was already rather abnormal.
If he became even more feminine¡ Justin was really afraid that he would grow up wrong.
He¡¯d better take the path of masculinity and train his psyche instead.
This way, he might be able to straighten him out.
But when Justin said that, he instead noticed Quinn staring at his son with an unfathomable expression.
His brows drew together and his deep-set eyes shone with determination and resolution.
He said, ¡°Mr.
Quinn, if you¡¯re still reluctant, then I¡¯ll challenge the school.
You can decide the rules.
If I manage to win by chance, please ept Pete as a disciple.¡± The Quinn School of Martial Arts had an unwritten rule¡ªif someone seeded in their challenge to the school, then they would satisfy a condition set by the other party as long as it didn¡¯t go against one¡¯s morals.
In the past century, no one had ever seeded in challenging the school.
This went to show the Quinn School of Martial Arts¡¯ position in the world of martial arts.
Next to him, Howard was dumbfounded when he heard what he said.
Did he know where they were right now?!
This was the Quinn School of Martial Arts!
They could drown him with just sheer numbers!
Justin was really doing so much for the sake of that little good-for-nothing!
But given that tiny form of his, how could Mr.
Quinn possibly ept him as a disciple?
Yet as soon as he thought so, he saw Quinn acting as if he hadn¡¯t heard Justin at all.
He merely asked emphatically, ¡°Are you sure he¡¯s a boy?
Does he have a little willy?¡± Justin was bewildered.
What kind of weird question was that?
Pete¡¯s expression also darkened.
He introduced himself and said, ¡°Grandpa Quinn, my name is Peter Hunt.
You can call me Pete.
I¡¯m male and a b-o-y!¡± He practically squeezed the word ¡®boy¡¯ through his gritted teeth.
When he said that¡ ¡°Hahahahaha!¡± Quinn raised his head to the sky and chortled.
The way he looked at Pete was as if he had just found a rare treasure.
He didn¡¯t expect to find the son that Nora had been searching for thesest five years!
Moreover, one could tell at a nce that the child had an excellent form that was very suitable for practicing martial arts!
He said to Justin, ¡°I¡¯ll take your son in.
We¡¯ll start practicing today.
You can go now!¡± Justin was bewildered.
Hesitation flickered in his deep-set eyes.
Seeing him motionless, Quinn frowned.
He asked roughly, ¡°What?
You don¡¯t trust me?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I mean.¡± Justin took a step back.
Quinn was a well-known figure in the world of martial arts.
There was no way he would pick on a child.
If he said that he was taking him as a disciple, then that meant that he was really doing it.
Quinn grabbed Pete by his clothes and was about to eagerly take him in with him when Howard stepped forward.
He said, ¡°Mr.
Quinn, my name is Howard.
I¡¯ve been admiring you for a very long time.
I¡¯m also here to join the Quinn School of Martial Arts!¡± Quinn looked back and nced at him.
He scanned him up and down before showing a touch of disdain.
¡°What makes you think you can join us?¡± Howard was taken aback.
Seeing that he couldn¡¯t answer him at all, Quinn turned and walked in.
A disciple of the school was about to close the door when Howard suddenly shouted crestfallenly, ¡°Mr.
Quinn, why would you rather ept that weakling instead of me?¡± The disciple curled his lip and mmed the door shut.
Hmph, did he think it was so easy to enter their school?
Howard was lost for words.
He touched his hooked nose with a puzzled look on his fierce countenance.
¡°Why would Mr.
Quinn possibly be interested in Pete?
And, he even asked if he has a¡ Cough, surely he isn¡¯t mentally ill, is he?¡± Justin nced at him in disgust.
¡°I think you¡¯re the one who¡¯s mentally ill.¡± Howard nevertheless humbly sought his advice.
He said, ¡°No matter how stupid I am, I can¡¯t possibly be stupider than Chester.
But I really don¡¯t understand Mr.
Quinn¡¯s actions.
Can you tell me why?¡± Justin turned and walked ahead, leaving behind only four mysterious words: ¡°Think about it yourself.¡± To be honest, he didn¡¯t know, either!
In the Quinn School of Martial Arts.
In the middle of the spacious hall, Quinn looked at Pete greedily and said, ¡°Hurry up and acknowledge me as your teacher, Nora¡¯s son!
After that, we¡¯ll be teacher and disciple!¡± He was very anxious, lest what was already in the bag¡ uh, his little disciple disappear!
Pete stared at him.
Then, he nodded and said, ¡°But can you agree not to tell Mommy for now?
Cherry and I have already agreed to give Mommy a surprise.¡± There were still two days left before Great-Grandma woke up.
Pete hoped that his mother could interact a little more with the tyrant again.
What if she suddenly finds some positive aspects about him?
Quinn touched his beard and said, ¡°No, I can¡¯t.¡± Pete replied calmly, ¡°Oh.
In that case, I won¡¯t acknowledge you as my teacher.¡± ¡°¡¡± Quinn frowned.
¡°Hmph, do you think you can threaten me with that?
Even if you don¡¯t acknowledge me as your teacher, just by the fact that I found you, Sleepyhead will still agree to let Cherry acknowledge me as her teacher just to express her gratitude!¡± A puzzled Pete asked, ¡°Who¡¯s Sleepyhead?¡± ¡°Your mom.¡± Pete was rendered speechless.
He suspected that the old man was actually cursing.
After a stalemate of about ten minutes, footsteps could be hearding from the door again.
Then, Cherry¡¯s voice rang out outside, ¡°Grandpa Quinn, I¡¯m here!¡± Quinn immediately raced outside.
When he saw Nora, he eximed excitedly, ¡°Nora!
I¡¯ll tell you a secret if you let Cherry acknowledge me as her teacher!¡±
Chapter 47 - 47 Noras Mothers Secret
?47: Nora¡¯s Mother¡¯s Secret 47: Nora¡¯s Mother¡¯s Secret Nora looked around the ce after she entered.
The Quinn School of Martial Arts was located in the heart of New York.
The fact that they could take up such arge building for their martial arts gym in a ce like this went to show just how deep and rock-solid a background the Quinn School of Martial Arts had.
The disciples in the gym were divided into several sses and were currently shouting energetically as they trained.
Which part of it even looked like the ¡®withered and dying out¡¯ state that the old man had imed it was?
Thus, upon hearing him trying to trick her again, Nora picked at her ears and said, ¡°Tell me what the secret is and I¡¯ll decide after that.¡± Quinn was at a loss for words.
Everyone else was begging to be taken as disciples, so why was it simply so difficult for him to find a sessor?
He had finally found that woman¡¯s daughter after so much trouble and on top of that, she was even a talented girl, yet all she did was sleep!
Fortunately, these two children inherited her good physique.
Quinn¡¯s gaze flicked over to Cherry and he thought of Pete, who was in the martial arts gym, again.
To be honest, it was true that the Quinn School of Martial Arts¡¯ style suited boys better.
After all, there was no one else who would be as crazy talented as little Nora.
After weighing the pros and cons, he suddenly realized that taking Pete as his disciple might actually seem like a better deal?
And a safer one?
Thus, Quinn coughed and said, ¡°Forget it, I¡¯m not telling you anymore.¡± ¡°¡¡± Nora just knew this would be the case.
After that, she apanied Quinn to the inner courtyard where he lived.
Quinn was wearing a white martial arts uniform.
Despite being advanced in years, he was thin and energetic.
Although his voice was rough, there was a sense of careful attentiveness within.
If not, he wouldn¡¯t have be a master of the art, either.
When the two entered the inner courtyard, Quinn looked at her, stretched out his hand, and gestured at her.
¡°Come on, let¡¯s see if you¡¯ve made any progresstely?¡± As he spoke, Quinn went on the offensive.
Nora stepped back quickly and evaded the attack.
Then, she counterattacked and started to spar with Quinn.
Every move and every action carried a subdued but sharp and fierce momentum.
The pair had a good time sparring.
Toward the end, even Nora broke out in a light sweat and she felt refreshed all over.
After they were done with the sparring, Quinn loosened his wrist muscles and remarked, ¡°To think you can attain a level of skill like this despite cking off.
You¡¯re a crazy one indeed.
If you practice well, you¡¯ll definitely surpass me.¡± Nora gave an ¡°Oh¡± and replied dispassionately, ¡°I¡¯ll also be able to surpass you when I¡¯m your age.¡± ¡°¡¡± Quinn was rendered so speechless by her retort that he couldn¡¯t be bothered to be mad anymore.
Nevertheless, he couldn¡¯t help but ask persistently, ¡°You really don¡¯t intend to have Cherry pick up martial arts?¡± Nora shook her head.
¡°There isn¡¯t any need for her.¡± She had practiced martial arts back then in order to train and strengthen her body.
However, Cherry was healthy and had always been strong and sturdy since she was a baby.
Besides, Cherry was a little princess.
The way her aunt raised her had turned her into a very delicate little girl who couldn¡¯t take any bit of difort at all.
If Nora made her practice martial arts, she would probably burst into tears and start wailing.
So, why bother?
Seeing how stubborn she was, Quinn could only give up.
Heined, ¡°Why do you also have your mom¡¯s temperament?¡± Her mom¡ Nora¡¯s interest was suddenly piqued.
She asked, ¡°Old man, do you know my mother?
Can you tell me about her?¡± Quinn stroked his white beard and smiled as he replied, ¡°Your mom¡ She¡¯s a legend in New York!¡± Nora was taken aback.
Quinn pointed to the table in the courtyard.
Nora followed him and walked over.
Although she was cheeky whenever she talked to him, after sitting down, she obediently picked up the teapot and poured him a cup of tea.
Quinn sat on the bench and took a sip from his teacup.
¡°During your mom¡¯s younger days, she was amazingly talented and brilliant, and she was known as the most talented woman in New York.
At that time, many people proposed to your mom and the Andersons were totally in the limelight.
Even the Hunts thought it would be an honor if they could have her marry into the family.
Unfortunately, she rejected the number one family in the end.
Heh heh, she had backbone, alright.
I, for one, don¡¯t think much of the Hunts, especially that disciple of Irvin¡¯s¡¡± Quinn and Irvin would always quarrel whenever they met.
Nora listened with great interest.
When she noticed that Quinn had finished his tea, she poured him another cup and pressed, ¡°And then?¡± Quinn let out a ¡°hmph¡± and went on.
¡°At that time, I had just achieved some sess in my training and made a name for myself in the circle.
I wanted to take a disciple and took an interest in your mom.
However, she didn¡¯t want to and rejected me¡ After that, she disappeared.¡± At this point, Quinn stroked his beard and said, ¡°As for why she suddenly ran away from home?
I don¡¯t know.
Some say that she was kidnapped for her beauty and was imprisoned, but that¡¯s all nonsense.
Given how fierce she was, who would have been able to kidnap her?
¡°She then came to me two yearster.
She asked me to take you as my disciple once you¡¯re five or six years old, and train your body for you.
At that time, she said she was dying.¡± Quinn sighed and said, ¡°By the time I found you with the information she gave me, she was already gone.
¡°You don¡¯t have to be sad, though.
Although your mom only lived for a short period of twenty years, her life was exciting and fulfilling.
She led a life well-lived!
But if you were to talk about her life, she did indeed let someone down.¡± A curious Nora sat upright.
¡°Who was it?¡± Quinn put down his teacup.
¡°Have you heard of the Smiths from New York?¡± Nora shook her head.
All she did every day was sleep, so she didn¡¯t know much about wealthy and influential powerhouses like them.
Quinn said, ¡°The Smiths and the Hunts are equally powerful, and they were vying for the title of the number one family back then.
The previous head of the Hunts was actually inferior to that fellow from the Smiths.
Your mom also got engaged to that Smith fellow in the end, so when I heard that yourst name was Smith, I had thought that she was pregnant with his child, but that unfortunately was not the case.
Speaking of your father, he¡¯s a typical male chauvinist pig.
Your mom was so picky her entire lifetime, so why did she marry a scumbag like him in the end?¡± Nora had no words to that.
She was also just as puzzled.
¡°We digress.
Anyway, the head of the Smiths at that time was a very ambitious man.
With him leading the family, the Smiths nearly managed to surpass the Hunts.
But when your mom went missingter, he fell into an irreversible slump.
This stabilized the situation, and the Smiths and the Hunts became equally ranked again.
After that, when Justin Hunt took over the family, he led the Hunts topletely surpass the Smiths and be the veritable No.
1 again.¡± Quinn shook his head.
¡°That kid from the Smiths is considered your elder.
After he retired, he got a nephew of his to lead the Smiths.
He also remains unmarried even now.¡± Nora was astounded by what she heard.
¡°My mom had indeed let him down.¡± Quinn strongly agreed with her.
Nora suddenly asked, ¡°What¡¯s his name?¡± Quinn smiled and answered, ¡°Ian!¡± Ian Smith?
She suddenly thought of thepany that her mother had left behind.
Its name was Idealian Pharmaceuticals¡ Then, Quinn spoke again.
¡°By the way, I heard that he became seriously ill recently.
It seems that he won¡¯t be able to live past this year.
What a shame.
He was quite the hero back then.¡± After he finished, Quinn stood up and said, ¡°Alright, you can rest here for a while.
I¡¯ll go and take a look at what the two children are doing.¡± He had spotted Cherry and Pete secretly meeting up just now.
He was itching to hurry up and take Pete as his disciple.
After Quinn left, Nora sat there and thought carefully about her mother¡¯s past.
However, she suddenly realized something with a start.
The two children?
Who was the other one apart from Cherry?
She stood up abruptly and walked toward the martial arts gym at the front.
Chapter 48 - 48 Who Are You Looking Down On
?48: Who Are You Looking Down On?
48: Who Are You Looking Down On?
Before she even entered the gym, she heard Quinn¡¯s voiceing from within: ¡°Stand steady now!
Persevere!
This is a basic skill.
This part right here is what makes us, the Quinn School of Martial Arts, better than the Irvin School of Martial Arts.
Martial arts aren¡¯t something that can be learned overnight.
You must take your time toy a solid foundation¡¡± Nora pushed the door open and entered to see that ¡°Cherry¡± had, at some point, changed into a set of men¡¯s sportswear and was practicing her form.
Quinn, who had his back to Nora, was talking to her.
He said, ¡°Since you¡¯re now my disciple, then you¡¯ll have to listen to what I say from now on.
You must practice this stance for half an hour every morning after you wake up.
Your mother is toozy and has always been disobedient since she was a child.
You mustn¡¯t take after her¡¡± Pete, who was facing the door and thus had noticed Nora, was lost for words.
He pursed his lips and stood up straight.
Surprised, Quinn eximed, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you doing it anymore?
You can¡¯t hold on anymore?
You¡ª¡± Pete interrupted the rest of what he wanted to say before he could finish: ¡°Mommy.¡± Quinn stiffened.
Then, he slowly turned around to see Nora leaning against the wall.
Her arms were casually folded and her cat-like eyes slightly raised as she quietly watched the two of them.
Her big boss-like attitude frightened Quinn, who stammered, ¡°Um, little Nora, this¡¡± Nora askedzily, ¡°Old man, did you tempt her with rewards or threaten her with punishment?¡± ¡°¡No, I didn¡¯t!¡± Seeing that he was answering so surely, Nora looked at Pete again and asked hesitantly, ¡°Cherry, are you genuinely interested in learning martial arts?¡± Pete nodded firmly.
If he learned martial arts, should the tyrant dare so much as to bully Mommy in the future, he would be able to protect her and Cherry!
Nora was stunned.
Cherry took after her in her personality and waszy and easygoing.
She disliked being restrained the most.
Yet she had actually taken an interest in martial arts?
Nora, who had always respected children¡¯s views, agreed to it after a little thought.
¡°Alright.¡± After that, she looked at Quinn and said, ¡°I¡¯ll send her here at 7 am sharp tomorrow.
Old man, I have something up today, so I¡¯ll go back first.¡± After she spoke, she stretched out her hand to Pete.
Pete very naturally took a step forward, took her hand, and followed her out the door.
Even after the two of them disappeared from the martial arts gym, Quinn was still in a daze!
No, little Nora, that isn¡¯t your daughter you just picked up!
He was still in a daze when Cherry, who had just gone to the bathroom, ran over in her princess dress.
¡°Huh?
Where¡¯s Pete?¡± Quinn was at a loss for words.
Right after Cherry spoke, her cell phone beeped.
She picked it up and immediately saw a text message from Pete: ¡°Cherry, I went home with Mommy.
Daddy will pick you up in the evening.
We¡¯ll switch back tomorrow.¡± She was going to see her handsome Daddy again.
Cherry jumped excitedly and took Quinn¡¯s hand as she asked, ¡°Grandpa Quinn, when is Daddying to pick me up?¡± ¡°¡Five o¡¯clock in the evening.¡± ¡°Ah, then I still have two hours left.
What shall we do?
Do you have Barbies here?¡± ¡°¡ No.¡± ¡°Can I y games, then?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s bad for your eyes.¡± Cherry pouted disappointedly and asked, ¡°Grandpa Quinn, doesn¡¯t the Quinn School of Martial Arts have any specialties?¡± Old Quinn, who was taken aback, suddenly thought of something and answered, ¡°Oh, that we do!¡± As such, at five o¡¯clock in the evening, Justin personally drove over to pick up his son.
His handsome countenance was calm at the moment.
The Quinn School of Martial Arts¡¯ style was masculine and domineering.
He would definitely see his son drenched in stinky sweat all over like a little boyter, right?
With that in mind, he entered the school.
He immediately saw a group of disciples dressed in white sportswear training in thepound.
Next to them, his son was wearing a white princess dress and pointing at one of them with his eyes all lit up.
¡°Grandpa Quinn, Mr.
No.
5 is the most handsome!
But Mr.
No.
9 is also very cool.
Who should I pick?
I¡¯m so troubled!¡± Justin was bewildered.
He cracked.
At this time, Nora hadn¡¯t reached home yet.
Instead, she was currently in Guardian Pharmacy, a herbal store and pharmacy in New York.
She was holding a scale and choosing herbs from a box.
¡°Atractylodesncea, wolfberry, chrysanthemum, cornus, rehmannia, dendrobium¡¡± After Nora adjusted the herbs¡¯ proportions, she handed them to the pharmacist and said, ¡°Please use these to make some pills for internal consumption.
The ones from just now are to be made into ointments for external usage.
I¡¯lle over and pick them up tomorrow.¡± The pharmacist had a big smile all over his face as he replied, ¡°Sure, no problem!¡± The customer was generous enough, so of course, he was willing to do her a trivial favor like this!
After that, Nora took Pete home.
She had been too tired after she got home the day before, so she didn¡¯t pay much attention to the elderly Mrs.
Anderson¡¯s eyes.
However, after she woke up today, she had checked her pulse and also carefully observed her eyes.
She discovered that the cause for the old madam¡¯s loss of vision was that her eyes had received too much strain back then, resulting in vision loss from optic nerve damage.
There was no need for surgery.
She just needed to nurse them back to a healthy state.
With the help of a GPS navigator, Nora drove all the way back to the Andersons.
Before she even entered, she saw Melissa standing at the door.
She was wearing a knitted dress and looked elegant and dignified.
When she saw their car, her brows drew together in worry.
It was only when she parked the car in the vi that Nora spotted a luxurious Lincoln that was also parked there¡ªit was obvious that a distinguished guest was visiting.
When she got off the car, Melissa hurried over and said, ¡°Nora, your second aunt heard that you¡¯re here, so she came over to take a look.¡± The elderly Mrs.
Anderson had two daughters and a son.
Nora¡¯s mother was the eldest while Simon was the third child.
In the middle was her second child, Sheena Anderson.
Nora nodded.
She was about to take Pete with her and enter the house when Melissa held her wrist and said apologetically, ¡°She has a foul mouth, so don¡¯t take what she says to heart.¡± Nora was taken aback for a moment.
She could vaguely hear an arrogant voiceing through the door: ¡°¡ yet she married a man like that in the end.
Her daughter even grew up in a ce like California and has never gone through higher education¡ Mom, you always say that I¡¯m not as good as her, but look at us now.
In the end, I¡¯m the one that the Andersons need, aren¡¯t I?¡± Mrs.
Anderson reprimanded her.
¡°How can you say things like that?
Regardless of whether Nora is outstanding or dull, she¡¯s your elder sister¡¯s daughter!
She¡¯s part of the Andersons!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bother saying things like that.
It was through great effort that the Andersons¡¯ reputation has gradually improved over the years.
You¡¯d best keep a tight watch over her, lest she does something disgraceful and embarrass the Andersons!¡± Melissa coughed as a reminder to the people inside.
Then, she called out, ¡°Mom, Sheena, Nora¡¯s back!¡± Only then did Nora enter.
She immediately saw an attractive woman resembling Simon sitting pompously on the sofa.
Sheena was 46 years old this year, but she looked as if she was 30 years old instead.
She wore a professional suit and fully exuded a mature woman¡¯s charm.
Compared with Melissa¡¯s grace, she seemed bossier.
After Nora entered, her gaze fell onto Pete right away and she asked disdainfully, ¡°So, she¡¯s your daughter?
She must be five this year, right?
Can she y the piano?
Can she dance?
Can she do calligraphy?
Do you take Mathematical Olympiad sses?
What kind of interest sses do you attend?¡± Pete, who had been receiving an elite¡¯s education since he was a baby, was bewildered.
Who was she looking down on?
Chapter 49 - 49 Acknowledging Each Other!
?49: Acknowledging Each Other!
49: Acknowledging Each Other!
Sheena threw a ton of questions to the child¡¯s face just to give her ¡®country bumpkin¡¯ niece an opening gambit.
Nora cast her eyes down with a slightly chilly look and kept quiet.
Melissa hurriedly yed peacemaker and said, ¡°Sheena, Cherry grew up abroad with Nora.
Over there, they value quality education¡¡± Sheena leaned on the sofa.
As though a person in power talking down to her subordinates, she said, ¡°Quality education?
It¡¯s all a lie.
That¡¯s just so that they can better bridge the gap.
Real aristocrats and the wealthy put their children through strict education from an early age!¡± Her eyes were like zing torches as she looked at Nora.
She said, ¡°So, your name is Nora?
You¡¯re all grown up, so you¡¯ve already missed the best time and opportunity to study.
But rest assured; since you¡¯vee to us, on ount of my sister, I won¡¯t let you roam the streets homeless.
I heard that you got yourself pregnant before you were married, right?
And that your ex-fiance broke off the engagement?
Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll find you a good husband and ensure that you live worry-free for the rest of your life.
As for your daughter¡¡± She looked at Pete and scanned the child up and down.
Then, as though she was being charitable, she said, ¡°Although five years old is ate startpared to others, there¡¯s at least still hope for her.¡± Nora had a very cold look in her eyes.
She lowered her gaze and then, with a sardonic smile at the corner of her lips, she said, ¡°You don¡¯t need to bother.
I¡¯ll take care of my daughter¡¯s education myself.¡± Cherry¡¯s studies were indeed a huge headache.
Her daughter had an extremely high IQ, but she was only interested in games and was sloppy in her studies.
In particr, her history knowledge had be a huge mess thanks to her aunt abroad¡ However, this didn¡¯t mean that others could criticize her at will.
¡°You?
Take care of her education matters?¡± Sheena said coldly, ¡°What are you going to teach her?
Are you going to teach her how to be obsessed with her cell phone and how to y games every day?
Are you going to have her be like you and engage in a chaotic private life, and be pregnant before marriage when she grows up?¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Mrs.
Anderson reprimanded Sheena, causing her to curl her lip.
Melissa even frowned and said reproachingly, ¡°Sheena, I know you have her interests at heart, but can you speak in a less hurtful manner?¡± Sheena sneered, ¡°I just want her to have a clear idea of the situation she¡¯s in!
Does she really think it¡¯s that easy to be a child of a wealthy family?¡± She nced at the ¡®girl¡¯ who was standing there stubbornly and said, ¡°Not convinced, are you?
Fine, I¡¯ll show you Lena¡¯s progress in her studies and give you a good sense of the gap between the two children!
Go on, Lena, tell the big sister here what you¡¯re capable of.¡± Lena Xavier was Sheena¡¯s daughter who was born at ater point in Sheena¡¯s life.
She gave birth to her at the age of forty, so Lena was only six that year.
The little girl wearing a dress was adorable and pretty.
When she heard her, she raised her chin and dered proudly, ¡°I know two foreignnguages¡ªSpanish and French¡ªand canmunicate fluently in them.¡± Then, she said a couple of lines in the two foreignnguages fluently, forming an animated and impressive sight.
After speaking, she looked at Pete triumphantly.
Sheena raised her chin proudly along with her.
After Lena was done, she looked at Nora and asked, ¡°I wonder what your daughter is capable of?¡± Nora was about to speak when a sullen Pete¡¯s lips suddenly parted and he prattled on in anguage that no one understood.
Stunned, Lena asked, ¡°Whatnguage is that?¡± Pete calmly replied, ¡°It¡¯s Arabic.
It¡¯s very normal that you can¡¯t understand it.
Mommy has taught me eight differentnguages.¡± ¡°¡¡± Lena, who felt as if she had lost, refused to concede defeat and spoke again.
She said, ¡°I¡¯ve also participated in manypetitions and took second ce in a children¡¯s calligraphypetition, as well as second ce in a roboticspetition for juniors!¡± A puzzled Pete frowned and said, ¡°Second ce?
How sad.¡± Lena was confused.
Furious, she went on and said, ¡°I can recite 300 poems and spell 1,500 words.
At the same time, I also learned programming and Mathematical Olympiad-level mathematics!¡± Pete pursed his lips and sighed.
¡°Are poems that hard to memorize and recite?
Does programming even require effort to learn?
Don¡¯t people immediately get these things after just a look?¡± ¡°???¡± A puzzled Pete took Nora¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go upstairs, Mommy.
Aunt Sheena probably still has something to talk to Grandma and Aunt Melissa about, so let¡¯s not disturb them anymore.¡± The two of them left behind a group of dumbfounded people and went upstairs.
Nora closed the door.
Then, she turned around, picked up Pete, and put him down on the sofa while observing him.
Cherry hatednguage studies.
Since when did she even speak Arabic?
Something was definitely wrong!
She was about to ask Pete when her cell phone suddenly rang and interrupted her thoughts.
Nora picked up the call.
The moment she did, she heard Henry¡¯s voice from the other end.
¡°Nora!
You¡¯ve gotten gutsy, haven¡¯t you?!
How dare you arrange for thepany dividends to be sent to your bank ount!
Give me back the money right now!
Otherwise, what am I supposed to live on?¡± Nora replied coolly, ¡°What does your survival have anything to do with me?¡± ¡°You¡ª!¡± Henry was furious.
But in the end, he said viciously, ¡°I see.
Now that you¡¯ve gone to the Andersons, you don¡¯t intend to acknowledge a poor man like me as your father anymore?
Thinking of cutting off your rtions with me?
No way!
But if you give me $8,000,000, I¡¯ll cut off rtions with you from now on.
How about it?¡± Nora¡¯s eyes darkened.
Asking for $8,000,000 right away?
He sure had a pretty big appetite.
When he heard her silence, Henry smiled triumphantly and said, ¡°I know you don¡¯t have any money.
However, the Andersons do!
I¡¯m sure the Andersons won¡¯t want me to show up in New York and embarrass them, right?¡± ¡°¡¡± What a shameless man.
However, the corners of Nora¡¯s lips suddenly curled upward the next moment and she said, ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll transfer the money to you right away, but you must tell me where you abandoned my son back then.¡± After a short pause, Henry finally agreed and said, ¡°Fine!
I¡¯ll tell you immediately after I receive the money!¡± After hanging up, Nora tapped casually on her cell phone, wrote a Trojan horse malware program, and sent it to Henry.
The program would show fake funds transfer information when it reached him.
However, once he opened the message, his cell phone would immediately be invaded by Nora, thereby allowing her to eavesdrop on him!
Money?
Heh, dream on.
After she finished all this, she used her cell phone to monitor the conversation on the other side.
She heard Wendy¡¯s voice first: ¡°Has the money arrived?
Has the money arrived?¡± ¡°Yes, it has!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve never mentioned her son¡¯s whereabouts all these years, Henry.
Where exactly did you abandon her son?¡± Henry let out a sinisterugh and replied, ¡°Her son?
He died a long time ago!
I watched him breathe hisst back then.
After that, I buried him in the suburbs!
So, she wants her son back?
No problem, I can tell her where he is.
I reckon he¡¯s probably a pile of bones by now?¡± ¡°¡¡± Nora felt as if a bomb had suddenly gone off in her mind.
Her grip on her cell phone loosened and it fell onto the ground.
He¡¯s dead¡ No wonder Henry had so vehemently refused to reveal any information all this time!
No wonder all the private investigators couldn¡¯t find any news of her son!
Everything in front of her turned blurry, andrge teardrops slid down her cheeks¡ Her son was dead¡ He had died a long time ago!
It was her fault!
It was her fault for not protecting her son!
She clenched her fists tightly.
Her fingernails were embedded in her palms, yet she didn¡¯t feel any pain.
She felt as if someone had ruthlessly drawn a blunt de across her heart.
It hurt so much that she suddenly couldn¡¯t breathe anymore.
She bent down, seemingly unable to hear anything at all¡ It was at this moment that a small pair of hands held her.
Nora raised her head and immediately saw a small face stained with tears from shock and fright.
Pete¡¯s lips parted and closed as he repeated something over and over.
She tried hard to hear what he was saying.
Atst, she finally heard him.
He said, ¡°Mommy!
Don¡¯t cry!
I¡¯m still alive!¡±
Chapter 50 - 50 Mommy, Im Sorry!
?50: Mommy, I¡¯m Sorry!
50: Mommy, I¡¯m Sorry!
Nora was as pale as a sheet.
She thought back to the day five years ago when she went into earlybor¡ She could remember very clearly that she was in a private clinic at that time.
The white walls were peeling and it was very dim in the delivery room.
There were only a doctor and a nurse, and they looked very unprofessional.
Sheid on the cold delivery bed without even a shred of dignity.
She didn¡¯t remember the pain ofbor anymore.
All she remembered was the restless little hand that peeked out of the nket wrapped around her son when her father took him away.
It was so small¡ as though just the size of her finger.
She had wanted to get up and take her child back, but her belly started to act up again.
The amniotic fluid in her water bag was almost gone.
If she halted thebor process, then the child who was still in her belly would suffocate to death¡ Nora felt as if all the air in her chest had been sucked away and she couldn¡¯t breathe.
She had chosen her daughter over her son!
Over the years, she had made countless phone calls to Henry and pleaded with him many times.
However, he had never relented and told her anything.
To be honest, she had vaguely already guessed as much deep down in her heart that¡ Perhaps her son was already dead.
Otherwise, why would he still refuse to reveal the boy¡¯s whereabouts after the Grays had agreed to annul the engagement?
This was also the reason why she hadn¡¯t immediately used a listening device on Henry when she returned to the States.
She was afraid of hearing a result that she didn¡¯t want to hear.
She had ultimately still held a glimmer of hope.
She also knew very well that the reason why Cherry, a vain and pretentious little princess, had suddenly bought a lot of boys¡¯ clothing and sometimes pretended to be a boy was actually to cheer her up and take away a bit of her pain when she missed her son.
She looked at her tearful daughter in front of her.
When she heard what Pete said, she forced a smile and choked up as she said, ¡°You don¡¯t have tofort me, Cherry¡¡± Pete was badly frightened.
The boy, who had been quiet and calm since he was a baby, was crying so badly that his face was covered in tears.
Mommy was as pale as a sheet, and her usually calm eyes were filled with despair and emptiness.
Tears were rolling down her cheeks uncontrobly and her smile looked so tragic.
She seemed as if she was going to copse and pass out the next moment¡ He panicked, utterly so.
He grabbed Nora¡¯s hand and shouted, ¡°Mommy, I¡¯m not lying!
I¡¯m Pete!
I¡¯m Peter Hunt, not Cherry!
I¡¯m not Cheryl Smith!¡± ¡°Mommy, I¡¯m sorry!
I shouldn¡¯t have kept it a secret from you!¡± ¡°Mommy, look at me!
I¡¯m Pete!¡± ¡°I was wrong.
I won¡¯t do it anymore¡ Sob¡¡± His shouts made Nora¡¯s eyes gradually regain focus and her rationality gradually returned to her.
She looked at Pete.
¡°What¡ did you say?¡± She found his ims incredulous, yet Cherry¡¯s various entricities during the recent period of time started to surface in her mind.
For example, Cherry had suddenly stopped ying games and started to read.
For example, Cherry would asionally speak a lot less and be a lot quieter.
And, for example, when Cherry spoke fluent Arabic downstairs just now¡ Everything in front of her became vague and surreal, and for a moment, Nora couldn¡¯t tell whether this was a dream or reality¡ With her eyes filled with confusion, she asked, ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Mommy, it¡¯s true.¡± Pete put his arms around her waist.
With his little face raised, he said, ¡°My younger sister and I look exactly the same, but I grew up in New York.
My name is Peter Hunt and my father is Justin Hunt!¡± Nora stared at him.
¡°Where¡¯s Cherry, then?¡± Seeing that she didn¡¯t seem to believe him, Pete, who was afraid that his mother would return to that state earlier, gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Mommy,e with me!¡± He held Nora¡¯s hand with his own little hand and the two of them went downstairs.
Downstairs, Sheena was still ranting, ¡°She may be a child, but she sure talks big!
Eightnguages?
She probably just learned a phrase so that she could brag to others, right?
And, how dare she look down on Lena¡¯s second-ce victory?
Hah, why doesn¡¯t she try showing us a third-ce victory, then?!¡± ¡°¡ That¡¯s enough!¡± The elderly Mrs.
Anderson mmed the white cane she was holding against the floor.
¡°She¡¯s your sister¡¯s one and only daughter!
She¡¯s already quite the poor thing¡ª¡± At once, Sheena suddenly screamed, ¡°Uh-huh, she¡¯s quite the poor thing, and so is my sister.
But what about me?!
If she hadn¡¯t run away from home and ended up being rumored to have eloped, would the Andersons¡¯ reputation have been this terrible?!
Neither would my ex-fianc¨¦ have broken off our engagement!
How much ridicule did we endure because of her back then?!¡± Melissa heaved a deep sigh.
To be honest, everyone loved Nora¡¯s mother deeply; that was why they were so upset with her.
Sheena had been so proud of her sister back then¡ She was about to console Sheena when she heard someoneing down the stairs.
She turned to see Nora and Cherrying down.
She asked, ¡°It¡¯ste, Nora.
Where are the two of you going?¡± Pete was very anxious, so he didn¡¯t answer.
Nora was as though a soulless puppet at the moment, so she didn¡¯t answer, either.
The two left the living room.
A look of confusion came over Melissa¡¯s countenance.
Mrs.
Anderson, who couldn¡¯t see, asked anxiously, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?
Did Nora leave?
Was it because of Sheena?
Sheena, get Nora back here!
If she leaves, then you can forget about evering back here to see me!¡± Sheena was also dumbfounded.
Her sharp and fierce expression cracked, but she nevertheless curled her lip and scoffed, ¡°She can leave if she wants to.
I¡¯d instead admiration for her if she doesn¡¯t rely on the Andersons!¡± Melissa panicked.
She said, ¡°Sheena, Nora has never once said that she intends to rely on us.
She¡¯s a doctor!
She can support herself!
If you don¡¯t like her, then you cane back less often in the future!¡± She went after Nora after saying that.
Unfortunately, the moment she went out, Nora had already started the car and disappeared from the porch in the blink of an eye.
In the car.
Little Pete sat in the passenger seat.
With his seat belt buckled, he pointed the way with the help of his cell phone.
¡°Turn right¡ Turn left at the third intersection¡¡± He knew Mommy was scared and needed to see that there were two children before she could feel at ease.
He couldn¡¯t continue to hide it anymore.
Nora stayed silent and drove seriously.
Half an hourter, the car arrived at a viplex.
Security at the gates was brisk and they refused to let them in, but the moment the guard saw Pete, he immediately greeted him respectfully.
¡°Wee back, Mr.
Hunt.¡± ¡®Mr.
Hunt¡¯¡ Nora, who had a stern look on her face, stared intently ahead of her.
She had already calmed down on the way here.
She also believed most of what Pete said, but the fear and panic of losing her son led to her having to see both children in front of her with her own two eyes before she could feel at ease.
The guards gave them clearance and she drove into the viplex.
¡°Mommy, go to Vi No.
8.¡± Nora obediently stopped the car at Vi No.
8¡¯s entrance.
She staggered out of the car and knocked on the door.
Ding-dong!
The doorbell rang.
A few secondster, someone opened the door.
Cherry¡¯s adorable little head popped out and she asked cutely, ¡°Who¡ Mommy?!¡± Justin¡¯s voice followed closely after.
¡°Who¡¯s at the door, Pete?¡±
Chapter 51 - 51 He Really Was Hers, Though
?51: He Really Was Hers, Though 51: He Really Was Hers, Though As Pete was still being suspected of pushing his great-grandmother down the stairs, Justin didn¡¯t take him back to the Hunts¡¯ residence.
Instead, they were staying at a vi in the suburbs.
It was already dark, and he was ying a jigsaw puzzle with Cherry.
When the doorbell rang, Cherry was the one who opened the door first.
He followed after her, feeling a little impatient.
Who woulde over at suchte hours?
Didn¡¯t he already leave instructions that he wasn¡¯t having visitors or dealing with work matters from 6 pm to 9 pm because he wanted to spend some time with his son in peace?
But when Justin walked over with a cold look on his face only to see the stunning visage at the door, the chilly aura around him subconsciously dissipated.
His deep-set eyes narrowed slightly and he raised an eyebrow.
¡°Miss Smith?¡± He had asked her out to the hospital this afternoon, but she rejected his invitation.
Yet she came straight to his home in the evening?
In addition, the look in her eyes had be as fervent as the one she had that night in the hospital.
Her scorching gaze was as if it could burn¡ He had seen that look in many women¡¯s eyes before, and it often annoyed him.
But when she looked at him like that¡ No, why did it seem like she wasn¡¯t looking at him?
Justin followed her gaze.
He slowly lowered his head to see his son looking up at the woman in astonishment with his big round eyes.
Cherry swallowed hard.
¡°M-mommy¡¡± It¡¯s all over!
Why didn¡¯t Pete say anything in advance?
The cat¡¯s out of the bag!
Justin¡¯s expression stiffened¡ªhe was a little unhappy.
He subtly stepped forward and stood in front of his son.
Then, his lips slowly parted and he said, ¡°You¡ª¡± But before he could say whatever he wanted to say, the woman in front of him suddenly spoke.
Her voice was husky and shaking as she asked, ¡°Is this your son?¡± Justin was bewildered.
You¡¯ve already hugged and kissed him, and even coaxed him to call you Mommy again and again.
Yet you¡¯re asking something like that now?
But when he saw that she didn¡¯t seem to be acting, he frowned, suppressed his displeasure, and answered, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Your biological son?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Justin¡¯s expression darkened.
The woman¡¯s questions were simply ridiculous.
He coldly retorted, ¡°In any case, he can¡¯t possibly be yours anyway.¡± ¡ He really was hers, though.
The corners of Nora¡¯s lips twitched, but she didn¡¯t say it.
Not only was the current situation unclear, but the person she was dealing with was Justin Hunt.
Should he really be the father of her children¡ Looking at things from his perspective, if he were to know that he also had a daughter, he would definitely fight with her for custody of their daughter!
Nora held her forehead.
After she calmed down, she felt a bit of a headacheing on.
Before returning to the States, she had imagined various scenarios.
If someone had adopted her son, then she would offer them a lot of marypensation.
No matter what, she must have her son back.
But if that person was Justin Hunt, given his power in the States, she really might not be able to beat him.
Nora coughed and asked, ¡°Mr.
Hunt, do you know who the boy¡¯s mother is?¡± At her question, the look in Justin¡¯s eyes suddenly turned dark and baleful.
As though he had thought of something unpleasant, he replied coldly, ¡°I don¡¯t know.
I¡¯m not interested in her.¡± Yet Nora didn¡¯t seem afraid at all.
She asked, ¡°Then how did you have children with her?¡± Five years ago, she had either been sleeping or staying at home the whole time.
How exactly did she be pregnant?
Justin pressed his lips tightly together.
He was already on the verge of losing his temper.
The look in his eyes was icy and piercing, and even the beauty mark at the corner of his eye exuded a deep chill.
He replied, ¡°You¡¯re asking too many questions, Miss Smith.¡± Pete, who was hiding in the car nearby the whole time, became nervous when he saw the tyrant¡¯s expression.
Oh no, the tyrant is about to lose his temper!
But right after, he heard his mom simply say, ¡°Oh, I just wanted to know a bit more.¡± Pete held his head.
He was in such a panic that he wanted to get out of the car and defend his mother.
The next moment, however, he saw his father¡ªwho was on the brink of flying into a rage¡ªsuddenly bing stunned.
Then, all his anger disappeared as though someone had pricked a hole in a balloon.
Pete was perplexed.
Justin froze.
She just wanted to know a bit more about him¡ She sure was direct about things.
But when he thought about it, it certainly matched her style of doing things.
The corners of his tightly pursed lips slowly rxed and he asked, ¡°You came all the way here at night just to talk about this?¡± She hade to verify the existence of her other child, of course.
Nora obviously couldn¡¯t say that, though.
She pondered for a moment before she replied, ¡°I came to let you know a few things.
Your grandma will regain consciousness this weekend, but due to her prolongeda, her body is weak, so intense nourishment is not rmended.
She¡¯ll need to eat light in the earlier stages¡¡± At the sight of her spinning so many stories, the smile on Justin¡¯s lips widened.
¡°I believe the doctors at Hospital Finest are more professional than you when ites to nursing care.¡± Nora was taken aback for a moment.
His words sounded a little familiar.
However, she didn¡¯t think much about it.
She said, ¡°You¡¯re right.
This was indeed an unnecessary move.¡± Then, she looked at the stupefied Cherry again.
The corners of her lips curled up slightly and her cat-like eyes gleamed with a dark light.
¡°You must be Pete, right?
You look¡ so adorable.¡± Cherry was at a loss for words.
She shrank back.
Her mom felt terribly scary at the moment.
Generally, the angrier she was, the brighter she would smile.
Cherry gave her an ingratiating smile and replied, ¡°Hehe, it¡¯s all thanks to my parents, yeah!
My Mommy is even cuter than me!¡± Nora, who seemed as if she was gnashing her teeth, said, ¡°I wonder what the little Mr.
Hunt is going to do tomorrow?¡± Cherry blinked and replied, ¡°Cherr¡ Cherry Pit has already be Mr.
Quinn¡¯s disciple.
I¡¯m going to the Quinn School of Martial Arts to learn martial arts tomorrow!¡± The Quinn School of Martial Arts¡ So, that old man knew about this a long time ago, too!
Hah.
Nora nodded and touched her little head.
¡°Okay, got it.¡± If one read between the lines, what she was saying was: ¡®See you at the Quinn School of Martial Arts tomorrow.¡¯ Cherry was speechless.
After seeing Mommy turn and leave, Cherry¡¯s tiny form trembled a little as she looked at Justin and asked, ¡°Daddy, can I skip martial arts practice tomorrow?¡± Sob!
Mommy¡¯s so scary!
On the way home, Nora was in a fantastic mood.
Although things were a bit tricky because Justin was the father to her children, her son was still alive.
For her, this was the best oue possible.
She turned and saw a small face that was identical to Cherry¡¯s but also as staid and unsmiling as Justin¡¯s.
It made him look like a little old man.
Nora¡¯s voice was husky as she said teasingly, ¡°You should have just taken off your pants to prove that you¡¯re a boy, Pete.¡± Pete was astounded.
He immediately blushed and turned to look out the window.
¡°Mommy, you¡¯re terrible.¡± The next day.
Nora took Pete to the Quinn School of Martial Arts early in the morning.
Quinn, who had woken up at five o¡¯clock, had already practiced a set of boxing moves.
He had just taken a bath and changed into dry clothes.
After he walked out, he looked at Pete affectionately and called out, ¡°Cherry!¡± Pete gave him a look.
¡°Hi, Grandpa Quinn.¡± Quinn, who thought he had understood what he meant, returned him a look of his own: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I understand.
I¡¯ll cover for you!¡± He looked at Nora and said, ¡°Little Nora, I¡¯ll take care of your kid for you.
You can go!¡± A half-amused Nora looked at him.
¡°Old man, are you now trying to trick my daughter after you¡¯ve already tricked my son?¡± Quinn was bewildered.
Chapter 52 - 52 Conquer Him In Bed!
?52: Conquer Him In Bed!
52: Conquer Him In Bed!
Quinn, who hade back to his senses, turned to run.
Unfortunately, Nora had already stepped forward and grabbed his beard.
¡°Old man, what are you running away for?¡± Quinn cried out in pain.
¡°Let go, Sleepyhead!¡± Pete, who was next to them, was speechless.
He¡¯d thought that Mommy was a very gentle person¡ªafter all, she was always sleeping.
But after they went homest night, she insisted on taking off his pants.
Mommy had been very cheeky then, and because of the chaos that had ensued, the two of them had be a lot closer.
Now, he also discovered that Mommy actually also had a very violent side to her.
She was just like a treasure trove that always gave him one novel surprise after another.
Nora plucked off two strands of hair from Quinn¡¯s beard before she finally let him go.
She really was rather mad.
The children didn¡¯t understand her pain, but as her teacher, how could Quinn possibly not understand?
Yet he had still helped the two little fellows to keep it a secret from her.
Half an hourter, Justin sent Cherry over.
Nora¡¯s eyes reddened a little as she stared at the two identical faces, and contentment filled her heart.
Quinn circled around them.
¡°It¡¯s so rare for boy-girl twins to be identical!
Sleepyhead, I¡¯m going to take them to practice once you¡¯ve had enough of staring at them.¡± Nora nodded.
After Cherry went off to watch Quinn and Pete practice martial arts, Nora cast her eyes down and picked up her cell phone.
She called her aunt and rted what had happened to her.
¡°¡ Say, if I run off with the two of them now, what will Justin Hunt do?¡± Her aunt¡¯s voice was very carefree and hearty.
She replied, ¡°Why does it have to be him?
He isn¡¯t just the head of the number one family¡ That man isn¡¯t one to be messed with.
Even if you manage to escape, you¡¯ll be caught sooner orter anyway!
I¡¯d advise you to give up on that.¡± Nora leaned back on the reclinerzily.
¡°What should I do, then?
Do I pay to get my son back?¡± ¡°He seems to be richer than you.¡± ¡°Then do I challenge him to a fight?
Whoever wins gets the child?¡± ¡°He seems stronger than you.¡± ¡°¡ Is there anything I¡¯m better than him at?¡± Her aunt thought for a while.
Suddenly, sheughed and said, ¡°You¡¯re better than him at sleeping.
Why don¡¯t you conquer him in bed?¡± ¡°¡¡± Nora was speechless for a moment.
Then, her aunt said jokingly, ¡°Or why don¡¯t you get him to fall in love with you?
The two of you can just get together!¡± Nora thought for a while and came to a conclusion.
¡°It¡¯s too much of a loss for me if I do that.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your loss?
He¡¯s pretty handsome, so he¡¯ll look okay next to you.¡± Nora sighed and replied, ¡°I wanted a son, but if I do that, not only would I lose my daughter to him, but I¡¯ll also lose myself to him.¡± After a few cheeky exchanges with her aunt, Nora hung up.
After thinking about it, she decided that it might be better to have a good talk with Justin instead.
After all, after interacting with him for some time, she had found that Justin wasn¡¯t as unreasonable as how he was rumored to be.
After giving Quinn and the children a heads-up, she went to Hospital Finest.
Justin and his younger brother were in the hallway.
Neither of them saw her, so Nora walked over.
It was Sunday the next day, so Howard would be handling family matters on behalf of his grandfather at the family home.
Justin wanted Chester to keep Petepany when that happened.
Chester patted his chest and promised, ¡°No problem!
I¡¯ll watch over him and prevent anyone from bullying him!¡± After he said that, he thought of the huge secret that he was hiding from his elder brother.
He let out a guilty cough and asked, ¡°Can I ask you something, Justin?¡± Justin was as reticent as ever.
¡°Say it.¡± Chester scratched his head.
¡°If Pete¡¯s biological mother were to stand right in front of you, what would you do?¡± Nora had just approached them when she heard his question.
After a short pause, she heard Justin¡¯s icy, hateful voice: ¡°I will give her a terrible death.¡± ¡°¡¡± A chill suddenly ran down her spine.
The murderous aura around Justin in that instant, as well as the murderous look in his eyes, made her limbs turn cold.
This was the first time Nora realized what her aunt meant when she said that man wasn¡¯t to be messed with.
Chester was also shocked.
He asked, ¡°What did his mom do to make you hate her so much, Justin?¡± However, Justin merely pressed his lips together tightly.
He didn¡¯t want to bring it up again.
Nora stepped back quietly and turned the corner into the stairwell before the two men could discover her presence.
Then, she took the stairs down and drove straight out of the hospital.
As she held the steering wheel, she frowned and wondered.
Just what kind of feud did she have with Justin to actually make him harbor such great hatred toward her?
Was it rted to her pregnancy back then?
How exactly had she gotten pregnant?
Surely she couldn¡¯t have taken him by force while she was sleepwalking, right?
Cough.
Never mind.
If she couldn¡¯t figure it out, then she would just hide it from him for now.
She had to stay in New York for a while longer anyway!
Nora went to the herbal store and pharmacy to collect the pills and topical ointments that she had made a custom order for the day before.
During the collection process, the pharmacist asked, ¡°Do you have a name for these pills?
They smell so refreshing!¡± Nora smiled and answered, ¡°They are known as the Carefree Pills.¡± In the afternoon, while Justin wasn¡¯t there yet, she picked up Cherry from Quinn¡¯s and took her back to the Andersons.
At the Andersons.
Sheena was there again.
She had a grave and worried look on her face, and even her suit and exquisite makeup couldn¡¯t hide her fatigue.
A pale Melissa asked, ¡°What do we do, Sheena?¡± The Andersons had always been the overlord of the pharmaceutical industry.
The traditional medicines that they made had excellent effects, and the recipes were passed down from generation to generation.
In their generation, their father had taught Nora¡¯s mother everything he knew anduded her as a genius like no other when it came to pharmaceuticals.
Simon hadn¡¯t taken up the profession.
Sheena, however, picked up a little of it.
Thus, when Nora¡¯s mother ran away from home and caused the Andersons¡¯ gradual decline, Sheena had stepped forward to ensure and maintain their pharmaceutical factory¡¯s operation.
She was someone whose bark was worse than their bite.
Her love for her sister had given rise to hate, which caused her to also feel resentment toward Nora.
Sheena¡¯s back was ramrod straight as she ranted.
¡°The Myerses are too shameless!
How dare they hire an expert to test andpare their Cooling Tablets to our Vitality Water!
Their product does have better medicinal effects than ours, but we¡¯re both minding our own business here.
What makes them think they can trample upon us so arrogantly?¡± Simon, who had just been discharged, leaned on the sofa and heaved a huge sigh.
¡°Sis once developed a form for Carefree Pills, which are more effective than the Cooling Tablets.
If she were still around, things wouldn¡¯t havee to this point.¡± Sheena¡¯s eyes immediately widened.
Then, the tired woman¡¯s eyes reddened and she reprimanded Simon.
¡°It¡¯s all her fault that the Andersons are in this predicament!
Never mind that she left, but how can she take The Philosophies of Medicine with her and leave us with this mess?!
That book was passed down from generation to generation in the Andersons!¡± Simon didn¡¯t speak.
Melissa, however, suddenly suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t we ask Nora if she understands pharmacology?¡± Sheena sneered, ¡°Sis died when Nora wasn¡¯t even a year old.
How could she possibly understand?!¡± Nora entered the house with Cherry at this point.
When she saw Sheena, she didn¡¯t bother going over to incur her resentment and just nodded slightly at her, intending to go upstairs to her grandmother.
Suddenly, a puzzled Melissa stopped her and asked, ¡°Nora, what do you have in that bag?¡±
Chapter 53 - 53 Pills
?53: Pills 53: Pills Nora, who had stored the medicinal herbs in a ck stic bag, answered casually, ¡°It¡¯s just some medicinal herbs.
I intend to treat Grandma¡¯s eyes.¡± Melissa was a little surprised.
¡°You¡¯re also skilled in traditional medicine?¡± Nora was about to answer when Sheena said, ¡°As if she would know traditional medicine?
It¡¯s probably an over-the-counter ointment that she bought without much thought, right?
Your grandmother has been blind for over 20 years.
We¡¯ve approached many doctors, but none of them could cure her.
You¡¯d better not indiscriminately try such medicine of unknown origin on her!
Your grandmother is already very advanced in her years.
Are you going to take responsibility if anything goes wrong?¡± Her sarcasm made Nora frown.
Simon said, ¡°That¡¯s enough, Sheena!
Nora is just a child.
Why are you venting your anger on her?¡± Sheena immediately started to quarrel persistently with Simon.
Nora decided not to say anything and went straight to her grandmother¡¯s room upstairs.
Her grandmother was resting on the sofa.
Seemingly having heard the dispute downstairs, she was quietly weeping.
When she heard the door open, she turned her ear to the door and asked, ¡°Who is it?¡± The elderlydy was very old.
Her eyes looked very nk and her silver hair was tied neatly behind her.
The lights in the room were switched off¡ªafter all, she didn¡¯t need it anyway.
In the dim environment, she formed an exceptionally heartbreaking sight.
Nora cast her eyes downward, her curly eyshes hiding her emotions.
She adopted a tone as lighthearted as possible and replied, ¡°It¡¯s me, Grandma.¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Nora!¡± Her grandmother wiped her tears and sat up.
She reached her arm out toward her and said, ¡°Here,e to Grandma!¡± When Nora walked over with Cherry and sat down on the sofa, her grandmother sighed and said, ¡°Nora, your Aunt Sheena may have a foul mouth, but she¡¯s a softie at heart.
You can just take whatever she says as nonsense and ignore her.¡± The analogy made Nora smile.
¡°Okay.¡± She opened the bag she was holding and took out the pills and ointment inside.
Then, she meticulously exined to her grandmother how to use the medicine.
After shemitted it to memory, she chatted with her for a while more before leaving.
Sheena also went up to visit Mrs.
Anderson and saw that she was in good health.
Before she left, she noticed the dark-colored medicine on the table and frowned.
¡°Mom, you can use the ointment if you want, but don¡¯t take the oral pills.
Medicinal herbs have extensive and profound uses, and once a wrong herb is used in a form, the effects will differ greatly.
The pills don¡¯t look like they were prescribed by a proper hospital.
It¡¯s best that you don¡¯t eat it in case something goes wrong!¡± Mrs.
Anderson frowned and replied, ¡°¡ Okay, I heard you.¡± After Sheena left, Melissa also came to check on her and see if she had gone to bed yet.
When she saw the pills on the table, she was taken aback for a moment.
Then, she picked them up and asked, ¡°What pills are these, Mom?
They smell pretty nice¡¡± Mrs.
Anderson sighed and answered, ¡°Nora gave them to me.
They¡¯re for my eyes.¡± A look of worry came over Melissa¡¯s features.
¡°Judging from how Nora operated on Simon, it seems like she¡¯s a surgeon.
She probably doesn¡¯t know much about traditional medicine, right?¡± Taken aback, Mrs.
Anderson suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask her about the form?¡± Melissa shook her head.
¡°Nora has only just returned.
Moreover, Sheena even made such remarks about her just now.
If I ask her about the form now, it¡¯ll seem as if we don¡¯t trust her and end up hurting her pride.
How about this?
Sheril studies traditional medicine.
I¡¯ll get her toe home tomorrow and have a look at these pills?¡± The olddy nodded.
Melissa then ced the pills on the coffee table for her and helped her to the bed.
After she went to rest for the night, Melissa left.
After Melissa left the room, Mrs.
Anderson suddenly got up.
She tapped about in front of her with the white cane and came to the coffee table in a practiced manner.
She fumbled about and picked up a pill.
When she held it under her nose and sniffed at it, a refreshing scent assailed her sense and she felt afortable feeling that she had never experienced beforee over her.
She couldn¡¯t help picking up a ss of water and popping a pill.
Then, she also picked up the ointment and applied it on her eyes.
She had already been blind for more than 20 years anyway, so why not give it a try?
It was Sunday the next day.
The Hunts had scheduled a family meeting on this day to discuss what they should do about Pete.
¡°Mommy, aren¡¯t you going over to have a look?
Pete isn¡¯t good at talking.
What if someone bullies him?¡± Cherry, who was wearing cute yellow pajamas, rested her chin on her hands and asked curiously.
When Nora, who was getting dressed, heard her, she raised an eyebrow and said, ¡°If your brother is kicked out of the Hunts, then won¡¯t that mean that he cane with me instead?¡± Cherry was at a loss for words.
Nora was actually just joking.
Even if she wanted to take her son and have him leave the Hunts, she wouldn¡¯t do it in a way that humiliated him like that.
She mustn¡¯t let the usation of having a mental illness rpse and pushing his great-grandmother down the stairs be a lifelong burden weighing Pete down, either.
After instructing Cherry to stay home, she drove to the hospital.
Hospital Finest belonged to the Hunts.
In order to ensure that no one disturbed the elderly Mrs.
Hunt¡¯s rest, she was warded in the VIP ward on the top floor.
There were no other patients on the same floor for now.
When Nora arrived, the hallway on that floor was filled with members of the Hunts.
There were many new faces apart from Justin¡¯s uncle¡¯s family whom she had seen the other time.
Obviously, things seemed to have be rather blown out of proportion.
When she went upstairs, Justin¡¯s second uncle, Raymond, was already making a scene there.
¡°How can he say that it wasn¡¯t Peter who did it?
Things have alreadye to this point, yet he¡¯s actually still t-out denying it!
He¡¯s not going to admit to it until Mom wakes up to testify!
How ridiculous is that?
If he murders someone, is he also going to wait for the victim toe back to life and testify against him?
Howard, what do you say we do about this?¡± Howard, whose arm muscles were obvious even through the ck t-shirt he was wearing, touched his nose after hearing what he said.
¡°Uncle Raymond, what Grandpa means is that Pete is still a five-year-old child after all¡¡± The corners of Roger¡¯s eyes were upturned, and he looked a little as if he was smiling even when he wasn¡¯t.
He heaved a sigh and said, ¡°Howard, I know you¡¯re on good terms with Justin, and he¡¯s even the head of the family.
Having you handle this does indeed put you in a difficult position¡ Sigh.
Maybe we should just drop the matter?¡± An angry Raymond yelled, ¡°Howard, your grandpa has always made a clear distinction between official and personal matters!
If you¡¯re not capable of that, why should you be allowed to take over the responsibility of watching over the family home?¡± With the two of them ying good cop and bad cop, Howard simply couldn¡¯t put in a good word for Pete at all.
He looked at Justin anxiously, only to see him calm and steady.
Howard forced himself to calm down.
He said, ¡°When Grandaunt wakes u¡ª¡± ¡°If Mom never wakes up, are we going to just put this off forever?!¡± Raymond said aggressively, ¡°Oh, I get it now.
No wonder Justin stubbornly went ahead with the operation despite Dr.
York and several other specialists saying that they didn¡¯t rmend Mom undergoing surgery!
Justin, tell me, are you hoping that your grandma never wakes up so that you can use that as an excuse to drag this on?¡± Everyone looked at Justin.
Raymond narrowed his eyes.
¡°No wonder you got a doctor whom we¡¯ve never seen before to do it, and no wonder Mom still hasn¡¯t woken up yet!¡± As soon as he said that, an ted Tina York walked out of the ward!
Chapter 54 - 54 Mr
?54: Mr.
Hunt Is Being Narcissistic Again 54: Mr.
Hunt Is Being Narcissistic Again The people in the hallway hadn¡¯t noticed Tina yet.
Roger said as mildly as ever, ¡°Justin, the doctor from that day looked like she¡¯s only in her twenties.
It seems like we haven¡¯t seen her ever since the operation, right?¡± A single line from him was enough to raise everyone¡¯s suspicions.
Raymond even pointed at Justin and yelled, ¡°Okay!
Even though his son pushed someone down the stairs, he, as his father, only knows to blindly shelter and indulge him!
After that, he even got a doctor to harm his own grandmother!
Justin, you have to give us an exnation for this in front of everyone from the family home!¡± ¡°He got some nobody doctor to treat her illness?
He¡¯s too much!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Justin to be so cruel.
She¡¯s his grandmother¡¡± ¡°¡¡± Everyone started to specte among themselves.
Raymond and his son, Roger, exchanged a look with each other, and looks of triumph appeared on their faces.
Howard lowered his voice and started to be anxious when he heard their spections.
He said, ¡°Why isn¡¯t Great-Grandma awake yet, Justin?
Who did you get to operate on her?
I can¡¯t hold them back much longer!¡± Justin¡¯s eyes glinted darkly.
Since he had decided to ask for her help, he trusted her.
If he didn¡¯t, he wouldn¡¯t have approached her.
Since she said that Grandma would regain consciousness on Sunday, she would definitely wake up.
He said coldly, ¡°Uncle Raymond, are you in such a hurry that you can¡¯t even wait until night falls?¡± He wasn¡¯t very loud.
His voice was low and clear, but it inspired a lot of awe.
Even in a noisy situation like this, it clearly reached the ears of everyone present.
Everyone in the hallway fell silent for a moment.
A mean and sinister look filled Roger¡¯s eyes.
With a smile still on his face, he replied, ¡°Everyone here is an outstanding member of the Hunts, Justin.
We have politicians as well as businessmen here.
Are you just going to tell them to wait when they¡¯ve specially put aside everything on hand toe over today?¡± Raymond also added sharply, ¡°You¡¯re obviously just stalling for time!
It¡¯s been half a month since the incident, yet you¡¯re still telling us to wait?
Howard, there¡¯s substantial evidence to prove that Peter Hunt injured his Great-Grandma.
Aren¡¯t you going to make a clear stance on it?
¡°And Justin, too.
You showed no regard for your grandmother¡¯s life and randomly got some doctor to operate on her, leading to her very possibly never waking up again.
You have to take responsibility for this!¡± He stared at Justin excitedly.
He had originally only intended to make use of this issue to get rid of that little bastard, but little did he think that Justin would get himself involved, too.
He must take the opportunity to take away his position as the head of the family!
In his moment of triumph, a woman¡¯s high-pitched voice suddenly reached them.
¡°Who says Mrs.
Hunt won¡¯t ever wake up again?
She¡¯s already awake!¡± Tina stepped aside to reveal a nurse helping the hospital gown-d Mrs.
Hunt out.
The elderlydy had bandages wrapped around her head, but the look in her eyes was sharp.
When she came out, everyone in the hallway fell silent.
Raymond and Roger nced at each other.
Then, the two of them took a step forward in tandem and put on an act of agitated surprise.
¡°Mom!¡± ¡°Grandma!¡± Raymond wanted to hold her, but Mrs.
Hunt stretched out her arm.
Then, with all her strength¡ Smack!
A pnded across Raymond¡¯s cheek.
A furious Mrs.
Hunt berated, ¡°You no-good son!
Pete was trying to pull me back that time.
He¡¯s a good boy, so why would he push me down the stairs?!
Are you trying to instigate an uprising by gathering so many people here?!¡± Raymond was dumbfounded.
Roger stopped and stood still, the look in his eyes flickering a little.
Then, without any change in his expression, he lowered his head and said, ¡°Sorry, Grandma.
Dad was just worried about you¡¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Mrs.
Hunt decided to leave her grandson a little dignity, so she instead looked at everyone else and said, ¡°All of you can go now.¡± She returned to the ward after that.
Seeing that the whole farce was just a false rm, the rest of the Hunts left one by one.
Justin and the others followed her into the ward.
Nora also quietly walked over.
As soon as she arrived at the door, she heard the olddy say, ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to Tina that I could wake up in time!¡± Tina stood tall and straight.
She had a whiteb coat on and looked confident.
As she directed her scorching gaze at Justin, a faint smile also appeared at the corners of her lips.
¡°Mr.
Hunt, this is the Carefree Pill.
It has a refreshing effect on the mind and is made by Mr.
Myers, my teacher who taught me traditional medicine!
There are only two of such pills in the world, and it was only through special means that he managed to preserve them for 25 years.
After much begging, I finally got him to give me one¡¡± Nora, who was leaning casually against the wall and eavesdropping, was bewildered.
After 25 years of storage, even if the pill hadn¡¯t expired, it probably wasn¡¯t effective anymore!
However, Tina boasted exaggeratedly about the pill¡¯s effects.
She said, ¡°Not only does this pill not have any side effects, but it can also refresh the mind, detox, and nourish the body.
Additionally, it can even treat patients with cerebral hemorrhage.
It¡¯s practically an elixir!¡± The corners of Nora¡¯s lips spasmed.
What did Mrs.
Hunt regaining consciousness have anything to do with that pill?
The effects didn¡¯t even corrte with her symptoms!
She shook her head and decided to simply turn and leave.
Inside the ward, mockery shed across Justin¡¯s eyes.
If that pill really were effective, why would Tina wait until today to give it to Grandma?
In the end, wasn¡¯t it just because Nora had sessfully operated on her?
That pill would only have a refreshing effect on the mind at best¡ When he thought of that, he suddenly noticed a sh of movement outside the door.
He strode out to see a familiar figure entering the elevator.
The corners of Justin¡¯s lips suddenly curled up into a smile.
Didn¡¯t she say she wasn¡¯ting over?
Yet she did in the end.
Was she worried about Grandma¡¯s condition?
Or was she¡ worried about him?
In the middle of his thoughts, he heard Raymond say, ¡°Justin, I¡ª¡± Justin¡¯s countenance darkened and turned cold at once.
The look in his eyes was like the coldest of ice as he said, ¡°Now that Grandma has regained consciousness, it¡¯s time for us to settle some scores, Uncle Raymond.¡± At the Andersons.
¡°What?
The Carefree Pill?¡± Sheena clenched her fists furiously.
She swept the sses on the coffee table onto the ground and shouted, ¡°Sis was obviously the one who made them!
Jon Myers has no shame!
How does he have the cheek to say that he had made them?¡± Simon pressed his lips together tightly.
A dispirited look came over him and he said, ¡°We don¡¯t have the form for it.
Who would believe us?
On the contrary, they¡¯ll even mock us and say that we¡¯re just jealous!
The Myers have now made a name for themselves by curing Mrs.
Hunt.
On top of that, they¡¯re even using us as a stepping stone¡ It¡¯s probably all over for us and Harmonia Pharmacy now!¡± Sheena¡¯s eyes reddened.
She gritted her teeth and said, ¡°I don¡¯t have any problem with their advertising, but what makes them think they can step all over us and one-up us?¡± At this point, Sheril entered the room.
When she noticed the awful looks on their faces, her heart sank.
¡°Dad, Aunt Sheena.
What¡¯s the matter?¡± Melissa got up and said, ¡°You¡¯re still young, so don¡¯t worry about the adults¡¯ affairs.
Why don¡¯t you check that pill for your grandma and see if it¡¯s suitable for consumption instead?¡± Sheril nodded.
She followed Melissa upstairs.
However, when they entered Mrs.
Anderson¡¯s room, they noticed that she was sitting on the sofa in a daze.
Taken aback, Melissa asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Mom?¡± The dazed olddy replied, ¡°It seems like my eyes are showing a bit of reaction¡¡± Her words stunned Melissa.
Then, she snatched the pill from the table and passed it to Sheril.
¡°Quick, have a look at this!
What kind of pill is it?¡±
Chapter 55 - 55 Your Son Is My Son
?55: Your Son Is My Son 55: Your Son Is My Son Sheril majored in traditional medicine and pharmacology in college.
Sheena had been carefully training and grooming her all this time so that she could take over Harmonia Pharmacy in the future.
Thus, she knew her way around medicines somewhat.
She picked up the dark-colored pill and sniffed it carefully.
A fresh and invigorating aura assailed her senses, instantly clearing and revitalizing the mind.
It felt asfortable as taking a deep breath in the mountains.
Sheril¡¯s pretty little face turned serious and she stared at the pill, studying it intently.
A look of hesitation appeared on Melissa¡¯s mild and gentle countenance.
¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Sheril shook her head.
Then, she asked hesitantly, ¡°Can I have this, Grandma?
I¡¯d like to take it back with me so that I can study it and verify something!¡± Mrs.
Anderson nodded.
¡°Sure.
Take one with you.¡± As if she had just found a treasure, Sheril carefully put the pill into a bag, went downstairs, and made a beeline for theboratory.
Seeing her leave in a panic, Sheena and Simon, who were discussing countermeasures in the living room, were taken aback.
Sheena frowned.
¡°I¡¯ll go upstairs and have a look.¡± While Nora was driving home, her cell phone rang¡ªit was an unfamiliar number.
The moment she picked up, an angry voice from the other end of the call reached her.
¡°Nora, where¡¯s the money?
Didn¡¯t you already transfer it into my bank ount?
Why did they say that there isn¡¯t any money in the ount at all when I went to the bank to transfer the funds today?!
You no-good daughter!
Now that you¡¯re clinging to the Andersons, are we too poor for your tastes?
Are you thinking of ditching us so that you can enjoy life over there?
Dream on!¡± The smile at Nora¡¯s lips was wild and arrogant.
¡°Dad, there¡¯s something I want to ask you.¡± ¡°What?
I¡¯m warning you, stop dilly-dallying and transfer the money over now¡¡± Nora looked straight ahead of her with her fingers resting gently on the steering wheel.
She had long since stopped feeling sad because of people like him.
She asked calmly, ¡°Was my mom blind when she married you?¡± ¡°?¡± Before he could recover, Nora had already hung up.
The only reason why she had put up with him all these years was that she was afraid that he would mistreat her son.
Now, she finally managed to let out her frustrations.
Her cell phone suddenly rang again.
Nora cast a quick nce at it¡ªthe caller ID was still a string of numbers.
She answered the call, but before the other party could speak, she said sarcastically, ¡°Why are you calling me again?
Are you dying?
Are you trying to ask me to take care of your funeral?¡± ¡°¡¡± Upon hearing silence on the other end, she scoffed coldly.
She was about to hang up when Justin¡¯s low, deep voice rang out.
He asked, ¡°Miss Smith, are you intending to take care of my funeral?¡± In the hospital, the corners of Justin¡¯s lips curled upward.
Typically, apart from one¡¯s children, only their spouse would be involved in their funeral matters!
How intense of her.
Even her confession involved promises of life and death.
Nora, ¡°???¡± It was only then that she realized that she had hurled insults at the wrong person.
The string of unfamiliar numbers was Justin¡¯s phone number.
Toozy to exin, she asked, ¡°Is something the matter, Mr.
Hunt?¡± The voice on the phone was deep and pleasant, and it resounded in the car through the speaker.
He said, ¡°I recall you mentioning that you wanted me to locate someone for you after you¡¯ve cured my grandma?¡± ¡°There isn¡¯t need for that anymore,¡± replied Nora coldly.
However, a thought suddenly urred to her¡ªif Justin owed her a huge favor, then did that mean she could use that to ask for her son back?
Thus, she softened her tone and added, ¡°It¡¯s an honor to be of help to you.¡± Justin stiffened slightly.
¡°¡¡± He leaned against the wall along a hallway in the hospital, feeling good all over.
It seemed like this was the first time she was speaking so amicably to him ever since they met?
He surprisingly didn¡¯t quite know how to respond.
Then, he heard her say, ¡°Feel free toe to me whenever anyone in your family¡ªespecially your son¡ªfalls sick, Mr.
Hunt.
I have a daughter myself, so I¡¯m very familiar with children¡¯s illnesses.
Moreover, I always feel a sense of kinship toward your son whenever I see him, so don¡¯t ever feel too embarrassed to approach me for help.
You cane to me even if it¡¯s just a small bout of flu, fever, or difort¡ You get me?¡± By especially bringing up how he had a son and she had a daughter, was she trying to tell him that the two of them were a good match?
That both of them were single but with a child?
The corners of his deep-set eyes turned upward again.
The small brown beauty mark at the corner of his eye seemed especially alluring as he said, ¡°Thank you.¡± The woman immediately replied, ¡°Don¡¯t stand on ceremony with me.
From now on, your son is also my son.
I will dote on him like he¡¯s my own.¡± ¡°¡¡± Listen to those shocking things she¡¯s saying!
Justin subtly changed the subject and asked, ¡°I heard that news mistakenly got out that it was Mr.
Myers who cured Grandma.
Would you like the matter rified?¡± He had thought of rifying the matter when his grandmother mentioned that it was all thanks to Tina that she recovered.
However, when he thought of how she seemed to dislike trouble, how she kept her identity a secret, and how she didn¡¯t wish for her identity to be exposed; he had refrained from doing so.
Sure enough, he heard her say, ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.
Thank you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± After hanging up, the woman¡¯s wild and arrogant¡ªyet always sleepy¡ªvisage surfaced in Justin¡¯s mind and his smile widened.
At this point, he heard a voiceing from behind.
¡°Mr.
Hunt.¡± Justin immediately reined in his smile.
He turned to see his executive assistant, Sean Jenkins, standing there respectfully.
He had a pair of sses on.
Unlike the talkative and naggy Lawrence, he was rtively low-key and reticent, and always went straight to the point when he spoke.
He said, ¡°Mr.
Raymond has stepped down from his position as vice-chairman of thepany.¡± Justin nodded.
Before entering the ward, he suddenly looked at him.
¡°Have you made a note of all those people who were cooperating with him today?¡± Sean answered, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve noted them all.¡± Justin¡¯s eyes were icy-cold.
In order to fight for power, his uncle had surely bribed a lot of people over thest few years.
The reason why he had allowed them to make a fuss outside the ward this afternoon was just so that he could note down who was on his uncle¡¯s side.
This time, he would get them all in one fell swoop.
Elsewhere.
Nora drove back to the Andersons.
After getting out of the car, she stretched and entered the living room.
As soon as she entered, she saw Sheena and Simon both seated on the sofa with stern and grave expressions.
She was about to ask what had happened when Sheena got up in a whoosh, picked up a teacup, and hurled it at her!
Crash!
The teacup broke into pieces on the ground.
Nora¡¯s expression instantly turned cold.
Sheena pointed at her and shouted, ¡°What kind of medicine of unknown origin did you give your grandma?!
After she applied it, the area around her eyes started to sting!
She¡¯s not young anymore.
Are you trying to kill her?!
¡°There¡¯s a ton of things I¡¯ve yet to settle, yet you¡¯re creating more trouble for us.
Why is there so much trouble the moment you¡¯re back?
You¡¯re a jinx just like your mother!¡± Melissa, who was supporting an unsteady Mrs.
Anderson on the corridor on the second floor, interrupted her.
¡°Sheena!
Mom told you to stop.¡± However, Sheena replied, ¡°Mom, you have to pay the price if you make a mistake!
If we don¡¯t discipline her well, what if she ends up behaving immorally like Sis?¡± Mrs.
Anderson, who was leaning on the railing for support, looked furious when she heard her.
A momentter, she shouted angrily, ¡°Get out!¡± Sheena looked at Nora.
¡°Did you hear that?
She¡¯s telling you to get out!¡± The next moment, however¡
Chapter 56 - 56 Seven Days Later!
?56: Seven Days Later!
56: Seven Days Later!
Mrs.
Anderson took a deep breath.
With a nk and empty look in her eyes, she looked in the direction where Sheena was and said, ¡°I¡¯m telling you to get out instead!¡± Sheena was stunned.
A momentter, her eyes widened and she turned to Mrs.
Anderson and eximed, ¡°What did you just say?
Mom!¡± The olddy clutched her chest and said, ¡°You have no respect for your sister, nor are you kind or loving to the children.
You¡¯re not wee here!¡± ¡°Sis again!
It¡¯s always about her!¡± A furious Sheena said, ¡°Ever since we were children, you¡¯ve always been partial to her!
But Sis is already gone!
All these years, I¡¯m the one providing for you instead!¡± Mrs.
Anderson clutched the white cane tightly.
Her lips trembled as she said, ¡°No matter what, Nora was just trying to help!¡± Sheena sneered, ¡°Mom, do you really believe a stray child like her can cure your eyes?
We¡¯ve approached so many doctors over the years, but none of them could do anything.
Why would she be able to?
Do you really trust her that much?¡± Mrs.
Anderson was lost for words.
To be honest, she didn¡¯t really believe it, either.
However, Nora meant well, so she didn¡¯t have the heart to refuse her.
Seeing that she didn¡¯t reply, Sheena continued and said, ¡°You can¡¯t see, so you have no idea how red and swollen your eyes are!
How is that supposed to be a medical treatment?
She¡¯s obviously torturing you instead!¡± Mrs.
Anderson¡¯s eyes werepletely red and the area around her eyes was swollen as though she was having an allergic reaction.
However, this was actually a sign that the ointment was working.
She hadn¡¯t been using her eyes for too long, so all the muscles there had already loosened and sagged.
Without a more potent ointment, how would she be able to recover quickly?
Nora was about to exin when Mrs.
Anderson said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to say any more.
I¡¯m willing to let Nora give it a go.
She said that my eyes will recover and I¡¯ll be able to see again in seven days.
If I don¡¯t try it out, how would I know whether she can really do it or not?¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± Sheena was so angry that her eyes were all red.
¡°That¡¯s how much trust you had in Sis back then, too.
She said she would be gone for a week, but in the end, she never came back!
And now, you¡¯re also putting your trust in her daughter?
You¡¯re so stubborn!¡± She picked up her bag and walked straight to the door.
When she passed by Nora, she looked at her repugnantly and said, ¡°So, seven days, right?
Okay, I¡¯lle back in seven days, then.
If your grandma¡¯s condition doesn¡¯t improve even after so much torture from you, I¡¯m throwing you out of the house even if she kills me!¡± ¡°Aunt Sheena.¡± When Sheena was about to step out, she suddenly heard a woman¡¯s cool voice calling out to her and she stopped and looked back.
The look in Nora¡¯s eyes was a little cold.
The expressionless woman said in a low voice, ¡°If I sessfully cure Grandma¡¯s eyes, I hope you will apologize to my mother.¡± The way she spoke as she stood there put Sheena in a bit of a trance.
She felt as if she had time-traveled and returned to a time over twenty years ago.
That familiar and resolute figure¡ Sheena reined in her thoughts and sneered, ¡°Since you¡¯ve inherited your mother¡¯s gift of the gab, I hope you¡¯ve also inherited her talent in medicine¡ Otherwise, don¡¯t hold it against me if I show you no mercy!¡± After saying that, she turned and left.
After she left, Mrs.
Anderson sighed and said, ¡°Don¡¯t hold it against her, Nora.
She respected your mom the most back then, and this remains true even now¡ Sigh!¡± Mrs.
Anderson went back to her room as she spoke.
Melissa walked over and asked softly, ¡°¡ Is it really okay for the area around her eyes to be so red?¡± Nora patiently exined, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s normal.
It¡¯ll worsen during the next few days but will gradually fade after seven days.
To be honest, it actually doesn¡¯t hurt.¡± Melissa was relieved to hear that.
Nora then yawned and entered her room.
After that, Melissa went downstairs, where she saw the nanny returning with Cherry.
When she thought of how Cherry had made Sheena eat her own words the other day when she mocked her for being unlearned, she smiled and beckoned to her.
Cherry obediently ran over.
¡°What¡¯s wrong, Grand-aunt Melissa?¡± ¡°Cherry, can you say something in Arabic to me again?¡± Cherry had a huge question mark above her head.
She replied, ¡°But Grand-aunt Melissa, I only speak English.
I don¡¯t know any Arabic!¡± Melissa was taken aback.
Was Cherry just acting that day?
She asked hesitantly, ¡°What about your Mathematical Olympiad studies, calligraphypetitions, artpetitions, and so on?¡± A puzzled Cherry tilted her head and asked, ¡°I¡¯ve never even attended any kind of interest sses, so why would I participate inpetitions?¡± Melissa: ¡°!!¡± Seeing her hesitation, Cherry patted her little chest and said, ¡°I¡¯m notpletely useless though, Grand-aunt Melissa!
I know a lot of historical facts!¡± Melissa looked a little better.
She asked, ¡°What kind of facts does our little Cherry know?¡± ¡°I know a lot!¡±, Cherry triumphantly said.
¡°Who discovered America?
Michael Fassbender!¡± ¡°¡¡± ¡°Who invented the airne?
Tom Hanks and Colin Hanks!¡± ¡°¡¡± Half an hourter, Cherry waved and said, ¡°Don¡¯t get too excited, Grand-aunt Melissa.
I also know I¡¯m super awesome, yeah!
Take your time to calm down.
I¡¯ll go y some games first!¡± It was only after she skipped her way upstairs that Melissa finally reacted!
The corners of her lips spasmed as she nced upstairs.
In the end, she could only heave a huge sigh!
It was all Sheena¡¯s fault for saying such mean things the other day anyway.
Moreover, she even showed off her daughter¡¯s achievements, so Nora and Cherry weren¡¯t really to me for lying to get themselves out of a pickle.
It was just that their boasting was a little too exaggerated¡ Also, if what they said about Cherry¡¯s education was a lie, then was Nora¡¯s im about being able to cure Mrs.
Anderson¡¯s eyes just now also a lie?
Suddenly, she wasn¡¯t so sure anymore.
Upstairs.
Nora took a nap after sheid down on the bed.
When she woke up at night and yed with Cherry, she suddenly missed her son very much.
He didn¡¯t respond even when she sent him a text message.
Nora became a little worried, so she decided to send Justin a text message: ¡°Mr.
Hunt, are you asleep?¡± Justin had juste out of the shower.
When he saw the message, his lips corner curled upward and he quickly replied: ¡°No.¡± ¡°Oh.
Is your son asleep?¡± Justin nced at Pete¡¯s tightly shut bedroom door and replied: ¡°Yes, he is.¡± He supposed that she thought they would only be able to chat after his son had gone to bed.
Otherwise, he would have to take care of his son, right?
That woman was surprisingly rather considerate.
Sure enough, after he sent the message, his cell phone beeped again.
He opened the message with one hand while toweling his hair with the other.
Right away, his expression froze¡ªthe cell phone screen reflected only a single icy-cold word: ¡°Oh.¡± And then?
Shouldn¡¯t they be looking for a conversation topic and continuing the chat instead?
Was she¡ being shy?
Justin coughed and sent a cold reply: ¡°Something up?¡± Three minutes passed.
He didn¡¯t receive any reply.
Another five minutester, he still didn¡¯t receive any reply.
Justin thought that perhaps his cell phone was broken, so he sent a message to Lawrence: ¡°Lawrence?¡± Lawrence, who was far away in some remote corner of the earth, replied: ¡°Yes, boss?
Are you allowing me to return?¡± Justin replied: ¡°No.¡± ¡°¡¡± At the Andersons, Nora had already muted her cell phone and tossed it aside after she learned that her son was asleep.
With Cherry in her arms, she fell asleep happily,pletely unaware that a certain someone was tossing and turning in bed with a million thoughts running through his mind that night.
Seven dayster.
Sheena came to the Andersons early in the morning.
When the nanny told her that Nora was still asleep, she sneered, ¡°Let her sleep, then.
After all, she¡¯s going to be thrown out of the house once she wakes up!¡± ¡°Who do you think you¡¯re throwing out of the house?!¡±
Chapter 57 - 57 Eating Her Words!
?57: Eating Her Words!
57: Eating Her Words!
A contemptuous voice suddenly reached Sheena, causing her to frown.
She turned to see a tall and slim figure walking down the stairs.
Dressed in a casual outfit, the teen was very handsome and looked about 21 or 22 years old.
Upon closer inspection, one would realize that he bore a slight resemnce to Sheril Anderson.
He was her twin younger brother, Logan Anderson.
Logan sported a neat and short hairstyle, and there was a characteristically wild and intractable look to him.
He blew a bubble as he chewed on gum.
Sheena frowned.
¡°No one in particr.
Where are you going?¡± Logan curled his lip; he didn¡¯t like this aunt of his very much.
He scoffed and replied, ¡°Tsk.
She¡¯s not from around these parts, so she¡¯s easy to bully, but do you think you can meddle in even my affairs too?¡± He left the vi after saying that.
His attitude maddened Sheena so badly that she pointed at him and reprimanded Simon.
¡°Look at how much you¡¯ve spoiled that boy!
Instead of doing honest work, he¡¯s running wild outside with other people all day!¡± Logan was a college student, but he skipped sses, had failing grades, misbehaved, and hung out with a bunch of rich second-generation heirs.
Simon also found his son a headache, but now wasn¡¯t the time to talk about him.
He had only just frowned when he noticed Melissa on the second floor giving him a look.
Simon paused, went upstairs, and entered the bedroom with Melissa.
A troubled Melissa said, ¡°I just had a look at Mom.
She hasn¡¯t woken up yet, but the redness and swelling around her eyes are still there.
Also, she still couldn¡¯t see anythingst night¡ What do we do now?¡± She sighed and went on.
¡°Honestly, what¡¯s wrong with Sheena?
Why must she get so angry with a child?
Keep an eye on her.
If she goes too far with her words, you must shut her up.¡± Simon gave her a wry smile.
¡°Sheena is so stubborn.
She¡¯ll never listen to me.¡± Melissa frowned.
¡°What should we do then?
Are you really going to just watch her drive Nora away?¡± A cold look immediately came over Simon¡¯s countenance.
¡°Of course not!
I¡¯m her uncle.
I have the final say in this house!
Although Nora got ahead of her with her bragging this time, if it weren¡¯t because Sheena was being so overbearing¡ ¡°I¡¯m going to protect Nora even if it means I¡¯ll displease Sheena!
I won¡¯t allow Sis¡¯ flesh and blood to be stranded in the streets!¡± It was exactly his sense of duty and responsibility that Melissa admired when she had married him back then.
She said, ¡°Okay!
I¡¯ll back you up!¡± After the two had finished speaking, one of them went downstairs while the other continued to watch over Mrs.
Anderson.
By the time Nora woke up, it was almost noon.
After a good stretch, she got up and picked up her cell phone.
When she saw the text message from her son, a happy smile formed on her face.
Pete went to the Quinn School of Martial Arts for martial arts practice every Tuesday and Saturday, and studied under a home tutor at the Hunts the rest of the days.
It was Sunday that day, so it was his rest day.
At this point, she received a call from Solo.
When she answered, the other party said weakly, ¡°We¡¯ve been investigating for a week, but even so, we still haven¡¯t found any traces indicating that Justin was in California five years ago.
Apart from himself, I think there¡¯s probably no one else who really knows how his son came about.¡± During the past week, Nora had either been cooping up in the vi or investigating this matter.
For the sake of her son¡¯s fate, she had to find out why Justin hated her so much.
However, neither of them had found anything.
Nora sounded a little hoarse as she replied, ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Do you want to investigate further?¡± Solo asked.
¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°How are you going to do that?¡± Nora got up, went to the bathroom, and picked up the toothbrush.
She looked at herself in the mirror¡ªshe was as pale as a sheet.
She bared her teeth and said cockily and presumptuously, ¡°I suppose I¡¯ll just straight-up ask him.¡± ¡°¡¡± After hanging up, she washed up and went out.
Melissa was ying with Cherry in the small living room on the second floor.
Upon hearing the door opening, Cherry ran over and hugged Nora¡¯s leg.
¡°Mommy!
Great-Grandma is still asleep.¡± Nora was about to go over and take a look when someone suddenly rushed in front of her.
Their outstretched finger nearly poked the tip of her nose.
¡°Nora!
Just what did you give my mother?!
Why isn¡¯t she awake yet?!¡± Sheena¡¯s eyeliner was drawn very thick and dramatic, making her eyes look awfully fierce.
The way she was speaking so harshly made her look as if she was about to eat Nora alive.
Nora frowned and stared at her outstretched finger.
Melissa walked over and stood in front of Nora, blocking her from Sheena.
¡°What are you doing?
Calm down and talk this through nicely, Sheena.¡± An angry Sheena snapped, ¡°Talk this through nicely?
No wonder it¡¯s said that there¡¯s ultimately still a wall between mothers-inw and daughters-inw.
Are you unconcerned because she isn¡¯t your mother?¡± Melissa¡¯s expression instantly changed.
Simon said sharply, ¡°That¡¯s enough, Sheena!¡± Sheena stared hard at him and yelled, ¡°Mom¡¯s lying in thereatose!
Aren¡¯t you concerned?!
Or do you find her a bother after taking care of her all these years?!¡± ¡°¡¡± Simon and Melissa were so angry that they couldn¡¯t even speak for a while.
At this moment, a cool and clear voice reached them: ¡°Who says Grandma¡¯satose?¡± Nora looked at Sheena and scoffed, ¡°Grandma¡¯s just asleep.
Just wake her up and everything will be fine.
What are you making such a huge fuss about?¡± After saying that, she took the lead and walked over to Mrs.
Anderson¡¯s bedroom.
The others looked at one another and followed after her.
Mrs.
Anderson was blind and had limited mobility.
Thus, in order to make it convenient for others to take care of her, she didn¡¯t lock her bedroom door.
This way, everyone could freely enter and leave.
Mrs.
Anderson was lying on the bed at the moment.
Herplexion was ruddy, and even the redness and swelling around her eyes seemed to have subsided a little.
Nora called out softly, ¡°Grandma?¡± Mrs.
Anderson¡¯s lips moved a little.
Then, she slowly opened her eyes.
Her eyelids were swollen, so there were only two small slits where her eyes would be.
Melissa hurriedly stepped forward and helped her sit up on the bed.
¡°Mom, how do you feel?¡± Mrs.
Anderson looked at her nkly.
Her reaction badly frightened Melissa.
Just as she was wondering whether she should send her to the hospital, she suddenly heard Mrs.
Anderson say, ¡°Melissa, you¡¯ve aged¡¡± Melissa was taken aback.
Mrs.
Anderson smiled and said, ¡°Well, it¡¯s been more than twenty years after all.
There¡¯s no way you won¡¯t age.¡± At this point, Melissa finally reacted.
She eximed in surprise, ¡°Mom, you can see me?¡± Mrs.
Anderson nodded.
Then, she looked at the others.
When her gaze swept across Sheena and Simon, she said, ¡°All of you have aged¡ And you, Sheena.
It¡¯s been so many years, yet that foul temper of yours still hasn¡¯t changed!¡± It was only at the very end that her gaze reached Nora.
The young woman stood there with an aloof look on her face as if she didn¡¯t fit in with the family at all.
She had exquisite facial features.
Her almond-shaped eyes should have made her look gentle, yet on her, there was an additional sense of arrogance and wildness to them.
She bore an 80% resemnce to her own daughter back then.
Mrs.
Anderson¡¯s eyes instantly reddened.
She reached out to her as she said, ¡°Nora¡¡± Although Melissa was also very protective of her, the concern from a blood rtive gave Nora an indescribable ache and soreness in her heart.
It was as if she was no longer alone.
Next to her, Simon¡¯s eyes also reddened.
He said agitatedly, ¡°It¡¯s been over twenty years, but we¡¯ve never managed to cure your eyes all this time!
To think you can actually see now¡ Nora, what exactly were those pills you gave Mom?¡±
Chapter 58 - 58 Justin, Actually, You Can Also Have A Daughter!
?58: Justin, Actually, You Can Also Have A Daughter!
58: Justin, Actually, You Can Also Have A Daughter!
The Carefree Pill.
Nora said silently in her mind.
However, when she thought of how her mother had instructed her to stay low-key and avoid being too showy, she casually said, ¡°I bought them at Guardian Pharmacy.
They said it invigorates and refreshes the mind.
I didn¡¯t ask the specifics.¡± In other words, she had bought them without much thought.
Sheena said sharply, ¡°That¡¯s some sheer dumb luck, huh!
Didn¡¯t I say?
You¡¯re so young; even if you do know a bit of medicine, it¡¯s not going to be this grea¡ª¡± Melissa couldn¡¯t stand listening to her anymore.
She interjected and said, ¡°Sheena, no matter what the case is, we still ought to thank Nora!¡± Sheena said mockingly, ¡°Thank her?
Do you need me to get down on my knees and kowtow to her, or set off some fireworks to celebrate, then?¡± She was obviously being sarcastic, but the corners of Nora¡¯s lips quirked upward and she replied seriously, ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to.¡± Her voice was low and husky, which lent it a sense of calmness and steadiness.
She said, ¡°You should apologize to my mother now.¡± Sheena immediately felt her cheeks burning.
She clenched her fists and straightened her back.
She avoided Nora¡¯s gaze and said, ¡°Why should I?
Mom only became blind because she was so angry at your mother for running away from home!
Isn¡¯t it only right for you to cure her?
Also, we¡¯re in this state because your mother just up and left back then!
She¡¯s the sinner of the family!
Why should I apologize to her?!¡± Simon sighed.
Then, he ordered harshly, ¡°Shut up, Sheena!¡± Sheena felt that she must have misheard him.
Shocked, she looked at him and asked, ¡°Simon, are you actually yelling at me because of a stray like her?!¡± Simon replied, ¡°She¡¯s no stray; she¡¯s Sis¡¯ daughter and my niece!
She¡¯s an Anderson!
Apologize to Sis now!¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± Sheena shouted angrily, ¡°Are you determined to go against me?
Fine, you don¡¯t need me to help you manage Harmonia Pharmacy anymore, do you?¡± ¡°¡¡± Simon was stunned.
Sheena had always been the one in charge of Harmonia Pharmacy¡¯s manufacturing department during all these years.
It was indeed also because of her that the business hadn¡¯t gone bust yet.
But what she just said¡ Was she threatening him?
At the sight of Simon¡¯s silence, Sheena immediately knew that her threat had been effective.
She straightened her back and sneered, ¡°You have to suffer the consequences if you make a mistake!
Sis made a mistake by eloping back then, which caused our reputation to plummet!
So, why should I apologize to her?
Does she have the cheek to ept my apology?¡± Smack!
Sheena, who was close to the bed, was stunned when Mrs.
Anderson¡¯s pnded on her cheek, and she looked at her in disbelief.
Mrs.
Anderson, who was trembling all over, shouted angrily, ¡°Your elder sister must have had her reasons!
I forbid you to say that about her!¡± Sheena took a step back.
With a wry smile, she held her hand to her cheek and said, ¡°You can shut me up, but can you shut up those people outside?
Her mother was a woman of loose morals who eloped with another man, and it held back Ian Smith for life!
This is the biggest scandal among the wealthy families in all of New York in the past two decades!¡± Simon said sternly, ¡°Sis had her reasons!¡± ¡°What reasons did she have?!¡± Sheena yelled hysterically, ¡°We even found love letters in her room!
She eloped!
When will all of you stop lying to yourselves?!¡± She turned to Mrs.
Anderson and Simon and said, ¡°I¡¯ll say onest thing¡ªit¡¯s either her or me in this family.
Pick one!¡± ¡°¡¡± The room fell silent.
A silent Nora turned and said, ¡°I¡¯ll leave.¡± However, arge warm hand held her shoulder before she reached the door, and Simon¡¯s slightly tired voice reached her: ¡°Nora, where are you going?
This is your home.¡± He didn¡¯t dare to look at Sheena when he spoke, but his decision was already obvious.
Sheena looked at Mrs.
Anderson and then at Melissa¡ªboth of them turned away.
Toward the end, she looked at Simon and said, ¡°Fine!
Okay!
The Andersons and the Myerses are fighting it out now, but you¡¯re actually driving me away at a critical moment like this because of that no-good girl?
¡°Fine!
I¡¯ll leave!¡± Sheena turned and started to walk out, but found that no one was stopping her.
When she reached the door, she stopped.
A momentter, with her eyes red, she sneered, ¡°You¡¯re all partial toward Sis, and have forgotten that I¡¯m the one who has led Harmonia Pharmacy over the past twenty years to where it currently is!
¡°In that case, don¡¯t me me for hardening my heart!
Simon, I¡¯ll wait for Harmonia Pharmacy to bepletely crushed by the Myerses!
I¡¯ll wait for the day it closes down!¡± After saying that, she turned and strode off.
Melissa frowned.
¡°Has Sheena lost her mind?
How can she bring herself to say such a thing after just a few heated words?
She¡¯s almost 50, yet she¡¯s still so impulsive!¡± Then, she looked at Simon worriedly.
¡°We¡¯re at a critical point of the Andersons and the Myerses¡¯ fight for market share now.
What do we do if Sheena really goes on strike?¡± A troubled Simon rubbed his temples.
¡°We¡¯ll just do whatever we can and take it one step at a time!¡± Seeing how worried they both looked, Nora asked, ¡°Uncle Simon, Aunt Melissa.
Is there anything I can help with?¡± Simon sighed and replied, ¡°No, it¡¯s fine, Nora.
You can just stay home with Cherry.¡± What the Andersons needed the most at the moment wasn¡¯t a contest of skill inmerce but an actual bona fide form for a pill!
Thanks to Nora¡¯s mother¡¯s Carefree Pill, the Myerses had leaped to stardom among the wealthy circles in New York.
If she, as well as the form, were still around¡ The ones stealing the show would have been them now.
Sigh!
A troubled Simon and Melissa left the house after deciding that they would head to Harmonia Pharmacy to think of a solution.
As for Nora, she gave her grandmother a detailed exnation on how to use the ointment next.
Then, she spent some time apanying her while she adjusted to life with a sense of sight again.
After she went on the right track, Nora went downstairs.
During brunch, Sheril suddenly rushed into the vi.
Her eyes were shining.
At the sight of Nora, she flew straight up to her and eximed, ¡°Nora!
Is this pill the Carefree Pill?!¡± ¡°¡¡± At the same time.
The Hunt Corporation¡¯s office building towered into the sky in the center of New York.
On the top floor, Justin was currently in the midst of work.
An extremely troubled Chester paced about in the hallway with a million thoughts in his mind.
His little nephew had said that once the Smith woman cures Grandma, he would tell Justin the truth!
But why did he feel like Justin was still unaware of the fact that he had a daughter?
He mustn¡¯t hide it from his brother anymore.
During this recent period of time, he had been terribly troubled every day over how he should tell Justin the truth, leading to him having trouble eating and sleeping.
He wasn¡¯t even having fun killing mobs in the game anymore!
His little nephew wanted the two of them to form a family.
But in his opinion, this was simply impossible!
Justin hated Pete¡¯s mother so much.
Wouldn¡¯t it be too much of him if he hid the truth from him?
Justin was his elder brother!
After doing enough ideological construction and alsoing to terms with the possibility that there might not be anyone carrying him in the game anymore in the future, Chester took a deep breath and pushed open the office door.
Justin was in the midst of reviewing documents.
His brows were drawn together coldly, and even the beauty mark at the corner of his eye seemed to exude a serious aura.
He looked up when he heard the door open.
Upon making eye contact, Chester immediately said, ¡°Justin, actually, you can also have a daughter!¡±
Chapter 59 - 59 Go To Nora And Youll Have Both A Son And A Daughter
?59: Go To Nora And You¡¯ll Have Both A Son And A Daughter 59: Go To Nora And You¡¯ll Have Both A Son And A Daughter ¡°¡¡± The office was quiet.
Sean, the executive assistant, gave his sses a push.
Then, he walked over and closed the door, cutting off the gossipy gazes of those in the secretary¡¯s office outside but also arousing everyone¡¯s intense curiosity.
Chester weakly tried to tempt him.
¡°Think about it, Justin.
A soft, tender, and adorable daughter¡ªdon¡¯t you want one?¡± The way he described it caused the sight of Pete ying with Barbies to sh across Justin¡¯s mind.
A sharp glint instantly shed in his eyes and with a warning tone, he asked, ¡°What are you thinking of doing?¡± Was he thinking of having Pete undergo some kind of outraging operation?
Chester was so scared that he cowered and stammered, ¡°J-J-Justin, really!
You can also have a daughter!
I-if you go to Nora, you¡¯ll be able to have both a son and a daughter!¡± Justin, ¡°?¡± His first reaction was to breathe a sigh of relief.
Fortunately, he hadn¡¯t brought up Pete¡ But immediately after, he realized what he meant¡ But going to Nora¡ And having a daughter¡ If he got into a rtionship with that woman, her daughter would indeed have to call him Daddy.
Wouldn¡¯t he have a daughter, then?
He frowned and subconsciously barked, ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous!¡± How could he possibly help someone else raise their kid?!
A wave of irritation suddenly surged up in him, causing him to be infuriated at the sight of Chester¡¯s cowering appearance.
He immediately pointed to the door.
¡°Get out.¡± Chester wanted to say more, but as soon as he said his name, Justin barked angrily, ¡°Get out!¡± ¡°¡¡± A terrified Chester rushed out of his office.
His legs were even shaking as he wiped the non-existent perspiration on his forehead.
However, his eyes were bright and shiny.
He had already told Justin the truth.
He was the one who didn¡¯t believe him, so he couldn¡¯t me him when he found out in the future¡ Right?
Time to hurry home, look for his little niece, and have her carry him in the game!
He left without any psychological burden.
However, the low pressure in the office didn¡¯t ease.
Justin¡¯s eyes were downcast, but he suddenly couldn¡¯t process the words on the documents anymore.
It wasn¡¯t really a big deal to raise someone else¡¯s daughter.
At the most, he could just have a nanny raise her instead.
However, he had always been a cold and unfeeling man and found rtionships highly troublesome.
Cultivating feelings with that woman was already troublesome enough.
If one added an additional daughter to it¡ Wait a minute, when had he agreed to cultivate feelings with that woman?
Justin¡¯s eyes¡ªwhich had always been cool, rational, restrained, and wise¡ªappeared to be at a loss at this moment.
A short whileter, he let out a short scoff ofughter.
He felt as if he was being unreasonably worried.
What did whether or not that woman had a child, and whether or not she had made mistakes in her youth have anything to do with him?
All he had done was having her treat someone¡¯s illness and owe her a favor, that was all.
He would just find an opportunity to return the favor and that would be it.
At the Andersons.
Sheril¡¯s eyes were shining beneath her double eyelids.
¡°Nora, where did you get the form?¡± Nora was about to make up something when Sheril asked excitedly, ¡°Did my aunt leave it for you?¡± ¡°¡¡± Seeing that she had already found a good excuse for her, Nora nodded.
Sheril immediately became so excited that she grabbed her hand.
¡°The Myerses released the Cooling Tablets, which are even more effective than our Vitality Water, this year.
In addition, they also produced a Carefree Pill and saved the elderly Mrs.
Hunt.
This has already be a legend in the industry!
¡°Harmonia Pharmacy¡¯s footfall has seen a visible decrease recently.
Most of the drugstores and hospitals that we worked with have also returned the goods and reced them with the Myerses¡¯.
¡°If your mother really left behind the Carefree Pill form, then there¡¯s hope for the Andersons!¡± Nora raised an eyebrow.
So that was what the Andersons were currently going through.
She cast her eyes down and said, ¡°Wait a moment.¡± She went upstairs, found a piece of paper in the room, and wrote down on it the Carefree Pill¡¯s form and things to take note of during the manufacturing process.
After that, she went back down and handed it to her.
¡°This is the form.¡± Sheril got up hurriedly.
She looked somewhat grave as she said, ¡°Y-you¡¯re giving me the form just like that, Nora?¡± As a medical practitioner, Sheril knew just how important a form is.
However, Nora replied casually, ¡°Yeah.¡± Seeing how trusting she was of her, Sheril gritted her teeth and took the form from her.
She said, ¡°I¡¯ll give it a go, then.
Nora, this pill is very difficult to make.
My aunt tried so hard to make themst time, but only seeded in making five in the end.
Don¡¯t tell Dad and Mom about this for now, lest it gives them hope and then disappoints them again.¡± ¡°¡¡± She had already improved the form, so there definitely wouldn¡¯t be any problem.
But seeing her so nervous, Nora nodded.
The anxious Sheril ran out again.
She must hurry and get the pills manufactured!
This way, her parents wouldn¡¯t have to go around begging for help to improve sales anymore!
The next day, when Nora woke up and went downstairs for breakfast, she found Simon and Melissa sitting on the sofa with awful looks on their faces.
A healthcare conference was being held today, and all relevant personnel in the industry would be attending.
They had previously agreed to have Sheena and Simon attend together.
She was to be in charge of technology while Simon was to be in charge of sales.
He had called Sheena and said a lot to cate her, but the other party had sneered, ¡°Didn¡¯t the Andersons not need me anymore?
Since all of you like Nora so much, you can have her go with you instead!¡± No matter what happened internally, a family must always unite when facing external foes.
In spite of that, she was being so stubborn.
Melissa had always been even-tempered, but even she was rather incensed.
¡°If she doesn¡¯t want to go, then so be it!
I¡¯ll go with you instead!¡± Simon nodded.
After the two finished speaking, they saw Norae downstairs.
Melissa took the opportunity to say, ¡°Let¡¯s go together, Nora!
Today¡¯s conference will also benefit you in many ways.¡± Nora thought for a moment before she said, ¡°Okay.¡± The conference was held in Hotel Finest¡¯s conference hall.
While they called it a conference, it was actually more like a small banquet.
People could discuss and seal a lot of business deals here.
However, the three of them were stopped by the service staff at the door.
¡°Sorry, the QR code for your invitation is wrong, so you can¡¯t enter.¡± Simon frowned.
¡°But this is what they sent us!¡± The service staff replied, ¡°This year¡¯s conference is held by the Myerses.
They said that this is a high-end medical conference, so they aren¡¯t inviting doctors with little or bad reputations anymore and reissued the invitations.
You¡¯re not allowed to enter now.¡± Simon was furious.
He clenched his fists with an infuriated look on his face.
The Myerses were obviously making things difficult for them!
But if they didn¡¯t go in today, they would be expelled from the medical industry!
At the sight of him keeping quiet, disdain welled up in the service staff.
Nobody doctors trying to worm their way in to get acquainted with the guests in high-end conferences like this were amon sight.
He had seen a lot of them before.
Thinking that the three in front of him were also people like that, he said loudly, ¡°If you don¡¯t have an invitation, please stand aside and avoid blocking the guests behind.¡± His words attracted the attention of everyone around them.
The circle was only so big; everyone knew everyone very well.
Simon immediately felt his cheeks burn, and he felt terribly embarrassed.
He was about to say something when a voice interrupted him: ¡°Wait a minute.¡±
Chapter 60 - 60 My Daughter Looks Like Her Father
?60: My Daughter Looks Like Her Father 60: My Daughter Looks Like Her Father Justin had a lunch meeting here at noon.
On the second floor of Hotel Finest, the conference hall was on the left and the restaurant on the right.
As soon as he walked out of the elevator, he heard themotion at the entrance of the conference hall.
He originally wasn¡¯t paying much attention to it, but when he nced over, he spotted a familiar figure.
His footsteps paused for a moment.
When he heard the service staff chasing them away impatiently, he frowned and said to Sean, ¡°Let¡¯s go over and take a look.¡± No matter what, the Andersons were, after all, acquaintances with the Hunts.
The previous generation of the two families had been closely acquainted with one another; how could he allow others to bully and humiliate them?
Sean nodded.
¡°Yes, sir.¡± But when he was about to walk over, he heard that deep and clear voice going ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Nora picked up her cell phone.
Her fair and slender fingers tapped a couple of times on it and she opened her email inbox.
Sure enough, there were a few invitations lying within.
As the most prestigious surgeon around, organizers of various conferences held in different countries would send her token invitations.
Sure enough, the organizers of a formal conference like this one had also sent her one.
However, she needed a bit of time to find the invitation from her junk mail¡ At this time, someone beside her spoke.
¡°Miss Smith?¡± Taken aback, Nora lifted her head and looked over¡ªit was a woman that looked about 30 years old.
Her curly hair rested on her shoulders and she was wearing formal business attire.
She frowned.
After a moment¡¯s hesitation, she asked, ¡°You are?¡± A displeased Tina York frowned.
They had obviously met in the hospital before, but she was actually pretending not to know her¡ However, she had been wondering why Justin had brought a young doctor over that time.
After much ado, it turned out that she was actually from the Andersons.
The Andersons were gradually falling into decline day by day.
They were solely relying on forms from twenty years ago and selling medicines based on them.
They must have been at the end of their tether and told that nobody doctor to operate on Mrs.
Hunt as ast-ditch attempt, right?
Unfortunately, all that credit had gone to her instead!
At the thought of that, her displeasure quickly dissipated.
She smiled and seemingly said as a kind reminder, ¡°Everyone¡¯s a distinguished individual here.
Since the Andersons haven¡¯t received an invitation, if you make a fuss here, it won¡¯t reflect well on you, either¡¡± A single line from her made everyone queuing behind start specting in low voices: ¡°My goodness, I thought the Andersons just forgot their invitation, but the truth is they actually didn¡¯t receive one?¡± ¡°The Myerses¡¯ market share has expanded.
There¡¯s basically no one buying the Andersons¡¯ drugs now.
Sigh!
To think they¡¯ve been reduced to the point where they can¡¯t even get an invitation anymore!¡± ¡°They can¡¯t me anyone else for that.
What can anyone do if they don¡¯t improve themselves?
I heard the drugstores and hospitals working with them have returned their goods recently and switched to the Myerses¡¯.¡± ¡°¡If I were them, I¡¯d have quickly sneaked off with my tail between my legs by now.
What are they still doing here?¡± The spections made Simon¡¯s expression change again and again, and he felt as if he had never been any more embarrassed.
After Tina kept quiet for a while, she sighed and said, ¡°Everyone¡¯s here for a good time today.
If you simply have to go in¡ Uncle Simon, if you promise you won¡¯t disturb the others, I¡¯ll bring you in!¡± ¡°Won¡¯t disturb the others¡±¡ The way she put it, it was as if they weren¡¯t fit to be seen in public!
Simon felt as if someone had given him two tight ps.
Just as he became so infuriated that he turned to leave, a cool voice said, ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡± Nora stared at Tina coldly and said, ¡°The Andersons receive a lot of invitations, so I took a while to find it and ended up causing a short dy.
Sorry about that, Uncle Simon and Aunt Melissa.¡± She raised her cell phone and presented the QR code to the service staff.
¡°Can we go in now?¡± ¡°¡ This way, please!¡± Only then did the three of them from the Andersons finally enter the banquet hall.
At the door, Tina was stunned.
She clearly remembered that her teacher hadn¡¯t sent an invitation to the Andersons.
Had she remembered wrongly?
Nearby.
Sean, who had taken a couple of steps toward the Andersons with the intention of helping them out of the embarrassing situation, was taken aback.
Then, he looked back at Justin.
¡°They don¡¯t seem to need any help anymore.¡± Justin, ¡°¡¡± It had momentarily slipped his mind that that woman was Anti, so how could she possibly not have an invitation?
However, her line of ¡°The Andersons receive a lot of invitations¡± sure was interesting.
Justin suddenly turned and started walking toward the conference hall.
The usually reticent man said, ¡°I¡¯m just going over to see if there¡¯s a chance for me to return the favor I owe.¡± Sean, who was following closely behind him silently, was rendered speechless.
Boss, you don¡¯t need to exin anything!
An exnation is no different from a cover-up!
As a professional secretary, however, Sean quickly reported on the Andersons¡¯ affairs.
¡°¡ The Andersons can¡¯t sell their drugs at all.
If this continues, I¡¯m afraid they¡¯ll go bust soon.¡± Although Justin didn¡¯t reply, he nevertheless looked rather thoughtful when he heard the report.
All the Hotel Finest service staff knew their boss, so Justin entered the conference hall straightaway.
The ce¡¯syout was arranged like a small banquet.
Most of the male guests were in suits and formal shoes while the women wore formal dresses.
Only that woman was dressed in a white T-shirt and a pair of jeans, yet she was still eye-catching among the crowd.
Justin narrowed his eyes slightly and walked over.
As soon as he approached, he heard Melissa ask, ¡°Nora, where did you get the invitation?¡± The young woman replied casually, ¡°Oh, I was helping with the treatment of Mrs.
Hunt¡¯s illness before, right?
Although I wasn¡¯t of much help, Mr.
Hunt was still pretty nice.¡± Sure enough, Melissa misunderstood her words.
¡°Oh, so Mr.
Hunt gave it to you!
He must have also wanted you toe over and broaden your horizons.¡± Justin, ¡°¡¡± That woman really was using him as a scapegoat for everything, wasn¡¯t she?!
A mischievous smile suddenly formed on his lips and he said in a low voice, ¡°Uncle Simon, Aunt Melissa.¡± The three walking in front immediately stopped and turned around.
Upon seeing him, Melissa immediately said gratefully, ¡°Thank you for giving Nora an invitation, Justin.
Otherwise, we really wouldn¡¯t have been able to enter today.¡± Justin nced over and saw the difited girl touching her nose awkwardly.
But after that, she looked down quietly and calmed down.
Those docile cat-like eyes of hers were raised slightly, and she had a seemingly amused look on her face as if she wasn¡¯t the one lying just now.
Her mental resilience was first-ss.
In an equally seemingly amused manner, Justin replied, ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± Simon¡¯s purpose in attending the banquet was to sell hispany¡¯s drugs.
When he spotted a regr customer who wanted to return their goods in front, he hurriedly said, ¡°Justin, you guys go ahead and have a chat first.
I¡¯ll be back in a jiffy.¡± He started walking over after saying that.
A look of worry came over Melissa¡¯s countenance.
Justin observed Nora out of the corner of his eye.
She had almond-shaped eyes and a small but high-bridged nose.
Her lips were rosy and plump, and looked very attractive.
For some reason, he suddenly thought of what Chester had said the day before: ¡°You can have a daughter if you go to Nora.¡± A daughter¡ He suddenly asked, ¡°Miss Smith, what does your daughter look like?
Does she resemble you?¡± Nora nced at him.
Cherry actually didn¡¯t look like her.
Seriously speaking, she instead bore a 70% resemnce to the man in front of her.
Thus, she answered, ¡°No, she resembles her father instead.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Justin suddenly became interested.
¡°Do you have any photos?¡± Nora nced at him and replied, ¡°Yes.¡±
Chapter 61 - 61 Investigate Her Daughter!
?61: Investigate Her Daughter!
61: Investigate Her Daughter!
Justin looked at her, only to see that the young woman, after answering him, had no intention of picking up her cell phone and showing him a photo at all.
¡°¡¡± For some reason, he felt a little embarrassed.
At the sight, Melissa, who was next to him, said, ¡°Are you asking about Cherry?
I have photos of her, too!
I even took videos!¡± She picked up her cell phone after she spoke.
Just as she was about to show a photo to Justin, Nora subtly stopped her and said, ¡°Aunt Melissa, things don¡¯t seem to be going well for Uncle Simon over there.¡± Sure enough, it sessfully distracted Melissa.
She turned to see that Simon and the other party were starting to argue in low voices.
She smiled apologetically at Justin and quickly walked over.
Justin, ¡°¡¡± He couldn¡¯t help but feel that she had done it on purpose just so he wouldn¡¯t be able to see the photos.
Wasn¡¯t it just her daughter?
He had already shown her his son, so what was there for her to be so secretive about?
A hint of a chilly look came over his countenance.
When he saw Nora also giving him a nod and walking over to Simon, he suddenly instructed Sean, ¡°Look up her daughter; surely she isn¡¯t that ugly that she shouldn¡¯t be seen in public, right?¡± Since she refused to show him her daughter, then he would find out what she looked like, no matter what!
Justin was obviously upset after he said that.
Had it been any other time, he would already have turned and left.
This time, however, he actually followed them over.
Sean: ¡°¡¡± By the time Nora came over, Simon already had an awful look on his face.
The other party was a man about 40 or 50 years old, and he spoke in a hurtful manner.
¡°¡ Simon, it was only on ount of the friendship between our families that I¡¯ve been doing business with the Andersons out of kindness all these years.
¡°Times are moving on; the drugs produced by the Andersons cannotpare to the Myerses¡¯ now.
Surely you can¡¯t always rely on friendships when doing business?¡± Melissa clenched her fists.
She turned to Nora and said with disgust, ¡°He¡¯s the Deputy Dean of the Traditional Medicine Hall.
Hisst name is Lucas.
All the forms of Harmonia Pharmacy¡¯s medicines have been improved by your mom, so they have always been very effective!¡± ¡°They used to beg us to sell them our products, and the business dealings between the two of us have always had arm¡¯s length transactions.
How did it even be them ¡®doing business with the Andersons out of kindness¡¯?¡± Simon took a deep breath and said nicely, ¡°I¡¯m agreeable to your request to terminate our partnership because you¡¯ve found another supplier.
However, the batch of pills you custom-ordered have already been fully manufactured.
After signing the contract, surely you have to follow the contractual terms, right?¡± Deputy Dean Lucas replied with a smile, ¡°Let¡¯s do this instead¡ªI know you¡¯re in a bit of a pinchtely.
We¡¯ll buy the batch of pills at a 60% discount.
How does that sound?¡± Simon¡¯s grip on his champagne ss tightened intensely as he tried his best to suppress his anger.
¡°A 60% discount?
We¡¯ve always given you a low price.
You¡¯re clearly kicking us when we¡¯re down!¡± Deputy Dean Lucas patted Simon on the shoulder and said, ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I mean, Simon.
If you¡¯re agreeable to it, then we¡¯ll help you out this one time and at least give you a bit of profit.
However, what I¡¯ve heard is that everyone else has returned their goods.
Moreover, Harmonia Pharmacy has barely any clients and its reputation is already a goner now!¡± There was sarcasm hidden in his words.
¡°You¡ª!¡± Simon was outraged.
The man adopted a casual attitude as if it didn¡¯t matter either way.
¡°In any case, do think it over properly.
Will you keep the pills with you and let them expire, or sell them at me at a low price¡¡± He had only just said that when a voice came from beside him.
¡°A 60% discount is too high.
How about a 20% discount instead?¡± As soon as the person said that, the few of them turned and saw Sheena.
Her husband was a well-known internal medicine physician.
At the sight of her, both Simon and Melissa¡¯s eyes reddened slightly and they felt a warm feeling welling up in their hearts.
Simon called out, ¡°Sheena.¡± Sheena ignored him.
Instead, she smiled at Deputy Dean Lucas and said, ¡°A 60% discount is too much of a loss for us!
But if it¡¯s a 20% discount, the loss is within an eptable range.¡± Then, she leaned toward him and said, ¡°When we close the deal, I¡¯ll treat you to dinner, old friend!¡± A lewd look had appeared in Deputy Dean Lucas¡¯s eyes when he saw Sheena.
He took her hand and fondled the back of her hand.
Sheena felt a wave of disgust, but she nevertheless tolerated it until Deputy Dean Lucas said, ¡°You guys can forget about selling your medicines anymore.
Mr.
Myers has already put the word out that he won¡¯t sell their medicines to anyone who buys from the Andersons.
You must understand that he has a Carefree Pill in his possession; that¡¯s something that can save someone¡¯s life!
Who would dare to go against him?
I¡¯m the only one who can still afford to buy your medicines at a 60% discount now.¡± Sheena tried to withdraw her hand, but Deputy Dean Lucas took hold of it again.
He said, ¡°Nana, how about we go to the balcony over there and have a chat?¡± Deputy Dean Lucas and Sheena were ssmates in college and he had always been attracted to her.
However, Sheena found him too ugly and had rejected him several times before.
At this moment when she heard his suggestive words, she almost gagged.
She said, ¡°Let¡¯s talk here instead.¡± Deputy Dean Lucas stroked her palm and said, ¡°There are too many people here, so let¡¯s go there instead.
I can give you a 30% discount¡ Don¡¯t make a scene; the Andersons are already down and out.
If you embarrass yourselves again in a conference like this, then you really won¡¯t be able to hold your head up high in the future anymore¡¡± Sheena wanted to withdraw her hand, but Deputy Dean Lucas held it tightly and gave her a warning look.
Then, his hand started to stray toward Sheena¡¯s butt¡ Sheena was extremely angry and embarrassed.
When they were young, the Harmonia Pharmacy had been sought after by all.
In school, so many outstanding young men had courted her, but she had ignored them all.
But ever since her elder sister¡¯s departure, the Andersons fell into decline and she¡¯d had to keep an obsequious smile on even when she didn¡¯t want to, in order to keep the business going.
And now, even a mere Deputy Dean Lucas had the guts to paw her!
This reminded her of the time back when she was still in junior high¡ A group of girls had been jealous of her because she was rich and good-looking.
They had ganged up on her in the bathroom, but she didn¡¯t dare to fight back.
It was her elder sister who had suddenly rushed in, her small and skinny self with a broom in her hand, and started beating them indiscriminately.
Afterward, with her chin raised, she had lectured her.
¡°What¡¯s there to be scared of?
You can only deal with wicked people like them by being even more ruthless than they are!¡± ¡ If Sis were still here, how could they possibly have ended up like this?!
Sheena clenched her fist tightly.
She was about to push Deputy Dean Lucas away when she suddenly sensed him freezing up.
She turned to see that the young woman who bore a 70% resemnce to her sister was currently standing beside her coldly.
Her delicate hand had pressed down on Deputy Dean Lucas¡¯s wrist.
She applied a little force, causing him to open his mouth, ready to shout.
Nora said coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t make a scene.
If you embarrass yourself in a conference like this, you won¡¯t be able to hold your head up high in the future anymore¡¡± She threw his words right back at him.
Deputy Dean Lucas let go of Sheena and took a step back inpromise.
The pain made his forehead break out in cold sweat.
He lowered his voice and snapped, ¡°Can you let go of me now?!¡± Nora let go of him.
Simon rushed over and stood in front of Sheena and Nora.
¡°We¡¯re not going through with this transaction anymore!¡± At the sight, Deputy Dean Lucas lowered his voice and barked angrily, ¡°Fine!
Okay!
Since you don¡¯t want to sell the pills to me, I¡¯m gonna see who, apart from the Traditional Medicine Hall, dares to buy your medicines!¡± After he said that, a deep voice suddenly reached them: ¡°Who says there¡¯s no one who dares to buy them?¡±
Chapter 62 - 62 It Really Is The Carefree Pill
?62: It Really Is The Carefree Pill 62: It Really Is The Carefree Pill Justin strode over with a cold look on his face.
The conference was very noisy, and all the guests had gathered into their own respective little groups.
Justin was low-key by nature, so no one had noticed him.
Moreover, this was a medical conference.
Most of the guests here wouldn¡¯t be able toe into contact with people of his level, so they didn¡¯t know who he was.
However, this didn¡¯t include Deputy Dean Lucas.
Deputy Dean Lucas was stunned when he saw him.
¡°M-Mr.
Hunt?¡± Justin, however, ignored him.
He merely turned to Simon and said indifferently, ¡°Uncle Simon, Hospital Finest will procure all of our traditional medicines from the Andersons.
For every type of pill that Harmonia Pharmacy sells, we¡¯ll take 5,000 pills a month each.¡± All of them were dumbfounded.
5,000 pills¡ of each type!
Although it wasn¡¯t a lot, it was enough to sustain Harmonia Pharmacy¡¯s daily expenses!
He was practically a lifesaver.
Moreover, he had also chosen an appropriate quantity.
Hospital Finest was definitely capable of finishing all 5,000 pills of every type of medicine, no matter what.
Therefore, it wouldn¡¯t give others the impression that Justin was taking pity on them, so his actions showed sufficient respect toward the Andersons.
The way he handled the matter was both appropriate and meticulous.
Simon quickly recovered from his astonishment.
He, Sheena, and Melissa looked at one another.
They still needed to feed so many people in the Andersons.
Additionally, Sheena and Sheril were also leading research and development efforts for new drugs in the pharmaceutical department, so the future still held endless possibilities for them.
Simon didn¡¯t put on a pretentious act and refuse his offer.
Instead, he said gratefully, ¡°I will definitely sell all our medicines to you at the lowest price possible!
I also guarantee that they¡¯ll absolutely be of the very best quality!¡± Justin nodded and instructed Sean, ¡°Get the Legal Department to draw up a contract so that we can have it signed as soon as possible.¡± After speaking, he looked at Nora.
She hadn¡¯t asked for any consultation fees or operation fees for his grandmother¡¯s operation back then.
By helping them out a little and sending them some money, he would just take it that he was returning her the favor.
However, Nora frowned, seemingly a little troubled.
¡°5,000 pills of each type?
Does this include new products?¡± New products?
Simon and Sheena were a little confused.
They didn¡¯t have any new products, did they?
Justin, however, quickly replied, ¡°Yes, it does.¡± Nora nced at him and asked casually, ¡°Are you sure?
The new product is a little expensive.¡± A little expensive?
How expensive could it get?
Justin didn¡¯t take her question seriously.
He asked, ¡°How much is it?¡± Nora replied softly and unhurriedly, ¡°The cost price is $800 per pill.¡± Justin frowned.
At $800 per pill, 5,000 pills would mean $4,000,000 a month!
Even the total cost of 5,000 units of every type of pill from Harmonia Pharmacy would probably only add up to less than a million dors a month.
Was she asking for that much right off the bat?
She was demanding quite the exorbitant price.
Justin frowned, his expression even turning a little cold.
Although he had only interacted with her no more than a few times, she didn¡¯t seem like she was such an ungrateful person.
Simon and Sheena, who had finally regained their senses, hurriedly said, ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense, Nora!
We don¡¯t have any new products!¡± Nora exined, ¡°Sheril¡¯s making it at the moment.
It¡¯ll be finished soon.¡± What was there for them to finish soon?
It had been years since the factory¡¯s Research & Development departmentunched any new product.
However, in the presence of outsiders, Simon couldn¡¯t quite reprimand Nora for babbling nonsense.
As such, he could only give Justin a vague reply and say, ¡°New products aren¡¯t included.¡± But Justin instead stared at Nora and asked, ¡°What do you think, Miss Smith?¡± Nora hesitated.
Carefree Pills were developed using very expensive medicinal herbs.
The cost prices of the various precious medicinal herbs in the pills were high from the start.
Excluding the materials and manufacturing costs, a single pill could already cost up to $500 or $600.
A wholesale price of $800 was really very low.
In fact, she had even been thinking of setting the retail price at $1,500 per pill.
She was originally thinking that the Carefree Pills would even allow Harmonia Pharmacy to recoup its capital and make a name for itself, but if she had to set aside 5,000 pills for him every month¡ Ah, well.
What could she do?
He was Pete¡¯s father.
She would just share part of the profits with him, she supposed.
At the thought, Nora sighed and said, ¡°You can have them.¡± Justin, ¡°?¡± She was obviously ripping him off, but why was she sounding as if she was reluctant to give him the pills?!
Upset, he suddenly lost interest in staying any longer.
Simon hurriedly said, ¡°No, Justin, this won¡¯t do¡ She¡¯s still young, so she doesn¡¯t know what she¡¯s saying.¡± Sheena also grabbed Nora and lectured her in a low voice.
¡°What kind of nonsense are you saying in front of Mr.
Hunt?!
He¡¯s only helping us out because his father was friends with Sis.
How can you raise the price like that?
You¡¯re so¡¡± The word ¡®shameless¡¯ did a U-turn on the tip of her tongue when she thought of how Nora had defended her just now, and she forced herself to swallow the word back down.
While they were arguing, Justin instead said, ¡°That settles it, then.¡± A gentleman should be true to his word.
Since he had agreed to it, he mustn¡¯t go back on his word.
He would just treat the money as her consultation fee and take it that he was returning her the favor.
From thereon, they didn¡¯t owe each other anything anymore.
As soon as he said that, a loud voice traveled over from a short distance away.
¡°Mr.
Myers, I heard that you still have another Carefree Pill.
How much would you be willing to sell it for?¡± Nora turned and saw a handsome man with a pair of flirtatious eyes.
He looked to be in his twenties and wore a gray suit, making him look tall and lean.
He was talking to a white-haired old man.
¡°I¡¯m willing to pay $150,000 for the pill in order to treat my uncle¡¯s illness!¡± For some reason, Nora actually found the man very affable.
She asked, ¡°Aunt Melissa, who¡¯s that?¡± After a moment¡¯s hesitation, Melissa answered, ¡°That young man is Joel Smith, the current head of the Smiths.
His uncle is Ian Smith¡¡± Ian Smith?
The man who never married for the rest of his life after Mom let him down?
While she was musing over this, the old man, Jon Myers, said, ¡°Mr.
Smith, it¡¯s not that I refuse to sell it, but there¡¯s only one left.
It¡¯s our shop¡¯s treasure!¡± Joel Smith¡¯s flirtatious eyes were upturned even when he wasn¡¯t smiling, making people feel warm andfortable in his presence.
Yet at the same time, he also inspired awe despite his mild exterior.
His assistant, who was standing next to him, reprimanded, ¡°In that case, why did you give one to the Hunts?
At the bottom of it all, is it because you think the Smiths cannotpare with the Hunts?
Or do you think we, the Smiths, cannot afford it?¡± Jon wiped the beads of cold sweat from his forehead and said, ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean at all, Mr.
Smith.¡± Joel didn¡¯t want to be thought of as someone who coerced others into selling, either.
Thus, he suggested mildly, ¡°How about we go over there and discuss this further?¡± It was only after they left that Nora finally looked away.
Melissa sighed emotionally.
¡°To think a pill can sell for $150,000!¡± As soon as she said that, Deputy Dean Lucas, whose presence all of them had overlooked, suddenly said, ¡°That¡¯s the Carefree Pill they¡¯re talking about; of course it¡¯ll be expensive!
What kind of new product are youunching to actually have the audacity to sell it at $800 per pill?
You¡¯re obviously trying to scam others!¡± He hurriedly looked at Justin and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be fooled, Mr.
Hunt!
The traditional medicine industry is aplicated one; how can a bit of lousy medicinal herbs be worth $800¡ Do you think you¡¯re selling the Carefree Pills?¡± A sharp look glinted in Justin¡¯s eyes¡ªhe was obviously displeased.
What concern was it of Deputy Dean Lucas¡¯ that he was willing to be scammed of his money?
He was about to speak when the young woman¡¯s lip corners curled upward and she said coolly, ¡°You¡¯re right, we are indeed selling Carefree Pills.¡±
Chapter 63 - 63 The Carefree Pill Belongs To The Andersons!
?63: The Carefree Pill Belongs To The Andersons!
63: The Carefree Pill Belongs To The Andersons!
¡°What?¡± All of them were astounded.
Even Simon, Sheena, and Melissa felt like they must have misheard her, not to mention Deputy Dean Lucas.
After all, the ce was noisy and everyone was basically only talking about the Carefree Pill.
Deputy Dean Lucas was the first to recover.
¡°What did you say?
Are you kidding me?¡± However, something seemed to click in Melissa¡¯s mind and she whispered, ¡°Nora, do you have the Carefree Pill form?
I get it now!
Your mother must have left it for you?!¡± She had vaguely heard her husband mention before that Nora¡¯s mother was the one who had developed the Carefree Pill back then!
Nora nodded.
¡°Yeah.
I¡¯ve already given it to Sheril.
I reckon that we¡¯ll be able tomence mass production in a couple of days.¡± She had thought that everyone would be excited after she said that, but Simon¡¯s jaw was tense and he didn¡¯t say anything.
Sheena¡¯s brows drew together tightly.
¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense outside when the product hasn¡¯t been finished yet.
As expected, a child like you is simply unreliable.
You can¡¯t keep yourself calm and steady at all!¡± The look in Nora¡¯s eyes turned a little cold.
Wasn¡¯t her second aunt being a little too hostile to her?
The thought had only just formed when Simon lowered his voice and said, ¡°Nora, your mom only managed to make the Carefree Pills by coincidence back then, and even so, only a batch of five pills was sessfully produced.
The manufacturing process is a bitplicated and the sess rate is extremely low.
This is also the reason why the Carefree Pills hadn¡¯t been poprized back then.
Even with the form, it¡¯ll be difficult for us to mass produce it¡¡± At the sight of the awful looks on Simon and Sheena¡¯s faces, Deputy Dean Lucas sneered, ¡°Tsk.
Are you lusting for the Carefree Pill just because you saw that Mr.
Myers has one?
If the Carefree Pill was something that any Tom, Dick, or Harry could make, Mr.
Myers wouldn¡¯t be treating the one he has as the treasure of his shop!¡± Not far away, another loudugh reached them.
Everyone looked over to see Jon and Joel walking out together.
A rxed look came over Jon¡¯s features after heughed.
He said, ¡°That settles it then, Mr.
Smith!¡± Joel looked rather disappointed¡ªit seemed like the talk just now hadn¡¯t gone too well.
After nodding, he walked to the side with gging interest and his interest in the conference became ratherckluster.
Nora watched him.
Joel¡¯s eyes were downcast at the moment and he had lost the warm smile he had just now.
Perhaps because he was thinking of his uncle¡¯s condition, there was some sorrow and mncholy on his handsome and elegant visage.
¡ It was rather heart-wrenching to see him like that.
Nora found herself taken aback at the thought.
She had always been an apathetic person who¡¯d rather make fewer friends if she could get more sleep in return.
The empathy she felt today came rather inexplicably.
She shook her head, discarding the thoughts in her mind.
Someone nearby asked Jon, ¡°Didn¡¯t Mr.
Smith buy the pill?¡± Jon sighed and replied, ¡°The pill actually doesn¡¯t hold much use for Mr.
Smith¡¯s condition.
He¡¯s in poor health and needs regr nourishment to nurse his health.
A pill is of little use to him.¡± Everyone understood now.
The Carefree Pill might be a lifesaver for others, but in the case of Ian whose bodily functions were barely supporting him, they needed one Carefree Pill per day to slowly nurse him back to health.
However, there was only a single pill left in the whole world now.
Thus, it was useless to him.
Jon went on.
¡°However, we cannot ignore Mr.
Smith¡¯s condition, either.
I¡¯ve agreed to have Tina go over every day to conduct health checkups on Mr.
Smith.¡± This way, he wouldn¡¯t offend the Smiths.
He sure was smart.
Someone nearby ttered him and said, ¡°Dr.
York is thest student you ever took in; there aren¡¯t many who can have her conduct health checkups on them every day now!¡± ¡°Now that modern medicine holds such a prominent ce in society, traditional medicine has be much less significant.
The only thing we can be proud of now is the Myers Peace Pharmacy!
Mr.
Myers, I¡¯ve heard that it¡¯s hard to get an outpatient appointment with you these days.¡± Someone suddenly changed the subject and asked, ¡°Mr.
Myers, how much are you selling that pill of yours?
Name your price!¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right!
Mr.
Myers, is that pill for sale?¡± ¡°I¡¯d also like to buy it as a backup n¡¡± A group of people flocked to Jon and surrounded him.
and for a time, the Myerses basked in the spotlight like none other.
Even Tina next to him was proud to be associated with them.
Jon smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s not for sale!
That¡¯s thest pill we have, so it¡¯s our shop¡¯s treasure.¡± Tina raised her chin and said gently, ¡°Mr.
Myers has been using a special preservation method on the pill over the years.
The cost of preserving it so that it won¡¯t expire already costs about $150,000 per year¡¡± ¡°Hiss!
That¡¯s a lot of money!
No wonder that pill still hasn¡¯t spoiled even after 25 years¡¡± ¡°With that pill, the Myerses can dominate the world of traditional medicine!¡± ¡°¡¡± Jon¡¯s gaze swept across the Andersons¡ªwho had been isted and kept outside by the others¡ªin the distance as he listened to the crowd¡¯spliments.
A sharp look shed across his countenance.
He suddenly said, ¡°Traditional medicine requires one to umte and build up experience.
One must be content with what they have and calmly umte experience.
More importantly, they mustn¡¯t allow themselves to be tempted by other things.
Am I right, Simon?¡± His words made everyone look at Simon.
Jon continued and said, ¡°How glorious the Andersons were twenty years ago!
There was no one who didn¡¯t know about the Andersons whenever they were mentioned in the traditional medicine and pharmaceutical industry.
But all these years, you and your second sister have ced your time and efforts on making social connections and on making money instead.
Your intentions in making medicine are no longer pure!¡± Being reprimanded in public Simon and Sheena instantly flush.
Melissa stepped forward and said with a smile, ¡°Mr.
Myers, Myers Peace Pharmacy¡¯s main business is also the sale of medicines.
Surely someone has to take charge of making sales, right?
Speaking of which, back when our eldest sister was in charge of making medicines, I heard that you even came to us in person to ask for advice!¡± Jon stared at her and sighed.
He said, ¡°Your eldest sister, Yvette Anderson, is indeed a rare pharmaceutical genius.
She was the only one with any hope of surpassing my prowess back then.
What a shame that she wasted her efforts on love and romance, and eloped with a man instead!
How shameless!
If she had behaved and been contented with her lot back then, she would probably have also been able to create the Carefree Pill!¡± Simon was rather angry.
He said, ¡°Yvette was the one who made that Carefree Pill in your possession!¡± Sheena was also furious.
Back then, Yvette had made five pills.
Jon had borrowed two in the name of research and observation.
Afterward, Yvette had gotten herself in trouble before she could improve the form.
The three pills they had were also used on a patient, and all of them had forgotten to ask for the two Carefree Pills back!
But now, not only was he using those two pills to suppress the Andersons, but he was also iming that he was the one who made them?
How utterly shameless!
Jon smiled and said nothing.
Tina, however, frowned and said, ¡°That¡¯s a very strange im you¡¯re making, Uncle Simon.
If the Andersons were really the ones who made the Carefree Pills, why would it be in my teacher¡¯s possession while you don¡¯t have any?¡± ¡°Exactly.
How can the Andersons be so shameless?
They¡¯re actually stealing credit for the Myerses¡¯ pills¡¡± ¡°Carefree Pills are very difficult to make.
The two that Mr.
Myers has were only sessfully made by chance.
How can the Andersons im they¡¯re theirs?
If the Andersons had made them, why aren¡¯t they bringing them out?¡± ¡°Moreover, they¡¯re even saying that Yvette was the one who made the pills.
She¡¯s already dead; without her around anymore, of course, they can say whatever they want.
Unless they can produce the Carefree Pill, who would believe them?¡± Amidst the spections, and a cool voice slowly reached them: ¡°Who says the Andersons don¡¯t have any Carefree Pills?¡±
Chapter 64 - 64 Ill Give You Anything You Want
?64: I¡¯ll Give You Anything You Want 64: I¡¯ll Give You Anything You Want Everyone turned and looked over to see a slender figure casually standing there.
The young woman looked charmingly beautiful, and her cat-like eyes were slightly downcast as if she was sleepy and tired.
Yet she also gave off a sense of unbridled arrogance.
Her fair slender fingers went to her pocket and she took out a ck pill wrapped in a white paper.
After tearing off the simple and crude white wrapper, she held it between two of her fingers and looked at Jon.
She said, ¡°This is the real deal itself¡ªthe Carefree Pill.¡± Jon¡¯s eyes widened the moment he saw her.
The young woman simply resembled Yvette Anderson too much, making him a little dazed.
It was just like that time back when that other young woman had stood in front of him and dered proudly, ¡°I¡¯ve sessfully made the Carefree Pill!¡± Someone in the crowd eximed, ¡°Dr.
Lincoln, have a look at it!
Is that the Carefree Pill?¡± Dr.
Lincoln was a well-known traditional medicine practitioner in the circle.
Upon the request, he took a step forward and took the pill from the young woman.
Then, he scratched off a bit of it, held it to his nose, and sniffed it carefully.
A momentter¡ ¡°It¡¯s the Carefree Pill!
In addition, it seems like it was made recently!¡± ¡°What?
Made recently?
That young woman seems to be from the Andersons¡¡± ¡°Could it be that Yvette really was the one who created the Carefree Pills?¡± ¡°¡¡± As soon as the words left the speaker¡¯s mouth, the hall fell quiet.
Simon¡¯s eyes lit up and he immediately said, ¡°Mr.
Myers, you have nothing to say now, do you?!¡± Jon regained hisposure very quickly.
He said mysteriously, ¡°I had made medicines together with Yvette back then.
I didn¡¯t expect that she has also sessfully created the Carefree Pill¡¡± He was trying to make up for the embarrassment just now.
¡°Heh.¡± Melissa chuckled softly.
Although she hadn¡¯t said anything, it nevertheless made Jon¡¯s face burn as if someone had pped him a few times!
Everyone exchanged looks with one another.
Suddenly, Dr.
Lincoln stepped forward and asked, ¡°¡ Mr.
Anderson, may I know if the pill is for sale?
I¡¯m willing to pay $15,000!¡± As soon as he said that, everyone else also regained their senses and started to swarm toward Simon.
¡°I¡¯m willing to pay $23,000!¡± ¡°I¡¯m willing to pay $80,000!¡± ¡°I¡¯m willing to pay $150,000!¡± ¡°¡¡± This was obviously a conference, but if anyone were to pass by outside, they might have thought it was an auction house instead.
Simon ignored them all and carefully put away the pill that Dr.
Lincoln was holding.
He said, ¡°This pill¡¡± Before he could say the words ¡®not for sale¡¯, Nora said unhurriedly, ¡°¡ is for sale, of course.¡± Simon, ¡°!¡± The Myerses could even make a name for themselves in New York just by relying on a mere pill.
Did Nora have any idea just how valuable the pill was or not?
He was about to speak when Nora started taking out more pills from her pocket.
One, two, three¡ She took out a total of twenty pills!
She said calmly, ¡°The Andersons¡¯ new product, the Carefree Pill, will beunched at the end of this month.
The retail price will be¡ $3,000 per pill?¡± She had originally nned to price them at $1,500 each, but going by their fervency just now, it seemed like she could also sell them at $3,000 without any problem?
Nora was still wondering whether or not the price was too high when the crowd started shouting: ¡°I want 200 pills!¡± ¡°I want 2,000 pills!¡± ¡°Mr.
Anderson, I want 3,000 pills!¡± All the drugstore and hospitals¡¯ procurement team representatives started to yell out their orders.
Simon swallowed and subconsciously nced at Nora, who said dispassionately, ¡°The production process for the Carefree Pill is aplicated one, so we can only produce up to 10,000 pills per month.
They will not be sold at wholesale price but retail price.¡± ¡°¡¡± Everyone was a little disappointed, but someone nevertheless approached Simon.
¡°Mr.
Anderson, if I order 5,000 cartons of Vitality Water, can you sell me 200 Carefree Pills?
I¡¯ll buy them at retail price, not the wholesale price!¡± Simon replied, ¡°¡ Okay.¡± ¡°Me too!
I want some too!¡± The crowd, who had been rather dismissive toward Simon just a moment ago, surrounded him one after another.
Deputy Dean Lucas of the Traditional Medicine Hall also squeezed into the crowd.
He said, ¡°Simon, on ount of our friendship, you have to give me 500 Carefree Pills no matter what!¡± Unfortunately, before he could squeeze into the crowd, Sheena stopped him.
With an icy smile on her face, she said, ¡°Interested in our products, Deputy Dean Lucas?
They¡¯ll cost you four times the usual price.¡± Deputy Dean Lucas, ¡°¡¡± He had demanded a 60% discount on their products just now and now, the Carefree Pill¡¯s price had quadrupled!
Sheena was definitely doing this on purpose!
Justin, who was standing nearby, looked a little stunned.
His original intention was to give her money, but now¡ ¡°The pill retails at $3,000 but she¡¯s selling it to us at $800 each.
In other words, we earn a profit of $2,200 per pill, which makes $11,000,000 in total!
Mr.
Hunt, Miss Smith has actually given us such arge cut of the profits!¡± Behind him, Sean was calcting the numbers.
He remarked, ¡°Why does it feel like we ended up taking advantage of Miss Smith?¡± Justin, ¡°¡¡± He was originally intending to return her a favor, but it seemed like his debt was increasing instead?
The chilly look on his face and the impatience in his heart had already dissipated at some point.
The corners of his lips suddenly curled upward and even the beauty mark at his eyes was exuding joy.
The young woman amid the crowd had already meritoriously retired by now.
She slipped away quietly, leaving all the hustle and bustle to Simon, and walked toward Justin.
She had a bit of aplicated look¡ªthere seemed to be a little hesitation, as well as a little uncertainty.
What was she intending to say to him?
To think it was actually putting her in such a spot.
The smile at the corners of Justin¡¯s lips widened a little further.
But just as she got closer and closer to him, the woman suddenly turned and walked toward Joel, who was next to him, instead.
Justin, ¡°?¡± The smile on his face suddenly froze.
Nora was indeed feeling a little hesitant and unsure.
She didn¡¯t know whether what she was doing was right or wrong, but she simply followed her heart and walked up to Joel.
She said, ¡°Mr.
Smith, the Andersons are willing to provide your uncle¡¯s medication at no cost.¡± Joel had already heard themotion a long time ago.
However, he hadn¡¯t expected Nora to take the initiative and offer him the pills.
His flirtatious eyes raised slightly, but his smile alsopletely disappeared.
His eyes were icy-cold as he replied, ¡°I appreciate your kindness, but¡ ¡°My uncle doesn¡¯t ever take any of the Andersons¡¯ medicines.¡± After speaking, he nodded coldly at Nora, turned, and left.
Nora was rendered speechless.
Not expecting a response like that, she was stunned to the spot.
A low voice reached her at this point.
¡°Ian Smith has great pride.
Your mother embarrassed him back then.
He¡¯ll never use the Andersons¡¯ medicines.¡± Nora turned to see Justin standing behind.
She clenched her jaw and then sighed.
There were mistakes that one could make up for, but there are also some that one couldn¡¯t.
In that case, there was no need for her to meddle anymore.
Seeing that she didn¡¯t seem to take it to heart, Justin coughed and slowly said, ¡°Miss Smith, the new product¡¡± Nora waved and said, ¡°Since I¡¯m giving it to you, just take it.¡± Justin chuckled softly and asked, ¡°Is there anything you want, Miss Smith?¡± Anything I want¡ With her eyes all bright and shiny, Nora looked at him and asked, ¡°Will you give me whatever I want?¡± There it was, that scorching gaze again.
Justin let out a low ¡°Yes¡±, his voice deep and sultry.
Nearby, Sean was rendered speechless.
Boss!
I can¡¯t bear to watch you anymore!
Ding!
His cell phone beeped.
He looked down to see that someone had sent him the photo of Nora¡¯s daughter that he had asked for just now.
Chapter 65 - 65 Someone Was Investigating My Daughter!
?65: Someone Was Investigating My Daughter!
65: Someone Was Investigating My Daughter!
Justin stared at Nora intently with his head lowered.
There wasn¡¯t any of the cold and unfeeling demeanor he usually had.
The well-tailored custom-made suit set off his big and tall figure, making him look tall and straight.
Dim light flickered in his dark, deep eyes, and even the beauty mark at the corner of his eye seemed a little darker than usual.
He seemed to be looking forward to something, yet also nervous about it.
Were Pete here, he would have discovered that the egocentric tyrant, who had always acted arbitrarily, actually looked somewhat nervous at the moment¡ The woman¡¯s eyes were big and shiny and had none of their usualziness as she gazed at him.
Her appearance made his heart suddenly race.
For a moment, he suddenly had the illusion that he would agree to whatever she asked for, no matter what it was.
Her lips parted and a few words popped out.
¡°I want you¡¡± Justin felt as if the whole ce had turned silent around him.
The corners of his lips curled upward subconsciously, and even his dark eyes seemed like they were gradually lighting up like a sunny day.
Then, he heard the second half of her sentence: ¡°¡-r son.¡± Justin was bewildered.
The bolt from the blue made him dumbfounded.
In fact, the man, whose expression had never betrayed his feelings, couldn¡¯t quite keep a straight face anymore.
Even his voice sounded a little stiff as he said, ¡°What?¡± Seeing how big his reaction was, the light in Nora¡¯s eyes dimmed little by little.
She just knew that it wouldn¡¯t work.
That bit of profit that the Carefree Pills gave probably wasn¡¯t even a drop in the bucket for the number one family.
How would it possibly move him?
Thinking about it from his perspective, if he were to offer to buy Cherry¡ Well, if he allowed her to sleep at the Hunts¡¯ residence, it wasn¡¯t entirely impossible, either.
Nora lowered her gaze, her long eyshes casting their silhouette on her cheek.
With a little disappointment, she said carelessly, ¡°Just kidding.¡± Justin, ¡°¡¡± Nora¡¯s cell phone rang at this time.
She nodded at Justin, then walked a few steps away and answered the call.
Solo¡¯s voice rang out from the other end of the call.
He said, ¡°Anti, I found signs that someone was searching the Inte for your daughter¡¯s photo just now!¡± Nora was puzzled.
Her eyes narrowed and she immediately looked at Justin, only to see that his assistant standing behind him was currently whispering something to him.
Justin looked up and nced at her.
Then, his assistant held up his cell phone, apparently about to open the email and show him the photo¡ Nora panicked.
She hung up and immediately took a step forward.
¡°Mr.
Hunt!¡± Justin, who was about to open the email, was taken aback and he looked at her.
A cold glint flickered in Nora¡¯s eyes and she came right up to Justin.
Then, she tiptoed, reached out one hand, and held his shoulder as she said in a low voice, ¡°Your clothes are wrinkled.¡± With her cell phone in her other hand, she ¡®identally¡¯ bumped it against Sean¡¯s cell phone that Justin was holding.
While pretending to pat his clothes, she counted silently: Five, four, three, two, one¡ Time¡¯s up.
Nora was about to take a few steps back to put some distance between the two of them when arge warm hand suddenly held her around her waist.
¡°Look out.¡± A waiter happened to be passing by behind her.
Nora felt as if the palm on her waist was burning hot.
She raised her head in difit and her gaze met with the man¡¯s smiling lip corners.
His lips were thin, but their shape was refined and good-looking.
His nose bridge was very tall, making him look very gant.
His pupils were very dark, making them seem deep and bottomless.
Up close, his face had a bewitching charm to it.
Nora felt as if the air in her lungs had been sucked away, making her chest feel tight and stuffy.
She hurriedly pushed him away and took a few steps back.
After she steadied herself, she said, ¡°Thank you.¡± Then, she turned and left.
As he gazed at her fleeing in embarrassment, Justin looked down at his fingertips.
The woman really had a fantastic figure.
Areas that should be fleshy were fleshy, yet her waist was so slim and slender.
It was as if he could hold it with just a hand¡ After a while, he finally looked at the cell phone.
However, the screen had turned ck.
An astonished Sean said, ¡°¡ Is the battery t?
It shouldn¡¯t be, though.
The battery was more than 60% full just now.
Why can¡¯t I turn it on anymore¡¡± After hacking Sean¡¯s cell phone, Nora lowered her gaze and tapped away on her big and heavy cell phone for a short while.
At this point, a shadow suddenly appeared in front of her.
Nora looked up¡ªTina was supporting Jon and looking at her with hostility.
As she tossed her cell phone into her pocket, she also heard Tina say cheerfully, ¡°Miss Smith, something awesome is about to happen to you!¡± She deliberately raised her voice, attracting the attention of everyone around them.
Jon let out a cough and said, ¡°So, you¡¯re an old friend¡¯s daughter.
Back then, your mother and I were good friends.
Even though she went astray and ruined herself, now that you¡¯re back, I should guide you in your mother¡¯s stead.
I heard that you¡¯re a surgeon?
I wonder if you¡¯re interested in traditional medicine?¡± A question mark slowly appeared in Nora¡¯s mind: ?
Tina said, ¡°Miss Smith, are you so happy that you¡¯re lost for words?
My teacher, Mr.
Myers, is about to take you as his student, so hurry up and acknowledge him as your teacher!¡± Nora, ¡°!!¡± Tina straightened her back and slowly said, ¡°Miss Smith, perhaps you¡¯re not very familiar with the traditional medicine scene here.
At present, there are a few masters of traditional medicine in New York¡ªDr.
Myers, Dr.
Lincoln, and Dr.
Jenkins.
The three of them were students of Dr.
Silvester Zabe, the most famous practitioner of traditional medicine many years ago.
However, Dr.
Zabe hasn¡¯t seen any patients for many years, so there¡¯s no one better than Mr.
Myers now.
¡°Mr.
Myers is also the deputy dean of the New York College of Traditional Medicine.
There are scores of people trying to apply to be a postgraduate student under him.
It¡¯s your honor that he¡¯s willing to take you as his student.
It¡¯s a blessing that many are begging for!¡± As soon as she said that, the people around them immediately started to specte among themselves.
¡°No wonder Mr.
Jon is so skilled in traditional medicine.
As it turns out, he was under the tutge of Dr.
Zabe.
But wasn¡¯t it said that Dr.
Zabe didn¡¯t take any students?¡± Jon smiled lightly and said, ¡°I was lucky enough to have studied under Mr.
Zabe for a few years.
I suppose you can call me an unofficial student of his!¡± The moment he said that, Dr.
Lincoln, who had helped to verify the Carefree Pill just now and was of equal standing as Jon, muttered, ¡°I heard that Mr.
Zabe officially took in a student a few years ago and taught them everything he knew¡ But that¡¯s just a rumor, though.
I¡¯ve never seen that little junior of mine, so I have no idea whether they¡¯re male or female!¡± Dr.
Lincoln¡¯s words didn¡¯t attract anyone¡¯s attention, though.
Tina said, ¡°Acknowledge Mr.
Myers as your teacher here first.
You can officially pay him a visit toplete the procedures next time.¡± Nora slowly said, ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡± Disregarding how that man must be up to no good in his bid to take her as his student, and that he would probably make her lend him the Carefree Pill¡¯s form to study and observeter on; just the fact that were she to be Jon¡¯s student¡ Wouldn¡¯t their hierarchical positions be all messed up?
Speaking of which, she was certainly being rather rude.
Even though she hade to New York, she hadn¡¯t gone to visit her teacher yet¡ While she was lost in her own thoughts, Tina¡¯s expression had already changed.
She and Jon were about to say something when next to them, Joel Smith answered a phone call and his expression suddenly changed drastically.
He quickly took a couple of steps toward Jon and said, ¡°My uncle is dying.
Pleasee with me immediately and have a look at him¡¡±
Chapter 66 - 66 An Incurable Illness
?66: An Incurable Illness?
66: An Incurable Illness?
Jon, who didn¡¯t dare slight him, answered, ¡°Okay!¡± Before leaving, he looked at Nora and said, ¡°You¡¯re still young, so you should give some things a little more thought.
Mr.
Smith, let¡¯s not waste any more time and hurry over!¡± After Jon and Tina left, the people around them started to gather around Nora.
¡°So, you¡¯re Yvette Anderson¡¯s daughter?
Bing Jon¡¯s student is a great opportunity.
Don¡¯t pass it up!¡± ¡°She¡¯s still young, but Simon, you¡¯d best be sensible!
Look at Tina; after she became Mr.
Myers¡¯ student, she became an attending physician at Hospital Finest.
She also became a lot more well-known¡¡± Amidst everyone¡¯s persuasion, Nora, however, merely stared in the direction where Joel and the others left.
Ian Smith was dying¡ Should she go over and have a look?
However, when she thought of what Joel had said just now, she abandoned the thought.
Never mind.
Everyone had their own destiny.
The conference ended with a perfect conclusion for the Andersons.
All the goods piled up in their warehouse sold out.
In addition, with the Carefree Pills, Harmonia Pharmacy¡¯s position in the traditional medicine industry also stabilized somewhat.
At the very least, when they left, the others no longer looked at them contemptuously like the way they did in the beginning.
It was only after he saw that the Andersons had left that Justin looked at Sean, who had already taken out his spare cell phone, logged in to the email ount, and opened the email from just now.
The photo, however, was of a baby who had just turned a month old.
Honestly speaking, all newborn babies actually look more or less the same.
However, the baby in the photo looked soft and chubby, and it was obvious that she had very attractive facial features.
Justin suddenly thought of Pete when he was a baby.
Due to his poor health, he had been nothing but skin and bone¡ At the Andersons.
After Nora and the others stepped through the door, the whole family sat on the sofa in the living room.
Simon had just answered a call from his daughter.
He said excitedly, ¡°Sheril says that they¡¯ve already produced 50 pills based on the form!
The form works!
We can really mass-produce Carefree Pills!¡± Melissa nced at Sheena, who hadn¡¯t said a word since she entered.
She said, ¡°It seems like Yvette did indeed improve the form and even had Nora bring it back.
This shows that despite her leaving home, she hadn¡¯t forgotten the Andersons¡¡± Sheena¡¯splexion was dull and ashen.
Her lips were pursed tightly and she felt dejected.
Simon, who didn¡¯t notice anything, instead asked, ¡°Nora, are you really not going to study under Jon?¡± Nora replied, ¡°No.¡± After thinking for a while, Simon said, ¡°I know it¡¯s because Jon was making things difficult for us that you¡¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to discuss any further about this.
I¡¯m not interested in learning traditional medicine from him,¡± said Nora, who interrupted her uncle straightaway.
Sheena frowned.
¡°What are you interested in, then?¡± Nora raised an eyebrow and kept quiet for a while.
At once, Sheena couldn¡¯t help but reprimand her.
¡°I heard that you¡¯re a surgeon?
Do you have a medical license?
Which college did you graduate from?
Which hospital are you working in?
Are you a doctor specializing in outpatient service or an attending physician?¡± Nora replied, ¡°¡ I work by myself.¡± ¡°You work by yourself?
In that case, how many operations can you do in a month?
Why don¡¯t you train in the hospital for a few years since you¡¯re still so young?¡± Melissa tugged Sheena¡¯s sleeve.
¡°Sheena, don¡¯t say any more for now.¡± However, Sheena pulled her sleeve back and said, ¡°So, you want me to apologize to your mother?
Okay!
I¡¯ll do it!
I shouldn¡¯t have said that about Sis!
But Nora, as your aunt, there¡¯s something I have to say!
¡°Your mother was renowned as a youngdy of great talent in New York back then, but you grew up elsewhere instead.
The way how you¡¯re incapable of anything damages your mother¡¯s reputation!
That is something I absolutely will not allow!¡± ¡°¡¡± Nora felt that this second aunt of hers took reputation and things like that too seriously.
She stood up and walked upstairs.
¡°I¡¯ll go and take a look at what Cherry is doing.¡± Sheena immediately became angry.
¡°You¡ª¡± Melissa grabbed her hand and said, ¡°She¡¯s only just returned, Sheena.
Give her some time to adapt.
Don¡¯t worry, even if you don¡¯t bring it up, I¡¯ll do my best to groom Nora, nheless!¡± Nora, ¡°¡¡± She really didn¡¯t need it.
She went upstairs, entered her bedroom, and immediately heard Cherry in the midst of her games.
¡°Chesty,e on!
I caught someone who¡¯s alone!¡± A voice rang out in the voice chat: ¡°Coming!
I¡¯ming!¡± Then, Cherry let out an exmation of surprise and said, ¡°No, there isn¡¯t just one person but two!
Ah, there¡¯s one¡ two more in the bushes!
Chesty, there are four yers away from their team!¡± ¡°¡¡± ¡°Come on!
Why are you running away, Chesty?
Why are you so lousy?!¡± ¡°¡ Cherry, they have four people on their side while there¡¯s only two of us.
Are you sure the four of them are away from their team?¡± ¡°Why are you chickening out?
I can beat five of them by myself!
Are you a man or not?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m your uncle!¡± ¡°Oh.
Those who didn¡¯t know would¡¯ve thought you were my aunt instead!¡± ¡°¡¡± Seeing that Cherry was engrossed in her game, Nora reminded her to pay attention to the time and went to take a bath.
Cherry blinked with her big cute eyes and stared at her cell phone.
¡°Chesty, Mommy¡¯s back, so I¡¯ll have to log off soon!
Are you still streaming the gamey?¡± Chester replied, ¡°Yes, I am.
The viewers in my live stream are all calling for you to start live streaming too!¡± Cherry became very interested when she heard what he said.
She asked, ¡°Will anyone watch if I live stream?¡± Chester replied, ¡°Of course!
I¡¯m a hotshot streamer with millions of fans.
When we challenge the rankings with our two-man team, you¡¯ll definitely get a lot of traffic!¡± ¡°Okie-Dokie!¡± Cherry said, ¡°I¡¯ll start a live stream tomorrow!
What do I have to prepare?¡± Chester asked, ¡°Do you have aputer at home?
You¡¯ll have to buy a good camera, preferably one thates with a beautifying feature!¡± ¡°No problem!¡± The two sillies chatted cheerfully.
Cherry even grinned happily as she dreamed of bing a little star.
Once she started live streaming, would it mean that she would be able to give history trivia and even do poem recitals in her live stream and let everyone see how much of a genius and beauty she was?!
¡ª The Smiths¡¯ residence was located near Third Avenue in New York.
Interior decor in the manor was low-key and exuded elegance in every detail.
Several servants busied themselves with their chores, yet they didn¡¯t make any sound.
It was apparent that they were well-trained.
All the members of the Smiths were gathered outside the master bedroom door.
They sat on the leather sofa and stared anxiously at the bedroom door.
In the bedroom, a big and tall man was lying on arge gray bed.
Even though he was nearly fifty years old, Ian didn¡¯t look his age at all.
Apart from how he was unusually pale, he looked as if he was in his thirties.
Even though his eyes were closed and he was unconscious at the moment, his features exuded the elegance and sobriety of a man who had enjoyed a high social standing for a long time.
If one looked closely, one would realize that Nora and Ian had very simr lip shapes.
A solemn Jon checked his vitals gravely while Tina stood straight and carefully sized up the luxurious decor around her.
Even at his current level, Jon was just a bigwig in the traditional medicine circle.
To true top-notch wealthy families like the Smiths, he was just a doctor with a little more skill than most.
Their status and the amount of power each wielded weren¡¯tparable at all.
Joel had a troubled look on his face.
When he saw that Jon was done with the checkup, he asked anxiously, ¡°How is my uncle?¡± Jon frowned and replied, ¡°Mr.
Smith has no will to live, so there¡¯s nothing that can cure him.
Please prepare for his funeral.¡± Joel¡¯s expression changed drastically.
¡°Is there really no other way, Mr.
Myers?¡± Jon replied, ¡°There may be someone who can do something about it.¡± Joel asked anxiously, ¡°Who is it?¡±
Chapter 67 - 67 Direct Successor
?67: Direct Sessor 67: Direct Sessor Jon¡¯s expression remained unchanged as he answered, ¡°It¡¯s Dr.
Zabe.¡± At once, Joel got ready to instruct his subordinates to invite him over.
However, Jon stopped him.
He said, ¡°He¡¯s already very old, and has even be somewhat absent-minded and bedridden.
But I¡¯ve heard that he took in a student who inherited all of his skills.
Unfortunately, this person is very mysterious.
No one knows where they are.¡± Joel frowned.
His gaze fell on Ian who was lying on the bed.
Jon contemted for a while before he spoke again.
He said, ¡°I can keep Mr.
Smith alive, but you¡¯ll have to either let him rekindle his will to live or find Dr.
Zabe¡¯s student.¡± Joel nodded, a bit of a sharp look appearing in his flirtatious eyes.
¡°In that case, please help my uncle regain consciousness as soon as possible, Mr.
Myers.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Jon took out a silver needle and pierced it into several important points on Ian.
Then, he took out a pill, crushed it, and stuffed it into his mouth.
After some work, Ian¡¯s heartbeat became steady again.
Jon wiped the sweat off his brows and said to Joel, ¡°Mr.
Smith should be able to wake up tomorrow.
I¡¯ll have Tina personallye over to check on him every day and do our best to keep him alive until you find Dr.
Zabe¡¯s sessor.¡± A smile formed on Joel¡¯s countenance once more.
¡°Okay, I¡¯ll get the butler to send you out.¡± After the two of them left, a feminine and delicate voice suddenly rang out.
¡°Joel, he¡¯s obviously capable of curing Dad, yet he keeps going on and on here with you instead.
Also, Dr.
Zabe?
He sure says a lot of nonsense.¡± Joel smiled upon hearing this.
He turned around to see an attractive figure walk in¡ªit was Ian¡¯s adopted daughter, Yvonne Smith.
Ian never married in his whole life, choosing to only adopt a daughter.
All the other children born into the Smiths were boys, so they doted on their one and only younger sister very much.
Joel said, ¡°As long as he can cure Uncle Ian¡¯s illness, what¡¯s the big deal about helping him boost his reputation?¡± Yvonne stuck out her tongue and cast her eyes down.
Everyone said she was the princess of the Smiths in New York, but no one knew that she was actually the most afraid of Joel.
The new head of the Smiths was always smiling and was gentle and generous, but Yvonne always felt like there was a thin wall between the two of them¡ At the entrance of the Smiths¡¯ residence.
It took a full ten minutes for the car to go from the vi where Ian lived to the gate of the manor.
It was only when she saw that they were on the main road that Tina finally looked away from the manor.
She looked at Jon nervously.
¡°Sir, Ian Smith is already on his deathbed.
Even he himself doesn¡¯t want to live anymore; how can we possibly save his life?¡± Ian had no external or internal injuries.
From a modern medicine perspective, there wasn¡¯t anything wrong with him.
Yet his internal organs were slowly failing¡ Jon stretched out his hand¡ªhalf a pill was resting on his palm.
He said, ¡°Go over every day to check his health.
Give him a couple of jabs on unimportant points of his body first, and then have him consume this pill.
This will keep him alive.¡± Tina eximed, ¡°Sir, that pill is¡¡± Jon heaved a heavy sigh and answered, ¡°It¡¯s the Carefree Pill.¡± Tina¡¯s eyes widened.
¡°That pill is worth a lot!
You¡¡± Jon balled up his fist and closed his eyes.
Due to his age, the skin at his eyelids was loose and saggy.
He instructed, ¡°Have someone secretly buy them from Harmonia Pharmacy.
Don¡¯t let anyone discover anything.
Harmonia Pharmacy has won this round, thanks to the Carefree Pill.
If we don¡¯t achieve anything big, they¡¯ll probably rise above us!¡± Tina immediately understood what Jon meant.
The Myerses had made a name for themselves overnight by using the Carefree Pill to cure the elderly Mrs.
Hunt.
Additionally, it had also allowed Jon to cement his position in the field of traditional medicine.
However, now that the Carefree Pill had be the Andersons¡¯, it had robbed them of their glory.
Dr.
Zabe was the only one capable of curing Ian, yet Jon had sessfully kept him alive.
This was undoubtedly something glorious to tell everyone.
Tina sat up straight and said seriously, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Sir.
I¡¯ll make sure I don¡¯t slip up and give anything away!¡± It was gettingte and the moon was already visible in the sky.
The streets of New York were filled with cars.
From a distance, it was as though the stream of red car lights stretched on endlessly.
Although the Andersons¡¯ residence wasn¡¯t arge manor, it was located in the city center and was a quiet little area amid the hustle and bustle of the city.
The small vi¡¯s market value was worth over ten million.
After dinner, Mrs.
Anderson and Melissa brought Nora into the study.
The swelling around Mrs.
Anderson¡¯s eyes had already gone down and she hadpletely regained her vision.
She looked at Nora kindly and asked, ¡°Nora, Cherry must be five by now, right?
It¡¯s not appropriate to just let her stay at home all the time.
Do you have any ns to send her to kindergarten?¡± Nora had thought about this a long time ago.
Originally, her trip to New York was only supposed to be a temporary stay, but now that her son was here, it was likely that she had to stay here permanently.
She nodded and asked, ¡°Which is the best kindergarten nearby?¡± Cherry had a super high IQ, so she wasn¡¯t quite the same as other children.
She was impatient and, apart from when she yed games, she couldn¡¯t sit still at all, no matter what she was doing.
This was the only reason why Nora had allowed her to y games¡ªso that she could practice how to focus.
However, in truth, the amount of game time she had every day was limited.
Considering her situation, she needed a kindergarten with the most abundant manpower resources, so that there would be the most professional teachers there to take care of her.
At her question, Melissa was taken aback for a moment before she answered, ¡°The best kindergarten around here is the International Golden Sunshine Kindergarten.¡± Mrs.
Anderson frowned and supplemented, ¡°That kindergarten is hard to enroll into, though.¡± Nora was puzzled.
Melissa exined, ¡°That¡¯s the best kindergarten in New York.
The students there are either wealthy or of noble status.
Given our family¡¯s conditions, neither Sheril nor Logan were epted into the school when they were children¡¡± She said, ¡°The main reason for that is that not only does the kindergarten have tough requirements for the children, but they also have very demanding requirements for parents.
Parents must either be special talents or top cadres.
Additionally, there are also assessments of varied content specifically set for parents.¡± Nora went straight for the key point.
She asked, ¡°What¡¯s considered a special talent?¡± Melissa answered, ¡°They are talents who have made major contributions.
Alternatively, it¡¯ll also work if the parents are holders of top-ss ck cards.¡± A puzzled Mrs.
Anderson asked, ¡°What¡¯s a top-ss ck card?¡± Melissa shook her head.
¡°I¡¯ve only heard of it and never seen it before.¡± The look in Nora¡¯s eyes flickered a little, however.
A bank¡¯s top-ss ck card was a credit card with no credit limit.
Currently, there were only a double-digit number of ck cards in the world.
It was said that these dozen or so people had formed a mysterious organization known as the Imperial League.
Imperial League members were either tycoons of the world or hotshot politicians, and they controlled the global economy.
They were very mysterious, and even an asional conversation among them was capable of triggering global economic storms.
However, all the members were anonymous, and even people within the organization itself didn¡¯t know who the others were.
Everyone privately spected that in all of the United States, the person who might have a ck card like that must be Justin.
Thus, everyone, no matter who it was, treated him very politely.
Anyone who owned a ck card like that could buy the kindergarten itself, so there definitely wouldn¡¯t be any enrollment restrictions for them.
Nora¡¯s lip corners curled upward.
She was about to say something when her cell phone rang.
However, when she saw the name on the caller ID, she was taken aback for a moment.
Why was he calling her?
Chapter 68 - 68 Grandpa, Why Dont I Tell You Some Trivia
?68: Grandpa, Why Don¡¯t I Tell You Some Trivia?
68: Grandpa, Why Don¡¯t I Tell You Some Trivia?
Nora said to Melissa, ¡°We¡¯ll go for that kindergarten, Aunt Melissa.
I¡¯ll take Cherry there and give it a go.¡± Then, she got up, went out the door, and picked up the call.
An aged and stern voice came from the other end of the call.
¡°Where are you?¡± It was her traditional medicine teacher, Silvester Zabe.
At the thought of how serious and stern of a man he was, Nora subconsciously straightened her back and answered, ¡°I¡¯m in New York, sir.
What¡¯s the matter?¡± Silvester slowly replied, ¡°Oh.
The Smiths are looking for you; they want you to treat someone¡¯s illness.¡± The Smiths?
Ian Smith?
Just as Nora was about to say that she would go, Silvester said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to go.
He isn¡¯t sick; he just doesn¡¯t want to live anymore.¡± ¡°¡¡± ¡°His internal organs are failing.
Currently, they¡¯re using the Carefree Pill to keep him alive.
Even if you do go over, can you make him regain his will to live?¡± Nora had no words for that.
She reckoned that Ian would probably wish to die even more if he saw her.
She sighed mentally.
Then, she asked carefully, ¡°Okay.
Can I visit you tomorrow, sir?¡± Silvester was already over 90 years old this year, but the elderly man nevertheless spoke clearly.
He replied, ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.
I¡¯m already old; there¡¯s nothing to see here.
You passing down my skills in traditional medicine would be the best way of repaying my kindness.¡± However, the old man¡¯s indifference instead made Nora tear up.
Without him, she would probably have already died several times.
She cast her eyes down and said, ¡°In that case, let me know if you ever want to see me.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not a kid anymore, so why are you still so clingy?
Stop it!¡± After saying that, Silvester said, ¡°I¡¯m hanging up.¡± Beep¡ beep¡ beep¡ Nora looked at her cell phone and heaved a soft sigh.
That old man¡¯s temper was as weird as ever.
The night passed peacefully.
When Cherry woke up the next morning, Nora was still asleep.
She tiptoed gently across the carpet, closing the door only after she entered the study.
Then, she picked up her cell phone and sent Chester a text message: ¡°Chesty, are you ready?¡± Chester replied instantly: ¡°I¡¯ve already registered a live stream ount for you, so you can officially start live streaming now!¡± ¡°Okie-Dokie!¡± Cherry climbed up the chair and nted her tiny self on the big swivel chair.
She pushed her foot against the table and turned the chair straight.
Then, she turned on Nora¡¯sputer.
Chester chuckled and texted: ¡°It¡¯s your first live stream today, Cherry.
Let¡¯s do something a little special today so that you can attract more fans!¡± Cherry¡¯s big dark eyes lit up and she replied: ¡°Okay!
What shall we do?¡± Chester, who was in his room at the Hunts¡¯, replied: ¡°Let¡¯spete in the live stream!¡± Cherry eagerly replied: ¡°No problem!
I¡¯ll beat you for sure!¡± ¡°Heh heh.¡± Chester replied smugly: ¡°A contest in a live stream isn¡¯t dependent on the game but the fans¡¯ mary tips!
I have 10 million fans, so I¡¯ll definitely beat you!¡± Chester had suffered his little niece¡¯s dissing in the game for over half a year.
Now, he was going to stand tall and regain his dignity as her uncle!
He would let his little niece see just how crazy his fans are.
Cherry wrote: ¡°I¡¯ll definitely be better at this than you!¡± Chester grinned and started a new live stream.
¡°Hello everyone!
This is Chesty.
Today, I will introduce a new friend to all of you.
She¡¯s my team leader!
Yes, she¡¯s none other than the cutie with a little girl¡¯s voice who loves ying as the heroine with the huge cannon!
Everyone, please show her lots of support!¡± At the Smiths.
Ian had woken up in the morning.
The servant quickly told him that Joel had watched over him all night the previous day.
Joel, whose eyes were all red, held his hand and said, ¡°Uncle Ian, the Smiths still need you.
I can¡¯t head the family by myself yet.
You can¡¯t just leave all of this behind and go.¡± Joel was lying.
He was even more outstanding than himself back then, yet he was putting on an act like that.
Ian smiled weakly.
¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± A touch of sorrow shed across Joel¡¯s eyes.
He picked up the cell phone and handed it to Ian in an attempt to pique his interest.
He said, ¡°I remember you used to like ying games, Uncle Ian.
This game is very popr now.
How about trying it out?¡± The reason why he had yed games in the past was that she was still with him back then.
Ian actually wasn¡¯t very interested in games.
He said dispassionately, ¡°¡ I don¡¯t know how to y it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Joel opened a live stream app and said, ¡°It¡¯s pretty interesting to watch others y, too!
You can even learn how to y just by watching.¡± He opened a random live stream and ced the cell phone at a corner on the side within Ian¡¯s line of vision.
Ian didn¡¯t have the heart to refuse his nephew¡¯s kindness, so he simply looked over casually.
A soft and tender voice could already be hearding from the live stream.
¡°Chesty, why are my points so low?¡± Chester replied, ¡°That¡¯s because the points are calcted using the total amount of tips you receive from fans through the virtual gifts they send you!
You don¡¯t have many fans yet!
Hehe,e on, everyone!
I¡¯m always being trashed by sweetcherry in the game, so I¡¯m going to give her a taste of how it feels to be trashed this time!¡± ¡®sweetcherry¡¯?
Ian was taken aback for a moment.
He remembered that Yvette¡¯s game alias had been ¡®lollipop¡¯ back then.
When he teased her for using such a sweet-sounding name, she had replied, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that?
If I have a daughter in the future, I¡¯ll y games with her and give her the alias ¡®sweetcherry¡¯, and have you die of diabetes from all the sugar!¡± ¡®sweetcherry¡¯¡ Ian stretched out his pale and feeble arm and took hold of the cell phone.
Right away, a face-off screen entered his sight.
sweetcherry only had a few hundred points while her opponent Chesty had a few thousand points.
He suddenly gained a little interest.
When Chester raised his head, he suddenly discovered that Cherry¡¯s total number of points had exceeded his.
He immediately eximed, ¡°What the f*ck?!
What happened?¡± Cherry eximed excitedly, ¡°Someone just gave me a huge tip!
I can¡¯t even keep count anymore!¡± Chester did a count and found that the person had actually given her a $80,000 tip in one go!
Shocked, he urged, ¡°Quick, greet your Sponsor Daddy!
Thank you for the tip, Sponsor Daddy!¡± Cherry was very troubled, though.
She said, ¡°But I already have a Daddy!¡± She tilted her head, bit her finger, and thought about it for a while.
Then, her eyes suddenly lit up and she eximed, ¡°I know, I¡¯ll have Mommy call him Daddy instead!
So, that means he¡¯s Grandpa!
Thank you for the tip, Grandpa!¡± While talking, another notification saying she had received an $80,000 tip scrolled across the screen.
It instantly dealt a crushing blow to Chester¡¯s points.
¡°F*ck!¡± He was angry now.
¡°Don¡¯t be so arrogant!
I also have sponsors!¡± He immediately posted a link to the live stream on his Facebook page and wrote: ¡°Hey everyone!
Those with money, please show some support!
Those without, go away.¡± Most of Chester¡¯s friends were wealthy people, and they usually gave tips worth a few thousand dors for fun.
After making the post, his score indeed started to rise.
At this time, Justin was currently seated in his office in the Hunt Corporation¡¯s office tower.
Beside him, Pete was studying.
He opened his Facebook page and immediately saw Chester¡¯s post.
Bored, he opened the link.
He immediately heard a tender voiceing from the live stream: ¡°Sponsor Grandpa, in order to thank you for giving me such big tips, I¡¯ll tell you some trivia!¡±
Chapter 69 - 69 Daddy Has Come!
?69: Daddy Has Come!
69: Daddy Has Come!
Justin was taken aback when he heard the voice.
It sounded vaguely familiar.
However, when he lowered his head and saw his son beside him, he suppressed his doubts.
Back in California, Pete had worn girls¡¯ clothing from time to time as if he had a split personality.
However, after they returned to New York, apart from the first day he went to practice martial arts at the Quinn School of Martial Arts where he had returned in a princess dress and became a little princess again, he had been normal the past few days.
He must be too high-strung.
Otherwise, why would he find the voice just now so simr to his son¡¯s when he was having rpses previously?
What was Chester doing, though?
Why was there a child¡¯s voice in his live stream?
Justin¡¯s deep-set eyes narrowed as he watched on sullenly.
It took only a few seconds for him to figure out what was going on with the so-called ¡®contest¡¯.
He let out a coldugh right away.
His younger brother sure was making a good showing.
To think he was being suppressed by a nobody streamer.
It wasn¡¯t an issue as long as no one knew, but should theree a day where it became known that Chesty the game streamer was a Hunt, it would be a huge embarrassment to the family!
At the thought, Justin immediately topped up $300,000 into his ount.
He was about to tip his younger brother when he suddenly heard the tender voice say, ¡°Do you know who discovered radium?
It¡¯s Johnny Depp!¡± Justin, ¡°??¡± His fingers instantly paused, and he felt a sense of familiarity welling up in him.
He impulsively entered the live stream hosted by ¡®sweetcherry¡¯.
The screen showed both streamers facing off, but neither of their cameras was turned on.
Instead, they were streaming their gamey.
In a crisp and clear voice, the little girl said, ¡°Sponsor Grandpa, I didn¡¯t get it wrong.
I have a really awesome memory, yeah!
If you don¡¯t believe me, I can tell you more!¡± ¡°Do you know the famous ywright who wrote Romeo and Juliet?
It¡¯s Chris Hemsworth!¡± ¡°¡¡± These insignificant trivia whose answers were all handsome actors and celebrities¡ Why did they sound so familiar?
Justin couldn¡¯t help but nce at Pete again.
He coughed and cast his eyes down, but an inexplicable sense of intimacy suddenly surged up in him.
He had always been a loner since he was a child.
He didn¡¯t have many friends and on top of that, there was a lot of scheming and trickery among his rtives.
Even his grandfather had tricked him right before his death¡ Therefore, there were times when he felt lonely, too.
Pete was a boy, so he had always taught him to be independent and self-reliant since he was a baby.
He hadn¡¯t liked the Pete who wore a princess dress, but to be honest, when he grasped his big hand with his soft little hands and looked at him with those big, damp, and innocent eyes of his, his heart had felt as if it were soaking in a hot spring.
Sometimes, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder¡ªhow nice would it be if he really had a daughter?
¡°Aren¡¯t I clever, yeah?
I see everyone in thementsughing.
Is it because I¡¯m so smart?
But why isn¡¯t anyone tipping me?¡± ¡°¡¡± With a flick of his fingers, Justin immediately sent out a tip worth 9,999 airnes, which was the most expensive virtual gift purchasable.
Cherry immediately eximed ¡°I must have done really well!
Someone has tipped me again!¡± She didn¡¯t know how much money that was at all, but she nevertheless said in a rather troubled manner, ¡°But it¡¯s only because Mommy¡¯s Daddy is a very bad man that I got her a Sponsor Daddy.
I can¡¯t have two at the same time!
I can only choose one to be my Sponsor Grandpa.¡± As soon as she said that, another ount also gave her a tip worth 9,999 airnes!
Cherry shouted, ¡°Sponsor Grandpa!
Love you!¡± Justin opened the list of fans and found that the top fan in sweetcherry¡¯s fan list was a person named ¡®Grandpa¡¯.
He sure knew how to take advantage of others.
He let out a coldugh and sent another 9,999 airnes.
In other words, he had given her a tip of $150,000 right away.
Troubled, Cherry lowered her voice and asked Chester seriously, ¡°Chesty, who should I call Sponsor Grandpa?¡± Seeing that his points that had just increased greatly were firmly suppressed again, Chester entered her live stream huffily and said, ¡°Let me see who¡¯s the bastard that actually tipped you $300,000 straightaway¡¡± As he spoke, he opened her fan list.
As user ounts of the live stream tform were linked to their Facebook profiles, the users¡¯ Facebook profile pictures would also show in the live-stream tform.
At the sight of that familiar profile picture on Cherry¡¯s fan list, the words at the tip of Chester¡¯s tongue changed and he stuttered, ¡°J-J-Justin?¡± Cherry immediately understood what he meant and she eximed softly, ¡°Daddy?!¡± Justin, ¡°??¡± Cherry¡¯s voice immediately became excited, though she also did an obvious turnaround and added, ¡°I meant Sponsor Daddy!¡± Justin, ¡°!!¡± That familiar voice and way of speech¡ He turned and looked at Pete, who was next to him, again.
Pete, ¡°??¡± The tyrant was using his cell phone and also had earphones on, but he kept ncing at him from time to time.
A resigned Pete raised the book in his hand and said, ¡°I really am reading.¡± Justin kept quiet.
Then, he nodded and continued to watch the live stream.
Everyone in thements wasughing at the streamer.
She had said just now that she wouldn¡¯t call anyone ¡®Sponsor Daddy¡¯, but a momentter, she had given in for the sake of tips!
Not only did she have a Sponsor Grandpa, but she also had a Sponsor Daddy now!
Justin¡¯s eyes darkened slightly.
His expression turned cold and even the beauty mark at the corner of his eye seemed to be giving off an icy chill.
Little did he think that he, who had always been hard-hearted, would actually fall for a nobody streamer¡¯s charms.
He was about to close the live stream when the tender voice said, ¡°Sponsor Daddy, do you wanna watch me y games?
I¡¯m super good at it, yeah!
I¡¯m even better at games than trivia knowledge!¡± ¡°¡¡± His fingers suddenly paused and he started to watch her y just like that.
The streamer sounded like she was only five or six years old.
Her voice was soft and tender, and she liked to y as a particr female hero in the game.
The hero was a very cute little girl who carried a huge cannon.
However, not only did she diss people mercilessly in the game, but she also had a lot of firepower.
Before he knew it, he had spent an hour and a half watching the live stream.
This continued until¡ ¡°Sponsor Grandpa, Daddy.
I¡¯m going offline.
By the way, what are you having for lunch today?
We¡¯re gonna have beef steak!
That¡¯s my favorite food, yeah!¡± At some point, she no longer addressed Justin as ¡®Sponsor Daddy¡¯ but just ¡®Daddy¡¯.
It was only after the live stream ended that Justin finally came back to his senses.
He couldn¡¯t help looking at Pete again.
An expressionless Pete looked back at him.
Justin kept quiet for a while.
Then, he said, ¡°Pete, say ¡®Daddy¡¯.¡± The way that little streamer kept calling him ¡®Daddy¡¯ was so adorable that even his heart had softened.
Were all children that cute?
Pete pursed his lips.
His little face was serious as he looked at him.
After contemting for a while, he asked, ¡°Daddy, have you seen the doctor?¡± ¡°¡¡± Justin also felt that he was acting rather ridiculously.
He stood up and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go home for lunch.¡± When the two returned home, the nanny brought out tes of piping hot food.
Chester automatically sat at the dining table.
Justin suddenly looked at him and asked, ¡°Who¡¯s that kid you were doing a live-stream with today?¡± Chester¡¯s fork-holding hand stopped moving and he froze all over.
Chapter 70 - 70 I Already Have A Spot
?70: I Already Have A Spot 70: I Already Have A Spot Chester grew up with Justin, so his elder brother had always inspired awe and respect in him as though he was his father.
Therefore, he actually felt very guilty about hiding the truth from Justin.
If Justin didn¡¯t ask, he wouldn¡¯t say anything.
But now that he had, he mustn¡¯t lie!
As such, he stammered, ¡°I-it¡¯s your daughter¡¡± His daughter?
Well, the little streamer had called him Daddy for two hours, but he was indeed her true blue Sponsor Daddy.
At this time, a calm voice reached them.
¡°What live stream are you talking about?¡± Pete sat with his back straight.
Although his voice still had a childish quality to it, it nevertheless gave off a calm and steady feeling.
Chester replied, ¡°My team leader in the game hosted a live stream today¡¡± Justin snorted coldly.
¡°You¡¯re actually acknowledging a five or six-year-old girl as your leader?
How promising of you.¡± Pete, ¡°¡¡± Uncle Chester¡¯s team leader in the game was Cherry.
He stilled his expression and started spouting nonsense with a straight face.
¡°Uncle Chester, you must have been tricked.
A lot of people use voice changers these days.¡± Chester, ¡°?¡± However, Justin said, ¡°It didn¡¯t sound like she was using a voice changer.¡± He didn¡¯t dwell on these, though.
Instead, after casting a nce at Chester, he asked dispassionately, ¡°Are you intending to y games for the rest of your life?¡± Chester shook his head.
¡°Actually, I want to be a professional e-sports yer and start my own team, but I don¡¯t have that much money.
I¡ª¡± ¡°Is eight million enough?¡± Justin¡¯s voice was cool and crisp as he casually cut a piece of his steak.
Chester was stunned.
As he looked at Justin, his eyes suddenly reddened.
It was just like back when he was still a child.
When he said that he didn¡¯t want to study, no one in the family had supported him.
Everyone had called him a good-for-nothing.
Justin was the only one who had asked, ¡°Then what do you want to do?¡± Justin had always respected his dreams.
Chester lowered his head.
His voice sounded a little choked as he replied, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Well, I think that little girl has a bright future ahead of her,¡± Justin said, ¡°You can recruit her into your team.¡± Chester, ¡°?¡± All his emotions from just now evaporated in an instant.
If Justin knew that was his daughter, he probably wouldn¡¯t think so anymore!
He stammered, ¡°Justin, you s-seem to like my team leader quite a bit?¡± ¡°She¡¯s fine, I suppose.¡± Justin speared another piece of steak and said, ¡°This tastes pretty good.¡± ¡°¡¡± At the Smiths.
Before one knew it, it was already noon.
Joel entered the room and saw Ian staring at the screen of the live stream that had already ended.
After a moment¡¯s hesitation, he asked, ¡°Is there anything you would like for lunch today, Uncle Ian?¡± He had initially thought that he wouldn¡¯t have any appetite as usual and would just patronize him a little, but unexpectedly, Ian actually answered, ¡°Steak, I suppose.¡± Joel was taken aback.
His uncle hadn¡¯t had meat for several years.
Because he had lost all will to live, he had lost interest in everything, including eating.
What had happened?
Joel couldn¡¯t figure it out, so he simply decided not to think about it anymore.
It was fine as long as Uncle Ian was willing to eat!
¡ ¡°Mmm!¡± Cherry put a piece of steak into her mouth, which was stuffed so full that her cheeks were bulging.
Her lips were all greasy and her big ck eyes were filled with a rich sense of contentment.
Her speech was unclear as she said, ¡°This ish delicious!¡± Her adorable appearance gave Melissa, who had cooked the meal, a sense of satisfaction.
She patted her on the head and said, ¡°If Cherry likes it, Grand-aunt Melissa will make some for you again!¡± ¡°Okie!¡± Cherry nodded repeatedly as she dished outpliments generously.
¡°Not only is Grand-aunt Melissa pretty, but she¡¯s also kind and a great cook!
Aunt Sheril is so blessed to have a mommy like you!¡± As soon as she said that, she spied Noraing downstairs.
Cherry blinked and added, ¡°But my Mommy¡¯s also super awesome!¡± Nora raised an eyebrow.
¡°Oh?
Which part of me do you think is awesome?¡± Cherry thought hard for a while.
Then, she tilted her head and answered, ¡°You¡¯re awesome at sleeping!¡± ¡°¡¡± Nora decided not to hold it against the little fellow.
After stretching and yawning, she walked over, took a seat, and finished her meal in just a few bites.
There was a rare guest at the table today¡ªLogan Anderson.
He ate slowly and gracefully.
When he saw Nora wolfing down her food, he inadvertently curled his lip.
The way his cousin ate as if she had never eaten anything in her life before¡ He lowered his beautiful almond-shaped eyes.
However, there wasn¡¯t any disdain in his eyes but just a thoughtful look.
After lunch, Nora went upstairs and packed Cherry¡¯s school bag for her.
By the time she went back down, Cherry was also almost done with her lunch.
At the sight of the schoolbag in her hands, a dazed Melissa asked, ¡°Where are you going, Nora?¡± Nora replied, ¡°For an interview.¡± ¡°At the International Golden Sunshine Kindergarten?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Melissa said apologetically, ¡°But we don¡¯t have any interview spots.
Give me some time; I¡¯ve already asked my family about it, though they haven¡¯t given me any answer yet¡¡± As soon as she said that, the piercing sound of the chair dragging against the floor rang out.
Logan stood up abruptly.
¡°Mom, did you go back to the Woods and let them bully you again?¡± As though she was afraid that Nora would realize something, Melissa frowned at Logan and said, ¡°Logan, shut up!¡± Logan snorted.
¡°Mom, have you forgotten what you told Sheril and me in the past?
Does attending that kindergarten even bring any meaning?¡± Melissa had never been one to care about superficial formalities like that.
When Sheril and Logan didn¡¯t get ces for the interview to enroll in the kindergarten, she had told the two children, ¡°Enrolling into the kindergarten doesn¡¯t make one noble.
What gives you a noble character is when you value and respect yourselves.¡± Melissa, however, frowned.
She grabbed Logan, lowered her voice, and said, ¡°Nora is different from the two of you!
She grew up elsewhere.
If Cherry can¡¯t even attend that kindergarten, I¡¯m worried that Nora won¡¯t be able to hold her head up high in the circle in the future!¡± Logan understood all of this.
But the moment he thought of his elegant and graceful mother returning to the Woods to be mistreated by others¡ He said in an unruly manner, ¡°Do you really think she can enroll Cherry into the kindergarten even if she has a rmendation letter?
There¡¯s no way she¡¯ll pass the interview!¡± Melissa patted him on the shoulder and said, ¡°That¡¯s why I got you back here.
I want you to take them there and apany Nora for the interview.¡± Logan was stunned.
He clenched his jaw.
His features, which were simr to Nora¡¯s, carried an air of unruliness and defiance.
He said, ¡°But the Woods haven¡¯t sent the rmendation letter yet!¡± Melissa sighed.
She knew that her sister-inw must be making things difficult for her again.
She said, ¡°I¡¯ll call them and urge them.¡± Rather than saying she was ¡®urging¡¯ them¡ It was actually probably more like she was begging them instead.
Logan¡¯s expression turned even colder.
It was at this moment that the two of them heard a cool and indifferent voice: ¡°You don¡¯t have to beg them for one.
I already have an interview spot.¡± Taken aback, Melissa looked at Nora and asked, ¡°How did you get the spot, Nora?¡± Nora was about to give her a simple exnation when her cell phone rang.
When she picked up, she heard the voice of Lisa, her cousin in California, reaching her through the phone.
She said, ¡°Nora, I suspect you aren¡¯t Uncle Henry¡¯s daughter at all!¡±
Chapter 71 - 71 The Hidden Big Boss of The Andersons
?71: The Hidden Big Boss of The Andersons 71: The Hidden Big Boss of The Andersons Nora¡¯s cat-like eyes flickered when she heard her.
Then, she raised an eyebrow and asked, ¡°Why do you say that?¡± By then, Lisa had already continued to speak angrily.
Even so, her voice still sounded tender as she said, ¡°Uncle Henry heard that I¡¯m going to New York for my internship, so he came to our house today and told my mother and me to approach you for money!
He even said that he won¡¯t make life easy for you if you refuse!
Is there anyone who would treat their daughter like that?¡± Nora chuckled softly and asked, ¡°Are youing to New York?¡± Lisa sounded disappointed as she said, ¡°Yeah¡ Both Ang and I are going to New York.
I¡¯m¡ going for an internship while she¡¯s applying for a postgraduate position at the New York Medical College.
The reason why I¡¯m calling is to tell you this.¡± She was probably worried that Ang would give her trouble after she came to New York.
Nora didn¡¯t take it seriously, though.
Instead, she asked, ¡°Do you need me to arrange amodation for you?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s alright.
I¡¯ve already made a hotel room reservation.¡± Nora didn¡¯t insist.
¡°Okay.¡± It was almost time for the interview, so she didn¡¯t say anything else after telling her to look for her if she met with any trouble.
After hanging up, her expression turned chilly.
Her eyes were downcast and her emotions unreadable.
Henry had probably treated her badly because of her stepmother marrying into the family, as well as the fact that she had gradually gained weight, so it was embarrassing to bring her around, right?
However, Lisa¡¯s ¡°I suspect you aren¡¯t Uncle Henry¡¯s daughter¡± couldn¡¯t help but keep echoing in her mind.
It seemed like she should find an opportunity to do a DNA test soon.
Logan walked up to her.
He was wearing a set of ck sportswear and white limited edition sneakers, and his short hair was tousled.
He red at her with his cat-like eyes that were so simr to hers and asked impatiently, ¡°Are youing or not?¡± Nora took Cherry¡¯s hand and followed behind him leisurely.
She dragged her feetzily when she walked, giving off the feeling that she was a very sloppy person.
When the two reached the garage, she found a shy yellow sports car parked there¡ªit was actually a Ferrari!
Nora raised her eyebrows and subconsciously let out a whistle.
During the past few days at the Andersons, she had already figured out their financial situation.
The Andersons had already fallen into decline during thest two decades.
Harmonia Pharmacy¡¯s monthly sales volume fluctuated around 1.5 million dors.
Torge enterprises that dealt with funds amounting to as much as dozens or hundreds of millions of dors, it indeed wascking.
The market value of most of the cars that the Andersons owned also ranged from $300,000 to $500,000.
However, Logan¡¯s sports car was a limited edition.
The value of the car was enough for one to buy a vi.
Neither Simon nor Melissa were people who overindulged their children, so they certainly couldn¡¯t be the ones who had bought the Ferrari.
Besides, neither could the Andersons afford it, either¡ Therefore, this unassuming cousin of hers must be the true hidden big boss of the Andersons, right?
¡°It¡¯s so cool!¡± Cherry circled the sports car.
She touched the headlights with her little hand, turned to look at Nora, and said, ¡°Mommy, I also wanna buy a sports car when I grow up!
I want a pink one!¡± Nora smiled and casually replied, ¡°Sure.¡± When Logan saw how both mother and daughter had the guts to say what they did, he couldn¡¯t help but scoff.
He slid into the driver¡¯s seat suavely and said, ¡°Come on in.¡± Nora felt a little speechless.
¡°¡ Are you taking us there in this car?¡± Logan frowned impatiently and said, ¡°Just get in if I tell you to.
What¡¯s all that superfluous nonsense for?¡± If he didn¡¯t drive them there in this car, how was she going to suppress those people in the kindergarten?
The car was exactly why Melissa had summoned him back home.
It was his precious treasure.
Even Sheril wasn¡¯t allowed to sit in it usually.
He turned to see that both Nora and Cherry had taken a step back.
They said in unison: ¡°No way!¡± ¡°No way, yeah!¡± Logan raised his chin slightly.
The two of them had a pretty good eye for things, huh.
Indeed, not just anyone was qualified enough to sit in this car¡¯s passenger seat.
It was understandable why they would be nervous or scared.
However, since his mother had made the request, he wasn¡¯t such a petty person, either.
He was about to say something when Nora said, ¡°This car is too ugly!¡± A soft and tender Cherry agreed.
¡°Mommy¡¯s right!
Cherry hates poop-yellow, yeah!¡± Logan was bewildered.
What the heck was ¡®poop-yellow¡¯?!
He was about to speak when Nora took Cherry¡¯s hand and got into the back seat of a Mercedes Benz.
Cherry opened the car window and waved her chubby little arm as she called out, ¡°Handsome Uncle Logan,e and drive this instead!¡± Logan, ¡°!!¡± Those two practically couldn¡¯t recognize something good when it was ced right in front of them!
His heart had initially been aching at the thought of someone sitting in Little Yellow, but now that they weren¡¯t getting into the car anymore, it just so happened to be exactly what he wanted.
In any case, no matter what car they went there in, they would still fail the kindergarten entrance interview anyway.
Back then, Melissa had been well-known in New York as ady of talent.
Even so, she had failed the interview due to her family background.
Logan got out of the sports car and walked over to the Mercedes.
As he opened the car door to the driver¡¯s seat, he said, ¡°You made the decision yourself.
You¡¯d best notin that I didn¡¯t try making you guys look good!¡± Nora found this cousin of hers rather stuck-up in a cute way.
She rubbed her chin and stared at Logan.
Going by how old he and Sheril were, they likely just graduated from college.
Sheril didn¡¯te home often because she was always at the pharmaceuticalboratory.
What was Logan doing, then?
Logan felt a little ufortable.
He hopped into the car, closed the door, and said, ¡°What are you looking at?
Have you never seen a handsome guy before?¡± Nora looked up a little at the Ferrari.
Suddenly, she asked, ¡°Are you into racing?¡± At the mention of racing, Logan¡¯s eyes lit up.
He started the car and drove out.
¡°Yeah.¡± Cherry¡¯s eyes widened and she said, ¡°Uncle Logan, Mommy and I like racing, too!
Can you take Cherry and Mommy with you when you¡¯re participating in a race next time?¡± Logan subconsciously wanted to refuse.
Sheril had also begged him to take her to one before, but he had refused.
These two, though¡ He nced at Nora through the rearview mirror and saw that she was leaning against the seat, seemingly asleep.
Then, he thought of how hungry she had looked when she was eating¡ The attitude his mom held toward them was also as if she was afraid that the two of them would be looked down upon, thereby hurting their self-esteem.
It wasn¡¯t like he couldn¡¯t take them there and let them have a look anyway.
The words at the tip of Logan¡¯s tongue ended up bing ¡°Okay.¡± Then, he heard Cherry exim, ¡°Wow!
All those men who drive racing cars are very handsome!
They also wear super nice clothes!¡± Logan was rendered speechless.
Why did it feel like they weren¡¯t going there to broaden their horizons but to check out hunks?
Cherry asked excitedly, ¡°Uncle Logan, what¡¯s your cing in the race?¡± The corners of Logan¡¯s lips curled slightly as he replied, ¡°First ce.¡± He spoke neither arrogantly nor impetuously but with strong self-confidence instead.
Cherry pped and said, ¡°You¡¯re amazing, Uncle Logan!¡± This was a subject that interested Logan after all.
Thus, he ended up talking a little more than usual.
He said, ¡°My achievements are nothing.
The international racer Yanci is the one who¡¯s truly impressive.
He¡¯s my idol!¡± Cherry nced at Mommy when she heard what he said.
Then, she whispered, ¡°Uncle Logan, I¡¯ll tell you a secret.
Do you know who Yanci is?¡±
Chapter 72 - 72 Exempted From The Interview!
?72: Exempted From The Interview!
72: Exempted From The Interview!
Logan raised his eyebrows.
¡°Tsk, you make it sound like you¡¯ve seen him before.¡± Cherry grinned and said, ¡°Yanci is¡ª¡± ¡°Cherry.¡± A warning reached Cherry and the words ¡®my Mommy¡¯ did a U-turn in her mouth and went back down her throat.
In the end, she said weakly, ¡°I¡¯m not allowed to tell anyone.¡± Logan was rendered speechless.
His lip corners spasmed and he couldn¡¯t help but think the kid must be bragging.
Never mind, life was already hard for them.
He wouldn¡¯t expose her little lies.
Since they didn¡¯t want to embarrass themselves, he would stop talking about it.
The kindergarten was very close to the Andersons¡¯ residence, so it took only ten minutes by car for them to reach.
It certainly lived up to its name of being the top kindergarten in New York.
The International Golden Sunshine Kindergarten was like a pce, and the exterior looked magnificent and high-end.
There were parents there who hade early and were waiting to pick up their children.
The cars they drove were either worth millions or were ordinary cars with shy license tes.
When their jeep stopped at the kindergarten, sure enough, the security guard frowned and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the purpose of your visit?¡± Logan took a deep breath and replied, ¡°We¡¯re here for an interview.¡± The security guard wore an expensive-looking uniform.
He said gruffly, ¡°You can¡¯t drive the car in, so enter on foot instead.¡± Logan parked the car at the roadside.
As soon as they got off the car, they saw the security guard eagerly letting a Rolls-Royce Phantom in.
¡°¡¡± Logan¡¯s expression darkened.
The slim young man was half a head taller than Nora.
He lowered his head slightly and said a little unhappily, ¡°Did you see that?
Sometimes, a car is a status symbol itself.¡± However, the young woman instead took Cherry¡¯s hand and walked ahead as if she was taking a stroll, seemingly unaffected.
Nora scrutinized the kindergarten.
Although the security guard was judging people by the cars they drove, after one entered the premises, one would realize that the kindergarten had been designed very fastidiously with every detail highly exquisite.
In terms of their facilities, they passed with flying colors.
Next to her, a displeased Loganined, ¡°A ce where even the security guards are so judgmental isn¡¯t suitable for children at all, much less for your daughter!
You don¡¯t have to prove yourself this way!
There are many outstanding people in our circle who didn¡¯t attend this kindergarten!¡± Nora knew that Logan was right.
In a ce like this where the students were wealthy or of noble background, the childrenpeted more with their family backgrounds instead, so they must already have been ssified into different social sses in the school.
While a ce like this didn¡¯t suit ordinary children, it suited Cherry very well.
Cherry had a high IQ and was someone who couldn¡¯t sit still.
She was fickle and lost interest in things very quickly.
On top of that, she was quick-witted and always found various excuses not to study when she was at home.
It was likely that only stimtion provided by an environment like this would be able to make her focus.
After all, she couldn¡¯t really let Cherry y games for her entire lifetime, right?
When Logan saw that the young woman didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of changing her mind despite him wording it so clearly, the usually reticent man simply decided not to say any more.
However, he let out a snort inwardly.
Did she really think she could enroll her daughter into the school just because she got an interview spot?
The two went all the way from the security guard post to the kindergarten¡¯s main building.
The more Nora saw, the more satisfied she became.
Before they entered the interview room, she squatted down, looked at Cherry, and said, ¡°Cherry, if you can stay here for the full duration of three months without revealing your identity or using your family¡¯s power, Mommy will agree to a request of yours.
Can you do it?¡± A request¡ Cherry¡¯s eyes lit up.
She nodded and said, ¡°Yes, Okie-Dokie!¡± This way, she would be able to have Mommy agree to live with Daddy!
After they came to New York, things were different from when they were staying in a hotel in California.
It wasn¡¯t convenient for her to switch ces with her brother anymore!
Next to them, Logan scoffed softly.
¡®Without revealing your identity¡¯¡?
Indeed, they mustn¡¯t reveal the fact that she is the child of a woman not from around these parts, lest the other children look down on her.
¡®Without using your family¡¯s power¡¯¡?
The Andersons couldn¡¯t even get an interview spot.
What was there for them to make use of?
How exactly did that woman bring herself to say such grandiose things?
Those who didn¡¯t know any better would have thought that Cherry was a Hunt or a Smith!
Light flickered in his cat-like eyes that resembled Nora¡¯s and he gave them a reminder.
¡°It¡¯s time for the interview.¡± The three of them entered the principal¡¯s office together.
Logan frowned and subconsciously straightened his back when he thought of the intense barrage of questions he had experienced when his mother had brought him and Sheril for an interview back then.
However, what happened next was¡ ¡°This is Cheryl Smith¡¯s school uniform.
You can bring her here for sses tomorrow.
Do remember not to bete.¡± After the polite exchange, the principal personally sent them out and said, ¡°Miss Smith, I¡¯ll see you off.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡± After Nora¡¯s calm reply, she left the office with Cherry and Logan, who was feeling a little giddy.
After the three of them left, someone asked, ¡°Sir, who¡¯s that?
To think they¡¯re exempted from even the interview!¡± The principal shook his head and replied, ¡°The bigwigs specially called to leave instructions, and also said that they¡¯re their friends.
I didn¡¯t dare ask about the specifics.¡± Logan frowned the whole way home.
Even after he got home, he still felt like he was dreaming.
Nora held Cherry¡¯s hand and entered the living room.
As soon as she did, she heard two people inside talking.
One of them had a very high-pitched voice and she sounded a little arrogant.
She said, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you wait for me, Melissa?
I was only an hour and a halfte, that¡¯s all.
Don¡¯t you even have that bit of patience when you¡¯re asking for help to enroll in a good school?¡± Melissa forced a smile and replied, ¡°Sorry about that, Miranda.
Nora said that she¡¯s already gotten an interview spot through someone else¡¯s help.¡± Nora, Logan, and Cherry entered the living room while the two of them were talking.
Melissa¡¯s sister-inw was a woman of about fifty years old.
Her name was Miranda Wood, and she was Melissa¡¯s elder brother¡¯s wife.
A nce at her dressing and demeanor was enough for one to know that she was a wealthy housewife.
Her chin was currently raised slightly as she scanned the people who just entered.
Nora was expressionless, so it was hard to tell whether she was happy or sad.
However, Logan, who had followed her in, didn¡¯t look so good.
This made Melissa sigh inwardly.
She stood up, walked over, and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay.
We can still look at other kindergartens.¡± Miranda came over.
She sounded gloating as she said, ¡°That kindergarten¡¯s interview questions actually differ depending on who the interviewee is!
For families like mine, the interview is just a procedure.
Most of the students are excellent children selected from average families¡¡± After saying that, she smiled and went on.
¡°Oops, when I say ¡®average families¡¯, I don¡¯t really mean actual average families but mid-tier wealthy families.
Those who have fallen into decline aren¡¯t counted because they won¡¯t even get any interview spots¡¡± She was obviously insinuating things about the Andersons.
Melissa¡¯s grip on her handkerchief tightened slightly, and even the smile on her face became somewhat forced.
Miranda smirked and looked at Nora.
With a huge sense of superiority, she said, ¡°It¡¯s normal that you failed the interview.
After all, it¡¯s not just anyone who can get in even if they have a letter of rmendation.¡± As soon as she said that, Cherry looked up and said adorably, ¡°Huh?
Are there people who need to go through interviews?¡± Miranda was taken aback.
¡°What do you mean?¡±
Chapter 73 - 73 Hello, Miss Smith
?73: Hello, Miss Smith 73: Hello, Miss Smith Logan hadn¡¯t said a word since they left the kindergarten.
He simply couldn¡¯t figure out why they hadn¡¯t gone through an interview.
When Miranda was speaking just now, the look in his eyes had turned cold.
His cat-like eyes were slightly downcast, his long eyshes hiding the chilly look in them.
He was about to say something when Cherry¡¯s childish tender voice rang out.
At once, the corners of Logan¡¯s lips curled upward.
When he saw Miranda¡¯s smug smile freeze, he felt even happier.
At her question, Logan raised his good-looking and delicate eyebrows and replied, ¡°We didn¡¯t go through an interview.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t?¡± Miranda quickly reacted and said, ¡°It must be because the rmendation letter you got from someone else didn¡¯t work, right?
Well, that makes sense.
After all, where is your cousin going to get a rmendation letter from when even the Andersons can¡¯t get an interview spot?¡± She turned around, took out a piece of paper from her bag, and handed it to Melissa with one hand.
¡°Here you go, this is the Woods¡¯ rmendation letter.
Just go to the interview again tomorrow and it¡¯ll be fine.¡± Melissa reached out to take the letter with a look of gratitude.
She said, ¡°Miranda, thank yo¡ª¡± Before she could touch the rmendation letter, Miranda¡¯s grip loosened and the piece of paper dropped onto the floor.
Miranda immediately covered her mouth and eximed, ¡°Oh dear, would you look at that, Melissa!
Why did my hand let go in advance?
I¡¯ll have to trouble you to pick it up.¡± After speaking, she sat on the sofa, crossed her legs, straightened her back, and looked at Melissa with a huge sense of superiority.
The Woods were a big family.
Over the years, thanks to them clinging on to the Smiths, they were starting to do better and better.
Back then, Miranda and Melissa were both members of the wealthy circle.
Melissa and Yvette were well-known while Miranda was just an ordinary person looking up to them.
The men she liked back then had all revolved around those two women¡ Butter on, Yvette eloped and ruined her own reputation.
As for Melissa, she was blind enough to fall in love with a man as ipetent as Simon and had disregarded her family¡¯s objections and married him.
On the other hand, Miranda had married Melissa¡¯s elder brother and became the mistress of the Woods.
Miranda was very smug about it.
What she loved doing most was watching the person who had once been high up in the air, and whom she had needed to look up to, begging her for help.
Melissa stood there, her hand still stretched out.
She clenched her fingers.
She knew very well that Miranda had done it on purpose.
Her pride also refused to let her bend over.
But when she nced at Nora¡ The young woman was cool and distant.
Beautiful and gracious, she bore an 80% resemnce to Yvette.
Her eyes, in particr, were exactly the same as Logan¡¯s.
However, that young woman had never had a mother.
Her father disliked her, her stepmother abused her, and she had even be pregnant before marriage.
How could her heart possibly not ache for a young woman like that?
Melissa retracted her gaze and sighed.
She was about to squat and pick up the letter when a fair and slender hand held her wrist.
The young woman¡¯s voice was cool as she said, ¡°We don¡¯t have any use for that rmendation letter.¡± The seated Miranda was surprised.
¡°Why is that?¡± Logan bent over, picked up the rmendation letter on the floor, and flung it right at Miranda¡¯s face.
With an awful look on his face, he said stiffly, ¡°Aunt Miranda, you can have the rmendation letter back!
That woman¡ I mean Nora¡¯s daughter has been epted without an interview.¡± Miranda was originally very angry when Logan flung the rmendation letter onto her face, but upon hearing what he said, she eximed sharply, ¡°She was exempted from the interview?
How can that be?!
In all of New York, apart from the Hunts and the Smiths, the number of families eligible for exemption can be counted on one hand!
Who did you ask for a rmendation letter?¡± Logan also looked at her curiously.
Nora¡¯s indifferent gaze swept across Miranda.
Then¡ She let out a big yawn.
Miranda, ¡°¡¡± After a moment¡¯s hesitation, Melissa asked, ¡°Did you ask Justin to give them a heads-up for you?¡± Out of all the families that Nora was acquainted with, the only one who she could think of with that sort of capability was Justin Hunt.
Nora clicked her tongue inwardly at her question.
Of course not.
Getting someone to do things for oneself was the same as using up favors.
She wasn¡¯t going to let him return the favor of saving his grandmother and giving him the Carefree Pills so quickly.
She was waiting for him to owe her enough favors so that she could ask for her son back in the future!
She had merely talked to the kindergarten¡¯s shareholders, that¡¯s all.
However, since her aunt had provided an exnation, she couldn¡¯t be bothered to say any more.
She gave Melissa a small smile as a response to her guess.
Then, she took Cherry¡¯s handzily and went upstairs.
Starting the next day, Cherry would have to report to school at eight in the morning.
She had to get up at 7:40 am to see her off, so she had to have an early night tonight.
Seeing that the two of them had gone upstairs, Miranda frowned, looked at Melissa, and asked in a low voice, ¡°Who exactly is your niece?
How did she get to know Mr.
Hunt?¡± The few big families in New York were acquainted with one another ever since a few generations ago, so they all knew one another.
Even so, no one had the guts to trouble Justin with trivial matters.
Seeing how Miranda was always looking down upon others, Melissa decided to give her a vague answer and replied, ¡°They met in California.¡± This way, Miranda, who was sycophantic toward those in power and bullied those who weren¡¯t, wouldn¡¯t dare to be rude to Nora anymore if they met again in the future.
Seeing that Melissa was disinclined to say more, as well as when she thought of that youngdy who was so beautiful that her face was an eyesore to her; Miranda didn¡¯t say much anymore.
After Miranda left, a worried Melissa discussed the matter with Logan.
¡°Actually, Nora has given Justin 5,000 Carefree Pills, but he was also already intending to help us out back then¡ Never mind, maybe I¡¯ll call him and thank him again.¡± Melissa and Simon were Justin¡¯s elders, so he had treated them very politely in California.
Due to his good upbringing, he was a very polite man.
However, Melissa also understood that this was primarily based on the friendship between those of the previous generation.
To be honest, given his status, it would actually make more sense if he ignored them instead.
Upstairs.
Nora washed her hands and changed into her pajamas.
She had only justid down on the soft mattress when she received a call from Justin.
She picked up the call.
¡°Hello, Mr.
Hunt.¡± His voice rang in her ear.
¡°Hello, Miss Smith.¡± Nora had heard many people addressing her as ¡®Miss Smith¡¯ before, but when his low, subwoofer-like voice uttered the two words, coupled with his clear pronunciation, there was actually a different kind of charm to it.
It made Nora feel like hearing him say a few more words.
She chuckled and asked, ¡°Is something up?¡± The man continued to speak seriously.
¡°Oh, Aunt Melissa called just now to say that she wanted to invite me to lunch as thanks for giving you the rmendation letter for Golden Sunshine Kindergarten.¡± ¡°¡¡± Nora felt a faint headacheing on.
This was so awkward that she wanted to die!
She opened her eyes and looked at the ceiling in resignation.
Just as she was thinking about how she could gloss the incident over, the man¡¯s low voice rang out in the cell phone again.
¡°May I know when Miss Smith is nning to invite me to lunch?¡± Nora was rendered speechless.
She turned over on the bed and said, ¡°Well, there¡¯s no time like the present.
How about noon tomorrow?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± After Justin finished speaking, he added, ¡°Bring your daughter along.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Nora¡¯s lips curled up mischievously and she said, ¡°You bring your son, too.¡±
Chapter 74 - 74 How Did She Get Pregnant Back Then
?74: How Did She Get Pregnant Back Then?
74: How Did She Get Pregnant Back Then?
The two settled on a time and ce.
When she hung up, Cherry ran in.
She stared at her all wide-eyed and asked, ¡°Mommy, are you really taking me to have lunch with Daddy tomorrow?¡± Nora rubbed her head and said calmly, ¡°You have sses tomorrow, so how am I going to take you out for lunch?¡± ¡°¡¡± Cherry hung her head dejectedly.
¡°I knew it!¡± A mischievous look shed across Nora¡¯s eyes.
Pete went to the Quinn School of Martial Arts every Tuesday and Friday.
Apart from those two days, he spent the rest of the time studying at home.
She hadn¡¯t seen her son for three days.
The next day, Nora sent Cherry to the kindergarten.
She stopped the car at the roadside as usual.
Then, she took Cherry¡¯s hand and led her to the door where a teacher was waiting.
Cherry was wearing a school uniform that the kindergarten had custom-made and carrying a big schoolbag.
She looked extremely adorable.
The teacher greeted them.
¡°Are you Cheryl Smith?
You¡¯re in ss A.
I¡¯m your teacher.
Shall I bring you in?¡± Cherry was about to run in when Nora held her shoulder.
Nora said, ¡°I¡¯ll say a few words to her first, Miss.¡± The teacher nodded.
She was already ustomed to this.
Parents were generally reluctant to part with their children the first time they sent them to kindergarten, and would say things like ¡°Tell the teacher if someone bullies you¡±, ¡°Don¡¯t cry.
Mommy will pick you up on time¡±, and so on.
The thought had only just formed when she saw the woman in front of her coolly instruct, ¡°Don¡¯t bully the kids, don¡¯t pretend to cry, and don¡¯t bully the teachers.
Do you hear me?¡± The teacher was bewildered.
When she looked again, the little girl, who was happy and excited just now, had straightened her back.
She grinned and said, ¡°Cherry will take good care of the teachers and the other kiddies, Mommy.
Don¡¯t worry!¡± The teacher felt a chill go down her back.
Suddenly, she wondered to herself, ¡®What if that newly-enrolled little girl¡¯s no little princess but a little devil instead?¡¯ Nora watched as Cherry, whose hand the teacher was holding, hopped and skipped into the kindergarten.
Before they even went through the school building¡¯s entrance, Cherry said something which made the teacherugh.
She picked her up straight away and brought her to the ssroom.
Nora was rendered speechless.
The little fellow sure was capable of getting along with everyone.
After dropping her child off, a rxed Nora stretched and looked at the time.
When she saw that it was still early, she decided to go back home and take a nap.
At 11 am, she finally woke upzily and got ready to head to the restaurant where she was meeting Justin.
Before she left, Melissa stopped her and said, ¡°There¡¯s a dance party in a few days, Nora.
I¡¯m thinking of taking you there to meet more people¡¡± Nora answered casually, ¡°Sure.¡± She left right after that.
Melissa, however, looked hesitant.
Simon asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Melissa sighed.
¡°A lot of people will be attending the dance party.
I¡¯m afraid Nora doesn¡¯t know how to dance¡¡± Simon was a man, so he wasn¡¯t concerned about as many things as her.
He said, ¡°Just don¡¯t dance then.
We¡¯re just going there to socialize anyway.¡± Melissa stared at him speechlessly for a moment.
If she didn¡¯t dance at a dance party¡ Others would only think that Nora wasn¡¯t fit to be seen in public!
Besides, all thedies of wealthy families were skilled at song and dance, and had nock of talent.
Nora was so pretty; there was no doubt that they would make things difficult for her there.
Worried, she picked up the phone and said, ¡°I¡¯ll call Sheril¡¯s dance teacher and have her give Nora a crash course!
At the very least, she should master the waltz first.¡± ¡ª Justin had picked the restaurant.
After all, New York was his turf.
After turning several corners in a small alley ording to the address he gave her, Nora finally saw a courtyard.
There was only a small sign at the entrance.
If she hadn¡¯t seen the house number, she would probably have never noticed that the ce was a restaurant.
The exterior was decorated with blue bricks while the interior was a whole different world on its own.
Past the entrance was a pathway paved with tiles that exuded a rich ssical vor.
There was a fountain at the front, and meticulously maintained bushes lined both sides, making it look like a garden in a pce.
The decor was very exquisite.
Nora followed the service staff into the private room.
She had arrived ten minutes early, so she thought that there was no one inside yet.
However, when she pushed the door open, she instead saw a tall figure seated at a table in the room.
The man, whose long legs were crossed, wore a ck suit.
An elegantndscape painting was hanging on the wall behind him, and he was drinking from a coffee cup.
The man didn¡¯t appear to be out of ce at all even in a room as full of ssical vor as this.
His skin was fair, and the beauty mark at the corner of his eye was alluring and charming.
It was as if he had merged with the decor around him, making him seem like a princely young man from olden times.
At the sight of Nora, the man ced the coffee cup down gracefully.
He nced behind her before he gestured to the seat opposite him and motioned her to take a seat.
He asked, ¡°Where¡¯s your daughter, Miss Smith?¡± ¡°Oh, she has sses.¡± An unabashed Nora said without batting even an eyelid.
She sat down across from him and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s your son, Mr.
Hunt?¡± There was a smile in Justin¡¯s deep-set eyes as he said, ¡°He has sses, too.¡± ¡°¡¡± Had she known her son wasn¡¯ting, she might as well have stayed home and slept!
That scumbag!
Nora dissed him silently.
She picked up the coffee cup that was just served to her and took a sip.
The coffee was very rich and fragrant¡ªit was Geisha coffee.
On top of that, it seemed like Hacienda La Esmeralda Geisha coffee?
The coffee required unique cultivating conditions, and only a certain amount was grown every year.
She didn¡¯t think that a humble little restaurant like this would actually have it and even serve it to guests.
Unfortunately, in her eyes, good food and good drinks weren¡¯t as practical as a night¡¯s sleep.
Justin found himself amused at the sight of her finishing the coffee in one gulp as though someone didn¡¯t know how to appreciate it.
He asked dispassionately, ¡°Miss Smith seems particrly concerned about my son?¡± Nora lowered her eyes and replied, ¡°Yes.
After all, Pete is smart, cute, and lovable.¡± Dim light flickered in Justin¡¯s eyes when he heard her reply.
The look in his dark eyes was unreadable.
It was hard to tell whether he believed her or not.
The service staff knocked on the door at this point and started to serve the food.
The food portion was small but exquisite and varied.
To foodies, it was a great option.
However, to Nora¡ This was too troublesome!
A single dish wasn¡¯t even enough to fill up her mouth.
She could¡¯ve filled her tummy with just a few bites, but in the end, she was forced to spend several times longer than usual to eat.
She felt very frustrated.
She could usually fill her tummy in two minutes, but ten minutes had already passed and yet she still wasn¡¯t full.
Nora nced at the man¡ªhe was eating slowly and elegantly.
She couldn¡¯t help but think that he was doing this on purpose.
Ah, well.
She wasn¡¯t really here to eat anyway.
Nora suddenly spoke.
She said, ¡°It¡¯s so boring, Mr.
Hunt.
Why don¡¯t we y a game?¡± Justin asked, ¡°What kind of game?¡± Nora¡¯s lips curled into a smile.
She picked up a wine bottle from the side and replied, ¡°Truth or dare.¡± She spun the bottle.
Justin, however, reached out and pressed the bottle down gently.
He looked at her with a faint smile in his eyes and said, ¡°You can just ask whatever you want to, Miss Smith.¡± That woman sure was doing everything possible to get to know him better.
As soon as the thought formed, he heard the woman ask, ¡°How did you and Pete¡¯s mothere to have him, Mr.
Hunt?¡±
Chapter 75 - 75 A Stray Cat
?75: A Stray Cat 75: A Stray Cat How exactly had she gotten pregnant back then?
Nora was really curious about this, so she looked at Justin eagerly, hoping that he could give her a logical answer.
However, Justin¡¯s smile gradually faded.
Pete¡¯s mother was something unmentionable to him.
No one had ever dared to bring it up all these years.
The moment he thought of all those things she did, he couldn¡¯t help but wish he could find her and kill her!
Yet when the person asking about it was the woman in front of him, for some reason, Justin actually found that he couldn¡¯t get angry with her.
She must be worried that Pete¡¯s biological mother would suddenly appear and end up affecting their life together, right?
Justin cast his deep-set eyes down slightly.
Although his tone was mild, his choice of words was strong.
¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t allow Pete¡¯s mother to show up in front of me and him again!¡± Nora fell silent when she sensed the acute frigidity bursting out of the man.
Hello, she was already right in front of him, though?!
Besides, what was he telling her not to worry about?
She decided to be blunter about it and asked, ¡°What I want to ask is¡ªwas Pete conceived naturally?¡± ¡°¡¡± Why were her questions bing more and more explicit?
Something urred to Justin and his ears gradually turned a little red.
He put down his cutlery, took a sip of water, and chuckled softly.
¡°Is Miss Smith concerned that I may have problems of a particr nature?¡± Nora was bewildered.
¡°I¡¯m a normal man.¡± Nora, ¡°!!¡± She had only spent five years abroad, but she actually found that she didn¡¯t understand English anymore!
The woman in front of him widened her eyes as a look of surprise came over her palm-sized face.
For some reason, this put Justin in a great mood.
He felt a rare urge to tell her the secret hidden in the depths of his heart, but at the thought that it would damage his image, he suppressed the desire to talk and instead asked, ¡°What kind of person is your daughter¡¯s father?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Nora didn¡¯t expect him to actually ask questions of his own.
On top of that, he had even asked about something like that.
Her slender fingers tapped against the table and she chuckled softly.
¡°I¡¯ll tell you if you answer my question.¡± Was she talking about whether Pete was naturally conceived or not?
Justin suddenly realized that perhaps what she was concerned about was whether he¡¯d had rtionships with other women instead.
That was why she was pressing the issue.
He pressed his lips together.
With the beauty mark at the corner of his eye exuding a bit of a serious aura, he suddenly said, ¡°If I say that I don¡¯t know how Pete came about either, would you believe me?¡± He only recalled vaguely that he seemed to be missing a night¡¯s memories¡ Dark light flickered in his eyes.
He reckoned that probably no one would believe him even if he said so, right?
Unexpectedly, the woman nodded seriously and replied, ¡°I believe you.¡± Justin, ¡°¡¡± He suddenly felt a little warmth in his heart, as if a ray of sunshine had suddenly shone into a flower on the verge of blooming, making it slowly bloom.
How could Nora possibly not believe him?
The exact same thing had happened to her, too.
Curiosity made her ask another question.
¡°Since you don¡¯t know what had happened, what if Pete¡¯s mother is also innocent?
You¡ª¡± Before she could finish, Justin lowered his gaze and said, ¡°She¡¯s not worthy of being someone¡¯s mother.¡± Nora¡¯s words came to an abrupt end.
The man¡¯s tone was full of murderous intent.
As if he had thought of something, Justin said with a cold expression, ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about that vicious woman anymore.¡± He looked back up and changed the subject.
¡°Can you tell me your story, Miss Smith?¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Nora gently rested her chin on her hand.
In a slightly husky voice, she said casually and calmly, ¡°Cherry¡¯s father¡ has a problem with his brain, so he¡¯s an idiot.
He goes on and on about fighting and killing people every day, and also thinks that every woman in the world is in love with him.
Sigh!¡± Since he had called her a vicious woman, it wasn¡¯t too much to curse him a little, right?
It¡¯s just tit-for-tat!
Justin frowned.
An idiot?
He had always thought that her premarital pregnancy was because she had been young and foolish, and ended up being deceived.
He asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t Miss Smith the best at resolving problems with the brain?¡± Nora waved.
¡°He¡¯s very ill.
I can¡¯t cure him.¡± Justin felt a little ufortable, yet he was also puzzled.
¡°Why did you have a child with an idiot, then?¡± Nora, who was trying to suppress herughter, nced at him again.
¡°Who knows?
Maybe God thinks he shouldn¡¯t be left heir-less?¡± Justin scoffed and said sarcastically, ¡°You¡¯re pretty much just doing charity with that.
After all, apart from you, that idiot probably won¡¯t be able to find any other woman for the rest of his lifetime.¡± Tsk.
He sure had a foul mouth.
Nora looked at him with amusement.
Seeing the woman¡¯s smile, Justin suddenly realized something¡ªwhat was the point of him taking an idiot so seriously?
He picked up the cutlery and continued eating.
Inwardly, however, he suddenly became very curious and he couldn¡¯t help thinking, ¡®I wonder what that idiot looks like?¡¯ While he was eating, Nora, who simply found the whole affair very troublesome, said, ¡°I¡¯m full, Mr.
Hunt.
You¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m not done yet.¡± ¡°¡ Take your time to eat?
I¡¯ll leave first?¡± Justin, who continued to dine leisurely, said, ¡°Is this how the Andersons treat someone to a meal, Miss Smith?¡± ¡°¡¡± Nora sat back down in silence.
She realized that the man really was very particr about his meals.
He ate the cold dishes first before going on to the warm ones and even drank a bit of water in between every once in a while.
He carried himself elegantly and beautifully, much like a beast in human clothing.
When Nora, who had always felt that eating was a waste of time, calmed herself down, she couldn¡¯t help but think, ¡®So, the act of eating can actually be that beautiful?¡¯ Two hourster, Justin finally put down his cutlery.
Nora heaved a sigh of relief.
When she asked for the bill, the service staff said, ¡°Mr.
Hunt has already paid.¡± Taken aback, Nora looked at him.
There was a small smile on Justin¡¯s handsome countenance.
He said, ¡°It¡¯s my treat this time.
You can treat me next time.¡± ¡°Alright, then.¡± She stood up together with him and followed him out of the private room.
It was only after they left the restaurant that Nora finally realized what he had said just now.
What the f*ck?
This meal alone was already torturous enough; were they going to do this again?
That scumbag!
He was trying to waste her time, wasn¡¯t he?
The corners of her lips spasmed a couple of times.
The two of them reached the underground car park.
When Nora pressed the car key, the big ck jeep lit up.
She was about to walk over when she realized that Justin had walked over one step ahead of her.
What was he doing?
Didn¡¯t he drive here?
She was just thinking about it when Justin actually walked over to where the driver¡¯s seat was, opened the door for her, and gestured politely for her to get in.
¡°¡¡± The light in the car park was a little dim, yet when the man stood there, it was as if all the light was shining on him.
His actions were gentlemanly and thoughtful.
¡°Be careful not to knock your head.¡± Nora felt her throat going dry.
After she got in the car and left, Justin stared at her from the back.
He suddenly smiled.
That Mercedes Benz jeep was very big and had a taller chassis.
There was no doubt that women who liked driving that car had a wild and feral nature.
Then, he thought of the young woman¡¯szy appearance¡ªshe looked just like a cat.
And on top of being a cat, she was even a wild little one.
Nora drove back to the Andersons.
Midway, however, she suddenly received a call from the kindergarten.
¡°Miss Smith, please hurry to the kindergarten!
Something has happened to Cherry!¡± Something had happened to Cherry?
Nora¡¯s eyes widened.
She did an abrupt U-turn, stomped on the elerator, and raced straight to the kindergarten.
Chapter 76 - 76 A Professional
?76: A Professional 76: A Professional Nora was driving a jeep, but the way she was driving, it was as if she was driving a sports car instead.
Screeeeech!
The car stopped at the school gate.
She got out and strode toward the kindergarten.
Ms.
Lynn, the teacher who had brought Cherry into the kindergarten earlier that day, was waiting there.
She was a young woman in her twenties and was currently in a panic.
How anxious must the parents be, having something go wrong on the first day their child was sent to school?
With that thought in mind, she went forward to Nora and said, ¡°Ms.
Smith¡¡± Nora interrupted her and asked, ¡°Are the children okay?¡± Ms.
Lynn, ¡°?¡± The confused teacher replied, ¡°¡ Yes, they are.¡± As Nora walked in with the teacher, she asked, ¡°Are the teachers also okay?¡± ¡°¡ Yes, they are all fine.¡± Nora was taken aback.
¡°In that case, who did Cherry beat up?¡± She subconsciously nced at the school gate.
¡°The security guard?¡± Ms.
Lynn, ¡°???¡± How would Cherry possibly be able to beat such a big and tall security guard, especially when he had even gone through professional martial arts training?!
No, wait, they had digressed too much.
Ms.
Lynn said anxiously, ¡°Cherry fainted!¡± It was Nora¡¯s turn to be surprised this time.
¡°Surely, she¡¯s just faking it?¡± Although Cherry was born a month prematurely, as a doctor, Nora had nursed and taken care of Cherry very well.
While she looked a little skinnier than most, she was actually as strong as a young calf!
Faint?
Cherry?
Ms.
Lynn was so dumbfounded that she couldn¡¯t even utter the words offort she had originally wanted to say.
She said emphatically, ¡°It¡¯s true!¡± This piqued Nora¡¯s curiosity and she said, ¡°I¡¯ll go take a look.¡± Ms.
Lynn followed after her and said, ¡°She¡¯s in the dance studio.
Don¡¯t worry, Ms.
Smith.
I know you aren¡¯t in good health, so it must have been hard raising Cherry all these years.
Cherry is also a very lovable and obedient girl.
We¡¯ll definitely hold the culprit ountable!¡± Nora was rendered speechless.
Only then did she realize that the teacher was now calling Cherry by her nickname instead of ¡®Cheryl Smith¡¯ like what she had done when Nora sent her to the kindergarten¡ So, what exactly happened today?
Despite iming that it was impossible that Cherry had fainted, Nora nevertheless obviously quickened her pace.
Ms.
Lynn couldn¡¯t catch up to her even when she jogged briskly behind her.
The moment they entered the dance studio, Nora immediately saw Cherry lying on the sofa.
A few teachers were gathered around her, and standing next to them was a little girl in a dance practice outfit who was crying loudly.
A teacher, who was also wearing a dance practice outfit, was currently trying to coax her.
Was Cherry really hurt?
When Nora walked over, she heard the school doctor say, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ms.
Smith.
I¡¯ve already given her a checkup.
Cherry looks totally fine.
She probably fainted because she was too aggrieved.
Sigh!¡± ¡°¡¡± Yeah, aggrieved, my a*s.
From the moment she held Cherry¡¯s wrist and felt a strong pulse, Nora knew immediately that she was just pretending.
She couldn¡¯t help but hold her forehead.
She had only just warned her against pretending to cry in the morning, yet she was already pretending to faint?
Even so, the little fellow¡¯s eyes were still and motionless.
Her acting was pretty good.
She tickled Cherry¡¯s palm with a finger: ¡®Stop acting and wake up.¡¯ Cherry returned a tickle of her own on Nora¡¯s palm: ¡®Mommy, don¡¯t expose me!¡¯ Nora was rendered speechless.
She coughed and asked, ¡°What happened?¡± By then, Ms.
Lynn had also entered the dance studio.
Seeing that she looked calm and hadn¡¯t started ranting at the teachers as soon as she came in, she immediately felt even more strongly that Cherry¡¯s family must be reasonable people.
She said, ¡°The kindergarten is celebrating its 50th anniversary soon, so we¡¯re going to hold a huge party and all the parents will be invited.
The kindergarten is selecting twenty children for the finale dance.
I saw that Cherry is very talented, so I wanted to let her try out for the dance, but as a result, she ended up getting into a conflict with her ssmate Sinead Lowe¡¡± Sinead was probably the crying little girl.
Nora nced at her.
The child¡¯s posture was straight and upright.
It was obvious from a nce that she had gone through dance training before.
It was just that even though so much time had already passed, she was still crying.
It was obvious how spoiled she was.
While she was thinking, the dance teacher who was coaxing Sinead stood up.
She had an air of elegance around her, though she also had a bit of an arrogant look on her face.
She frowned and said, ¡°I am Whitney Lowe, Sinead¡¯s mother.¡± She walked to the side and took out a bag.
Then, she took out a wad of cash from within and threw it in Nora¡¯s face.
¡°I¡¯ll take responsibility for this and pay for Cheryl Smith¡¯s medical expenses.
This should be enough for you to still have some left over after that.
In that sense, the two of you even profited a little.¡± Nora was bewildered.
A cold look appeared on her face.
She looked at Ms.
Lynn and asked, ¡°What exactly is going on?¡± Ms.
Lynn nced at the dance teacher and exined in a low voice, ¡°Sinead¡¯s mother is a dance teacher that the kindergarten specially hired.
She was the runner-up in the women¡¯s category for an international dancepetition.
After that, she married into the Lowes, a wealthy family.
She¡¯s now a famous dance teacher in the circle¡ ¡°Cherry¡¯s very smart and learned the dance very quickly, but Sinead kept saying that she wasn¡¯t doing it right.
The two children then got into an argument and Mrs.
Lowe chided Cherry a little.
After that, she passed out from anger¡¡± As soon as she said that, Sinead yelled, ¡°That¡¯s because everyone keeps looking at her when she¡¯s dancing!
I¡¯m the center!
Don¡¯t let her go on stage!¡± The moment she said that, the teachers became even more embarrassed.
Nora understood now.
Cherry had big eyes and fair skin, and looked very adorable.
She was certainly very eye-catching among the group of children in the kindergarten.
Sinead was the center, but Cherry had robbed her of all the limelight, so she became dissatisfied.
Whitney was their dance teacher, so she would definitely be partial toward Sinead.
Cherry had always been clever and was someone who refused to let anyone give her the short end of the stick.
As she was at a disadvantage, she had pretended to faint so that Sinead couldn¡¯t say anything even if she wanted to!
Nora couldn¡¯t help yawning.
She had always been someone who fought others head-on and did everything directly and straightforwardly.
Just whom did her daughter inherit all these little ideas from?
It really was very¡ silly.
She picked up Cherry and prepared to leave.
However, Whitney stood in front of her as soon as she got up.
The cool and standoffish woman said arrogantly, ¡°Ms.
Smith, your child is so bad-tempered.
All they did was just argue a little, yet she could make herself pass out from anger.¡± Nora, ¡°?¡± She didn¡¯t even make a fuss, yet Whitney was kicking up one instead?
She stood still and turned around.
Whitney pointed to Cherry and said to Ms.
Lynn, ¡°That girl has a poor physique.
I checked her body just now.
She¡¯s very stiff and isn¡¯t suitable to be a dancer.
Withdraw her from the uing performance and switch to someone else instead.¡± Sinead immediately pped happily and said, ¡°Yes, make her withdraw!
Don¡¯t let her go on stage!¡± Ms.
Lynn looked livid.
She said hesitantly, ¡°But I think Cherry danced pretty well just now¡¡± ¡°Which part of that was good?¡± Whitney reprimanded sternly, ¡°Are you the professional here, or am I?
Her movements were stiff and too forceful just now.
Neither did she follow the rhythm and ended up missing the beat several times, making her out of sync with the rest of the children.
She was born unsuitable for dancing!¡± The look in Nora¡¯s eyes turned even colder.
Cherry¡¯s physique was amazingly good.
Otherwise, Quinn wouldn¡¯t have begged to take her as his disciple.
That woman named Whitney Lowe¡ A professional?
Hah.
She asked unhurriedly, ¡°Does this mean that Cherry can be part of the dance if someone more professional than you says that she¡¯s suitable for dancing?¡±
Chapter 77 - 77 Who Says I Dont Dare To Turn On The Camera
?77: Who Says I Don¡¯t Dare To Turn On The Camera?
77: Who Says I Don¡¯t Dare To Turn On The Camera?
Someone more professional than her?
Whitney sneered.
With a confident and arrogant look in her eyes, she scoffed, ¡°Can you even find someone more professional than me in the States?¡± Ms.
Lynn tugged on Nora¡¯s sleeve and said, ¡°Ms.
Smith, thepetition that Mrs.
Lowe had participated in was the ckpool Dance Festival.
It¡¯s a world-ss international ballroom dancingpetition¡ Mrs.
Lowe has founded a dance academy in New York that specializes in teaching students gifted in the art, and there are scores of people who wish for her guidance.
She holds great authority in the dancing circle.¡± Then, Ms.
Lynn lowered her voice and said, ¡°In order to have her teach their children, there are even some wealthy families who treat her very politely.
She¡¯s even given the Hunts¡¯ and the Smiths¡¯ children dance lessons before¡¡± Nora scoffed lightly when she heard Ms.
Lynn¡¯s exnation.
As it turned out, that woman named Whitney did indeed know what she was doing.
No wonder she had the guts to try resolving the issue with money in a kindergarten like this just now.
People engaged in the arts typically had rather lofty ideals.
She must have formed an exaggerated opinion of her abilities, thanks to the other parents¡¯ ttery.
Nora cast her eyes down and slowly said, ¡°Ms.
Lynn, I will find someone more professional than her to judge whether Cherry is suitable to dance or not.¡± Whitney had exquisite makeup on.
By then, she had also already put on her coat and leather shoes, making her seem exceptionally elegant.
When she heard what Nora said, she sneered, ¡°We¡¯ll wait and see, then.
However, until you find someone more professional than me, Cheryl Smith will not be allowed to attend my dance sses!¡± After saying that, she took Sinead¡¯s hand and turned to leave.
However, as soon as she turned, someone grabbed her ponytail.
Then, her shoulder was held down and a great force threw her against the wall next to her!
Bam!
In front of Whitney was an icy-cold wall.
Her hair was still being pulled and her shoulder held down.
She couldn¡¯t move at all.
Furious, she demanded, ¡°What are you doing?¡± A low and mild voice slowly reached from behind.
¡°Mrs.
Lowe, shouldn¡¯t you apologize to my daughter after bullying her?¡± Cherry was mischievous and never allowed anyone to give her the short end of the stick.
Neither would Nora allow her daughter to suffer any grievances for no reason.
Whitney yelled, ¡°No way!¡± As soon as she did, Nora yanked her hair downward hard again, making her scalp sting terribly.
As though she was simply stating a truth, the woman¡¯s voice was calm and peaceful as she said, ¡°Apologize.¡± There was a murderous look in her frosty eyes.
Whitney shivered.
She swallowed hard and clenched her fists tightly.
Atst, as though humiliated, she said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Yawn¡¡± Nora let go of her and yawned again.
Only then did she pick up Cherry again andzily leave the dance studio.
After she left, a furious Whitney yelled hysterically, ¡°I¡¯m calling the police!
How dare she assault me!
I¡¯m having her thrown in jail!¡± Ms.
Lynn and the others finally recovered from the sudden turn of events just now.
At this point, the principal also arrived fashionablyte.
Upon hearing Whitney, he held her arm and said, ¡°Mrs.
Lowe, we¡¯re all people with respectable identities here.
Moreover, we really have no idea who thatdy is.
The bigwigs have specially instructed us to treat her with civility¡¡± The bigwigs¡ Whitney clenched her fists tightly and breathed heavily as a look of intense fury came over her face.
However, she did stop moring about calling the police.
¡ª In the jeep on the way home.
Cherry sat in the passenger seat and buckled her seat belt.
Therge seat made her look even smaller than she was.
She asked, ¡°Mommy, are you really going to ask Aunt Tanya toe back to the States for my sake?¡± Nora raised her eyebrows.
¡°No way.¡± Cherry was puzzled.
Aunt Tanya was someone who loved dancing.
She had also participated inpetitions and emerged as the champion before.
She had immediately thought of her when Mommy said that she would find someone more professional just now.
However, Mommy was actually saying that she wasn¡¯t asking her toe back?
Amid Cherry¡¯s puzzlement, Nora chuckled and said, ¡°Your Aunt Tanya is returning to the States next week.
She was invited to a dance conference as an examiner.¡± Cherry immediately became excited.
¡°So that¡¯s what it is!¡± While the two of them were chatting, they had already returned to the Andersons¡¯ residence.
After parking the car and entering the house, Sheril came over with a smile and said, ¡°Nora, I¡¯ve sessfully produced the Carefree Pill ording to your form!
We can finally start mass production now!¡± Nora nodded.
¡°Oh.¡± Sheril was about to say more when Melissa walked over with a smile.
¡°Alright, you may have aplished something big, Sheril, but don¡¯t you forget the trivial matters now.¡± Trivial matters?
A puzzled Nora looked at Sheril, who smiled and said, ¡°I have dance sster, Nora.
Can youe with me?
Let¡¯s have the choreographer choreograph a dance for us.
We can perform it together during the dance party!¡± Nora didn¡¯t want to go.
She wanted to go upstairs and sleep instead, so she replied, ¡°No, it¡¯s¡¡± ¡°C¡¯mon, let¡¯s go!¡± Sheril pulled Nora by her arm and called out, ¡°Mom, look after Cherry, okay?¡± ¡°¡¡± An absolutely unwilling Nora was then dragged out of the door!
But before she was dragged out the door, she saw the gentle expression on Melissa¡¯s countenance and she found herself unable to refuse her kindness again.
Forget it, she would just go.
On the way there, Sheril asked, ¡°Can you dance, Nora?¡± Nora thought for a moment before she replied, ¡°Just a little, but I don¡¯t dance often.¡± Perhaps because she spent more time sleeping than others, she preferred engaging in more stimting activities when she was awake¡ªsuch as racing, skiing, and martial arts.
When it came to dancing, the only kind she liked was tango.
However, because she practiced martial arts, her strength was too great.
There was basically no man who could suppress her aura, so she stopped dancing.
Sheril smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine.
We¡¯ll just pick up a few moves casually.
It¡¯s okay even if you don¡¯t dance during the party!¡± After Nora went out, Cherry obediently went to the study with her cell phone, intending to spend the next two hours gaming and doing a live-stream.
As soon as she started the live stream, she saw that her number one fan, Sponsor Grandpa, was already there.
Cherry immediately greeted excitedly, ¡°Hello, Sponsor Grandpa!¡± Sponsor Grandpa responded rtively slowly: ¡°Hello.¡± Cherry said, ¡°I¡¯m ying as the same hero today.
Without Chesty making trouble here today, I¡¯m gonna try getting into this season¡¯s rankings on the local server!¡± She turned on the game after she spoke.
Then, arge number of notifications suddenly scrolled past her screen!
Cherry was taken aback for a moment.
Then, she saw that Sponsor Grandpa had tipped her with 9,999 airnes.
Sponsor Grandpa wrote: ¡®This is for you to buy candy with, little fellow.¡¯ Cherry smiled sweetly and said, ¡°Thank you, Grandpa!¡± After she entered the game and yed for a couple of minutes, she noticed that Sponsor Grandpa was arguing with some of the other viewers in thements.
¡°Stop pretending to be a kid, sweetcherry.
That kiddy voice of yours makes me wanna puke!
You¡¯re so shameless to try attracting big bosses that way!¡± Sponsor Grandpa: ¡°She¡¯s a child.¡± ¡°Haha, which idiot with too much money to spare is that Sponsor Grandpa of hers?¡± ¡°There must be something wrong with his brain.
Is there any child who ys games so well?
sweetcherry is definitely a cross-dresser using a voice changer!
Otherwise, why wouldn¡¯t they dare to turn on the camera?¡± ¡°¡¡± Cherry became angry.
¡°Who says I don¡¯t dare to turn on the camera?!¡±
Chapter 78 - 78 Shes Turned On The Camera!
?78: She¡¯s Turned On The Camera!
78: She¡¯s Turned On The Camera!
More people started toment: ¡°Turn it on, then?
You¡¯re a bastard if you don¡¯t!¡± ¡°Is sweetcherry going to turn on the camera?
I feel like I¡¯m going to go blindter!¡± ¡°I smell a fight breaking out.
This is a gaming channel.
Does it matter whether they turn on the camera or not?¡± ¡°Yes, it does!
No one goes as far as them as to straight-up pretend to be a five-year-old kid even if they use a voice changer when they y games.
Do they think our IQs are very low?¡± ¡°Exactly!
They even duped others into giving them tips to buy candy with.
Tsk, the point here is¡ªthere are actually people who are falling for it!
The top fan on their list who calls himself Grandpa just gave them another tip worth $150,000!¡± ¡°How does a perverted liar like them find the cheek to do live streams?
Is it because their original voice sounds too awful?¡± ¡°That kind of tender voice is originally a child¡¯s, which is supposed to sound cute and lovable.
Howe they have the gall to change their voice into one like that?
What an insult to kids!¡± Of course, there were also loyal fans of sweetcherry who defended her.
It was just that there were only a few of them, so they were all drowned out by the insults.
¡°Watching sweetcherry pretending to be a kid is exactly what we like.
What¡¯s it to you?
If you can¡¯t stand it, then why don¡¯t you get out?¡± ¡°Exactly.
Are they holding a knife to your neck and forcing you to tip them?¡± ¡°The hero the live streamer ys as is a little girl who carries a cannon.
I think it¡¯s very apt that they use a child¡¯s voice!
Why are you being such a busybody?¡± ¡°¡¡± When Cherry saw that even her loyal fans didn¡¯t believe that she was a child, she frowned and said huffily and seriously, ¡°I¡¯m not a kid!¡± In thements: ¡°Hahaha, they¡¯ve admitted it now!¡± ¡°I knew they were lying!¡± ¡°¡¡± A fewments had only just scrolled past the screen when Cherry said huffily, ¡°I¡¯m already five!
Which part of me is a kid?¡± Thements fell silent for a while.
Then, a loyal fan wrote weakly: ¡°Sweetie, that¡¯s enough.
Let¡¯s not say any more.
There¡¯s nothing shameful in pretending to be a kid anyway¡¡± ¡°If you say any more, it¡¯ll start to seem a little pretentious.
It¡¯s enough!
Enough!¡± As for the antis, they switched on theirbat mode.
¡°Ugh, they¡¯re still pretending to be a kid.
It¡¯s so gross!
¡®Already five¡¯?
More like you¡¯re fifty, right?
Which five-year-old can read so well?¡± ¡°A fifty-year-old probably doesn¡¯t have that kind of hand speed and reflexes.
They¡¯re probably in their twenties or thirties¡ What I¡¯m seeing in my mind is an ugly, gross, and wretched-looking middle-aged man¡¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t they say they¡¯re gonna turn on the camera?
What are you still dilly-dallying so much for?
Hurry up and turn it on!¡± ¡°They must be deliberately saying all that in order to change the subject, right?
Turn on the camera!
Turn on the camera!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like they have the guts to.
If they turn it on, they¡¯ll expose their own lies!¡± ¡°¡¡± Seeing that no one believed her, Cherry felt as if she had suffered a great injustice.
She said quietly, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll turn on the camera now.
Wait a minute, okie?¡± After finishing the round at hand, she fumbled around for a while and finally turned on the camera.
The moment she did, an uproar went through thements!
At the same time, Justin ended a busy day of work.
Bored, he nced at Pete, who was studying next to him, and picked up his cell phone.
Suddenly, he thought of the friend whom Chester had posted about the other day.
After downloading the live streaming app, he searched for ¡®sweetcherry¡¯.
As soon as he entered her live stream, he found that thements were in a huge uproar.
¡°F*ck!
F*ck, she¡¯s really a kid!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe my eyes!¡± ¡°sweetcherry is actually really only five?¡± ¡°F*ck!
I¡¯m actually a lousier yer than an elementary school kid?
Ah, no, a kindergartener?
Self-doubt in progress here right now¡¡± ¡°Ahhh, she¡¯s so cute!
She¡¯s so cute!
To think such a cute little baby who talks so adorably really exists!¡± Justin, ¡°?¡± When he finally looked at the screen, he saw that the screen, which originally was showing just the game interface, now had a small window at a corner on the right.
Inside the window was a small figure.
She looked like she was about five years old.
It was hard to tell whether it was a wig or her real hair, but she had two little braids on each side of her head, which made her look very adorable.
She was also wearing a white feather mask that covered most of her face.
The little fellow said huffily, ¡°There, I¡¯ve turned on the camera!
I wasn¡¯t lying, yeah!
All of you should apologize to me!¡± In thements: ¡°She¡¯s really only five?
Oh my god!
My outlook on life has been shattered!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry!
I was wrong!
Please forgive me, big boss!¡± All the antis had already disappeared in the background and didn¡¯t dare to speak anymore.
Someone asked: ¡°Why are you wearing a mask?
Are we not worthy of seeing what sweetcherry really looks like?¡± ¡°I already find her so cute when she¡¯s just sitting there like that!
Can you take off your mask and show us how you look?
Don¡¯t worry, there aren¡¯t any ugly children out there!¡± Sweetcherry waved and exined seriously, ¡°No, I¡¯m afraid that Daddy will see me!¡± ¡°What are you afraid of?
It¡¯s nothing bad that you¡¯re making money on live streams.
It¡¯s not like your father will smack you, right?¡± ¡°Exactly.
If I had such a lovely daughter, I¡¯d definitely spoil her like a precious treasure!¡± Of course, there were also some who didn¡¯t agree with her actions.
They reprimanded her, ¡°Five-year-olds shouldn¡¯t be ying with the cell phone every day.
It¡¯s not good for children!
Your father is right to discipline you!¡± Cherry said seriously, ¡°No, Daddy won¡¯t discipline me, but he¡¯ll take me away and forbid Mommy from ever seeing me again!¡± Her top fan, Grandpa, couldn¡¯t help but write: ¡°Your father is such an awful man!¡± The rest of thements agreed with his statement.
¡°Why would he take her away?
Are your parents divorced?
Is it because your father would think that your mother isn¡¯t teaching you well if he finds out about the live stream?¡± ¡°My goodness, it¡¯s so sad that there are fathers like that in this world.
It¡¯s so awful how they always think the world of themselves.
My heart aches for sweetcherry.¡± ¡°Although it isn¡¯t right that children y games every day, I checked the records just now.
Sweetie, your game time is fixed, right?
And you only y for two hours a day¡ I¡¯m sure your mother has put thought into this, right?
For some reason, my heart aches for Sweetie.
I hate your wicked father!¡± After seeing thements, Cherry waved her hands anxiously and said, ¡°No, no, it¡¯s not like that!
It¡¯s not like that!
My father doesn¡¯t know that Mommy gave birth to me, so if he finds out, Mommy will be in trouble!¡± ¡°Your mother sounds so tragic.
Did she raise you by herself?¡± When Justin heard what she said, he suddenly thought of Pete¡ Even sweetcherry¡¯s mother knew that she should take care of her child, yet Pete¡¯s biological mother was so horrible!
A hint of anger shed in his eyes.
Cherry was about to say something when she noticed a tip of 9,999 airnes.
Amid the airne icons scrolling across the screen, her number two fan, ¡®JH¡¯, wrote a few big words in bold red text: ¡®Your father isn¡¯t worthy of calling himself a man!¡¯ Cherry, ¡°??¡± Daddy, is it really okay to insult yourself like that?
She panicked and got up from her chair.
¡°Daddy, you¡ª¡± Before she could finish, she lost her bnce and almost fell.
However, after she steadied herself, the mask on her face instead fell off¡
Chapter 79 - 79 Cherry Looks A Little Familiar
?79: Cherry Looks A Little Familiar 79: Cherry Looks A Little Familiar Justin¡¯s heart suddenly stopped beating for a moment.
It was only when he saw that she managed to regain her bnce that he finally rxed.
When he wanted to see what she looked like, rows of airne icons suddenly swept across the screen.
After studying the interface with a frown for a while, he finally turned off the virtual gift visual effects.
However, by the time he looked again, he found that sweetcherry had already turned off the camera.
For some reason, he felt a little disappointed.
He shook his head, finding his behavior ratherical.
She was just a child that he had interacted with a few times.
Why was he so curious about what she looked like?
He tossed the cell phone aside.
The little girl¡¯s tender voice rang out in his earphones.
¡°Thank you for the airnes, Grandpa!
Mwah!¡± For some reason, Justin felt a little unhappy.
He had gifted her so many airnes, but why didn¡¯t she blow him any flying kisses?
As a result, yet another row of 9999 airne icons scrolled across the screen.
After sending the gift, he came back to his senses.
He felt that he must be out of his mind¡ Then, he heard the excited little fellow exim, ¡°Wow, Daddy!
You¡¯re so amazing, too!
Mwah!¡± Justin¡¯s lip corners couldn¡¯t help but curl upward.
Two hourster, Cherry stopped ying and got ready for dinner.
After ending the live stream, she sat on the chair with her chin propped on her hands and looked at the two highest-ranking names on the fan list.
Sponsor Grandpa was still in top ce with a total of almost $800,000 in tips.
Daddy was ranked second ce with a total of about $600,000 in tips.
She felt justified and didn¡¯t have any qualms about taking money from her father.
However, it seemed like Sponsor Grandpa didn¡¯t know her at all¡ Cherry opened a private chat window and sent him a voice message.
At the Smiths.
Although he had asked for steak the day before, Ian had stopped eating after taking just a bite.
He rested on the bed in a groggy daze all the way until now.
Watching sweetcherry¡¯s live stream seemed to have be the only thing he looked forward to every day.
Ian was frowning.
On his attractive visage, there was a contemtive look in his eyes.
He had seen what sweetcherry looked like when her mask dropped off just now, and he found her face vaguely familiar.
It was as if he had seen it somewhere before.
Even though he couldn¡¯t recall where he might have seen a face like that before, it nevertheless gave him a sense of kinship.
Ian smiled bitterly.
Perhaps life was just too boring.
Or perhaps it was because she simply looked so adorable and clever?
He was about to toss the cell phone aside when he heard a sound notification.
When Ian picked it back up, he found that sweetcherry had sent him a private message: ¡°Sponsor Grandpa, do you wanna y games?
I can guide you, yeah!¡± Games?
To be honest, Ian wasn¡¯t interested, but he didn¡¯t have the heart to refuse the little girl¡¯s kindness.
Thus, he replied: ¡°How are you going to guide me?¡± Beep!
Another notification rang out.
He tapped on it: ¡°Let¡¯s add each other as friends first!
Do you have a Facebook ount, Sponsor Grandpa?
After we add each other as friends, I¡¯ll be able to add you into the game from my friends list.¡± Ian replied: ¡°Yes, I do.¡± Sweetcherry sent him a link to her Facebook page.
Ian logged in to the Facebook ount that he hadn¡¯t touched in years.
He had only registered the ount because of Yvette in the past.
He cast his eyes down, suppressed the difort in his heart, and added sweetcherry as a friend.
Her Facebook name was Cherry Smith.
She approved the friend request as soon as he sent it.
After that, Cherry sent him several pictures.
Puzzled, Ian replied with a question mark: ?
Cherry sent him a voice message: ¡°Sponsor Grandpa, you¡¯re under my care from today onward.
You must remember to log in to Facebook every day and send me messages, okay?
We must maintain the sparks of our friendship!¡± Sparks?
Ian was confused.
Cherry sent another message: ¡°We mustn¡¯t let the sparks of our friendship extinguish!
Once we send each other messages for seven days, our sparks of friendship will burn strongly!
After another few days, our little boat of friendship will sail off and eventually be a giant ferry!¡± ¡°¡¡± Ian fell silent.
He couldn¡¯t help but feel that children came up with some pretty ridiculous things these days.
However, when he thought of what she said again, he replied: ¡°Okay.¡± After he replied, it was time for dinner.
The caretaker came in and asked, ¡°Sir, how about having some oatmeal?¡± Ian clenched his jaw.
He didn¡¯t have any appetite, but when he thought of his promise with the little girl¡ He would drag his life on for a few more days, he supposed.
If he passed the next day, the little girl would probably be sad.
He said dispassionately, ¡°Okay.¡± ¡ª Elsewhere, Nora had reached the dance studio after being dragged there by Sheril.
The ssroom was very big and featured mirrors on all four sides.
The moment she walked in, she saw that there were a few young men and women there.
They were currently standing around a girl in the corner and chatting.
At the sight of Sheril, a thin man came over and smiled bashfully at her.
He said, ¡°Sheril, you¡¯re here!¡± Sheril blushed and nodded.
Then, she introduced him to Nora.
¡°Nora, this is my boyfriend, Caden Hayes.¡± Her boyfriend?
Nora sized him up carefully.
She couldn¡¯t help but feel like the man made people feel a little ufortable.
However, she didn¡¯t say much.
Sheril introduced Nora to Caden and the two of them said hi to each other.
At this point, the chatter from a distance away reached them.
¡°Really?
Your family is so amazing!¡± ¡°Wow, Rachel, are you going to meet Tanya Turner?
I¡¯m so envious!¡± ¡°¡¡± Caden was taken aback for a moment.
Then, he asked with a smile, ¡°Tanya Turner?
What are you guys talking about?¡± Someone answered, ¡°It¡¯s Rachel!
Her mother heard that Ms.
Turner will being back to the States in a few days, so she specially invited her to go to their ce to hold a few dance lessons for her!¡± After answering him, the group of youngsters gathered around Rachel and asked, ¡°Can we also join the ss, Rachel?¡± At the sight of everyone swarming over there, Caden looked at Sheril and said, ¡°Sheril, Rachel is your cousin, right?
Can you ask her to let us join the ss?¡± Sheril¡¯s expression immediately changed and she looked as if she had been put in a spot.
Nora, on the other hand, was taken aback.
¡°She¡¯s your cousin?¡± ¡°Yes, Rachel is Sheril¡¯s uncle¡¯s daughter from the maternal side of the family.
I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll agree if Sheril asks her!¡± Nora looked at Rachel Wood, who was surrounded by everyone and basking in the limelight.
She had wavy hair, a slim and graceful figure, and a delicate aura around her.
The schrly aura around her was a little simr to the one that Melissa had.
It was just that even though Melissa looked delicate, she also had a very dignified aura around her.
On the other hand, Rachel¡¯s imitation wascking and it fell t, making her seem somewhat chintzy.
With the wall of people in between, she spoke with a great sense of superiority and said, ¡°It¡¯s very difficult to get Ms.
Turner to open a ss.
It¡¯s not about money at all.
My mother only managed to ask her to open a ss for me after asking a lot of people for favors.¡± Someone who was trying to tter her said, ¡°It¡¯s rare for Tanya Turner toe back to the States, so I heard that her schedule is totally packed.
It¡¯s really amazing that your family could get her over!¡± Rachel suddenly looked at Sheril.
¡°There are already a lot of people in the ss, Sheril.
I may not be able to let you join this time¡¡±
Chapter 80 - 80 Tanya Turner!
?80: Tanya Turner!
80: Tanya Turner!
As soon as she said that, everyone looked over.
Sheril immediately felt her face flush in embarrassment as though she was living on someone¡¯s charity.
Rachel, however, didn¡¯t let her off.
She continued and said, ¡°You can ask your mother to make an appointment for you, though.
That way, you¡¯ll also be able to attend her sses!
By the way, does your mother have any connections?
Do you want my mother to hook her up with the relevant people?¡± After the Andersons fell into decline, as Simon¡¯s wife, Melissa¡¯s status had also dropped.
However, not only did her family, the Woods, not help her in any way, but they even rubbed it in.
Take, for example, what was currently happening.
What Rachel said had in no uncertain terms told everyone that even though Melissa had been part of the Woods in the past, her current authority and connections were actually not as good as the Woods¡¯.
Sheril clenched her fists and tried her best to make herself look calm as she replied, ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.
I¡¯m not very interested in dancing anyway¡¡± Rachel curled her lip.
¡°Is that so?¡± She nced at Caden.
Then, as though she was talking about Sheril yet also as insinuating something else, she said, ¡°What a shame.¡± After that, she turned and looked at the other people there.
However, when she did, she saw that everyone who had been circling around her and asking about Tanya just now was instead now staring curiously at Nora.
The young woman, who was dressed simply, easily became the focus of the crowd just by gracefully standing there.
Rachel frowned.
She took the initiative to walk over, held Sheril¡¯s hand with a smile, and asked gently, ¡°Who¡¯s this, Sheril?¡± Sheril suppressed her awkwardness and embarrassment and naturally made the introductions.
¡°This is Nora, my eldest aunt¡¯s daughter.¡± A surprised Rachel immediately eximed rather loudly, ¡°Huh?
So that¡¯s who you are!
I totally couldn¡¯t tell from your figure that you¡¯ve given birth before!¡± The words ¡°you¡¯ve given birth before¡± astonished everyone there.
Rachel covered her mouth and looked at the two of them apologetically.
She said, ¡°S-sorry, I identally spoke without thinking for a moment there.
Nora, you don¡¯t mind, right?¡± To outsiders, premarital pregnancies were seen as immoral behavior.
Under normal circumstances, even if one¡¯s family didn¡¯t help them to hide it, they wouldn¡¯t publicize it like that, either.
However, Rachel had mentioned it the moment she came over.
This made everyone instantly look at her in a different way.
Nora could hear someone nearby whisper, ¡°Tsk, she looks pretty pure and innocent.
I didn¡¯t expect that she already has kids.¡± ¡°Why is someone like her here to dance?
Is she trying to hook up with someone?¡± Sheril frowned.
She stood in front of Nora and said, ¡°Don¡¯t spout nonsense, Rachel.
Nora¡¯s just here to learn how to dance!¡± Rachel cast her eyes down and smirked.
¡°In that case, does she have a dance partner yet?¡± Sheril looked at the other people there.
Most people who came here to dance didn¡¯te at fixed intervals.
Neither did they have fixed dance partners.
She had originally thought that it would be very easy to find Nora a dance partner since she was so pretty.
However, Rachel¡¯s words just now had obviously made everyone averse to Nora.
She was about to say something when Nora smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, Sheril.
I¡¯ll just watch you dance.¡± Sheril said, ¡°Nora, you¡¡± Nora cast her eyes down.
¡°It¡¯s fine, really.¡± Sheril knew that trying tofort her further now would only result in the opposite effect, so she could only give her a resigned nod.
When the dance teacher arrived, everyone split into pairs and started to dance.
A bored Nora leaned against the wall and yed with her cell phone while she watched Sheril out of the corner of her eye.
Caden was unexpectedly a pretty good dancer.
International ballroom dancing was performed in pairs of men and women.
In particr, if the men were strong enough, their dancing would be very exciting to watch when they led the woman.
Caden was likely a professional.
He held Sheril by her waist and danced, the two of them forming a dazzling sight.
Gradually, they became the center of all the dancers in the room.
While they were dancing, Sheril was also constantly looking at Nora.
She suddenly suggested, ¡°Caden, why don¡¯t you dance with Norater?¡± Caden was a little reluctant.
He replied, ¡°I wanted to say this just now, but someone like her who became pregnant before marriage must have a very profligate lifestyle in private.
Sheril, you shouldn¡¯t associate too much with her.¡± An unhappy-looking Sheril said, ¡°You don¡¯t even know what Nora is like or anything about her past.
Why would you say that?¡± Caden frowned.
¡°Okay, okay, I won¡¯t say any more.
She doesn¡¯t look like she¡¯s danced before, though.
I¡¯m a professional; it may not be appropriate to have me lead her in a dance.¡± His eyes were downcast and he looked obviously reluctant.
After the dance, Sheril cast Caden aside and went to Nora.
Next to them, Rachel clenched her fists when she saw what she did.
Although her dance partner was also pretty good, he ultimately still couldn¡¯tpare with Caden.
Sheril obviously didn¡¯t dance as well as her, yet because Caden was the one leading her, she had actually danced better than her!
Furious, Rachel narrowed her eyes.
Then, she suddenly walked toward Caden¡ Sheril had a good temper and a cheerful personality.
Although she found Caden¡¯s words unpleasant, she knew that he ultimately wasn¡¯t aware of her cousin¡¯s circumstances, so it was understandable that he would misunderstand.
Thus, after she counseled herself a little, she decided to exin to Caden what had happened to Nora.
She didn¡¯t have a profligate lifestyle.
Rather, she had been deceived.
But as soon as she turned around, she instead saw Caden and Rachel walking toward her together.
The two of them behaved intimately, which made Sheril frown.
Caden seemed a little awkward, but he nevertheless bit the bullet and said, ¡°I¡¯m having the next dance with Rachel, Sheril.¡± Sheril¡¯s eyes widened.
¡°What?¡± Rachel smiled and took Caden¡¯s arm.
She said, ¡°Sorry about that, Sheril.
My partner and I don¡¯t fit quite well together.
Caden¡¯s the best dancer in our ss, so I thought that if we dance together, I could have Ms.
Turner give him a few pointers, too.
It¡¯s mutually beneficial for both of us after all!
You won¡¯t mind, right?¡± Sheril was so angry that her hands were shaking.
She looked at Caden with her eyes red.
He had refused to dance with her cousin when she asked him just now, yet he was going to dance with Rachel now?
He clearly knew that she and Rachel were at loggerheads!
And that she was always looking for opportunities to bully her!
Sheril felt her throat going tight and she felt like she had been betrayed.
She asked, ¡°Are you sure you want to do that, Caden?¡± Caden replied in a low voice, ¡°You know I major in dance, so I¡¯ll have to participate in international ballroom dancingpetitions.
If I can get some pointers from Ms.
Turner, I¡¯ll definitely benefit a lot from it!¡± Sheril clenched her fists and said, ¡°Caden, I¡¯ll let you choose¡ªeither you dance with me or we break up, in which case you¡¯re free to dance with whomever you want!¡± Caden frowned and said, ¡°You¡¯re being unreasonable, Sheril!¡± Rachel also said calmly, ¡°Sheril, I¡¯m just asking Caden to dance with me.
Why are you making such a huge fuss?
How can you hold Caden back like that?¡± She sneered, ¡°It¡¯s the Andersons who can¡¯t get Ms.
Turner as a dance teacher, yet you¡¯re forbidding me from helping him?
If you were able to get her as a teacher and have her give Caden some pointers, he wouldn¡¯t have chosen to dance with me, either!¡± Sheril turned pale and she tried to hold her tears back.
At this point, an extremely cold and indifferent voice reached them.
¡°Who says the Andersons can¡¯t get Tanya to teach us how to dance?¡±
Chapter 81 - 81 Name Your Price, Mr
81: Name Your Price, Mr.
Hunt!
81: Name Your Price, Mr.
Hunt!
The few of them turned and looked at Nora.
She stood quietly beside Sheril, her eyes drooping a little, making her look very sleepy.
She looked at Sheril casually and said, ¡°I¡¯ll give her a call when she returns to the States and have here over to the Andersons to give you some guidance.¡± ¡°¡¡± The few of them fell silent for a while.
Caden was the first to recover.
He asked eagerly, ¡°Can the Andersons really invite Tanya Turner over?¡± He really did like Sheril quite a fair bit.
Among the wealthy youngdies who were there to dance, not only was Sheril the prettiest, but she also had a gentle aura around her.
In particr, she had both a good personality and good values, and had never once looked down on him despite her background.
Even when he bought a ne worth about $150 with the money he earned from his part-time job and gave it to Sheril to test her reaction, she had immediately taken off the four-leaf clover motif Van Cleef & Arpels ne she was wearing and put on the ne he gave her instead.
She liked dancing, but only as a hobby.
She wasn¡¯t addicted to it.
Instead, she preferred to stay in theboratory to carry out pharmaceutical experiments, and was a typical technology geek.
Caden had once taken her to his rental apartment before.
It was just a 430 square feet studio apartment that might not even be as big as her bedroom.
But she had sat on the sofa with a cushion, smiled, and said, ¡°A smaller ce feels cozier.¡± She had such a good personality.
Even though she did asionally show a bit of a rich youngdy¡¯s temperament like how she had gotten angry just now when he refused to dance with Nora, she usually cheered up after he coaxed her a little.
Therefore, if the Andersons really were capable of getting Tanya over, why should he make her angry?
But as soon as he said that, Rachelughed softly.
She looked at Sheril with a faint smile and asked, ¡°Sheril, does your cousin not know who Tanya Turner is?¡± She looked at Nora again and said dispassionately, ¡°Ms.
Turner will only be back in the States for a few days to take part in a dance program¡¯s filming.
Her schedule is very packed.
Even the Woods only managed to contact her after asking a lot of people for favors¡¡± Several people next to Rachel who were trying to curry favor with her also chimed in: ¡°Yeah, do you really think that Ms.
Turner is that easy to invite over?
When she was overseas, she only held sses for nobles and aristocrats!¡± ¡°I heard that even Whitney Lowe invited her to give her daughter guidance during her return to the States this time!
Tanya Turner and Whitney Lowe participated in the international ballroom dancingpetition together.
Tanya was the champion.¡± ¡°We wanted to ask Whitney to hold a few sses here, but even she wasn¡¯t willing to, let alone Tanya¡¡± ¡°That person probably thinks that they can get anyone over just because they are rich.
Many of us here are richer than the Andersons, but even so, we don¡¯t make it sound as easy as she did¡¡± ¡°¡¡± Amid their chatter, Rachel said, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s not say any more.
Sheril¡¯s cousin isn¡¯t from around these parts, so maybe she doesn¡¯t understand how things work in New York¡ Let¡¯s not gather around here anymore!¡± She took Caden¡¯s arm and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go and dance.¡± Caden nced at Sheril again.
When he saw that she was keeping quiet with an awful look on her face, he left with Rachel in disappointment.
When the music for the next dance started, Sheril grabbed Nora and led her out of the dance studio.
It was already evening by then.
The streets were full of traffic and neon lights flickered in the dark.
The colorful lights at the dance studio¡¯s entrance shone on Sheril¡¯s face, and one could see the tears that she had been holding back finally rolling down her cheeks.
After staring at her for a while, Nora reached out and held her by her shoulders.
Her eyes looked a little cold in the light.
Suddenly, she turned around and started walking back to the dance studio.
Sheril grabbed her wrist.
¡°What are you going back there for, Nora?¡± A displeased Nora said, ¡°I¡¯m going to drag him out here and make him apologize to you.¡± Sheril shook her head.
¡°No, it¡¯s okay.
You can lead a horse to water but you can¡¯t make him drink.
Besides, Tanya Turner is all he has on his mind.
His heart isn¡¯t even with me anymore!¡± Nora said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll get Tanya over.
He¡¯ll be willing toe over and apologize if I do that.¡± Sheril was stunned.
¡°Are you able to get her here?¡± Nora didn¡¯t keep it a secret from her.
She nodded and replied, ¡°We¡¯re friends.
We met abroad.¡± Friends¡ No wonder Nora had said just now that the Andersons could get Tanya over!
Sheril gave her a resigned smile and lowered her head.
She said, ¡°Even if we get Tanya over and he returns to me, what if it happens again?
If he keeps being tempted by external factors all the time, what can I do the next time it happens?¡± Nora frowned.
She said clearly and bossily, ¡°As long as you desire it, I can help you control him forever!¡± When one was strong and capable enough, getting a man they wanted was as easy as ABC.
If being with Caden would make Sheril happy, then they would just need to make it such that he would never be able to leave her, right?
It was just a little troublesome in her case because Pete¡¯s father was Justin.
Had it been someone else, she would have already taken her son with her.
While Nora was secretly thinking about it, she noticed Sheril looking at her bbergasted as if she was shocked by her theory.
¡°Is that even possible?¡± This instead puzzled Nora.
She said, ¡°You¡¯re rich and you¡¯re pretty.
Isn¡¯t it something easily achievable for you?¡± Sheril, ¡°??¡± She actually found herself a little convinced!
Seeing that she seemed to be moved by the idea, Nora asked, ¡°Do you want to go back then?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡± Although Sheril wasn¡¯t crying anymore, she was still feeling very down.
She said, ¡°I already know that he¡¯s someone who¡¯ll sacrifice me for the sake of benefits, so why would I still want him?
I may be sad now, but I¡¯ll meet better men in the future!
Moreover, he isn¡¯t handsome anyway.¡± She cheered herself up and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the bar, Nora.¡± ¡°¡¡± Actually, what she wanted more was to go home and sleep.
But seeing how dull Sheril¡¯s usually bright eyes were, Nora sighed.
¡°Alright.¡± Sheril looked very sweet and docile, and her straight bangs made her look even more student-like.
Therefore, Nora had thought that she would just drink a can of beer at most.
In the end, when they sat on the steps in the park, she instead took out a bottle of vodka and some pairing snacks from the stic bag of stuff that she bought at the supermarket.
Nora, ¡°¡¡± She suddenly found her very down to earth.
The night gradually got darker and moonlight shone brightly.
The sky looked as if it were wrapped in ayer of grayish gauze.
Most of the people exercising in the park had already gone home.
Nora rarely drank, so she didn¡¯t know how well she could hold her liquor.
After having a couple of sips, she vaguely felt like she was seeing double.
Sheril took a big gulp from the bottle and popped a few snacks into her mouth.
Then, she drank again¡ A dizzy Nora tilted her head and asked, ¡°Sheril, why are there two of you?¡± Sheril chuckled and said, ¡°You¡¯re so terrible at holding your liquor, Nora!
You¡¯re drunk!¡± Was she drunk?
Nora stood up.
She suddenly picked up her cell phone, entered a series of numbers, and dialed it.
Someone quickly answered the call.
Justin¡¯s voice rang out on the phone.
¡°Ms.
Smith.¡± Nora¡¯s voice was low and cool.
She said, ¡°Mr.
Hunt, I¡¯m drunk, so¡¡± Justin had juste out of the bath.
When he heard what she said, he paused and asked, ¡°So?¡± ¡°Name your price!¡± The young woman slowly said, ¡°I want to buy you¡¡±
Chapter 929: Queenie, Where Are You Going?
Chapter 929: Queenie, Where Are You Going?
Nora stared at the document intently. After a while, she looked at Royce and asked, "When did you find out? Why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier?"
Royce sighed. "I only found out recently. I realized that something was wrong with her, so I went to investigate."
With that, Royce frowned. "Madam has never had a change of heart all these years. I even suspected her when your mother brought her here, but your mother had said that I could trust her. I couldn¡¯t have expected this to be the truth."
Nora nodded.
Nora walked over and handed the document in her hand to Justin.
It was a cancer diagnosis.
Justin pursed his lips tightly. "... This doesn¡¯t make any sense. If she doesn¡¯t have long to live, why is she still working for the mysterious organization? Could it be... that they have something on her? Or could it be that she has rtives who are being threatened?"
This was the only exnation.
Nora instantly pursed her lips tightly.
She looked at the diagnosis intently and suddenly lowered her eyes. Her lips curled up into a bitter smile.
But then, she suddenly picked up her phone and sent a message to Karl of the Assassin Alliance. "Do me a favor."
¡ª
On a highway, a low-key ck car was parked by the roadside.
Queenie sat in the driver¡¯s seat and looked forward with blurry eyes.
She opened the glovepartment in the car and took out a tall cup and a bottle of red wine.
She picked up the bottle of red wine. The year written on it was 1995.
This was the year she hade from the mysterious organization.
She remembered that before she left, her master had said, "I want you to go with her and work as a spy."
She had agreed.
Then, Yvette took her out of the mysterious organization.
She did not bring her back to the country. Instead, she went to apany called NTT.
There, she handed her to Royce and said, "This is my sister. From now on, she will be Queenie. Queenie will only be her."
She was stunned and looked at Yvette in disbelief.
But Yvette only smiled at her.
Even after more than twenty years, that woman¡¯s smile still seemed to be in front of her.
It was the first time in her life that she had received kindness.
Later, Yvette took her to start apany and nned thepany¡¯s future development together. She even took her on a trip and the two of them had gone to a winery.
Yvette had stayed with her for a month in that winery.
That big sister-like figure taught her how to make wine by hand, how to ride a horse, and even yed with her. When she could not do it well, Yvette would scold her like she was her own sister...
Slowly, she forgot her original mission.
She really thought she was Yvette¡¯s sister.
Until she received a call from the organization.
She looked at the bottle of wine in her hand again.
She had made this with Yvette back then. They had made a total of ten bottles. At the time, Yvette had smiled and said, "When I¡¯m old... No, when we¡¯re old, the two of us will drink together."
At the thought of this, she took out a bottle opener and opened the bottle of wine. She slowly poured it into the cup and swirled it gently.
Then she tasted it carefully.
The wine that was not fermented enough still had an astringent smell, but it was too old. It was mellow and rich, and it lingered in her mouth.
She smiled.
At this moment, a car suddenly drove by the roadside and stopped beside her car. After the window was opened, the person in the driver¡¯s seat said, "Customer 9815, right? We¡¯re your bodyguards."
Queenie nodded at him.
This was the most influential mercenary organization in the world. She had paid a high price to hire such a team to protect her. After all, the way to the mysterious organization from here would not be smooth.
At the thought of this, Queenie said, "Come over. Drive for me."
With that, she got out of the car and walked to the front passenger seat.
As soon as she sat down, the back door of the car beside her was pushed open. Immediately, a masked person in a camouge outfit got into the driver¡¯s seat.
Queenie said, "Let¡¯s go."
However, even after a while, the person in the driver¡¯s seat did not start the car.
She turned around in confusion and saw the person taking off the ck cat mask.
Nora looked at her with aplicated gaze and asked slowly, "Queenie, where are you going?"
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Chapter 930: Explanation
Chapter 930: Exnation
Nora¡¯s hair was tied neatly at the back of her head.
Her face was covered in gray camouge paint, and the camouge-print outfit she wore looked smart and well-fitted. Together with her army boots, she was a smart and dashing sight.
At the sight of Nora, Queenie¡¯s pupils shrank. Stunned, she asked, "You... Why are you here?"
Nora cast her eyes down. "You may have underestimated ck Cat¡¯s status in the industry."
ck Cat was the top assassin in the world. Every organization, no matter which, would show her respect. When Nora realized that Queenie had left by herself, she was absolutely confident that she would hire security services for sure.
Bodyguards hired at thest minute were unprofessional and unreliable. Theirbat skills weren¡¯t as reliable as that of professional hitmen and mercenaries. Moreover, mercenaries only did what they were paid to do and would never betray their employers.
Thus, Nora had used ck Cat¡¯s identity to immediately contact all the organizations.
In the end, Queenie chose a mercenary group affiliated with the Hitman League.
The Hitman League and the Assassin Alliance were rivals andpetitors. Queenie might have chosen them because of this, in order to prevent Nora from getting a hold of her location through the Assassin Alliance.
But unexpectedly...
The Hitman League showed ck Cat that much respect?
Queenie frowned. "Isn¡¯t the Hitman League on hostile terms with you guys?"
"We¡¯re not on hostile terms; we¡¯re justpetitors. Also, I did them a small favor in the past."
Nora answered impassively and then looked straight ahead.
Many years ago, the Hitman League had received a difficult job. They dispatched several assassins for the job, but they all came back unsessful. Had the news spread, the Hitman League would have ended up utterly embarrassed.
Their old boss then got a brainwave and decided to engage the services of ck Cat, who was from the Assassin Alliance, for the job.
To be honest, he had just been making ast-ditch effort. He never imagined that ck Cat would actually take it up.
At that time, they thought that ck Cat just wanted money and hadn¡¯t recognized them. But when ck Cat took only two hours toplete the job that they had failed toplete even after two weeks, and also sessfully found their identity, their old boss decided to offer extra money so that ck Cat wouldn¡¯t reveal the truth about the job to others.
At that time,petition between the two organizations was fierce, and every time either of them received a difficult job, they would secretly show off within the industry.
But unexpectedly, ck Cat refused the extra money.
She even said that the job was only worth the price initially agreed upon.
Thinking that this was the Assassin Alliance¡¯s conspiracy, the old boss was convinced at that time that they were done for. With ck Cat easily resolving the problem that they couldn¡¯t, she had pretty much be a walking advertisement!
Unexpectedly, though, the oue he was worried about did note to pass.
ck Cat never told anyone that she had taken on such a job.
Because of this, everyone in the Hitman League¡ªincluding Abbott, who had carried out the mission with Nora the other time¡ªhad a lot of respect for ck Cat, even though they disliked Nora.
Therefore, when Nora used ck Cat¡¯s ount to ask them for help, the members of the Hitman League immediately reported to her the moment Queenie approached them.
Abbott even sent several messages to Nora:
¡¯Hey ck Cat, do you know that the Assassin Alliance took advantage of your fame and found someone to impersonate you and act as a bodyguard for the Queen for three days?! They are too much! The Hitman League¡¯s doors are always open for you.¡¯
Nora: "..."
She ignored Abbottpletely. In fact, she didn¡¯t even look at the text messages he sent after that. Instead, she immediately rushed over after receiving the news about Queenie.
After hearing Nora¡¯s reply, Queenie fell silent for a while. In the end, she hung her head and asked, "Are you here to catch me and take me back?"
"No,"
Nora looked straight ahead of her. Suddenly, her eyes reddened and she said, "I¡¯m just... here to apany you on this journey."
This journey that might possibly be herst.
Queenie was stunned. Then, she sighed and asked, "You¡¯ve found out?"
"Yeah."
Nora¡¯s voice was still low, but her voice was firm. She said, "Aunt Queenie, I trust you. You must have your reasons for doing this. Now, I¡¯d like to hear your exnation."
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Chapter 931: Taking Her Home
Chapter 931: Taking Her Home
Her exnation?
Queenie fell silent for a while.
She suddenly turned her head and looked out the window. "You know what? I¡¯ve actually long forgotten what my name really is. Ever since my teens when people started calling me Queenie Schmidt, I thought that I had be the real Queenie."
She lowered her head, a self-mocking smile on her lips.
"Ivy Lyons. That¡¯s my real name."
After speaking, she took a sip of red wine and said, "For so many years, the mysterious organization never contacted me, and I naively thought that I had really broken free from them. But unexpectedly, right after you obtained the V16, I received their summons. And now, I must hand over the V16 to them."
"Why?" Nora looked at her intently.
Why would a woman who was close to death go against her own will and let herself suffer coercion from others?
"Because of my family."
Queenie... Nora still preferred to call her Queenie, whether because the name was her mother¡¯s pseudonym or any other reason. To her, her aunt was Queenie Schmidt, and in the same way, Queenie Schmidt was her aunt.
"Because my family has always been under their control."
Queenie spoke indifferently as if the matter had nothing to do with her.
Nora fell silent.
Queenie looked at her. "If they threatened Cherry or Justin¡¯s life and demanded that you hand over the V16, would you do it?"
Yes.
Almost without thinking, Nora came to an answer.
She sighed silently and stared at the steering wheel in front of her.
So, Aunt Queenie had no other choice either, right?
She turned her head to look at Queenie again, her gaze falling on her.
Queenie had always dressed sexily. Even when she was home, she wore a red silk nightgown most of the time. She had a good figure.
But Queenie was wearing arge, baggy ck coat now instead.
There was sorrow in her eyes.
Seemingly from her betrayal of someone whom she once saw as her sister, yet also carrying some other meaning. It was hard to tell what it really was.
Queenie looked at her again. "So, do you hate me?"
"Most likely not."
Nora answered slowly. She took a while to word what she wanted to say, so that she could express her feelings more clearly. She said, "I was really sad when I found out that you took the V16. But now that I know you had no other choice, I suddenly find myself forgiving you."
Queenie was taken aback.
Suddenly, she smiled wryly and said, "After so many years, I have ultimately still let Yvette down."
However, Nora shook her head. "I think Mom expected this to happen. That¡¯s why she chose to trust you unconditionally and gave you warmth, despite knowing full well that she didn¡¯t know anything about your identity or background."
Queenieughed when she heard her. "What are your ns now?"
"Nothing much."
Nora slowly replied, "I told you, I¡¯m only here to apany you on yourst journey."
Queenie was surprised.
She suddenly reached out her hand and touched her head. "This journey¡¯s not going to be a peaceful one. Barbarian is still watching us, and the mysterious organization will also send their men to pick me up... Why... are you doing this?"
She knew very well that she was her enemy, yet she still came to apany her without hesitation.
Nora smiled. "Because you¡¯re my aunt."
She lowered her head. "Besides, I owe you my life."
Five years ago... more like six now. After giving birth, her body had be extremely weak as shey on the delivery bed.
Since she was little, Nora had lived in a family without love. It was impossible for her to say that she didn¡¯t envy her younger sister. When she watched her fake father raise her sister into the air, and when she watched her stepmother reprimand her sister, deep down, she had been envious of her.
Later, she began to study medicine under Silvester and practiced martial arts under Quinn. The two elderly men treated her well, but they were ultimately still men. All they did was reprimand her and tell her to grow up.
Queenie was the only one who had shown her a ray of warmth in her life.
She still remembered that she was so weak back then that she couldn¡¯t even get off the delivery bed. After she gave birth to Cherry, she could only watch helplessly as Henry came over to snatch the baby from her, yet she couldn¡¯t even lift a finger...
At that point, someone had suddenly kicked the door open. Queenie, dressed in red, had then walked in, upon which she immediately noticed her lying on the delivery bed. Her warm fingers closed around her hand and she told her, "Don¡¯t be scared, Nora. I¡¯m here now."
Then, she had ordered her bodyguard to snatch the baby back. She stood in front of her assertively and faced Henry.
Henry had yelled, "What are you doing here?!"
With her voice calm and steady, the woman replied, "I¡¯m here to take her home."
At that time, Nora was already losing consciousness.
Before she passed out, she heard her say, "Since you can¡¯t take care of her well, then from now on, I will be the one taking care of her. She will be my daughter from now on!"
Queenie had taken her home then.
Now, she would bring Queenie home.
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Chapter 932: Something’s Wrong
Chapter 932: Something¡¯s Wrong
"I don¡¯t need you to protect me."
Upon hearing what Nora said, Queenie suddenly turned her head to the side and added, "Besides, there¡¯s really no need for you to do this. Treating you well was one of my missions. The mysterious organization wanted me to treat you well; otherwise, how would I gain your trust?"
Nora did not speak.
Suddenly, Queenie opened the thermal instion case she had brought with her, took out one of the bottles inside, and handed it to her. "Take this bottle of V16. With this, we don¡¯t owe each other anything anymore. Leave!"
However, Nora didn¡¯t take it. Instead, she started the car.
Queenie frowned. "Didn¡¯t you hear me?"
Nora merely replied coldly, "Put the V16 back in the case. If it¡¯s kept in the open for too long, it¡¯ll lose its efficacy."
Seeing that she wasn¡¯t taking the V16 from her, Queenie hesitated for a moment before she finally ced it back in the case. She sneered, "You weren¡¯t such a saint in the past."
Since she was little, Nora had never had normal familial rtionships. On top of that, the few teachers she had were all elderly people with high statuses in their professional fields and were very imposing. As a result, she had always positioned herself as an extreme egoist.
Even during the five years she was abroad, she had been extremely cold and indifferent to people and didn¡¯t really care much for the people around her.
That was why the Queen detested Nora.
Because she was always so cold and unreceptive toward others, no matter how well they treated her.
During her time abroad, she had made only one friend and that was Tanya.
And even so, the only reason she¡¯d epted Tanya was that both of them were looking for their missing child... In Tanya, she had found someone whom she couldmiserate with.
Nora ignored Queenie¡¯s remark again and continued to drive forward. While she was at it, she asked, "Where do you want to go?"
Queenie: "..."
She had said all that just now to rile the woman up, but she had clearly already made up her mind.
Queenie knew her well.
Knowing that Nora had always been someone who knew what she was doing, she took a deep breath and suddenly said, "Nora, not only do we have to be wary of Barbarian attacking us along the way, but we also have to be on guard against the mysterious organization. Do you know that the mysterious organization has never trusted me? They want me to give them the serums in exchange for my family, but the truth is that they are going to try snatching them from me the whole way there! I know that you¡¯ll have to face the mysterious organization sooner orter, but there¡¯s really no need for you to do this for my sake."
She looked away and added, "I¡¯m not worth it."
"You¡¯re not the one who decides whether you¡¯re worth it or not. I¡¯m the one who does."
Nora couldn¡¯t bear hearing her say such things. Her eyes were fixed in front of her as she said, "Aunt Queenie, I told you, I¡¯m taking you home¡ªsafely."
As she spoke, she put ck Cat¡¯s mask back on with one hand and then added, "I know you¡¯re worried that they will think of this as a trap if I¡¯m with you, but you don¡¯t have to worry, because it is not Nora Smith who is here with you now but just in old ck Cat."
After saying that, Nora snatched the wine ss out of Queenie¡¯s hand and put it aside. "That¡¯s enough drinking. Don¡¯t drink anymore."
Queenie: "..."
She was about to speak when she saw a smiling Nora say, "You haven¡¯t slept properly since you left home yesterday, right? Have a good rest. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m here."
As Queenie looked at the stubborn woman, she nced at the wine ss the other woman had put away and then broke into a frown. She was about to snatch it back when she heard Nora speak again. "If you don¡¯t do as I say, I will throw your wine out the window."
"..."
Queenie shut her mouth and closed her eyes huffily.
The car quietened atst.
When Queenie¡¯s eyes suddenly opened, she spied a tiny smile sh across Nora¡¯s lips.
Queenie asked huffily, "What are youughing at?"
"Nothing much."
As she drove, Nora reached over, took a quilt from the backseat, and tossed it to her. "Here, use this."
Queenie: "?"
Surprised, she asked, "Where did you get the quilt from?"
"I put it in the back when I first got in the car."
"..."
What else had that woman brought into the car while she wasn¡¯t looking?!
Queenie closed her eyes huffily.
She slept very peacefully.
Five hourster, it was already noon. When Queenie slowly opened her eyes, she found that the car had arrived at a toll booth.
Ahead of them, someone was checking the people in the car in front.
Sunlight streamed in through the window, shining on Queenie and warming her up.
Queenie was somewhat dazed, to the extent that for a while, she even forgot where she was and what she was doing. How long had it been since she¡¯d slept so well?
While she was staring nkly ahead of her, Nora suddenly whispered into the Bluetooth headset she was wearing, "Alert!"
Queenie¡¯s mind cleared instantly.
She looked ahead abruptly, upon which she saw the people in the toll booth walking toward them with savage looks in their eyes.
Something was wrong with those people.
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Chapter 933: On A Rampage
Chapter 933: On A Rampage
Nora looked ahead.
As a hitman, she naturally had a sixth sense.
Those people were mercenaries.
As she observed what was happening in front, she turned her head to see Queenie, who wasn¡¯t much of a fighter at all, narrowing her eyes warily. She clenched her fingers nervously and held them at her waist.
This was a person¡¯s natural reaction when they encountered danger.
Nora withdrew her gaze, a dull glint shing across her almond-shaped eyes.
"Get out of the car! This is a checkpoint!"
The people outside knocked on the window and shouted fiercely.
Nora made an "OK" hand gesture. She pretended to roll down the window, but the next moment, she suddenly started the car and stepped on the gas pedal!
Vroom!
As the revving of the car starting rang out, the car lunged forward.
It knocked away the trio standing in front and blocking their way.
"Damn it, go after them! Don¡¯t let them get away!"
The people behind them immediately whipped out their pistols. Just as they were about to fire at their tires, with a loud screech, the car suddenly stopped at the front. It even made a turn and stopped horizontally at the expressway exit in front.
With one hand on the steering wheel, Nora looked at them with a smile and remarked, "Tsk, there is no escape now."
It was only when she heard her remark that Queenie realized that the expressway they were on was very narrow and that the assants¡¯ cars were nearby at the other end of the toll station. If they wanted to get in their cars and escape, they would have to break through the toll gate. However, Nora had blocked the way with the car!
So, when Nora suddenly started the car and knocked away the trio just now, she hadn¡¯t been trying to escape? Rather, she was trying to prevent these people from... escaping?
Queenie¡¯s lip corners spasmed.
The little fellow sure was brazen.
Including the four in the car behind, they had only five people on their side at best; she, Queenie, was a delicate woman who couldn¡¯t do anything rough.
The other party had more than twenty people on their side, though!
Just as Queenie was thinking about it, she saw Nora open the door on the driver¡¯s side.
She kicked the military boots she was wearing against the ground and then rolled up her sleeves. In an indifferent voice, she dered, "You have been surrounded. Surrender your weapons and your lives will be spared. Thank you."
Queenie: "???"
That annoying and exasperating little appearance of hers was simply too much!
The other party: "???"
The other party was stunned when they heard her.
They looked behind them, where they confirmed that only four people had gotten off the second car.
As for their car, only one person had gotten out.
So, the four people at the back and one person in front had "surrounded" more than 20 of them?!
What a joke!
Their leader quickly recovered. He ordered, "Go! Except for Queenie, leave no one else alive!"
After he spoke, ten people walked toward the car behind while the other dozen or so approached where Queenie was.
The dozen or so people walking over took aim at Nora. Just as they were about to shoot, Nora did a tuck-and-roll on the spot and avoided their attack!
With just the tuck-and-roll, she came right up to them.
Then, she immediately threw a punch at the leader of the pack!
Bang!
The man¡¯s jaw was dislocated at once and he was thrown backward.
At the sight, the person next to him hurriedly lifted his gun.
Bang!
With a sideways turn from Nora, the bullet bypassed her, hitting the hitman behind her in between his eyebrows.
Seeing this, their boss, who had been knocked away, hastily shouted, "No, don¡¯t use your guns! B-beat up that woman inshtead!" He couldn¡¯t even speak clearly anymore.
In closebat, guns were a burden.
However, Nora was not only nimble but also physically strong. She gave everyone a kick each as they fought at close range. Before they could even put away their guns and take out their daggers, she had already taken them out one by one.
The four people at the back wanted to help Nora out after they finished taking out the ten opponents who had charged over, but when they looked over, they instead saw all of them copsed on the ground all bruised and battered, kneeling and begging for mercy.
ck Cat had obviously gone on a rampage.
Nora, whose physique was thin and frail, had a ck cat mask on her face. The woman dressed in a camouge outfit held a submachine gun that she had confiscated from the enemy, pointed the muzzle at the people on the ground, and asked sassily, "Tell me, who sent you??"
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Chapter 934: A Man
Chapter 934: A Man
The people on the ground kept quiet.
All of them were professional mercenaries, so they definitely weren¡¯t allowed to reveal their employer. Besides, they had only taken the job for money; to be honest, they might not even know their employer¡¯s true identity themselves.
Nora pressed the muzzle against the leader¡¯s chin and jabbed him with it. She said, "You¡¯d best think this through. Will you talk or not?"
The leader looked at the woman in front of him.
He sneered and said, "I will never say anything even if you kill me! We are all people with professional ethics!"
"Is that so?"
Nora countered. She grabbed the leader by the cor and brought him straight into the lounge next to the toll booth.
As soon as they entered, Nora saw the staff members, who were originally working there, all tied up and left by themselves inside.
Nora quickly untied them and asked, "Can I borrow this room for a while?"
Everyone: "..."
Yes, of course!
The mercenaries who had tied them up were awfully fierce, yet that man didn¡¯t even dare to make a peep in front of the woman right now. How would the staff members possibly dare to refuse her request?
As a result, everyone went out the door obediently.
Thud!
The door closed.
The staff then heard Nora¡¯s low voiceing from the room. "Will you talk?"
"No..."
Bam!
Thud!
ng!
Thump!
Boom!
"..."
After a series of thumps came from the room, the leader wept weakly and said, "I¡¯ll talk, boohoo..."
The woman was simply terrifying. Her torture methods were so cruel that they were inhumane!
Was there anything these mercenaries hadn¡¯t seen? Yet he had been browbeaten into talking!
The sniveling leader said, "I-it¡¯s an organization that calls themselves the ¡¯mysterious organization¡¯. They gave me money! They wanted me to kidnap that woman named Queenie and take her to them!"
The mysterious organization...
Nora pped her hands together. "Mm, I thought so."
... Then why are you still asking me about it? The leader thought to himself.
As Nora exited the lounge, she saw Queenie with a frown on her face. She walked over and found that Queenie¡¯s cell phone was ringing. Queenie looked at it¡ªit was a string of numbers.
Though Queenie didn¡¯t recognize the string of numbers, Nora found it familiar. Something urred to her and she raised her brows. "Answer it, Aunt Queenie."
Queenie picked up the call, upon which Trueman¡¯s voice came from the other end. "Heh, I know that you¡¯ve taken out the people I sent. I¡¯m going to give you an address now. Go there with the V16. I will send someone to pick you up."
Then, Trueman added, "You are not allowed to contact Nora, or else I won¡¯t mind sending you a gift while I wait. For example, how does your sister¡¯s hand sound? If I¡¯m not wrong, she has beautiful hands..."
Queenie balled up her fists. "I will do as you say. Don¡¯t do anything rash."
"No problem."
After Trueman gave her an address, he hung up.
Nora was about to get in the car when her cell phone suddenly rang. When she took it out and looked at it, she found that it was Trueman, who had just been on the phone with Queenie, calling.
Nora: "?"
She nced at Queenie and then answered the phone. At once, she heard Trueman¡¯s deepughter as he said, "How do you feel now? I told you to watch out for Queenie, didn¡¯t I? So, both V16s are gone now, right? Do you still want to save Xander? My offer still stands: if you ept me as your master, I¡¯ll consider giving you one of the V16s."
Nora: "..."
The corners of her lips spasmed and she hung up.
Then, she looked at the mercenaries¡¯ leader and ordered, "You, tie them up."
As a result...
When Brenda led the SWAT team over half an hourter, they saw the staff members standing outside, shaking like leaves.
All the mercenaries had been securely tied up and they were all squatted on the floor in the room. When Brenda arrived, the group of them felt like they had just seen their savior.
Brenda found their leader and immediately asked, "Tell me, what¡¯s going on?"
The leader, who was in tears, replied, "We just epted a job to pick up Queenie Schmidt but a woman wearing a ck mask beat us up and then trapped us here. A man also came after her and beat us up again. Boohoo..."
He had even lost quite a few teeth!
Brenda was surprised by what he said. She asked, "Are you saying that in addition to Queenie Schmidt¡¯s bodyguards, another man hade? Who was he?"
The leader continued to cry as he replied, "I-I don¡¯t know either. He only asked me where Queenie Schmidt and the others had gone... I didn¡¯t know where they went, so he beat me up..."
The leader felt terribly aggrieved!
Because he really didn¡¯t know the answer!
Brenda broke into a frown.
She was aware that Queenie had stolen the V16 and absconded with it because the incident had caused a huge uproar in the underworld. Of course, the people in the underworld didn¡¯t know that it was the V16 that she¡¯d stolen; they only knew that it was something valuable.
However, Brenda was perceptive enough to realize that she must have stolen the V16. In that case, since she had sought mercenaries on the ck market to protect and escort her, Barbarian would definitely catch wind of it.
Barbarian would definitelye for her.
Thus, Brenda had immediately led her men on a search for Queenie in the city.
Initially, they didn¡¯t have any information, but someone had made a police report about an armed conflict involving multiple parties at the expressway toll gate. When she received the news, she immediately realized what was going on and hurried over.
But the problem was: who was the man who had shown up after Queenie and her party left, and interrogated the mercenaries¡¯ leader?
Was it Barbarian?
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Chapter 935: A Male Stranger
Chapter 935: A Male Stranger
At the thought of this, Brenda took her elite troops and chased after him.
The leader was stunned. "Y-You¡¯re not taking us with you?"
The leader really did not want to be tortured anymore. If someone came over, they might get tortured again. It was the same for the second person and for Brenda. When she saw him earlier, she had beaten him up without a word before letting him speak. Why didn¡¯t she ask him if he would confess first?
At this moment, being captured and imprisoned was better than being here!
"Oh, you¡¯re not under our jurisdiction. Someone wille and arrest youter."
The leader: ...
The group of people was left tied and gagged as Brenda left with her team. They squatted in the small room and waited for an entire hour before the local police arrived.
When the police officer saw them, he punched and kicked them again. "Behave!"
The leader: ... We are very obedient, okay?!
¡ª
On the other side, Nora was not driving fast. Queenie did not urge her, either. The two of them drove leisurely on the highway and looked at the scenery on both sides.
Queenie¡¯s alcoholism kicked in again. She took out a wine ss and was about to secretly pour some when Nora reached out and snatched it back. "Stop drinking."
Queenie looked at the wine bottle eagerly and smacked her lips. "So what if I drink some? You didn¡¯t nag me so much in the past. Why now? After finding out that I¡¯m a traitor, you¡¯re starting to torture me?"
Nora said helplessly, "You didn¡¯t have cancer in the past, either."
Queenie was taken aback.
She smiled again. "Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re nning to treat me? I don¡¯t know of any medicine that can treat cancer. Don¡¯t waste your energy..."
"If I don¡¯t try, how would I know?" Nora replied. She ced the bottle on her side and out of Queenie¡¯s reach. She grabbed the steering wheel again and looked ahead.
She suddenly asked, "Aunt Queenie, what do you want to eat?"
Queenie: "... Aren¡¯t you changing the topic too quickly? I want to eat pasta."
"Okay, let¡¯s go eat."
Nora stopped the car at the next rest area on the highway. The two of them entered a restaurant.
After Nora entered, she looked at the menu on the wall first.
This was Switzend, and it was really rare to see such a restaurant in the resting area. However, the dishes overseas had also improved. Most of them were pastries and so on, and there were even some exotic condiments avable.
Looking at those dishes, Nora lost her appetite.
She did not like desserts.
As she was thinking, she saw Queenie suddenly taking out a thick stack of money and throwing it at the boss. "Lend me your kitchen."
The boss: "?"
The boss looked at the stack of money and his eyes lit up. "Okay, okay. You can go in!"
Nora followed behind Queenie and entered the kitchen.
Queenie rolled up her sleeves and found some flour. A little whileter, they had two bowls of handmade pasta. Nora¡¯s eyes lit up when she saw the steaming hot pasta.
Ever sinceing to Switzend a while ago, she had rarely eaten pasta.
She picked up a spoon and was about to eat...
However, her hand was hit by Queenie. "What¡¯s the hurry? You need a fork!"
Nora: "... There are no forks here!"
As soon as she finished speaking, she saw Queenie rummage through her small bag again. She found two forks and handed one to her.
Nora took the fork and was about to eat when she was stopped.
Nora: "... What is it now?"
"You have to add some pepper kes and parsley to the pasta."
Nora looked around. "Where are they?"
Queenie lowered her head again and rummaged through her small bag. She took out a small bottle of pepper kes and found some chopped parsley nearby.
Nora: "..."
Queenie slowly shook her hand and added some into both bowls. The smell of fresh garnish made her taste buds bloom.
Nora did not touch her fork but looked at Queenie. "Can I eat now?"
Queenie: "Yes."
Nora: "..."
Queenie took a bite first. It tasted very good. She looked up and saw Nora putting down her fork.
Queenie asked hesitantly, "What¡¯s wrong?"
However, Nora said calmly, "Later, I have to deal with someone first."
With that, she walked to the corner of the restaurant. There, a man was sitting with his back to them. The man was wearing ordinary clothes and a cap.
Nora came directly behind him and said, "You¡¯ve followed us all the way. Do you want to get a bowl of handmade pasta too?"
As soon as she said this, she pressed down on his shoulder.
Was this person sent by the mysterious organization?
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Chapter 936: Death Is A Relief Sometimes
Chapter 936: Death Is A Relief Sometimes
The man¡¯s body froze up as soon as Nora pressed down on his shoulders.
After hearing her words, he could only slowly turn around and smile. "Hi, Anti. Long time no see!"
The man¡¯s familiar face was still white. His thin figure was wearing a ck shirt and looked clean. He was Solo, whom she had not seen in a long time.
Nora smiled. "Yes, long time no see."
Seeing her like this, Solo asked, "When, when did you realize I was following you?"
"From the moment you caught up with us."
Solo: "..."
Nora said in disdain again, "But you were driving too slow. You¡¯re so stupid."
She had to drive slowly too. Otherwise, she was really afraid that he would lose her.
Solo: "..."
He knew it. Nora had always been very fierce when driving, but she drove slowly just now and even admired the scenery. So that¡¯s how it was.
Solo scratched his head. Nora simply turned around and returned to the table, beside Queenie.
Solo hurried over. "Anti, can you do me a favor?"
Nora picked up her fork again and took a bite. Then, she looked at Queenie. "Delicious."
Queenie was already eating. She nodded and said, "Your mother taught me this."
Nora was taken aback.
After taking two bites, she realized that there was an egg under the pasta.
She took another bite and heard Queenie say, "I grew up in the mysterious organization. No one had ever taught me how to cook. Your mother taught me for two days back then, saying that I should cook for her children in the future."
She lowered her eyes. "But after your mother¡¯s death, I never made it again. Fortunately, this pasta tastes okay. By the way, your mother had asked me to pass you a message."
"What is it?" Nora asked.
She looked at Nora. "Remember the taste of this bowl of pasta. This is Mom¡¯s smell."
"..."
Her mother¡¯s smell...
Nora lowered her head and looked at the pasta on the te. She suddenly felt that the overly nd pasta smelled much better.
Solo was a little anxious as he watched the two of them eat. "Anti, did you hear me? Can you do me a favor?"
Nora still ignored him and just focused on finishing the bowl.
Then, she looked up at him. "No."
Solo was instantly anxious. "I haven¡¯t said anything yet, and you¡¯re already saying no. Do you know what I want you to help me with?"
Nora: "In short, I can¡¯t."
With that, she looked at the time. "Brenda and the others have almost caught up. Wait for them here!"
She and Queenie stood up.
The two of them walked out. When they reached the door, Solo asked, "Anti, can you really bear to see Brenny and I love each other but not be able to get together?"
Nora paused.
Solo lowered his head, looking like an abandoned child with a wronged look. "I¡¯ve been thinking about it for a long time. Back then, I caused the death of Brenny¡¯srade. Although I¡¯m not the mastermind, the only way they can forgive me is if I catch or kill Barbarian myself! I¡¯ll avenge herrade!"
He rushed to Nora. "So, take me along! I know that Barbarian will definitelye back to look for you."
Nora nced at him a few times and sighed silently. "You¡¯re too weak."
"I know. I know I can¡¯tpare to you in martial arts and I can¡¯tpare to you in terms of hacking. But take me with you. Who knows what use I might have?"
His eyes turned red. "At the very least, I¡¯m not afraid of death. I can risk my life."
This was why Nora would not bring him along.
Solo was determined to take revenge. If he was with Brenda, he would definitely act recklessly if he really saw Barbarian. If Nora could not beat him, she could still grab Queenie and run...
However, if she brought Solo too, he would lose his life in vain.
Nora shook her head. She was about to speak when Queenie suddenly said, "Bring him along."
These words stunned Nora.
Queenie sighed. "There are too many lovers in this world separated by life and death. Sometimes, death is more of a relief than being apart."
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Chapter 937: First Love
Chapter 937: First Love
Nora broke into a frown. She disagreed with her statement.
Life should matter more than anything else.
Even if Solo came along with them to capture Barbarian, someone like him wouldn¡¯t be of any use at all. If she brought him along, he would really just be throwing his life away.
Nora retorted, "As if you¡¯ve ever been in love."
The next moment, Queenie gave her a smack on the head.
Nora was taken aback.
Queenie hadn¡¯t put a lot of force into the smack. Also, Nora clearly could have dodged it, but she didn¡¯t.
As for Queenie, she looked at her hand and suddenly broke into a grin. She said, "This is for your mom. Your mom once asked, ¡¯Is there any child who has never been disciplined by their parents?¡¯, and told me to smack you once on her behalf. Now that I have, even if I drop dead, I¡¯ll have something to say when I meet your mother."
Nora: "..."
She felt that Queenie was doing it on purpose, deliberately using her mother¡¯s identity to take advantage of her, but she didn¡¯t have any proof.
Queenie then asked, "Who says I¡¯ve never been in love?"
Nora asked curiously, "You have? With whom?"
"Heh, who says being in love must always involve another person?"
When Solo saw that Nora did not refuse his request, he started following behind the two of them obediently. When he heard Queenie¡¯s response, he immediately remarked in surprise, "I didn¡¯t expect you to be so narcissistic, Mdm. Schmidt. Are you actually in love with yourself?"
Queenie: "..."
The corners of Nora¡¯s lips spasmed.
The trio got into the car and returned to the highway.
Nora asked, "Who were you secretly in love with? Does he know?"
If she wasn¡¯t dating someone, then there was only one exnation¡ªit was unrequited love.
Nora was really curious about Queenie¡¯s romantic history.
Queenie smiled. "He doesn¡¯t, but there¡¯s also a chance that he does."
By then, Solo had also realized what she meant. He asked, "Didn¡¯t you confess?"
"No, I didn¡¯t."
Queenie said, "If I do, I¡¯m afraid that we won¡¯t even be friends anymore."
Solo: "?"
He immediately realized something. "The person you¡¯re in love with must be your best friend¡¯s husband, right?"
Queenie raised her eyebrows but did not deny it.
Solo said with great respect, "There are so many women who steal their best friends¡¯ husbands, but for your best friend¡¯s sake, you actually suppressed your feelings. That¡¯s really admirable of you!"
Nora¡¯s mind, though, was already starting to wander.
Queenie was a loner.
She made friends everywhere when she was doing business, but Nora had been with her all this time during the past five years. She hadn¡¯t seen any friend of hers that could be considered close.
In the midst of Nora¡¯s curiosity, Queenie said, "Someone ising after us again."
Her words interrupted the trio¡¯s conversation.
Solo hurriedly pressed himself against the backseat window and looked behind him. "Where are they?"
Nora also looked over through the rearview mirror.
The people in the car following them at the back were allies; there were about four mercenaries in there.
Behind them were a few other cars that all seemed normal.
There was only one car behaving abnormally. It moved at a moderate speed and followed after the few of them.
When Nora deliberately sped up, their allies¡¯ vehicle followed suit and caught up to them. So did the other car.
When Nora slowed down, their allies¡¯ vehicle followed suit again and slowed down while the ck car also reduced its speed. The signs that it was tailing them were too telltale.
The strange thing about them, though, was that even when Nora slowed down, they still showed no intention to overtake or stop them.
"ck Cat, we have confirmed that there is only one person in the car tailing us."
One of Nora¡¯s subordinates conveyed the message to her through her Bluetooth headset.
Nora frowned.
Why was there someone following them again?
When Solo was tailing them, she had deliberately stopped for a meal to catch him.
So, who was this guy?
If it were Barbarian, he would definitely find a way to intercept them for the V16. After all, by the time they reach the agreed-upon meeting spot, the mysterious organization would have people lying in ambush there, so it wouldn¡¯t be convenient for Barbarian to rob them of the V16.
But if it was the mysterious organization, they definitely wouldn¡¯t send just one person.
By sending only one person to fight against the five of them, were they courting death?
Nora took a deep breath.
Screech!
She suddenly stopped the car in the emergencyne and spoke into the headset. "You guys keep going."
Their car didn¡¯t stop, slowing down and moving ahead of them, instead.
The car following the two cars braked instantly and stopped on the road a short distance away. As the stop was too sudden, the car behind it almost ran into it.
The driver hurriedly turned the steering wheel and went around the other car from the nextne. Then, he rolled down the window and broke into a rant, after which he flipped the other driver the middle finger, expressing his extreme rage.
Nora: "..."
She could clearly feel the person inside the car hesitating. In the end, they drove over in resignation.
The door opened, and a familiar figure stepped out...
The man hadn¡¯t fully recovered from his injuries yet, and even the bruises on his face hadn¡¯t yet faded. He limped a little when he walked, but this didn¡¯t affect his elegant demeanor.
He gave the sses he was wearing a push. Then, with a bit of a wary look on his face, he slowly said, "You¡¯ve discovered me."
The man turned out to be... Caleb Gray!
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Chapter 938: Barbarian Is Here!!!
Chapter 938: Barbarian Is Here!!!
Nora frowned and subconsciously took two steps back to stand behind Queenie. Her identity as ck Cat hadn¡¯t yet been publicly revealed. Though Caleb was an ally, one fewer person being aware would still mean a lower risk of exposure.
Queenie, who understood her intention, immediately asked, "Who are you?"
At the question, Caleb stayed silent for a long while. A momentter, he sighed and replied, "I¡¯m Caleb. I wonder if Nora has ever mentioned my name to you?"
He deliberately brought up Nora to create a sense of familiarity between the two.
Queenie subconsciously nced at Nora.
After all, Nora had never mentioned the man before.
However, she quickly realized that her gaze wasn¡¯t right, so she hurriedly retracted it. She lowered her gaze and replied dispassionately, "Yeah, she has."
"Really?"
Caleb¡¯s eyes lit up, and a touch of a smile appeared on his mild countenance. He asked, "What did she say about me?"
"..." The corners of Queenie¡¯s spasmed a little, and she thought to herself, This is clearly someone who has fallen prey to Nora¡¯s charms. She changed the subject and asked, "What are you doing here?"
At the question, a troubled look appeared on Caleb¡¯s face. After a moment of hesitation, he nevertheless said, "I am from the mysterious organization. Aren¡¯t you handing over the V16 to the mysterious organization today? Trueman told me to follow you till you go through with it."
Queenie narrowed her eyes.
She didn¡¯t like anyone from the mysterious organization.
She let out a scornfulugh and said, "So, your feelings for Nora must also be fake?"
"No, it¡¯s not. I didn¡¯t, I..." Caleb wanted to exin, but he didn¡¯t know how to. In the end, he heaved a small sigh and instead said, "Never mind. Let¡¯s just go."
After speaking, he returned to his car.
Queenie looked at Nora.
Nora stood where she was in contemtion.
A minuteter, the cell phone in her pocket beeped.
She lowered her head and picked it up. When she nced at it, she found that it was a message from Morris in the United States: ¡¯Caleb just tipped us off about the location of Queenie¡¯s deal with the mysterious organization. We have already deployed people to intercept them!¡¯
Although Caleb worked for Trueman, Morris from the special department had convinced him to defect a long time ago.
He was currently their spy in the mysterious organization.
Trueman trusted him, so he¡¯d gotten him to carry out the deal.
Informing Morris about it meant that Caleb was still performing his duty as their spy.
To be honest, neither Morris nor Brenda trusted him very much.
After all, Caleb had worked for Trueman for so many years. If he hadn¡¯t been arrested the other time, he probably wouldn¡¯t have betrayed Trueman. One could consider this incident a test of his loyalty.
Nora put away her cell phone and then nodded to Queenie to indicate that he was credible enough.
Only then did Nora return to the car.
Just as she was about to drive off, someone knocked on the rear window.
The trio in the car turned their heads to see Caleb standing at the side. He said, "Let me ride along with you! I have something to say to Mdm. Schmidt."
When Nora nced at the side, she found that the man had parked his car in the emergencyne.
Moreover, he limped when he walked, indicating that his injuries hadn¡¯tpletely healed yet. It was very dangerous for him to drive in this condition.
Nora pressed the car lock button. Caleb opened the rear door and sat in the backseat.
Solo shifted inwards a little.
The two had never met, so they didn¡¯t know each other. However, Caleb assumed he was Queenie¡¯s bodyguard, so he didn¡¯t say much to him.
The group resumed their journey. Soon, they caught up with the car of bodyguards that was driving slowly ahead waiting for them. The two cars drove side by side, protecting each other.
Nora was in a constant state of vignce about their surroundings.
News of Queenie stealing the V16s to hand them over to the mysterious organization had already been out for a very long time. There was no doubt that Barbarian had caught wind of the news. In that case, he would definitelye after them.
While they were moving along, Caleb suddenly said, "Mdm. Schmidt, you have always treated Nora very well. Aren¡¯t you afraid that she would be saddened by your betrayal?"
Queenie: "?"
She nced at Nora and then withdrew her gaze. In an impassive and somewhat chilly voice, she replied, "I was a member of the mysterious organization from the start. I was just hiding by her side, that¡¯s all. There is nothing to be sad about."
Caleb frowned. "Nobody¡¯s a saint; how can anyone possibly be that heartless?! Even a cold hard stone would be warmed after five years in one¡¯s bosom. Besides, I¡¯ve heard Nora mention before that she admires you very much. Deep down, she sees you as her mother."
When Queenie heard this, she didn¡¯t look at anyone around her.
In fact, she even turned her head away slightly and looked out the window as she asked, "Really? Then she sure has misjudged me. What about you, though? Does she know that you¡¯re a member of the mysterious organization?"
Caleb fell silent at once. "She knows. I¡¯ve never lied to her. Mdm. Schmidt, are you really going to hand over the V16? Why won¡¯t you leave one for Xander? You should know that he needs the serum very much! If you leave him one, Nora might not hate you as much."
Nora listened to their conversation as she drove.
Was Caleb nning to persuade her aunt for her?
It was probably going to be a waste of time, though.
Sure enough, Queenie kept her gaze fixed in the distance. She said, "My master¡¯s message to me is that he wants both the serums. Why would I bring only one?"
She sneered and looked back at Caleb. "Do you believe me when I say that if you continue any further, I¡¯ll ry our conversation to my master?"
Caleb shut up. But after a moment of silence, he spoke again. "You are wary of me, but you didn¡¯t ry the conversation to them immediately. This shows that you do have feelings for Nora. In that case, why bother doing this?"
Queenie sneered and said, "I don¡¯t know who you are, nor do I know whose side you are on, but I¡¯m going to tell you this: don¡¯t waste your breath. I¡¯m not going to betray the mysterious organization. My family is still in their hands..."
Caleb became anxious when he heard this. He said, "I can help you rescue your family, I¡ª"
But before he could finish, Queenie scoffed and said, "You? Who do you think you are? Are you Trueman? Or are you very powerful? If you could rescue my family, why would you be the mysterious organization¡¯sckey? I told you, if you spout any more nonsense, I will tell my master what you said. You should know very well what your oue would be when that happens!"
Caleb fell silent.
After a while, he sighed.
It was at this moment that Queenie¡¯s cell phone suddenly rang. She nced at it and then answered the call, putting the phone on speaker. "Hello."
"Hah, you should have met my subordinate by now, right?"
Queenie nced at Caleb and replied, "Yes."
"Okay. Hand the V16 to Caleb now! He will guard the V16 the whole way there!"
As soon as he said that, Queenie¡¯s pupils shrank.
Nora frowned.
Through the rearview mirror, she looked at Caleb, who was sitting in the backseat. His eyes were widened and he also seemed awfully surprised, but a brief momentter, he thought of something and heaved a silent sigh.
Trueman trusted Caleb very much all along. This must also put Caleb under a lot of pressure, right?
After all, he had betrayed his best friend, who was also someone he had grown up with.
Nora did not say anything.
Caleb, however, suddenly thought of something. He clenched his fists and suddenly said, "Give me the V16!"
Queenie didn¡¯t want to. She said, "Why should I? What if the mysterious organization doesn¡¯t free my parents and sister after you take the V16?"
On the phone, Trueman sneered and said, "Do you believe me when I say that I will kill your parents and younger sister immediately if you don¡¯t give it to him?"
Queenie instantly fell silent.
As for Caleb, he picked up his cell phone and secretly sent a text message to someone.
Nora¡¯s phone vibrated. With her back to Caleb, she secretly took out her cell phone, where she saw that Caleb had sent the message to her.
It read: ¡¯I am with Queenie right now. ck Cat is protecting her along with a few other bodyguards at the moment. ck Cat is very strong, but I am trying to get my hands on the V16. If I can trick Queenie, I will find a way to get out of the car after I get the V16. You must be chasing after Queenie right now, right? When the timees, coordinate with me and take the V16 away.¡¯
Nora: "..."
She knew it was odd that Caleb would take the initiative to demand the V16. As it turned out, it was for her sake.
She put one hand on the steering wheel and used her other hand to secretly reply to the text message: ¡¯I am following you guys nearby. It¡¯d be too obvious if you give me the V16 after getting it. Aren¡¯t you afraid that Trueman would see through you?¡¯
Caleb then replied: ¡¯I don¡¯t have long to live anymore. If the V16 falls into Trueman¡¯s hands, it will be very difficult for you to get it back for Xander. We¡¯ll just go with this. I will find a way to get the V16.¡¯
Solo¡¯s voice suddenly rang out in the car. "Hey, who are you texting? Is it Trueman?"
Hearing this, Caleb put his cell phone aside and replied, "No."
After speaking, he looked at Queenie. When he was about to speak, Queenie sneered and said, "If you kill my parents and sister, I will have the car turn around and take the V16 back immediately."
Trueman: "..."
With that, it became a deadlock.
Trueman kept quiet for a long while. In the end, he hung up the phone.
At the back, Caleb sighed and said, "Now that you¡¯ve made him mad, your family is definitely going to be in for some suffering."
Queenie didn¡¯t say anything.
Caleb then said, "Or how about you give me one of the V16s and we guard them separately? I can contact Trueman immediately and put in a good word for you to ease the tension between you two."
But when he said that, Queenie instead sneered and said, "No, that¡¯s not necessary. Suffering a little is still better than dying."
Then, she stared straight ahead of her and said, "Your master must have told you to pick me up because he is right there in front, right? After all, it¡¯s already time for his injection. To avoid giving rise to potential problems, he must havee in person."
Caleb sighed. "I don¡¯t know."
He had only just spoken when there was a sudden turn of events!
The car stopped abruptly, and the few talking in the car lurched forward. Solo¡¯s head even rammed into the seat in front of him.
Queenie fared a little better since she had her seat belt fastened.
Caleb reacted very quickly, propping his hands against the seat in front of him to stabilize himself.
The three of them looked at Nora in unison.
Solo opened his mouth toin. "Do you know how to dri..."
Before the word "drive" could fully leave his mouth, he noticed the other three all looking ahead of them.
Thus, Solo also looked over.
Only then did he realize that a huge rock was obstructing their way. It upied bothnes, preventing the car from going forward!
On top of the huge rock stood a man.
The man was tall and well-built. He wore bulletproof clothing that protected the vital parts of his body, and his whole body brimmed with strength.
It was Barbarian!
The moment he saw him, Solo¡¯s eyes turned red.
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Chapter 939: Barbarian Must Die!
Chapter 939: Barbarian Must Die!
Both cars stopped.
Nora narrowed her eyes and opened the car door to get out.
She looked ahead.
Barbarian did not wear a mask or a hat this time. It seemed like after his identity was exposed, he no longer felt any need to hide. He had only covered his face in the past because he was afraid that the Queen would see him, right?
Nora was in deep thought when she heard Queenie¡¯s voice. "Barbarian, the Queen has been looking for you. Does she know you¡¯vee here to stop me today? If she does, guess how she would feel?"
These words made Barbarian clench his fists.
His gaze became sharp, his eyes filled with hostility and anger. He said slowly, "I¡¯ve thought about it a lot these past two days."
It was inconvenient for Nora to speak. She was afraid that she would be recognized.
It was not that she was afraid of Barbarian recognizing her, but that if the people from the mysterious organization recognized her, Trueman would no longere to the agreed location. They would be unable to capture Trueman, and it would affect Queenie¡¯s n.
Therefore, she remained silent.
Queenie leaned against the car and asked, "Oh? Please enlighten me."
Barbarian said calmly, "I¡¯ve killed people for so long, but she never knew about it. This time, she found out only because I was at your house."
Barbarian¡¯s eyes gradually turned red. The muscles in his entire body seemed to swell with his anger. "So, all of this is because of you!"
"Queenie, if not for what happened with the Queen, I might have only snatched V16 away and let you live. But now, you... have to die!"
He had been moving around the Queen for the past two days, wanting to get closer to her.
When no one was beside the Queen, he darted into her room. He had wanted to exin things to the Queen, although he did not know what he wanted to exin.
However, when he entered the room, the Queen suddenly took out a gun from under the pillow and aimed it at him.
The Queen¡¯s eyes were very cold.
It was as if she was looking at an enemy.
Barbarian was stunned. He exined, "It¡¯s me!"
He felt that it must be because the Queen could not see him in the dark.
However, the Queen said coldly, "I know. I¡¯ve been waiting for you."
Barbarian was silent for a long time. "You can¡¯t hit me."
His agile body could dodge any bullet.
"I know," the Queen continued. "But this is my decision. I can not reconcile with a murderer like you! If you¡¯re here to kill me, I won¡¯t give up easily!"
Barbarian was stunned.
He did not expect the Queen to think that he was going to kill her.
How could he kill her?
He would use his life to protect her! But at that moment, the Queen¡¯s words hit him harder than a bullet, they directly hit his heart.
It made his heart wrinkle and ache until it felt stuffy.
It was also at that moment that he realized that he and the Queen could never go back.
The queen was no longer his princess.
When he thought of this, Barbarian felt so painful that he thought there really was no point in living. However, he still wanted the V16 because he wanted to live. Even if he could not protect the Queen openly, he wanted to stay by her side for the rest of his life.
The Queen did not shoot that night.
Barbarian left her room silently.
He and the Queen had reached this stage because of Queenie! It was all because Nora had exposed him!
Therefore, he wanted to kill everyone!
With the V16, he would be even more powerful. He could kill these people to take revenge!
A strand of killing intent emanated from his body.
Queenie frowned and took a step back to hide behind the car.
When Solo saw Barbarian, his body had already trembled beyond recognition. He suppressed the anger and fear in his heart and pushed open the car door. He took out the gun hidden at his waist. His hand was still trembling, but his voice was filled with excitement. "You came at the right time. I¡¯m going to kill you!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he took the initiative to attack Barbarian!
Bang! A gunshot rang out, opening the curtains to the battle!
The moment Nora saw Solo attack, she waved her hand and the people around her surrounded them.
Today, Barbarian had to die!
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Chapter 940: Let Them Fight!
Chapter 940: Let Them Fight!
How could Solo¡¯s bullet hit Barbarian?
He slithered like a snake and avoided all the bulletsing at him. He rushed to a few mercenaries at an extremely fast speed and neatly put them down!
Then, he looked at Queenie. "Heh, is this all your people can do? If it were Nora and Justin, they could still take a few moves from me, but these people... are too weak! Queenie, die!"
With that, he walked towards Queenie.
Nora walked out from behind Queenie and stood in front of her.
Queenie grabbed her sleeve. "You¡¯re not his match. Move aside."
Nora shook her head.
Queenie gritted her teeth and shouted at the surroundings, "Aren¡¯t youing out yet? If you don¡¯te out, I¡¯ll give the V16 to Barbarian!"
Nora: "?"
She frowned and looked at Queenie.
Queenie did not look at her and continued to stare at her surroundings as she shouted, "I know you¡¯re worried about me, so you would definitely get someone to follow me! You won¡¯te to the agreed ce, right?"
Through these words, Nora suddenly realized that Queenie was calling someone from the mysterious organization!
In other words, she was shouting at Trueman?!
Nora stopped in her tracks silently and stood beside Queenie.
When Barbarian heard Queenie shout, he sneered. "Even if you call fifty or a hundred people over, so what?"
With his current physique, was he afraid of a mere hundred people?
Taking the general¡¯s head among thousands of troops was a simple task for the current Barbarian!
However, at this moment, the buzzing of a few cars suddenly came from afar.
Immediately, four to five ck Land Rovers buzzed as they drove over from all directions.
There were dirt roads on both sides of the highway.
These off-road vehicles drove valiantly on the dirt roads, stirring up waves of dust. However, they did not care. They rushed straight for Queenie and Barbarian.
Screech!
The cars stopped and surrounded the group of people. Immediately, five to six strong men in ck jumped out of each car.
At the end, a minivan quietly drove over.
The car door opened and a man in a suit got out.
The man was tall and slender. He was wearing a pair of sunsses and a top hat, looking a little European. He came to the few of them and smiled sharply. "Queenie, long time no see."
This voice...
It was Trueman?!
Nora¡¯s eyes widened suddenly and she looked at the man.
This was because he was wearing a hat and sunsses. One could not see his looks, but they could see that he was tall and slender. His lips were tilted and curled up slightly, giving him a sinister stature.
She had known Trueman for so long and he was the most familiar stranger.
Although they were familiar with each other, the two of them had fought for many rounds.
However, they were still strangers.
Because Nora had never seen Trueman.
Now, Trueman had finally appeared?
She was even a little excited.
Currently, there were only two people threatening her for snatching the V16. One was Barbarian, and the other was Trueman!
If she could capture Barbarian and Trueman here in one fell swoop...
Then Xander would be safe in the future!
Queenie stared at the man and hesitated for a moment before asking, "Trueman?"
The man smiled. "Yes, it¡¯s me."
Queenie sized him up.
Trueman continued, his strange tone making one¡¯s heart turn cold. "After being separated for more than twenty years, I thought you had forgotten me and your family!"
Queenie lowered her eyes. "I don¡¯t dare to forget for a moment."
Trueman chuckled again. "Very good.
His gazended on the metal box in Queenie¡¯s hand. "This is the V16? Give me the gene serum and I¡¯ll get them to let your family go."
Queenie did not move and looked at Barbarian. "Before you ask for the serum, shouldn¡¯t you help me get rid of this person first?"
Nora¡¯s eyes narrowed at once.
Was she asking them to fight amongst themselves?
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Chapter 941: Troublesome! Cooperation!
Chapter 941: Troublesome! Cooperation!
Queenie¡¯s idea was not bad.
Barbarian was very difficult to fight.
However, the dozens of guards brought by Trueman were definitely not simple. If they dealt with Barbarian, both sides would be injured at the least. Nora and the others could then easily detain all these people when Brenda and her team arrive on the scene!
Nora looked at Queenie with shining eyes.
Trueman was wearing sunsses, so the change in his eyes could not be seen. However, the smile on his lips became even more brilliant. He turned to look at Barbarian.
Barbarian took a step back warily.
After running from the mysterious organization for so many years, Barbarian hated and feared the mysterious organization from the bottom of his heart.
It was like the shadow of his childhood. Even if he had be stronger, he would always be a little afraid. Barbarian raised his fists in Trueman¡¯s direction. Just as he was being vignt, Trueman suddenly said, "I don¡¯t have any ill intentions toward you."
With that, he smiled. "Back then, only five people survived the gene changing experiments. You¡¯re one-fifth of that entire popce, how could I really kill you? Your existence is the meaning of the mysterious organization¡¯s existence! At the very least, your existence can let humans see how powerful gic modification can be! You¡¯re the spokesperson for the mysterious organization¡¯s external image."
When Trueman said this, their expressions changed drastically.
Yes, that was right.
Until now, even though she knew that the mysterious organization was very powerful and not to be trifled with, Nora was still most wary of Barbarian.
After all, the power of the mysterious organization was general. It was not substantial. However, Nora had faced Barbarian¡¯s power first-hand! Barbarian¡¯s gic modification was more apparent than any intelligence or longevity gene modification!
Barbarian was like a tall mountain standing in front of her domineeringly. It made her truly realize how imperfect human genes were, and how powerful human bodies could be with perfect human genes!
No one couldpare to Barbarian¡¯s strength.
Even if she and Justin worked together, they could not fight equally with him...
After all, she and Justin were just normal people in this aspect, but Barbarian had already be extraordinary.
It could be said that Barbarian¡¯s gic improvement was the most obvious and apparent.
When Trueman said this, Queenie immediately looked at him. "What do you mean?"
Trueman smiled. "Why do you think I asked you for two gene serums?"
Queenie looked at Barbarian in surprise. "You want to give it to him?"
"Yes."
Trueman said slowly, "The mysterious organization has been buried for so long and has silently contributed so much to human society. It has to be made public. We can¡¯t hide underground forever and be rats hated by everyone, right?"
Queenie clenched her fists. "But you don¡¯t have the V16!"
Trueman said casually, "It¡¯s enough to condense all the excitement of life into 30 years. Why do you want to live so long?"
Queenie found it ridiculous. "You¡¯re improving your lifespan genes!"
"Of course. The mysterious organization has to have a witness. I want to see my mysterious organization be thergest organization in the world. Of course, I have to live well. As for Barbarian, he can be my right-hand man! He will also be the spokesperson of the mysterious organization. Otherwise, won¡¯t I be lonely for the rest of my life?"
After improving his genes, his lifespan would naturally increase.
Although he did not know how long Barbarian could live, Trueman had drawn a huge picture for him!
Barbarian was simple-minded. When he heard this, his guard against Trueman indeed dropped a little. There was even excitement in his eyes.
If...
If the mysterious organization was really made public and was epted, could the people he had killed in the past be ignored?
Could he... return to the Queen again?
When he thought of this, Barbarian said, "Okay, I¡¯ll cooperate with you!"
As long as he could return to the Queen¡¯s side and protect her... So what if he has to work with the organization that he used to hate? He was willing to do so!
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continue reading tomorrow, everyone!
Chapter 94: A Wet Dream
Chapter 94: A Wet Dream
Cherry didn¡¯t know at all that the tform had sent her messages. Neither did she understand things like customer service and so on. She was engrossed in the game, so she didn¡¯t reply to the messages at all.
As a result, when the customer service staff didn¡¯t get any response from her, they used a photo of Cherry from that one and only time she had revealed her face and her mask had dropped off for the contest. Then, they sent her another message:
¡¯The photo has been uploaded. We are currently in the registration phase. The contest will start tomorrow. Opponents will be randomly assigned when it starts. We look forward to your great performance in this contest!¡¯
But of course, Cherry wasn¡¯t aware of any of this.
"Do you really know how to y? You¡¯re not using aputer keyboard, you know. There are only four or five buttons on the cell phone, yet you¡¯re still pressing the wrong ones all the time! Even your pet cat pressing randomly on the phone can y better than you!"
After dinner, Nora went upstairs. The moment she opened the door, she immediately heard the irritated Cherry scolding someone. The corners of her lips spasmed a little as she poured her a ss of water.
Cherry was using the study, so Nora went to the sofa and turned on herputer.
With her eyes downcast, Nora¡¯s long slender fingers flew across the keyboard as she typed a few letters on a webpage. A dark webpage loaded. She then typed another few letters and it changed to another webpage.
After another few times of the same thing, she reached the final destination.
It was the web version of a chat room belonging to the Imperial League.
The Imperial League consisted of more than a dozen people, and each of them had their own dedicated ount. At six o¡¯clock New York time on this day every month, they would hold an hour-long meeting to discuss world economic trends.
Just a casual word from them could change the structure of the economy and cause huge fluctuations in the corporate world.
The chat room had a ck background.
None of them knew who any of the others were. The only thing they knew was that the prerequisites for joining the Imperial League were very harsh.
There had been barely any neers during the recent few years.
Most of them had inherited their ounts. Only the heirs to the ount holders¡¯ ns could inherit the ounts, and thereby inherit the Imperial League¡¯s connections and information.
Nora, whose chin was resting on her hands, was wondering what they would talk about today when she saw someone sending a message.
Eagle: "How is America¡¯s real estate industry going to be in the future?"
As soon as Eagle raised the question, several people in the chat room started to talk.
Tiger: "Real estate has now formed a bubble, especially in America. Housing prices have skyrocketed in the past few years. Can America¡¯s economy cope if this continues?"
Lion: "I¡¯m still optimistic about the real estate industry!"
Bear: "I¡¯m not optimistic about it, though. The real estate industry has been going downhill since the beginning of the year."
Wolf: "But it¡¯s showing signs of picking up recently."
...
Everyone used animal code names in the Imperial League.
During the discussion, Eagle asked: "In that case, what are we going to do to promote the real estate industry?"
Everyone shut up immediately.
Nora clicked her tongue.
Barring any idents, the leader of the Imperial League would be speaking next.
Sure enough, a message was sent:
King: "Housing prices will develop steadily for the next ten years. Refrain from making them soar or plummet."
Should they plummet, it would cause an economic subprime mortgage crisis and trigger global turmoil.
In the Imperial League, King was the only one who could issue orders. He was the king of the Imperial League!
No one knew who he was, let alone what country he was from...
Nora had tried to investigate his background before, but she couldn¡¯t find any information about him at all.
As for the rest, she suspected that Eagle and Wolf were from top-ss wealthy families in the States. This was because the two of them had talked about America the most during past meetings.
Her aunt abroad had mentioned before that Justin was the hardest person to deal with in the States, so she had once suspected that Justin was Eagle.
Out of everyone there, Eagle and Wolf had talked about America the most in recent years. Wolf was a little milder in nature while Eagle came across as a little aggressive and showed faint signs of bing the No. 2 of the Imperial League.
Nora seldom spoke in the chat room. Over the years, she only used the information she got from here to make a bit of money. It was fine as long as she had enough to spend.
She didn¡¯t have any grand ambitions. Being filthy rich and whatnot wasn¡¯t a lifestyle suitable for her. Besides, it also affected her sleep.
She yawned and watched the people in the chat room talk about other industries next. Finally, King wrote: "We¡¯ll end today¡¯s meeting here."
Everyone said goodbye.
Nora also finally sent her first message of the night:
Cat: ¡¯Goodbye.¡¯
After sending the one-worded message, she closed the meeting webpage.
At the Hunts¡¯.
Justin leaned on the desk and narrowed his eyes.
Rejecting the Lowes¡¯ investment proposal with the im that he was in a bad mood was just an excuse.
In the near future, housing prices would develop steadily and would no longer soar like how they had in previous years. The real estate industry would also gradually be less profitable.
Why would he still invest in real estate at such a time?
He was about to leave the chat room when he suddenly saw the code name ¡¯Cat¡¯, who rarely participated in the chat...
In the past, he didn¡¯t take much notice of those who didn¡¯t participate much in the chat.
Perhaps it was because he¡¯d had a lot of contact with that woman recently, but when he saw the name, he suddenly thought of her.
She was alwayszy and careless, yet also noble and elegant.
Even when she was gobbling down her food during meals, she never looked boorish.
That woman was just like a cat.
Justin shook his head. He was really overthinking things.
How could she possibly be in the Imperial League?
Imperial League members were either rich or noble. They were people among the world¡¯s wealthiest tycoons.
With that in mind, he left the chat room.
He then apanied Pete for a while while he studied. When he found that his son¡¯s personality seemed to have switched back again, Justin finally went to sleep with peace of mind.
In the middle of the night, the door suddenly opened.
Justin looked over to see a graceful figure draped in moonlight walking in elegantly.
It was actually Nora!
Justin was taken aback. "Why are you here?"
Nora smiled at him andid down on the bed. She put both her legs up and looked at him coyly with her cat-like eyes. She said, "Mr. Hunt, I¡¯ve liked you for a very long time. Let¡¯s... give it a go?"
Then, she slowly ced her hand on his leg...
He, someone who had always been a man of abstinence, actually found himself somewhat unable to control himself at the moment...
Justin¡¯s eyes suddenly flew open. When he realized that he was dreaming, he sat up in chagrin. After thinking to himself for a while, he went to the bathroom...
The next day.
Cherry got Tanya to take her to the Quinn School of Martial Arts first before sending her to ss, with the excuse of ¡¯Mommy asked me to pass them something¡¯.
There was no way Tanya could wake the sleeping Nora to ask her if it was true, so she took her there.
Pete was practicing martial arts at the Quinn School of Martial Arts today.
A while after Cherry ran in, Pete changed into the skirt and walked out awkwardly.
Tanya, who didn¡¯t notice the child¡¯s odd behavior, took Pete to the kindergarten just like that.
As soon as he entered the ssroom, Sinead rushed straight up to him and shouted, "Cheryl! Brandon¡¯s not going to let you off! You¡¯ll definitely bark like a dog today! I¡¯ll watch you be a joke and see you cry today, Cherry the Doggy!"
Chapter 95: How Do You Become A Boy?
Chapter 95: How Do You Be A Boy?
Cherry the Doggy?
Pete¡¯s expression immediately turned cold. His big round eyes, which looked exactly the same as Cherry¡¯s, were dark and somber.
He wasn¡¯t someone who talked a lot, so he ignored Sinead and entered the ssroom.
When Ms. Lynn saw him, she subconsciously walked over and gave him a hug. She even pinched his delicate and round cheeks and said, "Wow! Little Cherry looks even cuter today!"
Pete stiffened.
However, when he sensed Ms. Lynn¡¯s kindness, Pete resisted the urge to push her away.
To be honest, he was indeed mildly autistic and disliked having physical contact with people, so he was an anomaly among the Hunts. He couldn¡¯t even ept the asional hug from his Great-Grandma...
However, it seemed like his level of tolerance had be much stronger after he found his mother and younger sister.
Just as he was about to reach his limit, Ms. Lynn finally let go of him. Pete breathed a sigh of relief, carried his stool over to the side, and sat down.
After a short while, another child came. After bringing his own stool over and sitting next to him, he took out some Mathematical Olympiad worksheets. Then, he said, "Good morning, Cherry."
Pete nced at him calmly and pursed his lips.
He must be the ¡¯very good-looking¡¯ Seth Walker that Cherry mentioned, right?
He looked so small and skinny like a pretty boy. Why did Cherry even find him good-looking? Pete lowered his gaze and looked at the Mathematical Olympiad worksheets. "I heard that you¡¯re very good at Mathematical Olympiad problems?"
Seth¡¯s narrow eyes blinked. "So-so, I guess?"
"Oh."
Pete opened his schoolbag, rummaged about in it, and took out a set of Mathematical Olympiad worksheets. He handed them to him and asked, "Can you solve these?"
Seth, "?"
He was taken aback. When he took the worksheets from Pete and took a look at them, his expression became even more dazed. He shook his head and replied, "No, I can¡¯t."
"How stupid." At this point, Pete suddenly remembered that he had to imitate Cherry¡¯s way of talking, so he forcefully changed the rest of what he wanted to say and said, "I could already solve these problems a year ago... yeah!"
Seth, "??"
He wanted to say something, but Pete had already turned away. He said, "You can only sit next to me again when you can solve this set of problems... yeah!"
Cherry had definitely been duped by him. He wasn¡¯t great at Mathematical Olympiad problems at all!
Seth, "!!"
Cherry had just picked him the day before. Was she already despising him now?
Before today, he had merely found Cherry cute and likable. However, at this moment, Seth felt that she practically couldn¡¯t get any more outstanding.
Therefore, he would definitely sit next to her and ask her for advice!
Pete waspletely unaware of what he was thinking.
The timetable set by the kindergarten was very packed. At about ten in the morning, the teacher allowed the children to rest.
Pete stood up, intending to go to the bathroom and relieve himself.
He was wearing a skirt. Instead of bouncing about like how Cherry walked, every step he took was very steady. After he exited the ssroom, he subconsciously turned into the men¡¯s toilet at the side.
Brandon, who had used the opportunity during rest time toe over and look for him, was puzzled.
He followed after Pete and entered the men¡¯s toilet together with him. He was about to say something when he saw Pete standing there and peeing...
Brandon was stunned.
After Pete was done relieving himself, he turned and immediately saw Brandon staring at him, which startled him.
He suddenly realized that he should have gone to the women¡¯s toilet instead!
With this, wasn¡¯t the catpletely out of the bag now?
While he was trying to think of a way to exin and gloss over the topic, Brandon stretched out a trembling finger and pointed at him. He said, "Ah! Ahhh! Y-you really became a boy?!"
Pete, "?"
Brandon rushed forward and grabbed his hand. "You¡¯re so amazing! You actually really became a boy! Can you also turn back into a girl?"
Pete replied, "... Yes, I can."
Brandon¡¯s eyes shone. The little boy¡¯s imagination was already running wild. He said, "So, Mommy was wrong! People can change their gender! Cheryl Smith, I dere that you¡¯re my boss from now on!"
Pete, "..."
He felt that the boy might not be very mentally sound, so he circled around him and entered the ssroom.
Sinead had been staring at him ever since thest period ended.
When she saw Brandon also going out of the ssroom after Pete left, she immediately knew that he must have gone to intercept him.
With that, Cheryl would definitely cry.
She was happily imagining the scene when a voice suddenly reached her. "Boss, do you want water? I¡¯ll pour a ss for you!"
"No, I don¡¯t... yeah."
Pete opened the door and entered the ssroom after replying to him.
Sinead immediately saw Brandon following after him obsequiously.
"... Waaaa!!"
Sinead burst into tears at will.
"..."
There were no secrets among children.
In just a morning¡¯s time, the way everyone looked at Pete had changed. Every one of them had a look of amazement on their face as if saying, ¡¯Wow! Cheryl Smith is so amazing! She can conjure a little willy out of nothing!¡¯
Pete turned a blind eye to their gazes and continued attending sses.
At the end of the first lesson in the afternoon, a small and skinny girl came up to him. The little girl was a little shorter and smaller than most kids and had delicate and lovely facial features. It was just that she had a timid look in her eyes and her voice was also very soft. She said, "C-Cherry..."
Pete looked at her.
The little girl immediately lowered her head as if she didn¡¯t dare to make eye contact with him. "M-my name is Mia Smith..."
She didn¡¯t dare say anything more after that.
Pete had always treated everyone coldly, but the girl looked so frail and delicate. It was as if she would burst into tears from fear if he spoke even just a little louder.
He couldn¡¯t help but frown. He said as mildly as possible, "Is something the matter?"
Mia Smith was Brandon¡¯s cousin. She looked as if she would keel over the moment the wind blew. In a very small and soft voice, she asked, "Can you turn me into a boy, too?"
Pete, "?"
With a sullen expression, he exined with a straight face, "No, I can only switch my own gender... yeah."
"Oh, I see." Mia hung her head as if she was sorely disappointed. Even her eyes had turned red.
The way Sinead cried turned off people and disgusted them, but the way Mia looked at the moment, only filled one with sympathy.
Pete asked curiously, "Why do you want to be a boy?"
Mia bit her lip and answered, "Because my mom often says, ¡¯If only you were a boy¡¯. I want to make her happy."
After saying that, Mia left in disappointment.
Soon, school ended.
It was Tanya who came to pick him up again. Pete got into the car and made up an excuse that he had forgotten his books at the Quinn School of Martial Arts that morning, so he asked Tanya to take him there before going home.
In the distance.
"Mommy? Mommy?"
Mia called out softly. Only then did her mother, Hiry Jones,e back to her senses. However, her gaze was still fixed on the car driving into the distance.
If her eyes weren¡¯t deceiving her, that woman just now was Tanya... Why was she back?
Hiry clenched her fists.
Tanya, who was driving, wasn¡¯t aware of this. After arriving at the Quinn School of Martial Arts, Pete hopped off the car and ran inside.
At the same time, another car was also parked at the side.
Justin had deliberatelye a little earlier today. He strode into the Quinn School of Martial Arts.
Chapter 96: Live-Stream Face-off!
Chapter 96: Live-Stream Face-off!
As soon as he entered, Justin saw a familiar figure running nimbly into the inner courtyard.
It was just that the person seemed to be wearing a skirt?
Justin¡¯s expression suddenly darkened and he took two quick steps forward. He grabbed Pete and said grimly, "Pete, you..."
He looked at his son with aplicated look, wishing he could rip off the clothes on him!
It was all over.
His son¡¯s condition had worsened again.
Pete, "??"
A sullen Justin picked up Pete and went out.
Tanya, who was waiting in the car, was taken aback when she suddenly saw himing out with ¡¯Cherry¡¯ in his arms. When she recovered from her astonishment, she hurriedly got out of the car and shouted, "What are you doing?"
Justin stopped and looked at her, puzzled.
Tanya was about to rush over and grab the child back.
How dare anyone abduct children like that in broad daylight? It was unforgivable!
But just as she was about to take a step forward, Pete shouted, "Daddy, what¡¯s the matter with thatdy?"
Tanya, "??"
¡¯Daddy¡¯???
Before returning to the States, she had already heard from Nora that she had found her son. However, he was living with his father, so it wasn¡¯t easy for her to take him back. Could he be Cherry¡¯s father?
In the midst of her spacing out, she subconsciously nced at the Quinn School of Martial Arts¡¯ entrance again. That was when she saw Cherry, who was wearing boys¡¯ clothing, hiding behind the door frame and jumping up and down while waving at her.
After being stunned for a moment, Tanya finally said, "... Sorry, I mistook the two of you for someone else."
Justin nced at her and said nothing. With a frown, he led Pete into the car and left immediately.
After they left, Cherry ran out and said, "God-mom, you frightened the living daylights out of me! You almost exposed us~"
Tanya, "..."
On the way home, Cherry begged and wheedled, "Don¡¯t tell Mommy, God-mom. She¡¯ll get mad!"
Just as Tanya was about to say something, Cherry sighed and said, "You¡¯re so beautiful, gentle, and understanding, so you¡¯ll definitely agree to Cherry¡¯s request, right? You won¡¯t be able to bear watching Cherry suffer smacks on her bottom, right? I knew it! You¡¯re the best godmother ever!"
"..."
Could Tanya refuse when she had already put it like that?
The pair returned to the Andersons after they reached an agreement.
As soon as they entered, they spotted Nora sitting on the swing in the yard, leaning against it while resting with her eyes closed.
Cherry, "..."
Likely because she heard the car, Nora slowly opened her eyes. Her eyelids were still droopy and her world-weary face looked exquisite and beautiful.
However, she looked at Cherry with a seemingly half-amused smile and said, "Cherry, your kindergarten teacher just called."
Cherry, "??"
A slightly foreboding feeling formed in her and she thought to herself, ¡¯Surely not? There¡¯s no way Pete would misbehave, right?¡¯
She quickly lowered her head. "Mommy, I¡¯m..."
Before she could utter the word ¡¯sorry¡¯, she heard Nora say, "Your teachers sang your praises."
Cherry, "??"
She immediately beamed and said, "Mommy, I¡¯ve always been very outstanding! You don¡¯t have to be so proud of me~"
Upon hearing that, Nora¡¯s cat-like eyes narrowed and she said, "Uh-huh. To think I actually didn¡¯t know that you¡¯ve secretly learned how to solve Mathematical Olympiad problems at some point while I was raising you thest five years. Your teachers said that they¡¯ve sent an application for the Mathematical Olympiadpetition on your behalf, so they want you to take part in it when the date arrives. Looks like you¡¯ll have to practice your Mathematical Olympiad problem-solving skills for an uing period of time."
Cherry¡¯s expression turned pitiful the moment she heard that she had to study. She thought to herself, ¡¯Sob! Pete, how could you!¡¯
Mommy was so mean, too! She definitely knew what was going on, yet she simply didn¡¯t expose her, so that she could force her to learn how to solve Mathematical Olympiad problems.
Cherry was so pitiful!
She hung her head and walked into the room with her shoulders drooping. Before entering the living room, she also heard Nora say, "Oh, the teachers are also telling you not to spout nonsense in school anymore. Your ssmate Brandon Smith heard from you that boys will be girls once they cut off their little willies, and then return to being boys once they grow out again, so when he went home... He almost mutted himself."
Cherry, "..."
Was he an idiot? How could he believe something like that???
"Are you an idiot? How can you believe something like that?!"
In the Smiths¡¯ living room, Warren Smith, who was the second eldest in the family, was pulling Brandon by his ear and scolding him loudly. He said, "It¡¯s a good thing you were too much of a chicken, so you burst into tears from fright and didn¡¯t dare do anything even though you were already holding the knife! Otherwise, it would have been terrible!"
Despite being scolded, Brandon didn¡¯t cry. He turned his face to the side, grabbed his father¡¯s hand with his own little hands, and said, "But that¡¯s what Cheryl Smith said. She was still a little girl yesterday, but she stood while she was peeing today! I saw it with my own eyes!"
Warren spanked him angrily again. "Are you still lying even at this point? You¡¯re infuriating me!"
"I¡¯m not lying! Everyone in the school knows about it, including Mia! You can ask her about it if you don¡¯t believe me!"
As soon as he said that, Warren stopped what he was doing.
On the sofa, the seated Joel Smith narrowed his fox-like eyes. When he heard what he said, he subconsciously looked at his daughter, who was in his arms, and asked, "Is he speaking the truth, Mia?"
Little Mia nodded and replied softly, "Yeah!"
Joel sounded a little concerned as he asked, "Did you also see her peeing while standing with your own eyes?"
Mia shook her head. "Nope~"
Only then did Joel breathe a sigh of relief. Then, he heard his daughter continue and say, "But she went to the boys¡¯ toilet~ What a pity. Cheryl Smith says that she¡¯s the only one who can switch her gender as and when she wants to. Other people can¡¯t do it."
Joel, however, narrowed his eyes when he heard her.
He quietly chatted with his daughter a little more before he got up and went to Hiry¡¯s room.
Hiry was packing the room. When she heard the door opening, her eyes lit up and she said, "Joel, you¡¯re her¡ª"
Joel was amicable to everyone, but she was the only one to whom he was cold and frosty. He sneered, "Hiry, have you been spouting nonsense to Mia again?"
Otherwise, why would she find it a pity that she couldn¡¯t turn into a boy?
Hiry¡¯s eyes flickered a few times. Then, she lowered her head and replied, "Joel, we¡¯ve already been engaged for so many years, but you simply refuse to take me as your wife all this time. Is it because Mia isn¡¯t a bo¡ª"
However, before she could finish, Joel suddenly gripped her throat. The man had a terribly violent look in his eyes as if he wanted to kill her, frightening Hiry so badly that she couldn¡¯t say even a word.
An icy Joel said, "Remember this, Hiry. Mia is my daughter. You¡¯re not allowed to bully her!"
He turned and left the room after saying that.
Hiry gasped for air. She bit her lip hard but smiled after that. As long as he loved his daughter, it was all good.
As for Tanya... She cast her eyes down and let out a coldugh.
¡ª
At the Andersons.
Cherry, who had finally dodged Mommy¡¯s interrogation after much difficulty, entered the study with the mission of learning how to solve Mathematical Olympiad problems on her shoulders.
She stared at the Mathematical Olympiad problems in front of her. After five minutes of headache, she said, "It¡¯s time for the live-stream. I¡¯lle back to the problems after live-streaming for a bit."
She picked up her cell phone and opened the live-streaming app.
As soon as she did, she saw arge face-off interface sshed across her live-stream channel. It was hard for anyone to ignore even if they wanted to.
Cherry was dumbfounded.
What the heck was this????
Chapter 97: Sweetcherry, Slamming People In Progress
Chapter 97: Sweetcherry, mming People In Progress
¡¯sweetcherry VS KindnessPrevails¡¯
A few big words were sshed across her live-stream channel¡¯sments section. One wouldn¡¯t be able to see their profile photo on their own live-stream channel; they would only be able to see it at the leaderboard on the main face-off page.
Cherry was still just a newbie at the moment. Although she had a big boss like Sponsor Grandpa supporting her, she nevertheless only gained 200,000 fans during this period of time. She wasn¡¯t on the same level as big-name live-streamers with millions of fans.
The photos disyed at the top of the event section on the homepage were all of the big-name live-streamers. Cherry¡¯s photo was all the way at the back, so her first face-off wasn¡¯t disyed at a promotional section.
However, once one entered the top ten, one would be featured on the homepage. Not only would it attract a great number of fans¡¯ attention, but it would also trend on social media for sure!
At the live-streaming tform¡¯spany.
The supervisor was chatting with the person-in-charge of the face-offpetition. He asked, "How can we liven up this year¡¯spetition? Are there any interesting topics?"
The person-in-charge replied, "The big-name live-streamers in the gaming channels are still the same few people, but I have high hopes for sweetcherry."
The supervisor was taken aback. He asked, "sweetcherry? How many fans do they have?"
"200,000."
The supervisor waved dismissively. "What can you do with 200,000 fans? We have tons of such nobody live-streamers on the tform."
The person-in-chargeughed and said, "But she¡¯s a five-year-old child!"
The supervisor was surprised.
Intrigued, he asked, "Really?"
The person-in-charge nodded. "Yes, really. Here, I¡¯ll show you. I saw the video of her revealing her face during her live-stream. It¡¯s definitely worth hyping about!"
The supervisor said, "Then what are you waiting for? Put it on social media and hype it up!"
However, the person-in-charge shook his head mysteriously and said, "We can¡¯t do that yet."
"Why?"
"There isn¡¯t enough attention on her yet!" He said, "Let¡¯s wait till she¡¯s in the top ten first!"
The supervisor immediatelyughed and said, "Can an unknown live-streamer with 200,000 fans even make it to the top ten? It¡¯d already be pretty impressive if she can make it to the top twenty!"
When the person-in-charge heard what he said, he smiled mysteriously again and said, "Do you know how much her top fan has tipped her? 1.5 million dors! That money¡¯s already enough for her to buy a position among the top ten! Once she enters the top ten and faces the big-name live-streamers, the hype will naturallye. When that happens, if we show the charming contrast between her personality and people¡¯s expectations of her, that little live-streamer will definitely go viral!"
The person-in-charge took out his cell phone and showed Cherry¡¯s photo to the supervisor. He said, "Take a look at this. Do you know who she is? I really suspect she¡¯s a kid from some wealthy family who¡¯s just having some fun on the tform. Her top fan pampers her too much!"
The supervisor picked up the cell phone and looked at the photo carefully for a long time. However, he shook his head and replied, "I¡¯ve seen a few of the well-known kids among New York¡¯s wealthy, but I¡¯ve never seen her before."
The supervisor took out his cell phone and watched sweetcherry¡¯s live-stream for a while, listening to her verbally m people online with her young, tender voice. Just five minutes into the live-stream, Cherry had already delivered quite a few golden lines.
For example, a yer in the game hadined about her not joining a team in the early stages. Even after she exined, the other party still continued to insult her, so she immediately snapped, "Is your entire family so skilled at doing nothing?"
The supervisor didn¡¯t understand what she meant, but he found the answer in thements.
¡¯Hahaha! The live-streamer is saying his entire family is full of good-for-nothings! She has such a sharp tongue!¡¯
¡¯She is too cute!¡¯
Someone also asked:
¡¯Where did you learn all these insults from?¡¯
sweetcherry actually replied earnestly, "Some of them I saw on the Inte, and some of them I made up by myself, yeah!"
The supervisorughed several times during the ten minutes he spent watching the live-stream. To think listening to sweetcherry mming people online would actually feel so good!
He looked straight at the person-in-charge and said, "This kid is a natural Inte celebrity! She appeals to randoms especially well. She doesn¡¯t make people feel that she¡¯s crass even when she¡¯s insulting others; on the contrary, it actually feels good to listen to her! She¡¯s definitely someone who can be mega-popr! Whether or not we can reach our required KPI this year will depend on how popr she bes!"
"Her photo is too unclear! Find a way to make it more high-definition. We must make sweetcherry our walking billboard this year! It¡¯ll definitely make her popr all over the country!"
Cherry, who waspletely unaware that some people had set their sights on her, immediately saw that she had won the face-off after she ended her live-stream.
After all, the other party was also a nobody live-streamer with only 100,000-odd fans. On top of that, they didn¡¯t have Sponsor Grandpa or Sponsor Daddy, so how could they possibly beat her?
After ending the live-stream and putting her cell phone down, Cherry saw the Mathematical Olympiad worksheets on the desk again. Her face immediately scrunched up. Sob, it was time for homework again! Help, Pete!
Downstairs.
Nora was about to go upstairs after dinner.
She had only just stood up when she heard Melissa ask, "Simon, how much cash do you have with you?"
Simon answered, "About $300,000. What¡¯s the matter?"
All the working capital in thepany had gone into the Carefree Pills at the moment. It was still early, so they hadn¡¯t recovered the production costs yet.
Melissa¡¯s brows knitted together.
Simon asked, "How much do you need?"
Melissa sighed. "At least $3,000,000, I guess."
Simon gasped. "Why do you need so much money all of a sudden? Did something happen, Melissa?"
Melissa hesitated for a moment before she replied, "No, it¡¯s nothing."
She got up and went upstairs.
Nora, who was in the stairwell, stopped in her tracks after overhearing their conversation.
Melissa went upstairs and entered her bedroom. She was staring at her jewelry in a daze when she suddenly heard footsteps at the door.
She looked back to see Nora there.
Melissa immediately concealed the sense of resignation in her and asked with a smile, "Nora, what¡¯s the matter?"
Nora lowered her gaze, took out a bank card from her pocket, and handed it to her. "Take this."
Melissa immediately waved and said, "Did you overhear me talking to your uncle? You don¡¯t have to, Nora. How can I use your pocket money?"
Besides, Nora was just an ordinary surgeon. How much money could she make?
Simon had already told her in private that one-third of the Andersons¡¯ assets was Yvette¡¯s, so it made sense to give them to Nora now.
This way, she would own some assets of her own, which would be helpful to her when she got married in the future.
Nora had be famous among mid-tier wealthy families ever since the dance party the other day.
People had been approaching them to ask about Norately.
While she was lost in thought, Nora ced the bank card on the table and said, "I still have some money. You can take this for now."
Melissa¡¯s eyes reddened as she looked at her from the back.
The young woman might look cold, but her heart was warmer than anyone else¡¯s.
She didn¡¯t know how many years Nora might have spent saving up that money, nor did she know whether there were tens of thousands of dors in the card or not...
Although that bit of money was just a drop in the bucket for her, if she refused, she would be standing too much on ceremony with her own family.
Ah, well.
She just wanted the money to do some investments anyway. She would just see how much money Nora had first and treat it as investment funds. Once the dividends came in, she would also be able to earn Nora a bit of pocket money.
After thinking it through, Melissa took the bank card and rushed downstairs excitedly.
Chapter 98: Nora Smith The Little Moneymaker
Chapter 98: Nora Smith The Little Moneymaker
As soon as she went down, Melissa immediately saw Mirandaing over impatiently.
She had a bit of a haughty look on her face. Even though she still held the matter about Tanya against Melissa, she nevertheless asked stiffly, "Have you gotten the money ready?"
Melissa held the bank card given by Nora and smiled gently, "I only have slightly over $300,000 here. Let¡¯s use that first."
At once, Miranda pursed her lips disdainfully and said, "Only slightly over $300,000? How much over $300,000 is that?"
The additional money was from Nora¡¯s bank card.
However, Melissa hadn¡¯t gone to the ATM to confirm the bnce, so she answered casually, "About $20,000, I suppose."
Surgeons still earned quite a bit after all. However, Nora was still young, so there was no way she would have made that much. There was probably only about $20,000 in the card at best.
Miranda looked down on her even more after her reply. She said, "So little? Are you kidding me? If it wasn¡¯t because your elder brother was afraid that you¡¯re having a hard time and insisted that we let you earn some money along with us, I couldn¡¯t even be bothered toe here. Yet you¡¯re patronizing us with just $300,000? Are you looking down on us?"
Melissa clenched her fists. "Miranda, you¡¯re aware of the situation my family is in. We¡¯re depending on the Carefree Pill to revive the business, so all our working capital has gone into the production costs. All we have is this $300,000 here."
Miranda scoffed and said, "If I were you, I would mortgage the house and take out a $3,000,000 loan!"
The vi was built in an excellent location in the city center. Housing prices in New York had skyrocketed in recent years, so it was now worth 15 million dors.
It was indeed very easy to take out a $3,000,000 loan if they mortgaged the house.
However, Melissa shook her head and said, "I¡¯m only investing along with him to make a bit of pocket money. There¡¯s no need to mortgage the house..."
As soon as she said that, Miranda reprimanded, "If you invest $3,000,000, you can earn at least half of that amount! $300,000? It¡¯s too embarrassing to even bring up a pittance like that! What¡¯s the use even if you earn $150,000? You can¡¯t even buy a slightly better handbag with that! If you want to make money, then mortgage your house. If you don¡¯t, then forget it!"
The slender Melissa stood tall and straight. Upon hearing Miranda¡¯s words, she slowly said, "If that¡¯s the case, then never mind."
If it weren¡¯t because her elder brother had personally called and said that he wanted to let her earn a bit of pocket money together with him and that the children would need money for a lot of things now that they were all grown up... In particr, Sheril was a girl, yet she didn¡¯t even bear to spend on a pretty handbag... If it weren¡¯t because of these, she would never subject herself to her sister-inw¡¯s detestable attitude.
But why should she allow Miranda toe here and bully them?
Miranda actually just wanted to embarrass her and see her lower her head to beg for help. She didn¡¯t think that Melissa would really refuse to invest.
She immediately scoffed and said, "Well done! You¡¯re a tough one, aren¡¯t you? Haven¡¯t you always thought little of money ever since you were a child? The Woods may be able to support a delicate woman like you, but can the Andersons do it? I heard you can¡¯t even bear to use premium paper for your paintings now! If it wasn¡¯t because your brother can¡¯t bear to see you live in such poverty, do you think we¡¯re that free to let you make money with us?"
It was that haughty and arrogant look again.
And that attitude and tone as if she was being charitable...
Melissa raised her head suddenly and looked straight at her. "You¡ª"
But before she could finish, a cool voice reached them. "My aunt doesn¡¯t need your pity."
Both women were taken aback. They looked up to see Nora walking down the steps. She looked at Melissa and said slowly andzily, "Aunt Melissa, you cane to me if you want to make some pocket money. You don¡¯t have to ask others for help."
Melissa was a little surprised.
As for Miranda, she frowned and said, "You talk pretty big for your age! Do you know what we¡¯re investing in?"
Nora raised an eyebrow.
Well, she didn¡¯t.
While thinking about it, she heard Miranda ask, "Have you heard of the Lowes?"
The Lowes... The family that Whitney Lowe married into?
Nora didn¡¯t even need to respond, because Miranda had already gone on by herself and said, "It¡¯s obvious from the way you look like you wouldn¡¯t know them. The Hunts started up as a real estatepany, but apart from them, the Lowes are also a family who started up as a real estatepany! The Lowes have bought arge plot ofnd in New York, but because they can¡¯t afford it all by themselves for the time being¡ªyet they are also reluctant to take out a huge loan from the bank¡ªthey are asking a few other families that they know, such as us, whether we are interested in joining them!
"Real estate has been a hugely profitable industry in recent years. The profits are clear for all to see! The Woods have been wanting to expand into the real estate industry for many years, but the field has unfortunately been monopolized by the Hunts and the Lowes all this time. But we finally have an opportunity to make a fortune now!"
Miranda looked at the two of them after she finished.
The real estate industry was an extremely profitable one! Those two must be full of regrets now, right?
But unexpectedly...
Melissa was already aware of this a long time ago, so she didn¡¯t seem surprised. However, the young Nora was actually also expressionless?
Miranda frowned.
She reckoned that she probably wasn¡¯t informed about the real estate industry.
When Melissa saw that Nora had stayed quiet, she said, "Miranda, I¡¯m grateful that my elder brother is concerned for my well-being, but if you continue to be so aggressive, this will be a feud instead! I only have a little over $300,000 here. If you want to help us and let us invest, then go ahead. If you don¡¯t, then just take it as I¡¯m not fated to be involved in the investment!"
After speaking, she held out both Nora¡¯s and her bank cards to Miranda.
Miranda didn¡¯t dare to go too far. After all, she would also be in trouble if Melissa were toin to her elder brother.
She snorted and reached out her arm as she said, "Fine, $300,000 it is, then..."
However, a fair and slender hand suddenly snatched both cards from Melissa¡¯s hand.
Miranda, "?"
Melissa was also taken aback.
Nora stared at the bank cards in her hand and gave Melissa a smile. She said, "Aunt Melissa, if you trust me, then let me make some pocket money for you with this $300,000!"
The real estate industry was done for.
Should they really throw the money in, they probably wouldn¡¯t even be able to recoup their capital in the next few years.
Miranda was so furious that sheughed instead. "Fine, since that¡¯s what you say, then forget it! I¡¯ll just take it that our goodwill has been taken for ill intent!"
She left in a huff.
In any case, she would be able to answer to her husband when she got home. It wasn¡¯t like she didn¡¯t try to help, but his younger sister had been fooled by the niece whom they had just brought home. She had taken the money and gone off to do god knows what with it!
By the time Melissa wanted to ask Nora about it after Miranda left, Nora had already gone upstairs with two bank cards.
Melissa, "..."
Never mind. $300,000 wasn¡¯t a lot anyway. If Nora lost the money, then she would just treat it as if they had given her some money to practice investing with!
At noon the next day.
Nora immediately heard the dispute downstairs the moment she woke up.
"How can you be so muddleheaded? $300,000 may not be much, but how can you just give it to her? How is she going to make you any money?"
The one speaking was a man who looked somewhat like Melissa, except that he had a stern look on his face.
Melissa sighed and said, "Farrell, Nora seems to be trading stocks."
"Stocks?" Farrell Wood, Melissa¡¯s elder brother, reprimanded, "Are you crazy?! Has she bought them yet?"
Farrell picked up his cell phone. "What did she buy? I¡¯ll check how the market is today!"
Melissa was about to say that she didn¡¯t know when the corners of Nora¡¯s lips curled upward and she replied unhurriedly, "The stock code is 00083."
Farrell frowned and input the stock code into his cell phone as he said, "Take the money out of the stocks immediately! Stocks have been plummeting recently. Both of you are really out of your mind..."
However, his words came to an abrupt end at this point!
Chapter 99: Profits!
Chapter 99: Profits!
Cell phones had an app that could check a stock¡¯s fluctuations, and it showed clearly that the stock Nora mentioned had risen by 2% the day before!
In other words, the $300,000 they invested had seen a return of $6,000 in just a day!
Given how it had risen despite the plummeting stock market, this was undoubtedly very impressive.
Farrell was a mature and steady middle-aged man who bore a 50% resemnce to Melissa. Unlike Miranda¡¯s mean and acrimonious appearance, he had an air unique to schrly merchants around him.
His brows were tightly drawn together, but he nevertheless looked up and said, "Your profit yesterday can only be attributed to luck. The stock market is very unstable now, so it¡¯s not surprising that the stock rose for a day. This particr stock has been fallingtely. You¡¯d best still take the opportunity to sell it today!"
Then, he looked at Melissa sternly and lectured, "The Woods¡¯ family teachings forbid us from gambling and taking drugs. Melissa, I know you¡¯re short of money. That¡¯s why I told Miranda to look for you and let you make some money with us. Why must you let thingse to this point?"
Melissa looked at him, her expression somewhat dazed.
It seemed like she hadn¡¯t seen her elder brother for a very long time.
The siblings had been on very good terms in the past. She could still remember how her elder brother had specially screened Simon¡¯s character for her when she fell in love with him back then.
When did they be this distant from each other?
It seemed like it was ever since he married Miranda?
Farrell and Miranda¡¯s marriage could be considered a political marriage between the Woods and the Sos. Farrell had a literati¡¯s pride, and he trusted Miranda enough to leave her in charge of all the family affairs after they were married.
Miranda was a petty woman. She would get jealous and say a lot of mean things whenever Farrell was even a little nice to Melissa. She didn¡¯t want to cause disharmony in her brother¡¯s family, so she rarely returned to the Woods¡¯ residence in recent years after their parents passed away.
At the sight of Melissa keeping quiet, Farrell sighed, took out a bank card, and handed it to her. He said, "I know Miranda has a foul mouth, but do you really think I¡¯ll leave you to your own devices when you¡¯re broke, Melissa? There¡¯s $800,000 in here. Use it to tide over for now... Don¡¯t worry, this is my own money. Your sister-inw doesn¡¯t know about it."
His heartwarming words made Melissa tear up a little.
She was still wearing a well-tailored dress that outlined her slender figure and slim waist today, making her look elegant and ssy.
Apart from Simon¡¯sck of drive to do better, the other reason why the Andersons were in such a predicament today was that she was content to keep the status quo.
Melissa knew that there was a bit of a literati¡¯s loftiness in her all these years. She didn¡¯t like socializing and didn¡¯t take money and things like that too seriously.
Thus, when Farrell called her yesterday, she had immediately agreed.
The real estate industry was in full swing.
Moreover, the Lowes were also a reliable wealthy family in New York. Everyone knew them and their background well, so nothing would go wrong in investing in them. That was why she had agreed to it.
But now...
Melissa pushed the bank card back to Farrell. She said, "Farrell, I made a wrong judgment. We actually have enough to spend. Besides, once we tide over this month, the Andersons will have money when we recoup the Carefree Pills¡¯ production costs. It¡¯s really okay."
At the sight of her insistence, Farrell didn¡¯t push any further.
Nevertheless, he still warned, "Stocks are risky. There¡¯s no harm ying a little using that $300,000, but don¡¯t put any more into it, okay?"
Melissa didn¡¯t approve of stock trading, either. She had given Nora the $300,000 the day before only because she appreciated Nora¡¯s intentions to help. Thus, she nodded at Farrell¡¯s reminder.
Nora had heard the entire conversation between the siblings, and it left a good impression of her aunt¡¯s brother on her.
Seeing that he was about to leave, Nora suddenly said, "Uncle Farrell, please wait a moment."
Farrell stopped and looked at her with a slight frown.
There wasn¡¯t any disdain in his eyes but just a look of scrutiny.
The confidence and charm that only schrly families possessed made him look like an upright man.
It was a shame that they instead produced a daughter like Rachel Wood, who didn¡¯t inherit the schrly aura.
Nora suppressed the regretful feeling in her and said, "Real estate isn¡¯t going to do well in the future. Are the Woods really going to invest with the Lowes?"
Farrell was taken aback when he heard her. He didn¡¯t refute her right away, but after some careful thinking, he nevertheless said, "The Lowes are a huge real estatepany, and are one of the enterprises with the shrewdest business acumen around. Apart from the Hunts, no one else canpare to them when ites to the real estate industry. Otherwise, we wouldn¡¯t have immediately gone for it the moment they offered the investment opportunity to other families."
Then, he paused and spoke to Melissa again. He said, "Miranda might have been a little anxious when she talked to you yesterday, but there¡¯s actually a reason for that. Real estate is lucrative, so everyone wants a piece of it. It wasn¡¯t easy for the Lowes to finally share some of the opportunities. I only managed to grab a share worth 30 million dors after much difficulty."
He heaved a sigh at the thought.
His younger sister had had a hard life these few years, so he wanted to let her make some money along with him. If they really couldn¡¯t afford it, then he would just pay for their investment capital in advance for now.
He was just thinking of that when Nora said calmly, "Uncle Farrell, the Lowes have been in the real estate industry for so many years, and they have a great rtionship with the bank. If they don¡¯t have enough funds, then why aren¡¯t they taking out a loan? Also, why didn¡¯t the Lowes partner with the Hunts? Both of them are in the real estate industry, so it would only be more convenient for them if they were to cooperate. Perhaps you can go and ask around¡ªMr. Hunt must have rejected his offer."
Farrell became even more confused. He asked, "Where did you hear that from?"
The moment he said that, realization dawned upon Melissa and she asked, "Nora, was it Justin who told you that real estate won¡¯t do well in the future?"
Nora, "??"
Before she could answer, however, Melissa had already convinced herself. She turned and tried to persuade Farrell, "Farrell, Nora and Justin are somewhat friends. If it¡¯s Justin who told her that, then you must be careful."
Farrell frowned and sank into contemtion upon hearing what she said.
A momentter, he said, "Okay."
He left in a hurry after saying that.
Nora didn¡¯t trouble herself over whether he believed her or not. Neither was she concerned about whether he would go ahead with the investment or not. Whether or not the Woods suffered a loss had nothing to do with her. She had told him what she should, so she had already done enough.
She went straight upstairs.
Farrell got into the car after he left the Andersons. With a solemn look on his face, he suddenly instructed the chauffeur, "To Hunt Corporation."
They arrived at the destination very quickly.
He got out of the car and entered the building.
The Woods and the Lowes enjoyed simr status among the wealthy in New York. Farrell could be considered an influential figure, so when he suddenly paid a visit, the front desk at the lobby didn¡¯t dare to dally. They immediately reported his arrival to the top floor.
Justin was currently supervising Pete¡¯s studies. He initially didn¡¯t want to meet Farrell when he heard that he was here. However, when he suddenly thought of how Farrell was Melissa¡¯s elder brother and thus, was somewhat rted to that woman, he finally allowed him upstairs.
Soon, Farrell entered his office. After the two exchanged a few pleasantries, Justin went straight to the point and asked, "What brings Mr. Wood here today?"
The man was twenty years his junior, yet even Farrell couldn¡¯t quite handle his aura. He smiled politely and replied, "It¡¯s like this. I heard that Mr. Hunt said the real estate industry isn¡¯t going to do very well in the future?"
Justin immediately raised his eyebrows and asked, "Who did you hear that from, Mr. Wood?"
Chapter 100: Has Mr. Hunt Been Narcissistic Today?
Chapter 100: Has Mr. Hunt Been Narcissistic Today?
Justin¡¯s expression was serious and frosty as he spoke.
There was an unfathomable gleam in his deep, bottomless eyes, and the beauty mark at the corner of his eye exuded a chilly aura.
Farrell was startled by his reaction. He stammered, "D-did Mr. Hunt not say that?"
Was Nora Smith lying?
In the midst of his thoughts, Justin slowly said, "The authorities haven¡¯t announced any national policies yet, so why would I spread rumors like that? You think too highly of me, Mr. Wood!"
He was just an ordinary businessman; how would he possibly be able to predict future economic trends so clearly?
It was then that Farrell realized that he had said something wrong.
What the higher-ups feared the most was merchants being able to determine the economic trends. Justin had been restrained in his actions and behavior all these years, so how would he possibly say such things when national policies hadn¡¯t been announced yet?
What was the matter with him today? He had actuallye all the way to the man himself to rify matters after merely hearing an ambiguous statement!
He immediately stood up and said, "Sorry, I..."
However, before he could finish, the icy look on Justin¡¯s countenance gradually faded and he said calmly, "Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Wood. I reckon the relevant policies will be announced in a few days, probably less than a week."
Farrell, "!!!"
He stared at Justin in shock. So, was he admitting to it?
Although Farrell managed to keep a straight face on when he left the Hunt Corporation, deep inside, he was actually terribly shaken. Mr. Hunt was actually willing to tell Ms. Smith such important news...
Just what kind of rtionship did the two of them share?
No matter what it was though, he had to treat Ms. Smith with more courtesy in the future. Of course, he mustn¡¯t let the news spread for the time being either. He mustn¡¯t tell anyone at all!
Upstairs.
Pete, who had just finished a Mathematical Olympiad worksheet, turned and actually saw the tyrant resting against a chair sloppily. There was a smile on his face, and his eyes were nearly curved all the way into slits.
Pete curled his lip.
He really couldn¡¯t bear to watch that father of his anymore!
Justin was currently holding his cell phone and sending a text message to Nora: ¡¯Mr. Wood just left my office, Ms. Smith. Do you owe me another meal now?¡¯
She replied immediately after he sent the message: ¡¯Bring your son. You can decide the time and ce.¡¯
Justin¡¯s lip corners curled into a smile. He suddenly asked, "Pete, do you want to eat at an Italian restaurant?"
Pete hated Italian cuisine the most, so without even thinking about it, he immediately replied, "... No, I don¡¯t."
"Oh."
Justin found a random Italian restaurant, sent the location to Nora, and then said, "I have a dinner appointment at an Italian restaurant tonight. Since you don¡¯t like the food there, I won¡¯t take you."
Pete, who waspletely unaware that he had fallen into someone¡¯s trap, nodded seriously. "Okay."
Ever since the tyrant discovered that the home tutors were abusing him, he had turned down a lot of work and had been spending more time with himtely.
It was fine even if he socialized once in a while.
Pete sighed and nced at his cell phone. When he realized that Cherry had sent him a message, he put on his earphones and tapped the y button. "Mathematical Olympiad problems are so tough, Pete. Can you save Cherry tonight, pretty please?"
Pete, "..."
He was so clever and quick-witted, and could master anything immediately, so why was his younger sister so bad at her studies?
The little fellow sighed and replied to her message. The five-year-old boy could already spell, so he wrote: "Take a picture of your homework and send it to me. I¡¯ll do it for you."
"Thanks, Pete! I¡¯ll send you the homework when I get home after school. I also have to live-stream, so I¡¯m super busy, yeah~"
"..."
Nora and Justin¡¯s dinner appointment was at six o¡¯clock in the evening.
Around five o¡¯clock, Nora heard the car. It was probably Tanyaing back with Cherry.
With that in mind, she pushed the door open and walked out of her room. However, as soon as she went downstairs, she saw Miranda barging in angrily. She shouted, "Melissa, get out here!"
Melissa was preparing dinner in the kitchen. As she walked out, she untied her apron and handed it to the nanny. She was a little surprised to see Miranda. She asked, "Miranda? Why are you here?"
Miranda stepped forward, pointed at her, and yelled angrily, "What the hell did you tell Farrell? He¡¯s actually decided not to invest anymore! Don¡¯t stop us from making money just because you¡¯re so pretentious to act as if you¡¯re above money! Is it because you don¡¯t want to see the Woods do well?!"
Melissa frowned. The gentle woman¡¯s expression had already darkened. She raised her voice a little and said, "That¡¯s enough, Miranda! Farrell must have his reasons for not investing anymore!"
Miranda had a loose tongue and couldn¡¯t stop herself from telling everyone everything, so they absolutely mustn¡¯t let her know about the crucial information that Justin had revealed.
However, her words displeased Miranda.
Farrell had decided not to invest in the real estate industry anymore after he returned from the Andersons. The 30 million dors that the family had prepared went back to thepany just like that.
When she asked for a reason, her husband¡¯s answer was also "I have my reasons that I can¡¯t say. In any case, we¡¯re not investing anymore, so don¡¯t ask any further about it."
¡¯Don¡¯t ask any further¡¯... Why should she be kept out of the loop?
The siblings had barely met for so many years, yet they still behaved like that the moment they do. The two of them had a secret that she didn¡¯t know about!
The more Miranda thought about it, the angrier she became. She shouted, "You¡¯re a troublemaker and a jinx! The Andersons fell into decline right after you married into the family! You must be wishing for the Woods to fall into decline too, right?"
"Well, let me tell you this¡ªthe Woods are headed by your brother, so he has the final say, but that¡¯s not the case for the Sos! Even if the Woods fall into decline, I will still continue to look down on you when my family gets rich!"
The Woods might not want the opportunity, but the Sos did! Her elder brother had already gotten funds ready to invest right away!
When the Sos struck gold, she would be able to hold her head high in front of Farrell and show him just how stupid his sister¡¯s suggestion was!!
Melissa clenched her fists and stared at Miranda incredulously. She hadn¡¯t missed the sh of malice in her eyes.
She used to think that her sister-inw merely had some kind of misunderstanding about her, but at this moment, she realized very clearly that Miranda had never once regarded her as family.
Since that was so, then why bother putting up with her attitude?
Melissa pointed to the door and ordered, "You¡¯re not wee here, Miranda! Get out!"
Miranda continued to rant and rave. "I¡¯m not wee here? Do you think I even want toe to a shabby ce like this?"
Melissa was a cultivated person, so she couldn¡¯t help but be even angrier at her words.
She was about to say something when Nora, who was standing on the stairs, asked coolly, "Aunt Miranda, is green the Sos¡¯ favorite color?"
Miranda was taken aback. "What do you mean?"
Nora¡¯s lips curled up into a smile. "Because greenbacks are all your family cares about."
"You¡ª!"
Aristocrats and nobles disliked it the most when people said that money was the only thing they cared about. Miranda was so furious that she suddenly pped Melissa across her cheek. "Look at the wild child you brought home! How dare she say such things to her elders?!"
No one had expected Miranda to get violent. Melissa held her cheek and stared at her incredulously. "You¡ª"
Miranda, however, raised her chin and said extremely arrogantly, "What? I¡¯m your elder brother¡¯s wife. So what even if I hit you? Do you dare to retaliate?!"
But unexpectedly, she had only just said that when...
Chapter 101: Birthday Present
Chapter 101: Birthday Present
Smack!
Miranda felt her vision darken and then, a clear and loud sound rang out right after. Before she knew it, her head had been pushed to the side. It was only when she felt a hot and stinging pain that she realized that someone had hit her.
She turned back abruptly to see Nora standing in front of her. Nora nced at her carelessly with her cat-like eyes and said, "Aunt Melissa¡¯s not hitting you because she¡¯s a cultivateddy."
Then, she raised her eyebrows provocatively and said coldly, "However, I¡¯m a wild child with a bad temper, so I can¡¯t stand anyone behaving wildly in front of me."
"..."
Her attitude intimidated Miranda. The young woman looked thin and weak, and her fingers slim and slender, yet there was a lot of force in the p she delivered. It was to the extent that she felt like she was still seeing stars.
Miranda took a step back and put some distance between Nora and herself. She held her cheek with her hand and red at Melissa furiously as she shouted, "Melissa! Are you just going to watch her get violent with her elders?! Make her apologize! Otherwise, I¡¯ll never let this matter rest!"
Melissa¡¯s cheek was still hurting fiercely.
She was a learned person.
She had never liked getting violent so crudely whenever she met with a problem, and she hated arguing with uncultured people even more. The way Miranda always behaved like a shrew in the streets made her feel at a loss the most.
Moreover, she was family, so she didn¡¯t want to make things too ugly. That was why she had allowed herself to be bullied and suppressed for so many years.
But in the moment that Nora hit Miranda just now, she finally experienced the joy of revenge, especially when she saw how Miranda didn¡¯t dare to say anything despite being so furious. Melissa gave a wry smile with her eyes reddened. Then, she straightened her back, looked calmly at Miranda, and replied aggressively, "In that case, shouldn¡¯t you apologize to me first?"
Miranda, who was lost for words, stamped her foot angrily after a brief moment. She pointed at Melissa and ranted angrily, "I came here with good intentions to persuade you to invest in real estate, yet you¡¯re hitting me instead? I¡¯m going back to tell Farrell about this right now, so that he¡¯ll know what kind of person you are!"
Miranda left immediately after saying that.
A sarcastic smile appeared on Melissa¡¯s countenance as she stared at her from the back.
Back then, she was well-known for being gentle and intellectual and was no wimp.
She had been so tolerant of Miranda all these years only because she was her sister-inw, whereas Melissa herself was just a daughter of the Woods who had married into another family. She didn¡¯t want to put her elder brother in a spot, so she hadn¡¯t said anything.
Little did she expect that Miranda now thought of her as so much of a wimp that she even dared to hit her.
Melissa cast her eyes down.
Next to her, Nora, who could tell that Melissa seemed rather unhappy, couldn¡¯t help but rub her chin.
Although she wasn¡¯t afraid of the Woods, they were still her aunt¡¯s family after all. Moreover, her aunt¡¯s elder brother wasn¡¯t a bad person either. Should they really fall out, Aunt Melissa would be sad, right?
The thought had only just formed when Melissa suddenly lifted her head and said, "It¡¯s time that some things are made clear."
Melissa clenched her fists and said to the chauffeur, "Get the car ready. I¡¯m going to talk to Farrell!"
Nora was rendered speechless.
Why was she suddenly feeling like her aunt had turned into a bitch? Cough. She certainly seemed pretty cute like that, though.
With that in mind, Nora left the Andersons.
Melissa didn¡¯t like the jeep, so Nora was the only one driving it now.
She drove to the hotel where the restaurant that Justin had made a reservation at was.
At the hotel.
Justin was currently seated in the private room. As he adjusted his tie, he looked at Sean and, in a deep voice, slowly asked, "You know what to sayter, right?"
Sean replied, "... Yes, I¡¯ve taken note of it, Mr. Hunt."
Seemingly because this was also the first time he was doing something like this, Justin adjusted his tie again in an attempt to conceal his difort. He looked at Sean again and said, "Practice your lines a little."
"..."
Sean fell silent for a moment.
Justin cast a disdainful nce at him.
Had it been Lawrence here instead, he would have known immediately what to do without him even having to exin. Sean was simply too reticent.
Upon sensing his boss¡¯ disdain, Sean coughed and said, "I¡¯m ready, Mr. Hunt."
Justin nodded and asked dispassionately, "What is Pete doing?"
Sean straightened his back and replied methodically, "It¡¯s your birthday tomorrow, so he¡¯s making a handmade card for you right now. He intends to give it to you as a birthday gift, so he refuses toe over for dinner."
A dissatisfied Justinmented, "You sound too fake."
Sean, "..."
His boss sure was doing everything he could to let Ms. Smith know that it was his birthday the next day!
But if she really cared about him, how could she possibly not know? As the man in charge of the Hunt Corporation, all his relevant information could be found on Wikipedia!
In the midst of their conversation, the service staff¡¯s voice suddenly came from the door. "Ms. Smith, this is the private room."
Justin immediately sat up straight and cast a barely discernible nce at the door. The very moment Nora entered, he coughed, looked at Sean, and asked, "What is Pete doing?"
Nora entered the room the moment he said that. Seemingly having heard his question, she also looked at Sean with interest.
A stern-looking Sean replied with a straight face, "It¡¯s your birthday tomorrow, Mr. Hunt, so he¡¯s making a handmade card for you right now. He intends to give it to you as a birthday gift, so he refuses toe over for dinner."
Justin nodded coldly at Sean and said, "I see."
Then, he gave Nora a wry look and said, "The child is too spoiled."
Nora took a seat opposite him. Although she was a little disappointed that she couldn¡¯t see her son again, the exchange nevertheless still caught her attention. She asked, "Is it your birthday tomorrow?"
Justin tried his best to suppress the lifting corners of his lips and keep a straight face. He looked at her with his deep, bottomless eyes and replied in a low and soft voice, "Yeah."
Nora propped her elbows against the table and rested her chin on her hands. Her face was very small, and her cat-like eyes, which always looked sozy and sloppy, sparkled with interest as she asked, "Does Pete give you gifts for your birthday?"
She was awfully interested in how her son had spent the past five years.
She wanted to know what her son did while she wasn¡¯t around.
For example, how he had grown up and how he hadnded in Justin¡¯s hands...
Justin nodded. "Yes, he gives me a gift every year."
He emphasized the word ¡¯gift¡¯.
Nora, however, felt a little jealous.
That stinky Cherry had never given her any gifts. On her birthday every year, all she did was give her a huge bout of ttery. She found herself really envious of Justin in this moment.
As expected, her son was more heartwarming indeed.
Nora looked at Justin hostilely and clicked her tongue. Then, she suddenly asked, "Can I attend Mr. Hunt¡¯s birthday party?"
Justin replied, "Of course."
Nora blinked and said, "I¡¯m very curious about the card that Pete is making for you. Can I have a look at it?"
Justin, "??"
Next to him, Sean tried his best to suppress hisughter as he looked at his boss.
Pete had been mildly autistic since he was a baby. When had he ever given his boss a birthday gift?
However, Justin nevertheless replied without any change in his expression, "Of course. You cane over with your daughter, Ms. Smith."
Go over together?
Nora¡¯s eyes flickered as she replied, "Sure."
She wondered if Justin would like it if she gave him Cherry as a birthday gift?
Chapter 102: Your Life Will Be In Danger...
Chapter 102: Your Life Will Be In Danger...
The service staff soon started serving the food.
Although they were at an Italian restaurant, the food was surprisingly served to them on small tes like the other time. The sight of the numerous little tes of food on the table made Nora¡¯s eyes twitch again and again.
What the heck was this?
The bored young woman held her fork idly and took bite after bite.
Opposite her, Justin¡¯s lip corners slowly curled into a smile. He said, "Ms. Smith, you should chew your food well and eat slowly. It¡¯s not good for your health if you eat too fast."
"..."
Even so, surely one couldn¡¯t eat that slowly either, right?!
Some of the tes had only two cucumber strips on them...
Nora suspected that Justin was doing this on purpose. After all, when she was on her way here just now, the diners in the hall had all been using normal-sized tes.
She twirled the bit of pasta in the bowl with her fork and casually put it into her mouth.
Seeing how bored she was, Justin tried to find something to talk about. He asked, "How did you know that the real estate industry won¡¯t do too well in the future, Ms. Smith?"
Nora swallowed the pasta and speared a piece of vegetable from the sd bowl. Only then did she reply, "Weren¡¯t you the one who told me that, Mr. Hunt?"
Justin raised his brows. Then, he heard her continue. "I heard that the Lowes approached the Hunts first, but the Hunts refused the offer."
Justin let out a low chuckle and replied, "But outsiders are also saying that I was just in a bad mood because of my son."
Nora blinked. She rested on the table with one arm andzily put the vegetable into her mouth with her other hand. "Well, if Mr. Hunt were one to do business based on his mood, the Hunt Corporation wouldn¡¯t be what it is today. You¡¯ve always had a good eye for business."
"..."
Justin had nearly grown up having praises sung of him. Everyone hailed him as a business genius but he had never cared about what they said.
But when the woman flippantly said that he had always had a good eye for business, he actually found himself in an exceptionally good mood.
He picked up the ss of apple juice next to him without much thought and took a sip to conceal his smile, but when he looked back up, he instead saw Nora staring at him in shock. She said, "That¡¯s my juice you¡¯re drinking, Mr. Hunt."
Justin, "!!"
His gaze fell onto the ss of juice. There seemed to be remnants of the warmth of the woman¡¯s lips on the rim of the ss, making him feel like his lips had been scalded a little.
However, he pretended to be calm and put the ss down. Then, he immediately said, "Oh. Sorry, I picked up the wrong ss."
Nora couldn¡¯t help being astonished when she noticed that his earlobes seemed to have turned a little red.
Little did she think that the dignified leader of the number one family and the Imperial League¡¯s ruthless and decisive Eagle would actually have moments where he was shy and innocent?
In particr, when he innocently cast his seemingly bottomless eyes down, even the beauty mark at the corner of his eye seemed to be exuding an alluring aura that screamed ¡¯Please bully me¡¯... It actually made her lick her lips for some inexplicable reason.
The atmosphere suddenly became rather romantic, and even the air seemed to have be somewhat thick and viscous.
After dinner, the two went to the car park together.
When they were walking past the restaurant¡¯s main hall, Nora suddenly sensed a probing gaze. Her head whipped to the side, but what entered her sight was instead a lush green curtain of devil¡¯s ivy that blocked her from the view beyond.
As the nts swayed, behind the dappled light through the gaps, she seemed to see a man in a white suit sitting there quietly and looking at the menu.
It seemed like everything just now was just an illusion.
Nora¡¯s brows knitted together. For some reason, it suddenly gave her the creeps.
She suppressed the feeling and followed Justin to the car park.
Before they separated, Nora asked, "Where is your birthday party going to be held tomorrow, Mr. Hunt?"
Justin gave her an address. It was where he and Pete were currently staying at.
Nora nodded. "I¡¯ll be there at noon tomorrow."
Justin also nodded. "See you then."
Justin continued to stand where he was even after Nora started the car and left.
Sean couldn¡¯t help but ask, "What if Ms. Smith doesn¡¯t bring a gift, Mr. Hunt?"
Justin nced at him coolly and replied confidently, "That¡¯s impossible."
Why wouldn¡¯t she bring one when she liked him so much?
She wanted to see the birthday card that Pete made for him though... Justin got in the car and said, "Let¡¯s go home."
When he got back to the vi, Pete was practicing his martial arts after dinner.
Justin stood in front of him and said haughtily, "It¡¯s my birthday tomorrow."
Pete raised his head. His expressionless face was just like a miniature version of Justin. He said, "... Oh."
The corners of Justin¡¯s lips spasmed a little and his expression darkened. "Is that all you have to say?"
Pete, who was utterly confused, replied, "...? Uh, happy birthday?"
"..."
Justin took a deep breath and reminded him, "It seems like other kids make birthday cards for their parents during their birthdays."
Pete curled his lip in disgust and said, "... That¡¯s so childish. I¡¯m not going to do it."
Justin, who was mercilessly rejected by his son, went to the study sullenly after leaving behind the words ¡¯You little brat¡¯. Then, he took out two pieces of card stock.
After Pete was done with his practice, the sweaty little boy got ready to take a bath. On the way to the bedroom, he passed by the study. Through the gap at the door, he noticed that Justin was doing some craft work with his head down. He walked in curiously to see his mighty and domineering father writing ¡¯Happy Birthday, Daddy¡¯ in crooked and messy handwriting on an ugly card.
Pete, "..."
He looked at the tyrant with aplicated look and asked worriedly, "Have you seen a psychiatrist this month, Daddy?"
"..."
¡ª
When Nora returned home, Melissa was still out.
Afraid that she would be bullied at the Woods, Nora immediately sent her a text message. It was only when Melissa replied that everything was fine that she finally went upstairs with peace of mind.
Cherry, who had won another live-stream face-off, was now ranked among the top 300 live-streamers. In another five days, she would be in the top ten and facing fierce showdowns with the other nine live-streamers!
However, the little fellow waspletely unaware of this. After happily saying goodbye to Sponsor Grandpa, she turned off the live-stream, washed up, and climbed into bed obediently.
After she fell asleep, Nora sat up.
She took out her earphones, stuffed them into her ears, and located an audio recording on her cell phone. When she yed it, a clear voice started to speak: "Nora, by the time you¡¯re listening to this, Mom will no longer be around. Remember this¡ªdo not expose your capabilities. Before you¡¯re strong enough to protect yourself, be as mediocre as you can. Otherwise, your life will be in danger!"
Nora narrowed her eyes and stared in front of her coldly.
After a while, she finally took off the earphones,id down, and closed her eyes. For some reason, the man in the white suit whom she had seen today shed across her mind...
The next day, it was almost noon when Nora finally woke up. After a simple breakfast, she said to Cherry, "Go and get ready. We¡¯re going to celebrate your father¡¯s birthday."
Cherry was in disbelief. "Are you really taking me there, Mommy?"
Was she nning a showdown?
Nora smiled and replied, "Yes, of course."
First, it was her father¡¯s birthday after all, so it was better that they celebrated it. Second, she also wanted Cherry to see how sweet her son was to his elders!
Chapter 103: The Birthday Gift For Daddy
Chapter 103: The Birthday Gift For Daddy
Cherry blinked and asked, "Do I need to put on a disguise, Mommy?"
At her question, Nora fell silent for a while.
She originally intended to put some makeup on her so that no one would recognize her.
However, when she thought of how Justin had blushed during dinner the night before when he realized that he had taken a sip of her drink... She couldn¡¯t help but think that he wasn¡¯t actually that scary, right...?
Besides, the unsettling feeling she had the night before made her want to know what exactly the source of danger was. Also, why had her mother left such words behind before she died?
She had a vague feeling that her premarital pregnancy back then was rted to what had happened to her mother.
After the incident, she had conducted some investigations. In her memory, she had never been in contact with Justin before. How exactly she became pregnant was also a mystery in itself.
To be honest, it was meaningless to hide the truth from Justin.
In that case, she might as well be honest with him. As for why Justin hated Pete¡¯s mother so much, there must be some kind of misunderstanding involved.
She was a frank and open person. Everything would be fine once properly exined.
Having thought so, Nora replied, "... No, it¡¯s okay."
Cherry¡¯s eyes lit up. "Really?"
"Yes, really."
"That¡¯s awesome!"
Cherry picked up her cell phone and said, "I¡¯m going to tell Pete that our family is gonna be reunited soon!"
Seeing the little fellow about to run off happily, Nora suddenly asked, "Have you prepared a birthday present for Daddy?"
Cherry paused and turned around. "Do kids have to prepare gifts for adults?"
Nora, "?"
Who was the one who kept saying she wasn¡¯t a three-year-old anymore?
Just as she was thinking about it, a grinning Cherry said, "Don¡¯t worry, Mommy! I got it ready a long time ago! I¡¯ve already drafted my speech. Daddy will definitely love the praises I¡¯m gonna sing of him!"
"..."
So, her birthday gift for him was also a crazy bout of ttery?
Excellent! This was indeed very fair!
Nora didn¡¯t pay her any more attention. Instead, she turned and went downstairs while she said, "Go and change. I¡¯ll wait for you downstairs."
"Okie-Dokie!"
It was Saturday that day, so she didn¡¯t have to go to school.
Tanya had moved to a hotel that the TV program production team had prepared for her after she picked up Cherry from school the day before, so that filming would be more convenient.
Sheril had cooped herself up in the pharmaceutical factory¡¯sboratory again. As for Logan, he usually stayed out all night every day and rarely returned... Lastly, the elderly Mrs. Anderson was currently napping.
Therefore, the house was deserted.
When Nora went downstairs, she saw a forlorn Melissa seated on the sofa. Even though she was lost in thought, it was deeply ingrained in her to keep her back straight and pay attention to her form at all times, much like a noblewoman who had undergone strict training in olden times.
Nora walked over to her. "How did it go, Aunt Melissa?"
Melissa regained her senses and sighed. Then, she replied, "Miranda has returned to her parents¡¯ ce."
She went back to her parents¡¯ ce?
Nora instantly understood what had happened. "Is it because Uncle Farrell lectured her?"
Melissa nodded.
As the head of the Woods, Farrell was no muddleheaded man.
It was all thanks to Farrell that the Woods had steadily developed to where they were today. After all, times changed and developed quickly; many old-timer wealthy families that couldn¡¯t keep up had all been eventually phased out.
He was well aware of Miranda¡¯s character a long time ago.
At first, when Miranda had gone home with a red and swollen cheek andined in tears about Nora hitting her, Farrell had believed her. However, when Melissa went over to apologize, she exined that it was only because Miranda had hit her that Nora also gave her a p out of anger. That was when he immediately understood what had happened.
When he looked at Miranda again and saw the guilty look in her eyes, Farrell immediately reprimanded her.
However, instead of being contrite, Miranda started to make a scene like a shrew. "Farrell! We¡¯ve been married for so many years! Even if I haven¡¯t made any grand contributions to the household, I¡¯ve still given my life to this home! Yet the two of you are ganging up on me? It¡¯s because you think the Sos are inferior to the Woods, isn¡¯t it? So, you look down on me, don¡¯t you? Then fine, I¡¯ll leave!"
After saying that, she left.
Afterwards, Farrell told Melissa to go back home first. He also said that having Miranda return to her parents¡¯ ce to calm down a little wasn¡¯t a bad thing either.
The two of them were husband and wife, and already had a son and a daughter after all. Farrell would never ignore Miranda for real.
Melissa heaved a sigh and said, "Farrell had an important meeting this morning, so he¡¯s working overtime now. When I talked to him just now, he said that Miranda has to admit her wrongdoings before he would bring her back home."
The troubled woman rubbed her temples.
What was wrong with living in harmony as a family? Why must she insist on fighting among themselves?
She was just thinking about it when she suddenly heard footsteps outside the door. Along with the servant¡¯s shout of "Mrs. Wood is here, ma¡¯am", Miranda rushed into the room.
She was terribly furious, but when she entered and immediately spotted Nora, she paused slightly and her eyes flickered. Then, she stood a slight distance away and started yelling angrily at Melissa. "Well done, you troublemaker! Will you only be happy when our family is broken up and in pieces?!"
Melissa frowned. "Haven¡¯t you admitted to your wrongdoings yet, Miranda?"
"Why should I admit to any wrongdoings?" Miranda was so angry that she wanted to hit someone. However, when she saw Nora¡¯s thin but tall figure, she kept a safe distance and shouted, "It must be your doing that Farrell hasn¡¯te to bring me back home yet, right? Do you think the Woods will be yours just because I¡¯m not there?
"Melissa, you¡¯re so shameless! You¡¯re already a married woman, yet you keep meddling in your brother and sister-inw¡¯s affairs! If one didn¡¯t know any better, they¡¯d have thought that there¡¯s something going on between you and your brother!"
"That¡¯s enough!" Melissa shouted sharply, her usual gentleness nowhere in sight. She said, "Even if you¡¯re dying to shame me, shouldn¡¯t you consider Rachel¡¯s feelings? She¡¯s a daughter of the Woods! How is she going to find a husband if outsiders hear you saying that?! Are you trying to embarrass the Woods?!"
Melissa rarely reprimanded anyone. This was the first time she was talking to her like this.
Miranda was stunned for a moment, but she quickly regained her senses. She stamped her foot angrily and retorted, "The Woods? You¡¯re an Anderson now, so what does the Woods have to do with you? Do you think you can tell me what to do when you aren¡¯t even a Wood anymore? Also, I¡¯m here today to tell you something!"
Miranda raised her chin and said, "You and Farrell have always looked down on me just because the Sos are inferior to the Woods, haven¡¯t you? Hah, but Farrell has decided to give up the opportunity to invest with the Lowes. The Sos have fully taken over the investment spot he vacated! We¡¯ve already bought over the spot just now!"
Her words stunned Melissa. "What?"
At the sight of how shocked she was, Miranda said triumphantly, "You egged your brother to give up investing just to fight with me, and ended up giving us the moneymaking opportunity in vain! Melissa, are you very angry now?
"Just you wait. When the Sos strike it rich, Farrell will definitely regret what he¡¯s done! When that happens, he¡¯ll finally understand where his real family is!"
"Melissa, when the Sos make it big, both you and your brother will have to lead your lives trying to please me!"
Miranda turned and left immediately after leaving behind her forceful and sonorous statements. She didn¡¯t give anyone a chance to refute her at all, leaving behind only Nora and Melissa who looked at each other wordlessly.
A momentter, the thudding of footsteps reached them and Cherry walked down the stairs with her short little legs. She stretched out her arms and dived toward Nora. "Mommy, I¡¯ve gotten dressed! We can go to Daddy now!"
Chapter 104: Don’t Hold Up Daddy’s Birthday Celebrations
Chapter 104: Don¡¯t Hold Up Daddy¡¯s Birthday Celebrations
"Daddy?" Melissa was taken aback. "What Daddy?"
Nora replied frankly, "It¡¯s Cherry¡¯s father."
Melissa became even more confused. "He¡¯s in New York?"
When she was checking Nora¡¯s background back then, it was said that her premarital pregnancy hade about due to illicit sexual conduct. However, Melissa didn¡¯t think that she was a loose woman, so she must have been deceived instead.
Therefore, she subconsciously thought that Cherry¡¯s father must be a bad person.
And now, despite everything he had done, he hade to New York to look for them?
While she was lost in thought, Nora took Cherry¡¯s hand and went out. Melissa watched the two of them from the back.
Thezy and sloppy adult held her hands behind her head and dragged her feet when she walked, while the child automatically grasped the corner of her clothes and skipped alongside her obediently.
Neither of them were walking properly in the traditional sense, yet they formed an inexplicably harmonious and heartwarming sight.
Nora was still driving the Andersons¡¯ jeep today. Her movements were neat and snappy as she got into the car. She got Cherry to sit properly in the backseat. After putting on the seatbelt, she stepped on the gas pedal and the car zoomed out.
Her driving was a little daredevil, but Cherry wasn¡¯t afraid.
She reduced the half-hour-long journey to just fifteen minutes.
The Hunts owned arge manor, but it was said to house a few generations of the Hunts, so Justin lived elsewhere with his son instead.
Soon, Nora¡¯s car arrived at the guardhouse. Visitors were usually required to register at the guardhouse, but as soon as she slowed down, the guard immediately said, "Ms. Smith, Mr. Hunt has already notified us that you¡¯reing today. Please proceed."
Nora raised her brows. Surprise shed across her eyes. She hadn¡¯t expected Justin to be so considerate.
But when one thought about it, it made sense. It must be very crowded and busy when a golden boy high up in the air like him held a birthday party, so he must have already given the guards the guest list a long time ago, right?
Otherwise, it would be too much trouble to register the visitors and call the host one by one.
With that in mind, she drove into the viplex.
The viplex was very big and the environment very beautiful.
Thest time Nora was here, was when she had learned that Pete was her son. Pete had brought her here to look for Cherry. It was veryte that night and she hadn¡¯t been in any mood to appreciate the surroundings that time either.
As she looked around, she noticed that there was even a small stream inside. The viplex was built next to hills and rivers, so the surroundings were very unique and distinctive. In addition, there were only a few vis inside, each situated very far away from the other, so it was very quiet and peaceful there.
When she turned the corner, someone suddenly rushed to the front of the car.
Screeeeech!
Nora mmed on the brakes. Inertia caused her body to lean forward a little. When she sat up straight to see who exactly it was being so reckless, someone knocked fiercely on the car window by the side.
She turned to the side to see a few big and muscr men standing there and beckoning to her.
A few people stood in front of and behind the car, trapping her and leaving her nowhere to go.
Nora frowned unhappily. She rolled down the window, casually rested an arm on the door, and askedzily, "What is it?"
The man standing by the window had a long scar on his face and looked very fierce and menacing. He roared, "Get out of the car!"
Nora, "?"
Tsk. Were they trying to scare her?
She didn¡¯t move. Her cat-like eyes were downcast as she asked, "Is something the matter?"
Scarface was about to say something when someone beside him sighed in admiration andmented, "Hey, that chick is gorgeous!"
As soon as he said that, malicious looks suddenly appeared in the other men¡¯s eyes and they stared at Nora greedily.
Scarface frowned and ordered in a low voice, "Our target is the Hunts¡¯ little mister. Don¡¯t create any unnecessary trouble! If women are what you want, you can get any woman you want after we finish the job and get our money!"
He was likely the leader of the group. After he said that, no one made any more movements, though they continued to stare at Nora.
Nora, however, frowned and asked, "Is your target the Hunts¡¯ little mister?"
"Yes!" Scarface looked through the window at the backseat. He said, "If you know what¡¯s good for you, then hand him over! We don¡¯t want to do anything more than that, so we can let you go! Otherwise, neither you nor he will live!"
¡¯Neither you nor he will live¡¯...
A sharp look suddenly red up in Nora¡¯s eyes.
Like what she had thought, they were indeed here for her son.
Scarface was just paid to do whatever the person who hired him wanted. Someone had offered an astronomical sum for the Hunts¡¯ little mister¡¯s life. Although it was a difficult mission, it paid more than others.
After finishing the job, they wouldn¡¯t have to worry about making ends meet for the rest of their lives.
Therefore, he had brought his men with him andy here in ambush.
They had already destroyed the surveince cameras in the neighborhood a few days ago and had also waited here for a very long time. However, as expected of a rich man, Mr. Hunt had bodyguards with him all the time. On top of that, the little mister was never left alone and always had at least three or four bodyguards with him.
They only either went to the Hunt Corporation or the Quinn School of Martial Arts.
How would they possibly have the guts to go to either of those ces?
As such, they could only wait for an opportunity here, and now, he was finally alone!
Scarface looked at Cherry and curled his lip disdainfully.
The Hunts¡¯ little mister sure was cautious. The moment he was alone, he dressed up like a little girl. If it weren¡¯t because he had seen photos of him, he probably wouldn¡¯t even have recognized him!
As for the charming female driver, he didn¡¯t take her seriously at all.
Atst, he was about toplete his mission. At the thought of the money he was going to get, Scarface moved toward the car excitedly. However, it was at this moment that someone suddenly held him down by the shoulder.
Nora calmly said to the person in the car, "Cherry, close your eyes and sing."
"Okay, Mommy."
Cherry, who was seated in the backseat, had long been ustomed to this. She stretched out her chubby fingers and covered her eyes. Then, she began to sing.
"Mary had a little man, little man, little man~
"Mary had a little man, he was so handsome~"
Bam!
"Ugh!"
Bam!
"Ouch! That hurt!"
Bam! Bam! Bam!
The chaotic sounds outside rang out together with Cherry¡¯s nursery rhymes. The little fellow couldn¡¯t help but peek through her fingers, but every time she looked over, she would make eye contact with Nora¡¯s vignt eyes.
Cherry immediately looked ahead of her obediently. She didn¡¯t dare to peek anymore.
At the same time, she also became a lot more well-behaved.
Sigh, Mommy was just too ferocious.
Those baddies were just too pitiful~
By the time she finished the nursery rhyme, the seven to eightrge and muscr men outside were all sprawled on the ground.
Scarface, who hurt all over, couldn¡¯t get up at all. He stared at the woman in astoundment. "Who are you?"
Given her skills, there was no way she was a nobody in the scene.
Nora grabbed Scarface¡¯s cor. Instead of answering, she asked, "What¡¯s your name?"
"B-Ben Loris."
Nora asked, "Where do you live? Who do you have in your family?"
Scarface answered her questions one by one. Nora picked up her cell phone, tapped a few times on it randomly, and hacked into the public security system. Then, she found his personal information.
She held up the cell phone to Scarface and showed it to him. At once, he was terrified. "What do you want? It¡¯s a rule in our line of work to leave family members out of this!"
However, Nora¡¯s lips curled into a smile and she said, "Remember, if anything happens to little Mr. Hunt, no matter who did it, I¡¯lle only for you."
Scarface, "!!"
Nora dusted her hands off and looked at Cherry. "Let¡¯s go. Don¡¯t hold up your father¡¯s birthday celebrations."
Chapter 105: Daddy, Actually You Have A Daughter
Chapter 105: Daddy, Actually You Have A Daughter
Nora turned around, intending to return to the car.
But before she could get in, Scarface cried out fiercely, "You can¡¯t do that! There are too many people in the scene who want him dead!"
Nora paused. She suddenly looked back and asked, "What did you say?"
Scarface replied, "We have a chat group where we take on missions. Over the years, quite a few missions to kill the Hunts¡¯ little mister have been issued every once in a while! There are a lot of people after his life, and there are also a lot of people who¡¯ve epted the missions! While we were lying in ambush here, we¡¯ve already encountered four to five other groupsing here for him..."
Nora, "!!"
She had no idea that her son was actually living in such an environment ever since he was a baby!
It must be a miracle that he managed to reach five years of age safely!
A sullen Nora asked, "Can you find out who issued the missions?"
The woman had already thoroughly investigated his background and found out who his family members were. For his wife¡¯s sake, Scarface didn¡¯t dare to lie. He replied truthfully, "Mr. Hunt is a very well-known man. At the same time, he has also made a lot of enemies in the business world, so who can really say for sure?"
"..."
His words rendered Nora lost for words.
A brief momentter, she said, "Well, just remember what I told you just now."
Scarface, "!!"
Had he said all that in vain?
The men could only watch helplessly as Nora got into the car and drove away. They huddled together and asked, "What do we do now, Boss?"
Scarface shouted angrily, "What else can we do? Continue toy in ambush, of course!"
"Are we going to look for another opportunity to kill him?"
Scarface smacked him on the head and snapped, "Yeah, right! It¡¯s so that we can protect the little Mr. Hunt, of course! If anything happens to him, I won¡¯t let any of you off!"
"..."
Nora didn¡¯t hear how their discussion went. After making another turn, she suddenly stopped the car and hopped into the backseat from in between the driver seat and the passenger seat.
Cherry asked, "... What¡¯s the matter, Mommy?"
Nora grabbed her bag and took out some cosmetics. She said, "Let¡¯s not tell your Daddy the truth for now. It¡¯s too dangerous. After thinking about it, I decided that we¡¯ll just smuggle your brother out someday and go abroad together and be done with it."
"..."
The corners of Cherry¡¯s lips spasmed.
So, did Mommy get a bad impression of Daddy again after hearing that he had a lot of enemies?
At the vi.
Pete had been very excited ever since he received a text message from Cherry half an hour ago, saying that they were going to be reunited as a family that day.
After much thought, he decided that he had to give the tyrant a warning first, lest he got too worked up and did something inappropriate.
Thus, after a short internal struggle, Pete went to Justin¡¯s study.
With a very serious look on his face, the little fellow said to Justin, "Daddy, I have something to tell you."
Justin was currently looking at the mirror and adjusting his clothes. Did the ck suit make him seem a little old?
But wouldn¡¯t a white suit make him look too frivolous?
Dark colors suited him better after all...
Which tie should he use?
In the midst of his internal struggle, upon hearing Pete, he raised his eyebrows and asked, "What is it?"
Pete kept quiet for a moment. Then, he finally said, "Actually, you have a daughter."
Justin, "??"
He turned his head abruptly to see Pete staring at him seriously.
Father and son stared at each other for a long while before Justin finally asked, "Oh? Where is she?"
Pete replied, "You¡¯ll meet her very soon."
Practically right after he said that, his cell phone beeped.
Pete looked down and nced at it¡ªit was an audio message from Cherry. Her young, tender voice rang out in his earphones: "Mommy says she doesn¡¯t want to tell Daddy anymore, Pete. Don¡¯t identally reveal anything, okie?"
Pete, "?"
His tiny form stiffened for a moment. Then, he slowly raised his head and saw that...
The tyrant was staring at him silently.
He was staring at him silently...
He was still staring at him...
"..."
A few secondster, Pete suddenly tilted his head and tried his best to imitate Cherry. He said, "Daddy, look at me. Am I cute? Aren¡¯t I adorable? Do I look like a little girl?"
Justin was utterly bewildered.
His son¡¯s personality change had been invisible and sporadic previously, but he had actually personally witnessed him switching from a taciturn personality to a cute and adorable one this time. He felt like he was about to have a mental breakdown.
If one were to visualize how he currently felt using an emoji, then it would definitely be a face that was split down the middle in two...
Rows and rows of it...
Pete quietly turned and walked away. He heaved a long and heavy sigh.
Life was simply too hard!
At his young age, he was shouldering a burden that one his age shouldn¡¯t be shouldering!
Ding-dong!
The doorbell suddenly rang. Before Pete could do anything, he saw the tyrant walk over quickly. However, he didn¡¯t open the door immediately when he reached it. Instead, he tidied his clothes a little before he finally opened the door. There was even a smile on his face.
It must be Ms. Smith at the door...
... Or so Justin thought. Instead, he saw a surprised and ttered Chester standing outside. "You¡¯re actually opening the door for me, Justin?"
Justin, "?"
With a look of displeasure, he asked, "Why are you here?"
Chester beamed and replied, "It¡¯s your birthday today, so I specially came over to celebrate it with you!"
"..."
Justin stepped aside to let him in. Chester entered the house and ced the gift in the hallway.
In the kitchen, Sean and the others were preparing lunch.
After all, they had told Ms. Smith the day before that it was a ¡¯birthday party¡¯, so they couldn¡¯t have no one else around.
A whileter, the doorbell rang again.
Chester, who liked running errands the most, ran over to open the door.
Seeing that he had gone over, Justin remained on the sofa, though his ears perked up. However, when he looked at the door out of the corner of his eye, he saw Tina Yorking in instead. She exuded a mature charm all over as she stood there gracefully and said, "Happy birthday, Mr. Hunt."
Justin¡¯s expression darkened even further. "What are you doing here?"
Tina¡¯s fists balled up a little, but the next moment, she asked graciously, "Is it inconvenient for me to be here?"
Typically, the host would never drive anyone out when they came bearing birthday gifts, right?
But as soon as she said that, she heard Justin replying coldly, "Yes, it certainly is."
Tina, "?"
Chester could sense Justin¡¯s displeasure. Knowing that he was the one who had let her in, he smiled awkwardly and said, "Everyone here tonight is male, Ms. York. It is indeed inconvenient when you¡¯re the only woman here..."
In other words, please have some self-awareness and leave after leaving the gift behind!
However, Tina acted as if she didn¡¯t understand what he meant and said, "It¡¯s okay. We pretty much grew up together, so you can just think of me as a guy."
After speaking, she went straight to the kitchen.
At this point, the doorbell rang again.
Tina ran over and opened the door while saying, "I¡¯ll get it."
However, when she opened the door, she saw Nora¡¯s pretty face. Tina¡¯s expression immediately darkened. She took a couple of steps out, lowered her voice, and demanded, "Why are you here?"
Nora, "??"
She raised her eyebrows. "Why can¡¯t I be here?"
Tina immediately replied, "There¡¯s still a certain difference in status between the Andersons and the Hunts, Ms. Smith. I¡¯d advise you to stop daydreaming. Also... Mr. Hunt has said that it¡¯s not convenient to host female guests at home today. Please leave!"
After saying that, she immediately took a step back and closed the door!
Inside, Justin, who didn¡¯t see anyoneing in, asked, "Who was it?"
"Oh," Tina smiled gently and said, "It¡¯s nothing. The building management staff came to wish you a happy birthday, but they said that they won¡¯t enter in case they disturb you."
Chapter 106: Sweetcherry Is Trending~
Chapter 106: Sweetcherry Is Trending~
The building management?
They did indeede to offer him birthday wishes every year, but that was usually in the evening. Surely they wouldn¡¯t intrude upon them at noon, right?
Besides, it was almost twelve. Why wasn¡¯t Ms. Smith here yet?
Was she not intending toe anymore?
The thought caused a wave of restless irritability to suddenly well up in Justin and he stood up abruptly. His deep-set eyes stared hard at the door and the beauty mark at the corner of his eye shed with frosty displeasure.
At the sight, Chester, who was ying games on his cell phone, asked, "Are you waiting for someone, Justin?"
"No, I¡¯m not," replied Justin, who denied it without even a second thought.
He had given the woman an opportunity to get close to him, but she hadn¡¯t seized it. It was her loss. What did it have to do with him?
That woman was obviously the one in love with him, but why was he instead the one feeling insecure now?
Justin was stunned.
At the door, a smile formed on Tina¡¯s face when she overheard their conversation.
She had really thought that Mr. Hunt had invited her over when she saw Nora at the door just now. From the look of things now though, that wasn¡¯t the case. She must have heard from somewhere that it was Mr. Hunt¡¯s birthday and specially came to appeal to him!
How shameless.
How dare she set her sights on Mr. Hunt when she already had a kid!
In that case, she would make it such that she couldn¡¯t even get past the door!
As soon as the thought formed, Pete ran out of his room and said, "Daddy, I heard that you refused to let Mommy in?"
Justin¡¯s eyes darkened at once. As if he had suddenly realized something, he strode toward the door.
He abruptly pulled the door open, revealing a bored Nora outside. The empty-handed woman looked at himzily, her voice low and leisurely as she asked, "I heard it¡¯s not convenient for you to host female guests today, Mr. Hunt?"
For some reason, Justin felt a slight tremor in his heart the instant he saw her, and his unhappiness from just now disappeared without a trace.
A smile appeared on his face and he replied, "It is indeed inconvenient to host other female guests because we¡¯re expecting a special little female guest today..."
He tore his gaze away from Nora and looked at the little fellow next to her, upon which the corners of his lips started to spasm.
Cherry¡¯s face had been painted dramatically to look like a clown. The area around her eyes was painted ck and lipstick stretched out from the corners of her mouth.
The child¡¯s original appearance wasn¡¯t distinguishable, but she nevertheless still looked cute.
The little fellow¡¯s big eyes were filled with grievances. She pointed at Tina and said, "But that middle-aged woman said she¡¯s not letting us in!"
Justin frowned and looked at Tina.
Tina was dumbfounded.
She clenched her fists tightly. She hadn¡¯t expected that the Smith woman had already won over the little mister!
With an awful look on her face, she said awkwardly, "Mr. Hunt, I wasn¡¯t lying to you on purpose. It¡¯s because you guys said just now that it¡¯s inconvenient for you to host female guests, so I misunderstood! As for saying that it was building management staff..."
She looked at Nora, sighed, and said, "Mr. Hunt hates womening to his ce without his consent the most. I was afraid that he would get mad at you if he knew you were here, so I told a white lie. But as it turns out, he had invited you. I didn¡¯t mean to overreact!"
"..."
Nora couldn¡¯t help but let out a ¡¯tsk¡¯ at her exnation.
Just look at that fake and maniptive way of speech; she could make even lies sound like the truth. The corners of Nora¡¯s lips turned upwards and she said, "Am I supposed to thank you, then?"
"No, it¡¯s fine." Tina smiled and said, "After all, I was the one who made a mistake. Fortunately, I didn¡¯t cause any misunderstandings.
Nora was about to reply when a voice reached them. "You sure know how to make excuses for yourself, Ms. York! You¡¯re obviously trying to hog Mr. Hunt by driving other women away and allowing only yourself to stay. Do you think no one can tell that you like Mr. Hunt?"
Tina¡¯s expression instantly changed dramatically. "No, I wasn¡¯t. I..."
Nora, "?"
Why did that annoying voice sound kinda familiar?
She looked over to see someone standing in front of her and smiling at her. "We meet again, Ms. Smith!"
Nora was a little taken aback. "Who are you?"
The corners of the man¡¯s lips spasmed a little. "Your memory isn¡¯t very good, Ms. Smith. We met in California. I¡¯m Lawrence Zimmer, Mr. Hunt¡¯s executive assistant!"
Nora asked, "... Why have you be so tanned?"
Lawrence, "??"
Who wouldn¡¯t be tanned after being thrown into the tropics for half a month? Let¡¯s not expose people leading a hard life, please!
However, he clearly remembered why he had been thrown into the tropics, so he tried his best to force an ingratiating smile.
Nora said, "Please don¡¯t smile. Your face looks even more tanned when contrasted with your teeth."
Lawrence, "..."
The few of them walked into the room as they chatted.
Seeing that they were no longer paying any more attention to her, Tina took a deep breath and followed after them. However, when she reached the door, Lawrence stopped in his tracks, looked back at her, and said, "Ms. York, it¡¯s Mr. Hunt¡¯s birthday, so it¡¯s inconvenient for us to host female guests today."
After saying that, he mmed the door shut with a loud bang.
Tina, "!!"
She felt as if someone had just given her a few tight ps across her cheek! She gritted her teeth. It was all because of Nora that she was shut out!
However, the people inside the vi werepletely unaware of how angry Tina was outside the door.
Nora spotted the birthday card on the coffee table the moment she entered. She immediately picked it up and asked, "Is this the birthday card that your son made for you?"
Pete, who was staring at his sister¡¯s strange clown makeup, was bewildered.
He looked at the birthday card in silence and then at Justin. At once, he saw the tyrant giving him a long look before he replied, "Yes."
Pete, "..."
Nora looked at the birthday card again and again before she finally put it down reluctantly. Her son was the sweetest after all! Look at that stinky little Cherry! All she had was just a crazy bout of ttery!
To that, Cherry would like to express that this was unfair!
After having lunch at the Hunts, Cherry finally sessfully gave Justin the birthday gift she had prepared¡ªa crazy bout of ttery. Nora then took Cherry back home.
After the two of them left, Pete finally picked up the birthday card, handed it to Justin, andmented disdainfully, "Daddy, your handwriting is too ugly!"
Justin, "..."
That was him deliberately imitating Pete¡¯s handwriting with his left hand!!
Did Ms. Smith forget to give him a birthday gift today though?
He entered the study. Sean and Lawrence followed after him.
Sean said, "Your uncle bribed people to kidnap Pete again. They supposedly even gave them photos this time."
Photos...
Justin frowned. "Nothing about Pete must be leaked!"
Sean nodded. "Yes, sir!"
Justin instructed, "Create a screening system. This way, if photos of Pete surface anywhere on the Inte, we¡¯ll be notified right away!"
This was the only way they could strictly prevent information on Pete from being leaked!
Sean replied, "Yes, sir!"
At the same time at the live-stream tform¡¯s studio.
The person-in-charge of the gaming channels said excitedly to the supervisor, "sweetcherry really lives up to expectations! This is just her fourth face-off, but she¡¯s already trending!!"
Chapter 107: Little Cherry Is Famous Now!
Chapter 107: Little Cherry Is Famous Now!
The supervisor was a little taken aback to hear that. "Howe?"
sweetcherry wasn¡¯t a huge celebrity. It was a little hard for even the big-name live-streamers on their tform to trend on social media, let alone sweetcherry when she was only in the top 80?
The supervisor picked up his cell phone. At once, he noticed that a hashtag, #whoselittleprincessisthat, was actually trending at 49th ce.
Although it wasn¡¯t ranked very high, for someone like sweetcherry who only had 250,000 followers, the number of engagements it had was very impressive.
One must admit that sweetcherry¡¯s ability to attract followers was superb. They didn¡¯t even promote her much, yet she had already gained 50,000 followers on her own just by relying on the face-off contest¡¯s poprity and the way she dissed people without repeating any of the jokes.
Her follower count in the app had been visibly increasing ever since she started to trend.
The supervisor checked the hashtag. Right away, he saw that more than 100,000 people had actually started to follow the keyword ¡¯sweetcherry¡¯.
One of the top posts under the hashtag
#whoselittleprincessisthat was:
"Make no mistake, Sweetcherry is definitely a little princess from a wealthy family!
"To be honest, you can tell just by the way she speaks! In one of her game rounds, she said to a teammate, ¡¯Why is your horse slower than even my Whitey?¡¯ A fan then asked who Whitey was, to which she replied, ¡¯My little pony, of course. It¡¯s currently in the stable. Speaking of which, I kinda miss it!¡¯ Horseback riding is a very expensive sport. Of course, it¡¯s true that anyone who¡¯s rich can take lessons, but! sweetcherry actually has her own little pony! Think about it! Think about it veeery carefully!"
There were almost 10,000 replies to the post.
Everyone became Sherlock Holmes and started to piece together Cherry¡¯s daily life through the bits and pieces of information that she revealed whenever she dissed someone.
After much analysis, everyone finally concluded that sweetcherry was definitely a little princess from a wealthy family!
Otherwise, there was no way a five-year-old would have people like Sponsor Grandpa and Sponsor Daddy tipping them so generously!
Whenever someone who didn¡¯t know what was going on clicked on the trending topic and asked who sweetcherry was, everyone enthusiastically filled them in and even affectionately nicknamed her Sweetie.
The photo featured in the post was a screenshot of her live-stream when she revealed her face.
Although it was blurry, one could still tell at a nce that she looked very sweet and adorable. This gave her even more bonus points!
The supervisor looked through the posts one by one. At once, he said excitedly, "I wanted to keep her low-profile and wait until she got into the top 20 before I start promoting her, but I didn¡¯t expect her fans to make such a good showing. She¡¯s actually be popr on her own! This child is meant to be famous!"
Right after the supervisor said that, the corners of the person-in-charge¡¯s lips spasmed a little. He said, "Sir, she¡¯s in a new trending post."
The supervisor was surprised.
When he looked at the trending topics again, he saw that a new post had appeared at 45th ce and was even showing signs of going further up the rankings. The hashtag was #weonlyhave75milliondors.
A video of a live-stream was featured in the post.
In sweetcherry¡¯s live-stream, a follower who saw the trending post had asked: ¡¯Sweetie, are you from a wealthy family?¡¯
The video was of the game. sweetcherry asked, "What¡¯s a wealthy family?"
The follower replied: ¡¯People who are rich.¡¯
sweetcherry said, "We aren¡¯t rich. Mommy says that we¡¯re very poor. We only have 75 million dors, so she told me not to overspend. If not, we¡¯ll have to ask my Grand-aunt for money."
Everyone was utterly bewildered.
¡¯Only¡¯ 75 million dors?!?!
Amidst the rows and rows of ¡¯???¡¯ in thements, Sponsor Grandpa gave her a tip of 9,999 airnes. Thement that came together with the tip was bold and capitalized: "Your family is indeed very poor. Buy some clothes for yourself with this."
Everyone, "!!!"
The big boss was here again!
As a result, #weonlyhave75milliondors started to trend.
The supervisor¡¯s hands were shaking from excitement.
He looked straight at the person-in-charge and instructed, "Contact the relevant social media tforms and get this post into the top three trending topics!"
The person-in-chargeughed and said, "Got it."
The bonus that thepany got from the big boss¡¯ tip alone was enough for them to put the post into the top three trending topics!
He had a hunch that sweetcherry would definitely be the rage all over the world!
Cherry was in the midst of her live-stream. The only thing she intuitively felt was that she was receiving more and morements in her live-stream. It was to the extent that she couldn¡¯t even keep up anymore. Thus, she stopped interacting with thements and focused on her game instead.
It was only when she nced at her follower count two hourster when the live-stream ended that she received a huge shock¡ªshe had actually gained 500,000 followers in two hours!
On top of that, even though the live-stream had ended, her follower count was still soaring. Each page refresh saw an increase of a few thousand followers. She swallowed hard. She had a bad feeling about this.
... If she told Mommy about this, Mommy definitely won¡¯t let her live-stream anymore!
But Sponsor Grandpa was waiting for her every day...
Little Cherry made a big decision at this moment¡ªshe wouldn¡¯t tell anyone about this. After all, her face wasn¡¯t shown during the live-streams, so no one knew what she looked like, right?
Cherry, who wasn¡¯t on any social media tforms, waspletely unaware that one could rey live-streams, let alone the fact that she had already gone viral.
In the study at the Hunts¡¯ vi.
The psychiatrist ced two pill bottles in front of Justin and said, "Let him take one pill a day for this one, and two a day for this one, Mr. Hunt. I¡¯ve made these pills for mental disorders look like vitamins. Have Pete take them for a while."
Justin stared at the two pill bottles.
To be honest, he had wanted to take it slow. After all, Pete¡¯s ¡¯condition¡¯ had improved after they returned to New York. In fact, he hadn¡¯t had any rpses for a while.
However, his personalities were starting to switch back and forth frequently again during the past few days...
Yes, that¡¯s right. The psychiatrist had re-diagnosed him after Justin told him about Pete¡¯s behavior. Children with mild autism weren¡¯t very mentally stable after all.
Therefore, the psychiatrist had made a bold deduction¡ªPete had schizophrenia!
One of his personalities was a boy.
The other was a little princess.
After some discussion between the two, they decided to try putting him on medication. However, it was imperative that patients with such disorders not be resistant to treatment, so the psychiatrist came up with a solution to disguise the pills as vitamins and have Pete take them unknowingly. This way, everything would be fine!
Justin took the bottles and nodded.
After the psychiatrist left, he walked out of the study to see the nanny sorting out the gifts he had received. At the sight of him, the nanny said, "Mr. Hunt, this watch is from Mr. Chester. This is from Mr. Sean, and this is from Mr. Lawrence. There¡¯s also this¡ªit¡¯s a scarf from Ms. York..."
Justin frowned and said, "Put everything in the storage room. As for the scarf... It¡¯s getting cold. You can wear it when you go out for groceries!"
A troubled Justin stood in ce after the nanny left. What could he do to remind Ms. Smith that she had forgotten his gift?
While thinking, he went to Pete¡¯s room, ced the two pill bottles on his desk, and said, "These are vitamins. Remember to take them every day."
Chapter 108: Daddy, Are You Asleep?
Chapter 108: Daddy, Are You Asleep?
Night had fallen.
The little Pete was currently reading at the big desk. Upon hearing what Justin said, he looked up from the book silently and nced at the bottles. He stretched out his arms, opened the bottles, and took a couple of looks at it. Then, he said, "I¡¯m not taking them."
Justin replied, "...These vitamins are nutrition supplements. You have to take them."
Pete fell silent for a moment before he asked, "Can they boost brainpower?"
"... Probably?"
As soon as he said that, Pete pushed the bottles to him and said, "You¡¯ll need them very much, then."
Justin, "?"
His expression instantly darkened and he said sarcastically, "Peter! Hunt! I have an IQ of 301!"
301 was the highest IQ among human beings thus far!
It was just that he was a low-key person who never behaved ostentatiously. Neither had the test results ever been publicly announced.
Pete, however, nced at him disdainfully and said, "It¡¯s said that people with high IQs have low EQs. True enough, you¡¯re really very stupid. It¡¯s been so long, yet you haven¡¯tnded Mommy yet."
They were supposed to be reunited today, but he had displeased Mommy again.
Sigh!
Poor tyrant.
He pushed the two bottles of vitamins toward Justin again and said, "Remember to take them every day. They can boost both your brainpower and EQ."
"..."
Justin walked out of Pete¡¯s room sullenly. The man, who had always been shrewd and unreadable, often found himself so exasperated by Pete that even his chest hurt.
He couldn¡¯t help but think of the little girl that Ms. Smith had brought today...
To be honest, before meeting Cherry, he had been somewhat averse to her.
He couldn¡¯t help feeling somewhat ufortable whenever he thought of how she was a child that the woman had with an idiot. He had thought that even if he did ept Nora, he wouldn¡¯t be able to ept a child that she had with another man.
But for some reason, even though the little fellow had been painted to look like a clown, her voice was so young and tender. She sounded just like how his son did during his asional bouts of abnormality.
Did all children add a ¡¯yeah¡¯ at the end of their sentences?
Then, he thought of the unceasing flow of praises that had poured out of her mouth that had been painted big and red. The things she said¡ªsuch as how he was ¡¯even more handsome than Prince Charming¡¯ and how his ¡¯good looks were out of this world¡¯¡ªwere clearly very explicit, yet they sounded so nice when she was the one saying them.
After that, the little fellow even naturally held his hand.
Children were all soft and tender. He wanted to push her away, but what he instead did was carefully hold her, for fear that he might identally break her hand if he was too forceful...
Afterparing them like that, it seemed like a daughter was more lovable after all.
For some inexplicable reason, he was actually starting to miss how Pete had behaved during his rpses.
Justin felt that he must be out of his mind. Otherwise, why would he possibly think of having his son turn into a girl again?
His gaze fell onto the two bottles of ¡¯vitamins¡¯ that he had brought back with him. In the end, he actually really opened the bottles and took a couple of pills.
Heid down casually after taking the pills. Then, he realized that he had missed Sweetie¡¯s live-stream today.
Come to think of it, there were some who addressed sweetcherry as Cherry, too. It was actually the same name as the little girl who hade over today...
Why was he thinking of that little girl again?
She was a child that Nora had with another man! Why was he caring about and missing her so much?
Justin felt that he must not have taken enough medicine.
He suppressed his irritability. When he took a look at his cell phone, he identally opened his Facebook ount and saw that Chester had posted a photo of the gathering that afternoon. The photo was captioned ¡¯Happy birthday, Justin! Do you like my gift?¡¯
¡¯Gift¡¯...
Why was it back to the topic of gifts again!
Justin coughed. He had suddenly thought of a way to remind Nora about the gift!
He got up, entered the storage room, and took random photos of a few things in his own collection. The man who had slight obsessivepulsive disorder arranged the photos into a nine-box grid coge. Then, he wrote: ¡¯Thanks for the gifts today, everyone.¡¯
After that, he set the post¡¯s privacy level so that it was visible only to Nora.
After posting the photo, he tossed the cell phone aside. The man, who had originally decided not to work that evening so that he could spend some time with his son, couldn¡¯t stop himself from picking up hisptop and using work to distract himself.
A minuteter, he picked up his cell phone and nced at it.
There weren¡¯t any notifications.
Thinking that he wouldn¡¯t get a response so quickly anyway, he put down the phone.
Besides, what was he being so nervous for? He just wanted to give Ms. Smith a reminder and another chance to send her birthday gift for him over, that was all.
For example, she could leave ament saying ¡¯Oops, I forgot to pass you the gift¡¯.
Then, he would reply: "It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m on a business trip nearby. Go get it."
Oh, but it didn¡¯t seem quite right to tell her to go and get it. That would make him seem like he was asking her for a gift.
He would just say that he was on a business trip nearby, then. She would definitely say that she would bring it over...
While thinking about it, another five minutes went by. Justin picked up his cell phone again, but there still weren¡¯t any notifications.
He frowned and stared hard at the phone.
Half an hourter!
He finally got a notification¡ªthere was a red ¡¯1¡¯ at the alerts!
The corners of Justin¡¯s lips curled upward and his slender and well-defined finger tapped lightly on it. His heart even skipped a beat when he tapped on the notification.
Then, he saw the words ¡¯Nora Smith likes your post¡¯.
"..."
Justin stared at the notification for a very long time until he was sure that that was all there was. Then, he chucked the phone aside angrily.
¡ª
At 8 pm.
The person-in-charge of the live-stream app called the supervisor who had just knocked off. He said, "Sir, hurry and take a look at Facebook!"
The supervisor, who had only just got home, suddenly had a bad feeling. He hurriedly opened Facebook to see that another hashtag, #fantasiaimssweetcherryisfake, was now trending.
Fantasia was also a live-streamer registered with them. However, she wasn¡¯t in the gaming channels but in the entertainment channels. She was supposedly a youngdy from a wealthy family.
During her live-stream today, someone had asked her about sweetcherry in thements. She had immediately replied, "Oh, sweetcherry? Do you guys actually believe that a princess-y background like hers is real? Real wealthy families will never allow their children to show their faces in public like that when they¡¯re just five! I only managed to start live-streaming after fighting with my family for a really long time!"
Her words suggested that sweetcherry¡¯s background was fake and that it was just an image that a managementpany had created in order to hype her.
Due to sweetcherry¡¯s poprity, the post about what she said had shot straight up to the top 20 trending topics!
The person-in-charge asked nervously, "What should we do about this?"
The supervisor frowned and replied, "I suppose you can also say this is a different way of trying to get poprity. But Fantasia really just leeches off the poprity of whoever is a hot topic at the moment. Issue her a warning."
The person-in-charge said, "Okay, got it. sweetcherry is the most promising live-streamer in my opinion this year. Besides, she¡¯s only five; the things that children say are the cutest. I mustn¡¯t let Fantasia ruin it."
Cherry, the topic of their discussion, was currently tucked snugly under her covers at the moment. After sending some stickers to ¡¯Grandpa¡¯ on Facebook Messenger to maintain their spark of friendship, she said happily, "Mommy, I added Daddy on Facebook today! What should I say to him?"
After thinking, she typed a message seriously: ¡¯Daddy, are you asleep?¡¯
Her message filled Justin¡¯s mind with question marks right away: ??
He was still in the midst of being mad at Nora for being so heartless, yet she had thrown herself right into the line of fire. Who had given her permission to call him Daddy?
Justin replied coldly: "I¡¯m not your father."
Then, he blocked Cherry on Facebook.
He wasn¡¯t going to ept the child that woman had with an idiot! Not even if she was free of charge!
Chapter 109: Don’t You Want To Be My Daddy?
Chapter 109: Don¡¯t You Want To Be My Daddy?
When Cherry saw the words "I¡¯m not your father", she secretly covered her mouth and giggled, but soon she found herself unable tough anymore.
She had used the voice-to-text converter and sent him a message: "Don¡¯t you want to be my Daddy?"
But when she tried sending the message, she saw a big exmation mark in front of it!
At the same time, a message prompt also appeared: "This person is unavable on Messenger."
A dumbfounded Cherry¡¯s big round eyes widened.
She turned to Nora who had just taken a bath. The young woman had already put away her phone and was resting quietly on the bed with her eyes closed. Upon seeing that she was about to go to sleep, Cherry anxiously pushed her and asked, "Mommy, can you take a look at this for me? Why isn¡¯t Daddy receiving my messages?"
Norazily opened her eyes. After ncing at the phone, she replied in amusement, "Oh, he¡¯s blocked you."
Cherry, "??"
As someone who had always been everyone¡¯s favorite person in all her social circles, Cherry would like to say that she had never ever suffered such injustice before in all her five years of life!
She pouted and asked sadly, "Why did he block me? I¡¯m so cute!"
Nora yawned and replied mercilessly, "It¡¯s because you called him Daddy."
"..."
Cherry felt even more like crying and she threw the cell phone aside.
The heartbroken little Cherry closed her eyes and gradually fell asleep while thinking "Stupid Daddy. I will never like you ever again".
Unfortunately, there were also some who found themselves unable to sleep that night.
Tina tossed and turned repeatedly on the bed, her mind preupied with thoughts of what had happened in the vi.
Justin hadn¡¯t even looked at her when he noticed her. Not only did he have a cold look on his face, but his attitude was also distant, just like how he usually was at work. However, the look in his eyes obviously changed the moment he saw that woman.
On top of that, he had even said something about a ¡¯little guest¡¯...
In her opinion, they looked more like a family of four on a blind date.
But why?
Nora already had a daughter. How could a woman like her be worthy of a man like Justin?
The more she thought about it, the more she couldn¡¯t sleep. Thus, she picked up her cell phone and opened Facebook, intending to distract herself by surfing through the trending topics.
What was that ranked third in the list of trending topics?
Tina tapped on it casually and started to read the post about sweetcherry.
After realizing that it was about an unknown live-streamer, she took a couple of random looks at the post. She was about to go back to the list when she suddenly noticed the photo in the post. Was that... Pete?
Tina had never thought much of Pete. In her opinion, he was just a pitiful little boy without a mother. Once she married Mr. Hunt, they would definitely have children of their own. She would raise him and then just send him away after he grew up.
Even so, she had to admit that Pete hadpletely inherited his father¡¯s looks. Given his impably exquisite facial features, he was the prettiest child she had ever seen during thest few years.
He was probably wearing a wig in the photo, so he had two little braids which made him look like a girl. There was no way she would mistake him for anyone else, though.
Tina felt as if she had just discovered a whole new world.
She studied the post carefully, upon which she finally understood what was going on with sweetcherry.
She was actually a five-year-old gaming live-streamer.
Even their ages matched!
A gaming live-streamer, though... So, as it turned out, the reason why the Hunts¡¯ little mister didn¡¯t go to school, and why there had been rumors some time back that his grades were deteriorating was that he had be addicted to games!
Based on Tina¡¯s understanding of Justin, she was very sure that he had absolutely no idea about Pete¡¯s live-streams. Justin would never allow his children to do such things.
Therefore, Pete must be doing this behind Mr. Hunt¡¯s back... No wonder he was pretending to be a girl. This way, the probability of him being discovered would indeed be smaller.
Tina¡¯s eyes lit up and she suddenly smiled.
Everything had originally been fine after she drove away Nora and her little bastard. It was all because Pete had suddenly run out of his room. On top of that, he had even insisted on calling Nora Mommy and being in cahoots with her.
That woman sure was smart to win over the kid first though. With his help, she could then go on and try to win over the adult... Tsk, how scheming.
Ah well. It was her fault for ying too much by the rules, being too haughty, and finding it beneath her to win over a child...
Tina felt much better now. She put away her phone and fell asleep.
It was Sunday the next day.
Tina went straight to the Hunts¡¯ vi after she woke up.
She was an attending doctor in Hospital Finest, so she often went over to the Hunts as a doctor when someone was feeling unwell. In particr, after it was said that she had saved the elderly Mrs. Hunt¡¯s life, she went in and out of the Hunts¡¯ as if it was her home.
She also did the same for Justin¡¯s vi.
This was one of the reasons why she was able to go to the vi the day before.
She drove to the vi¡¯s entrance. However, the gantry barrier at the entrance didn¡¯t automatically lift even after she waited for a while. Surprised, Tina rolled down the car window. Right away, she saw the security guard asking sternly, "Do you have an appointment, Ms. York?"
Tina, "?"
She was dumbfounded for a moment. Then, she pointed to herself and said, "Do I even need to make an appointment? It¡¯s not like you¡¯re new here. Did you forget who I am?"
However, the security guard replied just as sternly as ever, "No, but Mr. Hunt has specifically left us instructions saying that you¡¯re not allowed to go in and out at will anymore."
Tina, "!!"
An indescribable sense of embarrassment arose in her and she clenched her fists tightly.
Even her eyes had reddened in anger. "Is this a misunderstanding?"
The security guard replied, "Mr. Hunt personally gave us the instructions. Isn¡¯t your full name Tina York?"
"..."
Tina took a deep breath. Then, she said, "I¡¯ll give Mr. Hunt a call right away. There may be some kind of misunderstanding."
After saying that, she picked up her cell phone and dialed Justin¡¯s private number.
Justin had two mobile numbers. One was for work while the other was his private number.
During the period when Mrs. Hunt had been hospitalized, she was her attending doctor, so Justin had given her his private phone number. She had always been able to get through previously.
However, when she dialed his number this time, she instead heard the intercept message: ¡¯Hello, the number you have dialed is not in service.¡¯
Not in service? What nonsense! She just wasn¡¯t on his list of contacts anymore, that was all!
Tina clenched her fists tightly. She stopped the car at the side and struck the steering wheel angrily.
No, Mr. Hunt would never do this to her! That woman must have said something to him!
She suddenly thought of something and called Pete.
In no time, someone picked up. Pete¡¯s young but serious voice came from the other end: "Hello, who is this?"
Tina forced a smile and said, "Hi Pete, I¡¯m Aunt Tina."
"You must have called the wrong number. I don¡¯t know any Aunt Tina... beep... beep... beep..."
The other party had hung up.
The expression on Tina¡¯s face became even more awful!
As expected, Pete was still just as unappreciative of her kindness as ever.
She took a deep breath and let out an icyugh.
Fine. She was originally intending to talk to him nicely and coax him to help her, but judging from his attitude, it looked like he was determined to help Nora.
In that case, he didn¡¯t have any right to me her even if she told Justin about his live-streams!
Chapter 110: She Shouldn’t Stop Father And Daughter From Acknowledging Each Other
Chapter 110: She Shouldn¡¯t Stop Father And Daughter From Acknowledging Each Other
Unfortunately, Tina couldn¡¯t enter the vi anymore. Neither could she get through to Justin¡¯s phone. It was the weekend, so he wouldn¡¯t be going to the office, either. As such, she could only wait for him at the gates!
At the same time at the Andersons.
By the time Nora woke up, Cherry was already out ying with Melissa. She stretched and went to wash up. After that, she went downstairs leisurely.
After a simple lunch, Melissa and Cherry returned.
Someone else also came back together with them¡ªit was Sheena. Melissa hadn¡¯t seen her in a long time. She had a sullen and hostile look on her face at the moment.
She hadn¡¯t even taken a seat when she immediately asked Melissa, "What¡¯s wrong with you? Why did you reject the Lowes¡¯ real estate investment opportunity?"
Knowing that Sheena was here, Simon, who was home that day, left the study on the upper floor and went down. He was a little taken aback when he heard her question, so he asked, "What investment opportunity are you talking about?"
Sheena looked at Melissa and said with displeasure, "I¡¯ll let her tell you about it instead!"
Melissa sighed and told Simon what had happened.
Nora took a seat on the one-seater sofa while she was recounting the events. She couldn¡¯t help but purse her lips.
Come to think of it, it really was pretty surprising for Aunt Melissa to marry into the Andersons.
Given how she had a sister-inw like Miranda back home and an aggressive sister-inw like Sheena here, Nora really didn¡¯t know how she even survived all these years.
While she was secretly dissing them, Melissa also gave them a simple summary of what had happened.
As soon as she did, Sheena, who was a career woman focused solely on making money, couldn¡¯t help but say, "News of how the Lowes are short of funds for their real estate investment has already spread throughout the circle! A lot of people immediately rushed over to invest, but the Lowes rejected them all. It¡¯s not like they work with just any Tom, Dick, or Harry! Since they¡¯ve chosen the Woods, why couldn¡¯t you just let your sister-inw criticize you a little and suffer a bit? That way, you¡¯d have been able to help the Andersons make some money! Simon, a good opportunity has slipped away just like that. Aren¡¯t you going to say anything about it, Simon?"
Simon had been frowning since he came down. When he heard what she said, he immediately turned to Melissa and looked at her face. He said, "Miranda actually hit you right in our house? She¡¯s too much! How is your cheek? Does it still hurt? Let me have a look..."
Sheena: "?"
Melissa, who seemed like she already knew that he would react like this, smiled and shook her head. "I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s already been two days."
Despite that, Simon was still worried. He insisted that Melissa remove her makeup because he suspected that she was covering it up with foundation, causing Melissa to be caught betweenughter and tears.
The two of them, who were nearly fifty years old, flirted with each other, taking Nora by surprise.
For some reason, even though she had felt just a moment ago that her aunt didn¡¯t deserve to be treated like that, in this instant, she suddenly understood that as long as there was love, it didn¡¯t matter whether one deserved to be treated a certain way or not.
She had always felt that Justin¡¯s identity would bring danger to the children.
However, she had never once considered whether Cherry would be happier if she reunited with her father and gained her father¡¯s love.
She suddenly thought of how Cherry had reacted after Justin blocked her on Facebook the day before. Even though she had onlyined a little, she was actually still feeling rather down even now.
Was it a bit too much of her to prevent them from acknowledging each other?
"That¡¯s enough, the two of you! Do you really think that love can fill your stomachs? Simon, your heart is aching so much just because someone gave your wife a p, but do you know how much insult and humiliation I had to suffer back then for the sake of Harmonia Pharmacy?"
Sheena suddenly banged the table, causing the other three people¡¯s attention to return to her.
Simon clenched his jaw.
To be honest, he had already realized that his second sister must have been through a lot all these years when he saw how Deputy Dean Lucas had pawed her at the conference the other time.
Simon felt even guiltier toward Sheena. He said, "It¡¯s been tough on you, Sheena."
Sheena¡¯s expression mellowed a little. She replied, "I¡¯m willing to do it for the sake of the family. Simon, do you still remember how glorious the Andersons were when we were young? Even the Hunts and the Smiths had to treat us with courtesy. But what about now?"
She took a deep breath and went on. "They even have the guts to not invite us to a medical conference now! Why is that? It¡¯s all because we don¡¯t have any money! Such a good opportunity has been ced in front of us now, but why isn¡¯t any of you cherishing it?"
She looked straight at Melissa and said, "I know you¡¯re from a schrly family. It was indeed unfair for you to marry Simon under those circumstances back then, but Miranda is your sister-inw. What¡¯s the big deal about letting her hit you? If it allows the Andersons to expand into the real estate industry, I would smile and let her hit me a hundred times if that¡¯s what she wants! You guys are really just so... How could you let go of such a great investment opportunity?!"
Melissa, however, didn¡¯t agree with her. She straightened her back and slowly said, "Sheena, in my opinion, it doesn¡¯t matter how much money we have. It¡¯s fine as long as we have enough to survive. That¡¯s not what we should be relying on to revive the Andersons, either. Rather, it¡¯s our own skills and expertise that we should be using! Why do we have to grovel and submit to others? We mustn¡¯t lose our pride and backbone!"
Simon nodded. "I agree with Melissa."
A furious Sheena stood up abruptly. As though she had expected better from him, she said, "Are you really sure you don¡¯t care about money? Won¡¯t you be jealous when the Sos strike gold? Won¡¯t you mind?"
Both Melissa and Simon replied, "No, I won¡¯t."
Sheena took a deep breath and looked at Nora. "Even if you don¡¯t care about money, don¡¯t you care about your reputation?! Nora, how dare you assault an elderly!? And even be so arrogant as to im that you¡¯re going to help your aunt make money?! Are you nning to drag our names through the mud with your assaults? Are you trying to be a delinquent?
"Do you know that a lot of people had been asking me about you and your marital status after you stole the show at the dance party? But Miranda is now telling everyone how unbearable, arrogant, and ignorant you are! Quite a few decent families had their eye on you at first, but now they¡¯ve all disappeared! Do all of you not care about this, either?"
Melissa wasn¡¯t anxious about her matters, but she couldn¡¯t help but panic when she heard what she said. However, just as she was about to speak, she heard Nora¡¯s cool and crisp voice. "If they are people who easily believe gossip and rumors that they hear from others, why should I care about them?"
Sheena: "??"
Melissa added, "Besides, it¡¯s hard to say at the moment whether real estate will still be lucrative or not. Don¡¯t worry, Sheena..."
Seeing how the three of them were all so calm, Sheena let out an angry bark ofughter. "Is there even anything I should be worried about? It¡¯s not as if I¡¯ll get even a single cent from the Andersons? Also, are you saying that real estate isn¡¯t lucrative? Do you think you¡¯ll make money by giving Nora funds to invest in stocks? What nonsense! There¡¯s a limit to how much you can pamper a child!
"Fine, since none of you want to listen to me, then you can just wait for the Sos to strike gold while all of you starve to death at home! It¡¯s because all of you are content to stay like this that the Andersons have be what they are today!"
She turned and left after saying that.
¡ª
Sunlight shone through the windows into the car as the sun gradually rose, causing Tina to be drowsy.
She had already waited here for three hours. Just when she thought that Justin wouldn¡¯t be heading out today, the gates to the viplex opened up and Justin¡¯s impressive motorcade came out.
Tina¡¯s eyes lit up at once and she stopped in front of them right away.
Chapter 111: Pete Is A Live-Streamer?
Chapter 111: Pete Is A Live-Streamer?
Justin had always been very careful whenever he went out, especially when he had Pete with him.
He had been kidnapped before when he was a child, so he ced great importance on making sure that his son was safe.
That was also why he had hired home tutors for Pete instead of sending him to school.
No information about Justin¡¯s son could be found on the Inte at all. There weren¡¯t even photos, let alone his name.
In fact, not many in New York had even seen Pete before. Justin wanted his son as well-protected as possible before he gained the ability to protect himself.
For example, he was currently just taking his son out for lunch, but he had brought as many as eight bodyguards with him.
The eight bodyguards were separated into two cars. One was in front of them while the other was behind them.
Tina got out of her car and stopped in front of the cars in her high heels. She said, "Mr. Hunt, I have something to tell you!"
The door of the middle vehicle¡¯s passenger seat opened, upon which a leg d in suit trousers came out. Tina breathed a sigh of relief. Just as she thought it was Justin, she instead saw the tanned Lawrence getting out of the car.
He neatened his suit and walked over. Then, he grabbed Tina by the arm and pulled her out of the way to the side.
Tina shouted at the car, "Mr. Hunt...!"
However, she only managed to shout two words before the two cars in front started and left. The third car stopped beside Lawrence.
Lawrence said to Tina, "Mr. Hunt hates people pestering him the most, Ms. York."
Tina narrowed her eyes and shook off his arm. She straightened her back and said, "Mr. Zimmer, please ry a message to Mr. Hunt for me. I really have something to talk to him about. It¡¯s about his son, so I have to speak to him in person."
Lawrence said mockingly, "Ms. York, what is there that you have to say to Mr. Hunt in person? I¡¯ve seen too many people with ill intentions trying to approach him under the guise of caring for his son. Can¡¯t you put in a little more effort and use a different excuse?"
At this point, Lawrence pursed his lips and added, "Or you can just tell me and I¡¯ll convey it to Mr. Hunt for you. There isn¡¯t any difference!"
Tina, whose intentions had been exposed, immediately became furious. However, she knew that it was probably useless even if she insisted on seeing Justin, so she decided to give in. She said, "Mr. Zimmer, I discovered by chancest night that Pete is live-streaming games. Mr. Hunt has always been very strict with Pete. It doesn¡¯t seem quite appropriate for him to do live-streams online, right?"
Lawrence scoffed and replied, "You sure are doing everything you can to get close to Mr. Hunt, Ms. York! Isn¡¯t the credibility of your im too low?"
"It¡¯s impossible that Pete would y games! Moreover, he doesn¡¯t talk much. There¡¯s no way he would live-stream!"
Seeing that he didn¡¯t believe her, Tina panicked and said, "It¡¯s true. He¡¯s already trending on social media!"
He was trending on social media?
Lawrence raised his eyebrows and said, "Oh, is that so? Show me, then."
Tina, however, narrowed her eyes and said, "This concerns Pete, so I can only show it to Mr. Hunt, Mr. Zimmer. Let Mr. Hunt know about this; once we add each other on Facebook, I¡¯ll send him the information. How does that sound?"
Lawrence smiled and replied, "Okay, I will let him know."
After saying that, he turned, got into the third car, and caught up to the cars at the front.
When he got into the car, a bodyguard asked, "Is what that woman said true, Mr. Zimmer?"
Lawrence sneered, "How can that be? Pete is a live-streamer? Are you kidding me?"
However, the moment he said that, it suddenly urred to him that he seemed to have said something simr when he was in California thest time? He hadn¡¯t ryed Ms. Smith¡¯s message to Mr. Hunt, which resulted in him being sent to Burundi...
Lawrence shuddered.
He hurriedly said, "I¡¯ll check if it¡¯s true."
He picked up his cell phone, opened the social media apps, and checked the trending topics. From the first to thest one, he looked through them all, but he didn¡¯t see anything rted to Pete.
Nevertheless, he didn¡¯t dare to risk overlooking anything, so he called Hunt Corporation¡¯s IT security department and asked, "Is the screening system that Mr. Hunt asked for done?"
The IT security department chief replied, "We¡¯ve been working overtime since yesterday on it. I reckon we¡¯ll finish it tonight."
"Okay. Send it to me when it¡¯s done."
Lawrence hung up.
As an executive assistant, it was imperative that he learned to filter certain content by himself.
From now on, all of Ms. Smith¡¯s messages must be ryed to Mr. Hunt.
But for everyone else, he had to verify the authenticity before rying them to the boss.
Otherwise, was he supposed to subject his boss to Tina¡¯s threat and have him add her as a friend on Facebook? He wouldn¡¯t be a qualified executive assistant anymore if that happened!
By the time the car caught up to the other two cars, Justin and Pete were already in the restaurant.
Lawrence observed his boss carefully after he entered the private room.
Justin had had an awful expression on his face since the previous evening. He gave off a chilly aura all over, so no one dared to approach him. As such, Lawrence gave it some thought and decided to conduct a thorough investigation before telling him about it.
He had no desire to get into the line of fire while the tyrant was in a bad mood. It was hard to say who the unlucky ones would be.
After lunch, they returned to the vi. Sure enough, when they were turning the corner, they saw in the rearview mirror a few people behaving sneakily. Justin frowned and ordered, "Get rid of those flies."
Lawrence replied, "... Yes, sir."
They had already received news about these people¡¯s presence the moment they arrived at the viplex. In fact, they already knew the moment they undertook the mission. After all, the security personnel around Justin was the best in the world.
In order to ensure Pete¡¯s safety, the bodyguards around him were all retired special forces officers!
Justin had only kept them around in order to lure out the people hidden further behind. After all, apart from his uncle, there were also many others who seemed to be eyeing his boss for reasons that Lawrence didn¡¯t understand.
Five minutester.
Scarface, who had wounds all over him, was brought over to Justin in the living room of his vi.
Scarface was so aggrieved that he was about to cry. His face was swollen and he had even lost a tooth in the fight. His speech was unclear as he begged for mercy.
"Mr. Hunt, your female bodyguard has already taught us a lesson. We really don¡¯t have the guts to kidnap your son anymore. We¡¯ve been protecting him all this time! We even drove away three groups of people over thest two days!"
Justin, "?"
Taken aback, he asked, "My female bodyguard?"
"Yes, she was driving a jeep yesterday. The one who¡¯s protecting your son."
A jeep... Nora Smith?
Justin sat up straight. The cold look on his face mellowed a little.
Nora hadn¡¯t given him any birthday gifts the day before, which made him feel as if he had been neglected, so he had been in a bad mood all day. But as it turned out, she did care about him, right?
Otherwise, why would she quietly teach Scarface a lesson but not tell him anything?
As expected, she was indeed deeply in love with and devoted to him... Everyone else was dying to let the whole world know whenever they did something for him, yet she didn¡¯t even mention anything about what she did.
The corners of Justin¡¯s lips curled upward slightly and his mood, which had been gloomy all day, became much better. With a wave, he got his men to take Scarface away. Then, he suddenly thought of Cherry...
Was it a bad move for him to delete Cherry from his Facebook? In that case, maybe he should add her as a friend again?
He opened Facebook, intending to unblock her and add her back as a friend with the excuse that he had identally deleted her. But he instead saw that...
Chapter 112: It Really Is Pete!
Chapter 112: It Really Is Pete!
He tapped on the link to Cherry¡¯s Facebook profile so that he could send her a friend request.
But when he did that, he unexpectedly saw a message prompt saying: "Sorry, this content isn¡¯t avable right now."
Justin, "?"
Did this mean that the little brat had also blocked him? Tsk, she was pretty bad-tempered, huh.
"Cherry must have be angry."
A young voice suddenly rang out beside his ear, startling him. He turned around to see Pete standing behind the sofa and staring at his cell phone.
Justin let out an awkward cough and tossed the cell phone aside before he said casually, "So be it if she¡¯s angry. She can do whatever she wants."
Pete fell silent for a second. Then, he sighed and said, "Daddy, I¡¯d advise you to coax her. Otherwise, you¡¯ll regret it."
He would regret it?
Justin scoffed, "Why would I regret it? Why should I coax someone else¡¯s daughter?"
Pete asked, "Are you sure?"
"Yes."
Seeing how he refused to listen to advice, Pete silently said a prayer for him.
To be honest, the tyrant was a good father.
After all, how many fathers who took care of their children themselves were there in the world?
Cherry liked him quite a lot too. However, the tyrant was insisting on upsetting his soft and cuddly younger sister now. He was really just digging his own grave.
He would just watch in silence when the tyrant is forced to eat his own words!
Justin snorted inwardly.
He indeed wanted a daughter, but she wasn¡¯t going to be the one that Nora had with someone else.
Instead of pampering her, he might as well pamper Sweetie instead.
After all, unlike Cherry who was so bad-tempered, she was cute, well-behaved, and obedient.
With that in mind, Justin suddenly remembered that he had missed Sweetie¡¯s live-stream the day before, and he somehow decided to open the live-stream app on his cell phone.
Elsewhere, Lawrence was currently checking the web for information about the trending topics that Tina had mentioned.
He had given it some careful thought. Tina wasn¡¯t stupid; even if she was making up an excuse to approach Justin, she wouldn¡¯t use such a lousy one.
Perhaps it wasn¡¯t one of today¡¯s trending topics but previous days¡¯ instead?
Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t use social media apps very much, so he wasn¡¯t very familiar with them. As such, he could only fumble and randomly try to find his way around.
¡ª
At the Andersons.
After the moody Cherry was forced to finish her Mathematical Olympiad assignments, the bored little girl started her live-stream ahead of schedule.
Fans poured in the moment she started the live-stream. At the sight of quite a few familiar names, she greeted them excitedly, "Hi!"
In thements, JH wrote: ¡¯Hello.¡¯
As her second-highest ranked fan, he had special privileges.
Hisment was in arger font size and in bold. His username was also in red text so that it would be easier for live-streamers to notice that their big patrons had entered and interacted with them.
Usually, the moment Justin entered the live-stream, sweetcherry would immediately greet him and call out sweetly, "Hi Sponsor Daddy!"
The way she called him Daddy was as if her voice was coated in honey, making him feel sweet all the way to the bottom of his heart.
However, sweetcherry didn¡¯t greet him today even after quite some time after he wrote thement.
Did she miss it?
Taken aback, Justin wrote anotherment: ¡¯Howe you started the live-stream so early today?¡¯
Children had screen time limits, and parents usually set it from six to eight o¡¯clock.
But after he sent thement, he instead heard the little live-streamer¡¯s cute voice saying, "Hi Windy! Yes, I¡¯ve already had lunch, yeah~"
"GreenKite, I¡¯m only good at ying as this hero. Besides, don¡¯t you think she¡¯s the prettiest and cutest character here?"
"..."
Justin couldn¡¯t help but scroll up in thements.
Although she had gained a lot more fans, she hadn¡¯t given advanced notice that she would be starting her live-stream early, so there weren¡¯t many people in the live-stream at the moment.
Windy¡¯sment was above his: ¡¯Has Sweetie had lunch yet?¡¯
GreenKite¡¯sment was below his: ¡¯Do you only know how to y as that hero? What about other heroes?¡¯
She had replied to both of their messages but missed out on his?
Was he having a bad connection, so hisment wasn¡¯t sent?
Right after the thought formed, he saw morements:
¡¯Did Sweetie fall out with Sponsor Daddy? Why are you ignoring him?¡¯
¡¯Haha! Sponsor Daddy was ignored!¡¯
¡¯Sweetie used to call out to Sponsor Grandpa and Sponsor Daddy all the time, but she is suddenly ignoring Sponsor Daddy today. Why do I feel so good about it?¡¯
¡¯Wow, I¡¯ve done well today! I¡¯m actually one of the first 100 to enter Sweetie¡¯s live-stream! You can put up a notice in advance next time if you¡¯re starting your live-stream early, Sweetie~¡¯
¡¯What¡¯s the matter, Sweetie? Sponsor Daddy is talking to you. Why are you ignoring him?¡¯
...
Given all thements, sweetcherry must have noticed him by now. However, the little girl outright ignored all thements about Sponsor Daddy and only said adorably, "How do I put up a notice if I want to start the live-stream early? I don¡¯t know how to do it~"
Her young and tender voice had a bit of a coquettish charm when she dragged out her words, causing the hearts of everyone who heard it to melt.
The live-stream was filled withments:
¡¯Sweetie is so cute!¡¯
¡¯Remember to eat more, Sweetie~¡¯
¡¯How can a child be this cute? I really wanna take Sweetie home!¡¯
However, Justin, who was watching the live-stream, instead felt rather hurt.
She was doing it on purpose.
There was no doubt about it.
His expression turned frosty and he suddenly found himself at a loss.
This was the very first time Justin had ever been ignored in his twenty-odd years of life. After all, he was always the center of attention wherever he went.
He frowned and wrote anotherment: ¡¯Are you in a bad mood today?¡¯
The seven big red words stayed on the screen for a very long time before they disappeared.
Everyone who wasn¡¯t blind saw them, yet it was as if the little girl hadn¡¯t noticed anything and continued to ignore him.
Everyone started to joke about it even more in thements.
Someone even wrote: "It must be because you didn¡¯t tip her today that she¡¯s ignoring you!"
A tip...
Justin frowned.
In his world, money was just a set of numbers that represented transactions.
If she was refusing to call him Sponsor Daddy just because he hadn¡¯t tipped her, then this would no longer be someone appreciating another person but a transaction.
He returned to his usual icy-cold attitude.
At this point, someonemented: ¡¯Live-streamers should be keeping their patrons happy all the time. What is she being so arrogant here for? If I were you, Sponsor Daddy, I would unfollow her and tip her rival instead!¡¯
Her rival?
It was only then that Justin noticed that there was actually also a face-off section in sweetcherry¡¯s live-stream.
Meanwhile, Lawrence was still searching through the trending topics on social media.
Unfortunately, trending topics on social media were all in real-time, so he didn¡¯t know where to start at all.
While he was lost, the IT security department chief sent him an email: ¡¯The screening system has beenpleted. Once you upload little Mr. Hunt¡¯s photo, you¡¯ll be able to check whether his information has been leaked onto the Inte.¡¯
Lawrence felt relieved at once.
He hurriedly took out hisptop and downloaded the program. Then, he took a photo of Pete and uploaded it. Soon, the search results appeared. A webpage of trending topics from the day before immediately appeared on the screen.
Lawrence was stunned. Pete really was live-streaming! On top of that, he was even using some kind of alias called ¡¯sweetcherry¡¯???
Chapter 113: Sponsor Daddy Is A Tool?
Chapter 113: Sponsor Daddy Is A Tool?
Lawrence swallowed hard.
He looked through the content carefully and even specially took a look at the live-stream video featured in the trending post where sweetcherry had dropped her mask...
Even if one were to say that the photo might be fake, Lawrence was almost 100% certain that the face in the video was indeed Pete¡¯s.
He looked at Pete incredulously, feeling as if he was going to have a mental breakdown.
The post had included all of sweetcherry¡¯s ssic live-stream moments, such as her adorably asking another yer in the game, "Is your entire family so skilled at doing nothing?"
It also included her calling out "Sponsor Grandpa~" in her young and tender voice.
The way she added ¡¯yeah¡¯ to her sentences was also practically brainwashing him.
Was that adorable and lively child in the live-streams really the merciless and reticent Pete who had mild autism?
A silent Lawrence walked over to the entrance to the study and peeked inside.
Pete was still seated and reading seriously in the study. He really couldn¡¯t tell that he had a habit of cross-dressing. Nor could he tell that he was someone who would live-stream...
No wonder Mr. Hunt felt that Pete was sick. Wasn¡¯t his current self an entirely different person from the one in the live-streams? He definitely had schizophrenia!
Lawrence¡¯s scalding gaze was so fervent that it was hard for Pete to ignore him.
He looked up and immediately saw a troubled Lawrence looking at him sadly. He said, "This isn¡¯t your fault, Pete. You¡¯re just sick, sigh."
Pete, "?"
An expressionless Pete said, "There are vitamins in Daddy¡¯s room. If your braincks nutrients, you can take some to boost your brainpower."
Lawrence nodded immediately. "Really? I¡¯ll take two, then... Sigh, so many of my brain cells died just now!"
Then, he again nced at Pete regretfully before he left the room.
Pete, "..."
Had Uncle Lawrence been influenced by the tyrant?
He was still so young, yet he had be an idiot. How pitiful.
Pete shook his head. He lowered his head to return to the book, but his gaze shifted to his cell phone instead. Just now, his younger sister had sent him a text message: "I¡¯ll never love Daddy ever again! He actually blocked me! I¡¯m so sad!"
When he thought of that, a sympathetic look appeared on Pete¡¯s countenance.
Compared to Uncle Lawrence, it seemed like the tyrant was more pitiful? Initially, Mommy was the only one who didn¡¯t like him, but even his sister was starting to dislike him now.
¡ª
A surly-looking Justin stared at the live-stream.
Were all the children so spoiled these days? First, Cherry blocked him on Facebook and now, Sweetie was ignoring him in the live-stream.
He was the great CEO of the Hunt Corporation. Was he someone who would care about two little kids who weren¡¯t rted to him by blood?
He snorted inwardly and looked at the face-off screen again.
The live-streamers¡¯ opponents were randomly selected by the system. Cherry had unfortunately been matched today with a live-streamer who had a million fans. The other party had clearlye prepared, so he already had $150,000 worth of points more than her.
The people in thements started to panic.
¡¯Quick, Sweetie, do a shout-out to Sponsor Daddy. He just needs to tip you with a round of airnes and it¡¯ll be a tie!¡¯
¡¯Why isn¡¯t Sponsor Grandpa here today?¡¯
¡¯I know why he isn¡¯t here. Sponsor Grandpa enters the live-stream half an hour earlier every day, but Sweetie started the live-stream three hours early today, so he must not know that Sweetie is live-streaming now!¡¯
¡¯Quick, Sweetie, ask Sponsor Grandpa for help~¡¯
...
Thements made Justin frown.
sweetcherry¡¯s young, tender voice rang out at this point. She said, "No, that won¡¯t do. I can¡¯t ask Sponsor Grandpa for money~!"
Cherry had always known that she mustn¡¯t ask other people for presents. Sponsor Grandpa was an outsider; to Cherry, the airne tips that he gave her were just gifts.
Even though she had Sponsor Grandpa on her Facebook Messenger, there was no way she could go on Messenger and demand gifts from him!
This was one of Cherry¡¯s basic life principles.
Besides, this was just a contest. Did it make any difference whether she won or lost?
She had only joined the contest because she identally clicked on it anyway.
With this thought in mind, Cherry continued to y her game steadily and ignored thements.
At the same time, Fantasia also started a live-stream.
Fantasia was a young woman around 20 years old. Her image was that of a youngdy from a wealthy family. She was currently live-streaming herself shopping for luxury goods.
She sat in a Gi store¡¯s VIP room as she waited for the service staff to bring her clothes and newly-released bags to choose from. Afternoon tea had also been served to her in the store. The pastry tes had gold borders that made them look exceptionally luxurious.
She sat on the sofa with an exquisite teacup in her hand. As she sipped on the fruit tea, she said, "The fruit tea here is delicious. It¡¯s very suitable for women..."
While chatting, she suddenly saw someonementing: ¡¯sweetcherry is in a face-off with Ika right now. Do you think she can win this one?¡¯
Fantasia burst intoughter and said, "Ika is a famous rich second-generation heir in the gaming channels. I¡¯m acquaintances with him and we¡¯ve met at several parties before. He won¡¯t lose even if his opponent is a big-name live-streamer with ten million fans. He¡¯ll definitely be one of the top ten live-streamers. Let me see how the live-stream is going..."
As Fantasia spoke, she picked up a cell phone that she wasn¡¯t using for live-streaming and entered sweetcherry and Ika¡¯s live-stream face-off. When she saw the number of points they had, she smiled and said, "Is there even a need for them topete anymore? sweetcherry¡¯s fans are very smart though. Fighting with Ika will only result in both parties suffering losses. In that case, it¡¯s better to just give up right from the start."
Someone asked: ¡¯What do you mean?¡¯
Fantasiaughed and said, "Didn¡¯t you notice that sweetcherry¡¯s No. 1 and No. 2 fans aren¡¯t doing anything today? Ohe on, surely you guys aren¡¯t still thinking that those two are really patrons?"
Someone asked: "Aren¡¯t they? But they are really very generous!"
Fantasia¡¯s lip corners curled upward and she drawled, "Here, I¡¯ll teach you guys a way to distinguish between real and fake patrons. Real patrons usually follow quite a few live-streamers and also tip a few different live-streamers. Let¡¯s take a look at sweetcherry¡¯s No. 1 and No. 2 fans¡¯ profiles. Tsk, what a coincidence. They are both new ounts registered right before and after sweetcherry started doing live-streams. That¡¯s fine and all, but both of them have only tipped sweetcherry before. Now, that¡¯s interesting."
In thements:
¡¯I get it now! Her No. 1 and No. 2 fans are both tools! No wonder sweetcherry became so popr immediately after she started live-streaming. So that¡¯s what it is!¡¯
¡¯So Sponsor Grandpa and Sponsor Daddy are all just her hyping up herself~ I gotta say that managementpanies really know what they¡¯re doing these days!¡¯
¡¯I just wanna know whether the one ying the game now is still that five-year-old cutie or not?¡¯
The group of them who had been led around by their noses by Fantasia swarmed into sweetcherry¡¯s live-stream and started tombast her.
¡¯Sweetie? It¡¯s nothing but just a fake image! How gross!¡¯
¡¯Hahaha, are you retreating just because you¡¯re up against Ika? Do you have too much self-awareness or what? Your No. 1 and No. 2 fans are just tools! The former doesn¡¯t dare to show up while thetter pretends to fall out with you after he shows up... Tsk, you¡¯re real smooth, huh!¡¯
At the Hunts¡¯ vi, Lawrence walked over and saw that his boss was staring at his cell phone with a frown.
Chapter 114: He Actually Has a Daughter!!
Chapter 114: He Actually Has a Daughter!!
Justin stared at the screen coldly.
He, a true blue patron, had actually be a tool in their eyes? On top of that, they were even making ims about a managementpany?
Hah.
What a huge joke.
They were just a bunch of naive kids on the Inte. They sure jumped to a lot of conclusions when all they had was insignificant evidence, and easily believed everything that others said. Thements section was in total chaos now.
He picked up his cell phone. He was about to say something and defend sweetcherry when she said, "Sponsor Grandpa isn¡¯t a tool. Don¡¯t you spout nonsense. Otherwise, I¡¯m gonna get mad!"
Justin, "?"
She had only mentioned Sponsor Grandpa but not Sponsor Daddy...
Justin had always thought of himself as a tolerant person ever since he was a child. His upbringing had never allowed him to lose his temper in front of outsiders, either. Moreover, apart from Pete, no one had been able to really anger him all these years.
But he actually felt a little hurt at this moment.
That little live-streamer! She was too much!
To think he was always thinking about her and even asionally came in to watch her live-streams. This was also the first time he had tipped anyone like that in his life...
Justin made up his mind¡ªhe was going to unfollow her!
He was about to leave the live-stream when he saw someone asking in thements:
¡¯Is Sponsor Daddy a tool, then?¡¯
sweetcherry fell silent for a while. Then, she replied unhappily, "No, he isn¡¯t. Sponsor Daddy is even less likely to be a tool!"
Seeing that she was finally talking about Sponsor Daddy after so long, all the motherly fans began to express their concern for her.
¡¯Sweetie baby, did you argue with Sponsor Daddy? What¡¯s wrong?¡¯
¡¯Sweetie cutie, did someone make you upset?¡¯
Thements were also interspersed with attacks from haters.
¡¯Hah, how is he not? He hasn¡¯t shown you a single cent of support or given you any tip today. Doesn¡¯t that show that you¡¯ve automatically given up on the face-off today?¡¯
sweetcherry ignored the haters and said unhappily to the people who truly cared about her, "Because I hate Daddy!"
The motherly fans: ¡¯Do you hate Sponsor Daddy? Or your real Daddy?¡¯
sweetcherry replied, "They¡¯re all the same!"
The fans, "??"
Justin, "??"
So, the little fellow was just venting her anger on him because her real father had upset her?
Suddenly, his heart softened a little.
Justin coughed and wrote: ¡¯What did your father do?¡¯
As her other fans were also asking the same question, sweetcherry answered, "Daddy is horrible. He ignored me~ I will never talk to stinky Daddy ever again!"
Thements were filled with fans scolding her father.
¡¯Your father is so horrible. It¡¯s bad enough that he doesn¡¯t want you and your Mommy, but he¡¯s even ignoring you now?¡¯
¡¯Sue him. He is obligated to raise you. What gives him the right to ignore our cute and innocent Sweetie?¡¯
¡¯He¡¯s too much! What a scumbag!¡¯
...
Justin, "..."
For some reason, he suddenly thought of Cherry and felt a little guilty.
But right after, he found the thought ridiculous. What was he guilty about? He wasn¡¯t Cherry¡¯s father anyway...
As a man though, how could he not take care of his own child?
Justin looked down and wrote: ¡¯Your father is such a scumbag!¡¯
The words in big and bold font appeared in thements and even stayed there for several seconds...
Cherry felt much better.
Having Daddy scold himself was also a way of punishing him, right?
She was still thinking about it when another bunch of haters poured into her live-stream.
¡¯This is so disgusting. I¡¯ve finally seen what a bully looks like. Why didn¡¯t you give up yesterday when you were up against our favorite live-streamer? Aren¡¯t you just giving up today because Ika is a rich second-generation heir, so it¡¯s not easy for you to bully him?¡¯
¡¯She¡¯s just an image that a managementpany is selling. What are all of you being so worked up for her for?¡¯
¡¯The No. 1 and No. 2 fans are too fake. Both of them must be the managementpany¡¯s ounts.¡¯
¡¯I¡¯m seriously dubious about whether the one ying the game is really a young kid? Everyone only saw her holding a cell phone when she revealed her face the other time. No one saw her actually ying it, right?¡¯
¡¯She must be hiding something for her to refuse to turn on the camera all the time.¡¯
¡¯Don¡¯t you think that the No. 1 fan is very ridiculous? How can he not keep a close watch on the live-streamer¡¯s activities during such a critical moment? It¡¯s already been half an hour since the live-stream started, yet he still isn¡¯t here... He probably isn¡¯ting today, right?¡¯
Cherry didn¡¯t care about them scolding her, but the one they were scolding was Sponsor Grandpa? She wasn¡¯t going to take it lying down!
She was about to let her mouth run wild and m all of the haters when someone suddenly wrote: ¡¯Quick, Sweetie, take a look at Fantasia¡¯s live-stream. She¡¯s calling you an unlearned little country bumpkin.¡¯
Cherry, "?"
The five-year-old was totally confused by everything that was happening.
As for thements, they were filled with things such as:
¡¯sweetcherry is a fake princess! Fantasia is the true princess!¡¯
¡¯Fantasia is online and personally proving someone¡¯s bitchiness now!¡¯
¡¯There¡¯s a very simple way to prove yourself¡ªeither turn on the camera and show us where you live or let your No. 1 and No. 2 fanse forward andpete with Ika. Here, I¡¯ll tell you a secret: Ika has prepared $800,000 for this!¡¯
¡¯Exactly. You say that Sponsor Grandpa isn¡¯t here because he has something on, but your Sponsor Daddy is obviously online. Why don¡¯t you get Sponsor Daddy to tip you, then?¡¯
Seeing how the haters¡¯ments were getting meaner and meaner, the motherly fans panicked. Tips swarmed into Cherry¡¯s live-stream one by one.
Unfortunately, they were still too weak. Just as they narrowed the gap by $15,000, Ika received another tip of $150,000. The gap was pulled bigger and bigger.
Everyone felt rather helpless.
Someone wrote: ¡¯Sponsor Daddy, can¡¯t you help Sweetie out?¡¯
The corners of Justin¡¯s lips curled upward and he replied: ¡¯I¡¯ll help you if you ask me to.¡¯
The moment he sent thement, Sweetie said, "No, I won¡¯t."
She would never give in to stinky Daddy!
Justin, "???"
Whose stubborn little brat was she?!
So be it if she refused to give in. In that case, he couldn¡¯t be bothered to tip her, either. It wasn¡¯t like he was crazy or masochistic; he just wasn¡¯t going to demean himself!
In thements, the motherly fans were trying to appease him: ¡¯Don¡¯t hold it against a child, Sponsor Daddy.¡¯
Justin sneered and wrote: ¡¯It¡¯s not like I¡¯m her father anyway.¡¯
So why should he baby her?
Justin left the live-stream in a fit of anger.
When he turned, he saw Lawrence looking at him carefully. He asked, "Are you in a good mood now, Boss?"
Justin frowned and replied, "Juste right out and say it if you have something to say."
Lawrence heaved a silent sigh and said, "We discovered that Pete is live-streaming himself ying games."
Pete was live-streaming?
Justin sneered, "Are you still asleep?"
Pete was with him every day. He even knew like the back of his hand what time he woke up and what time he ate. How could he possibly be live-streaming?
Lawrence hurriedly exined, "It¡¯s true. His alias is sweetcherry and he live-streams himself ying games for two hours every day..."
Justin was stunned at once. "What did you say?"
Lawrence took out his cell phone and showed him the trending topics about sweetcherry. Seeing how shocked and puzzled he looked, Lawrence said, "Don¡¯t be mad, Mr. Hunt. Children are all rebellious by nature..."
But before he finished, Justin stood up abruptly and went straight to Pete¡¯s study!
Lawrence followed closely after him. "Boss, don¡¯t be angry..."
As soon as he said that, he saw that Pete was currently studying. Meanwhile, Justin reentered sweetcherry¡¯s live-stream.
Lawrence was stunned. Wasn¡¯t sweetcherry, Pete? Who was that?
Then, he saw his boss suddenly using his cell phone to hack into the live-stream app. Right after, sweetcherry¡¯s camera suddenly turned on in the live-stream!
Chapter 115: Cherry, You’ve Exposed Yourself
Chapter 115: Cherry, You¡¯ve Exposed Yourself
The whole vi suddenly fell silent. Only sweetcherry¡¯s young and tender voice in the live-stream could be heard saying, "Don¡¯t give me any more gifts, guys~ It¡¯s too wasteful!"
Thements were filled with things such as:
¡¯Poor Sweetie. Fight, Sweetie! You have Mom¡¯s support!¡¯
¡¯Sob! Why did Sponsor Daddy leave? He¡¯s horrible!¡¯
¡¯It¡¯s okay, Sweetie. Sponsor Daddy may have left, but we¡¯re still here. I¡¯ll top-up another $150.¡¯
¡¯We mustn¡¯t lose...¡¯
Cherry had noticed the moment Justin left the live-stream. She was so sad that her eyes were all red and tears were brimming in them. Her little mouth was also turned up into a pout. As she was in the midst of a team battle, she wasn¡¯t looking at theputer screen. Her head was lowered, making her eyshes look like fans casting silhouettes on her cheeks.
She muttered angrily, "Stinky Daddy. I won¡¯t like you ever again..."
Justin, who was staring at the screen, didn¡¯t even dare to blink.
That face, as well that young and tender voice, made him tense up all over. He couldn¡¯t help but hold his breath, seemingly afraid that the little girl on the phone would sense something.
He was utterly shocked and stunned.
Apart from having a stinky son, he, Justin Hunt, also had... a daughter!
The realization made his mind go nk. However, his eyes that were fixed on the phone reddened a little and the corners of his lips curled up with excitement.
Apletely stunned Lawrence looked at him.
He stared at the phone, then looked up and nced at Pete. Even afterparing the two several times, he couldn¡¯t help but rub his eyes in disbelief. Toward the end, he still found the whole thing unbelievable. "M-Mr. Hunt, how can two children in the world resemble each other so much?"
¡¯Resemble¡¯? This was no ¡¯resemnce¡¯; they were practically identical!
Apart from twins, there was probably no one who could produce two children who looked so much like each other.
A confused Pete looked up in a daze to see the tyrant looking as though he wanted to bothugh and cry, whereas Lawrence looked shocked and horrified.
The two men stood at the door, asionally looking at him and asionally at the cell phone...
He could also hear audio from the game that Cherry yeding from the cell phone...
Pete was terribly rmed. Had they discovered Cherry?
He hurriedly climbed down from the chair and trotted over to the two men. Then, he tiptoed and looked at Justin¡¯s phone...
Sure enough, it really was Cherry!
Pete¡¯s eyes widened big and round. What are they supposed to do about this now?
Going by how aggressive the tyrant was, he would definitely take Cherry away from Mommy and never allow them to ever see Mommy again.
From then on, he and his younger sister would be locked in a prison known as the Hunts and separated from Mommy...
The more Pete thought about it, the more nervous he became.
Previously, the tyrant had never noticed the peculiarities in his or his sister¡¯s behavior only because he didn¡¯t know that he had a daughter, but he did now...
He took a deep breath, hurriedly picked up his cell phone, and sent Cherry a text message: ¡¯Cherry, you¡¯ve been exposed!¡¯
At the Andersons.
Cherry was ying games on her cell phone when a notification suddenly popped up.
Upon reading the message, she raised her head in surprise and found that the camera of theputer in front of her had actually turned on at some point!
Cherry received a huge shock and quickly turned off the camera. Only then did she breathe a huge sigh of relief.
Everyone in thements was already eximing in amazement!
¡¯Oh my gosh, how can there be such a cute child in this world?¡¯
¡¯Ahhh!! I was watching Sweetie¡¯s actions closely just now, and she¡¯s really the one ying! The distance that her fingers slid across the screen is exactly the same as in the game!¡¯
¡¯Her eyshes are so long! I¡¯m in love!¡¯
¡¯This isn¡¯t a child! She¡¯s clearly an angel! Isn¡¯t she too cute? She¡¯ll definitely be a stunner when she grows up! The kind that¡¯ll easily trash those in the entertainment industry!¡¯
Amid the manymentsplimenting her good looks were also frequent notifications of people tipping her.
¡¯Don¡¯t be scared, Sweetie! Your Mommies are here!¡¯
¡¯Let¡¯s do this! After seeing how cute Sweetie is, I really can¡¯t bear to see her lose!¡¯
¡¯Let¡¯s work hard together!¡¯
The fans surprisingly came together as a united front in thements.
In Fantasia¡¯s live-stream.
Fantasia had just live-streamed herself trying on a couple of outfits, but she didn¡¯t like either of them. Sheined, "Sigh, I didn¡¯t manage to find any clothes I like this time either, but I¡¯ll just buy a couple of bags anyway. I can¡¯t let myself make this trip in vain... It isn¡¯t nice if I don¡¯t let the service staff earn a little after they spent so much time and effort, either."
She sat on the sofa and got the service staff to fetch the bags.
It was at this point that certainments started appearing in her live-stream:
¡¯sweetcherry is really stunning!¡¯
¡¯It¡¯s a shame if she doesn¡¯t debut in the entertainment industry, given how pretty she is... No wonder she¡¯s gained nearly a million followers in less than a month.¡¯
Fantasia had always been hailed as a ssy beauty because of her self-confidence that stemmed from hering from a wealthy background. She became a little unhappy when she saw people in her live-streamplimenting someone else.
She picked up her cell phone. After looking carefully at what was happening for a while, she scoffed and said, "She¡¯s obviously just changing the topic~ Look at how many tips she received after she turned on the camera. She¡¯s stooping so low.¡¯
She rested her cheeks on her hands and said with a smile, "Didn¡¯t she im that she¡¯s from a wealthy family with 75 million dors? Why is she gathering fans here for just a few measly tens of thousands of dors?"
She shook her head and went on. "sweetcherry has actually made a wrong move. It¡¯s not wrong of the managementpany to create an image for her; she¡¯s so cute, she could¡¯ve totally gone for the adorable baby style instead. A five-year-old ying games is already a highlight in itself, but they were too greedy and tried to take everything they can instead..."
Her loyal fans immediately started to pay her lip service in thements:
¡¯Exactly. Is the image of a wealthy person something that ordinary people can go for? What a joke.¡¯
¡¯Everyone¡¯s going for a luxurious image these days. Apart from Fantasia, I haven¡¯t seen anyone who can really pull it off...¡¯
¡¯Fantasia¡¯s self-confidence is in her DNA. There¡¯s no way anyone can develop a charm like that without money. Sweetie is so ridiculous. She keeps telling people not to tip her anymore, but what is she live-streaming for, if not for tips? She¡¯s so fake!¡¯
¡¯Hahaha, her No. 2 fan is really ridiculous too. He left the live-stream so openly after pretending to fall out with her. This way, no one can say anything about it!¡¯
Fantasia smiled again after reading thements. She said, "You¡¯re right. Her opponent today is Ika, who¡¯s a well-known young man from a wealthy family, so she started her live-stream ahead of time today. This way, she can say that her No. 1 fan didn¡¯te because she started her live-stream early. As for her No. 2 fan, they also supposedly fell out. What a coincidence, huh? Her managementpany is really smart though. With this, she¡¯ll probably trend again..."
At practically the same time she said that, thements suddenly went crazy.
Fantasia calmly took a look:
¡¯Quick, go and look at sweetcherry¡¯s live-stream!¡¯
¡¯Oh my gosh! I can¡¯t breathe!¡¯
Chapter 116: Saving The Damsel In Distress!
Chapter 116: Saving The Damsel In Distress!
Fantasia was taken aback. She asked, "What¡¯s the matter?"
In thements:
¡¯I actually witnessed a 1.5 million dor transaction while I¡¯m alive!¡¯
¡¯If this doesn¡¯t prove that she¡¯s from a wealthy family...¡¯
¡¯A big boss has appeared!¡¯
Fantasia¡¯s eyes widened in shock. She didn¡¯t have the luxury of paying attention to the fact that she was still in the midst of a live-stream anymore, and entered sweetcherry¡¯s live-stream on her cell phone right away.
As soon as she did, a swarm of tip notifications bombarded thements, and virtual gift visual effects filled the entire screen.
¡ª
At the Hunts¡¯ vi.
Justin was still standing at the door to Pete¡¯s study.
Pete had been observing him after he sent the text message to Cherry.
The tyrant was staring at the live-stream with a sinister and unpredictable look on his face. Even Pete couldn¡¯t quite tell what he was thinking at this instant.
Going by his harsh and domineering character, Pete had imagined that he would definitely take her away forcefully once he knew that he had a daughter.
So, why was the tyrant standing motionless here and looking a little as if he was caught in an internal struggle?
The clever Pete entered the live-stream and scrolled upward through thements. In no time, he got a clear picture of the dispute between the tyrant and Cherry.
Pete: "..."
He found himself rather speechless.
What was the matter with the tyrant?
Why was a man in his twenties arguing with a five-year-old?
In particr, was the big and bold ¡¯Your father is such a scumbag¡¯ really something that the tyrant had said?
Why did it feel so weird?!
Justin was also feeling extremely embarrassed after he got over his shock, when he thought of what he had said.
He¡¯d always had the illusion that he had a daughter whenever Pete turned into a little princess. Whenever he thought of himself having a daughter, the cold-hearted man¡¯s heart would inexplicably soften.
Besides, sweetcherry was so cute. She was someone who really existed and not just the familiar feeling and longing he felt whenever his son had a rpse.
This was why he had been jealous for some reason when sweetcherry said that her father was ignoring her.
How could someone who had a daughter not cherish her?
That was why his brain had short-circuited for a moment, causing him to say something as childish as ¡¯Your father is such a scumbag¡¯!
At that time, he had thought that no one on the Inte knew who he was anyway...
But now!
His expression changed again and again. He lowered his dark eyes and cast a dispassionate nce at Pete, his gaze subtly sweeping across his cell phone.
Lawrence was still fussing next to him. He eximed, "What exactly is going on, Boss?"
Justin¡¯s thin lips parted and he replied icily, "This is my daughter!"
Lawrence, "!"
Pete, "!"
It was all over! The tyrant sounded so sure of himself; he must have already discovered Cherry. While he was thinking about what he should do, the tyrant ordered, "Investigate immediately. Find her, even if you must search high and low for her!"
Lawrence stood up straight and replied, "Yes, sir!"
When he turned to leave, Justin suddenly added, "Do it in secret."
Lawrence nodded.
Pete, "..."
His lip corners couldn¡¯t help but spasm. Daddy was so stupid! It was already so obvious. Not only had he and Cherry switched identities with each other in California, but Mommy¡¯s intentions had also been so obvious after they came to New York. He hadn¡¯t figured it out or understood what was going on previously only because he didn¡¯t know that he had a daughter. That was why he hadn¡¯t thought of it at all.
But now that he knew, did he even still need to investigate?
Wasn¡¯t it obvious where his younger sister was?
With that in mind, Pete, whose lip corners were spasming, asked, "Daddy, do you really have an IQ of 301?"
Justin, "..."
He looked down at Pete with a deep, dark, and bottomless look in his eyes. The beauty mark at the corner of his eye was also shing with a sharp look. He asked, "Why? Have you seen your sister before?"
Pete replied, "... No."
Since the tyrant hadn¡¯t realized anything, then all the better it was. They absolutely mustn¡¯t betray Mommy!
Justin didn¡¯t seem to be suspicious of his answer. His gaze merely returned to the live-stream with a frown.
Pete had seen thements in the live-stream just now, so he knew that Cherry was currently at a disadvantage in the face-off match. As someone with a sisterplex, this was absolutely unforgivable!
He paused for a moment and suddenly said, "Daddy, you¡¯ll be a hero saving a damsel in distress if you send my sister virtual gifts and help her win the match. It¡¯ll definitely help to defuse the situation with her!"
Justin, who was topping up his ount, paused his finger movements for a moment. Then, he coughed and said coldly, "Our rtionship doesn¡¯t need any defusing. But now that I know she¡¯s my daughter, how can I let a child of the Hunts lose?"
Pete, "..."
He obviously cared about Cherry, yet he just had to make it sound soudable instead.
He sighed silently and lowered his head again to look at the live-stream. Suddenly, he found himself stunned and he immediately called out, "Uh, Daddy?"
Justin, who had just finished topping up his ount, was about to save his daughter in her moment of distress when an overwhelming amount of virtual gifts suddenly filled up the screen!
Elsewhere, Cherry¡¯s little heart was pounding madly after she turned off the camera. She didn¡¯t understand why the camera had suddenly turned on¡ªhad she identally pressed something?
While she was wondering about it, she suddenly saw a huge amount of virtual giftsing in.
Rows and rows of airne icons drowned out everything in thements, taking over the entire screen bossily and domineeringly!
Cherry was stunned. She scrolled up to the beginning of the virtual gifts barrage to see that it was actually Sponsor Grandpa!
There were ten sets of 9,999 airnes, which made it a total of 1.5 million dors!
It was only after the airnes¡¯ visual effects disappeared that he finally wrote: ¡¯Howe you started the live-stream in advance?¡¯
Touched, Cherry felt that Sponsor Grandpa looked so tall and dashing at this moment. It was as if he was shining with a dazzling light.
Although she didn¡¯t care about the face-off results, when she saw so many fans supporting her, she did still want to win. However, Ika had a whole $300,000 worth of tips more than her. Mommy would definitely know if she spent $300,000 of her pocket money.
She was already prepared to lose, but Grandpa had unexpectedlye!
Cherry¡¯s eyes shone brightly. She smiled and said sweetly, "Thank you, Sponsor Grandpa!"
Grandpa replied: ¡¯Talk to me on Messenger the next time someone bullies you. I¡¯lle to you immediately.¡¯
Cherry said, "Okay! Are you feeling better today, Grandpa? Did you have any meat for lunch today? ..."
...
Justin had an icy-cold look on his face. He gave off a chilly aura all over as if he were dry ice.
It was toote... He was actually a step toote!
He had missed a crucial opportunity to restore his image in his daughter¡¯s heart.
Justin stared at Grandpa¡¯s name. If looks could kill, there would probably already be holes in the cell phone!
Next to him, Pete was speechless.
Someone pushed the door open at this moment. Chester the dimwit entered the room. As soon as he did, he said anxiously, "Can I borrow 1.5 million dors, Justin? My boss sweetcherry is being bullied really badly in her live-stream. I have to help her out!"
Justin¡¯s eyes suddenly narrowed when he heard what he said, and he asked dangerously, "You¡¯re friends with sweetcherry?"
Chapter 117: Bossy CEO In Da Room, Yo~
Chapter 117: Bossy CEO In Da Room, Yo~
Chester had already received the news when Cherry started her live-stream and immediately got terribly outssed by her opponent.
s, he didn¡¯t have any money in his bank ount, so he had to drive over to Justin¡¯s to ask him for money. As a result, he wasn¡¯t aware of what had happened after that in the live-stream.
At Justin¡¯s question, he immediately nodded and replied, "Yeah! sweetcherry is my boss. We often y games together."
The look in Justin¡¯s eyes darkened. "Have you ever seen her in person?"
Chester quickly answered, "N-no..."
Pete, "..."
Uncle Chester, you¡¯d probably have been more convincing if you didn¡¯t avoid looking the tyrant in the eye, or fidget so much like coughing and scratching your head!
He raised his head and silently looked at the tyrant again. However, Justin seemed to believe what he said and didn¡¯t press him for any information. He walked past him and said, "She doesn¡¯t need it anymore."
Chester: "?"
He turned on his cell phone. It was then that he discovered that sweetcherry had given her opponent a crushing defeat.
Although Ika was a rich second-generation heir, there was no way he could beat true blue top-notch rich second-generation heirs like Chester. Even Chester¡¯s pocket money didn¡¯t exceed 1.5 million dors, let alone Ika¡¯s?
Therefore, Ika had given up the fight straightaway. He even joked in his live-stream, "Sigh, my family only has 15 million dors, so we¡¯re not as rich as Sweetie¡¯s family who has 75 million dors. I¡¯ve lost..."
However, his refreshingly straightforward attitude also attracted many fans. Cherry¡¯s motherly fans, in particr, praised Ika for his gracious attitude.
After that, they stormed over to Fantasia¡¯s live-stream and demanded an apology!
Fantasia had immediately backed down the moment she entered sweetcherry¡¯s live-stream and saw the 1.5 million dors tip. She merely sneered and said, "1.5 million dors isn¡¯t really a big deal, to be honest~"
Thements were full of sweetcherry¡¯s motherly fans moring:
¡¯It¡¯s not a big deal? Then why don¡¯t you buy something worth 1.5 million dors and show us? Or tip yourself 1.5 million dors?¡¯
¡¯Please apologize to Sweetie!¡¯
¡¯I finally understand now. Some people are going for the wealthy family image, so they werembasting Sweetie¡¯s image just because their images ovepped.¡¯
¡¯Tsk, tsk. Fantasia live-streams every day saying that she¡¯s shopping for luxury goods, but she doesn¡¯t actually buy much each time. Take today¡¯s live-stream for example¡ªwe said that the third outfit looks good on her, so she asked about the price. But when she heard that it costs $15,000, she didn¡¯t buy it. Also, the bags that she buys cost only a few thousand dors each. Of course, they aren¡¯t things that we can afford either, but do real wealthy people buy only bags? Besides, the outfit that she¡¯s currently wearing looks like it¡¯s from a fast-fashion brand emting high fashion. Inparison, doesn¡¯t Fantasia look more like a fake princess?¡¯
¡¯Apologize, you fake princess!¡¯
¡¯Yeah! Apologize!¡¯
Amid all the voices persecuting her, Fantasia¡¯s eyes reddened and she said fragilely, "Aren¡¯t sweetcherry¡¯s fans a little too malicious? Are they all so brainless?"
Everyone was utterly bewildered.
In thements:
¡¯What the f*ck! This is infuriating. Why didn¡¯t you say that when your fans came over to insinuate nasty things about sweetcherry just now?¡¯
¡¯You¡¯re mistaken. They weren¡¯t insinuating things but outright calling her names, okay?¡¯
¡¯This is a ssic case of double standards!¡¯
¡¯Apologize!¡¯
Fantasia sighed and said, "To be honest, it is not umon for managementpanies to spend 1.5 million dors to make someone popr. Besides, there are also dividends to be had from virtual gifts. This means that the managementpany has only spent $800,000..."
Seeing how unrepentant she was, everyone was furious.
Chester also cursed and said, "How dare that bitch bully my boss! She must be tired of living! See if I don¡¯t... if I don¡¯t cry and ask Justin to teach her a lesson!"
Pete said, "... Very impressive, Uncle Chester."
Chester gave him an embarrassed smile. Then, as if he was asking for praise, he said, "Did you see that just now, Pete? I stubbornly insisted that I¡¯ve never met sweetcherry before even when Justin was pressing me just now. You have to tell Cherry that. I managed to get into the local server¡¯s top ten yers, but level and resource grinding is really too hard. Without a good gunner, it¡¯s almost impossible to get into the top three! Can you ask Cherry when she¡¯s free to carry me for a couple of rounds?"
Pete¡¯s lip corners spasmed as he asked, "Uncle Chester, are you sure he was pressing you for information just now?"
Chester waved dismissively and replied, "I get scared the moment Justin res at me, so I end uping clean about everything. This is the only thing that I¡¯ve managed to maintainplete secrecy about. My loyalty to Cherry is absolute! I¡¯ve never harbored any thoughts of betrayal!"
Almost immediately after he said that, Justin suddenly walked out and looked at Chester sinisterly. He said, "I recall you saying back then that I can also have a daughter? Where is my daughter?"
Chester, "?"
He watched Pete cast him a look of disdain that said "This is what you meant when you said that you¡¯ve never harbored any thoughts of betrayal?".
Chester wiped the non-existent cold sweat off his forehead and said, "J-Justin, I... I was just making it up..."
Pete heaved a silent sigh.
It was all over.
If the tyrant asked even just one more question, his uncle would definitely betray their revolutionary friendship and give in to the tyrant. Or so he thought, because Justin actually seemed to believe him and merely uttered a dispassionate ¡¯Oh¡¯.
Justin walked over to the sofa to do some work. He said to Lawrence who was looking for information on sweetcherry, "Look up that live-streamer named Fantasia, too."
Lawrence looked up and asked, "Okay, Boss. What do I do with her after that?"
Justin said coldly and domineeringly, "Cancel her."
"..."
¡ª
At the Andersons.
After Ika conceded defeat, the people in Cherry¡¯s live-stream started to enthusiastically talk about how Fantasia simply refused to apologize.
The fans were angry and indignant, but Cherry instead tilted her head to the side and said, "Even a three-year-old knows that they should apologize when they do something wrong, but don¡¯t force her to do it anymore, everyone. After all, she¡¯s still young~"
Rows of question marks suddenly appeared in thements.
Cherry then added, "When she grows into a decent human being, she¡¯ll naturallye and apologize!"
Everyone, "!!"
Her words confused everyone, but when they saw the exnation in thements, they immediately understood.
Someone wrote: ¡¯F*ck! sweetcherry is simply awesome at dissing people! Where did you learn that from? She¡¯s saying that Fantasia is inhumane! After all, she hasn¡¯t grown into a human being yet!¡¯
¡¯You¡¯re too impressive!¡¯
¡¯I¡¯ve learned something new today...¡¯
¡¯Although I feel great after I scolded her, I still can¡¯t help but be frustrated...¡¯
Mixed with thements was also Grandpa¡¯sment: ¡¯I¡¯ll ban her from live-streaming, then.¡¯
Almost immediately after hisment, anotherment in big and bold red font appeared:
JH: ¡¯I¡¯ve already banned her.¡¯
Cherry was a little dumbfounded when she saw thement.
Then, she immediately saw anotherment from JH: ¡¯Is the face-off over? I went to top-up my ount just now, but it was a bit slow. There are already 1.5 million dors in my ount now. I¡¯ll give it to you during your face-off tomorrow.¡¯
Cherry, "!!"
At this point, her cell phone suddenly beeped.
She picked it up and saw that she had received a friend request on Facebook from JH.
It also came with a message: ¡¯I identally deleted you yesterday. Let¡¯s be friends again?¡¯
Chapter 118: If He Had A Child
Chapter 118: If He Had A Child
Cherry, "???"
Her eyes widened big and round as she stared at her cell phone long and hard.
If she hadn¡¯t requested Pete to ask Daddy about it, she would have believed him for sure!
However, Pete had already asked him about it. Stinky Daddy had done it on purpose.
There were serious consequences to be had when Cherry got mad.
Thus, Cherry very decisively rejected the friend request.
The motherly fans in thements also started to mock Sponsor Daddy at this point:
¡¯This is killing me. Who was it who said that he isn¡¯t Sweetie¡¯s dad just now?¡¯
¡¯He wanted the live-streamer to ask him for help before he would help just now. After that, he left the live-stream. Here I was, thinking that he¡¯s already left, but as it turned out, he had gone off to top up his ount?¡¯
¡¯Aaaahhh! I love Sponsor Daddy! He¡¯s so bad-ass!¡¯
¡¯Am I the only one who feels more secure with Sponsor Grandpa?¡¯
¡¯I also feel that Sponsor Grandpa is mightier and more bad-ass!¡¯
Then, someone started a poll in thements: ¡¯Who do you prefer¡ªSponsor Grandpa or Sponsor Daddy?¡¯
Cherry looked at thements and dered in her soft, tender voice, "I like Sponsor Grandpa more! But you mustn¡¯t give me any more gifts, okay? You¡¯ve given me too much, Sponsor Grandpa. Mommy says that I mustn¡¯t just take things from other people!"
Grandpa wrote: ¡¯It¡¯s not that much. I¡¯m happy to give it to you.¡¯
Cherry, however, put on a stern look and said seriously, "No, you mustn¡¯t. I¡¯ll get mad if you send me any more!"
Left with no other choice, Grandpa could only sigh and reply: ¡¯Alright, then.¡¯
Their interaction made Sponsor Grandpa¡¯s vote count visibly increase, whereas Sponsor Daddy only had a few miserable votes.
Justin, "..."
After being rejected both on Facebook and in the live-stream, Justin looked a little sullen at the moment.
There were a lot of ways to coax children, though. Wasn¡¯t it precisely because her No. 1 fan had descended from heaven and saved her from defeat in the face-off just now that she was being so friendly with him?
In that case, he would also be a hero and save the damsel in distress the next day! This way, he would definitely be able to get the little fellow to acknowledge him too!
While he was thinking, Lawrence passed him the information he found. He said, "I¡¯ve found sweetcherry¡¯s personal information. Due to her age, her ount was registered with her parents¡¯ IDs. Her mother¡¯s name is Queenie and her father¡¯s name is Dick... What a strange name."
Justin, "!!"
Her mother was a queen while her father was a dick... How discriminatory!
He clenched his fists and tried to suppress the urge to beat someone up. As he gnashed his teeth in fury, he said coldly, "Go and investigate Nora Smith¡¯s background again!"
A surprised Lawrence said, "We¡¯ve already checked Ms. Smith¡¯s background several times, Mr. Hunt. It is indeed like the information that we¡¯ve already found."
As soon as he said that, a displeased Justin countered, "Did you find out that she¡¯s Anti?"
"..."
Lawrence lowered his head, daring not to speak any more. Then, he said, "I¡¯ll go and investigate her background right away."
At night.
"Huh? Did Daddy really say that?"
Cherry hid in the toilet and spoke to her brother over the phone secretively.
Although Pete¡¯s voice was also young and tender, for some reason, it gave people a sense of security. He said, "Yeah, he¡¯s trying to find out where you are, but it seems like he¡¯s run into some trouble, so he can¡¯t find any info."
Cherry pursed her lips and said, "Of course. I¡¯ll let you in on a secret¡ªMommy is actually a hacker~!"
Cherry looked very proud at the mention of her mother. Then, right after, a look of disdain came over her face and she said, "Daddy is such a dummy, Pete!"
Pete said, "I also think so, so I gave him my vitamins so that he can boost his brainpower."
"Great job, Pete! That¡¯s awesome! In that case, I can continue to live-stream with peace of mind now. Daddy¡¯s a dummy who can¡¯t find me anyway!"
Pete replied, "Alright."
After the two finished chatting, Cherry finally walked out of the bathroom. Nora had washed up and was already in bed.
Cherry thought for a moment. Since Daddy couldn¡¯t find them for now anyway, that meant that she didn¡¯t have to tell Mommy about it, right?
Otherwise, Mommy definitely wouldn¡¯t allow her to live-stream anymore. She happily made her mind.
Cherry got onto the bed and sent some cute stickers to Sponsor Grandpa on Messenger. He replied very quickly: ¡¯Have an early night.¡¯
sweetcherry replied: ¡¯Okie-Dokie! You should also go to bed early. Mommy says that people who go to bed early and wake up early will be more energetic!¡¯
At the Smiths.
Ian rested weakly on the bed and replied with difficulty: ¡¯Okay.¡¯
He put down the cell phone and stared at the ceiling.
Outside the door, Yvonne Smith, his adopted daughter, lowered her voice and said, "Dad has a poor appetite, so make sure to cook liquid food instead. Add a bit of minced meat so that it¡¯ll be more nutritious. Understand?"
The caretaker replied, "Don¡¯t worry, Ms. Yvonne. I¡¯ve alreadymitted all these to memory."
"Good."
Ian sighed when he heard the exchange.
She ultimately wasn¡¯t his real daughter. Her concern for him always came across as rather superficial.
His eyelids drooped and he closed his eyes. Life suddenly felt very meaningless.
When Yvette Anderson suddenly disappeared more than twenty years ago, he had personally searched for her for a very long time. However, he hadn¡¯t found her. By the time he finally found her in California, he discovered that she had already married someone else and even given birth to a child.
At that time, Yvette had said, "Forget me, Ian. I¡¯ve let you down, but Henry and I are truly in love with each other. If you really love me, then let me go."
¡¯Let me go¡¯...
He was fully capable of bringing her back, putting her under house arrest, and forcibly keeping her with him at that time. He had indeed also considered doing so.
Thus, he had sent people to capture her. But on the way back to New York, the strong and stubborn woman had broken down in front of him.
His heart had ached terribly.
In the end, he had let her go.
Before she left, she had looked at him and said, "Find someone else and marry her instead. You will have a wife and children of your own. Forget me. I¡¯m sorry..."
He had pretended to stay strong after he returned to New York, but he never entertained notions of getting married ever again. Later, he adopted a daughter.
This was because he heard that she had given birth to a daughter.
After that, he never bothered himself with her again.
Looking back, he still regretted his actions. Why had he relented back then? Why hadn¡¯t he forcibly taken her with him? That way, she wouldn¡¯t have died from postpartum hemorrhage duringbor. She probably died when the child was a year old, right?
If they had been together, and if they had had a child, would that child have been as adorable as sweetcherry?
It was exactly such a thought that made him fascinated with sweetcherry¡¯s live-streams.
In fact, he even developed the urge to meet her. It was sweetcherry who gave him the will to live. After all, their spark of friendship was growing stronger and stronger.
sweetcherry had said that she hoped it would be a little boat or a giant ferry one day.
He closed his eyes.
Suddenly, someone pushed the door open. Then, soft footsteps padded toward him and someone called out, "Grand-uncle Ian..."
Ian opened his eyes and saw tiny little Mia standing next to him. He asked, "What¡¯s the matter?"
Mia lowered her head and asked, "Grand-uncle Ian, can you give me $150,000?"
Ian was taken aback.
Little Mia was usually the most sensible child around. Why was she suddenly asking him for money?
Mia lowered her head and said timidly, "I just discovered that my ssmate Cheryl Smith is live-streaming, but she¡¯s having a bit of trouble. I want to help her... Her live-streaming alias is sweetcherry, by the way."
Chapter 119: My Father Is Justin Hunt!
Chapter 119: My Father Is Justin Hunt!
Cherry?!
Ian¡¯s eyes flew open abruptly. Light even shone in his usually listless eyes. He looked straight at the little Mia, who lowered her head and said, "Grand-uncle Ian, I know I shouldn¡¯t be borrowing money from you, but my money is all with Mommy. She doesn¡¯t let me ask Daddy for money, either. Brandon has a loose tongue, so he¡¯ll definitely tell Mommy if I borrow money from him. After thinking about it, you¡¯re the only one I can ask."
Mia nced at him in embarrassment and said, "But if you don¡¯t have any, it¡¯s okay..."
As soon as she said that, Ian smiled and said, "I do. I¡¯ll give my little Mia some."
Mia¡¯s eyes lit up. "Thank you, Grand-uncle Ian!"
Ian then asked, "Can you tell me about this ssmate of yours?"
Mia nodded. With a look of admiration on her face, she said, "Cheryl Smith is amazing! Not only can she turn into a little boy, but she can also turn into a little girl!"
Ian, "?"
"She also dances really well. Sinead Lowe was originally the lead dancer for the dance in the school¡¯s 50th-anniversary celebrations. She¡¯s really unlikeable and often bullies everyone in school!"
Ian asked, "Does she bully even you?"
Mia shook her head. "She doesn¡¯t dare to bully me because I¡¯m a Smith. She doesn¡¯t dare to make trouble for me, but she doesn¡¯t talk to me either. She started bullying Cherry the moment she came to the school, but Cherry¡¯s Mommy is really amazing. She got Ms. Tanya Turner over, so Cherry became the lead dancer after that.
"Cherry also became Brandon¡¯s boss. He follows her around every day and serves her water. He also asked her when she can be a little boy again."
At this point, Mia added softly, "I also hope that Cherry will be a little boy."
Ian was taken aback. "Why?" He asked.
Mia smiled gently and timidly. Her small oval-shaped face was adorable and delicate. She answered, "Cherry is very cool when she¡¯s a boy. I like talking to him."
Ian felt like he understood what she was saying, but also not really at the same time. He casually transferred $150,000 to Mia¡¯s bank ount and then closed his eyes.
Mia left quietly when she saw that he wasn¡¯t talking to her anymore.
Grand-uncle Ian wasn¡¯t in good health. Daddy had told her earlier that she shouldn¡¯t disturb him...
In the evening, Joel came over to visit Ian as usual after he knocked off from work. However, when he did, he saw Ian, whose eyes were always half-lidded, seated upright on the bed as if he was waiting for him.
Surprised, Joel asked, "Is something the matter, Uncle Ian?"
Ian cast his eyes down and said unhurriedly, "Is Mia¡¯s school holding their 50th-anniversary celebrations soon?"
Joel nodded. "Yes, I¡¯ve already received an invitation."
He wasn¡¯t nning to go. After all, it didn¡¯t really matter whether he went to an event like that or not. Besides, Mia was timid and frail, so she wasn¡¯t performing, either.
While thinking about it, he heard Ian say, "I want to go and have a look."
Joel was surprised. "What?"
Ian repeated, "I want to go and have a look."
Joel was a little in disbelief, but he nevertheless said, "Okay, I¡¯ll make the arrangements."
After leaving Ian¡¯s bedroom, Joel looked back at the door and frowned.
A momentter, he asked the caretaker, "Did something happen at Uncle Ian¡¯s today?"
The caretaker stood up straight. Although Joel seemed friendly and approachable, she treated him with ever-increasing respect. "I think Ms. Mia was here."
At the mention of Mia, Joel¡¯s expression softened.
"I see."
It seemed like Uncle Ian was going to the kindergarten because of Mia. He would also go with him, then.
¡ª
The next afternoon.
After dealing with work matters in the Hunt Corporation, Justin left his office. However, he didn¡¯t go home. Pete was at the Quinn School of Martial Arts today, but when he got in the car, he didn¡¯t instruct the chauffeur to head to the school.
"Where would you like to go, sir?" asked the chauffeur.
"To the Golden Sunshine Kindergarten."
"Yes, sir."
At the kindergarten.
It was the 50th-anniversary celebrations soon, so the twenty children participating in the opening ceremony dance had to practice for an hour more than usual.
At four o¡¯clock in the afternoon.
Cherry and her friends entered the dance studio and stood in line.
Sinead was next to Cherry. Even though she had been warned not to provoke Cherry, she was pouting and ring at her from time to time today.
In the past, even though Sinead was bad-tempered, everyone was afraid of the dance teacher, so they were very tolerant of her.
But now, everyone was ying with Cherry and ignoring her instead.
After putting up with it for several days, Sinead finally couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. She suddenly reached out her arm and pushed Cherry.
Cherry stumbled backward a couple of steps. She looked at her in surprise and asked, "What are you doing, Sinead the Doggy?"
Sinead yelled, "You¡¯re the dog, Cherry the Doggy! I¡¯m not Sinead the Doggy!"
Cherry said, "But you were barking like a dog that time! Like this!"
She bent over into a different pose from what Sinead had done the other day and called out, "Moo, moo~"
Sinead immediately scoffed and said, "You¡¯re doing it wrong! It should be like this!"
She imitated a puppy¡¯s pose again and stuck out her tongue while saying, "Woof! Woof!"
A giggling Cherry straightened her back and said, "Great job, Sinead the Doggy!"
Sinead stood up straight and raised her chin.
However, the children around them suddenly burst outughing.
After a while, Sinead finally realized what had happened. She immediately became so angry that she ced her hands on her hips. Then... she let out an ear-piercing wail and started crying.
Cherry pped her hands over her ears and looked at her wryly.
Was she crying just because she couldn¡¯t win the argument?
While she was thinking about it, Whitney walked in and heard Sinead crying. She frowned and asked, "What¡¯s wrong?"
Sinead pointed at Cherry and said, "She¡¯s bullying me!"
Cherry shook her head and said, "I¡¯m not."
The rest of the students also testified and said, "Cherry didn¡¯t bully Sinead. It was Sinead who pushed her."
During this recent period of time, everyone could tell that Whitney was unusually scared of Cherry, just like how she was also scared of the two children from the Smiths.
Therefore, she definitely wouldn¡¯t dare to bully Cherry.
But unexpectedly, Whitney suddenly shouted, "Cherry, apologize to Sinead immediately!"
Cherry was taken aback for a moment. Then, she shook her head and said, "I didn¡¯t do anything wrong."
"How dare you be so unrepentant! Come out here with me!"
Whitney grabbed Cherry by her arm and dragged her out of the dance studio. As she did, she said fiercely, "Cheryl Smith, I¡¯ve already figured it all out. Mr. Hunt only has a son; he doesn¡¯t have any daughters at all! How dare you lie to me for so long! I¡¯m going to teach you a good lesson today! As punishment, you are to stand in the sun for two hours and give up your center position in the dance!"
Then, she dragged her over to a corner of the wall and threw her there. Her fierce appearance frightened Cherry so badly that her eyes widened. The little fellow, who had never allowed anyone to give her the short end of the stick, hastily said, "My father really is Justin Hunt!"
Whitney scoffed derisively and said, "What a stubborn girl you are. If your father is really Justin Hunt, then why don¡¯t you give him a call and have him pick you up from school?!"
Chapter 120: You Might As Well Just Say You’re The Lord Himself
Chapter 120: You Might As Well Just Say You¡¯re The Lord Himself
The light in Cherry¡¯s eyes dimmed a little.
Stinky Daddy didn¡¯t even know she was his daughter, so how was she going to ask him to pick her up?
However, this wasn¡¯t an issue when it came to quarreling. She straightened her back, ced her chubby little hands on her hips, and said, "If you don¡¯t believe me, then why don¡¯t you give Daddy a call and ask him if Cherry is his daughter?!"
Whitney, "?"
The woman, who looked a little fierce, was so stunned by her words that she didn¡¯t know what to say. She paused for a moment to catch her breath before she sneered, "I¡¯m not going to bother Mr. Hunt just because of trivial matters like this!"
"Oh, I see. You must be afraid of my father!"
Was there even anyone who dared to mess with Justin Hunt in New York¡¯s business circle?
Whitney found herself lost for words. However, she braced herself and said, "How can that be? I just think you¡¯re using his name, that¡¯s all!"
Cherry tilted her head. "How does my father¡¯s identity have anything to do with whether I¡¯m taking center position or not, though?"
Whitney was about to reply when Cherry took out her cell phone and said, "Mrs. Lowe, I identally turned on the audio recorder just now!"
The audio recorder?
Whitney¡¯s eyes suddenly widened. Never would she have expected that a five-year-old would actually be so devious and have so many tricks up her sleeve!
She clenched her fists and snatched Cherry¡¯s cell phone from her. She sneered, "Don¡¯t you know that students are not allowed to bring cell phones to school?"
Cherry wasn¡¯t bothered though. She red at her with her big round eyes and said, "I know that, so I¡¯m willing to hand over the phone. But Mommy¡¯s afraid that people will bully me in school, so I think she also ced a surveince camera and an audio recorder on me~"
She patted herself here and there and said, "Was it this big button here on the name tag? I don¡¯t quite remember anymore~ Mrs. Lowe, do I go to the field and stand there now?"
Whitney, "!!"
She balled up her fists. She knew very well that Cherry was lying, but in the event that she wasn¡¯t, if she was filmed punishing Cherry for no reason, it would be terrible if the recording was uploaded to the Inte or used against her.
The look on Whitney¡¯s face changed a few times before she finally forced a stiff smile and said, "Why would you need to do that? I was just joking with you."
She cast her eyes down. As she walked back into the ssroom, she said, "Let¡¯s go back for ss!"
Cherry followed after her obediently. When the pair entered the dance studio, they saw Sinead talking triumphantly to the rest of the children. She said, "Did all of you see that? If anyone bullies me, Mommy will definitely teach them a lesson! Cherry the Doggy is a good example of that!"
But as soon as she said that, she heard a voiceing from behind her: "Hello there, Sinead the Doggy!"
Sinead turned and looked over. When she saw Cherry, she pursed her lips, ready to cry. However, Whitney called out, "Cherry, get back into position!"
Sinead swallowed back down the wail about to escape her mouth and suppressed the tears in her eyes.
When the children got into position, Whitney narrowed her eyes and said, "I¡¯m going to count the beat now. The first action... One, two, three, four... Five, six, seven, eight... Two, two, three, four... Five, six, seven, eight... Cherry, as the center, your movements are not up to standard. Go to the side and practice this move a hundred times!"
Cherry would definitely quit if she was being punished for no reason.
However, when it came to dance practice... Cherry stepped out obediently, stood at the side, and started to practice the dance move from just now.
The little fellow was a tenacious one. Although she was smooth with outsiders, in truth, she was actually very stubborn. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have developed a grudge against her father just because he had blocked her on Facebook.
If Whitney imed that she wasn¡¯t dancing it right, then she would practice until she got it right and show her a thing or two after that!
The rest of the children felt like their legs were turning into jelly as they watched Cherry jumping up and down.
The first part of the dance was rather tiring because there were several jumps involved. However, Cherry did it again and again tirelessly. In between, Whitney even asionally came over to mock her.
"Can you really do it, Cheryl? If you can¡¯t, then give up the center position!"
"Your physique is certainly pretty good, but aren¡¯t youcking a foundation in dancing a little too much? You must not have learned how to dance before, right?"
"Tsk. If I were you, I would just give up the center position."
A malicious look shed in Whitney¡¯s eyes as she stared at the little girl.
She had underestimated the girl just now. Since she couldn¡¯t take direct action against her, she would just take an indirect approach instead. She simply didn¡¯t believe that she could endure such high-intensity training every day!
However, Cherry gritted her teeth and bore with it. Her hair was wet with perspiration, but she didn¡¯t care.
To be honest, she knew that Whitney was right.
When her god-mom Tanya took a liking to her and wanted to teach her how to dance, she didn¡¯t practice much because she found it too tough and tiring. Thus, her foundation was really not as solid as Sinead¡¯s.
Although the dance didn¡¯t require much skill, if perfection was within her means, then she would definitely do her best so that she doesn¡¯t hold the rest back!
She practiced again and again...
One and a half hourster, the dance lesson finally ended. Cherry felt as if her legs had turned into jelly and she didn¡¯t have even an ounce of strength left in her. She was a little unsteady on her feet as she limped all the way back to the ssroom.
Brandon, who saw her from a distance away, trotted over and held her arm as he helped her into the ssroom.
Mia also hurriedly fetched her a cup of water. Cherry raised her head and gulped it down. Only then did she feel much better.
Sinead watched them from the side and said, "Cherry the Doggy, if you give up the center position, Mommy won¡¯t make life difficult for you anymore!"
Cherry ignored her.
After dinner, the children were finally let out of school. Cherry yawned sleepily and followed Ms. Lynn out of the school to the kindergarten gates.
sses had ended five minutes early today. However, Mommy Nora waste again. This led to Cherry standing at the gates and waiting even after all the other children were picked up by their parents one by one...
Unfortunately, the kindergarten premises were being cleaned at the moment. Ms. Lynn also knew that Cherry¡¯s mom had it tough because she had to shoulder everything all by herself and stille on time every day to pick up her daughter from school, so she stayed with Cherry as she waited at the gates.
Just as Ms. Lynn was about tofort her, Whitney, who was holding Sinead¡¯s hand, came up and stood in front of them. She said, "Cheryl Smith, you im that your father is Justin Hunt, but if that¡¯s true, why wouldn¡¯t he send a chauffeur to pick you up after school? Why would he let you wait here for god knows how long?"
Cherry pouted. She didn¡¯t want to pay her any attention.
Whitney sneered, "Surely it isn¡¯t because your father doesn¡¯t want you, right?"
Cherry, who had been blocked on Facebook by her father, was still mad at him. Whitney¡¯s words undoubtedly rubbed salt on her wound. She looked up and shouted, "Of course not!"
At the sight of her getting worked up, Whitney smirked and said, "No? Are you finally admitting that your father isn¡¯t Justin Hunt? People like you who use his name to lie to and trick others in school should be expelled!"
"I¡¯m not lying!" Cherry clenched her fists and said fiercely, "My father really is Justin Hunt!"
In the distance, Justin, who was seated in the car, stared straight at Cherry.
The little fellow was wearing the dress version of the kindergarten uniform, and her face was both adorable and enchanting.
The corners of his lips curled upward uncontrobly. He got out of the car and strode over. As soon as he approached, he heard Whitney saying sarcastically, "Hah, are you still insisting that your father is Justin Hunt, even at this point? You might as well just say you¡¯re the Lord himself if you¡¯re that great."
Chapter 121: A Soft And Squishy Daughter!
Chapter 121: A Soft And Squishy Daughter!
As soon as Whitney said that, a low and deep voice reached her. "I don¡¯t know if she¡¯s the Lord himself or not, but I do know I can help you go to Heaven and speak to the Lord himself."
"..."
Whitney suddenly froze. As though she had been petrified, she slowly turned her head to see Justin standing right there.
Dressed meticulously in a ck suit with his tie fastened tightly, he was the very picture of a cold and unfeeling man without any desires. He was tall and slender, and had a strong andmanding aura around him. His countenance was also cold and solemn, and even the beauty mark at the corner of his eye seemed to be exuding an icy chill.
The air at the kindergarten¡¯s gates instantly solidified.
Whitney had seen Justin before.
It was at a business dinner in New York that she had attended with her husband, Bob Lowe. Mr. Hunt was sitting in an area far away that time, and all around him were people who wanted to go up to him and curry favor but didn¡¯t dare to.
He was very young and was only in his twenties. As though a divine being who had descended into the mortal world, he was very handsome and carried himself extraordinarily well.
It was at that time that Whitney had finally witnessed what an aristocratic aura and background were truly like.
As such, he had left a very deep impression on Whitney.
Even so, why was he here right now?!
Just as she was wondering about it, Cherry eximed in surprise, "Daddy?!"
Whitney, "!!"
She looked at Cherry incredulously before looking at Justin again. She pointed at Cherry and stammered, "I-is this your child, Mr. Hunt?"
Justin looked at Cherry with love and affection in his dark, bottomless eyes. His voice was low, it was shaking a little¡ªthough outsiders would never notice it.
"Yes."
He had said ¡¯yes¡¯...
Whitney felt thunderstruck!
Cherry¡¯s father really was Justin Hunt!
Her legs went limp and she almost fell onto the ground. She tried her best to control herself, barely managing to avoid embarrassing herself in front of everyone. She felt as if she couldn¡¯t quite breathe anymore.
Justin stepped forward, bent down, and picked up Cherry.
He was tall and long-legged while Cherry was cherubic and adorable. They formed an exceptionally harmonious picture. No one, however, noticed that the arm that Justin was carrying Cherry with was actually a little stiff.
It was as if he was afraid that he would hurt her if he exerted too much force.
After getting Cherry into afortable posture, Justin looked at Whitney and asked, "Who is your husband?"
Whitney didn¡¯t want to answer, but she didn¡¯t dare not to, so she replied, "... T-the Lowes."
"Bob Lowe?" Justin snorted softly. "I see."
¡¯I see¡¯...?!
What was that supposed to mean?!
Whitney knew that Justin was a gentleman who didn¡¯t bully women. Should a woman offend him¡ªin the case of single women, he would approach their fathers; in the case of married women, he would approach their husbands!
So, did this mean that Justin was nning to make things difficult for Bob?!
Whitney couldn¡¯t keep herself together anymore. She staggered and fell onto the ground.
Ms. Lynn didn¡¯t know Justin. She merely thought that Cherry¡¯s father was very handsome. Seeing that he had taken the child with him, she finally looked at Whitney and asked, "What¡¯s the matter, Mrs. Lowe?"
Whitney, "..."
She got up, hastily got into the car with Sinead, and ran off as if she was fleeing for her life.
Elsewhere.
Cherry, who was in Justin¡¯s arms, widened her eyes big and round. Her bright and shiny eyes were full of shock.
Daddy was so cool just now! No, wait, had he recognized who she was?
Just as she was wondering about that, Justin looked at her and asked very gently, "What are you doing here instead of being at the Quinn School of Martial Arts?"
Cherry, "?"
Justin continued and said, "I passed by the area during work. I thought it looked like you when I looked over from afar, so I came over to take a look. Why are you wearing the kindergarten uniform? And even a dress at that?"
Cherry understood now¡ªstinky Daddy still hadn¡¯t recognized who she was!
He had mistaken her for Pete!
Cherry immediately nodded and said, "Daddy, Grandpa Quinn brought me here, yeah!"
There was nothing she could do aside from pushing the me onto Grandpa Quinn for now! Should Daddy press further, she would just get Grandpa Quinn to make up a decent excuse.
Or so Cherry thought, because shepletely didn¡¯t notice the big smile at the corners of a certain somebody¡¯s lips.
¡¯Yeah¡¯...
Yes, that was exactly the feeling.
Justin couldn¡¯t suppress his smile. So, this was... how an adorable, soft, and squishy daughter was like!
As expected, she waspletely different from that little brat.
Just as Cherry thought he was going to press the matter, Justin instead said, "Let¡¯s not go home yet. Shall we go and buy you some toys?"
Cherry, "?"
She blinked and blurted out, "Huh?"
Justin¡¯s heart melted into a puddle of goo. He asked, "What do you like?"
"Barbie dolls!"
And so, Justin took Cherry to a toy shop that sold Barbies. She looked at the dazzling array of dolls, holding on to one excitedly while also refusing to let go of another.
Which should she get? Oh, what a tough choice this was!
Just as Cherry found herself awfully troubled, she heard her stinky father say, "Pack all of these up and send them to my house."
Cherry, "!!"
Aaahhh!! All of a sudden, it seemed like she had forgiven stinky Daddy just a little!
No, she, little Cherry, mustn¡¯t bend over backwards just for a few dolls!
At the sight of how his daughter was obviously not as mad anymore, Justin breathed a sigh of relief.
¡ª
At the Quinn School of Martial Arts.
Pete had already waited for over half an hour, but the tyrant still wasn¡¯t here to pick him up. The bored little boy sat at the doorstep with his chin in his hands.
A jeep stopped at the entrance at this point. Nora got off the car and strode over. "Come with me, Pete."
Pete, "?"
Nora touched her nose and said a little embarrassedly, "Your father happened to see Cherry and mistook her for you, so he took her with him. I only knew about it after I went to the kindergarten but didn¡¯t find Cherry there, so I waste picking you up."
Pete, "..."
Pete couldn¡¯t help but feel like the tyrant had abandoned him.
He already knew he had a daughter though, so why didn¡¯t he think that Cherry was his daughter when he saw her?
He heaved a sigh, deeply worried about his father¡¯s IQ.
Luckily, he was a boy, so his IQ waspletely inherited from Mommy...
A silent Pete followed Nora into the car. On the way home, he suddenly asked, "Mommy, what will you do if Daddy realizes Cherry¡¯s existence?"
Nora¡¯s long, slender fingers rested casually on the steering wheel. A sharp look shed across her almond-shaped eyes and she replied, "I¡¯ll take Cherry and you with me and flee for as long as we can, I guess."
Pete, "..."
Nora pursed her lips and saidzily, "To be honest, it¡¯s not that we can¡¯t tell him the truth, either. It mainly depends on why your father hates me."
She didn¡¯t feel that she had done anything abominable at all!
The two of them reached the Andersons¡¯ very quickly. Pete went upstairs after greeting Melissa coolly. After entering the bedroom, he picked up his cell phone and gave Cherry an emergency call.
Cherry was currently immersed in the sea of Barbies and unable to extricate herself.
At the door.
Justin smiled when he saw her cheering happily.
At this point, Lawrence suddenly came over and said, "Mr. Hunt, I¡¯ve found some information about Ms. Smith."
The look in Justin¡¯s eyes turned serious. He nced at Lawrence and indicated for him not to say anything. It was only after they went into the study that he ordered, "Tell me."
Chapter 122: He Had Already Seen Through Everything A Long Time Ago
Chapter 122: He Had Already Seen Through Everything A Long Time Ago
A respectful Lawrence gave him his report.
"We found out that when Ms. Smith became pregnant back then, the Smiths once said that her pregnancy hade about inexplicably and they didn¡¯t know who her lover was. However, no one believed them, and said that they were just making up an excuse to cover up her immoral conduct."
An inexplicable pregnancy...
Justin suddenly thought back to her asking him how he hade to have Pete. He had replied that he didn¡¯t know and asked her if she believed him.
She had said that she did.
He¡¯d thought that it was because she was so in love with him that she believed everything he said. He didn¡¯t expect the truth to actually be like this!
Justin lowered his gaze. "Anything else?"
Lawrence shook his head.
Justin instructed, "Investigate howe she gave birth to twins."
Lawrence was astonished. "Twins?"
His brows drew together and he said, "We haven¡¯t found anything about that at all! Moreover, there really isn¡¯t any information about how Ms. Smith spent those five years abroad."
Justin waved him off while saying, "Continue the investigation."
"Yes, sir."
Justin sat on the desk after Lawrence left. The look in his eyes was deep and unreadable as he listened to Cherry¡¯sughter next door.
To be honest, all the mysteries had been solved the moment he saw Cherry in the live-stream. Everything had clicked at once.
His son¡¯s personality change, the special situation at the hotel in California... As well as Nora paying so much attention to him for some strange reason...
In that instant, apart from the joy of realizing that he had a daughter, there was also anotherplicated emotion in him¡ªanger at being deceived!
That woman wasn¡¯t trying to get close to him because she liked him; rather, it really was because of his son!
The discovery made him exceptionally displeased.
As it turned out, from the beginning to the end, he was the one who had been ttering himself in this rtionship.
He felt a mixture of joy and sorrow in that moment.
He was delighted that there were actually such ties between the two of them, and also happy that he actually really had a daughter.
But at the moment of discovery, a thought had also suddenly formed in his mind¡ªhe¡¯d rather not have discovered the truth...
He had pretty much subconsciously pretended not to know who his daughter was, and had put up a show in front of his son by instructing Lawrence to investigate the matter. This was to confuse the other party and make them think that he hadn¡¯t found out yet.
Afterward, knowing that he had deleted his daughter from his Facebook ount, he hastily added her back in hopes of repairing their rtionship.
Then, he thought back to his interactions with that woman during this recent period of time...
That woman had once said that her child¡¯s father was an idiot. At that time, he had intensely disliked and even been a little jealous of that so-called ¡¯idiot¡¯. But as it turned out, that idiot was actually he himself?!
He knew that his daughter was studying at the Golden Sunshine Kindergarten because that woman had used his name to enroll her daughter in the school. That was how he knew that their daughter was there...
His thoughts had still been on this when he was waiting quietly at the kindergarten.
If it had been the old him, if he hadn¡¯t known Nora, and if he hadn¡¯t had in-depth interaction with and understanding of Nora¡ªafter stabilizing the situation with them, the first thing he would have done after he saw his daughter would likely have been to take her from her mother and bring her home!
His, Justin Hunt¡¯s child mustn¡¯t be left out in the wild!
But when he saw his daughter being bullied and came forward to back her up, his heart had softened again...
Should he really do that, they would fall out with each otherpletely, and it would probably be impossible between him and that woman anymore.
Justin lowered his gaze. His fingers tapped lightly on the desk as he tried to think of countermeasures.
All three of them didn¡¯t want him to know the truth. This showed that they must have already reached a consensus among themselves. It was likely because they were afraid that he would separate them from each other.
In that case, then he would just keep things as they were for now!
At least he had already brought his daughter back home.
It was just a shame that he had utterly offended his daughter when he was still in the dark. In that case, he would give her a taste of her own medicine!
He would restore his dignity as a father while his daughter was still unaware that he already knew her true identity!
Didn¡¯t that teacher bully his daughter?
In that case, he would make the Lowes go bankrupt immediately!
The Lowes were already on the verge of bankruptcy because of their investment in real estate anyway. He didn¡¯t mind doing a little something to speed things up!
Justin looked at theputer. His fingers flew across the keyboard at high speed and he entered the Imperial League¡¯s system...
After finishing what he wanted to do, Justin picked up his cell phone and looked at the time¡ªit was time for his daughter¡¯s live-stream.
His daughter had told Sponsor Grandpa the day before not to tip her anymore.
But if he didn¡¯t, she definitely wouldn¡¯t make it through today¡¯s face-off. At times like this, he, Sponsor Daddy, would have toe forward!
Although saving the damsel in distress was an old and clich¨¦ trick, it undoubtedly worked well.
With that in mind, Justin stood up and walked out of the room. Sure enough, he saw his daughter secretly lock the door from the inside of the bedroom.
The corners of his lips curled upward and he returned to the study. Then, he entered her live-stream.
sweetcherry had already advanced to the top forty and would be advancing into the top twenty after the face-off today. Thus, one could consider this the semi-finals. As only those in the top ten would receive advertising opportunities, the top ten were considered the winners of the contest.
The further one advanced, the harder it would get.
The day before, she had been matched with Ika, a rich second-generation heir. Today, as luck would have it, sweetcherry was matched with a big-name live-streamer with eight million followers.
The other live-streamer¡¯s fans had already tipped him with three million dors worth of virtual gifts at this point, so it was very difficult for sweetcherry to beat him.
sweetcherry said softly, "There¡¯s really no need to fight to win this match anymore! We only have less than a million fans. There¡¯s no way we¡¯ll win!"
Justin¡¯s lip corners curled upward.
The ordinary fans were still a little toocking. In situations like this, what they were reallypeting was instead the live-streamers¡¯ big boss patrons¡¯ spending power.
Justin intended to wait ten minutes for the disparity in the two live-streamers¡¯ point count to be much greater before he made his move. When that happened, Cherry would definitely be very moved, just like how she had been with Sponsor Grandpa the day before...
Or so he thought. Unfortunately, he instead saw...
¡¯Mia has given you 9,999 airnes.¡¯
¡¯Brandon has given you 9,999 airnes.¡¯
¡¯Seth has given you 999 airnes.¡¯
¡¯XXX has given you 999 airnes.¡¯
...
A row of airne virtual gifts appeared on the screen¡ªthey were all Cherry¡¯s kindergarten ssmates. The children studying in the Golden Sunshine Kindergarten were all rich second-generation heirs, so they had nock of pocket money!
It took a short while for Cherry to pull ahead of her opponent by five million dors worth of points!
An excited Cherry eximed, "Why are all of you here?!"
Brandon even wrote: ¡¯I brought all of them here, Boss. I¡¯m cheering for you!¡¯
Cherry nodded. "Uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh!!"
Justin, whose finger was already on the gift button but hadn¡¯t yet sent the virtual gifts: ???
His expression darkened.
Why did these little brats have so much pocket money?
It was time to have a talk with their parents and have them limit their children¡¯s pocket money!
Having lost another opportunity to please his daughter, Justin was so mad that he almost threw his cell phone away. However, it was at this moment that the phone beeped¡ªNora had sent him a text message. It read: ¡¯Mr. Hunt, if I may be so bold to ask, why do you hate your son¡¯s mother so much?¡¯
The look in Justin¡¯s eyes turned solemn when he saw the message.
It was time that they had a good talk about this.
Chapter 123: A Kindly Father And An Obedient Daughter
Chapter 123: A Kindly Father And An Obedient Daughter
After sending him the message, Nora couldn¡¯t help but feel like she had been too obtrusive. Who knew how that narcissistic man would interpret it this time...
Just as she was thinking about it, she received a reply from him: ¡¯Let¡¯s talk about these things face-to-face instead.¡¯
Nora also felt that some things were better said and rified in person, so she agreed. She wrote: ¡¯Okay. What time and where?¡¯
Justin: ¡¯When are you free?¡¯
Nora: ¡¯Any time is fine.¡¯
Justin: ¡¯How about tomorrow morning?¡¯
Nora: ¡¯No, I have to sleep.¡¯
Justin: ¡¯How about noon, then?¡¯
Nora: ¡¯No, I have to eat.¡¯
Justin: ¡¯We can have lunch together.¡¯
Nora: ¡¯No.¡¯
The food was always served on tiny little tes whenever she ate with him. It made eating a real chore.
Nora had never been one to waste time. There was nothing better than being able to go to bed early. Rather than spending two hours having a meal, she¡¯d rather get it done in two minutes. Wasn¡¯t an additional two hours of sleep a much better deal?
Justin: ¡¯Then when are you free?¡¯
Nora: ¡¯Any time is fine.¡¯
Justin: ¡¯...¡¯
At the sight of the ellipsis, Nora scrolled upward through their chat log and was suddenly very amused. She replied: ¡¯Let¡¯s meet at three tomorrow afternoon. I¡¯ll send the location to you.¡¯
Justin: ¡¯Let¡¯s meet at Club Prism, then. It¡¯s close for both of us.¡¯
Nora: ¡¯Okay, no problem.¡¯
After confirming the time and location, Justin put down his cell phone and quietly walked out of the study. He walked carefully over to the door to Cherry¡¯s room. Through the crack, he could see the little fellow sitting on her elder brother¡¯s desk and ying games on her cell phone with her legs folded up.
Her little face with baby fat was exceptionally adorable. Her chubby fingers slid across the phone screen at high speed. She was so immersed in her game that she had totally forgotten where she was. The way she dissed her teammates and opponents loudly... was really very cute!
Justin looked around at Pete¡¯s room.
As his son was the room¡¯s upant, it was designed in a more masculine style. The chairs and tables were mostly blue.
He nced at the side...
The vi was rtively small; each floor was only about 2,000 square feet. Apart from Pete¡¯s and his own study rooms and bedrooms, there were still two other rooms.
Yeah, he supposed he could consider merging the two rooms and turning it into a princess-style room.
However, given how many Barbies his daughter had, as well as how he would definitely be buying her a ton of princess dresses in the future, a room that size was a little too small.
Since Pete¡¯s study was next to her room, he might as well just give it to her, too.
The three rooms didn¡¯t seem that big either. In that case, maybe he should allocate Pete¡¯s bedroom to her, too...
The little brat was always making him angry anyway!
While envisioning future renovation ns, Justin saw Cherry finally finishing her live-stream and winning another face-off. He pretended that he had just finished his work, opened the door, and entered the room.
At the sight of her handsome father, Cherry hastily sat up straight, put down her cell phone, and pretended that she was reading.
Justin asked, "Cherry... Pit, what do you like doing usually?"
¡¯Cherry Pit¡¯?
Daddy had been influenced by her.
A secretly thrilled Cherry wanted to reply with ¡¯ying games, of course~¡¯...
But!
Just as she was about to answer, she suddenly realized that she was supposed to be Pete right now! If it was Pete, then his hobby should be...
Cherry¡¯s eyes widened in fear. "I... I like solving Mathematical Olympiad problems the most..."
"Really?" Justin didn¡¯t expect that his cute and squishy daughter also liked studying so much. His heart immediately softened even further and he said, "Shall Daddy teach you, then?"
Everything the little brat knew was self-taught.
But now that he had the opportunity to improve his rtionship with his daughter, how could he give it up?
He would definitely control his temper well and let his daughter have a taste of a father¡¯s tender loving care.
Justin, who was envisioning a scene of a kindly father and an obedient daughter, didn¡¯t notice that Cherry was pouting at all.
Sob! Daddy really is the meanest! I¡¯m never liking Daddy anymore!
¡ª
"What did you say? Mr. Hunt didn¡¯t get into an argument with his son but instead got along even better with him?" Tina, who had her cell phone in her hand, felt like she must have misheard.
Given Justin¡¯s personality, there was no way he would spoil his son and let him do whatever he wanted after realizing that he was live-streaming.
After all, as a doctor who¡¯d had frequent contact with the Hunts, she knew that even though Mr. Hunt pampered his son a lot, he was also very strict on him!
Despite his age, the little Mr. Hunt was already an all-rounded talent by now!
Lawrence¡¯s annoying voice reached her through the phone.
"Yes, you have no idea how gentle the look in Mr. Hunt¡¯s eyes was when he realized that the ¡¯little mister¡¯ was live-streaming, so why would they possibly get into an argument? Why, Ms. York seems very disappointed about the oue?"
An embarrassed Tina replied, "That¡¯s not what I meant. I¡ª"
"Don¡¯t worry, I get it. I totally do. You were just thinking of taking the opportunity to seduce Mr. Hunt, that¡¯s all. What a shame that he didn¡¯t add you as a friend on Facebook, or did as you wished."
Tina, "..."
She clenched her fists. Mr. Zimmer¡¯s words were simply too direct and too awful!
She was about to say something when Lawrence added, "Oh, right. Mr. Hunt has something he would like me to tell you."
Upon hearing that it was a message from Justin, Tina immediately asked, "What is it?"
"Hospital Finest doesn¡¯t need a head of department who harbors ulterior motives like you anymore. There¡¯s no ce for you among the Hunts¡¯ private doctors anymore, either. You¡¯d best hurry and look for your next employer, Ms. York!"
Tina, "!!"
She wanted to say something, but the other side had already hung up.
Tina clenched her fists as she listened to the disconnected tone on the phone.
It was the Hunts¡¯ support that had allowed her to be the head of the surgery department despite her age! Now that she had offended Justin, her reputation was probably going to be ruined!
No, she mustn¡¯t allow that to happen...
There were other people she could still rely on¡ªthe Smiths! They were on equal standing with the Hunts!
After all, it was the pills she had ¡¯made¡¯ that were keeping Ian Smith alive.
Tina stood up and walked out of the room. It was gettingte, so it was time for her to head to the Smiths to give Ian a routine checkup.
Tina took out the Carefree Pill that she had asked someone to buy. She removed its packaging and ced it in a small box that she had specially made.
The box was made of a special material and looked very luxurious, making it seem as if what was resting inside wasn¡¯t a pill but a gem.
Tina went to the Smiths with the pill.
But as soon as she entered, she saw Dr. Lincoln, a well-known traditional medicine practitioner in the circle, seated there. Her eyes widened in shock.
Next to him, the polite and mild-mannered Joel said, "Dr. York, Dr. Lincoln is here to give my third uncle a checkup. Please let him have a look at the pill that you usually give to my uncle."
Although he spoke politely, his tone brooked no refusal.
How could Tina possibly dare to refuse him? She bit her lip, took a pill from her bag, and handed it to Dr. Lincoln.
After ncing at Tina a couple of times, Dr. Lincoln picked up the pill and examined it. Then, he uttered hesitantly, "Huh?"
Joel looked up and asked, "What is it?"
Chapter 124: The Carefree Pills’ Ownership Rights
Chapter 124: The Carefree Pills¡¯ Ownership Rights
Afraid that Dr. Lincoln would realize something, Tina became terribly nervous. After looking at it left and right for a long while, Dr. Lincoln finally smiled and said, "This pill that Jon made sure is amazing. I actually can¡¯t tell how it¡¯s made."
Tina, "??"
She clearly remembered that it was Dr. Lincoln who had recognized the Carefree Pill at the medical conference back then.
Howe he didn¡¯t recognize it anymore?
She didn¡¯t have the leisure of paying that much attention to it, though. She smiled and replied, "Yes, this pill that my teacher made has a very troublesome manufacturing process, so it¡¯s understandable that you can¡¯t tell how it¡¯s made."
Dr. Lincoln nodded and said no more. He returned the pill to her.
Tina heaved a huge sigh of relief. She took the pill from him and had Ian consume it, thereby extending his lifespan again.
When she left after the routine checkup, Joel personally saw her out the door. This made her ecstatic. The head of the Smiths had actually given her such an honor!
The Smiths lived in arge manor. Joel saw her to the door in the living room and said, "Feel free to approach me if you run into any trouble in the future, Dr. York."
This was a weighty promise from him.
Tina hesitated for a moment and said, "Mr. Smith, there is indeed something... To tell you the truth, I¡¯ve graduated with a doctorate from the New York University School of Medicine and am currently applying to be a professor in the school..."
She wasn¡¯t even thirty years old yet. If she became a professor at a medical university and was allowed to train graduate students, she would be a legend in the field of medicine on par with Anti!
Sure enough, Joel said dispassionately, "I see."
¡¯I see¡¯...
Tina got into the car. While she was still thinking about what he had meant by that, she received a call from the medical university¡¯s HR department.
"Dr. York, your application has been approved. Starting today, you¡¯re our school¡¯s youngest professor~"
Tina, "!!!"
She looked in front of her in astonishment.
The Smiths had sent a Rolls-Royce to pick her up when she wasing over for the checkup. Then, she looked to the side¡ªthe people at the guardhouse had opened the gates respectfully and were even bowing to her.
This feeling of having people show her great respect made her feel as if her ego was about to inte.
So, this was what it felt like to be in power.
The Smiths were already this powerful even though they were second to the Hunts. Should she really seed in getting Justin to fall in love with her... Suddenly, she thought of Nora again and a contemtive look appeared in her eyes.
After leaving the Smiths, Tina suddenly looked at the chauffeur and said with a smile, "Can I trouble you to take me to Mr. Myers¡¯ ce? I have something to talk to my teacher about."
The chauffeur replied respectfully, "Okay, Dr. York."
Jon Myers was shouting angrily in the living room when Tina arrived at the small vi where he lived.
"How did I give birth to an animal like you?! How can you go gambling again?! You¡¯ll spend all our savings sooner orter!"
His son, Winston Myers, was sitting on the sofa with a cheeky smile on his face. He said, "Hurry up and make Tina marry me, then. This way, you can get her to manage the family."
The footsteps of Tina, who was about to enter, paused slightly.
She lowered her head, a look of annoyance shing across her eyes.
That¡¯s right, she and Winston were ssmates in college. He had courted her the whole time when they were undergraduates. When she discovered that Winston was a letdown and Jon didn¡¯t have a reliable sessor, she had feigned affection toward Winston. That was why Jon regarded her as his direct sessor.
Otherwise, why would Jon treat her so well?
Tina entered the living room.
Sure enough, Jon looked at her and said, "Try and talk to him when you have the time, Tina! He¡¯s just loafing around all day!"
Upon being reprimanded in front of Tina, Winston couldn¡¯t take it lying down anymore. He said, "Don¡¯t listen to his nonsense. He¡¯s just venting his anger on me because he couldn¡¯t figure out the Carefree Pills! Will you only stop thinking that I¡¯m ¡¯loafing around all day¡¯ if I steal the Carefree Pill form for you?"
Jon was so angry that he took a step back and pointed at him incredulously!
Tina hurriedly stepped forward and held him. She said, "Winston, how can you talk to him like that? What¡¯s the big deal about the Carefree Pills? It¡¯s not like the Carefree Pills are necessarily the Andersons¡¯ anyway!"
Jon frowned and looked at her. "What do you mean?"
Tina smiled and replied, "Even though Yvette Anderson was the one who developed the Carefree Pill, it¡¯s her daughter who brought the form back here with her. In other words, the form belongs to her daughter, Nora Smith. Well, Nora eventually has to get married, right?"
Married?
Something suddenly clicked in Jon¡¯s mind and he looked straight at Winston, but right after that, he looked back at Tina again. He looked hesitant and didn¡¯t know what to say.
Tina lowered her gaze and sighed. "Mr. Myers, there¡¯s actually something that I¡¯ve never mentioned before. I¡¯ve always regarded Winston as my brother all these years..."
Jon immediately understood what she meant. He said with a smile, "I¡¯ve also only regarded you as my goddaughter all these years, Tina!"
Tina broke into a smile. She said, "In that case, what are you still waiting for, Mr. Myers? If you don¡¯t hurry, other people may approach them once they think of the same idea..."
Jon said, "I¡¯ll get someone to talk to them about marriage right away!"
When Jon took out his cell phone and went off to deal with the matter, Tina looked at Winston and sighed. She said, "Winston, it¡¯s Mr. Myers¡¯ wish to let the Myerses flourish. If bowing out of the picture can make you guys happy, I¡¯ll definitely be happy to do s¡ª"
However, Winston suddenly stood up excitedly and said, "Nora Smith... Is it the same Nora Smith who impressed everyone with her dancing at the dance party? I remember her! She¡¯s super pretty!"
Tina, "?!"
At the sight of the adoration in Winston¡¯s eyes, she suddenly felt rather offended!
When Jon returned after the phone call, Tina suddenly asked, "How is your rtionship with Dr. Lincoln, Mr. Myers?"
Jon sneered, "Lincoln uses his seniority to put himself on an equal footing with me. Hah, he thinks too highly of himself!"
Did he mean that they weren¡¯t on good terms?
In that case, this meant that Dr. Lincoln covering up the matter about the Carefree Pill for her wasn¡¯t because Jon had asked him to.
If so, who had asked him to?
¡ª
At the Andersons.
Neither Melissa nor Simon expected that they would receive a guest at nine o¡¯clock in the evening. It was Mrs. Levin, the wife of Dr. Levin, a famous surgeon in New York who was also well-known in the medical field.
The Levins were on good terms with the Myerses. However, the Andersons werepetitors with the Myerses, so the Levins rarely visited them during all these years.
Melissa and Simon were rather surprised to see her.
Mrs. Levin, however, wasn¡¯t a shy woman. She held Melissa¡¯s hand and said, "Mrs. Anderson, where¡¯s your niece Nora? I heard she beat up your sister-inw and even stopped you from joining the Lowes¡¯ real estate investment?"
Melissa: "?"
Mrs. Levin went on. "I also heard that she insisted that you invest in stocks? Isn¡¯t that too insensible and frivolous of her?"
Simon¡¯s expression darkened. He found her too noisy, so he turned on the TV and switched to the financial news channel.
Chapter 125: The Lowes Go Bankrupt!
Chapter 125: The Lowes Go Bankrupt!
Melissa frowned. "Are you here sote at night just to say things like that, Mrs. Levin? If so, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re not wee here!"
Mrs. Levin hastily shook her head and said, "Of course not. I¡¯m here because I have great news for you!"
Melissa was taken aback. She was a guest after all, so she resisted the urge to kick her out and asked, "What is it?"
Mrs. Levin let herself into the living room and sat on the sofa. However, she changed the subject and said, "I gave your sister-inw a call when I was on my way here. I actually wanted to persuade her to go home. Isn¡¯t it awful that she¡¯s still at her parents¡¯ home?"
Melissa had also heard that Miranda refused to go back to the Woods after she moved back to the Sos.
Farrell was determined to teach her a lesson, so he simply refused to bring her back home. However, he didn¡¯t expect their two children to also go to the Sos after Miranda incited them to.
Miranda even threatened him by saying that unless he brought Melissa to the Sos and made her apologize, he could forget about ever bringing her and the children back home!
Miranda had also, unintentionally or otherwise, revealed to outsiders that the Sos had invested 30 million dors in real estate, causing everyone in the circle to be full of envy toward the Sos fornding such a great opportunity.
Mrs. Levin said, "The Sos are about to strike gold and make a fortune with the Lowes. It won¡¯t look good on your elder brother if he waits until then to go over! I¡¯d advise you to go over to the Sos with him and bring them back home first. After all, the children are also there!"
Melissa heaved a sigh.
What made her think that she hadn¡¯t already tried talking to Farrell about it?
Unfortunately, he refused to listen to her. On top of that, he even said that if the children couldn¡¯t even distinguish between right and wrong, then they might as well note back for life!
As Farrell was still angry, her only option left was to call Miranda.
No matter how unpleasant Miranda was, Farrell¡¯s family would only beplete if she was there!
However, not only did Miranda give her a huge scolding again, she even said that she would make Farrell regret what he had done.
It seemed like everyone was confident that the Sos were about to make it big...
In the midst of her thoughts, Mrs. Levin pursed her lips again and said, "Mrs. Anderson, you¡¯re a knowledgeable, intelligent, sensible, and considerate person. Your sister-inw is also a good person. Everyone in the circle knows this, so how did you guys even get to this point? It seems like Nora was the cause of it all, right?"
"Sigh, looking at it that way, Nora is totally a jinx!"
The word ¡¯jinx¡¯ caused Melissa¡¯s expression to change dramatically. She was about to retort when Mrs. Levin added, "Nevertheless, she isn¡¯t entirely without any merits¡ªshe¡¯s good-looking after all. And would you look at that, because someone has asked me toe over and propose marriage!"
Marriage?!
Political marriages between wealthy families were linked to the rise and fall of the families, so children of wealthy families were generally not allowed freedom in their romantic rtionships. Therefore, having matchmakers visit families to propose marriage was still a popr practice.
After all, if the two families were keen, they could just reach an agreement straight away.
Melissa frowned and asked, "Who did?"
"The Myerses, of course!" Mrs. Levinughed and said, "It¡¯s Jon Myers¡¯ son, Winston Myers! He said that he fell in love at first sight with Ms. Smith after seeing her at the dance party! He kicked up a huge fuss and insisted on taking Ms. Smith as his wife after he got home. Jon didn¡¯t agree to it initially because he felt that not only did shee with baggage, but she also had a bad reputation and was even a very tough woman. But Winston Myers was very insistent. Jon simply couldn¡¯t make him change his mind, so he could only ask me toe over and propose a marriage between the two!"
Melissa stood up angrily. "Winston Myers? No way!"
Simon also said angrily, "How can an ignoramus like him be worthy of Nora?!"
At the sight of their reactions, Mrs. Levin pursed her lips derisively and said, "Winston Myers is certainly a little more yful than most, but Nora doesn¡¯t have a good reputation, either! Not only did she cause the Andersons to miss out on the Lowes¡¯ investment, but she also did the same to the Woods. On top of that, it¡¯s even said that she does stock trading. She must have lost a lot of money, right? Looking at it that way, Ms. Smith sure is lucky. Winston Myers is actually interested in her despite how ridiculous the things she does are. This must be a blessing for her, right?"
"To hell with your so-called ¡¯blessing¡¯!"
Even Melissa, who had always been cultured and held herself with propriety, couldn¡¯t help but swear. She pointed at the door and shouted, "Get lost!"
How could Mrs. Levin possibly leave?
After all, Jon had said that he would give her a huge present as thanks if she could make them agree to the marriage!
She stayed right where she was and said with a smile, "Mrs. Anderson, Mr. Anderson. What¡¯s the meaning of this? I came here to propose marriage. Even if you¡¯re not interested, that¡¯s no reason to drive me out, right? Or is it because Ms. Smith¡¯s expectations are too high?"
It indeed wasn¡¯t right to drive the matchmaker out of the house when they came over to propose marriage.
Even so, the things that Mrs. Levin said were simply too aggravating!
A surly Melissa said, "I¡¯ve never seen anyone belittling the woman as the first thing they do when they go to someone¡¯s ce to propose marriage, either! Mrs. Levin, we¡¯re all distinguished individuals here. If you refuse to leave, then it¡¯s not our fault if we don¡¯t show you any courtesy!"
Simon also said, "Don¡¯t me me for throwing you out if you still don¡¯t leave!"
Mrs. Levin hade alone, so it was needless to say that she was afraid of the two of them. She walked toward the door in embarrassment, cursing as she did so.
"Hah, what right does an uneducated and unlearned woman have to look down on Winston Myers? At the very least, he didn¡¯t produce any kids, right? Nor is he trading stocks! By the way, Mrs. Anderson, how much did she lose when she was trading in stocks?"
¡¯Trading stocks¡¯, ¡¯losing money¡¯...
These phrases caused Melissa to stop in her tracks. She suddenly said, "Wait a minute."
Mrs. Levin stood still, looked back, and sneered, "What? Have you thought it through? That¡¯s more like it! The Myerses are still respectable people in the medical field, no matter what. It looks good on you if you form a union with them, right? As for the child..."
She let out an icy chuckle and said, "The Andersons will have to take care of her, I suppose! Winston Myers will never take her in. You shouldn¡¯t have kept a little bastard like her around. Why didn¡¯t you just send her to the orphanage?"
The things she said were simply getting more and more ridiculous!
Melissa said coldly, "Nora didn¡¯t lose any money in stocks!"
"She didn¡¯t?" Mrs. Levin was taken aback. "The stock market has been in turmoiltely and most stocks have fallen sharply. There¡¯s no way nothing would have happened."
Melissa went upstairs straightaway and got Nora toe down. She said, "Nora, show Mrs. Levin over there the stock that you bought!"
Nora, who was about to go to bed but was instead summoned downstairs for some reason: ?
She yawned andzily took out her cell phone. She opened the stock trading app and went to the section listing the stocks in her possession.
Mrs. Levin mocked, "What? Is she really in luck and didn¡¯t lose any money?"
Practically right after she said that, she saw the profits section on the cell phone.
The stocks that she had invested $300,000 into had already risen to $1,500,000.
Profit: $1,200,000
And this was just after a few days!
Mrs. Levin¡¯s eyes widened big and round as she stared at the screen in disbelief.
When she confirmed that she really wasn¡¯t seeing things, she clenched her fists. Nevertheless, she still sneered, "So what even if you¡¯ve made a million dors? You were just lucky. Can you beat the Sos¡¯ investment in real estate?! How shortsighted of you!"
Practically right after she said that, a report suddenly appeared in the financial news!
Chapter 126: Making Mrs. Levin Eat Her Words!
Chapter 126: Making Mrs. Levin Eat Her Words!
Simon had never been someone good at arguing. He had found Mrs. Levin very noisy when she came in, so he had turned up the TV¡¯s volume and made it very loud.
The financial news channel was currently reporting thetest news: "... new regtions have been announced... to control housing prices... instic housing prices..."
These phrases made their way faintly into the few people¡¯s ears.
Everyone¡¯s heads turned as one toward the TV and they watched the news report seriously. However, all they caught was just thest few words: "... brought to you by this channel."
Mrs. Levin was dumbfounded. "What did they say just now?"
Although Melissa had already known about it a long time ago, she was nevertheless still a little surprised when she actually heard the announcement.
Why had the policy been announced so quickly?
By right, word would always vaguely get out prior to any announcements. However, they hadn¡¯t heard anything at all this time.
As expected of the man at the top of the world, indeed. To think Justin had actually received the news so early!
However, this was no time for her to be shocked. Melissa looked at Mrs. Levin and smiled. "Didn¡¯t you hear just now? They are going to control housing prices now! The real estate industry is not going to be lucrative anymore..."
Mrs. Levin¡¯s eyes widened in horror.
Melissa¡¯s lip corners curled upward.
"Sigh, Nora is such a lucky star. If she hadn¡¯t kicked up a fuss and stopped us from investing, I might have just invested $3,000,000 into it! Speaking of which, it¡¯s also thanks to the fuss that Nora kicked up, that my elder brother didn¡¯t invest in real estate!"
She put on a show of gratitude and held Nora¡¯s hand. She said, "Nora,e to think of it, it¡¯s rather strange but the Andersons have really received a new lease of life and been revitalized ever since you came! No matter what we encounter, everything always turned out fine in the end. You¡¯re really a lucky star! It¡¯s your future husband¡¯s honor to be able to marry you!"
Mrs. Levin felt like she had been given a tight p across the cheek when she thought of how she had called Nora a jinx just now.
Although wealthy families weren¡¯t superstitious, they did believe in destiny. For example, some people brought luck to their husbands, some people brought luck to their wives; some people were lucky, and some people were unlucky...
Because of Miranda, everyone in the circle now knew about the incident. Originally, everyone had been calling Nora a jinx who brought chaos to the family the moment she came, but Melissa¡¯s statement hadpletely reversed the situation now.
After deliberately saying that, Melissa raised her chin and looked at Mrs. Levin. She feigned surprise and eximed, "Eh? Why are you still here, Mrs. Levin?"
Mrs. Levin, "!"
Her visit to propose marriage today was actually a deliberate move by Jon and herself.
Otherwise, with the way she had gone about it, what was the difference between that and asking for a fight?
Jon¡¯s intention was to have her utterly demean Nora so that the Andersons would take the initiative to offer the Carefree Pill as a wedding gift when they got marriedter.
Although he had envisioned a lot of different scenarios, he hadn¡¯t seen thising at all!
Mrs. Levin left with her tail in between her legs, following which she called Jon and exined the situation. After thinking about it carefully, Jon actually felt that Melissa was right.
Wasn¡¯t it exactly after she had returned that the Andersons produced the Carefree Pill?
The Andersons had originally already beenpletely suppressed in the pharmaceutical industry, but thanks to the Carefree Pill, they were gradually expanding now!
If they could get Ms. Smith to marry into the Myerses, they might just prosper, too!
With that in mind, he looked at Winston and said to Mrs. Levin over the phone, "How about this? Pay them another visit and..."
At the Andersons.
Melissa had deliberately painted Nora as a lucky star, thereby adding another bargaining chip for her in her marital prospects.
Although Nora saw through it, she didn¡¯t say anything.
She didn¡¯t have any intentions of finding a husband anyway. After all, how could finding a stinky manpare to sleeping?
She stretched and went upstairs nonchntly.
By the time she went up, Mrs. Levin had returned.
However, Melissa didn¡¯t let her in this time. She had on an elegant dress and her delicate visage was full of pride as she said, "Mrs. Levin, I¡¯m sure you must be very clear on how we feel about this by now. Please leave!"
Mrs. Levin smiled sheepishly and said, "Mrs. Anderson, that¡¯s not what I mean. The Myerses are actually very sincere in their proposal. It was me who misunderstood them, so please don¡¯t hold it against them."
Melissa cast her eyes down and said, "I have nothing to me them for. It¡¯s Nora¡¯s honor to have so many suitors. It¡¯s just a shame that she and Mr. Myers are not meant to be."
Mrs. Levin¡¯s lip corners spasmed.
Cultured people sure have a way of speaking. She had turned the way she came over to provoke them into her paying them a visit to ask for Nora¡¯s hand in marriage instead. With that, once news of the incident today spread, they would be adding a lovely story to Nora¡¯s name instead.
She gave her an embarrassed smile and said, "Mrs. Anderson, I¡¯m just here to ry a message for the Myerses. Mr. Myers fell in love at first sight with Ms. Smith. I was in the wrong just now. The Myerses would like a chance to talk face-to-face with Ms. Smith. After all, what if the two youngsters hit it off, right?"
Melissa raised her eyebrows and replied, "I¡¯m afraid Nora doesn¡¯t have time for that."
"Why wouldn¡¯t she? It doesn¡¯t hurt to make a bit of time to meet, after all. How about this? We¡¯ll set the meet at Club Prism tomorrow. Mr. Myers has already said to be there or be square!"
Fearing that Melissa would refuse, Mrs. Levin left immediately after saying that.
After she left, Simon looked at Melissa. "Is Nora going to meet him?"
"What for?" Melissa said, "Is a wastrel who only knows how to have fun worthy of Nora? No, she¡¯s not going!"
After speaking, she entered the house and instructed Simon, "Let¡¯s not tell Nora about this."
Simon also nodded. "Yeah, okay."
Winston¡¯s reputation in the circle was simply too horrible. Who would want to meet him?
¡ª
The next day, Nora got out of bedzily at 7:40 sharp in the morning. After brushing her teeth, she put on a baseball cap and drove her kid to school.
Pete was sitting in the back seat. The little fellow was wearing the school uniform dress. He was pulling a long face and looked very displeased. "Mommy, why do I have to go to school?"
Nora yawned. As she looked ahead, she replied casually, "Because Cherry will be exposed if you don¡¯t. Be good and wait a couple of days, Pete. We¡¯ll switch you guys back when Cherry goes to the Quinn School of Martial Arts."
Pete sighed helplessly. "... Fine."
After sending Pete to school, she went home and slept until the afternoon. After lunch, she drove to Club Prism.
It wouldn¡¯t do to keep hiding the twins like this either.
Cherry was such an active child. It was just a matter of time before Justin would discover it. Therefore, while Justin hadn¡¯t realized anything, she¡¯d best just talk to him more, have him rify what had happened back then, and resolve the misunderstanding!
When she arrived at Club Prism, she stretched and handed the car to the parking valet. Then, she walked into the clubzily.
Five minutes after she entered, another car stopped at the entrance.
Justin got out of the car with Cherry in his arms and entered Club Prism.
As soon as he entered, he noticed the romantic decorations in the hallway... Was someone proposing?
How tacky.
Chapter 127: Forcing Her To Marry?
Chapter 127: Forcing Her To Marry?
As soon as Nora entered the dining hall, someone came forward and asked respectfully, "Are you Ms. Smith?"
Nora nodded casually.
The man immediately said, "Pleasee with me."
Nora, "?"
Did Justin need to go to such extents just to arrange a private room for them to have a chat?
The puzzled woman followed behind the service staff. After taking a couple of steps forward, she discovered that a red carpet had beenid out on the ground and there were a lot of balloons and flowers on both sides. It looked very romantic at first nce.
People around them were already gesturing at them.
Nora¡¯s lip corners spasmed. She asked, "Is this a mistake?"
The waiter looked down at the business card in his hand. "Are you Ms. Nora Smith?"
"Yes."
"That¡¯s correct, then." The waiter smiled and said, "Pleasee with me."
Nora, "?"
She followed the service staff hesitantly and asked, "What¡¯s going on?"
The service staff replied, "Someone has prepared a surprise for you, but I can¡¯t tell you what it is yet."
Justin had prepared a surprise?
Nora¡¯s first reaction was to wonder if the man had gone crazy again.
Then, she suddenly realized that she was actually looking forward to the surprise somewhat.
Nora reached the other end of the hallway while her thoughts were still running wild. The moment she turned the corner, she saw someone standing there with a bouquet of flowers in his hands.
The man was dressed in a suit and looked pretty handsome. He came right up to her, got down on one knee, and said, "Ms. Smith, please marry me!"
Question marks appeared all over Nora¡¯s head at once: ???
What was going on?
Winston¡¯s disreputable buddies stood on either side of him. Tina was also standing at the back of the crowd. Everyone was pping as they shouted, "Marry him! Marry him!"
The noise made the people around them look over. Everyone stopped, gathered around them, and mored along, "Marry him!"
Nora instantly became even more confused!
She took a step back and asked with a frown, "Did you get the wrong person?"
A smiling Winston replied, "Ms. Nora Smith, you¡¯re so humorous... You¡¯ve been on my mind ever since the moment I saw you dancing. Your graceful bearing has been etched deeply in my mind. Before meeting you, I¡¯d never believed in love at first sight, but you¡¯ve made me understand the meaning of this phrase now. Doesn¡¯t the fact that you¡¯re here indicative of how you feel?"
His words became mushier and mushier as he spoke, causing Nora¡¯s brows to draw together.
She took another step back. "I¡¯m here to meet someone."
"Yes, I, Winston Myers, am exactly who you¡¯re looking for!"
Winston offered her the bouquet again. "Beautiful flowers for a beautifuldy... What a perfect match!"
Nora, "!"
She frowned and said, "Sorry, I really don¡¯t know who you are. I have something on, so please let me through."
Everyone, "?"
In the midst of the audience¡¯s puzzlement, Winston frowned and said, "Ms. Smith, surely you¡¯re going too far? I already asked someone to go to your house to discuss our marriage yesterday, and also said that I¡¯ll be waiting and proposing to you here."
He grabbed Nora¡¯s shoulder. "How can you possibly not know who I am when you¡¯re already here?!"
Unfortunately, before he could touch Nora, her delicate and slender fingers had already tightened around his wrist. With a light pull, she threw Winston over her shoulder and he fell onto the ground!
Winston, "!"
He had never been one to take the short end of the stick from others. Upon being thrown to the ground in front of everyone, he became embarrassed and angry. He got up and snapped, "What are you doing?"
Tina also walked out from behind the crowd at this point. She frowned and chastised, "Ms. Smith, even if you don¡¯t think Mr. Myers is good enough for you, you shouldn¡¯t humiliate him like that!"
"I¡¯m not good enough for her?" Winston was infuriated. Tina always knew how to hit a raw nerve for him. He stretched out his finger and pointed at Nora in the face while saying, "I¡¯m not good enough for you? It¡¯s more like you¡¯re not good enough for me! What makes you, a woman saddled with a child, think you¡¯re too good for me?"
"Exactly..."
The people around them were all Winston¡¯s friends, so they were all speaking up for him.
"What right does someone who grew up elsewhere have to look down on people like us who grew up in New York?"
"Mr. Myers is a native New Yorker! He has a lot of connections in New York!"
"I heard that she got herself pregnant before marriage.... If it wasn¡¯t for that pretty face of hers, and for her reputation as a lucky star or whatnot, would anyone even approach them to ask for her hand in marriage?"
"Exactly. If you think even Mr. Myers is not good enough for you, then who do you think is good enough? Surely you¡¯re not dreaming of Joel Smith or Justin Hunt, right? They¡¯re way out of your league!"
"..."
Everyone started to passments, but what they said was very annoying and tiresome to Nora.
She looked at the people in front of her mockingly and clicked her tongue in annoyance and said dispassionately, "Did the New York Center open their doors and let all of you out?"
Her words made everyone fall silent for a moment.
But right after, a furor went through the crowd!
The New York Center¡¯s full name was the New York Psychiatric Center. As the name indicated, it was a hospital that specialized in mental illnesses. Patients who couldn¡¯t recover were typically kept there, which made it more or less the same as keeping them under surveince.
In other words, Nora was mocking everyone and calling them lunatics!
"Do you really need to say such mean things, Ms. Smith?" Tina sighed and said, "Your previous engagement has already been annulled, so you should stop being so choosy. It¡¯s your blessing to be able to marry Mr. Myers."
Someone next to her asked curiously, "Her previous engagement was annulled? By who?"
Tina said pretentiously, "This concerns Ms. Smith¡¯s privacy, after all, so I..."
"Just say it!"
Tina finally replied, "It¡¯s the Grays..."
"The Grays? Which? Why haven¡¯t I heard of them before? Are there any powerful Grays in New York?"
"I don¡¯t think so..."
Tina waved and said, "The Grays aren¡¯t from New York; they¡¯re from California. As all of you know, Ms. Smith grew up outside of New York, away from the Andersons. I heard that her father is just a small businessman... I guess the Grays can also be considered a wealthy family over there?"
While the Grays were considered pretty impressive in California, they werepletely not up to par in New York.
Everyone suddenly burst intoughter. "It can¡¯t get any more embarrassing to have your engagement annulled by nobodies like the Grays."
"Given what she¡¯s like, who else would want someone like her?"
"..."
At the entrance.
When Justin walked in with Cherry and saw the flowers and the red carpet on the ground, his lip corners couldn¡¯t help but spasm.
Then, he overheard the service staff members walking by him say, "... I heard that it¡¯s a Ms. Smith who prepared all these. She¡¯s intending to propose to someone..."
Justin suddenly froze when he heard this.
A Ms. Smith had prepared all these?
There shouldn¡¯t be that many people with thest name Smith here today, right? Was she intending to propose to him?
His heart suddenly started to race, and he even straightened his back and neatened his clothes. Surely Ms. Smith won¡¯t say something like ¡¯Since we already have children, let¡¯s just marry and give them aplete home¡¯ter, right?
Heh.
Suddenly, the red carpet and flowers didn¡¯t seem so tacky anymore. They looked pretty nice.
With that in mind, he quickened his pace.
Chapter 128: Mommy Likes Little Puppies~
Chapter 128: Mommy Likes Little Puppies~
Even though Cherry, who was in Justin¡¯s arms, had been forced to go through a ¡¯sharing session of love¡¯ known as a Mathematical Olympiad lesson the previous night, she was nevertheless still very excited that she could openly skip ss today.
Her big round eyes swiveled as she looked about. In her young and tender voice, she asked, "Did Mommy prepare these for you, Daddy?"
Justin replied, "... Yeah, I think so."
He coughed and asked, "If Ms. Smith proposes to meter, should I ept or reject her?"
Cherry, "????"
She stared at her stinky daddy with question marks all over her head, thinking that he must have left his IQ at home today.
Why would Mommy possibly do something as pointless as this?
If she had the time to set up all these, she¡¯d definitely rather sleep in a little longer instead!
Cherry¡¯s lip corners spasmed as she replied, "You¡¯re imagining things, Daddy."
When the service staff who passed by them finished speaking, the other service staff corrected her and said, "Ms. Smith isn¡¯t the one who prepared it. It¡¯s someone else who prepared it because he¡¯s nning to propose to her! You¡¯ve got it the other way!"
Unfortunately, Justin The Narcissist didn¡¯t hear that.
When he passed by a corner, he suddenly heard amotion in front. Then, he saw the woman surrounded by a group of people.
Amidst all the mockery and ridiculing thrown at her, even though she had azy look on her face, her back was straight as if a lofty tree on a cliff.
Justin frowned. Just as he was about to go forward...
"Who says no one wants Ms. Smith?"
Suddenly, a gentle and sultry male voice rang throughout the ce.
Nora looked behind her suddenly and saw a man dressed in a light gray suit standing a short distance away.
He had exquisite features and deep but warm eyes. His lips were thin and he had a sharp nose.
He exuded a warm andfortable aura like that of a spring breeze. As though a prince stepping right out of a fairytale, he took step after step toward Nora until he came up to her.
He stood shoulder to shoulder with Nora and said in a clear and pleasant voice, "This is the marriage agreement between Ms. Smith and the Grays. With this, why would anyone say that the engagement has been annulled?"
Everyone, "?"
Even Tina was dumbfounded.
"Who are you?" She asked.
The corners of the man¡¯s lips curled upward into a small smile as he replied, "I¡¯m Caleb Gray."
He looked down at Nora. The man¡¯s eyshes were very long and he had a bit of a mncholic look in his eyes. He gave off a polite and down-to-earth air. He said, "Ms. Smith, I¡¯m Anthony¡¯s uncle."
Nora became even more confused.
What did Anthony Gray¡¯s uncle have anything to do with her?
Then, she heard Caleb say in his gentle and mellow voice, "There are only two men in the Grays who are not married yet¡ªAnthony and me. Originally, going by our ages, Anthony is a more suitable match for you¡ªafter all, I¡¯m four years older than you. But since he¡¯s blind and cannot recognize a treasure for what it¡¯s worth, I shall fulfill the marriage agreement instead. This is the agreement; you can have a look at it."
Caleb took out the marriage agreement that Nora¡¯s mother had written when the two families had agreed on the children¡¯s future marriage and showed it to her.
She had once owned a copy of the marriage agreement too.
However, she had torn it up when she returned to the States and broken off the engagement. She¡¯d thought that Anthony would also do the same, but they had actually kept it?
She looked at the contents of the agreement next.
It was clearly stated on the Smiths¡¯ end that this was Nora¡¯s marriage agreement.
However, on the Grays¡¯ end, what it stated was indeed just ¡¯a man of suitable age¡¯!
In other words, it didn¡¯t necessarily have to be Anthony!
Nora¡¯s brows knitted together. The sudden appearance of a fianc¨¦ really was very troublesome...
But here came the question again¡ªwhy were the Grays so insistent on fulfilling the marriage agreement with her? It wasn¡¯t enough that Anthony left, so they were sending Caleb here now?
Moreover, Caleb was obviously much more reliable than that idiotic Anthony.
While Nora was preupied with these, Tina, who was standing in the distance, breathed a sigh of relief!
It was exactly because she was afraid that Nora and Justin would be entangled with each other that she had incited Winston to court Nora in the first ce. However, if she had a fianc¨¦... Wouldn¡¯t that be great?
Wasn¡¯t her fianc¨¦ a little too good-looking though?
Not only did he seem gentle, considerate, and elegant, but his eyes were also deep and innocent. It made one wish to care for and protect him, and also made them not have the heart to betray him...
Tina couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Mr. Gray, are you aware that she has a child?"
"I am." Caleb said unhurriedly, "For Nora¡¯s sake, I am willing to ept her and love her like my own. Everything is fine as long as Nora doesn¡¯t resent us for breaking off the engagement in the beginning."
Everyone, "!!"
Not only was the man handsome, but he was also deeply in love with Nora!
Caleb looked straight at Winston after he spoke. He said, "So, is this gentleman here still going to force my fianc¨¦e to marry him?"
The word ¡¯force¡¯ made Winston look a little embarrassed.
However, Club Prism was an establishment run by the Imperial Corporation, so no one dared to make any trouble.
Winston let out a cold snort. Although he was rather displeased, he nevertheless turned, gave a wave, and left with his tail in between his legs, together with his friends.
After they left, Caleb suggested, "Why don¡¯t we find somewhere to have a good chat, Ms. Smith?"
Nora certainly needed to have a good chat with him¡ªabout how they should call off the marriage agreement.
With that in mind, a troubled Nora nodded.
In the distance.
Justin was already pulling a long face.
He looked at his daughter in his arms, hoping that she would put in a good word for him. However, he instead saw a starry-eyed Cherry staring at Caleb. With a look of infatuation all over her face, she said, "Daddy, that young mister over there is so handsome!"
Justin, "?"
He asked solemnly, "You like him?"
Cherry nodded. "Uh-huh! His eyshes are so long! Also, Mommy likes people who are like obedient little puppies!"
"..."
He suddenly felt an urge to throw the little fellow down!
But what could he do?
Since she was his daughter, he could only pamper and dote on her.
He took a deep breath and suddenly strode forward.
Nora was about to find somewhere to ask Caleb about the marriage agreement when she turned and saw Justin walking over with Cherry in his arms.
She immediately stood still and called out, "Mr. Hunt?"
Then, she looked at her daughter in his arms and said, "... Pete?"
Cherry, "..."
Justin cast his eyes down and asked, "Ms. Smith, don¡¯t you want to know why I hate my son¡¯s mother so much?"
Nora, "???"
Caleb looked rtively innocent. The Grays were also not as powerful as the Hunts. However, even as he stood in front of Justin who had let loose all of his imposing aura, he surprisingly didn¡¯t seem outshone.
He lowered his gaze and said gently, "You can go about your matters first if you¡¯re busy, Ms. Smith. I can go to the Andersons and discuss the details of the marriage agreement with Mrs. Anderson instead. You¡¯re already an adult, so it¡¯s time that we get married soon."
Nora, "!!!"
She looked at Justin and then at Caleb.
The bold and resolute woman quickly made a decision. "Mr. Gray, please wait a moment for me."
Then, she looked at Justin and said, "Mr. Hunt, let¡¯s talk first!"
The children always came first!
Chapter 129: The Truth Behind What Happened Back Then
Chapter 129: The Truth Behind What Happened Back Then
Seeing that Nora had chosen him, Justin secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
He looked at Caleb and suddenly said, "It¡¯s going to be a long talk. How about you rest somewhere, Mr. Gray?"
Caleb nced at Nora with his deep and slightly mncholic eyes. Then, he cast his eyes down and sat on a random chair in the hallway. "No, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll wait for her here."
Justin, "..."
How were they supposed to calm down and have a good chat with him waiting here?
Unfortunately for him, Nora found it a good idea to make everything clear today, so she nodded and said, "Okay."
Then, she entered the private room with Justin.
Club Prism was the best club in New York.
A lot of people chose Club Prism for their business talks, and the soundproofing in the rooms was also very good. The noise outside was shut out after they entered the private room.
Nora sat on the sofa in the private room and looked at Justin. She said, "Mr. Hunt, you¡ª"
Before she could finish though, Justin frowned and asked, "Shouldn¡¯t you exin the marriage agreement first, Ms. Smith?"
Nora was taken aback. "What?"
Justin lowered his gaze. His earlobes were a bit red, but he nevertheless bit the bullet and said, "Considering how invested you are in my affairs, you must be interested in me, right? In that case, I can¡¯t just allow the woman, whom I¡¯m giving a chance to, to two-time me."
Nora, "????"
She was about to refute him when Justin spoke again. He said, "Ms. Smith made frequent contact with my son when we were in California. Aftering to New York, you also kept trying to approach me and ask about my affairs. All of these are what I think it is, right? After all, apart from that, there shouldn¡¯t be any other reason, right?"
Nora, "!!!!"
She had already known a long time ago that Justin was a narcissist who thought that every woman who approached him was in love with him. However, he felt different to her today.
It was as if he was presenting facts to her and reasoning with her so that he could convince her that her actions were indeed sending the message that she was in love with him?
Nora frowned.
She thought back carefully to all the recent events. Assuming that he didn¡¯t know that his son was also hers, her recent actions were indeed rather inappropriate.
She had paid too much attention to him.
Besides, if she denied it now, wouldn¡¯t it seem a bit too strange?
Nora didn¡¯t speak for a while.
Justin stared at her with his dark eyes.
He had to seal the case right at the start of the talk. Otherwise, that woman might just run off with that fianc¨¦ of hers!
The beauty mark at the corner of his eye seemed to sway a little. Justin lowered his gaze and went on. "Silence means consent, Ms. Smith. I was right, wasn¡¯t I?"
Left with no other choice, Nora, who could only acquiesce to it, replied, "... I suppose so."
She nced at Cherry.
Cherry also cast a silent nce at her. Sigh, little did she expect that someone like Mommy, who only knew how to sleep, would also have to contribute to the family one day. How rare.
Seeing how she looked somewhat reluctant, Justin picked up his cell phone and sent Lawrence a text message: ¡¯Check Caleb Gray¡¯s background.¡¯
After sending the message, he put down the phone and spoke seriously.
"Okay. On ount of how you¡¯re in love with me and that I¡¯m also willing to give you an opportunity, I will answer your questions truthfully and tell you everything you want to know. Go ahead, Ms. Smith."
"..."
The corners of Nora¡¯s lips spasmed as she stared at him with a speechless look in her eyes.
The opportunity hadn¡¯te easy, though, so she immediately asked, "Do you know Pete¡¯s mother, Mr. Hunt?"
Justin looked at her calmly. His dark and bottomless eyes wavered a little before he answered, "No, I don¡¯t."
Nora was puzzled. "Then why do you hate her so much?"
Justin clenched his jaw.
His expression turned somewhat serious as he looked at the coffee table in front of him. To be honest, he had never brought up what happened back then to anyone¡ªbecause doing that would expose the scars in his heart. However, he knew that it would probably be very difficult for them to acknowledge each other if he didn¡¯t make things clear now.
With that in mind, he said dispassionately, "On April 7th, five years ago, I received a call. The other party imed to be my son¡¯s mother. She asked me to prepare 1.5 million dors for her. If I did as she asked, she would tell me where my son was."
1.5 million dors...
Nora frowned and asked, "And then?"
Justin¡¯s voice was very low. "Of course, I didn¡¯t believe her. Apart from one night that I can¡¯t remember anything about, I¡¯ve never touched any woman."
Nora¡¯s hand subconsciously balled up into a fist. The anxiety in her heart made her repeat, "And then?"
Justin, who noticed that her voice was shaking, slowly went on.
"I hung up after that. Maybe because she realized that she wasn¡¯t going to get any money from me, she straight-up sent me a set of GPS coordinates and said that the child was at that location. If I didn¡¯t go and pick him up, then the child would suffocate to death."
¡¯Suffocate to death¡¯...
Despite knowing full well that Pete was safe and sound, Nora still found herself having difficulties breathing.
She suddenly thought of what Henry had said when she monitored his cell phone the other time. He said that he had buried the child with his own hands...
At this point, the look in Justin¡¯s eyes turned cold and he said, "I happened to be passing by California that time. Thinking that it felt a little weird, I made an extra trip. Sure enough, I saw Pete who had been buried in the ground shortly after he was born."
Nora stood up abruptly. She clenched her fists tightly, and even her arms were trembling. She asked, "How was he?"
Justin looked up at her. "He wasn¡¯t breathing anymore at that time."
Nora¡¯s eyes widened in horror.
Justin¡¯s voice was still as low and somber as before. He said, "I dug him out of the ground. His mouth and nose were full of dirt. Luckily, I had brought a family doctor with me that time, so he managed to perform CPR on the baby in time. The doctor said that he had been in the ground for about twenty to thirty minutes... Had wee a few minutester, it wouldn¡¯t have been possible to save him anymore."
His mood also became dreary at this point and a wave of irritability and resentment welled up in him. He said, "Pete waster diagnosed with mild autism. The psychiatrist said that it was caused by the events back then. Even though he doesn¡¯t remember anything, he had felt too insecure during that time."
Justin looked straight at Nora when he spoke.
Pete had been weak and frail ever since he was a baby. Every time he fell sick, Justin¡¯s resentment toward his mother would grow a little. That woman had really disregarded her son¡¯s life just for the sake of money.
How he wished he could kill Pete¡¯s mother.
However, when he realized that Nora was Pete¡¯s mother, doubts about the events back then started to form in his mind. He looked at Nora and asked, "What¡¯s the matter, Ms. Smith?"
Nora looked at him.
After she knew the truth, while her heart ached for Pete, she also breathed a sigh of relief. She finally knew the reason why Justin hated Pete¡¯s mother now, in which case, everything would now be open for discussion!
She looked straight at Justin and said, "His mother had her difficulties back then!"
Chapter 130: She’s My Son’s Mother, So You Don’t Have To Bother Yourself Taking Care of Her
Chapter 130: She¡¯s My Son¡¯s Mother, So You Don¡¯t Have To Bother Yourself Taking Care of Her
The private room was inplete silence.
With a deep look in his eyes, Justin looked straight at Nora and asked, "What kind of difficulties?"
Nora couldn¡¯t figure out what the man was thinking, so she felt that she couldn¡¯t tell him everything at once. She had to take it slow. What if that domineering man took the two children away and refused to let her see them anymore after she told him the truth?
Nora had never been one to do things she wasn¡¯t confident about, especially when her children were involved. She lowered her gaze and said, "All mothers love their children. Maybe someone took the child from her when she had only just given birth? Or maybe she has been looking for the child all these years?"
Justin¡¯s jaw tightened. He asked, "Then can you tell me how she became pregnant with my child?"
How she became pregnant?
How would Nora possibly know?!
She shook her head. "Even you don¡¯t know how the child came about. Maybe she doesn¡¯t know, either?"
Nora raised her head. Her almond-shaped eyes were very dark on her deathly pale countenance. However, her eyes glinted with a dark light as she said, "Of course, I¡¯m not trying to make excuses for her. Since she has brought the baby into the world, it is her negligence as a mother that she failed to foresee what came next and failed to protect her child."
She had spent every day in pain and regret during the past five years.
Back then, she had immediately contacted her aunt abroad when she discovered that she was pregnant. Her aunt had wanted toe back to the States to take her right away, but because Nora was in the midst of developing a drug, she had been reluctant to leave. Thus, the two of them had agreed that her aunt would onlye back for her during her ninth month of pregnancy.
Cold-hearted people like the Smiths would never help her to raise her children.
She had envisioned many different scenarios, but she had never expected that she would give birth prematurely. Neither did she expect Henry to be so vicious! How exactly had he brought himself to bury his own grandchild with his own hands?
After that, she had med herself and regretted her actions countless times, but it was all useless and to no avail.
Justin looked at her. Even though she was expressionless, she gave off an air of pain. He wanted to ask what exactly had happened back then, but he suddenly couldn¡¯t bring himself to ask any more.
From the way she doted on Pete so excessively, it was obvious that she wasn¡¯t someone who would abandon her son.
Moreover, she was Anti. Money was pretty much within easy reach for her. There was no way she would be interested in a mere 1.5 million dors! Therefore, the woman who had called him anonymously that time wasn¡¯t her at all!
Unfortunately, he had really dug up a baby at the location that the woman had given to him and seen that the baby was on the brink of death. After that, he had also had a DNA paternity test done and verified that the baby was indeed his child. He then tried to trace Pete¡¯s mother¡¯s phone number, but by then, she had already disappeared off the face of the earth. All traces of her had been erased.
At that time, he had thought that the woman must be afraid that he would seek revenge on her. Even though he had never stopped looking for her all these years, he didn¡¯t put much effort into it anymore, either.
After all, she was Pete¡¯s mother. Was he really supposed to kill her after he found her?
But now that he thought about it again, how would someone who had the ability to escape his tracking efforts and leave him clueless after calling him possiblyck those 1.5 million dors?
Beep.
In the midst of his thoughts, his cell phone suddenly beeped. It was Lawrence sending him information on Caleb. Justin nced at Nora¡ªshe was looking straight ahead nkly as if she was still stuck in her memories. He didn¡¯t bother her and opened the email instead.
The email contained all of Caleb¡¯s information.
Name: Caleb Gray
Age: 29
Height/Weight: 6¡¯1", 154 lbs
Health: Frail and sickly
Justin frowned when he saw this.
No wonder he wasn¡¯t married yet despite being 29 years old. It was probably his ¡¯frail and sickly¡¯ constitution that was holding him back.
He continued to read on. The further he read, the more grave his expression became.
Lawrence didn¡¯t dare to give him any subjective assumptions, so everything he sent was information that he had found during his investigation.
The Grays in California first made their fortune in Canada, but Caleb¡¯s father had returned to the States with his eldest brother 25 years ago and settled down in California.
Afterward, the Grays and Nora¡¯s mother, Yvette Anderson, were in frequent contact, so they decided to let their children marry each other.
As far as the Grays were concerned, as the second son, Caleb had never been involved with the Grays¡¯ domestic businesses and had grown up abroad the whole time as if he had been exiled.
He was very smart. He enrolled into college at the age of twelve, did his doctorate studies at fifteen, and became a pharmacist after that. However, he gave up being a pharmacist very quickly. One could say that he had left the industry to be a businessman.
His return to the States this time was because he had fallen out with the Grays in California. He nned to open a pharmaceutical factory in New York.
There didn¡¯t seem to be any problems with his life history, and he seemed very much like an unfavored second son of the family. The strange thing here, however, was that the Grays made overseas phone calls almost every other day.
Lawrence actually couldn¡¯t find out where they were calling.
However, ever since Caleb returned to the States, the Grays had stopped making overseas phone calls.
In addition, the Grays¡¯ very first business asset in California had also been a pharmaceutical factory. However, none of the other Grays had ever done anything rted to medicine!
Something was definitely wrong here.
Nora had recovered while Justin was thinking. She nced at Cherry again and asked with a smile, "Cherry... Pit, you¡¯ll be going to the Quinn School of Martial Arts tomorrow, right?"
She would be able to switch the children back once she was there.
After all, the little fellow had sses to attend!
Cherry¡¯s big cute eyes blinked and she nodded. "Uh-huh!"
But as soon as she said that, Justin said, "We¡¯re taking a day off tomorrow, so he won¡¯t be going over."
Cherry and Nora, "??"
Both of them looked at Justin, only to see him say without batting an eyelid, "I have to go to the main house tomorrow, so I¡¯ll be taking Pete there."
He hadn¡¯t spent enough time with his daughter yet. How could he let them switch back?
Once he sent Cherry to the Quinn School of Martial Arts, she wouldn¡¯t being back anymore!
Justin had already figured it out. He would take Cherry to the main house the next day and stay there for a few days. This way, Grandma and Mom would be able to spend some time with her. At the same time, he would also renovate the vi and set up a room for his daughter!
Nora¡¯s lip corners spasmed. "When will Pete be going to the Quinn School of Martial Arts, then?"
Justin nced at her and said with a smile, "Next month, I suppose."
"..."
Nora gave Cherry a look that screamed "You¡¯re on your own". Then, she stood and said, "Okay. In that case, that¡¯s it for our chat today, Mr. Hunt!"
She walked to the door. As soon as she opened it, she saw Caleb standing nearby. His mncholic eyes looked over the moment the door opened. "Since the two of you are done with your talk, is it our turn now, Ms. Smith?"
Before Nora even said anything, Justin said, "You can just talk in this private room."
It was just as well that Nora couldn¡¯t be bothered to go somewhere else, either. Besides, the private room had likely already been paid for, so she nodded and said, "Okay, that works."
However, when Caleb entered the private room, he saw that Justin was still seated inside.
Caleb was taken aback for a moment. Then, he took a seat gracefully. His thin and moist lips looked rather bewitching on his overly pale face. He was good-looking and his eyes looked terribly innocent. He said, "Ms. Smith, about the marriage agreement..."
Before he could finish, however, he was interrupted by Justin¡¯s icy words.
"Mr. Gray, the marriage agreement has been voided. I won¡¯t be troubling you to take care of the mother of my child."
Nora, "???"
Chapter 131: Mother And Daughter Meet Each Other
Chapter 131: Mother And Daughter Meet Each Other
Caleb was also stunned. He looked at Justin in disbelief and then at Nora before he asked hesitantly, "The mother of his child?"
Nora¡¯s expression turned solemn.
Had Justin discovered the truth?
While she was wondering about it, Justin nced at her and said casually, "Ms. Smith and Pete get along very well. Pete also considers her his Mommy."
Nora breathed a sigh of relief. So, that was what he meant... That guy could totally scare someone to death with his words.
Caleb also heaved an obvious sigh of relief. He lowered his gaze and said with a smile, "Mr. Hunt is certainly fond of cracking jokes. Those who didn¡¯t know any better would¡¯ve thought that Ms. Smith¡¯s child was yours..."
He was clearly trying to provoke Justin with his words.
Had Nora¡¯s child not been Justin¡¯s, he would definitely have pulled a long face. However, Justin instead said with a smile, "If I start a family with Ms. Smith, I will definitely treat her daughter like my own."
Cherry, who was in his arms, pursed her lips in contempt when she heard what he said. Who was it that deleted her from his Facebook ount?!
Caleb, who didn¡¯t seem to expect that he would say that, was a little stunned. After a brief moment, he looked at Nora and asked, "What about you, Ms. Smith?"
Nora also wanted to reject Caleb. Now that she had a ready excuse, she might as well just use it.
Thus, she said, "Yes, I¡¯ve been fond of Mr. Hunt for a long time now. Besides, my marriage agreement with the Grays has already been canceled a long time ago in California."
There was a mncholic look in Caleb¡¯s eyes. He heaved a heavy sigh and said, "Alright, then. I originally only took out the marriage agreement to help you out of that situation anyway... It¡¯s better to make friends than enemies. Your mother was also good friends with the Grays back then, and I can¡¯t just kick you while you¡¯re down now, either."
Then, he added, "But it is ultimately the Grays who did something wrong first. How about this? Let¡¯s take it that I owe you a favor. I will definitely repay it if I have a chance to in the future."
Nora had originally thought that Caleb hade all the way to New York with the marriage agreement because of her. Little did she expect that he would let go so easily.
She immediately felt guilty for harboring such petty thoughts about him just now. She hastily waved and said, "It¡¯s not the Grays¡¯ fault. I was the one who got pregnant before the marriage. It¡¯s understandable that the Grays would want to break off the engagement."
Caleb, however, shook his head and said, "You didn¡¯t know how you became pregnant, either. It wasn¡¯t right of the Grays to abandon you under those circumstances. You don¡¯t have to say any more, Ms. Smith. If there¡¯s anything you need my help with in the future, just let me know."
"... Okay."
Caleb smiled again and said, "I¡¯ll head off first, then."
Seeing him turn to leave, Nora called out to him, "Please wait a moment, Mr. Gray."
Caleb looked back at her with his clear and gentle eyes.
The way he looked was as if she was a scumbag.
Nora coughed and said, "Can you rip up the marriage agreement?"
Caleb smiled and said, "I was originally intending to keep it, but since you¡¯ve asked, I¡¯ll just return it to you."
He took out the marriage agreement again and handed it to Nora. "I went to California once when I came back to the States this time. My father had taken out the marriage agreement to burn it up, but I happened to see it, so I kept it instead."
Nora examined the marriage agreement¡ªit was identical to the one she had torn up. She balled up the marriage agreement and ced it in her pocket.
Justin narrowed his eyes when he saw what she did.
As expected, Anti really was a careful person. She knew that she mustn¡¯t leave any traces of it behind, so she must be nning to destroy itpletely at home instead.
Caleb smiled.
He had actually arrived at the same conclusion as Justin¡¯s and thought that she was intending to bring it home and destroy it there.
Cherry, who was in Justin¡¯s arms, was the only one who couldn¡¯t help but face-palm. Mommy was simply toozy. She wasn¡¯t even willing to spend the energy to tear up the marriage agreement, let alone having to take a few steps to toss it into the trash?
If she was that free, she would definitely rather sleep for a few more seconds instead.
¡ª
Elsewhere.
At the kindergarten.
Pete went to school in a dress. The other children surrounded him as soon as he entered the ssroom.
"Cherry, your live-stream yesterday was so exciting!"
"Boss, did you see the virtual gift I sent you? It¡¯s a whole $150,000, you know! I took really long to save that amount of money!"
"Me too! Me too! I also sent you $15,000!"
"And me! And me! I also sent you $15,000!"
"..."
While everyone was talking, tiny little Mia whispered, "Cherry, I also sent you $150,000!"
Pete found the others awfully noisy and annoying, but Mia spoke in a timid manner. Her voice was melodious and pleasant to the ear, so he was a little more patient toward her than toward the others.
He nodded at Mia. Then, he walked toward his seat expressionlessly and coolly, took out his Mathematical Olympiad worksheets, and started working on it.
Seth was about toe over and talk to Cherry, but as soon as he approached, he noticed that Pete was doing his Mathematical Olympiad assignments. He nced at it silently and was shocked.
The problems that Cherry was solving were much moreplex than his. On top of that, they were two grades higher!
He looked at Cherry with aplicated look on his face and silently moved away.
The teachers had also noticed Cherry¡¯s unusual behavior, but given how Mrs. Lowe had abused her the day before, it was normal that she would be down in the dumps today.
Thus, they sympathized with her very much and gave her extra meat during mealtime! They also removed all the vegetables that she didn¡¯t like.
Pete, who had never experienced such warmth from others, fell silent.
He looked at the kindergarten with his cool and distant eyes, feeling as if something had been set free in his heart.
A small hand grabbed his at this point. Right after that, Mia¡¯s timid voice reached him. "Are you a boy today, Cherry?"
Pete was taken aback. He asked, "How did you know that?"
Mia, who was a little embarrassed, replied, "It¡¯s because you¡¯re always very lively and never quiet when you¡¯re a girl. But when you¡¯re a boy, that¡¯s when I can get an opportunity to talk to you~"
Pete, "..."
While he was in a daze, Mia suddenly came near, leaned into his ear, and said, "Don¡¯t be scared, Cherry. Daddy told me that they¡¯re gonna change our dance teacher. It seems like something has happened to the Lowes. Did you notice? Sinead the Doggy isn¡¯t even in school today."
Pete, "?"
Was Cherry very scared of the dance teacher?
It was really ticklish how the girl was leaning into his ear to speak, though.
While the two were talking, Ms. Lynn came in with a woman. She said, "This is our new dance teacher~ Her name is Tanya Turner, and she¡¯s even more famous than Mrs. Lowe. She¡¯ll be teaching everyone how to dance in the future! Please p for her, everyone!"
Pete apuded with the rest of the children.
Soon, it was time for dance lessons. When Tanya was teaching the children how to dance, she noticed a small and petite child who had a look of envy on her face outside the ssroom.
For some reason, even though there were so many children in the kindergarten, Tanya found this child especially heartwarming at first sight.
She walked over to her and squatted down. Just as she was about to speak, Mia suddenly closed her eyes and fainted!
Chapter 132: Mommy, Don’t Leave Me...
Chapter 132: Mommy, Don¡¯t Leave Me...
"Hey? Hey!"
The kindergarten fell into chaos. Tanya picked up Mia and ran straight to the school doctor¡¯s office. She called out to Mia as she ran, but the girl didn¡¯t react.
Tanya felt as if her heart had stopped beating.
For some reason, the little life in her arms made her feel like crying, but she didn¡¯t dare to think too much about it. When she reached the school doctor¡¯s office, upon examining Mia, the school doctor found out that she was having an allergic reaction, so they rushed her to the hospital immediately.
As Tanya was the first to find out that she had fainted, she had to follow them to the hospital so that she could exin the situation to the doctor. Thus, she went along with them.
They went to the A&E department. The doctor turned to Tanya with a frown after he examined Mia and reprimanded her. He said, "This child has a mango allergy. As her mother, how can you be so negligent?"
Tanya was taken aback.
Her colleague, the school doctor, standing next to her wanted to exin, but the doctor was too busy. He snapped, "Why are you still prattling on here? Hurry and put her on an IV drip! Mango allergies are no joke!"
The school doctor panicked when he heard that it was a serious condition.
Mia was the very life of the head of the Smiths. Should anything happen to her in school, they would be in trouble!
After the doctor prescribed Mia some medicine, the nurse took them to the room next door and hooked the girl up on an IV drip. As the hospital was overloaded, there weren¡¯t any beds avable. Tanya had no choice but to put her on herp and hold her while they sat in the room.
It was rtively cold in New York at the moment. On top of that, little Mia was also very weak right now. The IV fluids entered her body through the needle in her hand, making her little hands icy-cold.
Tanya held her little hands and warmed her with her own.
Ms. Lynn, who had alsoe with them, paced back and forth with her eyes red. She kept ming herself as she paced about.
"It¡¯s all my fault for not keeping an eye on Mia. But there really aren¡¯t any mangoes in our school. Where exactly did Mia get it from?"
The school doctor also had a very troubled look on his face while Ms. Lynn was talking to herself.
Tanya looked down at the girl.
She was also allergic to mangoes. She didn¡¯t expect the two of them to be connected in such a way...
Urgent footsteps suddenly came toward them at this point. From the sound of it, there were two people walking over. The next moment, a man and a woman appeared at the door.
Tanya looked up. She hadn¡¯t even seen anyone when Ms. Lynn said, "I¡¯m really very sorry, Mr. Smith. It¡¯s all because we didn¡¯t take care of Mia well enough. She ate some mangoes..."
Mr. Smith?
Tanya was taken aback. Then, she heard a mellow and gentle voice that sounded a little cold at the moment.
"How is Mia?"
Tanya felt as if her heart had stopped beating. Her head whipped to the side, and a familiar figure that had appeared in her dreams countless times over the years entered her sight.
Joel didn¡¯t seem to have changed at all during thesest few years.
He merely looked a little more mature and steady than the youngd he had been back then. His attractive upturned eyes were fixed on Mia right after he entered the room. Seemingly because he finally saw that she was breathing evenly, he let out a sigh of relief.
A momentter, he finally noticed something and his gaze slowly shifted to Tanya.
Tanya held her breath when he looked at her. She felt as if all the air in her lungs had disappeared and her chest felt awfully tight.
She looked away at once, not daring to meet his eyes.
Joel, who had originally been walking over anxiously, finally stopped in his tracks at the door. His eyes widened in shock and ayer of frost suddenly formed over his usually mild countenance.
A cold and heavy atmosphere filled the room.
This continued until the doctor came over to take a look at Mia. He stood at the door and said, "Are you the child¡¯s father? What¡¯s wrong with you and your wife? Don¡¯t you know that your daughter is allergic to mangoes? Besides, mangoes aren¡¯t something that¡¯s readily avable, either. How can you be so careless?"
¡¯Child¡¯...
Was the child that she was holding actually Joel¡¯s?
Tanya felt as if her mind had gone totally nk.
She had lost her own child... In fact, she hadn¡¯t even seen her child before.
Yet he already had a daughter...
While she was lost in thought, a sharp voice suddenly came from the door.
"Tanya?! Why are you here? And why are you carrying my daughter?"
Tanya looked at Hiry and the look on her face turned cold.
Her daughter...
So, this meant that the child in her arms was Joel and Hiry¡¯s daughter!
She lowered her gaze. Just as she was about to speak...
Hiry rushed in and said, "What are you doing? Why did you tell the doctor that you¡¯re her mother? I¡¯m obviously her mother! Tell me, was it you who fed Mia mangoes?!"
After speaking, she raised her hand and sent it flying toward Tanya¡¯s cheek!
Tanya was currently holding Mia. If she let go of her to block the attack, the needle in the girl¡¯s hand would definitelye off. Yet if she didn¡¯t, the p wouldnd on her cheek!
Even though she knew that Mia was Hiry¡¯s daughter, Tanya¡¯s first reaction wasn¡¯t to let go of the child but to protect her and keep her safe.
Smack!
Tanya closed her eyes. However, the p that she was expecting didn¡¯t hit her.
Surprised, she opened her eyes. Joel was standing in front of her and holding Hiry by her wrist. His brows drew together and he said, "What are you doing?"
It was then that Hiry realized that she had lost control of herself for a moment there.
Her eyes reddened and she immediately hung her head sadly. She said, "Joel, I was just too anxious just now... You should also know that Tanya was misunderstood about me in the past. When I saw that Mia had fallen ill, yet she was holding her... Mia was in kindergarten the whole time. How did Tanya even get near her..."
Joel let go of Hiry and she took a step back.
In an extremely cold voice and with an even colder attitude, Tanya said, "Hiry Jones, I was in the kindergarten because I am the dance teacher that they specially hired at short notice!"
"The dance teacher?" Hiry sneered, "Why did you just have to go to the Golden Sunshine Kindergarten when there are so many other kindergartens in the country? Are you trying to get close to Mia on purpose? What are you trying to do to Joel¡¯s and my daughter?"
"Joel¡¯s and my daughter"...
The four words were just like a knife twisting in Tanya¡¯s heart.
Someone she had considered her sister in the past was now with the man she loved the most...
She took a deep breath and said, "Believe it or not, when I joined the kindergarten¡ªand even just a moment ago¡ªI waspletely unaware that Mia is your daughter!"
"Is that so?"
Hiry found her im dubious. However, Joel¡¯s expression darkened even further the moment she said that. She immediately took a step forward and let out a sigh. She said, "Sorry about that, Tanya. I was just too concerned about Mia... But now that we¡¯re here, you don¡¯t have to stay here anymore."
She went on and said, "Joel has already transferred Mia to a VIP ward in the hospital, so we won¡¯t be staying here anymore. Please return my daughter to me!"
She deliberately emphasized the words ¡¯my daughter¡¯, causing Tanya¡¯s fingers to tighten a little.
She was right. This was her and Joel¡¯s daughter...
Tanya stood up carefully. Perhaps because she was reminded of her own child who had gone missing at birth, she actually developed an unwillingness to part with Mia.
As if she had sensed Tanya¡¯s pain, Hiry¡¯s lip corners curled upward. She reached out, took Mia into her arms, and said, "Thanks for taking care of our daughter, Tanya."
But as soon as she said that, Mia¡¯s little hands clutched Tanya¡¯s clothes tightly and she whispered, "Mommy, don¡¯t leave me..."
Chapter 133: They Resemble Each Other A Little
Chapter 133: They Resemble Each Other A Little
Her soft whispers caused a jolt to go through Tanya.
For how many days and nights had those words appeared in her dreams...
Tanya¡¯s eyes widened and she looked down at Mia. Just as she was about to take a closer look at her face, Hiry stepped forward in a panic. She took Mia¡¯s hand and said, "Mommy¡¯s here, Mia. Here, let Mommy carry you..."
Tanya froze again, feeling as though her heart had been pricked by something.
What was she thinking? Mia¡¯s mother was Hiry. She didn¡¯t have anything to do with her.
Yet, because Mia had fainted, in her daze, she seemed to be convinced that Tanya was her mother. Her little hands clutched the corners of her clothes tightly and refused to let go, seemingly afraid that she would leave.
A piercing look appeared in Hiry¡¯s eyes at the sight. She immediately broke into a frown and forcefully unfurled the girl¡¯s fingers straightaway. This made Tanya¡¯s heart ache, and she couldn¡¯t help but grab her wrist.
"Don¡¯t be so rough..."
Hiry paused and emphasized once more, "Tanya, she¡¯s my daughter. Please let go."
Tanya slowly loosened her grip...
The way Hiry kept repeating ¡¯my daughter¡¯ over and over made her feel as if there were thorns stabbing into her heart.
Indeed, what right did she have to question the girl¡¯s mother? Despite her heart aching terribly for the little girl because the pain was causing her to frown even while she wasatose, she couldn¡¯t say a word.
At this point, Joel stepped forward and grabbed Hiry¡¯s hand forcefully. The usually mild-mannered manmanded sharply, "Let go!"
Hiry was taken aback.
Joel pushed her away and looked at Tanya. His lips moved a little. After a long moment of hesitation, he said, "Ms. Turner, Mia has be confused in her sleep. In order to avoid injuring her, can I trouble you to carry her to the VIP ward?"
¡¯Ms. Turner¡¯...
He had called her Ms. Turner.
Tanya felt like the man was using a voice and a face so familiar to her to say things that sounded so foreign to her... The acerbic and unbearable pain made the look on her face change again and again. Atst, she smiled and said, "Sure."
After Tanya carried Mia upstairs and left the ward with Joel following nervously behind her, Hiry clenched her fists tightly. A vicious look shot out of her eyes.
Mia was her only hope of holding Joel down!
She would never allow anyone to take her away!
With that in mind, she hurriedly went after them.
In the VIP ward.
Mia continued to clutch Tanya¡¯s sleeve even after she ced her on the bed. Ms. Lynn and the school doctor softly reminded her, "Remember not to offend Mr. Smith, lest he holds the kindergarten ountable... It¡¯s going to be a little tough on you, but please try your best, Ms. Turner!"
Since the ident had happened in the kindergarten, it went without saying that the kindergarten had to be held ountable.
As a substitute teacher, Tanya was also ountable to the kindergarten.
Therefore, Tanya took a seat by the bed and said, "I¡¯ll wait for Mia to calm down before I leave."
Both Ms. Lynn and the school doctor breathed sighs of relief. After that, they made up an excuse and left. After all, the school needed them there.
After the two of them left, apart from Mia who was on the bed, only three people remained in the ward¡ªJoel, Tanya, and Hiry.
Tanya stared at Mia in silence.
Her face was very small and her upturned eyes were closed. Her frail and delicate physique made those who saw her wish only to care for her. She resembled Joel very much, yet had an aura around her that was different from her father¡¯s.
Tanya had once thought that Joel was so good-looking that were he a woman, he would definitely be a stunning beauty. She had wanted to have a daughter with him.
... He did have a daughter now, but she wasn¡¯t the one who gave birth to her.
A lump formed in Tanya¡¯s throat and she lowered her head.
Mia stayed in deep sleep for more than two hours.
Tanya pressed her hand against her stomach in difort.
She had been in the hospital since the morning and hadn¡¯t had anything to eat yet... Originally, going hungry for a meal or two shouldn¡¯t have been a big deal, but because she had been dancing since she was a child, in order to maintain her figure, she didn¡¯t eat much at each meal. As a result, she was prone to suffering from gastritis and needed to eat on time.
Joel suddenly stood up and went out without saying anything.
Hiry suddenly said, "I misunderstood you, Tanya. I¡¯m really sorry."
Tanya, who had always been a lively and feisty woman, stared out the window.
"It¡¯s okay."
Hiry breathed a sigh of relief. She said, "Mia is the daughter I had with Joel. She has always been in poor health ever since she was a baby, so Joel dotes on her very much. I don¡¯t even know if she can be discharged today. She loves sleeping together with her dad and me the most... Sigh!"
¡¯Sleeping together¡¯... So, they are already living together...
Well, that made sense. They¡¯ve already had a child together, and five years had also passed in the blink of an eye. The two of them should be married by now, right?
She suddenly thought of how Joel barely moved whenever he was asleep, whereas her limbs were everywhere when she was asleep. Every time she woke up, she would see Joel looking at her with a look of resignation on his face. She remembered that one time when she had opened her eyes and seen Joel with a ck eye. She had received a huge shock at that time. Later, she learned that it was because she had hit him in her sleep.
At that time, Tanya had said jokingly, "Let¡¯s buy a bed that¡¯s ten feet by ten feet in the future. This way, it¡¯ll be fine no matter how we roll about on the bed!"
However, Joel had hugged her tightly and said, "No, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll hold your arms and legs down instead, lest you identally hurt our future children..."
Tanya lowered her eyes and forcibly suppressed all the memories buried deep inside her.
The door opened at this point.
Joel walked in. In his hands were two roast beef sandwiches, Tanya¡¯s favorite.
Waves rippled through the depths of Tanya¡¯s heart when she noticed the sandwiches.
Were they for her?
But when Joel slowly walked toward the two women, Hiry suddenly reached out and took one. She said, "Thanks, Joel! We haven¡¯t had lunch yet, so I was indeed hungry!"
Joel was taken aback.
However, Hiry had already grabbed the sandwich and opened the packaging on the sofa next to him. Then, she looked at Tanya apologetically and said, "Sorry, Ms. Turner. Joel only bought two, so he didn¡¯t buy you any..."
Joel looked at Tanya subconsciously¡ªthe woman¡¯s head was lowered and she had a calm expression on her face. Her hand, that Mia wasn¡¯t holding, was pressed against her stomach, but she instead said, "I¡¯m not hungry."
Joel cast his eyes down. Suddenly, he walked over to Hiry, took the sandwich from her, and said coldly, "I made a mistake. There are pickles in this, but you don¡¯t eat them. Since Mia doesn¡¯t need you here, you can go back home for now."
Hiry, "?"
She raised her head. She was about to say ¡¯But I love pickles¡¯ when she made eye contact with Joel¡¯s dark eyes, which frightened her so badly that she swallowed the words back down.
Even though she was reluctant to, she didn¡¯t dare to disobey Joel. She stood up and said, "Okay. I¡¯lle back tonight, then."
After she left, Joel handed Tanya a sandwich.
Tanya stared at the sandwich and said, "I don¡¯t eat pickles."
Although Joel had a mild expression on his face, the look in his eyes was cold. He ced the sandwich on the cab next to her and said, "You can toss it if you don¡¯t want to eat it."
Tanya, "..."
At this point, a doctor making the rounds entered the ward. He apologized and said, "My apologies, Mr. Smith. I heard that one of our doctors mistook someone else for the child¡¯s mother... We didn¡¯t mean it. It¡¯s just that your daughter somewhat resembles Ms. Turner, so..."
Chapter 134: Her Son~
Chapter 134: Her Son~
They resembled each other a little?
Both Joel and Tanya subconsciously looked at Mia. She hadpletely inherited her looks from Joel. Be it her face shape, her eyes, or her mouth, they looked exactly the same as Joel¡¯s.
Only her small and pert nose resembled Tanya¡¯s. But when one thought about it carefully, her nose was also very simr to Hiry¡¯s¡ªafter all, Tanya and Hiry were half-sisters who shared the same mother!
Joel and Tanya both raised their heads again and subconsciously nced at each other¡¯s faces. Tanya hurriedly looked away when their eyes met.
Joel turned to the doctor and asked, "When will Mia wake up?"
"She¡¯ll wake up soon." The doctor said, "She didn¡¯t eat that much mango, so she can be discharged after she¡¯s done with the IV drip."
"Okay."
After the doctor left, the room fell into total silence again.
After some time, Joel suddenly said, "The sandwich is turning cold."
Tanya, "..."
So, Hiry could skip the pickles just because she didn¡¯t like them, but if she were the one who didn¡¯t like pickles, she had to either stay hungry or eat it anyway?
That man¡¯s personality hadn¡¯t changed one bit even after so many years had passed.
He was very protective of people and things he considered his own but was always cold and indifferent to outsiders.
In the past, she had been part of whom he considered his own.
But now, she was an outsider.
Tanya sighed. It was a pity to toss the sandwich anyway, and she was indeed hungry. Besides, the doctor had once encouraged her to eat more pickles because they were good for gut health, especially since she was prone to digestive problems.
Therefore, Tanya put up with the pungent taste of the pickles and ate the whole sandwich.
Joel was seated on the sofa. Although his eyes were on hisptop while he worked, out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of Tanya and saw that she hadn¡¯t tossed the sandwich but ate it instead. For some reason, he was actually relieved to see that.
Joel stared at hisptop.
Time had never passed so quickly during all these years. With aputer, a cup of coffee, Mia, and... her, it felt just like that was how life should be.
At five o¡¯clock in the afternoon, sses ended at the kindergarten.
The principal and the school doctor hurried over to the hospital and also brought... the five-year-old Pete along the way?
Tanya was astonished to see him. She asked, "Why are you here?"
Pete, who was pulling a long face, asked, "Were you supposed to pick me up from school this evening?"
Tanya suddenly smacked her forehead and eximed, "Ah, yes, you¡¯re right!"
Pete, "..."
No wonder he didn¡¯t see Mommying over even after he waited for a long time after school was out. As it turned out, it was because God-mom hadn¡¯t informed Mommy at all?
The school doctor said, "No one came to pick him up, so the boy said that he woulde to the hospital and go home together with you instead."
Tanya smiled guiltily at Pete. She was about to speak when Joel suddenly asked, "Is this your son?"
Tanya nced at him. When she thought of how that guy had forced her to eat the sandwich with the pickles today and excluded her from the group of people he considered his own, she felt rather glum and she rebutted, "What¡¯s it to do with you?"
Joel, "?"
His attractive fox-like eyes narrowed and he looked Pete up and down hostilely a few times. Atst, he let out a snort and said no more.
At this point, Mia finally woke up. She had held on to Tanya¡¯s sleeve tightly with one hand the whole time. While she rubbed her sleepy eyes with the other, she called out hesitantly, "Daddy? Mom... Ms. Turner?"
Joel strode over to her. He looked at her and asked, "Do you feel unwell anywhere, Mia?"
Mia shook her head and replied softly, "No..."
Joel heaved a sigh of relief and stroked her cheek gently. His voice was sincere and tender as he said, "That¡¯s good."
On the other side, Tanya, whose sleeve had been finally released, took a step back. As she watched the interaction between father and daughter, a tinge of envy suddenly arose in her.
It was at this moment that someone suddenly held her hand.
She lowered her head to see Mia looking at her. She said, "Thank you, Ms. Turner..."
Tanya subconsciously smiled at her and replied, "No problem."
"Ms. Turner, can you fill me in on what happened to Mia today?"
The principal of the kindergarten suddenly came over and spoke to Tanya.
Tanya nodded, followed the principal to one side, and reported to him what had happened earlier that day.
Joel turned his head and looked at her, his expression unreadable.
He didn¡¯t notice Pete suddenly walking up to the hospital bed. He looked at Mia, pursed his lips, and said, "Your body is too weak. You need exercise."
The tiny little Mia lying on the hospital bed felt just like a thin sheet of paper after she was covered with the quilt. She nodded and said, "Okay. You feel very different today, Cherry~"
Pete, who had a stern look on his face, asked, "How so?"
"Why aren¡¯t you saying ¡¯yeah¡¯ anymore?"
Pete, "??"
He fell silent for a moment. Then, he said, "I am... yeah."
Mia blinked. She looked at him and asked, "What did you guys learn in school today?"
Pete replied, "We learned how to roller-skate, the ukulele, and dancing. If you fall behind, I can teach you tomorrow... yeah."
Mia broke into a smile. "Okie!"
Next to them, Joel who had retracted his gaze: "??"
He looked at Pete again. He couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling that the child was a little strange. He was clearly wearing the kindergarten dress, yet he didn¡¯t feel like a girl.
... Especially when he was even Tanya¡¯s child.
He cast his eyes down. His joy at meeting her again was totally gone. Boundless anger and a sense of powerlessness were the only things left in his heart.
She had remarried and even had a child with someone else.
Hah. It made it seem like he had only been ttering himself all this time during the past five years.
Tanya walked toward him and said, "Mr. Smith, the kindergarten will take care of the hospitalization fees and also provide somepensation. Is that okay with you?"
However, the expression of Joel, who had been pretty nice the whole afternoon, darkened and he replied, "That¡¯s not necessary. But if this happens again, I won¡¯t let the kindergarten off so easily!"
Then, he said, "We¡¯re going home, Mia."
"Okie-Dokie, Daddy."
Tanya was still stunned to the spot when the two of them left the ward. Why did that guy suddenly lose his temper? He was too much!
On the way home, Joel suddenly said to Mia, "Stay away from that ssmate of yours in the future."
"Why? He¡¯s Cheryl Smith! You know, Cherry! Daddy, you don¡¯t like him?"
Joel nodded. "Yeah."
Mia hesitated for a moment. Then, she asked hesitantly, "Is it because he¡¯s better than you?"
Joel, "?"
He let out a coldugh and scoffed, "Which part of him is better than Daddy?"
Mia replied softly, "He¡¯s a girl, but he can also be a boy~ Daddy, can you be a girl?"
Joel, "!!"
After they got home and he settled Mia¡¯s affairs, he finally looked at the time and went out.
As soon as he went out, the secretary said, "Mr. Smith, you¡¯rete for the meeting with Mr. Hunt."
Joel, however, was distracted. "Yeah."
Thoughts of the little girl... no, boy, upied his mind while he was in the car. He didn¡¯t know who Tanya had married. She used to say that she wanted a daughter, but unexpectedly, she had given birth to a son instead.
The look in his eyes grew even colder. Soon, he arrived at the meeting room.
He neatened his clothes and adjusted his emotions before entering the meeting room. He said, "My apologies for beingte, Mr. Hunt."
Justin had a cool look on his face. He said expressionlessly, "It¡¯s fine. I brought my son here, though. You don¡¯t mind, right, Mr. Smith?"
Upon hearing that, Joel looked at the child in his arms...
Chapter 135: They’re Getting Married?
Chapter 135: They¡¯re Getting Married?
Cherry, whose arms were around her father¡¯s neck, stared at Joel with her big round eyes.
Mm, that young mister there was really handsome, too! But why was the way he looked at her a little strange?
Joel was utterly stunned.
He didn¡¯t expect to meet that child again when they had only just separated... Also, he was Justin¡¯s son?
Joel had known for a long time that Justin had a son. He kept him very well-protected and seldom gave outsiders a chance to see him. If it weren¡¯t because the two of them had a business deal to discuss today, he probably wouldn¡¯t have seen what the Hunts¡¯ crown prince looked like for a long time toe!
But... Tanya had actually married Justin?
Joel¡¯s position as the head of the Smiths was well-deserved. Even though he was extremely shocked, he quickly kept his emotions in check and started talking with Justin about their uing partnership.
Half an hourter, the two men finished the work discussion.
Justin was in a hurry to go home so that his daughter could hold her live-stream, but when he saw that Joel had remained seated, he frowned and asked, "Is there anything else you need, Mr. Smith?"
Joel nced at him again.
Dressed in a ck suit, the man in front of him was big and tall, lean but strong. His visage was a perfect blend of harsh coldness and temptation. Together with the beauty mark at the corner of his eye, he was like Adonis on Earth.
It didn¡¯t seem strange that Tanya would fall in love with him.
But he had never heard of Justin having any ns to get married...
Joel neatened his suit and suddenly stood up. He said, "Your son is very cute, Mr. Hunt."
Justin cast a puzzled nce at him and politely replied, "Thank you."
Joel casually asked, "Do you know who the child¡¯s mother is?"
Upon his question, a picture of thatzy woman seemed to appear in front of Justin. The corners of his lips curled upward a little and he replied, "Yeah."
Joel continued and asked, "What are you intending to do about her, then?"
¡¯Do about her¡¯?
His choice of words made Justin very ufortable.
How could anyone use a phrase like that to talk about a woman like Nora?
He lowered his gaze and suddenly said, "Maybe we¡¯ll get married."
Married...
Joel¡¯s heart sank.
If she really married Justin...
The thought alone made his chest tighten ufortably. He balled up his fists and suddenly said, "Treat her well, Mr. Hunt."
He turned and left after saying that.
Justin, "?"
Was there something wrong with Joel Smith today?
For whom was he putting on that devoted act?
He suddenly thought of how Nora had kept staring at Joel during the medical conference the other time. Had the two of them formed some kind of connection without him knowing?
His brows drew together and he suddenly looked down at Cherry. In a deep and solemn voice, he asked, "Cherry... Pit, does your Mommy know him?"
Cherry shook her head. "No, she doesn¡¯t. I¡¯ve never heard Mommy mention him before, yeah!"
The little fellowpletely didn¡¯t realize that she had been sounded out.
Justin smiled and left with peace of mind. They¡¯d already had dinner, so when they returned home, Cherry dived straight into her bedroom for her live-stream.
¡ª
At the Andersons.
Tanya went upstairs to the guest room unhappily and closed the door after she returned home with Pete.
Pete entered the bedroom and unsurprisingly saw Mommy lying on the bed again. However, what was unusual was that she wasn¡¯t sleeping but handling something on her cell phone instead.
When she noticed him, she even asked, "Why are you back sote?"
Pete briefly exined Mia¡¯s hospitalization situation. Then, he said, "Mommy, I think you should go and take a look at God-mom."
Nora raised her eyebrows and let out azy ¡¯Oh¡¯. After stretching, she sighed and said as she walked out, "People mustn¡¯t let themselves sink into such depravity. I can¡¯t lie down like this anymore. I¡¯ll go out for a walk and switch to another room..."
Thinking that Mommy had finally made up her mind to stop being sozy, Pete was about to praise her when he heard what she said next: "... and lie down there instead."
"..."
Aren¡¯t you still lying down even if you switch to another room to lie down there?!
Pete¡¯s lip corners spasmed and he decided to go and do his homework instead.
When Nora entered Tanya¡¯s room, Tanya was crying in silence.
Seemingly because she heard the door opening, Tanya wiped her tears away and sat up. She asked nonchntly, "Why are you here?"
"Are you okay?" asked Nora.
"No."
Nora asked seriously, "Then what do you want to do?"
"If we¡¯re friends, then go out with me for a drink! We¡¯ll drink till we drop tonight!"
Nora fell silent for a moment at the drinking suggestion. Her eyebrows raised slightly and she suddenly asked, "What did you say before that?"
"No."
"The one before that."
"Why are you here?"
Nora stood up. "I came to check on you. Okay, I¡¯m leaving."
Tanya, "!!!"
It was only after Nora left that she realized that her moodiness had dissipated by half before she even knew it. That woman was sozy and unprofessional even when she was trying tofort someone!
While thinking about it, her cell phone suddenly rang.
She looked down¡ªthe caller ID showed ¡¯Mom¡¯.
She waited for a while before she picked up. A woman¡¯s voice reached her through the phone. "Tanya, why are you pestering Joel from the moment you returned? The two of you have already broken up! You¡¯re not allowed to disturb my daughter in the future, you hear me?!"
¡¯My daughter¡¯...
Heh.
Tanya let out an icyugh. She suddenly retorted, "Why should I listen to you?"
"Because I¡¯m your mother!"
"Really?" Tanya mocked, "Isn¡¯t your daughter Hiry?"
"... What do you mean by that, Tanya?!"
Tanya stared straight ahead of her as she said, "It means¡ªif you don¡¯t think of me as your daughter, then don¡¯t tell me what I can or cannot do!"
She hung up on her straightaway.
The next day, Tanya got up early in the morning and went to the kindergarten with Pete. On the way there, she asked, "When are your parents switching you guys back?"
Pete replied, "I don¡¯t know."
Tanya nced at him. He quietly added, "... Yeah."
Tanya, "..."
She found it hrious. After she reached the kindergarten and parked the car, just as she was about to enter with Pete, someone suddenly called out to her.
"Ms. Turner."
Tanya turned and saw Hiry walking toward her.
She came up to Tanya with a smile. Then, she suddenly took out a wad of cash from her bag and offered it to her.
Tanya¡¯s eyes widened in shock. "What is the meaning of this?"
A smiling Hiry replied, "This is to thank you for discovering Mia the moment she fainted and staying with her in the hospital for the whole afternoon. I¡¯ve asked around¡ªtop-ss nurses are paid $150 per day. However, you¡¯re different because you¡¯re a teacher from the kindergarten, after all. There¡¯s $3,000 here. You can think of it as a reward from the Smiths. It¡¯s quite a lot, right?"
A reward from the Smiths...
What did they take her for?
A humiliated Tanya clenched her fists. However, she suddenly reached out and took the money from her.
Hiry scoffed inwardly. It sure felt good to humiliate others with money...
But just as she thought so, the corners of Tanya¡¯s lips suddenly curled upward!
Chapter 136: Justin Steps Forward
Chapter 136: Justin Steps Forward
Whoosh!
Tanya took the money and threw it at her face!
The impact caused Hiry¡¯s head to turn to the side. She turned back to Tanya furiously, but Tanya instead grabbed her cor. The look in her eyes was very cold, and she carried some of the fierce and ruthless aura that was present only on Nora.
Tanya sneered, "That may have been very effective on me five years ago, Hiry, but I¡¯ve already grown up after thest five years. Why are you still stuck at where you were?"
She released Hiry and pushed her away. After putting some distance between the two of them, Tanya stared hard at her and said, "You¡¯d best keep this firmly in mind¡ªdon¡¯t mess with me. I¡¯m not that nice."
After saying that, she took Pete¡¯s hand again and led him forward.
Hiry stood where she was with money bills scattered all over the ground. All the parents around her looked over. The look of disgust in their eyes made her especially embarrassed.
They were all from wealthy families. It was indeed too low-ss to solve problems with money!
Hiry lowered her head and picked up the bills. Then, she hurriedly got into the car and left.
Her cheeks were still burning somewhat even after she got into the backseat of the car.
Tanya was already hard to deal with five years ago. She was feisty and wasn¡¯t someone to be messed with. Little did she expect that she would be even harder to deal with five yearster!
Was she just going to allow her to see Mia every day in the kindergarten though?
Absolutely not!
After a moment¡¯s thought, Hiry suddenly cast her eyes down.
¡ª
In the kindergarten, Tanya went to the dance studio after she sent Pete to the ssroom.
She originally only had ns to do filming for a TV program when she came back to the States. However, the kindergarten had contacted her and said that Whitney Lowe was unable to continue teaching dancing there, so they invited her to be a dance teacher in the school.
Tanya had thought at the time that she would be able to spend more time with Cherry if she took it, so she agreed to it.
However, she would only be working there for a month because she didn¡¯t want to stay in the States.
Her child had gone missing abroad, so she wanted to go back to continue looking for her child.
She had never expected that she would run into Joel here...
She heaved a sigh.
At this point, a few teachers came over and said, "Ms. Turner, you¡¯re done for."
Tanya was taken aback. "What?"
"The woman you offended just now is Mrs. Smith! We saw her going to the principal just now. The kindergarten is probably going to fire you!"
"Why don¡¯t you go and apologize, Ms. Turner? The kindergarten can¡¯t afford to offend the Smiths and the Hunts the most here. I heard that the Smiths are even shareholders of the kindergarten!"
"The Smiths are the reason why no one dares to bully Mia Smith despite how timid she is... It¡¯ll be really terrible if this gets blown up, Ms. Turner. I heard that Mrs. Smith is a pretty nice person. Maybe everything will be fine if you give in..."
The teachers exined what had happened to her, but Tanya instead lowered her gaze.
Hiry really hadn¡¯t learned any better.
Was lodging aint the only thing she knew how to do after being hit?
She had already allowed that woman to give her a warning the day before, but here she was again.
She said dispassionately, "It¡¯s fine. I wasn¡¯t nning on staying long in the States anyway."
Back then, because of the Lowes, she had been forced to leave the country. After spending so many years abroad, she had now be a dance teacher that even foreign royal families would hire. Her connections weren¡¯t that simple anymore!
Sure enough, just as she was thinking about it, someone came over and said, "Ms. Turner, the principal is asking for you in his office."
Tanya nodded and calmly headed to the principal¡¯s office.
Along the way, Tanya noticed several teachers casting sympathetic nces at her, but she ignored them all. Soon, she arrived at the principal¡¯s office.
The principal personally opened the door for her and poured her a cup of coffee. He said, "Ms. Turner, it¡¯s the kindergarten¡¯s honor to have you as our dance teacher for a month, but this is simply just..."
He sighed and said, "Mrs. Smith suddenly approached me just now. She said that she had thanked you out of kindness, but not only did you not appreciate her gesture, but you even injured her on her face, so she¡¯s demanding an exnation from us. I used the excuse that you¡¯re not yet an official teacher in the school to cate her for now..."
Tanya frowned. "Are the Joneses that powerful?"
The principal was also very troubled. He replied, "It¡¯s not the Joneses; I¡¯m not afraid of Mrs. Smith on her own at all. I also want to protect you if I can, Tanya. After all, you¡¯ve done us a big favor by epting our invitation after something happened to our dance teacher. However, the ones behind Mrs. Smith are the Smiths and Joel Smith himself. He has always been known as a wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing in New York. Even though he seems mild-mannered, he¡¯s actually very hard to deal with..."
The principal then said, "Tanya, I can keep you here despite the pressure, but life won¡¯t be easy for you in the future either if you offend Mr. Smith. If that¡¯s the case, why don¡¯t you resign instead?"
Resign?
Tanya bit her lip. "Was it Mr. Smith¡¯s idea to have me resign?"
"Yes, it is," replied the principal with a nod.
Mrs. Smith had said that her husband didn¡¯t want to see Tanya in the kindergarten, let alone have here into contact with his daughter...
Tanya clenched her fists.
So, he actually hated her that much? They couldn¡¯t even stay as friends after breaking up?
Her chest felt awfully tight. Compared to having to resign, this discovery saddened her even more.
She let out a coldugh and stood up. "Fine, I quit."
After saying that, she went out and strode toward the school gates.
Blinding sunlight shone upon her, making her eyes hurt. She raised her head and blocked the light with her hand. Dust floated in the air under the dappled light, and she could see the specks floating about.
She was just like one of those specks of dust. Her life was always being controlled by others.
She clenched her fists tightly.
She wanted to go to Joel and sort things out, yet she also felt that it would be her defeat if she were to really do so...
At the gates, Hiry got out of the car and slowly walked up to her. She said, "You are indeed hard to deal with, Tanya, but I¡¯m no longer who I used to be, either. I¡¯m Mrs. Smith now. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re aware of how powerful Joel is, right?"
Tanya ignored her.
Hiry said, "Somewhere other than the States would be more suitable for you. Leave, and nevere back again!"
Your daughter and your boyfriend back then... I will take them all!
In the ssroom.
"Ms. Turner has been fired!"
Brandon the loudmouth spread the news. Pete frowned when he heard it. He asked, "Why was she fired?"
Brandon replied, "Probably because she offended my aunt! That would mean that she¡¯s offended my uncle~ Uncle Joel is very protective of his own! Apart from the Hunts, no one in New York dares to offend him!"
¡¯Apart from the Hunts¡¯...
Pete¡¯s eyes lit up when he heard that.
This meant that he could ask the tyrant for help, right?
He¡¯d just had a great idea!
He immediately took out his cell phone and drafted a text message to Cherry.
Ten minutester...
On the top floor of the Smith Corporation¡¯s office tower, Joel received a call from Justin. The moment he picked up, Justin confronted him and said, "Mr. Smith, surely it isn¡¯t quite appropriate for you to do that to a weak and powerless woman?"
Joel, "?"
He frowned. "What do you mean, Mr. Hunt?"
"Don¡¯t you think that forcing Ms. Tanya Turner to resign is a little too much?"
Joel narrowed his eyes. A cold look shot forth from them as he asked, "What?"
Chapter 137: Father And Daughter Claiming Credit
Chapter 137: Father And Daughter iming Credit
Justin, however, didn¡¯t give him a chance to speak. He said coldly, "I¡¯ll be speaking with the kindergarten. Ms. Turner will be under the Hunts¡¯ protection from now on."
He hung up right after saying that.
Justin looked at Cherry tenderly and said, "There, I¡¯ve made the call. Don¡¯t worry, Pete."
Just now, Cherry had suddenly run over and said that someone was bullying her godmother, so she wanted him to talk to the Smiths. He had been rather stunned when she said that.
However, he had very quickly reacted and knew that this was a great opportunity for him.
After all, one must never offend their woman¡¯s best friend.
Thus, he had made the call. To him, it was nothing but just a matter of lifting his finger.
Cherry nodded and chirped, "Okie-Dokie!"
However, Justin was still staring at her.
Cherry blinked and asked, "What¡¯s the matter, Daddy?"
Was little Cherry not cute today?
Just as she was wondering, Justin said, "You should give your Mommy a call and report this to her."
How could he stay quiet about it after doing a good deed?
Cherry tilted her head and asked, "Why?"
Without batting even an eyelid, Justin replied, "Because your Mommy won¡¯t need to worry anymore if you do that, right?"
After thinking for a while, Cherry agreed and said, "Okie-Dokie!"
Justin sat there and watched his adorable little baby take out her cell phone. Her little fingers swiped across the screen slickly and turned it on. Then, she dialed Nora¡¯s number.
The young woman¡¯szy voice rang out from the other end of the call the moment it connected.
"What¡¯s the matter, Cherry?"
Cherry found herself missing Mommy a bit when she heard the familiar voice. Longing appeared in her big eyes as she said, "Mommy, the kindergarten fired God-mom!"
"What happened?"
The woman¡¯s voice instantly turned sharp. Then, Cherry heard rustling sounds from the other end of the call¡ªshe was likely... getting out of bed?
However, Cherry went on and said, "But you don¡¯t have to worry, Mommy~ I¡¯ve already settled it for you~"
Justin, "??"
Cherry said triumphantly, "I coaxed Daddy to call the Smiths after I heard the news, so God-mom should be fine soon~ Aren¡¯t I super awesome, Mommy?!"
The woman on the other end rxed and likelyid back down on the bed. She said, "Uh-huh, Cherry¡¯s the best. I¡¯ll get God-mom to thank you when shees back. Mwah~"
Then, she yawned again and said, "Mm, I¡¯m going to bed."
And then, she hung up.
Justin, "????"
He was obviously the one who resolved the issue, so why was all the credit Cherry¡¯s in the end?!
His expression darkened right away.
However, Cherry turned to him right after that. She broke into a grin and said, "There, I¡¯ve made the call, Daddy! Isn¡¯t Cherry... Pit super awesome?!"
Although he was gnashing his teeth, Justin nevertheless forced a small smile and replied, "... Yes, you are."
Satisfied, Cherry ran off to y in the study.
Justin heaved a silent sigh as he gazed at that tiny little figure.
Were she Pete, his big hand would already have made intimate contact with his little butt. But if it was Cherry... Never mind. Girls were delicate creatures. She was his daughter after all. The only thing he could do was pamper her, he supposed!
Now that he couldn¡¯t count on his daughter anymore, Justin could only do something about it himself.
He picked up his cell phone and called Nora.
The other party picked up very quickly. The voice on the other end sounded very annoyed as she asked, "What is it now?"
Justin paused slightly and asked, "Aren¡¯t you going to treat me to dinner after I helped you out today, Ms. Smith?"
"... Oh, I see."
Justin, "?"
"Text me where and when," said Nora.
Justin breathed a sigh of relief. He picked a restaurant and sent the address to her.
Then, he stood up and got ready to set off. When he passed the study, he saw Cherry ying in there. Were she Pete, he would never take him along and have him be the third wheel.
But if it was Cherry... He¡¯d better take her along, he supposed. Otherwise, what if she started crying at home?
Justin smiled and beckoned to her. "Let¡¯s go out for dinner, Pete."
"Okie-Dokie!"
¡ª
At the Smith Corporation.
In the office, Joel clenched his fists tightly after Justin hung up. The look in his eyes, as he stared ahead of him, was vtile and unreadable.
Even his expression, which was always amicable, had be a little sharp. An unusual gleam appeared in his deep eyes. He pressed the button that summoned his personal assistant. Thirty secondster, his assistant knocked on the door and entered. "Is there something you need me for, Mr. Smith?"
Joel¡¯s voice was awfully cold as he ordered, "Find out what happened at the Golden Sunshine Kindergarten!"
The assistant was stunned for a moment.
Joel was well-known for being a wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing. He had always been mild-mannered and treated everyone amicably. During all these years as his personal assistant, Joel had been rtively forgiving toward him even when he made the asional mistake.
This was the first time he had ever seen such a cold and ruthless look on Joel¡¯s face.
The assistant hastily nodded and replied respectfully, "Yes, sir."
After the assistant left, Joel thought for a while and nevertheless got up and walked out of his office. When the assistant noticed him, he said in surprise, "Mr. Smith?"
Joel instructed, "Cancel all my meetings today. Call me when you find out what happened."
"Yes, sir."
Joel took the CEO-exclusive lift down to the underground car park and drove out by himself.
To be honest, he didn¡¯t know where he wanted to go, but he simply felt so irritable. He drove around aimlessly in New York. Before he knew it, he had arrived at the university where he used to study at.
He stopped the car. He was about to walk in when he spotted a familiar figure right away.
The young woman, who seemed a little sad, was sitting on a bench under the tree. Her thin and frail figure gradually blended with the one from a few years ago.
All the noise around him seemed to disappear and time quietly rewound to a few years ago...
Back in high school, they had made a promise to each other that they would attend the New York University together. However, when they were seniors, she suddenly began to pursue dancing before the entrance exams. She wanted to go professional, so she gave up on enrolling at the New York University and instead made ns to go abroad. He was very sad when she told him, but he didn¡¯t want to hold her back, so he had agreed.
The two of them seldom spoke to each other after that. After the college entrance exams, the two of them didn¡¯t contact each other for a whole summer.
When school finally started, all Joel could feel was dejection as he walked down the path with his luggage without her. It seemed like the world only became bright and colorful when she was around.
But as he walked, he suddenly heard someone calling his name.
He looked up and saw her standing at the New York University¡¯s reception counter for freshmen with a suitcase. With a big smile on her face, she had called out, "Joel Smith! I¡¯m staying here all for your sake! Don¡¯t you dare bully me in the future, you hear me?"
Even after so many years, he could still clearly remember that she had worn a pale blue dress that day. Her calves were fair and her figure tall and slender.
When she smiled, it was as if everything around her had lit up.
In the midst of Joel¡¯s thoughts, the sound of a cell phone ringing suddenly interrupted his thoughts.
Had his assistant already found out what happened at the kindergarten?
Chapter 138: Assistance Has Come~
Chapter 138: Assistance Has Come~
Joel was using Happiness, a song by one of his and Tanya¡¯s favorite singers back then, as his cell phone ringtone.
However, when he was about to take out his phone, he instead saw Tanya taking out her own cell phone and picking up a call.
It was then that he realized that Tanya was also using Happiness as her ringtone.
If so, then did that mean that she, like him, also couldn¡¯t forget the other party even after so many years?
But as soon as he started indulging in his wishful thinking, in front, Tanya¡¯s eyes lit up and she said excitedly, "Darling! So it was you who helped me out!
"Of course, I¡¯ll reward you. Shall I give you a kiss? Or perhaps, I¡¯ll give myself to you and sleep with you for a few nights?"
"Oh, don¡¯t be shy! Here, I¡¯ll give you a big kiss! Mwah~!"
"... Dinner? No problem, of course! Text me the location!"
Tanya hung up after that. Then, she immediately got up, turned around, and walked away excitedly.
After she left, Joel walked out from behind the big pir at the school gates. He stared at the direction in which she had driven away, his upturned eyes flickering dimly.
¡¯Darling¡¯... ¡¯Give myself to you¡¯... ¡¯A big kiss¡¯...
The phrases made him feel ufortable all over. It was as if there was a time bomb ticking away in his body, ready to explode.
He didn¡¯t even know what he was doing, but without even a second thought, the man, who had always been calm and self-disciplined, suddenly got into his car and followed behind her.
He was going to see... just where she was going!
¡ª
Tanya drove the jeep leisurely to Club Prism.
After parking, she looked up and gazed at the familiar ce.
This was a club that the wealthy and prestigious often visited to have some fun, and had been around for many years.
When she was still a child, she was the baggage that her mother had brought with her when she married into a wealthy family. What Hiry loved doing the most was bringing her here to have some fun¡ª
Because she couldn¡¯t go in.
She wasn¡¯t of high social status and didn¡¯t own a VIP card. Thus, all she could do was stand at the door anxiously and wait for Hiry to remember that she was there.
Later, she stoppeding.
While she was staring at the ce, inside Club Prism, Hiry was also coincidentally there for dinner. She had already parked her car and was about to enter the main hall.
When she turned her head and noticed Tanya, she bit her lip at once.
To think Tanya had actually followed her here! Was she haunting her or what?
She narrowed her eyes and beckoned the lobby manager over. Then, she pointed at Tanya outside and said, "Don¡¯t let that woman in!"
The lobby manager nced at Hiry and retorted, "Ms. Jones, I have no right to refuse her entry if she¡¯s a legit customer."
Seeing that her words weren¡¯t working on the lobby manager, a look of displeasure came over her countenance and she said, "You may not care about my identity as Ms. Jones, but what about my identity as Mrs. Smith?"
The lobby manager was taken aback.
Hiry cast her eyes down and said, "Although Joel and I aren¡¯t married yet, I¡¯ve already moved into the Smiths¡¯ residence. You should know that, right?"
The lobby manager frowned.
A smirking Hiry said, "Or perhaps you aren¡¯t afraid of Mrs. Smith, either. In that case, what about Joel?"
The lobby manager was stunned.
Hiry pointed to the area outside and said, "That woman is a dance teacher at the kindergarten who injured Joel¡¯s and my daughter. She followed me here because she wants to apologize. I don¡¯t want to see her, and neither do I think Joel would want to, either. Understand?"
The lobby manager frowned.
Although Club Prism wasn¡¯t afraid of anyone, they nevertheless still had to show Joel some respect. Thus, he nodded and said, "Alright, Ms. Jones."
Resentment welled up in Hiry when she heard the words ¡¯Ms. Jones¡¯.
This was all Mia¡¯s fault. Had she been a boy instead, she would¡¯ve been married to Joel a long time ago! Speaking of which, it was all because Tanya¡¯s womb was so useless to actually give birth to a little wench instead!
She took a deep breath and entered a private room.
At the entrance.
Tanya was about to enter when someone stopped her.
"Excuse me, miss. Do you have an appointment?"
Club Prism¡¯s customers were all either rich or prestigious. The diners here were either guests who owned their VIP cards like Hiry, or people with high social status like Justin or Joel. Even though they hadn¡¯t applied for VIP cards, they were tacitly recognized as gold card VIPs. There was also onest type of customer¡ªguests of the above-mentioned.
Tanya replied, "Yes, the room number is¡ª"
But before she could finish, the lobby manager¡¯s voice reached her.
"I¡¯m sorry, miss, but I can¡¯t let you in."
Tanya, "?"
The polite lobby manager said apologetically, "Ms. Jones said just now that Mr. Smith has refused to let you in."
Ms. Jones and Mr. Smith...
Tanya felt an ache in her heart at the mention of the names.
She narrowed her eyes and said, "I¡¯m not here for them. I have an appointment with someone else here."
The lobby manager sighed and said, "By right, we shouldn¡¯t be denying you entry, miss, but Ms. Jones said that Mr. Smith has instructed that you¡¯re not allowed to be anywhere that she is. If I let you in, I¡¯ll end up offending Mr. Smith..."
The lobby manager wasn¡¯t a social climber, but for the sake of his own livelihood, he could only say, "How about this? Is it alright if I get someone to bring a chair here for you and let you wait outside?"
Tanya narrowed her eyes as her chest tightened.
She could give Nora a call and ask her toe out and pick her up, of course, but if this was really an order from Joel, then wouldn¡¯t that mean Nora would end up offending him because of her?
Although she had resolved the issue at the kindergarten for her, Tanya was unwilling to keep giving others trouble.
She clenched her fists, utterly humiliated.
Many years ago, she hadn¡¯t been able to enter the club. Later, it was Joel who had taken her inside.
Many yearster, she still couldn¡¯t enter the club, but she didn¡¯t have Joel with her anymore.
Sorrow filled her heart, but she could only lower her head and smile wryly as she said, "No, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll leave."
She would have to leave the treat for another day instead.
When she turned to leave, she happened to see another car stopping at the entrance. Joel opened the door at the driver¡¯s seat and got out.
Tanya paused in her tracks.
Then, she immediately broke into a wry smile. No wonder they didn¡¯t let her in...
She lowered her head and looked straight in front of her as if she didn¡¯t see Joel. She walked straight past him to the side and said to the parking valet, "Please get my car, thanks."
"Yes, ma¡¯am."
Although Joel didn¡¯t look at Tanya, he watched her out of the corner of his eye the whole time.
At the sight of her leaving, he was instead relieved.
However, since he was already here, he decided to enter the lobby. Just as he was wondering why she hadn¡¯t met her darling for dinner, the lobby manager came forward and said, "You¡¯re really here, Mr. Smith! As per your instructions, we¡¯ve prevented thatdy froming in. Rest assured that we definitely won¡¯t allow her to bother you."
Chapter 139: Hillary Digs Her Own Grave
Chapter 139: Hiry Digs Her Own Grave
Joel stopped in his tracks and suddenly looked at the lobby manager. He repeated, "What do you mean you won¡¯t allow her to bother me?"
The lobby manager was very shrewd. At the sight of Joel¡¯s reaction, something immediately clicked and he replied, "Yes, that¡¯s right. Mrs. Smith told us just now not to allow thedy at the entrance toe in. She said that this was your instruction."
He lowered his head. What he said next sounded as if he was iming credit, but in truth, he was actually lodging aint. He said, "We don¡¯t have a rule like that at Club Prism, but Mrs. Smith said that this was an instruction from you, so we had to do as requested, of course."
Instructions from him...
Joel¡¯s amicable expression faded and he said dispassionately, "She¡¯s not Mrs. Smith yet."
The lobby manager put on a show of looking scared and said, "Apologies, Mr. Smith. I¡¯ve always addressed her as Ms. Jones, but she demanded that we change the term of address today..."
Joel didn¡¯t look angry. However, when he turned and saw Tanya, his eyes darkened a little.
Just as the lobby manager was about to say something, Joel looked away from Tanya and said detachedly, "We¡¯ll leave it at that, then."
For some reason, he didn¡¯t feel like letting here in and go for her dinner appointment.
The lobby manager was dumbfounded.
For over ten years, he had always been skilled at reading people¡¯s bodynguage and had never made any mistakes before. Had he guessed wrongly this time? Hiry was clearly acting like a donkey in a lion¡¯s skin just now, yet Mr. Smith was actually giving her actions tacit approval now?
He withdrew his gaze and became a lot more respectful. "Alright, Mr. Smith."
At the entrance.
Tanya waited idly for the parking valet to bring her car over.
Suddenly, a few people came toward her. "Hey, is that who I think it is? Isn¡¯t she Tanya?"
Tanya turned and saw a few people who used to hang out with Hiry walking toward her.
They were her high school ssmates. Hiry and the Joneses were considered a moderately wealthy family, so all of them had curried favor with her back then. Why were they here though?
Were Hiry and Joel... here for dinner with them?
Tanya clenched her jaw.
Joel had despised them when he and Tanya were dating back then. Hiry had brought them over to greet Joel, but he couldn¡¯t even be bothered to pay them any attention at that time.
Yet he was actually willing to dine with them for Hiry¡¯s sake now?
Heh.
People did change, after all. Right?
While she was inwardly mocking Joel, her ex-ssmates started to taunt her.
"Tanya? Are you thinking of going in for dinner? Why don¡¯t you ask Hiry, then?"
"That¡¯s right. What are you standing around here for? Didn¡¯t they say that you were the champion in an international dancepetition? Why aren¡¯t you able to even enter a small club like this?"
"Man, what¡¯s the big deal about being a world champion? Did you win any prize money? Have you spent it all??
Tanya¡¯s eyes narrowed at their mockery of her.
She sneered, "Tsk, I¡¯ve finally witnessed today what it means to ride on someone¡¯s coattails!"
Her choice of words was too artful, so it took a while for them to understand what she was saying. They became angry right away, and a man from among them even stepped forward and pushed her while demanding, "Is that how you should be talking, Tanya?!"
"Exactly. Do you really think you¡¯re that great just because the wealthy are being polite and inviting you to teach them dancing after you won a championship? At the bottom of it all, you¡¯re still just a dance teacher! Oh, look at the situation you¡¯re in now. Why don¡¯t you give one of your students¡¯ parents a call and ask them to bring you in?"
"She probably can¡¯t get them to! At least we can still enter because of Hiry, but what about you?"
"..."
Tanya was highly sought after among the wealthy. Given her current status, it wasn¡¯t hard for her to enter the club if she wanted to¡ªin fact, she could even easily get a VIP card. However, the problem was that Joel had forbidden her from going in.
In the whole of New York, the Hunts were the only ones who didn¡¯t fear offending Joel.
However, she didn¡¯t want to trouble the Hunts.
Tanya lowered her gaze. At this point, the parking valet brought her car over. She walked around the group of people to the car, but just as she was about to get in, they stopped her again.
"Oh hey, that¡¯s a pretty impressive car you¡¯re driving! Only the rich can afford to drive a jeep like this!"
"Is this car a present from one of your students¡¯ parents?"
"I heard that there are some dance teachers who use the excuse of giving dance lessons to fool around with the masters of the households instead... Hahaha!"
"..."
Theirments were bing increasingly ridiculous, causing the look on Tanya¡¯s face to turn even colder. She couldn¡¯t tolerate it anymore. She was about to step forward and teach the foul-mouthed guy a lesson when a tall and slender figure suddenly rushed over.
He moved extremely quickly and grabbed the guy by his cor. Before anyone could even react, he socked him right in the face!
As a loud bam rang out, the guy stumbled a few steps backward and spat out a couple of teeth.
His head whipped up as he shouted, "Who the hell..."
However, when he saw Joel and the frosty look on his face, his words came to an abrupt stop!
The people around them were also dumbfounded. They hastily took a step back and stammered, "M-Mr. Smith..."
Joel¡¯s frigid gaze swept across the few of them. Atst, he ordered coldly, "Get lost!"
Frightened out of their wits, the few of them immediately fled.
After all of them left, the people around them started to point at them as they spected among themselves. Someone could be heard faintlymenting, "That woman¡¯s making a scene just because she can¡¯t enter the club... How terrible!"
Joel abruptly turned to Tanya. He grabbed her wrist and walked straight to the lobby entrance.
Then, to the lobby manager who was standing there respectfully, he said, "Remember what she looks like. From now on, no one is allowed to stop her any time shees here!"
The manager nodded. "Yes, Mr. Smith!"
Tanya¡¯s expression changed a little when she heard what Joel said after being dragged into the club by him.
Was that man sick in the head?
He was the one who didn¡¯t let her in just now, yet he was acting like a hero saving a damsel in distress now?
Seemingly sensing her emotions, Joel left the club without looking back after leaving those instructions.
¡ª
At the Smiths.
Hiry, upon hearing the news from her cronies, didn¡¯t have the leisure of having dinner anymore. She hurriedly went home.
As soon as she entered, she said, "I¡¯m sorry, Joel... I didn¡¯t know that my friends would do that... I went to the kindergarten this morning to thank Tanya, but not only did she not appreciate my gesture, but she even hit me..."
Hiry held her cheek that was still red and lowered her head. She said pitifully, "When my friends heard what happened, they asked me out to Club Prism, so I headed over. I really didn¡¯t expect that they would try to seek revenge for me... and even use your name to stop Tanya from entering..."
She lifted her head with her eyes reddened and said, "It¡¯s fortunate that you were there. Otherwise, Tanya would have suffered injustice this time. I¡¯m sorry, Joel..."
She had only just said that when Joel raised his head calmly, scoffed, and pointed to the things on the table.
Hiry was taken aback. However, her expression immediately changed when she picked up the things on the table.
It was actually evidence against her that Joel had found after conducting an investigation!
Chapter 140: Leaving No Means Untried
Chapter 140: Leaving No Means Untried
Hiry held the few pages of evidence.
The first page was about her conflict with Tanya in the kindergarten. The photo clearly showed that she had provoked Tanya first. The humiliated Tanya had then counterattacked.
The second page was photos of her speaking with the lobby manager in Club Prism¡¯s lobby. Her facial expression in the photo was exceptionally smug.
Hiry balled up her fists. She wanted to say something, but before she could, Joel said unhurriedly, "There are surveince cameras in both the kindergarten and the club. If you continue to deny it, I can ask for the video footage for you. Ms. Jones, allow me to remind you that surveince camera footagees with audio nowadays."
Hiry¡¯s retort instantly got stuck in her throat.
She stared at Joel in shock. A momentter, she finally hung her head dejectedly and said, "It¡¯s my fault this time, Joel... I only did that because I panicked when I saw that Tanya was back. I was afraid that she would take you away from me... Joel, she told me that she¡¯s back this time so that she can take revenge on me and take everything from me."
Hiry, whose head was lowered, started to cry. She said, "As you know, Tanya has been fighting with me over everything ever since we were kids. I had no other choice. I just wanted her to leave. I just wanted to protect everything that¡¯s mine!"
She looked at Joel again and said, "There¡¯s Mia, too. Of all the kindergartens around, why did she go to that one? It¡¯s definitely because she knows that Mia is our daughter, so she especially went there for her. Joel, she must be nning to start her revenge with Mia. I don¡¯t know how she did it, but she¡¯s already bribed Mia. It¡¯s only been a day, but Mia¡¯s already asking for her..."
She stared at Joel and went on. "There¡¯s no way someone like Tanya would be content. Back then, for the sake of dancing, she abandoned you. Even though she won the championship, her life abroad all these years must not have been that great either, right? That¡¯s why she wanted toe back. She must be thinking of pestering you..."
¡¯For the sake of dancing, she abandoned you...¡¯
The words stabbed brutally into Joel¡¯s heart like a knife.
He lowered his eyes and let out a cold chuckle.
Perhaps that woman would give up glory and wealth for the sake of dancing, but there was no way he would ever believe that she would pester him for the sake of glory and wealth...
No matter how people might change, the pride embedded in one¡¯s bones would never change.
Besides... She had gone to that kindergarten for her son. Now that she had Justin Hunt, there was no need for her to pester him anymore.
The icy smile at Joel¡¯s lips became tinged with a bit of bitterness¡ªhe¡¯d rather she pester him instead.
"Joel, I really am repentant. I won¡¯t do anything anymore, no matter how Tanya provokes me again in the future. Don¡¯t worry. Even though she betrayed you back then, the two of you are ultimately still friends, so..."
Before Hiry could continue sowing discord, Joel said detachedly, "What did I say back then, when you came to me with your child?"
What he had said?
Hiry bit her lip. Back then, she had wormed her way into the Smiths by relying on her daughter. However, Joel had refused to marry her no matter what, and only gave her the title of his fianc¨¦e.
She was the one who moved into the Smiths with the excuse that her daughter needed her mother. She cared for and fussed over Mia greatly ever since, thereby stopping Joel from driving her away.
However, on the night that she moved in, an icy-cold Joel had said, "If you stay content with your lot and behave, I don¡¯t mind turning a blind eye to most of your actions. However, you¡¯re not allowed to publicize that you¡¯re Mrs. Smith. I won¡¯t let you off if I ever find out."
Why would Hiry even care about that at that time? She had agreed to his terms right away.
In the years that followed, she waited on Mia carefully, in hopes that once enough time passed, Joel would officially register their marriage in order to give the girl a mother.
This way, even if they didn¡¯t hold a wedding ceremony, she would still be the veritable Mrs. Smith!
However, apart from when she was picking up and dropping off Mia, she actually didn¡¯t have any chance to meet Joel at all after she moved in. It was no exaggeration to say that they were strangers with the closest rtionship with each other.
At this point of Hiry¡¯s inner thoughts, Joel said, "Since you¡¯ve broken the rules... Get lost."
Get lost?
Hiry¡¯s head whipped up and she stared at him incredulously.
Even when he was telling her to get lost, Joel¡¯s upturned eyes still felt mild-mannered, despite him being expressionless.
Astonished, she asked, "What did you say?"
Joel stood up and said mercilessly, "You vited our agreement."
She had vited their agreement...
Hiry started to tremble all over.
To be honest, this wasn¡¯t the first time she had vited it during all these years.
The Joneses had already tacitly recognized them as husband and wife when she moved into the Smiths. It was also thanks to this that the Joneses¡¯ businesses started to do better and better.
Hiry was even on tenterhooks when the Joneses first used the Smiths¡¯ name in their business dealings. However, she hadter discovered that Joel didn¡¯t care at all even when he did find out.
After that, she had let down her vignce.
Yet he was bringing up their agreement now?
Hiry reached out and clutched Joel¡¯s sleeves. She said, "Joel, I was wrong. I¡¯ve really seen the error of my ways..."
Joel pulled his sleeve out of her grip. There was no trace of emotion at all in those eyes on his expressionless countenance. He asked coldly, "Are you going to leave by yourself, or should I get someone to throw you out?"
Hiry¡¯s legs went limp and she almost fell onto the floor.
Five years!
She had lived here for a whole five years!
How cruel and unfeeling must a person be, in order for them to hold not even the slightest bit of feelings for her?
She regained sobriety at once.
Counting on Joel¡¯s sympathy or feelings for her would get her nowhere.
That little bastard was the only thing she could count on now!
Hiry¡¯s eyes reddened. She gazed at Joel earnestly and said, "I was wrong, Joel. I¡¯ll leave, but can you let me see Mia before I go?"
Joel stared hard at her.
"Okay. But when you see her... Surely you don¡¯t need me to tell you what you can say in front of her and what you can¡¯t, right?"
Hiry¡¯s gaze flickered. She lowered her head and replied, "No, I¡¯m aware."
Only then did Joel instruct the nanny, "Bring Mia over."
Mia was resting at home today and hadn¡¯t gone to school after suffering an allergic reaction the day before.
She was currently ying by herself in her bedroom. When the nanny brought her over, she asked timidly, "Mommy, Daddy... What¡¯s the matter?"
Hiry immediately put on an affectionate and devoted act. She hugged Mia and said, "Mia, Mommy will be away for a while. You must behave at home, okay?"
She had already thought about it. Joel had a thousand and one ways he could drive her away if she kicked up a fuss in front of her daughter.
Her only option at the moment was to make Mia reluctant to leave her, and make her cry her eyes out in her arms... That was the only way Joel would let her stay.
She was confident that she had treated Mia well enough all these years. Besides, she was her mother; Mia definitely wouldn¡¯t bear to leave her side.
She stared at Mia and asked, "Will you miss Mommy, Mia?"
However, an anticipative Hiry never expected that Mia would instead nod and reply timidly, "Go ahead, Mommy. I¡¯ll be a good girl."
Chapter 141: Cherry Is Hospitalized~
Chapter 141: Cherry Is Hospitalized~
"..."
Hiry stared at Mia incredulously.
She even suspected whether she had misheard just now. What was that heartless little wench saying? Did she not feel even the slightest bit of reluctance to part with her?
She clenched her fists. "What did you say, Mia?"
Mia met her eyes and repeated timidly, "I¡¯ll be a good girl, Mommy. You don¡¯t have to worry about me."
"..."
Hiry felt a wave of frustration that she simply couldn¡¯t get off her chest. The look in her eyes gradually turned menacing. She wanted to lose her temper and make a scene, but when she saw the man seated on the sofa, she ultimately suppressed the urge.
As expected, those unrted by blood would never be faithful!
She had never dared to treat her unkindly all these years¡ªor at least, she hadn¡¯t dared to abuse her, lest Joel discovers it. All she had done wasin that Mia wasn¡¯t a boy and even so, Joel had given her a warning.
Hiry wanted to say more, but Joel looked over dispassionately and said, "Aren¡¯t you in a hurry? You can leave after you say goodbye to Mia."
"... Okay."
Hiry didn¡¯t dare to say any more. She nodded, took a deep breath, and went upstairs. After doing a simple packing of her things, she came back down and said, "I only took some of the clothes that I usually wear, Joel. I¡¯ll go home for a few days for now... I¡¯lle back again when you aren¡¯t this mad anymore, okay?"
Joel neither agreed nor disagreed. He merely gave her a small smile.
Hiry couldn¡¯t help but be lost in his smile.
Who wouldn¡¯t fall in love with such a handsome and gentle man?
She left the house with her suitcase. After she left, Joel turned to Mia. He picked up his daughter and looked at her little oval-shaped face. Her big eyes were filled with puzzlement.
He suddenly asked, "Mia, let¡¯s not allow Mommy toe back anymore. Is that okay?"
Mia was still young, so she didn¡¯t understand any of this. Her eyes merely flickered a little when she heard what her father said.
To be honest, her mother treated her alright.
Although she had a nanny taking care of her daily needs ever since she was a baby, her mother had still taken her to school in the morning and picked her up in the evening every day. She even slept together with her.
However, she had never told anyone that she was afraid of her mother.
There was no love in her mother¡¯s eyes whenever she looked at her. The way she smiled when she looked at her seemed more like how she looked when she was inspecting the jewelry that she had bought...
Her mother often told her to make her father happy. She wanted her to be obedient and forbade her from making any noise and making trouble unreasonably. She forbade her from doing this and doing that, making the timid girl even timider than she originally was...
Later, she even asionallyined resentfully, "It¡¯s all because you¡¯re not a boy. That¡¯s why your father doesn¡¯t want to marry me..."
After hearing too much of that, she had be a little afraid of her mother before she even realized it.
When she said that she was leaving, Mia had actually breathed a sigh of relief inwardly.
She stretched out her little arms and put them around Joel¡¯s neck. She sounded as timid as ever as she said, "... Okay."
As soon as she said that, Joel called out to the butler.
The butler immediately walked over respectfully and asked, "Is there something you need, sir?"
Joel looked up at the second floor with his upturned eyes and said, "Pack up the things in that woman¡¯s bedroom and send them to the Joneses. Do not allow her to ever enter the house again."
"Yes, sir."
At the sight of the butler going upstairs and getting people to pack up the things in the bedroom, Mia felt inexplicably relieved.
¡ª
At Club Prism.
Justin was currently ordering food in the private room.
As the head of the Hunts, he actually had nutritionists especially in charge of managing his diet. Justin had always preferred mild-tasting food and didn¡¯t particrly hold any desire for good food.
He was equally strict on Pete.
However, he looked at Cherry in this instant and said, "You can order whatever you want."
Cherry pointed to the ice cream and said, "Daddy, this looks delicious, yeah!"
The weather hadn¡¯tpletely be warm yet. Having ice cream during this period easily gave one the runs, so Justin was rather hesitant. However, when he made eye contact with his daughter¡¯s big innocent eyes, he nodded and said, "... Okay, we¡¯ll order it!"
Cherry pointed at the French fries. "Daddy, I wanna eat this!"
Fried, greasy foods like French fries were obviously unhealthy. Justin never ate such things, but he nevertheless said, "Okay, we¡¯ll order it!"
"Daddy, I want this, too!"
"Okay, we¡¯ll order it!"
"Okay, we¡¯ll order it!"
"Okay, we¡¯ll order it!"
As a result, the table was filled with messy, random dishes before Nora even arrived.
The table was full of food, but both of them merely stared at the food without touching it.
Cherry swallowed. "Why isn¡¯t Mommy here yet?"
Justin also raised his eyebrows. He was about to reply when the thudding of footsteps suddenly reached them from the door.
Justin couldn¡¯t help but say, "Your Mommy likes beingte quite a bit, huh."
Cherry nodded. She was already holding the ice cream and ready to dig in the moment Mommy sat down.
Click! ck! Click! ck!
The footsteps got closer and closer. Something suddenly urred to Justin and he remarked, "I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen your Mommy wearing high heels?"
He couldn¡¯t help breaking into a smile the moment he said that.
The woman had always worn t-heeled shoes whenever he saw her in the past, yet she had suddenly put on high heels for the date today. Had she put on makeup and specially dressed up for it?
It seemed that he wasn¡¯t the only one who was looking forward to the meal after all!
However, Cherry blinked and tilted her head to the side hesitantly. She replied, "But Mommy doesn¡¯t ever buy high heels!"
She didn¡¯t ever buy high heels?
The moment Justin heard what she said, someone suddenly pushed the door open. At once, a tall and slender woman with long arms and legs appeared at the door. Before she even entered, her loud voice had already reached them.
"Nora, how can you pick a good ce like this when you¡¯re asking me to treat you to dinner? I¡¯ll say this in advance¡ªyou¡¯ll also have to fork out some money if it¡¯s too expensive... No, wait, what the f*ck?"
A shocked Tanya stared at the two people in the room and subconsciously said, "Am I in the wrong room?"
But that didn¡¯t make sense! Cherry was in the room!
She swallowed, picked up her cell phone, and called Nora.
"Where are you?"
Nora¡¯szy voice rang out on the phone.
"Mr. Hunt was the one who did you the favor. Why do I have to be present when you¡¯re the one treating him to dinner?"
Tanya, "???"
Justin, "???"
Cherry was the only one who suddenly rxedpletely. She happily dug into her ice cream with a spoon.
"..."
The private room suddenly fell into a strange silence. In the end, after Tanya hung up, she smiled awkwardly and said, "I¡¯ll take care of the bill, Mr. Hunt. Please enjoy your meal with Cherry... Pit."
Tanya quickly slipped away.
With Nora absent and Justin indulging her, Cherry finally had her fill of food.
It was only when her belly was all round and bulging that she finally went home with her sullen-faced father.
As the vi was under renovation, the two of them stayed at the Hunt manor that night. It was alreadyte, so they didn¡¯t see the other Hunts there.
Cherry obediently went to bed after Justin sent her to her room.
At one o¡¯clock in the morning.
For some reason, Justin suddenly woke up. He went next door uneasily, intending to pull up the covers for Cherry. However, as soon as he opened the door, he saw his daughter holding her belly with her hands, her forehead covered in perspiration...
Chapter 142: Joel Smith Is Cracking
Chapter 142: Joel Smith Is Cracking
Justin¡¯s eyes widened in shock. He hastily went over and picked up his daughter, who broke into a frown. In her dazed state, she saw Justin and said, "Daddy, Cherry¡¯s stomach hurts so much..."
A stomachache...
Justin hastily carried her downstairs, but Cherry instead cried out, "I want Mommy... Mommy..."
Mommy...
On the way to the hospital, Justin took out his cell phone and called Nora in the end.
The phone rang for a very long time before it was finally picked up. The recipient also sounded displeased as she said, "You¡¯d best have something important to say."
Justin said, "... Pete¡¯s having a stomachache. I¡¯m taking him to the hospital now."
There was only a one-second pause before her voice became much clearer¡ªobviously, she had woken up. She said, "I¡¯lle over right away."
At the VIP ward in Hospital Finest.
Justin sat on the edge of the bed and looked at the tiny little child lying down. IV fluid was flowing into her body through the needle on her hand. Cherry, who finally wasn¡¯t hurting anymore, had fallen asleep.
Suddenly, the door was pushed open and a figure rushed over in front of him like the wind.
Justin saw Norae up to Cherry slickly but anxiously. She reached out her hand and checked her pupils. Then, she held her other hand as if she was checking her pulse. After that, she stood up and took a look at the IV fluid prescribed to Cherry. After checking all these, the woman, who had a chilly look on her face, finally said, "It¡¯s normal stomach flu."
However, she didn¡¯t rx much even after saying that.
Cherry was born prematurely. She might look stronger and sturdier than Pete, but that was only because Nora had spent a lot of hard work and effort nursing her back then.
Compared to most people, things were more troublesome when she fell sick.
Nora took out a bag of pills from her pocket, took one out, and stuffed it into Cherry¡¯s mouth.
The action woke Cherry up, and she opened her eyes in a daze. When she saw Nora, she let out a soft mew of ¡¯Mommy¡¯ like a kitten. After that, she swallowed the pill, which had melted in her mouth the moment it entered, and fell asleep again.
This time, however, she looked much better.
After Cherry¡¯s condition stabilized, Nora, who was dressedpletely in ck, suddenly stood up, hooked her finger at Justin, and walked out.
Justin stood up slowly. The corners of his lips curled upward slightly and the beauty mark at the corner of his eye exuded an alluring charm.
He followed Nora out of the ward and saw her turning into the stairway at the side. Before she went in, she even specially looked back at him.
Her almond-shaped eyes were warm and inviting.
Justin walked over again. He had only just turned the corner when someone suddenly grabbed him by the shoulder and pushed him toward the wall. By the time he was held against the wall, the woman had alreadye right up to him.
She gripped his cor with one hand and held him down forcefully while also holding his hands down with her other hand, thereby trapping him in ce.
Justin didn¡¯t resist. He leaned against the wall docilely and looked at the woman in front of him with a smile. Although she was half a head shorter than him, the look in her eyes was wild and untamed as she lifted her head and stared at him. She asked, "Mr. Hunt, why did youe to me when your son fell sick?"
The mirth in Justin¡¯s eyes intensified.
Was she suspecting that he knew the truth?
He asked calmly, "Aren¡¯t you a doctor?"
Nora was dubious of his im, but not only did the man look calm, but his eyes were also dark and unreadable. She couldn¡¯t tell what he was thinking at all. She went on and asked, "There are many good doctors in the hospital."
Justin¡¯s voice was low and deep. Nora could even feel the vibrations in his chest when he spoke.
"But none of them are you..."
So, it was because he knew she was Anti?
That was obviously what he meant, yet he made it sound as if he was whispering sweet nothings to her. That man really was trying to flirt with her every moment of the day.
The look on Nora¡¯s countenance flickered a little. It was only then that she noticed that the domineering vani scent on the man had filled her nose as they were in such close proximity to each other.
Her grip on his cor loosened slightly and she pulled away from him. However, there was still some resentment in her eyes as she asked, "What did Pete eat in the evening?"
Justin didn¡¯t dare to be careless about this, so he listed the dishes one by one.
"Ice cream, French fries, mousse cake, iced watermelon juice, and..."
As she listened to the menu that he was casually rying, Nora¡¯s lip corners spasmed and she said sharply, "Children have weak digestive systems, so they can¡¯t eat too much at night, especially when there¡¯s both hot and cold food agitating the stomach. Even adults wouldn¡¯t be able to take it, let alone children? How exactly did you raise your son to his current age, Mr. Hunt?"
As Pete was staying with hertely, she had taken the opportunity to conduct a full-body check-up on him.
Apart from being a little thinner than most, there was nothing really wrong with him.
However, at the sight of how casual Justin was about this, she really couldn¡¯t help doubting whether he was qualified as a father or not!
The lectured Justin touched his nose awkwardly.
"..."
Of course, he was strict about that little brat¡¯s diet, but whenever he was facing Cherry, the moment she called out ¡¯Daddy¡¯ in that soft and tender voice of hers, he simply couldn¡¯t bring himself to harden his heart, alright?
However, this was indeed his fault.
The usually domineering man backed down and said sincerely, "It¡¯s my fault."
Only then did Nora return to a straight posture. However, the next moment, Justin let out a soft chuckle and added, "We originally ordered those dishes for Ms. Smith though. Since you didn¡¯te, Pete and I could only eat them ourselves. After all, it¡¯s not good to waste food."
Nora, "?"
Was that guy ming her for bailing on him?
¡ª
At the other end of the hallway connecting the hospital¡¯s VIP wards.
Joel, who was in the hallway, was talking to the doctor. He asked, "My third uncle¡¯s condition had already been brought under control recently. Why did he suddenly faint?"
The doctor touched his sses and sighed. He replied, "We did a CT scan on Mr. Smith and found a tumor in his neck.
The concrete details remain to be seen, but we will expedite the process and check if it¡¯s malignant or benign."
Joel nodded. There was a bit of anxiety on his usually gentle countenance. He asked, "What happens if it¡¯s malignant? And what happens if it¡¯s benign?"
The doctor heaved a sigh and replied, "Mr. Smith¡¯s tumor is located too close to the arteries and is very dangerous. Most hemangiomas are benign. As long as the patient is nursed well, there usually aren¡¯t any major problems. However, if it¡¯s malignant, there¡¯ll be some difficulties removing it via surgery."
As the tumor was very close to the arteries, the moment one showed even the slightest bit of carelessness, even an unsteady hand could lead to the patient¡¯s death.
Anti was probably the only one in the world who would dare to take on an operation like that.
The doctor didn¡¯t dare to voice that out loud though. He could only hope that the tumor would turn out to be benign and have the patient undergo conservative treatment.
After the doctor finished talking to Joel about Ian¡¯s condition, he left for consultation.
A frowning Joel walked toward the ward. His frown deepened when he saw the lights in the other VIP ward on the same floor.
Someone immediately exined, "It¡¯s the Hunts¡¯ little mister. He¡¯s down with stomach flu, so they brought him here to put him on the drip."
The Hunts¡¯ little mister... In other words, Tanya¡¯s son?
It was already sote. Tanya would probably also be there, right?
Joel, who wanted to see her, walked toward the other ward impulsively. However, when he passed by the stairs, he suddenly sensed something and quickly turned his head. Through the ss window on the door to the stairway, he could see a man and a woman sharing a passionate kiss inside...
The man was Justin Hunt.
As for the woman, she was... Nora Smith from the Andersons?
As though he had been petrified, Joel froze where he was!
Chapter 143: What’s Your Relationship With Mr. Hunt, Ms. Smith?
Chapter 143: What¡¯s Your Rtionship With Mr. Hunt, Ms. Smith?
Joel stopped abruptly in his tracks, a touch of surprise forming in his upturned eyes.
Justin Hunt was with Nora Smith?
What was the rtionship between the two of them?
Suddenly, the people inside seemingly noticed the movement outside, and Justin¡¯s razor-sharp gaze prated through the window.
Joel quickly stepped backward and hid to the side. He didn¡¯t look inside anymore. However, he could hear violent thuds and thumpsing from within. There were sounds of their bodies hitting the wall, as well as muffled grunts from colliding against each other. He could also hear gasps in between...
The intense activity made even Joel blush.
He took another step back and slipped away quietly as if he was afraid that they would discover him. Now, that would be awkward.
Thest time he could remember hearing such children-inappropriate sounds was back when he was still with Tanya five years ago. As for Hiry, it was because he had been drunk one night. He clearly remembered that the person he was with in bed was Tanya, yet when he woke up, it became Hiry instead...
In his memories, he had never slept with Hiry before.
Not in the past, let alone during thest five years.
Joel didn¡¯t continue going to the ward in front but returned to Ian¡¯s ward instead.
¡ª
In the stairwell.
With her leg blocked, Nora¡¯s fist came into y. Spying an opening, she threw a punch at his left shoulder.
After seeding, she finally ended the fight and took a step back, pulling away from him. She said coldly, "Mr. Hunt, please keep an appropriate distance from me."
Justin held his shoulder. From the look of it, his injury seemed pretty serious. He gave her a wry smile and said, "You seem to be the one who approached me first, Ms. Smith..."
Nora was still pulling a long face. Her gaze was sharp and her eyes misty from anger. The tips of her ears were also a little red.
She was only nning to teach Justin a small lesson just now, but the moment they finished talking and she let go of him, he immediately reached out and held her by her waist, bringing her toward him. Then, he leaned down and kissed her... Kissed her...
Damn it!
Nora had thrown a punch at him the very next moment. Unfortunately, the man had the audacity to actually duck. The two of them had fought for a full ten minutes before she finally found an opening and hit him, thereby taking her revenge on him.
Nora looked at him coldly and clenched her fists. "If this ever happens again, Mr. Hunt, I¡¯ll kill you!"
Then, she pushed the door to the stairwell open and left at once, leaving Justin there as he touched his nose in embarrassment.
He thought back to the scene just now.
The stairwell was dimly lit. The girl¡¯s head was raised as she stared at him with her cold, sharp eyes. On her small, palm-sized face were a pair of delicate eyebrows and eyes, a sharp and pert nose, and moist, rosy lips...
Unable to hold back, he had acted on impulse and kissed her.
Although the kiss hadsted only a brief moment, the girl¡¯s soft and tender lips lingered in his memory even now.
As he touched his dislocated left shoulder again, a smile suddenly appeared at the corners of his lips.
She was wild enough for his tastes indeed.
Ten minutester.
The family doctor came over to pop his shoulder back into ce. When he saw how Justin couldn¡¯t exert much force, he couldn¡¯t help but find himself a little dumbfounded.
"Who beat you up, Mr. Hunt?"
After all, there were only a few people in New York¡ªin fact, in the whole of the United States¡ªwho could beat Justin in a fight!
The family doctor had always just been treating Pete and Justin¡¯s mother whenever they were unwell. This was the very first time he was treating Justin in all these years!
However, the moment the question left his mouth, he secretly regretted his actions. He shouldn¡¯t be asking that much about his employer¡¯s affairs, especially when it was about Justin. On the surface, the man seemed like the head of the Hunts. However, he knew his identity was by no means simple. He had never said anything more than what he should during all these years.
Now that he had suddenly asked such a question, would Mr. Hunt get mad at him?
The family doctor observed Justin carefully while he kneaded his shoulder. However, not only was the man not annoyed, but the corners of his lips were even slightly lifted.
The beauty mark at his eye that usually exuded a chilly and ruthless aura actually even seemed to be shimmering a little at the moment.
Justin, who was obviously in a fantastic mood, even replied to his question from just now, "It was worth the fight."
The family doctor, "..."
Why were there people who actually liked being beaten up?
Surely his boss wasn¡¯t a closet masochist, right?
Should he prescribe him some medicine for his mental health?
After having his joint popped back into ce, Justin started walking back to Cherry¡¯s ward while moving his shoulder. As expected, he saw that the woman was still there. She had fallen asleep on the sofa at the side.
Her eyes were closed, and her long silky and glossy hair was spread out behind her. Her small pert nose made her look quiet and docile.
Coupled with how thin she was, it made one want to protect and take care of her because they couldn¡¯t help but feel that she looked so weak and frail. Yet, once she opened her eyes, she would change into apletely different person.
Justin softened his steps. He checked on Cherry first¡ªshe was sleeping soundly with her little mouth open and was even talking in her sleep. She mumbled, "Stinky Daddy! How dare you delete me from your Facebook ount. I¡¯m never talking to you ever again!"
Justin, "..."
He let out a soft chuckle and pulled up the covers for her. Then, he heaved a sigh.
Had he known that Cherry was his daughter, he would have been delirious with joy a long time ago. He would never have done all those things that were no different from pping himself in the face.
After pulling up the covers for Cherry, he looked at the woman on the sofa again. Then, he took off his jacket, walked over, and gently covered her with it.
¡ª
The next day.
It was already bright and sunny by the time Nora woke up.
Cherry was eating her cereal obediently on the bed in silence.
Nora got ready to get up. However, when she shifted, the jacket on her shoulders immediately slipped off. Her gaze swept toward it¡ªwhen she saw the ck custom-made suit jacket, she raised her eyebrows.
She yawned and stood up.
Cherry said, "Daddy has a meeting in the morning, so he went off for it. Where are you going now, Mommy?"
Nora stretched and shuffled toward the door as she replied, "I¡¯m going home."
Cherry gave her a pitiful look. "... Mommy, can you bear to leave me all alone in the hospital?"
Nora nced at her and said coolly, "Don¡¯t be so fake."
"..."
Then, Cherry giggled and said, "Take care, Mommy~"
Now that Mommy was gone, she could y all the games she wanted!
As she hadn¡¯t live-streamed the previous evening, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder how Sponsor Grandpa was. She had sent him a text message on Messenger in the morning, but he hadn¡¯t replied to her. Sigh!
A troubled Cherry rested her chin on her hand. What was the matter with Sponsor Grandpa?
She picked up her cell phone again and sent him another message on Messenger: ¡¯Sponsor Grandpa, I was hospitalized because of stomach flust night. Have you had your lunch today?"
It was just a pity that the text message still went unanswered even after she sent it out.
¡ª
Nora left the ward, dragging her feet loudly as she shuffled out. She had just turned the corner when she saw a figure there looking at her.
"Are you free for a quick chat, Ms. Smith?"
Nora raised her eyebrows. She thought that Joel was approaching her because of Ian¡ªafter all, the Andersons were the only ones with Carefree Pills¡ªso she nodded.
Unexpectedly, the next moment, Joel instead asked, "What¡¯s your rtionship with Mr. Hunt, Ms. Smith?"
Nora, "??"
Chapter 144: Nora Hates Misunderstandings The Most
Chapter 144: Nora Hates Misunderstandings The Most
The man in front of her was gentle and mild-mannered. His eyes were slightly upturned and he looked rather polite. However, the way he was speaking sounded a little strange.
Nora found his question rather ridiculous.
This was only the second time they were meeting, yet he was already starting to take note of her private life?
Even though she found him rather likable, she nevertheless couldn¡¯t be bothered to talk to him about such things. She raised her brows slightly and said coldly, "It seems like you¡¯re minding more than just your own business, Mr. Smith?"
She¡¯d had a pretty good impression of him when she first met him back then.
However, when she realized that his wife was the one who was bullying Tanya, Nora couldn¡¯t be bothered to be civil with him anymore.
She left straightaway.
Joel broke into a frown as he stared at her from the back. He couldn¡¯t help but go after her and say, "Ms. Smith, allow me to remind you that Mr. Hunt already has a child!"
Nora, "?"
She looked back and raised an eyebrow. "So?"
After a long silence, Joel finally smiled bitterly and said, "As far as I understand, Mr. Hunt intends to marry the child¡¯s mother. It doesn¡¯t seem like a good idea for you to get in between them like that."
"The child¡¯s mother?"
"Yes, that¡¯s right. The child ultimately still needs a mother..." said Joel with some difficulty.
Back then, it was exactly because he felt that Mia needed a mother¡ªas well as the fact that he didn¡¯t intend to remarry¡ªthat he had allowed Hiry to move in.
Now that he thought about it again though, that wasn¡¯t true at all.
At the sight of Joel in such an internal struggle, something seemed to click in Nora¡¯s mind. The corners of her lips curled upward as she raised her eyebrows and asked, "Is the child¡¯s mother whom you¡¯re referring to, Tanya?"
From the look of it, Nora also knew of Tanya¡¯s existence.
Joel nodded. "Yes, that¡¯s right."
If Nora became close to Justin, going by Tanya¡¯s character, she would definitely be sad, right? Or perhaps she wouldpromise for the child¡¯s sake?
Therefore, the best solution was to have Nora take the initiative to withdraw from the rtionship.
This way, he would also be fulfilling Tanya¡¯s wishes somewhat, right?
A wave of irritability surged up within Joel. Going by his character, he¡¯d rather drag Tanya back with him and keep her by his side.
Just like what he had done back then...
But he knew Tanya too well. That woman would never allow herself to be controlled by him.
He looked at Nora and said, "As long as you¡¯re willing to leave Justin Hunt, I can fulfill one of your wishes for you."
Nora, "?"
She suddenly smiled and said, "You¡¯re going to make me misunderstand something if you do that, Mr. Smith."
Joel¡¯s heart sank.
If she found out that Tanya used to be involved with him and told Justin about it, Tanya would probably have a hard time in the future.
Joel¡¯s expression turned a little cold. Just as he was deep in thought, he heard the girl¡¯s cool and crisp voice.
"Are you interested in Mr. Hunt, Mr. Smith?"
Joel, "???"
"If so, I¡¯m willing to pull out from the rtionship and fulfill the two of you."
"..."
Nora¡¯s bright and clear eyes were full of mirth as she took in Joel¡¯s facial expression, which looked as if it was about to crack. Then, she walked around him and headed to the car park.
That guy must have misunderstood Tanya, right?
Yet, in spite of that, he was still willing to go to that extent for her. Not bad.
After Nora took a few steps forward, the man at the back came after her again. After seemingly letting out a sigh, he said in resignation, "Even though you didn¡¯t agree to my request, I can still fulfill one of your wishes for you, Ms. Smith."
Nora was a little taken aback. "Why?"
Since he hadn¡¯t allowed her to treat Ian¡¯s illness, then that meant they must still harbor resentment toward the Andersons. What was Joel suddenly approaching her for?
Joel, however, stared at her for a while before he slowly replied, "It¡¯s because you¡¯ve done me a favor."
Nora was puzzled. "What favor did I do for you?"
However, Joel didn¡¯t exin any further. He took a step back and said, "I¡¯m a man of my word. Goodbye."
Nora was rendered speechless.
Joel went upstairs after that. As he hadn¡¯t slept a wink the previous night, he rested sleepily on the sofa in Ian¡¯s ward and closed his eyes.
His executive assistant-cum-bodyguard, who had been with Joel the whole time, couldn¡¯t stop himself from asking, "Has Ms. Smith helped you out in some way, Mr. Smith?"
Joel opened his eyes. The deep look in his eyes made people unable to guess what he was thinking.
He nced at Ian on the bed and slowly replied, "Of course. She saved Uncle Ian¡¯s life."
The executive assistant, "??"
He was confused by Joel¡¯s reply. Wasn¡¯t Tina York the one who saved Mr. Ian? Why did it suddenly be Ms. Smith instead? However, Joel clearly didn¡¯t have any intentions of exining any further, so he simply shut up.
After resting for a while, Joel finally instructed, "Find Anti."
The assistant nodded. "We¡¯ve already started investigating Anti¡¯s whereaboutsst night, but we couldn¡¯t find anything so far. We¡¯ve also put up a reward for his whereabouts in international forums. So far, what we¡¯ve found out is that Anti once treated the elderly Mrs. Hunt in the past. It seemed like Justin Hunt was the one who found him that time."
At the mention of Justin, apetitive look appeared in Joel¡¯s eyes and he said coldly, "Do you think I can¡¯t find someone that Justin Hunt could?"
All the warmth and mildness around Joel disappeared in this instant, and his entire self seemed to be dyed with ayer of ck, making him look like a demon from hell itself.
At this point, they heard slight movement at the bed.
Joel, who had sensed it right away, hurried over. Sure enough, he saw Ian slowly opening his eyes.
An anxious Joel said, "Uncle Ian."
Ian nced at him. When he saw the shadows under his eyes¡ªobviously, he hadn¡¯t slept all night¡ªhe said, "It must have been tough on you."
Joel shook his head. "Don¡¯t worry, Uncle Ian, I will definitely find Anti. I¡¯ll drag him here and make him treat your illness even if he¡¯s unwilling to!"
Ian sighed and said, "If I¡¯m gone, then so be it. What¡¯s the use of doing all this?"
Determination filled Joel¡¯s eyes as he held Ian¡¯s shoulders. He said, "No, Uncle Ian, you have to live on..."
He paused for a moment before he went on and said, "You¡¯re my only kin now."
His only kin...
Should outsiders hear what he said, they would definitely find his words very strange because there were still so many members of the Smiths. By right, based on blood rtions, he still had a lot of rtives.
However, Ian seemed to understand what he meant. His jaw tensed up as though he wanted to say something, but in the end, he didn¡¯t. He merely heaved a deep sigh instead.
¡ª
On the way back to the Andersons, Nora gave Tanya a call after thinking about it a little.
Tanya answered very quickly. She sounded very anxious as she asked, "How is Cherry? Why did they ask you to go over in the middle of the night? Is it serious?"
Nora looked ahead and replied concisely, "It¡¯s not gonna kill her."
¡¯Not gonna kill her¡¯...
Tanya panicked. "That means it¡¯s very serious, right? Is she at Hospital Finest? Which ward is she in? I¡¯m going over now!"
Norazily told her the ward number and hung up.
Joel had obviously misunderstood. In that case, she would let Tanya resolve the misunderstanding herself.
Nora hated misunderstandings the most.
After resolving the misunderstanding, if it was still possible between the two of them, then they could just get together. If not, then they could break up properly...
Upon receiving the news, Tanya hailed a cab and rushed to the hospital. As soon as she went upstairs, she immediately saw Joel walking out of Ian¡¯s ward...
Chapter 145: God-mom... Tanya???
Chapter 145: God-mom... Tanya???
The premium VIP wards were on the top floor of the inpatient department. The lift was full, but Tanya was simply too anxious, so she had taken the stairs instead. Therefore, she didn¡¯t expect to run into Joel.
Joel, who had something urgent to attend to, had to go downstairs, so he also took the stairs.
Joel was currently standing on higher ground and looking down at Tanya, while Tanya was standing on lower ground and looking up at him.
The two looked at each other. For a while, neither of them spoke.
Tanya had rushed all the way here, for fear that Cherry was seriously ill. At the sight of Joel¡¯s familiar face, she subconsciously felt even sadder and her eyes instantly reddened.
Five years ago, she could have made that man her pir of support.
But five yearster, he had already be another woman¡¯s pir of support.
The thought made Tanya hold back the tears about to gush out of her eyes. She cast her eyes down and walked around Joel so that she could go up.
Joel was watching her.
When the woman first saw him, there had been some lingering affection in her expression. It reminded him of how she had alwayse to him immediately whenever she was lectured by a professor or whenever she encountered some kind of difficulty.
She would hug him and cry, or hug him andugh.
She always shared all her feelings with him. Just now, she had looked as if she wanted to rush forward and hug him.
Yet it had taken only an instant for the woman to change her mind. The look in her eyes became distant, and she even wanted to walk past him.
The rose-scented shower gel on her wafted over to him. The scent was so familiar and so long-lost that it made a lump form in his throat.
Tanya wanted to walk past the man quickly and hurry to the ward.
There was no one else in the stairwell, and the door had shut out all the noise in the hallway outside.
She felt like she could even hear the man¡¯s heartbeat in the small, closed-off environment. The stairs were rtively narrow, so Tanya turned sideways when she passed him by.
It was at this point that the man suddenly grabbed her arm. He asked, "Tanya, do you know that there¡¯s something going on between Justin Hunt and Nora Smith?"
Tanya didn¡¯t immediately understand what he meant, so she frowned and said, "Their rtionship can¡¯t be made public yet. What¡¯s the matter?"
¡¯Can¡¯t be made public yet¡¯... In other words, she knew?
Since she knew that man was two-timing her, then why was she still staying with him?
Five years ago, when she realized what had happened between him and Hiry, hadn¡¯t she immediately left him so firmly and resolutely? Was it because she loved that man more than she loved him?
Joel felt terribly frustrated. He asked, "Therefore, you¡¯re willing to turn a blind eye to their rtionship? Or are you actually the mistress instead?"
Although he hadn¡¯t interacted much with Nora before, he could tell that she was a very prideful woman.
Joel would never believe that she would be someone¡¯s mistress.
But if it wasn¡¯t Nora, then the real mistress was... Tanya?
Anger surged up in Tanya when she heard what he said, and she let out a sarcasticugh.
So, was she actually someone like that in his eyes?
She looked down and pushed Joel away at once. Then, she said distantly, "There¡¯s nothing between the two of us anymore, Mr. Smith. It¡¯s none of your business whether I¡¯m someone¡¯s mistress or not, right?"
Tanya wanted to leave after saying that, but Joel held on to her arm, pulled her toward him again, and mmed her against the wall at the back!
Tanya¡¯s words just now were tantamount to a tacit admission to Joel.
The look in his eyes turned dark and the aura around him also turned oppressive. He said coldly, "Since you¡¯re willing to be someone¡¯s mistress, then... why don¡¯t you be mine?"
An angry Tanya snapped, "Joel Smith, can you get any more shameless?!"
Joel gripped her chin and forced her to look up at him. He said, "How much is Mr. Hunt giving you? How about I double the amount? Or is it because of the child? In that case, if you bear me a child, I¡¯ll give you the position of Mrs. Smith. Isn¡¯t that better?"
¡¯Child¡¯...
Tanya was so furious that she was shaking all over.
She sneered, "Your behavior is going to make me think you still have feelings for me, Mr. Smith."
Taunts had been the most effective on him in the past.
Her words indeed made Joel¡¯s expression change, but right after that, he leaned in close. She could feel his breath on her neck as he spoke.
"I wouldn¡¯t call it feelings, but I do miss your body very much. I wonder if it¡¯s be even more alluring after five years of separation?"
His words were as if a hard p across Tanya¡¯s cheek.
She shouted angrily, "What, is Hiry not satisfying your needs?"
Joel¡¯s voice also became a little harsher. He said, "She was never as curvy as you right from the start. After all, a dancer¡¯s body is softer and more flexible, so you can better match me and get into all kinds of positions with me!"
"... Joel Smith, you¡¯re so shameless!"
"Shameless? I can be even more shameless, Ms. Turner. Do you want a taste of it?"
Joel started to kiss Tanya right after he said that!
A furious Tanya struggled to get away from him, only to find that the more she struggled, the more fiercely the man kissed her. It was as if he wanted to swallow her whole... She simply couldn¡¯t push him away, no matter what she did. Tanya slowly gave up struggling.
Joel felt like he had gone crazy.
Originally, he had said all those things and provoked her just for a momentary thrill, but when he saw her admitting to it without denying anything, he found his heart hurting even more, and felt even sadder.
He allowed himself to vent all the yearning he had toward her during thest five years, but suddenly, something warm dripped onto the back of his hand.
The warm current felt as though it was scalding hot, causing his movements to suddenly stop.
Joel looked at Tanya and saw that she was really crying.
For a moment, he actually felt somewhat at a loss.
Smack!
Tanya pped him across the cheek. Then, she pushed him away and rushed upstairs.
In the ward upstairs.
When Tanya entered, she found an alive and kicking Cherry ying games. It was then that she realized that she had been tricked. Afterforting Cherry a little, she left with flustered emotions...
Joel was the only one left in the empty stairwell.
Joel clenched his fists. When he thought of Tanya¡¯s tears just now, he suddenly gave himself a p.
He had been a real scumbag just now.
But he really couldn¡¯t bear to see her disrespect herself like that.
Joel leaned against the wall and closed his eyes. After a long period of silent contemtion, he suddenly heaved a huge sigh.
He stood up suddenly. However, instead of going down, he went back up.
He stood at the door and hesitated for a long time before he finally turned and walked toward the young Mr. Hunt¡¯s VIP ward.
When he reached, he stood at the door for a long time again... Atst, he pushed the door open.
However, he only saw two bodyguards and two nurses there. Tanya wasn¡¯t there.
His brows drew together. Then, Cherry raised her head and looked at him in puzzlement. She asked, "Handsome mister, why are you here?"
Joel was about to speak when Cherry pursed her lips and said, "I don¡¯t like you! It must¡¯ve been you who bullied God-mom Tanya and made her cry!"
Joel was utterly stunned when he heard what she said. He asked, "What did you say?"
God-mom... Tanya?
Chapter 146: It’s A Small World
Chapter 146: It¡¯s A Small World
Cherry had been part of Operation Comin To Daddy, so she naturally knew that it was Mia¡¯s father who had bullied God-mom Tanya. However, she was still young, so she didn¡¯t understand theplicated rtionship between the two.
With her hands on her hips, she looked at Joel and said, "Handsome mister, how can you bully a girl when you¡¯re so good-looking? God-mom Tanya was crying!"
Crying...
He thought of her tears that had fallen onto the back of his hand...
Joel suddenly stepped forward. "She¡¯s your godmother? And not your mother? So, she¡¯s not rted to Justin Hunt at all?"
Cherry straightened her back at once. "Why wouldn¡¯t she be rted to him?!"
Joel¡¯s heart sank, but the next moment, he heard Cherry continue:
"My godmother is Mommy¡¯s good friend. Since Mommy and Daddy have given birth to me, then my godmother will definitely be rted to Daddy, yeah! Don¡¯t you dare bully God-mom anymore. Otherwise, I¡¯ll get Daddy to beat you up, yeah!"
After saying that, the little fellow even got off the bed, came up to Joel, and kicked him in the calf.
Although she had kicked him with all her strength, to Joel, it was nevertheless still just a very light kick. He lowered his head and looked at the tiny fellow in front of him who was about the same age as Mia. He suddenly rubbed her head and said, "You¡¯re right. I¡¯m a bad person. I shouldn¡¯t have bullied your godmother... How do you think I should apologize to her?"
Cherry, "?"
Eh?
The young mister surprisingly owned up to his mistakes very quickly.
Cherry thought for a moment and replied, "A fault confessed is one half-redressed, mister. You¡¯re a pretty good man!"
Joel tried to sound her out and asked, "Do you know what your godmother likes the most?"
Cherry tilted her head and thought for a while. Suddenly, her eyes lit up and she replied, "I know! There¡¯s nothing that God-mom hascked during all these years¡ªexcept for one thing!"
"What is it?"
¡ª
"Nora! Smith! What the hell do you think you¡¯re doing?"
Nora was driving when she heard Tanya¡¯s roar over the phone. She looked aheadzily and asked casually, "How does it feel to meet your old me, Ms. Turner?"
The other woman¡¯s voice instantly became dejected and she replied, "Not so good."
Nora chuckled softly and asked, "Did you guys manage to resolve the misunderstanding?"
Tanya didn¡¯t reply.
Nora raised her eyebrows. "You can¡¯t be serious, right? Are you going to let the misunderstanding continue when I¡¯ve already created an opportunity for you?"
Tanya let out a wryugh and said, "It¡¯s not about that. It¡¯s mainly because... Even if we resolve the misunderstanding, so what? The two of us can¡¯t go back to what we used to be anymore."
"Why?"
Tanya sighed. "He¡¯s already in a rtionship with Hiry. What would that make me, if I involve myself with them? Besides, they already have a child..."
The conversation suddenly became a little depressing.
Nora fell silent for a moment. Then, she suggested, "How about... we make him a widower?"
Tanya, "?"
She received a huge shock and quickly said, "There¡¯s no need for that at all! Even if he bes a widower, I still don¡¯t like it that he was once in a rtionship with Hiry. He clearly knows that she is the one person I hate the most..."
Nora was rather disappointed. "... Okay, then."
Tanya, "..."
Then, she said, "How about a drink tonight, Nora? We¡¯ll drink till we dro¡ª"
Beep... beep... beep...
Tanya, "???"
As Tanya listened to the disconnected tone on the phone, she couldn¡¯t help but feel that she and Nora must be fair-weather friends for sure!
Nora tossed her cell phone aside casually after she hung up, and drove to the New York University School of Medicine. The guards had already been notified beforehand, so they let her in immediately when she reached the gates.
She drove one round around the campus. Then, she followed the GPS navigator and arrived in front of the office building. After she parked the car, she entered the building.
As soon as she entered, she saw Director Shaw, who was nearly fifty years old, standing at the entrance. He looked at her respectfully and said, "You¡¯re here!"
Nora nodded slightly.
The few people behind Director Shaw were shocked.
One must know that Director Shaw was hailed as a master neurosurgeon in the school! Not only was he the head of the Department of Neurosurgery, but he was also a director in the New York Hospital, and held an important position in the field of medicine.
Why would someone like him be so respectful and deferential toward a girl who looked like she was only about twenty years old?
While everyone was hesitating, Director Shaw held his hand out and guided her toward the front. He said, "This way, please."
Nora followed Director Shaw to his office.
Director Shaw said to his assistants, "Hurry and make some coffee. Use the premium beans in my collection. Remember to make it stronger, so that it¡¯s more refreshing!"
The assistants were dumbfounded.
Director Shaw usually treated those premium beans like they were his baby, yet he was actually taking them out today and serving them to a girl who looked like she was much younger than he was?
Director Shaw ignored his assistants¡¯ questioning gazes, entered the room, and closed the door.
When he looked behind him, he saw that the big boss had already taken a seat on the sofa and was leaning back against it.
The girl wore a pair of ck skinny jeans that made her legs look long and slender. She leaned against the sofazily with her cat-like eyes raised, but there was no warmth within them. She asked, "Why did you ask me over so urgently, Mr. Shaw?"
Director Shaw immediately waved and said, "How am I worthy of having you use honorifics for me? Anti, I asked you over because there¡¯s an operation that requires your expertise."
Nora raised her eyebrows. "What kind of operation is it?"
Director Shaw sighed and replied, "It¡¯s a five-year-old child with a tumor in his brain. The tumor¡¯s location is very tricky, and there¡¯s a high likelihood that it¡¯s in contact with neural nerves. If one isn¡¯t careful, it¡¯ll affect the child¡¯s future intelligence development, so I¡¯m thinking of asking you to do it."
Director Shaw looked at her and said, "I know you only take on two operations a month and this month is already fully booked. But that child is really very pitiful, so I decided to ask you for help. Anti, I¡ª"
Director Shaw was about to appeal to her through emotions and reason when Nora raised her eyebrows and asked, "Is that all?"
Director Shaw, "?"
Nora stood up, yawned, and said, "Couldn¡¯t you have just called? Instead, you made mee down here specially... You can just send me the time and location of the operation."
Then, she waved dismissively and walked out. "I¡¯m going."
Director Shaw, "??"
It was notoriously difficult to make surgery appointments with Anti. There were countless wealthy and powerful people begging for her help, yet they couldn¡¯t even find her. The Hunts and the Smiths had gone to a lot of effort to search for her, and even promised to pay astronomical consultation fees, but even so, she hadn¡¯t agreed!
He¡¯d thought that it would take a lot of convincing before she would agree!
He hesitated for a moment and said, "Anti, that child doesn¡¯te from a notable background... But don¡¯t worry. If you take on the operation, you can take it that I owe you a favor."
Nora responded with an ¡¯Okay¡¯ and left the room.
The assistants outside didn¡¯t dare to stop her when they saw her and even gave way to her.
Nora went to the car park. When she was about to leave, she suddenly heard someone saying in surprise, "Nora? Why are you here?"
She looked behind her to see Ang Smith and Lisa ck, whom she hadn¡¯t seen for a long time, walking toward her.
Ang looked at her car, and then at the office building. Her brows drew together and she asked in surprise, "Surely you can¡¯t be here to apply for postgraduate studies, right?"
Chapter 147: Are They Really Father And Daughter?
Chapter 147: Are They Really Father And Daughter?
Nora was a little taken aback.
Ever since she came to New York, she hadn¡¯t paid any attention to the ongoings in California anymore.
Although Ang was her half-sister, there was tension between them, so she didn¡¯t want to bother with her at all.
Lisa did mention that they wereing to New York for their postgraduate studies¡¯ entrance exams, though.
She didn¡¯t expect to bump into them here.
She ignored Ang. Instead, she looked at Lisa and asked, "Which professor are you intending to apply for?"
Lisa nced at Ang timidly and replied, "I¡¯m still thinking about it. I¡¯m nning to apply for someone who¡¯s easier..."
"Heh." Ang scoffed and said, "How ambitious of you. Well, I¡¯m apletely different story. I came here with a clear goal, and that is Director Shaw!"
She looked at Nora and said, "Do you know who Director Shaw is? He only epts four to five students every year. A tiny little unorthodox doctor like you probably won¡¯t be able to pass the exams at all though."
To Ang, Nora had never attended college before. The reason why she had some medical skills was that she had picked up some unorthodox skills abroad.
How would a woman who had never properly attended university before possibly be qualified to apply for postgraduate studies?
Nora, however, ignored herpletely. In fact, she didn¡¯t even exist in her eyes. She looked at Lisa instead and asked, "Where are you currently staying?"
"At the hotel next to the school. The lodging there is very cheap... You don¡¯t have to worry about me, Nora."
Lisa nced at Ang after she answered. She quickly said, "You can just go, Nora. We have to go in and ask around to find out what the professors¡¯ preferences are like anyway..."
"Go? What nonsense. Tell me what exactly you¡¯re here for, Nora." Ang demanded persistently, her voice as noisy as a frog¡¯s croaking.
Nora, however, continued to ignore her. She said, "Okay. Give me a call if anythinges up, or if you run out of money."
She got in the car.
Ang went in front of the car and blocked her path. She said, "Get out here, Nora. Didn¡¯t you hear me? You¡ª"
Nora stepped on the gas pedal and raced toward her!
The car suddenly sped up, causing Ang to shudder all over in fright, and she screamed.
Screeeeech!
The car stopped barely one centimeter away from her. Ang could even feel the car¡¯s momentum!
She turned pale with fright. The woman rested an arm on the car window, poked her head out, and said coolly, "Get out of my way."
A badly frightened Ang stepped aside in a daze.
She had only just taken a couple of steps when the car started again and sped past her with a whoosh.
Its speed was as if Nora was driving a sports car!
Ang swallowed hard. It was only when the car disappeared into the distance that she finally regained her senses. She cursed angrily, "She wanted to run me over! That little bitch! Fatty! Ugly woman! How dare she think of running me over! She must be jealous that I got engaged to Anthony!"
After Nora left California, the Grays and the Smiths were embroiled with each other for some time. In the end, Anthony had still be engaged with Ang.
Lisa couldn¡¯t bring herself to listen anymore. She said, "Nora doesn¡¯t even know that you¡¯re engaged, Ang. None of us even told her about it..."
"Shut up!"
Ang red at her viciously. "From what I see, all you care about is Nora, right? Why don¡¯t you stay with her instead of sticking to me, then?"
Lisa bit her lip. "In that case, give me back the money that Uncle Henry lent me."
Their family had used up all of their savings on her mother¡¯s illness.
Her mother had borrowed money from Ang¡¯s father, Henry Smith, for all her travel and amodation expenses during her trip to New York for her postgraduate studies application. However, Henry had transferred all the money to Ang, causing Lisa to be bullied by her the whole way here.
Ang pursed her lips and said, "You¡¯re borrowing money from Dad, which makes you borrowing money from me, Lisa. Considering that you¡¯re indebted to me, I hope you know what you should be saying!"
She frowned again after saying that. "Nora was driving a jeep just now, right? I didn¡¯t expect the Andersons to treat her so well... Do you think that she was here because the Andersons are intending to let her pursue postgraduate studies?"
Ang¡¯s eyes lit up at the thought, and she picked up her cell phone and called Henry, who was in California. She said, "Dad, I think Nora definitely has a way to get Director Shaw to do what she wants! Can you ask her to help me?"
Henry replied, "Okay!"
¡ª
When Nora was about to reach home, her cell phone suddenly rang.
It was an unregistered number.
She wasn¡¯t nning to answer, but because she was driving, she pressed the wrong button and identally picked up the call. Henry¡¯s voice immediately reached her from the other end of the call.
"Nora, I¡¯m your father. I was the one who raised you, so you¡¯re obligated to support me during old age! We¡¯ll put aside the issue about your mother¡¯spany¡¯s profits for now, so get the Andersons to use their connections to get your younger sister acquainted with Director Shaw at once!"
Nora, "?"
How had she set that mad dog ??free?
She was about to hang up when her stepmother Wendy¡¯s voice also reached her. She said, "Nora, I know you don¡¯t want toe back anymore because you¡¯re now living in thep of luxury after you went to the Andersons. You¡¯ve also taken away your mother¡¯spany and are not intending to give it to us, but we¡¯re still family, at any rate. Blood is thicker than water; Ang is your sister after all. Help her out; if she bes a famous surgeon and makes money in the future, we won¡¯t have to pester you when we¡¯re old, either, right? Don¡¯t you agree?"
Nora suddenly smiled. "Blood is thicker than water?"
Wendy replied, "Yes, that¡¯s right. You and your younger sister share the same father, so the same blood flows through your veins. You mustn¡¯t forget your roots after you¡¯ve climbed up the socialdder!"
The same father...
If they hadn¡¯t reminded her, she would have almost slept herself into a daze and forgotten that she had a father.
That father of hers was a really weird one though. One couldn¡¯t say that he didn¡¯t treat his daughter well, because he took care of all of Ang¡¯s needs properly. Yet at the same time, he was cold and frosty toward Nora.
It was as if it would do as long as she didn¡¯t starve to death.
Nora cast her eyes down and suddenly raised her eyebrows. "I see."
"Huh? What do you mean by ¡¯I see¡¯? Nora, you¡ª"
Before Wendy could finish, Nora had already hung up.
She called Lisa. "Where are you?"
A surprised Lisa replied, "I¡¯m still at the school."
"Okay. I¡¯ming to you now."
Lisa was dumbfounded. "Why are you looking for me, Nora?"
Nora¡¯s eyes narrowed and the corners of her lips curled upward a little. She replied, "Oh. I want to see if blood is indeed thicker than water between Ang and me."
Lisa, "?"
She hung up on an utterly confused Lisa.
The car turned around at the intersection and went straight to the New York University School of Medicine.
Ten minutester, the jeep stopped in front of the office building.
Nora hopped off the car slickly and walked straight over to Ang and Lisa.
Ang smiled triumphantly and said, "Hah, did Dad call you? Nora, I¡¯ll tell you this..."
Before she could finish, however, Nora suddenly grabbed her hair. She felt a jolt of pain at once. The next moment, she saw that Nora had plucked out a few strands of her hair. Her voice waszy as she said:
"Let me borrow this for a sec."
Chapter 148: Yes, I’m Bullying You. So What?
Chapter 148: Yes, I¡¯m Bullying You. So What?
Ang immediately held her hand over her head in pain and took a step back. "What are you doing, Nora?!"
While Ang was still in shock, Nora quickly put the strands of hair into a stic bag. After putting it in her pocket, she raised her eyebrows and replied, "I didn¡¯t do anything."
Ang said angrily, "You obviously hurt me just now! You¡¯re bullying me!"
Impatience shed across Nora¡¯s eyes. "Yes, I¡¯m bullying you. So?"
So? So, what?
Ang had never been able to beat her sister in fights. When they were children, she was fat and strong. However, after they grew up, she had beaten her up whenever she saw her because she really wanted to.
She took a step back with her eyes all red. "I¡¯m going to tell Dad! Don¡¯t be so smug just yet, Nora!"
Nora waved nonchntly and turned to leave.
"Where are you going?" Ang panicked again when she saw her leaving. "Dad told you to take me to Director Shaw so that we can talk about my postgraduate studies application! Didn¡¯t you hear what he said?"
Nora, however, got into her car and drove off as if she really hadn¡¯t heard about it.
This time, Ang didn¡¯t dare to stand in her path.
Forced to helplessly watch as she left, Ang stamped her foot in anger.
She looked at the office building again. She wanted to go in but was stopped again. She was so mad that she immediately med it on Lisa. She snapped, "Why didn¡¯t you stop her just now?"
Lisa kept her head down and said nothing. However, her delicate brows knitted together.
Ang became angrier at the sight of her reaction. "You¡¯re such bad luck. Whom are you trying to show that long face you¡¯re pulling every day? C¡¯mon, let¡¯s go. Are you just going to continue standing there and embarrass yourself?"
Lisa sighed and followed behind Ang. When the two were about to leave, they suddenly heard a voiceing from behind them.
"The two of you, please wait a moment! Director Shaw is asking you to go upstairs."
Upstairs.
Director Shaw was astonished when he saw through the windows that the big boss had returned in her very wild-looking jeep.
Then, he saw her saying a few words to the two girls downstairs before she left again. At once, Director Shaw couldn¡¯t sit still anymore.
Anti was an internationally-renowned master surgeon. She had done him a huge favor when she agreed to perform the operation, so he was currently troubling over how he could return the favor.
That was why he had hurriedly told his assistant to invite the two of them upstairs.
The usually stern and serious man was currently looking at Lisa and Ang with a big smile. He asked, "How are the two of you rted to An... I mean, Ms. Smith?"
How they were rted?
Ang¡¯s eyes lit up.
In Ang¡¯s opinion, Nora must have met Director Shaw through the Andersons. She immediately smiled and replied, "I¡¯m her younger sister!"
Sure enough, Director Shaw became more kindly. "Her younger sister? Are you a medical university student?"
Ang quickly shook her head. "No, I¡¯m not, Director Shaw. I finished my undergraduate studies at the California University of Medicine. These are my exam results. I came to New York because I¡¯m nning to apply as a postgraduate student under your tutge this year."
She was nning to apply as a postgraduate student under him?
Director Shaw became even happier. He picked up Ang¡¯s results and took a couple of nces.
Ang¡¯s grades were very solid, and she was always among the top scorers every year. Otherwise, Henry and Wendy wouldn¡¯t have treated her like a precious treasure. Neither would the Grays have agreed to her bing Anthony¡¯s fianc¨¦e instead of Nora, either.
Director Shaw praised, "Your grades are very good! How are your written exam results in the postgraduate entrance exams?"
Ang became even more excited at once. She replied, "I¡¯ve passed the exam, so I¡¯m waiting for the interview notice now!"
"Okay, I¡¯ll keep you in mind!"
Director Shaw then looked at Lisa. "You¡¯re..."
Before he could finish, Ang stepped in front of her and said, "She¡¯s my ssmate who apanied me here. Director Shaw, if you can give me a chance, my sister and the Andersons will definitely repay you for your kindness."
Repay him for his kindness?
A horrified Director Shaw replied, "Not at all, not at all."
Anti needed only to say the word and he would take in as many postgraduate students as she wanted him to!
Ang¡¯s eyes flickered when she heard what he said. She couldn¡¯t help feeling like the Andersons¡¯ social status was even higher than she had imagined... She smiled and said, "Director Shaw, if there¡¯s nothing else, we¡¯ll leave for now?"
Director Shaw nodded. "Sure. You can go home and wait for the interview notice!"
After that, Ang led Lisa out after ring at her.
As soon as they exited, Ang, at the sight of Lisa dilly-dallying, sneered, "What are you moving so slowly for? Are you nning to ask me to introduce you to Director Shaw? Hah, weren¡¯t you behaving pretty loftily just now? Didn¡¯t you say that people shouldn¡¯t use such connections for their benefit?"
When she was calling Henry just now, Lisa had tried to persuade her against it. She had said, "Let¡¯s work hard on our own instead, Ang. Let¡¯s not give Nora any trouble... Besides, one should apply for postgraduate studies based on their own merit, after all..."
Lisa lowered her head upon hearing what Ang said. She said, "Y-you said that you¡¯re Nora¡¯s younger sister just now. It¡¯s not very nice to use the Andersons¡¯ name without their permission, is it?"
Ang immediately looked at her. "I¡¯m Nora¡¯s biological younger sister. What¡¯s the big deal even if I make use of her? However, you¡¯re just a cousin, so of course, you can¡¯t do the same!"
She picked up her cell phone excitedly at this point. When she did, she happened to see someone on Facebook at-mentioning her and asking her how the exam went, how her interview was going, and whether she was confident or not.
Ang hadn¡¯t mentioned anything at all prior to this. After all, when Anti had exposed her lie in front of everyone back in California the other time, the school had punished her and left a blemish on her record. They had also canceled her eligibility to receive rmendations during postgraduate studies applications.
However, she could finally hold her head up high and brag on her social media now. She wrote: ¡¯Director Shaw said that my grades are very good when we met just now. He wants me as his postgraduate student very much.¡¯
A furor went through her social circle at once.
¡¯Director Shaw? Is it the same Director Shaw I¡¯m thinking of? F*ck!¡¯
¡¯Ang is just so impressive! She was already a hotshot when she was in school. Now that she¡¯s in New York, she¡¯s be a hotshot again! Dear Ms. Smith, please don¡¯t forget your old ssmates when you make it big in the future!¡¯
Everyone showered Ang withpliments, making her feel as if she was on cloud nine.
Lisa was the only one standing there and looking at her hesitantly as she thought, ¡¯I think Director Shaw told her to wait for an interview notice just now rather than an enrollment notice, right...? But if I remind her about it, she¡¯ll definitely scold me again. In that case, I¡¯d better just not say anything.¡¯
After the two girls left, the nearly fifty-year-old professor took off his sses and massaged his temples.
For some reason, he didn¡¯t quite like that girl just now.
After teaching so many postgraduate students, one could say that he could already see through these children¡¯s thoughts at a nce.
There was too much going on in that girl¡¯s eyes, and her attitude toward medicine was impure.
Director Shaw picked up his cell phone and sent Nora a text message detailing the time and location of the young patient¡¯s operation.
The big boss replied very quickly this time: ¡¯Got it.¡¯
Director Shaw stared at her message. Then, he suddenly sent another message: ¡¯Do you have a younger sister named Ang? She says that she¡¯s nning to apply to be my postgraduate student.¡¯
One mustn¡¯t stay quiet after doing a good deed.
He mustn¡¯t let Anti think that he was useless.
However, the next moment, he received a reply from her...
Chapter 149: The Interview Notice
Chapter 149: The Interview Notice
Anti: ¡¯I don¡¯t know who that is.¡¯
Director Shaw, "?"
It suddenly urred to him that even though the two of them had spoken to each other downstairs, if Ang really was Anti¡¯s younger sister, why would she choose to apply to be a postgraduate student under him rather than at Professor Anti¡¯s?
Anti was a neurosurgery professor at the New York University School of Medicine by the school¡¯s invitation. Many people were aware of this. During thest two years, there was nock of people applying to be her postgraduate students. However, as Anti was out of the country, she had never epted any of them.
But she had returned to the States this year!
At the very worst, she could have brought her sister with her instead!
This showed that her rtionship with her younger sister must not be that great.
The shrewd Director Shaw immediately caught all these little details very sensitively, and he breathed a sigh of relief at once. It was fortunate that he had made the effort to bring it up and prevented his n from backfiring on itself!
This was exactly why people shouldn¡¯t just do things for someone else¡¯s sake without saying anything about it. Without asking the other party about it, how would one know whether or not they truly needed it?
¡ª
Nora had just sent the strands of hair, whose follicles were intact, and her own hair samples abroad a moment ago.
She called Lily, her assistant, and instructed, "Go to the most professional DNA testingb and give me the results as soon as possible."
A puzzled Lily asked, "Why don¡¯t you do it in the States instead, Anti?"
Nora raised her eyebrows. "Because it¡¯s easy for others to falsify results here."
"..."
Lily fell silent¡ªshe actually found herself rendered speechless. A momentter, she said, "I strongly feel that you have a persecutionplex. You¡¯ve been hiding your identity for so many years because you¡¯re supposedly in mortal danger, but I¡¯ve never seen anyone wanting to kill you."
Nora chuckled and replied, "Yeah, maybe you¡¯re right. Just get it done for me, though."
She didn¡¯t dare to let her guard down even after she hung up, however.
Her mother, Yvette Anderson, had told her to stay mediocre and avoid being too outstanding. If not, it would get her killed!
She still didn¡¯t know where exactly the danger woulde from. However, she was no longer the same woman with a devil-may-care attitude from a few years ago, either.
She had two children now.
One would never go wrong being a little more careful.
After couriering the package, she drove leisurely to the kindergarten to pick up Pete from school.
Tanya was in a bad mood that day, so she had taken a day off and hadn¡¯t gone to the kindergarten. As a result, she had to pick up Pete from school before she could go to bed. If only Pete could drive home by himself!
She let out a yawn while thinking about it.
At the same time, a surly-looking Pete stood at the entrance of the kindergarten with his schoolbag. After his repeated protests, Mommy had finally allowed him to wear trousers instead today.
After all!
There were also other little girls in the kindergarten who wore the trouser version of the school uniform.
While he was waiting in boredom, Nora finally arrived.
After the little fellow got into the backseat and fastened his seatbelt, he heaved a silent sigh and asked, "Can I stop going to school, Mommy?"
Nora turned the car around and asked, "Why?"
Peteined, "The kids in the kindergarten are too childish!"
Through the rearview mirror, Nora could see her son frowning helplessly. She asked curiously, "What happened?"
Pete replied, "The teacher told us the story about the tortoise and the hare today. Then, they asked us whether we wanted to be a tortoise or a hare."
Nora chuckled and asked, "And then?"
Pete replied, "... Why do the kids want to be hares instead of the humans that they are?"
"..."
Then, Pete lowered his head again and went on. "Also, Brandon drank a girl¡¯s yogurt drink today. The girl also drank it after that. Then, she became very scared and said that her mom and dad had told her that she would get pregnant if she kissed a boy. So, she asked what she should do if she became pregnant?"
Nora was no longer sleepy at this point. She asked, "And then?"
Pete sighed. "Brandon patted his chest and told her not to worry. He said that she can just give birth to the baby if she really bes pregnant. After that, the three of them can attend kindergarten together!"
"..."
Pete looked at Nora. "Sharing a yogurt drink won¡¯t make anyone pregnant¡ªyou have to sleep together for that to happen. They are so ignorant!"
Nora, "..."
She held herughter back and instead said approvingly, "I find Brandon quite a responsible boy, though. The Smiths have taught their children pretty well."
Pete, "?"
Was Mommy actually praising Brandon, that simple-minded boy who had almost castrated himself?
He pursed his lips and said, "I will also be a very responsible boy."
Nora raised her eyebrows. "Oh? Is there a kid you like?"
Pete tilted his head and answered seriously, "Yes!"
Tsk.
Unexpectedly, that stubborn block of wood, who was just like his father, actually had someone he liked?
But as soon as Nora thought so, he said, "I like Cherry."
"..."
Nora¡¯s lip corners spasmed a little. "What about people aside from Cherry? Do you have any friends you like?"
Pete was mildly autistic, so Nora had to slowly bring him out of it and encourage him to be more cheerful. Besides, since she was driving and couldn¡¯t sleep, she might as well tease him a little.
Pete originally wanted to shake his head, but a timid little figure suddenly surfaced in his mind.
He asked, "Mommy, what will happen if someone who¡¯s allergic to mangoes eats it?"
Cherry had told him that Mommy¡¯s medical skills were the best in the world.
Nora replied, "They¡¯ll be fine if they are sent to the hospital for treatment in time."
In that case, why didn¡¯t Miae to school today?
However, he wondered about it for only a moment before he tossed the thought to the back of his mind.
When they reached the Andersons, Pete got out of the car by himself and waited obediently for Nora.
As for Nora, she saw a text message from Justin when she picked up her cell phone: ¡¯How about visiting my son again this evening, Ms. Smith?¡¯
Nora, "?"
Cherry was just having mild stomach flu. With the pills that she had fed her, she must be full of energy at the moment. Yet she was still in the hospital?
Weren¡¯t they going to go home?
The corners of her lips spasmed a little and she replied: ¡¯He should be fine by now.¡¯
After replying to the message, she brought Pete with her and entered the house.
¡ª
In the hotel next to the New York University School of Medicine.
Ang had only booked one room, and it was a double-bed room at that. The bed could obviously fit two, but she cooked up an excuse that she wasn¡¯t used to sleeping with someone else on the same bed, and forced Lisa to sleep on the sofa instead.
After happily having a big feast, Ang was currently painting her nails with a mask sheet on her face and doing her skincare routine. In contrast, Lisa was bent over the desk and studying.
The interview was just a few days away. She wanted to do well in it.
When Ang finished painting her nails, she stretched out her arms and leaned back against the bed while sitting upright. At the sight of what Lisa was doing, she couldn¡¯t help butugh. "What¡¯s the use of working so hard? Which professor are you applying for?"
Lisa ignored her.
Ang went on. "Is it Tina York? Not only did she just be a professor this year, but she¡¯s also young, so she¡¯s definitely inexperienced. But given your grades, you¡¯ll be doing pretty well if you can be a postgraduate student under her! At least you¡¯ll still be a postgraduate student at the New York University School of Medicine. It¡¯ll be easier for you to find a job in the future."
Right after she said that, their cell phones suddenly beeped at the same time¡ªthe interview notices had arrived!
A beaming Ang picked up her cell phone and opened the text message.
Chapter 150: The Familiar-Looking Jeep
Chapter 150: The Familiar-Looking Jeep
Both of them had received interview notices.
To apply to be a postgraduate student, one had to pass a preliminary exam and then an interview. Before the interview, they should also make contact with their tutors, so that they would pass the interview more easily.
If Director Shaw and Ang had really hit it off, with Director Shaw escorting her, the interview would just be a procedure.
Therefore, Ang wasn¡¯t nervous at all.
Lisa also breathed a sigh of relief as she looked at the interview notice. Their interviews were on the same day, and results would basically be out shortly after the interviews.
Once she passed the interview, she would be able to stay in New York and intern at a hospital. However, Lisa wasn¡¯t intending to leave even if she didn¡¯t clear the interview.
New York had one of the highest standards of medical care in the country. The city also had the most advanced equipment here, so she wanted to stay and learn more.
While she was mulling over it, Ang suddenly looked at her. She walked over and said, "I want to use the desk for a while."
Lisa, "?"
Her brows drew together as she stared at Ang whose arms were outstretched, but she still stepped aside in the end and went to the sofa with her books in her arms.
The sofa in the five-star hotel room was very narrow, so she couldn¡¯t move at all whenever she was sleeping on it. After thest few days, her back was already sore and aching. She leaned against the dining table and continued to read.
She had only just taken a couple of nces when she heard loud voices.
Ang had turned on her cell phone and was watching a variety TV show on it.
She had turned the audio very loud and was also guffawing. It was so noisy that she couldn¡¯t read at all. Lisa took a deep breath, put on her earphones, and continued reading.
At nine o¡¯clock in the evening.
When Lisa stepped away from the table, Ang switched off the lights in the room.
Lisa panicked. "I¡¯m still studying my materials about patients with severe head injuries. I¡¯m nning to go in that direction tomorrow for the interview. Why are you switching off the lights?"
Ang raised her eyebrows and said, "What does your interview have to do with me? I¡¯m going to sleep. You¡¯ll only have the energy to go through the interview after a good night¡¯s sleep!"
Sheid down on the bed after that.
Lisa, "!!"
She took a deep breath and went to the bathroom angrily with her books. She turned on a dimmp, sat on the toilet bowl, and continued her studies of the subject.
In the room, Ang was resting on the bed. As she was used to staying up, she couldn¡¯t sleep, either, so she started using her cell phone instead.
Wendy sent her a text message: ¡¯How¡¯s Lisa?¡¯
Ang replied: ¡¯She¡¯s okay, I suppose, but I don¡¯t want her to pass. It¡¯ll make me look bad if word gets out that she also passed.¡¯
Wendy wrote: ¡¯Isn¡¯t that easy? You can just hide her admission ticket.¡¯
Her words made Ang¡¯s eyes light up.
She sat up from the bed and secretly peeked into the bathroom.
She wasn¡¯t actually the highest scorer in the California University of Medicine for the postgraduate written entrance examination this time. The highest scorer was Lisa.
She had never expected that little bitch to outshine her.
Therefore, she mustn¡¯t give her the opportunity to attend the interview.
Especially when... Ang had discovered that Lisa had also filled in Director Shaw¡¯s name in the Preferred Mentor field when she took a look at her application form earlier that day.
Didn¡¯t that make her apetitor, then?
Director Shaw only epted four to five postgraduate students a year. Every spot taken was a spot gone!
Ang got off the bed and quietly went over to Lisa¡¯s schoolbag. She rummaged through it, took out her ID card and her admission ticket, wrapped them up, and hid them in her own bag.
That evening, Lisa made sufficient preparations for her interview the next day.
By the time she went to sleep on the sofa, it was already one o¡¯clock in the morning. She rested on the sofa and slept until the sun was up.
After waking up, she hurriedly washed up. Then, she picked up her bag that she had already packed a long time ago, and went out with Ang.
The hotel was very close to the university, so it only took them ten minutes to walk there.
After entering the university, they went to the interview venue.
Ang took out her admission ticket and ID card and waited to be called in for the interview. The interview included a self-introduction and a self-evaluation.
While she was silently reciting her self-introduction to herself, Lisa suddenly stood up. "Where¡¯s my ID card? And my admission ticket? Have you seen them, Ang?"
Ang pursed her lips and retorted arrogantly, "Why are you asking me about your missing ID card? It¡¯s not like I stole it!"
"That¡¯s not what I mean..." Lisa was in such a panic that she was about to burst into tears. She rummaged through her bag again but still couldn¡¯t find her ID card. Finally, she said, "Give me the hotel¡¯s key card, Ang. I¡¯m going back to look for it."
Ang raised her eyebrows and handed her the key card.
Lisa took the key card and ran to the hotel anxiously.
After she ran off, Ang suddenly stood up and went to the bathroom. Then, she took out Lisa¡¯s admission ticket and ID card from her pocket and tossed them into the trash can.
When she was done, she left the bathroom feeling refreshed and invigorated.
Soon, it was her turn for the interview.
Ang entered the room, only to realize that Director Shaw wasn¡¯t among the four interviewers today. Well, that made sense. After all, why would a doctor of Director Shaw¡¯s level attend interviews like this?
Ang nevertheless sat down obediently. When asked if she had a preferred mentor, Ang smiled and replied, "Yes, I¡¯ve already talked to Director Shaw."
Everyone present could tell what she was implying.
Interviews were generally simple and easy to clear. Although Ang¡¯s answers weren¡¯t satisfactory, the four teachers still cleared her in the end.
When Ang came out of the room, she happened to see an out-of-breath Lisa running back from the hotel.
She was talking to the person in charge of the interview. She said, "I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m really sorry, but this interview really means a lot to me. Can you allow me to go for the interview first?"
The staff member sighed and replied, "If you had lost just the admission ticket, I could still have used your ID card to print one at thest minute for you. But since you¡¯ve lost even that, I can¡¯t help you. Please don¡¯t make things difficult for me, miss... You can still try again next year..."
Lisa¡¯s eyes were all red. "But that means I would¡¯ve wasted a whole year. Please, mister, can you help me ask the higher-ups if they can make an exception? I really like this school. I came all the way from California to New York for this..."
At the sight of her crying so pitifully, the staff member relented. Just as he was about to say something, Ang walked over and said bitchily, "Lisa, the most important quality a doctor should possess is meticulousness. What are you making a fuss here for when you can¡¯t even keep your admission ticket and ID card with you properly for an exam? Will you also only realize that you¡¯ve forgotten your scalpel when you¡¯re already at the operating table?"
Her words made the staff member harden his heart again.
Ang grabbed Lisa¡¯s arm and dragged her away. "Stop embarrassing yourself here ande with me instead!"
A despondent Lisa followed behind her. However, when she walked to the entrance, she suddenly noticed a familiar-looking jeep parked there...
Chapter 151: The Admission Results Are Out!
Chapter 151: The Admission Results Are Out!
The ck all-terrain vehicle was big and bad-ass, and looked especially conspicuous parked there.
However, what was even more eye-catching than the vehicle was the person casually leaning against it as she used her cell phone with her head down.
Nora, who was fully dressed in ck, leanedzily against the car as she busied herself with her affairs abroad. She waspletely unaware that she had be a sight to behold.
Studentsing and going, as well as passers-by walking past the university gates, found their gazes glued to her.
Fair-skinned, tall, slender, and curvy, people couldn¡¯t help but turn their heads.
Lisa was also a little surprised to see her. She called out, "Nora?"
Upon hearing her voice, Nora finally lifted her headzily. Her cat-like eyes stared at Lisa¡¯s red and swollen eyes first. She leisurely finished what she was typing on the phone, sent it out, and finally asked hesitantly, "What¡¯s wrong?"
The two words, however, made Lisa feel as if she was an aggrieved child who had finally found her parents.
She could no longer control her emotions. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she said, "I... I lost my ID card and admission ticket, Nora!"
Nora, "?"
She hade over to take a look because Lisa was having an interview today. She hadn¡¯t expected such a situation at all.
She had been abroad all these years, so she didn¡¯t know much about how Lisa did in school.
She¡¯d originally wanted to have her be admitted into graduate school on her own, but she hadn¡¯t expected her to run into trouble. Since she had lost both her ID card and admission ticket, this was undoubtedly not just an ident.
Lisa looked totally deted after she said that. She hung her head and her shoulders slumped downward. Before she came to New York, her mother had told her not to give Nora any trouble. Thus, she had put up with everything all this time.
However, she couldn¡¯t help it anymore. She wanted to ask Nora for help. Not to help her get in through the back door, though; rather, she wanted her to help her fight for a chance to attend the interview.
But before she could say that, Nora walked over. As she passed her by, she said, "Come with me."
Those three coolly-uttered words, however, made Lisa¡¯s eyes redden.
She lowered her head and followed Nora.
Ang frowned. "What are you doing, Nora? The staff member has already refused to let her attend the interview. Are you intending to get in through the back door? It¡¯s not gonna work!"
Nora rubbed her ears and uttered in annoyance, "You¡¯re so noisy."
Ang, "..."
She flushed and said, "You¡ª"
Nora suddenly looked at her frostily. "If you don¡¯t shut up, I¡¯ll make it such that you can¡¯t speak ever again."
Her eyes were cold and menacing, and tinged with impatience when she spoke. However, her slight disy of irritability was actually because she hadn¡¯t gotten enough sleep.
Ang, however, didn¡¯t dare to say any more and shut up for real.
She followed behind them unwillingly and the few of them returned to the interview site.
On the way there, Nora took out her cell phone and tapped on it a few times. When they arrived at the interview site, Ang couldn¡¯t stop herself from muttering, "Isn¡¯t it a bad idea to trouble Director Shaw for something as trivial as this, Nora? Director Shaw¡¯s not going to take me as his student if you do that. You should just use whatever conveniences the Andersons¡¯ name can get you on getting me admitted into the school instead! ..."
The staff member, who recognized them, stopped them resignedly. "Please show me your ID card and admission ticket."
Ang lowered her voice and said, "I told you it won¡¯t work, yet you guys simply have to insist on trying. Now that we can¡¯t get in, it¡¯s going to be so embarrassing. You..."
At this point, Nora took out her cell phone and showed the screen to the staff member.
At the sight of whatever he saw, the staff member was instantly in awe.
His attitude became much more respectful and he asked, "Is there something that requires you toe over in person?"
Nora took back the phone.
What she had shown the staff member just now was her position as an honorary professor in the university. The titr position was actually pretty useful.
What Nora didn¡¯t know was that this would never work in other professors¡¯ cases. However, Anti had already be a legend to any medical student a long time ago!
The staff member in charge of maintaining order here was also a teacher in the school, so he naturally knew of her.
Nora pointed at Lisa. "Can an e-ID card act as proof of her identity?"
The staff member immediately replied, "I¡¯ll go and consult the higher-ups."
"Okay."
The three of them continued standing there in the meantime. A frowning Ang couldn¡¯t help asking, "What did you just show the staff member just now?"
"... Nothing much," replied Nora.
Ang shut her mouth huffily.
She reckoned that it was probably a business card or something from Director Shaw. As expected, the Andersons were in contact with him. After all, Director Shaw was the only one in the entire medical university that staff members would treat so respectfully!
Nora couldn¡¯t be bothered about her, but she was surprisingly quite attentive toward that little dimwit.
Five minutester, the staff member returned and said, "You can go in for the interview now!"
Lisa entered the interview room.
Ang leaned toward Nora, who was leaning against the wall outside, and said mockingly in a low voice, "It¡¯s still useless even if you help her. Do you know that she actually wants to focus her research on cranial nerve damage reparation? Are there even any surgeons who would do that? Most people with brain issues are already at risk of death; who would care about insignificant problems like that? Besides, I¡¯ve already done my homework¡ªvery few people focus on that in the States. Director Shaw once wrote a paper on it, but unfortunately, it didn¡¯t get anywhere in the end..."
Nora raised an eyebrow.
She had never thought that Lisa¡¯s research would focus on that.
A contemtive look shed across her eyes.
The interview didn¡¯t take long. Lisa walked out of the room about ten minutester. She had a rather awful look on her face.
She had been in a panic after she lost her admission ticket and ID card. To make matters worse, the examiners¡¯ questions during the interview just now had made her even more flustered, so she felt that she hadn¡¯t answered well.
Ang looked at her smugly. "I told you not to attend the interview, yet you just had to insist. Aren¡¯t you embarrassed now?"
Lisa didn¡¯t say anything. She heaved a huge sigh instead.
Medical university interview results were usually announced on the same day, so the two of them didn¡¯t leave after the interviews. They continued to sit outside instead.
The wait was boring Nora, so she said, "I¡¯lle back in the afternoon."
Lisa nodded.
Ang pursed her lips and looked at Lisa. "Go and buy something for me to eat at noon. You definitely won¡¯t pass anyway, so you¡¯re not that anxious about it, right? I have nothing to worry about, either. After all, Director Shaw and I have already reached an agreement..."
Her mention of Director Shaw made the examinees around them look over with envy.
Upon bing the object of everyone¡¯s envy, Ang lifted her chin smugly.
Mutual selection between candidates and professors was allowed in postgraduate studies applications. This wasn¡¯t considered rigging¡ªafter all, everyone did it.
However, people nevertheless still found those who could contact Director Shaw and reach an agreement with him¡ªimpressive.
At five o¡¯clock in the afternoon, all the candidates finished their interviews.
Another half an hourter, the final admission results were released!
Chapter 152: The Most Awesome Mentor!
Chapter 152: The Most Awesome Mentor!
Inside the interview room.
After contacting the professors of each respective specialization, the four examiners would cote the candidates¡¯ interview reports, arrange them by the professor they had selected, and then pass the reports to the respective professors. The professors would then pick the candidates they wanted.
Candidates who weren¡¯t selected would then be passed to their next choice of mentor and be reallocated, and so on and so forth.
As the newest professor at the New York University School of Medicine, Tina York was one of the examiners today. When she was going to the bathroom halfway through the interviews, she had happened to see Nora with Lisa and Ang. She had immediately narrowed her eyes at the sight.
Ang¡¯s interview was already over at that time.
When it was Lisa¡¯s turn, she had deliberately asked a few tough questions to make things difficult for her. Sure enough, it had messed up her answers even further.
However, the research topic that Lisa had proposed during her self-introduction had been a refreshing change from the usual.
After she went out, the four examiners had held differing opinions when they were discussing whether or not they should clear her for the interview.
Some of the teachers were more pragmatic. One of them said, "Although the research topic is a rtively unpopr one, her written test results are good, and canpletely make up for a shoring like that. Besides, we can just discuss with her and have her change her research topic, and it won¡¯t be a problem anymore."
Tina, however, sneered, "As a surgeon, meticulousness and calmness are the most important qualities one should possess. But not only did she lose her ID card, but she even lost her admission ticket. Her answers were also rather sloppy when she came in for the interview and felt as though she wasn¡¯t prepared. It¡¯s obvious that she panicked. Her mental resilience is clearly not up to par!"
The teacher frowned and said, "I happen to feel the exact opposite. She was able toplete the interview and urately express her thoughts even after so much had happened. You can tell that she¡¯s still rather orderly even amid confusion and panic."
Another teacher said, "Yes, I think Mr. Shaw will like her!"
Seeing that all three teachers were speaking in favor of her, Tina cast her eyes down and said, "Then we¡¯ll let her pass."
People that passed the interview might not necessarily be admitted to graduate school, either.
After all the interviews were done, Tina was responsible for sending Director Shaw the data of the candidates interested in bing postgraduate students under him.
She sent Ang Smith¡¯s immediately when she came to hers.
She was all form and no function. Even though she spoke boastfully, she had no substance at all. Director Shaw definitely wouldn¡¯t be interested. Besides, she had said just now that she had already contacted Director Shaw. In that case, he would definitely inquire about her if he didn¡¯t see her information anyway.
Lisa ck, though...
Tina lifted her head and nced at the other three teachers¡ªshe could hold her data back for a few minutes.
When Director Shaw replied with his candidate choices, Tina finally feigned surprise and said, "Director Shaw, there¡¯s still another candidate here. Here, have a look..."
However, Director Shaw said, "The ones I¡¯ve selected are candidates whom I¡¯ve already spoken with. The one you¡¯re talking about probably didn¡¯t approach me beforehand, right? I won¡¯t take them in, then."
This was what it was like in postgraduate entrance examinations. One must definitely touch base with popr professors in advance. Otherwise, they would easily be cast aside.
Tina looked at Ang¡¯s data that had been rejected, and then at Lisa¡¯s that she didn¡¯t even submit, and the corners of her lips curled upward.
Her gaze fell on Ang¡¯s again. She thought of what she had secretly just dissed her about...
¡ª
Outside, Nora, who had finished her work, slowly walked over.
The door opened practically at the moment she reached the entrance. Then, someone came out to announce the interview results.
"William Lewis, Dr. Sullivan has epted your application..."
"That¡¯s great!"
A young man jumped to his feet excitedly.
Some rejoiced and others grieved after that.
After nearly half of the candidates¡¯ names were called out, Lisa clenched her fists even tighter and craned her neck nervously to look inside.
Next to her, Ang sneered, "It won¡¯t be of any use even if you stick your neck right in!"
At this point, someone came out with Director Shaw¡¯s student admission list. "Next up is the admission list for those applying for Dr. Shaw as a mentor. There are five sessful candidates in total. They are..."
Director Shaw!
Ang sat up straight and looked over cheerfully.
After leisurely reading out four names, the teacher smiled and said, "There¡¯s onest one."
Ang smiled triumphantly.
Lisa lowered her head in disappointment.
Director Shaw was the only one who would be interested in her research topic. She had gone out on a limb on this and was hoping that the research topic would attract Director Shaw¡¯s attention. It seemed like a lost cause now, though.
At the sight of her hanging her head, Ang¡¯s lip corners curled upward and she patted her shoulder. She said, "It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll show you my notes when I attend Director Shaw¡¯s sses in the future. I can teach you everything you want to lear¡ª"
At this point, the teacher announced, "Thest candidate is... Zack Lee!"
Ang jumped to her feet and looked at the teacher excitedly, but right after that, she suddenly realized something didn¡¯t seem right?
Her eyes widened in shock and she looked at the teacher in disbelief. Her voice was shrill as she asked in surprise, "Who did you say it is? Did you get it wrong?"
A young man suddenly stood up. "It¡¯s me! Hahaha, when I sent Director Shaw an email, his reply only contained the word ¡¯Received¡¯. I¡¯d thought he didn¡¯t notice me, but..."
During his excitement, the teacher looked at Ang and said, "By the way, I¡¯ve allocated all the candidates who weren¡¯t selected but are eligible for reallocation to Professor York. She¡¯s a new teacher and full of drive. I¡¯ll announce her list of students now... Ang Smith... ra Lopez..."
Ang didn¡¯t expect to hear her name there.
It was Director Shaw whom she had wanted! Not Tina York or whoever she was! How famous could a neer get in the industry?
"It¡¯s pretty good to be under Professor York, too, Ang."
In the midst of her fury, Lisa¡¯sforting words reached her ears. She turned over. When she saw Lisa¡¯s small and pale face, she suddenly vented all her anger on her. "Of course, it¡¯s pretty good. At least I was epted, but you didn¡¯t even pass!"
Lisa turned even paler.
Ang sted Lisa with ruthless words again and again as though she was venting her frustrations. "I was mistaken; not just any random Tom, Dick, or Harry can be Director Shaw¡¯s postgraduate student, yet you still applied for him as a mentor. You sure think really highly of yourself!
"You¡¯re too ambitious for your own good, Lisa! Why don¡¯t you take a good look at your capabilities instead? There are fewer than ten people who failed the interview today! Why are you so stupid?"
Around them, the candidates who had been admitted into the university looked at Lisa with pity, making her wish she could bury herself in a hole...
Nora¡¯s sharp gaze flickered as she stood in the distance and listened to what Ang was saying.
Suddenly, the corners of her lips curled upward and she put down her cell phone. The email that she had just sent was still on the screen.
Almost instantly after she sent the email, the teacher announcing the results suddenly eximed, "Wait a minute! There¡¯s one more candidate who has been epted!"
Tina was taken aback when she heard what he said. She asked, "Who epted the candidate?"
The teacher was so excited that he almost couldn¡¯t speak clearly anymore. He replied, "It¡¯s Anti! This is the first time Anti has epted a postgraduate student in the university!"
As soon as the name Anti was mentioned, the entire hallway fell into silence. All the candidates looked at the teacher who was speaking.
Someone asked, "Who is it?"
Chapter 153: I’m Her Father!
Chapter 153: I¡¯m Her Father!
To be able to be a postgraduate student under Anti¡ªand the very first one she had ever epted at that¡ªLady Luck must have been practically beaming at them!
Everyone¡¯s gazes were fixed on the teacher announcing the results, hoping that he would announce who the lucky fellow was.
For some reason, Ang couldn¡¯t help but swallow hard. She turned her head to see Lisa also watching the teacher nervously. At once, she sneered, "What are you looking at him for? It¡¯ll never be you anyway!"
Anti had always ignored some of the emails sent to her within the country. Moreover, she only took on two operations a month. How many connections must the epted candidate have made use of before they finally found her?
In the midst of Ang¡¯s thoughts, the teacher announced, "The student is Lisa ck!"
A furor went through all the candidates in the hallway, and everyone looked at Lisa.
Ang also looked at her in disbelief, her eyes slowly widening bigger and bigger. She suddenly grabbed Lisa by the wrist and demanded, "How did you know Anti?"
Lisa shook her head¡ªshe was so astounded that she couldn¡¯t even speak.
Ang was about to press the subject when someone ran up to Lisa and asked, "Ms. ck, do you know Anti? How did you manage to get them to ept you as their postgraduate student?"
"Oh my god, no wonder Director Shaw didn¡¯t ept you. It¡¯s because Anti already has their eye on you!"
"Hello, Ms. ck. My name is William Lewis. We¡¯re in the same batch of students this year. I hope we¡¯ll get along in the future."
More and more people swarmed toward Lisa. Even the staff member couldn¡¯t help but walk over and ask, "Ms. ck, do you really know Anti? What do they look like?"
Lisa, "!"
Lisa, who was still reeling from shock, felt as if all these had just fallen into herp. It was as if she was in a dream where everything in front of her was unreal.
Everyone surrounded her, causing Ang to be pushed back a few steps out of the circle.
Her visage was close to contorting from jealousy as she stood outside the crowd and stared at Lisa, who was within.
How did this happen? How could this happen?!
Why did Anti suddenly select Lisa?
In the midst of her doubt, she heard a gentle voice. "You¡¯re Ang Smith, right?"
A dazed Ang turned and saw Tina standing behind her. Tina looked at her with a smile and said, "You¡¯ll be doing your postgraduate studies under me from now on. Mm, okay, you¡¯re in charge of contacting the rest of the students for now. By the way, I have some forms that have to be filled up. Come with me so that you can take them and distribute them to the otherster..."
Although Ang wanted to rush over to Lisa and get the whole story from her, she had no choice but to follow Tina at the moment. The two went to the office building together.
On the way, Tina asked ambiguously, "What¡¯s your rtionship with Lisa ck?"
Ang balled up her fists. There was hatred in her eyes as she replied bitterly, "She¡¯s my cousin."
Tina smiled again. "Oh, in that case, what¡¯s your rtionship with Nora Smith?"
Ang became even more irritated when she thought of that woman. Didn¡¯t she already reach an agreement with Director Shaw to ept her as his student? Why was she suddenly dropped?
She lowered her head and replied vaguely, "She¡¯s my elder sister."
"Your elder sister?"
Tina looked at her in surprise. "Isn¡¯t she Lisa¡¯s elder sister?"
Ang, who sounded a little irritated, snapped, "We both have thest name Smith, so of course she¡¯s my sister. Lisa¡¯sst name is ck!"
Tina narrowed her eyes. Then, she smiled and said, "Oh, it¡¯s because of the admission exercise this time... Those who didn¡¯t know better would have thought that she¡¯s Lisa¡¯s elder sister instead..."
Tina immediately pped her hand over her mouth at this point as if she had identally just said something she shouldn¡¯t have.
Ang, who had always been one toe up with all sorts of sneaky little thoughts ever since she was a child, noticed her unusual behavior. She asked anxiously, "What do you mean by that, Ms. York?"
Tina smiled and replied, "Oh, it¡¯s nothing..."
The more she refused to say anything, the more curious Ang became. She stepped forward, held Tina¡¯s arm, and said, "Ms. York, you can just give it to me straight if there¡¯s something you want to say!"
Tina nced at her and heaved a sigh. "Never mind. Since we look like we¡¯ll get along... How about this? Let¡¯s go to the office together. I¡¯ll slowly tell you everything there."
¡ª
In the office.
"Did you just say that Nora is able to get in contact with Professor Anti?"
Ang¡¯s voice was so shrill that it almost sounded as if it could pierce through the ceiling. She stared at Tina incredulously. "Is that really true, Ms. York?"
Tina raised her eyebrows. "Well, I only saw them together once before..."
Back when Justin got Anti to operate on the elderly Mrs. Hunt¡ªthough it was not known through whose connections she had managed to¡ªNora had also entered the operating room to study and observe the operation.
Even Tina hadn¡¯t been allowed to enter...
Later, when she realized that Justin was treating Nora a little differently, she had immediately understood¡ªshe must have pestered Justin to let her study Anti¡¯s operation back then!
Anti was a legend in the field of medicine, after all. Very few had ever seen her during all these years.
Even when she was peeking at them the other time, she had only seen the few people from Anti¡¯s team. She couldn¡¯t tell which one among them was the big boss at all...
Ang clenched her fists tightly upon hearing Tina¡¯s ambiguous statement.
At the sight of the menacing look on Ang¡¯s countenance, Tina cast her eyes down again and let out a sigh. She said, "I¡¯d thought that you were on good terms with your elder sister, but... Well, it makes sense too. Not only did she not introduce Anti to you, but even Director Shaw... I epted you as my student because I took pity on you. Otherwise, you would have failed the admission exercise!"
Ang¡¯s eyes widened at once. "Director Shaw? What does this have to do with him? Is it also because of her that Director Shaw didn¡¯t ept me as his student?"
Tina didn¡¯t say any more but only gazed at her with pity in her eyes.
Ang was shaking all over. She suddenly screamed, "Nora! Smith!"
She rushed out of the ssroom while shouting her name.
Once she was out, she burst into tears and called her parents in California at once.
Henry and Wendy answered the call together. A crying Ang told them that not only did Nora introduce Anti to Lisa, but she even stopped Director Shaw from epting her as his student. The two of them were livid when they heard what she said.
Wendy sighed and said, "That¡¯s too much of Nora... No matter what, Ang is still her younger sister!"
Henry smacked the table and said, "I¡¯m going to book a ne ticket right away! We¡¯ll go over and kick up a fuss tonight! What an unfilial daughter! I¡¯m not going to rest until I make her give me a pretty sum of money this time!"
Wendy sighed again. "Is there any use in you going over, Henry? What if Nora ignores us? She has always resented us, sigh!"
Henry sneered, "It¡¯ll work! It has to! I¡¯m her father! If she abandons me, I¡¯ll sue her! And the Andersons, too! We¡¯ll see which one of them is willing to embarrass themselves!"
At the same time, Nora¡¯s cell phone rang, and she picked up the call from Lily, who was far away in a foreign country.
Chapter 154: Sell It!
Chapter 154: Sell It!
Nora leaned against the window and gazed at the campus scenery outside.
She had never experienced college life before. Neither had she experienced life as part of amunity much before. She found the sight of students walking about outside in twos and threes rather novel.
She picked up the call and said softly, "Hello."
Lily¡¯s voice reached her through the phone. "I¡¯ve received the samples. I¡¯ll do the DNA test myself. Results will be out in three hours at the earliest."
For international express mail to be delivered the next day, it meant that they had already expedited the delivery process.
Nora said unhurriedly, "Okay."
She hung up and nced at Lisa, who was still surrounded by people, again. Despite what had happened, the girl remained neither arrogant nor anxious. Her eyes were still as innocent as before.
Nora smiled and turned to go to Director Shaw¡¯s office.
Director Shaw was selecting postgraduate students in school today, so he hadn¡¯t gone to the hospital. He was about to knock off from work when one of his postgraduate students suddenly said, "Director Shaw, Anti has actually taken a postgraduate student by their own initiative!"
Director Shaw was stunned. "What?"
"It¡¯s true! My goodness, Anti was already a professor in name here two years ago. By right, they should have made time to conduct a lesson here, but for two whole years, we didn¡¯t even see what they looked like. Yet they¡¯ve epted a postgraduate student the moment they appeared? I¡¯m so envious of that student!"
"Sob, would I have stood a chance to be selected by Anti if I had taken the postgraduate entrance examination this year instead?"
While the few of them were talking, Director Shaw coughed and said coldly, "Hah, I see. So, none of you wanted to be my postgraduate students?"
The students, "..."
Director Shaw coughed again. In order to protect his dignity as a department head, he said, "Anti isn¡¯t actually that amazing, either. What¡¯s mainly impressive about Anti is that they have steady hands! If I had my current level of medical insight when I was their age, I could also do a few perfect operations!"
As soon as he finished bragging, he heard a soft and low voice saying, "Really?"
Director Shaw, "??"
His head whipped around. At the sight of Nora, the corners of his lips couldn¡¯t help but spasm.
He hurriedly walked over and asked with a smile, "Why are you here?"
Nora couldn¡¯t be bothered to continue the topic just now, so she shuffled toward his office. Director Shaw wisely followed after her. After he closed the door, he asked, "Are you going to hold lectures in the school this year?"
Nora raised her eyebrows. "No."
Director Shaw was surprised. "Then that means you¡¯re intending to take on projects?"
"... No."
Director Shaw was confused. "Then why did you ept a postgraduate student? How are you going to teach her and impart knowledge to her?"
That was exactly why Nora hade over. Her cat-like eyes looked at him calmly and she said, "Didn¡¯t you say that you owe me a favor?"
Director Shaw looked at her, speechless for a moment.
Three years ago, when he was abroad for a medical exchange, Anti had utterly impressed him. He¡¯d also been troubled by something academically rted and hadn¡¯t had any breakthrough in it for many years. It was Anti who had given him a few random pointers that had given him inspiration.
Director Shaw had stuck to her and refused to let her go ever since. He also insisted on giving her a titr professor position in the school.
Director Shaw said, "So?"
"Guide Lisa for me."
Director Shaw, "..."
He just knew it wouldn¡¯t be anything good!
He was actually very busy, so he recruited very few postgraduate students these days. He only epted a token four or five per year. Additionally, it was mostly his assistants who were giving them lessons on his behalf and helping him to guide the newbies.
Having one more student to teach didn¡¯t make any difference, though, so Director Shaw nodded and said, "Okay."
Seeing that he had agreed to her request, Nora stood up and got ready to leave. She was about to walk out of the office when Director Shaw asked, "Why did you ept that young woman? Is it because she¡¯s your rtive?"
To be honest, if she was going to have him guide her like this, she might as well have just given him a phone call and asked him to ept one more postgraduate student. It¡¯d have been more convenient that way.
Nora, however, lowered her gaze at his question. She suddenly curled her lips into a smile and replied, "No, it¡¯s not because of that."
She would never let anyone get in through the back door if their skills weren¡¯t up to par.
The reason why she had epted Lisa was that the research topic she proposed happened to be one that she had been thinking of tackling recently.
Besides, Lisa had pure eyes; people like that were great for academics.
She waved as she walked casually to the door, and said, "She¡¯s my postgraduate student. I¡¯m just letting you guide her a little for now."
"..."
After leaving Professor Shaw¡¯s office, she returned to where she had been just now and found that everyone was still discussing the subject as enthusiastically as before. Lisa had already be their favorite person.
Nora sent a text message to Lisa and asked her to meet her the next day for a talk. Then, she went home.
Having been held back a little today, it was already some time after six by the time she got home.
When she parked the car, she happened to see Loganing out of the house.
The twenty-year-old boy had a stubborn and untamed look in his eyes. His fair and attractive visage was filled with irritability at the moment. He snapped, "I¡¯ll just mortgage the car to you, okay? What are you pressing me so much for?
"That car¡¯s original price was 18.5 million dors. It¡¯s not too much of me to lower it to 12.5 million, is it? What? Nine million? What you¡¯re doing is no different from kicking me while I¡¯m down, Winston!"
The other side then said something that made Logan so angry that he hung up on them right away.
When he lifted his head, he happened to see Nora. He red at her, stormed straight into the garage, and drove the ugly poop-yellow sports car out.
Even though he had tried his best to hide it while he was walking, one could vaguely still tell that his sprained ankle from the other time still hadn¡¯t recovered...
However, Nora didn¡¯t give the matter much thought and entered the house.
Logan bore with the pain in his ankle as he drove, and he made another call.
"Spread the news for me. Aren¡¯t a lot of people interested in my Ferrari? I¡¯m willing to sell it..."
The person on the other side sighed and said, "That¡¯s not a problem, but what are you going to do about your ankle? You still have anotherpetition. If you also lose that one, you won¡¯t have a car to sell anymore!"
Logan clenched his fists.
The few of them were unofficial racers and had set up a sportsbook.
He had been firmly ranked first in the country all these years, but a few days ago, someone had secretly assaulted him... He had broken his ankle in the process.
The doctor had said that he must undergo surgery in order for the bones to heal!
Yet, if he underwent surgery, they couldn¡¯t guarantee that he would be able to maintain the same nimbleness in his ankle as before.
The person on the other end said, "You only have two options now. The first is to find the master surgeon Anti to operate on you and treat your injury; otherwise, you won¡¯t be able to ever race again! The second is to find the international racer Yanci and get him to race in thepetition on your behalf. Otherwise, you¡¯ll really be finished this time!"
Neither of the options was achievable.
Logan lowered his gaze. A brief momentter, he took a deep breath and said, "Let¡¯s just find a buyer first!"
"... Can you really bear to sell Little Yellow? You usually can¡¯t even bear to let me touch the car. It¡¯s one of the most notable limited edition sports cars in the world, you know. If you sell it, you may not be able to find another car that suits you in the future even if you have the money!"
Screeeeech!
Logan stopped the car at the roadside when he heard what the other party said.
He stroked the steering wheel and the seat...
Everything in the car was once what he loved the most. Selling it was no different from cutting the flesh off his body.
But there was no way he could implicate the Andersons in his affairs.
Logan slowly closed his eyes and uttered, "Sell it!"
¡ª
At the Andersons, Nora sat at the desk after she went upstairs. Her fingers tapped lightly on the desk as she waited for Lily¡¯s DNA test results.
Chapter 155: He’s A Slave To His Daughter Alright
Chapter 155: He¡¯s A ve To His Daughter Alright
She had gone to the university that day, so she wasn¡¯t free to pick up Pete from kindergarten. It was Melissa who picked him up.
Melissa entered the room nervously. After ncing outside the room, she came up to Nora, neatened her dress, and sat down gracefully in front of her. Then, she said unhurriedly, "I have something to talk to you about, Nora."
"... What is it?"
Melissa frowned and asked, "Do you find Cherry¡¯s behavior a little strangetely?"
Nora, "?"
Melissa sighed and said, "Cherry used to be very lively and a sweet talker. She yed with me all day and also loved eating. Lately, though, she¡¯s be a lot quieter. When I picked her up from school and asked her what she wanted to do just now, she actually said that she wants to do gardening and y chess with Great-Grandma. The two of them have been in the garden for an hour and a half!"
Nora, "..."
Melissa said sincerely and earnestly, "I know you¡¯re a good girl and that you treat your child very well, Nora, but you have to spend more time with your child when you have the time. Otherwise, she¡¯ll easily develop psychological issues."
Nora¡¯s lip corners spasmed a little at the kind reminder from her aunt, and she replied, "... Okay."
Melissa breathed a sigh of relief. She stood up and got ready to leave. When she was about to step out, Nora suddenly asked, "By the way, is everything fine with Logan?"
The boy¡¯s words just now had made her a little suspicious.
Had he encountered some kind of difficulty?
Melissa sighed when she heard her question. "That boy doesn¡¯t tell me anything. I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s doing outside at all, sigh. But even though he seems a little stubborn and belligerent, he¡¯s actually a very kind boy.
"Never mind. Let¡¯s just leave him be."
Melissa waved and went downstairs.
Beep, beep.
Nora¡¯s cell phone beeped twice. When she picked it up, she saw a text message from Cherry: ¡¯Mommy, Princess Lucy sent me a picture of her new car. Isn¡¯t this pink Ferrari adorable?!"
Little Lucy was a friend that Cherry had made when her aunt living abroad brought her to the UK.
The UK had a queen and a princess in the royal family.
Lucy, the second princess, had hit it off with Cherry right away. The two girls then added each other on Facebook so that they could chat with each other.
It should be noted that when Lucy asked for Cherry¡¯s contact information, Cherry had told her that she only used Facebook Messenger. The girl had then specially registered a new private Facebook ount for her sake.
Princess Lucy only had one friend in the ount, and that was Cherry.
Nora ignored the text message.
Perhaps because she saw that her mother hadn¡¯t replied, Cherry sent another message after a while: ¡¯Mommy, Cherry also wants a sports car like that, yeah~¡¯
She even added an emoji with a pitiful expression at the end.
Nora scoffed at the message.
She picked up the phonezily and sent her a voice message: "If you want something, then buy it yourself."
That sports car was the same model as Logan¡¯s poop-yellow one. It was a limited edition that was already discontinued. Only a few dozen units had been produced in the country that year, and most of them had be part of someone wealthy¡¯s collection.
One could say that it was priceless.
... even though she did have ways to get one if she really wanted to.
¡ª
In the hospital.
Justin, who was about to take Cherry back to the family home, overheard thezy-sounding ¡¯If you want something, then buy it yourself¡¯ voice message the moment he entered the ward.
He raised his eyebrows a little. Was the chance to please his daughter finally here?
Justin coughed and asked, "What do you want to buy, Pete?"
Little Cherry was pouting as she sat on the hospital bed. She was secretlyining inwardly that it must be because Mommy was just toozy to buy it for her. Upon Justin¡¯s question, her big round eyes lit up and she replied, "Daddy, I want a Ferrari sports car like this! In pink, yeah!"
Justin took a look and immediately said, "Okay, we¡¯ll buy it!"
Sure enough, the little fellow immediately broke into a grin and said, "Daddy, you¡¯re so awesome, yeah!"
"..."
Upon hearing his daughter¡¯s praises, Justin was as pleased as punch.
The corners of his lips curled upward. He sent the model of the sports car to Lawrence and instructed him to buy one, no matter the cost. Then, he scooped his daughter up with one arm and said, "Let¡¯s go to the family home and visit your Grandma and Great-Grandma today!"
Her Grandma and Great-Grandma?
Cherry became excited at once. "Okie-Dokie!"
¡ª
At the Andersons.
After dinner, Nora stood up and got ready to go upstairs to work.
That¡¯s right, work.
Prior to an operation, in order to prevent idents from happening, she had to make a list of every possible situation she might encounter during the operation. This was her professionalism.
However, a pair of uninvited guests arrived at the door at this moment ¡ªit was Miranda and Rachel Wood.
As soon as she walked in, Rachel, who resembled Melissa somewhat, frowned and looked at her. Her jaw tensed up, and a look of displeasure filled her face.
A hesitant Melissa asked, "What¡¯s the matter?"
Miranda¡¯s eyes were all red. She was in tears as she said, "I was blind to pick on you all the time in the past, Melissa. I was wrong, okay? Forgive me!"
Ever since the real estate investment failed, the Sos hadn¡¯t been able to get their money back. With housing prices controlled now, people were all adopting a wait-and-see approach, and no one dared to buy any property.
They suddenly ran into trouble with recouping their capital.
The Lowes could barely even keep themselves afloat at the moment, so why would they possibly care about the small shareholders who had invested a bit and were waiting to make money?
The Sos became resentful toward Miranda as a result and drove her out.
She then went home in embarrassment, but the Woods refused to let her in and even told her that she had to apologize to Melissa first.
Miranda had no choice but toe over.
Melissa cast her eyes down.
When she thought of how Miranda had humiliated her over the years, she said, "To be honest, does it really matter whether I forgive you or not, Miranda? Let¡¯s just lessen contact with each other in the future."
There were some things that couldn¡¯t be made up for with just an apology.
Miranda¡¯s apology was too insincere.
Melissa didn¡¯t want to forgive her.
Miranda, who understood what she meant, tugged on Rachel¡¯s sleeve. Rachel immediately frowned and said, "Why don¡¯t you forgive my mother, Aunt Melissa? Otherwise, we¡¯ll lose our mother if Dad doesn¡¯t let her go home! If you¡¯re still not agreeable to it, then shall I get down on my knees in front of you?"
She started to get down on her knees as she spoke.
Melissa hastily grabbed her and said, "What are you doing, Rachel?"
Rachel said, "Why don¡¯t you call Dad and tell him that you aren¡¯t angry anymore? Otherwise, he¡¯ll never let Mom in."
So, that was what they were up to.
Melissa looked at the mother and daughter putting on a show in front of her.
One was pretending to be weak while the other was pretending to be pitiful.
They were just forcing her to do what they wanted!
She lowered her gaze and said, "Okay, I¡¯ll call him."
The way Farrell did things was just so unreliable. Why ask them to beg her for forgiveness? He obviously couldn¡¯t bear to part with his children, so he had to bring Miranda back home even if he didn¡¯t want to.
Miranda brightened. "Call him now."
Melissa had no choice but to call Farrell.
Miranda watched her from the side with her fists tightly clenched. She would remember how Melissa had humiliated her today!
The mother and daughter pair left after Melissa made the call.
However, as soon as they reached the door, they suddenly heard violent knocking at the door.
Knock! Knock!
In the middle of the night, the sound was rather ear-piercing in the high-end residentialplex.
Chapter 156: Acknowledging Them As Family
Chapter 156: Acknowledging Them As Family
Nora frowned.
The nanny went to the door. She asked, "May I know who you are?"
A loud voice immediately came from outside. "I¡¯m Nora¡¯s father!"
The words made the few people in the room look at Nora.
Simon and Melissa were also taken aback, and they looked at Nora together.
Nora raised her pretty eyebrows. Just as she was about to say that it wasn¡¯t necessary to open the door, Miranda nudged Rachel and said, "Oh, it¡¯s a rtive? Quick, go and open the door."
Rachel frowned, but the next moment, she realized what Miranda was trying to do. There was clearly a doorbell at the door, yet the man had knocked so loudly as if he was afraid that they wouldn¡¯t open the door.
This showed that the two families were definitely not on good terms.
She jumped up as if she was about to watch a show, and ran toward the door. As she did, she said, "Oh, I¡¯m the youngest here. I¡¯ll go and open the door, then."
Nora, "?"
She had no choice but to follow Rachel at the back.
When she walked out of the living room, Rachel had already opened the door. Henry was cursing angrily, "Why did you wait so long to open the door? Is it because we¡¯re not weed here?"
Rachel stepped aside and said, "Why wouldn¡¯t you be? Pleasee in!"
Henry was a little surprised, but he nevertheless walked in with Wendy. The two were about to enter the living room when someone blocked their path.
Henry frowned. "What is the meaning of this, Nora? Are you stopping us from going in?"
Nora stood in their path at the living room entrance. Her voice was low and deep as she said, "If you have something to say, then let¡¯s talk here."
She didn¡¯t want to cause the Andersons any trouble.
Henry sneered, "Is this what the Andersons¡¯ manners are like? Are they actually stopping their family members from entering the house?"
Nora retorted, "Are you even family?"
Henry yelled into the living room, "I¡¯m the Andersons¡¯ son-inw. I haven¡¯t even met my inws ever since your mother and I married! I heard that Mom is still around, so I think I should pay her a visit!"
He tried to squeeze his way into the living room after saying that.
Unfortunately for him, Nora stood in his path like a bouncer. Henry wanted to push her aside and enter, but even though the girl was clearly very thin and shouldn¡¯t weigh much, Henry simply couldn¡¯t even make her budge even after he tried pushing her aside.
It was as if her feet had been nailed in ce as she stood there.
Henry was furious. He narrowed his eyes. Suddenly, he shouted into the room, "Mom, your son-inw is here to visit you!"
As soon as he said that, Mrs. Anderson, who could no longer sit still, walked out of her room.
Her daughter had given up the amazing and brilliant Ian Smith and ran away from home. Later, she had married Henry. Even though Mrs. Anderson had never asked anyone about it, she was ultimately still very curious about what he was like.
The olddy opened the door. "Nora, let theme in and talk."
Only then did Nora step aside.
Melissa was talking to Miranda when they entered. She said, "Why don¡¯t you go back with Rachel first, Miranda? We have guests."
However, Miranda replied cheerfully, "I know, Nora¡¯s father, right? Come to think of it, he can also be considered our rtive. I should also meet him, lest we end up unacquainted in the future."
As a result, the living room suddenly became rather crowded.
Mrs. Anderson, Simon, and Melissa sat on the main sofa while Miranda and Rachel sat on one of the sofas at the side. Both of them looked like they were watching an entertaining show.
Sitting on the sofa on the other side were Henry and Wendy.
Nora didn¡¯t take a seat. Instead, she leanedzily against the wall without much of an expression on her face.
At the sight of how distant and indifferent everyone was, Henry took the lead to stand. He bowed at Mrs. Anderson and said, "This is the first time we¡¯ve met all these years, Mom. This is all Yvette¡¯s fault. She never mentioned the Andersons, causing us all to be so distant from one another despite being family..."
Practically as soon as he said that, Melissa said neutrally, "You¡¯re too polite, Mr. Smith. Not only is Yvette no longer around, but you¡¯ve also remarried. We¡¯re no longer family."
Henry¡¯s eyes flickered. Then, he heaved a sigh and said, "Speaking of remarrying... Sigh! This is all Yvette¡¯s idea! She lost a lot of blood during childbirth, causing her health to deteriorate badly. She was in poor health ever since. Before she died, what she was the most worried about was that there wouldn¡¯t be anyone to take care of Nora, so she forced me to remarry and find someone to take care of Nora. Had she not forced me to, I definitely wouldn¡¯t have remarried. Yvette and I were so in love back then..."
He lowered his head and wiped the non-existent tears at his eyes. Then, he raised his head again and said, "Even if Yvette is gone, Mom is still my mother-inw. That¡¯s something that¡¯ll never change."
Wendy also hurriedly said, "Yes, that¡¯s right. I¡¯ve also met Yvette when she was still alive. We don¡¯t have many members in our family, but if you¡¯re alright with me, you can treat me as your daughter in the future, Mrs. Anderson! Breaking off ties after someone¡¯s death isn¡¯t a popr way of thinking in our family. See, didn¡¯t Nora also move into the Andersons? We¡¯re all very supportive of that!"
She looked at the elderlydy and said, "We also intend to be filial to you in the future!"
The elderly Mrs. Anderson, however, stared hard at Henry. Her eyes reddened again as she asked, "Are you saying that Yvette already arranged for you to remarry before she died? And she¡¯s even met that woman?"
Mrs. Anderson felt her chest tighten the moment she thought of how her daughter had to find a wife for her own husband and a stepmother for her own daughter when she was clearly already on her deathbed.
Yvette had always been stubborn ever since she was a child. When she was with Ian back then, she had once even said something about how all rich men liked having mistresses. If Ian dared so much as to think like that, she would definitely break his goddamn legs.
At that time, she had persuaded Yvette to take it easy. After all, profit was the most important in the wealthy circle. How many of them were truly in love with each other?
However, Yvette had raised her chin and said proudly, "Mom, never in this lifetime will I, Yvette Anderson, ever make do when ites to love. Even if I die, I won¡¯t let Ian remarry. Be it in life or death, I will be vigorous and exciting."
The young woman at that time had been full of energy and high-spirited, yet also incredibly bossy.
How many men¡¯s hearts had Yvette Anderson, a single woman, stolen in the wealthy circle?
What exactly must such a proud woman like her have experienced for her to be willing to choose a second wife for her husband during thest leg of her journey in life...?
Wendy¡¯s eyes flickered. She hastily smiled and said, "Yes, that¡¯s right. That¡¯s why I¡¯m very grateful to her. Mrs. Anderson, we¡¯re family..."
The tears in Mrs. Anderson¡¯s eyes were close to falling. She moved the walking stick in her hands. Her eyelids drooped downward and she said, "We¡¯re not rted by blood, so we aren¡¯t family."
The sense of alienation from her was very obvious.
Simon also got onto his feet. He pointed at Henry and said angrily, "You already found your next wife when my sister wasn¡¯t even dead yet? Are you still human? We don¡¯t have a family like you here!"
Henry had originally thought that the Andersons would ept Wendy if he worded it like that, but unexpectedly, his ns had backfired.
Seeing how worked up they were, his eyes flickered and he smiled and said, "Mom, Simon. Whether you recognize me as family or not, I¡¯m still Nora¡¯s father. This rtionship between the two of us will never be severed."
Chapter 157: I Want The Company’s Shares
Chapter 157: I Want The Company¡¯s Shares
Those words of his were too shameless.
Simon and Melissa frowned.
Most wealthy families wouldn¡¯t embarrass themselves like that when handling matters. People like him who hounded others so persistently were honestly a rare sight.
Yet, Miranda, who was next to him, spoke up for him. She said, "He¡¯s right, Mrs. Anderson. No matter what, he¡¯s still Yvette¡¯s husband and Nora¡¯s father, so that makes him family no matter how you look at it... Even though Yvette is no longer around, it¡¯s not right to cut off family ties with them."
Then, she smiled and said, "Isn¡¯t there a family like that right in our circle? Mr. Walker¡¯s first wife was from the Lanes. After she died, he married a Ms. Lopez. His second wife is very close to the Lanes, so the Lanes treat her like family. Mr. Walker¡¯s son from his first marriage has now inherited hispany, and he treats his stepmother pretty well..."
Everyone knew who Miranda was referring to.
However, this was because the stepmother had really treated the child very well. That was why she was on such good terms with the child¡¯s mother¡¯s family. This waspletely different from Henry¡¯s situation.
Had Henry treated Nora even just a little better, the Andersons wouldn¡¯t have treated him like this, either.
Melissa sneered, "These are our family affairs, Miranda. If there¡¯s nothing else you and Rachel need, then the two of you can leave!"
Miranda waved her off and replied, "We¡¯re not in a hurry. Feel free to continue."
"..."
Melissa was furious. How she wished she could rescind the call she had made to Farrell just now.
She took a deep breath and looked at Henry. "What are you trying to say, Mr. Smith? Why don¡¯t you make things clear instead?"
Henry smiled and replied, "It¡¯s actually very simple. If we¡¯re family, then you should treat us like family and take care of us a little more. If you don¡¯t see us as family, then it¡¯s time that we properly split the profits between us."
Simon was taken aback. "What profits are you talking about?"
Henry replied, "The profits from the Carefree Pills, of course! The Carefree Pills were developed by Yvette. Isn¡¯t that something that everyone knows?"
He got up and said shamelessly, "Yvette is my wife, as well as Nora¡¯s mother. Since she¡¯s no longer around, her spouse and her children should be first-in-line to inherit the things she left behind, and not Mom, Simon, or any of you, right?
"If you treat us like family, then it¡¯s not like we can¡¯t provide the Carefree Pill¡¯s form for free. After all, it¡¯ll just be family members helping each other out, right? But if you don¡¯t, then Nora and I will split the form equally between the two of us. Since you¡¯re taking the form and investing in it, then it should at least be split in the 7:3 ratio, no matter how you look at it, right? Since the form matters the most here, then it should be worth 70% instead of 30%. In that case, you should give me at least 35%, right?"
He had already asked around before he came to the Andersons.
As it turned out, the Andersons had already fallen into decline long ago. However, they had reinvigorated thepany with Yvette¡¯s Carefree Pill.
That was why Henry was demanding such an exorbitant cut of the profits.
Nora let out an icyugh when she heard what he said.
The form that her mother had left behind didn¡¯t allow them to mass-produce the Carefree Pill. It was just like how she had only produced five pills even after she threw hundreds of thousands of dors worth of medicinal herbs into it. The one being mass-produced now was a form that she had improved.
"You¡ª!"
Simon became riled up. He felt that Henry must be daydreaming.
Melissa also frowned¡ªshe could tell that things had be a little troublesome now.
Henry¡¯s im was actually a reasonable one.
Although Yvette had died, without a will, her things were indeed the Smiths¡¯.
At the sight of how the Andersons¡¯ expressions had changed, Henry said cheerfully, "The Andersons are a big family with a big business. Surely you won¡¯t bully people like us whoe from another part of the country, right?"
Next to him, a smiling Miranda said, "Of course not. The Andersons are a schrly family, and are well-known in New York as an extremely honest and sincere family."
Henry smiled and said, "That¡¯s great. In that case, when will you show me the ounts, Simon? We can settle this quarter¡¯s dividends after that?"
Next to him, Wendy also piped up. She said, "Yes, that¡¯s right. See, if we¡¯re inws, then we definitely won¡¯t make things so stiff and formal, and speak bluntly. But since you don¡¯t want to acknowledge the marriage, then we can only adopt a ¡¯business is business¡¯ stance. Sigh!"
Then, she looked at Nora again and said, "You, too, Nora. Why didn¡¯t you inform your family when you brandished the form? It doesn¡¯t just belong to you, after all. We haven¡¯t even decided on a good price yet."
The look in Nora¡¯s eyes turned cold.
Seeing that hepletely had the upper hand, Henry smiled with satisfaction. He said, "Sigh, I¡¯m actually also making us out to be strangers by wording it that way. I¡¯m not in a hurry for the money, Simon. How about you do me a little favor? We can talk about these things againter."
The Andersons didn¡¯t have much cash flow at the moment. It would take at least three months for them to produce the Carefree Pills, recover costs, and make profits!
Simon was surprised to hear that from Henry. He asked, "What kind of little favor is it?"
Henry smiled and replied, "I have another daughter who has been admitted to the New York University School of Medicine for her postgraduate studies this year, but her current mentor is rtively young and inexperienced. Can you help me pull some strings and get her a better mentor?"
The Andersons held a weighty position in the pharmaceutical industry.
Had it been another university, perhaps they wouldn¡¯t have been able to intervene, but Simon indeed was an alumnus of that school. Most of the university¡¯s current leaders were his ex-ssmates.
Simon¡¯s knitted brows rxed. "I can try. Which mentor does she want to switch to, though?"
If he and the mentor knew each other, then this matter would actually be a pretty simple one to resolve.
But as soon as he thought of that, Henry replied, "It¡¯s Professor Anti..."
Simon was stunned. "Who did you say it is?"
Anti?
That world-renowned big boss?
That was impossible!
He immediately waved and said, "Sorry, but there¡¯s nothing I can do about that! We don¡¯t even know who Anti is, let alone contact them!"
Henry beamed at them and said, "How can that be? You could do that for my niece, so why not for my second daughter?"
They had done that for his niece?
Simon became even more confused. "What are you talking about? When have I ever..."
However, before he could finish, a frosty voice suddenly interrupted them.
"Tsk."
Nora hadn¡¯t said anything all this time because she wanted to see how big Henry¡¯s demands were going to be this time. Little did she expect that apart from finding a mentor for Ang, he had actually set his sights on the Carefree Pills?
She slowly straightened her back and yawned. Then, she said, "It¡¯s a shame that you weren¡¯t born in medieval times, Henry Smith."
Henry, "?"
Nora curled her lips and said, "Otherwise, your skin could be used as city walls to defend against external enemies."
Henry, "!!"
He became enraged at once. "You no-good daughter and bastard, how dare you insult me! I haven¡¯t even held you ountable yet for taking out your mother¡¯s Carefree Pill form so thoughtlessly without my consent, yet you actually have the audacity toe at me?"
However, as he knew that this daughter of his was pretty good at fighting, he only dared to rant and rave but didn¡¯t dare to go forward.
Nora pursed her lips. She had gotten sleepy.
She¡¯d better get rid of those two quickly, then!
Chapter 158: The DNA Test Results Are Out!
Chapter 158: The DNA Test Results Are Out!
In the middle of Nora¡¯s thoughts, Henry suddenly swept the cups on the coffee table onto the ground!
The cups broke into pieces with a loud bang.
Henry, whose veins on his forehead were bulging, stood where he was and yelled, "Nora, I¡¯m your father! This is something that¡¯ll never change! You can forget about abandoning me and getting rich on your own! You¡¯ll go to jail if you don¡¯t take care of me!"
Then, he looked back at Simon and said, "The Andersons have to give me an exnation regarding this today! Either you draft a contract for the Carefree Pills¡¯ dividends and give me the money immediately, or get my daughter¡¯s mentor change done first. Pick one!"
He sat back down on the sofa.
Simon frowned.
Henry flying into a rage all of a sudden, and his actions of mming the coffee table and breaking the cups shocked Miranda and Rachel. However, Melissa and Mrs. Anderson remained as calm and steady as ever, seemingly used to such scenes.
Simon was about to say something when Nora¡¯s frosty voice rang out. "I¡¯d advise you to calm down a little. Otherwise, not only will you not get any money, but you¡¯ll also have to pay for these cups!"
Henry sneered, "Why? Are you nning to be deadbeats and not give me any money? If so, I don¡¯t mind making this matter known to the public! I¡¯ll show everyone outside how the Andersons are hogging the Smiths¡¯ Carefree Pill!"
Nora askedzily, "Who says the Carefree Pill belongs to my mother?"
As soon as she said that, everyone looked at her in shock.
Simon wanted to ask something, but Melissa held his hand and shook her head lightly.
Henry turned and red at her menacingly. "What did you say?"
Nora looked at the cups on the floor and said, "The Carefree Pill belongs to the Andersons. What does it have to do with the Smiths?"
Henry jumped onto his feet. "How can that be? It obviously belongs to your mothe¡ª"
"If my mother was the one who developed it, then why didn¡¯t you open a pharmaceutical factory all these years? Wouldn¡¯t you have made a fortune a long time ago?"
Nora spoke slowly and coolly, but her argument was a convincing one.
Both Simon and Melissa also looked at Henry hesitantly.
She was right. Why did Yvette hold on to the pill form and keep it a secret from Henry?
Henry¡¯s expression changed a few times.
How would he know anything about Carefree Pills or whatever it was called?
The books in the study upstairs were all Yvette¡¯s. She had a lot of writings and drawings to do with a lot of different topics in there. After she had died, he couldn¡¯t be bothered to take care of them at all, let alone know what they were.
Besides, even though he and Yvette were husband and wife in name, nobody knew that they had never consummated their marriage before. He was more like a nominal father that Yvette had given her daughter!
He didn¡¯t understand why Yvette had taken a fancy to him, either...
Later, Yvette died. It should already be considered a blessing that he hadn¡¯t taken all those things as rubbish and thrown them away. How would he possibly know that they were actually so valuable...
In the middle of Henry¡¯s thoughts, Nora said, "I obviously found the form at the Andersons¡¯."
Henry understood now¡ªNora was nning to push him away!
He immediately shouted, "Nora! You unfilial daughter! How dare you lie!"
Nora looked as calm as ever. She said, "I¡¯m the one who took out the form, so naturally, I have the final say as to where I took it from. You im that the form belongs to the Smiths. In that case, do you have any evidence to substantiate your im?"
Henry, "!!"
He had immediately gone upstairs and entered Yvette¡¯s study when he learned about the Carefree Pill. It was only then that he realized that it had long been cleaned out.
All the books had been burned.
Thus, he didn¡¯t have any evidence at all!
If he had the Carefree Pill¡¯s form, he would¡¯ve sold it to the Andersons¡¯petitors a long time ago. Why would he still have toe all the way here to beg others for money?!
Henry said angrily, "That¡¯s just pure sophistry!"
"Really?" Nora took out her cell phone. "In that case, we can only call the police. Also, allow me to remind you that the cups you just broke are antiques from the 1600s worth hundreds of thousands of dors. You have to pay for them."
What she said daunted Henry. He frowned and said viciously, "Nora! You¡¯re ckmailing me!"
Nora raised her phone. "So, shall I call the police?"
Henry, "!!"
He felt exactly as aggrieved and frustrated in this instant as how smug he had been just now!
Simon and Melissa had also recovered and caught on. Simon stood and said, "The Carefree Pill is said to have been developed by Yvette, but we, the Andersons, actually developed it ourselves. Mr. Smith, you have to provide evidence when youe straight here to snatch things from others. Do you have any evidence? If not, what you¡¯re doing is tantamount to nder!"
Melissa¡¯s voice was gentle but stern. She said, "If you continue to pester us, we¡¯ll call the police, Mr. Smith."
At the sight of them bing aggressive, Henry found himself at a loss at once. He exchanged a look with Wendy.
The wealthy families in New York were ultimately still a lot ssier.
Henry was scared.
He coughed and said, "No matter who the Carefree Pill belongs to, we¡¯re ultimately still family. What¡¯s wrong with helping my second daughter to change a mentor?"
He looked at Nora again and said, "You¡¯d rather help your cousin than your younger sister? Nora, how can you be so narrow-minded?"
Nora yawned as if she didn¡¯t hear him.
She pointed at the door. "Are you going to leave by yourself? Or do you want me to send you away?"
Upon seeing that being aggressive and unreasonable wasn¡¯t going to work anymore, Wendy decided to take a soft approach. She grabbed Nora¡¯s hand and said, "Nora, I know there are issues between us, but Mom treated you very well too. You can¡¯t just ignore your sister! Blood is thicker than water, Nora. The two of you are family!"
Nora, however, didn¡¯t bother listening to what she said at all. Instead, she held her wrist with a backhand and then, with a forceful pull, threw her out the door!
Then, Nora dusted off her hands and looked at Henry. There were a few gigantic words clearly written in her cat-like eyes: ¡¯It¡¯s your turn now.¡¯
Henry, "..."
In order to avoid being thrown out in such an embarrassing manner, Henry snorted and walked out himself. When he was passing by Nora, he stopped and said angrily, "I have legs; I can go by myself! Don¡¯t be too smug about this though, Nora! I¡¯m your father. Just by this rtionship alone, you¡¯ll never be able to get rid of me!"
The look in Nora¡¯s eyes was icy-cold.
She didn¡¯t say anything. Instead, she popped her wrist joints loudly, causing a frightened Henry to quicken his footsteps. Before he exited, he nevertheless couldn¡¯t stop himself from saying, "I won¡¯t give up so easily!"
After the two detestable people finally left, Nora went upstairs.
As soon as she entered her bedroom, her cell phone rang.
She looked down and saw that it was Lily. When she answered, Lily said, "Anti, the DNA test results are out!"
Nora looked up. Lilyughed and asked, "Is it you who¡¯s not your father¡¯s biological daughter, or is it your younger sister who isn¡¯t?"
Chapter 159: A Second Test!
Chapter 159: A Second Test!
Nora was taken aback by Lily¡¯s words.
She was already mentally prepared prior to the DNA test that she might not be Henry¡¯s daughter, but... When the truth was truly presented to her, apart from feeling a little surprised, she was actually more relieved than anything else.
Nora cast her eyes down and looked out the window.
She suddenly felt rather relieved.
It was human nature to want to be close to your parents.
Her mother had died early, so her father was her only kin in the world. In spite of that, her father had never hugged or kissed her even once in her entire life.
There were times where she found herself very envious when she looked at Henry carrying Ang dotingly.
In fact, she would even be very depressed and shut herself off from the world for a while during that time.
The little Nora couldn¡¯t help but wonder at that time if it was because she was too unlikeable. Was that why her father disliked her?
Later, she had closed off her heart and never opened it to outsiders ever again.
Everyone who knew her said that she was callous, but that was because no one had ever taught her what love was.
In her world, she had always been alone.
But as it turned out, it had never been her fault. It wasn¡¯t because she was not likable enough that Henry didn¡¯t like her; rather, it was because he wasn¡¯t her father.
Nora raised her eyes. Suddenly, she lowered her head and looked at the strands of hair that she had tugged off Henry¡¯s head when she was kicking him and Wendy out just now. The corners of her lips suddenly curled into a smile.
"In that case, let¡¯s check them all."
Although it was already confirmed, it was still better to have her DNApared with Henry¡¯s, just in case.
Perhaps because she knew that she was eager to know the result, Lily replied, "Okay. I¡¯ll arrange for someone to pick it up right away."
Even the fastest express courier wouldn¡¯t be as fast as someone actually doing it themselves.
She had always had all her DNA tests done outside of the States.
Ten minutester, someone came and collected the hair samples. They took the earliest flight overnight and went straight to where Lily was. Ten hourster, the samples reached Lily.
She forwent sleep to do the DNA test. Another four hourster, she had gotten the DNA test results!
¡ª
Henry and Wendy stood outside the Andersons¡¯ vi after they were kicked out. They red furiously at the vi and stamped their feet.
Wendy couldn¡¯t stop herself from provoking Henry. She said, "Honestly, Nora is so... How can she do such an about-face the moment she made it big?"
Henry, who was red in the face with anger, gnashed his teeth in fury. The veins on his forehead were bulging as he said, "That unfilial daughter! I... I¡¯m going to sue her!"
Wendy frowned. "Will the authorities really do anything about it, though? Also, do we still have the money to hire the bestwyer?"
Henry was irritated by her questions.
At this point, Miranda and Rachel also left the Andersons. The Woods¡¯ car was parked outside the vi, but Miranda and Rachel didn¡¯t get in the car after they exited the vi. Instead, they went over to Henry and Wendy.
Miranda sighed and said, "That younger sister of mine is just so cruel! The Andersons are indeed too unkind about this!"
Rachel pursed her lips and said, "Exactly. Does Nora really think she¡¯s a daughter of the Andersons? A woman who has no shame and became pregnant before marriage is even abandoning her father now? That¡¯s unforgivable!"
Henry and Wendy, who weren¡¯t expecting them to say that, were momentarily dumbfounded.
Wendy was the first to recover. She stepped forward, took Miranda¡¯s arm, and said, "The two of us are really pitiful. Not only did we painstakingly raise her into an adult, but Nora was in poor health when she was a child, so we even frequently sent her to the hospital... I didn¡¯t expect her to be so rebellious. We only reprimanded her a little after she made us sad, but she¡¯s be so distant and alienated! Sigh!"
Miranda immediately replied, "That won¡¯t do."
Next to her, Rachel also chimed in. "Look at how pitiful the two of them are, Mom. Why don¡¯t you help them out?"
Miranda hesitated when she heard her suggestion. She said, "But that¡¯s your aunt, after all..."
Rachel straightened her back and said, "It¡¯s only right to be on the side of justice rather than one¡¯s family, Mom. You know that, right? C¡¯mon, help them out!"
Miranda sighed. "Oh, alright. I happen to have a friend here..."
¡ª
The night passed peacefully for everyone.
Melissa was still worried before she went to bed. She said, "Your father seems like a real piece of work to me, Nora. Will they kick up another fuss?"
Nora, however, replied openly, "There¡¯s always a solution to a problem, Aunt Melissa. Don¡¯t worry."
Melissa nodded and went downstairs. Sheined to Mrs. Anderson, "Yvette was such a proud woman back then. Why did she have to pick such a shameless scoundrel like him?"
Mrs. Anderson heaved a huge sigh. "Everything is predestined in one¡¯s life!"
Simon also heaved a deep sigh. The three of them looked at each other and then, they raised their heads and looked at Nora¡¯s bedroom upstairs in the end.
Melissa sighed. "Not only did her mother die when she was young, but her father doesn¡¯t love her, either. The most pitiful one here is actually Nora. Her father embarrassed her so badly today and even ranted at others. Nora must be very sad!"
Simon nodded. "Yeah. How was she when you talked to her just now?"
Melissa replied, "Nora is a sensible girl. She has always been one who¡¯s afraid to report anything but good news. Even when you ask her how she¡¯s doing at home, all she says is that everything is fine. How would she possibly show us her pain? She¡¯s probably crying upstairs now."
Simon and Mrs. Anderson¡¯s hearts ached for her at once.
However, Nora, whom the trio had mistaken to be secretly crying, had already taken a shower and was asleep in the bed with her son in her arms.
The night passed peacefully.
It was the weekend the next day, so Pete didn¡¯t have to go to school.
Nora was also finally able to sleep in. However, she was awakened by the noise downstairs.
She frowned and got up. As soon as she stepped out of her room, she heard Simon¡¯s angry shout from downstairs.
"We¡¯re not epting any interviews!"
Melissa was reprimanding the other party. She threatened, "I¡¯m calling the security guards if all of you don¡¯t leave!"
A female stranger was talking to them. "Hello, good day. An attitude like that won¡¯t solve anything at all. I¡¯m Roxanne, a reporter. Ms. Smith¡¯s father called me and told me that she¡¯s refusing to acknowledge them as family after a wealthy family took her in. We¡¯re here to mediate!"
Simon shouted, "Turn off the camera first!"
Roxanne said, "Don¡¯t be so agitated, sir. This is a live broadcast; the more agitated you are, the more people will feel that you¡¯re in the wrong! Let¡¯s calm down. Why don¡¯t you tell me what has really happened first? All of you are family. There¡¯s no grudge or feud among family that cannot be mediated."
Melissa frowned. "We don¡¯t need mediation."
Roxanne spoke calmly and unhurriedly. "You¡¯re not Ms. Smith, so you cannot represent her. May I know where Ms. Smith is?"
Henry¡¯s voice came over at this point. He said, "She must be still sleeping! That daughter of mine has been fat andzy since she was a child. She never gets out of bed until the sun is shining brightly in the sky!"
Chapter 160: Embellishing The Story
Chapter 160: Embellishing The Story
Roxanne asked, "What¡¯s going on, Mr. Smith? Doesn¡¯t she have to work?"
Henry stood in front of the camera to the live-stream. With a frown and a intive look on his face, he replied, "No, she¡¯s unemployed. When she was with us, she mooched off her aunt and me. I heard that she also hasn¡¯t been working ever since the Andersons took her back with them. It¡¯s already ten in the morning, yet she¡¯s still asleep. Neither does she take care of her child, but leaves them to survive on their own instead. Sigh!"
Melissa said, "Nora sleeps in because she¡¯s in poor health! She lost a lot of blood duringbor back then, so she doesn¡¯t have much energy and has to sleep more than what ordinary people do! Also, ever since she moved to the Andersons, Nora has never asked us for living expenses! She has a source of ie!"
Wendy sighed. "That¡¯s because you don¡¯t know that her iees from the smallpany that her mother owned before she died, Melissa. There are thousands of dors in dividends every month from thepany..."
Melissa was about to speak when Henry held his hands behind his back and said fiercely, "I¡¯m just here for my child today. I¡¯m not trying to take her from you! It¡¯s just that I¡¯m ultimately still her father. How can the Andersons just take her here after they found her, and forbid her from contacting me? We¡¯re family! Blood is thicker than water!"
His eyes reddened as he spoke.
Henry was actually decent-looking. He had a squarish face, thick eyebrows, and big eyes, making him look like an upright man. His behavior instantly sparked intense discussion amongizens.
People were leavingments at high speed in Roxanne¡¯s live-stream:
¡¯She¡¯s refusing to acknowledge her father? What kind of reasoning is that?¡¯
¡¯That Cindere must find her father too tacky after she became a princess!¡¯
¡¯The Andersons are too much. They look like decent human beings, but how can they stop them from acknowledging each other?! They¡¯re father and daughter, after all!¡¯
¡¯Ms. Smith is still asleep even at this time? She sounds like such an unreliable person... What¡¯s the point of bringing such a woman back home?¡¯
¡¯Wow, is this what the wealthy look like? That house looks so high-end!¡¯
...
All sorts of discussions filled the live-stream.
No one knew who it was, but someone had put money into the live-stream and increased the traffic, causing Roxanne¡¯s live-stream to instantly have more than a million viewers.
Everyone loved gossip. Moreover, this was about the secrets of the rich. Once one entered the live-stream, they would want to know what exactly was going on.
¡ª
In the university.
Tina, who was surfing the Inte on her cell phone, identally saw a post on Ang¡¯s social media. She immediately broke into a smile and entered the live-stream
Tina raised her eyebrows when she saw the exciting content inside.
Tsk.
How lively.
She had originally kept Ang with her just to give Nora trouble, but she didn¡¯t expect to receive such a surprise!
Abandoning one¡¯s father¡ªnow, that was an awful offense to be known for among the wealthy.
After all, one was indebted to their parents for raising them, no matter what.
Besides, most of the general public sympathized with the underdog, causing thements to be filled with condemning voices directed at Ms. Smith!
Tina smiled. Suddenly, she picked up her cell phone and paid to promote the live-stream on social media so that it would trend. At the same time, she also got a group of trolls to leavements in the live-stream.
¡¯The Andersons? Aren¡¯t they the family behind Harmonia Pharmacy?¡¯
¡¯Harmonia Pharmacy? The one selling traditional medicine? Their medicines are pretty good. I¡¯ve always thought that people in the field of medicine are kind-hearted, but unexpectedly, they¡¯re actually involved in gossip like this?¡¯
¡¯Ms. Smith¡¯s aunt, too. She speaks in a nice way, but why does she feel so annoying? Why does she keep stopping them from getting Ms. Smith toe downstairs? It¡¯s as if she¡¯s deliberately stopping the father and daughter from being reunited.¡¯
¡¯That¡¯s why I say that the richer one is, the stingier they are!¡¯
¡¯Boycott Harmonia Pharmacy! I¡¯m never buying medicines from them ever again!¡¯
...
Thements were full of condemnation.
In the live-stream, Henry was still using Nora of various unfilial behaviors. His words made most of the parents watching the live-stream tear up.
"I just want to acknowledge my daughter again and ensure that she¡¯s doing well. You can¡¯t just spoil her like that and let her stay at home all day! She needs to be self-reliant! I didn¡¯t painstakingly raise her to let her sink into such depravity..."
Melissa found Henry shameless to the extreme. She yelled angrily, "Nora has been locked up at home by you ever since she was a child, and has never been out of the house. Which part of that was painstaking for you?!"
Henry sighed. "Yes, that¡¯s right. She¡¯s not in good health, so schools didn¡¯t want to ept her. On top of that, she has low self-esteem because she¡¯s so fat, so she also refuses to go to school. I was the one who taught her and raised her into an adult at home."
Melissa retorted, "You raised her into an adult? It¡¯s a blessing that you didn¡¯t starve her to death!"
Henry¡¯s eyes flickered the moment she said that.
Wendy, however, started to cry. She said, "That¡¯s too much, Melissa! Nora has been fat ever since she was a child. We fed her as much as she wanted, so why would she go hungry? If she had gone hungry, would she have be that fat?"
Melissa, "!!"
Her obesity was because of hormonal injections, of course!
After being injected with hormones, even in water would make one gain weight.
How could these two people distort the truth like that?!
Wendy lowered her head again and held her hand over her mouth as she sobbed.
"The only time I didn¡¯t keep an eye on Nora was when she went out and fooled around, causing her to be pregnant before marriage. She even insisted on giving birth to the child after that. Her father and I didn¡¯t want her to, so she fell out with us..."
Roxanne asked, "Why didn¡¯t the two of you want her to?"
A fake Wendy replied, "The child¡¯s father is a ruffian. He didn¡¯t even dare toe to us to ask for her hand in marriage. Moreover, Nora was only 19 years old at that time, so of course, we did everything with her interests in mind! It¡¯s also because of this that she distanced herself from us. She insisted on giving birth and moving abroad. We continued to support her financially. It¡¯s because we know that she doesn¡¯t like living with us that we even sent her money for her living expenses every month. But Mrs. Anderson, anyone who has family, and anyone who has a daughter, would know that we made the right decision! How can you use that to sow discord between the father and daughter?"
Another intense discussion broke out in thements:
¡¯What the f*ck! So, it¡¯s because of this that they fell out!¡¯
¡¯A ruffian? Getting pregnant when you aren¡¯t even married yet? Seems that Ms. Smith is a real piece of work. She hasn¡¯t even appeared yet, but I already dislike her!¡¯
¡¯If I were her parents, I would definitely want to beat her to death! Her father and stepmother have done well enough. Not only did they send her abroad, but they even raised her child for her!¡¯
¡¯Gosh, how can such an insensible daughter exist?¡¯
Melissa held her chest in fury. The elderly Mrs. Anderson, who was sitting on the sofa in the room, was livid when she heard the arguing outside.
Wealthy families were very particr about handling matters in a low-key manner.
Yet, Henry had actually brought such a huge crowd with him and set up a live-stream?
He was trying to thoroughly embarrass the Andersons!
How was this a reconciliatory live-stream? They were obviously trying to force them to give in again!
Mrs. Anderson mmed her walking stick against the floor a few times in anger. It was at this point that Nora came downstairs from the upper floor. She yawned and saidzily, "Don¡¯t be angry, Grandma."
Chapter 161: DNA Paternity Test!!
Chapter 161: DNA Paternity Test!!
Mrs. Anderson¡¯s irritation calmed down when she saw how calm and collected Nora was.
She asked, "Do you have a way of dealing with them, Nora?"
Nora nodded. She sat calmly beside her, picked up her cell phone, and checked the time.
Lily should have already received the hair samples by now and was likely doing the DNAparisons at the moment.
She sent a text message to Lily and told her to send the results immediately after they were out. After sending the message, she exited the chat app and opened Roxanne¡¯s live-stream.
The corners of her lips curled upward at once and she started to read thements in the live-stream with relish.
Sheughed as she read. It was as if she wasn¡¯t the one being called shameless, materialistic, and a leech.
Mrs. Anderson, "?"
The elderlydy watched the girl sitting in front of her. She was ridiculously calm and collected as if she didn¡¯t take the hurtful words on the Inte seriously at all!
Or perhaps it was because that family had hurt her so much since she was a child that she didn¡¯t care anymore?
While Mrs. Anderson was thinking about it, she suddenly heard Nora¡¯s cell phone ring¡ªLily had called.
"Anti, the DNA test results are out! The results are pretty surprising!"
Surprising?
Could it be that she was Henry¡¯s daughter while Ang wasn¡¯t?
Nora raised her eyebrows. Lily said, "I¡¯ve emailed you the results."
"Okay."
Nora opened her email inbox after she hung up.
She raised her brows when she saw the two DNA paternity test reports.
Tsk.
They were in for a good showter!
She waved her phone at Mrs. Anderson and said leisurely, "I¡¯ll go over for a sec, Grandma."
Afraid that she would be attacked, Mrs. Anderson also got up shakily with her walking stick as support and followed behind Nora.
As soon as the two of them went out, they saw Henry and Wendy holding each other¡¯s hands like a pair of star-crossed lovers. There were tears in their eyes.
Wendy said, "Back then, Nora¡¯s mother never mentioned anything about your family, so we didn¡¯t know. After she died, Nora needed someone to take care of her. That¡¯s why I married Henry..."
Henry, who had a look of resignation on his face, looked at Wendy and said to Simon, "Simon, I know all of you are treating me this way because you¡¯re unhappy that I remarried, but a man like me really can¡¯t take care of a baby well by himself... Especially when Nora is so frail and sickly. We still remember that one time when Nora fell ill. Late at night, I piggybacked her and walked for so long in the rain before I finally managed to stop a car and take her to the hospital. Wendy also put aside her own child and went to the hospital. In the end, my second daughter was so hungry at home that she tried to cook something to eat and ended up scalding her thigh..."
Wendy started to cry again. "Yes, I felt especially sad and guilty at that time that I cried for a really long while."
Nora paused in her footsteps.
She let out an icy scoff. Henry¡¯s lies simply came so easily. He had gotten the protagonists the other way round, though?
Back then, it was obviously that family of three who went out on a holiday trip and locked her up at home. Although she was only five at that time, she had already be very calm and steady.
When she went to the kitchen to cook some noodles, as the pot was too heavy, her grip was too unsteady and she had dropped it on the floor. She had scalded herself all over that time, and there was still a scar on her inner thigh even now.
That couple sure had a rapport. Would they still be so loving once they knew the DNA test results, though?
She curled her lips and walked out the door.
Roxanne spotted her the instant she came out. She shoved the microphone in her face and said, "Ms. Smith? Are you Ms. Smith? Did you just wake up? Do you have anything to say to your father and stepmother?"
"..."
In the study on the second floor of the Andersons¡¯ vi.
Pete leaned against the window and looked at themotion downstairs anxiously.
They were bullying Mommy! It was a shame that he couldn¡¯t reveal his face. How he wished he could go downstairs and kick that couple right on their faces!
For the very first time, Pete wished avidly that he could grow up. Once he grew up, he would be able to protect the people he wanted to protect.
He took a video of themotion downstairs and sent it to Cherry.
In the Hunts¡¯ family home.
Cherry, who was ying with her Barbies with Justin, heard her cell phone beep. When she picked it up and took a look, she immediately became furious.
After bullying her elder brother, that grandpa of hers was now bullying Mommy! He was too much!
The little girl went to the bedroom with her cell phone and sent Pete a voice message: "That¡¯s the grandpa who threw you away, Pete! Open the window and pour a cup of hot water on him! Pour it all over his face!"
Pete, "??"
At the door, Justin, who was constantly paying attention to her, frowned upon hearing what she said.
He sent a text message to Lawrence and told him to check what was happening to Nora.
Soon, Lawrence sent him the link to a live-stream.
Justin tapped on the link and entered the live-stream. When he saw the contents, he flew into a rage and ordered, "Investigate this! Find out how that live-stream became so popr! Who paid to make it trend?!"
Lawrence replied, "Yes, sir!"
¡ª
At the same time in the hospital.
Ian had already regained consciousness. However, for safety purposes, the doctor had rmended that he be hospitalized, so he had been staying in the VIP ward all this time.
There were a few pillows behind Ian. He leaned against themfortably as he held his cell phone and waited quietly for Cherry¡¯s live-stream in the evening.
As he had slept too much while he was in aa, he couldn¡¯t get to sleep at the moment and was very bored.
As Cherry hadn¡¯t started any live-streams, he kept opening the live-streaming app. In the end, he randomly entered a live-streamer¡¯s outdoors live-stream, intending to watch it casually.
There were already more than a million viewers watching the hottest live-stream at the moment.
As soon as he entered the live-stream, he saw Simon and Melissa. Ian¡¯s grip on the phone instantly tightened.
Ever since Yvette had abandoned him, he had never met any of the Andersons again.
Simon looked a lot older after so many years. He was no longer the ignorant boy who had run rampant and only knew how to hide behind his eldest sister.
Ian looked at thements while thinking about it.
There were constantly new viewers entering the live-stream and asking in thements what was happening. Some kind viewers helped to exin the situation, so Ian quickly understood what was happening.
As it turned out, Yvette¡¯s husband had gone over to take his daughter back?
Ian was an astute and farsighted man who understood human nature very well. Through thements, he had already understood the ins and outs of what was happening a long time ago.
His jaw tensed when he saw Henry.
So, he was the man whom Yvette had married in the end?
He really wasn¡¯t very impressive at all!
For the sake of money, he had actuallye all the way to his daughter¡¯s doorstep and was driving her into a corner like this... If Yvette knew, she would turn in her grave!
The light in Ian¡¯s eyes dimmed when he thought of that.
He felt a sharp pain in his heart again.
If... If he had a daughter with Yvette, he would definitely love and cherish her more than life itself, and would never allow anyone to hurt her...
Chapter 162: She Looks Almost Exactly The Same As Yvette!
Chapter 162: She Looks Almost Exactly The Same As Yvette!
Ian lowered his gaze and looked at thements again.
When he was young, Yvette¡¯s betrayal had caused his entire world to copse. Later, when Yvette gave birth, he had decided not to ever meet her again for the rest of his life.
He had ignored and paid the matter no heed even when he heard that the Andersons had brought her daughter back home.
He didn¡¯t expect to actually see in the live-stream the person whom he had been deliberately avoiding.
He was originally nning to just exit the live-stream after taking a look, but he could no longer do so anymore.
Someone was bullying Yvette¡¯s daughter. How could he just sit back and ignore it?
His brows drew together tightly.
¡ª
At the entrance to the Andersons¡¯ vi.
Roxanne and the cameraman were staring at Nora in astonishment.
When Henry was talking about his daughter, he had described her as fat,zy, and someone who got herself pregnant before marriage. Therefore, they had thought that Ms. Smith must be either a hideous fatty or someone who looked mean and vicious. Unexpectedly, she was instead such a clean-looking young woman.
The girl was tall and slender. Her almond-shaped eyes originally should have made her look docile and well-behaved, but on her, they instead made her look a little cold and distant.
For a while, the cameraman neglected to shift the camera to her.
As soon as Roxanne spoke, arge number of negativements bombarded the live-stream.
¡¯The woman in question has finally appeared? Quick, show us what she looks like!¡¯
¡¯I¡¯m curious, too! What exactly does the woman who abandoned her father look like?¡¯
¡¯She must be really ugly!¡¯
¡¯I can already imagine how she looks¡ªmessy hair, dark circles, and weird clothes! Although you can¡¯t judge a book by its cover, sometimes the inside is so bad that their appearance can¡¯t get any much better!¡¯
...
Amid the crowd¡¯s persecuting voices, the cameraman finally seemed to realize something, and he raised the camera and aimed it right at Nora¡¯s face!
The next moment, a stunning little face, even more beautiful than a celebrity¡¯s, appeared in front of over a million viewers watching the live-stream!
For a while, thements quietened somewhat.
Everyone let out sighs of admiration:
¡¯Has a goddess herself descended into the mortal realm?¡¯
¡¯What the f*ck? Isn¡¯t her makeup-less face too gorgeous? Herplexion must be fake, right? If it weren¡¯t because the skin condition of the person standing next to her is so obvious, I would really have suspected that she has turned on a max-level filter!¡¯
¡¯Is that Ms. Smith? Oh my god! If I had a daughter like her, I would definitely spoil her to bits!¡¯
¡¯Aaaaahhh, I¡¯ve been conquered by the little missy¡¯s looks!¡¯
Amid the sighs of admiration were also maliciousments:
¡¯What¡¯s the use of being so pretty? She¡¯s still a callous and heartless person despite her beauty!¡¯
¡¯Exactly! Can you live on just looks? No, you can¡¯t!¡¯
¡¯How can that little missy be so vicious? How can she fall out with her father just because he didn¡¯t allow her to give birth to a ruffian¡¯s kid... Besides, she¡¯s so good-looking. Why can¡¯t she just find some kind of job? Any would do! Why must she leech off her parents and refuse to work?¡¯
...
In the hospital, Ian was shocked into a daze.
He stared at the screen in astonishment, at the clear and vivid visage that he could hardly remember even in his dreams...
In the past, he had heard people say that time could heal all wounds.
He hadn¡¯t believed it at that time.
Butter, he did.
After a separation of more than twenty years, he really had nearly already forgotten how Yvette looked.
However, in this instant, that young woman was as if Yvette hade back to life. He felt as if he had been brought back twenty years in time, and was looking at how she had looked back when they had gone their separate ways!
Even the strong and tenacious spirit she carried was somewhat simr to the one that Yvette had. It was just that hers felt colder as if she didn¡¯t possess any emotions, whereas Yvette¡¯s felt mostly bold and sassy.
Ian stared at the video avidly. He didn¡¯t even dare to blink, lest the person in front of him disappeared while he wasn¡¯t paying attention.
As expected, her daughter... really looked like her!
There was no hint of that man at all...
For some reason, Ian actually suddenly felt a littleforted.
At the Andersons.
Nora wasn¡¯t aware of the changes in thements. She was currently looking at Roxanne.
Seemingly because she saw that she wasn¡¯t saying anything, Roxanne asked again, "Ms. Smith, you look very cultured and well-educated. Now that things have reached this point, do you really have nothing you¡¯d like to say to your father and stepmother?"
Nora raised her eyebrows. The next moment, the audience watched as she replied detachedly, "I do have one thing I want to say."
Roxanne breathed a sigh of relief. She said, "I just knew you¡¯d still have feelings for your parents. After all, one mustn¡¯t just ignore their parents¡¯ kindness for bringing them up. May I know what you¡¯d like to say to your father?"
Nora¡¯s lips curled into a smile as she said, "Stay the hell away from me."
"..."
The six words made Roxanne choke, and the ranting and raving in thements worsened even further.
Roxanne¡¯s lip corners spasmed as she said, "There¡¯s no greater kindness than the love and care that one receives from their parents when they¡¯re growing up, Ms. Smith. You also have a child yourself. Do you also want your child to abandon you when you¡¯re old?"
Nora thought about it carefully. Then, she answered, "They can do whatever they want."
Roxanne, "?"
Nora seemed half-amused. She hadn¡¯t washed up yet, and she looked a little dopey from having just woken up. Her hair was also a little messy. She didn¡¯t look sufficiently exquisite, but it made her give off even more of a careless and sloppy feeling. She added unhurriedly, "I¡¯m not relying on them to provide for me in old age."
Upstairs, Pete, "..."
Far away in the Hunts¡¯ family home, Cherry, "..."
Sob! They had been rejected by Mommy!
Roxanne frowned and said, "It¡¯s not about the money. It¡¯s about spiritualpanionship!"
Nora, "?"
She looked at Henry and Wendy. "Oh? So, what you¡¯recking is just your spiritual needs?"
Henry hurriedly said, "Of course... but the children are still young, so they should try and strive for sess now. I can¡¯t always take up the children¡¯s time, either. Also, your stepmother and I are getting old, so we aren¡¯t in good health anymore. We¡¯re thinking of having health checkups done, but you and your sister have used up all the money."
Noraughed. "In the end, aren¡¯t you still just demanding money anyway?"
Henry immediately retorted, "This isn¡¯t a demand for money! This is something you should be giving me in the first ce!"
Practically right after he said that, they heard activity at the entrance again. A momentter, a few policemen walked in. The policeman at the forefront wore a police uniform. His posture was straight, and he looked tough and handsome. His eyes were as sharp as an eagle¡¯s. He fixed his gaze on Nora when he entered, his eyes full of scrutiny. Then, he asked unhurriedly, "Did someone make a police report?"
"Yes! I did!" Melissa said as she stepped forward. She pointed at Roxanne and Henry, and said, "These people are trespassing on private property without consent. Please drive them out, sir!"
The policeman leading the team took a look at the situation. After it seemed like he had understood what was going on, he said, "Please leave! If not, we will have to make use of the police¡¯s authority!"
Roxanne¡¯s brows knitted together¡ªshe hadn¡¯t expected the Andersons to take such an aggressive approach. She looked at Henry and suggested, "Why don¡¯t wee again next time instead...?"
Henry, however, knew that if it would probably still go nowhere the next time if he didn¡¯t settle it once and for all today. Thus, he immediately shouted, "Sir, I¡¯d like to make a police report, too! That unfilial daughter of mine refuses to provide for the two of us!"
Chapter 163: Might She Be His Daughter?
Chapter 163: Might She Be His Daughter?
The police were taken aback when they heard him. They asked, "Who exactly was the one who called the police just now?"
Before Melissa could speak, Wendy started to cry. She said, "Now that you¡¯re here, sir, you have to help us! Henry and I are her parents, but she refuses to acknowledge us! The Andersons have robbed us of our daughter!"
The police frowned and looked at the Andersons again. They asked, "What¡¯s going on?"
Nora, however, didn¡¯t answer them.
She was staring at the policeman heading the team. Dressed in a police uniform, his posture was tall and straight like an upright spear.
Nora felt that he was no ordinary person.
Although the policemen behind him also conducted themselves very professionally, they felt a lot moreid-backpared to him. The difference was like that of soldiers who had gone through life and death on the battlefield, and soldiers who had been kept in privileged conditions.
The policeman heading the team had a tight jaw and looked exceptionally resolute and determined.
The people behind him followed his lead. Someone said, "Captain Ford, I think these are family affairs. A bit of persuasion should suffice..."
Before he could finish, however, the man addressed as Captain Ford broke into a frown, causing the other policeman to immediately shut up in fright.
At the sight of this, Henry immediately shouted, "Sir, aren¡¯t children required byw to provide for their elderly parents?!"
Ford pressed his lips together tightly. He spoke very little, but he nevertheless answered calmly, "No, they are not. However, it should be a child¡¯s moral responsibility to take care of their parents when they grow old."
Henry stumbled upon his reply but nevertheless went on. "In that case, am I not allowed to have even the tiniest expectations from the child I have raised with so many hardships?!"
Ford looked at Nora again. He lowered his gaze and answered, "Yes, you are."
Henry pointed at Nora and said, "She¡¯s my daughter, but she refuses to acknowledge us. What should we do about this, sir?!"
Ford¡¯s lips were pressed tightly together and his tough visage was full of morality. He didn¡¯t just listen to his one-sided ims and instead looked at Nora. "What do you have to say?"
Nora couldn¡¯t help but find the so-called ¡¯Captain Ford¡¯ a little strange.
She lowered her gaze dispassionately and replied unhurriedly, "It is only right for children to provide for their parents!"
Henry breathed a sigh of relief when she said that.
From the look of it, she must have finally be scared when she saw the police, right?
Henry let out a contemptuousugh inwardly.
Wendy also breathed a sigh of relief. This was New York, after all; they had no contacts here. To be honest, she was also afraid that the Andersons would use their power to bully them. Thus, she smiled and said, "It¡¯s for the best that you see it like that, Nora."
Roxanne also breathed a sigh of relief. She said, "In that case, why don¡¯t we have a seat and talk about how Ms. Smith, as their daughter, should provide for her parents? Let¡¯s make everything clear today, so that things can be done more conveniently after that."
Melissa and Simon didn¡¯t expect Nora to suddenly give in.
They exchanged a look. However, they felt that since this was Nora¡¯s choice, they should respect her decision. After all, when it came to things like family ties, other than people actually involved, no one would ever be able to really know for sure how they felt.
Henry was still Nora¡¯s father, after all. If she truly couldn¡¯t let go of their blood ties, then it couldn¡¯t be helped.
Everyone had different ways of thinking. Even though they didn¡¯t agree with Nora¡¯s decision, they couldn¡¯t make the decision on her behalf, either. After thinking through it, Melissa simply said, "If that¡¯s the case, then let¡¯s talk about it inside."
Since even Nora had given in, then they must also change their attitude ordingly.
Henry and Wendy exchanged a look. Then, they started to walk toward the door. When they reached the door, they couldn¡¯t help but look at Melissa and say, "If you¡¯d known this wasing, why bother being so aggressive and driving us away?"
The couple¡¯s eyes were full of triumph.
However, Nora blocked them at the door the next moment. The corners of her lips curled upward and she said, "The two of you can¡¯t go inside."
Henry and Wendy, "?"
Even Roxanne was dumbfounded. she asked, "What is the meaning of this, Ms. Smith? Didn¡¯t you just say that it¡¯s only right that children provide for their parents? Are you going back on your word so quickly?"
Nora cast her eyes down. She replied, "Children should indeed provide for their parents. However, why should I provide for someone who has no blood ties with me whatsoever?"
As soon as she said that, Henry¡¯s eyes abruptly widened in shock.
Wendy was also stunned. She, who obviously didn¡¯t know about this, looked at Henry incredulously. "What is Nora talking about, Henry?"
Henry swallowed. He said, "Y-you no-good daughter! How could you tell such a lie just to escape responsibilities?!"
Nora kept her gaze down. She didn¡¯t waste her breath on him any further. Instead, she opened the electronic DNA test report file on her cell phone and held it up in Henry¡¯s face!
Henry: "!!"
He stared at the report in shock. Suddenly, he thought back to the sharp pain he had felt on his scalp when he was leaving the Andersons the previous night... Could it be that...
How could it be, though?!
Why would she have doubts about it?! Yet if she hadn¡¯t, was there any normal person who would have a DNA test done?
He absolutely mustn¡¯t admit to it, though.
He hastily yelled, "The report is fake! It¡¯s definitely fake!"
Fake?
Nora¡¯s lips curled into a smile, and she ignored him. Instead, she looked at Roxanne and said, "Roxanne, you¡¯re a reporter, so you must be very knowledgeable. You should know of this DNA testingb, right?"
Z&S was the most well-known DNA testingb abroad. Its qualifications were beyond doubt because it was Anti¡¯s property!
Roxanne looked at Henry immediately when she saw theb¡¯s logo.
¡ª
In the hospital.
Ian had been watching the live-stream closely the whole time.
When the girl said ¡¯It is only right for children to provide for their parents!¡¯, he couldn¡¯t help but curl his lip with distaste.
In the end, she was just a daughter that Yvette had with someone else. Even though she looked like her, she wasn¡¯t her. She ultimately still had her father¡¯s cowardly nature in her and had actuallypromised at a time like this.
Ian broke into a frown and decided to exit the live-stream.
However, it was at this moment that Nora said ¡¯Why should I provide for someone who has no blood ties with me whatsoever?¡¯. Thinking that this was Nora¡¯s way of dodging the topic, he even admired her cleverness.
After all, by saying that, the focus of the incident would change from a daughter refusing to provide for her elderly parents, to whether she really was their daughter or not.
Like Yvette, she was very sly and crafty.
Ian lowered his gaze. The thought had only just formed in his mind when Nora brandished a DNA test report!
The cameraman aimed the camera right at the cell phone, allowing everyone to see the screen clearly!
Nora Smith... indeed wasn¡¯t Henry¡¯s daughter!
Ian suddenly sat up straight. His eyes looked as if they were glowing in this instant as he stared hard at the live-stream on his cell phone!
If... If she wasn¡¯t Henry¡¯s daughter...
Then who did Yvette have her with?!
Could she be...
Ian suddenly flipped open the quilt covering him and made a move to get out of bed. However, the nurse outside the door rushed in and pressed his shoulders down. "What are you doing, Mr. Smith?"
Ian was so agitated that his eyes were turning red and moist.
He said, "Joel! Get Joel!"
The nurse immediately nodded. "Okay, we¡¯ll look for him right away. Can you lie back down first, please?"
Iany back down.
He stared at the ceiling. There was only one thought in his mind at the moment:
Might she be his daughter?!
Chapter 164: The Kindness of Giving Birth To Her?
Chapter 164: The Kindness of Giving Birth To Her?
Thements in the live-stream had already gone nuts:
¡¯Oh my god! I actually just saw a plot twist online! She isn¡¯t his biological daughter! My goodness!¡¯
¡¯No wonder she isn¡¯t close to her father! As it turned out, she isn¡¯t his biological daughter! It¡¯s no wonder, then!¡¯
¡¯That¡¯s too biased an opinion. The way I see it, the kindness one shows by raising a child outweighs that of giving birth to the child. Just because she isn¡¯t his biological child, does that mean she can just forget how painstakingly he had raised her?¡¯
¡¯I agree. If you can be a total ingrate just because you aren¡¯t your parents¡¯ biological child, then what kind of position do you put the families in who so kindly adopt children in the orphanage?¡¯
¡¯I am an adopted child myself. My biological parents abandoned me at birth, but my adoptive parents treated me very well. Our rtionship now is no different from that of blood-rted parents and children. Does it matter whether we are blood-rted or not?¡¯
...
At the Andersons.
Roxanne, who was astounded by the turn of events, was actually feeling a little embarrassed. She hade here solely to hype it up for her live-stream, as well as to persuade them to reconcile.
She hadn¡¯t expected such twists and turns at all.
She couldn¡¯t help but secretly me and resent Henry for not telling her the truth. Besides, from the way he was reacting, he obviously knew about it. He just didn¡¯t want to admit to it, that was all.
She frowned and nced at thements in the live-stream. Then, the quick-witted reporter said, "There¡¯s no greater kindness than the love and care that one receives from their parents when they¡¯re growing up, Ms. Smith. A DNA test report doesn¡¯t exin anything. Since you grew up in the Smiths, then that makes them your parents. Do you really want to sever ties with your parents who had so painstakingly brought you up?"
The moment she said that, Wendy reacted very quickly. She took out a handkerchief from who-knows-where and held it over her eyes as she cried. She said, "I see. Did you distance yourself from us because of that? But think about it¡ªwhen have we ever treated you badly during all these years?"
Henry¡¯s expression had also darkened.
Having a fact like this exposed put him in an embarrassing situation. However, now that things hade to this, it wasn¡¯t just a matter of whether it was embarrassing or not anymore.
He clenched his jaw and said, "Yes, you are indeed not my biological daughter, but on ount of my rtionship with your mother, I¡¯ve treated you like my own all these years. I worked so hard to make money so that I could provide for you. Are you going to just negate our kindness in bringing you up just because you¡¯re not my biological daughter?"
Roxanne heaved a sigh and said, "They¡¯re your parents, Ms. Smith. It¡¯s all thanks to them that you¡¯ve grown from a helpless baby to the beautiful young woman you are now. As far as I know, you were home until you were at least 19 years old. You..."
The trio joined forces to denounce her.
Nora cast her eyes down.
She didn¡¯t like exposing her affairs to others, and letting them know that she had never been loved since she was a child; or that she had always hidden herself in a pitch-dark room since she was a child; or that when she was still a child without any means of retaliation, she could only eat food that had gone bad and drink cold water.
She disliked even more letting others know how miserable her life had been when she was a child.
Someone as strong and powerful as she had never needed anyone¡¯s sympathy.
Besides, she wasn¡¯t eloquent enough to talk about those things.
However, it wasn¡¯t her style to allow those three people to twist and distort the truth, either.
Nora lowered her head, held up her cell phone, and tapped a few times on it with her long and slender fingers.
As a result, all the viewers in the live-stream could see was the sight of herpletely ignoring the three people¡¯s words and ying with her cell phone with her head down, which made her look very rude.
The negativements in the live-stream became even worse.
¡¯That little missy is really pretty, but why doesn¡¯t she know how to conduct herself properly?¡¯
¡¯No matter what, your parents did raise you into an adult. You can¡¯t just do that!¡¯
¡¯Those are the Andersons. Looks like I really can¡¯t patronize Harmonia Pharmacy¡¯s medicines anymore. How can their medicines be any good when the people making them are so heartless?¡¯
¡¯I heard that her aunt¡ªthat is, Mrs. Anderson over there¡ªisn¡¯t any decent human being, either.¡¯
...
All sorts of verbal abuse bombarded thements in the live-stream.
Melissa was livid. She said, "Why don¡¯t you ask yourselves whether or not you really treated Nora well?! If you had, why would you stop her from ever going to school?!"
Wendy let out a sigh. "That¡¯s because she has in poor health. We¡¯ve spent a lot on her over the years because of her health! In fact, we used to have quite a lot of ie, but because of her condition, we¡¯ve depleted all our savings... I know you must think that we¡¯re doing this for money, and to tell the truth, we are indeed doing this for money; but that¡¯s because we¡¯ve been driven into a corner and are at our wits¡¯ end!"
Wendy held her hand over her eyes and wept as she said, "Even though our elder daughter has spent all our savings, by right, since the money was for her medical fees, it shouldn¡¯t matter. Our younger daughter is now in graduate school and isn¡¯t working, the family is out of money. At this point, our elder daughter is found by her wealthy rtives. I heard that Nora¡¯s mother owns some of the Andersons¡¯pany¡¯s shares, so she¡¯s very rich now... We¡¯re not asking for riches and honor; we¡¯re just hoping that she can take out some money¡ªeven just a few thousand dors would do¡ªto help the family out. I have my own selfish motives too! I really feel so terrible seeing my younger daughter live from hand to mouth! Nora, as an elder sister, can¡¯t you even spare your sister a bit of what you have when you¡¯re doing well? Your father and I are old, so we can do without it. We¡¯re willing to even live off scraps! But your younger sister is such an outstanding girl..."
Her acting could really make anyone listening to her weep in sadness.
Melissa had always been a very eloquent woman, but even she was astounded by Wendy¡¯s shamelessness.
Simon took an even more straightforward approach. To him, if spending a small amount of money could resolve the issue, then he would just do it and have them drop the issue altogether. He wouldn¡¯t hold it against them anymore, either. Thus, he asked, "How much are you nning to ask Nora for?"
His question made Wendy¡¯s eyes light up. She replied, "How about this? Not only is Nora rich now, but we also only sent her to the doctorsst time because she was supposedly Henry¡¯s biological daughter. In that case, we¡¯ll have her return us all the money we spent on her medical treatment during all these years. If she doesn¡¯t want to be involved with us in the future, we won¡¯te anymore, either. We¡¯re not asking for too much, right?"
The live-stream was filled withments such as:
¡¯Their request isn¡¯t too much at all!¡¯
¡¯Exactly. I don¡¯t find Ms. Smith a good person, either. In that case, they might as well have her pay them a lump sum and cut her off after that!¡¯
¡¯Since she wants to cut them off so much, they should properly settle all the ounts from the past. Why stick to just medical expenses? They should also include everything else like living expenses and so on!¡¯
...
While suchments were being passed in the live-stream, Nora finally raised her icy-cold eyes and spoke. She said, "Sure. In that case, let¡¯s settle the ounts properly. Let¡¯s take the meals I ate ever since I was a child as five dors each. That makes fifteen dors a day. In total, that¡¯s¡ª"
Wendy smiled and interrupted her. She said, "Is there a need to go into such detail, Nora? All of this happened twenty years ago. Who would remember them that clearly? Why don¡¯t we do this instead? Let¡¯s just calcte the few big expenses instead. The first is your medical expenses. Next, during those few years you were abroad..."
Henry nodded and said, "Yes, that¡¯s right. We¡¯ll forget about the daily food expenses and so on. I¡¯ll just take it that I was feeding a dog. Let¡¯s just calcte the few big expenses instead..."
"No, that won¡¯t do." Nora stood tall and straight, and a sharp glint shed in her drowsy-looking eyes in this instant. Her lips curled upward into a smile and she said unhurriedly in a low voice, "I¡¯ve always been one who distinguishes clearly between gratitude and grudges, so I mustn¡¯t leave out even a single cent. I have a detailed breakdown of your bank records here..."
Chapter 165: The Truth!
Chapter 165: The Truth!
His bank records?
Henry was stunned.
So was Wendy.
The next moment, Henry sneered, "Do you think you¡¯re a bank teller? How would you possibly have our bank records?"
Nora, however, ignored them and looked at Melissa instead. She said, "Aunt Melissa, the printer at home has already printed them out. Please get someone to retrieve them."
The printer?
She hadn¡¯t noticed Nora going to theputer and doing anything, though~
However, she kept quiet about it and went upstairs with the nanny instead. Within a minute, the two of them came back down with a stack of papers.
Nora took out a few sheets from the stack and passed them to Roxanne. She said, "These are the family¡¯s ie details."
Roxanne was taken aback, but she still took the papers from Nora.
Printed on them were details of ie that their bank ounts had received over the years.
Every month, Idealian Pharmaceuticals would transfer a sum of money into one of the bank ounts. They amounted to roughly five million dors a year. This had gone on for 25 years without any interruption at all.
Most importantly, it was the only source of ie for all bank cards under the Smiths!
Roxanne was stunned. "What does this mean?"
Nora¡¯s lips curled into a smile as she answered, "Idealian Pharmaceuticals is apany under my mother¡¯s name before she got married."
A furious Henry retorted, "It became our joint property after we got married!"
Roxanne was dumbfounded. She said, "In other words, your entire family¡¯s iees from thepany that your mother left behind? In that case, what positions do the two of you hold in thepany, Mr. and Mrs. Smith?"
The whole family¡¯s ie came from Nora¡¯s mother¡¯spany.
Therefore, Roxanne had subconsciously assumed that the two of them worked in thepany.
But unexpectedly, Henry and Wendy¡¯s expressions changed as soon as she uttered the question, and both of them became rather embarrassed.
Nora¡¯s lips curled into a smile as she said, "Oh, them? ... They don¡¯t hold any positions in there because my mother has handed thepany over to a professional manager to handle its affairs."
Roxanne, "?"
Nora looked at Henry and Wendy, and asked, "The two of you im that you worked really hard to make money to provide for me, right? May I ask how much, if any, did the two of you make during all these years?"
Her words made Henry flush.
Wendy hemmed and hawed, unable to say anything.
Henry, however, became angry and said, "I told you, those dividends are our joint property after your mother and I got married, so that makes them mine!"
"Tsk."
Nora smiled and said, "If I recall correctly, my mother left thepany to me. Before Ie of age, thepany was to be managed by a manager, and the dividends entrusted to my guardian¡ªin other words, you. Thepany is mine now, though."
These were all agreed on beforehand. The manager had already shown her the prenuptial agreement a long time ago.
Even though Nora still looked half-asleep, her argument was reasonable and well-founded. She looked straight at Roxanne and said, "Therefore, their im that they worked hard to make money ispletely invalid!"
The viewers in the live-stream were also dumbfounded.
¡¯Damn. So, after all this time, it turns out that they have been living off Ms. Smith¡¯s mother all these years?¡¯
¡¯What is this? Did he marry into his ex-wife¡¯s family instead of the other way round?¡¯
¡¯So, after so many years of spending money meant to provide for Ms. Smith, Mr. Smith, a man who sponged off his ex-wife, has found his way over because he doesn¡¯t have any more money to spend?¡¯
¡¯What is it like to count money at home every day without going to work for more than twenty years? That¡¯s an annual ie of over five million dors and a monthly ie of $40,000 to $50,000! Oh my god! How do you even spend that much money?¡¯
¡¯This plot twist is seriously making me lost for words!¡¯
...
Back at the Andersons¡¯, Henry clenched his jaw.
Wendy straightened her neck stiffly and said, "Even so, we did bring you up! The dividends were all spent on you! Money and whatnot aren¡¯t what matters; what matters the most when a child is growing up ispanionship! It¡¯s the fact that we gave you a home!"
A home?
For Nora, that word was a ludicrous mockery in itself.
She scoffed and handed another thick stack of bills detailing the Smiths¡¯ expenditures to Roxanne. She said, "You can check the bills and see for yourselves just how much of the money was spent on me."
Henry swallowed.
Wendy couldn¡¯t help but smile hastily and say, "How can anyone possibly remember every single expense that took ce over a period of more than twenty years, Nora? No matter what, we¡¯re still a family!"
Nora ignored her. She merely looked at Roxanne and asked, "Can you do ounting?"
Roxanne replied, "... Yes, I can."
For some inexplicable reason, she was now at a disadvantage.
She was obviously a reporter who came to mitigate a family dispute. Why had she suddenly be someone¡¯s assistant instead?
Before one even realized, that woman had already taken control of the situation.
The corners of her lips spasmed as she took out the bills and started going through them.
It would probably take a really long time if she were to really calcte the expenses like that. Thus, Nora kindly said, "Just now, they imed that they spent all their savings on my medical expenses. Why don¡¯t you calcte how much they¡¯ve spent on that?"
People were required to register with their actual names when they went to the doctors.
If they brought her to the doctors, there would definitely be records of it.
Roxanne nodded and started to look through the bills starting from 25 years ago. At the same time, she also got the cameraman to take out his cell phone and calcte the numbers.
After going through a few pages of the Smiths¡¯ expenditure records, she was stunned. It wasn¡¯t until it reached the point where Nora was five that she finally found a medical record from a hospital. She said, "... 30 dors."
The cameraman, "?"
Nora cast her eyes down.
That one was because she was too hungry, so she had eaten expired food and ended up suffering from food poisoning.
Henry ultimately couldn¡¯t let her die. After all, if she were to die before she came of age, then the family¡¯s dividends would be cut off.
Yet, he couldn¡¯t bear to send her to a hospital, so he had sent her to a clinic for an IV drip instead, which had saved her life.
While looking through their expenses in the bills, Roxanne also saw expenses amounting torge sums of money. They were either for expensive handbags and jewelry¡ªMs. Smith was only a few years old at that time, so they couldn¡¯t have been bought for her¡ªor for stocks or other kinds of investment, which, needless to say, had all ended in losses.
The family¡¯s food expenses were indistinguishable because they were all mixed together.
Anotherrge expense was school fees for an international school, which required almost a hundred thousand dors in tuition fees every year. However, everyone knew that Ms. Smith didn¡¯t attend school due to poor health, so it went without saying who the tuition fees were for!
The more she saw, the more shocked Roxanne became. At the same time, she also couldn¡¯t help but secretly call Henry a shameless man.
Nora cast her eyes down.
To be honest, there was no way of telling from the bills who the children¡¯s food and clothes were bought for, but she couldn¡¯t be bothered to exin, either.
The clothes were all Ang¡¯s. She was fat back then, so she had worn pajamas instead, and even so, the pajamas were things that Ang had rejected...
However, one could also say that the things that she had experienced in her childhood were a kind of training for her.
Through the camera, Roxanne¡¯s changes in her facial expression and her embarrassment reached everyone who was watching the live-stream. Although she hadn¡¯t said a word, everyone was great at filling in the nks, so they immediately understood something¡ª
Henry and his family must have mistreated their elder daughter!
Wasn¡¯t this a ssic example of a man marrying into his wife¡¯s family and sponging off her, and then hogging her assets after he sessfully waited until she died?!
The general opinion of thements in the live-stream changed, and they began to attack Henry.
Henry himself also realized something. He immediately removed all his pretenses, stared at Nora, and yelled furiously, "Do you know why I didn¡¯t treat you well? It¡¯s because your mother cheated me into a wedding scam! She got herself pregnant before marriage and lied to me!"
Chapter 166: Public Opinion!
Chapter 166: Public Opinion!
An agitated Henry looked extremely furious. He said, "I only realized that the child wasn¡¯t mine after we were married! You¡¯re just like your mother! Like what they say, a crooked stick will have a crooked shadow! You¡¯re both cheap women who got themselves pregnant before marriage!"
Nora¡¯s eyes abruptly widened.
She clenched her fists, losing control of her emotions for the first time during this incident.
She hadn¡¯t expected Henry to actually refute her using this.
Henry, however, seemed ready to risk everything as if he had nothing to lose anymore. The grown man¡¯s eyes had even reddened, and he looked as if he was finally revealing to the public a secret that he¡¯d kept hidden deep down in his heart. He spoke as if he had been forced into it.
"Do you think I wanted to marry your mother? She was good-looking, beautiful, and gentle. When she was courting me back then, how was she even anything like a dignified daughter of a wealthy family? Although she owned a pharmaceuticalpany, I, too, had a great future ahead of me at that time. I graduated from a prestigious university and also had my own career at that time!"
"She liked me, while I also felt budding feelings for her. After that, we fell in love. I thought I was weing the most blissful married life in the world, but I didn¡¯t expect all of this to change after we got married!"
"On the first day of our marriage, she told me that she was pregnant, but the child wasn¡¯t mine! I was very sad and angry at that time and wanted a divorce, but she begged me not to and simply refused to agree to it."
Henry heaved a heavy sigh. He stood with his hands behind his back, forming a sorrowful and dispirited sight.
In the hospital.
Ian, who was watching the live-stream, was so furious that he flung the cell phone away. "There¡¯s no way Yvette would beg anyone! Lies! Utter lies! He¡¯s lying through his teeth!"
Yvette was such a strong woman.
Back then, when she was leading the Andersons¡¯ pharmaceuticalpany, she had once met with a problem in her academics. Someone told her that they would help her if she yielded and asked them for help, but she instead sneered at them and put in a month of hard work to ovee the problem instead.
She had worked so hard that she even coughed up blood in the end!
She was exactly someone like that. She¡¯d rather grit her teeth, endure everything by herself, and work hard on her own than ask for help! What¡¯s more, when it came to love, she had always been the one who had the upper hand.
Ian, however, picked the cell phone up again after he flung it away, and continued to watch.
The look in his eyes was very cold.
What kind of death should he give that man, so that it would defuse his anger?
Regardless of the reason for it, Yvette had ultimately provided for that piece of trash for so many years. She wasn¡¯t even around anymore, yet he was still insulting her! He must be sick of living!
Ian clenched his fists tightly. He hated his body for being so useless in this instant. For the first time, he regretted having formed thoughts of dying.
Had his physical condition permitted, he would definitely have charged over to the Andersons¡¯ to sew that man¡¯s mouth shut!
¡ª
At the Andersons.
Henry was still airing his grievances. He said, "I really loved her. I couldn¡¯t bear to see her on her knees, so I decided to wait until she gave birth before we divorce. I won¡¯t ask for even a cent from her..."
"But humans are emotional creatures. We spent a year and a half together. She was gentle, caring, and thoughtful toward me. When she gave birth and the time for our divorce came, how could I possibly bear to part with her?"
"She knew that I would be softhearted, so she cried and told me that she was terminally ill and didn¡¯t have long to live. She wanted me to raise her daughter and even said that she had fallen out with her family, so I was her only kin left in the world.
"She was dying and was so thin as shey on the bed. I ended up relenting again."
"I really both love and hate her..."
"She also personally chose a second wife, Wendy, for me. She told her to treat me well and wanted the two of us, husband and wife, to take care of her child together.
"Later, she left the world. I missed her so badly that I fell ill. After being seriously ill for a while, I left my job. After that, I ultimately still couldn¡¯t recover from the pain of her departure."
"I really hate her. I hate her for deceiving me and betraying me by sleeping with another man. We only got married after dating for a year, yet at the time of our wedding, she was instead pregnant with another man¡¯s child..."
"But she¡¯s already dead, so what can I do?"
Henry wiped away the non-existent tears in his eyes before he looked at Nora again. He said, "Nora, I know you hate me for not showing you enough care and concern, but if you were me, would you have been able to calmly embrace the illegitimate child that she had had with someone else?!"
Wendy cooperated with him very well. She said, "After spending so many years in low spirits, your father has long since be out of touch with the times. Before your mother died, she said that thepany was her way ofpensating him. That¡¯s why we were unemployed."
Thepany was her way ofpensating him?
Nora lowered her gaze and let out an icyugh.
Henry red at Nora again. "And you, too. It¡¯s because your mother was afraid that you would also pick up the wrong thing like her that she didn¡¯t allow you to go to school. That was what she said before she died. Sure enough, you turned out to be as loose a woman like her. Once again, you got yourself pregnant before marriage, and thoroughly embarrassed the Smiths! Your mother had let me down, and so did you! It¡¯s all your mother¡¯s fault that I¡¯m in this state today! You should take responsibility for the consequences that you and your mother caused!"
Nora narrowed her eyes.
Although she didn¡¯t really have much of an impression of that mother of hers who only existed in legends, her gentle but firm voice had kept herpany for countless days and nights when she was a child.
She wasn¡¯t going to allow Henry to nder her mother like that.
She believed that just like herself, her mother definitely had her own reasons for getting pregnant before she was married!
She took a step forward and clenched her fists. Her voice was cold and crisp as she demanded angrily, "Take back your usations against my mother, Henry Smith!"
Henry took a step back and hid behind the cameraman. He said mockingly, "Are you stopping people from bringing it up because you don¡¯t have the guts to do it yourself? Besides, I wasn¡¯t nning to bring this up, either. You were the one who produced the DNA test results and brought humiliation upon yourself! Your mother is a promiscuous woman who slept around with other men while she was in a rtionship with me! She didn¡¯t even know who the child¡¯s father was. She was used goods just like you are!"
Nora suddenly took a step forward. No one saw how she managed to go around the cameraman, but she rushed up to Henry extremely quickly, grabbed him by the cor, and said, "I told you to shut up!"
The cameraman pointed the camera at them.
Henry yelled, "Look at her! Do you really dare to hit me when the police are still here?! Sir, help!"
The other policemen were about to go forward when he shouted. However, when they looked at their team leader ¡¯Captain Ford¡¯ and saw that he wasn¡¯t moving, the others stopped.
When Henry saw that no one wasing to rescue him, and the hatred in Nora¡¯s bloodshot eyes, with both new and old grudges stacking on top of one another, fury overwhelmed his rationale and he shouted, "Nora, even if you collude with the police, and even if you hit me, it¡¯ll never change the fact that your mother was unfaithful and cheated on me!"
Bam!
Nora punched him hard in the face.
In the live-stream, viewers were also attacking both mother and daughter in thements for their immoral behavior. On top of that, she was even being violent.
Public opinion once again went in Henry¡¯s favor.
However, a man¡¯s voice suddenly reached them at this point.
"That was not what happened back then."
Chapter 167: The Truth Behind What Happened Back Then!!
Chapter 167: The Truth Behind What Happened Back Then!!
The gentle and mellow voice was mixed with some light panting as if the owner of the voice had run all the way here.
Everyone looked at the gates and saw Caleb Gray walking in. Dressed in a gray suit, he gave off afortable feeling that felt just like a spring breeze.
His chest rose up and down slightly as he panted. His deep, mncholic eyes shifted to Nora after he spoke. He nodded politely and gently at her and said, "I rushed over immediately when I saw the live-stream. I almost messed things up for you."
Nora, "?"
Wasn¡¯t he her ex-fianc¨¦ Anthony Gray¡¯s uncle?
He had approached her to fulfill the marriage agreement between the Grays and her the other time. What was he doing here?
While she was wondering about it, Caleb turned to Henry. The attitude he took with him waspletely different from the one he adopted toward Nora. He even sounded a little disgusted as he said, "Do you really think that no one knows the truth about what happened back then, Mr. Smith?"
Henry, who had been punched, was holding his nose. Blood seeped from in between his fingers. When he heard what Caleb said, he frowned. "What truth are you talking about?"
Caleb replied, "The truth about your marriage to Ms. Anderson!"
Henry¡¯s eyes flickered. "What I said just now is the truth itself. What nonsense are you spouting? Are you guys nning to twist the truth? Also, who are you? How dare youe over to help that unfilial girl!"
Caleb sighed. "I¡¯m from the Grays."
The Grays?
An astounded Henry looked at him. "What?"
Nora could clearly sense that there was something going on in here. She thought of the marriage agreement, and how the Smiths were just a small family, whereas the Grays were arge and famous wealthy family in California. She thought of how the Grays had never demanded to break off the engagement even when she became pregnant before marriage...
"What exactly happened back then, Mr. Gray?" asked Nora.
Caleb replied with a sigh, "I was only three years old back then, so I didn¡¯t know the truth. It was my father who told me everything, but everything he said ispletely different from what Mr. Smith said!"
Completely different...
Henry became terribly anxious. "You¡ª"
He only managed to utter a word when Caleb looked at him, frightening him so badly that he suppressed the rest of what he had wanted to say. He was rtively unfamiliar with the wealthy families in New York, but the Grays were influential locals of California!
Besides, his daughter was currently engaged to the Grays!
He stepped forward and said, "We¡¯re inws, Mr. Gray. You¡ª"
Caleb lowered his gaze, causing his long eyshes to cast silhouettes on his cheeks. He looked at Nora and slowly said, "It is true that your mother was pregnant before she was married, but this is something that everyone knew¡ªbecause her belly was already showing when she got married."
Her belly was already showing...
Then that meant that the wedding scam didn¡¯t exist at all!
Nora narrowed her eyes. "And then?"
"Your father was just a clerk at that time. For some reason, your mother took an interest in him, so she had a frank and sincere talk with him."
Henry was still disputing his im. He said, "That didn¡¯t happen at all!"
However, Caleb took out a very old voice recorder pen and pressed the y button. A conversation between the two started to y clearly from the recorder pen.
The voice that Nora found so familiar, yet also felt foreign at the same time, was speaking calmly without any emotion. She asked, "Do you have a girlfriend, Henry?"
Henry¡¯s voice sounded a little younger than how it currently sounded. His voice shook in trepidation as he answered, "... N-no, I don¡¯t."
Yvette asked, "Are you willing to marry me, then?"
"What?"
Yvette let out a low chuckle and said, "This is a transaction. I¡¯m pregnant and my child needs a father, whereas your mother is sick and you need money for her medical expenses."
The sound of Henry swallowing hard was very obvious. He said, "Then... Then your assets..."
Yvette said, "I¡¯m sick and in very serious condition. I can probably only live for a year after I give birth. After I die, thepany will be left to my child. I¡¯ve already found a dedicated manager for thepany. As for you, you are to act as my child¡¯s guardian. The dividends you¡¯ll receive before she reaches adulthood will definitely be more than enough for you. I won¡¯t hold you back from marrying and having children, either. I want you to take good care of my child. In return, as thanks, I can transfer the vi, where I¡¯m currently living, to you."
Henry seemed to be in disbelief. He asked, "W-why did you pick me?"
However, Yvette merely chuckled and said nothing.
Henry spoke again. He asked, "A-aren¡¯t you afraid that I¡¯ll mistreat your child?"
Yvette¡¯s answer this time was very casual. She said, "It¡¯s fine as long as you make sure that she stays alive. As for the rest, you can do whatever you want."
"..."
"Oh, by the way, if she identally dies, then the vi will be taken back and thepany¡¯s dividends cut off. Do you understand what I¡¯m saying?"
"... Y-yes, I understand."
"Okay. If you¡¯re agreeable to it, then just sign this contract here. I¡¯ll give you three days to conside¡ª"
Henry¡¯s voice was tinged with excitement as he interrupted her and said, "No, it¡¯s fine! I agree!"
...
...
The whole ce was quiet.
No one had ever thought that the plot twist woulde so quickly, or that Henry would have to eat his words so quickly.
One by one, the peoplembasting Nora in thements changed their target.
¡¯What the f*ck! Isn¡¯t this too sensational? This is a story of a man, who was sponging off a woman,ing over to make trouble because he can¡¯t freeload anymore, right?¡¯
¡¯That¡¯s a vi, y¡¯know! It must be worth at least five million dors in California, right? Moreover, there are also five million dors worth of dividends every year. Her only demand is that her child stays alive...¡¯
¡¯The mother is a little cold toward her child, but she feels so cool for some reason!¡¯
¡¯Oh my god! Aren¡¯t they too shameless?! Not only are they living off her and literally living in her house, but they even mistreated her child. And now, they are even pestering her child to provide for them! There¡¯s no justice in this world anymore!¡¯
...
No one paid any attention to thements in the live-stream.
Nora¡¯s eyes were downcast at the moment. As she listened to the conversation that her mother had left behind while she was still alive¡ªand one from more than twenty years ago at that¡ªshe actually felt as if she had traveled through time and space.
As it turned out, being a mother was also hereditary.
She had inherited her irresponsibility from her mother.
It was fine as long as she was alive.
Although her words sounded cold, it was actually her mother¡¯s greatest wish for her, right?
Her mother had been sure that as long as she was alive, she would never be ordinary, and would be strong and confident. That was why she had left her a voice recording telling her to stay low-key...
While Nora was in a daze, Melissa had already recovered from her shock. She rebuked, "Henry, you¡¯re worse than an animal! How did you even have the cheek to bring people to our ce and make a scene here?!"
Simon looked even more furious. He said, "The Andersons were originally nning to let you off, Henry Smith. But judging from how things are now, this feud between us is irreconcble!"
Henry and Wendy were just like hunted rats being persecuted by everyone now.
The two of them supported each other.
Henry, who knew that he was finished, yelled furiously, "What are all of you so triumphant for, Nora? Someone like you who has inherited your mother¡¯s cold-heartedness doesn¡¯t understand what kinship is at all! Even if you be rich and powerful, you¡¯ll still be all alone unlike us! We¡¯re at least still a family of three!"
A family of three?
The corners of Nora¡¯s lips suddenly curled upward. She took a step forward and said, "Henry, after calling you my father for neen years, why don¡¯t I give you a parting gift too?"
Chapter 168: A Surprise Gift~
Chapter 168: A Surprise Gift~
A gift?
Henry narrowed his eyes. "What kind of gift is it?"
Could Nora have been stung by her conscience, so she was nning to give him some money? She had ultimately grown up with them, right? When she was still a child, she even used to look at him eagerly, hoping that he would hug her.
Henry¡¯s eyes were shining as if they were full of greed.
Nora, who didn¡¯t know what he had imagined on his own, handed him the other DNA test report that she had printed with the bank statements. She said, "I hope the gift is to your liking."
It was a document...
Could it be apany ownership transfer agreement? Had that daughter of his finally been stung by her conscience, and decided to transfer ownership of the tiny Idealian Pharmaceuticals in California to him?
With that in mind, Henry flipped open the document.
Wendy, who was standing next to Henry, also breathed a sigh of relief. They didn¡¯t have any savings, so they fully depended on the dividends to survive. After all these years, they had also be ustomed to spending extravagantly and couldn¡¯t get out of the habit right away. Theck of ie during thest couple of months had suffocated them badly.
She said with a smile, "Nora, even though we aren¡¯t rted by blood, it¡¯s still true that we¡¯ve kept each otherpany for more than twenty years. On ount of how you¡¯ve called Henry your father all these years, thank you very much for your help this time~"
After speaking, she turned back to Henry and asked, "What¡¯s that, Henry?"
Henry was already frozen in ce. He raised his head in disbelief and looked at Wendy.
When an excited Wendy asked him that question, atst, he couldn¡¯t hold himself back anymore. He suddenly reached out and grabbed her throat. He looked savage as he demanded, "Tell me, whose daughter is Ang?!"
Upon being suddenly questioned like that, Wendy was stunned. Then, as though she had just realized something, she hastily grabbed Henry¡¯s arms and said, "Let go of me first, Henry. Let go... Ang is your daughter, of course. Don¡¯t be fooled by that woman!"
Henry loosened his grip a little when he heard what she said.
Wendy pushed Henry away and took several steps back. Then, she looked at Nora menacingly and dropped all of her usual pretenses. "What did you say to Henry, Nora?"
Nora lowered her gaze and replied, "Nothing much. I just had an extra DNA test done, that¡¯s all. Of course, if the two of you doubt its authenticity, feel free to get anotherb to redo it."
Then, her lips curled into a smile and she added, "Oh, I forgot that you guys are broke. I can pay for it at no cost to you."
She spoke casually and naturally, but also with certainty.
The test was done by Lily herself, so there was no way there would be any mistakes!
Henry looked at Wendy again. "Tell me, is Ang my daughter or not?! Wendy, you¡¯d best not lie to me!"
Wendy swallowed hard. Now that things hade to this point, she knew that Henry would never believe her anymore. Besides, the result would still be the same anyway, even if they had the DNA test redone.
She ran a couple of steps toward the police and hid behind them. Then, she poked her head out and said, "That¡¯s right, Ang isn¡¯t your daughter! But this is all because you forced me into it!"
Henry was taken aback.
A sobbing Wendy said, "You abandoned me for money and prestige back then! After you married that little bitch, you said you would marry me once she died! But what happened after she died? What did you do? You started to fool around with a young and pretty woman! And never once brought up the topic of marrying me!"
A fierce look came over Wendy¡¯s eyes as she said, "You said that woman, Yvette Anderson, refused to let you touch her, so you were with me during the marriage, but what happened in the end? After using me to vent your sexual desires, you decided to deny responsibility? What makes you think you can do that, Henry? Did those few years of my youth all go to waste?"
Wendy started to cry as she spoke. She said, "I had no other choice. Since you refused to marry me, I couldn¡¯t just waste my youth like that. Besides, I just couldn¡¯t seem to ever get pregnant when I was with you, so I simply decided to go to another man instead... It was only after I became pregnant and drove you into a corner with the baby that you finally gave in!"
Henry flew into a rage and rushed forward to hit her. He shouted, "You bitch! How dare you lie to me and trick me into bringing up someone else¡¯s daughter for more than twenty years!"
Wendy clutched one of the policemen¡¯s arm and cried out, "Sir, someone¡¯s trying to kill me! You have to help me!"
Ford didn¡¯t move. However, the rest of the policemen held Henry back and said, "Talk it out if you have a problem with each other. Assaulting someone is against thew!"
Henry¡¯s chest heaved up and down in fury. "You! It¡¯s because of Ang that I didn¡¯t ask for any more children! I didn¡¯t think that you¡¯d actually kept me from having any daughter of my own for the rest of my life!"
Wendy sneered, "I¡¯m the cause of it? Given that body of yours, how can you possibly have any children? We¡¯ve been together for so many years, but I¡¯ve never been pregnant with your child. In contrast, I merely spent the night with another man once and I immediately became pregnant. Why don¡¯t you say it¡¯s because you¡¯re impotent instead?"
Impotent...
Henry, who had been used of being impotent in front of a nationwide broadcast, had thoroughly embarrassed himself inside out!
He roared furiously, "Shut the hell up!"
Wendy, however, wasn¡¯t afraid. In fact, she even said arrogantly, "You¡¯re too old to ever have any children in the future, so I¡¯d advise you to calm down. This way, I can still get Ang to continue providing for you as her father. If you continue to verbally abuse me, both my daughter and I won¡¯t acknowledge you as father and husband anymore!"
They would stop acknowledging him as father and husband...
Henry felt a sharp pain in his heart.
There weren¡¯t any fathers who didn¡¯t love their children in this world.
He had honestly really given all of his love to Ang, but in the end, the moment he thought of how she wasn¡¯t his daughter, he couldn¡¯t help but feel conflicted and agonized...
Wendy stepped forward and grabbed his arm. She said, "You¡¯d better stop making a scene, Henry. Otherwise, everyone is going to see you as a joke! Just take it that this has never happened. Our family of three can still live like how we did in the past!"
Wendy¡¯s eyes flickered when she said that.
The vi in California was still under Henry¡¯s name!
Henry looked at her. A momentter, he closed his mouth.
The elderly were the most afraid of having no one to rely on in old age. He had given all his love to Ang. In that sense, Ang wouldn¡¯t treat him that badly in the future, either.
Even if she wasn¡¯t his biological daughter, he could only live with it now!
Henry felt tightness in his chest as if something was stuck there. Suddenly, he tasted something sweet in his throat, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood and fainted.
Wendy hurriedly called an ambnce and sent him to the hospital.
The fiasco finally ended.
Roxanne and the cameraman tried to slip away during the chaos but were caught by Ford. He said, "For trespassing into private property without the owner¡¯s consent, damaging someone else¡¯s reputation through means of a live-stream, and infringing someone else¡¯s portrait rights, you are hereby arrested for multiple offenses. Pleasee with us to the police station!"
While the police were arresting them, Nora was thanking Caleb. She took the recorder pen and said, "It seems like my mother trusted your family very much."
Caleb smiled gently when he heard what she said. His mncholic eyes were deep and bottomless as he said, "I thought you would ask me who your biological father is."
Nora looked up at him and asked, "You know who he is?"
Chapter 169: She Must Be My Daughter
Chapter 169: She Must Be My Daughter
Caleb smiled and shook his head. "I don¡¯t."
Nora uttered an ¡¯oh¡¯. She wasn¡¯t particrly bothered.
A puzzled Caleb asked, "Don¡¯t you want to know?"
Nora replied detachedly, "It doesn¡¯t matter to me."
It really didn¡¯t matter to her.
Having grown up in a family like that ever since she was a child, kinship wasn¡¯t something indispensable for her.
To her, the greatest value her mother had was that she had given birth to her, and also left her with so much material she could study and learn from.
Her father...
That word had been associated with Henry since she was a child. Even though he wasn¡¯t her father anymore, she didn¡¯t feel much affection for the word.
Nora put the recorder pen away safely into her pocket. Then, she looked at Caleb and said, "Thank you."
"You¡¯re wee." Caleb sighed and said, "Back then, your mother asked us to take care of you. You can say that all this was because the Grays were negligent."
Caleb also had a look of approval and appreciation on his countenance when he talked about Yvette.
While they were talking, Ford suddenly walked over. His expression was as stern as ever as if he never smiled orughed. He interrupted their conversation and said, "Ms. Smith, Mr. Gray. We need the two of you to give your statements for investigative purposes."
Statements?
Nora was taken aback.
Caleb also couldn¡¯t help but ask, "It¡¯s just trespassing on private property. Why do we have to give statements for it?"
Ford looked firm and determined, and his facial features were chiseled and defined. He spoke politely but with amandeering air as if he was someone who had held a high position for a long time. He said, "Please go through the motions with us."
Nora felt that he wasn¡¯t someone to be messed with.
She nodded.
Caleb didn¡¯t refuse, either. Thus, the two of them were asked to go down to the police station together. They were also assigned to different rooms.
Nora sat casually in the dark room. Her big boss-like demeanor made the few policemen stare at one another.
Most people would shiver in fear in the police station, but why was that woman looking as if she was at a tourist attraction?
Also, was it really necessary to bring them back to take their statements for something as trivial as trespassing into private property? They didn¡¯t dare to voice that out loud, though, and could only sneak nces at Ford.
That man¡¯s identity wasn¡¯t simple. The whole police station had to obey his orders!
Nora looked around curiously.
"What are you looking at, Ms. Smith?" asked Ford.
"At your dark little room here. It really does shut out all the light. I can probably sleep really well here."
"..."
Although Nora slept a lot, the quality of her sleep had always been rather poor. Therefore, Cherry never dared to disturb her when she was sleeping.
There wasn¡¯t any light in the interrogation room at all, which surprisingly made it a great ce for sleeping.
Ford kept quiet for a while before he asked, "Do you know anything about your mother, Ms. Smith?"
Nora¡¯s eyebrows raised slightly at the question.
She suddenly asked, "Are you a special ops officer?"
Ford was taken aback, but he didn¡¯t speak.
Nora¡¯s fingers tapped lightly against the chair. She said, "All the other policemen act in ordance to your will, so you¡¯re likely very highly ranked. However, it¡¯s not quite appropriate for such a high-ranking officer to handle disputes over trespassing of private property. So, you came to my home because of this?"
Ford¡¯s jaw tightened. A short whileter, he stood up.
He subconsciously straightened his back when he got up. His posture was tall and straight, and his entire self seemed as sharp as a razor. It was as though there was nothing that could stand in his way.
His voice was deep and steady. He said, "My name is Morris Ford."
"... Hello, Captain Ford."
Morris said, "We¡¯re investigating a case from more than twenty years ago. The case is rted to your mother, so I¡¯d like to know more about her through you. Please cooperate with us, Ms. Smith."
Nora¡¯s eyes flickered a little.
It was just like what she had thought!
Her mother had suddenly left the Andersons back then. She broke up with Ian Smith, went to California all by herself, and never contacted her family ever since. There must be a reason for all that!
She asked, "Can I ask what kind of case it is?"
Morris shook his head. "I¡¯m sorry, but this is a ss S case, you¡¯re not authorized to know anything about it."
"..."
Nora kept quiet for a while. Atst, she said, "I don¡¯t know anything at all."
Her mother had left her a lot of things, but there was nothing among them that challenged the boundaries of thew except for the Imperial League...
Morris scrutinized her, seemingly trying to judge whether what she had just said was true or false.
The man had an extremely sharp gaze. No one could lie while he was staring straight at them. However, the young woman in front of him was calm, and her almond-shaped eyes were so clear that one could see right to the bottom of them. It instead made one unable to read her thoughts.
For the first time, Morris couldn¡¯t see through the truth of something and someone.
After thinking for a while, he said, "In that case, please sign the statement, Ms. Smith. You can leave after that."
After saying that, he went next door.
Caleb was in the room next door.
After signing the statement, Nora walked out of the police station. After waiting outside for a while, Caleb finally came out. There was some hesitancy on his countenance as he said, "That man is so strange. He keeps asking about Aunt Yvette, but I was unfortunately only three or four years old at that time. How would I know anything about her..."
Nora¡¯s eyes flickered a little when she heard what he said.
At this point, Caleb¡¯s cell phone suddenly rang. He smiled at Nora and picked up the call. At once, his expression darkened and a chilly glint shed in his dark eyes. He said, "I¡¯lle over right away."
After hanging up, he looked at Nora and said, "I have something on, so I¡¯ll leave first, Ms. Smith."
Nora nodded.
At the same time.
In the hospital.
Joel Smith hurried over when he heard from the nurse. He was panting rather hard. When he entered the ward, he saw that his uncle, who was usually in low spirits and looked half-dead all the time, was actually seated there looking somewhat anxious at the moment.
Joel asked, "What¡¯s the matter, Uncle Ian?"
After a long silence, Ian finally said, "Joel, she must be my daughter."
Joel was taken aback. "Who?"
Ian¡¯s hand was trembling somewhat as he answered, "Nora Smith."
He had watched the entire live-stream.
Therefore, he knew that Yvette¡¯spany in California back then was named Idealian Pharmaceuticals.
Ideals... Dreams... And Ian...
Ian...
Was it because Yvette had also missed him that she also dreamed of him?!
An agitated Ian grabbed Joel¡¯s hand and said, "Go and investigate her! Investigate all of Nora¡¯s past. If possible, have a DNA test done for us!"
Joel held his hand and said, "Calm down, Uncle Ian. I¡¯ll have her investigated right away."
Ian nodded.
Then, Joel suddenly said, "I can investigate her background, Uncle Ian, but you must promise me that you¡¯ll live on properly. It¡¯s only if you¡¯re alive that you¡¯ll get to know the answers to your questions."
The light came back into Ian¡¯s originally muted eyes when he heard him.
¡ª
At the Woods.
Miranda and Rachel had watched the entire live-stream and seen the plot twist at the end.
Miranda smacked the table angrily. "Henry Smith is so useless!"
Rachel also curled her lip in distaste and said, "We spent all that money and got them Roxanne in vain... Fortunately, though, we¡¯ve already paid her to keep quiet, so she won¡¯t sell us out."
However, as soon as she said that, the door was suddenly pushed open.
Chapter 170: Retribution
Chapter 170: Retribution
Farrell entered the room, looking livid.
Miranda hastily exchanged a look with Rachel when she saw him, and both of them shut up. Miranda got up and took a step forward with a smile. "Why are you back so early today?" She asked.
She subconsciously wanted to take Farrell¡¯s bag from him, but when she held it, she found that Farrell hadn¡¯t let go.
Surprised, a puzzled Miranda called out, "Farrell?"
As soon as she said that, Farrell suddenly reached out. A loud smack rang out as he gave her a tight p across the cheek, causing Miranda to see stars as her head turned to the side.
She was absolutely stunned.
The Woods had always been a schrly family who preferred to talk things out rather than resorting to violence. Farrell was also a gentleman among gentlemen. During all these years, he had never even raised his voice against her before, let alone hit her!
After a stunned moment, Miranda finally reacted. She shouted shrewishly, "What are you doing, Farrell? How dare you hit me! Are you looking down on me because my family is down and out right now? I just knew it would be like this! The Woods are kicking me while I¡¯m down! That¡¯s it, I¡¯m leaving! I¡¯m going back to my parents¡¯ ce!"
Farrell gazed at his wife in front of him with a sharp glint in his eyes. The somewhat disappointed man let out a contemptuousugh and said, "You¡¯re right, I¡¯m not blessed enough to have a daughter of the Sos with me. I¡¯ll have someone pack your things and send you home right away!"
A dumbfounded Miranda was in shock.
Rachel hastily rushed over and shouted, "Dad, what are you doing? If you¡¯re sending Mom away, then you can send both my younger brother and me away, too!"
Farrell red at her. He suddenly raised his hand at her, frightening Rachel into squeezing her eyes shut in a hurry.
However, when the smack rang out, Rachel didn¡¯t feel any pain on her cheek. She opened her eyes in shock and saw that Farrell¡¯s cheek was red¡ªhe had pped himself instead...
Farrell stared at Rachel with great grief and said, "Spare the rod, spoil the child! It¡¯s my fault for thinking that you should be raised by your mother because you¡¯re a girl! That¡¯s why you became mad with jealousy, narrow-minded, and petty at such a young age!"
Rachel, who found his scoldings ridiculous, said, "Did my aunt say something to you again, Dad? How can she do that? She forgave us and called you on the surface, and then immediatelyined to you the next moment? She¡¯s too much!"
Miranda also nodded. "Yes, it must be her!"
Farrell stared at the mother-daughter pair in front of him and shut his eyes in pain.
He had still thought that it was impossible that they would ever do something like that when he received the call from Mr. Hunt earlier that day. His wife and his younger sister didn¡¯t get along, but there were just verbal disagreements. His wife was always trying to get the upper hand over his younger sister.
He didn¡¯t believe that his wife would do something like that. Had it been someone else who had called him, he would definitely have trusted his wife without any hesitation.
However, the person who had called him was Justin Hunt.
Mr. Hunt would never make trouble for a woman without any reason!
Moreover, he had also outright given him the evidence of them bribing Roxanne, as well as of them paying to have the live-stream trend on social media!
No matter how incredulous Farrell was, he had no choice but to believe it after that.
He waved somewhat tiredly and said, "I¡¯ll give you two options."
Miranda was stunned.
Farrell lowered his head and said, "The first one¡ªsomeone will monitor all your actions in the future, but I will continue to give you the title of Mrs. Wood. The second¡ªwe divorce."
Miranda was stunned.
"No, I don¡¯t agree to that. Dad, are you nning to put Mom under house arrest? You¡ª"
However, before Rachel could finish, Farrell looked back at her and said, "And you, too. I¡¯ll give you three options. The first one¡ªyou can stay at home, but you¡¯re not allowed to contact your mother anymore. Also, you have to attend college properly! The second¡ªgo abroad, but you are not allowed to return during the next three years. Neither are you allowed to have any contact with your mother during this time! The third¡ªleave with your mother."
Rachel was dumbfounded.
So was Miranda.
¡ª
Henry and Wendy returned to the hotel where they were temporarily staying, after they left the Andersons¡¯ vi.
Henry looked livid. When he saw Ang waiting for them after they reached the hotel, his expression instantly darkened even further.
Ang had watched the live-stream from start to finish, so she naturally also knew the truth.
She rushed up to Henry with her eyes red and said, "Dad, I know Mom has let you down, but in my heart, you¡¯re still my father!"
Henry, who was being hugged by his daughter, thought of how he had carried her and yed with her when she was a child, and the bit of displeasure he had, disappeared along with the wind.
Ah, well.
No matter what, he had brought her up, after all. He still had feelings for her.
Henry took a deep breath and entered the bathroom to take a bath.
He was all tuckered out after kicking up such a fuss at the Andersons today.
When the sound of running water started to ring out, Ang sat beside Wendy restlessly, lowered her voice, and asked, "Mom, so I¡¯m not Dad¡¯s daughter? What do we do now?"
Ang curled her lip in distaste. "I¡¯ve never liked him ever since I was a kid. He doesn¡¯t work and isn¡¯t motivated at all. All he knows is to fool around at home every day. I couldn¡¯t even answer when my ssmates asked me what my dad did for a living. It was so embarrassing! No wonder I don¡¯t look like him at all. As it turns out, it¡¯s because I¡¯m not his daughter! Mom, I really don¡¯t understand. Since the truth is out, and he doesn¡¯t have any money left anyway, does that mean we can abandon him? Let¡¯s just leave by ourselves!"
Wendy whispered, "Shh, keep it down. Don¡¯t let him hear you. We have to keep him happy for now. At the very least, he still has that vi in California under his name. It¡¯s worth more than five million dors! We can fall out with him after he gives you the vi instead!"
The vi...
Ang thought of the five million dors and heaved a sigh. "Alright," she said.
While the two of them were whispering to each other, Henry had already finished his bath and exited the bathroom in a bathrobe. After he came out, he saw that there were a few missed calls on his cell phone.
They were all from friends showing him concern after watching the live-stream. He called them back, one by one.
He spat angrily, "Nora has no conscience whatsoever! She¡¯s not like our filial Ang at all! Even if she isn¡¯t my biological daughter, how is she any different from one?"
"Hah, Nora is very strange. She has always wanted to be close to me ever since she was a child, but I¡¯ve never wanted to pay her any attention at all. Now, Ang is different though. We have emotional ties with each other..."
A stubborn Henry replied several calls in a row. Ang poured him a ss of water and asked, "Does your throat hurt, Dad?"
Henry took the ss of water from her. He couldn¡¯t help but sigh¡ªno matter what, at least this daughter of his treated him sincerely. Although he didn¡¯t get any money from Nora, at least he still had kinship.
At least they would still stay as a family of three, as long as he didn¡¯t hold it against Wendy and forgave her...
Ding-dong! The doorbell suddenly rang.
Henry got up and went to open the door. A fewwyers were outside the door. They said, "Mr. Smith, as you¡¯ve disyed abusive behavior while raising Ms. Smith, ording to the signed agreement between you and Ms. Anderson, we shall now take back ownership of the vi you¡¯re living in!"
Chapter 171: Henry Smith’s Fate
Chapter 171: Henry Smith¡¯s Fate
Henry was utterly stunned when he heard what thewyer said. "We agreed back then that the vi will be mine as long as I make sure she¡¯s alive, and she¡¯s alive and well right now! You can¡¯t take back the vi!"
The twowyers looked at each other.
"We wouldn¡¯t know anything about that. However, we have gone through all the procedures legally, and Ms. Smith has the final say with regard to the vi!"
Henry was dumbfounded.
He simply couldn¡¯t believe that this could happen. He grabbed the contract from thewyer and read it carefully.
Sure enough, in the contract he had signed was a use that stated that once Nora came of age, she would have the right to decide whether or not to take back ownership of the vi.
In other words, if he treated Nora alright, she wouldn¡¯t take back the vi.
But if he didn¡¯t, then Yvette would have a backup n for her!
Henry was so furious that he whipped out his cell phone and called Nora right away. "You no-good daughter! How can you treat me like this when I brought you up until you were 18 years old! That vi is mine! Your mother said that as long as you¡¯re alive, the vi will remain mine!"
Nora¡¯s voice was very low and deep, and also tinged with sinister ruthlessness as she said, "If you hadn¡¯t buried my son alive, perhaps I would have given you the vi."
Her words stunned Henry. "H-how did you know?"
Wendy was the only person whom he had told. He had never told anyone else about it. How did she know about it?
Henry waspletely unaware that she had already hacked into his cell phone¡¯s operating system when they were on the phone previously, and could monitor their conversations in real-time.
A mocking Nora replied, "What do you think?"
Henry suddenly looked at Wendy¡ªhe suspected that she was the one who had told Nora about it. However, this wasn¡¯t the time to be pursuing such things. He yelled furiously, "Nora, our family of three grew up in that vi! We are its true owners! Do you think you¡¯ll have a home just because you¡¯ve taken the vi? Dream on! Even if we lose the vi, you¡¯ll still be all alone, whereas the three of us are a family!"
"Is that so?" Nora drawled, "Then I hope your family of three will stay together forever?"
Henry, "?"
When he wanted to say something, the other party hung up on him.
Henry, "..."
The twowyers were just there to notify him about the vi¡¯s ownership. They didn¡¯t need his consent to take it back. Since they had fulfilled their duty, the two of them left.
Henry plopped down on the sofa after they left.
Wendy and Ang exchanged a look and then looked at Henry. Wendy asked carefully, "Henry, the vi..."
"We won¡¯t be able to get the vi back anymore! This is New York, where the Andersons are a big family with a big business. If we fight it out with her, we¡¯ll definitely be the ones to lose out in the end!"
Henry¡¯s brows drew together. "Forget it, let¡¯s go back to California for now. Take out all the valuable things you¡¯ve bought over the years and sell them as soon as possible. The money should be enough for the three of us to survive, right?"
Thepany had an annual ie of five million dors. After receiving the money, Henry would always buy Wendy handbags and jewelry, as well as various luxury goods for Ang.
On the contrary, he only owned two valuable watches.
Wendy¡¯s eyes flickered when she heard him.
She and Ang exchanged another look and then nodded.
Henry got up from the sofa and said, "Let¡¯s book our flight tickets and leave right away, lest anything else happens while we¡¯re still here and we end up not even able to enter the house when we get home. It would be terrible if we can¡¯t get those things out of the house! Go and book the flight tickets, Wendy!"
"Okay," Wendy replied without any hesitation.
She went to the side with her cell phone and used it for a while before she said, "The earliest flight is in three hours. You can rx for now."
"Okay," replied Henry.
Ang poured him a ss of water. "Have some water, Dad."
Henry took the ss from her. However, he almost spat the water out after taking a sip. He flung the ss onto the floor and snapped, "Why is it so hot?!"
Ang¡¯s eyes flickered.
Henry had never lost his temper with her in the past, even when the water she poured for him was too hot. As expected, he must have be estranged from her after he realized the truth, right?
She lowered her head and said, "I didn¡¯t mean it, Dad."
Wendy hurried over and held Ang, who had squatted down to clean the mess, with a touch of frostiness on her countenance.
Then, she smiled and said, "Now that you¡¯ve been epted to the New York University School of Medicine, you should go back to the school, Ang. You don¡¯t have to go back with us. Go for an internship during summer vacation instead. There¡¯s still some money in this card, so take it with you for now."
Ang looked at Henry.
Henry wanted to say that there were almost $50,000 in the card, which was too much. However, when he thought of how they would be able to sell the things at home for more than a million dors after they got home, he chose not to say anything.
He had to win over his daughter!
Ang took the card, picked up her bag, and left.
After she left, Wendy and Henry packed their luggage together.
An hourter, the two set off for the airport.
When they arrived at the airport, Wendy looked at Henry and suggested, "Why don¡¯t you check in the luggage first? It looks like there are a lot of people in line over there. I¡¯ll go and collect the tickets at the self-service check-in kiosk ande backter!"
Checked baggage must be done at least fifty minutes before takeoff. They wouldn¡¯t be able to check in the baggage if they were toote. Time was rather pressing, so Henry nodded.
He brought the two suitcases with him and lined up behind the crowd.
At the sight of how the people in front were walking so slowly, he felt a little anxious.
New York was a big and crowded ce, indeed. Even the airport was teeming with people. Seeing that there was only an hour left to take-off, and that he had already waited for over half an hour, yet Wendy still hadn¡¯t returned¡ªHenry decided to call her.
Wendy picked up the call very quickly.
"Where are you?" asked Henry.
Wendy smiled and answered, "I¡¯m on the ne, of course!"
Henry was taken aback. "What?"
Wendy replied, "The ne is about to start taxiing, Henry. Let¡¯s bid our farewells here!"
Henry was utterly astounded. "What do you mean, Wendy?"
"It means exactly what I said, Henry. Don¡¯t worry about the luxury goods in the vi. I¡¯ve already asked my brother to go over and retrieve them all!"
Henry was filled with disbelief. "Wendy, what are you doing? We can get more than a million dors with those things. Even if we don¡¯t have the vi anymore, we won¡¯t have to worry about money for the rest of our lives!"
Wendyughed. She sounded very rxed as she said, "Yes, you¡¯re right. With that money, Ang and I won¡¯t have to worry about money for the rest of our lives, so you can rest assured!"
Henry finally understood what she was saying. "A-are you actually abandoning me?"
Wendy sneered, "I¡¯ve done so much and worked so hard at home to take care of you all these years, Henry, but what about you? Who do you think you are? All you do is shout and yell at me all day, and treat me like a free babysitter. Now that you don¡¯t have any more ie, why should I still bend all over to make you happy? The money is all mine now, and I will spend it well, so you don¡¯t have to worry! As for Ang, I¡¯d advise you not to bother her. Otherwise, I¡¯ll expose everything you¡¯ve done and put you in jail!"
Chapter 172: A Discovery
Chapter 172: A Discovery
Henry had done some illegal business in California over the years. Although he had made a loss in the end, it was a fact that he had broken thew.
Should Wendy really report him, Henry would have to go to jail!
Henry was sessfully deterred.
Wendy then said, "We were married for so many years, after all, so I didn¡¯t just leave you with nothing. There is a small bag in the left pocket of the suitcase with your ID card and $30,000 in it. You can take that as my way of paying homage to our friendship during all these years."
Henry panicked. He shouted into the phone, "Get off the ne, Wendy! Get off the ne now! I want to see you! You can¡¯t just leave me behind!"
His eyes were red, and he suddenly found himself in a total panic.
Never had he thought that he would end up betrayed and abandoned at midlife...
His voice choked as he said into the phone, "Wendy! Wendy, I was wrong. I shouldn¡¯t have made those mistakes when I was young. I¡¯ve really realized how wrong I was. Come back to me! Come back!"
Wendy¡¯s voice was very soft but determined. She said, "The ne is about to take off, Henry. Goodbye."
She hung up on him right away after saying that.
Henry stared at his phone and frantically called her back, but all he could hear on the phone was "The person you are trying to reach is unavable. Please try againter."
Henry then rushed over to the side. Through the windows, he was just in time to see the ne bound for California taking off...
How he wished he could go through the ss and jump right into that ne!
Wendy had taken care of him and taken charge of everything at home all these years. Henry had always thought that the woman loved him.
After all, back when he made the deal with Yvette in his youth, he actually had a girlfriend. However, for the sake of wealth and glory, he had made Wendy wait for him.
Yvette had said that she didn¡¯t want someone with a girlfriend because she was afraid that it would set them back in life.
Thus, he had never made any mention of Wendy.
But Wendy didn¡¯t want him anymore...
This wasn¡¯t just physical abandonment but also spiritual betrayal!
Henry flung himself onto the window and cried his heart out like a child who had lost his way home.
No, he absolutely mustn¡¯t let Wendy off just like that. With his ID and bank card in hand, he ran to the counter to buy a ticket for the next flight to California, so that he could go after her.
However, the tickets for the earliest flight were sold out.
While Henry was panicking, someone walked over from the side and asked, "Are you looking for a ticket for the flight that departs in an hour? I have one here."
Henry was taken aback.
The man said, "I¡¯ve booked one. Let¡¯s go onler. If you book the ticket immediately after I cancel it, you¡¯ll be able to buy it..."
Wendy had always been the one who booked the flight tickets whenever they went out of the city, so he wasn¡¯t clear about details like these. This made him believe what the man said, without thinking twice.
The two went to the bathroom and busied themselves on their phones for a while inside. A hesitant Henry asked, "Does this mean I¡¯ve sessfully booked the ticket?"
However, when he looked up, the man from just now had already disappeared. His ID and bank card had also been stolen.
Henry, "!!"
He left the bathroom in a panic, but he could no longer see where the conman had gone or where he was in the crowd!
Henry was in a total panic.
Not only was he stranded in New York with his money and bank card stolen, but he had even lost his ID! What was he going to do now?! Surely he couldn¡¯t beg on the streets, right?!
¡ª
Outside the airport.
The man who had just conned Henry got rid of his wretched appearance, stood up straight, and made a call. He said, "All done, Boss."
Justin¡¯s voice reached him from the other end of the call. "Okay. You¡¯re in charge of keeping an eye on him after this. I want him... to wish he were dead instead."
The man shivered all over and silently said a prayer for Henry. He didn¡¯t know how that man had offended Boss to make him give such ruthless orders, but he nevertheless answered obediently, "Yes, sir!"
At the Hunts¡¯.
Murderous intent burst forth from Justin¡¯s deep, bottomless eyes after he hung up.
During thest few days, through his own investigations as well as from sounding Cherry out, he had roughly gotten an understanding of what had really happened back then. Nora hadn¡¯t abandoned Pete¡ªit was Henry Smith who had buried him alive!
He thought back to that day. If he hadn¡¯t been afraid when he heard what the other party said; or if he had been just a little more conceited¡ªand felt that he had never bedded any woman, so there was no way he would have any children¡ªand ended up not rushing over... Pete would no longer be in the world now!
Therefore, it was very easy for him to make the decision to kill Henry.
However, that would be letting him off too easily!
Since he had tried to kill his son, he would make him spend the rest of his life in pain and agony!
After putting his cell phone in his pocket, Justin walked out of the room, his footsteps rxed. Since he had done something good, he had to im the relevant credit, of course.
For example, he had found out that two people had paid to make the live-stream trend on social media. One of them was Miranda, whom he had already talked to the Woods about.
The other one was at the New York University School of Medicine¡ªTina York. She was a woman, so he would let that woman decide what to do with her instead!
Of course, there was no need to tell her Henry¡¯s fate.
Justin exited the manor¡¯s gates and got in the car to go to Nora.
That woman would surely be very sad now, right?
He should go andfort her a little.
However, as soon as he got in the car, his phone rang again. His subordinate¡¯s voice reached him from the other end of the call when he answered.
"Boss, as it turns out, we aren¡¯t the only ones whom that Smith fellow had offended! I just saw someone secretly beat him up."
Justin raised his eyebrows. "And then?"
"Heh, they took him away after that. I¡¯m tailing them now. Try guessing who they are?"
"Who are they?"
"The Smiths."
The Smiths?
In all of New York, the ones calling the shots were either the Hunts or the Smiths.
Even Justin would show the Smiths a bit of courtesy on the surface when he was going about things. That was why he hadn¡¯t bypassed the Smiths to directly pressure the kindergarten during the Tanya incident back then¡ªthat would have been discourteous to the Smiths!
The Smiths didn¡¯t have any feud or grievances with Henry, though. Why did they kidnap him?
Could it be that...
Justin didn¡¯t say any more.
On the phone, his subordinate asked, "Boss, should I catch up to them and save him? It would be terrible if the Smiths tortured him to death."
Justin stayed silent for a while before he said, "Forget it. We¡¯ll show the Smiths some courtesy."
If the situation really was like what he was guessing it was, then he¡¯d better maintain a good rtionship with the Smiths!
¡ª
At the Andersons.
Nora went upstairszily after she came back from the police station. However, she simply couldn¡¯t get to sleep anymore after lying down on the bed.
What Morris Ford had said in the police station made her frown.
Why exactly had her mother run away from home for no rhyme or reason back then?
She ced her hands behind her head and stared at the ceiling, thinking about how she could hide herself to sleep in peace and quiet... and stay away from all these ridiculous affairs altogether.
At this moment, her cell phone suddenly rang.
She picked it up and nced at it. She only chose to answer because she saw that the caller was Lily.
Lily¡¯s voice reached her from the other end. "Have you settled all of your domestic affairs, Anti?"
Nora let out a ¡¯yeah¡¯.
Only then did Lily say, "Then I can tell you a piece of news now. Guess what I discovered when I was doing the DNA tests for you?"
Chapter 173: I’m A Female Hooligan
Chapter 173: I¡¯m A Female Hooligan
Nora couldn¡¯t be bothered to make any guesses, so she said coldly and mercilessly, "If you¡¯re not going to say it, then I¡¯m hanging up."
"Hey, don¡¯t! Don¡¯t!"
Lily understood her boss very well, so she didn¡¯t dare to keep her in suspense anymore. She said, "Anti, you should know that the eight pairs of genes that determine a human being¡¯s intelligence are located on the X-chromosome. When I was testing your DNA, I discovered that your eight pairs of genes differ from other people¡¯s! No wonder you¡¯re so smart!"
Nora, "?"
She¡¯d never once thought that she was smart. She merely found everything rather simple and was able to master anything right away. This led her to feel that life was quite boring. Fortunately, she was in poor health and needed more sleep than others. Otherwise, how bored would she be if she were awake all the time every day?
She yawned. "Is there anything else?"
Lily answered, "You should also know that because the IQ genes are located on the X-chromosome, the reason why you are so smart must be that both your mother and father are also smart!"
Nora stared at the ceiling, her mind already wandering.
As everyone would know, females have two X-chromosomes while males have one X-chromosome and one Y-chromosome. The Y-chromosomees from the father, which means that a son inherits 100% of his intelligence from his mother.
It was no wonder that Pete was so good in his studies and so smart at such a young age. When she was five, she was still fretting about filling her belly, yet the little fellow had already started to learn how to solve Mathematical Olympiad problems that ordinary people would only learn when they were in middle or high school.
Compared with him, Cherry¡¯s case, however, was kind of a long story.
Nora suddenly asked, "Surely Cherry¡¯s reluctance to study wasn¡¯t inherited from her father, right?"
Lily, "?"
Nora¡¯s cell phone suddenly rang at this point¡ªanother call hade in. Clearly disyed on the screen was a certain name: Narcissist.
After ncing at it, she said to Lily, "I¡¯ll hang up for now."
After ending the call with Lily, she picked up the other call. Justin¡¯s low and deep voice reached her from the other end of the call. He said, "I saw the live-stream, Ms. Smith."
He saw it?
Nora raised her eyebrows.
Most wealthy people were particr about their reputation and didn¡¯t like live-streams. In addition, Henry had behaved like a shrew and kicked up a huge fuss in someone else¡¯s live-stream earlier in the day. People had even started to attack Harmonia Pharmacy in thements.
If she didn¡¯t rify the truth in front of everyone, Harmonia Pharmacy would definitely have been affected.
That was why she hadn¡¯t requested that the reporter shut down her live-stream right away. Instead, she had publicly announced the truth in the live-stream in front of the camera, and in front of all the viewers nationwide.
Nora raised her eyebrows. "Does it have anything to do with you, Mr. Hunt?"
Justin coughed and replied, "Of course it does. After all, you are one of the candidates in consideration for the position of my fianc¨¦e."
"?? What?"
Justin slowly spoke again. He said, "Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯re interested in me, Ms. Smith? I also have a rather good impression of you. Therefore, you are among the candidates in consideration for my fianc¨¦e."
"..."
Nora fell silent, the corners of her mouth spasming a little.
In order to defend that onerous lie, it was necessary that she continued to cooperate with his narcissism.
Seemingly because she had fallen silent, Justin spoke again. He asked, "Do you want to know who the candidates for my fianc¨¦e are?"
"... "
No, she didn¡¯t.
Nora took a sip of water from the ss at the table beside her. She was about to speak when the other party¡ªas though afraid that she might misunderstand¡ªsaid eagerly, "You¡¯re the only one."
Nora, "!!!"
"Cough! Cough! Cough!"
His words caused her to choke on the water. Why was she suddenly feeling like his words didn¡¯t sound narcissistic anymore but a little like a confession instead?
She put down the ss and held her forehead with her hand a little as she leaned against the headboard. All of a sudden, she felt like she might have identally overdone things.
Justin then asked dispassionately, "Do you think 26 years old is too old?"
"What?"
For the first time, her IQ couldn¡¯t keep up with the conversation!
Justin replied, "Getting married at the age of 26, I mean... After all, that leaves us with only less than a year to prepare for it. We should make our wedding a grand one."
Nora suddenly sat up straight. She was utterly astounded!
She swallowed. "Huh?"
"Do you find it toote? But if we hold it at the end of the year, it¡¯ll be too rushed..."
The few good wedding locations required advanced bookings.
On top of that, they had to choose an auspicious date, too.
"Stop!" said Nora.
Justin was taken aback. "What¡¯s the matter?"
Nora took a sip of water to calm her nerves, feeling as if she was being forced into marriage. She suddenly said, "Actually, I¡¯m a female hooligan."
Justin, "?"
"A great man once said that engaging in romantic rtionships without any intention of progressing to marriage is an act of hooliganism."
It was the other party¡¯s turn to fall silent this time.
Nora coughed and went on. "Mr. Hunt, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever confessed my feelings to you, right? Do you know why?"
"Why?"
"Because I don¡¯t believe in getting married." Nora easily made up a lie. To be honest, it wasn¡¯t really a lie, either. Given her trouble-averse character, she liked being alone the most. Free of all constraints and worries, she could sleep for eternity.
Nora went on. "Even though I admire you very much, Mr. Hunt, I don¡¯t want to waste your time. I will keep my distance and won¡¯t give you any more trouble in the future."
Justin, "..."
Had he failed in his proposal and gotten himself rejected?!
After falling silent for quite a while, he finally said, "Let¡¯s talk face-to-face instead, Ms. Smith."
Nora, "?"
"I¡¯m outside the Andersons¡¯ now."
"..."
Nora had no choice but to get off the bed. She slipped her feet into a pair of slippers and shuffled downstairs. With her cell phone in hand, she nced at the full-length mirror in the living room before she went out. Although the woman reflected in the mirror was wearing pajamas, and her long hair was loose behind her and looked a little messy, she¡ªin an unusual move¡ªdidn¡¯t put on a baseball cap but instead neatened her hair a little before she went out.
Justin¡¯s ck Hummer was parked nearby. He leaned against the car, his big, tall, and slender figureplementing therge Hummer beside him.
Nora slowly walked over. "Why are you here?"
Justin observed her with his deep, bottomless gaze, his heart feeling a little heavy.
She couldn¡¯t even be bothered to change before she came out. This showed that she really wasn¡¯t interested in him, right?
He cast his eyes down a little disappointedly before he slowly said, "I was worried that you would be unhappy and your mood would be affected by what had happened, so I came over to check on you."
Then, he started to ask for credit. He said, "Henry Smith and his family aren¡¯t the only ones behind the incident today. There were also others helping to encourage it. One of them is Miranda Wood; I¡¯ve already talked to Mr. Wood about it for you. The other one is Tina York, a newly-appointed professor at the New York University School of Medicine. What do you want to do with that woman?"
Tina York?
Why was it her again...
Nora lowered her gaze and replied, "You can leave it to me."
"Okay."
Justin watched as she let out another sleepy yawn¡ªit was already past her usual bedtime. He couldn¡¯t bear to see her like this, so he said, "Alright. Why don¡¯t you go back for now?"
He turned to leave after he spoke. However, he then heard the woman ask, "Can I borrow something from you, Mr. Hunt?"
Chapter 174: Is Narcissism Hereditary?
Chapter 174: Is Narcissism Hereditary?
Justin¡¯s gaze suddenly became scorching hot.
He had thought of a set of lines between lovers:
¡¯Can I borrow something from you?¡¯
¡¯Why?¡¯
¡¯So that I can owe you a lifetime.¡¯
Could it be that... that woman was also into things like that?
After all, Cherry was really good at talking...
Justin, whose imagination was running wild, curled the corners of his lips up slightly into a smile. He stood up straight and asked with a smile, "What would you like to borrow?"
"Two strands of hair."
Justin, "???"
He gazed at Nora with a bit of confusion but saw her looking at him seriously instead. She said, "Mm, as a memento, I guess."
Justin, "!"
He stared at the woman in front of him. Suddenly, he bent over a little, ced his hands on his knees, and lowered his head. "Okay. Go ahead and pluck them, then."
The man¡¯s actions, when he suddenly lowered his head and came close to her, gave Nora a shock.
Then, she looked at the man¡¯s hair.
His shampoo was vani-scented, which smelled very refreshing. There wasn¡¯t any greasy smell, either. The man¡¯s hair texture, like him, was distinct, ck, and hard.
Nora stretched out her hand, located a spot where it wouldn¡¯t hurt as much, and plucked out two strands of hair.
His hair jabbed her skin a little. When the man¡¯s head was lowered, his slightly curved neck and Adam¡¯s apple were exceptionally obvious. He looked up slightly¡ªthe deep and bottomless look in his eyes, as well as his obedient and docile appearance at the moment, made him look like a little puppy... waiting for its owner to adopt it... Cough. Her imagination was running a little wild.
Nora took a couple of steps back after she was done. She said, "Okay, I¡¯m done."
Justin chuckled. "Do you need some more?"
"Aren¡¯t you afraid of going bald?" Nora retorted. Right after she said that though, she felt that the remark sounded too intimate, so she withdrew her gaze again.
Justin slowly stood back up. When he saw her carefully putting the strands of hair into a bag, he seemingly finally understood something.
He let out a low chuckle and said, "In that case... Goodbye, Ms. Smith?"
"Mm. Bye."
Justin only got in the car after he saw Nora turn around and enter the vi. After getting in the car, he felt even more amused.
That woman must be nning to do a DNA test with his hair, right?
After all, her son was with him, so she must want to confirm it onest time.
It looked like she indeed cared a little about his identity as the child¡¯s father... This at least showed that she did care about him, right?
After consoling himself a little, Justin turned and left contentedly.
Unbeknownst to him...
Nora went upstairs and called Lily immediately after she entered the vi. When Lily picked up, she said, "I have the children¡¯s father¡¯s DNA sample here. I¡¯ll send his and the children¡¯s DNA samples to youter."
"What for? Do you want to check whether they are parent and child?"
"No."
It wasn¡¯t like Justin was an idiot. If he hadn¡¯t already confirmed that Pete was his son, why would he take care of him all the way till now?
It wasn¡¯t like he had a hobby of raising other people¡¯s kids for them.
It was just that...
A disdainful Nora said, "Check his IQ genes and see if it¡¯ll lower Cherry¡¯s IQ. After all, my daughter inherited half of her IQ from him!"
"..."
"Also, check whether the narcissism gene is hereditary or not."
"..."
"By the way," Nora, whose gaze was lowered, her expression calm, and her eyes cool and clear, asked, "Did you immediately destroy all my DNA data after theparison?"
"Yes, I did!" A resigned Lily said, "Anti, your IQ genes are indeed a bit peculiar, but such mutations exist in ordinary people too. Why must you always keep yourself under wraps so securely? No normal person would check your genes. I suspect that you have a serious case of persecutionplex!"
Nora didn¡¯t pay any attention to her teasing.
To be honest, she actually also wanted toin about the whole situation. She wasn¡¯t the one with a persecutionplex; rather, it was her mother, Yvette! That audio recording was also constantly reminding her to be careful at all times!
Therefore, she would just stay low-profile as much as she could.
Lily then asked, "About the suddenly arranged operation you mentioned, does it need our professional team to go over?"
Surgery wasn¡¯t as simple as just making a few cuts with a knife. One must make various preparations before the operation, carefully consider all the situations that might ur during the operation, ande up with corresponding strategies for them.
Generally speaking, assistants who had worked with the chief surgeon for many years would be able to understand the chief surgeon¡¯s intentions better.
Lily was Nora¡¯s assistant during most of her operations. She was her most capable assistant.
At her question, Nora suddenly thought of something. Her lip corners curled into a smile and she replied, "No, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ve looked through the medical records that Shaw sent. It¡¯s just a minor operation that he can even do himself. It¡¯s just that his hands aren¡¯t stable enough, that¡¯s all."
Operations were a piece of cake for Anti. Seeing her confidence, Lily didn¡¯t refute her and she hung up.
At night, Nora mailed Justin¡¯s DNA sample out.
When she went to bed, she saw a new text message on her phone. It was from Justin The Narcissist: ¡¯I actually don¡¯t believe in getting married, either, Ms. Smith. I was originally very troubled that I couldn¡¯t take responsibility for you despite your feelings for me. However, after talking to you and interacting with you earlier this evening, I discovered that you and I coincide in opinion on this. It seems that we both only like to date but not to get married.¡¯
¡¯After my inspection, you have passed my review. From now on, we can start dating.¡¯
Nora, "??"
She couldn¡¯t help but wonder if she was reading the messages right!
What kind of messages did that scumbag just send her?
Dating? When did she ever say that she was going to date him?
Nora¡¯s lip corners spasmed. She was about to ask when the man sent another message: ¡¯Are you free for lunch at noon tomorrow, girlfriend?¡¯
Nora: ¡¯Girlfriend?¡¯
Justin The Narcissist: ¡¯You were the one who said earlier today that you only want to date and didn¡¯t want to get married. I¡¯ve agreed to it. Since we¡¯re dating, then doesn¡¯t that make you my girlfriend?¡¯
Nora: "..."
She stared at her cell phone and was silent for a very, very long time. For some reason, when she saw the word ¡¯girlfriend¡¯, she actually felt a teeny-weeny bit of sweetness in her heart?
She replied: ¡¯I¡¯m not free tomorrow.¡¯
In four days, she would have to operate on the child that Director Shaw had mentioned. Thus, she needed to get enough sleep for the next three days, and also get all the ns ready.
After sending the message, shey down, closed her eyes, and fell asleep.
Pete, who had finished his homework, entered the room quietly and covered her with a quilt. Then, he climbed up the other side of the bed,y down, and picked up his cell phone.
The little fellow stared at the ceiling. What he was thinking, however, was that he had dance lessons again the next day. When exactly was the tyrant going to send Cherry to the Quinn School of Martial Arts? When exactly would he be able to switch back with her?!
He didn¡¯t want to dance anymore!
Also, didn¡¯t they say that Mia had already recovered from her allergic reaction? Why was she still not in school yet? If she didn¡¯t attend sses again the next day, should he call and ask about her?
¡ª
A dayter at the Smiths.
Joel stared at his subordinate, who was wearing a ck hoodie, and asked, "Have you gotten Ms. Smith¡¯s DNA sample?"
Chapter 175: Life Is Too Dangerous!
Chapter 175: Life Is Too Dangerous!
The man in the ck hoodie was in charge of carrying out the Smiths¡¯ shady dealings. He led a small team that consisted of a few people.
The Smiths provided for him while he took care of things for them at critical moments.
His name was Quentin Smith, and he was a member of the Smith family.
He had never failed in any of the various tasks that he had undertaken so far and was basically very reliable.
Although Ian¡¯s request was a simple one, Joel had always regarded him as someone who was even more important than his father. Thus, he had tasked Quentin with the mission despite it being just a simple one.
He¡¯d originally thought that it would be done in just a few hours, but unexpectedly, a whole day had already passed, yet he hadn¡¯t received any news yet. Suspecting that Quentin had forgotten to inform him after hepleted the task, he specially summoned him back to ask him about it.
Quentin¡¯s head was lowered, and his entire face was buried in darkness. His voice was low as he replied, "Sorry, I haven¡¯t gotten it yet."
Joel was a little surprised.
He didn¡¯t quite understand. There were many ways to retrieve a person¡¯s DNA sample.
For example, there might be saliva on the target¡¯s cutlery during meals, or they could also catch the target off-guard and pluck a few strands of hair from her head. If all else failed, they could also retrieve some skin tissue...
Quentin was a ruthless man. Surely his heart didn¡¯t soften just because his target was a beauty, right?
Joel frowned. He was about to ask when Quentin scratched his head. He looked a little pained as he said, "I have never seen a woman who¡¯s such a shut-in like her."
Quentin looked at Joel. He sounded aggrieved as he said, "I¡¯ve been watching her for a day and a night. During this time, she ate a meal and slept for 24 hours! She always washes the dishes immediately after she eats. I can hardly even find her fingerprints in the Andersons¡¯, let alone retrieve her DNA sample!"
An indignant Quentin went on. "Her water ss is ced right on her bedside table, right? Surely there will be saliva on it, right? But no, there isn¡¯t! She cleans the ss even if she only takes a single sip. Is she really a woman?"
It was only when Quentin looked up that Joel finally noticed the dark circles under his eyes. He obviously hadn¡¯t slept a wink for 24 hours, but in spite of that, he said exceptionally energetically, "Don¡¯t worry, I will continue to watch her even if I don¡¯t eat or drink. I don¡¯t believe she can coop herself up at home for a whole month."
"... Did you sneak into the Andersons¡¯?" asked Joel.
"Yeah, I did." Quentin nodded.
Joel frowned. "Did they discover you?"
He just wanted a DNA test done secretly. He didn¡¯t want to make enemies with the Andersons.
Quentin shook his head. "I¡¯m confident enough in that, at least. My footsteps are light, and I bring my equipment wherever I go. There won¡¯t be any traces left behind."
Joel nodded. Then, he turned and started to walk out of the room.
"Where are you going?" asked Quentin.
"To send my daughter to school."
¡ª
At the Andersons¡¯.
Nora stretched after she woke up. Then, she shuffled out of her bedroom leisurely. When she was exiting the room, her eyes flickered a little and she looked at the door.
As expected, the strand of hair that she had attached to the door before she went to bed had fallen off.
From the looks of it, she wasn¡¯t imagining things when she sensed someone sneaking into her room while she was asleep the night before.
Nora took a walk around the entire house, but she didn¡¯t find anything missing in the house. The only things that had been touched were her ss of water and the trash can in the toilet.
Tsk.
What a disgusting thief!
Nora shook her head. At the same time, she also became wary. It seemed that her mother was indeed right!
She was already staying so low-profile, yet people were setting their sights on her. Life was simply too dangerous!
If she died and turned to ashes, would she be free of disturbances forevermore?
Nora shook her head and abandoned the thought. Then, she led Pete out of the house and sent him to school.
On the way, Tanya asked, "Has hell frozen over today, Nora? Even though I¡¯m at home, you actually took the initiative to take us to school! And you even woke up early in the morning!"
"... Oh, I¡¯m going to the New York University School of Medicine for a preoperative medical consultationter, so I need the car. It just so happens that the school is on the way."
Tanya, "..."
The corners of her lips spasmed and she held Pete as she cried out, "Look at your Mommy, Cherry! She practically has no self-awareness at all! Even though she woke up so early, it isn¡¯t for our sakes at all!"
Pete was silent for a moment before he replied, "... God-mom, why must you humiliate yourself by asking something like that?"
Tanya, "???"
She took a long while before she finally realized what Pete meant. After that, she coughed and remarked, "That does seem to be the case, huh!"
"..."
Pete heaved a silent sigh. He suddenly asked, "Will Mia be in school today?"
A dejected look appeared on Tanya¡¯s face at the mention of the name. She shook her head and replied, "I don¡¯t know."
Pete couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Can you give them a call and ask about it?"
Tanya¡¯s jaw tensed up and she replied, "Let¡¯s talk about it the next time instead."
After sending the pair to the kindergarten, Nora then drove to the New York University School of Medicine. The child¡¯s brain operation was a ssic case of conditions like his, so a lot of people hade to attend the meeting, including all the teachers and directors from the neurosurgery department.
She parked the car outside the conference room. She was about to go upstairs when she happened to see Tina.
With a small notebook in her hand, Tina¡¯s back was straightened, and she was about to head upstairs.
She was extremely happy today.
Although she hadn¡¯t managed to make Nora get her just desserts during the live-stream, there was, after all, an old but true saying¡ªthose who encountered frustrations in love, flourished in their careers!
She had finally ushered in a new lease of life in her career¡ª
Her request to prepare for the operation together with Anti and Director Shaw had been approved!
Although Anti had also performed an operation when Tina was helping to take care of the elderly Mrs. Hunt the other time, she had brought her own team, so Tina hadn¡¯t been authorized to enter the operating room at all.
She had wanted to observe the operation and learn from it that time, but Justin hadn¡¯t agreed to it.
But now, her chance was finally here again!
In addition, she had also obtained the right to personally participate in the operation herself!
In other words, she could assist Anti in the operation now! Even if all she did was just a simple suture, having it known to everyone would still elevate her position in the medical field.
However, while she was walking, she suddenly caught a glimpse of a certain loathsome person.
Tina stopped in her tracks. Sure enough, she saw a sloppy figure walking over leisurely from the car park¡ªit was none other than Nora.
She broke into a frown and walked to the conference room. However, after she took a few steps, she realized that Nora had actually alsoe over. The two of them were even right at the entrance of the conference room.
Seeing that she was about to enter, Tina immediately asked, "What are you doing here?"
Nora nced at her but didn¡¯t say anything. Tina, however, suddenly stretched out her arm and stopped her. She said, "Sorry, but we have an important meeting with Director Shaw today. If you¡¯re here for Director Shaw, I¡¯d advise you to go to his office and wait over there. This isn¡¯t a ce that unrted personnel can enter so casually!"
Nora, "?"
The half-amused woman looked at Tina, finding her awfullyughable. "Unrted personnel?" She asked.
Tina nodded and looked at her. She said, "Ms. Smith, I¡¯d advise you not to be so greedy and insatiable. You were already very lucky to be able to enter Anti¡¯s operating room because of Mr. Hunt thest time. Are you going to follow us into the operating room to observe again this time? You can¡¯t just have a single person hogging all the good things, right?"
Chapter 176: Anti Is The First!
Chapter 176: Anti Is The First!
"Thest time?"
Nora raised her brows again. She had already long forgotten that she had operated on Mrs. Hunt before.
Tina frowned at her reaction at once. She said, "You can¡¯t really be that greedy, right? It¡¯s said that different people gain different insights and experiences when watching Anti perform surgery. You should give more of such opportunities to other people instead, Ms. Smith."
While speaking, she spied Director Shaw¡¯s assistant walking over out of the corner of her eye. She changed her attitude at once, switching from a lofty attitude to her usual gentle one. She let out a sigh and said, "I¡¯m not doing this to fight for opportunities for myself, of course; I¡¯m already authorized to enter the operating room. I just feel that Ms. Smith shouldn¡¯t trouble Director Shaw because of things like this. We were allowed to enter the operating room only after going through a careful selection process. If you make use of such means to get in, then it¡¯ll mean that someone else deserving the chance won¡¯t be able to get in..."
Sure enough, her remark resonated with the person walking over.
There was no way everyone could enter the operating room. An additional person going in would mean one fewer person from the school going in. Moreover, observing and learning up close would also feel different from just watching videos.
The assistant was a doctoral student. Once he graduated, he would remain on campus and be a professor, as well as a specially-invited chief doctor in the hospital. He was also the prot¨¦g¨¦ whom Director Shaw was the proudest of. His name was Michael Lange.
He curled his lip disdainfully inwardly and said somewhat unhappily, "Director Shaw asked me to bring you in."
Tina frowned at the sight.
Just whose connections did Nora use to actually make Director Shaw treat her so politely...? On top of that, he had even sent his most capable assistant to pick her up.
The Andersons weren¡¯t capable of this. In that case, could it be the Hunts?
Tina lowered her head and followed behind them.
When Nora entered the conference room, Director Shaw was in the midst of a consultation with a few experts. Doctors of Tina¡¯s level could only take the furthermost seats and listen to their discussion.
However, as soon as Nora entered, Director Shaw stood up and said, "You¡¯re here, Ms. Smith."
As he spoke, he made a move to give up his seat to her.
Nora waved and said, "It¡¯s fine."
She randomly pulled a chair over, sat behind the few of them, and said, "Go on, don¡¯t mind me."
Director Shaw understood what she was like¡ªthe big boss didn¡¯t like trouble, so she might leave early¡ªso he didn¡¯t dare to say much about it. He continued the discussion with the others instead.
Tina, who was seated at the back, nced at the postgraduate students standing behind the row of chairs, and curled her lip in disdain.
Real chief physicians were all seated at the front and participating in the discussion.
Only postgraduate students who came along to study would sit behind their teachers. Sometimes, when there weren¡¯t enough chairs to go around, they would have to stand instead.
Among those who came to listen, Michael was the only one qualified to sit at the front.
She¡¯d thought that Nora must be very capable, but as it turned out, she was also just here to listen!
The corners of her lips curled into a smile.
Two hourster.
"... This is a bleeding point. We have to take special care to avoid this spot during the operation."
After discussing various possibilities, Director Shaw and the others finalized the surgical n.
Director Shaw was a rtively democratic and magnanimous person. Whenever he had an operation ted, he would have his doctoral and postgraduate students discuss the operation together. As such, he asked, "Do you have any other opinions? Or is there anything that you feel we should pay attention to?"
With the few mentor-level doctors jointly discussing the operation, all the details had already been gone through, so everyone shook their heads.
Director Shaw then looked at Nora and asked, "Is there anything special to take note of?"
Nora raised her droopy, slightly world-weary almond-shaped eyes and leisurely uttered, "No."
This was just a minor operation. Director Shaw had already taken every single possibility into consideration.
Nora had listened to their discussion very seriously. As a result, now that she had rxed, she couldn¡¯t help but yawn after she spoke.
It made her lookzy and sloppy as if she had been close to nodding off the entire time.
Tina nced at Michael and sighed. She said, "Some people don¡¯t even have the opportunity toe in and listen even if they want to, yet there are people who don¡¯t know to cherish the opportunity they have. What a waste of ces..."
A constantly serious Michael looked around.
All the students who were here for the discussion were very attentive. Everyone was holding pens and notebooks, and writing notes. Some had even brought recorder pens, for fear that they would miss important things to take note of.
Even Director Shaw and the other chief doctors had notebooks with them and were making notes about the key points of the operation.
Nora was the only one sitting there casually.
Michael thought of his roommate, who hadn¡¯t been selected to participate in Anti¡¯s surgery because they were short of a ce. Before he came here, his envious roommate had said to him, "You¡¯re so blessed. I¡¯m willing to do anything just to observe Anti¡¯s operation even once!"
Anti was their¡ªall the neurosurgeons¡¯¡ªidol. An opportunity like this was simply too rare, yet that woman wasn¡¯t cherishing it!
In the midst of his thoughts, Director Shaw said, "Michael, go to my office and get the list of personnel participating in the operation the day after tomorrow."
Michael nodded.
Director Shaw¡¯s office was just next door. The personnel list needed his signature for final approval.
After taking the list, he took a casual look at the names on it while on the way back.
First on the list was Anti.
In the past, her name was something that only existed in legends. However, he now had the opportunity to meet her up close. The sight of her name alone made Michael rather excited.
The second was Director Shaw...
Following it was a list of assistants. He went through the names from the start to the end, but he suddenly realized that Nora¡¯s name wasn¡¯t on it?
His footsteps suddenly became rather light and springy.
He just knew that Director Shaw wasn¡¯t a man who acted ording to one¡¯s connections!
After he returned to the conference room, Director Shaw announced the list and signed it. He dismissed everyone after that. Then, to Nora, he said, "Please wait for me for a while, Ms. Smith. I have a very important phone consultation that will take about ten minutes, but I have something to talk to you about after that."
Nora yawned again and nodded.
Director Shaw said, "Michael, take Ms. Smith to my office first!"
Michael nodded and led Nora out of the conference room.
Tina was very happy when she heard the list of personnel participating in the operation.
She didn¡¯t expect that Nora¡¯s name wouldn¡¯t be in there! It seemed like the connections she had used weren¡¯t powerful enough after all!
She wondered if she was spluttering in anger at the moment? Or perhaps, she was mad and embarrassed instead?
Tina wanted very much to admire her current countenance and facial expression.
Thus, she deliberately dawdled a little in the bathroom. When she saw Michael walking out of the conference room with Nora, she walked over and pretended to bump into them. Then, she said pretentiously, "You won¡¯t be able to observe Anti¡¯s operation this time, Dr. Smith. Don¡¯t be too disappointed, though. After all, there will always be another chance next time, right?"
Nora, "???"
She looked at Tinazily. "Are you very bored and idle today?"
Tina cast her eyes down and said, "How can you say that? I was just trying tofort you out of kindness. I know you must be in a very bad mood because you can¡¯t take part in Anti¡¯s operation, but this can¡¯t be helpe¡ª"
However, as soon as she said that, Nora interrupted her and said, "Who says I¡¯m not taking part in it?"
Chapter 177: Do You Know Who She Is?
Chapter 177: Do You Know Who She Is?
Both Tina and Michael were stunned the moment she said that.
Tina looked at her incredulously. "Are you still nning to take part in it when you aren¡¯t even on the list? How are you going to do that?"
She nced at the direction Nora was heading¡ªit was Director Shaw¡¯s office¡ªand she said, "Are you nning to pester Director Shaw again? Do you..."
When she noticed that Michael was still next to Nora, she swallowed back down the words ¡¯have any shame or not¡¯. Tina balled up her fists tightly and changed what she wanted to say. She said, "... You¡¯re putting Director Shaw in a really tight spot if you do that. Everyone already knows the list of participants, Ms. Smith. Except for Anti, no one has the right to modify it. Director Shaw is a man of principles and is well-respected in school. If he bends the rules because of you, I¡¯m really afraid that his reputation would end up in shambles in his twilight years..."
She nced at Michael after she spoke¡ªsure enough, the man was frowning. Then, she heaved a sigh and said, "I know it¡¯s useless no matter how much more I say, but I just want everyone to be okay. It¡¯s better to not be so insistent on some things, Ms. Smith. I¡¯ll go first."
She turned and left after that.
But before she even reached the corner, she heard Michael¡¯s cold and stiff voice. He said, "There is nock of doctors who want to take part in Anti¡¯s operation, Ms. Smith. What one should rely on is their capabilities, not their connections!"
Tina lowered her gaze and left with peace of mind.
Michael was the student that Director Shaw was the proudest of. Additionally, they were also rted in another way¡ªDirector Shaw had already decided on Michael as his son-inw. Thus, he had a huge say, be it in the school or with Director Shaw.
Her words might not work, but Michael¡¯s surely would!
So, Nora wanted to take part in Anti¡¯s operation this time? Heh, no way!
It would be her turn to envy her this time, no matter what!
Tina left with confidence.
¡ª
Michael¡¯s gaze was fixed on Nora.
He¡¯d always had only admiration for every decision that his mentor made because Director Shaw was a true doctor.
¡¯Doctors should be benevolent¡¯¡ªDirector Shaw was a true reflection of these words.
Many people had given up on the child because his condition was too difficult, and there were too many uncertainties involved¡ªafter all, he was still in the growth and development phase.
Yet, Director Shaw had taken it on and was even willing to stake his life¡¯s reputation on it.
After all, should the operation fail, his record of never failing a single operation in his life would be broken.
Michael entered Director Shaw¡¯s office immediately after he spoke.
Nora followed him at the back. She sat on the sofa and looked around leisurely after she entered the office. Michael poured her a ss of water. Then, he sat in front of her and said, "I know you have powerful connections, Ms. Smith. That¡¯s why Mr. Shaw treats you with great respect. However, I¡¯d still advise you to give up on joining the operation!"
Michael said in persuasion, "There are a lot of people watching the operation this time. On top of that, there would also be reporters, so the operation is of great importance. The list of participants has gone through severalyers of screening. If anyone is found to have tampered with it, Mr. Shaw would have to take responsibility for it!"
He then nced at Nora¡¯s clean hands and refreshed appearance. It didn¡¯t seem like there was even a hint of rigor to her at all.
He frowned and went on. "Also, everyone who enters the operating room has to thoroughly memorize the finalized surgical n, but you were sleeping during the meeting just now. You didn¡¯t make any record of the discussion at all, did you? What can a flippant person like you learn even if you¡¯re in the operating room?"
A surprised Nora retorted, "Who says I didn¡¯tmit anything to memory?"
Michael became even angrier when he heard her rebuttal. He said, "You look like you¡¯re probably one or two years younger than me, right, Ms. Smith? Then you should know better than anyone else that a good memory is never as good as a worn-out pen. You should at least bring a notebook with you and note down all the important information when you study, right? You¡¯ll only be able to make sure that you don¡¯t forget anything important if you do that. But what did you do instead? You were nodding off throughout the entire meeting!"
Nora, "?"
She stared at Michael¡¯s notebook, which was densely packed with his writings. Then, she held her forehead with her hand and said, "How would I possibly not be able to memorize this bit of information?"
Not only did she have a photographic memory, but the act of performing an operation was even already close to bing muscle memory for her. How could anything possibly go wrong?
Michael was a little overwhelmed by her rhetorical question. Nevertheless, his expression still darkened and he said, "One shouldn¡¯t be so conceited, Ms. Smith!"
How could anyone possibly remember this many surgical key points?
This was impossible unless they were like Director Shaw, who had undertaken innumerable operations and gone through various experiences!
Nora, however, was puzzled. "Was I being conceited?"
Her words made Michael choke. The young woman in front of him was practically incorrigible. At once, he said angrily, "Having you be part of Anti¡¯s operation is an insult in itself to Anti! Anti is an almighty surgeon who has never failed in any of their operations. They are practically a legend of the medical profession. Can you please hold a little awe or reverence with regard to observing their operation?!"
Nora could tell from the way he spoke about Anti that he must be a diehard fan of Anti.
But... a legend of the medical profession? An almighty surgeon?
Now, that was a little too exaggerated.
Even though she had always been thick-skinned, the corners of her lips nheless couldn¡¯t help but spasm at this moment. "They aren¡¯t that godly, are they?"
Her self-effacing reply, however, made Michael misunderstand. He said furiously, "What do you mean by that, Ms. Smith? How dare you not take even Anti seriously? Are you saying that you don¡¯t think Anti is that amazing? Are you looking down on Anti, or are you looking down on medical practice as a profession itself?"
Nora, "..."
Did he need to elevate it to such a level of ideology?
Besides, how did she even be equivalent to medical practice as a profession itself?!
Nora face-palmed. The people in the medical profession were regarding her as too great a person, which vaguely stressed her out a little. Even though she found the situation funny, she nevertheless exined seriously, "Anti is also human. They aren¡¯t a god."
She just needed more sleep than ordinary people, that was all!
Anti was someonepletely beyond Michael¡¯s reach! She was also his idol in his career. There was no way he could ever tolerate anyone spheming or looking down on her!
The sight of Nora looking down so much on the genius doctor infuriated him. He got up at once and said angrily, "You¡ª!"
Before he could finish, the office door was pushed open, and Director Shaw hurried in.
He had forcibly reduced the ten-minute-long consultation to just five minutes, for fear that he would identally slight the big boss. Yet, as soon as he entered, he instead saw Michael ring at her?
A frightened Director Shaw immediately asked, "What are you doing, Michael?"
A huffy Michael looked at Director Shaw and said, "I really don¡¯t understand just who exactly is backing her up, Director Shaw. She¡¯s just a little girl. Why are you so polite to her?"
Director Shaw, "?"
He stopped Michael¡¯s usations at once, stepped forward, and rebuked, "What kind of nonsense are you spouting? She doesn¡¯t have anyone backing her up!"
His words made Michael even more perplexed. He asked, "In that case, are you going to let her participate in Anti¡¯s operation?"
"Of course!"
Michael was furious. He demanded, "Why are you letting her participate in Anti¡¯s operation when she despises Anti so much?"
Director Shaw couldn¡¯t help but hold his forehead. Then, he looked at Michael and asked, "Do you know who she is?"
Chapter 178: Her Biological Father?
Chapter 178: Her Biological Father?
Michael frowned.
Who could she possibly even be? Wasn¡¯t she just the daughter of a wealthy family with a bit of influence?
But if that was really the case, his mentor wouldn¡¯t be speaking so solemnly... Michael looked at Nora, and then back at Director Shaw, who asked him, "Who is the person you admire the most?"
Of course, it was...
In an instant, something seemed to click in Michael¡¯s head. His head whipped around abruptly, and he looked at Nora in disbelief. His eyes suddenly widened big and round, and he swallowed hard. "Are you Anti..."
Director Shaw felt that his student was finally being smart for once.
Michael was too academic-focused and had a rather rigid character. He devoted all of his passion and energy to medicine. Director Shaw could protect him while he was still around, but he couldn¡¯t help but worry whether or not Michael could make a name for himself in the field of medicine after he retired.
From the looks of it, he didn¡¯t seem that stupid, after all.
... Or so he thought, because the next moment, he heard Michael say, "¡ª¡¯s first assistant, Lily?"
Director Shaw, "?"
He took back his statement from just now!
On the sofa, Nora, who was about to wait for Michael to worship her, "?"
An astounded Michael eximed, "Are you really Lily? My goodness, I¡¯ve only heard that Anti¡¯s first assistant was a youngdy, but I didn¡¯t expect her to be this young! If you¡¯re Lily, then you¡¯re really very impressive, Ms. Smith!"
The corners of Nora¡¯s lips spasmed.
Director Shaw face-palmed.
Michael gave his sses a push, looked at her seriously, and said, "I¡¯m very pleased to make your acquaintance, Ms. Lily. You are so blessed to be able to work with Anti! Do you know that every medical student envies you the most?!"
"..."
Seeing that Michael looked as if he wanted to go on, Director Shaw interrupted him with a wave. He decided to do him a favor and let that prot¨¦g¨¦ of his see and experience how disgusting and detestable society was, as well as teach him not to judge a book by its cover.
He said, "She¡¯s not Lily. Alright, you can go out for now!"
Michael, "?"
She wasn¡¯t Lily?
He¡¯d thought that Anti was too busy toe over, so she¡¯d sent Lily to take part in the consultation instead. But if she wasn¡¯t Lily, then why did his mentor say that?
A confused Michael frowned. However, he obediently left the room after ncing at Nora again.
After he left, Director Shaw closed the door and looked at Nora helplessly. He said, "This student of mine has very strongprehension ability in neurosurgery. You can say that he¡¯s a genius. He¡¯ll definitely be an even better surgeon than me in the future. It¡¯s just that he¡¯s a little thick-headed. I hope you won¡¯t hold it against him."
Nora waved carelessly, not bothered in the least.
Director Shaw was relieved.
Anti¡¯s status in the medical field was too high. A single word from her could easily negatively affect Michael¡¯s future.
He took out the list of personnel, handed it to Nora, and said, "This is the list of all the medical staff participating in the operation. Do you think it needs to be reduced?"
Although he had already signed off on it, he still needed her to personally confirm the finalized list.
Nora took a couple of looks at it. Her gaze swept across Tina¡¯s name before she went past it.
Not only did Tina have the audacity to increase the live-stream¡¯s poprity, but it must also have been because of Ang that Henry suddenly came to New York out of nowhere to kick up a fuss. It could only have been Tina who had instigated Ang to do so.
That woman was too irritating. Nora wanted her to disappear from her life. In that case, she would have to give her a legitimate reason and opportunity to do that, of course.
She smiled and kept her name there. In the end, she only added a name: Lisa ck.
Her little cousin... Oh,e to think of it, since she wasn¡¯t rted to Henry, then that meant that she and Irene Smith weren¡¯t aunt and niece anymore, either.
However, Aunt Irene had always treated her pretty well, so she didn¡¯t mind maintaining their familial ties even if they weren¡¯t blood-rted.
Director Shaw smiled when he saw what she did. "You¡¯re surprisingly rather protective of your student."
Nora yawned and got onto her feet. "She¡¯s my student; of course I have to protect her."
Performing operations was very exhausting. If she groomed and trained Lisa, it would be great if she could operate on her behalf in the future!
If it wasn¡¯t for her health, she would have liked to save a few more people.
Director Shaw then hastily said, "You didn¡¯t ask your assistant toe back this time, so I¡¯ve arranged one for you."
He smiled and suggested, "What do you think of Michael from just now?"
Nora nced at him.
Director Shaw smiled openly and said, "I¡¯m not trying to help my student. Rather, in terms of overall ability, he is the most suitable candidate. Moreover, his admiration for Anti is endless and boundless, so he definitely won¡¯t be a hindrance to you."
Nora thought of the notes that Michael had written just now. The writings were densely packed and written very seriously. Moreover, it was obvious at a nce that the man himself was the stiff and rigid type, which made him very suitable to be a doctor.
She nodded and said, "I¡¯ll let you make the decision."
She turned and stepped out of the office after that.
Unexpectedly, Michael was standing right outside the door. When he saw her exit, he looked at her hesitantly and asked, "Who exactly are you, Ms. Smith?"
The corners of Nora¡¯s lips quirked upward into a smile, and she said, "Make a guess?"
After that, she left straight away without giving Michael another chance to speak.
She went downstairs and headed to the car park. While on the way there, students around her were leaving a ss one after another and a lot of people were walking toward where she was.
Her cell phone rang at this point. When Nora picked up, Cherry¡¯s voice came from the other end. She asked, "Mommy, can you look up someone for me?"
Nora raised her brows. "Who is it?"
Cherry sounded very down. She replied, "It¡¯s my Sponsor Grandpa. He hasn¡¯t been on Messenger for 36 hours and 7 minutes. Can you find out who he is for me? If it¡¯s possible, can you tell him to log on to Messenger? Our spark of friendship is about to extinguish!"
Nora, "..."
She was aware of some of the ongoings in Cherry¡¯s live-streams. Sponsor Grandpa and Sponsor Daddy were both her big fans.
However, Nora couldn¡¯t be bothered to do it. She said, "I¡¯m sleepy, and I have to sleep."
"I¡¯ve already asked Pete, Mommy. You¡¯re not in bed right now! If you don¡¯t help me, I¡¯ll have to ask Grand-aunt for help!"
Nora, "!"
All she knew was to use that trick.
Her aunt was very busy abroad. In spite of that, she had helped her look after her child all these years, so she¡¯d better not bother her with such trivial matters.
A resigned Nora said, "Just this once!"
"I know, I know! It won¡¯t happen again, yeah~"
Cherry hung up after giving her an excited reply.
With her cell phone in hand, Nora was about to check Sponsor Grandpa¡¯s identity using the Messenger ount that Cherry had sent her when a male student suddenly passed her by. He seemingly unintentionally bumped into her shoulder before he apologized sincerely, "Sorry..."
Just as he was about to slip away, a slender hand grabbed his arm. The young man wanted to break free from her hold but found that he couldn¡¯t.
The girl might look petite, but she was surprisingly strong.
Nora lowered her gaze and stared at the two strands of hairs that he had plucked off her head by taking advantage of the chaos just now. A sharp glint shed across her cat-like eyes as she demanded, "Whose orders are you under to take DNA samples from me?!"
Could it be... her biological father?
Chapter 179: We Can Do A DNA Comparison Now!
Chapter 179: We Can Do A DNA Comparison Now!
There was actually another reason why Nora had deliberately revealed in Roxanne¡¯s live-stream that she wasn¡¯t Henry¡¯s daughter, and that was¡ªthe man who had shared an intimate rtionship with her mother back then would surely be suspicious, right?
With the existence of a daughter like her, he would surely give himself away at some point. Therefore, she had been extra vignt thest few days.
The pain in her shoulder during the collision just now was clearly used to disguise the pain from plucking out her hair. Unfortunately for them, her senses were very keen.
As everyone would know, the hair itself was useless in DNA tests. Rather, the part that was used in DNA tests was the hair follicle attached to the strand of hair.
The young man currently had two strands of her hair carefully pinched between his fingers as if he was afraid of contaminating the hair follicles. Obviously, he was intending to use them in a DNA test.
At her question, he seemed to panic and started to struggle.
Nora looked at his face¡ªhe was a in-looking man whom one might not even notice in a crowd.
Even his age was very strange.
At first nce, he seemed like a 20-year-old college student, but if one were to observe him carefully, he might also pass as a 30-year-old...
In the midst of Nora¡¯s thoughts, the man suddenly reached out his other arm and thrust it at her heart with speed and precision!
Nora¡¯s eyes widened a little. The man showed no mercy whatsoever in his attack. Had she reacted even just a little slower, she would almost have been stabbed.
Additionally, because she had to let go of him when she was dodging the attack, the man took the opportunity to run. Nora paused for a brief moment before she went after him once more.
Her speed was very fast, but he was even faster. With the dagger in his hand, he yelled, "Get out of the way!"
Some students started to scream while some took out their cell phones and called the police.
Soon, a security officer in the school rushed over. Unfortunately, the man seemed very experienced. He weaved through the swarm of college students that had just left their ssrooms when sses ended, and ultimately disappeared.
"Don¡¯t move, everyone!" The security officer calmed the terrified students and said, "I¡¯ve already called the police. The police on patrol nearby will be here soon!"
Nora stood where she was with her gaze lowered.
She¡¯d originally thought that the man was sent by her biological father for the purpose of having a DNA test done, but why did it seem like he was full of hostility toward her?
It was just like it didn¡¯t matter even if she was killed.
In that case, it definitely wasn¡¯t her biological father.
But if it wasn¡¯t her biological father, then who was it?
Nora suddenly thought of how Yvette had instructed her to keep a low profile because if she didn¡¯t, it would bring her trouble.
Her eyes flickered.
Soon, the police on patrol nearby arrived. As everyone had seen that the assant with the dagger was originally intending to kill Nora, the police approached her straightaway.
Nora, however, was surprised when she saw the officer that approached her.
"Captain Ford?"
Morris Ford nodded. Dressed in in clothes, his big and tall figure made one feel very secure. He had an upright air around him, and his demeanor was solemn and awe-inspiring, making everyone around him subconsciously regard him with profound respect.
His voice was very deep and he was expressionless as he asked, "Do you know who the assant is, Ms. Smith? Why does he want to kill you? Is there any feud between the two of you?"
Nora cast her eyes down and remarked, "Tasks like patrolling don¡¯t seem to suit you very well, Captain Ford."
The police had arrived as soon as the incident happened. It was so fast that it made one wonder if he had been nearby the entire time. Moreover, Morris had a special identity. There was no way he would be carrying out tasks like that.
In that case, there were only two possibilities¡ªeither Morris was tracking the assant from just now, or he was tailing her!
Additionally, the second possibility was likelier because he had simply appeared too quickly.
Nora narrowed her eyes a little. If Morris really was tailing her, then that would make him very impressive, indeed¡ªafter all, she hadn¡¯t noticed anything despite her keen senses!
Morris, however, didn¡¯t exhibit any awkwardness or embarrassment at being discovered. Instead, he said coldly, "As far as I understand, you have been shut away in a room ever since you were a child, Ms. Smith. It doesn¡¯t seem like you should be a doctor, either."
"..."
His words made Nora choke for a moment there. However, she broke into a smile the next moment and retorted, "Is it against thew for me to be a doctor, Captain Ford?"
"Well, no." Morris didn¡¯t make any effort to conceal the fact that he had looked into her background. "After all, you have saved many lives over the years."
Nora shifted the topic to the man from just now. She said, "I don¡¯t know who he is, but perhaps Captain Ford does?"
"I do have a clue or two." Morris said, "You¡¯ll be in some danger the next few days. I¡¯d advise you to avoid crowded ces."
Nora raised her eyebrows. "Isn¡¯t it a rather bad idea to let small risks stop us from doing what we have to, Captain Ford? Besides, I have an important operation scheduled tomorrow."
Morris kept quiet for a while before he nodded slightly at her and said, "I will try my best to ensure your safety, Ms. Smith."
"Feel free to do what you have to."
The man¡¯s identity wasn¡¯t an ordinary one; even if she were to reject their protection, it probably wouldn¡¯t work anyway, right?
Nora got up and walked over to her car. Before she got in the car, she looked at him and asked, "Do you want to check the car, Captain Ford? Just in case it¡¯s been tampered with."
Morris kept quiet for a moment. Then, he actually really stepped forward and inspected the car from the front, back, left, and right. After that, he said, "It doesn¡¯t seem like that man was really after your life, Ms. Smith. What exactly did he do to you just now?"
Nora lowered her gaze when she thought of the man plucking out her hair. However, she intuitively chose to hide the truth. She held her hands up in a shrug and replied, "I don¡¯t know, either."
She didn¡¯t know whether Morris believed her or not, but he turned and stepped aside.
Nora left the New York University School of Medicine in her car after that.
When she returned to the Andersons¡¯, she nced at the back while she parked the car. It seemed like there were quite a few groups of people following her while she was on the way back.
¡ª
Quentin Smith felt like he had just encountered the equivalent of the Battle of Waterloo in his career!
He, the great Quentin, a Smith and even the nephew of Ian Smith himself, had always been very reliable when it came to handling shady affairs and dealings. However, he had actually met his downfall at the hands of a little girl this time!
Why was it so difficult to get her DNA sample?
He hadn¡¯t rested for a whole 48 hours since he received his mission, causing him to even have dark circles under his eyes now. After much difficulty, he had finally waited until she left her home.
He followed Nora all the way to the New York University School of Medicine and even changed into a student-like outfit, nning to bump into herter and collect some samples along the way.
But unexpectedly, some guy had actually swooped in out of nowhere!
Quentin stared at the fleeing man in anger. There were serious consequences to be had when he got mad!
He stopped following Nora, put on the hood of his ck hoodie, and went after the man.
As Nora was afraid that she would identally bump into the students, she hadn¡¯t gone after the man. However, Quentin happened to be right in the direction in which the man had escaped, so he easily followed after him.
The man was obviously a professional, turning at several corners along the way.
Quentin sneered. When it came to things like tailing someone, he was definitely the number one in New York!
How dare he y such tricks in front of him! He was totally underestimating his abilities!
Quentin, who didn¡¯t take his gaze off the man even once, followed him out of the school. Atst, when they came to a quiet corner, the man breathed a sigh of relief, and carefully ced the two strands of hairs he had just tugged off Nora¡¯s scalp into a stic bag.
The next moment, Quentin darted over like a hurricane and snatched the hair samples.
Atst, he hadpleted his mission!
They could do the DNAparison now!
Chapter 180: A Slap In The Face!
Chapter 180: A p In The Face!
An excited Quentin ced the bag of hair into his pocket. By the time he looked up again, the man had already escaped!
Quentin smacked himself on the head in annoyance.
Since Joel, the head of the Smiths, had asked him to get Ms. Smith and Uncle Ian¡¯s DNApared, that must mean that he suspected that they were father and daughter.
Should they really be father and daughter, then that would make Nora his cousin.
That man actually had the audacity to attempt to kill his cousin just now. He should have caught him and handed him to Uncle Ian! However, one must admit that the man was indeed agile. Although he didn¡¯t have much physical strength, he excelled in nimbleness.
Quentin cast his eyes down. When did someone like that appear in New York? It seemed that it was time they ought to check it out!
He took out his cell phone and called Joel.
"I got the samples."
Then, he gave him a brief report of the process.
Upon being informed that someone was targeting Nora, Joel¡¯s voice became a little grave. He said, "Protect her for the time being. Don¡¯t let anything happen to her, just in case she¡¯s really our cousin."
"Okay."
Joel then asked, "The samples didn¡¯t get switched, right?"
"No way."
Quentin was very sure. He was also exceptionally confident in himself. He said, "I watched him the entire time after he got the samples. He didn¡¯t have any time to switch them in between."
"Good."
¡ª
The careless Nora didn¡¯t feel any lingering fear at all even after she returned to the Andersons¡¯. Neither did she feel any pressing sense of crisis. Instead, she took out herptop and started to look up Sponsor Grandpa¡¯s identity for her daughter.
But in the end!
Someone had encrypted his Messenger app. While she could indeed decrypt it and locate him, forcibly breaking through the firewall would expose her identity as the hacker, Q. However, if she were to bypass it without breaking the firewall, it would take her some time.
Nora hesitated for a moment before she silently quit the program. She sent a message to Cherry: ¡¯I only found out that he is a New Yorker. I didn¡¯t find anything else.¡¯
Cherry replied very quickly: ¡¯You must not have tried your best, Mommy! With your invincible skill, there is absolutely no way you would have any problem investigating what you want!¡¯
Despite the few days of separation, the little fellow was still as much a tterer as ever!
Nora sighed. "I¡¯m going to bed for now. I¡¯ll look him up for you again after the operation tomorrow."
"Okie-Dokie! I knew Mommy¡¯s the best! Cherry loves you~"
Nora couldn¡¯t be bothered with her crazy bouts of ttery. She stopped the voice messages and went to bed.
The child¡¯s operation was scheduled the next day, so she had to have a good sleep today.
¡ª
The operation was held in the New York Hospital.
Director Shaw was the head of the Department of Neurosurgery in the hospital. It was also a big hospital on par with Hospital Finest in reputation.
Nora drove to the hospital and reached the car park on time. Then, she entered the exclusive elevator and went upstairs.
Doctors used different routes from patients¡¯ family members. Michael and the others were already waiting for Anti in the sterile zone.
Lisa, who was wearing a sterile surgical gown, stood at the back of the crowd with her eyes bright and shiny.
She was finally going to meet Anti. Even though Anti had taken her as her postgraduate student, this was the first time Lisa was going to meet Anti.
The thought of it alone made her rather nervous.
While she was thinking about this, the people next to her were also talking to one another with their voices lowered. One of them said, "Oh my god! I¡¯m actually going to be part of the same operation as Anti!"
"I also feel so lucky! But the happiest has gotta be Lisa. I heard that she originally wasn¡¯t on the list. Moreover, this operation is so important that even doctoral students and professors want toe in and observe. Lisa is the only graduate student among them!"
"What¡¯s the big deal about that? In my opinion, Lisa will definitely be able to take part in all of Anti¡¯s operations in the future!"
Lisa, who was a little embarrassed by the praise, lowered her head shyly.
Tina, however, frowned and reprimanded them. "Stop gossiping and get ready to enter the scrub room for disinfection."
Tina could be considered the leading teacher, as well as the second surgeon, in the operation. Apart from the important parts that she would do herself, Anti would be assigning some of the other tasks to her.
Therefore, one couldpletely consider them as operating side by side.
Upon being lectured, the others stuck out their tongues at one another, entered the scrub area for disinfection, and also put on their masks, scrub hats, and so on.
Lisa followed behind them. She was about to go in when Tina suddenly sneered and said mockingly, "You¡¯re just Anti¡¯s student, that¡¯s all. What¡¯s there to be so proud of? Everyone knows that Anti has always been based abroad and won¡¯t be returning to the States to develop their career. You staying within the country sure puts you in a rather awkward and embarrassing situation!"
Lisa frowned when she heard what she said.
She wanted to say something, but when she thought of how the other party was a professor, she could only shut her mouth.
After they disinfected themselves, Tina looked straight at her and ordered, "You¡¯re in charge of looking after the surgical tools and the surgical sponge supply!"
Lisa was taken aback.
Surgical tools and surgical sponges in the operating room were supposed to be handled by the apanying nurses, but Tina was actually assigning the task to her?
She was clearly oppressing her.
Lisa bit her lip, but could only give a resigned nod in the end.
The few of them then went out and waited for the chief surgeon¡¯s arrival.
It was at this moment that Tina suddenly caught a glimpse of a familiar figure through the windows outside the door.
She was stunned.
Nora Smith?
Why was she here?!
Could it be that she still hadn¡¯t given up and was intending to enter the operating room?
"Professor York, what are you looking at?" asked a doctor.
Tina withdrew her gaze at once. Her eyes swept across her side and she spotted Michael, who was nervously familiarizing himself with the things he needed to pay attention to during the operation. He looked very serious.
She pretended to walk over inadvertently and asked, "Dr. Lange, did you see Ms. Smith?"
Michael was taken aback. "What?"
Tina immediately said, "She just walked past. It seems like she has entered the changing room."
The changing room?
Michael was stunned.
Tina went on. "Anti should be in the changing room now, right? Will Ms. Smith cause any trouble to Anti if she enters the changing room like that?"
Michael rushed over practically right after she said that.
Anti didn¡¯t like to reveal their face. This was something that all of them already knew before they came for the operation. Thus, Director Shaw had specially prepared a changing room for Anti. Anti was the only one who was allowed to go in.
Only one person would be seeing what Anti really looked like today, and that was Michael¡ªbecause he was Anti¡¯s assistant today!
When Michael reached the changing room, he was just in time to see Nora pushing the door open and about to enter.
He took a step forward in rm and grabbed Nora¡¯s arm. "What are you doing? Do you know what this ce is? This is a changing room that was prepared for only Anti!"
Nora raised her eyebrows and looked at him calmly. "I know that."
Michael frowned and said angrily, "Then why you are still going in? Can you afford to take the responsibility if you disturb Anti and end up affecting the operation today? I know you want to enter the operating room very much, but those shameless pestering tactics used for job hunting aren¡¯t appropriate here. You..."
Before he could finish, Nora withdrew her arm from his grasp. The seemingly amused woman asked dispassionately, "How am I supposed to operate if I don¡¯t change?"
Michael¡¯s eyes abruptly widened at her words. "W-what did you say?"
Chapter 181: Nora Smith Is Anti!
Chapter 181: Nora Smith Is Anti!
Nora didn¡¯t look at him anymore. Instead, she went straight into the changing room.
Michael stood outside the door, totally frozen in ce.
What Ms. Smith had said just now... Was she saying that she was Anti?
This... Surely not?
Michael swallowed hard. He had really never once imagined that Nora might possibly be Anti. After all, it took time for one to train their skills in surgery, and one needed to perform many operations in order to cultivate a feel for things.
Most of the amazing surgeons in their industry were middle-aged. Not only could they keep up in terms of stamina, but they were also experienced. Therefore, everyone assumed that Anti must be a middle-aged man or woman.
Nora... was a little too young!
Given her age, she might not even be good enough to be Lily, Anti¡¯s first assistant, right?
W-was... was she really Anti?
While Michael¡¯s expression was changing again and again, Nora had changed and came back out. Her hair was tied up, and she was wearing a surgical gown and a surgical cap.
Surgical caps were fastened very tightly to prevent hair from being exposed. This was to prevent people from bringing germs and bacteria into the operating room. Most people looked very ugly wearing it, but when Nora¡¯s face was fully exposed like this, it instead made her look even more stunning.
She had a very cold expression on her countenance, and her eyes were downcast. The air around her was still as casual as ever.
She had previously given Michael azy and frivolous feeling, but she feltpletely different now¡ªthis was self-assurance and confidence!
As expected of his idol, indeed!
Michael¡¯s eyes were shining. He simply watched as she walked over to the sink next to him. After washing her hands and fingers carefully, she looked back at him...
Michael was so excited that he wanted to run a fewps around the hospital.
He had finally met his idol!!
At the sight of him staring at herself as though he had gone daft, Nora¡¯s almond-shaped eyes narrowed a little as she smiled at Michael and said, "Anti is human, not a god."
Michael, "!!"
He suddenly thought of how he had refuted Nora and misunderstood that she was looking down on Anti when she had said that previously. But in the end, she was just being self-effacing!
He suddenly flushed crimson all over his face. He swallowed and said, "Ant¡ª"
However, before he could finish, footstepsing toward them suddenly rang out. They were likely from the medical staff who had finished putting on their surgical gowns and were about to enter.
Nora abruptly turned her head and suddenly stretched out a finger, gesturing to him to keep quiet.
Michael¡¯s words immediately became stuck in his throat.
Nora took out a surgical mask and quickly put it on, followed by a pair of goggles. Her movements were neither too quick nor slow; it was as if she had calcted the time just right. By the time they entered, she hadpletely covered herself up.
No one could see her original appearance at all when she was all covered up like that.
"Is Anti ready, Michael?"
A voice reached them before the others even approached. Right on the heels of it, Tina led the few medical staff over to wash their hands. When they saw Anti, who had already changed, the whole group was stunned.
Someone couldn¡¯t stop themselves from asking softly, "Professor... Anti?"
Nora looked at them. Her gaze swept past Tina to ultimately fall on Lisa, who was standing at the back of the crowd but also staring at her with bright and shiny eyes like Michael.
She nodded slightly, making the group of people excited.
"Anti, you are my idol!"
"Professor Anti, I¡¯m so lucky to be able to watch you perform an operation with my own eyes!"
"... Ahhh, I¡¯m so excited!"
Nora raised her eyebrows. She smiled at the excited doctor and said jokingly, "Do remember to keep your hands steady."
The doctor immediately straightened his back and promised, "Rest assured, Anti! There definitely won¡¯t be any problems!"
Amid the cheer and harmony, a discordant voice rang out. "Where is Nora Smith, Dr. Lange?"
Tina¡¯s voice was neither loud nor soft, yet it was still within Nora¡¯s earshot. Tina looked at Michael and said, "I clearly saw her just now. Is she hiding somewhere so that she can sneak into the operating room?"
Michael, "..."
He wanted to say that Anti was Nora herself! But when he thought of how Anti had gestured him to keep quiet before the others came in... She must be asking him to keep her identity a secret, right?
Thus, Michael replied, "Don¡¯t bring that up anymore..."
"Why not? I¡¯m just trying to warn Anti about it, lest she suddenly pops up out of nowhere during the operation." Tina deliberately heaved a sigh as she tried to give Anti a bad impression of Nora.
She was afraid that Anti would give Nora special treatment because of the Hunts.
It stood to reason that Anti would ask about what had happened after she said that, right? This way, she would be able to naturally say certain things after that.
But unexpectedly, those eyes behind the goggles looked as if there was only icy coldness in them.
She must be mistaken, though.
After all, Anti was joking with the others just now and seemed rather even-tempered.
Seeing that she wasn¡¯t saying anything, Tina went on by herself and said, "My apologies, Anti, this is an oversight on the school¡¯s part for allowing someone who really wanted to observe your surgery to break in. We will definitely sue her if we discover herter! This has reached the point of serious medical malpractice!"
Nora, "?"
With which eye had Tina seen her breaking in? Those who didn¡¯t know any better would have thought that she must have done something really nefarious!
Her expression became even colder.
Afraid that Anti would be angry, Michael stepped in front of Tina and said, "Alright, that¡¯s enough. Let¡¯s go to the operating room!"
On ount of Michael, Tina nodded at everyone behind her.
Everyone had to enter the operating room to make preparations in advance and ready all the tools to be usedter. When Lisa passed by Nora, she greeted her cautiously, "Hello, Professor Anti."
Nora smiled at her and said encouragingly, "I¡¯m rtively busy at the moment, so follow Dr. Shaw and do your best to learn from him for now."
Her voice... It sounded rather familiar to Lisa.
She cast a hesitant nce at Nora again¡ªthose eyes behind the goggles also looked a little familiar. In the midst of her hesitance, Tina reprimanded her. "What are you spacing out for? Hurry up and go in!"
Lisa hurriedly retracted her gaze. She nced at Nora again before she followed the rest into the operating room.
Nora frowned.
Her cousin was a little too much of a pushover. Did she allow just anyone to shout at her?
She was about to speak when Tina suddenly came up to her and said, "Professor Anti, I am Tina York, a professor that the medical university also specially invited. I am honored to take part in the same operation as you."
Nora stared at her.
Tina said unhurriedly, "Professor Anti, did you take Lisa ck as your postgraduate student because of Nora Smith¡¯s connections with Mr. Hunt?"
Nora, "?"
Tina continued to lodge aint against Nora. She said, "To be honest, Lisa¡¯s exam results weren¡¯t the best at that time. Moreover, the research topic she proposed is also an unpopr one. Oh, by the way, she is Nora Smith¡¯s cousin, and is someone who cannot tell what¡¯s good for herself, just like Nora..."
Now, that was going too far.
She was originally nning to get rid of the woman after the operation, but she was simply too noisy.
Nora suddenly raised her eyebrows and said, "I didn¡¯t know I was someone who cannot tell what¡¯s good for myself."
Chapter 182: Tina York’s Fate!
Chapter 182: Tina York¡¯s Fate!
"I didn¡¯t know I was someone who cannot tell what¡¯s good for myself."
When the woman¡¯s low voice reached her ears, it made Tina wonder if she had misheard.
She hurriedly exined, "I wasn¡¯t talking about you. I..."
Before she could finish, though, she understood something in an instant. She looked at Nora incredulously and sputtered, "You... you... you..."
She didn¡¯t manage to finish her words even after repeating ¡¯you¡¯ thrice.
Nora, however, didn¡¯t pay her any more attention. Instead, she turned and entered the operating room.
Tina, who was still in shock, stood where she was and stared after her.
This continued until someone called out, "Dr. York?"
Only then did Tina finallye back to her senses. She walked into the operating room like a zombie, ncing at the resolute-looking figure from time to time.
Nora Smith was Anti?
No, she must be dreaming! How could she possibly be Anti?!
Tina swallowed hard.
While she was in a daze, everyone in the operating room had begun making preparations for their respective tasks. The patient had been anesthetized and was currently unconscious.
Nora put on a pair of gloves, and started to draw the craniotomy¡¯s incision lines on the child¡¯s head with a marker pen. Then, she took a step back to take a scalpel.
At this point...
"Dr. York?"
Someone called out, making Tina snap back to reality. It was then that Nora realized that Tina was in a trance. Only after the person called out to her, did Tina finally hastily pick up a scalpel and step forward to perform the craniotomy.
Nora frowned.
Her gaze swept across everyone in the room¡ªall of them looked serious, and their excitement at meeting her just now was all gone. Once they were at the operating table, they were doctors saving the sick and wounded.
Lisa was a neer who had never entered an operating room prior to this, and Tina had even deliberately made things difficult for her before they entered the operating room; but even she was staring at the patient seriously at this moment. She didn¡¯t make any mistakes in the tasks that she was assigned at all.
Nora felt that she hadn¡¯t misjudged her, after all. Even though her little cousin was quite the pushover in her daily life, she was able to focus and keep herself from being affected by anything at the operating table.
In contrast, Tina, as an experienced surgeon, had already performed innumerable operations before, yet she was still behaving like that. She was simply too irresponsible!
Her expression turned cold. She stepped forward, stopped Tina, and said, "I¡¯ll do it instead."
Although a craniotomy was a simple procedure, one must treat every operation with caution and reverence.
Everyone could tell that Tina wasn¡¯t in the right frame of mind. Thus, no one doubted Anti when she said that.
Tina was the only one who frowned and red at her furiously.
However, no one was to refute the chief surgeon¡¯s instructions when they were in the operating room. Thus, she could only take a step back.
Nora lowered her head and started to perform the operation seriously.
For a while, the operating room was silent as everyone busied themselves with their tasks.
"Forceps."
Nora suddenly stretched out her hand behind her.
Tina, whom Nora had forced behind her, was stunned for a moment. She hurriedly picked up the forceps from the operating table and handed it to her, but Nora unexpectedly didn¡¯t take them from her.
Tina looked back up to see Anti, who felt so foreign to her, saying frigidly and slightly sarcastically, "Are you unable to even distinguish between forceps and hemostats, Dr. York? Were you really the head of the surgery department at Hospital Finest? Have you really performed operations before? Are the patients you operated on still alive? Also, I really suspect that the person who hired you must be blind."
Every word of hers was like a knife that ruthlesslycerated Tina¡¯s cheeks, making her feel as if her skin had been sliced into ribbons and all fallen onto the floor.
The students around them also looked at her.
Tina felt as if all the blood in her had rushed to the top of her head in an instant. She suddenly said shrilly, "You¡¯re picking on me!"
Right after she shouted, she hurled the object in her hand at Nora!
Nora, who was already on the alert, abruptly stretched her leg out and kicked Tina away while her arm was swinging down!
Bam!
Tina mmed against the wall and fell onto the floor. She wanted to get up, but she instead tasted something sickly sweet in her mouth. The next moment, she coughed up a mouthful of blood.
None of the others in the operating room could react in time to her suddenshing out.
Nora, however, had held on steadily to the craniotomy instrument with one hand without even moving.
"Forceps."
Her calm and contained voice brought everyone back to their senses. Michael was the calmest among them, but he was rtively far away. He was about to walk over and pass Nora the tool when someone reacted and handed her the forceps.
Michael looked over¡ªit was Lisa.
He was a little surprised, but after that, he couldn¡¯t help but sigh. Anti really did have a great eye for people. Everyone thought that the postgraduate student she had taken was too much of a pushover, but unexpectedly, she could actually react so quickly in the face of such an ident.
She was really devoting her whole mind and body to the operation.
¡ª
Despite the small episode in the middle, the operation went on smoothly.
Four hourster, Nora finished thest step. She stepped aside and instructed Michael, "Stitch the wound."
"Roger."
The others helped Michael while he was stitching up the wound. Nora took the opportunity to move her fingers and her wrists, as well as her shoulders.
A four-hour operation was no biggie to her.
After she stretched, she finally looked at Tina, who had copsed onto the floor and passed out in an area some distance away.
Her going crazy in the operating room was something that no one could have seening.
Otherwise, Nora would never have allowed her to enter the operating room and pose a threat to the patient.
It was also because of this that she had applied more force and made her pass out with a kick.
She casually picked Tina up and dragged her out of the operating room.
Some of the others happened to look over. When they caught sight of Anti¡¯s back view, they suddenly broke into ayer of cold sweat.
Twenty minutester, Tina slowly opened her eyes.
Director Shaw and the others were standing in front of her. He berated her sternly. "You¡¯ve really disappointed us, Tina! How could you get into a fight in the operating room?! If it weren¡¯t for Anti, were you also going to ruin the operation?!"
Tina¡¯s eyes widened in shock.
Director Shaw then announced her penalty. He said, "Your medical license will be revoked. The school will also cancel your qualification as a professor and dismiss you!"
They were going to revoke her license? If they did that, she would never be able to perform surgery ever again! Her career would be utterly ruined!
Tina panicked. She jumped right up from the bed and said, "Director Shaw, I¡ª"
But before she could finish, the police came over and said, "I¡¯m sorry, Dr. York, but the patient¡¯s family members have made a police report and used you of interfering with the operation. Please assist us in the investigations."
"..."
While the police were taking Tina away, Nora changed back to her clothes. She dragged her feet and slowly shuffled off. She was about to leave the floor when a voice suddenly came from behind her.
"Ms. Smith?"
A surprised Nora turned around to see Joel standing behind her not too far away.
He looked as amicable as ever. His upturned eyes were slightly narrowed as he looked at her, and there was a scrutinizing look in his eyes...
Chapter 183: The Report Is Out
Chapter 183: The Report Is Out
Why was he here?
Nora was wondering about that when Joel walked over. There was also surprise on his countenance as he asked, "Why are you here?"
Nora raised her eyebrows and answered ambiguously, "I¡¯m a doctor. Why are you here, though, Mr. Smith?"
She was a doctor?
Joel narrowed his eyes a little and looked at the operating room.
Anti had an operation here today, so he had especially rushed over here to ask Anti to treat his uncle¡¯s illness.
Due to Anti¡¯s presence, only one operation had been arranged on this particr floor.
Since she was here, then didn¡¯t that mean that she just met Anti?
Joel¡¯s gaze returned to the operating room. The operation should have ended by now, right?
He didn¡¯t have any more time to spend going back and forth with Nora, so he nodded and replied, "I¡¯m here to look for someone."
After he said that, the doors to the operating room opened.
Michael walked out with the others. Joel strode over to them right away.
Michael had already finished the sutures long ago. The operation went perfectly.
Nora had only left after she was informed about it.
At the sight of Joel walking toward the operating room, Nora strode off and left.
She could finally go home and have good sleep now.
Joel didn¡¯t pay any more attention to her. Instead, he went straight to Michael and said, "Hello, Anti."
Michael, "?"
He took off his surgical mask and stared at Joel in astonishment. "I¡¯m not Anti."
Joel was taken aback. "Then where¡¯s Anti?"
"Anti has already left a long time ago."
"What?"
Joel broke into a frown. He was already here when the operation was nearing its end and had been waiting outside the whole time. The only person that left at the end of the operation had been...
Just as Joel¡¯s suspicions were starting to develop, Michael thought of how Nora hadn¡¯t wanted to reveal her identity, so he said, "Yes, Mr. Anti has already left."
Mister?
Was Anti male?
This wasn¡¯t that surprising, though. Most surgeons were men.
Joel frowned. Although his uncle¡¯s diagnosis hadn¡¯t yet been confirmed, it would always be safer if they could find Anti.
He didn¡¯t expect to actually miss him.
He heaved a sigh, left the operating room, and went downstairs. When he entered the car park, he happened to see the familiar jeep driving past him in front.
He nced at it¡ªthe young woman in the driver¡¯s seat stared straight ahead. As though she was in a rush to go home, she didn¡¯t even nce at him when she passed by.
Joel shook his head and got into the car.
"Are you going home, Mr. Smith?" asked the chauffeur.
"I¡¯m going to pick up Mia."
"Okay."
The chauffeur started the car and drove to the Golden Sunshine Kindergarten.
On the way there, Joel turned his head to the side and stared into the distance. The amicable look on his face had long since disappeared, and he fell silent. He had been sending and picking Mia up from school himselftely, but he hadn¡¯t seen her ever again...
When he asked Mia about it, she said that Ms. Turner was still working in the kindergarten. So, did that mean that he hadn¡¯t seen her because she was hiding from him?
¡ª
At the kindergarten.
Thest lesson of the day was a dance ss.
The kindergarten¡¯s anniversary celebrations would be held in a few days. They would be performing on stage during the celebrations, so they had arranged extra dance sses recently.
Pete pulled a long face and danced expressionlessly with the rest of the children.
Fortunately for him, kids¡¯ dances didn¡¯t differentiate between boys and girls, but even so, he still felt a slight sense of embarrassment welling up in him.
Because!
He had to wear a skirt in the dance!
Pete couldn¡¯t help but heave a huge sigh while he danced.
Was Cherry so happy being with Daddy that she had forgotten about returning? To think they hadn¡¯t switched back yet! Should this go on any longer, he would be a little dancing genius very soon!
After another round of practice, Tanya pped her hands and told the children to have a quick rest where they were.
Pete needed to take a leak, so he got up and walked over to the bathroom outside.
As soon as he exited the dance studio, he spotted a little fellow dancing outside the door.
Mia was frail, so she never attended any of the sports and dance sses. Yet, she was tiptoeing and gently turning her body at the moment.
It was the dance that they were doing just now.
Pete walked over. Seemingly having spotted him, Mia stopped moving. She stared at him with her big eyes and small oval-shaped face and said, "You guys looked great dancing just now, Cherry!"
"..."
Pete kept quiet for a while. Then, he asked, "Why are you here?"
The little Mia lowered her head and twiddled her thumbs. "I... I was too bored."
There were also painting lessons and writing lessons being conducted elsewhere during the dance lesson, yet Mia hadn¡¯t gone there but came over here to secretly watch them dance instead...
Pete suddenly understood something. He asked, "Do you like dancing?"
Mia hesitated for a moment before she nodded. However, she also shook her head right after that.
Her timid appearance was such that even Pete, who had never been one to be meddlesome, couldn¡¯t help but ask another question, "Do you like it or not?"
Mia had always been an introverted child who kept everything inside her.
But for some reason, when the one she was facing was the little boy version of Cherry, she was able to speak up. She replied, "I do, but my mommy doesn¡¯t allow me to dance."
Mia sadly hung her head a little.
She had always liked dancing, and could never resist dancing along whenever she heard music.
Yet, her mother had imed that she wasn¡¯t in good health and forbade her from learning.
The doctor had obviously said before that they could consider letting her exercise and train her body, so why was Mommy always stopping her from exercising?
While Mia was puzzling over this, Pete suddenly took her hand, walked into the dance studio, and went up to Tanya. Then, he said to Mia, "Dance the routine from just now."
Tanya, "?"
Mia, "?"
Mia nced at Tanya cautiously and then at Pete.
Seemingly having received encouragement, the timid girl performed the dance in front of Tanya.
Tanya¡¯s eyes lit up.
To be honest, all these years, she had been wanting to take an apprentice and let them participate inpetitions in the future.
However, she had never found a suitable candidate.
She didn¡¯t expect the young Mia to be so talented in dancing!
She was practically the best dancer among all the children in the ss!
Moreover, she was born with a small frame and was flexible, which made her very suitable for dancing!
Tanya gazed at her and asked, "Do you want to learn to dance?"
Mia looked at Pete.
Pete nodded at her.
Mia nodded fiercely. "Yeah!"
Tanya became tempted at once, and she almost blurted out the question ¡¯Are you willing to learn from me?¡¯.
But when she thought of Mia¡¯s identity, she hesitated for a very long time before she finally heaved a sigh and got onto her feet. She ultimately didn¡¯t say anything.
She was that man¡¯s daughter; Tanya mustn¡¯t take her as an apprentice. Otherwise, she would end up bing entangled with him again.
The school bell just so happened to ring at this point, so Tanya said, "Alright, let¡¯s go back to your respective sses and get ready to go home!"
The students scattered and left. Mia was the only one who kept looking back at her.
Tanya steeled her heart and looked away.
At the entrance of the kindergarten.
Joel¡¯s cell phone rang while he was waiting for Mia. Quentin¡¯s voice came from the other end when he answered.
"The DNA test report is out."
Chapter 184: Why Are You Forbidding Mia From Learning How To Dance?
Chapter 184: Why Are You Forbidding Mia From Learning How To Dance?
Joel tensed up and he asked nervously, "How are the results?"
The previous generation of the Smiths had three sons, and Ian was the youngest. They didn¡¯t have any sisters.
No one had given birth to any daughters in their generation, either. Though, Ian had adopted a daughter. Should Nora really turn out to be their cousin, that would be great.
Besides, this would also give Ian the courage to live on.
Joel received a reply from Quentin while he was thinking about it. The reply took him by surprise. His upturned eyes slowly became downcast. A short whileter, he said, "I see."
After he hung up, Joel turned to look out the window and went into deep contemtion.
Some timeter, he finally retracted his gaze as if he had made up his mind about something. Students started to exit the kindergarten after that.
Joel got out of the car.
Golden Sunshine Kindergarten students were all children of the rich and powerful. Therefore, the parents picking up their children were also all either rich or of high social status.
In the past, it was Mia¡¯s mother who had picked up Mia and Brandon from school. However, Joel was the oneing over every day now, which caused the other parents to also start picking up their children themselves.
"Oh, are you here to pick up your child too, Mr. Smith? Nice to meet you!"
"What a coincidence, Mr. Smith! Are you here to pick up your child from school?"
"I¡¯m the general manager of Glory Group, Mr. Smith. Nice to meet you..."
"..."
When Tanya, who was holding Pete¡¯s hand, was about to leave the kindergarten, she was greeted by the sight of directors from various corporations standing in a row at the door.
The teachers in the kindergarten couldn¡¯t help but marvel.
"Oh my goodness, those parents usually send nannies or bodyguards to pick up and drop off their children. Why are so many of them here in person today?"
"Anyone I hit with a random toss of a ball will probably have a worth of millions of dors!"
"I bet you don¡¯t understand why, right? Can¡¯t you see? Everyone¡¯s here for Mr. Smith!"
"Mr. Smith is so handsome! No wonder Mia is so good-looking even though she¡¯s so young. She must have inherited her looks from Mr. Smith! He¡¯s also so graceful, gentle, and elegant... Sigh, I¡¯m so envious of Ms. Lynn! If only Mr. Smith would say something to me!"
"I know, right? Ms. Turner, you¡¯re a dance teacher, right? Why don¡¯t you go and have a word with Mr. Smith?"
Tanya, "..."
She lifted her head and nced at the door. The graceful figure standing across the crowd seemed to stand aloof from the world and gave off an air like that of a noble gentleman.
Even after five years had passed, that man still shone so brightly and radiantly.
Five years ago, she had said, "I want to hide you away and not let anyone else see you. You¡¯re simply too outstanding; I¡¯m afraid that someone will take you away from me!"
But he had ultimately still be someone else¡¯s husband.
When she thought of how he and Hiry were married, she immediately retracted her gaze.
Pete, who had caught a glimpse of her expression, became puzzled, and he asked, "Why aren¡¯t you teaching Mia how to dance, God-mom? I think she dances very well."
Mia was thinner than most other children, and she didn¡¯t have much baby fat on her small face. She had a small oval-shaped face and a pointed chin. When she danced, her form was very light and weightless as though she were a butterfly.
Pete felt that it would be a huge pity if she didn¡¯t dance.
Tanya touched Pete¡¯s head and replied, "It¡¯s because her parents don¡¯t allow her to dance."
Otherwise, why wouldn¡¯t she have been exposed to dancing when she was already five?
Besides, she also really didn¡¯t want to be involved with the Smiths anymore.
Pete tilted his head and nodded as if he had understood something.
Tanya took Pete to the roadside after they exited the kindergarten. The unreliable Nora had left with the car in the morning after she woke up, so the two of them could only take a cab home now.
The kindergarten was rtively far from the area where they could hail a cab, so they walked one street down and went to another road.
Joel had already spotted Tanya a long time ago.
She was a dancer, after all. Her legs were long and her waist slender, making her look as charming as ever despite just wearing ordinary-looking clothes.
He¡¯d thought that they would at least make eye contact, but unexpectedly, Tanya didn¡¯t take even a nce at him and took the child straight to the other side of the street.
Light flickered in his upturned eyes. After clenching his fists a little, he picked up Mia and got into the car with her.
While Tanya and Pete were waiting for a cab, an extended Lincoln suddenly stopped in front of them. The door opened, and Joel¡¯s astonishingly good-looking visage appeared in front of them. He said, "Where are you going? I¡¯ll give you guys a ride."
Tanya was so shocked that she immediately looked around. When she saw that no one had noticed them, she breathed a sigh of relief. Then, she took Pete¡¯s hand, took a step back, and said with an air of resistance, "No, it¡¯s fine."
But as soon as she said that, Joel uttered a domineering reply in a gentle voice, "Don¡¯t make me get out of the car and kidnap you."
Tanya, "..."
The parents and teachers nearby were about to walk over. Tanya didn¡¯t want to cause any trouble, so she could only pick up Pete and quickly get into the car.
The car door slowly closed. Mia called out happily, "Cherry! Ms. Turner!"
Tanya smiled at her.
Pete took the initiative to sit beside Mia.
Tanya¡¯s brows knitted together¡ªshe could only sit next to Joel now. Nevertheless, she shifted away from him and put some distance between them.
Joel frowned at the sight.
He lowered his gaze and asked, "Your address?"
Only then did Tanya finally react. After she gave him the Andersons¡¯ address, Joel looked at her and asked, "Are you staying with the Andersons?"
Tanya nodded.
Joel cast his eyes down. "It¡¯s not very convenient staying in someone else¡¯s home, right? Don¡¯t you have anywhere else you can stay at?"
Tanya turned away and replied, "That doesn¡¯t seem to be any of your business, Mr. Smith."
She was calling him Mr. Smith again...
Joel took a deep breath and said, "That¡¯s true. We have nothing to do with each other."
Tanya clenched her jaw.
Indeed, they had nothing to do with each other.
In fact, that man must even hate her, right?
That was why he didn¡¯t allow his daughter to dance¡ªbecause she was a dancer, right?
Tanya didn¡¯t expect that Joel would hate her that much. It was just that if he hated her so much, then why was he sending them home?
In the midst of her hesitance, Joel said, "It was my misunderstanding the other time."
The other time? Was he talking about that time in the hospital when he misunderstood that she was Mr. Hunt¡¯s lover?
With a cold look on her face, Tanya said sarcastically, "It¡¯s not your fault, Mr. Smith. It¡¯s because I look too much like someone¡¯s mistress."
Joel, "..."
He knew that she was dissing him, but from Tanya¡¯s reaction, he instead caught vague shadows of what they were like in the past.
He took a deep breath and said, "You don¡¯t have to say that about yourself. That¡¯s not what I meant, either... Never mind. I¡¯m taking you home because I wanted to apologize to you."
"You can save the apology, Mr. Smith," Tanya replied coldly, "It¡¯ll be fine as long as you stay away from me in the future, lest I be an eyesore to you!"
Joel, "!!"
The kindergarten was very close to the Andersons¡¯ vi, so they had already arrived while they were talking.
The chauffeur even felt as if his boss had given him a cold look when he stopped the car.
"Let¡¯s get off."
Tanya was about to get out of the car with Pete when he suddenly looked at Joel and asked, "Mia¡¯s Daddy, why are you forbidding Mia from learning how to dance?"
Chapter 185: Cherry Enters The Grand Manor
Chapter 185: Cherry Enters The Grand Manor
His question stunned Joel. "What?"
Pete nced at a cowering Mia and said sincerely, "She likes dancing very much. Restricting a child¡¯s hobbies and interests is not something that a good father does."
"..."
Seeing that Joel¡¯s expression had tensed up and that he wasn¡¯t speaking, Tanya beckoned to Pete and said, "Come on down now."
Pete hopped off the car.
The two of them entered the Andersons¡¯ vi hand in hand.
The car door slowly closed as they disappeared at the door. When the car started once more, Joel finally looked at Mia.
He beckoned to Mia, who went over to him docilely at once. She tried to please him and said cautiously, "Mia doesn¡¯t like dancing, Daddy..."
Her eyes flickered as she spoke, and there was a bit of panic in them.
Joel¡¯s heart ached for some reason. He asked, "Was it your mother who forbade you from learning how to dance, Mia?"
Mia nodded, but then shook her head again. In the end, she lowered her head and said uneasily, "Mommy said that Daddy hates someone who dances, and told me not to learn to dance. Don¡¯t worry, Daddy, Mia won¡¯t dance!"
Her words made Joel¡¯s eyes widen in shock.
Joel had always wanted to know Mia¡¯s interests and preferences while she was growing up, but he found that everything that the girl liked to eat and y with were all things that he liked.
He had always thought that she had inherited those traits from him.
Little did he expect that they were actually all a result of Hiry¡¯s training?
Joel¡¯s expression darkened. "Daddy doesn¡¯t dislike dancing."
Mia¡¯s eyes lit up at once, and she asked, "Then can Mia learn to dance with Ms. Turner?"
Joel looked at her. His jaw tensed up as he asked, "Do you like Ms. Turner very much, Mia?"
Mia gave him a timid smile and replied, "Yeah."
She lowered her head and twiddled her thumbs as she said, "Ms. Turner dances really beautifully, yeah. I secretly watched her a few times. She also really likes to smile. I like her very much... But Mommy doesn¡¯t like Ms. Turner..."
She looked rather depressed at this point. Then, she added, "Besides, Ms. Turner also doesn¡¯t like Mia."
The disappointed girl said, "She refused to teach me today."
Tanya had refused to teach her... It must be because she really didn¡¯t want to have anything to do with him, right?
Joel¡¯s long, slender fingers balled up slightly, and the look in his eyes turned even frostier than before. He rubbed Mia¡¯s head gently. After a short silence, he said, "It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll think of something if you want to learn dancing."
¡ª
At the Andersons¡¯.
Nora had juste out of the bath when Pete got home. The woman, who was wearing a silk nightgown, let out azy yawn and copsed onto the bed.
Pete greeted her. "Hi, Mommy."
Nora waved and said, "Yeah. Do your homework yourself."
"Okay."
Pete went to the study after that. Nora was about to go to bed when her cell phone suddenly rang. Cherry¡¯s young and tender voice rang out on the phone when she answered the call.
"My dearest Mommy, have you found out where Sponsor Grandpa is?"
They had been chatting on Messenger for more than a month. Their spark of friendship had been getting stronger and stronger, but their chat had been inactive the whole day the day before.
Why hadn¡¯t Sponsor Grandpae online yet today?
Cherry was panicked.
As though her actions were right and justified, Nora replied, "Oh. I forgot about it."
"..."
Cherry sighed. "Then are you willing to look him up for me now, Mommy?"
"No, I¡¯m not."
Cherry was so mad that her little chest was heaving up and down. She silently told herself that she was her biological mother... She could only grin and bear with it and ask, "Then when will you be free to look him up for me?"
Nora raised her eyebrows and replied, "When I wake up, I guess. Alright, I¡¯m hanging up!"
She was really sleepy now.
Beep... beep... beep...
The disconnected tone made Cherry¡¯s heart go cold. Her little shoulders drooped as she looked up at the big vi in front of her, on the brink of tears.
She was staying with her father at the Hunts¡¯ family home at the moment.
The family home was actually a manor.
By right, since Justin was the head of the Hunts, he should have been living in the manor. However, because the Hunts were all living together, this meant that his second uncle¡¯s family was also living there. Moreover, there was also that incident with the elderly Mrs. Hunt previously. Thus, Justin had taken Pete with him and resided elsewhere instead.
As Justin had taught his second uncle¡¯s family a good lesson and also gotten something on them after they made that mistake, they had be much more well-behaved and didn¡¯t dare toe over anymore. Coupled with the fact that the two of them were staying in the main house, this meant that Cherry still hadn¡¯t met anyone from the Hunts yet, even though it had been two days since they moved back.
In the midst of her thoughts, Justin strode into the room. He looked down at her and asked gently, "There¡¯s a family dinner tonight. Do you want to join them?"
A family dinner?
Cherry loved lively ces the most.
Moreover, several of her elders would also be there, which meant that she would gain a few more people that doted on and loved her. Thus, she nodded and replied, "Yeah, I wanna go!"
"Okay."
Justin smiled at her. Had it been his son instead, he definitely wouldn¡¯t have wanted to go. As expected, his daughter¡¯s personality was different. She was much livelier and more cheerful than his son.
He bent over, picked up Cherry with one arm, and carried her downstairs.
The Hunts hosted a family dinner every month. All the Hunts were required to attend it as long as they were in New York¡ªthis was a rule in the family.
By the time they went down to the main living room, the spacious living room was already full of people.
His second uncle, Roger Hunt, sat quietly in the corner.
Roger¡¯s son, Fatty, was ying with his cell phone with his head down. Apart from them, the other Hunts in the family were also present. The elderly Mrs. Hunt had already been discharged from the hospital and was currently seated on the chair next to the master seat.
The master seat belonged to the head of the family.
The moment Justin came down, all the Hunts stood up. Even if they were his elders, they were still required to show the head of the family courtesy.
Mrs. Hunt, who was the oldest there, said, "You¡¯re here, Justin."
Justin nodded and greeted his grandmother. Then, as if he was teaching his child manners¡ªeven though he was, in fact, giving his daughter a reminder¡ªhe said, "Say hi to your Great-Grandma, Pete."
Cherry looked at Mrs. Hunt eagerly.
So, was she the Great-Grandma who¡¯d had a fall some time back, causing her brother to be used of pushing her?
Mrs. Hunt was also looking at her.
She hade to know what had happened after she regained consciousness after the operation. The olddy had felt rather distressed that her son and his family had used her against a child.
Pete was not like other children; he was mildly autistic and didn¡¯t like to talk.
After that incident, the rtionship that they had built after so much effort must be almost all gone by now, right?
Mrs. Hunt heaved a sigh at the thought and looked at Cherry cautiously. Knowing that her great-grandson probably didn¡¯t dare to approach her anymore, she said regretfully, "Never mind... Let¡¯s not make things difficult for the child anymore!"
"Yeah, that¡¯s right! Don¡¯t make things difficult for Pete anymore. He has mild autism, you know!" said Raymond Hunt, Justin¡¯s second uncle. He sounded as if he was echoing Mrs. Hunt, but in truth, he was embarrassing Pete in front of all the other Hunts. He added, "He doesn¡¯t like talking!!"
How could a child that didn¡¯t talk possibly inherit thepany in the future?
Even if he was currently stripped of authority, once Justin became old, wouldn¡¯t thepany still be theirs in the end anyway?
Chapter 186: Do You Play Games?
Chapter 186: Do You y Games?
Mrs. Hunt became angry the moment Raymond said that. She snapped, "Pete isn¡¯t autistic, Raymond! Don¡¯t you dare spout nonsense!"
Raymond curled his lip disdainfully. "Yeah, yeah, Pete isn¡¯t autistic. He just doesn¡¯t like talking to people, that¡¯s all. Sigh, he can¡¯t just keep avoiding talking to people when he takes over thepany in the future, right?"
Roger said, "Don¡¯t say that, Dad. Who knows, he may recover after he grows up."
Chester couldn¡¯t tell that they were mocking Pete. Neither did he recognize that the child was his leader, and thought she was his quiet and reticent little nephew, so he echoed them and said, "Yeah, it¡¯ll be fine once he grows up!"
Raymond, however, scoffed and said, "That¡¯s what everyone said when he was a baby, but you don¡¯t see his condition getting any better thest few years, either... But I¡¯m just worrying over nothing, of course, because Justin will definitely have everything all nicely nned out for thepany in the future, right?"
He then looked at Fatty and reprimanded him. "And you, too, Fatty. Don¡¯t just study all the time. What¡¯s the use of being so academic? All that studying has made you stupid instead. What matters the most as a leader is eloquence! How can you make people trust and believe in you if you¡¯re not eloquent?"
He was both overtly and secretly demeaning Pete.
All the other Hunts looked at Pete when they heard what he said.
Indeed, what was the use of a genius if he was autistic?
Seeing that his words were showing effect, Raymond immediately became rather smug.
Roger, however, narrowed his eyes.
During past family dinners, Pete had either skipped it altogether and if he did attend, Justin would always lose his temper whenever someone mentioned the words ¡¯mild autism¡¯.
Why was he keeping quiet this time, though?
Could it be that...
He was still wondering about it when the little fellow in Justin¡¯s arms called out sweetly, "Hi, Great-Grandma!"
Roger, "?"
Raymond was also dumbfounded. He stared at the child in Justin¡¯s arms in disbelief and said, "Were you the one talking just now, Pete?"
Cherry rolled her eyes and looked at Justin. Then, in her young but clear voice, she asked, "Is that grandpa deaf or blind, Daddy? Why are his ears and eyes so bad? Since our family is so rich, you have to get the doctor to take a look at him!"
The corners of Justin¡¯s lips curled into a smile. His usually standoffish countenance looked rather rxed. He nced at Raymond and replied leisurely, "He¡¯s very old, so he can neither see nor hear anything clearly."
Raymond, "!!!"
Cherry replied adorably, "Oh, I see!"
As for Mrs. Hunt, she was so excited upon hearing Cherry¡¯s voice that her eyes reddened. She wanted to reach out and take her into her arms, but when she thought of how the little fellow loathed physical contact with others the most, she retracted her arms and asked with a smile, "Is Pete talking now? Has he recovered?"
Justin cast his eyes down dispassionately and kept quiet. Instead, he put his daughter down.
As soon as Cherry¡¯s feet touched the floor, she ran toward Mrs. Hunt. The little figure dived into the elderlydy¡¯s arms and she called out adorably and tenderly, "Great-Grandma!"
Not only was the little fellow sweet-smelling and tender, but ¡¯he¡¯ was finally willing to let her hug ¡¯him¡¯ now.
Mrs. Hunt became even more excited, so much so that her hands even started to shake. She let out an excited sound of acknowledgment and then, without a second thought, took off a ring she was wearing and stuffed it into Cherry¡¯s hands. She said, "Here, this is for you, Pete!"
Everyone present was shocked at the sight.
Mrs. Hunt¡¯s ring was made of top-quality jadeite that formed only in hundreds of thousands of years, and was worth over ten million dors! The elderly Mr. Hunt had given it to her when they got married back then!
At that time, they had said that it was to be passed on to future generations as a family heirloom!
The elderlydy had also been urging Justin to get married all this time, so that she could gift the ring to her daughter-inw. It was a symbol of one¡¯s status as the female master of the Hunts!
Why had she instead given the ring to Pete in a moment of excitement today?
Raymond panicked. He stepped forward and said with a smile, "Look at how muddleheaded you are, Mom. This is a woman¡¯s ring; why would you give it to Pete?"
The olddy nced at him and replied with a smile, "Pete can keep it and give it to his wife in the future, then!"
In other words, she was saying that Pete¡¯s wife would be the female master of the Hunts in the future. In that case, Pete¡¯s position as the head of the family was not to be doubted!
The elderlydy was backing Pete up!
Raymond frowned and looked at Fatty with dissatisfaction. Then, he said, "You mustn¡¯t be biased, Mom. Since you¡¯ve given that to Pete, what are you going to give Fatty?"
The fat little boy also looked at her expectantly.
Mrs. Hunt nced at him and said with a smile, "Fatty can ask his Uncle Justin if there¡¯s anything he wants! Justin is rich! And he¡¯s also the head of the family!"
Raymond¡¯s expression darkened even further.
Roger also lowered his gaze.
Seeing that the two of them were no longer creating any more trouble, Mrs. Hunt finally looked at Cherry and said, "Put the ring away properly, Pete."
Cherry hastily said, "This is too precious, Great-Grandma. I can¡¯t ept it!"
"One shouldn¡¯t reject gifts from their elders. Just take it."
Cherry subconsciously wanted to look for Nora, but she suddenly realized that Mommy wasn¡¯t here, so she looked at Justin instead.
Justin cast his eyes down and smiled. Then, he stepped forward, took the ring from Cherry, and said, "Since Great-Grandma has given it to you, then just ept it. But you¡¯re still young, so you can¡¯t wear it yet. We¡¯ll let your Mommy wear it first."
¡¯Mommy¡¯?
Mrs. Hunt¡¯s eyes lit up the moment he said that. She asked, "What Mommy?"
The others also looked at him.
Was that man, who had made up his mind to remain single for his entire life, finally getting married?
Raymond and Roger instantly felt a sense of crisis.
Should Justin get married and have another two sons, wouldn¡¯t Fatty have even less of a chance?!
The two of them frowned.
All of a sudden, Raymond said, "Alright, the grownups are going to talk. Why don¡¯t you kids go to the side and y some games?"
He gave Fatty a look after he spoke.
Fatty immediately understood what he meant. He took a step forward, grabbed Cherry¡¯s hand, and said, "C¡¯mon Pete, why don¡¯t we y some games? This mobile game is very popr now. Anyone can y it as long as they are not too stupid. Surely you know how to y it, right?"
It wasmon knowledge that Pete was a nerd whose only hobby was studying. This meant that he would definitely suck at ying games!
Cherry, "?"
Before she could even speak, Mrs. Hunt panicked and said, "Children shouldn¡¯t y games too much!"
Roger smiled and said, "That¡¯s a rather misguided statement, Grandma. Games can also reflect a person¡¯s intelligence. Besides, people who only know how to memorize their books and fail to exercise practical application in their studies tend to have one-track minds."
He looked at Justin and said, "Isn¡¯t Justin himself someone who excels in every aspect? I¡¯m sure Pete is also someone like that, so let¡¯s just let him y!"
The way he spoke sounded as if people who were bad at games were very stupid!
Justin¡¯ lip corners curled into a smile when he heard what he said.
Wasn¡¯t that game that Fatty mentioned exactly the one that Cherry live-streamed herself ying?
He had already found out a long time ago that Cherry was the local server¡¯s top yer in that game!
Over at the other side, Fatty had already taken out his cell phone. He asked, "Do you have an ount? Come on, let¡¯s y a round! I can carry you in the game as long as you¡¯re not particrly stupid! This game is the best at reflecting whether someone is clever or not!"
Chapter 187: Rushing Over To Give Them Money!
Chapter 187: Rushing Over To Give Them Money!
Cherry, "?"
Were they asking her if she had ever yed it before?
Kiddo, are you sure you aren¡¯t joking? she thought.
She looked down at the cell phone in her hands¡ªit was her brother¡¯s. In order to prevent anyone from discovering that they had switched ces, they would always switch cell phones with each other, too.
In order to y her game, she had prepared two cell phones for herself. The one that she had brought with her here was her brother¡¯s, so the game wasn¡¯t installed in it. She said, "Gimme a moment, I have to download the game first!"
Fatty nodded. "Okay, hurry up."
Cherry nodded and stretched out her chubby little finger. She pressed a few times nimbly on the phone and started the download.
On the other side, Chester panicked.
He was on his little nephew¡¯s side, after all!
Thus, he came over hastily and said, "What are you guys ying? I¡¯ll carry you guys!"
Fatty knew that this uncle of his was great at games, and even live-streamed. If he carried them in the game, it definitely wouldn¡¯t highlight Pete¡¯s stupidity.
Fatty¡¯s eyes swiveled around. Then, he grinned and said, "Pete has never yed this game before, so he¡¯ll definitely have a hard time getting started. Why don¡¯t we have a PvP battle with each other first? This way, he can also familiarize himself with the game!"
PvP battles referred to one-on-one, yer-versus-yer battles in the game.
Once a yer lost all of their HP, their character would die.
Fatty felt that Pete definitely wouldn¡¯t be familiar with the game, since this was his first time ying it. Wouldn¡¯t he be able to easily trash the other party and take several of his lives, then? If he could get a kill ratio of zero to several dozen, Daddy and Grandpa would definitely praise him!
He could also take the opportunity to show everyone present that he, Fatty, was the most outstanding child in this generation of the Hunts.
Chester was usually quite the dimwit, but he nevertheless instantly understood the seven to eight-year-old boy¡¯s intentions.
He said anxiously, "No, that won¡¯t do!"
"Why not?" asked Fatty.
Chester coughed and said, "Who would ask for a PvP battle right off the bat? I don¡¯t think this is fair to Pete."
Fatty argued for his case and said, "It isn¡¯t unfair. This would also allow us to see Pete¡¯s level, after all. Are you scared to have a PvP battle with me, Pete?"
Cherry, who was currently downloading the game, looked up with her big round eyes when she heard him.
She blinked and replied, "Sure, no problem!"
Her young, tender voice could practically make one melt.
Her voice made Mrs. Hunt feel as if someone had just coated her heart in honey. She beckoned to her and said, "We won¡¯t y with him if you don¡¯t want to, Pete! Come over to Great-Grandma instead!"
Cherry tilted her head and looked at Mrs. Hunt. When she saw the elderlydy¡¯s kind eyes, she smiled sweetly and said, "It¡¯ll be fine, Great-Grandma!"
Mrs. Hunt shook her head and said earnestly, "It¡¯s not good to immerse yourself in games. Take a look at Chester; weren¡¯t all of you opposed to him ying games?"
Raymondughed and said, "It¡¯s not like Fatty is ying it as a profession. He¡¯s just cultivating the mind and spirit. Besides, I heard that ying games can also train a child¡¯s ability to focus, so it¡¯s not necessarily all bad. Clever children will always master everything at one go, no matter what they do."
A smiling Roger also said, "Don¡¯t worry, Grandma. Pete has always been smart ever since he was a baby. He has a very high IQ, so a bit of gaming won¡¯t be any trouble for him at all."
Then, Roger looked at Fatty and said, "Show your younger cousin some mercy."
Fatty grinned and replied, "No problem, Daddy!"
At the sight of his confidence, Roger suddenly suggested, "It certainly isn¡¯t quite appropriate to just focus on ying games. Why don¡¯t we have a bet?"
Raymond immediately spoke in favor of the suggestion. He said, "That¡¯s a good idea! Otherwise, the children won¡¯t be motivated to win, either! Why don¡¯t we have a bet? If Fatty loses, I¡¯ll give up 1% of my shares in thepany. How does that sound?"
1% of his shares?
Now, that was going a little too far!
The Hunts¡¯ assets were worth trillions of dors. Even though he only owned 20% of thepany¡¯s shares, 1% of that 20% was still worth several millions of dors!
Mrs. Hunt¡¯s expression darkened. "The children are just fooling around. The stakes are too high, Raymond!"
"What¡¯s the big deal?"
Raymond walked over to Mrs. Hunt with a smile and took her arm. The man was already in his fifties, yet he was behaving like a child. He said, "We¡¯re just having fun, Mom! Besides, we are a family. It¡¯s the same no matter who owns the shares! I¡¯m sure Justin will rise up to the challenge, right?"
Justin cast his eyes down and said, "Are you talking about 1% of thepany¡¯s shares, or 1% of your shares in thepany, Uncle Raymond?"
Raymond was taken aback for a moment.
Justin sneered, "Since you want to have some fun, then let¡¯s up the stakes. What say you to 1% of thepany¡¯s shares?"
Given how profitable the Hunt Corporation¡¯s shares were, 1% of thepnay¡¯s shares would involve a transfer of billions of dors¡¯ worth of profits!
The stakes were too high!
Who would gamble dozens of billions of dors on a one-time bet?
Raymond¡¯s expression darkened. He subconsciously looked at Roger.
Roger smiled and said, "Since Justin has said so, then let¡¯s do just that."
Raymond wanted to say something, but Roger tugged on his sleeve, lowered his voice, and said, "Justin must have suddenly raised the stakes because he thinks you won¡¯t bear to part with that much money, so you definitely won¡¯t dare to continue with the bet!"
Raymond immediately understood what Roger meant!
So, Justin was waging psychological warfare with him!
He let out a coldugh and exchanged a look with Roger. Then, he lowered his voice and asked, "Are you sure Pete has never yed that game before?"
Roger nodded. "He is always studying every day, so how would he possibly have any time to y games? He only downloaded it once in California and yed it for an afternoon there, but he uninstalled it after that. I¡¯m sure he can¡¯t y it."
Raymond looked at his little grandson again.
Fatty was seven to eight years old this year, and he was very good at games.
The Hunts were all very smart. Wouldn¡¯t it be a cinch for Fatty to bully a five-year-old?
Besides, no matter how clever a child was, they would still have to familiarize themselves with the game¡¯s workings before they could be adept at any game. This pocket of time Pete would need, signified that victory was pretty much in the bag for Fatty!
Thus, Raymond immediately smiled and said, "Sure, Justin. I¡¯ll bet 1% of thepany¡¯s shares. How about you?"
Justin was about to speak when Raymond suddenly added, "You¡¯re the head of the Hunt Corporation, so I can¡¯t possibly ask for your shares, either, right? How about this¡ªif Fatty is lucky enough to win, then you¡¯ll give me that ring that Mom gave Pete just now! This request isn¡¯t too much, is it?"
At first nce, when onepared shares worth billions of dors to a ring worth millions of dors, it seemed like Raymond was losing out in the deal.
However, one could earn billions of dors, but the ring was priceless!
Moreover, that wasn¡¯t just a mere ring¡ªit was also something that symbolized the wife of the next head of the family!
Raymond had certainly got it all figured out!
Mrs. Hunt became infuriated at once. She said, "How can you gamble with each other when the children are just ying some games at home? Besides, that¡¯s a gift from me. How can it be transferred to someone else?"
Raymond looked at her and said, "How can you be so biased, Mom? Why didn¡¯t you say that we¡¯re going too far when I offered my shares worth billions of dors? Or is it because... Justin doesn¡¯t dare to take up the bet with me?"
Chapter 188: I’m Going, Then!
Chapter 188: I¡¯m Going, Then!
A lot of people¡ªmost of them the Hunts¡¯ coteral and direct descendants¡ªhade for the Hunts¡¯ family dinner. By repeatedly using phrases such as "Do you dare to do it or not" in front of so many people, Raymond was obviously leaving Justin no way out.
Should he refuse the bet at a time like this, it would be tantamount to him showing signs of cowardice!
Raymond was certain that Justin would agree to it¡ªafter all, that was the only option he had.
Sure enough, after a short silence, Justin slowly replied, "Let¡¯s do it."
Raymond and Roger exchanged a look and smirked.
How dare Pete attend the dinner! Mrs. Hunt was also too biased. Pete was just a five-year-old boy who hadn¡¯t even grown up, yet she was giving him the family heirloom! She was too much!
They were bent on making Pete make a fool out of himself today!
Mrs. Hunt wanted to stop them again, but Justin gave her aforting look, which made the olddy close her mouth.
Fatty became even more excited when he heard their conversation. He selected the hero that he was the most skilled at ying as, and asked Cherry, "Which hero are you ying as, Pete? You can just pick any of them."
Cherry nodded, selected the little girl hero that she always yed as, and replied, "I¡¯m picking this one. What about you?"
Fatty answered, "I¡¯m ying as this guy!"
"Pfft!" Cherry broke into a grin andughed. As soon as she turned on the game, she transformed into her irritable little girl persona and started to diss her opponent. She said, "Okay. C¡¯mon sonny, I¡¯m going to beat you so bad today that your mom won¡¯t even recognize you!"
Fatty was taken aback. "Who do you think you¡¯re calling ¡¯sonny¡¯?"
"Your hero, of course. Isn¡¯t he my hero¡¯s son?"
"..."
Fatty, who had been taken advantage of for no reason whatsoever, was furious. He controlled his hero in the game and made him go straight to Cherry.
Cherry, who looked like she was in high spirits, had a triumphant look on her face.
She deliberately acted as if she was ying the game for the first time, making her hero walkabout left and right awkwardly as if she didn¡¯t even know how to use the controls. "Oh no, why is she walking away?!" Cherry said.
Fatty was overjoyed. He chased after Cherry¡¯s hero and started to attack her.
Cherry didn¡¯t fight back in the early stages of the round. Instead, she deliberately made her hero sway left and right, making Fatty burst outughing. "Dummy Pete, you¡¯re so stupid! Can¡¯t you even walk? I¡¯m gonna teach you how to behave today!"
Cherry put on a feint in the first half and didn¡¯t fire even a single shot. She kept her HP under control and allowed Fatty to deplete it to the lowest it could go.
After that, she seemed to understand something and became so scared that she started to run toward her defensive tower.
Fatty chased after her.
She had only a little HP left! As long as he could make contact with Cherry, there would be absolutely no problem at all.
It would be fine even if he had to defend against her defensive tower.
Yet, as if Cherry had suddenly pressed something wrong by ident, she pressed the button for her first skill. Her hero immediately did a tuck-and-roll and moved to the left, causing Fatty to miss!
Right at this point, the sound indicating a kill rang out on the phone!
¡¯Pete Hunt¡¯ had killed ¡¯The Unbeatable And Most Handsome¡¯!
"He lost so quickly?"
A triumphant Raymond said, "You¡¯re too lousy, Pete. Even if this is your first time ying, you still lost too quickly. It hasn¡¯t even been a minute, you know?"
Roger also smirked and said, "A bet¡¯s a bet, Justin. That ring..."
Justin looked at them, dark light flickering in his eyes. In front of all the Hunts, his lips slowly parted and he asked, "The children are fooling around. Are you sure that the bet just now is valid?"
Raymond chuckled at once and said, "You mustn¡¯t go back on your word, Justin. You¡¯re a man, right? Besides, you¡¯re even the man overseeing the Hunt Corporation. You have to keep your word; you can¡¯t renege on it!"
Justin raised his eyebrows. "Are you sure, Uncle Raymond?"
"Yes, I am."
As soon as Raymond said that, Justin sighed and said, "In that case, I will graciously ept 1% of thepany shares from you."
He turned and looked at Sean, who was standing behind him, and instructed, "Prepare the share transfer agreement and let Uncle Raymond sign itter."
"Yes, sir."
Raymond was stunned.
Roger, who was also dumbfounded, subconsciously said, "Rather than us transferring shares to you, Justin, you should be giving us the ring instead. After all, Fatty is the one who won just now..."
However, he suddenly realized something at this point, and he looked at the children. He was dumbstruck when he saw Fatty¡¯s reaction.
Fatty¡¯s cell phone screen dimmed at this point.
Fatty was still dumbfounded. What had just happened?
When he looked back up, he saw Cherry patting her little chest. She looked at him and remarked, "Whew, that was so close..."
Fatty understood now¡ªhe must have been unlucky just now! He had been so close to killing her hero!
He demanded angrily, "Again!"
"... That¡¯s not really good, is it?" asked Cherry.
Fatty panicked. "What¡¯s so bad about it?"
Cherry sighed. "What I mean is that the stakes aren¡¯t really good. I¡¯ve already won, so I¡¯m not going to y anymore!"
Fatty, "!"
He was so mad that he ran to Roger and said, "Daddy, let¡¯s bet on it again! Grandpa, take out another 1%!"
1% of the shares equated to billions of dors!
Raymond, who had panicked after losing the huge sum of money, said anxiously, "No, no, no..."
When an indignant Fatty turned around, he immediately saw Cherry making faces at him. On top of that, she even looked as if she had just given herself a huge fright. The little fellow put on a pretense and said, "Pete was so scared just now, Daddy! I don¡¯t know what happened, either. Howe Fatty died just like that? I was only left with the barest of HP!"
Justin, "..."
What was one supposed to do when their daughter suddenly started putting on a show with them?
Pamper her and go along with her, of course!
Justin stretched out his big hand, ruffled her hair, and said with a doting smile, "Pete is so awesome. To think you¡¯ve actually won 1% of thepany¡¯s shares for Daddy. You¡¯re so good at the game even though this is your first time ying it!"
Cherry grinned at him.
Their conversation made Raymond¡¯s face flushpletely red.
As though a gambler¡¯s mindset, the loss of billions of dors just now made him anxious and irritable. He looked at Fatty and asked, "Are you sure you can beat him if you go at it again?"
Fatty nodded, "Yes, I am! I was so close just now!"
"Okay! Grandpa will trust you once more!" Raymond looked straight at Justin and said, "One more time!"
Cherry buried her head into Justin¡¯s shoulder and said, "Pete doesn¡¯t wanna, Daddy! It¡¯s too scary! Pete is scared!"
Justin, "..."
He ruffled her hair and spoke gently as he appeased her. "Okay, okay. We won¡¯t y anymore..."
However, the more he refused to y, the more determined to continue Raymond became, so he said, "Are you stopping, Justin? Surely you can¡¯t just leave after you win, right? It doesn¡¯t work that way!"
Raymond, whose eyes were all red, stood and stared at him. "The bet between the children only involves a few billion dors. I¡¯m staking billions of dors on this while you only need to offer up Mom¡¯s ring. It¡¯s not like you¡¯re too scared to bet, right?"
Seemingly driven into a corner, Justin could only pat Cherry on the shoulder and say, "Let¡¯s y another round, Pete?"
"But Daddy, I¡¯m scared!"
"Don¡¯t be scared. Just close your eyes and mess around."
Cherry looked up at him ¡¯timidly¡¯ and said, "Sigh, I thought you said that it¡¯s not good to gamble, Daddy... I¡¯m going, then."
Chapter 189: A Quack Doctor’s Misdiagnosis!
Chapter 189: A Quack Doctor¡¯s Misdiagnosis!
¡¯Left with no other option¡¯, Cherry sat in front of Fatty with her cell phone and turned on the game again.
Fatty controlled his hero and rushed straight toward Cherry¡¯s hero again.
The two of them shed in the middle of the arena. Cherry blinked and repeated the same trick. After allowing Fatty to reduce her HP to the barest minimum, she ¡¯coincidentally¡¯ killed Fatty¡¯s hero instead!
Fatty jumped onto his feet. "Why am I dead again?"
Cherry blinked with her big round eyes. "Yeah, I didn¡¯t do anything, either. How did I fire a cannon? ... Oh, I get it now!"
Fatty, "?"
Cherry said with a straight face, "It¡¯s because your mom will always be your mom. Sons can¡¯t just usurp the throne whenever they want to~"
Fatty, "!!"
Her words made Roger narrow his eyes a little. By the time Fatty rushed over again to ask for another round, Raymond had already be thoroughly anxious and irritable at his losses.
Within a matter of a mere few minutes, he had actually lost 2% of thepany¡¯s shares and gone from owning 20% of the shares to 18%??
Raymond was so furious that he smacked the table. "One more time!"
Fatty nodded. He was about to set off when Roger grabbed his arm. Then, he looked at Justin and Cherry with a smile and said, "Nice one, Justin."
Justin raised his eyebrows. "I told you, there¡¯s no need to raise the stakes like that when the children are just fooling around. Look at how rmed and anxious Uncle Raymond has be after he lost!"
His words made Raymond flush as red as a tomato. He pointed at Justin angrily and sputtered, "You, you, you..."
Justin¡¯s expression turned cold and he said nothing.
Cherry, however, said, "Daddy, I¡¯m so scared! Is that grandpa having a stroke? His fingers keep shaking!"
Raymond, "?"
Even Justin couldn¡¯t help just smile. His anger from just now disappeared, and his voice was low and gentle as he replied, "No, Uncle Raymond is just being a sore loser. Forget it, you don¡¯t need to prepare the agreement anymore, Sean."
Raymond knew that Justin was provoking him the moment he heard what he said.
It was either he toughed it out and went along with Justin¡¯s words¡ªbut he would probably never be able to hold his head up high in front of the Hunts after that since he was the one who suggested the bet, yet also the one being a sore loser in the end¡ªor he surrendered the shares!
Raymond was thick-skinned. Thinking that he could just redeem his reputation in the future, he was about to speak when the same young and tender voice said, "Why would he be a sore loser, Daddy? That grandpa was really amazing just now, and he even asked if you dared to bet with him. Is he the one who actually doesn¡¯t dare to? Also, can people just cancel their bets at will? Daddy taught me that I should always keep my word. Otherwise, it would be no different from a fart~!"
Raymond, "!!!"
Her words were too humiliating!
His words would be no different from a fart?!
He took a few deep breaths. There was no way he could part with the money, but the problem was that he would thoroughly embarrass himself... He couldn¡¯t quite stomach the aggravation.
At this point, Roger smiled and said, "That¡¯s impossible. It¡¯s just a few billion dors. Dad, give it to him."
Raymond looked at Roger and eximed, "Roger!"
Roger¡¯s expression darkened. "Give it to him."
Raymond finally turned to Justin and said indignantly, "Prepare the agreement!"
Sean immediately nodded. "Yes, sir."
At the sight of him turning and leaving, Raymond said sarcastically, "Your assistant is terrible, Justin. How can he say that when you haven¡¯t even agreed?"
Sean ignored him. Instead, his footsteps toward the outside quickened as he got ready to print the papers.
To be honest, 2% of the shares were actually very important to them!
Justin, however, replied, "We¡¯re a family, Uncle Raymond. How would he possibly have the guts to disobey your instructions?"
Raymond, "??"
Was there even anyone who didn¡¯t know that no one could order about the few subordinates under Justin¡¯smand, except for Justin himself?
He was going too far by saying that!!!
¡ª
While Cherry was provoking Raymond and his family at the Hunts¡¯, Pete was in school.
During ss, a child raised his hand. "Ms. Lynn, my head hurts."
The teacher hurriedly walked over and asked, "What¡¯s wrong?"
The little fellow pointed to his head and replied, "It hurts."
Ms. Lynn had no choice but to let him rest at the side.
After ss, everyone surrounded the boy with a headache.
"Jimmy, are you pretending to have a headache?"
The boy named Jimmy shook his head. "No, I¡¯m not."
"But my mom said that your mom says you¡¯re just pretending to have a headache so that you can y truant!"
Jimmy¡¯s eyes reddened and he stood up. "That¡¯s not true! My head really hurts!"
"You¡¯re just pretending!"
"Yes, you¡¯re just pretending! Your mom said so in the kindergarten parents¡¯ group chat!"
Jimmy was so mad that he clenched his fists.
Mia came over and said softly, "Don¡¯t talk about Jimmy like that. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s not pretending!"
Mia spoke very softly. Pete found the way she spoke very calming, so she was the only one with whom he was willing to y in the kindergarten.
Seeing that even she had spoken up, Pete nced at Jimmy and sent a text message to Nora: ¡¯Mommy, I have a ssmate who keeps having a headache. What¡¯s going on?¡¯
Meanwhile.
Jimmy¡¯s mother wasining madly in the parents¡¯ group chat.
Jimmy¡¯s Mom: ¡¯The teacher called me and said that Jimmy was having a headache again. Sigh, kids are so sly these days. It must be because I picked him up and brought him home the moment they calledst time that he has learned to lie now.¡¯
Brandon¡¯s Mom: ¡¯Is he always having a headache? You¡¯d best send him for a checkup.¡¯
Jimmy¡¯s Mom: ¡¯Is there even any need for a child to see a doctor because of headaches? I think he¡¯s fine. Besides, they¡¯ll definitely make him do a whole bunch of brain CT scans and MRI scans. Those will expose the child to radiation!¡¯
Helen¡¯s Mom: ¡¯Yes, kids nowadays are really smart. They know what works best for them and are always pretending.¡¯
The messages from the group chat and Pete were so noisy that Nora couldn¡¯t sleep, so she picked up her phone. When she saw the messages, she sent one back to Pete.
Pete gave Nora a video call after seeing her reply. Then, he followed her instructions and gave Jimmy a checkup.
For example, he pressed the top of his head and asked, "Does it hurt here?"
After asking him a few questions, Nora¡¯szy voice came through the phone and she said, "I¡¯m hanging up."
Then, she went to the group chat and sent a message.
Nora: ¡¯Jimmy¡¯s mom, his situation is not promising. You should take him to the hospital for a lumbar puncture right away.¡¯
The parents in the group chat, who were chatting about how their children were always ying tricks, were dumbfounded and all of them stopped talking.
A short whileter, Jimmy¡¯s mother popped up.
Jimmy¡¯s Mom: ¡¯???¡¯
Jimmy¡¯s Mom: ¡¯Are you crazy? The most that¡¯s ever necessary when people have headaches are brain CT scans. Why would he need to do a lumbar puncture?¡¯
Nora answered calmly: ¡¯I am a doctor.¡¯
Jimmy¡¯s Mom: ¡¯Does being a doctor mean you can tell us to do things? We actually have a doctor in the group chat? The Golden Sunshine Kindergarten actually has parents who are doctors? Are you reallycking this bit of money for medical tests from me?¡¯
The others echoed her:
¡¯Yes, she¡¯s right. Hospitals keep prescribing this and that to patients these days. There are actually parents in this group chat who are so poor that they want to cheat others of this bit of money?¡¯
¡¯She must be a quack doctor, right?¡¯
¡¯Don¡¯t spout nonsense here just because you have a bit of knowledge. What does a lumbar puncture have to do with the brain?¡¯
Jimmy¡¯s Mom: ¡¯This is just a quack doctor¡¯s misdiagnosis! Get out of the group!¡¯
Chapter 190: Am I Dying?
Chapter 190: Am I Dying?
Nora, who had seen family members of patients that were even more unreasonable, wasn¡¯t bothered. Instead, she wrote: ¡¯Jimmy is likely suffering from encephalitis.¡¯
She was about to send the message after drafting it when she suddenly saw a message prompt:
¡¯You have been kicked out of the group chat by the administrator.¡¯
Nora, "?"
She raised her eyebrows and stared at her phone for a while. A brief momentter, she scoffed and opened Cherry¡¯s chat window. Then, she sent a message to Pete: ¡¯He is likely suffering from encephalitis. Have his father take him to the hospital for a checkup.¡¯
Doctors should be benevolent.
The child was still so young. She didn¡¯t want to let the matter go unchecked.
Neither would she lower herself to his parent¡¯s level.
After sending the message, shey down and got ready to sleep.
¡ª
At the kindergarten.
Pete walked over to Jimmy after reading Nora¡¯s message and ryed her words to him.
Jimmy was so frightened that he burst into tears at once. "Sob! I have encephalitis! Am I going to die?!"
Ms. Lynn was dumbfounded when Jimmy burst into tears. She tried to coax him, but he cried and asked for his mother instead.
As a result, Ms. Lynn could only give Jimmy¡¯s mother a call.
Jimmy¡¯s mother was a hot-tempered and straightforward woman. After receiving the teacher¡¯s call, she went straight to the school swiftly and resolutely.
She spotted Jimmy, who was crying so hard that he couldn¡¯t breathe, right away.
Jimmy¡¯s mother panicked at once. "What¡¯s wrong? Did your ssmates bully you?"
A sobbing Jimmy replied, "Mommy, I¡¯m dying. I have a very serious illness. Sob..."
His mother frowned and asked, "Who told you that?"
"Cherry did."
Jimmy¡¯s mother became furious at once. She shouted at Ms. Lynn, "Who is Cherry?!"
Ms. Lynn wanted to stop her, but Jimmy¡¯s mother, who was a tall and thick woman, was simply too strong. She pushed Ms. Lynn away, entered the ssroom, and demanded, "Where is Cherry?"
Pete stood up leisurely and frowned.
At the sight of him, Jimmy¡¯s mother immediately broke into a rant. She said, "Why did you say such nonsense to Jimmy? Don¡¯t you know that it¡¯s not right to scare kids?! Apologize to Jimmy at once!"
Jimmy was holding his mother¡¯s hand. The five-year-old boy looked confused¡ªobviously, he didn¡¯t know what was going on.
He shook his mother¡¯s hand and said, "Mommy, Cherry wasn¡¯t trying to scare me. My head hurts. I really am sick..."
"What do you mean you¡¯re sick?" Jimmy¡¯s mother¡¯s expression turned cold and she said, "It¡¯s normal for a child to experience headaches and fevers. Besides, your head always stops hurting every time you get home. Moreover, people in our family are all in good health. What kind of sickness can you possibly be down with? What kind of nonsense are you saying?"
It wasn¡¯t that Jimmy¡¯s mother didn¡¯t care about her son. It was just that every time she took Jimmy home during thest few incidents, his head would always stop hurting whenever they were about to go to the hospital.
After this happened several times, it was inevitable that Jimmy¡¯s mother would suspect that he was just pretending to be sick.
Otherwise, why would his head only hurt in the kindergarten and never at home?
Jimmy¡¯s mother pointed at Pete and sneered, "Fine, you¡¯re a kid, so I won¡¯t lower myself to your level. I¡¯ll look for your mother instead!"
She looked at Ms. Lynn and said, "Tell Cherry¡¯s mother toe to the kindergarten! Otherwise, I won¡¯t let this matter rest today! How can I let my little Jimmy be bullied in school?"
Ms. Lynn breathed a sigh of relief.
Although Jimmy¡¯s mother was bad-tempered, she was reasonable and hadn¡¯t raised her hand against the child. She was a much more decent person than Whitney Lowe.
Ms. Lynn hurriedly called Nora.
Pete sat in his seat while Jimmy¡¯s mother waited with her son in Ms. Lynn¡¯s office.
Next to him, Mia was terribly nervous. She tugged Pete¡¯s sleeve and whispered, "Cherry, I heard that Jimmy¡¯s parents are prominent figures in the underworld. Whoever offends Jimmy will be..."
She held her hand up, drew it across her neck, and added, "... killed off secretly!"
Pete, "?"
Mia was so frightened that she shrank back after she spoke. "My mommy also told me not to offend Jimmy when I first came to school. Jimmy¡¯s mother looked so scary just now!"
The other children were also discussing the matter quietly among themselves.
"Will Cherry stoping to school tomorrow?"
"I heard that Jimmy¡¯s father has a big pet tiger that only eats children! Will Cherry be eaten on her way home?"
"You mustn¡¯t die, Cherry!"
"Sob, Cherry, I really like you..."
A child¡¯s world was very simple and innocent, especially when Cherry the charmer had already be their favorite person in the ss.
As a result, Pete was surrounded by the children. Their eyes were all red as they said their goodbyes to him.
"Cherry, I like you the most. You have toe to school alive tomorrow, okay?!"
"Cherry, why don¡¯t you go and buy a piece of meat after school? This way, even if you encounter the big tiger, you can let it eat the meat so that it won¡¯t eat you..."
"Here, Cherry, this is for you. It¡¯s a little hammer that my mommy gave me. She said that I can use it to hammer anyone that bullies me. Why don¡¯t you take this and beat the tiger with it?"
"..."
Pete, "..."
He couldn¡¯t help rolling his eyes. These children were so silly... that they were so cute.
The feeling of loneliness that had been hidden in the depths of his heart ever since he was born seemed to have unknowingly faded away a lot during his days in kindergarten.
Mia became even more frightened. Her eyes reddened as she said, "How about letting Daddy send you home after school today?!"
To Mia, her father was the most powerful person ever!
"... No, it¡¯s fine," replied Pete.
As a result, when a displeased Nora rushed over to the kindergarten after being woken up, she immediately saw her son being surrounded and sent off by a crying crowd.
Nora, "..."
However, before she could even say anything, Jimmy¡¯s mother rushed up to her. She jabbed her finger in her face and said angrily, "Never mind that you were talking nonsense in the group, but how can you also say such nonsense to a child? Look at how pale Jimmy has be because of you!"
Jimmy was following his mother at the back. The little boy was trembling all over, and he looked as if he was about to have a fit because he was crying so hard.
Nora frowned and said, "Now¡¯s not the time to be quarreling. I¡¯d suggest that you take your son to the hospital for a checkup right away."
"To hell with the checkup!" Jimmy¡¯s mother shouted angrily, "We¡¯re already meeting in person, yet you¡¯re still so full of hot air! It¡¯s all because your daughter scared him that my son has be like this! Encephalitis? ... Would anyone need a lumbar puncture because of encephalitis? This is the first time I¡¯ve ever heard about it! Aren¡¯t lumbar punctures rted to leukemia or something? Are you sure you know what you¡¯re saying or not?!"
Nora, "..."
Jimmy¡¯s mother rolled up her sleeves as if she was about to hit someone. She demanded, "I want you to apologize to my son right away! Tell your daughter to apologize to my son, too! Take back what you said just now and tell him that all of that was just a joke!"
However, as soon as she said that, Jimmy suddenly held his head with his hands and threw up.
Chapter 191: The Child’s Father!
Chapter 191: The Child¡¯s Father!
Jimmy¡¯s mother was terribly shocked. She quickly looked down and picked up Jimmy. "What¡¯s wrong? Jimmy, what¡¯s wrong?"
After throwing up twice, Jimmy finally stopped. Covered in perspiration, he frowned and asked, "Mommy, am I dying?"
Jimmy¡¯s mother finally panicked. "Of course not. Mommy¡¯s here, baby. Mommy will take you to the hospital right away!"
She held him in her arms and walked out.
When she passed by Nora, Nora told her again, "Have a lumbar puncture done immediately and check whether it¡¯s encephalitis or not when you reach the hospital."
This time, Jimmy¡¯s mother looked at her and said nothing. Instead, she strode off.
After she left, Nora checked the time¡ªschool wasn¡¯t over yet. Thus, she left Pete there and went home by herself.
Ms. Lynn, "..."
She¡¯d thought that Cherry¡¯s mother wouldfort Cherry a little before she left¡ªafter all, she had just quarreled with her ssmate. But why was she so nonplussed about it?
No, that wasn¡¯t right. Cherry¡¯s mother was a very good mother. She must be very busy with work at the moment and must have rushed over from work right after she received the call. She must be rushing back to work to make money to raise Cherry now!
Yes, that must be the case!
With that in mind, Ms. Lynn went back into the ssroom, upon which she immediately saw Cherry engrossed in a book.
Ms. Lynn couldn¡¯t help but walk over. She ruffled Cherry¡¯s hair and said, "Don¡¯t be scared, Cherry~"
Pete stiffened, but forced himself to tolerate the body contact.
He found that there seemed to be more and more people whom he could epting into physical contact with these days...
Soon, school ended.
One by one, the children said their goodbyes to Pete, who left the school together with Tanya. Mia watched them get in the big ck car before she got in the Smiths¡¯ car unhappily.
At the sight, Joel couldn¡¯t help asking, "What¡¯s the matter, Mia?"
Mia asked timidly, "Daddy, will Cherry be eaten by the big tiger?"
Joel, "?"
Mia told him about what had happened earlier that day. Joel ruffled her hair and said, "It¡¯s fine. The big tiger won¡¯t dare to eat him."
Mia¡¯s big eyes widened and she stared at him puzzledly. She asked, "Why? The big tiger doesn¡¯t dare to eat me because I have Daddy, but he doesn¡¯t!"
Joel cast his eyes down and replied, "His father is Justin Hunt. Don¡¯t worry, the big tiger won¡¯t dare to eat him at all."
Mia was relieved to hear that. "That¡¯s great!"
Joel, however, turned to look outside¡ªTanya had brought the child into the car again. Did this mean that the child¡¯s mother didn¡¯t bothering over to pick him up from school at all?
He stared at Tanya.
In his mind, however, was the DNA test report... The results were tooplicated. He didn¡¯t dare to bring it up to Ian even now.
He would need to think carefully about how to word it properly.
¡ª
Jimmy¡¯s mother soon reached the hospital. She rushed straight to the pediatric department with Jimmy.
Jimmy was already feeling much better by then. However, the pediatrician nevertheless carried out a series of tests on him before finally telling his mother the reason for his vomiting. He said, "It¡¯s likely because he was crying too much from fright. Jimmy, do you still feel like throwing up?"
Jimmy shook his head.
The doctor smiled and said, "There¡¯s no need to make too big a fuss over something trivial sometimes."
Relieved, Jimmy¡¯s mother nodded.
The doctor then said, "It¡¯s better to err on the side of caution, though, so let¡¯s do a few more tests."
Jimmy¡¯s mother got the nanny to go and foot the medical bill. Then, she called Jimmy¡¯s father.
Jimmy¡¯s father was named Jordan Hoffman. He specialized in businesses such as underground dealings and so on in New York and was considered a leader of the industry. Apart from the Smiths and Hunts, one could say that he didn¡¯t show anyone else any courtesy.
He was a crass boor with a big and muscr figure and stood at about 6¡¯1" tall with a weight of 205 lbs. He was currently working out. His muscles bulged powerfully in tandem with the movements of the gym equipment.
When his cell phone rang, he picked it up and answered very loudly, "What¡¯s the matter, dear?"
Jimmy¡¯s mother wiped her tears and said, "What¡¯s the matter? Someone bullied your son Jimmy in the kindergarten!"
"F*ck!" Jordan stood up, causing the gym equipment¡¯s parts to sh loudly against each other. "Who is so bold as to bully my son? But did you say Jimmy had to go to the hospital because of the bullying? Why is he such a wimp?"
"..."
Jimmy¡¯s mother choked for a moment before she yelled, "What would my son know when he¡¯s only five years old?! A kid in their ss bullied him and told him that he had encephalitis, scaring him so badly that he cried for two hours until he threw up! What are you going to do about this?"
Jordan shouted angrily, "Whose child is it that¡¯s so naughty? How dare they insult my son! I¡¯m going to rip that little bastard into pieces!"
Jimmy¡¯s mother got anxious and said, "Who are you nning to rip into pieces? How can it be the child¡¯s fault when they haven¡¯t even grown up yet? The one I¡¯m angry with is his mother! The kindergarten had gotten her toe down, yet she still told me to get a lumbar puncture done for Jimmy. That¡¯s a lumbar puncture we¡¯re talking about here, you know?! It¡¯s a really painful procedure. Who does she think she is? Does she think she can just scare other people like that?!"
Jordan nodded. "Yes, you¡¯re right! I¡¯ll have someone check who her parents are right away!"
Jimmy¡¯s mother nodded. "I will also put some pressure on the kindergarten. Why should we allow such parents to send their children to kindergarten? Let¡¯s have them voluntarily withdraw from the school! Otherwise, I¡¯ll drive them out!"
"Okay, we¡¯ll go with whatever you say, dear. How is Jimmy feeling, by the way?"
At the mention of Jimmy, the woman¡¯s tone softened and she replied, "He¡¯s feeling much better now. He only threw up because he was crying after he was badly frightened. I¡¯m so mad! What¡¯s a parent spreading such rumors for? Is it that fun to scare children? If it weren¡¯t because Jimmy had suddenly started throwing up, given my bad temper, I would have totally given her a few tight ps today!"
"I¡¯ll check who his father is right away, and give his father those ps instead! What is the child¡¯s name?"
"Cherry Smith."
"Okay!"
Jimmy¡¯s mother was still very angry even after she hung up. She started to madly contact the principal and the teachers on her cell phone and sent them a text message.
Jimmy¡¯s mother: ¡¯Since Cherry Smith¡¯s mother, Nora Smith, refuses to apologize for her child¡¯s actions, I¡¯d suggest that the school expel her child! I won¡¯t change my mind unless they apologize seriously!¡¯
When Ms. Lynn saw the text message, she quickly contacted Nora. "Ms. Smith, I understand that Cherry didn¡¯t say that to scare Jimmy. Why don¡¯t you have her apologize to Jimmy?"
Nora, who had been woken up repeatedly by phone calls, was already very impatient by this point. She replied aggressively, "Pete... oh, I mean Cherry, will take three days off from school for now, then."
Jimmy was in very serious condition. If his mother didn¡¯t follow her instructions and have him go through a checkup right away, three days would be more than enough for his illness to re up.
Ms. Lynn, "?"
In the hospital.
It was only when Jimmy¡¯s mother received news from Ms. Lynn that Cherry would be temporarily stopped from attending sses that she finally calmed down.
When Jimmy finished the various checkups, his mother finally calmed down and looked at him. She suddenly thought of the headache that Jimmy had mentioned previously and asked, "Does your head still hurt, Jimmy?"
Chapter 192: Choosing Between Two Options
Chapter 192: Choosing Between Two Options
Jimmy thought for a while. His head still hurt a little, but when he thought of the difort he had felt when they were checking his stomach just now to find out why he had thrown up, he nked out for a moment. Then, he shook his head and replied, "It doesn¡¯t hurt anymore, Mommy."
Jimmy¡¯s mother heaved a sigh of relief at once.
The woman, who had been rather flustered deep down just now, finally put her heart at ease. She said, "It¡¯s fine as long as it doesn¡¯t hurt anymore. Your ssmate¡¯s mother doesn¡¯t seem like a good person. I bet she doesn¡¯t even have a doctor¡¯s license, right? Yet she kept spouting nonsense. Serves them right that her child can¡¯t attend sses in school anymore!"
After saying that, she bent down, picked up Jimmy, and went home.
In a gym somewhere.
Jordan found all of Cherry¡¯s information in no time. He frowned as he stared at Nora¡¯s name in the field listing the name of the child¡¯s mother, and asked his subordinate, "Doesn¡¯t she have a father? I don¡¯t hit women."
The man answered, "No, she doesn¡¯t."
Jordan fell silent for a moment. Then, he let out a ¡¯hmph¡¯ and said, "People who can send their kids to that kindergarten aren¡¯t from ordinary families, either. Find out which family they belong to. If they are just ordinary people... then inform my wife to drop it, lest they say we¡¯re using our power to bully them!"
"Okay."
After his subordinate left, someone walked in and said, "Mr. Hoffman, that Anderson kid is here again."
Jordan¡¯s expression immediately turned cold. "He actually has the guts toe again? Tsk! Let him in!"
At the door.
A limping Logan stood there with his eyes downcast. The dark basement was dim and messy. The young man with an untamed look on his countenance stuck out like a sore thumb in the noisy environment.
He waited until someone summoned him before he finally stepped forward and limped into the room.
After going in, Logan lowered his head at once and said, "Mr. Hoffman."
Jordan let out an icy snort and said, "Our sportsbook isn¡¯t a joke."
Logan kept his eyes down.
Their car races weren¡¯t actualpetitions. The bets and gambling were all underground transactions. The car racing sportsbook operated solely with Jordan¡¯s name as a guarantee.
All the money that Logan had earned over the years came from them.
He had always been the top car racer in New York.
A great number of the wealthy ced their bets there whenever they wanted to bet on car racing.
Logan, however, shifted his weak and limp foot and said, "The next race is in three days, but I¡¯m afraid my foot won¡¯t be recovering in time for it."
"What does that have to do with me?" Jordan got off the gym equipment and walked over. He picked up a bottle of iced water, unscrewed the cap, and gulped it all down in one breath.
Logan shifted his foot again. He said, "I¡¯ll definitely lose if I participate in the race. I¡¯m sure the yers would feel very strongly about this, so I¡¯d like to ask Mr. Hoffman for help in postponing the race for a month so that I can go for an operation and recover."
Jordan sneered. "As they say, it takes a hundred days for bone fractures and muscle tears to heal. Are you sure you¡¯ll be fine in just a month?"
"Yes, I am." Logan gritted his teeth and said, "Even if I¡¯m not, I can still participate in the race."
Jordan said, "You should have already known when you first came here that no one can change their bets in our sportsbook. For racers like you, your bodies are also a type of gamble, yet you have the audacity to allow yourself to get hurt? You lost thest race, right? I heard that you¡¯ve even sold your sports car. Are the Andersons unable to fork out that money?"
Logan said stubbornly, "I¡¯ll answer for my own actions. The Andersons and I are separate entities."
Jordan stood and said, "Good! I admire young men like you! Alright, I, Jordan, will help you out this time and personally go to the yers to exin things to them. I¡¯m sure they will relent on ount of that."
Logan breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you!"
Logan had only managed to pay off the huge losses from thest race by selling his sports car. Should he lose again, the bookies who had seen potential in him, as well as the people who had ced bets worth millions of dors on him, would probably kill him!
At this point, someone suddenly stepped forward and said, "I¡¯ve found the information, Mr. Hoffman."
The man handed his cell phone with Nora¡¯s profile disyed to Jordan. His eyes widened when he saw the word ¡¯Anderson¡¯.
He let out a coldugh and handed the phone back to his subordinate. Then, he suddenlyshed out at Logan and said, "I take back my words."
Logan, who was about to leave, was puzzled.
His eyes widened abruptly and he looked back at him.
Everyone in the underworld was afraid of Jordan. They found him boorish and unreasonable, but to be honest, after interacting with him for some time, Logan felt that he was actually a righteous and loyal man. It was just that he was a little protective of his own.
He was only unreasonable when people he considered his own were involved.
That was why he hade over to beg him for help.
He asked hesitantly, "Mr. Hoffman?"
Jordan asked, "How is Nora Smith rted to you?"
Logan clenched his jaw and answered, "She¡¯s my cousin."
"Oh." Jordan said very straightforwardly, "She has offended me. To be more precise, her daughter bullied my son. Therefore, I won¡¯t be helping you anymore."
Logan was bewildered.
He wanted to say something, but Jordan instead waved and ordered, "Get out."
A few of Jordan¡¯s men immediately walked toward Logan.
He would be doing him a favor by helping him out, but he wasn¡¯t obligated to.
Logan didn¡¯t fall out with him just because he suddenly decided not to help him. Instead, he nodded, turned around, and walked out of the room without needing anyone to take him out.
When he reached the door, he heard Jordan at the back slowly say, "Don¡¯t hold it against me. They scared my son so badly that he threw up. I have to let out my frustrations somewhere after all. If I don¡¯t vent them on you, that woman named Nora Smith would have to suffer my wrath instead. Of course, you can choose to either let my wife beat her up to vent her anger, or choose to ept this situation."
Logan clenched his fists.
Jordan looked at the investigation report. He said, "Judging from my investigation results, you¡¯re probably not that close to her. You¡¯re in a pretty miserable situation right now¡ªif you lose the uing race, not only will you lose everything you have, but the bookies that will make huge losses probably won¡¯t let you off, either. Based on my calctions, unless you fork out 50 million dors to pay them back, you won¡¯t be able to quell their anger. The Andersons probably won¡¯t be able to repay a debt like that!"
Logan immediately said, "I told you, Mr. Hoffman. The Andersons and I are separate entities!"
Jordan casually took a seat. His muscles shook a little, and his voice was rough as he said, "That may work on me, but do you think it¡¯ll also work on others when you¡¯re an Anderson?"
Logan broke into a frown.
Gambling in the underworld didn¡¯t operate on the usual rules.
Jordan went on and asked, "Do you remember that boxing champion in the ck market three years ago? He disappeared after he lost a match. Do you know where he is now?
"He died after someone secretly beat him up. His body was thrown into the sewer and eaten by rats after he died. On top of that, those people even went to his home. It¡¯s said that his wife and children are begging on the streets even now."
Logan clenched his fists.
Jordan smiled and said, "Of course, this won¡¯t happen if you can get your foot injury healed within three days, or if you can find a racer who is even more skilled than you to help you win the race.
"However, a racer like that doesn¡¯t seem to exist in the States. As for the international scene, Yanci is the only one who can do that."
While the two were chatting, Jimmy¡¯s mother came over with Jimmy.
As soon as they entered the gym, the hot and stuffy atmosphere in the room immediately made Jimmy¡¯s head hurt as if great tidal waves were churning in his head.
Chapter 193: Yanci The Car Racer!
Chapter 193: Yanci The Car Racer!
Jimmy instantly became as pale as a sheet. He held his head and then his chest.
His mother noticed his unusual behavior very quickly. "What¡¯s wrong, Jimmy?"
The little boy couldn¡¯t pinpoint where exactly he didn¡¯t feel well, so he could only reply, "I feel so sick, Mommy."
Jimmy¡¯s mother hurriedly hugged him. She couldn¡¯t help but gripe, "It¡¯s all Nora Smith¡¯s fault! Of all things to say, why did she have to scare you like that?!"
She was so anxious that her eyes were all red. She griped at Jordan and said, "I really don¡¯t know who this boy takes after for him to be so timid. Come on, Mommy will tuck you into bed."
She scooped the pale Jimmy into her arms and took him to the bedroom upstairs.
Jordan became even more furious when he saw how unwell little Jimmy was.
He looked at Logan and said, "It still goes back to the same thing. Either I help you out¡ªeveryone will likely take a step back on my ount and postpone the race for a month¡ªbut you must bring me that woman named Nora Smith and let me teach her a good lesson! Or, you get the hell out of here!"
Logan clenched his fists.
He stared at Jordan. After a short while, he finally replied coldly, "I¡¯ll take my leave, Mr. Hoffman."
Logan limped out of the door. Jordan was still angry even after he left. The man beside him said, "Mr. Hoffman, that kid is a pretty righteous and honorable guy..."
Jordan snorted. "He can only count himself unlucky to have a cousin like that! Since I can¡¯t make trouble for that woman, I can only make trouble for him, then!"
However, after he said that, he lowered his head again and said, "Forget it. That kid is pretty interesting. Ry a message to everyone¡ªthe race three dayster will go on as per normal, but he and the Andersons are separate entities."
This meant that he was going to protect the Andersons.
The man nodded. "Yes, sir."
To be honest, Jordan actually wasn¡¯t the most powerful man among the underworld forces. However, everyone trusted and believed in him because he was a righteous and loyal man who practiced boundaries in the way he did things.
Take just now, for example. Even though he had vented his anger on Logan because of a woman, he had protected Logan¡¯s family, nheless.
Otherwise, if everyone charged over to the Andersons, the Andersons would be in trouble.
¡ª
Logan left Jordan¡¯s. After taking a few steps, someone called out to him from behind. He turned around to see that it was Jordan¡¯s second-inmand. The man strode over and said, "Mr. Hoffman has just given the word that you and the Andersons are separate entities. I have no idea which part of you Mr. Hoffman took a fancy to."
Logan breathed a sigh of relief and nodded at the man. He said, "Please thank Mr. Hoffman for me."
Jordan¡¯s second-inmand nodded. Then, he said, "You sure are unlucky, though. Why do you simply have to have a cousin like that? If you ask me, I¡¯d say this would all be over if you just bring her here and have her apologize to Mr. Hoffman and his wife. Why bother doing something like that instead?"
Logan cast his eyes down and said nothing.
The man went on and said, "I¡¯ve already looked into it. Your cousin isn¡¯t from an established family, so it shouldn¡¯t matter that much to her whether she embarrasses herself or not, isn¡¯t it?"
However, as soon as he said that, Logan said, "Thank you very much for your help."
In other words, he had rejected Jordan¡¯s second-inmand¡¯s suggestion.
The man¡¯s expression darkened. "You don¡¯t know what¡¯s good for you, kid. She¡¯d best either apologize or hope that the little mister gets well soon. Otherwise, Mr. and Mrs. Hoffman definitely won¡¯t let her off if the little mister continues to be sick!"
Logan nodded at him and left.
Logan¡¯s foot hadn¡¯t recovered yet, so he couldn¡¯t drive. He hailed a cab and instructed the driver to go to the vi where he was currently staying.
However, when he reached the vi, he found that all his belongings had been thrown out. Someone was inside the vi and packing the ce. The moment he got out of the car with a frown, someone said, "Oh hey, aren¡¯t you Logan¡ªThe Racing King? You¡¯vee just in time. Why haven¡¯t you moved out when you¡¯ve already sold this vi to me?"
Logan pressed his lips together tightly.
The person who had bought his vi was none other than Winston, Jon Myers¡¯ son!
Jon had been making things difficult for the Andersons all these years, in hopes that the Myers Peace Pharmacy would rece the Harmonia Pharmacy to be the top yer in the traditional medicine industry in New York.
Therefore, Winston had shown up immediately when he heard that Logan was selling his vi and car.
He had bought his vi at a low price.
The vi was located in the suburbs, so it was only worth three million dors.
However, not only did Winston only offer 1.5 million dors for it, but he had even coerced Logan into the transaction because he needed the money urgently! It was clearly stated in the contract that he was to be given a month¡¯s time to move out.
He didn¡¯t want to go back and live with the Andersons at the moment, lest they find out about his leg injury and worry about him.
But why was he kicking him out now?
Logan stepped forward with a frown and said, "Our contract clearly states that I¡¯ll move out within a month. I signed the sale agreement with you only yesterday, didn¡¯t I?"
Winston lifted his head high and replied, "Yes, ¡¯within a month¡¯ is right. A day¡¯s time is also within a month, isn¡¯t it? Are you nning to stay here and not move out?"
Logan¡¯s sharp gaze turned cold. "Don¡¯t go too far, Winston!"
"Don¡¯t go too far?" Winston shrugged and said, "How exactly am I going too far? Isn¡¯t it right, of course, that you move out after you sell your house to me? Besides, I¡¯m nning to stay here soon, so I can only take your things for you first!"
As soon as he said that, someone rushed out of the vi and called out, "There¡¯s a trophy here, Mr. Myers!"
Winston looked over to see that it was Logan¡¯s racing championship trophy.
Logan¡¯s eyes widened in shock when he saw the trophy.
He had won that trophy when he participated in his very first race.
His parents had always disapproved of car racing, so he¡¯d only had a small celebration with his friends after he won the trophy. He had kept it carefully in his vi ever since.
The trophy held a special meaning to him.
He hastily stepped forward and said, "Give me that!"
Winston also hastily said, "Yeah, that trophy is the first championship trophy that our Logan¡ªThe Racing King here ever won. I remember that he had beat the others by copying one of Yanci¡¯s drifting techniques that time. That trophy holds great significance. You mustn¡¯t break it! Here, Logan¡ªThe Racing King, hold it properly."
Logan stretched out his hand. He was about to take the trophy when Winston suddenly turned and smashed the trophy mercilessly against the rock next to him!
Smash!
The trophy shattered at once!
Logan¡¯s eyes widened in horror. He turned to Winston abruptly, balled up his fist, and waved it at him. He shouted, "You must be sick of living, Winston!"
But before he could charge toward Winston, two other men stopped him.
Logan had always had a lot of physical strength, and he rarely suffered disadvantages in fights. In addition, he had always been ruthless ever since he was a child. However, one of his legs was injured, and he didn¡¯t have any strength in it. He soon fell into a disadvantage.
The men trapped Logan. He red furiously at Winston. "You¡¯re so shameless to kick a man while he¡¯s down!"
Winston, however,ughed and said, "I¡¯ve already bought your vi. As for your car, will you sell it for three million dors or not? I¡¯ve already spread the word¡ªno one will offer you a higher price than that!"
Logan clenched his fists.
At this moment, his cell phone suddenly rang.
Chapter 194: The Hunts
Chapter 194: The Hunts
Winston had made up his mind to buy Logan¡¯s sports car at a low price.
There were only twenty of that sports car model in the world. One could say that it was nigh impossible to get one¡¯s hands on it.
The car originally retailed at 20 million dors, but because no one was selling it, people were willing to buy it even at 30 million dors.
Winston, however, was only offering three million dors for it, which was just 10% of the price it could fetch!
He wasn¡¯t just kicking a man while he was down; rather, his actions were utterly despicable and shameless.
It was exactly because he had given everyone in their circle a heads-up that Logan still hadn¡¯t managed to sell his car even now.
Logan was infuriated, but he really needed the money urgently.
He clenched his jaw and said, "Even if I give it to someone else for free, I will never sell it to you! You don¡¯t know a thing about sports cars!"
Winston was only buying the sports car to show off. How would he possibly understand anything about it?
To Logan, the roar of its engine was the most beautiful music movement in the world!
His words amused Winston, who then said, "Even three million dors is too good a price for you. I¡¯ll give you another minute to think about it. If you still don¡¯t agree to it, then I will lower it to 1.5 million dors! Three, two..."
Before he could finish, though, Logan¡¯s cell phone rang.
Logan sat on the ground with bruises all over him, including on his face. He spat out a mouthful of bloody spittle and answered the phone.
A voice came through the phone and said, "Logan, someone wants to buy your sports car!"
Logan was surprised. He asked, "How much are they offering?"
His words made Winston¡¯s ears perk up, and the corners of his lips curled into a smile.
Winston had gotten a few other people to offer to buy the car, but the prices they offered were even lower than his. In fact, some even offered only $150,000.
He had done it entirely to humiliate Logan.
Hence, he thought that the person offering to buy the car was also one of his friends. However, the next moment, the person on the phone said, "The buyer says that even though the car retailed at 20 million dors and the market price has now reached 30 million dors, you¡¯re in urgent need of money, so he is willing to offer 25 million dors."
25 million dors!
This was undoubtedly a reasonable offer!
Logan heaved a huge sigh of relief and shouted, "Sold!"
"Okay, I¡¯ll transfer the car¡¯s ownership rights to them right away!"
Logan got up from the ground after he hung up, and patted off the dust on his clothes. Even though he had been beaten up, the young man looked as wild and untamed as ever. He nced at Winston, stretched out a finger, pointed at him, and said, "I will remember you."
His aura intimidated Winston for a moment, but right after, he came back to his senses and said, "Tsk. Do you think you¡¯re still Logan¡ªThe Racing King? Do you think you can still call the shots in the underworld? What can you do even if you remember me?"
Logan, however, didn¡¯t pay any more attention to him. Instead, he picked up a few items that he cared about from the belongings that were thrown out.
He only stayed at the vi asionally, so he didn¡¯t have many personal belongings inside anyway. He took a few award certificates and got into the car.
He was going to transfer the car¡¯s ownership now.
Winston and the others continued to stand where they were after he left, so furious that they couldn¡¯t speak. Atst, Winston said, "Let¡¯s go. Follow him and see who exactly is the one that dares to go against my wishes and buys his car!"
The few of them followed after Logan.
At the Department of Motor Vehicles.
Logan gazed at Little Yellow, stroking it only after he washed his hands.
He had received the car as a reward after he won the championship when he was seventeen. Since then, the title of ¡¯Logan¡ªThe Racing King¡¯ had stuck to him.
He had regarded Little Yellow as his treasure ever since.
He, who loved the car like his life itself, had never had a girlfriend, yet he had taken care of the car with all his heart.
But he knew that Little Yellow wasn¡¯t his anymore from this moment onward.
He looked at the man who had bought the car¡ªSean¡ªand said seriously, "I hope its new owner will treat it kindly."
Sean gave his sses a push, nodded, and replied, "Don¡¯t worry."
Mr. Hunt had bought the car for the little mister!
It would take ten years before the little mister grew up, so they would definitely be treating it kindly¡ªafter all, it was going to stay in the innermost section of the garage.
The two men entered the Department of Motor Vehicles. The moment they came out after finishing the transfer procedures, they saw Winston walking over with a group of people with great momentum.
Winston stood in Sean¡¯s way and asked, "Buddy, where are you from? Didn¡¯t you receive our notice?"
Sean looked at the people in front of him. He pushed his sses and replied, "I did. So?"
Winston, "?"
Winston was outraged "How dare you still mess up our ns after you received it! Do you know who the one backing us up is?"
Winston had never relied on the Myerses to back him up.
After all, like the Andersons, the Myerses might be well-known in the pharmaceutical industry, but they were nothing in New York itself.
The people backing him up were an underworld force that even Jordan Hoffman had to show courtesy to.
Upon hearing what he said, Logan couldn¡¯t just stand by idly anymore. He stepped forward and said, "Buddy, these people aren¡¯t to be messed with. If you want to back out, I can return the money to you."
He mustn¡¯t implicate other people.
Unexpectedly, as soon as he said that, Sean took off his sses. He folded them carefully, put them in the sses case, and then put the case in his pocket.
"Come with me," he said.
Winston and the others followed after him and left the Department of Motor Vehicles. The few of them entered a small alley at the side.
Logan frowned.
As soon as they entered the alley, Sean suddenly stood still, turned around, and beckoned at the few of them.
Winston and the others charged toward him at once.
Logan panicked.
That man looked so polite and down-to-earth. Neither did he look strong enough. Could he really handle them?
The thought had only just formed in his mind when he saw the man, who had still looked so polite and gentle thest moment, suddenly throw his fist out. As though Winston and the others were just little kids, he gave them all a punch each and fell them all neatly and slickly.
Sean¡¯s movements seemed structured and systematic¡ªhe had likely trained in martial arts before.
Winston and the others fell onto the ground, groaning and moaning in pain.
They were ultimately just your average punks. Winston yelled, "Do you know who we are? How dare you hit us just like that!"
Sean took out his sses case from his pocket unhurriedly after he beat them up. He took out the microfiber cloth and cleaned his sses before putting them back on.
After putting them back on, he took out a piece of wet tissue, wiped his fingers, and tossed it onto Winston¡¯s face before he replied, "I know who you are."
Winston, "!"
He became even angrier. "How dare you hit us when you know who we are! How impertinent! Who exactly are you? Tell us who you are if you have the guts! Our boss will hunt you down!"
Sean let out an ¡¯oh¡¯ before he answered coldly, "The Hunts."
"..."
¡ª
Logan was still somewhat dazed when he went home.
As it turned out, it was the Hunts who had helped him out. No wonder they had the guts to ignore that man and offer him 25 million dors for his car.
It was just that Justin Hunt had never been interested in sports cars, so who had he bought it for?
He entered the Andersons¡¯ vi. He was about to go up the stairs when he suddenly saw Noraing out of her room. She was yawningzily and holding her cell phone. A voice rang out from the phone and said, "Mommy, I managed to buy a Little Yellow!"
Chapter 195: Jimmy Is In Danger!
Chapter 195: Jimmy Is In Danger!
Logan, "??"
Little Yellow?
While he was wondering about it, Nora replied, "Oh."
The voice on the phone then said, "But I like pink! So I¡¯m going to paint it pink~"
"It¡¯s up to you."
Nora only noticed Logan after she uttered the few words. She was taken aback.
The boy stood where he was, casually, with his hands in his pockets. Although one couldn¡¯t tell the condition of his body, there were injuries on his face.
He had a bruise at the corner of his mouth and a band-aid on his nose.
They added a little more of that wild and untamed feeling to the youth. It was just that he had a somewhat hostile look in his eyes at the moment.
Nora turned off the phone. She thought that the look in the boy¡¯s eyes was because she was blocking his way upstairs, so she stepped aside and gave way to him.
Logan limped up the stairs after he saw her stepping to the side. When he was walking past her, Nora suddenly asked, "Hasn¡¯t your foot healed yet?"
She seemed to recall that something was already wrong with Logan¡¯s foot when he came home the other time?
The boy was a car racer, so both his hands and feet were equally important. Could he drive a sports car in that condition?
She was wondering about that when the young man looked over fiercely with anger in his eyes and snapped, "It¡¯s none of your business!"
Nora, "?"
Logan really was rather mad.
Even though he had bailed her out at Mr. Hoffman¡¯s, he was ultimately still just a teenager, so it was inevitable that he would be resentful about it. He couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Do you know how much trouble you can bring to others with a single sentence of yours?"
Nora, "??"
She had only just woken up, so she was still rather sleepy and didn¡¯t know what Logan meant at all. However, the boy didn¡¯t seem like someone who wouldsh out at others for no reason, so she asked hesitantly, "What¡¯s the matter?"
Logan thought of the whole mess and ultimately said nothing about it. He replied, "It¡¯s nothing. Just manage your own affairs properly and it¡¯ll do."
He went upstairs after saying that.
Nora, "..."
Tsk.
What a brat. He must havee back to vent his frustrations after suffering injustice outside.
She went downstairs, poured herself a ss of water, and then went back upstairs with the ss. As soon as she went back up, she received a call from an unknown number. When she answered, Mrs. Hoffman¡¯s voice reached her through the voice. She said, "I¡¯m not going to let matters rest this time, Ms. Smith!"
Nora, "?"
Mrs. Hoffman sounded as if she was crying as she said, "My son was so scared by what you said that he threw up again. He only fell asleep after taking a tranquilizer pill. Even though Logan has shouldered the me for you, if anything should happen to my son, I will never let you off!"
She hung up right away after saying that.
Nora narrowed her eyes.
Logan had shouldered the me for her... What kind of me had he shouldered for her?
Now wasn¡¯t the time to be thinking of that, though.
He had thrown up again...
From the looks of it, the boy was in terrible condition!
The woman, who had never been one to be nosy, merely thought about it for a moment before she got onto the bed andy down. However, she still felt rather uneasy.
Pete came out of the shower a whileter. After he got onto the bed, he asked hesitantly, "Mommy, will Jimmy be okay?"
Nora was surprised. She asked, "Are you on very good terms with him?"
Pete nodded. "He likes Cherry very much. There was once I didn¡¯t manage to grab an apple during mealtime, but he had managed to grab two, so he gave me one."
Nora closed her eyes. "Mm. Go to sleep now."
Pete closed his eyes.
Ten minutester, Nora suddenly opened her eyes. She ruffled her hair, sat up in annoyance, and said, "Pete, Jimmy isn¡¯t in good condition tonight. I¡¯ll go and take a look at him."
Pete nodded.
Nora picked up her cell phone, hacked into the Golden Sunshine Kindergarten¡¯sputer system, and found Jimmy¡¯s address. After that, she got up, changed into a set of ck clothes, and left the house.
As she drove the jeep along the quiet streets, she felt that she must be out of her mind.
She didn¡¯t know why she was being so nosy this time, either.
To be honest, she had already done her duty as a doctor when she warned them time and again previously.
Besides, Jimmy¡¯s mother didn¡¯t look like she was someone easy to get along with. However, Jimmy was innocent; he was only five.
It was already midnight by the time she arrived at the Hoffmans¡¯ clubhouse.
She stopped the car and tried to enter. However, someone stopped her at the door and asked, "Who are you looking for?"
Nora revealed her identity and replied, "I¡¯m Nora. I¡¯m here to look for Jimmy¡¯s mother. Alternatively, his father would also do."
The man asked Nora to wait while he went in to report her arrival. Soon, he came back out and told her to go in.
Nora followed the few men into the gym.
The environment was very dark, and even the light in there was yellowish. The whole room was very dim.
Nightlife in the underworld had only just begun, so Jordan was full of energy. Muscles bulged on his upper body, which was naked. He looked at Nora¡¯s tiny physique and sneered, "Huh, did Logan abandon you in the end after all?"
Nora didn¡¯t understand what he was saying. She merely said, "Jimmy¡¯s father, I came here to tell you that Jimmy has encephalitis. If he continues to vomit and bes unconscious, I¡¯m afraid he will be in great danger!"
Jordan, "?"
He sneered and stood up. "Are you crazy? You¡¯ve alreadye all the way here, yet you¡¯re still saying that? Are you more amazing than the doctors in the hospital?"
Nora shook her head. She replied slowly and earnestly, "No, that¡¯s not the case, because the doctors may not know that his head hurts. Moreover, Jimmy is very young, so he can¡¯t express his symptoms clearly. It was just my guess in the beginning, too; that¡¯s why I told his mother to send him for a lumbar puncture. However, I¡¯ve basically confirmed the diagnosis now."
Jordan narrowed his eyes.
Mrs. Hoffman had alreadye downstairs after she heard the news. Upon hearing what Nora said, she was so furious that she came forward with her fists brandished to hit her.
"How dare youe here! Nora Smith, are you naive or just fearless?"
Nora took a step back and dodged her fists. She said, "Calm down, Jimmy¡¯s mom."
"Calm down, my a*s! Jimmy was crying and kicking up a fuss in the evening just now. If it weren¡¯t because the doctor had prescribed him tranquilizers that helped him to sleep, he would definitely be even more scared now! He¡¯s having convulsions now because your words scared him so much! You¡¯d best behave and let me beat you up. If you dare so much as to duck again, I will make sure you and Cherry won¡¯t be able to attend school anymore!"
Nora frowned and said, "It¡¯s not your call whether Cherry can attend school or not, but your son is in great danger now!"
"You¡¯re trying to scare us again! Fine, you im to be a doctor, right? Which hospital are you working as a doctor at? Can you show me your license?"
"... I didn¡¯t bring it with me."
She didn¡¯t have the habit of bringing Anti¡¯s doctor¡¯s license around with her. After all, she only performed two operations a month.
Mrs. Hoffman sneered, "You didn¡¯t bring it with you? I bet you don¡¯t have one at all!"
She gave a wave after she said that. Men around them came forward and surrounded Nora. She said, "Since you have the guts toe all the way here, I¡¯ll let youe in on your feet but sent out on your back!"
Nora, "?"
She balled up her fists and narrowed her eyes.
At this point, hurried footsteps came over and someone shouted, "Mrs. Hoffman, something terrible has happened!"
Chapter 196: So, Nora Smith Was Right!
Chapter 196: So, Nora Smith Was Right!
Mrs. Hoffman was startled to hear that. She frowned and asked, "What happened? Did he wake up in fear again?"
After saying that, she didn¡¯t have the luxury of bothering with Nora anymore, so she turned around and walked out.
Jordan also followed closely behind the few of them. Jimmy was his only son, after all, so he cared very much about him.
Nora wanted to follow them up the stairs but was stopped. Someone said, "You can¡¯t go up there, Ms. Smith!"
Nora¡¯s brows were drawn together, and she was rather anxious.
This was a moment of life and death!
Nora didn¡¯t have the luxury of caring that much anymore. She reached out, hooked her arm around the man¡¯s, and pulled him over forcefully at once. She threw him over her shoulder and flipped him onto the ground.
The rest of the thugs rushed toward her one by one at the sight.
Nora stretched out her leg and kicked one of them away. The man, who had been sent flying sideways, blocked the rest of the people rushing toward her, which allowed her to run upstairs.
As soon as she went up, she heard Mrs. Hoffman screaming shrilly, "Jimmy! Jimmy, wake up! Wake up!"
The nanny next to them was also shouting anxiously, "Jimmy, Jimmy...! What¡¯s wrong with him, Mrs. Hoffman?"
Jordan yelled, "Get out of the way! Call 911! Hurry!"
Nora¡¯s eyes widened in horror. She rushed straight to the room and saw Jimmy lying on a clean bed in the brightly-lit room. He was foaming at the mouth and convulsing.
Mrs. Hoffman touched his forehead and eximed, "Why is he so warm?! Jordan, hurry up and call 911!"
Nora rushed over anxiously. Jordan, who was on the phone, noticed her. He frowned at once and was about to speak when Nora bypassed him and stood at Jimmy¡¯s bed.
Jordan was furious. "You¡ª"
But before he could finish, Nora ordered coldly, "Get out of the way!"
Mrs. Hoffman was dumbfounded.
Nora grabbed her by the arm. Then, she looked at the nanny and instructed, "Get me some diluted alcohol to lower his temperature."
Then, she immediately pulled Jimmy¡¯s eyelids up skillfully and checked his eyes¡ªthe boy¡¯s pupils were already dting. She didn¡¯t have the luxury of caring that much anymore. She immediately took out a pill from her pocket, tore off the tinfoil, and fed it to Jimmy!
Mrs. Hoffman finally came back to her senses at this point. She rushed over and shouted, "What did you feed Jimmy?!"
Nora looked at her coldly. "If you continue to stop me, your son will die!"
Her calm and steady voice, as well as her words, made Mrs. Hoffman dumbfounded.
Seeing that she finally wasn¡¯ting forward anymore, Nora took the diluted alcohol from the nanny and physically cooled the boy¡¯s temperature.
The bodyguards at the door rushed up at this point and said, "Mr. Hoffman! Nora, she¡ª"
Before he could finish, he was stunned by the sight of Nora repeatedly torturing Jimmy.
Jordan, whose eyes were red, red at Nora menacingly. However, he suddenly said, "Let her do it. Nora, if anything happens to my son, I won¡¯t let you off!"
The bodyguards finally retreated.
The long-overdue ambnce finally came. By the time the paramedics came upstairs, Jimmy had already fallen into a deep sleep. His breathing had also be much more even, and he looked much better.
Worried about their son, Mr. and Mrs. Hoffman hurriedly followed them into the ambnce.
It was only after they got into the ambnce that they realized that Nora had already left at some point. Mrs. Hoffman frowned. "Why did she leave?"
The nanny replied, "It seems like she only left after she saw that the ambnce was here."
Mrs. Hoffman bit her lip.
Jordan said, "It¡¯s fine. She may have left, but her home is still there! If anything happens to Jimmy, I will look for the Andersons!"
Mrs. Hoffman nodded. She gritted her teeth and said, "There¡¯s the kindergarten, too. She can run, but she can¡¯t hide! Besides, even if she did save Jimmy¡¯s life, he was sick in the first ce because of her!"
Jordan nodded.
The group of them finally arrived at the hospital. By the time the doctor came over, Jimmy was already awake and muttering about having a headache.
A nurse said, "Doctor, he had already undergone professional first aid measures by the time we went over. That person also told me that we must conduct a lumbar puncture on the patient."
A lumbar puncture...
Something clicked in the doctor¡¯s head at once and he said, "Don¡¯t bother with the brain CT and MRI for now. Perform a lumbar puncture on him right away instead!"
"Yes, sir!"
After the staff took Jimmy away, the doctor also left to attend to his duties.
It was only at daybreak that the doctor finally walked out of the ward while wiping his perspiration. Mr. and Mrs. Hoffman went up to him at once and asked, "Doctor, how is my son?"
The doctor took a deep breath and held their hands excitedly. He asked, "Who performed first aid on the child? What exactly did she feed him?"
Mrs. Hoffman flew into a rage at once. "What¡¯s wrong? Did something bad happen because of what he was fed? Ahhh!! I¡¯m going to kill her!"
Jordan also panicked. He asked, "Doctor, what exactly is going on? Is there something wrong with that pill? My son was having convulsions because she scared him so badly!"
The doctor was dumbfounded at how agitated the two of them were. He said, "Convulsions from fright? What nonsense! The child has acute meningitis! If it weren¡¯t for the person who saved him in time, the child would probably be dead now!"
The doctor then went on and said, "I¡¯m just very curious about the medicine she fed the child. To think it¡¯s so amazing! The fever had already subsided by the time the child was sent to the hospital. His condition had mostly also stabilized by then. They basically saved his life!"
"..."
¡ª
At the Andersons¡¯.
By the time Nora got home after the whole hubaloo the night before, it was already one o¡¯clock in the morning.
After washing up, she slept all the way until noon the following day, where she was woken up by people knocking on the door downstairs.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The banging on the door was deafening, as if some kind of underworld force was at their doorstep.
Nora got out of bedzily. The moment she exited her bedroom, she saw Logan going down the stairs quickly. He went to the door and opened it. When he saw Jordan, who was wearing a thick gold chain around his neck, at the door, he was utterly stunned. "Mr. Hoffman? Why are you here?"
Jordan stared at Logan. After a long silence, he finally asked, "Where is Nora Smith?"
Logan narrowed his eyes. He blocked the way in at once and said, "Mr. Hoffman, she¡¯s just a woman. Come at me if there¡¯s anything you want."
Jordan thought of what his subordinates had reported to him the night before¡ªshe had beaten up five or six of them all by herself and rushed up the stairs after that. The corners of his lips suddenly spasmed a little and he replied, "She¡¯s not just any ordinary woman."
Logan¡¯s misunderstanding deepened even further. He said, "Which part of her isn¡¯t ordinary? Mr. Hoffman, juste at me if there¡¯s anything you want..."
However, the men behind Jordan pushed him away. The group of them entered the vi with great momentum, rming the elderly Mrs. Anderson upstairs so badly that even she came out and asked, "What¡¯s going on? Huh? Logan..."
Logan¡¯s brows drew together tightly as he watched Jordan walking toward Nora, who was upstairs.
The woman even yawned. Obviously, she had just woken up and waspletely unaware that danger was descending upon her!
He immediately went forward anxiously to stop them, but...
Chapter 197: The Race!
Chapter 197: The Race!
Jordan, the big and rough boor, bowed at Nora and said, "Ms. Smith!"
Logan, "??"
Utterly astounded by the sight, he felt like his eyes were about to fall out of their sockets.
Nora waved casually and asked, "Yeah. Is Jimmy alright now?"
Jordan was exceptionally respectful toward her. He replied, "He¡¯s fine now. His mother wanted toe over and apologize to you in person, but Jimmy is still hospitalized for now, so she can¡¯te over for the time being. This is all her fault for not appreciating your kindness. Don¡¯t worry, Ms. Smith, I will definitely teach her a good lesson!"
Nora raised her brows when she heard what he said.
Sure enough, the next moment, Jordan exined, "To be honest, this incident resulted from our negligence as parents. We didn¡¯t expect that Jimmy couldn¡¯t exin his symptoms clearly due to his young age, so he didn¡¯t express them clearly to the doctor even when we brought him to the hospital, which ended up dying his treatment in the beginning. Sigh! It¡¯s fortunate that you came to my cest night. Otherwise, we wouldn¡¯t have been able to save Jimmy this time! By the way, the hospital asked about the pill that you fed Jimmyst night. They want to buy a batch of it..."
Nora yawned and replied, "You can contact my uncle with regard to that."
Simon was in charge of all of Harmonia Pharmacy¡¯s matters.
Jordan immediately nodded and said, "Okay, no problem!"
Nora nodded. When she saw that Jordan was still staring at her, she asked hesitantly, "Is there anything else?"
Jordan immediately shook his head. "No, there¡¯s nothing else. You saved Jimmy¡¯s life, Ms. Smith. If there¡¯s anything you need in the future, I, Jordan, will do anything you ask!"
"... Oh, okay." Nora paused for a moment before she yawned again. Then, she said, "Okay, I¡¯m going to sleep."
She turned to enter the bedroom but instead saw Pete standing there and looking at her expectantly. He let out a silent sigh and said, "Mommy."
Nora, "?"
It was only then that she remembered what had happened to Pete. Thus, she said to Jordan, "By the way, Mr. Hoffman, can you ask your wife to withdraw herint against Pete... I mean Cherry, and let her return to school?"
Jordan nodded at once. "No problem! The Hoffmans will cover Cherry¡¯s tuition fees in the future!"
"... You don¡¯t need to do that."
"Don¡¯t stand on ceremony, Ms. Smith. Also, I will get Jimmy to protect Cherry in school in the future, so that no one will bully her!"
Pete, "..."
He quietly packed his schoolbag, slung it over his shoulders, and went downstairs. Then, he asked the Andersons¡¯ chauffeur, "Mister, can you take me to the kindergarten?"
Nora, "..."
Nora went back into her bedroom to sleep after the little fellow left.
Logan and Jordan were the only ones left bbergasted downstairs.
Jordan walked over casually to Logan and patted him on the shoulder. He sighed and said, "Boy, we need to give a notice of at least three days in advance if we want to postpone a race. We¡¯ve already missed the deadline today. How about this? I¡¯ll try and contact Yanci for you and see if he¡¯s willing toe back and help you take part in the race. If he isn¡¯t willing to do it, then you¡¯ll have to prepare 50 million dors. I¡¯ll guarantee your safety after the race."
In the past, the Andersons would definitely be able to fork out 50 million dors.
But now...
Logan knew that Jordan had already tried his best, though, so he nodded.
Before they left, Logan asked, "What¡¯s going on between you and Nora, Mr. Hoffman?"
Jordan gave him a simple recount of what had happened and then left.
After he left, Logan went upstairs. Before going into his bedroom, he nced at the bedroom where Nora was.
He knew that Nora was a doctor, but he didn¡¯t expect her to actually be so skilled that she could save Jordan¡¯s son.
Logan looked at his ankle... He wondered if Nora could heal his injury?
But even if she could, there was no way she could do it anymore at the moment.
The race was in two days. They really didn¡¯t have any more time to waste. He would just ask her again after the race instead.
With that in mind, Logan entered his room.
He mustn¡¯t just sit around and do nothing.
Given his ankle¡¯s condition, he would definitely lose if he took part in the race.
He sat up and took out hisputer. He found Yanci¡¯s email address and sent her an email: ¡¯Yanci, may I know if you¡¯re interested in racingpetitions held in the US?¡¯
Hey down on the bed after he sent the email. Then, he suddenly received a call from Jordan. Jordan¡¯s voice was very loud as he said, "It suddenly urred to me that I may have a way to contact Yanci. How about this? I¡¯ll contact him for you."
Logan replied, "I just sent him an email, but I don¡¯t know if he¡¯lle."
Jordan said in a friendly manner, "Let me do it instead. I¡¯m a little more familiar with him than you are. After all, we¡¯ve talked before."
When he said that they had talked before, he was referring to their email correspondence in the past.
Logan was very grateful to him. He said, "Okay. Thank you, Mr. Hoffman."
"You¡¯re wee."
¡ª
At the Hunts¡¯.
"Wow, Little Yellow is so eye-catching!"
Cherry circled Logan¡¯s sports car and inspected it excitedly. Sean watched the little mister from the side. He couldn¡¯t but keep feeling there was something off with himtely.
He asked respectfully, "Shall we put the car in the garage?"
"No!"
Cherry said childishly, "I wanna change its color!"
Sean nodded.
He didn¡¯t find yellow that attractive a color, either. It was too ostentatious and not low-key enough. Neither did it conform to Mr. Hunt¡¯s sense of aesthetics. Having it changed to ck, white, or gray sounded like a pretty good idea.
He was about to suggest it when Cherry dered, "I want it changed to pink, yeah!"
Sean, "?"
He was taken aback for a moment. He stared at ¡¯Pete¡¯ in disbelief and uttered, "What?"
"Pink, yeah!"
Cherry skipped back home after saying that. Sean followed behind her. When they entered the room together, Justin had just finished processing a few documents and was walking out.
When the two met, Sean suddenly said, "Mr. Hunt, Pete just told me to change the color of the sports car to pink. What do you..."
Justin smiled and replied, "Okay, do as he says."
"..."
Sean was stunned.
Mr. Hunt, are you serious? Are you sure you want to raise the little mister into a little princess?!
While he was dumbfounded, he saw Justin walking over to Cherry. He bent over, picked her up, and asked, "Shall Daddy y Barbies with you today?"
"Okay! Daddy¡¯s the best, yeah!"
Sean, "..."
Sean swallowed hard. Then, he looked at Justin and recounted to him what he¡¯d encountered earlier that day. Justin, who was about to leave, paused for a moment.
Cherry said, "Did someone bully Uncle Logan? Daddy, let¡¯s help him! Even though Uncle Logan pretends to be cool all the time, he¡¯s actually very nice!"
When Justin heard what she said, he looked at Cherry dotingly and asked, "Do you want to watch car racing?"
Cherry nodded repeatedly.
Justin looked at Sean and said, "Get two tickets ready."
"Yes, sir."
Elsewhere, when Pete got home, Nora said, "There¡¯s an underground car race in two days. Do you want to go and watch?"
Chapter 198: Cherry’s Father Is Justin Hunt!
Chapter 198: Cherry¡¯s Father Is Justin Hunt!
"... Okay, let¡¯s."
At the sight of Nora staring at him expectantly, Pete gave a resigned reply. To be honest, he wasn¡¯t very interested in such things.
It was rare to see Mommy interested in something other than sleeping, though, so he would just apany her there.
The next day.
Pete went to school.
Jimmy was still hospitalized, so he didn¡¯te to ss. The children were still very concerned about Pete.
"Cherry, Jimmy is still unwell. His mother won¡¯t let your mother off. You have to be careful!"
"Cherry, will you have to drop out of school when Jimmy returns? I¡¯m so worried about you~"
Their kindness warmed Pete¡¯s heart very much. He said, "Don¡¯t worry. Everything is fine..."
But right after he spoke, he met Mia¡¯s curious eyes, so he quietly added, "... yeah."
The other children didn¡¯t believe him, though.
"How can that be? I heard that the big tiger in Jimmy¡¯s house is really fierce and menacing. It can eat a child with each bite!"
"I¡¯ve also heard about it! They say Jimmy¡¯s mother is a tigress, and that his father has three legs, four arms, and five pairs of eyes! He¡¯s even fiercer than a tiger!"
Some of the children even started to cry. "Cherry, I can¡¯t bear to part with you. Sob..."
Pete, "..."
Was it really alright for children to be so ignorant?
The corners of his lips spasmed a little. He was about to speak when Mia said, "Don¡¯t worry, everyone. Cherry will be fine, yeah!"
"Why?"
"Because Cherry¡¯s father is Justin Hunt! Jimmy¡¯s father is afraid of Cherry¡¯s father!"
Mia replied innocently.
"Really?"
The other adorable children congratted him one by one.
"Have you found your Daddy, Cherry? That¡¯s great!"
"Wow, Cherry, so you have a father. I always thought that you didn¡¯t have one. Did your mommy give birth to you with a rock?"
"Huh? Wasn¡¯t Cherry given to her mom as a gift with purchase? When I asked Mom who Cherry¡¯s dad was, she told me that her mom got her free of charge when she bought something!"
Pete was rendered speechless by how everyone was digressing from the topic.
However, there were also some who didn¡¯t believe it. They asked, "Cherry, is your father really Justin Hunt?"
Pete wanted to deny it, but when he met Mia¡¯s innocent eyes, he could only silently reply, "I guess you can say that."
As Justin¡¯s son, Pete had always taken his safety very seriously ever since he was a baby.
He didn¡¯t have any bodyguards with him here, so he mustn¡¯t expose his identity so casually!
The bell finally rang, and the children scattered.
Mia sat next to Pete and asked softly, "Don¡¯t you like your father, Cherry?"
Pete nodded. "Yeah, the tyrant is too fierce."
Mia rested her chin on her hands and said, "Your father won¡¯t be so fierce anymore if you be a girl~"
Pete was taken aback. "Why?" he asked.
Mia looked at him and replied, "Because that¡¯s what my father says. He says that girls should be pampered and brought up lovingly! You must have gone to your father as a boy, right?"
Pete, "?"
So, was the tyrant so strict and harsh on him because he was a boy?
After ss.
A few children from the higher grade came to the ssroom.
The person leading them was very big and well-built, which made him look very domineering. A few people followed behind him.
The height difference between children who were even just a year older was very obvious. Moreover, Pete had always been in rather poor health all these years because he had stopped breathing once when he was an infant, so he was about the same height as Cherry. Therefore, those children were a whole half a head taller than Pete.
They gathered in front of Pete. The one leading them pushed Pete and said, "I heard that you bullied Jimmy? I¡¯m so happy to hear that!"
Pete frowned. "I didn¡¯t."
"What didn¡¯t you do? Do you know who I am?" The burly kid said, "My father is Paul Quin. He¡¯s enemies with Jimmy¡¯s father! It makes me happy that you bullied him! I hereby announce that you can be my little sidekick from now on."
Pete, "?"
He looked at the person in front of himzily, bypassed him from the side, and said, "I¡¯m not interested."
The child immediately grabbed his sleeve and said, "You¡¯re Cherry Smith, right? Don¡¯t you dare think that I won¡¯t beat you up just because you¡¯re a girl. Do you know how great an honor it is to be my sidekick? I heard that you don¡¯t have a father, right? Do you know who my father is?"
Pete, "??"
The child patted his chest and said, "My name is Terence Quin, ??and my father, Paul Quin, is even more impressive than Jordan Hoffman! He¡¯s very amazing! If you choose to follow me, you won¡¯t have to be afraid of Jimmy¡¯s father anymore! You can ask the people behind me¡ªwho doesn¡¯t know that I¡¯m the most awesome around these parts?"
Pete, "..."
Mia took a step forward and said, "Terence, ??you¡¯re not allowed to bully Cherry!"
Terence looked at her and curled his lip disdainfully. He said, "Go away, you invalid! It¡¯s only on ount of your father that I¡¯m not holding it against you. Otherwise, I¡¯d have beaten you up long ago!"
As he spoke, he pushed Mia and said, "You invalid! My father said that out of everyone in the entire kindergarten, your father is the only one he¡¯ll show some courtesy to, so he told me not to bully you. But everyone else has to listen to me! Heh, I heard your father has driven away your mother, though? You¡¯re now a motherless child! Your father will marry another woman after this. When they have a few sons, you¡¯ll be an illegitimate daughter, and your father won¡¯t care about you anymore!"
Mia stumbled quite a few steps backward before she finally steadied herself.
Upon hearing that her mother had been driven away and that she would be an illegitimate daughter, Mia¡¯s eyes reddened and she said, "That¡¯s not true. Don¡¯t you spout nonsense."
Pete frowned and stepped in front of Mia. He said, "Apologize to her!"
Terence sneered, "Who do you think you are? You don¡¯t even have a father. What makes you think I should listen to you and apologize to her?"
Pete was about to speak when Brandon rushed over and said, "Terence, ??his father is Justin Hunt! He¡¯s someone that even your father cannot afford to offend!"
A look of disbelief appeared on Terence¡¯s chubby face. Then, he guffawed and said, "Are you daydreaming? Justin Hunt...? Don¡¯t you even think a little before you brag? Or do you think you can scare me with just a few words? I¡¯m not a three or four-year-old kid anymore!"
Mia pouted and said, "His father really is Justin Hunt!"
Terence sneered, "That¡¯s impossible! My father said that Justin Hunt only has a son, and he keeps him super protected. He has bodyguards with him everywhere he goes, and no one can see what he looks like! Cherry is a girl, so how can she possibly be Justin Hunt¡¯s child?"
Mia got anxious and argued, "Cherry is a boy today!"
Terence burst into loud, raucousughter at once. He said, "By the way, didn¡¯t they say that Cherry can be a boy? I can¡¯t believe you guys will actually believe something like that! You¡¯re so naive! So, Cherry Smith, your father is Justin Hunt, right? Do you dare to call him right now?"
"Why not?"
Without a second thought, Brandon stood beside Pete and said, "Cherry, call your father now!"
Chapter 199: Justin Hunt’s Daughter
Chapter 199: Justin Hunt¡¯s Daughter
"Yes, that¡¯s right!" Mia anxiously took out her cell phone and looked at Pete. She said, "Cherry, what¡¯s your father¡¯s phone number? I¡¯ll call him for you!"
Pete, "?"
He didn¡¯t want to do it. After all, his parents hadn¡¯t acknowledged each other yet. It probably wasn¡¯t a good idea to just call Justin like that.
For a moment, he kept quiet.
Terence immediatelyughed and said, "Hah, did you see that? He doesn¡¯t dare to call him! Cherry, you¡¯re just bragging! It¡¯s impossible for your father to be Justin Hunt!"
"It¡¯s true!" Mia¡¯s eyes were red. Her father had told her that. There was no way there would be any mistake about it.
Besides, she was the one who said that Justin was Cherry¡¯s father. It had nothing to do with Cherry at all. Even if there really was a mistake, it wasn¡¯t because Cherry was bragging but because she was mistaken instead.
Yet, she didn¡¯t know how to exin herself and ended up panicking.
Terence looked at her. "What are you being so anxious for? It¡¯s as if you¡¯re his wife. How would you know who his father is?"
"I just do!" Mia had always been a pushover. This was the first time she was being so aggressive. She insisted, "Cherry wasn¡¯t bragging! Neither did she lie!"
Terence scoffed and said, "You little liar. You lie even about your own affairs. Your mother was rejected by your father, yet you insist that it isn¡¯t true... Little illegitimate daughter, if you¡¯re that impressive, then why don¡¯t you get Cherry to give us the phone number?!"
Mia was about to cry. Just as she was about to say something, Pete stepped forward and said coolly, "212XXXXXXX."
"..."
The ce fell quiet for a moment.
Terence looked at Pete. "Cherry, what do you mean by that?"
Pete didn¡¯t look at him but at Mia instead. "That¡¯s my Daddy¡¯s phone number. You weren¡¯t lying."
Mia finally came back to her senses. She hurriedly dialed the number on her cell phone.
"Toot... toot... toot..."
Mia and Brandon both held their breaths together with the dial tone.
Even Terence was keeping quiet. For a while, the atmosphere around them became very quiet.
However, after the phone rang three times, the recipient didn¡¯t answer but rejected the call instead.
"Beep... beep... beep..."
"..."
Mia was dumbfounded.
Brandon was also stunned.
Terence, however, burst intoughter and said, "You saw that, right? You were just giving us some random number! The recipient didn¡¯t even pick up! Cherry, you¡¯re a wild child without a father! You don¡¯t have a father at all!"
Mia, who was panicking, dialed the number again.
However, after it rang a few times, a message instead yed: "The number you have dialed does not exist..."
Mia¡¯s phone number had been blocked!
Mia, "..."
Brandon was also dumbfounded. He asked, "Cherry, what¡¯s the matter with your father?"
Pete replied very calmly, "My father doesn¡¯t answer calls from strangers."
Brandon believed him immediately. "I see, so that¡¯s how it is!"
Mia also nodded. "Oh, that¡¯s true. My father doesn¡¯t answer calls from strangers, either!"
People of Justin¡¯s and Joel¡¯s ss all owned private phone numbers. It was standard protocol for them to reject calls from strangers on their private phone numbers.
Additionally, in the case of people like them, apart from their family and other people of the same ss as them, others rarely were able to get a hold of their private phone numbers.
While they were talking, Terence sneered, "Of course, my father doesn¡¯t answer calls from strangers, either. But why don¡¯t you use your own cell phone to call him? Cherry, it¡¯s because you know everyone has that habit that you deliberately said that, right? The number you gave us isn¡¯t Justin Hunt¡¯s at all!"
"212XXXXXXX," said Pete again suddenly. Then, he asked, "Have you remembered it?"
Terence curled his lip disdainfully. "What?"
Pete said coolly, "Your father should have my father¡¯s private phone number. You can go home and confirm it with your dad after you remember it. You¡¯ll see after that."
Terence, "?"
He was taken aback for a moment, but right after that, he sneered, "I get it now¡ªyou¡¯re stalling for time! But even if you gloss it over today, you¡¯ll still be a wild child without a father tomorrow! Hmph, I¡¯ll go home and cross-check the phone numbers right now!"
Terence turned around and led the group of children away after he spoke.
To be honest, he was actually a little scared that Justin Hunt would really turn out to be Cherry¡¯s father. If that happened, things would be troublesome.
His father had warned him several times not to mess with the two children from the Smiths in school. Additionally, he wasn¡¯t to mess with children from the Hunts, either. It was just that the Hunts didn¡¯t send their children to the school, so he wasn¡¯t that worried about it.
After Terence left, Mia and Brandon looked at Pete. Mia asked timidly, "Cherry, did I cause trouble for you..."
If she hadn¡¯t revealed Cherry¡¯s father¡¯s information in school, Terence and the others wouldn¡¯t have known about it at all.
It was indeed troublesome.
Pete, who was a little troubled, nced at Mia¡ªonly to see that the tiny little girl¡¯s pointed, oval-shaped face and big eyes were filled with a look of tentativeness.
This made Pete calmly reply, "It¡¯s not a big deal."
After he said that, Tanya called out to him from a distance, "Cherry,e for your dance ss! Stop dilly-dallying. You¡¯re about to bete!"
Pete, "..."
He massaged his temples and walked toward the dance studio with a headache.
When exactly was Cherry switching back with him?
As he walked over, he suddenly looked back¡ªsure enough, he saw a look of envy all over Mia¡¯s face.
Tanya was also looking at Mia when Pete walked up to her.
The little fellow looked at her timidly, unable to conceal the longing in her eyes. It made an indescribable sense of acerbity well up at the depths of her heart.
Come to think of it, this was rather strange.
She was obviously Hiry¡¯s daughter, yet she found him very lovable.
Was she really that much of a cheap woman?
After all, she was technically Hiry¡¯s half-sister. Mia should actually be calling her Aunt Tanya.
At the thought, Tanya forced herself to look away.
She took Pete to the dance studio resolutely, leaving behind Mia with a longing look on her face, and disappointment and sadness in her eyes.
Next to her, Brandon said carelessly, "Cherry is really almighty. Not only is she great at solving Mathematical Olympiad problems, but she can even dance. Mia, do you want to learn to dance?"
Mia lowered her head and stared at her toes as she replied, "Yes, I do."
Brandon said casually, "Then let¡¯s ask Ms. Turner to teach you! She is the best dance teacher ever! Just tell your father; he will definitely agree to it!"
Mia heaved a sigh, turned around unhappily, and returned to the ssroom.
¡ª
After school.
Terence dashed out of the school and got into the car. As expected, his father, Paul Quin, hade to pick him up.
The six-year-old child was as stout and muscr as a bull. Paul, on the other hand, looked more refined. It was just that his eyes looked particrly sinister.
Terence whined, "Daddy, there¡¯s a brat in the kindergarten who¡¯s actually pretending to be Justin Hunt¡¯s daughter!"
Paul was taken aback. "What?"
Terence suddenly thought of something and recited a series of numbers. Then, he said, "Quick, Daddy, can you check if this is Justin Hunt¡¯s phone number?"
Chapter 200: The Phone Number
Chapter 200: The Phone Number
Paul frowned as he listened to what he said.
He picked up his cell phone, went to Justin¡¯s private number, and took a look. Then, he said, "No, it isn¡¯t. It¡¯s quite the coincidence, though. To think he¡¯s only off by two numbers."
Terence curled his lip at once. "I knew she was a fake!"
Paul scoffed and said, "Someone is actually pretending to be Justin Hunt¡¯s daughter? Now, that¡¯s hrious. After all, he has never had a daughter!"
The fact that Justin had a son was already kept a secret.
However, that was only in outsiders¡¯ cases. Families like the Quins had to pay close attention to the changes among the wealthy.
Paul had also tried various ways and means to ask around over the years, but in the end, he only managed to find out that Justin had a five-year-old son. Apart from that, he didn¡¯t find out anything else at all.
Terence became even angrier when he heard that. He clenched his fists and said, "Hmph, how dare she lie to me! I¡¯m going to punch her teeth out on Monday!"
It was Friday, so it was the weekend the next day. They didn¡¯t have any sses on the weekends, so he could only take his revenge on Monday instead!
Terence then looked at Paul again and asked, "Daddy, can I go and watch the car race tomorrow?"
A smiling Paul replied, "Sure, no problem. We¡¯re also part of the racetracks that Jordan Hoffman established, aren¡¯t we?"
He fell silent for a moment at this point, and the look in his eyes became a little more sinister and ruthless.
The Hoffmans and the Quins were of equal standing in the underworld.
However, everyone knew that Paul was fiercer and more ruthless than Jordan, so they were more afraid of him. This was because even though he looked polite and refined, deep down, he was actually much more vicious and violent than Jordan.
That guy had a scary face, but he had a lot of reservations and boundaries in the way he did things.
The two families had beenpeting with each other all this time.
Therefore, he had agreed to it when Winston wanted to make things difficult for Logan. After all, Jordan had made a lot of money through Logan¡ªThe Racing King!
Winston had used his name to threaten people in New York, such that they wouldn¡¯t dare to buy Logan¡¯s sports car.
However, someone had actually refused to show him courtesy in the end.
When he asked who they were, he learned that it was the Hunts.
Paul let out an icyugh. What a small world, huh.
However, he wasn¡¯t going to mess with the Hunts if he could help it. After all, should they back up Jordan, he would be even more difficult to deal with!
With that in mind, Paul said coldly, "Stay away from the Hunts¡¯ children if you encounter them in the future, no matter what kind of asion it is. Don¡¯t mess with them."
Terence had always relied on his father backing him up to carry out his misdeeds, so he knew especially well who he could mess with and who he couldn¡¯t. Thus, he hastily nodded.
¡ª
Elsewhere.
Pete went home with Tanya as usual.
After the two got into the car and Tanya drove away in the jeep, Joel finally reluctantly retracted his gaze.
Brandon and Mia came out together and got into Joel¡¯s car.
As soon as he got in the car, Brandon asked, "Uncle Joel, is Cherry¡¯s father Justin Hunt?"
Joel nodded. "Yeah."
He then looked at his daughter. Mia was hanging her head¡ªobviously, she was not in high spirits.
Joel looked at her gently and dotingly and ruffled her hair. He asked, "What¡¯s wrong, Mia?"
Mia nced at him and hung her head again. "It¡¯s nothing, Daddy."
When Joel wanted to ask further, Brandon piped up and said, "I know what¡¯s going on, Uncle Joel! Mia wants to dance, but Ms. Turner won¡¯t take her in!"
Mia hurriedly raised her head and waved her hands while she said, "N-no, that¡¯s not true. I... I don¡¯t actually like dancing that much."
Mia didn¡¯t want her father to force Ms. Turner to teach her. If that happened, Ms. Turner would suffer too much injustice.
Besides, her mother didn¡¯t like her dancing, either.
Joel¡¯s eyes flickered. He ruffled Mia¡¯s hair again and saidfortingly, "Okay, I see."
Brandon had a restless look in his eyes and was unable to sit still the whole way home. It was as if he was holding in a little secret. Joel saw it all but did not interfere.
When they got home, Joel saw Brandon making an excuse and dragging Mia off to y.
Joel gave the nanny a look. She immediately nodded and followed after the two.
Less than half an hourter, the nanny came back and reported, "Brandon is trying to get Mia to go and watch a car race tomorrow afternoon."
Joel, "..."
The nanny lowered her head and asked, "Do you want to stop them?"
Joel thought of the timid look in his daughter¡¯s eyes. Then, he thought of how gutsy Brandon was to take a knife to cut off his little willy so that he could be a little girl. He held his forehead.
He wanted to encourage his daughter to be more cheerful, but he couldn¡¯t help but be worried about Brandon¡¯s presence. Thus, he said, "Let them go, but get a few people to protect them secretly."
"Yes, sir."
¡ª
The next day at the Andersons¡¯.
Nora slept all the way until the time to watch the race. After she got up, shezily put on a ck baseball cap, a ck shirt, and trousers. Without bothering to dress up, she took Pete out with her.
As soon as she exited the bedroom, she saw Logan walking out of his room.
He had an especially awful look on his face, and it seemed like his foot injury hadn¡¯t healed yet, causing him to limp as he walked. The sight made Nora frown. She asked, "Are you still going to take part in the race today?"
Logan let out an annoyed grunt.
Yanci hadn¡¯t replied to his email at all. Jordan had also called and said that he hadn¡¯t managed to contact him. Thus, he could only brace himself and go for it today.
Losing meant that he would have to pay back 50 million dors.
The profits from the Carefree Pills probably wouldn¡¯t amount to that much even if the Andersons were to receive them now.
Logan had never wanted to cause the Andersons any trouble. He gritted his teeth and walked out.
Nora followed behind him.
When they went out, Logan¡¯s friend came over to pick him up.
He got into the car and left.
As for Nora, she drove off in the jeep after Pete sat in the backseat obediently and fastened his seatbelt.
The race was held in an abandoned factory in the suburbs. A professional racetrack had been built inside. The abandoned area was rtively big, so it was impossible for one to tell from the outside at all that there was a racetrack inside.
Jordan had actually already bought the whole plot ofnd there.
The security there was very good, and everyone going in had to go through strict inspections and show their admission tickets!
The car stopped. When Logan got out of the car and was about to enter, his friend tugged on his sleeve and asked, "Logan, isn¡¯t that your cousin and niece?"
Logan, "?"
He turned around to see Nora parking her car behind theirs. The woman got out of the car without paying any attention to the person in the backseat.
His little niece unfastened the seatbelt herself and pushed the car door open. Then, the little fellow hopped off the thick chassis, jumped, and closed the car door strenuously herself...
Logan frowned. His friend asked, "Did you get them tickets?"
Logan, "..."
His friend went on and said, "It¡¯ll be very difficult for them to get in without tickets. Mr. Hoffman has strengthened the security for today¡¯s race."
Logan became even more irritable.
They should have told him in advance if they wanted to watch the race. Instead, they had followed him like that! How troublesome!
Just as he was about to walk over, he instead saw...
Chapter 201: Justin Hunt Is Here!
Chapter 201: Justin Hunt Is Here!
Nora actually bypassed him and walked straight toward the entrance.
Logan, "?"
He was a little surprised. Then, he walked over and asked, "Do you have tickets?"
Nora replied casually, "Yeah."
Logan let out a sigh of relief. He said, "Alright, you can just queue up to go in, then. I¡¯m heading over to the racers¡¯ area."
The racers and the audience had different entryways. They still had to queue up, so Nora waved and said, "Go ahead."
Logan went to the racer¡¯s passage and went straight backstage to warm up and get ready.
Nora held Pete¡¯s hand and stood in line leisurely.
She let out azy yawn.
Of course, she had something as simple as admission tickets.
As Yanci, wasn¡¯t it just a matter of saying the word if she wanted admission tickets to such races?
Besides, she already had people rushing over to give her tickets a long time ago.
It had been really long since shest participated in a race, so she was somewhat itching to race. She wondered if she could look for Jordan and ask him to let her drive a couple of rounds around the tracks after the race.
While she was musing, Pete, who was next to her, was sending a text message to Cherry with his head down: ¡¯Where are you guys?¡¯
Cherry replied very quickly: ¡¯We¡¯ll be there in a moment!¡¯
A relieved Pete wrote: ¡¯Remember not to give anything away.¡¯
¡¯Okie-Dokie! Don¡¯t worry, Pete! I, Cherry, will definitely get everything done right!¡¯
Pete, "..."
He was about to give her another couple of reminders when two children suddenly dashed over and knocked against his arm.
Pete put down his phone and looked over¡ªit was actually Brandon and Mia?
The two children didn¡¯t expect to see Pete here, either, so they immediately called out excitedly, "Cherry!"
Pete, "..."
He had especially worn unisex clothes today because he didn¡¯t want to be mistaken as a girl. However, the people around them must have realized his gender the moment they shouted that name, right?
He fell silent for a while. Then, he asked, "What are you guys doing here?"
Mia nced at Brandon timidly and replied, "We¡¯re here to watch the race! Brandon said that car racing is very fun."
What was so fun about it...?
Pete looked around the two children but didn¡¯t see any adults with them. He, who usually didn¡¯t make any requests or trouble, looked at Nora and asked, "Mommy, why don¡¯t we let theme with us?"
Nora, who sounded as if she didn¡¯t really care one way or another, uttered an ¡¯okay¡¯. She stood by them and watched the three children talk among themselves. To be honest, her son should try and make more friends. During her observations of him recently, she found that Pete¡¯s mild autism was actually slowly getting better.
As a result, the people in the line went from two to four people.
The queue moved very quickly¡ªafter all, those who could get their hands on tickets were no ordinary people. The people at the entrance didn¡¯t dare to make things too difficult for them, either.
Soon, it was their turn.
Nora handed over the admission tickets.
The security officers took a look at the tickets and then nced at the three children. Only then did he look at Nora and say, "You can go in, but the three children can¡¯t."
Nora raised her brows.
Brandon was already shouting. "Why?"
The security officer coughed and replied, "Children are not allowed to go in."
Children weren¡¯t allowed to go in?
Nora was a little surprised. She hadn¡¯t expected such a restriction. When she was abroad, she had easily taken Cherry to the races.
Perhaps it was due to cultural differences?
While she was thinking about it, she saw Terence running over with three children from the kindergarten behind him. Without queuing at all, they went straight into the venue.
The security officers didn¡¯t stop them.
Nora, "?"
She raised her eyebrows. She was about to speak when Brandon spoke ahead of her and asked, "Then why are they allowed to go in?"
Terence stood inside and made faces at them. He said, "Because my father is Paul Quin! So, I can bring in as many people as I want!"
Brandon, "?"
He got angry and said, "Even my uncle and Mia¡¯s father is Joel Smith! Why can¡¯t we go in?"
The security officers looked at one another at the mention of Joel¡¯s name.
Needless to say, it was Terence¡¯s idea to stop the children from entering. Although this was Jordan¡¯s turf, they nevertheless had to show Paul some courtesy.
Little did they expect the two children to be from the Smiths, though?
They looked at Terence, ??who waved magnanimously. Then, he pointed at Pete and said, "Of course, the Smiths can enter. The two cane in, but she can¡¯t!"
"Why not?"
Brandon and Mia were up in arms. Brandon even shouted, "She is Justin Hunt¡¯s child!"
Justin Hunt???
The security officers at the entrance became even more astonished. What was going on today? Had all the big families in New Yorke together to watch the race today?
While they were hesitating, Terence scoffed, "Justin Hunt¡¯s child? What nonsense. She is a fake!"
Terence shouted, "The phone number she gave me yesterday is wrong! I already asked my father! Cherry, how dare you pretend to be Justin Hunt¡¯s daughter! Hmph! You liar!"
Brandon shouted, "That¡¯s impossible! I asked my uncle. She really is Justin Hunt¡¯s daughter!"
Mia also nodded. She said earnestly to the security officers, "Aren¡¯t you afraid that Uncle Justin will get mad if you don¡¯t let Cherry in?"
The security officers at the entrance were rendered speechless. Oh, we¡¯re totally trembling with fear here.
Nora¡¯s brows drew together as she listened to the children¡¯s conversation.
That boy named Terence totally looked like he needed to be taught a good lesson. He was likely very naughty and mischievous. Also, he was actually making things difficult for Pete?
Was Pete being bullied in school?
The look in her eyes turned sharp. She was about to speak when a voice that made others feel terribly ufortable reached them.
"She¡¯s Justin Hunt¡¯s daughter? Here, let me take a look!"
Nora turned to see a man dressed in a suit approaching.
He seemed like an amiable person, but his eyes had a sinister look in them that difited others. As soon as he came over, Terence also ran over while calling out, "Daddy!"
The security officers stood up straight and greeted him respectfully. "Mr. Quin!"
Paul ruffled his son¡¯s hair and then, he looked at Pete and Nora. His gaze swept across Pete to fall on Nora. He smiled and said, "How audacious of you to use Justin Hunt¡¯s name to do whatever you want outside. Are the two of you sick of living?"
Nora narrowed her eyes.
She had never been one to allow herself to suffer any injustice. Should she deny that Pete was Justin¡¯s child in a situation like this, it was highly likely that Pete would be hurt.
He was a sensitive boy and wasn¡¯t as hardy as Cherry.
Thus, Nora only hesitated for a brief moment before she countered resolutely and said, "And how would you know this child isn¡¯t Justin¡¯s, Mr. Quin?"
Paul gazed at the gorgeous woman in front of him. She carried herself in a manner that was neither lowly nor overbearing. Her pretty face was peerlessly stunning, and the aura around her didn¡¯t seem like it had been suppressed by his. Paul narrowed his eyes.
Terence shouted, "She¡¯s not! She¡¯s a fake! Cherry, you¡¯re not going to be able to get in! Hmph!"
At this point, amotion suddenly broke out in the distance.
Someone said, "Mr. Hunt is here!"
Chapter 202: Father And Son Meet
Chapter 202: Father And Son Meet
Everyone looked into the distance as one to see a row of ck Audis approaching. The bodyguards dressed in ck suits and leading the way got out of the cars first. After confirming that the surroundings were safe, Justin finally got out of the car.
This was Justin¡¯s mandatory lineup whenever he went out.
It was just that when he got out of the car, Cherry instead took out a baseball cap and put on a face mask. After getting out of the car, she suddenly held her stomach and said, "Daddy, my stomach hurts!"
Justin narrowed his eyes, not sure what his daughter was up to this time.
However, it must be because that woman was nearby that she desperately wanted to leave this ce at the moment.
He beckoned to the person next to him and said, "Take Pete to the bathroom."
After saying that, he also whispered something else to him.
The bodyguard immediately understood. He nodded and took Cherry to the bathroom nearby.
People at the racetracks here were generally either rich or of high social status. Therefore, even the bathrooms were exceptionally clean¡ªin fact, they even had VIP toilets there.
Cherry secretly changed into a skirt after she went to the bathroom. Then, she openly swaggered out from the bathroom with a mask on.
Her brother was in trouble and needed to borrow Daddy for a while. She mustn¡¯t be a hindrance to him!
Seeing that the bodyguard really wasn¡¯t paying any attention to her as she had expected, the petite Cherry went around the crowd and headed straight into the racetracks. Hehe, she was going to go and admire some handsome guys!
She didn¡¯t notice that a inclothes bodyguard was following her closely after she came out.
How could Justin possibly not worry while his daughter was out and about?
¡ª
Justin strolled around aimlessly after Cherry left. By right, since he hade in person, it went without saying that he would definitely use a special entryway. However, to everyone¡¯s surprise, he actually walked straight to the normal entrance.
Nora was currently in a confrontation with Paul.
Justin¡¯s lineup was too grand during his arrival. The people around them were already moving about and telling one another about it. Paul stared at Nora and sneered, "When you were using Justin Hunt¡¯s name, I bet you didn¡¯t expect that the man himself would reallye, right?"
Nora raised her eyebrows. Her cool and distant countenance was totally calm.
Even if their family of four should meet, then so be it. She would simply rify the ties between the two of them with Justin, lest the guy kept thinking that she was in love with him. She couldn¡¯t even be bothered to pretend anymore...
In the midst of her thoughts, everyone stepped aside.
Nora looked over and saw Justin striding over under the escort of his bodyguards.
Little Brandon looked at Mia, then at Terence, and then finally at Pete. However, he noticed that his eyes were flickering a little, and he seemed a little scared.
Brandon panicked at once. He stepped forward, held Pete¡¯s arm, and asked, "Cherry, a-are you really Justin Hunt¡¯s child?"
Next to them, when Mia heard him, she immediately said, "Brandon, Cherry really is his child! Don¡¯t you believe what Daddy says?"
But before Brandon could breathe a sigh of relief, Terence yelled, "That¡¯s impossible. He¡¯s not the Hunts¡¯ child! He is a little bastard! Hmph, now that Justin Hunt is here, you and your mother are going to get your just desserts, Cherry!"
After he spoke, Terence even grabbed Pete¡¯s arm and said, "You mustn¡¯t run away!"
Pete, "..."
Wouldn¡¯t he be admitting that he was lying if he ran away now?
That wouldn¡¯t do at all.
While Pete was frowning, he saw Nora giving him a look.
Pete was short. Additionally, they were also surrounded by crowds, so he couldn¡¯t see what it was like in the distance. However, Nora had already noticed that Cherry was not with Justin.
She didn¡¯t know where she had gone, but the little fellow must have slipped away when she saw that something was wrong. She was surprisingly very quick-witted.
Seeing that Justin wasing closer and closer, Paul took a couple of steps forward and said politely, "Long time no see, Mr. Hunt."
Justin was wearing a ck suit and a white shirt, which looked surprisingly like lovers¡¯ matching clothing with the ck outfit that Nora was wearing.
When he came over, his eyes locked onto Nora right away.
The girl stood therezily with her back straight, but there was obviously impatience in her almond-shaped eyes. Clearly, someone who couldn¡¯t take a hint had provoked her.
Justin raised his eyebrows. The beauty mark at the corner of his eye became increasingly dazzling. He was about to walk over to her when Paul blocked his path, causing Justin to frown. Nevertheless, he was forced to stop and say politely, "It¡¯s been a while, Mr. Quin."
Paul was a standard viin.
As they said, it was better to offend a gentleman than to offend a viin. The saying was referring to exactly people like him.
The Hunts weren¡¯t afraid of him, but they weren¡¯t willing to offend him easily, either.
Paul smiled and made small talk. He said, "Do you also like to watch car racing, Mr. Hunt?"
Justin replied, "My child likes it, so I came to join in the fun."
Paul nodded. "Do you have a favorite, Mr. Hunt?"
Justin shook his head. "No. I¡¯ll probably ce a random better."
Paul wanted to continue the small talk, but Justin instead asked, "Is something the matter, Mr. Quin?"
Only then did Paul stop talking.
Over the years, the Quins had actually been trying to curry favor with the Hunts. After all, should they gain the Hunts¡¯ protection, they would surely do even better. However, Justin was terribly hard to get hold of. He simply couldn¡¯t establish any sort of ties with him even after interacting with him several times.
They had even considered sending him women before, but Justin had driven them out right away. He even publicly announced that whoever sent him any women in the future would be his enemy.
Therefore, everyone spected in private that Justin might not like women.
After all, with the exception of his child, he had always practiced abstinence ever since he was a child, and had never had any women trouble.
With that in mind, Paul replied, "There is indeed something trivial. I just didn¡¯t expect that there would be people using your name to do whatever they want outside, so I stopped them, Mr. Hunt."
Justin was a little taken aback. "What?"
Paul knew that Justin would definitely be very angry and fly into a rage.
Thus, he didn¡¯t mind doing Justin a favor. He pointed to Nora and Pete and said, "That mother-daughter pair im to be your woman and your child. That child, especially, has been showing off and wreaking havoc, and telling everyone that you are his father."
Terence also shouted, "Yes, he¡¯s the one. He insisted that his father is Justin Hunt. All of us kids know about it!"
He looked at Pete happily and said, "Did you see that? That is the real Justin Hunt. Is your father really Justin Hunt? Do you dare to confront him face-to-face about it?"
Pete, "..."
He nced at Justin in silence. Only then did he see that Justin seemed to have only just spotted him. He looked at him and raised his eyebrows a little.
Seeing that all of them weren¡¯t saying anything, Paul immediately smiled and said, "You don¡¯t have to be too angry about it, Mr. Hunt. After all, you have a good reputation out there. That¡¯s why there are even children who are pretending to be your child. I just happened to chance upon them doing something wrong, so I decided to expose them. It¡¯s mainly because I was concerned that they would do worse things outside..."
He had only just said that when Justin asked, "Why are you here?"
Chapter 203: Daddy!!
Chapter 203: Daddy!!
That one line from him made everyone there dumbfounded.
Everyone looked at them incredulously.
Pete kept quiet for a while before he finally said, "Daddy."
Justin nodded. He took a step forward and took the initiative to ask, "Didn¡¯t you go to the bathroom? Why are you here instead?"
Pete, "?"
As it turned out, Cherry had made up an excuse and gone to the bathroom. No wonder his father didn¡¯t recognize him!
At practically the same time, a bodyguard came over and said, "Mr. Hunt, the little mister is gone. We..."
He¡¯d only just said that when he spotted Pete. He closed his mouth right away.
Both Nora and Pete fell for their act.
Pete immediately adopted a different stance and said, "I came to look for Mommy."
He held Nora¡¯s hand after he spoke.
Nora raised her brows.
She nced at the bodyguards and then at Justin. She couldn¡¯t help feeling that something was a little amiss, yet she couldn¡¯t pinpoint it. Wasn¡¯t Justin purported to have a very high IQ?
How was it possible that he couldn¡¯t even see through such a low-level loophole?
But... it did make sense!
There practically weren¡¯t any boy-girl twins that looked identical in this world. If she weren¡¯t their mother, she probably wouldn¡¯t have ever thought that she also had a daughter, right?
With that in mind, Nora lowered her head as if she had thought it through.
Next to them, Paul was dumbfounded. He stared at them incredulously and sputtered, "The... the two of you..."
Nora raised her eyebrows. "I told you. Who says this child isn¡¯t Justin¡¯s?"
Mia and Brandon also immediately jumped in and said, "Yes, that¡¯s right! Cherry is a child of the Hunts! We weren¡¯t lying, yeah!"
Terence, "!"
Brandon looked at Terence again. He stuck his tongue out and said, "Nanny nanny boo-boo! To think you wanted to bully Cherry. So, Cherry can go in now, right?"
"..."
Justin finally understood what exactly had happened after he said that.
It seemed that his son had been bullied by a six-year-old in kindergarten.
How useless.
He secretly dissed him inwardly before he pulled a long face and said, "What¡¯s going on? Are the Hunts¡¯ children not allowed to enter the racetracks?"
The security officers, "!!"
The security officers at the entrance broke out in cold sweat at once. They said, "Of course they are!. It¡¯s an honor that your child graced our racetracks with her presence, Mr. Hunt! It¡¯s my fault for failing to recognize a famous person when I see one. Pleasee in, pleasee in!"
Both Justin and Nora knew that the security officers were just threatened by Paul, that¡¯s all.
He was just a man trying to make a living, so why bother holding it against him?
Nora scoffed and said insinuatingly, "Never judge a book by its cover. Remember to keep your eyes open the next time you do anything."
The security officer nodded at once.
Next to him, Paul, who had wanted to do Justin a favor, looked livid.
Never would he have ever expected things to turn out this way!
¡ª
"Cherry, where are you?"
Worried about her safety, Pete sent Cherry a text message immediately after he entered the racetracks.
Cherry: ¡¯I¡¯m already seated in the benches! Come and look for meter, Pete!¡¯
Knowing that she was safe, Pete breathed a sigh of relief.
Only then did he look up at the two people walking in front of him.
Justin was smiling, and his dark eyes were full of mirth. He said, "So, Ms. Smith, you¡¯ve been iming to outsiders that you¡¯re my woman?"
Nora, "..."
She stuffed her hands into her pockets casually, seemingly disinclined to carry on the topic. She asked, "What put you in the mood toe and watch the race, Mr. Hunt?"
"It can¡¯t be helped. My son likes it," replied Justin.
As expected, it really was because of little Cherry.
Nora let out an ¡¯oh¡¯. Just as Justin was about to say something, she suddenly did a U-turn and said, "Since you¡¯re here, then please take Pete and the two children from the Smiths with you to watch the race, Mr. Hunt. I have to go backstage to visit my dear cousin."
Although Cherry was a clever and adorable child, this was ultimately a messy ce. Nora was worried about her safety.
Justin narrowed his eyes and said, "Okay. See you at the benchester?"
Nora waved but didn¡¯t answer.
He must be kidding. Was she supposed to go to the benches so that the family of four could meet one another?
She was dying to avoid him instead!
Justin watched as the woman¡¯s slender figure disappeared into the distance. Only then did he look back at Pete.
After a few days of separation from the little brat, it seemed like there was now light in his eyes, especially with Mia and Brandon next to him at the moment. The three of them standing together looked like they were on pretty good terms with one another.
Justin cast his eyes down.
Pete didn¡¯t have any friends at the Hunts. In addition, Pete didn¡¯t allow anyone other than him to go near him.
In spite of that, because the children weren¡¯t walking properly, Brandon bumped into Pete from time to time, yet he didn¡¯t show any sign of annoyance.
Justin¡¯s brows drew together.
The woman might lookzy and sloppy, but by her side, Cherry had grown up to be a lively and lovable girl. Her son had only been with her for a few days, yet he also seemed to have be much more cheerful.
Was he really not as good as that woman at raising a child?
While he was reflecting upon himself, Paul came over to make up for what had happened just now. He smiled and said jokingly, "Information about you is really too confidential, Mr. Hunt. I always thought that you had a son, but as it turns out, it¡¯s actually a daughter?"
He nced at Pete and hesitated again before he asked, "So, is he a boy or a girl?"
Justin nced at him with his deep-set eyes and slowly replied, "Either is possible."
Paul, "?"
He wanted to say more, but Justin had already turned around and left with the children. It was obvious that he wasn¡¯t interested in talking anymore.
Paul, "..."
What the heck did he mean by either was possible?
¡ª
Elsewhere, Nora called Cherry and was informed that the little fellow was at the benches. However, it seemed that she had slipped into the benches to the west, so she was nning to go over and look for her.
They were currently in the north. This was where the final sprint would be, so the point of view was excellent there. It was a position that only people like Justin could upy.
To get to the west side from the north side, she had to pass by a row of resting areas.
The racers were currently resting there.
The abandoned location upied a huge area, so the resting area was made up of a row of small houses. When Nora was passing by, a couple of racers happened to walk past her. They were chatting earnestly with each other.
"Have you heard? Logan has a leg injury. He definitely won¡¯t be able to take first ce in the race anymore!"
"Of course. I even heard that it was the Myerses who did it to go against the Andersons, but no one dares to say anything about it. After all, Paul Quin is backing up Winston!"
"What should we do? If Logan loses, will the bookies let him off?"
"No way! Logan probably won¡¯t be able to step out of this ce alive today. You have no idea how fierce those people are."
"Sigh, how tragic. If he insists on racing with his leg injury, his leg will probably be a goner after this. With the way things are now, he¡¯s doomed unless Yanci descends from heaven to save him!"
Chapter 204: Yanci!
Chapter 204: Yanci!
"That¡¯s impossible. The international racer Yanci? In a ce like this? I heard that the organizers send him an invitation every year, but there¡¯s no way he¡¯ll have any interest in races that aren¡¯t fit to be seen in public like this."
"Sigh, that¡¯s true. You¡¯re right. In that case, Logan is really done for this time! And so are the Andersons, right? If they want their son back, they¡¯ll need 50 million dors..."
"..."
The two passed by Nora as they chatted.
Nora stopped in her tracks.
She had known all along that Logan seemed to be in some kind of trouble, but she hadn¡¯t expected it to be this bad.
Why didn¡¯t he bring up even a word about it at home?
While thinking about it, Nora sent Cherry a text message reminding her to pay attention to her safety. Then, she headed to the racers¡¯ lounge.
The racers¡¯ lounge wasn¡¯t essible to ordinary people.
The people guarding the ce were all men that Jordan trusted the most. The one standing guard at the entrance happened to be one of the people who had tried to stop Nora from going up the stairs when she rushed over to the Hoffmans¡¯ the other day. He had also been involved in what happened after that, so he knew who she was. Rather surprised to see her, he hastily said, "I¡¯ll take you to Mr. Hoffman!"
The Andersons¡¯ affairs were indeed rather troublesome this time.
Mr. Hoffman had also been having a headache over it thest couple of days.
If he had known this would happen, he would¡¯ve listened to Logan and postponed the race to next month.
What was he to do now?
That was 50 million dors they were talking about. Even they would have difficulty forking out that money, let alone the Andersons. After all, who would have that much cash with them?
Nora nodded.
As she walked into the lounge with the man, they ran into Mrs. Hoffman.
Mrs. Hoffman had been taking care of Jimmy in the hospital thest few days, so she hadn¡¯t had a good sleep in a while. It was to the extent that she even had dark circles under her eyes. At the sight of Nora, she grabbed her hand and said sincerely, "Oh, you¡¯vee? I was just about to go and look for you. Are you here because of Logan? I know all about it. Don¡¯t worry, I will definitely make sure he¡¯s fine!"
She went on and said, "I came here especially to look for Jordan. Even if there¡¯s no other way, we can at least get those 50 million dors ready!"
The corners of Nora¡¯s lips spasmed a little as she stared at Mrs. Hoffman, who seemed like apletely different person now.
The woman was really straightforward.
She said unhurriedly, "No, it¡¯s fine."
Mrs. Hoffman sighed and said, "You don¡¯t have to stand on ceremony with us. I¡¯ve already heard from the doctor¡ªif you hadn¡¯t rushed over to our ce, what I would have seen the next morning would probably have been Jimmy¡¯s dead body since I had thought that he was feeling unwell just because he was scared. You saved him! So, that makes you our benefactor! I¡¯m willing to give you even my life, let alone 50 million dors. I have some jewelry here that should also be worth a sum..."
At this point, she suddenly straightened her back and said, "By the way, I haven¡¯t formally apologized to you yet. I misunderstood you. Sigh, I¡¯m not trying to make excuses for myself, but every time Jimmy got a headache in school, the teacher would call me; but every time I brought him back home, he would be right as rain again. That boy is such a halfwit. To think he couldn¡¯t even describe the symptoms clearly. We had also gone to the hospital for his headaches. The doctor suggested a brain CT scan, but also said that there will be radiation exposure, so he wanted us to think about it ourselves. Later, we took him back home, yet he said that it didn¡¯t hurt anymore. This repeated over and over again... That was why when you told us to have a lumbar puncture done, my first reaction was to think that you were spouting nonsense... Now that I think about it, I was really so ignorant!"
Nora actually wasn¡¯t angry.
She had seen family members of patients who were even more difficult to deal with than Mrs. Hoffman. Besides, doctors tended to favor conservative methods of treatment for children.
The amount of radiation exposure that a brain CT scan would expose one to, was equivalent to 1.5 times the amount of a chest radiograph.
It was normal for doctors to let them make the decision themselves.
She nodded. Then, she interrupted Mrs. Hoffman and said, "I¡¯d like to visit Logan."
"Okay, I¡¯ll take you there!"
With Mrs. Hoffman leading the way, no one dared to stop them all the more.
¡ª
In the lounge.
Logan shifted his ankle after he put on his clothes. The severe pain made him as pale as a sheet, and cold sweat trickled down his forehead.
His friend next to him ranted furiously, "They sure were ruthless! The bones at your ankle are all shattered! You can¡¯t apply any force on it at all! Is there even any difference whether you take part in the race or not? In my opinion, you should just go to Mr. Hoffman and give up the race!"
Logan didn¡¯t pay him any attention. A look of pain and resolution came over his untamed countenance.
It was one thing to lose, but something else entirely to give up the race.
He couldn¡¯t let down the people supporting him.
He took a deep breath and said, "Let¡¯s go."
The door was suddenly pushed open at this moment.
Linson Leigh, the racer whom Winston was supporting, stood outside the door.
Linson was an upstart racer. He had taken second ce the year before with a result of merely five seconds behind Logan.
Paul was in support of him, and he had be a rising star in the world of car racing.
Logan looked at him and asked hostilely, "What are you doing here?"
Linson stood arrogantly at the door and replied, "I¡¯m here to show Logan¡ªThe Racing King some concern, of course. How¡¯s your foot? I heard that the bones are all broken. If you still don¡¯t undergo surgery, you probably won¡¯t be able to ever recover, right?"
Logan, who was pulling a long face, retorted, "It¡¯s none of your business."
Linson curled his lip disdainfully and said, "Sigh, why so angry, Logan¡ªThe Racing King? As they say, the new constantly rece the old, while the old grows cold. In New York¡¯s world of racing, the era of Logan¡ªThe Racing King has already passed. Now that you¡¯ve be too old, surely you should make way for neers, right?"
His words angered Logan¡¯s friend, who yelled furiously, "If the seniors have to make way for the newbies, then let¡¯s just go through a normal handover! Besides, Logan is only 22 years old! He¡¯s in the prime of youth right now! Make way, my a*s!"
Linson was about to speak when Winston came over. It was obvious at first nce that he had overly indulged in carnal desires, causing his health to be all spent. With an annoying look on his face, he said, "Sigh, what are you worked up for? No matter how young he is, he can only be a thing of the past. Starting from today, New York¡¯s world of racing is about to wee a new era! The era that belongs to Linson hase!"
"Get out!"
A furious Logan stood up abruptly. However, pain shot up from his leg, causing him to fall back onto the sofa. He looked at his leg in astonishment. The pain was getting worse today, making him unable to even stand for a while there!
Winston looked at Logan¡¯s leg. As he hadn¡¯t undergone surgery in time, the wound was already festering somewhat.
Winston clicked his tongue a couple of times. He said, "Logan, with that leg of yours, you probably won¡¯t even be able to step on the brakes if you get into the car, right? With the way you are, how are you going to take part in the race? Oh, what are you to do? Team White doesn¡¯t even have a substitute. Is there even anyone who can race in your stead?"
Logan clenched his fists.
This was the crux of the problem.
Team White had always taken first ce!
Therefore, Team White had never needed a substitute. This led to them bing unable to even find a decent substitute after something happened to his leg.
In addition, geniuses like Linson were indeed rare. Apart from Logan in his prime condition, Yanci was probably the only one who could beat him...
In the midst of his thoughts, a woman¡¯s voice reached them. She said, "I can."
Chapter 205: I’ll Do It!
Chapter 205: I¡¯ll Do It!
The few of them looked over to see a chubby but beefy woman striding in.
Behind her was a petite figure that had beenpletely covered by her. It wasn¡¯t until Mrs. Hoffman entered the room that the others saw the person behind her.
Winston¡¯s eyes lit up at the sight of her.
The woman¡¯s almond-shaped eyes were half-lidded, and she gave off a very dispirited air. However, her facial features were gorgeous, and her skin was so fair that it was as if it was luminescent.
She was the one who had spoken just now.
Logan obviously also saw Nora. His wild and untamed countenance was filled with surprise. He tensed his jaw but didn¡¯t immediately refute her.
Surprisingly, it was Linson who frowned and asked, "Who are you? What are you doing?"
Mrs. Hoffman thought of what had happened just now and became rather angry. She immediately said, "She is Jimmy¡¯s savior, as well as Ms. Smith from the Andersons."
¡¯Ms. Smith from the Andersons¡¯... Obviously, she had made a name for herself at the dance party the other time.
Perhaps because Linson had also heard of her, he didn¡¯t question any further. He merely sneered, "So, it¡¯s you, Ms. Smith. I¡¯d advise you not to interrupt when other people are talking. Those who didn¡¯t know any better would have thought that you were going to race in Logan¡¯s stead!"
"Is Logan¡¯s name something you can say?" Logan¡¯s friend yelled angrily, "You should be calling him Mr. Anderson!"
In the world of car racing, seniority mattered a lot.
Linson cast his eyes down and said very arrogantly, "I think people should talk with their capabilities in the world of car racing instead. Also, this is the racers¡¯ lounge. It¡¯s best that women stay out of this ce. Yours is a special situation though, Logan. With your leg in that condition, it¡¯s understandable that the Andersons would worry about you and send someone to supervise you."
Then, heughed and said, "Ms. Smith, right? Don¡¯t worry. There is no doubt that I¡¯ll let Logan lose in a very dignified manner today! After all, no matter what, I have to show our racing king here some courtesy, right?"
His words angered the few of them.
Mrs. Hoffman rebuked him. "Linson, you¡¯re here to race, so just race like you should! Why must you speak in such an infuriating manner?"
Linson sneered, "Mrs. Hoffman, I know you¡¯re the organizer of this ce. Are the races you hold so fair and square that people don¡¯t even have the right to talk anymore?"
Mrs. Hoffman, "!"
She had never been an eloquent person and only knew how to act shrewishly. However, it didn¡¯t seem like acting shrewishly would be of any use in this situation.
This was because there was no way Linson would show Jordan any courtesy at all. He was a racer whom Winston had approached specifically to deal with Logan. In addition, he was also someone whom Paul was using to deal with Jordan.
After all, Jordan had made a ton of money over the years through Logan!
Seeing that Mrs. Hoffman was so mad that she was rendered speechless, Winstonughed and said, "These are men¡¯s affairs, Mrs. Hoffman. What are women interfering for? We men may bepeting with one another, but we¡¯ll still take into ount our personal rtionships with one another, so this won¡¯t affect our rtionship. Right, Ms. Smith?"
Winston had wanted to take Nora as his wife back then but had failed to do so. Although he hated her for it, at the sight of her face, he couldn¡¯t quite hate her anymore.
It would be great if he could get his hands on a beauty like her.
Upon hearing him say that, Linson also cooperated with him and said, "Alright, let¡¯s not argue anymore. You¡¯d better hurry up and find a substitute, Logan¡ªThe Racing King, lest no one takes your ce in the raceter. Given the condition of your leg, your life will be in danger if you can¡¯t step on the brakes!"
The racetracks were filled with ces of a high level of difficulty. The racers also drove at the highest speed they could muster, so it would be terrible if one couldn¡¯t brake.
When Linson said that, Mrs. Hoffman immediately looked at Logan and said, "Yes, that¡¯s right. If you really can¡¯t, then don¡¯t bother going into the field and just give up! You can make back the money after you lose it, but if you lose your life, you won¡¯t be left with anything!"
Logan gritted his teeth.
He was about to speak when Nora said, "Didn¡¯t I already say? I¡¯ll do it."
"..."
The lounge fell silent for a moment.
A brief momentter, Mrs. Hoffman was the first to speak. She said, "Racing is not like driving, Ms. Smith. It¡¯s not that simple. Moreover, you need to have a good sense of the car and its quirks. You mustn¡¯t go into the field..."
Winston alsoughed. He said, "She¡¯s right, Ms. Smith. This isn¡¯t a joke. 160 miles per hour is already the fastest you can usually go when you drive, right? In racing, however, the minimum speed starts at 200 miles per hour! People who don¡¯t know how to race willpletely be putting their lives at stake!"
Linson also curled his lip disdainfully. He said, "Have youpletely given up, Logan¡ªThe Racing King? Instead of letting a woman race in your stead, it¡¯ll be more dignified for you if you just concede defeat straightaway!"
Almost as soon as he said that, Logan suddenly said, "I have the freedom to choose whoever I want as my substitute. If memory serves me right, this ce seems to be my lounge. Linson, if you want an exclusive lounge, then please wait until you win the championship. Now, please leave!"
Only champions had their own lounges in the racetracks.
Even if Linson was the first runner-up, he still had to change and warm up with the rest of the racers.
This was an unwritten rule in the world of racing.
Logan¡¯s words provoked Linson, making him narrow his eyes. He sneered, "Certainly. Well, enjoy your exclusive rest for thest time, then, Logan¡ªThe Racing King. After all, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll never get to enjoy such treatment ever again after today!"
After leaving those words behind, he turned around and said, "Let¡¯s go!"
Winston nced at Nora. He wanted to hit on her and strike up a conversation, but in the end, he left without saying anything.
In the lounge, only Nora, Mrs. Hoffman, Logan, and Logan¡¯s friend were left.
It was obvious that none of them took what Nora said just now seriously. Mrs. Hoffman said worriedly, "What¡¯s going on? Even if you can¡¯t take the first ce, the substitute should be able to go into the field, right? Hasn¡¯t Jordan been looking for a substitute for you thest few days?"
Logan pressed his lips together tightly while his friend said angrily, "When had Team White ever needed a substitute in the past when Logan was around? We needed one at thest minute this year, so we looked for one, but with Linson threatening them, no one is willing to do it! I¡¯m practically speechless! They are driving us into a corner!"
Mrs. Hoffman said angrily, "Those people are too wicked!"
Just as the three of them were awfully worried, Nora asked, "Where can I change my clothes?"
The other three, "??"
Mrs. Hoffman was the first to turn to her. She looked at her incredulously. "Ms. Smith?"
Logan¡¯s friend was next. He asked, "Weren¡¯t you just trying to bail us out? Surely you weren¡¯t serious, right?"
Nora ignored the two of them and looked fixedly at Logan.
Logan kept quiet for a long while before he suddenly asked, "Do you have a racing suit?"
Racers¡¯ suits and helmets were all custom-made.
Nora brought the backpack on her back to the front and held it up a little to indicate that her racing suit was inside.
Right from the start, her purpose ining over was to see if she could find a chance to go a couple ofps, so she had naturally brought her equipment along.
Logan balled up his fists and said, "... Alright, then."
Chapter 206: I Will Take The First Place For You!
Chapter 206: I Will Take The First ce For You!
Outside the lounge.
Logan, his friend, and Mrs. Hoffman waited anxiously.
Nora was changing inside the lounge.
Logan¡¯s friend asked, "Are you really letting her go into the field?"
Mrs. Hoffman also frowned. "Yeah. Can Ms. Smith do it?"
"Does she know how to race? Has she ever raced before? Won¡¯t she lose andest if she goes into the field like that?" asked Logan¡¯s friend.
An irritated Logan clenched his jaw and retorted, "Then how about you do it?"
His friend shut up at once.
Logan stared at the lounge.
He knew that he was going to lose for sure this time, but his ankle was hurting even more badly today, making him unable to persevere at all. Just like what Linson had said, he probably wouldn¡¯t be able to even step on the brakes!
He had no other choice under such circumstances.
He could only make a Hail Mary effort now!
Creak!
The door was pushed open. Nora, dressed in a red and white racing suit, walked out of the lounge. Her long hair had been tied into a ponytail, and she was holding a helmet.
The tight-fitting racing suit outlined her tall, slender, and graceful figure, stunning the trio at the door.
Mrs. Hoffman looked her figure up and down and said, "Your figure is so good, Ms. Smith! Also, this is the first time that I find myself thinking that women can actually look so handsome in racing suits!"
Logan¡¯s friend alsoplimented her. He said, "At least your cousin doesn¡¯t look like she¡¯s all form and no function, Logan! She puts forth a good image! Even if you lose, you¡¯ll be able to lose in a more dignified manner now."
Logan, "..."
"All racers, please head to the field!"
As the announcement rang out, Logan stood at the front with his crutch, limping as the four of them walked toward the racecourse together.
Logan loved his car very much, so his car had been modified by him to be nearly the best car in New York.
Although Nora liked to drive, what she liked more was the feeling of going at fast speed. She didn¡¯t actually feel anything for the act of racing itself. She touched Logan¡¯s car, finding itfortable.
"Go in and try it."
Logan opened the door to his car and¡ªfor the very first time¡ªsaid that to an outsider.
His sports car was his life itself. He had never allowed anyone to test drive it in all these years.
Nora nodded. She entered the car, sat in the driver¡¯s seat, and familiarized herself with the car¡¯s controls. Then, she gave Logan an ¡¯OK¡¯ gesture and got out of the car.
After staying quiet for a while, Logan finally said, "Keep safety as your top priority. It¡¯s fine even if youest."
He said softly, "At the very least, it¡¯s the Andersons themselves who are losing and not someone else losing in the Andersons¡¯ stead."
Having a substitute fill in for him would be the same as someone losing the race for him.
However, if the substitute was Nora, then at the very least, it would be the Andersons themselves losing the race.
Nora raised her eyebrows when she heard what he said. She was a little surprised.
Never would she have ever imagined that Logan would say something like that. To be honest, she had conversed a lot with everyone in the Andersons by now, save for Logan whom she had only exchanged a few words with and met only a few times. Unexpectedly, the boy had actually seen her as family?
While she was in a daze, next to them, the other racers also came out one after another. When they saw Nora, all of them were dumbfounded.
Even the rest of the racers spoke up, let alone Linson.
"What¡¯s going on, Logan¡ªThe Racing King? You actually got a woman to fill in for you?"
"Have you already given up before the race has even started?"
"By getting a woman topete with us, isn¡¯t he looking down on us a little too much?"
"There has never been a female racing champion in the world of racing all these years! In fact, very few women even participate in the races, right?"
"..."
Mrs. Hoffman got angry in the midst of them passingments. She ced her hands on her hips and sneered, "Just make sure nothing¡¯s wrong with yourselves and mind your own business. Besides, is there any regtion on the racetracks that states that a woman can¡¯t go into the field? How is it that I don¡¯t know anything about that?"
Everyone knew who Mrs. Hoffman was, so none of them dared to say any more when they heard her.
Mrs. Hoffman let out a scoff.
On the benches.
The people who had bet on Logan had gathered together. He always won the championship in past years, so he was no longer anyone unusual. Thus, many people had bet on his victory.
However, all of them were cursing at the moment.
"Damn it, what is Logan¡ªThe Racing King doing? He actually got a woman to race in his stead?"
"I heard that he injured his leg, so he can¡¯t drive."
"Doesn¡¯t that mean we¡¯re gonna lose for sure?! That¡¯s all of my savings, you know?!"
"That¡¯s too much of him! Make her get off the racecourse. If Logan¡ªThe Racing King loses the race, then he deserves it even if he dies in the car. We didn¡¯t spend so much to bet on a woman but on him!"
"Exactly!"
The group of people shouted, "Get lost!"
They created a huge scene. Jordan, who was seated at the other side, was also dumbfounded when he saw Nora. He hadn¡¯t expected that.
However, after thest few days¡¯ events, how could he possibly not defend Nora?
He reminded the crowd of the rules of the race at once¡ªsubstitutes were allowed to take over a racer!
The outraged and indignant group of people were suppressed by him. As a result, all the people in the benches could do was just shout and curse a little. They couldn¡¯t do anything else at all.
¡ª
A few minutes ago, Justin had entrusted Pete and the other children to the bodyguards. He got up and walked toward the lounge.
Lawrence, who was apanying him, asked, "Where are you going, Mr. Hunt?"
Justin lowered his gaze. "Didn¡¯t they say that the Anderson kid has injured his leg? How is he going topete?"
"... Surely you¡¯re not thinking of going into the field yourself, right?"
Justin¡¯s lips curled into a smile. He replied, "Yeah, it¡¯s been a long time since Ist exercised these old arms and legs of mine!"
Lawrence, "..."
Mr. Hunt, you sure are going all the way and beyond for Ms. Smith¡¯s sake!
But isn¡¯t it obviously Ms. Smith who likes you? Why does it seem like you¡¯re the one wooing her now?!
No one dared to intercept or stop Justin, no matter where he went.
When he reached the lounge, he just so happened to see Nora and the other three people heading to the racecourse.
He stared at the girl¡¯s graceful figure, his eyes darkening a little as he gazed at the exquisite curve of her back.
Lawrence was also looking at them. "Is that Ms. Smith? Is she actually going into the field in person?"
Justin¡¯s reaction, however, was to say, "... Where do you think you¡¯re looking?"
Lawrence, "???"
His gaze, however, stopped at that waist that looked as if one hand was more than enough to circle around it, as well as those long and powerful legs...
They silently followed behind the four, upon which they saw Nora getting into the car.
In the distance.
"All racers, please get ready."
As the announcement rang out, the racers put on their helmets and got into their cars.
Logan held Nora¡¯s shoulders before she got into the car. Justin¡¯s scorching gaze was fixed on his hands, much as if someone was touching something precious to him...
Logan instructed, "The ranking doesn¡¯t matter. Your life is what matters the most. You can just take it that you¡¯re driving normally."
Nora patted him back on his shoulders. The corners of her lips suddenly curled into a smile and she said, "Don¡¯t worry. Just wait for me to return with the first ce for you."
Chapter 207: She Is Yanci!!!
Chapter 207: She Is Yanci!!!
Nora went straight into the car after saying that, leaving the other three bbergasted.
Mrs. Hoffman said, "... No, Ms. Smith, your life is still more important. Don¡¯t bother too much about the ranking!"
Logan¡¯s friend also remarked, "My word, are girls nowadays not only wild and arrogant but also such big braggarts?"
Nora, however, only whistled at them and ignored them.
She felt as if all the cells in her body were on fire.
She only felt like this whenever she drove a racing car. It was just like she was filled with fuel and raring to go. She had already stopped listening to what the people outside were saying a long time ago.
Nearby, Winston and Linson were talking to each other quietly.
"Mr. Myers, just sit and wait for the Andersons to go bankrupt! I will definitely win!" said Linson.
Winston replied, "Cut the crap. Ms. Smith thoroughly embarrassed me some time back. Teach her a lesson on the racecourse!"
Although one could say that his proposal the other time was a gaffe, it had nevertheless embarrassed Winston. On top of that, the two of them had separated on a bad note when they met again just now.
Since he couldn¡¯t get his hands on a beauty like that, then everyone else could forget about getting their hands on her, too!
Linson¡¯s eyes darkened. "Give it to me straight, Mr. Myers. What kind of lesson are you asking for?"
On the racecourse, forcing a car to stop or sending a car flying were both within one¡¯s control!
Linson was lofty and conceited. Apart from Logan, he didn¡¯t think much of anyone else. Thus, he knew that he would have the time and opportunity to engage in such nasty little thoughts.
Winston¡¯s eyes darkened.
The woman standing next to him was Tina.
Ever since she was dismissed by the university, her status in the medical profession had been utterly ruined. Jon had asked her about it when she returned to the Myerses, but she simply refused to reveal the fact that Nora was Anti.
This was because she knew that once she told them, the Myerses wouldn¡¯t stand up for her anymore.
Based on Jon¡¯s character, he would definitelypromise and try to make peace with Nora.
Hence, she hadn¡¯t mentioned it to anyone else all this time.
Winston had only brought her here today because she pestered him to. Upon hearing their conversation, she immediately said, "The more ruthless, the better!"
Winston actually wanted to hold back some because Nora was a woman, but Tina held his arm and said, "She¡¯s the one who caused me to be dismissed by the university. Winston, are you unwilling to even help me take revenge for that? Besides, she already has a fianc¨¦..."
The word ¡¯fianc¨¦¡¯ made Winston want to ruin the woman. The look in his eyes turned cold and he said, "Do as she says."
"Roger!"
Upon receiving the instructions, Linson smirked and got into the car.
The race was about to start.
Justin, who had heard their entire conversation, looked absolutely livid.
Halting the race at once and taking Nora¡¯s ce was indeed a good solution, but not only did that woman have great pride, but she also had a lot of personality. Moreover, it seemed like she was very experienced in car racing. If he were to do that, he might end up making her dislike him.
Yet, if he were to leave her be, he couldn¡¯t help but worry that Linson might really do something to her.
Justin promptly made his decision. He walked straight to Team ck and grabbed a racer who was about to enter his car.
The next moment, he put on the helmet that the racer had prepared long ago and got into the car!
"Hey, who are you? You¡ª"
The racer panicked. He was about to speak when Lawrence came forward and grabbed him. He blocked what the racer was about to say with just a one-liner: "This is Mr. Hunt."
The racer was dumbfounded.
Team ck had always been in thest ce and had never achieved a good ranking in the races before. He was just here to run through the motion with the others, but unexpectedly, Mr. Hunt was actually getting in his car?
While everyone was absorbed in their own thoughts, the referee suddenly fired the starting pistol!
Following the bang, all the cars charged out.
"Come on! Come on!"
The audience was in full swing on the benches.
Cherry and Pete were in the north and the west benches respectively. Both of them watched Team White¡¯s cars excitedly.
"Come on, Mommy!"
"Mommy, you¡¯re the best!"
Logan and Mrs. Hoffman stood at the sidelines and stared ahead of them nervously.
His friend said, "This... She seems fine? She¡¯s following the crowd. It¡¯s just that her takeoff was a little too fast."
Her takeoff was a little too fast...
The thought rang out in everyone¡¯s minds.
Logan¡¯s jaw tensed up tightly, as did his mind.
It was easy to be unstable if one took off too quickly. In addition, there was a sharp turn not far ahead. Thus, everyone familiar with the racecourse knew that they mustn¡¯t take off too fast. Otherwise, it would be very dangerous at the turn!
Nora had a daughter! She had a child!
She mustn¡¯t die here!
Logan took a couple of steps forward nervously. He regretted letting her go into the field in this instant.
Justin had watched a few races here before, so he knew that there was a sharp turn ahead. Thus, when he saw that Nora had taken off too quickly and was leading far ahead, he was rmed.
He didn¡¯t have the luxury to think too much about it anymore. He mmed on the gas pedal and went straight after her, hoping that he could stop her in time while she was turning the corner, or help her out or something...
On the benches.
Everyone was also rmed and nervous.
Someone said, "Isn¡¯t that female racer going a little too hard at it? This... Is she sick of living?"
"Oh my god, this is making me panic. What should we do? Will anything happen to her?"
"Did she see the sharp turn in front? Is it really okay for her to drive like that?"
"There is nock of racers getting into idents every year. The thought of such a beautiful woman perishing makes my heart kinda ache, though!"
"..."
Tina and Winston also exchanged a look.
Winston suddenly smiled and said, "It doesn¡¯t look like Linson even needs to do anything anymore."
A hypocritical Tina replied, "This... I never thought of killing her, either. I just wanted Linson to teach her a lesson."
Winston chortled when he heard her.
Hidden among the crowd was Joel, who was constantly paying attention to Mia and Brandon. Like an invisible man, no one paid any attention to him.
He was also staring at Nora at the moment.
At the thought of the DNA test report, he also became a little worried.
Nora didn¡¯t know what was on everyone¡¯s minds at the moment. The feeling of moving at extremely high speed made her feel as if her blood was seething.
She had already noticed the sharp turn ahead a long time ago.
However, she didn¡¯t slow down. Instead, she rushed straight over!
As a result, everyone only heard the sharp screech of wheels rubbing against the ground. The next moment... With a beautiful drift, she made the car change the direction it was going in. Then, she continued rushing forward without any reduction in speed!
Everyone was bbergasted!
That drift at extreme speed just now waspletely something that a novice would not know.
Logan¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief... T-the speed of that drift... There was only one person in the entire world who could do it...
That person was the racer who had participated in an international racingpetition a year ago¡ªYanci!
Could it be that...
Chapter 208: Yanci Is Invincible!
Chapter 208: Yanci Is Invincible!
Logan stared disbelievingly at the car far in the lead on the racecourse in front of him. He suddenly recalled his conversation with Cherry back then:
"I like car racing, too, yeah! So does my Mommy."
"Do you know who Yanci is?"
"My Mommy doesn¡¯t allow me to tell anyone."
Just now, before the girl went into the field, she had said wildly and arrogantly, "Don¡¯t worry. Just wait for me to return with the first ce for you..."
Her demeanor had been casual andzy when she said that, but now that he thought about it again, there was only affirmation and certainty in her voice.
Logan¡¯s gaze, as he stared at the sports car, became increasingly hot and fervent.
Never had he ever thought that the cousin whom he didn¡¯t like would actually turn out to be Yanci, the person he admired the most deep down!
He couldn¡¯t help but take a step forward and crane his neck to look over.
Excitement was running through his veins.
Mrs. Hoffman didn¡¯t know much about car racing, so the sight only made her heart pound in trepidation. She said, "What was going on with Ms. Smith just now? Why does it look like the wheels were about to catch fire?!"
As for Logan¡¯s friend, he merely swallowed hard and uttered, "Oh my god!"
In the benches.
Those who initially weren¡¯t optimistic about Nora suddenly stood up.
Someone rubbed their eyes and asked hesitantly, "Were my eyes deceiving me just now? Or did she just luck out?"
"That angle, that speed, that drift... Without a few years of racing experience under their belt, I¡¯m afraid no one can do it, right?"
"... So, it really isn¡¯t a fluke? Was it because youth knows no fear, or was she just bold because she knows what she¡¯s doing?"
"Is that really something a woman can do?"
The race went on in full swing.
Nora¡¯s car was leading far ahead while the cars in second and third ces were very close. One was a car from Team ck, which was rankedst in the world of racing, while the other was Linson.
The look on Winston¡¯s face had changed.
Tina was even frowning. She said, "What¡¯s wrong with Linson? Isn¡¯t he supposedly very impressive? Yet he can¡¯t even outrun a woman?"
A sullen-faced Winston snapped, "What do you know? Who can outrun that kind of speed? Even Logan in his prime would pale a little inparison!"
Tina didn¡¯t believe him. "How can that be? She¡¯s a woman!"
That woman was Anti!
There was no way Anti could aplish her surgical achievements without a few years of experience, whereas racing also required practice.
It was impossible for a person to have that much energy!
Winston¡¯s gaze, however, became rather scorching. He swallowed and said, "A woman who can drive a sports car well is definitely an intense one right down to her bones! She has enough kick in her for sure! I suddenly can¡¯t quite bear to part with her anymore!"
A sense of acerbity welled up in Tina upon hearing his words.
She tugged at Winston, took a deep breath, and said, "You¡¯re my fianc¨¦!"
Winston looked at her and smiled. "Am I?"
His two-worded rhetorical question made Tina choke.
In order to get rid of Winston and also to deal with Nora back then, Tina had taken the initiative to break off their engagement, and also said that she had only treated him as a brother.
Later, because she had no way out anymore, she had returned obediently and climbed into Winston¡¯s bed. Only then did the two of them get back together.
She knew that because she had always been the one to treat Ian¡¯s illness at the Smiths, there was no way Jon would give himself a p in the face and say that her skills or character as a doctor was bad. Therefore, even if no one among the surgeons¡¯munity acknowledged her anymore, she still had the world of alternative medicine to turn to!
Therefore, Jon had given tacit approval with regard to this and hadn¡¯t brought it up ever again.
Tina knew that she could no longer indulge in the wishful thinking, that was Justin, anymore, so she had to have Winston firmly in her grasp.
She couldn¡¯t help but say sourly, "Yes, you are. Besides, what¡¯s the use, no matter how beautiful the woman is? Isn¡¯t it all the same once the lights are off at night?"
Winston burst intoughter at once. He nced at her again and replied, "Yes, it¡¯s all the same."
Tina, "..."
She couldn¡¯t help but feel like he was indirectly insulting her!
She looked at the racecourse viciously, hoping that Linson would make life difficult for that womanter. It would be best if he caused her death on the racecourse!
She clenched her fists.
¡ª
Justin, who was in Team ck¡¯s sports car, was also stunned.
He hadn¡¯t expected Nora to actually maneuver the turn ahead so easily when the angle was so tricky. The corners of his lips slowly curled into a smile, and he suddenly thought of the international racer Yanci.
Nationality: American
Gender: Female
He didn¡¯t expect Yanci to actually be her!
That woman sure gave him surprises everywhere.
Justin wasn¡¯t very interested in sports cars, but he did asionally drive a fewps for stress relief. He had never participated in a race before, but clever people were able to easily handle everything.
After turning a corner, he saw Linson suddenly taking a shortcut. He was probably going to catch up to Nora.
Justin frowned.
Although Nora had a high level of skill, she nevertheless suffered from the disadvantage of being unfamiliar with the terrain. There was actually a shortcut one could take after the turn, but she didn¡¯t know about it.
Additionally, Linson was nning to rush over and hit the carter. With the front of his car ramming into the body of Nora¡¯s car, the faster her speed was, the more dangerous it would be for her!
Justin stepped on the gas pedal again and rushed straight toward Linson.
Linson had taken a shortcut, so it would take about ten seconds for him to go over from his position. Going by that woman¡¯s speed, she would also pass by in front of him ten secondster.
When that happened, he would need only to speed up and he would be able to send her flying together with the car!
A racer whose car was overturned would almost certainly end up disabled. In fact, their life might even be at risk.
A triumphant look appeared in Linson¡¯s eyes at the thought.
He indeed hadn¡¯t expected a woman to drive so well in a race, but so what even if she drove well? This would probably be the only day of her racing career!
A vicious and ruthless look burst forth in Linson¡¯s eyes.
If he were to control his speed and direction well, hitting her car that way would only cause some damage to his car at the most. In contrast, the other party would be sent flying. In that case, he would still be the champion!
Linson¡¯s lips curled up slightly as he approached the intersection.
Seemingly having heard the hum of his opponent¡¯s engine, he immediately elerated and rushed forward!!
But at this point!
A ck and white sports car suddenly rushed up beside him and overtook him, forcing him into thene on the other side.
An intense screech resulting from friction reached him. Linson¡¯s pupils shrank, and he subconsciously turned the steering wheel.
The two cars rubbed hard against each other!
Bam!
Linson¡¯s car was thrown out. Justin¡¯s car also swayed unsteadily as it charged ahead.
The car that was sent flying in midair overturned again and again until it reached the sides of the racecourse, onlying to a stop after it overturned a few times. It was unknown whether the person inside was dead or alive.
Justin¡¯s car was also heavily damaged in the collision.
However, he didn¡¯t stop the car or halt thepetition. Instead, he continued ahead after turning the corner and followed after Nora!
Justin, "..."
He stepped on the brakes again but found that the brakes weren¡¯t working. He knew that this was because the car had suffered serious damage in the collision just now.
The brakes had failed. What should he do now?
Chapter 209: Angel’s Kiss
Chapter 209: Angel¡¯s Kiss
Nora had actually already noticed when Linson wanted to charge toward her and run into her car at the corner.
As a professional racer, she did at least still possess that bit of vignce in her.
When she missed the intersection, she had immediately realized that she was on the wrong path.
And the moment she heard the revving of the engine, she had realized Linson¡¯s intentions. Thus, her lips curled into a smile, and she suddenly stepped on the gas pedal and sped up.
So, Linson wanted to ram his car into hers?
Heh, they could talk about it again when he caught up to her instead.
Just as she charged over with a whoosh, she heard a loud bang¡ªthe cars in second and third ces had actually collided!
Linson¡¯s car overturned as it went flying out. His fate would now lie in the hands of God.
As for the car in third ce¡ªin other words, the car from Team ck¡ªit was obvious from its exterior that it had sustained very serious damage, yet it was still following behind her closely! On top of that, it didn¡¯t look like it had any intentions of slowing down!
Nora silently gave him a thumbs-up.
Mm, as expected of a racer. He sure was professional!
In addition, his speed was increasing further and further. From the looks of it, he was going to overtake her soon.
To think there was actually an expert racer like that in the States.
The corners of Nora¡¯s lips curled upward, and she suddenly found herself full of fighting spirit. Thus, she sped up and continued to defend her leading position.
The two of them chased after each other and went a few fullps. Even when they reached the finalp, there still wasn¡¯t much of a distance between Nora¡¯s car and Team ck¡¯s.
In fact, the two cars were even moving side by side.
Thene was narrow. Nora sped up, but the other party was not to be outdone, either.
Nora suddenly looked over and gave a thumbs-up to the Team ck racer to express her admiration for him. She didn¡¯t expect that there would be a racer who was even faster than her!
Justin, who was in Team ck¡¯s car, was very miserable at the moment.
The racing track was rtively slippery, causing the car to go faster and faster. He couldn¡¯t stop at all.
If this went on, it would definitely be the end of him.
Yet, that woman was actually giving him a thumbs-up at a time like this?
The corners of his lips spasmed a little. All of a sudden, he took off his helmet and yelled at the top of his lungs, "My brakes are broken. Stay away!"
He might not be able to control the car¡¯s speed, but he could let the car rub against thene and slow it down with friction. During the fewps just now, he had also been observing thene and trying toe up with the most feasible solution.
However, this particr method was a little too dangerous.
Therefore, he absolutely had to inform Nora about it and have her move away, lest it identally injured her!
Nora, "??"
She looked at his familiar but anxious-looking countenance in astonishment. She had never expected Team ck¡¯s racer to actually be Justin.
That man actually had a hobby of racing?
Also... His brakes were broken?
In a split second, she realized that the car must have sustained the damage during the battle with Linson just now.
So, should she listen to him and move away like he was telling her to?
Nora hesitated for only 0.1 seconds before she made her decision.
Ah, well.
Even though custody issues wouldn¡¯t exist anymore once the children¡¯s father was dead, should he really die, Cherry and Pete would probably be very sad. Cheering the children up would be kinda troublesome.
As soon as the thought formed, Nora¡¯s lips suddenly curled into a smile. She said, "Wait for me."
Justin was stunned when he heard those three words.
The next moment, he saw Nora¡¯s car suddenly speeding up!
After going a fewps, her car¡¯s speed had already reached the highest it could go. Nobody knew how she did it, but she suddenly overtook him.
On top of that, her car suddenly drifted at a spot more than 100 meters ahead to execute a huge 180-degrees U-turn, thereby bing face-to-face with Justin¡¯s!
Justin¡¯s pupils shrank.
His car would definitely ram into hers!
But as soon as the thought formed in his mind, Nora¡¯s car suddenly started to retreat, speeding up as it did so. In no time, the speed at which it retreated reached one that was almost the same as his.
And then!
The two cars made contact with each other, bumper to bumper.
The next moment, with one in front of the other, the two cars crossed the finish line. After that, Nora started to slow down, using friction generated by the car to slowly reduce the two cars¡¯ speed until they finally came to a stop.
The benches were filled with silence.
Only the sound of the rest of the cars¡¯ engines and the rubbing against the racing tracks could be heard in the entire venue. A whole twenty seconds after the cars stopped, Nora finally pushed the door open and got out of the car. All of a sudden, the whole ce erupted into fervent apuse!!
"How exciting! Oh my god, that was an Angel¡¯s Kiss just now, right? How romantic!"
"Ahhhh! I¡¯ve actually be a fan of a car couple! Team White and Team ck... Aren¡¯t they totally a match made in heaven? How is it that I actually want two sports cars to fall in love?!"
"Oh my god! I¡¯ve never seen such an exciting race before. Linson was sent flying and dropped out of the race. He¡¯s seriously injured now, with even his leg broken. Even if he survives, he can forget about ever racing again for the rest of his life! Also, a dark horse has suddenly appeared in Team ck? Just who is he? To think he can actually achieve a result as amazing as first runner-up!"
"Never in this lifetime of mine would I have ever thought that I would want two cars to fall in love."
Jordan, who had hurried over upon hearing the news, heaved a sigh of relief.
He had heard about Justin requisitioning Team ck¡¯s car, running into Linson¡¯s car and sending him flying, as well as his brakes subsequently failing the moment these events happened.
Should anything untoward happen to Mr. Hunt in his racetracks, the Hoffmans would be a goner!
But unexpectedly!
Ms. Smith had actually saved Mr. Hunt!
She had in turn saved their family again!
In the racecourse.
Justin also opened his car¡¯s door and got out of the low racing car. He looked rather sullen at the moment. He had actually been somewhat confident of making the car stop with friction.
Nora¡¯s actions were simply too dangerous. The slightest bit of mishandling would have led to both cars getting into idents.
He was already in danger, so never mind about him.
But what about her?
Even though that was what he was thinking, the moment he spotted that pretty and lovely figure leaning against the sports car with her chin up and looking at him all challenging and bad-ass, he suddenly wasn¡¯t angry anymore¡ªbecause he had suddenly realized that she was aware of all the risks and danger, but she was simply just that confident.
His lips curled into a smile, and his expression returned to normal as he slowly walked toward Nora. He ruffled his hair that had been ttened by the helmet and said unhurriedly, "I didn¡¯t think that you loved me that much, Ms. Smith."
Nora, "?"
The corners of Justin¡¯s lips quirked upward as he said, "Doesn¡¯t what you did just now look like the two cars were kissing?"
Nora, "??"
Justin took another step forward. He lowered his voice and said, "What was even more unexpected was that you actually love me so much that you were willing to take such a huge risk, even if it meant that you would die with me."
Nora, "???"
The corners of her lips spasmed. She couldn¡¯t help but wish time could go back to two minutes ago. If so, she definitely wouldn¡¯t give herself such trouble.
Please just let that narcissist go to hell!
¡ª
In the benches, Joel was d to see that both of them were safe.
His cell phone rang at this moment. No one knew what the caller said, but his expression changed drastically in an instant. He turned to the bodyguard and instructed, "Take good care of Mia and make sure that she goes home safely. Something has happened to Uncle Ian. I¡¯m going to the hospital to take a look!"
Chapter 210: DNA Test Report
Chapter 210: DNA Test Report
Joel left quietly and did not attract much attention. He hade anonymously anyway.
However, in the venue, Nora¡¯spetition had caused a sensation.
Justin and Nora came together from the racing track. As soon as they left thepetition grounds, Logan and the others went up to them. Logan¡¯s friend immediately said, "Hey, sister, who on earth are you? You¡¯re actually so powerful! That speed, that angle, and your eyesight are simply too good!"
Nora did not say anything. She nced at Logan and saw that the eyes of the originally arrogant young man, who was usually cold to her, were burning with passion.
He was still silent and spoke little, but his attitude had clearly changed.
He must have recognized her.
Her almond-shaped eyes nced at him before she threw the helmet to him. "Help me bring it back."
She did not feelfortable in this tight suit either. After saying this, she went to the lounge and changed back into her ck outfit.
When she came out of the lounge, Jordan happened to walk over and was chatting with Logan.
He patted Logan¡¯s shoulder andughed out loud. "Ms. Smith is simply godlike. She always surprises people, making us feel like everything is simple in the world."
Logan nodded. "Yes, she¡¯s very powerful."
Jordan winked at Logan and deliberately lowered his voice at this moment. "Little Brother, she¡¯s Yanci, right?"
Logan did not answer yes or deny it.
Jordan seemed to have understood something and patted his head immediately. "It¡¯s true. Speaking of which, I once said that Yanci and I are more familiar than you. But I didn¡¯t expect the two of you to be family! Now that I think of it, it¡¯s so awkward!"
Logan, "..."
He was embarrassed to say that he had just found out that this sister was Yanci.
Seeing Nora walking over, Logan hurriedly handed over the helmet in his hand.
Nora asked, "Can you help me bring it home?"
It was quite heavy. Anyway, Logan had a professional basket carrier.
Logan said, "That¡¯s not what I meant. I mean, can you sign an autograph?"
Nora, "?"
"... I n to keep it as a memento."
"..."
¡ª
Elsewhere.
Seeing that Nora had won first ce and Justin had won second ce, Pete was very happy. He slowly smiled and slipped to the toilet beside Mia and Brandon while they were not paying attention.
Cherry was hiding there. When the two children met, Cherry immediately said, "Brother, let¡¯s switch back. I miss Mommy!"
Pete, "...Okay."
Although he was a little unwilling to leave his mother and be with the tyrant, since his sister had made this request, he had to agree unconditionally.
As the two of them spoke, they changed their clothes.
Then, Cherry skipped over to Mia and Brandon.
¡ª
Justin went off stage. When he saw that heartless woman changing her clothes, he prepared to leave.
In order to not bring Pete back and ensure that the child he brought back was his daughter, Justin deliberately dawdled for a while longer. When he heard from the bodyguard that Nora had left with the three children, he walked out and went to Pete.
When he saw the little fellow, he suddenly squatted down and smiled. He asked, "Little Pete, was Daddy cool just now?"
His daughter was a face-judger and must have seen what happened earlier.
The reason he asked again was to deepen his daughter¡¯s impression of him.
He could almost imagine his daughter turning soft and replying cutely, "Daddy is the most handsome!"
However, he did not expect the little fellow to suddenly reach out and touch his head after staring at him for a while. "Daddy, you haven¡¯t been seeing the family doctortely?"
Justin, "?"
The smile on his face froze. He stared at the child in front of him for a long time before suddenly realizing something.
His entire body was about to split apart. Where was his soft and affectionate daughter?!
Pete was also a little confused. How did the tyrant suddenly be like this?
He even used that indescribable expression and asked for praise... He wondered if the tyrant¡¯s soul had been pierced by someone!
Pete shook his head silently and turned to walk behind him. He wished he could cover his face so that no one would know that he was his father.
He said in a muffled voice, "Daddy, you only got second ce. Mommy is first. No wonder you can¡¯t get Mommy after so long."
"..."
Sensing his son¡¯s disdain, Justin coughed and stood up straight. "Don¡¯t you know how to praise people?"
¡ª
"Mommy, you were so cool today! Even if I use an earth-shattering amount of power, your handsomeness can¡¯t be described with words. Especially that move of the beauty saving the hero at the end. That was amazing! You should let daddy devote his life to you!"
On the way back to the Andersons¡¯, Cherry¡¯s little mouth never stopped moving.
Although she was already immune to her words, Nora, who was driving, still twitched her lips. "Who taught you that phrase?"
Cherry tilted her head. "It was Aunt and Grandma!"
Nora, "...Don¡¯t listen to everything other people say in the future."
"Okay! But mommy, I missed you so much! I missed you so much that my heart almost grew wings and flew over! Mommy, did you miss me?"
The little fellow had a sweet mouth and bright eyes.
Nora looked at her through the rearview mirror and only said, "So noisy."
Cherry immediately shut her mouth aggrievedly. She endured it and couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Mommy, Brother isn¡¯t noisy. Do you like him and not me?"
Nora, "...No."
The little fellow¡¯s expression immediately turned cheerful. "That¡¯s good! You have to love both of us at the same time. Let me tell you, Dad and Mom can¡¯t be biased!"
"..."
¡ª
At this moment, in the VIP ward of the hospital.
Joel rushed over in a hurry. When he reached the door of the ward, he happened to see a few nurses standing outside with bated breaths. They did not even dare to breathe. It was enough to see how angry Ian was in the ward.
He first looked for the attending doctor and asked about his condition.
The attending doctor said, "Although Mr. Smith is very angry, perhaps it¡¯s hatred or resentment, but for some reason, he actually has some desire to live..."
Suddenly, he has the will to live?
This was logically a good thing.
At the thought of this, Joel pushed open the ward door. The moment he entered, he saw Ian sitting on the bed with a nk face. He exuded a vitality he had never felt before.
In the past, he would not be able to do anything. But now, his face was ashen and he was clearly angry.
In front of him was the DNA report that Quentin had done...
Chapter 211: Listen to Third Uncle’s Arrangement
Chapter 211: Listen to Third Uncle¡¯s Arrangement
When he saw the report, Joel held his breath. He finally knew the reason. The person who had controlled the Smiths for many years now lowered his head like a child who had done something wrong. He anxiously exined, "Uncle, I..."
"Smack!"
Ian threw the report on the ground as if he was venting his anger. Then, he closed his eyes tightly as his chest heaved rapidly.
Seeing him like this, Joel was extremely nervous. He took a step forward again. "Uncle, I didn¡¯t let you see it because I was afraid you would be angry. Please calm down..."
Ian took a few deep breaths before suppressing the anger in his chest. His fingers trembled slightly. "You shouldn¡¯t have hidden it from me."
Joel sighed. "I was afraid your body couldn¡¯t take it."
Ian closed his eyes. "That¡¯s not why you hid it from me."
Joel lowered his head respectfully and did not say anything else.
After a moment, Ian waved him away. Joel looked at him and turned to leave the ward.
He went out the door. At this moment, Quentin stepped forward and asked, "How is Third Uncle?"
Joel frowned at him.
Quentin immediately waved his hand and said, "Don¡¯t look at me like that. Third Uncle wanted me to report it to him, I couldn¡¯t possibly defy him."
The entire Smith family was able to reach this stage because of Ian.
Ian¡¯s status in the family could be seen from Joel¡¯s attitude. Although he had already retired from power many years ago, no one in the Smith family dared to disrespect him as everyone knew Ian¡¯s methods back then.
Joel took a deep breath. "He¡¯s alright."
Quentin was relieved to see that he was not being held responsible.
After a while, he suddenly asked, "What should we do now? That Nora... should we bring her home?"
Joel frowned and looked at him unhappily. "We¡¯ll wait for Third Uncle to decide, what we need to do now is find Anti!"
"...Yes."
¡ª
Nora brought Cherry home. After entering, she went upstairs to wash up and prepare to sleep. Cherry quietly climbed onto her bed and looked at her with a pair of dark eyes filled with resentment.
Nora yawned and asked, "If you have something to say, say it."
Cherry sighed and held her chin with both hands. "Mommy, did you forget something?"
Nora raised her eyebrows. "What?"
Cherry sighed again like a viin. "Did you help me look for my Sponsor Grandpa?"
Nora, "??"
She seemed to have really forgotten about this.
Initially, she thought that it was just a game between children and would be over in two days. She did not expect her to be so persistent. Nora stretchedzily and said, "I¡¯m tired today. I¡¯ll help you find him tomorrow."
Cherry, "..."
She climbed out of bed silently and walked to the study room. She took out her phone and called Solo, who was overseas. "Hello, Uncle Solo!"
"Cherry, what¡¯s wrong?" Solo was clearly still sleepy.
Cherry asked, "Can you do me a favor?"
Solo asked subconsciously, "Where¡¯s your mom? Why are you looking for me?"
"She¡¯s sleeping."
"... Okay, I understand."
After telling Solo her request, Cherry did a live-stream for a while. The second-best, Sponsor Daddy, came to her live-stream as always and gave her some money. He even asked her what she had eaten for dinner.
Cherry replied, "I ate soup dumplings. Aunt¡¯s cooking is too delicious!"
JH: "Yes. Has your mom eaten?"
Cherry replied, "No, she¡¯s sleeping."
JH: "..."
¡ª
The next day, Cherry woke up in the morning and sent a message to Solo asking about her Sponsor Grandpa.
Unfortunately, Solo¡¯s reply disappointed her.
[I haven¡¯t broken through the other party¡¯s firewall. Do you think I¡¯m that skilled?]
Cherry could only put down her phone silently. She went to the kindergarten that she had not attended in a long time.
At the kindergarten.
"Miss Lily, do you feel like Cherry has been much quietertely?"
Miss Lynn asked the other teacher in their ss worriedly.
Miss Lily nodded immediately. "You noticed it too? In the past, Cherry had always been very lively. She had always smiled at everyone and spoken sweetly. But now, she seems to have be much quieter. Is it because Terence said that she doesn¡¯t have a father? Has she suffered a blow?"
Miss Lynn immediately said, "Why don¡¯t we look for the school doctor to give her a psychotherapy sessionter?"
"I think it¡¯s very necessary!"
As the two of them chatted, Tanya arrived with Cherry.
The little girl was wearing a small dress. She skipped as she walked, and her short hair moved up and down with her movements. She was lively and adorable like a little sun.
The moment she entered and saw the two teachers, Cherry extended her hand and greeted them. "Hello, Miss Lynn~ Your earrings today are really beautiful! They make your face look so small!"
Miss Lynn was overjoyed.
Cherry then said to Miss Lily, "Miss Lily, have you lost weight again? This dress is getting bigger!"
Miss Lily, who was on a diet and was feeling depressed from hunger, also felt more energetic after hearing this.
After greeting them, Cherry skipped to the ssroom, leaving the two teachers to look at each other and smile.
"Cherry is fine!"
"I don¡¯t think she needs to see that psychiatrist anymore!"
¡ª
In the ssroom.
As soon as Cherry entered the ssroom, the children around her surrounded her.
Cherry was very happy to see her friends, whom she had not seen in a few days.
But the children were worried about her.
"Cherry, did you offend Terence again? He said that your father is not Justin, and is going to teach you a lesson today!"
"Cherry, you¡¯re in trouble! Jimmy has a good temper and Terence is famous for being a devil incarnate! Jimmy¡¯s father only raised one man-eating tiger, but Terrence¡¯s father has raised several!"
"I also heard that Terence¡¯s father would stuff a lot of rats into a person¡¯s stomach and let them crawl out. It would be so painful that you would rather die!"
"Cherry, you¡¯re in big trouble!"
Just as everyone was discussing fervently, Terence suddenly appeared at the ssroom door.
When they saw him, everyone instantly became nervous and stood in front of Cherry.
"Terence, you can¡¯t bully Cherry!"
"Even if Cherry¡¯s father isn¡¯t Justin, you can¡¯t bully her!"
"Yes, Mia was the one who said that Cherry¡¯s father was Justin. If you want to me someone, then me Mia!"
"Hmph, he¡¯s bullying Cherry because he doesn¡¯t dare to bully Mia!"
Cherry, who was protected by everyone, was speechless.
She blinked her eyes and patted the students in front of her. "Get out of the way. I¡¯m fine!"
However, the students were worried.
"No, Terence is half a head taller than you. You can¡¯t beat him!"
"Let¡¯s go get the teacher!"
"Cherry, don¡¯t be afraid!"
Amidst the chattering students, Terence¡¯s lips twitched.
He was just here to apologize and not eat her up. Was there a need to be so agitated?
Chapter 212: The School of Martial Arts?
Chapter 212: The School of Martial Arts?
When Terence entered their ss, the children acted like a huge tiger had entered their ss.
They all thought that Cherry was going to be beaten up, but Terence unexpectedly came right up to her and smiled at her. "Cherry, I¡¯ll allow you to y with us from now on!"
After saying that, he raised his chin.
At home, his father had said not to have any conflict with Cherry. The Hunts were not to be trifled with, so he wanted him to give in.
When Cherry heard this, she nced at Terence and said indifferently, "Oh, but I don¡¯t like ying with you."
Terence: "..."
His expression darkened. "What did you say?"
Cherry was not afraid at all. There was no such word as fear in her dictionary. She had been raised wild by Nora since she was young, and was very bold.
She looked up and answered cutely, "I said, I don¡¯t like ying with you!"
"..."
Terence was furious. He stretched out his hand and pointed at her. "Even if you¡¯re Justin¡¯s daughter, don¡¯t be ungrateful! Your father has to be polite when he talks to my father! Besides, do you know that I can bring you into the Quinn School of Martial Arts if you y with me?"
Cherry blinked. "The Quinn School of Martial Arts?"
Terence raised his chin. "Yes, the Quinn School of Martial Arts! Hmph! My father is an unofficial disciple of the Quinn School of Martial Arts. Other than the direct disciples, he has the highest status there. Do you know what the Quinn School of Martial Arts is? It can be considered one of the biggest sects in the pugilistic world right now! There¡¯s still the Quinn School of Martial Arts in New York!"
After saying that, he was very proud. "Justin is very polite to my father because of this!"
Cherry, "!!"
So Terence¡¯s father was Grandpa Quinn¡¯s unofficial disciple?
Terence said again, "So don¡¯t think my father is afraid of you! That¡¯s not true! My father just doesn¡¯t want to make things too ugly. You don¡¯t want to y with me? I don¡¯t want to y with you either!"
Terence left a childish message and turned to walk towards the door. Halfway there, he suddenly turned back and looked at the person beside him. "Whoever wants to go to the Quinn School of Martial Arts can look for me. But this opportunity is only for those who y with me and listen to me~"
Most of the children were full of admiration. Furthermore, as long as they wanted to strengthen their bodies, their parents would be willing to let them enroll in a martial arts ss.
However, the Quinn School of Martial Arts did not open any training sses and only cultivated real sessors of martial arts.
Therefore, it was very difficult for them to learn martial arts there at such a young age because it was not just about money.
Everyone knew that Mr. Quinn was not poor at all!
Therefore, everyone looked at Terence enviously.
Some children could not stand this temptation and directly asked, "Can we really go to the Quinn School of Martial Arts?"
Terence scoffed. "Hmph, that¡¯s right! My father is an unofficial disciple. If you want to go in and learn, he can make it happen with just a word! A few of our brothers went to learn martial arts, and the Quinn School of Martial Arts specially opened a small training ss for me!"
Everyone, "!"
The children were all attracted to Terence.
Terence raised his chin proudly and snorted. "Do you want to y with me?"
The little guys shouted in unison, "Yes!"
Terence looked at Cherry. "Then you guys can y with me, but you¡¯re not allowed to y with her! Can you do that?"
When he said this, all the children fell silent. All of them were extremely conflicted.
"I don¡¯t want to!"
Brandon appeared at the door and walked over to stand beside Cherry. "Boss, don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t abandon you!"
"Me too!"
Mia, who had entered with Brandon, agreed softly, looking timid.
Brandon looked at the children around him. "Are you guys being disloyal? Are you not going to be friends with Cherry just because you want to study martial arts in the Quinn School of Martial Arts?"
Terence sneered. "Hmph. Do you know how rare an opportunity it is to go to the Quinn School of Martial Arts to learn martial arts?"
In order to let him learn martial arts from them without entering Quinn School of Martial Arts, Paul had spent a lot of effort. In the end, he still found a disciple to teach him before Mr. Quinn agreed.
When Terence brought a few good friends to practice with him, those disciples already had objections. If he brought a few more... it would probably be even more difficult.
However, Terence could only use this matter to win.
At most, he would just go home and make a scene and let his father think of a solution!
After saying that, Terence looked at the group of children. "I¡¯ll give you five seconds. Do you choose to y with me or with Cherry? Five, four, three..."
Most of the children in kindergarten were young. When he counted, half of them wavered.
"I... I want to go to the Quinn School of Martial Arts to learn martial arts! I don¡¯t want to be bullied when I grow up!"
A boy suddenly raised his hand and shouted as he ran behind Terence.
The other children immediately agreed. "Me too!"
"Me too!"
Amidst the shouting, nearly two-thirds of the students in the ss stood on Terence¡¯s side, facing Cherry.
Someone else said quietly, "I can go to the Quinn School of Martial Arts if I just don¡¯t y with Cherry, right? I don¡¯t want to bully Cherry, but I can ignore her!"
Terence raised his chin. "Of course!"
Thus, more children joined Terence¡¯s team.
Soon, there were only five people left beside Cherry.
Brandon stared at Terence, who looked at them eagerly, but he kept emphasizing, "I don¡¯t want to learn martial arts! It¡¯s sweaty and dirty..."
But his eyes betrayed him.
Brandon had always liked to be loyal. Otherwise, the others would not have called him ¡¯Boss¡¯ in the kindergarten.
Terence saw through his thoughts and seduced him. "Brandon, are youing? You¡¯re from the Smiths. If you y with me, I¡¯ll let you study with us first. How about that?"
Brandon¡¯s eyes lit up.
However, when he looked at Cherry, the light in his eyes gradually dimmed. He emphasized, "I can¡¯t betray my boss!"
Mia nodded. "We can¡¯t betray Cherry!"
Cherry was extremely touched. She held Brandon¡¯s little hand and asked, "Do you want to study martial arts?"
Brandon: "...I don¡¯t! Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t betray you!"
Cherry immediately said, "No, if you want to learn, I can help you!"
Brandon, "?"
Terence, "?"
Terence suddenlyughed. "Cherry, you¡¯re bragging again! No, even if your father is Justin, the Quinn School of Martial Arts would not take you in! Do you think that you can enter it just because you have money and power?"
As soon as he said this, Cherry picked up her phone and called Mr. Quinn. "Hello, Grandpa Quinn. I missed you!..."
Chapter 213: Taking Over The Quinn School of Martial Arts’ Affairs?
Chapter 213: Taking Over The Quinn School of Martial Arts¡¯ Affairs?
Mr. Quinn was currently sleeping. When he heard this, he immediately became energetic and said loudly, "Aiyo, my Cherry is a big treasure! You finally remembered that I¡¯m here! I don¡¯t know why, but Pete hasn¡¯t been practicing martial artstely! How strange!"
Cherry grinned. "Because he¡¯s very busy!"
He has been busy helping her attend kindergarten!
Mr. Quinn smiled. "Alright, alright, alright. He¡¯s busy. Why didn¡¯t youe to see your Grandpa Quinn?"
Cherry looked at Brandon and said, "Grandpa Quinn, I¡¯m going to see you this weekend. Can I bring my friend along?"
Mr. Quinnughed. "Of course! Cherry¡¯s friend is my friend! This is your house, so you cane as you please! Do you think I¡¯m your mother who only knows how to sleep all day? She doesn¡¯t let you bring your friends home because she¡¯s afraid that you¡¯ll disturb her sleep!"
Hearing Mr. Quinn say this about Nora, Cherry was instantly unhappy. "Mommy is not like that! ..."
"Okay, okay, okay. You¡¯re Nora¡¯s diehard fan. I can¡¯t say anything bad about her. You cane over this weekend. Grandpa Quinn will prepare delicious desserts for you and let you entertain your little friends. Okay?"
"Okie-Dokie!"
Cherry hung up after chatting with Mr. Quinn excitedly. When she looked up again, she saw a group of children looking at her in shock.
Brandon was simple-minded and did not think too much about it. He directly said, "Boss, your connections are too wide? You even know Mr. Quinn?"
Cherry nodded. "Yes! Grandpa Quinn has always wanted me to practice martial arts, but it¡¯s too tiring. My mommy will feel sorry for me, so I refused! If you want to practice, I¡¯ll let Grandpa Quinn teach you!"
Mr. Quinn doted on her very much. If she made a small request, he would definitely agree to it!
Brandon pped. "Awesome! Cherry, this is awesome! I can go to the Quinn School of Martial Arts~! Mia, you cane too!"
Mia looked at Cherry hesitantly, feeling a little disappointed.
Today, Cherry had be a little girl again. If everyone liked her, they would not take special care of her. However, she also liked this lively Cherry very much.
Mia asked timidly, "Can Ie too?"
Due to her poor health, she was small and thin. She could not participate in many sports programs. Furthermore, when most sses heard that she was Joel¡¯s daughter, they did not dare to ept her. They were afraid that she would bump into someone, and could not afford to offend the Smiths.
Cherry patted her chest. "Of course!"
Mia¡¯s eyes lit up. "Yay!"
Seth, who had not been bewitched by Terence the entire time, said weakly, "Cherry, I want to go too..."
After saying that, he looked at Cherry carefully. That cold and introverted little handsome boy had long changed.
In the past, Cherry liked to stick to him the most. To be honest, he liked Cherry too. Therefore, he did not like to y with other girls and just wanted to y with her.
However, after she became better at Mathematical Olympiad, she stopped paying attention to him. After ss, he wanted to hold her hand, but she would force him to back away with her gaze.
Cherry had been distancing herself from him and was no longer ying with him...
She probably wouldn¡¯t bring him to Quinn School of Martial Arts, right?
With this in mind, he sighed silently in his heart and prepared to hide in a corner. However, the next moment, his hand was held by Cherry. He looked up and saw her smiling. "Seth, why are you leaving? Why aren¡¯t you sitting with me?"
Seth, "?"
His eyes lit up. "Do you agree to let me sit beside you?"
"Of course! Also,e with me to Quinn School of Martial Arts this weekend. You¡¯re the best-looking boy in our ss. Grandpa Quinn will definitely like you!"
"..."
As the children chatted, Terenceughed. "Cherry, you really know how to brag! I think that old man just now is also surnamed Quinn, right? Anyway, he can¡¯t be the head of Quinn School of Martial Arts! You¡¯re just pretending!"
Cherry couldn¡¯t be bothered to argue with him. "My mommy said that people with sh*t in their brains are sh*t no matter what! Terence, why do you like to say that others are pretending? Don¡¯t tell me..."
Terence was furious. "Cherry, how dare you scold me!"
Cherry blinked. "Scold you? I never pointed you out. Why are you so eager to admit that your brain is full of sh*t?"
Terence: "...!!"
When he was dealing with Cherry previously, Cherry had always been silent. Why did she be so sharp-tongued now?!
Furious, he turned and left the room, taking out his phone to call his father.
Paul picked up quickly. "Terence, what¡¯s wrong?"
Terence cried. "Dad, Cherry said that she and Mr. Quinn are very close. Is that true?"
Paul immediatelyughed loudly. "How is that possible? If her father wasn¡¯t Justin, she might really have known Mr. Quinn. But her father is Justin, the direct disciple of the Irvin School of Martial Arts. Who doesn¡¯t know that these two schools are arch-enemies! In New York, everyone has to give Justin face, except for the Quinn School of Martial Arts! Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Quinn hates Justin so much!"
Only then did Terence feel relieved.
Quinn School of Martial Arts was his capital to show off in kindergarten. It could not be something for Cherry to show off!
He then said, "Dad, I want to bring a few friends to Quinn School of Martial Arts to practice martial arts. Is that okay?"
Paul was stunned for a moment before smiling. "Alright, I¡¯ll think of a way for you to bring five more friends. You can choose who these five people are!"
"Yes! I love Daddy the most!"
After hanging up excitedly, Terence rushed to the ssroom and looked up. "I¡¯ve already asked my father. It¡¯s impossible for you to know Mr. Quinn!"
He then looked at everyone beside him. "And the few of you, if you want to y with Cherry, you won¡¯t y with me, right? Alright, I¡¯ve added five more spots. You can go to Quinn School of Martial Arts this weekend!"
"Cherry, I¡¯ll see you at Quinn School of Martial Arts this weekend! Remember toe! You¡¯re a loser if you don¡¯te!"
After saying this, he turned around and left with the others.
¡ª
At the Smiths.
Nora woke up and realized that there were several missed calls.
She yawned and called back. The other party¡¯s voice sounded. "Miss Smith, I¡¯m Lucas. When are youing to Quinn School of Martial Arts?"
Nora, "?"
"Master is old, and you¡¯re hisst disciple. Therefore, you¡¯ll be in charge of all the matters in Quinn School of Martial Arts in the future!"
Nora, "!!"
She yawned again. "I¡¯m not interested!"
However, just as she was about to hang up, the other party said, "Miss Smith, Master is old. He woke up this morning and coughed."
Nora¡¯s hand paused slightly.
Lucas seemed to sense it and said excitedly, "Miss Smith, there¡¯s something today. An unofficial disciple wants to send his son here to learn martial arts and strengthen his body. We¡¯ve already prepared a ss for him. He called today and said he wants to send five more children over. Do you think..."
Chapter 214: Daughter and Sister Control
Chapter 214: Daughter and Sister Control
"If you run out of money, you can ask me for it."
Nora¡¯s cold voice traveled over. "How did you end up in a training ss?"
Lucas could hear her displeasure and immediately understood something. He said directly, "I understand what you mean! And..."
"Lucas, Master is coughing?" Nora interrupted him.
Lucas agreed, "I knew Miss Smith cared about Master. You¡¯re cold on the outside but warm on the inside..."
"Two taels of herb, three taels of chrysanthemum..." Nora gave him a bunch of names for medicine and flower tea. Then, she continued, "Warm up a bowl of water for him to drink every day. It will ensure that he¡¯s refreshed. His lungs will be revitalized, and his body will be healthy. It won¡¯t be a problem for him to live to 180 years old. When that timees, Cherry or Pete would have grown up."
Lucas: "?"
Nora yawned again. "If he¡¯s sick, look for a doctor. Is there anything else?"
Lucas: "?"
"I¡¯m hanging up."
Nora hung up the phone in a snap.
What a joke.
Quinn School of Martial Arts had been in New York for so many years. Together with the Irvin School of Martial Arts, they were ranked at the top in the martial arts world. There were many misceneous matters inside, and they were all intertwined. Why should she take care of them?
It would probably cost her two to three hours of sleep a day!
After hanging up, she turned around and fell asleep again.
¡ª
At the Quinn School of Martial Arts.
Mr. Quinn looked at Lucas eagerly. He heard Lucas say, "I know what to do." He stroked his beard happily.
Then, Lucas hung up the phone with a constipated expression and looked at him.
Mr. Quinn frowned. "What¡¯s wrong?"
Lucas coughed and said Nora¡¯s exact words. Mr. Quinn was so angry that his beard trembled. He shouted angrily, "This unfilial disciple!"
Lucas also felt unfair for him. "That¡¯s right, Master. Miss Smith is too irresponsible. The majestic Quinn School of Martial Arts still needs you to manage it!"
Mr. Quinn immediately frowned and said coldly, "How can you say that about a senior of yours? Isn¡¯t it because she¡¯s not in good health? If she doesn¡¯t sleep for fourteen hours a day, she¡¯ll have a headache! Why don¡¯t you know to feel sorry for her? She practiced martial arts and inherited the ultimate arts of Quinn School of Martial Arts. That¡¯s already the greatest contribution to Quinn School of Martial Arts! She¡¯s not as stupid as you. Master has taught you for so many years and you still haven¡¯t understood the essence of Quinn School of Martial Arts!"
Lucas:"..." Master, I was just following your instructions!
However, Lucas did not have any objections to Nora. After all, the essence of Quinn School of Martial Arts¡¯ techniques was very difficult to learn. Among the direct disciples, Nora had learned it in the shortest time. She was the fastest to understand it among them.
There was nothing wrong with Mr. Quinn handing over Quinn School of Martial Arts to her!
Miss Smith was just... toozy!
At such a young age, she was always thinking about retirement. What a headache!
As Lucas was thinking, Mr. Quinn suddenly thought of something. "Speaking of Pete, he hasn¡¯t been here for a long time, right? Give Justin a call and ask him when he ns to send Pete over!"
Lucas: "..."
During this period of time, he had called her almost every day to urge her toe.
He had never seen his master so patient with anyone!
However, Justin always found excuses. Things like feeling unwell, it being too stressful on a child, not wanting to learn today, and so on. He had been pushing it back for half a month!
He clearly did not want to learn anymore, right?
However, Mr. Quinn always persevered and made him call to ask.
Lucas had been rejected by Nora and now he was going to meet Justin again. He called him and said politely, "Hello, Mr. Justin. This is Lucas from the Quinn School of Martial Arts. May I ask when Little Young Master will being to learn martial arts?"
His words were very marketing!
Miss Smith had just said that their Quinn School of Martial Arts was not a kindergarten or a training ss!
As Lucas was cursing in his heart, Justin¡¯s deep voice sounded. "I¡¯ll send him overter."
Lucas subconsciously repeated what he had been saying for the past half a month. "Okay, I understand. If Little Young Master is unwilling to study, he must... What?"
His eyes widened, "Soon?"
"Mm-hm."
Justin hung up.
Lucas, "!!!"
He looked at Mr. Quinn in disbelief. Mr. Quinn looked at him and sighed. "He¡¯s noting again? Why is he aszy as his mom..."
As soon as he finished speaking, Lucas said, "He said he¡¯ll be here soon."
Mr. Quinn was still looking at his old body when he suddenly jumped up like a rabbit. "Then I¡¯ll prepare a martial arts hall for him!"
Lucas: "..."
¡ª
At the Hunts¡¯.
Pete, who had woken up in the morning, stared at the ceiling for a long time.
The pink color over the entire room pierced his eyes, making him feel like he had entered the wrong room for a moment when he woke up.
Was this still his ck-and-white style?
He recalled the situation in this room after returningst night. He immediately looked at Justin silently, but he did not expect the tyrant to say, "Isn¡¯t this all ording to your request?"
Pete, "..."
Cherry liked pink. She was a little princess, so he could only silently endure it!
There was no other way!
He sighed and got out of bed. After washing up in the bathroom, he walked out and opened the wardrobe. Then, he was stunned.
He saw that therge dressing room was filled with small dresses.
Pink, purple, white, gauze dress, floral dress... There was everything!
After searching through the room, he found a few pitiful old clothes in the corner.
He could only keep them aside and change into themter in the ss at the Hunts¡¯ old residence.
There was a ss at the Hunts¡¯ old residence. The children of the Hunts did not go to school. They were all in the ss, and the teachers were allowed to teach each child one-on-one.
Before he entered, Fatty was talking to a child from the coteral descendant. "Are you serious? Does Pete really not know how to do it?"
The child nodded. "Yes, I¡¯m sure. Last week, I did see Pete nibbling on a pen at that very simple question. He really doesn¡¯t know how to do it!"
Fatty was puzzled. "But why? He had always gotten full marks in the past!"
The child said, "He has been engrossed in Mobile Legends recently! He¡¯s ying games there every day. His mind must be muddled!"
Fatty snorted. It seemed like Pete had indeed secretly contacted him to y games. Otherwise, he would not have won against himst time.
But look, games really made people addicted. Their gaming had caused their learning to deteriorate!
Last time, he had lost arge sum of money through gaming. When he returned home, his grandfather had beaten him up. He had to make up for it today!
At this thought, he saw Pete walk in with a straight face.
Fatty turned around and suddenly smiled. "Little Brother Pete, I don¡¯t know how to do this question. Can you help me answer it? I remember that you have already learned this question. Did you forget?"
Chapter 215: Exam Results~
Chapter 215: Exam Results~
Pete, "?"
He looked at the question on the worksheet¡ªit was a very simple Mathematical Olympiad problem.
Fatty couldn¡¯t even solve a problem like this? Either he was too stupid, or he must be setting a trap for him again.
Pete fell silent. He decided to counter every possible scenario firmly.
Seeing that he was keeping quiet, Fatty became more convinced of what the other child had said just now.
Pete had be obsessed with games and was neglecting his studies, causing his learning progress to fall behind!
A child¡¯s learning process was, from the start, one where they tended to immediately forget what they had just learned. It was just like how Fatty himself had behaved in his early childhood, memorizing a poem and then forgetting how it went the very next moment.
To think the Hunts¡¯ little genius had also be like that! This was fantastic!
Fatty grinned. "Do you really not know how to solve it, Pete? We¡¯re still young, so we mustn¡¯t be addicted to games, okay? If your studies continue to fall behind so badly, I¡¯ll have to tell Great-Grandma about it!"
Pete, "..."
The few children around them from the Hunts all looked over.
Pete was a loner in the ss from the start, but because his IQ was very high and children all looked up to the strong, the distant and brooding image he unintentionally created had inspired awe in them.
Had that genius high up in the air actually fallen into the realm of mortals now, though?
Didn¡¯t things like bing addicted to games and having their studies fall behind as a result, happen only to people like them? Since when was Peter Hunt thatcking in self-control?!
Seeing how the looks in everyone¡¯s eyes had changed, Fatty was filled with self-satisfaction at once.
He raised his chin and said, "As the saying goes, God helps those who help themselves. Even though we children of the Hunts have super-high IQs, we mustn¡¯t think little of putting in hard work and effort, either. Don¡¯t you agree, Pete?"
Pete nced at him again and sat in his seat.
His seat was in the first row. Additionally, it was a single-seat by itself, which highlighted his position and status.
Fatty curled his lip disdainfully.
Hmph, hadn¡¯t he be a lot glibber recently? Why was he being so quiet today? He must be having a guilty conscience!
While he was thinking about it, the tutor came in with the test papers in his hand. He said, "Alright, since everyone is here, let¡¯s begin the test for what all of you have learned this month!"
At the sight, Fatty immediately realized something. He thought to himself, Oh, that¡¯s right! It¡¯s the monthly test today! The test results will be ranked, and the ranking will be posted for everyone to see!
Pete must be so listless because he was scared!
Fatty smirked and said, "You have to do well in the testter, Pete. After all, you¡¯ve always been the top student in our ss, haven¡¯t you?"
Pete¡¯s brows knitted together, but he continued to keep quiet.
Soon, the papers were distributed.
The tutor also looked at Pete with a troubled look.
Pete was a rtively special case and he also received very special treatment in the ss. Oftentimes, after he attended sses for half a month, Justin would get a tutor to teach Pete in private.
Therefore, he didn¡¯t spend much time in the Hunts¡¯ tuition sses, resulting in the tutor having little understanding of him.
All he knew was that the child was born with a very high IQ and picked up things very quickly. However, there was also a time after he was taken away for private tuition when the tutor reported that his grades had declined.
But when he came back for the exams, he still took first ce in the ranking.
However, during this recent period of time... Pete had been taking naps in ss and then bing full of energy and ying games once ss ended. In the past, he couldst a full day of sses, but now, he only attended three hours of sses a day before Mr. Hunt would pick him up and take him away to have fun.
The tutor was very troubled about this and had talked to Mr. Hunt about it several times in private before.
However, Mr. Hunt had actually said, "The child is still young after all, so just let him y if that¡¯s what he wants. Don¡¯t be too strict on him."
The teacher found his response totally unexpected and was utterly bewildered.
Was he the same Mr. Hunt who was so strict on the little mister that he measured and weighed everything the boy ate for each meal?
The tutor hadn¡¯t deliberately reduced the level of difficulty for the test this time. After all, Pete¡¯s studies had indeed fallen behind too much recently. On top of that, his assignments were also done shoddily, with many simple questions left unanswered because he didn¡¯t know how to solve them.
He wanted Pete to score badly in the test, so that both Mr. Hunt and the boy would realize that something was wrong with himtely!
The test was two hours long.
The ssroom was quiet, and all the children were answering the questions seriously.
At the end of the test, the tutor collected the papers.
The ssroom also became lively in an instant.
Fatty ran over to Pete and shouted boastfully, "Did you finish all the questions on the test, Pete?"
Pete only nced at him and said nothing, like what he did before.
Fatty, who misunderstood his reaction, said with a smirk, "It¡¯s okay. It doesn¡¯t matter even if you don¡¯t score well on the test. A one-time failure doesn¡¯t mean that you¡¯ll never get back up ever again. As long as you give up your games and get back on track, everything will be fine!"
Pete, "..."
After keeping quiet for a long time, atst, he couldn¡¯t help but ask, "The questions were so simple. Do you mean to say that you couldn¡¯t answer them?"
Fatty, "???"
The current Pete was too much like his past self, which took Fatty aback for a moment. But right after, he said spitefully, "Hmph, to think you¡¯re still being so stubborn when things have already turned out like this! Fine, in that case, let¡¯s wait for the results and see how many marks you score!"
Fatty left the ssroom huffily.
After he left, the rest of the children gathered around Pete and said, "Don¡¯t be sad, Peter. It¡¯s not a big deal even if you score badly once."
"That¡¯s right. You were just too addicted to games recently!"
"My father said that one month¡¯s grades don¡¯t mean anything..."
While the children were talking, someone called out at the door, "Pete."
Everyone turned over as one to see Sean standing at the door. He looked at Pete respectfully and said, "Mr. Hunt has instructed me to take you to the martial arts school."
Pete went to the martial arts school for training twice a week. This was no secret. Though, no one knew which martial arts school it was.
Pete stood up and followed Sean out.
Once they came out, they immediately saw Justin, who was sitting in the backseat of the ck Lincoln and looking at documents with his head down.
Sean opened the car door and the little Pete climbed into the car on his own. Justin didn¡¯t even lift his head.
Sean fell silent for a moment when he noticed.
What was the matter with Mr. Hunt? Was he in a bad mood? One must know that just a few days ago, he had never let the little mister climb into the car himself like that. Instead, he had always carried him into the car himself!
Pete waspletely unaware of Sean¡¯s thoughts. After getting in the car, just as the car was about to start, the tutor walked out of the ssroom with the test papers in his hand.
Upon seeing Justin, he immediately stepped forward and stopped the car. He said, "Mr. Hunt, I¡¯d like to speak with you about Pete¡¯s exam results."
Justin lifted his head when he heard him.
Although he preferred his daughter, he was ultimately still very strict with his son. He also wanted to know if Pete¡¯s grades had fallen behind during this period of time, so he asked, "Are the results out?"
The tutor replied, "I will mark them now. I¡¯d like you to also have a look, so that you can understand his learning progress."
"Okay."
Justin got out of the car. He had oftenmunicated with the tutors when he was taking care of his son by himself in the past, so he was ustomed to it.
After the two went to the office, the tutor took out Pete¡¯s test paper from the stack and started to review it.
Chapter 216: Pete The Loafer
Chapter 216: Pete The Loafer
Before marking the paper, the tutor even said, "He has been obsessed with games for the past month, so it¡¯s understandable even if he scores badly on the test..."
After saying that, he looked at the multiple-choice questions in front of him.
Marking multiple-choice questions was very simple. He skimmed downward and found that the answers were exactly the same as the standard answer sheet¡¯s. He was taken aback.
At the sight, Justin raised his eyebrows and asked, "How is it?"
The tutor looked up at him incredulously. "... They are all correct."
How could that be?
Pete¡¯s level of understanding had obviously regressed to a first-grader¡¯s a few days ago. Why had it risen out of the blue again?
He was in charge of the Hunts¡¯ children¡¯s education matters, so he understood these children the best.
When Pete¡¯s standard suddenly dropped, he had panicked right away. He had wanted to use the test results to make Mr. Hunt realize just how serious the matter was, but this...
The tutor, who was in disbelief, continued to mark the paper...
A small head suddenly appeared at the door during this time.
Justin looked over to see Fatty standing there and peeking at them. When he saw Justin looking over, he shrank back in fright. But after that, he poked his big fat head out again. The chubby boy came up to Justin and asked, "Uncle Justin, did Pete do badly on the test?"
He let out a sigh and said, "Look at how awful the look on the tutor¡¯s face is. By right, scoring badly once shouldn¡¯t actually matter, but Pete is a special case... Uncle Justin, you may not know this, but he has been ying games every day and neglecting his studies recently! I saw him using his cell phone quite a few times!"
Justin nced at the little fellow.
The seven to eight-year-old boy was big and tall. He was a full head taller than Pete and looked very naive and honest. However, the child¡¯s thoughts were written all over his face, and Justin could see through what he was thinking with just a nce.
The little fellow wanted to one-up Pete.
The boy had been totally led astray by his uncle¡¯s family.
Justin looked at Pete and asked coldly, "How did you do on the test?"
Pete replied, "Alright, I suppose."
Justin snorted and said, "If you don¡¯t score full marks, then you¡¯ll have to kneel in the ancestral hall as punishment."
Even if he had been sent to Nora, he, a child whom Justin had personally brought up and taught, should still be strict with himself and not ck off in his studies.
Pete replied very confidently, "... ¡¯kay."
Without a tutor supervising him, his self-studying speed had be even faster. Additionally, for some reason, when he was with Nora, he kept feeling as if his mind had be clearer than before. His mother had a special scent on her that put him very much at ease, making him not as sensitive and paranoid as before.
Justin nodded at his reply.
Fatty looked at Justin, and then at Pete.
The adult was expressionless with his eyes slightly lidded, while the child looked almost exactly the same as the adult. Both father and son were so unfathomable that no one could guess their thoughts.
However!
Fatty¡¯s eyes brightened. He suddenly walked out of the office and called his grandfather. He said, "Grandpa, Pete messed up his test this time! The tutor is marking his paper now!"
Raymond became excited at once. "Really?"
"It¡¯s true, Grandpa! Uncle Justin is also here right now. He even said just now that Pete has to kneel in the ancestral hall as punishment if he doesn¡¯t get full marks!"
"Hah!" Raymond said, "I¡¯ming over right away!"
After saying that, Raymond rushed somece and shouted, "Mom, hurry and go and have a look! Pete did poorly on his test this time, so Justin wants to beat him!"
The elderly Mrs. Hunt panicked at once. "Help me over there right away. How can he hit the boy just because he did poorly on his exams?"
Was Great-Grandmaing too?
Fatty¡¯s eyes lit up at once. That would be even better! This way, Great-Grandma would also see how badly her favorite Pete had scored on the test this time!
Fatty rushed into the ssroom and shouted to all the children of the Hunts, "Pete is dead meat this time! The tutor is marking his paper right now! Uncle Justin is here, too!"
Upon hearing that Justin was also present, the children became excited at once.
He was a legend that they worshiped the most!
He was also the legendary "someone else¡¯s child" that their parents always went on and on about!
They had practically grown up listening to tales of Justin on their knees. Justin possessed the highest IQ among all the Hunts thus far!
He hadpleted a double master¡¯s degree at fifteen!
These feelings of worship had also fallen onto Pete by association.
In everyone¡¯s eyes and hearts, Pete was a child who would never suffer any disciplinary beatings, and Justin was no ordinary parent, either!
But now, not only had Pete fallen from grace, but Justin was also going to be a parent who disciplined his child?
The little fellows dashed out of the ssroom one by one. They gathered outside the tutor¡¯s office and looked inside through the window.
Justin, who wasn¡¯t speaking, sat on the leather sofa with a very powerful aura around him.
Pete was sitting on a bench with his little hands sped together and was muttering under his breath. From the looks of it, he seemed to be memorizing some kind of form. As for the tutor marking the paper, he was frowning.
"Did Pete really do poorly on the test? Look at how tightly drawn the tutor¡¯s brows are! I¡¯ve only seen that expression on him when he talks to me!" said a child, who was the naughtiest and had the poorest grades among all the Hunts¡¯ children.
Amotion broke out at the entrance at this point. Raymond, who was supporting the elderly Mrs. Hunt, walked over. As soon as she came in, the olddy shouted, "Who dares to hit my little Pete?"
Raymond also stepped forward. He smiled and said, "Justin, what¡¯s the big deal about a child doing poorly on an exam just once? How can you be so strict with him? Pete is still young! Besides, he¡¯s ultimately a sensitive soul with autism! Since he became a little livelier recently, it¡¯s inevitable that his studies would fall behind... It¡¯s not like he¡¯s a genius anyway. How can a child y games every day and still do well in his studies?
"ying games?"
Mrs. Hunt was dumbfounded.
Raymond took the opportunity toin, "Yes, that¡¯s right. We are to me for this. Pete has been addicted to games every day recently. Sigh, Fatty ys it in order to cultivate the mind and spirit, but he knows to y it in moderation. Pete, on the other hand, doesn¡¯t understand that. Fatty has already warned him several times, but he refuses to listen..."
Raymond outright portrayed Pete as a child with poor self-control.
Mrs. Hunt frowned and looked around¡ªthe children¡¯s ears were all perked up. In just a few days¡¯ time, news about Pete¡¯s mediocre aptitude would reach all the parents¡¯ ears.
How could a child like that possibly take over the family business?
Mrs. Hunt immediately understood Raymond¡¯s intentions. She also hated herself foring over and blowing up the matter. However, since things had alreadye to this point, she had no choice but to brace herself and go on.
She entered the office cheerfully and said, "So, our little Pete yed games for a month? It¡¯s not a big deal. Is there anyone who wasn¡¯t yful when they were young? I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a need to publicly announce the scores anymore. None of the elementary schools publicly announce the students¡¯ scores nowadays anyway!"
The tutor had already finished marking all the test papers by then. He lifted his head nkly and looked at Mrs. Hunt and Raymond.
Raymond, however, took a step forward and said with a smile, "How can we do that? Pete scores full marks all the time. I want Fatty to learn from him. Quick, mister, show me how many marks Pete scored!"
He pulled out Pete¡¯s test paper.
Chapter 217: Geniuses Are All Such Mutants!
Chapter 217: Geniuses Are All Such Mutants!
What entered his view was the score ¡¯120¡¯ written in big red text.
Raymond was dumbfounded. He swallowed, looked at Fatty, and subconsciously asked, "How many marks is a perfect score?"
A puzzled Fatty answered, "100, of course!"
Raymond breathed a sigh of relief. He looked at the tutor and said, "Mister, even if you¡¯re trying to give Pete extra marks, surely you can¡¯t just go beyond the full score? This is a test with a perfect score of 100, yet he scored 120?"
As soon as Raymond said that, the whole room fell silent.
The children of the Hunts outside the office were utterly stunned.
However, Raymond was still going on. He asked, "Is he cheating? Could it be that this is how Pete had gotten all his scores in the past? Justin, even if you want to highlight how clever your son is, surely you can¡¯t do that, right?"
He prattled on and on until Fatty, whose expression had already changed next to him, pulled on his arm.
Only then did Raymond stop. He looked at him and asked, "What¡¯s the matter?"
Fatty, who couldn¡¯t hold his head high anymore, said, "Grandpa! There are also bonus questions in the paper. The bonus questions are usually questions beyond our current level of difficulty and are worth twenty marks!"
Raymond, "!!"
Dumbfounded, he flipped to the back of the paper. Sure enough, he saw two bonus questions worth ten marks each. Pete had answered both correctly.
Those were questions beyond their current level of difficulty, yet he could answer them perfectly?
Raymond swallowed. "H-how can this be? Didn¡¯t they say that he has been ying games the whole month?"
The tutor was totally convinced by now. He stood and said, "Mr. Hunt, I was opposed to Pete ying games previously, but I didn¡¯t expect that it wouldn¡¯t affect his studies at all. I was worrying too much!"
As soon as he said that, Mrs. Hunt immediately understood. She burst intoughter at once, hugged Pete, and kept calling him her little baby. She said, "My goodness, my Pete is just so smart. He can still get the first ce even if he ys games for a month. Now, this is what you call a genius, Raymond! No matter how hard a normal person tries, they can never catch up with a genius!"
Raymond, "!!"
She was shutting him up with his own words from just now!
Raymond was so furious that even his expression changed. He looked straight at Fatty and smacked him on the head. "What kind of inurate info are you sending me?"
Fatty rubbed his head and burst into tears. "How could I have known that Pete would turn out to be that huge of a mutant? He really did y games for a month! Yet, his learning progress hasn¡¯t fallen behind at all!"
The children around them also sighed in admiration.
"Pete is as impressive as ever!"
"I¡¯m so impressed!"
"No wonder Mom and Dad said that Peter is a genius! The Hunts will definitely do even better in his hands in the future!"
"..."
Raymond had originallye here to blow things up, and like what he had hoped for, things had indeed blown up. However, it had instead brought even more prestige to Peter!
He had totally shot himself in the foot!
He was so furious that he pulled Fatty¡¯s ears. "So, the test is over, right? Thene with me!"
"Grandpa, don¡¯t be so rough! It hurts!"
A hint of murderous intent and frostiness shed across Justin¡¯s eyes as he watched the pair walk off. However, when he saw Mrs. Hunt, he concealed the emotions in his eyes.
Since his grandmother was still around, he would ultimately still have to show a bit of mercy to certain people.
He got up and saw Mrs. Hunt back home. Then, he took Pete to the Quinn School of Martial Arts.
When Quinn was receiving Pete, Justin deliberately gave Pete a reminder and said, "Remember to let Ms. Smith know that you¡¯vee for training."
Pete was puzzled. "Why?"
It¡¯s to see whether she¡¯lle over to pick you up or not, of course! This way, you can switch ces with Cherry!
However, Justin did not voice that thought out loud. Instead, he lowered his gaze dispassionately and said, "Let her know that you¡¯re working hard to be a man and that you will protect her in the future. Don¡¯t you want her to be your Mommy? Feelings have to be cultivated."
"... Oh."
He couldn¡¯t help but feel like the tyrant was acting weirdly. Had he found out something? Surely not, right?
But when he observed the tyrant¡¯s expression, he found that his eyes were deep and his countenance expressionless. He couldn¡¯t tell at all.
Pete couldn¡¯t make out what he was thinking, so he simply entered the Quinn School of Martial Arts.
Justin turned and drove off. When he was turning the corner, a car went past his and stopped at the entrance to the Quinn School of Martial Arts.
Paul got out of the car and neatened his suit. Then, he strode toward the entrance and entered.
One could say that Paul was doing the best among all of the Quinn School of Martial Arts¡¯ unofficial disciples. Therefore, the sect would usually show him some courtesy. Seeing that he was here, Lucas himself came over to receive him.
Paul asked, "Where¡¯s Master? I¡¯ll go and pay him a visit."
Lucas replied, "He¡¯s teaching a junior martial arts at the moment, and has forbidden others from disturbing them."
Paul frowned. "A junior? When did he take another disciple?"
Lucas smiled and replied, "He took one recently. Our first senior, Big Sister, is toozy to take over the sect, so Master has no choice but to look for a little disciple. He calls him his little disciple, but he¡¯s actually training a sessor for Big Sister!"
The first senior disciple...
It was known to all that the Quinn School of Martial Arts had a Big Sister. She was a disciple that Quinn had taken over twenty years ago. However, her identity was a mystery, and no one had ever seen her except for a few selected people.
However, the legendary Big Sister¡¯s words carried a lot of weight in the Quinn School of Martial Arts.
Paul grabbed Lucas and said, "On ount of how we¡¯ve been fellow disciples for so many years, can you tell me who Big Sister is? Lest we engage in friendly fire and end up attacking our own!"
The Quinn School of Martial Arts held a very weighty position in the pugilistic world. Their direct disciples were not allowed to operate in other industries outside.
Paul and Jordan had both set up their own factions in the pugilistic world and specialized in helping others do things that they found inconvenient to do themselves. They were considered underworld forces. This vited the Quinn School of Martial Arts¡¯ principles, so Paul had never be an official disciple all this time. Instead, he stayed as a titr unofficial disciple.
Of course, Quinn also felt that he overly pursued material things, so he had always disliked him.
Lucas smiled and said, "I can¡¯t tell you that."
He led Paul into the Quinn School of Martial Arts¡¯ reception hall and changed the subject. He said, "By the way, your request for an additional five ces has been rejected by the official disciples."
Paul narrowed his eyes. "Oh? Why not? From what I remember, Master doesn¡¯t bother with trivial matters like that."
Lucas smiled and replied, "It¡¯s Big Sister¡¯s order."
Paul knew at once that it was a lost cause the moment he heard that. Big Sister had always stood by her words.
After a brief moment of hesitation, he said, "Since Big Sister has given the order, and the sect has rejected my son¡¯s friends, the sect won¡¯t ept other children, either, right?"
Lucas lifted his chin and replied, "Of course."
Paul nodded. "Alright, then."
Pulling strings for his son was just his secondary objective ining here. What mattered the most was keeping in contact with the Quinn School of Martial Arts. Although he couldn¡¯t get another five ces for his son, he could at least ensure that Cherry, or whatever her name was, couldn¡¯t bring anyone in, either. This way, his son wouldn¡¯t be embarrassed. Thus, he didn¡¯t pester them about it anymore.
He got up, looked at the training gym, and walked straight over. He said, "How about letting me take a look at who Master¡¯s newest little disciple is, Lucas? I want to see just who it is that can make Master personally teach him."
Chapter 218: The Quinn School of Martial Arts’ Disciples Are Not To Be Messed With
Chapter 218: The Quinn School of Martial Arts¡¯ Disciples Are Not To Be Messed With
Lucas stopped Paul after he took a couple of steps toward the training gym. He said, "Master doesn¡¯t allow unofficial disciples to enter the training gym, Paul. No one is allowed to break that rule."
The Quinn School of Martial Arts only imparted martial arts techniques to their official disciples and never the unofficial ones.
All official disciples were required to be in the training gym when they were practicing their techniques. The reason why Paul had tried so many times to go there was just so he could take a look at the sect¡¯s official disciple-exclusive techniques.
Upon being stopped by Lucas, heughed and smacked his head lightly. "Oh, would you look at that? The moment I get busy, I just forget all the rules. Alright, I¡¯ll just sit outside and have some coffee for a while, then!"
Lucas nodded. The two of them stayed outside and chatted for two hours before Paul finally left with a big smile.
Paul didn¡¯t go home. Instead, he went to the Hoffmans¡¯.
Jordan was currently training in the gym. Fierce and menacing-looking veins surfaced on his arms as he lifted the dumbbells, forming a fearsome sight.
Paul was also taken aback when he entered and saw his sturdy and muscr physique.
To be honest, it was hard to say whether or not he could really beat Jordan in a one-on-one fight. After all, the martial arts techniques that he had picked up at the Quinn School of Martial Arts were just some fancy-looking moves that were all show and no substance.
However, that didn¡¯t stand in the way of him expanding the Quin Sect.
A smiling Paul said, "Sorry foring over unannounced so abruptly, Mr. Hoffman!"
Jordan was a boor, so he detested such meaningless small talk from Paul the most. He put down his dumbbells, patted his arms, and bellowed in a voice so loud that it could deafen, "What brings you here, Mr. Quin?"
Paul walked over, sat down, and replied, "I¡¯m here to discuss a business opportunity with you, Mr. Hoffman."
The Hoffmans and the Quin Sect were rivals, and both had different turfs, so what kind of business opportunity could they possibly share?
Jordan¡¯s eyes narrowed. He picked up a bottle of mineral water and poured it all over himself from the top of his head. It was only after he rinsed off the cold sweat on himself that he felt much morefortable. "What business opportunity can we possibly share?" He asked.
Paul gave him a smile. "That sports car club of yours is suffering from poor management, right? The Quin Sect intends to buy it. What do you say?"
Jordan¡¯s men, who were standing behind him, were furious to hear that. They stepped forward at once and shouted, "What the hell do you mean by saying it¡¯s suffering from poor management? You have no idea how much money our sports car club is making!"
Paul neatened his suit. He continued to say with a smile, "When has it ever been the subordinates¡¯ ce to interrupt us when we¡¯re talking, Mr. Hoffman?"
Jordan¡¯s subordinate in question became even angrier. "You¡ª"
However, Jordan stretched out his arm to stop him. "Alright, that¡¯s enough. Let¡¯s listen to what Mr. Qun has to say first."
To outsiders, calling it a sports car club might sound pretty nice, but in truth, it was actually their private racetrack. All gambling dens charged entry fees, so how would it possibly not make any money?
This was especially so after Yanci¡¯s appearance brought even more people to the sports car club, causing it to be all the more overcrowded.
This was because Logan had races scheduled throughout the uing month, so Nora would undoubtedly have to race in his stead. With that, even if the car racing enthusiasts didn¡¯t ce any bets, they would still purchase admission tickets to watch the races.
That must be the part that had caught Paul¡¯s interest, right?
That was why he had developed thoughts of taking a shot at the sports car club!
Paul adjusted his sleeves again and said with a smile, "Linson Leigh can be said to be someone under my care, but he¡¯s currently lying paralyzed in the hospital, unable to ever stand for the rest of his life. Of course, I¡¯m not here to hold anyone ountable for it. It¡¯s just that I personally also like racing very much, so I¡¯d like to buy over the club."
Jordan¡¯s jaw tensed up. "How much are you offering?"
Paul replied unhurriedly, "$800,000."
Jordan, "?"
He was livid. "Mr. Quin, you must be kidding, right? Can you even buy that piece ofnd with $800,000?"
Every inch ofnd in New York cost an arm and a leg. Even though it was a suburban area, it was a huge plot ofnd. There was no way $800,000 would ever be enough to buy it.
Paul smiled. "Didn¡¯t you buy that piece ofnd for $800,000 twenty years ago?"
Jordan, "!!"
Property prices had multiplied dozens of times by now!
His expression darkened. "If you¡¯re just here to joke around, then you can go now, Mr. Quin!"
Paul stood and said, "Well, I¡¯ll leave you with what I¡¯ve said. Do give it some proper thought, Mr. Hoffman."
Jordan sneered, "There¡¯s no need for that. If you¡¯re short of money, I can sponsor you some, Mr. Quin. Why bothering over to beg? How unbing!"
Paul didn¡¯t get angry. "Do you know where I was before I came here?"
Jordan, "?"
Paul gave him a smile but didn¡¯t say anything. Instead, he turned and left.
Mrs. Hoffman entered the room after he left. She asked with a frown, "What did he mean by that?"
Jordan¡¯s brows drew together. He beckoned to his subordinate and instructed, "Ask around and find out where he was before he came here."
"Yes, sir."
Five minutester, his subordinate got the answer. He said, "He was at the Quinn School of Martial Arts."
Jordan was astonished.
The man exined, "He supposedly chatted for over two hours with Lucas, who oversees all misceneous affairs at the Quinn School of Martial Arts. He came straight to us after he left the sect. Could it be the Quinn School of Martial Arts that had told him to take the car racing club from us?"
Jordan frowned. "The Quinn School of Martial Arts is a very big sect with many disciples. Not only do they have to sustain such a big sect¡¯s expenses, but they are also located in the city center of New York. Their expenses are indeed significant. It¡¯s said that Paul has been amassing wealth all these years outside because of the Quinn School of Martial Arts¡¯ instructions."
Mrs. Hoffman became angry at once. "They are too much! It was on ount of the Quinn School of Martial Arts that we allowed Paul to be one up on us all this time, but they havee right up to our doorstep to p us in the face now! How can you tolerate that, Jordan?"
Jordan held her hand and patted the back of her hand lightly. He heaved a sigh and replied, "The Quinn School of Martial Arts and the Irvin School of Martial Arts are the two sects that we cannot afford to mess with the most. I¡¯ve been wanting to seek refuge with the Irvin School of Martial Arts all these years so that I can contend with Paul, but that person is their current leader. That person has never been short of money, so they are not interested in the olive branch that we offer."
Mrs. Hoffman became even more furious. "But how can we just let him go so far? If you back down this time, he¡¯ll buy over all of the Hoffmans¡¯ assets at a low price sooner orter!"
Jordan paced about anxiously. The muscles on his big and sturdy body moved under his skin as he did. His fingers tightened and loosened periodically, but a short whileter, he hung his head despondently. "But what can we do? We have no more than 200 men under us, but how many disciples do you think the Quinn School of Martial Arts has in the pugilistic world?"
Mrs. Hoffman fell silent.
Everyone in the pugilistic world knew how important sects were.
The Quinn School of Martial Arts had developed very well over the years, so the number of unofficial and official disciples they had could probably add up to almost 10,000!
How were the Hoffmans going to fight against the Quinn School of Martial Arts?
Jordan¡¯s subordinates standing behind him all hung their heads dejectedly. They had followed their boss from their hometown to New York, and only managed to build what they currently had after much difficulty. Yet, in the end, was a mere word from someone else enough to erase it all?
Mrs. Hoffman turned around despondently. She took out her cell phone and said, "I¡¯ll give Ms. Smith a call."
Jordan was taken aback. "What are you calling her for?"
Mrs. Hoffman¡¯s eyes were all red. She replied, "I¡¯m going to tell her not to participate in the races anymore! Why should we make things easy for Paul?"
Chapter 219: Big Sister Is Here!
Chapter 219: Big Sister Is Here!
Mrs. Hoffman¡¯s intentions were very simple¡ªif they were really going to transfer the car racing club¡¯s ownership rights, then she would minimize the profits! So that Paul wouldn¡¯t make any money!
However, before she could dial Nora¡¯s number, Jordan stopped her.
Mrs. Hoffman looked up to see Jordan with a serious look on his face. With a frown, he said, "Don¡¯t call Ms. Smith yet."
Mrs. Hoffman was taken aback. "Have you thought of a solution, Jordan?"
Jordan took a deep breath and said, "I¡¯ll head over to the Quinn School of Martial Arts first, and see if we can work with them instead!"
Mrs. Hoffman frowned. "Are we going to let the Quinn School of Martial Arts take part of the dividends without any contributions from them?"
Jordan heaved a sigh. "We don¡¯t have any other choice. What kind of status do you think the Quinn School of Martial Arts holds? In front of the powerful, we can only back down and yield the profits. Besides, they may not even give us that opportunity. Don¡¯t forget, Paul is their unofficial disciple, whereas we¡¯re nothing to them!"
Mrs. Hoffman clenched her jaw, but sighed and nodded in the end.
A decisive Jordan promptly found someone to go to the Quinn School of Martial Arts to find out who he should talk to about such matters.
There were also Quinn School of Martial Arts disciples among the Hoffmans; it was just that they weren¡¯t well-known within the sect. However, they did still have connections in the sect, so they quickly found the information they wanted through said connections.
"Lucas is the one in charge of all of the Quinn School of Martial Arts¡¯ misceneous affairs now, but he has made it clear before that the sect will not take part in any sectarian disputes."
The disciple frowned and went on. "However, the Quinn School of Martial Arts does indeed receive a sum of money in their ounts every month, and it¡¯s not a small sum. Everyone secretly guesses that it¡¯s Paul Quin who¡¯s providing them with the money."
Jordan understood what he was implying.
The Quinn School of Martial Arts had strict rules, and it was imperative that theyply with the rules that they had publicly stated. Therefore, they definitely would not ept his peace offering, because it would be too obvious otherwise.
This was different in Paul¡¯s case, however. Not only was he on close ties with the Quinn School of Martial Arts, but he also made frequent contact with Lucas. As long as neither party admitted to it, no one would know about the matter!
Jordan was in such a panic that he was pacing around the room. He asked, "Is there no way of getting through to Lucas?"
His subordinate replied, "Lucas and Paul Quin are on very good terms. Moreover, Lucas does things fairly and by the book, so there¡¯s no way we can convince him. But..."
Jordan prompted him anxiously. "But what?"
His subordinate replied, "I heard that the Quinn School of Martial Arts¡¯ Big Sister has returned to the city. Big Sister holds a very high position in the sect. If we can get in touch with her, it won¡¯t be impossible for us to rece Paul Quin."
"Big Sister..."
Jordan muttered the two words over and over. Then, he sighed. "But where are we going to find the so-called Big Sister? Has any particrly powerful and impressive woman made an appearance in New York recently?"
A particrly powerful and impressive woman?
Mrs. Hoffman subconsciously thought of Nora, but she immediately shook her head. If Nora was the car racer whom Jordan had talked about, then she couldn¡¯t possibly be Big Sister or whatever her name was, anymore, right?
Besides, it seemed like her profession was of a doctor!
She sighed. "I don¡¯t have any impression of anyone like that."
Jordan gave a wave of his hand and instructed, "Alright, that¡¯s enough. Have all of our men search for Big Sister! I simply don¡¯t believe that we can¡¯t find her if we really search high and low for her!"
"Yes, sir!"
¡ª
At the Andersons¡¯, when Nora woke up after sleeping for another day, she saw a text message on the phone. It was from Pete. He wrote: ¡¯Mommy, I¡¯m at the Quinn School of Martial Arts.¡¯
Nora was taken aback for a moment. She looked at the time¡ªit was only four o¡¯clock in the afternoon.
sses were about to end for Cherry. It seemed like she would be just in time to have the two children switch ces if Pete wanted toe over.
She was toozy to type, so she sent a voice message instead: "Shall I pick you up?"
Pete was likely training at the moment, so he didn¡¯t reply to her message in time. It was only ten minutester when Nora came out of the bathroom after rinsing her face that she saw his reply: ¡¯I¡¯m alright with anything. Ask Cherry about it.¡¯
Nora raised her brows.
Unexpectedly, her son actually had a sisterplex.
She had subtly used a self-concocted calming fragrance to calm and soothe her son¡¯s mind when he was with her. In the kindergarten, he was also gradually opening up to the world, and his autism was taking a turn for the better.
When she thought of that, she felt that it was better for him to be by her side for the time being.
Besides...
Cherry had always been by her side ever since she was born. She also wanted Pete toe over so that she could make it up to him for everything she owed him during thest five years.
Yep, it definitely wasn¡¯t because Cherry was too noisy, whereas Pete was just right.
With that in mind, Nora sent another voice message: "I¡¯lle pick you up."
She went downstairs and drove out in the jeep. She went to the kindergarten to pick up Cherry after school first. The little fellow skipped and bounced as she walked, making her look adorable and vivacious. After waving goodbye to all her friends, she finally got into the car.
Tanya also put on a look of astonishment. "Has hell frozen over today? You actually came to pick us up?"
Nora¡¯s lips curled into a smile. She replied, "I¡¯m not here to pick you up. Go home by yourself."
Tanya, "???"
Nora nodded at Cherry and asked, "Shall we go to the Quinn School of Martial Arts?"
Cherry nodded at once.
It was great being at the Hunts. Not only did she not have to go to school, but she could even y after just three hours of sses every day! In addition, her handsome Daddy never forced her to do anything she didn¡¯t want to!
She would let Pete go to school instead.
When the two of them arrived at the Quinn School of Martial Arts, Lucas hurriedly came out to receive them. When he spotted Nora, he immediately greeted her respectfully. "You¡¯re here, Miss Smith!"
Nora uttered a sound of acknowledgment and took the initiative to walk in front leisurely.
Cherry followed her at the back obediently.
Lucas said, "Everyone wants to meet you after they heard that you¡¯vee to New York."
"Reject them," replied a direct and decisive Nora. There were so many people in the Quinn School of Martial Arts; how troublesome would it be if she had to meet them all? She mustn¡¯t let anyone find out about her identity!
The corners of Lucas¡¯s lips spasmed a little. He had already gained a good understanding of what Nora was like a long time ago, so he instead said, "By the way, this month¡¯s funds have been credited into the ounts. Is the sumrger thanst month¡¯s?"
Nora let out an ¡¯oh¡¯ and replied casually, "Don¡¯t let childrene over to disturb the sect. I¡¯m not strapped for cash."
Lucas, "!!!"
The corners of his lips spasmed. He nodded and said, "Okay, I¡¯ll cancel the sses for the unofficial disciple¡¯s children, then."
Then, he exined, "The sect isn¡¯t holding a ss for them for the money, Miss Smith. We¡¯re doing it free of charge. It¡¯s because the unofficial disciple begged the sect to help out, so I gave special permission this once."
"Oh."
Nora didn¡¯t hold much of an opinion on these matters. It was fine as long as they didn¡¯t bother the old man about it, and in turn, cause him to insist on hering back to take care of such misceneous affairs.
After she entered, she left Cherry to Quinn, picked up Pete, and turned to leave.
Meanwhile, Justin had also arrived.
Even as the car came to a stop, he was still wondering about who he would meet after he entered the sect¡ªwas it going to be his sweet-smelling and tender daughter, or the stinky little brat?
It wasn¡¯t that he disliked Pete or anything like that, though. It was just that he still hadn¡¯t had enough of spending time with his daughter after realizing that he had a cute and adorable one. Besides... Nora was a doctor, so she could treat Pete¡¯s illness if he stayed by her side. Pete¡¯s depression symptoms had evidently be better when he came back recently. Moreover, his grades hadn¡¯t fallen behind, either.
While thinking about it, he entered the sect. As soon as he did, he saw Nora and Pete walking toward him...
Chapter 220: Having A Date Behind His Back
Chapter 220: Having A Date Behind His Back
Justin paused in his tracks.
Nora and Pete also stopped.
All three of them simultaneously thought¡ª¡¯It¡¯s lucky that we left Cherry in the training gym.¡¯ Otherwise, our family of four would have run into one another. I really won¡¯t know what to do if that happens!
They stared at one another while facing one another. Due to their guilty consciences, all of them were rather awkward.
Justin was the first toe back to his senses. He asked, "Why are you here, Ms. Smith? Are you here to visit Pete?"
Nora breathed a sigh of relief. "Yeah."
Pete¡¯s lip corners spasmed. From the looks of it, he wouldn¡¯t be able to leave with Mommy anymore today.
Justin fell silent for a while. Then, he finally suggested, "In that case, how about having Pete go with you to the Andersons¡¯ to y?"
Pete, "?"
The tyrant had always kept a very strict eye on him. No matter where he went, he would always be apanied by a group of bodyguards. Why was he suddenly allowing him to go back with Mommy now?
Pete looked at the tyrant hesitantly, thinking that perhaps he had already sensed something. However, the man remained expressionless and no one could see through his thoughts.
Nora didn¡¯t expect the problem to be resolved so easily. The two children could also bond with each other if they went to the Andersons, so she nodded and replied, "Okay!"
She stroked her chin.
This was a rare opportunity. Should she just get a private jet and straight-up run away with the two babies?
Just as she was thinking about it, Justin chuckled and said, "It¡¯s my fault."
Nora, "?"
What mistake was he admitting to when everything was fine?
The next moment, Justin straightened his back, adjusted his tie, and said, "I was too busytely, so I didn¡¯t spend any time with you, causing you to have designs on Pete again."
Nora, "!!!"
The corners of her lips spasmed. She was about to speak when the scumbag went on. He said, "It doesn¡¯t look like Ms. Smith is very busy every day, either. Why don¡¯t we have a date once every two days?"
"... You¡¯re a very busy man, Mr. Hunt. We don¡¯t have to go to such trouble."
"Not at all."
Justin leaned against the wall and overlooked the adult-child pair from the top. Nora¡¯s almond-shaped eyes raised slightly and the corners of her lips spasmed a little.
Pete¡¯s lip corners also spasmed and he looked at Justin with disdain.
Justin ignored the look in his son¡¯s eyes and calmly said, "You and I have already reached this stage in our rtionship. Wouldn¡¯t I have lived the past twenty-odd years of my life in vain if I still allow work to chain down my freedom? I can just handle my work affairs every other day instead, just like how you only do two operations a month, right, Dr. Anti?"
Nora, "!!"
The corners of her lips spasmed. Left with no other reason to refute him with, she could only say resignedly, "If you say so."
Then, she took Pete¡¯s hand and got ready to leave.
She had only just taken a couple of steps when her cell phone suddenly rang.
It was an unfamiliar phone number. When she answered the call, a sinister voice said, "Long time no see, Ms. Smith."
Nora, "?"
"Never would I have expected Ms. Smith to be Yanci, the famous international car racer. Thest time we met, we were in opposing circumstances, which ended up in us separating on a sour note. I wonder if we can meet and talk about partnering with each other for the car racing club?"
Nora raised her brows. "Who are you?"
"..." The other party was clearly gnashing his teeth in fury. "I¡¯m Winston!"
"Who¡¯s that?" asked Nora.
Clearly, she had already forgotten who Winston was.
Winston, "..."
His voice became even stiffer. "I proposed to you before. Have you forgotten? My father is Jon Myers of the traditional medicine industry!"
Atst, Nora recalled his insignificant existence and uttered a detached ¡¯oh¡¯. Then, she yawned and asked, "Is something up?"
"..."
Winston felt as if he was about to crack. He could only force out word after word and say, "Stop pretending, Ms. Smith. I know you understand what I¡¯m saying! Your fianc¨¦ is in my hands right now. You¡¯d beste over and meet me for a talk right away. Otherwise, I won¡¯t be able to guarantee his safety."
Her fianc¨¦?
Nora clicked her tongue and said, "I don¡¯t have a fianc¨¦."
She hung up immediately after saying that, utterly nonplussed about how furious the man on the other side would be.
She had already broken off her engagement a long time ago, so how would she possibly have a fianc¨¦?
She was just thinking about that when her cell phone beeped. She looked down to see that the unfamiliar number had sent her a short video.
In the video was a man who had been tied up. He was in a dimly lit room. Light streamed in through a small window and illuminated his face. The man was bespectacled and looked very polite and refined. He was actually... Caleb Gray?
Beep.
Winston sent another text message, as well as an address. He wrote: ¡¯I¡¯ll give you half an hour. Come over right away. For every minute that you¡¯rete, I¡¯ll sever one of his fingers!¡¯
Nora, "..."
She massaged her temples. She knew that Caleb had likely been implicated by her.
Moreover, when Henry Smith went to the Andersons¡¯ to kick up a huge fuss the other time, Caleb had produced an audio recording that her mother had left behind back then as evidence, and helped her to reverse public opinion. When one thought about it like that, the Andersons actually owed the Grays a favor.
She looked at Pete and ruffled his hair. Her voice was low and hoarse as she said, "Be good and wait for me here."
Pete nodded.
Nora walked ahead right after that. After taking a couple of steps, she suddenly heard footsteps behind her. She turned around to see Justin following her. He said, "It¡¯s not quite right of you to go and meet your ex-fianc¨¦ right in front of me, is it, Ms. Smith?"
Nora raised her eyebrows. "Oh. Then I¡¯ll save him behind your back?"
"..." Justin fell silent but continued to follow beside her.
When the two of them exited the Quinn School of Martial Arts, Nora went straight to her car. When she opened the door and got into the driver¡¯s seat, Justin also got into the passenger seat in a practiced manner.
The jeep was very big and spacious. Even at Nora¡¯s height, she still looked petite in the driver¡¯s seat. However, when Justin sat in the passenger seat, it made the car ultimately still seem a little small.
Nora was a little surprised. "Are you alsoing?"
"Of course."
Justin replied confidently, "How can I let you go on a date with your ex-fianc¨¦?"
The corners of Nora¡¯s lips quirked upward and she said unhurriedly, "Sit tight."
At practically the moment she said that, she stepped on the gas pedal, causing the car to zoom forward with a whoosh. She drove to the address that Winston had given her at the speed of light.
Inertia threw Justin right against the seat, and he grabbed the handlebar at the top of the car door with his right hand. He looked at Nora¡ªthe woman seemed to be apletely different person when she drove. There was none of her usualziness and carelessness, and her serious demeanor looked exceptionally charming.
Half an hourter...
Screeeeech!
The car tires emitted a harsh screech as they rubbed against the road. Together with the sound, the car stopped inside a dpidated abandoned factory.
When Nora jumped out of the car, there was already someone waiting for her. Without even looking at Justin, the person said, "Come with me!"
Nora followed behind the person, took a couple of steps, and entered a room.
Caleb was seated on a chair, all tied up. His shirt was a little dirty and messy, and there was dust on his usually clean face. His hair was in a mess, which actually gave off a disheveled kind of beauty.
Winston jumped out at this point. He said, "As long as you sign this contract to provide your services to the Quin Sect, Ms. Smith, I will let you guys go!"
Chapter 221: The Quinlan Sect Is Backed By The Quinn School of Martial Arts? Has She Agreed To It?
Chapter 221: The Quin Sect Is Backed By The Quinn School of Martial Arts? Has She Agreed To It?
A contract to provide her services to the Quin Sect?
Nora frowned and looked at the document in his hand.
Winston sneered, "Oh, I forgot to tell you, but the car racing club will be the Quin Sect¡¯s very soon. We, the Quin Sect, warmly invite you to our team. I should think that with Yanci around, our team will always win!"
Nora, "?"
Her brows drew together. She asked puzzledly, "Has Mr. Hoffman agreed to this?"
Winston replied, "Of course."
His eyes flickered and he added, "Would I dare to do something like this if he hadn¡¯t?"
Nora didn¡¯t care how exactly they carried out their dealings with each other, but... using Caleb to threaten her?
She cast her eyes down dispassionately. "I¡¯m not interested in your club."
She walked straight to Caleb after she spoke. She wasn¡¯t intending to waste her breath and was nning to leave immediately after saving the man.
However, before she could walk over, Winston stopped in front of her again. He said, "I know you enjoy a lot of freedom when you race abroad, Ms. Smith, but it¡¯s impossible to survive in the car racing industry in the States if you don¡¯t have anyone backing you up. Didn¡¯t Logan also rely on Jordan Hoffman back then? The benefits you¡¯ll enjoy will only be better than that if you join the Quin Sect! Do you know who the one backing up the Quin Sect is?"
Nora¡¯s eyes were still downcast. "I¡¯m not interested."
"..." Winston became anxious. He said, "The one backing up the Quin Sect is the Quinn School of Martial Arts! You should have heard of them before, right? They are very well-known in the pugilistic world! As long as you sign the contract, both the Quin Sect and the Quinn School of Martial Arts will back you up in New York in the future, no matter what happens!"
Nora was dumbfounded. "The Quinn School of Martial Arts?"
Her reaction made Winston heave a sigh of relief. He replied, "Yes, the Quinn School of Martial Arts! Mr. Quin is their unofficial disciple. This is something that everyone knows. It¡¯s exactly because of the Quinn School of Martial Arts that even Jordan Hoffman doesn¡¯t dare to mess with Mr. Quin."
Nora, "..."
What the heck was this mess?
Were all of the Quinn School of Martial Arts¡¯ unofficial disciples this arrogant outside?
She broke into a frown.
Winston tried painstakingly to convince her. He said, "You must be scared at the mention of the Quinn School of Martial Arts, right? Then sign this obediently. I can even promise you that as long as you sign the contract and maintain a good rtionship with me, I will let your fianc¨¦¡¯s pharmaceutical factory open smoothly in New York!"
Winston gazed at Nora greedily when he said that.
That woman was Yanci. She had looked so beautiful and sassy when she was racing, making him itch for her even more. Conquering a woman like her would give him an even bigger sense of aplishment.
Especially in bed...
His smile turned lewd.
A mellow and gentle voice reached them at this point.
"So, it¡¯s your doing that my application to establish a pharmaceutical factory keeps getting rejected?"
Nora looked at Caleb.
Despite being tied up, he remained calm and collected in the face of danger, which gave him an additional sense of frail beauty. That visage of his didn¡¯t look like a thirty-year-old at all; he clearly looked like a prince¡ªoh, one that was in distress though¡ªwalking out of aic instead.
His words pulled Winston back from his daydreaming to reality. He looked back at him and said with a grin, "Oh my, so you¡¯re finally aware of the reason now! The Grays may be something in California, but you¡¯re nothing in New York. So, you want to expand your business in New York? Have you asked us, the Myerses, for permission yet? Have you asked the pharmaceutical industry here for permission yet? Heh, New York is our turf, with the pharmaceutical industry particrly so. Without the Myerses¡¯ permission, there¡¯s absolutely no way your family¡¯s pharmaceutical factory can ever be established here! Even though you¡¯ve already decided on the factory site, you just keep failing the license application, right? Hahaha!"
Realization dawned upon Caleb. "I see. So, that¡¯s why."
Winston nced at Nora again. "Of course, if Ms. Smiths signs this contract, then that will make us family. Your affairs will also be the Myerses¡¯, so I¡¯ll definitely take good care of you! We can mutually benefit each other. You should know what I want, right?"
His gaze swept up and down Nora as he spoke, his intentions obvious.
The eyes of Caleb and Justin, who had just entered the room, darkened at the same time.
Caleb cast his eyes down, his long eyshes casting silhouettes on his cheeks. His sses were already close to falling off his nose bridge. His eyes were icy-cold as he said, "That¡¯s impossible. You don¡¯t have topromise for my sake, Nora..."
Winston flew into a rage when he heard him. He stepped forward and pped Caleb across his cheek, causing Caleb¡¯s head to turn to the side. He looked even more like a meek little woman being bullied now.
A handprint soon formed on his fair cheek.
After pping him, Winston snapped furiously, "Shut up!"
Only then did he turn back.
He was about to speak when he instead saw Nora¡¯s expression turn cold. She said, "You must have a death wish!"
Just as she was about to take action, the guard at the door finally discovered Justin¡¯s presence. He bellowed angrily, "Who are you? What are you doing here?"
Nora looked back to see the men at the door walking toward Justin.
For a moment there, she didn¡¯t know whether she should save Justin or Caleb first.
In the midst of her hesitation, she saw Justin stride forward. He headed straight for Caleb, kicking away whoever blocked his path on his way there.
His long legs delivered urate and ruthless kicks, while his punches were quick and unpredictable. Before anyone could even see his moves clearly, Justin had already dropped them all.
Winston had brought more than ten men with him, but all of them were lying on the ground at the moment. Some had outright fainted while some were groaning in pain.
Frightened witless, he stared at Justin in disbelief. He swallowed and asked, "M-Mr. Hunt? Why are you here? I... I¡¯m from the Quin Sect. Our boss is from the Quinn School of Martial Arts. Y-you..."
Justin went right up to him and kicked him right at the crotch!
Bam!
As Winston flew through the air, the pain at his crotch made his vision cken. He felt that that particr ce had likely broken...
Everyone else that was still conscious subconsciously mped their legs together tightly, suddenly feeling a little worried for their family jewels.
Nora didn¡¯t have the opportunity to do anything, nor did she have such worries, so she walked straight to Caleb and untied the ropes around him.
Caleb got to his feet after he was freed. He was about to thank Nora when his legs suddenly gave way, seemingly from having been tied up for a little too long.
Nora was about to subconsciously grab him when another arm held up Caleb faster than she could.
Her line of sight followed the sturdy and powerful arm to see Justin staring straight at Caleb while pulling a long face. He said, "You¡¯re wee, Mr. Gray."
The subtext: ¡¯I was the one who saved you just now, so don¡¯t try to get close to Nora on the pretext of thanking her.¡¯
Caleb: "..."
He moved his ankles a little. After he steadied himself on his feet, he finally looked at Winston and the others, who had copsed on the ground. A dark glint shed across his eyes as he stroked his cheek, but he lowered his gaze the next moment, concealing the glint within.
Seeing that he was fine, Nora took out the contract that Winston had wanted her to sign. After giving it a rough skim, she took out her cell phone and said, "I¡¯ll ask Mrs. Hoffman what exactly is going on with the Quin Sect¡¯s acquisition of the club."
Chapter 222: Going To The Quinn School of Martial Arts!
Chapter 222: Going To The Quinn School of Martial Arts!
Nora called Mrs. Hoffman, but perhaps she was busy at the moment, she didn¡¯t pick up.
She was about to call again after hanging up the first time when Mrs. Hoffman called. She sounded obviously tired as she said, "Sorry about that, Ms. Smith. I was busy just now, so I wasn¡¯t paying attention to the phone."
Nora raised her eyebrows and asked, "Is Jimmy having a rpse?"
"No, it isn¡¯t about that."
Mrs. Hoffman said, "Jimmy is doing pretty well. He¡¯ll be discharged from the hospital and will be able to go to school soon. It¡¯s because something has happened at home."
"Is it about the car racing club?" asked Nora.
Mrs. Hoffman hesitated for a moment before she said, "Have you also heard about it? Sigh, it¡¯s really giving us a headache."
Nora was a little taken aback. She asked, "Do you need me to help with anything?"
Mrs. Hoffman, however, declined her offer. "No, it¡¯s alright, Ms. Smith. It¡¯s better that you don¡¯t get involved in the matter. After all, you¡¯re not in our line of business."
Nora was an excellent doctor who had nothing to do with underworld forces.
Mrs. Hoffman was afraid that she would be implicated if she were to be involved.
After all, the Quinn School of Martial Arts had disciples all over the country. It was as easy as ABC for them to take care of a mere doctor.
Nora didn¡¯t make things difficult for her. She nodded and said, "Alright. Let me know if you need anything."
Mrs. Hoffman uttered an ¡¯okay¡¯ before she finally sighed and said, "Only one person can help us with this. We¡¯re currently looking for her."
Seeing that Mrs. Hoffman was reluctant to say more, Nora nodded and hung up.
Only then did she turn back and look at the men from the Quin Sect on the ground.
Nora ignored the rest and looked only at Winston. He had suffered a serious injury to his crotch and passed out from the pain, only to wake up again from the pain. He was currently rolling about the ground all curled up, which easily showed just how hard Justin had kicked him just now.
Nora walked over and stood right in front of him.
Cold sweat trickled down Winston¡¯s forehead, and he was as pale as a sheet. He said, "Send me to the hospital... The hospital..."
Nora squatted down and sneered, "Did you say just now that the Quin Sect is being a menace outside because they have the Quinn School of Martial Arts backing them up?"
Winston looked at her viciously at once and replied, "Yes, that¡¯s right. The Quin Sect and the Quinn School of Martial Arts¡ªit¡¯s obvious that the two are a family the moment you hear their names. Mr. Quin is the top male disciple among the Quinn School of Martial Arts¡¯ unofficial disciples, and even ordinary official disciples have to treat him with courtesy when they see him. How dare you all beat me up... All of you are finished!"
Nora raised her eyebrows and slowly got back up. "Is that so?"
Winston stared at her. "Just you wait! The Quinn School of Martial Arts will find you! They won¡¯t be scared even if you have Mr. Hunt protecting you!"
Nora scoffed. "Sure, I¡¯ll wait for that to happen."
She dusted off her hands and walked over to Justin and Caleb. "Let¡¯s go."
The three of them left the dpidated warehouse. The moment they reached the entrance, they saw a man in a ck suit standing there respectfully. At the sight of the three of them, he stepped forward in a panic at once. "Mr. Gray!"
Caleb nodded. The frail man let out a cough and took out a handkerchief to cover his mouth. After holding his assistant for support, he looked at Nora and said, "My assistant hase to pick me up, Ms. Smith. I¡¯ll head off first."
Nora nodded. In the end, she still said, "Sorry, I didn¡¯t expect that it would implicate you."
Caleb smiled. "It¡¯s not your fault. I would like to ask you for a favor, though, Ms. Smith."
"What?"
Caleb coughed another couple of times, causing the handprint to be increasingly obvious on his fairplexion. He said, "My application for a factory license keeps getting rejected. I¡¯d like to ask the Andersons for help with giving the relevant parties a heads-up about it."
Both the Andersons and the Myerses held a certain status in New York¡¯s pharmaceutical industry.
Although the Andersons had fallen into decline, they now had the Carefree Pills. Added to that their status in the past, it was still a cinch for them to just say the word.
Nora nodded. "No problem."
Since she was the one who had caused the problem, she had to resolve it. Otherwise, she would end up owing Caleb a favor.
Caleb smiled, "This way, we won¡¯t owe each other anything and you won¡¯t have to feel guilty about it anymore."
Nora was surprised.
She hadn¡¯t expected the man to actually be so perceptive and see through her thoughts. She nodded. "Okay."
She hated trouble the most, and also hated owing people favors the most.
Caleb coughed again. Nora nced at him and suddenly asked, "Do you need me to take a look at your illness?"
Caleb waved at once. He smiled and said, "I¡¯ve been sick for many years. It¡¯s tuberculosis. It won¡¯t kill me. Even if you give me a checkup, you¡¯ll just be prescribing me herbal remedies in the end, so it¡¯s fine. If not, I¡¯ll end up owing you a favor again, Ms. Smith."
Nora, "..."
She didn¡¯t press the matter and nodded instead. "Okay."
Right after she spoke, Justin said dispassionately, "If there¡¯s nothing else, we¡¯ll go and pick up the children now, Mr. Gray."
Caleb, "..."
Nora, "..."
Why did his words sound like they were going to pick up children that the two of them had from school? ... Even though they were indeed children born to the two of them.
Caleb smiled. "No, there¡¯s nothing else."
"Let¡¯s go."
Nora followed Justin into the car. The two went straight to the Quinn School of Martial Arts to pick up Pete and Cherry, and take them home.
¡ª
Caleb waited until the ck jeep left before he coughed twice again. However, by the time he lowered the handkerchief, the look on his face had already turned cold. The mellowness and gentleness in his eyes had all but disappeared, leaving behind only icy coldness.
The assistant behind him asked, "What should we do with that group of people, Mr. Gray?"
The look in Caleb¡¯s eyes turned even frostier at the question.
How would he possibly not know about Winston¡¯s handiwork? He had merely gone with the flow and couldn¡¯t be bothered to pay any attention to it, that was all. Little did he think that he would be so bold as to kidnap him.
His assistant, Shadow, had been with him at that time. Given his moves, even fighting solo against a hundred men wouldn¡¯t be a problem. However, he wanted to see what that man wanted, so he had given Shadow a look and made him lose on purpose and follow them here.
But unexpectedly, that daredevil had actually had the audacity to hit him?
He touched the wound on his cheek and cast his eyes down detachedly. "Dispose of them."
"Yes, sir," replied Shadow.
Caleb opened the car door and got in the car. A short whileter, a burst of mes shot straight into the sky in the distance.
Shadow returned to the car silently. When he started the car to leave, he reported, "I severed his arm and leg tendons before letting him go through the pain of being burned alive."
This was revenge for Winston pping Caleb.
Caleb let out a nonchnt sound of acknowledgment. Then, he closed his eyes and leaned against the backseat.
Shadow shut up at once.
¡ª
At the Quins¡¯.
Paul got up furiously. "What did you say? Justin Hunt killed Winston?"
His subordinate, who had escaped and returned from the fire, nodded. "The ce caught fire after he rushed there to save the man, so he must be the one who killed them! What do we do, Mr. Quin?"
One must know that that was Justin Hunt!
Paul paced around in a circle. Suddenly, he headed out and said, "Let¡¯s go to the Quinn School of Martial Arts! They won¡¯t just sit by idly after someone bullies their unofficial disciple!"
Chapter 223: Long-Time Friends In Spirit!
Chapter 223: Long-Time Friends In Spirit!
His subordinate was taken aback. As he followed behind Paul, he couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Will the Quinn School of Martial Arts really stand up for us? That¡¯s Justin Hunt we¡¯re talking about!"
Paul stood up straight. Full of confidence, he said, "Whether they stand up for us or not, doing this will only benefit us!"
His subordinate didn¡¯t understand.
Paul exined in detail. He spoke as if he was exining the meaning behind his words to his subordinate, but in truth, he was self-analyzing the situation.
"The Quinn School of Martial Arts values ??their disciples the most, and Quinn is also well-known for being very protective of his own. Therefore, there¡¯s a high chance that they will stand up for us. Of course, it¡¯s impossible to make Justin Hunt pay for his actions with his life, but they will make him pay by other things, such as apologizing or providing some kind of benefits.
"If the Quinn School of Martial Arts is cowed by Justin¡¯s power and doesn¡¯t stand up for us, it would damage their reputation. But if Justin Hunt takes a very aggressive stance, then it¡¯s very likely that the sect won¡¯t stand up for us and fight a hopeless battle¡ªthis is a society governed byw, after all. However, the sect will give us somepensation because of the incident! Going by Quinn¡¯s personality, he will feel as if his child has suffered injustice, and willfort us properly. When that happens, our ties with the Quinn School of Martial Arts will be even stronger!"
The subordinate was enlightened.
After understanding all this, Paul drove straight to the Quinn School of Martial Arts.
¡ª
On the way back to the Quinn School of Martial Arts, Nora looked straight ahead of her, her expression a little solemn.
The Quin Sect had been using the Quinn School of Martial Arts¡¯ name to do whatever they want and lord it over others outside. If she hadn¡¯t encountered this, she might still have been able to ignore it, but since she had, then she mustn¡¯t turn a blind eye to it.
It seemed that she needed to have a good talk with Lucas.
Justin, who had noticed her solemn countenance, asked, "Penny for your thoughts?"
"I¡¯m thinking about the Quinn School of Martial Arts."
Justin¡¯s eyes narrowed a little. "Are you scared?"
Nora, "?"
Justin leaned against the passenger seat, his eyes that could bewitch and draw one¡¯s soul into them, deep and reserved. The beauty mark at the corner of his eye seemed to sh with an air of dominion. "Don¡¯t worry. If the Quinn School of Martial Artses to us to make trouble, then we¡¯ll just deal with it like how the pugilistic world does¡ªfighting."
Nora, "?"
¡¯If the Quinn School of Martial Artses to make trouble¡¯?
She hesitated for a moment before she asked, "Why would the Quinn School of Martial Artse to make trouble for us?"
Justin, who was about to say "I¡¯ll fight them for you", choked on his breath at the question. He exined, "We beat up Winston Myers today. Because he¡¯s from the Quin Sect, our actions are equivalent to pping Paul in the face. He definitely won¡¯t let the matter rest, so he will definitely get the Quinn School of Martial Arts to stand up for him."
Justin stroked his chin, his fingers long and slender and the joints well-defined. He said, "Even though Pete is learning martial arts from Quinn, I don¡¯t think Quinn will give up pursuing the matter with us because of him. There¡¯s no one who can really fight in the current generation of disciples in the Quinn School of Martial Arts, though. The only one who can fight is Big Sister, who exists only in legends."
Nora, "..."
The corners of her lips spasmed. "Are you saying that the Quinn School of Martial Arts is incapable?"
Justin¡¯s voice sounded a little deep as he replied, "It¡¯s not that they are incapable, but rather, there are very few people who train with dedication in the martial arts in modern society! It isn¡¯t just the Quinn School of Martial Arts; even the Irvin School of Martial Arts is filled with people that only know a few fancy moves."
Nora did not refute him.
This was also the reason why Quinn valued ?her so much¡ªbecause it was simply too difficult to find a sessor of direct lineage!
Nora looked at Justin and suddenly said, "Don¡¯t worry. The Quinn School of Martial Arts won¡¯t make trouble for you."
Her words took Justin by surprise, and he looked at her with puzzlement.
In his opinion, Nora had shown up in the Quinn School of Martial Arts because of Pete. However, in this split second, he suddenly thought of that time when he had exchanged a few moves with Nora¡ªshe was pretty good. In fact, she could even fight on par with him...
Could it be that...
Justin was dumbfounded. He looked straight at Nora and asked, "Are you the Quinn School of Martial Arts¡¯ Big Sister?"
Nora¡¯s almond-shaped eyes lifted slightly. "Can¡¯t I be?"
Justin, "!!!"
Something suddenly clicked in his mind. Back then, when he had taken Pete to the Quinn School of Martial Arts to ask them to take him in, going by how much Quinn disliked the Irvin School of Martial Arts, it stood to reason that he wouldn¡¯t ept him as a disciple for sure. However, it seemed like Quinn had immediately taken Pete as a disciple the moment he saw him...
At that time, he had thought that it was because Quinn had seen the martial arts talent in Pete. Thinking about it again now, as it turned out, it was because of Pete¡¯s mom?
Justin suddenly let out a low chuckle. "The Big Sister of the Quinn School of Martial Arts, master surgeon Anti, car racer Yanci... May I ask, Ms. Smith, what other identities do you have?"
Nora¡¯s fingers rested casually on the steering wheel. "I don¡¯t remember. I have too many."
"..."
Justin couldn¡¯t help butugh after a short silence.
But thereafter, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to anymore¡ªbecause Nora suddenly said in all seriousness, "Don¡¯t ever mention the Irvin School of Martial Arts in front of Quinn. The Quinn School of Martial Arts and the Irvin School of Martial Arts have irreconcble differences."
Justin, "..."
A sharp glint burst forth in Nora¡¯s eyes as she added, "Also, I heard from the old man that the Irvin School of Martial Arts¡¯ current Big Brother is very skilled. His moves are the most treacherous and devious ever, and he haspletely inherited Irvin¡¯s sly and conniving character. He¡¯d best pray that he nevernds in my hands!"
Justin¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple moved up and down a little. He asked tentatively, "What will happen if hends in your hands?"
The corners of Nora¡¯s lips quirked upward, making her look cool and sassy. She replied, "I will let him know what the light of the right way is like!"
"..."
The Irvin School of Martial Arts and the Quinn School of Martial Arts practiced different styles of martial arts. The former focused on flexibility, fluidity, and breaking through in one blow after identifying the opponent¡¯s weakness. On the other hand, the Quinn School of Martial Arts focused on the training of oneself. As long as one was strong and powerful enough, they would be able to outmaneuver every one of the opponent¡¯s moves!
To borrow Quinn¡¯s words, the Irvin School of Martial Arts was a sect of cunning and devious scumbags! They tarnished the might and prestige of martial arts!
Justin, who could sense Nora¡¯s animosity toward the Irvin School of Martial Arts, asked tentatively, "It¡¯s not like you¡¯ve met their Big Brother, either. You¡ª"
Nora snorted coldly. "But I¡¯ve been friends with him in spirit for a long time."
Justin, "?"
Nora raised her eyebrows. "The old man uses him to pressure me every day, which has made me develop a dislike for him physiologically."
"..."
Justin fell silent. In the end, he decided to hold on tightly to his secret identity and make sure it didn¡¯t get exposed.
When the pair arrived at the Quinn School of Martial Arts, they saw the two children walking out.
The little fellow dressed in boys¡¯ clothing was beaming.
The one in the skirt was wearing a mask and a cap, and had a frosty look on his little face.
Nora and Justin could tell which was their daughter and which was their son practically the moment they saw them.
Justin stepped forward and took Cherry¡¯s hand, who was dressed in boys¡¯ clothing, and said, "It¡¯ste, Pete. Let¡¯s go home!"
Cherry nodded. "Okie-Dokie!"
Nora also took Pete¡¯s hand. "Let¡¯s go home, too, Cherry."
Pete held her fingers seriously. "... Okay."
The family of four was about to leave the training gym when noise suddenly came from the main entrance.
The four of them paused in their tracks. Nora subconsciously looked out the window to see Paul stepping through the main entrance in tears, aplete change from his refined image of the past.
Lucas held his arm and asked, "What¡¯s the matter?"
Paul ignored him. Instead, he shouted straight into the training gym, "Master! You have to help me!"
Chapter 224: His Lover Is Nora Smith!
Chapter 224: His Lover Is Nora Smith!
Paul had already thoroughly looked into things while on the way here.
Cherry had imed that her mother was Nora Smith and her father was Justin Hunt. He¡¯d originally thought that Nora was just a tool that Justin was using to shut outsiders up, but unexpectedly, he had actually stood up for her when she went to save her fianc¨¦.
Paul roughly understood what was going on the moment he thought of her beautiful face¡ªNora might be Justin¡¯s lover.
Even though he didn¡¯t quite understand why Justin would allow his lover to have a fianc¨¦, none of that was important at the moment.
What was important was that he absolutely had to get the Quinn School of Martial Arts to stand up for him.
Otherwise, how was he, Paul Quin, going to survive in the industry in the future?
He didn¡¯t dare to enter the training gym, so he could only stand outside and cry his eyes out.
He was already in his thirties, making him quite unbearable to look at.
Lucas couldn¡¯t help but ask, "What exactly happened to you, Paul? You should know that Master never bothers with external affairs. You can tell me if something has happened."
The sobbing Paul said, "Ten of my men have been killed!"
Ten people dying at one go was no trivial matter!
Lucas was stunned. He sounded grave as he asked, "What happened?"
Even Quinn, who was inside the room, got up with a frown.
Nora and Justin exchanged a look upon hearing that ten people had died, and both of them frowned.
Justin had used a very measured amount of force in the fight. Apart from Winston, whose injury had been more grievous which resulted in him possibly not being able to perform his function as a man anymore in the future, the other dozen or so people¡¯s injuries had only seemed serious on the surface. He hadn¡¯t tried to kill them at all.
Why did they die?
While the two of them were keeping quiet, Quinn had already left the room. He said, "Tell me what happened."
At the sight of Quinn, Paul became increasingly sure that the Quinn School of Martial Arts would stand up for him. He wiped his tears and said, "My men had a small conflict with Mr. Hunt. I didn¡¯t expect him to be so ruthless!"
Quinn hesitated for a moment. He cast a nce at the room and asked, "Mr. Hunt?"
"Yes, it¡¯s Justin Hunt!" Paul stepped forward and knelt in front of Quinn. He said, "Master, he¡¯s too ruthless! He¡¯s not showing the Quinn School of Martial Arts any respect at all!"
Quinn¡¯s jaw tensed up. "What kind of conflict was it, exactly?"
Paul paused. Then, he replied ambiguously, "It¡¯s just a small conflict. Originally, they had already fought. ording to the pugilistic world¡¯s rules, just achieving the desired effect should have been enough, but I didn¡¯t expect him to be so ruthless! He¡¯s pping the Quinn School of Martial Arts in the face! Master, you have to do something about this. Otherwise, would the sect still have any prestige left in the pugilistic world?"
Every word of Paul¡¯s made Quinn¡¯s expression turn increasingly awful.
Justin was the littlest and most favored disciple of that devious scumbag from the Irvin School of Martial Arts. This identity of his had already made Quinn instinctively dislike him. It was only on Pete¡¯s ount that he had allowed him to go in and out of the Quinn School of Martial Arts.
But unexpectedly, that guy actually didn¡¯t show even a hint of mercy when fighting with disciples of the Quinn School of Martial Arts?
Did he think nothing of the Quinn School of Martial Arts?
He was furious.
Quinn looked at the room again. His voice was frosty as he said, "Justin, don¡¯t you owe me an exnation for this?"
Paul was stunned. He looked at the room in astonishment.
Since Quinn had already spoken, Justin could no longer stay out of the matter.
He nced at Nora, silently asking whether she was going to go out with him.
Nora, however, only raised her eyebrows and leaned against the wall, showing no intentions of going out at all.
Due to Paul¡¯s arrival, everyone training inside the Quinn School of Martial Arts hade over. With so many people out there, she mustn¡¯t go out. Otherwise, there would definitely be a great deal of trouble waiting for her in the future.
Seeing that she had no intentions of moving, Justin could only walk out the door leisurely.
Paul¡¯s pupils shrank when he saw him. He hadn¡¯t expected to see him in the sect premises. Was he here to apologize?
Paul frowned. He immediately took on an aggressive stance and said, "Perfect timing, Mr. Hunt. I was just about to look for you to ask you something¡ªjust what exactly have Winston and the others done to offend you and make you take such ruthless measures against them?! That¡¯s ten lives we¡¯re talking about!"
Quinn also frowned and asked, "What exactly is going on?"
Justin exined, "I didn¡¯t kill anyone."
Paul didn¡¯t expect him to say that. At once, he sneered, "Surely you¡¯re not someone who doesn¡¯t have the guts to own up to their own deeds, right, Mr. Hunt? They are already dead. If you didn¡¯t kill them, then are you saying that theymitted suicide?"
A sharp and fierce look filled Justin¡¯s dark eyes. His voice was low and deep as he said unhurriedly, "That possibility is too small. However, I indeed did not kill anyone. I only knocked them out."
Paul sneered, "In other words, you admit to knocking them out, right? A huge fire had broken out in the room after that, burning them all to death! Yes, you certainly did not kill them directly, but it¡¯s also true that you indirectly murdered them!"
The police had already checked the scene. They had indeed been burned to death alive.
One could only say that they were out of luck. There was a gas tank in the room, and its valve had been opened because of the fight, but the people inside hadn¡¯t noticed it. After Justin left, someone had taken out a lighter to light a cigarette because they were simply in too much pain.
The ce had exploded just like that.
Justin¡¯s pupils shrank, his keen senses catching on to something. A huge fire had broken out? Was this a coincidence or a deliberate act?
Next to Paul, Lucas said, "In other words, this is actually all a misunderstanding, right? Mr. Hunt didn¡¯t kill them; it was just a coincidence."
Paul heaved a sigh. "Yes, it was indeed a coincidence, but is Mr. Hunt free of responsibility just because he didn¡¯t kill them with his own hands? If he hadn¡¯t knocked them out, and if they hadn¡¯t fought there, how would this have happened?"
Quinn also became angry after listening to the events this far. Those were so many young lives, after all. He looked at Justin and demanded, "Just what exactly did they do to make you so angry that you would knock so many people out?"
Quinn¡¯s fury made Paul breathe a sigh of relief.
The old man had always been protective of his own, so he would definitely take his side this time.
While it was impossible to make Justin pay for it with his life, it would nevertheless still be worth it if the sect could force him to give in and give him somepensation.
With that in mind, Paul took the initiative to say, "One of my men just took an interest in his lover and wanted toy his hands on her. Isn¡¯t it very normal for young people to lose control of themselves and try to snatch a woman from someone else? Mr. Hunt was simply too ruthless!"
The moment he said that, it was Quinn¡¯s turn to be dumbstruck. He suddenly looked at Justin furiously and demanded, "You have a lover outside?"
What the f*ck?
His first, littlest, and most favored disciple had already given birth to his kids, yet he actually had the goddamn guts to have a lover out there?
Quinn became even angrier. "Tell me, what¡¯s her name?!"
Paul became even more excited when he saw Quinn¡¯s reaction. Thus, he spiced up the story further and said, "Her name is Nora Smith. She¡¯s from a down-and-out wealthy family, but she likes to put on a really lofty act. She found even Winston Myers beneath her, so she ingratiated herself with Mr. Hunt..."
As soon as he said that, pin-drop silence suddenly filled the entire courtyard.
Chapter 225: Bullying The Strong
Chapter 225: Bullying The Strong
Paul narrowed his eyes and looked at Justin.
He was waiting for Justin¡¯s exnation. Since Quinn had already interfered, there was no doubt that he would see this through to the end.
However, Justin¡¯s usual expressionlessness was such that he couldn¡¯t guess what he was thinking. He broke into a frown. It was only after he waited for a while that he realized that Quinn still hadn¡¯t uttered a word even after such a long time had passed.
He looked over in surprise to see Quinn, who was so livid that his face was all red, ring at him furiously.
Paul was taken aback. He was about to speak when Quinn asked, "Who did you say it was just now?"
Paul subconsciously replied, "Y¡¯know, Nora Smith. Master, you haven¡¯t heard of her before, right? She¡¯s from a small town in California, and is currently living with the Andersons..."
Quinn suddenly rubbed his fist at this point. Then, while he was unprepared¡ªno, one could say that he was actually prepared, but it was just that he couldn¡¯t avoid it at all¡ªQuinn¡¯s fist was already in his face.
Smack!
Paul stumbled backward several steps from the punch. He could feel a sore and unbearable sensation in his nose. Then, a warm liquid trickled downward.
The punch stunned him, and he stared at Quinn incredulously. Quinn, however, reprimanded him sternly, "That¡¯s the end of this matter!"
Paul, "?"
He was dumbfounded. "Master, you¡ª"
"What else do you want to say? Won¡¯t you hit Lucas if he tries to snatch your wife? Your men were asking for it! As for what came after, it was aplete coincidence! Paul, you should count yourself lucky that you weren¡¯t the one that tried toy his hands on Nora Smith. Otherwise, I would have straight-up expelled you from the sect!"
Quinn¡¯s words were fair.
First of all, the person who had tried to take advantage of Nora wasn¡¯t Paul but Winston.
Secondly, Winston and the others were already dead. Rtively speaking, those dozen or so lives had already made up for their mistake¡ªin fact, the price they paid was a little too great. Should Quinn still refuse to let go of the matter, he would look rather unreasonable.
Lastly, Paul was ultimately still the first senior of the unofficial disciples. Without his actions breaching his boundaries, Quinn couldn¡¯t easily just expel him from the sect.
Paul was stunned.
Quinn had still been filled with righteous indignation just a moment ago. Why was he suddenly pulling a long face at him?
He wanted to say something, but Quinn was already waving him off and saying, "You must be the one at fault for this incident, Paul. You don¡¯t have to say any more. If this ever happens again, I won¡¯t let you off so easily. Lucas, send him out!"
"Yes, sir."
Lucas replied respectfully. He grabbed Paul¡¯s arm and said, "This way, Paul."
Paul was older than Lucas, but Lucas was an official disciple. Therefore, all unofficial disciples had to see him as someone more senior than them. This was a rule in the Quinn School of Martial Arts.
Lucas had great physical strength. Moreover, Quinn had just punched Paul, causing him to see stars everywhere. Thus, Paul was dragged straight out the door by Lucas.
After he left, Quinn red at everyone who hade to watch the show and bellowed, "What are all of you doing here? Have you finished your practice for today? Mark, have you finished all 3,000 sets of low kicks? Gordan, have you perfected your stance? And you..."
As Quinn spoke, all his disciples and grand-disciples quickly slipped away one by one. Soon, the ce became empty again.
It was only when everyone left that Nora finally walked out of the inner room while holding the two children¡¯s hands.
At the sight of her, as though he had expected better from her, Quinn said, "The great Big Sister of the Quinn School of Martial Arts has actually been taken advantage of by a little hoodlum. Won¡¯t you even find it embarrassing if word of this spreads?!"
Nora yawned. "Therefore, you have to keep my identity a secret even more. Otherwise, I¡¯ll be embarrassing you, which makes you the one embarrassed."
Quinn, "..."
Nora wasn¡¯t bothered at all. She waved at him and then led Pete and Cherry out the door. "I¡¯m off, old man. I¡¯m dying of sleepiness."
Quinn was so mad that he was ring at her huffily, yet there was nothing he could do about thatzy disciple of his.
Justin left together with Nora. Then, they separated at the door, with each taking their respective little baby home.
¡ª
Elsewhere, Paul was still utterly bewildered when Lucas pushed him out.
Lucas was aware of Nora¡¯s identity, so he was currently looking at Paul in disappointment. "Why were you so muddleheaded? How could you let your men do something like stealing someone else¡¯s girlfriend?"
Only then did realization dawn upon Paul. "Master hates people who bully the weak the most. Is that why he was so angry just now?"
That old man had always been a man with a strong sense of justice.
Lucas, "..."
Just how was he supposed to tell the first senior of the unofficial disciples that the term ¡¯bullying the weak¡¯ wasn¡¯t appropriate in this situation? The one he was bullying... was the strong!
The corners of his lips spasmed a little. He patted Paul on the shoulder and warned, "Master only gave you a punch just now, and on top of that, he didn¡¯t use his full force. You can say that he has already shown you mercy. Don¡¯t you do anything heinous or illegal out there, especially during this period of time!"
Paul¡¯s eyes flickered. "You know me, Lucas. I¡¯ve always been doing business very honestly, so how would I have the guts to do anything bad? I keep Master¡¯s teachings in mind at all times!"
Lucas was relieved to hear that. He breathed a sigh of relief and replied, "That¡¯s good."
After cleaning off the blood on his nose at Lucas¡¯s, Paul left the Quinn School of Martial Arts.
His subordinate, who had gone with him to the Quinn School of Martial Arts to ask for help, couldn¡¯t help but say, "Boss, are we really going to keep our act clean for a while? The acquisition of the car racing club..."
Paul sneered, "Of course we have to behave¡ªwe¡¯ll just be the honest businessmen that we are! As for the car racing club... Heh, we¡¯re buying it over legally. Is there anything dishonest about that?"
His subordinate was scared. "But didn¡¯t Mr. Quinn say just now that..."
Paul waved and said, "You don¡¯t need to take what that old man says to heart. He¡¯s just putting on a lofty act!"
The subordinate understood now. "Okay."
Then, he began to get ahead of himself. "Are we going to swallow down the losses just like that this time?"
Paul narrowed his eyes. He sneered, "We may not be able to mess with Justin Hunt, but a certain someone does have to bear our wrath for this incident!"
"Who is it?"
Paul looked at his subordinate. "Who do you think it is?"
His subordinate understood what he meant at once. "I¡¯ll head to the Andersons right away!"
¡ª
Nora was still thinking about an important issue while on the way back to the Andersons¡¯ with Pete.
Did those ten people really die from a gas explosion?
She clearly remembered that the room was ventted. It stood to reason that even if the gas valve really had been opened, it shouldn¡¯t have gone to the extent of exploding.
While she was contemting the issue with a frown, Mia and Brandon were also visiting Jimmy in the hospital.
As Jimmy had received timely treatment, he had already more or less recovered by now.
A lively Brandon said, "Cherry is taking us to the Quinn School of Martial Arts this weekend! She¡¯s on very close terms with Grandpa Quinn!"
Jimmy was surprised to hear that.
Their family had run into some kind of trouble recently. Although his parents hadn¡¯t outright told him anything, through bits and pieces of their conversations, he was able to more or less guess what had happened. Thus, he knew that the matter was rted to the Quinn School of Martial Arts.
He held Brandon¡¯s hand excitedly and asked, "Is Cherry on very close terms with Mr. Quinn?"
In that case, would Cherry be able to put in a good word for his family?
Chapter 226: The Kids Go To The Quinn School of Martial Arts
Chapter 226: The Kids Go To The Quinn School of Martial Arts
Brandon had always been all brawn and no brains. Ever since he was convinced that Cherry could transform from a boy into a girl, he had admired her very much.
Added to this, the fact that Justin had really showed up and backed her up after she said that she was Justin¡¯s child the other time, he had never doubted anything that Cherry said ever again.
Thus, he nodded and said, "Yes, they are very close! She can get Mr. Quinn to teach us martial arts!"
He made a few fighting gestures and even let out a few hey¡¯s and ha¡¯s as he did so, making the little fellow look exceptionally simple and innocent. He said, "I¡¯m going to be a hero in the pugilistic world in the future! Who knows, I may even be able to master flying! And be someone invincible that can fly through the air and burrow through the ground! Right, Mia?"
Mia was very supportive. Her big round eyes were very bright on her pointed little face. She pped vigorously and said, "Yes!"
Brandon patted his little chest and said, "I will take care of you in the future!"
"Okie-Dokie!"
Jimmy, who was lying on the bed, "..."
After the two left, Mrs. Hoffman came to watch over him in the evening.
Mrs. Hoffman looked obviously rather flustered. Her emotions were very unstable, and she looked very haggard.
They were at their wits¡¯ end.
The Hoffmans had already mobilized all of their resources to look for Big Sister, but they couldn¡¯t find any clues about her at all!
This was simply too bizarre. After all, among New York¡¯s underworld forces, the Hoffmans had always been considered one that had developed pretty well. It was impossible for a n to keep a piece of information so securely hidden by themselves.
After all, some of their men were also part of the Quinn School of Martial Arts. Among the wealthy families, take the Smiths for example¡ªthey basically didn¡¯t have any secrets. Even for a family as big and sessful as the Hunts, there was no information that could be kept such a secret that no one could find out anything about it at all; unless they did it like how Mr. Hunt protected his son and kept information about him a secret to the extent that he didn¡¯t allow anyone to visit.
However, it was as if Big Sister was no different from the air itself.
This was totally impossible!
This was only achievable if all the families had joined hands to protect her!
Little Jimmy¡¯s voice pulled his mother, whose imagination was running wild, back to reality. He said, "Mommy, are you trying to get in contact with the Quinn School of Martial Arts? Cherry knows Mr. Quinn. You can ask her if she can help!"
Mrs. Hoffman, "?"
She felt as if she was hearing things. "What?"
Jimmy said, "It¡¯s true. Brandon said so. Cherry can help them get into the Quinn School of Martial Arts, and she is on very good terms with Mr. Quinn. She calls him Grandpa Quinn!"
Mrs. Hoffman, "!!"
She subconsciously asked, "Where did you hear such nonsense from? You..."
However, it suddenly urred to her that it was exactly because she hadn¡¯t trusted Nora¡¯s evaluation the other time that she ended up causing a dy in treatment of Jimmy¡¯s condition, which had almost resulted in her son¡¯s death.
She took back what she was about to say and frowned instead. She patted Jimmy¡¯s hand and said, "Alright, I¡¯ll ask them about itter."
Seeing that she was finally listening to what he was trying to tell her, Jimmy nodded. "Okay."
Jimmy had already more or less recovered and would be discharged in another two days. He was still going on and on about it before he fell asleep. "Cherry will be taking Brandon and the others to the Quinn School of Martial Arts during the weekend. Mommy, I wanna go too. Can I?"
"You can do anything you want as long as you recover. Go to sleep now."
"Okay."
Mrs. Hoffman waited until Jimmy fell asleep before she finally got up. After thinking about it, she decided to call Jordan. She said, "I think Ms. Smith may be acquainted with the Quinn School of Martial Arts."
Jordan was surprised. "Why do you say that?"
Mrs. Hoffman ryed Jimmy¡¯s words to him. Then, she said, "I don¡¯t know if Cherry is just bragging or if what she says is true... Sigh, why are children nowadays so hard to deal with? It¡¯s so hard to guess what they are thinking!"
Jordan burst intoughter. "Do you actually believe what a five-year-old says? Hahaha! Have you forgotten how Jimmy came home after school one day and said that there was a big tiger in the school and that he was afraid of being eaten, just so he could avoid going to sses when he first went to the kindergarten?"
Mrs. Hoffman, "..."
Jordan then went on and said, "There was even a kid who said that he knew the leaders of the country, but in the end, after asking his parents about it, it turned out that he knew them through the TV."
Mrs. Hoffman, "..."
"You mustn¡¯t just believe everything a kid says. If Ms. Smith is on close terms with the Quinn School of Martial Arts, would Paul have dared to bully her?"
Mrs. Hoffman was dumbfounded. "Are they bullying her again? Did you help her out? Ms. Smith is Jimmy¡¯s savior, you know!"
Jordanughed and replied, "Do you even need to ask? That Winston fellow kidnapped Ms. Smith¡¯s fianc¨¦ to threaten her into signing a racing agreement for their club, but ended up being beaten up by Ms. Smith and Mr. Hunt. An explosion happened after that and he died. Paul even went to the Quinn School of Martial Arts because of this!"
An anxious Mrs. Hoffman asked, "What happened after that?"
"Well, it just so happened that Mr. Hunt was in the Quinn School of Martial Arts at that time. Mr. Quinn likely showed Mr. Hunt some courtesy. After all, Paul was the guilty one in the first ce. Our men found out that Paul left the sect with bruises on his face, so he probably got beaten up."
Mrs. Hoffman became excited at once. "What cathartic news! When you look at it that way, Mr. Quinn isn¡¯t an unreasonable person, either!"
"Yes, everyone in the pugilistic world sings praises of Mr. Quinn. I reckon he isn¡¯t aware of what¡¯s happening among people at the lower rungs. The problem now, though, is that he already stopped taking care of things many years ago, so it¡¯s a mammoth task for us to even talk to him. We still have to look for Big Sister, regardless."
Mrs. Hoffman frowned. "How about I ask Ms. Smith about it? It doesn¡¯t hurt to ask anyway."
Jordan fell silent for a moment before he said, "Let¡¯s wait for a while more. Didn¡¯t Jimmy say he¡¯s going to the Quinn School of Martial Arts this weekend? It¡¯s not toote to ask after we confirm that Cherry can really bring the children into the sect to learn martial arts! If we ask Ms. Smith about it now, won¡¯t it put her in a spot if she isn¡¯t actually acquainted with the Quinn School of Martial Arts?"
"... Alright, then."
¡ª
The weekend soon arrived.
As Cherry had made a promise to the children, Pete had no choice but to bite the bullet and take the few children to the Quinn School of Martial Arts.
They gathered at the kindergarten entrance first. However, only four people turned up at the meeting time: Brandon, Mia, Seth, and little Jimmy who had just recovered from a serious illness.
Brandon called a ssmate that had promised toe. "Why aren¡¯t you here yet? We¡¯re waiting for you!"
The ssmate replied, "... My mom said that Cherry is lying. The Quinn School of Martial Arts isn¡¯t that easy to enter, and they have never done any recruitment for training sses! I¡¯m not going to go there just to be left out in the cold!"
Brandon didn¡¯t insist. He said, "It¡¯s just as well that you don¡¯te, then. This way, there¡¯ll be one fewer person that Mr. Quinn has to teach, and he¡¯ll be able to give me more guidance!"
He called another kid after he hung up. The kid gave him the same reply: "My dad says that Cherry is faking it. There¡¯s no way we can get into the Quinn School of Martial Arts. I¡¯m not gonna go anymore!"
Chapter 227: I Am The Father Who’s Out Of Your League!
Chapter 227: I Am The Father Who¡¯s Out Of Your League!
"My grandpa says that the Quinn School of Martial Arts doesn¡¯t teach children martial arts. They¡¯ve asked about it for a very long time now. Unless you join the sect or be an unofficial disciple, they won¡¯t take you in. But once you be an unofficial disciple, you¡¯ll have to keep on training for many years. I can¡¯t take such hardships, so I¡¯m not going anymore~!"
"My aunt says that..."
Children only practiced martial arts to keep fit. How would families that could afford to let their children attend the Golden Sunshine Kindergarten allow them to be martial arts practitioners?
Therefore, even though Brandon made several calls consecutively, everyone said the same thing.
Brandon, who was very positive, didn¡¯t get upset. He hung up excitedly, looked at Pete, and said, "Wow, the five of us will be the only ones there. That means it¡¯s gonna be a small ss! That¡¯s awesome!"
The others, "..."
Little Jimmy said indignantly, "They are too much! They agreed toe, yet they aren¡¯ting anymore! Hmph!"
Mrs. Hoffman hade along with Jimmy, and behind their car was Jordan, who had alsoe.
Although he had told Mrs. Hoffman that he didn¡¯t quite believe the children¡¯s banter, for some reason, when he thought of how Nora had so easily turned the tide at the racetracks, he subconsciously felt that he shouldn¡¯t underestimate her. Thus, he had canceled all his ns for the day and made a special trip here.
The sensitive Mia was afraid that Cherry would be upset, so she looked at Pete. When she turned to him, sure enough, she saw an expressionless ¡¯Cherry¡¯.
She held Pete¡¯s hand. "Don¡¯t be mad, Cherry!"
"I¡¯m not... yeah."
Mia asked timidly, "Then why aren¡¯t you smiling? You¡¯re mad, aren¡¯t you?"
Pete, "..."
He silently forced a smile. "I really am fine... yeah."
"Stop smiling, Cherry. Your smile looks even scarier than when you¡¯re crying," said Brandon.
Pete, "..."
Brandon darted over to Pete. "You¡¯re a boy today, right, Cherry? You¡¯re always so cool and not smiley at all when you¡¯re a boy, unlike the way you smile so sweetly when you¡¯re a girl!"
"..."
Pete decided to ignore the silly fellow. He got into the car and said, "Let¡¯s go!"
Tanya was the one taking Pete to the Quinn School of Martial Arts today. One shouldn¡¯t ask why Nora hadn¡¯te¡ªbecause she was making up for lost sleep!
As there were five children there, they wouldn¡¯t fit in a single car, so all of them rode in separate cars. In the end, everyone decided to head there in their own family¡¯s respective cars!
Pete got into the car and sat in the backseat.
He peeked at Tanya¡ªshe was listening to music and engrossed in driving, so she wasn¡¯t paying any attention to him. He secretly opened apartment in the backseat.
Inside thepartment was a small mirror.
He started to practice smiling in the mirror.
He broke into a grin...
He clearly also loved Cherry¡¯s smile, so why did he look so fierce when he was the one doing it instead?
It really was as scary as Brandon had put it. In that case, he¡¯d better not smile at Mia anymore, lest it frightened her. She was already such a timid girl...
Inside the Smiths¡¯ car.
Mia and Brandon sat in the back obediently. Even someone as mischievous and disobedient as Brandon¡ªwho was also suspected of having ADHD¡ªwas on his best behavior.
Because!
Joel was in the car.
As he shifted his butt from side to side, he couldn¡¯t help but lean into Mia¡¯s ear and whisper, "Why is your father here, Mia?"
Mia replied softly, "I don¡¯t know, yeah."
Joel raised his eyebrows as he listened to the two children¡¯s conversation. His gaze fell onto the jeep in front of them. He hadn¡¯t gotten out of the car with the kids just now because he had spotted her.
When Brandon and Mia said that they were going to the Quinn School of Martial Arts with Cherry today, he hade along for some strange reason, thinking that he might run into her... Sure enough, he did.
He cast his eyes down. In the midst of his thoughts, he received a voice message from Quentin: "Just how many people has that cousin of ours offended, Joel?"
Joel replied: "What¡¯s wrong?"
Quentin sent another message: "There are five different groups following her and looking into her background, and those are just the ones I¡¯ve found so far! I¡¯m probably the only one in the whole of New York that can cover her tracks for her! Without me, she would probably have exposed her own whereabouts a long time ago!"
Joel, "..."
He massaged his temples.
He thought of Ian¡¯s silence in the hospital and felt rather troubled. Wasn¡¯t that little cousin of theirs a little tooplex?
How he wished he could have a frank and open talk with her, and ask her who exactly she was.
But so long as Uncle Ian didn¡¯t make a stand, then he, a child whom Ian had brought up, would not be able to acknowledge his cousin¡¯s identity!
After all, he mustn¡¯t hurt his uncle¡¯s feelings.
Should Uncle Ian be adamant about not letting the Smiths acknowledge her, he would also help to erase all traces of the DNA test, so that she and the Smiths would never have anything to do with each other!
The previous generation¡¯s events had hurt Ian too much, after all.
With that in mind, he said, "Continue to protect her in secret."
A short silenceter, Quentin asked, "What if she meets with danger? Do I take action?"
Joel thought for a moment and replied, "Yes, help her out if that happens. She¡¯s still a Smith after all!"
"Okay."
Joel looked ahead of him again after hanging up. Tanya¡¯s driving sure was unsteady. She simply liked sticking to thene markings, which was too dangerous.
He honked at the car in front as a reminder.
When Tanya heard the horn from the car behind, she thought that the driver wanted to confirm with her whether or not he was following the right car. She didn¡¯t think that Joel would be in the car.
After all, when Mrs. Hoffman got out of the car just now, the adult who had gotten off the Smiths¡¯ car had been a chauffeur. If Joel hade, then why wouldn¡¯t he get out of the car?
Therefore, she smiled and returned a honk of her own, but continued to do things her own way when she drove.
Joel, "..."
The group arrived at the Quinn School of Martial Arts with mighty momentum.
The children got out of the cars. They were about to go through the main entrance when they saw a group of childrening out of the side entrance. The one in the lead was none other than Terence, the school bully.
Terence was hanging his head and shouting angrily, "They¡¯ve been teaching us normally so far, so why aren¡¯t they teaching us anymore?"
Lucas had forgotten to bring up the matter thest time he saw Paul, so he could only personally see them out the door when the children came over today. He exined, "Big Sister has forbidden us from teaching non-affiliated children. You are still allowed toe here yourself, Terence. After all, you¡¯re already an unofficial disciple of the Quinn School of Martial Arts. However, other children won¡¯t be able to learn martial arts with us anymore, unless they join the Quinn School of Martial Arts."
Terence felt especially embarrassed. "... Since you won¡¯t let them in, then I won¡¯t go in anymore, either!"
The group of children walked out of the premises with great momentum. As luck would have it, they bumped right into Pete¡¯s group.
After the children stared at one another for a while, Terence finally said, "What are youughing at, Cherry? You¡¯re just embarrassing yourself bying here! Did you hear that? They just said that Big Sister has forbidden them from teaching children anymore. Even if your father is Justin Hunt, the Quinn School of Martial Arts is not a ce that you can get in with money! Hmph!!"
Chapter 228: Miss Smith of Quinn School of Martial Arts!
Chapter 228: Miss Smith of Quinn School of Martial Arts!
Pete, who looked sullen, didn¡¯t speak.
However, there was also a devil incarnate in their line of work, Brandon, who stood up for his boss. "Terence, you were chased out yourself and you¡¯re taking your anger out on us! Cherry is very powerful. If she says he can bring us in, she can!"
Terence sneered. "My father said long ago that Quinn School of Martial Arts¡¯ rules are strict. Did you hear that? Only an unofficial disciple like me can enter to learn martial arts. You want to enter? No way!"
Brandon said, "Then I¡¯ll show you how we get in! Hmph! Cherry, let¡¯s go!"
Pete nodded and led the way, heading straight for the door.
However, Terence was following behind them. When he saw this situation, he sneered and said, "Cherry, don¡¯t tell me you still want to go through the main entrance? Do you know that unless there are important guests or inner disciples, the gates of Quinn School of Martial Arts are not open to just anyone!"
Quinn School of Martial Arts¡¯ management was very strict. This was also one of the reasons why Jordan and the others could not enter even if they wanted to be associated with Quinn School of Martial Arts. This was because they would be stopped at the entrance. It was impossible for them to speak to someone with authority!
Pete had been in power since he was young. No matter where he went, he would always go through the front door. He did not know anything about this.
Mia didn¡¯t understand either.
But Brandon understood.
His father and Joel were separated by a generation and could be considered cousins. Although they both were Smiths, his generation had to move out.
After all, his lineage was too distant.
The direct descendants and the coteral descendants were very clear in aristocratic families.
Therefore, his father often instructed him to maintain a good rtionship with Mia, who was the child of the head of the direct descendants.
Of course, he wasn¡¯t protecting Mia entirely because of this. After all, he was still young and wasn¡¯t that utilitarian. It was just that his father reminded him every time not to go through the front door, and he was used to it.
Therefore, he subconsciously looked at Pete. "Boss Cherry, are we really going through the front door? Is that not good?"
Pete turned his head in confusion. "Every time Ie, I always use this door."
Every time he came to learn martial arts, it was either Nora who brought him here or Justin.
Not to mention that he was an internal disciple personally taken in by Mr. Quinn and would be the one to inherit the mantle of Quinn School of Martial Arts in the future. Out of those two parents, one was Miss Smith of Quinn School of Martial Arts and the other Mr. Hunt of Irvin School of Martial Arts. They both have very important positions in the martial arts world, how could they possibly take the side door?
Hearing his words, Terence instantly felt that Cherry was lying. He immediately sneered and said, "What are you bragging about? Every time my fatheres to Quinn School of Martial Arts, he would only be allowed to go through the front door if it¡¯s a special asion. The rest of the time he would go through the side door. Do you think you guys are worthy?"
Pete smirked coldly. "Where did this wild doge from? Why is it barking in front of Quinn School of Martial Arts?"
Terence, "?"
He looked around, confused. "Is there a dog? Where¡¯s the wild dog?"
Pete, "..."
He should not have said so much. Arguing with someone whose IQ was not on the same level as his really damaged his image. He shook his head and simply walked forward.
In the car, Jimmy¡¯s mom was still in touch with Jimmy¡¯s father.
The two of them looked ahead. When they saw that Terence was being rejected while Cherry was walking toward the main door, Jordan couldn¡¯t help but say, "This child is indeed lying!"
Jimmy¡¯s mother was taken aback. "What¡¯s wrong?"
Jordan said, "That Lucas¡¯s words carry a lot of weight in Quinn School of Martial Arts. Since he said that Big Sister had given the order not to open sses for the children, it¡¯s impossible for him to open them again. Didn¡¯t you see that Paul Quin¡¯s son was chased out? Although I haven¡¯t found out who that Big Sister is, I found out that she has very high prestige in Quinn School of Martial Arts! Since she said she wouldn¡¯t open t sses for the children, she definitely won¡¯t."
Jimmy¡¯s mom sighed. "It¡¯s a good thing I didn¡¯t call Miss Smith. Otherwise, it would have been awkward if she learned that the children were bragging."
Jordan nodded, but he also sighed in disappointment.
If Cherry and Miss Smith could not find a way, what else could they do?
He looked at the side door. There, after Lucas sent Terence and the others out, he had closed the door and left.
If he could speak to Lucas and get him to convey this to Big Sister, would that work?
With that thought in mind, he said, "I¡¯m going off to do something. Pick Jimmy upter andfort him for not being able to enter Quinn School of Martial Arts. Then go home!"
Jimmy¡¯s mom nodded. "Okay."
Jimmy¡¯s father hung up and was about to leave when he saw¡ª
Brandon was too excited. He walked at the front and rushed in when he reached the door. He was stopped by the people guarding the door. "Eh, where did this childe from? Do you know where you are? How dare you rush in?"
Brandon struggled but did not feel anything wrong. Boss was right. "Cherry brought us here. She said we could enter from here!"
The gatekeeperughed. "Who¡¯s Cherry? I don¡¯t know her!"
As soon as he said this, Terenceughed out loud. "Did you see that? The main door isn¡¯t for you guys to enter. Cherry, even if you really have connections, you should have entered through the side door! You¡¯ve made a fool of yourself now, haven¡¯t you? You were stopped!"
With that, he took a step forward and pointed at Pete. "Brother, this is Cherry! She bragged that she could bring her friends into Quinn School of Martial Arts. She also said that she¡¯s very familiar with Mr. Quinn!"
When the gatekeeper heard this, he frowned. "What? I want to see who dares to brag like that? I¡¯ll have to find your parents and teach you a lesson..."
When he saw Pete slowly walking over, he suddenly stopped talking.
His eyes lit up as he smiled. "Pete, you¡¯re here!"
Terence: ???
He was stunned.
He looked at Pete in disbelief, only to see Pete nod very calmly. "Yes, is Grandpa Quinn here?"
The gatekeeper stepped aside enthusiastically. "Yes, Master has prepared delicious desserts. Are these your friends?"
Pete nodded. "Yeah."
"Then hurry up and enter! Master has been waiting for you for a long time!"
¡ª
In the car, Jordan and Jimmy¡¯s mother were so shocked that they could not speak.
Before Jordan could say anything, Jimmy¡¯s mother had already swallowed her saliva. She took out her phone and called Nora. The other party picked up quickly and said in a muffled voice, "Hello."
Jimmy¡¯s mother said, "Miss Smith, well, Cherry seems to be quite familiar with Mr. Quinn now that she¡¯s at the Quinn¡¯s. Can we trouble her to introduce us to someone?"
Nora was clearly sleeping. "Who is it?"
Jimmy¡¯s mother¡¯s tone turned grave. "The Big Sister of Quinn School of Martial Arts."
"..."
Chapter 229: Miss Smith of Quinn School of Martial Arts! 2
Chapter 229: Miss Smith of Quinn School of Martial Arts! 2
Nora was silent for a moment.
Sensing that she was silent, Jimmy¡¯s mother misunderstood. "Is it difficult to introduce us to her? Forget it, I was just asking..."
Actually, if Jimmy coaxed Cherry, she could also pass the message to Mr. Quinn.
But this was not good.
To get Cherry to help rmend someone, they definitely had to get the approval of the parent. After all, New York was filled with wealthy families. No one knew who had a rtionship with whom. Children did not know the severity of the matter, and she could not ask her children to help resolve it.
Jimmy¡¯s mother¡¯s thoughts were simple. Cherry might have been able to enter Quinn School of Martial Arts because of Mr. Hunt. It had nothing to do with Miss Smith, so she couldn¡¯t make things difficult for her.
As she was thinking about this, she heard the other party hesitate for a moment. "It¡¯s not that... Is something the matter?"
If she wanted her to help introduce her, she would have to exin the situation. Otherwise, what if what they asked the Big Sister to do went against her own interests?
With the most sincere attitude, Jimmy¡¯s mother sighed. "I want you to be magnanimous and let our Hoffman family off."
Nora, "?"
She was stunned. "What does Quinn School of Martial Arts have to do with the Hoffmans?"
If the Hoffmans had hurt someone from Quinn School of Martial Arts, then as the Big Sister, Nora would definitely seek justice for them.
This was not something that could be glossed over with friendship.
In Nora¡¯s impression, Quinn School of Martial Arts was managed by her master. Her junior brothers were all strong, handsome, and very obedient.
It was impossible for the internal disciples of Quinn School of Martial Arts to make mistakes.
At this thought, she heard Jimmy¡¯s mother say, "The thing is, isn¡¯t Quin Sect¡¯s backbone the Quinn School of Martial Arts? Forget it, Miss Smith. You¡¯re not an outsider, I won¡¯t beat around the bush about this. Paul Quin came to our house the other day and said that he wanted to buy the racing club for five million yuan. Apparently, this is Quinn School of Martial Arts¡¯s intention."
Nora, "?"
Jimmy¡¯s mother continued, "I know that the development of Quinn School of Martial Arts these past few years has not been without the support of flowing capital. Quin Sect has provided Quinn School of Martial Arts with a lot of money over the years, so it is a tool for Quinn School of Martial Arts to umte wealth outside. However, Hoffmans¡¯ foundation in New York is that racing club. As you know, there are countless people who love racing. The wealthy and influential are all in this circle, and Hoffmans became friends with them because of this. I want to contact that Big Sister. Our racing club can also give Quinn School of Martial Arts a bonus. I just hope that they won¡¯t be so ruthless!"
Nora, "!!"
While lying on the phone, she suddenly sat up. Her voice was very cold. "What did you say? Quinn School of Martial Arts is umting wealth outside?"
Jimmy¡¯s mother sighed. "Quinn School of Martial Arts has made a lot of money using Quin Sect these past few years. They¡¯re really bullying us this time! We Hoffmans can give up any other ce other than the racing club, but not this racing club! Our boss has already thought about it. If Quinn School of Martial Arts doesn¡¯t ept our surrender, we¡¯ll fight it out with Quin Sect!"
She was furious. "We can¡¯t afford to offend Quinn School of Martial Arts, but Quin Sect has been abusing us all these years. We¡¯re not pushovers!"
Then, she realized that her tone was too harsh. "I¡¯m sorry, Miss Smith. I couldn¡¯t control my emotions."
Nora frowned.
She knew Jimmy¡¯s mother well. She was an energetic woman. Otherwise, she would not have rushed to school to hit someone.
However, such a person was actually the most straightforward and did not have many sinister thoughts.
She said slowly, "It¡¯s okay. I understand what you mean, but as far as I know, Quinn School of Martial Arts has never borrowed Quin Sect¡¯s reputation to make money."
Jimmy¡¯s mother was stunned for a moment before saying, "Miss Smith, you heard about this too, right? However, Paul Quin keeps saying that it¡¯s because of Quinn School of Martial Arts. We can¡¯t be wrong. After all, this concerns the racing club..."
"I know." Nora interrupted her. "Now, I need to confirm the entire story. However, I can guarantee that this is definitely not the intention of Big Sister and Mr. Quinn. You don¡¯t need to sell the racing club!"
Jimmy¡¯s mother was stunned by her domineering words. "Ah, okay, okay."
After saying that, Nora hung up.
Jimmy¡¯s mother stared at her phone in a daze.
At this moment, there was a knock on the car window. She opened it and saw Jordan walking over. He opened the car door and sat beside her. Looking at her phone, he asked, "You called Miss Smith?"
She nodded in a daze.
Jordan misunderstood. "Miss Smith is unable to help? I was just thinking that since Cherry is Mr. Hunt¡¯s child, she might have been able to enter Quinn School of Martial Arts because of his help. Although I don¡¯t know why Mr. Quinn would ept a child from Irvin School of Martial Arts. After all, he hates everyone there the most!"
Upon hearing this, Jimmy¡¯s mother suddenly said, "What if that child is also Big Sister¡¯s child?"
Jordan, "?"
He was stunned and turned his head slowly. "What?"
Jimmy¡¯s mother quickly shook her head. "I guess I was too hot and dizzy. I actually said such nonsense."
Miss Smith¡¯s tone earlier, especially when she spoke of Big Sister and Mr. Quinn, made it seem as if she was Big Sister herself.
But how was that possible?
However, Miss Smith definitely knew Big Sister. Perhaps the Big Sister was also a racing fan of Miss Smith?
She shook her head and abandoned the unrealistic thoughts in her mind. Then, she heard Jordan say, "If Miss Smith can¡¯t help, she must have her own difficulties. Don¡¯t take your anger out on her because of this..."
"No," she interrupted him and said slowly, "Miss Smith said that we don¡¯t have to sell the racing club. That¡¯s not Quinn School of Martial Arts¡¯ intention."
Jordan: "..."
¡ª
Quin Sect.
After Terence cried bitterly on the phone, Paul Quin rushed over. He did not expect to see the Hoffmans¡¯ car not far from the entrance.
Why were they here?
Paul Quin narrowed his eyes. After getting out of the car, he walked straight to the two of them and knocked on the door. However, he realized that the couple was in the car and could not enter.
He instantly felt superior. "Mr. Hoffman, why are you here?"
Jordan pursed his lips and suddenly said, "Mr. Quin, let me ask you a question. Was it really Quinn School of Martial Arts¡¯ idea to acquire our racing club?"
Paul Quin raised his eyebrows and chuckled. "Mr. Hoffman, what do you mean? Do you think I¡¯ll lie to you? Why don¡¯t I look for Lucas to sign the contract with our families?"
At this moment, Nora was racing over.
Chapter 230: Miss Smith of Quinn School of Martial Arts! 3
Chapter 230: Miss Smith of Quinn School of Martial Arts! 3
Nora could ensure that she and Mr. Quinn did notmit any crimes, and she could also guarantee that Lucas, who had interacted with her a lot, was not that kind of a person. However, she could not guarantee if someone had relied on the power of Quinn School of Martial Arts to do bad things outside. After all, there were so many disciples under them.
Therefore, she had toe over and find out what was going on.
Unfortunately, Jimmy¡¯s mother and Jordan did not know about this. When they heard Paul Quin¡¯s frank words, both of them trembled in fear!
The fact that he dared to call Lucas over to confront him at the entrance of Quinn School of Martial Arts meant that either Paul Quin¡¯s heart was too big or this matter was true.
How trustworthy were Miss Smith¡¯s words?
Jordan narrowed his eyes. "He doesn¡¯t have to watch the contract. Either you call him out and get him to give us urate information, or I¡¯ll feel aggrieved about the loss of this money."
Paul Quin narrowed his eyes and smiled. "Sure. Wait a moment, Mr. Hoffman. Quinn School of Martial Arts is not a ce that just anyone can enter."
Jordan, "!!"
Jimmy¡¯s mother was even more furious. "Heh, speaking of which, we¡¯re not random people, are we? Mr. Quin, you have such a high status in Quinn School of Martial Arts. Can¡¯t you show us around?"
Paul Quin was neither angry nor annoyed. "How is my status high? I¡¯m just the Big Brother of the unofficial disciples. Master loves silence the most. Not to mention me, even Senior Lucas can¡¯t bring anyone in! Of course, unless Big Sisteres..."
Jimmy¡¯s mother and Jordan looked at each other.
At this moment, their minds were filled with one thought¡ª
"Daddy, why can Cherry bring her friends in?"
Terence asked indignantly. He had lost all his face in front of his friends earlier! Therefore, he was not afraid of ruining Paul Quin¡¯s show.
Paul, "!"
When Terence had called him to cry andin, he had said that Quinn School of Martial Arts had stopped him from bringing his friends in. He had not told him the details, so he had not understood.
When he heard this, his pupils constricted. "What?"
Only then did Terence tell him what had happened. "...Why can Cherry bring people in? Why can¡¯t I? Dad, are you still the number one Big Brother of Quinn School of Martial Arts?! Why are you so weak?!"
Paul, "..."
He looked at Jordan and Jimmy¡¯s mother and then at Terence. "What are you talking about? Don¡¯t be anxious. I¡¯ll ask around! Did you just say that Cherry brought two children from the Smiths in?"
Terence nodded.
Paul Quin sneered. "She¡¯s smart. She might not be able to enter with just Justin¡¯s reputation, but if the Smiths are involved, Quinn School of Martial Arts will have to give her face no matter what!"
If they did not give face to the two wealthy families in New York, then Quinn School of Martial Arts would be considered too disrespectful!
Therefore, Paul Quin still did not suspect anything. He patted Terence¡¯s head and got the children into the car before heading to the side door. After knocking on the door, he entered Quinn School of Martial Arts.
When Lucas heard that Paul Quin was here, he personally weed him. "This is all my fault! Big Sister told me about this, but I forgot to tell youst time! Sigh!"
Paul Quin was the best at handling people. "How could you be med? It¡¯s also my son¡¯s mischievousness. I¡¯ve already taught him a lesson!"
These words made Lucas feel even more guilty.
Paul Quin took the opportunity to say, "It¡¯s also because I¡¯ve been too busy recently and haven¡¯t had the time to care about him. Sigh!"
As he spoke, he sighed, making Lucas curious. "Busy with what?"
Paul Quin sighed again. "I was busy with Quin Sect¡¯s business. I had originally nned to buy a racing track for 50 million, but the other party changed their mind at thest minute. He even said... Sigh!"
Lucas was furious. "What did you say?"
Paul Quin shook his head. "Forget it. It¡¯s nothing. I can¡¯t let Quinn School of Martial Arts be humiliated."
Lucas became even more anxious. "Tell me, what did he say?"
Paul Quin sighed. "He said that he heard that I¡¯m the Big Brother of the unofficial disciples of Quinn School of Martial Arts, and don¡¯t have much of a presence. Therefore, he sold it to someone else. Over the years, I¡¯ve always remembered Master¡¯s teachings and never dared to cause trouble outside. But look, others treat me as easy to bully. They¡¯re all bullying me!"
Lucas was instantly exasperated. "Not to mention unofficial disciples, even a small disciple of our Quinn School of Martial Arts can¡¯t be bullied by others! Who is that person? Where is he? Bring me to see him!"
Paul Quin said, "How could I ask this of you? But it¡¯s a coincidence, they¡¯re outside the door right now. Senior Brother, why don¡¯t you help me greet them? There¡¯s no need to say anything. Just acknowledge me as the Big Brother."
"Alright, that¡¯s easy!"
Lucas had been deceived by his image for a few years and had long believed that Paul Quin was a good person. Therefore, he followed him out without any doubts.
When they saw Lucase out, Jimmy¡¯s mother and Jordan were even more stunned.
The two of them hurriedly got out of the car and saw Lucas walking over aggressively with his chin raised.
Jordan frowned.
Could it be that Lucas was angry because he heard that they did not trust Paul Quin?
As he thought about this, Paul Quin introduced, "Senior Brother, these are my business partners."
Then, he said to Jordan and Jimmy¡¯s mother, "This is Senior Lucas, who is considered the second Big Brother of the internal disciples. Other than Big Sister, he¡¯s the most prestigious person in the entire Quinn School of Martial Arts."
Lucas praised him as well. "Of course not. Big Brother Quin, you¡¯re the number one unofficial disciple. Actually, ording to your age, I should also call you Senior Brother!"
Paul Quin smiled. "Senior Lucas, you¡¯re wee!"
The two of them spoke intimately. It was obvious that they were very close.
Jimmy¡¯s mother¡¯s expression changed.
Jordan¡¯s expression darkened as he said, "Senior Lucas, regarding business..."
Before he could finish, Paul Quin interrupted him. "Mr. Hoffman, my Senior Lucas has never cared about business. Let us discuss business matters ourselves instead!"
Lucas nodded. "Yes, Quinn School of Martial Arts never does business, but Paul Quin is the number one unofficial disciple of Quinn School of Martial Arts. He¡¯s equivalent to Quinn School of Martial Arts¡¯ face!"
In other words, no one should underestimate him!
Jordan¡¯s expression darkened. He said, "I understand."
Jimmy¡¯s mother was indignant. "Mr. Lucas, does your Big Sister also acknowledge Mr. Quin?"
Lucas immediately said, "Of course! Although Big Sister never interfered with the affairs of Quinn School of Martial Arts, she treated the disciples very well!"
When Jimmy¡¯s mom heard this, she almost despaired.
It seemed like Miss Smith did not know Big Sister well enough. Did Lucas mean that even Big Sister was on Paul Quin¡¯s side?
Paul Quin looked at the two of them proudly and suddenly smiled. "Mr. Hoffman, I brought the contract. Why don¡¯t we sign it now?"
Jordan:"..."
At this moment, a car suddenly stopped beside them, raising waves of dust.
Chapter 231: Miss Smith of Quinn School of Martial Arts! 4
Chapter 231: Miss Smith of Quinn School of Martial Arts! 4
Nora¡¯s car was too fast and too impatient, causing dust to fly.
The four people covered in dust looked at her simultaneously and saw the car stop. Nora pushed the door open and got out of the car.
When she saw that it was her, Jimmy¡¯s mother became nervous. She looked at Paul Quin, afraid that he would make things difficult for her.
As for Jordan, he stood between her and Paul Quin without hesitation. He used his powerful and muscr body to block Paul Quin¡¯s sudden attack.
After all, this was a "weak girl". He still had to protect her.
Huh, but something seemed off?
When Jordan saw Nora¡¯s thin and frail body, he had already forgotten that she had once fought more than ten people alone and rushed into Jimmy¡¯s bedroom. After all, he had not seen it himself.
When Lucas saw Nora, he was also stunned. He was about to call her Big Sister when he suddenly realized that there were too many people in front of him. Nora had specially instructed him not to reveal her identity in front of everyone.
Therefore, he opened his mouth and closed it again.
As he was conflicted about how to address her, Lucas did not speak for a moment.
Only Paul Quin snorted. "Miss Smith? You¡¯re here too? What¡¯s wrong? Did you hear that Mr. Hoffman is here ande over to show off?"
Lucas looked at Paul Quin in surprise.
Eh? He knew Big Sister?
But why did his tone sound a little off?
As he was thinking about this, he saw Nora raise her eyebrows. She ignored him and looked at Jordan and Jimmy¡¯s mother instead. "Why are you guys here?"
Jimmy¡¯s mother nced at him and exined, "Cherry who took Jimmy in to study martial arts in, so we waited here for her toe out and pick him up."
Hearing this, Nora raised her eyebrows.
ording to the old man¡¯s fondness for Cherry, if Cherry had said anything, the old man would have definitely stood up for Jordan and his wife. However, they had never thought of approaching Mr. Quinn through her.
This made her like Jimmy¡¯s mother even more.
She lowered her eyes. "Yes."
With that, she looked at Lucas and felt that it was not nice to talk about Quinn School of Martial Arts outside. Therefore, she said, "I¡¯m afraid there¡¯ll be a war of words today. Lu..."
She hesitated for a while, not knowing how to call him. Mr. Lucas? It was so strange...
As she was hesitating, Lucas had already reacted like a smart person. "Yes, yes. Everyone,e inside and find the lounge to sit down and chat!"
Lucas was puzzled by the entire matter.
From the looks of it, Big Sister seemed to treat Jordan and his wife well. But did she know that this couple was bullying their unofficial disciple?
He felt that he should let Big Sister know in private so that she would not bully her familyter.
Their Quinn School of Martial Arts was the most protective!
Paul Quin frowned in confusion when he saw Lucas¡¯s enthusiastic attitude. Then, he followed Paul Quin¡¯s words and turned around. "Yes, you¡¯re a guest. Let¡¯s talk inside!"
With that, Lucas added, "Bring your contract so that we can sign it!"
Paul Quin¡¯s restless heart instantly settled back into his stomach with these words.
As long as Senior Lucas was on his side, there was no problem.
Paul Quin nced at Nora again and thought that Lucas was being more polite to her probably because of Cherry. After all, Cherry was Justin¡¯s daughter.
From what happenedst time, he could tell that Quinn School of Martial Arts was still very tolerant of Justin.
They did not seem to be as hostile as they were a few years ago.
He was thinking so muddle-headedly and did not notice for a moment that Lucas was leading everyone through the main door. He did not notice that when the gatekeeper saw Nora among them, he respectfully cupped his fists and bowed, while Nora only nodded slightly.
He did not notice it, but Jordan and Jimmy¡¯s mother did.
The two of them looked at Nora in shock and swallowed their saliva simultaneously.
Who was this Miss Smith?
Why were the people from Quinn School of Martial Arts so polite to her?
As the two of them were feeling fearful, the group entered the guest room beside them.
Quinn School of Martial Arts was a courtyard house. The waiting room was decorated in a Chinese style, and there was redwood furniture inside. It was obvious that the price was not cheap.
The foundation of an expert martial arts School Arts was revealed.
Some disciples brought tea while others brought fruits.
After everything was prepared, Lucas suddenly said, "Everyone, please wait a moment. Miss Smith, pleasee with me."
Nora raised her brows.
Coincidentally, she still had not figured out the situation. She wanted to ask Lucas and see if Paul Quin was protected by Lucas.
If Paul Quin had acted on his own ord, she would definitely have dealt with him.
But if Lucas secretly supported him, then... she would have to ask this junior of hers. Was there not enough money at home? Or did he not have enough money to get married after finding a girlfriend outside?
Should she consider giving him some money?
Yes, the unofficial disciples belonged to others, but the junior brother belonged to her!
Especially him!
Lucas had helped her take care of Quinn School of Martial Arts all these years. Nothing must happen to him. Even if something happened, she had to help cover it up.
With this thought in mind, the two of them went out and walked to the courtyard beside them.
In the courtyard, a few disciples of the Quinn School of Martial Arts were practicing martial arts. Lucas said, "Big Sister, are you very familiar with Jordan?"
Nora thought for a moment. "Not really."
They had a few interactions, but they did not interact much.
Lucas heaved a sigh of relief. "That¡¯s good. Your friend is a bully! Paul Quin told me..."
He exined Paul Quin¡¯s words.
Nora, "?"
She raised her eyebrows and looked at Lucas with a faint smile. "He said that he would buy the racing club for 50 million?"
Lucas nodded.
Nora suddenly smiled. "Then do you know how much that racing club is worth?"
Lucas shook his head in confusion. "How much can a club be worth? It can¡¯t be worth hundreds of millions!"
Nora sighed silently.
It was more than a few hundred million!
The capital inside was as high as one billion, or even ten billion!
Everyone was racing and gambling. Some people bet tens of millions or even hundreds of millions. As for Jordan¡¯s family, they were taking interest from the capital flow!
She patted Lucas¡¯s shoulder. "Lucas, you¡¯re too naive."
Lucas, "..."
In the guest room.
As he watched the two of them leave, Lucas gave Paul Quin a reassuring look before thetter heaved a sigh of relief.
It seemed like Lucas was nning to let Nora settle the matter.
Then he would take the opportunity to force the Hoffmans.
He stood up and smiled. "Can we sign the contract now?"
Jordan and his wife were still in shock over Nora¡¯s identity. When they heard this, Jimmy¡¯s mother was very determined. "Ha, we won¡¯t sign it."
Paul Quin sneered. "Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re hoping that Nora can save you? Who does she think she is? She¡¯s at most Justin¡¯s secret lover. Quinn School of Martial Arts only gave Justin some face. How could they give her any?"
As soon as he said this, the door was suddenly pushed open.
Chapter 232: Miss Smith of Quinn School of Martial Arts! 5
Chapter 232: Miss Smith of Quinn School of Martial Arts! 5
Paul Quin was stunned. He turned around and saw Lucas and Nora standing there.
Lucas frowned and reprimanded, "What are you saying?"
When Paul Quin saw his unhappy expression, he hurriedly smiled. "Senior Lucas, you¡¯re back? I can¡¯t speak, I was wrong."
He knew that Quinn School of Martial Arts hated saying things like women and lovers. That old man was very particr and liked to put on an act.
His words earlier were indeed a little too unpleasant.
He pretended to hit his own mouth and looked at Nora again. "Miss Smith, don¡¯t mind me. I just spoke without thinking."
With that, he smiled at Jordan and Jimmy¡¯s mother.
Jordan and Jimmy¡¯s mother stood up and tried to see if they could get something from Lucas and Nora¡¯s faces. However, Nora remained calm. Her eyes were filled with sleepiness, and no emotions could be seen.
On the other hand, Lucas¡¯ expression was very ugly. Did Miss Smith anger him?
Jimmy¡¯s mother clenched her fists.
Miss Smith must have spoken up for them. Lucas was so angry because Miss Smith had dyed his business, right?
She frowned and looked at Jordan. The two of them had been husband and wife for many years. With one look, they understood something. Jordan immediately said, "Mr. Lucas, don¡¯t be angry. We¡¯re only here to see if we can reduce our losses. After all, buying a club for five million is really no different from robbing!"
Five million?
Lucas was stunned. "Isn¡¯t it 50 million?"
Jordan and his wife were speechless.
The two of them looked at Paul Quin in unison and saw him stand up straight with a frown. "That¡¯s right. We clearly agreed on 50 million yuan. Why are you guys ying the me game now that you¡¯re in Quinn School of Martial Arts?! Even the contract says 50 million! Mr. Hoffman, no matter how much you look down on me, there¡¯s no need to nder me like this, right?"
Paul Quin straightened his back after saying those words.
He had buried them.
When Jordan and Jimmy¡¯s mother found Quinn School of Martial Arts and Mr. Quinn said that he would chase Paul out if he made another mistake, he had thought of this strategy that could turn the tables!
His n was simple. He could nder the Hoffmans and force them to sell the club for 50 million yuan.
Although it had increased by 45 million for no reason, it was worth itpared to the value of that club!
Furthermore, his price sounded very suitable.
After all, Lucas did not know about the casinos in racing clubs. On the surface, 50 million yuan to buy a club was a very suitable price.
The Hoffmans clenched their fists. "You¡¯re ndering us!"
Paul sighed. "I really don¡¯t intend to force a sale. Logically speaking, it should be a business that we¡¯re both willing to do. But you guys keep changing your minds and now you¡¯re using me of nder... Where are you going to buy a club for five million? Isn¡¯t this robbery? Now that Senior Lucas is here and you guys are in Quinn School of Martial Arts, I want to ask you, Mr. Hoffman, is your club for sale or not?!"
Jimmy¡¯s mom was furious. "Even 50 million is not enough!"
Paul frowned. "How can you say that? Don¡¯t tell me you want to raise the price again? How can you change your business so quickly? You guys are really bullying our Quinn School of Martial Arts!"
Anyway, Lucas did not know the inside story of the club.
Logically speaking, it should be time for Lucas to stand up for him after hearing his words. As Paul thought about this, he turned his head and saw Lucas staring at him angrily... Wait, why him?
Paul was stunned and immediately caught on to something.
But before he could react, Lucas had already taken a step forward. "Brother Paul, actually, I already respect you in my heart. After all, you¡¯re the number one unofficial disciple, the Big Brother of the unofficial sect. Although Master has divided Quinn School of Martial Arts into the internal and unofficial sects, he¡¯s actually very concerned about the unofficial disciples. Every time youe, I personally wee you..."
Paul did not understand why Lucas was saying all this at this moment, but he still took the opportunity to look at Jordan and nodded meaningfully. "Yes, although I¡¯m an unofficial disciple, I¡¯m not someone who can be bullied by just anyone!"
The meaning behind his words was: I, an unofficial disciple, have a lot of weight in Quinn School of Martial Arts!
Jordan and Jimmy¡¯s mother were stunned. They did not know what Miss Smith and Lucas were up to, so they could only stay silent.
Paul smiled, feeling that the atmosphere today was enough.
Taking out Quinn School of Martial Arts to oppress the Hoffmans and changing the price from 5 to 50 million would make it easier for the Hoffmans to ept.
It seemed like they could not escape the contract today.
Just as he thought of this, he heard Lucas sigh deeply. "Paul, it has alreadye to this, but you¡¯re still using me."
Paul: "?"
He turned around suddenly and looked at Lucas in disbelief. "Wh-what did you say?"
Lucas red at him angrily. "I treated you as a good friend and treated you as my superior. Master doesn¡¯t like you, so I pleaded on your behalf because I kept thinking about the times we trained together. But what about you?"
Paul was stunned. "Senior Lucas, I..."
Lucas lowered his eyes. "Miss... Miss Smith has already told me that that club is priceless. The Hoffmans have never thought of selling it, either. It was you who used the power of Quinn School of Martial Arts to force a deal!! This has already severely vited our rules! Punishing the strong and helping the weak, eradicating the evil and promoting the good, is what we should do. But you actually used us to suppress the weak. You disappoint me!"
Paul gulped. "Senior Lucas, you¡¯ve misunderstood. Did you misunderstand something?"
He suddenly looked at Nora and narrowed his eyes. "I understand. Did she say something to you? But Senior Lucas, how can you trust an outsider rather than your junior?!"
Nora, "??"
She scoffed.
Paul tried his best to maintain his dignity. He did not dare to really offend Quinn School of Martial Arts. He immediately said, "Senior Lucas, don¡¯t listen to her nonsense. She has always had ill intentions toward me!"
"It was her who killed Winston and the others. This woman is the most promiscuous and goes around seducing men. Senior Lucas, you couldn¡¯t have been misled by her beauty, right?"
Lucas, "..."
Furious, he suddenly stretched out his fist and punched Paul. "What nonsense are you talking about?!"
Paul reached out to block his attack and used his arm to block him. However, he shouted loudly, "Then do you dare to bring me to Master? We¡¯ll let Master be the judge! Master hates helping outsiders bully his family the most, Senior Lucas! You actually helped an outsider!"
When he said this, Lucas could not stand it anymore and shouted angrily, "Do you know who she is? She¡¯s not an outsider!"
Chapter 233: Because He’s My Son!
Chapter 233: Because He¡¯s My Son!
Not an outsider?
Paul was stunned again. While he was still in a daze, Lucas took the opportunity to punch him in the face. Bang! Blood sttered as Paul¡¯s nose bled again...
He retreated and avoided Lucas¡¯ attack. "Not an outsider? Then tell me who she is!"
Lucas choked and was speechless.
Paul sneered when he saw him. "Tell me? You can¡¯t say anything, right? I know. Are you having an affair with her?"
"You¡¯re asking for a beating!"
Lucas had always had a good temper. At this moment, he was so angry that he could not speak. He could only punch repeatedly, making Paul run around the room in a sorry state.
"Paul, if you don¡¯t exin yourself, this matter will not end today!"
Paul found an opportunity and dashed out to the courtyard.
The other disciples in the courtyard rushed over one after another, not understanding what was going on. Then, they saw Lucas, whom they respected very much, running out of his room and chasing after Paul.
Paul shouted, "Everyone,e and judge! Senior Lucas actually bullied me for his lover! Master, save me!"
With that, someone stepped forward, wanting to stop Lucas. Lucas roared angrily, "Move!"
That person immediately moved aside and did not dare to interfere.
It couldn¡¯t be helped. Lucas was now managing the Quinn School of Martial Arts on behalf of the sect leader! Who dared to provoke him?!
However, Paul seized the opportunity and ran straight to Mr. Quinn¡¯s courtyard. He ran straight to the martial arts hall. "Master, help! Help!"
Logically speaking, the disciple guarding the door should have stopped him. When he saw that it was Lucas behind him and heard Paul shouting for help, he was momentarily at a loss. Therefore, he let him pass and enter the courtyard.
Lucas followed closely behind.
The other disciples did not dare to enter Master¡¯s courtyard casually. They could only stand outside the courtyard and crane their necks to look inside.
The usually refined Senior Lucas had actually beaten up the number one unofficial disciple, Paul Quin. Weren¡¯t these two people on the best terms usually? What was going on today?
The Hoffmans, who were already stunned, were still standing in the lounge. They looked at the messy room and did not know what to do. Then, they saw Nora sigh silently.
She rubbed her temples and said helplessly, "Follow me."
It had already reached the old man. It seemed like she did not need to cover up her alias anymore.
Sigh!
Therefore, everyone watched as Nora brought the Hoffmans slowly and leisurely to Mr. Quinn¡¯s door. Then, under everyone¡¯s gazes, she entered the courtyard openly.
At this moment, Mr. Quinn and the children were already standing in the courtyard.
Pete stood beside Mr. Quinn and protected him... After all, Grandpa Quinn looked very old, and his legs seemed very inconvenient.
The other children were frightened and hid behind Mr. Quinn.
Only Mia was hiding behind Pete.
Lucas restrained his thoughts of making a move in front of Mr. Quinn. After all, this was too disrespectful to his Master.
Only Paul¡¯s gazended on Pete.
Wasn¡¯t this Justin¡¯s daughter?
He originally thought that she could enter because Justin had exerted his strength and made Quinn School of Martial Arts vite the rules to teach them martial arts. There was no doubt that his reputation could notpare to Justin¡¯s.
But how could she be in the martial arts hall?
Only internal disciples could enter this ce!
He suddenly remembered that some time ago, Mr. Quinn had taken in a five-year-old disciple...
He was suddenly shocked. "Master, is this your new little disciple?"
Mr. Quinn looked at Pete and the curious disciples of Quinn School of Martial Arts. He knew that he had to rectify Pete¡¯s name.
He coughed. "Don¡¯t talk nonsense. No!"
Although Mr. Quinn was indeed teaching Pete martial arts and everyone guessed that he had taken in another disciple, he had not held any ceremony.
One was because Justin wanted to protect Pete and never exposed his information.
Secondly, Mr. Quinn had never thought of taking him in as a disciple!
If he was taken in as a disciple, how would Nora and Pete address each other? Wouldn¡¯t their seniority be messed up?
The reason why Mr. Quinn taught Pete martial arts was to nurture Nora¡¯s next sessor. After all, if he had to rely on Nora, thatzy egg, to nurture him, he was worried that the ultimate martial arts of Quinn School of Martial Arts would end with Nora!
No one could say how bitter he felt.
He could only lie to Nora and say that he had taken in a disciple. He wanted her to be nervous and let her know that he was unhappy. He wanted her to take the initiative to beg for mercy.
However, this fellow did not even care about her son bing her Senior.
She did not care about the eyes of the world, but he did!
Therefore, he had not announced it to the public because he wanted to find an opportunity to tell everyone that Pete was not his disciple!
He was an 80-year-old man. Why would he take in a five-year-old disciple? This was his grand-disciple!
He was only helping his unfilial disciple to train with her grand-disciple!
Mr. Quinn coughed and touched Pete¡¯s head.
Paul heaved a sigh of relief. Just as he was about to say something, he heard Mr. Quinn say in a loud voice, "This child has an excellent foundation and is quite talented in the martial arts. Therefore, I want to announce that from today onwards, your Big Sister will officially take him in as a disciple! He¡¯s also the first disciple of the direct line of disciples in our sect!"
Mr. Quinn had a grand-disciple a long time ago. Unfortunately, they were not direct descendants.
With that, everyone understood.
One by one, they shouted up, "Congrattions, Big Sister, for epting a disciple!"
Nora¡¯s lips twitched. In this unified voice, she could even hear Jimmy¡¯s mother¡¯s voice behind her wondering if Mr. Quinn had said something wrong. Wasn¡¯t the child Nora¡¯s daughter?
Nora: "..."
Paul knew that he was done for.
This child was Nora¡¯s daughter. She would definitely side with her mother.
His expression darkened as he rebuked angrily, "Master! I always thought that our Quinn School of Martial Arts was proud and unyielding, but I didn¡¯t expect that one day, you would actually submit to the Hunts! You let Big Sister take him in as a disciple because he¡¯s Justin¡¯s child, right?!"
He stood up straight and descended from the sky like a God of justice, egging everyone on angrily. "I¡¯m really heartbroken! I didn¡¯t expect Quinn School of Martial Arts to fall to the point of kneeling and licking Justin! My sect is unfortunate, my sect is unfortunate!"
He shouted a few times before the celebration outside stopped.
Quinn School of Martial Arts was glorious. How could this be? Everyone looked at Mr. Quinn, waiting for his exnation.
But at the next moment¡ª
A delicate figure suddenly stepped forward and sent a kick out at an extremely fast speed, sending the crying Paul to the side. "Shut up! Master asked me to take him in as my disciple because he¡¯s my son!"
Nora was really furious. The old man was already in his eighties and was the most superstitious. This person could not say anything good. If the old man was angered badly, wouldn¡¯t she have toe back to take charge of the situation?
Paul was kicked a little heavily. He rubbed against the ground for a few meters before hitting the wall in the courtyard. "Pfft!" He spat out a mouthful of blood.
The pain made his mind unable to react to the huge information contained in Nora¡¯s words for a moment. He only suppressed the pain and stared at her angrily. "How ridiculous. You? Who do you think you are?"
Nora pped her hands and drooped her eyes. Her tone waszy.
"I¡¯m your Big Sister."
"Oh, not anymore."
"You¡¯ve been expelled."
Chapter 234: Paul Quinlan’s Fate!
Chapter 234: Paul Quin¡¯s Fate!
"..."
The entire courtyard was silent.
It was as if someone had pressed the mute button on everyone, and they all stared at the thin young woman in astonishment and disbelief.
Disregarding how astonished Jordan and Mrs. Hoffman¡ªwho had already suspected a thing or two a long time ago¡ªwere, even Paul was so shocked that he had all but forgotten the pain he was feeling.
She was the Quinn School of Martial Arts¡¯ Big Sister?
How... how could that be?!
A mere girlie...
Master often said that Big Sister had been painstakingly training in martial arts for 25 years, but didn¡¯t the girl in front of them at the moment look like she was barely past twenty?
Was she already training in martial arts while she was in her mother¡¯s womb?
How would he know that back then, when Quinn was struggling to find his sessor, yet the Irvin School of Martial Arts had been a step ahead of him and taken Justin¡ªwho had the highest aptitude in martial arts in New York¡ªwith them, he had vowed to find someone on par with Justin?
How would he know that back then, while Quinn was struggling to find his sessor, he had vowed to find someone on par with Justin? At the time, Irvin School of Martial Arts had been a step ahead of Quinn and had taken Justin, who had the highest aptitude in martial arts in all of New York, with them.
However, even after searching for a very long time, he simply couldn¡¯t find anyone suitable. This continued until Yvette Anderson called him and asked if he wanted to take a disciple. At that time, he had asked, "Who is it?"
He had wanted to take Yvette as his disciple when she was young, but unfortunately, she didn¡¯t have any aspirations in martial arts, so she had rejected him.
Later on, when Yvette grew up, he didn¡¯t want to take her as a disciple anymore.
Now that Yvette was the one bringing the topic up, he was very curious¡ªwho was it that Yvette had seen potential in and was sending to him?
The next moment, Yvette answered, "It¡¯s my daughter."
"..."
Her answer had made Quinn dumbfounded at that time. "I haven¡¯t even met her before. How would I know whether she has a good aptitude or not?"
Yvette replied, "It¡¯s better than mine."
"... Okay, I¡¯ll take her!" A panicked Quinn immediately shouted, lest someone snatched her away if he was even a secondte.
"Okay. I¡¯ll get her to contact you three yearster."
An anxious Quinn said, "Why do we have to wait three years for it? Martial arts training should start early, preferably right away. How old is your daughter? The best age for one to learn martial arts is between three to six years old. You¡¯d better not dy the child¡¯s learning!"
Yvette sounded very calm as she replied, "Oh, she¡¯s negative six-months-old right now."
Quinn, "?"
He was bewildered. "What do you mean?"
"Why are you so stupid, old man? It means there are still six months before she¡¯ll be born!"
Quinn, "..."
At that time, Yvette had already disappeared from New York for two years.
Quinn panicked. He asked, "Are you lying to me? How would you know whether the aptitude of a baby, that hasn¡¯t even been born yet, would be good or not?"
"Don¡¯t worry. I will groom her from this point on. There won¡¯t be any problem at all. Even if you don¡¯t believe in yourself, don¡¯t you believe in me?"
Thus was Quinn fooled by her.
From then on, he finally had a disciple of direct lineage. Quinn, who was already in his fifties then, became terribly excited. Justin, who had joined the Irvin School of Martial Arts, was just a one-year-old baby at that time.
No matter what, they would have to wait until he was two or three years old to learn martial arts. In order to be a step faster than the Irvin School of Martial Arts, he straight-up announced to everyone that he had already found the Quinn School of Martial Arts¡¯ Big Sister, and was secretly training her! This was how it ended up giving everyone the illusion that Big Sister had been practicing martial arts for 25 years.
Three yearster, when Nora was a little over two years old, someone contacted him and told him where she was.
He rushed to California right away.
He was overjoyed when he checked the child¡¯s physique. She really was more suitable to practice martial arts than even Yvette herself! On top of that, she was much younger than Yvette, so she was overflowing with potential to be shaped into greatness!
Thus, Quinn bought the vi next to the Smiths¡¯. The two houses were right next to each other. Moreover, Henry and Wendy Smith didn¡¯t pay much attention to Nora, either.
He started to teach Nora martial arts. After two years of training, Nora, the crazy mutant, became enlightened in the ways of martial arts, and he also finished teaching her everything he knew. The resigned Quinn then returned to New York.
Since then, they kept constant contact via the Inte. However, when Nora turned five, she started to gain weight, causing her to be out of breath after walking only a few steps. Fortunately, the Quinn School of Martial Arts¡¯ techniques strengthened her body for her all this time.
It was just a pity that she waszy, which made Quinn so angry that for a time, he kept using the Irvin School of Martial Arts¡¯ Big Brother to provoke her every day.
"That old devious scumbag¡¯s littlest disciple trains for sixteen hours a day and uses the remaining eight hours to eat and sleep, but look at you! My little disciple, can you be a little more diligent?! Although we¡¯ve already mastered everything, you should still brush up on what you¡¯ve learned more often. Otherwise, you¡¯ll forget everything!"
"Do you think you¡¯re already very impressive, Nora? Yes, you are indeed able to beat others in a fight, but you won¡¯t be able to beat that old devious scumbag¡¯s crazy mutant of a disciple! Can you be a little more diligent? You didn¡¯t even train for two hours today... Never mind, how about half an hour instead? Take it that Master is pleading with you!"
"Nora, even geniuses won¡¯tst if they continue to waste away like this. What¡¯s so great about sleeping?"
"..."
Thezier Nora was, the bigger a headache Quinn had. Every time he saw people praising Justin, he couldn¡¯t help but boast about how awesome his little disciple was.
This led to the entire Quinn School of Martial Arts developing a misconception of Big Sister in the end!
Big Sister was probably a very serious, hardworking, and stern person. Even if she started training in martial arts from the age of three, she should already be 28 years old this year!
Nora had a goodplexion and was fair-skinned. Coupled with how she was sleep-deprived all year round, she was thin and slender like a teenage girl. Her appearance tended to give one the illusion that she wasn¡¯t even 20 years old yet.
Therefore, how would Paul ever consider such a possibility?
He stared at Nora in shock and swallowed hard. Then, he looked at Quinn again. Everything became clear as day in this instant.
Quinn hadn¡¯t gotten angry thest time because of Justin; rather, it was because of Big Sister!
Winston had stupidly tried toy his hands on Big Sister!
The Quinn School of Martial Arts had never yielded to anyone. He was the one who had been too presumptuous.
Paul was so shocked that he couldn¡¯t say anything. Even when he heard Nora say that he had been expelled from the sect, he still couldn¡¯t say anything.
This was because he did deserve to be punished for angering Big Sister!
Moreover, given Big Sister¡¯s status in the sect alone, he couldn¡¯t say a word in his defense, either¡ªbecause Quinn had already announced a long time ago that Big Sister¡¯s status was equivalent to his own!
In fact, Quinn had even said that Big Sister¡¯s martial arts prowess highly likely already surpassed his...
Paul swallowed hard. He struggled to his feet and said, "Fine, I¡¯ll leave... The Quin Sect and the Quinn School of Martial Arts have nothing to do with each other from now on!"
He turned around after he spoke, but just as he was about to stride forward, the girl asked lightly, "Are you leaving just like that?"
Paul looked back at her. "What else do I do, if not leave?"
"Vition of the Quinn School of Martial Arts¡¯ rules are treated the same as sect abandonment. So, you want to leave the sect? Sure. Return to the Quinn School of Martial Arts what you¡¯ve learned here, then!"
Nora¡¯s words made Paul¡¯s pupils shrink fiercely.
He stared at the girl incredulously... She was clearly so young, yet her words were so merciless! Returning what he had learned to the Quinn School of Martial Arts... She wanted to make it such that he would never be able to use martial arts ever again!
His pupils shrank as he watched the girl take step after step toward him. "W-what do you think you¡¯re doing?"
The corners of Nora¡¯s lips hooked upward slightly.
¡ª
Outside the sect.
Inside one of the cars, waiting to pick up the children, a bored Tanya was surfing the Inte on her cell phone.
Joel stared in front of him. After a long internal struggle, he was just about to get out of the car to go to Tanya when his phone suddenly rang. He nced at it impatiently, only to calm down immediately upon seeing the caller. He picked up the call and said respectfully, "Hello, Uncle Ian."
Ian kept quiet for a long while before he finally asked, "Where is Nora Smith?"
Chapter 235: Make Sure She Doesn’t Die
Chapter 235: Make Sure She Doesn¡¯t Die
Joel was a little surprised at the question. He answered, "She¡¯s inside the Quinn School of Martial Arts."
Was Uncle Ian going to acknowledge her and bring her back to the Smiths?
As soon as the thought formed, the man said, "Oh."
Joel, "..."
He kept quiet for a while before he said, "She seems to have offended Paul Quin, but with Justin Hunt¡¯s ties to the Quinn School of Martial Arts, they won¡¯t do anything to her... Do we intervene?"
Ian stayed silent for a very long while. In the end, he sneered, "With Justin Hunt protecting her, why would she need us?"
Joel could hear the displeasure in his words. However, when he thought of the DNA test report, he didn¡¯t dare to say anything.
Just when he thought Ian was going to hang up, Ian said, "... But the Smiths are not to be bullied. Don¡¯t let her die."
Joel breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay."
Joel spaced out for a moment after he hung up.
By right, he wasn¡¯t really friends with Nora. Added to this, Ian¡¯s attitude toward her, as well as how hurtful her existence was to Ian, it would make more sense if he looked forward to something happening to Nora instead.
So, why had he actually breathed a sigh of relief just now?
Was it because...
He looked at Tanya, who was listening to music and ying games in the jeep in front. Was it because of her?
He didn¡¯t want to make her sad, so he didn¡¯t want anything to happen to her best friend... After all, that woman had always been stubborn and withdrawn since she was a child, so she barely had any friends.
It wasn¡¯t easy for her to have a best friend whom she could trust with her life.
The moment the thought formed, Joel leaned back against the backseat again, suddenly losing the desire to get out of the car.
Indeed, she had always been withdrawn since she was a child. Her world consisted only of herself, so why would she even care about him? Hadn¡¯t she also mercilessly left him back then?
Joel lowered his gaze and suddenly said, "Let¡¯s go home."
The chauffeur was taken aback. "Mr. Smith?"
Joel closed his eyes. "It suddenly urred to me, I have a meeting. Come back and pick up the two children after you send me back."
"Yes, sir."
Tanya was in the driver¡¯s seat when the Smiths¡¯ car passed by the jeep. Perhaps because she had been dancing since she was a child, she subconsciously kept her posture straight and upright even when she was slumped into the seat.
As though she had suddenly sensed something, she turned her head, but all she saw was just the rear of the Smiths¡¯ car.
She didn¡¯t say anything but only lowered her head instead.
¡ª
Paul was thrown out of the Quinn School of Martial Arts by Lucas and a few other disciples of the sect in the end.
As Nora had fed him a pill, he felt sore and weak all over and was unable to exert any strength.
No one knew what the pill was. All Nora said was that it wouldn¡¯t kill him, but would make sure that he would never be able to use any of the martial arts he had learned from the Quinn School ever again.
To be honest, this alone was already more than enough to kill him.
Because of his connections to the Quinn School of Martial Arts, he had acted without restraint and long since offended a great number of people in the underworld forces of New York. Now that he hadnded himself in such a predicament, there were a lot of people who would kick him while he was down.
Moreover, there was also Jordan and his wife, who would never give the Quin Sect an easy time.
In just a month, Jordan and his wife took over the Quin Sect and expanded their influence, whereas the Quin Sect disappeared into the course of history. As for Paul, the man never appeared ever again in New York.
Many said that he had died after someone dealt with him.
However, some also said that he had escaped with all of the Quin Sect¡¯s money.
Opinions varied, and no one could really say for sure. However, it was destined that small fry like him would never be able to avenge himself his entire life. After all, he was up against the two biggest families and two martial arts sects in New York.
Of course, all of this cameter.
Mrs. Hoffman was currently holding Nora¡¯s hand. She said, "As it turns out, you¡¯re the Quinn School of Martial Arts¡¯ Big Sister. This sure is... No wonder you said that it wasn¡¯t Big Sister¡¯s instructions. We¡¯re starting to owe you more and more favors, Ms. Smith! How can we repay you?"
Nora yawned. "It wasn¡¯t really a favor this time. After all, he was the one making use of the Quinn School of Martial Arts¡¯ influence."
Mrs. Hoffman was still very grateful to her, regardless. She said, "Just say the word if you ever need our help in the future, Ms. Smith! You¡¯re the Hoffmans¡¯ most honored guest!"
Nora waved her hand. Then, she said to Pete, "Go home early after you¡¯re done with practice, okay? I¡¯ll leave first."
Pete, "..."
Everyone else, "..."
Quinn was so angry that the veins on his forehead were practically bulging. "Nora! Smith! Not only is he your so¡ª I mean, your child, but he¡¯s also your disciple! Can you be a little more responsible?!"
It was just a shame that Nora had already quickened her footsteps the moment she said she was leaving. Before he could even finish, Nora was already out of sight.
Her voice was the only thing left ringing in the air: "No one is allowed to reveal my identity to outsiders. Those that do will be subjected to the sect¡¯s punishment!"
All the disciples present thought back to Paul¡¯s tragic state just now and shuddered.
Quinn: "..."
¡ª
In a bright and clean vi with well-rounded security in the suburbs.
Justin¡¯s car was parked outside the gates. He pushed the door open and entered the vi.
In the yard, the greenhouse that was at a constant temperature all year round was filled with chrysanthemums. Yellow, white, pink... There were all sorts of colors. There were bush lilies, and even rarely-seen orchid species like A Glimpse of Blood, White Gulls Chasing Waves, and so on...
Every pot of flower could fetch tens of thousands¡ªor even hundreds of thousands¡ªof dors and was extremely valuable.
However, Justin didn¡¯t cast even a nce at the flowers. He cleared the fingerprint verification and went straight into the living room.
"Justin is here!" said Mrs. Landis, the caregiver, as she handed him a pair of slippers.
Justin lowered his head and changed into the slippers.
He was about to head further in when he suddenly spied a familiar figure¡ªTina York.
His pupils shrank. His voice was harsh as he demanded, "Why are you here?"
Tina smiled gracefully when she saw him. She replied, "I¡¯m here to spend some time with Mrs. Hunt. Besides, she has a pot of A Glimpse of Blood that¡¯s not doing well and has wilted. I happen to have the form for a remedy that can help her revitalize the flower."
Justin¡¯s pupils shrank.
He knew very well that she was definitely up to no good, but his mother had always treated those flowers like her very life itself. To think she could actually win over his mother, who had always been a cold and distant person...
Before Justin could say anything, a beautiful and morous middle-aged woman walked over to them. She said, "You can go now, Tina. Come over again tomorrow to take a look at how my flowers are doing. Sigh, the roots have be infested with worms. What a headache."
Tina smiled gently and said, "Sure, Mrs. Hunt."
However, her countenance instantly turned dark and sinister after she left the vi.
It was only after Winston¡¯s death that she realized that the love she had found in college was the purest. Pain and grief filled her heart, she wanted to avenge Winston!
So, Nora wanted to marry into the Hunts, right?
Heh. Apart from Pete, the person that mattered the most to Justin was his mother.
Tina took a deep breath, took out her cell phone, and sent a message to Orchidiance: ¡¯Can you help me save a pot of orchid? I¡¯m willing to pay $500,000!¡¯
Orchidiance was a mysterious figure in the field of botany.
It was said that years ago, there was a pot of orchid species named Cinnabar Red Frost that, for some reason, was withering day by day. Its owner could only post about it on the Inte and ask for help.
Aizen named Orchidiance told the owner that the pot of orchid was sick, and prescribed two doses of herbal medicine. The owner was so desperate that she could only make a Hail Mary effort and use the prescription on the pot of orchid, but in the end, the pot of orchid actually came back to life!
Orchidiance became famous in the world of orchids as a result.
As long as Tina managed to please Mrs. Hunt, she would definitely be able to sow discord between her and Justin with regard to his marriage ns!! Besides, there were moral issues with Nora herself, too! She was saddled with a child, yet she wanted to marry into the Hunts? She must be dreaming!!
¡ª
At the Andersons¡¯.
Nora, who had just reached home, tossed her cell phone aside and went to take a shower. When she came back, she noticed that she had received a private message on a website where she had registered an ount in the past. The private message read: ¡¯Can you help me save a pot of orchid? I¡¯m willing to pay $500,000!¡¯
Chapter 236: Let’s Just Throw This Pot of Flowers Away
Chapter 236: Let¡¯s Just Throw This Pot of Flowers Away
Nora raised her brows.
This identity of hers had actuallye very out of the blue.
Cherry had stumbled upon a botany website when they were living abroad. There, she had pointed at a pot of orchid covered in spots and asked her to treat its illness. That was why she had registered an ount there.
At that time, Cherry was only three years old, so she thought that the spots on the flower were there because it was sick, just like when a person developed spots on their skin.
When she nced at the flower, she found that it was indeed sick, and needed some traditional medicine remedies for it to recover.
Bored and itching to test her skills, she left a message on the forum post. She gave the owner a form for a traditional medicine remedy and told her to spray the flowers with the remedy once a day, and said that the nt would get better after a week.
Responding to forum posts required ount registration, so she had casually registered with the alias Orchidiance. After all, she was making orchids glow with youth and radiance once more!
She didn¡¯t pay any more attention to the matter after she sent the message.
Unexpectedly, the original poster reappeared a weekter and said that Orchidiance really was a master at nt cultivation because she had solved the problem!
Afterward, the group of orchid lovers started to ask her for help.
She would help them out once in a while if she noticed their requests for help when she was in a good mood.
And indeed, her remedies were effective every time. Gradually, she became famous in the circle of orchid enthusiasts.
However, this was the first time someone had so tantly asked to buy her prescription.
She opened up the private message on the website and looked at the pot of flowers that the other party had sent. The pot of orchid had be infested with tiny worms. However, this particr orchid species was very delicate, and even just a bit of careless touching could result in damage. Thus, insecticide was definitely a no-go as it would cause the flower to die together with the worms.
Nora raised her eyebrows.
That pot of flower probably wasn¡¯t even worth $500,000. Besides, it wasn¡¯t as if its cosmetic condition was particrly rare and hard to find. Yet that person was offering her $500,000 to buy the treatment prescription for it? They must be out of their mind because they might as well just buy a new pot of flowers instead.
She closed the private message, went to bed, andy down to rest instead.
¡ª
In the vi in the suburbs.
Justin looked at the beautiful middle-aged woman in front of him, only to see her smile immediately disappear after Tina left. She looked at him coldly. "Did she offend you?"
Justin didn¡¯t say anything but only made a calm sound of acknowledgment.
The morous woman immediately said, "Hmph, I knew it. Otherwise, why would youe to my ce for no rhyme or reason? After all, I¡¯m an abandoneddy of the wealthy. Who would even think of me?"
Justin cast his eyes down. "Don¡¯t say that."
The morous woman had a very weird temperament. She replied, "It remains a fact, no matter whether I say it or not."
She looked at the flora and fauna at the side after she spoke. In stark contrast to her icy-cold attitude toward Justin, she treated the nts with tenderness and great care. She said, "You can go if there¡¯s nothing important. I¡¯m already so old and I don¡¯t have much money, either. What can she possibly gain from me? I just like caring for these flowers, that¡¯s all. Are you saying that I can¡¯t even associate with an outsider because of you?"
Justin looked at her from the back and let out a soft sigh. "That¡¯s not what I meant."
However, the beautiful woman ignored him and started to hum a melody instead.
She was wearing a long-sleeved dress. Looking at her from the back as she busied herself in the greenhouse, there was some retro charm to her. Justin watched her for a very long time before he finally sighed and said, "I came because I wanted to tell you that Ch... I mean, Pete has started doing game live-streams. You can have a look if you¡¯re free."
The morous woman curled her lip disdainfully. "Why would I want to look at him? I hate children the most!"
"..."
Justin fell silent for a moment. Seeing that she wasn¡¯t intending to turn back at all, he said, "Then I¡¯m leaving. If you need anything, you can let me... let Sean know."
The woman had never taken the initiative to approach him before. Busying herself in the greenhouse, she ignored him, acting as if she didn¡¯t hear him at all.
Justin could only get up and leave the greenhouse.
It was only after he left that the beautiful woman slowly stood up straight atst. She took a deep breath and put down the pot of orchid in her hands.
Mrs. Landis came over and helped her. "Ma¡¯am, why are you even doing this?"
The woman didn¡¯t say anything.
Mrs. Landis, however, picked up her cell phone and said, "Did Mr. Hunt say that the little mister has started live-streaming? Oh my, I¡¯m going to have to check it out! Mr. Hunt even told me which live-streaming tform he¡¯s on. Huh? He only starts his live-stream at five or six in the evening. I¡¯ll watch the old streams first."
The morous woman continued to ignore her. Instead, she got up and went into the room.
Mrs. Landis also went into the room with her cell phone. Cherry¡¯s voice rang out as the videos yed: "Do you have something against the wild monsters? Have you decided to take up permanent residence in the wild?"
The beautiful woman got angry. "Your phone is so noisy, Mrs. Landis!"
However, Mrs. Landis acted as if she didn¡¯t hear anything. She suddenly stood up and said, "Oh my, look at me and my memory! I¡¯m making stew in the kitchen. I¡¯ll go and make some small bruschetta for you, Ma¡¯am. They will definitely taste great with the stewter!"
She tossed the phone on the coffee table and went to the kitchen.
The sound of vegetables being chopped came from the kitchen. Only then did the beautiful woman open her eyes and peek at the phone.
She turned and looked at the kitchen, upon which Mrs. Landis said, "I¡¯ll need some time to prepare the dishes, Ma¡¯am, so let¡¯s have dinner a littleter!"
The beautiful woman¡¯s eyes lit up, though she said disdainfully, "I¡¯m going to starve to death if it¡¯s toote! Why am I so unlucky? Even my caregiver can¡¯t make me dinner on time every day! To think she¡¯s even nning to patronize me with just some bread and soup!"
Mrs. Landis couldn¡¯t help butugh. "What am I to do when we¡¯re the only ones here? Would you be able to finish it if I cook a feast? Well, neither can I! That would be a waste of food!"
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The sound of vegetables being diced continued. The morous woman shifted over to where Mrs. Landis¡¯ phone was, craned her neck, and looked over.
There actually wasn¡¯t a profile photo on the live-stream page! Here, have a negative review!
But... When had Pete actually be this witty and sharp-tongued?
Even his voice as he dissed people sounded so pleasant to the ears!
Before she knew it, Mrs. Landis suddenly came out of the kitchen with a bowl of stew. The morous woman got such a huge shock that she immediately retracted her head and pretended to look like she was looking for something. She asked, "Where did I put my ring, Mrs. Landis? Huh? You¡¯re done with the stew so soon?"
"... It¡¯s been an hour, Ma¡¯am," replied Mrs. Landis.
The morous woman froze.
How did time suddenly pass so quickly while she was listening to Pete dissing others?
¡ª
Early next morning, after the morous woman got out of bed and had breakfast, she suddenly stood up and instructed Mrs. Landis, "Take that pot of A Glimpse of Blood with you, Mrs. Landis. Let¡¯s go out and have a stroll."
Mrs. Landis nodded. "Okay!"
The two left the house and walked about in the quiet residential area. The ce was next to mountains andkes, and the temperature and humidity levels there were just right. It was a very suitable ce for one to stay at in their old age.
The two of them walked to a pond in the garden. The morous woman suddenly said, "Toss that pot of A Glimpse of Blood into the water."
Mrs. Landis was taken aback. However, the next moment, she eximed in shock, "But Ma¡¯am! This is your favorite pot of flowers!"
The morous woman stared ahead of her. "Throw it away."
Mrs. Landis bit her lip. "Ma¡¯am, I know you¡¯re soft-hearted despite the things you say, so you don¡¯t want to associate with Ms. York anymore, for fear that she would bring trouble to Mr. Justin. But we can still try and think of other solutions. There¡¯s no need to give up!"
Chapter 237: What’s That?
Chapter 237: What¡¯s That?
The morous woman sighed. "The sight of the flower makes me want to do my absolute best to save it. How am I supposed to refuse entry to Ms. York and leave the flower to die when shees again? I might as well just throw the pot of flowers away, then. Out of sight, out of mind!"
Mrs. Landis¡¯ heart ached as she looked at her. Even her eyes had reddened.
The morous woman¡¯s name was Iris Hunt, and she was originally the eldest daughter-inw of direct lineage in the Hunts, the most influential family in New York. By right, she should have been the most dazzling and enviable person.
But unexpectedly, after the marriage...
For Justin¡¯s sake, she was adamant about not having excessive contact with him. She had been living here ever since she moved out of the Hunts¡¯ residence, and had put all of her sentiments for Justin and Pete into the flowers and nts here.
The pot of A Glimpse of Blood was the first pot of orchid that she had taken care of back then.
Perhaps even Justin himself didn¡¯t remember it anymore, but it was one of the first few potted flowers and nts that he had given her.
Iris had treated it very delicately all this time and even personally taken care of it. Therefore, the potted orchid wasn¡¯t just Iris¡¯ treasure, but it also contained all of her sentiments for her son and grandson.
But perhaps the potted orchid had gotten old and reached the end of its lifespan, it started to wilt this year and even became infested with worms at the roots.
Iris had tried many ways, but she simply couldn¡¯t cure it. To make matters worse, this pot of orchid was very hard to take care of. Just as she was feeling troubled over it, Tina had visited, iming that she was there to give Iris a routine health checkup.
Doctors went to the Hunts regrly to conduct physical examinations for them every month.
The attending physician had suddenly changed to Tina this month. No one suspected anything initially, but when Tina saw the flowers, she suddenly started talking about orchids. This made Iris sit up in attention. After it caught her interest, the two of them started chatting.
Mrs. Landis had never heard Iris talk that much all these years.
Many of Tina¡¯s opinions with regard to orchid care gained Iris¡¯ approval, making her nod frequently. Mrs. Landis had thought that Iris had finally found someone whom she could talk to.
But who would have thought that Justin woulde over?
The sight of Justin had immediately made Tina timid and fainthearted. When she thought of the sudden change of doctors this month, Mrs. Landis understood everything right away.
Given how clever Iris was, how could she possibly not understand when even Mrs. Landis had figured it out?
That was how it had led to the conversation the day before.
To be honest, it didn¡¯t actually really matter even if they allowed Tina to stay. What could she possibly make use of Iris for? Besides, she could also keep herpany and chat with her.
However, despite saying all those selfish things, Iris had thrown the pot of flowers away the very next moment.
Her love as a mother made Mrs. Landis feel like crying.
"Tsk, it¡¯s just a worldly possession. What¡¯s the big deal?"
Seeing that Mrs. Landis¡¯ eyes were all red, Iris pretended to be alright and waved at her. She got up and said, "Throw it away. I¡¯ll go to the front and look around the ce there."
She was clearly reluctant to part with the flowers, yet she still said that.
It was exactly this behavior of hers that made Mrs. Landis¡¯ heart break.
Mrs. Landis lowered her head. Suddenly, she hid the potted orchid behind some tall rocks.
Iris might have made a temporary misjudgment, but she mustn¡¯t make the wrong decision too. She would find an opportunity to tell Justin about it instead. Given how influential he was, wasn¡¯t curing a pot of orchid something as easy as pie for him?
Iris didn¡¯t want to tell Justin about it, lest it displeased that woman and caused trouble for Justin as a result.
But the pot of orchid mustn¡¯t be thrown away!
Mrs. Landis made up her mind. She wiped the corners of her eyes and went after Iris.
When the two got home, Iris immediately said listlessly, "I¡¯m going upstairs to rest. Don¡¯t disturb me if there¡¯s nothing important."
"Yes, ma¡¯am."
Mrs. Landis knew that Iris ultimately still couldn¡¯t bear to part with the potted orchid, so she had be sad.
Mrs. Landis sighed. The doorbell rang at this point.
Mrs. Landis walked over to the door and opened it. Tina was standing outside. She said with a big smile, "Hello, Mrs. Landis. Mrs. Hunt must be waiting for me, right? I racked my brains after I went homest night and thought of something that we can try! To be honest, orchids are just like human beings. We¡ª"
Before she could finish, though, Mrs. Landis interrupted her. "I¡¯m sorry, Ms. York, but Ma¡¯am is tired today, so she¡¯s resting at the moment. She won¡¯t be seeing any guests today. As for the pot of flowers you mentioned... Sigh, it unfortunately withered this morning, it¡¯s already dead."
Tina¡¯s pupils shrank. "What? That... That¡¯s impossible..."
Mrs. Landis sighed and said, "Yes, Ma¡¯am is very sad because of it. I think you¡¯d bettere back another day instead."
Tina asked, "How about I go in andfort Mrs. Hunt a little?"
"No, it¡¯s alright. She needs rest."
Mrs. Landis didn¡¯t give Tina another chance to speak. She closed the door right after saying that.
Outside, Tina clenched her fists in anger as she stared at the door.
She had already asked around¡ªMrs. Hunt loved orchids the most, and was someone that regarded her flowers as her very life itself!
So, why was she adopting such an attitude instead? What a letdown!
But...
If Mrs. Hunt refused to meet her today, then she would juste again the next day.
With that in mind, Tina turned and left.
Upstairs.
On the balcony, Iris watched Tina leave with an awful look on her countenance. She said, "Did you see that? That woman is not as harmless as she looks."
Mrs. Landis scoffed, "That bit of skill is nothing in front of a sly old fox like you. To be honest, though, it doesn¡¯t really matter even if you let her spend some time with you and chat with you, Ma¡¯am."
Iris stretched. "Forget it. I only had a good time chatting with her yesterday because some of her opinions are the same as Orchidiance¡¯s. You can say I¡¯m half a fan of Orchidiance. That¡¯s why I enjoyed the chat."
"Orchidiance? The master orchid breeder?"
"Yes." Iris sighed. "If only I could talk to her about taking care of orchids."
Mrs. Landis said, "If we can ask her for advice, maybe there¡¯ll be hope for that pot of orchid!"
Iris was a little taken aback to hear that.
She had already be ustomed to dealing with everything herself and had never thought of asking others for help. Even Tina¡¯s offer to help was something that the woman had delivered to her doorstep on her own.
She suddenly regretted her actions a little. "Why didn¡¯t you tell me that earlier? If we hadn¡¯t thrown that pot of flowers out, I could¡¯ve asked Orchidiance for advice on the Inte!"
Mrs. Landisughed. "I knew you would regret it! I didn¡¯t throw it away! I¡¯ll bring it back for you right away!"
"Go, go!"
¡ª
"Look over there, Nora! There¡¯s a stream there! And even a rockery!"
Tanya tugged the sleepy Nora¡¯s arm excitedly. Nora yawned and said, "Oh, the ce is passable, I guess."
She yawned again after she spoke.
She had rarely woken up this early in her entire life!
Tanya, however, didn¡¯t seem to have any idea what sleepiness was. She broke into a smile and said, "Right? I intend to buy a vi here! You and Cherry can also move in in the future!"
Nora raised her eyebrows. "Hm? You¡¯re moving out of the Andersons¡¯?"
Tanya smiled and replied, "You¡¯re part of the Andersons, but I¡¯m not. It doesn¡¯t make sense for me to keep on staying at the Andersons¡¯. Besides, I¡¯m not nning to leave anymore. If I stay, I¡¯ll have to find somece to live and settle down eventually."
Nora was surprised. "You aren¡¯t leaving anymore?"
"Yeah, I¡¯m not leaving anymore." Tanya walked ahead of her and said, "I¡¯ll look for my child in the States! I have a feeling I will find the child someday!"
At the mention of searching for her child, Nora dropped her perfunctory act for once and said with certainty, "You¡¯ll definitely find the child."
She and Tanya had met when they were searching for their children abroad.
Therefore, she and Tanya understood each other especially well.
In the midst of her thoughts, Tanya suddenly pointed at a pot of orchid behind the tall rocks in front. She said, "Hey, look at that. What¡¯s that?"
Chapter 238: Joel’s Thoughtfulness
Chapter 238: Joel¡¯s Thoughtfulness
Nora looked over and saw that a pot of worm-infested orchid had been discarded in the corner. The orchid was in a pot, so it was obvious that someone had abandoned it.
That pot of flowers...
Nora frowned. It was the same pot of orchid that the person had sent her a private message about, asking her for help with it!
The two went over. Tanya bent over, picked up the pot of orchid, and examined it carefully. "This pot of flowers looks quite pretty."
Of course, it was pretty.
It was obvious at a nce that the pot of flower had been meticulously taken care of for many years as someone¡¯s priceless treasure.
It was just a shame that it had be infested with worms.
But wasn¡¯t its owner a little too heartless? They had discarded the flowers just because she hadn¡¯t replied to them?
However, Nora understood the next moment.
The worms on the flowers were contagious. Should they remain in the greenhouse with other flowers, they would probably spoil the other flowers too.
What a shame.
Tanya held the pot and said, "It just so happens that I don¡¯t have any flowers in my new home. Let¡¯s use this as decoration. How do we get rid of the worms on it?"
Tanya had already bought the vi. They were here to take a look around today.
Nora thought for a moment. Since Tanya liked the flowers, then this meant that they were fated to be. Thus, she said, "Let me do it."
Tanya nodded.
The two of them continued to walk ahead. After strolling around half of the residentialplex, even though Tanya¡¯s long and slender legs were still moving, she was alreadyining, "The residentialplex is too big. I shouldn¡¯t have suggested bringing you around and should¡¯ve driven instead."
Nora ignored her.
The two walked and walked until Tanya worked up a sweat. Only then did they arrive at the door of Vi No. 10. Tanya unlocked the door with her fingerprint and said, "The people that used to live in the vi were mostly artists. When I bought the house, the formerndlord warned me not to mess with the residents of Vi No. 9."
Nora raised her eyebrows. "Why?"
Tanya exined, "He said that she was a middle-aged woman with an especially strange temperament. Also, she likelyes from quite the background, because she has a lot of hidden bodyguards protecting her in the surroundings!"
Nora, "..."
The vis were in the suburbs. Although it looked pretty good, it actually wasn¡¯t that expensive due to its location.
While the environment was passable as a retirement home, the medical conditions weren¡¯t.
As an ordinary residence, it was too far from the city. Tanya had only chosen this ce because this was all she could afford with her years of savings. So, just which influential person was it who would choose to live here?
She shook her head and didn¡¯t pay any more attention to the matter. Instead, she followed Tanya into the room.
However, Nora raised her eyebrows a little after she did.
The vi was decorated exquisitely in a country style, Tanya¡¯s favorite. But as far as Nora knew, such decor cost at least $300,000 to $500,000!
Together with the vi itself...
How did Tanya buy it at a million dors?
She had checked the prices of the vis nearby¡ªthey all cost about 1.2 million dors each. Tanya said that because thendlord was in a hurry to sell the house, he had set a low asking price. She only had about a million dors, so it was just right for her.
Added to this the interior decor and furnishings, there was no way anyone could buy the house for less than two million dors!
Moreover, it wasn¡¯t hard to sell the houses in the area. After all, they were high-end properties, and the vis were indeed pretty good. She couldn¡¯t help but think that there was definitely something going on here.
Tanya, who was unaware of the ongoings involved, was walking around excitedly. There were three floors in the vi. The first floor consisted of a living room and a room for domestic helpers.
The second floor consisted of three bedrooms, while the third floor could be used as a study or storage room.
Tanya went upstairs excitedly. She said to Nora, "Do you know what I like the most about this ce? This! Take a look, Nora!"
Nora looked over to see that the two rooms on the third floor had been merged into a practice room. Mirrors covered the walls on all four sides, which made it very suitable for...
"This is my dance practice room!"
Tanya slipped into the practice room on her toes. She looked around with a smile and said, "The previous owner¡¯s girlfriend was a dancer, so he specially bought this house. And here too..."
She went out, pointed to the third room, and said, "This is the bathroom and dressing room. After dancing, I can just go in to shower and wash off all the stinky sweat. There¡¯s also a huge jacuzzi inside! Haha, the property agent said that the previous owner originally nned to use it as a shared bathtub for him and his girlfriend, so they left it unused in the end after the renovation. Well, I¡¯m the one who gets to use it now!"
Nora, "..."
Tanya¡¯s favorite dance practice room, Tanya¡¯s favorite country-style interior decor, and a two-person bathtub... All of this made her absolutely convinced that something was up with the house.
There weren¡¯t that many coincidences in this world.
However, upon seeing how excited Tanya was, she didn¡¯t want to be a wet nket, either. Thus, she merely raised her brows, took out her cell phone, and hacked into the property agency¡¯s system. She found the previous owner in the house¡¯s transactional details. The man had a very ordinary name¡ªGary Long.
Nora, "..."
The corners of her lips spasmed a little, and she couldn¡¯t help feeling that she must have been thinking too much. When she was about to exit the page, something suddenly urred to her and she scrolled up. Sure enough, she found a familiar name¡ªJoel Smith.
Nora, "?"
Joel had transferred the ownership rights to Gary. Then, in under half a month, Gary sold it to Tanya. As expected, how could there possibly be this many coincidences in the world?
She lifted her head again and looked at Tanya¡ªonly to see that she was already spinning around excitedly in the dance practice room.
Nora hesitated for a moment. After a short internal struggle, she decided not to do anything about it in the end. If she were to tell Tanya about it, given how stubbornlypetitive she was, she would definitely return the house.
Returning the house was equivalent to a breach of contract, which would require her to pay a great amount as damages. On top of that, there were also various fees involved.
Most importantly, through the house, as well as how meticulously and thoughtfully Joel had handled the matter, Nora could tell with her keen senses that there might still exist possibilities between the two of them.
Therefore, she¡¯d better just not say anything unnecessary!
In the midst of her thoughts, Tanya walked out of the dance practice room and said, "Never mind, I¡¯m not dancing anymore. It¡¯s not like you¡¯re doing it with me anyway, so it¡¯s really boring. Nora, didn¡¯t you say just now that you can cure that pot of flowers? Hurry up and do it! I¡¯ll take it as a housewarming gift from you!"
Nora, "..."
That pot of flowers was worth $300,000. One had to hand it to her for being able to bring herself to ask for a housewarming gift worth $300,000.
She said, "I¡¯ll need 100 grams of rice vinegar, 100 grams of baking soda, wormwood..."
She went downstairs after listing a few items. After looking around the house, she actually found them all in the kitchen.
Tanyaughed and said, "The previous owner said that his girlfriend was supposed to return from abroad half a month ago. They were nning to get married, so he bought a lot of everyday necessities for the house. But in the end, the girlfriend didn¡¯te back, and the two of them broke up, so these everyday necessities alle to me now! Let me see, there are two cartons of milk in the fridge. They are about to expire, so let¡¯s have one eachter."
Nora, "..."
Wasn¡¯t Joel Smith a little too virtuous?
The corners of her lips spasmed a little. Then, she started to get busy.
Outside, Mrs. Landis walked past their vi. She ran over to the rocks but didn¡¯t see the pot of orchid. She was terribly rmed and frightened, but there weren¡¯t any surveince cameras there, so she didn¡¯t know who had taken it away, either.
Iris was surely going to be really heartbroken now.
While she was thinking about it, she suddenly smelled something pungent and piercing. She turned and saw two girlsing out of Vi No. 10 with a pot of flowers in their hands.
Chapter 239: Mother-In-Law And Daughter-In-Law Meet!
Chapter 239: Mother-In-Law And Daughter-In-Law Meet!
"Damn, it smells so pungent!"
Tanya spoke brashly and without reservations. "My favorite perfume scent has been totally overwhelmed!"
Nora nced at her. "That¡¯s why I said we should do it outdoors. You¡¯re the one who insisted on doing it indoors..."
"That was because I thought we could sit in the room, wasn¡¯t it? Come on, let¡¯s move to the yard. Where should we put it?"
Nora looked around and found a small marble table in the yard. She walked over, put the orchid down, and started to spray the potion, that she had concocted, on it again.
While she was carefully spraying the potion all around the flower, she suddenly heard an angry shout. "Stop!"
Nora was taken aback. Both she and Tanya looked at the door to see Mrs. Landis with her hands on her hips. As though an old mother hen guarding her chick, she rushed over and stood in front of them. "What are you trying to do to the pot of flowers?"
Nora, "?"
Tanya, "?"
The two looked at Mrs. Landis. They hadn¡¯t shut the gates when they came in just now, so the woman hade in just like that. Who was she, though?
They were wondering about it when Mrs. Landis said, "That pot of flowers belongs to me!"
Realization dawned upon Tanya. "Oh, I see. I found the pot of flowers in the garden and thought that the person who discarded it didn¡¯t want it anymore, so I brought it back!"
At the sight of how lifeless the pot of flowers was, Mrs. Landis panicked at once. "Why wouldn¡¯t we want it? Do you know what this is or not? Also, how can you bring this pot of orchid back with you so carelessly when it¡¯s so expensive?"
Tanya replied sheepishly, "How expensive can it be? I thought it was a bonsai tree!"
Mrs. Landis, "..."
She stepped forward. She was about to take the flowerpot when Nora suddenly stopped her. She said, "You im that this pot of flowers belongs to you, but do you have any proof?"
This particr pot of flowers was worth a lot of money, so she was guarding against strangers who might be trying to scam them out of it. Besides, going by how old Mrs. Landis looked, she didn¡¯t seem like someone that would go online to approach her for help on treating the nt.
After all, the elderly didn¡¯t go online very much. Additionally, only a minority of people would visit that forum.
Mrs. Landis was taken aback. "Do I have to prove it?"
"Of course."
Nora said unhurriedly, "Otherwise, how would I know whether or not you¡¯re really the owner of this pot of flowers?"
Mrs. Landis, "..."
That was true. She could understand why she would have such concerns.
But how was she going to prove it?
Nora said, "This pot of flowers¡¯ buds are not quite the same color as other flowers. You just need to tell me what color they are."
Mrs. Landis, "!!"
Now, that put her in a spot. She hurriedly said, "Wait a minute. I¡¯ll go and ask Ma¡¯am."
"Okay."
Mrs. Landis walked toward the exit, but after taking a couple of steps, she turned back and added, "Don¡¯t spray anything on it anymore, though. These flowers are very delicate. Got it?"
Nora nodded again.
After Mrs. Landis left and went out of sight, she picked up the spray bottle again and continued to spray the potion she had just concocted onto the flowers.
"... Didn¡¯t she say that this pot of flowers is very expensive?" asked Tanya.
Nora nodded. "Uh-huh. That¡¯s why I have to help them save it. Otherwise, they¡¯ll throw it away again."
Tanya, "..."
A short whileter, they heard hasty footsteps at the gates. Mrs. Landis¡¯s voice rang out the next moment. "This is the house, Ma¡¯am! Watch your step!"
A beautiful and dazzling figure slowly walked in along with those words.
The sight of her took Nora and Tanya, both big beauties, by surprise. They felt as if they had suddenly been dazzled.
The woman walking in had an oval-shaped face, fair skin, andrge eyes. She wore a long-sleeved dress that wrapped around her graceful curves, one couldn¡¯t tell any signs of age on her face at all. She wore her hair in big, loose curls draped gracefully behind her shoulders. She looked just like an elf that had stepped out of a European painting and identally entered the human world.
Tanya couldn¡¯t resist poking Nora and remarking, "She¡¯s so beautiful!"
Nora nodded.
The two wanted to continue, but Mrs. Landis had spotted the spray bottle in Nora¡¯s hand. She then looked at the pot of flowers and found that all the flowers had been sprayed with some kind of dark mixture. She panicked at once and said, "Didn¡¯t I already tell you not to spray anything on it anymore? Why did you continue to spray the mixture on it?! You... What you¡¯re doing is going to kill our flowers! Or is it because you don¡¯t want to return it to us? Do you have any idea who the leader of our family is?"
Tanya hurriedly waved and said, "No, we¡¯re definitely giving it back. I didn¡¯t know it was so expensive when I picked it up."
Iris frowned, but she said, "Stop that, Mrs. Landis."
Mrs. Landis, however, wasn¡¯t convinced. "Ma¡¯am, they are obviously the ones who mistreated your flowers..."
Iris shook her head. "It no longer belonged to us the moment you discarded it and someone else picked it up. We should already count ourselves lucky that they are willing to return it!"
Mrs. Landis was awfully indignant.
Tanya breathed a sigh of relief. "We didn¡¯t mean it, Madam. We were treating the flowers¡¯ illness."
Iris let out a sigh. "The treatment method is too extreme."
The smell of vinegar was simply too strong. How could orchids possibly withstand it?
Tanya wasn¡¯t versed in medical theory, so she didn¡¯t say anything. Nora, on the other hand, said, "I reckon the worms will be gone with another couple of sprays."
Mrs. Landis reprimanded her. "You¡¯re pretty confident, aren¡¯t you! Ma¡¯am has already been trying to treat that pot of flowers for half a month, but the flowers have never looked so lifeless before. Just look at it¡ªthe petals are already drooping! It lookspletely listless. You shouldn¡¯t have messed around with it if you aren¡¯t professionals!"
"Mrs. Landis!"
Iris reprimanded her again. "Never mind, let¡¯s just bring the flowers back."
Mrs. Landis went forward indignantly and picked up the pot of flowers. As she did, she nagged, "Just how much effort have you put into this pot of flowers? You couldn¡¯t even bear to watch when we threw it away, nor did I dare to really throw it away. Who knew that it would end up being destroyed in their hands instead? Seriously!"
Iris shook her head and told her not to say any more.
The two then left with the flowers. When they reached the gates, Mrs. Landis could still be heard saying, "If the flowers die tomorrow, I¡¯m going toe and look for them!"
"Never mind. As they say, what is yours will be yours, and what isn¡¯t will never be."
The middle-aged woman¡¯s voice sounded very pleasant, and the way she spoke sounded as if she was reciting a poem. It was just that her demeanor was cold and indifferent, making her look like someone who wasn¡¯t a part of the mundane world.
It was only when the two left that Tanya finally swallowed hard and said, "No wonder people say that beauty isn¡¯t just skin-deep. Thatdy¡¯s physique is too beautiful! I wonder how old she is, though. Since she¡¯s being addressed as ¡¯Ma¡¯am¡¯, then she must be at least thirty, right? But she doesn¡¯t really look like it, either..."
Nora couldn¡¯t tell how old the woman was, either, mainly because she was a perfectbination of innocence and femininity, which made people overlook her age.
Tanya said, "I¡¯m going to ask around and see which family she¡¯s from..."
¡ª
After they brought the pot of flowers back home, Mrs. Landis took a piece of wet tissue, and carefully and gently wiped off the residual medicinal potion on the leaves and petals.
It was just a shame that even though the potion was too pungent, the flowers were so delicate that she couldn¡¯t wash them. Thus, even though she had already wiped the potion off, it still smelled of vinegar.
Mrs. Landis sighed.
Iris even put down the tissue, got up, and went upstairs. "Forget it," she said.
She couldn¡¯t sleep well that night because the pot of flowers kept haunting her in her sleep. As a result, she felt like she had only just fallen asleep when she heard Mrs. Landis¡¯ shout of surprise.
"Ma¡¯am! Q-quick! Get up and look at the flowers!!"
Iris sat up abruptly.
What had happened to the flowers?
Could they have... withered? And died?
Chapter 240: Help!
Chapter 240: Help!
She had only discarded the flowers away the day before in a moment of impulse. Later, when Mrs. Landis told her that she hadn¡¯t really thrown it away, Iris had been overjoyed.
It was the things that one recovered after losing that they cared about the most.
She grabbed the pajamas next to her, put them on, and walked out of the room barefooted, making a beeline for the greenhouse.
Mrs. Landis was standing next to the pot of flowers. At the sight of her, she panicked at once. "Oh dear, look at you, ma¡¯am..."
She took a pair of slippers and gave them to Iris, who rushed over to the pot of flowers eagerly.
The pungent smell was still there, but the worms on the nt were gone.
Although the flowers still looked lifeless, they weren¡¯t dead.
Mrs. Landis pointed to it. "The worms are really gone. Has the pot of flowers recovered?"
Iris shook her head. She stared at the pot of flowers with a frown and said, "No, not exactly. The worms have indeed been driven away, but the flowers have also been contaminated by the mixture, so they may also wither."
This was the reason why she had refrained from using pesticides even after such a long time.
All pesticides had harmful effects on the flowers. Orchids were simply too delicate!
That was why she had been so hesitant and hadn¡¯t dared to use it all this time. But in the end, a young missy living next door had used it on the flowers instead, sigh!
Mrs. Landis turned the pot of flowers around and examined it. She said, "Ma¡¯am, the flowers look like they are in better condition than before to me, though? Think about it¡ªit also looked terribly lifeless when it was still infested with worms, but it seems alright today? This pot of flowers isn¡¯t as delicate as we imagined after all!"
Iris frowned.
Mrs. Landis marveled at the sight. "That young missy¡¯s remedy from yesterday surprisingly saved the flowers! Haha, maybe the pot of flowers would have already recovered by now if you had used pesticides on it five days ago! You were just too scared and too distressed about it. That¡¯s why you didn¡¯t dare to do it!"
Iris hesitated for a moment. "Really? But I remember that it was exactly because I used pesticides that a pot of flowers I once had, had died. The flowers became rotten, and even the roots were damaged and couldn¡¯t grow anymore."
Mrs. Landis was in a very good mood. She said, "But that was a different species of flowers. Maybe that pot of flowers just didn¡¯t have enough vitality and life force. This pot of flowers here is chock full of vitality, though!"
Iris also nodded. "Yes, let¡¯s watch over it today!"
"Okay!"
The pot of flowers remained half-dead the whole day. Iris watered it regrly and let it bask in the sun. This continued until the third day when the pot of flowers actually survived!
"Ma¡¯am, this pot of orchid is no way near as delicate as you say it is! Look at how hardy it is! It¡¯s still doing fine even though that young missy was spraying vinegar on it that day!"
Mrs. Landis walked around happily in the greenhouse with a spray bottle filled with water. She said, "Actually, maybe these flowers are just like people. It¡¯s easier to keep them alive by letting them grow in the wild instead of cultivating them so carefully!"
Iris felt that her words had some truth to them.
She went one round in the greenhouse but suddenly stopped in front of a pot of dark purple chrysanthemums. She pushed the soil aside and inspected it carefully, upon which she was shocked. "Mrs. Landis! This pot of flowers has been infected!"
Mrs. Landis walked over at once when she heard her. Sure enough, she spotted a few small ck worms crawling around on the chrysanthemum buds. However, it seemed like it had only just been infected, so they weren¡¯t many.
However, the worms must have alreadyid eggs on the flowers, so it was impossible to remove them all without the use of pesticides.
Iris frowned.
Mrs. Landis suggested, "Why don¡¯t we also give it a go, Ma¡¯am?"
Iris wondered out loud. "But I clearly remember that the flowers I used pesticides on in the past had died!"
Mrs. Landis pointed at the pot of A Glimpse of Blood and said, "I remember you said that this pot of flowers is an exceptionally delicate type. Since even it can recover, this pot of chrysanthemums will definitely recover, too!"
Iris looked at the pot of A Glimpse of Blood that had returned to standing straight and glowing with vigor. Atst, she sighed and said, "Alright."
She took out the pesticide she had bought, diluted it, and sprayed it gently on the chrysanthemum buds. The little worms fled all about as if they had just met with their natural enemy.
Unfortunately, they fell onto the leaves after inching away just a couple of steps, unable to move anymore.
Mrs. Landis eximed in approval, "Isn¡¯t the insecticide much better than the vinegar she used? And there isn¡¯t much of a smell, either. Vinegar simply smells too strong! And it¡¯s sour, too. Take a look at this instead¡ªthe pesticide has already killed off the worms so soundlessly..."
Iris was rather worried, though. "Surely nothing will go wrong, right?"
She felt rather uneasy.
Mrs. Landisughed and said, "Even the young missy next door can cure a pot of flowers so easily, let alone you, Ma¡¯am. Have a little confidence in yourself!"
"... Alright, then."
She looked at the dark purple chrysanthemums. When she saw how they didn¡¯t seem like they were affected, she breathed a sigh of relief. She ced the infected pot of chrysanthemums outside and kept it away from the other flowers. It should be fine after doing that.
With that in mind, Iris went back into the house.
However, when Iris woke up the next day and went to check on the pot of chrysanthemums, she was stunned!
The pot of chrysanthemums had actually wilted!
Additionally, the flower that she had specifically sprayed with pesticide the day before was already half-rotten! Not only was it drooping, but its petals had also fallen off, and it looked half-dead.
Iris, "!!"
Mrs. Landis was also stunned at the sight. "H-how can this be?"
Iris panicked. "What should I do?"
Mrs. Landis was perplexed. "This shouldn¡¯t be, though. Ma¡¯am, that young missy easily saved your pot of A Glimpse of Blood just by messing around a little. Why did this pot of flowers turn out like this instead?"
As soon as she said that, Iris¡¯s head whipped up abruptly. "Perhaps... that young missy wasn¡¯t just messing around?"
Mrs. Landis was taken aback. "What do you mean by that, Ma¡¯am?"
Iris stood up straight. Her big beautiful eyes were full of shock and astoundment. She replied, "It means that young missy is actually a master orchid breeder! Come on, Mrs. Landis! Let¡¯s go next door and ask for advice!"
Mrs. Landis nodded.
The two went next door, but even after knocking on the door for a long time, no one opened the door.
Mrs. Landis panicked. "Why isn¡¯t she opening the door? Surely she lives here, right?"
Iris took a deep breath. "Call the property management office and ask for her number."
"Okay."
¡ª
Meanwhile, Tanya was on a stroll with Nora and Pete outside.
Tanya was very smug as she looked at the scenery in the viplex. "Isn¡¯t the ce big, Pete?"
Pete replied, "... It¡¯s okay, I guess. It¡¯s about the same size as my garden."
"... Do you also have a stream in your garden?" asked Tanya.
Pete nodded. "Yeah. There¡¯s also a pond that draws water from the hot springs, so it¡¯s possible to grow lotus flowers in there even in winter!"
Tanya, "!!"
Pete let out a sigh. "Even though I¡¯m already five and I jog in the manor every day, I still haven¡¯t gone a full round around the manor."
Tanya was rendered speechless with envy. "Stop. Don¡¯t humblebrag anymore."
She waved and said, "Let¡¯s go. We¡¯ll drive straight to the vi. God-mom has her own home now, Pete! I¡¯ll be living here in the future!"
Pete nodded. "Okay."
The group arrived at Tanya¡¯s vi. As soon as the car stopped, Mrs. Landis ran over, grabbed Nora¡¯s hand, and said, "Miss, help!"
Chapter 241: Smith?
Chapter 241: Smith?
Help?
Tanya panicked. She urged, "Quick, Nora, go and have a look!"
Might something have happened to that beautiful middle-ageddy?
Nora had heard what Mrs. Landis said as soon as she got out of the car, so she was also a little taken aback. For some reason, she quite liked thatdy, so she nodded and said, "Lead the way."
Pete, who was hiding in the car, looked at Mrs. Landis in confusion. Wasn¡¯t she Mrs. Landis, his grandmother¡¯s caregiver?
He got out of the car as well. He was about to walk over when something suddenly urred to him¡ªif his grandmother saw him, then wouldn¡¯t everything be exposed?!
He wasn¡¯t worried about his grandmother¡¯s health, though, because she underwent a health checkup every year!
Moreover, the tyrant had assigned his grandmother bodyguards, who were all around the ce. If something had really happened, there was no way the bodyguards would be this quiet.
Therefore, while Mrs. Landis was preupied and hadn¡¯t noticed him yet, he grabbed Tanya¡¯s hand and said, "Open the door first, God-mom. That kind of environment isn¡¯t suitable for kids. I¡¯ll wait for you and Mommy here."
Tanya, "..."
To think she didn¡¯t even think as far ahead as a child. Nevertheless, she quickly came back to her senses, hurriedly opened the door, and let Pete in. Only then did she go after Nora.
Two minutester.
Inside the greenhouse, Tanya stared at the beautifuldy in front of her and the pot of flowers in her hand. She was stunned. "When you asked for help, you were talking about the pot of flowers?"
The beautiful woman nodded. "Yes, of course. What else could I have been talking about?"
Both Tanya and Nora fell silent.
When the two of them heard Mrs. Landis¡¯ call for help, all they could think of was that something had happened to her.
Now that they thought about it again, wasn¡¯t it obvious? It wasn¡¯t like Mrs. Landis knew Nora was a doctor after all!
The corners of Tanya¡¯s lips spasmed a little. "Then you should have been clearer about it. We ended up running all the way here."
Mrs. Landis was terribly nervous. "These flowers are Ma¡¯am¡¯s life itself. I wasn¡¯t exaggerating when I asked for help!"
"..."
Tanya didn¡¯t say any more. As for Nora, she looked at the pot of flowers in Iris¡¯s hand. It was likely infested with worms, but because they had used pesticides on it, the worms were gone. However, the flowers had also be damaged as a result.
She frowned. "The pesticide has already prated deep into the flower. This flower can¡¯t be saved anymore."
Mrs. Landis burst into tears. "It¡¯s all my fault, ma¡¯am. It¡¯s all my fault! I saw that the young missy managed to save the flowers by spraying them with vinegar, so I thought that pesticide would also be okay. Sob... The vinegar clearly smelled even stronger and more pungent than the pesticide..."
Tanya couldn¡¯t stop herself from saying dryly, "Look at what you¡¯re saying. Vinegar is edible, but is pesticide edible?"
Her words made Mrs. Landis choke, but she kept her head lowered and wiped her tears.
Iris had only made up her mind to use the pesticide because she had convinced her to. Even though she wouldn¡¯t make herpensate for the flowers, it upset her to see Landis sad!
She looked at Nora and asked, "Can you save this pot of flowers, Ms. Smith?"
Iris¡¯s brows were also knitted together, and she looked miserable.
"... I didn¡¯t say that this pot of flowers is going to die," replied Nora.
Both Mrs. Landis and Iris were taken aback at her words, and they looked at her.
Only then did Nora slowly say, "You can¡¯t keep this particr flower anymore, but the pot of flowers itself is still salvageable as long as you..."
She listed a few herbs and said, "Brew them until they fill up only three bowls of water. Dilute the solution and water the flowers with it after that, and this pot of flowers will be fine. Flowers will grow again after that."
Iris was stunned when she heard her verbally listing the prescription so casually.
Why did her method of using traditional medicine to treat flowers resemble Orchidiance¡¯s style so much?
But Orchidiance wasn¡¯t based in the States!
While Iris was wondering about it, she saw Nora yawn after she finished. Then, she slowly started to walk toward the door. "Just do as I say and everything will be fine. We¡¯re heading back."
Iris panicked. She rushed over to Nora, grabbed her, and said, "Ms. Smith, right? Let¡¯s add each other on Messenger?"
Nora, "?"
Iris smiled and said, "Don¡¯t worry, I definitely won¡¯t disturb you! At the most, I¡¯ll only approach you when something goes wrong with my orchids."
Nora, "..."
She wanted to refuse. After all, the owner of Vi No. 9 didn¡¯t seem like anyone simple. She didn¡¯t want to get into any trouble.
But when she saw the anxious and eager look in Iris¡¯ eyes, as well as her beautiful, practically blemish-free, face, she suddenly couldn¡¯t quite bring herself to.
Cough.
She would never admit that Cherry had actually inherited her love for pretty faces from her!
She took out her cell phone and they added each other on Messenger. Only then did she go next door with Tanya.
Mrs. Landis went out to buy the herbs that Nora had listed, so Iris was the only one in the vi for a while. She sat on the wooden chair in the yard and opened up Nora¡¯s Facebook page.
A master orchid breeder like her would definitely share a lot of tips about cultivating orchids, right? Unfortunately... her page was actually empty?
Iris suspected that the young woman had filtered her out, so she scrolled up the page, upon which she found that the other party¡¯s friend list was visible to her.
In which case...
So, Ms. Smith had never posted anything before? Just howzy of a person was she?
The corners of her lips spasmed a little. In the midst of her surprise, there was another knock on the door. She subconsciously got up and walked over to open the door.
As soon as she opened the door, she saw Tina outside.
Iris¡¯s expression instantly turned cold. "What are you here for, Ms. York?"
Tina replied, "I¡¯m here to check up on your orchid for you, Mrs. Hunt."
Iris couldn¡¯t help but smile upon hearing her reply. "No, it¡¯s fine. Someone has already cured my orchid."
Someone had already cured it?
Tina was surprised. "How can that be?"
She had asked for help on various websites and also approached several people who were experts on treating orchids¡¯ illnesses, but all of them had said that it was hopeless. How could it possibly have already recovered?
She was still thinking about it when Iris smiled and asked, "Is there anything else?"
Tina bit her lip.
She assumed that Justin must have gotten an expert to look at the orchid, just so he could stop her from getting close to Iris. In any case, her original intention in pleasing Iris was just so she could...
The look in Tina¡¯s eyes darkened. Suddenly, she smiled and said, "Actually, I¡¯m just here to inform you about something, Mrs. Hunt."
Iris was a little surprised. "What?"
Tina narrowed her eyes. "Do you know that your son has started dating a woman from a nobody family and made her his girlfriend?"
Iris replied coldly, "I¡¯m not interested to hear about that."
Tina, however, smiled again and said, "You may not be interested to know about his girlfriend, but what about your grandson, the little Mr. Hunt? Are you not interested in knowing about him, either? Aren¡¯t you afraid that that foresight-less woman will abuse your grandson after she marries into the family?"
When Tina chatted with Iris in the past, she discovered that the woman was always trying to draw the topic to Pete and make her talk about him.
Although she didn¡¯t visit her grandson, she still liked him very much.
Therefore, Tina used her trump card right away. "He¡¯s after all not her real son, so she can only be his stepmother. Once she marries Mr. Hunt and bears him a son, do you think he would still keep his position as the heir to the family?"
Iris¡¯s jaw tensed up.
She didn¡¯t intend to interfere with her son¡¯s rtionships, nor would she be easily incited by someone¡¯s mere words. However, this didn¡¯t stand in the way of her investigating the other party¡¯s background.
"Who is she?" asked Iris.
Tina answered excitedly, "Her name is Nora Smith."
Iris: "?"
Smith?
Chapter 242: Children Must Not Be Without Their Mother
Chapter 242: Children Must Not Be Without Their Mother
Coincidentally, the girl next door who knew how to nt orchids also had the surname Smith, which made her have a good impression of the surname Smith.
She lowered her eyes. "I understand. Is there anything else?"
Tina was stunned by her light tone. "You don¡¯t care?"
Iris sneered. "I already said that I¡¯m not interested in Justin¡¯s matter. Ms. York, if you want to affect him by using me, you¡¯ve made a wrong move. Goodbye."
She did not give Tina a chance to speak again and closed the door.
Tina, who was blocked outside, gritted her teeth in hatred as she looked at the door. She clenched her fists tightly and took a deep breath before walking out.
When Mrs. Landis came back from grocery shopping, she happened to see Iris sitting on the swing in the courtyard in a daze.
She was stunned and asked, "Ma¡¯am, what¡¯s wrong?"
Iris sighed. "Justin is in love."
Mrs. Landis was stunned.
Then, she could not help but scold him. "This young master is too insensible! Since he¡¯s in a rtionship, he should have brought that girl here to meet you! Really..."
Iris lowered her eyes. "As long as he likes her, everything else is fine. I just feel that Pete is a little pitiful."
Mrs. Landis knew that Iris had thought of herself.
After hesitating for a while, she walked to her side and squatted down, holding her hand. "Ma¡¯am, Young Master is not like that."
Iris sneered. "He¡¯s not. But in a family, the role of a mother is too important. Haven¡¯t you heard of a saying? With a stepmother, you have a stepfather."
Mrs. Landis was silent for a while.
Ma¡¯am was not like this in the past. When she trusted someone, she would trust them unconditionally. However, after what had happened to Sir, her heart hadpletely broken.
So now, she didn¡¯t trust any woman too much?
However, Mrs. Landis also knew that the status of the person in charge of the wealthy families was important. It was like the throne of a country.
If a young master got married and the wife gives birth to a new son, which mother would not be biased toward her own son?
Not to mention, they still had to inherit the Hunts¡¯ business!
Mrs. Landis sighed. "Ma¡¯am, Pete is actually autistic. It¡¯s too demanding for him to take on the burden of a family. Didn¡¯t Young Master say so? He never nned to let Little Young Master take over the Hunts."
Iris was stunned.
Yeah.
Pete had autism.
Iris had seen Pete before. Half a year ago, she had secretly gone to see him and had seen that the child was alone and not very social.
She had gone up to talk to him, but he had ignored her.
She sighed. "Although that¡¯s the case, if he¡¯s willing to be close to me and grow up with me, it might be the best way for everyone. But..."
However, he was unwilling to follow her.
She sighed again. After a while, she looked up and said, "Give Justin a call. Ask him to bring Pete to see me."
Mrs. Landis nodded, wild with joy. This was the first time Ma¡¯am had taken the initiative to look for Justin since she moved out of the Hunts. She hurriedly nodded. "Okay."
She ran into her room to make a call, but Iris was still staring at the sky.
She thought of when she was young...
When she had found out that her husband had cheated on her, she was determined to get a divorce.
Even if they were to get a divorce, she would definitely not be able to take her son away. After all, Justin¡¯s grandfather was still around at that time and was the head of the Hunts. He had raised Justin himself and was wild with joy at his intelligence. He had carefully nurtured him.
At that time, she felt that people should live for themselves. Therefore, even so, she was determined to get a divorce.
At that time, Mrs. Hunt of the Hunts had let her go on a vacation for half a month. She would decide if she wanted a divorce after she returned.
She had agreed, and thus, she left.
However, she had not expected that after the biological mother left her son¡¯s side, the mistress would visit her.
When she was overseas and heard some news, she was once worried about Justin¡¯s safety. However, she also knew that Justin was Mr. Hunt¡¯s flesh and blood and that nothing would happen to him.
With this thought in mind, she returned after ying overseas for a full 14 days.
She was still determined to get a divorce.
Her husband imed that he and his mistress were truly in love. Even if they did not get a divorce, the two of them would only have a marriage of convenience. She did not want such a marriage.
She would rather withdraw and pursue her own happiness.
The pride in her bones made her think of everything too simply.
When she returned to the house, one she had not seen for half a month, she saw her family looking at her strangely.
They whispered, "So pitiful. Ma¡¯am¡¯s nickname is gone, and so is her son."
At that time, she thought that the servants were saying that she would give her son to the Hunts as well. She did not think much of it and went straight to the study after entering.
In the study, Mrs. Hunt and Mr. Hunt were both there.
Her husband and his mistress were also there.
The mistress held her big belly and knelt on the ground.
Her husband was holding her hand and pleading with Mr. Hunt. "Dad! She didn¡¯t do it on purpose. Let her get up!"
Mr. Hunt smashed his teacup on the ground angrily. "If anything happens to Justin, I¡¯ll kill both of you!"
Bam!
The bag in his hand fell to the ground. Iris looked at Mr. Hunt and Mrs. Hunt in confusion. Her voice trembled as she asked, "What happened to Justin? What happened to him?"
When Mr. Hunt saw her, he did not dare to say anything.
Mrs. Hunt walked over and held her hand. "Justin is gone! He was swindled by human traffickers!"
Her eyes were red and her hands were trembling.
Iris looked at her husband in disbelief. At this moment, he was still defending his mistress. "Iris, help me put in a few good words. She didn¡¯t do it on purpose. Her stomach suddenly felt ufortable, so she was too careless and didn¡¯t watch over Justin..."
Iris was stunned. "She lost the child?"
Justin had only been five years old at that time!!
Her husband frowned. Seeing that she was silent, he could only look at Mr. Hunt. "Dad, Justin is already gone. It¡¯s highly probable that he might not return, but do you not even want the child in her stomach?"
Mr. Hunt was stunned.
Her husband continued shouting, "This child is also a son! I¡¯ve already lost one, nothing can happen to this one!"
With that, he held the mistress¡¯ arm. "Get up."
The mistress stood up trembling.
This time, Mr. Hunt remained silent.
At that moment, Iris suddenly understood. Justin was just a sessor to the Hunts. Without this sessor, there would always be another one.
However, in this world, there was only one person who could not live without Justin. That person was his mother.
A child could not live without a mother.
Iris suddenly said, "Mrs. Landis, how good would it be if Justin¡¯s girlfriend was Pete¡¯s mother?"
Chapter 243: Cherry’s Mommy
Chapter 243: Cherry¡¯s Mommy
Mrs. Landis was speechless.
Back then, when Justin suddenly had a son, it caused an intense reaction from everyone.
When he came over, Iris asked, "Who¡¯s the child¡¯s mother?"
At that time, Justin¡¯s attitude was very cold. "Does it matter if the child has a mother or not?"
Iris was speechless.
She knew that at that time, Justin wasining that as his mother, she was always hiding outside and never came home. However, he did not understand her painstaking efforts.
She was protecting him by not going back.
His attitude toward her had always been very cold. Whenever he came over while he was young, he always followed a strict schedule, having already agreed with the Hunts.
It was also because of this that things had changed a little over the years. He would asionallye over to see her, but they had nothing to say to each other, so he only stayed for a while before leaving.
Perhaps it was because she knew how hard it was to raise her son after she had him.
At the Hunts¡¯.
When Justin received Mrs. Landis¡¯s call, he was a little surprised, especially when he heard that special request to bring Cherry along...
He hung up and looked at Cherry, who was ying. He asked, "Cherry, are you willing toe with me to see Grandmother?"
Cherry, "?"
Her big eyes were filled with confusion. "Do I still have a grandmother?"
With that, she immediately covered her mouth.
It was over!
She had let it slip. Her brother definitely knew that there was still a grandmother.
As she was thinking about this, she saw her father bend down and say to her face, "Yes, it¡¯s normal that you don¡¯t know her. After all, you¡¯ve only seen your grandmother a few times."
Phew... So that was how it was.
Cherry heaved a sigh of relief and was delighted. "Okay!"
She liked Grandmother!
Like her great-grandmother, she would be a very gentle olddy. She would give her lots of gifts. Recently, Cherry had be the favorite of the Hunt Corporation.
At the thought of this, she said excitedly, "Daddy, I¡¯ll go change my clothes!"
Justin nodded.
He still had some work matters to settle, so he went to the study.
Cherry returned to her room and changed her clothes. The moment she went out, she saw Roger standing at the door. He was smiling at her with his eyes narrowed. "Pete, are you going out?"
Cherry nodded. "Yes, I¡¯m going to see Grandmother!"
Roger suddenly smiled. "Pete, I remember that you didn¡¯t like to talk much in the past. Why are you talking so much now?"
Cherry tilted her head and said calmly, "Because I¡¯ve recovered!"
Roger, "?"
Cherry took the opportunity to praise her mommy. "My daddy¡¯s girlfriend, who is also my mommy, cured my illness!"
Roger narrowed his eyes. "Your mommy?"
"Yes, it¡¯s Nora~ She¡¯s a great doctor!" Cherry started ttering her mother without hesitation. "Not only is she beautiful and kind, but she¡¯s also cool and brave. She¡¯s also very good-looking! Most importantly, my father wants to marry her!"
Roger, "..."
He did not take such a woman seriously. After all, no matter how powerful she was, how powerful could she be when she grew up in a small ce like California?
He only said calmly, "You¡¯re so young. Have you ever thought that a stepmother would be very bad?"
Cherry, "?"
Roger continued to bewitch her. "You¡¯ve heard of Snow White¡¯s story, right? The stepmother in that story is a witch. With a stepmother, you¡¯ll also be Snow White. Then, you¡¯ll be in trouble!"
Cherry pursed her lips.
Roger: "If your stepmother gives birth to a younger brother with your father, your position as the leader will no longer be needed. Have you thought about the consequences?"
If Justin was not married, his status on the board would be lighter.
After all, when measuring a person, one would look at their career and family. When Roger heard that he had a girlfriend, his first reaction was to stop him.
Even if he could not stop him, the seed of hatred that had been nted in Pete¡¯s heart would still slowly germinate in the future.
If there was a conflict between Justin¡¯s wife and Pete, he would definitely be unable to take care of himself. Perhaps there would be a loophole in his control of thepany and he could take advantage of it!
His imagination was running wild. He even felt that any five-year-old would be on guard when they heard this. Indeed, the child in front of him was already deep in thought.
Cherry frowned slightly, her smile turning into a little bun. "Little brother? It should be fun, right? But Mommy definitely won¡¯t want to have another child!"
Roger was stunned. He sensed something. "Another?"
Cherry nodded. "Yes. My mommy has two... one child!"
Roger was even more stunned. "What? Your mommy had a child? Who did she have it with? How old is that child? A boy or a girl?"
Cherry said, "She¡¯s a beautiful, cute, quick-witted, and adorable little princess. She¡¯s like a flower in everyone¡¯s eyes~"
Roger, "!!"
It seemed like that woman had bewitched Pete a lot. Otherwise, why would he praise that little girl like this?
No, he had to tell the Old Madam!
When he thought of this, it was as if he had found a pir of support. He walked straight to the Old Madam.
Cherry skipped over to Justin. The two of them then took a car to the vi and saw Iris.
As soon as they entered, Iris¡¯s eyesnded on Cherry. Her eyes lit up. "Pete, you¡¯re here?"
Cherry looked at her curiously. Her big grape-like eyes were filled with curiosity. When she realized that this grandmother was different from her great-grandmother, with no wrinkles on her face, she was instantly as excited as a little butterfly. She jumped into Iris¡¯s arms and called out sweetly, "Grandmother!"
Iris froze.
After being cold for so many years, she suddenly hugged the small and soft Cherry. It reminded her of how she had hugged Justin back then, and her heart suddenly softened.
The cold expression that had always been on Justin¡¯s face subconsciously disappeared, and his lips curled into a smile. "Yes."
Justin looked at her.
Her smile was just like when he was young. Every time he returned home after school, she would always wait for him gently at home...
Butter, she had chased her father away and moved out.
Justin lowered his eyes.
At this moment, Iris said, "Tina said that you have an unreliable girlfriend and are nning to get married?"
Justin, "?"
He paused and frowned. He was about to speak when Iris suddenly said, "I won¡¯t care if you have a girlfriend, but if you get married, can you wait another five years?"
Justin¡¯s words suddenly paused as anger suddenly rose in his heart. He asked, "Why?"
Chapter 244: Raising Her Daughter?
Chapter 244: Raising Her Daughter?
Of course, it was to give Pete more room to grow.
When Pete turned 10 years old, learned about good and evil, and had his own thoughts, he would at least be able to protect himself before pursuing his own happiness.
However, Iris would not say those words.
She only said coldly, "If you get married, there will be a lot of trouble. I don¡¯t want to bother about it. Besides, you¡¯re only 25 years old this year. It¡¯s the time to be impulsive. You might have been bewitched by a vixen outside. When you¡¯re 30 years old, if you still like her, it won¡¯t be toote to get married!"
Justin suddenly clenched his fists.
Vixen?
Was this how she saw the woman he liked?
He sneered. "You make it sound like you¡¯ve managed me all these years. Since you haven¡¯t, then don¡¯t bother."
He lowered his eyes to hide the coldness in them. The mole at the corner of his eye exuded the same coldness and distance as Iris. "Besides, I¡¯m already old. You don¡¯t have to worry about me anymore."
With that, he extended his hand to Cherry. "Pete, let¡¯s go."
Cherry looked at her beautiful grandmother and then at her father.
Thinking of the beautiful grandmother¡¯s words, she looked at Justin hesitantly. In the end, she broke free from Iris¡¯s embrace and walked to Justin.
Justin bent down and picked her up before saying respectfully, "If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll take my leave first."
Iris didn¡¯t say anything.
Justin added, "Also, if I get married in the future, I¡¯ll bring her to see you. You¡¯ll like her. Of course, you can also dislike her because you¡¯ve never liked anyone, right?"
After saying this, he turned around and left.
After the sound of the car disappeared at the door, Mrs. Landis walked toward Iris. Her voice couldn¡¯t help but tremble. "Ma¡¯am, why... why are you doing this? After so many years, your rtionship with Young Master has finally eased a little. Why are you arguing again..."
Iris sighed deeply. "That¡¯s good."
Mrs. Landis was stunned.
Iris looked at the sky. "The worse our rtionship is, the less trouble we¡¯ll cause him."
Mrs. Landis sighed again and asked, "Then should we investigate that Nora?"
Iris shook his head. "No need."
Mrs. Landis was stunned.
Iris said hesitantly, "The woman he likes could not be a bad person. Besides, even if we investigate, it¡¯s useless. His personality is still the same as when he was young. He won¡¯t turn back once he has decided on something."
Seeing her pitiful state, Mrs. Landis couldn¡¯t help but sigh deeply. She took a step forward and held her shoulder. "Ma¡¯am, it has been hard on you all these years."
"What¡¯s there to be bitter about? It¡¯s all the role of a mother. It¡¯s worth it for the child."
Iris stood up and walked to the greenhouse.
Mrs. Landis stood outside the door and looked at the greenhouse quietly.
Ma¡¯am was like this. The more upset she was, the calmer she looked. Every time she was troubled, she liked to water the flowers.
She had already watered the Innd pot twice, but she did not notice it at all.
¡ª
On the way back to the Hunts, the more Justin thought about it, the angrier he became.
Many years ago, Iris and his father had a marriage change.
At that time, his grandfather was so angry that he kicked his father out of the house, leaving behind Iris and him.
He did not know who was right and who was wrong. At that time, he was young, but when he grew up, all traces of his childhood had been wiped away. He could not find anything at all.
Moreover, both Iris and his father said that Iris didn¡¯t love his father anymore.
She had used him to threaten his father and grandfather. If his grandfather kept her, he would have to chase his father away. If he kept his father, she would leave the Hunts with him.
At that time, his grandfather had high hopes for him. He was only five years old but his grandfather had already determined his IQ. Therefore, he had chosen him and Iris without hesitation.
When he grew up, he realized that there was no absolute right or wrong in a marriage. Moreover, his father had spent the rest of his life with another woman while his mother was growing old alone in this small vi.
Whether his mother was right or wrong, he did not care.
However, he could not understand why his mother had to leave even after his father had left.
Didn¡¯t she say she would stay?
When he went to look for Iris when he was young, she was always cold and even hated him. Not long after he came, she would chase him away.
He could not feel any motherly love from her.
When Justin thought of this, he lowered his eyes and sighed.
Even if his mother was not good, she was still his mother.
Therefore, all of this could not be med on her. Only the real culprit could be med.
At this thought, he picked up his phone and called Sean. "I don¡¯t want to see that Dr. York again in New York."
Sean was stunned for a moment, but then he realized something and answered, "Yes!"
After hanging up, Justin¡¯s mood finally rxed a little.
Then, he remembered that Miss Smith was a celibate when it came to marriage. It was very troublesome.
How could he lie to that woman and register their marriage?
While he was deep in thought, the car had already arrived at the Hunts.
As they entered, the butler walked over. "Sir, Old Madam wants you to go over."
Justin, "??"
What was going on today?
They were all looking for him?
He asked, "What happened?"
The butler lowered his head. "Young Master Roger is with the Old Madam."
He must have said something bad again.
Since that was the case, he should not let Cherry go in case she harbors a bad impression of the child.
Justin got someone to take Cherry back before going to the Old Madam¡¯s room.
As soon as he entered, he called out, "Grandmother."
The Old Madam frowned, her voice trembling. "Justin, I heard that you found a woman who has already given birth? You, why are you so muddled?! How can such a person be worthy of you?!"
Justin lowered his eyes and nced at Roger. "You heard?"
Roger instantly put on an obedient look. "Big Brother, I¡¯m doing this for your own good. There are so many women outside. Every socialite in New York wants to marry you. Why are you being charmed by such a woman? She had a child before. Do you want such a secondhand woman?"
A fierce look shed across Justin¡¯s eyes. "Coincidentally, I also have a child. Then am I also a second-hand man?"
Roger instantly smiled. "Big Brother, don¡¯t joke around. How can a man and a woman be the same... Moreover, if you marry her, won¡¯t the Hunts beughed at by others? They¡¯ll say that you picked up someone else¡¯s broken shoes. Moreover, you¡¯ll even help her raise another man¡¯s daughter..."
Justin sneered. "Who said we¡¯re helping her raise another man¡¯s daughter?"
Chapter 245: What’s Your Name, Ms. Smith?
Chapter 245: What¡¯s Your Name, Ms. Smith?
Roger was taken aback. "What?"
Justin nced at him.
He hadn¡¯t brought Pete and Nora back home yet, so he mustn¡¯t let Roger know that the two children look just like each other. Otherwise, given how intelligent he was, he would quickly realize that Cherry was a fake.
He would make trouble for Nora when that happened. It would be terrible if he identally hurt the two of them.
The moment he thought of that, though, Justin suddenly recalled that Nora was the Big Sister of the Quinn School of Martial Arts. Should Roger really send someone to take Pete¡¯s life, he reckoned that he would probably be the one to end up injured instead.
Regardless, this was ultimately still a lot of trouble, and that woman hated trouble the most.
He coughed and refrained from answering.
As for Roger, he seemed to understand something after he processed Justin¡¯s words. "Are you saying that she¡¯s not going to bring her child with her when she marries you? So, the child will stay with the Andersons instead? This isn¡¯t a question of a single child or of money; after all, how much money can a little girl spend? Justin, the fundamental problem here is that woman... C¡¯mon, Grandma, talk to him!"
The elderly Mrs. Hunt frowned. She disapproved of this marriage an awful lot, but even so, she couldn¡¯t just embarrass Justin in front of Roger. Thus, she said, "These are Justin¡¯s household affairs. Why don¡¯t you leave for now?"
Roger nodded and left the room.
After he left, the olddy stretched out her finger and jabbed Justin. "You... Are you really going to marry that woman?"
Justin heaved a sigh. His tone became more intimate and he said, "Grandma, it¡¯s still too early to talk about marriage!"
Mrs. Hunt was surprised. "Huh? What do you mean? I knew you¡¯re just fooling around and aren¡¯t serious about her... Are you just dating her out of novelty..."
Justin¡¯s face twitched a little. He hurriedly interrupted her and said, "No, it¡¯s because I¡¯m still trying to court her."
The elderly Mrs. Hunt, "..."
Justin sighed. "She isn¡¯t interested in me."
"..."
Mrs. Hunt felt like she had just heard the biggest joke in the world. Utterly stunned, she rebutted, "There¡¯s actually a woman in New York who isn¡¯t interested in you?"
Her grandson was well-known for having a high IQ and was very outstanding in every aspect. Added to this his good looks, the daughters of all the wealthy families flocked to him, despite the fact that he already had a child.
Over the years, there was nock of people who came to her to secretly or overtly ask about his marriage matters, rmend potential candidates, or even rmend themselves!
Even that girl from the Smiths... was interested in him.
The Hunts and the Smiths were actually originally a good match for each other.
It was just a shame that the girl from the Smiths was an adopted daughter... Otherwise, they would have matched each other pretty well, since both youngsters were outstanding. Of course, these were all just her own opinions. She had also asked her grandson for his opinion back then, but unfortunately, he wasn¡¯t interested in her.
But now, there was actually someone who wasn¡¯t interested in her grandson?
Was she just ying hard to get, or was she really not interested in him?
Mrs. Hunt immediately dispelled one of the two possibilities the moment she thought of them. There was no way her grandson would fail to realize if she were just ying hard to get.
He was even better at reading people than her these days!
This piqued the olddy¡¯s curiosity. "That makes me so curious about that young missy. Bring her home and let me have a look someday!"
Justin nodded. "No problem."
After Justin left, the olddy suddenly got someone over and instructed, "Get someone to look into Nora Smith."
"Yes, ma¡¯am."
The olddy frowned.
Although her grandson¡¯s happiness was important, the Hunts¡¯ honor was also very important!
Even if that woman was great, the fact that she had given birth to another man¡¯s child would still be her dark past and would cause her to be mocked andughed at for a lifetime.
She wasn¡¯t optimistic about the two of them.
Therefore, she intended to look for an opportunity to meet Ms. Smith and her daughter.
¡ª
Meanwhile, at the vi in the suburbs.
Nora was leaning on the sofa and nodding off. Next to her, Tanya had already taken Pete upstairs.
She had already tidied up the three bedrooms upstairs during thest few days. Apart from the master bedroom meant for herself, for the other two rooms, she turned one into a room for boys, and the other into one for girls.
She took Pete into the room for boys and asked, "Do you like it?"
Pete looked at the room, which was decorated fully in blue. The bed was even a Captain America-themed one. The boy, who was rendered a little speechless, replied, "How childish."
Tanya curled her lip disdainfully. "You¡¯re too precocious for your age, boy! What is your room decor like at the Hunts¡¯?"
Pete replied, "It¡¯s decorated in ck, white, and gray tones, which are ssier. I¡¯ll take you there someda..."
He suddenly paused at this point.
... Because it suddenly urred to him that the tyrant had already changed his room decor to Cherry¡¯s tastes instead!
The whole room was pink!!
The corners of Pete¡¯s lips spasmed a little. Then, he asked, "Who is this room for?"
Tanya¡¯s eyes looked a little lost but were also determined. She answered, "It¡¯s for my son!"
Pete, "?"
He was taken aback. "Do you have a son?"
Tanya hesitated for a moment before she replied, "It may also be a daughter, so I¡¯ve also set up a girl¡¯s room. When Cherry is back, I will ask her if she likes it or not."
She would definitely find her child!
And once she did, the child would immediately have their own room!
She wanted to give her child all the maternal love that she owed all these years.
The thought had only just formed when her cell phone rang. When she answered the call, Joel¡¯s voice came from the other side.
"It¡¯s me."
Tanya¡¯s attitude turned cold. "Is something the matter, Mr. Smith?"
Joel kept quiet for a while before he finally said, "My daughter wants to learn to dance. I wonder if it¡¯s convenient for Ms. Turner to¡ª"
"No, it¡¯s not."
Tanya hung up without any hesitation.
Next to her, Pete was speechless.
Knock, knock!
The sound of someone knocking suddenly came from the door.
Nora, who was sleeping on the sofa, was awakened by the noise. She rubbed her eyes and got onto her feet. When she opened the door, Mrs. Landis immediately grabbed her hand and said, "Ma¡¯am is in a bad mood today, Ms. Smith. She looked like she got along well with you when she was chatting with you earlier today. Can you spend some time with her and talk to her?"
Nora, "?"
She was about to reply when Mrs. Landis heaved a sigh. She said, "Ma¡¯am got into an argument with her son. She¡¯s really having a hard time. She is obviously afraid that the young master¡¯s son will suffer if he remarries, yet she couldn¡¯t tell him anything, which causes him to misunderstand her all the time. After the two quarreled again today, Ma¡¯am has been spacing out in the greenhouse for a whole day now, and she refuses to eat or drink. What should I do?"
Nora, "..."
Just like that, Mrs. Landis dragged and pulled her next door. Sure enough, she spotted Iris sitting in a daze in the greenhouse.
Since I¡¯m already here, I¡¯ll just talk to her a little, Nora thought.
But what should she talk about?
What a headache...
She stepped into the greenhouse. She was about to speak when Iris spotted her. A smile blossomed on her sorrowful countenance at once. "You¡¯re here, Ms. Smith. I have no idea why, either, but I just feel so happy and find you so likable the moment I see you. Maybe it¡¯s because you¡¯re good-looking."
Nora, "..."
Iris went on. "We¡¯re already meeting for the third time, so that makes us friends, right? But I don¡¯t even know your name. Can you tell me what your name is?"
Chapter 246: God-Sisters
Chapter 246: God-Sisters
Nora was about to answer when Iris went on.
"Do you know how my pot of A Glimpse of Blood came about? It was actually my son who gave it to me on my birthday... I know he did it so that I could pour all my sentiments into the flowers, but what he doesn¡¯t know is that I actually didn¡¯t have any love for orchids in the past. I found gardening really annoying, but in order to take care of that pot of flowers, I bought a lot of orchids to learn and gain some experience. Over the years, I¡¯ve killed a lot of orchids while trying to take care of them. I still remember that the first pot of flowers I killed was..."
Nora: "..."
She shut up and listened quietly.
She knew that what Iris needed at the moment was a listener¡ªshe needed to vent some of her emotions.
She talked about a lot of things, and Nora gazed at her seriously.
She didn¡¯t find her annoying. After all, she simply couldn¡¯t bring herself to be annoyed when faced with such a lovely visage. She could look at her all day without any issues.
Iris spoke mostly about bits and pieces of her life with her son. Through her words, Nora more or less got to know what kind of situation she was in.
For some reason, she and her son were living separately.
In addition, they weren¡¯t on very good terms with each other, and her son seldom visited her. She realized this because she only spoke about how her son grew up, but never about how they spent time together.
Iris talked for a whole two hours. Atst, her throat became parched, and Mrs. Landis brought them some fruit tea. She took a sip and said hoarsely, "Would you dislike me for being so long-winded, Ms. Smith? It¡¯s been a really long time since I¡¯ve spoken this much."
"... No, I won¡¯t. Feel free to go on," replied Nora.
Iris, "..."
She had never seen such a quiet and beautiful girl with such a casual attitude before. In particr, whenever she mentioned how she had identally killed an orchid, Nora would always chime in with a sentence or two, and teach her methods that she could¡¯ve used to save the flowers at that time...
She also learned a lot about taking care of orchids during the chat.
The more they chatted, the better they got along with each other. Atst, Iris suggested, "I find that we simply hit it off very well, Ms. Smith. Why don¡¯t we be a sworn family?"
Iris was about to suggest taking her as her goddaughter when Nora replied, "Sure, God-sis."
Iris, "?"
She was stunned for a moment. Then, she burst intoughter and said, "I¡¯m almost fifty. How can you call me God-sis?"
Nora was taken aback for a moment. She looked at the charming and pretty visage in front of her¡ªthe years didn¡¯t seem to have left any marks on her face. She couldn¡¯t help but say, "You look too young."
Needless to say, Iris was delighted at thepliment. She touched her cheek and said, "You¡¯re also very young, aren¡¯t you? Are you twenty yet?"
Noraughed. "My son is already five this year."
... Son?
Iris was dumbfounded. "But you¡¯re so young! Yet you already have a son?!"
Nora nodded.
Iris asked, "Where is he?"
Nora nodded at Vi No. 10 with her chin and answered, "He¡¯s at my friend¡¯s."
Iris got up at once. "Really? Why don¡¯t you take me to him? As his god... aunt, I should visit him, too!"
Nora, "..."
She thought of how Pete kept trying to hide, and knew right away that he might know thedy in front of her, and didn¡¯t wish to meet with her just yet. Thus, she said, "Forget it. He¡¯s shy."
Iris didn¡¯t force it, either. "Alright. I¡¯ll let you meet my son the next time you¡¯re here, God-sis!"
Nora smiled and got up. "Sure. It¡¯s gettingte, I have to go back."
Iris sent her off.
When the two reached the door, Nora suddenly stood still and looked back at her. She said, "Sis, sometimes, what matters the most between two people is actually trust. You may be protecting your son in your way, but what if your son doesn¡¯t need you to protect him anymore?"
Iris froze in ce, stunned.
The girl in front of her was simply so perceptive. She hadn¡¯t mentioned even a word about what had led to the current situation at all, but only talked briefly about how she interacted with her son, yet she had actually guessed it!
She stared at Nora nkly.
Nora lowered her gaze, nodded at her, and left.
Iris balled up her fists tightly as she stared at the girl¡¯s thin and frail form.
At some point, Mrs. Landis came up behind her and said, "Ms. Smith is right, Ma¡¯am... You have already made such sacrifices for so many years. It¡¯s time to tell Mr. Justin the truth! He now oversees the Hunts, and is no longer the boy who needed your protection back then..."
A dazed Iris turned around and looked at Mrs. Landis. In the end, she heaved a sigh. "Even if I tell him now, would he be willing to believe me?"
Mrs. Landis was stunned.
In order to keep her distance from Justin, Iris had always treated him very coldly and distantly for the past two decades.
How could two decades of estrangement possibly be easily exined with just a few words?
Mrs. Landis sighed.
Iris turned and went back to the room. "I¡¯ve already spent more than twenty years like this. Why bother creating trouble for him now?"
Mrs. Landis stayed silent for a long time as she stared at Iris from the back.
To be honest, Ma¡¯am also yearned for Justin¡¯s forgiveness, didn¡¯t she?
It was just that she wasn¡¯t willing to tell him about it, nor did she know how to. In fact, she had already be ustomed to speaking coldly over the years and didn¡¯t know how to speak warmly to anyone anymore.
Mrs. Landis lowered her head.
¡ª
Nora brought Pete into the car after she returned to Tanya¡¯s.
Tanya saw the two of them off reluctantly. "Don¡¯t go, guys. This ce is so big, but I¡¯m the only one here... I¡¯m scared."
Nora raised her brows. "How abouting to the Andersons¡¯ with us, then?"
Tanya, "?"
She had officially moved in today, why would she move out again and follow them back?
The corners of her lips spasmed a little, and she finally let go of the car door. She looked at Nora and said, "Damn, you¡¯re so heartless! Besides, what¡¯s so good about the Andersons¡¯ that you simply have to go back?"
Nora yawned. "The bed there is pretty good."
"..."
After seeing the two of them off, a very resentful Tanya went back to her vi.
After watching Tanya enter the vi in the rearview mirror, Pete finally asked, "Mommy, how was your chat with Gr... with thedy living next door?"
Grandma was really weird. Surely she didn¡¯t bully Mommy, right?
As soon as he thought so, Nora replied, "Well, we hit it off really well. We are now god-sisters, so she¡¯s your god-aunt from now on."
Pete was full of question marks when he heard her: ????
How did Grandma be his aunt?!
What had happened between Mommy and Grandma?!
While Pete was filled with self-doubt, the car returned to the Andersons¡¯.
After parking, Nora got out of the car with her cell phone. Shepletely ignored Pete at the back, who was hopping off the tall car and then tiptoeing to close the door.
She was replying to her newly-gained god-sister¡¯s text message: ¡¯I am home.¡¯
Iris: ¡¯Good to know you got home safely. I¡¯m very happy to meet you.¡¯
Nora paused. Then, she suddenly smiled and wrote: ¡¯By the way, my name is Nora Smith.¡¯
Chapter 247: Tough Love
Chapter 247: Tough Love
In the vi in the suburbs.
Mrs. Landis was in the midst of dinner preparations when she suddenly heard a scream from the upper floor, which made her hands tremble and she almost cut her finger with the kitchen knife.
She rushed upstairs with the kitchen knife and asked nervously, "What¡¯s the matter, Ma¡¯am? What¡¯s the matter?"
Iris, who was resting on the recliner, sat upright as she stared at her cell phone incredulously. When she saw Mrs. Landise in, the dazed woman asked, "Earlier today, what did Tina York say Justin¡¯s girlfriend¡¯s name was?"
"You know, Nora Smith!" Mrs. Landis replied.
Iris swallowed hard as she looked back down at the text message¡ªthe five words ¡¯my name is Nora Smith¡¯ were disyed there clearly.
She rubbed her eyes. When she saw the five words again, she couldn¡¯t help but let out another scream. "Ahhh!"
Mrs. Landis received another huge shock. She shivered and said, "Oh my goodness, my precious Ma¡¯am, please don¡¯t scare me anymore! I¡¯m already old, so I can¡¯t take shocks anymore! What¡¯s the matter?"
Iris lifted her head and looked at Mrs. Landis weakly. "Mrs. Landis, I... I... I think I¡¯m in trouble!"
Mrs. Landis, "?"
Iris asked, "If I tell you that the girl whom Justin has fallen in love with¡ªthe one that Tina York says has been pestering him¡ªis the same Ms. Smith whom we were talking to today, would you believe me?"
Mrs. Landis, "???"
Mrs. Landis thought of Nora¡¯s indifferent attitude and the aura around her, and she shook her head.
After being Iris¡¯s follower for so many years, she had long since learned to read people and identify them.
Ms. Smith was no ordinary person. There was no doubt that she was a very impressive person!
It was clear that she and Iris were no ordinary people, and everyone else was dying to be of help to them. However, when she had gone over to ask Ms. Smith to talk to Iris, she had been reluctant to!
Mrs. Landis shook her head. "I don¡¯t believe it."
Iris nodded. "I don¡¯t believe it, either."
Mrs. Landis asked, "By the way, ma¡¯am, didn¡¯t Ms. Smith say today that she has a son?"
"Yes, that¡¯s right." Iris said, "The Nora Smith that Tina York mentioned only has a daughter. She doesn¡¯t have a son. So..."
Mrs. Landis said cautiously, "What if the name Nora Smith has be very popr? After all, it¡¯s neither a particrly umon name nor an obscurest name."
Iris hesitated. "Is that so?"
Not many people named their daughters Nora these days, right? No, wait. Perhaps Tina had meant Norah? Or Noreen?
Irisforted herself. Atst, she said, "If we want to know whether she¡¯s really the one or not, the next time we invite Ms. Smith over, we can also ask Justin toe over. This way, we¡¯ll know for sure, right?"
Mrs. Landis nodded. "Yes, that¡¯s right. She¡¯s your god-sister anyway, so it doesn¡¯t matter!"
Iris breathed a sigh of relief.
Nora, who had absolutely no idea that Iris was in an internal struggle the whole night, went upstairs with Pete after she returned to the Andersons¡¯.
After washing up, the two of them happily fell asleep on the bed.
The night passed peacefully.
The next day, Nora again slept until the sun was up before she finally woke up. She had only just stretched and gone downstairs leisurely when she spotted the elderly Mrs. Anderson and Melissa sitting solemnly on the sofa in the living room. They looked up when they heard the door open. When they saw her, they got onto their feet at once. Melissa eximed, "You¡¯re finally up, Nora!"
Nora¡¯s voice still sounded a little nasal as she asked, "What¡¯s up?"
Mrs. Anderson and Melissa exchanged a look. Atst, Melissa said solemnly, "Mrs. Hunt has invited you to the Hunts¡¯ manor! She has also requested that you bring Cherry along!"
Nora, "?"
She frowned and asked perplexedly, "Mrs. Hunt?"
Melissa nodded. "Yes, Justin¡¯s grandmother."
Nora knew who she was, of course.
After all, she was the one who had cured that olddy¡¯s illness!
Nora was just very puzzled. "What is she asking me to go over for?"
As soon as she said that, Melissa gazed at her gravely and asked, "Come over here, Nora. I have something I want to ask you. Please answer me seriously."
Nora went downstairs, shuffled over, and sat opposite Melissa and Mrs. Anderson. "What is it?"
Melissa took a deep breath and asked cautiously, "You and Justin... Are the two of you..."
She held up two fingers, drew them together a couple of times, and went on. "... dating?"
"... No, we¡¯re not!"
However, her cell phone rang at this point.
She looked down to see that ¡¯Mr. Narcissist¡¯ was calling. She picked up the call and subconsciously said, "What can I do for you, Mr. Hunt?"
The man on the other end of the call spoke in a low and deep voice. "Nothing much. I just wanted to ask you out on a date, that¡¯s all, Ms. Smith."
Nora, "?"
She was a little surprised. "A date?"
"That¡¯s right. Didn¡¯t I make a promise to you the other day? We have to go on dates more frequently, so that I don¡¯t keep on making you take the initiative to approach me under the guise of visiting Pete. In this regard, men should take the initiative, shouldn¡¯t they?"
"..."
Nora asked reluctantly, "Where? And when?"
"How about now? Let¡¯s go to the movies?"
"No, thanks." Nora said, "The movies make me fall asleep. They are boring when their plots don¡¯t make sense."
"How about touring the countryside, then?"
"So that we can admire an endless field of vegetables on a farm? Sorry, Mr. Hunt, but Ie from a small town. These things aren¡¯t rarities to me."
"... What do you feel like doing, then?"
Nora immediately replied, "I wanna sleep."
"..."
The other end of the call fell silent for a long, long time, so much so that Nora even wondered at one point if the call had been disconnected due to signal loss. Just as she was about to hang up, the scumbag¡¯s voice rang out again. "This... Aren¡¯t we moving things a little too fast?"
Nora, "?"
"We¡¯ve only just started dating, so our rtionship hasn¡¯t reached the point of passion and infatuation yet. Isn¡¯t it too early for us to sleep together? But of course, since you¡¯re the one who brought it up, I will definitely satisfy you, Ms. Smith."
Nora, "!!!!"
She obviously meant that she wanted to sleep by herself!
That scumbag was simply too narcissistic!!
Once again, the man made Nora so mad that she gnashed her teeth in fury. She snapped, "Are you incapable of understanding English, Mr. Hunt? Or perhaps you need me to operate on your brain?"
Her words suddenly reminded Justin of a message that Anti had once ryed to him through Solo.
The message had made him so angry at that time that he made up his mind to would beat up the other party real bad once he found them.
Butter on, he had forgotten about it.
Now that she had brought it up, Justin suddenly smiled and said, "Your words have reminded me of a message that Anti passed to me back then."
Nora, "?"
"Why did you insult me that time, Ms. Smith?" asked Justin.
Nora, "!!"
Because you¡¯re so narcissistic, of course!
But could she say that? No, she couldn¡¯t...
Once she said it, she would have to exin that she wasn¡¯t in love with him, which would then require her to exin why she was approaching Pete.
Driven into a corner, Nora coughed and said, "Don¡¯t they call such behavior ¡¯tough love¡¯?"
"..."
Nora then said, "If there¡¯s nothing else, then I¡¯m hanging up, Mr. Hunt."
Just as she was about to hang up, Justin chuckled softly and said, "Please wait a moment."
Nora paused. The next moment, his voice traveled through the phone again. "About sleeping..."
However, she didn¡¯t give Justin the chance to continue and hung up straight away.
When she looked back up, she saw an astounded Melissa and Mrs. Anderson staring at her...
Chapter 248: Let the Two Children Meet and Get Familiar with Each Other!
Chapter 248: Let the Two Children Meet and Get Familiar with Each Other!
The two of them asked in unison, "Nora, are you not in a rtionship with Mr. Hunt?"
As the saying goes, beating is a sign of affection, and cursing is a sign of love.
How could they not be in a rtionship?!
Nora: "..."
She rubbed her forehead in pain. How was she supposed to exin this?
Melissa¡¯s eyes widened, and he stuttered, "Nora... Nora, is this how you usually talk to Mr. Hunt?"
That was Mr. Hunt!
Even Simon did not dare to scold Mr. Hunt like this.
However...
Melissa swallowed.
For some reason, Nora¡¯s face felt a little hot when her aunt and grandmother looked at her like that. She coughed and suddenly said, "Aunt, Mr. Hunt and I are really not in a rtionship. We just..."
However, she could not say anything.
Just as she was feeling conflicted and wanted to use a word to urately express their rtionship, Melissa smiled. "I understand, I understand! Nora, you don¡¯t have to exin!"
Nora, "?"
She hesitated. "You understand?"
"Yes!" Melissa smiled. "Alright, stop talking. I won¡¯t force you! After all, you¡¯re young and thin-skinned."
Nora: "?"
She¡¯s thin-skinned? Did she have some misunderstanding about her?!
She twitched her lips and heard Mrs. Anderson say excitedly, "Melissa,e upstairs with meter and see how much jewelry I have left. I want to prepare a dowry for Nora!"
Melissa nodded. "Alright, I¡¯ll prepare some too!"
She sat up straight and smiled. "I¡¯ve raised two children but haven¡¯t prepared for a wedding yet. We¡¯re marrying off our daughters. Mom has to teach me what to prepare!"
Mrs. Anderson smiled. "Sure. Back then, we didn¡¯t send your elder sister to get married, but your second sister got married at home. I still remember those customs! The rules here are really big!"
Nora, "!!"
Did they understand?
The corners of her lips twitched. "Grandma, there¡¯s no need. Aunt, you don¡¯t have to..."
As soon as she said this, the two excited people immediately looked at her.
After a while, Mrs. Anderson lowered her shoulders. "That¡¯s true. After I married into the Andersons, they didn¡¯t think much of my jewelry. Sigh, it¡¯s already old, there¡¯s no new design."
Melissa nodded as well. "Yes, the Hunts have assets in hundreds of billions of dors. We Andersons can¡¯t even afford a few hundred million dors now. Nora, it¡¯s because we don¡¯t have the ability..."
Nora, "..."
She waved her hand. "That¡¯s not what I meant. I..."
Melissa held her hand. "I know that our things are just a drop in the ocean for the Hunts, but these are all our intentions! Also, we have transferred 35% of Harmonia Pharmacy¡¯s shares to you! Sign the contract someday and it will take effect!"
Nora, "!!!"
She was about to say something when Mrs. Anderson suddenly sighed deeply. "Justin isn¡¯t bad, but the Hunts¡¯ life is actually not easy!"
Melissa looked at her. "Mom, what¡¯s wrong? Why are you suddenly saying this?"
Mrs. Anderson frowned. "The Hunts are very big and have a lot of businesses. They also have a lot ofpetitors. Sigh!"
She looked at Nora. "Nora, the second branch of the Hunts is always causing trouble, but they don¡¯t have much power in reality. Justin can crush them with a single finger. Being able to marry him might seem glorious, but do you know... Back then, Justin¡¯s mother also looked glorious, but in the end, she was chased out of the house."
Melissa frowned. "Speaking of which, Justin can suppress the rest of the Hunts, but he can¡¯t suppress his mother. I heard that his mother has a very strange personality. With such a mother-inw, what should we do with your personality?"
Although Nora looked easygoing, this was only in front of them.
Melissa knew this niece of hers. She was sharp-tongued when it came to ill-intentions.
She was really afraid that after Nora marries Justin, she would have a conflict with her mother-inw and directly punch her...
As she was thinking all this, Mrs. Anderson sighed. "Actually, there¡¯s something important."
Melissa was stunned. "What?"
Mrs. Anderson looked at Nora. "After you marry Justin, do you still want a child?"
Melissa immediately understood something and looked at Nora.
Nora: "..."
Facing their gazes, she answered slowly, "No."
Her body looked strong, but she was very weak internally.
Back then, she had lost a lot of blood and had barely escaped death. Her foundation had long been damaged.
Sleeping for a long time now was a sign of her body¡¯s deficiency. Have another child? Wouldn¡¯t that kill her?!
However, Mrs. Anderson¡¯s thoughts had gone astray. "If you don¡¯t give birth, it¡¯ll be fine. Then there won¡¯t be much conflict. But if you give birth to another child, then the Young Master of the Hunts will be your enemy!"
Melissa nodded. "Now that I think about it, Mr. Hunt is actually not a good person. Sigh, Nora, since you don¡¯t want a child, you must tell us about your n when you go to the Hunts."
The minds of the wealthy families were usually more conservative. The boys¡¯ standing was greater than the girls¡¯, and the heir was always a boy.
The two of them were worried that the Young Master of the Hunts would have other thoughts if Nora ever had another son.
But if she did not have this thought, everything would be fine.
Nora twitched her lips and stood up. "Aunt, help me reject them. I¡¯m not going."
She did not want to cause any trouble.
Melissa still wanted to say something, but Mrs. Anderson nodded. "Yes, we¡¯re not going! Why should we go just because the Hunts asked us to? This is ridiculous! How can they just call a girl over?!"
Melissa thought about what she said and felt that it made sense. She nodded.
Nora saw that the two of them finally stop talking, and went to the dining room to eat breakfast.
After she left, Mrs. Anderson looked at Melissa. "Melissa, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to ask you to make a trip!"
Melissa nodded. "Mom, I understand!"
Since the two families were discussing marriage, why would they call the youngdy over directly? It should definitely be the parents of the two families sitting together to have a chat.
She stood up. "I¡¯ll call Mrs. Hunt right away."
She went upstairs and returned Mrs. Hunt¡¯s call. She smiled and said, "Unfortunately, Nora is sick. She¡¯s afraid she¡¯ll pass the disease to you. How about this? I¡¯lle over and see you."
When Mrs. Hunt heard this, she understood what she meant and immediately made another request. "I remember that Miss Smith¡¯s daughter is called Cherry. Can you bring her over? Let Cherry and Pete get to know each other better!"
Melissa understood what Mrs. Hunt meant. She wanted to meet Cherry. She was confident that Cherry would be loved by everyone. Therefore, she smiled and said, "No problem!"
Chapter 249: Returning to the Hunts
Chapter 249: Returning to the Hunts
After chatting for a while more, Melissa hung up and went to chat with Mrs. Anderson.
Melissa was worried. "Mrs. Hunt¡¯s attitude is quite good, but I don¡¯t know if this is her basic upbringing or if she¡¯s very satisfied with Nora."
Mrs. Anderson sighed. "If she was satisfied, she wouldn¡¯t have called early in the morning to ask Nora toe over."
Melissa clenched her jaw and did not speak.
Mrs. Hunt¡¯s behavior was actually very rude.
When ordinary children fell in love, the man would definitely be more proactive. However, there was no reason for an elder to directly call the girl over to their house.
If they really wanted to see what she looked like, most of them would visit personally.
In ancient times, if the royal family took a liking to someone, they would summon them to the pce to take a look.
Therefore, this made Melissa and Mrs. Anderson very ufortable.
Although the Andersons were already in dire straits, they were still a prominent family. They were not a small family in New York.
Mrs. Anderson sighed deeply and said the main point. "It¡¯s because Nora got pregnant before marriage and gave birth to a child."
Melissa was indignant and her words became a little unpleasant. "But Justin also has a child. I don¡¯t know where he got an illegitimate child from!"
Mrs. Anderson shook her head. "Why don¡¯t you understand? In their eyes, their family is different! Especially men, they¡¯re even more different."
Just like the emperors in ancient times, could it be that with a child, the position of the empress is no longer important?
There were still many women rushing forward.
Who would despise the emperor for having a child outside? But if a girl had an illegitimate daughter, her status would drop.
Although these were already modern times, the more noble a family was, the more particr they were. They valued men more than women.
Take the Andersons for example. No matter how open-minded they were, Sheena had still married off and left Simon to inherit the family business.
Melissa knew that this was not right. It was normal for people to get married twice, let alone have a child. However, when she heard Mrs. Anderson¡¯s words, she fell silent.
She sighed. "Alright, I¡¯ll go."
Mrs. Anderson nodded. "Yes, we have to put on airs. We can¡¯t let them look down on us. Otherwise, Nora will be bullied when she marries over to the family in the future!"
Melissa nodded.
She walked out of Mrs. Anderson¡¯s room and walked to the next door. She happened to see Pete writing the Mathematical Olympiad questions seriously at the desk.
She did not know what was wrong with the little guy. He had been quiet recently and was not as lively as before.
Melissa smiled and walked over. "Cherry, how about you go out with your grandparents?"
Pete did not even look up. "I don¡¯t want to go."
"..." Melissa stood in front of him and stared at the cluster of hair on the child¡¯s head. She said slowly, "Come, I¡¯m going to a friend¡¯s house as a guest. Don¡¯t stay at home all day."
Pete looked up slowly.
He had originally wanted to continue rejecting her, but he heard Melissa mumbling to herself, "I wonder what¡¯s wrong with Cherrytely? In the past, it was impossible for Cherry to stay in her room. She always pestered me to take her out to y..."
Pete slowly swallowed the words that were about toe out of his mouth. He was silent for a moment. "Alright."
"That¡¯s great!"
Melissa said, "Wait a minute. I¡¯ll find you a dress!"
Pete, "..."
He grimaced. "I don¡¯t want to wear a dress. Aunt, Grandma, I like what I¡¯m wearing."
Melissa looked at Pete¡¯s clothes. He was wearing a gray suit, and it was hard to tell if he was male or female. His hair was a little long, but he had not cut it in a while, as if he was waiting to grow braids.
Melissa asked hesitantly, "But shouldn¡¯t we be more serious when we¡¯re going out as guests?"
Pete resisted. "...I think this is good, it¡¯sfortable."
Comfortable...
These two words made Melissa calm down. "You¡¯re right. We¡¯re going as guests, and we¡¯re just going to y. There¡¯s no need to be too serious. Just do as you wish and befortable."
With that, she looked at her own clothes. "I¡¯ll change into somethingfortable too!"
Pete, "?"
He just did not want to wear a dress. How did his casual words convince her?
Five minutester, Melissa walked over in her usual clothes and waved at him. "Let¡¯s go, Cherry."
"Okay."
Pete followed her downstairs. When the two of them were about to walk out, they bumped into Nora, who had eaten and was preparing to go upstairs.
Melissa greeted her. "I¡¯ll take Cherry to a friend¡¯s house to y."
Nora heard this and raised her eyebrows. "Sure."
She did not ask where she was going and went upstairs.
The Andersons¡¯ chauffeur drove while Melissa brought Pete out.
On the way, Melissa instructed, "Cherry, be more polite and sweet when you see herter. Don¡¯t embarrass your mother! Okay?"
Pete nodded. "...I¡¯ll work hard."
Melissaughed instead. "Work hard for what? Isn¡¯t being cute and likable your specialty? Hahaha~"
Pete was speechless. That was his sister¡¯s specialty, not his.
Sigh!
Who were they going to meet? Why did he have to curry favor with her?
As he was thinking, he suddenly realized that the car was driving on the highway in front of him. Why did the road look more and more familiar?
After making another turn, the Hunts vi appeared not far away. Pete could not help but turn to look at Melissa. "Grandma, are you going to the Hunts?"
Melissa smiled. "That¡¯s right. Cherry is really smart!"
Pete: "!!!"
He was about to say something when the driver stepped on the elerator and entered the Hunts¡¯ manor.
The Hunts¡¯ manor upied three thousand square meters. It would take another five minutes to drive all the way from the main entrance to the main hall.
Pete looked at the servants hired by the Hunts and grimaced.
What should he do now?
"Screech!"
The car stopped and the Hunts¡¯ butler weed them personally. He stood at the door respectfully. "Ms. Melissa, you¡¯re here. Old Madam has been waiting for you for a long time!"
Melissa got out of the car and nodded at the butler with a smile.
Then, she turned back to look into the car. "Cherry, we¡¯re here. Let¡¯s get out of the car?"
In the car, Pete was speechless.
The butler of the Hunts knew him!
Furthermore, the butler was Great-Grandmother¡¯s subordinate. After the tyrant took control of the Hunts, it was also a form of respect for Great-Grandmother not to fire the butler.
But now, what could he do?
If he got out of the car, the butler would definitely know!
In the room.
Cherry was craning her neck to look outside. As she did, she asked, "Great-Grandmother, who are you bringing me to meet? Why isn¡¯t she here yet?"
Mrs. Hunt smiled and spoke very gently. "You¡¯re meeting your sister. See if you like her! If you don¡¯t, you don¡¯t have to force yourself!"
Chapter 250: The Past
Chapter 250: The Past
Meeting a sister?
Cherry had always liked to make friends. Her eyes immediately lit up. "Is she good-looking?"
Mrs. Hunt: ?
The corners of her lips twitched as she smiled. "I don¡¯t know yet, but she definitely isn¡¯t as good-looking as our Pete."
Although Mrs. Hunt¡¯s words were biased, Pete was indeed the most exquisite and good-looking child she had ever seen.
He was even more exquisite than Justin back then.
Cherry grinned. "Great-Grandmother, don¡¯t say that. I¡¯ll be shy!"
Mrs. Hunt: "..."
She felt that Pete had be even cuter and lively!
She hugged him. "Our Pete is so cute! Great-Grandmother will give you a giftter!"
At the mention of a gift, Cherry immediately stood up. "Great-Grandmother, since I¡¯m meeting my new sister, I¡¯ll prepare a gift for her! Wait a minute~"
With that, she ran over to the toy room.
Ever since Cherry became close to Mrs. Hunt, Mrs. Hunt would call her over to y sometimes. Therefore, she had prepared a little toy room for Cherry inside her room.
Of course, most of them were cars, and there were very few teddy bears.
But there were still some.
Cherry choose a plush toy and nned to give it to the new girl.
As she watched Cherry run away, Mrs. Hunt slowly retracted her gaze and wiped the smile off her face. She said to the butler beside her, "Pete¡¯s personality is a little too good."
The housekeeper, Mdm. Lea, had followed Mrs. Hunt when she got married to the Hunts back then. Although she had been married and had children all these years, she had always stayed by Mrs. Hunt¡¯s side and helped her manage the family matters.
Mdm. Lea nodded. "He¡¯s too approachable. He doesn¡¯t have the arrogance he had when he was silent in the past."
Mrs. Hunt lowered her head. "What do you think we should do if Pete really likes this sister?"
One of the reasons why she asked Melissa to bring cherry over was because she wanted the two children to have a conflict. This way, Pete would resist this marriage.
She really understood Justin too well.
Once he made up her mind, he would not change it again.
Actually, she did not agree to this marriage.
After all, if the Madam of the Hunts was a woman who had given birth and married into the family with a child, she would be theughing stock of the entire New York.
However, if she resisted, Justin would definitely not listen to her.
Justin¡¯s only weakness was Pete.
As long as his son disagreed, this marriage would not be possible.
Mdm. Lea nced at Mrs. Hunt and lowered her head. "They¡¯re children, there will always be conflicts when they interact. After all, if they steal each other¡¯s toys... It won¡¯t be surprising if they fight."
If they were to fight...
Mrs. Hunt¡¯s eyelids did not move, but her eyes darted around before she smiled. "Okay, as long as you arrange it."
After saying that, she sighed deeply. "Speaking of which, this is the first time in so many years that I¡¯ve schemed against Justin."
Mdm. Lea hurriedlyforted her. "You¡¯re doing this for his own good. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with Mister. He must have been bewitched to fall for such an immoral woman. The future head of the Hunts definitely can¡¯t be such a woman."
When she heard this, Mrs. Hunt lowered her eyes and nodded. Then, she slowly said, "Justin said that he hasn¡¯t seeded in wooing that girl. Actually, this is all because of the Andersons... You don¡¯t know this, but back then, his father had also taken a liking to Yvette. He was so obsessed with her..."
Mrs. Hunt felt a little ufortable at the mention of the past.
Actually, if the woman Justin liked was not from the Andersons, it might have been better. But she was actually Yvette¡¯s daughter...
How much trouble had Yvette caused in New York back then?
Even her son, Justin¡¯s father, had been infatuated with Yvette. He had even fought with Ian because of her.
In the end...
Mrs. Hunt nagged. "Yvette chose Ian, and only then did my son leave. But from then on, Justin¡¯s father seemed to have be a different person. He used to be such a progressive person. Later on, he didn¡¯t care about the marriage anymore. I helped him choose Justin¡¯s mother. When I asked him for his opinion, he said that it was fine. As long as it wasn¡¯t her, he didn¡¯t care who it was, and it was up to me to arrange."
Mrs. Hunt was full ofints. "I was too anxious back then. I wanted him to get back on his feet and choose Iris, who was not inferior to Yvette. This Irises from a better family than Yvette, and she¡¯s well-educated. It¡¯s just that she doesn¡¯t like to be in the limelight, so her reputation isn¡¯t as great as Yvette¡¯s. But she¡¯s really not inferior to her..."
"After they got married, they treated each other with respect. However, Iris was too stubborn. When she found out that he already had someone outside, she couldn¡¯t bear it anymore. But in a wealthy marriage, isn¡¯t it normal for a man to have one or two mistresses outside? The marriage was based on two good surnames. Even the old man was very infatuated when he was young..."
When Mdm. Lea heard this, she hurriedly interrupted her. "Madam isn¡¯t bad. At least, Justin¡¯s father¡¯s oue was better than the one in the Smiths..."
Her words stunned Mrs. Hunt. She asked, "I heard that the person from the Smiths is dying?"
Mdm. Lea sighed. "Isn¡¯t that so? Back then, he and Justin¡¯s father were the two elites of New York. Although Yvette chose Ian, Ian didn¡¯t even have a child with her in the end! Now that he¡¯s terminally ill, I heard he won¡¯t live for long. Inparison, Justin¡¯s father is at least still alive..."
Mrs. Hunt sighed again.
At the same time, she was even more dissatisfied with Nora and hated the Andersons even more.
Although they all knew that it was his own fault that Justin¡¯s father hade to this point and that the Old Master had given up on him, as his biological mother, she was still filled with anticipation for the brilliant Boss from back then.
In the end, her son had fallen into dire straits. On one hand, she med her son for being disappointing. On the other hand, it was convenient for her to vent her anger on the Andersons.
She had her own bottom line.
At the very least, they had not kicked the Andersons while they were down for so many years.
Moreover, Yvette had passed away many years ago, and the Andersons were gradually falling into decline. Logically speaking, everything that had happened in the past was already in the past. After so many years, she could not even remember the Andersons anymore.
If Nora was not Yvette¡¯s child, perhaps she would not be so harsh to her.
As she was thinking, she heard footsteps outside.
Mdm. Lea hurriedly reminded her, "Madam, they¡¯re here."
Mrs. Hunt immediately sat up straight and looked sharply at the door.
That woman thought highly of herself and refused toe over. Therefore, she would first take a look at her child and see what she looked like. After all, the daughter would surely be a miniature version of her mother!
Chapter 251: Meeting
Chapter 251: Meeting
The first to enter was the butler.
He looked a little surprised, but he still held it in. When he saw Mrs. Hunt, he bowed. "Madam, Ms. Melissa is here."
Only then did he move aside and reveal the person behind him.
Melissa was wearing a casual family suit. She did not look like she had specially dressed up. However, her clothes were fitting and elegant. She was smiling as well, but her smile was appropriate and did not appear ttering. She was poised andposed.
When Mrs. Hunt saw her, she nodded secretly.
At least in this outfit, she was not the type to curry favor with the Hunts, and would not be hated.
She looked at Melissa and behind her. After a while, she asked in surprise, "Where¡¯s the child?"
When she said this, Melissa revealed an awkward expression.
She looked at the butler and felt a little ufortable when she thought of the situation earlier.
Just now, when Melissa looked at Pete, she realized that he was hugging his head and burying it on the sofa in the backseat. After she spoke, he directly said gloomily, "Aunt, my... my stomach hurts. I want to go home..."
Melissa was shocked and hurriedly asked, "Where does your stomach hurt? Why are you feeling ufortable? Cherry, let me take a look!"
"I don¡¯t want to," Pete said firmly. "I want to go home and find Mommy. Mommy is a doctor. She can treat all illnesses."
Melissa was anxious. "Then I¡¯ll apany you back."
No matter how important it was, it was not as important as the child.
However, just as she finished speaking, she saw Pete look up from inside the car. He blinked at her and said softly, "I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s just that this butler uncle looks too scary. I don¡¯t want to get out of the car. I want to go home and find Mom."
Melissa: "..."
The butler, who had taken the me for no reason: "..."
The butler touched his face. If he had not always been famous for being polite and gentlemanly, he would have felt like a monster!
Look at how frightened the little kid was!
Melissa was helpless as well. She coaxed Pete to get out of the car again. "Cherry, Uncle Butler is very kind. If you get out of the car, he¡¯ll take you out to y with toys and eat delicious food, okay?"
Pete shook his head like a rattle drum. "I don¡¯t, I don¡¯t want to. I want to go home and find Mommy!"
Melissa: "Cherry, you¡¯re being rude~"
Pete retorted seriously, "I¡¯m a child. I¡¯m unreasonable!"
Melissa, "..."
Pete said, "Besides, bringing me in like this is embarrassing. You might as well let me go home to Mommy."
Melissa: "..."
She had been convinced!
In the end, she could only get out of the car and get the chauffeur to send Cherry home first. The chauffeur would pick her upter.
Facing Mrs. Hunt¡¯s question, Melissa could only exin, "The child is very clingy to her mother. She didn¡¯t see her mother and wanted to go home. I got the chauffeur to send her back first. Mrs. Hunt, how have you beentely?"
Looking for her mother?
Mrs. Hunt nced at the butler and saw him nod.
She looked down on Nora even more.
She had indeed grown up in a small ce and was not generous at all. Her daughter was also so willful. She had already arrived at the door and had left again.
As she thought this, she revealed some impatience on the surface.
She pointed to the chair beside her. "Have a seat first."
Melissa¡¯s body stiffened.
This condescending attitude was obvious, and even though she was experienced and concealed her expression, she still revealed a little impatience. It made Melissa very ufortable.
After she sat down, Mrs. Hunt smiled and said, "You can¡¯t spoil a child too much."
Melissa lowered her eyes. Although Cherry had indeed lost herposure today, she still protected her own family. She smiled. "You¡¯re right. However, Cherry is a delicate girl. Aren¡¯t all wealthy families raising their daughters like gems? This has always been the case in our family. Our daughters are all very precious! Boys are tougher, on the other hand."
In other words, "Our girls are willful! Nora is also very willful!"
Melissa felt that she could not lower her stance and blindly pander to her. She had to tell Mrs. Hunt that Nora had also been pampered by the Andersons since she was young!
Mrs. Hunt understood and smiled. "Isn¡¯t this how wealthy families raise their children? But why do I hear that Nora grew up in California?"
Melissa smiled. "Yes, my elder sister married into California back then and set up apany there. However, it¡¯s more difficult to raise children there. Nora¡¯s good skin is all because of her. Also, you haven¡¯t seen her fingers before. They¡¯re as fair as freshly peeled onions without any creases."
Mrs. Hunt smiled and remained silent.
Mdm. Lea said, "That¡¯s because you raised her too carefully. The boys in our family are raised roughly. Our family has only raised one child who is not rough. That child is our Young Master. Sir raised him himself since he was young."
Mdm. Lea smiled. "Sir fed Little Young Master milk powder and changed his diaper. Speaking of which, even in an ordinary family, a father who can do this is already a good father. Moreover, our Sir highly values Little Young Master. He never left his side for more than three days since he was young and even taught him personally... At that time, we said that we would find a mother for Little Young Master. Sir said that the child was still young and was afraid that a stepmother would be bad. We would talk about it when the child grew up. He even said that he wanted to find someone from a small family. Someone who would not dare to bully Little Young Master. Speaking of which, Little Young Master is already five years old!"
In other words: Justin cared about the Little Young Master the most. Even if he married, it could not affect the Little Young Master¡¯s status.
Melissa clenched her fists.
After Nora marries Justin, it was her freedom to have children or not. However, the Hunts were clearly looking down on them by saying all this in advance.
What small family?
She was instantly furious, and her smile stiffened.
Mrs. Hunt scolded, "Mdm. Lea, what nonsense are you talking about? The Andersons aren¡¯t a small family!"
Mdm. Lea immediately pped her mouth gently. "Ms. Melissa, don¡¯t take it to heart. I didn¡¯t think before I spoke. That¡¯s not what I meant. Of course, the Andersons are not a small family. Your Carefree Pills are too famous. Even our family has a few for emergencies."
Melissa: "..."
She clenched her fists tightly, but she knew that even if this marriage did not seed, they could not fall out. After all, the Andersons could notpare to the Hunts.
However, she had already made up her mind to persuade Nora to break up with Justin.
She could not marry into such a family!
As she was thinking to herself, a clear and cute voice suddenly sounded. "Great-Grandmother, is my little sister here?"
With that, a small figure ran over.
Chapter 252: Nora Is Pete’s Biological Mother??
Chapter 252: Nora Is Pete¡¯s Biological Mother??
Melissa looked over subconsciously, but the moment she lifted her head, she froze all of a sudden.
She stared incredulously at the child running in, and swallowed hard. Cherry also noticed her while she was running in. The little fellow came to a stop, and a touch of surprise appeared in her big round eyes.
An astonished Melissa said, "Ch..."
But before she could say ¡¯... erry, why are you back?¡¯, the little fellow suddenly eximed, "Ooh! Hi, Grand-aunt!"
She interrupted Melissa, ran up to her, and sat on herp.
Melissa: "?"
She couldn¡¯t understand how Cherry could go in and out of the Hunts¡¯ residence at will. Moreover, she had clearlye from the inner premises. Shouldn¡¯t she be in the car going back to the Andersons right now?
While she was in a daze, Mrs. Hunt frowned and asked, "Grand... Aunt? Pete, do the two of you know each other?"
Cherry nodded at once. "Uh-huh! Great-Grandma, this is Grand-Aunt. Grand-Aunt, this is my great-grandmother~"
Even more question marks filled Melissa¡¯s mind: ???
She suddenly turned to Mrs. Hunt and asked, "W-what did you call the child just now?"
Pete? What Pete?
Before Mrs. Hunt could exin, Cherry said, "Don¡¯t you remember who I am, Grand-Aunt? I¡¯m Pete Hunt! My father is Justin Hunt!"
Then, she looked at Mrs. Hunt again and said, "Are they the guests you were talking about, Great-Grandma? I¡¯ve been to their house! Daddy took me there before, yeah!"
Cherry¡¯s young and tender voice rang out in the living room, shocking Melissa so badly that she was practically crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.
What nonsense was Cherry spouting?
Pete Hunt? What nonsens...
No, wait, Hunt?
And ¡¯Great-Grandma¡¯...
¡¯My father is Justin Hunt¡¯...
She looked at Cherry, who was in her arms, in disbelief after connecting the pieces of crucial information. She swallowed hard and asked, "Y-your father is Justin Hunt?"
Justin was the father of Nora¡¯s child???
Cherry blinked at her and replied, "Uh-huh! My father is Justin Hunt, and I am his son, yeah!"
She deliberately ced emphasis on the word ¡¯son¡¯. Then, she asked, "Where¡¯s my sister? Didn¡¯t shee?"
If Pete hade, he would definitely find a way to escape!
There was absolutely no way he would stay!
Cherry understood her elder brother very well, so there weren¡¯t any loopholes in her words at all.
The dumbfounded Melissa¡¯s mind was aplete nk.
Mrs. Hunt, however, was very displeased with how close and intimate the two of them were. She beckoned to Cherry and said, "Come to Great-Grandma, Pete."
Cherry nodded and ran to Mrs. Hunt.
After getting her to sit beside her, Mrs. Hunt looked at Melissa and asked with a fake smile, "So, Justin has already paid your family a visit?"
Melissa: "..."
When had he ever paid them a visit?!
But when she thought of what Pete had said just now...
She looked again at Cherry, who was sitting beside Mrs. Hunt obediently...
The child in front of her felt more like the Cherry whom Nora had brought with her from California. On the contrary, it was the Cherry, who was always so quiet and taciturntely, that felt more like she would be the little mister of the Hunts...
Could it be that...
Everything suddenly clicked in her head in this instant.
She looked at Mrs. Hunt again, who said with a smile, "You mustn¡¯t be so casual with your terms of address, Pete. You should call her Mrs. Anderson instead."
Cherry blinked. "But Daddy told me to call her Grand-Aunt!"
The clever Cherry had long since discovered that everyone in this family became fearful the moment she brought her father into the picture!
Sure enough, Mrs. Hunt didn¡¯t make any more mention about changing the term of address. Instead, she looked at Melissa with a smile and said, "Would you just look at this child? He¡¯s just so innocent that he can¡¯t even distinguish between who¡¯s family and who¡¯s not. That said, it¡¯s not really a big issue even if he goes along with it and addresses you as Grand-Aunt."
Mrs. Hunt could tell from Cherry¡¯s attitude that Justin had already taken care of everything long ago. Knowing that there was no way she could stop the marriage anymore, she heaved a silent sigh inwardly.
In that case, there were some things that must be made clear.
She took a deep breath and said with a smile, "Mrs. Anderson, I asked you over because there¡¯s something I want to talk to you about. I should think that you¡¯re already aware that Ms. Smith and Justin are dating. What are your thoughts on this? Also, our family has high hopes for Pete. Surely the Andersons won¡¯t mind if he bes close to his biological mother in the future, right?"
Although they didn¡¯t know who Pete¡¯s biological mother was, they would eventually find her.
In Mrs. Hunt¡¯s opinion, no one couldpare to their own blood rtives.
It was just like Iris back then. For Justin¡¯s sake, hadn¡¯t she also willingly suffered injustice for so many years? She was the only person in this world who didn¡¯t harbor any thoughts of using Justin and treated him well.
Although she didn¡¯t know why Justin had never made any mention of Pete¡¯s biological mother, these thoughts of hers had never once changed.
Melissa had already recovered from her shock and consternation by now. As expected of someone who had experienced so much in life, the woman had already understood everything during these short few moments.
No wonder Nora had kept in contact with Justin. As it turned out, the father of her children was none other than Justin himself!
Although she didn¡¯t know how Nora and Justin hade to have children, or what exactly had happened back then, what she did know right now was that Mrs. Hunt was obviously unaware that Nora was Pete¡¯s biological mother!
She coughed and asked, "Do you know where Pete¡¯s biological mother is, Mrs. Hunt?"
Mrs. Hunt, however, misunderstood her.
She thought what Melissa meant was¡ªhow was Pete going to be close with his biological mother when they didn¡¯t even know where she was?
At once, Mrs. Hunt smiled and replied very meaningfully, "Of course, I do."
Melissa: "??"
Then, Mrs. Hunt puffed herself up at her own cost and said, "It¡¯s said that mothers and their children share a connection. You should have heard of that saying before, right? You¡¯re also a mother yourself, so you must know how a mother feels toward their children. Although there are some misunderstandings between Justin and her, for the boy¡¯s sake, I think Justin will eventually forgive her."
She looked at Melissa again after she spoke, and thought of a way to get her to back down. She said, "Of course, if Ms. Smith doesn¡¯t mind, then it¡¯s not a problem."
Melissa: "..."
The corners of her lips spasmed a little. She suddenly felt very much likeughing.
She asked, "How do you feel about his biological mother, then?"
Mrs. Hunt became domineering this time. She replied, "I don¡¯t care who she is. She deserves my gratitude just for giving birth to such an excellent sessor for the Hunts!"
Her words were filled with heartfelt sincerity.
Pete was simply too outstanding. Even his IQ showed signs of surpassing Justin¡¯s!
Melissa nced at Cherry when she heard what Mrs. Hunt said, and she couldn¡¯t help butugh. She suddenly felt like it didn¡¯t seem that bad for Nora to marry into the Hunts, either?
Her smile baffled Mrs. Hunt. "What are youughing at, Mrs. Anderson?"
Chapter 253: Visiting God-Sis
Chapter 253: Visiting God-Sis
Melissa lowered her gaze and hurriedly reined in her smile. "I was just amused, that¡¯s all. These are the Hunts¡¯ private affairs. I shouldn¡¯t be asking about it."
"Our private affairs?" Mrs. Hunt frowned. "It¡¯s not really just our private affairs anymore, is it? Aren¡¯t Ms. Smith and Justin in a rtionship right now?"
Melissa feigned surprise. "Are the two youngsters dating? I really wouldn¡¯t know about that."
She didn¡¯t know what Nora¡¯s ns were, so there was no way she would agree to any sort of request.
Mrs. Hunt: ??
What was the matter with her?
Melissa wasn¡¯t that wary and cautious anymore all of a sudden!
Was it really like what Justin said? Nora Smith wasn¡¯t interested in him?
That... wasn¡¯t quite possible, was it? Which girl could possibly resist the temptation that was Justin Hunt?
However, since Melissa had already put it that way, she couldn¡¯t go on about the topic anymore. She changed the subject tactfully and invited Melissa to stay for dinner.
However, Melissa declined the invitation and hurried back to the Andersons before dinner.
As soon as she entered thepound, she saw the usually asleep Nora looking at her. Her brows were drawn together as she asked, "I heard from Pete that you went to the Hunts¡¯?"
Pete...
So, the child in their house was indeed the Hunts¡¯ little mister!
The news astounded Melissa so badly that her legs turned into jelly the moment she got out of the car. She held Nora¡¯s arm for support, grabbed her hand, and asked, "Nora, Cherry and Pete are...?"
"They are twins," replied Nora simply.
Melissa swallowed. Even though she had already guessed it, she nevertheless couldn¡¯t help but ask hesitantly, "And Justin is their...?"
"He¡¯s their father."
Nora sounded very sure.
In the past, she was sure because Justin must have already done a DNA test for himself and Pete. As for now, it was because Lily had alreadypared Justin¡¯s DNA with the twins¡¯, and Justin was indeed their father.
She still remembered what Lily had said then:
"Oh, by the way, I also checked the father¡¯s IQ genes while I was doing the DNA test, and it¡¯s astonishingly high. It¡¯s at the highest end of the range of values for normal people though, so it¡¯s still a teensy-weensy, itty-bitty bit inferior to your crazy IQ."
Since she had emphasized how minimal the difference was, it meant that there really wasn¡¯t much of one.
However, Nora had been more concerned about the children at the time. "What about the children?"
"... The children¡¯s IQs are also out of this world. Pete has the same IQ genes as you¡ªin fact, they¡¯re even a bit better. As for Cherry, hers is even crazier. Her IQ is the average of yours and her father¡¯s, so it¡¯s even higher."
Nora: "..."
Her IQ was obviously a ¡¯teensy-weensy, itty-bitty bit¡¯ higher than Justin¡¯s. Pete was a boy, so he had fully inherited his IQ genes from her. It was normal for it to be slightly higher than hers.
However, Cherry¡¯s was the average of hers and Justin¡¯s, so how was it higher than Pete¡¯s?
Nora¡¯s lip corners spasmed. "You must be mistaken."
An exceptionally serious Lily replied, "Please do not question my professional abilities, Anti. I personally carried out all the tests involving your DNA."
Nora: "..."
Before she hung up, she made it a point to remind her, "Please delete all the data."
"No problem."
...
Melissa stared at the girl in front of her in shock.
The unattainable Justin was every girl¡¯s dream in New York.
When her daughter Sheril met him at a party when she was young, even she hade back saying, "He¡¯s the most handsome boy I¡¯ve ever seen! And he also has an air of elegance around him!"
At that time, Melissa had immediately warned her, "Even so, you mustn¡¯t develop feelings for him. People like him can¡¯t be tamed."
Sheril had immediately understood then that some people were simply favored by God from the start.
Yet, their Nora had conquered that unattainable man?
An astonished Melissa asked, "Are two of you really going to get married?"
Although Mrs. Hunt looked down on the Andersons¡ªin fact, she even had something against them because Yvette had broken her son¡¯s heart in the past¡ªafter her chat with her earlier, Melissa was now sure of something: Once Mrs. Hunt realized that Nora was Pete¡¯s biological mother and that she could even bring an additional Cherry to the Hunts, Mrs. Hunt would probably treat Nora as the Hunts¡¯ most honored guest!
Nora yawned and replied, "No, we¡¯re not."
Then, she added seriously, "I¡¯ve never entertained that thought before."
Melissa nodded. The next moment, she saw Nora pick up her cell phone and make a call. The other party answered very quickly.
"Hello, Ms. Smith. Are you calling me thiste because you miss me?"
Nora said, "... Keep your family members in check."
Justin: "?"
Nora was cold and distant as she said, "Don¡¯t harass the Andersons."
Justin understood at once. "Was it Grandma?"
"Yeah." Nora said unhurriedly, "She told my aunt to go over and discuss marriage ns."
"..."
"Mr. Hunt," Nora said, "Didn¡¯t we already reach an agreement about not believing in getting married?"
Melissa: "!!!"
Was that how Nora usually talked to Mr. Hunt?
Why did her voice sound like it was brimming with disdain?!
Mr. Hunt would definitely be angry, right?
While her imagination was running wild, the voice on the other end of the call said, "It¡¯s my fault."
Melissa: "????"
Was that the same Mr. Hunt who was always so aloof and overlooked others from high up in the air?!
Why did he sound a little like he was trying to please Nora?
Nora, who also didn¡¯t expect him to admit his mistake, raised her eyebrows a little.
For the first time, she developed the illusion that she was being too much of a bully.
While she was thinking about it, Justin, who sounded even more aggrieved now, said, "I will keep my family members properly in check. Grandma was just hoping that I would have my own family soon. I know you¡¯re a non-believer of marriage though, so I won¡¯t force you into anything."
"..."
Nora kept quiet for a long while. Atst, she finally coughed and said, "Actually, you can be with other women..."
"Ms. Smith," Justin interrupted her solemnly and said, "You were the one who fell in love with me first, so you mustn¡¯t push me away now."
Nora: "..."
"In order to get close to me, you used all sorts of ways and means to get close to my son. You¡¯re the only one that he acknowledges as his Mommy now, so you can¡¯t just wash all this off your hands and leave. If you do that, not only would you be letting me down, but you¡¯ll also be letting Pete down."
"..."
"Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t force you if you¡¯re unwilling to marry me. After all, I can¡¯t let you down when you¡¯re so in love with me. Even if Grandma is really old now and wants to see me get married... it doesn¡¯t matter. Everything is fine as long as you are happy."
"..."
Nora wanted very much to say that he really didn¡¯t need to do that, yet she felt that if she were to say that without exining everything clearly, she would end up sounding like a scumbag.
The corners of her lips spasmed a little. In the end, she could only humbly and guiltily hang up, feeling as if she had bullied someone.
As soon as she hung up, she received another call. When she picked up, Iris¡¯ voice rang out. "Ms. Smith, are you free now?"
"Yes, I am. What¡¯s the matter?" asked Nora.
Iris said, "I have a pot of flowers here that¡¯s dying. Can youe over and take a look at it?"
Nora thought for a moment and replied, "Okay."
At the same time, Justin also received a call from Mrs. Landis. "Mr. Justin, pleasee over with Pete if you¡¯re free."
Chapter 254: The Family of Four Meets!
Chapter 254: The Family of Four Meets!
Nora was about to hang up when Iris suggested, "Why don¡¯t you bring your son along with you?"
Nora thought for a moment. Then, she nodded and said, "Okay."
She went upstairs, brought Pete down, and got in the car with him. She said, "I¡¯ll take you to meet a friend of mine."
Pete was very excited. "Okay!"
Even though he had known Mommy for a very long time by now, he only knew a few of her friends. Pete wanted to know what his Mommy was usually up to, since she was such an enigma.
Even though Mommy was always sleeping, she was so rich!
There was no way anyone could make that much money just by being a genius doctor!
He got into the car excitedly and sat in the backseat.
When Nora was walking to the driver¡¯s seat, she looked at Melissa, who was still in a daze, and slowly said, "Please keep this... a secret for now, Aunt Melissa."
"... Okay," said Melissa.
After Nora left, Melissa finally entered the living room. Mrs. Anderson, who had been waiting all afternoon, stepped forward nervously at once. She held her hand and asked, "How was it, Melissa? Did Mrs. Hunt say anything?"
Melissa was in a daze. "No, she didn¡¯t."
Mrs. Anderson breathed a sigh of relief. "That¡¯s good. Sigh, I¡¯m just afraid that she¡¯ll bring up some kind of request or condition. If they want to treat Pete¡¯s biological mother as family, then will Justin take Nora¡¯s or the other woman¡¯s side?"
Melissa: "..."
She looked at Mrs. Anderson hesitantly before she finally said, "Actually, it¡¯s all the same."
Mrs. Anderson nced at her. "You don¡¯t get it, do you? It¡¯s not the same. If that happens, Pete¡¯s biological mother will definitely cause Nora trouble. Also, what if Pete resents Nora even after she raises him into an adult? These things all have to be made clear in advance. Sigh, it¡¯s just so troublesome when other people¡¯s children are involved."
"..."
¡ª
In a vi on the outskirts of New York.
Mrs. Landis and Iris were happily preparing dinner.
Iris was in a very good mood. The woman, who looked as lithe as a teenager, hummed a little tune as she went back and forth the dining table and the kitchen joyfully.
Seeing her in such a good mood, Mrs. Landisughed and said, "Ma¡¯am, your mind must be at ease now, right? You¡¯ve already asked around and found out that Mr. Hunt¡¯s girlfriend is from the Andersons. The other Ms. Smith only has a daughter while your god-sister has a son instead! As it turns out, the two of them just share the same name! You don¡¯t have to worry anymore!"
Iris nodded. "Yes, it¡¯s fine as long as they aren¡¯t one and the same. I was so scared that I had identally elevated Justin¡¯s girlfriend¡¯s position to one that was more senior than his, which would have made it awkward for the two of them!"
Mrs. Landisughed again. "The fish and chips are fried especially nicely tonight, so they¡¯ll definitely taste awesome. The children are gonna love it."
"Yeah."
Iris smiled and said, "I wonder how old Ms. Smith¡¯s son is, and how far apart his age is from Pete¡¯s. I don¡¯t know if the two of them can get along or not."
Mrs. Landis teased her and said, "You worry too much!"
Only then did Iris suddenly realize that she was indeed worrying too much.
For so many years, many people had tried to please her. There were even some that tried to pander to her interests and spoke knowledgeably to her about orchids.
All of them were trying to ingratiate themselves with Justin.
In order to reduce unnecessary troubles for Justin, she had rejected them all. Therefore, all the rumors outside imed that she was difficult to deal with, and had a strange temperament.
Come to think of it, Nora was actually the only friend she had made all these years. Therefore, she hadn¡¯t stopped Mrs. Landis when she also told Justin toe over after Nora was invited over for dinner.
This was just her selfish desire, but she wanted her son to help Nora out a little if he could.
After all, it wasn¡¯t easy for a woman to bring up a child on her own. It reminded her of herself when she was taking care of Justin back then.
Perhaps because she had suppressed her feelings for too long, it led to her wanting to give the other party all the good things she could after she made a friend.
Moreover, what Nora said the day before had made Iris suddenly realize that she indeed didn¡¯t understand Justin.
She was Justin¡¯s mother. In situations that wouldn¡¯t cause him any trouble, helping her friend out was something he should do, right?
... Even though Iris didn¡¯t know what kind of help Nora could possibly need from her.
While driving to the vi in the suburbs, Nora received another call from Justin.
After she uttered a ¡¯hello¡¯, Justin asked, "Are you free tonight? I¡¯ll take you somewhere for a meal?"
Nora, who was looking ahead of her, replied, "I¡¯m not free."
Justin, who seemed to have heard some kind of sound, immediately asked, "You have an appointment? Who are you meeting that has actually made you abandon me? That¡¯s not something that someone in love with me should be doing."
He was afraid that she was going on a date with Caleb.
Nora¡¯s lip corners spasmed a little. She couldn¡¯t be bothered to exin that she was visiting her newly-gained god-sister, lest the guy says something like ¡¯Which is more important¡ªmeeting me or your god-sister?¡¯.
Thus, she simply said, "I¡¯m sleepy. I¡¯m going home to sleep."
"... Alright then," said Justin.
In a rare moment, Nora asked, "What about you?"
Justin let out a low chuckle and replied, "I¡¯ll sleep with you."
Nora: "?"
Her voice turned cold. "Talk properly!"
Justin said, "We¡¯ll sleep together after you go back to your house and I go back to mine. Is there something wrong with this sentence? Or did you get the wrong idea?"
Nora: "!!!!"
The corners of her lips spasmed, and she said, "I¡¯m hanging up!"
On the other end of the call, Justin couldn¡¯t helpughing after Nora hung up so fiercely.
He was in the car at the moment. The chauffeur was driving to the suburbs.
Cherry, who was sitting beside him, asked, "Are you nning to take Mommy to Grandma¡¯s for dinner, Daddy?"
Justin nodded. "Yes. Your Grandma has some misunderstandings about her. I think she would be able to understand what she¡¯s like after we sit down and have a meal together, but unfortunately..."
"Mommy definitely won¡¯t go!" Cherry said, "She wants to sleep!"
Justin: "..."
Half an hourter.
Nora arrived at the suburbs.
It was already dark, so Pete didn¡¯t notice where they were when they entered the residential area. Besides, he rarely came over in the first ce. In the day, he could still tell that this was where his grandmother lived, but because it was too dark now, he didn¡¯t manage to make out the surroundings until the car reached the vi entrance.
It was only after Nora took him out of the car and they entered the vi that Pete finally realized something. Unfortunately, it was toote!
"Ms. Smith!" Iris weed her into the house excitedly. "Let¡¯s have dinner together tonight!"
Nora nodded. Then, she pushed Pete¡ªwho was hiding behind her and trying to say something all this time but didn¡¯t have any chance to¡ªto Iris. She said, "This is my son, Pete."
Then, she said to Pete, "Say hi to your god-aunt, Pete."
Mrs. Landis, who had sent the two into the living room, hurried out the door when she heard another car at the door. When she saw Justin walking over with Cherry, she smiled and said, "You¡¯re here, Mr. Hunt!"
Justin noticed a car in the corner. As the ce was dim, he didn¡¯t make out what kind of car it was. He asked casually, "You have guests over?"
"Yep!" Mrs. Landis exined, "It¡¯s Ma¡¯am¡¯s new god-sister! It¡¯s just nice that you¡¯re here, so you can also meet her!"
Chapter 255: Mr. Hunt, This Is Your God-Aunt
Chapter 255: Mr. Hunt, This Is Your God-Aunt
God-sister?
Justin¡¯s brows drew together.
Iris had been leading a reclusive life all these years. She treated outsiders harshly and was like a robot without emotions.
He could even clearly remember that one time he came over when he was a child and saw that her family, the Evanses, hade over. However, he also saw, with his own eyes, Iris driving them out of the vi.
Mrs. Landis had stood in front of the door to stop them from entering at that time. His aunt from the Evanses had knelt in front of the door with her child and cried out in tears that they mustn¡¯t dy medical treatment for his uncle anymore. He needed immediate treatment, otherwise he would die.
But Iris hadn¡¯t spared them even a nce.
He had bodyguards protecting him when he walked in, so his aunt couldn¡¯t get near him. She stayed where she was and sobbed as she cursed, "You¡¯re no different from a cold-blooded monster, Iris Hunt! You¡¯re a venomous snake! It¡¯s all because of you that the Evanses are in this state today! Yet, you¡¯re actually sitting on the sidelines and doing nothing! He¡¯s your elder brother! How can you be so cruel?"
His footsteps had paused at that time.
However, he hadn¡¯t taken the liberty to give her any money, say anything, orfort her¡ªbecause he had already understood by then that sometimes, what one saw was not necessarily the truth.
He didn¡¯t understand the rtionship between his mother and her family at all, so how could he ask anything of his mother?
Regardless, the sight of his aunt berating Iris and calling her a venomous snake with a savage look on her face had remained in his memory.
All these years, every time he came over and saw how Iris was always so cold toward everyone, and heard from the bodyguards how all she did every day was take care of her flowers, and how she didn¡¯t seem to have any social interaction with anyone, he had even thought that she didn¡¯t have any friends at all.
Yet, she was actually introducing her god-sister to him now!
He understood the implicit meaning behind introducing her god-sister to him¡ªit was nothing more than her wanting the Hunts to help her god-sister out and take care of her. Over the years, on ount of various people, he had already helped out a lot of people with their businesses.
Adding one more person to the count didn¡¯t matter.
However, he felt rather unhappy.
His mother had never worried about him orforted him before. She had abandoned him at the Hunts¡¯ icy-cold manor when he was only five and left him to his own devices ever since.
Yet, she was actually showing so much concern for an outsider now?
He was really curious. Just what kind of woman had managed to capture his mother¡¯s heart?
Justin¡¯s expression turned cold, and he entered the house.
¡ª
In the living room.
Iris was staring at Pete at the moment, her beautiful eyes widened in disbelief.
Pete had also raised his little head and was looking at his grandmother.
Although the two rarely saw each other, Justin did asionally bring him over for quick visits, so one could say that they were the most familiar strangers.
For a while, neither of them spoke.
Nora looked at Iris, and then back at Pete. Finding their silence rather strange, she frowned and prompted Pete. "Pete?"
Although Pete was mildly autistic, he had shown good manners ever since he started to live with her, and would always greet his rtives whenever he met them. This was especially so with the Andersons. He always greeted Melissa very sweetly whenever he saw her.
So, why was he suddenly not greeting his elders anymore the moment he came here?
While she was hesitating, Iris asked in a trembling voice, "M-Ms. Smith, is... is he your son?"
Nora nodded. "Yeah."
But when she looked at Iris again, she found that the woman suddenly had an extremelyplex look on her face. She stared at Nora for a while.
In the midst of Nora¡¯s confusion, Pete¡¯s small and weak voice entered her ears.
"Hello, Grandma."
Nora: "??"
Her head whipped to the side abruptly to see Pete with a resigned look on his face as if he didn¡¯t have anything to live for anymore. He said, "Mommy, she... she¡¯s my grandmother."
Seemingly because he saw that Nora didn¡¯t seem like she understood what he was saying, he added, "You know, my father¡¯s mommy."
Nora: "..."
Iris: "..."
Pete held his forehead. He knew that the two of them were utterly shocked at the moment, so he said to Iris, "Grandma, can you keep this a secret from Daddy for now?"
Practically right after he spoke, someone suddenly opened the living room door. Mrs. Landis¡¯ voice traveled over.
"Come on in, Mr. Hunt!"
When Mrs. Landis was bringing Nora and Pete into the house, as she had been preupied leading the way, she hadn¡¯t managed to see Pete¡¯s face clearly. Right after that, she had gone out in a hurry again. Thus, she looked at Cherry, pointed at Pete from the back, and said, "Your god-grandaunt has brought her little boy here. You guys can y with each otherter!"
As soon as she said that, Iris stood up straight and looked at the door.
Nora and Pete also turned around instinctively. For a time, the family of four stood facing one another.
"..."
"..."
The whole room was suddenly filled with weird silence.
After a full twenty seconds of silence, Mrs. Landis finally rubbed her eyes. She looked at Nora, and then at Justin before finally looking at Pete and Cherry. Then, she looked at Iris in confusion. "Have I be that old, Ma¡¯am? Are my eyes ying tricks on me? Why does Ms. Smith¡¯s son look exactly the same as the little mister?!"
Her words made Iris¡¯s lip corners spasm.
She suddenly realized that she had really done something wrong. She coughed and said, "M-Mrs. Landis, w-why don¡¯t you introduce them to each other? I... I suddenly have a headache, so I¡¯ll go upstairs and rest for a bit."
After speaking, she walked to the stairs with her left arm moving forward with her left leg, and vice versa. She seemingly went upstairs, but after turning the corner, she immediately stopped and secretly popped her head out from behind the wall to look at the others¡¯ reactions.
But when she did, she instead found that all five people downstairs were looking straight at her, frightening Iris so badly that she immediately retracted her head, coughed, and went upstairs.
When Mrs. Landis saw her fleeing, something suddenly clicked in her head, and she immediately cursed at Iris inwardly. How could she leave her all alone downstairs in a situation
like this?!
She could already feel the awkward and frosty atmosphere in the living room without even looking at Justin. She swallowed hard and stammered, "Um, M-Mr. Justin, this... this is Ma¡¯am¡¯s new god-sister."
As soon as she said that, she felt Justin looking at her.
In a brainless move, she added, "In other words, she¡¯s your g-g-god-aunt..."
"..."
The low air pressure in the air seemingly became even lower.
Only then did Mrs. Landis realize that she had really rubbed Justin¡¯s nose in it. How could she possibly not understand by now? Ms. Smith was none other than Justin¡¯s said girlfriend that Tina had mentioned!
But what had she and Ma¡¯am done instead? They had elevated his girlfriend¡¯s position to one that was senior to his own!
Justin was probably secretly cursing his mother right now!
While she was thinking about it, she suddenly had a brainwave. She said, "Oh dear, Ma¡¯am always eats some cake at this time every day. I¡¯ll bring some up for her..."
After saying that, she ran straight upstairs without even taking any cake with her.
For a time, only the family of four remained in the living room.
Chapter 256: A Reasonable Explanation!
Chapter 256: A Reasonable Exnation!
Ten secondster, dead silence filled the room.
"..."
A minuteter, the silence in the room became even scarier.
"..."
Even after two minutes went by, none of them had any intention of speaking.
"..."
Nora, who had always been short of sleep, found time especially hard to pass at the moment. How she wished she could just close her eyes and fall asleep, so that by the time she woke up, the day would be bright and sunny once more.
But that was obviously not the most appropriate thing to do at the moment.
She had never been afraid of anything, and she had always been a direct and straightforward person. Even so, she kinda understood in this instant what it meant to want to dig a hole and bury oneself in it.
Her gaze drifted about erratically. She looked at the ceiling with her arms hanging by her side and nudged Pete with her hand to get him to break the silence.
Pete: "..."
By then, Pete and Cherry had alreadymunicated a great deal with each other with their eyes.
Pete looked at Cherry: ¡¯What do we do now?¡¯
Cherry¡¯s big eyes blinked: ¡¯I don¡¯t know, either!¡¯
Pete held his hands up helplessly: ¡¯The tyrant looks so calm, but the calmer he is on the outside, the angrier he is on the inside!¡¯
Cherry also nced at Nora: ¡¯Mommy also has a really grave look on her face. The more grave she looks, the scarier the decision she¡¯ll make!¡¯
Pete was terrified: ¡¯Surely Mommy isn¡¯t thinking of knocking out the tyrant and taking the two of us away, right?¡¯
Cherry: ¡¯... It¡¯s not impossible.¡¯
Pete: ¡¯...¡¯
While the two children weremunicating with their eyes, Nora nudged Pete. She curled her fingers a little, motioning for him to speak.
Thus, Pete said, "Mommy, Daddy always brings 12 bodyguards and even 24 hidden bodyguards whenever he goes out. You won¡¯t be able to fight your way out."
As soon as he said that, the room became even quieter.
"..."
It was as if everyone¡¯s breathing was audible.
Justin: "..."
To be honest, he was also in a huge panic at the moment!
Before this, Nora hadn¡¯t known that he was already aware of everything. In order to make the woman stay, he had deliberately kept one of the two children with him. This way, she would always stay by his side.
But now!
If they were to address the elephant in the room, he wouldn¡¯t be able to continue being ¡¯narcissistic¡¯!
The woman would exin everything, and then...
What must he do to make the woman and the children stay?
The man, who had always been full of ideas when it came to the world ofmerce, was also in a panic. Thus, all he could do was stand there with a pensive look on his face.
Unfortunately, his expression instead gave Nora the impression that he was a very terrifying man.
Well, that made sense. Justin would definitely be furious once he knew that one of his children had been taken away from him. It was already very impressive that he could suppress his anger and keep himself from venting it. Moreover, he hadn¡¯t said anything really awful, either.
When Nora, who had just thought of that, heard what Pete said, the corners of her lips couldn¡¯t help but spasm.
Cough.
She would never ever admit that she had indeed been itching just a moment ago to knock the man out and then flee the country with the two children.
In fact, an escape route had already formed in her mind that very moment. After going out, she mustn¡¯t drive straight to the airport because Justin was definitely powerful enough to seal the airport and trains.
Therefore, she would drive to the suburbs instead, find an empty helipad, and get Lily to pilot a private jet ande over to pick them up as soon as possible!
However, it would take Lily seven to eight hours to fly over. After all, they were too far away from Switzend, where Lily was... Should it really be beyond Lily¡¯s means, she would get Solo to pick them up instead. After all, he was closer to where they were.
If not, then her only option would be to approach her aunt overseas for help instead...
But when she heard about the 36 bodyguards, Nora fell silent and dismissed the idea.
She had fought Justin¡¯s bodyguards before; it was easy for her to beat one or two, but 36... Say, just how fearful of dying was that man? Did he have to bring so many people with him whenever he went out?
While Nora was daydreaming, Justin finally spoke. "Shouldn¡¯t you give me a reasonable exnation for this, Ms. Smith?"
Phew...
The weird atmosphere was finally broken. Nora breathed a sigh of relief atst. After thinking for a while about how to word the situation, she started to exin the issues with the children. She said, "... Since you¡¯ve already seen everything, then I won¡¯t keep it from you anymore. The reason why I have been trying to get close to you and Pete is actually..."
But before she could finish, Justin cut her off and said, "That¡¯s not the exnation I¡¯m asking for. Rather, back then, why did you get pregnant with my children behind my back?"
All the words that Nora had prepared became stuck in her throat, choking her. She was about to speak when Justin said sharply, "You¡¯d best give me a reasonable exnation, why did you plot against me and then run away that night?! You even bore two of my children!"
Nora: "???"
Her mind was full of question marks!
Which night was he talking about?
No, wait...
Nora narrowed her eyes. "Didn¡¯t you say that you don¡¯t know how I became pregnant?"
Justin lowered his gaze. "I didn¡¯t know it was you at that time, so of course I would say that. After all, surely I couldn¡¯t tell outsiders that a woman had plotted against me and taken advantage of me, right?"
Nora: "?????"
She pointed at herself incredulously. "I... plotted against you?"
Justin, who was pulling a long face, replied, "Yes. Given how you were fat and ugly at that time, it can¡¯t possibly be because I fell in love with you and plotted against you, right?"
Nora: "??????"
Was she suffering from memory loss? Or had she really been sleepwalking that time?! But she really didn¡¯t remember him appearing in her dream! After all, given that face of his, it would have been deeply etched in her memory if she had indeed dreamed of him!
She was about to refute him when Justin spoke again. "Tell me, woman, what exactly are you plotting by scheming against me and even bearing me two children?"
Nora: "..."
She was speechless.
She didn¡¯t know what to say!
Seemingly because she wasn¡¯t saying anything, Justin¡¯s voice turned even colder. "If you¡¯re not going to exin yourself... These two children are part of the Hunts. There¡¯s no way I will allow the Hunts¡¯ children to wander about outside, let alone allow a woman with ulterior motives to go near my children! So, without a good reason, you can forget about ever seeing my children again!"
He ced his hands on top of Pete¡¯s and Cherry¡¯s heads and took a step back with the two.
Nora: "?"
Her eyes darkened.
How dare that man threaten her! Hah!
Just as she was about to attack...
Cherry and Pete, whom Justin was holding on to, panicked when they heard their father.
They wouldn¡¯t be able to see Mommy ever again?
No, they couldn¡¯t have that!
Cherry immediately shouted, "Daddy, Mommy doesn¡¯t have any ill intentions! She doesn¡¯t have any ulterior motives, either!"
Even though Justin, who was in the midst of a confrontation with Nora, had adopted an icy-cold demeanor on the surface, he was actually secretly terribly anxious.
Why hadn¡¯t that silly girl taken the bait yet?
Well, it was true that she wasn¡¯t afraid of a head-on confrontation, after all.
However, his precious little baby finally spoke up at this point. Justin breathed a sigh of relief inwardly, though the look on his face remained cold. "What is she nning, if not something malevolent?"
"It¡¯s... it¡¯s... it¡¯s... " Cherry looked at Nora, and then at Justin. Atst, she turned to Pete for help and asked, "It¡¯s... What was it again, Pete?"
Pete: "?"
Seeing the tyrant also looking over, Pete stammered, "It¡¯s... It¡¯s..."
Chapter 257: How Did She Become Pregnant Back Then?
Chapter 257: How Did She Be Pregnant Back Then?
Pete was in a huge panic. It was simply too difficult to find a reasonable answer!
Just as all three other people in the room were staring at him, and while Cherry was frantically giving him looks, Pete suddenly thought of the bossy CEO-type romance novels that he¡¯d chanced upon in the past. Thus, his next few words came easily to him:
"It¡¯s because she ¡¯couldn¡¯t help it¡¯, and because she ¡¯couldn¡¯t control her feelings¡¯..."
His words were rather hesitant in the beginning, but the more he spoke, the brighter his eyes shone, and the more certain he sounded. He said, "It¡¯s because Mommy likes you! Yes, it¡¯s exactly because of that!"
Nora: "??????"
She was about to refute him when Cherry rushed over and grabbed her hand. She looked at Justin and said, "Daddy, it¡¯s because Mommy likes you so much that she had to do something like that. You won¡¯t stop us from seeing Mommy in the future, right?"
Nora: "..."
Although they had made her the scapegoat, she did indeed want to know Justin¡¯s opinion on the matter.
If that scumbag took a step back as a result, it wasn¡¯t like she couldn¡¯t just roll with it, either...
While she was thinking about it, the cold aura around Justin gradually subsided. He looked at her amicably and asked, "Is what they say, true?"
Nora: "..."
She felt that since they had already addressed the matter, she might as well say it all.
But before she could say anything, Cherry nodded repeatedly and said, "It¡¯s true, it¡¯s true! Mommy really likes you, Daddy! Mommy kept singing your praises before we met you! She even said that you look so cool, handsome, and tender! You¡¯re the world¡¯s number one hunk!"
Nora: "!!"
When had she ever said anything like that?
"Cough." Cherry¡¯s words seemed to have given Justin quite the shock, too. He let out a low cough, looked at Nora, and said, "That¡¯s a little too explicit of you."
Nora: "..."
Never mind.
She would just bear with it.
She had only just quietly suppressed her annoyance when Justin asked, "But since you like me so much, why don¡¯t you believe in marriage?"
Nora: "?"
Was there no end to that man¡¯s questions?
Her brows drew together, and a sharp look shed across her eyes. She sneered, "There¡¯s no corrtion between liking someone and getting married, is there, Mr. Hunt? Who says non-believers of marriage can¡¯t date?"
Upon hearing her sarcasm and the sound of her gnashing her teeth, Justin knew at once that they had to end it here for today. Otherwise, once he angered her for real, the chances of them getting together would be even lower.
This was the very first time in all these years that he had fallen for a woman. He mustn¡¯t let her run away.
Justin feigned sudden realization and said, "I see."
Suddenly, Nora asked, "Since you im that I had pestered you back then, where did I do said pestering, Mr. Hunt?"
Justin raised his eyebrows.
How would he know?!
He didn¡¯t even know how she became pregnant!
That night didn¡¯t even exist in his memory at all, alright?!
Regardless, even if he did know, he didn¡¯t know what the woman was thinking at that moment, so he had deliberately lied.
However, he absolutely mustn¡¯t give her the impression that there were loopholes in his words. Thus, he smiled and suddenly replied, "In California."
"Which hotel in California was it?"
Justin gave her a seemingly amused look. "Are you thinking of reliving the moment, Ms. Smith?"
Nora: "!!"
She took another deep breath and tried her best to tell herself, ¡¯Remain calm, remain calm. Don¡¯t get angry.¡¯
Atst, she said, "Just asking."
Justin, however, stepped forward. "The past is in the past, we have to look to the future. You don¡¯t have to keep reminiscing about that night five years ago, Ms. Smith. If you find it necessary, we can consummate right away."
Consummate?
Pete and Cherry¡¯s eyes lit up at the same time. But as soon as they wanted to speak, Nora said coldly, "No, it¡¯s fine."
She gritted her teeth and spat out word after word¡ª"I don¡¯t find that necessary, my! God! Nephew!"
Justin¡¯s face instantly turned green.
Upstairs.
Iris and Mrs. Landis popped their heads out and tried their best to listen to the voices downstairs.
Unfortunately, their voices were too low, so they couldn¡¯t hear what they were saying at all. Iris looked at Mrs. Landis. "Why does the situation downstairs feel kinda weird?"
"... It feels kinda weird to me, too. Surely there wasn¡¯t some kind of dramatic love-hate rtionship between Mr. Justin and Ms. Smith back then, right? Have they reconciled now? Ma¡¯am, don¡¯t you feel that what happened to Ms. Smith sounds like a tale of a pretty little wife running away with a babe in her belly?"
"Don¡¯t spout nonsense! Their story is much more exciting than a novel!"
Mrs. Landis: "..."
The two listened to the voices downstairs again. Seeing that nothing seemed to be happening anymore, Mrs. Landis asked, "Should we go downstairs and get ready for dinner, Ma¡¯am?"
Iris nodded. "Yeah. Let¡¯s go down and take a look."
However, as soon as they went downstairs, they saw Nora sitting on the sofa triumphantly with her arms folded. There was a small smile on her usually cool and distant countenance.
Justin, on the other hand, looked livid.
Clearly, Nora seemed to have won the confrontation just now.
Mrs. Landis coughed and called out, "Ms. Smith, Mr. Hunt, and the two little misters. Shall we have dinner?"
Nora got up. "Sure. I just so happen to have gotten hungry."
After speaking, she looked at Iris and asked, "Let¡¯s have dinner, Sis?"
Iris: "?"
Why did it suddenly feel like the temperature in the room dropped a few degrees when she said the word ¡¯Sis¡¯?
She looked at Justin, who was pulling a long face, and the corners of her lips spasmed. She coughed and said, "Um, I didn¡¯t know about your rtionship with Justin previously. Considering the situation now, we..."
"These are two separate matters," Nora replied casually but surely, "We¡¯ll keep the terms of address separate in the future. Mr. Hunt won¡¯t mind, right?"
Justin replied, "... No, I don¡¯t."
Iris: "..."
The group settled at the dining table.
Pete and Cherry sat next to each other. When they looked at the tyrant and Mommy sitting at the same dining table, they suddenly felt much more blissful than usual!
Unfortunately, the adults didn¡¯t feel that sense of bliss at all.
After they finally finished dinner and the group left, Justin asked coldly, "So, Pete goes with you? And the daughteres with me?"
Nora breathed a sigh of relief at his words.
At least that guy didn¡¯t ask for both children.
Otherwise, she would really explode.
What kind of horrible evening was this? She felt so frustrated!
She had never felt this frustrated in her entire life!
She nodded. "That works."
She took Pete¡¯s hand after she spoke. When she was about to leave, she paused and looked back at Iris. "Don¡¯t tell anyone else about this for now, Sis."
Justin paused. He was also about to tell Iris that, but unexpectedly, Nora had done it a step ahead of him.
Thus, he decided not to say anything.
It wasn¡¯t convenient for so many people to protect Pete while he was with Nora. Therefore, the children¡¯s identities indeed had to be kept secret.
Iris nodded.
While on the way home with Pete, Nora suddenly received a text message on her cell phone.
She nced at it when she reached a red light, but the moment she did, she suddenly froze.
The text message read: ¡¯Do you wanna know how exactly you became pregnant back then?¡¯
Chapter 258: The Secret!
Chapter 258: The Secret!
When Nora saw these words, her eyes narrowed.
It was an anonymous message.
She picked it up casually. Before the traffic light turned green, her fingers moved nimbly to trace the sender¡¯s number. However, she realized that the phone number had not been registered with an identity card.
She hacked into his phone again, trying to find his location.
In the blink of an eye, she had locked onto him!
Position: New York!
The exact location was near her car!
When she saw that the red dot was less than a few meters away from her green position, the other party seemed to have sensed her tracking. The red dot flickered a few times and disappeared.
Nora clenched her fists tightly and suddenly looked around.
Although it was already 9 PM, there were still many cars on the road in New York. Because of the traffic lights, most of the cars behind were already blocked.
In other words, that person¡¯s car was also blocked inside.
She unbuckled her seatbelt and instructed Pete, "Stay in the car."
Hearing her grave tone, Pete nodded in understanding. "Okay."
He was not afraid because, on the way home, he knew that Justin had assigned a few bodyguards to secretly protect him.
After Nora got out of the car, the car made a clicking sound and was locked up to prevent the bad guys from taking Pete away.
Nora then ran in the direction she remembered.
From the map, she could tell that the other party was less than 200 meters away from her.
The car was not more than 200 meters away from her...
She used her eyes to estimate and agilely weaved through the cars.
100 meters... 150 meters...
The traffic light was rtively long. It took about 90 seconds to go green, and it took her 80 seconds to locate the other party and get there. There were still 10 seconds!
If she could not find that person, she might miss this opportunity.
Although Justin had said that she had killed the other party back then, she had no memory of it at all.
Therefore, even if Justin remembered that night, the two of them had still been schemed against.
The person who had schemed against them and made her give birth to two children was a mystery. As for how she got pregnant, it was even more of a mystery.
And the mystery was only 50 meters away.
Nora took a few steps forward suddenly. The cars beside her were already honking impatiently. There were too many cars in New York, and the roads were filled with cars.
200 meters!
About seven to eight cars were parked 200 meters away from her!
She walked over quickly and knocked on the window of the first car.
The car window rolled down and the driver looked at her impatiently. "What are you doing? Do you want to die?"
That person¡¯s expression was very real. It was obvious that he was a passerby.
It wasn¡¯t him.
Nora walked around him and continued to walk back.
But at this point!
Beep!
A car suddenly honked. Nora was stunned. She turned around and saw a ck Land Rover parked two cars away from this car.
The car window rolled down, revealing a familiar face. "Miss Smith, what are you doing?"
This person was... Morris, Captain Ford!
While she was in a daze, the traffic light in front changed. The cars started to move, but because Nora¡¯s car was parked in front, this line of cars could not move.
Seeing the two cars driving away slowly, Nora was no longer anxious. Instead, she narrowed her eyes and looked at Morris. "Captain Ford, what a coincidence. Why are you here?"
Morris looked ahead, his cold face sharp and clear. "Miss Smith, I should be the one asking you this, right? If you stop the car, it will seriously affect the traffic rules. It will be a vition of the rules and you will be fined. Of course, if you still don¡¯t leave, I¡¯m afraid it will be so serious that your driver¡¯s license will be revoked."
Nora was unmoved. "This is the traffic police¡¯s jurisdiction, right? Captain Ford even cares about this?"
Morris was expressionless, but he took out a document from the car and handed it to her. "Special Case Departments, I have the right to ask about all illegal matters."
Beep!
Beep!
"F*ck? What¡¯s going on in front? Why aren¡¯t you driving?"
"Is it an ident? Or did the car break down?"
"..."
The other drivers started honking wildly. Some got out of the car and looked forward.
Nora knew that she could not dy anymore, so she nodded at Morris. "I¡¯ll leave now."
She looked around again but did not see any familiar cars. Then, she walked forward and followed the cars to the front.
A driver in the back had already gotten out of the car and was pointing at her nose and shouting, "What are you doing? Do you have any courtesy? Don¡¯t you know you¡¯re dying us by stopping here?"
However, when he raised her head, he could clearly see that it was a youngdy¡¯s face. Thisdy was also as beautiful as a fairy. Furthermore, although Nora did not smile, her apology was still considered sincere. "I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll leave now."
She was simply using her beauty tomit murder.
The driver¡¯s cursing voice became softer and warmer. "It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine. It was just a minute. Let¡¯s go!"
Nora got into the car and started it. The cars parked behind her then returned to normal traffic.
On the way home, she looked ahead with a serious expression.
Who was the person who had followed her and controlled her pregnancy back then?
Why was Morris around her again? Was he the one who had sent her the message?
Once or twice could be a coincidence, but so many times? What was his motive?
Also, special department... What was that? Why had she never heard of such a department?!
¡ª
At the Hunts¡¯.
Mrs. Hunt frowned. After thinking about it for an entire day, she finally decided to make a move. "Although they don¡¯t admit it now, once they do, it¡¯ll be toote for them to acknowledge it! I can¡¯t control them in this matter, but someone can."
Mdm. Lea was stunned. "Who?"
Mrs. Hunt took out her phone and made a call that she had not made in a long time. The moment the call was picked up, she lowered her eyes and slowly said, "Iris, this is Mom. I¡¯m calling you for the sake of Justin and Pete..."
Iris¡¯s attitude was very cold, but she didn¡¯t hang up. Instead, she asked, "What? What do you want me to do this time?"
When Mrs. Hunt heard the words "this time," she instantly felt guilty, but she still hardened her heart and said, "Justin likes a woman from a small family. She definitely can¡¯t be Pete¡¯s stepmother! You¡¯re probably the only person in the world who can stop him! You..."
Before she could finish, Iris sneered and asked, "Stepmother?"
Chapter 259: Birthday Party
Chapter 259: Birthday Party
Mrs. Hunt paused and immediately said, "Yes, she will marry Justin to be Pete¡¯s stepmother. Iris, you know stepmothers can¡¯t possibly be good. Back then..."
Iris interrupted her again. "Not every stepmother in this world is like that mistress!"
Mrs. Hunt: ??
She was stunned by Iris¡¯ words. After thinking for a while, she tried to ask, "But what if she gives birth to a child for Justin again?"
"Mom, I think you¡¯re mistaken." Iris¡¯ voice was cold.
Mrs. Hunt was stunned.
Iris said slowly, "Being a mother and being a wife is different. A mother wants her son to be better. Justin is getting married, and it¡¯ll be good for him to have a woman to please him and take care of him in the future. Isn¡¯t that what you told me back then?"
Mrs. Hunt clenched her jaw. "Iris, are you still ming me?"
"No." Iris¡¯ answer was very simple. "I don¡¯t me anyone. If I have to say it, I only me my bad luck."
As soon as she said this, she hung up.
Mrs. Hunt looked at her phone in a daze. After a while, she sighed deeply and looked at Mdm. Lea. "She still hates me."
Mdm. Lea looked at Mrs. Hunt and wanted to say something, but she hesitated. In the end, she said something fair. "It has been quite difficult for her all these years."
She had stayed at the Hunts for her son.
However, she could not love her son affectionately. This was much more bitter than what Justin¡¯s father had suffered.
Mrs. Hunt sighed as Cherry¡¯s voice came from the door. "Great-Grandmother, I¡¯m here~"
Mrs. Hunt immediately looked at the door in joy and saw Justin striding in with a smile. His appearance stunned her. She smiled and asked, "Why are you so happy today?"
Justin¡¯s expression froze as he asked, "Am I?"
Mdm. Lea teased, "You can¡¯t even suppress the corners of your mouth. Aren¡¯t you happy? Mr. Hunt, did something good happen today? Tell us, so we can be happy too!"
When Justin heard this, he thought of how he had had dinner with Nora tonight and could not help but smile again.
Seeing that he was silent, Cherry raised her hand. "I¡¯ll talk, I¡¯ll talk! Daddy had dinner with Mommy tonight. That¡¯s why Daddy is happy, right?"
Mrs. Hunt was stunned.
She turned to look at Justin again.
In her impression, this grandson had always been stern. Even after signing a huge contract and earning a few hundred million, he had never smiled like he did today.
It had been five years since hest smiled like this. At that time, he had just brought Pete back. After pulling him back from the brink of death, he had done a DNA test and realized that Pete was indeed his son.
He had hardly ever smiled like this before.
Mrs. Hunt lowered her eyes and touched Cherry¡¯s head. "Is that so? No wonder."
She suddenly looked at Justin and said, "Justin, it¡¯s my 80th birthday in a week. We can hold a party this year, right?"
Justin was stunned when he heard this.
Ever since his father left and his grandfather passed away, his grandmother had been eating vegetarian food and reading Buddhism. She had never liked the liveliness of birthday parties.
Every year on her birthday, the entire family would gather together for a meal. They had never organized a big banquet before.
Why did she suddenly...
However, he did not ask further and immediately agreed. "Okay. Let Mdm. Lea and Mr. Long handle the party. I¡¯ll prepare a guest list."
Mrs. Hunt smiled. "Alright, invite Miss Smith over as well."
Only then did Justin realize that Mrs. Hunt¡¯s birthday celebration was actually for Nora.
However, if Nora came over, they could at least publicize their rtionship so that the outside world would not have to keep guessing.
He nodded. "Yes."
After chatting for a while more about the details of the birthday banquet, Justin left with Cherry. Mdm. Lea stood beside Mrs. Hunt. "Mrs. Hunt, are you... trying to use this method to persuade Miss Smith to leave?"
Mrs. Hunt¡¯s birthday banquet would definitely shock all the influential people in New York.
At that time, if the people from small families could not handle that scene, they would automatically retreat.
However, Mrs. Hunt did not seem to hear this. Her gaze was only fixed on Justin at the door. She suddenly said, "Mdm. Lea, how long has it been since west saw Justin with such a rxing smile?"
Mdm. Lea was stunned.
Mrs. Hunt sighed. "Actually, how good would it be if he could smile like this every day? Even I wavered a little just now. If that Miss Smith could make him happy by marrying her, shouldn¡¯t I give in a little?"
Mdm. Lea understood her thoughts. She walked to her side and held her shoulder. "Mrs. Hunt, you¡¯re not only Mr. Hunt¡¯s grandmother, but you¡¯re also the Matriarch of the Hunts."
These words made Mrs. Hunt¡¯s expression darken.
Yes.
She had devoted her entire life to the Hunts. Just like back then... when her grandson was only five years old, she would definitely have favored her son more.
However, for the sake of the Hunts, she still chased her son away and kept her grandson with her.
She was not only a mother, but she was also the Matriarch of the Hunts.
The trace of guilt that she had felt instantly disappeared.
She could not disregard the Hunts¡¯ reputation just because Justin was happy for a moment.
The Matriarch of the Hunts could not be such a lowly woman like Nora!
She took a deep breath and suddenly looked at Mdm. Lea. "Remember to invite thatdy from the Smiths over on my birthday."
Mdm. Lea understood what she meant and nodded. "Yes."
¡ª
The next day at the Andersons¡¯.
"What gift did you prepare?"
When Melissa woke up in the morning and received the invitation, she had a headache. Sheined to Mrs. Anderson, "They¡¯re holding a special banquet for Mrs. Hunt¡¯s birthday this year. Moreover, our rtionship is different now. We can¡¯t afford not to bring out valuable gifts. But what kind of treasure have the Hunts not seen? What can we send that would bring out new meaning and show our magnanimity?"
Mrs. Anderson rubbed her temples as well. "I hate thinking about gifts the most, especially a gift for Mrs. Hunt. She has high standards. Sigh! But why don¡¯t you ask Nora? She might have some good ideas."
It was almost noon. When Nora went downstairs, she heard Melissa say worriedly, "Nora, you¡¯re finally awake! Mrs. Hunt¡¯s birthday is a week from now and she has invited our entire family. What do you think we should give her?"
Birthday?
Nora paused for a moment before smiling. "Don¡¯t worry. I know what to give her."
After all, she was Pete and Cherry¡¯s grandmother. It was only right that she did her best.
Melissa was curious. "What are you nning to send?"
Chapter 260: Alchemy!
Chapter 260: Alchemy!
Nora slowly said, "Isn¡¯t the mostmon thing in our Harmonia Pharmacy, medicine?"
Melissa: "??"
Nora yawned. "Aunt, lend me a room in the pharmaceutical factory."
Melissa immediately nodded. "No problem!"
After Nora had lunch, Melissa brought her to the Andersons¡¯ pharmaceutical factory.
The Andersons¡¯ pharmaceutical factory was in the suburbs of New York. It looked very big and neat inside. When they walked in, they could smell the fragrance of medicine.
Sheril was here all year round. When she heard that they were here, she immediately weed them. "Mom, Sister, the emptyboratory is ready."
Melissa nodded. "Then I¡¯ll go back first. You guys can prepare."
She was a little worried.
The best medicine the Andersons had right now was the Carefree Pill. However, the pill had a price, and it was mass-produced. It was a big gift to give someone else 20 pills, but to Mrs. Hunt, it was only a few thousand dors.
Was Nora¡¯s medicine okay as a present?
She was a little worried.
There was only a week left. She had to find something good so that Nora¡¯s pill wouldn¡¯t be looked down on and she wouldn¡¯t have to take it out to save the situation.
Therefore, Melissa went out early and returnedte every day. She went to various auction houses to look for various gifts.
In theboratory.
Nora only did the preparation work and did it for half a day. It was only at night that she finished preparing all kinds of things.
Sheril, who had been helping from the side, asked curiously, "Sister, what medicine are you going to make?"
Nora thought for a moment and replied, "Calming Pill."
Mrs. Hunt¡¯s brain was filled with bruises and lumps. If she took the Calming Pill for a while, it would be very effective.
Sheril immediately let out a sigh of relief. "Calming Pill? Our Harmonia Pharmacy has many of them, and they¡¯re very cheap. Just take some... No, the Calming Pill form doesn¡¯t have these ingredients?"
The Calming Pill didn¡¯t have so many herbs?
Just as she thought about this, she heard Nora say slowly, "Yes, it¡¯s Zabe Corporation¡¯s Calming Pill."
Sheril was stunned. "Zabe Corporation¡¯s Calming Pill?"
The legendary Zabe Corporation¡¯s Calming Pill?
There were many types of Calming Pills.
However, Zabe Corporation¡¯s Calming Pill was definitely the best!
It was said that this Calming Pill was offered to the emperor in ancient times. It was simr to a Tao priest refining pills. The prescription was extremelyplicated, and the herbs used were also very expensive!
Even with the current high level of technology, this pill was still very difficult to refine. Up until now, Dr. Zabe was probably the only one in the world who could refine one or two pills.
However, Nora actually knew how to make Zabe Corporation¡¯s Calming Pill?
She swallowed. "Sister, I heard that only one or two pills can be produced in a furnace. How many do you n to give?"
Nora nced at her. "Who said that only one or two pills can be produced in a furnace?"
Sheril: "??"
Dr. Zabe said so!
He had personally refined a batch three years ago and only produced one finished product. It had ruined a lot of medicinal herbs, causing his heart to ache so much that he never refined it again!
Nora rolled her eyes. Master could not perform well because he was old and could not control his behavior well.
This kind of problem would not happen to her.
However, the process was a little long and needed three days and four nights. With all this time, she might as well sleep. Therefore, she had not refined it over the years.
She said nothing.
Sheril decided not to speak anymore. She just looked at the expensive herbs Nora took over, with an aching heart.
There was an old manager at the pharmaceutical factory in Harmonia Pharmacy. He was also an old pharmacist and could be considered Sheril¡¯s master. At this moment, he stood outside the door and happened to overhear their conversation.
He waved Sheril over.
Sheril walked out.
The old pharmacist frowned and reprimanded, "Sheril, you guys are too reckless!! Are these hundred thousand dors of herbs going to be wasted just like that? How can she possibly refine Zabe Corporation¡¯s Calming Pill?"
Although Sheril¡¯s heart also ached for the money, when she heard her master¡¯s words, she hurriedly exined, "Master, Sister Nora was the one who gave us the Carefree Pill form. So even if money is wasted, it¡¯s nothing. My father and mother definitely won¡¯t feel the pinch."
The pharmacist sighed. "They only look at money, but do you only care for money too? Do you know how much the 500-year-old ginseng she took is worth now? We could only buy one or two from the entire country. This isn¡¯t a matter of money at all, okay? Don¡¯t you feel bad that she wasted it?"
Of course, her heart ached!
Now, everyone was growing ginseng artificially. Most of it was just decades old, and it was rare to find one that was centuries old.
These two 500-year-old ginsengs had been preserved by Harmonia Pharmacy. They could be considered the treasure of the store, and were priceless!
People had been asking for 500-year-old ginseng for a long time, but they still could not get one.
After all, most of the older ones had been sent to the auction. The value of ginseng had already far exceeded the medicinal value. Harmonia Pharmacy would not auction them. Most of the people who could auction them were like the Smiths and Hunts. But how could such families sell ginseng to Harmonia Pharmacy?
However, to make Zabe Corporation¡¯s Calming Pill, one needed ginseng that was this old!
Actually, if it could be made, this ginseng would definitely not be wasted. After all, the Calming Pill was much more valuable than the ginseng itself.
The problem was!
Dr. Zabe had only managed to refine one pill in a furnace. Could Sister Nora seed?
The old pharmacist suggested, "Although other herbs are expensive, we can still buy them. Can you talk to your sister and exchange that ginseng for a 100-year one?! If she fails, we¡¯ll only lose money!"
When Sheril heard this, she fell into deep thought.
After a moment, she shook her head. "Master, Sister Nora¡¯s kindness to the Andersons is too great. I can¡¯t say anything about it."
The old pharmacist was instantly furious. He pointed at her forehead and scolded, "You, you¡¯re really a blockhead! The Andersons have fallen this far because none of you know how to make drugs! You¡¯re wasting herbs!! Even with a Carefree Pill, if you continue to be so willful in the future, you¡¯ll eventually go downhill!"
Sheril argued anxiously, "Master, you can¡¯t say that. What if Sister Nora really manages to master it?"
The old pharmacist had been working with the Andersons since he was young and had never attended school. He had learned the skills from an older generation and was loyal to the Andersons. At this moment, he was furious. The more he cursed, the more unpleasant he became. He took advantage of his seniority and said, "Dr. Zabe could only produce one pill. How can she master it at such a young age? Stop bragging! If she can master it, I, I won¡¯t need any sry in the future! But if she can¡¯t, you have to listen to me in the pharmaceutical factory in the future!"
When Sheril heard this, her eyes turned red.
She knew that her master was trying to put her in her ce.
Ever since she came to the pharmaceutical factory, she had been using the introduction of new alchemy skills. Her master had been dissatisfied with her long ago, but she was the owner, and her master could only listen to her.
Now, he wanted to use this matter to have the right to speak in the refinery!
She took a deep breath. "Okay!"
Chapter 261: Mr. Hunt’s Girlfriend
Chapter 261: Mr. Hunt¡¯s Girlfriend
Sheril thought about it very clearly. Last time, Nora had helped her p Rachel¡¯s face at the ball. She had to protect her no matter what.
When her master heard this, his expression changed. "You, how can you be so stubborn?!"
He was old, so what was the use even if he had the right to speak at the refining factory? All of his concern was only the Andersons.
Those words earlier were just to make Sheril hesitate, but this girl did not hesitate at all. She was too disappointing!
He reached out in anger, about to say something, but he coughed violently.
Sheril hurriedly took a step forward and held his arm. "Master, I know you despise me for being your superior. If you want the power to speak, I¡¯ll return it to you!"
Her master said with heartache, "Why do I need the right to speak? How many years can I stay in the pharmaceutical factory? I should have retired long ago!"
When Sheril heard this, she realized that she had misunderstood her master. Her heart ached even more. "Master, I¡¯m sorry..."
The old pharmacist pounded his chest. "Sheril, you¡¯re too naive. Do you think my heart really aches for the 500-year-old ginseng? My heart aches for the Andersons¡¯ foundation!"
"Our pharmaceutical factory can work with confidence if this ginseng stays here! You, you guys are such a waste!"
The old pharmacist stomped his feet in anger.
Sheril¡¯s eyes turned red as well. "Master, Sister Nora¡¯s Carefree Pill can be considered as saving Carefree Pill¡¯s life. Even if we lose this ginseng, we¡¯ll look for more. In the future, if we have money, we can buy it at a high price at the auction."
When the old pharmacist saw that she was still stubbornly protecting Nora, he instantly waved his hand in anger. "Alright, alright. I¡¯ll sit here and see how she wastes the ginseng!"
Sheril looked at his pained expression and sighed.
She knew that some things were very important to the elders. Those concepts had already been ingrained in her bones and could not be changed.
She sighed and sat beside the old pharmacist. "I¡¯ll watch with you..."
In theboratory, Nora did not know about the argument outside. At this moment, she was looking at the medicine. Actually, when she was overseas, it was a little difficult to refine pills. After all, there were fewer traditional medicines avable overseas.
She held the 500-year-old ginseng and sighed silently.
This ginseng was too small.
If she had known earlier, she would have gone to her master, Dr. Zabe, to get some more ginseng. As an imperial physician, Dr. Zabe did not have many other things, but he still had some ginseng.
She shook her head slightly and cut the ginseng into pieces.
When they saw her cut it off so casually, Sheril and the old pharmacist outside felt their hearts ache.
The old pharmacist nagged. "Look, how is she cutting the ginseng? It¡¯s too wasteful, too wasteful! Sheril, go in and see if you can pick up some ginseng roots. They¡¯re still useful!"
Sheril: "..."
¡ª
At the Smiths.
Ian was still staying in the VIP ward of the hospital. He had already been transferred out of the ICU and was not worried about his life for the time being.
At home, his adopted daughter, Yvonne, who was also the only girl in the Smiths¡¯ generation, was ying the violin. After the song ended, Rachel, who was standing beside her, instantly apuded. "Miss Smith¡¯s piano skills are really getting better and better!"
Ever since Miranda¡¯s maiden family had almost gone bankrupt, her status in the Woods had been even lower. This led to her constantly being reprimanded by her father at home. Furthermore, she was always forced to go to the Andersons and learn from her aunt, Melissa.
But how could she possibly go over there? Therefore, she could only run toward the Smiths now.
Yvonne was a famous daughter of a wealthy family in New York. She was talented, and when she was with Yvonne, her father would not scold her even if he found out.
When Yvonne heard her words, she lowered her eyes and smiled. "Did you fight with your father again?"
Rachel pursed her lips. "Yeah. He keeps criticizing me for everything. He wants me to change this and that. Isn¡¯t it because he thinks Sheril is too good? How can Auntie¡¯s daughter be better than me? No matter how strong she is, she¡¯s only working in the Andersons¡¯ pharmaceutical factory. She doesn¡¯t behave like a girl at all!"
Yvonne tidied her long hair and smiled. "Fathers love their daughters the most. Can¡¯t you just wheedle your way?"
However, Rachel pursed her lips. "That¡¯s someone else. I seriously suspect that I¡¯m not my father¡¯s biological child. Otherwise, why would he be so strict with me? How can my biological father always pick on me!"
The words "biological" pierced Yvonne¡¯s heart like a needle.
She lowered her eyes to hide her displeasure. She still had a friendly smile on her face as a light shed across her eyes. Suddenly, she said, "Stop talking nonsense. By the way, I heard that thest dance was not very enjoyable?"
At the mention of the dance, Rachel instantly became furious. "Isn¡¯t it because of that country bumpkin who came back from the countryside? I didn¡¯t expect her to dance well, but unfortunately, no one hase to propose marriage to her yet. Did you know? Her mother fooled around outside and was pregnant before she was even married. She made such a big scene just to attract attention and find a good family. But how could they possibly like her?"
She was about to continue when the butler walked in. "Miss Smith, the Levins are here."
The Levins?
While Rachel was in a daze, Yvonne had already stood up with a smile. "Pleasee in."
Then, a middle-aged woman in her forties walked in.
She looked ordinary. Her face was fair and tender, and she was chubby. When she smiled, she looked very likable.
Rachel asked, "This is?"
Yvonne exined, "Her mother-inw is Mrs. Hunt¡¯s current housekeeper, Mdm. Lea."
The most famous people in the Hunts, apart from Justin and a few members of the main family, were the Hunts¡¯ internal and external butlers.
The butlers of such families were raised with them from a young age. They were very loyal and reliable.
Now, Mdm. Lea¡¯s family was also working in apany under Hunt Corporation and was treated very well.
But why was Mdm. Lea¡¯s daughter-inw, whom everyone called Mrs. Lewis, at the Smiths?
While Rachel was in a daze, that person had already walked over. "Miss Smith, I just came over for a little chat today. Please excuse my intrusion."
With that, Mrs. Lewis sized Yvonne up.
Yvonne sat up straight and ced her hands casually on herp. She looked like a daughter of a wealthy family and was very appropriate. Mrs. Lewis praised her in her heart and said jokingly, "By the way, my mother-inw said that she heard a joke at home a few days ago. Our Mr. Hunt actually found a girlfriend outside..."
Yvonne¡¯s expression froze at those words, but her expression remained calm.
Rachel was stunned. "Who is it?"
Was there really a woman in New York that Justin liked? Did she know her?
Chapter 262: Medicine Success
Chapter 262: Medicine Sess
Mrs. Lewis was not angry when she saw Rachel interrupting. She continued to smile, and answered, "It¡¯s the daughter of the Andersons, Nora."
Rachel: "??"
Her eyes narrowed as she shouted, "Impossible!"
Her intense reaction covered Yvonne¡¯s clenched fists. Mrs. Lewis looked at her in confusion. "What¡¯s wrong?"
What could they do?
Yvonne seemed to have thought of something and said with a calm expression, "This is the person you were talking about earlier, the one who stole the limelight at the ball, right?"
Rachel: "??"
She felt as if she had been pped hard as her cheeks heated up.
They had just said that even if she was in the limelight, no one wanted her. Even now, no one hade to propose marriage. But how did she suddenly find such a powerful boyfriend?
Impossible!
Mrs. Lewis was stunned. "What do you mean?"
Obviously, she did not know.
Yvonne didn¡¯t want to leave an impression of her saying bad things behind her back, so she smiled helplessly. "It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m just saying that thisdy danced well."
After hearing the praise for Nora, Rachel was indeed angered. "What? Miss Smith, even if you don¡¯t talk about her behind her back, you can¡¯t leave such a wrong impression on the Hunts. Mrs. Lewis, let me tell you. Nora is someone who hates marriage! After she was picked up by the Andersons from a small ce, she found an opportunity to sneak into this year¡¯s ball. Did you know? In order to show off her dancing skills and surprise everyone, she even danced men¡¯s steps! Everyone knows about this! She¡¯s simply trying her best to be in the limelight. She¡¯s doing this so that she can quickly find a man to marry! Did you misunderstand something? How can Mr. Hunt like someone like her?"
Mrs. Lewis did not expect to hear such words. She immediately said excitedly, "Is that so? Miss Wood, hurry up and tell me the details..."
Rachel began to add fuel to the fire. She told them what had happened that day, omitting her coercion and Sheril¡¯s grievances, of course. She created an image of a woman who loved to show off.
Hearing those words, Yvonne slowly picked up her coffee cup and drank with a faint smile.
After Rachel finished speaking, she said, "Alright, Miss Wood. Don¡¯t talk about others behind their backs."
Rachel pouted.
Mrs. Lewis seemed to be in deep thought. She did not expect this to happen. Therefore, words like Mr. Hunt had yet to win over Nora, and that Miss Smith didn¡¯t take a liking to Mr. Hunt, were all fake! Nora was indeed ying hard to get!
Why did the smart Sir fall for her!
Mrs. Lewis was a little anxious. She had to hurry back and tell this news to her mother-inw before she told Mrs. Hunt.
However, no matter how anxious she was, she did not forget her mission today. After smiling at Rachel, she looked at Yvonne. "Miss Smith, my mother-inw asked me to tell you to treasure the opportunity at the birthday banquet."
Her words made Yvonne blush.
She lowered her head and said awkwardly, "But didn¡¯t you say earlier that Mr. Hunt already has a girlfriend..."
The Hunts and the Smiths were both interested in a marriage alliance. After all, although the Smiths and the Hunts hadpeted in the past, the times were different now. A marriage alliance obviously had more benefits.
This was also one of the important reasons why Ian had adopted Yvonne.
The elders of the two families had tacitly agreed.
When Mrs. Lewis heard this, she patted Yvonne¡¯s hand. "Sigh, their rtionship isn¡¯t confirmed yet. Who in New York knows about it? Besides, she¡¯s just a girlfriend now... You should prepare yourself properly! This is a rare opportunity. Besides, even if it¡¯s not Sir, you should find someone..."
Although there was a ball every year in New York, it was always a gathering of youngsters.
This time, Mrs. Hunt was suddenly holding a big birthday party. The elders of each family would definitely be attending as well. It was thergest party in recent years.
If she could shine at this banquet, she would definitely amaze everyone.
Yvonne lowered her head, her ears turning red. In the end, she nodded.
After Mrs. Lewis left, Rachel leaned over to Yvonne. "Miss Smith, is this the Hunts¡¯ intention?"
Yvonne smiled without saying anything.
Rachel immediately shook her arm. "You must work hard. You must not let that Nora really be Mrs. Hunt! Her family background is so bad. How can shepare to you? You¡¯re the eldest daughter of the Smiths!"
Yvonne sighed. "I¡¯m not the real Eldest Miss."
"So what?"
Rachel¡¯s tone was very aggressive. "Look at New York, who dares to say that you¡¯re not the real eldest daughter? Besides, who in the Smiths dares to slight you?"
Yvonne¡¯s long eyshes concealed the coldness in her eyes.
Slight her?
Wasn¡¯t she doing exactly that right now?!
If she was the real eldest daughter of the Smiths, why would she interact with people like Rachel?!
However, Yvonne did not say that.
She smiled and asked, "But what can I do?"
Rachel immediately said, "Of course you can impress them with your gift! Other than performing on the talent show, you have to bring out a valuable gift and shock the entire audience!"
She gritted her teeth and said, "The most important thing is that you must beat Nora! Although she has the same surname as you, how is she worthy of the surname Smith? In the end, she¡¯s just a niece of the Andersons! Even if she¡¯s the eldest daughter of the Andersons, she¡¯s just a drug seller! Miss Smith, you must think of a good gift..."
The drug seller...
Yvonne¡¯s eyes shed. "What¡¯s good or bad? Whether it¡¯s valuable or not isn¡¯t important. I¡¯m just worried about Mrs. Hunt¡¯s health. I heard that she just underwent an operation on her head a while ago... I¡¯ll get my brother to help me find some suitable medicine."
The only thing the Andersons could offer was medicine.
However, the medicine that the Smiths had found was definitely exceptionally good.
When the twopete, the difference in strength would be obvious.
¡ª
Two dayster.
In theboratory of the Andersons¡¯ pharmaceutical factory.
Sheril and her master had been here for two days. For the past two days, the woman in theboratory had not slept a minute.
During this time, other than Sheril sending in some food, Nora never left theboratory.
Bam!
Suddenly, there was a loud sound in theboratory.
Both of them immediately stood up and looked in through the ss window. They saw white smokeing out of the alchemy furnace.
Master stomped his feet. "Oh no! She failed!"
Sheril was stunned. "What?"
Master said, "Back then, I saw Dr. Zabe make medicine. At the moment Zabe Corporation¡¯s Calming Pill was formed, it emitted ck smoke! The white smoke must mean failure!"
He was heartbroken. "You two prodigals! My 500-year-old ginseng! It¡¯s really wasted!"
However, just as he finished speaking, he saw...
Chapter 263: Drug Seller~
Chapter 263: Drug Seller~
In theboratory, Nora opened the alchemy furnace. Even though there was a door between them, a strong fragrance of medicine rushed over. It made people feel energized the moment they smelled it.
This fragrance...
He cleared his mind, sweeping away the fatigue he had felt after waiting for a few days. The old pharmacist had once smelled this scent. It was... Zabe Corporation¡¯s Calming Pill!
Back then, when Dr. Zabe had refined it, he had been present and had even helped him...
How could it be, though?!
Miss Smith¡¯s refinement process waspletely different from Silvester Zabe¡¯s. Although the ingredients used were the same...
Sheril did not understand this, but when she saw her master saying that she had failed, her heart instantly ached. However, the first thing she wanted to do was tofort Nora so that she would not feel guilty or sad.
Just as she was about to say something, she saw her master suddenly push open the door and rush in.
Sheril was shocked. She hurriedly followed behind and grabbed the old pharmacist. "Master, what are you doing?"
It was already sad enough that Nora had failed in her refinement. If Master said anything unpleasant, how would Nora endure it!
She then looked at her master¡¯s expression and saw that he was indeed agitated and unable to control himself. She immediately said, "Master, um, calm down. Calm down a little..."
The old pharmacist¡¯s lips trembled. "Move away. I can¡¯t calm down!"
He wanted to witness the birth of Zabe Corporation¡¯s Calming Pill!
However, Sheril did not give in. What if Master made a move? She could not let Master hit Nora! She coughed. "Master, although Nora has failed, it¡¯s not very umon. She might seed next time!"
The old master: "There won¡¯t be a next time!"
Sheril knew that her master was furious. "Yes, yes, there won¡¯t be a next time. Our factory doesn¡¯t have 500-year-old ginseng anymore. Don¡¯t be angry..."
The old master was anxious. "That¡¯s not what I meant. Hurry up and move aside. Let me take a look. She seeded in making a few!"
Sheril: "Master, you can¡¯t hit Nora. Let¡¯s just say the ginseng was wasted as my... what?"
Stunned, she turned around suddenly. "How many... How many did she seed in making?"
The old master then pushed her away and rushed in front of Nora. They looked inside the alchemy furnace together...
Previously, Dr. Zabe had seeded in making one. This time, the fragrance of Nora¡¯s medicine was so strong. There should be more sesses, right?
At this thought, he looked into the furnace and froze. His eyes widened as he muttered in disbelief, "How could this be? How could this be..."
Sheril also rushed over. "Master, what¡¯s wrong? How many did she seed in making? One? Two?"
The old master¡¯s lips trembled. "No, no..."
"Then..."
The old master¡¯s eyes were already in a daze.
The pills in the alchemy furnace were so dense that his eyes were blurry. He could not count them at all.
As he continued counting, he heard Nora¡¯s clear voice. "256."
"..."
The entire alchemyb was silent.
After a while, Sheril said with a trembling voice, "They were all sessfully refined?"
The old pharmacist also looked at Nora in a daze.
Nora looked at the two of them and raised her eyebrows. She smiled in amusement.
She continued to take the refined medicine out of the furnace at a moderate pace and ced it in a paper box she was carrying with her.
At this moment, she heard the old pharmacist roar, "You, stop!"
Nora: "?"
She paused for a moment. The old pharmacist¡¯s fingers trembled as he pointed at the ordinary paper box in her hand. "You... you¡¯re using this box to store the medicine?"
Nora raised her eyebrows. "What else would I use?"
The old master was furious when he saw her nonchnt look. "Just you wait!"
He ran out and quickly returned with two precious boxes. However, when he looked into the furnace, there were only half the pills left.
Nora hugged two paper boxes and said, "Leave this half to Harmonia Pharmacy. I¡¯ll take the rest."
With that, she waved at Sheril and the old master before leaving.
The old master: "..."
Can¡¯t she just find a nicer box?!
¡ª
At the same time, Yvonne had personally arrived at the Zabes¡¯.
Silvester Zabe was already old in age and could not get out of bed. He sat in the wheelchair and received her. "Miss Smith, may I help you?"
Yvonne smiled. "I came here to buy a medicine from you."
Silvester¡¯s wrinkles covered his original appearance, making him look unapproachable. His voice was terrifyingly old. "What medicine?"
"Zabe Corporation¡¯s Calming Pill."
Yvonne smiled. "I heard that you refined one, three years ago."
Silvester lowered his eyes. "Oh, I already used it at that moment."
Yvonne was stunned.
Silvester¡¯s son hurriedly exined beside him, "My father had a sudden stroke two years ago. When he was in aa, we gave it to him."
Hearing his words, Yvonne sized up Silvester.
He was already very old and must be in his eighties, almost ny. She¡¯d seen people who¡¯d had a sudden stroke at this age. Most of them had their heads tilted, their mouths drawn back in grins, and drool dripping from their mouths. They wouldn¡¯t live long.
However, Silvester was clear-headed. Besides being unable to move, he did not look like he had suffered a stroke at all.
Then Zabe Corporation¡¯s Calming Pills were indeed powerful!
She was even more determined to give Mrs. Hunt this medicine.
The Andersons must be thinking to give her precious medicine, but to Mrs. Hunt, no matter how good the medicine was, it could notpare to the Calming Pill.
Just think about it. If Nora gave her a box of Carefree Pill at the banquet, although everyone would be envious, if she could take out a Calming Pill, she would definitely be able to suppress Nora!
She smiled. "I¡¯ll pay a million dors."
Silvester shook his head. "I don¡¯t have any pill."
His son smiled as well. "It¡¯s not about money. It¡¯s about the stock."
Yvonne was still smiling. "Two million dors."
"..."
"Two million dors."
"..."
Silvester¡¯s son gulped.
What kind of medicine could be sold for two million dors? That was enough to buy one¡¯s life!
He looked at Silvester and said, "Dad!"
Silvester closed his eyes. "It¡¯s useless to ask me. My legs are no longer working well. Even if I have money, I can¡¯t make them anymore."
Silvester¡¯s son sighed, his family was in need of moneytely. He begged, "Father!"
When Silvester saw his son like this, he felt that he had really owed him in his previous life. He could only say, "Ask my disciple."
The son¡¯s eyes immediately lit up and he said to Yvonne, "Wait a moment."
He took out Silvester¡¯s phone, found his disciple¡¯s number, and dialed it.
Chapter 264: Marriage of the Smiths and Hunts
Chapter 264: Marriage of the Smiths and Hunts
The call was picked up quickly, and a clear female voice greeted him respectfully. "Teacher, is something the matter?"
Silvester¡¯s son knew that his father had a direct descendant, who was a woman, but he had never seen her before. However, the two of them had already spoken on the phone many times.
He coughed. "Sister, it¡¯s me."
"Oh... Is something wrong?"
Silvester¡¯s son said, "I have someone here who wants to buy Zabe¡¯s Calming Pills at a high price. Do you have time to help me refine one?"
The other party¡¯s voice waszy. "Master wants to sell it?"
Silvester¡¯s son nodded. "Yes, the other party has offered two million dors."
Nora was speechless.
Among the herbs needed to refine the Calming Pill, only the 500-year-old ginseng was more valuable. The rest added up to a few ten thousand dors at most. That ginseng alone could be bought at an auction for one million.
Who was this retard, spending two million dors to buy medicine?
She hadpletely forgotten that Silvester had only refined one pill in the past. If this matter were to spread, wouldn¡¯t the one pill be worth millions?
She yawned. "I just finished a batch. I¡¯ll give you one."
Silvester¡¯s son immediately said, "I¡¯ll split the money with you."
"No need." Nora originally wanted to say nothing, but she suddenly remembered that she had used the 500-year-old ginseng from Harmonia Pharmacy. She simply said, "Give me a 500-year-old ginseng!"
It indeed took such old ginseng to refine the Calming Pill.
His father had only managed to refine one pill.
If he gave her only one, what if she failed?
Therefore, he immediately said, "Alright, I¡¯ll give you two!"
"Okay."
Nora said, "I¡¯ll get someone to send it to youter."
"No problem."
At this moment, Nora was on the way back to the Andersons. After receiving the call, she called Sheril and told her Dr. Zabe¡¯s address, and also the reward for the pills.
When Sheril¡¯s master heard this, he volunteered to deliver the medicine without hesitation.
Before leaving, he was still mumbling, "I wonder how much a pill can be sold for. Our 500-year-old ginseng was really precious..."
Sheril smiled. "You¡¯ll know when you get there."
An hourter.
A pill wrapped in foil and ced in an exquisite iron box was sent to Silvester¡¯s house.
The old master was aged and strictly devoted to the Andersons¡¯ pharmaceutical factory, so not many people knew him.
Yvonne took a nce and mistook him for Dr. Zabe¡¯s direct disciple.
Silvester¡¯s son took the pills and handed the old master a box. "This is the agreed-upon fee."
The old master took it and turned to leave.
After leaving Silvester¡¯s house, the old master opened the box. "Such good medicine. I wonder what the cost is..."
Just as he was thinking, he saw two 500-year-old ginseng lying quietly in the box. One of them looked even better than the one Nora had used!
The old master was speechless.
His hands trembled as he carefully hugged the box. At the same time, he muttered in his heart, "Oh my God, I really made a killing this time! I picked up a treasure!"
¡ª
In the hospital.
After buying the medicine, Yvonne returned to the Smiths.
During dinner, Ian was still hospitalized and did not go home. However, the monthly family dinner continued as usual. 15 to 16 people gathered at a round table.
Quentin was a secret figure in the Smiths. Very few people in the family knew him, so he had never participated in such family gatherings.
Joel hugged Mia and fed her patiently.
When Yvonne saw this, she smiled. "Joel, Mia is too thin. She should eat more."
Mia¡¯s arms and legs were thin. She immediately said, "I know how to eat a lot!"
With that, she continued eating.
Joel caressed her head.
Brandon was very dishonest when he ate. He sat beside Mia and kicked her from under the table a few times, and then identally turned over a cup.
Brandon¡¯s father, Warren, could not help but scold him. The family at the table was harmonious.
Suddenly, Warren said, "Why is Mrs. Hunt suddenly hosting such a grand banquet?"
The moment he said this, everyone at the table looked at Joel.
Joel said calmly, "I haven¡¯t heard."
Everyone was relieved.
Warren smiled. "Then let¡¯s go. By the way, Yvonne, have you prepared a gift?"
Yvonne smiled. "Yes, I have."
Warren nodded. "Yes. I think this banquet might have been arranged to let you and Justin meet again. Wasn¡¯t it just to matchmake the two of you many years ago?"
Yvonne lowered her head with her face red. "Warren, we¡¯re eating. Stop talking."
Warrenughed. "Haha, are you still shy? Yvonne, what¡¯s wrong with that? Although you¡¯re not a biological daughter, we grew up together and everyone treats you as their real sister! You don¡¯t have to be afraid. Although the Hunts faintly surpass the Smiths by a little, this is also the reason why Joel didn¡¯tpete. Our families are already on equal footing! Besides, Justin has a son. As the only daughter of the Smiths, you¡¯re not unworthy of him at all! Don¡¯t feel inferior!"
Yvonne was speechless.
He was really rubbing salt into her wound.
Was it appropriate to say such things in public?!
However, she did not dare to lose her temper. She smiled and nodded. "Yes."
Warren asked again, "Have you prepared a gift?"
Yvonne smiled. "Yes."
Warren asked curiously, "What is it? This gift must be presentable! If our families are to be united through marriage, we must be on par."
Yvonne nodded. "I¡¯ve prepared a Calming Pill."
Warren frowned instantly. "Can a simple pill be presented as a gift? Isn¡¯t itmon on the streets?"
The others looked at Yvonne.
Being looked at by so many people, Yvonne took a sip of the soup and smiled. "It¡¯s the Zabe Corporation¡¯s Calming Pill."
Warren was stunned by her words. "Oh my god, you actually bought the Zabe Corporation¡¯s Calming Pill? This gift is really enough!"
The others also praised, "Yvonne is indeed worthy of being raised by Uncle Ian. Her taste is really different! This gift is superb! No amount of treasures canpare to this kind intentions!"
Yvonne smiled and did not speak. She looked carefully at Joel, only to see him frowning and looking at her.
For some reason, her heart skipped a beat. She carefully asked, "Joel, is my gift not appropriate?"
Joel retracted his gaze and said calmly, "It¡¯s okay."
Yvonne sighed in relief, but she heard him say, "But it seems like Justin already has a girlfriend."
Warren was stunned to hear this. "He has a girlfriend? How can he have a girlfriend? Didn¡¯t we agree on a political marriage?"
Joel smiled. "It can be considered a political marriage."
Chapter 265: Bringing Her Back To The Smiths!
Chapter 265: Bringing Her Back To The Smiths!
Justin¡¯s girlfriend was Nora, and Nora was a Smith. What was that, if not a political marriage?
However, Joel¡¯s voice had been very low, so the others didn¡¯t hear him clearly. Warren asked, "What did you say, Joel?"
Joel coughed. "It¡¯s nothing."
Warren nodded. "Yes, our families have already agreed on the political marriage, so Justin has to take someone from the Smiths as his wife. How can he go back on his word like that? And make Yvonne wait for him for so many years in vain?"
Joel nced at Warren when he said that, but didn¡¯t say anything.
As for Yvonne, she lowered her head and said, "Don¡¯t say any more, Warren. Let¡¯s have dinner first."
After dinner, everyone left indignantly. Yvonne was about to go upstairs when Joel stopped her. He said, "Yvonne."
Yvonne walked up to Joel obediently and called out respectfully, "Joel."
Joel said dispassionately, "Regarding the Hunts, I¡¯ve already told you Justin¡¯s stance a few years ago. You said at the time that Justin didn¡¯t have a girlfriend and you weren¡¯t in any hurry to find a boyfriend, and so, it dragged on just like that. But now that he has a girlfriend, what are your thoughts on the matter?"
The Hunts and the Smiths were originally nning a political marriage between Justin and Yvonne.
In fact, they had brought it up before when the two were eighteen years old. Pete didn¡¯t exist at that time yet, but Justin had nheless rejected the idea.
However, because he was concerned that it would embarrass Yvonne, he had discussed it privately with Joel instead.
Joel had subsequently ryed the message to Yvonne, so that she wouldn¡¯t waste time on it anymore.
As Yvonne hadn¡¯t looked for a boyfriend all these years, and since Justin didn¡¯t have a girlfriend, Joel didn¡¯t announce the decision at home, thinking that there might still be possibilities between the two of them.
Therefore, Justin hadn¡¯t done anything to let Yvonne down at all. It was just that the rest of the family didn¡¯t know about it.
Yvonne¡¯s eyes flickered when she heard him. She lowered her head and said, "I will do as you say, Joel."
She knew that Joel had always been someone extremely protective of his own.
When she said back then that she wasn¡¯t going to look for a boyfriend for the time being, he had immediately understood what she meant. It was just that they couldn¡¯t force Justin into anything, so the situation had dragged on till now.
But someone had intercepted her in the end instead.
Although Joel looked as if he was always smiling, and was amicable and easy to get along with on the surface, Yvonne knew just how domineering a person he was deep down.
As long as his younger sister¡ªeven if just a titr one¡ªwas still part of the Smiths, no outsider was allowed to bully her!
Therefore, Yvonne was confident that Joel would think of a solution for her¡ªor at least, he would break Justin and Nora up.
In the midst of her beautiful daydream, Joel instead said unhurriedly, "In that case, don¡¯t pursue it anymore. As they say, you can lead a horse to water but you can¡¯t make him drink. You might as well use this opportunity to take a look at other people."
Yvonne: "?"
She lifted her head abruptly and looked at Joel in disbelief.
For a while, she couldn¡¯t quite control the expression on her face.
How did this...
Her fists balled up. It was only a momentter that she finally said, "I... I¡¯ll do as you say, Joel."
Joel nodded.
He stared at Yvonne for a while, which made her ask hesitantly, "Is there anything else, Joel?"
Joel retracted his gaze, a touch of disappointment shing across his eyes. "No, there isn¡¯t."
Only then did Yvonne turn and leave.
After turning the corner and entering her room, atst, Yvonne couldn¡¯t maintain the expression on her face anymore, and a savage air came over her entire self.
Joel wasn¡¯t going to help her... Wasn¡¯t it just because she wasn¡¯t rted to the Smiths by blood?
They painted such a nice and pretty picture for the outsiders, but at the end of it all, they didn¡¯t treat her as family!
A furious Yvonne hurled the things in her hands onto the floor.
Someone knocked on her door at this moment.
Yvonne hurriedly sorted her emotions and opened the door to find Warren standing outside. He looked at her and asked, "Did Joel say that he¡¯ll think of something for you, Yvonne? We can¡¯t do anything to Justin, but it¡¯s not like we can¡¯t do anything to his girlfriend, either, right?"
Yvonne bit her lip. She smiled and chose not to deny his statement. Instead, she replied, "Don¡¯t bother yourself with this anymore, Warren. Joel knows what he¡¯s doing."
Warren, however, shook his head. "That won¡¯t do. I can¡¯t justze about and do nothing at home every day, either. Leave it to me! Hmph, just wait and see at the party! I will make Justin¡¯s little girlfriend regret it!"
Yvonne gave him a grateful look. She said, "You treat me too well, Warren!"
"Tsk, this is nothing. I already told you a long time ago, even though we aren¡¯t blood-rted, I really see you as my younger sister. Also, since you¡¯re a Smith, there¡¯s no way I¡¯ll allow anyone to bully you!"
"..."
Warren returned to his room after talking to Yvonne. Brandon¡¯s mother, aka Warren¡¯s wife, asked, "How did it go?"
Warren sighed. "Her eyes were all red. I knew it, there¡¯s no way a girl won¡¯t be affected."
His wife sighed. "Yeah. Help your little sister out, then."
From the previous generation onward, there were only sons in the Smiths. She knew that her husband had always wanted a younger sister, but unfortunately, his five uncles simply hadn¡¯t had any daughters at all!
Later, Ian adopted Yvonne.
Although Yvonne didn¡¯t interact much with the rest of the family, she was simply too popr in this sister-deprived family!
Warren sighed. "Why are Dad and my uncles such big failures? It¡¯s all their fault that I don¡¯t have a younger sister! The same also goes for your belly. Let¡¯s work hard and have a daughter, dear. You don¡¯t know how envious I am whenever I see Joel carrying Mia!"
His wife: "..."
¡ª
In the hospital.
Joel informed Quentin about the affairs at home when he came to visit Ian.
Quentin fell silent for a while after hearing about it. Atst, he heaved a huge sigh and said, "At the end of it all, it¡¯s still because she isn¡¯t Uncle Ian¡¯s daughter. To think she¡¯s actually giving the medicine to someone else as a gift instead of giving it to Uncle Ian... Rather than Mrs. Hunt, who¡¯s in the pink of health, it¡¯s Uncle Ian who¡¯s in greater need of that medicine!"
This was also the reason why Joel had been displeased with Yvonne.
Although she wasn¡¯t rted to them by blood, her adoptive father was currently hospitalized. Yet, she had spent so much money to buy medicine just to show off. What was the point of doing something like that?
He cast his eyes down dispassionately. "Forget it. Let¡¯s just marry her off and send her away."
Quentin nodded. Then, he said, "The Smiths and the Hunts are about to work together on a coboration project, but it¡¯d be best if the two families can solidify their rtionship through a political marriage first. Should we acknowledge our little sister at the party and bring her back?"
"What little sister are you talking about!" Joel reprimanded, "So long as Uncle Ian doesn¡¯t say the word, that little sister doesn¡¯t exist for us!"
Quentin curled his lips disdainfully. ¡¯Mr. Teen With Grandiose Delusions¡¯ sneered, "I refuse to believe you don¡¯t want a little sister!"
Joel: "..."
The two men¡¯s voices were a little loud. When they turned, they saw that Ian had already woken up at some point. Just as the two of them were a little taken aback, Ian sat up and said, "Is it a birthday party? I¡¯ll attend it, too."
Joel and Quentin exchanged a look. Both of them had understood.
Uncle Ian had ultimately thought it through in the end¡ªhe was intending to take the opportunity to acknowledge her and bring her back to the Smiths!
Chapter 266: The Birthday Party!
Chapter 266: The Birthday Party!
Time flew. In the blink of an eye, it was time for Mrs. Hunt¡¯s birthday party.
The Hunt manor¡¯s gates were wide open. All sorts of things were being delivered to the manor even before dawn. All the servants were terribly busy, and the entire manor was up to their ears in work.
It had been a very long time since the Huntsst held such a big party, so everyone was busy at work.
Even Chester, the game addict, had been dragged back home as an extra pair of hands. He stood there and directed everyone in the kitchen in their work. He happened to see Justin walking out with Cherry when he turned. He went after them at once and asked, "Where are you going, Justin?"
Justin nced at him, the beauty mark at the corner of his eye gleaming with a chilly shine. "Do I have to report my itinerary to you?"
Chester shrank back. "Of course not."
He looked at Cherry curiously. "Where are you guys going, Pete?"
"To Mommy¡¯s!" Cherry replied.
Chester looked at the two boxes in Justin¡¯s hands. "What are you guys delivering?"
"A dress, of course!"
Chester: "?"
Had the Andersons be so poor that they couldn¡¯t even afford a dress for Nora?
¡ª
Elsewhere, Yvonne looked at herself in the mirror.
Her blue gown set off her porcin-like skin, making her look very beautiful.
When she came down the stairs, Warrenplimented her. "You look great today, Yvonne!"
Yvonne smiled at him but said nothing.
Warren went over to her and said, "How is it? I¡¯ve already asked around for you¡ªJustin is wearing blue today, so you two can wear matching outfits now!"
At the mention of blue outfits, Yvonne hesitated for a while and then said, "I heard that Gi has an haute couture handmade gown called the Blue Enchantress. It¡¯s a finished product made by a famous designer. That gown..."
Warren waved and said, "Tsk, I¡¯ve already been there to borrow the gown, but they didn¡¯t give it to me. A gown like that is the brand¡¯s signature item and a treasure; there¡¯s no way they¡¯ll lend it to anyone. The blue gown that you¡¯re wearing is also very famous. It only loses out to that one by a little."
Yvonne uttered an "oh".
Wasn¡¯t it all because Warren¡¯s status wasn¡¯t high enough that he hadn¡¯t managed to borrow it? Had Joel been the one to ask, they would definitely have lent it to her. What a shame!
"Where¡¯s Joel?" she asked.
Warren shook his head. "I don¡¯t know, he only told us to set off from home. Seems like he¡¯s visiting Uncle Ian before he goes over."
It was only when he mentioned Ian, that Yvonne suddenly realized that because of the party, it had been quite a few days since she went to the hospital to visit him, so she didn¡¯t know how her father was doing.
Brandon took after Warren, and both of them were very simple-minded and innocent. Therefore, Warren didn¡¯t notice her displeasure. He and Yvonne stopped talking when they reached the cars, and they got into their respective cars.
As soon as he got in the car, Warren¡¯s wife remarked, "Why do I feel like Yvonne isn¡¯t very happy that you didn¡¯t manage to borrow the Blue Enchantress for her?"
Warren waved at once. "Surely not?"
His wife said with displeasure, "I don¡¯t think she would do that, either. You can¡¯t even bear to let me wear that dress she¡¯s wearing, so what does she have to be dissatisfied with when you¡¯ve already given it to her? There isn¡¯t any girl in New York who has more prestige than her right now!"
Warrenughed at his wife¡¯s words. "Are you jealous?"
Was there any way she wouldn¡¯t be?
But her husband¡¯s entire family was so protective of their little sister that she couldn¡¯t say that, either.
Warren¡¯s wife smiled and said nothing. Her eyes, however, flickered a little. To be honest, she had actually asked the brand about the Blue Enchantress¡ªthey had already loaned it out to someone.
She didn¡¯t need to tell her husband that, though.
Since his younger sister didn¡¯t know her boundaries and was always trying to one-up her sisters-inw... Well, she wasn¡¯t someone that easy to mess with, either.
¡ª
At the Andersons¡¯.
"How about this?" Sheril offered Nora an haute couture gown that she had never worn before.
The party was held too hastily. It took at least a month for a brand to make an haute couture gown, so Nora hadn¡¯t ordered one but just casually bought a formal dress.
However, when Sheril came back, she insisted that it undermined her status, so she took out her own gown and offered it to her instead.
Nora waved. "No, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯m really don¡¯t mind..."
Just as she was thinking about it, Melissa¡¯s voice traveled over from downstairs.
"Mr. Hunt?"
Nora raised her brows.
She went down the stairs to see Justin cing two small boxes on the sofa. He said, "I¡¯m here to deliver a gown."
The man was wearing a ck suit today. He also had a beautiful blue tie on, making him look even more dashing than usual.
Melissa nodded at once. "Is the gown for Nora? Quick, Nora, go upstairs and try it."
Nora: "..."
She went down but didn¡¯t pick up the gown. Instead, she said, "Does anyone give a gown as a gift? It¡¯s not like you know my measurements."
"Why wouldn¡¯t I?" Justin smiled and said, "I know all of Ms. Smith¡¯s measurements. After all, we¡¯re lovers, aren¡¯t we?"
Nora: "!!"
His words were too suggestive!
Sure enough, Melissa, who was next to them, covered her smile with her hand. She pretended not to hear them and instead urged, "Hurry up, go upstairs and try it!"
Nora was about to refuse when Cherry jumped out and said, "Mommy, I¡¯m gonna wear a dress today! Ours are matching outfits~ Where¡¯s Pete? Let him go back with Daddy. I wanna be with Mommy, yeah!"
Matching outfits?
The rejection became stuck in her throat when she heard what Cherry said. She nodded and said, "Okay, then."
By the time Nora took Cherry¡¯s hand and went up the stairs, Pete had also gone downstairs and left with Justin.
In the living room, Simon stared nkly at the two children leaving. He looked at Melissa and asked, "Justin is Cherry¡¯s father? This... I still can¡¯t believe it. This feels like a dream."
In order to prevent the Andersons from being astonished when they saw the Hunts¡¯ little mister at the party, Nora had told them the truth the day before.
Melissa smiled and said, "Are you still in shock? I was so stunned when I saw Cherry at the Hunts¡¯ that day! I knew it, why would Cherry¡¯s personality fluctuate every once in a while? I even thought at one point that she was schizophrenic!"
Simon didn¡¯t speak.
After the few of them changed into formal attires, they went back downstairs. Melissa was startled when she saw the blue gown on Nora. She murmured, "That gown..."
"What¡¯s wrong?" asked Simon.
Melissa shook her head. "It just... looks a little familiar to the eye."
¡ª
"Wow, the gown Ms. Smith is wearing today is so gorgeous! I didn¡¯t think that someone could make blue look so pure and innocent!"
"You don¡¯t get it, do you? Ms. Smith¡¯s gown was designed by the famous designer Campt! It¡¯s worth over $100,000!"
"I¡¯m so envious of Ms. Smith. As the only daughter of the Smiths, her family treats her so much better than how the Hunts treat their daughters!"
"..."
Yvonne heardpliments from all around her the moment she got out of the car. An elegant smile formed on her face. She held her gown up a little and headed to the Hunts¡¯ party hall in her high heels.
She must be the focus of the crowd on all asions¡ªthis was what she had learned from her experience over the years.
However, when she was about to reach the entrance, a big ck jeep slowly drove into the manor.
Chapter 267: The Blue Enchantress
Chapter 267: The Blue Enchantress
The car park in the Hunts¡¯ manor was filled with luxury cars.
There were also many international limited edition cars. The jeep was simply too inconspicuous among them.
Thus, no one paid any attention to whose car it was at first.
Yvonne was walking toward the hall. She had only taken a couple of steps when she suddenly heard someone calling out to her, "Ms. Smith!"
She looked back and saw Rachel walking over with Miranda.
Rachel said something to Miranda. Then, she left her side and came toward her. As soon as she approached, she touched her gown and remarked with a smile, "So, you were the one who borrowed this gown! You look so good in it! You¡¯ll definitely outshine everyone at the party tonight!"
Her voice was rather loud, causing everyone around them to look over.
Yvonne was a little displeased.
The Smiths were particr about low-key luxury and disliked such ostentatious behavior in public the most. She preferred private discussions, so Rachel had gone a little too far by saying that to her in person.
She said, "I just chose it casually. Your gown is also very beautiful, Ms. Wood!"
Rachel, who knew what she was like, made nothing of thement. She said, "You don¡¯t have to be so modest! No one is blind here. Besides, this dress is also very well-known in the circle. With the exception of the Blue Enchantress, there¡¯s probably no other dress that canpare to this one!"
Yvonne lowered her gaze. She smiled and said, "Let¡¯s go in."
"Nah!"
Rachel grabbed her arm with a smile and said, "I just saw the Andersons¡¯ car. If you wait here for a while, they¡¯ll definitelye. When the two of you stand together, anyone who isn¡¯t blind will be able to see who the prettier one is! You can also let Mr. Hunt see for himself that he has picked the wrong person!"
Yvonne was a little taken aback at her words. "Is Nora Smith not good-looking?"
Rachel hesitated.
Nora¡¯s fair and wless countenance,rge and beautiful almond-shaped eyes, as well as her small palm-sized face that seemed even more beautiful than a celebrity¡¯s, appeared in her mind.
She coughed and replied guiltily, "She¡¯s passable, I guess, but the way she carries herself is kinda subpar. She¡¯s usually in jeans and t-shirts, and looks really sloppy. That also goes for the way she walks because she doesn¡¯t lift her feet when she walks. My mom has always taught me that I mustn¡¯t drag my feet when I walk. The way she wears her shoes is as if she¡¯s wearing slippers. It¡¯s really ugly!"
The more Rachel said, the more convinced she was by herself. She said, "Have you ever seen people from the countryside thate to the cities to study? She carries herself exactly like those hillbillies! She doesn¡¯t have an elegant disposition or strong aura around her at all. So what even if she¡¯s a little good-looking? Is there anyone in families like ours who only cares about how pretty one¡¯s face is?"
A few people nearby came toward them while she was talking. Upon hearing what she said, they asked in surprise, "Who are you talking about?"
Rachel smiled and replied, "It¡¯s Nora Smith! You know, the one from the Andersons... By the way, the live-stream about her caused quite the uproar the other time. Did you guys see it? To think they talked about their household affairs in public... Seems like they don¡¯t care about embarrassing themselves at all!"
"Oh, are you talking about the same Nora Smith whose father turned out fake after kicking up all that fuss?"
"Yeah. Speaking of this, my family doesn¡¯t really understand, either. For people like them, you can just get rid of them by giving them some money, and the matter will be resolved. Why make such a fuss in public together with them? Even though they rified everything in public in the end, wasn¡¯t it embarrassing for the Andersons all the same? Even though her adoptive father is indeed a problematic man and is too greedy, it¡¯s true that her mother had also gotten herself pregnant before marriage..."
"Did you know? I heard that her mother was a famous socialite in New York back then... The wives of the wealthy hated her the most. She was especially beautiful and also very skilled at seducing men, so she was involved with almost every young man among the wealthy families at that time. She was the public enemy of all the wealthydies in New York back then!"
"..."
Rachel felt very smug at the sight of how everyone¡¯sments were bing more and more ridiculous. She said, "Yes, that¡¯s the one!"
"Is she also attending the party? Is she using the invitation to the Andersons to attend? The Andersons are already down-and-out! Yet she¡¯s stilling... She sure thinks really highly of herself!"
"Hey, let¡¯s ignore herter, okay?"
"I don¡¯t want to talk to someone like that!"
"..."
The few young wealthydies who got along well simply spared no effort to badmouth and gossip about other people once they came together.
Yvonne¡¯s lips slowly curled into a smile as she listened to them.
The group of girls chatted noisily as they stood at the door. After talking about Nora, they shifted the topic back to Yvonne¡¯s gown and paid her a great deal ofpliments.
"So what even if her mother had been a very glorious existence back then? In the end, she still married someone in a small town instead. How could she possiblypare to the Hunts or the Smiths...? Just look at how gorgeous and expensive Ms. Smith¡¯s gown is when she¡¯s just attending a party... No matter how impressive her mother was, can she find her a better gown?"
"Exactly. No matter how amazing her mother was, it¡¯s not like she passed it down to her, right? Otherwise, why didn¡¯t she find a boyfriend like Mr. Hunt?"
"Ms. Smith and Mr. Hunt are a match made in heaven! When are the two of you getting engaged, Ms. Smith?"
Everyone in the wealthy circle had already heard the rumors that the Smiths and the Hunts were nning a political marriage. They¡¯d originally thought that the two of them would get engaged when they were eighteen, but unexpectedly, nothing had been set in stone yet even after so long.
Although Justin had an illegitimate child, he didn¡¯t get married during all these years, nor was there any news of the child¡¯s biological mother. Yvonne didn¡¯t get married, either, so everyone thought that both parties were still waiting for a suitable opportunity.
Yvonne, however, lowered her gaze at the question and said nothing.
Irritability welled up in her.
They were simply too gossipy, and were practically rubbing her nose in it!
Rachel, who noticed Yvonne¡¯s annoyance, interrupted them with a smile. She said, "The Hunts and the Smiths¡¯ affairs aren¡¯t something that you guys should be asking about. After all, that¡¯s a union between two big families... Let¡¯s not ask any more! I just saw the Andersons¡¯ car arrive. My cousin and Nora Smith will being over in a while. I¡¯ll point her out to you guyster!"
"Yeah, okay!"
"I also wanna see just how beautiful this daughter of the ¡¯public enemy of all the wealthy wives of New York¡¯ can be!"
"Even now, my mother still gnashes her teeth in fury whenever she talks about Yvette Anderson. She says that my father had a crush on Yvette Anderson back then, and that Yvette Anderson was his unattainable dream..."
While they were chatting noisily, Rachel looked into the distance and said, "They¡¯reing!"
Everyone followed her gaze and looked over.
The woman walking in the forefront was wearing a pink dress. Her shoulder-length bob made her look very youthful and peppy. She was walking over arm in arm with a middle-aged woman wearing a gown full of ssical charm.
Sheril was obsessed with theboratory, so she rarely attended parties.
Young women who didn¡¯t usually dance wouldn¡¯t attend the dance party the other time, so someone had mistaken her for Nora. She looked at Sheril and said, "Is she the one in the pink dress? Although she looks pretty cute, she doesn¡¯t look that astounding. Besides, her dress is so meh~"
But as soon as she said that, Sheril suddenly turned around, revealing the woman behind her...
Chapter 268: Public Enemy
Chapter 268: Public Enemy
The woman was sashaying over in a pair of crystal high heels.
The blue gown on her set off her thin and slender waist, which looked as if one could hold her with just one hand.
Her straight hair, casually draped behind her, fluttered in the air along with her movements.
Beside her, a little girl wearing a small mask was also dressed in a simr blue princess dress. She bounced around while holding her hand.
They were an exquisite sight in the Hunts¡¯ manor!
The people waiting at the door were stunned, and all of them looked at them in disbelief.
The few women who were moring just a moment ago said in surprise:
"That dress... It¡¯s the Blue Enchantress!"
"Oh my god, who is she? Doesn¡¯t she walk too beautifully? Her movements are obviously so big when she twists and turns her hips as she walks, but how does she still make it look so charming? She¡¯s too gorgeous!"
"Which family is she from? Why is the kid she¡¯s holding wearing a silver mask? She¡¯s so cute! Is she her younger sister?"
"..."
Rachel was totally stunned while everyone was singing praises of Nora.
She stared at Nora incredulously, feeling like her eyes must be ying tricks on her. Was she actually that hillbilly and bumpkin of a woman who was always wearing jeans and white T-shirts, and walked as though she was still half-asleep?
Wasn¡¯t her gait a little too graceful?!
Even she found it difficult to go against her conscience and say she didn¡¯t look good!
All around them, every man¡¯s eyes were on her. It was obvious that Nora had be the center of attention!
When did such a big beauty appear in New York?!
That was the thought on everyone¡¯s minds.
Even Yvonne was a little stunned. However, because she knew Sheril, she didn¡¯t mistake her for anyone else. Instead, she stared at Nora in shock.
She had only heard her name prior to this, but she was the purported hillbilly that Rachel mentioned?
There was practically no need for anyparison! Even with the distance between the two of them, it was obvious who had won¡ªor at least, that was the case in terms of what they were wearing!
She bit her lip in anger and red at Rachel. For once, she couldn¡¯t hold herself back and she said, "So, that¡¯s the Nora Smith you were talking about?"
That one line from her was enough to enlighten everyone there.
All of them looked at Nora in unison. The same thought simultaneously formed in everyone¡¯s minds in this instant¡ªif she looked anything like her mother, then it was no wonder that her mother was the public enemy of all the wealthy wives of New York back then!
Given her looks, which man would be able to resist her?
Especially with the way her hips twisted when she walked... Although she was doing it on purpose, it simply looked too beautiful!
However, Nora, who was ¡¯twisting her hips on purpose¡¯, was actuallyining while she was walking at the moment. "What kind of shoes are these? Aren¡¯t they a little too slippery?"
Cherry supported her Mommy carefully to prevent her from tripping and falling down in public. Now, that would be a terrible sight. She piped up in her adorable voice, "Beautyes at a price, Mommy!"
The crystal heels were a perfect match with the blue gown, but because crystal heels were a little more slippery than ordinary heels, Nora couldn¡¯t really walk very well in them. As a result, she could only twist and turn her hips from side to side as she walked!
Nora tried to put up with it, but in the end, she still bent over, intending to take off the heels and hold them instead. What kinda lousy shoes were these?! She wasn¡¯t gonna wear them anymore!
But as soon as she bent over, Sheril grabbed her hand. "There are so many eyes on you right now, Nora! You¡¯d better not do anything unsightly! Otherwise, it¡¯ll be really embarrassing!"
Nora: "..."
She silently endured the heels for a while longer. In the end, she gritted her teeth and said to Cherry, "Get your father to prepare a normal pair of heels for me! Otherwise, I¡¯m going to go around barefootedter!"
Cherry took out her cell phone at once. "Okay, Mommy! I¡¯ll contact Daddy right away!"
Just like that, they swaggered through the crowd and came to the entrance of the hall. They were about to enter the party hall after registering when they suddenly heard a shrill voice.
"Nora Smith!"
Nora and Sheril looked over to see Rachel staring at the former. She looked her gown up and down and demanded, "W-who borrowed that gown for you?"
Nora nced at her coldly, disinterested in even speaking to her.
She scoffed and said nothing.
Sheril asked, "Oh, you¡¯ve alsoe, Rachel? Shall we go in together?"
She didn¡¯t want anyone to know that Justin had borrowed it for them. Should the Hunts hear of it, they would surely look down on Nora!
As Nora¡¯s family, they must have pride!
Rachelpletely ignored Sheril and stared only at Nora. "Say it, how did you manage to borrow that gown? With the Andersons¡¯ reputation, there¡¯s no way you can borrow it!"
In a brainless move, she then pointed to Yvonne and added, "Even Ms. Smith only managed to borrow that gown she¡¯s wearing, so why should you be able to borrow the Blue Enchantress?"
Nora raised her brows. "I went to the store to borrow it, I suppose?"
Rachel: "..."
Of course she knew that she had borrowed it from the store, but was that what she was asking about?
Before she could say anything else, Melissa had already registered at the gift reception table at the door. She said, "Alright, let¡¯s go in. Rachel, are you going in with us, or are you going to continue ying here? Or, shall I ask your father here toe over and bring you in?"
Regardless of what was going on at home, they were in public at the moment. Rachel kicking up a fuss like that was an utter embarrassment!
Rachel swallowed. "You guys can go in first, Aunt Melissa. I¡¯m having fun here with Ms. Smith!"
Melissa nodded.
Nora, however, nced at the ¡¯Ms. Smith¡¯ Rachel had mentioned...
She was wearing a blue gown simr in color to the one she was wearing. Strictly speaking, their outfits had shed with each other¡¯s. However, the Blue Enchantress¡¯ design was clearly a little more high-end.
She looked rather bright and charming, and she carried herself gracefully. She stood there quietly with a gentle smile.
Nora asked curiously, "Is she Ian Smith¡¯s daughter?"
She had once heard that although Ian stayed single his entire life, he had adopted a daughter.
So, she was Ian¡¯s adopted daughter?
As soon as the thought formed, Sheril leaned toward her and exined softly, "Yes, her name is Yvonne Smith."
Yv... onne... Smith...
Nora suddenly felt rather awkward when she heard the name.
To be honest, despite everything that had happened, for her mother to have a man who loved her that much, it seemed like that was enough for her whole life.
Sheril couldn¡¯t help but say, "Mr. Smith is a devoted man."
The two of them had already entered the hall while they were talking.
However, Yvonne had overheard their conversation.
She bit her lip hard. Then, she took a step forward, went to the gift registration room, and looked around. Sure enough, she saw that the Andersons had given pills as a gift.
As for what kind of pill it was, it was not specified.
But it definitely wasn¡¯t as good as the Zabe Corporation¡¯s Calming Pill she was giving.
Now that she had lost in terms of dressing, she mustn¡¯t lose in terms of gifts!
With that in mind, she looked at the person at the registration counter and asked, "What kind of medicine did the Andersons give?"
Chapter 269: The Official Announcement Is Coming!
Chapter 269: The Official Announcement Is Coming!
All the birthday gifts had to be registered, lest the host couldn¡¯t tell who gave what in the end.
All those who wanted to take the grand birthday party¡¯s opportunity to curry favor with the Hunts had already sent a lot of valuable gifts a long time ago.
The person in charge of registering the gifts had already long since be numb to the great number of valuable gifts. Thus, he replied, "A box of pills."
Box?
Yvonne let out a lowugh.
The more precious a medicine, the more they were counted by the actual number of pills¡ªafter all, even a single pill was hard toe by.
Yet they had given a whole box of pills...
Their gift was probably Carefree Pills, right?
The Carefree Pill¡¯s current market value was $3,000 per pill. Even if they gave an entire box of it, how much could they possibly add up to...?
Yvonne let out a sigh of relief and said, "My gift is a pill."
The person in charge of registering gifts looked up at her. "Okay, I¡¯ve noted it. What kind of precious pill is it, though, Ms. Smith?"
The question was purely out of his own curiosity.
Yvonne smiled and answered, "It¡¯s the Zabe Corporation¡¯s Calming Pill."
Thud.
The person in charge of gift registration dropped his pen on the table. His voice also suddenly rose in volume as he repeated, "The Zabe Corporation¡¯s Calming Pill?"
Rachel, who was standing behind Yvonne, also heard them. At once, she became even more surprised, and her voice became even louder. "The Zabe Corporation¡¯s Calming Pill?"
Her words made everyone look over.
Upon sensing their envious gazes, Yvonne raised her chin a little, and she felt like she had finally regained her confidence. She said simply, "Yeah."
Then, she headed to the party hall.
The people at the door were already sighing in admiration. "The Zabe Corporation¡¯s Calming Pill... She sure is generous!"
"Yeah, that pill is really hard to find now! The Smiths are probably the only ones that can get Dr. Zabe to make one more these days!"
"The Smiths are worthy of their name as a top-notch giant, indeed! As expected, they only do great things! The box of pills that the Andersons gave are probably Carefree Pills. Inparison, that¡¯s nothing to be envious of anymore..."
The Andersons¡¯ Carefree Pills had already made a name for themselves. To be honest, a box of it was actually a presentable gift.
Butpared with the Zabe Corporation¡¯s Calming Pill, it was ultimately still inferior.
Yvonne was delighted by theirments.
But a short while after she cheered up, her friends behind her started talking to one another softly again.
"Why didn¡¯t the Smiths manage to borrow the Blue Enchantress when they¡¯re so powerful, though? After all, Yvonne loved showing off the most during all the parties in the past!"
"Yeah, the brand won¡¯t loan us the Blue Enchantress if we try to borrow it, but they definitely won¡¯t dare to offend people like the Hunts and the Smiths if they ask for it! How did the Andersons manage to borrow it instead...?"
"By right, that shouldn¡¯t be the case. The Smiths are a top-notch family. Isn¡¯t it a cinch for them to borrow a gown if they want to?"
"... Don¡¯t say any more. She¡¯s ultimately just an adopted daughter. If she were a real Smith, how would she possibly fail to borrow it..."
Their words made Yvonne clench her fists tightly.
Not a real Smith... Indeed, it was because she wasn¡¯t a real Smith that they had rejected her when she went to borrow the gown.
But had Joel personally made the request himself, they definitely wouldn¡¯t have dared to refuse!
At the end of it all, it was still because she wasn¡¯t rted to the Smiths by blood.
Yvonne lowered her head. Her friends were still talking to one another softly.
"Ah, I remember now. Nora Smith was at the dance party this year, but she had only tied up her hair and worn a pantsuit that time. She¡¯s simply beautiful in her outfit today!"
"Why do I feel like she looks even better than Ms. Smith..."
"No, wait, shouldn¡¯t Ms. Smith and Mr. Hunt be the highlight of the Hunts¡¯ party this evening instead? What is she wearing the Blue Enchantress to steal the limelight for? Could it be that..."
"Cough!"
Someone who saw Yvonne coughed as a reminder.
The few of them immediately shut up. All of them were rather embarrassed when they turned and spotted Yvonne. They said, "We were just talking nonsense just now, Ms. Smith. Don¡¯t mind us..."
Yvonne took a deep breath.
Of course she knew that they were just fair-weather friends.
The moment theyined about others in front of her, she had already known that she would definitely also be the focus of theirints.
There wasn¡¯t anyone who didn¡¯t talk about others behind their backs, nor was there anyone who wasn¡¯t talked about behind their backs.
She had long since be ustomed to it after so many years.
She smiled and said, "What were you all talking about just now? I didn¡¯t hear anything."
The few of them breathed sighs of relief at once. Then, they started to tter her again. "We were talking about how inappropriate Nora Smith¡¯s behavior is. You¡¯re definitely the star of the asion tonight, so what is she trying to steal the limelight for? Those who didn¡¯t know better would have thought she had some kind of special rtionship with the Hunts!"
"It¡¯s only because Ms. Hunt is studying abroad, so she isn¡¯t in the States right now. Otherwise, how would she, of all people, possibly get to wear the Blue Enchantress..."
"Exactly. Isn¡¯t it exactly because she¡¯s looking for a good man to marry that she¡¯s dressed up so nicely and attracting so much attention? But I heard that she got herself pregnant before marriage, so she has a daughter! The little girl she was holding just now is her daughter!"
"What? Who would still want her when she already has a child?"
"That¡¯s why, girls. She must be having a hard time finding a life partner after having a child, so she can only dress up a little more beautifully to cover up that shoring of hers. Just take a look at all the boys over there; aren¡¯t they all blind and bewitched now?"
"... Hmph, it¡¯s useless even if she¡¯s bewitched them all! Their families would never agree to it! It¡¯s basically next to impossible for her to marry into a good family."
"..."
Nora, the topic of everyone¡¯s discussion, was currently surrounded by a group of men.
Although she had been the highlight at the dance party the other time, she had ultimately dressed rather coolly in a pantsuit, so she didn¡¯t look as stunning as she did today.
Everyone had gathered around her. Some were introducing themselves, while some were trying to sound her out.
Nora, who didn¡¯t know them at all, found them very annoying.
She broke into a frown. By then, Sheril was already saying, "Sorry, everyone. Nora and I are going to the side to rest for a while. You¡ª"
"Are you going to the sofa over there? Sure, we can apany you two there. Is Ms. Smith feeling unwell? Shall I help you over?"
"Let me do it instead, Mr. Simmons. After all, your arms have held too many girls before!"
"What do you mean by that? Do you think you¡¯re that innocent yourself?"
"Of course I¡¯m not. It¡¯s just that the number of girlfriends I¡¯ve had is fewer than you..."
"Neither of you are innocent enough. Don¡¯t let them fool you, Ms. Smith. How about letting me help you over instead?"
"..."
The men started to argue with one another, causing everyone around them to look over and frown.
All of them were rtively flirtatious young men from wealthy families. They usually fooled around a lot, and seldom did anything decent. The moment they spy on a beautiful woman, they can¡¯t move away anymore.
With them surrounding her, Nora¡¯s reputation wouldn¡¯t fare any better!
Sure enough, Yvonne¡¯s friends started to insult her again.
"Look at that vixen. Isn¡¯t her tant seduction act a little too low-ss? She definitely won¡¯t be able to find a good boyfriend!"
The corners of Yvonne¡¯s lips curled into a smile as she waited for Nora to make a fool out of herself.
But right at this point, Justin, who should be making an appearanceter instead, suddenly appeared in the party hall!
Chapter 270: The Strongest Socialite?
Chapter 270: The Strongest Socialite?
Justin was a key figure. Although his appearance hade out of the blue, he nevertheless attracted everyone¡¯s attention.
Everyone looked at him.
Yvonne¡¯s eyes lit up the moment her gazended on him.
Justin was undoubtedly the most attractive man in New York. He was also the goal that she had set for herself ever since she was a child. The reason why she had never had a boyfriend all these years was that she had made strict demands of herself using what Justin¡¯s woman would do as a benchmark.
Even when news of him suddenly having a child reached the Smiths five years ago, she had only hidden herself in her room and secretly cried, but still forgave him in the end.
After all, men were all Casanovas that couldn¡¯t control their lower bodies.
She had also thought of treating the child well after she married Justin. An illegitimate child definitely wouldn¡¯t be able to inherit the Hunts, but she could still have hers and Justin¡¯s future son treat him a little better. Giving him a little more money and assets would also highlight how magnanimous she was.
But Justin¡¯s dy in going to the Smiths to propose marriage had made her a little anxious in recent years. After all, she was already 25 years old. The engagement, marriage, and other procedures would take at least two years. By then, she would be old!
Although Justin had already said that he wouldn¡¯t marry her when he was eighteen, he had still stayed single for so many years. In addition, the illegitimate child¡¯s mother had never once made an appearance, either. It was said that Justin disliked her so much that he never even once mentioned her.
Therefore, she believed that Justin must be waiting for his child to grow up first.
Was he worried that she would abuse his child?
Yvonne wasn¡¯t that kind of person, but she couldn¡¯t say that to Justin, so she could only continue to wait for him helplessly at the Smiths.
It was only at the annual parties that she could even take a few looks at him from a distance. Even when she went forward to say hi to him, his eyes never seemed to ever stay on her.
She was already the most outstanding woman in New York, though. If even she couldn¡¯t catch Justin¡¯s fancy, then it was impossible that anyone else could!
She stood where she was calmly. Her friends beside her were already eximing.
"It¡¯s Mr. Hunt, Ms. Smith! Oh my goodness, is his sudden appearance in the party hall because of you?"
"Isn¡¯t that obvious? Of course, it¡¯s because of Ms. Smith! Do you think he¡¯ll show up because of you? Look, Mr. Hunt ising over!"
"... Mr. Hunt is so handsome. Quick, go to him, Ms. Smith!"
Yvonne didn¡¯t speak, but her eyes were shining brighter and brighter.
She took a step forward and gazed at Justin with rosy cheeks. Then, the crowd watched as Justin walked past Yvonne and headed straight toward where Nora was a short distance away.
Yvonne¡¯s expression froze instantly.
She clenched her fists tightly.
Her friends were even more shocked.
"Where is Mr. Hunt going?"
"But Ms. Smith is here! Could it be that he isn¡¯t..."
Someone gave the woman speaking a push. Only then did she realize that she had said the wrong thing, and she hastily shut up. The rest said, "Mr. Hunt must have something he needs to do! There are simply too many people at the party today, so maybe he has some instructions he needs to give, or maybe he saw a business partner and is going over to say hi!"
"That¡¯s right. Situations like this aren¡¯t appropriate for romance, either. After all, work takes top priority..."
Their words made Yvonne bite her lip. But when she saw Justin going nearer and nearer to where Nora was, her heart suddenly sank.
Rachel knew that Nora was Justin¡¯s girlfriend, but she wasn¡¯t optimistic about the two of them. She leaned toward Yvonne and whispered, "I¡¯m sure Mr. Hunt is just fooling around with Nora... Don¡¯t mind them."
Fooling around...
Yvonne clenched her fists, though she kept a calm and gentle look on her face. "Well, it has nothing to do with me."
"How can you not have anything to do with it?" Rachel kept trying to incite her. She said, "Considering Nora Smith¡¯s background and the fact that she got herself pregnant before marriage, there¡¯s absolutely no way Mr. Hunt would publicly admit that they are dating. It would be too embarrassing otherwise! They definitely won¡¯t get married! In fact, you only need to turn a blind eye, and the title of Mrs. Hunt will still be yours sooner orter, Ms. Smith!"
Turn a blind eye...
Not only must she tolerate him having a child, but she also had to tolerate him keeping a lover out there?
On top of that, apart from being a little more beautiful than most, that lover of his was utterly worthless!
Yvonne¡¯s expression turned even more awful.
Warren suddenly came over at this point. At the sight of her, he said cryptically, "You¡¯re here, Yvonne..."
A surprised Yvonne followed him to the side.
Warren lowered his voice and asked, "Why do you look kinda unhappy?"
His words made Yvonne nce at where Nora was again. She suddenly lowered her head and asked, "How did Nora Smith manage to borrow the Blue Enchantress, Warren?"
Warren was chagrined at her question. He replied, "Justin must have done it. That¡¯s the only way she could have borrowed the gown... If I had known, I would have asked Joel to do it instead!"
Yvonne bit her lip, and her eyes reddened.
Warren immediately asked, "What¡¯s the matter?"
Yvonne lowered her head. "We ran into each other at the hall entrance just now... She said that I¡¯m not a real Smith..."
Her words immediately misled Warren. He asked incredulously, "She mocked you just because of a dress? What makes her think she can mock you like that? Even an adopted daughter of the Smiths is better than her! The Andersons have already fallen into decline a long time ago. Besides, she isn¡¯t even an Anderson because herst name is Smith... It¡¯s so off-putting how we have the samest name."
Yvonne didn¡¯t speak.
Warren sneered, "It¡¯s okay. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve already taken revenge for you!"
Yvonne was startled. "What?"
A smiling Warren said, "Why do you think so many rich second-generation heirs dared to hit on her so tantly at a party like this?"
Yvonne was dumbfounded. When she turned and looked over again, she saw a few more people gathering around Nora.
No matter what, it was too inappropriate for a woman to be surrounded by several men trying to woo her, especially when the things they said were so explicit¡ªor at least, that was how everyone saw it.
She asked in surprise, "You¡¯re the one behind it?"
Warren raised his chin triumphantly. "Well, not really. A whole group of people was attracted to her looks as soon as she came in. They were originally nning to ask about it discreetly, but I said that... she¡¯s a socialite."
Yvonne, "!!"
No wonder those men had the audacity to rush over so rudely!
Warren sneered, "They don¡¯t know that she is Justin¡¯s girlfriend. Neither can Justin acknowledge their rtionship at an asion like this, so he can only stew in silence and vent his anger on her now! Any man would be mad when their woman bes involved with so many men in public, right?"
He raised his eyebrows. "Just wait and see. Mr. Hunt is definitely going over to deal with her. Who knows, he may even throw her out!"
Yvonne didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry at his words. Yet, when she thought about it, it didn¡¯t seem entirely impossible, either. Her eyes lit up a little and she looked over...
Chapter 271: How Can You Get Violent?
Chapter 271: How Can You Get Violent?
"What is Mr. Hunt doing, Ms. Smith? It doesn¡¯t look like there¡¯s anyone he¡¯ll talk to over there, right?"
"Yeah..."
While Yvonne was watching, someone asked curiously,
"The people there are all young rich good-for-nothings totally different from Mr. Hunt. Why would he go there...?"
"Is it because he thinks their behavior is too inappropriate?"
"That must be it. What kind of ce do they think this is? That group of good-for-nothings and that woman should look at where they are first before they hook up with one another! Mr. Hunt values ??his grandmother the most. He must have be angry!"
¡ª
Nora waspletely unaware that she had be the focus of the women¡¯s discussion.
She merely watched the men swarming toward her and raised her eyebrows, feeling like something wasn¡¯t quite right.
No matter how frivolous they were, they weren¡¯t people who didn¡¯t take time and ce into consideration, so why were they doing this to her? Moreover, her belief was that she did have a rather powerful aura around her. Lily always said she was an impressive person, and just a re from her was enough to scare Lily. When she was abroad, all the men had also kept their distance from her despite her good looks, so why would such a thing happen the moment she returned to the States?
She narrowed her eyes.
Next to her were also people trying to talk to her.
"Do you know who I am, Ms. Smith? If you have time, I think we can have a chat..."
"I met you first, Ms. Smith. Even if we are to line up to chat with you, shouldn¡¯t I be the first?"
"Do you like Herm¨¨s, Ms. Smith? Shall I take you to Herm¨¨s for some shopping?"
"Herm¨¨s is so tacky! I have a vi in the suburbs. Shall I take you to visit it?"
Their speech became more and more explicit. Even Sheril and Melissa frowned when they heard them. Why did they look like rich young menvishing attention on and ttering a famous courtesan?!
They were looking down on Nora too much!
Melissa reprimanded them. "Which families are you children from?! Stop fooling about!"
However, they insteadughed and said jokingly, "We aren¡¯t fooling about. I meant what I said... You¡¯re the Andersons, right? How about letting Ms. Smith have dinner with me so that we can discuss a partnership between our hospital and Harmonia Pharmacy?"
"Ms. Smith seemed unwell, so I wanted to help. Which part of what I¡¯m doing looks like I¡¯m fooling about..."
Sheril was so mad that even her cheeks had turned red. "All of you are too much! Nora doesn¡¯t need your help! She doesn¡¯t even want to pay any attention to any of you at all, so please step aside! We are going to rest!"
"You¡¯re not the one who decides whether your cousin Nora wants to pay any attention to us or not. It only counts if she says it..."
"That¡¯s right. Ms. Smith, although you already have a child, I don¡¯t mind at all. After all, young but mature women are more charming..."
"..."
The look in Nora¡¯s eyes turned cold, and anger roiled in her cat-like eyes.
If it weren¡¯t because this was Mrs. Hunt¡¯s birthday party, she would have beat them up a long time ago, yet they were actually pushing their luck this far?
In that case, they couldn¡¯t me her for what came next.
She lowered her head and flexed her wrists. Then, she said to the masked Cherry, "Go to the side."
Her four words alone made Cherry step back in silence. She hid behind Melissa with practiced movements and hugged her leg.
"Don¡¯t be scared, Cherry..." said Melissa.
Cherry replied in her adorable voice, "I¡¯m not scared, Grand-Aunt. I just think it¡¯s so pitiful..."
Melissa¡¯s eyes reddened. "It¡¯s okay, your mother is not pitiful. She still has us, we won¡¯t let anyone bully or humiliate her!"
Cherry: "?"
She blinked her big dark eyes and said, "What I meant was that those people are so pitiful. To think they are blind enough to offend Mommy. Mommy is really angry now, and the consequences are serious when that happens!"
Melissa: "?"
As soon as she said that, a shadow shed across in front of her.
Nora had already suddenly thrown a punch at the face of the man closest to her, who was also the one who had said the most awful things out of the lot!
Melissa: "!!"
Sheril was also dumbfounded.
The man who had been punched was even more dumbstruck. He had never expected the other party to suddenly attack while they were still talking.
However, just as Nora¡¯s fist was about to connect with the man¡¯s face, arge and strong hand suddenly reached over and grabbed her fist, stopping her movements.
The very next moment, a low and deep voice reached them. "You¡¯re not allowed to hit him."
That voice...
Everyone turned their heads in unison to see Justin standing beside Nora. He was holding Nora¡¯s hand, thereby stopping her actions.
Everyone: "??"
Everyone in the entire party hall looked over.
The man who had almost been hit immediately said, "It¡¯s fortunate that you came here in time, Mr. Hunt. Otherwise, I would have been beaten up! How can a great beauty like you hit someone?"
The others also echoed him.
"Yeah, what kind of asion do you think this is? How can you hit him?"
"All he did was say a few words. Aren¡¯t you being too crass if you get violent?!"
"That woman is too savage, Mr. Hunt! Her behavior is outrageous!"
In the distance.
Yvonne breathed a sigh of relief at the sight.
As expected, Justin had be angry.
That woman sure was stupid, though. Even though they were in public, instead of trying to defuse the situation, she actually had the guts to get violent?
A woman like her wasn¡¯t fit to be seen in public!
Rachel couldn¡¯t even hide the gloating look on her face. She said, "Did you see that? I told you, women from small ces are just too reckless. She¡¯s offended Mr. Hunt!"
Their friends also said very cooperatively, "Exactly. This is Mrs. Hunt¡¯s birthday party, how can she get violent?"
"Here I was, thinking that she was some kind of impressive person because she¡¯s wearing the Blue Enchantress. I didn¡¯t expect her to actually behave in such a low-ss manner!"
"A gentleman resolves problems through words instead of violence. Doesn¡¯t she have even the most basicmon sense?"
Justin¡¯s actions also shocked Sheril and Melissa. Melissa frowned and defended Nora. She said, "They were the ones who provoked Nora first, Justin."
Sheril nodded.
Cherry also nodded repeatedly.
But unexpectedly, as soon as she said that, Justin said sternly, "Even so, she¡¯s still not allowed to hit anyone."
Melissa: "??"
She was a little angry.
She didn¡¯t expect that in order to prevent an embarrassing situation, Justin actually didn¡¯t even care that Nora had suffered injustice.
The man who had almost been hit became even more triumphant. He said, "That¡¯s right! If you¡¯re unhappy, then we can just talk about it. What is the meaning of resorting to violence? You¡¯re too much!"
He looked at Justin again. "It¡¯s okay, though, Mr. Hunt. I¡¯ll let the matter pass as long as she apologizes to me. I won¡¯t hold it against her..."
It was only after he spoke that he realized that Justin wasn¡¯t looking at him at all. Instead, he was looking at Nora.
Nora¡¯s brows were raised. She asked with a hint of displeasure, "Why can¡¯t I hit him?"
That woman was actually countering with a question of her own?
The man immediately sneered, "Because you should see where you are..."
It was a shame that before he could finish, Justin had already said, "Because force goes both ways. What if it hurts your hand?"
Everyone: "????"
Chapter 272: Let Me Make The Introductions, This Is My Girlfriend
Chapter 272: Let Me Make The Introductions, This Is My Girlfriend
For a while, it was as if someone had pressed the mute button for the entire party hall.
There was no other sound aside from the soft music that the Hunts were ying.
Yvonne¡¯s friends next to her, the rich young men taking the opportunity to fool about, the people with actual status and influence, as well as the guests that had just entered the hall... All of them were looking at him in disbelief.
Justin¡¯s voice just now had neither been too loud nor too soft, but because everyone was paying attention to him in order to determine his stance, his words had reached everyone¡¯s ears clearly.
Everyone looked at him incredulously, and then at Nora.
All of them were wondering the same thing¡ªwhat was going on here?
Why did the atmosphere between Mr. Hunt and Nora Smith feel kinda off?! Also, why was Mr. Hunt still holding Ms. Smith¡¯s hand even though so much time had passed since he grabbed her hand to stop her?
Yvonne¡¯s friends next to her started whispering and specting again.
"What¡¯s going on? Why does it look like Mr. Hunt knows that hillbilly?"
"Why do I feel like there¡¯s an unusual rtionship between those two?"
Along with those words, the few of them looked at Yvonne and asked, "Surely Mr. Hunt doesn¡¯t have anything to do with her, right, Ms. Smith?"
Yvonne bit her lip.
She lowered her head and slowly said, "I don¡¯t know what kind of rtionship the two of them share, but even if they aren¡¯t rted in any way, a host won¡¯t stand by idly and watch as someone bullies their guest, right? After all, those men went too far."
Rachel was so jealous that she was almost out of her mind. She said, "Yeah, what kind of rtionship can Nora Smith and Mr. Hunt possibly share? They have nothing to do with each other at all! Mr. Hunt must have just found those people¡¯s actions too much. It¡¯s just a shame that he doesn¡¯t know what that woman is like!"
The girls: "..."
Everyone exchanged looks with one another, all of them sensing something amiss.
Why did Yvonne look a little unhappy? It seemed like that woman¡¯s presence was really bothering her...
Everyone was smart here. They hadn¡¯t thought of that in the beginning, but now...
Could it be that Nora Smith¡¯s good looks had also attracted Mr. Hunt?
Just as everyone was specting, Nora, the subject of the drama, waved and shook Justin¡¯s hand away in disdain. Her voice was low and impatient as she asked, "If I can¡¯t hit him, then what should I do?"
Her shoes were too ufortable. She wanted to deal with the people in front of her as soon as possible so that she could change her shoes.
Justin¡¯s icy voice rang out. "Where¡¯s the butler?"
The butler in charge of the Hunts¡¯ external affairs had already noticed Justin the instant he appeared. Upon hearing his words, he hurriedly came over. "Sir."
Justin pointed casually at the men. "These frivolous and flippant people here... Send! Them! Out! Nicely!"
The meaning behind his deliberate emphasis on the words ¡¯send them out nicely¡¯ was very obvious. There was no way the butler could see those people out the door politely anymore.
The butler nodded immediately. "Yes, sir."
With a wave from him, a few security guards rushed over. They held down the frivolous rich second-generation heirs, buckled their hands behind their backs, and dragged them out!
The men were dumbfounded. One even shouted, "Mr. Hunt, Mr. Hunt...! What are you doing? All we did was say a few words to her... Do you know who she is, Mr. Hunt? She¡¯s a socialite! It was mutually consensual when we chatted with each other! We didn¡¯t force her into anything!"
¡¯Socialite¡¯...
The word made Justin¡¯s pupils shrink.
He suddenly said, "Stop."
The security guard stopped and let go of the man. The man wasn¡¯t from an influential family. He hade to the party by tagging along with someone else¡¯s invitation so that he could get to know more people.
Thus, when Warren incited them to go over, he had done so ordingly.
He wasn¡¯t willing to be driven out just like that. On top of that, he also had the guts to speak up. He immediately said, "Are you doing this because you¡¯re not aware of her identity? Don¡¯t let her beautiful appearance fool you! I heard tha¡ª"
But before he could finish, Justin interrupted him. "Who did you hear that from?"
The man subconsciously looked at Warren standing among the crowd, causing him to shrink back and hide behind Yvonne.
Yvonne: "..."
He didn¡¯t see Warren, but he didn¡¯t dare to drag the Smiths into this, either. Thus, the man could only say, "I... I just overheard some people..."
"Can things that you hear through the grapevine be brought to the public?" Justin looked at the butler and said, "Find Ms. Smith awyer, and sue him for nder."
"... Yes, sir," said the butler.
Everyone else: "..."
"There¡¯s no need for that." Nora suddenly interrupted him. Then, she lowered her voice and slowly said, "I don¡¯t care about all this. I just want to change my shoes now."
Justin: "..."
He fell silent for a moment. Then, he looked at the butler and said, "Never mind, then. Don¡¯t sue him anymore."
His voice was deep and tinged with displeasure.
The butler silently said a prayer inwardly for the man.
If they had sued him, all he would have had to do was just pay damages for harming the other party¡¯s reputation.
But now that they weren¡¯t suing him anymore, the man would probably have to pay an even higher price to appease Mr. Hunt.
The butler wasn¡¯t the only one who understood that; the man understood it even better.
He panicked at once. "I was wrong, Mr. Hunt. Please let me off!"
Unfortunately, Justin was no longer paying attention to him.
What more did he have to say to him when his girlfriend¡¯s feet were ufortable?
He waved casually. The security guards immediately dragged the men to the door...
Once they went out the door, he would really have to pay the price for his actions!
The man was so terrified that he yelled, "Isn¡¯t she just a woman who looks a little better than most, Mr. Hunt? Who is she to you? Why would you protect her like that?!"
The ce fell silent.
Everyone looked at Justin curiously.
Yvonne clenched her fingers nervously.
Justin wouldn¡¯t admit it, right? After all, Nora¡¯s status was too low; she wasn¡¯t worthy of him at all. If he admitted it on an asion like this, everyone would hear of it!
Having a girlfriend in private and showing her off to everyone were twopletely different things!
Nora raised her eyebrows.
She said unhurriedly, "We don¡¯t have anyt¡ª"
Before she could finish, a warm arm suddenly snaked around her waist, and her feet left the ground the next moment¡ªJustin had picked up her and was carrying her in his arms!
Her head whipped toward him, and she saw Justin carry her to the sofa next to them with his gaze lowered.
He put her down gently when he reached the sofa.
It was only then that everyone finally noticed that he had been holding an exquisite bag all this time. He opened the bag, took out the shoes inside, and slowly squatted down. He took off the shoes that Nora was wearing, and then changed her shoes for her.
His series of actions came so suddenly that even Nora herself was dumbfounded.
Never would she have ever thought that the lofty man high up in the air would actually squat down and change her shoes for her.
Then, the man stood up straight as if he wasn¡¯t the person who had just bent over. As if overlooking everyone from the top, he slowly said, "Let me make the introductions. This is my girlfriend, Ms. Nora Smith."
Chapter 273: Birthday Gift~
Chapter 273: Birthday Gift~
"..."
"..."
"..."
The entire hall was filled with silence. Everyone looked at them in disbelief.
Melissa and Sheril hadn¡¯t expected at all that Justin would disregard everything and reveal their rtionship on an asion like this.
To be honest, the Andersons were already no longerparable to the Hunts thirty years ago. Yvette had been able to make everyone take notice of her because she was simply that outstanding, so much so that the Hunts and the Smiths found it an honor to have her marry into the family.
But the Andersons were just a down-and-out family these days. Besides, that situation just now... Melissa and Sheril exchanged a look.
Sheril leaned toward Melissa and whispered, "Mom, Mr. Hunt is serious about Nora."
And wasn¡¯t that so?
She was the two children¡¯s mother, after all!
Melissa was never one to underestimate children from her own family. She asked, "Why does Nora look a little unhappy to me, though?"
Sheril followed her gaze and looked over to see Nora frowning.
She was indeed a little unhappy.
She had always stayed low-profile ever since she was a child, and had never wanted anyone to pay any attention to her. Once she became Justin¡¯s girlfriend¡ªor even the future Mrs. Hunt¡ªpeople would definitely pay attention to her.
Of course, this was also the reason why she had kept pushing Justin away, and forbade herself from developing feelings for him all this time.
Yet that guy had actually announced their rtionship in public?
Had he asked her for permission? And had she agreed to it?
But there was no use crying over spilled milk. She frowned and started thinking of a way to get out of the situation unscathed.
Seemingly having sensed her displeasure, Justin lowered his head as if to exin, yet also as if to cover up his actions. He said, "They were too much just now, Nora. I didn¡¯t manage to hold myself back for a moment there and ended up revealing our rtionship. You won¡¯t mind, right?"
Nora: "?"
He didn¡¯t manage to hold himself back for a moment there?
Did he really think that she would believe his nonsense?
Given the man¡¯s personality, she would believe it if he said that he held himself back and stopped himself from doing something, but she would never believe it if he said that he did something in a moment of impulse!
As the head of the Hunts and the leader of the top conglomerate in the States, would he do something ¡¯in a moment of impulse¡¯?
The corners of Nora¡¯s lips spasmed. She looked at him and saw that his usually deep and bottomless eyes looked a little tentative and nervous, as though he really was sincerely apologizing. Even the beauty mark at the corner of his eye seemed to be exuding a vague feeling that he had suffered injustice, making her unable to pursue the matter at all. In the end, her words went a few rounds in her throat only to finally turn into two words filled with resignation. "... Never mind."
Justin nodded. "Mm, although we aren¡¯t going to get married, you¡¯re still the children¡¯s mother, so it¡¯s okay to let outsiders know about our rtionship, right, Nora?"
¡¯Nora¡¯?
It was only then that Nora noticed that the man had started using a different term of address for her at some point.
However, it did sound pretty nice when the scumbag uttered her name with his deep and slightly raspy voice.
She lowered her gaze and nced at the new pair of shoes. Although they were also high heels, their soles finally weren¡¯t that slippery anymore, so she could manage them now.
In the distance.
The man whom the security guards were holding down was stunned. He looked at Nora in disbelief, and then looked toward the crowd, trying to find Warren.
Didn¡¯t Warren say that she was a socialite?
But there was no way Mr. Hunt would acknowledge a socialite as his girlfriend in public!
He had been tricked!
By the time he reacted, the security guards were already dragging him out after a wave from the butler.
He was utterly despondent. What was he to do? He had finally realized just what kind of mistake he had made. Besides, even he himself felt that his behavior was no different from having a death wish!
Further away, Yvonne and Rachel were dumbfounded.
The two of them had been ready for a good show just now when Nora was surrounded by the group of men, and when faint rumors of her being a socialite had been spreading.
Once a reputation like that made the rounds, Nora would pretty much be finished!
Little did they expect that Mr. Hunt would openly admit the rtionship between the two.
With that, Nora definitely wasn¡¯t a socialite anymore... Because Justin¡¯s words, as well as his taste, were the most direct evidence!
Their friends nearby were startled by the news. Then, gloating looks immediately appeared on their faces.
In fact, they couldn¡¯t even quite keep their voices low anymore.
"Nora Smith is actually Mr. Hunt¡¯s girlfriend?"
"Oh my god, what a revtion! She¡¯s beautiful enough, though!"
"I suddenly thought of something¡ªplease let Mr. Hunt subdue a vixen like Nora Smith, lest she brings harm to other people¡¯s husbands!"
"... Oh my god, I also breathed a small sigh of relief. My husband was practically dazzled by Nora Smith just now! But he can only secretly fantasize about her now. Who would dare toy a hand on Mr. Hunt¡¯s girlfriend?"
"Hahaha!"
Someone nced at Yvonne.
"I already had a vague feeling that something was amiss just now. Why does it feel like Yvonne has beenpeting with Nora Smith the whole time today? As it turns out, it¡¯s because of that!"
"In other words, Yvonne has been waiting painstakingly for Mr. Hunt for over twenty years, but in the end, he doesn¡¯t want her at all?"
"I suddenly find her a little pitiful. Nora Smith has stolen all the limelight today... But this means that Mr. Hunt must have been the one who borrowed the gown for her. Nora has totally suppressed Yvonne!"
"... Shh, keep your voice down. She¡¯s heard you..."
"So what even if she hears me? She¡¯s just the Smiths¡¯ adopted daughter. Does she really think she¡¯s a real youngdy of the Smiths?"
The few of them gradually walked away. Yvonne clenched her fists tightly and tried her best to suppress her anger.
She mustn¡¯t make a faux pas under such circumstances!
She would also make up for the embarrassment she had just suffered in a while!
Rachel had also heard the few women¡¯s conversations. She looked at Yvonne but saw that she looked calm and was still smiling gently.
She couldn¡¯t help but sigh in admiration inwardly. Ms. Smith sure had outstanding mental resilience!
Why should Nora Smith get to show off so much, though?
Just as everyone was entertaining their own thoughts, Mrs. Hunt, the elderly birthday girl, finally made her appearance. She sat at a higher position and looked at everyone with a kindly look on her face.
One by one, everyone started to present her with gifts and pay herpliments.
The elders went first. Starting with Raymond, people went forward one by one to offer her their well wishes.
After the Hunts were done, it was the guests¡¯ turn.
By right, the Smiths should have been the first.
But because of Justin¡¯s official announcement, the Andersons¡¯ status had risen ordingly. In fact, he even personally led Melissa, Nora, and the others forward.
Everyone¡¯s gazes instantly fell on them.
Rachel, who was next to Yvonne, sneered at the sight. She said, "It doesn¡¯t mean a thing no matter how much Mr. Hunt favors them. Aren¡¯t they unable to present a decent birthday gift all the same?"
Chapter 274: Zabe Corporation’s Calming Pill!
Chapter 274: Zabe Corporation¡¯s Calming Pill!
The juniors¡¯ gifts were all in her hands. Therger ones were already ced beside, and the smaller ones were sent to the gift section after their congrattions.
During the gift-giving process, Mrs. Hunt would keep what she liked.
For example, she liked a longevity painting very much and could not bear to let it go.
Someone asked, "Mrs. Hunt, who gave this to you? Why do you like it so much?"
Mrs. Hunt smiled and nced at Nora.
When she was upstairs earlier, she had witnessed everything downstairs and also saw Justin expose their identities to save her face.
She felt even more unhappy. At this moment, she lowered her eyes and said very seriously, "My great-grandson Peter Hunt drew it!"
Peter Hunt...
This was the first time this name had appeared in front of the public!
At first, no one realized who it was, but Mrs. Hunt continued to exin. "He¡¯s Justin¡¯s son!"
Son!
It turned out that many years ago, Justin¡¯s illegitimate child was a son!
Over the years, that child had been a secret and had been protected very well by Justin. The others did not even know if he was a man or a woman.
However, at this moment, Mrs. Hunt had given everyone the evidence!
She was giving Pete a lot of face.
Of course, this behavior was to reassure everyone.
She wanted everyone to know that Young Master Pete¡¯s status would not change just because Mr. Hunt had a girlfriend... Before this, Pete had never appeared in front of everyone!
Of course, he had not appeared yet, but at least his name had already spread among the high society.
When everyone heard this, they all looked at Justin and Nora.
Mrs. Hunt¡¯s intentions were too obvious. Everyone understood. They originally thought that Nora would look a little ugly, but the two of them actually had an indifferent attitude.
Justin was a man. As long as the future heir was his son, he could do whatever he wanted. However, Nora did not care at all?
After everyone had looked at her highly, they could not help but look down on her now.
Rachel smiled as well and said to Yvonne, "Did you see that? Mrs. Hunt is warning her publicly. She¡¯s telling Nora to be obedient!"
Yvonne lowered his eyes and did not speak.
However, Rachel became smug. "So what if she¡¯s with Mr. Hunt? She still doesn¡¯t have any status in the family!"
As she spoke, Justin led Melissa to Mrs. Hunt.
Rachel instantly became even more excited. "The Andersons are in dire straits now. Their family can¡¯t even afford a decent gift, right?"
As she thought about this, she heard Melissa say, "Mrs. Hunt, today is your birthday. The Andersons wish you good fortune and longevity."
After saying this briefly and elegantly, she said, "We have prepared a small gift here. I hope you¡¯ll like it."
After saying that, she looked at Nora.
Nora raised her eyebrows and handed her a box of pills.
Mrs. Lewis took a step forward first. She was very respectful in front of Justin and everyone else. After all, she could not lose the Hunt family¡¯s face.
The others saw the iron box without abel. Nora originally wanted to use a paper box, but Melissa felt that it looked too ridiculous. Therefore, she had changed to the iron box. However, even so, it was still too shabby in the eyes of outsiders.
Rachel could not help butugh mockingly.
Herughter attracted the attention of the others. Everyone asked, "What are youughing at?"
Rachel lowered her head. "The Andersons manufacture the Carefree Pill. So this must be a box of Carefree Pill, right? I heard that the price of Carefree Pill on the market is $3,000. This box should have 50 pills, right?"
50 pills meant $150,000.
In an ordinary family, this was definitely a huge gift.
However, in the Hunts... especially when Justin had just announced their identities, Nora¡¯s gift should be more valuable.
But it was only worth $150,000?
The rest of the people¡¯s expressions becameplicated as they whispered to each other and chuckled. However, they did not dare to say anything on the surface. Someone elseplimented, "50 Carefree Pill? That¡¯s too impressive. If you want to buy this pill, you have to have your identity card. Everyone is only allowed to buy one every month. As expected of the Andersons, you can buy 50 pills at once."
This ttery was too dry.
Mrs. Hunt became even angrier.
She lowered her eyes and still had a gentle smile on her face. She said, "Mrs. Anderson, you¡¯re too polite. At my age, it¡¯s indeed better to give me pills than anything else..."
Although she said that, when Mrs. Lewis handed her the box of pills, she ced it casually beside her and did not bother to open it.
When Melissa saw this situation, she did not say anything.
Under such circumstances, she couldn¡¯t possibly praise herself for being good with her pills, right?
If Mrs. Hunt did not open the box and did not ask, she would not be able to answer anything. She simply smiled and brought Sheril and Nora to the side.
After they left, it was the Smiths¡¯ turn.
Hearing the butler call out, Warren represented the Smiths and led Yvonne forward.
After saying a few polite words, he delivered the gift the Smiths had prepared. It was a red coral tree. It was expensive, but it matched both parties¡¯ identities and was very standard.
After Warren walked away, Yvonne stepped forward and smiled. "Grandma, I¡¯m here to wish you a happy birthday!"
Seeing her, Mrs. Hunt immediately smiled. "Miss Smith, you¡¯re here too?"
Yvonne nodded and took out a carefully packaged box. "Yes, I also prepared a small gift for you."
As she spoke, she handed her the medicine box.
Mrs. Lewis took it and handed it to Mrs. Hunt.
Mrs. Hunt smiled and opened the medicine box. "What medicine is this? It looks so good. Let me see if it¡¯s some miracle medicine!"
After she opened the box, a faint fragrance that belonged to the Calming Pill floated in the hall.
Mrs. Hunt was indeed someone who had seen the world. She immediately understood what was going on when she smelled it. She asked in surprise, "This is... the Zabe Corporation¡¯s Calming Pill?"
Her words immediately surprised the guests below. Everyone eximed, "The Zabe Corporation¡¯s Calming Pill? Wasn¡¯t the production stopped?"
"I heard that up until now, only the heir of the Zabes, Silvester Zabe, could create something like this. But this skill ends with him! Did the Smiths invite Dr. Zabe to make the pills? That¡¯s too awesome!"
"As expected of the Smiths. Only their family can have so much manpower, resources, and financial power!"
"..."
When the praises from the surrounding people reached Yvonne¡¯s ears, she said "humbly", "I¡¯m considered to have made a big move in front of everyone. The Andersons are the real pharmaceutical experts. Compared to their pills, what¡¯s mine?"
Chapter 275: Ian Is Here!
Chapter 275: Ian Is Here!
Although she said that, she instantly focused the conflict on the Andersons and Nora.
Melissa¡¯s brows knitted together.
The othersughed as well. Someone even said, "Although the Andersons are pharmaceutical experts, Dr. Zabe is a respected figure in the traditional medicine world. His skills have long stopped being passed on, and the Andersons can¡¯t make it! Besides, this pill is special because of the ingredients. I heard it costs millions! It even needs 500-year-old ginseng!"
"500-year-old ginseng? Isn¡¯t that too old? One ginseng can only produce one pill?"
"This is where the value of Zabe Corporation¡¯s Calming Pill lies. Logically speaking, a single ginseng should be enough to create an entire furnace worth of pills. However, this medicine is extremely difficult to form. Dr. Zabe created a furnace-full of pills a few years ago, and indeed, only one seeded. Therefore, although this medicine is useful for calming the mind, even people like us really can¡¯t afford it!"
"The Smiths are indeed powerful! Yvonne, this gift is to touch Mrs. Hunt¡¯s heart, right? From the looks of it, Nora can¡¯tpare to Yvonne. Why is Mr. Hunt interested in Nora Smith?"
"...Nora is good-looking! Aren¡¯t men all about looks?"
"..."
As everyone was discussing in private, Mrs. Hunt and Mrs. Lewis looked at each other.
Yvonne¡¯s words had thrown the topic to the Andersons. Although Mrs. Hunt did not like Nora, she still knew her limits under such circumstances!
She did not follow Yvonne¡¯s words and smiled. "Miss Smith, thank you!"
However, she did not say this to the Andersons. It was obvious that she did not take a liking to the Andersons¡¯ pills.
Yvonne¡¯s eyes flickered as she smiled and did not speak again.
When she turned to leave, Rachel saw that Yvonne did not seize such a good opportunity. She could not help but call out for her, "Mrs. Hunt, show us the pills the Andersons gave you! Are they Carefree Pills?"
Everyone looked at Mrs. Hunt.
Mrs. Hunt¡¯s expression turned even uglier.
She nced at Nora and saw that the girl¡¯s eyes were lowered and her eyelids were drooping. She seemed to not understand the atmosphere at all and had an indifferent attitude.
Her expression made Mrs. Hunt even angrier.
How stupid was she? She could not even hear such provocative words!
Mrs. Hunt looked at Melissa again. The moment their eyes met, Melissa understood what she meant.
After some thought, she shook her head gently.
Mrs. Hunt understood what she meant. She sneered in her heart and looked down on them. However, she smiled and said, "This is medicine for me to take, why should I show it to you young people? Mrs. Lewis, send the medicine to the room!"
Hearing this, Mrs. Lewis instantly nodded. She took Nora¡¯s medicine and Yvonnes medicine and turned to walk upstairs.
In the crowd.
Sheril looked at Melissa in confusion and asked, "Mom, why didn¡¯t you let Mrs. Hunt open the pills we gave her? This way, we could ruthlessly p those people who look down on us!"
Melissa stood there steadily. She smiled and said gently, "First of all, your Sister Nora might not want anyone to know that she can create this pill. Otherwise, there will be a lot of trouble in the future. Secondly, we don¡¯t have any enmity with the Smiths. There¡¯s no need to make things difficult for Yvonne."
She educated Sheril. "Sometimes, unnecessaryparisons only make people more and more concerned about other people¡¯s opinions. We don¡¯t live for other people¡¯s opinions. We live for ourselves."
Sheril was stunned when she heard Melissa¡¯s words.
Her mother had always had a proud and self-righteous aura. She never cared about others¡¯ opinions and lived like herself.
She herself had never reached this level before.
Just as she was thinking about it, she heard Nora say, "Aunt is right."
Sheril suddenly felt that her thoughts were too immature. Did even Sister Nora think that way?
As she was thinking, she heard Nora say slowly, "It¡¯ll be too troublesome if someone finds out."
For the sake of making medicine, she had not slept for two days!
What if people found out that she knew how to make drugs and came looking for her in the future?
Sheril: !!!
She knew that Sister Nora¡¯s thoughts were different.
She winced.
The rest of the people continued to send gifts, but Nora already felt a little hungry. She simply took Cherry and walked to the dessert area beside them.
When she got there, she casually took a fork and was about to pick up a piece of cake when another fork reached over. Their forks met in the air.
Nora looked up and saw a woman in her 30s looking at her.
Nora raised her eyebrows and retracted her fork. She grabbed the cake beside her.
Just as she was about to leave, the woman suddenly said, "You¡¯re Cherry¡¯s mother, right?"
Nora: "?"
The woman smiled. "I¡¯m Brandon¡¯s mother! Brandon always talks about his boss at home. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you!"
Nora: "...Hello."
Brandon¡¯s mother, Maureen, who was also Warren¡¯s wife, was a straightforward woman. Her husband doted on his little sister, but as his wife, she could not say a word.
At home, Yvonne would definitely want the best and eat the most exquisite food.
This made her feel a little ufortable.
Others might not be able to tell, but she could. Yvonne wanted the best because she felt that she was not Ian¡¯s biological daughter. If she could not get the best, wouldn¡¯t she be looked down on?
However, they were both women. She was also someone else¡¯s daughter who had been pampered since she was young. Why should she let her have her way?
Therefore, over the years, she had developed a huge grudge against Yvonne.
Just like earlier, when she was eating a piece of cake, she had picked the one with the best design. She did not expect to bump into Nora.
She originally nned to move aside subconsciously. After all, Nora was Justin¡¯s girlfriend. There was no need to offend her.
However, she did not expect Nora to take the initiative to pick a piece of cake at the side.
It was this humble gesture that made her instantly have a good impression of her. She was about to say something more to Nora when her phone suddenly rang.
She lowered her head to take a look and said, "Cherry¡¯s mother, my eldest brother is here with Third Uncle. I¡¯ll pick him up. Let¡¯s have a good chat another day!"
With that, she left, leaving Nora confused.
At the door.
Ian¡¯s body was weak and he could no longer walk for long. He sat in a wheelchair and was pushed into the banquet hall by Joel.
After entering, he looked up, his eyes searching for that person eagerly.
He wanted to see what she looked like. Did she look more like her mother?
Chapter 276: Rich Grandpa~
Chapter 276: Rich Grandpa~
Although he had seen her appearance on camera during the live broadcastst time, there was still a difference between video and reality.
Ever since he found out about the DNA test results, he had been hiding in the hospital like a deserter because he could not face it.
However, when he arrived at the scene, he realized that he actually wanted to see her. He wanted to see Yvette from more than twenty years ago through her.
There were many people in the banquet hall... and as soon as the two of them entered, the Hunts noticed them.
Ian was definitely an elder worthy of respect, so the butler immediately informed Justin...
At this moment, Justin was walking to the dessert area. He found Nora and spoke to her in a low voice. "I¡¯ve already investigated those people just now. Sure enough, someone is causing trouble."
Nora ate the desserts in one bite and filled her stomach.
She liked to eat big bites to save time. She was not picky about the cake¡¯s appearance earlier because what it looked like did not matter to her at all. She only cared about the taste.
After eating it, her lips were stained with cream.
When Justin saw this, his eyes darkened.
He pointed to her mouth and said, "There¡¯s cream here."
Nora raised her eyebrows and wiped her mouth in the direction he pointed. However, Justin was referring to her right side. When it came to her, it became the left side.
She did not know that the cream on the right side of her mouth was still there.
Justin pointed again, and Nora wiped it again hesitantly.
Was it still there?
How big could her mouth be?!
Just as Nora was hesitating, Justin reached out helplessly and ced his hand on her lips.
Perhaps because he practiced martial arts often, but his fingers were thin and calloused. When his warm hand touched her slightly cold lips, Nora¡¯s body froze slightly.
She felt the man¡¯s fingers knead her lips. The strength and warmth made her feel as if she had been aroused.
It was as if a feather had gently glided across her heart. It was as if she had been electrocuted...
This made her mouth feel a little dry. The man retracted his hand as if nothing had happened and raised it in front of her. "Nora, I didn¡¯t mean to take advantage of you."
His fingers were very clean. There were no traces of cream at all.
Nora: "..."
Just as she was about to say something, the man retracted his fingers and said with a dark gaze, "Those people were bewitched by Warren. Initially, I wanted to settle scores with him directly, but because of your special rtionship with the Smiths... I wanted to ask you how to handle this matter."
Special rtionship?
Nora was stunned. What special rtionship?
As she was hesitating, she heard Justin say, "I saw that you seemed to be chatting with his wife. Did she apologize to you?"
His wife?
Nora¡¯s thoughts had already shifted with Justin¡¯s words. How could she still care about those fingers unstained with cream?
After a moment of silence, she finally understood. "You¡¯re saying that Maureen is Brandon¡¯s mother, and Warren is Brandon¡¯s father?"
Justin nodded.
Nora hesitated.
Although she did not know why Warren had hired someone to nder her reputation, his wife was quite cute and a little familiar. Furthermore, his son seemed to be Cherry¡¯s little follower.
She nodded slowly. "Forget it."
Anyway, that matter did not affect her much. However, as a safety precaution, she said, "Leave evidence. If he still dares to attack, I¡¯ll destroy him with one hit!"
Nora could not be bothered to fight with others.
Such a small conspiracy was nothing to her. If she had the time and energy, she might as well sleep!
If that person was really annoying, she would settle him at once.
Justin clearly agreed with her words. He nodded and said, "I think so. Since you say so, I¡¯ll get that man to leave a statement and video. If Warren dares to y any tricks again, I¡¯ll directly get Joel to deal with him!"
"Yeah."
After Nora answered, she walked to the cake section beside her and picked up another small cake.
She felt that this design was very good. She ate one cake with one bite at a time, making her feel extremelyfortable.
Justin looked at ady standing not far from her. She was holding a te and fork and eating them bit by bit. Then, she looked at Nora... She was too cute!
He chuckled and pointed at the ck forest cake beside him. "This cake is not bad."
Cherry stood beside him. "Daddy, I want to eat the mousse cake!"
"Sure."
Justin bent down, picked Cherry up, and walked to the side.
Cherry¡¯s mask only covered half of her face, and the bottom half was exposed. It did not affect her eating.
After taking two bites, she sighed again.
Justin asked, "What¡¯s wrong?"
Cherry looked at Nora grudgingly. "Mommy, have you not found my Sponsor Grandpa yet?"
Nora, who was eating cake, was speechless.
She froze for a moment before nodding confidently. "Yes, I forgot."
Cherry: "!!"
The sparks on her and her Sponsor Grandpa had already been extinguished. There was still no news of her Sponsor Grandpa. She did not know how he was doing either.
On the other hand, Justin was a little jealous. "Why are you looking for your Sponsor Grandpa? What do you want? Daddy will buy it for you."
Cherry: "...Daddy, you don¡¯t understand!"
It was not easy to find someone who could maintain sparks. How could she give up so easily?
Justin was stunned. He suddenly felt sad. His daughter had grown up and had other thoughts!
He still wanted to say something when the butler came in front of him. "Sir, Mr. Ian Smith is here."
Ian...
Justin nced at Nora and said, "I¡¯ll go over and take a look."
Nora nodded. "Alright, you go."
After taking two more steps, Justin suddenly turned back to look at her. Indeed, he saw the woman looking at the door curiously, seemingly quite interested.
He thought about it and turned back. "Want toe with me?" he asked.
Nora thought for a moment and nodded. "Okay."
She put down the cake te and held Cherry¡¯s hand.
Justin instructed, "When you see him, you have to call him Grandpa politely. You can also call him Grandfather..."
Just as he was debating whether to call him "Grandpa" or "Grandfather," Cherry pursed her lips. "I don¡¯t want to call anyone else "Grandpa". I just want to call my Sponsor Grandpa!"
"..."
Nora became a little curious.
She really wanted to know what kind of person could not forget her mother for 25 years! Moreover, she heard that he was not in good health?
Chapter 277: Meeting Each Other
Chapter 277: Meeting Each Other
Warren¡¯s appearance caused the banquet to have another small climax.
After all, this person had been living in seclusion for more than ten years. However, the fear of being dominated by him in the business world still remained in the hearts of the big shots.
Everyone greeted him respectfully. Only when they saw Justin bringing his official girlfriend over did everyone make way for him.
In the distance.
Yvonne was stunned when she heard that her father was there.
Rachel eximed, "Miss Smith, did your fathere here for you?"
Yvonne was unsure.
However, Rachel became determined. "The Hunts have let you down. Mr. Hunt had just announced his girlfriend, but your father dragged himself over despite his illness. He must be here to help you get justice!"
When Yvonne heard this, her eyes lit up.
She quickly walked to the entrance and bumped into Warren on the way.
Warren said, "Little Sister, I couldn¡¯t help you vent your anger earlier. I¡¯ll help you vent itter! I¡¯m famous for being protective! I¡¯ll definitely protect you in this matter!"
However, Yvonne bit her lips and did not have much hope.
Ian was famous for being protective, but Justin had already dered a few years ago that he would not marry her. Ian knew about this, so he had no reason toe and seek justice for her.
Then why did Dad suddenlye here?
She did not have time to think about it. She walked over and stood behind Ian. She took over the wheelchair from the servant very naturally and called out, "Dad."
Ian nodded at her.
He had done all he could for this adopted daughter of his, but perhaps it was Yvette¡¯s betrayal back then that made him very indifferent to favors.
Not to mention Yvonne, he didn¡¯t even want to bother with his nephews at home. Even Joel was used to his cold demeanor.
Yvonne¡¯s heart sank. She felt that Ian was not here to give her face in public.
At this moment, a voice came from the crowd. "Mr. Hunt is here!"
The people who were originally surrounding Ian instantly opened up a path. Justin walked over slowly with Nora and Nora¡¯s little masked daughter.
The current heads of the two aristocratic families in New York were all here. Although Ian was old and sitting in a wheelchair, his aura was still powerful.
Not to mention Justin and Joel, who were like the midday sun. One of the two men was cold, and the other was a wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing. However, both of them were important figures who could make one¡¯s expression change.
Therefore, the people around them gradually fell silent and listened to their small talk.
Nora did not notice the expressions around her. At that moment, all her attention was snatched away by Ian.
He was sitting in a wheelchair. His face was thin, and there were wrinkles at the corners of his eyes because he was too thin. One could tell his age, but his deep eyes and sharp facial features still exuded a mature charm and handsomeness.
Furthermore, in Nora¡¯s eyes, through his eyes and brows, he had even restored his appearance from when he was young. He had thick eyebrows and big eyes. Under his double eyelids, his deep eyes were not inferior to any male celebrity now!
He might not even be inferior to Justin and Joel in terms of looks!
He was a handsome man.
Tsk.
Mother was so lucky!
Nora raised her eyebrows and sighed in her heart. She saw that Ian¡¯s gaze only swept past Justin gently before stopping on her.
His eyes were sizing her up, and his gaze was deep. If it was an ordinary person, they would probably be frightened by his gaze. However, Nora just stood there quietly and did not say a word. It was as if Ian was not even looking at her.
She had a strong mental fortitude.
She was indeed a Smith
A hint of admiration shed past Ian¡¯s eyes. When he saw her again, the hostility he had toward her earlier had unknowingly dissipated a little.
He was about to retract his gaze when Justin stepped forward and blocked Nora.
Ian: "?"
Only then did he raise his eyebrows and look at Justin.
When he saw Justin previously, he always felt that this junior was not bad. He and Joel were indeed the most outstanding people in their generation and were much stronger than his own generation back then.
He did not expect him to be so protective of a woman.
He appreciated that.
Justin said politely, "Uncle Ian, I didn¡¯t expect you toe personally."
Ian lowered his eyes and said calmly, "It¡¯s Mrs. Hunt¡¯s birthday, how could I note?"
After saying that, he looked behind him. "Aren¡¯t you going to introduce us?"
Only then did Justin move aside. He gestured towards Nora and said, "This is my girlfriend, Miss Nora Smith."
After saying that, he introduced him to Nora. "This is Mr. Ian Smith. You can follow me and call him... Uncle Ian."
With that, Justin¡¯s eyes shed and he looked at Ian again.
Back then, after Nora had pointed out that she was not Henry¡¯s daughter, he had found someone to punish Henry and take revenge on him for abandoning his son and burying him alive.
After all, he had not made a move previously on the ount that Henry was Pete¡¯s biological grandfather. However, once he knew that the two of them were not rtives and that they were no longer tied together, he no longer had any qualms.
After that, he began to suspect that Nora¡¯s biological father was Ian.
First of all, the love story between Yvette and Ian back then had spread throughout the entire New York. He did not believe that a person¡¯s heart would change just because they said so.
Secondly, Nora¡¯s surname was Smith. Wasn¡¯t this enough to prove something?
Next, the people he had sent to protect Nora said that someone had pulled her hair, but Ian had stopped them and taken them away.
Justin could not get them back.
At that time, he knew that Ian must have gotten someone to do a DNA test!
However, he could not understand what was going to happen next.
For families like them, it would only take a few hours to get a quick DNA test report. However, the Smiths had not taken any action after that. They only let Quentin follow Nora secretly. First, it was to monitor her, and second, it was to protect her.
Therefore, he was confused.
What was the result of the DNA report?
Was Ian Nora¡¯s father?
Therefore, he hesitated when introducing him. He did not know if letting Nora call him Uncle Ian was right or wrong.
Just as he was feeling conflicted, Ian looked at Nora confidently. "Justin, may I have a private chat with Miss Smith?"
Private chat?
Justin¡¯s eyes narrowed.
Ian¡¯s attitude was too unpredictable.
If she was his daughter, he would havee to acknowledge her a long time ago. But if she was not, would he make a move on her when love turns to hatred?
As he was thinking about Nora¡¯s safety, Nora said, "Okay."
She took a few steps to the side.
Yvonne pushed Ian and wanted to follow. However, before she could push the wheelchair, she heard Ian instruct her, "Stay here and let Miss Smith push me over."
Chapter 278: Illegitimate Daughter?
Chapter 278: Illegitimate Daughter?
Yvonne was slightly stunned. She watched as Nora raised her eyebrows and walked over to push his wheelchair to the balcony. An inexplicable sense of danger enveloped Yvonne¡¯s entire body.
It was as if this woman would slowly snatch everything away from her in the future!
Ian had always ignored others. Even his attitude toward her had always been very cold. But now, he actually wanted to talk to Nora alone!
While she was hesitating, Warren walked over and said gloatingly, "See, Uncle Ian must want to chat with her to make her leave Justin! I really want to see the situation in an idol drama. Uncle Ian will probably throw a cheque at her and domineeringly order her to leave him!"
Yvonne was speechless.
Maureen: "..."
Maureen couldn¡¯t help but grab Warren¡¯s ear. "Do you think you¡¯re living in a novel? Let me tell you, Miss Smith is Cherry¡¯s mother. You¡¯re not allowed to target her!"
When Rachel heard Warren¡¯s words, she smiled and said, "Miss Smith, I really envy you. Even if you¡¯re not his biological daughter, Mr. Smith is still willing to stand up for you. But my father..."
At this point, her expression turned ferocious. "He only knows to scold me every day. Nothing I do is right. Aunt is always right! Am I even his biological daughter?"
Yvonne was speechless.
This Rachel was too annoying!
She took a deep breath and suppressed the anger in her heart. She smiled and said, "Every father has a different personality."
Rachel nodded. "My father only knows how to scold me!"
Yvonne lowered her head when she heard this.
She had never been scolded since she was young, but actually, she also wanted to be scolded by her father.
Yvonne¡¯s eyes flickered. "Actually, you should have learned from Nora. After all, she has already be Mr. Hunt¡¯s girlfriend. Your father said that about you for your own good."
Rachel was exasperated by her words. "Why do you say that, too? What¡¯s so good about her?"
¡ª
On the balcony.
After Nora pushed Ian over, she closed the sliding door on the balcony. After blocking out the noise in the hall, only the sound of cars honking could be heard from the balcony.
She looked at him and saw that he did not seem to have any intention of speaking. She coughed and said, "What are you nning to say, Mr. Smith?"
Ian was silent for a long time before he suddenly asked, "Did your mother say anything before she passed away?"
Nora: "..."
Ian had called her over so openly just to ask this question?
He wanted to know if her mother had left any words for him before she died.
What did he want her mother to say? That she regretted it? That she loved him? Or something else?
Sensing that she did not speak for a long time, Ianughed dryly and said, "What was I thinking? You were only half a year old when she passed away. How could you know?"
Nora: "..."
He has already answered his own question. Why does he still want her to answer?
She did not say anything else and waited for him to ask her to bring him back.
However, after a moment of hesitation, Ian said, "You can go back first."
Nora: "??"
She nodded and opened the sliding door, returning to the hall.
Looking at her back, Ian was silent for a long time.
He felt like he was looking at Yvette from more than twenty years ago.
Not only did the mother and daughter look alike, but their temperaments were also simr. They were the kind of people who did whatever they wanted and did not care about how others looked at them.
Back then, Yvette had offended many people because of this personality.
She had be the public enemy of many women.
However, she never cared about what others said about her behind her back. The words she often said were: "Will I lose a pound of flesh if they say a few words about me? Since I won¡¯t, why should I care?"
"They¡¯re talking about me behind my back because they¡¯re jealous of me."
"It¡¯s all my fault for being so outstanding that I became the topic of conversation. Sigh, I, with my beauty and intelligence coexisting together am simply too perfect. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s only because I¡¯m too impressive!"
"..."
She was narcissistic and mockingly snobbish.
However, the mother and daughter were different.
Yvette was a talkative woman, and although she looked very graceful, that image was broken once she spoke. On the other hand, Nora was very quiet. It was as if she could not even bring herself to talk.
Ian was immersed in his own thoughts and could not extricate himself.
¡ª
When Nora walked out of the balcony, Yvonne caught her immediately.
Seeing her calm expression, Ian did not seem to have said anything overboard.
That made sense. No matter how much money her father gave her, was it worth as much as the Hunt Corporation?
Any woman would choose Justin.
She lowered her gaze, her eyes glinting.
Nora yawned. Just as she was about to look for Cherry, she turned around and identally bumped into someone. She looked over and saw a familiar face. It was Rachel.
Nora was stunned. She subconsciously said, "I¡¯m sorry."
When she said this, her tone was cold and arrogant.
With that, she lowered her head slightly and nned to walk around Rachel. However, after taking two steps, she was stopped by the other party. "You bumped into me. Is it over just by apologizing?"
Nora: "?"
She was a little confused for a moment as her lips curled into a mocking smile. "Should I kneel and beg for mercy?"
It was just a bump. It did not hurt her... Nora really did not know how to apologize.
Rachel was furious. "What kind of attitude is that?"
Nora: "..."
What was wrong with her attitude?
She was about to say something when Yvonne grabbed Rachel and smiled apologetically at Nora. "Miss Smith, it¡¯s nothing."
After saying that, she whispered to Rachel, "Rachel, take it easy. She¡¯s Mr. Hunt¡¯s girlfriend. Under such circumstances, don¡¯t be so rude to her!"
Rachel instantly exploded.
When she was at home, her father would often scold her, saying that she was wrong in this and was not good at that. He would say she could notpare to Nora and even asked her to contact Nora more often when she was free.
Yeah right!
Nora was a country bumpkin from the countryside. Why should she curry favors with her?
That was why she looked for Yvonne. In the entire New York, other than Miss Hunt, who had studied abroad, Yvonne was probably the most respected.
But why was even Yvonne afraid of Nora now?
Rachel panicked and pushed Yvonne away. "What are you afraid of? She¡¯s just an illegitimate daughter. How can shepare to you?"
Yvonne panicked. "Don¡¯t talk nonsense..."
At this moment, Rachel spoke without thinking. Her voice instantly rose. "How am I talking nonsense? Am I wrong? Didn¡¯t you see it during thest live broadcast? Her father isn¡¯t even her biological father! Her mother was pregnant before she even got married. She got her father to be a spare tire and take over!"
At this moment, Ian turned his head when he heard this.
Chapter 279: Who Said She Didn’t Have a Strong Family?
Chapter 279: Who Said She Didn¡¯t Have a Strong Family?
Rachel¡¯s voice was so loud that everyone in the banquet hall looked over.
Justin had been paying attention to Nora¡¯s situation, so he caught the argument immediately and hurriedly walked over.
Nora had already narrowed her almond-shaped eyes. Her cold eyes were filled with anger. "What did you say?"
Although she had never experienced motherly love, her mother had given her life, and she would not allow anyone to insult her mother.
Rachel¡¯s voice spread clearly throughout the entire venue. "Why? She has always been an unclean person. Why can¡¯t she be told off? Back then, everyone knew that she betrayed Mr. Smith and eloped with someone else! I guess the other party didn¡¯t want her anymore, right? That¡¯s why she found such a money-loving person to be her scapegoat."
"As the saying goes, if the upper beam is not straight, the lower beam will be crooked. Your mother was pregnant before marriage, and so were you. Didn¡¯t she also have a daughter with another hooligan? But you¡¯re better than your mother. At the very least, your designated driver to be the spare tire is Mr. Hunt!"
"At the end of the day, you¡¯re just an illegitimate daughter who doesn¡¯t even know who her biological father is. You¡¯re just like your daughter. Why? I¡¯m afraid your daughter will also be a beauty when she grows up, right? When the timees, will she also have to find someone to get pregnant before she gets married? I just don¡¯t know if there will be a good match like Mr. Hunt then!"
Nora clenched her hands into fists.
Her anger rose as she took a step forward, preparing to beat her up.
In the distance, Justin had already arrived in front of her. His expression became even uglier, and he looked like he wanted to kill someone.
However, before the two of them could make a move, Farrell had already rushed over and pped Rachel¡¯s face. "Shut up!"
Rachel was stunned by this p and fell to the ground.
When Miranda saw this, she went mad as well. She rushed forward and hugged Rachel. "Farrell, what are you doing?!"
Farrell was furious. He pointed at her with trembling hands. "Move aside. I¡¯m going to break her mouth today!"
There were two reasons why he was so agitated.
First, he was really angry. He did not expect his daughter to have already reached this stage. In this kind of situation, she kept talking about Nora being an illegitimate daughter and Mr. Hunt being a spare tire. She was simply speaking dirty words and had lost all face for the Woods. Secondly, he could already see Mr. Hunt walking over with an angry expression. If he did not make a move, Mr. Hunt would probably make Rachel suffer even more!
Rachel had done something wrong. She should be educated and beaten when necessary. However, she was still his daughter. He still wanted to give her a way out.
That was why he had hit her personally.
Indeed, after he made his move, Nora and Justin both stopped in their tracks and did note forward.
Unfortunately, the current Rachel did not understand his intentions at all. Instead, she covered her face and roared, "You hit me? You actually hit me because of her! Dad, tell me, what kind of bewitching potion did she give you to make you protect her so much? Is it because she¡¯s good-looking?"
Farrell was already stunned.
He did not expect his daughter to go so overboard with her words. How did he educate her all these years to make her say such shrewish words?!
His hands trembled. "Your... your aunt has never said such ugly words in her life!"
Rachel sensed his anger and was so frightened that she did not dare to speak.
However, Miranda was furious. "Her aunt, her aunt... Your heart is biased toward Melissa, right? In that case, why don¡¯t you live with your sister? Why do you want to live with us?! I¡¯ve never seen such good siblings! Where¡¯s Melissa? Come out. I want to ask you what your rtionship with your brother is. What kind of family is the Andersons?!"
Farrell: "!!!"
Melissa, who was rushing over, was speechless.
Melissa¡¯s eyes were red from anger. She pointed at her with trembling hands and screamed, "Sister-inw!!"
How could she nder her in public!
It had to be known that no one wanted to believe the truth. Everyone was willing to believe in explosive topics.
Even if she had a clear conscience, Miranda¡¯s words would be a topic for everyone to talk about after meals!
She, Melissa, had always been noble and pure. Ever since her eldest sister-inw had entered the family, she realized that Miranda hated her. Hence, she rarely returned to her mother¡¯s house. In the past twenty years, she had only met Farrell a little more than twenty times!
Not to mention being intimate, even the rtionship between ordinary siblings was not as bad.
When she was young, her mother often said that when a girl got married, she would have no home. At that time, she did not believe it, butter on, she really did.
How did Sister-inwe up with such a lie?!
Farrell¡¯s body swayed as he stared at Miranda and Rachel. This pair of mother and daughter usually curried favor and ttered him, but he had never seen their ugly faces before.
Just a moment ago, in order to save his daughter, he had risked offending Mr. Hunt. But now... he felt that everything that had just happened was ridiculous.
Children were indeed here to collect debts!
Farrell looked at Justin and cupped his hands in apology. "Mr. Hunt, I¡¯m sorry to have disturbed your birthday banquet. I¡¯ll take the two of them back first and visit you another day to apologize! I¡¯ll definitely give you a satisfactory answer!"
Justin pursed his lips tightly.
Farrell was Melissa¡¯s elder brother, and Melissa was Nora¡¯s aunt. Nora had always been very respectful to this aunt.
Therefore, he could not go overboard.
He nodded lightly. "Please do as you wish, Uncle Farrell. However, Miss Wood¡¯s upbringing is indeed worrying. A kind father will often spoil his children. Uncle Farrell, you should understand this logic."
Farrell nodded. "I understand. When we get back, I¡¯ll send Rachel overseas and never let her return!"
He would never let here back...
Rachel¡¯s pupils shrank as she screamed, "Dad, you can¡¯t do this to me. You can¡¯t..."
Unfortunately, Farrell had already grabbed her hand and called for the Wood family¡¯s bodyguards to drag her and Miranda out.
Rachel knew that it was hopeless.
She was done for.
When she was dragged past Nora, she suddenlyughed out loud. "Nora, aren¡¯t you very proud to see me like this? But don¡¯t forget! Even if I go overseas, I¡¯m still the eldest daughter of the Woods. On the other hand, you don¡¯t even know who your biological father is. You¡¯re just an illegitimate child! With your status, you¡¯re not worthy of the Hunts at all! Without a strong family to support you, you¡¯ll be hated by the Hunts sooner orter and will be divorced!"
At this moment, the entire hall was silent as her voice resounded in everyone¡¯s ears.
Everyone looked at Nora.
Yes, she was from a small family. Could she reallyst long with Mr. Hunt?
At this moment, Ian, who had been sitting at the side, said, "Who said she doesn¡¯t have a strong family?"
Chapter 280: She’s A Daughter of The Smiths!
Chapter 280: She¡¯s A Daughter of The Smiths!
Ian¡¯s voice was very low, but his dispassionate words reached everyone¡¯s ears clearly.
The entire hall suddenly quietened again.
Everyone looked at Ian incredulously, only to see him pushing his wheelchair forward slowly until he reached the few of them.
Upstairs.
An anxious Mrs. Hunt was going down the stairs. As she did, sheined to Mrs. Lewis, "I knew Justin¡¯s girlfriend would be terrible. People from poor, humble families just aren¡¯t presentable enough. Look at that outrageous scene they made!
"Why can¡¯t she even get along with her cousin? It¡¯s to the extent that she would even embarrass her like that in public!
"Look at how cultivated and refined Ms. Smith is instead. None of the girls in the hall can say she¡¯s not good enough. Whether it¡¯s because they fear the Smiths or because of Ms. Smith¡¯s personal charm, this is undeniably what she¡¯s capable of! If only Justin were getting engaged with a youngdy of the Smiths instead! I won¡¯t even ask for her to be rted by blood anymore. Yvonne Smith would do just fine!"
Mrs. Hunt went on and on. "Look at how I have to mediate for her despite how much I dislike her. What else can I do when Justin has already acknowledged her status?! Her embarrassing herself is equivalent to embarrassing Justin, which is equivalent to embarrassing the Hunts!"
Mrs. Lewis held Mrs. Hunt¡¯s arm and said, "Slow down a little. I told you to take the elevator, but you simply refused to. Can you go down the stairs with your knees like that?"
Mrs. Hunt replied huffily, "Considering the situation in the hall, it¡¯ll take even longer for me to reach if I take the elevator!"
The out-of-breath woman reached the lower floor just in time to hear Rachel saying, "Without a strong family to support you, you¡¯ll be hated by the Hunts sooner orter and will be divorced!"
She panicked at once. She was about to speak when she heard Ian¡¯sment.
Mrs. Hunt was stunned.
Justin looked at Nora¡ªalthough her brows were raised slightly, and she was a little surprised, she didn¡¯t look greatly astonished. He knew right away that she must already have guessed something a long time ago.
Nora had already given it a lot of thought.
After realizing that Henry Smith was not her real father, she had started to wonder why her mother had picked him out of all the ordinary men out there.
After she came to New York, she hade to understand the way her mother did things. She was likely someone not to be trifled with, in which case, she would definitely know what kind of person Henry was.
Therefore, her mother must have had her reasons for picking him.
She had thought about it over and over and even gone through all the events from back then. The Henry of that time couldn¡¯t get any more ordinary than what he had been.
If there was anything unusual about him, it was the fact that hisst name was Smith.
After all, there weren¡¯t that many people with thest name Smith.
Hisst name was Smith...
In that case, did that mean that her father was Ian?
She had already suspected that a long time ago, which was why she had paid special attention to Ian¡¯s condition. That was also why she had followed him when he asked her to go to the balcony with him just now. She had even nned to find an opportunity to take a DNA sample from him and get Lily to do a test.
Therefore, she wasn¡¯t very surprised when Ian said what he did.
Rachel, however, was dumbfounded. "W-what do you mean?"
Yvonne also looked at Ian in shock and astonishment. When she saw him staring at Nora, she suddenly panicked...
Ian slowly lowered his head and said dispassionately, "She is a child of the Smiths."
"..."
The whole hall was silent.
Everyone stared at Ian in disbelief. Yvonne was also astonished and bewildered. She looked at Nora, and then at Ian...
One must admit that Nora took after Yvette a great deal, but the parts that didn¡¯t did indeed resemble Ian!
Her legs went limp and she staggered.
Even Rachel was utterly stunned. "What? T-that¡¯s impossible!"
She was just a hillbilly! It was impossible for her to suddenly be Cindere!
Ian must be lying!
Warren was also dumbfounded.
He had been arguing with his wife just a moment ago.
His wife had been unhappy at him for making things difficult for Nora and had given him a warning in private, so he had been very angry. He said, "I don¡¯t care whether she did anything wrong or not. Yvonne is my sister. Am I supposed to abandon my sister and take her side instead? No way!"
Maureen was furious when she heard that. "Can you be reasonable? Besides, Yvonne is not rted to you by blood anyway. How is she even your sister?!"
Warren reprimanded her. "How can you say that? She is Uncle Ian¡¯s adopted daughter, and she grew up in the Smiths. That makes her my sister! I look only at family ties, not reason! Hmph, Nora can only me herself for not being a daughter of the Smiths!"
Maureen was so mad that she was about to go berserk.
But unexpectedly, things had suddenly taken a huge turn!
Warren was also dumbfounded. When Rachel said what she did, he subconsciously also asked, "Is Uncle Ian¡¯s illness making him muddleheaded?"
Joel¡¯s gentle but stern voice reached him. "Uncle Ian would never take matters about the Smiths¡¯ bloodline lightly. Nora does indeed have blood rtions with the Smiths! She¡¯s our cousin!"
Warren: "!!"
Everyone: "!!!"
This piece of news was simply too sensational!!
As it turned out, Yvette Anderson¡¯s daughter was actually Ian Smith¡¯s daughter?
Then why did she run away when she became pregnant?
Hadn¡¯t they been in love?
Didn¡¯t they say that Yvette had betrayed Ian?
However!
The hillbilly¡¯s sudden transformation into a youngdy of the Smiths sure was dramatic! No wonder Yvonne had stoppedpeting with her.
And no wonder Nora could catch Justin¡¯s eye!
Just as everyone was specting, Nora suddenly asked, "Why do you say that? Do you have any evidence?"
Everyone: "??"
Why did it look like Nora wasn¡¯t very happy about it?
Had they been in her shoes, they would have just acknowledged the Smiths as family first and left the talk forter! Who cared about evidence or whatnot?!
They were the Smiths!
Yet, Nora had asked about it. Joel answered seriously, "We did a DNA test."
It was just like what she had thought.
Nora thought back to the other time at the medical university when someone had tugged a few strands of hair off her head. Was he sent by the Smiths?
No... The Smiths would never send someone to kill her.
In the midst of her thoughts, Justin smiled and said, "Uncle Ian, Joel, let¡¯s go upstairs, find a quiet ce, and have a good talk. I think Nora also wants to know what exactly is going on."
It wasn¡¯t appropriate to talk about the details in public.
Joel looked at Ian. When he saw him nodding, he replied, "Okay."
Justin led the way. Nora followed beside him. Joel pushed Ian¡¯s wheelchair and followed behind them. The four of them went upstairs and entered a meeting room.
As soon as they entered, Joel took the initiative to take out the results of the DNA test they did the other time. He handed it to Nora and said, "This is the evidence."
Nora took it from him casually. She nced at Ian but didn¡¯t see any traces of joy on him. When she looked down at the report in her hand, her eyes widened in astonishment...
This... How could this be?!
Chapter 281: DNA Test Results!
Chapter 281: DNA Test Results!
Nora hadn¡¯t been surprised even when Ian said that she was a Smith, but she found herself greatly surprised in this instant.
Justin also broke into a frown when he noticed her expression. He took a step forward and looked at the DNA test result with her.
When he looked over, he also found himself stunned.
The two exchanged a look. Obviously, they hadn¡¯t expected such a result.
The DNA test was done for Nora and Ian to verify whether they were father and daughter. Neither of them was surprised to see that.
However, the results stated that the two shared a 99.8% DNA simrity. Therefore, they were scientifically recognized as uncle and niece.
DNA simrity between a father and daughter was as high as 99.99%. Nora and Ian¡¯s parent-child DNA test results were very close, yet fell outside the range. Therefore, they were ssified as uncle and niece instead.
In other words, Nora¡¯s father wasn¡¯t Ian but one of his brothers instead?
Nora¡¯s eyes widened, and she looked at Ian in disbelief. He had a very awful look on his face at the moment, and he gave off an air of despondence.
When Yvette left back then, she had told him that she didn¡¯t love him anymore. She said that she had fallen in love with someone else, and asked him to forget her.
She had left after that.
He hadn¡¯t believed her at first, but when he saw the DNA test report, he had suddenly understood something.
As it turned out, the other man had been none other than one of his brothers!
Was it also for that reason that Yvette had chosen to leave? Because she felt that she couldn¡¯t face him anymore?
If it were someone else instead, she wouldn¡¯t have run away. Neither would there be a need for her to.
Ian clenched his fists.
The feeling of being betrayed by his brother and lover at the same time made his chest rise and fall rapidly. Suddenly, his eyes closed and he lost consciousness.
"Uncle Ian!"
A shocked Joel hastily went toward him. He was about to call for help when a figure faster than he was stopped in front of him.
Nora bent over and checked Ian¡¯s condition. "He fainted because he was too agitated from pent-up anger and sadness. He¡¯s very weak now, so it¡¯s not advisable to transport him elsewhere!"
Joel frowned. "What do we do?"
Nora looked straight at Justin and said, "Get him medicine. Give him the Zabe Corporation¡¯s Calming Pill."
She had just given Mrs. Hunt a box of it. There were about 64 pills in there.
Justin immediately understood. He went out at once.
He went to Mrs. Hunt¡¯s study. As soon as he entered, Mrs. Hunt asked, "What¡¯s the matter?"
Justin didn¡¯t go into details. Instead, he simply replied, "Mr. Smith fainted because he was too agitated. Grandma, give me a Zabe Corporation¡¯s Calming Pill."
Mrs. Hunt: "!!"
Mrs. Lewis couldn¡¯t bear to part with the pill, either. She wanted to say something, but Mrs. Hunt stopped her and said, "Give it to him."
Mrs. Lewis nced at Mrs. Hunt before she finally walked over, took out the pill that Yvonne had given them, and handed it to Justin.
Justin took Yvonne¡¯s pillbox, walked out, and quickly went to the meeting room next door.
As soon as he exited the room, he saw Yvonne standing outside. She was shocked when she saw the pillbox in his hand. "What happened to Dad? Did he faint again?"
Justin nodded but said nothing.
Yvonne followed Justin into the meeting room next door.
After they entered, Justin opened the exquisite box in his hand, took out the pill, and handed it to Nora.
Nora looked at Ian and said, "Put the pill into half a ss of water and dissolve it."
Yvonne, however, panicked. She said, "Ms. Smith! That pill is very rare. It¡¯s better to consume it as is. If you dissolve it in water, its effect will be halved!"
Nora: "?"
How was the patient supposed to consume it when he had already lost consciousness?
Besides, even if its effect was halved, it would still be effective on Ian. What was that woman interfering for?
Yvonne looked at Joel. "That pill doesn¡¯te by easy, Joel. Don¡¯t let its effects go to waste!"
Joel looked at her abruptly.
His sharp eyes made Yvonne stammer as she said, "It¡¯s not like I can¡¯t bear to part with the pill. Saving Dad is what matters the most. I just wanted the pill¡¯s effects to be used to the fullest."
Joel took a deep breath and asked, "Did Dr. Zabe ever say how the pill should be consumed?"
Yvonne hastily nodded. "He did. It just needs to be put into the mouth."
Nora immediately said, "His condition isn¡¯t that serious. Drinking it after diluting it would do."
To be honest, she could also save Ian without the Zabe Corporation¡¯s Calming Pill. After all, Ian¡¯s illness wasn¡¯t a brain disease. He had only fainted from anger just now.
However, it was best if they could use it.
Yvonne¡¯s eyes flickered when she heard what she said. She understood now¡ªher father¡¯s condition was not that serious, yet she had used the pill that she gave Mrs. Hunt. She was obviously doing it on purpose!
Joel frowned.
While hesitating over who to listen to, someone suddenly took away the pill. When he looked up again, he saw that Justin had already dissolved the pill in the half-full ss of water he had just poured.
The pill dissolved immediately upon contact with water and soon disappeared.
Justin handed the ss to Nora.
Nora held Ian¡¯s face, opened his mouth, and poured the medicine into his mouth roughly.
The two of them matched each other¡¯s actions seamlessly as if they had always been working together like that. By the time Joel and Yvonne reacted, Ian had already finished the medicine.
Joel: "!"
Yvonne balled up her fists. "Mr. Hunt, Ms. Smith! You... That¡¯s such a waste of the pill¡¯s effects!"
¡ª
In Mrs. Hunt¡¯s study.
After Justin left, Mrs. Hunt held her chest and sighed deeply.
Although she knew Justin was correct in doing what he did just now, he had taken the pill to save his father-inw but forgotten that she also needed the life-saving medicine the most. Mrs. Hunt ultimately still felt rather ufortable about that.
Next to her, Mrs. Lewis nagged, "Why did you give it to him, Ma¡¯am? The pill was a gift for you! You really need that pill!"
Mrs. Hunt sighed. "Yvonne was the one who gave it to me in the first ce anyway. I¡¯ll just think of it as returning it to them!"
Mrs. Lewis sneered, "You can¡¯t put it that way. Since they¡¯ve already given you the pill, it belongs to you now. They can¡¯t just bask in the limelight out there and then use it on their own in the end, right? I asked about it just now, though. This was Nora¡¯s suggestion. She must be worried that you would favor Yvonne over her, so she deliberately did it."
Mrs. Hunt heaved a huge sigh. "She grew up in the countryside, after all, so she¡¯s too narrow-minded. To think she¡¯s used all her smarts on things like that! Discard the medicine she gave me!"
Mrs. Lewis picked up the box of pills that Nora had given Mrs. Hunt. She said, "Before I throw it away, let me take a look at what so many Carefree Pills put together look like..."
She opened the box after saying that, but the moment she did, she suddenly found herself stunned.
Mrs. Hunt scoffed at her reaction. "Look at how ignorant you look. Even if there are 50 Carefree Pills in there, they are only worth $150,000. Am I paying you so little that you react that way at a mere $150,000?"
As soon as she said that, a dazed Mrs. Lewis lifted her head and replied, "M-Ma¡¯am, these... these are not Carefree Pills. They are... they are..."
Chapter 282: Redoing The DNA Test
Chapter 282: Redoing The DNA Test
Mrs. Lewis had worked as a servant for Mrs. Hunt¡¯s family back then, so she was on very good terms with Mrs. Hunt. When Mrs. Hunt got married, she had also followed her to the Hunts. After so many years of working as a housekeeper, she had already reached an annual ie of hundreds of thousands of dors.
Therefore, $150,000 wasn¡¯t really an amount that would shock her this badly.
She looked at the pills in the metal box and swallowed again. "Ma¡¯am, these don¡¯t look like Carefree Pills to me. Why do they look so much like Calming Pills?"
Mrs. Hunt was taken aback when she heard that they were Calming Pills. After falling silent for a moment, she said, "They¡¯ve done the right thing by giving me Calming Pills since they are suitable for my condition. It¡¯s not like the Andersons can¡¯t afford to give me Carefree Pills, yet they still gave me Calming Pills instead. I suppose they are still rather considerate. What¡¯s there to kick up a fuss over Calming Pills, though? They are cheap. Besides, no matter how amazing their Calming Pills are, they can¡¯t be worth as much as Carefree Pills, right?"
A dumbfounded Mrs. Lewis looked at her. "They are... Zabe Corporation¡¯s Calming Pills."
Thud.
The water ss in Mrs. Hunt¡¯s hand fell on the table. She looked at Mrs. Lewis in astonishment. "What?"
Mrs. Lewis looked at the box in her hand. "These are Zabe Corporation¡¯s Calming Pills. The smell and all that are very simr, and their name is also written on the pills. Also! There are 64 of them here!!"
Everyone had already sung so many praises of Yvonne just because she gave one, but Nora had actually given a full 64 of them?!
Mrs. Hunt got up at once. The elderly woman walked up to Mrs. Lewis in just a few steps. She grabbed the box in her hand and said, "Let me have a look!"
Mrs. Hunt was a very well-informed woman. She examined the pills closely. Then, she broke off a small piece from one of them and put it in her mouth to taste it. Atst, she confirmed it. "These are indeed Zabe Corporation¡¯s Calming Pills."
She and Mrs. Lewis looked at each other after she spoke, and both of them were dazed for a while.
After waiting for a whole ten seconds, Mrs. Hunt finally asked, "How did the Andersons get their hands on such expensive pills?"
Mrs. Lewis was utterly stunned. "The Andersons have been dealing in traditional medicine for many generations. When you think about it carefully, it¡¯s actually not that surprising that they would have these pills. After all, they are also a family with a solid foundation. But if that¡¯s the case, then why didn¡¯t Ms. Smith just say so in front of everyone just now? Because of that, they ended up secretly being mocked for nothing."
Mrs. Hunt frowned at her words. "Either she really doesn¡¯t care about things like reputation and so on¡ªit has long been said that Melissa Anderson is indifferent to fame and fortune, and is very humble¡ªor... these pills may not be the Andersons¡¯, so they have to be low-key about it."
Mrs. Lewis understood at once. "They aren¡¯t the Andersons¡¯? That means Mr. Hunt gave them to her so that she can give them to you without embarrassing herself?"
Mrs. Hunt had already thought of that when Mrs. Lewis was speaking. She realized something and said, "No wonder Justin didn¡¯t show any sign of hesitation or apology when he came to me for the pill just now. He already knows!"
She felt a lot better now and felt that her grandson was still her grandson, after all. He hadn¡¯t changed just because he had a girlfriend now.
She looked at Mrs. Lewis with some relief. Then, she sighed and said, "Justin sure is going through such pains for her! Say, am I being too harsh on her?"
Mrs. Lewisforted her. "It¡¯s mainly because you don¡¯t understand her character."
A lot of people resorted to unscrupulous means in order to marry into a wealthy family. They feigned purity, acted innocent, and put up all kinds of pretenses. Mrs. Hunt had also been through it all and had seen many like that.
When a stray girl from the countryside suddenly appeared with an illegitimate daughter she had with someone else, how would Mrs. Hunt possibly not have anything against her?
Mrs. Lewis said, "What you care about the most is actually still Mr. Hunt. It¡¯s because you¡¯re indignant on his behalf. After all, he¡¯s so outstanding. There are so many outstanding women from good families who want to marry him, so why did he simply have to choose a woman like that..."
Mrs. Hunt sighed. "Let¡¯s observe her for a while more! If her character is passable, for Justin¡¯s sake, I¡¯ll still show her some courtesy when we¡¯re in front of outsiders, even though I don¡¯t like her! But if she doesn¡¯t have a good character, or if she mistreats Pete, I definitely won¡¯t let her marry into the family! Pete is the Hunts¡¯ future!"
Mrs. Lewis nodded. "You¡¯re right."
¡ª
Ian gradually regained consciousness after taking the Zabe Corporation¡¯s Calming Pill.
In order to prevent him from having another emotional breakdown, Joel left in advance and took Ian back to the hospital. After all, the doctors and nurses in the hospital would be able to keep his bodily functions alive for sure.
By the time Justin and Nora went back downstairs, the way everyone looked at Nora had already changed.
All of them were talking about the woman who became Cindere. She was so lucky! To think she actually turned out to be Ian¡¯s daughter!
No one thought otherwise.
After all, Yvette had been in a rtionship with Ian back then. On top of that, he even stayed single for life because of her, so everyone naturally brought Ian into the picture.
Theypletely didn¡¯t notice that Ian had said just now that she was a daughter of the Smiths.
Nora didn¡¯t know any of this, though. She was still frowning and thinking about what had happened back then.
She hadn¡¯t just been sleeping all this time she was at the Andersons¡¯.
asionally, she would look through what her mother had left behind.
Some of the books even contained notes and interpretations that her mother had made.
Through those writings, she had gained a general understanding of Yvette¡¯s character.
The woman was aggressive and stubborn by nature. In the patriarchal environment back then, it was definitely no easy feat to rise to the challenge and be the head of the Andersons.
How would a woman like that possibly get together with Ian¡¯s brother while she was in a rtionship with him?
If she had really fallen in love with Ian¡¯s brother... Given her personality, she would have simply gotten together with that man instead, and been as decisive as how she had rejected Justin¡¯s father. Why would she run away from home after she became pregnant and flee New York?
She couldn¡¯t help feeling that her mother didn¡¯t seem like someone who would do that.
When the party came to an end, Nora got Melissa to take Cherry home while she followed Justin to the hospital to visit Ian.
After all, they hadn¡¯t sorted out the issues they were talking about just now. They hadn¡¯t told her which of Ian¡¯s brothers her father was yet.
It was alreadyte when they arrived at the hospital.
Joel sat quietly in the hallwayte at night. He seemed to know that the two of them woulde over, so he was waiting for them.
Ian was already asleep.
Joel said, "You can just ask me if you have any questions because I was the one who handled everything."
Nora lowered her head. "I want to know how you got my DNA samples."
Joel said unhurriedly, "Someone took a few strands of your hair when you were at the medical university the other time. The person I sent to protect you happened to be nearby, so he chased after the person and snatched the hair from him."
"... Then have you guys ever considered that the hair might have been switched?" asked Nora.
Joel was a little taken aback by her suggestion.
Nora looked at the ward and said slowly but firmly, "I want to redo the DNA test."
Chapter 283: Her Real Father?
Chapter 283: Her Real Father?
This particr floor was where the VIP wards were. Joel had booked the whole floor so that Ian could rest and recover better, so there was no one else in the quiet hospital corridor at the moment.
Right after Nora spoke firmly, a sinister and displeased voice reached them. "There¡¯s no way the hair could have been switched. My professionalism is not to be doubted!"
Nora looked up to see someone slowly walking toward them from the darkness in front
There was no way Nora would have noticed him while he stood there. It was as if he had blended into the darkness.
But the moment he appeared, Nora immediately sensed his presence.
The man was very skinny. He was fully dressed in ck and was wearing a ck baseball cap. His face was very small and thin. Perhaps because he was rarely exposed to the sun, he was very pale. He had a metal stud on his left earlobe, and there was a sort of androgynous beauty to him.
He kept his head lowered habitually and walked over to Joel while touching his baseball cap.
Joel introduced the man to Nora. "This is Quentin, your second cousin."
Since he was her cousin, then that meant that they didn¡¯t share the same father.
Nora nodded. She observed the two men¡¯s faces carefully, feeling like Quentin and Joel looked nothing alike.
Joel looked gentler. His fox-like eyes had a sly and wily look in them, and he looked like he was smiling. Even when he didn¡¯t smile, he still gave off a very gentle feeling.
Not only did Quentin look different, but the aura around him also felt colder and more sinister.
While Nora was curiously observing them, Quentin red at her and said, "What are you staring at? I¡¯ll dig out your eyeballs if you continue to stare."
Nora: "..."
Why did she feel like that second cousin of hers felt a little like a teen with delusions of grandeur?
The corners of her lips spasmed a little. Before she could speak, Quentin said, "Don¡¯t think I¡¯ll treat you differently just because you¡¯re my cousin. I¡¯m different from the other Smiths. They may want a younger sister, but I don¡¯t! Also, Uncle Ian is like a father to me. If you make him unhappy, I won¡¯t betray him, let alone like you!"
Nora: "..."
After speaking as though he was swearing an oath, Quentin finally got to the point and said, "Also, it¡¯s impossible that your hair was switched. That man was constantly under my watch from the point he took your hair to the end of his escape that day!"
He stretched out two fingers and jabbed them forward. "It¡¯s impossible for any of his actions to escape my eyes!"
Nora: "..."
She silently looked at Joel and asked with her eyes: ¡¯Is Quentin a loony?¡¯
Joel: ¡¯... That¡¯s the way he is.¡¯
Nora retracted her gaze and said, "Alright. Assuming the hair is correct and hasn¡¯t been switched, why not do another paternity test for me and my so-called father?"
No matter what, she didn¡¯t find the DNA report saying they were uncle and niece believable.
Quentin sneered, "What do you mean by ¡¯assuming¡¯? I told you, it¡¯s impossible that the hair was switched! Are you still doubting my abilities?"
Nora: "..."
She straight-up ignored him and looked at Joel instead.
Joel kept quiet for a moment before he finally said, "It¡¯s because your father may be Ryan Smith, our second uncle."
Nora caught a keyword. "May be?"
Joel coughed and replied, "Uncle Ryan also disappeared half a year after your mother. It waster confirmed that your mother had died, but Uncle Ryan remains missing even today. We have already checked my other uncles. You aren¡¯t their daughter, so the only remaining possibility is Uncle Ryan. Moreover, Uncle Ryan and your mother ran away from home one after the other. Before he left, he even said that he was going to search for your mother, so..."
Even if Ian didn¡¯t believe that Yvette was such a person, the DNA test report was right in front of him. Everything that had happened back then was also fresh in his memory. One said that she had fallen in love with someone else and wanted to leave, while the other said that he wanted to look for her. With all these put together, he had no choice but to believe it.
Nora: "..."
The previous generation¡¯s story sure was cheesy!
However, she still didn¡¯t believe it.
She mused for a moment and asked, "Did Uncle Ryan leave anything behind? Doesn¡¯t he have any children?"
Joel shook his head. "No, he doesn¡¯t."
Nora nced at him.
Joel exined, "I¡¯m the eldest brother¡¯s son. Quentin and Warren are my fourth uncle¡¯s sons. The rest of my siblings are my fifth uncle¡¯s children."
The previous generation of the Smiths had six sons and no daughters.
The current generation had seven sons and still no daughters, except for Yvonne, who was adopted.
Nora suggested, "... In that case, let¡¯s do a retest for me and... Uncle Ian?"
Joel knew that she was no simple woman, and had already interacted with her before. She probably wouldn¡¯t believe it unless she did the test herself.
Therefore, he nodded.
As soon as he did, a dissatisfied voice reached them. "Are you also doubting me, Joel?"
Joel: "..."
Quentin let out a cold snort. "When have I ever made a mistake all these years I worked for you?"
Joel: "..."
Quentin turned and walked away.
Joel ignored him and went into the ward instead. A short whileter, he took some of Ian¡¯s hair with the follicles attached and handed them to Nora.
Before Nora could say anything, Joel added, "I took the samples myself."
Nora: "..."
Nora coughed and nodded. Then, with the DNA samples, she got ready to leave with Justin. She had only taken a couple of steps when she suddenly looked at Joel and said, "I can cure him."
Joel kept quiet for a long while.
It had also been the Andersons¡¯ Carefree Pills that were able to prolong his life back then. Although the Myerses had imed that the medicine was theirs, he had already found out the truth a long time ago.
But he knew that Ian would definitely refuse to take them if he knew the medicine was from the Andersons, so he had kept it from him all this time.
Nora was saying that she could cure him...
Joel shook his head. "Uncle Ian won¡¯t let you."
Nora¡¯s very existence was proof of Yvette¡¯s betrayal and was a thorn in Ian¡¯s heart. How would he possibly allow Nora to treat his illness?
Nora didn¡¯t insist. She turned and started to walk out.
She had only taken a couple of steps when she suddenly sensed something. Her head whipped to the side to see that Quentin had started following beside her at some point.
Nora raised her eyebrows, but before she could say anything, Quentin had already spoken. He said, "Don¡¯t be narcissistic. I¡¯m not protecting you because I like you but because I have toplete the task I was given. Besides, I¡¯m duty-bound to protect all the Smiths!"
Nora kept quiet for a moment before she said, "... I don¡¯t need you to protect me."
Quentin was surprised. "What¡¯s wrong with me?"
Nora looked him up and down. He was so skinny, how strong could he possibly be?
Quentin understood the look in her eyes. He became even more arrogant. He lifted his chin and said, "Do you know? There are fewer than five people in all of New York who can beat me! Apart from the two martial arts masters of the Quinn School of Martial Arts and the Irvin School of Martial Arts, the former¡¯s Big Sister and thetter¡¯s Big Brother are the only ones I can¡¯t beat in a fight! I was the one who protected you when you were almost killed the other time. You¡¯d better be nice to me, otherwise, I won¡¯t protect you anymore!"
Chapter 284: Golden Words of Advice
Chapter 284: Golden Words of Advice
Nora fell silent for a moment upon hearing his words.
Justin, who was watching from the side, couldn¡¯t hold himself back, and he chuckled softly.
His little Nora simply had too many secret identities. She didn¡¯t want to reveal even a single one. Once she told Quentin that she was the Quinn School of Martial Arts¡¯ Big Sister, would he be her... fan?
The three left the hospital. Nora got in the car and went back to the Andersons¡¯.
Quentin didn¡¯t follow her, but Nora knew that he was definitely somewhere nearby. Should she meet with danger, he would definitely rush over immediately.
This inexplicable feeling of being protected by someone else sure was...
By the time she returned to the Andersons¡¯, Lily had already sent someone over to personally bring the samples abroad for a DNA test. After all, her littleboratory was located overseas.
After seeing the person off, she went upstairs. When she found that Cherry was already asleep, she got onto the bed gently, hugged Cherry, and fell asleep happily.
When she went downstairs after waking up the next day, she saw Melissa, Simon, Mrs. Anderson, and even Sheena. The few of them were sitting on the sofa with solemn looks on their faces.
A puzzled Nora went downstairs. When Mrs. Anderson saw her, she sighed and asked, "Nora, are you going to move to the Smiths¡¯ residence?"
Nora: "?"
She raised her eyebrows and looked at Mrs. Anderson in confusion.
Mrs. Anderson sighed. "It¡¯s okay even if you move there. That¡¯s the way it should be. After all, your father is there... I¡¯m just worried that you¡¯ll have a hard time after you move there."
Nora knew that Mrs. Anderson was reluctant to part with her. After all, she looked almost just like Yvette. Mrs. Anderson thought of the daughter she was the proudest of every time she saw her, right?
With that in mind, she replied, "I probably won¡¯t move to the Smiths¡¯ for the time being."
Mrs. Anderson¡¯s eyes lit up at once. "Really?"
Nora nodded.
Her words, however, took Melissa by surprise. "Why not? Didn¡¯t Ian already acknowledge you right there and then?"
Nora had returned toote the night before, so she hadn¡¯t told them what had happened yet. She touched her nose and said, "You may be mistaken, Aunt Melissa. My father is not Ian."
Melissa: "???"
She was dumbfounded. "Your father isn¡¯t Ian? Then why did he acknowledge you as a Smith yesterday? Is he nning to take you as his god-daughter? That... shouldn¡¯t be, right? He has been treating Yvette like a taboo all these years. Not only has he never visited us, but he also never appears at any events the Andersons go to..."
Nora said, "... They said that my father is Ian¡¯s elder brother, Ryan Smith."
"Him?"
"That¡¯s impossible!"
Melissa and Sheena¡¯s voices rang out at the same time, and both of them looked at her in shock.
Melissa¡¯s reaction was considered normal¡ªshe was just surprised. However, Sheena¡¯s sudden sensitivity was such that Nora couldn¡¯t help but cast a few more nces at her.
Sheena clenched her fists. "It can¡¯t be him!"
"Why?" asked Nora.
"Because... because..."
Sheena stammered, unable to give a reason. In the end, she insisted, "In any case, it just can¡¯t be him!"
Nora frowned.
Sheena¡¯s eyes became evasive.
Melissa asked, "Why did they say that?"
Nora replied, "They produced a DNA test report done for Ian and me. It says that we are uncle and niece."
Everyone: "..."
Mrs. Anderson smacked her thigh. "What a sin! Why would Yvette possibly two-time? If she liked Ryan, then why mess with Ian? And end up like that!"
Her eyes were red.
Sheena said, "Even if they are uncle and niece, her father may not necessarily be Ryan. Ian has so many brothers, who knows if she¡¯s someone else¡¯s daughter instead..."
But after speaking, she sneered, "But no matter whose daughter you are, you are living proof that your mother betrayed Ian! Don¡¯t be fooled by how Joel is the head of the Smiths now. Ian has been in power for so many years, he¡¯s not someone to be messed with at all! Joel listens to him 100% of the time. After giving it some thought, I think there are two reasons why he publicly acknowledged you as a Smith."
After she changed the subject, the rest stopped fixating on the issue about Ryan but looked at her instead.
Sheena had always been a career woman. She had been active in the world ofmerce for many years and was rtively perceptive about a lot of things. She said, "Firstly, all the Smiths are protective of their own. Since you¡¯re part of the Smiths, they will never allow outsiders to bully you. Of course, this doesn¡¯t stop Ian from detesting you. Secondly, I reckon the Smiths did it so that they can form a political marriage with the Hunts."
Realization suddenly dawned upon Melissa. "That makes sense. Originally, Yvonne Smith was supposed to marry Justin, but now that he has chosen Nora, bringing her back into the family won¡¯t affect the rtionship between the two families."
Every decision that the rich and powerful made had its subsequent meaning and purpose. They were by no means simple.
Nora raised her eyebrows but did not speak.
Instead, she was pondering over why Sheena had said that it was impossible for Ryan to be her father.
Did she know something?
While she was wondering about it, Sheena looked at her again. She said, "No matter what, the Smiths will definitely do some surface-level work and give you some shares and money when you get married. In that respect, they won¡¯t mistreat you. Neither will the Andersons. But I have something to tell you."
Her posture was straight, and the ck tight-fitting outfit she was wearing made her look capable and shrewd.
Melissa interrupted her. "Sheena, Nora understands..."
Sheena sneered, "I haven¡¯t even said anything, yet you already know that she understands? Is she so delicate that no one can say anything about her?"
Her words made Melissa choke.
Sheena looked at Nora. "What I want to tell you is¡ªsince you and Justin are in a rtionship, there are a few things that you must never touch!"
Nora knew that Sheena was saying all these for her sake, so she could only say politely, "Do tell."
Based on the news about the Hunts that she had found out, Sheena said, "Justin¡¯s mother lives in the suburbs. She¡¯s said to be very difficult to get along with, so you¡¯d best stay away from her and avoid making her angry. Otherwise, once Justin is caught between his mother and you, who knows who he would choose!"
Melissa nodded and echoed, "Nora, Sheena is right!"
... Could she say that she had already formed such a good rtionship with the other party that they were now god-sisters?
Seeing that even Melissa had agreed with her, Sheena went on. "Also, you must treat Peter Hunt well after you marry him."
Nora raised her brows.
Sheena said, "I know you¡¯ll definitely want to have a son of your own with Justin so that he can fight for the position of the head of the family. However, we Andersons must rely on our own abilities. As long as he¡¯s more outstanding, he can definitely achieve it, so don¡¯t use those unsavory methods, that people use in the countryside, on Peter Hunt."
Nora: "?"
Sheena sneered, "Those methods are just our mere leftovers. Don¡¯t be fooled by the Hunts¡¯ matriarch¡¯s old age, and how she was glossing things over and defending you in front of outsiders at the partyst night. She¡¯s actually very shrewd and isn¡¯t to be messed with. You have to maintain a good rtionship with Justin¡¯s son, get it?"
Before Nora could say anything, Melissa smiled and said, "You don¡¯t have to worry about that! Because Peter Hunt is¡ª"
Chapter 285: To The Smiths’!!
Chapter 285: To The Smiths¡¯!!
Before she could finish, Sheena cut her off. "What do you mean by I don¡¯t have to worry about that? She¡¯s from the countryside, so shecks foresight. Once she marries into the Hunts and bes blinded by their wealth, in the event she loses her mind and does something, it¡¯s the Andersons who will be implicated! Some things have to be said in advance so that her heart won¡¯t stray!"
Everyone was speechless.
Mrs. Anderson kept quiet for a while and said nothing.
Nora looked as indifferent as ever.
Melissa, whom she had interrupted, only smiled and said nothing upon hearing what she said.
Seeing how all three of them had such odd looks on their faces, Sheena could only ask, "What are all of youughing at?"
Only then did Melissa reply, "It¡¯s nothing. I just wanted to say that the situation you mentioned won¡¯t arise at all¡ªbecause Peter Hunt is also Nora¡¯s son."
"..."
Sheena was taken aback for a moment. "Of course, he¡¯s also her son once they are married. But you have to really treat him like your own. Everyone has feelings; if you treat him well, once he grows up, he¡¯ll still have a close rtionship with you even if his real mother finds him..."
Melissa sighed. "That¡¯s not what I meant. What I mean is, Nora is Peter Hunt¡¯s real mother."
"..."
Sheena was stunned. She subconsciously said, "How can that be?"
Melissa exined, "Nora gave birth to a pair of boy-girl twins back then. One of them is Cherry, and the other is Peter Hunt. They have also acknowledged each other recently, just that they aren¡¯t married yet. We have no way of ensuring Cherry¡¯s safety here, that¡¯s why it wasn¡¯t publicly announced."
Sheena: "!!!"
She got up abruptly and looked at Nora incredulously. "So, Justin Hunt is the stray man that you slept with?"
Nora: "..."
Melissa¡¯s lip corners also spasmed.
Sheena was even more impressed by Nora now. "That must have been some sheer dumb luck! I knew there was no way you would catch Justin¡¯s eye. As it turns out, it¡¯s because of that!"
Everyone was speechless.
The few of them all fell silent. It was at this moment that a voice came from the door. "Sir, Ma¡¯am. Mr. Smith is here."
Mr. Smith? Which Mr. Smith?
While they were wondering about it, they saw Joel walking in with his eyes narrowed.
All of them got up in unison when they saw him, just like how they behaved whenever they saw Justin. Simon stepped forward. "Mr. Smith? Why are you here?"
Joel looked at Nora. "I¡¯m here to take her home."
Nora: "?"
She raised her eyebrows in confusion. "Home?"
Joel nodded. "Yes. The Smiths¡¯ residence is your home."
Then, he added, "These are Uncle Ian¡¯s instructions. After all, you and Justin have already publicly announced your rtionship, and the Smiths have also acknowledged you. If you don¡¯t move to the Smiths¡¯, outsiders will definitely specte."
Nora: "..."
Just as she was about to refuse, Joel said, "Besides, the Smiths¡¯ security system is also better."
Security system...
Nora fell silent for a brief moment.
To be honest, now that Justin had publicly revealed her identity, there was no doubt that she was already in the public eye. The words that her mother had left her echoed in her ears: ¡¯... Stay mediocre and avoid being in the limelight. Otherwise, your life will be in danger!¡¯
Originally, she hadn¡¯t believed it. However, when someone stole her hair and almost stabbed her to death at the medical university, she had immediately realized that there were indeed people watching her and itching to act.
She wasn¡¯t afraid.
She could deal with them even if they sent a few more people.
But what about Cherry?
Cherry was already in great danger at the moment. Although Quentin was protecting them, it was still very dangerous at the Andersons¡¯ at night.
But if she went to the Smiths, things would be different.
Besides, she could also look for an opportunity to treat Ian¡¯s illness...
After thinking about it, Nora said, "Okay, I¡¯ll go with you."
She didn¡¯t want to give Cherry to Justin. If both children were to stay with Justin, she wouldn¡¯t have any chance of escaping in the future.
In that case, her only option was to go to the Smiths¡¯. She could also take a look at what kind of person Ryan was along the way, and determine whether he really was her father or not.
Mrs. Anderson didn¡¯t expect that Nora would agree to leave when she had only just said that she wouldn¡¯t a while ago. For a moment, she couldn¡¯t quite bear to part with her.
Surprisingly, it was Melissa who grabbed her arm and said, "Mom, you mustn¡¯t stop her."
Mrs. Anderson was taken aback. "But Ian¡¯s attitude toward her..."
Melissa sighed. "Mom, no matter what kind of attitude Ian takes toward Nora, she is still a daughter of the Smiths. For Nora¡¯s sake, let her go to the Smiths. This way, she¡¯ll marry as a Smith in the future. At least to outsiders, her status would be on par with Justin¡¯s. But if she doesn¡¯t go to the Smiths, the Andersons... have really be down-and-out after so many years!"
Melissa had never been one to believe in talk about families having to be good matches with each other when it came to marriage. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have married into the down-and-out Andersons back when she was still a Wood. However, she was worried that Nora would suffer injustice.
Besides, this was Nora¡¯s choice. She must have her own reasons, too.
She mustn¡¯t stop the children from building a life of their own.
After saying that, she went upstairs with Nora to help her pack her things.
Nora¡¯s belongings were very simple. She only had a few pieces of clothing. It was instead Cherry¡¯s clothes that she had a lot to pack.
Seeing how Melissa was stuffing clothes into the suitcase, Nora said, "You don¡¯t have to pack them all in. We can still wear them when wee back and stay here once in a while."
The moment she said that, Melissa suddenly said, "Oh, that¡¯s right. We¡¯re all in New York, so you¡¯ll still be able toe back."
After speaking, Melissa wiped the corners of her eyes while Nora was not paying attention.
She got up, held Nora¡¯s hand, and said, "Nora, although we haven¡¯t spent much time together, I have always treated you as my daughter. Even though you¡¯re leaving with Joel and going to the Smiths, you don¡¯t have to feel restrained. Just do whatever you have to do. No matter what happens, just be yourself!"
"... Okay."
She was rather moved.
Apart from Aunt Irene who had treated her a little better than others, no one had ever treated her so intimately before.
She could see a mother in Melissa. It felt as if all mothers in the world should be as calm and elegant as her.
She suddenly reached over and gave Melissa a hug.
Melissa patted her on the back.
Nora separated from her right after hugging her because she wasn¡¯t used to such intimate actions. The two exited the room and saw Simon standing outside. In a voice that was neither too loud nor too soft but just enough for Joel to hear, he said, "Nora, this will always be your home, no matter what happens! You cane back anytime if you suffer any injustice!"
Simon said firmly, "The Andersons may not beparable to the Smiths or the Hunts... but as long as Uncle Simon is still alive, you¡¯ll never go hungry!"
Joel raised his eyebrows when he heard him.
He knew that Simon was hinting to him that he mustn¡¯t bully Nora.
He looked down and said nothing.
Nora smiled. She was about to speak when her cell phone suddenly rang. She picked it up and took a look¡ªit was Lily calling from overseas.
Was the DNA test report out?
Chapter 286: Results of the DNA Test
Chapter 286: Results of the DNA Test
Nora raised her eyebrows slightly and made a gesture of picking up the call and walked to the balcony at the side.
As soon as the call connected, Lily¡¯s tired voice came through. "Anti, the report is out."
Nora lowered her eyes and said coldly, "What¡¯s the result?"
Lily replied in English, "Your rtionship with Mr. Smith is indeed not that of a father and daughter. Your DNA is not close enough."
Nora raised her eyebrows. "Uncle and niece?"
Lily replied, "Your DNA is a little off from that of a father and daughter. That¡¯s why the previous reportpared the DNA match to that of an uncle and a niece. But it¡¯s impossible to determine if that¡¯s true. Can you find your father¡¯s DNA?"
Nora: "...No."
If she could find it, wouldn¡¯t she have sent it to her long ago?
Nora was a little disappointed. Just as she was about to hang up, Lily said hesitantly, "Anti, actually, it¡¯s not impossible that you and Mr. Smith are father and daughter."
Not impossible?
What kind of rtionship was that?
Nora said, "Please borate."
Lily then said, "Do you remember thest time I told you that your intelligence and genes are different from ordinary people?"
Nora narrowed her eyes. "Yes, and?"
Lily said slowly, "The difference between you and Ian mostlyes from this part of your IQ genes. However, it might also be because your genes have mutated. Therefore, I said that you and Ian are very likely father and daughter. If you can find the DNA of the so-called father you¡¯re talking about now, we can verify it. I even feel that the matching rate might not be as high as yours and Ian¡¯s. Of course, if this is the case, it can also prove your rtionship with Ian."
Nora frowned.
In other words, could she be Ian¡¯s daughter?
However, the problem was that she could not provide evidence. She could not possibly say that her genes had mutated, right? This was too unbelievable.
She lowered her eyes. "If I could get that so-called father¡¯s DNA, I wouldn¡¯t have let you test me and Mr. Smith."
Lily: "...That¡¯s right. Am I being silly?"
"Not totally."
Nora lowered her eyes slowly. "At least you let me know that there is another possibility."
Lily nodded. "Yes, you¡¯d better go to the Smiths now and try to find a way to get your father¡¯s DNA, something that¡¯s still thee even more than twenty yearster."
Nora: "...For example?"
He had been gone for more than twenty years. Where could she get live DNA?
However, Lily said, "For example, from the wisdom teeth or milk teeth? Don¡¯t people keep those around after they¡¯re plucked out?"
Nora: "...That¡¯s a little disgusting."
"..."
"I¡¯m hanging up."
After Nora hung up, she thought for a while and suddenly patted her head. She felt that she was so silly.
If she wanted to know who her father was, she could find out who had gone to California back then.
She raised an eyebrow and went downstairs.
Joel was waiting for her in the living room. At this moment, Cherry was talking to him adorably. "So Mia¡¯s father is my uncle. No wonder Mia is so cute like Cherry!"
Joel nodded. "Yeah."
Cherry said, "Uncle, you¡¯re so good-looking. You¡¯re the type my mommy and I like. You¡¯re harmless and beautiful!"
"..."
"By the way, Uncle, can I live with Mia after we go to the Smiths? I like Mia the most. Also, Brandon is my underling. Do you know that?"
Joel: "...Okay."
This child was so talkative!
As he was feeling conflicted, he saw Noraing downstairs. He instantly heaved a sigh of relief and walked over to pick up her luggage. "Let¡¯s go."
Nora was not fearful at all because Joel was helping her carry her luggage. Instead, she followed behind him calmly. After the group of them went out, a secretary helped Joel take the luggage.
Joeling to pick her up personally was giving Nora enough face.
¡ª
An hourter, they finally arrived at the Smiths¡¯ residence.
Joel got out of the car. With the help of the servants at home, he took the lead and walked in front. He turned back to look at Nora and saw that after she got out of the car, shepletely ignored Cherry.
On the other hand, Cherry jumped out of the car and skipped beside her while looking around. Her small eyes were like ck grapes. There was no hint of the surprise she should have upon seeing the Smiths¡¯ manor. Instead, there was some admiration.
That¡¯s right. Justin¡¯s daughter must have lived in the Hunts for a period of time. She didn¡¯t look like a child who had not seen the world.
Unknowingly, Joel slowed down his footsteps and asked her, "Do you like it? How does the Smiths¡¯ housepare to the Hunts¡¯?"
Cherry looked up and said, "More or less the same. But Dad prepared a princess room for me. Do you have one here?"
Joel: "!!"
A princess room... He didn¡¯t have it here!
After all, it was ast-minute decision to bring the two of them to the Smiths¡¯ residence.
However, when he met Cherry¡¯s big eyes, which were like ck grapes, he coughed and said, "Yes, there will be."
Cherry: "Yeah! I¡¯m not leaving then. Little Princess Lucy still wants me to y with her!"
Lucy?
Joel narrowed his eyes.
The royal family of the UK did have a little princess named Lucy. She was only five years old this year, but she was friends with Cherry?
One had to know that the UK was a country that valued blood rtions the most. The aristocrats looked down on themoners.
Therefore...
Joel nced at Nora. This little cousin of his was not simple?
After Nora followed Joel into the Smiths, Joel brought her upstairs.
He found a rtively spacious guest room for her and instructed, "I was in a hurry to pick you up, so I¡¯ll have to trouble you to stay here for the time being. The room beside is being renovated. It¡¯ll be your boudoir."
Nora did not care about this. Moreover, the guest room was quite spacious. The important thing was that the bed was quitefortable. She nodded. "Okay."
Seeing that she had no other thoughts, Joel left the living room and went to the office.
On the way, he received a call from Mia. "Dad, Cherry is here. Can I let her stay with me?"
Her daughter¡¯s room was a princess room, and the two children could stay there.
Joel agreed.
However, as soon as he arrived at thepany, thepany¡¯s Inte staff hurriedly found him. "Mr. Smith, our Inte has been hacked!"
Joel was taken aback. "Who hacked it?"
The manager of the Inte Department shook his head. "I don¡¯t know, but the other party has retrieved Mr. Ian¡¯s schedule from 25 years ago!"
25 years ago?
Where had Third Uncle been?
Joel followed the manager of the Inte Department into the secret room and saw Ian¡¯s schedule for the entire year 25 years ago.
Chapter 287: Overeat!
Chapter 287: Overeat!
Ever since Yvette left New York, Ian had been busy and almost never returned home. He would fly around outside every day and build up the business.
Actually, he was using work to numb himself.
However, the cities he had been to included foreign countries and major cities in the country. He had never been to California.
When Joel saw this clearly, he saw that the webpage had automatically changed to Ryan¡¯s itinerary. Only then did he realize that 25 years ago, Ryan had once reserved a ticket to California!
Joel: "??"
First, the hacker investigated Ian¡¯s whereabouts, and now, he was investigating Ryan¡¯s whereabouts... It went without saying who had hacked into the Smiths¡¯ system.
The corners of his mouth twitched. He felt that Mr. Hunt was really too free. He had really put in so much effort to confirm his girlfriend¡¯s identity.
After all, the Smiths¡¯ security system had been designed by the best. Other than the Hunts, no one else had the ability to hack in, right?
However, when he realized that the other party had only investigated this and had silently withdrawn, he simply did not pursue the matter. After all, the hacker had not peeked at theirpany¡¯s secrets.
¡ª
At the Smiths.
After Nora investigated, she frowned even more.
Ryan had been to California, but Ian had not been to California in the year before she was born. Therefore, she couldn¡¯t possibly be Ian¡¯s child, right?
She sighed silently and exited theputer. Then, she looked around the guest room.
The guest room was a hundred square meters and was a private room. Apart from the master bedroom, there was the living room and study room. She packed her luggage andy on the bed.
The soft bed was veryfortable, and she fell asleep unknowingly.
When she woke up, it was already dark.
She got up and stretched, then took out her phone and took a look. She realized that there were a few WeChat messages from Justin.
JH: "What are you doing? Have lunch together?"
JH: "Are you sleeping? Shall we eat together tonight?"
JH: "It¡¯s already 5 PM. Are you still sleeping?"
JH: "It¡¯s already 8 PM. Why aren¡¯t you awake yet?"
Nora: "..."
She yawned and replied: "I¡¯m awake."
The other party replied instantly: "Shall we have supper together?"
Nora: "..."
She replied: "Just eat something. I¡¯m busy."
JH: "What are you busy with?"
Nora: "I want to sleep after eating."
JH: "..."
After sending this message, Nora threw her phone aside and went out.
A few days ago, she had not slept for two days in order to refine medicine for Mrs. Hunt. Therefore, she must sleep more these few days.
The guest room was on the second floor. As they left and walked along the corridor, they heard voices in the dining room downstairs.
Yvonne was a little worried. "Warren, are you really not going to wake her up? She didn¡¯t even eat dinner... Perhaps she feels embarrassed?"
Warren sneered. "Hmph, who cares if she eats or not! Who is she putting on airs for?! I thought she was Uncle Ian¡¯s daughter and that we finally have a biological cousin. I didn¡¯t expect her to be Uncle Ryan¡¯s daughter! That¡¯s too much! How can Uncle Ryan snatch Uncle Ian¡¯s woman? Although this cousin is his biological daughter and is rted by blood, I can¡¯t like her!"
With that, the servant beside him said, "Then, Sir Warren, is there any food left in the kitchen?"
Yvonne lowered her eyes and said, "Of course. Warren, she has alsoe to our house and is our eldest miss. We definitely have to save her some food."
Warren was indeed furious. "Who does she think she is? Yvonne, don¡¯t worry. I definitely won¡¯t distance myself from you just because she¡¯s rted to me by blood. In my heart, you¡¯re the only sister I have!"
Yvonne sighed in relief.
Having grown up in this family, she knew better than anyone else how indulgent this family was to girls!
Not to mention how much her uncles from the previous generation doted on her, but even at this age, they were still desperately trying to have a baby girl.
The older brothers of this generation definitely had a sisterplex!
Take thest time she attended the Hunts¡¯ birthday banquet. Warren had bought the most expensive gown for her, not for his own wife.
Although she was not a biological daughter, her status in the family had always been number one.
No matter what, the best was hers.
Therefore, she was really afraid that because of Nora, who was rted to her brothers by blood, she would lose her favor.
Hearing Warren¡¯s words, she was relieved.
She sighed andforted him again. "Warren, even so, since she has moved here, we can¡¯t let her starve. We can¡¯t throw the food away."
Warren immediately said angrily, "You¡¯re right. Even if a stray cat or doges to our house, it¡¯s still a member of the Smiths. We definitely can¡¯t let her starve."
With that, he instructed the nanny in the most ruthless manner, "Go, save that portion of Australian lobster for her. There¡¯s also top-grade steak. By the way, she might not like Western food. Prepare some bird¡¯s nest porridge and little buns for her. I remember that our pan-fried buns are the best. Wrap them up for her too. When she wakes up, cook them. The freshly cooked ones are the best! Then let her choose. I want her to die from overeating!"
The nanny: ...
Yvonne: ...
Nora, who was preparing to go downstairs: ???
Yvonne¡¯s expression changed. She had always known that her brother Warren did not know how to speak, and he would often say one thing but mean another. She clenched her fists tightly and lowered her eyes. "Warren that¡¯s too much food. It won¡¯t be good if it¡¯s wasted."
Warren hesitated for a moment. "She¡¯s not a fool. Would she really eat them all? Forget it. I¡¯ll leave some for her. I¡¯ll see what she likes to eat and prepare them tomorrow."
With that, he hurriedly rified. "I¡¯m not doing this for her good. I¡¯m showing her how powerful Smiths are. I¡¯m also showing her the delicacies of the Smiths so that she won¡¯t wolf down the delicious food outside and lose our face!"
Yvonne: "..."
Warren did not think that he had said anything wrong. In his mind, he saw Nora wolfing down the cake at the Hunts¡¯ banquet. At that time, Mr. Hunt had been watching from the side and his mouth had even twitched.
He must have been criticizing this girl in his heart for not being presentable!
How could he let anyone look down on the daughter of the Smiths?
As he was thinking about this, there was suddenly a knock on the door. Immediately, a few people walked in with hot dishes.
The butler followed in. "Sir Warren, this is the supper Mr. Hunt had reserved for Miss Smith. He said that Miss Smith has already woken up and asked us to send it in."
Warren: ???
Nora, who was upstairs: ???
Looking at the huge te of food, her lips twitched.
Justin, do you think I¡¯m a pig?!
Chapter 288: Who Is More Respected?
Chapter 288: Who Is More Respected?
The dining table was quickly filled.
Warren also saw Nora, who was preparing toe downstairs.
He instantly straightened his back and raised his neck. He pretended not to look at her, but he kept paying attention to her from the corner of his eye.
If this person came over to greet him, he would definitely ignore her and tell her not to think that he would recognize her as a sister just because she called him Brother!
Uncle Ian controlled the entire family. Uncle Ian¡¯s family was the direct line of descent. The other brothers, including him, were all from the side family!
As for Nora, she was even further away!
After all, the hatred of snatching someone¡¯s wife was too intense!
Anyway, he was sent by his Uncle Ian. He would definitely not be coaxed by his sister!
Just as he was saying this to himself, he saw Nora walking down slowly from upstairs. She walked past him and went to the dining room without saying anything.
Warren: ???
Hey, was she blind? He was a living person. Can¡¯t she see him?
Warren was so angry that he wanted to go forward and argue, but Yvonne grabbed his hand. "Warren, you, don¡¯t lower yourself to her level..."
Warren snorted coldly. "I don¡¯t care about her. I¡¯m just not full yet! Go to the kitchen and see what else is there to eat!"
Yvonne: "..."
Nora ignored the two of them. She could feel Yvonne¡¯s inexplicable hostility toward her. As for Warren... he had schemed against her in the Hunts. It was already good enough that she did not settle scores with him. How could she still greet him?
She sat at the dining table and was not picky about what she ate.
The food she ate was only for her to fill her stomach. Deliciousness was never within her considerations.
Seeing that she looked like the reincarnation of a hungry ghost as she wolfed down a te of steamed crayfish, Warren couldn¡¯t help but feel indignant.
He entered the kitchen casually and took out the prepared Australian lobster. He ced it on the table and sighed. "This Australian lobster is too delicious!"
What was so good about the food sent by the Hunts? Was it better than the Smiths?
Hurry up and throw away that small lobster that does not have much meat. Come and try the Smiths¡¯ lobster! It¡¯s filled with meat!
Unfortunately, Nora acted as if she did not hear him. She took another te of noodles and finished it in a few bites.
The way she ate was fast and plentiful, but the sound of her eating was very soft. Whatever it was, she stuffed it into her mouth in big bites and chewed quickly before swallowing it.
Eating like this put pressure on her stomach.
At the thought of this, Warren said, "Hey, can¡¯t you eat more elegantly? Can¡¯t you be a little nobler like the eldest daughter of the Smiths? You look like you haven¡¯t eaten in 800 years."
Nora: "..."
A te of crayfish and a te of noodles were soon gulped down by her. She took out a tissue and wiped her mouth before throwing it into the trash can. Then, she stood up and looked around before asking with a hoarse voice, "Where¡¯s Cherry?"
The housekeeper nced at her and lowered her head to answer, "In Little Miss¡¯s room. She¡¯s going to sleep with Little Miss tonight."
The housekeeper looked up at Nora and added, "She took a liking to Little Miss¡¯s princess bed and insisted on staying there."
With that, she pursed his lips.
Not only that, but she had also deceived Little Miss into taking out many princess gowns to share with her. This little child was so scheming!
Nora seemed not to have heard her answer. She asked again, "Where is Mia¡¯s room?"
"Turn left on the second floor, the third room."
Nora nodded and went upstairs.
After she left, the housekeeper instructed the nanny to take out a cloth and carefully wipe the spot where she had sat before saying, "Take this cutlery and disinfect it."
Warren did not care about her actions. After all, he did not even know how the nannies washed the dishes. Moreover, it was normal for the items in the house to be disinfected.
Yvonne raised her brows.
Nora had just gone upstairs when she heard a voice behind her.
She took a look and realized that the housekeeper had followed her. When the housekeeper saw her, she walked beside her. "Little Miss¡¯s room is over here. Don¡¯t walk around recklessly. It won¡¯t be good if you bump into the masters."
Nora raised her brows.
When she walked into Mia¡¯s room, she saw a study room with its door open. There were four mainputers in it, and they were currently running.
She only took a nce at it before the housekeeper introduced, "This is our Miss... Miss Yvonne¡¯s work studio. She likes coding programs as a hobby. Sometimes, she would make some software with it. The firewall Miss Yvonne created has even won awards. These four mainputers are servers bought at high prices overseas. Don¡¯t barge in recklessly. If you identally press some button and affect Miss Yvonne¡¯s software programming, it won¡¯t be good."
These things were too familiar. Nora could not help but ask, "Is she a hacker?"
"What hacker? This is just Miss Yvonne¡¯s hobby. She only writes some code asionally. Miss Yvonne is omnipotent. She knows how to arrange flowers, draw, calligraphy, violin, and piano! She¡¯s basically won every industry award!"
The housekeeper sounded a little proud when she said this.
Then, she said, "Although Miss Yvonne is an adopted daughter, she¡¯s the adopted daughter of Master Ian. Her status is definitely different from the other gentlemen anddies in the other houses. Other than Mr. Joel, all the other gentlemen dote on her very much. They treat her with respect!"
Although some of the Smiths lived at home, some of them had moved out.
Actually, strictly speaking, Ian was the owner of this manor. Joel had been chosen by him to be the current leader and take over his businesses.
In ancient times, this was considered adoption for Ian.
Warren and his wife could only be considered to be living in the manor. There were also people from the other houses who had already moved out.
Even if Nora was the daughter of the Smiths, she was from the second branch. She was not considered the matriarch of this manor.
The housekeeper knew very well who the owner of the house was.
Nora nced sideways at her upon hearing her words.
After showing Mia¡¯s door to Nora, the housekeeper left.
When she went downstairs to the kitchen, she heard the nannies discussing softly. "Miss Smith is going to marry Mr. Hunt in the future. Then she will be Mrs. Hunt, and she will be the mistress of the entire Hunt Empire. But our Miss... Miss Yvonne, after she gets married, she won¡¯t be considered a member of the Smiths anymore. In the entire New York, other than the Hunts, no one canpare to the Smiths, right? Is Miss Smith more respected, or is Miss Yvonne?"
The housekeeper immediately entered and sneered. "Have the rules in the house been broken? Of course, the owner is the most respected!"
Chapter 289: You Are Ian’s Daughter!
Chapter 289: You Are Ian¡¯s Daughter!
Florence Stone, the housekeeper in charge of internal affairs at the Smiths¡¯, was Ian¡¯s diehard fan. She was absolutely loyal to the Smiths and had great respect and admiration for Ian.
She had witnessed with her own eyes how Ian had gone from someone shrewd and capable, lively and active, and someone who loved talking and smiling¡ªto the zombie he currently was, all because of Yvette.
She hated Yvette with every fiber of her being.
Therefore, she always looked at things from Ian¡¯s perspective. She reprimanded, "Even if Ms. Nora bes Mrs. Hunt in the future, she¡¯s still just Ms. Smith now! Mr. Ian¡¯s daughter is the noblest of all! Although Ms. Yvonne is adopted, she¡¯s Mr. Ian¡¯s adopted daughter. Can¡¯t you tell which of the two matters more?"
The nannies hung their heads upon being reprimanded, none of them daring to speak anymore.
¡ª
When Nora went to Mia¡¯s room, the two girls were already fast asleep.
This wasn¡¯t the first time Cherry was sleeping together with a friend. The little fellow was carefree and slept very soundly. Mia, on the other hand, was rtively restrained. Her arms were ced on both sides properly. Even though she was asleep, her little face nevertheless made one want to dote on her.
Nora pulled up the covers for the children and went out.
As soon as she did, she ran into Joel who had just returned home from work.
Nora raised her eyebrows when the two ran into each other.
Joel was also a little surprised, though he quickly reacted. He said, "I¡¯m here to take a look at Mia."
Nora nodded.
When she stepped aside and got ready to leave, Joel suddenly said, "By the way, please tell Mr. Hunt that he can just ask us directly if there¡¯s something he wants to know. Isn¡¯t it a little too impolite to hack into the Smiths¡¯puter system without permission?"
Nora: "???"
She was stunned for a moment before she realized that Joel had misunderstood. As she had been too anxious to know Ian¡¯s itinerary back then, she hadn¡¯t covered her tracks in the afternoon. This was equivalent to tantly breaking into the Smiths¡¯puter system.
She coughed but didn¡¯t exin. Instead, she replied calmly, "I will let him know."
Joel stared at her. He couldn¡¯t help feeling like something wasn¡¯t quite right with the woman after he had said that, yet he couldn¡¯t pinpoint the reason why. Thus, he nodded and entered Mia¡¯s bedroom instead.
Nora walked back to her room with a guilty conscience. She had only just taken two steps when her phone rang.
She held it up and took a look in the silent corridor¡ªit was actually from Justin.
Perhaps because she was feeling too guilty, she actually picked up the call right away. She asked, "What¡¯s up?"
Justin said dispassionately, "Let¡¯s switch the children back tomorrow."
Nora¡¯s voice was low as she asked, "Is Pete missing me?"
"... Yeah, I guess you could say that." Justin said, "Let¡¯s have lunch at noon with the children and then switch them back?"
Nora answered very sincerely, "I can¡¯t wake up in time."
"How about at night, then?"
Nora nodded without much care. "Okay."
After the two agreed on the time, Nora was about to hang up when Justin asked, "Was the supper good?"
"It was alright." After Nora answered, she thought of the lineup when the fellow sent food over earlier in the day and said, "You don¡¯t have to go to so much trouble."
"It¡¯s your first day there," Justin exined, "I was afraid that you would be looked down upon. After all, there are too many people in this world too blind to tell good and bad people apart."
Looked down upon...
Nora subconsciously thought of Florence, and the corners of her lips curled into a smile. "What¡¯s the big deal?"
Since she relied on the Smiths for neither food nor living expenses, it meant that she had a lot of freedom here. At the worst, she could just move out. She didn¡¯t need anything from the Smiths.
Apart from speaking a little sarcastically, the housekeeper didn¡¯t really do anything, so she couldn¡¯t be bothered to hold it against her, either.
Nora yawned and went back to her room to sleep.
She was awakened by the rm clock the next day. She had to send Cherry to the kindergarten. When she yawned and went downstairs, she found that Mia and Cherry were already awake and sitting at the dining table.
Florence instructed the servants to bring the food out. Cherry¡¯s eyes lit up when she saw that they were having pancakes for breakfast. She said, "I want pancakes!"
She stretched out her little hand after she spoke, intending to take the te of pancakes from the nanny.
Florence, however, took the te of pancakes and gave it to Mia instead. She said to Cherry, "Ms. Cherry, this is Ms. Mia¡¯s. If you want some, I¡¯ll get them to bring you another te of it."
Cherry¡¯s expression turned cold at once. She was about to say something when Mia pushed the te of pancakes to Cherry. "You can have them first. They can just give me another te of pancakes when they are done. I can eat the scrambled eggs first, yeah!"
Cherry was distracted, plus she also had her pancakes now, so she ignored Florence and asked, "Do you eat the eggs first? I always eat the pancakes first, otherwise, I¡¯ll choke!"
Mia replied, "... I like eating the side dishes first and the main dishter."
The two children matched each other very well, and both started eating their breakfasts happily.
Florence¡¯s expression turned cold at the sight. She cast her eyes down and said, "Well, that¡¯s good, too. It¡¯s very polite of Ms. Mia to give in to a guest."
It was just a shame that both children were very innocent, so they didn¡¯t think about anything else at all, despite her sarcasm.
In fact, Cherry even nodded and said, "Yes, Mia is the most polite, unlike Brandon. He doesn¡¯t have any manners at all!"
Mia blushed. She lowered her head and said softly, "Thank you for thepliment, Cherry."
"You¡¯re wee! We have to praise each other a little more every day, okay? This way, we¡¯ll be happy every day, yeah!"
"Okie-Dokie!"
The two girls started munching away on their respective tes of food again after they finished talking.
Florence: "..."
She could only return to the kitchen.
Seeing that Cherry didn¡¯t get bullied, Nora¡¯s lips curled into a smile in amusement. The girl took everything except the short end of the stick. On top of that, she was quirky and entric. Not many in the house were her match.
When she was about to go downstairs, she heard the door beside her open. Joel, who had likely stayed upte the night before, came out. He had some shadows under his eyes, and he was frowning, which toned down his usually smiling face and made him look a little more serious.
But when he saw Nora, his frown gradually softened, and the gentle look returned to his countenance, making him look perfect and wless. He said, "You don¡¯t have to get up so early, Ms. Smith. I can take Cherry with me when I send Mia to school."
Nora didn¡¯t stand on ceremony at all. She turned, started walking upstairs, and said, "I¡¯m counting on you, then."
Joel: "..."
¡ª
By the time Nora woke up once more, she had finally made up for herck of sleep.
The groggy feeling in her head finally disappeared, and her entire self seemed reborn.
She loosened her muscles and went out, intending to see if Cherry was back yet so that she could take her out for dinner with Justin.
However, the moment she came out of her bedroom, someone suddenly rushed right over to her. He looked old and aged, but because he had burns on his face, his original looks couldn¡¯t be made out anymore. He stared at Nora for very long before he finally said, "You are Ian¡¯s daughter!"
Chapter 290: A Strange Madman~
Chapter 290: A Strange Madman~
Nora¡¯s pupils shrank upon hearing what he said, and she looked at him abruptly.
It waspletely impossible to make out the man¡¯s facial features, and his entire self looked rather savage and terrifying. The skin around his eyes was all burned, so he had only two dark holes to see with.
Ordinary people would surely be shocked at his appearance.
However, Nora had seen much scarier things on the operating table, so she merely raised her eyebrows calmly and asked, "Why do you say that?"
The man tilted his head. As though he was crazy, he replied, "Because you don¡¯t look like Ryan! You look like Ian!"
Nora: "..."
Her looks mostly took after her mother, so she only slightly resembled Ian. Moreover, it was said that the slight resemnce also looked very much like Ryan.
Besides, even if Ian was her uncle, it was normal that they would resemble each other a little.
Just as she was about to say something, the man jumped and eximed, "Haha! You are Ian¡¯s daughter! Ian has a daughter now! The Smiths also have a daughter now! This is awesome..."
Nora was about to speak again when the butler in charge of the Smiths¡¯ external affairs rushed in with a few men. He let out a sigh of relief upon seeing him. "I finally found you!"
He rushed over, and a few security guards held the man down.
The external butler looked at Nora nervously. "He didn¡¯t offend you, did he, Ms. Smith?"
Nora: "?"
The puzzled woman asked, "He is?"
The butler sighed. "He¡¯s a madman, we all call him Old Maddy. A few years ago, he came to our door to beg, and we simply couldn¡¯t drive him away, no matter what we did. He just kept staying outside stubbornly. If we called the police, he just came back again every time the police took him away. He even asked for delicious food. In the end, the old sir told us to let him stay and give him some food, and just take it that we¡¯re doing a good deed. We arranged for him to stay in a small house in the yard, but for some reason, when he heard today that a new youngdy of the Smiths hase, he started to shout excitedly that the old sir has a daughter now, and broke in. He has always been well-behaved and has never given anyone trouble all these years, so I didn¡¯t think that he would suddenly go crazy and run up to your door. I¡¯m really sorry."
Nora waved. "It¡¯s fine."
She looked again at the madman that had been held down. As the skin on his face was all burned, one couldn¡¯t tell what he looked like or how old he was. Judging from the wrinkles on his hands, however, the man was likely quite advanced in age and was at least fifty years old.
As she walked toward the lower floor with the butler, she asked, "What is his background?"
The butler replied, "He¡¯s just a beggar. The ID card we found on him stated that he¡¯s from a small town near the mountains. A huge fire burned down his home, so he came out to beg when he had no way out... The old sir said that he definitely wouldn¡¯t have taken him in if he were mentally sound¡ªafter all, he¡¯s physically able to make a living for himself¡ªbut since he is in this state, then it was alright."
Nora looked at the madman again while listening to the butler.
The man¡¯s hair was dirty, and he looked like he hadn¡¯t had a bath in a very long while. Although his clothes were intact and didn¡¯t have any patches, they were also dirty and covered in dust and dirt.
One could tell that the Smiths hadn¡¯t abused him. It was just that he was mentally ill, so he was dirtier than ordinary people.
Perhaps because he sensed her disdain, the butler exined, "He has burns on his body, so his skin has always been in poor condition. It¡¯s very ufortable for him if he takes a hot bath, so he runs off and kicks up a fuss as soon as we give him a bath. As a result, we only give him a bath once a month. It¡¯s also mainly because he usually lives in an empty small house in the yard, and doesn¡¯t meet with anyone."
Nora nodded.
The butler asked the security guards to take him away. Even when they had walked a distance away, she could still hear the butler threatening him. "If you run in there again, I¡¯ll kick you out! And I won¡¯t give you burgers anymore! You hear me?"
"Burgers! Burgers! I wanna eat burgers!"
The madman jumped around and followed the few of them.
Nora narrowed her eyes.
Then, she shook her head and paid no further attention to the matter. She turned and walked into the living room.
Warren and Maureen were both on the sofa. Their necks were craned as they looked at the door anxiously. Obviously, they were also waiting for Brandon to return from school.
Although the boy was all brawn and no brains, he was born into a rather blissful family.
While Nora was thinking about it, Maureen saw her. She waved at once and called out, "Nora! Let¡¯s go downstairs and have dinner together?"
Nora shook her head. "I¡¯m waiting for Cherry, we¡¯re going out for dinner."
Maureen suddenly winked at her. "With Mr. Hunt?"
"Yeah."
After Nora answered her, Warren gave the crayfish and pasta tes in front of him a small push and snorted. "Are the Smiths unable to feed you? Do you have to go out for meals every day? Or are the Smiths giving you too little pocket money that you have to get Justin to treat you to meals? Are the Hunts¡¯ meals better than the food at home?!"
Nora: "??"
She raised her eyebrows, but before she could speak, someone had smacked Warren on his head. Maureen chastised him angrily, "Can¡¯t you speak properly?"
Warren rubbed his head and red at Maureen. "What are you doing?"
Maureen ignored him and looked at Nora instead. "Don¡¯t mind him, Nora. He¡¯s in a panic and in a bad mood because a game developed by thepany has a major bug that can¡¯t be fixed, that¡¯s why he¡¯s talking as if he has just eaten a whole load of gunpowder. Just ignore him. He actually does care about you. He bought the crayfish and pasta for you."
Nora: "?"
Warren looked as if he wanted to explode, though. He said, "Who says I bought it for her? You¡¯re obviously the one who likes it, so why are you saying so much?"
"... Okay, okay. I¡¯m the one who likes it, okay?" said Maureen.
She sneered, "I wonder who it was that saw her eating crayfish so happily yesterday and traveled a long way to buy the best crayfish in New York!"
Nora: "!!"
She tilted her head to the side and thought about it. She had indeed eaten crayfish and pasta the day before, but this didn¡¯t mean that she liked eating them!
Why was Warren behaving so strangely?!
Warren snorted and continued to hold hisptop. He stared at the programming code on the screen and muttered to himself, "It doesn¡¯t look like there¡¯s a problem, so why is there a bug?"
Maureen said, "What would someone like you who only knows a little about programming know? You might as well leave it to a professional to solve it!"
Warren snorted. "Don¡¯t you think I¡¯ve already done that? There are so many technicians in thepany, but they still haven¡¯t found it even after searching for a whole day and night! Our game has only justunched. If this continues for one more day, all of our users are gonna disappear!"
Nora subconsciously nced at hisputer.
Warren, who caught her action, sneered, "What are you looking at? Can you even understand what this is?"
The corners of Nora¡¯s lips spasmed and she answered earnestly, "I... do understand what it is."
Chapter 291: A Debt~
Chapter 291: A Debt~
Warren was taken aback the moment she said that.
Maureen asked in surprise, "You can understand it?"
Nora nodded. She was about to speak when Yvonne¡¯s voice reached them. "Were you looking for me, Warren?"
At the sight of Yvonne, Warren instantly got up and walked over with theputer. He said, "Yvonne,e and take a look at this for me. What¡¯s wrong with the game? None of the technicians in the IT department can find the problem. If this goes on... the game is already live. We¡¯ll lose all the yers!"
Nora: "?"
When she looked over hesitantly, Maureen exined, "Yvonne is a software consultant in thepany. He always goes to her for help if there are problems that the technicians can¡¯t solve."
Maureen curled her lips in disdain. When she saw that Yvonne and Warren had moved to the side with theputer, she couldn¡¯t help but sigh. "I feel so miserable, Nora."
¡¯Nora¡¯?
Nora raised her eyebrows. She didn¡¯t feel that she was that familiar with Maureen yet. However, the sight of her mncholic look made her too embarrassed to say that, so she chose not to say anything, and took on the role of a listener instead.
Maureen heaved a sigh. "Although my family, the Lights, isn¡¯t as rich and prosperous as the Smiths, we can still be said to be a wealthy family. My parents have always pampered me, and never did they think about reaping benefits through my marriage with the Smiths. Warren and I fell in love with each other. Joel, the current head of the family, can be considered a fair and just man, so he didn¡¯t force Warren into a political marriage or anything like that. When I tell you these things, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll think that I¡¯m leading a very blissful life, right?"
"..."
Nora wanted to say that she didn¡¯t hear anything that the woman should find blissful. It seemed like the only thing that went smoothly was that she had freedom in her marriage?
While she was thinking about it, Maureen sighed and went on. "But who would know what kind of life I¡¯ve actually been leading in the Smiths..."
She turned to look at Yvonne, lowered her voice, and whispered, "Do you know? When Warren asked Yvonne to be a consultant in hispany, he had wanted to pay her a sry, but she refused it. After all, she does have money. She also refused when I suggested letting her be a shareholder. It sounds nice, and makes her look especially big-hearted, right?"
Nora nodded. She wanted to say that since they were a family, Yvonne had done the right thing.
Maureen sighed. "Yeah, after word of the incident spread, everyone talked about how kind and pure Ms. Smith was, how caring she was toward her brother, and how much she was at peace with the world... but just take a look at Warren there..."
Nora looked over ordingly and saw Warren standing, whereas Yvonne was seated. Warren stood beside Yvonne like herckey and pointed at theputer screen eagerly.
Whenever Yvonne said something, Warren would immediately nod repeatedly, just like a... very obedient dog.
As soon as the thought formed in Nora¡¯s mind, Maureen spoke again. She said, "Did you see that? She has Warrenpletely wrapped around her little finger. Sigh! I have quite a lot of savings from when I married into the family, and Warren also receives a lot of dividends from thepany every year. When we started the gamepany, we just wanted something to do so that life wouldn¡¯t be that boring. After all, there are a lot of restrictions and constraints if you work in the Smith Corporation. It isn¡¯t much of a problem if Warren just approaches the Smith Corporation¡¯sputer whizzes if he has a problem with his software, right? If that still doesn¡¯t solve the problem, I¡¯m even willing to pay a lot to hire a super hacker. But Warren keeps saying that it doesn¡¯t make sense to get an outsider to do it when there¡¯s his younger sister at home.
"But once he asks for her help, our standard of living isn¡¯t allowed to surpass Yvonne¡¯s anymore. I like caviar, so my family sent me a bit of Almas caviar, which is very precious and almost impossible to buy. Warren said, ¡¯This caviar is great. Let¡¯s give some to Yvonne¡¯. If I refuse, it would make me look stingy; but if I give it to her, half the amount is too little, so I¡¯ll have to give her two-thirds of it, no matter what..."
Maureen continued toin. "She is the youngdy of the Smiths, so she eats the best food, drinks the best drinks, and wears the best clothes. I can understand all of that, but we have to give her all the things my husband buys, as well as the best things that the family gets..."
As she spoke, Maureen paused and looked at Nora. She said, "I know you¡¯ll definitely say that since she has helped us, we should give in to her a little in little things in life. But do you know? I¡¯d rather spend the money and hire aputer expert because the two of us would at least be on equal standing since I paid for it. I don¡¯t want to owe her a favor that I can¡¯t ever repay..."
She heaved another mncholic sigh. Then, she looked at Nora and said, "Sigh, never mind. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll think that I¡¯m just whining. After all, there are people who don¡¯t even have any food to eat, yet I¡¯mining about having too little Almas caviar..."
Nora: "..."
To be honest, she understood.
She also hated owing people favors the most. It was just like when Solo had been seriously ill back then. Because she had discovered his condition in time and performed an operation on him, she had saved his life.
Solo had always wanted to pay her instead of working for her, but she knew that he would definitely disappear after she took the money, which would, in turn, lead to her having to personally take care of a lot of troublesome things subsequently.
It took up too much of her sleeping time.
Thus... cough.
When she thought about it that way, it seemed like she had be the same kind of person as Yvonne?
In that case, did Solo also find her very annoying?
For the first time¡ªand in a rare move¡ªNora began to reflect upon herself.
On the other side, Yvonne kept a constant eye on Maureen out of the corner of her eye while she looked at the programming code for Warren.
She didn¡¯t know what Maureen was saying, but she was constantly talking affectionately with Nora.
A touch of dissatisfaction shed across her eyes.
Just how kind was she to Warren and his wife? Yet they had already converted to Nora¡¯s side so quickly?
She cast her eyes down and suddenly edited some of the programming code. Then, she smiled and said, "The problem¡¯s resolved now."
Warren immediately gave her a thumbs up. "You¡¯re amazing, Yvonne. All those people in thepany can¡¯tpare to you alone! Let me see... the bug is indeed gone! That¡¯s awesome!"
Warren thanked Yvonne and went to the side to make a phone call.
At this point, the few children finally reached home.
Joel hadn¡¯t picked them up from school because of an important meeting, so it was the butler who had picked up the three children.
Nora took Cherry out while Mia went upstairs to change. Brandon bounced around Maureen mischievously.
Yvonne looked at them and then at Warren. She thought of Maureen¡¯s earnest and enthusiastic attitude toward Nora just now. Suddenly, she cast her eyes down and walked toward them. Brandon was saying something and bouncing around. When he took a step back, he happened to ¡¯identally¡¯ step on Yvonne¡¯s feet!!
"Ahh!"
Yvonne let out a cry of pain and held her foot.
Her cry made Warren, who was in the distance, look over. He hurried over. "What¡¯s wrong, Yvonne? Brandon, quick, apologize to your aunt!"
Chapter 292: Hitting The Child?
Chapter 292: Hitting The Child?
Yvonne, however, held Warren¡¯s arm. She frowned and acted as if her foot really hurt, but then said with a smile, "I¡¯m fine, Warren. The boy didn¡¯t mean it..."
Practically at the same time she spoke, Brandon, who was also stunned, subconsciously asked, "How did you appear behind me, Aunt Yvonne?"
Yvonne smiled. "I was just passing by."
As the little overlord of the kindergarten, Brandon was currently at the age where kids were the most rebellious and detestable, so he hated having to apologize the most.
He scratched his head. "I didn¡¯t mean it. It¡¯s not like I have eyes at the back of my head..."
His annoying speech made Warren furious. "Didn¡¯t you hear me? I¡¯m telling you to apologize! Stop making excuses!"
Brandon had always been very mischievous and had damaged a lot of things at home, thereby leaving that sort of impression on Warren a long time ago. He felt that he must have done it on purpose.
In addition, Brandon had indeed been having fun stepping on other people¡¯s feet at home recently. He had even been ying games to see who could step on more people¡¯s feet.
As a result, he had misunderstood.
There was no way the little overlord would ever apologize, though. He immediately retorted, "I didn¡¯t do anything wrong!"
Warren was livid.
Yvonne had just helped him. Not only had he not given her anything for it, but his son was even being so naughty?
He decided to take the opportunity to teach Brandon a lesson and make him behave. He picked up the boy at once and smacked his butt. "Will you apologize or not?!"
The pain made Brandon, who had never been one to behave, struggle and il about at once. "Bad Daddy! Let me go! If you dare to beat me, I¡¯ll also beat you when I grow up!"
Warren was taken aback.
Yvonne broke into a huge frown. "How can you say that, Brandon? That¡¯s so outrageous of you! I don¡¯t need you to apologize to me, you should be apologizing to your father instead!"
Brandon was furious. The boy, who had never been one to allow himself to suffer any injustice, retorted, "I didn¡¯t do anything wrong. Besides, I didn¡¯t mean it, either. You were the one who came up to me and let yourself be stepped on, so why should I apologize?!"
Warren instantly became even angrier.
He lifted his hand and mercilessly smacked his butt again. "You little brat! Will you apologize or not?!"
Loud smacks rang out as his palmnded on Brandon¡¯s butt, making Maureen terribly distressed.
No matter how naughty the boy was, he was still her precious baby.
She had seen that it was Yvonne who ran into him just now, but when her husband told her son to apologize, she had subconsciously felt that she should give in to Yvonne.
Having her son apologize wasn¡¯t really much of a big deal, so she hadn¡¯t stopped them.
What her son said after that had indeed been very annoying, so she had also felt that they mustn¡¯t spoil their son when her husband decided to teach him a lesson. Which boy hadn¡¯t suffered a thrashing before?
But at this moment, she felt as if the blowsnding on Brandon¡¯s butt were insteadnding on her heart, making her heart ache terribly.
She rushed over anxiously. "Alright, that¡¯s enough! Stop hitting him! You¡¯re going to hurt the boy!"
Warren was afraid of his wife, so he immediately let go upon hearing her.
But as soon as he did, Yvonne said, "I know you love your son, Maureen, but spare the rod and spoil the child! He actually said that he was going to beat his father up when he grows up! You have to let him know what he has done wrong! Otherwise, he will go down a path of no return when he grows up!"
Maureen was furious. "He isn¡¯t your child, so of course you don¡¯t feel bad about it! It is our responsibility to educate our son, you don¡¯t need to bother yourself with it!"
The look on Yvonne¡¯s countenance became one of grievance upon being scolded. She heaved a huge sigh and said, "You¡¯re right. Warren, Maureen, I stepped beyond the boundaries with my words."
Warren, however, became angry. "Yvonne was doing it for Brandon¡¯s own good! Besides, she¡¯s his aunt, why would she do anything to harm him? She has the right to discipline the child! Yvonne is right, boys ought to be beaten up, otherwise, he really will beat me up once he grows up! What an impertinent boy!"
After speaking, he held his arm up and hit Brandon¡¯s butt a few more times!
Brandon stubbornly refused to cry, but his struggle gradually became weaker.
Maureen couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. She pushed Warren away and grabbed her son from him. Then, she pulled down his pants and took a look¡ªhis butt was already all red and swollen!
Maureen¡¯s eyes instantly reddened. She shouted straight at Warren and Yvonne, "Warren, if you dare to freaking touch my son again, I will fight you!"
Warren: "..."
Yvonne: "..."
Maureen was so mad that she picked up Brandon, went upstairs, and entered their bedroom. Before she went in, she looked back at Warren and said, "Warren! Do you want your son and me, or your precious little sister?! Are you intending to kill your son just for your precious little sister¡¯s sake?!
"I can¡¯t live with this anymore! I¡¯m taking my son back home! You can go and live with your sister instead!"
With that, she mmed the door shut with a loud bang.
Warren feared his wife the most, so he hurriedly went forward upon hearing what she said. "Dear, I..."
But after taking a step forward, he looked back at Yvonne.
Yvonne sighed. "Go and talk to Maureen, Warren. I¡¯ll be fine... She must have misunderstood... Have a good talk with Maureen. Don¡¯t make her angry, I know you¡¯re scared of her... If it really doesn¡¯t work, why don¡¯t I go up with you and apologize to her?"
There probably wasn¡¯t any man who could stand it if someone were to say that they were scared of their wife, right?
Had it been someone else, they would definitely have patted their chest and said, "Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯m a man, what¡¯s there to be scared of? You don¡¯t have to do that!"
However, Warren instead nodded and said, "You know me best. I¡¯m the most afraid of her going back to her parents¡¯ ce. Let me quickly go upstairs and appease her... If I fail, I¡¯ll have to ask you to give in and apologize to her."
He then went upstairs without looking back, leaving only Yvonne standing downstairs.
She was so mad that she had to take a deep breath before she could suppress her anger.
She knew it! Warren didn¡¯t have a conscience at all. Now that he had a wife, he didn¡¯t protect his sister anymore!
Did the two of them really think that she didn¡¯t have any means of keeping them within her control, though?
Yvonne lowered her head and smirked.
She would just wait for Warren toe and beg her.
¡ª
Half an hourter, after Warren cried, begged, and coaxed her, Maureen finally gave in and stayed at the Smiths¡¯ for the time being.
She and her husband were truly in love, after all. Besides, even though their son¡¯s injury looked serious, the doctor said that they were just simple bruises when he came over to take a look.
Warren said, "That¡¯s my son I¡¯m hitting, so I will definitely hold back! He won¡¯t break so easily, don¡¯t worry!"
Maureen: "!!"
Not long after the two of them made up, Warren¡¯s cell phone rang. When he answered, the technician on the other side said, "Go and look at the game, Mr. Smith! There¡¯s another bug! It¡¯s a different one this time! We still haven¡¯t found the cause of it yet. Can you ask Ms. Yvonne for help again?"
Warren: "??"
Maureen: "????"
Chapter 293: The Family of Three~
Chapter 293: The Family of Three~
Maureen was someone who refused to embarrass herself. If she asked someone for help, she would either pay them or do something for them. No matter what, she would always repay the debt she owed.
She had only just been angry at Yvonne a moment ago because of Brandon, yet she had to beg her for help now?
There was no way she could make herself do that.
Warren scratched his head. "It¡¯s okay, she¡¯s my younger sister. It¡¯ll be fine if I go and approach her. It doesn¡¯t count as begging her for help. We¡¯re family!"
Maureen grabbed her husband who was about to go out. "I¡¯ve had enough, Warren! Look at your son¡¯s butt! If we were really family, would you have given him a beating if he stepped on your feet?"
Warren was taken aback.
Maureen pointed at him and ranted, "It¡¯s exactly because you always feel like you owe her a favor that you unknowingly behave as if you¡¯re beneath her. Yes, Yvonne is indeed from the Smiths¡¯ direct lineage, but at the bottom of it all, she¡¯s still just an adopted daughter. I¡¯ve never seen you so wimpy even when you¡¯re in front of Joel! Why is it that you can¡¯t even say a single word in front of her?"
Maureen became more and more aggrieved as she spoke. Her eyes turned red, and she cried as she shouted, "Think about how much injustice you have made me suffer all these years? Let¡¯s just talk about the Almas caviar the other time. You clearly know that I love caviar the most while it doesn¡¯t matter to her whether she eats it or not, yet you still forced me to give her two-thirds of it... Do you know? My mom only managed to buy the Almas caviar after asking someone for a favor and spending a lot of money! Even she couldn¡¯t bear to eat it herself, and had given them all to me!"
Maureen wiped her tears and went on. "I was willing to overlook certain things before, but we have to make things clear now! She is your younger sister, and you have a sisterplex. It¡¯s not a problem that you want to spoil her, but she isn¡¯t rted to me by blood at all! Neither has she done anything for me! Why do I also have to repay her for the favors she¡¯s done for you?!"
Warren scratched his head. He panicked and said, "Don¡¯t cry, dear. I... I just thought that good things ought to be shared, that¡¯s all."
"Yeah, right! Never mind if she also likes Almas caviar, but the problem is that she doesn¡¯t like it at all! I saw with my own eyes that she couldn¡¯t bring herself to eat the Almas caviar after it was prepared, so she gave it to Florence, the housekeeper! I¡¯ve kept all this to myself and have never brought it up before, but don¡¯t you dare go too far!
"You have two choices today, Warren Smith. One¡ªyou go to her, and we divorce! I won¡¯t take this bullshit anymore! The second¡ªremove her software consultant position in thepany, or pay her a sry. You can even give her dividends if you want! Just don¡¯t owe her any more favors!"
Maureen hugged herself angrily and sobbed loudly after she spoke.
She was full of grievances after her son suffered a beating.
Yet now she still had to go and beg Yvonne for help! She was so goddamn full of grievances that she couldn¡¯t get any more aggrieved than that!
Brandon was already in pain because of the beating, but he had been holding it back all this time. However, when he saw that his mother was upset, he immediately walked over and pushed Warren. Then, he hugged Maureen and also burst into tears. He said, "Don¡¯t cry, Mommy! Don¡¯t cry! We won¡¯t talk to bad Daddy anymore! If he makes you angry, I will take off the respirator for his oxygen tank after I grow up!"
"..."
Warren¡¯s lip corners spasmed. "You little brat! Do you have a conscience or not?!"
Maureen also burst intoughter after holding it back for a brief moment.
Brandon¡¯s words immediately dispelled the sad atmosphere in the room.
Warren stepped forward and put his arm around Maureen¡¯s shoulders. "Alright, alright, dear. Although I don¡¯t really understand what you were saying, nor do I understand what¡¯s so delicious about the Almas caviar, I¡¯ll listen to you, okay? We won¡¯t go to Yvonne anymore. I¡¯ll hire an expert hacker from outside, okay?"
The sniffling Maureen nodded.
She took another deep breath before she looked at Warren and asked, "Really?"
"Yes, really." Warren then sighed and said, "Why didn¡¯t you tell me about the Almas caviar earlier? Had you told me, I would have bought you some. Given the Smiths¡¯ connections, isn¡¯t it a piece of cake to just buy some?"
Maureen pounded his shoulder. "Do you think Almas caviar is that easy to find?"
Warren, however, was full of confidence. "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll definitely buy some for you!"
The family of three finally reconciled and hugged one another happily. Because Maureen had cried a lot, her eyes were all red and swollen, so she was too embarrassed to go downstairs for dinner. Warren decided to bring the food up instead.
When he went downstairs, he happened to see Yvonne and Joel eating. He smiled and said, "The little brat¡¯s butt is all swollen because of me, so he doesn¡¯t want toe down. We¡¯ll eat upstairs instead."
He then instructed the servants to deliver the food to their room.
Joel didn¡¯t think much about it and concentrated on feeding Mia instead.
Yvonne raised her eyebrows.
She¡¯d thought that Warren wouldn¡¯t be able to stop himself from speaking to her. This way, Maureen would definitely be embarrassed and would force Brandon toe over and apologize to her.
She simply loved seeing Maureen having to practice forbearance even though she was clearly feeling terribly aggrieved.
She was the true mistress of the household here!
But why wasn¡¯t Warren acting ording to n?
Upstairs, the family of three went to sleep after dinner.
However, reality always called after a heartwarming moment.
After sleeping for some time, Maureen was woken up by the heat. She opened her eyes and found that Brandon¡¯s limbs were all over her. The little fellow was as hot as a furnace.
She pushed the little fellow off of her and got up, intending to drink some water. It was then that she found that there was no one on the other side of Brandon.
Surprised, she stood up. She could vaguely hear soundsing from the balcony in the suite¡¯s study. She drank a ss of water and walked over.
When she reached there, she saw that because Warren didn¡¯t want to wake the two of them, not only was he in the study, but he had even gone to the balcony and was on the phone with someone. He lowered his voice and said, "You can¡¯t find the cause? How can that be? Didn¡¯t I say that you can get external help? If it really doesn¡¯t work, you can borrow someone from the Smiths. Joel has a hacker!"
The person he was on the phone with replied, "I¡¯ve already approached him, Boss, but he says that he couldn¡¯t tell what the problem is. What do we do now?"
Things would get really tricky if even the Smiths¡¯ hacker couldn¡¯t detect the issue.
Warren frowned.
The other party, who was in charge of operations, said, "It¡¯s been more than 24 hours since the game went live. The forums are full of negative feedback right now. If we still can¡¯t fix the bug within 36 hours, the yers will definitely doubt our capabilities. We could still vaguely find the cause for the previous bug, but we simply can¡¯t find it at all this time!"
Warren ran his hand through his hair, so troubled that he was almost going bald. "What would happen if we fail to fix it?"
The person in charge of operations stayed quiet for a moment before he replied, "We¡¯ll lose all the money we invested in the initial stages! Boss, you said that you wanted to create a perfect game, so from production nning to art and design, we hired only the best. In fact, we even hired a master artist to do thendscape designs, so every drawing is super expensive! The loss is a little too much..."
Warren had dividends from thepany. He could also ask Joel for money if he didn¡¯t have any more money.
But he also had his own ideals and that was to start a gamepany.
Thus, he had invested almost all of his savings into the game.
Chapter 294: Happy Times For The Family of Four~
Chapter 294: Happy Times For The Family of Four~
Warren was so troubled that he tugged at his hair again and pulled out a few more strands.
In the room next door.
Yvonne listened to the voicesing from the monitoring device. She had hacked into Warren¡¯s phone and was eavesdropping on his conversation.
When she heard the other party say that they couldn¡¯t find the bug and so couldn¡¯t pinpoint the cause either, the corners of her lips curled into a smile.
Of course, they wouldn¡¯t be able to find the cause.
Because it was her newly created virus. She had nted the virus when she was repairing the game server earlier that day. She was the only one who could resolve the virus.
She went through her skincare routine leisurely, opening a bottle of expensive body lotion and spreading it carefully on herself.
Even a wealthy youngdy¡¯s skin required meticulous care.
She tilted her head. Sure enough, a short whileter, she heard Maureen¡¯s voice. "Why don¡¯t we go to Yvonne after all, Warren?"
Yvonne smirked.
So what even if Maureen was arrogant? Didn¡¯t she have to bow down to her all the same in the end?
¡ª
Nora, who had taken Cherry out with her, was having dinner with Justin and Pete in a private room.
The family of four sat together. When Cherry and Pete sat facing each other, it was as if they were looking at a mirror. When Justin looked at the children, he couldn¡¯t help but marvel. "Why does this pair of boy-girl twins look exactly the same? They look too much like each other. Boy-girl twins are supposed to be fraternal twins. Are there any medical case studies where boy-girl twins look really alike?"
Nora shook her head. "I¡¯ve never seen any. Boy-girl twins are just like normal brothers and sisters. Outsiders may not be able to tell them apart at a nce, but their parents will definitely be able to see some differences, yet Cherry and Pete look pretty much identical. But once they grow up, and Pete¡¯s characteristics as a boy and Cherry¡¯s characteristics as a girl be obvious, they won¡¯t look so simr anymore."
Justin breathed a sigh of relief. He was really afraid that the two children would still look exactly the same even after they grew up. Now, that would be really strange.
He touched Cherry¡¯s head, who was sitting next to him, and looked at Nora. Then, as if he was reminiscing about the past, he said, "You know, I almost thought Pete was a pervert prior to this."
Pete, who was eating: "?"
He silently lifted his head and looked at the tyrant with a frown.
He sure knew how to pick a conversation topic just to get Mommy to say a few more words. While he was despising him, wasn¡¯t he also despising his own IQ?
The corners of his lips spasmed a little. When he was about to speak, Nora asked, "Oh. Why¡¯s that?"
Justin coughed and said, "Pete suddenly became really girly, so I thought there was something psychologically wrong with him, and asked a family doctor to do a psychological test for him. The results indicated that he was a girl at heart."
Nora: "..."
Nora looked down at Pete. The picture of a shocked Justin formed in her mind, and she couldn¡¯t help but smile.
Pete: "??"
He looked at Cherry with a confused look on his face. When had the psychological test taken ce?
Cherry was also bewildered. She looked at Justin puzzledly and asked, "When did you make me take the psychological test, Daddy?"
When Justin brought up the events in the hotel in California, Cherry was suddenly enlightened. She eximed, "Ah, so that was a psychological test! I¡¯d thought it was an IQ test!"
Pete: "!!!"
So, when Cherry had said so confidently that their father made her take an IQ test and the results turned out super high¡ªand Daddy was so satisfied that he couldn¡¯t even say anything¡ªshe was actually talking about a psychological test?
The corners of his lips spasmed a little. Only then did he realize just what kind of terrible situation Cherry had put him in back then!
He looked at Cherry. "What about the history trivia and all that?"
Cherry replied proudly, "My history is really great. You can ask Daddy if you don¡¯t believe me!"
Pete looked at Justin, who coughed and said, "It¡¯s pretty good."
He didn¡¯t believe him anymore, though, so he looked at Nora. Nora¡¯s lips curled into a smile and she said, "Yeah, it¡¯s pretty good. Who invented the first car?"
"Harrison Ford!" Cherry answered right away!
Pete: "!!!"
His pride and dignity of being a high IQ genius had all been destroyed by Cherry!!
With that as a conversation topic, Nora started to talk more than usual. Besides, she also wanted to know about her son.
Justin slowly started to talk about all the things Pete did when he was younger. He said, "... He drives his private tutors mad with anger. When he was two, the tutor told them the story about the three little pigs, and asked the children who they wanted to be¡ªthe eldest, the second, or the third pig? All the children said that they wanted to be the third pig because only hardworking people can build a sturdy house. When the tutor asked Pete the same question, what do you think he said?"
Nora shook her head.
Justin chuckled and said, "He said, ¡¯Sir, I don¡¯t want to be a pig. I want to be a human being¡¯."
"... Hahaha!"
This was the first time in Nora¡¯s life that sheughed out loud so happily. She hadn¡¯t expected her disciplined and rigid son to have such cute and funny moments when he was younger.
The look in Justin¡¯s eyes became a little infatuated when he saw herugh.
The woman¡¯s eyelids were always drooping when she wasn¡¯t smiling, which made her look as if she was half-asleep. However, the angle of her lip corners was just right in this instant when she wasughing, and her eyes also looked brighter than usual.
He hurriedly retracted his gaze and took a sip of water to suppress the itch in his throat.
This was the first time they were having a meal so happily as a family of four.
Even Nora wasn¡¯t gobbling down her food like she usually did. In fact, after she was done eating, she even sat there and listened to him talk about all the embarrassing things Pete did as a child.
Time flew by. In the blink of an eye, it was nine o¡¯clock.
The children had to go to bed, so Justin sent Nora and Pete back to the Smiths. After they reached, he tried to ask her out on a date. "Shall we go to Universal Studios on the weekend?"
Cherry immediately pped. "Yes, yes! Daddy¡¯s the best!"
Justin looked at Nora.
Nora wanted to refuse so that she could sleep, but perhaps because the atmosphere that evening was simply so great, or perhaps because the night was getting dark, she hesitated when she saw the longing looks on the children¡¯s faces, as well as Justin¡¯s dark eyes. A momentter, she nodded.
After Justin left with Cherry, Nora took Pete into the Smiths¡¯ manor.
As soon as they entered, Mia rushed over and hugged Pete. "Cherry, why did youe back sote? Let¡¯s go and sleep together?"
Pete: "?!"
Pete had only slept on the same bed with Nora and Justin before. When he heard Mia¡¯s words, he froze and stammered, "N-no, it¡¯s okay..."
"Why?" Mia looked at him timidly. "Don¡¯t you like me?"
Pete didn¡¯t have the slightest bit of resistance to the look in her eyes. "Of course, I do!" he said.
"Then let¡¯s go!"
With that, Mia dragged Pete away.
Nora: "..."
She didn¡¯t refuse, either.
First of all, the children were only five. Besides, they actually counted as cousins, right? It was okay even if they slept together.
She went upstairs leisurely. Before she entered her bedroom, she spotted Maureen sitting on the sofa in the lounge on the second floor. She was sighing.
Chapter 295: Do You Know Any Really Good Hackers?
Chapter 295: Do You Know Any Really Good Hackers?
Nora was someone who minded her own business. She rarely took the initiative to show concern for others, unless they were people very close to her.
Maureen was just her sister-inw, and the two had only just met, so she was very averse to prying into other people¡¯s private matters.
Thus, she merely paused for a moment before she started walking toward her room.
She had only taken a couple of steps when she suddenly heard voicesing from Mia¡¯s room. She frowned. She hadn¡¯t been nning on going over, but it suddenly urred to her that she had brought Pete instead of Cherry back with her today.
Cherry would never allow anyone to bully her, so Nora didn¡¯t bother herself with her matters.
However, Pete was sensitive by nature. After learning about his childhood experiences, she had contacted several well-known psychologists abroad and consulted them, so she knew that Pete¡¯s condition was due to the psychological trauma he had suffered from being abandoned at birth.
Thus, she had to pay more attention to him.
This was also why she and Justin had switched children to take care of.
Cherry liked her father and was talkative, so she had let her go with Justin instead. Her son, though... He had almost died because she hadn¡¯t gone after him for Cherry¡¯s sake when they were born. Nora was constantly gued with guilt because of that.
Thus, she paused and walked toward Mia¡¯s room in the end.
Maureen likely also heard the voices, so she also followed her there. As soon as the two of them walked in, they heard Mia saying softly, "Mdm. Florence, Daddy¡¯s the one who said Cherry could sleep with me."
Florence, who had a sullen look on her face, said, "You can¡¯t do that, Ms. Mia. How sad would your Granduncle Ian be if you did that?!"
A puzzled Mia asked, "What¡¯s the matter with Granduncle Ian?"
Florence replied, "Your Granduncle Ian hates Nora Smith the most, yet you¡¯re such close friends with her child. His condition is going to worsen because of this."
She looked at Pete after she spoke, and her expression turned cold. There was none of the politeness and respect she showed Mia as she said, "Ms. Cherry, you¡¯re not allowed to sleep with Ms. Mia. This ce is meant for the Smiths¡¯ children. By doing that, you¡¯ll mess up the hierarchy of the family."
Pete: "?"
This wasn¡¯t a matter of hierarchy but the fact that he was a boy. Boys mustn¡¯t sleep with girls. What if the girl became pregnant?
Was he supposed to let Mia give birth to the child, and then have the three of them attend kindergarten together hand in hand?
With that, Pete finally found an excuse. He looked at Mia and said, "I won¡¯t sleep here, then."
He turned to leave after he spoke.
Mia, however, grabbed his hand. "No! I was the one who asked you to sleep here, Cherry. If you leave, everyone will look down on you!"
Mia had been educated by her mother ever since she was very little, so she was very sensitive despite her young age.
Pete was touched when he heard what she said.
Mia really did have his interests at heart.
While he was thinking, Florence said, "You have to listen to me, Ms. Mia. If you make Ms. Cherry stay, your father will get angry, too."
"No, he won¡¯t!" Mia said in her young and tender voice, "Daddy agreed to it!"
Almost right after she spoke, they heard a sounding from downstairs¡ªJoel was back.
He had worked overtime today, which caused him to return home a littleter. Nevertheless, he immediately went up the stairs to see if Mia had gone to bed. If she hadn¡¯t, he would still be in time to say goodnight to her.
As soon as he came up, he met Mia, Florence, and Pete¡¯s eyes.
He frowned. "What¡¯s wrong?"
Florence was about to speak when Mia rushed into Joel¡¯s arms. She said a little angrily, "Daddy, Mdm. Florence won¡¯t let Cherry sleep with me! Tell her whether you agreed to it or not!"
Joel nodded. "Yes, I¡¯ve already agreed to it."
Mia became excited. She got off him, grabbed Pete¡¯s hand, and got ready to go into her room.
Joel¡¯s gaze fell on Pete.
Ever since he realized that Justin had a pair of boy-girl twins, his observation skills had be very keen. There was ultimately still a very big difference between girls and boys.
He could tell at a nce that the person Mia was dragging into the room was Pete.
Seeing that Joel had actually agreed to it, Florence couldn¡¯t help but frown. She said, "Sir, that¡¯s Ms. Smith¡¯s daughter! You¡ª"
Before she could finish, Joel suddenly took a couple of steps forward and stopped Mia and Pete. After casting a few nces at Pete, he finally looked at Mia and said, "Mia, let¡¯s not ask Cherry to keep youpany tonight, okay? She probably also misses her mom."
Mia was taken aback. She looked at Pete puzzledly and asked, "Is that so, Cherry?"
Pete immediately nodded. "Yes... yeah!"
Mia hung her head disappointedly. "Then, when can you sleep with me?"
That would be when he switched ces with Cherry again, of course.
After Pete silently answered her question inwardly, Joel said, "She will look for you when she wants to. Let¡¯s go to bed now, okay?"
Mia nodded. As Joel carried her into the bedroom, he also said, "Send Cherry back, Mdm. Florence."
"Yes, sir."
Mdm. Florence, however, had misunderstood and felt that she now understood what Joel was thinking.
As expected, with regard to Nora, the old sir did mind. Otherwise, Joel wouldn¡¯t have treated her daughter so poorly.
Sure enough, he had indeed driven her away.
Mdm. Florence sneered, "Please know your ce in the future, Ms. Cherry. Even if your mother marries into the Hunts in the future, you still won¡¯t be a real Hunt, either. Don¡¯tpare yourself with the Hunts¡¯ little mister, get it?"
Pete: "..."
He resisted the urge to roll his eyes and walked forward without a word.
When Nora and Maureen came over, they were just in time to hear Florence say that. Maureen immediately looked at Nora, intending tofort her, only to find that she didn¡¯t seem to care at all?
Maureen coughed and said, "Florence is a crazy fan of Uncle Ian. Her true master is Uncle Ian in this house, so she¡¯ll definitely have something against you. She is very loyal to her master and has worked for the Smiths for many years, so sometimes we can¡¯t really say anything about her behavior..."
The subtext: ¡¯It¡¯s better not to offend the old servant.¡¯
"...Oh," Nora said.
Pete quickened his footsteps when he spotted her. She took his hand and nced at Florence, who was still in the distance. The woman raised her head and snorted arrogantly, but nevertheless nodded at Maureen and her as a sign of respect. Then, she left.
It was only after she left that Nora nced at Maureen. When she noticed the concern in her eyes, and saw her eyes had turned red and swollen from crying, she thought of how she had kept sighing just now. She tried to hold herself back, but after a short hesitation, she still decided to ask, "What happened to you? Did you run into some kind of trouble?"
Upon hearing her question, Maureen heaved another huge sigh.
She suddenly asked, "Do you know any really good hackers?"
Chapter 296: We Found A Hacker!
Chapter 296: We Found A Hacker!
Maureen didn¡¯t know what was so wrong with herself that she would actually ask such a question.
Realputer experts were actually very hard to find.
Even with her family and the Smiths put together, they couldn¡¯t find a top-ss hacker. Joel had paid a lot to hire the Smiths¡¯ current hacker.
It was said that when he attended the interview, Joel, who hadn¡¯t known his background at that time, had asked, "Why should I pay you such a high annual pay?"
The man had taken out hisputer without a second word. Two minutester, someone from the IT department reported, "Mr. Smith, thepany¡¯swork is down!"
Joel had then looked at the hacker in front of him. After the hacker typed away for another two minutes, thework was back up. The hacker even said, "I¡¯ve upgraded thepany¡¯s firewall to thetest level of security. Unless Q and Y are on the scene, no one can breach my firewall."
With that, the man became a legend in one move and became worshiped by the Smiths.
Needless to say, there was no way he would help so easily.
He hadpletely ignored them even when problems urred with Warren¡¯s gamepany¡¯s software. The Smiths¡¯puter experts that they had previously approached for help were the people under him.
Unfortunately, none of them could pinpoint the problem.
Maureen regretted asking the question right after she did. How would Nora possibly know any when neither the Lights nor Warren could find any?
Why did she simply have to ask something that would put the other party in such a spot?
She smiled awkwardly and said, "It¡¯s okay even if you don¡¯t know any. None of us do anyway... There are so many programmers around, but why are there so few actualputer experts?"
Nora: "..."
That was because top-ss talent wouldn¡¯t work in a gamepany!
They either protected the national cyber security for the country¡ªwhere they were known as white hats¡ªor they had already been hired by certain corporations. Another possibility was that they frenced and took on jobs in private, just like Solo. They also made a lot of money that way.
Could a gamepany like theirs even make a hacker stay with them?
Seeing how Maureen was hanging her head again and how her eyes were reddening, Nora kept quiet for a while before she finally said, "I do know one."
Maureen: "?"
Her head whipped up and she looked at Nora in disbelief. "Really? Who is it? Are they famous? Would it be expensive if we hired them as a software engineer... no, a consultant, I mean, in ourpany?"
Nora coughed. "No, it isn¡¯t. You can just give him a few hundred dors."
He was just doing them a small favor anyway. That little bug in their game was a cinch for him.
Maureen frowned. "So cheap? Are they reliable?"
She hurriedly exined, "I¡¯m not questioning your abilities. What I mean is, most experts are really expensive to hire and are also very mysterious..."
Nora waved. "It¡¯s fine. His name is Solo. I¡¯ll give him a heads-up first."
In a dark room abroad.
A fewputer screens glowed faintly in the dark. A skinny man in front of aputer was writing a program excitedly when he suddenly sneezed.
As he rubbed his nose, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder who was thinking of him.
Then, he immersed himself in his intense work.
A whileter, his cell phone rang.
He was so engrossed in writing his program that he couldn¡¯t be bothered to look at his phone. He continued to stare at theputer screen. A short whileter, though, his phone automatically connected and Nora¡¯s voice rang out. "What are you doing?"
Solo was so shocked that his hands shook. He identally entered a whole bunch of meaningless code into theputer, messing up the program instantly.
Solo: "..."
He looked to the side, stared at the phone, and said sinisterly, "Can you not be so bossy, Anti? All I did was just miss a call, yet you¡¯re already hacking into my phone?"
Nora replied, "... It¡¯s because your cell phone is too easy to hack. If it were a little more troublesome, I wouldn¡¯t waste any time doing it, either."
Solo: "..."
Just listen to what she was saying. Was that what a decent human being should be saying?
The resigned man picked up the phone and pressed the answer button stubbornly as if that was how being on the phone should be. He asked, "What¡¯s up? Need me to do something again?"
"Yeah. Do me a small favor."
"What is it?"
"Help my..." She fell silent for a while before she finally said, "...my cousin, I suppose. He¡¯s run into a small problem with hispany¡¯s game. Take a look at it for him."
Solo asked nosily, "What do you mean by your cousin? How many cousins do you have?"
"..."
"Anti, you are not someone who gives themselves trouble. Besides, what do I get if I help him out? I owe you a favor, but I don¡¯t owe him any."
Nora said unhurriedly, "If you be theirpany¡¯s consultant, I¡¯ll write off for good the debt you owe me."
Solo: "??"
He was absolutely stunned. "Have you suddenly found your conscience? Is the overlord finally willing to release her captive? No problem! I can do that!"
If helping a small gamepany and being their consultant could repay what he owed the other party for saving his life, then that was totally too good a deal for him!
Solopletely didn¡¯t realize that he had already been brainwashed by Nora¡¯s oppressive ways.
¡ª
At the Smiths.
Nora gave Solo a call in her bedroom. After he agreed, she hung up and went out.
After she left, Pete, who was lying on the bed, suddenly opened his eyes.
Light flickered in his dark eyes as he looked at the door. Judging from what Mommy had said, she was actually a top-ss hacker?
Mommy was so amazing! He must be even more impressive in the future so that he could be worthy of being her child! As for Cherry... Forget it, he would just let her y.
It was enough that he followed in Mommy¡¯s footsteps.
Nora waspletely unaware of how far the little fellow had already thought. She found Maureen sitting outside and waiting for her when she went out. She asked, "How did it go?"
Nora nodded and replied, "He¡¯s agreed to it. I will set up a group chat for you guyster. You can tell him in the chat which part is buggy. He will help you guys out."
Maureen nodded. "Okay! I¡¯ll go and let Warren know about it!"
She entered the bedroom excitedly.
Warren¡¯s game had just gone live that day, so things were rtively in a rush, and he was currently in a huge panic. Seeing her enter, he asked, "Have you talked to Yvonne?"
Maureen shook her head.
Warren said, "Didn¡¯t I already say that I¡¯ll go? Yet you just had to stop me. See, it¡¯s because you can¡¯t bring yourself to take a step back. We¡¯re a family, it¡¯s very normal that we¡¯ll have conflicts. What¡¯s the big deal about that?"
He was about to go out when Maureen said, "No, what I mean is, I¡¯ve found you a hacker as a consultant for yourpany!"
Warren: "?"
He was stunned. Then, he stretched out his hand and waved in front of Maureen. "Have you be silly? Do you think it¡¯s that easy to find a hacker? You didn¡¯t let someone fool you, did you?"
Maureen immediately replied, "I don¡¯t think so. Don¡¯t think too deeply into it for now. Show him the bug in the game first. As for whether or not he¡¯s really a hacker, and whether or not he¡¯s good, won¡¯t you know once you let him give it a shot?"
Warren, however, was extremely dubious. "How can I send our game software to other people so casually? Tell me the name of the hacker you found. I¡¯ll look him up on the Inte."
"His name is Solo," replied Maureen.
Yvonne, who had hacked into Warren¡¯s cell phone and was eavesdropping on them, curled her lips disdainfully.
Chapter 297: Real or Fake Solo
Chapter 297: Real or Fake Solo
After Warren entered Solo¡¯s name into Google, his information quickly appeared.
Solo was the champion of the international hackerpetitionst year. He was very good at capturing system loopholes, hacking into other people¡¯s systems, and stealing relevant documents.
When he was young, he had won aputer programming award and was considered one of the top hackers in the country.
When he saw this information, Warren was stunned.
He looked at Maureen in shock and asked in surprise, "Is it this Solo?"
Maureen was also very surprised. "I think... probably? Is there another Solo?"
Warren closed the tab and shook his head. "No."
Maureen: "Nora introduced him to me."
After the two of them finished speaking, they looked at each other. Warren coughed. "She¡¯s just a country bumpkin from California. How could she know such a powerful person?"
Maureen: "What¡¯s wrong withing from California? She has been overseas for a few years! Maybe they met by chance."
Warren nodded. "Alright."
After saying that, he was still worried. "I better ask Yvonne."
Maureen was about to say something when Warren left.
In another room.
Yvonne hurriedly retracted her surveince. After a while, there was indeed a knock on the door. She opened it, but Warren did not enter.
After all, they were not biological siblings and should have a line drawn between them.
He stood outside the door and asked, "Yvonne, have you heard of Solo?"
Yvonne raised an eyebrow. "Of course, I¡¯ve heard of him. He was the champion ofst year¡¯s hackerpetition. I¡¯ve seen him before, we worked together once."
Warren was instantly relieved. Just as he was about to say something, Yvonne smiled. "But he¡¯s very introverted. Last year, I wanted to pull him into the Smiths¡¯ business, but he refused. Do you know why?"
Warren shook his head.
Yvonne faintly replied, "Because he said that he doesn¡¯t like to be controlled and restrained, so he has always been doing things by himself. By the way, do you know his personality? He likes to be alone the most. Even I can¡¯t be considered his friend."
Warren was stunned. "Alone? Even you¡¯re not his friend?"
Yvonne nodded. "Capable people will always have pride."
Warren nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, not everyone is like you. They¡¯re capable and approachable. Alright, Yvonne, thank you!"
With that, Warren turned and left.
Yvonne: ??
She frowned and stared at Warren¡¯s back as he left.
She thought that when Warren heard this, he would directly ask her about the software, but she did not expect him to just leave like that.
She bit her lip.
Alright, he was not begging, right?
Then just wait!
Her software could not be deciphered by any Tom, Dick, or Harry. Besides, Solo was such a reclusive person. How could he be a consultant for their gamingpany?!
¡ª
When Warren returned to his room, Yvonne was already monitoring them.
She felt that after the two of them realized that the rtionship with Solo was fake, they would definitelyin to Nora. In the end, she heard the two of them chatting.
Warren: "I think this Solo is fake."
Maureen: "Then what should we do? Now that you mention it, I also think it¡¯s fake."
After a long silence, Maureen slowly said, "Nora introduced him. Do you think..."
Yvonne smiled. She felt that the two of them would definitely me Nora next. However, she did not expect the two of them to change the topic.
Warren asked, "Do you think Nora has been deceived too?"
Yvonne: "???"
Maureen continued, "Yes, but how are we going to tell Nora about this? If we say that Solo is fake, will she be sensitive and suspicious?"
Warren asked, "Would women also feel that way?"
Maureen: "Yes, they would. Even Nora¡¯s self-esteem would be hurt. What do you think we should do?"
Warren: "...She¡¯s not that unreasonable, is she?"
However, after a moment of silence, Warren said impatiently, "She came from a small ce after all. She¡¯s just mentally fragile!"
Maureen: "...Can you not say one thing and mean another? Besides, you¡¯re rted by blood. Haven¡¯t you always wanted a biological sister?"
Warren scratched his head. "...She¡¯s not my biological sister either. Sigh, I keep feeling like there¡¯s a war between me and Yvonne. She was too outstanding since she was young, wasn¡¯t she? She seemed close to us, but I could see that other siblings could y around with each other, but there was never anything between us. For example, when I went to look for her just now, if she was my biological sister, I could have just closed the door and talked to her, but I had to talk outside the door. You know Chester Hunt, right? He unts his sister in front of me every day. Whenever I mention Yvonne, he would reply to me, ¡¯Have you bathed with your sister? Have you ever put your arm around her shoulder? Have you ever drank with her? Are you rted by blood?¡¯"
He sighed heavily. "I¡¯ve never done any of those things! But he has! I¡¯m so angry! Now that I finally have a biological sister, do you think... Yvonne will be unhappy if I get closer to her or prepare some dowry for her?"
Maureen immediately said, "I liked Nora the moment I saw her. This might be fate between us. It¡¯s not wrong to prepare some dowry for her. What¡¯s there to be unhappy about? Uncle Ian will definitely help with her dowry too. Even if we prepare a few million, they won¡¯t care! Besides, I¡¯ll give Yvonne some when the timees."
Warren nodded. "You¡¯re right."
Yvonne was speechless.
She clenched her fists tightly and took a deep breath. She felt as if her heart was stuffed with cotton.
She was Ian¡¯s daughter, while Nora was the daughter of her deceased uncle. How could she be more precious than her?
Why were these people treating her so well?
What about her?
What had she been all these years?
She took a deep breath.
¡ª
In another room.
After the two of them discussed the dowry, Warren picked up his phone. "Come on, invite Solo to the group chat. We¡¯ll expose his fake identity on the spot and let Nora know the dangers of society. I thought about it, we can¡¯t hide this from her!"
When Maureen heard her husband¡¯s words, she felt that it made sense. Therefore, she told Nora to add them into a group chat.
Nora did so soon.
She also made an introduction:
Nora: "This is Solo @Warren @Maureen"
With that, she fell silent.
Solo sent a weing emoji in the group chat and waved a small handkerchief around, looking especially despicable.
Warren sneered. How could the Almighty be so approachable?
Let¡¯s see how he would expose Solo¡¯s fake identity!
As he thought about this, he sent a previous game program into the group and said, "Guru, may I know where the bugs in this software are?"
Haha!
He¡¯ll see how Solo answers!
Chapter 298: You Are Being Watched
Chapter 298: You Are Being Watched
While Warren was feeling smug, the other party replied:
Solo: "What nonsense is this? Can this code be used?"
Warren was taken aback.
Maureen said excitedly, "Maybe he¡¯s really a master and can see the problem with this code?"
Warren touched his nose. "No, I have to try again. Maybe this was a wild guess?"
He sent a message to the group:
Warren: "Ah, I identally sent the wrong code. Master, are you really Solo?"
On the other end of the line, Solo was anxious. He did not have that much time to waste with him! Therefore, he quickly typed a message:
Solo: "Yes, cut the crap. Shall we sign the contract first?"
Anti had finally relented and said that as long as he became the consultant of this silly cousin, he would not have to work for free in the future!
Solo had to seize this opportunity.
The other party had first sent a bunch of wrong codes. It was obvious that they were testing him, and did not trust him so much. What if after he helped fix the bug, the other party kicked him away and said that they did not need a consultant?
To think that the dignified Solo would one day beg to be apany consultant for someone else!
Therefore, he had to sign the contract first. He did not want to be fooled again after doing the job!
However, in the eyes of Warren and Maureen, this hasty behavior made the two of them even more certain that this was a liar!
The two of them looked at each other. Warren asked, "Sure, but what about the sry?"
Solo: "Anything. Just give me $200,000."
Anyway, he did not care about such a small amount of money. Any project he epted would cost a million! Did he care about the consultancy fees?
No, what he cared about was freedom!
Now, freedom was waving a little handkerchief at him. He was anxious to get rid of Anti!
Therefore, Solo sent another message in the group chat: "Hurry up. I¡¯ve already settled the contract for you. I¡¯ll sign an electronic one. You can just sign an electronic one too."
After saying this, he sent a contract to the group chat.
Warren: "!!"
Maureen: "..."
She gulped. "It has only been a few minutes? The contract is done."
Warren: "...He probably prepared it in advance?"
Maureen opened the contract and took a look. The amount was $200,000.
She nced at Warren again. "Isn¡¯t this too cheap?"
Warren: "You can practically say that he¡¯s helping us for free."
The two of them looked at each other again. At this moment, they were certain that this Solo was definitely a liar!
Warren rolled up his sleeves and looked at Maureen. "How dare he deceive us, the Smiths. How hateful! Moreover, this liar is too unprofessional! Can a real high-level hacker be hired for $200,000?! It¡¯s too fake! Nora, that stupid girl, has been deceived by this person for so long! He might have also swindled tens of thousands from her!"
Maureen also frowned. "Yes!"
Warren said, "Tens of thousands is nothing to us, but to Nora, it should be a lot in the environment she lives in, right? No, us Smiths cannot be bullied like this!"
Maureen nodded repeatedly. "Yes, we have to vent our anger! But how?"
Warren thought about it and said slowly, "How about this? First, we have to let Nora know that he¡¯s a liar!"
Maureen took out her phone. "I¡¯ll private chat with her."
After Maureen sent a message to Nora, saying that Solo in the group was a liar, Nora¡¯s reply was very fast because there were only two words: "He¡¯s real."
Maureen: "..."
Warren: "..."
The two of them looked at each other. Maureen sighed. "It looks like Nora has been deceived quite badly."
Warren nodded as well.
Maureen asked, "What do we do now?"
After thinking for a while, Warren immediately patted his head. "Then let the truth be exined. We¡¯ll sign the contract ording to this counterfeit! After we sign it, he won¡¯t be able to find any bugs. By then, Nora will definitely know the truth!"
Maureen nodded. "Then what about your game?"
Warren: "At this time, is that bit of money more important? Or is my sister more important?"
Maureen thought for a moment. "That¡¯s true. Let¡¯s settle the matter of Nora being deceived first!"
Anyway, even if they were bankrupt. With their elder brother to support them, their lives would not be bad!
The conversation between the two dimwits entered Yvonne¡¯s ears, making her clench her fists in anger. This was too much.
It was too much!
These two people were too good to Nora!
She bit her lip and took a deep breath. She decided that if Warren came looking for herter, she would definitely not help.
How could he not care about that bit of money?
Then she would make him go bankrupt!
¡ª
Warren signed the contract electronically and sent it to Solo again.
Solo immediately sent a message in the group: "Okay, the contract has been settled."
Warren sent another message: "Then I¡¯ll send you the bug?"
Solo: "Your software is on thisputer you¡¯re using, right?"
Warren: "?"
He nced at hisputer and replied: "Yes."
Solo: "Okay, no need to send it. I hacked into yourputer."
Warren: "!!!"
He looked at hisputer and saw nothing unusual on it. It was just like earlier. How did he hack in?
He sent a message in the group: "Are you sure?"
"Yes."
Warren looked at Maureen. "Transfer the money!"
Maureen was stunned.
Warren snorted. "If we don¡¯t transfer the money, then it won¡¯t count as fraud. At most, it¡¯ll be getting scammed on the Inte, and the police won¡¯t take it seriously. Only when there¡¯s a transaction with arge sum of money will we be taken seriously... Moreover, it¡¯ll take more than $100,000 to make a case."
Maureen transferred the money over.
After the money reached the other party¡¯s ount, Warren said in the group chat: "The money has been transferred. Please repair the game."
However, after this message was sent, there was no more news from Solo.
After waiting for a full two minutes, Warren and Maureen looked at each other and then at theputer again.
Warren: "Where are you?"
Another two minutes passed.
Warren: "I¡¯ve transferred the money to you. Are you not talking anymore? Have you cklisted me?"
Another three minutes passed.
Warren: "Are you a cheat? @Solo."
After sending these messages, Solo still did not say anything.
Warren and Maureen looked at each other, feeling that the other party had already taken the bait!
Maureen sent a message in the group chat: "Nora, did you see that? This person is really a liar. He¡¯s not Solo!"
Warren¡¯s message was aggrieved. "Hmph, I don¡¯t know how much money I¡¯ve been scammed for. I¡¯ll call the police and get my money back, I¡¯ll help you get it back!"
At this moment, there was a new message in the group.
Solo: "Stop talking. Your phones have been bugged"
Chapter 299: The Real Solo!!!
Chapter 299: The Real Solo!!!
With that, the group fell silent.
Warren subconsciously raised his head and looked around. When he realized that there were no cameras in the room, he frowned. "Really?"
Maureen also jumped.
She shrank back in fear. "Hubby, if we¡¯re being watched, what are they trying to do? I even change my clothes often. Will they see us? Did we meet a pervert?"
Warren took a step forward. "I don¡¯t think that¡¯s possible. When the Smiths entered, they had a barrier. If we had a surveince camera on us, it would have sounded an rm. This was also to protect our family¡¯s safety. So how could we be monitored? He... he might be creating a panic to scare us!"
"Really?"
Warren walked around Maureen. He looked at the slightly revealing pajamas she was wearing and coughed. Then, he took out a jacket from the side and draped it over her. "Seriously, even in your own room, you should dress more appropriately!"
Maureen: "..."
Warren was really cowardly. He always said what he did not mean.
She grimaced and wrapped her clothes tighter around herself.
Someone in the group sent another message:
Solo: [... No one is monitoring you. It¡¯s listening! Stop thinking you¡¯re in a drama!!]
Warren: "!!!"
He looked at Maureen with trembling eyes and saw that her gaze had changed as well.
The two of them leaned against each other and looked around again.
Finally, Maureen asked softly, "Hubby, shall we switch rooms?"
Another message appeared in the group:
Solo: "It¡¯s useless. The surveince information is on theputer! I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s on your phone. I was nning to hack into your phone to take a look."
As soon as he said this, Warren and Maureen looked at their phones at the same time. Then, they subconsciously threw their phones on the bed!
It was like a time bomb!
The two of them paused for a full two minutes before Warren stood up. "What¡¯s there to be afraid of? I think this Solo is just trying to scare us! He wants us to believe this. Otherwise, what¡¯s the point of saying all this? Can¡¯t he just repair the software?"
Maureen nodded as well. "Yes, it¡¯s definitely fake! I can guarantee it. Absolutely!"
She wrapped her coat tightly around her. "If the Smiths¡¯ house can be bugged so easily, is there still a safe ce in this world?"
Warren nodded fiercely. "Exactly!"
As the two of them spoke, Warren simply stood up and looked at hisputer. "This must be something he did. Instead of repairing the game, he used all this to scare us. Have I, Warren, been frightened since I was young?"
Almost as soon as he said this, a voice came from theputer. "Then how did you grow up?"
Warren was instantly alert. He jumped up and hid behind Maureen, screaming, "Honey!"
Maureen instinctively blocked his path and reached out to protect him. "Who is it? Hubby, don¡¯t be afraid!"
"..."
The room was silent for a full 20 seconds before augh came from theputer.
Warren: "!"
Maureen: "..."
What had the two of them done?
Warren was furious. As a man, his dignity made him straighten his chest. He stood behind Maureen and grabbed her arm. Then, he said fiercely, "What are youughing at?"
"I¡¯mughing at you."
The sound was a robotic voice during the voice-changing stage, making it impossible to tell who the other party was.
Warren asked, "Are you the fake Solo?"
"No."
Warren snorted coldly. "Now you dare to tell the truth..."
"I¡¯m real. How could a fake person hack into yourputer?"
"..." Warren was silent for a moment. "I know how to hack into other people¡¯sputers too. This is like a remote office! Besides, anyone who knows a little technology knows how to do it, right?"
The other party was silent for a moment before saying, "Remote-connection work is to control yourputer from a distance, but hacking into yourputer will go unnoticed. Furthermore, I have to first break through your firewall and then... Forget it. You won¡¯t understand even if I tell you this. I¡¯ll only say this. Do you think ordinary people can hack into the Smiths¡¯ firewall? It¡¯s only me!"
Warren: "..."
Maureen caught the loophole in his words. "If that¡¯s the case, then did you just say that someone was listening to us? How did that person hack in? You said that it¡¯s difficult for anyone but you. Aren¡¯t you full of loopholes?"
Solo was silent for a moment before coughing. "What if the other party is in your house? There¡¯s no need to break through the external firewall between family members."
Maureen was shocked. "In our house? Who is it?"
Solo: "The Smiths¡¯ firewall is indeed very powerful. It has already taken too much time to hack in and discover that you guys are being watched. I haven¡¯t found out who the person behind this is yet."
"..." Warren sneered. "Then what have you been doing? If you can¡¯t find out in time, then what can you do?"
"...I managed to fix your bug in time."
Warren: ???
He was stunned and turned to look at Maureen in disbelief.
After the couple looked at each other for a long time, Warren¡¯s phone suddenly rang. He picked up the call and heard the voice of thepany¡¯s staff on the other end. "Mr. Smith, the system bugs have been repaired!! All the yers can y normally now! Although some yers have been lost because of the bugs, there are still new ones. Hold on!"
Warren was stunned and asked in disbelief, "Really?"
"Yes, our system is very smooth now, and the technical problems that were not resolved previously have been resolved! The graphics are also enhanced. Where did you find this person? He directly modified our server!"
Warren: "!!"
After hanging up, he looked at theputer in a daze and stammered, "Was that your work?"
On theputer: "Yes, your game was too shoddy. I helped you fix it. I also fixed a cartoon bug! That way, it¡¯ll save time in the future."
"..."
Warren stammered again and asked, "Are... are you really Solo?"
"Isn¡¯t that obvious? Who else can be stronger than me?"
Warren: "!!"
He met Maureen¡¯s gaze in disbelief.
The girl from the countryside really knew Solo?
How did she meet him?
This was too strange!
Moreover, were all top international experts so mild-tempered? If others suspected that he was fake, shouldn¡¯t he be very irritable?!
Just as their lips were trembling, Maureen asked, "Then, can you help us find out who was listening in on us?"
Solo: "...That¡¯s simple. Wait a while!"
Chapter 300: It’s Yvonne
Chapter 300: It¡¯s Yvonne
With this sentence, the two of them heard the sound of a keyboard tappinging from Solo.
Solo typed as he said, "Give me five minutes. I¡¯ll definitely find that person!"
Warren and Maureen had no choice but to believe that he was Solo. After all, all the bugs in thepany had been repaired!
Warren was moved to tears. "Thank you!"
Solo: "Don¡¯t thank me. I should be the one thanking you!"
He was thankful that they had given him a great opportunity to escape from Anti. When he thought of his future freedom, he was so touched that he almost cried!
Warren: "?"
Maureen: "?"
The two of them looked at each other. Warren raised his eyebrows. Why was the Almighty¡¯s personality so strange? He took such a small amount of money and helped them so much, yet he still wants to thank them? Could it be that he was attracted to his charm and wanted to work with him?
Warren raised his chin and puffed out his chest.
Maureen, who understood his gaze, rolled her eyes and asked, "Solo, who is it that¡¯s monitoring us? It¡¯s too much! Is it an insider? Is it a servant at home?"
Warren immediately frowned. "Investigate. After finding out, I, I, I¡¯ll tell Big Brother to fire him!"
Maureen: "!!"
Look at how cowardly he was!
She rolled her eyes again. Just then, there was a sudden knock at the door.
Warren saw that Maureen was wearing a jacket and walked over to open the door. He realized that Yvonne was standing outside the door with a guilty look on her face. "Warren, I¡¯m sorry. I made a mistake when I was looking for a bug for you!"
Warren was taken aback.
Yvonne lowered her head. She thought about how the signal had suddenly stopped while she was listening in on the other party, and how she had panicked. She knew that something must have gone wrong and she had been discovered.
She made a prompt decision and ran over. At this moment, her face was filled with shame. "Warren, you know that I helped someone create a listening app some time ago. A problem suddenly happened just now and it went into my family¡¯sputer. Is there a problem now?"
Warren: "?"
He immediately understood. "So it¡¯s you! I knew it! How could my ce be monitored?!"
Yvonne felt extremely guilty. "The code just now suddenly started to jump. Someone must have hacked into it and triggered it. Now, I¡¯m confused. That software must have spread to manyputers through the intr. What should we do? Should I get everyone toe out one by one and inform them before helping them remove it?"
Her eyes turned red. "I... I didn¡¯t do it on purpose. That software was at a critical moment when the externalwork was suddenly attacked. I was busy blocking it, but I didn¡¯t expect it to be chaotic..."
The externalwork was suddenly attacked...
Warren coughed guiltily. Wasn¡¯t it because of Solo?
However, Solo was helping him out. He was the one who had affected Yvonne!
Warren saw that when something had happened to Yvonne, her first reaction was not to look for her brother Warren out of everyone present in the house. Especially when she was running around in circles asking, "Warren, what should I do?"
"Warren, help me..."
Warren instantly felt a strong sense of aplishment. He patted his chest generously. "Damn, leave this small matter to me! I¡¯ll call everyone out now. Whoseputer has been hacked by the virus?"
Yvonne exined in a serious tone, "In these five minutes, people who had theirputers on have probably been hacked. It¡¯s fine as long as they don¡¯t turn them on. But don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve already taken them back and told them not to turn their phones off. It¡¯ll be fine in a while..."
"Alright, no problem! Go back and do your work. I¡¯ll inform the butler and get him to go door to door."
Yvonne was moved to tears. "Warren, thank you. You¡¯re the only one who can help me..."
After closing the door, she sighed in relief.
In the room, Maureen frowned and stared at the door. "Why do I feel like she did it on purpose? Otherwise, how did shee right when Solo found out that we were being monitored?"
Warren was simple-minded. When he heard this, he even defended Yvonne. "You¡¯re thinking too much, aren¡¯t you? Why would she be monitoring us? If she wanted to monitor us, wouldn¡¯t she benefit more by listening to Joel? In the entire family, we¡¯re the two most useless people. We just lie here and count money. Does she want to listen to us flirt?!"
Maureen: "..."
She also found it strange. After all, there was indeed no need for her and her husband to be monitored.
But was this really just a misunderstanding?
Solo sneered. "I found her. She¡¯s indeed from the room next door. Tsk, I didn¡¯t expect her to move faster than me."
After saying that, Solo did not argue if it was intentional or not. He only said, "In the future, just let me know in the group if there¡¯s anything you need. The sry is up to you."
Then, he silenced himself.
After a minute of silence, Warren called out softly, "Solo?"
When no one responded, he looked at Maureen in relief. "I¡¯m leaving, but why do I feel a little ufortable? I feel like we don¡¯t have any privacy anymore!"
Maureen nodded.
Finally, she said, "Hubby, from now on, leave theputer and phone in the living room while we sleep!"
They lived in a suite with three bedrooms. Apart from arge living room, there was a master bedroom, a children¡¯s room, and a study.
Warren nodded repeatedly. "You¡¯re right. It would be so awkward if someone heard us sleeping together at night!"
Maureen: "... Shut up!"
After saying this, Warren chuckled and said, "So, should I leave my phone outside the room tonight?"
The meaning of his words was too obvious.
Maureen hit his shoulder. "You¡¯re so flirtatious!"
"..."
¡ª
The night before, Warren had let the butler know that Nora was not to be disturbed no matter what. Nora hung a "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door and slept until the next afternoon.
When she woke up, Pete and Mia had already been sent to the kindergarten by Joel.
She yawned and went downstairs to look for something to eat.
Nora was not as reserved as a neer. Her actions were natural and unrestrained. The beautiful decorations around her did not make her feel hesitant.
Her phone beeped.
She lowered her head and saw a message: "Boss, the member application forms for the Hacker Alliance admissions this year have been sent to your phone."
When Nora saw this, she subconsciously yawned.
She really... didn¡¯t want to work!
As she thought about this, she went downstairs and happened to hear the housekeeper, Florence, say to Yvonne, "Miss, you will definitely be able to secure the membership. With your skills, there will definitely be no problems!"
Warren, who was sitting on the sofa with his legs crossed, asked, "What membership?"
"The Hacker Alliance."
Chapter 301: Hacker Alliance
Chapter 301: Hacker Alliance
Nora, about to go downstairs: ???
She paused for a moment and looked over in surprise.
Perhaps sensing her gaze, the housekeeper, Florence, was feeling smug. On the surface, she spoke to Warren, but her voice was so loud that everyone could hear her. "Do you know what the Hacker Alliance is? It¡¯s an alliance formed by all the internationally renowned hackers. As long as she enters this alliance, they¡¯ll take care of her in the future. Ms. Yvonne¡¯sputer skills are already very good, but there are even more powerful people in the Hacker Alliance, such as Y and Q. The Hacker Alliance was established by Q. Now that Ms. Yvonne¡¯s information has been handed over, they will handle it."
Warren sighed. "Y and Q? Even I, who doesn¡¯t know hacking, know about these two people. Yvonne, are you going to be in the same alliance as them? That¡¯s too awesome!"
Yvonne lowered his head and smiled. "Warren, yesterday¡¯s programming was the key to entering. Fortunately, you helped me stop it. Otherwise, I would have made a mistake! If Y and Q found out about this, they definitely wouldn¡¯t let me pass."
It was a humiliation for a hacker to ignore orders and hack into someone else¡¯sputer!
Yvonne had lied yesterday, so she wanted to continue hiding it with lies.
Warren waved his hand. "Don¡¯t worry about that. Who in our family knows Y and Q? They definitely won¡¯t know. Besides, I asked everyone yesterday, no one lost anything."
Yvonne nodded her head, looking relieved. It was all an act.
She was very confident about joining the Hacker Alliance.
Firstly, the monitoring software she had created this time was indeed not bad. If not for the real Solo yesterday, she probably would not have been discovered.
Nora actually knew Solo. This made her very surprised.
Thinking of this, she looked at Nora.
How did Solo know her?
As she was thinking, Warren saw Nora too. He immediately jumped up from the sofa and wanted to rush over to thank his good sister for introducing him to Solo. However, he suddenly remembered Nora¡¯s identity. She was Uncle Ryan¡¯s daughter...
He coughed and pretended to say coldly, "So the one you introduced yesterday was really Solo. I thought you were lying!"
After interacting with him for the past few days, Nora had long realized that this brother of hers was someone who did not mean what he said. Therefore, she said directly, "You¡¯re wee."
Warren: "..."
He coughed. "Who wants to thank you? You¡¯re thinking too much! At that time, I agreed to add Solo just to see if he was a liar and felt that you might have been deceived. Although he did me a small favorter on, that was because he wanted to work with me, do you know? He actually said that it didn¡¯t matter if he got paid or not and that if there¡¯s a problem, I can look for him directly. Look, we just met, and he¡¯s already so good to me. This means that I have a charm..."
Maureen could not help but interrupt him. "Nora, thank you this time! I¡¯ll buy you whatever you want!"
Maureen was the most straightforward.
Nora: "No, it¡¯s alright."
She really didn¡¯t need anything.
After saying that, she prepared to eat at the dining table. Warren asked curiously, "Nora, how do you know Solo?"
Yvonne pricked up her ears.
Nora said, "Oh, I met him overseas. He asked me to examine his illness."
Nora was a surgeon. The entire family knew this. After all, this was her profession to the outside world.
Thinking about it, she owned a private clinic. If someone like Solo was sick, they probably wouldn¡¯t go to big hospitals. It was normal for them to go to private clinics.
Therefore, it was only natural that she knew Solo.
Yvonne sighed in relief.
Warren and Maureen also came to a realization. "So being a doctor has such connections! Not bad. Have other celebrities came to see you?"
Nora: "..."
Did UK¡¯s queen count?
They had also invited her to the surgery to get to know each other. Later, Cherry even got to know Princess Lucy.
Just as Nora thought about this, she heard the Florence say, "Miss Nora, Surgeon is indeed a sacred profession, but I saw that you haven¡¯t worked at all during the past few days when you were home. Do you have no appointments?"
Nora: "No."
She would only perform two surgeries a month. This had been arranged long ago. Lily would handle everything for her.
However, Florence and Yvonne misunderstood. Florence lowered her head. "Then do you need us to introduce a few patients to you? Or have you considered switching jobs?"
Introduce patients?
Did she think that no one was looking for her for treatment?
Nora felt that it was funny. She smiled and nced at Florence with her almond-shaped eyes. "There¡¯s no need. I¡¯m not working full-time as a doctor."
If she wasn¡¯t full-time... then she was part-time.
Wasn¡¯t it because there were no patients around to help her regain her dignity?!
Florence lowered her eyes and smiled. "I see. Then, Miss Nora, what are you considering? I wonder if you¡¯re interested in programming? But ordinary girls shouldn¡¯t be sensitive to such things, right?"
She then looked at Yvonne. "What a pity. If Miss Nora is interested, Miss Yvonne can teach you."
Nora: "??"
She looked at Yvonne and saw her smile as she said, "Mdm. Florence, what are you saying? Even if Nora doesn¡¯t work, the Smiths can still afford to raise her! You¡¯re making her feel like you¡¯re urging her to earn money!"
After saying that, she looked at Nora and smiled. "Nora, I never asked you if you have money to spend. If not, I have some here, I can lend it to you."
She sounded superior.
Moreover, she had even mentioned this in front of so many people. It was probably more embarrassing than helping.
Florence hurriedly said, "Miss Yvonne, how can we let you spend money like this?! Looking at the time, today is the day we send pocket money. The finance department will probably transfer money into your bank cardster."
Yvonne: "Then give my share this month to Nora. She might not have enough for her first month."
Nora: "... No, it¡¯s alright."
She really didn¡¯t need it.
With that, she walked to the dining room beside her, took some food from inside, and went upstairs casually.
When she reached the stairs, she heard Yvonne say, "Isn¡¯t Nora a little cold to me? Does she not like me?"
Florence: "Miss Yvonne, why are you always so kind? She¡¯s the one who¡¯s staying at your home. You¡¯re thewful daughter of Mr. Smith! You should be thinking about the Hacker Alliance now... But it definitely won¡¯t be a problem!"
Nora raised her eyebrows.
After entering the bedroom, she opened her email and saw Yvonne¡¯s application form.
Hmm... Should she let her join the Hacker Alliance?
She held her chin and frowned as she mulled over it.
Chapter 302: Love Words~
Chapter 302: Love Words~
Nora casually scrolled down the name list.
Since the establishment of the Hacker Alliance, there had only been a dozen or so members. It could be considered the top hacker club in the world. It could even be protected here.
As Q, Nora only knew that Y was powerful enough to protect this group of people.
ording to the rumors, the Hacker Alliance was created by her, but it was actually created by Y.
Although the two of them were in the Hacker Alliance, everything was handled by Y. She was cking off every day and had no interactions with Y.
The two of them only had equal reputations, but they had never reallypeted.
Usually, such matters were handled casually by Y. Every year, they would choose the best candidate. This year, when she was looking at the name list, Y suddenly sent a message: "Choose this or the other one?"
He had sent two names.
One of them was Yvonne.
Nora had just taken a casual look. Yvonne¡¯s monitoring system was indeed good and difficult to detect. It could be considered high-level programming.
Nora never involved personal feelings when handling matters.
However, she recalled what Warren had said earlier. Supposedly, there was something wrong with Yvonne¡¯s software that she couldn¡¯t control and it had hacked into theputers of the people nearby. Nora thought about it for a while and crossed out Yvonne¡¯s name.
If she could make such a low-level mistake, she would not be epted no matter how good she was.
She sent the other person¡¯s name to Y. She was about to type and exin the reason when Y replied readily: "Okay."
This straightforward attitude made Nora speechless. She raised her eyebrows and asked, "Aren¡¯t you going to ask why?"
Y: "You can choose whoever you want. I¡¯m busy."
Nora subconsciously asked, "What are you busy with?"
After all, Y had not taken any orders for a long time. She had always thought that Y waszy like her, but he said he was busy?
Had he taken on some big order recently that she did not know about?
The order must be very challenging to keep Y busy. She was a little interested in it, which was rare.
As she was thinking, Y replied: "I¡¯m busy chasing my future wife. Brother, do you have any objections?"
Nora: "??"
Others thought that Q was a man, but she had never exined it.
However, Y was busy chasing a girl. What good advice could she give him?!
The corners of her lips twitched. For some reason, when she thought of Justin, she coughed and replied:
[You have to be thick-skinned.]
[Be narcissistic.]
[You have to have a child with her first.]
Y: [???]
After sending the message, Nora could not be bothered to reply. She logged out of the system and closed her email. Yes, this year, she had really made a rare contribution to the Hacker Alliance!
As she was thinking, she received a call from Justin. "What did you eat for lunch?"
Nora repliedzily, "I forgot."
She had indeed forgotten what she had casually taken out from the kitchen when she went downstairs. It seemed to be buns, but it also seemed to be bread?
Anyway, she was no longer hungry after stuffing it into her mouth.
Justin was clearly not surprised by her answer. He smiled and said, "Eat slowly. It¡¯s not good for your stomach to eat so quickly."
Nora retorted bluntly, "Mr. Hunt, I¡¯m a doctor."
"..." Justin fell silent. "Yes, Doctor Nora. From a professional point of view, why do people who are in love feel happy all the time?"
Nora did not understand why he suddenly said this. She exined in professional terms, "Because falling in love will cause the brain to secrete dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter, it can control the emotions and feelings in the brain. It makes people feel excited and happy."
Justin smiled. "Then why do we feel happy eating candies?"
Nora said, "Sugar also makes the human body produce dopamine."
Justin smiled. "Oh, I get it. So you¡¯re my candy."
Nora: "????"
The corners of her lips twitched and she was silent for a moment. "Mr. Hunt, your joke isn¡¯t funny at all."
"This isn¡¯t a joke." Justin nagged seriously. "These are words of love."
Words of love?
Nora was slightly stunned. For some reason, his words rang in her ears again. "You¡¯re my candy."
The man¡¯s deep voice seemed to still linger by her ear, making her cheeks heat up.
She coughed and was silent for a while before changing the topic to hide her embarrassment and heartbeat. "How¡¯s Cherry?"
Justin chuckled but did not expose her. He echoed, "She¡¯s doing quite well. She¡¯s very satisfied with this ce and misses you. So, do you have time to visit her?"
Nora was surprised. "Visit her at the Hunts?"
Justin said, "You can choose another ce. It¡¯s up to you."
Nora thought about it carefully and replied, "Then let¡¯s go to the Hunts to see her!"
It was too troublesome to go anywhere else!
Moreover, she could also go and see if Cherry was blending well at the Hunts.
Although she was not a qualified mother, she still had to show some concern.
Nora¡¯s rare motherly love overwhelmed her. She stood up and walked out the door.
As soon as she went out, she saw Florence and Yvonne standing outside her door. They seemed to be about to knock. When they saw that she had opened the door, Florence immediately said, "Miss Nora, I¡¯m sorry. As you¡¯ve just arrived here, your bank ount is still being processed, so it seems I can¡¯t send you this month¡¯s money. Is that okay?"
Yvonne also had an apologetic look on her face. "Nora, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m the one handling this matter at home, but I was too focused on the Hacker Alliance yesterday, so I forgot about your bank card and missed this month. If you don¡¯t have money to spend,e look for me. I¡¯ll give it to you, okay?"
Nora: "???"
She raised an eyebrow. "No need."
She really did not care about the Smiths¡¯ money.
Furthermore, she did not take Florence and Yvonne¡¯s disdainful attitude to heart.
She did note back to stay because of these two people. She hade back to investigate who her biological father was!
Yvonne: "Nora, are you ming me? This is indeed my fault. I¡¯m sorry..."
Before she could finish, Florence said, "Miss Yvonne, this isn¡¯t your fault alone. After all, a person¡¯s energy is limited. You¡¯re not like some people who have nothing to do all day. By the way, has your application for the Hacker Alliance been approved? If you can join the Hacker Alliance, our Smiths won¡¯t have to worry about this in the future!"
Yvonne: "I don¡¯t know yet, but it should be out soon..."
With this sentence, an email notification sounded.
Yvonne¡¯s eyes lit up. "The email is here!"
Florence: "Then quickly take a look! It¡¯s a small matter whether you get paid or not. The most important thing is that you can join the Hacker Alliance..."
Yvonne nodded, but when she opened the email, the smile on her face froze.
Chapter 303: Genius?
Chapter 303: Genius?
Florence did not notice her expression and only stared at Nora. She wanted Nora to know who was the best in this family.
She wanted Mr. Smith¡¯s daughter to be stronger than the daughter who had betrayed him. Therefore, she kept criticizing and suppressing her. Now that she had a chance to show off, she said, "Miss Yvonne, it¡¯s an invitation, right? As I said, you definitely have no problem joining the Hacker Alliance..."
She did not notice that Yvonne¡¯s expression was turning uglier with her words.
She lowered her head and stared at the email on her phone.
The words on it were clearly reflected in her eyes. "Sorry, your application did not pass."
She did not pass...
That was impossible!
She widened her eyes in shock and stared at it in disbelief. Her expression was too ferocious. However, after taking a deep breath, she suppressed the astonishment and disappointment in her heart and smiled at Florence. "No, they haven¡¯t informed me yet! It¡¯s another email."
Another email?
Nora looked at Yvonne in amusement.
The logo of the Hacker Alliance was a ck arrowhead and was unmistakable.
Although it was far away, she had just nced at the logo. It must have been a rejection email from the Hacker Alliance. Tsk, this Yvonne really cared about her face.
Florence was not disappointed when she heard this, nor did she think too much about it. She simply nodded. "Yes, I was too anxious! However, Miss Yvonne, you don¡¯t have to worry. Everyone can see your strength. Besides, you¡¯ve been so outstanding since you were young. You learn everything quickly. Also, you¡¯re not specialized in hacking, you¡¯re just a little interested in it. Speaking of which, Miss Yvonne, aren¡¯t you too impressive? You¡¯re proficient in the four arts, and you¡¯re also very good at horseback and archery. You were even almost recruited by the national team. If not for the Smiths being reluctant to let you exert yourself, you might have won the championship for the country! Miss Yvonne, your intelligence is really too high! You didn¡¯t learn anything for too long and still managed to be top-notch in everything you do so casually. This is something only a genius can do!"
As soon as she praised her, a strange male voice was heard. "Tsk, Mdm. Florence, you¡¯re praising her to the skies. Those who don¡¯t know might really think she¡¯s amazing!"
With that, everyone turned around in unison and saw a young man with dyed blond hair walking in with a bag slung over his shoulder.
He was quite handsome and looked a little simr to Warren and Quentin.
Nora knew at a nce that he was from the Smiths, but she wondered which family he belonged to.
Florence¡¯s expression changed. "Sixth Young Master, why are you back?"
Sixth Young Master Smith sneered. "What a strange question. This is my house. Why can¡¯t Ie back?"
Florence¡¯s face darkened. "This is Mr. Hunt¡¯s house. Sixth Young Master, your family has already been separated."
Sixth Young Master Smiths smiled cheekily, his blond hair glowing under the sunlight. "Tsk, my third uncle and eldest brother didn¡¯t chase us away. In polite terms, you¡¯re a housekeeper, but you can also be referred to as a servant. What gives you the rights to talk to me like that?"
Florence was even angrier. "Master Louis, Mr. Ian and Master Joel do not speak to me like that. You..."
"What¡¯s wrong?" Louis touched his hair. "Uncle Ian and Joel are polite to you because they have a good upbringing. But I¡¯m different. I¡¯ve been this wild since I was young! No matter what, your surname is Florence while mine is Smith. Why don¡¯t we reason with Uncle Ian and ask him if you have the right to chase me away? Or does Joel not want us to stay at home anymore?"
Florence choked.
Yvonne said, "Louis, you came back to collect this month¡¯s money, right? But didn¡¯t it go into your ount? You didn¡¯t have toe back."
Louis snorted. "How can I note back? You gave me $1,500 this month. What can I do with that amount?"
Yvonne seemed to be put on the spot. "Louis, this was specially instructed by Joel. He¡¯s doing this for your own good. I¡¯ve saved the rest of the money for you. I don¡¯t want to see you being so unrestrained every day."
Louis sneered. "Don¡¯t use Joel to pressure me. I know what you¡¯re like. You must have said something to make my pocket money so little!"
Yvonne lowered her head. "Louis, I admit that I was the one who said that you didn¡¯t do your job and yed games with Chester every day, but I did it for your own good..."
"You¡¯re doing this for my own good? Tsk, Yvonne, others don¡¯t know you and think that you¡¯re the only daughter and so they should pamper you. Do you think I don¡¯t know who you are? Everyone says that you can learn anything with just a little work and that you¡¯re a genius. Ha, in front of outsiders, you act as if you don¡¯t care, but who doesn¡¯t know that you start practicing like crazy when youe back at night! When we were in school, we clearly skipped sses and yed together, but you ranked at the top in your studies. If I hadn¡¯t seen through you not sleeping at night and studying hard, I would still believe that you¡¯re a genius!"
Louis ced his hands on his hips. "Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re nning. You just want me to give in to you, right? Dream on! Let me tell you, even if I die of poverty or starve to death, I will not bow down to you!"
"The other brothers were blinded by you, but I wasn¡¯t! Hmph, you¡¯re just an adopted daughter, yet you want to control me? Let me tell you, that¡¯s impossible!"
Louis¡¯ words did not change Yvonne¡¯s expression at all.
Her eyes were lowered, and no emotions could be seen.
However, she was already filled with resentment and viciousness.
She had known since she was young that although her adoptive father had never said or made any requests, he only wanted her to grow up happily.
However, outstanding people were weed everywhere, so she had deliberately created the image of a genius.
In school, she always yed it down and did not listen to the ss much. After school, she yed with the other children. When she came back at night, she studied hard and always came first in every exam.
Gradually, she became known as a genius, a top student, a talented girl, and so on. Her vanity was satisfied.
This gave her a greater sense of security in the Smiths.
Until one night when she was exposed by Louis. From then on, Louis had been going against her every day and would no longer coax, pamper, or give in to her.
However, Yvonne had ways to deal with him.
She sighed. "Louis, this is Nora, your cousin. Can you get to know her?"
Louis followed her words and looked at Nora. He snorted. "There¡¯s no need to get to know each other. Sisters are terrifying creatures! I won¡¯t like her. Of course, unless... she¡¯s very rich!"
Yvonne lowered her head.
How could she be very rich?
It was already good enough that Nora did not let Louis support her. It was impossible for her to support Louis!
Chapter 304: I Have Money!
Chapter 304: I Have Money!
Nora raised her eyebrows and looked at the two of them.
She realized that the Smiths were actually very interesting.
Quentin was a second-generation teenager who liked to fight. He always looked like he was the only one in the world.
Warren was a fool. After interacting with him, she realized that although this fellow was fierce in front of her on the surface, he was actually quite good to her.
As for this Louis... he looked two years younger than her and should be a younger brother. On the surface, he was not well-educated, but in fact, he did seem to bepetent.
Just as she was thinking, Louis looked at her. "You really want me to acknowledge you, right? Then, Sister, why don¡¯t you lend me your monthly allowance this month?"
When he said this, Nora raised her eyebrows.
Borrowing money on their first meeting?
She was about to say something when Yvonne frowned. "Louis, although it¡¯s only $1,500, you eat and stay at home. Isn¡¯t it enough?"
"How could it be enough?" Louis said indignantly, "Don¡¯t you need money to go to an Inte cafe? Don¡¯t you need money to buy equipment? Don¡¯t you need money to get a new avatar in the game? $1,500 isn¡¯t even enough for me to survive two days!"
Yvonne sighed. "But Nora has even less money. She was living with... the Andersons. Furthermore, before she returned to the Andersons, she was in California."
Louis looked Nora up and down in disdain. "But you¡¯re quite good-looking. At least you¡¯re more pleasing to the eye than Yvonne!"
Yvonne: "!!"
She bit her lip and lowered her eyes. Her tone was a little cold. "Nora¡¯s bank card was not reported this month, so she doesn¡¯t have any money. It looks like she can¡¯t lend it to you!"
"... No money?"
Louis widened his eyes. "Yvonne, what¡¯s wrong with you? It¡¯s fine if you bully me, but why are you bullying a girl who just arrived? I¡¯m a boy and I don¡¯t need to buy a bag or milk tea. It¡¯s fine if I don¡¯t have any money. But how can you let her live empty-handed? Are you jealous of her because she looks better than you?"
Yvonne: "!!!"
She had really done this on purpose.
It was not that she did not want to give her money. It was just that she felt that the attitude the brothers in the family had toward Nora was not as she had imagined.
Moreover, if she did not have money on hand, it would be inconvenient for her to do anything outside in the future. She was doing this to suppress Nora.
However, Louis¡¯s straightforward words made her look very ugly.
Her face turned cold. "I¡¯ll send Nora the money tomorrow. Then, two dayster, the money for this month will be in her ount! However, Louis, you definitely won¡¯t be able to get any money here! How much money is given to everyone every month is all decided by Joel. If you dare, look for Joel. Don¡¯t ask me!"
Louis tugged at his shoulder bag and pointed at Yvonne. "You win!"
With that, he turned and left.
However, after taking two steps, he suddenly turned back and came in front of Nora. His pair of fierce eyes sized her up.
Nora: "??"
She raised her eyebrows and looked down at herself. She was dressed appropriately today. This set of pajamas she was wearing was linen, which was more breathable. It was veryfortable to wear, and it was a custom design that Lily had bought for her.
She did not have many other clothes except for her pajamas.
As she was thinking, Louis suddenly opened his shoulder bag and took out his wallet. There was a stack of money inside.
When the money arrived today, he had hurriedly withdrawn it.
He did not want his brother to seal the card again under Yvonne¡¯s instigation, but he did not expect it to only be $1,500.
He counted the money, took out $700, and stuffed it into Nora¡¯s hands. "Take this money..."
With that, he looked at Yvonne and sneered, "The youngdy of our Smiths is so poor that she doesn¡¯t even have clothes. She can only wear pajamas! It wouldn¡¯t be nice if word got out, right? She has been home for a few days, but you didn¡¯t get anyone toe and take her measurements?"
Yvonne: "!!"
Yvonne bit her lip.
Because of Louis¡¯s arrival, the servants cleaning in the living room looked over.
Yvonne felt extremely embarrassed to have her ugly thoughts exposed in public.
Yes, she deliberately did not get clothes made for Nora.
It was so that when she went out in the future, she would not have any good gowns. When the time came, she would either ask Justin for them or be embarrassed.
However, if she asked Justin for a gown, she would also be looked down upon...
At that time, she could only say that she had overlooked this matter.
However, now that Louis had pointed this out, she could not pretend to overlook it anymore. She immediately smiled. "You¡¯re right. I was careless! Mdm. Florence, contact a few big brands immediately and get them to send the clothes for the current season."
After saying that, she looked at Nora. "Nora, it takes a long time to customize clothes. I¡¯ll buy a few finished products for you to wear first. Actually, some finished clothes look very good too. I¡¯ll choose two pieces every quarter."
At this point, she smiled. "Mdm. Florence, it seems like we haven¡¯t chosen clothes at home this month! How about this? Tell Maureen and the others toe and take a look tonight if they want new clothes! Have them deliver the clothes to us tonight and let everyone choose as much as they want!"
Nora raised her eyebrows and asked in surprise, "You can evene here to buy clothes?"
When she was young, her clothes were all prepared by her stepmother. Most of them were from California, but she was not picky about clothes.
After she went overseas, all her daily necessities were prepared by her Aunt and Lily. She was wearingfortable clothes and had never bought them before, so she did not know about this.
Florence¡¯s lips curled up as she raised her chin slightly. "The Smith family is an important client for all the major luxury brands. Every season, when they release new products, they deliver them to the Smiths, and to the Hunts¡¯dies to choose from. If the Smiths and Hunts don¡¯t like them, they would sell them."
Nora nodded in understanding. "...Oh."
Seeing that she did not look stunned, Florence pursed her lips.
Louis winked at Nora. "Pick a few more pieces when the timees! Even if you don¡¯t wear them, you can exchange them for money! I promise I won¡¯t cheat you!"
Nora: "..."
She looked down at the $700 in her hand and returned it to Louis.
Louis was stunned. "You don¡¯t want it?"
Nora nodded.
Louis frowned. "What? You think it¡¯s too little?"
Nora shook her head. "I don¡¯t need it."
Louis frowned even more intensely and nced at Yvonne. He leaned in front of her and whispered, "Although you don¡¯t need money to eat or drink, it¡¯s still useful. Keep it... Are you afraid that I¡¯ll ask you to pay back? Don¡¯t worry, what I said was just a joke..."
Just as he said this, Nora interrupted him. "What I mean is, I have money."
Chapter 305: Louis’s Secret
Chapter 305: Louis¡¯s Secret
When Nora said this, the entire ce fell silent.
Yvonne raised her eyebrows.
Louis was even more surprised, but he quickly reacted and asked, "Did the Andersons give it to you?"
"No."
When she came to stay with the Smiths, Melissa was prepared to give her money. However, Carefree Pill¡¯s repayment had not been fully received yet, and they did not have much on hand.
Melissa had prepared one million dors. After all, the entire Andersons only had that amount back then.
However, Nora did not want it and had secretly left the card in the room.
Louis was stunned. "Then what are you offering?"
Nora: "My own money."
Her own... this was the money she earned?
She was just a girl from California. How much money could she have?
However, since she had said so, Louis took back the money and asked, "Can you lend me some money?"
"Alright, how much do you want?"
Nora answered straightforwardly this time.
After all, she was touched that Louis had given her money just now.
Louis: "??"
Yvonne: ??
Even Florence was stunned when she heard this.
She pursed her lips. "Master Louis, can¡¯t you borrow money from someone else? How can you borrow money from Miss Nora?"
Louis immediately raised his chin and said, "Why can¡¯t I borrow money from her? Speaking of which, she¡¯s my sister!"
After saying that, he looked directly at Nora and scratched his blonde hair. "Lend me... 150?"
Nora: "?"
Sensing her gaze, Louis felt that he had called out too little, so he added, "1,500?"
Nora: "?"
"Then... 15,000?"
Louis¡¯s daily expenses every month were around 50,000 dors. 15,000 dors was not much to him, but when he thought of Nora¡¯s identity, he was afraid that she would not be able to afford it.
As he was worried, Nora took out a bank card from the pocket of her pajamas. "Take it."
Louis: "??"
Florence and Yvonne looked at each other and understood.
The few of them felt that Nora actually did not have much money. She was just pretending to be rich.
There could be millions in her bank card, but there could also be hundreds. Giving Louis a bank card would save her face in front of the servants so that others would not mock her for not having money.
She was too smart.
Yvonne pursed her lips.
Louis reacted as well. He took the bank card hurriedly. "Okay, thank you!"
He took the bank card and left the Smiths without even looking at Yvonne.
Yvonne lowered her eyes.
Nora went to change her clothes and was about to leave. When she passed by the living room downstairs, Yvonne saw her and asked, "Nora, where are you going?"
Nora: "...The Hunts."
Yvonne bit her lips with an injured expression.
Florence said coldly, "Miss Nora, now that you know that you¡¯ve stolen Miss Yvonne¡¯s fianc¨¦, you don¡¯t have to brag about it, right?"
Nora: "?"
Were these two people crazy?
She did not reply to her. Instead, she left with a cold gaze and walked to the door. Florence, who was behind her, still said in a low voice, "Miss Yvonne, don¡¯t lower yourself to her level. I can tell at a nce that she¡¯s the kind of person who unts her achievements everywhere. A woman who depends on a man will eventually be unlucky. She¡¯s not like you. You can rely on yourself."
Nora: "!!"
She stopped in her tracks and turned around suddenly.
Perhaps sensing her movements, Yvonne and Florence looked up.
Nora suddenly smiled. "Then I wish you all the best, and that you receive an email from the Hacker Alliance as soon as possible?"
She left after saying those sarcastic words.
In the living room.
When Yvonne heard this, her heart almost stopped.
For some reason, just now, she felt like Nora had read her mind!
She bit her lip.
Florence frowned. "What does she mean? Is she cursing you for not passing the audit? That¡¯s too much! She looks like a woman who grew up in a small family. She doesn¡¯t look like the Smiths¡¯ daughter at all!"
Yvonne took a deep breath and suppressed the panic in her heart. "Mdm. Florence, don¡¯t mention the Hacker Alliance in front of her. If I¡¯m not epted, wouldn¡¯t it be a joke?"
However, Florence said matter-of-factly, "How could that be? Your skills are so good, you won¡¯t be rejected. Besides, even if you aren¡¯t epted, it¡¯s not her turn to mock you! Miss Yvonne, you have to remember that you¡¯re Mr. Smith¡¯s daughter! Even if you¡¯re an adopted daughter, your status is still much higher than hers! Master Ian is the direct descendant!"
"..."
¡ª
Nora did not listen to their conversation anymore. She drove the ck car the Smiths had arranged for her to visit Cherry at the Hunts¡¯.
On the way, she suddenly saw Louis squatting by the roadside not far away.
His car stopped at the side.
Nora slowed down and saw Louis holding some food in his hand. He was feeding the stray cats and dogs. At the same time, he was making a call. "... How can this little money I have this month be enough to buy food? Chester, lend me 100,000 dors!"
"What? Your elder brother deducted your pocket money and blocked your credit card? Why are we still in the same state?!"
"Alright, alright. I understand. I¡¯ll think of something. Sigh!"
After hanging up, he lowered his head in dejection. He looked at his deted wallet and sighed heavily to the stray cats. "Little friends, you¡¯ll have to suffer with me this month! I only have 1,500 dors, so I can¡¯t give you anything to eat! Alright, I¡¯ll go buy food first. I have to calcte. 1,500 for thirty days. Does that mean 300 dors a day? No, 50? Oh my god, 50 dors can only buy two pieces of meat! That¡¯s not enough for either of you! Sigh, I¡¯m leaving!"
Louis got into the car without even looking at Nora.
Nora: "..."
She drove silently and followed behind Louis. She watched as he entered the cat food store and squatted there, looking at the cans of meat inside like a pitiful puppy.
Nora: "..."
She stopped the car and entered the cat food store. She heard Louis talking to himself. "Little friends, I¡¯m sorry. I can only let you eat your fill of kibbles this month. You won¡¯t be able to eat meat anymore! In the past, we had 3,000 dors for our meals, but this month, we only have 1,500... Why am I so pitiful?"
Feeding stray cats were supposed to be done within one¡¯s means.
However, Louis had developed feelings for those stray cats and always wanted to give them the best.
In the past, he had fed them top-notch cat food. Now, he was lowering his living standards.
As he was thinking, Nora walked in. She pointed at the can of cat food and said to the service staff, "I want 60 cans of this."
Louis: "!!!"
He turned his head slowly and saw Nora standing beside him.
He jumped up suddenly. "Nora, why are you causing trouble? I don¡¯t have the money to buy 60 cans!"
Seeing that he was about to explode, Nora blocked his mouth with two words. "I do."
Chapter 306: Blow up the Card!
Chapter 306: Blow up the Card!
Louis: "??"
He was stunned.
Actually, he had indeed spent too much on feeding the stray cats and dogs in the district.
After all, raising a cat and a dog was the same as raising a wealthy person.
In the past, when he first started raising them, he would give them cheaper cat food. After all, it was already very satisfying for stray cats to have food.
However, after a while, he realized that the stray cats had lost a lot of fur and were malnourished. Therefore, he carried them to the vet.
The doctor said that most stray cats had been abandoned by their owners. There were also a few good breeds of cats who had higher food requirements.
They had to consume a lot of vitamins and proteins. The dogs also had to eat meat and bones to grind their teeth every meal.
The doctor also said, "Of course, just feed them some food. It¡¯s already goodwill to them that they won¡¯t starve to death. There¡¯s no need to empty your wallet for them."
However, Louis had always been a person who pursued perfection. He had OCD in everything he did. Moreover, he did not want to let these cats and dogs suffer. Therefore, he braced himself and spent his monthly allowance on them.
Later on, his elder brother limited his expenses. When he went to ask his parents for money, his parents scolded him for having a screw loose. Who would spend $30,000 every month just to feed these stray cats and dogs?
Later on, when others asked him where the money went, he would never say it again. asionally, he would tease them, "I bought avatars and equipment for girls!"
Louis was a little stunned.
Anyone who saw him feeding stray cats and dogs would urge him to reduce their standard of living. No one had evere up to him directly and bought canned food without saying anything.
He looked at Nora in a daze. He slowly stood up and asked in disbelief, "Aren¡¯t you going to ask me how much these cans are?"
Nora raised her eyebrows. "Oh, how much?"
"There are dozens of sets of canned food, and it¡¯s not enough for them to only eat canned food. Therefore, I have to prepare some fruits and vitamins. With so many cats and dogs added together, I¡¯m afraid it will cost 1,500 dors a month!"
"1,500?"
Nora was a little hesitant. Was this money a lot?
It should not be a problem for him to get 1,500 dors from her card. Why was he so conflicted?
Louis coughed and said, "So, are you still buying them?"
"...Yes."
After Nora answered this question again, she asked the service staff to pack up everything that Louis had said. When arge bag of cat and dog food was in Louis¡¯s hands, the corners of his mouth twitched. "Do you have so much money in your bank card? Don¡¯t pretend to be rich in front of me!"
Nora did not say anything and silently handed over the bank card.
She had never set a password for her bank card as she found it troublesome.
The service staff swiped it and paid directly. Nora took the bank card and stuffed it into Louis¡¯s hand. "It¡¯s enough to feed you."
Louis: "??"
He immediately stood up straight and retorted, his blond hair almost exploding. "I¡¯m not the one eating it! It¡¯s for the stray cats and dogs!"
"...Oh." Nora nced at the can in his hand. "You can eat it too."
Louis: "!!!"
After saying this, she turned around and walked out.
After she left, Louis was still standing there. He looked at the cans, fruits, and various staple food in his hands in shock.
He pursed his lips. "She probably only has about 1,500 dors in her card, but she doesn¡¯t know that this is the amount for a day! What are we going to do tomorrow?"
He looked at the bank card in his hand again. He would try again tomorrow to see if he could sessfully swipe it.
Wait, he could try it now!
¡ª
Nora drove the jeep to the Hunts.
The door opened as soon as she arrived at the Hunts.
Justin stood at the door, looking at her. When the car stopped in the car park, he stepped forward and opened the door for her. "Baby, you¡¯re here."
Nora paused when she got out of the car. Then, she took out her car keys and closed the car door. She replied calmly, "...Mm-hm."
When did she allow this man to call her Baby?
Justin lowered his head and took a look. "It¡¯s been less than an hour. It looks like you really miss me..."
Nora: "!"
She grimaced and was about to say something when he said, "And Cherry."
"..."
Nora endured it and swallowed.
She walked straight ahead. "Where does Cherry stay?"
Justin followed beside her. "Second floor, in the suite."
Nora acknowledged indifferently and followed him upstairs.
The moment she opened the door to the suites, the overwhelming pinkness instantly engulfed her, causing her to pause in her footsteps. Only then did she look at her daughter, who wasbing a Barbie doll¡¯s hair.
Cherry was wearing neutral clothing. When she heard the door open and turned to see her, her big ck eyes lit up. "Mommy! I was wondering why my mood suddenly became so good. So it¡¯s you!"
Nora: "...Bootlicker."
Cherry did not care what she said. She stretched out her arms and pounced onto herp, hugging it as she raised her head. "Mommy, I missed you so much! I know you missed me too! After all, I¡¯m so cute and beautiful!"
"..."
Alright, she finally knew who Cherry had inherited her narcissistic nature from!
She was about to speak when her phone rang.
Beep!
She took out her phone and took a look. She realized that it was showing: $13.90 has been debited from your ount xxxx0000.
Nora: "?"
Judging by Louis¡¯s appearance, he should be someone who spentvishly, right? What did he buy that cost only $13.90?
As she was thinking about this, she heard a beep again. It was again a message notification: $13.90 has been debited from your ount xxxx0000.
Nora: "??"
Beep. Another message alert came. It was the same $13.90.
Nora: "????"
With a head full of question marks, she looked at the endless notifications on her phone and was puzzled. What was that Louis doing?
¡ª
"Another bottle!"
Louis took out a can of meat and handed it to the salesperson.
The cashier held the bank card in confusion and swiped another can.
Louis asked, "Did it go through?"
"Yes."
Louis was surprised. "There¡¯s still money? It¡¯s almost 3,000 dors. Did the Andersons really give her 50,000 dors?"
He took out another can. "Swipe another?"
"..."
He wanted to see how much money this silly sister from the countryside had in her card and how many cans of meat he could buy.
It couldn¡¯t be that she had 139,000 dors? He could buy 10,000 cans?
He did not believe it!
If he did not swipe the card dry today, he would not leave!!
With this in mind, he took out ten cans. "I¡¯ll buy ten!"
Chapter 307: The Jealous Justin~
Chapter 307: The Jealous Justin~
The cashier: "..."
Ten cans, another ten cans... One hundred cans, another one hundred cans...
Even when all the cans of pet food in the store were gone, the card still wasn¡¯t maxed out yet.
Louis was dumbfounded. "Just how much money is there in there?"
The cashier: "..."
Louis waved and said, "Alright, that¡¯s enough. Store the rest here for now, I¡¯lle over and collect them tomorrow!"
The cashier finally heaved a sigh of relief.
She had really been very scared just now. The whale in front of her had pretty much bought the whole store!
Louis stared at the bank card in his hand after he left the pet food shop. He had bought the following month¡¯s supply of cat and dog food in the store just now and spent a total of almost 50,000 dors.
Even so, the card still didn¡¯t seem to be maxed out yet.
He decided to go to the bank to check how much bnce there was in it!
¡ª
The cell phone finally stopped beeping.
When Nora saw from the notifications on the phone that Louis had spent about 50,000 dors all in the pet food store with her card, she knew at once that he had ordered his supply of cat and dog food for the next month.
Couldn¡¯t he pay all at once, though? Why did he have to pay $13.90 and $139 again and again instead?
She shook her head. Unable to understand, she simply stuffed the phone into her pocket.
As soon as she looked up, she saw Cherry and Justin, who were sitting opposite her, staring at her curiously.
Justin didn¡¯t say anything.
Cherry asked, "Who was just sending you text messages just now, Mommy?"
Nora nced at her and replied, "No one."
Almost as soon as she said that, a faint voice said, "So, no one sent you 157 messages?"
Nora: "???"
Cherry: "???"
Both of them looked at Justin in unison, only to see that his usually deep and bottomless eyes were looking at her innocently at the moment. Even the beauty mark at the corner of his eye seemed to exude a feeling that he had suffered some kind of injustice, as if she had done something behind his back.
Nora: "..."
She pursed her lips and suddenly asked, "I heard that you have a marriage agreement with Yvonne Smith?"
Her one-liner made Justin sit up straight. His expression turned serious and he replied, "I have to make this clear¡ªmy marriage agreement is with a daughter of the Smiths, not specifically Yvonne Smith. Come to think of it, this may be fate between you and me. No wonder you made lo¡ªving me your first priority the moment you saw me."
Nora: "..."
Why did he have to pause in between the two sybles for the word ¡¯loving¡¯, making her feel like she had failed her English sses and misunderstood something?
When she looked at Justin again, he continued to sit where he was with a serious look. He had worn a ck suit today and looked extra serious. He probably didn¡¯t mean what she thought he meant, right?
Nora raised her eyebrows. "Oh."
She got up, nced at Cherry¡¯s room, and asked, "Where does Pete live?"
She did care about her son, after all, and wanted to see what her son¡¯s room had turned into.
But as soon as she voiced the question, Justin and Cherry exchanged a look.
Seeing that their expressions didn¡¯t look quite right, Nora frowned. "Pete couldn¡¯t possibly not have any ce to live in, right?"
"He does, but..." Justin found it hard to exin it in a few words. He said, "But because I had misunderstood his sexual orientation previously... cough, and also because Cherry likes pink, I renovated it into a pink-themed room to make the child happy."
Nora: "!!!"
She looked at Justin with aplex look. "Are you sure you don¡¯t need me to take a look at your brain?"
Just what kind of person would go along with his son¡¯s wishes and turn the room pink after suspecting that he wasn¡¯t straight?!
The corners of her lips spasmed. She was about to speak when Justin stood up and said, "I have photos of Pete when he was a baby. Do you want to look at them?"
Sure enough, it distracted Nora and she stopped paying attention to the topic about the pink room. She followed Justin to the next room.
When Justin took out an album of Pete¡¯s pictures, Nora started flipping through it from the very beginning.
The first photo was of a tiny little infant. His skin was dark all over, and he looked pitifully skinny.
"Is this from when Pete was a month old?" asked Nora.
As the twins were born prematurely, they were actually both a little skinny when they were born. Cherry had looked about the same as a fifteen-day-old normal baby when she turned one month old.
The photo of Pete looked simr to how Cherry had looked when she was a month old.
Justin kept quiet for a while before he replied, "Yeah, I guess."
Even though Pete was rescued, his health had suffered a lot. It was only because the Hunts were powerful enough and had their own high-end medical equipment that they managed to slowly restore his health at the cost of a lot of money.
When he was a month old, he had even been sent into the ICU a few times and had tubes inserted into him all over.
However, Justin didn¡¯t intend to tell the woman all that.
Nora kept quiet for a long while.
She had already spotted the date marked at the bottom of the photo.
This was a photo of Pete when he was six months old.
Even if Justin didn¡¯t mention anything, she could still imagine just how much Pete had suffered back then. Otherwise, why would he have mild autism?
Nora heaved a silent sigh and stopped speaking. Instead, she continued to flip through the album in silence.
Pete at one-month-old looked about the same as Cherry at three months old.
Subsequently, though, because Pete was ultimately still a boy, he had slowly caught up with Cherry. This was why the siblings were about the same height now.
Pete hadgged behind for a whole half a year.
In the photos, the little boy always stood there expressionlessly and stared quietly at the camera. His light-less eyes, which looked identical to Cherry¡¯s big round ones, slowly gained some light.
This was all thanks to Justin taking care of him.
Nora flipped through the album from beginning to end. Toward the end, she even asionally saw photos of Pete with his lip corners quirked upward. He was probably smiling, right?
Nora felt terribly emotional.
She felt like all the emotions she would ever experience in her entire life had emerged in this instant.
She had never been this worked up before. Even when her child was taken away, she had merely felt fury.
She suppressed the acerbity in her heart, and slowly raised her head to look at Justin. "Thank you."
"If someone has to say thank you," Justin also looked at her, "Then I should be the one saying it. Thank you for giving me two such lovely family members."
Ever since his parents divorced and his mother moved out of the family when he was five, he had lost his parents¡¯ love and care for him.
Having been alone for so many years, he had once considered staying alone for the rest of his life. He hadn¡¯t understood familial kinship or feelings in the past, but Pete¡¯s existence had gradually given him something to look forward to.
Rather than saying that he had saved Pete, it was more like Pete had given him salvation during the five years he took care of him.
Nora, who seemed to sense his emotional fluctuations, looked up at him.
She suddenly felt that she shouldn¡¯t have developed thoughts of taking Pete away. He was the boy¡¯s father after all.
¡ª
In the bank.
Louis entered the lobby, took a number, and sat there in line.
When it was his turn, he took out the bank card and handed it to the clerk at the counter. "Please check the bnce of this card for me."
The bank clerk looked up. When she saw the bank card in his hand, she was taken aback!
Chapter 308: The Bank Card!!
Chapter 308: The Bank Card!!
The clerk stood up at once, giving Louis a shock.
He stared at the clerk stupefied. "W-what¡¯s the matter?"
However, the clerk bowed and said, "Please wait a moment!"
Then, she took the card and rushed to the manager¡¯s office at the side.
Louis was awfully shocked.
He looked around and found that the rest of the staff were all behaving normally. The clerk attending to him was the only one who had suddenly run off.
He swallowed hard. Could it be that his cousin had stolen that card from someone? After all, it wasn¡¯t maxed out even after he spent nearly 50,000 dors on pet food just now!
Was the clerk calling the police?
He was so rmed that he jumped onto his feet abruptly, and he subconsciously walked toward the door hastily.
He had only just taken two steps when someone suddenly came after him from behind. "Sir, please wait a moment!"
Louis: "!!"
Without another word, he started to run out.
Unfortunately, the security guard at the bank¡¯s doors saw the manager chasing him, so he subconsciously thought that Louis was a bad guy and rushed toward him at once.
Louis easily avoided the security guard. He said, "Don¡¯t grab me, bro! That card isn¡¯t mine! I... I found it somewhere!"
He ran out of the bank until he reached the streets. Then, he ran off along the sidewalk.
But he had only taken two steps when the security guard caught up with him. He said, "What are you afraid of if it¡¯s something you found? Stop running and rify everything with the manager! Otherwise, I¡¯m calling the cops!"
"You can¡¯t!" Louis yelled as he ran, "I didn¡¯t break thew!"
"Then stop running!"
"No way!"
Louis continued running forward. At the same time, he took out his cell phone and sent a text message to Nora: ¡¯You stinky woman! You¡¯ve gotten me into huge trouble!!¡¯
Louis had taken the initiative to add Nora¡¯s contact information into his phone when they were buying food for the cats. He had even said, "You cane to me if you run into any trouble in the future! I¡¯ll protect you!"
Little did he think that things would actually turn out like this!
After sending the text message, he continued to exercise his skills to the fullest and ran with all his strength.
The security guard: "..."
Fleeing was what Louis did best. After all, he was already used to being disciplined by his family ever since he was a child, so he ran very fast and soon disappeared.
The security guard was all out of breath from chasing after him, but he still lost him in the end.
He bent over and panted heavily.
The manager behind him had also caught up with him by then. He asked, "What were you chasing him for? You¡¯ve scared him away!"
"... Isn¡¯t he a bad guy?" asked the security guard.
"What nonsense!" The manager eximed huffily, "He¡¯s a distinguished customer!!"
The security guard: "!!"
He was puzzled. "If he¡¯s a customer, what is he running away for?"
The manager smacked the security guard angrily. "Isn¡¯t it because you were chasing him? Of course, he would run away if you chase after him!"
"... Really?" asked the security guard.
The manager sighed. He looked down at the bank card in his hand and couldn¡¯t help but sigh emotionally. "Do you know that only five cards like this one here have been issued ever since our bank was established?"
The security guard: "?"
The manager stared at the card. "Although this is a supplementary card, there are no more than twenty supplementary cards of this card series in the bank! And this is on a global scale, no less! That¡¯s why I have to personally attend to the customer. But great, you¡¯ve actually scared him off! I have to report this to the higher-ups as soon as possible!"
He turned around and returned to the bank. Then, he got the security guard to show him the surveince camera footage. "Hurry and find out who it is! We have to pay them a visit!"
Louis hadn¡¯t expected any of this at all when he first entered the bank, so his looks were totally exposed.
The manager got a friend to investigate who he was.
Louis could be considered someone with status in New York, so they quickly found out who he was.
The bank manager looked at his information. A short silenceter, he said, "C¡¯mon, let¡¯s go to the Smiths now. We have to retain that important customer and apologize to the VIP!"
¡ª
Louis stopped and started to pant heavily after he ran a great distance away.
He looked behind him. When he found that no one had caught up to him, he was relieved.
But!
He took out his cell phone and dialed Chester¡¯s number with his trembling fingers. "I¡¯m in trouble! I¡¯m in trouble!"
Chester asked, "What¡¯s wrong?"
Louis thought for a moment and decided that he mustn¡¯t rat Nora out. Even if she had stolen someone¡¯s card, he had to cover up for her.
After all, he was the one who had caused this.
He took a deep breath. "Don¡¯t ask. Give me all the money you have. I¡¯m going to go on the run!"
"... But I only have 300 dors! I¡¯ll transfer it to you!" said Chester.
"Get lost! Why are you even more pitiful than I am?!"
Louis hung up on him straightaway.
If he fled, he would be a wanted criminal. This way, it wouldn¡¯t affect Nora. Besides, wasn¡¯t the pugilistic world what Quentin loved the most anyway?
Didn¡¯t this mean he was going to wander the world now?
Come to think of it, it sounded pretty exciting.
The main problem was, how was he going to escape if he didn¡¯t have any money?
While thinking about it, he drove quietly to the Smiths¡¯ manor.
In any case, he would just go to Warren and borrow some money first!
Warren was easy-going and easy to bluff. He definitely wouldn¡¯t stand by and watch him starve to death.
After driving back to the Smiths, in order not to make too much noise, he parked the car outside the door and sneaked in quietly by himself.
He was about to go up the stairs to look for Warren when he was discovered.
Yvonne looked at him. "What are you sneaking around for, Louis?"
Louis: "!!"
What bad luck!
How was it that he always ran into her every time he was down on his luck?
With an evasive look in his eyes, Louis replied, "It¡¯s nothing."
Yvonne knew at once from his behavior that he must have gotten himself in trouble. She immediately said, "You must have done something bad again, right? See if I don¡¯t tell Joel about it!"
Louis snapped at once. "All you know is snitching on others! What else do you know besides being a tattletale?!"
Yvonne looked at him up and down a few times. Then, she cast her eyes down and suddenly asked, "Did Nora¡¯s bank card get you into trouble?"
Although Louis was mischievous, didn¡¯t like studying, and had a weird personality, he had only be like that thanks to her ¡¯schemes¡¯.
No one knew better than Yvonne how kind Louis actually was.
He would always y hero and speak up whenever he ran into trouble in the past, yet he simply refused to say even a word about it today. Therefore, she decided to simply sound him out.
Unexpectedly, the look in Louis¡¯s eyes suddenly changed the moment she said that, and he said, "No, it didn¡¯t!"
Yvonne frowned. "So, it really is because of that bank card!"
Louis: "!!"
Right at this moment, a butler came over hesitantly from outside. "Ms. Yvonne, the manager of the New York branch of ABC Bank is here. They say that they are here for Mr. Louis."
Louis: "???"
Had they found him so soon?
He wanted to slip away, but Yvonne grabbed his cor and said, "What are you running for, Louis? What¡¯s there that you can¡¯t exin properly to everyone? Since they are looking for you, then let¡¯s go over and have a look!"
Something must have gone wrong with Nora¡¯s card!
And judging from how panicky Louis was, it seemed like a pretty big problem.
Let¡¯s see how she would gain a foothold in the Smiths now!!
Chapter 309: The Card Is Mine!
Chapter 309: The Card Is Mine!
Yvonne looked at the butler and instructed, "Since it¡¯s the manager from the bank, then please invite him in!"
The butler answered, "Yes, miss."
He turned to leave.
"Wait!" The frightened Louis shouted.
However, the butler ignored himpletely.
Louis had always been naughty and mischievous since he was a child and especiallypared to Yvonne, it made him seem even more atrocious. The servants in the manor also found him rather objectionable.
Moreover, this was Ian and Joel¡¯s home. As the head of the family, one could consider Joel Ian¡¯s adopted son. Yvonne was the true mistress of the household instead.
When the butler left, a furious and panicky Louis demanded, "What do you think you¡¯re doing? What makes you think you can agree to meet them when they are here to look for me?"
Yvonne cast her eyes down and replied dispassionately, "What are you so worked up for just because the manager of the bank is looking for you? Is there something wrong with Nora¡¯s card?"
Louis looked downstairs.
Sure enough, the servants in the house were looking at them. He pretty much subconsciously replied, "That card belongs to me!"
Yvonne: "..."
She kept her eyes down and said detachedly, "As your elder sister, I have to interfere in this, Louis. Since it¡¯s yours, then all the more so. Let¡¯s go and have a look."
Louis wanted to push her away, but the manager had already entered by then.
He was following behind the butler. This was his first time in the Smiths¡¯ manor. The manor¡¯svish decor filled him with great emotion. No wonder they had a card like that. As expected, their background was indeed impressive!
He would have to apologize to the distinguished customerter, though. He mustn¡¯t behave too frivolously.
With that in mind, he straightened his back and put on a rather serious expression.
Seeing how stern he looked, Louis became even more scared.
Sob...
Did Nora steal that card from someone or did she rob someone of it? To think it made the bank manager spend so much effort and go through so many twists and turns that he had actually managed to find him.
Since their investigations had led to him, they must have asked the police for help with that, right?
Despite knowing that this was the Smiths¡¯ manor, they had stille for him... This meant that they definitely wouldn¡¯t back down even if he used Joel against them. So! Just what kind of crime exactly had Noramitted?!
Surely it couldn¡¯t be robbery or murder, right?!
A grave look came over Louis¡¯s countenance when he thought of that.
Seeing that he had no way out anymore, Louis acted as if he was about to face the music and took a big step forward.
When the manager saw him, he took a step forward, took out the card, and asked respectfully, "Excuse me, is this card yours? Are you the only one using the card?"
Louis: "..."
He held his head high, puffed out his chest, and said righteously, "Yes, of course, I am the only one using it. What else could it be?"
The manager: "?"
Louis snorted and said, "Alright, that¡¯s enough. A man must bear the consequences of his own actions. This card belongs to me and me alone!"
The manager: "!!"
The servants: "..."
Why did it seem like there was something kinda off about the scene in front of them?
It was at this point that Yvonne smiled and said, "I think that card belongs to Nora, doesn¡¯t it? I saw her giving it to you earlier today. There¡¯s a blue pattern at the side of the card..."
A blue pattern...
Louis looked at the card and retorted, "You¡¯re mistaken! You have blue-green colorblindness!"
Yvonne: "!!!"
Yvonne took a deep breath and went on. "There¡¯s no way I would have made a mistake. That¡¯s Nora¡¯s card, no doubt about it. Did something happen to Nora, Louis? You can juste straight out and say it if there¡¯s something wrong, I can help you. Even if I can¡¯t, there¡¯s Joel. It¡¯s not good to keep some things a secret..."
Louis red at her viciously. "I told you, the card belongs to me. How annoying can you get?"
Yvonne bit her lip and put on a pitiful act.
Florence frowned. "Mr. Louis, watch the way you speak to Ms. Yvonne. She¡¯s saying it for your own good! The Smiths would never give up their own for the sake of an indecent woman and outsider. Even if you hide certain things in order to protect her, people can still find out the truthter!"
Louis stared at her coldly. "Why is there a stray dog barking away here? How noisy! If I don¡¯t take my blood-rted sister¡¯s side, then am I supposed to take your side, you detestable old woman?"
He curled his lips disdainfully and went on. "When a beautiful girl is meddlesome, you can say that she¡¯s acting bravely for a just cause. But for people like you, do you know what it¡¯s called?"
Florence was taken aback. "What is it called?"
"Ugly people being up to no good."
Florence: "!!!"
Movements came from the door at this point¡ªJoel was back.
Florence¡¯s eyes reddened the moment she saw him enter. She cried out in tears, "Sir, you have to help me! I have been working respectfully in the Smiths for so many years, but now that I¡¯m old, someone is actually saying that I¡¯m an ugly person up to no good!"
Florence had watched Joel grow up.
Florence had been taking care of Joel, and treated him with great respect ever since Ian appointed him as his sessor when he was ten.
Therefore, Joel also treated her with a lot of courtesy at home. Upon hearing that, he looked at Louis with a frown and said unhurriedly, "Apologize to Mdm. Florence, Louis."
Although he spoke gently, his words brooked no refusal.
Not only did Louis not dare to go against Joel, but he also feared him from the bottom of his heart. Therefore, even though he was filled with reluctance, he nevertheless looked at Florence and said, "I won¡¯t say you¡¯re ugly anymore, old fogey."
Florence: "..."
Everyone else: "..."
Although his words were unpleasant, Florence didn¡¯t dare to act presumptuously in front of Joel anymore after making one of her masters apologize to her. She red at Louis hatefully.
Yvonne changed the subject. "You¡¯re back just in time, Joel. It seems like Nora has gotten into some kind of trouble, and Louis is insisting on taking the me for her. Sigh, that¡¯s also why Mdm. Florence is arguing with him. She¡¯s doing it for your own good, Louis."
Florence was touched to hear that.
Joel, however, looked at Louis with a frown and asked, "What¡¯s going on?"
Louis shrank back at the look in Joel¡¯s eyes. He wanted to chicken out, but he was afraid that Joel would give him a good thrashing. In the end, he bit the bullet and replied, "Don¡¯t ask anymore, Joel. In any case, I did this all by myself, it has nothing to do with Nora! Stop trying to smear Nora¡¯s name, Yvonne. Someone as vicious as you, and who wants only to see Nora make a fool out of herself is not worthy of speaking here!"
He looked at the manager and said, "Alright, that¡¯s enough. The card is mine. If you want to arrest me, then let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s just cut the crap!"
The manager: "???"
Joel¡¯s eyes swept across Yvonne when he heard Louis. For some reason, Yvonne suddenly felt a little uneasy.
It was as if someone had seen through her thoughts.
Yvonne lowered her head.
So what even if her thoughts had been seen through? She was telling the truth!
The card was indeed Nora¡¯s. Now that there were credibility problems with it, it would definitely embarrass her to hell and back!
While she was thinking about it, the manager stepped forward and grabbed Louis¡¯ hand!
Chapter 310: The Real Owner of The Card!
Chapter 310: The Real Owner of The Card!
Yvonne had never considered that the card was stolen from someone else.
After all, it was impossible that Nora would do something like that when she already had Justin. Her only thought was that a problem had urred with her credit score.
Weren¡¯t there a lot of people who didn¡¯t pay their credit card bills after using the cards?
That was already embarrassing enough.
Unexpectedly, as soon as the thought formed in her mind, the manager said excitedly, "What are you talking about, Mr. Smith? Arrest? We just want to invite you to the bank as a guest! Why would we arrest you?"
"..."
His words caused the room to fall silent for a moment.
Yvonne, who was taken aback, looked at him incredulously.
The manager said, "You are our bank¡¯s VIP customer. Now that we¡¯ve met in New York, of course, I would invite you to the bank. Also, do you need financial management services for your bnce? We have capital protection and an interest rate of 5%! I know it¡¯s a little low, so you won¡¯t be interested for sure, but isn¡¯t it a little of a waste to just let the money rest in the ount like that? Or perhaps you have investment ns for the near future?"
Louis: "??"
Louis felt like he could understand all the words that the manager was saying, but howe he couldn¡¯t understand them anymore once they were strung together?
Next to him, an even more surprised Florence asked, "What are you talking about? What VIP customer?"
Yvonne¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment, and she stared at the manager in disbelief.
A VIP... customer?
The manager nced at Florence. "You don¡¯t need to know about your master¡¯s affairs. Mr. Smith? Mr. Smith?"
Only then did Louise back to his senses. He pointed at the bank card incredulously. "Did you say that the owner of the card is a VIP customer? I-in that case, who is the owner of the card?"
His first reaction was that he was finished. Nora had actually stolen a VIP customer¡¯s card!
The manager smiled. "Don¡¯t joke around anymore, Mr. Smith. Didn¡¯t you say it yourself just now? It¡¯s you! This card doesn¡¯t require registration with one¡¯s real name, and there are only five in the world. Customer information is confidential, so I won¡¯t know, either. This is the first time I¡¯m meeting the owner of the card..."
Louis: "..."
Louis swallowed hard. "What¡¯s the credit limit of this card?"
The manager replied, "This bank card is both a savings card and a credit card. This is a supplementary card. I wouldn¡¯t know where the primary card is. Only the owner would know that. Also, this card doesn¡¯t have a credit limit~"
The reason why such cards were rarely issued around the world was precisely that they weren¡¯t registered with the owners¡¯ names.
Additionally! They didn¡¯t have any credit limits!
Just how much trust must one have in their customers in order to issue unregistered cards without any credit limit?
That was why there were only five in the world!
How would he, a manager of a side branch of the bank in New York, possibly know who the owner was?!
However, the manager¡¯s words clearly shocked everyone present.
Louis stammered, "I-is there a chance for someone to steal the card?"
Just whose card had Nora stolen?!
The managerughed again. "You must be joking. There¡¯s no way the owner of the card would lose the card, how can anyone steal it?"
Those who owned the card were either rich or noble.
They would definitely have bodyguards with them whenever they were out.
Therefore, there wasn¡¯t such a problem at all. Even if it just so happened that they misced it, they could just inform the ount manager that had applied for the card for them, and they would reissue one to them right away.
Seeing how embarrassing Louis was behaving, Joel held his forehead. He nced at the manager and said, "Since the card has been delivered, we¡¯re done here."
Although his attitude was detached and distant, the manager didn¡¯t feel slighted at all.
After all, he was here to deliver the card to them.
He handed the card to Louis respectfully and held his hand with great reluctance to part. He said, "Mr. Louis, do visit the bank when you¡¯re free! If you aren¡¯t interested in financial management services, I can also rmend our other services to you..."
Louis, who was holding the bank card, nodded dazedly and watched the manager leave.
Louis looked at Joel after he left. "Just what kind of background does that cousin of mine have, Joel? You and Uncle Ian are the only ones in the family who can use a card like this, right?"
Even the way he spoke had be respectful.
His words made Yvonne¡¯s eyes flicker.
Among the Smiths, Ian and Joel were indeed the only ones who could use credit cards with no credit limit.
At the end of it all, wasn¡¯t it still because she wasn¡¯t rted to them by blood but was just an adopted daughter that she didn¡¯t have the right to use such cards?! She clenched her fists.
Joel did not answer. Instead, he held his hand out toward him.
Louis: "!!"
He hid the card in his bosom and said, "Nora gave this to me, Joel!"
Joel raised his brows and nced at him dispassionately. "Are you worthy of using it?"
Louis gritted his teeth and slowly handed the card to Joel. Joel reached out to take it¡ªonly to find that Louis was still holding on to the card tightly.
Joel: "..."
"Joel..." Louis sounded pitiful and miserable. Even his bleached blond hair looked a lot softer than usual.
Joel ignored him. He applied more force and took the card from him.
He slid it into his pocket after he took it. Then, he casually took out a credit card that belonged to the Smiths and handed it to Louis.
Louis: "!!!"
At the sight of his adorable credit card that had been sealed, he almost jumped straight into the air!
He immediately gave his credit card a huge kiss. Then, fearing that Joel would change his mind, he quickly ran out while calling out, "I love you, Joel!"
Joel: "..."
The people in the living room were still standing there.
Yvonne¡¯s fists were balled up tightly. She simply couldn¡¯t understand why Nora would have such a card? But when Louis left, she suddenly realized something.
Mr. Hunt must have given it to Nora, right?
Otherwise, how would she possibly have that much money?
She raised her head and nced at Joel. "Is it really okay that Nora uses the Hunts¡¯ money like that, Joel?"
Joel lowered his gaze.
Yvonne went on. "You should have her return the card. It won¡¯t do her reputation any good if she spends the Hunts¡¯ money like that... I¡¯m saying this for her sake, Joel."
Joel said dispassionately, "Come with me."
Yvonne became nervous as she followed Joel into the study.
Joel leaned against the desk. Yvonne stood in front of him with her head down like a child who had done something wrong.
Joel suddenly asked, "You think this card belongs to Justin?"
Yvonne nodded. "Who else, apart from Mr. Hunt¡¯s? Nora can¡¯t possibly know anyone else, right?"
Joel took out the card, handed it to his personal assistant, and instructed, "Go and find out who the owner of this card is."
"Yes, sir."
Ten minutester, the assistant walked back in feeling rather light-headed. As he stared at the results of the investigation, he felt as if he was stepping on cotton, his footsteps alternating between shallow and deep ones.
Yvonne had been standing there for ten minutes. She asked anxiously, "Whose card is that? It¡¯s Mr. Hunt¡¯s, right?"
Chapter 311: Five Years Ago
Chapter 311: Five Years Ago
Yvonne had always been someone very good at keeping herself calm and collected, but in front of Joel, she always felt like he could see through everything she was thinking.
Thest ten minutes when the assistant was away were the most unbearable ten minutes she had ever experienced.
She could pretend to be wless in front of everyone, but her eldest brother¡¯s eyes seemed to always be able to see through all her thoughts.
He had deliberately kept quiet and sat there just like that. It was just a short ten minutes, yet she felt as if a whole year had gone by.
That was why she had so eagerly asked that question when the assistant entered the study, causing herself to expose all of her sneaky little thoughts.
As soon as she spoke, she secretly cursed.
She turned to Joel. Sure enough, he was looking straight at her. His usually amicable countenance was sharp and chilly.
Yvonne swallowed hard.
She lowered her head.
The assistant could clearly feel something wrong between the siblings. He hurriedly lowered his head and replied, "This card was used for the first time in a foreign country five years ago. Although the card registrant hadn¡¯t left any information, it was indeed Ms. Nora Smith who used it that time."
In other words, although it was an anonymous card, barring any idents, it was indeed Nora¡¯s.
Yvonne had already been too afraid to speak when Joel was staring at her just now. Even though she was astounded, she nevertheless bit her lip and asked, "Did she already know Mr. Hunt five years ago?"
Her words took the assistant by surprise, and he nced at Joel.
Joel nced at the door. The assistant immediately understood. He lowered his head and quietly left the study. When he was exiting, he even thoughtfully closed the door for them.
As soon as the door closed, Joel¡¯s gentle but cold and mellow voice reached Yvonne. "Are you hoping very much that this card belongs to Justin? Why?"
Yvonne: "!!"
She looked up in a panic. "N-no... Let me exin, Joel. That¡¯s not..."
But when Yvonne¡¯s eyes met Joel¡¯s calm but mocking gaze, she shut up.
She knew that there was no use no matter what she said.
He knew.
Yvonne lowered her head. "Joel, in your eyes, who is more important? Me or her? I¡¯m Dad¡¯swful daughter..."
Joel lowered his head. He suddenly asked, "Then do you still remember what your legal name is?"
Yvonne was taken aback. "Yvonne Smith..."
She suddenly paused.
Yv... onne... Smith...
Her name had always been a topic of discussion ever since she was a child. In fact, even her adoptive father¡¯s love history was a famous one. However, he never seemed to care about people talking about how much he loved Yvette.
Even if everyone said that Yvette had betrayed him, he had never once diminished his love for her in front of others.
He stayed single all his life.
He adopted a daughter who would marry into the Hunts in the future, and named her Yvonne.
Yvonne lowered her head, her fingers balling up even tighter into fists. "Joel, is it because Dad likes that woman that he would also like the daughter she had with another man?"
Joel was silent.
However, it seemed like Yvonne had regained her strength. She said, "Aren¡¯t you afraid that Dad would be disappointed if you defend her? Everyone says that I¡¯m Dad¡¯s adopted daughter, but even I feel for him and dislike Nora, despite how I¡¯m not rted to Dad by blood. You¡¯re not just his blood-rted nephew, you¡¯re pretty much Dad¡¯s son. You¡¯re even closer to him than I am, so how can you let him down?"
Had he let Uncle Ian down?
Joel pressed his lips together again.
He thought of how his uncle had reacted when the DNA report was first released. He thought of his internal struggle during that time. He thought of how he had gone to the Hunts¡¯ party and defended her...
Joel slowly lowered his gaze. "You are not allowed to act rashly until Uncle Ian makes a decision."
Seeing that he wasn¡¯t pursuing the matter anymore, Yvonne breathed a sigh of relief at once.
She nodded. "I promise."
When she left the office, someone suddenly opened the window. Quentin came in nimbly from the window. The thin and fair-skinned young man stared in the direction Yvonne had left, and curled his lips disdainfully. "Are you really not going to do anything about it?"
Joel had always handled family affairs fairly.
However, his actions had been a little partial toward Yvonne this time.
Joel looked at him and asked, "What can I do?"
Quentin was taken aback.
If he gave Yvonne a warning, he would be pping Ian in the face.
Yet if he defended Nora, it would also shame Ian.
"But she¡¯s our cousin! She has blood ties with us!"
As soon as Quentin said that, Joel sighed and said, "She¡¯s also the daughter that woman had with Uncle Ryan."
Quentin: "..."
He scratched his head and kept quiet for a long while. Atst, he said, "Forget it, the previous generation¡¯s rtionships are tooplicated. I¡¯ll just pretend I don¡¯t know anything."
Joel nodded. However, he then looked at him again and asked, "Aren¡¯t you supposed to be protecting her?"
Quentin curled his lips disdainfully. "Yeah, she¡¯s home. There, she¡¯s here!"
¡ª
A big ck jeep stopped outside the manor with a screech.
Afraid that Joel would confiscate his card again, Louis slipped away at high speed, causing him to almost bump into the car in front of him!
He stood in front of the car and patted his chest. "Is that how you should be driving? You almost scared me to death!"
He walked to the side of the car as he spoke, upon which he saw Nora¡¯s cool and expressionless face through the open window.
Louis¡¯s anger froze instantly. Then, a huge smile blossomed on his face at once. "Nora!"
Nora: "??"
Did someone run over the kid and damage his brain?
Why was there suddenly such a huge change in his attitude toward her?
While she was wondering about it, Louis said, "You¡¯re my cousin, indeed! Don¡¯t worry, I will protect you in the future! Joel has taken the card again, though. Can you transfer me some money?"
¡¯Again¡¯...
Poor child.
"... Alright. How much do you need?" asked Nora.
She took out her cell phone. Only then did she realize that Louis had sent her a voice message.
She raised her eyebrows. "You sent me a voice message? What did you send?"
She was about to y it when Louis abruptly grabbed her phone¡ªhe had just thought of the ¡¯You stinky woman! You¡¯ve gotten me into huge trouble!!¡¯ message that he had sent earlier.
He hastily deleted the voice message.
Only then did Louis return the phone. "It¡¯s nothing, nothing..."
Nora: "..."
Seeing how he was behaving, Nora didn¡¯t stoop to his level. Instead, she picked up her phone and asked, "How much do you want?"
Louis held up five fingers.
His monthly allowance was 50,000 dors. Although that was considered rather low for a family like theirs, it was just enough to feed the cats and dogs. Even though he had already ordered cat food for the next one month and Joel had also returned him his credit card¡ªlimit of which also happened to be 50,000 dors¡ªwho would ever say no to more money?
Nora nced at his hand and uttered an ¡¯oh¡¯. Then, she tapped on her phone a few times. A beep rang out and Louis received an SMS.
Nora then tossed the phone onto the car seat and left coolly.
"Bye, Nora!"
Louis picked up his cell phone after he called out ingratiatingly, but when he saw the transfer amount, he was astounded.
Chapter 312: Quentin Goes Idol-Chasing!
Chapter 312: Quentin Goes Idol-Chasing!
The SMS read: ¡¯Your bank ount xxxx2222 has been credited with $500,000.¡¯
Louis felt like he must be seeing things.
But when he carefully read it again, he confirmed that it was... indeed 500,000 dors!
He jumped into the air excitedly at once and chased after Nora¡¯s car. "You¡¯re my actual sister, Nora!! Here, I¡¯ll open the door for you!"
With a sister like her, why would he still need his eldest brother?
Would Joel ever give him 500,000 dors?
When had he, someone whose pocket money had been under someone else¡¯s control ever since he was a child, ever seen piping hot and fresh 500,000 dors?!?!
Louis trotted all the way behind Nora to the garage. After she parked the car, he walked eagerly to the side and opened the door for Nora. "Watch your step, Sis!"
Nora: "..."
She sidestepped Louis and entered the house.
Louis had trotted all the way back from the gate just to open the door for her. After she entered, he happily got ready to leave.
It was at this point that someone blocked his path.
Quentin, who had turned to the side, was wearing a baseball cap, which seemed to hide all his facial features. He wore a face mask and said in a seemingly very cool manner, "Look at you, Louis! You¡¯ve almost lost yourself to money! Who are you sucking up to¡ªmoney, or your cousin?"
Louis had just received 500,000 dors, so he was in a really good mood. Without any hesitation, he replied, "If she has money, then she¡¯s my real sister!"
"... Hah, you good-for-nothing! Uncle Ian watched you grow up, you know. Don¡¯t you think you¡¯ve let him down?" said Quentin.
"Yes, Uncle Ian is someone dear to me, but so is Nora. How am I supposed to pick one? If only she was Uncle Ian¡¯s daughter!"
Quentin: "..."
After thinking about it for a while, Louis finally said, "I don¡¯t care anymore, I¡¯ll follow my heart instead. It¡¯s true that there hasn¡¯t been a girl in our family for many years! I like Nora! Uncle Ian wants me to stay away from her? Sure, I can do that. Just give me a million bucks! Just double the amount is enough for me!"
Quentin: "..."
As though he had expected better from him, Quentin said, "Look at how much of a good-for-nothing you are! Hah, how can a man bend over just for money?"
Louis thought for a while and asked, "If she were the Big Sister of the Quinn School of Martial Arts, would you still have something against her?"
Quentin did not hesitate. "Of course, not."
Apart from Quinn and Irvin, the two great masters, the Big Sister of the Quinn School of Martial Arts and the Big Brother of the Irvin School of Martial Arts were the idols of every martial artist in the martial arts world!
But!
Quentin curled his lips disdainfully and said, "But how can she possibly be the Big Sister of the Quinn School of Martial Arts? Your metaphor is too unsuitable!"
Louis stuck his tongue out. "It¡¯s just an example! The Big Sister of the Quinn School of Martial Arts to you is the same as money to me."
Quentin got mad. "Big Sister is an idol. She¡¯s someone high up in the air. How can youpare her to something as uncultured as money?"
Louis bounced toward the gates. "Money may be very uncultured to you, but it isn¡¯t at all to me. I love the smell of money!"
Quentin: "..."
He snorted coldly and scoffed, "It¡¯s because you¡¯re still too young. I¡¯m not as childish as you. I won¡¯t lose control of myself like you even if I¡¯m facing Big Sister!"
He had only just said that when his cell phone rang.
He calmly picked it up and answered. In a manner as cool and full of delusions of grandeur as ever, he said, "Speak."
The caller was his subordinate. "Boss, I have found out some info about Big Sister!"
Quentin raised his eyebrows. Even his eyes had lit up. He suppressed the excitement in his voice and asked, "Where is she?"
"She¡¯s at the martial arts tournament!"
Quentin: "??"
¡ª
After Nora returned to her bedroom, she took a bath and habitually got ready to lie down and rx. However, as soon as she slumped onto the bed, she received a call from Quinn.
The old man¡¯s tone was rare and solemn: "The martial arts tournament held once every ten years in the pugilistic world has begun. I¡¯ve signed you up for it."
Nora, who was towel-drying her hair, paused. She said, "I¡¯m not going."
Quinn knew her very well, though. "Are you sure you¡¯re not going?"
"Yes."
If she had the spare time to fight, she might as well sleep instead.
Those people were simply too weak. She didn¡¯t want to waste time on them.
Quinn said, "The Irvin School of Martial Arts¡¯ Big Brother will be there."
The look in Nora¡¯s eyes instantly sharpened. She said, "Tell me where and when."
Quinn had pressured her with the Irvin School of Martial Arts¡¯ Big Brother ever since she started learning martial arts when she was a child. They had already been friends in spirit for very long! Since she now had the opportunity to spar with him... Heh.
Nora tossed the towel aside and flexed her wrists. She was going to beat him up so bad that even his mother wouldn¡¯t be able to recognize him!
As if he had grasped her weakness, Quinn was terribly smug. He said, "Don¡¯t worry, the tournament is an underground one this time. It¡¯s actually because several sects are fighting for the top spot. The Irvin School of Martial Arts¡¯ Big Brother took first ce ten years ago, which allowed that old devious scumbag to show off in front of me for ten years. I told you to go that time, but you didn¡¯t..."
Nora had only been fifteen years old back then. That was exactly the period when she had be fat due to the hormonal injections, so she had been toozy to get out of the house.
Moreover, she hadn¡¯te of age at that time yet. Her mother had told her not to expose her existence until she had the power to protect herself.
Mm... Even though she still didn¡¯t have the ability to protect herself yet¡ªafter all, she was a weak and frail ordinary woman¡ªshe could pretend to be someone else and give Big Brother a good thrashing anyway.
Quinn had already figured out his disciple¡¯s personality. He said, "I know you want to stay low-key, so you don¡¯t have to participate as the Quinn School of Martial Arts¡¯ Big Sister. Think of a name, I¡¯ll get someone to make a contestant card for you. It¡¯s good for you to broaden your horizons there, too. Surely you have to at least make the Quinn School of Martial Arts a little proud, right?"
"... Alright, then."
Quinn said, "Let¡¯s use the name Smithra."
Nora had only just thought the name sounded pretty good when Quinn said, "I¡¯ve already asked someone to sign you up. Oh, by the way, tonight¡¯s the first match."
Nora: "??"
So, he wasn¡¯t calling to discuss it with her but only to inform her about it, right?!
She was about to lose her temper when Quinn went on. "In the martial arts tournament, every sect is required to participate anonymously. Only the winner will reveal their name and which sect they are from. This is to prevent internal strife."
Nora frowned.
Why were they making this so mysterious?
She asked, "Will the Irvin School of Martial Arts¡¯ Big Brother be there tonight?"
"Yes."
"Okay."
Nora hung up and got up. She dried her hair with a hairdryer and changed into a tight-fitting outfit.
As soon as she went out, she saw Quentin standing outside her door. He said, "Don¡¯t go out tonight. I have to go out for something."
Nora: "???"
Quentin, who noticed that she was wearing a new outfit, tried to scare her. He said, "Don¡¯t you know that there are at least five different groups of people watching you right now? Without me, you won¡¯t live to see tomorrow the moment you leave!"
Nora¡¯s gaze casually swept across a card that Quentin was holding. She asked, "... Where are you going?"
Quentin replied casually, "To chase after my idol!"
He turned and left in a hurry.
After he left, Nora walked downstairs leisurely and went out.
Tsk.
Were youngsters nowadays still chasing after idols? They should take a leaf out of her book; she had never chased after idols before. Those young and fresh boys weren¡¯t even as good-looking as Justin...
Who was this star that someone with delusions of grandeur like Quentin liked, though?
Chapter 313: The Big Sister of The Quinn School of Martial Arts?
Chapter 313: The Big Sister of The Quinn School of Martial Arts?
When Nora reached the garage, it just so happened that Joel was also going out. When the two bumped into each other, Joel suddenly called out, "Ms. Smith."
Nora stopped and looked at him. "Is something the matter, Mr. Smith?"
Both of them were a little taken aback by the conversation.
Both of them clearly shared the samest name, yet why was there such a strong sense of estrangement?
Joel suppressed his emotions first. He handed the bank card in his pocket to her and said, "Louis appreciates your kindness, but you should take good care of a valuable card like this."
Valuable?
Nora raised her eyebrows. To be honest, she didn¡¯t think it was that valuable.
But since Joel was giving it back to her, she reached out unceremoniously and took it from him. Then, she casually asked, "Do you still have work thiste?"
Joel: "..."
Upon sensing his silence, Nora looked at him. "What?"
Joel was speechless for a moment. "I¡¯m picking up the kids."
Nora didn¡¯t feel the slightest bit of guilt about forgetting to pick up her child from school even when she heard Joel¡¯s reply. On the contrary, she said, "Bring Cherry back with you too, thanks."
After saying that, she got into the jeep first and drove off.
Joel, who was still standing where he was and about to get into his car: "?"
Even the usually amiable man¡¯s lip corners couldn¡¯t help but spasm.
Just how heartless was she?!
He held his forehead and went to the kindergarten.
As soon as he arrived, he saw Tanya holding Pete and asking, "What¡¯s your mom up totely? Tell her toe over to my ce and have some fun. I¡¯m the only one at home and it¡¯s boring me to death."
"... Oh, okay," replied Pete.
Tanya was about to say something when she spotted Joel in the distance. She got up at once, turned, and left, not giving him a chance to say anything at all.
Joel: "..."
¡ª
Nora followed the map that Quinn had sent and arrived at an office building.
When she saw the office workers all dressed presentably in suits and leather shoes going in and out, Nora wondered if she hade to the wrong ce.
She dialed Quinn¡¯s number and asked, "Old man, are you joking around with me?"
Quinn let out a ¡¯hmph¡¯ and replied, "What¡¯s so fun about joking around with you? As if I would do that... Go into the building and head to the basement. You can go in after you let them know your name."
"...Oh," Nora said.
She was about to hang up when Quinn added, "By the way, remember to disguise yourself so that others won¡¯t recognize you. Didn¡¯t you want to keep a low profile?"
Nora scoffed, "Since you know that I want to stay low-profile, why did you still ask me toe here?"
Quinn: "..."
Nora hung up, rummaged about in the car, and took out a bag of cosmetics.
It wasn¡¯t very convenient for her to do a lot of things these days, so she had learned some makeup skills. The makeup artists in the States had extensive and profound skills, so putting on makeup was no different from a disguise.
Nora put on a lot of makeup. She used a blue eyeliner and drew wingtips at the ends of her docile-looking almond-shaped eyes. A coquettish woman appeared in the mirror at once.
Then, she took out red lipstick and gave herself full red lips. By the time she was done, even she was close to not being able to recognize herself anymore. After that, she took out a dress from the backseat.
It was a ck, tight-fitting dress.
After changing into the dress, Nora looked incredibly gorgeous, as well as extremely different from her original self.
She was confident that no one would recognize her. Only then did she walk into the building while chewing gum.
Sure enough, everyone around her looked over curiously. However, perhaps because there were too many strange people going in and out of the building, they didn¡¯t think much about it.
When Nora entered the office building and walked toward the basement, someone suddenly stopped her.
Two big and muscr guards said, "Stop right there. Who are you?"
"Smithra."
Nora blew a bubble.
The ends of herzy-looking eyes lifted up, making her look coquettish and flirtatious.
One of the guards looked at her warily while the other keyed her name into the tablet in his hands. A short whileter, he handed her a wristband and a number te and said, "Your contestant number is 028. This is your mask."
He handed Nora a mask.
Nora: "..."
She stared at the mask nkly. "What is this supposed to be?"
The guard replied solemnly, "Everyone who enters the basement has to hide their identity, so masks are given to all participants. The criterion for determining victory in the tournament is taking off the opponent¡¯s mask."
...
While going down the stairs, Nora called Quinn. She asked, "Why do we have to wear a mask for the tournament? Isn¡¯t a rule like that really strange?"
"Ever since the country started to crack down on the underworld many years ago, they¡¯ve be stricter on martial arts practitioners. A lot of them don¡¯t want to be recognized, so they wear masks. It¡¯s much more convenient than putting on makeup. Putting on a disguise wastes too much time!"
"..."
Nora felt a headacheing on. She said, "Why didn¡¯t you make that clear from the start, old man?"
She had spent so much time doing her makeup in the car! Had she known, she would have just entered with a face mask and sunsses!
She looked down at the mask in her hand. It was a half-mask made of silver that covered only the upper half of the face. The lower half of her face all the way to her lips was left exposed.
The mask clung to the skin, so it wouldn¡¯t fall off if one didn¡¯t pull hard at it.
Nora curled her lips disdainfully.
She hung up and tossed her phone into her pocket. As she followed the staff member leading her downstairs, the staff member asked, "Which sect are you from, young missy?"
"The Quinn School of Martial Arts."
Nora answered casually.
"The Quinn School of Martial Arts?" The staff member was a very enthusiastic forty-year-old man. He said, "They are really amazing! It¡¯s been so many years, yet they are still staying so strong! You have a promising future there!"
Then, he started to enthusiastically exin the things happening around them to her. He said, "The number of people participating in the martial arts tournament this year is less than half of what it was before. Most of them have changed jobs to make more money after they got married. Martial arts development is getting weaker and weaker these days. Sigh!"
Nora: "..."
Although she didn¡¯t speak, the man went on by himself. He asked, "By the way, do you know who the champion was ten years ago?"
Without waiting for Nora¡¯s answer, he answered his own question, "The Big Brother of the Irvin School of Martial Arts!"
"He was just a teenager at that time and was even a thin and slender boy. Even now, I still remember how he looked when he stood on the tform, coldly overlooked the bottom, and asked if the rest conceded defeat. That was a really exciting sight."
Nora cast her eyes down and said frigidly, "That¡¯s because the Big Sister of the Quinn School of Martial Arts hadn¡¯t participated in the tournament."
The man chuckled and said, "Yes, the Quinn School of Martial Arts¡¯ Big Sister is the most mysterious person ever. I¡¯ve heard that even in the sect, there are very few disciples who have ever seen her. Have you ever seen her before?"
"...No," replied Nora.
Apart from looking at herself in the mirror, it was true that she couldn¡¯t ¡¯see¡¯ herself after all.
The man shook his head and said, "How pitiful. I heard that all the Quinn School of Martial Arts disciples see Big Sister as their idol."
He suddenly leaned toward Nora, lowered his voice, and said, "If you give me 1,500 dors, I¡¯ll take you to the Quinn School of Martial Arts¡¯ Big Sister. What say you?"
Nora: "?"
Chapter 314: The Big Brother of The Irvin School of Martial Arts
Chapter 314: The Big Brother of The Irvin School of Martial Arts
Nora raised her brows and looked at the man.
He was still smiling at her ingratiatingly.
An amused Nora asked, "You¡¯re acquainted with Big Sister?"
The man nodded. "Not only am I acquainted with Big Sister, but I also know the Irvin School of Martial Arts¡¯ Big Brother! Do you want to meet him?"
Nora: "..."
If not for his previous statement, she might have been fooled by him.
Her lips curled into a smile and she asked, "How are you going to let me meet Big Sister?"
The man enthusiastically exined, "We¡¯ve invited Big Sister over. The Quinn School of Martial Arts has announced that Big Sister will be participating in the tournament, and will take back what belongs to them¡ªthe champion title. Since Big Sister is here, we would definitely do our best as a host."
He looked around, lowered his voice, and pointed to a room nearby. He said, "Big Sister is resting in there! Give me another 3,000 dors and I¡¯ll let you take a photo with her."
Nora: "!!"
"It¡¯s not entirely impossible if you also want an autograph..."
Seeing the man going on and on, Nora was about to refuse when she suddenly heard a voiceced with suppressed excitemente behind her. The voice said, "I¡¯ll do it!"
Nora: "?"
She looked behind her to see a fair-skinned, ck-d teenager wearing a ck mask walk over.
The young man was a little skinny. He was currently walking over in a hurry as if he was afraid he wouldn¡¯t be able to meet Big Sister if he was toote. He grabbed the man¡¯s arm and said, "If you take me to Big Sister, I¡¯ll give you 15,000!"
The man who was talking to Nora ceaselessly fell quiet after hearing what he said.
After a momentary pause, he said with a smile, "No problem! We have to agree on something first, though¡ªyou¡¯re not allowed to talk about the martial arts tournament when you meet Big Sister... Also, Big Sister doesn¡¯t like people getting too close to her. She also doesn¡¯t like talking very much."
"Then what does she like?" The teen asked.
The man casually made up a lie. "She likes to sleep."
The teen: "..."
Nora: "..."
The man paid no more attention to Nora. Instead, he led the boy forward and asked, "Have you transferred me the money?"
"Yeah, I have. Where¡¯s Big Sister?"
"..."
So, where did that silly but rich guy actuallye from?
Nora shook her head. She turned the corner and walked toward the other side.
She pushed a heavy door open. As soon as she opened it just a crack, the noise from inside reached her. It was so deafening that it made her temples throb.
After she pushed open the big metal door a little and slipped in, the door slowly closed on its own.
It was only then that Nora finally got a clear look at the situation.
It was no exaggeration to say that the ce was jam-packed with people. In front of her were a sea of heads with their backs to her. It was hard to tell what kind of material the hall was made out of, but it had excellent sound instion.
No one would ever think that the basement of an unremarkable office building in New York would holding a martial arts tournament.
The lights were so bright it seemed like daylight.
There were buffet tables with a lot of food around, but just like in tourist destinations, the prices were much more expensive than usual ces outside.
Nora looked around and found that there were eight fighting rings in the arena. Matches were in progress in all eight rings at the moment.
While she was looking around, a staff member suddenly came over and asked, "Are you here to spectate, or topete?"
Nora showed him her wristband and answered, "I¡¯m here topete."
The staff member nodded immediately. "Okay, follow me backstage, all the contestants prep there."
"...Oh," Nora said.
She followed the staff member and weaved through the crowd. Soon, they arrived backstage. The staff member entered her contestant number into theputer system and said, "You have two matches tonight. The first one is at seven o¡¯clock. After the first match, you¡¯ll have some time to rest before the second one starts. Will you be resting for an hour or?"
Even through the mask, the staff member could tell that she was a woman, and one with a graceful figure at that. Thus, he was exceptionally nice to her.
"... Two minutes, I suppose?" replied Nora.
She just needed to wash her hands after the match, right?
The staff member,:3"??"
After the momentary surprise, he said, "You shouldn¡¯t be overconfident of yourself, young woman!"
Nora asked, "Who will I be fighting?"
Seeing how she was persisting, the staff member didn¡¯t make things difficult for her. He looked at the match schedule and replied, "You¡¯ll be fighting someone named Tired Reno for your first match. He¡¯s in the renovation industry now, but he was also a martial artist in the past."
"...Oh," Nora said.
As it turned out, everyone was so casual in their aliases.
She asked, "What about the second match?"
"It¡¯s also a neer. Their name is Milk Lover."
Nora: "..."
She suddenly asked, "How do I get a match with the Big Brother of the Irvin School of Martial Arts?"
As soon as she said that, the staff member was dumbfounded. "How can a little neer like you possibly be able to challenge the biggest boss right away?"
Nora was a little confused. "What do you mean?"
The staff member frowned. "Didn¡¯t you look at the tournament rules?"
Nora shook her head.
The staff member held his forehead. But on ount of the fact that she was just a young girl, he patiently exined, "All the contestants are split into sses. There are six sses in total, and they go from A to F. People like you who have only just registered belong to ss A. You can only progress to ss B after you win ten matches. After winning another ten matches at ss B, you¡¯ll then progress to ss C, and so on and so forth. By the time you reach ss F, there¡¯ll probably be fewer than twenty people left. Big Brother was the champion ten years ago, so he starts from ss F right away. Those in the second to tenth ces ten years ago start from ss E... Also, people are not allowed to challenge anyone beyond their ss."
Nora: "???"
What the f*ck? That meant that she had to fight sixty matches first if she wanted to fight the Irvin School of Martial Arts¡¯ Big Brother?
What a waste of her sleeping time!
Nora was very frustrated, terribly so.
Seeing that she had stopped talking, the staff member advised, "You can eat something to cushion your stomach first, so that you won¡¯t be out of energy when your match starts. Food is free of charge for all contestants. All the best to you."
"... Alright," said Nora.
She left backstage and walked over to the dining section at the front.
She had taken a look at the match schedule just now. One was only allowed to fight a maximum of two matches a day. Additionally, victory was determined by taking off the opponent¡¯s mask. They didn¡¯t advocate seriously wounding opponents. One was expected to exercise a martial arts practitioner¡¯s integrity and virtue!
At a rate like that, this meant that it would take at least a month for her to meet the Big Brother of the Irvin School of Martial Arts?
That was too long!
Nora was very displeased. She wanted to eat a few pieces of cake, but when she walked over, she suddenly spotted a familiar-looking tall figure carrying an adorable little girl in the distance. Although they were both wearing masks, how would she possibly not recognize her own child?
They were... Justin and Cherry?
Her brows knitted together. As soon as she walked over, she saw a staff member suddenly approaching Justin. He called out, "Big Brother..."
Chapter 315: Meeting Big Brother?
Chapter 315: Meeting Big Brother?
Nora: "?"
She paused and looked at Justin in disbelief.
Justin, who seemed to sense something, nced out of the corner of his eye. When he saw the graceful woman nearby, he straightened his back and said amicably, "You¡¯re mistaken."
The staff member: "??"
After saying that, without even looking behind him, Justin turned around with Cherry in his arms. When he saw Nora, he frowned and said, "Cherry, look at that person. Why does she look so much like your Mommy?"
Cherry¡¯s big round eyes blinked. She replied, "She doesn¡¯t ¡¯look like¡¯ my Mommy. She is Mommy!"
"Is your Mommy¡¯s waist that slender?" asked Justin.
Cherry tilted her head and replied, "Yeah! I hug her around the waist every day, so I know that very well, yeah!"
Justin said, "Sigh, no wonder you could recognize her but I can¡¯t. I¡¯ve never touched your Mommy¡¯s waist before."
"..."
Cherry stared at Justin for a while. Atst, she sighed and remarked, "Daddy, you are so pitiful~"
Nora: "..."
Justin wore a ck casual outfit today, and the mask he was wearing was also ck. Cherry was wearing a silver winged half-mask.
They were family, so there was no way they wouldn¡¯t be able to recognize each other just because they were wearing masks.
The three of them quickly came together.
Nora asked, "Why did you bring Cherry here?"
When they were abroad in the past, she would always make Cherry close her eyes every time she fought, lest it influenced the child negatively.
Everyone fought fiercely in the rings at the tournament. Was it really appropriate to let Cherry watch something like that?
As soon as she said that, Cherry said, "Mommy, I was the one who begged Daddy to bring me here! I heard Daddy on the phone. They said that there was a martial arts tournament, so I wanted toe and watch! Don¡¯t worry, I know gory scenes are not suitable for children, so I won¡¯t look!"
Nora: "..."
She looked at Justin. "Why are you here?"
Justin kept quiet for a moment before he replied, "I¡¯m here to watch the matches. Men have a natural passion for martial arts."
Nora: "??"
Would the busy Mr. Hunt bring his daughter here to watch such boring ss A matches?
Why did she find it kinda dubious?
She narrowed her eyes and asked, "Why did that guy call you Big Brother just now?"
Justin was very open and honest this time. He replied, "Maybe the Irvin School of Martial Arts¡¯ Big Brother looks as tall and mighty as me? That¡¯s why they mistook me for him."
"..."
Nora¡¯s lip corners spasmed a little. Would the man die if he stopped being narcissistic for even a moment?
She rolled her eyes and walked to the side. She picked up a piece of cake, put it in her mouth, and then asked, "Say, do you think the Irvin School of Martial Arts¡¯ Big Brother wille today?"
The Irvin School of Martial Arts¡¯ Big Brother, Justin Hunt, who was standing right there in the arena, kept quiet for a moment before he replied, "Maybe."
Nora raised her brows. "Does he have a match today? Which match is it? And what time?"
Justin coughed. "He¡¯s the only one in ss F at present, so he won¡¯t be having any matches in the near future. He will only bepeting after the people in ss E win ten matches and progress to ss F."
Nora did some mental calctions.
If the people who took second to tenth ce in thest tournament were more or less equally matched, then everyone would have an equal chance of victory. To win ten matches, one would have to participate in twenty matches...
There were a lot of people in ss A, so everyone participated in two matches a day.
However, there were few people in ss E, so there was only one match per day.
Therefore, she would have to wait twenty days before she could see Big Brother in a match?
That was tooooo slow!
For Nora, there was nothing more precious than time!
She frowned. "How can I meet the Irvin School of Martial Arts¡¯ Big Brother?"
Justin coughed. He was about to speak when a voice came from the side. "Why didn¡¯t you go when the guy asked you to just now?"
Nora and Justin looked over in unison to see the skinny man, wearing ck tight-fitting clothes and a ck mask, whom she had met when she first entered.
Nora couldn¡¯t help but feel that the guy looked a little familiar to her, but she couldn¡¯t pinpoint who he was right away.
The young man had already stretched out his hand toward her. He said, "I am Smithin."
Nora: "..."
Based on her own alias Smithra, she finally knew who the young man was. Wasn¡¯t he Quentin, the young man with delusions of grandeur?!
Seeing his outstretched hand, Nora coughed and stretched out her own hand. "Hello, I¡¯m 028."
Quentin immediately let go after a light squeeze of the hand. Then, he said arrogantly, "I met the Quinn School of Martial Arts¡¯ Big Sister just now, and even took a photo with her. I even asked her for an autograph. Since you¡¯re also a fan of Big Brother, why didn¡¯t you take up the staff member¡¯s offer just now?"
Nora: "??"
She was shocked. "You met Big Sister? The real deal?"
Quentin sneered, "Of course, she¡¯s the real deal."
He took out his cell phone and showed it to Nora. "See, this is Big Sister."
In the photo was a big and thick woman. Her face was fleshy and the muscles on her arms were bulging. It was obvious at first nce that her physique was achievable only through regr bodybuilding.
Quentin was very moved. He said, "Do you know? I¡¯ve always thought of myself as a very diligent person. But it was only when I met Big Sister that I realized why she is Big Sister. It has always been very difficult for women to build muscles, in fact, it¡¯s much harder for women to do that than men. But take a look at Big Sister¡¯s muscles! It¡¯s impossible to achieve that without a few years of bodybuilding! So Big Sister is really just like what Mr. Quinn imed. She is obsessed with martial arts, and has been practicing martial arts since she was still in the womb!"
Nora thezy bum: "..."
The corners of her lips spasmed. She wanted to say something, but Quentin had already continued. He said, "I mustn¡¯t ck anymore from today onward! I must be the third strongest in New York!"
Nora: "..."
Wow, what an impressive goal!
Quentin went on. "A lot of people call her Big Sister. A few people from the Quinn School of Martial Arts also say that they know her. Oh, by the way, I also met Big Brother."
Big Brother...
Nora immediately asked, "Where is he? Is he the real deal?"
Quentin nodded. "I¡¯d never seen Big Sister before, but I saw Big Brother ten years ago! How would I possibly not know him? He¡¯s sitting right there in the room next door! He¡¯s wearing the same clothes and the same mask he wore ten years ago. His physique also looks very simr!"
After he spoke, he suddenly pointed at Justin and said, "Hmm... Big Brother¡¯s physique is also very simr to his!"
Justin: "..."
Nora: "..."
Nora suddenly turned and started to walk out.
Justin followed behind her closely. "Where are you going?"
Nora flexed her wrists and sneered, "I¡¯m going to look for Big Brother for a sparring session."
Although Big Sister was fake, Big Brother might not necessarily be.
After all, didn¡¯t he like showing off very much?
Justin instantly felt his back muscles tighten.
As soon as the two of them walked out of the tournament venue, they saw a few people escorting a strong and muscr fat woman over. At the sight of the pair, they waved impatiently and said, "Step aside! Step aside! The Big Sister of the Quinn School of Martial Arts is here!!"
Nora: "??"
Chapter 316: Give Up!
Chapter 316: Give Up!
Nora stood still. Before she could move, the group had alreadye up to Cherry, Justin, and her.
After the group walked past them with great momentum, an astonished Cherry asked, "Mommy, did Grandpa Quinn take another disciple behind your back?"
Nora: "..."
Justin: "..."
Nora kept quiet for a moment before she said unhurriedly, "She¡¯s a fake."
"That scared me to death." Cherry patted her chest and said, "I thought Grandpa Quinn had finallye around to it and epted that you¡¯re not suited for martial arts, so he didn¡¯t want you anymore!"
"..."
Nora nced at Cherry with a chilly look in her eyes. "What did you say?"
Cherry immediately smiled and said, "I wasplimenting you, Mommy! You¡¯re not suited to be a martial artist because you¡¯re the queen of martial arts herself! You¡¯re amazing even if you don¡¯t practice at all! You don¡¯t need to work hard at all!"
"..."
Her ttery skills simply left one speechless.
While they were talking, they had already gone out. The staff member who had led Nora inside just now was standing at the front and trying to convince his next target. He said, "Do you want to take a photo with the Quinn School of Martial Arts¡¯ Big Sister? It costs 3,000 per picture!"
Nora walked over and said, "Take me to the Irvin School of Martial Arts¡¯ Big Brother."
The staff member was about to nod when he turned around and spotted Justin, which gave him a huge shock.
To be honest, the martial arts tournament had be less and less profitable in recent years. Therefore, the Quinn School of Martial Arts¡¯ Big Sister and the Irvin School of Martial Arts¡¯ Big Brother, who were admired by all, had be their new way of making money.
That particr staff member was one of the rare few old-timers who had stayed around, so he naturally knew who Justin was.
Although he hadn¡¯t seen what the Irvin School of Martial Arts¡¯ Big Brother really looked like ten years ago, he remembered his contestant number very well¡ª
057.
He couldn¡¯t help but rub his eyes and look at the contestant number on Justin¡¯s wristband again¡ªit was indeed 057!
He swallowed and coughed. "B-Big Brother?"
Justin narrowed his eyes behind the mask. His voice was low but cold and sounded vaguely threatening. He said, "Yes. Didn¡¯t you say he¡¯s in the office and that we can take a photo with him? We would like to meet him."
The staff member: "..."
The one in there was a fake! What was the real deal making a scene here for?!
Besides, Justin had actually always known that someone was impersonating him. They had informed Big Brother about it before.
However, since Big Brother had said that, then he had to let him take a look.
Therefore, the staff member coughed and led the way. "This way, please," he said.
He led the way earnestly for the few of them, which instead made Nora rather hesitant.
He had looked like he wouldn¡¯t give in unless they gave him money just now. Why had he suddenly stopped discussing prices with them? Was he nning to rip them off after letting them meet Big Brother?
In the midst of her thoughts, the staff member arrived at a room and knocked on the door.
The door opened.
Nora looked at the person in the room.
A man with a mask on was sitting calmly and steadily on the sofa. One couldn¡¯t see what he looked like, but they could feel that the man was very arrogant. He frowned and said to the staff member, "Why are you bothering me again?"
The staff member coughed and replied, "These two people would like to meet you."
"I¡¯m very busy."
¡¯Big Brother¡¯, who was seated on the sofa, said sullenly, "If there¡¯s nothing you need, then leave!"
"I have something I need."
Nora suddenly spoke.
¡¯Big Brother¡¯ looked at her at once. "What is it?"
The staff member also turned to look at Nora. He wanted to ask what she wanted, but before he could say anything, a shadow shed past him. Nora rushed into the room and mmed her fist straight at Big Brother¡¯s face!
Bam!
Her punch was quick and powerful, which stunned ¡¯Big Brother¡¯. The next moment, his eyes closed and he passed out.
The staff member: "?"
He was furious. "What are you doing? How dare you attack Big Brother!"
Nora, who had knocked the man out with a single punch: "?"
She looked at her fist in surprise, and then at the man in front of her¡ªblood was already trickling out of his mask.
"..."
A strange silence filled the ce.
Just as Nora was about to apologize, Justin¡¯s low and deep voice rang out. "He has fainted. Take him to the hospital."
Seeing that he had spoken, the staff member didn¡¯t dare to say any more. He gave the doctors a call at once.
There were specially hired doctors in the arena, in case people became seriously injured in the tournament. They quickly hurried over.
The group of people quickly carried the injured man away. Even the staff member who had brought them there didn¡¯t pursue the matter. In fact, he didn¡¯t even dare to cast even a nce at them but quickly slipped away with the crowd.
Nora: "..."
Taken aback, she asked, "He¡¯s going to me go just like that?"
However, she paused when she looked at Justin.
For some reason, Justin had a rather odd look in his eyes as he looked at her, as though he was the one who had been punched just now.
While thinking about it, Justin coughed and asked, "Do you want to beat Big Brother up that much?"
"Yeah."
Nora looked down at her fist and heaved a sigh. "Unfortunately, that guy just now was a fake."
Justin: "?"
Nora told him her analysis. "I already threw the punch very slowly just now, but he still didn¡¯t manage to react in time. In addition, the staff didn¡¯t dare to hold me ountable at all. Based on all that, that ¡¯Big Brother¡¯ was a fake."
She waved her fist in the air and said, "I wonder when I can really m this fist into his face."
Justin: "..."
He suddenly felt like his cheek really hurt.
The staff didn¡¯t pursue the matter even after she hit the fake Big Brother, so Nora could only follow Justin back into the arena again.
Soon, it was Nora¡¯s match.
She was in Ring 6.
When the host called out her contestant number 028, she took a step forward and got ready to enter the ring. It was at this moment that Smithin jumped out from nowhere and grabbed her. He asked, "Hey, are you actually going into the ring topete?"
Nora: "?"
She looked at the ck-d teenager with the mask and asked, "What¡¯s wrong?"
"You sure are unlucky. To think you have been assigned Tired Reno for your first match. Do you know? Even though he¡¯s a rookie, he has already won nine consecutive matches. Once he wins the match with you, he¡¯ll advance to ss B."
Nora frowned. "And then?"
Smithin thought for a moment. Then, he tried to persuade her and said, "You¡¯ve seen him, right? Tired Reno is a big guy. He can send you sprawling with just a punch. I¡¯d advise you to give up. A delicate young missy like you shouldn¡¯t go into the ring. It would look really bad if you have to beg for mercy on your kneester."
Nora: "????"
Smithin lifted his chin and said, "What are you looking at me for? He¡¯s also my opponent in my next match. Just give up, I¡¯ll beat him up for you in the next match! You can think of it as revenge!"
Chapter 317: I Won’t Use My Legs
Chapter 317: I Won¡¯t Use My Legs
Quentin sounded as full of delusions of grandeur as ever.
Nora couldn¡¯t help but hold her forehead. She asked, "Are you this helpful and enthusiastic to everyone?"
Quentin: "??"
Her question stunned Quentin.
He stared at Nora nkly. For a moment, he also felt like he was behaving a little strangely.
When had he be such a busybody? What was he showing a stranger so much concern for?
To be honest, he couldn¡¯t quite describe what he was feeling, either. It was just that the woman¡¯s calm and collected attitude kept making him feel as if she was Nora.
After all, he had been tailing and protecting Nora for very long.
He snorted and said, "I guess I was being unnecessarily nosy."
He walked off after saying that.
Nora: "..."
Had her words offended Quentin just now? Otherwise, why would that guy with delusions of grandeur suddenly be so distant?
She didn¡¯t think too deeply into it, though, because she was about to go into the ring.
Before she did, she looked back and nced at Cherry.
Cherry immediately took the hint and stretched out her hands and covered her eyes. She said, "Don¡¯t worry, Mommy, I¡¯m all ready. I will sing rhymes for Daddyter!"
Nora then looked at Justin. She was about to speak when Justin nodded and said, "I will report the rhymes she sang to youter."
Nora nodded. While walking to the ring, she couldn¡¯t help but feel that something was amiss. It was not until she got into the ring that she suddenly realized something¡ªwas their rapport a little too good just now?
It was as if they were a family of three.
She coughed.
When her imagination was running wild, Tired Reno opposite her said, "Not only are you a woman, but you¡¯re evening into the ring dressed like that? Are you here to fight, or are you here to look for a boyfriend?"
Nora, who was a little taken aback, lowered her head and looked at what she was wearing.
All the ces that should be covered, were. There shouldn¡¯t be any problem, right?
She broke into a frown.
The audience, however, burst into loudughter. "Yeah, it¡¯s actually a woman! What¡¯s a woman here to join in the fun for!"
Although there were a lot of girls learning martial arts nowadays, they were naturally weaker than men in physical strength. While women had managed to upy a certain position in other respects, truly powerful women were still a minority in the world of martial arts.
There were also women among the spectators, and their words filled them with indignation. They said, "What¡¯s wrong with women? Have you forgotten the Quinn School of Martial Arts¡¯ Big Sister?"
"Exactly! Are women incapable of fighting just because they are women? If you¡¯re that great, why don¡¯t you challenge the Quinn School of Martial Arts¡¯ Big Sister to a one-on-one duel?!"
"Hmph!"
The women spoke up. They were all either someone¡¯s wives or sisters, or one of the few outstanding people in the martial arts circle. The men around them didn¡¯t dare to antagonize them anymore.
All of them changed the subject with a smile and said, "No, that¡¯s not what we meant. We¡¯re just talking about the fact that she¡¯s wearing a dress."
"Yeah, isn¡¯t it inconvenient for her to move her legs if she¡¯s wearing a dress? She¡¯s going to have wardrobe malfunctionster when she lifts her legs into the air! I¡¯m saying it for her sake."
"Tsk, it¡¯s rare to see a woman in one-on-one duels. Of course, we would love to watch! It won¡¯t be interesting anymore if it¡¯s all men! I just think that she shouldn¡¯t have worn a dress!"
In the ring.
Tired Reno also frowned as he looked at Nora. He said, "Let¡¯s start?"
Nora stood where she was leisurely. "Yeah, let¡¯s start!"
Tired Reno frowned and said, "Do you want to go and change? I can wait for you."
Nora was a little taken aback. "Why?"
Tired Reno felt a headacheing on. "Didn¡¯t you hear what the audience said? If you continue to wear that, you... won¡¯t be able to move your legs freely."
Nora lowered her head again and looked at her dress. Only then did she realize what they were talking about. "Oh, that¡¯s what you meant," she said.
Tired Reno nodded.
Everyone else also breathed sighs of relief. Even Quentin, who was among the audience, curled his lips disdainfully.
What a stupid woman. There were so many wretched men down here, yet she had worn a dress to fight. Let¡¯s see what she was gonna do!
While he was thinking about it, he heard Nora say, "Oh, it¡¯s okay even if I don¡¯t use my legs."
Everyone: "??"
Everyone was stunned. They stared at her incredulously, wondering if the woman was out of her mind. She wasn¡¯t going to use her legs? Did that mean she was only going to use her fists? But how powerful could a woman¡¯s fists be?
Moreover, without using the legs, she wouldn¡¯t be able to do movements such as swooping toward the opponent and so on.
Quentin scoffed.
She wasn¡¯t going to use her legs? Was it because she thought pping her lips would be enough?
Well, if she were to admit defeat before Tired Reno rushed over, she indeed wouldn¡¯t have to use her legs. In fact, she wouldn¡¯t even need her hands!
While he was thinking about it, Tired Reno frowned. "You¡ª"
"Let¡¯s cut the crap and start."
Nora had be annoyed. She could have already ended the match while they were talking. What a huge waste of her energy.
She stretched out a finger and made a hooking gesture at Tired Reno. "Let¡¯s start."
Tired Reno: "!"
Although he was a man, the woman¡¯s provocation nevertheless angered him. He snorted and said, "You asked for it!"
He balled up his hands and swung his fist straight at Nora!
His punch was quick and powerful. Tired Reno, who also didn¡¯t want to waste any time, wanted to end the match quickly, so he didn¡¯t show any mercy despite his opponent being a woman.
The audience closed their eyes.
One must know that Tired Reno¡¯s punch had knocked all his previous nine opponents onto the ground!
Wasn¡¯t he a little too insensible? He was actually using his sure-kill move against a young missy right from the start?
Quentin held his forehead. Tired Reno moved so quickly that 028 probably couldn¡¯t even react in time to admit defeat.
He was still thinking about it when he heard the loud thwack of a fist making contact with flesh. Then, with a boom, someonended fiercely on the ground.
A sympathetic Quentin looked at the ring to see how miserable the woman looked...
Chapter 318: Ryan’s Whereabouts
Chapter 318: Ryan¡¯s Whereabouts
However, the moment she looked up, she was stunned.
There were no obstructions around the ring. It could be considered a loss if she fell off the ring. At this moment, the woman in the ck dress was standing there. The air in the basement was ventted, and her ck dress fluttered arrogantly with the wind.
In front of her, Tired Reno had copsed to the ground, exhausted. He had already fainted.
Everyone: "!!!"
Quentin narrowed his eyes as well.
"Omg!"
The entire audience erupted. Everyone was asking, "Did you see what just happened?"
"Wait, Tired Reno went to hit someone, but why he did faint instead?"
Someone said weakly, "I... I think I saw 028 reach out her hand and gently hit Tired Reno."
"..."
The crowd fell silent again.
Then, they saw 028 rubbing her wrist and looking around hesitantly. "Is it over?"
Only then did the referee react and announce, "028 wins!"
Nora walked to the side and jumped down from the ring.
The audience immediately gave way in fear.
They saw her walking along the crowd to the food section. There was a sofa over there. A man was sitting there hugging a girl.
After everyone simmered down, they could hear the little girl reciting a poem in her childish voice.
"...The stone path to the mountain is nted.
He and she were deep in the clouds.
Dreaming of a princess meeting a prince.
But in reality, a dinosaur meets a frog..."
Nora stopped in her tracks. Veins popped out on her forehead.
When Cherry saw her walking over, she said excitedly, "Mommy, I¡¯ve already memorized 300 poems! I didn¡¯t peek at yourpetition earlier!"
Everyone was speechless.
What a strange family of three!!!
Initially, they thought that the woman was hungry when she went to the food section. However, after Nora walked over, she sat on the sofa beside the girl and told the man and the girl, "Wake me up at 8 o¡¯clock."
Then, she tilted her head slightly and fell asleep on the sofa.
Everyone was speechless.
Quentin: !!!
His lips twitched. He felt that this woman was simply unreasonable. She had just defeated Tired Reno. Who was she?
Under everyone¡¯s guesses, Nora really fell asleep.
Her dreams were strange and chaotic. In the end, she was not woken up by Justin, but by her own phone call.
She yawned and answered the call in a daze. She said angrily, "You better have something important to say."
With that, she opened her eyeszily and saw Justin and Cherry opposite her. Behind their masks, the two pairs of eyes were staring at her.
Cherry said softly, "Mommy has a very bad morning temper. It¡¯s especially scary."
Justin had a regretful look on his face. "It¡¯s a pity I didn¡¯t get the chance to see it."
Cherry said, "Next time when we sleep together, I¡¯ll let you take a look in the morning. We¡¯re outside right now, so she¡¯s a little restrained!"
Justin smiled. "Yes, I look forward to that day."
Nora: "..."
Only then did she realize that she was in the sparring arena. The noisy crowd around her had prevented her from taking a good nap.
She subconsciously sat up straight and wiped the non-existent saliva from the corner of her mouth.
The two people opposite her were speechless.
Solo¡¯s voice came from the other end of the line. "Sigh, stop scaring me. I found some information about Ryan. Didn¡¯t you ask me to help you investigate?"
Nora raised her eyebrows. "What?"
"Ryan was the second son of the Smiths back then. Ian is the third son of the Smiths. You know that, right? Back then, the eldest son of the Smiths was useless. As he liked to mess around outside, the previous head of the Smiths decided to look for the next patriarch between Ryan and Ian. Unfortunately, Ryan¡¯s private life was chaotic and he was with many women. It was said that he even got a small celebrity pregnant. In addition, although Ian was three years younger than Ryan, he had already disyed outstanding aptitude. Therefore, Ian was made the person in charge at that time. Ryan became more carefree from then on, but he was actually not as useless as he looked."
All the news Nora heard about Ryan from the Smiths was about his bad aspects.
For example, he was slippery and unreliable.
She narrowed her eyes. Just as she was thinking about what Ryan was doing, Solo said, "You know Quentin, right? It wouldn¡¯t be surprising even if you don¡¯t know. From Quentin¡¯s generation, the Smiths have hidden his existence. Outsiders won¡¯t know about him. They let Quentin handle things that aren¡¯t suitable to be seen by the public. The Smiths¡¯ hidden forces are all in Quentin¡¯s hands. You¡¯ve just reunited with the Smiths, so it¡¯s normal that you don¡¯t know about him."
Nora: "..."
The second Smiths member she met was Quentin.
However, she did not interrupt Solo. She knew that this person liked to keep people in suspense when he sent messages, so she decided not to say anything. As expected, Solo felt that it was meaningless to wait for a reply from her. He pursed his lips and said, "But do you know who founded this dark force?"
Nora frowned. "Ryan?"
Solo: "No."
Nora: "!!"
If that wasn¡¯t the case, why did he say so much nonsense?
Just as she was about to lose her temper, Solo urately grasped her temper and hurriedly exined, "It was Ian. However, Ian inherited the Smiths and became the patriarch on the surface, so he handed that force to Ryan."
Nora narrowed her eyes.
"Also, Ryan is from Irvin School of Martial Arts. He can be considered a member of the pugilistic world. He has a certain status in New York¡¯s pugilistic world. I heard that he hosted two tournaments back then. Up until now, most of the ways to earn money in the tournaments were thought of by Ian and him."
Nora: "..."
She was stunned. "The Smiths own shares in the martial arts tournament?"
"It¡¯s not shares. Ryan used to be the president of the pugilistic world. Even now, his name is still on the title."
Nora narrowed her eyes.
Solo said, "I asked around again and realized that although the president of the pugilistic world had disappeared, the association would often receive some orders from him to prevent the pugilistic world from bing a mess over the years."
"Got it."
Nora hung up.
She held her chin and began to think. She did not expect to hear news about Ryan when she was only participating in a martial arts tournament.
She wanted to look for Ryan only to get his DNA sample. She wouldpare the two DNA match results to determine whose daughter she was.
After all, Lily had said that her genes had mutated. Theparison between her and Ian¡¯s DNA samples was actually not urate.
As she was thinking about this, she suddenly saw a person in ragged clothes sh past not far away, making her frown.
Wasn¡¯t this Old Maddy?
Why was he here?!
Chapter 319: A Man Can’t Say No
Chapter 319: A Man Can¡¯t Say No
Nora thought about this and hurriedly stood up to follow.
But before she could take two steps, Justin followed her. "What¡¯s wrong?"
"I saw an acquaintance," Nora replied simply and continued walking forward. However, she realized that Old Maddy had already disappeared.
She was very confident that she had not mistaken him.
After all, she did not like to fantasize.
But why was Old Maddy here? The Smith vi was an hour away from here.
As she frowned in thought, it was her turn to go on stage. "Thispetition is between 028 and Milk Lover. Pleasee on stage."
Nora could only give up on looking for Old Maddy and went on stage.
A woman had subdued "Tired Reno" the moment she made a move. This had attracted everyone¡¯s attention. Everyone wanted to know what had just happened.
Some people even felt that Nora might have been lucky just now. Tired Reno must have made a mistake to be hit by her.
Furthermore, it was her first time on stage. Perhaps Tired Reno had underestimated her.
Just like Tired Reno, Milk Lover had already won eight or nine rounds and was not bad. At least he was not a simple ss A.
Before Milk Lover went on stage, he was warned by a kind person to be wary of 028.
However, after he went on stage, he saw that Nora was still wearing that dress. She did not change her clothes at all.
With her eye-catchingly beautiful figure and slender waist, she did not look like a trained person.
Milk Lover raised his guard.
He said, "028, what¡¯s your name?"
Everyone would give themselves a name. For example, Tired Reno and Milk Lover were Inte aliases. Of course, if someone wanted to use their real name, it was not a problem.
Nora: "028."
Milk Lover: "I¡¯m asking for your real name. I want to know which sect you¡¯re from."
Nora was silent for a moment. "You don¡¯t need to know."
On such an asion, she would be in the limelight sooner orter. She must not leave her name.
When Milk Lover saw her distant look, he frowned. "Alright, since you don¡¯t want to say anything, don¡¯t me me for being rude! You don¡¯t use your legs, right? Heh!"
With that, he leaped and kicked.
This kick was very strong. In addition, he ran a short distance to gain more strength in his kick. If Nora was kicked, she would definitely be injured. Everyone thought that Nora would dodge easily and find another opportunity to counterattack.
However, they did not expect Nora to suddenly take a small step back and stretch out her fist.
Bam!
Nora¡¯s fistnded on the soles of Milk Lover¡¯s feet. She directly sent him flying out of the ring.
Bam!
Milk Lover prostrated on the ground below the ring.
"Omg!"
The entire venue was in an uproar.
This time, everyone was certain that 028 was not just lucky. She was really a martial arts expert!
"028 wins thispetition!"
With his previous experience, the referee did not stutter this time.
Nora walked down from the stage.
She ignored the surrounding voices trying to curry favor with her and walked toward Justin again.
Quentin, who was hiding in the crowd and watching herpete, narrowed his eyes. This woman was not bad.
He walked towards her.
Nora hadpleted her mission today and was prepared to go home.
After all, she had to fight two matches a day. She needed to fight 60 times and 30 days to reach ss F and fight against Irvin School of Martial Arts¡¯ Big Brother.
She sighed silently.
It was a waste of time.
How good would it be if she could finish all thepetitions in one day?
As she was thinking about this, she suddenly heard praise from behind her. "Your performance just now was not bad. You impressed me."
Nora,:"???"
She pursed her lips and turned around. Sure enough, Quentin was standing behind her, staring at her seriously. "I now announce that I was wrong. You can be my opponent."
"..."
Why did this stupid vibe make her want to attack?
The corners of Nora¡¯s lips spasmed.
She was about to say something when Quentin suddenly said, "I seriously considered it. I think you can be my teammate. We can team up and level up together."
Nora: "?"
Team up to level up?
She frowned. "I¡¯m not interested in all that."
She did not have time to team up with him!
As she thought about this, Quentin¡¯s calm voice sounded. "Is that so? Forget it then. I originally didn¡¯t think we should team up. After all, I¡¯m so powerful. I can definitely advance all the way. If not for saving time, I wouldn¡¯t have considered this. Sorry to disturb you."
With that, he turned to leave, but his arm was suddenly grabbed. He turned back hesitantly and saw the woman in the silver mask staring at him. "Save time? What do you mean? Exin clearly before you leave."
Quentin: "???"
He was surprised. "Didn¡¯t you see thepetition rules?"
Nora blinked and answered confidently, "No."
Why would she bother seeing the rules? Wasn¡¯t it just fighting!
Quentin: "..."
The corners of his lips twitched. "In a one-on-onepetition, you have to win ten rounds before you can advance. But in a teampetition, you can advance collectively after winning five rounds. I came to register for thepetition today. It will take a month to enter ss F, but if we team up, it will take half a month. Of course, after entering ss F, the team will automatically disband, and we will still be opponents."
Nora: "!!"
Why didn¡¯t she know there was such a system!
"Let¡¯s team up," she agreed happily.
Quentin frowned. "Team up? You really want to enter ss F? Why do you want to enter ss F?"
Nora replied, "To fight with Irvin School of Martial Arts¡¯s Big Brother."
"Impressive." Quentin gave her a thumbs up. "Just now, I thought that your IQ was a little low and that you were not worthy of being my match. But your ambition is not small, it has made up for your IQ."
Nora, who had outstanding intelligence, was speechless.
Seeing her staring at him, Quentin raised his chin as well. "I just made an agreement with Big Sister. When I enter ss F, I¡¯ll spar with her. Looks like we have the same goal. That way, we¡¯ll save ourselves a lot of trouble."
"Then let¡¯s team up," Nora replied.
"Not yet." Quentin sighed. "There have to be three people in a team. We¡¯re still short of one person."
Nora: "??"
She looked around and finally looked at Justin. She grabbed his arm and pushed him forward. "Add him."
Justin, the top disciple of Irvin School of Martial Arts, was just standing at the side and listening to them talk. At the moment, he was speechless.
"Can he do it?"
Quentin said in disdain.
When Justin, who had originally nned to reject them, heard this, he immediately sneered. Just as he was about to speak, Nora said, "He definitely can."
Men could not say no.
Quentin: "?"
He hesitated. "Have you tried it before?"
"Yes."
"Alright then, let¡¯s team up."
"..."
Justin, who was standing beside them, seriously suspected that these two people were in cahoots!
However, the two of them were clearly fine and did not say anything. He could only retract his suspicions.
Nora leaned in and whispered, "Help me out, I have to meet Big Brother in the tournament as quickly as I can."
Justin, who would rather not meet Nora in a match, looked at her almond-shaped eyes. "... Okay."
Therefore, the three of them walked to the registration area and prepared to switch to the teampetition.
However, halfway through, Nora suddenly saw Old Maddy again!
He secretly sneaked into the room beside him, making Nora narrow her eyes. She gave Justin a look and sneaked over.
She wanted to see what Old Maddy was up to!!
Chapter 320: Exposed
Chapter 320: Exposed
Nora nced at Justin and quickly slipped to the side.
Quentin was stunned and nned to chase after her. "Hey, where are you going..."
However, Justin grabbed his arm and the man replied coldly, "She¡¯s going to be busy."
"What is she busy with? The registration deadline ising up soon! Today is thest day!"
Justin did not let go of his hand at all. "The two of us can just register."
Quentin frowned. "How is that possible? There have to be three people in the teampetition. You..."
Before he could finish speaking, Justin pulled him toward the registration counter.
Quentin: "??"
He wanted to break free, but with his strength, he could not. This reminded him of how Nora had grabbed his arm when he was about to leave and refused to let him go.
This couple was really strange. They were both extremely strong.
With this doubt in mind, Quentin and Justin arrived at the registration counter.
The staff at the registration counter waszily slouched with his legs crossed. When he saw the two of them enter and noticed Justin, he immediately stood up. "B-Bi-Br..."
Before he could call out "Big Brother," Justin interrupted him. "We came to sign up for the teampetition. One of us has something on, so can the two of us sign up?"
The staff member: "!!!"
Register for the teampetition?
Big Brother, what kind of international joke was this?!
Who could match his speed!
However, the staff member did not dare to speak much, especially when he saw Justin¡¯s bright eyes. He smiled. "Of course, of course! May I know your names?"
"Smithin, 028, and me." Justin paused. "820."
820?
Although there was already someone with this number, if Big Brother said he was 820, then he was 820. The staff member was very tactful and immediately nodded. "Alright, I¡¯ll handle it for you right away!"
With that, he lowered his head and stamped his seal, settling the teampetition registration. He did not even need to ask about ordinary matters. "That¡¯s enough. You guys can participate in the teampetition starting tomorrow."
"Okay."
After receiving the bracelet from the representative team, Justin and Quentin left the registration area.
As soon as the two of them left, someone secretly went to the registration counter. "Can we sign up for the teampetition? The other two didn¡¯t rush over because they had something on. I¡¯ll sign them up for them."
The staff member said, "No! The three people attending the teampetition must be here at the same time. Otherwise, you can¡¯t sign up!"
"..."
Quentin looked at this scene and revealed a thoughtful look.
After leaving the registration area with Justin, he suddenly said reservedly, "I understand."
Justin: "?"
Quentin: "Sigh, I must have been exposed."
Justin: "???"
Quentin looked at him. "Do you know why the staff was so respectful to us just now?"
Justin hesitated for a moment before replying, "Why?"
"Because I¡¯m still careless enough to expose my identity. That¡¯s right. Smithin is the same as Quentin."
Quentin?
So he was Quentin, the Smiths¡¯ dark power.
Everyone in New York knew that the current generation of Smiths had six sons. However, they did not know that the Smiths actually had seven sons.
It was said that Quentin was third.
As Justin thought this, he saw the young man in front of him pat his shoulder. "You definitely know who I am. My second uncle is Ryan Smith, the president of the pugilistic world. That¡¯s why the staff was so respectful to me. However, you don¡¯t have to feel pressured to team up with me. I¡¯m very approachable."
Justin: "????"
"Tell your wife there¡¯s no need to feel any pressure. And once you know my true identity, don¡¯t be arrogant. After all, in the entire New York, after Big Sister and Big Brother, I¡¯m the most powerful."
Justin: "..."
"Speaking of which, I¡¯m a little worried about you."
Quentin looked at Justin. This person might have been hiding in the dark all day, so he was very talkative at this moment. "Your wife is so obsessed with Big Brother. I keep feeling that it¡¯s not simple. You must be jealous, right?"
Justin: "??"
"It¡¯s just like how I admire Quinn School of Martial Arts¡¯s Big Sister. When I admire her, unknowingly, that kind of rtionship has already changed. If Big Sister does not dislike me, I¡¯m willing to be with her, even if she¡¯s..."
Before Quentin met Big Sister, he did not expect her to be such a muscr woman.
However, the admiration he felt for her was too strong. After the initial shock, he had already gotten used to her figure and even ignored it.
Yes, even if she was a fatty, he could do it!
Justin: "!!!"
The corners of his mouth twitched. "Quinn School of Martial Arts¡¯s Big Sister is already married."
"What?" Quentin was stunned. "Why haven¡¯t I heard of it before?"
"Do you know who I am?"
Justin looked at him.
Quentin shook his head.
Justin smiled. "Yes, it¡¯s good that you don¡¯t know."
Previously, he had been worried that this fool would recognize him. Now, it seemed like this worry waspletely unnecessary. He did not even know the most basic scam at the martial arts seminar! This person had really wasted his years!
Quentin: "..."
On the other side, Nora did not lose track of Old Maddy.
Old Maddy had been acting suspiciously. He looked around and saw that no one was paying attention to him, so he entered a room.
Nora slowed down and came to the door. She gently pushed the door open and looked over. She saw Old Maddy sitting there...
Chapter 321: Yvette?
Chapter 321: Yvette?
Old Maddy sat there. No, to be more specific, he was squatting there and eating the food beside him. He ate the cake until his face was full, and he stuffed juice and meat into his mouth. He looked like he had not eaten anything good for a long time.
Nora: "!!"
So he had sneaked here to steal food?
While she was in a daze, a worker saw her and walked over with a frown. "What are you doing? This is Big Sister¡¯s resting ce. You..."
Before he could finish speaking, he saw Old Maddy in the room. He immediately rushed in anxiously. "Beggar? Why are you here? Get lost! This is not a ce for you to stay. This is the ce for Quinn School of Martial Arts¡¯s Big Sister!"
He grabbed Old Maddy¡¯s arm in disdain.
Old Maddy¡¯s clothes were rolled up, and his arm was covered in scars, as if they had been burned. He smiled at the staff and stuffed food into his mouth crazily.
Nora: "!"
The staff member was anxious. "Quickly call security. How can we let the beggar in? This is not a ce he cane as he pleases!"
When he was about to leave, Nora stopped him. "Wait a minute. I know this person. I¡¯ll take him away."
The staff frowned and reprimanded, "You brought him in? Watch the person you brought in. Take him away quickly. This is Big Sister¡¯s waiting room! This is Big Sister¡¯s first time on stage this year. Her status is very noble! These desserts were all prepared for her, how dare he eat them! He¡¯s going overboard!"
When Old Maddy heard this, he looked at her and grinned. "Delicious."
One could not tell his looks from his face, but he looked really ugly when he was eating.
Nora took a deep breath. "Follow me."
Old Maddy still seemed to remember her. Perhaps it was because, even if he was crazy, he knew that he had made a mistake and followed Nora obediently.
The two of them walked through the crowd and out of the basement, then went to the parking lot.
Old Maddy had been eating all along the way. It was hard to tell if he was doing it on purpose.
When they arrived at the car park, there was no one around. Nora suddenly reached out and grabbed Old Maddy¡¯s arm, pressing against his pulse.
His pulse was strong but chaotic.
He was indeed crazy.
Was Old Maddy really a lunatic?
But the Smith vi was so far away. How did he get here?
Nora simply asked, "Old Maddy, why are you here?"
Old Maddy raised his hand and ate half of the cake. He held it tightly in his hand and handed it to Nora. "It¡¯s delicious. Eat..."
The cake was rotten from his grip. It was disgusting.
Nora stared at it for a while. "You came here for food?"
Old Maddy nodded. Seeing that she was not eating, he stuffed the cake in his hand into his mouth.
Nora clenched her jaw.
She stared at him for a long time before sighing deeply. "I¡¯ll take you back."
It was unknown if Old Maddy understood what she meant. He followed behind Nora and the two of them got into the car. Nora drove him back to the Smiths vi.
On the way, she sent Justin a message and told him that she had left.
Justin replied, reminding her to participate in thepetition tomorrow. Moreover, the person who was teaming up with them was called Smithin.
Nora expressed that she understood.
On the way, she observed Old Maddy through the rearview mirror.
He sat in the backseat obediently and quietly. His legs were rxed and he subconsciously revealed the posture of a big boss. However, when she looked at his face, he was reserved and curiously touching everything.
When he met Nora¡¯s gaze, he jumped in shock and curled up obediently.
This person gave off a very contradictory feeling.
Nora thought of what Old Maddy had said when he found herst time. She asked tentatively, "Old Maddy, do you know Ryan?"
"Ryan..." Old Maddy muttered the name silently before shaking his head in confusion." I don¡¯t know him..."
He had clearly mentioned Ryan previously.
Nora frowned and said, "Then do you know Ian?"
Old Maddy nodded immediately. "Ian is a good person!"
With that, he seemed excited. "He has a daughter! He has a daughter!"
Nora: "..."
She suddenly asked, "Who¡¯s his daughter?"
Old Maddy pointed at her. "It¡¯s you, it¡¯s you, it¡¯s you!"
Nora followed his lead. "But everyone says I¡¯m Ryan¡¯s daughter."
"You¡¯re not like him."
Old Maddy grinned. "You look like Ian. You¡¯re Ian¡¯s daughter! Ian has a daughter! Ian¡¯s daughter has returned home!"
Nora narrowed her eyes.
These words made her feel that Old Maddy knew something. This person¡¯s identity was definitely not simple.
Furthermore... could he be Ryan?
Ryan...
Nora seemed to have suddenly thought of something. She sped up and the car dashed directly into the Smiths¡¯ residence. When they reached home, she grabbed Old Maddy.
Then, she took a few strands of his hair and rushed into the room, heading upstairs.
After entering her bedroom, she put the hair in a special bag and called Lily. She sent Lily the samples overnight for her to test Old Maddy¡¯s DNA.
Although the possibility of Old Maddy being Ryan was not high, she still had to confirm it.
She did not notice that after she left, Old Maddy was still standing at the same spot. After staring at Nora¡¯s back for a long time, his eyes suddenly became clear.
He seemed to not understand what was going on as he muttered, "Yvette..."
Chapter 322: I’ll Bring You To Win~
Chapter 322: I¡¯ll Bring You To Win~
After shouting this name, Old Maddy¡¯s eyes gradually became confused.
He seemed to have forgotten what he had just said. He only repeated, "Ian has a daughter. Ian¡¯s daughter is looking for him..."
Then, he lowered his head and continued eating the cake in his hand. He walked familiarly to the small house in the front yard.
¡ª
The next day, when Nora woke up, the test results from Lily had not arrived yet. After all, this time, it was an international express delivery. It would take two days to reach.
Nora yawned. When she got up and saw that Pete had already been taken to school by Joel, she went downstairs.
As she went downstairs, she saw that the atmosphere in the living room was not right.
She yawned and looked over in confusion. She saw Maureen looking at Yvonne angrily and saying, "I told you, if it¡¯s not us, then it¡¯s not us! Why would we tell outsiders about you? What good is it to us if you don¡¯t enter the Hacker Alliance?"
Yvonne lowered her head, her eyes red.
She did not speak. Florence, who had always been standing beside her, said, "But Miss Yvonne did not enter the Hacker Alliance because someone said that there was a problem with her software and that she attacked her own family for no reason. This kind of software definitely doesn¡¯t qualify, so she was eliminated. Y and Q had agreed to let her join at first!"
Maureen sneered. "What does that have to do with us? We don¡¯t even know any hackers. If we knew any hackers, would we still need to beg you all these years?"
Warren frowned as well. "Yvonne, you even suspect me? When have I deceived you all these years?"
Yvonne sighed, "Warren, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t believe you, but this matter has indeed been leaked. Do you really not know any hackers?"
"Of course..." Warren wanted to answer firmly, but his words suddenly stopped.
Of course, they knew a hacker.
He swallowed. "I... I know Solo, but I never told him about this. Even if he found out that someone had invaded us, he didn¡¯t know who you were!"
Maureen said in disdain, "Yes, some people are just delusional. We¡¯re the ones who leaked the news just because we know Solo? Nora introduced him to us! Are you going to malign Nora as well?"
She paused.
Maureen and Warren looked at each other.
Sure enough, Yvonne said in surprise, "You¡¯re saying that Nora also knows Solo?"
She bit her lip and sighed heavily.
Florence originally did not understand this logic, but when she saw Yvonne¡¯s expression and thought about what they had just said, she was instantly furious. "Alright, I got it! Nora must have been jealous because I kept looking down on her with the excuse that Miss Yvonne wanted to join the Hacker Alliance! She deliberately told Solo to send a message to Y and Q!"
"This woman is too despicable. How can she be so petty?"
Florence shouted angrily. "Even if she¡¯s jealous of others, can¡¯t she just improve herself? Why is she causing trouble for others?!"
Maureen hurriedly said, "Mdm. Florence, we haven¡¯t confirmed who did this yet. Don¡¯t push the me on others here! Besides, Nora might not have done it on purpose!"
Warren nodded as well. "Yes, she doesn¡¯t know what that software is for. Even if she really said it, she must have let it slip by mistake!"
Warren was sure that he and his wife had not told Solo about Yvonne. Therefore, it could only be Nora. He subconsciously found an excuse for her.
Florence sneered and was about to speak when a cold voice sounded. "Tsk."
The few of them subconsciously froze. They turned their heads and saw Nora walking slowly into the kitchen. She took out a piece of bread and walked out while eating.
After swallowing the bread in her mouth, she looked at Yvonne. "Stop guessing. It was me."
No matter what the reason was, Yvonne had attacked her family with the software she¡¯d written. It was intentional, so she must have been up to no good.
If she did not do it on purpose, then it meant that her skills were not up to standard.
Wasn¡¯t it normal for her not to pass?
Florence was instantly furious. "See, you¡¯ve already admitted it! Indeed, you wrecked Miss Yvonne¡¯s ns!"
Yvonne looked at her with red eyes. "Nora, w-why are you treating me like this? I¡¯m not bad to you either!"
Nora swallowed another mouthful of bread and took a sip of milk. Then, she slowly said, "What did I do to you? Isn¡¯t it because your skills aren¡¯t good enough?"
Everyone: "!!!"
Maureen and Warren were originally shocked because Nora had admitted it. However, when they heard this, they actually had an idea.
Nora was right!
It was clearly Yvonne who was not skilled enough. Who cared what others said about her?
While they were feeling surprised, Nora had already walked out of the door.
She had a teampetition today and needed to participate.
When she woke up, she received a notice to be at thepetition venue at 4 PM.
She drove to the martial artspetition and had just entered wearing a mask when she was recognized by Quentin. "028, why are you sote?"
Nora yawned. Before she could say anything, Quentin said, "But it¡¯s okay. We¡¯re about to go on stage."
He waved his hand. "I¡¯m sure you already know who I am, right? Your husband should have told you. So, after thepetition, you and your husband can just wait to win. I¡¯ll bring you to ss F!"
Nora: "..."
She wanted to say something, but Quentin said, "You don¡¯t have to say anything grateful. There¡¯s no need to feel embarrassed. I just find you more pleasing to the eye. Besides, the moves you used yesterday were pretty good. Leading you to level up is my own idea. It has nothing to do with you. You don¡¯t have to feel like you owe me a favor."
After saying that, Quentin raised his chin slightly. "By the way, is your husband here? Just protect yourselves. I¡¯ll help you after I¡¯m done fighting one."
Chapter 323: Stealing The Limelight
Chapter 323: Stealing The Limelight
Seeing how confident the delusional Quentin was, Nora couldn¡¯t be bothered to say anything to crush his confidence.
A short whileter, Justin arrived.
He was wearing a ck mask that covered half of his face.
Quentin looked at him for a while before he confirmed that he was indeed the person from the day before. He said, "You sure kinda resemble Big Brother. If no one told me otherwise, I might have mistaken you for him! Big Brother doesn¡¯t have kids, though."
He nced at Cherry and asked, "Why did you bring your kid here when you¡¯repeting in the tournament?"
Cherry curled her lips disdainfully. "Why can¡¯t he bring his child here?"
"With you around, how is he supposed to fight? Where is he going to put you when he fightster?"
As soon as he said that, Justin said, "I¡¯m bringing her into the ring."
Quentin: "???"
He was stunned at first, but a momentter, he burst intoughter. "You¡¯re bringing your kid into the ring? Have you gone silly?"
He shook his head and said, "It¡¯s dangerous in the ring. What if she gets hurt? But it¡¯s true that there are a lot of people here, so it¡¯s also unsafe to leave her here."
Justin said leisurely, "I¡¯m just here to make up the numbers."
Even if he didn¡¯t do anything, Nora would still be able to handle ss A and ss B opponents by herself.
Quentin unexpectedly misunderstood, though.
He thought for a moment and then nodded. "You¡¯re right. You can just stand behind meter. I¡¯ll take on two opponents."
Justin: "???"
The more Quentin thought about it, the more he felt that it would be astounding.
Perhaps because he had kept himself hidden and suppressed himself for too long, he liked the idea of showing off and stealing the limelight very much. He stroked his chin and said, "With that, everyone will definitely notice our team. By the way, what is our team¡¯s name?"
Justin was about to speak when Quentin snapped his fingers and suggested, "How about Third In The World?"
Nora: "?"
Justin: "?"
Seeing how confused both of them looked, Quentin sneered, lifted his chin, and said, "Don¡¯t forget this¡ªI¡¯m the best fighter after Big Brother and Big Sister. Since the third most powerful fighter in the world is in our team, Third In The World is a very apt name!"
"..."
Nora couldn¡¯t be bothered to pay him any more attention. She said, "It¡¯s up to you."
As a result...
"Team Third In The World, please enter the ring. They shall be facing Team Contractor next. There are two ss C contestants in Team Contractor, so they will be a much trickier opponent than the ss A opponents yesterday. However, Smithin from Team Third In The World has given us an amazing performance yesterday. It is not known whose disciple he is. No. 028 also gave us a surprise and won every match of hers with just a punch each, so no one knows just how strong she is even now. Please wee the two teams!"
Together with the host¡¯s announcement, Quentin puffed out his chest, held his head high, and led the way in front.
Nora was in the middle. She walked with azy gait and was still wearing a dress.
She usually wore trousers most of the time, so it was rtively unlikely for people to recognize her if she wore a dress in the tournament. One could consider it a little trick that she had prepared for the tournament.
Justin caused an even bigger sensation when he went into the ring¡ªbecause he was carrying a child in his arms!
The child was about five to six years old and was wearing a princess dress. Even with a mask on, one could still see a pair of astonishingly dark eyes behind it.
The crowd went into a furor all at once.
Quentin was awfully satisfied when he sensed their astonishment.
It simply felt wonderful to bask in the center of attention!
Quentin had always lived in the darkness ever since he was a child. In fact, outsiders didn¡¯t even know that someone like him existed among the Smiths. This made Quentin sometimes long to stand where the light gathered.
As a result, he loved being in the limelight when he was doing things anonymously.
He gave a wave and the cheers around them became even louder. Quentin was very satisfied with the effect. It seemed that his performance the day before was passable.
He was still thinking about it when the crowd started to shout, "One Punch Beauty! One Punch Beauty! No. 028 ¡¯The Beauty¡¯ wins with one punch!"
¡¯One punch¡¯?
Quentin was taken aback for a moment. Only then did he realize that Nora had actually gained fans in the tournament the day before.
On top of that, most of her fans were female!
"One Punch Beauty! Ahhh! I¡¯m your fan!"
Nora, who had been given a nickname for some strange reason: "???"
She raised her eyebrows and smiled at the female fan nearest to her. Herzy and unorthodox appearance immediately made the fan scream. "Ahhhhh! She¡¯s so suave!"
Quentin: "???"
He slowly looked behind at No. 028. He had approached her to form a team the day before because she was indeed skilled in martial arts. After all, it wasn¡¯t easy for him to win ss A contestants with just a single punch, either.
Besides, there were ultimately only a few female contestants in the tournament. With her around, it would highlight his aura and strength in the team even further.
But why did it unexpectedly seem like she had attracted more fans than he did?
Fortunately, there was still her husband, who was pretty much invisible.
The thought had only just formed when the fans at the bottom of the ring started screaming madly again. "Ahhhh! The guy carrying the little girl is so handsome! Don¡¯t you think that he has a sense of abstinence around him? Thebination of his ck clothes with the white princess dress makes them look like a little princess and her knight! He can actually bring his kid with him into the ring!"
Quentin: "!!!!"
Why hadn¡¯t he ever thought of bringing a child with him when he fought?
His way of stealing the limelight was simply too unique!!!
He rubbed his wrists, looked back at Nora and Justin, and decided that he had to end the match as soon as possible. That was the only way he could win back the glory that belonged to him.
As the referee announced the start of the match, Quentin said coldly, "Hold the other two back. Once I finish off one of them, I¡¯lle over and take care of the other... Never mind, you have a child in your arms while you¡¯re wearing a dress. The two of you can just stand behind me. I¡¯ll take care of..."
He had only just spoken when...!!
Chapter 324: Big Sister Is On
Chapter 324: Big Sister Is On
The trio opposite them didn¡¯t give Quentin the time to speak at all. They rushed straight toward them.
Quentin frowned.
Although his love of showing off wasn¡¯t very reliable, his instinct as a martial artist was. He stepped in front of Nora and Justin at once.
Unfortunately, the other party had numbers on their side.
They actually weren¡¯t hard to beat; rather, it was because he had to defeat them one by one. Their opponents had sent their two ss C team members to go after Nora and Justin while a ss B member stuck to Quentin instead.
Justin was carrying a child, so he definitely wouldn¡¯t be able to attack.
Nora, a woman, had also only managed to make every punch a killing blow the day before by taking advantage of her opponents underestimating her. Once the two ss C contestants got rid of the two of them and joined forces with the ss B martial contestant, with three of them against Quentin alone, they might not necessarily lose!
Although Quentin had delusions of grandeur, he wasn¡¯t stupid. Otherwise, Ian wouldn¡¯t have picked him to take control of the Smiths¡¯ underground forces. After figuring it all out in an instant, with an awful look on his face, he said, "Hang in there, the two of you. I¡¯lle over and help out as soon as I can!"
After speaking, he used all of his strength and executed his most vicious moves, taking advantage of an opening where the ss B martial artist wasn¡¯t paying attention tond a karate chop on his neck.
The ss B martial artist cked out and fell onto the floor.
Quentin feinted and dealt another strike. After defeating his opponent in two moves, he turned around to provide reinforcements. He thought that it was finally time for him to show off his might, but he instead saw that...
The two ss C martial artists that had charged toward Nora and Justin had already copsed outside of the ring.
Quentin: "??"
He stood there in a daze and asked in stupefaction, "What happened?"
What else could have happened? Nora and Justin had sent the two of them flying with a punch and a kick respectively, of course.
"..."
The whole ce fell quiet for a moment. Then, the emcee announced, "Team Third In The World wins!"
The audience erupted into fervent cheers.
A dazed Quentin followed Nora and Justin out of the ring. As soon as they exited the ring, people swarmed toward them from every direction.
"Smithin!"
Someone called his name.
Quentin coughed, straightened his back, and looked behind him excitedly¡ªa beautiful little girl was standing behind him and looking at him shyly.
Quentin thought that she must be a fan who wanted to confess her love to him, so he asked gently, "What¡¯s the matter?"
The little girl raised her head and said, "Would it be convenient for you to move to the side a little? I¡¯d like to take a picture of No. 028 and No. 820¡¯s family of three, but you¡¯re in the shot!"
Quentin: "???"
He turned back and looked at Nora and Justin, who were walking in front. The two of them had already been surrounded by fans and their poprity was in no way inferior to Big Brother and Big Sister¡¯s...
How unlucky!
He¡¯d originally wanted to form a team with two weaklings to highlight how tall and mighty he was, but howe they had stolen all the limelight instead?
Quentin took a deep breath and looked at the little girl coldly. "No, it¡¯s not convenient," he said.
After saying that, he joined Nora and Justin.
Hmph.
He, Quentin Smith, was the one that Team Third In The World relied on. Otherwise, would they even be in third ce?
Did those ignorant fans know who the strongest one in the team was or not?
He, Quentin Smith, was not going to move aside today.
Seeing that he simply refused to move aside no matter what, the fans continued to frantically snap away with their cell phones. Only then did Quentin finally feel a little better.
The trio reached the resting area at the side. While waiting for their next match, Quentin secretly picked up his phone and essed the martial arts tournament discussion forum.
The tournament had set up a private website that only those attending the tournament would know of. The website was very hard for outsiders to find.
The circle was too small, so one could say that this was a culture unique to them.
A post about Team Third In The World had gained thousands of views in the forum by then.
He opened up the post, intending to see how everyone was singing praises of him... But in the end, he instead saw a photo as soon as the page loaded.
In the photo, he had originally been standing between Nora and Justin, but he had been Photoshopped away.
Nora wore a silver mask and a red tight-fitting dress.
Justin wore a ck mask and a full-ck outfit. In his arms was a little girl in a white princess dress, who was also wearing a silver mask.
They felt very much like a family of three.
In thements:
¡¯Team Third In The World is really strong! Even when faced with a ss C opponent, One Punch Beauty still won with just one punch. Does she only know that one move?¡¯
¡¯Ahhhh! If I weren¡¯t already sure that Big Brother is resting right next door, I¡¯d have thought that the man carrying the child was Big Brother! His physique looks so much like Big Brother¡¯s! They are both so tall and handsome!¡¯
Someone even asked:
¡¯Shouldn¡¯t there be three people in a team? Is Team Third In The World a family of three?¡¯
Someone kindly answered: ¡¯No, thest member is Smithin, but he¡¯s not important. Your focus is off, bro.¡¯
Quentin: "???"
How was he not important?!
Quentin turned off the phone viciously!
He looked at Justin, who was next to him, and suddenly said, "Why don¡¯t I carry the kid for the next match?"
Only by carrying a child would one be able to steal the limelight. Why hadn¡¯t he thought of it just now?
Justin: "?"
He raised his eyebrows, handed Cherry to him, and said, "Sure."
With someone carrying Cherry for him, he could take the opportunity to loosen his muscles a little.
Thus, when it was time for the next match, Quentin walked in the forefront with Cherry in his arms and entered the ring, while Nora and Justin followed behind him leisurely.
Seeing how there were indeed more people looking at him, Quentin felt that he had made the right strategic decision.
The corners of his lips curled upward. Just as it was about to form a smile, voices from either side of him traveled over.
"Why is Smithin holding the child this time?"
"Maybe carrying the child prevents No. 820 from doing his thing! If he lets Smithin hold her, he would be able to use his arms!"
"You¡¯re right! Also, doesn¡¯t Smithin look like a bodyguard holding the child for them? That couple sure isid-back! They don¡¯t look like they¡¯re here topete at all. They¡¯re clearly here for shopping!"
Quentin: "?"
Was it toote for him to return the child?
The corners of Quentin¡¯s lips spasmed.
Then, several people could be heard discussing something.
"Why is their team named Third In The World?"
"It¡¯s probably to pay tribute to Big Brother and Big Sister! Looks like their goal this time is the third ce!"
"I wonder who will be able to take third ce, No. 820 or No. 028?"
Quentin: "!!!"
He was the one who would!!
He was confident that apart from Big Brother and Big Sister, no one could beat him in a fight in New York! This was infuriating!
Quentin was seething. Once they reached ss F and the team automatically disbanded, he would definitely challenge No. 028 and No. 820 to a fight!
The huffy and frustrated Quentin fought ruthlessly and swiftly after that and defeated the opponents with Nora.
Their matches that day ended with them winning both. Together with Nora¡¯s two victories from the day before, once they won another match the next day, they would advance to ss B.
Nora stretched. She was about to leave when she heard someone exim, "Big Sister is on! She¡¯s going topete!"
Chapter 325: The Big Sister of The Quinn School of Martial Arts?
Chapter 325: The Big Sister of The Quinn School of Martial Arts?
Big Sister?
Nora paused and exchanged a look with Justin. Then, the two of them went to the ring where Big Sister would bepeting.
Quentin was already there. At the sight of the two of them, he whispered, "You guys havee, too? Are you also here to admire Big Sister¡¯s graceful form?"
"..."
Seeing that neither of them was speaking, Quentin coughed and said, "Big Brother participated in the previous tournament and emerged as champion, so he¡¯s automatically assigned to ss F. Big Sister didn¡¯t, so based on the regtions, she has to start from ss A. She didn¡¯t lose any of her matches thest few days, though, so she¡¯ll advance to ss C once she finishes this match."
Nora hesitated for a moment and asked, "How many days has the tournament been ongoing for?"
"Five days!"
Quentin understood what Nora meant after he answered, so he immediately said, "Big Sister is special, so they scheduled four matches a day for her. This way, she can advance as quickly as possible. Once she reaches ss F, she can just wait for the rest of the contestants to finish advancing before shepetes again."
Nora: "..."
Why wasn¡¯t she given the same treatment? On top of that, she even had to form a team with other people.
She was clearly the real Big Sister of the Quinn School of Martial Arts here!
A touch of resentment welled up in Nora. Why hadn¡¯t Quinn used any special privileges when he signed her up for the tournament?
She didn¡¯t believe that Quinn wouldn¡¯t be able to do that, given his status in the circle.
She was still thinking about it when Quentin asked, "Envious, aren¡¯t you?"
Nora nodded. "Yes, I am."
"It¡¯s pointless even if you are. Only Big Brother and Big Sister can enjoy that sort of privilege. Back then, Big Brother was also able to take part in four matches a day, so he reached ss F earlier than the others!"
"..."
Quentin patted her on the shoulder. "Don¡¯t let that discourage you, though. We, Team Third In The World, have already made a name for ourselves with just one battle. Once we enter ss F, ss E will be the lowest we can be downgraded to. When we participate in the next tournament ten yearster, we¡¯ll start straight from ss E, so it¡¯ll be very convenient."
Nora: "..."
"Also," Quentin patted his chest and said, "When Ie in third ce at the end, everyone will envy the two of you¡ªfor having teamed up with me before."
Even with a mask in between, Nora nevertheless couldn¡¯t help but feel like light was about to overflow and spill out from the delusional young man¡¯s face that he had raised up high!
Who gave a damn about his Team Third In The World?!
The corners of Nora¡¯s lips spasmed. The match started at this point, and the big, fleshy woman entered the ring.
The whole ce went into a furor right away.
"Big Sister! Big Sister!"
Everyone yelled excitedly.
"Big Sister is so burly and muscr! No wonder she¡¯s Big Sister! All those muscles on her aren¡¯t that easy to build!"
"Yeah! I¡¯m really looking forward to Big Sister and Big Brother facing off now! Who¡¯s the stronger of the two?"
"I reckon Big Sister can bulldoze her way into ss F. I wonder what the organizers are thinking. How can they make Big Sister fight? Can¡¯t they just assign her to ss F straightaway? I wanna watch the ultimate showdown!"
"Tsk, isn¡¯t it better to watch Big Sister advance step by step to ss F instead?"
The group of people spoke enthusiastically.
Nora stroked her chin and observed the fake Big Sister. The muscles all over her body really were very solid, and really were the product of a lot of hard work and training. It was already harder for women to build muscles than men. Her body wasparable to a man¡¯s muscles, so it was indeed very amazing.
Even though she wasn¡¯t the real Big Sister, she was admirable.
While Nora was thinking about it, the ss B martial artist facing off with ¡¯Big Sister¡¯ stepped into the ring.
He saluted her and said, "It is an honor to be able to fight with Big Sister."
Big Sister nodded and said, "I look forward to your guidance."
Although she was prideful, she still spoke rather politely.
Or at least, she wasn¡¯t that loathsome.
After exchanging some pleasantries, they began to fight.
The fake Big Sister did have a certain level of foundational skills. Based on her observation, she was actually using the Quinn School of Martial Arts¡¯ moves!
Nora narrowed her eyes.
After exchanging about twenty moves, the fake Big Sister won.
Fervent apuse broke out from the audience at the bottom of the ring.
"Big Sister has won!"
"Isn¡¯t that very normal? It feels like there was no doubt about it from the start!"
"Is it just my illusion? Why does it feel like Big Sister is struggling a little?"
"It¡¯s because Big Sister is too fat, right? She looks clumsy, but she actually has a lot of physical strength..."
"Don¡¯t tell anyone, but I think No. 028¡¯s match was more interesting than Big Sister¡¯s..."
"I think so, too..."
"Shh, how can a neer like No. 028pare with Big Sister?"
Amidst everyone¡¯s spections, the fake Big Sister exited the ring panting, and went backstage to prepare for her next three matches.
After thinking for a while, Nora went over, too.
The door to the fake Big Sister¡¯s lounge was open, so she slipped in.
The fake Big Sister looked over. "Who¡¯s there?"
Chapter 326: Yvette?
Chapter 326: Yvette?
Nora raised her brows.
The fake Big Sister¡¯s intuition was rather sharp.
She was about to speak when the fake Big Sister saw the contestant number on her wristband. She received a shock and immediately executed the highest form of salute in martial arts etiquette¡ªshe knelt on one knee and said, "Linda pays her respects to her senior!"
¡¯Senior¡¯?
Nora was surprised. "Whose disciple are you?"
"My teacher is Sir Lucas."
Lucas was the second senior disciple of the Quinn School of Martial Arts and had been taking charge of the sect¡¯s affairs all these years in her stead.
Nora pulled her up gently and said, "Get up and talk."
The sturdy woman named Linda got up. Her big and tall form was half a head taller than even Nora, and she possessed a lot of physical strength. She was indeed practicing the Quinn School of Martial Arts¡¯ style.
The Quinn School of Martial Arts was fastidious about slow and steady training. They trained their physical strength, form, and dexterity.
On the other hand, the Irvin School of Martial Arts focused on flexibility and dynamism.
That was why Quinn had always called Irvin a devious old scumbag.
Linda didn¡¯t wait for Nora to ask but immediately exined, "The organizers of the tournament contacted Lucas and said that they wanted to get someone to impersonate you so that they can earn some money to fund the tournament. They have also talked to the Irvin School of Martial Arts about this. Big Brother has already agreed to it, so Lucas also agreed to it."
Nora raised her brows.
Linda exined further, "The martial arts tournament is held once every ten years, but the organizers actually don¡¯t have any more money, so they are having a lot of difficulties hosting the tournament. The person impersonating Big Brother has an easier time; he just needs to wear a mask and take photos with people and so on. On the other hand, you have to take part in the tournament, which is why Lucas sent me! This way, it can at least bluff everyone for a while, and also divert attention from you."
Linda looked around cautiously after she spoke. Then, she looked at her and said, "I¡¯ve already won twenty matches and advanced to ss C. Lucas praised me and said that I did pretty well, but he has also told me to slow down because I may give myself away once I advance further. Therefore, I intend to use a stomachache as an excuse to dy the matches for a few days. Alternatively, I may bow out of the tournament altogether, so as to avoid damaging your reputation."
Nora: "..."
The corners of her lips twitched. She nodded and said, "Alright, you guys can do as you deem fit. Did your teacher tell you what I should do when I reach ss F?"
Linda smiled and replied, "Of course he did. He says that you can just outright dere your identity once you progress to the final match. After you have a good fight with the Irvin School of Martial Arts¡¯ Big Brother and win fame and merit for yourself, you can secretly leave immediately. Doing this will also avoid attracting too much attention to yourself in the early stages, and prevent people from finding out your true identity."
"Okay, we¡¯ll do just that, then," said Nora.
She had kept her identity a secret only because of the words her mother had left her. She had told her not to show off before she became capable of protecting herself, lest people targeted her.
Ever since the assassin who tugged off a few strands of her hair and tried to kill her in the hospital had appeared, she had be even more convinced by her mother¡¯s words.
There was indeed a mysterious force that had been watching her all this time.
Once she shone too brightly, she might be their target.
This was also why she had immediately moved to the Smiths after they acknowledged her. After all, the Andersons were indeed too weak and powerless and didn¡¯t have any security personnel there.
The Andersons would be safer once she was gone.
As for the Smiths...
Well, she was just staying there temporarily.
While thinking about it, she left the room. As soon as she went out, she bumped into Quentin. When Quentin saw hering out of Big Sister¡¯s room, he immediately gave her an "I understand" look. He smiled and said, "Did a certain someone secretly go to Big Sister to ask for a photo together and an autograph?"
Nora: "?"
"I get it all, I understand it all. You don¡¯t have to be embarrassed about it. Isn¡¯t it very normal for one to admire Big Sister?"
"..."
As Nora walked toward the exit, she asked, "Aren¡¯t you going home?"
Their matches today were already over, so what was he still staying here for?
Quentin replied, "Nah, I¡¯m gonna stay here and watch Big Sister from afar."
"..."
Nora didn¡¯t respond to his moronic behavior. After giving Justin a heads-up, she drove straight home.
The moment she got home, she saw Old Maddy sitting at the door in a daze. He was taken aback when he saw her, and he said, "Yvette?"
Chapter 327: Are You Ryan?
Chapter 327: Are You Ryan?
Nora, who was still in the car, rolled the car window down after she saw Old Maddy. Thus, even though his whisper was very soft, she had still heard it.
¡¯Yvette¡¯?
... Yvette Anderson?!
To think he knew her mother!
The thought made Nora m on the brakes. She jumped off the car, went up to Old Maddy, and grabbed his hand. "Do you know my mother?" she asked.
The old man looked at her in bewilderment. There was a lost and confused look in his eyes.
Nora frowned and reminded him, "Yvette Anderson."
When Old Maddy heard the name, he immediately shouted excitedly, "Yvette!"
Nora: "!!"
As expected, he did know who Yvette was.
Nora asked the security guard at the door to park the car for her. Then, she held Old Maddy¡¯s arm and said, "Where do you live? I¡¯ll take you back there."
Old Maddy grinned and nodded. "Will you give me hamburgers?"
"Yes."
"Okay!"
Old Maddy followed behind Nora, and the two went to his ce of residence.
It was already dark by then, and the whole manor looked as if the sky had been covered with a ck veil. For once, it wasn¡¯t foggy, and a few stars twinkled in the sky.
In a big city where lights shone so brightly, it was very hard for stars to be seen.
However, there weren¡¯t many living nearby therge manor. The lights in the few simple houses around it were also switched off at the moment, so one¡¯s field of vision stretched even further than usual.
Old Maddy led the way. He walked to a house at the furthest corner, opened the door, and switched on the lights. Only then did Nora¡¯s eyes feel a little better.
She looked around Old Maddy¡¯s house.
Unlike Old Maddy himself, the ce was neat and clean. From the looks of it, it seemed that the butler¡¯s im that the Smiths weren¡¯t abusing him was true.
Old Maddy had burns all over him, so he disliked taking baths, which made him seem very dirty. However, the sheets were changed frequently, so they were very clean. Neither was there any smell in the house.
After Nora looked around, Old Maddy sneakily took out a hamburger from the fridge and gave it to her. He said, "Eat this, Yvette..."
¡¯Yvette¡¯ again...
Nora frowned and looked down at the hamburger in her hand.
While she was lost in thought, Old Maddy looked at the door warily and said, "Don¡¯t be scared! You won¡¯t die of hunger!"
Nora: "..."
She frowned, looked at the hamburger in her hand, and asked, "Where are we?"
"At home, of course!"
¡¯At home¡¯...
Why would they go hungry if they were at home?!
Just what kind of rtionship did Old Maddy and Yvette share? Judging from his behavior, he seemed very protective of Yvette...
While she was wondering about it, Old Maddy grinned and asked, "Did you bear Ian a child, Yvette?"
Nora: "?"
Old Maddy behaved erratically, and he spoke incoherently. He said, "Ian has a daughter now!"
Nora frowned.
She suddenly stood up and asked, "Are you Ryan Smith?"
She¡¯d had that feeling since the day before.
The lunatic in front of her was likely Ryan!
He was the president of the pugilistic world, so he had gone to the arena. Otherwise, simply based on the fact that he was mentally ill, why would he possibly go all the way to the martial arts tournament?
Old Maddy was a little taken aback when he heard the name Ryan Smith, but right after that, he curled his lips disdainfully and said, "Ryan is ugly. He¡¯s not as good-looking as Ian. Don¡¯t be with Ryan, Yvette. Besides, Ryan¡¯s IQ isn¡¯t high, either. If you have a baby with him, it¡¯ll affect your daughter¡¯s IQ!"
Nora: "..."
She was confused again.
If Old Maddy was Ryan, why would he say that he was ugly?
Moreover, he went on and on about genes, IQ, and the like, and even knew that a daughter inherited part of her IQ from her father. Was he really someone from a small town in the mountains?
Nora frowned and looked around again. However, she didn¡¯t see any substantial clues.
After all, ording to the butler, when Old Maddy first came to the Smiths, he had nothing but the ragged clothes on his back.
Somewhat disappointed, she stood up and said, "I¡¯m going now."
Old Maddy nodded.
After Nora left, Old Maddy kept feeling as though he had forgotten something, but his mind moved too slowly, and he simply couldn¡¯t recall what it was. Thus, he merely grinned and continued to eat the hamburger he was holding.
While he was eating, someone suddenly knocked on the door.
Nora pushed the door open and stood at the door. As though she had made up her mind, she slowly said "Old Maddy, why don¡¯t I treat your illness for you?"
Chapter 328: Treating His Illness?
Chapter 328: Treating His Illness?
The next day.
When Nora went out of her bedroom with a yawn after she woke up, she saw Maureen seated in the small living room on the second floor. At the sight of hering out of her bedroom, Maureen immediately walked over. "You¡¯re awake, Nora?"
Nora nodded.
Maureen was obviously waiting for her. She asked, "I heard that... um... you¡¯re thinking of treating Old Maddy¡¯s illness?"
Nora nodded again.
Before this, she hadn¡¯t thought that Old Maddy was very important, so she hadn¡¯t paid him any attention. Later, she found out that he might be Ryan, but he had indeed be ill and lost his mind. He also didn¡¯t remember much of his past anymore.
After thinking about it the previous evening, Nora decided to treat his illness.
If she cured his illness, he would be able to tell her what had happened to Ryan and her mother back then.
Of course, treating Old Maddy¡¯s illness wasn¡¯t going to be easy. First of all, he was a madman, so Nora would need the Smiths to constantly keep an eye on him and prevent him from running all over the ce.
To be honest, if she were to keep visiting Old Maddy, she would definitely attract other people¡¯s attention.
Therefore, she decided to simply inform the butler that she intended to treat Old Maddy¡¯s illness. By being open with her actions, she would prevent a lot of unnecessary trouble and suspicions.
She didn¡¯t expect all the Smiths to know about it after just one night, though.
Maureen was in a fierce internal struggle. She said, "Actually, Uncle Ian had asked someone to take a look at Old Maddy¡¯s illness before. The person he had invited over was even a very professional doctor who is said to be the most well-known psychiatrist in the world, but even so, he didn¡¯t manage to cure Old Maddy. Nora, I know you¡¯re eager to prove your skills as a doctor, but I still feel that there¡¯s no need to use Old Maddy as a stepping stone..."
Maureen and Warren had immediatelye together to secretly talk about it after they heard the news. Both of them were of the same opinion that Nora had possibly made the sudden decision because of her work.
She was a doctor, yet no one in New York dared to approach her for medical consultation.
That was why she had chosen someone with a disease that was hard to cure, so that she could make a name for herself, right?
Thus, Maureen had approached her straightaway. She wasn¡¯t someone who knew how to beat about the bush, so she had voiced her thoughts straightforwardly.
Nora liked her straightforward character quite a lot. This way, she didn¡¯t need to waste time guessing what exactly she was thinking. She also replied straightforwardly, "I¡¯m not using him to make a name for myself. I really intend to cure him."
After saying that, she went down the stairs to the kitchen to look for food.
Maureen: "..."
After hearing Nora¡¯s reply, she returned to the bedroom.
Warren was lyingfortably on the recliner and basking in the sun. When he heard the door open, he asked, "How did it go? Has she given up?"
Maureen shook her head.
Warren frowned. Then, he sneered, "She sure is stubborn, isn¡¯t she? Since she insists on doing it, then just let her do what she wants! Hmph! She doesn¡¯t understand how impressive Uncle Ian¡¯s medical team is, at all. There¡¯s no way she can cure the mental illness that even they can¡¯t do anything about!"
Maureen rolled her eyes at him.
Sure enough, Warren backpedaled and said, "But if she wants to treat his illness, then she can just go ahead. At the most, we¡¯ll just keep a closer watch on Old Maddy in the future, and tell outsiders that he showed signs of improvement!"
What could he do if that was what his little sister insisted on doing?
Maureenughed. "You¡¯re really a man who says one thing but means another!"
Warren snorted. "How annoying. I already have enough things to do every day, yet I still have to clean up her mess for her! Sigh, if you meet anyone while you¡¯re out, and if they ask about it, just tell them that it feels like his condition has greatly improved and that he, at least, doesn¡¯t go berserk anymore. Make Old Maddy¡¯s condition sound as serious as possible!"
"No problem!"
¡ª
Elsewhere.
After filling up her stomach a little, Nora got ready to go to the backyard to look for Old Maddy.
Old Maddy¡¯s illness was in the brain, but it wasn¡¯t so much as something bad had formed in his brain; rather, it was a neurological problem and surgery was useless. His condition required alternative medicine instead.
She had studied his condition carefully the previous evening and had decided to use acupuncture on him.
When she was going out, she happened to run into Yvonne, who was going in. Nora retracted her gaze when they ran into each other. She was about to pass her by when Yvonne greeted her with a smile. "Are you going to the backyard, Nora?" she asked.
Nora paused and looked at her carefully.
The two of them had only just gotten into an argument the day before, yet the woman was already looking as if she wasn¡¯t bothered about it anymore. She really was a very scary person.
She curled her lips disdainfully and replied, "Yeah."
Then, without any further dy, she headed to the backyard.
Yvonne cast her eyes down and curled her lips into a mocking smile.
So, she wanted to cure Old Maddy and make a name for herself? She sure thought really highly of herself.
Yvonne would just wait and see how she makes a fool out of herself.
Chapter 329: Acupuncture
Chapter 329: Acupuncture
When Nora was walking toward the secluded garden in the backyard, all the servants had already woken up.
Everyone looked at her, but before she even came near, they hastily went away.
Two of them were currently whispering to each other.
"Have you heard? Ms. Nora is nning to treat Old Maddy¡¯s illness!"
"Does she think she can cure him when the old sir had already asked one of the most professional doctors to treat Old Maddy¡¯s illness back then, and even he couldn¡¯t do anything about it? I know she just came to the Smiths, and wants to aplish something so that people wouldn¡¯t look down on her, but isn¡¯t this a little too... you know?"
"Let¡¯s hurry up and leave, in case she sees something wrong with our health and ends up wanting to treat our illnesses, too. If that happens, we¡¯ll end up offending her if we refuse. Yet if we don¡¯t, are we really going to be her guinea pigs?"
"Sigh, Old Maddy is so pitiful. He has already gone mad, yet he has to suffer under her hands..."
Someone asked hesitantly, "But Ms. Nora looks very determined to me. What if she¡¯s really trying to cure him?"
"Ms. Nora is just a surgeon, and she isn¡¯t even well-known. How would she possibly know how to treat mental illnesses? Even professional psychiatrists couldn¡¯t cure him..."
"..."
The group of people whispered among themselves, but Nora wasn¡¯t bothered at all. She entered Old Maddy¡¯s house.
Old Maddy was eating a hamburger.
The butler, who knew she wasing, was also standing next to him at the moment. He looked at Nora with aplicated look on his face.
When Nora had approached him the night before and told him that she wanted to treat Old Maddy¡¯s illness, the butler had already been disapproving of her decision.
Old Maddy was also human. Although he had gone mad, he was a living human being. How could people be allowed to toy with his life so casually?
He had immediately spoken to Joel about it, but unexpectedly, Joel had actually agreed to it after a short moment of hesitation.
As such, the butler could onlye over and keep an eye on things.
Although Old Maddy was crazy, out of everyone living at the Smiths¡¯ residence, it was the butler who had interacted with him the most all these years. Old Maddy also got along with him the best, so he didn¡¯t want Old Maddy to suffer.
In any case, Old Maddy was still a living human being.
While he was thinking about it, he saw Nora open a box that she had brought with her. Inside the box were long thin needles.
The butler¡¯s pupils shrank from shock.
"Ms. Nora, those are...?" he asked.
While searching for a suitable needle in the box, Nora answered, "Acupuncture needles."
The butler: "..."
The corners of his lips spasmed as he asked, "Aren¡¯t you a surgeon?"
"Yeah," Nora answered casually.
She looked at Old Maddy and casually looked around for something. In the end, she pressed about on his head, found a suitable spot, and pierced his head with the long thin needle.
The sight made the butler¡¯s hair stand on end!
The sight of such a long needle fully entering Old Maddy¡¯s head was simply terrifying, especially when the needle was slowly going deeper and deeper. The butler felt as if even his breathing had stopped. He looked at Old Maddy in disbelief but saw that he had stopped eating his hamburger and was about to lift his head hesitantly.
Nora said, "Don¡¯t move."
Old Maddy was very obedient, and he immediately became still.
After the needle fully entered Old Maddy¡¯s head, Nora gripped the top end of the needle and twisted it a little. Then, she pulled it out.
The whole process filled the butler with fear and apprehension. He couldn¡¯t help but feel like the needle was going to pierce right through Old Maddy¡¯s head.
Outside:
Busybodies were secretly observing what was going on in the room.
Florence had alsoe after she heard the rumor. When she saw what Nora was doing, she was so frightened that she patted her own chest and said, "Can you really do it or not, Ms. Nora?! Don¡¯t you harm someone else¡¯s life! Even though Old Maddy is mentally ill, the old sir has personally given him permission to live here! Don¡¯t you dare think that there¡¯s no one protecting him!"
Florence wasn¡¯t trying to make trouble this time. Rather, she was purely trying to protect Ian.
As long as it was about someone that Ian valued, Florence would uphold Ian¡¯s orders to the very end!
This was also one of the reasons why Joel hadn¡¯t taken away her position as the chief housekeeper after he took over the Smiths.
Sometimes, loyalty mattered more than ability.
Nora paid her no heed. Everyone else looked at Old Maddy, only to see him look at the needle in Nora¡¯s hand hesitantly.
The butler asked nervously, "How do you feel, Old Maddy?"
The confusion in Old Maddy¡¯s eyes had lessened a little. He touched his head and frowned, seemingly pondering about something.
Chapter 330: Nora And No.028
Chapter 330: Nora And No.028
The butler immediately became excited when he saw his reaction.
Although everyone had heard of acupuncture, they were still shocked and astonished when they actually saw it for themselves. After all, few people practiced it. Also, the needle was so long that it felt like it could prate right through someone¡¯s entire brain.
That was why they were so shocked by Nora¡¯s actions.
However, when the butler saw that Old Maddy¡¯s condition really did seem to have improved, he swallowed again and asked, "How do you feel?"
Old Maddy took a bite of the hamburger and slowly said, "I wanna sleep."
Pretty much right after he said that, his grip loosened and the hamburger dropped onto the floor. The man alsoy down on the bed.
He had fallen asleep.
This was an aftereffect of acupuncture and was very normal.
With that in mind, Nora picked up the needle and pierced him with it another two times.
Alternative medicine took effect very slowly. Given the extent of Old Maddy¡¯s illness, if she wanted to stimte his nerves, it would take at least half a month before significant effects showed.
This was just the first day of treatment, so it wasn¡¯t suitable to go too far.
Nora put the needles away after piercing him with them thrice.
Next to her, the butler, who saw Old Maddy fall asleep, couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Ms. Nora, what¡¯s the matter with him?"
Nora replied, "He¡¯s alright. He¡¯ll be fine after he wakes up."
She stood up straight and stretched.
To other people, all she did was just jab Old Maddy with a needle thrice.
However, she was the only one who knew just how tiring the process was. Not only was a high degree of concentration required, but she also had to be urate in locating the acupoints.
Old Maddy¡¯s head was covered in burns, which made the acupoints really hard to find.
After piercing the needles into his head, she also had to control the needle¡¯s force and depth. All of these were factors that she had to respond to and adjust on-site.
She yawned and left, nning to go to the tournament.
The two matches today were still as boring as ever.
All of Nora, Justin, and Quentin¡¯s opponents were ss B and ss C martial artists, so they easily gave them a thrashing and bulldozed their way.
There was no doubt about their victory. After winning the two matches, Nora and Justin walked out of the venue with Cherry in thetter¡¯s arms.
Quentin followed behind them. As they walked, he asked, "Who exactly are you guys? What are you taking part in the tournament for? There aren¡¯t that many married couples in New York who are as strong as the two of you, and you even have a daughter..."
Quentin didn¡¯t think that they might be Nora and Justin at all.
Nora needed his protection, so she was likely at home at the moment.
As for Justin, he was the Irvin School of Martial Arts¡¯ Big Brother. Even though not many knew about it, there were still quite a few people who were aware of it. He should be in the lounge waiting to take photos with people at the moment!
Quentin didn¡¯t think that it was beneath Justin for him to take photos with people, either. After all, even a genius like him craved sess and basking in the limelight.
After thest few matches, he had also gained fans of his own. Having people look for him to take photos with him made him feel as if he was on cloud nine.
Besides, while Justin had a son, he didn¡¯t have a daughter!
Nora and Justin exchanged a look and ignored Quentin.
Nora asked Justin, "Where are you going?"
"Home, I guess. What about you?"
"Home, too."
Justin took the opportunity to ask, "Let¡¯s have dinner together before we go back?"
"Nah," Nora replied casually, "We can¡¯t abandon the other one."
Pete was still at home. Never mind that the three of them didn¡¯t bring him along when they came here every day to have fun, but if they also dined together without him, they would be going too far.
Although Justin wanted very much to spend more time with Nora, he could only abandon the idea when he heard her reply.
The two chatted and went to the car park while ignoring Quentin.
Quentin: "..."
¡ª
Nora went home. When she reached the Smith manor¡¯s entrance in her car, she happened to bump into Quentin, who had been extremely bored at the arena.
At the sight of her returning home from outside, Quentin frowned and stopped behind Nora silently. He said, "Didn¡¯t I tell you not to go out if there¡¯s nothing important? I¡¯m busytely, so I don¡¯t have the time to follow you around."
Nora: "?"
Quentin sighed. "If you had half of No. 028¡¯s skill, I wouldn¡¯t have to do this for you anymore. You¡¯ve taken up all my time, so I don¡¯t have any time to practice building rapport with No. 028 at all."
Nora: "???"
Chapter 331: Are You Taking Apprentices?
Chapter 331: Are You Taking Apprentices?
Nora was terribly amused. It seemed like the right time to have a good chat with the young man, and let him know how strong she was.
She said calmly, "You don¡¯t have to follow me around."
Then, without waiting for Quentin¡¯s response, she went up the stairs.
Quentin: "..."
He stared angrily after Nora. He was about to say something mean when, for some reason, he suddenly found her kinda familiar to the eye.
Although she was wearing trousers whereas No. 028 was always in either a long ck or red dress, the two of them actually looked somewhat simr from the back.
He must be mistaken.
No. 028 was such a frank and straightforward person. How could she possibly be Nora?
Just like how No. 820¡¯s physique was simr to Big Brother¡¯s, there were a ton of people in the world with simr body builds!
Quentin shook his head and dispelled the thought. At this point, someone walked over from a short distance away, giving Quentin such a shock that he hurriedly hid into the dark.
He had be so ustomed to being in the limelight at the underground arena that he had actually forgotten to hide, causing himself to almost expose his existence to the Smiths¡¯ servants.
¡ª
After Nora entered the living room, she had pretty much rid herself of Quentin. He would never openly show up in front of others.
Pete was already home and was currently ying blocks with Mia.
Mia spoke softly, so even though Pete felt that what she was ying with was very boring, he nevertheless apanied her with a frown.
The simple-minded Brandon circled around the two. He said, "Mia, why are you so stupid?! You can¡¯t do that there... Ah! It copsed!"
Mia pouted and stared at Brandon in silence.
Brandon panicked. "Hey, don¡¯t cry. Little crybaby, please don¡¯t cry. I won¡¯t touch your things anymore, okay?"
Pete heaved a sigh. He slowly bent over and easily arranged Mia¡¯s blocks back into the previous state for her.
Mia cheered up and said, "Thank you, Cherry."
Pete replied stoically and habitually, "You¡¯re wee... yeah."
Nora: "..."
Why was her son talking so weirdly? Cough.
While she was thinking about it, Pete, who seemingly sensed her looking at him, looked over. The little boy¡¯s dark eyes lit up at once and he called out, "Mommy."
He sounded a bit like he was wheedling.
Nora raised her eyebrows, immediately realizing that the little fellow must have something to ask of her. She nodded and went up the stairs.
When she entered the bedroom on the upper floor and looked behind her, sure enough, she saw Pete closing the door.
Nora sat on the sofa casually. "What¡¯s the matter?"
Pete walked up to her at a snail¡¯s pace. The hesitant boy observed her facial expression again and again before he finally asked, "Mommy, can you ask God-mom to teach Mia how to dance?"
Nora was surprised. "You want Tanya to teach Mia how to dance?"
"Yeah."
Pete frowned and said, "Mia likes dancing very much. Whenever we have dance sses, she always hides outside the door and secretly learns how to dance together with us. God-mom has already spotted her several times, but she just doesn¡¯t take her as a student."
Nora licked her lips. "Okay, I¡¯ll ask her about it."
"Okay." Pete smiled and said, "I¡¯ll go out and y with Mia."
"Go ahead."
After Pete left, Nora decided to call Tanya. However, just as she was about to do so, she instead received a video call from Tanya herself.
As soon as she picked up, she saw Tanya¡¯s face taking up the entire screen. Her loud voice also rang out. "Little Nora, do you miss me?"
Nora: "..."
"Your mother-inw is asking you toe over and visit when you¡¯re free. Hasn¡¯t it been really long since youst came over to my ce?" Tanya continued to holler, her voice so loud that it made Nora¡¯s temples throb.
Nora kept quiet for a while. Then, she suddenly asked, "How have you beentely?"
At the mention of the topic, Tanya heaved a huge sigh and said, "I found someone with great potential for dancing recently. She¡¯s even the first person I¡¯ve developed an interest in, apart from Cherry. Do you think I should take her as an apprentice?"
Tanya propped her chin on her hand. She looked like she was in a dilemma as she said, "But I don¡¯t really get along with her parents. On the one hand, I really want to take her as an apprentice, but on the other, I also want to stay away from her. I¡¯m so troubled about this..."
Chapter 332: Old Maddy’s Condition
Chapter 332: Old Maddy¡¯s Condition
This was exactly the reason why Nora had wanted to call her.
She would never give her close friend trouble just because of her son¡¯s request, of course. After all, Joel had Mia with someone else.
She could tell that Mia had great potential for dancing, and she also knew that Tanya had been searching for a sessor all these years.
After she had reached a certain level in her dancing and started her own dance brand, it was simply too difficult for her to find a suitable sessor.
Although Nora hadn¡¯t had much contact with Mia, she could tell that she was a kind little girl.
That was why she had decided to bring it up.
Tanya must be referring to Mia, right?
She hesitated for a moment before she asked, "How do you feel about it?"
Tanya bit her lip and sighed. She replied, "I don¡¯t know what to do, either. She likes dancing very much. Whenever I hold dance sses, she would secretlye over and learn, but I pretend not to know anything about it. Sometimes, when I see her dancing by herself without my guidance, I find myself somewhat in a daze as if I¡¯m looking at myself when I was younger..."
She had once walked past an area where few people went after ss. There, she had seen Mia wearing a white princess dress tiptoeing, her form lithe and graceful.
Mia was born with a small frame. Like Tanya, the girl also had a tall and thin body shape.
It was a pity for someone with a body build like hers not to dance.
She cherished talent, but whenever she thought of Mia¡¯s mother, she couldn¡¯t help but feel that she couldn¡¯t afford to mess with them.
The more Tanya thought about it, the more fed up she became. "Forget it, I¡¯ll just wait and see for a little longer!"
Nora stared at her. Suddenly, she said, "Sometimes, if you wait and see, the opportunity may pass you by."
Tanya was satisfied with Mia for sure. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have been so troubled and said so much to her. She had always been a direct and straightforward person, able to go with the flow.
Till now, Nora had never seen Tanya unable to let go of anything.
The fact that she was in such an internal struggle about Mia went to show just how much Tanya liked Mia.
To be honest, Tanya had made up her mind a long time ago to teach Mia dancing. She was just missing thatst push.
Therefore, when Nora said that, after keeping quiet for a while, Tanya suddenly said, "You¡¯re right. I¡¯ll start teaching her tomorrow! Or at least, I¡¯ll let her join the dance ss!"
She won¡¯t take her as an apprentice first. She would just teach her like she was just a normal student for now!
Seeing that the troubled look on her had disappeared, Nora nodded. "That works."
After the two chatted a little more, Tanya finally hung up.
Nora didn¡¯t tell Pete and Mia about it. Taking Mia as a student and teaching her how to dance was Tanya¡¯s decision, and had nothing to do with her. She didn¡¯t need to go to the children and tell them about it to gain favors.
The day passed quickly.
Early next morning, Nora got out of bed and went to perform acupuncture on Old Maddy again.
Barring any idents, she would be visiting Old Maddy and treating his illness for the next half a month.
Unexpectedly, though, as soon as she reached the small house in the backyard, she saw the butler standing outside the house in a dilemma. At the sight of her, he immediately panicked and said, "Ms. Nora, Old Maddy is still unconscious. Surely nothing has gone wrong, right?"
The fact that he was still unconscious... showed that his health had suffered a lot and that he had been in a highly tense mental state over the years. Thus, after she had performed acupuncture on him, thereby allowing him to rx, he had fallen into a deep sleep.
Nora entered the house and checked Old Maddy¡¯s pulse.
The butler watched them from the side.
The sight of Ms. Nora checking Old Maddy¡¯s pulse like an alternative medicine practitioner surprised him. After all, alternative medicine practitioners were generally more advanced in age. Could someone as young as her... really do it?
The butler once again questioned Nora¡¯s medical skills.
This was especially because, since the day before, Old Maddy had only woken up once halfway because of hunger. After eating a little something, he had fallen asleep again.
Surely Ms. Nora¡¯s medical treatment wouldn¡¯t really cause Old Maddy¡¯s death, right?
While he was thinking about it, he saw Nora brandish the extra-long needle and stick it into Old Maddy¡¯s head again. A few jabster, Nora got onto her feet and said, "He¡¯s fine. He¡¯ll recover after he sleeps for a few more days."
Then, she turned and left.
The butler: "..."
Was there anyone who slept for 23.5 hours out of 24 a day?!
¡ª
While walking back to the main house after leaving Old Maddy¡¯s residence, Nora received a call from Lily. Lily said, "I¡¯ve received the DNA sample you sent. I¡¯ll start the test now. The results will be out in eight hours."
Chapter 333: Provocation
Chapter 333: Provocation
Eight hours?
Nora nced behind her at Old Maddy¡¯s residence and nodded. "Okay," she said.
After hanging up, she went out and drove to the underground arena. Her only task during this period of time was to advance to ss F as quickly as possible so that she could spar with Big Brother.
As usual, she changed into the red tight-fitting dress in the car. Then, she entered the underground arena.
As soon as she went in, she heard people deep in discussion next to her.
"Who do you think will be stronger this year? Big Brother or Big Sister?"
"Both of them are very strong. It¡¯s just that Big Brother participated in thest martial arts tournament, so he has already disyed his strength for all to see, whereas Big Sister didn¡¯t."
"She¡¯s still amazing even if she¡¯s never participated in it before. Big Sister is of equal repute as Big Brother."
"That¡¯s right. Also, have you guys seen Big Sister¡¯s first few matches? I wonder just how exciting the final match will be!"
"I did, I did! Compared to Big Sister, Big Brother¡¯s build is a little too weak!"
"Hahaha! When the timees for them topete, will Big Sister hold Big Brother down just by sitting on him?"
"..."
Amidstments like theirs, a voice traveled over. "All of you are such good-for-nothings. How could the champion possibly emerge only from those two sects?"
The person¡¯s words took everyone who was talking by surprise.
Even Nora, who was about to pass by them, stopped and looked at the person speaking.
The person who had spoken was from a small four-man team. None of them had masks on, and they were wearing clothes specific to a certain sect.
Those clothes...
"You guys are from Benevolence Hall?"
Benevolence Hall was a martial arts sect.
It was also a sect that someone had established out of the blue in recent years. This was their first time participating in the martial arts tournament, so people weren¡¯t very optimistic about them.
Someoneughed and said, "Who else could it be, if not Big Sister or Big Brother? Well, certainly not someone from the Benevolence Hall, right?"
The person who had spoken just now nodded. He puffed his chest out and sneered, "That¡¯s right. Even though it hasn¡¯t been long since the Benevolence Hall was established, our first senior disciple, Victor, can crush Big Brother and Big Sister for sure!"
The manughed. "Victor? Who the hell is that? Why haven¡¯t I heard of him before?"
The others echoed him. They asked, "The name Benevolence Hall sounds so weak. Whose disciples are you guys?"
The Benevolence Hall disciplesughed and replied, "Our trainer¡¯s name will scare you to death! He¡¯s the internationally renowned boxing champion, Abigail!"
Abigail was a strong and muscr African man.
He was the champion of the previous year¡¯s international boxingpetition. When he won, he had said on stage that he would love to have the opportunity to witness the level of martial arts in the States.
In particr, he held great interest in the Quinn School of Martial Arts, which was famous for its training in physical strength. He had even questioned why the Quinn School of Martial Arts hadn¡¯t sent anyone to participate in the boxingpetition and wondered if it was because they were afraid of being embarrassed if they lost the match. If so, then he would have toe over and personally challenge them to a duel.
Quinn had been outraged when the news reached him.
He had raved and ranted about him for three days straight in the training gym and said that his was an internal style of martial arts that was upied with spiritual and mental aspects. How could it possibly be the same as that lout¡¯s style of martial arts?!
Who knew just how that devious old Irvin might beughing at him behind his back because of this?!
Little did they expect that the sect with a name as elegant as the Benevolence Hall was actually established by Abigail, though? On top of that, he had reallye to the States!
While a frowning Nora was musing over this, a random member of the audience had already curled his lips disdainfully and scoffed, "What¡¯s the big deal about a boxing champion? Is he evenparable to the martial artists in the States? The martial artists here are very powerful! We¡¯ll beat you guys up no matter how many people you throw at us! We¡¯ll knock all your teeth out, and beat you up so bad that even your mom won¡¯t recognize you!"
Victor was a big and tall man. He had a sullen look on his face at the moment. When he heard what the man said, he sneered, "Then get Big Brother or Big Sister toe out here and fight with me."
The members of the audience immediately retorted, "Oh my, do you think they¡¯ll fight you just because you say so? Big Brother and Big Sister are very busy people. Who would have that much time to deal with you? Why should Big Brother and Big Sister show you that much courtesy when everyone wants to challenge the two of them to make a name for themselves?"
"Exactly! Why should they show you that much courtesy?!"
Victor frowned at what they said. Before he could say anything, the people behind him shouted, "Tsk, as if they are that awesome. If they are that great, then why don¡¯t theye and teach us a lesson? I bet they don¡¯t even live up to their reputations!"
Chapter 334: No Virtue
Chapter 334: No Virtue
The others clenched their fists.
Irvin School of Martial Arts and Quinn School of Martial Arts had always been respected in the pugilistic world, especially in the past few years. In peaceful times, the pugilistic world had weakened and everyone had returned to normal.
Irvin School of Martial Arts and Quinn School of Martial Arts had instead be a form of spiritual sustenance for martial artists.
Although there had been people who had questioned Big Brother and Big Sister¡¯s strength, Irvin School of Martial Arts¡¯s Big Brother had won the championship at the age of 15 with an absolute advantage 10 years ago, silencing everyone.
Everyone was obsessed with Big Brother and Big Sister. This was also the reason why so many people asked to take a photo with them at the martial arts seminar.
Now, Victor had provoked the two of them right away, causing everyone to re angrily at them.
"What are you doing?"
The person behind Victor said, "If you have the ability, get Big Brother or Big Sister toe out and fight openly. Otherwise, if you cause trouble and provoke us here, you¡¯ll be chased out of the martial artspetition!"
The martial artspetition was only held to give the martial artists a sense of belonging. It was not to select the real champion but to give all the martial artists a goal.
If there was no martial artspetition, the sects would probably not want to practice martial arts anymore. They would only want to umte wealth and strengthen their bodies.
Therefore, there was a rule in the martial artspetition that all members were restricted from provoking or attacking in private. Once they were discovered, the person who attacked would be eliminated.
When those people heard this, they did not dare to move.
Victor nced at them and clearly felt that it was a little boring. He turned around and walked towards the entrance.
Nora stood there and happened to block the intersection.
Seeing that Victor was getting closer and closer, Nora retracted her gaze and stepped into the martial artspetition first.
Nora, Justin, and Quentin met up. The three people, who were ying ss C today, did so effortlessly. After the match, the three of them sat on the sofa and waited for the next match. Suddenly, a bloodied and deformed person was carried down from a certain ring.
Someone carried a stretcher and walked past Nora and the other two.
There would definitely be injuries in the arena, so Nora did not notice it at first.
After a while, someone got off the stage and walked toward the food section. As he walked, everyone in the martial artspetition venue looked at him with resentment in their eyes.
"Victor."
Suddenly, someone shouted.
Victor stopped in his tracks and looked over. He saw someone from Quinn School of Martial Arts walking over. "Although this is a martial artspetition, it¡¯s just apetition between the various sects. There¡¯s no need to fight so hard, right?"
As soon as he said this, Victor sneered. "Oh? In boxingpetitions, the opponent has to be knocked unconscious. I didn¡¯t know that New York loved peace so much."
His words were filled with mockery. "No wonder all the sects are like this now."
The disciple from Quinn School of Martial Arts was stunned by his words, but he still said politely, "That¡¯s not what I meant..."
Victor interrupted him again. "Then what do you mean? Are you ming me for being too ruthless? Or should there be no casualties on thepetition grounds?"
The disciple choked again. "No, casualties are inevitable. But you were too ruthless just now. The other party had already admitted defeat, so why were you still fighting? His life will be ruined if he continues like this!"
Victor sneered. "Oh, what does it have to do with me? Did I force him to participate in the martial artspetition?"
The disciple was speechless.
Every word that Victor said was aimed at the martial artspetition. His words held his disdain for the martial artspetition.
Everyone clenched their fists.
Victor swept the surroundings with his gaze and sneered. "In my opinion, the martialpetition is the time to fight for the honor of the sect. If you can¡¯t afford to y, then you should withdraw from thepetition!"
Chapter 335: Pervert
Chapter 335: Pervert
Victor was very domineering.
With that, he walked straight to the food section with a vicious look on his face.
The disciple of Quinn School of Martial Arts was stunned by his aura.
He took a deep breath and finally calmed down. He pointed at him angrily and scolded, "What a petty person! In the next match, you will be facing Quinn School of Martial Arts¡¯s ss D people! I¡¯ll wait for you to say this again!"
Quinn School of Martial Arts?
Victor paused in his footsteps and smiled.
However, he did not say anything. Instead, he picked up the beverage beside him and drank it.
The group quickly dispersed.
The people around them disliked the four people from Benevolence Hall very much. The four of them did not mind and found a ce to sit and rest very freely.
Nora lowered her eyes. When her fingers touched the sofa gently, Cherry¡¯s voice was heard. "Mommy, Daddy, can the ss D people teach him a lesson?"
Before Nora and Justin could say anything, Quentin sneered. "Yes."
Nora raised her eyebrows and looked at him.
Quentin pursed his lips in disdain. "I know this person."
He rolled his eyes. "There are a few branches of the dark forces in New York. Two years ago, this person was one of Scarface¡¯s subordinates. His name is Victor. Back then, he liked to gamble and was idling around all day. Later on, he separated from Scarface and the others and joined Benevolence Hall."
Nora asked curiously, "Does Benevolence Hall ept such people?"
Logically speaking, the recruitment of people in a martial arts club depended on their age.
No matter how one looked at it, Victor was already 27 or 28 years old. He was already 25 or 26 years old two years ago. Such a person¡¯s bones had already matured, so it was useless to practice anything else.
Why would Benevolence Hall take him in as a disciple?
While thinking, Quentin sneered. "What Benevolence Hall? Do you think anyone really joined it? Those four people are all hooligans. The kind who have nothing better to do."
Nora was curious. "Then are they very skilled?"
Quentin was even more disdainful. "How is that possible? Their skills aren¡¯t good, they¡¯re just ruthless. I guess the ss C fighter was too careless."
If he was weak, why would he say such harsh words?
Nora felt that Quentin¡¯s words were too one-sided.
Seeing that Victor was on stage again and preparing for the nextpetition, Nora suddenly stood up. "Let¡¯s go over and take a look."
She did not understand why she was interested in such a scum.
After the three of them walked over, they saw a ss D yer from Quinn School of Martial Arts already standing on the stage. Nora knew this person. He was a disciple of the same generation as her. His name was Randy.
He was very skilled.
Furthermore, because he was in Quinn School of Martial Arts all year round, he did not hide his identity.
Obviously, Quentin also knew him. "So Victor is going up against Randy this time? There will definitely be no problem."
With that, he shouted, "Randy, beat him up!"
He turned around. The others who had just witnessed Victor beating someone up also began to shout, "Beat him up! Randy will definitely win!"
Randy raised his hand. After Victor went on stage, he cupped his hands and said, "I apologize in advance!"
With that, he raised his fist and punched Victor quickly and hatefully!
"Yes!"
The surrounding audience cried out. They all felt that this punch was steady and fast. Victor could not dodge it no matter what. However, just as the fist was about to reach his face, Victor suddenly turned to the side to dodge and kicked Randy in the stomach!
"Wow!"
The sudden turn of events shocked the entire scene.
Not to mention the others, even Quentin frowned. "How is this possible?!"
Nora looked at him.
Quentin was staring at the stage in shock. "This Victor was still a little hooligan two years ago. I could have beaten him with one hand, but he attacked too quickly just now! This doesn¡¯t look like he has learned martial arts for just two years! No matter how talented he is, what can he learn in two years?"
Quentin asked himself, even if it was him, his speed could only be this fast! However, he had studied hard and practiced martial arts since he was young.
Quentin eximed, "He can¡¯t be considered a genius, right? He¡¯s simply a freak!"
Nora, who had learned all the techniques in the Quinn School of Martial Arts in two years: ?
Chapter 336: The Big Sister of The Quinn School of Martial Arts!
Chapter 336: The Big Sister of The Quinn School of Martial Arts!
Nora did not say anything and continued to watch thepetition on the stage.
Quentin¡¯s nagging kept ringing in her ears.
"F*ck! He can dodge such a trick? Not only has his speed increased, but his strength has also increased a lot!"
"I think Randy is definitely going to lose!"
"I even bullied this kid before. Why didn¡¯t I feel that he was so strong? That¡¯s not right. Logically speaking, if he had talent in martial arts, he should have shown it two years ago!"
Quentin had been living in the dark all along and knew these forces very well.
He definitely knew where a powerful little hooligan came from in New York.
Looking at Victor¡¯s current state, it was obvious that his ability was on par with his. However, it had to be known that among the seven boys of the Smith generation, Ian had only chosen him because he was naturally suited to practicing martial arts!
But he had been practicing for so many years, and someone else had used just two years to catch up?
Quentin was indignant!
"Randy, defeat him!"
Quentin led the surrounding audience and shouted.
Unfortunately, Randy was not Victor¡¯s match. He was defeated in less than five minutes!
Randy fell onto the stage. His entire body hurt so much that he could not stand up. He stretched out his hand and nned to say, "I admit..."
Before he could say the word "defeat," Victor took a step forward and kicked him in the abdomen, causing him to roll a few times on the ground.
Randy spat out a mouthful of blood from the pain.
Someone beside him shouted, "Victor, what are you doing? Randy has already admitted defeat!"
Victor stood on stage and grinned. "Is that so? Why didn¡¯t I hear that? Did he say anything?"
"..."
Randy did not finish his sentence!
Victor looked at Randy. "Did you admit defeat?"
Randy wanted to say something, but when he opened his mouth, he spat out another mouthful of blood. Victor spread out his hands. "Did you see that? He didn¡¯t say anything at all. That means thepetition will continue."
With that, he rushed in front of Randy and kicked him again. This time, Randy mmed into the railing at the edge.
Being blocked by the railing, Randy did not fall off the stage.
If he fell off the stage, thepetition would end.
However, he did not. It only made his entire body hurt even more. He opened his mouth and coughed up blood. He could not speak at all. He raised his hand, intending to surrender. However, just as he stretched his trembling hand out, Victor grabbed it and pulled him hard.
Randy was thrown into the middle of the ring again!
Victor flexed his wrist and slowly walked in front of Randy. "What a tough nut. Since you¡¯re so tough, don¡¯t me me for being rude!"
With that, he extended his leg and stepped on Randy¡¯s raised hand! Then, he crushed it!
Randy cried out in pain and fainted.
"Enough! He lost! Referee!"
As everyone shouted, the referee walked over. "Randy has already fainted. You won. Let him go..."
Victor raised his eyebrows. "Who said he fainted?"
As soon as he finished speaking, he exerted more force with his feet.
The fingers were connected to the heart. Randy had actually woken up from the pain. His entire body was trembling, and he could no longer speak or use any strength.
"Referee, look. He¡¯s still awake. He must still want to fight me."
Victor said ruthlessly.
The referee was speechless.
This Victor had captured all the loopholes in thepetition.
Randy was a disciple of the Quinn School of Martial Arts. Nora narrowed her eyes and revealed a fierce look.
She was about to attack when a voice sounded. "Stop!"
With this voice, the crowd automatically moved aside. Linda, who had been pretending to be her, rushed out. When she saw the stage, she frowned. "Are you challenging Quinn School of Martial Arts?"
Victor lowered his eyes. "So it¡¯s Big Sister. Why? Do you want to fight me on his behalf? Sure. But do you dare?"
Linda choked on her words.
Would she dare?
On stage, Randy was Linda¡¯s martial uncle! He was more powerful than her!
Wouldn¡¯t it be even more embarrassing for the Quinn School of Martial Arts if she went on stage?
However, Victor was still provoking her. "Tsk, I think Quinn School of Martial Arts¡¯s Big Sister is just an embroidered pillow, right? You don¡¯t even dare to do this?"
Chapter 337: Going On Stage
Chapter 337: Going On Stage
His words angered everyone.
Someone shouted, "Big Sister, teach him a lesson!"
The others immediately echoed, "That¡¯s right, Big Sister. Teach him a lesson! Let him know how powerful Quinn School of Martial Arts is!"
"I think he doesn¡¯t know the immensity of heaven and earth! Big Sister, you must help Randy take revenge!"
"Big Sister, even if you beat him up until he¡¯s looking for his teeth all over the ground, we won¡¯t think that Quinn School of Martial Arts is bullying him! He¡¯s too arrogant. He¡¯s simply too much!"
"Who do the people of Benevolence Hall think they are? How dare they tease Quinn School of Martial Arts?"
"..."
Quentin was also furious and anxious by the side. He shouted anxiously, "Big Sister, attack! Let him know how powerful Quinn School of Martial Arts is!"
Linda, who was pretending to be Big Sister: "..."
She looked anxiously at the crowd, not knowing what to do.
At this time, she would lose face if she went on stage. But if she did not go on stage, it would make people feel that Quinn School of Martial Arts was afraid.
For a moment, she was in a dilemma.
However, Victor was still sneering. "What? Big Sister, you still don¡¯t dare toe up?"
Quentin pranced about. "Why isn¡¯t Big Sister on stage yet? If I was a member of the Quinn School of Martial Arts, I would have gone up and taught him a lesson!"
The people from the Quinn School of Martial Arts had been bullied. Only when their own people went on stage could they be considered to have pped the faces of the bullies. Otherwise, what would happen if word got out?
However, Randy was ranked in the top five of Quinn School of Martial Arts. Even so, he had lost. The rest of the people from Quinn School of Martial Arts did not dare to go on stage and embarrass themselves.
Nora narrowed her eyes and stared at the ring.
She took a step forward, but her arm was suddenly grabbed.
She turned around and saw Justin staring at her. "He¡¯s doing it on purpose."
Nora¡¯s eyes darkened when she heard those words.
Yes.
She had also felt it earlier.
From the moment Victor entered, he had been constantly challenging the dignity of the Big Sister of Quinn School of Martial Arts. He had found someone from the Quinn School of Martial Arts to fight, and he was so vicious as to make ruthless remarks on the stage.
All of this proved that he had done it on purpose. His goal was to anger Big Sister intoing out.
She was aware of it...
However...
Nora looked at the stage again.
Linda¡¯s face was already steely with anger. She clenched her fists tightly and could not say a word.
At first, the people from Quinn School of Martial Arts all shouted for revenge. However, when they saw that Linda was not moving and that no one else was going on stage, their auras began to weaken.
If she did not make a move, it would probably be difficult for the people of Quinn School of Martial Arts to raise their heads in the future.
Nora took a deep breath and suddenly said, "I¡¯ll fight you."
As soon as these calm words were spoken, the surroundings instantly fell silent.
Everyone looked at Nora, who was wearing a silver mask.
Victor frowned and looked at her in confusion.
Quentin, who was filled with righteous indignation and wanted Big Sister to make a move, heard this and suddenly turned back to look at Nora in disbelief.
Then, he lowered his voice and said, "What are you doing? You don¡¯t need to show off at this time, this person is very strong!"
Nora ignored him and went on stage step by step.
Someone had already made way for her.
When Linda saw Nora, she heaved a deep sigh of relief.
After Nora stood on stage, Victor said, "028, this is between me and Quinn School of Martial Arts. It has nothing to do with you."
Nora lowered her eyes and said calmly, "I¡¯m also a member of Quinn School of Martial Arts. How could I have nothing to do with this?"
Everyone was shocked by her words.
"So she¡¯s from Quinn School of Martial Arts!"
"No wonder she¡¯s so powerful!"
However, after frowning, Victor sneered. "Among women, I only treat Big Sister as an opponent. I advise you to hurry down and not embarrass yourself."
Nora stretched out her fist. "Is Big Sister someone you canpete with just because you want to? You have to get past me first."
Victor stared at her with a dark gaze. After examining Nora from head to toe, he said coldly, "Alright. Since you want to die, I¡¯ll fulfill your wish! Don¡¯t think that I¡¯ll be merciful just because you¡¯re a woman!"
After saying that, he did not give Nora any time to react. Without saying anything else, he rushed over and wanted to knock her down.
Chapter 338: Admit Defeat?
Chapter 338: Admit Defeat?
Victor did not want to waste too much time and wanted to end this quickly.
Therefore, he gathered all his strength in this punch. He did not care that the other party was a woman at all, nor did he have any intention of being gentle toward her.
The woman in front of him could still dodge with her thin body.
However, 028 did not dodge. She even stretched out her hand to block his punch!
"You¡¯re really courting death!"
As Victor thought this, he sneered.
Their faction walked the path of strength. As the disciple of the boxing champion, he was definitely the strongest in terms of strength. This was also the reason why he had provoked Quinn School of Martial Arts. After all, Irvin School of Martial Arts¡¯s movement techniques were agile, so he might not necessarily be able topare.
However, Quinn School of Martial Arts fought with real strength.
But a woman waspeting in strength with him?
Ha.
As Victor thought this, he increased his speed. The impact of his body and the strength he had originally umted made this punch reach the imposing aura of a mountain.
Those who were standing a little closer could feel the murderous intent in his fists. They looked at Nora worriedly.
Although Nora had won with one punch in the first few matches, they were still worried for her now.
The next moment, however...
The two fists had already collided in the air!
Bam!
When the heavy force hit each other, just hearing it made one feel like their bones were about to break.
Quentin could not help but frown. His mind was even beginning to wonder which hospital in New York had the best surgical skills. He could now help 028 reconnect her bones.
However, when he looked over, he saw the two standing there with their fists still clenched...
However, Nora¡¯s eyes under the silver mask did not change much. Instead, Victor¡¯s face was filled with surprise and hesitation. He stared at the two touching fists in disbelief.
10 secondster, Victor¡¯s leg went soft and he took two steps back. His clenched hand had already drooped down weakly. It was obvious that he had broken a bone.
He stared at his hand in shock and looked at Nora again.
However, the woman, who had not taken the initiative all this while, suddenly rushed over. Her lips curled into a cold smile as she stretched out her slender and fair legs...
Everyone only saw Nora stretch out her leg. Her red dress fluttered up. Then, with a bang, Victor was kicked to the ground and could not get up no matter what.
While everyone was worried about Nora, Justin¡¯s bright eyes looked at that leg...
This woman was really... Why was she wearing a dress when she was fighting? It was fine if it affected her performance, but once she lifted her leg, her insides... As he thought about this, he saw Nora wearing safety pants that covered the scenery inside.
He finally heaved a heavy sigh of relief.
However...
Her fair thighs and calves were still too exposed.
Next time, he would prepare some pants for her!
As he thought this, the surrounding crowd had already erupted in apuse!
Then, someone from Quinn School of Martial Arts shouted, "Quinn School of Martial Arts is mighty! Quinn School of Martial Arts is invincible!"
The others followed.
"Invincible Quinn School of Martial Arts!"
"Invincible Quinn School of Martial Arts!"
Nora did not care about these voices. She only patted her fists lightly and immediately looked at Victor, who was lying on the ground and could not get up. She asked, "Do you admit defeat?"
Victor¡¯s abdomen had been kicked, and he felt as if his organs had shifted.
He was about to speak when Nora¡¯s fist hit his face again!
He had nowhere to hide from this punch!
Bam!
Nora knocked out four of his front teeth.
The woman flexed her shoulders and asked, "Do you admit defeat?"
Victor: "..."
For some reason, the red-dressed woman standing in front of him suddenly became terrifying.
In the end, Victor was carried off by the other three from Benevolence Hall. When they left in a hurry, the martial arts arena was filled with cheers.
Nora let Victor off.
After all, it was difficult to teach manners to a dead person.
However, this could also be considered revenge for Randy.
She gave Linda aforting look. When she got off the stage, Quentin grabbed her arm. He looked at her with aplicated expression. "Who are you?"
Chapter 339: You’re Really Irritating
Chapter 339: You¡¯re Really Irritating
Just who exactly she was?
Nora raised her eyebrows and replied, "A disciple of the Quinn School of Martial Arts."
Quentin: "..."
Nora didn¡¯t pay any more attention to Quentin. Instead, she walked toward the exit.
¡ª
Elsewhere.
Victor, who was carried out of the arena and into a car by three people, was sent to a vi in the suburbs.
Upon seeing Victor being carried into the living room, the big and tall green-eyed boxing champion Abigail, sitting on the sofa in the living room, slowly sat upright.
Abigail was 6¡¯5" tall and weighed 220 pounds. He was strong and sturdy and had huge muscles all over him. His build was a little simr to Jordan Hoffman¡¯s, but the power in his bulging arm muscles was much, much greater than Jordan¡¯s.
He stared at Victor and scoffed, "What a useless piece of trash! I¡¯ve invested so many resources in you, yet you can¡¯t even force Big Sister out of hiding? On top of that, you even let a nobody female disciple from the Quinn School of Martial Arts injure you this badly!"
If anyone other than Victor had suffered such injuries, he would already have passed out cold and been unable to speak.
However, Victor had already somewhat gotten over the initial pain and difort after resting on the way here. His physical resilience was astonishingly good.
His lips trembled as he slowly said, "I¡¯m sorry, sir. Give me some more time, I¡¯ll definitely defeat Big Sister in the finals!"
Abigail sneered, "You¡¯d best remember what you just said!"
He gave a wave after he spoke. Only then did the rest of the people there carry Victor upstairs.
There was no medical equipment upstairs.
In spite of that, they left immediately after throwing Victor onto the bed in the room. No one mentioned anything about going to the hospital.
It seemed like they had already be ustomed to it long ago.
Downstairs, Abigail had already picked up his cell phone and was making a call. He said, "Sir, we didn¡¯t manage to force Big Sister to take any action. Victor lost to a young female disciple from the Quinn School of Martial Arts."
The other party kept quiet for a moment before they asked, "A female disciple?"
"Yes, that¡¯s right."
"... Big Sister hasn¡¯t taken any action?"
"No."
"It seems that Victor isn¡¯t strong enough, then."
Abigail¡¯s voice deepened. "Do you need me to take action?"
"Let the juniors solve their problems themselves, but be sure to take off Big Sister¡¯s mask in the finals!"
Abigail was taken aback. "Her mask? Big Sister hasn¡¯t been wearing a mask at all, though..."
But as soon as he said that, Abigail himself was dumbfounded. "You mean the woman iming to be Big Sister is a fake? Then who is the real Big Sister?"
Abigail figured it out again at this point. "It¡¯s No. 028!" He eximed.
The other party scoffed, "So, you¡¯re not that stupid, after all."
Then, he said, "I heard that Caleb Gray is in New York? Keep an eye on him and see what he has been up to recently, as well as who he has contacted more often."
"Yes, sir."
After hanging up, Abigail looked upstairs with a cold look in his eyes.
¡ª
Who on earth was investigating her? And who would pose such a threat to her that her mother would leave suchst words behind?
Nora kept thinking about these two questions as she drove home.
Victor¡¯s appearance kept giving her the feeling that a conspiracy was slowly surfacing into the open, yet all of it was beyond her reach. In fact, she didn¡¯t even know who the other party was.
Nora returned to the Smiths with those doubts on her mind.
As soon as she entered the house, she saw Yvonne sitting on the sofa looking troubled and worried. When Yvonne saw her, she said, "Nora..."
Nora looked at her.
The servants in the living room also looked at her.
Yvonne bit her lip and said, "Old Maddy still hasn¡¯t woken up yet."
Nora nodded. "That¡¯s normal."
Yvonne, however, sighed and said, "Let¡¯s take Old Maddy to the hospital, Nora. It won¡¯t do for him to continue sleeping like he¡¯satose. By the time something really happens, it¡¯ll be terrible."
Nora frowned and said distantly and indifferently, "I just told you it¡¯s normal. Didn¡¯t you hear me?"
Yvonne: "?"
She bit her lip and said, "Nora, you mustn¡¯t treat Old Maddy¡¯s illness like that. Although he doesn¡¯t have any children and is all alone, after staying here in the Smiths¡¯ manor for so long, he¡¯s pretty much already family... You shouldn¡¯t abuse his body like that..."
Nora walked straight upstairs.
Yvonne followed behind her. She was about to continue when Nora suddenly stopped and looked back at her. "Has anyone ever told you that you¡¯re very irritating?"
Chapter 340: Is He Ryan Smith?
Chapter 340: Is He Ryan Smith?
Although Nora¡¯s voice was low and hoarse, it was clear. With so many people present, her words reached everyone¡¯s ears.
All the nannies and servants looked at one another. In the end, all of them lowered their heads in silence.
Yvonne suddenly flushed. She hadn¡¯t expected Nora to speak so bluntly. Nevertheless, she had great mental resilience, so she immediately replied, "Nora, I know you¡¯re irritated because I¡¯m so long-winded, but there are some things that the Smiths can do, and some things that they can¡¯t! You mustn¡¯t treat Old Maddy so inhumanely! Your medical treatment has already caused him to beatose! Are you going to bear the responsibility if he really dies?"
Nora stared at her. "Yeah, I will."
"..."
Her words made Yvonne choke.
Even a doctor wouldn¡¯t dare to say that, yet Nora had actually said it.
She took a deep breath. "Nora, you¡ª"
Nora, however, didn¡¯t pay her any more attention. She went straight into her bedroom and mmed the door shut, isting herself from themotion outside.
Her actions put Yvonne in a particrly awkward situation.
Florence, who was standing behind her, said angrily, "Ms. Yvonne, you shouldn¡¯t bother yourself with her! If something really happens, let¡¯s see how she¡¯s going to answer for it!"
Yvonne took a deep breath and said pretentiously, "Mdm. Florence, I¡¯m not trying to interfere with her affairs. I¡¯m just worried about Dad! Dad was the one who personally allowed Old Maddy to live here, after all. Besides¡ªothers may not know this, but I¡¯m sure you do¡ªDad asionally visits Old Maddy like he¡¯s visiting an old friend..."
Florence frowned. "Yes, we all treat Old Maddy like he¡¯s family. I just didn¡¯t expect a certain someone to be so cruel as to use him as a guinea pig for their experiments!"
Yvonne sighed. "Yes, that¡¯s why I¡¯ve been worried about Old Maddy¡¯s safety all this time..."
The two of them entered the study while they spoke.
Yvonne closed the door and sighed. "Mdm. Florence, what if I give Dad a call now and tell him about this?"
Florence immediately waved and said, "No, you mustn¡¯t. The old sir is in the midst of recuperation right now. If you tell him about it, he¡¯ll definitely be anxious. I think it¡¯s better to tell Mr. Joel about it instead."
Yvonne said, "But Joel has already agreed to let Nora treat Old Maddy¡¯s illness. Dad is the only one who can stop her now, but I don¡¯t want to disturb him, either. How about this? If Old Maddy continues to beatose... I have a pill here called the Carefree Pill that can treat brain problems. This pill is said to have saved Mrs. Hunt¡¯s life!"
The Carefree Pill?
Florence was taken aback. "Isn¡¯t that a creation by Harmonia Pharmacy?"
"Yes, that¡¯s right."
Yvonne cast her eyes down and said, "I heard that the pill can refresh and invigorate one¡¯s mind. I¡¯m sure Old Maddy will wake up once he consumes a pill as expensive as this. That way, nothing will happen to him anymore."
Florence was still rather hesitant. "Can the pill be taken so casually?"
Yvonne shook her head. "I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve heard that traditional medicine is meant to nourish one¡¯s body, but I don¡¯t dare to let him take it, either. Forget it, Mdm. Florence, if Old Maddy continues to beatose after another two days, then we¡¯ll talk to Dad about it!"
After saying that, Yvonne ced the Carefree Pill in her hand on the desk, got up, and left the study.
However, she didn¡¯t leave after she went out. Instead, she stood at the door and looked into the study.
Florence was staring at the Carefree Pill on the desk.
If she gave the pill to Old Maddy, he would recover, right? This way, they wouldn¡¯t have to disturb the old sir anymore.
The old sir was in poor health, so no one dared to disturb him with the affairs at home.
Not only would it cure Old Maddy, but they also wouldn¡¯t need to disturb the old sir...
Florence picked up the pill and went straight to Old Maddy¡¯s residence.
Seeing her leave, Yvonne lowered her head. A small smile appeared at the corners of her lips.
¡ª
The next day, Nora went to Old Maddy¡¯s residence and performed acupuncture on him as per usual.
After watching Old Maddy fall asleep again at the end of the acupuncture session, she got up and walked out of the house.
Lily called her at this point. "The DNA test results are out!" she said.
Nora asked nervously, "Is he Ryan Smith?"
Chapter 341: Exposed
Chapter 341: Exposed
Lily¡¯s answer was straightforward. "Ipared his DNA with yours, as well as with Ian¡¯s. The results show that he is unrted to either of you."
He was unrted to either of them?
So, he wasn¡¯t Ryan Smith at all?
Nora frowned. It seemed like her guess had been off the mark.
But if Old Maddy wasn¡¯t Ryan, then who was he?
While she was thinking about it, Lily added, "His DNA is kinda strange, though. Is he mentally ill?"
Nora was taken aback. "What¡¯s the matter?"
"From his DNA, it seems that he has gic psychosis."
Nora cast her eyes down. "Yeah, he¡¯s a madman."
"No wonder, then."
Lily hung up after voicing her objective observations.
Nora stared at the phone for a while.
In the end, she tossed it into her pocket.
The solution was actually very simple. She would know who Old Maddy was once she cured his illness, right?
Besides, curing him would only take her half a month.
Her martial arts tournament match that night was ratherte, so Nora decided to go to the hospital to visit Ian first.
Ian was staying at a private hospital with excellent facilities. Nora had a lot of self-awareness; she knew that her existence was a disgrace to Ian, so she didn¡¯t go to his ward. Instead, she was nning to approach his attending doctor to ask about his condition.
As soon as she arrived at the door to Ian¡¯s attending doctor¡¯s office, she heard Joel¡¯s voiceing from inside. "Are you still unable to reach Anti?"
The attending doctor nodded. "Yes, Anti rarely checks her email."
Joel heaved a huge sigh. "In that case, Uncle Ian¡¯s condition..."
"The hemangiomas in his brain are very hard to remove. On top of that, he is in very poor health, so we don¡¯t rmend surgery. Anti is the only one whose hands are fast enough to control the bleeding and the anesthesia."
Joel¡¯s voice turned cold. "Then keep looking for him."
"Okay."
Nora slowly took a few steps backward as she listened to their conversation. She raised her eyebrows and her lips curled into a smile.
Ian had refused to take the Andersons¡¯ Carefree Pills all this time because he held a grudge against them for Yvette¡¯s betrayal.
He had probably never thought that he would ultimately still need her to save his life.
Nora picked up her phone, opened Anti¡¯s email inbox, and searched through it. Sure enough, she found the SOS email that the Smiths had sent.
When Nora was quietly leaving the hospital, Yvonne, who hade to visit Ian, happened to be getting out of the car.
Yvonne frowned as she gazed at Nora from the back.
It seemed like Nora wasn¡¯t as dumb as she looked, after all. She had actually thought ofing to the hospital to please Dad?
She would never give Nora the opportunity, though!
¡ª
At the martial arts tournament arena.
Neither Nora nor Justin had arrived yet. Quentin had arrived early, so he was sitting on the sofa in the dining area in boredom and thinking about the moves that Nora had used the day before.
No. 028 undoubtedly had remarkable skills.
It didn¡¯t seem like much when she defeated the others with just a single move¡ªafter all, Quentin was also capable of doing the same¡ªbut when she was up against Victor the day before, she had still defeated him with one move all the same. Now, that was difficult.
Just who exactly was No. 028?
When had someone like her appeared in New York?
Had he be at risk of losing his position as third in the world?
Quentin thought about it with a great sense of crisis. At the same time, he also developed a sort of hostility toward No. 028.
An opponent like that would shake his position!
Quentin was still thinking about it when he suddenly spotted Big Sister and a few disciples from the Quinn School of Martial Arts. They had gathered and were talking in hushed voices.
Quentin immediately tossed No. 028 to the back of his mind, pretended to be nonchnt, and went toward Big Sister.
Linda was sitting with the rest of the Quinn School of Martial Arts disciples and talking to them. She waspletely unaware that someone had suddenlye up behind her.
"Linda, it¡¯s been some time since you started impersonating Big Sister. When do you intend toe clean about it?"
Linda scratched her head. "I should have confessed about it yesterday. After all, my opponents will only get stronger and stronger, and I won¡¯t be able to cope anymore. If Big Sister hadn¡¯t stepped forward and helped me out yesterday, I really don¡¯t know how I would¡¯ve dealt with Victor!"
Quentin: "????"
Chapter 342: Big Sister And Big Brother~
Chapter 342: Big Sister And Big Brother~
Quentin was dumbfounded.
He listened to them in disbelief.
"Big Sister sure is awesome, though. Even when she was up against Victor, she still won with just one move."
The tall and thick Linda was still chatting softly with herpanions. She said, "I¡¯d originally thought that even Big Sister would have to use a few moves, no matter what. Also, when Lucas told me to impersonate Big Sister, I had thought that there wasn¡¯t such a big gap between Big Sister¡¯s and my abilities, but unexpectedly, it¡¯s actually this huge! I admit to Big Sister¡¯s superiority from the bottom of my heart now!"
"Me too! Big Sister is simply amazing! To her, Big Brother is probably the only one who is a match for her."
"Say, if Big Sister encounters Big Brother, which of the two do you think will be stronger?"
"..."
Quentin felt like his ears were ringing.
He subconsciously thought No. 028¡¯s martial prowess¡ªshe was indeed very impressive. He had been worried just a moment ago that she would pose a threat to his position as third in the world, but unexpectedly, she was actually his idol, the Big Sister of the Quinn School of Martial Arts?
But if she was Big Sister, why would she team up with him?
He¡¯d originally thought that what she had seen in him were his abilities! He had even wanted to take the two of them to the finals and let them piggyback off him!
That was what he thought, and that was what he said. He asked, "Since Big Sister is so strong, why did she join a team?"
The disciples were busy gossiping, so they didn¡¯t notice that it was someone else who had asked the question. They immediately replied, "Yeah, I really don¡¯t know what kind of sheer dumb luck Smithin has to actually be able to form a team with Big Sister. Their team name is too weak, though. Third In The World...? Even if Big Sister doesn¡¯t take first ce, she¡¯s at least in second ce, alright?"
"Yeah, life practically can¡¯t get any easier for Smithin now that he can actually ride on Big Sister¡¯s coattails!"
"What a shame that the others don¡¯t know about it."
"Speaking of which, there are actually people saying that No. 028 is lucky to be able to tag along with Smithin¡¯s team. Now that¡¯s the biggest joke I¡¯ve heard this year!"
"Big Sister probably finds it too troublesome. But since teaming up can save her half of the time required, she will definitely do it."
Quentin: "!!!"
He swallowed again and stared at the few of them in disbelief.
One of the reasons why he had invited a woman to join his team was that he¡¯d thought that that would make it easier for him to show off¡ªafter all, if he seeded in bringing a ¡¯weak and frail woman¡¯ into ss F, he would probably be a legend in the tournament, right?
But unexpectedly, the teammate whom he had casually approached was actually Big Sister?
¡¯Third In The World¡¯... That indeed lowered Big Sister¡¯s ranking, didn¡¯t it?
While he was in a daze, someone said, "Let¡¯s not say any more. If we go on, Big Sister¡¯s identity will be exposed. The surroundings are so dark, be careful not to let outsiderse near. If that happens, Linda¡¯s true identity will be given away!"
Linda said casually, "We¡¯re all from the Quinn School of Martial Arts here. What are you so scared of? There aren¡¯t any outsiders here."
After saying that, Linda and the rest looked around them. When their gazes swept across Quentin, they skipped him out of habit.
Ten secondster.
Linda¡¯s head abruptly whipped toward Quentin, who was still standing there in a daze.
Oh no!
Lately, Quentin had been following her around whenever he wasn¡¯t in a match, which caused the Quinn School of Martial Arts disciples to be ustomed to seeing him around. In that instant just now, they had straight-up thought of him as one of their own!
But!
Linda jumped onto her feet at once. "Y-you... you..."
Quentin looked at the group of disciples in front of him. He felt deeply deceived.
¡ª
Nora camete today.
When Justin saw her outside the entrance, he raised his eyebrows. "You just got here?"
"Yeah." Nora locked the car door and tossed the car key into her pocket. "Has the match started?"
"It¡¯s starting soon." Justin followed behind her and said with a smile, "Quentin is definitely going to nag at you again foring sote."
Nora gave an indifferent shrug. She was about to speak when she spotted Quentin standing in front of them in a daze, his eyes practically stuck on her.
Nora: "?"
She took a step forward and said, "Sorry, I¡¯m a littlete."
She¡¯d thought that Quentin would definitely take that as an excuse to lecture her a little, but unexpectedly...
A starry-eyed Quentin actually said, "It¡¯s okay! I¡¯ll wait, no matter howte you are!"
Nora: "??"
Justin, who was carrying Cherry and about to step through the door: "??"
Justin looked over, his dark eyes fixing themselves sinisterly on Quentin. As though he didn¡¯t notice Justin staring at him at all, Quentin leaned toward Nora and said, "I¡¯ve found out your true identity, Big Sister."
"..."
Nora fell silent for a moment. Her true identity? Which? Did he find out that Nora Smith was Big Sister? Or that No. 028 was Big Sister?
She coughed and asked tentatively, "Which identity are you talking about?"
Quentin lowered his head. His face was as red as a tomato, just like someone who had be embarrassed upon meeting their idol. He replied, "Y¡¯know, your identity as Big Sister! I heard about it from Linda and the others just now. I¡¯d never thought that myrade in battle would actually turn out to be Big Sister..."
Nora coughed. "Yeah."
It seemed that her Nora Smith identity hadn¡¯t been given away.
Her lips curled into a smile and she walked in front.
Quentin subconsciously followed behind her. He was about to say something to her again when Justin, who was carrying Cherry, inserted himself between the two of them.
Quentin: "..."
He looked at the big and tall man. When he thought of how the two of them were husband and wife, Quentin suddenly grabbed Justin¡¯s arm, lowered his voice, and said, "You¡¯re not worthy of Big Sister."
Justin: "?"
Quentin sneered, "You¡¯re a man, yet you¡¯re always taking care of the child at home. Don¡¯t you feel that you¡¯re not worthy of Big Sister at all? In the ring, you always let Big Sister take action while you hide at the back instead... How did Big Sister fall in love with a wimp like you? Do the two of you even havemon topics to talk about? Can you even be Big Sister¡¯s sparring partner when she wants to spar?"
"..."
The corners of Justin¡¯s lips spasmed as he stared at how Quentin was behaving. Suddenly, his lips curled into a smile and he said, "It can¡¯t be helped."
Quentin stopped talking and looked at him, wondering what he would say next. Little did he expect Justin to simply reply calmly, "She likes pretty boys like me."
Nora walking in front: "..."
Quentin, who heard his reply: "!!!"
That guy wasn¡¯t ashamed at all! On the contrary, he was proud of it!
He was too much!
Justin paused again. Then, he asked, "Besides, who do you think can be worthy of someone like her?"
Quentin puffed his chest out.
Justin¡¯s words, however, pierced his ego. "You? How many moves can youst in a fight with her?"
Quentin: "!!"
He was just a little stronger than Victor.
In spite of that, Quentin refused to admit defeat. He said, "Yes, I¡¯m indeed not worthy of Big Sister, but there¡¯s someone who is! Big Brother can definitely fight on par with Big Sister! The two of them are a perfect match!"
Upon hearing that, Justin nced at Nora, who was a little away from them. He suddenly lowered his head, leaned into his ear, and asked, "Then do you know who I am?"
Chapter 343: That’s Impossible!
Chapter 343: That¡¯s Impossible!
Quentin asked scornfully, "Who are you?"
He couldn¡¯t possibly be Big Brother, right?
He could understand why the Big Sister shown to the public was a fake¡ªNo. 028, aka Big Sister, wanted to keep her identity a secret. Judging from her personality, she seemed like a rtively low-key person.
But surely the Big Brother in the lounge couldn¡¯t possibly be fake as well, right?
... even if the man in front of him did look a bit like Big Brother!
While Quentin was thinking about it, Justin withdrew his gaze. Instead, he smiled and said, "I¡¯m Big Brother."
Quentin: "!!"
He suddenly sneered, "Can you make up a more reliable identity for yourself if you really have to make one up? What a braggart! That¡¯s so unrealistic!"
Was there anyone who didn¡¯t know that the Quinn School of Martial Arts¡¯ Big Sister and the Irvin School of Martial Arts¡¯ Big Brother were mortal enemies? Quinn and Irvin always fought whenever they met, which caused the two schools to be at constant loggerheads.
Surely there was no way Big Sister would have a baby with Big Brother, right?
Besides, he had merely casually dragged someone to form a team with him, and then randomly got another person to make up the numbers. Surely there was no way both Big Sister and Big Brother were in his team, right?
Yet Justin neither argued nor exined any further. Instead, he followed after Nora and called out, "Wait for me, Mom."
¡¯Mom¡¯...
He must be showing off that Big Sister had borne him a child, right?
There was no doubt about it¡ªhe was definitely a man who had gotten to where he was by relying on his kid!
Quentin followed Justin huffily, finding his entire self an eyesore.
That night, Quentin fought extra hard.
In addition, he also finally stopped caring about being in the limelight¡ªjust so he could perform well in front of Big Sister!
After the two matches, Nora and Justin got ready to go home.
Quentin followed Nora eagerly. "Shall I take you home, Big Sister?"
"... No, it¡¯s okay," said Nora.
For the first time, Quentin followed her out the door. "No, it¡¯s not. Let me take you home."
Nora stopped and gave him a half-amused look. "No, it¡¯s really okay."
Wouldn¡¯t he see her car if he went to the car park?
Although she disguised herself every time she came over, the car license te number would still give her away if he were to see it.
Seeing how firmly she was refusing his offer, Quentin could only see her off obediently.
After separating from Justin at the entrance, Nora found an inconspicuous area, changed back into her usual outfit, and took off her mask. Only then did she walk to her car.
As soon as she reached the car park, she spotted Quentin looking at the front surreptitiously.
Justin had already gotten into the car with Cherry. However, he didn¡¯t see Big Sister even after he craned his neck...
Nora stood behind him and looked at Justin¡¯s car, too. She couldn¡¯t help but click her tongue.
She hadn¡¯t noticed before, but Justin had actually driven over in an ordinary Volkswagen. The car was very inconspicuous, and the two of them kept their masks on even after they got into the car.
Well, that made sense. He had to be cautious since he had brought the child here.
But...
Nora stroked her chin. It seemed like she should also disguise herself while she was out. There was always a risk of exposure here.
Of course, the main reason was that she had been toozy to change to a different car, ahem.
While she was thinking about it, Quentin stood up straight. He even lowered his gaze and muttered to himself, "Just who exactly is Big Sister?"
He turned to reenter the arena, but the moment he did, he instead saw Nora standing behind him. He got a huge shock at once.
He panicked. "Why are you here?"
Nora raised her brows.
Quentin straightened his back at once and went back to his usual dimwit self. He raised his chin and said proudly, "Are you looking for me? Do you feel unsafe just because I¡¯m not at home? But do you know? It¡¯s even more dangerous here!"
Then, Quentin said, "Forget it, let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll take you home."
Nora: "..."
When she followed Quentin to the car, she even heard him muttering, "What a load of trouble. She¡¯s thrown a spanner in my works now. I wanted to tail that car in front to see who Big Sister is."
Upon hearing that, Nora¡¯s words of rejection did a U-turn and she swallowed them back down.
Mm, she¡¯d better let Quentin escort her back home instead, lest he had the spare energy to tail Justin.
... even though she was sure that Quentin wouldn¡¯t seed in tracking Justin, given his abilities.
Nora drove her big ck jeep, whereas Quentin hid amongst the crowd in an unknown car. The two returned to the Smiths¡¯ one after the other.
One must admit that Quentin was indeed skilled at tailing. Even someone like Nora could only sense that she was being tailed, yet couldn¡¯t pinpoint Quentin¡¯s location.
After parking the car, Nora got out and went upstairs. Then, she took a shower and went to bed with Pete.
Unexpectedly, she heard a sharp cry early the next morning!
Nora sat up abruptly. Before she even realized what was going on, someone suddenly knocked on her bedroom door.
She frowned, got up unhappily, and went out. When she opened the door, she saw two police officers standing outside. One of them took out his badge and showed it to her. He said, "You are under suspicion of endangering a person¡¯s life, Ms. Smith. Please follow us to the station and aid in our investigation."
Nora: "?"
She frowned and asked, "Whose life did I endanger?"
Seeing how calm she was, the police officers exchanged a look. Then, they said, "The victim is Old Maddy, who lives in your home. He was found on hisst breath in his room this morning. He¡¯s very weak now, and has already been sent to the hospital! Someone called the police and said that it was caused by you practicing medicine without a license!"
Old Maddy?
Nora¡¯s pupils shrank. "That¡¯s impossible!"
Chapter 344: Something Happened!
Chapter 344: Something Happened!
Yesterday morning, when she took Old Maddy¡¯s pulse, it was still normal. Everything was under her control. How could he suddenly be on hisst breath?
She walked out and frowned. "I want to go to the hospital!"
"Miss Smith."
The police stopped her. "Please cooperate with our investigation. You need toe to the police station with us right now."
Nora still wanted to say something, but the other person had already ced his hand on the gun at his waist. "Miss Smith, pleasee with us immediately. Otherwise, you will be interfering with our operations! We have the right to arrest you!"
Nora clenched her fists and took a deep breath.
Nora lowered her eyes and slowly said, "OK, I¡¯lle with you, but can I change my clothes first?"
She was still wearing pajamas.
The police officer nodded. "Yes, please."
After Nora closed the door, she took out her phone and sent Lily a message, asking her toe immediately. She contacted the doctor to look for the hospital where Old Maddy was and to ensure his safety.
After sending it, she called Tanya and told her to pick up Pete after school and take him to her ce, in case Pete returned to the Smiths and found out that something had happened to her.
After settling the two matters, she changed into her usual clothes and went out.
When she went downstairs with the police, the hall was already filled with the servants. When they saw her, their eyes became furious.
Yvonne looked worried as she looked at her. "Nora, I told you long ago not to experiment on Old Maddy. Did something happen?"
Nora nced at her and retracted her gaze. "I told you, I¡¯m treating him."
Yvonne bit her lip. "Don¡¯t worry. The Smiths won¡¯t just watch you get into trouble. Besides, you¡¯re Mr. Hunt¡¯s girlfriend. The Hunts won¡¯t ignore you either."
When she said this, Nora¡¯s eyes instantly became sharp.
No matter how she looked at it, this meant that the two families would fish her out. Was this confirming her crimes?
She smiled mockingly. "No need. I believe the police will clear my name."
Yvonne choked on her words.
When ordinary people were caught by the police, shouldn¡¯t their first reaction be to cry for help?
Why was Nora so calm?
While Yvonne was stunned, Florence pointed at her and cursed, "Miss Nora, why are you saying this to Miss Yvonne? This matter happened because of your treatment. Miss Yvonne is also concerned about you! If you didn¡¯t do anything, how could anything have happened to Old Maddy?!"
Her eyes were red from agitation. "Old Maddy is Mr. Smith¡¯s friend! If anything happens to him, Mr. Smith will not let you off! You¡¯re too much!!"
Florence¡¯s words made the servants at home feel sad.
Everyone pointed at her. "That¡¯s right. Old Maddy is also a member of the family! We¡¯ve all worked for the Smiths for many years. The Smiths have always treated us like family. We¡¯re not being used casually!"
"Miss Yvonne has always treated us as humans too. How could she treat Old Maddy like that?! Does she know that Old Maddy¡¯s life is important too! We should let the police investigate her!"
"You say you¡¯re a doctor, but aren¡¯t you trying to make a name for yourself by using Old Maddy? But in the end, you¡¯re just a quack!"
The butler stood outside the door and looked at everything in the house.
Logically speaking, after this matter happened, the butler should have immediately contacted Joel and the Smiths¡¯wyer and gotten them toe over. They should have protected the daughter of the Smiths first.
How could the daughter of the Smiths be taken away before the situation was clear?
Then wouldn¡¯t the Smiths lose face?!
However, the butler clenched his fists.
He recalled going to Old Maddy¡¯s room today and seeing that he was still in a deep sleep. When he walked over, he saw that his mouth and nose were bleeding, and his breathing was almost gone!
The butler outside lowered his head for a moment. He did not look for anyone and just let the police take Nora away.
Chapter 345: Saving People!
Chapter 345: Saving People!
After the police took Nora away, Joel received the news and left thepany to return home.
As soon as he entered, he took the lead to shout at the butler. "Is anyone allowed to enter the Smiths¡¯ main gate?"
The butler hurriedly apologized. "Mr. Joel, Old Maddy almost died at that time. I was also worried about him, so I didn¡¯t block them."
Joel nced at him.
Knowing that the butler usually had a good rtionship with Old Maddy, he did not refute because he always felt that a home had to look like a home and not be cold as if everyone was a robot.
He approved of the butler on this point.
Joel asked, "How¡¯s Old Maddy?"
Without waiting for the butler to speak, Florence said anxiously, "He has been sent to the hospital. He¡¯s still in the midst of emergency treatment, but he might not wake up. No one knows! Mr. Joel, what should we do now? If the old sir finds out about this, he¡¯ll definitely be sad! He values Old Maddy very much!"
Florence did not mention anything about Nora being taken away. Her mind was only filled with Ian¡¯s safety.
Joel lowered his eyes.
Yvonne asked, "Joel, what about Nora?"
At the mention of her, Florence immediately said resentfully, "What can we do? We should let her suffer! That wild girl from California made such a mistake! That¡¯s a life she was messing with! How dare she? If the old sir finds out about this, he definitely won¡¯t let her off!"
These words made Joel¡¯s eyes turn cold.
No matter how bad she was, she was still a member of the Smiths.
The butler looked at Joel and coughed. "I think we shouldn¡¯t be too anxious about Miss Nora¡¯s matter. If Old Maddy recovers, then Miss Nora will naturally be fine and will be acquitted. But if something happens to Old Maddy, we can think of a way to save Miss Nora. Besides, this would also let the old sir vent his anger."
In other words, locking Nora in the police station was a form of punishment.
Even if she was a Smith, she should be held responsible for causing the death of a patient!
The Smiths could not break thew. This was a rule that had been set since Ian¡¯s time. Therefore, no matter how rowdy the others were, like Warren and Louis, they did not dare tomit any crimes!
Because if they were confirmed to have done something wrong, Ian would not care!
When Joel heard this, he was silent for a while.
If Nora was Ian¡¯s daughter, even if she really made a mistake, he would immediately bail her out and wait for the case to be confirmed.
But she was not.
As he was thinking about this, his phone suddenly rang. He lowered his head to take a look and was suddenly stunned when he saw the number.
It was a number he had memorized by heart all these years.
He frowned and picked up the call.
As soon as the call went through, Tanya¡¯s voice came from the other end. "Mr. Joel, I called you to ask what happened to Nora. I was in ss just now. After seeing her message, I couldn¡¯t get through to her."
Joel¡¯s eyes darkened slightly as he briefly exined the situation.
Tanya was silent for a long time before saying, "Nora¡¯s medical skills are indeed very impressive. It¡¯s impossible for such a medical ident to happen. This is definitely an ident. No matter what happens to her, Mr. Smith, you have to ensure her safety!"
After saying that, she hesitated for a moment before saying, "If you can save Nora, I can teach Mia how to dance!"
The words Joel was about to say were stuck in his throat.
In Tanya¡¯s eyes, was he such a man who did not even care about his cousin¡¯s life?
A bitter smile appeared on his lips. "Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t let anything happen to her."
After hanging up, Joel looked at the butler. "Contact thewyer and bail Nora out first!"
The butler lowered his eyes in disappointment and obediently said, "Yes."
Yvonne bit her lips.
She was already like this, yet he still wanted to bail her out... It seemed like blood rtions were indeed different.
However, no one expected that the butler would return half an hourter with unexpected news.
With aplicated expression, he stared at Joel and said, "Thewyer went to the police station, but he didn¡¯t expect them to say that Miss Nora can¡¯t be bailed out."
Joel¡¯s pupils shrank at these words. "Why?"
The butler shook his head. "I don¡¯t know. It seems like some power is involved. When thewyer gets the medical test results, Miss Nora¡¯s matter must go ording to the normal procedures. Unless Old Maddy survives, it will be difficult for Miss Nora to be released this time."
There were other forces?
In New York, other than the Hunts, was there anyone more powerful than the Smiths?
Joel was certain that there was not.
At least not openly.
Unless the other party was...
As he was thinking, the butler said, "Sir, do you think we should go through other channels or find someone?"
The Smiths had a lot of connections.
However, Joel seemed to have thought of something. His pupils constricted. "There¡¯s no need. We¡¯ll go to the hospital to see Old Maddy!"
If that person had made a move, they would have to follow the proper procedures.
When they arrived at the hospital, they realized that Old Maddy was still undergoing surgery. The lights were still on and he had note out yet.
The attending doctor waiting outside was very anxious. "Old Maddy¡¯s nerves have been damaged. We can¡¯t find the reason for his nose and mouth bleeding, but all his physical signs are going downhill. There¡¯s nothing we can do!"
Joel frowned. "Haven¡¯t you seen such a situation before?"
The attending doctor shook his head. "No... but I¡¯ve heard of it!"
Joel looked at the attending doctor. "Where have you heard of it?"
The attending doctor said, "Many years ago, there was a woman overseas who was also bleeding from her mouth and nose for no reason. She was on herst breath. In the hospital, they had also checked all parts of her body, but they could not find any problems. In the end, it was Anti who saved her. Later on, Anti could not exin the reason either. It seemed to be caused by some imbnce in medicine..."
Anti?
It was this Anti again!
Joel looked at the butler. "Contact Anti immediately and tell her toe and save Old Maddy!"
"... Yes!" said the butler.
Chapter 346: Captain Ford
Chapter 346: Captain Ford
When the butler went to contact Anti, Joel frowned and stared at the operation theater.
He made another call and invited all the specialists he could get from New York.
During the specialist¡¯s consultation, Joel stood at the side and did not interfere. This was not within his ability. His greatest strength was that he did not dabble in things he did not understand.
After handing Old Maddy¡¯s life to a trustworthy doctor, he picked up his phone and contacted the police. He wanted to find out what was going on with Nora and why she could not be bailed out.
"Alright, help me find out. Thanks."
After hanging up another call, Joel took out his phone and prepared to call Justin.
Since the Hunts could invite Anti, even if Joel did not want to admit that he was inferior to Justin, he had no choice but to ask the Hunts for help at this moment.
But at this moment, Yvonne walked over. She looked at Joel and asked, "Joel, what can I help you with?"
Joel looked at her and frowned. He was about to say that he did not need her for the time being when his phone suddenly rang. It was a friend he had asked for help. He had found out the reason why Nora could not be bailed out.
Both sides were anxious, so he looked at Yvonne and said, "Contact Mr. Hunt immediately and tell him that Old Maddy is being treated and needs Anti¡¯s help."
He subconsciously felt that if Nora could inform Tanya before she was taken away by the police, then she must have also informed Justin.
Yvonne¡¯s pupils shrank at the mention of Justin.
She nodded immediately. "Okay, answer the call first."
When Joel walked to the side to answer the call, she took out her phone and dialed Justin¡¯s private number.
Back then, the Hunts and the Smiths had both wanted to matchmake them, so it was very normal for her to have Justin¡¯s number.
The call was quickly picked up and she rejoiced secretly. She felt that Justin still had his eyes on her. Otherwise, why would he pick up her call? Justin¡¯s deep voice resounded, "Yvonne, is something the matter?"
When Justin saw the phone number, he did not want to pick it up.
After all, he did not want to have anything to do with her.
However, after thinking about it, he still picked up the call. He was afraid that Nora¡¯s phone had run out of battery, and she was just borrowing Yvonne¡¯s phone to call him.
Yvonne¡¯s heart sank at his distant words.
She lowered her eyes and said slowly, "Yes, something happened. Nora treated the Smiths¡¯ servant, Old Maddy, but he had an ident. Now, she has been taken away by the police."
Justin sensitively caught the main point. "How¡¯s Old Maddy?"
Yvonne replied ambiguously, "All the medical teams of the Smiths are here, they¡¯re treating him as we speak."
When Justin heard this, he said bluntly, "I¡¯ll go to the police station."
With that, he hung up.
Yvonne stared at her phone.
Actually, the most important thing now was not to bail Nora out. It was just like when he first heard that Nora had been taken away, Joel¡¯s first reaction was not to bail her out.
As the police station was the safest ce, nothing would happen to her if she stayed there.
Old Maddy was the most important thing.
After Joel found out about the entire matter, he quickly sent a doctor to the hospital. Otherwise, Old Maddy would have died long ago.
Only if Old Maddy was alive, would Nora be released.
Even if Justin went to the police station to deal with them, it might not be of much use! Instead, it would waste time!
Yvonne clenched her hands into fists and lowered her gaze, hiding the viciousness and hatred in her eyes.
Elsewhere.
Joel was picking up the call. "Who did you say won¡¯t bail her out?"
His contact was on the other end of the line, and his voice was very low. "It¡¯s Captain Ford."
Captain Ford... Morris?
It was as he had expected.
Only Morris had the ability to do so!
But why would Morris target Nora?
Joel narrowed his eyes. "What¡¯s going on?"
The other party sighed secretly. "This is confidential. Forget it, I¡¯ll tell you. Captain Ford has given an order to the police station. He will personally investigate all the cases involving Miss Nora! Especially when it involves..."
Chapter 347: Things Are Not Simple
Chapter 347: Things Are Not Simple
The person on the other end paused before continuing, "... When a life is on the line, bail cannot be granted. He¡¯s worried that Miss Nora will escape after being bailed out."
Escape...
Joel frowned.
This order should not have been given for an ordinary girl. It was more suitable to be given to fugitives and murderers!
They were afraid that she would find an opportunity to escape. Once she was arrested, she would be detained for 24 hours and would not be let go of.
What was Nora¡¯s identity?
¡ª
The interrogation room in the police station was cold. It was surrounded by metal walls and doors.
The two police officers stared at the woman sitting opposite them. One of them slowly said, "Miss Nora, even if you don¡¯t admit it, Old Maddy is indeed on the verge of death. If something happens to him, you won¡¯t have a good time!"
However, the woman was lying on the chair made for interrogation. She had her head tilted and her eyes closed as she pretended to sleep.
The two police officers looked at each other. One of them couldn¡¯t help but frown. "I know. Are you stalling for time? Waiting for the Smiths¡¯wyer to bail you out? But even so, you hurt his life. Don¡¯t you have anything to say?"
As a police officer, he hated these people from wealthy families who treated human lives as nothing.
The two police officers were very righteous.
They saw Old Maddy being taken away by the ambnce with their own eyes and heard the housekeeper and servants of the Smiths say that Nora insisted on treating Old Maddy.
They even found long silver needles in Old Maddy¡¯s residence.
Everyone had heard of acupuncture. They were used in alternative medicine.
But they had never seen any needles that long...
In particr, Captain Ford had specially instructed that if Nora was ever involved with someone¡¯s life, she must be detained and watched.
This meant that she was definitely a dangerous person.
Therefore, the two of them looked at Nora fiercely. "Miss Nora, please cooperate with our investigation!"
Nora still did not speak.
At this moment, she heard footsteps at the door.
It was the sound of leather boots stepping on the floor. The person¡¯s every step was powerful as he stopped at the entrance of the interrogation room.
The two police officers hurriedly stood up and opened the door.
Creak.
The door was opened and Morris stood there like an ice cube.
His pitch-ck eyes were filled with coldness. Just by standing there, one could feel fear, as if the ck-faced King of Hell had descended.
The two police officers greeted him respectfully, "Captain Ford."
Morris nodded and walked in. As he entered, he checked the dossier in his hand. It was obvious that he was looking at this case. He asked, "What¡¯s the situation now?"
"The suspect has not confessed. She insisted that she was indeed treating the victim."
The police officer replied.
Morris nodded again. He walked to the front of the interrogation room and sat down. Only then did he look up at Nora.
His dark eyes made it difficult for others to read his mind, but the gaze he used to stare at Nora was cold. "Miss Nora, are you waiting for the Smiths¡¯wyer or the Hunts¡¯wyer? They can¡¯te in. Now, I need you to cooperate with our investigation."
When Nora saw him, she slowly sat up straight.
She narrowed her eyes and finally sensed that something was different.
She had originally thought that it would at most be an issue of practicing medicine without any certification, but as long as she took out the proof of Anti¡¯s identity, everything would be fine.
But she did not expect it to involve Morris.
This man was not an ordinary police officer! He belonged to a mysterious special department!
This special department seemed to have a very high status in New York. Looking at the two police officers¡¯ attitudes toward Morris and the team leader waiting respectfully at the door for Morris¡¯s instructions, one could tell.
Nora raised her eyes. Under her long eyshes, her eyes gradually became serious. "Captain Ford, what do you want to ask?"
Morris was very pleased with her cooperation. He asked directly, "May I ask, how did you treat him? Did you use any drugs? If you did, you need to give us the names of these drugs. We need to do a detailed examination."
Chapter 348: Yvonne is About to be Exposed
Chapter 348: Yvonne is About to be Exposed
Drugs?
Nora could sense that Morris seemed very serious about this case.
She lowered her eyes and said seriously, "Old Maddy¡¯s nerves have been damaged a little, causing him to be weak and not suitable for medication. Therefore, I¡¯ve been using acupuncture."
Morris was stunned. "Acupuncture?"
"Yes, that¡¯s right."
Nora slowly sat up straight.
Morris pursed his lips. "Are you sure you didn¡¯t use any other drugs to help with the treatment?"
"No."
"Okay." Morris stood up. "Miss Nora, I¡¯ll have to trouble you to stay here for the time being. We¡¯ll go look for Old Maddy to get evidence."
"Captain Ford, I need to see Old Maddy and treat him," Nora insisted.
Morris lowered his eyes. "It¡¯s not convenient for you to go out now."
Nora frowned. "Then you can go and take a look at Old Maddy¡¯s condition. If he is really at the brink of death, please let me out."
Brink of death...
Morris looked up at her. "Are you really a doctor?"
"Yes, that¡¯s right."
Nora let the other party size her up. "I¡¯m Anti."
At this time, she could no longer hide her identity.
Morris was clearly surprised. "You¡¯re Anti?"
Nora nodded.
Morris was silent for a moment and did not leave. However, he sat down again. "As far as I know, Anti only became famous overseas in the past five years. May I ask how many years Miss Nora has been studying medicine?"
Nora leaned back in her chair. Her eyes drooped and she looked very sleepy. "24 years."
She had been studying medicine since she was young.
However, her studies were moreplicated. There was alternative medicine and modern medicine.
Morris was stunned. "From what I know, most surgeons are old and have experienced some cases. How many years has Miss Nora been a practicing doctor?"
Practicing doctor?
Nora smiled. "Five years."
Could a doctor be a top surgeon in five years?
Moreover, it was not that Anti had gained a small amount of fame. This person had suddenly appeared and be famous overseas. In other words, Nora had just arrived overseas and had already be a famous surgeon.
Any surgery would require a lot of practice.
Morris pursed his lips and suddenly said, "Miss Nora, can you tell me what bizarre things have happened to you?"
Bizarre things?
Nora held her chin with both hands. "Does being pregnant with two children for no reason count?"
Morris was speechless.
He grimaced. "What about the rest?"
Nora spread her hands. "That¡¯s all."
Morris suddenly said, "Miss Nora, don¡¯t you think your talent in medicine is a little shocking?"
How was this shocking?
She had been fast since elementary school, including other aspects, but she had learned everything steadily.
Nora looked at Morris. "Captain Ford, being smart isn¡¯t anything strange, is it? Since ancient times, there have been many smart people. In ancient China, Gan Luo was crowned when he was just a 12-year-old child. Wouldn¡¯t you agree?"
Morris was speechless.
After failing to give her a reasonable exnation, Morris stood up. "I¡¯m going to the hospital to check on Old Maddy."
¡ª
In the hospital.
Yvonne looked at the doctors entering and exiting the operation theater. Everyone was trying their best to extend Old Maddy¡¯s life.
But these people were going in the wrong direction.
Old Maddy was not sick or had his nerves damaged.
He was actually... poisoned.
Yvonne took a deep breath.
The pill she had told Florence about back then was not a Carefree Pill at all. It was a kind of poison. After entering the human body, it would automatically enter the blood.
Unless a very urate instrument was used, it could not be detected.
Meanwhile, when the doctors were working hard to save Old Maddy, they would always consider it from the perspective that Nora was the one who had harmed him. They would never think of poison.
After Old Maddy died, the toxic molecules in his blood would slowly disappear, making it even harder to find out.
As Yvonne was thinking about this, she saw Morris walking over with a group of forensic scientists. He immediately gave an order. "I want all the data on Old Maddy¡¯s body!"
"Yes, Captain Ford."
With this response, everyone dispersed and participated in the rescue work.
However, there were a few people who did not resuscitate him. Instead, they were recording all the data on Old Maddy.
Some people had even drawn a few tubes of Old Maddy¡¯s blood.
Yvonne clenched her fists tightly.
What was going on?
In another hour or so, the poison would be out of the blood. Now that the blood had been preserved, wouldn¡¯t it be troublesome if they were to investigate?
Everything had been going well. No one would have thought that Old Maddy had been poisoned.
But what was wrong with this Captain Ford who had appeared out of nowhere?!
Chapter 349: Big Sister Didn’t Come~
Chapter 349: Big Sister Didn¡¯t Come~
"Captain Ford, it¡¯s done," said the medical examiner respectfully as he walked over to Morris with Old Maddy¡¯s blood samples.
Morris stood with his hands behind him in a standard militant¡¯s stance. He nodded and said, "Send his blood samples for inspection immediately, and check if he has taken any medication recently! Notify me immediately if you find any abnormalities."
"Yes, sir."
The few medical examiners hurried off after receiving their orders. Morris stared at the operation theater.
Right now, he didn¡¯t actually care whether or not Old Maddy would survive, let alone whether or not Nora was really practicing medicine without a license, or whether or not this was an incident of medical malpractice. What he cared about was...
"Captain Ford, aren¡¯t you guys making a too big a fuss over this?" Joel walked over, his attitude neither lowly nor overbearing.
Morris¡¯ tone became more polite when he saw him. "I have to prioritize the Smiths¡¯ affairs, after all. We mustn¡¯t wrong Ms. Smith."
Joel was smiling, but his fox-like eyes were full of suspicion and perplexity. "I don¡¯t think it¡¯s because of the Smiths, is it?"
Morris continued to stand ramrod straight. He stared straight ahead of him, and he looked very serious and very strict. He nodded. "I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re trying to say, Mr. Smith. Don¡¯t you want us to investigate this thoroughly?"
Joel frowned.
Even now, he still firmly believed that there weren¡¯t any problems with Nora. She was just treating a mentally ill patient; even if she didn¡¯t manage to cure him, her treatment would never cause his death.
There must be some kind of misunderstanding.
He straightened his back and replied, "Of course, not. The Smiths will never condone criminals."
Morris nodded. "The Smiths have always had a strict upbringing."
Joel stared at Morris.
To be honest, the two had already interacted with each other before. Although Morris had also been awfully serious previously, he wasn¡¯t pedantic.
His rtionships with the Smiths and the Hunts were also pretty good.
But unexpectedly, he hadn¡¯t given them even the slightest hint about the incident this time.
Joel knew that what his little cousin was involved in was definitely no simple incident. It was probably rted to something even more serious.
In the distance, Yvonne stared at Morris far away from her.
If one were to talk about the best bachelors in New York, one would be Justin and the other¡ªMorris.
Although he was just a police officer, in truth, he was actually part of a special department with extremely high authority. No one knew what kind of case exactly he was investigating, but his identity was definitely not a simple one.
Of course, it was also because of this same sense of mystery around Morris that no one dared to pursue him.
Moreover, Morris didn¡¯t have time for romance, either.
Yvonne had once thought about it¡ªif things were impossible between her and Justin, then Morris was also an option.
She had dispelled all of those thoughts now, though.
She stared at the door nervously, only hoping for the oue to be revealed soon.
¡ª
Meanwhile, at the Smiths¡¯.
The sky had gradually darkened.
A figure darted into the car park at the Smiths¡¯ back door.
Louis stood there sneakily and looked around. He cupped his hands around his mouth like a trumpet and shouted, "Quentin! Quentin!"
But even after shouting for a long time, he didn¡¯t see anyone.
Louis frowned and pouted. "Where has Quentin gone?"
He¡¯d only just said that when he heard someone approaching in a hurry. He got such a huge shock that he quickly darted behind a car. Right after he did, he saw Maureen and Warrening over in a hurry.
Louis breathed a sigh of relief when he saw them. He called out softly, "Warren, Maureen. Where are you guys going thiste at night?"
Upon hearing his voice, Warren and Maureen immediately asked, "Why are you here?"
Louis went up nervously to the two of them and said with dissatisfaction, "Of course, it¡¯s because I heard that Nora¡¯s in trouble. Don¡¯t things go wrong during medical treatments in hospitals all the time? How did ite to this? Also, Joel still hasn¡¯t bailed Nora out... It must be because she isn¡¯t Uncle Ian¡¯s daughter!"
He sounded angrier and angrier as he spoke. "What¡¯s wrong with Joel? Even if Nora¡¯s mother betrayed Uncle Ian and went with Uncle Ryan instead, what does this have to do with Nora? We finally have a rich person... pooh, I mean, a girl in the family now, how can he do that?"
Warren was very much in agreement with him. He said, "You¡¯re right! I don¡¯t think Joel handled this well, either! He must be looking at things from Uncle Ian¡¯s perspective instead. Besides, it¡¯s not like you don¡¯t know what Joel is like..."
Louis nodded. "Yeah, he always looks like he¡¯s smiling, but is there anyone who doesn¡¯t know that he¡¯s the most underhanded person ever? He doesn¡¯t even pay any attention to us, let alone to Nora. Joel may not want to care about her, but we can¡¯t ignore her!"
"Yes, we must do something!" Warren said, "Maureen and I are nning to go to Maureen¡¯s family and ask them to get awyer to bail Nora out first."
Louis nodded. "I see. C¡¯mon, let¡¯s go! I¡¯lle with you guys! Now that Nora is in trouble, I mustn¡¯t just stand by and watch. Warren, you can contribute in terms of strength while I... I..."
"Pay?" asked Warren.
Louis hugged his wallet at once. "I don¡¯t have that kind of money! I¡¯ll offer myself instead! Surely I can run errands, right?"
Warren: "..."
The few of them were about to set off when a figure suddenly appeared in front of the car. The person was in the shadows, so they couldn¡¯t get a good look at them at all.
Despite that, when Louis saw the figure, he eximed in surprise, "Quentin!"
Warren also looked over.
Although Quentin was younger than Warren, his status in the family had faintly surpassed Warren¡¯s after Ian put him in charge of the Smiths¡¯ secret forces.
He was capable, so everyone went to Quentin whenever they were in trouble yet dared not approach Joel about it.
Quentin¡¯s arms were folded. His chin was raised slightly and there was a little impatience on his countenance. He said, "Can you guys be a little smarter?"
Louis and Warren both felt that it was normal for him to reprimand them. "What¡¯s wrong?" They asked.
Quentin let out a cold snort and replied, "There¡¯s no way Joel would leave her on her own. Even if she isn¡¯t Uncle Ian¡¯s daughter, she¡¯s still a Smith. Joel is someone very protective of his own, so he¡¯s already sent someone to bail her out a long time ago!"
Louis was puzzled. "Then why isn¡¯t Nora back yet?"
Quentin curled his lips disdainfully. "Of course, it¡¯s because he didn¡¯t seed in bailing her out. The incident must be rted to other things. We mustn¡¯t act rashly!"
Louis flipped out. "Then are we supposed to just let Nora continue being detained?"
"... It¡¯s not like they¡¯ll starve her or deny her water in the police station. What¡¯s the big deal about being detained for a few days? What are you so anxious for?"
Louis was furious. "How can you say that? If it were the Big Sister of the Quinn School of Martial Arts locked up in there, would you still be that calm?"
"... As if Big Sister would ever be locked up in there!"
Big Sister was probably in a match at the moment!
For that woman¡¯s sake, he hadn¡¯t even gone to the tournament today.
Quentin picked up his cell phone and dialed Linda¡¯s number. He said, "If you see Big Sister, please tell her that I won¡¯t be able to go to the tournament today."
The two had exchanged numbers after Quentin unintentionally overheard the Quinn School of Martial Arts disciples¡¯ chat the other day. This way, it would be convenient if they had to contact each other.
Linda said, "But..."
Quentin interrupted her. "I know we may be disqualified if I don¡¯t go, but please ask for Big Sister¡¯s understanding for me. I really have something on today."
"That¡¯s not what I¡¯m talking about. What I mean is..."
Quentin interrupted her again. "What you want to say is that given Big Sister¡¯s status, the tournament will definitely allow a team with fewer members to fight a team with more members, right? That¡¯s fine, too. In any case, just ry the message to her for me."
"..." Linda had panicked by then. She said, "Can you let me finish?"
"Go ahead," said Quentin.
"It seems like Big Sister isn¡¯t here tonight, either!"
Quentin: "???"
Chapter 350: I’m Here To Take My Fiancée With Me!
Chapter 350: I¡¯m Here To Take My Fianc¨¦e With Me!
Big Sister wasn¡¯t there, either?
Where did she go?
After Quentin, whose mind was full of question marks, hung up, he saw Louis and Warren looking at him eagerly and waiting for him to make the decision.
Quentin frowned. "When Joel went to bail her out, they gave him a very strange reason for rejecting the bail request, which made me feel that Nora must have gotten herself in trouble."
Next to him, Louis eximed, "Surely she didn¡¯t really cheat someone of money, did she?!"
Quentin and Warren both looked at him. "What are you talking about?"
Louis said with certainty, "Think about it¡ªshe¡¯s just someone from a small town in California. How could she possibly own a card with no credit limit? I already found it very strange that time. Maybe she¡¯s involved in a fraud syndicate!"
Warren and Maureen looked at each other.
Maureen also stroked her chin and said hesitantly, "Now that you put it that way, Nora also knows a rtively impressive hacker called Solo!"
"Solo?"
Quentin frowned. "I know that guy. He¡¯s an international hacker who¡¯s on a wanted list overseas! Why is Nora involved with him?"
Maureen and Warren looked at each other.
Louis came to a conclusion. "It¡¯s all over. It looks like Nora is gonna be involved in other kinds of trouble even without the medical malpractice incident this time! Besides, I heard that Old Maddy¡¯s situation isn¡¯t looking good!"
Warren nodded. "It¡¯s precisely because we heard that Old Maddy is still unconscious that Maureen and I are so anxious. On top of that, his vitals are slowly declining... His organs are already beginning to fail! That¡¯s why we were trying to think of a solution. Sigh!"
Louis said, "It¡¯s over, it¡¯s all over! From the start, Uncle Ian disliked Nora, yet she¡¯s gotten herself in so much trouble now... Quentin, what should we do?"
"... There¡¯s only one way out now," said Quentin.
"What is it?"
"Breaking her out of prison."
"..."
¡ª
At the police station.
After patrolling the hospital for a while, Morris came back to continue interrogating Nora.
Nora was still sitting like a big boss. She leaned against the chair, stared at him, and said, "You¡¯ve looked into everything, right? So, can I go to the hospital to save my patient now?"
Morris, who had a huge frown on his face, stared at the woman in front of him.
His men had indeed investigated what had happened, and also questioned the Smiths¡¯ servants. All of them testified that Nora hadn¡¯t used any drugs when she was treating Old Maddy. Instead, she had performed acupuncture on him.
He looked at Nora sternly. "You¡¯re not allowed to leave until we have an oue with the investigations."
Nora¡¯s eyes darkened a little.
Her voice gradually became cold. "Captain Ford, I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re investigating, but someone is waiting for me to save his life right now! The more time you waste here, the higher the likelihood that Old Maddy isn¡¯t going to survive!"
Morris¡¯ expression remained unchanged. He said, "There are so many doctors in the hospital, Ms. Smith. Our medical examiners have also hurried over. I heard that the Hunts have also sent doctors over. It doesn¡¯t seem like there will be any problem even if you aren¡¯t there."
Nora frowned and gradually became impatient. "So, is Captain Ford going to take responsibility if he dies?"
She had already been detained for more than six hours.
In other words, she had been repeatedly interrogated by a stream of people, and hadn¡¯t slept for six hours!
Her physical difort was gradually making her irritable.
Morris, however, stared hard at her and said, "It seems to me that what Ms. Smith wants isn¡¯t to go over and treat the patient but to take the opportunity to escape, right?"
The frowning Nora was perplexed. "If you don¡¯t trust me, then ask your men to go with me!"
Morris sneered, "If I let you leave, Ms. Smith, I¡¯m afraid even my men won¡¯t be able to hold you back."
After all, they had already been fooled once twenty years ago!
Nora was lost for words.
She¡¯d clearly had a pretty good impression of Morris when she interacted with him previously, but for some reason, his attitude had changed drastically this time.
Morris had tried to sound her out previously, but he had also indirectly protected her. However, he waspletely hostile and was also treating her like she was a murderer now.
What had happened?
She didn¡¯t understand. However, she wasn¡¯t interested in figuring it out at the moment, either. She stood up and said, "Captain Ford, I am Old Maddy¡¯s attending doctor. Now that something has happened to him, I am obligated to treat him! If you continue to detain me, then don¡¯t me me if I don¡¯t hold back anymore!"
Nora flexed her wrists as she spoke.
Her personality had always been this way. Once she lost her temper, she didn¡¯t give two hoots about anything anymore. Even if this was the police station, it wasn¡¯t going to stop her from going out to treat Old Maddy!
Morris sneered at the stance she had taken. He asked unhurriedly, "And how exactly are you nning to not hold back, Ms. Smith?"
Together with his words, the two men beside him immediately took out their guns and pointed them at Nora.
Nora narrowed her eyes.
Right at this moment, a deep and aggressive voice suddenly came from the door. "Captain Ford, don¡¯t you think you owe me an exnation for treating my fianc¨¦e like that?"
As the voice rang out, someone suddenly opened the door.
Justin appeared at the door. The big and tall man stood right there, the aura around him increasing sharply and weighing down on Morris.
Morris got up when he saw him, though he was neither lowly nor overbearing. "Mr. Hunt."
Justin had already strode into the room.
Behind Justin was a veteranwyer from the Hunts. He had never lost any of the cases he took over the years.
Morris and Justin stood face to face. The two men were equally matched, neither of them losing out to the other in momentum.
Justin nced at Nora, who was standing at the other side. There was nothing wrong with her, except that her docile-looking almond-shaped eyes that usually looked a littlezy were looking a little angry.
This made the look in Justin¡¯s eyes turn even colder. He looked straight at Morris and said, "Captain Ford, shouldn¡¯t you give me an exnation for detaining my fianc¨¦e without any reason?"
Morris cast his eyes down but remained very aggressive. He replied, "My apologies, Mr. Hunt, but your fianc¨¦e is involved in a confidential case. I am not at liberty to disclose any information."
Justin narrowed his sharp eyes. "Captain Ford, perhaps there¡¯s one thing you don¡¯t understand¡ªMs. Smith is my fianc¨¦e; she¡¯s not someone whom you can just arrest so casually. If you can¡¯t produce any actual evidence, then I¡¯m taking my fianc¨¦e with me! "
Chapter 351: Secrets
Chapter 351: Secrets
Both the Hunts and the Smiths were powerful families. If one wanted to arrest anyone from the two families, they needed evidence. They weren¡¯t allowed to just use a random excuse to detain them.
Their reason for detaining Nora today was medical malpractice.
However, given how they were still in the midst of trying to save Old Maddy, it was indeed too much to imprison his attending doctor.
Moreover, the doctor in question was even Justin¡¯s fianc¨¦e.
The captain of the police station was already pacing back and forth nervously at the door.
He had Morris on one hand and Justin on the other. Neither of them was a person he could mess with. How was he supposed to wrap up the incident?
While he was thinking about it, Morris said aggressively, "My apologies, Mr. Hunt, but you are not allowed to take her with you until Old Maddy¡¯s blood report is out."
A blood report...
A puzzled Justin cast a nce at Nora. Nevertheless, he remained as aggressive as ever as he said, "I don¡¯t care what you¡¯re investigating, Captain Ford, I¡¯m here to bail my fianc¨¦e out. If you can¡¯t produce any evidence that she hasmitted a crime, then you have to let her go. I should think that my fianc¨¦e has the right to be released on bail! Or do you intend to deprive her of her rights as a citizen of the United States?"
His words shut Morris up.
Seeing that he couldn¡¯t say anything anymore, Justin walked toward Nora and grabbed her hand. He said, "Captain Ford, if you have nothing else to say, then we¡¯re leaving."
However, Morris stopped them as the two reached the door. He looked at Nora firmly and said, "I repeat, Ms. Smith is not allowed to leave the police station until Old Maddy¡¯s blood report is out!"
Justin frowned and took a step forward.
Morris immediately warned him coldly, "Mr. Hunt, you have always been aw-abiding model citizen! I ampletely authorized to arrest Nora Smith. Are you nning to assault the police and break her out?"
Assaulting the police and breaking someone out... Both charges, no matter which, were extremely serious ones!
Justin sneered, "Just what exactly is happening¡ªyou detaining my fianc¨¦e for no reason, or me breaking her out?"
The two went head-to-head with each other! For a while, the interrogation room was filled with pin-drop silence.
Even though they didn¡¯t do anything, everyone could nevertheless feel just how tense the two of them were. It was as if they would draw their guns the very next moment!
The captain of the police station rushed in and stood in between the two men at this point. He said, "Captain Ford, Mr. Hunt, calm down. Let¡¯s calm down and talk it out..."
He looked at Morris and said, "Captain Ford, w-why don¡¯t you show him the arrest warrant...? It would be terrible if Mr. Hunt really misunderstands!"
His words took both Nora and Justin by surprise.
An arrest warrant?
If an arrest warrant really existed, then Morris would be justified in detaining Nora!
But if he had an arrest warrant, then why hadn¡¯t he presented it from the start?
Was he trying to keep the case he was investigating a secret? After all, the warrant would specify why exactly he was arresting Nora!!
While the two of them were musing, Morris let out a ¡¯hmph¡¯. He stared at them for very long before he finally asked, "Are you sure you want to see the warrant?"
Justin didn¡¯t speak. Instead, he looked at Nora.
Both of them hade to understand at this moment that Nora had indeed be involved in some kind of conspiracy. If they refrained from looking at the warrant, behaved, and waited for Old Maddy¡¯s blood test results to be out and prove her innocence, then perhaps she would be able to extricate herself from the case.
But once they looked at the arrest warrant, they would be caught up in the case.
A case that Morris had set as ss SSS in confidentiality would undoubtedly be an extraordinary one.
Nora kept quiet for a moment before she said, "I¡¯ll look at it."
Her mother had told her a long time ago that she mustn¡¯t reveal how talented she was because it would bring her trouble.
From the looks of it, this might be the origin of all the unknown danger and trouble she was in.
Morris frowned. After staring at her for a while, he finally put his hand in his pocket. Nora stared at him closely.
She knew that once he took out the arrest warrant, she woulde to know all the secrets that her mother had hidden from her for so long.
She was very curious. Just what had made her mother run away from home and hide in California back then?
Chapter 352: Go!
Chapter 352: Go!
Morris took out a document from his pocket and was about to unfold it for her to see when someone suddenly ran in.
He was wearing casual clothes. After entering, he ran straight to Morris. The man was panting from running. He held a blood report in his hand and said, "Captain Ford, we found abnormalities in Old Maddy¡¯s blood!"
As soon as he said this, Morris¡¯s pupils shrank. He stuffed the arrest warrant back into his pocket and took Old Maddy¡¯s blood report. His gaze instantly became sharp.
He turned to look at Justin and moved the report in his hand before saying, "Mr. Hunt, we¡¯ve detected an unknownponent in Old Maddy¡¯s blood. I have enough evidence to suspect that Miss Nora is involved in a deliberate murder. Now, do you have nothing to say?"
Justin narrowed his eyes and said slowly in a maic voice, "What right do you have to use unknownponents as evidence of murder? Captain Ford¡¯s evidence is too far-fetched!"
Morris said domineeringly, "Indeed, but there are further findings in the case. We can detain Miss Nora for another 24 hours. I believe that in 24 hours, our medical examiner will definitely be able to find out what this unknownponent is and whether it¡¯s Miss Nora¡¯s doing. However, Miss Nora cannot be bailed out now!"
After saying this domineeringly, he waved his hand and the surrounding police officers slowly approached.
Justin frowned.
Nora also hesitated. "I didn¡¯t use any medicine on him. You can verify this because every time I treat him, the butler is always at the scene. Now, if there¡¯s an unknownponent in his blood, I suspect that Old Maddy was poisoned by someone!"
She realized the seriousness of Old Maddy¡¯s current condition.
When she was arrested in the morning, she thought that Old Maddy was reacting differently to the treatment, so she immediately arranged for Lily to return and take over the treatment.
But if there was an unknownponent in his blood... Old Maddy was in danger!
She looked directly at Justin. "What¡¯s the situation with Old Maddy now?"
Ever since she was detained, she had lost contact with the outside world.
When Justin came over, he had already sent the Hunts¡¯ medical team to the hospital to help with the treatment. When he heard this, he called his medical team.
The call was picked up quickly, and the medical team¡¯s nervous voice could be heard on the other end. "Mr. Hunt, we¡¯ve already arrived at the hospital and looked at the patient. But we can¡¯t find out the cause of the patient¡¯s illness at all. Every organ in his body is rapidly failing. If this continues, the patient won¡¯t live for long!"
He did not have much time left!
Justin immediately asked, "How long can you guys keep him alive?"
"Two hours," the other party said. "We¡¯vemunicated with the Smiths¡¯ medical team. Currently, only Anti can treat this illness. If Anti can¡¯t reach the hospital in half an hour, the patient might not be able to recover."
Anti?
Justin grabbed his phone, feeling anxious. Why didn¡¯t the Smiths tell him about Anti when they informed him about this?
If they did, Nora would already be in the hospital now!
When his medical team arrived and discovered the problem, two hours had already been wasted!
Justin was furious. He knew that the Smiths had neglected Nora, but his expression was still terrifyingly calm at this moment. He replied, "I understand."
After hanging up, Justin looked at Morris. "I¡¯m sure you heard that only Anti can treat the patient now, so I have to take her to the hospital!"
Morris stood in front of him. "She has only been a doctor for five years, yet she already has the ability to solve problems that no one else can? I think this is all part of your n. As soon as Miss Nora leaves the police station, she will be jointly arranged to leave the country by the Smiths and Hunts, right? Therefore, Miss Nora cannot leave!"
Justin was furious. "Are you going to be responsible if something happens to the patient?"
"I¡¯ll be responsible." Morris stubbornly widened his eyes.
Nora clenched her hands into fists.
It would probably take half an hour to get to the hospital from here.
Convincing this person in front of her now would probably take even more time.
Old Maddy could not die.
It was not that she could not wash herself clean after he died. After all, the unknownposition in his blood would be discovered sooner orter. Whoever had poisoned him could be found out.
However, Old Maddy knew her mother. She still wanted to treat his illness so that he could tell her what had happened to her mother back then!
Furthermore, if she had not wanted to treat Old Maddy, he would not have suffered such a disaster.
Nora took a deep breath and took a step forward slowly. Her aura changed at this moment. Her eyes were sharp and cold. "Captain Ford, are you letting me go or not?"
Morris frowned. The surrounding police officers also took out their pistols and aimed them at Nora.
Morris narrowed his eyes. "Miss Nora, this is a police station. I advise you not to act recklessly."
Nora stared at him.
Just as she was about to explode, someone suddenly grabbed her wrist.
Nora was stunned. She turned around and saw Justin shaking his head at her. "This is a police station. You can¡¯t fight your way out."
"..."
Of course, Nora knew that she could not fight her way out, but it was not her style to just sit there and wait for Old Maddy to die!
She took a deep breath and was about to speak when Justin sighed. "Anyway, Captain Ford will be responsible for Old Maddy¡¯s death, so it has nothing to do with you."
Nora: "?"
She raised her eyebrows and was about to say something when Justin warned, "Don¡¯t mess around."
Nora: "!"
She was so angry that her head was about to explode.
However, the next moment, Justin suddenly attacked!
His movements were as fast as lightning. While the police had their guard down, he rushed in front of Morris.
Morris¡¯ reaction was fast. He had been trained for many years and was already a top figure.
However, he was not as fast as Irvin School of Martial Arts¡¯ Big Brother.
Irvin School of Martial Arts was famous for its speed! In all of the martial arts world, their disciples were the fastest!!
When he came back to his senses, the gun in his hand had already been snatched away by Justin and was pressed against his head.
"Don¡¯t shoot!"
"Don¡¯t move!"
The entire police station was instantly in chaos. All the police officers took out their guns and aimed them at Justin, while the bodyguards Justin had brought with him stood in front of him.
The bodyguards were unarmed and could only use their bodies to block him.
Morris was being threatened, but he was still calm. His voice was as steady as ever. "Mr. Hunt, what are you doing?"
Justin¡¯s face was still cold. He lowered his eyes slightly. "Captain Ford, a life is at stake. I¡¯m sorry."
After saying this, he looked at an extremely stunned Nora and said, "Go!"
Chapter 353: Ridiculous Family
Chapter 353: Ridiculous Family
The surrounding police officers immediately looked at Nora. Just as they were about to rush over and restrain her, Justin¡¯s calm voice sounded. "Captain Ford, if you dare to stop her, don¡¯t me me for being rude."
Morris pursed his lips.
He did not move. His gaze was glued on Nora, still standing at the same spot. His eyes were filled with deep thoughts.
After a moment, he slowly said, "Let her go."
With that, everyone around moved aside.
Nora clenched her hands into fists.
She never expected Justin to do such a thing for her.
Kidnapping Captain Ford was a serious crime!
In her opinion, her rtionship with Justin involved only the two children!
Nora did not think further. She turned her head and walked out decisively.
She took a step and sped up. In the end, she ran out.
Morris stared at her, his eyes filled with anger. He sneered, "Mr. Hunt, do you know what you¡¯re doing?"
Justin replied slowly, "I know."
"Then do you know that the only way to get to the hospital from here is by driving a sports car?"
Justin continued, "I know."
Morris smiled coldly. "Mr. JHunt, are you really so sure that she¡¯s not guilty? And she¡¯s going to the hospital? Aren¡¯t you afraid that she¡¯ll make you spend the rest of your life in prison if she escapes?"
Justin raised his eyebrows. "I believe her."
These words made Morris pause.
After a moment, Morris lowered his eyes. "Do you know? My mother once said the same thing."
Justin was a little taken aback. "What?"
Morris said calmly, "25 years ago, Yvette Anderson was suspected of murder. She deceived my mother in the name of treating a patient. Guess what happened after my mother let her out?"
Justin frowned.
Morris said slowly, "She ran away, and my mother was held ountable for her actions. Now, she has been disbanded and returned to the fields. What will happen to you, who has attacked a police captain because of Nora?"
Justin lowered his eyes, hiding his emotions. His voice was still calm and without any hesitation or doubt. "I told you, I trust her. Captain Ford, please cooperate for two hours."
Morris sneered. "Even if I cooperate, do you think there are no other police officers in New York? Do you think she can really reach the hospital safely?"
Nora was escaping on her own.
The moment she left the police station, she would be seen by the other police officers in the special department. Then, she would be a wanted criminal!
¡ª
At the entrance of the police station.
Four heads popped out from the back of a ck car. They were Quentin, Louis, Warren, and Maureen.
The four of them stared nervously at the door.
Warren stammered, "Re-really? We¡¯re breaking her out?"
Louis didn¡¯t care. "That¡¯s all we can do now. What else can we do?"
Warren: "This... this isn¡¯t good, right? I haven¡¯t made such a huge mistake before. Will Uncle Ian let us off?"
Louis sneered. "The three sons of the Smiths are all here. Why won¡¯t he care about us?"
Warren paused and told the truth. "Other than Joel, Uncle Ian only looks at Quentin twice. Do the two of us have any weight in his eyes?"
Louis: "... Warren, can you not speak the truth right now?"
"..."
Quentin, who was listening to the two of them, twitched his lips and said coldly, "What are you afraid of?"
He controlled the dark forces and had been in tricky situations many times.
But actually, he was also panicking.
After all, the Smiths were allw-abiding citizens. Back then, when Uncle Ian handed over the underground power to him, he had only instructed him not to break thew.
What they did, what they investigated in secret, and who they protected were all at the edge of thew.
Could they do something so illegal like this?
As he was thinking about this, the police station suddenly became chaotic.
Everyone saw the police officer at the door suddenly take out a gun and enter the police station.
Maureen asked in fear, "What¡¯s wrong?"
Louis hesitated as well. "Did Nora escape?"
Warren instantly patted his head. "Can you use your brain? With your cousin¡¯s frail body, how could she have caused such a huge ruckus escaping from prison?"
Louis touched his head. "You¡¯re right..."
With this sentence, Nora ran out of the police station.
The girl¡¯s figure was thin, and the hair tie had fallen somewhere. At this moment, her beautiful hair was scattered behind her, she looked valiant and beautiful.
As she walked out the door, the police officers behind her followed, all of them pointing their guns at her.
Warren: "..."
Louis: "..."
Maureen: "..."
Nora was very anxious. The people behind her did not dare to chase after her. After all, Justin was still inside. However, if she left the police station and did not have a car, how could she drive to the hospital?
Her gaze suddenly swept across the parking lot.
Before she could see who it was, she suddenly heard Quentin shout, "Why isn¡¯t this car locked? The car keys are inside!"
Nora followed his gaze and saw the familiar car parked there.
She immediately rushed over and opened the car door without a word. She jumped into the driver¡¯s seat and stepped on the elerator!
"Screech!"
The car sped away.
The other police officers followed suit and chased after her in their police cars. The others followed after her as she left the police station.
Louis and Warren were stunned.
The two of them turned their heads again and saw that Quentin had disappeared. There was another car outside the door, blocking the pathway of the policemen and the cars following them.
Quentin was casually leaning against a car. He said, "Officers, why can¡¯t I start my car?"
Louis: "..."
Warren: "..."
The two of them turned back and saw other police officers walking over. "What are you doing here? What¡¯s your rtionship with the fugitive?"
Louis and Warren looked at each other.
The two brothers suddenly said, "Officers, we¡¯re here to call the police! That female fugitive was too fierce. She stole our car and ran away!"
The police officer: "...What were you here to report?"
"My brother hit me!"
"My brother hit me!"
The two of them looked at each other after saying that in unison.
"Yes, I hit him!"
"Yes, I hit him!"
After saying that in unison, the two of them were stunned. Then, they suddenly reached out and hit each other.
Maureen was speechless.
She touched her forehead. "Police officer, ignore them. We¡¯re just here to visit someone. We didn¡¯t expect our car to be snatched away the moment we got out of the car."
The police officers were speechless.
Chapter 354: Who Will Pass the Word?
Chapter 354: Who Will Pass the Word?
At the police station.
"Send someone to guard the hospital. If the fugitive is found, arrest her immediately!"
"Yes, sir."
"The airport and high-speed rail stations are all under martialw. Send someone to guard the entrance and exit, and send her photo to the system!"
"Yes, sir."
Even though he was being held hostage by Justin, Morris still gave out orders unhurriedly. Justin did not stop him either until he heard this sentence.
"Let my people look for her all over New York. If she resists..."
Morris paused. "Shoot!"
The word "shoot" made Justin¡¯s pupils shrink. He exerted some force with the gun in his hand and pressed it against Morris¡¯s temple. "Captain Ford, aren¡¯t you going a little overboard?"
Morris lowered his eyes. "Mr. Hunt, do you really know her?"
Justin sneered.
Morris continued, "We found out that she only returned to the country two months ago. You two have two children together, but do you really know who she is?"
Justin narrowed his eyes.
He really did not know.
He only knew that she was Anti, the Big Sister of Quinn School of Martial Arts...
There seemed to be other mysterious identities, but he did not know them.
Morris said slowly, "I believe you¡¯ve investigated her past too, right? Her records were nk during those five years overseas. Do you know what she did during that time?"
Justin held his gun and pulled a chair over to sit opposite Morris. He leaned forward slightly, his tall figure still very oppressive. "Captain Ford, I don¡¯t know, but this doesn¡¯t affect me from trusting her."
Morris frowned. "Mr. Hunt, you¡¯ve always been aw-abiding citizen. You¡¯re not on the same path as her."
Justin lowered his eyes. "Even if we¡¯re not on the same path right now, we¡¯ll eventually get there. Life has endless possibilities, right, Captain Ford?"
Seeing that he was unmoved, Morris did not get angry. Instead, he said, "You¡¯ll never know how big the case she¡¯s involved in is. Mr. Hunt, you better pray that she really went to the hospital. Otherwise, you¡¯vemitted an unforgivable mistake this time!"
Justin lowered his eyes and did not speak.
Morris looked at the person beside him. "It has been half an hour. Ask the hospital. Has Miss Nora arrived?"
"Yes, Captain Ford!"
Morris¡¯s subordinate walked to the side and made the call. "Did the suspect go to the hospital?"
The hospital had already set up a defense line. As long as Nora appeared, they would immediately arrest her.
The person guarding the hospital replied, "Report, no suspicious people have entered at the moment!"
The person had turned on the speaker when he made the call, so everyone heard him.
Morris looked at Justin. "Mr. Hunt, did you hear that?"
Justin smiled. "If your people could find her that easily, she won¡¯t be Nora Smith."
How could the Big Sister of Quinn School of Martial Arts be easily caught?
Unexpectedly, the officer on the other end of the line suddenly said, "Mr. Joel, please cooperate with our investigation!"
Then, Joel¡¯s calm voice said, "I¡¯ll cooperate fully."
"Okay. May I ask if Miss Nora is at the hospital?"
Joel was puzzled. "Isn¡¯t she at the police station? Your Captain Ford doesn¡¯t allow bail!"
The police officer said, "Mr. Joel, we¡¯ve already received news that she escaped from jail. Her whereabouts are unknown now. Once she appears in the hospital, please contact us immediately!"
Joel immediately said in a deep but firm voice, "I¡¯ll definitely cooperate with the investigation."
"Okay."
The team leader left and said to his phone, "We¡¯ve confirmed that the suspect hasn¡¯t arrived at the hospital."
Morris stared at Justin. "Mr. Hunt, do you still not believe me? Why don¡¯t you take your gun away?"
Justin lowered his eyes and looked at the time. "Captain Ford, this ce is about an hour away from the hospital. It has only been half an hour. What¡¯s the rush? Why don¡¯t we have a good chat? What was Yvette¡¯s case back then? And what kind of case was my fianc¨¦e involved in?"
Morris was speechless.
The feeling of being detained by Justin and not being able to do anything was really infuriating!
¡ª
In the hospital.
After the team leader finished talking to Joel, he brought a group of people to patrol the surroundings to search for Nora.
After he turned a corner, Joel looked at the storage room behind him.
This was the janitor¡¯s work room. Usually, the broom and other things were kept here.
He looked around and confirmed that no one was around before opening the door.
Nora stood inside, leaning against the wall.
She had just sneaked into the hospital and was secretly avoiding the police when she saw Joel.
When their eyes met, Joel frowned. He was about to ask something when the team leader walked over.
Nora hid in this workroom.
She had originally thought that based on Joel¡¯s personality, he might help the police arrest her. She did not expect him to help her.
From the looks of it, other than Yvonne, the rest of the Smiths didn¡¯t seem to be that bad.
Nora nodded at Joel in thanks and was about to leave.
However, Joel grabbed her arm. "What are you doing here? Are you looking for me to help you arrange an escape route?"
Nora: "..."
Joel looked at the operating theater and said slowly, "Old Maddy can¡¯t take it anymore. Your crime this time will probably be confirmed. Although Uncle Ian doesn¡¯t like the Smiths breaking thew, I believe that he doesn¡¯t want to see you go to jail like this either. Therefore, I will help if I can."
"..." Nora¡¯s lips twitched. "I¡¯m not leaving."
Joel was stunned. "Then your escape was..."
Nora looked at the operating theater. "I¡¯m here to treat Old Maddy!"
Joel immediately frowned. "Nonsense! I¡¯ve already gotten someone to send a message to Justin. I told him about the current situation. Only Anti can cure Old Maddy. Why are you here?"
Nora sensed something. "You got someone to send a message to look for Anti?"
"Yes. The Hunts have interacted with Anti, so only Mr. Hunt knows who Anti is." Joel frowned tightly.
Nora curled her lips. "Who did you ask to send the message?"
Chapter 355: Saving People!
Chapter 355: Saving People!
Joel said, "I asked Yvonne to call Mr. Hunt..."
At this point, he suddenly understood something. "You mean Mr. Hunt didn¡¯t hear about this? Where is he?"
Although he knew that there was something wrong with Yvonne, she was still Uncle Ian¡¯s adopted daughter. Joel had been extra wary of her, so he did not expect something to happen at this critical juncture!
They were all members of the Smith family. Everyone was protecting the Smiths¡¯ dignity!
Therefore, Joel did not believe Yvonne would do anything to harm them.
Nora sneered. "You don¡¯t believe me. Why don¡¯t you ask Justin?"
Joel took out his phone. "I¡¯ll call Justin and ask him about it."
However, before she could call him, Nora reached out and stopped him. "He¡¯s at the police station now."
As expected of the head of the Smiths, Joel instantly understood what she meant. He frowned and asked directly, "Did he help you out?"
"Yes, he restrained Morris." Nora¡¯s light words made Joel¡¯s pupils shrink again.
Actually, he knew where Louis, Warren, and Quentin were.
Old Maddy could not take it anymore.
If they could not find Anti and could not save him, even if Nora did not involve herself in the major case in Morris¡¯s hands, just this matter alone would confirm the charges of medical malpractice!
Therefore, he did not stop them.
He knew Quentin¡¯s ability.
If he wanted to save someone, he could definitely do so.
Furthermore, the three of them still did not know that he had prepared a follow-up n to help them. The Smiths¡¯ private ne at the airport had already been prepared and could take off at any time.
However, he never expected that Justin would actually put himself in danger.
"Ridiculous!" Joel reprimanded her. "If he lets you out like this, he won¡¯t be able to clear his name no matter what. There aren¡¯t many ways to save Old Maddy!"
Nora raised her eyebrows. "Let¡¯s not talk about this anymore. I want to enter the operation theater now. Can you do that?"
"It¡¯s useless even if you go," Joel emphasized. "I told you, only Anti..."
At this point, Joel instantly understood something. He looked at Nora in disbelief and asked in shock, "You¡¯re Anti?"
"Yes."
Nora¡¯s firm answer made Joel reveal aplicated expression for a moment.
Who was this cousin of his?
He was silent for a moment before saying slowly, "Wait a minute."
He left the workroom and returned a minuteter with a doctor¡¯s white coat.
Nora wore it directly and then put on her hat and mask. She lowered her head and followed Joel out of the room.
The two of them went straight to the operation theater.
The police officers were standing there, looking around. When they saw the two of them, they asked, "Who is this? Take off your mask. We want to check!"
Nora narrowed her eyes and ced her hand on her mask.
At this moment, Joel took a step forward with an anxious expression. "What are you guys doing? This is Dr. Larson, the head of the Department of Neurology. She was caught in a traffic jam and camete. Quickly let her in to treat Old Maddy! If this continues, he won¡¯t be able to survive!"
While the two police officers were in a daze from being scolded, Joel had already pushed the operation theater doors open and let Nora in.
The two police officers hurriedly chased after her, but before they could enter, they heard a nurse shouting, "Dr. Larson, you¡¯re finally here! Come and take a look! The patient can¡¯t take it anymore!"
It seemed like she was really Dr. Larson?
The two police officers did not go in to stop her.
When Nora heard the nurse¡¯s words, she narrowed her eyes.
It had only been a minute since it happened. It was impossible for the people inside to collude with Joel. That could only mean one thing!
Joel had already prepared someone to receive them.
Initially, she thought that this elder brother would be like Ian and be wary of her. After all, after she returned, the two of them had been cold to her. However, from the looks of it, he could be quite considerate.
Nora retracted her thoughts and focused on saving Old Maddy¡¯s illness.
¡ª
Two hourster.
In the police station, Justin loosened his grip on the gun and returned it to Morris with both hands. "Captain Ford, I¡¯m sorry for this."
He held the gun with both hands as a gesture of apology.
After all, he was the one who was in the wrong today.
Morris stood up and reached out with one hand. He grabbed the gun and ced it in the holster at his waist before looking at him. "Mr. Hunt, since you trust her so much,e with me to the hospital!"
Justin followed behind him. "I¡¯d love to."
At this moment, the police officers on both sides rushed forward. Justin¡¯s bodyguards were about to make a move when he instructed, "Stop."
The bodyguards stopped and watched as the two police officers walked in front of Justin and took out handcuffs.
Justin extended his hand calmly, but the two policemen did not dare to do anything. They looked at Morris for instructions.
Justin¡¯s dark eyes were filled with coldness as he said faintly, "Captain Ford, dire times call for dire measures. I had no choice but to save her. Please forgive me."
Morris looked at him coldly. "If I have really wronged Miss Nora, I won¡¯t hold you responsible for this. However, if I don¡¯t see her at the hospital, you should know what you¡¯re going to face next."
With that, he waved at the two police officers. "There¡¯s no need for the handcuffs. After all, Mr. hunt is admirable for saving his fianc¨¦e."
"Mr. Hunt, please!"
"Captain Ford, please."
The two of them walked out of the police station side by side and got into the police car at the same time.
Justin¡¯s bodyguards followed behind the police car as a row of cars headed straight for the hospital.
On the way, Morris said slowly, "Old Maddy¡¯s illness is serious, the forensic pathologists and experts have all said that it¡¯s hopeless. Even if her medical skills are really good, once he dies, I will definitely pursue your earlier actions."
If Old Maddy could not be saved, even if they found outter that Nora had been wronged, there was no reasonable exnation for her breaking out of prison.
Justin lowered his eyes. "I know."
At this moment, Morris received a call. A voice came through the phone. "Captain Ford, the unknownposition in Old Maddy¡¯s blood has been investigated..."
¡ª
In the hospital.
Yvonne stared at the operation theater.
Old Maddy had been in there for 10 hours in a row. Beside her, Florence was walking back and forth cursing, "She¡¯s not the old sir¡¯s daughter, so she¡¯s indeed ruthless. She doesn¡¯t treat the lives of the servants as human. She bullied Old Maddy, who is crazy and doesn¡¯t know anything, and... Fortunately, the old sir is still in the ICU and doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s going on outside... Otherwise, he would have been angered to death by her!"
Florence asked worriedly, "Do you think the old sir¡¯s health will be affected if Old Maddy really dies?"
At this moment, the lights in the operation theater suddenly went off. The operation was over!!
Chapter 356: Light of Justice?
Chapter 356: Light of Justice?
The moment the lights in the operation theater went off, everyone outside stood up.
Everyone looked at the door.
It was not because they had a deep rtionship with Old Maddy. It was because Old Maddy¡¯s life and death determined whether Nora was guilty or not!
Yvonne clenched her fists and prayed in her heart.
If he died, everything would be fine! If he died, nothing could be found out from him...
While she was praying, Joel held his chin up.
Only he knew that Nora was in the operation theater. However, she went in toote. Even if she was Anti, could she really save Old Maddy who was determined to be almost dead?
He took a deep breath.
If Old Maddy died, Nora would not be able to clear her name as a suspect. Now that the police were guarding outside, Nora definitely could not leave.
It was unknown if Morris had heard some news, but he had already found the police and surrounded the hospital.
Nora would not be able to escape even if she grew wings this time!
As everyone waited nervously, the sound of footsteps suddenly came from the end of the corridor.
The sound was very loud and orderly. It sounded like an army had arrived.
Joel turned around and saw Morris and Justin striding over. Behind them were Morris¡¯s in-clothed subordinates.
Not far behind that group of people, another row of 12 bodyguards in ck suits followed closely behind. They seemed to be protecting Justin.
Therge group of people naturally attracted everyone¡¯s attention. Even Yvonne became nervous.
Why was Captain Ford here?
Did they find out something ande to arrest her?
Just as she thought of this, she heard Joel walk over slowly and ask, "Captain Ford, why did you mobilize so many people toe to the hospital?"
Morris¡¯s voice was very deep. "I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve already heard about Nora¡¯s prison break. Currently, the entire New York is on lockdown. I brought Mr. Justin here to see if she has escaped here."
Yvonne heard this and asked in surprise, "Nora broke out of prison?"
How dare she?
Moreover, wouldn¡¯t breaking out of prison confirm her crimes?!
Her eyes lit up.
When Nora said that she wanted to treat Old Maddy, she was full of confidence.
It was her attitude that made Yvonne panic and lure Florence to poison him.
She could be the only eldest daughter of the Smiths. As Nora was Justin¡¯s fianc¨¦e, she was already in the limelight. Lately, whenever she went out, there were always peopleing to curry favor with her. However, the one who they asked for was Nora!
She could not let Nora snatch away the glory that belonged to her!
However, she did not expect Nora to be so uncertain about herself too.
However, it made sense. After all, Old Maddy was hopeless. Even if she had mouths all over her body, she probably could not exin it clearly!
Thinking about this, Yvonne frowned with worry. "How could she break out of prison? Even if there was medical malpractice, as long as she admits her mistake, there will be a chance to correct it!"
She then looked at Joel. "Joel, did Nora contact you? Where is she?"
Joel narrowed his fox-like eyes.
Sensing his gaze, Yvonne realized that she was too anxious and sighed. "She¡¯s just a girl. I don¡¯t know where she can live after breaking out of prison. She probably doesn¡¯t have much money on her, right? I¡¯m just worried that she¡¯ll be deceived outside!"
With that, Yvonne frowned again. "Also, did she look for Cherry? If she wants to escape, she wouldn¡¯t leave her daughter behind, right?"
Cherry...
Was she indirectly reminding Morris?
Joel¡¯s gaze turned even colder. He nced at Yvonne and scolded softly, "Shut up."
Yvonne immediately covered her mouth as her eyes turned red. "Joel, I¡¯m sorry. I... I¡¯ve let it slip. I was just worried about Nora¡¯s safety."
Joel did not say anything else.
Instead, it was Morris who added, "We¡¯ve already confirmed that she didn¡¯t look for her daughter."
With that, Morris looked at Joel. "Mr. Joel, do you know that covering up a crime is equivalent to a crime itself?"
Joel lowered his eyes. "Captain Ford, I don¡¯t understand what you mean."
Morris looked at Justin and then at Joel.
Either of these two people could shake New York with a stomp of their feet, but at this moment, these two people were actually acting confused in front of him.
Morris looked at the operation theater and was about to continue when someone barged in from the door. "Captain Ford, the matter has blown up. Some reporters have sneaked in."
Morris¡¯s gaze darkened.
The person braced himself and said slowly, "When we were investigating the fugitive, we realized that there were reporters blocking the way outside. Now, they¡¯re moring for the Smiths to give an exnation. They say that the Smiths treat human lives like grass and are capitalist! They said that they can¡¯t tolerate crimes just because the Smiths have money!"
Morris said coldly, "You still need me to teach you how to handle this?"
That person wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and looked at Justin and Joel. He did not know whether tough or cry as he said, "Now, it¡¯s not just the reporters from onepany. There are dozens of reporters. They have already blocked the entrance of the hospital. Our people stopped them, but they are shouting outside, saying that we are colluding with the Smiths and are preparing to hide this matter from the public. They said we must give them an exnation..."
Morris frowned.
It was much moreplicated when dozens of reporters blew the matter up.
They could not ignore the voices of the public.
When the person saw that Morris did not pursue his negligence, he heaved a sigh of relief. Then, he took out his phone and handed it to Morris. "Also, look... there are reporters live-streaming. There are already hundreds of thousands of people in the live stream, and the number of people is still rising..."
Morris looked over and saw a female reporter standing in front of the camera, talking.
"Yes, I¡¯m in the hospital. I heard that the servant is being treated in this hospital. I don¡¯t understand why there are so many police officers around. Isn¡¯t this just ordinary medical malpractice?"
"The charges are so strict. They even stopped us from going in for an interview and didn¡¯t let us follow up on the investigation. Is it because there¡¯s something going on behind the scenes?"
"This is the segment team that Andy helped out with. Everyone, don¡¯t worry. We will definitely pursue this case. If the servant is dead, the truth will definitely be revealed! We can¡¯t let the murderer get away with it! Even more so, even if the suspect is from a wealthy family, we can¡¯t curry favor with them and hide the truth from others! Of course, our principle is not to malign a good person and not to let a bad person off! Therefore, we will wait here for the police to give us an exnation! I believe the Light of Justice will spread to every corner of this world!"
Chapter 357: Old Maddy Is Not Dead!!
Chapter 357: Old Maddy Is Not Dead!!
Apanied by the female reporter¡¯s powerful voice, a group ofments floated across the screen.
¡ª Andy, you be careful too!
¡ª Don¡¯t tell me we won¡¯t see this female reporter tomorrow?
¡ª I heard that rich people don¡¯t treat people as humans at all. They treat people like toys. What servants? What kind of society is this? Do they still call them servants? Furthermore, servants are not your family¡¯s private property. They are living people!
¡ª I heard that the one who was used for practice has a mental problem. He can¡¯t defend himself at all and can¡¯t refuse anything. Besides, he¡¯s an orphan. He has no ties or rtives. Even if he dies, no one will pursue it, right?
¡ª It was said that he was adopted a few years ago. It seems like the hearts of the rich are indeed dark. Adoption was just a gimmick! Not only did it give them a good reputation, but they also had people to experiment with.
¡ª Human experiment? Heavens, what kind of society is this? There was still such a dark matter?
¡ª That servant doesn¡¯t have any rtives, but we¡¯re in this world. We can¡¯t let the murderer get away with it!"
...
Thements were flying across the screen. Each and every one of them was so righteous that it was as if they were going to eliminate them.
The title "Human Experiment" was even more eye-catching. It was obvious that it had been confirmed.
Not only did Morris see it, but there were also assistants and secretaries beside Justin and Joel who had sent their phones over. The two of them had also seen it.
Justin sneered coldly, but he was not anxious.
Joel frowned. Some people on the livements had dug out that Nora was from the Smiths, so they were all scolding the Smiths right now. Some even scolded Ian.
At this point, the Smiths were already well-known entrepreneurs.
But he still did not speak.
Yvonne narrowed her eyes when she saw this.
Of course, she was the one who had found the reporters.
She was worried that even if Nora¡¯s crime was confirmed, the Smiths would stille forward to suppress this matter, even if Ian would never allow anyone tomit a crime.
However, these brothers of the Smiths looked at their sister like she was the apple of their eyes. How could they be willing to watch Nora go to jail?
She could only use the public¡¯s opinion to pressure them!
Now that Nora was forced to this extent, they couldn¡¯t protect her, right?
As she thought about this, Morris¡¯s phone rang. Yvonne heard Morris pick up the call. His attitude became respectful. "Yes!"
The other party said something. His expression was very ugly as he said, "Yes, don¡¯t worry. I will definitely arrest Nora and give the public an exnation. I will not let this matter rest! I¡¯m at the hospital now. I promise toplete the mission!"
It seemed like his leader was putting pressure on him.
Yvonne felt even more relieved as she suggested, "Joel, how did things end up like this? Nora has escaped from prison, and Old Maddy¡¯s life is still uncertain... I think we should invite the reporters in and wait for Old Maddy¡¯s treatment. Otherwise, the public will definitely not believe us!"
Upon hearing this, Joel¡¯s eyes shot out a fierce look.
She could actually make such a suggestion at such a time?
Seeing that Joel was silent, Yvonne looked directly at Morris. "Captain Ford, I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t want to be looked at as a partner-in-crime, right?"
Morris smiled coldly. "We have a clear conscience. Why should we be afraid of other people¡¯s words? Besides, how can we live-stream the moment we solve a case? Miss Yvonne, your suggestion is too frivolous!"
How could a police officer be allowed to do a live broadcast?
Morris had never been afraid of anyments, just like Justin and Joel.
The two of them did not take what was happening on the Inte seriously at all!
Hearing Morris¡¯s words, Yvonne panicked. "The doctor hasn¡¯t pushed Old Maddy out yet, which means he¡¯s probably dead. Captain Ford, my suggestion is just to prove yours and the Smiths¡¯ innocence! Otherwise, if they say that we¡¯re protecting Nora..."
As soon as she said this, the door to the operating theater was suddenly pushed open.
Nora¡¯s cold and hoarse voice slowly traveled over. "I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to disappoint you. Old Maddy is not dead."
Chapter 358: We’re Husband and Wife~
Chapter 358: We¡¯re Husband and Wife~
The entire corridor fell silent.
Everyone looked at the entrance of the operation theater. Nora was standing there wearing a surgical gown. Her face could not be seen clearly, but everyone could still see how calm andposed she was.
As she spoke, she took off her gloves. After taking off her gloves, she casually took off her surgical cap and mask. Her long hair fell down, revealing her beautiful face.
As her mask and hat were rtively tight, there were two red marks on her cheeks. She looked ratherical, but no one couldugh at this moment.
That was because her eyes were cold and indifferent. Even her hair was filled with seriousness when she performed surgery!
Justin stared at her, an inexplicable sense of pride rising in him as he slowly smiled.
There was more admiration in Joel¡¯s fox-like eyes.
Morris¡¯s eyes were still pitch-ck. He could not say what emotions he was feeling, but anyone with eyes could tell that he was no longer as nervous as before.
The three men each had their own thoughts, but Yvonne was the one who broke the silence. She cried out in surprise, "You, why are you here?"
Nora walked out slowly and threw the gloves at the person standing at the entrance of the operation theater. That person actually took them subconsciously. When he received them, he realized that he was like an assistant. He wanted to return the gloves to her, but he did not know what to say.
Nora loosened her wrists and moved her stiff neck.
She had beenpletely focused on the acupuncture treatment she had used to treat Old Maddy earlier and did not dare to let her guard down. It had been a full one and a half hours... Coupled with the eight to nine hours she had been detained, she had not slept for a total of 11 to 12 hours!
At this moment, her temper had already reached the limits. She frowned and her usually obedient, yet vicious eyes swept over Yvonne. Her voice was filled with impatience. "Do you not have a brain? Of course, I¡¯m here to treat Old Maddy."
These words made Yvonne feel a lump in her chest. She bit her lip angrily and pretended to be weak. "Nora, don¡¯t misunderstand. It was Captain Ford who said that you had escaped from prison. Now that you¡¯re here, I asked you a few questions..."
Before she could finish speaking, Nora ignored her and looked at Morris. She endured the difort in her body and said, "I¡¯ve saved him. I¡¯m going back to the police station with you now. As for him..."
She pointed at Justin. "Can we release him first? After all, we were too anxious earlier and were left with no other choice."
Justin said, "Didn¡¯t we already find out the unknownposition in his blood earlier?"
Had the unknownponents been investigated?
Nora looked at Morris.
Joel was stunned. "Unknownposition?"
Seeing that everyone was looking at him, Morris said slowly, "Yes, we found some unknownponents in Old Maddy¡¯s blood, so we suspected that Miss Nora used Old Maddy to research a new drug. It¡¯s a huge crime to privately develop illegal drugs, so we detained her."
Everyone was enlightened.
Medical idents weremon, but there had never been a case where a doctor was taken away and could not be bailed out before they could confirm that something had happened to the patient.
If that was the reason, then it made sense.
Only Nora narrowed her eyes.
Research new drugs?
These words made her frown. She wanted to connect everything together, but her mind was too muddled right now. She could not even be bothered to think about the basics.
She decided to put this matter aside and think about it after she had rested enough.
She did not speak, so Justin asked, "Then what is the unknownponent we¡¯re investigating now?"
Morris looked at Nora. "It¡¯s the residue of a pesticide. It means that someone had poisoned Old Maddy. Although there was indeed a butler who testified that Miss Nora had never used drugs on Old Maddy, this matter still almost cost him his life. Therefore, Miss Nora, please continue to cooperate with our investigation. Of course, you can be bailed out this time. When we find out who the culprit is, you can be released without charges!"
When Nora heard this, she let out a big yawn and nodded. "Alright."
With that, she walked to Morris and stretched out her hand. "Captain Ford, do you need to cuff me?"
Morris was speechless.
He felt that there was some mockery in the woman¡¯s words.
He knew that he had misunderstood her previously and was against her.
He turned his head. "Miss Nora, you must be joking. I¡¯m just asking you to make a statement at the police station. There¡¯s no need for handcuffs."
"Okay." Nora raised her eyebrows. She had just taken two steps when she realized Justin was following her. She asked, "Where are you going?"
Justin replied honestly, "I just kidnapped Captain Ford. My crime is too big, so I have to go to the police station and be locked up for a few days, right, Captain Ford?"
Morris¡¯s face darkened. "...No need."
"No, I should be locked up." Justin held Nora¡¯s arm. "It¡¯s best if you lock us up together."
Morris: "...As far as I know, you¡¯re not married yet, right?"
Justin¡¯s dark eyes looked at Nora, and a faint smile appeared on his lips. The mole at the corner of his eye became even more obvious. "We¡¯re engaged, we¡¯re husband and wife."
"..."
The corners of Morris¡¯s lips twitched. He didn¡¯t want to bother with him anymore. He felt like this person was showing off his affection.
Joel said, "I¡¯ll take you to the police station. I can pick you up immediately after you finish your statement."
Morris was speechless.
The group continued to walk out.
Yvonne, who was ignored by the others, stayed at the back of the crowd. She looked at Nora, who was surrounded by the three most powerful young men in New York, and inexplicable jealousy surged into her heart.
She clenched her fists tightly.
After a moment, she suddenly lowered her head, picked up her phone, and sent a message.
¡ª
Outside the hospital, reporters surrounded them.
After seeing Nora leave, a group of people rushed up like a swarm of bees and surrounded them.
Morris¡¯s expression darkened.
Justin also nodded at the bodyguards.
Joel nced at Quentin, who had been mixed in the crowd.
Therefore, the in-clothed police, the Hunts¡¯ security guards, and the Smiths¡¯ security guards came up together and surrounded the reporters outside, forming a walking wall of flesh.
Nora saw that the reporters could not go forward. She yawned again and walked towards the police car.
After taking two steps, a reporter who was stopped outside suddenly shouted, "Captain Ford, why was the suspect in the hospital? Is Old Maddy dead or alive? Shouldn¡¯t you give the public an exnation! Also, we heard that Nora has escaped from prison. Doesn¡¯t this indirectly show that she has a guilty conscience?!"
Chapter 359: I’m Anti!
Chapter 359: I¡¯m Anti!
Morris¡¯s expression darkened.
The matter of breaking out of prison was serious.
Nora had indeed escaped prison, and it brought a bad reputation on him.
However, he did not agree back then because he felt that this was just Nora¡¯s excuse. After all, there were so many doctors who could not save Old Maddy. How could she possibly save him?
On the way to the hospital, he had studied Old Maddy¡¯s medical records carefully.
There were some things that were unclear, but he also understood that Old Maddy was a hopeless case!
However, just now, Old Maddy¡¯s breathing was even. He was sent to the ICU ward for observation. This meant that he had underestimated and misunderstood Nora previously!
In addition, the unknownposition in his blood was showing that he had misunderstood Nora...
Out of apology and because she had made a prompt decision to break out of prison, Nora had saved a life. He lowered his eyes and decided to cover up this matter.
He stopped in his tracks and looked at the reporter, "Miss Nora didn¡¯t break out of prison. She¡¯s here to treat a patient!"
"Treat a patient?" The reporter sneered. "If she could treat a patient, how could she have caused such serious medical malpractice! Captain Ford, I think you¡¯re colluding with the Smiths and Hunts, right? That¡¯s why you found such a lousy excuse!"
The other reporters immediately asked, "What¡¯s going on? What on earth is going on? Logically speaking, shouldn¡¯t Miss Nora be isted from the patient if there¡¯s a problem with her treatment? What if the patient is threatened by her?"
The reporter immediately said, "Why would he be threatened? The patient is a lunatic and has an abnormal mind. He¡¯s still lying on the bed in the operation theater and hasn¡¯t woken up. What right does he have to reject and be threatened? It¡¯s just that the police department is too unruly!"
"Other doctor-patient rtionships will iste doctors and patients. Why is Miss Nora allowed to go to the operation theater?"
Morris said slowly, "The other doctors have issued critical notices to the patient, and there was no way to save him. They could only let Miss Norae back and try. This is out of respect for the patient¡¯s life!"
This made the reporter who asked the questionugh even more. "All the doctors said that it was hopeless, but only Miss Nora can treat him? Officer, who would believe your words? Can she bring people back from the dead?"
Morris frowned.
The reporter continued to lead the conversation. "I think you¡¯re asking her toe over and take credit for it, right? I have an insider in the hospital. I¡¯ve long heard that Old Maddy¡¯s illness is indeed incurable! Currently, there¡¯s only one doctor in the world who can treat him. It¡¯s Anti!"
"The Hunts knows Anti, so they urgently found him to treat Old Maddy. Then, you cooperated with the Hunts and the Smiths and got Nora toe over and enter the operation theater. It was all to snatch credit, right?"
"Someone who was treated badly by Miss Nora can still be treated by her? Ha, in this way, there won¡¯t be any medical malpractice anymore? Your families are really scheming! However, what makes us feel bitterly disappointed is that you all actually colluded with them to resolve this conspiracy! It¡¯s simplyughable!"
"Everyone,e and judge. It¡¯s not illegal for a daughter of a wealthy family to treat someone badly. Is the patient¡¯s life only for the rich to y with?!"
The reporter¡¯s every word was powerful and righteous.
The other reporters and the people who were broadcasting were all influenced by this reporter.
Therefore, everyone started to criticize Nora.
"Can you do whatever you want just because you have money? This is awful society!"
"You have to give us an exnation. Give Old Maddy an exnation! We want an exnation!"
"Right, we can¡¯t let this matter rest like this!"
Thements on the live stream were also flying.
¡ª This is too much. I¡¯m so angry! Is the life of an ordinary person so insignificant?
¡ª Yes, rich people are too despicable. They can use any means!
¡ª Rich people like them are the scum of society. They should be severely punished!
¡ª She¡¯s too arrogant. Isn¡¯t this too obvious? I don¡¯t believe in this world anymore!
...
In the hospital, Yvonne looked at Andy¡¯s live stream. She lowered her eyes and smiled.
Justin and Joel looked down on the power of public opinion, but they did not know that sometimes, the power of public opinion could suppress others!
She had prepared everything that the reporter had said.
Wasn¡¯t Nora¡¯s appearance in the hospital caused by the Hunts and Smiths?
Justin had found Anti and given all the credit to Nora. Yvonne would not allow such a thing to exist!
As she was thinking about this, she saw Morris say in the live stream, "You guys are talking nonsense! I let Miss Norae over because only she can treat Old Maddy¡¯s illness!"
The reporter sneered. "As far as I know, only Anti can treat it!"
¡ª
"Yes, only Anti can treat it."
Nora rubbed her temples. At this moment, she only wanted to sleep. She frowned and looked at the reporter impatiently. "Then do you know who I am?"
"Who are you?" The reporter sneered. "You can¡¯t be better than Anti in terms of medical skills, right? Is that why you dare to snatch Anti¡¯s credit? We want to see Old Maddy¡¯s medical records!"
The others echoed and shouted, "Yes, we want to see Old Maddy¡¯s medical records! We want to see who the attending doctor is!"
Nora said slowly, "The attending doctor is indeed Anti."
The reporter heaved a sigh of relief. "Then this has nothing to do with you! You¡¯re still the one who treated him badly! You¡¯re still going to be pursued by thew! You can¡¯t be acquitted just because your family invited Anti to save the patient! Anti is Anti, and you¡¯re you!"
Nora¡¯s eyes were cold. She looked at him and said slowly, "But what if I¡¯m Anti?"
Chapter 360: Found Out!
Chapter 360: Found Out!
All the reporters outside and the audience in front of the screen fell silent at once, as if someone had suddenly pressed a mute button.
Everyone stared at Nora in disbelief.
She was Anti?
This young woman looked to be in her early twenties, right? She was actually Anti? It was unbelievable!
The reporter gulped. "You... you¡¯re joking, right?"
Nora did not say anything else.
However, the person beside him poked him. "Can this be said as a joke? This kind of thing can be checked with a simple investigation! Many people overseas have undergone surgeries by Anti. If we broadcast it like this now, everyone will know about this. She won¡¯t dare to fake it!"
"Anti only takes two operations a month. I used to think that this doctor was too arrogant. Did Anti not need to feed her family? Now, I suddenly understand. Anti really doesn¡¯t need money!"
"...So, when she said she was treating Old Maddy, she was really treating him! She wasn¡¯t fishing for fame?"
"Does Anti still need to rely on others to increase her reputation?"
"Then what¡¯s going on?"
"Why did your helper, the one called Old Maddy, suddenly almost die? Besides, why did the police arrest you?"
Before Nora could answer, Morris had already spoken up for her. "Old Maddy was poisoned by someone. We have already found some unknownponents in his blood, so we invited Miss Nora to the police station to cooperate with the investigation."
Old Maddy was poisoned and she was only there to cooperate with the investigation...
As soon as these words were out, someone sensible said, "Captain Ford, then your police station is in the wrong. As a doctor, why would she poison her own patient?"
"Yeah, she¡¯s not stupid... If she had a grudge against the servant, would she still need to treat him?"
"..."
The reporters were all smart people. With just a few words, they could guess what had happened. At this moment, they all began to criticize Morris.
"Aren¡¯t they arresting a good person?"
"That¡¯s right. How can they start arresting people without investigating clearly?"
The reporters who spoke up for Nora looked at Nora after saying that. They said ingratiatingly, "Miss Nora, I¡¯m a reporter from the New Daily. May I look for you if I need to see a doctor in the future?"
"Miss Nora, I¡¯m..."
Morris was speechless.
He thought that the reporters were really understanding and rational, but they suddenly changed their opinions faster than light. After all this, they were trying to curry favor with her because she was a famous doctor!
That made sense. Who could guarantee that they would not get sick forever?
When he figured it out, the bodyguards and police around him also thought of it. The way everyone looked at Nora instantly changed.
The police officers who were originally surrounding Nora to prevent her from escaping now had a much kinder attitude. "Miss Nora,e this way. Don¡¯t get squeezed..."
Morris was speechless!
Theckeys¡¯ current behavior was unbearable to look at!
He waved his hand. "Alright, we¡¯re not imprisoning Miss Nora. We¡¯re bringing her back to make a statement. If there¡¯s nothing else, please leave!"
Initially, they thought it was a drama where the eldest daughter of a wealthy family treated human lives like grass. In the end, they did not expect the big news about Nora being Anti to be exposed!
The reporters who hade over had material to broadcast. They were all excited and agitated. At this moment, their attitudes had changed drastically. They were no longer aggressive and obediently made way.
Nora, Justin, and Joel seemed to be surrounded by everyone as they got into... a police car.
In the hospital.
When Yvonne saw this news in the live stream, she clenched her fists tightly. Her usually elegant face had be even more ferocious and terrifying.
She had nned so much, but she did not expect that Nora was actually Anti! That internationally renowned surgeon!
If she had known, she would not have made such a foolish arrangement.
At this moment, she was looking at every news tform on the Inte. Every single one of them had the words: Shocking! The eldest daughter of the Smiths is actually Anti!
Every news outlet sang immense praises of her.
The daughter of a wealthy family was actually a medical genius!
This persona allowed her to smoothly gain a foothold in wealthy families.
Yvonne took a deep breath and wished she could p herself.
This fool had such a high status, but she was still hiding it. Now, she had been forced to reveal it. Yvonne had even helped her hire reporters and spent money to buy her poprity. She had actually be the center of attention!
She punched the wall beside her angrily, feeling as if she had shot herself in the foot.
Beside her, Florence nagged, "How could Old Maddy be poisoned?"
Hearing this, Yvonne froze.
Yes, Morris was famous for being quick at investigating cases. Was she going to be exposed too?
¡ª
Joel had been following behind the police car.
On the way, he lowered his fox-like eyes and no longer had the smile on his face.
After Nora was arrested, he actually hesitated about whether to bail her out because of his uncle. Now, he felt a little guilty.
His slender fingers tapped the armrest of the leather seat as he turned to look out the window.
Although he had a gentle temperament, he had always been swift and decisive. He had never been so conflicted and hesitant.
Ian was closer to him than his father. Although he had always called him Uncle Ian, he was the most important family member in his heart.
Ever since he acknowledged Nora, Ian had been in aa.
The doctor said that he was depressed.
He was depressed because he knew that the woman he loved the most had been with his brother?
Nora¡¯s existence was his greatest worry.
Therefore, he was hesitant and indecisive.
On one side was his cousin from the Smiths, and on the other was his third uncle who was like a biological father. This caused him to hold back his concern for Nora.
As he thought about this, they arrived at the police station. He got out and walked to the police car.
The car had stopped a long time ago but no one got off. Just as he was feeling puzzled, he saw the back door open. Justin made a silencing gesture.
Joel: "?"
While he was in a daze, he saw Justin walking out of the car with Nora in his arms.
Nora had already fallen asleep.
Justin protected her carefully and walked very softly.
Morris was about to speak. "Mr..."
Before he could finish, Justin red at him coldly. His viciousness made Morris subconsciously swallow his words.
Then, Justin carried her into the police station.
On the way, when everyone looked over, they were all frightened by Justin¡¯s gaze and did not dare to speak.
After entering the interrogation room, Justin carefully ced Nora on the bench. The woman turned over and fell asleep again.
At the door, Morris was speechless.
At this moment, someone walked over. "Sir!"
Morris subconsciously asked in a soft voice, "What¡¯s wrong?"
"I found out who poisoned Old Maddy."
Chapter 361: The Pill Was Taken from Miss Yvonne’s Room!
Chapter 361: The Pill Was Taken from Miss Yvonne¡¯s Room!
When Morris heard this, a fierce look shed across his dark eyes.
He took a look at the situation in the interrogation room.
After cing Nora on the bench inside, Justing stood guard there. Although he did not speak, it was obvious that no one could disturb him.
He could only take two steps to the side and walk around the interrogation room before asking, "Who is it?"
After the person reported, Morris lowered his eyes.
Finally, he nodded. "Okay, I understand."
With that, he walked toward the interrogation room. As he walked over, he saw a bodyguard in a ck suit walking in with a nket.
Morris: "?"
While he was in a daze, he saw another bodyguard walk in with a single mattress. Then, someone walked in with a pillow.
Morris: !!
The corners of his lips twitched. He stood at the door and realized that the hard bench in the interrogation room had already been set up as a soft bed. Nora mumbled something and turned around to continue sleeping.
Justin wrapped her in a nket.
Morris was speechless.
He took a deep breath and walked in after building up his thoughts. He lowered his voice and said, "I¡¯ve already found out that this has nothing to do with Miss Nora. She can go home and sleep."
"Shh."
Justin gestured for him to keep quiet and said, "We¡¯ll leave after she wakes up."
Morris: "?"
That¡¯s enough! What kind of ce did he think this was? They would leave after she wakes up?
It was too humiliating!
As Morris thought about this, he turned around and walked out with a dark expression. When he reached the door, he paused for a moment and closed it.
The soundproofing in the interrogation room was very good. After the door was closed, it isted all sound from the outside world. It was quieter inside, and it was more suitable for sleeping.
Justin was very satisfied.
¡ª
At the Smiths.
Old Maddy¡¯s life was no longer in danger for the time being. He had been transferred to the intensive care unit to be guarded, and the people who stayed in the hospital left one after another.
After all, Old Maddy was only a servant at home.
After returning home, Yvonne entered his room in a daze. Just as she was about to close the door, someone pushed the door open and Florence walked in.
She frowned and said with a slightly angry expression, "Miss Yvonne, that illegitimate daughter is actually a very famous divine doctor! It¡¯s unbelievable! But so what? She¡¯s just a doctor. Someone who serves others can¡¯t be shown off! Which wealthy family cares about a doctor?"
As she spoke, she mumbled indignantly, "I really don¡¯t know how Yvette gave birth to this child. She actually inherited her mother¡¯s medical talent. She became the most famous surgeon at such a young age. I think she was also carved out from the same mold as her mother. She¡¯s a b*tch deep down! Otherwise, why would she get pregnant before marriage? I don¡¯t know what kind of drug she used on Mr. Hunt to make him fall in love with this kind of woman with a burden! How can a man raise someone else¡¯s child? Just like the old sir, why did he soften his heart and acknowledge Nora back into the Smiths? Her existence is a humiliation to him!"
Hearing this, Yvonne lowered her eyes and said indifferently, "It¡¯s because Mr. Hunt and Nora like each other! The Smiths and Hunts need a marriage alliance, so even if dad is forced to lower his head, he¡¯ll still acknowledge her."
These words made Florence¡¯s eyes turn red again. "Old Sir has really sacrificed too much for the Smiths!"
As she spoke, she almost cried. "Back then, Yvette ran away and left the old sir alone. He was unmarried throughout his life, and his family forced him to adopt a child. The old sir disagreed and asked Joel toe over, but he had never changed his name on the genealogy. The old sir even said that after he died, his ashes would be scattered into the sea so that he could look for Yvette... But the old sir was so devoted. How could Yvette betray him?"
Florence wiped her tears. "I¡¯m just angry at Yvette. Why did she betray the old sir? The old sir¡¯s body that she messed with back then has now copsed. Now that her daughter is back, she has caused chaos in the Smiths!"
"Old sir personally ordered Old Maddy to stay behind. Who in our family doesn¡¯t take care of Old Maddy? But she actually attacked Old Maddy... This is too much!"
"So is that Captain Ford. He said that Old Maddy was poisoned by someone. Old Maddy eats and wears the same as us. How could he be the only one who was poisoned?"
As Florence spoke, she sneered. "I think she might have been the one who poisoned him. She nned to save Old Maddy at the critical moment and increase her reputation!"
As soon as she finished speaking, there was a sudden movement downstairs.
Yvonne and Florence looked at each other and left the room. When they went downstairs, they saw the police chief standing there with a few police officers.
The butler¡¯s expression was dark. "Isn¡¯t Miss Nora at the police station? Why are you guys here again?"
The captain took out a search warrant. "We have detected pesticides in Old Maddy¡¯s blood. By monitoring his diet during this period, we determined that Old Maddy had taken this drug!"
With that, he took out a pill. "This pill looks like traditional medicine, but it¡¯s actually a pesticide! So, we need to investigate who gave this pill to Old Maddy."
The butler was stunned and looked at the pill.
Immediately, he turned around and looked at Florence!
One night, Florence secretly went to Old Maddy¡¯s room and fed him this pill. The butler had seen it with his own eyes!
Florence widened her eyes in shock. She even subconsciously shouted, "Isn¡¯t... isn¡¯t this the Carefree Pill?"
The police instantly turned towards her. "Did you feed Old Maddy this medicine?"
Florence nodded in a daze.
She then exined in a shaking voice, "Police officers, you¡¯re mistaken. This is a Carefree Pill. It¡¯s for treating Old Maddy. This pill was invented by the Harmonia Pharmacy! It¡¯s more than 3,000 dors. It¡¯s very expensive!"
As she spoke, she took a step forward. "How is this some pesticide? It¡¯s really a Carefree Pill! It was invented by the Andersons. Nora knows about it! At that time, she was treating Old Maddy¡¯s illness. I saw that Old Maddy was unconscious every day and was worried that something would happen to him, so I fed him this pill..."
The more she spoke, the paler her face became.
Florence was not stupid. As an internal butler, she had handled many things. At this moment, she seemed to have understood something and looked at Yvonne in disbelief!
The policeman frowned. "Where did you get this pill?"
Florence stretched out her trembling hand and pointed at Yvonne. "I, I took it from Miss Yvonne¡¯s room."
Chapter 362: It Was You!!
Chapter 362: It Was You!!
As soon as she said that, all the servants in the room looked at Yvonne.
Yvonne¡¯s eyes widened and she tensed up nervously. Then, she took a deep breath and said steadily, "Isn¡¯t that my mosquito repellent, Mdm. Florence? Why did you take it?"
Mosquito repellent?
Florence was stunned.
In a split second, she understood everything!
She looked at the pill in shock and then at Yvonne again. She felt as if her mind had be totally nk in this instant.
Was the woman standing in front of her really the Ms. Yvonne she had always thought of as gentle, generous, and understanding?
How could she lie... How could she lie?!
She had clearly told her that it was a Carefree Pill and told her to give it to Old Maddy, causing him to almost die!
Yvonne, however, took a step back. "Mdm. Florence, w-why are you looking at me like that?"
Why she was looking at her like that...?
Florence took a deep breath, and she suddenly made a decision.
¡ª
By the time Nora woke up, it was already bright outside.
She opened her eyes slowly, feeling as if there were needles stabbing her in the head. Her brows drew together, and she reached out her fingers and pressed them against her head. She was about to say something when a pair of strong, warm hands pressed against her head and gently massaged her temples.
The pain slowly eased, and her tightly-knitted brows finally rxed. She looked at the man giving her a massage.
Justin was still wearing the same clothes he wore the day before. From the looks of it, he hadn¡¯t left the whole night?
Despite not having slept a wink all night, the man didn¡¯t look dispirited at all. Only the corners of his eyes revealed some fatigue.
Under the dim light of the interrogation room, his beauty mark lost some of its usual fierceness and became a little more alluring.
She unwittingly thought of how the man had held Morris hostage and told her to leave the day before. She stretched, stood up, and asked casually, "Weren¡¯t you afraid that I would flee?"
A smiling Justin looked at her and replied, "You wouldn¡¯t."
Nora paused in her stretching and asked, "Why? Because of the children?"
"Of course not," Justin took out a handkerchief and handed it to her, "It¡¯s because you said that you¡¯re in love with me."
Nora: "..."
The corners of her lips spasmed. She took the handkerchief from him and wiped her face casually. Then, she heard him say, "Just kidding. It¡¯s because I know you¡¯re not someone like that."
She froze again.
To be honest, the two of them hadn¡¯t really spent that much time together ever since her return to the States. In fact, the man wasn¡¯t even aware of many of her mysterious identities.
In spite of that, he had trusted her even in a situation like this.
She put down the handkerchief that she was wiping her face with. For some reason, as she gazed at the man¡¯s handsome face, her heart suddenly skipped a beat.
She hastily turned away and asked, "Is there anything to eat?"
She had slept all the way till now after she came back the night before, and had been asleep for a full fourteen hours. Although she was still sleepy, she had to get up and replenish some energy. Otherwise, her body wouldn¡¯t be able to take it.
"Yes, there is."
The man replied calmly. After taking out his cell phone and sending a message, someone opened the door and came in with a cart of food.
Morris, who had hurried over upon hearing that Nora had awakened, seemed trouble as his lip corners spasmed at the sight.
Those two... They were totally treating the interrogation room like it was a hotel, weren¡¯t they?
Not only had the man prepared bedding, but he had brought a washbasin and toiletries over when Nora was still asleep. In fact, he had even brought carts of piping hot food into the room early in the morning.
Every half an hour as the food turned cold, he would distribute them to the people in the police station.
Justin was doing this so that Nora would have fresh food to eat whenever she woke up!
Morris had never seen anyone who spoiled their wife more than Justin did!
He entered the room. He was about to speak when Justin suddenly held his hand up and stopped him. He said, "Captain Ford, wait till she¡¯s done eating if you have something to say, lest she gets indigestion."
Morris: "..."
He pulled a chair over and sat on it.
The interrogation room was clearly his home ground, yet the two of them were so rxed that it was as if they were in a hotel instead. After finishing her breakfast leisurely, Nora finally looked at Morris and asked, "Captain Ford, is there any progress in the case?"
"Yes, there is."
Morris said, "The person who poisoned Old Maddy is Florence Stone. We have brought her back with us. She¡¯s in the interrogation room next door."
As soon as he said that, Justin said, "That poison isn¡¯t something an ordinary servant can easily obtain, is it?"
Morris nodded. "You¡¯re right. She took the medicine from Yvonne Smith¡¯s room."
Nora frowned. "And then?"
Morris said, "It¡¯s rtively difficult to convict Yvonne Smith of the crime. As there is no real evidence to prove that it was Yvonne Smith who made Florence Stone poison Old Maddy, what she did was, at best, tricking someone intomitting a crime. Also, Stone... has admitted to doing it on her own."
She had admitted to it?
Nora suddenly said, "I¡¯ll go and talk to Florence."
"Okay."
¡ª
In the interrogation room.
Nora saw Florence, who had been detained.
She looked tired and haggard as if she hadn¡¯t slept a wink all night because of fright. However, when she saw Nora, the look in her eyes suddenly became fierce and savage.
Nora went straight to the point. She merely asked, "Why?"
Why was she taking the rap for Yvonne?
Florence definitely wasn¡¯t the one who had poisoned Old Maddy.
The woman disyed all her emotions in the open and was also a direct and straightforward person who had ridiculed and mocked Nora at home. She was very protective of Ian in everything she said, so there was absolutely no way she would do anything to bring shame to the Smiths.
Florence understood what she meant.
She sneered, "Because she¡¯s the old sir¡¯s daughter. Even if she¡¯s just an adopted daughter, she¡¯s still his daughter, whereas you bring shame to him!"
Florence lowered her head. "I am indebted to the old sir. There¡¯s nothing I can do to repay him except for this."
Nora frowned. "But she¡¯s not a good person."
"So what if she¡¯s a good person? And so what even if she¡¯s a bad person?!" Florence became agitated. Her eyes reddened as she stared at Nora. "Back then, your mother was also a good person! She saved so many people! I had also thought she was a good person, so why did she betray the old sir? Do you have any idea how he lived all these years?!"
¡ª
The Smiths didn¡¯t know anything about the conversation between Florence and Nora in the police station.
Joel was sitting in the study with his gaze lowered.
The door opened, and Yvonne walked in uneasily. "Were you asking for me, Joel?"
Joel looked up. "There¡¯s no way Mdm. Florence would poison Old Maddy. Both you and I know that very well."
Yvonne bit her lip and simply refused to admit to it. She said, "What do you mean by that, Joel? I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying. Even Mdm. Florence herself has already admitted to it. I¡ª"
But before she could finish, Joel had already cut her off. He said, "Uncle Ian hates people who vite thew and break rules the most. Even if you¡¯re his daughter, you¡¯re not allowed to do that! Mdm. Florence may not expose you, but the Smiths will never tolerate and condone such vileness!"
Chapter 363: Stripped of Duties!
Chapter 363: Stripped of Duties!
Yvonne bit her lip when she heard him.
She looked at Joel.
The man sat leisurely behind the desk with his hands on it. However, his eyes, which were always smiling, were deep and bottomless.
He stared at Yvonne, making her feel as if all her clothes had been stripped off. Those eyes seemed to be able to see right through one, yet others couldn¡¯t tell what he was thinking.
Yvonne lowered her head. "I admit that I made a mistake, Joel. I shouldn¡¯t have bought a pill like that and left it in the room, thereby giving Mdm. Florence a chance to steal it. But I really didn¡¯t break thew. Surely you can¡¯t say that I broke thew just because someone stole the pill I bought and poisoned another person with it, right?"
Joel narrowed his fox-like eyes.
He sneered, "Yvonne, do you think I asked you here to force you to admit to your mistakes? You¡¯re wrong."
Yvonne was taken aback. Then, she heard the man¡¯s rich and mellow voice. He said slowly, "I¡¯m not a police officer who needs evidence in order to convict someone of a crime. Neither do I need you to admit to anything. Both you and I know that very well."
His voice was gentle, yet it also seemed like a voice straight out of hell, causing Yvonne¡¯s heart to sink little by little.
Joel stood up. "Since there isn¡¯t any evidence, I won¡¯t hand you over to the police. Besides, you¡¯re Uncle Ian¡¯s daughter. How you should be dealt with will have to wait until Uncle Ian wakes up. However, you don¡¯t have to manage the family matters anymore during this time."
His words made Yvonne suddenly look up at him.
As Ian¡¯s one and onlywful daughter, Yvonne had always enjoyed a very high status in the family.
In fact, legally, she had a closer rtionship with Ian than what Joel, Ian¡¯s nephew, had with him.
Therefore, while Joel managed thepany¡¯s affairs, Yvonne was in charge of the family¡¯s affairs. Even Florence, the housekeeper in charge of the family¡¯s internal affairs, was just her helper.
Why did Louis keep suffering in her hands despite loathing her so much? It was thanks to the fact that she was the one in control of the finances!
Yet, Joel was going to deprive her of her authority?
Yvonne couldn¡¯t stop herself from retorting, "Who do you intend to put in charge of managing the family¡¯s affairs, if not me? Nora? You can¡¯t do that. I¡¯m Dad¡¯s only daughter while she¡¯s nothing more than a shameful product of that woman¡¯s betrayal of Dad. Aren¡¯t you embarrassing Dad if you do that?"
Seeing that she was still arguing even now, Joel slowly cast his eyes down and said, "You can go now."
Yvonne wanted to argue some more, but she knew that Joel never changed his mind once he made a decision.
She clenched her fists, took a deep breath, and walked out of the study.
After she left, Quentin popped out of somewhere, went to Joel, and asked, "Are you really going to let her off just like that, Joel?"
Joel rubbed his temples, feeling a headacheing on.
He sighed and said, "Uncle Ian is still in aa. As his only daughter, it¡¯s best that nothing happens to her for now. If Uncle Ian pulls through, he will deal with her himself."
Joel, who had been brought up by Ian himself, knew Ian¡¯s character all too well.
He hated schemes and conspiracies like these the most.
Besides, he felt that Uncle Ian didn¡¯t really seem to dislike Nora that much...
Quentin couldn¡¯t help asking, "What if Uncle Ian doesn¡¯t make it?"
The look in Joel¡¯s eyes suddenly turned cold. "Then it¡¯ll be the time that she gets married once she finishes two years of mourning for Uncle Ian."
As for who she¡¯ll marry and how much money to give her once she does, Joel had the final say!
Quentin nodded.
He and Joel were of the same opinion with regard to Nora¡ªneither of them liked her very much. After all, he was someone constantly in the shadows. Nora¡¯s thoughts were just like his¡ªunfit to be brought into the light.
While he was thinking about it, Joel asked, "Has Nora woken up?"
The sensitive Quentin discovered that Joel¡¯s term of address for Nora had changed. From the distant and alienated ¡¯Ms. Smith¡¯, it had now be ¡¯Nora¡¯... Ahem!
Quentin straightened his back and replied, "I don¡¯t know. She was still asleep when I left. She had looked sozy, didn¡¯t even work, and only knew to sleep every day in the past. But unexpectedly, she¡¯s actually the famous Anti... Thinking about it again, it¡¯s no wonder she¡¯s so rich!"
"... Rich?"
Quentin nodded. "Yeah. Don¡¯t you know? Louis has already be her fan just because she¡¯s rich!"
Joel couldn¡¯t help remarking dryly, "What a promising future that fellow has."
"I know, right?"
Quentin curled his lips disdainfully. "I, for one, won¡¯t bend over just because she¡¯s rich. If she wants my recognition... only if she¡¯s the Quinn School of Martial Arts¡¯ Big Sister!"
Joel: "..."
Quentin looked at him again. "What does our little cousin have to do in order to gain your recognition, Joel?"
Joel nced at him, picked uppany documents from the table, and said, "What a meaningless question."
Quentin curled his lips disdainfully.
Joel¡¯s phone vibrated at this point. He nced at it and found that it was a text message from Tanya: ¡¯Please let me know when Nora returns.¡¯
Joel sent her a question mark.
Tanya immediately replied. As if she was eager to distance herself from him, she wrote: ¡¯Nora isn¡¯t picking up my calls, so I reckon she¡¯s still being detained! Cherry misses her mom. Tell her to pick up her daughter once she returns.¡¯
At the sight of the message, Joel immediately got up, picked up the car key, and walked out.
Quentin was taken aback. "Where are you going, Joel? Aren¡¯t you going to wait for our little cousin toe home?"
Joel didn¡¯t stop. He replied, "I¡¯m picking up the child and bringing her home."
Quentin: "?"
¡¯Child¡¯?
Wasn¡¯t it the weekend? It didn¡¯t seem like Mia had gone to school, though?!
¡ª
Nora only came out of the room after she was done talking to Florence.
She didn¡¯t really me Florence. In fact, her loyalty to Ian made her sigh in admiration. What kind of age were they already in? Yet there were still people who could go to that extent for their masters.
No wonder Joel hadn¡¯t driven her away after he took over the family.
Morris asked, "How was it, Ms. Smith?"
Nora gave him her serious feedback. "The interrogation room¡¯s soundproofing is indeed pretty good. You can try using it if you ever have insomnia in the future."
Morris: "..."
He was asking if Florence had said anything! He wasn¡¯t asking about the interrogation room!!
But as he watched the unaffected woman in front of him, he fell silent for a moment before he finally said, "I apologize for my actions previously, Ms. Smith. I¡¯m sorry."
Nora raised her eyebrows when she heard him.
Her lips curled into a smile and she suddenly said, "Apology epted, Captain Ford, but I¡¯d still like to ask you to do me a favor."
"What is it?"
Nora cast her eyes down and asked, "Can you tell me just what kind of case am I involved in?"
Her head had cleared up after she woke up.
Morris kept quiet for a while. He looked up and stared at her for very long, seemingly considering whether he could tell her about it. Atst, he stepped aside and said, "Let¡¯s talk over there, Ms. Smith."
There were indeed some things he didn¡¯t need to hide from her anymore.
Nora nodded. She gave Justin aforting look and followed Morris into the confidential room next door.
Chapter 364: DNA Sample from Back Then?
Chapter 364: DNA Sample from Back Then?
Justin stood there and watched helplessly as Morris took her into the secret room. He frowned.
The confidentiality room was a room used for important cases in the country. No conversations inside would be recorded.
Therefore, be it discussing the case or presenting the case, it would be inside.
Back when Morris took Nora away forcefully and did not allow her to be bailed out, he knew that Nora might have been involved in a case.
Now, the mystery was finally going to be solved, right?
He lowered his eyes. His eyes were dark, and the mole at the corner of his eye seemed to be flickering. From his appearance, it seemed like he already knew what that secret was.
¡ª
Nora originally thought that the soundproofing in the interrogation room was good enough, but when she entered the room and Morris closed the door, her heart skipped a beat.
All the sounds outside were blocked by a door, making her feel as if she was isted from the entire world.
When she looked at Morris again, he was still as cold as ever. He pointed at the chair and motioned for her to sit down before sitting opposite her.
The two chairs were the same. He did not look like he was interrogating a criminal and it was like they were talking fairly.
While Morris was still struggling with his choice of words, Nora asked, "Is it about illegal drugs and human trials?"
Morris paused. "I didn¡¯t expect Miss Nora to be so perceptive."
Nora rolled her eyes.
How could she still not understand at this point!
After Old Maddy¡¯s incident, Morris had kept asking her if she had given Old Maddy any drugs. Then, he had detected some unknownponents in Old Maddy¡¯s blood. He immediately became nervous and his attitude became worse.
At that time, Morris was certain that she had fed Old Maddy something.
Later on, when he realized that Old Maddy¡¯s blood contained drugsmonly used to poison rats and mosquitoes, Morris rxed. He did not even participate in the arrest of Florence.
If she still could not detect anything, she was too slow.
Nora thought about this and asked, "Captain Ford, should we talk about this properly now?"
Morris nodded and crossed his arms on the table. His posture seemed more like he was testing and wary. "Miss Nora, do you know that there is a mysterious organization in this world that outsiders don¡¯t know about?"
A mysterious organization?
Nora¡¯s first reaction was Imperial League.
She lowered her eyes and looked calm, but her heart felt as if it had been scalded.
Imperial League was indeed a dangerous existence to be able to control the global economy. But ording to what she knew, it didn¡¯t do human experiments or illegal drugs.
So it wasn¡¯t Imperial League.
She looked up at Morris and did not answer his question. "Please borate."
Morris observed the girl in front of him.
She had just woken up. Perhaps it was because she had slept for too long, but her almond-shaped eyes were a little swollen. Although she had eaten, her voice was still a little hoarse.
No one could guess what she was thinking.
Actually, Morris had been observing her for a long time, but he felt like this girl was covered in a veil. Every time he felt that she was just an ordinary person, she would do something that surprised him.
For example, her identity as Anti...
At the thought of this, Morris lowered his eyes. "We still don¡¯t know what that mysterious organization is called. We only know that they¡¯re doing human experiments and illegal pharmaceuticals. Moreover, the drugs they create are very dangerous and will cause a destructive blow to the entire human race!"
When Nora heard this, she slowly sat up straight. Her eyes became more serious. "A destructive blow?"
"Yes," Morris said slowly. "We¡¯ve always guessed that they¡¯re creating a virus and they¡¯ve already started human trials more than twenty years ago!"
20 years ago?
Nora frowned. "Is my mother rted to this organization?"
Morris was silent for a long time before he said slowly, "We suspect that your mother was from this organization, so we secretly arrested her back then."
At this point, he lowered his eyes. "At that time, my mother was the leader of the operation team. After her arrest, your mother said that she had a patient waiting for her to treat. Otherwise, that patient would die. She even said that only she could treat that illness."
Nora suddenly understood. "Your mother let my mother go and my mother ran away. That¡¯s why you refused to let me go this time. You didn¡¯t believe what I said?"
Morris was speechless.
What did she mean by refusing to let her go...
He grimaced, ignoring her choice of words, and nodded. "Yes."
Nora suddenly understood his neurotic way of doing things. If it involved such a high-level case, forcing her to stay was understandable.
After saying everything, Morris stood up and extended his hand to her. "So, please understand my actions again."
"Sure."
Nora did not shake his hand and just waved it casually.
As they walked out, Morris took the opportunity to say, "Florence¡¯s poison was stolen from Yvonne¡¯s room, but if Florence doesn¡¯t say anything, we won¡¯t be able to hold Yvonne responsible. If Miss Nora wants to bring the real criminal to justice, you¡¯d better think of a way to convince Florence."
Nora stretchedzily. When she thought of Florence¡¯sints about her, she lowered her eyes and said, "Unless I¡¯m Ian¡¯s biological daughter, it¡¯s impossible to convince her!"
Morris was speechless.
Nora dragged her feet andzily walked out the door. After meeting up with Justin, the two of them left the police station.
As soon as she went out, Lily appeared in front of her. She wanted to say something, but she nced at Justin and pulled Nora to the side. She asked nervously, "Anti, are you okay?"
Nora nodded. "I¡¯m fine."
Lily said indignantly, "What¡¯s wrong with the Smiths? Is this how they treat you? It¡¯s too much! Moreover, your DNA mutated a little in theter stages. No one can say for sure if you¡¯re really Ryan¡¯s daughter. I think your father is Ian!"
Nora patted her shoulder. "If you don¡¯t have evidence, don¡¯t talk nonsense."
Whether she was Ryan¡¯s daughter or Ian¡¯s, there was no urate news for now. Unless they got real evidence, Nora would not say anything to the Smiths.
Otherwise, wouldn¡¯t it be awkward if she was really Ryan¡¯s daughter?
Lily was so angry that she blew raspberries. "Evidence? How can we get evidence now? Unless we go back more than twenty years ago and save some DNA samples from your birth, where else can we find evidence?"
20 years ago... DNA samples?
Nora suddenly thought of the manager who was protecting Idealian Pharmaceuticals for her mother. Her eyes lit up.
Chapter 365: Who Is the Real Miss?
Chapter 365: Who Is the Real Miss?
Although Nora had been in New York for two to three months, Idealian Pharmaceuticals would send the dividends to her ount on time in the past few months.
She just had a lot of money and never cared about it.
However, now that she thought about it, Wayne was the manager her mother had personally chosen. He also managed Idealian Pharmaceuticals and did not let Henry interfere to snatch it away. He definitely had his own means!
She nodded at Lily, picked up her phone, and walked to the side to call Wayne.
As soon as the call connected, Wayne¡¯s excited voice was heard. "Miss Nora, you¡¯ve finally thought it through. Are youing back to inherit thepany?"
Nora: "..."
Why did this fellow seem so enthusiastic?
How unwilling was he to manage thepany!
She grimaced and asked, "No, I just want to ask you a question."
The other party¡¯s voice immediately lowered as he said listlessly, "Okay, ask away."
Nora asked, "Did my mother leave anything for me at your ce?"
"Yes!"
Before the other party could speak, Nora interrupted him. "Other thanpanionship and love, is there anything else?"
"...About that!" Wayne dragged out his words and sighed. "What specifically do you want?"
Nora asked tentatively, "For example, fetal hair? Or a blood sample?"
Wayne: "Of course not. Miss Nora, why would your mom leave your fetal hair for me? I¡¯m not a pervert. I don¡¯t have a fetish for collecting hair!"
Nora: "..."
Wayne asked, "Miss Nora, are you busy?"
Nora: "No, what¡¯s wrong? Is there something wrong with thepany?"
"Not really. After all, our smallpany relied on the form your mother left behind. It¡¯s not a problem for us to prescribe some medicine. It can also ensure that you have no financial worries in your life." Wayne began to nag. "I just want to say, when are youing back to manage thepany? I¡¯m really too busy alone! You don¡¯t even know that there are many misceneous matters in thepany. As the chairman of Idealian Pharmaceuticals, you have to be responsible. You can¡¯t leave everything to me alone. I¡¯m already old... h, h..."
Nora listened for a full minute. When she saw that he was still not stopping, she said, "By the way, what did you ask me just now?"
Wayne: "... If you were busy?"
Nora immediately said, "I¡¯m very busy. I¡¯m hanging up... Beep, beep, beep..."
Wayne was speechless.
Hearing the busy tone on the phone, Nora pouted. She really couldn¡¯t listen to a naggy person.
She looked at Lily. "I might be busy for a while. Stay in the country for now."
"Okay."
As her first assistant, Lily was verypetent. "Where do I stay?"
Nora thought for a moment. "Stay with me in the Smiths."
After her identity was exposed, there would definitely be many people looking for her. It was very troublesome. This would require Lily to handle it. If there were problems that other doctors could resolve, Lily would help rmend them. If Nora had to do it, Lily would arrange a schedule for her.
At the thought of this, Nora felt a headacheing on.
She rubbed her temples and walked with Lily to Justin¡¯s car.
Justin stood at the side. When he saw the two of them walk over, he opened the back door, and Nora got into the car. Lily wanted to follow them, but she realized that Justin was blocking the door.
Lily was stunned. She looked up and saw Justin nce at the front passenger seat.
Lily immediately understood and stuck out her tongue. "I¡¯ll be in the front passenger seat! I¡¯m not an insensitive person, Anti¡¯s boyfriend."
Anti¡¯s boyfriend?
Justin was a little stunned when he heard this title.
Usually, when he was outside, people would call him Mr. Hunt or Justin. This was the first time he was called Nora¡¯s boyfriend.
He suddenly liked this nickname.
He lowered his head slightly and got into the car. He entered the backseat and sat with Nora.
The journey was silent. After Justin took the two of them to the Smiths, he did not stay any longer. After all, he had not slept the entire night. He wanted to go back and recuperate.
Besides, Cherry was still waiting for him at the Hunts.
Nora brought Lily into the house. Just as they entered, the butler weed them. "Miss Nora, you¡¯re back!"
His attitude became much more respectful.
Nora was taken aback for a moment.
The butler bowed deeply to her. "Miss Nora, I was wrong to have misunderstood that you were trying to harm Old Maddy. I didn¡¯t expect you to be the famous Anti. I was blind!"
"Miss Nora, we misunderstood you!"
When the other servants heard that she was back, they immediately walked out and bowed to her.
Those who could work in wealthy families were not fools.
Initially, they thought that Nora was going to use Old Maddy to make a name for herself. They did not expect that she was really going to treat him!
On the other hand, Florence had stolen poison from Miss Yvonne¡¯s study and almost killed Old Maddy!
It was obvious at a nce which youngdy did not care about their lives!
Initially, when Nora hade to live with the Smiths, everyone still felt some disdain for her. They felt that she was just a wild chicken who had be a phoenix thanks to her background. However, at this moment, everyone admired her from the bottom of their hearts.
On the way back to her room, all the servants who saw her stood at a distance and bowed to her to express their apologies.
The servants in the entire manor had a 180-degree change in attitude toward her!
Nora entered the living room. The housekeeper, Lucy, who had just been promoted by Joel, hurried over. "Miss Nora, you¡¯re finally back! Do you have any orders for me?"
Nora nced at him.
Lucy was in her thirties. She looked very young and energetic. Her attitude toward her was very respectful.
Nora pointed at Lily. "This is my assistant. She will be staying here for a period of time. Please arrange a guest room for her."
"No problem!"
Lucy immediately said, "Miss Lily, you can wait in the living room and tell me the style of the room you like. I¡¯ll choose a guest room that you like."
Nora was going upstairs to take a shower, so she went up first.
Lily sat in the living room. After choosing a guest room, Lucy arranged for someone to tidy it up and apany her.
At this moment, Yvonne suddenly walked down and casually instructed, "Lucy,e over. I have something to tell you."
Lucy was stunned and looked at Lily. "Miss Yvonne, there¡¯s... a guest here."
Yvonne¡¯s gaze instantly turned sharp as she stared at Lucy. "Lucy, since you¡¯re in this family, you should understand who the real daughter of this family is! The entire Smiths belong to my father!"
Chapter 366: Umbilical Cord Blood!!
Chapter 366: Umbilical Cord Blood!!
Lucy was Joel¡¯s caretaker.
It could be said that she was the nanny who had taken care of Joel since he was young. Because she was meticulous and smart, she had always worked for the Smiths.
As Joel grew up, Lucy had also slowly been promoted and given a raise from taking care of him. Before Florence was taken away by the police, her words at home already carried a lot of weight.
Even Florence and Yvonne were polite to her because of Joel.
After all, Florence was already old, and Joel was the new head of the Smiths. Her future status could be imagined.
Lucy had watched Yvonne grow up. She was loyal to Joel, so she naturally disliked Yvonne.
After all... Joel was the one Ian had chosen. Yvonne was Ian¡¯s adopted daughter, but she had a high status at home and always suppressed others.
In the past, when she saw Maureen giving in to Yvonne, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Joel would give in to her at home when he got married in the future.
However, Joel¡¯s wife would be the madam of the Smiths! She would also be the future matriarch of the Smiths!
Therefore, Lucy and Yvonne were born to be enemies.
Coupled with the fact that Old Maddy had been poisoned, everyone knew that Florence was either under Yvonne¡¯s orders or had been deceived. Therefore, they felt even more disdain for Yvonne.
Yvonne had lost control of the family, and Lucy was now in charge of the family¡¯s matters.
Lucy did not feel threatened by her words. She only smiled and said, "Miss Yvonne, from what you¡¯re saying, you¡¯re older than Miss Nora. Of course, you¡¯re the eldest daughter of the Smiths! It¡¯s just that I still have a guest here. Furthermore, Mr. Joel has just handed the house to me. I have all kinds of misceneous matters to deal with here. I¡¯m a quiet person and I¡¯m cautious in my actions. I don¡¯t dare to make any mistakes or embarrass myself in front of a guest. If news of this gets out, no one will scold me. They will only say that the Smiths¡¯ upbringing is bad. Don¡¯t you think so?"
Yvonne: "!!"
She had long known that Lucy was not a pushover, but she did not expect her to rebut her like this.
Yvonne¡¯s face turned red and white.
The surrounding servants were clearly working, but Yvonne knew that they must have strained their ears to eavesdrop on their conversation.
After Joel fired the housekeeper, Yvonne knew that Lucy would definitely hit her while she was down. When she made things difficult for Lucy earlier, she wanted everyone to see that even if she had done something wrong, she was still the owner of the Smiths!
However, she did not expect to meet a wall with Lucy.
She took a deep breath. She knew that at this moment, she had to turn the situation around. Otherwise, she would really be looked down upon.
She lowered her eyes. "Lucy, I only called you over to tell you how to entertain the guest. Why are you making it sound so grand? Or do you think that I, as the eldest daughter, have no right to give you instructions?"
With that, she sneered. "Dad is indeed in the hospital. Joel is in charge of the family now, but Dad is still around. Do you think he¡¯ll be happy to know that you¡¯re talking to me like this after he wakes up?"
Lucy choked.
Ian was equivalent to the emperor emeritus in the family. Everyone knew that he had the ability to take back control of the family. It was just that Joel was very filial and Ian was very satisfied with him!
Lucy did not dare to say such words. She immediately stood up. "Miss Yvonne, what do you want to say?"
Yvonne nced at Lily and said, "Since there¡¯s a guest at home, let¡¯s add a few dishes tonight! Thisdy must have returned from overseas. She must be very interested in the delicacies in New York. We can prepare a sweet and sour fish."
The list of dishes prepared in the kitchen had long been prepared. If Yvonne suddenly added more dishes, the chef would definitely have to rush out to buy ingredients. This would make things difficult for the kitchen.
However, Lucy still agreed with a smile. "Miss Yvonne is right. I¡¯ll get someone to prepare it right away."
Yvonne nodded.
When she turned around and walked upstairs, she sensitively saw Lucy purse her lips and make a disdainful expression.
Yvonne forcefully suppressed the anger in her heart.
She was just a servant, yet she dared to be rude to her!
Furthermore, the rest of the family¡¯s attitude toward her had clearly changed. There was coldness in their distance, just like how they treated Nora in the past.
But so what?
Nora was the daughter of the second branch. She was basically from the side family! Now, the Smiths¡¯ direct line of descent was her!
As long as she was still Ian¡¯s legal daughter, then she would have a share of his family fortune! Even if she was an adopted daughter, she was still better than Nora, the legitimate cousin of the Smiths!
After all, how could a niece get an uncle¡¯s inheritance?
In the Smiths, her identity as Yvonne would forever suppress Nora!
¡ª
At this moment, outside the door.
Lisa stood there and was answering a call. It was Nora¡¯s aunt, Irene. "...I wonder how Nora is now. Go and take a look. Why is she suspected of medical malpractice? This child didn¡¯t say anything either. If I hadn¡¯t seen the news, I wouldn¡¯t have known! Sigh!"
Lisa stood at the door, feeling a little conflicted. "Mom, Nora isn¡¯t Henry¡¯s biological daughter. Isn¡¯t it bad for me to go looking for her like this?"
Ever since she found out that Nora was not Henry¡¯s biological daughter, Lisa did not dare to visit her again.
Now that she knew Nora was her mentor, Anti, she became even more fearful!
However, after watching the live broadcast and the news, she was the same as her mother. She was very worried about Nora¡¯sfort in the Smiths. Did the Smiths not treat her well enough?
Lisa looked at the imposing door in front of her and became even more hesitant.
She did not expect Nora to be this family¡¯s daughter...
As she was feeling ashamed of herself, Irene¡¯s voice was heard. "What¡¯s wrong with that? I believe Nora isn¡¯t that kind of person! She¡¯ll acknowledge us!"
Lisa nodded and took a deep breath. "Alright."
At this moment, Lisa¡¯s father, Bobby, said, "Honey, do you remember Lisa¡¯s umbilical cord blood?"
Irene was stunned. "What¡¯s wrong?"
Bobby said, "Back then, when you gave birth to Lisa, we spent about 3,000 dors to keep her umbilical cord blood for more than twenty years. The hospital called me just now and asked if we wanted to keep it for a while longer."
Irene immediately said, "Is it expired? Then you can renew the fees."
With that, she sighed. "Speaking of which, I learned how to store umbilical cord blood from Nora¡¯s mother. When she gave birth to Nora, she had kept her umbilical cord blood for her. Now, it should still be in the hospital¡¯s freezer. By the way, Lisa, when you see Nora, remember to tell her. She definitely doesn¡¯t know about this yet! If it¡¯s useful in the future..."
Chapter 367: Two Actresses
Chapter 367: Two Actresses
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Bobby interrupted Irene. "When would you need the umbilical cord blood? I hope she won¡¯t need to use it for the rest of her life!"
Cord blood was mainly used to treat blood diseases, such as leukemia. Under normal circumstances, it would definitely not be needed.
Irene immediately snorted. "Yes, Nora definitely won¡¯t need it. But we still have to tell her."
The disappointing brother at home had already disappeared for a long time. The cks in California were living morefortably than before.
Especially since Bobby had recently been in a few big business deals with thepany.
Although Bobby did not know who had helped him, he had a feeling that it might be rted to Nora.
He was a good kid who knew how to repay kindness. Back then, he had misunderstood that Nora did not care about his wife¡¯s life. However, when he saw the live broadcast, he finally understood why Nora was so indifferent back then.
It turned out that the doctor she had found for the cks was herself!
Bobby was feeling guilty about chasing her out of the hospital back then, so he snatched the phone away and said to Lisa, "When you see Nora, remember to help me bring her home. Ask her to bring the child over to y when she¡¯s free. I¡¯ll make her favorite brown sugar rice cake!"
"...Okay." Lisa hung up the phone and looked at the luxurious door in front of her again. She thought for a long time before knocking on the door.
The door opened quickly. The guard asked, "Who are you looking for?"
Lisa: "...I¡¯m looking for Nora."
The guard looked her up and down. "Wait a minute."
"Okay."
The guard called and entered the hall. The housekeeper, Lucy, had just tidied up the guest room for Lily. After receiving the call, she was about to call Nora to ask if she shoulde in when she was stopped by Lily. "Let Miss Lisa in first. An... Miss Nora should be sleeping right now. Don¡¯t disturb her."
Lily knew Nora¡¯s body very well. She had spent the entire day at the police station yesterday and went to treat Old Maddy at night. Even though she had slept for a while, her energy had not recovered yet. She must be sleeping right now!
Lucy listened to Lily and let the guard bring Lisa in.
Upstairs, Yvonne listened to their conversation and bit her lip in anger. She was just a servant, and she would chatter away after saying a few words. However, when Nora¡¯s assistant spoke, she was as obedient as anything. She simply did not take her seriously!
How infuriating!
¡ª
When Lisa was led into the Smiths¡¯ residence, she was first stunned by thevish courtyard.
This was New York!
In ces where every inch ofnd was worth money, they actually had such arge manor. Furthermore, she was perceptive to the fact that some ces had flowers nted and some ces had vegetables. This was the first time Lisa experienced the difference between her and a truly wealthy family!
She was already so terrified. No wonder Nora was being bullied here!
Yes, she was certain that Nora had suffered in the Smiths.
It was just medical malpractice. Even in California, if Henry did not appear, her parents could still bail her out. But in New York, the Smiths actually allowed Nora to be detained for 24 hours!
Wasn¡¯t it just because they were rich?
As Lisa thought about this, she became even more furious.
At this moment, a yful voice was heard. "Hey, who is this?"
Lisa turned around and saw a man around her age with blond hair... To be precise, it was a young man walking over. She frowned when she heard the housekeeper say, "Mr. Louis, this is Miss Nora¡¯s cousin from California."
Louis immediately sized up Lisa when he heard this.
Was this his cousin¡¯s trash family in California?
Ever since Nora became his idol, he had asked around about her. When he asked around, he was instantly furious. He did not expect his cousin to live like that in California!
Especially that shameless cheap father of hers. He had taken her mother¡¯s money and still treated her so badly!
Therefore, Louis did not have a good impression of the family in California. When he saw Lisa, he immediately sneered. "Tsk, are you here to take advantage of Nora now that she has be a phoenix?"
Taking advantage of Nora?
Lisa felt Louis¡¯s disdain and was instantly infuriated.
She was still a guest, yet he was already being so rude. Wouldn¡¯t the Smiths be even more rude to Nora?
The soft person had also lost her temper. She was so angry that her face was red and her voice was trembling. "What¡¯s so great about you? Do you have to look down on me?"
Louis raised his head and ced his hands on his hips. "The Smiths are very impressive. Country bumpkin, you must have never seen such a big courtyard, right?"
Country bumpkin?
Did they scold Nora like that too?
Lisa kicked the flower bed beside her in anger. "Who are you calling a country bumpkin?"
Louis made a face. "Whoever cares about it is the country bumpkin! What do you think your family is? Tsk, little girl, I advise you to be careful. Do you know how much this jar of flowers costs? Any one of them is worth thousands of dors! If you broke it, can you afford to pay?"
Lisa: "!!"
Her eyes were red as she red at the jar of flowers. She walked to the other side and nned to kick the grass, but Louis said proudly, "The grass over there is no ordinary grass. It¡¯s orchid! One stalk is worth tens of thousands! Are you sure you want to kick it?"
Lisa paused again and looked to the side.
Louis clicked his tongue and showed a disdainful expression. "Little girl, the piece ofnd you¡¯re standing on is worth hundreds of thousands per square meter. Our family is rich, what can you say?"
Lisa: "!!"
She was furious. "Even if you have a lot of money, you can¡¯t buy kinship. Why are you looking down on us?"
Louis didn¡¯t notice this "us" and thought that she was talking about the family in California. Therefore, he stuck out his tongue. "I¡¯m just looking down on you. Hit me if you dare!"
As soon as he said this, Lisa had already raised her little fist and punched him in the face. "I¡¯m so angry! I¡¯ll let you know today that money is not everything. There are some people you can¡¯t afford to offend!"
Louis took a nimble step back and Lisa chased after him.
The two of them immediately started fighting.
This was what Lily saw when she went out.
Both of them had their hands on their hips.
Louis said annoyingly, "Hmph, your family bullied my cousin. Now, it¡¯s my turn to bully you!"
Lisa¡¯s face was also red as she roared angrily, "The Smiths are bullying my cousin. Let me tell you, my cousin and the cks are not people who can be bullied easily!"
Chapter 368: Aren’t You from the Smiths?
Chapter 368: Aren¡¯t You from the Smiths?
At this moment, Lisa was pinching Louis¡¯s face while Louis was pushing Lisa¡¯s neck to prevent her from getting too close to him. Louis did not dare to make a move. After all, the other party was a girl and he was still merciful.
The two of them were stunned when they heard each other.
Lisa¡¯s grip loosened. "What did you say?"
Louis was stunned too. "What did you say? The cks? Aren¡¯t you the Smiths from California?"
Lisa: "?"
Louis thought for a moment and coughed. "I think we misunderstood. Let go and talk things out."
Lisa was furious. "No, let go of me first."
Louis: "...Why don¡¯t I call out ¡¯one, two, three¡¯ and we¡¯ll let go together?"
"Okay."
"One, two, three..."
Even after he finished counting, they were still intertwined.
Louis said, "Let go!"
Lisa: "Let go of me first!"
Lily was speechless.
The two of them were already 20 years old. Together, they were already 40! Yet, they were still so childish!
The corners of her lips twitched. She took a step forward and said, "Louis, Lisa, you¡¯ve misunderstood! You¡¯re both Nora¡¯s best rtives! Let go of each other quickly!"
Louis asked hesitantly, "What are you talking about? Didn¡¯t you say that the Smiths in California treated her badly?"
"...It¡¯s the Smiths¡¯ fault. Lisa is the daughter of Nora¡¯s aunt. If it weren¡¯t for Nora¡¯s aunt, she might have starved to death when she was young!"
Louis let go of her immediately when he heard that. "It¡¯s a misunderstanding. Why aren¡¯t you letting go? It hurts!"
Lisa looked at Lily. "Who are you? Are you treating Nora badly like the Smiths?"
Lily: "...I¡¯m Lily! Anti¡¯s assistant! Lisa, please let go. The Smiths have never treated Nora badly!"
As medical students, Anti was a God to them. And Anti¡¯s assistant, Lily, was also a legend. After all, those who could be Anti¡¯s assistants definitely had good medical skills!
Even Lily was an outstanding surgeon!
Lisa felt a sense of respect for her and hurriedly let go of Louis. Her face was red with embarrassment. "Miss Lily! I¡¯m, I¡¯m sorry... I didn¡¯t know..."
She lowered her head and stammered sheepishly.
Louis pointed at her angrily. "Why are you acting weak here? I think you did it on purpose!"
Lisa immediately lost her earlier cautiousness and raised her chin like a fighting chicken. "You were the one who started talking bad about me the moment you entered!"
"You even beat me up! I¡¯ll tell Norater how savage this little cousin of hers is! What a yellow-haired brat!"
Lisa: "!!"
She was furious. "You, you¡¯re the real yellow-haired brat!"
Louis: "??"
He touched his blond hair and was furious. He hated it when people pointed out his yellow hair. He looked at Lisa and roared, "Say that again if you dare!"
Lisa: "You¡¯re already a yellow-haired brat. Why can¡¯t you let others say it?"
Louis took a step forward and was about to scare her when he tripped and suddenly pounced at Lisa.
Lisa was not as agile and was immediately pinned under him.
Fortunately, there was a bigwn beneath them. It did not hurt much, but coincidentally, Louis¡¯s lips were on Lisa¡¯s.
Everyone: "!!"
After 10 seconds of silence, Louis stood up with his hands on the grass in a daze.
Lisa¡¯s eyes widened as she wiped her mouth with all her might. "Ah, you pervert!"
Seeing her look of disdain, Louis pouted. "I don¡¯t have an infectious disease. Aren¡¯t you overreacting?"
He touched his lips, and for some reason, he suddenly recalled that soft feeling from earlier. His face turned a little red. At this moment, he saw Lisa turn to look at the ground. Her eyes immediately turned red, andrge tears rolled down her face.
Louis was shocked. "Hey, what are you doing? Isn¡¯t it just a kiss? Is it worth crying and making a scene?"
Lisa cried, "Of course you don¡¯t feel anything! But... I can¡¯t afford to pay for thesewns!"
Louis: "!!"
It turned out that this was the reason!
He scratched his head and coughed. "Don¡¯t cry. Thesewns are not expensive."
Another tear fell from Lisa¡¯s eye. "Didn¡¯t you just say that a single orchid cost hundreds of thousands?"
Louis: "...I lied to you."
"..."
Lisa wiped her tears and was so angry that her heart hurt. What kind of family did Nora live in?! The people here were all too perverted!
She followed Lily into the living room angrily.
Louis followed her in and sat on the sofa. He had his hands behind his head and nced at Lisa from time to time.
At this moment, Yvonne walked down from upstairs and smiled. "There¡¯s another guest at home?"
Her behavior was still magnanimous and appropriate. She looked like someone from a noble family, and Lisa immediately sat up straight and felt restrained.
Lucy replied, "Miss Yvonne, she¡¯s Miss Nora¡¯s cousin."
Yvonne smiled. "Nora really has a lot of friends and rtives!"
Her words were filled with mockery.
Lisa bit her lip. She had always been a sensitive and suspicious girl. It was obvious that she could sense Yvonne¡¯s hostility.
Especially when Yvonne looked at her from head to toe, her eyes filled with disdain.
Lisa didn¡¯t even know where to put her hands and feet.
At this moment, Louis said, "Tsk, why are you acting as the mistress here? I heard that Joel has taken away all your rights! I should really buy some firecrackers to celebrate!"
Yvonne clenched her fists and smiled. "Louis, there¡¯s a guest here. Speak properly."
She looked like a good sister.
Louis pouted. "She¡¯s not a guest. She¡¯s Nora¡¯s cousin, which means she¡¯s also my cousin."
Yvonne smiled. "But isn¡¯t Nora unrted to the Smiths in California? I heard that she broke off ties with them during thest live broadcast."
These words made Lisa even more embarrassed. It was as if she was pestering them right now.
She stood up suddenly and was about to say goodbye when she heard Louisugh.
Yvonne asked, "What are youughing about?"
Louis touched his hair. "I¡¯mughing at you. Anyone else can talk about blood rtions, but can you? You¡¯re not rted to our family by blood. ording to your logic, you¡¯re not a member of the Smiths?"
Chapter 369: Pete’s Sense of Security
Chapter 369: Pete¡¯s Sense of Security
"You¡ª"
He dissed Yvonne to the point that she was rendered speechless.
She turned and went upstairs in a huff.
Louis curled his lips disdainfully behind her and said to Lisa, "Don¡¯t bother with her. She¡¯s just spoiled."
Spoiled?
Lisa bit her lip. "She looks pretty graceful to me, though."
Louis gnashed his teeth in fury and said, "It¡¯s all an act. I know that woman the best, we grew up together. She does one thing in front of other people and another altogether behind their backs, and is the most hypocritical person ever. She has no blood rtion to the Smiths. She¡¯d be nothing at all if Uncle Ian hadn¡¯t adopted her."
"... Oh," said Lisa.
After saying that, Louis realized that it wasn¡¯t appropriate for him to badmouth his family to an outsider, so he said, "Just keep waiting here. I¡¯ll go up for now."
He had a bedroom in the Smiths¡¯ manor. When Louis heard that Yvonne was no longer taking charge at home, he hade back excitedly, hoping to see her down and out.
He had made up his mind¡ªhe was going to move back to the Smiths¡¯ from this day on!
¡ª
In the suburbs of New York.
Tanya was ying games with Pete in the vi. She had specially bought a jigsaw puzzle meant for twelve-year-olds and above, which had a higher level of difficulty, so that she could keep Petepany.
But unexpectedly, a brief two minutester, Tanya looked at thepleted jigsaw puzzle on the floor, and then at Pete, who sighed and said, "It¡¯s too easy."
Tanya: "..."
She asked tentatively: "Shall I buy you a jigsaw puzzle meant for grown-ups next time?"
"... God-mom, do you like jigsaw puzzles a lot?"
Tanya: "?"
Pete sighed and said, "I¡¯ve already yed with you for so long. Can I go and do my Olympiad assignments now?"
Tanya: "!!"
So, to Pete, doing jigsaw puzzles with her was actually a waste of time and energy?!
The corners of Tanya¡¯s lips spasmed. "Go ahead."
Only then did a satisfied Pete walk over to the desk next to them and take out his Mathematical Olympiad workbook from his schoolbag. Before he started working on the problems, he suddenly looked at Tanya and asked, "Is Mommy really okay?"
Tanya was taken aback.
She had brought Pete back with her after school the day before. Pete had followed her home without saying anything at that time. She¡¯d thought that he wouldn¡¯t ask about it, but unexpectedly, he was actually such a perceptive boy.
Tanya said, "She¡¯ll be fine."
Pete kept quiet for a while before he asked, "Mommy wille and pick me up, right?"
Tanya: "..."
The way he was asking those questions so seriously and with such a tense look on his face broke Tanya¡¯s heart.
It was only then that Tanya realized that even though Nora had found Pete, and that even though he was sleeping on the same bed as his mother every day these days, Pete was actually still very insecure at heart.
She walked over, hugged Pete, and kissed him on the cheek. "Don¡¯t worry, she¡¯ll definitelye. Your mom loves you very, very much. When we were looking for our children abroad back then, she was really crazy about it."
Her words piqued Pete¡¯s interest all of a sudden. He asked, "How so?"
Tanya: "????"
Pete put down the workbook in his hand and looked at her seriously, his eyes full of interest. He really wanted to know all the details!
The corners of Tanya¡¯s lips spasmed. She had gotten him so many toys, yet none of them had aroused Pete¡¯s interest at all. Instead, a simple one-liner from her had unexpectedly made the boy so fixated on something.
She could only say, "Your mom was in poor health when she first went overseas. Even so, she insisted oning to our meetings every week and listened to us share our experiences in looking for our children. After that, she would try again and again to return to the States. At that time, she was fallingatose for a while almost every day, so your grand-aunt never allowed her toe back. Thus, she got people to look for you in the country instead.
"I remember that there was once a liar who called your mom and told her that he had found clues about your whereabouts. We all knew he was a liar, but your mom believed him. I tried to talk her out of it when she was giving him money, but she instead said, ¡¯I know he¡¯s a liar, but what if he really has news about my son? I won¡¯t allow myself to miss out on any possibility.¡¯
"There was also another time someone told her that they might have news about you. She had a fever at that time, but she still made herself go over. In the end, it also turned out to be fake news, but she passed out in the wilderness and was almost eaten by wild dogs..."
Tanya¡¯s eyes reddened as she spoke.
It hadn¡¯t been easy for her and Nora during all those years back then.
Nora¡¯s suffering had alreadye to an end, but what about her?
There was still no news about her child even now.
Tanya lowered her head. She didn¡¯t notice Pete¡¯s eyes flickering.
Even though Pete now had a mother, he had still felt insecure all this time. After all, his family was iplete, and Mommy was always finding Daddy too troublesome.
He had actually had nightmares quite a few times.
He dreamed that Mommy had gone abroad with Cherry and didn¡¯t want him anymore. He kept chasing after them, but he simply couldn¡¯t catch up to them at all.
His feet were so heavy in the dream.
He was afraid that Mommy would suddenly separate from Daddy one day and leave him.
Listening to Tanya talk about how Mommy had looked for him so painstakingly back then made him distressed, but also relieved at the same time.
What Cherry said was true¡ªMommy had never given up on him before.
After Tanya talked about the past for a while, the doorbell suddenly rang.
Pete got up at once. "It must be Mommy!"
Tanya stared at him, caught betweenughter and tears. It was only at times like this that Pete looked like what a boy his age should look like.
She smiled and went to open the door. "You¡¯re finally here! Your little brat is already sick of me by now!"
She opened the door as she spoke intimately, only to see Joel standing outside instead.
Tanya was stunned. "Why are you here?"
Joel¡¯s fox-like eyes, which easily made one feel as though he was deeply in love with them, were fixed on her.
But Tanya knew exactly how heartless the man was.
Seeing her expression go from joy to wariness, Joel lowered his gaze, acerbity filling his heart.
He said softly, "Nora is fine now. I came to take the child home."
Tanya was a little taken aback when she heard his term of address for Nora. Then, she looked away and uttered, "Oh."
She then nced at Pete and asked, "Has she gone home yet?"
"No, but she¡¯ll be home soon."
Tanya was very wary. She said, "You can¡¯t take the child if she isn¡¯t home. Let¡¯s wait until she¡¯s home."
"Okay." Joel was unexpectedly agreeable. He asked, "Are you nning to have me wait outside, Ms. Turner?"
Tanya: "..."
Seeing that Joel was about to enter, Tanya stopped him at the door and said, "It¡¯s not quite appropriate for a man and a woman to be alone together thiste at night, is it, Mr. Smith?"
Joel kept quiet for a moment before he said, "Isn¡¯t the child also at home?"
The way he spoke sounded as if the child was theirs.
Tanya sneered and said, "The child is still young, so it¡¯s still inappropriate. You¡¯d better go back to the car and wait there instead, Mr. Smith. I¡¯ll let you take the child once Nora gets home and retrieves her cell phone, and I confirm things with her."
Chapter 370: She’s Finally Awake
Chapter 370: She¡¯s Finally Awake
Bam!
Tanya closed the door right after saying that.
Joel: "..."
Joel could faintly hear Pete ask, "Was it not Mommy at the door, God-mom? Who was it, then?"
"Oh, just an annoying fly," replied Tanya.
Joel: "..."
Half an hourter.
The perturbed and distracted Tanya nced at the window.
The moment she did, she found herself stunned.
Joel was standing at the door, his tall and straight figure casting a long, drawn-out shadow on the ground.
The dazed Tanya felt as if she had gone back a few years in time. Back then, she would always see a figure like that standing outside every time she walked out of the ssroom after ss.
At that time, the sight of the man had made her excited and happy.
But the figure instead seemed somewhat solitary and lonely now, making her sad.
Tanya withdrew her gaze, lowered her head, and looked at the floor. Complicated emotions churned in the depths of her heart.
Sometimeter, when Tanya looked up once more, she found that the figure at the door was gone. An empty feeling welled up in her.
She couldn¡¯t tell what kind of feeling it was. She forced a smile, looked at Pete, and said, "Your mommy should be home soon."
Pete nodded. However, he then said, "Uncle Joel looks unwell to me, though."
Unwell?
Tanya followed his gaze and looked over to see that Joel had changed positions at some point. He was now standing in a corner visible from the living room window.
His head was down, and he had one hand pressed against his abdomen and the other against the wall for support.
She couldn¡¯t tell whether it was the lighting or because he really was unwell, but he looked as pale as a sheet. His lips were so pale that they were practically transparent, and there was cold sweat on his forehead.
"Uncle Joel must be in pain, right? Why not let him in, God-mom?"
Pete¡¯s words interrupted Tanya¡¯s thoughts.
She said coldly, "It has nothing to do with me even if he¡¯s dead."
Yet, despite saying that, she kept looking outside.
She couldn¡¯t help but sneer deep down.
It was the same old trick.
He always acted weak and frail back when they were still in school. Every time he made her angry, he would always stand outside their dormitory. Even when it rained, he simply refused to leave.
He never apologized, but always stood there so stubbornly so that she would relent.
She had been so naive at that time.
When the sun was bright and ring, she would worry that he would be sunburnt. When it rained, she would worry that he would get drenched...
He really had her wrapped around his little finger.
Her heart was as hard as iron now, though, so how would she possibly still be deceived by his little tricks?
Besides, it was impossible for him to leave the house without bodyguards or his personal assistant. After all, as the head of the Smiths, his status was awfully noble and prestigious!
The thought had only just formed when she saw Joel¡¯s legs give in and he fell onto one knee on the ground.
Tanya subconsciously took a few steps toward him. Then, she opened the door and rushed out.
She went over to Joel. The man, who likely heard her footsteps, turned to look at her. He was very pale, so he probably wasn¡¯t putting up an act. His voice was also very soft, and he sounded a little aggrieved as he said, "I knew you wouldn¡¯t ignore me, Tanya."
"..."
For a moment, tears almost fell from Tanya¡¯s eyes.
However, she held them back and looked around. "Where are your assistants? And your bodyguards?"
Joel seemed like he wanted to say something, but in the end, he merely said, "I don¡¯t want to go to the hospital." Then, his eyes closed and he fainted.
Tanya was dumbfounded.
There was a reason why Joel said that he didn¡¯t want to go to the hospital. He had always refused to go even when they were still in school.
He had always toughed it out whenever he was sick, so he never went for checkups even when he had stomach problems.
What was he up to now, though? Was he staging an ident?
Tanya was so mad that she stretched out her foot, intending to give him a hard kick.
The bodyguard hiding in the distance wanted to rush forward but was stopped by Joel¡¯s assistant.
The assistant said, "The gesture that Mr. Joel made before he fainted was telling us not to go over!"
The bodyguard retorted, "Even so, we can¡¯t just watch as someone hits him!"
"She won¡¯t."
"What?"
The bodyguards looked over to see that Tanya¡¯s foot had stopped less than an inch from him.
Tanya looked around hesitantly. She frowned and wondered out loud, "Did he really not bring his assistant with him?
"What ipetent bodyguards! What if he was sick elsewhere instead? What are you gonna do if that happens?"
Even though she wasining, she nevertheless bent over and held the man up.
Just like that, the bodyguards in the distance watched as their master was dragged into the house while the woman stumbled and bumped him about.
The rough girl also kept on swearing as she moved...
¡ª
Nora slept right until the next day.
After making up for all her lost sleep, she got out of bed all refreshed and stretched. Then, she looked at her cell phone and noticed that Tanya had sent her several messages.
They seemed very urgent.
However, Tanya probably knew that she needed to make up for lost sleep, so she hadn¡¯t called and disturbed her rest, no matter how anxious she was.
She picked up the phone and took a look. Their chat was still at the point when she got home the day before. At that time, when she saw the messages that Tanya had sent, she had replied: ¡¯I¡¯m home now. You can send Pete back with Joel now.¡¯
She had fallen into a deep sleep after that.
But why wasn¡¯t Pete by her side when she woke up?
She looked at the chat again. Tanya had been sending her the same thing:
¡¯Are you awake?¡¯
¡¯Are you awake?¡¯
¡¯Are you awake?¡¯
She had practically asked the same thing once every hour, which made that seven or eight times in total. It was enough to show how bad of a mental breakdown she was having.
Nora was rather hesitant. Pete was a very well-behaved boy. Surely he wasn¡¯t that hard to take care of, was he?
While wondering about it, she replied: ¡¯I¡¯m up.¡¯
Tanya called the very next moment.
She picked it up. She¡¯d only just said ¡¯hello¡¯ when Tanya¡¯s loud voice reached her through the phone. "My goodness, you slept for twelve hours again! Didn¡¯t you wake up a little toote?!"
Nora rubbed her ears. "Yeah. What¡¯s up?"
"Hurry up ande over to pick up your son."
Nora uttered an ¡¯okay¡¯. Then, she asked, "Is that it?"
Tanya paused and then quietly added, "And! Your! Elder! Brother! Too!"
She seemed to be gnashing her teeth in fury with every word she said, which went to show just how angry and resentful she was.
Did she say ¡¯elder brother¡¯, though?
Nora didn¡¯t realize what she was saying for a while there. She asked, "Which brother?"
"... How many elder brothers do you have?!"
Tanya practically roared the question.
Nora answered seriously, "If you try counting, there are six boys in the Smiths, so I have five older brothers and one younger brother. You¡¯re talking about... Joel?"
"... Yes!!"
Nora was puzzled. "Didn¡¯t he go over to pick up Pete for me? How did he end up staying there instead?"
"..."
The woman on the other end suppressed her anger and said, "You have half an hour. If you don¡¯te over in time, then this friendship is over!! Beep... beep... beep..."
Nora nced at the phone in horror and raised her eyebrows.
Then, she slowly brushed her teeth and washed up. After she was done, she finally went out.
As soon as she went downstairs, Lucy saw her and said excitedly, "You¡¯re finally awake, Ms. Nora!"
"What¡¯s the matter?" asked Nora.
Lucy replied, "Your cousin is here!!"
Chapter 371: I’ll Be Right There!
Chapter 371: I¡¯ll Be Right There!
Nora was surprised to hear that. She looked around and asked, "Where is she?"
Lucy replied, "... Because you didn¡¯t wake up, she has left again. She said that she¡¯lle over and visit you again either today or tomorrow."
It was the next morning, so Lisa had already left a long time ago.
She nodded. "Okay."
She then sent a text message to Lisa and asked her toe over in the evening.
Lisa, however, didn¡¯t agree right away. Instead, she asked: ¡¯Um, will Louis be there tonight?¡¯
Nora: "?"
She looked around and asked, "Is Louis home?"
Lucy replied, "He went out early in the morning. Do you need him for something, Ms. Nora?"
"No." Nora thought for a while and asked, "Will he be home in the afternoon?"
Lucy replied, "Most likely not."
"Okay."
Nora sent Lisa a reply: ¡¯No, he won¡¯t.¡¯
Lisa seemed relieved. She wrote: ¡¯Okay. See you tonight, Nora.¡¯
Nora: "..."
She was just asleep for a night, but it seemed like some incredible things had happened?
Why was one asking her to pick up Joel and the other avoiding Louis as if she was scared of something?
She looked at Lucy hesitantly but didn¡¯t ask anything in the end. She went straight downstairs and drove to the vi in the suburbs.
As soon as she arrived, she saw Tanya, pulling a long face at the door. At the sight of her, she said with a livid look on her face, "You sure came really quick."
Nora yawned. "Yeah, I didn¡¯t even have breakfast."
The corners of Tanya¡¯s lips spasmed. "Should you have breakfast and take a nap before youe, then?"
Noraughed. "That works, too."
"..."
Tanya took a deep breath, turned, and led her into the house.
Inside, Joel was lying on the sofa and reading a magazinefortably. Next to him, Pete was practicing his Mathematical Olympiad problems. asionally, when he encountered something he wasn¡¯t sure about, he would ask Joel, who would then slowly exin it to him.
When Tanya first came in and saw how the two of them got along, there was a moment where she had the illusion that they were a family...
If... if her child were by her side, would they also live so blissfully like a family?
As soon as the thought formed, Tanya immediately discarded it. She said, "I¡¯ve found you a chauffeur."
Joel and Pete looked at Nora in unison.
Pete¡¯s eyes lit up at once.
Joel also nodded gently.
Tanya continued. "You¡¯ve already taken the medicine, ate something, and even slept here and rested enough. Now that I¡¯ve even found a chauffeur for you, surely you can go?"
Joel got up, his face still a little pale.
He was still holding his abdomen, but his smile was a little more genuine than usual. His fox-like eyes were full of warmth and a doting look as he said, "Yeah."
Tanya: "..."
She turned and went up the stairs. "Alright, hurry up and take your kid and your brother with you. I can finally have a good rest now. It¡¯s Monday tomorrow, so I have to work! Teaching a group of naughty little kids to dance is so tiring! Why is my life so hard?!"
She went upstairs while muttering under her breath and then mmed her bedroom door shut.
Nora, whose hands were in her pocket, raised her eyebrows and nced at Pete.
Pete had already taken the opportunity to pack his bag and was obediently carrying it at the moment. He walked up to her and held her hand tightly.
Sensing how tightly her son was holding her hand, Nora immediately understood after thinking about it for a moment. She looked down at him and exined, "Mommy was too sleepy when she got home yesterday..."
"I know, Mommy." A well-behaved Pete replied, "Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t disturb your sleep."
Nora: "..."
She raised her head again and looked at Joel, but saw that he was still staring at the upper floor. Nora said, "Let¡¯s go?"
Only then did Joel retract his gaze and nod.
The two went out, but when they got into the car, Joel said, "I¡¯ll drive."
"... Are you feeling well enough?" asked Nora.
Joel nodded without any change in expression. "Well enough."
"... Oh, okay," Nora said.
Without standing on ceremony at all, she took Pete with her and sat in the backseat while Joel went to the driver¡¯s seat. On the way home, while Nora was thinking about something, Joel suddenly said, "She¡¯s ultimately still Uncle Ian¡¯s adopted daughter."
Nora was surprised.
Joel lowered his gaze and said indifferently, "To be honest, Uncle Ian has beenatose ever since he went to the Hunts¡¯ party and brought you back. He has a brain tumor and needs to undergo surgery if he wants to recover. It¡¯s said that Anti is the only one who can achieve the best results for his operation at the moment."
Nora said, "I can take a look at him."
Joel spoke again. This time, he sounded a little more intimate and also spoke more, as though he was giving her an exnation. He said, "Don¡¯t worry. Based on my understanding of Uncle Ian, since he has already acknowledged you as a Smith, he won¡¯t mind your identity that much. But because he¡¯s still in aa and can¡¯t give the word, other people in the family will have some misunderstandings about you."
Was he giving her an exnation for why he was so lukewarm to her previously?
It didn¡¯t really matter to Nora, though. After all, this was understandable.
A man¡ªespecially a sessful one like Ian¡ªcould have all the women in the world if he really wanted, yet the woman whom he had been deeply in love with for his entire life had, from how he saw it, gotten into a rtionship with his brother instead.
He would be too magnanimous if he really didn¡¯t mind.
Joel¡¯s choice of words had also been that he "wouldn¡¯t mind that much". Nora would never tter herself that much and think that he would really treat her as his niece.
Joel, however, added, "But he¡¯s someone who makes a clear distinction between his public and private interests. Yvonne is his daughter, so he¡¯s the only one who can deal with her."
Nora raised her brows.
Was it okay for her to interpret what he just said to mean that Ian would eventually deal with Yvonne?
She hadn¡¯t expected Joel to stand up for her.
At the thought of how Yvonne had tempted Florence into poisoning Old Maddy in order to go against her, Nora narrowed her eyes and said, "Okay."
Joel drove seriously and didn¡¯t speak anymore.
Joel didn¡¯t get out of the car when they arrived at the Smiths¡¯. He exined, "I have something to take care of at thepany."
Afterzing for a day in the vi, he had to pay back what he owed, after all.
Nora nodded.
She took Pete into the house and they had lunch together.
In the afternoon, she sent a text message to Lisa: ¡¯Are you here yet?¡¯
Lisa replied: "I¡¯m on the way. Be there soon."
Nora put her phone aside and waited for Lisa.
Her aunt must have seen the live-stream and be worried when she learned of the case, so she had sent Lisa here. Her aunt would probably continue to worry until Lisa saw with her own eyes that she was alright.
Also, for some reason, she had a vague feeling that Lisa would bring her some kind of news when she arrived.
Chapter 372: Choosing Clothes
Chapter 372: Choosing Clothes
Pete went upstairs to read. Nora sat on the sofa in the living room.
Lisa wasn¡¯t here yet, but she instead saw Lucy, the housekeeper,ing in with someone who looked like some kind of manager. Lucy said, "Great timing, Ms. Nora. They¡¯ve brought the new season¡¯s clothes over, so you can pick some for yourself."
As a top-ss wealthy family, the Smiths ordered custom-made clothes every season. Of course, as a daughter of the Smiths, if she wanted to buy more clothes herself, then that would be a separate matter.
Representatives from high-end custom brands came to the Smiths every season to let them pick what they wanted from the designer styles. Behind the manager were a few service staff members. Each of them was holding fabric samples for the clothes, as well as a thick magazine featuring various styles of clothing for thedies of the Smiths to choose from.
When the manager saw Nora, he immediately respectfully handed over the magazine he was holding and said, "Please have a look first, Ms. Smith."
Lucy said, "I¡¯ll go and notify Ms. Yvonne and Mdm. Maureen."
They were the only other young women living in the manor. From Quentin, the third son, all the way to Louis, the sixth son, none of them were married yet. Previously, when Hiry, Mia¡¯s mother, was still living with the Smiths, she would alsoe over to pick clothes from the catalog.
However, now that Joel had driven her out, there was one fewer person in the family that was part of the process.
When Yvonne was going downstairs after being notified, she paused slightly and stood on the spiral staircase when she saw Nora and Maureen, who were seated in the living room.
She narrowed her eyes and looked at Lucy.
When they were choosing clothes in the past, Florence would never ask her to go downstairs. She would always take the manager straight to her room and let her have her pick first. It was only after she¡¯d had her pick that she would then let Maureen and Hiry choose from the remaining styles.
Yet, not only was Lucy asking her to go downstairs now, but she was actually even allowing Nora and Maureen to choose ahead of her?!
Yvonne became even more furious.
She felt especially angry when she saw how Maureen and Nora were huddled together and looking at the magazine like close girlfriends. The intimacy between the two of them waspletely different from how they treated her.
Yvonne lowered her gaze and suddenly sneered.
She went downstairs and sat on the one-seater sofa at the side.
The manager immediately presented another magazine to her.
Yvonne listened to the other two women¡¯s conversations while she looked at her own magazine. Maureen said, "This red dress is gorgeous! And it even makes one look tall and slim!"
"...Oh," Nora said.
Yvonne flipped to the section featuring this season¡¯s red dresses when she heard her.
Red was too orthodox a color, so there were generally rtively fewer designs every season.
Additionally, after so many years, Yvonne had alreadye to know since a long time ago that Maureen favored red clothes.
In the past, she would always deliberately pick the attractive red designs first, and leave two unattractive designs for Maureen, despite the fact that red didn¡¯t actually suit her.
She had done that just to let Maureen know who the noblest woman in the family was.
But now...
Yvonne suddenly pointed to the magazine and remarked, "Nora, this red dress suits you really well!"
The design she was pointing to was the most unique and prettiest one of the year. Maureen had already had her eye on it a long time ago.
Nora, who was taken aback, looked over. The dress was indeed pretty nice.
"Doesn¡¯t it look great?" Yvonne¡¯s lips curled in a smile and she said, "I¡¯ll let you pick first since this is your first year with us. I think this dress is pretty nice, and it¡¯s also the best design this year. Why don¡¯t you take it?"
Now that the dress she loved had been snatched away, let¡¯s see if Maureen would still get along with her!
Yvonne thought to herself viciously.
She looked at Maureen after she spoke. Sure enough, the light in her eyes had dimmed. She sat upright, coughed, and turned over the page where the red dress was on the magazine she was holding.
This meant that she had given up.
However, she definitely wasn¡¯t going to be happy about it.
See? No matter how good a rtionship they shared, it was nevertheless still fake. A mere dress could easily estrange the two of them.
While Yvonne was sneering at them, Nora said in a low voice, "Yeah, that dress is certainly pretty nice."
Yvonne was thrilled. Sure enough, she saw Maureen stiffen.
Nevertheless, she still suppressed her fondness for the dress. Her smile became a little forced, but she still said to Nora, "The dress suits you very well."
Then, as if she had convinced herself about it, she resumed her usual bighearted demeanor and said, "Besides, true red gives one a lot of presence, so it suits formal asions a lot. This is the first year since your return, Nora, so it¡¯s a good idea for you to pick this dress."
She actually became a little more generous?
Yvonne clenched her fists.
Maureen was simply too much. Every time she snatched the dresses from her, she had always looked at her as if she had just robbed her of her baby.
Yet, when it was Nora who snatched the dress she wanted from her, she actually got over it?
Was this the difference between someone who had blood rtions to the family and someone who didn¡¯t?!
She was still thinking about it furiously when Nora said, "No, it¡¯s okay. The dress suits you a lot."
Yvonne: ??
She abruptly looked at Nora, only to see that she was looking at Maureen. She said, "Red suits you a lot."
Maureen¡¯s eyes lit up. "Do you think so, too?"
Nora nodded. "Yeah."
She wasn¡¯t stupid. Maureen had flipped straight to that page when she picked up the magazine, and also stared at it for really long. She had even wondered why she hadn¡¯t just taken it immediately if she liked it.
It wasn¡¯t until Yvonne came down that she suddenly figured out why.
The dress didn¡¯t really matter to her anyway, why deprive someone of what they liked?
Sure enough, Maureen got up happily. She was so excited that even her eyes had turned a little red.
For the first time... For the very first time, she felt respected in the Smiths.
In the past, all the good things in the family were always given to Yvonne first, and she had also taken them all very unceremoniously. Maureen could never get anything she really liked.
It wasn¡¯t that bad if it was just once or twice, but once it built up, even someone with a big heart like Maureen found it hard not to feel resentful about it.
Courtesy was a virtue, but it wasn¡¯t always true that courtesy without any limit would always win one respect.
Moreover, they were all women in their twenties. She was only three or four years older than Yvonne, so why did she have to give in to her all the time?
However, she had gained recognition from Nora in this instant.
She held Nora¡¯s hand excitedly and said, "Nora, you¡¯re so... so... How can anyone not like you?"
Maureen was so excited that she gave Nora a peck on the cheek. Then, she said happily to the manager, "Make this dress in my measurements!"
The manager had the body measurements of all thedies in the Smiths.
The manager was about to nod when Yvonne, who was standing beside him, clenched her fists in fury.
After her expression changed a few times, she suddenly took a step forward and interrupted the manager before he could speak. She said, "Wait a minute. Sorry, Maureen, but I actually really like this dress, too. I¡¯m taking the dress, sir."
Chapter 373: Nora, Your Cord Blood Still Exists
Chapter 373: Nora, Your Cord Blood Still Exists
Yvonne sounded just like she was giving someone orders.
This stunned the manager for a moment, but it seemed like he was already ustomed to the atmosphere among the Smiths, so he subconsciously replied, "Okay, Ms. Yvonne."
But after he did, even he himself was dumbfounded.
Maureen and Nora were also taken aback.
Both of them looked at Yvonne.
Maureen said shrilly, "D-didn¡¯t you not want that dress? Isn¡¯t that why you rmended it to Nora?"
Yvonne lowered her gaze and said with a smile, "You may have misunderstood, Maureen. I¡¯ve always liked red dresses. It¡¯s not like you don¡¯t know that. I just thought the dress suited Nora very much today, so I wanted to let her have it. But since she doesn¡¯t want it, shouldn¡¯t we pick the clothes in ordance with the order?"
Maureen immediately flushed.
She really liked the dress very much because it had the nicest design out of all the styles she had seen in recent years!
She had indeed wanted to let Nora have it just now, too. After all, she had only just returned to the Smiths, so she didn¡¯t look like she had any appropriate clothes.
But Nora had unexpectedly given it to her instead. That was why she had epted it.
How did something that was supposed to already be in the bag disappear just like that?
An upset Maureen looked at Yvonne again.
She was aggressive, and there was none of the pretenses and hypocrisy she used to have on her face right now. It seemed like something had triggered her, and even her facial expression looked a little savage. She had the words ¡¯I just want to make you unhappy¡¯ tantly written all over her face!
Maureen¡¯s temper got the better of her and she started to argue. She said, "What¡¯s the meaning of this, Yvonne? Are you targeting me on purpose?"
Yvonne kept her expression under control and said, "How am I targeting you, Maureen? You¡¯re obviously the one fighting with me over the clothes, aren¡¯t you?"
Maureen: "?"
She yelled furiously, "Just who exactly is fighting with whom? Let¡¯s make things clear today! I have been married to Warren for seven years. There are four seasons a year, so this is the 28th time I¡¯m picking clothes now. When have I ever not given in to you?! But what about you? All the red dresses you chose have all be moldy in your closet, haven¡¯t they? How many times have you ever worn red clothes? You clearly know that red is my favorite color! The way I see it, you¡¯re doing it on purpose, aren¡¯t you?"
With a smile on her face, Yvonne said smugly, "I told you, Maureen. I like red, too."
As soon as she said that, Nora interrupted her indifferently and said, "But red doesn¡¯t suit you. Your looks are too tame to pull off the color."
Yvonne¡¯s looks weredylike and delicate.
However, long red dresses usually needed to be matched with bright and vivid looks.
This was something that everyone knew, but no one had ever said it to her face!
For a moment there, Yvonne flushed bright red!
She looked at Nora furiously, and then at Maureen. She became so angry that she didn¡¯t bother putting on a pretense anymore. She yelled, "I can just like collecting red clothes, can¡¯t I?
"So what even if I don¡¯t wear them and put them all in the closet?
"As the eldest daughter of the Smiths, surely I have the right to be a little willful, right?"
Nora: "!!"
Maureen: "!!!"
The two looked at each other. Neither of them had expected Yvonne to actually fall out with them openly. Also, she looked just like a shrew at the moment.
Maureen frowned and warned, "Don¡¯t go too far, Yvonne!"
Yvonne scoffed, "Am I the one who shouldn¡¯t go too far, or is it someone else who should practice some self-awareness as an outsider living under someone else¡¯s roof? Maureen, do you really think you¡¯re one of the masters of the household just because you and Warren are living here? The Smiths have already parted ways and formed their own families long ago! My dad is the real master of the Smiths! You¡¯re all just people who have left the main family! All of you are just! Taking! Up! Temporary! Residence! Here!"
She deliberately emphasized ¡¯temporary¡¯, making Maureen flush.
Lucy couldn¡¯t bear to listen anymore. She said, "Ms. Yvonne, we¡¯re all family. Why go so far? Besides, Mr. Warren and Mr. Joel are very close!"
Warren lived in the manor because he got along well with Joel, and felt that this was his home.
Yvonne looked at her viciously. "Do I have to do what you say or get Joel¡¯s permission when I¡¯m ordering clothes in my own home? Am I the one disregarding familial ties, or is she the one who¡¯s being ungrateful?!
"Dad isn¡¯t dead yet, yet all of you already dare to act like you¡¯re the masters of the house, and step beyond your boundaries as a servant and slight me? Seems like I should get someone to have a good talk with the people at our ancestral home!"
The arrogant woman¡¯s words became more and more awful. She said, "Joel isn¡¯t Dad¡¯s adopted son, either. I¡¯m Dad¡¯s one and onlywful daughter! All of you are bullying me because Dad is sick, so no one can defend me, right?"
Lucy was rendered speechless by her.
Yvonne, however, dragged her to the door and said, "Since that¡¯s the case, you cane with me to our ancestral home! Let¡¯s go to my granduncles there and see what they say about this!"
Lucy immediately pleaded for mercy. "Spare me, Ms. Yvonne! I was wrong!"
Should they really go to the ancestral home, wouldn¡¯t everyone say that Joel was being disrespectful to his elders?!
He was the sessor that Ian had chosen, yet as soon as Ian fell into aa, he started to bully and oppress his daughter?
Lucy didn¡¯t care whether it was embarrassing for her or not. She tried to appease Yvonne and said, "Ms. Yvonne, this matter isn¡¯t that serious. It¡¯s just a piece of clothing, isn¡¯t it...?"
She looked at Maureen for help after she spoke.
Lucy had watched both Joel and Warren grow up, and was especially close with both brothers. Thus, she also got along well with Maureen.
Maureen didn¡¯t have the heart to implicate an old-time servant who had been serving the family for so long just because of this.
She suppressed her grievances and said, "Fine, I¡¯ll let you have the dress!"
After saying that, she turned and went straight upstairs while saying, "I won¡¯t order anything this year."
She could buy ready-made clothes even if she didn¡¯t custom-make anything anyway, so why should she let others bully her here?
Satisfied, Yvonne sat on the main sofa. Then, without looking at Nora, she said to the manager, "I want this, this, this... and also this. Make them all in my size."
"... Yes, ma¡¯am," said the manager.
After ordering the clothes, Yvonne turned and went upstairs. When she passed by Nora, she said, "This is my father¡¯s home, after all."
Nora: "..."
She had also lost interest in choosing clothes, so she waved and sent the manager out.
There was no one left in the living room. In this instant, she finally understood all those things that Maureen had said previously, and also finally understood how much injustice she had suffered over the years.
While she was thinking about it, Lucy led Lisa in and said, "Ms. Nora, your cousin is here."
Nora put her thoughts away and stood up.
Lisa had already rushed straight up to her. She took her hand and said, "Atst, Nora!"
Nora smiled at her.
Lisa looked at her carefully. It was only when she found that she hadn¡¯t suffered any injustice that she finally breathed a sigh of relief. Then, she smiled and said, "By the way, my mom wants me to pass you a message. She says that your cord blood is still in the cord blood bank in the hospital."
Chapter 374: The Villain Slings An Accusation First?
Chapter 374: The Viin Slings An usation First?
Cord blood?
Nora was slightly taken aback to hear that. She said, "My cord blood is still around?"
Lisa nodded. "Yes. Mom says that back then, when Aunt Yvette... when your mom gave birth to you, she had insisted on banking your cord blood. To be honest, this wasn¡¯t a popr practice in the country at that time and wasn¡¯t widely promoted in hospitals, either, so it was very expensive. However, she was very stubborn about it and said that you would need it in the future. Mom had said that you definitely won¡¯t, so she mustn¡¯t say that..."
Lisa had also been a little surprised when she heard about it from Irene.
Banking cord blood was just a sort of insurance. Nobody would wish for it toe into use.
After all, once one needed it, it would mean that they had blood disorders.
So, how could Nora¡¯s mother say such a thing back then?
While she was thinking about it, she saw Nora¡¯s eyes brighten. The woman¡¯s lips slowly curled into a smile and she said, "What a coincidence. I just so happen to need it."
Lisa: "?"
She was stunned. Suddenly, her eyes reddened and she said, "Nora, could it be that you... you..."
No wonder Nora had lost so much weight and was always so lethargic. On top of that, she wasn¡¯t in good spirits and was so pale that it looked as if all the blood had drained from her face. Did she have a blood disorder?
While her imagination was running wild, Nora said, "I¡¯m not sick. I just need it for something, that¡¯s all."
Lisa: "??"
Before she could figure it out, Nora had already picked up her cell phone and called Lily. She asked, "Where are you?"
Lily replied, "I¡¯m arranging your operation schedule. There are a few that I can do, so I¡¯ve fended them off for you. What¡¯s up?"
Nora said, "... Find some time to go to California. Go to the hospital and take my cord blood from the cord blood bank, and then do another DNA test."
"?? You actually still have your cord blood? My god, your mother is so amazing. Did she expect that you¡¯ll need it?"
Nora narrowed her eyes. "Perhaps."
Otherwise, why would Yvette insist on banking her cord blood back then?
These days, she kept feeling like there was a purpose behind all her mother¡¯s arrangements.
She couldn¡¯t help but think of what Morris had said in the police station. Was her mother really involved with the so-called ¡¯mysterious organization¡¯? And even participated in their human experiments?
The look in Nora¡¯s eyes turned a little cold at the thought, and even her tone became a little impatient. She said, "Go as soon as you can."
Lily, who heard the change in her emotions, was so scared that she didn¡¯t dare to say any more. She immediately replied respectfully, "Okay, I will leave for California right away. I¡¯ll be able to produce the newest DNA test results by tomorrow at thetest."
"Okay."
Nora hung up. She rubbed her temples and suppressed her irritability. Then, she looked at Lisa. She was about to speak when a voice suddenly reached them.
"Nora! You¡¯re awake? Oh, Nora¡¯s little cousin! You¡¯re here again!"
She and Lisa turned in unison to see Louis walking in from outside.
His blond hair was exceptionally ring. His eyes on his handsome face lit up a little at the sight of Lisa.
As for Lisa, she reacted like a mouse that had just seen a cat and didn¡¯t even dare to look straight at him. She looked at Nora as if she wasining and said, "Nora, d-didn¡¯t you say that he won¡¯t be here?"
Nora: "?"
Before she could speak, Louis hade up to them. He said, "Yeah, I originally wasn¡¯t nning toe back tonight, either. But Lucy called me and said that Nora was asking whether I would be home tonight, so I turned down Chester when he asked me out and specially came back!"
Lisa: "!!"
Nora: "!!!!"
Nora wanted to say something, but Lisa had already jumped up and said, "Nora, I... I suddenly remembered that I have a paper that I need to write. It¡¯s very urgent, so I¡¯m leaving first! Mom was very worried about you, but now that I see that you¡¯re doing well, both Mom and I will be relieved!"
Then, she turned and fled toward the door. "Tell us if someone bullies you. I¡¯ll leave first!"
Nora: "..."
She was nning to have a chat with Lisa that night, but unexpectedly, she had left just like that?
She stepped forward, intending to see her off. But as soon as she did, Louis said enthusiastically, "You don¡¯t have to lower yourself to do something like that. Let me do it! I¡¯ll see her off!"
After saying that, he chased after Lisa and said, "Nora¡¯s little cousin, shall I drive you back to school?"
Lisa¡¯s voice traveled over after that. "N-no, you don¡¯t have to."
"You don¡¯t have to stand on ceremony! C¡¯mon, get in the car."
"We¡¯re not that familiar with each other. I¡¯ll just hail a cab. Thanks."
Louis¡¯s annoying voice traveled over. "Why wouldn¡¯t we be familiar with each other? You took my first kiss, you know!"
Panic entered Lisa¡¯s voice. "W-what nonsense are you saying? Stop that!"
Louisughed and said, "No, I can¡¯t. I have something to ask you. Will you get in the car and we can talk while we drive there, or shall I ask you right here while you hail a cab?"
"You, you, you..." Lisa stuttered forever but still got in the car silently in the end. Shortly after, the sound of the engine being started up rang out, and they left.
Nora, who had listened to their affairs in the living room for a while: "..."
Just what exactly did Louis do to Lisa the night before?!
She shook her head and went upstairs.
After thinking about it, she still decided to knock on Maureen¡¯s door in the end.
Maureen¡¯s eyes were still red when she opened the door. Obviously, she had been crying. Nora was about to say a few words tofort her when Maureen gave her a wry smile and said, "Say, Nora, do you think everything will be fine if Warren and I move out?"
Although Warren loved and respected Ian like a father, and although Warren and Joel got along very well, Maureen really couldn¡¯t stand it here anymore, after being bullied by Yvonne again and again.
It wasn¡¯t like her family was poor, either, so why should she let someone else bully her here?
Nora wanted to say something, but Maureen said, "Never mind, ignore what I said. Warren and Joel are so close. Neither would Brandon want to leave Mia... I can¡¯t do something like that just for myself..."
Nora fell silent.
Warren came back at this point.
He was carrying a matcha cake. As soon as he went up the stairs, he said, "Oh, Nora is here too? I just so happened to buy a matcha cake. It¡¯s Maureen¡¯s favorite. You guys can eat it together... Dear, what¡¯s wrong? Why are your eyes red?"
Maureen turned away. Then, she forced a smile and said, "It¡¯s nothing. Something got in my eyes..."
Warren went up to her and circled around her. "What got into your eyes? What¡¯s the matter? Did someone bully you?"
As soon as he said that, Maureen¡¯s eyes immediately reddened.
She was about to say something when Yvonne opened the door and came out. She sighed and said, "It¡¯s just a dress, Maureen. If you like it that much, then I¡¯ll just let you have it, okay?"
She lowered her head and her eyes reddened. "Joel has already confiscated my rights to manage the house anyway. I don¡¯t have a ce in this family anymore."
Chapter 375: Slapping Yvonne In The Face!
Chapter 375: pping Yvonne In The Face!
She looked just as if she had suffered some kind of injustice.
Warren was aware that Yvonne had been stripped of her authority to manage the household. When he heard what she said, he subconsciously assumed that it was Maureen who was fighting with her over a dress.
Taken aback, he turned to Maureen and asked, "What dress is she talking about, dear?"
He grabbed Maureen and led her to the side. "I get it now. It¡¯s time to custom-make clothes today again, right? Did you get angry again?"
During the past few years, the aggressive Maureen would always get angry once a year.
After Warren found out about it, he would always go out of his way to make her happy during those few days. He either took her out shopping or took her overseas for a vacation.
He subconsciously tried to persuade her and said, "Didn¡¯t we already agree on this? It¡¯ll be fine once she marries into another family. You¡¯ll have the biggest say in the family after that! And you can choose all the clothes you want after that! Her marriage with the Hunts has already gone up in smoke now, so her future husband¡¯s family definitely won¡¯t be as good as the Smiths. What¡¯s the point in fighting with her over a dress..."
"What¡¯s the point in fighting with her over a dress"...
That one line of his instantly made Maureen feel even more aggrieved.
Even though someone had bullied her at home, she still thought of being considerate toward her husband and son, but what about her husband? All he did was take his sister¡¯s side in everything!
Maureen stared at Warren. She was really hurt this time. She said, "Do you think I would get angry just because of a dress?"
Warren scratched his head.
As a man with low EQ, he really was rather dense when it came to how girls thought.
Next to them, Yvonne said, "Don¡¯t lose your temper at Warren, Maureen. I already said that I would let you have that dress... It was my fault. I should have noticed that you liked that dress and not taken it for myself..."
Her hypocritical words put Maureen at such a loss for words that she couldn¡¯t say anything at all.
Yet, Warren actually believed her. He walked over to Yvonne and said, "Since you are so generous, then I won¡¯t stand on ceremony, Yvonne. Haha, how about this? I¡¯ll take you out tomorrow for some clothes shopping, okay?"
Yvonne smiled and replied, "You¡¯re standing too much on ceremony if you say that, Warren. We¡¯re family; I should give in to Maureen once in a while."
"... You¡¯re the most sensible one, after all. Don¡¯t hold it against Maureen!"
Nora stared at Yvonne. Her two-faced behavior in front of the men of the Smiths wasn¡¯t anything surprising to her anymore.
She merely thought that Yvonne looked veryughable at the moment.
Maureen, however, was furious. It was clearly Yvonne who had snatched her dress, yet she looked like the insensible one now!
With her eyes red, she shouted furiously, "Warren! Smith!"
Warren immediately looked back at her timidly. "Dear... What¡¯s the matter? The dress is already yours now. Why... are you still unhappy?"
Maureen was so angry that her chest heaved up and down.
She stared at Yvonne and sneered, "You really have a way with schemes, don¡¯t you?"
Yvonne lowered her head. "Are you still upset, Maureen? In that case, will it do if I give you all the clothes I picked?"
The EQ-less Warren immediately nodded. "Yeah, it will! Dear, look at how Yvonne has already given in. As they say, harmony in the family brings prosperity. Let¡¯s let this matter go..."
Maureen: "!!"
She was so angry that she simply couldn¡¯t say anything. Her finger trembled as she stared and pointed at Yvonne. Then, she pointed at Warren. "You¡¯d rather believe her over me?"
Warren scratched his head. "No, it¡¯s not about who I believe or whatnot. Weren¡¯t we talking about clothes, dear? How did it turn into about who I believe? You¡¯ve totally confused me!"
Yvonne also sighed. "We¡¯re family, Maureen. If you¡¯re still dissatisfied, then will it do if I apologize to you?"
Maureen retorted, "I¡¯m not worthy of your apology! After all, this is your home, and you¡¯re the eldest daughter of the Smiths. Didn¡¯t you say just now that Warren and I are just outsiders?"
Warren looked at Yvonne in disbelief at once.
Yvonne panicked. "What are you saying, Maureen? Isn¡¯t it just a piece of clothing? How did it escte to this?!"
She looked at Warren and hastily exined, "I think Maureen is being too sensitive and is thinking too much. Warren, I¡¯ve always seen and treated you like my brother all these years! Dad has also said that I¡¯m the only daughter at home, so all of you are my family!"
Warren frowned. He looked at Yvonne, and then at Maureen.
Maureen wasn¡¯t someone who made groundless usations. Since she had said so, then there was no doubt that Yvonne had said that. However, Yvonne was also someone reliable who looked at the big picture usually, so how would she possibly say something like that?
While he was hesitating, Yvonne said, "Out of all my brothers in the family, I¡¯m the closest with Warren. I know you¡¯re suddenly making a scene because Joel doesn¡¯t like me anymore, but even so, you can¡¯t just sow discord between Warren and I like that!"
Sow discord?
Maureen became even angrier. "In that case, do you dare to repeat what you said just now when you were fighting with me over the clothes downstairs, Yvonne?"
Yvonne frowned. "What did I say? Maureen, I really don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about!"
Maureen felt like she was about to explode.
She had always been a straightforward person. She hated hypocritical b*tches like her the most!
It was at this moment that a soft voice reached them. "Tsk."
The three people who were arguing immediately turned to Nora.
She curled her lips disdainfully and said to Yvonne, "I didn¡¯t expect you to have such a bad memory. Have you already forgotten what you said just now?"
Warren immediately looked at Yvonne.
Yvonne narrowed her eyes but remained calm. She heaved a huge sigh and said, "Nora, I know you got into trouble because Mdm. Florence took the pill from my room, but you can¡¯t just make up lies about me like that!"
Practically right after she said that, a voice suddenly yed from Nora¡¯s cell phone.
"I can just like collecting red clothes, can¡¯t I?"
"So what even if I don¡¯t wear them and put them all in the closet?
"As the eldest daughter of the Smiths, surely I have the right to be a little willful, right?"
"Am I the one who shouldn¡¯t go too far, or is it someone else who should practice some self-awareness as an outsider living under someone else¡¯s roof? Maureen, do you really think you¡¯re one of the masters of the household just because you and Warren are living here? The Smiths have already parted ways and formed their own families long ago! My dad is the real master of the Smiths! You¡¯re all just people who have left the main family! All of you are just! Taking! Up! Temporary! Residence! Here!"
"Joel isn¡¯t Dad¡¯s adopted son, either. I¡¯m Dad¡¯s one and onlywful daughter! All of you are bullying me because Dad is sick, so no one can defend me, right?"
"..."
Yvonne¡¯s voice yed clearly from the audio recording.
Nora curled her lips disdainfully and looked at a stunned Yvonne. Her lips curled into a smile.
Did they really think that she would allow Yvonne to behave so arrogantly in the Smiths¡¯ manor? She hadn¡¯t done anything just now only because these recordings were more than enough to expose her true colors to the Smith brothers!!
Chapter 376: Chase Her Out of the House!
Chapter 376: Chase Her Out of the House!
After the recording was yed, the entire second floor was silent.
Warren looked at Yvonne in disbelief.
He did not expect his gentle and elegant sister to speak like this to his wife in private.
He looked at Maureen again.
In the past, he always felt that his wife had a bad temper. She was not sensible and did not know how to be humble. After all, she was pampered like a little princess in her family.
However, her eyes were red at this moment. It was obvious that she had suffered a lot of grievances.
Yes.
Although his wife did have a bad temper, she had always been open and straightforward. If he had not forced her to this extent, how could they have quarreled like this?
Maureen had thought that the matter would be like any other dispute in the past, making Warren feel that she was not sensible enough. She did not expect the situation to take a turn in her favor!
She looked at Nora in shock.
Her eyes turned red again.
She looked at Warren with a trembling voice. "Did you hear that? Is this about a piece of clothing?"
Warren¡¯s heart ached so much that his expression changed. He walked quickly to stand in front of Maureen and looked at Yvonne. "Yvonne, so that¡¯s what you think!"
Yvonne bit her lip, wanting to exin. "Warren, I..."
However, Warren had already interrupted her. "In the past, no matter what Maureen said about you, I would always be on your side. I didn¡¯t expect you to be such a two-faced person! You said one thing in front of me and another behind my back! My wife isn¡¯t someone you can humiliate!"
He pointed at Yvonne in rage. "I never expected you to be such a selfish person!"
Yvonne took a deep breath and anxiously said, "Warren, that¡¯s not what I meant. I..."
However, Warren was already ignoring her. He directly wrapped his arm around Maureen¡¯s shoulder and said, "Honey, I¡¯m sorry. I never knew that you were being treated like this at home. It¡¯s too unpleasant. We don¡¯t need to live under someone else¡¯s roof. It¡¯s not like we don¡¯t have a house outside. Let¡¯s go!"
Yvonne did not dare to re up at Warren.
No matter what, Warren was still a member of the Smiths. Moreover, she was indeed in the wrong for blowing up this matter.
Ian did not have a son, so although Ian¡¯s generation had separated, his nephews from the next generation all lived in the Smiths¡¯ manor.
Yvonne was an adopted daughter. Sooner orter, she would be married off. This family would belong to Joel sooner orter!
Yvonne could bully Maureen and even look down on Nora, but she could not look down on Warren!
She rushed forward again and grabbed Warren¡¯s arm. She called him with an intimate tone, "Brother, I..."
Before she could finish, Warren pushed her back a few steps.
Warren¡¯s face was cold. "Don¡¯t. Don¡¯t call me that. You¡¯re the eldest daughter, I¡¯m just from the side family. I don¡¯t dare to let you call me brother!"
Yvonne did not dare to re up at Warren. She could only look at Nora and scold her directly. "Why are you so despicable?! You actually recorded it!"
Nora lowered her eyes. "If I hadn¡¯t recorded it, how could I have broken your disguise?"
Yvonne was about to go crazy after being torn apart.
She was on the verge of breaking down. She no longer pretended to be a pure and innocent girl. She pointed at her angrily. "It¡¯s all because of you that my rtionship with them became so bad. Nora, you¡¯re actually more pretentious than me! More maniptive!"
Nora: "..."
She raised an eyebrow and stared at her. "So?"
Yvonne was furious. Ignoring the fact that Warren was still beside her, she pointed at them and scolded, "Okay, okay. I¡¯m an outsider, right? I¡¯m not rted by blood, so you guys are bullying me together!"
"But Nora, do you think you¡¯re so smug just because you¡¯re a member of the Smiths and have the Smith blood flowing in your veins? In the end, you¡¯re just an illegitimate daughter of the side family! Your mother was immoral and seduced two brothers at the same time. Do you really think you¡¯re so glorious?"
Smack!
Nora suddenly pped her!
Yvonne was stunned. When she returned to her senses, she saw Nora¡¯s cold expression and anger in her eyes.
Yvonne was stunned as she touched her face before she reacted and took a step back. "You dare to hit me? You dare to hit me?!"
Nora pped her hands and felt that her palms were a little dirty. Her voice was cold and distant as she replied, "You¡¯re not worthy of mentioning my mother."
No matter what, her mother had passed away.
As a junior, she was wrong to point fingers at her elder.
Yvonne bit her lips, fearing that she would make a move again. She pointed at her and roared, "Why don¡¯t you let anyone mention it? Do you feel embarrassed too? Then move out like Warren!"
These words angered Warren. "It¡¯s my own freedom and decision to leave. Who are you to chase me away?"
Yvonne sneered. "I¡¯m the mistress of the Smiths! This family belongs to my father, and you guys are just outsiders! And that Louis is also an outsider! Get lost, all of you! Get out of my house!"
Hearing this, Nora smiled. She was about to say something when a cold voice suddenly came from behind. "In my opinion, the person who should leave is you!"
They turned around again and saw that Joel, who had rushed back after handling somepany matters, was slowly heading upstairs with an icy expression.
He was wearing a ck suit. His face, which had always been gentle and smiling, was now extremely stern.
The moment he appeared, Yvonne was instantly silenced, as if someone had pressed a mute button.
She had been most afraid of him since she was young.
Joel¡¯s handsome face was covered in frost as he stared at Yvonne. His tone was very serious. "You disappoint me too much. How did Uncle Ian raise a daughter like you?"
Yvonne was rendered speechless by his stern words.
Joel spoke again. "I originally wanted to wait for Uncle Ian to wake up before dealing with you. It looks like I was wrong. Lucy,e over."
Lucy hurriedly stood up. "Mr. Joel, I¡¯m here."
Joel said coldly, "Pack Yvonne¡¯s luggage and take her to the vi in the suburbs. She¡¯ll be staying there for a while."
Lucy immediately nodded. "Yes."
With that, she asked tentatively, "Should I only prepare summer clothes?"
It was summer.
Joel lowered his eyes. "She will need some more clothes. After all, there are four seasons in a year!"
What he meant was that he wanted Yvonne to live in the suburbs forever!
Lucy was delighted, but she did not show it on her face. She lowered her head. "Yes, I¡¯ll send Miss Yvonne over first. I¡¯ll send the clothes overter."
With that, Lucy called two bodyguards over. Seeing them walk over, Yvonne finally returned to her senses and hurriedly shouted, "Joel, big brother, you can¡¯t treat me like this. I¡¯m Daddy¡¯s daughter! I¡¯m Daddy¡¯s daughter!"
¡ª
A dayter, Nora received a message from Lily. "The DNA results are out."
Chapter 377: To the Hospital!
Chapter 377: To the Hospital!
The Smith vi was in the suburbs. It was a three-story building, and each floor was about 100 square meters.
Yvonne sat in the living room and clenched her fists tightly as she watched the nanny unpacking her luggage.
She looked at the low floor and then at the living room, which was at the end of the hall. She felt a violent rage roaring in her heart.
She stood up suddenly and said to Lucy, who hade over to help her unpack her luggage, "This ce is too small! Get Joel to move me somewhere else!"
Lucy did not even look at her and continued ordering the others to send her clothes upstairs. "Miss Yvonne, I think you should stop acting. Do you really think you¡¯re here for a vacation?"
Yvonne sneered, "Even if it¡¯s not a vacation, I¡¯m still the eldest daughter of the Smiths! Joel won¡¯t let you suppress me, right?"
Lucy pursed her lips. "Yes, you¡¯re the eldest daughter. But Mr. Joel has instructed me not to allow you to go home for the time being. You should reflect on yourself here."
Yvonne¡¯s face turned red.
She clenched her fists and lowered her voice. "Tell Joel that I know I was wrong. Dad is still in the hospital. It¡¯s not appropriate for me to stay in the suburbs like this. Let me go back."
Lucy lowered her head. "Alright, I¡¯ll help you deliver the message."
Although she said that, she turned her head and pursed her lips.
Hearing Lucy¡¯s words, Yvonne felt relieved and went upstairs. She entered the master bedroom and looked around. Although it couldn¡¯t bepared to the one in the manor, it was still passable and could be considered clean.
She changed her clothes and went out. When she was about to go downstairs, she heard someone ask, "Lucy, are you really helping her pass a message to Mr. Smith?"
Lucy sneered. "Did she say something just now? Why didn¡¯t I hear her?"
The other servants nodded as well. "Yes, we didn¡¯t hear anything."
Yvonne: "!!"
These unruly servants were bullying their master!
She was about to go over and scold them, but Lucy seemed to have seen her. She waved her hand. "Alright, since Miss Yvonne is here, let¡¯s get going."
With that, she turned to look upstairs. "Miss Yvonne, we¡¯ll head back first. Oh, right, your bank card has been frozen temporarily as well. But don¡¯t worry. There are ingredients in the fridge. I¡¯ll get someone to regrly send you daily necessities."
With that, she left without waiting for Yvonne to say anything.
Yvonne did not think much of it at first, but when she saw the people who¡¯d brought her here walking out one by one, she panicked and chased after them. "You two are leaving too?"
The two of them nodded. "Yes, Lucy just said that we¡¯re leaving."
Yvonne looked around.
This was a vi district in the suburbs. However, because it was too far away, most people came here to stay on vacation. At this moment, there were not many families around.
From afar, the surroundings were filled with greenery.
She was anxious. "What should I do if you guys leave? Who¡¯s going to cook for me tonight?"
The two of them coughed. "About that, we don¡¯t know. Oh, the car is about to leave. Let¡¯s hurry and get out!"
They pushed Yvonne away and left the room.
She was the only one left in the vi!
Yvonne looked around. The sound of a tree branch breaking startled her, and she clutched her chest.
Then, she opened the door to the vi.
The Smiths had bought all the ces on both sides, but Joel did not arrange for anyone to stay here. She left the house in a panic and walked to both sides. After walking for 10 minutes, she did not see a single family!
The sky gradually darkened.
Yvonne became more and more afraid. She wanted to take a taxi and leave to stay in a hotel!
However, when she picked up her phone, she suddenly remembered that her bank card had been frozen.
She frowned. She¡¯d asked her good friend in the circle to lend her money on WeChat, but she did not expect the other party to reply so quickly. [I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m a little tight on money right now.]
Yvonne: "!!"
She bit her lip, her fingers trembling in anger.
Usually, when she went out, she would be the one paying among her best friends. Now, she was borrowing some money from them, but all of them were actually so wishy-washy!
However, no matter how much she looked down on her, she could only send her a humble message: "Just lend me $800. $200 is fine too."
The other party: "I saw a bag and nned to buy it, so I really don¡¯t have any money. Sorry!"
Yvonne: "!!"
She could only switch to another person and continue trying. However, the other party rejected her as well. She continued to ask a few people until someone reminded her: "You should stop trying to borrow money. No one in the circle will lend you money."
Yvonne¡¯s pupils shrank. [Why?]
The other party: "This is an information age. We all heard that you were chased out of the Smiths by your brother. The Smiths have a high status in New York. Other than the Hunts, who would dare to lend you money? We¡¯re all afraid of your brother!"
Yvonne: "!!!"
She stared at the message on her phone and realized a terrifying fact.
No matter how powerful her father was... no matter how much Joel respected her father, he was already old!
The Smiths had long belonged to Joel!
This fact made her feel as if she had been severely injured. Her feet went soft and she fell to the ground.
She was done for.
She was really finished for offending her brother this time!
She returned to the vi dejectedly and sat on the sofa.
That night, she turned on all the lights in the room, but still kept trembling in fear in the silent night.
It was not until the next morning, when the sun rose, that she suddenly realized that she could not be locked up in this vi without a neighbor to die alone!
Absolutely not!
She took out her phone and made a call...
¡ª
At the Smiths, Nora asked Lily, "What was the oue?"
Lily¡¯s voice did not fluctuate, and one could not tell if she was happy or angry. "It¡¯s an electronic version. I sent it to your email. The paper version is in my hands. I¡¯ll send it to you right now."
Yesterday, when she returned to California, she took the umbilical cord blood and rushed the test overnight. She had found a testing facility in New York. Personally handling the test to ensure no one could tamper with it, Lily had not slept the entire night.
Although she did not say it, Nora roughly understood the meaning of the oue.
If she and Ian were not biological father and daughter, there was no need for Lily to send another test report back...
Nora narrowed her eyes and looked out the window.
Although she had already guessed her identity, she still felt an inexplicable andplicated feeling when this moment came.
Her father...
Just as she was deep in thought, her phone suddenly rang. She nced at it and realized that it was Joel. She hung up on Lily and picked up his call.
Just as she was about to speak, Joel¡¯s serious voice sounded. "Nora,e to the hospital immediately. Uncle Ian is vomiting blood!"
Chapter 378: The Hospital
Chapter 378: The Hospital
He had vomited blood?
Nora¡¯s eyes narrowed. She hurriedly said, "Okay, I¡¯ll be right there."
No matter what, saving Ian was more important!
In the hospital.
Joel was panicking outside the operating theater. Ian suddenly vomiting blood caught him off guard. At this moment, his vital signs had already calmed down and he was once again pulled back from death.
However, the attending doctor said, "Mr. Ian was saved this time, but next time, we can¡¯t guarantee anything. He¡¯s still in aa. We have to think of a way to deal with the brain tumor."
Joel said directly, "I¡¯ve already called Anti over."
When the attending doctor heard this, he hesitated. When Joel saw him like this, he could not help but ask, "What¡¯s wrong?"
The attending doctor sighed. "A few days ago, Anti could still perform the surgery and barely save him. But now, Mr. Ian¡¯s body is too weak. Just now, there was blood in his lungs, and we also performed the surgery on him. His body is no longer suitable for surgery. Sigh!"
No longer suitable for surgery...
What did this mean?
Joel grabbed his hand. "What did you say?"
The attending doctor slowly retracted his hand and said, "Mr. Joel, you... should prepare for a funeral!" before slowly retreating and leaving.
Joel stood there and frowned.
He looked at the ICU ward again.
At this moment, footsteps suddenly came from the end of the corridor.
Joel turned back and saw that the elders from the old residence had arrived.
He narrowed his eyes and weed them. "Granduncle, why are you here?"
This Granduncle was Ian¡¯s third uncle. He used to be a glorious direct descendant, but ever since he moved to the old residence, he only took the Smiths¡¯ dividend and did not ask about anything else.
Under normal circumstances, they would only appear if something unfair happened to the Smiths.
However, this Granduncle did not get along with Ian.
Back then, Ian refused to marry for the sake of Yvette. In granduncle¡¯s eyes, he had already be an anomaly. Joel knew that granduncle had repeatedly scolded Ian for being selfish andpletely disregarding his future generations. He did not even have a direct sessor!
Granduncle even said that even if he did not get married, he could just have a child, but Ian had rejected all of them.
Back then, Ian¡¯s methods were iron-blooded. The entire Smith family was exceptionally obedient under his thunderous methods. How could Granduncle be Ian¡¯s match?
He had forcefully sent him back to the old residence and even sent him a message: "Take care of yourself. Don¡¯t be a busybody."
Granduncle had been furious, but he could not do anything to Ian.
ording to what Joel knew, this Granduncle was guarding the ancestral old residence. The fun he had every day was cursing Ian. Every day, he would scold him. It had almost be his daily routine!
Ever since Ian fell ill, Granduncle had felt even more satisfied. Joel heard that he waited at home every day for news of his death.
Nothing good woulde of him running here now!
Sure enough, the walking stick in the hands of this 80-year-old man hit him directly. "Unfilial son! Don¡¯t you know why I¡¯m here?"
Joel was not stupid. He dodged his attack, his eyes slightly cold. "Granduncle, what do you mean?"
"What do I mean?" The wrinkles on Granduncle¡¯s face furrowed as he scolded, "Your Uncle Ian isn¡¯t dead yet, but you can¡¯t wait to chase his daughter out?"
When Joel heard this, his eyes narrowed.
With that, Granduncle moved aside to reveal Yvonne behind the crowd.
Yvonne¡¯s eyes were red. She lowered her head and was crying silently. She looked up at Joel and said in a choked voice, "Joel, big brother, I was wrong. Let me go home!"
When he saw her, Joel narrowed his eyes.
His lips curled into a mocking smile.
Granduncle had always been at odds with Ian. Why would he be so righteous as to "help his adopted daughter?"
In fact, when Ian was seriously ill a few years ago, Granduncle had sent someone to contact him, hinting that he would take Ian down and control the Smiths.
This Granduncle had a stomach full of bad ideas for Uncle Ian, but he had stepped forward at this moment. Yvonne must have promised him something!
Joel retracted his thoughts. There was still a smile in his fox eyes. "What did you do wrong?"
What wrongdoings was she admitting to?
Yvonne lowered her head and said, "I shouldn¡¯t have targeted Nora. But Joel, I really did treat her like this because I felt bad for Dad. Think about it. Who is the reason why Dad is lying in there hanging between life and death? Whose daughter is Nora?"
Joel sneered.
Yvonne was really good at finding excuses for herself.
Yvonne continued, "Big Brother, I¡¯m doing this all for Dad! If you ask me, he should have just disowned her and prevented her from returning to the Smiths! Now that she¡¯s back, Dad¡¯s illness has worsened. Wasn¡¯t it all because of her? Although I¡¯m not Dad¡¯s biological daughter, I¡¯m Dad¡¯s legal daughter. Dad raised me, so how can I not repay his kindness? I know that you and Nora are cousins and are rted by blood. You¡¯re biased toward Nora, but I¡¯m not! My heart only favors Dad!"
Her words were self-righteous, but she had found an excuse for what she had done wrong.
When Granduncle heard this, he nodded slightly. "After all, he¡¯s not Ian¡¯s biological son. He¡¯s just Ian¡¯s nephew. If you don¡¯t feel sorry for your Uncle Ian, his daughter will naturally feel sorry for him! Joel, no matter what, you shouldn¡¯t have chased Yvonne out because of someone from the side family! I¡¯m here today to tell you that you have to bring her back!"
Yvonne had gone to look for him and made a request to split the family.
As Ian¡¯s only daughter, even if Joel inherited the Smiths, she could still get half of Ian¡¯s assets!
At that time, she would give the two-thirds to Granduncle.
Granduncle knew very well how big Ian¡¯s private fortune was!
He was immediately tempted.
Only then did he lick his lips and follow Yvonne here. Furthermore, he had called a few loyal members of the Smiths over.
Those people had created the Smiths¡¯ legend with Ian back then and were very loyal to him.
They stood behind Yvonne and Granduncle and began to criticize Joel.
"Joel, how could you forget Mr. Smith¡¯s kindness to you?"
"That¡¯s right. Even an adopted daughter knows how to repay the kindness. What about you? Mr. Smith treats you very well!"
"I don¡¯t care what mistake Miss Yvonne has made. Nora shouldn¡¯t have acknowledged the Smiths! She should be chased out!! Bring Miss Yvonne home!"
"That¡¯s right. We need to get that illegitimate daughter out of the Smiths to live up to Mr. Smith¡¯s nurturing!"
Chapter 379: immediate family!!!
Chapter 379: immediate family!!!
Facing everyone¡¯s criticisms, Joel¡¯s attitude remained indifferent.
These people were originally the backbone of Smith Corporation and were Ian¡¯s most capable subordinates. They had all seen Ian¡¯s depressed state because of Yvette.
Everyone hated Yvette to the core.
Therefore, when he first found out that Nora was his cousin, Joel had to ask Ian for permission before he could go and fetch her.
Joel said slowly, "Uncles, it was Uncle Ian who made the decision to bring Nora home. He even went to the Hunts¡¯ banquet personally. I¡¯m sure you all know about this, right? Are you nning to disregard Uncle Ian¡¯s orders?"
His words silenced those people.
Joel knew that they were only there to stand up for Yvonne. These people were actually very reasonable people. He said sincerely, "Think about it. If Uncle Ian was still awake, would he have allowed Yvonne to do such a thing?"
Would he?
Of course not!
Ian was a very charming person. Otherwise, he would not have let so many of them follow him his entire life.
When those people stopped talking, Granduncle said, "Hmph, you¡¯re full of righteousness and morals. In the end, isn¡¯t it all because you¡¯re not Ian¡¯s biological son? I think you¡¯re the one who instigated him to acknowledge her so that he would be angered to death. Youpletely control the Smiths, right? But don¡¯t go overboard! Joel, your uncle isn¡¯t dead yet!"
Joel couldn¡¯t be bothered with him, but he looked at the core members of thepany and said, "I¡¯m indeed not Uncle Ian¡¯s biological son. But don¡¯t forget that I¡¯m still his nephew at the very least. But this woman... is not rted to Uncle Ian by blood at all. I¡¯m sure you all know who is closer to Uncle Ian!"
With a few words, Joel shifted the conflict.
They looked at each other and fell silent.
Yes, when they heard that Miss Yvonne had been bullied, they thought about how good Ian used to be and stood up for her. However, Joel¡¯s words were true!
The corridor suddenly fell silent.
At this moment, another set of footsteps could be heard. Everyone turned their heads and saw Nora, who was being discussed by everyone, walking over with hurried footsteps. She did not care about the people sizing her up at all and walked straight to Joel. She looked at the operating theater and her gaze was a littleplicated. "...How is he now?"
Treating Ian was the most important matter. How could Joel have the time to bicker with these people?
He directly pulled Nora aside and frowned. "This... I need you to take a look and see if Uncle Ian can still be saved!"
Nora nodded. "Give me the medical records and all of his CT scans!"
She was very confident when she spoke. "My assistant, Lily, is already on the way. Everything regarding him... send them to me!"
Joel had originally called Nora over to let her treat his illness.
However, he did not expect Nora¡¯s attitude to be so strong. She immediately wanted to take charge of Uncle Ian¡¯s treatment?
He frowned and was about to speak when Yvonne¡¯s sharp voice sounded. "Joel, you n to let Nora treat Dad? That¡¯s not possible!"
Her words made Joel frown tightly. "Why not?"
Of course, it was because if Ian woke up, he would definitely pursue the matter!
Yvonne knew Ian¡¯s character like the back of her hand. She knew very well what would happen to her if he was treated!
When they came to the hospital, they had already found out that Ian might not wake up this time. At this moment, of course, they could not let the miracle doctor, Anti, be involved!
Thinking about this, Yvonne took a step forth and used, "Because she¡¯s from the Andersons. Joel, are you going against Dad¡¯s wishes?"
Joel: "??"
He frowned. "What nonsense are you talking about here?!"
Yvonne immediately said, "Joel, don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know! The medicine I¡¯ve been takingtely is not any good medicine from Myers Peace Pharmacy! It¡¯s just a recement Carefree Pill! But you don¡¯t dare to tell the truth because you know that Daddy has never taken Harmonia Pharmacy¡¯s medicine!"
She said firmly, "All these years, Dad has hated the Andersons to the core. Joel, you know that, right? Even if he died, he would not take the Andersons¡¯ medicine. Now, you actually let Nora treat him? Even if he was saved, he would be angered to death by you!"
Joel narrowed his eyes.
The Smiths knew that Ian did not take Harmonia Pharmacy¡¯s medicine.
Everyone said that he didn¡¯t eat them because he hated Yvette.
However, Joel felt that Uncle Ian was afraid that experiencing the familiar taste would cause sadness.
As for the final stage, Uncle Ian had always been unwilling to take Harmonia Pharmacy¡¯s Carefree Pill. It was not because he had a problem with it, but because he really did not want to live anymore.
If Uncle Ian had not met a small-time broadcaster on the Inte, he would not have taken the Myerses medicine again.
He did not expect Yvonne to interpret his actions this way...
He narrowed his eyes. "Nora is not from the Andersons. Her surname is Smith."
Yvonne said forcefully, "Her surname isn¡¯t important. What¡¯s important is that her mother is Yvette Anderson!"
Yvonne sighed, "Joel, Daddy is already very weak. Do you really have to humiliate him like this?!"
Humiliate?
Joel clenched his jaw. "I¡¯m just saving Uncle Ian¡¯s life! I believe Nora has the same thoughts."
After saying this, he said to Nora forcefully, "Go and see the medical records first."
Nora raised her eyebrows. She was in a hurry to save him and did not care about the rest. However, just as she was about to enter the ward, Yvonne rushed over and blocked the door. "You can¡¯t go in!"
She looked at Joel angrily. "The person Daddy hates the most is Yvette. How can Nora appear in Dad¡¯s ward? Are you trying to make Dad leave faster? I don¡¯t agree!"
With that, she turned to look at Granduncle.
Granduncle immediately coughed. "It seems that in thest stage of the patient¡¯s life, if we agree not to resuscitate him, the signature on the agreement must be signed by his immediate family. Joel, the decision to let her save your uncle is in the hands of Yvonne! After all, she is Ian¡¯s legal daughter!"
Yvonne nodded. "Joel, if you insist on humiliating Daddy, don¡¯t me me for being rude. I¡¯m going to call the police!"
Joel frowned and was about to force this group of people out of the hospital when he heard Nora¡¯s light words. "Who said you¡¯re his immediate family?"
As soon as she said this, everyone looked at her, not understanding what she meant for a moment.
Chapter 380: Nora Is Ian’s Daughter!!
Chapter 380: Nora Is Ian¡¯s Daughter!!
Yvonne frowned and shouted in anger, "What? You chased me out of the house. Are you not even going to let me acknowledge my family? I was adopted by Daddy, and our rtionship is protected by thew. Don¡¯t go overboard!"
Joel frowned and looked at Nora, not understanding what she meant.
Nora raised her eyebrows and said directly, "What I mean is that a biological child is more qualified than an adopted child to give permission to continue treatment, right?"
Biological child?
Yvonne was speechless. "Everyone knows that my father has never gotten married or had a woman in his life because of your mother. How could he have a biological child? Oh, I get it. You mean Joel? But there¡¯s no adoption between Joel and Dad. Legally, they¡¯re just uncle and nephew!"
"I¡¯m not talking about him." Nora¡¯s voice was cold. She looked at the time. When she first came, she did not immediately reveal her identity because she wanted to get the test report from Lily.
Judging from the time, it should be here soon, right?
As he thought about this, he heard Yvonne sneer. "Then who are you talking about? You can¡¯t be talking about yourself, right?"
Nora raised her eyebrows and looked at Yvonne.
The girl¡¯s almond-shaped eyes were filled with interest and mockery. For some reason, Yvonne suddenly had a bad feeling. Indeed, in the next moment, she heard her say calmly, "Yes, it¡¯s me."
"..."
The entire corridor fell silent for a moment.
After a long time, Yvonne was the first to return to her senses. "You? Are you dreaming? You¡¯re clearly Uncle Ryan¡¯s daughter! You¡¯re the illegitimate daughter your mother gave birth to when she eloped with Ryan! Last time, Joel even took your DNA to prove it! Nora, it¡¯s daytime now. Please don¡¯t have any beautiful dreams!"
Joel looked at Nora¡¯s confident look and frowned. He asked directly, "What evidence do you have?"
As soon as he said this, he heard hurried footsteps in high heels walking over.
Hearing this familiar sound, Nora¡¯s lips curled up. "The evidence is here."
With that, everyone turned around and saw Lily walking over. She was wearing a ck windbreaker and walked very shily.
Although Lily was American, she was of mixed blood. She hadrge eyes and a high nose bridge, making her look valiant.
She came in front of them and directly handed the DNA report to Nora.
Nora did not take it and raised her chin at Joel.
Lily turned around and handed the DNA report to Joel. "Mr. Joel, this is An... Miss Nora and Mr. Ian¡¯s DNA test report."
Test report?
Joel narrowed his eyes and picked up the report to take a look. When he saw that there was a 99% chance that they were father and daughter, he looked up at Nora in disbelief.
Ian¡¯s capable subordinates were all stunned. Someone could not help but ask, "Mr. Joel, what is written in the DNA report? Say something!"
Joel put away the report and said word by word, "Nora is indeed Uncle Ian¡¯s biological daughter."
As soon as he said this, the others stepped forward.
"Let me see!"
"Don¡¯t fake this report. Look carefully before you speak."
"Didn¡¯t you see the report logo? This is the most authoritative testing organization in the country. It can¡¯t be fake!"
"Is she really Mr. Smith¡¯s daughter? So Yvette didn¡¯t betray him? Then why did she escape back then?"
"That¡¯s not important. What¡¯s important is that Mr. Smith has a future. He has a real daughter now!"
The group was very excited. Their eyes were red as they spoke.
Yvonne was also stunned. She took a step forward and snatched the DNA report. She shouted angrily, "How is this possible? How is this possible?! This is impossible! Isn¡¯t she Ryan¡¯s daughter? Joel, tell me, what¡¯s going on?"
What was going on?
Joel also wanted to know what was going on!
However, now was not the time to argue about this. He said directly, "The previous test report might have been wrong, but this report is the answer given by the most authoritative and legal testing organization in the country! Nora is Uncle Ian¡¯s daughter!"
As his words fell, he looked at Nora.
The girl was still standing there confidently. At this moment, she had her hands in her pockets as she looked at the people in the corridor. "I¡¯m going to save my father now. Everyone, I wonder if that¡¯s okay?"
Ian¡¯s subordinates did not stop her anymore.
Yvonne and Granduncle had always been the ones stopping them.
At this moment, the two of them had no right to stop her!
But Yvonne was indignant.
If Anti really went to save her father, the first thing her father would do when he woke up would probably be to deal with her!
Yvonne roared, "No, I suspect that this report is fake! I want to get a DNA sample and do the test myself!"
When she said this, Joel¡¯s eyes turned cold.
His eyes, which were usually smiling, were now filled with killing intent. He took a step forward and said coldly, "Yvonne, everyone knows that Nora is Anti, but you¡¯ve been stopping her from saving Uncle Ian. What are your intentions?"
Yvonne choked and stuttered, "I, I... I¡¯m just fulfilling Dad¡¯s wish!"
"Wish?" Joel sneered and looked at the others. "Let¡¯s not talk about whether Nora¡¯s DNA report is true or not. Your words are reallyughable! Uncle Ian¡¯s wish is to die, so you want him to die too? Is this your filial piety? You¡¯re too foolish!"
Yvonne was stunned.
Joel looked at Granduncle and Ian¡¯s capable subordinates and said directly, "Uncles, she has been stopping Anti from treating Uncle Ian since the beginning. Why? Only Anti can give Uncle Ian a glimmer of hope! You all said that I¡¯m fighting for power, but if I¡¯m really so selfish, why don¡¯t I let Uncle Ian leave like this? Wouldn¡¯t it be better to just be in charge of thepany? Why is this unnecessary?! I¡¯m sure you all know who doesn¡¯t want Uncle Ian to live!"
Ian¡¯s subordinates had not spoken since Yvonne suggested not letting Nora treat him.
In their opinion, Ian¡¯s persistence was courting death. Being alive was better than anything.
They were all senior executives of Smith Corporation, so how could they not understand anything?
At this moment, everyone said, "Treat him first!"
Hearing this, Yvonne was anxious.
However, she calmed down when she thought of the doctor¡¯s words.
So what if she went to see him? The doctor had said that it was toote even if she made a move!
The main reason was that once her father had passed away, so what if she was an adopted daughter? She still had the right to fight for the inheritance!
Chapter 381: Cured!
Chapter 381: Cured!
After everyone stopped blocking her, Nora entered the ICU ward.
As soon as she entered, she sensed a group of people protecting the ce.
It seemed that regardless of whether the people outside had any objections or not, from the moment Joel called her to the hospital, the surgery was set in stone.
He had probably sent Quentin over long ago and secretly arranged everything.
Even without the DNA report, Joel could still resolve the problem violently if Yvonne objected.
This big brother looked soft, but his methods were powerful.
She did not have time to think about this anymore. She had already arrived at the bed and first sized up Ian¡¯s expression.
He was thinner than thest time they met. His cheekbones were protruding, and hey there as thin as a piece of paper.
Nora retracted her gaze and picked up his medical record and the CT scan she had taken.
Every organ in his body was indeed failing. The most serious thing was that there was a tumor in his brain that needed to be removed immediately. It was simr to the situation with Mrs. Hunt.
However, Mrs. Hunt was in her eighties, so her body naturally deteriorated.
Ian was only 50 years old. It was really not right for his body to be so exhausted.
While she was thinking, Lily had already changed her clothes and walked in. The medical team that belonged to Anti hadpletely taken over Ian¡¯s treatment team.
Joel had no objections to this.
¡ª
Outside.
Ian¡¯s attending doctor watched as Lily pushed Ian into the operating theater. He walked back and forth angrily and stomped his feet. He said to Ian, "Mr. Joel, Mr. Smith¡¯s body is really not suitable for surgery! You¡¯ll kill him!"
Joel did not speak and only stared at the operating theater.
The attending doctor said, "No matter how good Anti is, the most important thing to do now is to let the old sir recuperate first. All physical indicators have to be met before he can be carried to surgery!"
Joel lowered his eyes and only said after a moment, "I believe her."
This girl could always create miracles.
When the attending doctor knew that Joel had made up his mind and he would not change it again, he could only pace around anxiously as he stared at the operating theater.
In the corridor, Granduncle and Yvonne sat on the bench.
Granduncle held his walking stick and craned his neck to look as if he was waiting for the "good news" of his death.
The others were also paying attention to this surgery.
Quentin had walked behind Joel at some point in time. He held his chin and was deep in thought, looking very worried.
When Joel saw this, heforted him for once. "Don¡¯t worry. With Anti¡¯s medical skills, if she can¡¯t save Uncle Ian, then no one in this world can."
Quentin: "?"
He slowly raised his head and looked at Joel. "I¡¯m not worried about Uncle Ian! Nora can definitely treat him, right? Since she¡¯s the best in medicine, why should I be worried?"
Joel: "?"
He hesitated. "Then you are..."
Quentin sighed heavily. "Big Sister hasn¡¯t been to the underground arena for two days. I wonder what happened. Sigh!"
The night before yesterday, because he was going to save Nora, he did not go to the martial arts arena. In the end, he had found out that Big Sister had not gone over either.
Butst night, after he saw Nora return home, he had gone over. But in the end, Big Sister still did note!
Where did she go? What was she busy with?
Joel: "..."
He touched his forehead and asked, "Can¡¯t you focus on the hospital first?"
Quentin: "...Is Big Sister in the hospital?"
"..."
This child did not know how serious Uncle Ian¡¯s illness was. Forget it, he would not say any more. Instead of making him worry with him, it was better to worry about that Big Sister!
¡ª
"It¡¯s done."
With Nora¡¯s words, the surgery in the operating theater came to an end.
She looked at Ian¡¯s vital signs and took out the silver needles to stop the bleeding. After she was done, she said, "Lily."
Lily stepped forward and wiped the sweat from her forehead.
Then, she checked Ian¡¯s entire body and said, "The operation was very sessful."
Nora then heaved a sigh of relief. She nodded and went out.
The door to the operating theater was opened. The people waiting anxiously outside immediately rushed over.
"How¡¯s Dad?"
Yvonne was the first to ask this question. "Did the operation seed? Will Dad wake up?"
Nora raised her eyebrows and nced at her. "Of course. The surgery was very sessful."
The words "very sessful" made Yvonne¡¯s face turn pale.
She took a step back in shock and looked at Nora in disbelief.
Nora looked directly at Joel. "He will wake up in a day. I think there are some things that need to be settled after that."
Herst sentence was directed at Yvonne.
Yvonne¡¯s feet trembled as she looked at the operating theater. "I-I want to see Dad!"
"Yes, let¡¯s go see Mr. Smith!"
The others agreed.
Nora stopped them. "The patient has just finished his surgery. It¡¯s easy to get infected if so many people go in to see him. Let¡¯s wait for the patient¡¯s condition to improve before we talk."
Everyone nodded.
Joel then said, "Alright, Uncle Ian is no longer in danger. You can leave now."
After that, he looked at Yvonne and sneered, "Also, when Uncle Ian wakes up, I will tell him everything that happened during this period."
Yvonne trembled again.
She bit her lip, but she was helpless in front of such a domineering Joel. In the end, she could only leave with the group of people.
Seeing that the group of people had left, Quentin appeared again and stood beside Nora. He casually took the DNA report from Joel¡¯s hand.
Quentin looked at Nora curiously and asked, "Where did you fabricate this report from? It¡¯s actually so real! But you¡¯re really smart. You actually thought of this method!"
Nora: "?"
Quentin opened the DNA report and looked at the stamp of the testing organization. "This stamp really looks like it. No wonder they didn¡¯t see through it. Did Justin help you? Help me find out who they used for this. I¡¯ll see if I can poach him from the Hunts..."
Joel: "..."
If he blurted his motive out so openly, would Nora still tell him?!
That¡¯s right. He and Quentin both thought that Nora¡¯s report was fake. It was a reasonable n to treat Uncle Ian.
However, he did not expect to hear the girl¡¯s clear voice say, "This report is real."
Quentin and Joel were stunned.
The two of them looked at her simultaneously. "What did you say?"
Chapter 382: Punishment!
Chapter 382: Punishment!
Was the DNA report real?
Didn¡¯t that mean that... Nora was really Uncle Ian¡¯s daughter?
It was not that she was not their cousin or rted to them by blood if she was indeed Uncle Ryan¡¯s daughter. It was just that Uncle Ian was different to them.
To Joel and Quentin, Ian was more like a teacher and a father than an uncle.
Especially Joel, who protected him from the bottom of his heart.
Yvette and Uncle Ryan had eloped and hurt Uncle Ian¡¯s heart. To the two of them, this matter was unforgivable. Therefore, in the beginning, their feelings for Nora were a littleplicated.
Even someone as strong as Ian would push a woman away when she clearly wanted to get close, let alone Joel and Quentin.
But if Nora was Ian¡¯s daughter... then it would bepletely different!
Joel could still maintain hisposure. Although he was surprised, he could still maintain his calm.
Quentin was stunned. "That¡¯s impossible. I pulled your hairst time and tested your DNA. Is that hair not yours? We have a cousin?"
Nora: "..."
This was a novel way of thinking.
She grimaced and answered, "It¡¯s mine."
She was silent for a moment, then decided not to bring up the question Lily had discovered, because she had sensitively caught that it might have involved something.
She said confidently, "The result was wrong."
Quentin: "!!!"
There was a small chance that the DNA test report would go wrong, and the probability was about 0.01%. How could they encounter such a thing?
Quentin did not think much about it and asked, "Then, your mom didn¡¯t betray Uncle Ian?"
"...I don¡¯t think so," Nora said slowly. "Now that I think about it, she might have only given me the surname Smith after marrying Henry Smith. Also..."
There was also the pharmaceuticalpany her mother had left behind, Idealian Pharmaceuticals. The name Idealian had the name ¡¯Ian¡¯ in it!
Quentin believed her again. He nodded and approached Nora directly. He patted her shoulder. "Alright, Nora. Since you¡¯re Uncle Ian¡¯s biological daughter, you¡¯re my biological sister. I¡¯ll protect you in the future! Don¡¯t be afraid. As long as I¡¯m here, I won¡¯t let anyone bully you! Also, I won¡¯t nag anymore when I¡¯m protecting you! You don¡¯t have to feel burdened, I¡¯ll protect you personally. I¡¯m also responsible for Uncle Ian."
Nora: "..."
Joel: "..."
Joel nced at Quentin and then at Nora. His dark eyes were filled with thoughts.
Nora only pretended not to notice his probing gaze.
¡ª
Yvonne was sent back to the vi in the suburbs, and Granduncle followed suit.
He paced back and forth in the living room and looked at Yvonne angrily. "Didn¡¯t you say that she was Ryan¡¯s daughter? How did she be Ian¡¯s legitimate daughter again?!"
Yvonne was like an ant on a hot pan, not knowing what to do. She anxiously said, "Granduncle, what¡¯s the point of talking about this now? You should think of a way to get me out of this!"
Granduncle nced at her and sneered. "I¡¯ll think of a way for you? Anyway, when your father wakes up, you¡¯re the one he wants to settle the score with, not me! This has nothing to do with me!"
With that, he walked out quickly.
Yvonne wanted to chase after him, but the old man had already slipped away as if he wanted to get rid of her.
She clenched her fists in anger.
This sinister and cunning old man!
Previously, he hated Ian so much that he gritted his teeth. After all, no elder in charge of guarding the old residence would be looked down upon like this. However, Ian was too domineering and did not take him seriously at all.
This old man would never miss any opportunity to bully Ian.
Yet, he could not bear the responsibility!
Yvonne¡¯s chest rose and fell as she sat on the sofa.
She clenched her fists and stared ahead.
Nora had be her father¡¯s biological daughter. Then, her father would look down on her even more!
After all, all these years, she only had a nominal rtionship with Ian. Ian had never taken her out for a day.
Furthermore, Ian was someone who abhorred evil. After knowing what she had done, even if they had no evidence, they might still chase her out of the Smiths!
She could not leave the Smiths.
She was used to living in luxury since she was young. She could not live without money!
Yvonne lowered her head, her eyes turning red.
Why did everyone look down on her? Wasn¡¯t it because she was an adopted daughter? It was because she was an adopted daughter that she was afraid of being chased away and cared about her status...
She covered her face and cried gloomily.
But as she cried, she suddenly looked up again!
She could not cry. She had not reached the end!
She could still be saved!
She stood up and walked around the room.
Yes, the only person who wanted to chase her out of the Smiths was her father. If her father died now, even if the Smiths acknowledged Nora, she would still have a share of her father¡¯s assets!
What a pity. Why did Nora save her father?!
Saved...
Yvonne¡¯s eyes shed with ruthlessness.
After understanding something, she looked out the door and saw that there was no one outside.
Joel was really silly.
After sending her here yesterday, he had not left anyone behind to keep an eye on her, letting her go out and find Granduncle.
It was the same today.
But it was good too.
She walked back and forth in her room, anxious to wait until it was dark. Then, she went out, took out her diamond ring, and found a ck car.
The driver took her to the hospital.
The sky had already turnedpletely dark.
After Yvonne got out of the ck car, she entered the hospital with an uneasy expression.
The more she walked, the calmer she became.
When she arrived at the floor of Ian¡¯s ward, she had already calmed down.
She slipped into the changing room at the side and changed into a nurse¡¯s uniform before leaving with a mask on.
She pushed the cart toward Ian¡¯s ward. When she reached the door, she was stopped. "Who is it?"
Yvonne was very calm as she said impatiently, "I¡¯m here to change the dressing! Open the door!"
The bodyguard was stunned before opening the door.
Yvonne rushed to the bed and looked at Ian.
Nora had said that he would wake up tomorrow.
Therefore, she only had tonight.
She took out a syringe and looked out. Then, her fingers trembled as she held Ian¡¯s IV bottle and pushed the medicine in the syringe.
With a fierce look in her eyes, she said, "Daddy, don¡¯t me me. If you want to me someone, me your biological daughter and my big brother for forcing me too hard!"
However, just as she said this, a hand suddenly reached out from the side and held her hand tightly!
Yvonne was stunned. She turned around stiffly and met Joel¡¯s face!
Chapter 383: Was She Wrong?
Chapter 383: Was She Wrong?
Yvonne was shocked senseless.
She cried out in disbelief. "Ah!"
Then her hand trembled and the needlended on the bed.
Her lips trembled. "Jo... Joel, what... what are you doing?"
Joel looked at her with deep eyes. "I should be the one asking you this. What are you doing?"
Yvonne bit her lips and refused to speak. "I-I was worried about Dad, so I came to see him."
"Is that so?"
Joel lowered his head and looked at the needle on the bed. "What is this?"
Yvonne gulped and stuttered, "Vitamin."
"Tsk, why didn¡¯t I know this was vitamin?"
Suddenly, another deep voice sounded, causing Yvonne to turn her head again and see Nora walking over.
She picked up the syringe from the bed and sniffed it. After studying it carefully, she came to a conclusion. "This is potassium cyanide. As little as 0.1 grams injected into a person¡¯s body would kill within thirty seconds!"
Yvonne stared at the needle and said in shock, "This, this isn¡¯t, don¡¯t talk nonsense..."
"Really?"
Nora handed the syringe to her. "There¡¯s still some residue in here. If it¡¯s vitamins, eat it and I¡¯ll believe you."
Yvonne: "!!"
She took the syringe with trembling fingers and stared at the liquid inside.
Of course, she knew best what was inside!
Potassium cyanide was medicine for euthanasia!
Her hands trembled, but she did not dare to really drink it. She threw the syringe on the ground. "Why should I drink it? I won¡¯t! I refuse!"
Yvonne immediately shouted, "You¡¯re ndering me! I didn¡¯t want to poison Daddy!"
She suddenly came to a realization and said, "I know. Is it because you didn¡¯t treat Daddy at all, so you deliberately said that he would wake up tomorrow and forced me to do it?! This way, it won¡¯t show that your medical skills are bad. Nora, you¡¯re really sinister and cunning!"
Nora heard her and lifted the nket on Ian¡¯s arm.
The bottle of drip was not even connected to his hand!
Yvonne was stunned.
Nora smiled. "Indeed, he won¡¯t wake up tomorrow. Do you think he will wake up immediately after the surgery when his brain illness is so serious? He will need to rest for at least a week. However, I couldn¡¯t wait another week."
What could she not wait for?
Just as Yvonne was hesitating, Joel added, "The matter of you manipting Florence to poison Old Maddy can¡¯t be solved even if Florence sues you and makes a confession. As long as you refuse to admit it, there will be no evidence. We can¡¯t convict you of instigating someone to murder, so we thought of this method."
The moment Nora left the operating theater, Yvonne had nervously asked when Ian would wake up. Joel had given Nora a look.
Nora immediately said Ian would wake up tomorrow.
This only gave Yvonne a day to make a move.
When Yvonne heard that, she took a step back and looked at the two of them in disbelief. "Despicable! You¡¯re too despicable!! You actually schemed against me!"
Joel lowered his eyes. "This is a setup, but we didn¡¯t force you toe in. Before tonight, I thought that if you didn¡¯te, you would still have some conscience. Then, I would have given you a decent dowry and married you off since you¡¯re the eldest daughter of the Smiths. From the looks of it, I was still soft-hearted."
Yvonne cried out in surprise, "You¡¯re too soft-hearted? You¡¯ve always been the most careful and firm. I don¡¯t need to spend much effort to please other brothers, but what about you? I¡¯ve tried so hard, but I can¡¯t make you treat me better! I know that you¡¯ve never treated me like family!"
Joel looked up at her.
Yvonne was actually right.
He was a cold person by nature. There were not many people he cared about.
Ian was one of them.
Mia was one of them.
Tanya from many years ago was one of them.
He could barely count the cousins of the Smiths, but Yvonne had never been in his heart.
Joel ignored her and said to the people outside, "Come in."
The bodyguards walked in.
Joel pointed at Yvonne. "Take her away and send her to the police station tomorrow."
The word "police station" made Yvonne¡¯s body shudder.
She suddenly raised her head and looked at Joel in disbelief. "You... you¡¯re sending me to the police station? If that¡¯s the case, the Smiths¡¯ matter will spread! This is all a scandal!"
When Joel heard this, he nodded. "You¡¯re right. The police will at most charge you with attempted murder. You¡¯ll be sentenced to life imprisonment. If you¡¯re more sensible inside, your life won¡¯t be too bad."
The words "life imprisonment" made Yvonne shudder.
Joel suddenly turned to look at Nora. "Nora, tell me. What should we do?"
Was he handing her execution rights to Nora?
Nora probably hated her to death!
Yvonne panicked. "Joel, big brother! You can¡¯t do this. We¡¯re siblings after all. Please give me a way out!"
Joel lowered his eyes. "A way out? It¡¯s not impossible. I¡¯ll help you suppress this matter, but you have to listen to me and get married obediently..."
Yes, she would get married to anyone he wanted!
Yvonne nodded immediately. "I¡¯ll listen to you!"
However, Nora could hear another meaning from her words.
Whoever she married, she had to listen to Joel¡¯s arrangements. From Joel¡¯s words, she could hear some killing intent.
The man Joel wanted her to marry was definitely not a good person.
She lowered her eyes and suddenly said, "Send her to the police station!"
These words stunned Joel. "You¡¯re willing to let her off?"
Yvonne was also anxious. "Nora, you¡¯re so evil!"
She slowly turned back to Joel, stunned.
Yvonne asked in confusion, "Joel, what do you mean by letting me off?"
Joel lowered his eyes. "I originally nned to marry you to Jason."
Jason...
Hearing this name, Yvonne shivered.
This person had violent tendencies. He had married two wives and both of them had been beaten to death. Because he was from a wealthy family, he had spent money to suppress the matter.
However, domestic violence would not change. If she married him, there would only be one oue¡ªbeing beaten to death!
Yvonne¡¯s legs went soft and she fell to the ground.
How could she have forgotten?
Joel was a smiling tiger. Although he always had a smile on his face and his eyes were smiling, his heart was actually the most ruthless.
She suddenly shouted, "Hypocrite! The Smiths are all hypocrites! Ian! He adopted me but did not take good care of me! He never gave me fatherly love. You¡¯re no better, you never treated me as your real sister! Was I wrong? I was not wrong! Because if I did not scheme, no one would think about me!"
Chapter 384: Karma
Chapter 384: Karma
Yvonne shouted crazily. She pointed at Joel and scolded, "You adopted me only because you wanted to matchmake me. Now, you see that I¡¯m useless. This woman is back and you already have a sister, so you¡¯re nning to abandon me! Are you despising me for being a hindrance? You Smiths are all bad people! Bad people! From the moment you adopted me, you¡¯ve been up to no good!"
"..."
She screamed hysterically. If someone did not know better, they would have thought that the Smiths were torturing her.
She did not know how long she had been shouting for before Nora stretched out her fingers and dug her ears. "Tsk, I really can¡¯t listen to it anymore."
Yvonne¡¯s voice stopped as she looked at her angrily.
Nora squatted down and looked at her face to face. "Before you came, I investigated you."
She wanted to see if this person could still be saved. Was her heart bad or was it really because shecked love?
After all, she was an adopted daughter.
The result was shocking.
She took out her phone and opened the information she had saved in the photo album. "You said that he adopted you and treated you badly... Then do you know what the children who were with you at the orphanage are doing now?"
"This is the girl who slept on your top bunk. You should know her, right? She was adopted by an ordinary family, but she didn¡¯t have the money to go to university after she went to high school. So she went out to work and met her boyfriend. The two of them are married now, but they have been fighting for their lives. She never knew in her life that someone¡¯s clothes could be customized for hundreds of thousands or millions of dors because she had never seen that much money."
"This is normal. Look at this girl. She¡¯s also a girl from your dormitory. She was adopted by a beastly father and was ced under house arrest for 20 years. He got someone toe to her door and let her pick up guests to earn money. Her life was worse than death. Now that she has that kind of illness, she can¡¯t see well and is waiting to die."
"And this..."
The pictures were of all kinds of adopted children and their recent situations. Most of the children lived normally, but they were only middle-ss.
A small portion of people lived miserably.
Nora looked at Yvonne. "So, why can¡¯t you thank him for never mistreating you, for sending you to the best school, and even sending you overseas to study? The piano, violin, dance,puter, which of these don¡¯t you need resources for? Some people have nevere into contact with them. As forpany and feelings, some people are just not good at talking, but he has never mocked you or ignored you, right?"
"We shouldn¡¯t ask for too much. The thought of destroying what we can¡¯t get is too terrifying."
Yvonne still retorted, "I don¡¯t ask for much. I just want a family! But the people in this family are too cold to me! I¡¯m just a child!"
Nora saw that she was being stubborn and sneered. Before she could say anything, Joel¡¯s voice suddenly came from the side. "I originally didn¡¯t want to talk to you, but I don¡¯t want to tarnish my reputation like you! Have you ever wondered why Uncle Ian is so distant and cold to you?"
Yvonne was startled. "What?"
Joel lowered his eyes. "When you were four years old, you had a fever once. Uncle Ian even guarded you for a night. At that time, he even yed with you often... He was a perfect father!"
Four years old?
This was something that had happened too long ago, and Yvonne had long forgotten about it.
As she was thinking, she heard Joel say, "Uncle Ian doesn¡¯t treat you well because when you were four years old, he saw you kill the little rabbit that you kept as a pet."
Yvonne¡¯s entire body froze.
Joel lowered his eyes. "Uncle Ian bought you all kinds of pets, but because you felt that he treated them too well, you indirectly caused their deaths. During that period of time, other than humans, there were no living things in the house! Uncle Ian tried to correct your thoughts, but you were born with bad roots. You were bad to the bone. If you felt the slightest dissatisfaction, you would poison them. At that time, I felt that you were mentally unstable, but at most, you would hurt the pets. But I didn¡¯t expect you to dare to poison people now! A vicious woman like you probably has a ck heart. How could Uncle Ian possibly treat you with love?!"
Yvonne narrowed her eyes.
She bit her lip. "Those pets stole my love. So what if I killed them? They¡¯re just some animals! And that Old Maddy was just a lunatic adopted by our family. He didn¡¯t even have any dignity when he was alive. So what if he died? He didn¡¯t even have a family. What¡¯s the point of such a person living in this world!"
Hearing her words, Nora narrowed her eyes.
Over the years, she had been used to seeing patients and lunatics. However, the person in front of her was the first person who made her feel terrified because she was a naturally bad person.
She did not want to be involved with her anymore. She only said onest sentence. "Actually, when he adopted you, he had never thought of giving up on you again. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can look at your name."
Name?
Yvonne was stunned before she reacted. Her name was Yvonne, and Ian loved Yvette.
She clenched her fists and sneered. "I already know what this name means. My existence is just him showing off his longing for his ex-girlfriend!"
Nora said softly, "But he has been longing for her all his life."
So how could he chase the adopted daughter who represented Yvette out of the house?
Yvonne was stunned.
Nora did not give her a chance to speak again. Actually, she did not want to say anything to her here. She just did not want Yvonne to hate the person on the bed for no reason and let her tarnish his reputation.
Now that everything was clear, she looked at Joel. "Send her to the police station."
Joel was silent.
Nora said, "Didn¡¯t you say that he¡¯s the mostw-abiding? Then he¡¯ll definitely send her to the police station and not torture her privately."
When Joel heard this, he looked at the person on the hospital bed. In the end, he suppressed the anger in his heart and said to the bodyguard, "Send her to the police station. Also, send all the surveince cameras footage. We¡¯ll definitely convict her of attempted murder!"
"Yes, sir."
When Yvonne was dragged out by the security guards, she no longer spoke. Her body was also soft.
Nora did not have time to sigh about her fate. She only told Joel that she was leaving first.
It had been a long time since she went to the underground arena. She was going to take a look tonight.
Otherwise, if she could not enter ss F, she would not be able topete with Big Brother!
She parked the car at the martial arts arena and entered.
Quentin, who had been protecting her all along, followed closely behind. He was stunned when he entered the parking lot of the underground arena.
What was his little cousin doing here?
Chapter 385: Big Sister, Show Me Your True Colors!
Chapter 385: Big Sister, Show Me Your True Colors!
Nora entered the underground arena and saw Justin in the food section.
After all, a man holding a little girl was too eye-catching.
She walked over and Cherry, who was wearing a silver mask, said softly, "Mommy, I haven¡¯t seen you in a few days. I missed you so much~ When I see you, I feel full of energy!"
Nora: "..."
The corners of her lips twitched. Seeing that Cherry still had the intention to continue talking, she quickly said, "Shhh."
Cherry immediately shut her mouth obediently.
Nora walked over and fell onto the sofa. She immediately leaned against the sofa and closed her eyes to rest. In order to wait for Yvonne to go to the hospital tonight, she had not slept since the day before.
However, after closing her eyes, she could still hear Cherry mumbling at Justin¡¯s ear. "Daddy, do you see that? Mommy is very scary if she hasn¡¯t slept enough. You can¡¯t provoke her now!"
Justin smiled. "...How scary is she?"
Cherry said softly, "When I was young, I was insensible once and woke her up. She spanked me a few times! It hurt so much!"
"..."
The man remained silent for a long time before saying, "I envy you."
Nora: "??"
What did he envy Cherry for? Being spanked?
Was this dog man still a masochist?
She grimaced, rolled over, and went back to sleep.
At this moment, enthusiastic apuse and sighs were suddenly heard on the nearest ring. Then, someone passed by them while still discussing fervently.
"Heavens, isn¡¯t Victor too powerful? Thest time he was injured, he was clearly more severely injured than Randy from Quinn School of Martial Arts, but Randy is still lying in the hospital and can¡¯t get up. But look at Victor, he has already recovered, and he seems to be even more powerful thanst time!"
"That¡¯s right. He only used a few moves to defeat the fighter from ss E. He¡¯s too powerful. I think his skills aren¡¯t much different from those two!"
"No way? Big Brother and Big Sister are the representatives of martial arts. Victor is only the disciple of a foreign boxing champion and has only studied for two years. It can¡¯t be..."
The two of them left while talking. Nora suddenly opened her eyes. At that moment, her dark eyes met Justin¡¯s.
The mole under the man¡¯s eye seemed to be shing with the same question.
The moment the two of them looked at each other, neither of them spoke. They stood up and walked toward the arena.
Indeed, Victor was getting off the stage. On the other side, a man was being carried off the stage.
"That¡¯s a ss E martial artist. He entered ss Fst year, and his skills are not bad. He couldn¡¯t even take a few moves from Victor?"
Justin was a little hesitant as he stared at Victor. He slowly analyzed in a deep voice, "Furthermore, from the way he walked, his injuries seem to have healedpletely. But he only took four days to heal his muscles and bones! This is too fast!"
"There must be a reason why things are so abnormal." Nora suddenly approached Justin. Her voice was very low. "Follow him and take a look?"
Justin nodded.
The two of them followed Victor out. When they saw him take two steps, he reached out and pressed his chest, his face filled with pain.
Thest time, Nora taught him a good lesson. Even if his external injuries were healed, his internal injuries were still there.
The wound on his chest was the hardest to heal.
As the two of them were thinking, Victor suddenly took out a bag of strange-looking medicine, opened it, and drank it.
After he finished drinking, the pain in his chest seemed to have been relieved. Even his footsteps had be more vigorous. It looked like his martial arts skills had improved again?
"There¡¯s something wrong with that medicine."
Just as this sentence appeared in Nora¡¯s mind, Justin had already spoken. Nora nodded. "Don¡¯t disturb him. Let¡¯s go over and take a look first."
Victor finished the bag of medicine and did not throw the packaging into the trash can. Instead, he carefully folded the bag and ced it in his pocket.
Nora frowned.
Justin seemed to have sensed something and asked, "You want it?"
"Yeah."
Justin handed her Cherry. "Wait a minute."
Nora had just taken Cherry when she saw Justin walking towards Victor in the distance. When the two of them brushed past each other, Justin¡¯s shoulder suddenly bumped into Victor.
Victor was furious. "What are you doing? Are you crazy?"
Justin was wearing a ck mask, and his thin lips curled up slightly. "I¡¯m sorry."
Victor still wanted to scold him. After all, his temper had always been bad. However, for some reason, when he met this man¡¯s pitch-ck eyes, he could not say anything else.
This was the pressure of an expert.
Victor could only snort and mutter something before lowering his head and leaving quickly.
After he left, Justin turned around and returned. He took out the bag of medicine, that Victor had drunk earlier, like a magic trick and handed it to Nora.
Nora took it and nced at it. Indeed, she saw some residue inside.
She smirked. "I¡¯ll let Lily see what¡¯s in this medicine tonight. It shouldn¡¯t be ordinary stimnts."
Justin nodded.
Cherry, who had long been ced on the ground by Nora, reached out her small hand to Justin. "Daddy, hug."
"Why do you need him to hug you? Don¡¯t you have legs?"
Nora muttered in disdain, but Justin still bent down without any hesitation and picked Cherry up. When he saw Nora frowning, he subconsciously exined, "It¡¯s too messy here. It¡¯s better to keep her close, just to be safe."
Nora: "..."
After a moment of silence, she asked, "Do you hug Pete this much too?"
Justin said without hesitation, "He doesn¡¯t need it. As a man, this little danger is nothing."
"..."
Why such double standards?
Nora ignored him and rolled her eyes at Cherry instead.
Cherry wrapped her arms around her father¡¯s neck and praised, "Daddy, you looked so handsome when you were stealing!"
Justin: "..."
Cherry blinked. "Should we continue to steal things?"
Justin smiled. "We have everything you want at home. In this world..."
He suddenly looked at Nora and said meaningfully, "Other than the one thing that I want to steal, I can buy everything else for you."
Cherry was curious. "Then what are you trying to steal, Daddy?"
Justin just smiled.
For some reason, Nora¡¯s heart skipped a beat when he stared at her.
Her face was even slightly hot, so much so that she did not notice a figure quietly approaching her.
Just as Justin¡¯s lips moved slightly and he was about to say something, a figure suddenly darted out from the side.
Quentin attacked Nora¡¯s face very quickly and took off her mask. "Big Sister, let me see your true colors today!"
Chapter 386: Teaming Up For The Tournament?
Chapter 386: Teaming Up For The Tournament?
Quentin moved very quickly. Just as it seemed like he was about to take off her mask, and even Nora was caught somewhat off-guard, arge hand suddenly held her around her waist and pulled her back a couple of steps. She fell right into the man¡¯s arms.
The man¡¯s familiar testosterone-y aura took Nora by surprise.
She turned to see Justin staring at her. After quickly letting go of her waist, the man said in a low and deep voice, "You¡¯re wee."
Nora: "..."
She actually wasn¡¯t nning on thanking him.
She stood up straight and looked at Quentin. "What are you doing?"
Quentin felt rather regretful that he hadn¡¯t managed to take off her mask. He said, "Sorry, Big Sister. I just wanted to see what you really look like."
When he was walking over just now, he had seen Big Sister spacing out for once. On top of that, she had even seemed distracted and somewhat dazed, so he had reckoned that this was probably the best opportunity he would ever have.
Unexpectedly, it had actually failed.
He couldn¡¯t help but re at Justin, who was wearing a ck mask.
What was he showing off how in love they were at a critical moment like that for?
Couldn¡¯t he just hug her at home? To think he actually did that in public. Was it because he thought that he was single and didn¡¯t have a girlfriend?
He curled his lips disdainfully and ignored Justin. Instead, he showed Nora a lot of admiration and asked, "Why didn¡¯t youe thest two days, Big Sister?"
Nora: "?"
Didn¡¯t he know exactly what she was doing?
She curled her lips into a smile and replied, "I had something on."
Quentin nodded. "I just so happened to have something on too. My cousin was framed, so I went to save her. By the way, are we still taking part in the match today, Big Sister?"
"Yeah."
Nora agreed to it without any hesitation.
Quentin looked around.
"Are you looking for someone?" asked Nora.
Quentin nodded. "I saw my cousin¡¯s car outside. She must have heard about the tournament somewhere ande here to have some fun. I¡¯m afraid she¡¯ll offend someone because she doesn¡¯t know the rules, so I¡¯m looking around to see if I can find her. I don¡¯t know where she¡¯s hiding, though."
Nora: "..."
Next to her, Cherry, who was holding her cell phone, swept her gaze across Quentin and shook her head a little. It would probably take that silly uncle of hers forever to realize that Mommy was Big Sister!
Nora and Justin were the two mainstays of the martial arts circle. With Quentin, the self-proimed third, with them, their team practically forged ahead unopposed.
Before they went into the ring, Quentin even said to Justin, "Remember to protect yourselfter. You¡¯re the weakest among us three. Don¡¯t give the opponents any chance for a breakthrough."
Justin: "..."
His words made Nora give Justin a close, scrutinizing look.
The two of them had fought each other a few times before, but she hadn¡¯t been able topletely suppress Justin before. This showed that the man was very strong. Who exactly was he? Who had he learned his martial arts from?
Perhaps because he noticed her gaze, Justin came up to her and let out a low chuckle. With his beauty mark covered by his mask, the man¡¯s eyes were dark and bottomless and looked a little less bewitching than usual. He said, "I¡¯ll take off the mask and let you look at me for free after the fight is over and we go home. Don¡¯t look anymore for now."
Nora: "!!"
Quentin: "..."
For some reason, he felt like they were showing off how in love they were again. The two of them were too much!
Were they here topete or to show off how deeply they were in love with each other?!
The triggered Quentin straight-up disyed his martial prowess to its fullest and utterly defeated his opponent.
With all the points they had umted recently, they had reached ss D.
The team of three fought two more matches. However, when they were about to leave at night, the organizer of the tournament came up to them with a troubled look on his face. He said, "Please wait a minute, the three of you."
The trio stopped and looked at the organizer in confusion.
The organizer sighed and asked, "Can the three of you wait for a while and watch a certain match?"
Watch a certain match?
All three of them nodded.
Quentin had agreed because the tournament used to be organized by Ryan. At the bottom of it all, the Smiths had to take responsibility for the tournament.
As for Justin, as a leading figure in the martial arts circle, he had his responsibilities, of course.
Although Nora didn¡¯t actively participate in the Quinn School of Martial Arts¡¯ affairs, as Big Sister, she would y her part in maintaining order in the tournament, so she also agreed to it.
The organizer took the trio to Arena No. 5.
Once one-on-one matches were over, team matches were slotted in at intervals.
However, Nora was stunned when she saw the three people in the ring because...
The people in the ring were none other than Victor and his two fellow disciples!
The few of them were disciples of the Benevolence Hall, which had only been established for two years. Additionally, the owner of the Benevolence Hall was none other than the foreign boxing champion, Abigail!
Why had those three suddenly formed a team, though?
While she was wondering about it, the organizer standing beside them sighed and said, "That man called Victor, as well as his two fellow disciples, suddenly became very strong. Originally, we didn¡¯t think much about it¡ªafter all, once they reach ss F, there are Big Brother and Big Sister who will teach them a lesson or two."
While saying that, he secretly cast a nce at Justin.
Seeing that Justin was ignoring him, he continued and said, "But unexpectedly, those three have actually formed a team. Now that they¡¯ve be a three-man team, it may really be true that no one can beat them anymore!"
Quentin snorted coldly at his words. "Why wouldn¡¯t anyone be able to beat them? How can you put yourself down when you haven¡¯t even fought them?! There¡¯s still me and Big... my elder sister, isn¡¯t it?"
He¡¯d originally wanted to say ¡¯Big Sister¡¯, but he suddenly remembered that Big Sister wanted to hide her identity, so he ended up saying ¡¯elder sister¡¯ instead.
Nora: "??"
Her lips slowly curled into a smile. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder if that fellow would still be able to bring himself to call her his ¡¯elder sister¡¯ once he knew who she really was.
The organizer, however, misunderstood and thought that Quentin wanted to say ¡¯Big Brother¡¯, so he didn¡¯t think too much about it. He merely sighed and said, "There¡¯s only the two of you. Besides, it¡¯s one-on-one. To be honest, I¡¯m not worried about Big Sister or Big Brother being up against Victor one-on-one. But there are three of them, so... it¡¯s hard to say!"
The organizer nced at Justin.
Victor and his two fellow disciples wereparable in strength to Big Sister and Big Brother now. Unfortunately, Team Third In The World only had Big Brother and Quentin, who was ranked third. How would they be able to beat them?
Quentin also heaved a sigh. "Yeah. I¡¯m not trying to diss you, but you¡¯re holding us back, bro."
Nevertheless, he still said impartially, "Just try your best. It doesn¡¯t matter even if you lose. We¡¯re all Americans here, so it doesn¡¯t matter."
As soon as he said that, the organizer fell silent for a moment. Atst, he heaved a huge sigh and asked, "Do you know what their team name is?"
"What is it?"
"Americans Are Ipetent."
His words stunned the three of them.
Quentin shouted angrily, "What kind of ridiculous name is that? You guys actually allowed it?"
The organizer was also very angry. "We don¡¯t have any rules in the tournament. It¡¯s just like how no one would say anything even if you named your team First In The World. They exploited that loophole. So, do you still think it¡¯s okay to lose?"
Chapter 387: Change Him To Big Brother!
Chapter 387: Change Him To Big Brother!
Was it okay to lose?
Of course not!
Quentin said, "Let us face them in a match! We¡¯ll kick their a*ses!"
The organizer looked at him and shook his head again. "Sigh. Let¡¯s talk about it again after you watch their match."
Quentin didn¡¯t understand what he meant, but shortly after, he did.
He¡¯d originally thought that Victor must be the strongest among the three, but unexpectedly, the bald ck man next to him was actually the strongest.
His body was as if it was made out of steel, and he seemed immune to all attacks. All the teams they were up against were from ss D, but the three of them yed them all like they were babies.
Victor wasn¡¯t thatcking in martial arts ethics anymore this time.
The victory was theirs once the three of them threw their opponents out of the ring.
There was no apuse around them. Victor was quiet and didn¡¯t say anything. The bald man next to him rubbed his bald head and said something in a foreignnguage.
Someone who didn¡¯t understand asked, "What did he say?"
Cherry tranted it for him. "He said, ¡¯Isn¡¯t there anyone in America who can fight?¡¯"
"..."
That one line from her made everyone fall silent.
Even Quentin, who was usually the chattiest person ever, had a serious look on his face. He stared at them for quite a while before he finally leaned toward Nora and asked, "Big Sister, did you notice..."
"They¡¯ve be stronger."
Nora answered him straightaway.
Quentin immediately nodded. "Yes, and it isn¡¯t just by a little. Why do I feel like Victor canst a few dozen moves against you now?"
Nora replied, "Twenty moves."
Quentin: "..."
Big Sister was simply so confident!
But!
He felt an acute sense of crisis. "I was originally ranked third in New York, but I feel threatened by that guy now. Aside from Big Brother and Big Sister, there¡¯s probably no one else who would be their match now, right? I can only tie with them at the most."
The organizer sighed and said, "Now you understand why I asked you guys to watch the match, right? It¡¯ll probably only be possible to defeat them if Big Brother and Big Sister team up!"
Quentin nodded at once. "I think so, too."
Even if he could stop Victor, Big Sister would have a hard time dealing with the other two by herself.
The organizer said, "Out of all the teams, Team Third In The World has the highest chance of beating them. Therefore, from tomorrow onward, I intend to arrange five matches for you guys every day, so that you can enter ss F as soon as possible. This way, you¡¯ll be able to go up against them! Otherwise, if they hog the ss F seats and mor there every day, won¡¯t we die of anger? I wonder if the three of you would agree to it?"
Justin looked straight at Nora and said, "She has the final say."
The organizer: "..."
He looked at Nora.
Nora kept quiet for a moment before she nodded. "Okay."
She was duty-bound to uphold the American pride in their martial arts.
The organizer looked at Quentin again.
Quentin, who had a stern look on his face, hesitated for very long before he finally said, "Okay! After all, as the person ranked third in the world, who else can do it, if not me?"
The organizer finally breathed a sigh of relief and left.
After he left, Quentin walked over to Justin and Nora. "Big Sister, I think the three of us may not be able to win against the three of them because we have someone in the team holding us back."
Both Justin and Nora nodded.
And wasn¡¯t that so?
He had quite a lot of self-awareness after all.
Unexpectedly, the next moment, Quentin said to Justin, "How about you withdraw from the team? If we rece you with Big Brother, we likely won¡¯t have any problems anymore!"
Justin: "??"
He let out a low scoff ofughter. He was about to speak when a woman¡¯s cold and urgent voice reached them. "No, I don¡¯t want that."
Quentin: "?"
Justin also looked at her, only to see dissatisfaction in Nora¡¯s almond-shaped eyes. "I don¡¯t want to be in the same team as him."
Justin: "..."
Quentin was also dumbfounded. "Huh? Why?"
"We don¡¯t get along." After giving a brief exnation, Nora looked at Justin and added, "Besides, he isn¡¯t weak. The three of us can do it."
Only Nora, who had fought with him before, knew how strong Justin truly was. Quentin usually fought very valiantly against their opponents, so he had basically dealt with the opponents for Justin. Moreover, he was carrying Cherry, which made Nora worried that she would get hurt, so she also helped him out all the time.
As a result, despite being on the same team, Quentin still didn¡¯t know how strong Justin ¡¯The Pretty Boy¡¯ was.
Quentin liked Big Sister, but he also liked Big Brother very much.
He couldn¡¯t help but speak up for Big Brother. "Big Sister, what did Big Brother do to you? Did he steal your baby? Or did he steal your husband? Why are you so at odds with him?"
Nora: "..."
Quentin scratched his head. "Besides, I know you definitely think highly of your husband, but shouldn¡¯t we be realistic? You can¡¯t just think that your husband isn¡¯t weak just because beauty is in the eye of the beholder."
Then, he held his arm up, raised his chin, and said, "Or how about Ipete with him in a duel? If he can beat me, he can stay in the team."
Nora nced at him and left.
Justin also nced at him and left.
Quentin: "??"
What did those two mean by that? Why did he feel as if the more he looked at them, the more he felt like something was wrong?
Were they looking down on him?
The corners of his lips spasmed and he chased after them. However, he could no longer see the two of them.
Never mind.
He would just look for his cousin first.
He went one round in the arena but didn¡¯t find her. In the end, he decided to go to the car park and wait for her!!
No matter where she was, she would eventually have to go to the car park, right?
Nora and Justin had already turned the corner and gone onto the path at the side. After confirming that there was no one on either side, Justin said, "I know those two people that teamed up with Victor. They have been here since the start of the tournament, but at that time, they weren¡¯t as strong as they are now."
"So, that means they¡¯ve also be stronger?"
Nora asked hesitantly.
Justin nodded.
Nora took out the drink pouch that Justin stole from Victor and asked, "Do you know what Morris told me?"
Justin practically replied without any hesitation, "Human experiments?"
Nora was surprised. "You know about it?"
"I was guessing."
Nora wasn¡¯t doubtful anymore. Given how smart Justin was, he must have already figured out something from the point where Morris started to frequently check whether there were any unknown chemicals in Old Maddy¡¯s body.
A puzzled Justin asked, "Are you suspecting that their increase in strength is rted to illegal drugs?"
Nora raised the pouch she was holding. "I will know whether there¡¯s any rtion once I check the chemicalposition of the stuff in here overnight."
Justin nodded. The two walked to the car park.
Nora had only juste up to her ck jeep when Quentin came after her.
Chapter 388: A Younger Sister Should Give In To Her Elder Brother
Chapter 388: A Younger Sister Should Give In To Her Elder Brother
When Nora, who was about to stop in front of the jeep, saw himing over out of the corner of her eye, she paused slightly and instead followed Justin to the ordinary car two parking spaces away from the jeep.
Justin nced behind him. When he saw Quentin, he immediately understood why she had done that. However, he pretended not to understand and raised an eyebrow. He asked, "Are you thinking of going home with me? It¡¯ll be my greatest pleasure."
Nora: "..."
She rolled her eyes and said, "Can you be a little more serious?"
Justin let out a low chuckle. "This is the very first time someone has ever told me to be more serious."
In front of outsiders, he had always been unfathomable and unsmiling, but the man was really letting go of himself more and more in front of her.
For some reason, Nora suddenly thought of the first time they had met.
The man had been cold and unfathomable at that time.
He had walked out of Hotel Finest¡¯s elevator in California like he was the bright moon surrounded by a myriad of stars. At that time, Pete¡¯s head was buried into his shoulders with only the back of his head exposed.
The man had nced at her and then coldly said, "You¡¯re not my type, Ms. Smith."
...
How times had changed. How had that cold and distant man of that time suddenly fallen into the mortal world?
While she was thinking about it, the man walked over to the backseat, opened the door, and put Cherry in. Then, he looked at her. "You don¡¯t want to be in the backseat? Oh, that¡¯s true. You¡¯d definitely want to be in the passenger seat instead."
Nora: "..."
Fine. No matter how much time flew by, it seemed like the man would only be more and more narcissistic.
Nora sat in the backseat in the end. Justin didn¡¯t mind, either. He drove off with her and Cherry.
In the car park.
Quentin stood in front of the jeep after watching Big Sister get into the car with her husband and daughter. However, even after waiting for a long while, he didn¡¯t see his cousining out. He frowned and looked into the jeep through the window.
The car¡¯s chassis was very high. When he looked at the backseat, he noticed two pieces of clothing that had been ced there.
Quentin was taken aback.
Weren¡¯t those the clothes that Nora was wearing when she was treating Uncle Ian in the hospital?
Why were they in the backseat?
No, wait...
Quentin suddenly understood something, and he immediately smiled.
¡ª
Nora left with Justin. She waited until Quentin left before she finally went back to her car.
She got into the car and changed in the backseat. After casually tossing the red dress onto the backseat, she finally opened the door to go to the driver¡¯s seat.
Before she went over, Justin chuckled and said, "If you really want to hide your identity, you should change your car too."
He tossed his car key to Nora and suggested, "Why don¡¯t you drive this car instead for now?"
Nora nced at his car.
From the outside, it was just an ordinary Volkswagen.
But once one entered, they would realize that it wasn¡¯t as simple as it looked on the inside.
Be it the engine or the leather seats, all of them were the best. Remodeling a car cost a lot. In addition, even if she had the money, time was needed to remodel a car at thest minute.
Thus, after thinking about it for a while, she didn¡¯t turn him down. She took the car keys from him and said, "I won¡¯t stand on ceremony, then."
Nora drove the jeep while Justin drove the ¡¯ordinary¡¯ Volkswagen. The two left the building one after the other, and subsequently entered a high-end residentialplex.
After getting Justin to park the Volkswagen in the residentialplex, Nora said, "I¡¯ve bought an apartment here. This is the parking lot for the apartment."
Justin looked upstairs. "What¡¯s your apartment number?"
Nora was a little surprised, but nevertheless answered, "302."
Then, she asked, "What are you nning?"
"To buy 301." Justin smiled and said, "If you ever move in, we can be neighbors."
"... You must be sick in the head," said Nora.
"Yeah, why don¡¯t you treat my illness?" Justin immediately quipped.
Nora: "..."
The corners of her lips spasmed. She got into the jeep and said, "Get in the car. I¡¯ll take you guys home."
Justin picked up Cherry and got in the backseat. When Nora, who had gotten into the driver¡¯s seat, saw them, she couldn¡¯t help but say, "She has already grown up, yet you¡¯re still holding her?"
"There¡¯s no child seat. It¡¯s not safe."
Justin briefly exined.
Nora curled her lips disdainfully. "She¡¯s already used to riding in the car by herself."
"Mommy, that was because no one doted on me back then! I¡¯m not used to it anymore!"
Cherry protested weakly. However, as soon as she said that, she saw Nora¡¯s stern eyes in the rearview mirror. She was so scared that she shrank back and hastily said, "Yes, I¡¯m very used to it. Why don¡¯t you put me down, Daddy? Don¡¯t hold me so tightly~"
Despite saying that, she didn¡¯t get off Justin¡¯s legs but instead hugged his neck tighter.
Nora: "..."
Justin chuckled and stroked Cherry¡¯s hair. He didn¡¯t expose her, but instead supported her and said, "Be good. Don¡¯t listen to your Mommy, she¡¯s just jealous."
Cherry was puzzled. "What¡¯s she jealous of?"
"That I¡¯m hugging you, of course."
This was an ambiguous statement.
First, it meant that she was jealous of Cherry.
Second, it meant that she was jealous of Justin.
That scumbag was really taking advantage of her every moment of the day.
The corners of Nora¡¯s lips spasmed. She couldn¡¯t be bothered with the two of them, so she instead asked detachedly, "When are you and Pete switching back, Cherry?"
Cherry panicked at once. She said, "Mommy, I really miss you very much. I miss you super much! I miss the way you sleep, the way you get ready to go to bed, the way you doze off while you eat..."
She couldn¡¯te up with any more. After being stuck for a while, she finally said, "But Pete needs you more! After all, you haven¡¯t seen each other for five years, so I won¡¯t disturb your bonding session, okay?"
"..."
That clever little fellow obviously didn¡¯t want toe back anymore after Justin spoiled her so much, so she made up so many excuses.
She sneered, "Shall I thank you on behalf of Pete?"
"It¡¯s fine~" Cherry said shyly, "What can I do? I¡¯m his little sister, after all, so I have to give in to my elder brother~"
"..."
It seemed like Cherry had be more thick-skinned than before.
She red at Justin. It really was like what they said¡ªone was marked by thepany they kept!
After Nora took Cherry and Justin to the Hunts, while Cherry was getting out of the car, she asked, "Mommy, when are you and Daddy taking Pete and me to the amusement park?"
"Another day."
Nora answered.
Cherry, however, persisted. She asked, "When is that?"
"... The day after tomorrow!"
Nora had no choice but to give her an answer.
"Yay!" Cherry raised her eyebrows at Justin triumphantly. Then, she bounced off while holding his hand and entered the manor.
Nora returned to the Smiths after that.
Unexpectedly, right after she got out of the car, Quentin came out of nowhere and blocked her way. He said, "You don¡¯t have to pretend anymore, Nora! I know your secret now!"
Nora¡¯s pupils shrank!
Surely her identity as Big Sister hadn¡¯t been exposed, had it?
Chapter 389: Kiss~
Chapter 389: Kiss~
She asked calmly, "What secret?"
"Did you go to the martial arts tournament because you heard something?"
A resigned Nora nodded. "That¡¯s right."
"I knew it. You even changed and put on a mask, so I didn¡¯t recognize you." Quentin looked around after he spoke. Then he said, "Since you were at the tournament, then you must have heard of me, right? "
Nora: "?"
Quentin said, "Didn¡¯t I already tell you? I¡¯m the best fighter in the family and am ranked third in New York. I will definitely shine in the tournament! Do you know who I am?"
"... No, I don¡¯t."
Quentin the dimwit immediately looked around. Then, he said, "I¡¯ll tell you and you alone since you¡¯re my cousin, Nora. You¡¯re the only one I¡¯m telling, get it? Even Joel doesn¡¯t know the alias I¡¯m using in the tournament!"
He straightened his back, raised his chin, and dered, "I am Smithin!"
"..."
However, when he didn¡¯t see any reaction from Nora, Quentin nced at her and frowned. "Haven¡¯t you heard of that name? Then do you know the famous Team Third In The World?"
Be it Smithin or Team Third In The World, both had actually be very famous in the underground arena recently. Anyone who had been there would have heard of him.
But...
Nora decided to tease him and deliberately said, "I¡¯m new there, so I only heard them talking about Victor."
Quentin: "..."
No one in the family knew that he was participating in the martial arts tournament, so he couldn¡¯t show off. Now that he had finally found a cousin who was interested in the tournament, how could she be kept unaware of his greatness?
Quentin was very puzzled, very much so. "Victor is nothing. He¡¯s just a piece of trash who lost to me two years ago. Even if you have never heard of Smithin, surely you¡¯ve heard of Team Third In The World, right?!"
He hadn¡¯tpeted in his own name, so it was normal that she hadn¡¯t heard of him. But howe she hadn¡¯t heard of the famous Team Third In The World, either?
Nora walked toward the house. "And then?"
"What do you mean by ¡¯and then¡¯?!" Quentin became anxious. He gritted his teeth, steeled his resolve, and said, "Forget it, I¡¯ll let you in on another big secret!"
Nora looked back at him.
Quentin said, "But you have to swear that you won¡¯t tell anyone! I promised that I wouldn¡¯t reveal her identity casually to outsiders. I¡¯m only telling you because you¡¯re my cousin."
Nora had a vague idea what he was going to say next when she heard that. Sure enough, the next moment, he asked, "Do you know who that woman in the red dress in Team Third In The World is?"
Nora: "..."
"She¡¯s Big Sister! The Big Sister of the Quinn School of Martial Arts!!!"
Quentin said triumphantly, "Do you see now? Even Big Sister has teamed up with me. She approached me because she thought that I was talented and fought pretty well... Surely you¡¯ve at least heard of Big Sister, right?"
"... Yeah, I have."
Quentin was satisfied atst. He said, "So, don¡¯t you feel very honored that Big Sister has seen something in your elder brother? But don¡¯t you get ahead of yourself. You absolutely mustn¡¯t say anything about this to outsiders. Big Sister¡¯s identity is confidential."
"..."
"Is that look in your eyes envy? Actually, you don¡¯t have to be envious that Big Sister has seen something in me. Uncle Ian picked me out of everyone in the family to practice martial arts when I was a child, so I¡¯ve been practicing ever since. I heard that you used to be obese, and were even in poor health in the past, so you must not have practiced martial arts much before, right? By the way, which ss are you in now?"
Nora: "..."
She knew how eager Quentin was to show off and bask in the limelight, so she knew that she didn¡¯t need to say anything. Sure enough, Quentin said, "My team is already in ss D now. Once we win another five matches tomorrow, we¡¯ll advance to ss E. We¡¯ll be able to advance to ss F the day after tomorrow!"
"... Wow, how amazing."
"Isn¡¯t it? I think so, too." Quentin folded his arms and said triumphantly, "But don¡¯t you dare think it¡¯s because I¡¯m piggybacking off Big Sister. I can stillpete by myself without any problems even without Big Sister. Why are you walking so fast? Forget it, I won¡¯t say any more, lest you be jealous. But don¡¯t worry, if someone bullies you in the arena, you can just use the name Smithin to scare them off!"
"..."
Nora suddenly felt like she¡¯d better not let the young man with eighth-grader syndrome know her true identity after all. If she did, she reckoned that she¡¯ll never have any peace anymore.
The corners of her lips spasmed and she went upstairs.
When she entered the bedroom, she realized that Pete had already returned from school and was obediently working on his Mathematical Olympiad problems.
Nora nced at his workbook. The Mathematical Olympiad problems he was doing were almost at high school standard now. The five-year-old¡¯s IQ was simply terrifying.
"Mommy."
Pete greeted her obediently.
Nora made a sound of acknowledgment and stepped forward. She stroked his hair, and then bent over and gave him a kiss on the forehead. She said, "Let¡¯s go downstairs for dinner after you¡¯re done with that."
Pete nodded and continued to bury his head into the workbook.
Nora picked up her cell phone and saw a voice message from Tanya: ¡¯Have you given your son a kiss?¡¯
Nora replied: ¡¯... Yes, I have.¡¯
Tanya: "Yeah, Pete¡¯s sense of security still leaves a little to be desired. It can¡¯t bepared with Cherry¡¯s at all. After all, the role a mother ys is simply too crucial when one is growing up. You have to have more physical contact with Pete, get it?"
Nora: ¡¯Yeah, yeah. I know.¡¯
Tanya sighed emotionally again and said: "Don¡¯t think of me as being too long-winded. After all... I also wish I could give mine a kiss."
When Nora heard the message, she immediately knew that Tanya had thought of her missing child again.
She didn¡¯t know how she shouldfort her. After all, she had also experienced the pain of losing her own child.
Nora kept quiet for a while before she replied: "You¡¯ll definitely find him or her one day."
Tanya: ¡¯Yeah.¡¯
Since she had fallen silent, Nora didn¡¯t send her any more messages. She turned to her son. Suddenly, she felt like something was amiss. "Where¡¯s Mia?" She asked.
By right, Pete and Mia should be ying with each other at this time!
Without even lifting his head, Pete replied, "She¡¯s having dance sses at God-mom¡¯s!"
"..."
In the vi in the suburbs.
Mia¡¯s forehead was covered in perspiration as she did leg stretches.
The small and thin five-year-old looked as if she was only four years old. Tanya went over and gave her a few pointers.
Mia nced at Tanya.
Her teacher was very strict, but for some reason, she wasn¡¯t scared of her at all. When Tanya lowered her head toward her, Mia even suddenly kissed her on the cheek.
Tanya was stunned. She looked at Mia in disbelief, upon which Mia said, "Didn¡¯t you want a kiss, Ms. Turner? I¡¯ll give you a kiss."
An acerbic feeling suddenly welled up in Tanya, and she felt a mix of emotionse over her.
Chapter 390: Her Birthday
Chapter 390: Her Birthday
It seemed like she could still feel the warmth from the soft lips on her cheek.
Tanya touched her cheek and looked at the small, timid Mia in front of her. Suddenly, a feeling welled up in her¡ªwould it also feel like this if her child kissed her?
She spaced out and kept quiet for a while.
Seeing her freeze, Mia became frightened. Her eyes reddened and she hastily asked, "Are you mad, Ms. Turner?"
Tanya didn¡¯t know whether she should be angry or not.
In fact, she even felt like her decision to teach Mia dancing was a mistake in itself!
The child she had with Joel was missing.
Yet, here she was, teaching Joel¡¯s daughter how to dance. In fact, when she kissed her, she hadn¡¯t even pushed her away. It was as if she had already epted her.
How could she do that?!
Tanya was originally helping Mia with her leg stretches, but she suddenly stood up. She wanted to say coldly, ¡¯Don¡¯t kiss me again in the future.¡¯
But when she looked at Mia¡¯s round eyes and small pointed face, she simply couldn¡¯t bring herself to say it. In fact, the words at the tip of her tongue even changed. She said, "No, I¡¯m not."
Mia nodded. "Then, are you happy?"
Tanya wanted to say that she wasn¡¯t, but when she saw the hopeful look in Mia¡¯s eyes, she instead replied impulsively, "Yes."
Her answer made Mia¡¯s eyes instantly light up.
She said timidly, "My mother said that I can¡¯t kiss her so casually, Ms. Turner. She would also be unhappy if I made physical contact with her, so I thought you were unhappy, too. I only kissed you because I heard you say that you wanted a kiss. Are you really not mad at me?"
Her mother didn¡¯t allow her to touch her?
Tanya was dumbfounded.
She didn¡¯t know how other mothers behaved, but if it were her daughter, she would never tire of giving her kisses. Besides, whenever she was out, she always saw a lot of children who behaved very intimately with their mothers.
Little did she expect a tiny little girl like Mia to be so pitiful?
With that thought in mind, she said, "It¡¯s true, I really am happy. Ms. Turner likes to keep close contact with children."
"That¡¯s great!"
Mia stood up straight and grabbed Tanya¡¯s hand. She made her lower her head and then kissed her on the cheek again. She said, "I will make you happy every day from now on, Ms. Turner!"
She pursed her lips and gave her a bashful smile.
Tanya simply couldn¡¯t bring herself to say any words of rejection when faced with such a well-behaved and adorable little girl!
She ruffled Mia¡¯s hair and asked, "Doesn¡¯t it hurt when you stretch?"
Mia immediately nodded. "It does!"
"Then why didn¡¯t you say anything?" Tanya asked curiously.
After she decided to take Mia as her student, she had added an hour of ss for her after school every day. As there wasn¡¯t a suitable location in the kindergarten, she had brought her to her home.
Fine beads of perspiration had formed on Mia¡¯s forehead when she was dancing, yet she hadn¡¯tined about being tired.
After dancing, Tanya had even told her to do leg stretches.
One must always do their stretches properly after exercise. Besides, Mia was already five. To be honest, it was already a bit of ate start for a dancer because the body would no longer be flexible enough anymore. Thus, Tanya had also taught her a few difficult moves such as bending over backward.
Despite that, Mia hadn¡¯t made even a single sound from beginning to end.
Just as she was wondering whether it was because the girl¡¯s pain receptors were less sensitive than others, Mia replied, "I can¡¯tin that it hurts."
Tanya was taken aback. "Why?"
When she was a child, she would always cry out even at the slightest bit of pain when she was practicing. This way, the teacher would show her some mercy.
Mia replied, "Because Daddy will be unhappy if I¡¯m in pain. If Daddy is unhappy, Mommy will also be unhappy."
Unhappy?
Tanya frowned. Suddenly, she started to feel sorry for the girl.
Although she lived in a wealthy family and had both her parents with her, she led too frustrating a life. While other five-year-olds from ordinary families were blissfully unaware, she didn¡¯t even have the right toin when she was in pain!
Tanya suddenly became a little angry with Joel.
How could he treat a child like that?
No matter what, children were angels of the world. They were the most innocent!!
Tanya said to Mia, "Mia, you can speak freely without holding back in Ms. Turner¡¯s home in the future. If you¡¯re tired from practice, you can say so. If you¡¯re in pain because of stretching, you can also cry out. If you¡¯re thirsty or hungry, you can tell me that too. I will prepare everything for you."
Mia¡¯s eyes lit up. "Really?"
"Yeah."
Mia hesitated for a while. Then, she hung her head and asked somewhat embarrassedly, "Then... can you bake me a cake?"
Bake her a cake?
Tanya found the request rather odd but nevertheless agreed. "You must be hungry after practicing for so long. Alright, let¡¯s go downstairs."
Tanya used to be really bad at housework, but when she went abroad and lived by herself, she had to cook for herself, so her culinary skills had improved over the years.
Baking a cake was no problem for her.
Sometimeter, she walked out of the kitchen with a simple cupcake in her hands. She was a little embarrassed as she said, "I can only bake simple stuff like this, Mia. You don¡¯t mind, right?"
Mia immediately shook her head. "Of course not, Ms. Turner!"
Tanya smiled and said, "You can dig in now."
Mia picked up the fork. She was about to eat when she suddenly said, "I¡¯ll give you half, Ms. Turner."
"No, it¡¯s fine."
A smiling Tanya went back to the kitchen and then came out with another cupcake. "I made a few. Come on, let¡¯s eat!"
Mia stared at the cupcake. Suddenly, she sped her hands together, closed her eyes, and seemingly thought about something. Only then did she start to eat the cupcake.
Tanya looked at her, feeling rather amused. The girl actually had the sense to say a prayer before eating.
The two of them dug into their respective cupcakes with gusto.
When Tanya saw the little girl¡¯s cheeks all puffed up from eating, she felt a sense of aplishmente over her, especially when Mia finished more than one cupcake from the batch she had baked.
She ate so much that even her belly had swelled up.
After they were done eating, she went to the kitchen to do the dishes. Then, she told Mia, "You cane here for dance practice every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday in the future. You can go and y the rest of the time. You¡¯re still young, so you shouldn¡¯t restrain yourself."
Mia pursed her lips and smiled at her as she nodded. "Okay, Ms. Turner."
All of a sudden, the doorbell rang.
Tanya knew that it must be Joel here to pick Mia up.
She looked at the clock in surprise¡ªsure enough, it was already seven. She hadn¡¯t expected time to pass so fast. Somewhat reluctantly, she helped Mia carry her schoolbag and then walked over to the door.
Sure enough, Joel was standing outside when she opened the door.
Tanya didn¡¯t look at him. Instead, she waved at Mia and said, "See you in school tomorrow, Mia~"
"Okie-Dokie. See you tomorrow, Ms. Turner~"
Mia took Joel¡¯s hand after she spoke. Just as she was about to leave, she suddenly looked back at Tanya and said, "Thank you for the birthday cake today, Ms. Turner. It was really yummy!"
Birthday cake?
Tanya was taken aback. Then, she heard Joel say, "It¡¯s Mia¡¯s birthday today."
Birthday...
Tanya felt like a bomb had suddenly gone off in her head.
Chapter 391: Courage
Chapter 391: Courage
It was Mia¡¯s birthday. No wonder she had asked Tanya to bake her a cake, and even said a prayer before eating it.
Oh, right.
He had slept with Hiry right after he slept with her back then, hadn¡¯t he?
It was all too normal that their children¡¯s birthdays would be so close to each other¡¯s.
She bit her lip.
It had also been her child¡¯s birthday five days ago!
She didn¡¯t even know where her child might be wandering lost in the world, yet here she was, celebrating Mia¡¯s birthday?
Indescribable pain and misery made Tanya¡¯s expression instantly change.
She stared at Mia nkly.
Mia was terribly nervous. The puzzled girl looked at Tanya and asked, "W-what¡¯s wrong, Ms. Turner? Are you upset?"
She pushed Joel and said, "Daddy, hurry up and kiss Ms. Turner! She¡¯ll cheer up if you do that!"
Joel: "..."
Tanya: "..."
Joel didn¡¯t know the reason for Tanya¡¯s sudden change in behavior, but he knew that she likely held a grudge against Mia¡¯s existence all this time.
He lowered his head and slowly said, "I¡¯m sorry."
He was sorry.
Five years ago, he had felt even more apologetic toward her.
If he hadn¡¯t gotten himself drunk, be muddleheaded, and ended up sleeping with Hiry, how would he have gotten her pregnant and ended up letting her give birth to Mia?
No, to be honest, he hadn¡¯t even known that she was pregnant.
Hiry understood him very well. She knew that he would definitely make her abort the child if he were to know, so she had secretly gone into hiding.
It wasn¡¯t until ten monthster that she had finally returned with Mia.
He had done a DNA test when he saw the child¡ªshe was indeed his daughter. As such, he could only acknowledge her. That was probably the one and only time he had acted so spinelessly.
His heart had softened when he saw the child.
It was as if the child had a lot of affinity with him.
When Tanya heard his apology, her shame and anger made her eyes redden. She was about to yell at him when Mia suddenly held her hand and said, "I¡¯ll kiss you if Daddy won¡¯t, Ms. Turner. Don¡¯t be mad anymore, okay?"
Tanya lowered her head. When her eyes met Mia¡¯s timid eyes that looked as if she was trying to please her, her fury instantly extinguished.
Indeed.
She had only lost her child because she hadn¡¯t kept an eye on it. What did it have to do with Joel or Mia?
In fact, Joel didn¡¯t even know that she had given birth to his child!
Tanya lowered her head and stared at Mia.
She was just a pitiful little girl.
Tanya suddenly said, "Wait a minute."
She turned and went upstairs.
In addition to her own bedroom, she had also prepared another two children¡¯s rooms on the upper floor. One was a boy¡¯s room and the other a girl¡¯s.
This was because she didn¡¯t know whether her missing child was a boy or a girl.
Regardless, she would always prepare clothes for her son or daughter every year. The clothes currently in the closets were for five-year-olds, and on the bed in the girl¡¯s room was also a gift box.
It was the birthday gift she had bought five days ago for her child.
There was also one in the boy¡¯s room.
She picked up the gift box. Inside was an exquisite Barbie doll wearing a pink dress. Next to it were all kinds of doll clothing that one could dress up the doll with.
She touched the bedsheets and murmured silently, "I don¡¯t know where you are, my child, but I believe you¡¯ll be willing to make another child like yourself happy, right?"
She took the gift box and went downstairs.
Before she reached the door, she saw Mia nervously asking Joel, "Daddy, why did Ms. Turner suddenly get mad? Is it because it¡¯s Mia¡¯s birthday? Daddy, I won¡¯t celebrate my birthday anymore, okay? I like Ms. Turner, I don¡¯t want to make her mad..."
Joel stroked her hair. His voice was soft and gentle as he said, "It¡¯s not your fault. Daddy¡¯s the one who made Ms. Turner angry."
Mia then said seriously, "Daddy, you should apologize to Ms. Turner if you made her mad. Are you too embarrassed to say sorry, Daddy?"
Joel: "..."
He sighed. "I¡¯ve already told her I¡¯m sorry, but she won¡¯t ept my apology."
"Then say it a few more times!"
A child¡¯s world was very simple. For Mia, if her father had done something wrong, then he should apologize until Ms. Turner forgave him.
Joel sighed. "Okay."
When Mia wanted to say something again, she suddenly spotted Tanya, who had just returned. Her eyes lit up and she immediately called out, "Ms. Turner!"
Tanya handed her the gift box with the Barbie and said, "Happy birthday."
Mia¡¯s eyes instantly became even brighter. "Thank you, Ms. Turner!"
The little girl stretched out her hands and took the Barbie doll from her.
The Barbie was half her height, so it was very heavy for the small and thin girl.
Joel reached out to carry it for her.
However, Mia ducked and said, "I can do it, Daddy!"
This was a gift from Ms. Turner. She liked it very much.
Joel nodded. Then, he looked at Tanya. He was about to speak when Tanya sneered, "You must be very busy with work, right, Mr. Smith?"
Joel was overjoyed when he heard what she said. He thought that Tanya was showing him concern, so he nodded and replied, "It¡¯s alright."
"Hah." Tanya gave him a mocking smile and said, "Since it¡¯s alright, then shouldn¡¯t you learn how to be a qualified father, Mr. Smith?"
Joel was taken aback.
Tanya knew that there were some things she shouldn¡¯t say in front of Mia, so she merely gave him a subtle reminder. Then, she said, "Bye, Mia."
Mia replied softly, "Bye, Ms. Turner."
When Joel took Mia into the car, he received a call from Hiry. When he answered, the woman said, "Joel, it¡¯s Mia¡¯s birthday today. Can you let me see her? I miss her. I think Mia would also want her family to be together."
Joel¡¯s expression turned cold. He was about to say something when Hiry spoke again. She said, "I¡¯m Mia¡¯s mother, after all, Joel. I really miss her. I should think that she misses me, too! You can¡¯t stop us from meeting when we¡¯re mother and daughter. Mia will resent you for it in the future if you do that.
"I know you hate me, but my love for Mia is true. I am the one who has been taking care of Mia ever since she was born. You should know how dependent she is on me. Joel, all I want is really just to see my daughter. I don¡¯t have any other intentions... Please?"
Joel looked at Mia.
He suddenly asked, "Do you want to meet your mother, Mia?"
Mia¡¯s eyes immediately flickered when she heard him.
Her mom had told her before that she had to reply that she wanted to meet her if Daddy ever asked. Otherwise, her mom would hate her very much.
But she thought of how Ms. Turner had told her not to keep things to herself, and to voice her thoughts if she had any. She had said that she could cry out if she was in pain, or cry if she wanted to...
When she thought of what Ms. Turner had told her, the little Mia seemed to have suddenly found her courage.
Chapter 392: Exposed!
Chapter 392: Exposed!
Just as Mia was about to say something, Hiry¡¯s voice rang out through the phone. "Do you miss Mommy, Mia?"
The little Mia trembled a little when she heard Hiry¡¯s voice. In the end, she nodded and replied weakly, "Yes."
"Did you hear that, Joel?"
Hiry tried her best to convince him, "Mia wants to see me!"
Joel heaved a huge sigh.
He didn¡¯t want to let Mia and Hirye into contact anymore, but if Mia wanted to see her mother, he couldn¡¯t stop her.
Therefore, Hiry immediately knew that Joel must have relented when she heard him sigh. She asked tentatively, "Can I go back to the Smiths¡¯ tonight? I heard that you¡¯ve just found your younger sister, so I can also take the chance to pay her a visit."
Joel had a very cold look in his eyes. "You¡¯re never returning to the Smiths. If you want to meet Mia, then I will bring her to you."
Hiry was a little taken aback. "Alright, then."
After hanging up, Joel took Mia to the residentialplex where Hiry lived. However, he stayed at the door and refrained from entering.
After informing Hiry that he had arrived, she came out and invited Joel and Mia into the vi. She said, "Grandma misses you, Mia. Let¡¯s go in?"
Mia didn¡¯t like that grandmother of hers, either.
She always pointed at her and scolded her for being a girl, and kept saying that if she were a boy, her parents would already have gotten together long ago.
She grabbed Joel¡¯s sleeve.
Joel said, "Let¡¯s just stay here."
Seeing that he wasn¡¯t giving in, Hiry could only sigh and say, "Okay. Mia, this is Mommy¡¯s birthday gift for you. Do you like it?"
Hiry had prepared a toy car for Mia.
Mia looked at the toy car and took it.
Joel wanted to take her away, but Hiry suddenly said, "Let¡¯s take a family picture, Joel! It¡¯s been really long since we werest together."
Joel sneered, "We¡¯re not a family. You¡¯re just Mia¡¯s mother."
Hiry bit her lip. "Alright, I won¡¯t make things difficult for you, even if you won¡¯t acknowledge me. But I¡¯m ultimately still Mia¡¯s mother, so can I take a picture with her?"
Joel was about to refuse when Hiry said, "I¡¯ve already put up with how you refuse to let me see my daughter. Are you going to deny me this, too? All I can do now is spend my days looking at photos of my daughter."
Joel fell silent but didn¡¯t reject her request anymore.
Hiry squatted down and hugged Mia. She picked up her phone and said, "Mia, look at the camera~"
Then, she snapped a photo.
After the photo was taken, Mia returned to Joel. Joel took his daughter and left straightaway.
After leaving Hiry, the little Mia subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief and rxed.
The two went to a restaurant and had dinner.
Neither of them noticed that Hiry had been following them since they left the residentialplex. When they entered the restaurant, she finally took a photo.
¡ª
Tanya sat in the living room after seeing the two of them off.
She felt terribly troubled.
Mia really was very lovable. She liked her very much. Not only had she inherited her talent in dancing, but the two had even hit it off the moment they met. She had liked Mia from the bottom of her heart from the moment she met her.
Where had they gone to celebrate Mia¡¯s birthday after they left?
She was wondering about that when her cell phone suddenly beeped, indicating that she had received a message.
It was a photo of two hands, one big and one small, sped together.
It was from Joel.
Tanya was taken aback. After thinking for a while, she replied with a question mark: ¡¯?¡¯
Joel then sent a text message: "I¡¯m celebrating Mia¡¯s birthday with her. The cake is too big for the two of us, so we can¡¯t finish it. Would you like toe and have some?"
The two of them were celebrating Mia¡¯s birthday?
Tanya knew that Mia¡¯s mother, Hiry, had been driven out of the Smiths. But had they not gone to Hiry even on a day like this?
For some reason, Tanya actually found herself overjoyed.
But right after that, she couldn¡¯t help but be disgusted with herself.
What was the matter with her?
Was she really thinking of going back to him?
There was no longer anything between her and Joel!!
With that in mind, she replied: ¡¯No.¡¯
The man then sent her an audio message, which surprised Tanya. She was actually very afraid of hearing Joel¡¯s voice right now.
But when she yed the message after long hesitation, it was instead Mia¡¯s voice. She said, "The cake is really delicious, Ms. Turner. I¡¯ll save a piece for you and put it in the fridgeter. Shall I bring it to school tomorrow so that you can eat it?"
Mia¡¯s voice was very soft and pleasant to the ear.
Tanya couldn¡¯t bear to refuse, so she replied: "Okay."
Even her mood couldn¡¯t help but be better, as though her heart had been coated in honey before she even ate the cake.
Then, she couldn¡¯t help but open her Facebook ount.
But when she did, she saw that Hiry had posted something.
They were a couple of photos.
One was of her and Mia in a residentialplex with a man standing behind them. Although only his trousers could be seen in the photo, it was obvious at a nce that he was Joel.
The other was taken in a restaurant. Joel and Mia were seated nearby while she took a selfie.
Tanya¡¯s heart sank abruptly, and an acerbic feeling welled up inside her at once!
She clenched her fists and suddenly let out a coldugh.
Indeed.
Here she was, treating Mia like her own daughter, but in truth, she had a mother!
Also, what exactly was Joel trying to do?
He was sending her vague and ambiguous messages while also showing off how happy and blissful a family of three he, Hiry, and Mia were? Was there any point in doing that?!
Tanya was so mad that she stopped looking at it altogether and threw the phone aside!
¡ª
The next day.
As a dance teacher, Tanya would also pick up students at the entrance.
Mia and Pete got out of the car together and greeted the teachers. Joel was holding a food container with the cake from the night before. He handed it to Tanya and said, "Ms. Turner, this is from Mia."
Tanya cast her eyes down and said coldly and distantly, "No, thanks, Mr. Smith. I¡¯m not fond of sweets."
Then, she led Mia and Pete straight into the school.
Joel: "?"
Things had clearly not been this awkward between them the previous evening. What was the matter with her today?
Tanya went back to the entrance after taking Mia and Pete to the ssroom, nning to pick up the rest of the children. However, when she arrived at the door, she saw that Joel was still there.
She walked over with a cold look on her face.
Joel asked, "What¡¯s the matter? Are you in a bad mood today? Is it the time of the month?"
The time of the month?
Tanya flushed with embarrassment. She immediately replied coldly, "I don¡¯t think it¡¯s suitable for us to talk about such an intimate topic, Mr. Smith!"
Joel was taken aback. "Okay, I take back my words. But can you tell me why you¡¯re upset?"
Tanya had always been a straightforward person. She didn¡¯t like keeping things to herself. Thus, she lifted her head and looked straight at Joel. She took out her cell phone, opened up Hiry¡¯s Facebook post, and pushed the phone right into his face. She sneered, "Why I¡¯m upset? What exactly are you trying to do, Mr. Smith? You were clearly enjoying your precious family timest night, yet you still sent me such ambiguous messages while you¡¯re having fun with your family? Can you be a little more responsible toward Mia? Also, what are you trying to do by treating me like this? Are you nning to practice polygamy? Have your cake and eat it too? Even if that¡¯s what you want, have you asked me if I agree to it?"
As Tanya¡¯s words became more and more unpleasant, Joel¡¯s expression also turned more and more awful.
He looked at Tanya¡¯s phone. When he saw the photos that Hiry had posted, he was stunned.
Chapter 393: Nora Is Big Sister
Chapter 393: Nora Is Big Sister
Joel¡¯s expression suddenly turned extremely awful. He said anxiously, "Tanya, I can exin."
"Keep that for your daughter instead, Mr. Smith. Our rtionship is not at the point where you need to exin anything to me! Goodbye!"
Tanya turned and went back into the school angrily.
Fury and panic arose in Joel as he looked at her from behind.
He turned and got into his car.
"To thepany, Mr. Smith?" The chauffeur asked.
Joel was practically gnashing his teeth in fury as he said, "To Hiry¡¯s!"
He took out his cell phone and looked at his own Facebook timeline. However, he didn¡¯t see Hiry¡¯s post. This meant that the post had been hidden from him!
He stretched out his hand to the chauffeur and said, "Give me your cell phone."
His chauffeur also had Hiry as a friend on Facebook.
He took a look after the chauffeur handed him his phone. Sure enough, he found the post.
Hiry practically couldn¡¯t get any sneakier!
The two arrived at Hiry¡¯s residence. When Hiry heard that Joel was there to look for her, she happily went downstairs. However, the moment she went down, she instead saw a furious Joel.
Hiry asked timidly, "Joel, what¡¯s the matter?"
"Can you exin this Facebook post of yours to me?!"
Joel pushed the chauffeur¡¯s phone right into her face!
Hiry froze when she saw the post.
She bit her lip, forced a smile, and replied, "Isn¡¯t that just an ordinary Facebook post, Joel? What¡¯s wrong?"
Joel demanded furiously, "You followed us to the restaurant?"
Hiry lowered her gaze. "I... I just missed Mia so much, so I followed the two of you. Let me exin, Joel... I didn¡¯t mean anything else with the post. I just didn¡¯t want other people to know that I couldn¡¯t even celebrate my daughter¡¯s birthday with her... They will look down on me if they ever find out..."
Those words of hers couldn¡¯t get any more pretentious.
Even the chauffeur felt that it was understandable why she would do that.
Unfortunately, it was Joel whom she was up against.
Joel didn¡¯t ept her nonsense at all. He stepped forward and grabbed her chin. "So, you want to have cake with your daughter on her birthday?"
Hiry nodded. "Yes."
"Okay."
He picked up the container with the cake that Tanya had rejected. He opened it, took the cake out, and smashed it onto Hiry¡¯s face. He said coldly, "Have a good taste of it, then!"
Hiry: "!!"
She took a step back and wiped the cake off her face with her hands. She lifted her head and looked at Joel incredulously. "Joel, you¡ª"
She couldn¡¯t bring herself to say the rest of what she wanted to say, though, because the look in Joel¡¯s eyes was simply too terrifying.
The way he looked as if he wanted to kill her made her unable to utter a single word.
Joel¡¯s icy-cold voice rang out. "Don¡¯t you dare y any tricks from now on, or else!"
Hiry wanted to speak, but he added, "You should thank your lucky stars that you¡¯re Mia¡¯s mother. Otherwise, you¡¯d have been dead a long time ago."
His words stunned Hiry.
¡ª
As they had made ns to go to the amusement park the next day, Nora woke up a littlete. She stretched and went downstairs.
In the afternoon, Nora gave Lily the leftover drink that she had taken from Victor at the arena the day before and told her to go to aboratory and check if there were any unidentified chemicals in it. Nora also instructed her to personally do the test herself.
Ever since Lily returned to the States to help her, she had been terribly busy. She left immediately after picking up the leftover drink and receiving Nora¡¯s instructions.
Nora, however, went back to sleep after that.
What was she to do? The amusement park date would take up the whole day, which was to say that she would have to get up early in the morning the next day. Thus, she had to make up for the next day¡¯s worth of sleep in advance.
By the time she woke up again, it was already dark outside.
She got up, got dressed, and went downstairs to the car park. She was about to go to the car when Quentin appeared behind her and said, "Why don¡¯t youe with me in my car today, Nora?"
Nora: "?"
She nced at him.
Quentin said, "If you go in with me, I can show you how intimidating I am in the arena. You¡¯ll get special privileges that way."
Nora had always enjoyed special privileges from the very moment she was No. 028. She didn¡¯t have any idea what it was like for ordinary people.
However, since Quentin was inviting her to go along with him so enthusiastically, Nora thought for a while and simply replied, "Alright, then."
This way, she wouldn¡¯t need to drive, either.
She could even nap a little while on the way there.
She carried a bag in her hand. Inside was the red dress and silver mask she usually wore.
However, it was only after she got in the car that she realized that catching up on sleep in the car was too indulgent an idea¡ªbecause Quentin couldn¡¯t stop talking while they were on the road.
"Why don¡¯t I introduce you to Big Sisterter? Do you also admire Big Sister a lot? I can even ask her to give you an autograph."
Nora: "?"
She saidzily, "Can you even get one for yourself?"
"Of course. I¡¯ve participated in several matches with her by now, so she¡¯ll definitely show me that bit of courtesy. Besides, Big Sister thinks exceptionally highly of me. Oh, she has even acknowledged me as her younger brother!"
Nora: "?"
When had she ever acknowledged him as a younger brother?
While she was hesitating, Quentin spoke again. "Are you jealous? To be honest, what she values in me is my capability. You know I¡¯m ranked third in New York¡¯s martial arts circle, right? Apart from Big Sister and Big Brother, I¡¯m the strongest here!"
"..."
"Do you want to take a photo with Big Sisterter? If so, you can leave that to me, too!"
Nora¡¯s lip corners spasmed. "It¡¯s fine."
"Are you embarrassed? There¡¯s nothing embarrassing about chasing after idols. Also, Big Sister is actually not that perfect."
Nora: "?"
Was he starting to speak ill of her?
While she was thinking about it, Quentin said, "She doesn¡¯t really have a good eye for people. Her husband is not that great. He looks just like a useless pretty boy."
Nora: "..."
"But no one is perfect, after all. Given Big Sister¡¯s status, it¡¯s understandable even if looks are the only thing she considers when choosing a husband. It¡¯s not that bad having a gigolo, either."
"..."
"I intend to persuade Big Sister to give him up, though."
The corners of Nora¡¯s lips spasmed as she said, "That¡¯s impossible."
"Why not? My words hold a lot of weight with Big Sister. If I tell her to break up with him, she¡¯ll definitely consider it. After all, we¡¯re big shots in the martial arts circle..."
Quentin kept chatting all the way till they arrived at the arena.
Quentin was about to get out of the car when he noticed that Nora hadn¡¯t moved. The confused man asked, "Aren¡¯t you getting out of the car?"
"Oh, I have to change."
Quentin was about to tease her for being vain and changing when there wasn¡¯t a need for her to, when Nora took out a red dress and a familiar-looking silver mask from her bag.
Quentin: "..."
Chapter 394: Exposing Her Own Identity
Chapter 394: Exposing Her Own Identity
A dumbfounded Quentin stared at her incredulously. He swallowed and said, "N-Nora, don¡¯t... don¡¯t joke around anymore."
Nora nced at him. "Get out."
Quentin got out of the car obediently. He didn¡¯t dare look into the car, even though the car windows were tinted¡ªso one would only be able to look out from the inside, but not the other way.
A minuteter, the car door opened and Nora got out wearing the red dress. Then, she put on the mask.
The person in front of him seemed to have suddenly changed.
From his little hillbilly cousin, she turned into the mysterious martial arts expert, Big Sister.
Quentin: "..."
He felt that he must have opened his eyes the wrong way when he woke up in the morning!
How could this be?!
He had been following the woman ever since Joel started having doubts about Nora¡¯s identity. Despite how so much time had already gone by, howe he hadn¡¯t realized that she was actually Big Sister?!
While he was in a daze, Nora asked, "So, you¡¯re my younger brother?"
Quentin: "!!!"
He suddenly thought of how he had bragged and imed just now that Big Sister had acknowledged him as her younger brother. After all, Big Sister had a mask on all the time, and her daughter was already five. Thus, he had subconsciously assumed that Big Sister must be older than him. Never would he have expected Big Sister to suddenly turn into his little cousin!
How he wished he could dig a hole and bury himself in it!
He tried his best to sift through his memories¡ªhe hadn¡¯t said anything else, right?
He suddenly thought of what he had said when he first met her. That time, he had said very proudly, "Heh, even though you¡¯re proof of the shame that Uncle Ian had suffered, you can rest assured that I will still protect you. I won¡¯t let any of the Smiths die an untimely death."
It was then followed by:
"Can you stop running about all over the ce? Without me, the world¡¯s third-best fighter, protecting you, you¡¯ll die before you even know it!"
"Are you also taking part in the martial arts tournament? Do you want to meet Big Sister? I¡¯m on really good terms with her!"
"Do you want to take a photo with Big Sister?"
"..."
Quentin felt like his cheeks had flushed even redder.
He suddenly asked, "There are three different types of death. Do you know what they are?"
Nora raised her eyebrows. "What are they?"
"The first is clinical death, that is to say, the body dies.
"The second is psychological death, where someone loses all hope and doesn¡¯t wish to live anymore.
"The third is social death."
Quentin looked at her and said, "Nora, you¡¯ve just made me experience the third type of death."
"..."
Noraughed and passed by him. "Let¡¯s go in."
"I don¡¯t want to go in." Quentin said expressionlessly, "I wanna die."
Nora didn¡¯t pay any more attention to him. Instead, she started walking toward the arena. Two stepster, she heard footsteps behind her. Quentin¡¯s voice then reached her. "Why are you hiding your identity, Nora? Isn¡¯t the identity of Big Sister really cool?!"
Nora replied, "It¡¯s bothersome."
Bothersome?
Quentin thought for a moment. "Are you worried that others will bother you once they know who you are? Well, that¡¯s true. After all, Big Sister is a well-known figure... Don¡¯t worry, Nora, I can keep secrets really well. I will never tell anyone about it!"
"Oh."
Nora had always adhered to her mother¡¯sst words telling her not to expose her identity and to live in mediocrity. This was why she hadn¡¯t exposed her identity all this time.
However, Quentin was simply too annoying.
Moreover, now that he was aware that she hade to the arena, given his tracking abilities, it was simply too much trouble to throw him off her trail. Thus, she had decided to reveal her identity.
Besides, even though Quentin had eighth-grader syndrome, he was the leader of the Smiths¡¯ secret forces. He wasn¡¯t stupid.
Nora followed Quentin into the arena.
As soon as they entered, Quentin suddenly said, "Big Sister, I¡¯ve suddenly discovered a problem!"
Nora: "?"
Quentin said, "I didn¡¯t expect you to actually have a pretty boy outside behind Justin¡¯s back! No. 820 must be Cherry¡¯s biological father, right?"
Nora: "??"
She hadn¡¯t thought of that.
She wasn¡¯t sure whether she could reveal Justin¡¯s identity, so she simply uttered a sound of acknowledgment and admitted to it.
In the end, Quentin looked at her with bright and shiny eyes and said, "You¡¯re so awesome!
"You actually dare to cuckold even Justin!"
Nora: "..."
Forget it, he could just think of it however he wanted to.
They had five matches that night, so time was rather tight for them. Nora looked around and asked, "He isn¡¯t here yet?"
Quentin also looked around.
While the two of them were looking around, a man¡¯s low and deep voice suddenly rang out. "Are you guys Team Third In The World?"
The two of them looked over in unison to see a man wearing a mask with an eagle¡¯s design walking toward them. He was big and tall and was dressed in a ck suit. When he walked, it was as though he had an aura of justice around him.
Additionally, he had deliberately lowered his voice, so no one could tell what his actual voice really sounded like.
Nora didn¡¯t say anything. Instead, she nced at Quentin.
Only then did something click in Quentin¡¯s head. He answered, "Yes, that¡¯s right. You are?"
"No. 007."
As soon as he gave them his alias, Quentin instantly realized something. He asked, "You¡¯re the first runner-up of the previous tournament?"
The other party kept quiet for a moment before he replied, "Yeah, you can say that."
Quentin took the opportunity to give Nora an exnation. He said, "B... Sis, No. 007 is an amazing martial arts master who came out of nowhere in thest tournament. He advanced all the way to ss F that time. Both he and Big Brother were very impressive, and he even became one of the favorites for the title of champion. It was just a shame that he didn¡¯t turn up for the finals, so the title of champion went to Big Brother while No.007 became the first runner-up."
After exining, Quentin looked at No.007 and asked, "Why didn¡¯t you turn up for the finals?"
No. 007¡¯s gaze swept across the two of them. "I had to take a mission at thest minute."
Quentin and Nora sensitively caught a hint of something from his use of the word ¡¯mission¡¯.
Quentin then said, "Oh, what a shame. Is this your first time here this year, though?"
With the exception of Big Brother in ss F, all the other martial arts experts from the previous tournament had been downgraded to ss E this year. Thus, if they wanted to advance in rank, they would also have to defeat fellow ss E contestants.
The fact that an expert like No. 007 hadn¡¯t caused any noise this year was indicative of something¡ªthis was his first time here.
Sure enough, No. 007 nodded and replied, "Yeah, I also had something on previously. It seems like there¡¯s a surge in martial arts experts this year, though."
He nced at the Benevolence Hall disciples seated in the VIP dining area. They were in a ss of their own and seemed out of ce among the people around them.
Quentin didn¡¯t say anything. No. 007, however, looked at Nora and asked, "What do you think?"
Nora: "??"
Quentin was undoubtedly very strong in Team Third In The World, and she had been very low-profile all this while. Why was he suddenly directing his attention to her?
She raised her eyebrows and nodded. "It seems that way, yes."
After she spoke, her cell phone in her pocket suddenly vibrated. Nora nodded to Quentin and No. 007, walked to the side, and took it out. She opened it and saw a text message from Lily: ¡¯The test results are out.¡¯
Chapter 395: The Strange Guy
Chapter 395: The Strange Guy
Lily was referring to the chemicalposition test for the solution that Victor and the others were drinking.
Nora sent a reply: ¡¯The results?¡¯
Lily responded very quickly: "It¡¯s just an ordinary sports drink. The only thing different about it from normal sports drinks is the fact that it¡¯s more concentrated. Even martial arts practitioners wouldn¡¯t need that many nutrients, no matter how much energy they use up, let alone the average person."
The results didn¡¯t disappoint Nora.
If Victor and the others had indeed only be this strong because they had taken some kind of drug, then said drug was undoubtedly a prohibited substance. On top of that, they were also acting very mysteriously about it. It was impossible for them to consume it at the arena itself.
But a highly-concentrated sports drink...
When she was thinking about it, elsewhere, No. 007 was looking around. Quentin asked, "Are you looking for Big Brother?"
There hadn¡¯t been a winner between the two during thest tournament.
He would definitely be out for revenge this year, right?
Unexpectedly, No. 007 instead said, "I camete this year. Which of the contestants here is Big Sister?"
Nora abruptly raised her head and looked at him when she heard the words ¡¯Big Sister¡¯.
Quentin subconsciously nced at Nora before he replied, "Oh, Big Sister is resting in her lounge. You can look for her there if you need anything. She¡¯s the very big and muscr woman in there."
Nora: "..."
No. 007 was a little taken aback. "She¡¯s very big and muscr? That¡¯s impossible."
Quentin: "?"
No. 007 went on. "Big Sister does regr martial arts training, so it¡¯s impossible that she would be really big. All strong martial artists need physiques that move smoothly. I heard that there are people here who impersonate Big Sister to make money and stuff like that."
No. 007 then looked at Nora. "Big Sister¡¯s figure should be like No. 028¡¯s instead."
Nora: "..."
She took a long look at No. 007, thinking that it was likely that he might have already noticed something. However, he didn¡¯t press the issue, so Nora didn¡¯t say anything.
She still needed to keep her identity a secret.
Quentin lifted his chin and became very proud. "You have good foresight!"
No. 007 chuckled. Then, he pointed to the dining area next to them and suggested, "Let¡¯s sit down and have a bite? I think it¡¯s your match soon."
Before Nora could say anything, another low and deep voice reached them. "No, it¡¯s fine."
The few of them looked over and saw Justin walking over with Cherry in his arms.
Cherry was still wearing her half-mask and was holding a lollipop. Her big eyes blinked as she looked at them.
Justin walked over, stopped in front of Nora, and faced No. 007. "Thanks."
Then, he took out a chocte bar and handed it to Nora. "This will replenish your energy quickly if you¡¯re hungry."
Nora: "..."
Next to them, Quentin¡¯s lip corners spasmed.
Before this, he had felt that the pretty boy wasn¡¯t worthy of Big Sister, but now that he knew that his cousin was Big Sister, his requirements for his cousin-inw had immediately be even higher.
He tapped Justin¡¯s shoulder.
Justin looked at him.
Quentin sneered, "Aren¡¯t you being a little too jealous? I can sense it even from a long distance."
"..."
Justin didn¡¯t say anything. Quentin lowered his voice and said, "Kid, you¡¯re pretty bold, huh!"
Justin raised his eyebrows. "Oh?"
Quentin nced at Nora. "Do you know her true identity?"
"Yes."
Quentin clicked his tongue a couple of times and said, "You¡¯re pretty bold to have the guts to cuckold Justin Hunt. You gotta protect your personal information, though, get it? Otherwise, even my cousin won¡¯t be able to protect you! There are only two people in New York whom no one must ever mess with¡ªone of them is Joel Smith, my cousin, and the other is Justin Hunt!"
Justin: "..."
Him cuckolding himself... Yep, if it wasn¡¯t because he was his cousin-inw, he really felt like punching Quentin. But now... well, this was quite alright, too.
The next five matches they yed sent them straight into ss E.
The five matches were no sweat for the three of them. After all, with Big Sister and Big Brother, as well as the third-best fighter in the world, theypletely crushed everyone else.
While they were crushing their opponents here, Victor¡¯s team also won two matches and gave their opponents crushing defeats.
After finishing the five matches in session, Nora yawned and stepped out of the ring.
As soon as they got out, Quentin said, "B... Sis, No. 007 has been staring at you."
Nora: "??"
She followed his gaze and looked over. Sure enough, Nora found No. 007 sitting at the bottom of the ring. However, he was staring straight at her and making no secret about it. There was admiration¡ªas well as scrutiny¡ªin his eyes.
Nora raised her brows.
Quentin then went to Justin. "It¡¯s a love rival, bro!"
Justin was speechless when he saw how eager Quentin was to throw the world into chaos.
No. 007 got up and walked straight toward them after the match.
However, before he could evene close, Nora and Justin had turned around very naturally and walked to the door. They didn¡¯t give him any chance to get close to them.
This took No. 007 by surprise. He smiled wryly, stopped in his tracks, and took the hint. He didn¡¯t chase after them anymore.
But just as the two of them were about to leave the arena, Victor and the other two men in his team suddenly rushed over. They moved very quickly. When they were passing by, Victor suddenly whispered, "You¡¯re the real Big Sister, aren¡¯t you?"
Nora was taken aback. Then, she narrowed her eyes and looked at him. Her lips curled into a smile, but she didn¡¯t admit to it. "I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re trying to say."
However, Victor was sure of her identity. He sneered, "I can ept losing to you, then. But it won¡¯t be the same next time!"
The few of them then left.
Nora ignored him. While she and Justin continued walking toward the exit, another man wearing a white feathered mask entered.
He looked rather unique, and coughed a few times with every two steps he took. He looked ill.
In addition, he coughed very hard. It sounded as though he was about to cough up his lungs.
A man was supporting him at the side.
Someone whispered, "He came to the arena even when he¡¯s so sick and so weak? He must be here just to join in the fun and watch the show, right?"
Unexpectedly, the man walked up to the registration counter. As he coughed, a rich and mellow voice rang out. "Sorry, I have already signed up, but I only just came to participate in the tournament today. I wonder if my eligibility still stands?"
The staff member replied, "This is a little difficult. It¡¯s already been so long..."
During the exchange, the ck-d bodyguard supporting the man handed the guy a check.
The guy epted the check in a very practiced manner, and immediately changed his tone without any principles whatsoever. "Of course, it still stands... What¡¯s your registration number?"
"..."
The corners of Nora¡¯s lips spasmed.
The martial arts association must be as poor as church mice now, right? They really took all the money they could get.
After bidding farewell to Justin in the car park, Nora took Quentin¡¯s car back home.
On the way, Quentin suddenly said, "Nora, someone¡¯s following us."
Chapter 396: Father And Daughter Acknowledge Each Other! Separated By Death?
Chapter 396: Father And Daughter Acknowledge Each Other! Separated By Death?
Someone was following them?
Nora looked at the back through the rearview mirror¡ªit was filled with cars.
Quentin lived up to his identity as a man in secret forces. His senses were sharper and keener than even hers. She also sensed it after Quentin brought it up.
"Can you throw them off?" Nora asked.
"Of course." Quentin said triumphantly, "Don¡¯t you know whose car you¡¯re in right now? How dare they tail me. They sure think really highly of themselves!"
He sneered, "I¡¯m the only one who can tail other people in New York. No one can tail me!"
He suddenly turned the steering wheel all the way to the side at the traffic light and drifted straight into a small side road.
Nora looked at the rearview mirror¡ªtwo ck cars clearly looked a little confused because they hadn¡¯t expected him to suddenly break the traffic rules and go somewhere else.
However, another two cars soon followed after them from the side.
Quentin discovered their presence earlier than she did. He sneered, "Tsk, it seems like there are a lot of people interested in Big Sister, Nora! Don¡¯t worry, I will definitely keep you safe!"
He changed the direction he was going in again.
The car went back and forth in the familiar New York streets. Quentin was very professional. Half an hourter, when he turned to another side road, there were no longer any cars following them at the back.
Obviously, Quentin had sessfully thrown them all off.
Quentin looked at her. He looked as if he was asking for praise as he asked, "How was that?"
He lifted his chin.
Nora gave him a thumbs up. "Fantastic."
Quentin couldn¡¯t suppress the smile at the corners of his lips.
His idol was none other than Big Sister. It simply felt too blissful to be praised by his idol. He must do even better than this!
While Quentin was getting fired up, his cell phone suddenly rang.
When he answered, Joel¡¯s voice came from the other side. "Where is Nora?"
Quentin looked at the woman in the backseat. "She¡¯s in the car with me. What¡¯s up?"
Joel said, "Come to the hospital right away!"
Quentin: "?"
He subconsciously asked, "Is there something wrong with Uncle Ian?"
Joel sighed. "You¡¯ll know once you¡¯re here."
"Okay."
Quentin immediately took a U-turn and raced to the hospital.
When Nora heard the call from Joel, she knew at once that something must have happened in the hospital.
When the two arrived at the hospital, sure enough, they saw Joel pacing back and forth nervously in the corridor. When he heard their footsteps, he immediately looked at Nora and said, "Quick, Nora, go into the operating room and save him!"
Nora entered the operating room right away.
It was only after she went in that Quentin asked, "What happened?"
Joel replied, "Uncle Ian¡¯s heart suddenly stopped beating. They are trying to save him now."
Quentin was stunned. His heart sank.
In all honesty, he had never taken Ian¡¯s illness seriously because Ian had always been ill for as long as he could remember.
Therefore, he hadn¡¯t panicked even when Nora operated on Ian previously.
But when he heard that Ian had a cardiac arrest, he couldn¡¯t help but nk out. He immediately said, "That¡¯s impossible! It¡¯s impossible that anything would go wrong when B... Nora¡¯s the one operating on him!"
Had Nora just been Anti, Quentin might still have had doubts.
But she was Big Sister.
She was the famous Big Sister in the martial arts circle. There was no way she would do anything she wasn¡¯t confident about!
Joel nced at him when he heard him.
Based on his understanding of Quentin, Quentin should have already formed doubts about Nora a long time ago. Yet he was so sure about it at the moment...
It wasn¡¯t the time for him to be thinking about that, though. He said, "It¡¯s Uncle Ian himself who... suddenly pulled out the IV needle when he woke up."
Quentin: "..."
Joel sighed. "Uncle Ian still doesn¡¯t have any will to live. He doesn¡¯t want to live anymore."
Quentin was in such a panic that he was going around in circles. "What should we do? Didn¡¯t you tell Uncle Ian that Nora is his daughter?"
Joel said, "That¡¯s exactly why I asked you guys toe. I¡¯m hoping that Nora can find a way to keep him alive."
Quentin nodded.
It was unknown just how much time went by before the operating room¡¯s lights finally went out.
The attending doctor then came out and looked at the two of them.
Both Joel and Quentin looked at him hopefully but instead saw the doctor shake his head instead.
Joel and Quentin were dumbfounded.
The doctor said, "Anti lives up to her name as a master surgeon. She once again pulled the old gentleman back from the brink of death. He¡¯s awake now, but..."
The doctor sighed. "He still does not have the will to live."
No will to live... even though he was awake...
Joel panicked. "Didn¡¯t Nora tell him that she is his daughter?"
"She did, but it wasn¡¯t of any use."
The attending doctor then stepped aside. "You... Why don¡¯t you go in and see him for thest time?"
¡ª
Joel and Ian put on sterile gowns and entered the operating room.
Iany on the bed. The thin man looked just like a sheet of paper, which easily showed that he hadn¡¯t been eating well. He was ridiculously thin.
Nora was standing next to him nkly. Her eyes were full of perplexity and doubts as if she couldn¡¯t understand anything. She asked, "Why don¡¯t you want to live? Even if it¡¯s for my sake?"
Ian¡¯s voice was very thin. He said weakly, "I¡¯m sorry."
He coughed and slowly said, "I¡¯m very happy that Yvette didn¡¯t betray me... but when I think of how she has been all by herself in that lonely world for so long, I feel so awful. I should have figured it out earlier. I should have gone to keep herpany earlier. Nora..."
He reached out a trembling hand to Nora.
Nora pursed her lips and held his hand. He said, "Please forgive Dad for being so selfish. I was waiting all this time for the truth to surface, waiting to find out why she had left me back then. But now that I finally know it, I suddenly feel guilty and me myself for it. It¡¯s no longer important why she had done what she did. Back then, no matter what the reason for her departure was, I shouldn¡¯t have doubted her. She must have had reasons that she couldn¡¯t tell me. All I could do for her back then was to let go of her, and now, the only thing I can do for her is to go and keep herpany..."
He looked at Joel and Quentin who had entered.
Joel and Quentin¡¯s eyes were all red. They took a step forward. Ian said to the two of them, "Joel, Quentin, Nora is my daughter. I put her in your care now."
Joel choked up and shouted, "Uncle Ian, you should take care of your daughter yourself!
Ian smiled wryly and said, "I¡¯m tired. I really am. I¡¯ve spent all these years like a walking dead. Leaving is the greatest relief I can ever have."
All three youngsters looked at him nkly.
All of them were dumbfounded.
No one, no matter who, had ever imagined that letting Ian know that Nora was his daughter would be thest straw to break the camel¡¯s back and send him to his death.
Nora clenched her fists.
Were they going to be separated by death when they had only just reunited as father and daughter?
No!
Chapter 397: Pete’s Speculation
Chapter 397: Pete¡¯s Spection
Nora would never allow such a thing to happen!
Quentin¡¯s eyes were red and swollen as he shouted, "Uncle Ian, take care of your daughter yourself! Live and get up. Otherwise, I¡¯ll beat her up every day..."
Joel, who had always been a steady person, could not help but say, "Uncle Ian, aren¡¯t you afraid that I will be selfish in the future and take over the Smiths without giving Nora anything? Also, Nora is going to marry Justin. Aren¡¯t you afraid that she will be bullied if she marries over? She¡¯s without her father and evenes from the countryside. Now, the Hunts look down on her! She needs your support!"
Ian muttered in a weak voice with his eyes closed, "Joel, Quentin, you won¡¯t..."
"I will! I really will! Uncle Ian, wake up. You can¡¯t die!"
"Uncle Ian! Get up..."
Joel and Quentin shouted as their tears fell like rain.
The person lying on the bed had been exceptionally powerful since they were young. But now, he was weak and had been sick most of the year, he was very dispirited and would not wake up. It was as if nothing gave him hope for life.
However, the two of them would never forget that when their parents had abandoned them, it was Uncle Ian who came forward to raise them, calling them good children!
Especially Joel...
If not for Uncle Ian, he would have been chased out of the Smiths when he was three years old. He would have be like a stray dog and starved to death on the streets!
It was Uncle Ian... Not only had he given him the honor of being a man of the Smiths, but he had also let him take over the Smiths.
Everything Joel had now was given to him by Uncle Ian.
Joel held Uncle Ian¡¯s hand tightly. "Uncle Ian..."
Just as the two of them were thinking of ways to make him stay, a cold voice suddenly sounded. "Can I speak to him alone?"
Joel and Quentin looked at the person in a daze. It was Nora.
She stood at the side. Perhaps it was because they had not known each other since they were young, but her current expression was a little cold and distant.
The stunned expression in her eyes had disappeared as she stared at the man on the bed.
Even though her voice was emotionless and she appeared too calm, Joel and Quentin looked at each other. The two of them stood up and walked out together.
Before leaving, Joel took onest look inside.
He watched as the girl suddenly walked to the bed and said, "You¡¯re very good to them."
Ian smiled bitterly. "I didn¡¯t do my part as a father."
Nora suddenly said, "Now, you have a chance to fulfill your responsibilities."
After saying this, she suddenly lowered her head and whispered into Ian¡¯s ear. Ian¡¯s eyes widened suddenly.
When Joel closed the door, he heard Ian¡¯sst sentence. His voice trembled as he asked, "Are... are you serious?"
Two minutester.
The door to the operating room was opened. Nora pushed Ian¡¯s bed out of the operating room.
Ian was lying there with his eyes closed.
Joel¡¯s heart sank. He exchanged nces with Quentin and the two of them looked at Nora. Quentin even swallowed his saliva and asked, "Uncle Ian, he..."
"He¡¯s not dead."
Nora¡¯s words sounded very calm, making Joel and Quentin heave a sigh of relief.
Quentin asked tentatively, "Then he¡¯s..."
"I gave him two injections and he fell asleep. He needs to rest. In the next few days, don¡¯t disturb him in any case. No matter how powerful this lion is, his body has been hollowed out. His body needs to be raised from the roots."
With that, she looked at Joel. "I have a few medicinal recipes here. I¡¯ll write them down for youter."
Joel hurriedly nodded. "I¡¯ll arrange for someone to cook for Uncle Ian every day."
The three of them walked into the VIP ward together.
After entering the ward, Nora checked Ian¡¯s vital signs. After everything was normal, she said, "He won¡¯t die for the time being."
Joel probed, "Then... after the time being..."
Nora: "If you follow the schedule I¡¯m giving you and are obedient, he can live out his natural life."
Joel heaved a sigh of relief.
Nora took out her phone and opened the memo. Her slender fingers quickly typed something on it for a while. She sent Joel the things to take note of and future treatment ns.
Joel took a look and realized that it was all basic care. The staff in the hospital could do it.
Quentin asked curiously, "Aren¡¯t you going to take care of Uncle Ian personally in the future?"
Nora nced at him. "I don¡¯t know how to take care of people."
Quentin: "..."
After doing all this, Nora walked out. "I¡¯m going to see Old Maddy."
Ever since Old Maddy was rescued, he had been in the hospital for treatment. After all, he had been too severely poisoned. Furthermore, Old Maddy had never recovered from his crazy illness.
Nora went to Old Maddy¡¯s ward again. When she was about to go home, she saw Quentin.
She raised her eyebrows and asked, "What are you doing here?"
Quentin coughed. "I¡¯m waiting for you to take you home."
"..."
Nora said helplessly, "Alright."
After the two of them returned home, Nora went upstairs and saw Pete. She kissed her son¡¯s forehead and was about to take a shower when Pete suddenly said mysteriously, "Mommy, did you know? Uncle Joel came to pick Mia and me up just now. But he thenter got the chauffeur to bring us back and went to chase after God-mom Tanya."
Nora: "??"
When she went to see Old Maddy, Joel had arranged for the medical staff to pick up Mia and Pete from school. She did not expect him to go after Tanya?
Why was he looking for Tanya?
Nora raised her eyebrows.
She smiled and touched Pete¡¯s head. "I understand."
Pete blinked and suddenly said, "Mommy, is God-mom Tanya going to be my aunt soon?"
Nora: "?"
This little fellow knew quite a lot. She asked, "Do you want her to be your aunt?"
"Yes!"
Pete nodded seriously. "God-mom treats Mia well."
Nora sensed something. "You mean, Mia¡¯s mommy isn¡¯t good to her?"
Pete thought for a moment. "No, she isn¡¯t."
Nora frowned and pulled a chair over casually. She sat in front of Pete with interest. "Come, talk properly."
Pete¡¯s expression was stern as he said seriously, "These are all my spections."
Nora had always thought that Mia¡¯s mother treated her well. After all, who would be cruel to their own daughter? It was because Hiry and Joel were on bad terms that the two of them did not get together.
However, she did not expect Pete¡¯s next words topletely subvert her understanding.
Chapter 398: I Won’t Let Go This Time
Chapter 398: I Won¡¯t Let Go This Time
Pete said, "Mommy, if I liked mathematics very much, would you stop me from learning it?"
Nora: "Of course not."
Everyone knew that Cherry liked to y games. In order to make Cherry happy, she had agreed to let her y. She only limited the time spent on ying games.
Pete nodded. "Mia¡¯s mother knows she likes to dance, but she doesn¡¯t let her learn. Moreover, Mia is very afraid of her mother."
Afraid?
No child should be afraid of their mother, right?
Nora felt that Pete might have used the wrong word. "Is it because her mommy is very strict?"
Pete shook his head. "No."
He thought for a moment and said, "The tyrant is very strict too, but I know that he does it for my own good. Sometimes, I go on a hunger strike to fight against him because I know he will eventually give in."
"But Mia¡¯s fear of her mommyes from the fact that she¡¯s not sure her mommy would ever give in.
Nora was stunned.
Although Pete¡¯s words were messy, she understood them.
Because Justin was his father, even if he was stern every day or even hit Pete, Pete still respected Justin and was not afraid of him.
But Mia¡¯s mother was like a stranger and a bad person to Mia. Mia didn¡¯t even feel safe with her.
She frowned. "Did Mia tell you all this?"
Pete shook his head. "I observed it myself."
Nora frowned.
If what Pete said was true, Nora would really have to reconsider this matter. However, Pete was only five years old. His conclusion could not be trusted so easily.
Nora said seriously, "Okay, Pete. I understand. I¡¯ll take note of this and observe Mia. If it¡¯s true, I¡¯ll tell your uncle."
At the same time, she frowned.
Was there really a mother in this world who abused her own child?
¡ª
In the suburbs.
Tanya drove in and looked at the shameless man.
After work, he took the opportunity while she had yet to lock the car to suddenly open the back door and sneak into her car.
She wanted to scold him back then, but his words made her shut her mouth. "Keep arguing If you want everyone to know about our rtionship. If you don¡¯t, then drive."
Tanya: "..."
She was speechless and anxious.
However, as a kindergarten teacher, she did not want to make a scene in school. She gritted her teeth in anger, but she still drove home. On the way, she switched on her mocking mode. "Mr. Smith, may I ask what my rtionship with you is?"
Joel: "I¡¯m your ex-boyfriend."
"..."
"Or rather, it¡¯s because I can¡¯t forget my ex-girlfriend."
When Tanya heard this, for some reason, her face turned red. She shook her head and sneered. "Mr. Smith, you have a fianc¨¦e and daughter now. You¡¯re harassing me like this, understand?"
Joel lowered his eyes. "Tanya, you were so angry yesterday. Were you jealous?"
Jealous?
Tanya choked on his words.
However, she immediately realized that from the moment she saw Hiry¡¯s Facebook post, she had indeed started to feel angry and humiliated.
Previously, she had been deceived by Mia and Joel.
Even after the two of them had left, she still felt happy for a while.
It was Hiry¡¯s post that had brought her back to reality. She suddenly realized that Mia was Joel and Hiry¡¯s daughter, not hers!
Why was she so excited about Mia¡¯s birthday?
She did not sleep much that night.
Before she returned, as she thought about her ns after returning to the country, she had told herself not to contact Joel ever again. But why were they involved again?
She was angry with herself and even more furious with Joel for teasing her.
He was making her sink deeper into it step by step.
She did not say anything else along the way until they arrived at the vi. However, after stopping the car, she did not get out. Instead, she said calmly, "Yes, I was jealous."
Joel was taken aback.
Tanya lowered her head. He could not see the girl¡¯s expression, but he could see that her shoulders were trembling slightly. She had never cried much since she was young.
Why was she crying now?
As he was thinking, she chuckled. "I admit it. Are you satisfied?"
She looked up and asked with a smile, "Mr. Smith, are you satisfied with me admitting that I¡¯m a b*tch who covets someone else¡¯s fianc¨¦?"
"You just had to make me admit that I¡¯ll always be lowly in front of you. Are you satisfied?"
The three "are you satisfied?" epassed everything she had suffered all these years!
In Switzend, she had nock of suitors, but she did not like anyone. What she was unwilling to admit was that she had never let go of this man.
Even if this man was with the sister she hated the most.
As she smiled, tears suddenly fell down.
The teardrop was crystal clear as it slid down the corner of her eye andnded on her leg.
At this moment, a warm hand pressed down on her shoulder. With a huge reaction, she suddenly reached out and pushed the hand away!
She got out of the car angrily.
Joel chased after her. "Tanya!"
Tanya pushed him away and opened the door.
Joel hugged her tightly. "Tanya."
Tanya was furious and shouted angrily, "Joel, what are you trying to do? Let me tell you, even if I haven¡¯tpletely forgotten about you, I won¡¯t be your mistress! I may be spineless, but I still have this bottom line! Let go. If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll call the police!"
However, the man behind her did not let go. Just as Tanya angrily picked up her phone and was about to call the police, Joel¡¯s voice suddenly sounded. "Uncle Ian is critically ill."
Tanya paused.
Tanya knew who his uncle was. She also knew how important this uncle was to Joel.
She said nothing.
Joel continued, "After Uncle Ian and Yvette separated more than twenty years ago, they never saw each other again. His greatest regret in this life is that he couldn¡¯t be with her. Even though he knows that Nora is his daughter, he still wants to follow Yvette to the afterlife."
"Tanya, we¡¯re so lucky to meet again. This time, I won¡¯t let go."
¡ª
At the Smiths.
After taking a shower, Nora prepared to go downstairs to eat something.
But as soon as she opened the door, she saw Quentin in front of it.
Although the man was already 26 years old, he still looked very young. His thin body leaned against the wall, and he instantly stood up when he saw her.
Nora raised her eyebrows. "What¡¯s the matter?"
Quentin nodded and asked curiously, "Nora, what did you tell Uncle Ian that suddenly gave him the will to survive?"
Chapter 399: Peace
Chapter 399: Peace
When Nora heard this, she was silent for a moment.
She suddenly said, "Do you really want to know?"
Quentin nodded.
Nora looked away.
She was not nning to say these words. After all, her mother¡¯sst words were filled with danger. Now, she did not even know who or where the enemy was.
She said, "Do you know why I hid my identity as Big Sister?"
Quentin shook his head.
Nora said, "Because my mother said that if I stand out, people mighte after me."
Quentin narrowed his eyes at these words.
Nora looked at him. "I told him this."
She was referring to Ian.
They had just reunited, but she was not used to calling that person "father." She could not bring herself to call him "father."
Quentin understood.
Ian felt that Joel and Quentin could protect her well and that she would live well. Therefore, he had lost the will to live and wanted to reunite with Yvette.
But when he found out that his daughter was in danger, as a father, how could he leave?
He had to live and help her get rid of all obstacles!
Especially that danger... Ian subconsciously felt that it had something to do with Yvette leaving him back then!
This was Nora¡¯s guess.
Yvette had suddenly run away from home and told the public that she had eloped with someone, but she had given birth to her. In addition to the organization Morris had mentioned...
She felt that Yvette¡¯s departure back then might have been to protect Ian.
Ian clearly thought of this as well, and Nora told him, "The first DNA test showed that my genes have mutated. Logically speaking, we could never acknowledge each other. But Mother left my umbilical cord blood behind."
Yvette had preserved Nora¡¯s umbilical cord blood because she wanted to have a contingency n when she was at her wit¡¯s end.
If Nora was to ever get involved in this, Ian could protect her appropriately and fulfill his responsibility as a father.
Even if Nora did not need his protection, if this responsibility could make Ian want to live, she did not mind being protected.
However, Quentin suddenly understood something. He looked at Nora seriously. "Nora, don¡¯t worry. I will help you guard your identity!"
If there was any danger, he would protect his cousin!
Nora: "?"
¡ª
In the suburbs.
Joel was hugging Tanya. "I don¡¯t know what Nora said to make Uncle Ian want to live, but I know that I can¡¯t lose you again, Tanya."
When Uncle Iany on the hospital bed and recalled what had happened back then, he said the thing he regretted the most was not insisting on being with Yvette. At that time, Joel had thought of Tanya.
He did not want the tragedy to repeat itself.
When Tanya heard this, she stopped struggling. She closed her eyes tightly as tears started pouring. "Even if I don¡¯t mind Mia¡¯s existence, what about Hiry?"
"Hiry doesn¡¯t matter."
Joel said, "Tanya, back then, I was tricked into being with her. But all these years, apart from Mia, there¡¯s nothing between us. I gave her the title of fianc¨¦e because I didn¡¯t want Mia to not have a mother. But I told her long ago that when Mia turned five and became sensible, we would end the engagement. Thest time I chased her away from the Smiths, it was to end the engagement.
Tanya was stunned.
Hiry was clearly saying that they were very loving.
However,pared to Hiry, she trusted Joel more.
She was not a romantic. The reason she chose to believe Joel was because she understood Hiry¡¯s character!
But even so, she did not expect such a misunderstanding to have happened back then.
She asked again, "But her Facebook post..."
Joel exined again, "It was Mia¡¯s birthday yesterday. I took a gift from her at the entrance of her house and left. As for the restaurant, it was only me and Mia. She followed us there by herself."
Tanya was stunned.
Joel hugged her. "Tanya, I don¡¯t know what else I need to do to make you forgive me, but do you know how happy I was when I heard you say that you were jealous?"
The man no longer had the aura he had in front of outsiders. At this moment, he was as happy as a child who had eaten candy. "At that time, I was thinking that even if you hate me or resent me, I won¡¯t let you go this time."
"..."
The wind around them seemed to have stopped.
The birds and insects were all silent.
Tanya only felt that at this moment, her broken heart seemed to have been filled with healing medicine as heforted her.
She did not know what to say.
She did not know if she should forgive this man for that night.
Even if it was not his fault that he had been schemed against...
She did not know if she could be a good stepmother, either...
She did not even know if it was right for her to pursue happiness like this before her child was found...
Before she could think, the man suddenly held her shoulder and made her slowly turn her head.
The man stopped talking and lowered his head to cover her lips.
That familiar cool breath suddenly invaded her mouth, making her brain explode.
The memories in her body seemed to have returned before her rationality, making her almost give in without any resistance...
She was in a sorry state and quickly retreated.
However, he continued to press her hard and domineeringly. It was as if he wanted to im sovereignty over every part of her mouth.
"Agh!"
Suddenly, a voice was heard.
The two of them froze and hurriedly looked at the door. They saw Mdm. Florence covering her eyes. "Goodness, Miss Tanya, Mrs. Hunt asked me to see if you were around. You... you two lovebirds can continue. Pretend I didn¡¯t see you!"
With that, she ran off in a hurry.
Tanya: "..."
Joel: "..."
The two of them were feeling a little awkward. It did not seem appropriate to continue what had just happened. However, if they did not continue, they would be at a loss if they just stood there.
Tanya said, "Let¡¯s talk inside."
She turned and opened the door.
Joel followed behind her obediently. He did not look like the tycoon who ran the business world at all.
After the two of them entered the room, Joel took the initiative to say, "You haven¡¯t eaten yet, right? I¡¯ll cook something for you."
Tanya nodded in a daze. At that moment, she seemed to havepletely forgotten that this was her house.
When Joel entered the kitchen, Tanya had yet to return to her senses.
At this moment, her phone suddenly rang.
She picked up the call without even looking at it and identally put it on speaker. Hiry¡¯s voice came from the other end. "Tanya, do you think Joel will return to your side just because you¡¯re back? Let me tell you, the person he loves is me. He¡¯s right beside me now. Our family of three is going to eat together. Stop daydreaming!"
Chapter 400: Their Child
Chapter 400: Their Child
Daydreaming...
Tanya looked into the kitchen and felt like she was really dreaming.
When she had left sadly five years ago, she thought that she would never have the chance to be with this man in her life. This man was going to disappear from her life.
Who would have thought that five yearster, he would be cooking food for her?
As Tanya was thinking, Hiry¡¯s voice was heard again. "Why aren¡¯t you saying anything? Are you really going to degrade yourself to be a third wheel ande between us? Let me tell you, you better return to Switzend. Joel chose me five years ago, he¡¯ll definitely choose me again. When that timees, how embarrassed would you be?"
As she spoke, Joel had already walked out of the kitchen.
The vi was very quiet, and there were no car horns around.
Joel had heard the voice on the phone from the beginning.
He looked at Tanya.
Tanya was also looking at him. The slender girl just stood there, her body a little thin from dancing for a long time.
She looked at Joel with her deep eyes and suddenly raised her eyebrows. "She said I¡¯m the third wheel. May I ask Mr. Smith, what¡¯s your rtionship with Madam Hiry now?"
As soon as she said this, Hiry¡¯s voice stopped. However, she then sneered. "What are you doing? Do you think you can scare me like this? Let me tell you, I¡¯m with Joel. If you want to talk to him, I can help you send a message..."
Amidst her chattering, Joel¡¯s originally angry eyes froze for a moment when they met the Tanya¡¯s. All his anger seemed to dissipate with an evil smile on her lips.
He took a step forward and said, "I have nothing to do with Madam Hiry. The engagement has been broken off. Madam Tanya, what kind of braised noodles do you want to eat? Tomato eggs or green pepper pork?"
The voice on the phone instantly fell silent!
Hiry: "!!"
The entire vi fell silent. Tanya smiled and said, "Green pepper pork. But no ginger, you remember my preferences, right?"
Joel nodded. "Of course. Just wait 10 minutes."
With that, he nced at the phone. Just as he was about to return to the kitchen, Hiry smiled mockingly. "Tanya, are you lying to me? How can Joel cook? I¡¯ve been with him for five years, but I¡¯ve never seen him cook! He doesn¡¯t know how to cook at all! Did you find someone with a simr voice to anger me? I¡¯m telling you, I won¡¯t fall for it!"
Tanya recalled how Hiry had deliberately chased him to the restaurant and taken a photo to post on her Facebook. She was not surprised by her way of thinking.
She only smiled and suddenly turned on the camera. She raised her phone and aimed it at Joel. "Here, let me show you. The man I¡¯m looking at not only has a simr voice to Joel, but his appearance is also very simr!"
Her voice was filled with mockery.
When Hiry saw Joel wearing an apron, she was stunned.
She had stayed with the Smiths for five years. Joel had never allowed her to enter his room, and every time she saw him, he was always the high and mighty leader who could stir up New York¡¯s economic scene with just a move of his finger.
Since when was that man willing to fall from grace and start doing housework?
Furthermore, he was holding a tomato in one hand and green pepper in the other. He was clearly cooking!
As Tanya had turned on the camera, he looked up.
His light eyes, which were always smiling, suddenly became sharp as he stared at the camera.
He said calmly, "Miss Hiry, is there anything else?"
Tanya looked at the camera and saw that the camera on Hiry¡¯s side suddenly shook and fell to the ground. Her hands must have gone soft from shock.
This woman had been like this since she was young. She was a fox exploiting the tiger¡¯s might and was extremely hypocritical.
Tanya could not be bothered to talk to her anymore and hung up.
She chuckled softly. She looked up and realized that Joel had not entered the kitchen but was staring at her.
The man was wearing a white shirt and an apron, looking just like he did five years ago.
Tanya suddenly realized that the five years overseas seemed to have lost their distance.
As she was thinking, she saw Joel¡¯s eyes gradually turn deep and hot, making her heart beat wildly.
She hurriedly looked away and said, "There are still eight minutes!"
Only then did Joel retract his gaze and nod.
After he left, Tanya hurriedly patted her chest and cheeks.
She must stay alert!
She could not be attracted by his stunning beauty!
Eight minutester, the noodles were done.
Tanya went upstairs and had already changed into her casual home clothes. Looking at the two bowls of steaming noodles on the dining table, she picked up her fork. Just as she was about to eat, she heard Joel say, "Wait a minute."
She paused and realized that Joel had brought a bottle of hot sauce over.
Tanya stared at the bottle and suddenly thought of a time five years ago.
At that time, she was still in university. As the living expenses from her mother were not enough, she often had to cook for herself.
Noodles were her favorite.
However, she only had one pot back then, so it was inconvenient to stir-fry vegetables. Therefore, every time, she would add a sufficient amount of noodles and vegetables before adding hot sauce.
Joel had always known this habit of hers.
In the past five years, after she went overseas, the thing she was most unused to was eating. asionally, she would want to eat noodles, but without hot sauce, it was as if something was missing.
While she was in a daze, Joel opened the bottle and handed it to her.
She dug a big spoonful and put it in the bowl of noodles. The thick sauce immediately floated on it and the fragrance wafted over.
She picked some noodles up with her fork and took a bite excitedly¡ªbut she was stunned.
She looked up slowly at the bottle of hot sauce.
The packaging had already changed.
As for the taste of the sauce, although it was still her favorite vor, it was no longer the same as before.
For some reason, her heart suddenly sank.
A broken mood instantly attacked her, making her lower her head.
Indeed.
In five years, everything familiar had changed.
Nothing would stand there and wait for her.
It was like losing her child.
Even if she had returned to the country and she and Joel were still the same as they were five years ago, this fact could not be hidden.
She became depressed.
Joel looked at her and panic surged in his heart. He asked carefully, "What¡¯s wrong? The noodles don¡¯t taste good?"
A hot tear fell into the bowl.
Tanya suddenly looked up. "There¡¯s something I need to tell you."
Chapter 401: Do You Like Children?
Chapter 401: Do You Like Children?
Joel saw her grave expression and put down his fork. He stared at her. "What?"
His heart suddenly pounded violently.
He didn¡¯t know what Tanya was going to say, much less what she was thinking... but he suddenly felt that what she was going to say next was very important.
Tanya looked at the man and said impulsively, "We had a..."
The word "child" hovered around her mouth for a moment, but she could not say it.
Joel was stunned. "What?"
He searched his memory hard. They had an agreement? An oath? Or what?
He was afraid that he would anger the girl in front of him if he did not remember.
Tanya opened her mouth.
She suddenly thought of the parents who had been searching for their children overseas.
Some mothers broke down, and some fathers were very calm. However, she had seen them turn around and cry secretly in a corner afterforting their wives.
She suddenly asked, "You love Mia very much, right?"
Joel did not know why she had suddenly changed the topic, but he still followed along and said, "Yes, I love her very much."
He suddenly reached out and held her hand. "I know that I will never let you down in this matter. Her existence is something I cannot control, but her existence makes me feel warm. Tanya, that is a kind of satisfaction from family ties. You understand me, right?"
How could Tanya not understand?
After all, she and Joel were both children whocked love!
Even though Joel was born in the Smiths, his parents did not like him. There was even a time when they thought of abandoning him, making him feel very insecure.
As for Tanya...
After her mother remarried, she lost her home.
When the two of them walked together back then, didn¡¯t it feel like they were hugging each other for warmth?
That was why she was so happy when she gave birth to that little angel and thought that she finally had a family in this world and someone with her blood.
That was why she had searched the entire world for her child like a madman without even having seen the child once.
When Joel saw that she was in a strange mood, he mistakenly thought that Tanya would mind if he mentioned Mia. He thought about it and said, "I know it¡¯s very selfish of me to make you ept Mia, but Tanya, Mia is really a very obedient child. You¡¯ll fall in love with her. Really..."
He was afraid that Tanya would suggest sending the child away.
No matter how much he loved Tanya, he could not do that.
After all, he was a father!
Seeing that he had misunderstood, Tanya waved her hand and said, "That¡¯s not what I meant."
As soon as she said this, Joel heaved a sigh of relief. It was obvious how much he liked Mia.
Tanya asked again, "Do you like children?"
Joel nodded. "Of course. If it was our child, I would like it even more."
These words made Tanya¡¯s heart ache again.
She lowered her head and took a bite of noodles.
The hot noodles slid into her mouth, but she took another bite as if she did not know it was hot.
She ate mouthful after mouthful. When she was done, she looked up.
Joel probed, "What did you say we have?"
Tanya took out a tissue and wiped her mouth before replying, "It¡¯s nothing."
Joel immediately tried to recall any vow the two had made. However, after thinking for a while, he still could not remember it.
After he ate the noodles, Tanya took his bowl and washed it in the kitchen. Then, she said, "It¡¯s gettingte, you should go back."
Joel: "..."
He actually did not want to leave tonight, but since Tanya had said so, if he insisted on staying, it would only make Tanya feel annoyed.
At the thought of this, Joel decided that he had to take things slow and not get things done in one go.
He took out his car keys and walked slowly to the door. "Good night."
"Good night."
Tanya replied softly in the kitchen.
She heard Joel walk to the door and stand there for a long time. Finally, he pushed the door open. When she heard the door close with a bang, she turned off the tap.
She stood in the kitchen for a long time before walking out.
Looking at the neat apron hanging in the living room, she thought of Joel¡¯s OCD personality and couldn¡¯t help but lower her eyes.
She sighed heavily and went upstairs.
Shey on the sofa and quietly stared at the night sky.
She did not know where her child was in the world right now, if he was hungry, or if he had any clothes to wear. She did not know how long she was thinking when her phone suddenly rang.
She picked it up and took a look. It was a call from Hiry.
She picked up the call and Hiry¡¯s calm voice was heard. "Are you two still together?"
Tanya sneered and said softly, "Yes, he¡¯s taking a shower. Why?"
"You¡¯re lying!"
Hiry suddenly smiled and said, "I just called Mia and she said Dad hase home! Tanya, I¡¯m warning you. Stay away from Joel! Even if you seduced him now and he still likes you, Mia is the person he loves the most!"
Tanya clenched her fists.
She lowered her eyes. Before she could say anything, Hiry said, "Mia is everything to him! So what if you two still have feelings for each other? At the end of the night, won¡¯t he still go home obediently and coax the child to sleep? Tanya, if you know what¡¯s good for you, you better leave him!"
Tanya¡¯s voice was very low. "What if I don¡¯t?"
"You don¡¯t? Do you know that everyone outside knows that he and I are engaged and that Mia is our daughter?! Mia¡¯s sake, he won¡¯t even announce our separation to the public. In front of outsiders, I will always be Madam Smith! And you, Tanya, are just one of his lovers! What makes you think your status is enough to make him give up his reputation?"
The Jones.
After Hiry shouted this in anger, she finally felt at ease. She sneered and said, "No matter what, I will always be the wife, and you are just a mistress! Just like it was back then, I¡¯m the daughter of a wealthy family, and you¡¯re just a fake daughter!"
With that, she hung up.
She had been chased out of the Smiths for so long. There were many guesses outside, but because of Mia, the Smiths had never spread the news that they had broken off the engagement.
She wanted to use this matter to agitate Tanya and let her know that she was nothing to Joel!
Any woman would mind this, right?
As she was thinking about this, the doorbell rang.
The servant went to open the door and eximed in surprise, "Mr. Smith?"
Hiry was stunned. She turned around and saw Joel walking in from the door!
It was already sote. Why was he at the Jones¡¯ residence?!
Chapter 402: Is Mia Really Hillary’s Daughter?
Chapter 402: Is Mia Really Hiry¡¯s Daughter?
Hiry recalled that when she called Tanya today, Joel was also there. Later on, he did not pursue the matter, but now, he was here...
Her heart sank, but her face was still filled with smiles as she walked over. "Joel, you¡¯re here..."
When the Joneses heard the servant¡¯s words, they hurriedly walked down from the study upstairs to wee him. "Mr. Smith, what brings you here? If there¡¯s anything you need, you can call us to the Smiths."
Joel was still smiling. His eyes were curved, and when he did not speak, he looked very gentle, like a smiling tiger.
However, Hiry could see the coldness in his eyes.
She swallowed and jolted.
Joel looked at her and slowly said, "I came personally today because I thought that after my engagement with Miss Hiry was broken off, she seemed to have been dishonest."
As soon as he said this, Hiry¡¯s father was stunned. He looked directly at Hiry. "What? When did you guys break off the engagement?"
Joel lowered his eyes and said indifferently, "Why? Didn¡¯t Miss Hiry tell you?"
Hiry had been chased back this time and stayed for a few days now, but she had not mentioned the engagement at all.
Mr. Jones looked at Hiry. "Hiry, what¡¯s going on?
Madam Jones said, "Mr. Smith, did Hiry do something wrong to make you angry? Tell us, we¡¯ll get her to change. How can you suddenly call off the engagement?"
Joel looked at Madam Jones.
To be precise, she was also Tanya¡¯s mother.
Back then, Tanya¡¯s mother had remarried and given birth to Hiry.
Hiry was a year younger than Tanya, but their identities werepletely different.
One was a burden who had been brought along into her marriage with a wealthy family, and the other was a daughter of a wealthy family. Hiry had looked down on Tanya since she was young.
As for Tanya, she had a stubborn personality. After being ndered by Hiry a few times, Madam Jones had determined that Tanya¡¯s personality was naughty and mischievous, like that of her father, who had disappeared. Therefore, she would hit and scold her!
Joel¡¯s attitude toward Madam Jones was distant and cold. He did not bother being polite with her. "Madam Jones, you can discipline her further for her mistakes. Now, we¡¯re talking about breaking off the engagement."
He took out the agreement he had signed with Hiry back then. "In the agreement back then, we said that when Mia turns five, the engagement would be automatically broken off. Now, it¡¯s time."
The Jones parents were stunned. They looked at Hiry in disbelief. "Hiry, you..."
Hiry bit her lip and cried. "Joel, I was wrong. I really know I was wrong. I didn¡¯t go looking for Tanya on purpose. I was just indignant. You chased me out of the Smiths because she suddenly returned, right?"
Tanya?
Madam Jones instantly became even more furious. "What do you mean? Did Tanya cross into your family again? Joel, you can¡¯t treat Hiry like this. Tanya was born to be a bad hooligan!"
As soon as she said this, Joel suddenly reached out and smashed the teacup on the table to the ground!
Smash!
The sound of the teacup shattering resounded throughout the living room, causing the crying Hiry and Madam Jones, who was scolding Tanya, to stop abruptly.
Everyone looked at Joel in disbelief.
Joel lowered his eyes. "I¡¯ve already contacted the reporters. They will announce that I have broken off my engagement with Miss Hiry tomorrow..."
As soon as he said this, Mr. Jones said, "Mr. Smith, is there no room for change in this matter?"
Joel looked at him and said firmly, "No."
Mr. Jones sighed heavily.
Hiry and Madam Jones still wanted to say something, but Mr. Jones shook his head at them.
The two of them could only shut their mouths.
Mr. Jones began toin. "Mr. Smith, we understand that you don¡¯t like Hiry. We won¡¯t force you. We can break off the engagement, but Mia is her biological daughter. You can¡¯t stop them from meeting."
Hiry and Madam Jones looked at each other.
Yes.
As long as Mia was still around, Hiry could interfere in Joel and Tanya¡¯s lives. As long as she could, Joel and Tanya could forget about living a quiet life!
Hiry clenched her fists tightly. She was already thinking that if Mia fell ill in the future, she would definitely have to stay with the Smiths and take care of her.
If Mia was hurt, she would definitely ask Tanya why she abused her child!
As she was thinking about her future ns, Joel seemed to have seen through her thoughts and said directly, "Yes, I won¡¯t stop them from meeting. Every six months, I¡¯ll send Mia overseas to meet with Miss Hiry."
Mr. Jones was stunned.
Hiry was stunned. "Go overseas? You don¡¯t have to go overseas. I¡¯m just in the country... You don¡¯t have to send Mia anywhere. I can just meet her at the Smiths..."
However, the moment she said this, she heard Joel say, "After our engagement is broken off, you¡¯ll be in a bad mood, and will go overseas for a vacation. You won¡¯t ept our financial support and will travel for five years. After five years, you can return to the country."
Mr. Jones was stunned. "She won¡¯t ept financial support? Then how is she going to live?"
Joel nced at Mr. Jones and said casually, "Aren¡¯t so many international students still alive?"
Madam Jones shouted angrily, "No! Hiry has never suffered like this in her entire life! She can¡¯t go overseas!"
She had never suffered before, but Tanya could suffer?
Joel had investigated before. Tanya did not have any living expenses overseas. Everything was earned by working part-time!
His attitude was still very calm, and there was even a smile on his face. He looked directly at Mr. Jones. "President Jones, is the coboration between the Joneses and Smiths going well?"
Mr. Jones: !!!
He immediately understood that Joel was threatening him!
If they did not send Hiry away, the Smiths would terminate all cooperation with the Joneses!
The Joneses had been prospering these years because they had relied on the Smiths. After leaving the Smiths... Joel would definitely let everyone in New York know that the Joneses had offended him.
At that time, even without Joel personally making a move, someone might help him deal with the Joneses!
He gulped and hurriedly stood up. "I understand what you mean, Mr. Smith. I¡¯ll handle Hiry¡¯s matters here. She¡¯ll go overseas."
Joel stood up. "It¡¯s good that Mr. Jones understands. I¡¯ll leave, then."
He did not even look at Hiry as he left the house.
Hiry was stunned on the spot.
Five years...
Another five years!
Tanya had been overseas for more than five years!
Hiry understood. Joel had arranged everything for her!
He was going to send her overseas for five years to help Tanya vent her anger!
She roared, "Joel! I gave birth to Mia for you! How can you treat me like this?!"
Joel stopped in his tracks and turned to look at her. "If you hadn¡¯t given birth to Mia, do you think you would have had the chance to go overseas?"
Upon hearing this, Hiry jolted.
She swallowed.
Mia was her protective charm!
¡ª
At the Smiths.
After Nora finished showering, she walked out and saw Pete standing there, looking at her seriously. "Mommy, we¡¯re going to the amusement park to y tomorrow. Can we bring Mia along?"
Nora asked, "Why?"
Pete said, "I didn¡¯t even know it was Mia¡¯s birthday yesterday. I didn¡¯t give her a gift either. I want to take her out to y tomorrow."
Birthday?
Nora was stunned.
She remembered clearly that Tanya¡¯s child¡¯s birthday was five days ago.
Mia was only five days away from that child¡¯s birthday...
Was this... a coincidence?
She narrowed her eyes.
Was Mia really Hiry¡¯s daughter?
Chapter 403: Nora’s Suspicion
Chapter 403: Nora¡¯s Suspicion
The reason why Nora knew about the birthday of the children was that on that day every year, Tanya would be in low spirits.
When she was overseas, no matter where Nora was, she would always be by Tanya¡¯s side on this day.
The two of them did nothing. Nora would sleep while Tanya would be in the room, dancing to the birthday gift she had bought long ago.
Usually, when she woke up, Tanya would be covered in sweat, but she would not feel tired. If she continued like this, she would eventually copse.
Every year, she would fall seriously ill.
It was as if she wanted to use this method to vent her longing for her child for the next year.
Therefore, Nora remembered her child¡¯s birthday very clearly.
She couldn¡¯t help but doubt Mia¡¯s identity.
Tanya¡¯s child and Mia were both Joel¡¯s children. Furthermore, they were only five days apart...
She narrowed her eyes and began to think about the rtionship between Mia and Tanya...
"Mommy, can I?"
Pete¡¯s words interrupted Nora¡¯s thoughts.
She looked at him and nodded. "Alright, I¡¯ll ask your uncle when hees back."
If she took Mia out to y, she would definitely ask Joel.
With that, she yawned loudly and turned to walk to the bed. "It¡¯s already sote. Why isn¡¯t he back yet? I¡¯ll lie down and wait for him!"
Pete: "..."
As expected, half an hourter, there were uniform breathing sounds on the bed.
Pete sighed helplessly and put down the pen in his hand.
He walked to the bed and gently covered Nora with the nket. Then, he went out and downstairs to sit on the sofa in the living room.
When Joel returned home, this was the scene he saw.
Pete was clearly sleepy and anxious. His little head was nodding off, but he had still forced himself not to sleep.
Joel looked at the time. It was already 11 PM. He walked over and asked, "What¡¯s wrong?"
Pete woke up suddenly and said excitedly, "Uncle, you¡¯re finally back!"
He jumped off the sofa and looked at Joel. "Tomorrow, Dad and Mom will take me and Cherry... to the amusement park. I want to bring Mia along, okay?"
Joel looked at him and touched his head. After some thought, he said, "Okay."
Pete heaved a sigh of relief.
Joel bent down and picked him up before carrying him upstairs.
After taking him to the bedroom, he asked, "Where¡¯s your mother?"
Pete said helplessly, "Mommy said that she would lie down and wait for you toe back to ask you. In the end, she fell asleep..."
Joel: "..."
Joel brought Pete to his room and watched him shower and change into his pajamas. Then, he sent Pete to Nora¡¯s bedroom.
He watched as he tiptoed in and returned to the bedroom in relief.
At the same time, he could not help but think that Nora was such a worry-free mother. Be it with Cherry or Pete, they were both so sensible and independent.
After returning to his room, he washed up andy on the bed. He took out his phone and opened Tanya¡¯s Facebook.
Her profile picture was of a mature grape.
Joel stared at his phone screen for a long time, not knowing what to send her. Just as he was in a daze, he suddenly saw the words "Typing..." on the dialog box.
Joel was instantly delighted.
What was Tanya going to say to him?
However, after waiting for more than ten minutes, she did not say anything.
Joel couldn¡¯t help but send a message: "?"
Tanya replied: "?"
Joel: "Where¡¯s the smallposition?"
Tanya: "What smallposition?"
Joel smiled and typed: "You¡¯ve been typing for almost twenty minutes. You should have written a smallposition with 800 words by now? Where is it?"
Tanya: "!!!"
Tanya: "I wasn¡¯t sending you a message!"
Tanya: "You¡¯re mistaken!"
Tanya: "Oh, I was watching television and identally opened your chat window."
Seeing that she was not being honest, Joel continued to type with a smile. "What are you watching?"
Tanya: "A show on FOX TV."
Joel: "Is it Friends? I haven¡¯t seen it in a long time."
Tanya: "Yes."
Joelughed again. "But FOX TV is currently ying a melodramatic drama."
Tanya: "..."
Tanya: "Can¡¯t I watch a rey?"
Joel: "Alright, you can watch whatever you want. Whatever you say is right."
After these words were sent, the two of them paused for a moment.
Joel suddenly recalled when he and Tanya were still in high school.
At that time, they once had a disagreement over a small matter. As for the specific reason, he could not remember it clearly. However, Tanya¡¯s eyes were red from crying as she roared at him, "Do you even know how to be a boyfriend? Don¡¯t you know that a girlfriend is always right no matter what she does? You¡¯re such a serious person. Other than me, no one else will want you!"
At that time, they were young and did not know how to cherish each other, much less how to love each other. They had stumbled forward in confusion.
However, he had continued to press forward. It was unlike now where he was restrained and careful in everything he did.
A warm feeling suddenly flowed through Joel¡¯s chest. He sent a message: "I missed you."
Tanya did not reply for a long time.
Joel lowered his eyes and sent another message: "Nora will take Cherry and Pete to the amusement park to y tomorrow. Mia wants to go too. Do you want to go?"
This time, Tanya replied: "I¡¯ll consider it."
Joel chuckled softly. "Yes. How long do you want to consider?"
Tanya replied proudly, "Two minutes."
Joel said dotingly, "Alright."
Two minutester, Joel punctually asked, "Go ahead."
Tanya: "Since you¡¯re begging me, I¡¯ll go."
Joelughed.
¡ª
The next day, when Nora woke up, the sun was high in the sky.
She picked up her phone in a daze and was about to look at the time when she opened her eyes and saw four heads staring at her from her bedside.
Mia and Tanya were on the left, both of them holding their chin.
Cherry and Pete were speechless.
Nora was shocked. "What are you doing?"
Her voice was hoarse.
Tanya: "Waiting for you to wake up so that we can go to the amusement park."
Nora: "?"
Stunned, she looked at her phone and realized that it was already 11 AM.
Nora rubbed her head and sat up. "...Why didn¡¯t you wake me up?"
Tanya looked at Cherry. "You have to ask your little darling about this."
Cherry said, "Mommy, you can¡¯t be disturbed when you¡¯re sleeping!"
Pete said, "Mommy, it¡¯s okay. It¡¯s okay if we y less, but you have to sleep enough."
Nora: "..."
She lifted the nket and went to the bathroom. As she washed her face, she looked at Tanya and Mia in the mirror. She suddenly recalled her suspicions fromst night.
Chapter 404: Mia’s Blood Type?
Chapter 404: Mia¡¯s Blood Type?
Perhaps it was because she was suspicious, Nora kept looking at Tanya and Mia while she changed. The more she looked at them, the more they looked alike.
It seemed like the verification of DNA was imminent.
However, how was she going to take DNA samples without alerting them?
Thinking that she had a whole day to spend with them today, Nora was not anxious. She slowly washed her face and brushed her teeth. She changed into casual clothes and prepared to go downstairs.
Tanya immediately grabbed her. "Justin is downstairs!"
Outsiders called Justin Mr. Hunt or President Hunt, but to Tanya, he was her best friend¡¯s boyfriend and only Justin.
Nora raised her eyebrows and asked, "What¡¯s wrong?"
Tanya pointed at her hair. "Aren¡¯t you going to wash your hair?"
Nora: "?"
She casually nced at the time. "It¡¯s already sote. I¡¯m not washing anymore."
Tanya said in disdain, "You¡¯re on a date, right? Can¡¯t you be more exquisite? I woke up an hour early this morning to dress up!"
Nora thought for a moment. "That¡¯s true."
Then, she turned around and picked up her cap. "That¡¯s good."
Tanya: "..."
Watching Nora go downstairs casually, Tanya seriously suspected that she was not a woman.
She grimaced and waved at the three children. "Let¡¯s go."
Pete and Cherry nodded.
Following behind Nora, Mia was still staring at the identical twins.
When she saw them today, she was shocked!
Pete woke up early in the morning. When he was ying with her, someone at the door said that Justin had brought the Hunts¡¯ youngest son over.
Mia was still a little nervous at that time. She asked Pete, "They all say that the Hunts¡¯ youngest son is very mysterious. He never goes to school and doesn¡¯t y with others. What if he doesn¡¯t like me?"
Pete was stunned.
He didn¡¯t expect Mia to be so sensitive. She hadn¡¯t even met him yet, but she already felt that he wouldn¡¯t like her. Pete said directly, "No, you two will be very good friends."
Mia looked at herself nervously and asked, "Cherry, will he really like me?"
Pete replied, "... Yes, he will."
Mia heaved a sigh of relief.
Then, she saw Justin walking in with Cherry in his arms.
When Cherry entered, she was still wearing a mask and sunsses to prevent anyone from peeking. The young master of the Hunts had always been well protected.
Mia immediately grabbed Pete¡¯s hand nervously. Then, she saw that the Hunts¡¯ youngest son had been ced down by his father.
Then, he skipped over to her and said, "Mia, Sister, I missed you so much~"
With that, Cherry hugged Mia.
Mia: "..."
She was stunned and looked at Cherry in shock. When Cherry saw that she was silent, she took off her sunsses and mask. "Mia, don¡¯t you know Cherry anymore?"
Mia: "???"
She turned to look at Pete in surprise and then at Cherry. Only then did she react. "You, you¡¯re twins!"
Both of them smiled and nodded.
Mia seemed to have realized something as she looked at Pete. "So, Cherry, who turns into a boy, is actually not Cherry. It¡¯s Cherry¡¯s brother!"
Pete extended his hand to her. With a serious expression, he introduced himself. "My name is Peter Hunt."
Mia scratched her head and smiled with her eyes. "Your name sounds nice!"
As soon as she finished speaking, Cherry said, "Brother¡¯s nickname is..."
Before she could finish, Pete interrupted her. "Cherry¡¯s name is Cheryl Smith."
Mia continued to smile. "It sounds good too!"
"I think so too!"
Cherry held Mia¡¯s hand. "Brother and I named ourselves very casually, but Daddy and Mommy really have telepathy. They named us Cherry Pit! Daddy said that Brother and I are the fruits of Mommy and Daddy!"
Mia was enlightened. She smiled at Pete. "So, you¡¯re not Cherry. Your nickname is Pit!"
Pete: "..."
His nickname was not nice. He rarely told others about it. He did not expect his sister to say it so directly.
Sigh! His head hurt.
¡ª
When Nora went downstairs, she stood in the corridor and looked down.
She saw Joel and Justin sitting on the living room sofa. These two men, who could change New York¡¯s economy with just a stomp of their feet, were sitting opposite each other and drinking tea.
When she went out, there was no sound from downstairs.
When she was almost downstairs, Justin suddenly said, "Nora¡¯s temper bes a little bad If she doesn¡¯t sleep enough. Please forgive her."
These words sounded as if Nora was Justin¡¯s possession. Joel suddenly raised his head, his eyes curved into crescents, and he smiled. "She¡¯s my sister. There¡¯s no need to apologize. I have just made Mr. Hunt wait here for such a long time. Nora¡¯s health is not good. Mr. Hunt, you don¡¯t mind, right?"
Justin: "..."
There was a hint of coldness in his deep eyes, and the mole at the corner of his eye looked a little enchanting. He suddenly said, "I definitely don¡¯t mind. After all, Nora¡¯s health deteriorated because she gave birth to my children. I wonder if Nora is used to sleeping on the Smiths¡¯ bed?"
Joel: "!!!"
These words implied that Nora had not grown up in the Smiths.
He lowered his eyes and gently ced the teacup down. Still smiling, he said, "She probably slept well. After all, she¡¯s at home. Mr. Hunt, you probably don¡¯t know yet, right? Nora is Uncle Ian¡¯s biological daughter, and she¡¯s also the only daughter of the Smiths¡¯ direct line of descent."
He deliberately emphasized the word "at home" and emphasized the eldest daughter of the direct line. Then, he said jokingly, "If she didn¡¯t have an engagement with Mr. Hunt, I¡¯m afraid the other men in New York would have been chased out by Uncle Ian when they came to propose marriage!"
Justin: "..."
He had almost forgotten that the person in front of him was his brother-inw!
Offending him would make his marriage difficult.
At the thought of this, Justin took the initiative to pick up the teapot and pour a cup of tea for Joel.
Looking at his lowered head, Joel was extremely satisfied.
The two men were both heads of the two top families in New York. Neither of them was convinced by the other. Even though the twopanies had worked together before, they had never lowered their heads.
Now, this man was willing to lower his head for Nora. It seemed like he was being sincere.
A cup of tea made the two men lose their hostility. At this moment, they finally heard footsteps. The two of them turned their heads and saw Nora walking down.
She coughed. "Did I make you two wait for long?"
"No."
"No."
The two men said dotingly.
Nora: "..."
She suddenly looked at Joel and asked, "By the way, Joel, what¡¯s Mia¡¯s blood type?"
Chapter 405: Your Daughter Looks So Much Like You!
Chapter 405: Your Daughter Looks So Much Like You!
Joel did not understand why she would suddenly ask this, but he still said, "Type A."
Tanya was also an A.
Nora narrowed her eyes and asked again, "What about Hiry?"
Hearing her mention Hiry, Joel subconsciously looked at Tanya, who was following behind her. Seeing that Tanya was indeed frowning and seemed a little unhappy, Joel carefully replied, "Type AB."
"Okay."
Nora replied, but she was guessing in her heart. Joel had Type O blood while Hiry had Type AB blood. Therefore, there was a chance that Mia had Type A blood.
From this, she could not confirm her guess.
Indeed, she still had to do a DNA test.
With this in mind, she nced at Tanya.
She did not tell Tanya about this immediately.
After all, over the years, they had been looking for her child together. She knew that it was devastating for any hope to be destroyed.
When she did the DNA report, if Mia was not Tanya¡¯s child, she would not mention it at all. However, if she was Tanya¡¯s daughter, everything would be fine.
With this thought in mind, she asked, "Shall we set off?"
"There¡¯s no rush."
Before Joel could speak, Justin said slowly, "Eat something before you leave. You¡¯ve slept for so long. You should avoid getting low blood sugar."
Everyone was speechless.
Nora casually picked up a piece of chocte. "No need. Let¡¯s go."
Nora was a little embarrassed to have the three children and three adults wait for her here.
Actually, she had set an rm before she went to bedst night. After all, she was going out with them today. Thinking of this, she took out her phone and was about to see why the rm didn¡¯t ring when she heard Pete say, "Mommy, the tyrant... Daddy asked me to turn off your rm. He said that you¡¯ll only have the energy to y after you sleep enough."
"...Okay."
Nora¡¯s lips twitched. She really could not be med.
There were too many people in the group, so everyone got into the huge van that the Hunts had driven over.
The van had three rows of seats. The mostfortable seats were definitely the two single chairs in the second row. The third and fourth rows fit the adults and their children well.
Joel nced at Tanya and pointed at the single seat in the second row. "Sit here."
Mia was Joel¡¯s daughter. He was already very happy that Tanya could go out with them. He definitely wouldn¡¯t trouble Tanya to help take care of Mia.
Tanya nodded.
Then, Justin pointed at the single seat in the second row and said to Nora, "Sit here too."
He brought Pete and Cherry to sit at the back.
Therefore... a strange arrangement was made.
The two all-powerful men in New York had given up their seats for the two women, but they were sitting at the back as full-time nannies.
When the driver saw this, he was frightened.
He had never seen Mr. Hunt sitting in the back row! That was reserved for assistants and bodyguards!
Then, he looked at the two women sitting in the second row... After Nora got into the car, she ate a mouthful of chocte sleepily and leaned against the window, looking very rxed.
Tanya did not feel that there was anything wrong with sitting there like this. She also did not feel that there was anything wrong with letting the two men look after the children. She was still whispering to Nora.
The driver was speechless.
The corners of his mouth twitched. He did not expect Mr. Hunt and Mr. Smith to spoil their girlfriends so much!
The car started and drove to the amusement park.
Tanya and Nora were whispering about what they were going to yter. The two men in the backseat were also chatting harmoniously.
Joel asked, "Pete¡¯s identity and appearance have always been kept a secret. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going to the amusement park today with a mask on?"
"There¡¯s no need," Justin said. "The amusement park was cleared today."
Only then did Joel suddenly realize that the Hunts owned thergest amusement park in New York!
He nodded. "Yes, we won¡¯t be disturbed like this."
He asked mischievously, "But Mr. Hunt, you didn¡¯t bring your 18 bodyguards with you today? That¡¯s not your style."
Justin smiled brightly, and the mole at the corner of his eye shone. His words had a hint of submission. "They¡¯re hiding in the dark. After all, we have two children with us. No one can take the risk lest there be an ident. Mr. Smith, you understand, right?"
With that, he looked behind the car. "After all, there are already seven or eight people in the two cars behind us, right?"
Joel said slowly, "I¡¯m not afraid of anything. It¡¯s improbable for there to be any big scene outside. These seven or eight people are all here to protect Nora."
His meaning was clear. Nora had a high status in the Smiths!
The group went straight to the amusement park. Justin seemed to have long known that Nora would not be able to get up on time, so the van stopped at the restaurant inside the amusement park.
Justin exined, "Let¡¯s have lunch first before we go to y."
Joel replied, "That¡¯s what I was thinking."
Nora had not eaten breakfast. Moreover, it was already noon. How could she not eat?
The group entered the restaurant.
The amusement park was cleared of people, and there were no tourists in the restaurant either. They watched the amusement park facilities outside as they ate in the lobby.
When the food arrived, Nora subconsciously picked up her chopsticks and nned to eat in big bites, but Justin stopped her.
He said, "Eat slowly."
Nora was about to retort when Justin spoke again. "Be a good role model for the children."
Nora felt that it was really troublesome. However, when she met the gazes of the three children, she could only say, "...Alright."
After lunch, they went to the amusement park.
There was no need to queue up. They could do whatever they wanted.
Nora liked exciting things. She went on roller coasters, trapezes, and other thrilling rides. Cherry, Pete, and Justin apanied her throughout.
However, Mia was timid and did not dare to y.
Tanya saw that she was too timid to reject and said, "I¡¯m afraid of heights, so I won¡¯t y. Mia, will you apany me?"
Mia heaved a sigh of relief and immediately held Tanya¡¯s hand tightly. "Okay."
So, the people split into two groups to y.
Watching Tanya and Mia leave, Nora suddenly said to Pete, "Pete, I¡¯ll give you a mission."
Pete asked in confusion, "What?"
Nora said, "Find an opportunity to help me collect some of Mia¡¯s DNA samples."
Pete did not ask why and directly replied, "No problem."
On the other hand, Tanya had brought Mia to the carousel. Joel also apanied them. After the three of them got on the carousel, the staff beside them raised their cameras and took photos of them.
"Mr. Smith, Mrs. Smith, look over here!"
"Mrs. Smith, please hug your daughter!"
Daughter?
Tanya was stunned. She looked down at Mia in her arms and was about to exin when the staff looked at the camera and sighed. "Mrs. Smith, your daughter really looks like you!"
Chapter 406: DNA Sample
Chapter 406: DNA Sample
After the staff finished speaking, Mia reached out and grabbed her clothes. She asked timidly, "Ms. Turner, is this okay?"
Tanya looked at her. For some reason, she did not exin. She just smiled. "...Okay."
Mia was excited to see that she didn¡¯t reject her.
Joel stared at them from the side. His eyes were calm, but the smile in his eyes was more warm and sincere than before.
Snap!
A photo of the family of three was taken. The staff took the photo and stood up, handing it over.
On the carousel, Tanya sat in front with Mia in her arms while Joel sat in the back. The three of them looked very beautiful.
The staff said politely, "Mr. Smith, Mrs. Smith, the two of you are so loving. Little Miss Smith is also so cute. Your family of three is really fortunate."
Tanya looked at the staff awkwardly and was about to exin when Joel suddenly took out his wallet and handed some notes to the service staff. "You¡¯re a smooth-talker, feel free to say more."
The service staff took the tip. It was a thick stack and there were at least a few hundred dors. He was instantly delighted and immediately said, "It¡¯s not that I¡¯m a smooth-talker, I¡¯m actually very bad at talking. It¡¯s just that I¡¯m good at telling the truth! Mr. Smith, there¡¯s a bumper car over there. Do you want to bring Mrs. Smith and Little Miss there to y?"
"Yeah."
Joel picked Mia up and held Tanya with his other hand as they walked toward the bumper car.
Tanya followed. She did not even have a chance to exin the entire time and could only ept the title of Mrs. Smith!
They had fun the entire day. Even though they only started in the afternoon, they still yed all the games they wanted until sunset.
At night, the group ate dinner at the amusement park and watched the fireworks performance.
There was no vast crowd. The moment the fireworks bloomed, the three children gathered together and ran across thewn of the viewing area, screaming with amazement.
"Wow!"
"So beautiful!"
"It¡¯s so bright!"
Nora and Justin sat on the ground. When they looked up at the fireworks, Nora was a little stunned.
Actually,ing to the amusement park to y was a very boring thing for her.
No matter how exciting those games were, would they be as thrilling as riding a race car?
She was just apanying the two children to y something boring. Seeing that they were happy, she endured it.
Time was actually the most precious thing to her.
As she spent most of her time sleeping, she preferred to finish all her tasks while she was awake.
However, as she sat there and watched the fireworks rise into the sky, and felt the breathing andpany of the man beside her, she felt for the first time that it did not seem so bad to waste so much time.
On the other side, Joel and Tanya were following behind the three children. As they walked, Joel suddenly reached out and held Tanya¡¯s hand.
Tanya wanted to struggle, but the man¡¯s hand was too warm and she could not break free at all. She gave up and let Joel hold her hand.
The three children ran in front and asionally turned back to see this scene. Cherry widened her eyes and said in disbelief, "God-mom, are you dating Uncle Joel?"
Tanya: "!!"
Her expression instantly turned cold. "Silly Cherry, what are you talking about?!"
Mia was shocked. "Cherry, don¡¯t talk to Ms. Turner like that. She¡¯ll be angry!"
Tanya didn¡¯t expect to have scared Mia. Just as she was about tofort her and tell her that she wasn¡¯t angry, she saw Mia look at Joel. "Daddy, hurry up and kiss Ms. Turner. Kiss her and she¡¯ll be happy!"
Tanya: "!!!"
Her face turned red.
The man beside her chuckled softly, his voice rich and gentle. "Tanya, I only wish for time to stop. How good would it be if we could stay here forever?"
Tanya did not say anything, but Joel suddenly held her hand.
...
Happy days were always short. Soon, it was 8 PM. The sky hadpletely darkened, and they were going home.
Tanya¡¯s home was not in the same direction as the Smiths and Hunts, so they discussed and decided to let Joel take her home.
Mia was brought back by Justin with Pete.
When they separated at the door, Nora suddenly shouted, "Tanya."
Tanya, who was about to get into the car with Joel, stopped and turned to look at her. "What¡¯s wrong?"
Nora stretched out her arm. "Give me a hug?"
Tanya: "???"
The corners of her lips twitched. "It¡¯s not like I won¡¯t see you anymore. Why are you hugging me? Are you crazy? I¡¯m not so affectionate with you!"
Nora did not care. She walked over and hugged her. "Don¡¯t you know that you might have to call me sister-inw the next time we hug?"
Tanya: "!!!"
She turned around angrily and walked back to the car. However, she had only taken a few steps when she held her head with a cry.
Nora shrugged. "I¡¯m sorry... Two strands of your hair were caught on my ring."
The corners of Tanya¡¯s mouth twitched. "I knew I shouldn¡¯t have given you such a pretentious hug. You made me lose two strands of hair!"
Nora retorted, "Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be responsible if you be bald."
Tanya: "Pui, pui, pui! Don¡¯t you know how to talk? I have a lot of hair. How can I be bald?!"
With that, she got into Joel¡¯s car.
After the car left, Nora looked at the hair on her fingers. She raised her eyebrows and took out a bag, carefully putting the hair in it.
As soon as she was done, she met Justin¡¯s teasing eyes. He seemed to have seen through everything as his gaze swept past the hair in her hand before he said, "Nora, I didn¡¯t expect you to be so naughty."
Nora ignored him and ced the bag in her pocket. She lowered her head and gave Pete a look.
Pete nodded and gave her an "okay."
They got into the van and went home.
In the car, Pete suddenly said, "Let¡¯s y a game!"
After ying for the entire day, Mia and Cherry, who were already a little sleepy, looked at him excitedly. "What are we ying?"
Pete took out a cotton bud. "I¡¯m ying house. I¡¯m a doctor."
Cherry secretly said to Mia, "...Pete is so childish~ I stopped ying house when I was three!"
Mia said softly, "But this is the first time Pete has made such a request. Let¡¯s y along, okay? Otherwise, he¡¯ll be unhappy."
Cherry reluctantly said, "Alright!"
Therefore, the three children, who were slightly smarter than ordinary people, began ying house.
Pete said to Mia, "Mia, open your mouth. I want to take your saliva sample~"
Mia opened her mouth cooperatively.
Pete stirred the cotton bud and handed it to Nora. "It¡¯s done!"
Chapter 407: Working Overtime To Do The DNA Test!
Chapter 407: Working Overtime To Do The DNA Test!
Nora took it from him naturally. Then, she took out a small stic bag, ced it inside, and put the bag into her pocket.
When taking DNA samples, one must rub the cotton tip in the subject¡¯s mouth with a bit of force in order to get the oral mucosa.
Therefore, it would feel a little ufortable.
However, the kind Mia endured the difort without saying anything and yed along with the game.
After the DNA sample was sessfully retrieved, Cherry, in an attempt to y along with Pete¡¯s game, said, "It¡¯s my turn now, Pete!"
Pete: "..."
He nced at Cherry disdainfully and said, "Don¡¯t you find this very childish? Let¡¯s not y this game anymore. Of course, if you really have to, I don¡¯t mind ying along."
Cherry: "???"
She shut up and took out her phone. "I still find mobile games more fun, after all."
"..."
While the children were talking, Justin, seemed to have realized what Nora was doing. He went to Nora and asked softly, "Are you suspecting that Mia may be Tanya¡¯s daughter?"
Nora nodded. "Tanya gave birth to a baby five years ago, but she lost the child."
Something clicked in Justin¡¯s head and he asked, "Do you need me to look into it for you?"
Nora thought for a moment. "Alright."
She didn¡¯t have enough manpower. Besides, it was not her forte, either. She and Tanya didn¡¯t know each other before five years ago. The two had met while looking for their children.
With Justin¡¯s help, the investigation might progress faster.
Justin suddenly asked, "Do I get any reward if I help out?"
"..."
Nora stared at the man¡¯s visage right in front of her. Even after being out for a day, the man still looked clean and refreshed, and didn¡¯t look greasy at all. In particr, in the dim lighting in the car, the man¡¯s face even seemed like it had a veil of light over it.
Nora suddenly withdrew her gaze, and her throat moved a little.
If she continued looking at him any further, she felt like she might not be able to stop herself from kissing him.
She coughed and replied, "Forget it, then. You don¡¯t have to help me."
Justin: "..."
¡ª
Joel took Tanya back to the vi in the suburbs.
The vi was a little far, so it was already half-past nine by the time they reached the suburbs.
As soon as the car stopped, Tanya got out of the car. She waved at Joel and said, "Bye!"
"... Aren¡¯t you going to invite me in for a ss of water?" asked Joel.
Tanya blinked.
She simply knew Joel too well. Asking for a drink was just an excuse. She picked up a bottle of mineral water and handed it to him instead.
The thick-skinned Joel said, "Oh, my bad. Can I use the bathroom?"
Tanya: "..."
She couldn¡¯t refuse anymore!
Surely she couldn¡¯t make him hold it in for over an hour, right?
Joel got out of the car casually and followed her into the house. Tanya couldn¡¯t help butin, "You obviously went to the toilet before we left the amusement park!"
Without batting an eyelid, Joel replied, "Yeah. My kidneys aren¡¯t so good."
"..."
However, Joel didn¡¯t go to the bathroom after he entered the vi. Instead, he pulled Tanya to the sofa and sat there. Before Tanya could say anything, he leaned in and pushed her down.
Tanya had already realized what he was intending to do the moment he grabbed her. They could feel each other¡¯s breath on their faces at this moment. Tanya was so nervous that her throat went dry. She asked coquettishly, "What are you doing?"
"I¡¯ve already held myself back for a whole day," replied Joel.
Tanya: "?"
Joel said, "I¡¯ve been wanting to kiss you since I saw you at nine o¡¯clock this morning."
Tanya¡¯s cheeks turned even redder.
However, the next moment, he asked quietly, "Tanya, will you marry me?"
Tanya was about to reply when he went on. "Are you willing to be Mia¡¯s mom?"
The bashful look on Tanya¡¯s face froze, and her heart suddenly went cold.
¡¯Mom¡¯...
Her child was still missing, yet she was enjoying bliss and happiness... She wasn¡¯t worthy of having such happiness!
The thought made her suddenly push Joel away. All her shyness from just now disappeared. She looked at him in a panic and said, "I... I need to give it some thought. Why don¡¯t you go for now?"
The suggestive atmosphere disappeared instantly.
Joel knew that it was because he had been too impatient. Even if he wanted Tanya to ept Mia, he had to persuade her bit by bit. He shouldn¡¯t have mentioned that just now.
After all, asking someone to be their child¡¯s stepmother was very impolite behavior.
He lowered his gaze. After spending the day together, he¡¯d thought that Tanya was indeed fond of Mia. That was why he had brought it up.
He nodded, neatened his clothes, and walked out of the house.
As she looked at how lonely he looked from the back, Tanya wanted to exin and tell him that it wasn¡¯t because she disliked Mia. She just... felt that she was not worthy of being happy. However, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to say it.
¡ª
Elsewhere, Justin took the rest of them back to the Smiths¡¯ manor. Cherry was a little reluctant to part with Nora.
Although Nora was always disciplining her¡ªunlike her father who spoiled her and let her do whatever she wanted¡ªCherry still missed her Mommy.
However!
Cherry was very sensible. She knew that her brother needed Mommy more because he hadn¡¯t recovered from his illness yet! Thus, no matter how much she missed her mother, she had to go with her father.
Cherry hugged Nora¡¯s leg and said, "Mommy, I will miss you!"
Sensing how clingy her daughter was being, Nora squatted down and gave her a kiss on her forehead. "You cane whenever you want to see me."
Cherry nodded at once. Only then did she walk over reluctantly to Justin.
Justin reached his arms out toward Nora and suggested, "How about a goodnight hug for the two of us, too?"
Nora rolled her eyes at him. She wanted to refuse, but when she met the man¡¯s bottomless and aggrieved eyes, the words at the tip of her tongue did a U-turn. In the end, the resigned woman stepped forward and gave him a hug.
The man put his arms around her shoulders and hugged her a little tighter as if he wanted to embed her into himself.
His low voice rang out beside her ear. "Goodnight."
Nora pushed him away without saying anything.
Justin then took Cherry into the car and left the Smiths¡¯.
After the car left, Nora finally whispered, "Tsk. Goodnight."
She then held Pete¡¯s hand in one hand and Mia¡¯s in the other and led them into the living room.
Mia¡¯s nanny was waiting for her in the living room. When she saw her, she took her hand, took her back to her bedroom, and got ready to clean her up and tuck her in bed.
Nora took Pete upstairs.
As soon as she arrived upstairs, the door to the guest room Lily was staying in opened. Lily was wearing pajamas and looked like she had just finished taking a shower, and was drying her hair with a towel. She said, "You¡¯re back, Anti."
Nora paused and looked at her. "Are you done with work?"
"Yeah."
Lily had been busy ever since she returned to the States. She hadn¡¯t even returned to the manor for quite a few days. She had finally finished her work that day and had just reached home and taken a shower. She was nning to have a good night¡¯s sleepter.
Unexpectedly, Nora took out two familiar-looking bags from her pocket the next moment.
Lily: "!!!"
The corners of her lips spasmed as she said, "Boss, this is exploitation. You know that, right?"
Nora coughed. Even she herself knew that she was being a little too much, so she offered, "How does a 20% pay increment sound?"
She paid Lily a very high sry. Her annual sry reached as high as several hundred thousands of dors. A 20% increment would mean at least 150,000 dors!
Lily immediately beamed at her and took the two bags from her. "No problem! Boss, what are you checking for?"
Nora yawned. "Mother-daughter rtionship."
Lily looked at Nora in surprise. "You found yourself another mom, Boss?"
Nora: "..."
Lily also felt that she must be mistaken. She nced at Pete and asked, "You have another daughter? You gave birth to triplets back then?"
Nora: "..."
She coughed and said gently, "Get lost."
"Okie-Dokie! I¡¯ll get changed and work overtime right away! I¡¯ll let you know the results tomorrow morning."
Chapter 408: The Passionate Young Man
Chapter 408: The Passionate Young Man
Lily went back to her room, changed, and went out in a hurry.
She had only just reached the car park and was about to open the car door when she suddenly caught a glimpse of a shadow in the distance. Startled, she eximed, "Ahh! It¡¯s a ghost!"
Quentin: "..."
The corners of his lips spasmed. He walked into the open leisurely and said like the person afflicted with eighth-grader syndrome he was, "You¡¯re calling me a ghost when I was obviously standing there like the live human I am? Are your eyes bad?"
Lily, who was bolder than a lot of girls, took a close look at Quentin, upon which her eyes immediately lit up. She asked, "... Who are you? Why did you be a thief when you¡¯re so good-looking? Why aren¡¯t you being a good person instead? This is the Smiths¡¯ manor, you know!"
"... Who do you think you¡¯re calling a thief?" Quentin retorted.
Lily¡¯s eyes widened. The tall girl was not afraid of the man at all. "You, of course! If you are not a thief, then why are you hiding in the shadows so sneakily? I¡¯ll tell you this¡ªI can take out weaklings like you three at a time by myself!"
Quentin: "??"
Who was she calling a goddamn weakling?
There must really be a problem with the woman¡¯s eyes!
He was about to speak when Lily took a good look at Quentin with the help of the car lights. Her eyes immediately brightened and she asked, "Say, why are you straying from the right path when you¡¯re such a good-looking man? Shall I help you out? "
Quentin: "?"
Lily coughed and asked, "Do you have a girlfriend?"
Quentin: "??"
Wasn¡¯t the topic of their conversation changing a little too quickly?
How did they suddenly start talking about whether he had a girlfriend or not?
His brows drew together and he answered, "No, I don¡¯t."
Lily said excitedly, "I don¡¯t have a boyfriend, either!"
Quentin: "..."
The corners of his lips spasmed as Lily asked, "Do you earn a lot from stealing?"
Quentin: "??"
"It definitely isn¡¯t a lot, right? How about this, why don¡¯t you date me? I can give you money and a ce to live in. I can even buy you a house in New York. I have an annual sry of hundreds of thousands of dors! That¡¯s nearly a million dors, you know!"
Quentin: "!!!!"
The corners of his lips spasmed again. He felt a little like the conversation was getting more and more far-fetched.
Was she hitting on him???
He stared at Lily. If she weren¡¯t Big Sister¡¯s assistant, Quentin would have punched her and given her a taste of his martial arts prowess a long time ago!
He sneered, "Do you think I would be tempted by that bit of money you have?"
Lily thought for a moment. "Well, that¡¯s true. Someone like you who specializes in stealing from wealthy families must be a master thief, right? I guess that bit of money I have won¡¯t attract you, after all. By the way, I¡¯m a doctor. If you get beaten up during a heist, you cane to me. Of course, if you ever decide to pull back and repent, and don¡¯t feel like working hard anymore, you cane to me then too~~"
Lily took out a business card from her pocket. When she looked back up to pass it to Quentin, the man was already gone!
Lily: "?"
He ran away so quickly?
What a shame! He was so handsome!
Lily sighed and got into her car.
¡ª
Quentin was someone who belonged in the shadows.
Apart from a few of the Smiths, very few outsiders knew of him, even fewer had ever met him. Therefore, Lily had never seen Quentin before, despite having lived in the Smiths¡¯ manor for so long.
Quentin entered the living room. As he watched Lily drive off, he couldn¡¯t help but hold his forehead.
Never mind that his cousin was a weirdo... uh, a genius, but why was everyone around her also so weird?
The corners of his lips spasmed a little. It was at this moment that his cell phone vibrated. He took it out and saw that Nora had sent him a screenshot of a chat.
On the screenshot was a message that Lily had sent to Nora: "Boss, a thief just went into the Smiths¡¯ manor. By the way, if he gets caught, can you avoid hitting his face? He¡¯s pretty handsome, and he¡¯s my type. It¡¯d be a real shame if anything happens to his face!"
After sending him the screenshot, Nora also sent him a question mark.
Quentin: "!!!"
Quentin was livid!
How could he possibly be a thief?! How could an inferior creature like a thief possibly be worthy of his position as the ruler of the secret forces?!
His cousin¡¯s assistant was simply too much!
¡ª
Nora had received the message from Lily shortly after she brought Pete into the bedroom. When she saw her describe the thief as a very handsome man, and thought of how infatuated Lily had looked while looking at photos of young male celebrities in the past; she immediately knew that the ¡¯thief¡¯ she was talking about was Quentin.
Lily had gone out too suddenly. Quentin had probably been in the car park, so the two of them must have bumped into each other.
After forwarding the screenshot to Quentin, she went to take a shower.
A short whileter, she heard a light knock on the door. The person knocking on the door seemed very cautious.
Nora yawned and opened the door. It was Quentin. He asked sneakily, "Nora, are you going to the arena?"
Nora: "?"
She asked in surprise, "Didn¡¯t we already ask for a day off yesterday?"
She was taking her kids to the amusement park, so she had informed the arena¡¯s staff the day before that they wouldn¡¯t bepeting in any matches that day.
Quentin replied, "But Victor and the others have matches today. As they say, know the enemy, know thyself, and you will fight a hundred battles with no danger of defeat!"
Nora yawned again and said sleepily, "You¡¯re right."
Quentin was overjoyed. When he was about to say "Let¡¯s go", Nora pped down hard on his shoulder and said, "Therefore, I¡¯m leaving this arduous task to you! Only after you know the enemy inside out can you lead the two of us weaklings to beat them!"
Quentin: "!!!"
His lip corners couldn¡¯t help but spasm. "Nora, if I recall correctly, you fell asleep at tenst night and only woke up at eleven this morning. You slept for a whole thirteen hours..."
Nora was surprised. "Really? In that case, I did indeed sleep an hour longer than usual."
She yawned again.
For some reason, she had been feeling unusually sleepytely.
Quentin: "..."
His lip corners spasmed again. "Alright, I¡¯ll go!"
There was no other way. Among the three-man team, one was there just to make up the numbers while the other was Big Sister, who didn¡¯t like to bother about such things. As such, the arduous task could only be entrusted to him now!
Quentin went to the underground tournament arena. The masked man walked around inside. After saying hi to Linda, he sat in the VIP dining area to watch the match.
There were three people on Victor¡¯s team.
They were already challenging ss E teams tonight.
However, they defeated their opponents in just ten minutes.
The emcee kept silent for a moment before he finally announced with displeasure, "Team Americans Are Ipetent wins!"
None of the spectators apuded or cheered.
Victor and his teammates stood in the ring and shouted arrogantly, "Is there no team that can fight in the USA?"
The people at the bottom of the ring shouted one after another:
"What are you being so arrogant about? You¡¯ll be up against Team Third In The World tomorrow! Victor, have you already forgotten how No. 028 sent you flying with a kick?"
"Hahaha, exactly!"
"Team Third In The World! Team Third In The World!"
These two powerful teams had shone the brightest in the tournament this year. Even though the two teams looked equally matched, everyone had ced their hopes in Team Third In The World.
Upon the audience calling out his team¡¯s name, Quentin suddenly stood up in the crowd. With a sharp look in his eyes, he stared at the stage. Then, he pointed his middle finger at Victor and the other two in the ring!
Chapter 409: The DNA Test Results Are Out!
Chapter 409: The DNA Test Results Are Out!
The action was full of contempt.
Quentin¡¯s actions made everyone excited.
Everyone jumped onto their feet and pointed their middle fingers at the ring.
The audience came from all walks of life, but all of them were already part of the working society. Some of them were fathers, while some were mothers. All of their youthful passion had long been erased by society.
It was so difficult to even hold the tournament itself. Additionally, from the way how Nora had defeated all her opponents with just a single move in the beginning, one could easily see that the contestants in the martial arts tournament didn¡¯t actually have any real substance or skill.
In the current age of material desires, martial arts might already have be a thing of the past a long time ago.
No one wanted to practice and train hard from a young age just for the sake of such a martial arts tournament. That was why the Quinn School of Martial Arts and the Irvin School of Martial Arts had such a high status in the pugilistic world¡ªbecause they were the only two sects who had financial support. Not only did they not charge any tuition fees for practicing martial arts, but they even provided financial subsidies and wages to support the disciples and give them confidence in training.
Big Brother and Big Sister had, therefore, be these martial arts practitioners¡¯ faith.
Now, everyone¡¯s thirst for blood was aroused in this instant.
It was as if those days when they were still young and cocky were right before their eyes.
Everyone¡¯s eyes were fixed on the ring. All their indignation and humiliation from being insulted just now was gone, and only confidence and passion remained in this instant.
They firmly believed that the USA¡¯s martial arts would definitely beat the Benevolence Hall!
When Victor and the other two saw this, all of them frowned.
They, who were originally the victors, seemed to lose their momentum, and they got out of the ring pathetically.
"Get off the ring! You traitor!!"
"A treasonous traitor like you cannot live well for long!"
"A mere boxing champion actually dares toe here and provoke us? Team Third In The World will teach you how to behave!"
Amidst everyone¡¯s shouts, Quentin looked at Victor and the other two from the back, his expression turning serious.
From observing the match just now, he realized that Victor and his teammates had be stronger again.
Given how strong they were, unless Big Brother joined his team, with just him and Big Sister, they might not actually be able to win.
With that in mind, Quentin lowered his head, picked up his cell phone, and sent a text message to Nora: ¡¯Nora, Victor and his teammates have be stronger again. Why don¡¯t we cooperate with Big Brother?¡¯
After sending the message, he continued typing: ¡¯They were simply too arrogant just now. We must kick their a*ses tomorrow night!¡¯
After sending the message, he looked around. Seeing that there wasn¡¯t anything else happening anymore, he got ready to go home.
Suddenly, he received a text message: ¡¯Boss, someone is investigating Ms. Nora again.¡¯
The message was from someone in the Smiths¡¯ secret forces.
Quentin¡¯s participation in the tournament was his private affairs, so he hadn¡¯t brought them with him.
Quentin had instructed the Smiths¡¯ secret forces to keep an eye on Nora and protect her during this recent period of time. They were to report to him immediately if they found any unidentified people looking into her.
He replied: "I¡¯ming over right away."
He had to ensure his cousin¡¯s safety.
It might be Big Sister he was protecting, but it only meant that all the more nobodies like them shouldn¡¯t be bothering her!
After sending the message, he headed to the car park.
¡ª
After Victor and his teammates got off the ring and got into the car, they received a call from Abigail.
"How did it go tonight?" He asked.
Antoine, the bald man, replied, "Piece of cake. It seems like they are very satisfied with Team Third In The World, though, and threatened to have them teach us a lesson tomorrow."
Abigail sneered, "Team Third In The World? The name alone already sounds weak. If they can only take third ce, then isn¡¯t the champion title still ours in the end?"
Antoine burst outughing at once. He looked very confident.
Victor, who was listening to their conversation, couldn¡¯t help but be a wet nket. "That woman in the red dress from Team Third In The World is Big Sister."
His one-liner threw everyone in the car into silence.
Seemingly sensing the others¡¯ silence, Abigail sneered, "Has a mere woman frightened you guys witless? Victor, you have to believe in yourself. You¡¯re definitely a match for her now! Even if Big Brother joins them, the three of you can still beat them!"
Victor lowered his head. "I find that difficult."
Antoine sneered, "What¡¯s the matter with you, Vic? Are you actually putting yourself down at a time like this? No wonder people say that you Americans are ipetent. All of you are so thin and weak. It¡¯s obvious at a nce that none of you can put up a fight!"
Thest person among the team of three was also a foreigner. When he heard what Antoine said, he looked at Victor brazenly and burst outughing. "Hahahaha!"
Victor¡¯s face darkened. "How about a match between you and I, Antoine? I will show you who the strongest in this team is!"
Antoine sneered and said nothing.
Antoine was very strong. His strength was on par with Victor¡¯s. However, Victor fought in a way that threw caution to the wind and disregarded his own safety. How would he possibly dare to fight him?
Besides...
Antoine found himself a fantastic excuse. "We will be up against Team Third In The World tomorrow. We should not be having an internal conflict at a time like this."
Victor wanted to speak, but Abigail interrupted him. "Vic, in your opinion, what are our chances of beating them?"
Victor slowly replied, "70 - 30."
Antoine broke into a grin at once. "That¡¯s more than enough! Victory is pretty much in the bag with a 70% chance of winning."
Victor raised his head. The look in his eyes was cold as he said, "What I meant was, our chances of winning are 30% and 70% theirs."
Antoine narrowed his eyes.
Victor said, "I¡¯m the only one who has fought Big Sister before in the tournament. She isn¡¯t to be underestimated. Moreover, she hadn¡¯t used her full strength when she was beating me up that time. No one knows how strong she really is. Besides, there¡¯s also the crazy Smithin helping her out. The man wearing the ck mask may look useless, but what if he is also a martial arts expert? We may not necessarily be their match!"
His analysis made a lot of sense. Atst, Antoine and Abigail didn¡¯t dare to mock him anymore.
Abigail suddenly asked, "Vic, do you want the third dose of the drug?"
Victor¡¯s head whipped up. "Yes!"
Dim light flickered in the man¡¯s eagle-like eyes. He had to have it!
Abigail said, "Then think of a way to win the match. Or else, you can forget about ever getting the third dose!"
Victor clenched his fists.
He suddenly thought of something and said, "I have a n..."
When he finished, Abigail and Antoine kept quiet for a while. The next moment, Abigailughed and said, "Not bad, you have potential, kid! Do as Vic says!"
¡ª
At the Smiths.
As Nora¡¯s mind was on Lily¡¯s test results, she practically opened her eyes and woke up the very instant Lily¡¯s message came.
Next to her, Pete even nced at her in surprise because she had woken up.
Nora stretched and turned on the phone. Sure enough, she saw the message from Lily: "The test results are out. I¡¯ve emailed them to you."
Chapter 410: Blood For Blood!
Chapter 410: Blood For Blood!
Lily was very fast and efficient.
Nora was about to open her email inbox when violent knocking suddenly came from the door.
Nora was surprised.
Pete slipped out of the bed and ran over to open the door. It was Joel.
A puzzled Pete asked, "What¡¯s the matter, Uncle Joel?"
Joel was aware that Nora was always sleepy, and needed twelve hours of sleep a day. Why would hee over and disturb her rest when it was only seven o¡¯clock in the morning?
Joel asked, "Is your Mommy awake? Can you wake her up? I have something very important to talk to her about."
Nora, who had also realized the urgency of the matter, quickly changed and walked over. "What¡¯s wrong, Joel?"
Joel frowned when he saw her. He asked, "Quentin is missing. Did you ask him to do anything for you?"
Nora¡¯s heart sank.
Atst, she understood why Joel hade over so early in the morning.
A grave look came over her countenance. "I didn¡¯t, but he went to the tournament arenast night."
She picked up her cell phone at this point, upon which she saw the two messages that Quentin had sent her some time past eleven o¡¯clock the previous night. However, the two messages didn¡¯t give her any clues.
She frowned. "Might he be resting somewhere?"
"No."
Joel spoke with certainty. "Quentin¡¯s identity is special. There aren¡¯t many people who know of his existence. Because he onlyes into contact with the people from Smiths¡¯ secret forces, and everything he does is dangerous, he has to report his itinerary to me on time every day. When I didn¡¯t receive his report this morning, I knew at once that something has gone wrong. It was only when I contacted the people from the secret forces that I found out Quentin had already lost contact with themst night!"
The previous night...
Nora wanted to ask more questions, but Joel had turned and gone downstairs. "I¡¯m going to the arena."
Nora did not dare to waste any time. She grabbed the baseball cap hanging at the side and put it on. Then, she took a face mask and followed him downstairs.
A man was standing downstairs respectfully. He looked rtively young, but he had an anxious look on his face at the moment. When he saw Joeling downstairs, he asked anxiously, "Mr. Smith, is there any news about Boss?"
Joel shook his head.
Nora, however, paused slightly. By calling him ¡¯boss¡¯...
He must be Quentin¡¯s subordinate.
She immediately asked, "When did Quentinst contact you?"
The subordinate replied, "At 11 o¡¯clockst night. After I told him that I had something to report to him, Boss said that he woulde over immediately. I waited and waited, he didn¡¯t show up. Where did he go?"
Nora frowned. "Has this ever happened before?"
Joel and the subordinate both replied, "Never!"
Although Quentin looked like he had eighth-grader syndrome, he was actually a very responsible man deep down. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have served the Smiths as a shadow hiding in the dark for so many years.
He handled things carefully and cautiously and had never made any mistake all these years.
But the more that was so, the deeper Nora¡¯s heart sank.
To be honest, she was hoping that Quentin had just irresponsibly gone to an Inte cafe somewhere to have fun, or hidden somewhere to sleep in.
She took a deep breath and exchanged a look with Joel. She said, "Let¡¯s split up and look for him."
Joel nodded.
Nora left the manor and drove straight to the arena. At the same time, she also made a call to the Quinn School of Martial Arts. It was Lucas, the person in charge of the Quinn School of Martial Arts¡¯s general affairs, who picked up. He said, "You¡¯re looking for me this early in the morning, Big Sister? What a rare asion this is..."
But before he could finish, Nora had already interrupted him. She instructed, "Assemble everyone in the Quinn School of Martial Arts andunch a city-wide search for Quentin! Aka Smithin from the tournament!"
Lucas was taken aback. "What happened?"
Nora replied, "I suspect something has happened to him."
Lucas¡¯s voice immediately turned grave. He said promptly and decisively, "Understood."
Lucas then said, "I will also contact the martial arts association and ask their staff to search for him. We also have a lot of people taking part in the tournament. Someone may have seen something..."
"Okay. Let me know if you find out anything. Keep your phone reachable at all times!"
"Understood."
After hanging up, Nora thought for a moment and called Justin.
New York was the Smiths¡¯ and the Hunts¡¯ turf.
Everyone in the Smiths was already out looking for Quentin. If the Hunts also dispatched their men, they would have an even higher chance of finding Quentin.
She wasn¡¯t going to care about whether it would embarrass the Smiths or the Hunts at a time like this!
Justin picked up the call very quickly. He was likely very awake. He didn¡¯t sound as teasing as usual, either. Instead, his voice was low and deep as he asked seriously, "What¡¯s wrong?"
The fact that Nora had woken up so early was indicative that something must have gone wrong.
For some reason, Nora calmed down when she heard his voice. She stared ahead of her and slowly replied, "Quentin is missing."
Justin was undoubtedly one of the few who knew of Quentin¡¯s existence.
Moreover, Justin and Quentin had fought side by side so many times, so he was even more familiar with him than other people.
Justin didn¡¯t say anything unnecessary. He immediately said, "Don¡¯t worry, I will send everyone out to search for him right away."
"Yeah."
After Nora responded, she hesitated for a moment and kept quiet.
Justin asked, "Are you suspecting something?"
Nora nodded, her eyes staring straight ahead of her in a daze. "He went missing at the tournament, but there are far and few there who can beat him in a fight. It¡¯s very likely that he has been abducted by people from the Benevolence Hall."
Upon hearing that, Justin immediately said, "I¡¯ll head to the Benevolence Hall and ask for him!"
"Okay."
At this point, Nora hesitated for a moment before she finally asked hoarsely, "Will... he be alright?"
If the Benevolence Hall wanted the champion title in the tournament, they could just attack any of the members of Team Third In The World when they were alone!
This was what Nora had concluded after analyzing the situation!
She suddenly became a little scared!
She was scared that something would really happen to Quentin...
After all, a whole night had already passed!
When she thought of that, she said, "He asked me to go with him to observe the matchst night, but I didn¡¯t..."
For the first time, she hated the way she needed so much sleep, leading to her not being by his side.
Perhaps because he could sense what she was thinking, Justin said, "The three of us aren¡¯t joined at the hip. There will always be times when we are alone."
Nora knew that, but she simply couldn¡¯t convince herself otherwise.
She stared straight ahead of her, bloodthirsty murderous intent forming in her eyes. "If anything happens to Quentin, I will make the Benevolence Hall pay for it in blood!"
Justin did notfort her. He merely said, "I will do it with you."
Half an hour after all their forces were dispatched.
Nora finally received a call from Justin. "We¡¯ve found him."
His voice was so low that Nora¡¯s heart sank. For some reason, anxiety arose in her.
Her voice was practically trembling as she asked, "Where is he? Is he... still alive?"
Chapter 411: Saving Him!
Chapter 411: Saving Him!
Screeeeech!
Nora drove the jeep like it was a sports car, and rushed to the Hunt Corporation¡¯s Hospital Finest. She went straight to the VIP operating room.
Quentin had been ced on a stretcher and was being carried into the operating room.
Although the man was already 25 years old, perhaps because he had been living in the shadows all year round, he was pale and looked very much like a young teen.
However, the eyes of the man, who was somewhat of an eighth-grader and whose chin was always lifted high, were closed. His long eyshes were covered in crusted blood.
His arms and legs on either side of his body were bent weirdly. It was obvious at first nce that someone had broken his bones.
The man¡¯s chest didn¡¯t move as hey there, as though he wasn¡¯t even breathing anymore.
Nora couldn¡¯t catch her breath at that moment. She slowly came forward.
"He¡¯s still alive."
Justin repeated what he had said on the phone. However, those three words were only a reflection of his current state.
Nora knew without even looking that all the bones in Quentin¡¯s limbs were probably broken. The bloodstains on his chest also indicated that several of his ribs were broken.
The young man merelyy there, but his appearance made the hearts of everyone present break.
Nora¡¯s jaw tensed up. As she took step after step and walked over, she practically shouted, "Who did it?"
Justin said, "We don¡¯t have any evidence."
They all knew very well who had done it, but since Abigail had the guts to do it, it meant that he had already done all the prep work and left no traces.
Nora clenched her fists.
At this point, Joel, who had been informed, also hurried over. When he saw Quentin, murderous intent instantly filled the man¡¯s eyes.
Was the reason why Joel didn¡¯t always bring eighteen bodyguards with him whenever he was out like Justin that he was not in as much danger as Justin?
Of course not!
As the heads of the two biggest families of New York, Joel and Justin were of equally high status and power! He had affected so many people¡¯s sources of ie over the years that one couldn¡¯t even keep count anymore.
People who wanted him dead were everywhere!
The only reason why he could be so rxed despite that was that he had Quentin secretly protecting him!
Quentin was a member of the Smiths¡¯ secret forces, but he was also one of the brothers he trusted the most!
Joel stared hard at him. Then, he suddenly looked at Nora and said, "Save him first. We¡¯ll talkter."
"Yeah."
Given how serious his injuries were, they were fortunate that Nora was here, because ordinary doctors wouldn¡¯t have been able to treat his injuries at all! Nora took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
She tried her best to tell herself to keep calm.
Her hands, which were shaking from fury, slowly regained their steadiness. Her breathing also gradually became even.
Two minutester, she finally opened her eyes suddenly and said straight to Joel, "Tell my medical team toe here right away!"
Only the most professional personnel could treat injuries as serious as Quentin¡¯s!
Quentin took top priority now!
Joel nodded.
Nora had already taken the lead and entered the operating room.
Quentin¡¯s bones all over his body were broken, and he was severelyatose. If they didn¡¯t fix his joints and clear the congested blood in his chest in time, Quentin¡¯s life would be at risk!
In the operating room.
When Lily entered, she saw her stony-faced boss operating on the patient seriously.
On the ECG monitor at the side, the patient¡¯s heart rate had already dropped to 40... 38... The ECG was sending out warning beeps.
"The patient¡¯s heart rate is decreasing!"
The insensible young nurse at the side eximed.
However, they couldn¡¯t perform CPR on Quentin because his ribs were broken! If they applied any more pressure there, the broken bones might pierce straight through his heart!
"It¡¯s hopeless..."
The doctor at the side murmured.
Lily was also astonished. He was the most seriously injured patient she had ever seen. He looked as if he had been run over by a truck. There probably wasn¡¯t any part of him that wasn¡¯t wounded!
This was definitely the hardest challenge in Anti¡¯s career so far!
Nora ignored them all. Instead, she ordered, "Lily, the cardiotonic drug!"
Lily finally came back to her senses. She took out the cardiotonic drug that her boss had developed, and injected it into the drip bottle. The cardiotonic drug she was using was different from the onemonly used in hospitals.
As soon as she injected the drug into the bottle, Quentin¡¯s heartbeat stabilized at 40...
As Nora made incision after incision and dealt with his injuries, Quentin¡¯s blood slowly flowed out of the wounds. Lily opened up another two blood transfusion channels in time.
Blood bags were constantly being sent in to the Hospital Finest¡¯s blood bank.
After the operation, when Lily calcted how much blood was involved, she found that they had actually changed the entire blood in Quentin¡¯s body twice!
Quentin also went into critical condition five times during the operation, but Nora calmly pulled him back from the otherworld each time! She made countless incisions and joined countless bones for him.
Innumerable metal nails were inserted into Quentin¡¯s bones to keep them in ce.
The operationsted from nine in the morning to half-past ten at night...
Thanks to Nora¡¯s solid skills, Quentin managed to survive.
However, he was not out of danger yet. After exiting the operating room, he was pushed into the ICU, where the hospital personnel monitored his condition 24 hours a day.
When Nora finally walked out of the operating room, she was close to copsing.
Perspiration flowed out of the unbreathable surgical gown at the bottom. Her trousers were soaked through, and her shoes were wet. All of this showed that she hadn¡¯t actually been as calm and rxed as how she had seemed.
The moment she came out, Justin held her arm and supported her.
He made her sit on a bench in the corridor and handed her a chocte bar and bread that could quickly replenish her energy.
Nora took off her gloves, picked up the bread with her fingers that had turned pale from being soaked in sweat, and chomped into it fiercely.
Joel was currently directing his men to surround the Benevolence Hall. However, Abigail had called the police, so the police were protecting them at the moment. Unless the Smiths could produce evidence, they were not allowed to do anything rash.
Joel mmed his fist into the wall. "How dare he? How dare he?!"
No one dared to offend the Smiths or the Hunts in New York, especially in ways like this that tortured one to death!
The frowning Justin was also puzzled.
To be honest, when Nora had asked him in the day if Quentin would die, he had replied, "No, he won¡¯t. If they just want to win the tournament, breaking Quentin¡¯s leg would do. There isn¡¯t any need for them to create any extra trouble. If they kill him, this would thoroughly turn into a life and death feud!"
But based on Quentin¡¯s appearance, the Benevolence Hall had clearly shown no mercy!
Justin was also terribly perplexed¡ªbecause Quentin¡¯s injuries didn¡¯t look like they wanted to kill him. Rather, it looked more like... they were interrogating him!
That¡¯s right! Such tricks were used only when one was interrogating criminals!
Breaking one¡¯s bones inch by inch to make them talk...
Just as he and Joel were both perplexed, Nora looked at them and said, "I know what¡¯s going on."
Both men looked at Nora.
Nora swallowed thest bite of the bread. The bread tore her throat, but it was as if she didn¡¯t feel it at all.
"When I was trying to save Quentin, he woke up for a moment and said a few words to me."
Chapter 412: Revenge!
Chapter 412: Revenge!
Nora then said word by word, "During the surgery, Quentin woke up for a moment and said a few words."
Her gaze was a little straight.
The fingers were connected to the heart.
When she was bandaging Quentin¡¯s hand, he had woken up from the pain. When he opened his eyes, he did not even seem to know where he was.
However, after seeing Nora, his lips curled up. He opened his mouth and wanted to say something, but because of the injuries on his chest, he could not say anything.
However, Nora could read his lips.
He said, "Nora, they interrogated me about who Big Sister is, but I didn¡¯t say anything."
At that moment, Nora¡¯s heart clenched tightly!!
During the operation, she was actually thinking about it.
Benevolence Hall knew the Smiths¡¯ power. Actually, there was no need to fight the Smiths head-on in New York. If they wanted to win the martial artspetition, they only needed to break one of Quentin¡¯s legs or cripple him.
After the incident, if no one died and they still had dealings with each other, they could not go overboard.
But Quentin was too miserable.
She could almost imagine the person stepping on Quentin¡¯s finger and asking him, "Who is Big Sister? Are you going to tell me now?"
Quentin was still as arrogant as ever. He smirked and scolded the other party, "It¡¯s your grandmother!"
Crack...
His fingers shattered.
One inch at a time, one step at a time... Quentin had been abused for seven hours at night while she slept!!
His skin could never be repaired!
Nora closed her eyes.
She suddenly stood up and walked out.
When she passed by Joel, she felt like she had forgotten something. She seemed to have not read an important report this morning.
However, she could not care less now.
There was only one thought in her mind.
Revenge.
Blood for blood!!
¡ª
In the underground arena.
The staff member waited anxiously at the door and craned his neck to look out.
For some reason, no one from team Third in The World came tonight.
They had arranged for thepetition to be pushed back hour by hour, but the other party had still not arrived yet.
He took out his phone and called the three of them one by one, but none of their calls went through.
Another staff member nced at the three people sitting in the VIP dining area and could not help but ask, "Could it be that they don¡¯t dare toe?"
"No way."
The staff member answered firmly.
Big Brother was among the three of them. How could he note?!
However, as soon as he said that, the person beside him called Antoine couldn¡¯t help but mock: "Tsk, it¡¯s almost 11 PM. Don¡¯t tell me team Third in The World has given up and doesn¡¯t dare toe?"
He spoke in a foreignnguage, but this person had brought along an English trantor tonight. Every time he spoke, the trantor would shout, causing the surrounding people to look at him angrily.
Victor lowered his eyes and smiled. "We were too fierce yesterday."
In between the lines, he was saying that team Third in The World had deserted the match at thest minute!
Everyone was furious as they looked at them and said, "What are you guys being so arrogant for? You¡¯ll be beaten like a dog in the waterter!"
"That¡¯s right. Didn¡¯t you just win a few rounds? Do you have to be so arrogant?!"
Antoine replied, "Why isn¡¯t team Third in The World here then?"
These words made the people below begin to discuss.
"What¡¯s going on with team Third in The World?"
"Did something dy them?"
"Yesterday, Smithin even gave them the middle finger. It¡¯s impossible for him to note with that arrogant attitude! Smithin has never been afraid of anyone since thepetition began! Furthermore, he might not necessarily lose against them!"
"Is 028 afraid? Or is 820 afraid? What¡¯s going on?"
"..."
Amidst the discussions, Victor stood up. "It¡¯s already 11 PM. Today¡¯spetition is about to end. If they still haven¡¯t arrived, this should be considered a forfeit, right?"
Antoine smiled. "Of course! But that¡¯s meaningless. Isn¡¯t there anyone here who can fight?"
Victor narrowed his eyes and smiled. "Of course. Although we don¡¯t have team Third in The World, we still have Big Brother, right? The venue is hot tonight, and there are still so many people waiting here. Why don¡¯t we let Big Brothere out andpete?"
He did not say one-on-one.
This was because they definitely could not win in a one-on-one battle. But they were a team, and they were fighting in a teampetition. Other than team Third in The World, they were not afraid of anyone!
The others immediately said, "Yes, get Big Brother out! Let Big Brother teach those three guys a lesson for not knowing the immensity of heaven and earth!"
"Big Brother! Big Brother!"
Everyone shouted.
When the staff member heard this, he became even more anxious. Where was Big Brother? Big Brother was in team Third in The World!
He smiled awkwardly and said, "Big Brother isn¡¯t here tonight."
"Not here?"
Victor interrupted him. "Are you serious? He was just taking a photo with someone in the lounge. Big Brother didn¡¯t even participate in apetition this year. Could it be that he has be a mascot after not participating in apetition for a few years?"
The staff member: "!!"
Wasn¡¯t that fake the mascot? He was even a Fortune Cat!
But what should he say now?
As he was frowning, Victor suddenly changed the topic and looked at Linda in the crowd. "Big Brother is hiding and doesn¡¯t dare toe out. Why don¡¯t youe up and spar with us, Big Sister?"
Linda, who was pretending to be Big Sister: "..."
Last time, she had been pushed off the stage.
If she did not go on stage this time, Big Sister¡¯s name would probably be ruined by her.
Linda immediately shouted, "I¡¯m sorry, everyone. I¡¯m only a third-generation disciple of the Quinn School of Martial Arts, not Big Sister!"
The staff member: "..."
He was originally hoping for Big Sister to save the situation! But in the end, Big Sister was also a fake?!
What should he do now?
As he thought about this, Antoine sneered. "Tsk, Big Sister is fake. Big Brother is hiding in the lounge and noting out. Is there anyone else in New York who can fight?"
Victor also stared at the time and slowly said, "Team Third in The World hasn¡¯t arrived yet. Can we just assume that they have admitted defeat?"
The staff member looked at the time and said stubbornly, "There are still two minutes."
Victor sneered. "Alright, you really won¡¯t cry until you see the coffin!"
The rest all stared at the door.
Everyone¡¯s chests were filled with anticipation and enthusiasm.
Team Third in The World...
Smithin,e quickly!
As time passed, the light in everyone¡¯s eyes gradually dimmed.
Were martial arts really useless?
"There¡¯s still half a minute!" Victor mocked. "Do you need me to count down for you?"
A hoarse female voice suddenly sounded from the door. "Countdown for your death?"
Upon hearing this, everyone turned their heads and saw a slender red-dressed girl slowly walk into thepetition venue!
Chapter 413: Big Brother and Big Sister Joining Forces!
Chapter 413: Big Brother and Big Sister Joining Forces!
The girl was wearing a red dress, a silver mask, and a pair of white ts. As she walked like she was dragging something, her waist movedzily, making her look especially solemn.
Everyone heaved a sigh of relief. "028, you¡¯re finally here!"
The staff member looked behind her anxiously, but no one was following.
He was stunned. "Where¡¯s Smithin and Big... 820?"
Only then did the others notice that she was the only one who hade. The other two members of Third In The World did note over.
Nora lowered her eyes.
When she thought of Quentin¡¯s appearance, her almond eyes shed with coldness and bloodthirsty killing intent.
At this moment, there was another sound of footsteps.
Justin, who was wearing a ck mask, walked in with big steps in a suit. When he entered and saw Nora, he heaved a sigh of relief.
"820 has arrived too!"
Everyone sighed. "Where¡¯s the other person?"
In a teampetition, one definitely had to rely on the advantage in numbers. With one less person, the chances of winning would be very small. Furthermore, Victor and the other two were all very powerful. Unless it was Big Sister and Big Brother who went on stage, it was absolutely impossible to win.
The staff hesitated as well. "Why is there one less person?"
Victor knew the truth and sneered. "Big Sister, I¡¯m afraid Smithin won¡¯t be able toe, right?"
Big Sister?
These three people caused a long uproar!
Everyone looked at Nora and whispered in disbelief.
"Is this Big Sister?"
"Oh my god, so she¡¯s Big Sister!"
"No wonder, no wonder 028 could defeat the enemy with one punch! She¡¯s actually Big Sister!"
"Big Sister! Big Sister!"
Everyone around shouted excitedly.
Nora clenched her fists and narrowed her eyes slightly. Although she had exposed her identity as Big Sister, she was still wearing a mask. It was nothing.
However, Victor¡¯s words made her gaze turn even colder.
Initially, Quentin¡¯s matter was only spection and there was no evidence to confirm that it was done by Benevolence Hall. However, Victor¡¯s words convinced her.
She lowered her eyes and walked towards the ring step by step.
Each step seemed to carry the weight of two people.
When Quentin woke up, he had said two words.
The first sentence was, "Nora, they asked me who Big Sister is, but I didn¡¯t say."
The second sentence was, "You have to win."
Quentin took thispetition very seriously because it not only concerned his personal honor, but also the entire martial arts world!
Nora¡¯s gaze gradually became firm as she stood on the familiar ring.
Since he wanted to win, she had to win it for him!
She would bring Quentin¡¯s anticipation and win a beautiful fight tonight!
When Victor saw this scene, he couldn¡¯t help butugh. He¡¯d intentionally exposed the other party¡¯s identity as Big Sister!
Because only by defeating Big Sister would they be able to defeat martial arts!
However, Big Sister was not enough!
Victor suddenly raised his voice and shouted, "Since Big Sister is already on the stage, where¡¯s Big Brother? Aren¡¯t you being rude if you don¡¯te out? Or is Big Brother worse than a woman and doesn¡¯t dare to go on stage? Are you a man?"
Victor could not take it anymore. The pretty boy on the stage was not even worth mentioning.
If he didn¡¯t call Big Brother out to join in the fun at this moment, wouldn¡¯t he have schemed against Quentin for nothing?
If the three of them could defeat Big Brother and Big Sister, they would be famous!
The surrounding people looked at the lounge as someone shouted, "Big Brother, Smithin isn¡¯t here. Make up the numbers for Third In The World!"
"Big Brother, it¡¯s time to protect the honor of martial arts. Are you still noting out?"
Big Brother... Big Brother... Big Brother...
Countless people were shouting the words "Big Brother", making the entire martial arts arena hot.
However, the door to the lounge did not open for a long time.
Antoine couldn¡¯t help butugh. "The previous champion is terrified too. It looks like the three of us have really given martial arts some pressure. He¡¯s really inferior to Big Sister! The men in New York are all so cowardly!"
"Is that so?"
Apanied by Antoine¡¯s mocking voice, Justin, who was following Nora, also went up the stage. His voice was very low and cold, but it was a little rxed. "Later, I will make you unable to even call yourself a man."
With this sentence, Justin stood beside Nora. The two of them stood side by side.
The moment he spoke, everyone fell silent and looked at him in confusion.
The staff exined, "Everyone, the person in the lounge is indeed a mascot. The real Big Brother is 820!"
"..."
"Whoosh!" Suddenly, the entire venue fell silent!
Everyone looked at the stage in disbelief.
028 was Big Sister.
820 was Big Brother.
This world was too unreal?!
But for some reason, everyone felt their blood boil!
It was as if as long as Big Sister and Big Brother were around, tonight¡¯spetition would be a small matter!!
Nora was also slightly shocked.
Under such grief and indignation, she turned to look at Justin.
There was shock and hesitation in her eyes.
Justin thought of her various opinions about Big Brother and couldn¡¯t help but exin softly, "Nora, I..."
Before he could finish, Nora interrupted him. "If you don¡¯t win thepetition, I¡¯ll break your legs!"
"..." Justin choked. "Okay."
"Long live Big Brother!"
"Big Sister is mighty and domineering!"
"Destroy them! Kill them! Show them the essence of martial arts!"
No one in the crowd below called their names, but they began to shout.
In the beginning, only one or two people were shouting. But gradually, all the spectators joined in.
The sound was loud and deafening!
Everyone looked at the two people on stage.
It was unusual that Big Brother did not carry the child to participate in thepetition today. The two of them stood there alone, and the handsome man and beautiful woman were especially eye-catching.
The two of them looked thin on the outside but were actually very muscr. In particr, Justin took off his clothes to reveal his muscr body.
The three people standing opposite them, including Victor, had all trained their muscles well. Especially Antoine, who was 1.95 meters tall and weighed 150 kilograms. Every step he took seemed to be able to make the arena tremble.
Justin and Nora stood in front of the three of them, looking very thin.
However, just the two of them gave the opponents enough pressure.
Victor never expected that the pretty boy holding a child in team Third In The World and skiving in everypetition would be Big Brother!
Was he shooting himself in the foot?!
He looked at the other two. Suddenly, Antoine smiled. "Tsk, do you not even have enough people topete? How are you going to fight us?"
Chapter 414: Revenge!!
Chapter 414: Revenge!!
Nora looked at him coldly. "The two of us can beat you until you kneel down and beg for mercy. You¡¯ll be looking for your teeth all over the ground!"
These two words were the original words in Quentin¡¯s text message.
Antoine sneered and said, "But this is against the rules."
He looked directly at the staff member. "The other team doesn¡¯t have enough people. We can¡¯tpete! We have to disqualify them! Thispetition can only be considered our victory! Unless they can immediately find someone!"
The three of them had been confident that they would win.
But when they found out that the two people opposite were the current Big Brother and Big Sister, who were at the top of the martial arts world, they became afraid!
Therefore, these were just excuses!
His sharp gaze swept across everyone present. "But does anyone dare toe forward and die?"
Victor and the other two fought very intensely. Those who had fought with them had suffered heavy injuries. It would take a month for them to go back on stage.
After Antoine said that, he warned everyone: Whoever dares to go on stage will be killed first!
Antoine¡¯s words were actually very intimidating, and he was not talking nonsense.
The strengths of Victor and the others were formidable. Even if they were unable to defeat Big Sister and Big Brother, they were still able to easily stop them for a while.
Therefore, whoever dared to pool numbers with Nora and Justin had to be prepared to be beaten up violently!
Moreover, Antoine took a step forward and said, "If anyone dares toe on stage to make up the numbers¡ªVictor, stop that Big Brother. Shaun, stop that Big Sister. Leave the one on stage to me! I¡¯ll let him see what it means to live a life worse than death!"
With that, he reached out and clenched his fists, making terrifying cracking sounds.
His savage gaze swept down.
He had thought that not many people would dare to go on stage.
However, he did not expect Linda to be the first to speak after he threatened them. "I... I¡¯ll make up the numbers!"
Nora looked at her in surprise.
Linda scratched her honest head. "I¡¯m fat and resistant to beatings. Big Sister, take care of the others first before helping me! I¡¯ll definitely hold on until you save me!"
Following that, someone else said:
"Me too!"
"Me too!"
"Let me do it! Disciples of Irvin School of Martial Arts are agile and can run! I¡¯ll hide in the ring until Big Sister and Big Brother can save me!"
"I¡¯m from the Quinn School of Martial Arts. I¡¯ll take the beating!"
"Big Sister, choose me!"
"Big Brother, look at me!"
Everyone rmended themselves and extended their hands one by one, letting Nora and Justin choose.
At this moment, in the face of a powerful foreign enemy, Quinn School of Martial Arts and Irvin School of Martial Arts had set aside their years of grudges and united against the enemy!
But how could Nora let theme up and die?
She lowered her eyes.
They had originally nned to kill these three people in the ring to avenge Quentin.
After all, the ring had no eyes, and idents can happen anywhere, especially in a fighting match!
They had all signed an agreement before thepetition.
However, if she ended up harming her own people instead... then she would rather lose thispetition and break thew to kill these three people!
She had just said that today would be their death date!
She nced at Justin and had yet to speak when Justin nodded. "We can admit defeat, they won¡¯t be able to get off this stage."
Obviously, he understood her choice.
At this moment, Nora seemed to have returned to the moment when she was in the police station.
This man clearly knew how big his offense was, but he still helped her escape without hesitation to save Old Maddy.
She clenched her fists and wanted to say something, but Justin said indifferently, "Don¡¯t worry and do it. I¡¯ll make it even."
In New York, in the underworld, Justin was not someone to be trifled with!
Nora nodded and suddenly said, "We admit..."
Before she could say the word "defeat," she heard another voice say, "I¡¯ll do it!"
The two of them turned their heads in unison and saw a stern-looking man walking into the ring. He was wearing an eagle face mask, and he seemed to have an aura of justice as he walked.
"007!"
Someone recognized him and eximed, "He was the runner-up in the previouspetition! In the finals, he didn¡¯te because he had something on! He¡¯s damn good!"
Everyone stopped fighting to go on stage. One by one, they took a step back and left the stage for the team. Then, they shouted, "Team Third In The World! Destroy them!"
"..."
The mood of the onlookers instantly reached its peak.
This made Victor and the others feel oppressed. The three of them looked at each other in panic.
The situation tonight had exceeded their expectations.
Before this panic could subside, the referee took the opportunity to shout, "Thepetition between team Third In The World and team Americans Are Ipetent begins now!"
With his whistle, Nora took the initiative to attack for the first time!!
Previously, during thepetition, Nora was more passive. She would only attack when the other party came to attack her. However, at this moment, she charged at Antoine aggressively!
Antoine was the fiercest and most powerful of the three.
Therefore, he never expected that this little girl would choose him. He quickly came back to his senses and calmed down. Even if she was some Big Sister, her skills were probably exaggerated. How powerful could she be?
He sneered and weed her. The two of them punched and kicked at the same time, grabbing hold of each other.
Antoine couldn¡¯t help butugh when he saw her slender left hand grip his fist. "I broke Smithin¡¯s arm with three hits. What about yours? Do you want to try?"
Nora¡¯s eyes narrowed suddenly. Her voice was calm. "Then let¡¯s try."
"Try what?"
Antoine froze.
Nora suddenly retracted her hand. "See how many hits I need to break your bones!"
With that, she suddenly sped up and hammered his arm!
The punch was powerful and fast, stunning Antoine. However, when the punch hit his arm, it only caused him a sharp pain, and his bones did not feel like they were being broken.
After being stunned for a moment, he shook his arm and sneered. "Tsk, Big Sister, did you not eat? Is that all you have?"
Nora ignored him. She turned around and kicked him again!
Antoine dodged, but unfortunately, this kicknded on the spot where he had been hit.
The double pain made his arm feel a little numb, but he still did not care. He thought it was just a coincidence.
But when the third hit came, hitting the same spot, Antoine finally seemed to realize something.
Nora became faster and faster. Antoine¡¯s body was huge, and he had already lost his ability to attack. He could only dodge in all directions. However, the fourth, fifth, sixth time... they still hit the same spot!
Antoine¡¯s arm hurt more and more. Every time he was hit, the pain would double...
Chapter 415: Big Sister is Angry!
Chapter 415: Big Sister is Angry!
Cold sweat broke out on Antoine¡¯s forehead.
It was only when the pain in his arm reached its peak that he suddenly understood something.
He had hit Quentin¡¯s arm three times, which meant that his arm had been broken after being attacked three times. However, this woman clearly wanted to attack him many times to double the pain!!
He was furious and roared, "Shaun! Come and help! Switch!"
His body was huge and happened to be restrained by the petite but agile Nora!
Victor and Shaun could barely take care of themselves at this moment because they had already been entangled by Justin and 007.
Justin¡¯s attack was very light. It was obvious that he had only held back Shaun and did not attack ruthlessly.
007 was a little puzzled as he fought back and forth with Victor. Victor was indeed an expert, but 007 was not someone to be trifled with, either. The winner could not be determined among the two of them in a short period of time.
Bam!
Crack!
Upon 25th hit on the same spot on his arm, the bones in Antoine¡¯s arm finally shattered! The pain suddenly hit him and made him sway.
Then, Nora seemed to have finally had enough. She flew up and kicked his head!
He only felt a buzzing sound and his entire head shook. Then, Nora punched his other arm ruthlessly!
Crack!
The bones in his arm cracked again!
Antoine was finally certain!
It was not that Nora could not knock him down with one punch. She was torturing him!
Antoine roared and flung his arm angrily as he rushed over to Nora. With his 150kg weight, he could still crush Nora half to death!
Before he could reach Nora, Nora had already attacked again. She kicked his calf heavily!
Crack!
Bam!
Antoine fell to the ground!
Immediately, Nora grabbed one of his arms and twisted it back forcefully!
Crack!
His two arms limped by his sides as he fell onto the ring!
Antoine struggled to stand up, but he could not move at all. Hey there like a lump of meat.
Blood had already spurted out of his mouth as he muttered, "I admit defeat..."
However, Nora acted as if she did not hear him at all. She kicked him ruthlessly again and kept kicking him at the side!
Crack!
Antoine¡¯s ribs were broken, and a bone had punctured his lungs. He could not breathe properly and fell to the ground twitching.
No one came forward to help him or save him in time.
After all, everyone knew that he could not be saved.
Nora no longer had the aftereffect of killing someone. She only nced at Antoine coldly before turning around and walking toward Justin.
"Move."
The woman¡¯s cold voice made Justin suddenly stop his fists and move away.
It was only at this moment that 007 and the audience realized that Justin had not been serious earlier because he wanted to leave this person to Nora!
Shaun clearly felt it too. He nced at Antoine, who had copsed on the ring, and looked at the woman in front of him again.
Her red dress made her look like a demon from hell!
All of his aura and courage seemed to have been sucked away in an instant. He turned around and ran. "I admit..."
Before he could finish speaking, Nora¡¯s fist had already arrived!
Bam!
Shaun¡¯s nose broke from the punch.
Nora grabbed his shoulder and asked softly, "Tell me, where did you hit Quentin?"
Quentin?
Was it that guy fromst night?
Shaun choked and finally understood something. He shouted in fear, "I didn¡¯t do anything. I only helped hold him down. I didn¡¯t do anything! The ones who really did it were Victor and Antoine! I really didn¡¯t do anything!"
However, the coldness in Nora¡¯s eyes did not disappear.
She lowered her eyes and acknowledged him calmly. Then, she straightened her body and suddenly grabbed his arm.
Shaun widened his eyes in panic. He heard Nora slowly say, "Then I won¡¯t let you move either."
With that, the girl exerted force!
Crack!
Shaun¡¯s arm was broken.
The tearing pain made him open his mouth and scream!
The people watching below seemed to understand something from their conversation. Linda couldn¡¯t help but ask Justin, who was standing at the side, "Big Brother, what happened to Smithin?"
Justin lowered his eyes and said in a deep voice, "All the bones in his body have shattered. Although he managed to survive, he can¡¯t feel anything below his neck."
It was because of this that he understood Nora¡¯s anger.
Quentin had been tortured for an entire night before his bones broke inch by inch!
"..."
Everyone fell silent.
Five secondster, Linda¡¯s choked voice was heard. "Kill them!"
"Kill them!"
Everyone began to roar. "Kill them! Kill these animals!!"
Only 007 understood something and immediately looked at Nora. He warned, "Murder is illegal!"
"I know."
Nora replied calmly, but under 007¡¯s gaze, she did not say anything else or make any unnecessary movements. She gave Shaun a quick death by breaking his neck!
Shaun fell.
Nora looked at Victor in the end.
007 was stunned.
At this moment, he and Victor were both injured. He¡¯d always thought that this was only a showdown of honor, but he never expected that two lives would be lost so easily.
Victor was already in a panic and had lost all will to fight. At this moment, the girl was expressionless. In his eyes, she was like an alluring goddess from hell!
He trembled and retreated. "I... I admit defeat. Don¡¯t kill me! Don¡¯t kill me!"
However, before he could reach the edge of the ring, he was blocked by Nora.
When 007 saw this situation, he wanted to stop them, but Justin stopped him. "Captain Ford, you have to follow the rules here."
007¡¯s pupils shrank. He knew that Justin had recognized him.
It was just like how he had already recognized Justin and Nora.
However, as a member of the special department, he could not watch Nora kill people!
He was about to say something when Justin stopped him again. "idents happen inside fighting rings all the time!"
Morris: !!
His brows drew together tightly.
Before he could say anything, Nora had already grabbed Victor. Before Victor could react, she had broken one of his legs and two of his arms!
It was only at this moment that Victor finally understood the difference between him and Big Sister.
No one could stop the furious Big Sister.
But he did not want to die.
He suddenly looked at 007. He had just heard Justin call out 007¡¯s identity and immediately shouted, "Don¡¯t kill me. I... I can tell you a secret!"
Chapter 416: Email!
Chapter 416: Email!
Morris hade to the underground arena because he had heard that Victor¡¯s strength had increased drastically in a short time. Therefore, he had speciallye to investigate thinking about the human experiments.
After Victor shouted, Morris understood what he meant. He immediately looked at Nora. "No... Big Sister, give me some face and spare his life!"
Spare his life?
Impossible!
Victor was the mastermind behind this matter!
Nora was thinking about it when Victor seemed to realize what she was thinking. He shouted, "Big Sister, it wasn¡¯t me. I did catch Quentin, but I just wanted to break one of his legs so that he can¡¯t participate in thepetition! I have no grudges against him. Why would I be so ruthless and make the Smiths chase me down all over the world? It really wasn¡¯t me!"
Hearing this, Nora looked at him.
When Victor saw that Nora finally gave him a chance to speak, he continued, "Last night, the three of us stopped him. Later on, we received orders from our teacher to bring him back. That¡¯s why we brought him back!"
Victor copsed on the ground. "Don¡¯t listen to Antoine¡¯s nonsense. I¡¯m not the mastermind. I¡¯m American, I know how powerful the Smiths are in New York. I still have my family here. At that time, I refused to let our teacher interrogate him no matter what. They chased me out..."
Victor cried bitterly. "I don¡¯t even know what they did in there... When dawn broke and I went in again, Smithin was already lying there unconscious. He seemed to have stopped breathing. I was so afraid back then and even secretly sent him out... Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t have had the chance to find him!"
After saying that, he looked up at Nora and saw that the killing intent in the woman¡¯s eyes did not decrease.
Victor looked at Morris in shock. "Captain Ford, save me. I know my teacher¡¯s big secret, the big secret behind why I¡¯ve improved so quickly! I can tell you everything!"
He crawled over to Morris.
However, halfway through, Nora stepped on his leg hard.
Victor looked at Morris with tears in his eyes.
Morris was silent for a moment before saying, "Big Sister, count it as me owing you a favor this time. In the future, I can help you do anything you want!"
Nora looked at him fixedly.
Morris looked at Antoine and Shaun again and said slowly, "I¡¯ll get someone to bury this matter here."
Nora knew that since she had killed two people here, it was a very troublesome matter.
Justin said that he could handle it, but he couldn¡¯t handle it as well as Morris.
She pondered for a moment and looked at Victor again.
Victor trembled in fear from her gaze.
Nora lowered her eyes. "Where is your teacher?"
When Victor heard this, he heaved a sigh of relief. "In Benevolence Hall, its location is..."
He clearly told Nora the location of Benevolence Hall in New York.
Nora narrowed her eyes and kicked him, sending him flying under Morris¡¯s feet. Then, she looked at Morris and said, "Remember to return him to me."
In other words, she meant: Once you¡¯ve interrogated him, he still has to be dealt with!
She could not forgive Victor.
If Victor had not mentioned teaching Quentin a lesson first, Quentin would not have ended up like this.
Those who bullied Quentin had to pay the price!!!
After saying this, Nora jumped off the stage and walked out.
Justin followed closely behind her and asked, "Where are you going?"
"Benevolence Hall."
In the thick air of the arena, only these two light words were left.
¡ª
At Benevolence Hall.
The girl stood there at the door, exhausted. Her body had already reached its limit, but her gaze was still firm. "Don¡¯t you want to know who I am?"
Abigail stood in the courtyard and stared at the girl in front of her. "You¡¯re not my match. Let your teacher do it."
Nora lowered her eyes. "Then let¡¯s give this a try."
Half an hourter.
Abigail looked at his softened fist and knew that the girl did not kill him because this was in New York. Had they been overseas... He was uncertain what could¡¯ve happened.
After seeing that the girl had defeated him, he walked to the side and picked up adder. Then, he climbed up and took down the que of Benevolence Hall.
He used his knee to hit the que hard, splitting it in two.
This was the consequence of losing a fight.
From then on, Benevolence Hall would never be able to raise its head in front of Nora.
Nora threw the que on the ground casually.
Abigail looked at the girl and mumbled, "Impossible, this is impossible... A little girl like you can¡¯t possibly have such strength and power!"
At this moment, the rm outside rang.
Morris had interrogated Victor and found out about the human experiments from him. How could he note and arrest Abigail?
As he watched the people from the special department wearing casual clothes enter the courtyard, Nora casually walked out.
Abigail suddenly shouted from behind, "I get it. You¡¯re the same kind of person as me! Hahaha, we¡¯re the same kind of people!"
Nora suddenly stopped in her tracks and slowly turned back.
Abigail stared at her, a vicious look in his eyes. Because his fists had been crippled, and his fingers were broken inch by inch, he was captured without any resistance. His head was pressed to the ground, and his hands were behind his back.
Abigail continued to stare at Nora. "They will find you. They will find you sooner orter. Hahahahahahaha..."
Hisughter suddenly stopped.
Nora frowned. The others immediately went forward and saw that Abigail was already bleeding from his mouth, nose, and eyes. He had stopped breathing.
Nora walked forward quickly. After checking his body, she shook her head at the people from the special department. "This is a lethal poison. It will act up in thirty seconds. We can¡¯t save him."
With that, Morris walked in.
He said with a serious expression, "Victor is crazy."
Nora was taken aback. "What¡¯s the matter?"
Morris shook his head. "I don¡¯t know why. After they were arrested, the disciples recruited by Abigail all took some drugs to improve their genes. That¡¯s why they became so strong. Then they suddenly went crazy. Our leads were cut off again."
Nora lowered her eyes slightly and only said coldly to Morris, "That is your business."
With that, she strode out.
Outside the door.
Justin and Joel stood silently in the night as if waiting for her return.
Nora walked towards them step by step.
Her footsteps were as heavy as lead. When she finally reached them, she looked at them. "I¡¯ve taken revenge for Quentin."
Joel nodded.
Justin held her arm.
However, Nora suddenly thought of something and looked at Joel. "By the way, my email..."
Chapter 417: Arriving Late!
Chapter 417: Arriving Late!
"... is a very important email."
It was at this point that Nora finally realized that she had immediately gone with them to search for Quentin after she woke up that morning, so she still hadn¡¯t seen the DNA test results.
She wanted to take out her cell phone to take a look, but as soon as she lowered her head, she cked out.
Fortunately, Justin had already sensed her condition a long time ago, so he immediately held her waist and caught her. Otherwise, Nora might have fallen straight onto the ground the moment she lowered her head!
"Nora!"
"Nora!"
The two men eximed. Justin immediately picked up Nora in his arms while Joel took over the car from the chauffeur and sat in the driver¡¯s seat.
Justin got into the car. Joel stepped on the gas pedal and the car sped off. It usually took twenty minutes to get to the hospital, but Joel arrived in just five minutes.
Despite that, Justin was still urging him to go faster while they were on the way there.
When they arrived at the hospital, before the car even stopped, the doctors that Justin had assembled with a phone call were already waiting for them at the door.
Justin brought Nora out of the car in his arms and put her on the stretcher. It was only when they were taking her to the operating room that everyone discovered that her red dress was already covered in blood a long time ago!
She... Was she injured?!
Justin and Joel were awfully worried. They shouted at the doctor furiously, "Hurry up and check her injuries!"
At this point, Lily, who was watching over Quentin, came over. The woman wearing a whiteb coat squeezed into the crowd and said, "Please step aside! Let me have a look at my boss!"
Justin gave a wave. The others stepped aside at once.
Lily stood in front of Nora. When she saw the bloodstains on her, she became even more anxious. "Why is she bleeding so much? Quick, take her to the operating room!"
The group of people entered the operating room with great momentum.
Five minutester.
Lily walked out of the operating room. The moment she came out, Justin and Joel stood up and rushed up to her. "How is she?"
The corners of Lily¡¯s lips spasmed, seemingly not quite sure how she should answer him.
Justin became even more anxious. "What kind of injuries did she suffer? What are you in a daze for? Go and save her!"
"... She isn¡¯t hurt," said Lily.
Justin was taken aback.
Joel asked, "Then the blood on her is...?"
Lily¡¯s lip corners spasmed again as she answered, "She has bruises on her hands, likely from hitting people. But the blood on her dress is indeed someone else¡¯s."
"?? Then why did she faint?" asked Justin.
Lily was rendered speechless again. Then, she replied, "Boss fell asleep."
"..."
She thought back to the awkward scene in the operating room.
When she took out a pair of scissors and cut open her boss¡¯ clothes, she saw that the woman¡¯s skin was clean, fair, and delicate. There weren¡¯t any wounds on her at all.
In the end... she gave her boss a bath instead.
Yep.
Her boss was a very clean person. How would she be able to sleep peacefully without taking a bath?
Justin: "..."
Joel: "..."
The way she fell asleep was simply too abrupt. Who would suddenly fall asleep while talking?
Seemingly because she saw that the two men were perplexed, Lily coughed and exined, "She¡¯s out of energy. This has happened to her before, too, when we were abroad. This one time she performed a 15-hour-long operation, which ended way beyond her usual sleeping hours. After she came out of the operating room, it seemed like something had gone wrong with Cherry¡¯s grandaunt, so she stayed up for another long period of time. In the end, she fainted and fell asleep."
Upon hearing that it had happened before, Joel breathed a sigh of relief.
Justin, however, was still worried. "How long will she be asleep for?"
Lily thought about it and said, "My conservative estimate is two days."
Justin frowned. "What about sustenance? She can¡¯t stay hungry, right?"
Lily sighed. "You won¡¯t be able to wake her up, especially when her exhaustion is even more serious this time. Her muscles didn¡¯t rx even once. She¡¯ll be out for at least two days. As for food, you don¡¯t have to worry. I will transfuse nutritional supplements to her drip regrly."
Justin: "..."
Joel: "..."
"Oh, there¡¯s a piece of good news, by the way." Lily said, "The person in the ICU that Boss asked me to observe is out of danger now. However, it will be difficult for him to ever stand up again in the future."
How was one going to stand when all their bones were broken?
He was still alive only because Anti had personally operated on him, merged modern and traditional medicine during the treatment process, and given him medical treatment in time!
When Joel heard this, he lowered his gaze and heaved a heavy sigh.
¡ª
This huge incident in the martial arts circle in New York was earth-shattering.
However, it didn¡¯t impact the lives of ordinary people¡ªor at least, only a handful of ordinary people were aware that Big Sister and Big Brother had defended the dignity of the martial arts scene in the States that night.
Even Tanya, Nora¡¯s friend, didn¡¯t know what had happened. As usual, she gave children sses in school, and also gave Mia an extra dance lesson in private.
When the Smiths came to pick up the three children from school in the evening after sses were over, there was no sign of Joel in the car. It was then that she finally realized that Joel hadn¡¯t contacted her at all the whole day.
Was it because she... had refused to be Mia¡¯s mother the night before?
Tanya lowered her gaze, her imagination running wild. Pete and Brandon got into the car and returned to the Smiths¡¯ manor.
Tanya took Mia to her ce and gave her dance lessons.
At 9 pm, despite it already having reached Mia¡¯s bedtime, Joel still hadn¡¯te over to pick her up.
Tanya left Joel a message.
Joel seemed busy at the moment. Atst, he sent her the first message of the day: ¡¯I have something to do today. Can Mia stay with you for a night?¡¯
¡¯Something to do¡¯...
The man had never been one to force her to do anything against her will. Since he had said so, then something big must have happened.
Tanya hurriedly replied: ¡¯No problem.¡¯
She coaxed Mia to rest with her, and they fell asleep.
In the middle of the night, she suddenly felt like the area beside her was very hot.
She slowly opened her eyes and woke up. When she touched Mia¡¯s forehead, the burning heat made her realize that Mia was having a fever.
Tanya woke up in shock. Without saying anything, she picked up Mia, got into the car, and went straight to the hospital.
The doctor said it was a minor problem, and prescribed Mia medicine to bring the fever down. After Mia sweated it out, the fever gradually subsided. Tanya then sent a text message to Joel and told him the name of the hospital they were at.
Tanya watched over Mia the whole night in the VIP ward.
She waited until her fever subsided before she finally fell asleep on the edge of the bed.
Hiry and her mother were at the hospital for a checkup. While passing by a ward after the checkup, she noticed Tanya and the child on the bed.
Her eyes instantly widened. She charged into the ward and grabbed Tanya at once. "Tanya, what did you do to my daughter?! Why is she in the hospital? Are you trying to steal my daughter?!"
While speaking, she pushed Tanya, who had just woken up, and tried to drive her out of the ward. "I am the girl¡¯s mother! Get lost!"
At this point, Joel, who had finally finished all the matters he had to deal with, arrived atst!
As soon as he went upstairs, he was greeted by the sight of Hiry pushing Tanya out the door.
Chapter 418: Mia Is My Daughter!
Chapter 418: Mia Is My Daughter!
Tanya was still dazed when Hiry¡¯s shout woke her up.
She hadn¡¯t slept all night because she was watching over Mia. She had only just started having some shuteye in the morning when she was woken up. After that, she was pushed out of the ward.
It wasn¡¯t until she was outside the ward¡ªand when the doctors and nurses, both inside and outside, as well as the patients¡¯ family members all cast strange looks at her¡ªthat she finally reacted.
Hiry did not go to Mia right away. Instead, she continued to verbally abuse Tanya.
"Are you also going to steal my daughter when you¡¯ve already stolen my man? Tanya, why are you so shameless?!
"Don¡¯t you even think about taking my daughter from me!"
"She¡¯s my daughter! Mine!"
Her words made people who didn¡¯t know the full story look at them. Everyone looked at Tanya reproachfully.
Some people even pointed at her as they spoke.
"She must be someone¡¯s mistress, right?"
"Ugh, people who destroy someone else¡¯s family are so shameless!!"
Of course, there were also some reasonable people who spoke up for Tanya.
"... It¡¯s not easy to be someone¡¯s stepmother these days!"
"Yeah, she watched over that little girl the whole night. I thought they were mother and daughter, but as it turns out, she¡¯s actually her stepmother?"
"... It¡¯s pretty nice that a stepmother can do as much as she did!"
"..."
Be it positive or negative, all thements made Tanya feel as if her cheeks were burning, and she subconsciously wanted to flee.
But she couldn¡¯t.
Mia was still here. Joel had entrusted her with Mia. She didn¡¯t know what exactly had happened between Joel and Hiry, but she knew that Mia didn¡¯t like Hiry, and was wanted to stay with Joel instead.
She looked into the ward.
Hiry¡¯s loud yells had woken Mia up. The little girl rubbed her eyes and sat up. When she saw Hiry, she tensed up.
She was so scared that she turned as pale as a sheet. She called out weakly, "Mommy, don¡¯t be angry... My teacher is not a bad person..."
Her eyes were all red. She wanted to exin on behalf of Tanya, but she looked terrified.
However, Hiry ignored her and continued yelling at Tanya. "Do you feel a great sense of aplishment because you stole someone else¡¯s man? Why are you so shameless? You¡¯ll die a terrible death! Your whole family will die terrible deaths!"
Her whole family?
The look in Tanya¡¯s eyes sharpened. "Don¡¯t forget that the person next to you is also part of my ¡¯whole family¡¯."
That¡¯s right, the person next to Hiry was none other than Tanya and Hiry¡¯s mother, Mrs. Jones.
Mrs. Jones, who was holding Hiry, was also ring at Tanya. Upon hearing what she said, she snapped, "I don¡¯t have a daughter like you!"
Hiry sneered, "Look at how abominable the things you did are, Tanya! Even your mother won¡¯t acknowledge you anymore! If you have even the slightest bit of morals and ethics, then leave this ce and leave Joel alone! Give him back to me!"
Tanya looked at the terribly anxious Mia on the bed. She didn¡¯t want to argue with Hiry here, so she said, "If there¡¯s anything you want to say, then say it at home. Let¡¯s stop for now."
However, this only made Hiry think that she was scared. She shouted furiously, "Why should we talk about it at home? I didn¡¯t do anything shameful that I need to hide. Is it because you also find your own actions shameful? Why didn¡¯t you think of how shameful your actions were when you did it? Why didn¡¯t you think of how your actions are not fit to be brought up in public when you stole my husband?"
Tanya clenched her fists. "Hiry, who exactly took him away from whom?!"
Her words made Hiry choke.
However, Mrs. Jones spoke up at this point. "Tanya, how can you make up such lies? Hiry was obviously also in a rtionship with Joel back then! Our families were already nning to let them bond with each other! Who do you think you are? Hiry is the Joneses¡¯ eldest daughter while your father is a piece of trash! He¡¯s a bastard! You and Mr. Smith are from two different worlds right from the start!"
"..."
Tanya stared at the woman in front of her.
It had been five to six years since shest saw her. She looked as charming as ever and didn¡¯t seem to have changed much. Even the way she defended and protected Hiry so indiscriminately was still the same as before.
She smiled wryly and lowered her head.
She had never understood why a mother like her existed.
It was almost as if she found pleasure in belittling her own daughter.
In fact, she was even dubious about whether she really was her daughter or not?!
Tanya clenched her fists. She suddenly raised her head and looked at her again. Just as she was about to say something, Joel¡¯s sharp, icy-cold voice traveled over. "Is that so? Howe I didn¡¯t know that there¡¯s a marriage agreement between the Smiths and the Joneses?"
As his voice rang out, he finally strode over quickly and stood beside Tanya.
He had waited anxiously outside the operating room during Quentin¡¯s operation in the day, and also apanied Nora when she went to take revenge the night before. As a result, he hadn¡¯t had any shuteye for a whole thirty hours. The whites of his eyes were all bloodshot at the moment.
The violent aura around him because of Quentin¡¯s ident had yet to dissipate. Thus, despite just simply standing there, there was a bloodthirsty and murderous aura all around him, which made everyone around him fall silent and not dare to speak.
The way he looked frightened Mrs. Jones, who nked out for a moment. Then, she stammered, "M-Mr. Smith, why are you here?"
Joel looked down at Hiry and stared at her. "You should have been abroad by now, shouldn¡¯t you?"
Mrs. Jones hurriedly exined, "Hiry was unwell, so I brought her here to the hospital for consultation. We¡¯re thinking of sending her abroad once she recovers."
Joel sneered, "There are hospitals abroad, too. Of course, if the Joneses don¡¯t have such connections abroad, the Smiths are very willing to help."
After speaking, he nced at Tanya, who was next to him. Her eyes were all red. Then, he nced at Mia, who was looking at him from the bed a distance away with Hiry standing in between them.
The little girl¡¯s eyes had turned all red from fear. The way she looked so helpless and at a loss as she sat on the bed made his heart ache.
Even Tanya knew that they shouldn¡¯t be disturbing Mia¡¯s rest at the moment.
That was why she had been saying that they should talk at home instead.
Yet Hiry, Mia¡¯s mother, hadn¡¯t noticed Mia¡¯s emotions and reactions¡ªbecause her attention was fully on Tanya!
A mother like her... The look in Joel¡¯s eyes turned even colder.
He turned to his secretary and assistant beside him and said, "Since the Joneses are so tardy in this matter, you guys can provide Ms. Jones some assistance. She should be out of the country within an hour. I don¡¯t want to see her in New York ever again."
His assistant nodded at once. "Yes, sir."
Joel then walked straight into the ward.
Hiry and Mrs. Jones had the guts to get physical with Tanya, but they didn¡¯t dare to stop Joel. Both of them gave way to him in silence.
Hiry watched as Joel picked Mia up and carried her in his arms. She stared at how resolute the man was, and how handsome he still was, just like how he had been back then. She watched how he didn¡¯t cast even a single nce at her...
Despair suddenly welled up from the depths of her heart.
Yes.
Despair.
From beginning to end, the man had never once loved her.
The realization made fury overwhelm her rationale. Hiry suddenly screamed, "Tanya, haven¡¯t you always disliked me since we were kids? You hate me, don¡¯t you? Are you willing to raise my child for me now?! Hahahaha! What a joke you are!"
Chapter 419: Our Family of Three~
Chapter 419: Our Family of Three~
Her words couldn¡¯t get any more hurtful.
Joel paused and looked at her in astonishment.
Hiry looked like she had lost her mind. The savage look on her face made her look just like a beast in captivity putting up onest fight. She said, "How about this? Give me Mia, the two of you can have your own children instead. Isn¡¯t that a good idea? This way, I won¡¯t pester you ever again in the future!"
Joel looked at Tanya hastily.
By asking her to be Mia¡¯s stepmother, he was actually letting Tanya down.
Tanya had also been resistant to the idea.
Just two days ago, she had even driven him away because of it.
Joel thought that this was something that Tanya couldn¡¯t get over.
Tanya¡¯s gaze, however,nded on Mia when she heard what Hiry said.
The words ¡¯have your own children¡¯ was a blow that made her heart ache.
Nevertheless, she had noticed Mia reaching out with her little hand and grasping Joel¡¯s sleeve tightly upon hearing what Hiry said. In addition, her timid eyes also looked at her as though she was asking her for help¡ªor begging her for mercy.
Mia didn¡¯t want to go with Hiry.
She was very resistant to the idea.
Seeing that neither she nor Joel was speaking, Hiry stretched out her hand to Mia and said, "Come here, Mia. Come with Mommy. They are all bad people. Do you know? They are all bad people! Once your teacher and your father have their own children in the future, they will abuse and bully you. Come with Mommy. Mommy will never bully you, right?"
Mia shrank back further into Joel¡¯s arms.
Joel¡¯s gaze, however, was on Tanya the whole time.
He would never give Mia to Hiry, no matter what.
But he wanted Tanya to say something right now...
However, Tanya merely stared at Mia. The emotions in her eyes were soplicated that even Joel couldn¡¯t read them at all.
Joel¡¯s heart slowly sank.
Tanya probably couldn¡¯t bring herself to ept Mia yet.
Well, that made sense.
What made him think that he could ask her to treat the child born to the man she loved the most and the sister she hated the most as her own?!
Besides, Tanya was someone with a straightforward and decisive character. She had never been one to do such saintly things...
However, Joel had no choice but to be selfish this once.
He would never let go of Mia, nor would he let go of Tanya.
They were the two most important women in his life.
With that in mind, the look in Joel¡¯s eyes became cold and unfathomable. He looked at Hiry and held Mia further away from her.
Just as he was about to speak, Tanya, who was behind him, said, "If I say that I don¡¯t mind, will you believe me?"
Her words stunned everyone.
Hiry looked at her incredulously.
Even Joel was shocked.
Tanya looked at Mia and slowly stretched out her arms to her. "I like Mia. Although she is your daughter, she is not like you at all. The two of you arepletely different!"
Tanya lowered her head.
She couldn¡¯t even make herself dislike Mia, because the sight of her made her think of her own child.
Any woman who had had children before would be somewhat amodating toward and forgiving of children. She wanted to make Mia happy.
When Mia saw Tanya stretching her arms out to her, for some reason, she suddenly felt warmth in the icy-cold world.
She reached out her own short little arms and went into Tanya¡¯s arms.
When Tanya said what she did, she had let go of her negative feelings.
She believed that her child would be like her, and also hoped that all the children in the world could live happy and worry-free.
Tanya, who had let go of her negative feelings toward Mia, suddenly lifted her head. Her lips curled into a smile as she turned to Hiry. She said shamelessly, "Also, Mia is Joel¡¯s daughter. Considering how much I love him, I would also love his daughter, so why wouldn¡¯t I like Mia? You¡¯re worrying too much about it.
"Oh, by the way, you don¡¯t have to worry too much about Mia after you go abroad, because I will take good care of her. After all, we are a family of three. We are going to live happily together!"
Sure enough, Hiry became so furious that she started shaking all over.
For some reason, though, Tanya felt that Hiry¡¯s emotions were a little odd. It was as if she was furious, yet also afraid of something. "You...! That¡¯s utter nonsense! I am Mia¡¯s mother!"
Tanya didn¡¯t understand why she was emphasizing that over and over, but she nevertheless asked, "Mia, do you want me to be your mom?"
Mia¡¯s eyes lit up and she nodded. "Yes!"
Tanya then looked at Hiry. "Mia is only five now. Say, five¡ªor even ten¡ªyearster, will she still remember you, her biological mother?"
She let out an icyugh after she spoke.
Immediately after, as if she were one of those bad-natured women who unted their power after doing bad things, amidst everyone gesturing at her and talking about her, and without any regard for anything, Tanya walked toward the exit with Mia in her arms. "Alright, Mia, your fever is gone. Shall we go home?"
"..."
Hiry was still shaking even after Tanya had left. Mrs. Jones, who was frowning, looked as if she didn¡¯t know what she should do.
A short whileter, Joel¡¯s assistant walked up to Hiry. "Ms. Jones, your air ticket has been booked. Your flight is in an hour. You maye with me now."
Hiry clenched her fists.
Yet she was at a loss for words as she stared at the assistant in front of her.
¡ª
With a mighty momentum around her, Tanya went to the car park with Mia in her arms.
Joel followed behind her. As he watched the woman in front of him take firm and determined steps, a dazzling smile formed at the corners of his lips.
When they reached the car, he took two quick steps forward to Tanya¡¯s side.
Tanya turned to him and smiled triumphantly. "Did you see how Hiry looked just now? Hahaha! That felt so good! I haven¡¯t been this happy in so many years!"
Joel: "..."
A very self-aware Tanya sat in the backseat with Mia and left the driver¡¯s seat to Joel. She had a smile on her lips the whole time. "Mia, I made your Mommy really angry just now. Do you mind?"
Mia blinked at once. "No, I don¡¯t, Mommy!"
Tanya: "?!"
She suddenly choked on her saliva. After a few violent coughs, the astounded woman looked at Mia. "Y-you... What did you just call me?"
Even though Mia was looking at her timidly, she spoke very firmly. "You were the one who asked me to call you Mommy..."
Tanya: "..."
The corners of her lips spasmed in embarrassment. "No, I said that just now just to make Hiry angry. You... you... Don¡¯t take it seriously."
"Okay, Mommy," said Mia.
Tanya: "..."
She immediately looked at Joel, who was in the driver¡¯s seat. "What are youughing at?! Aren¡¯t you going to do something about the little fellow?!"
The extremely thick-skinned Joel said, "We already agreed back then that when we have a daughter in the future, I¡¯d be in charge of spoiling her while you¡¯re in charge of disciplining her."
Tanya: "!!"
It was only when the car started that she finally asked, "Where are we going?"
"The Smith manor." Tanya flushed crimson after he spoke. Joel, who saw that she was about to refuse, immediately added, "Nora is injured. Before she fainted, she was talking about some email..."
Chapter 420: Sponsor Grandpa Is here!
Chapter 420: Sponsor Grandpa Is here!
As expected, it diverted Tanya¡¯s attention. "Nora is injured? How did she be injured? Were you busy the whole day yesterday because of this? What exactly happened? What email are you talking about?"
Seeing that she wasn¡¯t refusing to go to the Smiths¡¯ anymore, Joel breathed a silent sigh of relief. Then, he slowly recounted what had happened the day before.
He didn¡¯t hide the truth from Tanya just because she wasn¡¯t part of their world.
Now that Tanya was going to be with him, she would have to face these issues sooner orter.
Upon hearing about the martial arts tournament, upon hearing how all of Quentin¡¯s bones had shattered, and upon hearing about how Nora had challenged the Benevolence Hall all by herself; Tanya frowned and ranted angrily. "They are too much! Nora did great by beating them all up! If I had practiced martial arts, I would definitely have gone with her to give them trouble, too!"
Then, she asked Joel usingly, "Did you help her?"
Joel¡¯s lip corners spasmed. "I wanted to, but Justin stopped me."
Tanya was taken aback.
Joel thought back to the events from the day before. When Nora challenged the Benevolence Hall all by herself the day before, he had wanted to go in and help, but Justin had stopped him.
Justin had said, "She has a lot of pent-up anger right now, and needs to vent it out. Otherwise, she would feel very awful."
Therefore, Justin had only kept Shaun upied in the arena so that Nora could kill him herself, and thereby vent her anger.
Joel had been rendered speechless at that time.
The one who had been beaten up was his younger brother, too!! He also had a whole load of pent-up anger that he had nowhere to vent!!
However, he had still given the chance to vent to Nora.
He¡¯d thought that Tanya would praise him after he exined what had happened, but unexpectedly, Tanya instead said, "Mr. Hunt did the right thing! Nora is not in good health. If she doesn¡¯t vent her anger, it will definitely affect her health. Why are you fighting with her for it when you¡¯re so strong and muscr?"
Joel: "??"
Suddenly, he felt like his status in the family in the future was now clear at a nce.
Tanya then asked, "Is Quentin really unable to stand anymore?"
Joel¡¯s expression darkened at the question. "That¡¯s what Lily said. I have contacted all the orthopedic specialists in the country, as well as the Hunts¡¯ medical expertsst night, but all of them said they couldn¡¯t do anything about it after they came and saw Quentin¡¯s condition."
Tanya didn¡¯t quite agree, though. "In my opinion, that may not necessarily be the case."
Joel was surprised.
Tanya then said, "Ask Nora about it after she wakes up! Only she can give you the most urate answer."
Joel was puzzled. "Why do you say that?"
Tanya kept quiet for a while before she finally replied, "There was once someone broke my leg when I was abroad. All the doctors said that the bones were shattered, so I won¡¯t be able to ever dance again. It was Nora who cured me."
Joel was taken aback by her calm voice.
Joel had always known that Tanya¡¯s life abroad during the past five years wasn¡¯t a peaceful one. However, he never knew that someone had even broken her leg.
He suddenly thought of how deeply in despair Tanya, who loved dancing so much, must have been when she was told that she could not dance anymore.
But what had he been doing at that time?
He had probably been busy changing his daughter¡¯s diapers at home!
It was Nora who had stayed by Tanya¡¯s side, cured her, and gave her hope at that time!
When Joel thought of that, he suddenly felt that he still wasn¡¯t treating Nora well enough. He should be treating her even better!
In the midst of his thoughts, Tanya asked, "By the way, what email were you talking about just now?"
Joel smiled and replied, "I don¡¯t know. Before she fell asleep, she looked at me and said something about her email inbox. She didn¡¯t say what was in it, though."
Tanya instantly curled her lips disdainfully. "Tsk, to think she can¡¯t even ry information properly! Besides, how would we know what her email ount password is?! Sigh!"
The two of them arrived at the Smiths¡¯ while they were talking.
The car had only just passed through the gates when they noticed a small van parking at the front. A few nurses and medical personnel got out of the van, and carefully helped Ian down.
Ian was too weak. He had only just returned from the jaws of death, so he couldn¡¯t even walk. After getting out of the van, the medical personnel helped him onto a wheelchair.
Joel got a huge shock and exchanged a look with Tanya. He hurriedly stopped the car, walked over, and called out, "Uncle Ian! Why are you back?"
Ian then noticed him. He sounded a little weak, but he pressed on and said, "How can you keep it from me when something so serious has happened?! I can¡¯t rest peacefully in the hospital when Nora is still unconscious, so I decided toe back and have a look at her!"
Joel red at the people next to Ian.
Ian immediately said, "Don¡¯t look at them. I sensed something amiss because Quentin didn¡¯t visit me for so long, so I forced them to talk."
Ever since he knew that Nora was his daughter, he had specially instructed Quentin to follow Nora every day, and also give him a report of everyone else who was following her.
When Quentin simply didn¡¯t show up the day before, he had immediately sensed something. The people around him weren¡¯t the wily old fox¡¯s match at all, so he had easily sounded them out!
Upon knowing that Quentin had been hospitalized, he hastily went to visit Quentin.
Quentin hadn¡¯t woken up yet. Given the severity of his injuries, he wouldn¡¯t be waking up for quite a while, either.
After visiting Quentin, he became worried that the news about how Nora was sleeping was just their way of trying tofort him. Thus, he had forcefully requested toe home. He would only be able to rest assured once he saw Nora with his own eyes.
Ian had always been a stubborn man. Joel knew that no one around him could talk him out of something he wanted to do.
It was just like how no one could do anything about him when he was determined to die.
Once he made up his mind, the decisions and beliefs oftensted a lifetime.
For example, Yvette.
Joel didn¡¯t say anything else. At this point, Tanya came over with Mia in her arms. When Ian nced over and saw that it was Tanya, he made a sound of surprise and asked, "That girl has returned to the States?"
Tanya had often visited the Smiths when she was dating Joel back then, so it was very normal that Ian would know her.
Tanya greeted him respectfully. "Hi, Uncle Ian."
Ian nodded at her. Then, he looked at Joel and said, "Although you and I are not father and son, we have very simr personalities. This kid here has stayed single all these years because he was waiting for you." Ian then looked at Tanya and added, "Cherish him, girl!"
After he said that, seemingly because he had thought of himself, a contemtive look formed in his eyes.
Tanya looked at Joel, who had blushed a little.
To outsiders, he was the head of the Smiths whom everyone feared. But in the eyes of Ian, he would always be a junior. He even called him a ¡¯kid¡¯...
Joel touched his nose.
Tanya, who had sensed how embarrassed he was, smiled and nodded. "Okay."
With Joel pushing the wheelchair and Tanya carrying Mia in her arms, the four of them walked toward the living room.
Ian, however, suddenly became nervous. "Nora¡¯s little girl is also at home, right? This is the first time we¡¯re meeting. Should I give her a gift or something?"
The thought had only just formed when a familiar young and tender voice traveled over from the living room.
"Jumbo, does your name actually start with a ¡¯D¡¯ instead? Do you really know how to y?
"What? Stop calling you names? It¡¯s because I keep dissing people that Sponsor Grandpa has stoppeding to my live-streams?"
Chapter 421: Mr. Hunt Has Messed Up Again~
Chapter 421: Mr. Hunt Has Messed Up Again~
When Nora fell unconscious, Cherry lost her sense of security.
She didn¡¯t want to stay with her father at the Hunts¡¯ anymore and insisted on staying by Nora¡¯s side no matter what. She wheedled and acted cute, and even kicked up a fuss and rolled about on the floor in the Smiths¡¯ manor in the end. She simply refused to go with Justin.
Pete didn¡¯t say anything, either. He merely looked at him in silence, his intentions obvious:
¡¯I am not leaving until Mommy wakes up!¡¯
In the end, Justin had no choice but to ask Joel for permission to stay in a guest room at the Smiths¡¯ temporarily, so that he could work there and watch over the two children.
Joel¡¯s lip corners had spasmed when he received the call from the butler.
Justin was simply too devious.
Joel simply didn¡¯t believe it. Why wouldn¡¯t Justin be able to make a child do as he says? Besides, even if he really couldn¡¯t, why couldn¡¯t he just tell the Hunts that the little mister hade to the Smiths¡¯ to y?
Moreover!
As the head of the Hunts, Justin didn¡¯t need to report his whereabouts to anyone at all!
He remembered that Pete and Justin had once lived in a vi elsewhere before.
Why would the butler dare to refuse Justin, though? Thus, by the time Joel heard about it, Justin had already moved in.
He was pretty much just using the children for his own gains! How utterly shameless!
They weren¡¯t even married yet! It wasn¡¯t appropriate for them to be living together!
He had alsoe back with the intention to drive Justin out.
However, Cherry was currently seated on the sofa with her legs crossed, her mockery mode at full force.
Behind her were the two butlers in charge of external and internal affairs. They were standing there and looking at her.
"Ms. Cherry, you¡¯re so good at the game!"
"The way you diss people is such a work of art!"
"Huh? To think you can insult someone like that! Jumbo with a ¡¯D¡¯... that¡¯s Dumbo! Hahaha!"
The two of them had clearly be fans of Cherry.
Justin was seated on the sofa at the side, seemingly dealing with some documents. That leisurely appearance of his was practically as if he was in his own home!
The corners of Joel¡¯s lips spasmed.
He then looked at Pete. He was working seriously on his Mathematical Olympiad problems at the side, seemingpletely unaffected by Cherry.
Cherry was reading thements in her live-stream. Her brows knitted together and she said, "Daddy, all of them are saying that Sponsor Grandpa hasn¡¯te to my live-stream for so long because I was dissing people, so he doesn¡¯t like me anymore. Sob, is that true?"
Justin was actually feeling very nervous.
Because he had just received news that Ian hade home.
His attitude toward the old man was merely respectful in the past. However, things werepletely different now. Ian was Nora¡¯s father!
As a son-inw, he mustn¡¯t embarrass himself in front of him.
He was racking his brains for a way to make Ian happy when he heard Cherry. As a ve to his daughter, he replied without any hesitation, "How can that be? You are so cute when you diss people!"
Cherry breathed a sigh of relief. However, she still said aggrievedly, "Then why isn¡¯t Sponsor Grandpa talking to me anymore? We haven¡¯t contacted each other on Messenger for so long. I asked Mommy to look for him, but she couldn¡¯t find him... Daddy, are you really not a hacker?"
Justin coughed.
He was Y. Of course he was a hacker.
But he didn¡¯t want to look for him.
Sponsor Grandpa? What the heck? How dare he fight with him for his daughter¡¯s love? Additionally, during the period Sponsor Grandpa was away, he had finally reached number one on the virtual gifts ranking!
Justin said, "I¡¯m really not one. Daddy is a good,w-abiding citizen. Daddy¡¯spany also acts in ordance with thew."
Cherry sighed and lowered her head.
Next to them, Pete looked up and heaved a silent sigh. His father was simply too shameless!
He was lying to even his five-year-old younger sister!
Justin then said, "Why are you so insistent on looking for Sponsor Grandpa? The way I see it, his affection for you was only temporary. Otherwise, why would he suddenly disappear without a word? That¡¯s very rude behavior."
He secretly badmouthed Sponsor Grandpa and said, "Let¡¯s ignore him in the future, Cherry!"
Cherry asked, "... But what if Sponsor Grandpa was sick?"
"That¡¯s impossible. Considering how rich he is, it¡¯s impossible that he would suddenly disappear, no matter what kind of illness it is."
"Yeah, you¡¯re right, Daddy. I won¡¯t talk to Sponsor Grandpa ever again!"
At the door, Ian, who had immediately recognized that Cherry was sweetcherry, was bewildered.
When he¡¯d first recognized Cherry, he had felt joy and anxiety from meeting an online friend for the first time. However, there was only anger left in him now.
What was Justin teaching the kids?
Ian entered the living room with mighty momentum.
Justin hurriedly stood up when he heard the soundsing from the door. At the sight of him, he took a step forward earnestly and greeted him. "Hello, Uncle Ian," he said.
Ian stared at him with disdain all over his good-looking face. "I think you should call me Mr. Smith instead."
Justin: "?"
He was calling him Uncle Ian because he was Nora¡¯s fianc¨¦!
He was stunned for a moment. Then, he said, "You must be joking, Uncle Ian. Nora will beat me up if she hears me addressing you as Mr. Smith."
Ian snorted. "Mr. Hunt, I, Ian Smith, have never been one to joke around. What kind of rtionship do you share with Nora for you to be calling me Uncle Ian?"
"... We are engaged," said Justin.
"Engaged?"
Ian was very surprised. "Howe I¡¯m not aware that my daughter is engaged? When did the two of you hold the engagement ceremony?"
Justin: "???"
He had publicly announced that Nora was his fianc¨¦e at the Hunts¡¯ party the other time, so their rtionship was already confirmed.
Why was Ian refusing to acknowledge it?
However, he soon felt that he had figured it out. "You are right, Uncle Ian. I will get it done."
Ian didn¡¯t look at him anymore. Instead, he looked at Cherry sitting on the sofa.
Cherry was also staring at him with her big dark eyes.
At the sight, Joel pushed Ian¡¯s wheelchair toward Cherry and said, "Uncle Ian, this is Nora¡¯s daughter. Her nickname is Cherry."
Ian¡¯s eyes reddened at once. His voice was even trembling a little as he called out, "Cherry?"
Cherry blinked. Then, she called out sweetly, "Grandpa~"
Ian instantly felt like his heart had been coated in honey.
In the past, when Cherry called him Sponsor Grandpa on Messenger, he had merely found her a sweet child. It was only now that he realized that the sweetness reached all the way into his heart.
He nodded. "Hello!"
As soon as he said that, Chester, who was also logged into the game, said, "Boss, look at your live-stream! They are all mocking you!"
Cherry immediately lowered her head when she heard him. She saw in thements in the live-stream that everyone wasughing at her and saying that Sponsor Grandpa had abandoned her.
"..."
Chapter 422: DNA Report~
Chapter 422: DNA Report~
Everyone in thements wasughing at her.
"Your wealthy grandfather must have found another dog. He doesn¡¯t love you anymore!"
"Hahaha, I¡¯m suddenly very happy to see the host down."
"Sponsor Grandpa must be tired of you, right? All the big bosses are like this."
...
Cherry wilted. She pouted and stopped talking.
When Ian saw her like this, his heart ached badly. He quickly took out his phone and secretly charged it. Then, while the others were not paying attention, he quickly went to Cherry¡¯s live-stream and sent her gifts.
The overwhelming gifts suddenly covered the entire screen.
When Cherry saw that the person giving the gift was her Sponsor Grandpa, her eyes lit up.
She shouted happily, "My Sponsor Grandpa is here!"
Ian had surpassed second ce and be first. He was satisfied.
However, just as he put down his phone, Justin, who was standing behind him, suddenly took out his phone and tipped a hundred gifts. The rankings instantly changed again.
Ian: "..."
Justin said, "Cherry, you can¡¯t let an outsider control your emotions. Whatever others have, Daddy will give it to you."
Cherry immediately looked up at him. "Thank you, Daddy!"
"..."
After Justin tipped the gifts, he put down his phone. For some reason, he suddenly felt that the atmosphere in the living room seemed a little off.
How much colder was it?
Heposed himself and looked over. He realized that Ian was emitting coldness and looking at him gloomily.
Justin: "?"
He hesitated for a moment and asked, "Uncle Ian, what¡¯s wrong?"
Ian sneered. "Mr. Hunt, are you very free today?"
Justin: "...So-so, I guess."
Ian said, "Butler, Mr. Hunt still has to handle thepany¡¯s matters. How can we keep him here at home for such a small matter? Quickly take him to work!"
Justin: !!
Confused, he looked at Joel pleadingly. However, not only did his brother-inw not help, he even turned his head to look elsewhere. His eyes, which were usually smiling, were now gloating?
Joel really felt good.
He and Justin governed New York¡¯s economic lifeline. The two of them often interacted with each other and were both powerful people.
When had he ever seen him so aggrieved?
It felt... good.
When Justin saw that he was silent, and since Ian was the head of this family, he had to listen.
After confirming that there was nothing wrong with Nora¡¯s body, he simply said, "Alright, I¡¯lle and see Nora again tonight."
Ian snorted. "Nora is fine. You don¡¯t have to visit her so often. When she wakes up, she will contact you!"
Justin: "..."
He grimaced and looked at Pete. "Then I¡¯lle and see Pete tonight."
Pete?
Ian was stunned when he heard this. He turned to look at Pete, who had been sitting quietly the entire time. When he saw his face, he was stunned.
Why did Pete look exactly like Cherry?
While he was in a daze, Justin smiled brightly. "Uncle Ian, I forgot to tell you that Pete and Cherry are my and Nora¡¯s children."
He paused and added, "They¡¯re twins."
Ian: "..."
Justin, who finally had the upper hand, walked out when he saw his stunned look. "Uncle Ian, I¡¯ll take my leave then."
He should give his father-inw more time to ept it!
After Justin left, Ian looked at Joel. "So these two kids have been together for a long time?"
He was talking about Nora and Justin.
Joel nodded. "The children are already five years old."
Ian paused. "He¡¯s better than you!"
Joel: "..."
He nced at Mia silently. He was about to say that his child was five years old too, but when he saw Tanya standing beside him, he didn¡¯t say anything.
His child was not hers.
This might be his lifelong regret.
¡ª
Ian went upstairs to look at Nora. After confirming that she was really asleep, he then went downstairs in relief.
Joel let him rest. He nced at Cherry and nodded. After entering the bedroom, Ian let everyone out and secretly opened Cherry¡¯s live-stream.
Cherry had said earlier that she did not want to talk to her Sponsor Grandpa anymore, so he chose not to acknowledge her first. They could reunite after maintaining a peaceful rtionship on the Inte!
Time passed very quickly. Soon, it was nighttime. Suddenly, two little cuties appeared at home, and the entire family became lively.
Joel realized that even Ian had a smile on his face.
Such happy times were always easily disturbed.
After dinner, the sky darkened.
He was about to call his assistant to ask if Hiry had gone overseas when his assistant¡¯s call arrived first. "Mr. Smith, something has happened."
Joel was stunned. "What?"
The assistant said, "After going overseas, Hiry sued you in Switzend!"
Sued him?
Joel narrowed his eyes.
The assistant coughed. "She has filed a request for the custody of the child!"
Joel¡¯s voice instantly turned cold. "How dare she? Where are the Joneses?"
The assistant said, "Mr. Jones contacted her and asked her to withdraw thewsuit, but she refused to listen. She insisted that the child is hers and only hers. Even if she can¡¯t be with you, she will still sue you for the child¡¯s custody!"
With that, the assistant coughed. "If this was in the country, we would definitely have been able to resolve it easily. But now, she¡¯s suing from overseas. It¡¯s not convenient for us to make a move there."
Of course, Joel understood this, but the problem was...
He narrowed his eyes and asked, "If she¡¯s not from Switzend, how did she manage to press charges there? Why would the courts in Switzend take on such a case?"
The assistant said, "We¡¯re still investigating that, but the court seems to be taking this case very seriously. They¡¯re already preparing to send you a subpoena!"
Joel vaguely felt that something was wrong. "Investigate properly!"
"Understood."
After hanging up, Joel looked at Mia.
The case was actually notplicated. If he didn¡¯t go overseas, there was nothing they could do about it. But Mia couldn¡¯t possibly stay in the country forever, right?
It had only been a day. Where did Hiry find the guts to sue him?!
Outside.
Justin looked at the brightly lit Smith vi and was especially envious.
He really wanted to go in, but after getting the butler to inform him, his father-inw refused to let him in. He even said that it was getting toote and he would not keep him as a guest.
Justin did not want to be ostracized.
Ian was not someone he could handle unless his future brother-inw helped.
But to get his future brother-inw to help him? He had to give him something powerful...
Something powerful...
Justin suddenly thought of the DNA test between Tanya and Mia...
His lips curled up slightly. He had it!
Chapter 423: Mia Is Tanya’s Daughter!
Chapter 423: Mia Is Tanya¡¯s Daughter!
In the limousine.
As Lawrence drove, he looked at his boss in the rearview mirror and vaguely felt that he was a little pitiful.
When had the famous Justin ever been rejected?
He sighed silently.
Ever since he got together with Miss Smith, Mr. Hunt had shown him his most patient side.
At this moment, Mr. Hunt was not in a hurry. He was still ying with his phone.
Lawrence almost couldn¡¯t help it and drove away!
It was so embarrassing to wait outside the door!
How could he know that Justin was hacking into Nora¡¯s email?
His slender fingers pressed on his phone with agility. He was about to enter Nora¡¯s email when he was suddenly blocked. The screen almost turned ck.
Tsk.
Justin stared at the arrogant red words "get lost" and couldn¡¯t help butugh.
Very good. It was her style.
However, the encryption measures in her inbox were really impressive. Perhaps only Q could do it.
He could not guess how she knew Q. How could she get Q to encrypt one of her mailboxes?
Justin smiled and decided to give up on attacking her email.
Otherwise, she would probably be angry when she woke up and realized that her email had been hacked.
He picked up his phone and called Lily.
The call was picked up quickly. Lily¡¯s formic voice came through. "Hello, this is Lily. May I know who you are?"
"Justin."
Lily was startled. "Boss¡¯s husband?"
Justin: "???"
Lily coughed and corrected him. "No, it¡¯s Mr. Hunt. It¡¯s sote, why are you calling?"
Justin raised his eyebrows.
Boss¡¯s husband? Was this his nickname now?
It actually made him a little happy.
Joy shed across his deep eyes. He felt that Nora¡¯s assistant was very perceptive. He said slowly, "Nora asked you to produce a DNA report two days ago. What was the result?"
Lily subconsciously said, "I¡¯ll only report to Boss."
Justin: "?"
Just as he frowned, he heard Lily¡¯s tone change. "But your identity is special, so I can tell you. I¡¯ll only tell you~"
Justin smiled. "... Go ahead."
"The DNA results show that the two test subjects are confirmed to be mother and daughter."
Justin raised his eyebrows.
He didn¡¯t expect Nora to be right.
He lowered his eyes and said slowly, "Thank you."
"You¡¯re wee, Mr. Hunt. Just let me know if you need anything."
After hanging up, Justin thought for a moment and called Sean again. "Five years ago, how was the investigation going on overseas?"
Back then, Nora had investigated her DNA and when he found out about her suspicions, he had said that he could help her investigate Hiry from five years ago.
Even if the DNA showed that Tanya and Mia were mother and daughter, they still had to provide enough evidence to prove that Hiry had stolen the child.
Justin handed the matter to Sean.
After all, it was five years ago. Furthermore, it was in Switzend, so it was not as fast as investigating in the country.
Sean replied, "Give me another 12 hours and I¡¯ll have the answers."
"Okay."
After hanging up, Justin yed with his phone.
He could not wait 12 hours to tell Joel such important news. Otherwise, how could he use it as a tactic?
Moreover, judging him by his own standards, it was as if he did not know that he had a daughter back then. He would definitely want to hear this news as soon as possible.
Therefore, he sent Joel a message: "Brother-inw, let me in. I have an important message for you and Miss Tanya."
¡ª
"Mr. Smith, we found some clues!"
Joel was on the phone at this moment. The assistant opposite him was in Switzend, so the investigation was a little slow.
His eyes were cold, and his usual smile was gone. He nced at Tanya, who was ying with Mia, and said simply, "Speak."
"Hiry did indeed receive help from others to sue you in Switzend. Moreover, the Joneses¡¯ attitude suddenly became domineering after going overseas. They said that they will fight thiswsuit to the end with us!"
Joel¡¯s gaze turned even colder. "Whose help did they receive?"
The assistant said a name. "Karl Moore."
Joel narrowed his eyes.
Of course, he knew this person.
Karl Moore was an American Chinese.
Currently, the underground forces in Switzend were veryrge, so he was very famous overseas. His name was often heard in the country.
Although the Smiths and Hunts were the top families which controlled the economic lifeline in the country, internationally, their impacts were still a little small.
But Karl Moore was different.
They were mercenaries, and the people in their team were all retired special forces from Switzend. They privately epted difficult missions, such as assassinations.
The name of their organization could be tranted to "Assassin."
Ever since the organization was established, none of the assassination ns had failed!
They were an assassin allIance exceptionally vignt in the world!
Therefore, the Swiss people maintained a good rtionship with them. Even the major families in the country were wary of this organization.
Karl Moore was the leader of the organization. Whether the organization epted the assassination mission or not was entirely up to him.
The Joneses had nothing to do with such a person. Why was he suddenly protecting them?
Joel frowned. "Why is he helping them?"
The other party might not even take a liking to the Joneses if they packed all their assets and gave them to Karl Moore. Furthermore, they were going against the Smiths. Karl Moore had always shown the Smiths respect.
The assistant said, "I¡¯m still investigating."
Joel¡¯s gaze turned colder. "Yes. Investigate all that you can. If you can¡¯t, tell Karl Moore that the Smiths respect him, but we¡¯re not afraid of him! There¡¯s no room for negotiation regarding the child!"
The assistant took a deep breath. "Yes!"
After hanging up, Joel saw Justin¡¯s message and slowly frowned.
He had important news to tell him and Tanya?
He was probably telling him that he wanted to enter the house.
But if he was including Tanya... then something must have happened.
Could it be rted to the email Nora had mentioned before she fainted?
He looked at Ian and said, "Uncle Ian, let¡¯s allow Mr. Hunt in."
Ian said unhappily, "No."
In the afternoon, when he gave Cherry tips, Justin had been suppressing him and had insisted onpeting with him for the first ce on the list. This made him even more unhappy.
Does he want to marry his daughter? Ha.
Joel looked at Cherry, and the little fellow immediately ran to Ian. "Grandpa, Grandpa~ Let Daddy in. I miss Daddy~"
Ian: "..."
Chapter 424: Tanya, You Had a Child Once.
Chapter 424: Tanya, You Had a Child Once.
Could he reject his obedient granddaughter¡¯s request?
The answer was no.
Ian¡¯s lips twitched as he red at Joel.
The news of Justin standing outside the door was reported to him by the butler when he came in. Cherry and Pete did not know at all.
During dinner, Cherry even looked at the door curiously and asked, "Why isn¡¯t Daddy here yet?"
Ian said coldly, "He¡¯s probably busy with work."
Cherry was still a little unhappy. "Okay~"
Ian took the opportunity to brainwash her. "It¡¯s most irresponsible of a parent to ignore the child when they¡¯re busy. Let¡¯s not like him anymore, okay?"
Cherry¡¯s eyes widened when she heard this.
Then, she looked at Ian and retorted, "Grandpa, I can¡¯t do that."
Ian was curious. "Why?"
Cherry sighed. "Mommy has been busy sleeping since we were young. She¡¯s even more irresponsible. At least Daddy spends twice as much time with me every day than Mommy does!"
Ian: "!!"
He had never seen the way Nora interacted with the two children. He did not expect that he would also have to bring his daughter into this.
At that time, he could only change the topic forcefully. "Yes, what I said just now was just a test for you. I didn¡¯t expect our Cherry to be so smart. You actually passed Grandpa¡¯s test."
Cherry immediately looked up and smiled. Her big ck eyes swept past Pete. "Pete, did you see that? Grandpa doesn¡¯t like Daddy and wants to badmouth Daddy. I¡¯m the best! He can¡¯t even say anything about Daddy!"
Pete: "..."
He sighed silently. He kept wondering ever since Cherry came home, why had the tyrant and this grandfather, who was rumored to be very serious, be so childish?
Ian had been hiding it from Cherry and did not tell her.
Moreover, he did not feel guilty at all. How dare Justin secretly tell her not to like her Sponsor Grandpa?!
However, now that Cherry had heard Joel¡¯s words, Ian could not stop her. Otherwise, wouldn¡¯t he be a bad grandfather?
Ian could only say to the butler indignantly, "Invite him in."
The butler nced at Joel and left with a smile.
Joel was already the head of the Smiths now. After all, Ian had been on his deathbed in the past and had not cared about the family¡¯s matters at all.
However, Ian¡¯s wish was Joel¡¯smand.
When everyone saw how respectful Joel was to Ian, they did not dare to disrespect Ian either.
Soon, Justin entered.
Wearing a ck suit, he walked in steadily. After entering, he greeted Ian respectfully, "Uncle Ian."
Ian snorted and looked at Joel. "Joel, the guest is here. Treat him well."
He looked like he wanted to ignore him.
Justin rubbed his nose awkwardly and looked at Cherry.
Cherry had already run over excitedly and hugged his leg. "Daddy, why are you just getting here now?! Didn¡¯t you agree to sleep here tonight? I¡¯m still waiting for you to tuck me in!"
When she said this, Justin looked at Ian. When he saw Ian¡¯s eyes flicker, he chuckled softly and said, "Yes, Daddy was busy with work."
He did not expose Ian¡¯s lie.
This made Ian feel a little better. Then, he saw Justin looking at him mischievously. "As for sleeping with you tonight..."
He drawled, his eyes questioning.
Ian coughed and looked at the butler. "Have you prepared the guest room?"
The butler held in hisughter. "I¡¯ve already prepared it. It¡¯s next to Miss Nora¡¯s room. The room is very big andfortable."
Ever since Yvonne was arrested and Nora¡¯s identity as Ian¡¯s daughter was exposed, the people in the family had epted Nora as the eldest daughter.
Ian waved her hand. "Alright, Joel. Take the guest upstairs to have a look."
Joel smiled as well. He let Mia y downstairs and took Justin upstairs. Halfway there, he looked at Tanya. "Tanya, youe too."
Tanya looked up in confusion and subconsciously stood up to follow him upstairs.
Ian couldn¡¯t help but say, "You guys have just reunited. Aren¡¯t you two being too mushy?"
Tanya¡¯s face couldn¡¯t help but turn red.
Joel coughed and smiled. "Uncle Ian, please understand."
Ian: "..."
Why was this kid¡¯s skin so thick?!
When the three of them went upstairs, Justin did not go to the guest room immediately.
Joel pointed to his study. "Chat in the study?"
Justin nodded. When they passed by Nora¡¯s room, he suddenly gestured for them to keep quiet and then gently opened the door.
The curtains in the room were drawn, and the light was dim.
The temperature in the room had also been adjusted very well. The woman on the bed was still asleep and did not move at all.
Justin approached her and checked her breathing and pulse. After confirming that Nora was fine, he heaved a sigh of relief.
He covered her with a nket and went out.
Seeing him tiptoeing as if he was afraid of waking Nora up, Joel and Tanya at the door were speechless.
The corners of Tanya¡¯s mouth twitched. "Mr. Hunt, Nora is sleeping so well. Even if the sky copses, it probably won¡¯t wake her up. You don¡¯t have to be so... cautious?"
Justin didn¡¯t mind. "It¡¯s better to be gentle. Otherwise, she¡¯ll hear the noise in her sleep."
Tanya: "..."
Alright, he was of noble status. Whatever he says.
The three of them then followed Joel to the study.
In the study.
The housekeeper, Lucy, had already prepared tea. Joel looked at Justin. "Have you eaten dinner?"
Justin looked at him silently.
Brother-inw, he hade over during lunchtime and had been kept outside the door. Didn¡¯t Joel know if he had eaten dinner or not?!
Joel coughed. "Go prepare some food for Mr. Hunt."
Lucy nodded.
After Lucy left, Joel saw Justin drinking tea and couldn¡¯t help but ask anxiously, "Tell me quickly. What¡¯s the matter?"
Tanya looked at him in confusion.
Justin drank a cup of tea before saying slowly, "Miss Tanya, you had a child overseas, right?"
His words were like a tidal wave. Joel looked at Tanya in disbelief, only to see that Tanya¡¯s eyes had also widened in shock.
She clenched her fists tightly.
This was her secret. Why did Justin say it out loud?
When he saw her like this, Joel¡¯s mind instantly started racing.
He lowered his eyes and smiled bitterly.
So in the past five years, Tanya had already had a boyfriend overseas?
However, he had no intention of ming her.
After all, he had a child too, didn¡¯t he?
Chapter 425: Our Child...
Chapter 425: Our Child...
When he forced Tanya to ept Mia, he no longer had the right to criticize her.
Even if he had never let any woman near him in the past five years!
He suddenly felt frustrated.
At this moment, he wanted to know who this man was who had been with Tanya. He wished he could capture him and beat him up.
With this thought in mind, he looked at Tanya.
He suddenly understood how Tanya must have felt when he and Hiry had gotten together back then.
After five years, he was with Tanya again and was still so sad and jealous, let alone her back then.
That was why she had decided to leave and go overseas, right?
Perhaps she had not gone overseas simply to pursue her dream of dancing. She had been hurt by him!
When Joel thought of this, his chest tightened even more.
He had been with her through junior high, high school, and university...
He had originally thought that the two of them would walk from their school uniforms to their wedding gowns, from their ck hair to their white hair. He did not expect that they would go off track halfway.
When they returned to the same path, he had Mia, and she had another child.
Their love was no longer as perfect as before.
But he couldn¡¯t mind.
He did not even dare to ask Tanya if she had liked that man when she had a change of heart midway, only to like him again now.
He did not dare to ask, afraid that he would be dissatisfied with the answer.
He only knew that they had to be together, no matter what.
With this in mind, he walked towards Tanya.
Tanya was also in a daze. When she saw Joel walking over, her expression turned grave and she felt even more guilty. However, just as she thought Joel would question her, she heard him say, "Who is that man?"
Tanya: "?"
She was stunned and looked at Joel in confusion.
Joel sighed. "If you don¡¯t want to say it, then forget it. I¡¯ll try my best not to mind."
At this point, he turned his head away and did not look into Tanya¡¯s eyes. "Where is your child...? You can bring him over. I¡¯ll treat him as my own, just like... how you treat Mia... Even if I can¡¯t be sincere, I¡¯ll still work hard..."
Tanya: "!!!"
She finally understood what Joel meant and could not help butugh.
As she smiled, tears welled up in her eyes.
This man, this silly man, actually thought that she had another man?
She thought of the past five years. Although she was alone overseas, she had interacted with many aristocrats because she was a dancer.
She did notck suitors among those people.
But she had never epted any of them.
At first, she had told herself, she had lost her child and had no right to start a new life. It was a form of punishment.
But it was only now that she realized that it was not because she did not want to look for a man. It was because, with someone in her heart, she could no longer look at anyone else.
Those aristocrats were all very outstanding, but she was blinded by Joel and could not see anyone else.
She looked at Joel with red eyes.
When Joel saw her like this, his heart ached even more.
How did that man hurt her? Was it so painful to recall?
He grabbed Tanya¡¯s arm and said in pain and anger, "Why did you split up? Did he hurt you?"
Tanya shook her head.
"Did he have a change of heart?"
Tanya continued to shake her head.
Joel was anxious. "Did you have a change of heart? What happened? Did he bully you? Tell me who he is and I¡¯ll kill him!"
Tanya still shook her head, but the smile on her face grew wider.
She said, "No, no. There¡¯s no such person."
Her voice was choked.
Joel was stunned. "There¡¯s no such person? Then your child..."
Tanya¡¯s cries became even louder. She looked at Joel and knew that she could no longer hide the child¡¯s existence.
However, she did not want to make Joel sad with her.
She clenched her fists. "Calm down. Listen to me."
Joel was extremely anxious, but when he saw Tanya¡¯s tear-stained face, he knew that he could not be anxious. He took a deep breath. "Okay, I¡¯ll calm down. Tell me, what¡¯s going on with that man and the child?"
Tanya looked at him and lowered her head again. She slowly said, "There¡¯s no other man... It¡¯s you. It has always been you!"
Joel froze on the spot.
He looked at Tanya in a daze.
A ridiculous thought suddenly urred to him. "If it¡¯s me, then that child..."
Tanya looked at him and closed her eyes. Large tears rolled down her face again. "The child is yours."
It was his...
These three words stunned Joel.
Surprise surged in his heart as he grabbed Tanya. "You gave birth to my child? Our child?"
At this moment, he was as happy as a child.
He asked anxiously, "Where¡¯s the child? Where is he?"
When the two of them were together back then, they had once imagined what would happen if they had a child in the future. As it turned out, they really had a child!
But he did not expect that while he was wild with joy, Tanya would still have her eyes closed. Her tears rolled down her face like broken pearls. She did not speak.
Joel¡¯s ecstasy gradually calmed down. He looked at Tanya and finally sensed something strange.
They were already together. Why didn¡¯t Tanya tell him they had a child?
Also, when he asked if she could be Mia¡¯s mother, why did she resist and not say anything...
He pursed his lips and his heart suddenly sank. "That child..."
"...I lost our child."
Tanya said those words with difficulty as her tears flowed even more violently. She opened her eyes and sobbed as she shouted, "After I gave birth, I lost the child before I could even see the child clearly. I don¡¯t even know if our child is a girl or a boy!"
"I¡¯m sorry... I didn¡¯t protect our child well! I feel guilty when I¡¯m with you! Why should I be happy? I don¡¯t even know if my child is dead or alive..."
Following her words, Joel suddenly reached out and hugged her.
At this moment, Joel felt his heart ache so much that he could barely breathe.
How painful Tanya must have been all these years!
It was one thing to suffer through the pain of looking for her child every day, but to have to face his and Hiry¡¯s daughter after returning to the country.
Especially when he said that he wanted Tanya to be Mia¡¯s mother.
Mia¡¯s mother...
Joel suddenly thought of something and looked at Justin.
Chapter 426: A Family of Three!
Chapter 426: A Family of Three!
Justin had said that he had important information to tell Joel and Tanya.
Furthermore, the moment he entered, he pointed out that Tanya had been hiding something from Joel. Then, was that important matter the whereabouts of their child?!
Joel suddenly understood.
Justin sat by the side and watched the two of them confess to each other.
He did not know what had happened. He could only resolve the misunderstanding between Tanya and Joel before speaking the truth.
Seeing that the two of them were almost done talking and that Tanya was crying so badly, Justin touched his nose and hurriedly said, "Don¡¯t be in a hurry to cry... I have good news here."
If Nora woke up and found out that he had made her best friend cry for so long, she would definitely beat him up.
Tanya and Joel were still in a sad state. They opened their eyes and looked at him in confusion.
Justin coughed. "It was Nora who felt that something was wrong. She secretly took Tanya¡¯s DNA samples topare with Mia¡¯s DNA..."
Joel and Tanya widened their eyes.
At this moment, Joel finally understood Justin¡¯s meaning!
Tanya was also surprised and anxious. Why was Noraparing her and Mia¡¯s DNA?!
As she was thinking about this, she heard Justin continue, "You two are mother and daughter."
"..."
Tanya¡¯s mind exploded.
She looked at Justin in disbelief and felt that she recognized every word he said, but when she put them together, why could she suddenly not understand?
Wasn¡¯t Mia Hiry¡¯s daughter?
How could she be her daughter?
While she was in a daze, Joel narrowed his eyes and said sternly, "No wonder Hiry didn¡¯t appear when she was pregnant back then. In the end, she suddenly appeared in front of me with a child."
He looked at Tanya and said, "That night, I was the one who had drunk too much and was schemed against! In the hotel, she insisted that I had sex with her... In my head, the person that night was actually you... But when I woke up, Hiry was by my side instead."
Before he could finish, Tanya suddenly reacted. "Are you talking about October 25, six years ago?"
Joel was stunned and nodded. "Yes."
Tanya bit her lip. "That night, it was me..."
Joel was surprised.
Tanya¡¯s expression was a little unnatural when she mentioned that night. "Later on, when you were still asleep in the morning, my mother sent me a message asking me toe home. She said she had something to tell me, so I went back..."
When she returned home, she realized that it was a foreign eptance letter.
Immediately after, she had taken out a photo of Tanya and Joel sleeping together and handed it to her. She had told her, "I told you long ago that your identity is not suitable for you to be with Mr. Smith! Only the eldest daughter of the Joneses has the right to be Mrs. Smith! Mr. Smith is just ying with you! Since you¡¯re my daughter, I¡¯ll remind you not to be treated as a ything!"
At that time, she was stunned when she saw the photo. She called Joel, but she did not expect that Hiry would pick up his phone. "What are you doing? He¡¯s still sleeping."
Tanya was furious.
Two hourster, she called Joel, but his attitude was very cold.
She asked, "What am I to you?"
He sneered. "What am I to you? Tanya, we both know that you¡¯re not that important to me!"
At that time, Tanya¡¯s heart was in ashes as she left the country.
Joel was stunned. He thought about it carefully and knew that he had fallen into a trap. "When I woke up and realized that the person beside me was Hiry, I was shocked. I wanted to look for you and exin everything, but I saw the application form for your overseas study on Hiry¡¯s phone."
He was silent for a moment before saying, "Hiry told me that everything you did was to use me to go overseas."
At that time, he was young and impulsive. Just as he was looking at the application, he received a call from Tanya.
However, he had not expected Tanya to question her position in his heart so confidently over a phone call.
He also wanted to ask this question!
Later on, he watched helplessly as Tanya left the country without turning back. He believed Hiry even more and did not look for Tanya over the years.
Now that he thought about it...
It was obvious that he and Tanya had fallen into the other party¡¯s trap!!
Joel was momentarily vexed. How could he be so easily deceived? However, he did not expect that Hiry, who was only twenty years old back then, would do such a thing!
Tanya and Joel looked at each other.
After a moment, Tanya suddenly pushed him away and ran downstairs.
Joel knew what she was going to do, so he looked at Justin first and said slowly, "I¡¯ll remember this favor."
If it weren¡¯t for Justin, Tanya would have been afraid that Joel would be sad because of the child and would not have told him. But if Tanya hadn¡¯t told him, he probably wouldn¡¯t have imagined in his life that Mia was his and Tanya¡¯s daughter!
After all, how could he know that Tanya had given birth to a child for him?!
Justin nodded and Joel followed him downstairs.
Sure enough, he could already hear the cries downstairs. He went downstairs and saw Ian watching by the side. "Little brat, did you bully the little girl? Why is she suddenly crying so miserably while hugging Mia?"
Joel looked at the mother and daughter hugging each other.
Tanya was crying so hard that she couldn¡¯t speak. Mia, on the other hand, was frightened by her appearance. She looked at her with wide eyes, but she still reached out and patted her back, feeling helpless.
Joel¡¯s eyes turned red as well.
He took a step forward and said to Mia, "Mia, this is your mother."
Mia was stunned for a moment before nodding. "I know. Ms. Tanya will be my mother from now on."
When Joel saw the child¡¯s ignorance, his heart ached even more.
He reached out and hugged Tanya and Mia. "No, she¡¯s the mother who gave birth to you! Your biological mother!"
Mia didn¡¯t really understand this, but she still cried. "Mommy, don¡¯t cry. Don¡¯t cry..."
When she started crying, Tanya stopped crying immediately. She hugged Mia and said with tears in her eyes, "I won¡¯t cry. Mia, don¡¯t cry. I¡¯m Mommy. Mommy loves you..."
She gently kissed Mia¡¯s cheek.
Ian was confused.
That night, Tanya hugged Mia and fell asleep. Joel was guarding the sofa in the room worriedly. He could see Tanya suddenly waking up in the middle of the night and staring at Mia for a while before hugging her tightly and falling asleep again...
It was a fear and unease of again losing what she had regained after so many hardships.
¡ª
The next day, Joel was woken up by a soft knock on the door.
He walked out gently and heard the butler say, "Sir, Mr. Karl Moore is here!"
Karl Moore?
Joel narrowed his eyes.
Even if he had note himself today, Joel was going to look for him!
Hiry had stolen his child. She had to pay the price!
Chapter 427: Another Identity~
Chapter 427: Another Identity~
Joel nced at the mother and daughter sleeping on the bed. At this moment, the anger in his heart had reached its peak.
Last night, he counted that Tanya had woken up six times. Each time, it took more than half an hour before she could fall asleep again.
Compared to her... Mia had always been by his side, and he had never been neglected.
But what about Tanya?
How painful must her five years of psychological torture have been?!
Joel clenched his fists tightly. He regretted sending Hiry overseas yesterday, causing her to fall into Karl Moore¡¯s hands. Otherwise, she would be living a life worse than death right now.
He retracted his gaze and gently went out. After closing the door, he went downstairs.
In the living room downstairs.
Karl Moore was sitting on the sofa in a ck suit. There was a tattoo on the back of his hand, and it was obvious that it spread up to his arm.
He was wearing sunsses and was tall and strong. One could tell with just a look that he was from the mafia.
At this moment, he was sizing up the Smiths¡¯ house and said to the person beside him, "No wonder ck Cat insisted on returning to the country. Look, it¡¯s still better in the country. The renovations are very exquisite!"
ck Cat was the top mysterious expert in their assassin organization.
Karl Moore had never seen ck Cat before. He had only posted assassination missions on the Inte. ck Cat had very high requirements for assassination missions.
ck Cat would not kill if it was inconvenient.
The troublesome ones were not killed.
Those who did notmit heinous crimes were not killed.
ck Cat would not kill those who did not deserve to die.
Whether the person should die depended on ck Cat¡¯s personal judgment.
If it were anyone else, Karl Moore would have tamed such a troublesome killer long ago. But this person was ck Cat, the number one killer in their organization.
Three years ago, a triad organization appeared in Burundi. Wherever they went, not a de of grass survived. They raped, killed, and plundered. They did not even let women and children off. It could be said that theymitted all kinds of crimes!
They had a powerful armed force and upied thend of kings. The people in that area were suffering.
At that time, the government was at a loss about this powerful armed force. They had tried to attack it a few times but were defeated. In the end, they had no choice but to post a kill order on the assassinationwork.
The reward for killing the organization¡¯s leader was in millions.
It was not much money, but it had attracted many people to go on missions. However, none of them returned.
At that time, Karl Moore had not nned to take on the mission in the Assassin Organization. After all, the mission was too difficult and almost impossible toplete. However, ck Cat in their organization had privately epted this mission.
Karl Moore felt that ck Cat was dead meat.
In the end! ck Cat entered that organization alone, took the other party¡¯s head, and then retreated unscathed! Furthermore, even now, that assassination was a mysterious affair.
That was because no one knew how ck Cat had killed the other party. They only vaguely heard from the other party that ck Cat was American.
As for whether it was a man or a woman, they did not see clearly.
It was also the battle with ck Cat that allowed the assassins to gain a foothold internationally!
From then on, although Karl Moore was an honorary leader, he was extremely respectful to ck Cat. The entire organization followed his orders.
That was... until three months ago, when ck Cat suddenly said that they wanted to return to the country to settle some matters, and told everyone not to disturb them. Then, ck Cat disappeared without a trace.
Karl Moore decided to bring his subordinates back to New York. Firstly, he wanted to see if he could find out who ck Cat was. Secondly, he wanted to tour his hometown again.
Unexpectedly, they bumped into Hiry...
As he was thinking, Joel and Ian walked out at the same time.
When he saw Ian, Joel consciously stood behind him. Karl Moore was also stunned. "You¡¯re still alive?"
This familiar tone...
Joel looked at Ian and saw that although Uncle Ian looked thin, his aura was astonishing. He sat steadily in the wheelchair and retorted, "You¡¯re not even dead yet. How would I dare to die? How dare you bully us Smiths?"
When he heard this, Karl Moore chuckled. "What are you talking about? What bullying? I¡¯m just stepping up for the Joneses. You guys are too much. Why can¡¯t they see their child?"
Ian did not answer. It was obvious that he already knew everything.
He said slowly, "Why are you helping them?"
When Karl Moore heard this, he frowned. "Ah, because I owe Jill a favor."
Jill was Hiry and Tanya¡¯s mother.
Because after she married the Joneses, everyone had always called her Madam Jones. Therefore, Joel only realized who this person was after a while.
He frowned and heard Ianugh. "Love debt?"
Karl Moore coughed. "Damn, I was just ying back then. Who knew that she would take it seriously? Since I broke her innocence and left, I have to help my old lover this time."
Ian¡¯s lips twitched. "You¡¯re giving face to your old lover, but not to me?"
Karl Moore immediately said, "Over the years, I¡¯ve given you a lot of face. Over the years, I¡¯ve never touched the Smiths. Even if someone offered a high price, I never epted an assassination! Now, give me some face and sit down to discuss this matter!"
He leaned forward and said, "The Joneses aren¡¯t a wealthy family. You gave them a way out. So what? If you ask me, let your nephew marry her daughter! What love? Young man, at my age, you¡¯ll realize that love is useless!"
Joel: "...That¡¯s impossible."
Karl Moore hesitated for a moment. "Then... worst-case scenario¡ªyou give her the child. At least she¡¯ll have someone to rely on."
Joel exined, "There¡¯s something else going on. Listen to me..."
"m!" Almost as soon as he said this, Karl Moore pped the table, revealing a gun. He said aggressively, "What? I don¡¯t have time to listen to your chatter. Let me ask you something. Do the Smiths not intend to give face to the Assassin Organization?"
After offending such a person, their safety in the future would be uncertain.
Joel narrowed his eyes. Before they could collide, Ian sneered. "Karl Moore, you¡¯re so arrogant. Do you think I can¡¯t use my gun because I¡¯m weak now?"
Karl Moore was not afraid at all. "Brother, I¡¯m sorry this time! There¡¯s nothing I can do about it. I really owe Jill too much, so she asked me to do this. I don¡¯t care what secrets you have, but you have to give me face today!
Unless ck Cat is here, there¡¯s no room for negotiation!!"
In the bedroom upstairs.
Perhaps it was because themotion downstairs was a little loud, but Nora frowned slightly in her sleep.
ck Cat...
Who the hell was shouting her code name non-stop?! It was so annoying! How could she sleep!
Chapter 428: Two Men Working Together
Chapter 428: Two Men Working Together
Nora flipped over in annoyance. She buried her head in the pillow angrily and covered her ears.
Cherry and Pete, who were sitting on the sofa in the room, instantly fell silent.
The characters in Cherry¡¯s game didn¡¯t dare to move anymore, as if they were afraid of disturbing her.
In fact, Pete did not even dare to write the Mathematical Olympiad questions as he was afraid that the sound of the pen rubbing against the paper would disturb his mother.
When Justin, who was sitting beside the two children, saw this scene, he lowered his eyes and suddenly stood up.
When he stood up, Cherry and Pete looked at him simultaneously and immediately made a "shh" gesture. It was as if even Justin¡¯s action of standing up would disturb Nora.
Justin did not think that the two children¡¯s performance was too exaggerated. Instead, he lightened his footsteps and slowly walked to the door. He bent down and opened the door before closing it again.
They did not know how he did it, but he did not make a sound at all.
After he left, the noise outside became even louder.
Karl Moore¡¯s voice was very loud, and the people standing behind him were all very powerful. They all stared at him.
Ian and Joel¡¯s expressions stiffened.
Ian said slowly, "Are you sure you want to fall out?"
Karl Moore snorted. "You¡¯re the ones who didn¡¯t give me face!"
Joel¡¯s voice became even colder. "I can give you face in other matters, but not in this matter!"
Tanya and Mia had just reunited. How could he give Mia to Hiry?!
The Smiths were not to be trifled with either!
If they had the ability, they could juste at them.
After saying that, he casually held Ian¡¯s wheelchair. Before Ian could speak, he slowly said, "Mr. Karl Moore, this is New York. Do you think this is a ce where you can behave so atrociously?"
With this sentence, a few bodyguards and people from the dark forces hidden in the Smiths¡¯ servants slowly stood up and surged into the living room.
The group of people ced their hands on their waists. It was obvious what was inside.
Karl Moore narrowed his eyes.
He smiled without a trace of fear. "The entire assassin organization knows that I¡¯m here. If I don¡¯t leave, do you think they will let the Smiths off?"
Joel was still smiling, but that smile did not reach his eyes.
Karl Moore sensed Ian and Joel¡¯s true killing intent and became vignt. "Heh, we assassins will not be threatened by the small Smiths!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a deep voice suddenly sounded. "What if we include the Hunts?"
With that, the people in the room looked up in unison and saw Justin slowly walking down the corridor.
As he was at home, he did not wear a suit jacket.
He was wearing a ck shirt and a ck tie. Coupled with his ck pants... he was dressed fully in ck. He had one hand in his pocket and the other hanging casually by his side.
He looked arrogant as he came downstairs.
Joel and Ian looked at each other.
Karl Moore hade to the Smiths to settle Hiry¡¯s scores. It could be said that he was only here to look for Joel. However, because Joel was the head of the Smiths, it was inevitable that the family would be implicated.
The two of them knew that Justin was upstairs.
However, in this kind of direct confrontation with the assassin organization, they did not expect the Hunts to appear!
After all!
The Hunts were also arge family, and it did not belong to Justin alone!
Moreover, Justin was not engaged to Nora yet. Even if he interfered and became a messenger or a mediator between them, it was more appropriate for him not to offend Karl Moore directly.
However, neither Ian nor Joel expected that he would actually stand on their side and fight against Karl Moore!
Justin was not afraid of Karl Moore at all.
Or rather, Justin had a trump card, so he was not afraid of him.
Ian narrowed his eyes.
Joel¡¯s fox-like eyes revealed his deep thoughts.
They had long heard that Justin was just the head of the Hunts. Therefore, although the Smiths and Hunts were tworge families with equal strength in New York, the Smiths had never had the intention to suppress the Hunts.
Someone had even warned them.
Even if they offended the Hunt Corporation, they shouldn¡¯t offend Justin!
As he was thinking, Karl Moore was stunned. "Mr. Hunt, why are you here?"
Justin went downstairs and walked to Ian and Joel¡¯s side step by step. He no longer had the arrogance he had when he faced Karl Moore earlier. He first called out, "Uncle Ian, Brother Joel."
Then, he looked at Karl Moore. "Because my fianc¨¦e is here."
Karl Moore was speechless.
Justin asked again, "Are you sure the assassin organization wants to be enemies with both the Smiths and the Hunts?"
Karl Moore thought about it carefully and frowned.
Of course, he did not want to make enemies of the two most powerful families in New York, but he had to return the favor for Jill.
After all, he was still someone who had tender feelings for the fairer sex.
Jill was crying like a pear blossom bathed in rain in front of his eyes. When he thought of how the two of them had been affectionate for a period of time many years ago, he snorted and looked up.
Seeing that he was about to say something that would shatter the rtions between the three sides, Justin suddenly said, "Actually, Mr. Karl Moore, why don¡¯t we each take a step back?"
Karl Moore froze.
Justin nced at Joel.
As the two men looked at each other, they understood each other¡¯s thoughts.
It turned out that they had thought of the same thing.
Joel nodded imperceptibly. Justin took a step forward and said, "The face of the Hunts and Smiths is enough to make Mr. Karl Moore take a step back, right?"
Karl Moore thought for a moment. "What do you propose?"
Justin said, "Why don¡¯t we leave this case over to the court to handle? Our two families promise not to use our power. We¡¯ll hire the bestwyers and fight a fairwsuit in court! In the end, the court will determine who the child belongs to. Of course, this way, the Joneses will definitely have the right to visit."
Karl Moore pondered this for a moment.
He hade here today because Jill had said that the Smiths had suppressed them with their power, so they did not even have a chance to sue them.
Justin¡¯s words made sense.
He picked up the gun on the table. "Alright, let¡¯s do that! But even in New York, the influence of an assassin is unimaginable to you. Mr. Smith, Mr. Hunt, I hope you keep your word! I¡¯ll go back now and get Hiry to return to the country to prepare for awsuit."
Chapter 429: Returning to the Country!
Chapter 429: Returning to the Country!
Karl Moore came and went quickly.
He had always been an energetic man. He had the loyalty of one from the pugilistic world, and he was also frank and domineering. Being able to be the leader of the assassin organization was enough to prove his personal charm.
Actually, if he did not go against the Smiths, he would still be a respected big shot.
After he left, Joel looked at Justin and the two of them smiled at each other.
Ian looked at them and suddenly smiled. "The two brats are starting to scheme with each other!"
Joel smiled awkwardly. "Uncle Ian, it¡¯s not really a scheme."
Justin smiled faintly. The mole at the corner of his eye was glistening, and his appearance gave Ian a headache.
Why was the man so arrogant?
No wonder Nora had even given birth to his child. He indeed had the right to be proud of his looks. Sigh!
As he thought about this, Justin said, "Hiry is overseas. Switzend is Karl Moore¡¯s territory. Only by bringing her back can she be executed."
Karl Moore was an unreasonable person.
Even if Joel told him the truth, he would protect the person he wanted to protect until the end.
Therefore, he might as well beat them at their own game!
As for offending the assassin organization... Ha, Joel and Justin had never considered that!
Hiry had to pay for bullying Mia and Tanya!
Joel smiled at Justin. This smile dispelled all his prejudices and he said directly, "Thank you."
Earlier, if Joel had said to take a step back, Karl Moore might have wondered if he had any suspicious intentions.
However, it was different when Justin suggested it. It was very easy for Karl Moore to trust him.
Justin smiled faintly, hiding his achievements and fame. "You¡¯re wee."
The two men who hadpeted in the business industry many times hadpletely reconciled at this moment.
Ian red at his nephew and could not help but cry in his heart. It¡¯s over. The Smiths have been conquered by this man again!
¡ª
After Karl Moore left the Smiths, a row of people walked into a ck car.
On the way, someone asked, "Boss, do you want to show the Smiths and Hunts some face? They actually dare to challenge you?"
Karl Moore instantly pped the guy¡¯s head. "Kid, underestimating your enemy is your greatest mistake! Otherwise, you won¡¯t even know what hit you."
The guy shrank his neck and scratched his head. "Aren¡¯t they just two very rich families? With ck Cat on our side, we can just make a move and kill the two leaders!"
When Karl Moore heard this, he missed ck Cat a little. "Without ck Cat, I don¡¯t even have the confidence to challenge others. Seriously, where did ck Cat go?"
The subordinate was speechless.
They arrived at the hotel where Karl Moore was temporarily staying. As soon as they entered, they saw Jill running around the lobby anxiously.
When she saw him, she immediately walked forward. When she saw the people behind him, her eyes shook. But for her daughter... she mustered up the courage to ask, "How was it?"
Karl Moore said, "Hiry can return to the country. They promised to fight a court case fair and square in the country!"
A court case?
Jill heaved a sigh of relief and then became worried. "Why must we stay here? Isn¡¯t it your territory overseas?"
Karl Moore sneered. "It¡¯s indeed my territory overseas, but you will receive a court summons here. Whether you go or not is still a question. Anyway, don¡¯t worry. They have agreed not to use any tricks or power this time."
With that, he looked at Jill. "As long as it¡¯s a fairwsuit, what are you afraid of? Isn¡¯t it only right and proper for a mother to get her child back? Even if the court takes into ount the financial power of the Smiths, don¡¯t worry. With me around, nothing will happen to the Joneses¡¯ financial situation in the future!"
Upon hearing his words, Jill was relieved. "You¡¯re right. Hiry wants to return to the country. We can¡¯t let that adulterous couple live happily!"
Upon hearing this, Karl Moore looked at Jill and asked, "I heard that Tanya is also your daughter?"
Jill¡¯s eyes flickered. "No, she¡¯s my elder brother¡¯s illegitimate daughter. Back then, no one cared about her, so I adopted her. I didn¡¯t expect to raise such an ingrate! Hiry is my biological daughter!"
Karl Moore was enlightened when he heard this.
He had actually investigated Jill. There was less than a year between Tanya and Hiry¡¯s birth. Her pregnancy would take ten months, and with a month of confinement, this was too close!
It turned out that Tanya was not her biological daughter. That made sense.
Karl Moore did not care about these questions. Instead, he said, "I¡¯ve already arranged for someone to bring Hiry back."
He looked at the time. "Your family will be reunited tonight. You don¡¯t have to be afraid of the Smiths. Since they promised me, they won¡¯t do anything to your family!"
Jill nodded and looked up at Karl Moore pitifully. Her eyes were filled with tears. "Thank you, thank you... Otherwise, we would really be bullied this time. I don¡¯t even know what to do..."
Jill was old, but she still had her own way of acting coquettishly.
Karl Moore found it a little strange.
The way she looked when she was young made people dote on her. When she became older, it was a little... disgusting.
Cough.
Karl Moore moved his gaze away. "Alright, you can go back. Contact me if there¡¯s anything! Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t ignore you."
Jill nodded.
At night, Hiry returned home.
As soon as she arrived at the residence, she saw Mr. Jones pacing around anxiously in the living room. When he saw her, he instantly said, "What are you messing around for? For Mia¡¯s sake, the Smiths will always take care of our family! If you go against them like this, what will happen in the future if you lose?"
Hiry was scolded by him loudly.
Madam Jones scolded Mr. Jones, "What are you saying about the child? This is our daughter. Are you even human? If you don¡¯t care about her, I¡¯ll find someone who canpete with the Smiths. I won¡¯t let my daughter suffer!"
When Hiry heard this, she threw herself into Madam Jones¡¯s arms and cried. "Mom..."
Madam Jones touched Hiry¡¯s head. "Alright, alright. After you snatch the child back, go overseas. I believe he can help you."
Hiry nodded, but she was a little anxious. "But Mom, what if we lose this case?"
"Lose?"
Jill shook her head. "How could we lose? After all, we already have the upper hand in public opinion!"
Hiry was taken aback.
Public opinion?
Chapter 430: Public Opinion!
Chapter 430: Public Opinion!
Tanya did not know about Karl Moore.
She only knew that they were about to go to court with Hiry.
The next day was Monday. She brought Mia and Brandon to school as usual... As she had stayed with the Smithsst night, Joel personally took the three of them to kindergarten this morning.
At the door, Tanya was a little nervous. "I¡¯ll get out of the car first. Don¡¯t let the teachers see me!"
Joel stared at her in the driver¡¯s seat. "What are you afraid of? Or do you not want to be seen with Mia?"
Upon hearing this, Tanya immediately shook her head. "How could that be?!"
She had just acknowledged her daughter, and she did not want to be separated from her for even a moment.
Joel said, "Then be magnanimous and take your daughter to kindergarten!"
"Alright, then."
Tanya nodded.
The car arrived at the entrance of the kindergarten. Brandon got out of the car first and followed their teacher into the kindergarten. Tanya held Mia¡¯s hand and walked in.
When the teachers in the kindergarten saw them, their expressions changed. Someone asked awkwardly, "Ms. Turner, why are you here with Mia?"
Before Tanya could say anything, Mia answered timidly, "Mommy was at my house yesterday!"
¡¯Mommy¡¯...
This greeting made the other teachers even more puzzled.
They looked at each other and then came to a realization. They forced a smile at Tanya. "Okay, go in."
Tanya thought that the other party¡¯s gaze was too ambiguous. She lowered her head and brought Mia into the kindergarten.
Then, she sent Mia to her ss and went to the dance studio.
Mia sat in her seat after entering the ss.
Pete was worried about Nora, so he did note to school. Mia sat alone in the corner, small and timid.
The other children kept their distance from her.
The adults at home had told them that Mia was weak and that they definitely couldn¡¯t bully her in the kindergarten or get too close.
If anything happened to Mia and her illness acted up, they would be med.
Therefore, Mia had always been alone.
It was just that recently, Pete had been closer to her and would bring her along every time they yed. Cherry was the ss¡¯s favorite, and everyone yed around her. Therefore, Mia gradually got to y with everyone.
But today, the children were far away from her.
Mia looked at Fawn sitting beside her and said, "Fawn, let¡¯s go..."
Before she finished, Fawn waved her hand. "I don¡¯t want to. I don¡¯t want to y with you. My mother said that you are an ingrate!"
Mia: "???"
She was stunned and looked around in confusion.
All the children seemed to have heard this and began to point at Mia with disdain.
Someone even asked her, "Mia, don¡¯t you want your mother anymore? Do you want Ms. Turner to be your mother? Isn¡¯t your mother sad to see you like this?"
Mia bit her lip. "But Ms. Turner is my mother..."
However, the five-year-olds could not differentiate the truth at all. They only believed whatever their parents said.
They all began to iste Mia.
On Mia¡¯s side, she was isted from everyone. After all, she was a child of the Smiths and they didn¡¯t dare to bully her. However, Tanya¡¯s situation wasn¡¯t much better than hers.
After one ss in the dance studio, she had no sses for the day, so she went to the office to rest.
Before she could enter, she heard voicesing from inside.
"She looks like a straightforward person. Why is she interfering in someone else¡¯s family?"
"Yes, you can¡¯t tell from her appearance that she¡¯s such a person..."
"Tsk, can a mistress carve the words "mistress" on her face? But Ms. Turner is indeed good-looking. She has the capital..."
"But Mr. Smith is too much. It¡¯s bad enough that he cheated on her, but he didn¡¯t even let the child¡¯s mother see her child. That¡¯s too much! Indeed, there are no good people in wealthy families."
"Look, it¡¯s on the trending searches again! Hiry has posted on Facebook!"
Tanya narrowed her eyes when she heard this.
She lowered her head and opened Facebook on her phone.
The top trending topic was indeed a long post on Hiry¡¯s Facebook. Tanya browsed through it. The other party¡¯s general meaning was that Joel had been two-timing back then. After she got pregnant and gave birth to a child, she finally got together with Joel. However, she did not expect the mistress to return and ruin her family. After the man changed his attitude, he became even more ruthless and asked her to go overseas and not meet his daughter again. Tanya even coaxed her daughter to call her "Mommy." Her only request now is to take her daughter away... She only hoped that the court would give her justice.
If someone not in the know saw this, they would definitely scold Tanya and Joel!
Furthermore, as a famous dancer and an artist, Tanya had her own Facebook. She already had more than a million followers.
Hiry had even tagged her, causing many people to privately message her. Some even cursed her to die a horrible death.
Tanya lowered her eyes at the various vicious words.
At that moment, a voice sounded from behind. "Ms. Turner, what are you standing here for?"
With this sentence, the female teachers in the room who had gathered together and were whispering suddenly stopped and looked at the door in surprise.
Seeing that she had been seen through, Tanya walked into the office.
She looked at the female teachers who were talking and their condemning gazes and said directly, "Sometimes, what you see isn¡¯t everything. Before you know the truth, I hope you can maintain your rationality. Furthermore, the case is about to start. There will always be an exnation!"
However, it would have been fine if she had not spoken. The moment she did, the righteous teachers began to attack her.
"Ms. Turner, I don¡¯t know what kind of emotional entanglements you had with Mr. Smith in the past, and it¡¯s true that Mia¡¯s mother and Mr. Smith are not married. If you get involved, calling you a third wheel is a little too much. But! You shouldn¡¯t have stopped the child¡¯s mother from seeing the child!"
"Yes, the child is still young. Do you think you can hide the truth by making her call you Mommy? When she grows up, she¡¯ll know who her biological mother is sooner orter."
"Yeah, this is too much..."
"The men in wealthy families are really heartless. If Mr. Smith can treat Mia¡¯s mother like this today, wouldn¡¯t he treat you like this too in the future when he finds someone else to love?"
"Ms. Turner, it¡¯s best to have a conscience."
"..."
Hearing those words, Tanya sneered. "Then do you know what the truth is?"
Chapter 431: Ferment
Chapter 431: Ferment
The truth?
Who would care about the truth at this point?
The teachers curled their lips disdainfully and said nothing.
After all, they had interacted with Mia a lot in school in the past, and Hiry had seemed like a good mother to outsiders.
Hiry hadn¡¯t dared to do anything too obvious all these years. At the very least, there was still Joel who had been keeping an eye on her. How would she possibly dare to abuse Mia?
Thus, no one had ever considered that Mia might not be her daughter.
However, these were the wealthy¡¯s private affairs. The teachers didn¡¯t dare to make overly-arrogantments, either. After all, Mr. Smith could easily just make them lose their jobs.
Seeing that no one was saying anything anymore, Tanya didn¡¯t bother exining anything else. After all, the fact that Mia was her daughter was a trump card that Joel was saving for the confrontation in court. Should they reveal it now, Karl might make other arrangements, or even straight-up send Hiry away.
Since no one was saying anything anymore, both parties could just live in peace.
In the afternoon, the principal of the kindergarten came up to them. With a worried look on his face, he said, "Ms. Turner, there are a few reporters outside..."
Reporters?
Tanya narrowed her eyes. In the end, she sighed and said, "Forget it. I¡¯ll go on leave for the next few days."
The principal was relieved. "Okay. Will you and Mia be leaving together? Or separately?"
Tanya thought for a while. She couldn¡¯t rest assured leaving her five-year-old daughter here. Moreover, the two had only just acknowledged each other, so it would be nice to stay at home together for a few days to bond with each other.
Therefore, Tanya replied, "I will leave with Mia."
She entered the ssroom and told Mia toe out. Then, she decided to leave quietly from the back door to avoid attracting the attention of the reporters at the front door.
Unexpectedly, the moment she exited the back door, another group of reporters came forward and surrounded her and Mia.
"Ms. Turner, what are your thoughts about being called a mistress on the Inte?"
"Ms. Turner, are you really a third wheel in someone else¡¯s rtionship?"
"Why are you forbidding the child¡¯s mother from visiting her? Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s too much of you guys to do that?!"
"Ms. Turner, a mother¡¯s rtionship with her daughter is something you cannot stop or destroy. Mistresses can neverpletely take the position of awful wife! This will not end well for the two of you!"
"..."
Tanya frowned and pressed Mia¡¯s head against her chest as she hugged her tightly.
In spite of that, a sharp-eyed reporter still spotted her. She immediately pointed the microphone at the child in Tanya¡¯s arms, and even reached out and tapped the little girl. "You must be little Mia, right? Little girl, do you not want your mother anymore?"
Mia received a huge fright. There was a timid look in her eyes.
She looked over and nced at the reporter, but Tanya pressed her head back against her chest. Tanya gave the reporter a warning look and said, "She is just a child. Don¡¯t target her!"
The rest of the reporters had moral boundaries to some extent, but that particr reporter remained aggressive. It was obvious at one nce that she had been bribed by Hiry. She sneered, "Are you afraid that the girl will say that she wants her mother if we ask her questions? Is that why you¡¯re not even letting her speak? Ms. Turner, you¡¯re too arrogant for a mistress!"
Tanya wanted to speak, but Mia, who was in her arms, suddenly lifted her head.
The little girl had always been timid and a pushover, but in this instant, she wanted to protect her mother. She shouted, "I want Daddy and Mommy Tanya! You¡¯re not allowed to badmouth Mommy Tanya!"
"..."
A child¡¯s reaction was the most genuine.
The rest of the reporters were stunned.
However, the same reporter said, "Little girl, where¡¯s your conscience? Your mom went through so much to give birth to you after ten months of pregnancy. Are you going to be an ingrate? What exactly did Tanya Turner give you for you to protect her like this?! Or is it because you think that your father is richer and more powerful than your mother, so you want to stay with your father instead? How can you be so practical when you¡¯re still a child? Or perhaps, you are being threatened by your father or Ms. Turner?"
Mia had never been questioned like that before. The reporter¡¯s questions made her dumbfounded.
Mist formed in her eyes, and she cried out while in tears, "Sob! Don¡¯t scold Mommy Tanya anymore!"
Tanya was infuriated.
Seeing that the reporter¡¯s microphone was about to jab right into Mia¡¯s face, and that there was even a camera filming Mia, she pushed the reporter angrily. Then, she grabbed the camera and smashed it onto the ground!
Smash!
The camera shattered all over the ground.
At this point, in the distance, the bodyguards and kindergarten security guards, who had sensed something wrong, rushed over and separated Tanya from the reporters.
Tanya stared at the reporter and said, "Don¡¯t drag the children in the adults¡¯ affairs! I¡¯ve already said that just now! As for the camera, I willpensate you for it!"
With Mia in her arms, Tanya strode toward the van nearby.
It was only after they got in the car that Tanya finally put Mia down.
The little girl was shaking. Her eyes were all red, and she had tears in them. She asked weakly, "Mommy, did I do something wrong? Why are those people being so fierce to me?"
Her words made Tanya¡¯s heart ache.
She thought of the situation just now, and she became so angry that she felt like she was about to explode.
She picked up her phone and dialed Joel¡¯s number at once. "Goddammit, I¡¯m going to sue that reporter!"
When Joel heard her swearing, he asked, "What¡¯s the matter?"
After Tanya exined what had happened, Joel¡¯s voice was even colder than hers. "That reporter is going to jail for life!"
Joel hurried home and arrived just as Tanya and Mia reached home.
It was only when he saw that the two women were safe and sound that he finally breathed a sigh of relief. However, when he saw that both Tanya¡¯s and Mia¡¯s eyes were all red, Joel¡¯s eyes narrowed.
Fortunately, the trial would bemencing the next day, so his wife and daughter would no longer have to suffer such grievances.
He took a deep breath, took a step forward, and put his arms around Tanya¡¯s and Mia¡¯s shoulders.
He didn¡¯t expect the matter to ferment further in the evening, though.
His assistant handed his phone to Joel and showed him the news. When he looked at it, he found that the number one trending topic on social media right now was about that reporter.
The reporter was crying as she looked into the camera. "To cameramen and photographers, the camera is tantamount to their life, as well as their most precious partner. But Ms. Turner smashed my camera so arrogantly. She also said that the Smiths wouldpensate me for it...
"But they instead sued me after that. If it weren¡¯t for a certain someone who helped me out, I would probably be under investigation in the police station right now!
"Even so, I have received a lot of bloody packages in the mail. It is clear that they are threatening me! I am not afraid of threats, and I will fight against the power they hold to the death! I will not sumb to their threats! Even if the power they wield is too arrogant and too fearsome.
"My friends, if you don¡¯t see me tomorrow, then it must be because I¡¯ve been attacked. I don¡¯t want to die! Please help me!"
The video¡¯sments section was full of curses.
Chapter 432: The Jealous Lover
Chapter 432: The Jealous Lover
The wealthy were generally fastidious about handling things in a low-key fashion. Very few would kick up a huge fuss.
Hiry was intending to fight a battle of public opinion so that the judge would sympathize with her more when they went to court. One could say that she was resorting to very unscrupulous means just to win thewsuit.
To think the reporter had been released, though... From the looks of it, it was Karl who had done something about it.
Joel was rather troubled.
The amount of influence that Karl had in the States had exceeded his expectations a little.
He wasn¡¯t really bothered, though. As the head of the Smiths, this bit of trouble was nothing to him. He was just a little worried that Tanya would not be able to take it if she saw thements.
Joel put down the phone and entered the room.
The moment he did, he heard Tanya reading out the private messages that random people had sent her. "This person says that third wheels in rtionships always end up miserable! He¡¯s right, a third wheel like Hiry certainly won¡¯t have any happiness left!
"This one says that we bullied the little reporter. Tsk, how blind is he? Didn¡¯t he see the reporter forcing a kid to answer her questions?
"And this one, too. He says that I don¡¯t have any ss because I hit the reporter. Hah, he¡¯s right. Compared to someone like her who reprimands others when she doesn¡¯t even know the truth, I certainly don¡¯t have that much ss. But I at least don¡¯t have such a high level of ideological consciousness that I would interfere in other people¡¯s matters..."
"..."
Joel: "..."
He had almost forgotten what kind of family Tanya had grown up in. She had already experienced several ming wars a long time ago, so she didn¡¯t give two hoots about it anymore.
Cherry was seated opposite her. "Do you need me to scold them for you, God-mom? I¡¯m really good at dissing people!"
"Do you know how to spell what you want to write?" asked Pete.
Cherry: "..."
Pete took the opportunity to persuade her. "You should practice your spelling when you have time! We have to study hard, okay?"
At the mention of studying, Cherry pouted and said, "You are not lovable anymore, Pete!"
Pete sighed.
The tyrant was strict with him, but he simply spoiled Cherry too much. This led to Cherry not knowing how to spell a lot of words, even though she was already five. He looked down at his Mathematical Olympiad problems that were nearly at high school-level, and felt that his sister was simply too stupid!
Tanyaughed when she saw the two children bicker. "The two of you are so... but it¡¯s true that you should practice your spellings properly, Cherry. Mia can already spell more than 500 words!"
Cherry curled her lips disdainfully. "If I really wanted to do it, I could memorize 500 spellings in a minute. I just don¡¯t want to, that¡¯s all! Besides, Daddy said that I am a girl, so I don¡¯t have to tire myself out like that!"
Tanya: "..."
She quickly put her arms around Mia and said to her, "Don¡¯t follow what Cherry does, okay?"
Mia nodded sensibly. "Okay, Mommy!"
Every time she heard Mia calling her ¡¯Mommy¡¯, Tanya¡¯s heart would melt a little. She smiled and said, "My little baby Mia is so well-behaved~"
Mia¡¯s cheeks flushed at once.
Next to them, Cherry stuck out her tongue. "You¡¯re calling her a little baby when she¡¯s already five? God-mom, you are too mushy!"
Tanya looked up at her. "No matter how old you be, to your mothers, all of you will always be children!"
Cherry tilted her head but didn¡¯t refute her this time.
At this point, Joel came in and said, "Mia is also a girl, so she doesn¡¯t need to study that hard."
Tanya red at him. "Don¡¯t be a ve to your daughter like Mr. Hunt! Besides, Mia is different from Cherry..."
Cherry was always filled with confidence.
Although Nora hadn¡¯t said anything about it before, Tanya had nevertheless discovered that the little girl was very smart, and could quickly master anything she was learning.
As for Mia, perhaps because she had been brought up by Hiry, she was alwayscking in confidence.
She was always afraid that other people would dislike her, or that she wouldn¡¯t perform well enough.
A person like her would only be confident and have a better future if she became strong. Every child was different.
Tanya had specially taken psychology sses before she joined the kindergarten as a teacher.
Joel, who had been lectured, touched his nose. Then, he said, "Don¡¯t look at the news on the Inte anymore."
Tanya nodded and tossed the phone aside. "I find them very ignorant, too. I read it just now because I wanted to strengthen Mia¡¯s mental resilience. Say, why are they so childish, though? Is it actually that easy to make them think a certain way?"
Joel replied, "They are just a bunch of trolls on the Inte. Don¡¯t bother yourself with them."
Tanya nodded again and said with a smile, "There are still people who are supportive of me! For example..."
"For example, the young and popr singer, Clement Carter?"
Joel suddenly raised his eyebrows as he stared at the trending topics on social media on the phone before he shifted his gaze to Tanya.
Tanya was taken aback. "What¡¯s up with Clement?"
Joel handed her the phone. Only then did Tanya notice that the hashtag #ClementCarterSpeaksUpForTanyaTheThirdWheel was trending.
Tanya: "?"
When she tapped on the hashtag, she found out that Clement¡¯stest tweet was:
Clement Carter: "Don¡¯t just follow the herd. To me, Ms. Turner has always been an open and straightforward person. She would never do that sort of thing. I trust her. @TanyaDances"
Tanya: "..."
Clement wasn¡¯t a pop star. Rather, he was a singer and music artist.
His voice was said to hail from the heavens, and he could switch between high pitch and low pitch very easily.
Clement enjoyed extremely high international acim.
He had a rich voice and a very wide vocal range. No matter how difficult the song was, he could easily handle it.
At the same time, he was also part of the Carters in New York. The family itself had a very strong artistic background and was a true family of artists.
When Tanya saw the verbal abuse he was suffering because he had spoken up for her, she couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Why is he sticking his head out at such a time?"
The way she spoke sounded as if she was very close to him.
Joel asked sourly, "Does your heart ache because he was scolded?"
Tanya: "..."
She finally noticed the jealous lover in front of her. Tanya burst outughing and said, "It¡¯s Clement, you know. It¡¯s not like you don¡¯t know him. Didn¡¯t we y a lot with one another when we were kids?"
Joel snorted.
Tanya said, "When I left the country, he also went abroad for further studies. We once had a cross-industry artistic coboration where he sang and I danced, so we got to know each other better."
"Tsk."
Joel couldn¡¯t help but say, "He sings while you dance. That sounds lovely."
Tanya burst into loudughter again. She knew that Joel was not really jealous. Rather, he was just teasing her because he was worried that she would be affected by the remarks on the inte.
She pointed at Joel and asked, "Did someone fill you up with jealousy today?"
Joel was relieved to see that she was really alright.
In the evening, the two of them watched over Mia.
As theyy on either side of Mia, Joel looked at Tanya and suddenly asked, "Are you nervous about going to court tomorrow?"
Chapter 433: Going To Court!
Chapter 433: Going To Court!
With Mia in between, Tanya looked back at him. Fearing that she might wake Mia, her voice was very low and soft as she replied, "No, I¡¯m not."
Joel made a sound of acknowledgment.
Tanya thought that he was going to sleep, so she pulled the quilt over herself and closed her eyes.
It was summer, so the air conditioner in the room was turned very low. Tanya and Mia shared a quilt while Joel used another quilt.
When Tanya was about to fall asleep, Joel¡¯s soft voice reached her. "Don¡¯t worry, Tanya. I will definitely make Hiry pay for what she did."
Surprised, Tanya turned to Joel. In the dark, she could see a cold look in his eyes. He didn¡¯t raise his voice, but it was as if there was power in his words. "I won¡¯t let anyone bully the two of you anymore."
Tanya pressed her lips together. Her eyes reddened and sorrow welled up in her.
When she was young, she had tried her best and given her all for love, but she hadn¡¯t known how to love. She would kick up a huge fuss whenever she met with the slightest bit of unhappiness and often threatened to break up whenever they quarreled.
It was as if she was fearless.
It¡¯s only when one recovers what they have lost that they finally discover how precious the love is.
She suddenly hated her past self. Why had she called Joel when she saw the photo? Why hadn¡¯t she gone to him with the photo and asked him for a clear exnation?
If she had asked him for an exnation, and if he hadn¡¯t said those hurtful words in a sh of anger, the two of them might not have let these five years pass them by like that.
Mia probably would not have been lost, either.
Tanya suddenly reached over past Mia. She fumbled around and then held Joel¡¯s hand. This time, she would never let go.
¡ª
When they exited the bedroom after waking up the next day, they saw Justining out of Nora¡¯s bedroom.
Joel subconsciously asked, "Last night, you..."
"I slept in the guest room."
The beauty mark at the corner of Justin¡¯s eye shimmered as he replied politely, "I just went in to see if she is awake."
Joel breathed a sigh of relief. Sensing that he had made a mountain out of a molehill just now, he coughed and said, "Oh, I wasn¡¯t suspecting you of taking the opportunity to take advantage of her. I just wanted to ask if you slept wellst night."
Justin nced at him but didn¡¯t expose his brother-inw¡¯s thoughts. After all, his father-inw still disliked him for some strange reason at the moment.
He needed his brother-inw¡¯s help.
Justin nodded. "I slept pretty well. I¡¯lle to the court with you guyster."
Joel said, "Actually, you don¡¯t have to go to so much trouble. We¡¯ve already prepared everything we need in court today."
Justin coughed. "I¡¯m going for Nora, lest she gets angry when she wakes up and finds out that I haven¡¯t shown enough concern."
Joel: "..."
The corners of his lips spasmed a little. He suddenly felt that his brother-inw was getting more and more thick-skinned.
The group of people left the house, split up, and got into a few cars. Soon, they arrived at the court entrance.
As soon as they got out of the car, Hiry rushed out from somewhere and went straight up to the two of them before they even entered the court.
Behind Hiry was arge number of reporters.
Thud!
Hiry knelt right in front of Tanya and Joel. Her eyes were red as she said, "Mr. Smith, Tanya. I can give the two of you my blessing and withdraw from the rtionship, but you can¡¯t do this to me. Please, I beg you. Give my daughter back to me! Mia is everything to me!"
The reporters whipped out their cameras and started snapping away.
Tanya and Joel looked at each other.
Joel said, "Ms. Jones, the court has the final say today, so please get up."
Hiry, however, was crying very badly. "I was wrong, Mr. Smith. I shouldn¡¯t have pestered you, and I should have withdrawn from the rtionship myself, but you can¡¯t just drive me out of the country. Mia was once part of my body, you can¡¯t just separate me from my daughter like this! I believe that Mia wouldn¡¯t be willing to leave her mother, either. Where¡¯s Mia? Mia?"
She looked behind the two of them.
Some of the reporters also looked behind them. They immediately asked:
"Where¡¯s the child?"
"Yeah, Mr. Smith, the court instructed you to bring Ms. Smith with you because they may ask the child some questions."
"Did you not bring the child with you? You¡¯re too much!"
Hiry cried even harder. "I haven¡¯t seen Mia for a week, Mr. Smith! I just want to see the girl! Just a look would do!"
Joel and Tanya exchanged a look.
Tanya lowered her gaze. When she thought of all the pain she had suffered during those five years, and how reserved and timid Mia was every time she mentioned her mother, a wave of anger surged up in her.
How she wished she could rip Hiry¡¯s face apart and cut her into shreds!
To think she still had the cheek to mention the child...
Tanya slowly said, "Hiry, you¡¯ll never see the child ever again for the rest of your life!"
After saying that, she held Joel¡¯s arm, and the two of them walked straight into the court!
Hiry¡¯s tragic and miserable sobs rang out outside. "Tanya, how can you do this to me?! How can you?! My daughter! I just want my daughter!"
The reporters around them did not dare to approach Tanya and Joel¡ªafter all, they were outside the court. Thus, they surrounded Hiry.
"Ms. Jones, how confident of winning thewsuit are you?"
"Ms. Jones, did you file awsuit for money or for your daughter?"
Hiry got up. She wiped the tears from her eyes and wept as she said to the camera, "I don¡¯t want money! I don¡¯t want anything except my daughter!"
With a sad and pitiful look in her eyes, she said, "I know I¡¯m unemployed at the moment, but the Joneses are also rich. I receive dividends from the Joneses¡¯pany. I am also willing to work for my daughter¡¯s sake!
"My daughter is everything to me!
"I can withdraw from the love triangle, but my daughter is innocent!"
She burst into tears. "Please, everyone, help me! Help me get my daughter back!"
She wept fiercely. Her tears made the audience watching the live broadcast full of pity and heartache for her.
For a time, public opinionpletely took her side.
Everyone was cursing Tanya and Joel in thements of the live-stream.
"What makes Tanya think she can take such an aggressive attitude against Hiry? She¡¯s so shameless!"
"Ahhhh!! That sight pisses me off so much! Hiry must win thiswsuit! Otherwise, none of us will ept the oue!"
"Yes, the judiciary should not outweigh feelings. We will fight alongside you in thiswsuit!"
...
...
Hiry cried so badly that she had to be helped into the court in the end.
Outsiders were not allowed to enter the lounge at the back.
As soon as Hiry entered, she ran head-on into Tanya.
She cast her eyes down and said sadly, "Tanya, I can give you Joel, but not Mia. I will definitely win thewsuit!"
Because she already had the upper hand in public opinion!!
Chapter 434: The Trial Starts!
Chapter 434: The Trial Starts!
Tanya stared at Hiry.
Never would she have ever expected that the woman, who had merely bullied and humiliated her a little five years ago, would actually go as far as to steal her child!
She had only been slightly under twenty years old at that time.
Hiry resembled Jill a lot, but she and Tanya didn¡¯t really look alike. Her temper and personality were also simr to Jill¡¯s. This must be one of the reasons why Jill had preferred Hiry and disliked Tanya ever since they were kids, right?
With that in mind, Tanya sneered, "We won¡¯t know until we reach the end."
Hiry¡¯s eyes flickered.
At this moment, Jill, who had entered a momentter than Hiry, spotted the two of them. She immediately charged over, stretched out her arm, and pped Tanya across her cheek. "You little bitch! Who told you you coulde back to the States? It¡¯s all your fault that things havee to this point!"
Tanya took a step back.
She was no longer the little girl from the past who couldn¡¯t fight back.
She sneered, "We¡¯re at the court, Mrs. Jones. Please show some respect, or else I will sue you!"
Jill was furious. "Who are you calling Mrs. Jones? I am your mother!"
Tanya gave her a mocking smile. "Really? But didn¡¯t you already tell me a long time ago that you¡¯ve severed ties with me?"
She took out her cell phone and yed an audio recording. It was from five years ago when she was pregnant overseas. It was hard for her to find a job at that time, so she had bitten the bullet and approached Jill to ask for a bit of money for living expenses.
Jill¡¯s voice was very calm in the recording.
"$3,000? What are you thinking? I can buy a handbag with that money! Besides, you are already an adult, so I am not obligated to pay for your tuition fees. Think of a solution yourself! Didn¡¯t you work part-time during college for your tuition fees? Didn¡¯t you say that you will never use even a cent of my money when you were a kid? Heh...
"From now on, I will take it that I have never had a daughter like you, while you have never had me as a mother. I hope we will never see each other ever again!"
Those few lines of hers had severed the mother-daughter rtionship between Tanya and her. This was also why Tanya had never been to the Joneses despite so much time passing since her return to the States.
When Jill heard the recording, she sneered, "Hah, what an ingrate you are. To think you remember those things I said so clearly. Never mind if you don¡¯t want to bear the responsibility of supporting me in old age, because I have never once counted on you to do that, either! But how could you turn around and bully us so maliciously?"
Tanya looked at her and Hiry. She couldn¡¯t help but retort, "Who exactly is bullying whom here?"
Her simple one-liner made Hiry and Jill exchange a look. Jill then yelled angrily, "Does it matter who the one bullying the other is? You are the one who¡¯s targeting the Joneses now! You¡¯d best agree to settle in private while the trial has yet to start. Otherwise, I will make you pay!"
No one knew what gave her the confidence to say something like that.
When Tanya wanted to reply, Joel asked, "How do you intend to make her pay?"
His words made Jill choke.
Joel came over, put his arm around Tanya¡¯s shoulder, and looked at Jill. "Mrs. Jones, may I ask, what are you nning to do to my fianc¨¦e?"
Jill was shocked. "When did the two of you get engaged?"
Joel cast his eyes down. "You don¡¯t have to bother yourself with that, Mrs. Jones. I think the two of you should use this time to discuss the case with each other instead of ring at and saying mean things to my fianc¨¦e."
When Jill wanted to reply, Mr. Jones strode over and grabbed both Jill and Hiry. He smiled and said to Joel, "Look at how big a fuss this has be, Mr. Smith... It¡¯s all because the kids are so insensible. Please forgive us!"
Joel did not say any more. He dragged Tanya back to the lounge.
After the two of them went in, Mr. Jones flew into a rage as he stared at Jill and Hiry. "Can the two of you stop creating so much trouble?! We are already about to go to court, so stop provoking them and making trouble in private!"
Hiry curled her lips disdainfully. "Dad, all you know is to me me whenever we run into trouble! They are obviously the ones in the wrong! You¡¯re just afraid of Mr. Smith¡¯s power, right? But you don¡¯t have to be anymore!"
Jill raised her chin slightly at Hiry¡¯s words, and she also said impatiently to Mr. Jones, "Alright, that¡¯s enough. Karl has already agreed to intervene, so nothing will go wrong!"
Mr. Jones stared at the two women and pointed at them angrily. "Karl will eventually leave. Once he leaves, the Smiths have a thousand and one ways to make us pay! The two of you have created so much trouble for the Joneses!"
However, Jill and Hirypletely ignored him and even curled their lips disdainfully.
Jill even said, "If worsees to worst, the whole family can just migrate to Switzend. Karl has both power and authority over there, so he can protect us!"
Mr. Jones: "!!"
He stared at Jill and shouted angrily, "Migrate to Switzend? The way I see it, it¡¯s more like you and him are still in love, isn¡¯t it?!"
Afraid that others would overhear what he had said, Mr. Jones turned and left angrily.
Hiry stared at him from the back and pursed her lips. She said, "Look at him, Mom. Why do I have such a pushover of a father?! He doesn¡¯t even have the courage to stand up for his daughter! If only Karl was my father!"
Jill¡¯s eyes flickered the moment she said that.
She patted Hiry and said, "Don¡¯t talk nonsense!"
Then, she and Hiry entered the lounge.
Soon, it was time for the trial.
Both parties entered the courtroom and sat opposite each other.
Karl had found a very famouswyer for Hiry. After both parties took their seats, the judge asked the intiff to speak. The attorney immediately stood up and said reproachfully,
"Mr. Smith, where is Ms. Mia Smith? The court had instructed you to bring her here so that she can be asked whether she wants to stay with her father or her mother. Why didn¡¯t you bring her?"
He looked at the judge and went on. "Or is it because you have no respect for the court at all? And think you can do whatever you want because of the Smiths¡¯ power?
"It has been very long since my clientst saw her daughter. By separating mother and daughter from each other, and showing no respect for the court, your actions are simply atrocious!"
As Hiry had made a huge fuss and blown up thewsuit before the trial, everyone was afraid that the Smiths would bribe the judge, so they had vehemently demanded a live-stream of the court proceedings.
After giving it some thought, the court had agreed to the public¡¯s request.
Therefore, the trial was currently being broadcast live.
People werementing fiercely in the live-stream:
"Isn¡¯t he showing too little respect to thew?"
"He¡¯s so arrogant! But with so many of us watching, the court won¡¯t cover up for the Smiths!"
...
Amid the discussion, the judge frowned.
After all, the fact that Joel had not brought Mia along had gone against their wishes. His actions were indeed rather disrespectful of the court.
He frowned. At this point, the defendant¡¯s attorney stood up.
Chapter 435: The Plaintiff Turns Into The Defendant!!
Chapter 435: The intiff Turns Into The Defendant!!
When the people watching the live-stream saw thewyer stand, all of them started ranting in thements.
"Thatwyer has no conscience! How can he help the Smiths in thiswsuit? Who knows how much money the Smiths have given him?"
"I heard thatwyer has never lost any of his cases. He¡¯s definitely gonna lose the one today, right?"
"Mr. Lawyer, can you have a bit of a conscience? How can you help the Smiths bully a weak and helpless woman? I am so disappointed in you!"
"I hope thewyer dies together with his whole family!"
Hiry and her attorney next to her were also paying attention to the happenings online.
In addition, there were also people constantly keeping the judge up-to-date about the people¡¯s opinions. After all, he had to take the people¡¯s opinions into consideration, too.
The judge sighed when he heard that everyone was taking the intiff¡¯s side.
It would probably be very difficult for the defendant to win the case this time!
While he was thinking about it, the defendant¡¯s attorney said, "Your Honor, members of the jury. First of all, I would like to exin the rtionship between my client and the intiff."
He walked out from behind the desk, looked at Hiry, and said, "ording to my investigations, Mr. Joel Smith and Ms. Tanya Turner have been in love since they were in junior high, and their rtionship continued even after they entered college. They are recognized by everyone as a model couple. Mr. Smith and Ms. Turner¡¯s ssmates can testify to this. The intiff will not deny this, right?"
Hiry narrowed her eyes.
Her attorney stood up and said, "That has nothing to do with the case. After all, a lot of people¡¯s first rtionships do notst. Does every spouse have to give way to their partner¡¯s first love just because they have returned? Be it true love or his inability to forget his previous lover, it is no reason or excuse for Mr. Smith to cheat on and betray Ms. Jones!"
His answer was very well-worded. A whole row of thumbs-ups appeared in thements.
"Thatwyer said it! No matter what, they have already broken up back then. To put it bluntly, even if Jones was the third wheel in Turner and Smith¡¯s rtionship back then, the two of them have already had a child together. Tanya Turner shouldn¡¯t havee back!"
"I¡¯ve just imagined a big story about Turnering back for revenge!"
"Don¡¯t say any more. Let¡¯s listen to them instead. What if the reason for Turner and Smith¡¯s breakup back then wasn¡¯t Jones?"
Almost at the same time thement appeared, the defendant¡¯s attorney said, "Of course. My client requested that I make this clear in the courtroom in front of the judge and everyone in the country because he doesn¡¯t want Ms. Turner to be called a third wheel."
The intiff¡¯swyer couldn¡¯t help butugh when he heard what he said. He looked straight at the judge and said, "Objection, Your Honor. That has nothing to do with the case. What we are here to talk about is Ms. Mia Smith¡¯s custody, and not who the real third wheel of their rtionship is!"
Tanya, who was seated in the defendant¡¯s dock, was surprised.
She turned and looked at Joel.
The two of them had agreed that they would immediatelyy out sufficient evidence at the beginning of the trial, and change her status from the defendant to the intiff. She hadn¡¯t expected her attorney to actually walk out and say something like that.
Was Joel... trying to clear her name?
The intiff¡¯s attorney looked at the defendant¡¯s attorney, as well as Joel and Tanya who were seated in the dock. He said, "Even if my client had been the third wheel in your rtionship back then, she did not break thew! Moreover, she even gave birth to a daughter for Mr. Smith. As a mother, she has the right and duty to raise her child!"
The defendant¡¯s attorney looked straight at the judge. "Your Honor, I mentioned the past because this case can no longer be looked at normally. Humans are creatures of emotion. When everyone is censuring my client, I have the right to defend them. I ask the court for permission to exin things clearly to everyone."
The judge looked at Hiry, and then at Tanya and Joel. Atst, he nodded. "Permission granted."
The defendant¡¯s attorney looked straight at Hiry. "You were the third wheel in Mr. Smith and Ms. Turner¡¯s rtionship back then. Do you admit to this?"
Hiry curled her lips disdainfully. "They were just dating back then. It¡¯s not like they were married, so you can¡¯t say that I was the third wheel at all! Mr. Smith and I were also really in love back then!"
"Is that so?" The defendant¡¯s attorney couldn¡¯t help but smile. "But as far as I know, even though you im that you have given birth to a daughter for Mr. Smith, the two of you did not be engaged or hold a wedding. Moreover, Mr. Smith also signed an agreement with you back then. The agreement says that once Ms. Mia Smith is five years old, Mr. Smith will terminate his marriage agreement with you, and the two of you will regain your respective freedom. ordingly, the Smiths will take care of the Joneses¡¯ business during those five years. Once the agreement is terminated, Ms. Mia Smith¡¯s custody is to go to Mr. Smith. Therefore, can I interpret this as a transaction, except that Ms. Jones intends to go back on her word?!"
Hiry was rendered speechless.
The people in support of Hiry in thements were also stunned. For a while, they didn¡¯t quite know what to say.
"In that case, it seems that the Smiths aren¡¯t in the wrong?"
"But isn¡¯t it too much to prevent the mother from seeing her daughter?"
The intiff¡¯s attorney stood up. "The rtionship between a mother and her daughter cannot be described as a transaction. Ms. Jones is not a surrogate mother! That agreement was illegal from the start! Besides, as Ms. Smith¡¯s mother, Ms. Jones has visitation rights!"
He nced at Hiry.
Hiry immediately got the hint.
Before they came here, the two of them had already discussed how they should deal with the agreement. Hiry immediately started to weep. "Yes, that¡¯s why I want to ask the court for help in mediation. It was my first time being a mother back then. The Smiths are too powerful, so I had no other choice. But during thest five years where my daughter and I were dependent on each other, we have already developed strong feelings for each other. How can one control their own emotions? Your Honor, what kind of agreement can stop a mother from seeing her own children?"
She then started to cry bitterly. "Please, Mr. Smith, give me a way out! I¡¯ve already fallen into depression because I can¡¯t see my daughter!"
The intiff¡¯swyer immediately produced a diagnostic report for depression. "This is my client¡¯s diagnostic report. She misses her daughter too much. I hope the court can be considerate toward her difficulties."
At the sight, everyone in thements suddenly started to sympathize with Hiry again.
"The Smiths are simply too cold-blooded! The richer people are, the more domineering they be! They don¡¯t care for people¡¯s feelings at all! How can they let the child grow up in a family like that?!"
"Exactly! It is not right to stop a mother from meeting her daughter! How can they do that?!"
"The Smiths are too much!"
"The child¡¯s mother is already depressed. She¡¯s so pitiful. She just wants to see her child, what¡¯s so wrong about that?"
"Who knows, maybe the Smiths had threatened her into signing the agreement back then!"
"My god, look at where the defendants are! Turner and Smith arepletely expressionless even when they saw Jones crying so badly! They are so heartless! Capitalists are the worst!"
"Yes, they are too inhumane! The child may not understand anything right now, but she will hate them once she grows up and realizes the truth!"
...
...
Everyone¡¯s words and the stances they took were conveyed to the judge.
The judge nced at the defendants. They hadpletely lost the public¡¯s support.
However, at the defendant¡¯s dock, Tanya was still ring at Hiry furiously while Joel was expressionless. Even their attorney lookedpletely calm as if he was not moved by Hiry¡¯s cries at all.
He lowered his gaze and asked, "The defendants, what else do you have to say?"
Joel and Tanya exchanged a look.
Tanya had a firm look in her eyes, but her eyes were gradually turning red.
Joel turned to the attorney and nodded at him.
Following the nod, the defendant¡¯s attorney suddenly walked out from behind the desk and looked at the judge. "Your Honor, I have a piece of evidence I¡¯d like to submit."
The judge nodded.
The defendant¡¯swyer handed over two documents.
The judge was shocked when he saw the documents, and his expression changed drastically. He nced at Tanya with aplicated look in his eyes, and then looked at Hiry with a frown. Disgust shed across his eyes.
In thements, everyone was specting.
"What evidence is that? It actually made the judge¡¯s expression totally change."
"Oh no, the way he¡¯s looking at Smith and Turner isn¡¯t that cold anymore. Could it be that they didn¡¯t submit evidence but a check just now?"
"How can they bribe the judge so openly? They are too much!"
Hiry nced at thements out of the corner of her eye. When she saw that all thements were siding with her, the corners of her lips curled up slightly.
However, it was at this moment that the defendant¡¯s attorney slowly said, "Your Honor, members of the jury. On behalf of my client Ms. Tanya Turner, I shall now file awsuit against Ms. Hiry Jones for maliciously stealing Ms. Turner¡¯s child five years ago!! This led to my client being separated from her daughter for as long as five years. May thew impose the most severe sanction on Ms. Jones! I demand that Ms. Jonespensate my client for emotional damages, as well as damages for material losses incurred while searching for her daughter for thest five years!"
His words caused a furor to go through everyone!!
Chapter 436: Pleading Guilty!
Chapter 436: Pleading Guilty!
Hiry got up abruptly and looked at them in disbelief.
What did they say just now?
How could this be?!
How did she know?!
She understood Tanya very well. Because she loved Joel too much, she would never tell him that she had lost her child. After all, who wouldn¡¯t be miserable about losing their child?
But if it wasn¡¯t her who had brought it up, Joel would never imagine that Mia might be Tanya¡¯s daughter...
So, how did they realize the truth?!
Terribly shocked, she stared in front of her in astonishment.
At the same time, countless question marks also shed across thements.
"???"
"????"
"???"
...
The intiff¡¯s attorney was dumbfounded while thements were being filled with question marks. He asked, "What nonsense are you saying?"
The defendant¡¯s... no, the defendant had already turned into the intiff at this point. The attorney looked straight at Hiry. As awyer, he had always been calm when handling cases, but when he realized the truth, even he couldn¡¯t help but subconsciously be angry when he looked at the woman.
He spoke loudly and forcefully. "The evidence in the judge¡¯s and the jury¡¯s hands can prove whether I¡¯m talking nonsense or not! The evidence consists of two reports, one is a DNA test report conducted for Ms. Turner and Ms. Mia Smith, and the other is proof that Ms. Jones had stolen the baby! On the day that Ms. Turner gave birth, Ms. Jones had booked a return ticket from Switzend! Even though she went there by herself, she had returned with a baby!"
His words made Hiry¡¯s attorney dumbfounded.
Before the trial, attorneys would typically probe into their client¡¯s private affairs in order to prevent the other party from producing surprise evidence that they weren¡¯t prepared for.
Therefore, Hiry had even told her attorney the truth about her being the third wheel in Joel and Tanya¡¯s rtionship beforehand. That was why the attorney hadn¡¯t even once used Tanya of being the third wheel in Hiry¡¯s family, for fear that the other party would take advantage of it to counterattack.
Never would he have ever expected such an unbelievable plot twist!
The plot twist was simply too big. Thewsuit between Hiry and Joel had turned straight into one about Hiry¡¯s crime!!
They had evidence that she had stolen their child!
He didn¡¯t doubt the authenticity of the evidence because the judge and the others would undoubtedly verify it. He was just staring at Hiry in shock, astonishment, and disbelief.
In this instant, he could even feel his career as an attorney ending!
Seeing that her attorney wasn¡¯t saying anything but just staring at her, Hiry panicked. She suddenly stood up. "I didn¡¯t do anything like that! That¡¯s total nonsense!"
Tanya¡¯s eyes narrowed as she looked at her. "The evidence can prove whether or not I am talking nonsense! The DNA test shows that Mia and I have a 99% DNA match!! These numbers could never lie!"
Hiry swallowed and looked at the gallery.
Karl and Jill were seated in the gallery.
A somewhat incredulous Jill stood up abruptly when the plot twist came. She subconsciously looked at Karl.
Karl, who also seemed stunned by the plot twist, looked at Jill with a puzzled look.
Jill swallowed. She was about to say something when Justin, who was sitting behind Karl, suddenly said, "Mr. Moore, I¡¯m sure you must know the truth of the matter by now. Wouldn¡¯t it be rather unreasonable if you continue to help Hiry Jones fight for the child¡¯s custody?"
Karl choked.
He had only helped Jill and stood up for her on ount of their past rtionship. After all, if Hiry was Mia¡¯s mother, the Smiths¡¯ actions would indeed be going too far.
But now...
If he continued to help Hiry fight for the child, then wouldn¡¯t he just be making trouble for no reason?
He coughed and replied, "Of course. The Assassin Organization is not unreasonable."
Justin nodded. Then, he immediately looked at Mr. Jones, who was seated nearby Jill. The astonishment in his eyes didn¡¯t seem to be fake, and he looked like he wasn¡¯t aware of his daughter¡¯s actions at all. He slowly said, "Mr. Jones, are the Joneses still supportive of Hiry¡¯s fight for the child¡¯s custody?"
Given how even Karl wasn¡¯t going to help anymore, there was no way Mr. Jones would have the guts to step forward, either. He shook his head and stammered, "M-Mr. Hunt, I really didn¡¯t know about what Hiry did! She did it all by herself! It has nothing to do with the Joneses!"
Jill looked at Mr. Jones furiously. "How can you say that? She¡¯s your daughter! Is that how you should be treating Hiry?!"
An annoyed Mr. Jones retorted, "Even if she¡¯s my daughter, I still didn¡¯t expect her to actually do something like that! She stole someone else¡¯s child! How can she do that?!"
The furious Jill panicked. "Even so, you can¡¯t just ignore her! Surely you can¡¯t just watch as she goes to jail?!"
Justin didn¡¯t say anything else. Instead, he looked at the stand.
From the looks of it, it seemed that neither Karl nor Mr. Jones were intending to help anymore. In that case, Jill and Hiry would no longer be able to make any more trouble.
On the judge¡¯s bench.
The judge and the jury were already looking at one another. The judge then looked at Hiry. "There is substantial evidence in my hands, and there are both witnesses and physical evidence against you. What else do you have to say?!"
Hiry knew that what¡¯s done is done at this point and that there was nothing she could do anymore to save herself.
She looked straight at Tanya. In the end, she yelled shamelessly, "I... I didn¡¯t steal the child! I did go abroad, and I did go to Switzend, but I found the child somewhere! It... It was... It was Tanya who abandoned her child! Yes, that¡¯s it! Your Honor, you can¡¯t convict me. I saved that child¡¯s life! In fact, you should be holding Tanya responsible for abandoning her newborn baby!"
"..."
Everyone was stunned. They hadn¡¯t expected that Hiry would still say such things at this point.
Even her attorney had shut up and was unwilling to defend her anymore.
The judge looked at Tanya and Joel.
Tanya¡¯s eyes were red and she did not speak.
Joel¡¯s jaw was clenched tightly and he had lost the usual smile on his face.
Their attorney stood where he was and sneered, "Ms. Jones, I didn¡¯t expect you to be so stubborn. It seems like you¡¯re someone who holds out hope until faced with the grim reality!
"Your Honor, I have a few pieces of evidence here that will prove that she had indeed stolen the baby! That day, she went to the hospital where Ms. Turner had given birth and bribed two nurses in the hospital. That was how she had sessfully stolen the baby from the hospital!
"Also! Your Honor, these are financial ounts detailing how much money and effort my client, Ms. Tanya Turner, spent in order to search for her child over the years.
"Your Honor, as you can see, Ms. Jones shows no sign of taking the initiative to plead guilty even now! I implore you to punish her severely in ordance with thew!!"
Chapter 437: Life Imprisonment!!
Chapter 437: Life Imprisonment!!
The more Hiry refused to plead guilty in the case where evidence was conclusive, the less likely she would receive mercy in court.
Her stubbornness was, on the contrary, a positive for Tanya.
The judge frowned, and the way he looked at Hiry changed.
Hiry¡¯s legs went limp and she fell onto the chair. She hadn¡¯t expected them to still be able to find evidence of her bribing the nurses when two years had already gone by. On top of that, they even managed to get the two nurses to testify as witnesses!
It was all over.
Everything was over!
Tanya¡¯s attorney was still speaking. He said, "Your Honor, my client is a dancer with a sizable ie, but every year, she pays most of her money to private detectives to engage them in search for her child...
"The millions of dors she spends on the search each year are nearly the entirety of her ie. If she had really abandoned the child, why would she spend that much money searching for her child?!
"Ms. Jones is still ndering my client even at this point. Not only that, but she even bribed reporters to create public pressure on my client in an attempt to reverse thewsuit¡¯s oue!
"I implore the judge to take serious action against her!"
As the attorney¡¯s loud and powerful words rang out, the courtroom fell silent.
After discussion, the judge finally announced, "Given the severity of Ms. Hiry Jones¡¯ crime in stealing the child, and the fact that she shows no intention of pleading guilty, let alone any sign of remorse, we will submit the case to the judiciary and have the Attorney-General¡¯s Office bring charges against her, so that they may give her the maximum sentence possible!"
Upon hearing that, Hiry slumped onto the chair.
The maximum sentence was thirty years of imprisonment!!
Thirty years!
By the time she came out of prison thirty yearster, she would be old!
No, she didn¡¯t want to go to jail!!
The court had its own procedures. The court hearing today was for Joel and Hiry¡¯s fight for the custody of their daughter. Therefore, the case was closed without even the need for a full trial.
Hiry was arrested on the spot. She would be under the judiciary¡¯s supervision while she waited for her next court hearing.
Thements in the live-stream had undergone aplete reversal. Everyone was censuring Hiry.
"My god, that¡¯s so disgusting! She is so wicked!"
"Let me give everyone a summary of what happened. Not only was Jones the third wheel in their rtionship, but she even stole their baby and imed that she had given birth to her. And now, she is actually fighting them for custody of the girl? She¡¯s so wicked! That woman is beyond salvation!"
"The fact that Turner has been searching for her daughter for so many years has suddenly moved me so much. I apologize for the derogatory remarks I made against Turner when I wasn¡¯t aware of the truth."
"I also apologize!"
"A woman like Hiry Jones should be sentenced to death!"
"Yes, not only did she steal a child, but she even thinks that she¡¯s right in doing so. She shows no signs of repentance at all. If she isn¡¯t sentenced to the death penalty, then she should at least be sentenced to life imprisonment! People like her should spend the rest of their life in jail!"
"I agree with the life imprisonment sentence!"
"Thirty years is too little. I agree with the life imprisonment sentence!"
"Agree with the previousment!"
"+1!"
"+(my cell phone number)!"
"+(my ID number)!"
...
The public opinion reversed in an instant, and the people took Tanya¡¯s side.
When the handcuffed Hiry was being led away, Jill rushed over and hugged her. "Let go of my daughter! Let go of her!"
The sobbing Hiry yelled, "Mom, save me! Save me! I don¡¯t wanna go to jail!! Sob, Dad, save me!"
However, even after the two of them cried their eyes out, none of the police officers were moved. They dragged Hiry out.
Jill was stunned to the spot. The next moment, she grabbed Hiry¡¯s attorney and shouted furiously, "Why didn¡¯t you say anything just now? We paid money to hire you! Why didn¡¯t you defend my daughter?!"
The attorney said with a sense of resignation, "Mrs. Jones, it was stated clearly in our contract that the client is not to conceal any information rted to the case. Are you actually demanding an exnation from me when your daughter hid such an important matter from me?!"
He was also rather angry. "Besides, if I had known that the child was stolen from someone else, I would never have taken up the case! I have children, too. People like her should go to jail!"
Jill retorted furiously, "You¡¯re the one who should go to jail, you trashwyer!"
The attorney sighed and said, "Alright, I¡¯m not going to argue with you anymore. I just want to tell you this now¡ªyou and Hiry were the ones who directed public opinion on the case, right? Now, she shall have to undergo the bacsh!"
Jill was taken aback. "What do you mean?"
"Previously, the two of you created a buzz to make people take your side in order to put pressure on the court, but all of those people are furious now! They are now strongly demanding that your daughter be sentenced to death! Under such circumstances, I¡¯m afraid your daughter will be sentenced to life imprisonment, at the least, for her malicious actions!"
"Life imprisonment..."
Jill stared straight ahead of her nkly when she heard those two words. She stared at thewyer incredulously. "She just stole a child, that¡¯s all! What kind of nonsense are you spouting?!"
Seeing that she was being so unreasonable, the attorney didn¡¯t want to talk to her anymore. He merely shook his head and turned to leave.
At the sight, Jill grabbed his arm and said, "Don¡¯t go! Tell me how I can save my daughter! Tell me!"
The attorney sneered, "Is there even any hope of salvation left for someone like your daughter? What¡¯s the point of saving her and bringing her out of prison? So that she can steal other people¡¯s children? Even if you offer three times the remuneration, no one will take up your case anymore, let alone me! Unless they don¡¯t wish to work in this line of business anymore and wish to be attacked instead!"
Jill didn¡¯t dare to lose her temper anymore. She held on to the attorney and said, "D-don¡¯t go, I won¡¯t lose my temper with you anymore. I won¡¯t ask for a refund on the legal fees, either. Just tell me what I should do now. I can¡¯t just watch as my daughter is sentenced to life imprisonment!"
Seeing that she had taken a step back, and thinking of how he needn¡¯t return the exorbitant legal fees anymore, the attorney looked around. He lowered his voice and said, "There is only one way to lighten your daughter¡¯s sentence."
"What is it?"
"Beg for the victim¡¯s forgiveness! If the victim can forgive her, she may still have a chance of a reduced sentence."
The victim¡¯s... forgiveness...
Jill¡¯s head turned abruptly to Tanya, who was about to leave with Joel.
He was right. Tanya was the intiff of the case now, which meant that she was the victim.
Jill let go of the attorney and went straight to Tanya. When she came up to her, she grabbed Tanya¡¯s arm and said, "Tanya, my daughter, don¡¯t go. Help Mom out. You¡¯re the only one who can help Mom now. Go to the judge and tell him that you¡¯ve forgiven Hiry. Tell him that you don¡¯t hold it against her anymore! Go and tell him now! Immediately! Right away!"
Her words made Tanya sneer. All she could feel at the moment was just incredulity.
Chapter 438: Karl Moore Is Tanya’s Father?
Chapter 438: Karl Moore Is Tanya¡¯s Father?
Tanya stared at Jill. Little by little, she pulled her arm out of Jill¡¯s grasp. She looked at Jill coldly and slowly said, "Did you know? I¡¯ve always wanted to ask you something ever since I was a child."
Jill was taken aback. "What?"
"Am I really your daughter?"
Tanya¡¯s eyes were a little red. "How is it that you can do so much and go so far for Hiry, yet be so cruel to me?!"
Jill was stunned. But immediately after that, she said angrily, "What did I do to you? Did I bring you up and keep you alive so that you can bully meter in life? You are too much! You have to go to the judge right away and tell him that you¡¯ve forgiven Hiry! Or els¡ª"
"Or else what? What will you do?"
Tanya stared at her, but there was no fluctuation of emotions in her voice at all.
Jill was shocked by her reaction. For a moment, she couldn¡¯t say anything.
"Or else you won¡¯t acknowledge me as your daughter anymore? Didn¡¯t you already sever ties with me a long time ago?
"Or perhaps, you won¡¯t pay for my tuition fees anymore? But have you ever given me any money?
"Or perhaps, you won¡¯t give me any food? That worked very well when I was young. I was indeed scared when you locked me up in that dark room and didn¡¯t give me any food or water. But I¡¯m no longer the four-year-old kid anymore!! Jill, you can¡¯t control me anymore!"
The more Tanya spoke, the colder her voice became. "As for Hiry..."
Suddenly she bent down, lowered her head, and leaned into Jill¡¯s ear. "Why do you think the Smiths didn¡¯t bother with damage control and allowed public opinion to get to this state? It¡¯s precisely so that she could have a taste of her own medicine!"
Jill was dumbfounded.
When thewyer mentioned it, she had thought that it was just a coincidence, but from the way it sounded now... It was actually a conspiracy by Tanya and Joel!!
The fiercer the people scolded them, the guiltier they would feel once the truth was revealed!
No wonder they hadn¡¯t exined anything the whole time, and even assaulted the reporter!!
Jill¡¯s eyes widened as she stared at the daughter who seemed so foreign to her now. Tanya straightened her back and, with an extremely cold look in her eyes, said, "She stole my daughter and my boyfriend, and even abused my daughter for as long as five years. Jill, even if you kneel here for the rest of your life, I will never forgive her!
"You want me to write a letter of forgiveness? Over my dead body!!"
She turned, took Joel¡¯s hand, and got ready to leave.
However, the furious Jill suddenly rushed towards her and grabbed her. "Why did I give birth to a bastard like you?! You¡¯re a bane to the world! I should have killed you when you were a child! I should have starved you to death!"
Neither Tanya nor Joel had expected her to actually jump up and attack them in the courtroom. She caught Tanya by her hair.
She reached out and tried to scratch Tanya¡¯s cheek, but Joel already had her wrist in a tight grip. He pushed her away with great force, making her fall onto the floor behind her.
Joel looked down at her from above and said, "Please treat my fianc¨¦e with courtesy, Mrs. Jones."
After speaking, he nced at Mr. Jones, who was in the gallery.
Mr. Jones immediately got the hint. He came over hastily and held Jill back.
Only then did Tanya and Joel leave the courtroom.
As soon as they exited, they ran into Justin in the car park. As the three looked at one another, Joel asked, "How did it go?"
One of the reasons Justin had to be present today was so that he could convince Karl not to take any further action in the gallery.
Justin replied, "No big issues. Karl is an underworld figure and has a very strong aura of one from the underworld around him. With the truth publicly exposed and Hiry Jones arrested, there¡¯s nothing he can say anymore. Besides, the Assassin Organization probably doesn¡¯t want to offend the Smiths and the Hunts, either."
His voice turned cold as he added, "Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have given him a chance to leave the country!"
Joel nodded. "He has already done enough to pay back the favor he owes his old lover. Unless Hiry is his daughter, that guy probably won¡¯t do anything for them anymore."
His daughter?
The moment he said that, both Justin and Joel suddenly thought of something, and they both abruptly turned to Tanya.
The two n leaders¡¯ gazes made Tanya a little ufortable. She nced down at herself and asked, "What¡¯s the matter? Is there something wrong with my clothes?"
Nothing was wrong with them, though!
Her clothes were very suitable for the asion, and nothing was dirty...
While she was wondering about it, Joel suddenly asked, "Tanya, have you ever wondered who your father is?"
Tanya: "..."
She sighed and replied, "Of course I have. But every time I asked Jill about it, she would always say that he¡¯s a scumbag and a hooligan who deceived her and made her pregnant..."
A hooligan...
The word made Justin and Joel suddenly nce at each other.
A short whileter, Joel suddenly said, "Don¡¯t you find that Karl Moore actually has... a bit of a hooligan-like air around him?"
Tanya: "??"
¡ª
In the courtroom.
Even after everyone else had left, Jill was stillying on the floor and making a scene. "I¡¯m not going to get up if you don¡¯t save my daughter! You¡¯re a good-for-nothing! What¡¯s the use of a father like you?!"
Mr. Jones was standing next to her. Atst, he said, "Stay on the floor if that¡¯s what you want. Who cares?!"
He left right away.
Karl, who was still in the gallery, looked at Jill who was on the floor. He scratched his head.
His subordinate behind him couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Boss, what did you see in her in your younger days?"
Karl also felt a little embarrassed.
He coughed. "Maybe I was blind back then."
The subordinate was speechless.
He got up and walked toward Jill. Just as he was about to say something, Jill got up by herself and patted the dust off herself. There was none of the shrewish behavior she had just exhibited around her anymore. Instead, she looked at Karl calmly.
Karl coughed, "Are you okay?"
"I¡¯m fine."
Jill stared at Karl and said, "You have to help me save my daughter!"
Karl cast his eyes down. "You¡¯re not in the right with regard to this matter. Neither can I bring myself to do something like that."
Wouldn¡¯t he be thoroughly embarrassed if outsiders were to learn of it?
Unexpectedly, as soon as he said that, Jill immediately asked, "Do you know why I chose to beg you instead of Hiry¡¯s father for help?"
Karl shook his head.
Jill said solemnly, "Because Hiry is not his daughter but yours!"
Karl: "!!!!"
He was astounded. "What did you say?"
Jill stretched out her fingers¡ªthere were two strands of hair gripped tightly between them. "I plucked Hiry¡¯s hair off her when I made contact with her just now. You can do a DNA test for you and her."
Chapter 439: The Busy Lily
Chapter 439: The Busy Lily
Karl was dumbfounded.
He stared at Jill incredulously. His gazended on the strands of hair she was holding and he swallowed hard, feeling that his ears must be ying tricks on him. "What did you say?"
Jill sighed. "You can put the timeline together yourself. When I married into the Joneses, I was already four months pregnant! Think about it, isn¡¯t the child yours if I was already four months pregnant at that time?"
Karl swallowed. "But Hiry Jones¡¯ birth date doesn¡¯t match!"
Jill sighed. "That¡¯s because I dyed registering her birth for four months. After all, I couldn¡¯t bring shame to the Joneses. You can look into it. I gave birth to my daughter in a private clinic, so they may still have records! Also, no matter what, you should have a DNA test done first."
Jill handed the strands of hair to Karl. "Only hair with the follicles intact can be used in a DNA test. Be careful not to damage them. By the way, my daughter doesn¡¯t know that she is not my husband¡¯s child..."
Jill said that because she was afraid that Karl would send someone to the prison to sound Hiry out.
After saying that, she started to head toward the exit. Before she left, she added, "No matter what, you should still make sure that your daughter stays alive, right?"
Karl looked at her and narrowed his eyes. "Don¡¯t worry, if she really is my daughter, no one will be able to take her life!"
Jill breathed a sigh of relief.
She lowered her head and said, "I won¡¯t ask for that child from the Smiths anymore. All I ask for now is just for you to rescue my daughter, get her out of prison and take her abroad! I hope you can treat her well for the rest of her life after that!"
Karl hesitated for a moment. Then, he asked tentatively, "If she is my daughter, why didn¡¯t you tell me that from the start?"
Jill stared at Karl. After a long silence, she finally heaved a deep sigh and said, "I only wanted to borrow your authority in the beginning. I don¡¯t wish for anything beyond that anymore. Besides, my daughter wasn¡¯t having any problems at that time, and you were also willing to help me, so it didn¡¯t matter whether or not I told you the truth. But now that I know that you don¡¯t want to offend the Smiths and the Hunts, I can only tell the truth!"
Karl kept quiet for a long while. Suddenly, he broke into a grin and said, "Jill, you should know that I am an ouw. You know it won¡¯t end well for people who lie to me, right?"
Jill was so frightened by the way he spoke that she shuddered. However, she then said resolutely, "Go and have a DNA test done."
Karl nodded.
After Jill left, his subordinate behind him asked, "Boss, surely not, right? Is that child-stealing woman really your daughter?"
Karl, however, frowned and said nothing.
In the end, he suddenly sighed and instructed, "Send someone to the prison and protect Hiry Jones for now!"
"Understood."
He turned, exited, and walked toward the car.
The subordinate asked, "Boss, where are you going?"
Karl replied, "A DNA testingb. Find me a reliable one!"
"Yes, sir!"
¡ª
Justin, Joel, and Tanya returned to the Smiths¡¯ manor.
As soon as they entered the manor, someone came forward and whispered something to Joel.
Joel frowned.
The sensitive Tanya asked, "What¡¯s wrong?"
Joel didn¡¯t hide anything from her. After letting five years pass them by, both of them cherished each other very much now. When he heard her question, he replied, "I sent someone to the jail to teach Hiry a lesson, but I just received news that someone has interfered on her behalf."
Tanya immediately asked, "Who did it?"
Joel replied, "Karl Moore."
Tanya frowned at the name.
Ever since Joel and Justin voiced their guess, Tanya had been feeling a little ufortable. Surely Karl wasn¡¯t really her father, right?
She frowned and did some calctions of the timeline around her birth date. However, she didn¡¯t think it matched.
It seemed like her date of birth was half a year too early?
Besides, it was impossible for her date of birth to be wrong because Hiry was born a yearter than her. It couldn¡¯t possibly be that Jill became pregnant with Hiry when she was pregnant with her, right?
The age difference between the two of them was only one year anyway!
While she was thinking about it, Justin said, "It doesn¡¯t make sense."
Joel nodded. "If it¡¯s just because of an old lover, Moore is unlikely to help Hiry further. After all, the Smiths and the Hunts can control almost the entire United States. Karl¡¯s assassins may be powerful, but he may not necessarily be willing to offend two big families at the same time!"
This was also why Justin had the confidence to threaten Karl when they were in the courtroom!
Justin said, "How strange. Something we are unaware of must have happened."
He took out his cell phone and sent messages to both Sean and Lawrence: ¡¯Investigate why Karl Moore helped Hiry Jones in prison.¡¯
Joel also said, "I¡¯ll get my men to investigate, too."
With the leaders of the two big families simultaneously investigating the same thing, they would surely get results very soon.
After sending the messages, Justin nced at Tanya again and suddenly said, "I still find you and Karl Moore somewhat simr."
Joel also stared at Tanya for a while. "Why don¡¯t we do a DNA test, after all? It¡¯s safer that way."
The two men¡¯s gazes made Tanya¡¯s lip corners spasm a little, and she became a little hesitant.
She had originally been very resistant to the idea.
After all, Karl had helped Jill to bully her. However, given how the two men were staring at her, it seemed like she had no choice but to do the DNA test, after all?
In the end, she could only nod.
Lily walked down from upstairs at this point.
At the sight of Lily, Justin got a shock. He hurriedly asked, "What¡¯s the matter with Nora?"
Joel also looked over with concern.
Lily hurriedly replied, "Rx, Mr. Hunt, Mr. Smith. Boss is fine. She has been sleeping thest two days, so I was afraid that she would have low blood sugar. I just gave her some nutritional fluids."
The two men rxed upon hearing her exnation.
Lily then said, "Boss is sleeping really soundly. Don¡¯t worry!"
Justin nodded.
Lily then started to walk back upstairs. She stretched and said, "Thest few days have been so exhausting. On top of that, I even have to take care of that handsome thief... oh, I mean Boss¡¯ cousin, in the hospital... I can finally have a good night¡¯s sleep now! I am going to sleep through everything until I naturally wake up!"
She had only just said that when Justin suddenly said, "Er..."
Lily looked behind her. Justin said, "It seems like Nora trusts you very much, so... can you help us do a DNA test?"
Lily: "???????"
Chapter 440: The Queen of Sleep Is Awake
Chapter 440: The Queen of Sleep Is Awake
All Lily wished for at the moment was just to return to Switzend.
When Lily was still in Switzend, every time her boss wanted her help, all she had done was just to get someone to send her some DNA samples. Three hours were the most she needed to produce the test results.
But after she came back to the States!
First, she had to help her boss take care of her father. Next, she had to take care of her boss¡¯ cousin. Now that her boss had fallen into a deep sleep and couldn¡¯t assign her tasks anymore, she finally felt as if she could take a breather. Yet in the end, her boss-inw was assigning her a task?
This was so goddamn... Did they have any intention of letting her rest or not?!
Even though Lily was cursing deep down, on the surface, she nevertheless smiled and asked very professionally, "... Sure. May I know where the DNA samples are?"
Justin: "??"
Joel: "????"
Both of them looked at each other and then, the corners of their lips spasmed at the same time.
All they had thought of was having a DNA test done, but who the hell could retrieve Karl¡¯s DNA sample?!
It wasn¡¯t like they could go up to him and say, "Bro, I suspect that Tanya is your daughter. Can I borrow a DNA sample from you?"
As the leader of a group of assassins, if there were people who could pluck Karl¡¯s hair without him knowing, then he might as well retire from the underworld for good!
Neither of them expected that retrieving Karl¡¯s DNA samples would instead be the most difficult task!
¡ª
Elsewhere.
Karl went to a DNA testingb.
After they extracted a blood sample from his fingertip, he returned to the hotel.
All the ces he went were heavily guarded. Although he hadn¡¯t brought a lot of men with him during his return to the States this time, all of them were skilled fighters.
It could be said that even a fly wouldn¡¯t be able to get near Karl, let alone a human!
Three hourster.
His subordinate sent him the DNA test report.
Karl took a look¡ªthe report indicated a 99% probability that the test subjects were indeed father and daughter!
At the same time, the person whom he had sent to investigate the private clinic also returned.
When Jill was telling him all those things, she had also given him the clinic¡¯s information. When they went to investigate, they found that Jill had indeed given birth to a child during that period of time!
The child was also indeed Hiry! The nurse they had talked to during the investigation had said that the girl whom Jill had given birth to had a mole on her ear, and Hiry did indeed have one on her ear!
The records in the clinic were dated five years ago, so there was no way they could have falsified them.
Karl narrowed his eyes and suddenly asked, "Does that girl named Tanya Turner have a mole on her ear?"
His subordinate was surprised. "Why are you asking about her? She doesn¡¯t seem to have one, though."
They were assassins, so they were very observant.
Although they had only met Joel and Tanya once in court, they remembered everything about their looks!
Karl pressed his lips together. "Because I keep feeling like something isn¡¯t quite right. If Hiry really is my daughter, Jill could have just approached me directly after Hiry was taken away. I would have been able to protect my daughter for sure! There wasn¡¯t any need for her to go to that young missy and beg her for help. I was originally suspecting that the hair she gave me was that young missy¡¯s..."
But unexpectedly, the child that Jill had given birth to back then was indeed Hiry.
The clinic had kept pictures of the newborn baby. The mole on her ear was very obvious.
Therefore, Jill had indeed given birth to Hiry four months earlier. In other words, Hiry was indeed his daughter!
Karl abruptly stood up and started to pace back and forth excitedly.
Over twenty years ago, he had gone to Switzend all by himself to build his career. People in the underworld inevitably got injured some time or another, and the same went for him. During a certain incident, he had injured his genitals.
Therefore, he would never have any children for the rest of his life.
Originally, he had held regrets about this. Although he¡¯d had many women in his life all these years, he didn¡¯t have any children.
Little did he expect that he would suddenly find his daughter during his return to the States when he was here to look for ck Cat instead!
He rubbed his hands excitedly and paced back and forth in the hotel...
It was at this point that he received a call from Jill. He picked up the call. Jill asked, "Have you seen the DNA test report?"
Karl nodded. "Yes."
"Hiry is indeed your daughter. You¡¯ll save her now, right? Surely you can¡¯t just watch as your daughter dies! The Smiths and the Hunts are very powerful. If she continues to stay in prison, something will happen to her sooner orter. You have to find a way to get her out of there!"
Karl narrowed his eyes. "You don¡¯t have to worry about that. I know what I¡¯m doing! To think I actually have a daughter! Just based on this alone, I now owe you one, Jill!"
After hanging up, he paced back and forth in the room.
Even his subordinates couldn¡¯t help but be happy for him.
"Boss was still suspecting this and that just now, but look at how happy he is now!"
"Of course! Boss has an heir now! He finally has someone who can inherit all the money he earned over the years!"
"Hahaha! It¡¯s just that his daughter¡¯s character is not that great. She could even bring herself to do something like stealing someone else¡¯s child. But tsk, it¡¯s not like we are some kind and angelic organization anyway. Forget it!"
Karl scratched his head excitedly with a silly grin on his face as he listened to their conversation.
As he continued grinning, someone said, "By the way, you told us to protect your daughter, right? As expected, the Smiths and the Hunts tried to do something to her in the prison, but we managed to stop them! Boss, what are your ns? She¡¯s in a prison in the USA after all. We can¡¯t guarantee that nothing will go wrong if we break her out of prison!"
Karl, however, didn¡¯t speak. A brief momentter, he suddenly said, "I still feel like something isn¡¯t quite right. How about this? Get a DNA sample of that young missy named Tanya Turner and have another test done!"
As soon as he said that, everyone else said, "Boss, aren¡¯t you making things difficult for us by telling us to do that? Stealing a DNA sample from someone living in the Smiths¡¯ manor? You sure think really highly of us!"
"Exactly! Also, why do you still want her DNA sample?"
Karl clutched his chest and said, "My mind can¡¯t rest at peace if I don¡¯t have it checked. By the way, isn¡¯t ck Cat in the States? Look for ck Cat!"
Everyone nodded. "Yeah, that¡¯s right! If it¡¯s ck Cat, there definitely won¡¯t be any problem!"
"But ck Cat ispletely ignoring us. ck Cat would asionally still reply to the emails and messages we sent some time back, but he¡¯s beenpletely ignoring us thesest couple of days. It¡¯s as if he¡¯s vanished into thin air..."
Karl took out his cell phone. "Maybe he¡¯s busy. It¡¯s okay, just ensure that Hiry isn¡¯t bullied in prison for now! I will contact ck Cat and wait for news from him!"
ck Cat was his top assassin. The two have worked together for many years and they shared a very good rtionship with each other.
Karl had never considered the possibility that ck Cat might refuse to help.
He drafted a message and sent it to ck Cat: "I have something to ask of you, ck Cat. Can you help me steal a person¡¯s DNA sample?"
¡ª
At the Smiths.
Justin, Pete, and Cherry were currently in Nora¡¯s room. Suddenly, they sensed movement from the bed.
The three of them looked over at once.
Nora very, very slowly opened her eyes.
Then, she shifted and stretched.
Chapter 441: Shower You
Chapter 441: Shower You
Nora stretchedzily. After stretching her body, she let out a deep breath and opened her eyes. She had thought that she would open her eyes to see the ceiling, but she did not expect to see three heads looking down on her.
The two little ones stared at her from the side.
Pete asked softly, "Is Mommy finally awake?"
"Shh..." Cherry made a shushing gesture and lowered her voice. "Mommy might just be turning around. Brother, don¡¯t wake Mommy up. Mommy is very scary when she¡¯s awake! One time, she even beat me up!"
Pete immediately covered his mouth.
The two little guys widened their eyes in fear and covered their mouths tightly. They were afraid that they would make another sound and anger Nora, who had just woken up.
Nora: "..."
She rolled her eyes at Cherry and said in a hoarse voice that sounded like she had just woken up, "Cherry, don¡¯t cause panic here. When have I ever beaten you up?"
Cherry chuckled and jumped into Nora¡¯s arms. "Mommy, Cherry missed you so much~ You don¡¯t know how worried Cherry was the past two days when you were sleeping. I couldn¡¯t sleep well and couldn¡¯t eat well!"
Pete was speechless. He wondered who had been nonchnt and ying a live-stream game for two days!
However, he did not expose his sister. Nora understood her daughter very well and only said, "Is that so? Why do I remember vaguely hearing someone ying games happily?"
"..."
Cherry blinked her big grape-like eyes. She was not flustered at all from being exposed. "Sigh, Mommy, I haven¡¯t been in the mood to do anything else these past two days. I can only y games. Even ying games wasn¡¯t as fun as usual. I could only turn my worry for Mommy into motivation and beat people up in the game!"
Pete was speechless. He felt like he had learned something from her!
Nora did not argue with Cherry.
The little fellow was worried that she would not wake up, but it was not as exaggerated as she had said.
Nora was not worried about her daughter¡¯s extroverted personality.
She turned her head to look at Pete. Indeed, she saw a hint of deep worry in her son¡¯s eyes. Pete, who was not good with words, was really worried about Nora¡¯s body. Even in her sleep, she seemed to have felt the little fellow climbing onto the bed gently a few times. He even touched her nose and was probably checking if she was still breathing.
She smiled. "Pete, did you miss Mommy?"
Pete blushed and lowered his head. "Mm-hm."
"Yes, did you miss me or not?"
Nora sat up and teased him.
Pete was not good at sweet-talking. His face turned even redder as he stammered and could not speak. Nora simply teased him. "Sigh, looks like my son didn¡¯t miss his mom! I¡¯m so sad. Why don¡¯t I sleep for a few more days?"
Pete panicked and hurriedly shouted, "No, I, I... I missed you."
Noraughed and hugged him. "I missed you too. I even dreamed of you!"
Pete was stunned. "Dreamed about what?"
Nora: "?????"
She was also stunned.
She had always had a lot of messy dreams when she slept. It was as if her brain never stopped working while she slept.
When she woke up, she had already forgotten her dream. How could she still remember what she had dreamed?
But her son was so serious. She couldn¡¯t say that she had forgotten, right?
Nora spoke nonsense. Her voice was hoarse as she said, "I dreamed that Pete grew up and became cold to Mommy after marrying some girl. I was so sad, sigh!"
Pete: "!!"
Cherry blinked her big eyes at the side and asked, "Mommy, who did Pete marry? Did he marry Cherry? Then our family of four can be together forever!"
Nora: "..."
Justin coughed. "Your brother can¡¯t marry you!"
Cherry looked disappointed. "I see~"
However, Pete hurriedly said, "Mommy, your dream is too fake. I don¡¯t n on marrying anyone in the future."
"..."
Looking at his serious expression, Nora was touched.
Justin, who was beside them, looked at their affectionate gazes and instantly felt a sense of danger. He immediately pushed Pete away and said, "Why are you staying at home if you don¡¯t want to get married? The only one who can walk with you forever is your partner!"
After saying that, he looked at Nora. Under his pitch-ck eyes, the mole on his eye shone.
Nora: "..."
The corners of her lips twitched. She felt that this head of the Hunts was a little unreasonable.
What was there topete with a child for?
She coughed and lifted the nket to get out of bed. She realized that she had changed into afortable sleeping gown. She hesitated for a moment and asked, "Who changed my clothes?"
She still remembered that before she fainted, her red dress was covered in blood.
However, she felt quite refreshed now...
At the thought of this, Cherry raised her hand. "Daddy changed it for you! Plus, I helped you shower!"
Although it was Lily who gave her a shower on the operating table on the first day, after returning home, Justin helped her every day.
Nora: "..."
This man was the one who had bathed her when she was asleep?!
Heat slowly rose in her cheeks. She looked around, her eyes wandering. "Where¡¯s Lily?" she asked.
When she was overseas, she had given herself to Lily wholeheartedly after she fell asleep!
After returning to the country, had Lily begun to ck off?!
At this moment, Lily, who had just slept for six hours after taking care of Quentin, sneezed violently.
Then, she rubbed her nose.
Sigh!
She really wanted to go overseas. She was so busy after returning to the country that she barely had any free time!
Sensing Nora¡¯s shyness, Justin hurriedly said, "Don¡¯t worry. I didn¡¯t look at anything I shouldn¡¯t have."
Nora: "?"
The corners of her lips twitched. "Do you think I¡¯m a child? How did you help me shower if you didn¡¯t look?"
Justin was silent for a moment before he coughed. "I covered my eyes and... washed."
"..."
Nora¡¯s face became even redder. So, he touched her entire body?!
She picked up her phone and walked to the bathroom. "Oh, I¡¯ll go take a shower. Mr. Hunt, please go downstairs and get someone to prepare some food for me."
Justin looked at her flustered back and smiled. "Alright. You can take your time with the shower. After all, when I bathed you, I didn¡¯t dare to rub anything. I only washed... briefly."
"..." Nora staggered and rushed into the bathroom in a panic.
Justin smiled and went downstairs.
In the bathroom.
Nora took a few deep breaths before looking at her phone. She nned to see if anything had happened during the two days she was unconscious.
Chapter 442: Let Me Die!
Chapter 442: Let Me Die!
Nora took out her toothbrush first. After putting on some toothpaste, she brushed her teeth with one hand and turned on her phone with the other. She realized that there were a few new emails in her inbox.
Her attention was first on the DNA report Lily had sent her. She paused.
She had slept for almost three days this time, right?
Tanya and Mia¡¯s results were out. She hurriedly opened them and realized that it was as she had expected.
However, she quickly saw the top trending news article. It was about thewsuit between Tanya and Hiry. She instantly realized that Tanya and Joel already knew the truth.
Yes, it seemed like he had taken the email to heart.
As she thought about this, she casually browsed through the inbox. When she did not see any urgent messages, she put down her phone and focused on brushing her teeth.
As she brushed her teeth, her eyes slowly darkened.
Her happy mood after being teased by the two children slowly became heavy.
Quentin was still in the hospital.
All the bones in his body had shattered. She did not know if he still had a chance to stand up.
Thinking about this, Nora decided to spend some time in the future to think about all kinds of ways to make him stand up.
Yes, ording to modern medicine, there was nothing they could do.
Then, she could only look at it from alternative medicine. She vaguely remembered that there was a saying about bone refinement in ancient traditional medicine.
However, that method had been lost for a long time. She did not know if she could still find the relevant information.
With this in mind, she started brushing her teeth faster and faster. After spitting out the water in her mouth, she took a shower and changed into a ck top and light-colored jeans before leaving.
Her long hair was half dry as it fluttered behind her.
She went downstairs feeling refreshed when she heard Cherry shouting, "Mommy is out!"
Then, enthusiastic apuse erupted downstairs.
Nora: "????"
She walked down with a head full of question marks. Then, she saw Ian, Joel, Tanya, Warren, Maureen, Louis, Brandon, Mia, Cherry, Pete, and Justin sitting on the living room sofa.
The group of people raised their heads in unison and stared at her as if she was some kind of leader.
Nora: "..."
She twitched her lips and went downstairs. Facing this situation, she did not have any intention of being shy. Instead, she looked at Ian first. "Why are you home?"
Ian¡¯s body was still quite weak. He needed all kinds of medical equipment in the hospital to help monitor his vital signs. It was dangerous for him toe home.
Ian heaved a sigh of relief when he saw his daughter looking at him first.
To be honest, although the father and daughter had reunited, their rtionship was rtively distant.
Nora was born with a cold personality, but Ian was a little embarrassed. After all, when they had just reunited, he still wanted to die and not stay behind to apany his daughter. Therefore, he was a little embarrassed.
However, his daughter didn¡¯t seem to care about the past. He said, "I¡¯m fine."
Nora frowned and said slowly, "I¡¯m going to eat. I¡¯ll go to the hospital to see Quentinter and take you over too."
It had not been easy to save Quentin¡¯s life. If she was not careful and something happened to Ian, the gains would not make up for the losses!
When Joel heard this, he looked at Ian.
Over the past few days, he had tried to persuade Uncle Ian to go to the hospital many times, but Uncle Ian was stubborn and refused to leave. Now that his little sister had spoken...
As expected, although Ian was still unwilling, he still said obediently, "Okay."
Joel: "..."
Therefore, even Uncle Ian was subdued by his little sister!
The corners of his lips twitched. Then, the family followed Nora to the dining room.
The Smiths¡¯ dining table was very long. There were 10 chairs on each side.
Now, everyone was sitting at the dining table obediently. There was nothing in front of them. They all turned to look at the only person sitting there eating.
Nora: "..."
Suddenly, she felt that the porridge in front of her was a little hot.
It was rare that she could not drink a bowl of porridge in a few gulps like she usually did. Under the gaze of more than ten pairs of eyes from the nannies, she took a spoon and drank it one mouthful at a time.
The small bowl of porridge took half an hour to finish.
After finishing, she looked at the group of people and suddenly asked, "Are you guys... not busy?"
Tanya answered for the children and herself, "It¡¯s the weekend."
Joel: "Yes, the rest of us don¡¯t work, either."
Nora: "..."
She took a tissue and elegantly wiped the corners of her mouth. Then, she coughed and nced at Justin.
Justin chuckled softly and stood up to say, "Alright, everyone, disperse! Nora is feeling awkward that you guys are all gathered here."
Nora: "?"
Who was awkward?
They quickly stood up.
Warren and Maureen said, "Well, little sister, if there¡¯s anything you need, just tell us!"
Joel and Tanya looked at each other and said calmly, "I¡¯ll take Uncle Ian back to the hospital with you!"
Ian: "..."
Seeing that everyone had spoken, Louis thought for a long time before finally saying, "Sis, if there¡¯s anything you can¡¯t spend, feel free to ask me for help~"
"..."
The family finally dispersed. Nora heaved a sigh of relief.
She stood up. "Let¡¯s go to the hospital."
The group followed her majestically and went to the hospital in two separate cars.
Nora first took Ian back to the VIP ward. After confirming that all his organs were fine, she then walked towards Quentin¡¯s ward.
On the way, Joel and Justin sensed her silence.
Joel said, "Quentin hasn¡¯tined about being dispirited or cried over the past two days. Don¡¯t worry."
Nora nodded.
However, just because Quentin did not cry orin did not mean that he was not in pain.
That young man loved to be in the limelight.
Now, he was all alone on the hospital bed and could not even move his neck.
With this thought in mind, she walked to Quentin¡¯s ICU ward.
To be precise, Quentin was not out of danger yet, so he was still in the ICU.
At this moment, just as they approached, they heard Quentin¡¯s pained voice. "God, just let me die!"
The people outside: ??
Joel: "?"
They were just saying that Quentin did notin about life. Why was he suddenly looking for death?!
He was about to exin when he heard Lily¡¯s pained voice. "Don¡¯t. Wouldn¡¯t it be a pity if someone as handsome as you died? Stay, don¡¯t move. I¡¯ll wipe your face~"
Quentin: "...Ahhhh, you damn pervert, get lost! You¡¯re bullying me because I can¡¯t move! God, I¡¯ll just die!"
The corners of Joel¡¯s lips spasmed.
Tanya could not help but ask, "Should we... maybe... not go in now? Would we disturb them?"
Her words made the four of them stand outside in a pause.
Nora took out her phone and opened her email inbox in boredom. She also opened ck Cat¡¯s exclusive Inte chats.
These were all her habits.
After a long break, she would log on to various tforms to see if anyone was sending her messages.
On ck Cat¡¯s exclusive webpage chat interface, there were many messages. She first opened Karl Moore¡¯s chat window and saw his message. "ck Cat, please do me a favor. Can you help me steal a person¡¯s DNA sample?"
Chapter 443: Lily, Work Is Here Again!
Chapter 443: Lily, Work Is Here Again!
When she saw Karl Moore¡¯s message, Nora was a little stunned.
Joel and Tanya¡¯swsuit was spread all over the Inte. However, Karl Moore¡¯s name was definitely not written in those reports because those people did not know of his existence.
Therefore, Nora still did not know that Karl Moore was already in New York.
She casually typed a few words: "I¡¯m in New York. It¡¯s not convenient."
Karl Moore seemed to be staring at the chat. The moment she sent the message, he replied: "The person I want is also in New York. It¡¯s very convenient. By the way, I¡¯m also here. Why don¡¯t we meet?"
Nora ignored his request to meet. "...Whose DNA is it?"
Although Karl Moore was a foreign underworld force and the leader of the Assassin Organization, he was not a bad person in the traditional sense.
Based on his neutral rules in the Assassin Organization and the fact that he would not casually kill women and children, Nora had a good impression of him.
Moreover, although he looked stupid and silly, he was actually a very upright and smart person.
Over the past three years, their coboration had been very fruitful. She was also very satisfied with some of Karl Moore¡¯s actions, so she had long treated Karl Moore as a friend. She would help resolve some of his requests if they were not very troublesome.
After sending this message, she saw Karl Moore reply: "It¡¯s a youngdy called Tanya."
Nora: "?"
She stared at the word "Tanya" for a long time before suddenly looking up at the Tanya standing in front of her.
Was this Tanya the same Tanya she knew?
As she was thinking, Karl Moore¡¯s news came again. "She¡¯s currently in the Smiths and is being protected. I¡¯ve also brought a few people over. But you know, in New York, strong dragons cannot suppress local snakes."
Nora: "..."
She pursed her lips and asked, "Why do you want her DNA?"
Karl Moore: "Sigh, I¡¯m wondering if she¡¯s my daughter."
Nora: "..."
What was going on?
Not even television dramas would dare to write something like that!
She grimaced and replied: "OK, wait."
After sending the message, she casually put away her phone and looked up at Tanya.
Tanya: "...What¡¯s wrong with me? I¡¯m not wearing the right clothes? My pants aren¡¯t zipped?"
Nora: "..."
Tanya¡¯s voice was a little loud. After she said that, the people in the ward sensed the sound outside and immediately fell silent.
Then she heard footsteps and the door opened.
The tall Lily always had exquisite makeup on. She was wearing high heels and had a smile on her face. "Boss, Miss Tanya, Mr. Hunt, Mr. Smith, you¡¯re all here?"
Nora nodded and entered the ward.
Quentiny on the bed and could not move. His face was very clean, but there were still traces of friction on his cheeks. Some ces were a little red.
When he saw Nora, he instantly looked like he had nothing to live for. "Little cousin, can you chase this Lily away for me?"
Nora: "...Not for the time being. Although she¡¯s my assistant, she¡¯s also the best surgeon. Your injuries are too serious. The other doctors can¡¯t clean you as carefully as she can."
Quentin was covered in wounds. He had to undergo strict disinfection and debridement every day.
Hearing this, Quentin sighed heavily.
Lily said, "What¡¯s with your expression? I¡¯m not going to eat you! At most, I like your face a little. Besides, it¡¯s already good that I don¡¯t mind you lying there!"
When Quentin heard this, he looked at Nora angrily. "Little cousin, when can I stand up again?! I¡¯m almost done being harassed by your assistant!"
"..."
As soon as he said this, the entire room fell silent.
Nora then realized that Quentin had always had a good mentality no one had ever told him that he might not be able to stand up in this life.
She looked at Joel and saw him turn his head away. His eyes were flickering a little as if he did not dare to look at Quentin directly.
Justin held her hand.
When Lily heard this, she was about to say something when Nora suddenly said, "Maybe half a year, maybe a year, maybe two years... Don¡¯t worry, I will make you stand up again."
Quentin agreed. "I believe you."
These four words were like a huge rock pressing on Nora.
She lowered her eyes and suddenly smiled. "Don¡¯t worry."
As soon as he finished speaking, Quentin looked at Lily. "But while you do that, can you hire a nurse for me?! Brother, is our family so poor? Why do we need this doctor to take care of me? I need someone else!"
Joel: "..."
Lily told him coldly, "Because, at the moment, ordinary nurses are not allowed to take care of you due to your injuries. It can only be me."
With that, she sighed. "I have already cleaned your body countless times while you were unconscious. Why are you so shy? Your fair skin is actually no different from a pig in my eyes... Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t tell anyone about the mole on your butt."
Quentin: "..."
Everyone else, "..."
Quentin was silent for a moment before suddenly closing his eyes. "Can someone cover my face with a nket?"
He did not want to live anymore!!!
The othersughed.
At this moment, Lily pursed her lips and said, "Alright, alright. I¡¯ll get another nurse to take care of you. I¡¯m going back to rest well today!"
With that, she yawned. "Yesterday, Mr. Hunt and Mr. Smith asked me to help them with a DNA test. I waited for two hours and didn¡¯t get a sample. I didn¡¯t even get enough sleep! I should finally be able to sleep well today, right?"
"DNA?"
Nora was stunned and looked at Joel and Justin.
Justin exined faintly, "Karl Moore came to New York. We suspect that he might be rted to Tanya by blood, so we wanted to test him."
After saying that, Joel frowned. "But the killers around Karl Moore are too difficult to deal with. We sent many people, but they didn¡¯t get close to him, so we haven¡¯t gotten any DNA samples."
Nora: "..."
Her lips suddenly twitched.
Lily did not notice her abnormality. She stretched and said, "Okay, continue discussing. Call me when you get the samples. Of course, it would be best if that could take at least 12 hours! I¡¯m going back to sleep."
However, before she could reach the door, she heard Nora cough. "Lily, maybe you shouldn¡¯t sleep yet?"
Chapter 444: Black Cat Is Here
Chapter 444: ck Cat Is Here
Lily: "???"
She almost doubted her life. She looked at her boss in disbelief. "Boss?"
Nora coughed and stood up. "Yes, I¡¯ll get you a DNA sample now."
Lily was speechless.
When Nora walked out, Justin had already stood up and started following beside her. "I¡¯ll apany you."
Nora thought for a moment and said, "Alright."
With that, she walked toward Tanya.
Tanya stood up in confusion. "What? You want another hug? Since when are you so attached to me? Be careful or your Mr. Hunt will be jealous!"
Before she could finish, Nora pulled two strands of her hair.
Tanya: "??"
She covered her head. "Nora! If you want DNA next time, I can give you finger blood. Can you stop pulling my hair? I¡¯m going to be bald!"
"It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll treat you if you¡¯re bald."
Nora waved her hand casually and skillfully took out a bag specially used to store these things. She ced the two strands of hair in it.
Then, she and Justin went downstairs.
Justin drove while Nora took out her phone and sent a message to Karl Moore. "Address."
After Karl Moore replied with the hotel¡¯s address, he said, "How many days do you need?"
When the people standing behind Karl Moore saw this news, they immediately began to guess.
"I think it would take at least half a day for ck Cat to steal a DNA sample! ck Cat spent two days assassinating the boss of that organization!"
"A day! The Smiths aren¡¯t any better than the organization over there. Furthermore, the organization over at Burundi doesn¡¯t have much discipline. The Smiths¡¯ security system is very impressive. I¡¯ve already investigated. It¡¯s very difficult to break through so many security measures and reach Tanya!"
"I think it would take two days! Because one of them went out just now, I sent someone to follow behind. In the end, I realized that whenever they went out, there were more than fifty security guards and bodyguards following them in secret! Isn¡¯t this too scary?"
Ian went out with more than ten bodyguards.
Joel went out with more than ten people.
Justin went out with 18 people.
In total, weren¡¯t there more than 50 people following Nora?
When Karl Moore heard this, he could feel his temples throbbing. "More than fifty? I only bring a dozen of you when I go out. Is my lineup a little weak?"
The person behind him twitched his lips. "If you bring out more than fifty people from the organization, who would be left to do our missions?"
Karl Moore coughed and sighed. "What does this mean? It means that the best among us assassins are still not enough!"
"..."
Beep. A message notification chimed. Karl Moore looked at his phone. "Come on, let¡¯s see how long ck Cat will take!"
However, when he opened it, Karl Moore¡¯s expression changed.
Seeing the extremely strange look on his face, the subordinates immediately asked, "Boss, what¡¯s wrong? Is the time that ck Cat needs too much?"
"Could it be four days? This is a little difficult. There¡¯s a cost to protecting Hiry in prison. If it¡¯s more than four days, we might as well break Hiry out of prison first!"
"It couldn¡¯t be that ck Cat can¡¯t break through the Smiths¡¯ security guards and get Tanya¡¯s DNA, right? But thinking about it, the Smiths¡¯ defense line is indeed not that easy to break."
"Hahahaha, ck Cat has finally encountered something he can¡¯t handle. Why do I suddenly feel likeughing so much?"
"..."
As they giggled, Karl Moore looked up. "ck Cat said half an hour."
"..."
The entire hotel suddenly fell silent.
The group of assassins looked at each other and finally couldn¡¯t help but swear.
"Holy shit!"
"It¡¯s fake, right?"
"ck Cat is bragging too much this time!"
"Hehe, then I¡¯llugh at ck Cat in half an hour!"
The group of people waited to see the joke. Half an hour passed quickly.
Karl Moore took out his phone and was about to send a message to ck Cat when he received a message. "It¡¯s here. Go downstairs."
Karl Moore was speechless.
He looked at his subordinates in shock. Their mouths were wide open in disbelief.
Karl Moore coughed and adjusted his clothes before standing up. "I¡¯ll go downstairs and take a look. Put away your inexperienced looks. You¡¯re really embarrassing me!"
"As the number one assassination organization, you should learn the efficiency of ck Cat!
Someone asked, "Boss, Boss, I just want to ask, who is this ck Cat? This efficiency is not something that can be achieved by humans, right?"
"Is ck Cat not human?"
His words made everyone stand up straight.
They all swallowed.
Actually, after ck Cat had killed in Burundi, the assassins started sharing myths about him. But now, they suddenly felt that the myths were not enough?
Karl Moore no longer bothered with these brats and took them downstairs.
People wereing and going in the lobby downstairs.
Karl Moore went downstairs and stood in the lobby, looking around. His subordinates spread out on both sides, not letting anyone disturb him.
Karl Moore was already very excited. He wanted to see what the legendary ck Cat looked like.
He narrowed his eyes and was looking around when a thin figure rushed straight at him!
The surrounding killers agilely wanted to stop him, but the man seemed to have been pushed by someone. He avoided everyone just in time and bumped into Karl Moore!
Karl Moore felt a sting on his head.
Then, the person immediately apologized. "I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry..."
Just as Karl Moore was about to catch this person, a voice sounded from afar. "Karl Moore..."
He subconsciously thought it was ck Cat. He turned his head but saw no one in the distance.
When he came back to his senses, the person who had bumped into him had also disappeared!!
It was as if he had bumped into a ghost. He shouted for bad luck and took out his phone. Just as he was about to send a message to ck Cat, he saw a message: "Left pocket of your suit."
Karl Moore: "?"
He was stunned. Then, he lowered his head and looked at his left pocket. There was a bag quietly sitting inside. In the bag were two strands of hair.
Karl Moore was speechless.
"Boss? What is this?"
Karl Moore swallowed. "That Tanya¡¯s DNA sample."
"..."
"So the one who bumped into you earlier was ck Cat?!"
Chapter 445: Result!
Chapter 445: Result!
His words reminded Karl Moore. He looked at the killers around him and asked, "Did any of you see what ck Cat looks like?"
As soon as he said this, the few of them thought hard about it and realized that they could not remember ck Cat¡¯s appearance.
Because when that person bumped into him earlier, he was wearing a cap, sunsses, and a mask. His speed was too fast, and those people did not even recognize if he was a man or a woman!
Karl Moore was speechless.
He hastily said, "Check the surveince cameras!"
Someone was already operating aputer. He could only look up at Karl with a disappointed face. "ck Cat is definitely meticulous. The surveince cameras have been cleared."
"..."
Karl Moore pursed his lips and sent a message to ck Cat. "You¡¯re already here, why don¡¯t we meet?"
ck Cat... ignored him.
Karl Moore was speechless.
He could only take a deep breath. "Forget it. Let¡¯s go to the testing center."
"Understood."
However, someone still asked, "Boss, is this Tanya¡¯s hair?"
Karl Moore narrowed his eyes. "Definitely. When has ck Cat ever made a mistake?"
Everyone nodded.
At the same time, at the back door of the hotel.
Nora got into Justin¡¯s car very quickly.
She took off her hat, sunsses, and mask. Her hair, which was covered by the hat, fell down. She shook her head and said after straightening her hair, "Done."
She raised the bag with a few short hairs in it. "Karl Moore¡¯s hair loss is a little serious. I grabbed a bunch, but there are only so few?"
Justin: "..."
Suddenly, he felt his scalp tighten.
Thank goodness, he didn¡¯t need to do any more DNA tests.
The car started, and Justin slowly rushed to the hospital. He asked, "How did you get Karl Moore toe downstairs?"
Nora raised her eyes and looked at Justin. "That... is a secret."
"..."
Forget it. She had many aliases. Justin was no longer amazed by any of her actions.
The two of them arrived at the hospital. Just as they were about to enter, they heard Quentin say, "They won? Did they really win? I thought that without me, Third In The World would lose! I asked Lily, but she didn¡¯t know anything!"
Joel had been busy fighting thewsuit these past few days. When he found out that Quentin had woken up and was in a stable mood, he had yet to see him.
Not many people who came to see him knew about thepetition.
Therefore, Quentin had just found out the oue of thepetition.
Nora was about to push open the door and enter when she heard Quentin say, "I remember thepetition rules say that there must be three people, right? Did Big Brother represent our team? Is that why we won thepetition? It must be like this!"
Joel stared at Quentin and twitched his lips.
Although not many people knew that Justin was Irvin School of Martial Arts¡¯ Big Brother, Joel knew it very well.
He coughed and said, "Yes, Big Brotherpeted too."
"Big Sisterpeted alongside Big Brother and I missed it? What a pity!" Quentin was still chattering. "But Big Brother and Big Sister don¡¯t get along, right? Big Sister said that she¡¯s notpatible with Big Brother!"
Whether they werepatible or not... they had already given birth to two children.
Joel cursed in his heart.
Outside the door, Nora suddenly turned her head and looked at Justin. "... Big Brother?"
She had been so focused on revenge that she had almost forgotten about it!
Justin had deceived her so badly!
She thought about how she had criticized Big Brother many times in front of him, but this person had never said a word. She wondered how he had mocked her in his heart.
Nora sneered and suddenly moved her wrist. "Big Brother, I¡¯ve been friends with you for a long time. Why don¡¯t we find a ce to spar?"
Justin: "!!!"
He smiled with narrowed eyes, the mole at the corner of his eye shing guiltily. "I think the DNA test is a bit more urgent."
Nora nodded. "You¡¯re right."
Justin heaved a sigh of relief.
The next moment, Nora pushed open the door and threw the sample in her hand toward Lily. "The results will be out in three hours."
Then she turned around, grabbed Justin¡¯s tie, and pulled him downstairs.
Justin: "..."
This domineering posture was too ambiguous.
For a moment, he did not know whether tough or cry.
The two of them went downstairs and found an empty seat. Nora clenched her fists and waved at Justin. "Come on, don¡¯t be merciful. Let me see how powerful this Big Brother is that Master keeps talking about!"
Justin: "..."
Should he fight or not? Wasn¡¯t she making things too difficult for him?
¡ª
At the testing center.
After Karl Moore personally delivered Tanya¡¯s hair, he got his brothers to wait and returned to the hotel.
As soon as he returned, he saw Jill waiting for him.
Karl Moore narrowed his eyes and walked forward. "Why are you here?"
Jill immediately asked, "When are you going to save Hiry? It¡¯s been a day. Why haven¡¯t you saved her yet?"
Karl Moore walked upstairs. "There has to be time for everything. I¡¯ve already made arrangements. Don¡¯t be anxious."
Jill followed behind him. "Karl Moore, you slept with me back then and walked away. I had to marry someone while I was pregnant with your child. You¡¯ve let me down. I don¡¯t have any other requests for you, as long as you save my daughter and take her overseas!"
Karl Moore nodded. "I already know your request. Go back now."
However, Jill followed him into the hotel room. "No, I want to stay here and watch you arrange my daughter¡¯s rescue! I won¡¯t leave until you save her!"
With that, she sat on Karl Moore¡¯s sofa confidently and folded her arms as she looked at him.
Karl Moore ignored her nonsense and instructed his subordinates to do what they needed to do. He took out some documents and looked at them, handling some matters.
When Jill saw that he was still calm, she stood up and snatched the documents from his hands. She could not help but say, "Your daughter has been in prison for a day. The Smiths and the Hunts have done countless evil deeds. Karl Moore, why is your heart so cold? You can still bear it! Is your job more important? Or is your daughter? It¡¯s been so many years, but you haven¡¯t done anything as a father. Now, you owe her! Can you save your daughter quickly?!"
Karl Moore looked at her and frowned unhappily.
At this moment, his phone rang.
Karl Moore picked up the call and his subordinate¡¯s voice came from the other end. "Boss, the results are out."
Karl Moore stared at Jill and asked, "What was the oue?"
"99%. You and Miss Tanya are father and daughter."
Chapter 446: Take Good Care of Hillary
Chapter 446: Take Good Care of Hiry
Karl¡¯s grip on his phone tightened.
His jaw tensed up and he felt that he must have misheard. He kept his emotions under control and asked again, "What did you say?"
"Boss, Tanya Turner is your real daughter. Hiry Jones is not your daughter at all. That sadistic woman even stole your daughter¡¯s child and tortured her for five years...
"I looked into her background along the way. Ms. Turner suffered a lot in Switzend during those five years. After she lost her child, she suffered a mental breakdown and was almost sent to a mental institution. Later, someone even framed her and broke her leg. When I looked into it, it turned out that it was also Hiry¡¯s doing. Fortunately, she met a genius doctor who fixed her leg for her...
"Also, as you must already know from the court hearing, it was Hiry behind Ms. Turner and Mr. Smith¡¯s breakup back then. She schemed and plotted to sow discord between the two of them and separate them.
"I also found out that everyone knows that Tanya Turner is Jill¡¯s daughter. She was Jill¡¯s extra baggage when she married into the Joneses back then. The Joneses have always treated Ms. Turner like a servant.
"Also, after the first nine years ofpulsory education, ever since she entered junior high, Ms. Turner had been working part-time to earn money for her tuition fees. Her tuition fees when she was attending college in the States also came from her part-time jobs. It seems that Jill has never given her any money for living expenses..."
The more his subordinate spoke, the graver and more solemn Karl¡¯s face became.
To be honest, when Jill told him that Hiry was his daughter, he had been somewhat in an internal struggle.
After all, no one wanted their daughter to be a thief who stole other people¡¯s children!
But for someone like him, who couldn¡¯t ever have any more children, having a descendant was something that didn¡¯te by easily. He didn¡¯t dare to wish for more.
When he instructed his men to look into Tanya, he actually hadn¡¯t held much hope. He had merely found Jill¡¯s behavior a little fishy.
Even though he was the leader of a group of assassins, Karl gave people the impression that he was a very simple and naive man, as if he was very gullible. It was just like how he had seemed like a foolish small-time gangster in the States many years ago...
But if he really were that stupid, how would he possibly have be the leader of the Assassin Organization?
The instant the report was out, Karl was thankful that his daughter was not a woman who did all sorts of wicked and malicious deeds, an acute sense of guilt also surged up in him!
He had never expected his daughter to be living such a hard life!
He had also never expected himself to actually be an aplice to someone trying to take his daughter¡¯s child away from her just as his daughter¡¯s life was improving.
He pped himself across the cheek angrily.
Smack!
He used a lot of force in the p. After he pped himself, his mind also became clearer. He turned to look at Jill!
The look in his eyes was fierce and vicious, making Jill feel cold all over. Her confrontational words toward Karl suddenly became stuck in her throat and she stammered, "W-why are you looking at me like that...?"
Karl sneered, "I¡¯m just trying to see just how brave the person is who had the guts to deceive me into bullying my own daughter!"
Jill¡¯s pupils shrank when she heard him.
She took a huge step back. Her eyes flickered as she said, "What nonsense are you talking about? I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying!"
"In that case, let me exin everything to you properly."
Karl took step after step toward Jill. "The hair you plucked out when you were at the court is Tanya Turner¡¯s, right?"
Jill hurriedly denied it. "No, it isn¡¯t!"
Seeing that she was still lying even at this point, disappointment shed across Karl¡¯s eyes. He narrowed his eyes and slowly said, "I have already done another DNA test for Tanya and me."
That one line of his stunned Jill.
She looked at Karl in disbelief, seemingly never having expected him to be such a perceptive man...
Seeing that she had finally shut up, Karl sneered, "What else do you have to say now?"
Realizing that she couldn¡¯t continue to hide it from him anymore, Jill took another two steps back and put some distance between herself and Karl. She looked at him coldly and said furiously, "So what even if you now realize it? This is something you owe me, Karl! Even if Tanya is your daughter, I¡¯m still the one who gave birth to her! I gave you a daughter, so you have to save my daughter¡¯s life!"
Karl narrowed his eyes. He suddenly took a step forward and pped her hard across the cheek!
Smack!
The crisp smack caused Jill¡¯s voice to instantly disappear.
She could feel her cheek burning, and even two of her teeth had loosened and fallen off. She could taste a metallic sweetness¡ªshe was likely bleeding.
Her ears were also ringing. One could easily see just how hard Karl had pped her!
When she finally came back to her senses, she saw that Karl was already seated on the sofa. He had one leg crossed over the other and was fiddling with a gun.
Jill¡¯s legs instantly turned into jelly when she saw the icy-cold muzzle pointed at her!
In this instant, the man in front of her suddenly became big and tall. It was as if even the air around him had changed. From a simple and naive nouveau riche, he had turned into a cold and unfeeling underworld boss.
Jill swallowed.
Since the moment she ran into Karl when she was taking Hiry to the airport, the man had always shown her kindness. It made her think that time was still stuck at over twenty years ago when the man was just a little gangster in the streets...
That was why she had kept making various demands to Karl, and even spoke as if she was giving him orders when she requested him to save her daughter.
It wasn¡¯t until now that Jill finally realized in shock that he was a man who could make even the Smiths and the Huntspromise. He was not someone whom she could manipte as and when she wanted...
She had assumed that he was much stupider than he really was!
She was so frightened that she couldn¡¯t help but shiver all over. Her lips trembled as she said, "You... you can¡¯t kill me..."
Karl¡¯s head was lowered as he nced at her carelessly. "Why can¡¯t I kill you?"
"Because... because..." Jill suddenly thought of something. "Because I am Tanya¡¯s mother! I gave birth to her! I brought her all the way up! Even if there¡¯s nothing meritorious about what I did, you cannot deny the effort I¡¯ve put in! I was the one who gave Tanya her life!"
Karl let out an icyugh when he heard what she said. He looked up and said, "If it wasn¡¯t for that, did you think I would have stopped at just a p?"
Cold sweat drenched Jill.
Karl got up. He stared at her and ordered, "Get lost!"
A frightened Jill got up abruptly and scrambled toward the door. The woman staggered as she moved as if she was afraid that Karl would kill her the next second.
¡ª
Elsewhere, in prison.
During the prisoner¡¯s recreation time, someone came up to Hiry.
Hiry couldn¡¯t help but smile as she looked at her. "Did Karl Moore send you to take care of me?"
The woman was a female prisoner. She flexed her wrists when she heard what Hiry said, and the corners of her lips curled up into a strange smile. "Uh-huh. Boss asked me to take good care of you."
Chapter 447: A Child With A High Status Elevates Their Mother’s Status
Chapter 447: A Child With A High Status Elevates Their Mother¡¯s Status
Hiry didn¡¯t sense anything amiss even when she heard what the other woman said.
Although she had been very scared and in a panic when she first entered the prison, she soon discovered that she was receiving slightly better treatment than other prisoners. There were several times where someone had tried to make things hard for her, but someone else had fended them all off for her.
Later, Jill had visited her and informed her of some of the ongoings. She had also said that Karl would definitely save her and told her not to worry.
As a result, Hiry hadpletely put her mind at ease.
When she heard what the other woman said, she stretched out her leg and said, "Give me a leg massage. The bed in the cell is too hard. I didn¡¯t sleep wellst night, I¡¯m really tired..."
The female prisoner cast her eyes down and slowly squatted down. "Sure!"
She bent over and held Hiry¡¯s leg.
While the prisoner hadn¡¯t applied any force yet, Hiry ordered, "By the way, pass my dad a message and tell him to send me some bedding and stuff like that... oh, and skincare products too... I didn¡¯t have any products after I washed my face today, my skin is really dry..."
She had only just said that when she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her leg. The pain made her mouth open at once. She was about to yell when someone covered her mouth.
Then, another person rushed over.
Hiry¡¯s eyes widened. The next moment, the prisoner giving her a massage suddenly raised her head and gave her a smile. Then, she pressed down harder!
"Ugh..."
Hiry was in so much pain that she was covered in cold sweat all over. However, the woman didn¡¯t show any sign of stopping!!
By the time the prisoners¡¯ recreation time ended, Hiry had been taught a good lesson. Upon returning to her cell with the rest of the prisoners, she immediately pulled her clothes to the side. Her body was covered in bruises and some ces were starting to swell, forming an unbearable sight!
Tears rolled down her cheeks at once.
"Hiry, you have a visitor."
She stood up abruptly. When she went out, she saw a pathetic-looking Jill standing in the room.
The agonized woman hugged Jill at once. "Mom, you¡¯re finally here! They are going to bully me to death! Quick, tell Karl the people he sent to protect me are bullying me every day! Make Karl take revenge for me and kill them!"
Her eyes were filled with hatred.
Jill¡¯s eyes reddened when she heard her. "It¡¯s been tough on you, Hiry! But there¡¯s nothing we can do at the moment!"
Hiry looked up at once. It was then that she noticed that Jill¡¯s cheek was also red and swollen on one side. Stunned, she asked, "What happened to you?"
Jill hugged her and wept bitterly.
When the visitation session ended, Hiry hugged her and shouted, "Mom! Mom, you must save me! I will die if you don¡¯t save me! I really will die!"
As per the public¡¯s wishes, Hiry had been sentenced to life imprisonment.
The moment she thought of how she would be in jail for the rest of her life, she felt acute despair swallow her up...
Jill clenched her fists tightly as she watched her crying daughter being led away.
No, she mustn¡¯t allow her daughter¡¯s life to be ruined just like that!!
¡ª
At the Smiths.
Tanya was ying with Mia and the others.
Nora was seated leisurely on the sofa. Joel and Justin were sitting on the other side.
Cherry, who was sitting cross-legged, was ying games on her cell phone.
Pete was watching Mia and Cherry. For once, he actually wasn¡¯t doing Mathematical Olympiad drills.
The family formed a happy and harmonious sight, but in truth, they were actually waiting for the results of Lily¡¯s final DNA test.
If the busy Lily were to see what they currently looked like, she would probably call them "evil capitalists"!
Suddenly, the butler entered the room. He looked a little embarrassed as he said, "Sir, the old Mr. Smith is here."
The guest was Samuel Smith, Ian¡¯s third uncle who lived in the Smiths¡¯ ancestral home. He was also the one who had spoken up for Yvonne previously.
Joel raised his brows.
Samuel had helped Yvonne to make a scene at the hospital the other time, but it was to no avail. After that, he had left while Yvonne was arrested and thrown into jail.
What was he here for this time?
Joel¡¯s brows drew together, but it wasn¡¯t like he could really drive his elders out of the house, so he said dispassionately, "Let him in."
The butler nodded. A short whileter, Samuel came in with a woman who looked about forty to fifty years old.
Joel nced at the two of them. Then, he lowered his gaze and said, "Granduncle Samuel, Grandaunt Sue."
Sue had married into the family after Samuel¡¯s first wife passed away. There was a shrewd and capable look in her eyes.
Her eyes, which had a lot of life in them, nced at Joel. Then, she smiled and said, "Joel, we haven¡¯t seen each other for so long! I heard that there was some trouble at home, so Samuel and I immediately hurried over to visit you!"
Samuel let out a coldugh.
Sue immediately prodded his arm, stopping Samuel from speaking.
She looked at the two women in the living room.
Then, she went forward, held Nora¡¯s hand enthusiastically, and said, "You must be Nora, right? You look just like a Smith! You¡¯re so pretty! I heard you¡¯re engaged to Mr. Hunt?"
She looked at Justin cheerfully.
Justin, who was unaware of all the inner workings of the family, nodded politely at her.
Before Nora could say anything, Sue took off the bangle on her hand and stuffed it into Nora¡¯s hand. "Even though you¡¯ve returned to the Smiths, Grandaunt Sue has nothing much she can give you. Here, you can have some fun with this bangle for now!"
Nora: "??"
She narrowed her eyes slightly and pushed the bangle back to her. "I can¡¯t take this. It¡¯s too expensive a gift."
"Aw," Sue said, "What¡¯s so valuable about this? I have a distant rtive in this line of business who¡¯s very knowledgeable about antiques!"
"Nora, I know there was a bit of a misunderstanding between you and Samuel previously, but we are all Smiths here. We¡¯re all still connected to one another no matter what happens. You won¡¯t hold it against him, right?"
Nora: "..."
Sue was simply too eloquent!!
She coughed. Just as she was about to say something, Sue stuffed the bangle back into her hand and turned to Tanya.
The look in her eyes wasn¡¯t that humble anymore.
She said with a smile, "You must be Mia¡¯s mom, the one caught up in all that drama recently, right?"
The children had already been taken upstairs to y when the two of them wereing in.
Justin didn¡¯t want to reveal too much about his children.
Seeing Sue looking at her, Tanya nodded. "Yes."
"Tanya, right? I met you before when you were a child!" Sue was very enthusiastic. She held her hand and said, "I was visiting the Joneses at that time. When you were pouring us water, you identally broke the sses, so your mom punished you by making you kneel on the floor. You were only five then. You were so small and looked so pitiful kneeling there!"
Her words were rather difiting.
However, what she said next was even worse. "Who would have thought that you would be Cindere and give birth to Joel¡¯s child one day? A child with a high status elevates their mother¡¯s status, indeed!"
Chapter 448: Tanya Doesn’t Have A Notable Background?
Chapter 448: Tanya Doesn¡¯t Have A Notable Background?
Tanya: "???"
Nora: "???"
Everyone in the room could hear the disdain hidden in Sue¡¯s words.
What did she mean by saying that Tanya¡¯s status had risen because she had given birth to Joel¡¯s child?!
She was clearly refusing to acknowledge Tanya¡¯s status!
Who would bring up someone else¡¯s humiliating childhood events in front of other people?
The look in Nora¡¯s eyes turned cold, and she threw the bangle onto the coffee table, producing a crisp ng.
However, it was as if Sue hadn¡¯t sensed anything at all. She went on and said, "Joel, I heard that the two of you started dating in junior high and only broke up when you graduated from college? To think the two of you can still get together even after five years of separation... and that you can still hold your daughter in your arms. Tanya, you must feel very blissful to be able to live in such a big house, right?"
The look in Tanya¡¯s eyes turned even colder. She wanted to pull her hand out of the woman¡¯s grip, but Sue kept holding her hand tightly. "People mustn¡¯t forget their roots. Tanya, it was the Joneses who fed you and brought you up. Now that you have married into a rich family... let¡¯s not talk about repaying their kindness anymore, but at the very least, you mustn¡¯t be an ingrate, right?"
Tanya narrowed her eyes. "I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re trying to say, Mrs. Smith."
Joel also got up abruptly. His expression turned cold and he said, "Tanya, why don¡¯t you go upstairs and take a look at the child? Mia seems to be calling out for you."
Then, he looked at Sue and said, "Grandaunt Sue, how rare of you to visit us today. If you have something to say, then why don¡¯t you speak with me instead?"
Joel was still smiling, but he hadpletely unleashed his powerful aura.
Tanya breathed a sigh of relief.
She didn¡¯t want to argue with people from the older generation of the Smiths. After all, it was very awkward for her to be living here at the moment.
She and Joel weren¡¯t married, but because she couldn¡¯t bear to be apart from her daughter¡ªbesides, she had only just been reunited with her¡ªshe could only stay at the Smiths¡¯.
It was very embarrassing for her every time the nannies addressed her as "Ms. Turner".
Yet she couldn¡¯t be so hypocritical as to bring up leaving.
Karl was still in New York. What if Jill got him to send people to take revenge on her?
At the very least, before the DNA report was out, there was no way she could leave the Smith manor.
However, in the eyes of outsiders, her actions were no different from how Hiry had so shamelessly insisted on living with the Smiths back then. Some people would undoubtedly look down on her!
They would think of her as someone clinging shamelessly to the Smiths as if what she was interested in was Joel¡¯s money.
She couldn¡¯t be bothered to exin, though.
She stood up and got ready to go upstairs. However, before she could go, Samuel let out a "hmph", looked at Joel, and said, "What¡¯s the problem, Joel? Is your grandaunt not allowed to chastise your woman even a little?"
Joel¡¯s expression turned cold at once. "Granduncle Samuel, perhaps it¡¯s because I haven¡¯t done the proper introductions yet, but Tanya is my fianc¨¦e! She is also the future matriarch of the Smiths! May I know what Grandaunt Sue is nning to lecture her about?"
Who would dare to lecture the matriarch of the family?!
The only reason why they had the audacity to go this far right now was that he and Tanya weren¡¯t married yet!
Joel found Samuel very annoying and bothersome, but unfortunately, he was the oldest in the family, so he couldn¡¯t casually refuse him an audience or drive him out!
When he said that, Samuelughed and said, "Joel, you must be kidding, right? Her? What gives her the right to be the matriarch of the Smiths? I was already disapproving of your engagement to Hiry Jones back then. The Joneses are just a small nobody family. How can they be worthy of you? Even the mention of it is an embarrassment to the Smiths!
"I was even thinking of introducing you to someone of suitable and matching status when you broke off your engagement with her, but I didn¡¯t expect you to find yourself another woman with an even worse background!
"The one from the Joneses is at least the young mistress of their family, but what about this one? She¡¯s just extra baggage that that woman from the Joneses brought with her when she married into the family!
"Is there anyone who doesn¡¯t know that the Joneses have never liked her throughout her entire life? On top of that, she has such a weird temperament that even her own mother loathes her. How can such an unruly person be the matriarch of the Smiths?!"
Sue echoed him, "He¡¯s right, Joel. You¡¯d better not let her trick you and talk you into being impulsive. If you marry her, you will end up a joke in all the wealthy circles in New York! I¡¯m saying this for your own good. No one will say anything if you keep her as your mistress and have some fun with her, but you have to be careful about who you give the identity of the matriarch of the Smiths to! I have someone whom I can introduce to you. Not only does she have a good personality, but she also has a good character. Why don¡¯t I introduce the two of you to each other?"
Seeing how they were crossing the line further and further with their words, the cold Joel said, "I haven¡¯t reached the point where I need other people to dictate who I should be choosing as my wife. Besides, Uncle Ian has already approved of Tanya."
Ian held great authority in the Smiths.
Even Samuel didn¡¯t dare to behave obnoxiously in front of Ian even if he was older than him.
It was just that the difference in generational roles between Ian and Samuel was simply too big. That was why he had the guts toe over and say such things.
However, Samuel sneered and said, "I only said a few words, yet you¡¯re saying that I¡¯m ¡¯dictating¡¯ what you should be doing? Do you have any idea that word has already spread throughout the wealthy circle in New York that you¡¯ve gone out of your mind because of a woman?! It¡¯s to the extent that you¡¯re already going against Karl Moore! If being a hero is what you want, then, by all means, go ahead! But why are you putting the Smiths at stake as a result? You may not be afraid of death, but we want to live!"
Sue nodded repeatedly. "He¡¯s right, Joel. However, our focus right now isn¡¯t about who the matriarch of the Smiths is. After all, it¡¯s not set in stone yet. I¡¯m actually here today to persuade you to reconcile with the Joneses."
She looked at Tanya and said, "Hiry stole your child and deceived Joel, there¡¯s no doubt that she made a mistake there. But Jill is still your mother, no matter what, right? Surely you can¡¯t disregard even your own mother, right?! You and Hiry are technically sisters. Rather than making a fool out of yourselves in front of outsiders, in my opinion, why not let the whole thing pass altogether...? We can have the two families reconcile while you forgive Hiry. Let Joel do something about it and have her acquitted. This way, you won¡¯t make a fool out of yourself in front of others anymore. Don¡¯t you think I¡¯m right?"
Tanya: "?!"
Her expression turned cold. "Mrs. Smith, I will never forgive a woman who stole my child, so I would advise you not to bother persuading us any further. If not, you can¡¯t hold it against me if I don¡¯t show you any courtesy!"
Sue curled her lips disdainfully. However, she took a step forward and held her hand again. "You silly girl, I¡¯m not doing this for the Joneses; I¡¯m doing this for you! Think about it, how are you going to gain a foothold in the Smiths when you don¡¯t have a notable background? No matter how awful the Joneses are, they can still be considered your family. If you fall out with them, you¡¯ll really be someone without a family! If a woman without a notable background like you doesn¡¯t have anyone backing you up, how are you going to be with Joel? Am I wrong?"
Chapter 449: Karl Is Here!
Chapter 449: Karl Is Here!
Her words made Tanya feel incredibly furious and shamed!
Honestly speaking, her status was indeed too low inparison with Joel¡¯s.
After all, the Smiths¡¯ status was clear for all to see...
Moreover, she was already way past the point in her youthful days where love eclipsed all.
Were it back then, she would have said mockingly, "So what even if I don¡¯t have a notable background? Joel and I are truly in love with each other!"
However, the five years she had spent living abroad had made her thoroughly understand what life really was like. She had alsoe to understand that one¡¯s birth and family background were indeed their first hurdle in life!
Some people were born at the top of the pyramid, but she was instead at the furthest end of the line, unable to hold a candle to them.
She clenched her fists tightly, and her face flushed with shame.
Nora couldn¡¯t make herself listen anymore. She looked up and said in a low voice, "Who says she doesn¡¯t have anyone backing her up?"
Sue looked at her.
She didn¡¯t want to offend Nora¡ªafter all, she was Ian¡¯s daughter!
The entire family knew just how protective Ian was of his own. If she dared so much as to look at Nora the wrong way, Ian would surely crawl all the way out of the hospital and barge into their home to beat them up the very next moment.
However, she still curled her lips disdainfully. At the bottom of it all, she was still just a girl raised in a small household in a small town in California. She simply spoke so arrogantly and waspletelycking in foundation and cultivation.
She asked with a big smile, "Oh? Is Tanya the daughter of an internationally wealthy family? So, shees from a very impressive family? Why haven¡¯t I heard of that?!"
Tanya: "!"
Just as Tanya was at a loss for words, Nora nced at Justin.
Justin got the hint and got up at once. "Mrs. Smith, I forgot to make the introductions. Tanya is my younger god-sister."
As soon as he said that, Nora coughed and retorted, "She¡¯s your elder god-sister."
Tanya was a year older than Nora.
Justin: "..."
He coughed and said, "Well, yes. Therefore, the Hunts are her family!"
Sue narrowed her eyes at once. She smiled awkwardly and said, "Heh. Ms. Turner sure is pretty skilled at bing god-rtives with others."
However, with Justin standing there, she ultimately didn¡¯t dare to say anything else.
At this moment, the butler outside came in again. This time, he had a solemn look on his face. Upon entering, he immediately said, "Mr. Joel. Karl Moore has brought his men here again!"
Joel: "??"
He narrowed his eyes and subconsciously exchanged a look with Justin.
In this instant, both men had figured out what Karl was here for!
... even if Lily¡¯s test results weren¡¯t out yet!
Karl had the DNA test expedited, so thebpleted it in three hours for him. On the other hand, after Nora retrieved Karl¡¯s hair samples, she had gone to the hospital to pass them to Lily, who then went to the relevant departments to borrow their equipment and so on. As a result, they were dyed by an hour.
However, if Tanya wasn¡¯t Karl¡¯s daughter, he would not havee to the Smiths¡¯ but gone to break Hiry out of jail instead!
Therefore, a rxed Joel said, "Invite him into the house."
The butler nodded and left.
However, he didn¡¯t expect Samuel to suddenlytch on to this. He looked straight at Joel and said, "Did you see that? He¡¯s here again! He must be here because of the Joneses again! If you ask me, you shouldn¡¯t have offended people like him!"
Sue also said, "Yes, this is so scary. I heard that gangsters like them don¡¯t give two hoots about anything and are very unreasonable! We, the Smiths, are people who obey the rules and do business legitimately. We can¡¯t offend big figures like him! Joel, you have to think this through carefully. Are you really going to fight him at the cost of our family?!"
Joel sneered at their words.
He lowered his gaze and said slowly, "Granduncle Samuel and Grandaunt Sue, perhaps Karl is here to make peace?"
"That¡¯s impossible! You must be out of your mind!" Samuel angrily rebuked, "Why would someone like him bow down to you? He¡¯s definitely here to settle scores with you! You¡¯d better hurry and think about what to say to him!"
Then, he looked at Tanya earnestly and said, "And you, too. Even if you are not a daughter-inw of the Smiths yet, you are still more or less Joel¡¯s woman. Can¡¯t you be a bit more sensible and not make so much trouble for the Smiths?!"
Sue nodded. "Ms. Turner, you are still young, so you must feel like you have to get even with them. But by doing so, do you know how much risk you¡¯re putting the Smiths at?! There are tons of people waiting to see you make a fool out of yourself! Hurry and talk some sense into Joel. I don¡¯t think the Joneses want the child anymore, so why not just have the two families reconcile?!"
Tanya¡¯s thoughts were not on these matters at the moment, however.
She stared at the doorway withplicated feelings.
She had a vague inkling why Karl had suddenlye to the Smiths¡¯. She had already considered the possibility when Lily went to redo the DNA test.
But was he really her father?
In that case, did she want to acknowledge him?
She was in an internal struggle about this, so she didn¡¯t hear Samuel and Sue going on and on by themselves.
At this point, Karl, together with three of his men, strode through the doorway into the living room. As he entered, his gaze immediatelynded on Tanya excitedly. Even his voice was trembling a little as he asked, "You must be Tanya, right?"
Joel stepped in front of Tanya, looked at Karl, and said unceremoniously, "Mr. Moore, may I know what you are here for?"
He spoke aggressively, which shocked Samuel.
Samuel immediately grabbed his arm and said, "Mr. Moore, my apologies, Joel is still young and ignorant. You must be here to propose reconciliation, right?"
Karl was a little displeased that Joel was blocking his view of Tanya.
But when he thought of how he was the man whom Tanya loved, he didn¡¯t dare to offend him. As a result, he could only look away in dejection. He replied, "I¡¯m here to talk to Tanya."
Samuel immediately gave him an obsequious smile. "Yes, that¡¯s right. We shouldn¡¯t be impulsive. Let¡¯s all sit down and talk it out!"
He nced at Sue at once.
Sue got the hint. She grabbed Tanya¡¯s wrist, lowered her voice, and said, "Ms. Turner, if you are not stupid, then you should know what kind of choice to make, right?"
Tanya frowned. "What?"
Sue finally said, "I¡¯m actually here because your mother came to me and asked me to talk to you. I believe that once you take a step back and give in, the Joneses will owe you one and support you in the future, in which case it won¡¯t be impossible for you to marry Joel... But if you insist on falling out with the Joneses and forcing the Smiths to offend Mr. Moore, then I am afraid you can forget about ever establishing a foothold in the Smiths!"
"You must have a good talk with Mr. Moore. Try to meet all of his demands. He is an influential figure that someone like you cannot afford to offend!"
Chapter 450: Tanya Is My Daughter!!
Chapter 450: Tanya Is My Daughter!!
An influential figure?
Tanya looked at Karl.
She had never been afraid of influential people. After all, Karl was only one thing to her at the moment¡ªa father who had tried to help someone else to take her child from her.
When Sue saw that she wasn¡¯t saying anything, she went on. "You¡¯d best not do anything stupid. I¡¯ll tell you this, Joel is willing to stand up for you today because he¡¯s still in love with you now. Once he gets bored of you, he can easily push you out and make you suffer! You know what I mean, right?"
Tanya lowered her gaze and replied frostily, "Yeah."
Then, she walked around Sue, stood right next to Joel, and looked at Karl. She said very coldly, "I have nothing to say to you."
Anger filled inside her the moment she thought of how Karl had forced them to go to court with Hiry.
Her words and behavior shocked Sue!
She and Samuel looked at each other and hastily took a step forward. Sue grabbed Tanya and chastised her. "Child, watch the way you speak!"
Samuel looked at Karl and exined, "Don¡¯t take this the wrong way, Mr. Moore. She is from a small family, so she doesn¡¯t know how to speak properly. Rest assured that her attitude is not representative of the Smiths¡¯. After all, she is not Joel¡¯s wife yet!"
He then looked at Tanya and reprimanded her loudly. "What kind of attitude do you think you¡¯re taking towards Mr. Moore?! Hurry up and apologize!"
Joel¡¯s eyes turned cold. However, when he saw that Karl¡¯s expression had darkened, he thought for a while and decided not to say anything.
Tanya would be living with the Smiths in the future. If Karl unleashed his wrath, perhaps he would be able to intimidate those two old fogeys and stop them from creating so much trouble in the future!
His silence made Samuel think that he had given him his tacit approval. Thus, his voice became even louder as he reprimanded Tanya. "I¡¯m talking to you! Why aren¡¯t you listening? Hurry up and apologize!"
Tanya lowered her head and sneered, "He doesn¡¯t deserve my apology."
Her words horrified Samuel even further. He looked back up¡ªsure enough, Karl was already pulling a long face. He immediately misunderstood and hastily scolded Tanya angrily again. "What¡¯s the matter with you? If you don¡¯t apologize, then you can forget about ever marrying into the Smiths!"
Then, he turned to Karl. "Mr. Moore, please don¡¯t be mistaken..."
Next to him, Sue also said, "Mr. Moore, don¡¯t be angry. Insensible, awkward, foul-mouthed, and short-sighted; she has always been like this since she was a child! It¡¯s all because she¡¯s a stray child without a father to bring her up. That¡¯s why she has no family upbringing whatsoever!"
As soon as she said that, she heard a click. The next moment, an icy-cold object was pointed right at her head.
Sue was stunned.
She slowly turned her head to see a pitch-ck hole aimed at her head. When she realized what it was, Sue¡¯s legs went limp and she almost fell straight onto the floor!
She was so terrified that she was shaking all over. She pointed to Tanya and said, "Mr. Moore, you... you are pointing that at the wrong person. Tanya is over there..."
Karl¡¯s gaze, however, was fixed right on her.
She had the guts to mock his daughter when he was standing right in front of her. He then thought of all the things that his men had found out about Tanya while they were on their way here...
His daughter had suffered so much all these years!
Just the mere thought of it made his heart ache terribly!!
He asked coldly, "Did you just say that she doesn¡¯t have a father?"
Sue immediately nodded. "Yes, yes, that¡¯s right. She is the extra baggage that Jill brought with her when she married into the Joneses. Everyone knows that. I even heard that Jill¡¯s ex-lover was some small-time gangster. With a gangster for a father, she must be rotten through and through, either..."
Almost as soon as she said that, she heard a bang!
A gunshot rang out right beside Sue¡¯s ear, which made her jump in shock and fright. Her trousers immediately became scorching hot...
When she recovered, she saw that the gunshot hadnded right next to her foot. It had even created a small hole in the Smiths¡¯ marble flooring.
Her legs turned into jelly and she fell onto the floor.
Karl blew at the muzzle and dissipated the smoke rising out of it. Then, as if nothing noteworthy had happened, he said, "Sorry, it went off identally."
Sue: "..."
She nodded obediently. Before she could say anything, Karl lifted the gun and pointed the pitch-ck hole at her again.
Karl¡¯s voice seemed like it wasing from the heavens, yet also as if it was close at hand. He said, "Hearing you insulting me like that doesn¡¯t make me very happy, though. How am I a small-time gangster? How is my daughter rotten through and through?"
Sue: "???"
Samuel, who was also scared witless beside her: "???"
Both of them looked at Karl, question marks popping up in their minds at the same time: ¡¯Huh?¡¯
Just as the two were utterly confused about what was going on, Tanya¡¯s voice rang out. "I¡¯m not your daughter!"
Karl immediately stopped paying attention to Sue. It was just that he didn¡¯t move his hand away, either, so the gun was still pointed at her, making her afraid to move.
Karl panicked and said, "Tanya, Dad knows he¡¯s in the wrong now! Jill tricked me! She told me that Hiry is my daughter... That¡¯s why I helped her to take your child!"
Sue: "???"
Samuel: "????"
The two of them felt that they might be mishearing things due to old age.
What did Karl just say?!
Samuel swallowed and asked, "Mr. Moore, w-what do you mean?"
Karl, who was very troubled that his daughter was refusing to acknowledge him, immediately replied angrily, "What I¡¯m saying is, Tanya is my daughter, and I¡¯m her father! I will fight everyone who dares to bully my daughter, to the death!"
Samuel: "!!!!"
When Sue heard the words "to the death" and saw the muzzle again, her eyes suddenly rolled up in fright and she passed out, her lower body was all wet.
...
However, no one was paying any attention to that at the moment.
Karl was anxious to acknowledge his daughter, but Tanya had aplicated look on her face. She couldn¡¯t ept him right away.
While the two were looking at each other, the butler at the door came in again. With aplicated look on his countenance, he looked at Tanya and said, "Ms. Turner, Mrs. Jones is here. She¡¯s at the door and insisting that you go out!"
Tanya frowned.
She nced at Karl before she turned and went out.
The moment she came to the manor¡¯s gates, she saw Jill standing outside with a group of reporters.
Jill was currently holding a dagger to her neck. As soon as Tanya appeared, she yelled, "Tanya, write and sign off on a letter of forgiveness right away! Save Hiry and get her out of jail!"
Her eyes were icy-cold. "Even if we have severed our ties as mother and daughter, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that I am still your mother! My blood flows through your veins! If you refuse to save Hiry, I will kill myself right in front of you. Everyone is watching! You drove your mother to kill herself! I want you to never be able to rest in peace for the rest of your life!"
As soon as she said that, a fervor went through the reporters!
A mother killing herself in front of her daughter?!
This was breaking news!
Everyone rushed forward with their cameras and pointed their microphones at Tanya.
"Ms. Turner, what is your decision?"
"Ms. Turner, are you really going to disregard your mother¡¯s life?"
"If she dies here, you¡¯ll be the person responsible for driving her to her death, and you will definitely regret it in the future. Ms. Turner, hurry up and ede to her request!"
"Ms. Turner..."
At the same time, there were also people doing live-streams of the situation.
With a microphone in his hand, a reporter spoke to his live-stream audience and said, "I heard that Tanya¡¯s mother has never treated her well ever since she was a child. But she is ultimately still her mother and the person who gave birth to her. She gave Ms. Turner life. Surely the fact alone that she hadn¡¯t abandoned Ms. Turner but fed her and brought her up all the way until she became an adult is enough that Ms. Turner shouldn¡¯t let her down, right?"
People were alsomenting in the live-stream:
"It¡¯s all over! Tanya has gotten into huge trouble now!"
"She doesn¡¯t need a mother like that! She shouldn¡¯t forgive her. Why should she forgive her?!"
"What a horrific mother. But if Tanya doesn¡¯t save her, she will really be someone who killed her own mother. No matter what, she brought Tanya into the world!"
"What can she do now? Can Tanya really watch her mother die in front of her?"
...
Even without looking at thements, Jill seemed to know what the people would say.
She sneered at Tanya and brought the dagger even closer to her neck. Someone wanted toe forward and stop her, but she shouted, "Don¡¯te near! If youe any nearer, I will stab myself with the dagger!"
Her words made everyone stop.
Tanya looked at her.
In this instant, her heart was dead.
Would you look at that? That was her mother. For the sake of her other daughter, she was willing to threaten her with her own life.
Tanya closed her eyes.
She felt like a trapped beast forced into the most desperate of situations!
What could she do?!
In her despair, Karl and Nora came out of the manor.
Chapter 451: Shall I Accompany You?
Chapter 451: Shall I Apany You?
Nora looked at the situation in front of her and frowned slightly.
She looked at Jill in confusion.
In the past, she had only heard Tanya talk about how biased her mother was, but she had never seen it with her own eyes.
Furthermore, she did not have a mother growing up, so she had felt even less motherly love.
But at this moment, she was still furious when she saw Jill¡¯s actions.
She frowned and suddenly walked around Tanya. She took a step forward and walked toward Jill.
Jill was stunned. "Don¡¯te over! If youe any closer, I¡¯ll pierce myself!"
Nora¡¯s tone was very calm as she said, "Do you really want to die? Then let me tell you. If you want to cut your throat, you must remember to aim it at therge artery. Otherwise, you will probably feel very ufortable!"
Jill was taken aback. "What?"
Nora stopped in her tracks and did not move forward. She turned around and looked at Joel, who was standing at the door. She said, "Joel, please bring my medical bag over."
With that, she smiled at Jill. "I¡¯m sorry, but you should know who I am. I¡¯m a surgeon. After you slit your throat, I¡¯m confident that I can save you. Of course... there¡¯s no anesthetic here. To stop the bleeding, I might close the wound directly. You have to endure the pain of the needle passing through your neck... but I¡¯m very fast. It will take less than... half an hour?"
After saying that, Nora smiled again. "Although, the medical equipment at hand is still just for first aid, so I can¡¯t guarantee that there won¡¯t be any scars. But you don¡¯t have to worry..."
The smile on her lips looked strange and cold. "Although it won¡¯t look good and will have the effect of being sewn on like a doll, you won¡¯t die."
"Of course, it¡¯s also possible topletely avoid a scar, but the chances of that happening are very low."
After saying that, she looked at Jill seriously. "Mrs. Jones, may I ask when do you n to pierce your neck?"
Jill: "!!"
Why did she feel so terrified after hearing her words?
Moreover, for some reason, Nora¡¯s voice was very low right now. Her voice was not as sweet as that of an ordinary girl. It was a little cold. Saying things slowly like this was like telling a ghost story. It scared her so much that she shouted, "You, you lunatic!"
Nora raised her eyebrows and did not say anything else.
After being interrupted by her, the reporters beside her felt that the situation was no longer as dangerous as before. They even found it... a little funny?
When Jill saw that some of the reporters around her had lowered their heads and smiled, she immediately narrowed her eyes. She looked angrily at Tanya. "Are you going to watch helplessly as others insult your mother? You unfilial child! How did I give birth to you?!"
Tanya lowered her head.
At this moment, she even felt a little helpless. Her tone was very calm, but everyone present could hear the despair in her words through her tone. "What... can I do... to make you cut ties with me?"
Just because she gave birth to her, did she owe her forever?!
Tanya clenched her fists and suddenly looked up at Jill. "Do you know? I wish I could peel off my bones and skin to return this flesh to you!"
Everyone was shocked.
To be able to say such words, Tanya must be feeling extremely pained at this moment!
The live-stream¡¯sments paused for a moment before someone spoke up for her.
¡ª I can¡¯t stand it anymore. Just because she gave birth to her, she can keep forcing her forever? Why?
¡ª Yes, and this mother doesn¡¯t treat her daughter well at all. This daughter doesn¡¯t owe her anything! Why should she forgive someone who stole her child?
¡ª Suddenly, I feel that it¡¯s too difficult for Tanya. On one side is her mother, and on the other is her daughter. If she writes a letter of forgiveness, what would her daughter think of her when she grows up?
¡ª I cried. Don¡¯t ask why. I felt more desperate than her mother at the moment.
"Ahhhh, Tanya¡¯s story is really too heartbreaking. Don¡¯t sign the letter of forgiveness. If she wants to kill herself, let her die! This kind of woman will only be a burden to the world if she lives!"
¡ª I agree. Let her kill herself. What does it have to do with Tanya?
...
At the scene, Jill¡¯s eyes widened when she heard Tanya¡¯s words. She was so angry that her entire body trembled. "Okay, then return it to me now! If my daughter can¡¯te out, you¡¯ll die with her! Who¡¯s afraid of whom?!"
As soon as she said this, Tanya smiled mockingly. "I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t... I still have a daughter to take care of... and so many people who love me are waiting for me. I can¡¯t choose to die because of you!"
With that, the reporters erupted in apuse. Some even shouted, "Yes, it¡¯s not worth dying for such a person!"
"That¡¯s right. If there¡¯s a problem, solve it properly. If they did something wrong, they have to bear the legal responsibility. If all the criminals start crying and threatening suicide, would we release them all? If we don¡¯t, it would be murder? What kind of logic is that?!"
"..."
Everyone knew what was going on. Jill had taken an unreasonable path. In the beginning, the reporters had been led astray by her.
But now, everyone was leaning toward Tanya.
Seeing that the public opinion could no longer be suppressed, Jill immediately exerted force with the knife in her hand and cut ayer of skin!
Blood instantly flowed down her fair neck.
"Ahh!"
When they saw this scene, there were still people who were frightened. After crying out in surprise, they all took a few steps back. Someone even reached out to Jill. "You, don¡¯t be reckless!"
Jill looked at Tanya fiercely. "Don¡¯t say such nonsense here. No matter what, I¡¯m your mother! Can you really watch your mother die in front of you? You have topromise!"
"..."
There was silence again.
The good situation from earlier had turned around again.
Nora frowned.
At this moment, Karl Moore suddenly walked out and toward Jill.
When she saw him, aplicated look shed across Tanya¡¯s eyes.
When Jill saw him, her legs went weak. She stammered and asked, "Don¡¯t think I¡¯m afraid of you. I¡¯m not even afraid of death now. Why would I be afraid of you..."
Karl Moore definitely could not use a gun in front of so many reporters.
Jill was certain of this, but she still felt panic when she saw Karl Moore approaching her step by step. "W-What are you doing?"
Karl Moore smiled and suddenly held her hand. He aimed her dagger at his chest and exerted some force. "Aren¡¯t you looking for someone to die with? Why are you making things difficult for the child? As her father, I have let her down along with you. In that case, why don¡¯t I apany you?"
Chapter 452: Tanya’s Birthday Is Wrong
Chapter 452: Tanya¡¯s Birthday Is Wrong
Jill was stunned. She subconsciously pulled the knife back.
But Karl Moore pulled hard and stabbed himself in the chest. The tip of the knife pierced his skin and blood flowed out. Jill¡¯s eyelids twitched.
However, Karl Moore did not seem to feel any pain. His eyes were still filled with anger and determination. "Look, as a father, I didn¡¯t even know that I had a daughter. As a mother, you didn¡¯t treat her well, either. The child doesn¡¯t owe you anything. It¡¯s clearly the two of us who owe the child. Since you want to find someone to die with, then I¡¯ll do it with you! Why make trouble for our daughter? Don¡¯t you agree?"
He squeezed the knife against his chest again. "Come, use a little strength and it will go in. Then, you will kill yourself. This way, we will be repaying our debt to our daughter!"
"Lunatic!" Jill watched as the knife stabbed into his chest. She was so frightened that her hands rxed and she took a few steps back. She shouted angrily, "Lunatics, you¡¯re all lunatics!"
But Karl Moore held the knife and yed with it in his hand. "Aren¡¯t you killing yourself?"
Jill red at him.
Karl Moore said, "Why must you make things difficult for your daughter? Do you have to see her unhappy? Can you stop disturbing your daughter¡¯s life?"
With just a few words, he changed the topic.
Jill still wanted to say something, but Karl Moore took a step forward and said, "You regret it again? Then,e, kill me..."
Jill retreated.
Karl Moore took another step forward. "Are you dying or not? Speak frankly! If you¡¯re not... then get lost!"
Karl Moore¡¯s expression suddenly darkened.
Jill had seen how terrifying he was. She was so frightened that her entire body trembled. Then, she ran out. "Lunatics, you¡¯re all lunatics!"
"..."
Since the person involved had escaped, the reporters no longer surrounded the Smiths¡¯ house.
At this moment, Joel stepped forward and said, "It¡¯s not easy for you reporters toe here. How about this? Everyone,e in and have a drink!"
With that, he gave the butler a look.
The butler immediately understood something and greeted everyone warmly.
Who among the reporters did not want to visit a wealthy family like the Smiths? When they heard this, they were very happy. They were weed inside by the butler.
It was time for the butler and reporters to build rtions with each other so that the reporters would refrain from spreading rumors. Of course, everything was handled by the butler on his own.
As the family head, Joel no longer needed to care.
At that moment, his gazended on Tanya and Karl Moore.
As he expected, Tanya was looking at Karl Moore with a concerned face.
Actually, he could have stepped in and settled Jill earlier. Joel had plenty of ways to deal with someone as shameless as her.
And anyone present could easily beat her back.
However, no one made a move and Karl Moore was given the chance.
Their goal was to help him get closer to Tanya.
From the looks of it, it had worked.
After the reporters were settled in, the group returned to the living room of the residential area.
Tanya¡¯s gazended on Karl Moore¡¯s chest. She asked, "Nora, are his injuries serious?"
Before Nora could say anything, Karl Moore said, "It¡¯s not serious, not serious! It¡¯s just the upper skin. It¡¯s nothing. I don¡¯t even bother to look at such injuries, it¡¯ll heal by itself."
His words stunned Tanya. "Do you get hurt often?"
How could he not be injured after being in the mafia all year round?
Karl Moore hurriedly shook his head. "Not often. Just asionally. asionally... hehe..."
He scratched his head and revealed an honest expression. "Tanya... Can I call you by your name?"
"..." Tanya pursed her lips and said unhappily, "It¡¯s your mouth, I can¡¯t control what you call me."
Although her tone was awkward, she agreed.
Karl Moore was overjoyed. He immediately took out a ck card from his pocket in excitement and handed it to Tanya. "Tanya, this, this card is for you... You can buy anything you want! There¡¯s no limit!"
Tanya: "..."
Karl Moore handed her the car keys in his hand. "Oh, and this. I bought this car when I came back to the country. It¡¯s not very functional, though. Drive this for now. If there¡¯s some other model you like, buy it for yourself..."
"..."
"Oh! do you need a house? Can I buy you one?"
Tanya looked at him and returned the card and keys to him. "There¡¯s no need. I¡¯ll buy them with my own money."
Her eyes flickered as she looked elsewhere, but she sighed inwardly.
To be honest, Tanya had been disliked since she was young and her mother had hated her every minute of the day. She did not know who her father was, she was already used to living alone.
She could not get used to this newfound father of hers.
Karl Moore stared at the ck card in his hand and looked up at Tanya again. He wanted to say something, but Joel walked in front of him. "Mr. Moore, Tanya is with me and doesn¡¯tck anything. You don¡¯t have to worry about it for the time being."
Karl Moore looked at Joel and finally nodded. "Alright, I¡¯ll take the card back, then."
With that, he looked at Tanya.
His big eyes were filled with desire as if he would be satisfied if Tanya could say just one more word to him.
Tanya sighed. "You... can leave now."
Karl Moore lowered his eyes in disappointment, but he knew that such things could not be forced.
His daughter was already 25 or 26 years old. She was independent and did not need him anymore.
Although he wanted to give her all the love he had owed for the past twenty years, she could no longer keep it.
Karl Moore turned his head and walked toward the door. After two steps, he turned back and looked at her reluctantly.
Tanya: "..."
She rubbed her forehead and suddenly asked, "If you¡¯re not busy, why don¡¯t you stay for dinner tonight?"
"Yes, yes, I¡¯m free!"
Karl Moore turned back and hurriedly sat on the sofa.
Everyone else: "..."
Why did the leader of the Assassin Organization look so stupid?
While looking on the Inte, he seemed quite smart.
Nora¡¯s lips twitched. She sat at the side and drooped her eyes. She picked up her phone and fiddled with something. When others looked at her, she seemed sleepy again.
The others sat facing each other, feeling a little awkward.
Suddenly, Nora¡¯s fingers paused. She looked up at them and frowned. "Tanya, the date of birth on your identity card is wrong, right?"
Tanya hesitated. "What¡¯s wrong?"
However, Karl Moore said, "It¡¯s indeed wrong. When I left your mother, it was in August. At that time, if she was pregnant, she should have given birth to you in April next year. Why was your identity card showing that you were born in January?"
Tanya was stunned. "Could it be that my age was changed? I was born four months ahead of time?"
"That¡¯s even more wrong."
Nora looked at her. "You and Hiry are only less than a year apart. If your mother gave birth to you in April, how did she birth to Hiry?"
After a woman gave birth, it would take at least 40 days before she could get pregnant again!
"..."
Tanya was also stunned. "Then, what¡¯s going on?"
At this moment, Karl Moore frowned. "Is Hiry not her biological daughter?"
Chapter 453: Back Then?
Chapter 453: Back Then?
When Karl Moore was making Tanya¡¯s DNA, he had gotten someone to get Hiry¡¯s DNA from prison as well.
Hiry was not his daughter.
That was for sure.
However, there was something wrong with Tanya and Hiry¡¯s birth dates. One of the two children had to be someone else¡¯s. Otherwise, this did not make sense!
After all, it was impossible for Jill to have Tanya while pregnant with Hiry!
However, when Karl Moore said this, everyone shook their heads. "That¡¯s impossible."
Jill treated Hiry so well and Tanya so badly.
As soon as this thought crossed her mind, Nora suddenly looked at Karl Moore. "Are you sure the one who gave birth to your child back then was Jill?"
Karl Moore was speechless.
He was stunned and continued to scratch his head. "It¡¯s her. Although we haven¡¯t seen each other for more than twenty years, I can¡¯t possibly mistake her for someone else! Her looks are right there! And her name is also the same. I can¡¯t possibly sleep with someone and not know who she is! Besides, we were dating seriously back then."
"That¡¯s strange."
Nora raised her almond-shaped eyes and looked at Karl Moore with a faint smile.
Karl Moore frowned. "Speaking of which... this isn¡¯t the strangest thing. Did you guys know? After she told me that Hiry was my daughter, she even gave me an urate date of birth. I got someone to investigate and saw the birth records in the clinic. However, that child was not Tanya. It was indeed Hiry because the child had a mole on her ear. Furthermore, Iter checked the information on Hiry¡¯s identity card and realized that the date of birth was actually fake. In other words, Hiry¡¯s identity card is eight months younger!"
Everyone was stunned. "April 25th?"
"Yes, that¡¯s right."
Karl Moore frowned. "Tanya is my daughter. She can only be born in April or May. Hiry was also born in April of that year. It can¡¯t be that Jill gave birth to twins where one is mine, and the other isn¡¯t, right? Is that possible?"
Nora looked at him in a speechless manner. "Logically speaking, there is a chance. It¡¯s just that it¡¯s a very rare urrence. For example, if she had two eggs that month and slept with..."
She did not finish her sentence.
Karl Moore understood and instantly flushed in anger. "In other words, even if I hadn¡¯t left back then, she had still betrayed me?"
Two children born at the same time could only mean she got pregnant at the same time!
Jill had slept with him for less than two days, and she was already with that Jones guy?
This was simply a great humiliation!
The others around him were speechless.
Nora suddenly pitied this person who had been cheated on.
However... the probability of getting pregnant with two men¡¯s children at once was very low. Would it really happen to Jill?
¡ª
The Joneses.
Jill returned home in low spirits.
Mr. Jones was sitting on the sofa watching television. When he saw her appearance, he sneered. "You¡¯re being rebuffed, right? I told you not to go... Karl Moore already knows the truth. Why are you running over?"
Jill red at him. "Who asked you to be useless! You can¡¯t even save your own daughter! If it weren¡¯t for our daughter, I wouldn¡¯t have lied to him!"
Mr. Jones sneered. "It¡¯s fine if you¡¯re lying. I¡¯m just afraid they¡¯ll find out what happened back then!"
As soon as he said this, Jill¡¯s eyes shed. She stood up suddenly and gulped. "No, no way?"
Mr. Jones said, "You told him about the nursing home. We didn¡¯t erase any records in order to convince him! Won¡¯t they suspect anything?"
Jill bit her lip hard. She was very confident. "So what if they¡¯re suspicious? They will never think of the truth!"
When Mr. Jones heard this, he did not rebut her. However, he still looked at her deeply and sneered before standing up and walking into the bedroom.
Jill followed behind him. "If Tanya doesn¡¯t help me save my daughter. I won¡¯t let this go!... Why are you so useless? If I were you, I would have saved my daughter even if I had to give up all my assets!"
Thud!
Mr. Jones mmed his fist against the wall and looked at Jill. "That¡¯s enough! Hiry is not the only one in the family! The rest of us still have to live! I think Hiry has been spoiled by you since she got to where she is today! She has always been above Tanya in everything since she was young. How would she not be arrogant? Even now, she still doesn¡¯t reflect on herself..."
He stared at Jill. "I¡¯m begging you. Stop! I still want to live peacefully in old age!"
With that, he turned and left.
Jill stared at him and clenched her fists tightly.
If he wanted to live peacefully in his old age, he could not save her daughter?
Absolutely not!
¡ª
At the Smiths.
After dinner, Karl Moore had no reason to stay this time. He could only leave reluctantly. Before leaving, he said, "Tanya, I can still..."
Tanya interrupted him. "I have to work tomorrow."
"..." Karl Moore got the hint. "Alright, I understand!"
After he left, Tanya heaved a sigh of relief.
Nora looked at her. "If someone is treating you well, why are you unhappy?"
The corners of Tanya¡¯s mouth twitched. "If Uncle Ian was so enthusiastic about you, would you have been able to handle him?"
Nora: "..."
She couldn¡¯t help but shudder when she thought about it.
Fortunately, Ian was more reserved. Otherwise, she would have a headache all the time.
The two of them took the three children upstairs. Justin stood up and was about to follow when Joel suddenly said, "Mr. Hunt, Nora has woken up. Shouldn¡¯t you be going back?"
Justin said without blushing or skipping a beat, "We still need to observe her for two days. Also, Cherry and Pete aren¡¯t going back to the Hunts, so...."
"..."
The corners of Joel¡¯s lips spasmed.
At this moment, Justin¡¯s phone suddenly rang. He picked it up and heard a female voice on the other end. "Speaking of which, Justin, my big brother, you haven¡¯t been home for a few days? Don¡¯t you know there¡¯s someone waiting for you at home?"
Hearing this voice, Justin¡¯s usually light and cold eyebrows furrowed as he reprimanded softly, "Speak properly!"
"Huh?" The voice waszy and charming, and there was a hint of seduction in her words. She chuckled softly and said, "I always talk like this. Are you still not used to it?"
Justin: "...When did you return?"
"When I missed you."
"..."
His expression turned colder. "Call me when you learn how to talk."
He hung up.
At the Hunts¡¯.
Brenda Hunt stared at the phone and pursed her lips.
Opposite her, Mrs. Hunt wasining. "...Did you hear that? He¡¯s so mesmerized by that vixen. He stayed at the Smiths¡¯ with Pete and doesn¡¯t want toe back! I heard that he¡¯s even babysitting that woman¡¯s child! As the head of the Hunts, he not only wants to marry a woman who has given birth to someone else¡¯s child, but he also treats that woman¡¯s daughter as his own. Is that even right?! Pete too, I don¡¯t know what kind of drug that woman has given to my Pete. He¡¯s so good to that woman¡¯s daughter! Every day, he would call her his sister... Brenda, you have the best rtionship with your brother. You have to help me persuade him!"
Brenda fiddled with her nails. "Tsk, they¡¯re just two girls, one big and one small. They want to take hold of my big brother and Pete? I¡¯ll meet that little one first tomorrow."
Chapter 454: Meet the Small One~
Chapter 454: Meet the Small One~
Hearing this, Mrs. Hunt heaved a sigh of relief.
After Wendy Hunt left, Mrs. Hunt¡¯s butler asked, "Mrs. Hunt, do you think Miss Wendy can do it? Why do I get the feeling that she doesn¡¯t quite care?"
Mrs. Hunt lowered her head. "How is that possible? Ever since she was young, Wendy has had the best rtionship with Justin in this family! Although she doesn¡¯t say it, when has she ever returned to the country without bringing a lot of gifts for Pete? The more casual she acts on the outside, the more she cares inside! Don¡¯t worry, she won¡¯t let her elder brother suffer!"
The butler heaved a sigh of relief. "It¡¯s really a headache for Mr. Hunt to care so much about that person."
Mrs. Hunt sighed. "Yes. Initially, he just liked her a little, so I let him be. But look at how obsessed he is now. He¡¯s living with Pete in the Smiths! If word gets out, he¡¯ll be a joke!"
The butler nodded frequently.
Mrs. Hunt said, "I just want Wendy to take the lead!"
The butler couldn¡¯t help but say, "Aren¡¯t you afraid that she will defect to the enemy? She has been the most supportive of Mr. Hunt ever since they were young!"
When Justin was young, he would do everything ording to the rules.
asionally, when he was rebellious, Brenda would help him.
It was just like when he was four years old and wanted to eat snacks with high sugar and oil content. Mrs. Hunt and Mr. Hunt did not agree.
When the entire family was scared of disobeying them, only Brenda dared to bring him food in secret.
As the only daughter of the Hunts, Brenda was doted on at home.
When she grew up, she became more and more outrageous. Although Justin always reprimanded her, everyone knew that the two of them had a good rtionship!
Mrs. Hunt smiled. "If it was anyone else, she would definitely support him! But this time, it¡¯s different. Wendy is a perfectionist. In her heart, Pete is her nephew. Then, the woman who gave birth to Pete is the only sister-inw she will ept!"
The servant instantly nodded and smiled. "Mrs. Hunt is indeed wise!"
¡ª
The next day.
In the Smiths¡¯ living room.
Brenda sat there elegantly and looked around. Louis, who lived at home, was entertaining her. "Sister Brenda, you¡¯re finally back!"
Brenda immediately smiled. "You missed me too?"
Louis nodded. "Yes, you¡¯re right!"
Brenda raised her eyebrows and asked charmingly, "Really? How much?"
Louis: "??"
Brenda nced at him again. "You¡¯re already an adult, right? Are you still a virgin?"
Louis: "??"
His face instantly turned red. "S-Sister Brenda..."
Brenda leaned forward slightly and teased him. "You don¡¯t have a girlfriend yet? Why don¡¯t I find you one? What do you think of me?"
Louis: "!!!"
He had long known that Brenda was the famous yer in the circle, but he did not expect that she would not even let him off!
He stood up in shock and was about to say something when an icy reprimand came from upstairs. "Speak properly!"
When Brenda heard this, she immediately sat up straight and looked up. She saw Justin walking down with a cold expression.
Brenda replied, "Big Brother, I am talking properly!"
Justin frowned and reprimanded, "You¡¯re a girl. Can¡¯t you be more careful with your words? Also, don¡¯t you have a boyfriend? Why are you still..."
He nced at Louis and did not speak.
Brenda shrugged. "Oh, we just broke up."
Justin: "..."
He took a deep breath and suppressed the gloominess in his heart. He sat down opposite her. "You¡¯re not young anymore. Can¡¯t you look for a serious rtionship?"
Brenda: "...I¡¯m very serious every time!"
"..."
Justin really couldn¡¯t do anything to this yer sister!
He touched his forehead. Brenda had already leaned over. "Justin, you¡¯re not old, why are you so conservative? And since you¡¯re so conservative, how did you find such a girlfriend?"
Justin looked at her. "What girlfriend?"
Brenda was delighted. "I knew it. You¡¯re not serious. You¡¯re just ying with her, right?"
However, just as she finished speaking, Justin said, "That¡¯s your sister-inw."
Brenda narrowed her eyes and said unhappily, "Sister-inw?"
Justin nodded.
Brenda opened her mouth to say something, but Justin nced at her warningly. "Be respectful."
"..."
Alright, she swallowed the words that were about toe out of her mouth.
At this moment, the door upstairs opened again. Pete carried the Mathematical Olympiad textbook downstairs. Just as he went downstairs, Brenda rushed over excitedly and hugged him. "Ah, my dear baby Pete, I missed you so much!"
Pete¡¯s body froze as he called out seriously, "Aunt Brenda."
"Hey!" Brenda looked up. "Why didn¡¯t youe down with Dad?"
Pete answered seriously, "Oh, because I live in my mom¡¯s house."
Brenda was speechless.
She looked at Justin with a head full of question marks, but she saw that Justin was ignoring her.
She could only look at Pete again. "What about your mommy?"
Pete: "...Mommy and Little Sister are still sleeping. I was worried my homework would disturb them, so I decided toe downstairs to do it."
She was still sleeping...
This woman and her daughter were reallyzy!
At this moment, the sound of the door opening came from upstairs again. Then, Cherry¡¯s adorable voice could be heard. "Brother, why didn¡¯t you wake me up?"
Chapter 455: Sleeping So Long?!
Chapter 455: Sleeping So Long?!
Pete looked at his sister and then at his aunt. He hurriedly threw down the Math Olympiad book. Just as Cherry was about to go downstairs, he rushed up and stopped her. "Cherry, Aunt Brenda is here!"
Cherry: "?"
She stuck her head out and was about to look down when Pete stopped her.
Cherry asked in confusion, "Pete, is she not a good person?"
Pete was silent for a moment before shaking his head. "That¡¯s not it. The thing is... Aunt Brenda is a little weird. You... should stay away from her."
Cherry: "?"
Brenda, who was listening to the two children talk downstairs, was speechless.
Why did she feel like she was being despised?!
She stood up. "Pete, what happened to you? Is that how you talk about me? Come down here!"
Pete nced at Cherry and signaled for her to go back inside. Then, he walked downstairs slowly. Just as he went downstairs, he saw Brenda looking at him with a faint smile. "Pete,e."
Pete walked in front of her.
The next moment, Brenda stretched out her demonic ws. "Come, take off your pants. Let me see if you¡¯ve grown up!"
Pete: "!!!"
He turned and ran. Brenda wanted to chase after him, but she was stopped by Justin. "Stop."
Pete ran upstairs and heaved a sigh of relief. He lowered his head and looked at Justin. Indeed, Justin said, "Pete, go in and look after your sister. Tell your mommy and sister not toe down."
"Okay, Dad!"
With that, Pete pushed open the bedroom door and went in.
Brenda was speechless.
She raised her eyebrows and looked up. Then, she sat beside Justin and held his arm. "Justin, aren¡¯t you... protecting her too much? I can¡¯t eat her up!"
Justin felt a little ufortable with her being so close to him. Even though he and Brenda were only normal siblings, he still pushed her arm down. "You can¡¯t eat her up."
It was good enough that Nora didn¡¯t eat her!
However, what Justin was worried about was...
Her little sister might lead Nora astray!
Brenda liked men and had had boyfriends since kindergarten. She would y with whichever handsome man she could find... Cherry, who had a faceplex, might very well turn like her.
Although Nora had not expressed her fondness for beauty yet, the days would pass. What if she was led astray?
Justin wanted to fundamentally eliminate this possibility!
Furthermore, he definitely, definitely, must not let Brenda and Cherry get together.
Brenda stared at him and narrowed her eyes slightly.
At the mention of that woman, Justin always looked cautious. Knowing her personality, he would not even allow her to see Nora. Brenda snorted and stood up, swaying her waist. "You refuse to let me see her, but I still want to see her. I want to see what kind of stunning beauty could mesmerize my brother! Anyway, I have nothing on in the morning and only have to meet someone at noon. I¡¯ll sit here. I don¡¯t believe that she can sleep until noon?"
Justin was silent for a moment before he suddenly stood up. "Okay, do whatever you want. I¡¯ll get going first."
Brenda: "??"
Justin went upstairs and entered the study in the guest room to work.
Brenda really sat downstairs and looked at the peopleing and going.
Louis was so frightened that he slipped out. When he passed her, Brenda was still looking at him. "Louis, what are you doing? Are you going on a date?"
Louis paused in his footsteps. "...I arranged to y games with Chester."
"Gaming?" Brenda smiled. "You¡¯re going to meet a girl, right?"
Louis: "??"
He answered seriously, "Brenda, it¡¯s really gaming!"
Brenda rested her chin on one hand and nodded with a smile. "I understand. You guys have to be careful. Remember to use protection. Don¡¯t fool around~"
Louis: "!!!"
He emphasized again. "Brenda, we¡¯re really just ying games!"
Brenda tilted her head and smiled. "I know. I¡¯m talking about games too. Be ready. Don¡¯t get killed by others."
Louis: "..."
The corners of his lips twitched. "I¡¯m leaving first!"
There was wind under his feet as if he was afraid that Brenda would say something shocking!
¡ª
Brenda sat on the sofa and looked upstairs in boredom. Then, she looked at her watch. It was almost 11 AM.
Had Nora stayed up all night?
At this moment, the housekeeper Lucy brought her a fruit tter. Brenda took the opportunity to ask, "Did your Miss Smith stay uptest night?"
Lucy shook her head in confusion. "No, Miss Nora¡¯s schedule is very strict. Every night at 10 PM, noter than 12 PM, she will definitely sleep! Yesterday, she slept with Master Pete and Miss Cherry at 9 PM."
Brenda: "??"
She slept at nine. Why was she still asleep?!
She must have slept for 14 hours.
She looked at Louis in confusion. "Is she feeling sick?"
Perhaps she was sick?
Lucy was unhappy. "Our Miss Nora is very healthy!"
What was Miss Hunt saying? Although she was quite good-looking and elegant, why was she cursing someone else to be sick?!
Brenda hesitated for a moment, but her voice was still elegant and charming. "Then she slept for 14 hours. Aren¡¯t you going to take a look?"
What if she¡¯s fainted in the room?!
Lucy looked unconcerned. "It¡¯s only been 14 hours. What¡¯s the rush?"
Miss Nora had slept for more than fifty hours in the past two days. Wasn¡¯t she still energetic?
Lucy shook her head and looked at Brenda. Brenda looked like she had never seen the world.
Brenda was speechless.
She felt like she was in a fantasy world.
When everyone from the Smiths came down for lunch, Maureen called out to her politely, "Miss Hunts, it¡¯s time to eat."
Brenda stood up and looked at the table full of people. She asked, "Aren¡¯t you going to wait for Miss Smith toe along?"
Maureen: "Oh, she probably wants to sleep for a while more. Let¡¯s eat first! Come on!"
Brenda was speechless.
She said in a daze, "There¡¯s no need. I¡¯m meeting someone for lunch. I¡¯ll get going."
After she left the Smiths, she still felt dizzy.
The moment Brenda left, there was finally some movement on the bed upstairs.
Nora opened her eyes in a daze and took out her phone. She saw that there were a few missed calls on her phone.
They were all from Morris.
She hesitated for a moment before calling him. Morris picked up quickly. "Miss Smith, our department has formed a special team to investigate the human trial back then. Now, I would like to invite you to be our team¡¯s external forensic doctor. Are you interested?"
Nora stretched and was about to answer that she was not interested when she heard Morris say, "Don¡¯t you want to know what exactly happened to your mother back then? Also, I have some very important information about you. I wanted to inform you that you¡¯re actually in a lot of danger!"
These words made Nora narrow her eyes.
She recalled her mother¡¯s words. "...You have to be mediocre, or your life will be in danger!"
What kind of danger could she be in?!
Morris continued, "Of course, if you can join us, I¡¯ll tell you some secrets about the case!"
When Nora heard this, she lowered her almond-shaped eyes. "Tell me first."
"...Alright."
Chapter 456: The External Forensic Doctor
Chapter 456: The External Forensic Doctor
Nora could hear the resignation in his voice, but joining a team, though? First, she would have to see whether the team was good enough or not.
Otherwise, they could forget about wasting any of her sleeping time.
She leaned against the headboard with her legs folded and said, "Speak."
Morris slowly said, "I have almost found out why your mother fled back then."
His one-liner made Nora focus at once. "Why?"
Morris said coldly, "The organization was conducting human trials back then. We still don¡¯t know what exactly they were researching, but after the boxing champion Abigail¡¯s incident, we heavily suspect it to be a drug that can enhance the human body¡¯s agility and physical strength!"
To be honest, Nora had suspected as much for a long while now. After all, she had heard from Quentin that Victor was just a nobody gangster two years ago. How could he possibly be a peerless martial arts master in just two years¡¯ time?
He must have taken some kind of drug that could enhance his physique.
However, once produced, such drugs would surely be mass-manufactured, right? It wasn¡¯t like it was poison, so why were they being so mysterious about it?
Perhaps because he could hear the doubt in her voice, Morris gave her the answer. "Victor suddenly went crazy in the cell."
Surprised, Nora asked, "You mean..."
"That¡¯s right." Morris nodded. "The drug has huge side effects that affect a person¡¯s nervous system. That¡¯s why the drug has been a prohibited substance all this time."
Nora cast her eyes down and asked, "So, what does this have to do with my mother?"
Morris took a deep breath. "Do you know how we found out about the drug research organization¡¯s existence?"
He wasn¡¯t really counting on Nora to answer, so he went on and said, "We encountered a simr case many years ago. Some people took drugs that can strengthen their bodies, and then... they suddenly died. We extracted the chemicalponents in their blood at that time. Together with the chemicalponents in Victor¡¯s body this time, we can conclude that they have indeed been researching the same drug all this time, but have never seeded. Don¡¯t you find it strange, though? They have been studying the drug for more than twenty years, yet the chemicalposition hasn¡¯t changed much. It was just a matter of how much of each chemical they used in the form. Are they really so certain that the form is correct?"
Nora shook her head. "No, they won¡¯t do that."
She also made medicines herself, so she understood the underlying issues very well.
If one had theories about a drug, they would definitely test it out and adjust its content. However, if they didn¡¯t seed even after many attempts, they would give up.
But why were they being so persistent?
Unless...
Nora clenched her fists and slowly said, "Someone has seeded with that form before."
Morris was d to see how keen Nora¡¯s senses were. He nodded and said, "That¡¯s right, someone has sessfully used that form before. That¡¯s why they kept trying and persevered with the form! As far as I know, the sess of that form is rted to your mother!"
Nora slowly sat upright. "You mean..."
Morris¡¯ calm and steady voice traveled over the phone again. "I¡¯ve looked into your mother¡¯s life history. When she was a teenager, she went to Switzend for pharmaceutical studies. I suspect that she had joined the organization at that time!"
Nora was stunned.
To be honest, even as of now, she held disgust for the organization. Human experiments had simply crossed moral boundaries.
She had guessed before that perhaps the organization was looking for something in her mother¡¯s possession, causing her to flee from their murderous pursuit. The organization must think that the object they were after was now in her possession. That was why they were pursuing her so relentlessly.
However, never would she have ever expected her mother to be part of the organization.
She said a little coldly, "Are these your conjectures, or do you have evidence?"
Morris¡¯s voice deepened a little. He replied, "It¡¯s conjecture, but we found records of mary transfers from unknown sources in her bank records. Additionally, when my mother was investigating the case back then, your mother was a crucial figure involved."
Nora fell silent.
Her heart, however, was gradually sinking.
Her mother... To be honest, she had never felt much for her all along. After all, even in the oldest memories she had, her mother was already gone. Nevertheless, she had always felt that her mother was a good person.
Morris was very reliable. Since he had said so, then he was more or less already certain that her mother had indeed been part of the human trials project back then.
In fact... Going by her talent in pharmaceuticals, even Nora herself suspected that her mother must have held a high position in the organization.
She stayed silent for a long while.
She didn¡¯t know whether or not she should agree to Morris¡¯s request.
In the midst of her hesitance, Morris said, "It is said that there remains a pill of the sessfully developed drug somewhere in the world. Since the drug can make Victor a new man in two years, do you think Quentin¡¯s injuries... would be curable?"
His words made Nora abruptly raise her head.
All the bones in Quentin¡¯s body were broken. Even though there was an alternative medicine legend that was said to be able to cure his injuries, even she herself couldn¡¯t be sure of it at the moment.
When she thought of that, her voice became firm. "I can join the team, but I have two conditions."
"Speak."
"If we find the drug, even if you can¡¯t give it to me, you have to give me the form."
"No problem. What about the second condition?"
"Oh," Nora said casually, "Don¡¯t disturb me when I¡¯m sleeping."
"..."
Morris seemingly took a deep breath. "No problem. By the way, Captain Brenda, who was stationed overseas, has returned today. Let¡¯s take the opportunity to have the members of the team meet and discuss our ns. Make a trip down here, I¡¯ll send you the address."
"Yeah."
¡ª
Brenda drove her red Porsche to a French restaurant. She opened the door, walked in, and headed straight to a person sitting in the corner. "Hello, Captain Ford," she said.
Morris stood up straight and stretched out his hand to her seriously. "Wee back, Captain Brenda."
The two shook hands. After taking their seats, Morris was the first to speak. He said, "We have found some information about that mysterious organization from back then, so we have set up a team to deal with the case. It is an honor to have Captain Brenda back to help us out."
Brenda propped her chin in her hands and asked, "Let¡¯s not worry about that for now. I have a question for you, Captain Ford."
Morris sat up straight. "Go ahead."
Brenda could be said to be an Interpol officer. Did she perhaps have information rted to the case?
The thought had only just formed when he instead heard Brenda unhurriedly ask, "Do you have a girlfriend, Captain Ford?"
Morris: "?"
He pressed his lips together and lowered his gaze. "Captain Brenda, our meet today extends only to issues rted to the case. In addition to you, me, and a few other detectives on the team, I also intend to hire a forensic doctor. What do you say, Captain Brenda?"
Brenda continued to rest her chin on her hands. "An external forensic doctor? Is it a he or a she? And are they good-looking?"
Chapter 457: I Met Her!
Chapter 457: I Met Her!
Morris: "???"
Shouldn¡¯t she be asking for the other party¡¯s name and upation first? Why was the first thing she was concerned about instead whether they were good-looking or not?!
He lowered his eyes. "Captain Brenda, I¡¯m talking business here!"
Brenda waved dismissively. "Hey, so am I. Understanding your teammates is also a key to a sessful team, isn¡¯t it? Besides, I have an allergy, so my requirements for who I work with are rather high."
Morris was taken aback. "What kind of allergy?"
Brenda sighed. "I am allergic to ugly people."
"..."
Morris¡¯s jaw tightened. The woman looked at him pitifully and said, "Really, I¡¯m not kidding."
"..."
Morris stared at her for a while with a cold look on his face. But shortly after, he gave in and said, "It¡¯s a woman..."
He thought of Nora¡¯s delicate little face and her constantly half-lidded eyes, as well as her almond-shaped eyes when she asionally raised her head and looked at someone attentively, and he slowly added, "She¡¯s pretty."
Brenda stared at him and suddenly smiled. "Okay, got it."
Morris took a deep breath and started talking about Nora¡¯s upation. "She is a surgeon. Her name is Nora Smith."
Brenda¡¯szy eyes instantly flicked upward. She was a little dumbfounded. "What?"
Wasn¡¯t that Justin¡¯szy girlfriend who only knew to sleep in all day?
¡ª
After Nora got up and ate something, she slowly headed to the address that Morris had sent her.
It was a French restaurant.
The restaurant had very distinctive interior decor, and it was obvious at a nce that it was a very expensive restaurant.
She casually pushed the door open. Right away, she spotted Morris, who was seated at the quietest spot in the corner directly opposite the door.
Dressed in a ck suit, he exuded an upright aura all around him.
When Nora walked over, she discovered that a woman was sitting opposite him.
The woman looked about 24 to 25 years old. She hadrge wavy curls and was wearing a tight-fitting ck dress. Her posture was casual andzy, and she had a pair of deep-set eyes that looked very bewitching and also... somewhat familiar.
She also had an impressive figure. Her chest was full and bulging. It was obvious at a nce that hers were the real deal...
Also, even though she was seated, Nora could still see one of her outstretched legs. Long, fair, and slender, it looked so tender that it made one wish they could pinch it.
Tanya¡¯s face was also very attractive, but hers was a different type of beauty. Tanya¡¯s beauty was very aggressive, and her big eyes looked a little exotic.
They hadn¡¯t been aware previously, but they now knew that her father was Karl. Since Karl¡¯s parents were of mixed ethnicities, this meant that a quarter of Tanya¡¯s blood was also of another ethnicity. That exined everything.
However, this wasn¡¯t the case for the woman in front of her. She was likely not of mixed race. It was just that she was good-looking and knew how to dress up. On top of that, she also knew how to exhibit the most beautiful side of a woman, so she looked exceptionally... like the female version of a scumbag.
Ahem.
Nora felt that it wasn¡¯t quite right of her to think of a woman like that, so she looked away. As soon as she did, she sensed the woman staring at her.
Brenda knew that Nora must be very pretty, but she hadn¡¯t expected her to be this pretty.
Nora was a standard American beauty. She had an oval face, a defined nose, full lips, and almond-shaped eyes... Her face should have looked extremely gentle and very charming, but because of herzy and casual demeanor, her slightly downcast eyes, and the careless and casual air around her, she gave people the illusion that she was a cold and frosty person instead.
Yet the contrast didn¡¯t seem out of ce on her at all. Instead, it gave her a mysterious aura that attracted people¡¯s gazes.
No wonder Justin was so infatuated with her. She sure was really good-looking.
Brenda looked away.
Morris introduced the two of them to each other. Then, he said, "Our team¡¯s focus is to investigate the incident from all those years ago. Captain Brenda and I will be in charge of the usual arresting and collection of evidence, but once we catch the suspects, we may have to trouble Ms. Smith to do the relevant medical analyses."
"It¡¯s no trouble."
Nora couldn¡¯t help but yawn. "Feel free toe to me anytime then."
Morris nodded. "We will pass you the samples and so on that we collect. I¡¯ve heard that Anti¡¯s medical team is the most professional one in the world. I¡¯m sure you guys will be able to find out more from the analyses than we can. Also, we will also be handing Victor over to you for medical treatment."
Nora nodded. "No problem."
Lily would be the one handling all these things anyway. She was already busy taking care of Quentin, Ian, and Old Maddy every day. An extra Victor shouldn¡¯t be any problem to her.
Nora, the unscrupulous businesswoman, thought to herself without any psychological burden whatsoever.
Morris had asked the two of them out today to let them meet each other. Now that they have met, he said, "Then... I guess that¡¯s it for today?"
Nora nodded. She didn¡¯t have any objections.
Brenda, however, subconsciously felt the urge to quip back at him. She said, "Tsk, Captain Ford, I came all the way here on an empty stomach just to meet you, yet you aren¡¯t even treating me to lunch?"
Morris: "?"
He nced at Nora. After musing for a moment, he finally said, "I¡¯ll treat you two to lunch, then."
Brenda was about to nod when Nora got up. "No, it¡¯s fine. I have already eaten, so I will leave first."
Although she didn¡¯t have a lot to do, she, unfortunately, had too many identities!
With every identity of hers having a little work each, she was already up to her neck in work. How would she possibly have the time to enjoy French cuisine here?
She got up and said, "Enjoy your lunch."
Just as she turned and got ready to leave, Brenda also suddenly got up. She said, "I¡¯ll pass on lunch too, then. Don¡¯t forget that you owe me a meal, Captain Ford. Let¡¯s have lunch together another day."
After teasing Morris, she followed closely after Nora. "Ms. Smith, since we are already teammates, why don¡¯t you invite me over to your ce to hang out?"
Nora: "?"
The woman looked quite likable and wasn¡¯t the type of person she disliked. Besides, for some reason, her eyes also gave her a good impression of her.
Therefore, she nodded after thinking about it. "Alright."
Nora had driven to the restaurant in her jeep. Brenda abandoned her own car and got straight into the jeep¡¯s passenger seat. "Let¡¯s go!" she said.
The way she acted so familiar with her...
However, Nora still didn¡¯t think much of it. She started the car and went back to the Smiths¡¯ with Brenda.
After entering the house, Brenda looked up and said, "Hey mate, since I¡¯m already here, why don¡¯t you let me meet your daughter?"
Nora: "??"
Pete and Mia had gone to the kindergarten. Cherry was home, though.
But why was she suddenly asking to meet her daughter?
After a moment¡¯s hesitation, she replied, "Okay."
She went to the upper floor to bring Cherry down. Meanwhile, Brenda raised her eyebrows.
She was simply going to meet the person that Justin hadn¡¯t wanted to let her meet!!
In the midst of her thoughts, an adorable voice rang out from the upper floor. "Mommy, who are you taking me to?"
Chapter 458: Aunt Brenda, I’m Cherry!
Chapter 458: Aunt Brenda, I¡¯m Cherry!
Brenda immediately lifted her head and looked curiously at the corridor.
Since Nora was so pretty that she couldn¡¯t make herself dislike her, she should at least dislike that little extra baggage she had, right? Otherwise, Justin would be at too big of a disadvantage.
After all, Pete was so cute and quirky!
Unless the little girl was even prettier than Pete, why should Justin have to take care of an extra daughter for no reason?
While Brenda was feeling indignant on Justin¡¯s behalf, she spotted a tiny little figure walking over from the spiral staircase.
She was wearing a beautiful princess dress with a fluffy skirt, as well as a headband with a bow on her head. The little girl looked awfully adorable.
Brenda had noticed her clothes first. Then, her gaze traveled upward to the girl¡¯s tiny face, upon which a familiar face instantly entered her sight!
Brenda was stunned to the spot!
She... She...
Wasn¡¯t that goddamn Pete?
Stunned, she looked at Nora in disbelief.
Nora pointed to her and said to Cherry, "It¡¯s this big sister here. She¡¯s Mommy¡¯s... colleague."
She finally came up with the term after thinking for a long while.
However, after she spoke, she realized that Cherry didn¡¯t greet Brenda. When she turned and looked at Cherry with puzzlement, she instead saw Cherry exim, "Aunt Brenda?"
She had seen Brenda downstairs in the morning, but by the time Brenda looked up, Pete had already rushed over and stopped her.
That was how she knew that Brenda was her aunt!
"Aunt Brenda?"
Nora, who was a little taken aback, looked at Brenda. A momentter, Lucy, the housekeeper, also walked over and said in surprise, "Ms. Hunt, are you here for Mr. Hunt again? He has something to do at the office in the afternoon, so he isn¡¯t here right now."
"..."
Nora understood now. No wonder Brenda¡¯s eyes had looked a little familiar. As it turned out, it was because they resembled Justin¡¯s!
Moreover, herst name was Hunt... She must be the cousin that Justin got along with rtively well, right?
While she was thinking about it, Brenda¡¯s brows drew together. She pointed to Cherry and said to Nora, "Don¡¯t move!"
She took out her cell phone and took a photo of Cherry. While taking the photo, she even turned on the camera¡¯s beauty mode and said to Cherry, "Say cheese."
Cherry smiled and even made a victory sign.
After Brenda looked for a good angle and took a beautiful photo, she finally stood up straight and asked Nora, "Does Justin know that you¡¯re dressing the kid like this?"
Nora: "?"
She blinked. "Probably?"
¡¯Probably¡¯?
Brenda pretended to be angry. "Are you actually making the kid wear a dress while Justin is out? You¡¯re too much! I¡¯m going to send the photo to Justin!"
She opened Messenger and sent the photo to Justin with the message: "Justin, look at your child! It¡¯s your little girlfriend¡¯s handiwork~"
Nora said, "... He knows."
He was the one who had bought all the dresses.
Brenda, however, was looking at the photo happily. At the same time, she was also secretly whining inwardly, ¡¯Tsk, Pete is such an unparalleled beauty. Why does he have to be a boy instead? I¡¯ve always wanted to dress him up like a girl and take photos of him, but Justin never agreed to it... Look at how good Pete looks in a dress!¡¯
Little did she expect Nora to seed at what she had failed, though.
But despite her thoughts, she adopted a disdainful attitude on the surface. She said to cherry, "You¡¯ve fallen so low, kid! Justin, that stick-in-the-mud, definitely won¡¯t be able to ept this!"
She waited happily for Justin to get angry.
However, perhaps because Justin was busy, he did not reply immediately. Of course, even when he was not busy, he couldn¡¯t be bothered to reply to her messages, either, ahem.
Brenda looked at Nora after she sent the message.
The woman was certainly pretty, but her behavior was too ridiculous!
To think Nora had actually aplished what Brenda had always wanted to do but couldn¡¯t!
This alone already made Brenda a little fond of Nora.
No, wait...
This was a critical moment! She mustn¡¯t let her love for beauty cloud her senses!
With that in mind, Brenda sat on the sofa coldly and said, "Come over to Aunt Brenda!"
Cherry looked at Nora. However, Nora merely raised her eyebrows. She didn¡¯t pay her any attention and instead went upstairs. Thus, she hopped over and sat beside her miraculous aunt.
Beep.
A text message had arrived.
Brenda took out her cell phone. However, it was not a reply from Justin but a message from a handsome guy she had just met. He wrote: ¡¯Dinner tonight?¡¯
Brenda replied: ¡¯Sure.¡¯
She had only just replied when another handsome guy sent her a message: "Let¡¯s have dinner tonight."
Brenda: "?"
She looked at the first guy, and then at the second. She became a little hesitant. With her chin resting on her palm, she asked Cherry, "Which one is more handsome?"
However, she paused for a moment after she asked the question, finding herself simply ridiculous. What was she asking a child something like that for?
As soon as the thought formed, an adorable voice rang out beside her ear. "I think this guy is more handsome, Aunt Brenda! Although I like the other one too, his nose is not good enough!"
Brenda subconsciously agreed. "You think so too? I¡¯ve already thought so a long time ago! The other guy is not the most handsome one either, though. I found quite a few young handsome guys recently. C¡¯mon, I¡¯ll show you~"
Cherry nodded and leaned over. Shortly after, a weird conversation took ce in the living room:
"Aunt Brenda, this guy is handsome! I would rank him as number one!"
"Which part of him is handsome? I think he¡¯s too young and not masculine enough. I like this one. He has muscles."
"Muscles don¡¯t look good! I prefer exquisite-looking guys!"
"... My goodness, you actually know what exquisite means? How about this? Aunt Brenda will gather all the handsome guys and let you pick one next time!"
But as soon as she said that, she suddenly realized something. She turned toward Cherry abruptly to see the little girl staring at her phone with bright and shiny eyes.
Brenda: "???"
Surely... not?
Not only had Nora dressed Pete up like a girl, but she had also changed his sexual orientation?
Was she doing this so that he wouldn¡¯t be able to have a son in the future, thereby preventing him from inheriting the family¡¯s assets? This was uneptable!!
There was no way Cherry would know what she was thinking, though. She said excitedly, "When are you gonna bring them over, Aunt Brenda?"
Brenda¡¯s expression turned cold. "I can¡¯t show you the handsome guys anymore. Pete, You shouldn¡¯t be liking handsome guys but beautiful women instead! Beautiful women like Aunt Brenda!"
Cherry was dumbfounded. Was she forbidding her from looking at handsome guys?
No, she couldn¡¯t have that!
Thus, she put her arms around Brenda and said cutely, "Aunt Brenda, I¡¯m not Pete! I¡¯m Cherry, yeah!"
Brenda: "?"
She silently ced her palm over Cherry¡¯s forehead. "It¡¯s not like you have a fever, what nonsense are you talking about?"
Right at this moment, Pete came back from school with a school bag on his back. He held Mia¡¯s hand and entered the living room.
Brenda was bbergasted when she saw him. Then, she turned to look at Cherry again!!!
Chapter 459: Aunt And Niece Sharing The Same Interests
Chapter 459: Aunt And Niece Sharing The Same Interests
Brenda¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment. She rubbed her eyes in disbelief and muttered, "Huh? Am I seeing things?"
But even when she opened her eyes again, Cherry and Pete were still standing together in front of her.
She was a little overwhelmed for a while there. "There are two... two Petes?"
Cherry let out a small sigh. "Aunt Brenda, I already told you, I¡¯m not Pete! I am Cherry! Cherry Smith!"
Cherry Smith...
Wasn¡¯t that the extra baggage that Nora was about to bring into the Hunts?
But why would she look exactly like Pete?
Brenda was still in a daze underneath the crystal chandelier in the Smiths¡¯ manor. Pete had already let go of Mia and ran over in front of Cherry. He grabbed the dazed Cherry and protected her behind him. "What are you doing to my little sister, Aunt Brenda?"
Brenda: "?"
She blinked. Atst, she figured it out. "You and Cherry are... twins? In that case, Nora is your mommy?"
Pete frowned and looked at her as though she was mentally disabled. "Of course. Haven¡¯t I been calling her Mommy all day long?"
To Pete, the woman he called Mommy was the woman who had given birth to him. He waspletely unaware of the concept of stepmothers.
Brenda: "..."
She looked at Cherry again. Suddenly, she gave her a charming smile and said, "Hahahaha! I have a little niece too now! Cherry, right? Come on, I still have several handsome guys here that I haven¡¯t shared with you!"
Cherry stepped forward to walk towards Brenda. However, Pete held her hand and said, "Cherry, didn¡¯t Daddy already tell you to stay away from Aunt Brenda? She will lead you astray!"
Brenda: "..."
The corners of her lips spasmed and she couldn¡¯t help but look at Pete. "What are you saying?"
Cherry also piped up. "But I find Aunt Brenda very nice!"
"... Which part of her is nice?" Pete said.
They had only just met and probably hadn¡¯t even managed to talk much, yet she already found her ¡¯very nice¡¯?
Cherry said, "... Aunt Brenda discusses handsome guys with me! She also promised that she would take me to look at handsome guys!"
Pete: "..."
Cherry went around Pete and walked up to Brenda. The two of them put their heads together and started to chat excitedly again.
Pete sighed silently when he saw it.
At this point, Mia came up to him and asked, "What¡¯s the matter, Pete?"
Pete sighed silently and said, "It¡¯s nothing, Mia. Remember to stay away Aunt Brenda. Don¡¯t let her lead you astray!"
Mia immediately nodded. "Okay! Everything that Pete says is correct! I will listen to you!"
Pete looked at the well-behaved and sensible Mia, and then at Cherry, who was already talking about handsome guys with her aunt. He took out his cell phone, opened up the chat with the tyrant, and sent him a message: ¡¯Daddy, Cherry and Aunt Brenda have already be fast friends.¡¯
Sure enough, Justin called Brenda the very next moment!
The ringtone started to y.
Cherry¡¯s puzzled voice rang out. "Aunt Brenda, who¡¯s Stick-in-the-Mud?"
Brenda rejected the call and replied with a big smile, "We don¡¯t have to pay any attention to him!"
Who else could it be?
The guy who was always trying to convince her not to be the queen of scumbags, of course!
For Justin to call at a time like this, he was definitely nning to threaten her into staying away from Cherry, so why would she ever pick up the call?
After Brenda spent over an hour with Cherry, Nora finally went downstairs after settling work matters.
As soon as she did, she discovered that Brenda¡¯s attitude towards her had undergone aplete reversal. She made eyes at Nora and asked, "Nora, you were already in a rtionship with Justin six years ago, weren¡¯t you?"
"... I suppose," replied Nora.
Although she didn¡¯t have any impression of him, nor had she ever met him back then, the two of them had produced children with each other.
The next moment, Brenda sighed and said, "My heart goes out to you, Nora."
Nora: "?"
Brenda held Cherry in her arms. As the two of them continued looking at the phone, she said, "The two of us can openly admire handsome guys, but you are bound by marriage to Justin instead! What else can women look forward to in life once they can¡¯t change boyfriends anymore?"
Nora: "..."
"Forget it. Now that I¡¯ve abducted Cherry, Justin is already close to his limit. If I abduct you too, he will probably explode."
Brenda tilted her head and winked at Nora. "But since you are my sister-inw, I can help you out at work."
Nora: "??"
Brenda said, "Morris is a workaholic and a cold and ruthless machine. He has very demanding work requirements. Since he has hired you as the team¡¯s forensic doctor, he will definitely be very strict with you in the future. Don¡¯t worry, though, because I¡¯m here! Leave it to me!"
Was Morris very strict?
Apart from the other time where he had forbidden her from leaving her cell, he had been very nice to her otherwise. Even when she went to take revenge and killed someone in the martial arts tournament the other time, he had pretended not to see anything and hadn¡¯t made things difficult for her.
Nora couldn¡¯t be bothered to exin anything, though, so she replied, "... Oh, okay."
The next moment, Brenda¡¯s expression suddenly turned solemn and she said seriously, "Nora, the organization we¡¯re dealing with is very petty, though. Once they catch wind of the fact that you are also in the team, they maye after you."
She lowered her head and smiled. "I came back to the States because I found some clues. My informant told me that someone from that organization has returned to the States."
Nora nodded when she heard this. She asked, "How are we going to find them?"
"Why would we look for them?"
Brenda waved in a practiced manner. She rested her chin on both hands and blinked at Nora. "Considering how pretty the two of us are, they will definitely take the initiative toe to us."
Nora: "?"
Seeing how puzzled she looked, Brenda smiled and said, "Never mind, I won¡¯t tease you anymore. Given how many people there are going in and out the country every day, we definitely won¡¯t have any clue as to who the person from the organization is. Therefore, what we should do now, is wait. We¡¯ll wait for him to slip up himself. Since he has returned to the country, surely he didn¡¯te back just for a vacation, right?"
Only then did Nora understand what she meant.
The other party would surely be up to something, and once they took action, they would surely leave behind traces of their activity.
She nodded.
Brenda was indeed well-deserving of her position as a captain. Even though she looked delicate, beautiful, and scumbag-like, she was very experienced in these things!
It was just that... she couldn¡¯t help but wonder which direction they would choose to take action from?
For some reason, Nora had a vague feeling that they would choose to target her.
But the people around her... The Smiths were already under protection now. The Andersons were also under the Smiths¡¯ and the Hunts¡¯ protection. As for the Hunts, they had even more watertight security.
It seemed like the only opening they could target was... Tanya?
Nora immediately looked at Pete and Mia. "Pete, Mia. Where is Tanya?"
Pete replied, "God-mom was held back by Mrs. Jones after school. She said that she wanted to talk to her, so they told us to go home first."
Mrs. Jones... Jill?!
Why was she approaching Tanya again?!
Nora frowned.
¡ª
Tanya was stopped by Jill the moment she stepped out of school.
She frowned and looked at the woman.
Jill said, "Let¡¯s talk."
Tanya replied, "We have nothing to talk about."
Jill suddenly said, "Don¡¯t you want to know why I¡¯ve always treated you badly? Don¡¯t you want to know how you were born?"
Chapter 460: I’m Your Mother
Chapter 460: I¡¯m Your Mother
Her words hit Tanya¡¯s weak spot.
She kept quiet for a while before she finally said, "Okay."
Jill said, "Let¡¯s go to the cafe over there."
Opposite the Golden Sunshine Kindergarten was a rtively empty and luxuriously-decorated cafe. It was opened for parents who came to the kindergarten to pick up their children.
It was a very high-end cafe, and the menu was expensive.
After Tanya and Jill entered the cafe, Jill said, "Two cappinos please, thank you."
The service staff nodded. He was about to leave when Tanya said, "Change mine to atte."
After speaking, she looked at Jill and said, "Cappinos are too bitter."
Jill frowned. "Hiry loves cappinos the most because it¡¯s good for diet... Forget it, you can drink whatever you want."
... Tanya did not say anything.
Jill even knew what kind of drinks Hiry liked, yet she never knew what she liked.
She lowered her head. Toozy to waste any more time with her, she said straightforwardly, "So, what exactly do you want to say? Is there any problem with how I was born?"
"Of course."
After Jill replied, the service staff served them their coffees. He ced them on the table.
Jill picked up the cappino and stirred it with a spoon. She slowly said, "I presume you¡¯re already aware? You and Hiry were not born a year apart. The two of you were born on the same day. In fact, Hiry was born an hour earlier than you."
Tanya clenched her fists when she heard this.
When she was still young and ignorant in her childhood, she had fought with Hiry for her mother¡¯s love. However, Jill had always said, "She¡¯s your younger sister! You have to give in to her!"
"If you don¡¯t give in to your younger sister, I will beat you up!"
"What are you fighting with your younger sister for? She is the eldest daughter of the Joneses while you are nothing!"
"..."
Hiry had troubled her a lot just because she was younger than her...
Who would have thought that age actually wasn¡¯t the issue at all in the end?
Tanya clenched her fists. "And then?"
Jill didn¡¯t feel that what she was saying was in any way embarrassing or shameful. She merely spoke as if she was just narrating a story from the past.
"When I was still with your dad, he was very unreliable. He often disappeared for long periods. Even after dating him for two months, I still didn¡¯t even know what he was really doing for a living. All I knew was that he was always fighting and never behaved decently. I had no future with him."
Tanya clenched her fists. "Then why did you give birth to me?!"
Jill raised her head and nced at her. Then, she lowered her eyes and slowly replied, "Do you think I wanted to? I thought you were Jo..."
She suddenly paused and calmed herself down. Then, she said, "I thought you were also the Joneses¡¯ child... When I was pregnant, even afterputing the timeline, I still couldn¡¯t tell if you were Karl¡¯s or Hiry¡¯s father¡¯s child. But did you know? My social status was not good enough back then. If I wanted to marry into the Joneses, then I could only do so by having their child. Therefore, I steeled my heart and kept the child."
Her lips curled into a smile. "But in the end, when I did a DNAparison after you two were born, I instead discovered that you were not his daughter. I realized Karl must be your father."
She stared at Tanya. "Because of this, Hiry¡¯s father flew into a rage and we almost broke off the engagement... Although he still married meter, my position in the Joneses was still very awkward! All of this was because of you!"
Tanya clenched her fists. "So, that¡¯s why you hate me so much?"
Jill nodded. "That¡¯s right. This is the truth behind what happened back then. Hiry elevated my status and allowed me to marry into the Joneses, whereas your existence brought shame to me! Do you think I could have still liked you?"
Tanya took a deep breath.
She suddenly understood why Jill treated her two daughters so differently.
She had always wondered why Jill had given birth to her if she didn¡¯t love her father or her.
Now, she finally knew the truth.
She lowered her eyes and slowly asked, "Why are suddenly telling me all of this now? Are you trying to make me feel guilty?"
She sneered, "Because that¡¯s not going to happen."
Jill, however, shook her head. "No, I don¡¯t need you to feel guilty about it. I know you are innocent, but this is the truth. Whether you feel guilty about it or not, this is the truth. It is also a fact that, because of you, I was unable to hold my head up high in the Joneses for so many years! I came to you this time because I want to make peace with you."
Tanya was taken aback. "Make peace?"
"Yes. I¡¯ll let you off while you also let me off... We go our own separate ways in the future. How does that sound?"
Tanya looked at the person in front of her.
She was very calm, and her thoughts were also very clear. Her words made Tanya feel as if her heart had turned cold.
Tanya said, "I have nothing to do with you in the first ce."
Jill kept quiet for a while before she finally said, "You still have to promise me something."
Tanya knew that the highlight of the show was finally here.
Despite all the things that Jill said thus far, she was but just appealing to her emotionally.
The condition was what she truly wanted.
She said, "There is no way I¡¯ll ever write a letter of forgiveness. Not in this lifetime, not in the next."
Her words made Jill¡¯s eyes sh with hatred. However, she quickly suppressed it and said, "I know you are heartless and don¡¯t care whether Hiry lives or dies! So, I¡¯m not here for that."
"Then?"
Jill lowered her head. "It¡¯s for my own sake."
Tanya was taken aback.
Jill said, "Because of Hiry¡¯s incident, I am close to having no ce in the Joneses anymore! That¡¯s why I have to reconcile with you. You are at least Joel¡¯s girlfriend now, so you will be able to keep me safe and worry-free in the Joneses."
Tanya: "?"
Seeing that she was about to speak, Jill cut her off at once and said, "No matter what happens, I am the one who gave life to you. The fact that I am your mother will never change. Because of you, for so many years, I wasn¡¯t able to enjoy life for even a day at the Joneses. Now that you have finally be distinguished, why don¡¯t you let me ride off your coattails a little? If not... With a daughter like Hiry, the Joneses are already in talks about having your Uncle Jones divorce me."
"I signed a prenuptial agreement when I married into the Joneses back then, so I can¡¯t take even a penny with me after the divorce. If life really bes hard for me, I would have to trouble you in the end."
Tanya: "..."
For a while, she actually found herself at a loss as to what to say.
Jill got up and said aggressively, "I know you have someone spoiling you and loving you now, so you are not afraid of anything. But I am your mother, the ties between the two of us will never be severed. You cannot refuse me, can you?"
Chapter 461: The Mastermind!!
Chapter 461: The Mastermind!!
Jill¡¯s calm words were different from the threats and promises she had made at the door.
She even chuckled softly. "It¡¯s like what you said at the Smiths¡¯ house back then. You wish you could return your body to me... I don¡¯t want your bones or blood. I just want you to make peace with me."
Tanya looked at her.
She was a little puzzled and confused.
¡ª
When Tanya returned to the Smiths, Joel and Nora were already waiting for her on the sofa. When they saw her, they immediately asked nervously, "What did you talk about? Did she threaten you again?"
"No."
Tanya sat on the sofa and repeated Jill¡¯s words.
She did not hide anything because of Jill¡¯s words. She knew that things were not as simple as she had thought.
After hearing her words, Nora asked, "Did you reject her?"
Based on Tanya¡¯s personality, she would definitely reject her.
She was never one to be afraid of threats.
Tanya shook her head. "Not yet. I said that I wanted to think about it. I wanted to ask Joel for his opinion, and she agreed."
Nora was stunned. "Why would you suddenly say that?"
Tanya hesitated for a moment. "I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m being paranoid. I keep feeling that something is wrong."
Nora and Joel looked at her. Nora sensed something and asked, "What¡¯s wrong?"
Tanya sat on the sofa and continued, "Ever since I was young, Jill loved Hiry the most. I remember one time when Hiry was sick, she stayed at the hospital all night. Later, even when she fell ill herself, she still went to see Hiry."
"She definitely has a deep mother-daughter rtionship with Hiry. I even felt jealous back then..."
Tanya frowned. "I was really stunned when she suddenly came to say those words to me very calmly today. I never expected that she would give up on Hiry!"
How could a woman who loved her daughter more than her own life give up on her in just two days?
What Jill had said today made sense. It was the obvious choice for an absolute selfish person. However, when this matter was ced on Jill, who was an extremely biased mother, there was something strange about it.
At the very least, Tanya would not believe it!
Joel frowned. "Perhaps Hiry would be safer in prison if you reconcile with Jill?"
Tanya was puzzled. "Perhaps?"
But she still felt that something was wrong.
Nora suddenly said, "Promise her and see what she ns to do next!"
Tanya: "?"
Joel nced at Nora and said, "Yes, do ording to what Nora says."
Tanya nodded. "Alright, I¡¯ll call her back."
She took out her phone in front of Nora and Joel and called Jill. The other party picked up quickly. Jill¡¯s voice had a hint of nervousness that could not be detected. "Have you thought it through? How was your discussion with Mr. Smith?"
Nora nced at Tanya, and Tanya understood what she meant. She replied unhappily, "We¡¯ve discussed it. Joel agreed. From now on, tell everyone that we¡¯ve reconciled, alright? The Smiths don¡¯t want a troublesome person like you to keep bothering them forever."
Jill agreed. "Okay, that¡¯s it. I¡¯m hanging up."
After hanging up, Tanya looked at Nora and spread her hands.
Nora frowned.
The reason she had asked Tanya to suddenly agree to Jill¡¯s request was that she remembered what Brenda had said that afternoon.
She had to pay attention to the abnormality around her.
But why would Jill be trying to make peace?
Nora said calmly, "Wait a while more. I think she will definitely call again."
Half an hourter, just as Nora was suspecting that her judgment was wrong, Jill called.
Nora immediately sat up straight and motioned for Tanya to answer the call.
Jill¡¯s faint cries could be heard over the phone. "Tanya, your Uncle Jones didn¡¯t believe that we had reconciled. He even beat me up..."
Tanya¡¯s expression did not change at all. "So?"
Jill answered carefully, "So, can you help me exin to him?"
Tanya did not speak, but she let out a mockingugh.
After a moment of silence, Jill said, "I know you might not want toe over. It¡¯s okay. I have another way to show the public that we have indeed reconciled."
Tanya: "What way?"
Jill said, "Do you remember your uncle¡¯s cousin? He just graduated this year and is looking for a job. Can you arrange something for him in the Smiths¡¯pany? That way, everyone will know that we¡¯ve reconciled. You don¡¯t have to say anything... This is just a small matter for the Smiths, right? Of course, you don¡¯t have to arrange any key positions for him. He just has to be at the headquarters... At the headquarters, it would show that I helped him find a job."
Nora: "??"
This request was too mundane!
She grimaced and nodded at Tanya.
Tanya said, "Joel agreed. I hope you can keep your word in the future and stop pestering me."
Jill said, "Okay, I¡¯ll send your cousin¡¯s resume to youter."
After Jill sent the resume, Nora immediately asked for a copy and checked this person¡¯s past.
She suspected that this cousin might not be as ordinary as Jill wants them to believe.
However, she did not expect that after investigating this person, she would not find any problems.
She hesitated.
Was Jill really just looking for a job for a cousin?
¡ª
In the prison.
Visiting hours.
Jill stood in the visitation room. When she saw Hiry limping over, her heart instantly ached. Her eyes turned red as she held Hiry¡¯s hand. "Hiry, I¡¯ve seeded! Can that person really save you?"
Hiry nodded and said impatiently, "What else? We¡¯re already in this situation. Is there anyone else who can save us?"
Jill hurriedly said, "Don¡¯t get angry. I just feel that it¡¯s a little hard to believe... Besides, your cousin is also confused about his new work arrangement..."
Hiry said irritably, "Just do what I tell you to do! Why are you asking so many questions?! And make him obedient too!"
"Okay, okay..."
The visit ended, and next on the schedule was recreation time.
Hiry supported her tired body and walked to the side.
When no one was paying attention, she suddenly said, "My mother has arranged for someone to enter the Smiths. Shouldn¡¯t you fulfill your promise and save me from here?"
As she spoke, she slowly looked up at another person in a prison uniform.
This person was an acquaintance.
Chapter 462: Strange Illness
Chapter 462: Strange Illness
Without even raising his head, he ced a drug into Hiry¡¯s hand. "Eat this and you can leave."
Eat it?
Hiry bit her lip and stared at the white pill. "What medicine is this?"
"You don¡¯t need to know. Just know that if you eat it, you can go out."
The person walked away after repeating himself, leaving Hiry standing there staring at the medicine in her hand.
Should she eat it or not?
She suddenly clenched her fists and looked at the back of the person in the distance.
Thinking about how she had met this person and the changes around her during this period of time... Hiry suddenly steeled her heart and took the medicine while no one was paying attention.
She did not know what this pill would do for her.
¡ª
"What? Hiry suddenly fell ill?"
At the Smiths, when Tanya received the call, she was a little stunned. It was a call from the court. After all, Hiry had stolen her daughter. Now that she had been released to the hospital for treatment, the court had to inform Tanya of her whereabouts.
Tanya frowned. "What illness is it?"
The voice on the phone replied in a monotonous voice, "Ms. Tanya, Hiry¡¯s condition is still being examined at the hospital, but it¡¯s quite serious. She seems to have had a heart attack and has been in aa."
"Okay, I understand."
After hanging up, Tanya looked at Nora hesitantly and said, "Hiry has always been in good health. Why would she suddenly have a heart attack?"
Nora frowned. She suddenly said, "Why don¡¯t we go to the hospital to take a look?"
Tanya subconsciously asked, "You suspect that she¡¯s faking it?"
The only people who coulde out of prison were the patients.
Nora nodded and looked at the time. She happened to be free now, so she simply stood up. "Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll apany you."
¡ª
When still in prison, Hiry had already seen a doctor. The doctor was helpless and had sent her to the city¡¯s Hospital Finest.
Tanya drove and brought Nora to the hospital. The two of them walked upstairs slowly.
Nora dragged her feet as if she could not walk. Her eyes were slightly lowered, and she exuded a domineering aura.
Tanya¡¯s mouth twitched as she watched from the side. She felt that this person really knew how to put on a show. She was clearly sleepy, but she could still make the biggest pose in the world.
Everyone around looked over. Tanya could only grab her hand and pull her to walk faster toward the ward the court staff had told her about.
As soon as they arrived, they saw Jill standing outside the ward, pacing back and forth anxiously. She seemed to have heard footsteps and turned to see them. She immediately rushed over and pointed at Tanya as she scolded, "What are you doing here? Isn¡¯t it enough that you caused my daughter to end up like this?! Do you have to see her die before you can be at ease?!"
Tanya: "..."
She frowned and felt that the Jill she had seen two days ago was not the same person as the Jill from today.
Or rather, the Jill today was the Jill she was familiar with. The one from two days ago was so calm that it was terrifying.
Nora looked at Tanya¡¯s thoughtful expression. Now was not the time to quarrel with Jill. She interrupted Jill¡¯s next question and asked, "How is she?"
Nora was the eldest daughter of the Smiths and was also Justin Hunt¡¯s girlfriend.
Jill was a little worried as she said unhappily, "She¡¯s not dead yet! However, the doctor hasn¡¯t been able to find any problems until now. She¡¯s still in aa!"
At this point, she looked at the two staff members guarding Hiry at the entrance of the operating theater with resentment. "It must be because you found a bad doctor for her! Seeing that my daughter is down and out, you didn¡¯t treat her properly, did you!"
The two staff members were about to speak when Jill suddenly thought of something. She looked at Nora suddenly. "By the way, aren¡¯t you Anti? You¡¯re the world¡¯s number one surgeon. You¡¯re also known as the master surgeon. Quickly go and see my daughter!"
Nora: "..."
She stared at Jill and then at the two people at the door. She raised her eyebrows slightly. "Okay."
She also wanted to see what Hiry was up to!
As she thought this, Jill said to the two guards, "This is Doctor Anti. Can you let her in to see my daughter?"
The two of them looked at each other. It was now a critical period for Hiry to seek treatment. They had found two specialists in the hospital, but they could not see any problems. They had called Jill over because Hiry still had the right to seek treatment.
Now, Nora was considered someone hired by Jill, so they said, "Thene out as soon as possible."
"No problem."
Nora waved at the two of them and then nodded slightly at Tanya. She gave her a reassuring look before entering the operating theater.
Hiry had probably been here for three to four hours. At this moment, she was lying on the operating table with all kinds of testing equipment around her.
Nora looked at the data disyed on the device first.
Her heart was beating normally.
Blood pressure was normal.
...
All the statistics were up to standard. Even the blood test report was at the side, eliminating hypoglycemia. However, Nora observed that her brain waves were indeed abnormal.
This meant that... Hiry was not pretending to be ill?
Then why was she unconscious?
There were only nurses in the operating theater now. The other doctors had already gone out to discuss this case. Nora went to the other side and prepared to take her pulse.
She ced her fingers on Hiry¡¯s wrist and closed her eyes.
A minuteter, she opened her eyes and retracted her fingers. She frowned at her.
At this moment, the door to the operating theater suddenly opened and a tall figure walked in.
She looked up and saw a female doctor wearing surgical clothes. Behind her were a few nurses. As the group of people entered, they saw Nora. The female doctor frowned and reprimanded, "Who are you? The operating theater is not a ce you can enter as you please! Please leave!"
Nora narrowed her eyes.
Just as she was about to speak, the staff guarding the door whispered, "This is the doctor hired by the inmate¡¯s mother."
After saying that, the staff introduced her to Nora. "This is Doctor ine Miller, our lead doctor. She is also the most skilled person in our department!"
When ine heard this, she immediately rebuked the two of them. "Nonsense! The person lying on the hospital bed is a criminal. Before we figure it out, how can we let the doctors outside see her? Even Dr. Larson is helpless when ites to her condition. Her family can¡¯t be thinking that any random doctor can treat her, right?"
Nora was originally prepared to leave after she came in.
After all, she was not kind enough to really treat Hiry. She had onlye in to confirm if Hiry was really sick.
Now that she had confirmed it, she was about to leave. However, she was unhappy when she heard this.
The staff also mumbled, "She¡¯s not a random doctor."
ine sneered. "Dr. Larson is the best doctor in the domestic and foreign departments. Is she better than him?"
Chapter 463: Alternative Medicine and Modern Medicine!
Chapter 463: Alternative Medicine and Modern Medicine!
ine was famous for being a demoness in the hospital.
However, her medical skills were good, and no one dared to provoke her.
The staff member who had been scolded for no reason could not help but retort, "Yes, she is."
ine was stunned and then sneered. "Oh? Then tell me, who is she? If she¡¯s better than Dr. Larson, why haven¡¯t I heard of this person in all my years in the medical world?"
The staff coughed and looked at Nora.
Perhaps it was because she had joined Morris¡¯s investigation team and became an external employee, Morris had specially sent her a document to prove her identity... Therefore, Nora had a good impression of these staff members.
After all, they were considered her colleagues.
Seeing her colleague in such a difficult position, how could Nora just leave?
She raised her eyebrows at ine and suddenly said, "Hello, I¡¯m Doctor Anti. If you haven¡¯t heard of me, I¡¯m probably too unremarkable, I guess."
ine was obviously stunned when she heard this.
The nurses behind ine immediately covered their mouths and looked at her in shock. They eximed, "Anti?"
"Oh my god, I¡¯m seeing Anti!"
"Anti is the best international doctor. If Dr. Larson is the best in the country, then Anti is the best in the world. She¡¯s even better than Dr. Larson!"
"She¡¯s my idol!"
"..."
As the nurses were whispering, Nora realized that ine had an intense frown on her face. She seemed to be a little stunned when she heard this name. She felt awkward after being pped in the face like that but calmed down quickly.
ine did not continue talking about this matter. Instead, she looked at the staff and continued to reprimand them. "Even if Jill has found the best surgeon, you shouldn¡¯t have just let her in!"
With that, she red at the two of them. "The criminal¡¯s condition is still unclear. What if she¡¯s pretending to be sick and intends to escape? Once the two of you were deceived, she might have run away before I came here!"
The two staff members lowered their heads and pursed their lips.
It was obvious disdain.
ine¡¯s words were righteous, but she had not said anything earlier. Now that she brought up this topic, it was obvious that she was embarrassed and angry.
However, the two staff members did not reveal their thoughts. Instead, they looked at each other and coughed. "Yes, we were wrong."
ine looked at Nora and said to the two of them again, "Now, please get rid of everyone unrted to the case! I want to see the patient!"
"Yes!"
The two staff members looked at Nora.
Nora raised her eyebrows and did not make things difficult for them. She left the operating theater.
When she came out, Tanya stepped forward and asked, "How is it?"
Nora thought of Hiry¡¯s pulse earlier and said softly, "She¡¯s really unconscious, but we still have to investigate the specific reason."
As long as it was not an act and she didn¡¯t n to escape, everything else should be fine.
Tanya nodded.
At this moment, Jill came over. "Miracle doctor, how¡¯s my daughter?"
When Nora heard this, she said, "Oh, they have another famous doctor in the hospital. She seems to be diagnosing her!"
Jill was taken aback. "What do you mean?"
Nora thought about it and replied, "ine."
ine...
Jill was suddenly enlightened. "Oh!"
Before Nora could say anything, Jill said, "She¡¯s the most famous doctor in New York. She¡¯s different from ordinary doctors. She¡¯s the only alternative medicine doctor in the industry!"
"Alternative medicine?"
Nora was a little surprised.
In this day and age, there were fewer and fewer young doctors who majored in traditional alternative medicine. Furthermore, most of the doctors who could be the best in traditional alternative medicine were old.
Traditional alternative medicine emphasized reading, hearing, and cutting. One needed to umte experience based on medical cases.
However, ine was clearly only in her twenties...
At this moment, the door to the operating theater was suddenly pushed open and ine walked out.
Behind her, a few nurses said, "Doctor ine is really impressive! We didn¡¯t find any problems, but the moment she arrived, we found out!"
"That¡¯s right. We have also heard of how magical alternative medicine is, but we never believed it. We felt that it¡¯s no different from witchcraft. I didn¡¯t expect to actually witness the power of alternative medicine today!"
As the group of people ttered her, Jill went up to her. "Doctor ine, what¡¯s wrong with my daughter?"
ine said, "I checked her pulse and found that she¡¯s indeed in aa, not pretending. The specific reason still needs to be confirmed with blood tests, but I already have a general idea."
The nurses around them immediately nodded.
However, ine suddenly looked at Nora and said, "Sometimes, modern medicine is indeed very useless. In her situation, all her vital signs are normal. From the perspective of modern medicine, there are no problems at all. Most ordinary people would have symptoms such as spleen and stomach dysfunction, kidney deficiency, and other symptoms, but they can¡¯t be detected if they don¡¯t reach a certain level. Once they reach a level that can be detected using modern medicine, it means that the illness is already very serious. This can highlight the importance of alternative medicine. It also requires alternative medicine to nurse a person¡¯s body! The mystery of alternative medicine is definitely not something modern medicine canpare to!"
Nora: "??"
Tanya whispered into her ear, "Nora, why do I feel like she¡¯s implying you¡¯re inferior to her?"
Nora: "...Be more confident. Get rid of your feelings."
Tanya: "..."
The corners of her mouth twitched as she could not help but purse her lips. "She¡¯s good at alternative medicine, but you¡¯re good at modern medicine. What¡¯s there for her to be arrogant about?!"
Nora chuckled and did not answer.
However, Tanya¡¯s voice was not low, and ine immediately heard her. She frowned and looked over. She simply walked in front of Nora. "Anti, honest words are unpleasant to the ear. There are some things I have to say!"
"Do you really think that just because you¡¯re the best doctor, your medical skills are amazing? Alternative medicine is the most profound! Furthermore, your mother, Yvette, was an outstanding talent in the alternative medicine world. You didn¡¯t inherit her skills and instead went overseas to learn modern medicine! No matter how good your modern medicine is, I still look down on you! It¡¯s because you have abandoned the essence of the ancestors! In my opinion, only the best alternative medicine practitioner can truly be considered a medical expert! You¡¯re only holding a scalpel. No matter how good you are, it¡¯s just familiarity making perfect!"
When she said this, Nora instantly narrowed her eyes. "I only know how to hold a scalpel?"
Chapter 464: Sudden Death
Chapter 464: Sudden Death
The entire corridor fell silent.
The other nurses looked at each other.
ine was the best in alternative medicine in the country, while Nora was the best in international modern medicine. When these two people met, they did not know who to help at that moment.
However, ine was not afraid of her. She said, "What? Do you think I¡¯m wrong? Or do you think modern medicine is better than alternative medicine?"
Many people felt that alternative medicine was unreliable, especially in Western countries. Some even thought that it was a scam.
ine¡¯s words had clearly set a trap for Nora.
If she said modern medicine was good, she would offend most of the alternative medicine doctors in the capital. And in New York, there were many prestigious alternative medicine doctors!
If they all came together to suppress her, they could definitely make Nora¡¯s life a living hell.
However, if she said alternative medicine was good, Nora would be showing weakness and ruin her own prestige.
Nora looked at her and did not understand why this person was targeting her. However, the corners of her lips curled up slightly and she said, "Be it modern or alternative medicine, in my opinion, they¡¯re just ways to treat illnesses and save people! It doesn¡¯t matter they¡¯re noble or cheap. They can¡¯t bepared!"
Everyone nodded in agreement.
ine¡¯s expression darkened. She seemed to be a little unhappy that she could not trick Nora. She sneered and said, "Then why did Miss Smith choose modern medicine instead of alternative medicine? ording to what I know, your mother was an outstanding talent in the alternative medicine world back then! Why didn¡¯t you inherit her mantle? Instead of studying alternative medicine, you chose modern medicine. Doesn¡¯t this exin Miss Smith¡¯s thoughts?"
Nora: "?"
She raised her eyebrows slightly. "Miss Smith, you¡¯re not telling me it¡¯s just your hobby, are you? You have a mother who¡¯s famous for her alternative medicine skills, but you like modern medicine. Doesn¡¯t this show your attitude?"
Tsk.
Nora pursed her lips. Was this ine nning to pin her on the saying that modern medicine was better than alternative medicine?
She was really persistent.
She suddenly smiled and said, "How do you know that I didn¡¯t learn alternative medicine?"
ine was stunned by her light tone. However, she continued mocking, "Oh, did you learn alternative medicine? Then why haven¡¯t I ever heard your name in the alternative medicine world?"
After saying that, she did not wait for Nora to speak again and looked at her phone. "Alright, I don¡¯t have time to debate with Miss Smith here today. After all, I still have a case to settle. I¡¯m not as free as Miss Smith."
Nora: "??"
Before she could say anything, Tanya said, "Eh? Isn¡¯t it Doctor ine who suddenly walked over to talk to Nora? We didn¡¯t stop you from leaving either! You make it sound like our Nora is pestering you. Isn¡¯t that a little strange?"
ine: "..."
She red at Tanya and left.
After she left, Nora and Tanya looked at each other and were about to leave too. However, just as they turned around, they heard Jill¡¯s angry voice. "Tanya, did you do this on purpose?"
Nora turned back to look at Tanya, only to see her stunned. She looked at Jill in confusion.
Jill¡¯s fingers were about to poke her nose. "Doctor ine is Hiry¡¯s attending doctor. You offended her with your words here. You must be trying to get her to take revenge on Hiry!"
Tanya¡¯s expression instantly darkened.
A strange feeling surged in Nora¡¯s heart.
She also had two children, but regardless of whether it was Pete or Cherry, she doted on them. She was afraid that she would neglect one of them and make the other unhappy.
Pete and born sensitive, while Cherry was born to be more carefree. However, she had not overlooked Cherry and wronged her. After all, her family background was good. Why did Jill have to do this?
Jill did not have any motherly feelings for Tanya, right?
Otherwise, how could she have done this?!
Jill was also a little unhappy that Nora had offended ine. However, she did not dare to get angry at Nora. She threw her temper at Tanya. "How old are you already? You don¡¯t even know how to act! Is this the time for you to shoot your mouth off? Even if you¡¯re criticized by others, so what if you suffer a little? Why do you have to fight for the upper hand? Do you think your younger sister isn¡¯t dying quickly enough?"
Tanya suddenly roared angrily, "My younger sister?"
She looked at Jill. "How dare you say that the person lying inside is my younger sister? Isn¡¯t she supposed to be my elder sister?!"
Jill immediately choked.
She gulped and Tanya said again, "What I told you back then was only a superficial reconciliation. Don¡¯t think that we have really reconciled. However, you¡¯re right about one thing!"
Jill was taken aback. "What?"
Tanya narrowed her eyes and sneered. "I really think that the person lying inside isn¡¯t dying fast enough! She has already been arrested. Even if she doesn¡¯t have a future, she can¡¯t make up for the crime of stealing my child! I really hope that she dies from this illness!"
Jill was furious. She stretched out her hand and was about to hit Tanya. "You evil girl!"
Unfortunately, before she could do anything, Nora had already moved in front of Tanya and grabbed Jill¡¯s wrist. She looked at Jill coldly and said, "Mrs. Jones, Tanya is my sister-inw now. Before you hit her, did you ask for the Smiths¡¯ opinion? Or do the Joneses no longer care about the Smiths¡¯ opinion?"
Her words made Jill choke.
Nora whispered again, "Of course. Karl Moore is still in New York. If you have any objections to his daughter, why don¡¯t you talk to him?"
Nora touched her chin and suddenly approached her. She said again, "By the way, do you know what Karl Moore is doing now?"
Jill was stunned.
She only knew that Karl Moore was from the underworld, but she really did not know what he was doing.
Now that Nora said this, her heart sank. "What?"
Nora only smiled and did not say anything.
However, this made Jill even more afraid. She swallowed her saliva and saw Nora suddenly reach out her hand. She raised her thumb and index finger and aimed them at Jill¡¯s head.
"Bang!".
Jill was shocked and subconsciously took a step back. Then, she saw Nora¡¯s lips curl up slightly.
Strange evilness appeared on her obedient face.
¡ª
She had originally thought that Hiry¡¯s illness this time could be considered a blessing in disguise. After all, she could stay in the ward and avoid prison.
However, no one expected that two dayster, news would suddenly spread that Hiry had died in the ward.
Upon hearing the news, the police quickly surrounded the Smiths.
Chapter 465: Cause of Death!!
Chapter 465: Cause of Death!!
"Hiry is dead."
Tanya looked at Nora as she spoke.
She stared at her in shock and disbelief.
Nora frowned. "What¡¯s going on?"
"I don¡¯t know."
Tanya pointed at her phone. "I was just informed that she¡¯s brain dead. The doctors just took her off the venttor."
She subconsciously clenched her fists and took a deep breath. "This might be her retribution!"
Nora felt that this matter was a little strange.
Two days ago, she had gone to see Hiry and checked her pulse. Hiry was indeed in aa and she might have been able to find out the specific reason with a blood test. At that time, she was worried that Hiry would pretend to be sick and escape from the prison. After confirming that she was really sick, she had felt relieved.
Later on, ine took over Hiry. Furthermore, because of her special status, Nora did not pay attention to her anymore.
But why was she dead?
She frowned as the butler walked in and said, "Miss Nora, someone from the police station is here. They said..."
He gulped. "They said that further investigation has revealed that Hiry¡¯s death was a murder . As for the murderer, they have sufficient evidence and havee to arrest the culprit."
Murderer...
Nora frowned. "What¡¯s going on?"
How could the Smiths be rted to the murderer?
The butler did not understand either. At this moment, the police rushed in and said, "We already have evidence of your murder. Please surrender immediately!"
Nora: "..."
She thought about it carefully. Two days ago, she had only seen Hiry in the operating theater. At that time, there were surveince cameras in the operating theater, so these people could not have framed her.
The police officers walked towards her. Nora sighed slightly.
Why was she fated with prison...
Thest time Old Maddy fell sick, it was the same. This time, it was the same...
She had originally nned to follow the clues and find out who the mysterious person was that hade to New York. However, she did not expect that things would turn out this way.
As she sighed, the police officer walked past and behind her. He took out handcuffs and handcuffed Tanya!
Nora: "!!"
Were the policeman¡¯s words directed at Tanya?
But how was that possible?!
Tanya looked surprised as she looked at the police officer in confusion. "What are you doing? Why did you arrest me?"
The police officer said, "You¡¯re suspected of murdering Hiry. We have both material evidence and witnesses, so we¡¯re arresting you now! Please don¡¯t resist."
Tanya was stunned. "What? How could I have killed someone?!"
Nora also made a prompt decision to block the police¡¯s path. She asked in a deep and calm voice, "What¡¯s going on? Do you have an arrest warrant? What¡¯s the evidence? Also, please show your police badge. Do you really think you cane in and arrest anyone you want?"
The police officer did not expect Nora to be so domineering. He first took out his police badge and showed it to her before showing his arrest warrant.
The arrest warrant was real. Nora could not stop them. After all, if she really stopped them and escaped, it would mean that they had fled for their crimes and would be confirmed as guilty.
Nora looked at Tanya and said calmly, "You go first. I¡¯ll contact thewyer immediately and prepare to bail you out."
Tanya took a deep breath and nodded. "Okay."
When Tanya was brought out by the police, Jill arrived as well. When she saw Tanya, her eyes were red and she looked like she had gone mad. "Tanya! You killed Hiry! I knew it. You always wanted her dead! You vicious person! You murderer! I should have strangled you to death when you were young! I should have thrown you to death! A person like you shouldn¡¯t have appeared in this world!"
She rushed toward Tanya in anger, but the police stopped her.
Jill was stopped by someone. Her hands and feet tried to w out to her, but she could not touch Tanya.
She continued to curse. "You killed my daughter. I don¡¯t want to live anymore, but before I die, I will take you with me! I will make you pay!"
The police formed a protective circle around Tanya.
She looked at Jill in shock.
The person in front of her had already gone mad. It was obvious that she had decided to go all out. It was courage that allowed her to risk her life for her daughter.
This was not about gaining benefits, but true selfless motherly love!
But if she loved her daughter so much, why was she always so cold to Tanya?
Tanya looked at Hiry in confusion and muttered, "Am I not your daughter?"
"No! I don¡¯t have a daughter like you! You¡¯re a murderer! You¡¯ll die a horrible death. I¡¯ll curse you to go to the deepest pits of hell after you die!"
"..."
These extreme evil thoughts and curses made Tanya slowly retract her gaze.
She did not say anything else and followed the police into the car.
¡ª
At the hospital¡¯s mortuary.
ine was wandering around Hiry¡¯s corpse. She frowned and inspected the marks on the corpse. She said, "There are scratches on the victim¡¯s body. Her fingernails were torn off, which means that she went through an intense struggle when she was alive. We have detected an unknown drugposition in her body. Our initial estimate is that its poison. We¡¯re pretty certain that she died from the poison."
After the examination, the nurse beside ine could not help but say, "Doctor ine, could her death be rted to her previous unconsciousness? Could it be that she was poisoned in the prison and had fallen sick because of it? We just didn¡¯t notice."
These words made ine clench her fists tightly. She looked at the nurse with a sharp gaze. "What nonsense are you talking about? We indeed could not find out the reason for hera, but we did not find anything in her blood, either... It was clearly after Tanya saw her that she died from the poisoning!"
The young nurse said, "But..."
"But what?" ine red at her. "Are you a doctor or am I? Even if a forensic doctores to investigate, this would be the only judgment!"
The young nurse gritted her teeth. She knew that this matter had to be resolved like this.
Otherwise, it would mean that ine¡¯s medical skills were bad and she could not treat Hiry well.
However...
She couldn¡¯t help but say, "There¡¯s Doctor Anti too!"
What if the international expert could tell the real cause?
However, as soon as she said this, ine smiled. "She¡¯s already dead. Do you think just any random doctor can look at her body? With me around, even a forensic doctor won¡¯t be able to touch her!"
With that, she said, "Don¡¯t worry. Unless someone from the special departmentes, no one can overthrow my judgment!"
Chapter 466: Evidence!
Chapter 466: Evidence!
The nurse was stunned. "Special department?"
The young nurse did not know about them, so she asked hesitantly, "What¡¯s that?"
ine said, "It¡¯s a department above the normal police service. If they take over the case, all of us have to listen to them... Forget it. You won¡¯t understand even if I tell you this. Anyway, after this case is sessfully closed, I¡¯ll have enough experience umted to apply for a position in the special department."
If she could join the special department, it would be an honor for her!
Moreover, Captain Ford from the special department... had an honorable status and was admired by everyone.
At the thought of this, ine¡¯s face turned a little red as she became excited.
She signed her diagnosis and autopsy report and handed them to the nurse. Then, she looked at the nurse and said, "The cause of death has been determined, let¡¯s cremate the corpse now."
The nurse was stunned. "So fast?"
"Yes, it¡¯s summer now. Corpses rot if they¡¯re left out for too long. Even if there¡¯s a freezer, there¡¯s no need to keep her body."
The nurse courteously replied, "Then I¡¯ll contact the victim¡¯s family."
"Okay."
After saying that, ine looked at her. "Contact her now."
The nurse did not expect her to be so anxious. He asked, "Ah?... Ah, okay."
¡ª
When Tanya was taken away, she only said one sentence to Nora. "Take good care of Mia."
After she was taken away, Nora went upstairs first.
It was the weekend today, so the children did not go to school. They were ying inside and seemed to have heard the noise downstairs. Therefore, when Nora entered, she saw Mia anxiously wearing her shoes. She asked in a small voice, "Why was my mommy arrested?"
Pete said, "Don¡¯t worry. They must have caught the wrong person."
Cherry held her phone. As they were in the midst of an intense team battle, she looked at Mia and then downstairs.
She hesitated for 0.01 seconds before throwing her phone down and putting on her shoes. "Let¡¯s go downstairs and ask Mom!"
Nora pushed the door open and entered.
When she saw the three children, she said, "Mia, your mommy has something on and needs to go to the police station. Don¡¯t worry."
Mia asked hesitantly, "Is she really okay?"
Nora got down on her knees and ruffled through her hair. "She¡¯s really fine. Your mommy is such a good person, and the police officers specialize in catching bad people. Why would they catch your mommy?"
Mia tilted her head and thought about it carefully. "Yes, Aunt Nora is right. Then, when will Mommy be back?"
"She¡¯ll be back tonight."
Nora coaxed her patiently. Her voice was very soft. Although it was deep, it was very gentle. After saying that, she looked at Cherry and saw that the little fellow¡¯s big eyes were darting around. She pouted and then silently said to Nora, "Mommy, you¡¯re lying."
Nora: "..."
She knew that this brat was smart and could tell that things were not so simple.
However, Cherry cooperated and persuaded Mia. The little fellow looked up and said confidently, "Mia, don¡¯t be afraid. Even if something really happens to your mommy, my mommy won¡¯t just sit there and do nothing! Besides, your daddy is very powerful too! If they can¡¯t do it, then look for my daddy!"
Mia tilted her head. "What if your daddy can¡¯t do it, either?"
"Then find my auntie and grandma!" Cherry patted her chest. "Don¡¯t worry. My auntie and grandma are the best!"
Mia was really deceived by her confidence. She nodded. "Okay."
Nora said, "You guys have fun here. I¡¯ll get the nanny to watch over you all. You all have to stay at home obediently today, okay?"
Mia: "Okay!"
Cherry said, "Don¡¯t worry, Mommy! I¡¯ll take good care of Mia and Pete!"
Pete: "..."
When Nora saw that Mia had calmed down, she went out and picked up her phone to call Joel. However, the moment she went out, she felt a tiny tug on her pants.
She lowered her head and met Pete¡¯s stern but serious face.
He thought for a moment and said, "Mommy, I just saw that God-mom was taken away by them in handcuffs."
Nora: "?"
Was her son so observant?!
It was too difficult to lie to him.
She lowered her head and was about to say something when she heard Pete¡¯s clear analysis. "You should contact Uncle and Dad immediately and get awyer to bail God-mom out. If they came here for an arrest, they must have had an arrest warrant. That means they have solid evidence, but God-mom definitely didn¡¯t do anything bad. You should look at the evidence. If I¡¯m not wrong, the evidence must have been tampered with."
"..." Hearing his logical analysis, Nora felt for the first time that her son was indeed very smart.
Although he did not like to talk much and spent all his time doing Mathematical Olympiad questions, he was indeed worthy of being a child of the Hunts. Even when faced with dire situations, he could maintain hisposure and think clearly.
She touched Pete¡¯s head. "Okay, I¡¯ll do all of that. But Mia is in a bad mood, so can please take good care of her?"
Pete looked at Nora helplessly. "Mommy, I¡¯m not a three-year-old child anymore."
These words to coax a child were useless on him.
However, Nora said seriously, "Pete, Mommy isn¡¯t coaxing you. I¡¯m telling the truth. Cherry has a rough personality and a big heart. I¡¯m worried about letting her take care of people. But if it¡¯s Pete, Mommy would be relieved!"
These words made Pete¡¯s face turn red. He nodded and even spoke up for his sister. "Sister is also very good."
Nora: "..."
This fellow was really adorable!
Nora left the house and called Joel. Joel already knew about the situation when the police came in to arrest him. He said, "I¡¯m bringing mywyer over. I¡¯ll probably arrive with them."
Nora nodded. "Sure."
Nora and Joel were not allowed to see Tanya before the case was processed. Only thewyers were allowed to discuss these matters.
After more than half an hour, thewyer walked out with a frown. "The matter has been rified! They do indeed have the evidence to back Ms. Turner¡¯s arrest! Hiry¡¯s death was caused by the toxins in her body. During the time she was detained, only Miss Tanya had seen her! She injected something in Hiry¡¯s infusion drug. All of this had been recorded by the surveince cameras. We¡¯re at a great disadvantage right now!"
Chapter 467: Confess!
Chapter 467: Confess!
When they heard this, Nora and Joel were stunned.
Tanya had met Hiry in private? And she had injected something into her IV tube? How was that possible?!
Although Tanya hated Hiry, she would not do something like that because she still had Mia to take care of. She could not do anything illegal.
Joel was the first to speak. "Impossible."
Nora nodded as well. "Although Hiry is unconscious, she will still go to jail even if she wakes up. She has already received the punishment she deserves. Tanya would not harm her again!"
Thewyer sighed. "But Ms. Tanya once told Jill that she would never forgive Hiry. She even wanted Hiry to die."
Nora: "..."
She had indeed said this when Jill questioned her in the hospital. Moreover, there was a nurse beside her at that time.
Thewyer said, "Someone has evidence to prove this. Therefore, Ms. Tanya has a motive for the crime. In addition to the surveince video and the toxins collected from the body... there is both human and material evidence. Furthermore, Ms. Tanya has already confirmed the evidence from the surveince cameras..."
These words stunned Nora and Joel. The two of them looked at thewyer in disbelief and questioned at the same time, "How is this possible?"
Thewyer frowned as well. "I can¡¯t get bail now, but I¡¯ve requested to meet Ms. Tanya. The two of you can follow me."
Joel and Nora nodded.
Soon, the formalities werepleted. Nora followed behind Joel and thewyer and slowly entered the interrogation room.
Tanya sat there inside the interrogation room, looking a little flustered and helpless. She clenched her fists tightly and turned her head away the moment they entered.
After the others had left, Nora remained silent. Joel, on the other hand, said slowly, "Tanya, you didn¡¯t really go to see Hiry, right? There must be something wrong with their surveince cameras. Why are you admitting to it? Did they torture you?"
When Tanya heard this, the panic in her eyes gradually calmed down. She looked a little depressed and shook her head. "No. The police work ording to thew. They can¡¯t torture me. You¡¯re thinking too much."
Joel stared at her. "Then why did you admit to it? And what¡¯s with the surveince cameras?"
When he asked this, Nora had already started ying the video on her phone.
In the video, Tanya could be clearly seen entering the ward and taking out something to push into the IV line.
Nora stared at that face. After knowing Tanya for so many years, she could almost confirm...
Tanya suddenly looked up and said slowly, "I didn¡¯t want to kill her!"
Her words confirmed everything thewyer had said!
Nora put her phone away.
She thought that it was all a lie, but she did not expect it to be true!
If the video was real, they could not do anything.
When Joel heard this, he was extremely surprised. He, who could remain calm in the face of death, asked anxiously, now that it concerned Tanya, "You... You really went to see her? What did you inject her with?"
Tanya lowered her head and took a deep breath before saying, "It¡¯s called Benzotin. This thing can make her feel pain even in aa."
"..."
The interrogation room fell silent.
Tanya held her head and said in pain, "I didn¡¯t want to kill her. I just wanted her to feel pain... Joel, do you know? I interacted with Mia a lot before I realized that there are some scars on Mia¡¯s private parts... They are all old scars. I asked Mia about it, and she told me... that it was her mother, when she was young. Because she was insensible, she cried and made you frown, so Hiry used a cigarette butt to burn her privates!"
Tanya¡¯s words were still trembling.
A day ago, she had given Mia a bath...
Actually, she should not look at a child¡¯s private parts when she grows older.
As a father, Joel had not seen it since Mia was three years old.
But Tanya loved Mia too much. When she saw the small mole on Mia¡¯s shoulder, she wanted to check her entire body.
She did not expect to find such a big scar...
It had been a long time ago, and the scar was very big. It was obvious how much Mia had suffered back then!!
She had asked Mia about it, who had said in fear, "Mommy, I¡¯ll be serious and obedient in the future. Don¡¯t punish me like this."
At that moment, Tanya felt like she had lost her mind!
No wonder. No wonder her daughter, who had been pampered by Joel since she was young, was so careful. She did not have any arrogant habits at all.
No wonder Mia was so afraid of Hiry...
So that was the reason!!
Tanya was trembling with anger. She held back her rationality and coaxed Mia to sleep before sitting there in a daze for the entire night.
She knew that even if she revealed this matter, Hiry would already be dead because this matter could not be changed to a death sentence... The one who would be affected the most was Mia.
Mia would be pitied because of this.
She did not want her daughter to be pitied.
However, she could not vent her frustration and anger at all. It was only in the morning that she made up her mind.
Even if she had to be a bad person or a murderer this time, she would not let Hiry off so easily! Because seeing her child in pain was the most intolerable thing for a mother!
Therefore, she had searched for drugs that could make one¡¯s nerves feel extremely painful and had secretly gone to the hospital to inject them into Hiry¡¯s IV bottle.
Hearing Tanya¡¯s words, Joel stood up suddenly.
The man, who was more than 1.8 meters tall, was trembling like a sieve. He looked at Tanya in disbelief. "How... how is this possible..."
His daughter had actually suffered like this under his watch?!
He clenched his fists tightly, his eyes filled with tears. "It¡¯s... my fault."
Tanya shook her head. "You¡¯re a father, and she¡¯s a girl. How could you have known? If it weren¡¯t for the coincidence, I wouldn¡¯t have looked so carefully at my daughter... She¡¯s already five years old... Hiry took advantage of this!"
She suddenly looked up with red eyes and said in a trembling voice. "So, I don¡¯t regret it. Even if I kill her, I¡¯m willing to face the consequences! But what about my Mia?"
Towards the end, she looked a little lost.
Almost as soon as she said this, Joel held her hand and suddenly said, "Tanya, what does this have to do with you? I was the one who gave you the medicine!"
Tanya was stunned. "When did you give it to me..."
At this point, she suddenly understood.
Joel was trying to take the me!
Her eyes were red asrge tears rolled down her cheeks. She lowered her head and wiped her tears. "Stop fooling around..."
However, Joel said firmly, "I¡¯m useless. I couldn¡¯t protect my wife or my daughter... Back then, I broke up with you because of a small misunderstanding. Now that something like this has happened to my daughter, it¡¯s my fault. It¡¯s all my fault... I want to tear Hiry to pieces!"
Chapter 468: Too Late!
Chapter 468: Too Late!
Tanya grabbed his hand. "This isn¡¯t your fault. It¡¯s my fault. I didn¡¯t say anything and hid everything... I med myself for believing Jill¡¯s words back then and going overseas. When I found out I was pregnant, I forced myself to give birth, but I didn¡¯t have the ability to protect the child..."
As she spoke, her voice was choked with tears. "That¡¯s why I can¡¯t let my daughter live under her shadow forever. I want my daughter to know that people who¡¯ve done bad things to her will pay the price!"
Large tears rolled down her cheeks again.
However, Joel seemed determined. He suddenly stood up. "Tanya, you don¡¯t have to hide it for my sake. I know you love me, but there¡¯s really no need for you to be so silly... Besides, you couldn¡¯t have bought that medicine by yourself!"
Tanya bit her lip.
Yes, ordinary people could not buy that drug, but what about the future mistress of the Smiths?
She had used Joel¡¯s name to buy that medicine!
She cried and said, "I¡¯ve already admitted my crime! Mia can¡¯t live without her father! Joel, if you still have any feelings for me, don¡¯t be a jerk at this time!"
Joel did not stay silent and only said, "Mia is a girl. She needs her mother more."
Nora watched as the two of them argued. She was still digesting the news she had just received.
She didn¡¯t expect Mia to be treated this way. Not to mention Tanya, even she couldn¡¯t ept it. If such a thing happened to Cherry...
Not to mention inserting a drug, she would immediately shoot Hiry into meat paste with a gun!
While she was also feeling angry, these two people were going back and forth. They were both going to shoulder thewsuit. Nora could only abandon all her senses.
Now, Tanya and Joel were angered by Mia¡¯s matter. The two of them had no rationality to speak of, so they did not notice that there was a problem with Tanya¡¯s story. She interrupted the two of them. "Erm, don¡¯t fight over it. That medicine is not fatal."
When she said this, Tanya and Joel¡¯s voices paused.
Thewyer sighed. "Yes, this thing is poison, but it won¡¯t kill her. However, the coroner¡¯s conclusion is that Hiry¡¯s body was originally weak. She died because she was injected with this thing!"
Tanya smiled bitterly. "Of course, I knew it wouldn¡¯t kill her... Although I lost my rationality back then, I knew that Mia still needed me! I couldn¡¯t let a scumbag ruin my life! That was why I researched online for medicines that could cause pain but would not kill... I didn¡¯t expect her to die."
No matter how angry Tanya was, she would never leave Mia alone again.
However, she could not swallow her anger. Therefore, she chose topromise.
She had punished Hiry in a safe way.
She never expected that the medicine, that only worked on the nerves and did not harm the human body, would actually take Hiry¡¯s life!
When thewyer heard this, he asked, "When you searched on the Inte, what were the keywords?"
Tanya replied, "Painful but not fatal."
Thewyer heaved a sigh of relief. "That¡¯s good! We can use this for a counterattack! It can prove that you didn¡¯t intend tomit murder! It was idental murder! In addition to the fact that you have a child... I think the judge will show mercy!"
Joel hurriedly asked, "How benevolent can the judge be?"
Thewyer looked at Joel. "Mr. Smith, if you were the one who had done it, then it would have been intentional murder. Therefore, only Ms. Tanya would be able to use this counterattack. And because it wasn¡¯t intentional, and because Hiry¡¯s actions were too hateful, the judge will pity Ms. Tanya. I¡¯m confident that Ms. Tanya will only be sentenced to three years at most!"
When Tanya heard this, she looked at Joel. "Wait for me. I¡¯ll see you in three years."
Joel pursed his lips and suddenly said, "I¡¯ll give you a grand wedding in three years."
Tanya¡¯s eyes turned red. "Forget it. If you marry a woman who has been in prison, you will beughed at."
"I¡¯m not afraid of beingughed at. I just feel very useless." Joel clenched his fists. "Tanya, I¡¯m sorry."
It was the end of visiting hours. Nora and Joel stood up and left with theirwyers.
As soon as they left the room, Joel looked at thewyer. "If I had attempted murder on purpose to avenge my daughter, how long would I be sentenced to?"
Thewyer was stunned, but when he saw that Joel was serious, he calcted in his heart and said, "10 years."
Joel smiled. "Okay, that¡¯s the n."
Thewyer was stunned. "Mr. Smith, it¡¯s 10 years! It¡¯ll only be three years for Ms. Tanya!"
Joel lowered his eyes. "Do as I say."
He would rather be in prison for 10 years than letting Tanya suffer for another three years.
Thewyer instantly became bitter and vengeful. He simply looked at Nora. "Miss Smith, please persuade Mr. Smith!"
Nora was deep in thought and did not hear him at all. She only reacted when thewyer tugged at her sleeve. "What?"
Thewyer could only repeat Joel¡¯s decision.
However, Joel, who was beside her, gradually sensed Nora¡¯s abnormality. He frowned and suddenly asked, "Nora, do you find something odd?"
Nora nodded. "I¡¯ve been thinking about it. Could Hiry really die if injected with 5 milliliters of Benzotin? ording to what I know, Benzotin only affects the nerves and makes people feel pain, but it¡¯s harmless to the body."
Joel did not know medicine, so he did not suspect anything when he heard about this medicine.
However, after Nora said that, he suddenly frowned. "You mean..."
Nora shook her head. "I¡¯m not sure either, but I still think we should go and see the corpse."
Joel nodded immediately.
He looked at thewyer.
Thewyer also understood something. He hurriedly went to look for someone and asked to see the corpse.
When the staff member heard this request, he did not reject it. He picked up his phone and called the morgue. However, when the call connected, he was stunned. "What? She¡¯s already been sent to the crematorium?"
When he said this, the three people present were all stunned!
Nora and Joel eximed at the same time, "Oh no!"
Beforeing to the police station, neither of them had expected the corpse to be dealt with so quickly, so they did not think of protecting it at all.
After all, she was already dead!
They were no professional criminals, after all. They had overlooked this!!
Joel rushed to the phone and asked, "When did you send it out?"
The person was stunned. "Half an hour ago..."
After Tanya admitted to it, this case was basically set in stone. Therefore, the handling of the corpses was also within the rules!
Joel and Nora looked at each other. Without a word, they rushed out the door. Nora jumped into the driver¡¯s seat and said to Joel, "Sit tight!"
As soon as she said that, the car rushed out!
Joel was already making a call, but the vehicle carrying the corpse had already arrived at the crematorium. The corpse had been sent in and the door was closed!
When burning corpses at high temperatures, once they entered the furnace, they could not be taken out again!
Because it was impossible to stop halfway.
So... it was toote!
They were a step toote!!
If the corpse was cremated, there was no chance of turning the situation around!
Chapter 469: A Turn of Events!!
Chapter 469: A Turn of Events!!
Screeeeech!
The car stopped at the entrance of the crematorium. Almost the moment the car stopped, Nora and Joel jumped out.
The guard was stunned. He went forward and asked, "Hey, what are you guys doing? You..."
Before he could finish speaking, Joel had already pushed him away. Nora turned sideways and slithered in. The security guard was a little surprised by the two of them. After being stunned for a moment, he chased after them. "Stop right there! This is not a ce where you can just barge in!
Unfortunately, the two of them had already run toward the entrance of the crematorium!
At the entrance, a few cars were parked orderly. ine sat in the front passenger seat of the car and leisurely stared at the venue, which had already closed the door.
When she saw her, Nora rushed forward and stared at her. "Where¡¯s the corpse?"
ine raised her eyebrows. "What corpse?"
Nora replied, "Hiry Jones¡¯ corpse!"
ine smiled. "Why should I tell you where her body is? Who do you think you are?"
As soon as she finished speaking, Joel had already opened the door to the front passenger seat. Nora grabbed ine¡¯s arm and pulled her out of the car.
The two moved like flowing water, stunning ine. When she came back to her senses, she was already standing in front of Joel and Nora!
Nora grabbed her wrist tightly and asked, "Tell me, where is Hiry Jones¡¯ corpse?"
ine tried her best to shake off her grip and said angrily, "Why should I tell you? Let go of me right now! Otherwise, you¡¯ll be breaking thew!"
At this moment, the guard at the door rushed over and blocked their way. The guard asked, "What¡¯s going on?"
ine shouted, "Call for help immediately. Someone is breaking thew here!"
When the guard heard that, he hurriedly found a few people and surrounded Nora and Joel. Someone had already taken out a weapon and aimed it at them.
Joel took a deep breath. "I suspect that the cause of the deceased¡¯s death has not been investigated clearly, so we need to stop the cremation immediately! Send the corpse out right now!"
As soon as she said this, those people looked at ine.
ine smiled. "Mr. Smith, what¡¯s wrong? The Smith family is so powerful. Are you nning to tamper with the corpse? My colleagues and I have already determined the cause of death and signed it. Moreover, Ms. Tanya has already confessed! Why can¡¯t you let Ms. Jones rest in peace? If you take her out halfway through the cremation... that¡¯s impossible!"
Joel stared at her. "Are you guys stopping or not?"
The Smith family members were around, and some people had even followed them in.
If this group of people did not stop, he would cause a riot here!
The Smiths were not easy to bully!
ine was shocked by his gaze. She sneered and said, "What? Is the Smith family nning to attack us? Let me tell you, everyone around here is my colleague. We¡¯re not afraid of you at all! Everything has to be done ording to the rules! Without orders, we can¡¯t stop the cremation!"
Orders...
By the time thewyer applied for an order to stop the cremation, her body would probably already be burnt to ashes!
This ine was clearly making things difficult for them on purpose. Or rather, she wanted to close this casepletely.
ine lowered her head and yed with her nails. She spoke first. "Mr. Smith, you¡¯re just a wealthy man. No matter how powerful you are in the business industry, you¡¯re just the husband of a criminal in my eyes! You want me to stop the cremation and I have to do as you say? Do you really think you¡¯re some big shot?"
She looked at Joel. "Let me tell you, unless someone from the special department is standing in front of me right now, I¡¯m not changing my mind!"
Joel¡¯s expression turned cold as he looked at the burning room. He was about to order his subordinates to attack when Nora¡¯s cold voice suddenly sounded. "Then I order you to stop the cremation immediately!"
As soon as she said this, Nora took out the documents Morris had given her from her pocket and handed them to ine. "The special department¡¯s external forensic doctor, Nora Smith, requests that you immediately stop the cremation!"
"..."
Everyone around fell silent.
ine swallowed her saliva. Nora had already looked at the few staff members following behind her. She waved the documents in front of them and roared, "Special Case Departments! Priority is above all departments! I order you all to stop immediately!"
"...Yes."
Someone said, turning around to press the button.
However, ine stopped the other party and stared at Nora. "I need to determine the authenticity of this document. What if it¡¯s fake?"
The staff was stunned and said, "This... It can¡¯t be fake, right?"
ine exined slowly, "You can fake any certificate these days. I think this certificate might be fake! We still have to be careful when handling matters!"
The staff could only nod. "Please let us determine its authenticity."
Nora took back the documents and said righteously, "I¡¯m on a special mission! Please cooperate with me immediately. If the evidence is destroyed, would you bear the responsibility?! Don¡¯t you know what¡¯s important? Stop immediately!"
The staff looked at ine. "ine Miller..."
ine narrowed her eyes. Her gaze suddenlynded behind Nora. She smirked. "Yes, I suddenly feel that what Miss Smith said is right. Then, let¡¯s stop for now!"
The staff member heaved a sigh of relief and ran to the switch of the device. Just as his fingers touched the button, the device made a beeping sound.
He was stunned.
He turned to look at Nora in shock and said, "It¡¯s toote. The corpse has already been burned."
Nora: "??"
She looked into the room and pushed the door open. "What room is it?!"
The cremation facility could handle a few bodies at once.
The staff swallowed. "Number Five."
Nora rushed in front of Number Five. There were only bones in front of her. The rest had already been burnt to ashes...
Joel followed in as well. When he saw the situation in front of him, his expression darkened.
ine followed him in and said slowly, "Sigh, I¡¯m sorry. Look, I wasted some time and identally burned it all. It¡¯s over..."
Almost as soon as she said this¡ª
Thud!
Nora punched her in the face!
She red at ine angrily. "You were deliberately stalling for time!"
ine took a few steps back after being punched. Her cheeks instantly puffed up, and even her mouth tasted bloody.
Golden light shone in front of her eyes and she felt dizzy. She stared at Nora¡¯s hand. She did not expect this woman in front of her, who looked soft and weak, to have such strength in one punch.
She was beaten until her head was dizzy. She stared at Nora. "What right do you have to beat up a colleague? This is illegal!"
Almost as soon as she finished speaking, Nora punched her again, hitting her other cheek heavily!
After two punches, ine¡¯s cheeks were all red and bloody.
Nora stared at her. "You¡¯re deliberately interfering with the matters of the special department. It¡¯s a light punishment to be punched twice by me!"
Looking at her sharp and cold eyes, ine covered her face and retreated in fear. She shouted in a daze, "I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about... This isn¡¯t over. I¡¯m going toin to the higher-ups!"
"I will also report to my superiors and see if they listen to you or me!"
Nora left these words angrily before leaving the incineration room with Joel.
Joel looked at Nora, who was walking in front of him angrily. The man was very calm. His eyes even shone with a fierce light. He slowly said, "Nora, don¡¯t be angry. I originally wanted to do everything by the book, but since these people seem too keen to disregard thew, don¡¯t me me for not following it, either!"
The Smiths had always kept a low profile. To outsiders, they were always smiling. Therefore, people felt that the Smiths were easy to bully, right?
However, they did not know that... it would be easy for Quentin¡¯s secret organization to save Tanya!
At most, he would settle down overseas with Tanya!
Anyway, Uncle Ian had found his biological daughter. He could temporarily handle everything regarding the Smiths in the country...
Just as he was thinking about it, he saw Nora, who had gotten into the car, suddenly turn around and look at him. The anger from earlier had disappearedpletely and was back to its usual nonchnce.
She smiled. "Joel, don¡¯t be rash. I know what to do about this."
Her almond-shaped eyes shone with a strange light.
Joel: "?"
He narrowed his eyes and thought of how Nora had been acting very rashly ever since she found out about this.
He did not know much about medicine, so when he heard that Tanya had drugged Hiry, he really thought that it was poison. He did not think in the other direction, nor did he think about protecting the corpse. However, Nora understood. She still listened to Tanya exin the reason and allowed thewyer to find out what had happened. Then, she seemed to have realized the need for the corpse and rushed over anxiously.
Thinking about it now, why did he feel like she was acting?
Joel thought about it and said, "Then Tanya..."
"Don¡¯t worry."
Nora only left two words before starting the car. She first took Joel to the Smiths before driving out again. She drove around the city twice and shook off the people following her before entering a vi in the suburbs.
As soon as she entered, Brenda said in a hoarse voice, "Sister-inw, you¡¯re here? Come and help me take a look. Which of these guys is more handsome? They all asked me out for dinner tonight, but I haven¡¯t decided who to eat yet..."
Nora hesitated. "Who to eat?"
Brenda covered her mouth with her delicate fingers. "Oh, look at me. Why am I speaking my thoughts out loud?"
Nora: "..."
Brenda satzily on the sofa in front of her. Her long, fair legs were crossed, her short skirt just wrapped around her butt. She was so sexy that she looked like a stunner.
Her eyes were charming as she looked up. If not for the cold freezer beside her, everyone would have thought that she was about to have a beautiful date.
Nora ignored her and looked at the corpse in the freezer. Hiry was lying quietly inside. Her injuries were obvious and one could tell that she had experienced a lot of pain before she died.
Chapter 470: How She Became Pregnant Back Then!!!
Chapter 470: How She Became Pregnant Back Then!!!
Actually, when Jill came to look for Tanya, Nora had already reported to the special department.
She suspected that Jill was rted to that mysterious organization, so Brenda and Morris continued to pay attention to this case.
When Hiry was lying in the ward, the special department had already secretly gathered her blood samples and handed them to the special department¡¯s internal inspection department forparison.
Nora looked like she did not care about this on the surface, but she was actually giving the other party a chance to rx.
After all, they were still unable to apprehend their opponents this time, let alone know who they were...
However, Hiry¡¯s death was indeed beyond Nora¡¯s expectations. Nora knew the moment Hiry died.
When the police came to the Smiths to arrest Tanya, she had really thought that the other party wasing for her with the intention of sending her to prison. At that time, she had already thought about making a trip to the police station and seeing what was going on.
But what she did not expect was... those people were targeting Tanya.
When Tanya was arrested, she sensed something was off and sent Brenda a message. After securing the evidence, she cooperated and began her performance.
Since the other party wanted to nder Tanya, they must have a backup n... In that case, she would beat them at their own game and see what kind of conspiracy they were up to!
It was indeed Hiry¡¯s corpse that ine had sent into the crematorium. However, Brenda had been waiting inside for a long time and had secretly swapped the corpse.
Nora then rushed to the crematorium and made an angry scene. It was to let her hidden opponents think that Hiry had indeed been burned!
Nora looked at Hiry and asked, "Have you inspected her?"
Brenda tilted her head and said in a charming voice, "Isn¡¯t that your job? It was already very difficult for me to steal the body!"
"..."
Nora could not help but have goosebumps. Could this person speak more normally?
She put on her gloves and went to examine the body. Through the body, she could determine thest moments of the deceased¡¯s life.
¡ª
Hiry woke up in pain in her daze.
The pain in her body made her curl her fingers uncontrobly. She wanted to open her eyes, but she could not. She knew she might die.
How could she be dying?
She suddenly remembered that after eating the pill that person had given her, her entire body suddenly felt hot as if it was going to burn. Before she fainted, that person had sneered and scolded, "Trash! You can¡¯t even handle this little medicine!"
Hiry wanted to reach out and grab her. She wanted to shout for the other party to save her. She even wanted to say, "Didn¡¯t you promise me? Why didn¡¯t you let me out?"
However, the other party said, "I only promised you that you would leave. I didn¡¯t say whether you would leave alive or dead! You¡¯re too useless!"
Then she fainted.
If she had not been injected with Benzotin, she might not have woken up.
However, now that she was awake, she could barely move her body. The pain in her body became more and more intense as if all the nerves in her body were expanding...
She screamed in pain. She felt like there were ants crawling over her. She scratched her skin and then her arm. Her entire body was covered in scratches, but they could not alleviate the pain under the skin!
She did not want to die. Even if it hurt, she did not want to die...
But death was getting closer and closer to her... until she slowly closed her eyes.
¡ª
"Are you done?"
As Nora stood up straight, Brenda asked.
Nora nodded and briefly exined the situation of the corpse. "There are many scratches on her body. It should be neurological pain caused by Benzotin. It woke her up before she died. If Tanya had not injected her with a drug, she would have died without ever waking up."
Brenda was surprised. "What was the cause of death?"
"She was poisoned, but it doesn¡¯t seem like poison either."
Nora frowned. When Hiry was sent out, she had already taken her pulse. At that time, her pulse was very chaotic.
Brenda asked, "So was it poison or not?"
Nora said, "I¡¯ll get Lily to dissect the corpse and investigate properly. It will take time."
Brenda hummed in boredom and took out her phone to take a look. Then, she looked up at Nora. "You hit ine?"
Nora replied casually, "Yeah."
Brenda tilted her head. "I don¡¯t like her either, this person is too ugly. But weren¡¯t you just acting? You clearly knew that the corpse was with me. You shouldn¡¯t have been so angry that you wanted to hit her, right?"
Nora raised her eyebrows. "No... my hands were itchy."
Brenda was speechless.
She twitched her lips and suddenly smiled. "You¡¯re in big trouble!"
Nora walked to the sink and asked while washing her hands, "Yes?"
Brenda stood up, her slender legs wearing a pair of red high heels. She walked slowly behind her and said, "ine has reported you to the higher-ups. She said that you beat up a colleague to vent your personal feelings."
Nora raised her eyebrows. "What else?"
Brenda smiled and said, "Of course, Captain Ford is protecting you. He said that you were just anxious. After all, our case is still confidential, and we can¡¯t reveal the truth. However, ine is unwilling to let this go. She insisted on letting you be punished and making you apologize!"
Nora nodded and did not say anything else.
Brenda asked curiously, "What do you n to do next? Before we expose the mastermind, we can¡¯t clear Tanya¡¯s name. Are we going to let her be detained first?"
"Of course not."
Nora said firmly, "Mia will cry at home."
Brenda blinked her beautiful eyes. "Then what do you n to do?"
"What should we do?"
Nora suddenly smiled. "We¡¯ll just mind our own business, of course."
Brenda: "???"
¡ª
That night, the special department came forward and epted the murder case, saying that it was rted to the case they were investigating.
Then, thewyer hired by the Smithspleted the bail procedures. Tanya was picked up that night and returned home safely.
Brenda sat in the car and looked at Nora, who was napping in the front passenger seat. She pursed her lips. "Is this what you meant by our business ?"
Nora yawned. "Yes."
Everything was going ording to the n. The bail procedures were all standard. No one could say anything!
Brenda¡¯s lips twitched. "You¡¯re really domineering."
They were clearly letting her go free!
Then, she smiled. "But now, our Captain Ford is going to have a headache."
The suspect in the murder case was released... To be precise, she was no longer a suspect. She had already been convicted. Morris was definitely under immense pressure.
However, Nora did not say anything. She continued to squint her eyes.
The special department could handle cases, but they could not let her friend suffer.
Tanya had been implicated because of them. Why should she go to jail for their sake?
She yawned and looked at Brenda. "Take me home. Thank you."
Brenda was speechless.
As she drove, she asked curiously, "When do you think the mastermind will make a move?"
Nora yawned again. "In two days! If we catch the mastermind, the truth will be out."
Brenda: "...You¡¯re really confident."
Nora ignored her words. She was already leaning against the bed and falling asleep.
After Brenda took her to the Smiths, she realized that Justin was standing at the door, waiting for them. The car stopped and Brenda was about to wake Nora up when Justin suddenly made a shushing gesture.
Then, Brenda watched helplessly as Justin picked up the unconscious Nora and carried her upstairs slowly.
Five minutester, Justin walked down from upstairs. Brenda said, "Justin, you can¡¯t really be a live-in son-inw, right? When are youing home?"
Justin¡¯s dark eyes nced at her, and the mole at the corner of his eye flickered. He did not answer and asked, "It¡¯s sote. Where did you guys go?"
Brenda: "...Work."
Work...
Justin knew that Brenda¡¯s work was confidential, so he rarely asked about her work. However, when he saw Nora entangled with her today, he frowned. "What work?"
Brenda blinked and replied frivolously, "That... is our secret~ I can¡¯t tell you!"
With that, she stood up and left.
¡ª
When Nora woke up the next day, she casually picked up her phone and took a look. However, she suddenly realized that an unfamiliar number had sent her a message. "Do you want to know how you got pregnant back then? I can tell you the truth."
Chapter 471: The Truth?
Chapter 471: The Truth?
How did she get pregnant...
This had always been a mystery!
Although Justin had once lied to her and said that she had taken the initiative to force him... Nora did not believe him.
She was just toozy to expose that man.
After all, she was very confident in herself. She was sure that she would not lose such an important memory! Furthermore, she had investigated the recording of that day and she had indeed not left the house.
They originally thought that someone had entered their house... but Justin did not have any memories of this either.
It seemed like both of them had been schemed against.
But why was she plotted against into having a child?
She was silent for a moment before replying: "Tell me the truth."
The other party replied very quickly, but the content stunned Nora. "You just woke up?"
This familiar and intimate tone!
She narrowed her eyes slightly and stared at her phone. The other party seemed to have sensed that something was wrong, so another message followed quickly: "I waited a long time for your reply."
Nora: "..."
The other party seemed to hesitate. "What do you mean by ¡¯...¡¯?"
Nora: "..."
Was this person looking for her to chat?
The other party did not understand the way the Americans chatted. The other party did not seem to be American?
At this thought, she replied: "Speak."
The other party: "I can¡¯t tell you for just like that. How about this? Promise me one thing and I¡¯ll tell you."
Nora: "?"
The other party: "Americans are really strange. Why do you people always use punctuation to express your thoughts? Forget it. My condition is that as long as you join our organization, I will tell you the truth."
Nora: "..."
Was this person a clown sent by a monkey?
Her eyes turned cold as she replied: "I¡¯m not interested."
The other party: "So you want your friend to go to jail?"
Nora stared at the words on her phone and sneered. Her slender fingers tapped on the screen a few more times before replying, "The wordpromise does not exist in my dictionary."
The other party: "It¡¯s not apromise. I just admire you very much. After all, you¡¯re the world¡¯s number one surgeon. Of course, if you join our organization, other than telling you the truth, I can also help you be stronger."
Nora: "?"
She ignored this message and sent a text to Morris: "Have you found out?"
The moment she saw the other party¡¯s message, the special department had already begun investigating the cell phone number.
Morris replied: "...I can¡¯t find anything. It¡¯s a ghost ount. The message was passed through severalworks before it reached you, and our people can¡¯t track it."
Nora: "..."
How troublesome. The Special Case Department? They could not do a single thing?
She turned on herputer and prepared to do it herself.
She sent another message: "Why do you think you¡¯re stronger than us?"
The other party: "You don¡¯t have to worry about tracking me. With the level of those hackers in the country, you won¡¯t be able to find anything unless it¡¯s Q or Y from the Hacker Alliance. But forget it. Why am I telling you this? You probably don¡¯t know about the Hacker Alliance, right?"
Nora chuckled softly. "Oh? What¡¯s the Hacker Alliance?"
As she replied, she captured the signal!
Actually, the messages were very well hidden to be tracked with just a few messages. Even Nora could not capture it through one or two messages.
Therefore, she had been trying to chat with him.
Otherwise, she would not have wasted this time!
A new tracker appeared on theputer. It was the other party sending her another message: "You don¡¯t have to worry about this. You just need to know that if you join us, you can choose any industry at will and reach the top!"
The best in any industry...
She narrowed her eyes.
Was this organization really that powerful?
It was no wonder they had attracted so many people! Morris¡¯s special department had been established for many years, but they had not been caught... They were indeed a thorny existence.
She was about to continue fishing for information when the other party suddenly sent another message.
[The special department is investigating me? Do you think I will be found out just because you hired Y or Q? I have hackers who areparable to Q and Y! No matter how good the kids from the special department are, they can¡¯tpare to me!]
[Also, how did they know that I contacted you? Did you tip them off?]
[Haha, Nora, for your mother¡¯s sake, I originally nned to have a good chat with you. But now, it seems like you really want to do this the hard way!]
"Since that¡¯s the case, let¡¯s start with your friend! I can tell you clearly that there¡¯s another reason for Hiry¡¯s death. Unfortunately, I won¡¯t give you the evidence, and since Hiry¡¯s corpse has already been incinerated, you guys won¡¯t be able to find any evidence. I¡¯ll let you see your friend go to jail with your own eyes! This can be considered an appetizer for you for not appreciating my kindness!"
Four messages were sent in session. However, Nora did not look at the content of the messages. She kept following and tracking them!
Unfortunately, the tracking was suddenly intercepted. The other party should also be some expert hacker...
Nora wanted topete and find out the other party¡¯s location. However, she did not expect the other party¡¯s signal to suddenly disappear.
He was running away without fighting!
Nora frowned. At this moment, Morris called. His voice was very calm. "The signal suddenly disappeared."
Nora nodded and continued, "The other party sensed it and has already threatened me."
Morris was surprised. "What threat?"
Nora said, "He wants to send Tanya to prison."
"..."
Morris asked, "What should we do now?"
Nora sighed. "I was hiding the reason for Hiry¡¯s death to lure the snake out of its hole. Now that he¡¯s out, there¡¯s nothing to hide! Of course, it¡¯s to clear my friend¡¯s name!"
Morris agreed to this suggestion, but he seemed a little disappointed. "It¡¯s a pity we couldn¡¯t find their location."
"What¡¯s a pity?"
Nora suddenly smiled. "I found it."
Morris was shocked. "You found it? How did you do it? Where is it?"
Nora touched the tip of her nose. "Yes, I got a hacker friend to help. I¡¯ll send you the exact location. You guys go and arrest them immediately."
"Okay."
Morris had just finished speaking and was about to say something when a chaotic sound came from the other end.
Nora only vaguely heard Morris say, "Wait a minute." Then, his voice became clearer. "Miss Smith, they¡¯re really fast."
Nora was taken aback. "What¡¯s the matter?"
"Hiry¡¯s death caused a sensation on the Inte. Everyone is now calling for the arrest of the murderer!"
Chapter 472: Flip the Case!!
Chapter 472: Flip the Case!!
Nora smiled. "Inte?"
"Yes," Morris said. "But there are also some people who are scolding the dead. They say that she must be severely punished for stealing a child. She deserved to die! As a mother, Tanya was right. Please show mercy!"
Back then, in order to snatch the child, Hiry had caused an uproar on the Inte.
Now, she had suffered a bacsh again.
Even if theizens did not know the truth and really thought that Tanya had killed her, they would feel that she deserved to die.
The online consensus toward Hiry was not that great!
Nora lowered her eyes and smiled. "Okay, then let¡¯s reveal the truth!"
"Okay."
Nora was about to hang up when the other party suddenly said, "About that..."
Nora paused. "Yes?"
The other party said, "Come to the department. First, you need to check the corpse and take a look at the blood report. Secondly... ine has beenining about you."
"Tsk."
Nora said, "You want me to see her make a fool of herself?"
"..." Morris was silent for a moment before saying, "ine can be considered a colleague. Unfortunately, she made a huge mistake in this case. Don¡¯t you want to know what¡¯s going to happen to her?"
"...I really do."
After all, she liked to see others get pped in the face. Nora smiled. "Alright, I¡¯lle over now."
After hanging up, Morris sent her an address. It was an office building in New York.
Nora ate some food and was about to leave when she saw Tanya sitting on the living room sofa, ying with Mia.
Tanya was on bail now, so she applied for leave instead of going to school. She also applied for leave for Mia. The two of them could build a rtionship at home.
When she saw her, Nora suddenly thought of something. She stood up and went upstairs. When she came downstairs again, she was holding a box ofbeled ointment in her hand. "Here."
Tanya took it. "This is?"
"Medicine for treating scars."
When Tanya heard this, she was silent for a moment before taking the ointment and saying to her, "Thank you."
It was very embarrassing for a girl to have a big scar on her private parts. Fortunately, Mia was still young and could be saved.
This box of ointment had been for Cherry when she was young. She had been naughty and identally cut her leg, leaving a scar. Nora had developed medicine to remove the scar. Cherry was fine after applying it for a month.
Although it was not packaged, it was filled with expensive herbs.
Tanya naturally trusted her medical skills.
Nora waved his hand. "You¡¯re wee."
With that, she touched Mia¡¯s head and left.
However, as soon as she went out, she saw Jill standing outside the Smiths¡¯ house with the reporters. She was holding a sign in her hand with a few words written on it: "Murderers will die a horrible death! May the court judge Tanya!"
The other reporters held their cameras.
The reporters¡¯ values were still correct. After Nora went out, they immediately surrounded her.
"Miss Smith, are the Smiths really protecting Ms. Tanya?"
"Although Ms. Tanya¡¯s murder is pardonable, she is not a symbol of justice. It is wrong to kill someone in private. If the Smiths adhere to thew, they should send Ms. Tanya to court. I believe they will give a fair judgment! She will not be bailed out like this!"
"Is it legal for you to bail Ms. Tanya out now?"
"..."
Amidst all kinds of questions, Nora turned back and looked at the Smiths.
Although the butler could stop them and prevent them from entering and could even call the police to say that they were disturbing the residents, this would make the Smiths seem like they were bullying others.
Her eyes turned and she suddenly smiled. "Of course, it¡¯s legal."
"Impossible!" a reporter said. "Ms. Tanya¡¯s case hasplete evidence. She¡¯s not allowed to be bailed out!"
Jill roared, "Yes, you¡¯re clearly using the Smiths¡¯ power to bail her out and n to smuggle her out of the country! Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know! I won¡¯t let you seed!"
The others also said, "That¡¯s right. How could they have bailed her out?"
Nora did not look at Jill, who had aged 10 years in a single day. Instead, she looked at the reporters and raised her eyebrows. "Since you don¡¯t trust me so much, why don¡¯t we go to the police station to take a look? I¡¯ll get the Smiths to prepare a car and take everyone there."
When the reporters heard this, they looked at each other and finally nodded in unison. "Then let¡¯s go take a look!"
Nora nodded and instructed the butler behind her.
Jill shouted, "You can¡¯t go to the police station. You have to wait here with me. Let Tanya turn herself in! Go and get sentenced! You..."
Unfortunately, the reporters had received benefits from the Smiths previously. In their hearts, the Smiths were reasonable and a good family. This time, going to the police station to check the bail procedures was also an important report, so everyone ignored her.
In the end, the Smiths¡¯ butler arranged a few cars and took this group of reporters and Nora to the police station beside the special department.
The special department in New York was located in an office building. At first nce, it looked like apany.
Right next to it was a police station.
ine was a government doctor and belonged to their system. Therefore, herints were registered in the police station.
Nora had just gotten out of the car when she happened to see ine driving over. Her face was still swollen, and she looked very funny and ugly.
The teeth in her mouth had fallen off, blurring her words.
However, she saw the reporters behind Nora and heard the reporters questioning her.
"Will they really show us her bail documents?"
"Is Ms. Tanya¡¯s bail really legal?"
ine narrowed her eyes and suddenly took a step forward. She said to Nora, "Miss Smith! You came at the right time! I¡¯m here toin about you today! I know that you¡¯re on a different mission from me, and your position is higher than mine! But does a high position allow you to beat up your colleagues at will?"
At this point, she lowered her head and looked like she was about to cry. "I know you¡¯re unhappy that your best friend has been arrested and has be a murderer. But I¡¯m an upright forensic doctor. Hiry¡¯s death is under my jurisdiction. Just because I showed evidence that is unfavorable to Ms. Tanya, are you going to take revenge on me?!"
As soon as she said this, the surrounding reporters immediately captured the information in her words.
The reporters looked at ine and held microphones in front of her. They asked, "Madam, may I know what¡¯s going on?"
"How did Miss Smith be your colleague?"
"Why did she beat you up?"
ine wiped her tears and looked up at Nora. "Miss Smith is a famous surgeon both domestically and overseas. She¡¯s..."
The special department was a mysterious existence and was not publicly known.
ine paused for a moment before saying, "She was hired as a forensic doctor by our higher department. She used this privilege yesterday to transfer Ms. Tanya¡¯s case from our police station. Ms. Tanya had already confessed and was waiting for her sentence. I didn¡¯t expect that after she was transferred to Miss Smith¡¯s department, she would actually be bailed out!"
She said aggrievedly, "This is a case that I¡¯m handling. I definitely won¡¯t allow anyone to escape thew! Therefore, I came here today to get Miss Smith to withdraw from this case and return this case to us! I¡¯ll make sure Ms. Tanya receives the normal sanctions of thew!"
She was wearing a uniform, and her words were very trustworthy.
Furthermore, Tanya¡¯s bail was indeed abnormal. Coupled with ine¡¯s swollen face and the content of herint...
The reporters instantly believed her.
They started to attack Nora again.
"Miss Smith, is this the truth you want to show us?"
"You¡¯re hired as a forensic doctor, so you can use your authority to suppress others? I object!"
Nora stood in front quietly. Before she could say anything, her phone vibrated. Two messages were sent over. It was still that mysterious number.
[Miss Smith, is it fun?]
[If you want to overturn the case, you can only beg me. If you call me master, I¡¯ll help you. How about that?]
Chapter 473: Ms. Tanya Is Not a Suspect!
Chapter 473: Ms. Tanya Is Not a Suspect!
Master?
Was there something wrong with this person¡¯s mind?
Nora sneered. Her slender fingers tapped on the keyboard. "Call you what?"
The other party: "Master."
Nora: "Good boy~"
After sending this message, her phone exploded. The other party had sent several consecutive messages:
[I¡¯m not calling you Master. I¡¯m asking you to call me Master!]
[You¡¯re doing this on purpose. You¡¯re taking advantage of me!]
[Heh, you still say she¡¯s your best friend? I think you don¡¯t care about her life or death at all! In that case, let your best friend go to jail! Not only your best friend, but everyone rted to you will suffer!]
[I want everyone around you to die!]
Thest message made Nora¡¯s pupils shrink suddenly.
She suddenly clenched her fists.
Since the other party knew how she had gotten pregnant, it meant that they had orchestrated the whole thing!
Then they probably also knew that she had two children and that Justin was the child¡¯s father...
The words "everyone around you will die" made her anger rise. Her pretty face was cold as she typed word by word: "If anyone beside me loses a single hair, I will make your organization barren!"
After sending the message, the other party seemed to be frightened by her tone and did not reply for a moment.
However, ine was already fuming in front of her. "Miss Smith, is this your attitude when we talk to you? You keep ying with your phone and ignore us? Why? You¡¯ve entered... the department and be a leader. Your priorities are higher than ours. Am I not worthy of talking to you?"
Nora then put down her phone. She looked up and said calmly, "Why are you still so noisy if you know that?"
ine: "?"
She was stunned. She did not expect Nora to be so arrogant in front of her reporter friends!
She said angrily, "People are not divided into levels. Even if your position is higher than mine, you¡¯re too much! Furthermore, I¡¯m about to apply to join you. When the timees, we¡¯ll be colleagues of the same level... No, ording to my qualifications, I¡¯ll be ranked higher than you. Why are you so arrogant?"
Nora looked at her in surprise. "If people don¡¯t differentiate between levels, why do you care so much about it?"
ine: "!"
Nora raised her almond-shaped eyes slightly and said again, "Also, I¡¯m not looking down on you. I just... don¡¯t want to talk to you."
ine: "..."
This woman spoke very little, but every now and then, she would say something that would make one choke to death!
She said angrily, "I came here today toin about you. What kind of attitude is this? Wait and see! I¡¯ll look for your leader now!"
Nora turned her body away. Her posture was still calm. "Oh, do as you please."
ine: "!"
At this moment, knowing that Nora was here, Morris weed her personally.
Dressed in a ck jacket, it entuated his narrow waist and long legs. He was tall and straight like a pine, making him look righteous. When he saw so many reporters at the door, he frowned and looked at the person beside him in dissatisfaction. "This is a heavily-guarded ce. How can outsiders make a racket here?!"
The security guards immediately understood and stopped the reporters.
When ine saw this, she immediately said loudly, "Captain Ford, what¡¯s the meaning of this? Our reporter friends are only here to seek justice. Is there anything we can¡¯t announce to the public?"
Morris immediately nced at her.
ine choked in fear. However, when she thought of her motive foring here today, as well as the faint pain on her face that was still there until now, and the pain in her mouth because her teeth had dropped and were swelling up, she instantly shouted, "Captain Ford, you have to get Miss Smith to give me an exnation! I¡¯m handling the case normally here, but she suddenly rushed over. I wanted to check if there was anything wrong with her identification documents. Besides, I only dyed her for a few seconds. Who asked her toe sote? Even if I gave in back then, it was toote! It was clearly her own mistake, but she still vented her anger on me!"
There was such a thing?
When the reporters heard this, they immediately picked up their cameras and snapped photos. Someone even asked, "Sir, may I know what¡¯s going on?"
ine turned back to look at them. "Now that things havee to this, I¡¯m also very angry, so I won¡¯t help her hide it. Because the suspect is her friend, she used her authority to snatch the case away from our department and forcefully took the person away! This is really wrong! Captain Ford, Miss Smith is an external forensic doctor. Did you not tell her the rules of our system?"
Morris¡¯s expression instantly darkened.
He narrowed his eyes and slowly said, "Doctor ine, this case involves our department. Our department¡¯s nature is confidential to outsiders. I think it¡¯s because you don¡¯t know the rules, right?"
ine¡¯s heart sank when she heard this.
The worst-case scenario had indeed happened.
Morris had always been a protective person. Even if someone in his department made a mistake, as long as it was not a matter of principle, he would help them bear it.
Now, he even protected Nora?
Indescribable jealousy welled up in her!
She looked at Morris and shouted, "Captain Ford, I know you¡¯re protective of your team, but even so, are you going to protect someone who secretly let a suspect go?"
A reporter took the lead and shouted, "That¡¯s right. Do you always let murderers be released?"
Morris looked at the reporters sharply. "Please watch your words. Ms. Tanya is not a suspect anymore!"
Chapter 474: I Want to Bicker with You!
Chapter 474: I Want to Bicker with You!
The reporters were stunned. "What?"
ine also frowned and became a little flustered. She swallowed her saliva. "Captain Ford, y-you¡¯re actually talking nonsense in order to protect your own people? This case was solved by our team. I participated in the treatment and autopsy of the deceased the entire time. It was clearly Tanya who poisoned her and caused her death! This is our team¡¯s verdict. What do you mean she¡¯s not a suspect.
Morris frowned and looked at her. "The case has been handed over to us, so we¡¯re in charge. I don¡¯t need to report to you."
With that, he looked at the reporters. "I don¡¯t need to report anything to you. However, in order to clear Ms. Tanya¡¯s name, I will exin and rify!
We¡¯re arresting a major criminal, and Hiry¡¯s sudden illness in prison was caused by that person!
Hiry¡¯s true cause of death was not the drug Ms. Tanya used! "
These words were spoken forcefully. Although there was no concrete evidence, the reporters were already shocked by Morris¡¯s masculinity. No one dared to doubt such a fair man.
The reporters did not dare to say anything.
ine bit her lip.
This case had been solved very quickly. Because of this, she had been praised by the team and had even gained a lot of experience.
She could only apply to join the special department because of this qualification, but now, Morris was saying that he wanted to overturn this case?!
She did not dare to go head-to-head with Morris, so she expressed her surprise. "Captain Ford, are you mistaken? I was the one who wrote the autopsy report. She was only sick previously because of her spleen and stomach issues, which led to endocrine disorder! When she was unconscious, all her bodily functions were normal! How could she have suddenly died? You can¡¯t just say whatever you want here. It¡¯s wrong to use me of writing a wrong autopsy report!"
Anyway, the body had already been burned. It was impossible for these people to get any evidence.
ine wanted to insist that her autopsy report was correct. Otherwise, she would have been severely negligent!
After saying this, she looked at Nora and sighed. "Miss Smith, Captain Ford¡¯s conclusion was given by you, right? But you¡¯re a modern medicine doctor. It¡¯s understandable that you couldn¡¯t find out the reason for Hiry¡¯sa back then. But you can¡¯t pretend to know something you don¡¯t understand and spout nonsense here!"
Nora raised her eyebrows and looked at her. Before she could say anything, Morris rushed to scold her. "I never speak nonsense! The reason I said this is because I have evidence! Hiry was injected with a new drug!"
Evidence...
ine swallowed.
Only then did she suddenly realize that Nora stopping her from burning the corpse might really have been a request from the special department! In that case, did she really dy the important matters of the special department?
But even so, she could not admit it now!
She frowned. "What new drug? When Hiry was sent to the hospital, I did a full body checkup for her. This new drug doesn¡¯t exist at all. Her blood sample was normal!"
When Nora heard this, she thought of the situation that Lily had investigated and slowly said, "The drug doesn¡¯t produce any external effects when injected into the body. The equipment can barely detect it, either, but it will slowly take effect. It can cause a person to die suddenly in three to four days!"
Tanya had injected a psychotic drug and caused Hiry to act up in advance. However, that was definitely not the reason for her death!
When ine heard this, she felt even more guilty. However, she still braced herself and said, "How can you prove what you said? I have reason to suspect that you¡¯re talking nonsense. How could there be such drugs! I¡¯ve never even heard of it!"
"Oh." Nora smiled faintly. "Then you must be quite dumb."
ine: "..."
She was furious. "Miss Smith, I suspect that you¡¯re fabricating a reason! You said that the drug in her body will only act up in three to four days, but now that the corpse is gone, how can you prove it?"
After saying that, she looked at Nora proudly.
As long as the body was gone, this case would be locked. There was no way to turn the tables!
If she insisted on it, she could even continue toin to the higher-ups that the special department was using their power to vent their personal desires!
When the higher-ups med her, Captain Ford could only fire Nora, who was an external forensic doctor. ine herself could also take advantage of this wave of poprity to increase her qualifications and enter the special department.
Just as ine thought about this, she heard Nora say with a faint smile, "Who said that the corpse is gone?"
ine was stunned. "What do you mean?"
"It means that... the corpse is lying in the autopsy room of our special department," Nora saidzily. "If you don¡¯t believe me, Captain Ford can take you in for a walk?"
ine: "!!!"
She recalled that day. In order to quickly close the case, she had personally supervised the cremation.
And because her corpse had already been burned, Nora even beat her up angrily!
But it turned out... the corpse had not been burned at all!
Nora was acting that day!
She had even beaten her up...
Anger surged in ine¡¯s heart. "You stole the body?"
"What do you mean by stealing? If you don¡¯t know how to talk, you should shut up. Can a corpse transferred away by the special department be considered stealing?" Brenda walked out of the special department in her beautiful seven-centimeter high heels.
Her wavy hair was spread out behind her, her dress red and beautiful. When she walked, her waist twisted and turned, bringing with it her own charm.
Amorous. The word described her perfectly.
When she saw Brenda, ine¡¯s eyes instantly revealed fear. She took a step back and knew that she had offended the wrong person this time!
However, she could not admit her fault. Therefore, ine patted her head immediately. "So this case really involves your secret department! But Captain Ford, Captain Brenda, why didn¡¯t you say so earlier? If you had said so earlier, I wouldn¡¯t have made this mistake! Also, when the deceased was sent to the hospital, I did a full body checkup. She was indeed in aa because her body was out of tune. I never expected it to be like this!"
She sighed. "This is all a misunderstanding. In that case, I won¡¯t bicker with you. After all, you didn¡¯t do it on purpose."
With that, she turned to leave.
After all, the corpse had not been burned. They must have already obtained evidence! She could not hide her thoughts anymore. Now, she could only confirm that she had been careless and not talk about anything else.
She had to get away from here as soon as possible. As for the matter of her being beaten... She gritted her teeth. She knew that she would not be able to take revenge today, but it was never toote to take revenge!
When she found an opportunity, she would make Nora pay!
ine quickly analyzed the pros and cons and made the right choice. She turned around and was about to leave when Nora said, "Wait a minute."
ine turned around and heard the girl say in a rxed voice, "If you don¡¯t want to bicker with me, I¡¯ll bicker with you."
Chapter 475: I Got You!
Chapter 475: I Got You!
ine stopped in her tracks. As she cursed in her heart, she tried hard to squeeze out a smile. She turned back and looked at Nora. She smiled and said, "That¡¯s true. I was wrong this time. If you hadn¡¯t taken the corpse in time, I¡¯m afraid, I would have really destroyed the evidence! It¡¯s my mistake. I was wrong. Captain Ford, when I go back, I will submit a report for inspection. Is that okay?"
She was indeed a smart person.
Nora curled her lips disdainfully.
A mistake at work should not have been aggressive, but the nature of ine¡¯s mistake was too evil. She must have not found out the real cause of Hiry¡¯s death back then and wanted to hide the fact that she had not been treating her well. That was why she had pushed all the me onto Tanya!
How could she forgive such a person?!
Nora did not wait for Morris to speak and said, "Can it really be just as simple as losing your job?"
ine had already scolded Nora¡¯s ancestors in her heart, but she still looked apologetic. She smiled bitterly and said, "My medical skills are not good enough. I couldn¡¯t tell."
"It¡¯s not that you¡¯re not good at medicine."
Nora suddenly spoke.
ine heaved a sigh of relief. She felt that the other party was still sensible and knew to give her some face. She was about to smile and agree when she heard Nora¡¯s next words. "You have a bad character."
ine: "!?"
She suddenly looked at Nora. "Miss Smith, I don¡¯t understand what you mean. My character is bad because I made a mistake? Can you guarantee that all the other autopsy reports have been perfect? Have there been no misjudgments since ancient times?!"
"I can¡¯t."
Nora replied calmly, "But it was a deliberate misjudgment."
ine narrowed her eyes. "I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about!"
"Then we¡¯ll be more direct." Nora nced at Brenda after saying that.
Brenda: "..."
Alright, since her sister-inw did not want to talk, it was her turn. She coughed lightly and said, "You were eager to close the case and seek benefits!"
ine bit her lip. "I admit that I wanted to close the case, but I won¡¯t admit that I was anxious for credit! I made a mistake in this case, but I didn¡¯t do it on purpose!"
"Oh?"
Brenda tilted her head. "Then why did you want to burn the corpse as soon as possible?"
ine: "...Because, because it¡¯s summer now, I was worried that the corpse would start rotting!"
Brendaughed. "There are freezers in the morgue."
ine swallowed again. "But Ms. Tanya had already confessed. This case could have been closed. Why would I still keep the corpse?"
"You¡¯re wrong."
Brenda¡¯s gaze suddenly became sharp. "The case had never been solved. You¡¯re no longer neglecting your duty. You¡¯re profaning your position! You used your identity to dispose of the corpse so that we wouldn¡¯t find anything unusual!"
ine still wanted to say something when Brenda suddenly smiled. "Of course, this might not be because of your selfishness. There¡¯s another possibility."
ine heaved a sigh of relief. "What possibility?"
"Maybe you¡¯re in cahoots with the person who poisoned Hiry Jones!" With that, Brenda suddenly covered her mouth and pretended to be surprised. "Ah, I didn¡¯t expect you to be a spy for the other party, ine."
With that, she looked at Morris. "Captain Ford, shouldn¡¯t such a person be arrested quickly and interrogated properly? She¡¯s too suspicious!"
When Morris heard this, he looked at ine cooperatively.
ine: "!"
The cases that the Special Case Departments handled were all major cases. In fact, Morris had the right to capture her first and reportter! And criminals who could be arrested by him could be interrogated using special methods. It waspletely different from other departments.
The moment ine thought of the Special Investigation Department, she instantly shuddered and shouted, "I didn¡¯t!"
Brenda stared at her, still smiling. "Then how do you exin why you were in such a hurry to burn the evidence?"
How could she exin...
ine knew what was important!
Of course, it was to seek benefits!
At least that would save her life!
ine was forced to admit her mistake. "...I was wrong! I couldn¡¯t find the cause of Hiry Jones¡¯ illness when I was treating her. In the end, she died. I didn¡¯t want to be used of having poor medical skills. Coincidentally, Ms. Tanya had given her a hallucinogen, so I pushed all the me to her! I was anxious to burn the corpse because I was afraid that Miss Smith would discover something!"
The reporters below were in an uproar.
At this moment, the truth was out.
Everyone aimed their cameras at ine and took photos. Brenda took the opportunity to smile. "Dear reporter friends, you can report her for defamation, but don¡¯t report anything on our department ~ We¡¯re the confidentiality department. If we appear in your reports, I¡¯ll... find all of you for a date and tea."
When she said this, her tone was ambiguous, but everyone understood the threat in her words.
Therefore, all the reporters promised, "No, no, we will only clear Ms. Tanya¡¯s name. We will not report your department¡¯s case!"
"That¡¯s good. You guys are really a bunch of cuties."
Brenda¡¯s gazended on the handsome photographer in the first row. Then, she quickly looked away and at ine without any reluctance. "And you, do you know what to do?"
ine: "...What do I do?"
Brenda: "Omg, why are you so stupid? How can you have a boyfriend like this? You¡¯ve already admitted your mistake. Why don¡¯t you hurry up and write a report? Then wait for the higher-ups to handle this!"
This handling... was at least a suspension!
ine clenched her fists in anger. In the end, she could only nod. She gritted her teeth and looked at Nora. "Okay, I¡¯ll write a report!"
After the reporters and ine left in a hurry, Nora took out her phone and took a look. Herst message to the other party was: "If anyone beside me loses a single hair, I will make your organization barren!"
After a minute, the other party sent her another message.
[I¡¯ve investigated what it means to be barren, but there¡¯s no grass where our organization is!]
Nora: "??"
Was there something wrong with this person¡¯s brain?
As she was thinking, the other party sent another message.
[You didn¡¯t burn the corpse. I finally understand. You¡¯ve been scheming against me all along! You were waiting for me to contact you and then seize the opportunity to arrest me! Unfortunately, I have many people protecting me. You can¡¯t catch me!]
Nora narrowed her eyes and typed a reply: "I¡¯ve already caught you."
Chapter 476: Frightening You~
Chapter 476: Frightening You~
In a luxury hotel in New York.
A tall, slender, and thin figure sat there. Only his chin and lips were visible. His rosy lips looked a little bewitching. The corners of his lips were curled upward slightly, revealing a row of white teeth. His smile was as evil and charming as a little devil¡¯s.
When he saw the words "I¡¯ve caught you", his smile suddenly froze. He stood up abruptly and immediately said anxiously to the people on either side of him, "Quick, their men are here! Withdraw at once!"
Everyone immediately packed their things. After gathering their little luggage with them, the group walked out with great momentum.
But as soon as he reached the door, he suddenly stopped. Then, he slipped over to the window and looked down. After observing carefully, he suddenly broke into a grin and cursed angrily, "Shit! I almost got fooled by that woman again!"
He paced back and forth in the room angrily while cursing under his breath. "How insidious! Cunning! Wily! Sly! ..."
After using those four terms, he seemingly couldn¡¯t think of any more suitable words. After racking his brains, atst, he cursed angrily, "How clever! Smart! And alert! I absolutely have to turn her into my servant!"
The people standing around protecting him were speechless.
They really wished they could remind their little master that words like "smart", "clever", and "alert" werepliments...
But when they saw how angry he was, they wisely decided to shut up.
¡ª
Brenda leaned over and nced at Nora¡¯s phone. "Who are you texting? Surely you didn¡¯t find yourself another handsome guy behind my cousin¡¯s back? Nora, you mustn¡¯t do something so uncool!"
Nora: "?"
She was about to say that she hadn¡¯t when Brenda said, "Good things have to be shared. You mustn¡¯t keep the handsome guy all to yourself if you¡¯ve found one. Remember to share him with me~"
Nora: "..."
As it turned out, the Hunts had such powerful genes. No wonder Cherry was so obsessive about good-looking people. Those genes definitely didn¡¯te from her, nope.
Nora handed her the phone.
Brenda was puzzled when she saw the messages. "Didn¡¯t we already check the address you gave us, Nora? It¡¯s arge international hotel. There are foreign guests traveling to and from the country staying there. We have already checked the ce out. More than 100 people checked in yesterday. We could only lock on to those 100 or so people and investigate them one by one, but we didn¡¯t catch anyone at all!"
"... Oh, I was just trying to scare him."
It was that idiot¡¯s fault for talking to her like that every day.
Brenda: "..."
Nora added, "Besides, it may just trick him into appearing."
Brenda raised her eyebrows. However, she understood what Nora meant the next moment. "If I were him, then I would definitely panic and want to withdraw immediately after seeing the message. In that case... whoever evacuates in a panic at this point would be who we¡¯re looking for!"
Nora nodded. "Yeah. It all depends on whether he falls for it or not."
For some reason, the person texting her gave Nora the feeling that he was some kind of funny idiot. The messages he sent made her feel as if he was pure and innocent, yet also evil and demonic.
He was just like an unworldly little demon king who had innocentlye to the human world to y. In a moment of pure curiosity, he had casually killed a few people. In his world, there was no good or bad, or right or wrong. To him, the only concept he had was whether something was fun or not...
Otherwise, why would a normal person talk about making someone their servant or being someone¡¯s master? He was so childish that it wasughable.
Brenda and Morris immediately contacted the undercover officers who had surrounded the hotel, and told them to observe the ce. In the end, the conclusion they came to was...
Brenda said, "A few guests happened to be checking out of their rooms. Our men are currently following them, but from how they look, they don¡¯t seem to be the ones we¡¯re looking for."
"That¡¯s normal, too." Nora said, "He must already have his guard up since the first time I tricked him. This shows that his brain is at least functioning normally."
Brenda and Morris: "..."
"But," Nora¡¯s lips curled upward slightly as she said, "It¡¯s worth all the effort if it scares him."
"..."
Brenda stepped forward and put her arm around her shoulders. "Nora, when I first saw you, I thought you were a cold and well-behaved girl. From how it looks like now, though, it seems that there are also times where I misjudge!"
Which part of her was well-behaved?
She was clearly mean and arrogant!
She was merely wearing sheep¡¯s clothing that made people think she was well-behaved, that¡¯s all! It was all her almond-shaped eyes¡¯ fault!
Nora yawned and ignored her. Instead, she looked at Morris. "Let¡¯s go to the hotel and have a look?"
Morris nodded. "My thoughts exactly."
The two of them walked toward their respective cars. Brenda went after Nora and got into her car. "I wanna go too~ After all, being in thepany of a handsome guy like Captain Ford is a very enjoyable experience!"
They had only met a few times, but Nora had already be immune to whatever she said. She ignored herpletely and started the car.
The car quickly arrived at the Grand Hotel Venice.
Grand Hotel Venice was one of the few rare six-star hotels in New York. Those who stayed here were all either rich or noble. Some foreign businessmen also stayed there.
The hotel lobby was luxuriously decorated. The leather sofas in the lounge area were of very good quality.
After the three of them arrived, Brenda went to handle check-in procedures for a room. She said along the way, "The best way to monitor him is to infiltrate the enemy¡¯s ranks! I shall stay here for the next few days!"
Then, she looked at Morris and raised her eyebrows. "Captain Ford, will I be reimbursed for the expenses?"
Morris: "..."
He said hesitantly, "It¡¯s very dangerous for a woman to stay here by herself. How about..."
"That¡¯s... not quite a good idea, is it?" Brenda suddenly said shyly, "Is Captain Ford thinking of staying here with me? But that would make us a couple staying together..."
The corners of Morris¡¯ lips spasmed. He couldn¡¯t help but keep feeling like Captain Brenda was a little unreliable. He said, "You¡¯ve misunderstood, Captain Brenda. What I mean is, I¡¯ll be the one staying here instead."
Brenda looked at him. Her beautiful eyes blinked, and then she smiled and said, "You¡¯re thinking of enjoying life here on the pretext of working, aren¡¯t you? I won¡¯t be fooled! You have two choices¡ªeither we stay here together, or I stay here by myself~"
"... You can stay here, then."
Nora did not consider staying in the hotel at all. She merely took out her cell phone¡ªsure enough, the person without a phone number had sent her another text message: ¡¯Thinking of tricking me? No way! Heh heh.¡¯
Nora replied: "I wasn¡¯t tricking you. I¡¯m in the hotel lobby right now. Do you dare toe down here?"
After sending the message, she provoked him again:
"Oh, I forgot. You are just someone unfit to be seen in public, so how would you possibly dare toe and meet me, right?"
In a room upstairs.
"Shit!" The man was infuriated. He walked straight to the door and said to his subordinates in bad English, "She¡¯s provoking me! But I have to go down because I am not a coward! I¡¯m going to catch her, bring her up here, and make her kneel down and beg me for mercy!!"
Chapter 477: I’m Q
Chapter 477: I¡¯m Q
When the men heard him, they panicked and stopped him. "Sir, you can¡¯t¡ª"
But before he could finish, the man pushed him aside. "Step aside and let me out! I¡¯m not going to let that little fatty look down on me today!"
The men weren¡¯t as strong as him, so he broke free easily. He walked toward the elevator hall outside.
At the sight, the men looked at one another and suddenly said, "It seems like we can only rely on the old method again."
¡ª
Nora waited for a while after she sent the message.
The other party¡¯s thoughts were very pure like a child¡¯s. Although he had a high IQ, provocation might still work on him. Unexpectedly, though, not only did he note down, but he did not even reply to the message.
In the midst of her hesitation, a familiar figure suddenly walked out of the hotel¡¯s elevator hall.
Nora was a little taken aback to see him.
It seemed like the other party had also spotted her. His eyes lit up and he walked over. While walking over, he held a handkerchief over his mouth and coughed a few times.
Seemingly having coughed up something, he nced at the handkerchief. Then, he folded it and ced it in his pocket. He walked over with a gentle smile and said, "I wasn¡¯t expecting to see you here, Ms. Smith."
Nora was taken aback. "Mr. Gray?"
The person in front of her was none other than Anthony Gray¡¯s uncle, Caleb Gray!
Nora narrowed her eyes and looked around. She asked, "What are you doing here?"
Caleb coughed again and said, "I have a client here... I¡¯m here to discuss a business deal with him about herb purchase. Cough, cough, cough... It¡¯s been a long while since Ist saw you, Ms. Smith, but you are still as radiant as ever. What are you doing here, though?"
Before Nora could speak, Brenda suddenly rushed in between the two of them. After looking left and right, she patted Nora on the shoulder and said, "Hey, how sneaky of you, Nora!"
But before she could finish, Nora said, "This is my ex-fiance¡¯s uncle."
The rest of Brenda¡¯s words were pushed back down her throat.
Caleb coughed another couple of times and smiled. His rich and mellow voice was very pleasant. "That makes me sad, Ms. Smith. Aren¡¯t we friends?"
He thought that she was being too distant while introducing him just now.
Nora thought for a moment. The two of them had talked quite a few times by now, so she nodded and replied, "I guess we are."
Caleb sighed and shook his head dotingly. "You sound a little too much like you¡¯re forcing yourself to say that."
Nora smiled. Suddenly, she said, "If this was a text, my response would probably be a series of ellipses right now."
Caleb held his forehead and said, "Am I rendering you so speechless that you don¡¯t want to talk to me anymore, Ms. Smith?"
Nora stared into his eyes. When she saw that he looked normal andfortable when he said that, she smiled and replied, "Not at all."
Caleb seemed like he wanted to talk to her a little more, but after checking the time, he said, "I wanted to invite you for a meal to thank you for your help with my pharmaceuticalpany¡¯s registration the other time, but I have a business meetingter, so... next time?"
Nora stepped aside. "Let¡¯s do that next time."
Caleb walked past her. The man was wearing a ck suit. He was already 29 years old after all, so he looked exceptionally mature and gentle.
Nora was staring at him from behind when Brenda stretched out her hand and waved in front of her. "Stop staring at him, he¡¯s already gone! With such a handsome and gentle guy like him, why did you choose a stick-in-the-mud like Justin? He isn¡¯t romantic at all."
"..."
Nora retracted her gaze and looked at Morris.
Morris nodded. He held his hand over his earphone and spoke into it in a low voice. Two minutester, he said, "He is indeed here for a business meeting. The other party is a medicinal herb merchant from overseas. He also has another business meetingter."
Nora breathed a sigh of relief when she heard that.
She had suspected Caleb of being the mysterious person just now.
However, Caleb spoke very elegantly and his words were all very appropriate. He differed too much from the mysterious person who didn¡¯t know much English.
Moreover, she had deliberately brought up the topic of ellipses to sound him out just now.
Caleb also understood the meaning of ellipses.
Therefore, it should be okay to rule him out... right?
While thinking about it, she lowered her head and looked at her cell phone again¡ªthe other party still hadn¡¯t replied to her message yet.
The three of them waited for a few hours in the hotel lobby.
Seeing that there still weren¡¯t any clues¡ªin fact, the other party wasn¡¯t even sending messages to Nora anymore¡ªNora stood up and said, "The two of you can continue standing guard here. I¡¯m going back first."
Brenda nodded immediately. "A third wheel like you should have left a long time ago, Nora. Captain Ford and I will be fine by ourselves here!"
"..."
After Nora left, Brenda took out her cell phone and picked up a call. "Nora has already left and is going home now, Justin! What is she doing? Can¡¯t you just ask her? What are you asking me for? It¡¯s not like she¡¯s gonna be in bed with me..."
Beep... beep... beep...
The disconnected tone rang out on the other end of the line. Brenda curled her lips disdainfully. "What a prude. He can¡¯t even take a joke."
¡ª
Nora drove back to the Smiths. As soon as she entered, she saw Justin waiting for her in the parking lot. The man stared at her, making Nora feel as if she was being caught fooling around with another man.
She got out of the car and asked, "What are you doing here?"
"Waiting for you."
The man answered casually and naturally. Then, he turned and followed beside her. "What are you investigatingtely?"
Nora thought for a while and replied, "How I became pregnant."
She nced at Justin. Sure enough, the man touched his nose guiltily after hearing her answer.
Nora¡¯s lips curled into a smile. "C¡¯mon, spill. What kind of evidence do you exactly have, and how far have your investigations gone?"
Justin must have also fallen victim to someone¡¯s schemes back then. If not, he would not have hated Pete¡¯s mother so much back then, let alone not know who she was.
Seeing that she seemed to be aware of everything now, Justin sighed and said, "Actually, I was telling the truth in the beginning."
The beginning...
In other words, Justin had indeed been unconscious for a while at that time. But if he was unconscious, and also had no memory of what he did, then how did she get pregnant?
While Nora was thinking about it, her cell phone beeped twice.
She lowered her head and picked it up¡ªit was another text message from the unknown number: ¡¯Haha, when I went downstairs, you were already gone!¡¯
Nora: "..."
¡¯Although you made me really angry, I am still willing to give you a chance and show you how strong our department is.¡¯
¡¯I have already unleashed my second big move. Are you ready?¡¯
Nora: "?"
Why was he talking like he had serious eighth-grader syndrome?!
He had targeted Tanya the first time. Who would he target for his second big move?
While thinking about it, she saw Joel suddenly hurrying out of his room. He had a serious look on his face and was walking quickly to the car. Before Nora could say anything, he drove off.
It looked like... something had gone wrong?
¡ª
The Smith Corporation was in an utter mess.
As soon as Joel entered the office, the people in the IT department said, "Mr. Smith, this is simply too bizarre. Ourwork suddenly went kaput without any warning! All theputers have also been infected with viruses. I¡¯ve pulled out thework cables, but it didn¡¯t seem to be working. The invader is using a very powerful virus..."
Joel took a deep breath. "Where¡¯s Speedy?"
Speedy was a hacker that the Smiths had hired. One could say that he was the Smiths¡¯ treasure.
Legend had it that the Hunt Corporation had paid a high price and hired Y as theirwork consultant. As a result, no one dared to invade the Hunt Corporation.
As for the Smith Corporation, their hacker was Speedy.
The manager of the IT department said, "The master is trying to fix thework, but I think it¡¯s hard to say how it¡¯ll turn out this time!"
The IT manager frowned and said, "The other party is very aggressive and also has very solid skills. We suspect that they are a well-known hacker!!"
As the manager spoke, Joel entered the room, upon which he saw Speedy, who was pulling a long face, trying to repair thework. However, theputer screen suddenly cked out.
Someone had invaded thework!
Speedy had no chance of repairing thework at all.
When Joel saw this, he walked up to behind Speedy and said, "Ask him who he is."
Someone who could beat Speedy would undoubtedly be very skilled!
After all, Speedy and Solo were equally famous!
Speedy got it. Mr. Smith was nning to negotiate with the other party.
He typed: ¡¯Who are you?¡¯
The other party replied: ¡¯I am Q.¡¯
Joel narrowed his eyes.
In the hotel room.
Someone asked, "Why are you iming to be Q, sir?"
The man sat there with a wicked smile at the corner of his lips. He replied, "Because Q is someone who doesn¡¯t surf the Inte very much, so no one can find him. His name can also instill fear in people. Besides, if I say that I¡¯m Q, they won¡¯t think of going to the real Q for help. Of course, our hacker toy is indeed not bad. It seems that she has managed to adapt to the gic modification drug~ She¡¯s much more useful than Hiry Jones! That piece of trash wasted a dose of my drug! Hmph!
"But since the Smiths¡¯work can¡¯t be used anymore, they¡¯ll have to listen to me now! Haha!"
He leaned triumphantly against the sofa and held both hands behind his head. "Say, if a hugepany can¡¯t use the Inte, how are they going to operate? Will my little servante and beg me now??
"Tsk, I¡¯m suddenly really looking forward to it!"
He sat upright and added, "By the way, tell our new toy to give them some more goodies as best as they can! We must drive them into a corner! This way, I would be able to negotiate with my little servant~!"
"... Yes, sir."
After he left, a voice suddenly rang out faintly in the room.
A rich and mellow voice reprimanded, "Stop messing around!"
"How am I messing around? Don¡¯t you find this very fun? Also, what makes you think you can order me about? I am the little master! I have the final say in everything! Go away, you sickly guy!"
The people standing guard outside didn¡¯t react even when they heard the conversation. It was as if they had already long since be ustomed to it.
Chapter 478: Ungrateful
Chapter 478: Ungrateful
"Sigh. Mr. Gray is the only one who can keep the little master in check a little."
"Yeah. It¡¯s all thanks to Mr. Gray today. Otherwise, the little master would really have run all the way down..."
The people guarding the door couldn¡¯t help sighing.
¡ª
"Q?" In the Smith Corporation¡¯s office, Speedy was stunned. He looked at the alphabet on the screen with great surprise. "Q is the current leader of the Hacker Alliance. Y is the only one in the world who can contend against him. But Y has already announced that he will not go against Q... so Q and Y can pretty much be said to be invincible!"
Everyone else in the IT department didn¡¯t dare speak when they heard what Speedy said. All of them looked at Joel.
Joel stared at the screen. He looked calm as he typed: ¡¯Mr. Q, may I know what you are after?¡¯
The other party: ¡¯I want you to go bankrupt, haha.¡¯
"..."
His reply was filled with hostility, which caused the entire IT department to panic for a while there.
Joel narrowed his eyes and continued typing: ¡¯Is there some kind of misunderstanding between us?¡¯
The other party: ¡¯Not with you.¡¯
Joel: ¡¯Then who is it?¡¯
The other party: ¡¯Your younger sister.¡¯
Joel wrote: ¡¯What did my sister do to offend you?¡¯
The other party: ¡¯Hmph, I took a fancy to her and want her to be my servant, but she is actually being so ungrateful!¡¯
Joel: "?"
He narrowed his eyes and typed: "Well, that¡¯s certainly pretty ungrateful."
The other party: "Right? So many people dream of bing my servant, but I never agree. How dare she refuse me when I chose her?"
Joel: "What I mean is, you¡¯re pretty ungrateful."
"..."
The other party fell silent.
Joel continued to type: "It¡¯s for your own good that I¡¯m forbidding the Smith Corporation¡¯s young missy from bing your servant."
The other party: ¡¯How so?¡¯
Joel replied: "I¡¯m afraid that she¡¯ll drive you to your grave."
The other party: "!!!"
The lip corners of the staff standing behind Joel couldn¡¯t help but spasm. Their boss was simply too sharp-tongued. However, they didn¡¯t dare to say anything, and could only look at one another.
The other party soon sent another reply: ¡¯What does that mean? My life expectancy will be shortened? Why?¡¯
Joel: "?"
A question mark appeared above his head before he realized that the other party might be a foreigner, so he might not understand certain English phrases.
Thus, Joel changed to a straightforward choice of words. He wrote: ¡¯What I mean is, you are not blessed enough to have her around! Neither are you worthy of it!¡¯
The other party understood this time. His speed of response clearly became faster¡ªobviously, he had be a little angry. He wrote: "Since you are so reluctant to part with your sister, then you¡¯ll have to suffer my anger! In this age of the Inte, I wonder how many days the Smith Corporation can survive without the Inte?"
"Haha, I¡¯m really looking forward to seeing how the second biggestpany in the country takes step after step towards its doom!"
Joel narrowed his eyes. He wanted to say more, but the other party obviously couldn¡¯t be bothered to argue with him anymore and had turned off theputer screen.
In an instant, all theputers in the Smith Corporation went down and could not be turned on anymore.
Joel got up. Speedy sat in front of theputer and started to repair thework again. However, he was sweating profusely. How could he possibly be a match for the top hacker Q?
Speedy felt immense pressure. He suddenly stood up and said, "Mr. Smith, I... I¡¯m not doing this anymore."
Joel looked at him sharply. "Are you unable to do it? Or are you afraid of doing it?"
Speedy swallowed and replied, "Both, I guess! Q and Y are the leaders of the Hacker Alliance. If I offend him, I¡¯ll have a hard time in the Hacker Alliance in the future!"
Joel frowned. "As far as I know, the Hacker Alliance does not restrict your work, nor does it require you to avoid going against Q and Y."
Speedy lowered his head. "Yes, there are no clear rules, but if I offend my boss, I won¡¯t be able to stay in this line of work anymore. I¡¯m sorry."
Joel stared at him and suddenly said, "You don¡¯t usually do much work, do you? But the Smith Corporation pays you a huge amount every year. Do you think we give you that money so that you can easily quit on us during crucial moments like these?"
Speedy frowned when he heard him. He said, "Mr. Smith, I have a good suggestion for you now, and that is to get Ms. Smith to admit her mistake and give in to the other party. The servant and master talk is probably just a joke! There is no need for the Smith Corporation to fight them just because of a joke."
Joel¡¯s expression turned cold. "I am the head of the Smith Corporation. Your task is to repair thework for me!"
Speedy swallowed and suddenly walked to the door. "Mr. Smith, I can¡¯t do this! I¡¯m leaving!"
The IT manager frowned as he watched Speedy leave. He asked, "Mr. Smith, if even Speedy leaves, what are we going to do next?!"
Joel lowered his eyes.
Speedy was simply too unprofessional!
He had gotten cold feet and escaped just because of fear. Joel had really misjudged him.
He slowly said, "Continue trying to repair thework. I will think of something!"
After speaking, he looked at the panicked employees at a loss around him and said calmly, "None of the Smith Corporation¡¯s revenuees from telmunications. Our businesses are all in the physical industry. What¡¯s there to be scared of even without the Inte? It¡¯s just a 30% loss!"
After making the bad-ass statement, Joel left, nning to ask Nora what was going on.
Chapter 479: Do You Have A Feud With Q?
Chapter 479: Do You Have A Feud With Q?
The Smith Corporation¡¯s situation actually wasn¡¯t as good as how Joel had put it just now.
The physical industry was currently in decline in the States whereas new mediaworks were flourishing. The Smith Corporation had also opened a fewpanies doing online businesses.
All the servers were in the Smith Corporation. Once the servers went down, those in other ces...
He had only just thought of that when someone hurried over and said, "Mr. Smith, our games¡¯ yers are all sending feedback that they can¡¯t ess the games. They are threatening to uninstall the apps!"
"Mr. Smith, the live-streamers on our live-streaming app are asking why they can¡¯t ess the app and what¡¯s wrong with the servers!"
"Mr. Smith, we had to make a fund transfer for the big deal today, but now that there is no Inte, we can¡¯tplete the transfer..."
"..."
All sorts of problems came one after another.
Joel got his subordinates to deal with them one by one, and then he entered his office.
It was already evening by then.
The troubled Joel rubbed his temples and took out his cell phone. His finger was already on Nora¡¯s number when his executive assistant pushed the door open and came in. "Mr. Smith, we are trending on social media!"
Joel was surprised.
He closed the call app and went to take a look at the trending topics on social media first.
There were five to six trending topics, such as #SmithCorporationServersBreakDown, #SmithCorporationGetsHacked, #XXMobileGameServerDown, and so on. They upied the first few ces among the most popr topics.
Obviously, someone had paid money to make them trend.
Comments had already exploded:
"Oh my god, has something gone wrong with the Smith Corporation¡¯swork? Can we still trust the Smith Corporation?"
"Why were they hacked? Do they take cyber security so unprofessionally when they are such a bigpany?"
"My personal information registered with the Smith Corporation won¡¯t be stolen, right?"
"This is uneptable! How can they still call themselves the second-best enterprise in the country when this is all they can do? Is apany whosework defenses were breached so easily really trustworthy?!"
"This is too much! I finally took time off today to y games for a whole day, yet they are suddenly telling me that the server is down, so I can¡¯t log in? What the hell? I¡¯m uninstalling this! Goodbye!"
...
...
All sorts of rumors flew all about the Inte.
Everyone in thepany could only keep watch on the ongoings with their own Inte hotspots. All of them were terribly anxious, yet also helpless.
The IT department was even starting to call up people for help. However, the moment IT experts heard that it was Q targeting them, no one dared toe over and help.
The people in the IT department had no choice but to work overtime! But no matter how hard they tried, they simply weren¡¯t the other party¡¯s match!
Q was constantly online. Once they found a w and fixed it, Q would attack again. It was impossible for them to guard against him!
Everyone panicked.
"Mr. Smith, this is terrible! Our stocks are plummeting!"
His executive assistant delivered another piece of bad news. All the trending topics about their server downtime had finally ushered in the most terrifying crisis for the Smith Corporation!
Once the stocks reached the lower limit, theirpany would be in danger!
Joel narrowed his eyes and said, "Find a way to intercept Q and stop him from damaging the servers further for now. I will look for someone to help."
The assistant nodded. Just as he was about to leave, someone pushed the door open again. It was Samuel.
He looked at Joel furiously. "What¡¯s the matter with the Smiths¡¯ stocks? The price has fallen so much! Are all the people the Smiths are raising all rubbish? They can¡¯t even repair a lousy Intework?"
Behind him was his executive assistant¡¯s assistant. She looked absolutely flustered as she said, "I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Smith. I couldn¡¯t stop him."
Joel nced at her and then looked at his executive assistant.
The executive assistant nodded and left the office with his assistant.
Samuel sat opposite him. "I heard that it¡¯s Nora who offended Q? I knew that the woman was a jinx! She caused so much trouble the moment she returned to the family! Since they are just doing this because they¡¯re angry, how can you still fight him so stubbornly and put our entire business at stake?! Our stocks are plummeting right now, and it is very likely that we¡¯ll be delisted after hitting the lower limit! The Smith Corporation is a listedpany, it is not something you can use to defend her for her nonsense!"
Joel corrected him. "He ims that he is Q, but he may not necessarily really be Q. I am already looking for someone to confirm his identity."
Samuel was so furious that he was dumbfounded. "How would he be able to take down ourwork and put so many people at a loss if he wasn¡¯t Q? Besides, why would he pretend to be Q? Just what are you thinking about all day long?! Is the problem him being Q right now?"
Joel ignored him. Instead, he took out his phone to confirm something first. He dialed Nora¡¯s number. "Nora, I heard that there¡¯s some bad blood between you and Q? What exactly happened?
Chapter 480: She Isn’t Q
Chapter 480: She Isn¡¯t Q
At the Smiths.
At the sight of Joel rushing out as though there was some kind of trouble going on, Nora narrowed her eyes. She felt that it might have something to do with herself.
She turned and walked to the car, nning to go to thepany to take a look.
Unexpectedly, before she could get into the car, Cherry and Pete rushed over and clung to one of her legs each.
Cherry raised her head. "Mommy, where were you the whole day? Why didn¡¯t I see you?! I miss you so much!"
Pete didn¡¯t say anything, but his eyes, as he looked at Nora, were full of attachment.
Nora: "..."
To be honest, she had never neglected Cherry just because she was busy with work. At the most, she wouldn¡¯t spend time with her to make up her sleep hours.
However, Cherry was by her side even when she was asleep. Therefore, it was true that the two children rarely saw Nora so busy that she didn¡¯t evene home.
Nora ruffled Cherry¡¯s hair. "Mommy has something important to do. Let Mommy go first, OK?"
Cherry bit her lip. "But I miss Mommy!"
Nora looked at Justin helplessly.
The man sighed, and a hint of a doting look appeared on his handsome face. He thought about it for a moment and then said, "Alright, let Mommy go to work. Daddy will apany you to sleep tonight, okay?"
Cherry and Pete could only nod.
Nora finally got into the car and went after Joel. However, his car was already out of sight. After a moment¡¯s thought, she went one round and finally headed towards the Smith Corporation.
¡ª
After tucking both the children to bed, Justin went out.
As soon as he came out, he picked up his phone and called Brenda. She picked up very quickly. "What now, Justin?"
There was a very cold look in Justin¡¯s eyes. "Has Nora met with some kind of trouble?"
Otherwise, given how much she loved sleeping, she would be asleep with her children at home at this time!
Brenda replied, "No, we¡¯re just trying to solve a case."
Justin subconsciously asked, "Would she still be out thiste if all you guys are doing is trying to solve a case?"
Brenda, however,ughed when she heard what he said. "My word, Justin, do you know what you sound like? You sound like a housewife who waited at home the whole day, but her husband didn¡¯te home in the end! Hahahaha! Are you feeling lonely?"
Justin: "..."
Had it been any other time, he would have hung up on her a long time ago. But when he thought about Nora, he nevertheless said, "Tell me what it is."
Brenda replied, "... I can¡¯t tell you about it. It¡¯s confidential."
Upon hearing the word ¡¯confidential¡¯, Justin immediately realized even further how important the matter was.
He didn¡¯t say anything else, much less force Brenda into making a mistake at work. Instead, he disconnected the call and prepared to enter their system on his cell phone to take a look.
But before he could, his phone rang. It was Lawrence.
When he answered, Lawrence said, "Mr. Hunt, something has happened to the Smiths."
Justin narrowed his eyes. "What¡¯s the matter?"
Lawrence replied, "Ms. Smith supposedly offended Q, so Q has approached the Smith Corporation, hacked into their entirework, and is giving them a lot of trouble! He wants Ms. Smith to bow down and apologize!"
A lot of people from the IT department had seen the content of Joel¡¯s chat with the other party that time.
Although it wasn¡¯t spread to outsiders, it was nheless easy for people in the industry to find out if they wanted to.
Lawrence was a source of gossip himself, so he knew all the news about everyone.
Justin, however, frowned and said, "He isn¡¯t Q."
"He isn¡¯t Q."
At the same time, Nora, who had just arrived at the lobby of the office building, also received a call from Joel. Upon hearing what Joel said, she immediately gave that answer calmly and coldly.
Joel was not surprised. "Then who is he?"
"... A psycho."
"... Well, if it¡¯s not Q, then I will continue looking for other people for help."
After confirming that the other party was not Q, the rest of the hackers would dare to help now.
Joelpletely believed what she said. He immediately started arranging for an assistant to spread the news that the hacker was not Q.
Samuel was furious as he listened at the side. "Joel! Is he not Q just because she says he isn¡¯t? Who else can beat Speedy so quickly besides Q and Y?! No one else in the world is that good at hacking!"
Joel nced at him. "Granduncle Samuel, I have things to attend to here. If there¡¯s nothing else you want, then you can leave now!"
Samuel became even more furious. "Joel, I¡¯m saying this for thepany¡¯s sake! It¡¯s not worth risking the Smiths for the sake of a child who wasn¡¯t even raised by the Smiths!"
Joel looked at him and suddenly smiled. "I think she¡¯s worth doing so."
Samuel wanted to say more, but Joel was already looking out the door aggressively. He ordered, "Take him outside!"
"Yes, sir!"
His executive assistant rushed into the office with bodyguards and surrounded Samuel.
Samuel shouted at him angrily, "Joel, you are even more authoritarian than Ian! This is too much! Too much!! With a CEO like you, the Smiths will be finished sooner orter!"
He was dragged out of Joel¡¯s office.
Outside the door to the CEO¡¯s office on the top floor were several managers waiting to report urgent work-rted news. When Samuel saw them, he immediately yelled, "Did all of you see that? He¡¯s such a bastard!
"The person that Nora offended is not Q? Hah, he must really be blind! He¡¯s going head-to-head with an international hacker just for the sake of venting his anger! He must be out of his mind!"
The managers were also stunned when they heard that the hacker was not Q.
Someone asked, "Who can it be, if not Q?"
Y was the external help that the Hunt Corporation had hired, so it was impossible that he would attack them. Therefore, this must definitely be Q!
It was impossible for there to be a third hacker in the world who could match Q and Y!
Someone whispered, "Mr. Smith must have be muddleheaded, right?"
"Yes, I also think so..."
When Samuel heard their questions, his voice immediately became even louder. "He has already proven that he¡¯s Q with his hacking prowess! But what about you?"
He shouted at the office door, "The Smith Corporation is indeed not afraid of a hacker, but in order to vent your anger on the hacker, you have made thepany suffer so many losses. Who is going to bear the responsibility for all those things on the Inte and the damage to our reputation? Also, is he not Q just because you say so? Do you have any evidence? All you¡¯re doing is babbling nonsense. Do you think that Q will be ours just by saying that?"
While heading upstairs, Nora had already learned what had happened through the Inte.
When she finally arrived upstairs, she immediately heard Samuel¡¯s mocking shouts directed at the CEO¡¯s office.
She smiled sarcastically, lowered her voice, and slowly said, "He is indeed not Q."
Samuel suddenly looked at her and said, "Is he not Q just because you say so? You make it sound as if you know where Q is!"
Nora¡¯s lips curled into a smile and she let out a low chuckle. "I sure do."
Chapter 481: Nora Smith Is Q!
Chapter 481: Nora Smith Is Q!
Surprised, Samuel and everyone else looked at Nora in disbelief.
Someone swallowed hard. "Y-you know where Q is?"
Nora did not speak any more. Instead, she pushed the door open and entered the room.
Joel was sitting there quietly waiting for her. From the way he looked, he didn¡¯t seem anxious at all. He looked clear and confident about what he was doing.
Nora had thought that she would see him tired and haggard, but unexpectedly, he was actually so calm. She raised her eyebrows.
Joel smiled. "You¡¯vee."
"Yeah."
Nora stood right beside him. "How did you know I woulde over?"
Joel replied, "When Jill asked me to arrange for a position in thepany for her nephew the other time, I knew at once that you would definitely have a back-up n. Come on, spill it, what are you nning to do?"
Nora: "..."
She kicked Joel¡¯s chair lightly to indicate to him to step aside. Joel stood up. When Nora sat down, she asked curiously, "What if I didn¡¯t have a back-up n? After all, the other party is saying that they¡¯re Q, you know!"
Joel stood beside her and smiled. "Do you think that restricting our Inte alone is enough for one to have the Smith Corporation¡¯s destiny in their hand when I¡¯ve already been in thepany for so many years?"
Nora looked at him. "Huh?"
As though he was teaching her, Joel exined patiently, "One must have everything within their control. Since the Smith Corporation does not have a world-ss top hacker, our main form of business mustn¡¯t be Inte-rted! This way, even if thepany¡¯swork is down, the breakdown will only have minimal influence and will not affect the wholepany¡¯s operations. As for the stocks... I naturally also have ways to counterattack and even things out."
Enlightened, Nora gave Joel a thumbs up. "Impressive."
Joel rested one hand on the table and his other on the chair. As he stood behind Nora and watched her turn on theputer, he couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Do you know Q?"
"... Yeah, I suppose you can say that."
Joel couldn¡¯t help but say, "If they are reliable, can you find a way to hire him as a cyber security consultant for the Smith Corporation?"
He sighed and said, "The Hunt Corporation has Y guarding them, so they are not afraid of attacks from any hackers, which has made their operations in this aspect very smooth. I just don¡¯t know how Justin managed to get a top hacker like Y to be so loyal to them. I also don¡¯t understand why he trusts Y so much..."
Joel sighed emotionally and added, "In this respect, it¡¯s a weakness for the Smith Corporation. Uncle Ian had only assigned Quentin to the hidden forces since the rest of your cousins were all unreliable. He¡¯d originally nned to train and groom Louis into a hacker, but he instead became interested in games... In the end, the Smith Corporation does not even have a top-ss hacker that we can trust!"
By then, Nora had sessfully turned on theputer. As she ced her hands on the keyboard, the corners of her lips suddenly curled upward a little. "Joel," she said.
Joel paused. "Hmm?"
An unorthodox glint shed in Nora¡¯s almond-shaped eyes. "The Smith Corporation does now."
Joel was taken aback.
His first thought was that Nora must be very familiar with Q, so Q would be a very reliable ally... He was about to speak when he saw Nora¡¯s fingers flying across the keyboard at high speed.
As she implemented coercive measures against the hacker, the dark screens slowly started lighting up.
The screen was still ck, but it was unlike the unresponsive screens from just now where nothing happened no matter what keys they pressed. Together with the rapid movements of Nora¡¯s fingers, rows and rows of programming code moved up the screen.
It was so fast that Joel couldn¡¯t even see what exactly she was typing...
Utterly stunned, he looked at Nora in disbelief.
For a moment, he felt that his cousin¡¯s profile looked so serious and determined. There was a strange charm and confidence in the unorthodox smile on her lips.
It wasn¡¯t blind confidence she had; rather, it was strong and powerful confidence that she had in her own abilities!
A thought suddenly formed in his mind, and a surprised and astounded Joel slowly asked, "You... you¡¯re Q?"
He thought of how calm Nora had been right from the beginning. Originally, he¡¯d thought it was because she had already made arrangements for everything. For example, perhaps she knew the real Q and was able to get Q to help them tide through the difficult situation.
Or perhaps, Nora had borrowed Y from the Hunt Corporation!
Joel had imagined all sorts of scenarios, but he¡¯d never once thought that Nora might be Q herself!
How could this be...?
She was already the world-famous number one surgeon domestically and internationally!!
Nora took aggressive measures and cut off the enemy¡¯s virus attack, allowing theputer in front of her to function normally. In fact, she had even repaired the servers as well. They were currently in the midst of restarting, which would take a certain amount of time.
Nora had easily resolved the Smith Corporation¡¯s Inte crisis in under ten minutes!
She stretched, turned her head sideways to look at Joel, and nodded. "Yeah."
Joel: "..."
He was a little dumbfounded.
At this point, the deputy CEO knocked on the door. He poked his head in and asked softly, "Mr. Smith, since Ms. Nora has said that she knows Q, can she ask Q for help?"
Joel raised his brows.
The deputy CEO said, "All theputers in thepany are still unusable at the moment. Everyone uses them for work, so no one can¡¯t work normally right now."
Joel looked at Nora.
"One hour," said Nora.
Joel looked at the deputy CEO. "Give all the employees a day off. They cane for work as per usual tomorrow."
When the deputy CEO heard this, he nced at Nora with aplex look. Then, he turned around and went out.
After he left, Joel asked, "Is an hour enough for you to restore everyone¡¯sputers?"
"Oh," Nora flexed her wrists and said, "I only need five minutes."
Joel: "??"
Nora put her hands on the keyboard again. "I asked for an hour because I¡¯m nning to have some fun with the other party. While I¡¯m at it, I will also... catch them."
Joel: "..."
Nora had already decided to y along with them a long time ago. When Jill sent her nephew into thepany, she had already sensed something.
Therefore, she had long since known that something might go wrong with the Smith Corporation. She had allowed it to drag on all the way until now just so she could get the mastermind behind the scenes to surface.
Needless to say, she naturally knew that the one surfacing was just a high-level hacker in the mysterious organization. It was the easiest for one to expose their identities in online battles, so the "little master" whom she had been exchanging text messages with might not be with the hacker at the moment.
But every little bit counted, regardless!
At this moment, her phone vibrated.
She picked it up and took a look¡ªsure enough, the little psycho had sent another message: ¡¯My little servant, do you like my gift to the Smith Corporation?¡¯
Nora¡¯s lip corners quirked upward. She wrote: ¡¯Yeah, I like it quite a lot.¡¯
After all, it had exposed another member of his organization!
Chapter 482: She Is Far Inferior To Q!
Chapter 482: She Is Far Inferior To Q!
In the hotel.
The man stared at Nora¡¯s reply. When he saw the words "Yeah, I like it quite a lot", he was a little stunned. He scratched his head and asked bewilderedly, "Why does she like it? Does she resent the Smiths now and wishes for their downfall?"
His bodyguards and assistants suggested hesitantly, "How about... we stop the attack?"
"No!" The man grinned. His voice was filled with excitement as he said, "She must be trying to deceive me! Does she think that I¡¯ll let her off if she says that? How naive! Get our new toy to give them some more goodies!"
"Yes, sir!"
After his subordinates left, the man took his cell phone and sent another message to Nora: "My little servant, since you like it so much, I¡¯ll give you something even better to be happy about..."
¡ª
At the Smith Corporation.
After seeing his reply, Nora paid no more attention to him and tossed the phone aside.
She looked at theputer.
She had only restored Joel¡¯sputer at the moment. Additionally, the servers needed time to restart, and the rest of theputers hadn¡¯t been restored yet. Thus, the opponent hadn¡¯t yet realized that their attack had failed, and was still under the impression that it was a sess.
At this moment, all the screens of theputers that had been shut down suddenly lit up. Rows of text started appearing:
¡¯Mr. Smith, how does it feel to not have even a single hacker out there who dares to help the Smith Corporation?¡¯
When theputer screens outside lit up, Nora was already typing away at high speed. As she searched for the enemy hacker¡¯s location, she replied: ¡¯You are not Q. Who are you?¡¯
The person chatting with them on theputer was no longer the little psycho on the phone! This was because there was actually a bit of faint resentment and anger in their speech.
It was resentment and anger towards Joel.
More text appeared on the screen:
¡¯An old friend.¡¯
¡¯An old friend whom you abandoned.¡¯
¡¯Hahaha! I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve never imagined that I would ever return, right? And this time, I can shake things up real bad for all of you!¡¯
An old friend...
Nora suddenly thought of something. She looked up at Joel, upon which Joel nodded at her. Thus, Nora immediately understood. She wrote: ¡¯You are Yvonne.¡¯
With her identity now exposed, the woman didn¡¯t bother with pretenses anymore. She wrote:
"That¡¯s right! I am Yvonne! The person whom all of you had looked down on! But I am back now! My hacking skills have improved to a whole new level again. Do you now regret what you¡¯ve done, Joel? Hahahaha!"
Nora: "..."
Joel: "..."
At this instant, Nora felt really strongly that the little psycho must be sick in the head. Everyone he had approached were all people whom she didn¡¯t get along with.
Also, Yvonne had actually managed to hack the entire Smith Corporation all by herself! This showed that her hacking skills had indeed improved by leaps and bounds during this period of time!
Nora frowned.
Her cell phone beeped again at this point. She looked down and found that it was a message from the little psycho: "You should know by now who the hacker is, right? In that case, you should now have a more intuitive understanding of our gic modification drug, right? It¡¯s very powerful, isn¡¯t it? Are you tempted now? As long as you join us and be my servant, I will give you the drug. You can improve anything you want about yourself!"
The gic modification drug!!
So, what the special department had been studying all this time was a gic modification drug!
Nora sent a screenshot of this to the three-man group chat with Morris and Brenda.
Then her phone beeped again¡ªit was another message from the little psycho: ¡¯Yvonne used to be a pretty good hacker, but taking the gic modification drug, in just ten days, she is now a top-ss one! She is now on par with Q and Y! Do you want to be even better in your medical skills?¡¯
Nora raised her eyebrows and replied slowly: ¡¯In terms of medical skills, it seems like I am already the best.¡¯
When the other party saw her reply, he fell silent for a long time.
It seemed that he had never thought that Nora would say that. He hesitated and replied: ¡¯Then I can make you stronger in other ways! Such as physical strength and speed! Have you heard of Big Brother and Big Sister? Their physical strength and speed are the best in the country. I can make you as strong as them!¡¯
Nora: "..."
She replied: "That is not necessary."
The little pyscho: "Why? Don¡¯t you want to be stronger?"
She was already the strongest.
Nora held her forehead and replied again: "Perhaps it¡¯s because I don¡¯t want to be that strong?"
Joel was standing next to her and reading her chat with the little psycho. The man, who already knew her identity as Big Sister, was speechless.
She must be the queen of all humblebraggers out there!
Joel couldn¡¯t help but look up at the heavens.
Suddenly, he couldn¡¯t tell anymore if it was really a coincidence or what. Of all the things the other party could say, why was he simply trying to tempt Nora with the things that she was already skilled at?
¡¯Our gic modification drug is very powerful! Once you use it, you can be as powerful as yourself!¡¯
What a joke!
The other party fell silent again. Then, he became angry and wrote: "I don¡¯t believe there¡¯s anyone in this world who doesn¡¯t want to be stronger! I¡¯m sure you also want to, you¡¯re just being stubborn. Heh heh, in that case, I will show you the skills of a hacker on the same level as Q!"
Nora: ¡¯You are mistaken.¡¯
The little pyscho: "Mistaken? What am I mistaken about? Even if someone only manages to be stronger after taking the gic modification drug, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that they¡¯ve be stronger. I don¡¯t think I¡¯m mistaken!"
Nora: "... What I mean is, she is far inferior to Q. She isn¡¯t even worthy of being her servant."
Joel: "..."
Nora, is it really alright for you to praise yourself like that?
But for some reason, the sight simply felt so good!
The little psycho: "That¡¯s impossible! Heh, our gic modification drug allows one to develop a certain aspect of themselves to the extreme! It can affect one¡¯s IQ! She is definitely on par with Q now!"
He didn¡¯t seem to understand much about hackers, so Nora didn¡¯t say anything else to him.
However, it seemed like he had told Yvonne what she had said, so Yvonne became angry. She typed on theputer: "Hah, Q is indeed the world¡¯s top hacker, but so what even if I am not as good as Q? Can you even find the real Q? All of you are at my mercy now!"
Nora: "..."
Why was there always a group of arrogant people that simply insisted on shoving their faces toward her so that she could p them in the face?
She didn¡¯t even want to p them anymore, yet they just kept making things difficult for themselves. This simply made... her hands itch so much!
She sighed. Yvonne sent another message: "Why don¡¯t I live-stream the current situation to you? These are all trending topics on social media. The Smith Corporation¡¯s stocks have already fallen by 10%! If you still don¡¯t beg me for mercy, it¡¯ll probably reach the lower limit! Haha!!"
Chapter 483: A Fake Will Always Be A Fake
Chapter 483: A Fake Will Always Be A Fake
It seemed like Yvonne really wanted to show off her achievements, so she started to show them the trending topics on social media that day on theputer.
There were few new trending topics, such as #AllEmployeesOnLeaveInSmithCorporation, #SmithCorporationOffendsQTheHacker, #SmithCorporationStocksDropBy10%, and so on.
Some Smith Corporation employees had revealed that all the top-level executives were now waiting for orders in the CEO office on the top floor and that so far, everyone was at a loss as to how to counter Q.
As all theputers had crashed and couldn¡¯t be switched on, the rest of the staff had all been given a day off. However, the employees didn¡¯t feel any joy about that but were instead worried that they would wake up to the news of the Smith Corporation being dered bankrupt the next day, leading to them losing their jobs.
It was rumored that the young missy of the Smith Corporation had offended the top-ss hacker Q. That was why they had brought Q¡¯s revenge upon themselves. By right, a hacker shouldn¡¯t have been able to influence thework of such argepany, but this was Q, the legendary existence. It was said that Q alone could breach a country¡¯s cyber defenses!
The Smith Corporation was finished!
The Smith Corporation¡¯s stocks had already fallen by 10%, and thework in the entirepany had been down for over fifteen minutes. At present, investors were still observing the situation.
If they couldn¡¯t restore thework within an hour, then it was possible that investors would get rid of the stocks they had on hand. When that happened, they might hit the lower limit!
...
...
The Inte analyzed all the terrible oues that the Smith Corporation might face.
Yvonne presented them one by one.
Fortunately, Joel had already given all the employees in thepany a day off. Otherwise, the ordinary employees might break down if they saw the content.
However, even though the two inside the office were calm andposed, the people outside were already in a huge panic.
In order to prevent Yvonne from realizing that they had already taken control of the situation, Nora hadn¡¯t taken back the control of theputers outside.
Thus, when Yvonne was showing the articles on the screen, theputers outside were also disying the same thing.
The deputy CEO and top-level executives were fearful and horrified. The executive assistants and secretaries also looked at one another. For a while, none of them knew what they should do.
Samuel looked at the closed door to Joel¡¯s office and yelled furiously, "It¡¯s over! It¡¯s all over! The Smith Corporation is about to be destroyed by Joel!"
The executives looked worried.
Speedy, the hacker who had just left the Smith Corporation and returned home, heaved a huge sigh when he saw the news.
He felt that he couldn¡¯t have made a more correct choice.
In fact, in that instant, he was even afraid that Q might retaliate and take revenge on him.
Speedy was a member of the Hacker Alliance. He immediately took out his cell phone and sent a message to the Hacker Alliance.
Speedy: "Boss Q, I have already withdrawn from the Smith Corporation. I¡¯m not going to go against you! Don¡¯t worry. Also, if you need me to provide you with some of the Smith Corporation¡¯swork vulnerabilities, I can also do that..."
Although he knew that doing this wasn¡¯t right, Speedy had no other choice.
If he offended the Smith Corporation, if worse came to worst, he could at least go out of the country.
But if he offended Q, then he could forget about staying in the hacker industry. He was very clear about that!
After sending Q a private message, he thought about it and posted a tweet.
Unexpectedly, the moment he posted the tweet, it trended.
Speedy: "The Smith Corporation shouldn¡¯t have offended Q. I have absolute respect for Q, so I hereby announce my withdrawal from the Smith Corporation. Also, thus far, no one has dared to contend with Q on the Inte."
Speedy had been worried after he posted the tweet that his actions might offend the Smith Corporation, but when he saw how his tweet had taken the third spot among all the trending topics, he suddenly gained peace of mind.
It was obvious that the trending topics algorithm had also been hacked. All the negative news about the Smith Corporation had been pushed to the top!
It was apparent that the other party was very strong and capable!
His decision to take sides at the critical moment had yed a decisive role.
With that, surely Q wouldn¡¯t hold a grudge against him anymore... right?
¡ª
While Speedy was on tenterhooks, Yvonne had disyed his tweet on theputers in the Smith Corporation.
Additionally, after his tweet trended, someone had filled everyone in on who Speedy was. Everyone immediately lost even more hope in the Smith Corporation sessfully restoring theirwork!
¡¯Oh my god, even Speedy has quit. Who else can save the Smith Corporation?¡¯
"Q really isn¡¯t someone to be offended. I mean, look at the alphabet itself¡ªthey are the queen of the hacker world!"
"How apt! I¡¯m suddenly in awe of the queen. At the same time, I¡¯m also worried about the Smith Corporation. Just how exactly did they offend a big figure like that?"
...
Next to the numerousments were Yvonne¡¯s ownments:
"Heh, even Speedy has betrayed you at a crucial moment, Joel. What does this show?
"It shows that no one can be trusted except your own family! If you apologize to me and let me return to the Smiths, and also publicly announce that you¡¯re abandoning that hillbilly called Nora Smith, I cane back immediately!
"Of course, you also have to dere that I didn¡¯t do anything wrong back then. Dad didn¡¯t die anyway. He¡¯s currently resting healthy in the hospital, isn¡¯t he?
"Once you aplish all of this, I don¡¯t mind letting go of my control over the Smith Corporation and letting all of you go back to normalcy. But if not..."
As Joel read her messages, he suddenly looked at Nora and said, "Reply to her, ¡¯A fake will always be a fake.¡¯"
Nora: "..."
From what Yvonne had written, one could tell that the woman actually still missed the Smiths.
Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t ask toe back.
She hadn¡¯t expected Joel to actually say something as harsh as that, though.
What Yvonne minded the most was her identity as an adoptive daughter. Joel¡¯s words were entirely capable of sending her into a flying rage.
Joel had pretty good potential in honing a sharp tongue.
With that in mind, Nora typed that to Yvonne.
Sure enough, Yvonne flew into a rage.
"Joel! I see you as my elder brother, yet you are treating me like this! You have never cared about me, have you?!
"I¡¯ll tell you this¡ªI am now angry! Very, very much so! I am going topletely destroy the Smith Corporation¡¯swork, as well as all the files in everyone¡¯sputers!
"Just you wait! I will make you pay for saying that! Even if you regret your actions and want to beg me for mercy, it is toote!!"
Following these words, all theputers in thepany suddenly went back to normal. Then, all the internal hard drives were opened, and the cursor moved to the Delete button.
Once she clicked the button, all the data in all theputers would bepletely destroyed!
When that happened, chaos would definitely break out in the Smith Corporation!
In a dark room somewhere.
Yvonne stared at theputer screen in front of her. The light from theputer shone on her face, making her look exceptionally hideous and terrifying!
Chapter 484: Caught You!
Chapter 484: Caught You!
Yvonne stared at the screen, a weird and insidious smile gradually forming on her face. Once she clicked on that button, she would be able to see the Smiths¡¯ downfall!
Her fingers were shaking in excitement.
Then, she opened her eyes wide and pressed the button!
What she should have witnessed the next moment was all the data files in thepany being erased. What she should have witnessed was Joel in a panic and at a loss, but unexpectedly...
The moment she pressed the button, theputer screen in front of her... suddenly cked out!
¡ª
At the Smith Corporation.
When Yvonne was about to destroy the documents, Nora had already taken action. Her fingers tapped away on the keyboard at high speed. In no time, she had set a trap for Yvonne.
Yvonne¡¯s skills had indeed improved a lot¡ªat the very least, even as of now, the special department still hadn¡¯t managed to pinpoint her location through traces of her activity on the Inte.
If one were to look closely, one would see that Nora was actually wearing a Bluetooth headset in one ear.
Brenda¡¯s voice was currently ying in the Bluetooth headset. She said, "Yvonne Smith had indeed disappeared from prison when the sick Hiry Jones was picked up two days ago. The strange thing is that if not for what you¡¯ve just discovered, even as of now, no one has noticed it at all! It is very likely that they have set up arrangements inside!"
Morris stayed silent for a while. Then, he said, "Please stall for a bit more time. We are still tracking her location. Once we find it, we will arrest her at once!"
"... Captain Ford, your men kinda suck!" said Nora.
Morris: "..."
He coughed and said, "The guy on the team is already a top-ss white hat. It¡¯s just that Yvonne Smith has indeed be very skilled in this respect after her gic mutation. Just like what she said, she¡¯s alreadyparable to Q and Y now. It¡¯s normal that we can¡¯t catch her right away."
Those who provided service for other people were called hackers, but if a hacker was working for a country itself, then they were known as white hats.
Nora didn¡¯t like the sound of that. She said, "I told you, she¡¯s nowhere near Q and Y at all!"
Like her, Y was also the leader of the Hacker Alliance. The two of them had had showdowns with each other before, so they both knew just how skilled the other was. Beingpared to Yvonne was simply too much of an insult to both of them!
Morris: "..."
Brenda couldn¡¯t help but be amused. "Nora, how do you know that they aren¡¯t on par with one another? It¡¯s true thatparison is necessary, though. Why should someone who took a gic modification drug beparable to naturally-endowed ones like us?! Hehe, wait for me, I¡¯ll go to Justin and borrow Y!"
Brenda actually felt a little sheepish when she was saying that.
Y was the insurance that ensured the Hunt Corporation¡¯swork security, but everyone knew that Y never took outsiders¡¯ employment requests.
Not even Brenda¡¯s.
Three years ago, when she was carrying out a mission abroad, the other party had more powerful hackers on their side while the hackers in her department were not that skilled. She had called Justin to borrow Y but had been strictly rejected.
Y was so mysterious that no one knew where he really was. Justin had really kept him too well-protected.
Also, when she asked Justin why he trusted Y so much, he even said there wasn¡¯t any particr reason why.
This had even made her once suspect that there must be some kind of deal involving physical intimacy between Justin and Y!
But since it was for Nora¡¯s sake this time, she wondered if Justin would be willing to let his pretty little wife out to help Nora?
While she was thinking about it, Nora said, "No, it¡¯s fine."
Brenda was taken aback. "Huh?"
Nora¡¯s lips curled into a smile. "Q alone is more than enough to deal with her."
Brenda was a little dumbfounded at first.
The next moment, however, she suddenly realized something. She swallowed hard. "Nora, you... you have Q helping you out? W-where is he?"
No wonder Nora wasn¡¯t in a panic all this time!
"... Q has been here all along."
Brenda became even more astonished. "But we did not notice a third person in the room! ... Oh, I see!"
Brenda eximed. Just as Nora thought that she had finally understood what she meant, she instead heard Brenda say, "Does Q only need to provide support online? So, he doesn¡¯t have to be present at all?!"
Nora: "..."
Never mind. Since she had misunderstood, then so be it.
Seeing that she wasn¡¯t saying anything, Brenda assumed tacit agreement. She immediately started to tease her. "Nora, have you seen Q in person before?"
"... Yes."
After all, she had to look in the mirror every morning after she woke up and went to wash up, right?!
Brenda became even more interested. "Then... is he handsome?"
Nora: "?"
"He must be very handsome, right?! People with technical skills are usually very handsome! Nora, how sneaky! How can you hide a handsome guy all to yourself and not introduce him to me?!"
"..."
Nora, who found her really noisy, cut her off. "I¡¯ve found Yvonne."
Morris¡¯ voice rang out in a timely fashion. "Arrest her at once!"
¡ª
In a small dark room somewhere.
Yvonne had been brought there after she came out of prison.
This was a room in a small guest house and was only a few square feet big. Apart from a single bed, the only other thing in the room was theputer.
Even the toilet in the room she used to upy when she was living in the Smiths¡¯ manor was bigger than this!
But she knew she had no right to protest.
She and Hiry had both taken the gic modification drug. Hiry had died because she couldn¡¯t withstand the drug¡¯s effects.
But she had seeded.
God knows how excited she had been when she discovered that her understanding of hacking had be so clear that it was like the fog lifting!
She knew that she would be able to take her revenge very soon!
Those among the Smiths who had looked down on her, those who had bullied her... all of them would receive retribution very soon!
She was in a very good mood. Those people would be suffering while she weed a new life and became the new god of hacking!
Q?
Y?
What was the big deal about them? From now on, the world of hackers would be hers to triumph in!
Yvonne was so excited at the thought that she was even trembling a little.
Why did theputer in front of her suddenly ckout, though?
Yvonne¡¯s first reaction was that theputer¡¯s electricity supply had gone out¡ªbecause, given her skills, she didn¡¯t think that anything would go wrong with her hacking!
But when she went to look at the power supply, she found that the power supply was plugged in.
She was taken aback. When she stayed there and thought for a while, theputer screen turned on again.
A few words appeared on the screen:
¡¯Do you think you can do whatever you want just because you know a little bit of hacking?¡¯
This was... she had been invaded!
She stared bbergasted at her wless defensive firewall.
Her fingers trembled as she typed: ¡¯Who are you?¡¯
The other party: ¡¯Q.¡¯
As the alphabet appeared, Yvonne immediately understood something.
She sprung to her feet. Just as she was about to run to the door, someone suddenly kicked the door open. Then, a group of people rushed in!
"Freeze!"
"You¡¯re under arrest!"
Chapter 485: We Have Q!
Chapter 485: We Have Q!
"We¡¯ve caught her."
When Morris¡¯ voice rang out in the earphone, Nora had also just received a text message on her cell phone¡ªit was from the little psycho again.
"You¡¯re still not giving in even now? Looks like you really wish for the Smith Corporation¡¯s downfall!
"Hehe, the Smith Corporation¡¯s stocks have already fallen 20%. Are you still not gonna beg for mercy?
"C¡¯mon, my little servant, make up your mind! Otherwise, even if my new toy lets you guys off, the Smith Corporation will still suffer heavy losses! How can apany that cannot even guarantee theirwork security be trusted?"
Nora raised her eyebrows as she read the text messages.
She ignored him and looked at the time¡ªall the servers had sessfully rebooted. Her long, slender fingersnded on the keyboard and she started to type away at high speed.
Five minutester, all theputers in thepany returned to normal!
The Smith Corporation¡ªincluding all their subsidiaries that relied on the servers¡ªwas back to normal!!
Outside.
As Samuel looked at all the trending topics on social media that Yvonne was showing them sh by on theputer, he became so infuriated that his blood pressure soared to the high heavens!
To be honest, he also owned some of the Smith Corporation shares and received dividends every year. Although he and Ian didn¡¯t get along and he didn¡¯t like Joel, should the Smith Corporation really be ruined, he would also be implicated!
This was also the reason why even though Samuel had kept on making an appearance in minor incidents over the years, apart from ruining Ian and Joel¡¯s moods, he had never actually done anything during major incidents!
Of course, he didn¡¯t have any authority to make any decisions, either.
However, he had never colluded with outsiders to cheat his own family¡¯spany.
But now!
Samuel was so mad that he was practically stamping his foot. He pointed at the things on theputer screen and yelled furiously at the people around him, "Didn¡¯t she say that she knew Q, and would ask the real Q for help? Is this what the so-called Q she invited can do?
"She¡¯s such a jinx. She has never done anything good ever since her return to the Smiths!
"Why did she offend Q for no reason? She¡¯s too much!"
"Oh, my shares! They have already fallen by tens of millions of dors!"
Samuel clutched his heart and shouted to the people around him, "Remember this, if I copse here today, it¡¯s all because of that unfilial Nora Smith!"
The executives: "..."
No one said anything. All of them stared at the screen nervously.
Although no one was saying anything, all of them were still nervous. Given how things had alreadye to this point, they felt that Mr. Smith was simply too calm!
Someone swallowed. "I think it¡¯s better that we get Ms. Smith to borrow Y from the Hunt Corporation!"
"Sigh! The Hunt Corporation¡¯s Y is like a national treasure. How would they loan him to us so easily? Don¡¯t even think about it!"
"..."
While they were talking¡ªin fact, they couldn¡¯t even bear to look at the screen anymore¡ªthey suddenly saw the one-click Delete button for theputers¡¯ hard drives appear on the screen!
Right away, everyone panicked!
The executives looked at Joel¡¯s office. Someone even rushed over and said, "M-Mr. Smith! If all the data in theputers are deleted, we will suffer heavy losses!"
What came out of the office was Joel¡¯s voice that still sounded as calm and collected as ever. He said, "Got it."
The people outside were close to going crazy from their anxiety!
However, a minuteter, someone suddenly let out an exmation.
Everyone turned and followed his gaze to see that theputers had restarted... They had seeded!
Someone couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Surely it¡¯s not because they have already deleted all our data, so they decided that they can restore theputers for us now, right?"
Hearing this, the executive assistant hurriedly rushed to his workstation, opened up his hard drive, and then found that...
"Nothing was deleted!"
When the rest heard this, they all ran to their workstations excitedly!
A girl sighed emotionally and said, "Oh my god, myputer is okay now! Nothing has happened to it at all, it¡¯s exactly the same as before! It¡¯s as if it hadn¡¯t been invaded at all! Ah, the picture of my idol is still here!"
Another man eximed, "F*ck, even my porn videos are still here?"
"..."
There was a moment of silence in the executive assistant department.
The man suddenly raised his head in embarrassment and scratched his head. "I... I was just joking..."
"..."
"..."
These people, who had stayed in the office and worked overtime, were the first to discover that thework had been restored. However, spreading the news required a certain amount of time.
In a hotel room somewhere.
A man leaned against an armchair with one leg perched over the other. His ck suit-d legs were long and straight, and his leather shoes were also smooth and shiny. He looked very smug.
He grinned and said, "My little servant will be reporting very soon, heh heh..."
But as he said that, the assistant next to him suddenly eximed, "Sir, l-look at the trending topics on social media..."
The man was taken aback for a moment. He nced over, upon which he became dumbfounded.
Then, someone suddenly rushed over in a panic. "Sir, it¡¯s over! Yvonne has been arrested!"
"Shit!" The man cursed in a low voice. "Useless piece of rubbish! You¡¯re all a bunch of rubbish!"
¡ª
Nora had just repaired thework when someone knocked on the door. Joel¡¯s executive assistance said, "Mr. Smith, look at the number one trending topic!"
Number one trending topic?
Joel raised his brows and looked at Nora in surprise. "You even paid to make a topic trend?"
Nora: "?"
She blinked. "What does paying to make a topic trend mean?"
Joel was dumbfounded. He¡¯d originally thought that the incident would definitely trend on social media once Nora repaired thework, but for it to be the top trending topic so quickly, there was no doubt that someone was manipting this behind the scenes.
He¡¯d thought that Nora was the one behind it, but in the end, she wasn¡¯t aware at all?
While thinking about it, Joel opened Facebook. When he saw the top trending topic, he suddenly looked at Nora with aplex look on his face.
Nora: "?"
She craned her neck and looked at Joel¡¯s hand. A resigned Joel could only hand the phone to her. "Here, take a look."
The top trending topic wasn¡¯t about the fact that the Smith Corporation¡¯swork problems had been resolved. Instead, it was...
The Hunt Corporation: "Do you need Y to help? He¡¯ll be there whenever you call. @SmithCorporation"
Nora: "!!"
She looked at Joel in surprise, upon which she saw his eyes flicker a little. Then, he took the phone back, logged in to the Smith Corporation¡¯s official Facebook page, and replied.
The Smith Corporation: "We appreciate the gesture. But The Smith Corporation is going to be fine on its own. @HuntCorporation"
Netizens who were originally unhappy about the Smith Corporation were astounded by the two posts!
"We all know that the Hunt Corporation has hired Y as theirwork consultant¡ªthey hired such a powerful person as a consultant to deter their enemies. But isn¡¯t the Smith Corporation being a little too funny here? Q was the one who invaded theirwork, yet they are still being stubborn and refusing to ept the Hunt Corporation¡¯s kindness!"
"What would be a good way of saying ¡¯We have Q.¡¯?"
Chapter 486: Nora... is Angering People to Death
Chapter 486: Nora... is Angering People to Death
After all, in the beginning, the Inte was spreading the news that Q had invaded Smith Corporation. Therefore, theizens felt strange when Smith Corporation suddenly said that they had Q.
Someone even questioned, ¡ª We have Q. I know these words if I look at them separately. But when they¡¯re put together, why can¡¯t I understand what they mean?
Below this question, Smith Corporation answered seriously: "It means that we have hired Q to be our Inte consultant. From now on, Smith Corporation has made up for its shorings! Please use our services without any worry! There will be no more problems!"
Everyone: "??"
Everyone was stunned.
Wasn¡¯t Q invading Smith Corporation? Why had Q suddenly be a consultant for Smith Corporation?
Just as theizens imagined a heartbreaking story of love and murder, Smith Corporation Official sent another Weibo post exining the entire situation!
For a moment, everyone was in an uproar!
¡ª How is that possible? If Q had been hired as a consultant, why would Speedy have resigned? Furthermore, Speedy publicly posted on Weibo saying that he did not dare to offend Q?
¡ª That¡¯s right. Even Speedy said that the one who invaded Smith Corporation was Q. How could there be a mistake?! What is Smith Corporation ying at?"
Speedy had jumped out himself. At this time, he still did not know that Smith Corporation¡¯s Inte had been repaired. He was at home browsing Facebook and waiting for Q¡¯s reply. Therefore, when he saw Smith Corporation¡¯s message, he was the first to find it uneptable.
He was stunned. He reposted Smith Corporation¡¯s Facebook post andbeled it with a question mark to express his confusion.
But just as most people were questioning the authenticity of this news and theizens were discussing it, someone suddenly sent a message!
On the hacking forum, Q used his public ount to send a message:
Q: "I have officially epted Smith Corporation¡¯s recruitment and have be Smith Corporation¡¯s consultant. Someone was impersonating me to attack the Smith Corporation, whom I have already handed over to the police! I will also send her to court for legal punishment!"
Speedy: !!
When he saw this news, he suddenly trembled.
He swallowed. Suddenly, his personal inbox lit up. It was Q who had replied: "Oh, then you don¡¯t have to stay in the hacker world anymore."
Speedy: "..."
His fingers softened and his phone slipped out of his hand...
¡ª
#SmithCorporation¡¯sInteNetworkRecovery, #SmithCorporationSupplementedTheirInteShorings, #SmithCorporationCarriedOutAnOnlineCombatExercise, and other topics immediately became trending under Joel¡¯s control.
The people who had been scolding Smith Corporation finally reacted.
Some gamers even realized that the Inte seemed to be smoother after entering the game! The gaming experience was better!
Another analysis post went straight to the top of the trending searches.
Smith Cooperation used to focus on the physical industry with the Inte industry as support. The development of new media was not good enough, but now, they had filled this shoring. With Q as a backup, Smith Cooperation¡¯s future was promising!
Many people had seen this trending post. ordingly, Smith Cooperation¡¯s stock price that had plummeted to nearly 20% suddenly began to rise crazily!
The price of a single share was almost equal to that of Hunt Corporation!
As everyone watched Smith Cooperation¡¯s stock prices skyrocket, someone even started a conspiracy theory.
¡ª Now, I feel that all of this was self-directed and acted out by Smith Cooperation. They used the attack to attract everyone¡¯s attention, and in the end, they retaliated! It was simply beautiful. Today, Smith Cooperation¡¯s shares soared crazily!
¡ª Ahhhh, I don¡¯t care what kind of conspiracy it is. Smith Cooperation is the greatest of all time! With Q, Smith Cooperation is like a tiger that has grown wings!
¡ª If Smith Cooperation¡¯s momentum continues to be so fierce, it feels like the number one family is going to change!
¡ª Oh my god, Smith Cooperation must have taken over the trending searches today!
When Nora saw this Facebook post, she raised her eyebrows and smiled as she sent the link to that little lunatic.
Then, she replied: "You¡¯ve spent too much. You helped us get on the trending searches."
The other party was silent for a full two minutes before he gritted his teeth and sent, "Shit!"
Nora was very satisfied when she saw this word.
To be able to make this little lunatic curse, it was enough to show that he was extremely angry, right?
Smith Cooperation¡¯s crisis had been resolved. She stretched and said to Joel, "I¡¯m going home."
Joel nodded.
Nora stood up and stretched her neck before walking out slowly. The moment she pushed the door open, Samuel and the other executives immediately took two steps back and made way for her.
At this moment, everyone looked at her with admiration.
Samuel even took a trembling step forward and held her hand. For the first time, he said in a tone that was not hostile, "Nora, you must maintain a good rtionship with Q! You must win him over by hook or by crook, okay?"
Nora nced at him and knew that Samuel was frightened this time.
If the Smiths went bankrupt, he would also suffer losses!
However, when she thought of how he hade to cause trouble time and time again, Nora¡¯s eyes shed. She thought of Samuel¡¯s hobby that Joel had told her about and said, "Samuel, Q likes antiques the most, especially the blue and white porcin from the Qing Dynasty. You also know that I came from California, and I don¡¯t have such precious things. Sigh! Q said that if I can¡¯t find it for him, he won¡¯t cooperate further with us!"
Samuel: "!!!!"
That blue and white porcin was his most precious collection. It was worth almost a hundred million dors! How could he give it away just like that?!
However, when he thought of how quickly Smith Cooperation¡¯s shares had fallen after the Inte copse today, he felt as if his heart was on a rollercoaster.
He gritted his teeth. "What¡¯s wrong with that? I have it! Give it to Q right now!"
Nora narrowed her almond-shaped eyes and revealed her white teeth. "Get it sent to the Smiths."
"...Okay."
Nora left after saying this. Joel, who was sitting in the office, also heard their conversation: "..."
His little cousin had such a devious side to her!
... How cute!
¡ª
Nora returned to the Smiths.
After parking the car, she looked at the time. It was almost 11 PM. The children¡¯s rooms upstairs were dark. They must have slept long ago.
She entered casually and was about to head upstairs when she saw the man sitting on the sofa.
There was no one else in the living room. Under the warm andfortable light, Justin was looking at his phone. There was a rare rxed joy on his face, the corners of his lips curled up slightly. Even the mole at the corner of his eye was curved into a happy smile.
The man had his legs crossed and was staring at his phone.
Nora walked over in surprise and looked at his phone. She wanted to know what the man saw that made him smile so happily.
Unexpectedly, it was...
Chapter 487: I’ll Tell You a Secret~
Chapter 487: I¡¯ll Tell You a Secret~
When Nora looked over, the man was browsing Facebook.
On Facebook, there was a small-time user called "Nora¡ªJustin Couple". Below, it posted:
[Ahhh, what should I do? Did you see what Hunt Corporation said at the critical moment? I¡¯m at your beck and call! I feel so spoiled!]
[I¡¯m a fan of a couple from twopanies!]
[The domineering Mr. Hunt is seeking attention. The cold Beauty Smith has rejected him!]
[He has Y while she has Q. The emperor and queen of the hacker world are in their hands. They look morepatible!]
[Ahhhh, I saw a text, it¡¯s so sweet! Link attached!]
Justin¡¯s slender fingers opened the link, and inside was a short piece of a text:
"Actually, Hunt has always been deeply in love with Smith. Smith has long had her heart set on Hunt, but the two strong people have never learned how to express themselves. They only worked hard to show their best sides in front of each other.
Smith tried hard, but she was tripped by someone. The moment she fell, Hunt suddenly realized something. It was too tiring for Smith to chase after him.
Hunt stopped in his tracks and reached out to her. ¡¯My hand is right here. Come as you wish.¡¯
Smith looked at that hand but did not clench it tightly. Instead, she stubbornly pressed her hand against the ground and stood up. "I have my own hand."
Smith did not notice that when she said this, her tone was filled with shyness... To be continued..."
Justin looked at the words and smiled, liking this Facebook post.
Justin was currently logged into Hunt Corporation¡¯s official ount.
This little like immediately made theizens hype up again. Everyone shouted, ¡ª Ahhhh, the couple is real!!
...
...
Nora was speechless.
No matter what Justin did, he was always serious and very vignt. However, she had been standing behind him for so long, yet this man still did not notice her arrival.
The corners of Nora¡¯s lips twitched. She watched as Justin liked every post that praised them. When he had liked more than ten, Nora could not stand it anymore and turned around to go upstairs.
When she increased her pace, she attracted Justin¡¯s attention!
He looked up suddenly and smiled when he saw Nora. "You¡¯re back?"
Nora: "...Yes."
She wanted to say something, but when she turned her head back to look, she saw that Justin had already lowered his head again and was looking at his phone. He had started his journey of likes again.
Nora: "..."
The "thank you" was stuck in her throat.
This fellow had deliberately created a "Y" that could be used at will in a high-profile manner. He had even shouted loudly on the Inte and bought the top trending searches just to help them.
Nora shook her head slightly and sighed. She prepared to go upstairs.
She had just taken the first step when she heard Justin¡¯s bright voice. "Nora."
Nora stopped in her tracks and looked at him.
Justin finally looked up. His eyes were still smiling, and his dark eyes were as bright as the stars. "Is Q you?"
Nora: "..."
She was silent for a moment before asking, "Then is Y you?"
"..."
In the silence, they looked at each other. Suddenly, they smiled again.
No words needed to be spoken.
¡ª
¡ª
Nora went upstairs to sleep. When she woke up again, the sky was bright.
She picked up her phone and nced at it. She realized that many people had contacted her, but most of them seemed to know that she was resting, so they had only left messages.
Nora ignored Brenda, Morris, and the others. Her gaze firstnded on Lily¡¯s message.
Usually, Lily would not look for her for no reason. Now that she was suddenly looking for her...
Nora hurriedly unlocked her phone and dialed her number. Lily picked up immediately and said, "Boss, Old Maddy seems to have regained some rationality. He kept nagging about looking for you! I¡¯m trying to calm him down, but I think he has something to say to you."
If he had something to say...
Nora thought of the secret her mother had left behind and sat up immediately. "I¡¯ll be right there!"
She got out of bed, put on her clothes, and rushed downstairs. Then, she went to the car park and drove straight to the hospital!
In the hospital.
Nora came to the door of Old Maddy¡¯s room. Before she entered, she heard Old Maddy shouting, "Where¡¯s Ian¡¯s daughter? Where¡¯s Yvette¡¯s daughter? I want to see her! Her mother has a secret that she wants me to tell her! Shh, I won¡¯t tell you. I¡¯ll only tell her! I can only tell her!"
Chapter 488: A Secret!
Chapter 488: A Secret!
When Nora heard these words, she hurriedly pushed open the door and walked in.
Lily was pressing on Old Maddy¡¯s arm. Ever since he was poisoned by Yvonne, his body had not been well, and his mind had not recovered.
His expression was still not good, and the burns on his body were terrifying.
Lilyforted him. "Boss ising soon. Don¡¯t be agitated..."
Old Maddy danced around and kept shouting, "I want to see Yvette¡¯s daughter! Quickly call her to see me! It¡¯ll be over if she¡¯ste! I want to tell her a secret..."
Lily almost couldn¡¯t control him anymore. At this moment, Nora entered the door. When she heard the door opening, Lily turned back to look at her and finally heaved a sigh of relief.
"You¡¯re finally here!"
Lily stood up and said with resentment, "If you hadn¡¯te soon, Old Maddy would really have gone crazy this time!"
Nora ignored her nagging and walked straight to the bed. When he saw her face, Old Maddy calmed down.
His turbid eyes suddenly became clear. He looked at Nora quietly for a while before smiling. "You¡¯re here."
"I¡¯m here."
Nora held his dry hand. His fingers were especially dry because they had been burned before, and his skin was very wrinkled.
She asked softly, "What¡¯s the matter?"
Old Maddy looked at her and his eyes gradually calmed down. He smiled. "I want to tell you that you need to have a child!"
Nora: "?"
She was stunned. "What?"
"You need to have a child! Now, now! Hurry!" Old Maddy suddenly became anxious and pushed her out. "Do it now."
His words were incoherent, making her even more confused.
However, Nora¡¯s heart jumped a little. She seemed to have thought of something and asked, "Why?"
"Why?"
Old Maddy was stunned. "Yes, why?"
He was pushing Nora¡¯s hand, but he suddenly quietened down. He scratched his head hard. "Why? Why can¡¯t I remember why? Why? Why? Why ?..."
He muttered softly to himself. After saying these words, he grabbed his hair hard because he could not remember the reason.
A few strands of hair had been plucked off by him from his already barren scalp, but he still could not seem to remember.
He suddenly pped his head angrily. "Why? Tell me quickly. Why?"
Nora saw that he was gradually losing his mind and seemed to be getting more and more anxious. She hurriedly held his hand. "Old Maddy..."
When Old Maddy saw her, he did not think about why anymore. Instead, he held her hand. "Quickly go and have a child. Go!"
Nora: "...I already gave birth."
"You gave birth?"
Old Maddy was stunned. "It really happened?"
"It¡¯s true."
There were even two of them.
Nora did not say thest sentence. She only stared at Old Maddy. When she saw that he seemed to have heard this, she heaved a sigh of relief. Then, he slowly closed her eyes. His emotions seemed to have calmed down. Nora asked tentatively, "Can you remember anything else?"
Old Maddy whispered, "I can¡¯t remember. I can¡¯t remember. I¡¯m old. I¡¯m crazy... And I can¡¯t think. My head hurts. My head hurts so much..."
"Okay, don¡¯t think about it yet. But if you remember anything else, you have to tell me."
Nora reminded him softly. Old Maddy nodded. "I¡¯ll remember. I know..."
After Old Maddy fell asleep, Nora walked out of the ward.
Lily looked at her. "Anti, I think Old Maddy¡¯s condition has improved. At least he was talking to you normally just now. But he¡¯s so strange! Why did he want you to have a child?"
Nora shook her head to indicate that she did not know.
She told Lily, "Take good care of Old Maddy. When his physical fitness reaches a certain level, I¡¯ll continue his treatment."
Old Maddy might be someone who knew about some things back then!
Only by curing Old Maddy could she possibly know some of her mother¡¯s secrets.
¡ª
Since she was at the hospital, Nora went to visit Quentin again.
Quentiny there and was getting another nurse to feed him fruits. As he ate, he said, "Don¡¯t look at how I¡¯m paralyzed on the bed now and can¡¯t even lift a cup of water. You don¡¯t know how powerful I used to be."
At this point, he took a bite of an apple and continued, "My martial arts are especially good. It¡¯s not a problem for me to fight ten people alone! What¡¯s with your expression? When I¡¯m done, I¡¯ll fight ten for you to see!"
When Nora heard this, she stopped in her tracks.
As she stood at the door, she heard the nurse say, "Okay? How big is your heart? Do you know how serious your injuries are?"
Quentin smiled. "Do you know who my cousin is?"
The young nurse: "...I know. It¡¯s Anti!"
"Other than Anti, she¡¯s also Big... Forget it, I won¡¯t tell you anymore. You won¡¯t understand even if I tell you. Anyway, she¡¯s very good at fighting!"
The young nurse asked, "Is she better than you?"
Quentin: "...Damn, she¡¯s just a little better than me. Really, just a little. When I recover, I¡¯ll practice for another ten years. I¡¯ll definitely beat her! Because she¡¯s toozy. She only knows how to sleep every day... If she doesn¡¯t practice, she¡¯ll only worsen! Why should I tell you about fighting? What I want to tell you is that with her around, I¡¯ll definitely be able to stand up!"
"..."
Nora clenched her fists silently. Her almond-shaped eyes drooped slightly. It was as if there was suddenly a heavy burden on her shoulders.
She did not expect Quentin to trust her so blindly.
This made her feel pressured.
She did not enter and instead turned to Ian¡¯s lounge.
Ian was holding his phone and looking at something. However, Nora could vaguely hear Joel¡¯s voice.
She was about to take a closer look when Ian heard her enter. He quickly switched off her phone and looked at her guiltily. "Nora, why are you here?"
Nora: "...How are you?"
Ian smiled. "I¡¯m quite good. I feel like I can be discharged in a few days."
Nora nodded.
Ian looked at her.
Nora pursed her lips.
Ian was still looking at her.
Nora sat down at the side and stood upright.
Ian was still looking at her.
For a moment, there was nothing between them. A faint awkwardness filled the room.
Looking at her new father, Nora still felt a sense of estrangement.
After all, she had seen him fewer than a dozen times.
Nora stood up. "If you¡¯re fine, I¡¯ll get going."
Ian subconsciously asked, "You¡¯re leaving so soon?"
He had not seen enough of his daughter!
Nora nodded. "Yes, I still have something to do."
She walked towards the door and had just opened it when Ian¡¯s voice suddenly came from behind. "Nora, you just went to see Quentin, right?"
Nora paused.
She did not turn back, but she still heard Ian¡¯s voice. "It¡¯s okay. As long as you try your best, even if the oue is unsatisfactory, it¡¯s okay. I know Quentin. He won¡¯t me you."
Nora felt relieved. She felt as if strands of warmth were flowing into her heart again.
She lowered her head. "Yes."
With that, she turned around. "Thank you."
¡ª
After leaving the hospital, Nora got into her car and nned to interrogate Yvonne.
However, she suddenly thought of something and picked up her phone. She suddenly sent that little psycho a message: "Can I ask you a question?"
The little psycho replied quickly: "Beg me."
Nora: "Then forget it."
Little Psycho: "No, you have to ask!" He was extremely curious about what questions his little servant wanted to ask.
Nora: "No."
Little Psycho: "Ask! I can answer you a question for free!"
Nora was waiting for this sentence. "Why must I have a child?"
The moment this question was asked, the other party replied.
After seeing that reply, Nora¡¯s eyes widened in shock...
Chapter 489: Little Psycho?
Chapter 489: Little Psycho?
On the other end of the line, the other party¡¯s message was very clear.
[You¡¯ll die if you don¡¯t have children.]
Nora stared at those words and felt that she did not understand what they meant. She frowned and sent another message. "Why?"
The other party: "This is the second question. Beg me."
Nora: "..."
She lowered her eyes. "Please, will you tell me?"
The other party: "It depends on my mood."
"..."
He clearly did not intend to say anything.
Nora ignored him and threw her phone aside.
She did not understand what this answer meant, but from what she heard, she felt that things were developing in a strange direction.
Why would she die if she did not give birth?
She sat in the car quietly and thought for a long time before starting the car and heading to the special department.
In the special department.
Previously, when Yvonne was in an ordinary prison, she had always felt that her prison break was very simple. Therefore, even after she was arrested by the special department, she still sat there calmly and did not say anything.
Morris and Brenda did not torture her, but they did not get any useful information.
Ever since she was arrested, she had been in the interrogation room. She did not eat, drink, or sleep. At this moment, she looked very haggard, but the gaze in her eyes was very firm.
Nora entered the interrogation room and sat opposite her.
She thought for a moment and suddenly said, "Are you waiting for them to save you?"
When Yvonne heard this, her eyes trembled before she raised her head. "I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about."
Nora spoke again. "Yourputer skills have improved tremendously recently!"
Acent smile appeared on Yvonne¡¯s face. "If you¡¯re mocking me, then I can tell you that there¡¯s no need. Do you really think that the Smiths can do whatever they want with Q? If you have the ability, wait a while for me. I will definitely be more powerful than Q!"
When she said this, there was only confidence on her face without any hesitation.
Nora frowned a little when she looked like this. She did not know where her confidence came from.
She suddenly said, "How are you going topete with Q? Even if you invaded Smith Corporation this time, you needed someone to bring in a hard drive for you. What¡¯s the point of breaking the firewall from the inside?"
Hearing this, Yvonne bit her lips.
Indeed, this invasion was because Jill¡¯s nephew had brought in a USB sh drive when he entered Smith Corporation.
From then on, she had nned this attack.
What a pity...
They had put in so much effort, but Q had easily disintegrated them!
Yvonne lowered her head and sneered, "You don¡¯t have to provoke me with your words. Anyway, I won¡¯t die if I¡¯m arrested for a while. You can wait for me for half a month. I¡¯ll let you know what it means to be a peak hacker!"
Her words were very arrogant.
She looked at Nora and reached out her hand. "Do you know how it feels to suddenly be stronger? My mind suddenly became clear. Some algorithms that were originally as difficult to ovee as mountains were easily figured out by me. My logic was clear, and everything was in my mind! In my palm..."
Nora saw that when she said these words, she seemed to be in a daze. She frowned and suddenly said, "Hiry was suddenly in aa. When the prison guards couldn¡¯t find out the reason, she was sent out of the prison. You took the opportunity to hide in the car and escaped, right?"
Yvonne was stunned.
Nora said again, "Are you certain that if they can save you once, they can save you a second time? Did you expect to be arrested by the special department this time?"
She could be easily rescued from ordinary cells because the restrictions there were indeed not very strict.
However, the special department was the most tightly guarded department in New York. Where did Yvonne get her confidence from to think that she could escape from here?
Yvonne was not frightened by Nora¡¯s words. She lowered her eyes and sneered. "They won¡¯t give up on me."
"Why?"
Nora asked.
Yvonne smiled. "Because I¡¯m about to be the best hacker in the world. They need a genius like me!"
Nora listened to her and frowned.
It seemed like that little psycho had promised Yvonne something. Otherwise, a selfish person like her would have betrayed them long ago.
But how could that little psycho rush to the special department to save someone?
She shook her head and sneered. "Even so, you have to ensure that you can touch your phone orputer. But can you touch them here?"
Yvonne shook her head. "You don¡¯t have to scare me. If you want to use torture, then use it. I¡¯m not afraid at all! But what do you want me to say? Heh, I have noment!"
With that, she lowered her head and looked like she did not want to talk anymore.
Nora could only leave the interrogation room.
Morris walked forward and asked, "We can¡¯t use torture right now because we¡¯re drawing blood for testing."
Nora clenched her jaw. "You mean..."
Morris nodded. "She admitted that she became so powerful because she was injected with a gic modification drug."
Nora instantly pursed her lips tightly.
Gic modification drug...
This was the first time she had directly felt the changes brought by the gic modification drug.
Yvonne¡¯sputer skills in the past were indeed ordinary. She was just scaringymen.
But this time, even with the help of Jill¡¯s nephew, Yvonne had hacked everyone¡¯sputers in Smith Corporation in a short period of time. She was indeed very powerful!
If it was anyone other than Nora¡ªeven if Solo was here¡ªthey would not be her match!
Could that gic modification drug really develop a person¡¯s brain to the limit?
If that was the case, then could Quentin be saved?!
Seeming to have sensed her hesitation, Morris said, "You can go to theboratory and take a look at the current report."
Nora nodded and entered theboratory at the side.
The people there were all researchers. They had taken Yvonne¡¯s blood and were examining it. Nora walked over and took the report. She saw that there was indeed some unknownponent in her blood.
Everyone was still examining theposition, and they were temporarily unable to distinguish the structure.
Nora took the reports over and checked them one by one.
She read thest copy first...
Suddenly, she stood up and looked at the documents in her hand. "Oh no!"
"What¡¯s wrong?"
Someone asked.
Nora stood up and was about to walk out. However, before she could step out, a low voice suddenly sounded from the interrogation room!
Chapter 490: Another Identity~
Chapter 490: Another Identity~
Hearing that low voice, Nora rushed into the interrogation room.
Yvonne fell to the ground with her eyes closed. She seemed to have lost consciousness, and the guards were frantically patting her as they shouted, "Wake up, wake up..."
Nora took a step forward hurriedly. "Move!"
When the staff worker saw that it was her, he immediately made way.
Nora came to Yvonne¡¯s side and used one hand to check her breathing while the other hand pressed on her pulse. Her breathing was already very weak, almost gone.
Even her pulse became unclear.
Nora swallowed.
The person beside her shouted, "CPR!"
Nora immediately stopped him. "No!"
"Why?"
She slowly said, "The unknownposition in her blood is increasing exponentially. Those things can improve her genes, but they will also take her life!"
Although the results of those reports were from the same batch of blood, the unknown concentration ofponents changed every hour.
As the change was not big and the coefficient was too small, the researchers did not notice it immediately.
However, when Nora went to take a look, she realized this problem!
The unknownponents in her blood were like bacteria. From the moment they entered her body, they began to reproduce!
As time passed, it slowly spread throughout her body.
Nora also realized this before shouting "no" and rushing over.
The worker did not understand the full story, but he understood what she meant. "You¡¯re saying that if we perform CPR, it will cause the blood in Yvonne¡¯s body to flow faster and increase the growth of those things?"
Nora nodded. "Yes."
The worker was anxious. "Then there¡¯s nothing in these emergency measures that can save her now!"
How were they supposed to get any clues when she was dead?
When Nora heard this, she reached into her purse and took out a bunch of silver needles. Then, she quickly took out a short needle, stabbing Yvonne¡¯s head twice.
After two stabs, Yvonne let out a cry and slowly opened her eyes. She did not understand what was going on and asked, "What are you guys doing? What¡¯s wrong with me?"
Nora lowered her eyes and said slowly, "The gic modification drug they injected into you multiplies endlessly in your body."
Yvonne was stunned for a moment before she seemed to understand something. "So they¡¯re lying to me? But how is that possible? I¡¯m so powerful, why would they lie to me? Without me, they can¡¯t find another hacker! I know now. Are you acting? Are you trying to get something out of me?! Let me tell you, don¡¯t think I¡¯ll believe you just because you said you could treat me!"
Nora pursed her lips and looked at her. "I can¡¯t treat you."
Yvonne was stunned. "What?"
The silver needle in Nora¡¯s hand was still inserted into her brain. "I¡¯m just holding your breath now, but I can¡¯t stop those reproductions. You only have one minute."
Yvonne was stunned.
She looked at Nora in a daze and felt the pain in her temples. There seemed to be something crawling in her body. It made her feel cold and afraid.
She looked at Nora in disbelief. Suddenly, waves of pain came from her bloodstream! The pain stimted her nerves! It made her feel like her entire body was about to burn!
This pain made her realize that Nora was not lying!
Yvonne widened her eyes in shock and grabbed Nora¡¯s hand in disbelief. "Save me, save me. I don¡¯t want to die. I don¡¯t want to die..."
Unfortunately, the more agitated she was, the faster her blood flowed.
Almost after she said that, she suddenly coughed out a mouthful of blood and fell to the ground again!
Nora frowned and whispered into her ear, "Don¡¯t you want to take revenge? Tell me, who contacted you..."
Yvonne looked at her, still in shock.
Suddenly, she grinned and said thest sentence of her life. "As long as you can¡¯t get what you want, I¡¯ll be happy..."
"..."
"..."
The interrogation room was silent.
Nora stared at the woman in front of her. She had fallen to the ground with her eyes staring into empty space unwillingly. Her face, distorted due to the pain, slowly rxed after she died.
Morris and Brenda heard the sound and rushed over. When they entered, they saw Nora standing beside them with a frown.
The two of them looked at the worker beside them hesitantly and asked, "What happened? What did she say before she died?"
The worker shook his head. "Nothing..."
Nora also came back to her senses.
She was actually a little puzzled earlier. She understood that the moment Yvonne was arrested, she had been abandoned by that little psycho.
Yvonne definitely understood this logic. That little psycho was her murderer, but what was this woman thinking? Why was she unwilling to tell her who it was even until she died?
Especially thatst sentence. It was clearly saying that as long as you were unhappy, I would be happy!
Was a woman¡¯s jealousy really that strong?
She winced and quickly recovered from this state.
Yvonne¡¯s problem was definitely her own, and it had nothing to do with Nora!
She turned to look at Morris and Brenda and said, "I realized that the gic modification drug isn¡¯t safe to use at all."
Morris and Brenda looked at her simultaneously.
Nora slowly said, "That drug can at least be said to be imperfect. After being injected, although her genes had indeed improved in a short period of time, the drug infinitely replicated in her body. It stimted the limits of her body. Yvonne died was because her brain had reached its limits and could not keep up with the drug¡¯s stimtion. In the end, she died from the bacsh!"
When Morris and Brenda received this news, their expressions instantly turned grave.
Even Brenda no longer had her usual image as she looked at her seriously. "So, they gave Yvonne a semi-finished product?"
Morris nodded as well. "This at least proves one thing! They haven¡¯t perfected the drug yet!"
¡ª
Yvonne¡¯s death was worthless.
However, to Nora, it was like a blow to her head, waking her up.
There were no shortcuts in the world.
She was the only one who could treat Quentin¡¯s illness. That gic modification drug would have pushed Quentin to his death.
As she thought about this, she went out and prepared to make a trip to her alternative medicine doctor¡¯s house to ask if there was any way to regenerate a person¡¯s bones.
In the car, she received another message from the little psycho: "Are you thanking me now?"
Nora: "?"
Next, she saw his message: "I¡¯ve already killed the two women you hate the most. You¡¯re wee."
Nora: "..."
Little Psycho: "You should have realized by now. The gic modification drug that Hiry and Yvonne used is semi-finished. The reason I gave Yvonne to you was to show you the effect of that drug. Even the semi-finished product can let people break through their limits. Don¡¯t you want to know what kind of changes a finished product will cause? Aren¡¯t you tempted?"
Nora replied, "We caught Yvonne, you didn¡¯t give her to us. Thank you."
"..."
The little psycho was silent again before replying: "Little servant, since you don¡¯t know what¡¯s good for you, don¡¯t me me for being rude! After serving two appetizers, don¡¯t me me for being unruly to you next! Hehe..."
Nora frowned.
This person was really annoying. Why was he pestering her?
However, if he did not pester her, she would not have a chance to solve the case.
Nora lowered her eyes.
She did not know who the little psycho was going to target this time.
As she was thinking, her phone suddenly rang. She nced at it and realized that it was Simon, the uncle of the Andersons. She picked up the call and heard Simon¡¯s voice. "Nora, something has happened!"
"What?" Nora¡¯s heart sank.
Then, she heard Simon¡¯s voice. "ine Miller has been suspended. You seem to be the one who did it, right? She¡¯s now ndering you everywhere. She said that you worship modern medicine and look down on alternative medicine. That¡¯s why you chased her out of the system! Do you still remember Mr. Myers? When he heard about this, he immediately contacted ine and made this matter bigger. Now, the entire alternative medicine world knows that Anti looks down on alternative medicine. They want to reason with you!"
Chapter 491: Slapping The Hypocrite In The Face!
Chapter 491: pping The Hypocrite In The Face!
Nora: "?"
She drove the car steadily andforted him. "It¡¯s okay."
Seeing that she seemed unaffected, Simon sighed. "I know you are not afraid of them, but Nora, it¡¯s just that... there are many families with long histories of practicing alternative medicine in New York. Alternative medicine has also been developing particrly well in the pharmaceutical industry. If you offend the alternative medicine practitioners in New York, you won¡¯t have an easy time in the future. So, I¡¯m wondering if you want to look for an opportunity to clear things up."
Simon was sure that Nora could not have said such things. After all, the Andersons themselves came from a background of alternative medicine.
Nora nodded. "Okay, I will rify things if I find the opportunity."
Simon nodded. "Okay. Take care of yourself. I saw Jon and ine speaking to each other just now. They¡¯re likely targeting you."
"... Where are you?" asked Nora.
"Oh, at a conference. Alright, I¡¯m hanging up."
Simon hung up. Next to him, Melissa said, "Actually, I don¡¯t really think there¡¯s a need for you to warn her about that."
Simon shook his head. "Although Nora does not rely on her medical skills to support herself, and that with the Smiths and the Hunts, no one in the medical field will dare to do anything to her; her identity as Anti is clear for all to see. No matter what, it¡¯s not a good idea to offend people of the alternative medicine circle. Why are there simply so many people who insist on targeting Nora?"
Melissa sighed. "She is too dazzling. All the inconspicuous little ck bugs love circling around shiny things."
Simon choked. He couldn¡¯t help butugh. "What harsh words, dear."
Melissa straightened her back, the ssy dress she had on wrapped around her graceful figure. She smiled and said, "It¡¯s true, after all..."
When she wanted to speak again, ine walked over and said somewhat respectfully, "Mr. Anderson, Mrs. Anderson... I know I shouldn¡¯t being over and disturbing the two of you so presumptuously, but I have something I think I should still say."
Simon looked at her.
Now that the Andersons had established a firm foothold in New York with the Carefree Pills, there was no longer anyone willing to offend them at alternative medicine conferences like this.
As for Jon, because of his son¡¯s death, he had hated Nora to the core all this time and went around smearing her reputation whenever he found an opportunity to. However, everyone else was afraid that they wouldn¡¯t be able to get Carefree Pills anymore if they offended the Andersons, so Jon hadn¡¯t managed to gain any momentum for the time being.
Regardless, because of what Jon had said, they more or less still secretly looked unfavorably upon Nora.
Simon knew that ine must be up to no good, so he nced at Melissa and stepped aside.
Melissa slowly lowered her gaze and smiled. "What would Ms. Miller like to say? If it¡¯s about business, then we should talk in private. As for other things, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything that Ms. Miller and I can talk to each other about?"
Seeing how that she was refusing to show any consideration for her feelings, ine stepped in front of her. "Mrs. Anderson, I decided to speak with you because I simply cannot stand how arrogant Nora is anymore, so I thought of giving her a kind reminder. She may have studied modern medicine and is now the world-famous Anti, but does she think she can look down on alternative medicine just because of that? Alternative medicine has been passed down from ancient times and has even spread abroad now. How can one of our own disparage it so casually?"
Melissa: "..."
Her expression darkened at once. "Ms. Miller, you don¡¯t have to go back and forth in front of me hiding behind the kind pretense. I am almost fifty this year while you are about the same age as my daughter. There¡¯s no way you can keep your sneaky little thoughts from me! If you really had kind intentions, then you won¡¯t choose to embarrass me like this in public! Neither is there a need for you to create for yourself the image of a just and morally upright person who cannot bring herself to continue watching this. We all know very well what is going on here. Even though there are some conflicts between you and Nora, there is no need for you to raise the issue to a higher ne of moral principles! Besides..."
Melissa looked straight at the people watching the show. "Not only has Nora never once looked down on alternative medicine, but she also has a very deep understanding of alternative medicine. After all, her mother was a leading figure in the world of alternative medicine back then! She found the Carefree Pill form in the manuscripts that her mother left behind. Part of the credit for the Carefree Pills that all of you have at home right now goes to none other than Nora!"
Her words easily crushed ine¡¯s pretenses and astounded those around them whose feelings had been stoked by ine.
After saying that, Melissa and Simon exchanged a look. With even a second nce at ine, the two of them left.
ine wanted to go after them and say something, but it was to no avail¡ªbecause the two of them had already been surrounded by the people around them. "Mr. Anderson, why don¡¯t we talk about the Carefree Pill supply for next month..."
At the sight of Simon and Melissa surrounded in the center by everyone, ine gnashed her teeth in fury. It was at this moment that Jon came over. He stared at the couple with a fierce and sinister look in his eyes and said, "Those people have all been drawn in by the Andersons¡¯ Carefree Pills. They no longer show any respect for the dignity of alternative medicine!"
ine stomped her feet angrily. "Mr. Myers, what should we do now?"
"What should we do?" Jon suddenly narrowed his eyes. "Since we cannot make them do what we want, then we should go to someone of great reputation and prestige!"
"Who are you talking about?" ine asked excitedly.
"Dr. Zabe!"
Jon¡¯s words, however, made ine hang her head in disappointment. "Dr. Zabe can¡¯t even get onto his feet anymore. How is he going toe over to uphold justice for us?"
Jon, however,ughed and said, "There¡¯s something you don¡¯t know. While Dr. Zabe certainly can¡¯t make an appearance anymore, he has a disciple¡ªthe one and only disciple he ever took! That person is the true leader of the world of alternative medicine now!"
Chapter 492: There Will Always Be A Way!
Chapter 492: There Will Always Be A Way!
Upon hearing this, ine hesitated for a moment. "But that person is so mysterious, and I¡¯ve also heard that they don¡¯t really bother themselves much with misceneous affairs. Also, no one knows where they are. Will they help us?"
Jon, however, smiled mysteriously at her. "Do you know what Yvonne Smith gave the elderly Mrs. Hunt some time back during her birthday party?"
ine answered hesitantly, "The Zabe Corporation¡¯s Calming Pill..."
At this point, ine suddenly understood something. "You mean that person has been in New York all this time?"
Jon nodded. "Moreover, even though Dr. Zabe has been ill for so long, he has been in good spirits all this time, so someone must have treated his illness for him. Who else can that person be, aside from his disciple?"
Silvester was obviously dying because of old age.
He was already over ny, yet despite his bodily functions failing, he was still in good spirits and as weird as ever. Everyone had been specting in private that it must be his capable disciple who had treated his illness!
Upon hearing what Jon said, ine nodded immediately. "You¡¯re right! If theye forward, Nora Smith¡¯s reputation in New York will be ruined!"
Even if she was a modern medicine practitioner, and even if she had the Hunts and the Smiths backing her up, in the field of medicine, she would still be a joke who had the audacity to challenge alternative medicine!
Jon nodded. Then, he looked around once more before he leaned toward ine and said, "I¡¯ll leave for now. I¡¯m heading to the Zabes¡¯ to take a look!"
ine nodded excitedly.
¡ª
Nora, who was unaware that someone was plotting against her, was currently driving to the Zabes¡¯.
On the way there, she bought some fruits for Silvester.
When she arrived at the Zabes¡¯, Silvester¡¯s son treated her exceptionally kindly. After all, she had helped him to earn a lot of money from Yvonne the other time!
Silvester¡¯s son led her into the house earnestly, whereupon they saw Silvester seated in the garden and basking in the sun.
Silvester was getting advanced in age. He had numerous wrinkles on his aged visage, and he could no longer walk.
Despite that, he was entirely unconcerned and continued to read his book.
Nora sat down in front of him and greeted him. "Master."
Silvester nced at her. "Didn¡¯t I tell you not toe over if there¡¯s nothing important? Why are you here again?!"
Nora thought for a moment and then asked, "I wanted to ask you if there is any way to regenerate a person¡¯s broken bones?"
Regenerating a person¡¯s broken bones... This concept, which seemed to only exist in martial arts novels, was also a legend in reality.
Silvester slowly put down the book and closed his murky eyes.
Nora didn¡¯t speak anymore. She knew that her teacher was musing over her question.
Her introduction to alternative medicine when she was a child, as well as her subsequently bing Silvester¡¯s disciple was, in fact, thanks to Quinn. He had introduced her to Silvester after seeing her talent in alternative medicine.
Silvester and she often discussed alternative medicine over the phone... To be honest, this actually wasn¡¯t a good way for someone to learn or teach, but Nora was someone who could immediately understand a topic with just a bit of guidance, so she had ended up studying under Silvester¡¯s tutge like that.
Nora had long been ustomed to such behavior from Silvester, so she stayed quiet and waited for him.
A short whileter, Silvester opened his eyes and said, "A bone adhesion balm actually used to exist. If you use it with traditional massage techniques and acupuncture, there may be a chance that it¡¯ll work. However, the bone adhesion balm¡¯s form doesn¡¯t exist anymore, so you can only create it yourself. Also, the balm exists only in legends, I have never seen it before."
Nora nodded when she heard this.
Silvester called his son over and told him to show Nora the books with mentions of the bone adhesion balm. He said, "I have taught you everything that I know. This is something that I don¡¯t know, either, so you¡¯ll have to research it yourself! Alternative medicine is extensive and profound. Even after spending my entire life studying it, I have but only scratched its surface. As long as you persist, there will always be a way!"
Nora was full of respect for him.
She stood and took the books respectfully. She wanted to say something, but Silvester instead picked up his own book and continued reading. "You can leave if there¡¯s nothing else. Don¡¯t bother me all the time!"
"... Yes, sir."
Silvester¡¯s son was already in his sixties and was rather advanced in age. When he heard what Silvester said, he personally saw Nora out.
At the same time.
At the gates to the Zabe residence, the sound of a car pulling over suddenly rang out.
Jon¡¯s car came to a stop. He opened the car door and walked to the gate. After straightening his clothes, he knocked on the door.
Chapter 493: The Misguided Nora Smith??
Chapter 493: The Misguided Nora Smith??
A servant soon opened the door. Jon said, "I¡¯m here to see Dr. Zabe."
When the servant heard this, he said, "Please wait a minute. He is currently with a guest."
A guest...
Jon was a little surprised.
Silvester rarely agreed to visitors, and this had been the case for many years. He rejected the visitation requests from most of the people who wanted to learn from him.
After all, he was in poor health. It was also said that he had mild problems with his memory now.
Apart from the few old-timers like him who at least had some status in the field of alternative medicine, there was almost no one else who could meet with Silvester.
However, there was an alternative medicine conference taking ce that day, so the old-timers were all there at the moment. Who would visit Silvester at this time?
While thinking about it, Jon asked, "Who is it?"
The servant smiled and said nothing.
Jon immediately knew that he had crossed the line. He smiled and said, "Please let him know that I¡¯m here. I will wait here."
"Okay."
When the servant entered Silvester¡¯s room, Silvester¡¯s son just so happened to be seeing Nora out. "This way, Nora."
Nora said, "You should also pay more attention to your health too, Mr. Zabe."
Silvester¡¯s son had also learned medical skills from Silvester. Therefore, even though there was a very big age gap between the two of them, Nora was actually his junior.
Silvester¡¯s sonughed and said, "Sigh, that¡¯s the way it is once you be old. I do want my old man to live a few more years, though! This way, I can take care of him for a few more years!"
Nora heaved a silent sigh inwardly when she heard this.
When she was a child, she always heard Silvester scolding his son and calling him mediocre, because he was unhappy that he couldn¡¯t inherit his skills in alternative medicine.
During those times, her senior would always just smile naively.
But now... Silvester was already over ny years old, yet his son, who was in his sixties, was still by his side. Wasn¡¯t that also bliss in some way?
Some people had a lot of children, all of whom were talented, yet some went overseas and some traveled far away from home. Few stayed by their side.
Nora subconsciously thought of Pete and Cherry... Well, given how smart the two of them were, they definitely wouldn¡¯t be clingy in the future.
Once she got on in age, the two of them likely wouldn¡¯t keep showing up in front of her. This way, she wouldn¡¯t be annoyed seeing them all the time, either. The only person whom she would see all the time would probably just be Jus...
No, wait!
What was she thinking? They weren¡¯t even married yet, so why was she saving a ce for him in her retirement n?
Nora shook her head and stepped out while sighing emotionally. The moment she did, she spotted Jon at the door!
The moment the two of them made eye contact, Jon became dumbfounded.
He looked at Nora in surprise, and then at Silvester¡¯s son in confusion. An astounded look formed on his face, but he quickly suppressed it.
Nora, however, ignored him and nodded at Silvester¡¯s son. "I¡¯m leaving. You don¡¯t have to see me off any further."
Since they had a guest, he definitely wouldn¡¯t be able to see her off anymore.
She wasn¡¯t an outsider anyway.
Silvester¡¯s son smiled and said, "Alright, go ahead!"
Nora walked straight past Jon and left.
Even after the door was closed, Jon still hadn¡¯t recovered.
What was Nora doing at the Zabes¡¯?
Silvester¡¯s son was already speaking politely to Jon. He asked, "Are you here to see my father?"
Jon nodded. Unable to suppress his curiosity, he asked, "That¡¯s Nora Smith, right? I heard that she is Anti, the surgeon."
Silvester¡¯s son nodded. "Seems like it. What¡¯s the matter?"
Jon followed behind Silvester¡¯s son, and the two headed to the garden where Silvester was. Jon went along with the flow and asked, "What was she doing here?"
Silvester¡¯s son paused for a moment and thought of how Nora didn¡¯t want anyone to reveal her identity¡ªafter all, once exposed, she would definitely be very busy. Thus, he answered, "Oh, she came to borrow a few books."
She came to borrow a few books?
Jon narrowed his eyes. The way he saw it, she probably came to exin herself to Silvester, right?
Hah.
It seemed that she had panicked. After all, publicly making a statement that alternative medicine was inferior to modern medicine was indeed behavior that would attract a lot of hatred. Although they had managed to keep outsiders in check with the Andersons¡¯ Carefree Pills, should Silvester decide to do something, the Carefree Pills¡¯ form would be everywhere!
Once that happened, what else could the Andersons produce?!
The Andersons were surprisingly smart about this, though, and knew that they should seek asylum from Silvester at once! It was just a shame that Silvester absolutely hated people that despised alternative medicine the most.
In his youth, he had once been suspected of being a fraud and once had a showdown with a modern medicine practitioner.
Moreover, as the chairman of the Alternative Medicine Association in the country, his existence itself was what gave the alternative medicinemunity confidence!
At this point in Jon¡¯s thoughts, he had already reached the garden. When he saw Silvester sitting there and basking in the sun, he stepped forward and said, "Mr. Zabe, how are you doing these days?"
When Silvester saw out of the corner of his eye that it was Jon, he continued to hold the book but retracted his gaze. With his murky voice, he asked, "What are you doing here?"
Silvester had always disliked Jon.
This was something that everyone in the industry knew. Unfortunately, Jon¡¯s medical skills were the next best after Silvester in the next generation of alternative medicine practitioners. Thus, after Silvester stopped bothering himself with the alternative medicine field¡¯s affairs, Jon had taken over as the leader of the alternative medicine field for a period of time.
When Nora first arrived in New York, Jon¡¯s position in the world of alternative medicine had been impregnable!
Jon sat opposite Silvester and said, "Mr. Zabe, I am really at my wits¡¯ end now. That¡¯s why I¡¯ming to you for help!"
Silvester nced at him, his aged eyes full of disdain. "What can I help you with? Mr. Myers tters me so!"
Jon was so scared that he hastily got up. "I¡¯m not worthy of such politeness from you!"
Knowing that the man did not like him making polite small talk, Jon went straight to the point. "I¡¯m here today because there¡¯s a young modern medicine practitioner who is showing tant disregard for alternative medicine just because she can use her scalpels well. She has publicly dered that alternative medicine is inferior to modern medicine!"
Bam!
Silvester threw the book in his hand onto the table and sneered, "Are there still people with such misguided beliefs in New York?"
Jon was delighted at his reaction. "Yes, that¡¯s right!"
Silvester sneered, "Aren¡¯t the few of you going to teach that young woman a lesson?"
Jon hurriedly lowered his head and said respectfully, "I want to, but unfortunately, her family is big and powerful, so Lincoln and the others don¡¯t dare to confront her at all. I said a few words at the conference just now, but was immediately rebutted and told not to hold it against a young woman! Is this about that, though, Mr. Zabe? It¡¯s obviously a matter of one¡¯s attitude!"
Silvester snorted coldly. "Which family is it? Are they that powerful?"
Jon hurriedly said, "It¡¯s all because the Harmonia Pharmacy¡¯s Carefree Pills are simply selling too well. All everyone can see is money, so no one dares to stand up even for something like this anymore! No matter what, a young person who has said the wrong thing should be chastised a little!"
The Andersons?
Harmonia Pharmacy?
Silvester was taken aback. "Who are you talking about?"
Jon replied, "It¡¯s the person who visited you just now, Nora Smith."
Chapter 494: Jon Gets Slapped In The Face
Chapter 494: Jon Gets pped In The Face
"What?"
As though he was stunned, and also as though he had not heard Jon clearly, Silvester¡¯s voice rose instantly.
Jon hurriedly exined cautiously, "She¡¯s the daughter that the Smiths have just acknowledged. Her name is Nora Smith. I heard that she is also Justin Hunt¡¯s fianc¨¦e... Oh, she also has another important identity, Anti the internationally-known surgeon. She is greatly admired as Anti. I reckon the young woman has gotten too full of herself after being praised a little, so she thinks she¡¯s now invincible in the medical field."
Jon nced at Silvester cautiously at this point.
He was actually a little unsure about this.
Given how Yvonne had been able to buy the Zabe Corporation¡¯s Calming Pill from Silvester, this showed that Silvester was actually in contact with the Smiths.
In particr, when Nora came to borrow the books just now, she had actually seeded in doing so...
This showed that Silvester was also unwilling to offend the Smiths and the Hunts, right?
With that in mind, he coughed and said, "Mr. Zabe, after giving it some thought... Given her status, it isn¡¯t a good idea to offend her¡ªespecially when she has the Smiths and the Hunts backing her up¡ªbut considering the positions we hold in the circle, there are certain things that we must do! We cannot chicken out and disregard our beliefs just because of her status. So, I was wondering, how about you lead the way and we go over to teach her a lesson?"
Silvester frowned and looked at him with aplicated look on his face. "Did you just say that Nora Smith said that alternative medicine is inferior to modern medicine?"
Jon nodded hurriedly. "Yes, she said so in front of all the nurses in the hospital. ine Miller heard it. She¡¯s the one who told us the story because she says that she couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. All the other nurses have been bribed by the Hunts and the Smiths, so none of them dare to make any mention of this."
That was what ine had said.
As for whether or not they had really bribed the nurses, Jon didn¡¯t care at all!
He just wanted to ruin Nora!
Unexpectedly, when he said that, Silvester suddenly scoffed and said, "That¡¯s impossible."
Jon was taken aback. "Why wouldn¡¯t it be possible, Mr. Zabe? News of what she did has already spread. Despite the terrible impact the incident has caused, she still tantly came here to visit you. Surely she wasn¡¯t here to give you a warning, was she?"
He had deliberately chosen the word "warning". Given Silvester¡¯s status, doing something like that would be too much.
However, Silvester was not sent into a rage at all. Instead, he looked straight at Jon and said, "Jon, I¡¯m already over ny years old. These tricks of yours are too childish in my eyes."
Jon: "..."
Silvester shook his head and said, "Originally, I was nning to rmend you to take over my position as chairman of the Alternative Medicine Association. After all, thatzy disciple of mine doesn¡¯t like to bother with such things. Although I don¡¯t like you, you are scheming enough and you also have the means. In addition, your attitude toward alternative medicine is still considered somewhat pure... But I didn¡¯t expect that now that you¡¯ve gotten on in age, you have instead lost the ability to see through things properly. Forget it, I¡¯d better choose someone else for the position!"
He pointed straight at the door and said, "Goodbye!"
His firm and determined tone made Jon stunned and frozen in ce!
He couldn¡¯t even understand what was going on. "Dr. Zabe, what I said is true. How can you not believe me? She is full of hostility towards alternative medicine!"
"Hah, even if you im that everyone in the world is full of hostility towards alternative medicine and despises alternative medicine, there¡¯s no way she would do that!"
Silvester sounded very sure, which made Jon even more bewildered. "Are you that partial towards her? Why? Did the Smiths or the Hunts give you some kind of benefit? Dr. Zabe! What are you afraid of when you¡¯re already so old? How can you give in to the allure of such worldly possessions?!"
Silvester became even more speechless when he heard this.
He gave his son a look, upon which his son immediately summoned the butler over and sent Jon out at once.
Jon was ruthlessly driven out of the Zabes¡¯!
When the door mmed shut, Jon was still standing there, unable to react.
Why was Silvester so sure that Nora would never say those things?
Nora was Anti. As an internationally renowned surgeon, wasn¡¯t it logical and reasonable that she would look down on alternative medicine?
Nora must have given him enough money just now!
This was uneptable! To think even Silvester had been bribed.
Were the alternative medicine practitioners of the States... really doomed for a downfall?!
¡ª
Nora wasn¡¯t aware of the events at the Zabes¡¯. She had already returned home. With the stack of books in her arms, she went upstairs and entered the study.
After sitting down, she began to read and immersed herself in research.
She wanted to cure Quentin.
It wasn¡¯t until a hand pulled away the book in front of her that she finally stopped. Nora frowned with displeasure, turned her head, and rebuked, "Cherry?"
Cherry was usually the only one who would be up to mischief while she was reading.
Unexpectedly, when she turned her head, she instead saw Cherry and Pete seated on the sofa beside her and looking at her worriedly.
The person who had taken her book was actually... Justin?
Nora¡¯s frown instantly deepened.
As soon as this expression of hers formed, Cherry immediately whispered to Pete, "I think Daddy is finished, Pete!"
"... Why is he finished?" asked Pete.
Cherry continued to whisper, "Mommy¡¯s about to explode! She will definitely smack Daddy¡¯s bottom!"
Pete: "..."
Nora: "..."
She touched her head awkwardly. Then, she looked at Justin... only to see that the man¡¯s chiseled face actually looked kinda... expectant?
Uh... Her eyes must be ying tricks on her.
She rubbed her temples and asked, "What time is it?"
Justin: "It¡¯s seven o¡¯clock. You have to eat something and then wash up. It¡¯s time for bed."
Nora: "..."
She coughed. "It¡¯s too early."
Justin said, "You usually go to bed at this time. You can continue reading when you wake up tomorrow!"
Nora, however, tried to grab the book from him. "I don¡¯t have any appetite. Let me read for a couple more hours."
But as soon as she stretched out her hand, the nimble man took a step back, Nora did not manage to grab the book.
Justin raised his eyebrows and looked at her. "Go and eat."
"..."
Nora got up. Just as Cherry was worried that Mommy would give Daddy a huge thrashing, she instead unexpectedly saw Nora turn around and head downstairs. She was actually... obediently getting something to eat?
Eh?
Had Mommy changed?
When she got downstairs, Nora found that dinner that evening was pasta.
After she sat down, she took out her cell phone. When she turned it on, she found that several people had sent her messages.
One was a text message from the little psycho: "My little servant, are you ready for my challenge? I¡¯m going to hire Q at a high cost. Do you think I will seed?"
A gleam of light shed in Nora¡¯s eyes as she took a bite of pasta. She replied: ¡¯No.¡¯
The little psycho: "Hehe, let¡¯s have apetition, then!"
Nora slowly typed: ¡¯Why should Ipete with you?¡¯
Sure enough, the little psycho fell for it. He wrote: "Then let¡¯s make a bet. If I can get Q on my side, then you are to be my little servant. If not, then I will answer one of your questions in return."
A question!
Nora¡¯s lips curled upwards.
That was exactly what she wanted!
Chapter 495: Name Your Price, Q
Chapter 495: Name Your Price, Q
Nora had too many questions she wanted to ask the little psycho, including how she became pregnant, why she would die if she didn¡¯t give birth, and even about her mother...
Also, she had already discovered a long time ago that the little psycho actually kept his word. At least, he hadn¡¯t deceived her the other time.
She narrowed her eyes and replied: ¡¯Deal.¡¯
After sending the message, she happily essed the Hacker Alliance¡¯s website. Lying quietly in Q¡¯s private message inbox was an email.
This was the only ce that outsiders could send messages to when they wanted to hire hackers.
Because this was the Hacker Alliance, there was no need to worry about being attacked by other hackers. After all, the world¡¯s most powerful hackers were all there, no one would dare to challenge them.
At the other end of the dining table.
Cherry and Pete sat respectively on either side of Justin. All three of them sat quietly as they watched Nora eat.
However, Nora didn¡¯t even spare them a nce.
Cherry heaved a silent sigh. "Who is Mommy texting? She actually smiled! Surely Mommy hasn¡¯t found herself other handsome guys out there, right?"
When Pete heard this, he gave Justin a pitying nce.
Justin¡¯s expression darkened and he said in a low voice, "Don¡¯t talk nonsense."
Cherry rested her chin on her chubby little hands and pouted. "I¡¯m not talking nonsense, Daddy. I know Mommy too well. Sigh, when we were abroad, I told Mommy to find me a Daddy, but she said that she wasn¡¯t interested in foreigners. Now that we¡¯re back in the States, as expected, she must have be all starry-eyed after seeing handsome guys!"
Justin: "..."
Pete asked hesitantly, "But what if Mommy is making a business deal with someone?"
Cherry rolled her eyes. "Pete, when have you ever seen Mommy making money?"
Pete: "?"
Cherry sighed like a mini grown-up. "She only has 75 million dors worth of savings. In spite of that, she doesn¡¯t bother doing anything every day. If not for my grandaunt overseas, I would probably have been raised in poverty!"
Pete was stunned. "Mommy only has 75 million dors?"
The amount of money he had at his disposal when he yed around with investments whenever he was bored was already more than 150 million dors!
Cherry nodded.
Pete said, "... Mommy really is very poor, then."
"Exactly!" Cherry looked as if she had expected better from Nora. She said, "If Mommy really wants to make money, she can make a lot right away, but she instead said that 75 million dors are enough! How is that enough? It can only buy four sports cars! Sigh!"
Pete nodded hard empathetically. "I will make lots of money and support Mommy in the future."
At this point, a weak voice suddenly came from the door. "Say, um, do the two of you mind supporting an uncle, too?"
Cherry and Pete turned in unison to see Louis standing there. He was looking at them eagerly with his eyes glowing.
"..."
Both Cherry and Pete looked away and started talking to each other again.
Cherry said, "If Mommy doesn¡¯t want Daddy anymore, then we will have to be separated in the future. Who are you going to follow?"
Without any hesitation whatsoever, Pete gave Justin a disdainful look and replied, "Mommy. What about you?"
Justin: "???"
He was about to reprimand the two of them for talking nonsense, but when Pete popped the question, he immediately turned and looked at his daughter!
Surely Cherry wouldn¡¯t also abandon him and pick her mother over him, right?
Fearing that he was not the most important person in his daughter¡¯s heart, Justin had been working hard during this period of time to bond with Cherry!
Sure enough, Cherry looked like she had difficulty choosing. She sighed and said, "I can¡¯t go with Mommy. If I do that, Daddy would be really pitiful."
Justin was touched at once.
As expected, his daughter really was his precious and understanding little baby! She was simply so sensible!
However, the next moment, Cherry said, "How about this? I¡¯ll get Daddy to build a house for me and put lots of handsome young men inside. I just need one to cook for me, one to clean the house, one to sleep with me, and four more to y games with me! This way, I won¡¯t disturb Mommy and Daddy¡¯s new lives, and all of you can alsoe and visit when you miss me! Isn¡¯t my idea great?"
Justin: "?"
It seemed like there was something a little wrong with his precious little baby? It was to the extent that he felt like his hands were itching a little!
The corners of his lips spasmed and he repeated silently in his heart: "She¡¯s my daughter... She¡¯s my daughter... Endure, endure...!"
Pete, however, advised her earnestly. "Cherry, you mustn¡¯t let Aunt Brenda lead you astray. You mustn¡¯t think of handsome young men all the time!"
Cherry tilted her head. "Then shall I think of beautiful youngdies?"
Pete: "??"
As Justin listened to their conversation, he thought of how he had panicked when he mistakenly thought that Pete was secretly a little princess in his heart. He mustn¡¯t have the little princess whom he had just acknowledged be a dude deep down in her heart!
Therefore, Justin immediately said, "It¡¯s better that you like boys instead!"
Cherry immediately apuded. "Oh yeah! Daddy¡¯s the best!"
Pete: "???"
While the three of them were talking, Nora had already read the email that the little psycho had sent: ¡¯Q, as long as you leave the Smith Corporation, you can name your price.¡¯
Name her price... Tsk, the little psycho sure was rich!
Nora ate a quarter of the pasta on the te in one bite. As she chewed, she typed a reply and sent it to the little psycho.
¡ª
In the hotel.
The man leaned back on the sofa. The curtains were tightly drawn together, and no light could shine through at all.
In the room, someone¡¯s coughing suddenly rang out. "Cough, cough, cough! If you continue to fool around like this, you will bring about your own downfall sooner orter. I¡¯m warning you, don¡¯t go against her!"
The little psycho¡¯s sharp voice rang out next. "Are you being nosy again?! I told you, I¡¯m in charge in New York! I am the little master whereas you are just my servant! Besides, why do you care about her so much? Have you fallen in love with her, so you cannot bear to part with her anymore? You¡¯d best not forget our ns!"
"Cough, cough, cough..." After another coughing fit, the rich and mellow voice rang out once more. "What nonsense are you talking about? Why would I fall in love with her?"
The little psycho broke into a grin. "No? Then why do you keep stopping me from harassing her? Haha!"
"That¡¯s because... cough... she is harder to deal with than you think!"
"Hard to deal with? That little fatty grew up under my nose, how could she possibly be hard to deal with? You¡¯re overthinking it too much! Haha, I shall use Q topletely suppress her now! And show her how dark and sinister the world is!"
"Cough, cough, cough! Can you really convince Q?"
"Money makes the world go round. If I can¡¯t, then there is only one possible reason why."
"Cough, what is it?"
"That I¡¯m not offering enough money!"
As he said that, a beep indicating the arrival of a text message rang out. The little psycho immediately raised the phone excitedly like a child and said, "See? Q has replied to me! Now, let¡¯s see how much Q is asking for!"
As he said that, he opened the email...
Chapter 496: Playing Along With The Enemy!
Chapter 496: ying Along With The Enemy!
However, he was stunned when he saw the email.
Written in the email was a row of text: ¡¯Myst name is Smith.¡¯
The evil smile on the man¡¯s face immediately disappeared and he cursed softly. "Shit!"
Going by how Q¡¯sst name was Smith and their reply at this juncture, the man immediately understood that Q was a Smith!
A Smith...
If Quentin hadn¡¯t been injured, hospitalized, or caused such a huge ruckus, outsiders indeed wouldn¡¯t have known of his existence at all.
Even so, to think the Smiths were also rearing a top-ss hacker in addition to already rearing someone in the shadows!
No wonder Joel hadn¡¯t panicked in the least when Yvonne attacked the Smiths!
Who was Q?
The man looked straight at his bodyguards and ordered, "Check Q¡¯s identity!"
"Yes, sir."
After one of the bodyguards left, a low chuckle rang out in the room. "Cough, cough, cough... Haha, I told you, don¡¯t provoke her."
There was frustration in the little psycho¡¯s shrill voice. "Did you already know? Tell me, what else do you know? Are you hiding anything else from me?!"
The gentle and mellow voice sighed. "All I know is, you shouldn¡¯t mess with her. I will find a way to get you what you want."
The little psycho immediately yelled, "What can you get from her? The Grays had been taking care of her since her childhood, and also protected her for so many years! Yet you still haven¡¯t gotten your hands on what we want!"
He kicked the chair furiously.
Pushed to the side, the chair made contact with the curtains, causing a ray of light to shine through the curtains onto a man in the room.
With a handkerchief in his hand, the man seemed to be suppressing a cough. He was wearing a pair of gold-framed sses and his handsome face looked a little pale and sickly¡ªit was Caleb!
He frowned and retorted, "Yvette Anderson had already said back then that we won¡¯t be able to get our hands on it through coercive measures! We should try getting along with her daughter instead!"
After he spoke, he walked over and drew the curtains to prevent others from looking in.
The little psycho¡¯s grimugh rang out in the room. "Get along with her? How? You have already been on good terms with her for so many years! If it wasn¡¯t for your nephew who messed up and ruined our n, she would have been part of the Grays by now! And we would have already gotten everything we wanted! Since your n has failed, you must obey my orders now! Besides, I am the little master!"
Caleb started coughing again. He sounded as if he was about to cough his lungs out the very next second. "Anthony was stupid enough to break off the engagement, but I have already punished him."
The little psycho¡¯s shrill voice rang out angrily again. "Punished him? Is driving him out of the country even considered a punishment? It¡¯s because you are too indecisive! That¡¯s why it hase down to this!"
Upon being scolded, Caleb let out a few muffled coughs with his head down.
Seeing that he had seemingly shut up, the little psycho was satisfied. He broke into a grin, revealing shiny white teeth. "You spent twenty years setting up a trap for them, but got yed by Yvette Anderson in the end! You can only rely on me to vent that anger now! Just you wait, I will turn her into my little servant! Heh heh..."
While they were talking, someone knocked on the door.
Caleb immediately stopped talking. It was as if he wasn¡¯t there at all.
The little psycho said, "Come in."
The bodyguard entered the room and said, "We¡¯ve looked into it. The Smiths indeed aren¡¯t hiding any more youngsters in the family. Among the ones still around, Louis Smith is the one who messes around withputers the most. We have reason to suspect that he is ??Q!"
"Heh!"
The little psycho said, "How dare they make fun of me. Catch him!!"
"Yes, sir!"
The bodyguard turned and left.
¡ª
After Nora logged into Q¡¯s email ount and sent an email to the little lunatic, as expected, the other party did not reply anymore.
After waiting for a long while, the other party finally sent her a text message on her cell phone: "It¡¯s my loss this round! You can ask me what you want! You can only ask one question, so make good use of the opportunity~"
Nora stroked her chin as she stared at the message.
She only had the chance to ask one question. In that case, what should she ask about first?
Why she would die?
Or how exactly had she be pregnant?
She thought for a long while, but in the end, she only asked about one thing: ¡¯What is your name?¡¯
If she couldn¡¯t decide which of her questions took more priority, then she might as well ask for information about the other party. This way, it would make it easier for them to catch him!
Sure enough, the other party replied: "Tsk, you are so interested in me. Surely you aren¡¯t in love with me, are you?"
Nora: ¡¯Answer the question.¡¯
The little psycho: ¡¯Trueman Yale.¡¯
Nora: "?"
Why did the name sound so strange?
Would anyone really call themselves something as literal as "true man"?
However, she didn¡¯t fuss over it. Instead, she quickly sent the name to Morris and told him to check if there was a Trueman in the list of guests staying in the hotel!
Morris quickly replied¡ªthere wasn¡¯t.
His answer was within Nora¡¯s expectations.
She sent the little psycho a message: ¡¯Is this your true name?¡¯
Trueman: "It¡¯s even truer than my name itself!"
Nora: "..."
Never mind.
She put down the phone and sent another message to Morris.
Louis, who had beenpletely ignored, looked at them. Atst, he sighed and said, "Never mind. I¡¯ll go y games with Chester instead!"
His presence was simply redundant in the house!
He felt this especially strongly whenever he came back and saw Justin seated in the living room, which made him feel as if he had returned to the Hunts¡¯ manor instead of the Smiths¡¯ every time he came home.
He went out and drove out in his fancy little car. He went to feed the stray cats and dogs in themunity, and then he drove out again, humming under his breath as he did.
On the way to the Hunts¡¯ manor was a residentialplex filled with vis. As few people lived there, the roads there were quite empty.
Louis was driving when a car suddenly rushed toward him from behind and rammed straight into his car!
Frightened, Louis stopped the car and walked straight to the back. As he did, he rolled up his sleeves and said, "Do you know how to drive or not? Are you blind?"
What bad luck!
The car repairs would cost him money!
While speaking, he saw tworge and muscr men in ck suits suddenly get out of the car!
Louis was taken aback. He sensitively realized that the ident might have been deliberate. He swallowed hard and started to retreat in fear, but one of the two men was already standing right in front of him!
"Come with us, Q. Our master wants to see you."
Louis: "??"
He waved, wanting to exin that he was not Q. But before he could even speak, the man stepped forward abruptly, grabbed his arm, and yanked him straight into the car!
Someone got into his car and followed after the other car.
After the two cars disappeared, a jeep slowly drove out of the bushes in the distance and followed after them!
In the car.
Nora¡¯s lips curled into a smile. This time, she would see for herself who exactly Trueman was!
Chapter 497: Trueman Yale!
Chapter 497: Trueman Yale!
"Mm! Mmm..."
Louis, whose head had been covered with a ck bag and his mouth gagged, was brought into a room by four men.
His eyes widened in horror. He wanted to speak, but he couldn¡¯t say anything. All he could do was emit muffled cries. The four bodyguards on either side of him were steady on their feet. It was obvious at a nce that they were trained in martial arts.
There was also another man holding his weak and thin arm. It was as if he could twist and break it with just a bit of force!
Louis was terrified. It wasn¡¯t until he was forced to sit and securely bound with ropes that the other party finally took out from his mouth whatever they were using to gag him.
Louis gasped for breath.
The four strong and muscr bodyguards looked at him. The thin man was such a coward. He had been shaking the whole time on the way here after they kidnapped him.
His behavior made them look down on him.
They¡¯d originally thought that he would immediately beg for mercy after they ungagged him. Given how the little master hated such people the most, they reckoned that he would probably order them to kill him straight away!
But in the end...
The terrified Louis was still shaking in his boots, but he instead said, "Um, can you guys loosen the ropes a little? It¡¯s cutting into that ce of mine!"
The bodyguards: "??"
Louis wanted to shift, but the ropes were simply too tight, rendering him unable to move.
The kidnappers on either side of him didn¡¯t look like they intended to untie him. From the looks of it, they weren¡¯t going to help him. Sigh, how ufortable.
But shortly after, he heard a slightly shrill voice say, "Loosen the ropes a little. Don¡¯t injure him."
Louis was overjoyed. While the bodyguards were loosening his ropes, he smiled in the direction of the voice and said, "Thanks a lot! I didn¡¯t expect kidnappers to be this kind these days. Everyone understands the rules of the industry, right? Family members should not be implicated! Although I don¡¯t have a wife yet, you can¡¯t put my future son at risk, either, right?!"
"..."
After he finished speaking, the room fell silent again for a moment.
As he had been blindfolded, Louis couldn¡¯t see what the person talking to him looked like. He tilted his head and thought about it, but in the end, he could only break the silence again. He asked, "The good men here, what are you kidnapping me for? Let me put it out there first¡ªI don¡¯t have any money! I am the poorest among all the Smiths!"
"..."
His words made Trueman choke on his breath. Then, he snorted and said, "It¡¯s impossible that Q would be poor. Doesn¡¯t the Smith Corporation pay you any wages?"
Q?
Why were they talking about Q again?!
Louis was speechless. "I¡¯m not Q!"
Trueman sneered, "Drop the act, I have already looked into you a long time ago!"
Besides, he had been trembling when he was brought into the room by the kidnappers just now, yet he had suddenly stopped shaking. Additionally, the first thing he had said was to loosen the ropes around him. It was evident that the fear he¡¯d disyed just now was all fake! The guy had great mental resilience!
Louis: "?"
He looked tentatively in the direction of the voice. "Uh, who are you? Even if I am Q, what do you want with me? Are you enemies with Q?"
Trueman said slowly, "I wouldn¡¯t say there¡¯s a feud between the two of us."
"Then that means you¡¯re after my money and my good looks?"
Louis cowered. "Surely my looks aren¡¯t worth kidnapping me for, right? Besides, judging from your voice, you¡¯re probably a man. I¡¯m also a man... Oh my god, surely you don¡¯t have some kind of fetish, do you?"
Trueman: "!!"
Trueman was seriously ticked off by Louis. They also started digressing. "Even if I¡¯m into men, I won¡¯t be interested in someone like you!"
Upon hearing this, Louis became indignant. "What¡¯s wrong with me? Which part of me is bad-looking?"
Trueman: "??"
He replied disdainfully, "Your dirty blond hair is enough to turn me off!"
"F*ck you, I¡¯m on the one on top, okay?!"
"Shit! I¡¯m the one on top too!"
"..."
Seeing that the two weirdos were digressing further and further, Louis suddenly heard a violent cough. "That¡¯s enough. Let¡¯s talk business."
As soon as the voice rang out, Trueman came back to the matter at hand. "You made me digress from what I wanted to talk about! I don¡¯t like men! Don¡¯t think too much about it!"
Louis said, "... Then that means you¡¯re after money? Gosh, don¡¯t you know that I am the poorest son in the family? I only get $15,000 a month! I literally use up all my money by the end of the month! I have $4,508.51 on me right now. If you want, I¡¯ll just give it to you. Why bother going so far and even damaging my car? You have to pay for my car repair costs!"
Trueman retorted, "Who would want that bit of money from you?!"
Louis said, "Then why kidnap me if you¡¯re not interested in it? Are you nning to demand ransom from Joel? Sigh!"
With tears abound in his eyes, Louis said, "I am the most unpopr person among the Smiths. Everyone at home treats me as if I don¡¯t exist! If you ask Joel for $15,000, he may still give it to you. But if you ask for more, he would probably abandon me. Sob..."
Trueman grinned as he listened to Louis. "You¡¯re so pitiful, hahaha~"
Louis got mad. "What are youughing at if you think I¡¯m pitiful? Don¡¯t you have any sympathy for others?"
"Sympathy? What¡¯s that? Nope, I don¡¯t." Trueman started chatting with him again.
This time, the coughing person didn¡¯t even need to say anything. Louis straight-up reminded him and said, "C¡¯mon, talk. What the hell did you kidnap me for?!"
Trueman replied, "Heh, of course, it¡¯s because you helped the Smiths! Your identity as Q means that there are irreconcble differences between the two of us! But if you agree to join us and betray the Smiths, I can pay you a lot!"
Louis was a little startled when he heard the first half of his words. He was about to exin that he really wasn¡¯t Q when he heard the part about remuneration at the end. His blindfolded eyes lit up at once!
Remuneration meant money, which was what hecked the most at the moment!
Louis coughed. "How much can you give me?"
Seeing that he was betraying the Smiths so easily, Trueman sneered, "The Smiths are simply too much. They refuse to pay you much, yet they still want you to work for them. But our organization is different. We definitely cherish top-ss hackers like you! Name your price!"
Name his price?
Louis said cautiously, "Seventy-five..."
Before he could finish the rest of the "seventy-five thousand dors" he was about to say, Trueman interrupted him. "75 million dors to stop you from ever working for the Smiths again? No problem!"
Louis: "!!!"
He was dumbfounded. In fact, he was even somewhat in disbelief. "Really?"
He was offering him so much?!
Trueman said, "Truer than even my name itself!"
Louis swallowed. "I don¡¯t believe you will give me that much money!"
Trueman immediately said, "I can give you a deposit!"
After speaking, he looked to the side and said, "Transfer 15 million dors to his bank ount!"
"Yes, sir."
Trueman rested his chin on his hand and said, "This way, you won¡¯t be able to exin yourself to the Smiths anymore. Heh, you can call this a way of sowing discord between you guys!"
Louis: "..."
While the few of them were spacing out, faint footsteps suddenly rang out outside the door. Then, with a loud bang, someone opened the door!
Chapter 498: Exposing Her Own Identity!
Chapter 498: Exposing Her Own Identity!
Nora followed the kidnappers all the way to an inconspicuous little house.
Surrounded by weeds, the ce looked like a smallmunity due to being demolished, except that the new houses hadn¡¯t yet been built. Small houses of varying heights filled the ce, making it very suitable for people who might have to flee or move about.
Therefore, Nora didn¡¯t rush in immediately when she arrived.
Firstly, she was concerned that there might be an ambush inside.
Secondly, she was afraid that she wouldn¡¯t be able to keep so many of them under control, which might allow Trueman to escape.
Thus, she waited for a couple of minutes until Morris and Brenda arrived with the men from the special department. Only then did they rush in together.
Morris was dressed in a ck windbreaker as usual, and he looked smart and dashing.
What surprised Nora was that Brenda was also wearing a ck windbreaker, making her fair skin and ck clothes form a sharp contrast. Coupled with the woman¡¯s good looks, she looked exceptionally like eye candy.
Seemingly having sensed Nora¡¯s gaze, Brenda raised her eyebrows and blew her a kiss in a dashing manner. She smiled and said, "Don¡¯t be scared, Nora. Just stay behind me when we rush inter. I will protect you!"
"...Oh, okay," Nora said.
Morris gestured behind him, upon which someone immediately came forward. One of the men pushed open the door gently and threw a smoke bomb into the room. Then, Morris kicked the door open with a loud bam and rushed in like the wind!
Brenda wanted to protect her sister-inw, but when she turned her head, she instead saw Nora following closely after Morris and rushing into the room.
She got a huge shock at once. When she hurriedly followed them in, she found that Morris had already subdued one of the bodyguards while another bodyguard was attacking Nora!
Ever since her big fight with Abigail the other time, it had been very long since Norast had a good workout. She was about to punch the man when something suddenly shed across her vision. Brenda appeared in front of her and swiftly took down the big muscr man in front of her.
Then, she quickly kicked another man.
They didn¡¯t even need anyone else to do anything. She and Morris took out the four bodyguards two-to-one by themselves.
The smoke from the smoke bomb gradually dispersed. The others from the special department surrounded the ce to prevent anyone from escaping. Nora quickly walked over to Louis.
After making sure he was okay, she breathed a sigh of relief.
Louis, however, was dumbfounded. "Who are you?"
"It¡¯s me."
Nora took off the bag covering Louis¡¯s head as she spoke. Upon regaining his sight, Louis¡¯s eyes immediately reddened and tears fell from his eyes.
Thinking that he was badly frightened, Nora pressed her lips together at the sight. To be honest, this was indeed her fault.
After she sent the mail to Trueman as Q, she¡¯d originally thought that he would text her and demand an exnation. However, the other party had instead gone silent.
After thinking about it for a while, when Louis went out, she suddenly realized that Trueman might have misunderstood something.
She had then immediately contacted Morris. She also went after Louis, but before she could catch up to him, he had been kidnapped.
As a result, she hadn¡¯t been able to talk to him about this in advance.
At the bottom of it all, she was the one who had implicated Louis.
Nora was about tofort him when Louis asked, "Why couldn¡¯t you havee a littleter instead?"
This way, he would have received the 15 million dors!
Nora: "??"
After Louis said that, he turned to where Trueman had been speaking just now.
When Nora followed his gaze and looked over, she spotted a monitor and a surveince camera. They had likely been in the midst of a video call just now.
The other party¡¯s screen had cked out by now, so Nora couldn¡¯t see the other party¡¯s appearance. However, the audio was obviously still connected.
Nora hesitated for a moment and slowly said, "Trueman?"
Trueman¡¯s voice was a man¡¯s, and it sounded a little shrill. "Heh! So it really is you! Did you think I would put myself in such a dangerous situation?"
Nora also sneered, "Of course, I didn¡¯t think that I would catch you all at once, either. But getting rid of a few of your subordinates and making you lose four bodyguards also sounds pretty good, doesn¡¯t it?"
Her words angered Trueman. "Shit!"
It was only when she heard his response that she truly became sure that he was indeed Trueman.
But after that, she heard Truemanugh. "However, you only managed to capture four of my bodyguards despite using Q as bait, whereas I have reached a consensus with Q during this period of time!"
Nora: "?"
A little surprised, she subconsciously asked, "What consensus?"
"Heh," Trueman said, "I have reached an agreement with Q just now. I¡¯m buying him out with 75 million dors to provide me service. Also, I have paid him a 15 million dor deposit just now. After that, I will have him hack the Smith Corporation at an appropriate time!"
Nora: "??"
She was stunned. "What?"
Trueman became even smugger. "Yes, that¡¯s the deal between the two of us! I¡¯ve already transferred a 15 million dor deposit to his bank ount. Q, once you seed, I will transfer the remaining 60 million dors to you! I hope you won¡¯t let me down! Haha~"
Nora looked at Louis.
Louis had been freed by then. When he heard what Trueman said, he took out his cell phone at once, upon which he saw the notification from the bank informing him that he had received a fund transfer of 15 million dors in his bank ount.
Even Louis himself was dumbfounded. "He really transferred it to me?"
After speaking, he suddenly realized something. He swallowed and hurriedly looked at Nora. "Nora, I was just joking with him... and stalling for time!"
His words made Truemanugh even harder. "Not bad, Q! By answering them that way, you should be able to win the Smith Corporation¡¯s trust and recognition!"
Then, he looked at Nora and said, "It is true that he was just stalling for time, but can you guarantee that he hasn¡¯t be partial towards me? Hahaha~ He has already told me all about his hardships just now!"
A puzzled Nora repeated, "His hardships?"
"That¡¯s right!" Trueman said, "The Smith Corporation has groomed such an excellent hacker, but Q has never epted any external gigs all these years, so he doesn¡¯t have any ie! On top of that, the Smith Corporation only gives him a monthly sry of $15,000! To think you people are oppressing and letting a top-ss hacker like him go to such waste! I¡¯m sure Q must already be full of resentment towards you!"
Nora looked at Louis. "Resentment?"
Louis hurriedly waved. "No, I promise I don¡¯t harbor any resentment towards Joel at all!"
Trueman, however,ughed. "Uh-huh, no resentment at all! But Nora, would the Smith Corporation still dare to use Q, who has already taken a 15-million-dor deposit from me? Can you really rest assured knowing that? And Q, what about you? Are you willing to live knowing that other people will forever be suspicious of you?"
His way of driving a wedge between the two of them...
Had Louis really been Q, Trueman would really have seeded.
But unfortunately...
Nora suddenly smiled. "Who told you that Louis is Q?"
Trueman was stunned to hear that. "What do you mean?"
Nora looked at the camera and slowly curled her lips into a smile. "It means that..."
Chapter 499: Mr. Gray, You Know Trueman Yale!
Chapter 499: Mr. Gray, You Know Trueman Yale!
"Thank you for the 15 million dors! I¡¯ll just take it aspensation for our little Louis!"
As soon as Nora said that, on the other end of the call, Trueman seemed to realize something. He immediately eximed, "Is he really not Q?"
Nora did not answer him.
Nevertheless, it seemed like Trueman had understood. He immediately cursed in a low voice, "Shit! You¡ª"
But before he could finish, the call was cut off!
Nora frowned.
Wasn¡¯t Trueman the little master? Who would dare to disconnect his call when he was still speaking?
In the midst of her hesitation, Louis stood and looked at Nora cautiously. Then, he blinked and asked, "Um, Nora, those 15 million dors... are you really giving it to me aspensation to help me get over the shock?"
This was the biggest amount of money that Louis, whose monthly living expenses had been withheld from him by Joel ever since he was a child, had ever seen in his life. He had seen a million dors at Chester¡¯s house before, but this was the first time he was seeing funds that amounted to more than ten million dors!
He had counted on his cell phone just now¡ªthere were several zeros between the sum and his savings!
Little Louis would like to express just how dumbfounded he was at suddenly bing a millionaire like that!
Upon hearing what he said, Nora was puzzled. "You don¡¯t want it?"
"No! No! I want it very much!" Louis immediately stuffed the bank card into his pocket and covered his pocket with both hands. The way he looked was as if he would fight to the death anyone who dared to take the bank card from him!
The corners of Nora¡¯s lips spasmed. She simply couldn¡¯t bear to watch him anymore.
Brenda couldn¡¯t help but whisper to Nora, "Nora, are the Smiths about to go bankrupt?"
Look at how desperate they had forced little Louis to be!
It was just 15 million dors, yet he was close to regarding it as his family heirloom.
Nora: "..."
She suddenly found Louis a little embarrassing.
Nevertheless, she looked at Morris.
Louis had received 15 million dors from the battle between the special department and the mysterious organization. Although he had tricked the other party into giving it to him through his own abilities, should Morris request that he submit it, Louis would have to do so.
In the end, Morris behaved as if he hadn¡¯t heard them at all. He turned to the bodyguards on the floor and said, "Tell me, where is your master?"
"..."
Alright, it seemed that he wasn¡¯t going to bother doing anything about it.
In that case, Nora didn¡¯t pursue the matter about Louis any further. Instead, she turned and left.
Even after the four bodyguards were arrested, the other party hadn¡¯t be anxious. This showed that Trueman was very sure that the four of them would not betray him.
In that case, there was probably not much use even if they interrogated them.
She decided to take Louis out of the room.
On the way out, she asked Louis, "What did Trueman say to you?"
Louis¡¯s eyes were constantly fixed on his pocket. His fingers were also still pressed against it. He was behaving even more neurotically than when he had been kidnapped. "Nora, do you think anyone will steal my money?"
Nora: "..."
Louis went on. "Or rob me? Or... will the bank confiscate the money when they see that I received 15 million dors for nothing? I won¡¯t wake up tomorrow to see the money gone, right?"
"..."
Nora rubbed her temples and continued to drive her jeep. "Since you are so worried, why don¡¯t I inform Joel about it and have him take care of the money for you?"
Her one-liner sessfully made Louis sit up straight. "That won¡¯t be necessary. I think I can manage it myself."
"You aren¡¯t afraid of losing it anymore?"
"No, not anymore!"
"..."
Nora could only repeat her question from just now. "What did Trueman say to you?"
Louis began to think.
The Smiths¡¯ genes were rtively good, so everyone in the family was smart. Moreover, the incident had only just happened, so Louis remembered everything. He repeated his conversation with Trueman from beginning to end.
When she heard the part where they were talking about whether Trueman was kidnapping Louis for money or for his looks, Nora¡¯s lip corners couldn¡¯t help but spasm. She found their conversation absolutely meaningless.
However, right at this point, she suddenly heard Louis mention that someone had coughed in the middle of the conversation and that he had reminded the other man to go back on track. She narrowed her eyes.
Nora suddenly looked at Louis. "Someone was coughing?"
¡ª
At the hotel.
Trueman was smashing things in an exasperated rage. He shouted angrily, "Just who exactly is Q?! Surely it can¡¯t be Nora Smith, right?!"
Caleb coughed twice before he sighed and replied, "Perhaps it really is her."
"That¡¯s impossible!" Trueman yelled shrilly, "A normal person can be top-notch in a certain industry, but it is impossible for them to be top-notch in two! Unless they¡¯ve taken our drug!"
But after he said that, he paused and asked incredulously, "You mean..."
"Cough, cough, cough..." Caleb was still coughing violently. "Don¡¯t forget that her mother is Yvette Anderson! Also, when she fled the organization back then, she had taken the organization¡¯s most prized possession with her."
Trueman was stunned. However, he quickly sneered and said, "That¡¯s true... No wonder she is not interested in the gic modification drug anymore! It seems that I¡¯ll have to take some other measures!"
At this moment, a cell phone suddenly rang.
Trueman picked up the phone and nced at it. "It¡¯s yours!"
Caleb tapped the answer button, upon which Nora¡¯s familiar voice rang out on the other end. "Hello, Mr. Gray. I wonder if we can meet?"
Caleb lowered his head. "Of course. Cough, cough, cough, cough... You can pick the ce."
¡ª
Nora selected an address. When she hung up, she looked at Louis and asked, "Was that the voice you heard?"
She had gone on speaker mode during the call just now!
Louis nodded and confirmed it. "Yes! I¡¯m very sure that¡¯s the voice!"
The coughing and the deep, mellow voice were simply too distinctive.
Nora¡¯s jaw tensed up and she nodded.
After she sent Louis to the Smiths¡¯ in the jeep, she said to him, "You can go in first. I will go and meet him."
Louis nodded.
Louis got out of the car obediently. When he entered the living room, he saw Justin seated on the sofa. When thetter saw him, he asked hesitantly, "Where is Nora?"
Louis¡¯s hand was pressed against his pocket as he stared at Justin warily. The way he looked at everyone was as if he thought they would steal his money. He replied, "She went on a date!"
Justin: "??"
When Nora arrived at the cafe they had agreed to meet at, Caleb was already seated. He was holding a handkerchief and coughing.
There was a ss of water in front of him.
At the sight of Nora, a gentle look appeared on his face and he said, "I¡¯m not in good health, so I can¡¯t drink coffee at night."
Nora nodded and sat opposite him. "Sorry, I¡¯ll pick a better ce next time."
Caleb smiled. His gentle features were as refreshing as a spring breeze. Dressed in a gray suit, the man, who was nearly thirty, exuded a mature charm. He asked, "What can I do for you, Ms. Smith?"
Nora thought for a while and went straight to the point. "Mr. Gray, you know Trueman Yale, right?"
Caleb was taken aback.
Nora leaned forward and stared straight at him. "Can you tell me, what exactly do you people want from me??"
Chapter 500: Jealous~
Chapter 500: Jealous~
Seemingly because he hadn¡¯t expected that Nora¡¯s senses would actually be so keen that she would outright say that, Caleb was stunned. Then, he subconsciously looked around.
"Don¡¯t worry," Nora said, "I didn¡¯t inform Captain Ford and the others."
Caleb was even more surprised when he heard that. Then, he finally regained his senses and let out a wryugh. "How much of it have you guessed?"
Nora leaned against the chair. "I don¡¯t know why my mother especially chose to go to California after she left New York. Later, I found out that the Grays had already started making a living in California at that time. Therefore, is it correct of me to say that she went to California to propose a partnership¡ªor rather, seek asylum¡ªwith the Grays?"
Caleb nodded. "Your mother was a brilliant person. No, the part about seeking asylum is not true. The two families could only be said to be cooperating with each other."
Nora didn¡¯t expect Caleb to respect her mother so much that he would actually exin.
She nodded. "After my mother passed away, it was because I had a marriage agreement with the Grays that Henry didn¡¯t starve me to death."
She had actually already been aware of a lot of things when she was a child.
When she was three, there was once where she was simply too hungry. When she went downstairs to look for food, she had heard what Henry said at that time. He had said, "She has a marriage agreement with the Grays after all. The Grays have also approached me several times to tell me to take care of her, so no matter what, we mustn¡¯t let her die."
One could say that her marriage agreement with the Grays was what had protected her during her childhood.
However, Quinn had already gone to look for her at that time, so even if Henry had really been determined to starve her to death, Quinn would not have let her die anyway.
"Yeah, this was an agreement with your mother. We were to ensure that you survive until youe of age."
Caleb didn¡¯t hide anything. After saying this, he took out a handkerchief, held it over his mouth, and started coughing violently. The coughing fit this time seemed a little hard to quell. It wasn¡¯t until he took a sip of water that he finally managed to suppress it.
Nora fell silent for a moment at this point of the conversation.
In the past, she didn¡¯t have much of an impression of her mother. After all, she had already passed away when she was still a child. The only thing she had an impression of was the audio message that she had left her, and even so, the message had warned her not to be too conspicuous and to be mediocre. Otherwise, she would be in danger.
After that came the audio recording that her mother had left behind which Caleb had let her listen to the other time. It was a conversation between her and Henry when they were making the deal. What she had said at that time was, ¡¯everything was fine as long as she didn¡¯t starve to death.¡¯
Her words were obviously like those of an irresponsible mother.
But when she thought about it in this instant... Quinn, the Grays, and perhaps also some other things that she wasn¡¯t yet aware of¡ªthey had all been arranged by her mother to protect her!
When she thought of it that way, Yvette¡¯s image in her heart suddenly became fleshed out.
Nora calmed herself down and asked, "Was that why the Grays had firmly refused to break off the engagement even when I became pregnant by ident? Was that why they had still insisted that Anthony marry me?"
Caleb nodded. "Yes. We had already promised your mother, so we couldn¡¯t breach the agreement just because of that."
Nora frowned.
She then asked, "Then how did I get pregnant?"
When Caleb heard this, he sighed. "I really don¡¯t know about that. Your pregnancy was something that I totally hadn¡¯t expected. Otherwise, Anthony would never dare to go against my orders and abandon the marriage agreement, resulting in the current awkward situation."
Nora was a little taken aback. "So, the agreement between my mother and the Grays was that I would marry into the Grays... And then she will give you something after that?"
Caleb nodded.
Nora finally got it. "No wonder Anthony only asked for thepany that my mother had left behind after he broke off our engagement. But I¡¯ve already checked thepany¡ªthere¡¯s nothing in there! I¡¯ve also asked some of the old-timers there. None of them know anything about what my mother may have left behind. So, what exactly are you guys after?"
Caleb was a little surprised to hear this. "She didn¡¯t leave anything behind?"
Nora nodded. "Or at least, I haven¡¯t found anything even as of now."
This was a fair conversation. Since Caleb had told her about the past, Nora should also be truthful with him.
Caleb frowned. Then, he heaved a huge sigh. "I¡¯m afraid he¡¯s not going to believe it."
"Trueman?" asked Nora.
"Yeah."
Nora then asked aggressively, "What on earth does he want?"
After hesitating for a while, Caleb shook his head. "I don¡¯t know what it is, either. All I know is that it is very important."
Nora frowned.
What was it that was so important to Caleb and the mysterious organization?
She looked at Caleb hesitantly. Suddenly, she thought of something. "Mom said that if I shine too brightly, I will attract lethal danger to myself. She must be talking about the mysterious organization, right? Was it because of you that they didn¡¯t discover me during all those years I was in California?"
Caleb nodded. "Yes, but from the moment that you returned to New York, the mysterious organization has discovered your existence. My protection of over twenty years has all be meaningless."
Nora was taken aback. "Why did you hide my identity for me?"
Caleb was a member of the mysterious organization. If the members of the mysterious organization were looking for her, then why was Caleb helping to hide her?
Caleb¡¯s jaw tensed up when he heard this. He suddenly said, "Because... I promised your mother. Besides, I actually don¡¯t agree with some of the mysterious organization¡¯s practices. Cough, cough, cough, cough..."
He started coughing again at this point.
Nora looked at him.
After the coughing fit, Caleb finally said, "Sorry."
His brows were locked in a deep frown as if he was suppressing something. "I don¡¯t actually know much. I am just an outsider in the mysterious organization."
An outsider... Yet he could speak directly with Trueman?
Since Trueman was known as the little master, he must have a high status within the mysterious organization!
In spite of that, for some reason, Nora felt that Caleb¡¯s words were very trustworthy. She nodded and said, "Okay, I believe you."
She stood up. "I have onest question for you."
Caleb nodded. "Go ahead."
Nora asked, "My mother... Is she a good person or a bad one?"
Caleb was taken aback for a moment.
A mysterious organization that conducted human experiments was undoubtedly not anything good, yet Nora¡¯s mother had been involved with them the whole time.
Later, she was even pursued by the mysterious organization...
Something must have happened.
After a long silence, Caleb finally sighed and said, "I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t know. When your mother left the organization, I was still very young."
Still very young... yet he could make a deal with her mother?
Now that she thought about it, Caleb must have been only four or five years old when her mother gave birth to her, right?
Nora became hesitant.
She was about to ask something when Caleb suddenly asked, "If... and I mean if... If your fianc¨¦ back then had been me, would our rtionship be different now?"
Nora was taken aback at his words.
She didn¡¯t see that the cafe¡¯s doors had opened and that Justin was already striding toward them.
Chapter 501: Biological Siblings~
Chapter 501: Biological Siblings~
Nora did not understand why Caleb would suddenly say this. While she was in a daze, a deep and maic voice interrupted the two of them domineeringly. "Mr. Gray, it¡¯s a pity that there are no ifs in this world."
She was slightly stunned and turned around to see Justin standing behind her.
He stretched out a hand and pressed it on Nora¡¯s shoulder as if he was announcing his sovereignty. His eyes were even deeper as he looked at Caleb. "Also, I don¡¯t need anyone to help me raise my child and wife."
"..."
After saying this, he looked at Nora. "Are you guys done talking?"
Nora: "...Yes."
For some reason, when she met the man¡¯s eyes, she felt guilty as if she had been caught red-handed.
Justin lowered his head slightly and smoothed her hair before smiling. "Then,e home with me? Cherry and Pete won¡¯t sleep without you."
"... Alright."
The two children were clearly very sensible. Why did he say that they would not sleep without their mommy?
Nora¡¯s lips twitched as she followed Justin out.
After taking two steps, she was suddenly stopped. "Miss Smith."
Nora turned around and saw Caleb standing up as well. He continued to cough, and when he met Justin¡¯s hostile gaze, he smiled. "I just want to ask you onest question."
"Go ahead."
Nora was very polite to him. After all, this person was in the same generation as her mother. Actually, she still had to call him uncle.
Caleb said, "Since you recognized me, why didn¡¯t you bring anyone with you?"
These words made Nora pause.
After some thought, she suddenly smiled. "I believe in my mother."
Caleb was stunned.
Nora said, "She handed me to you, so you probably won¡¯t harm me. By the same logic, since I don¡¯t know the truth, I can¡¯t have you arrested just like that."
Caleb¡¯s deep eyes revealed a hint of relief. He lowered his head and coughed twice before smiling. "I understand."
Nora nced at him and could not help but say, "If there¡¯s anything you need my help with, please feel free to ask."
After all, he had protected her for so many years. If he asked her to help treat an illness, she would definitely not reject him.
Caleb nodded. "...Okay."
After saying this, Nora left with Justin.
Caleb stood at the same spot and watched the two of them leave. Suddenly, he lowered his eyes, revealing a lonely look.
He returned to the hotel.
As soon as he entered, he heard Trueman¡¯s sharp voice. "What were you guys talking about?"
Caleb coughed. "It¡¯s nothing. You don¡¯t need to know."
Trueman sneered. "Caleb, have you forgotten who you are?"
Caleb did not say anything.
Trueman seemed to see through his thoughts as he smiled. "I know. You like her!"
For the first time, Caleb¡¯s tone became serious. "Don¡¯t speak nonsense!"
"Hahahaha, this is the first time I¡¯m seeing you angry. To be able to make the usually gentle you so angry, it looks like I¡¯ve exposed your thoughts! Are you regretting now that the person engaged to her back then was not you? Moreover, it should have been you!"
"Shut up! Cough, cough, cough, cough..."
"Tsk, it¡¯s so fun to see you so exasperated right now. Hahaha... If you don¡¯t tell me what you were talking about, do you think I won¡¯t know? I¡¯ll definitely find a way! Caleb, you better recognize reality and not betray the organization, okay?"
¡ª
Nora did not know about the dispute in the hotel. At this moment, she was driving with Justin on the way back to the Smiths.
The man sat in the front passenger seat and did not say a word.
Nora nced at him from the corner of her eye. Her lips curled up slightly. "Why do I smell jealousy?"
Justin sighed. He really couldn¡¯t do anything to her.
He was about to say something when Nora¡¯s phone rang. She picked up the call and Maureen¡¯s voice came from the other end. "Nora, where did you and Mr. Hunt go? Mrs. Hunt is here!"
When he heard this, Justin¡¯s phone rang. He picked it up and Brenda¡¯s voice came from the other end. "Justin, Grandma went to the Smiths!"
Nora: "..."
Justin: "..."
At the Smiths.
Joel looked at Mrs. Hunt politely. "Mrs. Hunt, it¡¯s already sote. Why did youe to the Smiths? You could have called me over if there¡¯s anything..."
Supported by the butler, Mrs. Hunt bent over and looked upstairs with a walking stick in her hand. "Where¡¯s Justin?"
Joel coughed. "He went out."
Mrs. Hunt asked again, "Went out? But I heard from his office that Justin doesn¡¯t have to work overtime today. Where¡¯s Miss Smith?"
Joel: "She went out too."
Mrs. Huntughed dryly. "So the two of them abandoned their children and went out together?"
Joel was a little awkward. "Not really..."
"Why? Did they take the children out as well?"
Joel exined, "Mr. Hunt went to pick Nora up from work."
Mrs. Hunt lowered her eyes. "Although we have a nanny at home, it¡¯s really inappropriate for these two to leave the two children at home."
Joel nodded. "You¡¯re right. When they return, I¡¯ll definitely tell them this."
Mrs. Hunt smiled. "Mr. Smith, I wonder which room my Pete is in? I¡¯ll go upstairs to see him."
As she spoke, she stood up and was supported by the butler as they walked to the elevator.
Joel wanted to stop her. "Mrs. Hunt, this isn¡¯t quite appropriate."
Mrs. Hunt stopped in her tracks. "Why not? As his great-grandmother, I¡¯m going to see my great-grandson. Is there a problem?"
Joel was about to speak when Mrs. Hunt smiled. "Of course, I can¡¯t see her daughter without Miss Smith¡¯s permission. But I don¡¯t need to trouble you to worry about my great-grandson. Which room is he in?"
Mrs. Hunt was really angry!
Justin had already stayed with the Smiths for more than half a month. If this continued, The Hunts would beughing stocks in New York!
Hearing the faint disdain in her words, Joel¡¯s expression darkened.
He suddenly smiled. "In room 203 upstairs."
He apanied Mrs. Hunt upstairs. When they arrived at room 203, Mrs. Hunt frowned. "This should be Miss Smith¡¯s room, right? Pete is sleeping here?"
"Yes," Joel said. "Pete insisted on sleeping here."
Mrs. Hunt sneered in her heart. "Then I¡¯m going in to take a look! At the same time, I can see Cherry! But, Mr. Smith, your family is too careless. Although Cherry and Pete are only five years old, they¡¯re not biological siblings. It¡¯s not good for them to sleep together like this, right?"
Chapter 502: Mrs. Hunt Was Slapped in the Face!
Chapter 502: Mrs. Hunt Was pped in the Face!
Joel¡¯s expression turned even uglier.
Before he could say anything, another voice said, "Mrs. Hunt is right."
Joel was stunned. He turned around and saw Ianing out.
He was in good health and no longer needed to be hospitalized. Today, Lily had finally agreed to let him be discharged. He couldn¡¯t wait to go home and meet his granddaughter and daughter. However, he didn¡¯t expect to see Mrs. Hunt right after he returned.
Especially after hearing what Mrs. Hunt said, he was furious.
Ian endured the difort in his heart and pushed the wheelchair over. Although he was sitting and was very thin, his aura was very strong.
Mrs. Hunt felt a little ufortable when she saw him.
Although Joel was very powerful when it came to managing Smith Corporation, he was still a grandson. Just like Justin, no matter how powerful he was, he was still her grandson in front of her.
Therefore, she could still suppress him.
However, Ian had been in power for so many years. He was very dignified, especially back then when Justin had yet to grow up and her son had failed to live up to expectations. In fact, the Hunts had always been suppressed by the Smiths until they could barely breathe.
Therefore, she was very afraid of Ian.
A smile immediately appeared on her face. "How is your health? Have you been discharged?"
Ian said nonchntly, "I won¡¯t die yet. At least I can support my daughter for a few years to prevent her from being bullied again at such a young age!"
When Mrs. Hunt heard this, she immediately said, "How could that be? Who dares to bully your daughter?"
Ian looked at her and smiled. "Mrs. Hunt, we both know that women are physically weaker than men. When they marry someone, won¡¯t they be someone else¡¯s? But as long as I¡¯m still a father, I won¡¯t allow my daughter to be looked down on!"
Mrs. Hunt lowered her eyes. "If she wants to be looked at by others, her family background is one thing, but her character and capability must be passable, right?"
When he heard the word "capability," Ian raised his eyebrows and smiled even brightly. "Your words have reached the bottom of my heart. In the future, the person my daughter is going to marry will definitely admire her from the bottom of his heart. He will respect and love her. If there is even the slightest bit of contempt, I will not agree to it!"
Mrs. Hunt lowered her eyes and smiled. "Even if it¡¯s for your sake, I don¡¯t think anyone in New York will dare to look down on her. But Miss Smiths¡¯s daughter... she¡¯s called Cherry, right? Well, with the Smiths protecting her, she should be fine..."
The Smiths were protecting her...
Ian sneered. "Yes, Cherry has nothing to do with the Hunts. Is that what you mean, Mrs. Hunt?"
Mrs. Hunt smiled. "You can¡¯t say that. Miss Smith and Justin are together now. Of course, Cherry is also half a daughter of Justin. It¡¯s not that the Hunts can¡¯t afford to raise a girl. It¡¯s just that her status makes it a little awkward."
Ian interrupted her, "I understand what you mean. Don¡¯t worry about this. I like Cherry very much. She wouldn¡¯t be bothering the Hunts to take care of her!"
His words made Mrs. Hunt heave a sigh of relief.
To be honest, although Justin had Pete, with his status and face, which woman was not in his reach?
So many wealthydies were fighting to marry into their family!
But he just had to fall for a woman with such a burden. It would be so embarrassing if word got out!
This was what Mrs. Hunt had been struggling with recently.
As the matriarch of the Hunts, it was fine even if Nora had grown up in the countryside.
In the future, she would not be allowed to interfere in the family¡¯s financial matters.
She would just treat it as raising a flower!
Anyway, Pete would grow up very quickly. In the future, she would find an appropriate wife for Pete and let her rece Nora.
After all, Nora was Ian¡¯s daughter. With her status here, she was worthy of the Hunts!
But s, if only Nora did not have that daughter!
Now that Ian had taken on the little girl, everything was easy.
A genuine smile finally appeared on Mrs. Hunt¡¯s face. She felt that the Smiths were really very sensible. However, it made sense after some thought. It was definitely Nora¡¯s fortune to be able to marry Justin. The Smiths must have felt that they had picked up a huge bargain.
She felt an inexplicable sense of superiority and did not notice the mockery on Ian¡¯s face.
After Ian solved this big problem, Mrs. Hunt felt that she should express her stance. Therefore, she smiled and said, "Don¡¯t worry, Ian. I¡¯ll treat Miss Smith well in the future."
When she said this, Ian made a surprised expression, but then he came to a realization. "The Smiths and the Hunts can be considered family friends. If Mrs. Hunt sees my daughter on any asion in the future, it¡¯s only right that you take care of her."
Mrs. Hunt: ?
She was stunned and suddenly felt that there was something wrong with this sentence.
What did he mean by seeing her on some asion...
She said directly, "What asion? Are you nning to let the two of them move out after their marriage?"
Ian was even more surprised. "What marriage?"
Mrs. Hunt was even more confused. "After Miss Smith and Justin get married..."
Ian frowned. "How could the two of them get married?"
Mrs. Hunt was stunned. "Aren¡¯t they together?"
Ianughed. "It¡¯s just two young people in puppy love. Who hasn¡¯t fallen in love before marriage? However, I haven¡¯t agreed to their marriage!"
Mrs. Hunt was even more confused. "But they¡¯re already engaged!"
"Engaged?"
Ian was even more surprised. "Why didn¡¯t I know about the engagement? When? Where? Did they exchange rings?"
Mrs. Hunt: "!!"
She frowned. "You... don¡¯t agree with them being together?"
Ian lowered his eyes. "Of course not. Mr. Hunt is not a good match. Even if my daughter marries him, I¡¯m afraid she won¡¯t be able to resolve theplicated situation in your family. Haha, our family doesn¡¯t have any internal conflicts. Nora grew up in the countryside. She¡¯s simple-minded, but she can¡¯t take on the role of Mrs. Hunt!"
Mrs. Hunt: "..."
She suddenly felt a little delighted!
This was not her separating Nora from Justin. It was Ian!
She did not want Justin to marry someone who had a child and to raise another person¡¯s child. It would be so embarrassing if word got out!
She smiled instantly, her chin lifting.
Before she could say anything, Ian pointed at the room and said, "By the way, weren¡¯t you going to see Pete? Don¡¯t let me keep you!"
He was waiting for Mrs. Hunt to be pped in the face!
Mrs. Hunt nodded and pushed the door open happily before walking in.
The lights in the room were switched on, and the two children were sleeping on the bed.
The one facing her had an exquisite and cute little face. Wasn¡¯t it Pete?
She walked over and touched the child¡¯s cheek. At this moment, the child on the other side suddenly turned around...
Chapter 503: Face Slapping Mrs. Hunt!
Chapter 503: Face pping Mrs. Hunt!
Mrs. Hunt really liked Pete.
He was smart and calm even at such a young age. He was definitely the best choice for the future sessor of the Hunts. Moreover, she had given Pete the most love and had also cared about him the most.
Therefore, when his cousins fought with Pete, she was always biased toward him.
She hade over today because she missed Pete too much. Other than when she was sick, she had never stayed away from Pete for so long.
At this moment, when she saw Pete lying there with his eyes closed and his mouth open as he slept, her heart melted.
Her expression softened a little as she reached out to touch his face.
Pete was really good-looking. Even if he was a girl, he would definitely have a kingdom-toppling beauty. Speaking of which, a mother who could give birth to a child like Pete should be quite good-looking.
As she was thinking, she suddenly heard the sound of someone turning over.
She looked up. With the help of the dim night light, she could see the child sleeping on the other side suddenly turn over. As if he had sensed that there was someone in the room, he sat up.
The child was in a daze. He rubbed his eyes with his chubby hands and looked at Mrs. Hunt. The next moment, he woke up and shouted in surprise, "Great-Grandma?"
Mrs. Hunt: "???"
She was stunned. She looked at Pete, who was sitting up, and then at the sleeping Pete. She stood there in shock.
For a moment, she felt that the light in the room was too dim and she was dazzled.
She swallowed a mouthful of saliva and rubbed her eyes. She looked over again... The child¡¯s hair was a little messy. It was indeed Pete!
However, the other child was sleeping soundly. She even smacked her lips as if she had eaten something delicious in her dream. It was also Pete!
Mrs. Hunt turned to the nanny beside her in surprise. "You,e and help me take a look. Which one is Pete? Am I seeing things?"
The nanny was also stunned.
No matter how she looked at them, she could not tell them apart. "Mrs. Hunt, why do these two look like young master Pete... Do all children look the same?"
"How can they be the same?! Our little fatty is so ugly!"
The nanny: "..." Mrs. Hunt, they¡¯re all your great-grandchildren. Is this really appropriate?
However, the two of them were old and dazzled by everything they looked at. Therefore, they still did not understand what was going on. They did not dare to turn on the lights lest they disturbed the children¡¯s sleep.
The two of them exchanged words. Joel and Ian, who were standing at the door, looked at each other. The uncle and nephew were tactful and did not speak or remind each other.
It was all to see Mrs. Hunt p her own face!
The two of them did not speak. They were sensitive people. Pete, who had woken up the moment Mrs. Hunt entered, sighed helplessly. "Great-Grandma, my sister and I are twins."
Mrs. Hunt was stunned. "Sister? What sister?"
Her voice was a little high, waking Cherry up from her deep sleep. She rubbed her eyes with her chubby hands and looked at Mrs. Hunt in a daze. Then, she was slightly stunned and called out in her childish voice, "Great-Grandma? Why are you here?!"
"What..."
The words made Mrs. Hunt realize something. She looked at Cherry in disbelief and then at Pete. She finally understood!
She swallowed and said, "Y-You¡¯re Cherry?"
Cherry was in a daze for a while. When she turned back and saw that her brother was already looking at her, she knew that her identity with her brother had been exposed. Therefore, she could only nod. "Yes! Pete and I are twins!"
Mrs. Hunt: "!!"
She took a step back and almost fell to the ground.
How... how was this possible?!
She looked at Pete again. "In other words, your mommy is Nora?"
So Nora was Pete¡¯s biological mother!
Pete nodded.
At this moment, Justin and Nora returned home and the two of them went straight upstairs. When Justin saw Ian and Joel at the door, his heart sank.
Then, he strode forward and called out, "Grandmother."
Mrs. Hunt slowly turned around. When she saw Justin, she shouted, "Justin, y-you have two children!"
Justin: "...I know."
Mrs. Hunt suddenly appeared in front of him. "Why didn¡¯t you tell me? Why didn¡¯t you tell me that Miss Smith is Pete¡¯s biological mother?!"
Justin nced at Nora and sighed softly.
It was all because Nora wanted to keep it a secret.
At this moment, Ian suddenly said, "Mrs. Hunt, it¡¯s already sote. Since you¡¯ve seen Pete now... Shouldn¡¯t you be taking Justin back now?"
When Mrs. Hunt heard this, she choked. She looked at Ian and said, "Ian, look, it was a misunderstanding... What we said just now doesn¡¯t count, right?"
Mrs. Hunt finally realized that she had made a mistake when she thought about how Justin had not mentioned anything about this biological mother all these years. Now, Mrs. Hunt finally realized btedly that she had made a mistake!
However, Ian said, "It counts. Why wouldn¡¯t it count?!"
Mrs. Hunt hurriedly said, "How can it? Isn¡¯t this breaking up a loving couple?"
Ian smiled. "Didn¡¯t you also disagree with this marriage earlier? In that case, why should we force each other?"
Mrs. Hunt hurriedly said, "I agree now! For the sake of the two children, don¡¯t be calctive with me, okay?"
Ian¡¯s expression was serious. "Mrs. Hunt, you¡¯re mistaken. Although she already has a child, my daughter doesn¡¯t have to worry about not being able to find a good family."
Mrs. Hunt became even more anxious. "She¡¯s Pete¡¯s biological mother. Other than the Hunts, who else would marry her?"
These words were even more overboard.
As soon as she finished speaking, Justin shouted, "Grandmother!"
Mrs. Hunt instantly realized that she had said something wrong. She hurriedly looked at Ian and saw that his expression had darkened. "What? The Hunts are already domineering to the point that if I don¡¯t let my daughter marry into your family, others will not be allowed to marry my daughter? My family is not to be trifled with! If this doesn¡¯t work out, and my daughter isn¡¯t able to get married, I¡¯ll take care of her forever!"
Mrs. Hunt still wanted to say something, but Ian had already turned to look at Joel. "Joel, it¡¯s getting veryte. See the guests out!"
Joel stood up immediately. "Mrs. Hunt, please..."
When Mrs. Hunt saw that they did not care about their reputation, she was even angrier. "There¡¯s no need for you to chase us away. We¡¯ll leave ourselves! Justin, Pete, Cherry, pack up and let¡¯s go home!"
However, when she said this, there was no movement behind her for a long time.
Chapter 504: Smiths Select a Son-in-law!
Chapter 504: Smiths Select a Son-inw!
Mrs. Hunt¡¯s thoughts were simple.
Children were the ones who held their mothers back the most. As long as she took the two children away, she would not have to worry about Nora noting to their house!
However, she did not expect there to be no movement behind her after she spoke.
She turned around and saw Pete and Cherry looking at her in a daze, while Justin¡¯s mouth was pursed.
Mrs. Hunt was stunned. "Justin, what are you waiting for? Carry the child! Look at how sleepy Cherry is..."
As soon as she finished speaking, she heard Ian¡¯s voice. "Mrs. Hunt, we just said that Cherry has nothing to do with the Hunts. You can only take Pete away."
As soon as she said this, Pete chimed in, "I¡¯m not leaving. I want to stay with Mommy."
Mrs. Hunt: "!!"
She was stunned. Then, she said in shock, "These two children are from the Hunts. Of course, they have toe with me!"
Ian was very domineering. "What Hunts? This is my granddaughter. She has the Smith blood in her!"
Mrs. Hunt held her chin up. "Ian, I know that society is developing, but our wealthy families still care about passing on our daughters. Your daughter will get married sooner orter. The children of our Hunts can¡¯t go to another family to suffer!"
Ian smiled. "Who said my daughter is going away? I¡¯m going to find a househusband for my daughter in the future! Anyway, since I don¡¯t have a son, Nora will take on the responsibilities!"
With that, he looked at Joel and asked, "Joel, do you mind?"
Joel stood up straight. "Of course, I don¡¯t mind. Even if Nora manages Smith Corporation, I have no objections."
Ian raised his eyebrows and looked at Mrs. Hunt. "Did you hear that?"
Mrs. Hunt: "!!"
She could not win against Ian, so she could only look at Justin. "Justin, aren¡¯t you going to say anything?"
With that, she whispered, "Justin, if you want to marry Miss Smith and make her bow her head inpromise, you have to take the two children away! I guarantee that she¡¯ll chase after you!"
When she said this, Justin¡¯s gaze turned even colder.
He had long known that his grandmother did not like Nora.
She preferred traditional daughters who would be at home with her husband and children, just like a mother... She would remain just as the children¡¯s mother in the Hunts forever!
However, with Nora¡¯s personality, it was impossible for her to be trapped at home.
And this time, Mrs. Hunt hade to the Smiths, first, to look after Pete, and second to bring Nora down a notch!
How could Justin allow Nora to be looked down upon at home in the future?
Therefore... he knew what Mrs. Hunt said was true¡ªas long as she took away the two children... or even one of them, Nora would not be able to escape.
But he could not do that.
He lowered his head and held Mrs. Hunt as he slowly said, "Grandmother, let¡¯s go."
Mrs. Hunt was stunned. "What about the children?"
Justin sighed. "Nora gave birth to the children in the first ce. The children will only follow us if she asks them."
Mrs. Hunt looked at Nora. "Miss Smith, let the childrene with us. At the very least, let Petee back with us!"
Nora shook her head. "Sorry, I can¡¯t."
It was more probable for Cherry to go back with them. However, it was impossible for Pete!
Ever since she fell asleep a few days ago, she could clearly feel that Pete was more attached to her. Now was the critical period to treat her son¡¯s mild autism. How could she let the Hunts take him away?
Mrs. Hunt misunderstood. "Are... are the Smiths really going to snatch our child?"
She turned to look at Ian. "Ian, the two families had nned a marriage alliance in the first ce. Letting Miss Smith marry Justin is the best choice. Why do you have to do this? Aren¡¯t you afraid that we¡¯ll turn against each other?!"
Ian smiled arrogantly. "My health is not good, and I don¡¯t know how long I can live. Therefore, I don¡¯t care about what happens in the future. I only know that my daughter should not be taken lightly!"
Mrs. Hunt choked.
Before she could say anything, Justin had already grabbed her arm forcefully and interrupted her. "Uncle Ian, Joel, Nora, we¡¯ll head back first. I¡¯ll have to trouble you to take care of Pete and Cherry."
With that, he brought Mrs. Hunt downstairs forcefully.
After the group of people left the Smiths, Ian sneered. "At least this kid knows his ce!"
Joel thought of his friendship with Justin during this period of time and said, "Mr. Hunt has always been quite good, right? But Mrs. Hunt is too unreasonable!"
After saying that, he seemed to be afraid that Nora would mind, so he exined, "Nora, Mr. Hunt left because he wanted to take Mrs. Hunt home. Don¡¯t think too much about it."
Nora did not think too much about this. She just felt that her ears had finally be much quieter. No one would stare at her as she ate anymore, despising her for eating so much!
She felt herself rx. She stretched her body and entered the bedroom. "I understand."
After she closed the door, Ian suddenly waved at Joel. "Tell me, how does Nora feel about Justin? Does she like Justin?"
Joel touched his nose as confusion shed across his fox-like eyes. "Uncle Ian, speaking of this, I also find it strange. Nora¡¯s personality is more distant, and she¡¯s cold to everyone. I didn¡¯t see any intimacy between her and Justin, either... I really can¡¯t say if she likes him or not."
When Ian heard this, he nodded thoughtfully and said, "In that case, you understand..."
His voice trailed off.
After hearing the entire sentence, Joel looked at Ian in disbelief. "This... isn¡¯t too good, right?"
Ian: "That¡¯s what we¡¯ll do!"
Joel: "...Alright."
¡ª
On the way back to the Hunts.
Mrs. Hunt carefully observed Justin¡¯s expression, but when she saw that her grandson¡¯s expression was still dark, she couldn¡¯t help but cough and say, "Justin, it really wasn¡¯t my fault today. I didn¡¯t say anything, but Ian set me up!"
Justin didn¡¯t say anything.
Mrs. Hunt said again, "Don¡¯t be like this. If you really like that Miss Smith, I¡¯ll personally visit another day and invite her back. How about that?"
This was what Justin wanted.
Grandmother had always looked down on Nora. Then he had to let her know how difficult this marriage was!
Other people¡¯s daughters would have to beg a hundred times before they would agree, right?
Furthermore, he could get Grandmother to apologize to Nora! That way, when Nora marries into the Hunts, she would not be criticized by Mrs. Hunt.
This was also why he had not stopped Mrs. Hunt from speaking earlier.
However, just as he woke up the next day and was about to head downstairs, Brenda suddenly ran in front of him. "Justin, bad news! The Smiths are going to choose a husband for Nora!"
Chapter 505: A Good Show!
Chapter 505: A Good Show!
Justin paused when he heard this, and his expression darkened.
Before he could say anything, Mrs. Hunt had already walked over withrge strides. She snorted coldly. "What¡¯s there to be nervous about? The more the Smith family acts like this, the more it shows that they¡¯re worried their daughter won¡¯t be able to get married! Besides, if they can choose a husband, we can also get your brother a wife!"
As soon as she said this, Justin called out softly, "Grandmother!"
It was a warning.
Mrs. Hunt was a little angry after being called out by him. "Justin, you can¡¯t be bewitched by a woman! I thought about it and realized that Pete still has toe back. After all, it¡¯s your bloodline and the best heir of our next generation! I was originally worried that Pete¡¯s biological mother¡¯s family wasn¡¯t good enough... But now, with the Smith family¡¯s bloodline, it will definitely be very good!"
"..."
Seeing that Mrs. Hunt had yet to realize her mistake, Justin lowered his eyes. "Grandmother, if I am to get married in this life, It¡¯ll only be to her."
With that, he straightened his clothes and left.
Mrs. Hunt pointed at his back and instructed Brenda, "Listen to him. What is he saying? How can a man like him be trapped by a woman?!"
Brenda did not say anything about this, but she still said, "Grandmother, Justin has never said anything he can¡¯t do."
Mrs. Hunt was stunned.
Of course, she knew her grandson¡¯s personality. Moreover, all her dissatisfaction with Nora in the past had basically disappeared now.
Although she had grown up in the countryside and did not have much knowledge, Mrs. Hunt could tolerate this shoring just because she had two children.
Mrs. Hunt frowned. "I think the Smith family is just bluffing. Just watch. No one will be willing to marry her! After all, her identity isn¡¯t ordinary! Not to mention her baggage, the Smith family will be under Joel¡¯s control in the future. After all, she¡¯s not Joel¡¯s biological sister. After Ian is gone, no one will support her. Furthermore, her status in the Smiths will be very awkward. There should not be many people who dare toe forward to be her husband!"
Brenda immediately said, "Grandmother, I think you¡¯re right. That¡¯s why I¡¯m going to Nora¡¯s house to help her look... Ah, no, I¡¯m helping Justin keep an eye on her! Let¡¯s see who¡¯s so blind to daree knocking!"
With that, she went downstairs, strutting in her high heels.
Mrs. Hunt: ??
¡ª
At the Smiths.
"Cherry, he¡¯s too short!"
"But he¡¯s good-looking!"
"What¡¯s the use of being good-looking? If a man is short, he¡¯ll be a level-two cripple! You can¡¯t have him!" Brenda took the photo and took out another one. "This is not bad. He has abs!"
Cherry: "But Mommy likes little puppies, not wolfhounds!"
Brenda frowned. "My brother isn¡¯t a little puppy, right?"
Cherry nodded. "That¡¯s why Mommy finds him so in!"
Brenda sighed. "Doesn¡¯t that mean my brother won¡¯t have a chance?"
Cherry nodded again. "I¡¯ve always felt that Daddy has no chance!"
When Pete heard these words, the corners of his lips twitched. He did not tell the two of them. He felt that Mommy treated Daddy differently.
When Nora woke up, the living room was in a mess.
Even in the room with good soundproofing, she could hear themotion downstairs.
She hesitated and got up. After washing up casually, she went out and prepared to go downstairs to eat something. However, when she went downstairs, she saw six men sitting in the living room!
Most of these people were in their twenties. Some were gentle, some were mature, and some were bright and handsome. Every type was different.
Brenda and Cherry stood up with a sense of aplishment. "Nora,e take a look at these men!"
Cherry puffed out her chest. "Mommy, I didn¡¯t even log in to my game the entire morning just so I could choose these men with Auntie!"
Nora casually took out a piece of bread and ate it while looking at them. Then, she asked Brenda tentatively, "If you want to find a boyfriend, you should be doing it at the Hunts, right? Isn¡¯t it inappropriate for you to be at the Smiths?"
Brenda: "?"
She waved her hand. "No, these are all for you to choose from! Cherry and I are just looking at them!"
A question mark slowly appeared in Nora¡¯s mind: ?
These men were for her?
She was stunned for a moment before saying, "I... don¡¯t need a bodyguard."
Brenda: "No! These men are here for the son-inw selection Uncle Ian prepared for you! You can choose anyone!"
She pointed at the first one. "This is James. Their family deals in electronics, so it¡¯s not bad. This is..."
Seeing that she was about to introduce everyone present, Nora interrupted her. "Stop."
Then her almond-shaped eyes swept over the people. "I¡¯m not interested. Please leave."
With that, she went upstairs.
She still had to look at the medical books she had gotten from her master, Dr. Zabe! How could she have the time to look at handsome guys here?
But at this moment, a voice sounded. "Miss Smith..."
Nora stopped in her tracks and turned back. She saw a man who was about thirty years old taking a step forward. He was wearing a gray suit. He said, "I¡¯m ine Jonas. I wonder if you still remember me?"
Nora was taken aback for a moment.
She still remembered ine Jonas. He was an internationally renowned surgeon. The two of them had once held a seminar for a certain patient.
She nodded slightly. "Why are you here?"
ine smiled. "I originally came to discuss a medical case with you, but I didn¡¯t expect to be treated as a blind date and be arrested."
Nora: "...Oh, I¡¯m not free for the time being."
ine was not angry. He seemed to have heard about her personality long ago, so he smiled and said, "Yes, I know you¡¯re not free. You should have my contact number. Contact me whenever you¡¯re free."
"Okay."
Nora went upstairs.
This was originally just a small episode. Nora did not take this person seriously at all. However, in the afternoon, she suddenly received a message from Trueman Yale. "The show I prepared for you is about to start!"
Nora: "?"
As she was in a daze, her phone suddenly rang. It was the Andersons.
She picked up the call and Simon¡¯s voice came from the other end. "Nora, do you know a surgeon named ine Jonas?"
Nora clenched her jaw. "What¡¯s wrong?"
Simon¡¯s voice was very serious. "He has now issued a challenge to the alternative medicine doctors in New York! He said that alternative medicine is all fake and modern medicine is the proper treatment method. Furthermore, he suggested this as your good friend! There are witnesses who saw himing out of the Smiths today. Therefore, everyone thinks that you¡¯re the one provoking alternative medicine!"
Nora: "?"
She frowned. "I didn¡¯t ask him to go."
Simon took a deep breath. "But everyone believes it now. It¡¯s probably toote for you to say anything."
Nora was puzzled. "How did he make the challenge?"
Simon sighed. "He has a few patients on his side, and there are also a few patients who came for alternative medicine. He has agreed to see if alternative medicine can treat those people or will modern medicine do the job! From this, we can determine which method is better!"
Nora: "?"
Modern medicine treated the symptoms but not the roots. Alternative medicine treated the roots, but slowly!
How could theypare?
As she was thinking about this, Simon spoke again. "Furthermore, he directly challenged Dr. Zabe. Dr. Zabe is already old, so he definitely can¡¯t ept the challenge. He let his disciple ept the challenge!"
Nora: "????"
Chapter 506: Modern Medicine And Alternative Medicine Competition!
Chapter 506: Modern Medicine And Alternative Medicine Competition!
Worry crept into Simon¡¯s voice again. "Nora, now that he has gotten involved, you¡¯re going to be in a pickle."
Like what had happened previously, if the matter had just been about something she had supposedly said, Simon could still suppress the matter and exin to everyone that she hadn¡¯t said anything like that.
However, ine had popped up out of nowhere and issued a challenge to the alternative medicine circle. On top of that, he had done that in her name and even imed that he was fronting the campaign for her.
Winning or losing was no longer important¡ªbecause ine¡¯s actions had sessfully caused a confrontation between alternative and modern medicine practitioners!
Should Nora show up with ine, it would cement what she had supposedly said previously. Even if she won thepetition, she would lose the support of the alternative medicinemunity and would struggle in the States in the future.
Yet, if she stepped forward and apologized to the alternative medicinemunity, people would say that she had chickened out. Angering the modern medicinemunity would also make her life a struggle in the country.
This wasn¡¯t to say that she wouldn¡¯t be able to use her identity as Anti to make money anymore, though. However, she would no longer be respected by people in the medical profession both domestically and internationally like how she currently was!
Moreover, as the Smiths¡¯ youngdy and the future matriarch of the Hunts, she would also end up making the Smiths and the Hunts look somewhat flighty and frivolous.
In short, there were a lot of disadvantages!
Nora figured out all this in an instant. She curled her lips into a smile. When Simon was about to nag at her some more, she suddenly said, "Don¡¯t worry, Uncle Simon, I know what I¡¯m doing."
Simon¡¯s anxious words immediately became stuck in his throat.
After so much had happened, Simon now wholeheartedly trusted and believed in his niece. It was as if he was sure that she could resolve the problems just because she had said that she knew what she was doing.
Thus, he paused for a few seconds before he finally said, "... Alright, it¡¯s great that you have a solution."
Nora made a sound of acknowledgment. When she wanted to hang up, Simon said, "By the way, when will you be free toe home for a visit? Your aunt and both your cousins miss you!"
As soon as he said, Nora heard Logan¡¯s voice faintly in the background. "Who misses her?! Dad, don¡¯t talk nonsense!"
Next to him, Melissa asked softly, "When did Nora say she will be back? I will make her an entire table of delicious food!"
Nora then asked, "Where is Sheril?"
Simon replied, "She¡¯s at theb. Ever since you borrowed theb to make the Zabe Corporation¡¯s Calming Pills, and she won a bet with some of the old stick-in-the-muds there, they havepletely conceded defeat to her. Everyone at theb listens to her now and has been trying out many new ways of making medicine. She¡¯s so busy that she doesn¡¯t evene home anymore."
It was indeed a good thing to be able to find what one liked and stick to it.
Although Sheril lead a simple life, it was a fulfilling and happy one.
Nora thought of Sheril¡¯s optimism and cheerfulness when she was living with the Andersons, as well as the conflicting contrast between her cute and docile appearance and her love of vodka. She smiled and said, "Well, as long as she is happy."
As soon as she said that, Melissa snatched the phone from Simon and said, "Nora, get in touch with her when you have time, and get her to participate in other activities. The key thing here is that it¡¯s time that she starts dating!"
"..."
Nora was dumbfounded. She didn¡¯t expect that a woman as elegant as her aunt would actually force her daughter to date.
She coughed. "Okay."
After hanging up, she picked up the phone again. After a moment¡¯s thought, she called ine.
The two of them had both been part of a patient¡¯s consultation years ago, so they had exchanged contact information with each other.
ine picked up the call very quickly. "Anti, are you here to thank me? I¡¯ve long been unhappy with the alternative medicine circle. They are no different from a bunch of frauds! Imbnce of energies in one¡¯s body? What nonsense! We modern doctors are not gonna recognize such talk! It¡¯s just a pity that your words thest time didn¡¯t have enough of an impact, so I have given you a hand. With that, the two of us will be able to cause a huge stir in America¡¯s alternative medicine circle and turn it upside down!"
Nora: "?"
After hearing what he said, she cast her eyes down. "Who says that alternative medicine is inferior to modern medicine?"
ine paused for a moment before he asked, "What? Do you actually think alternative medicine is better than modern medicine?"
Nora lowered her gaze. "You don¡¯t have to deliberately misinterpret my words. Neither did I say anything like that. I just find your act of provoking the alternative medicine circle... very stupid."
ine snorted. "What do you mean by that? I did all of this for you! Never mind that you¡¯re not thanking me for it, but you¡¯re actually saying that... I get it now. Surely you¡¯re not chickening out now that you¡¯re back in the States, are you?"
"..."
"To think the top surgeon of modern medicine is afraid of the alternative medicine practitioners in America! Aren¡¯t you afraid that you¡¯ll offend the modern medicine circle if you say that?! Alternative medicine is just a niche, whereas modern medicine has be mainstream. I urge you to think carefully about this! Also, I¡¯ve contacted a few modern medicine doctors and made an appointment with people of the alternative medicine circle for apetition two dayster. If you don¡¯t show up, I¡¯m afraid the modern medicine doctors who put you on a pedestal will be very disappointed in you! I will send you the address. You are free to decide whether you want to show up or not!"
After saying that, he hung up. Then, he sent her the address.
Nora: "..."
She had obviously been the one who called to question him. Where did ine get the confidence to talk to her like that?
Nora¡¯s expression had darkened.
She let out a coldugh. Then, her phone rang. When she picked up the call, she found that it was Sheril. Sheril asked tentatively, "Nora, did you issue a challenge to the alternative medicine circle?"
Nora was angry at the moment, so she immediately answered, "It wasn¡¯t me. Some idiot did that."
Sheril¡¯s cautiousness immediately disappeared and she became furious. "I knew it couldn¡¯t have been you! Given how strong your skills at making medicine are, why would you ever look down on alternative medicine? This must be a conspiracy that ine or whatever his name is came up with! He must be sick in the head. Otherwise, why would he do that? Don¡¯t worry, Nora, the few of us have already discussed this, and we¡¯ve decided that I will participate in thepetition! I will beat ine and then dere in front of everyone that you were the one who made the Zabe Corporation¡¯s Calming Pills and that not only are you a master of modern medicine, but also a master of the pharmaceutical industry!"
Nora: "?"
Touched, she said, "Okay. I¡¯m rooting for you."
Sheril also felt rather embarrassed after saying that, so she immediately asked with a smile, "By the way, will you be there on that day?"
Would she be there?
Nora¡¯s lip corners curled up into a smile. "Of course."
Of course, she had to be there. Otherwise, how was she going to p ine in the face?!
Besides, alternative medicine¡¯s effects in treating illnesses had always been slow. Without her, going by the skills of those few people in the alternative medicine circle, she felt that they might lose to ine!
Sheril breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay. Don¡¯t worry, Nora, I will definitely settle this for you! Even if I lose thepetition, at the very least, I mustn¡¯t let the people in the alternative medicine circle hate you... I am confident that I can at least achieve that!"
Chapter 507: Black Cat?
Chapter 507: ck Cat?
After they hung up the call, a short whileter, Sheril suddenly sent her an article.
It was an article on a website for the domestic alternative medicinemunity tomunicate and exchange ideas with one another. The article had provided an objective evaluation of the uing showdown between alternative medicine and modern medicine.
ine¡¯s medical skills had been improving by leaps and bounds recently overseas. He had just performed a very risky operation two days ago where the operation process was recorded. His hands were so steady that they wereparable to Anti¡¯s. In fact, some people overseas were already starting topare him with Anti and discussing who the top surgeon really was.
Needless to say, Anti was still publicly recognized as the number one¡ªafter all, ine had only just caught up.
However, this was enough to make the alternative medicine practitioners in the country wary. ine was definitely not someone who looked impressive butcked real worth. He did indeed have a couple of tricks up his sleeve!
The article also introduced and talked about some of the diseases he had treated...
After Nora closed the page, she saw a message from Sheril: ¡¯Nora, do you think the alternative medicine circle can beat him?¡¯
Apetition of medical skills where physicians of both circles treated patients on-site was, in itself, already disadvantageous for alternative medicine practitioners!
Modern medicine practitioners could make use of all kinds of equipment, but alternative medicine practitioners could only rely on their own judgment. To make matters worse, the effects of their medical treatment were slow to appear, so people wouldn¡¯t be able to immediately see the effects.
ine was no doubt a little hard to deal with. On top of that, he had even called upon several leaders of the modern medicine circle...
Nora replied: ¡¯Hard to say.¡¯
Sheril: "... You don¡¯t have to be so honest!"
Nora smiled.
She put down her cell phone. The housekeeper at the door had told her that her cousin from California was here, so she left her room. As soon as she did, she heard Louis¡¯s voice downstairs. "Ms. ck! Long time no see!"
Lisa¡¯s timid voice rang out. "W-why are you at home again?!"
Louis replied, "I was about to go out and y games with Chester, but then I saw you! Come on, I¡¯ll y host!"
Lisa said, "No, it¡¯s fine. I have something to talk to my cousin about. You can go out!"
Louis said righteously, "That won¡¯t work. As a host, I must apany you."
Lisa: "..."
Nora couldn¡¯t bring herself to listen any further. She went downstairs, looked at Lisa, and asked, "Why are you here?"
Lisa walked up to her anxiously. "Nora, I heard that you are going to challenge the alternative medicine circle?"
"..." Nora¡¯s lip corners spasmed. "Do you already know all about it?"
Lisa nodded. "News has spread throughout the school. We have alternative medicine majors in the university. All the alternative medicine majors are very angry now, and conflicts are starting to form between them and the modern medicine majors!"
Nora: "..."
She didn¡¯t expect news of the incident to spread so quickly, or the influence to be so great!
Lisa went on. "Also, there are reporters camping at the school gates and asking if you¡¯re an externally hired professor in the school. When I wasing over, the dean of neurosurgery told me to tell you not toe to the school for now."
Nora nodded. "Got it."
Lisa nced at her cautiously. "Nora, how are you intending to settle this?"
Nora patted her shoulder. "Don¡¯t worry about it."
Lisa breathed a sigh of relief.
Next to them, Louis became puzzled. "What are you guys talking about? Nora, why are you provoking the alternative medicine circle?"
Nora looked at him and suddenly raised her eyebrows. She asked, "Which do you think is more impressive, modern medicine or alternative medicine?"
Louis replied, "...That would depend on how much money each spends!"
Nora: "?"
Lisa was also surprised. "But medical fees will differ ording to the respective illnesses!"
Louis lifted his chin. "Heh heh, what I mean is, it depends on how much the alternative and modern medicine circle would pay me. Whoever gives me more money is the one I find more impressive!"
"..."
"..."
Both Nora and Lisa found themselves speechless for a while.
Then, Louis put his hand over his pocket and asked, "Nora, is this money really mine?"
Nora: "..."
Why was Louis still worried about the money when so much time had already gone by since the incident?
She nodded.
Louis suddenly jumped up. "Nora¡¯s little cousin, when are you leaving? After I see you off, I¡¯ll go to the bank to apply for a few cards!"
Nora asked curiously, "What are you applying for a few cards for?"
Louis grinned and said, "You don¡¯t get it, do you? You can¡¯t put all your eggs in one basket! I¡¯m going to apply for a few dozen cards and deposit a bit of money into each. This way, if Joel confiscates one of my cards, I will still have money stashed elsewhere!"
"..."
Louis got a little ahead of himself. He said, "Also, I haven¡¯t gotten quite used to suddenly bing a rich man yet! I¡¯ve made up my mind¡ªI¡¯m going to give the cats and dogs a feast to celebrate tonight! They can have the most expensive imported canned food! Also, I¡¯m going to take them to the pet shop for baths, and then buy houses for them..."
"..."
After seeing off the worried Lisa and Louis, Nora felt that things had finally be quiet around her.
Unexpectedly, the wheelchair-bound Ian pushed himself out again at this point. She also couldn¡¯t quite understand why Karl was standing next to him.
Surprised, she asked politely, "Uncle Karl, why are you here?"
Karl replied casually, "I¡¯m here to discuss marriage."
Everything clicked in Nora¡¯s head now.
Well, that was true. It didn¡¯t make sense for Tanya and Joel to stay together like that without a proper rtionship. Joel should indeed give Tanya a rightful status.
She was about to ask whether they had agreed on a wedding date when Ian asked, "Did you run into some kind of trouble?"
Nora paused for a moment. She was about to say something when Karl said, "Was someone blind enough to bully you? Do you want the Assassin Alliance to get rid of them for you?"
Nora: "??"
Was the way they dealt with problems always this straightforward?
While she was wondering about it, Ian sneered, "Do you think you can just kill people so casually outside of your own country?! Is there anyone among your assassins who can take someone¡¯s life without anyone knowing in the States?"
Karl immediately replied, "ck Cat can!"
Nora: "????"
So, his way of helping her was getting her to personally kill them off herself?
Ian curled his lips disdainfully. "Tsk, you¡¯re always going on and on about ck Cat... Don¡¯t you find yourself embarrassing..."
Karl, however, didn¡¯t find it embarrassing in the least. "Hah, the way I see it, you¡¯re just jealous that I have ck Cat because the leader of your dark forces has been hospitalized, so you don¡¯t have anyone doing things for you anymore!"
Ian: "..."
Karl went on. "In the past, you could still put up a fight with me by relying on the dark forces, but now? You don¡¯t have Quentin anymore, but I still have ck Cat!"
Ian: "..."
Seeing Ian¡¯s expression darken further, Karl immediately smiled. "ck Cat is our top assassin, no one canpare to him! Even if Quentin is in the pink of health, he won¡¯t be able topare to him!"
Seeing that Ian was about to blow his top, Nora couldn¡¯t help but say, "Uncle Karl, who says the Smiths don¡¯t have ck Cat? ..."
Chapter 508: Getting The Marriage Certificate!
Chapter 508: Getting The Marriage Certificate!
Her words took Karl by surprise. "What do you mean by that, Nora?"
Nora raised her eyebrows. She was about to speak when Ian said, "It means that the Smiths have someone who is even more impressive than ck Cat! Don¡¯t think that you can keep going on and on about ck Cat just because you have ck Cat in your organization. We¡¯re talking about the children¡¯s marriage now, yet you keep going on and on about ck Cat. Can you get any more annoying?!"
His words made Karl choke at once, but then he suddenly reacted and said, "This isn¡¯t right, Smith. I am the one marrying my daughter to your nephew. You should be the one begging me instead! Why should I be the oneing over and talking to you?"
Ian, however, scoffed, "If you don¡¯t want to talk to me about it, then I will go and talk to Tanya."
As soon as he said that, Karl hurriedly said, "No, no, talk to me!"
Tanya and Karl had only just acknowledged each other, and their rtionship was not very good. Karl couldn¡¯t adopt the attitude of a father-inw in the Smiths at all!
However, Karl would never allow his daughter to marry into the Smiths so quietly, either!
While he was thinking about it, Tanya and Joel entered the room walking hand-in-hand.
Both of them looked like they were in love with each other, and Tanya¡¯s eyes looked like they were smiling.
Joel¡¯s smile had also be bigger and even more attractive than in the past.
At the sight, Nora asked, "Did something good happen to make the two of you smile like that?"
Tanya nced at Joel and blushed a little, though she didn¡¯t say anything.
Joel walked up to Ian and Karl. He smiled and said, "Uncle Ian, Dad, Nora, all of you are here. It just so happens that I have good news for you."
All three of them were taken aback.
Karl was the first to react. "What did you just call me?"
Joel took out a folder and handed it to them. "Tanya and I registered our marriage and got our marriage certificate today. We are husband and wife from today."
"..."
"..."
The news was simply too astounding¡ªor at least, Nora was dumbfounded. She looked at Tanya incredulously.
Karl was also stunned. "You... Aren¡¯t the two of you being a little hasty about this?"
Tanya shook her head. "We¡¯ve already let each other slip by us for five years. We don¡¯t want to let another five years slip by us."
Her words made Karl shut his mouth.
Ian stared at the two of them, so happy that even his eyes had turned a little red. He patted Joel¡¯s hand and said, "That¡¯s great! Great!"
While the bunch of them were all moved, Karl said with dissatisfaction, "The wedding..."
Tanya said, "I originally didn¡¯t want to hold a wedding because I felt that it was pointless when we already have a child... but Joel didn¡¯t agree to it. So, we¡¯ve decided to invite our friends and family for a simple wedding a weekter!"
Hearing this, Karl lowered his head. There was a faintyer of mist in his eyes. "Hmph, at least you know what¡¯s good for you, kid!"
Joel smiled and said, "Dad, Uncle Ian. I have some details of the wedding that I want to discuss with the two of you."
While speaking, he, Ian, and Karl entered the study.
Tanya stayed where she was and looked at Nora. She said, "Nora, I also have something to ask of you for the wedding~"
Nora raised her eyebrows. "What is it?"
¡ª
At night.
Justin left the Hunts¡¯ manor.
As soon as he left, Mrs. Hunt walked over with the help of the housekeeper. She sighed and said, "It¡¯s only been a day that he didn¡¯t see her, yet he¡¯s already unable to hold himself back?"
The housekeeper said, "Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Besides, with the news of the Smiths looking for a son-inw, Master Hunt must be terribly anxious."
Mrs. Hunt snorted. "I didn¡¯t hear anything about them looking for a son-inw, but I did hear something else!"
"What?"
"As expected, the Smiths¡¯ youngdy is a hillbilly who has never seen the world! She had the audacity to challenge the alternative medicine circle! She can¡¯t even see what she¡¯s made of anymore! If someone like her bes the matriarch of the family, she will definitely offend a lot of people and make a lot of enemies for the Hunts! My head hurts the moment I think of this!"
As the housekeeper held Mrs. Hunt¡¯s arm, she asked, "She challenged the alternative medicine circle?"
"Yes!" Mrs. Hunt sighed and said, "Alternative medicine is extensive and profound, and the knowledge within is amazing. Do you remember the Zabe Corporation¡¯s Calming Pill? Wasn¡¯t it much more effective than modern medicine? From where exactly did a little surgeon like her find the courage to challenge the alternative medicine circle? The way I see it, the moment Dr. Zabe¡¯s disciple takes action, he¡¯ll crush her beneath his feet!"
The housekeeper frowned. "Will that bring trouble to the family?"
Mrs. Hunt sneered, "It won¡¯t go as far as that, but I do think this is something that¡¯ll do her good! After all, once thepetition is over, both the alternative and modern medicine circles will detest and despise her! With that, the Smiths will finally realize the position she¡¯s in. It will be much easier for the Hunts to propose marriage after that!"
The housekeeper was surprised. "You¡¯re still intending to let her marry into the family?"
Mrs. Hunt sighed. "Look at how Justin is behaving. If I don¡¯t let her marry into the family, I will lose my grandson and great-grandchildren! I find the current situation pretty good. We¡¯ll let outsiders suppress her arrogance first!"
"That¡¯s true..."
After the conversation, Mrs. Hunt said, "Get ready. We will go to the Smiths to propose marriage two dayster."
"Yes, ma¡¯am."
¡ª
At the Smiths.
"They¡¯ve got their marriage certificate?" Justin¡¯s surprised voice traveled over through Cherry¡¯s phone.
Cherry nodded. "Yeah! So Mia¡¯s mom and dad can be together forever now! Daddy, will you and Mommy get a marriage certificate too?"
Nora was sitting on the sofa and reading a book about medicine. Upon hearing this, she subconsciously looked at her cell phone, upon which she heard Justin say, "As long as your mother agrees to it, I can do it anytime."
Nora blinked and smiled.
Cherry and Pete chatted with Justin a little more. Then, Justin asked, "What is your mother doing?"
Cherry replied, "... She¡¯s reading!"
"Pass the phone to your mother."
Cherry handed the phone to Nora.
Nora put down the book and leaned back on the sofazily. "What is it?"
Justin coughed. "Put the phone off of speaker first."
Nora raised her eyebrows and nced at Cherry and Pete, who were looking at her eagerly. The two little fellows were just like two huge third wheels.
She turned off the speaker mode. "Speak."
"Nora, I miss you."
Nora: "!!"
When she heard this, she subconsciously nced at the two kids again. For some reason, her cheeks suddenly felt a little warm.
She stretched out her hand and fanned herself. Then, she said, "And?"
"Come down."
Nora was taken aback at his words.
She subconsciously got up, opened the door, and went downstairs. She left the living room and walked towards the parking lot.
It was very dark outside.
She had just walked under a big tree when someone suddenly grabbed her wrist. She was held down, and then a man¡¯s familiar aura pounced on her.
Nora wanted to say something, but the next moment, her lips were sealed...
Chapter 509: Kissed!!
Chapter 509: Kissed!!
The little corner was very dark. Faint light passed through the area, revealing a man in a ck suit pressing a woman half a head shorter than him against the wall. He cupped the woman¡¯s cheek in one hand while his other wrapped around her waist. It looked as if he had her trapped there, but in truth, Nora was still a short distance away from the wall. Justin had done this so that the wall behind her wouldn¡¯t make her cold...
The man¡¯srge hands were scorching hot. The heat passed through her thin summer clothes, seemingly scalding her skin at the waist.
Nora subconsciously wanted to push him away, but her lips had been sealed by him.
The man¡¯s lips were like jelly, soft and cool to the touch. When they made contact with Nora¡¯s lips, it made her freeze in ce.
Her eyes widened in surprise and she saw the man¡¯s face right in front of her.
His eyes were dark and bottomless, saturated with burning passion and affection. In the dim light, the beauty mark at the corner of his eye seemed a little more alluring than usual.
His sharp and defined nose bridge, as well as his skin that seemed poreless even at such close distance, made Nora unable to put up any resistance whatsoever.
The New York skies had always been dull and gray. It was as if even the moon high up in the sky was hiding behind the clouds from shyness because of them.
Thump... Thump...
The violent pounding of heartbeats reached Nora through their chests, which were pressed against each other¡¯s. At first, Nora thought the heartbeat was hers, but she suddenly realized that it was actually Justin¡¯s...
The heartbeat seemed to possess some kind of captivating charm, which made her stop her hands from moving. Coupled with the man¡¯s breathing, which was slightly heavier than usual, Nora¡¯s cheeks slowly became burning hot.
She couldn¡¯t help but swallow hard.
Then, she felt something cool on her forehead¡ªthe man had rested his forehead against hers. The feeling on her lips had disappeared. His voice was a little hoarse as he said, "Nora, I missed you."
Nora blinked.
The man had already said that on the phone just now, but when the words rang in her ears in this instant, she felt as though there was a small, thin electric current slowly passing through her ears all the way to her heart.
She swallowed again.
Seemingly having sensed her reaction, the man suddenly let out a low chuckle.
Nora¡¯s cheeks turned red. She was about to ask him what he wasughing at when the man suddenly sealed her lips again. But his kiss wasn¡¯t like the one before. Instead, he tentatively parted his lips...
The man¡¯s cool and clear breath, as well as the smell of vani, invaded her nose and mouth as if it wanted to take the air out of her lungs...
The man was domineering and dedicated. He invaded and swept through her territory greedily as though he loathed to spare even an inch of her...
The kiss ended.
Nora gasped for breath. For the first time, she realized that kissing actually took so much energy.
However, neither of them noticed that there were currently two heads staring at them from upstairs. One of them had a gloating look on his face while the other¡¯s face had cracked a smile.
Two minutes ago.
An indignant Karl said, "My daughter has married your nephew just like that?"
Ian sat in the wheelchair calmly. "Duh, if not, then what else do you want?"
Karl paced back and forth. "There was no proposal, no asking for her hand in marriage from her parents, no nothing. Just like that, they have gotten married so hastily?"
"... Hah."
Karl clutched his chest. "Can you put yourself in my shoes and think about it from another angle? Would you be willing to allow a man to abduct your daughter like that?"
"No," answered Ian.
"Right? So you..."
But before he could finish, Ian sneered and said, "What I mean is, Justin had always slept in the guest room when he was staying with the Smiths! My daughter doesn¡¯t care about him at all! She¡¯s unlike Tanya, who grew up with Joel as childhood sweethearts, and is deeply in love with him. You can¡¯t stop them at all. Therefore, my daughter will not be easily abducted by anyone. Sorry, but I can¡¯t imagine myself in your shoes at all."
Karl: "..."
The smug look on the man¡¯s face was simply too annoying! If Ian wasn¡¯t in a wheelchair and terribly weak, he would probably have gotten into a fistfight with him long ago!
The corners of his lips spasmed. He was about to say something when both of them suddenly heard some noise outside.
Karl and Ian were taken aback.
Then, as if he had realized something, Ian hurriedly pushed the wheelchair over to the window on the second floor. Through the window, he could see the lower floor. Justin was hugging and kissing his daughter?
Ian felt a twinge of pain in his chest.
He clutched his chest.
The situation in front of his eyes was no different from seeing the precious treasure that he had worked so hard to protect all these years being stolen by a pig!
"Haha!"
Karl couldn¡¯t help butugh. His expression was theplete opposite of Ian¡¯s. He pointed at Ian and said with a grin, "The way I see it, the Smiths are about to wee double happiness! Say, do you want to marry your daughter off too at Joel and Tanya¡¯s wedding? Tanya and Nora are best friends anyway, so I¡¯m sure they won¡¯t mind!"
Ian: "!!!!"
He was livid. He looked behind him and suddenly spotted a basin of water. He immediately took it, nning to pour it downstairs!
However, his hands stopped mid-air.
What if the water got onto Nora?
As soon as the thought formed, he could only angrily put the basin of water back where it was. He was about to yell and separate the two of them downstairs when Karl whispered, "I¡¯d advise you not to say anything right now."
Ian turned to him, his eyes all red. "It¡¯s because she¡¯s not your daughter, isn¡¯t it?"
Karl grinned. "That was exactly how I felt when Tanya married Joel. How I wish I could kill that brat..."
"Heh, do you think you can kill anyone from the Smiths when you¡¯re in the States?"
"I have ck Cat... Forget it, we¡¯re digressing. What I want to say is, you can¡¯t do that! Tanya and I have only just acknowledged each other, but isn¡¯t that also the case for you and Nora? Think about it, has Nora ever called you Dad?"
Ian fell silent.
Karl went on. "Nora is much colder than Tanya in terms of personality. It¡¯s much harder for someone like her to warm up to someone. It must be very awkward between the two of you, right? Think about it, if you identally run into her secretly kissing a man, wouldn¡¯t things be even more awkward in the future?"
Ian: "?"
Karl then said, "Therefore, the only thing you can do right now is to pretend you didn¡¯t see anything! Lest your daughter drifts even further away from you!"
Ian: "!!"
When he thought about it carefully, what Karl said actually made a lot of sense!
He reluctantly and indignantly suppressed his anger and pushed the wheelchair back and forth a few times. Then, he went to the window and looked down again.
When he did, he found that the two of them were kissing again... and this time, the pig¡¯s hand was even starting to wander!!
Chapter 510: I Haven’t Had Enough of Kissing You Yet~
Chapter 510: I Haven¡¯t Had Enough of Kissing You Yet~
Ian¡¯s blood pressure instantly soared. How could he possibly tolerate that?
He rolled up his sleeves and almost jumped straight down to stop the two of them. However, he suddenly heard movement from the first floor¡ªit seemed that someone had returned and was driving to the parking.
The sound finally separated Justin and Nora and also caused Ian to stop moving.
Nora¡¯s heart was pounding wildly. She felt that her heart rate must be at least 130 at the moment!
As expected, falling in love sure was hard work. It was pretty much an anaerobic exercise at this point!
She touched her chest and felt the pounding heartbeat. Then, her eyes deliberately roamed about as she avoided making eye contact with Justin.
There was a scorching look in the man¡¯s eyes.
Sensing Nora¡¯s reluctance, he did not go any further. Instead, he reached out and touched his lips. Then, he chuckled again and said, "I want more..."
When Nora was about to speak, the man sighed and said, "What a shame, though."
Seeing that he wasn¡¯t nning to go any further, Nora breathed a sigh of relief. Nevertheless, she asked, "What is?"
Justin looked at her. "It¡¯s a shame that we¡¯re at the Smiths¡¯ right now. Also, your father seems a little hostile towards me, so I have to take it a little easy here. If he sees us, it will be even more difficult for me to take you as my wife."
As Nora listened to his aggrieved voice, she retorted, "What else were you intending to do if we weren¡¯t at the Smiths¡¯?!"
Although she spoke stiffly and a little coquettishly, one could still hear the shyness in her voice.
Justin smiled and took a step closer. "Kiss you some more."
Nora: "..."
The man continued. "I haven¡¯t had enough of kissing you yet."
"..."
"If we¡¯re in a room where there¡¯s no one to disturb us, and I won¡¯t have to worry about your father seeing us, I think I can kiss you for a whole day."
"..."
Nora¡¯s cheeks turned even redder and she red at him. "You¡¯re shameless!"
Justin sighed. "I used to think that I was a serious man. Brenda even used to call me a stick-in-the-mud all the time¡ªafter all, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to listen to her sweet-talking all day long. But now, I suddenly understand."
"Understand what?"
Justin let out a low chuckle. "With you, I can¡¯t help but want to act shamelessly all the time."
"..."
Nora was close to bing unable to listen to him any further. Right at this moment, Louis, who was humming a little tune, walked over. In order to go from the parking lot to the house, he would have to walk past them.
Nora pushed Justin and said, "Hurry up and leave!"
Justin stared at her reluctantly. "Then... I¡¯lle again tomorrow?"
Nora ignored him. She turned and entered the house instead.
Justin hurriedly hid behind a big tree. He waited until Louis had walked by before he stepped back out. As he touched his lips, he let out a sigh that sounded as if he hadn¡¯t had enough yet.
Ian¡¯s fists were already iron-hard!!
He took a deep breath. Suddenly, he turned and summoned the butler.
When the butler entered, Ian instructed, "Install lights at this area outside my window... no, install lights in every part of the vi tomorrow!"
The butler: "?"
¡ª
Nora entered the living room. Before she could go upstairs, Louis had already bounced into the room with his bleached blond hair.
When he saw Nora, the young man, who was in a good mood, waved and called out, "Nora!"
Nora nodded at him.
Louis nced at her suspiciously. "Nora, why are your lips so swollen?"
Nora¡¯s cheeks instantly turned red. However, she had always been a calm person, so she coughed and put her awkward hands in her pockets and replied coolly, "Oh, I ate something spicy just now."
"... No wonder your face is also so red. I thought you had a fever!"
Nora: "..."
She turned in annoyance and started heading to the second floor. Louis called out, "By the way, I found out today that some of my puppies and kittens are sick. Can you take a look at them for me? No hurry, you can juste with me tomorrow!"
Had it been any other time, Nora would definitely have agreed.
However, she had be annoyed because of her embarrassment just now, so she said, "I¡¯m not a vet!"
She went up the stairs after saying that.
Louis: "?"
He scratched his head in bewilderment. His cousin seemed angry, but it didn¡¯t seem like it, either. Never mind, he would just take the cats and dogs to the vet the next day, instead!
With that in mind, Louis was about to head upstairs, ready to go to his room to wash up and then y some games. But when he turned around, he instead saw Ian in his wheelchair looking at him quietly. There was a trace of... a satisfied and relieved smile on his face?
Louis shuddered all over.
He stood ramrod straight in fright and called out respectfully, "Hi, Uncle Ian..."
Ian smiled and said, "Have you enough money for your expenses, Louis?"
Louis subconsciously held his hand over the few dozen cards in his pocket. His eyes widened and he asked warily, "Uncle Ian, w-what¡¯s the matter?"
Was Uncle Ian intending to confiscate his money?
After all, Joel had controlled his pocket money because Uncle Ian had started it!
However, the next moment, his Uncle Ian beckoned him over kindly and said, "Here¡¯s $150,000. You can spend it however you want."
Louis: "???"
He took the money in trepidation. He didn¡¯t quite understand why Uncle Ian¡¯s personality had suddenly changed?
However, the naive Louis didn¡¯t bother thinking about it. He had only one thought in his mind at the moment: He now had the money for his pets¡¯ medical expenses at the vet¡¯s tomorrow!
¡ª
The New York University of Medicine.
Lisa woke up in the morning. As the one and only postgraduate student under Anti¡¯s tutge, the dean had given her a single dorm room, so her living conditions were very good.
She got up, washed up, and went to the school cafeteria for breakfast.
As soon as she entered, she felt people looking at her and gesturing.
Lisa kept her head down and got something to eat. With her lunch box in hand, she went to an empty seat. Just as she was about to take a seat, the person next to her suddenly said, "Sorry mate, the seat¡¯s taken."
Lisa didn¡¯t think much about it. She nodded and went to the other side with the lunch box.
However, she had only taken a couple of steps when the other person who was seated at the table said, "But the seat isn¡¯t taken, is it?"
The schoolmate who had driven her away didn¡¯t bother lowering his voice at all, as if he wanted her to hear it. He replied, "Yeah, it isn¡¯t, but I don¡¯t want to sit and eat at the same table as a piece of trash."
Lisa was taken aback.
Another student immediately asked, "Who is she? Why is she a piece of trash?"
"She¡¯s Anti¡¯s one and only student! Just because Anti has picked up a few modern medicine skills abroad, she has forgotten her roots. Isn¡¯t a person like her a piece of trash? How can her students be any good??"
"Huh? I see, it¡¯s Anti! She was originally my idol, but she has gone too far this time. Modern and alternative medicine have already been at loggerheads all these years. How can she so openly look down on alternative medicine?"
"..."
The group of people immediatelyunched into a discussion.
Lisa bit her lip. Had they been insulting her instead, she might have endured it. However, she couldn¡¯t tolerate them insulting Nora, so she said, "The truth is not like what you people are iming it to be!"
Chapter 511: Dilemma?
Chapter 511: Dilemma?
The moment Lisa said this, the students immediately fell silent. Everyone looked at her simultaneously.
The female ssmate who had spoken earlier sneered and said, "Oh, if it¡¯s not what we said, then what is it?"
Lisa exined, "Anti has never said that. It was someone else who ndered her!"
"ndered her? Why would they nder her alone? Besides, if she was ndered, what about ine? ine is her friend. He¡¯s organizing people to participate in thepetition! Things have alreadye to this, yet you say it¡¯s nder? Howughable!"
"That¡¯s right. There are also a few students from the modern medicine department who agree with Anti. They¡¯re gathering people to support Anti! Heh, you¡¯re a student of Anti, yet you¡¯re saying such things in school. I¡¯m speechless!"
"..."
These people who had used Lisa were from the alternative medicine department. It was normal for them to be filled with hostility toward Anti.
Lisa hurriedly waved her hands. "No, Anti respects alternative medicine very much. Really, she has never said those words. Don¡¯t misunderstand her..."
When she said this, those people were stunned.
However, someone suddenly said, "Lisa, what¡¯s wrong with you? What if Anti has said it? We all studied modern medicine. So what if we look down on alternative medicine? Alternative medicine is a cheat and has evolved from witchcraft! We were still secretly supporting Anti. I didn¡¯t expect you, Anti¡¯s student, to be the first to betray her! You¡¯re too much!"
"That¡¯s right. If you think alternative medicine is good, why don¡¯t you go and study that instead? Why do you take up a spot as a modern medicine postgraduate student? Also, Anti epted only you as a student. How could you embarrass Anti instead of helping her?"
"Exactly! You¡¯re too much!"
"..."
The students who studied modern medicine were certain that Lisa was lying to curry favor with those who studied alternative medicine. Everyone criticized her one by one.
"You¡¯re really shameless to curry favor with the alternative medicine world!"
"That¡¯s right. You can even betray your own teacher! If Anti knew that she had taken in such a student, I wonder how angry she would be!"
When Lisa heard this, she was so anxious that she was about to cry. "I¡¯ve already asked Anti. She really has no intention of looking down on alternative medicine. You¡¯ve misunderstood..."
"What¡¯s there to misunderstand? You¡¯re just two-faced, aren¡¯t you? Why? What benefits has alternative medicine given you to be a burden for Anti?"
"That¡¯s right. Modern medicine has always been against alternative medicine. Anti is just saying what everyone thinks. What¡¯s wrong? Lisa, if you¡¯re afraid, don¡¯t learn from Anti!"
"..."
The people from modern medicine were criticizing her, and the people from alternative medicine were also being sarcastic. "Hehe, we won¡¯t take Anti¡¯s students! Is that trash worthy of challenging our alternative medicine?"
"That¡¯s right. Do you really think modern medicine is that good? Before modern medicine was introduced, it was always alternative medicine that treated the illnesses, okay? Alternative medicine is just a little downtrodden, that¡¯s why you look down on it... A true alternative medicine master¡¯s skills are very impressive, okay? It¡¯s countless times better than you who only know how to use scalpels and instruments to treat illnesses!"
The modern medicine students could not take it anymore.
"Heh, what a joke. We¡¯ll know if they¡¯re good or not after thepetition! Our modern medicine has famous doctors, ine and Anti. What about you guys? Aren¡¯t all your experts just a bunch of old men?"
The alternative medicine student sneered.
"How terrifyingly ignorant. Do you know that the most powerful person in our alternative medicine world right now is Dr. Zabe¡¯s disciple?! Now, everyone in alternative medicine has joined forces and requested Dr. Zabe to let his disciplee back and participate in thepetition to restore our reputation!"
"That¡¯s right. In front of the truly powerful alternative medicine practitioners, not to mention ine, even Anti can only kneel down and call him daddy!"
"It¡¯s not certain who will call whom daddy! Do you only know how to boast? Hehehe!"
"We¡¯ll see!"
Modern and alternative medicine students were divided into two factions and were clearly separated in the canteen.
Lisa wanted to exin further, but no one listened to her.
The alternative medicine students despised Anti, so they were very hostile toward Lisa.
The people from modern medicine hated what she said even more and rejected her. None of them treated her well.
Lisa took a deep breath and could only hug her lunch box and return to her dormitory to eat.
After eating, she left and went to the school to receive this week¡¯s assignments.
Most of the graduates underwent surgeries with their mentors and studied during the surgery. As a student of Anti, the hospital director was taking very good care of Lisa.
The surgeries she had to learn every week were all arranged by the director.
Today, she was going to follow Dr. Larson. She was also the chief physician of Hospital Finest who was going to perform brain surgery. However, when she went to the hospital to report, Dr. Larson saw her and suddenly frowned. "What are you doing here?"
Lisa was stunned. "Teacher, I¡¯vee to learn from you..."
"Haha, no one is allowed to participate in my surgery." With that, Dr. Larson entered the operating theater and prepared to change his clothes.
Lisa was stunned.
When the assistant beside him heard this, he pursed his lips. "The news of your betrayal of Anti has already reached Dr. Larson. He¡¯s someone who can¡¯t stand the sand in his eyes! Don¡¯t participate in this surgery!"
"That¡¯s right. How despicable!"
"You admitted defeat after being criticized by a few alternative medicine students. You¡¯ve really embarrassed Anti!"
A group of researchers pointed at her and entered the operating theater to change her clothes, leaving Lisa standing there alone.
Her eyes turned red as she bit her lip.
As she stood there, the senior in charge of the internship in the school walked over. When he saw her, he immediately said, "Lisa, this is your next study assignment."
Lisa reached out to take it, but she was stunned when she saw the contents. "Senior, I-I¡¯m not a vet..."
She was ordered to watch and learn from the vet!
The senior sneered. "Do whatever I tell you to do! Are you still picky about your studies? So what if you¡¯re a vet? Some animals also need us to operate on their brains. This is to let you see the difference between a human and an animal¡¯s brain!"
Lisa: "..."
Lisa knew that he was talking nonsense, but what else could she do other than listening to him?
It was already very troublesome for Nora. She did not want to cause her any more trouble.
She picked up the list and walked to the vet¡¯s department.
The senior saw her leave and entered theboratory. He saw Dr. Larson in the changing room, holding his phone. When he saw him, Dr. Larson said, "Get ready. I¡¯ll call Anti right now and tell her what this student has done!"
The senior nodded. "Yes."
Chapter 512: Complain!
Chapter 512: Comin!
The other students were preparing the instruments for the surgery. Dr. Larson picked up his phone and called Nora.
Unfortunately, no one picked up.
Dr. Larson frowned.
Actually, he had never liked this Anti in his heart. She was a nominal teacher, but she had never appeared in school. She had a great reputation at such a young age, and she could not even be contacted normally!
Like now!
Dr. Larson was so angry that he threw his phone into the cab. He thought about it and took it out in the end. He sent Anti an email before closing the cab and entering the operating theater.
¡ª
Lisa arrived at a veterinarian hospital that had coborations with New York University School of Medicine. She went to the front desk showed her ID to the receptionist. Then, the person in charge walked out.
At the vet¡¯s side, a senior from the western medicine team was in charge. When he saw her, he asked in surprise, "Why were you assigned to the vet?"
Students in the Neurosurgery Department were very popr in school!
Lisa smiled awkwardly and did not say anything.
The senior looked at her student ID. "Lisa? Your professor is... Anti?"
He eximed, "So you¡¯re Professor Anti¡¯s student!"
Lisa nodded.
The senior asked her to wait a moment and then took out his phone to contact the people at the school to ask what was going on. When he found out the reason, he frowned.
After hanging up, he looked at Lisa in disdain. "Okay, go find a ce to help."
Lisa sighed and nodded before walking back.
There were several types of veterinarians.
Some pets were carefully raised. When they were sick, their owners would bring them over to seek treatment. These pets would be treated as treasures by their owners, and they would not be stingy with their money.
There were also some stray animals sent by non-profit organizations. These animals were usually dirtier, and they had some infectious diseases.
Most veterinarians did not like this kind of work. Most importantly, they would not receive any extra tips from the owners!
Just as Lisa arrived at the back, someone pointed at the two kittens that had just been sent over. "Go and give these two kittens a bath first!"
Lisa was stunned.
She had nevere into contact with pets before. Furthermore, she did not keep pets at home. Most importantly!
She was allergic to cat fur!
She stood on the spot and said, "Sorry, I¡¯m allergic to cat fur. Um..."
As soon as she finished speaking, the person pursed her lips in disdain. "If you¡¯re allergic to cat fur, why are you a vet? Are you here to be a joke?"
Lisa bit her lip. "I... I¡¯m not a vet..."
"If you¡¯re not a vet, why are you here?"
Lisa wanted to exin, but the person waved her hand at her. "Hurry up! You¡¯re really a princess. You only know how to pick and choose when you¡¯re working. You just arrived, and you¡¯re already so picky?"
Lisa¡¯s eyes turned red again. She lowered her head and could only find a mask to wear. Then, she walked to the stray cat beside her.
Stray cats were usually more aggressive. They would bare their ws at her.
Lisa stared at it and squatted down to help.
As she worked, she could hear the senior mocking her from behind. "I knew it. She¡¯s just being pretentious! What allergy to cat fur? Ha!"
Lisa almost cried when she heard this.
But she said nothing.
As they were talking, someone suddenly ran over and said with a smile, "Oh my god, there was a rich second-generation heir who brought four cats and dogs over. He looks generous! Come and help!"
The rest of the people eximed when they heard this.
Usually, when rich second-generation heirs came to seek treatment, they would give the nurses some extra tips. These people immediately put down their work and pushed their pets into the cages to be locked up before walking out.
Lisa did not understand this. She stood up and followed behind them.
However, when she walked to the front hall, she was seen by a senior. The senior immediately pointed at her and asked, "What are you doing here?"
Lisa was taken aback. "Didn¡¯t you ask us toe and help?"
The senior sneered. "It¡¯s only your first day here, and you want to snatch credit and tips from us? Dream on! Go back and continue bathing the stray cats!"
Lisa: "...Okay."
She did not expect there to be such things in the veterinary world. Just as she was about to leave, she heard the senior from before say, "What happened?"
Before Lisa could say anything, the senior said, "It¡¯s all because of this newbie. On her first day here, she¡¯s already fighting for credit with us! However, she¡¯s so picky when ites to work. She doesn¡¯t know anything and just charges forward to show off!"
The senior frowned. "Your argument here has frightened the guest¡¯s pets!"
The senior immediately reprimanded Lisa. "Did you hear that? It¡¯s all your fault for scaring the guest¡¯s pet. If anything happens to the guest¡¯s pet, it¡¯s all your fault!"
Lisa clenched her fists tightly.
She lowered her head. "I didn¡¯t say anything."
"It¡¯s clearly your fault. Why are you still talking back?" The senior did not give up. Just as she was about to continue reprimanding him, a voice was heard.
"Alright, alright. My pets are not that weak. If you guys are done arguing, hurry over and treat them!"
This impatient voice made Lisa suddenly raise her head and look at the front hall in disbelief.
At this moment, Louis walked over with four cages. "Why are you guys arguing? It¡¯s so annoying. You..."
As he spoke, he suddenly saw her. His eyes instantly lit up. "Eh, little cousin? Why are you here?!"
The moment he said this, the seniors instantly looked at Lisa!
What did this distinguished guest call her just now?
Little cousin?
¡ª
At the same time, in the Smith vi.
Nora woke up slowly.
She stretched and picked up her phone. Then, she saw the email. Dr. Larson told her everything and added, "This is your student. You have to handle it yourself!"
Nora narrowed her eyes.
She had forgotten about Lisa¡¯s situation in school.
While she was hiding in the Smiths, no one dared toe over and scold her. However, Lisa was different!
At the thought of this, she picked up her phone and called Lisa.
The call was picked up very quickly. Lisa picked up the call. Nora asked, "Did they take their anger out on you because of me?"
Lisa answered without hesitation, "No."
Nora nodded and felt relieved.
Just as she was about to hang up, Louis¡¯s voice suddenly sounded. "Who is it? Is it Nora? Tell her quickly that you have been assigned to a pet hospital!"
Chapter 513: Are You Satisfied with My Arrangement?
Chapter 513: Are You Satisfied with My Arrangement?
Lisa originally did not intend to trouble Nora.
After all, she had misunderstood that they were rted by blood in the past. But now, she knew that was not the case. Nora was already good enough for treating her like before.
She had to be tactful.
Furthermore, thepetition was about to begin. Even if she suffered a little, it would only be for the next two days. Therefore, Lisa did not intend to say anything.
However, she never expected Louis to interrupt at this moment.
Furthermore, Louis had snatched her phone away. The blonde Louis rattled on theputer. "Nora, aren¡¯t you the one protecting this little cousin of yours? Did you know that she was assigned to a pet hospital? Furthermore, she was bullied here! She¡¯s even allergic to cat fur. Now, her face has rashes! Come and save her quickly. Otherwise, your little cousin will be bullied to death!"
Lisa: "!!"
She wanted to snatch the phone, but Louis jumped up and refused to give it to her.
Nora was asking on her phone, "Which pet hospital?"
Louis told her the hospital¡¯s name.
Nora nodded. "Got it."
Louis was still talking. "It doesn¡¯t matter if you¡¯ve got it. You have to resolve this quickly. Your little cousin is too weak. She didn¡¯t even make a sound when she was scolded. She¡¯s really pitiful."
Nora: "..."
"You... Give me back my phone!"
Lisa was so angry that she reached out to snatch the phone. However, Louis was much taller than her and she couldn¡¯t snatch it. She could only jump up, but this jump disrupted her bnce and she fell to the side!
"Hey, be careful!"
Louis hugged her waist and used himself as a shield before falling to the ground!
Lisa copsed onto him!
The two of them made intimate contact again.
Lisa looked at Louis in shock.
As for Louis, he looked at her red face. He was so close that Lisa was frightened. She stretched out her hand and struggled to get up, but she pressed it against Louis¡¯s chest.
"Ouch!"
Louis shouted, "Lisa, you¡¯re taking advantage of me!"
Lisa: "..."
She hurriedly stood up and picked up her phone. She wanted to tell Nora not to worry about her, but she realized that the call had already ended.
She said to Louis angrily, "You, why are you troubling Nora?"
Louis: "...That¡¯s your sister. We¡¯re all family. How can helping you be troublesome?"
Lisa: "??"
Louis looked at her confidently.
Lisa was so angry that she couldn¡¯t speak. She could only bite her lip hatefully.
Louis said, "Oh, right, Nora wants you to go back to school. You don¡¯t have to stay here anymore."
Lisa nodded and left.
Louis followed her hurriedly. "I¡¯ll take you to school!"
Lisa: "No need..."
Louis chased after her. "It¡¯s not your fault that you¡¯re so ugly, but it¡¯s your fault if others see you and go blind from your ugliness. Are you really going to harm people?"
Lisa: "?"
Louis smiled annoyingly. "So, let me take you back!"
"..."
¡ª
The New York University of Medicine.
Nora¡¯s Mercedes Benz jeep stopped in the parking lot and she went straight upstairs. She killed her way to the office of the dean. Dean Shaw indeed did not know what the students below were doing.
However, after hearing Nora say all this, Dean Shaw instantly frowned. "Ridiculous! How can the teacher¡¯s matter be med on the students? I will definitely get someone to investigate this matter thoroughly!"
Those students who used their power to bully others had such a bad character in school. What would happen when they entered society?
They had to find out who they were and punish them severely!
Nora could always rest assured when Dean Shaw handled things. After all, the two of them had worked together so many times.
She nodded and said coldly, "Dean Shaw, I¡¯ll leave my student to you. Now that this has happened..."
Dean Shaw sighed. "I know what you mean. Alright, I¡¯llpensate her. There¡¯s a very good surgery in a few days. I can arrange for her to go on a tour. Don¡¯t worry. She¡¯s just a student. The school won¡¯t do anything to her. The bigger problem now is you!"
Nora raised her eyebrows and asked, "What¡¯s wrong?"
Dean Shaw pointed at her. He felt that this person was really good at finding trouble. He asked, "Let me ask you something. Did you say that alternative medicine is useless?"
Nora¡¯s answer was straightforward. "No."
Dean Shaw nodded. "I knew it. But now, the matter has be serious. Do you know? Students are the easiest to rile up, and they are the most hot-blooded. In school, there was already a disagreement between modern and alternative medicine departments. Now, with you, the entire school is in chaos!"
He sighed. "Many modern medicine students look down on alternative medicine, and the alternative medicine academy is very angry. They have already jointly proposed to the school to revoke your status as a student mentor!"
Nora raised her eyebrows. "Then? Do you need me to rify?"
When Dean Shaw saw that she was still neither anxious nor slow, he sighed. "There¡¯s no need. I¡¯ll suppress it for you. But there has to be an end to this matter. If you rify, most of the students won¡¯t believe you anymore! Everyone will only tacitly agree that you submitted to the school¡¯s pressure. This matter is even being talked about on some foreign medical forums!"
Nora was stunned. "Foreign forums?"
Dean Shaw nodded. "Yes, I don¡¯t know who pushed it either. Of course, it might also be because your status in the medical world is too high. Your slightest movement attracts the attention of foreign countries. They have someone posting on the news that you will definitely be apologizing on the Inte. Furthermore, they say that you are not trying to cause a conflict between alternative medicine and modern medicine, nor are you looking down on alternative medicine. Because China focuses on alternative medicine, you will definitely be threatened by China. If you don¡¯t change your words, you will never be able to go there."
Nora: "..."
Weren¡¯t foreigners too scheming?
It was just a sentence, why did they have to interpret it like that?
Dean Shaw said again, "Especially after your student exined it for you. The people from alternative medicine didn¡¯t believe it, but the people from Western medicine believed this news. They said that your student¡¯s actions were foreshadowing your apology! Therefore, you¡¯re in a tough spot now."
If she apologized publicly, the foreigners would have had guessed right.
If she did not apologize publicly, she would have to bite the bullet and acknowledge it.
Dean Shaw¡¯s head hurt.
Nora raised her brows.
At this moment, her phone rang.
She picked it up and saw Trueman¡¯s message. "Are you satisfied with my arrangements, Doctor Anti?"
Chapter 514: Passionate~
Chapter 514: Passionate~
When she saw this sentence, Nora suddenly understood.
No wonder the people overseas had noticed her words. It turned out that all of this was arranged by Trueman!
Beep!
Trueman¡¯s second message came: "Now, you can¡¯t even survive in the alternative medicine industry anymore. I can show you the way."
Nora curled her lips and typed slowly. "Tell me."
Trueman: "Come with me. Join us, leave New York. Your modern medicine skills are top-notch in every country. You will be respected!"
Nora: "..."
This Trueman really refused to change!
But this time...
She was a little tired of it.
She lowered her head and suddenly said, "Let¡¯s make a bet."
Trueman: "What bet?"
Nora: "Bet if I can get through this safely. If I lose, I¡¯ll leave with you. But if I win, you have to answer five of my questions."
Trueman: "Five questions... You¡¯re really greedy!"
Nora was about to reply when Trueman sent another message. "But there¡¯s no problem! This time, I definitely won¡¯t let you off easy!"
In the hotel.
After sending the message, Trueman¡¯s lips curled into a dark smile.
The person at the side asked, "Little master, can we really suppress her like this?"
Trueman smiled. "Do you know what talented people hate the most?"
"What?"
"Being disciplined!"
Trueman stared ahead and smiled. "She¡¯s so unwilling to admit defeat. How can a person who doesn¡¯t give in to me obey the discipline of the Medical University? Whether she wins or loses thispetition, apologizes, or admits to this matter¡ªshe will either be expelled from the Medical University or end up being controlled by them. Someone like her will eventually leave because she can¡¯t stand it!"
That person did not understand. "But Anti is the number one international surgeon! I don¡¯t understand."
Trueman smiled. "Most powerful people only know how to protect themselves!"
Nora¡¯s matter had already be very influential. The principals and deans of the New York University of Medicine would definitely push Nora out to bear the public¡¯s anger!
After all, if Nora did not go out, they would be the ones to face the anger!
Powerful people loved to shirk their responsibilities.
¡ª
Nora put down her phone and looked up at Dean Shaw again. However, she saw that although he still had a worried expression on his face, he still said, "If there¡¯s nothing else, you should rest well at home these next few days! Sleep more!"
Noraforted him. "I know. Don¡¯t worry. Thepetition will end in two days. I won¡¯t make things difficult for you."
Dean Shaw nodded.
Nora walked out.
After she left, Dean Shaw¡¯s assistant, Michael, walked in. He said with a worried expression, "Dean Shaw, the principal is here!"
Dean Shaw went out personally to wee the principal.
The principal frowned. The moment he entered, he exined the situation outside clearly. "Now, it has be a trending topic on the inte. People are focusing on how such a person can be a teacher in an authoritative school! She has caused a conflict between modern and alternative medicine and is simply misleading the students! There is also a group of reporters who have surrounded the school! They say that the people want such a teacher to be dismissed from their post!"
With that, he looked at Dean Shaw and asked, "What do we do now?"
Dean Shaw frowned as well. "What do you think we should do? I was the one who recruited Anti, and she¡¯s also our neurosurgery supervisor."
The principal sighed. "She¡¯s an external resource! She¡¯s indeed unreliable!"
Dean Shaw immediately nodded. "Why don¡¯t we think of a way to get rid of her title?"
The principal was deep in thought.
Michael, who was standing at the side, became anxious.
What did the director and principal mean?
Were they really going to give up on Anti?
Others might not know the truth, but Michael, who was with Dean Shaw, knew that Anti had been used!
The words on the Inte were forcing her!
Anti was Michael¡¯s idol. Michael looked at the director and principal in front of him. For some reason, he suddenly felt angry.
But then, he felt helpless.
In the past, the Americans were rtively weak and could not keep scientists around. Talent flow was the greatest problem, but many people had said that this was because they were not broad-minded enough.
Look... it was starting again.
Whenever there was a problem, the first person to be pushed out would always be a talent!
He lowered his head and clenched his fists. He was suddenly a little disappointed with the school. What was the point of staying in such a school?
He looked up and was about to say something when he suddenly heard Dean Shaw¡¯s voice. "It¡¯s a little difficult to hire her as an official graduate mentor. After all, Anti¡¯s personality is too strange! But I will definitely work hard to resolve this matter!"
The principal instantly patted his shoulder. "Yes, you can do it! You must protect such a talent for our school and our country!"
Michael was speechless.
He was stunned and looked at the principal and director in disbelief.
He swallowed. "But... but what if someone pursues this matter?"
Dean Shaw said, "Heh, like I said, I was the one who recruited Anti. I¡¯ll bear full responsibility! Even if I¡¯m scolded on the Inte, even if I¡¯m dismissed, Anti must not be chased out!"
His voice was sonorous and powerful.
However, the moment he said this, the principal smiled as well. "Dean Shaw, you can¡¯t snatch this duty from me! I¡¯m the principal of the New York University of Medicine! Research is your professional duty. Leave this external matter to me! Our school can¡¯t be threatened by reporters and be forced topromise!"
Dean Shaw was silent for a moment. "But the higher-ups..."
The principal smiled. "The higher-ups have already arrived. ording to the rules, Anti will be suspended for investigation, but I¡¯ve already guaranteed that this is all a misunderstanding. This is all an outsider¡¯s scheme! If Anti had really said that or if she really took the opportunity to escape from New York, I¡¯m willing to take full responsibility!"
Dean Shaw¡¯s eyes turned red. The two elders looked at each other and smiled after a while.
Michael stood at the side and watched.
A ball of fire suddenly ignited in his heart.
See, this was the unity we needed!
His country was already getting stronger and stronger, and the embrace of his country was also so warm. It would definitely not disappoint the rare talents who stayed behind!
¡ª
The sky gradually darkened.
In school, Nora did not know about the Principal and Dean Shaw¡¯s difficulties.
She did not know that things had be so serious.
The medicalpetition would take ce the next day. She looked a little worried.
Others thought that she was worried about tomorrow. Unbeknownst to everyone, Nora was staring at her phone. On it was a message from Justin "Nora, I¡¯ll call you when I¡¯m downstairs."
It had been half an hour since she received this message, but why was Justin not downstairs yet?
Chapter 515: We Have to Act Fast
Chapter 515: We Have to Act Fast
Cherry and Pete held their little heads and looked at Nora. However, they saw Nora, who usually went to bed early after taking a shower and had nothing to do, yawning as she held her phone in boredom.
Cherry blinked her grape-like eyes and asked, "Mommy, why aren¡¯t you asleep?"
If Mommy did not go to bed, how was she going to y games?!
Nora nced at her and yawned again. She was so sleepy that she could barely open her eyes.
If he still did note, she would fall asleep!
Pete suddenly asked, "Mommy, are you waiting for news from Daddy?"
Nora: "?"
Her eyes instantly jumped open. She looked at Pete and coughed. Her voice was slightly hoarse and carried a hint of panic that no one else could detect. "How did you know?"
Pete sighed. "Because Daddy is in the living room downstairs!"
Nora: "???"
She asked in surprise, "What?"
Pete nodded and said, "Yes, I saw Daddying from outside earlier. I happened to bump into Grandpa, so I called him in. The two of them are chatting downstairs now!"
Nora: "..."
She sat up and thought about it. Then, she went out and saw two men sitting downstairs.
Justin sat on the sofa with his back straight.
Ian was sitting in a wheelchair drinking tea.
The two of them sat facing each other but did not speak. The living room was very quiet.
Nora looked at them and was about to go downstairs. When she turned around, she saw Joel and Tanya sitting beside the bedroom door on the second floor. The two of them had even moved two chairs over. Both of them looked like they were watching a show.
To make matters worse, there was a te of melon seeds in the middle.
When she saw Nora, Tanya grinned at her and spat out a melon seed skin. She exined, "The two of them have been sitting opposite each other for ten minutes without saying a word."
Joel nodded at the side. "It looks like Justin is in big trouble if he wants to marry Nora."
Tanya raised her chin when she heard that. "I think it was too easy for you to marry me! Many people chased after me back then!"
Joel chuckled gently. "Yes, it¡¯s mainly because my wife cooperated well and didn¡¯t give my father-inw any space to rebel."
With that, he said, "Otherwise, it would have been more difficult for me. After all, Uncle Ian is still reasonable, but Karl..."
Before he could finish, Tanya red at him. "What are you trying to say?"
Joel immediately changed his tone. "Karl is more straightforward and not as scheming as Uncle Ian."
"...That¡¯s more like it!"
After saying that, Tanya grabbed a bunch of melon seeds. After some thought, she stuffed them into Joel¡¯s hands. Joel chuckled and took them over to help peel them. He then ced the seeds into Tanya¡¯s mouth.
The two of them sat very close to each other and had an intimate posture. Nora pouted and then walked downstairs.
When she went downstairs, she happened to hear Justin asking, "Uncle Ian, do you have anything to say to me? I came here today to... see the children."
Ian asked casually, "Even if I have nothing to say, can¡¯t you apany me for a while?"
Justin replied, "... Of course, I can."
He adjusted his ck suit. "If you need mypany, I¡¯m free no matter how long it takes."
"..." Ian choked. "There¡¯s no need for that. I¡¯m just a little lonely right now and need someone to apany me."
Anyway, he was not allowed to go upstairs!
Justin coughed and nodded. "No problem. If it gets toote, I can just stay the night. I¡¯ll help you keep watch tonight?"
Ha.
Who knew whose room he would go to in the middle of the night?
As Ian thought about this, he said, "There¡¯s no need for that. I¡¯m not used to people guarding the night for me."
Justin leaned forward and poured him a cup of tea. After Ian took a sip, Justin asked, "Uncle Ian, regarding my grandmother, I¡¯ll apologize to you here! But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll definitely make her bow down to Nora."
Ian¡¯s attitude was cold and he was very difficult to talk to. Even now, he did not relent. "It doesn¡¯t matter if she yields or not. Anyway, Nora has nothing to do with your family."
Justin sighed. "Uncle Ian, Nora and I..."
"You and Nora had two children by ident. It¡¯s indeed troublesome, but don¡¯t worry. No matter what, you¡¯re still the child¡¯s father. If youe to see the child, I won¡¯t stop you."
Justin seemed to have choked. He lowered his head. "Uncle Ian, what must I do to make you agree to our marriage?"
Ian did not expect him to make himself sound so pitiful, to the point that he choked on his words. He frowned and began to count his shorings. "The families of the Hunts are all at odds. The side family has been fighting with you all this time, right? And that grandmother of yours is not someone easy to deal with. After Nora marries you, the family matters will be too troublesome. These are all things I can¡¯t agree with."
Justin nodded. "I know. There are many problems at home, but I will work hard to resolve these problems beforeing to propose."
Ian frowned. "We¡¯ll talk about it when the timees. If there¡¯s nothing else, you can leave!"
Justin slowly lowered his head, his expression revealing some grievance.
When she saw him like this, Nora suddenly thought of the first time she had seen him. It was in the hotel. The man was like a moon surrounded by stars, dazzling.
Such a person would smile when facing Karl Moore, threatening him domineeringly, but when facing Ian, he epted the unreasonable criticism.
Nora lowered her eyes and suddenly said, "Cherry missed you. Come up and see her."
Justin¡¯s eyes lit up when he heard this. He subconsciously took two steps toward Nora, but then he stopped and looked at Ian hesitantly.
His expression was as if he did not dare to go over unless Ian allowed it.
Ian: "!!"
He finally understood. This fellow had not spoken since he entered and was waiting for him to speak. Whoever spoke first would lose, but why did Justin suddenly start to give in?!
So it was because Nora hade downstairs!
This pretentious guy!
However, since he had just reunited with his daughter, he definitely couldn¡¯t separate the two of them forcefully. Therefore, he said angrily, "Go."
Justin revealed a happy expression. "Thank you, Uncle Ian!"
Then, he followed Nora upstairs.
Ian: "..."
He suddenly felt very aggrieved!
Justin, who was following behind Nora, smiled. He followed Nora upstairs. When he saw Joel, he paused for a moment and nodded before following Nora into the bedroom.
As soon as they entered, he said to Cherry and Pete, "I saw Mia just now. She¡¯s looking for you guys."
Nora: "?"
When Cherry saw Justin, she had already jumped off the sofa and was running toward him. When she heard this, she stopped in front of him and asked hesitantly, "It¡¯s already sote. Mia is still awake?"
Justin coughed. "Yes."
Pete nced at the tyrant and stood up helplessly. "Cherry, let¡¯s go."
Nora looked at him chasing the children out the door. Then, with a click, he locked the door and turned to look at her. "Nora, we don¡¯t have much time. We have to hurry."
Nora: "?????"
Chapter 516: The Scheming Father And Son
Chapter 516: The Scheming Father And Son
Nora¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment and she looked at Justin in disbelief.
She really had asked him up just to let him visit the children!
Wasn¡¯t the guy a ve to his daughter?
Why did he chase Cherry out of the room when he hadn¡¯t even touched her little finger yet? Also, what was he talking about when he told her that they had to hurry?!
The corners of her lips spasmed and she subconsciously asked, "Hurry and do what?"
Almost right after she spoke, Justin turned and walked towards Nora. In just a couple of steps, he came up to her, held her around the waist, and said aggrievedly, "Although a man shouldn¡¯t be talking about going fast, I still want to have you as soon as possible."
Nora: "!!!"
With the maning so close to her, she could smell the vani scent on him again. The man¡¯s masculine pheromones filled her nose and made her swallow. She wanted to push the man away, but Justin had already lowered his head and was whispering into her ear. He said, "Nora, this is my first time, so I don¡¯t have any experience. Please be patient with me."
"..."
The man¡¯s voice was very deep, making him sound like a subwoofer. His voice was so pleasant it could give one an eargasm.
Nora felt as if her ears were being tickled. In fact, she felt as if even the depths of her heart were slowly starting to itch. However, she could nevertheless sense that the man was nervous¡ªhis heart had started to pound violently again.
Her cheeks turned red. She wanted to speak, but the man suddenly nipped her ear.
Nora froze all over at once!
The sensation on her ears was soft and icy-cold. He nibbled on her ear gently, making her feel as though an electric current had surged straight into her heart!
She wanted to push Justin away, but it was as though all her strength had been sapped away, rendering her unable to move.
The next moment, the man pushed her down onto the soft bed.
Then, his lips covered hers once more.
His lips were soft and delicate, making Nora slowly close her eyes...
Justin had always exercised self-control in everything he did, but after he kissed Nora the night before, he had dreamed about kissing her the whole night.
He never knew that kissing was this addictive.
It was as if it wouldn¡¯t be enough no matter how much he kissed her...
As a result, during the ten minutes that Ian had kept him downstairs after he arrived, he had been terribly distraught.
When he came upstairs, he couldn¡¯t wait any longer to continue where they had left off the previous evening.
Nora felt her chest bing awfully tight. It was as though the man had sucked away all the air in her lungs, making her so tense and nervous that her body was bing limp.
She was already a mother, but in her memory, this was the first time that she was being so intimate with a man.
This continued until...
Knock, knock.
It was only when someone knocked on the door that the two of them finally came back to their senses with a start.
Nora subconsciously nced at her cell phone¡ªthey had already been kissing for half an hour... But she clearly felt as if only a minute had passed...
"Sigh!"
Justin sighed softly and said, "Time flies... Even though I¡¯m already making the most out of the time we have, it still feels like there isn¡¯t enough."
Nora: "..."
Knock, knock!
Someone knocked on the door again. Then, Ian¡¯s voice rang out outside.
"Nora?"
Nora abruptly pushed Justin away and sat up straight when she heard Ian¡¯s voice. She took a couple of deep breaths and red at Justin before she finally walked over to open the door.
As soon as she opened the door, she saw Ian standing outside and pulling a very long face. Behind him were Cherry and Pete.
Cherry said "Daddy lied! Mia is already asleep! Mommy, Daddy, what were the two of you doing, though?"
Nora was about to say something to gloss over the topic when Pete asked, "Were you two making more brothers and sisters for us?"
Nora: "!!!"
She almost choked on her saliva!
Her cheeks immediately flushed crimson. She sounded a little panicky as she replied, "No, we weren¡¯t!"
Behind the children, Tanya and Joel were craning their necks and watching the excitement like the nosy bystanders they were. In particr, Tanya¡¯s pretty eyes swept across Nora¡¯s face before finally stopping at her lips. She stared at her lips thoughtfully for a while, and then a touch of a smile formed on her face.
Pete frowned. "Oh, you weren¡¯t? Mia said that her parents told her that they are nning to give her a younger sibling, so they kicked her out of the bedroom while her mom and dad slept together. That¡¯s why I thought Mommy and the tyr... I mean, Daddy were also making younger brothers and sisters for us!"
Tanya: "??"
Joel: "???"
How did the focus turn to the two of them when they were just watching the excitement?!
Tanya¡¯s cheeks immediately turned red. The miffed woman red at Joel and then, she turned and left.
Joel hurriedly followed after her. "Tanya, don¡¯t be mad..."
Tanya¡¯s spluttering voice traveled over faintly: "It¡¯s all your fault for saying such nonsense to the child..."
After the two left, Pete gave Nora a look.
Only then did Nora understand that Pete was actually trying to help her.
That¡¯s for watching the show and not helping out! Not only did Tanya and Joel not help, but they had pretty much even brought stools and popcorn over. Regardless, despite Pete¡¯s young age, he knew how to set up traps for others. He was simply too scheming!
Nora¡¯s lips curled into a smile and she finally looked at Ian.
Ian was ring at Justin angrily. "What were the two of you doing?"
"... Discussing that matter about modern and alternative medicine, of course," replied Justin.
Ian didn¡¯t believe him. He frowned and asked, "That¡¯s it?"
Justin nodded with a straight face. "It¡¯s true, Uncle Ian. What else could we have been doing? Even if you don¡¯t trust me, surely you trust Nora, right?"
Ian: "??"
The corners of his lips spasmed a little. In this instant, he suddenly felt as if he was being forced to suffer in silence.
Of course, he didn¡¯t trust him!
He had already seen the two of them cozying up to each other outside the night before!
Now that they were hiding in the room today, they must have gone even further than what they did the day before.
But could he say that he didn¡¯t believe what Justin said?
No, he couldn¡¯t!
Because if he did, then Nora would realize that he¡¯d seen them the day before! When that happened, things would be awkward for all three of them!
Ian suddenly felt like he had been tricked.
He red at Justin furiously, upon which he heard him say to Nora, "I¡¯lle again tomorrow... to visit the children. Uncle Ian, you said just now that I am the children¡¯s father, so you won¡¯t stop me froming over to visit them. In that case, you won¡¯t stop me froming tomorrow, either, right?"
Ian: "..."
Was he openly moving in now?!
He felt like throwing up blood!
He took a deep breath and held back his anger. Atst, he said reluctantly, "Yeah."
With a faint smile in his eyes, Justin looked at Nora with lingering affection. The look of reluctance to part in his eyes was so intense that Nora felt if it might make her stick to him.
She retracted her gaze, opened the door, and drove both Justin and Ian out. Then, she whispered, "See you tomorrow."
¡ª
The next day, it was finally time for the modern versus alternative medicinepetition!
After Nora woke up in the morning and washed up, she drove straight to the New York University of Medicine¡¯s grand hall.
Chapter 517: Exposing Her Own Identity!
Chapter 517: Exposing Her Own Identity!
ine had arranged for thepetition to be held in the grand hall.
His purpose in doing so was to provoke the students in the school. After all, these students had yet to be part of the working society, so they were some of the most passionate people around.
When Nora arrived at the school¡¯s entrance, she could already see reporters heading to the grand hall.
She frowned slightly, not understanding why the school wasn¡¯t doing anything about it. Right at this moment, she heard the reporters¡¯ voices:
"Hah, even though we had strongly requested that the medical university suspend and investigate Anti, they rejected our request and are defending her very fiercely. On top of that, they even said that this isn¡¯t apetition of skills but more like a debate instead, and have sincerely invited everyone from the medical profession toe over and watch! How are they so confident that they can clear Anti¡¯s name?"
"Exactly. I¡¯m also very confused. It¡¯s as though the university has something they can use as leverage. I don¡¯t believe they can really clear her name!"
The two of them entered the school while discussing the topic.
Nora, however, stood where she was and broke into a frown.
A momentter, her lips suddenly curled into a smile.
To be honest, foreign universities had also invited her to be a professor or take on simr positions in their schools before, but she had rejected them all. She had only be an external professor at the medical university because of Shaw.
She didn¡¯t have any feelings for the New York University of Medicine.
After all, the school was ridden with all sorts of issues, such as the postgraduate entrance examination the other time, as well as Michael Lange...
However, in this instant, she suddenly felt like the school was actually very cute and lovable.
Their level of magnanimity alone already put the New York University of Medicine way above the foreign universities!
The thought of all the messages criticizing alternative medicine on foreign websites made Nora narrow her eyes. She strode toward the auditorium.
She came rtivelyte. By then, the people in the auditorium were already split into three different factions.
One faction was made up of firm supporters of modern medicine. ine was their leader.
Another faction was made up of supporters of alternative medicine. Jon and ine were their leaders. Some students of alternative medicine in the school were also part of the group.
Thest faction was made up of people remaining neutral. Dean Shaw was the leader. Michael and Lisa, as well as Sheril who was concerned for Nora, were all standing there.
ine and Jon were currentlyshing out at each other while throwing medical terms around. ine even cited a few patient case studies as a challenge for Jon.
ine had initially proposed that each side would provide a few patients for the other side to treat, but the n was rejected. After all, it was highly inappropriate to bring the patients to the venue.
Besides, they didn¡¯t bring the instruments and equipment used in modern medicine, either.
Both sides debated endlessly with each other, and their words became increasingly sharper.
When Nora arrived, Dean Shaw was making a concluding speech. He said, "Whether it is alternative medicine or modern medicine, both are meant for the patients¡¯ well-being. We should not be promoting one and belittling the other! Therefore, there is no meaning to the debate today at all! Mr. Myers, you¡¯re an old-timer in the field of alternative medicine. I only have one question for you¡ªis modern medicine really inferior to alternative medicine? Can you guarantee that you have never taken any modern drugs in your entire life? Or that you have never had any CT scans done?"
Dean Shaw¡¯s words made Jon choke.
ine immediately let out a contemptuousugh. However, before he could speak, Dean Shaw spoke again. "Don¡¯t be so happy yet, Dr. Jonas. My question for you is, when women with fertility problems have CT scans done, most of the time it doesn¡¯t show any problems. Can you help them resolve their endocrine disorders and problems with their weak spleen and stomach?"
ine also choked.
Dean Shaw sighed. "Therefore, it is utterly meaningless for us to be arguing about this. Alternative and modern medicineplement and supplement each other. The ultimate goal should be to cure the patient!"
Prior to this, both sides had already experienced intense debates, and over the course of the debate, everyone present had all gained an understanding of the subjects to some extent. Thus, when Dean Shaw said what he did, all the students became rather thoughtful.
Just like that, the confrontation between modern and alternative medicine practitioners calmed down.
Nora, who was among the crowd, felt that Shaw had handled the problem in a ratherprehensive and well-rounded manner.
However, Jon suddenly went on the offensive. He said, "Dean Shaw, what you said is indeed correct, but the person who caused this dispute is Anti, your school¡¯s external professor! If she hadn¡¯t made such an arrogant and ignorant im that modern medicine is superior to alternative medicine, how would things havee to this point?"
ine nodded. "Yes, everyone here is an elite from all walks of life, but just because of one sentence she said, everyone hase here to fight about these issues, leading to the current situation. All of this is because of Anti!"
ine also immediately chimed in and said, "Yes, I was also influenced by Anti. That was why I had challenged the alternative medicine circle in a moment of pique. Now that I think about it, I feel so ashamed of myself. Mr. Myers, I was too impulsive!"
Jon waved and said, "You¡¯re still young, so it¡¯s understandable that you would get ahead of yourself. However, we mustn¡¯t let the culprit go scot-free!"
ine and ine highly approved of what he said. "Yes, I strongly suggest that Anti be punished!"
Given how things hade to this point with regard to the incident, to be honest, punishing Anti would serve as giving everyone and every industry a proper exnation. With that, the incident would also pass.
Nora stood in the crowd and folded her arms.
The next moment, Dean Shaw waved and said, "Now that things havee to this, I shall just tell everyone the truth! To be honest, I was the one who told Anti to say those frivolous things!"
His words took Nora by surprise. Then, Dean Shaw said, "In recent years, there have been endless battles between the modern and alternative medicine circles, and everyone also has different ideas about the subject. I have always wanted to hold a debate like this and have everyonee forward to discuss the subject! But my position in the circle is lowly and my words unimportant, so I came up with such a method to have Anti arouse public outrage. Sure enough, everyone has turned up!"
Nora: "??"
Seeing how dubious the students around her were, yet none of them were pressing the issue any further, she couldn¡¯t help but smile.
She hadn¡¯t expected Shaw toe up with such a solution. It seemed like she wouldn¡¯t have to expose her identity anymore today?
That worked out for her quite well. This way, those old stick-in-the-muds in the alternative medicine circle wouldn¡¯te to her anymore. They were simply too much trouble.
The thought had only just formed when a voice rang out from among the students. "Dean Shaw, in order to protect that external professor, you¡¯re really giving it your all!"
Nora frowned and looked over sharply, but before she could catch sight of the person talking, an audio recording suddenly started ying.
"Sir, at this point, it¡¯s kind of meaningless even if Anti rifies that she didn¡¯t say anything like that. Why don¡¯t we take the opportunity to host a debate, and then say that it was all my idea?"
It was Dean Shaw¡¯s voice.
The principal¡¯s voice then rang out. "Shaw, it¡¯s gonna be tough on you, then!"
"Nah, it¡¯s not. For the sake of the school, as well as for Anti, this is something I should do!"
When the recording finished ying, the whole auditorium fell silent for a moment.
Then, the whole ce exploded.
All the students red at Dean Shaw and everyone started shouting.
"You liar!"
"Dean Shaw, in order to let a professor with a bad character stay, you people sure are doing a lot!"
"The New York University of Medicine is the best medical university in the country, but to think it¡¯s also so dirty and corrupted! It really takes the cake!"
"My goodness, all of this is a scam!"
With someone taking the lead, this immediately triggered all the students¡¯ anger at being deceived. Be it the modern medicine students or the alternative medicine students, all of them were incited into yelling furiously.
"Dismiss Anti from the school!"
"Dismiss Anti! We will not stand for being in the same school as a professor like her!"
"..."
When everyone started bing worked up, Lisa and Sheril couldn¡¯t help but shout, "Anti really didn¡¯t say anything like that! All of this is because someone is trying to defame her!"
However, someone immediately retorted, "Some of us heard her saying that with our own ears. Dr. Jonas has also admitted to it. Are you still refusing to tell the truth? Even now, Anti is still hiding at the back and refusing toe out. I really look down on her!"
"Yes, Anti is the ck sheep of the Medical University! She must be expelled!"
"..."
In the midst of all the spection, Nora narrowed her eyes and slowly stepped onto the stage.
The moment he spotted her, ine immediately shouted, "Anti, why did you incite us into fighting with the alternative medicine circle, yet you yourself failed to show up? You hypocrite hiding behind the crowd!"
Jon also pointed at her and reprimanded, "Do you not dare to own up to your deeds? How could you make Dean Shaw shoulder the responsibility for you?! You are such a disgrace to the medical profession!"
ine even shouted, "Dear students, I heard with my own ears her saying that alternative medicine is inferior to modern medicine. Given how she despises alternative medicine, how can someone like her remain in the Medical University?!"
As the three of them spoke, the students became even more outrageous.
Even the reporters were so angry that they pointed their microphones at Nora.
"Anti, why are you doing this?"
"Do you really look down on alternative medicine?"
Nora looked at all the agitated people around her. They were already starting to be violent. She looked at the reporter calmly, her voice reaching all the students¡¯ ears through the microphone.
"I have never said that. Neither have I ever looked down on alternative medicine. To me, alternative medicine and modern medicine are both methods of curing diseases. Neither has ever been superior or inferior to the other!"
As soon as she said that, everyone stopped talking.
The reporter was also stunned.
ine narrowed his eyes. "That¡¯s not what you told me in private, Anti!"
Jon also sneered, "You must be scared, right? Did you be frightened after seeing so many of us here? So you decided topromise?! But it seems that it¡¯s toote even if you change your stance now!"
ine also shook her head. "Anti, making mistakes isn¡¯t that scary. It¡¯ll be fine once you rectify your mistakes. Even Dr. Jonas has apologized, so why can¡¯t you just apologize?"
Nora looked at ine. "I told you, I didn¡¯t say that. You and ine are the ones ndering me, so why should I apologize?"
ine bit her lip. "How did I nder you? If I was the only one saying that, then perhaps I¡¯m the one making up lies, but even Dr. ine has said so. You clearly meant it!"
The reporters also spoke up.
"Anti, you keep saying that you didn¡¯t say it. Do you have any evidence?"
As soon as they said that, Dean Shaw panicked.
How could anyone possibly have evidence of whether they have said something or not?
Smiles, however, appeared on ine and ine¡¯s faces. They knew that the reporters had been misled by them.
No matter what Nora said at this point, no one would not believe her.
Unexpectedly, the next moment, Nora¡¯s lips slowly started to curl upward. She suddenly smiled and replied, "Of course, I have evidence."
"What kind of evidence is it?"
Chapter 518: There’s No Way She Would Ever Say Anything Like That!
Chapter 518: There¡¯s No Way She Would Ever Say Anything Like That!
ine frowned and looked at Nora.
It was at this moment that a student in the crowd suddenly raised her hand slowly. "I... I can prove that Anti didn¡¯t say anything like that..."
Everyone looked at her in unison.
The student looked very timid. Seeing that everyone around her was looking over, she became a little nervous. She swallowed and said, "I was interning in that hospital that day, and was fortunate enough to witness the argument between Dr. Miller and Dr. Anti. From the beginning to the end, it was Dr. Miller who kept saying that Anti looked down on alternative medicine, but Anti had never agreed with it. What Dr. Anti said had no intention of belittling alternative medicine at all!"
Nora looked at the student in surprise.
She was likely a postgraduate student majoring in nursing at the school. Otherwise, she would not have been able to intern in the hospital. It indeed took a lot of courage for her to step forward and clear her name at this moment.
Without Shaw¡¯s actions just now, perhaps everyone would have believed her, but now...
Sure enough, some of the students around them believed what she said while some looked obviously skeptical. ine sneered, "In order to protect Anti, the school sure is doing a lot! The dean is lying together with students..."
An uproar went through the ce.
The student¡¯s eyes turned red. "I¡¯m not lying. What I said is true... Really, you have to believe me!"
However, only a few people around her believed her and stood with her, whereas the rest instantly stepped away from her as if she was some kind of virus.
ine sighed.
Her sigh made the students even more distrustful of the girl¡¯s words.
The student bit her lip. "I swear that everything I said is true. Otherwise... otherwise, I will never find a boyfriend for the rest of my life!"
Her oath was certainly harsh.
Some students believed her while some started to hesitate.
Jon, however, sneered, "Swear? Are college students all so superstitious these days?"
When the student heard that, tears fell from her eyes. "I am not being superstitious. I... I¡¯m just using the oath to express my resolution. I really am telling the truth! What must I do to make all of you believe me?"
Someone next to her asked, "Are you stepping forward and saying that because Anti offered you some kind of benefit? Why didn¡¯t you say it before?"
The student bit her lip. "Everyone was condemning Anti previously. I have been speaking up for Anti in the dorms all this time, but none of you listened to me... I was also scared. When Lisa spoke up for Anti, all the students from the modern and alternative medicine majors came together to ostracize her. I was scared that it would also happen to me... But now, I don¡¯t find the incident so serious anymore. We can¡¯t dismiss Anti just because of something like this... I didn¡¯t expect things to be so serious..."
She was so aggrieved that she started to cry.
ine sighed and said, "Miss, you shouldn¡¯t be covering up for her. This ispletely about Anti¡¯s attitude! Every school is paying attention to the cooperation of modern and alternative medicine now. In fact, our school has evenunched a major that specializes in merging modern and alternative medicine! Yet here she is, instigating conflicts between modern and alternative medicine. This is really uneptable. Why are you still trying to protect a teacher like her?"
The verbal attacks pushed the student close to a mental breakdown. "I¡¯m really not trying to protect her! What I said is all true!"
ine sighed. "Alright, alright, let¡¯s not push her into a corner anymore. Let¡¯s just take it that what she said is true. Anti has never said that to Dr. Miller in the hospital, she has only said that to me. Will that do?"
He looked at Nora and said, "Dr. Anti, I have always admired you very much, and have also always regarded you as my idol. My purpose in returning to the States this time was also to visit you. But during my debate with the few seniors in alternative medicine just now, I have realized how ignorant I was. We were really wrong to think that way. To be honest, it¡¯s okay to admit to the mistake openly. Science advances via dialectical discussions in the first ce! You shouldn¡¯t be too stubborn!"
Then, he looked at Shaw. "The dean was trying to defend you, too. As long as you apologize, I¡¯m sure everyone will still be willing to forgive you!"
Nora: "..."
He sure was imposing his will on her.
The corners of Nora¡¯s lips spasmed.
Although she was used to beingzy all the time, she could still detect thenguage trap in ine¡¯s words.
Nora couldn¡¯t help yawning.
She finally understood what he was saying. ine might have put it nicely, but they weren¡¯t asking her to admit to her mistake at all. Rather, once she admitted to it, they would kick her out of the school!
Besides, it would cement all the more the belief that the female student was lying.
Shaw was a leader of the academy. If he was forced to lie because of certain circumstances, at the most, everyone would just secretly question his character, but they wouldn¡¯t dare to do anything to him.
However, the female student¡¯s life in school would be utter hell in the future!
At this point, Jon also spoke up. "Nora, you are Yvette Anderson¡¯s daughter and can be considered our junior in the alternative medicine profession. It¡¯s not like we can¡¯t give you a chance to turn over a new leaf if you make a mistake! Your mother was so impressive in the alternative medicine circle back then, but why are you not studying and practicing alternative medicine but so obsessed with modern medicine instead? Sigh! Just apologize. Once you¡¯ve apologized, on behalf of the alternative medicine circle, I won¡¯t hold it against a zealot like you anymore!"
"..."
These people were reallying at her one after the other without any pause in between. They practically weren¡¯t giving her a chance to speak at all.
Following Jon¡¯s words, everyone looked at her in unison. Nora finally retorted slowly,zily, and coldly, "Who says I didn¡¯t study alternative medicine?"
Her words immediately stunned everyone at the bottom of the stage.
Jon frowned.
Right at this moment, the auditorium doors were pushed open once more.
Everyone turned to the doors in unison, upon which they saw a 60-year-old man stride in. He was in good spirits and looked very kind¡ªhe was Silvester¡¯s son!
Although Silvester¡¯s son wasn¡¯t a top-ss physician in the world of alternative medicine, he was nheless very impressive whenpared to others. Moreover, with Silvester¡¯s status in the alternative medicine circle, his own status was also very high.
At the sight of him, Jon and ine hurriedly went forward. "Mr. Zabe, why are you here?"
Silvester¡¯s son smiled and said, "I heard that you guys are holding a debate on modern and alternative medicine here today. My father was a little worried, so he told me toe over and take a look."
Jon nodded. Then, he pointed at Nora and sighed. "Mr. Zabe, you saw that, right? That¡¯s the youngdy who visited the Zabes the other time. She openly said that alternative medicine is inferior to modern medicine, and even now, she still doesn¡¯t even have the courage to own up to her mistake. Sigh!"
He had deliberately pointed out that Nora had visited the Zabes before, so that Silvester¡¯s son could not openly defend her in front of the public!
But unexpectedly, as soon as he said that, Silvester¡¯s son said in surprise, "There¡¯s no way she would ever say anything like that!"
Jon frowned. He was about to question Silvester¡¯s son as to whether the Zabes had been bribed when Silvester¡¯s son turned to Nora...
Chapter 519: She Is The Last Disciple of Dr. Zabe!
Chapter 519: She Is The Last Disciple of Dr. Zabe!
The next moment, Silvester¡¯s son walked up to Nora and said, "Nora, Dad has a message for his disciple¡ªhe wants me to tell you not to stir up so much trouble outside."
"..."
The whole ce suddenly fell silent.
Everyone looked at Silvester¡¯s son in disbelief. Even Jon was dumbfounded. In fact, he even wondered for a moment if he had misheard.
However, the next moment, he frowned and asked, "His disciple? Mr. Zabe, howe I¡¯m not aware that Dr. Zabe has taken another disciple?"
After questioning Silvester¡¯s son, Jon sneered and looked at Nora again. "No wonder you keep saying that you have evidence. So, this is why you visited the Zabes the other time? Hah, what impressive means! Do you think you can speak justly and righteously today just because you¡¯ve be Dr. Zabe¡¯s disciple? The Smiths sure have impressive means! They are absolutely top-notch at dealing with public rtion crises!"
He was implying that Nora was just putting on an act by bing Dr. Zabe¡¯s disciple!
The students became even more furious when they heard this.
ine, who had also recovered, sighed. "Are the wealthy all so brazen? All they do is cover up when they make a mistake, and will never admit their mistake! They really have no respect for thew! Also, for the university to protect her like this, might the Smiths have also given them some kind of benefit?"
Her words were bing more and more overboard.
The reporters at the side snapped away with their cameras. Some even started filming them, intending to publish articles attacking the Smiths.
"They are too much! The Zabes are simply disappointing! Dr. Zabe is so highly respected, yet even he has been bribed!"
"Gosh, as expected, no matter which industry it is, there are always inside stories!"
"Has Dr. Zabe been threatened by the Smiths?"
"..."
Amid everyone¡¯s spections, Nora let out an icy sneer.
This was exactly what people were like in society. No matter what one did, they would always be questioned by others. Had she been an inconspicuous nobody doctor in the alternative medicine field, she really wouldn¡¯t be able to get through this today!
Her gaze swept across all the students present.
There was a rather eclectic mix of people present that day. Apart from the school¡¯s students, there were also some outsiders. The reason why she had been dragging this out and staying quiet was to observe who the ones guiding public opinion in the crowd were!
After that... she would catch them all!
Seeing that the situation had more or less sufficiently developed and that the few people guiding public opinion in the crowd were basically done speaking, atst, her lips suddenly curled into a smile. She said, "Who says I am a newbie to the profession?"
Jon frowned. "Heh, Dr. Zabe only has those few disciples. It can be said that even I have studied under his tutge before. If you are not a newbie, then what are you?"
Famous doctors in the alternative medicine field like Silvester only took a few disciples.
Nora¡¯s lips curled in a smile. "Are you sure you¡¯ve met all of my teacher¡¯s disciples?"
Jon sneered, "Of course. Except for the veryst disciple that Dr. Zabe took, I have met all of his other disciples!"
However, when he said that, Nora looked at him with a half-amused look on her face.
Jon frowned and carefully recalled the conversation they just had. Suddenly, he realized something and his eyes widened abruptly. A look of disbelief formed on his face. "Y-you... you... surely you can¡¯t be..."
Silvester¡¯s son stepped forward with a smile and said, "That¡¯s right, Nora is my father¡¯sst disciple! She is also the one and only official disciple that Dad has ever taken! Dad often says that Nora¡¯s medical skills have already reached what his were like when he was at his peak!"
The peak of Dr. Zabe¡¯s medical skills? Then didn¡¯t that make her the top physician of alternative medicine in the world?
It went without saying that Jon knew that Silvester was full of praise for his one and only official disciple. He had a strange personality and rarely agreed to meet with others, but once he did, and whenever someone brought up that disciple of his, he would always sing praises of her.
Therefore, it was pretty much tacit agreement among everyone that his one and only official disciple, who had never made any public appearance, possessed the most top-notch alternative medicine skills among all the practitioners at the moment.
But... how could that person be Nora?!
ine was even more bbergasted. "T-that¡¯s impossible! If she were Dr. Zabe¡¯s official disciple, why would she study modern medicine?!"
When Silvester¡¯s son heard that, his expression darkened. "Alternative and modern medicine are but means to cure illnesses. Medical universities have already established both modern and alternative medicine majors. Can¡¯t Nora study a bit of modern medicine if she wants to?"
ine swallowed.
Everyone at the bottom of the stage felt that what he said sounded extremely reasonable, yet also found it unreasonable... After all, who would be the top master surgeon of modern medicine just by studying "a bit" so casually?
Silvester¡¯s son even lowered his gaze and said, "It was because Dad didn¡¯t have anything else he could teach to Nora back then, so he told her to try studying modern medicine. That was why she started studying it... Nora started studying alternative medicine first. The Carefree Pill from a while back was only developed after she improved the form. Why would Nora ever call alternative medicine inferior to modern medicine?"
All the students were stunned. They all looked at Nora.
Everyone who studied alternative medicine knew that Dr. Zabe had an official disciple, but that person¡¯s whereabouts were always a mystery, and no one knew who they were. No one would have ever thought that it would actually be Anti!
Just how outstanding must someone be in order to stand at the pinnacle of two industries?
There wasn¡¯t any need to say anything else anymore this time. Everyone believed it now!
The female student who had stepped forward to speak up for Anti couldn¡¯t help but burst into tears with a loud wail. "I told you I was telling the truth, but none of you believed me. Sob..."
Everyone was speechless.
It wasn¡¯t so much that they didn¡¯t believe her. It was mainly because ine and ine were so adamant about it...
When the thought formed, everyone looked at ine and ine in unison!
ine was already as pale as a sheet. It seemed like she hadn¡¯t expected such a plot twist. She swallowed hard.
As for ine... Wait, where was ine?
The ce where he had been standing just now was empty!
In the instant that Silvester¡¯s son had said that Nora was his father¡¯s disciple, ine had already figured out what was going on. While Jon was confronting Silvester¡¯s son, he had already taken the opportunity to slip away!
He had already reached the door at this point. The students also finally remembered him. They pointed to the door and shouted, "He¡¯s running away!"
Hearing this, ine hurriedly opened the doors and quickly slipped out!
But as soon as he stepped through the doors, he was detained!
Brenda looked at him with a big smile on her face and took out his cell phone. Sure enough, she discovered that he was in the midst of a call and the other party was none other than Trueman!
¡ª
At the hotel.
In the room, Trueman¡¯s furious voice rang out. "Shit! I got yed by her again!!"
Caleb sighed. "I already told you a long time ago not to go against her!"
Trueman was livid. "But how could she possibly be top-notch in both alternative and modern medicine? Not to mention that she is also Q... It is impossible for someone to have that much energy to achieve top status in three different industries... unless..."
He suddenly realized something and his head whipped up. "Unless!"
But before he could finish, the door of the hotel room was suddenly kicked open. Morris immediately rushed in and shouted, "Freeze, Trueman Yale!"
Chapter 520: Slap In The Face!
Chapter 520: p In The Face!
Nora had deliberately arrived a littleter and prevented the debate in the school from ending right at the beginning. Firstly, this was because the students had be a little carried away during this period of time after being incited by others, and they had nowhere to vent all their passion and enthusiasm.
It was indeed good for them to have a debate and vent their emotions.
Moreover, it was true that science advanced and developed from the constant debate and overthrowing of theories in the first ce. She believed that after a debate like that, medical students would gain a deeper understanding of alternative and modern medicine.
Furthermore, she wanted to stall for time.
After taking the stage, she had rebutted them a little, imed that she had evidence but dyed producing it, and allowed the people at the bottom of the stage to spout nonsense in order to buy Morris time to arrest Trueman. After all, Trueman would definitely pay attention to the debatepetition. Through elimination, Morris had already locked on to a few guests staying at the hotel and was currently investigating them one by one.
It was also to let Brenda arrest the people who were pretending to be students, but were, in fact, here to stir up trouble.
Brenda slowly walked into the auditorium with ine¡¯s wrists held firmly in a tight grip. She wore a pair of high heels and sashayed as she walked.
In the auditorium were also a few inclothes officers holding down the few students who were guiding public opinion in the crowd just now.
The ce was in chaos. Shaw didn¡¯t understand what was going on at all. When the students were arrested, he became even more anxious. He stepped forward and asked, "Who are you? What are you doing?"
Brenda gave ine a clean and swift kick and made him take another step forward. She fished out her credentials and waved it in front of Shaw and the students. Then, she said, "Dean Shaw and all the students here, today¡¯s incident is rted to a criminal case that has been ongoing a long time! A foreign organization tried to recruit Ms. Nora Smith¡ªin other words, Anti¡ªbut was rejected by her, so they became angry and deliberately set this up! Their purpose in doing so is to drive Anti away, so that America would lose a highly sophisticated medical talent! ine Jonas is their spy!"
As soon as she said that, an uproar went through the students.
No one had ever imagined things to develop this far!
Everyone swallowed.
Someone reacted:
"No wonder people have been dragging Anti¡¯s name through the mud on foreign websites! So that¡¯s what was happening!"
"Anti is the top master surgeon in the world. Most importantly, she is still very young. The future of such doctors is absolutely limitless! These people are too despicable! We almost fell for it and drove Anti away ourselves!"
"Yeah, if you think really carefully about it, this is really terrifying! Think about it, if Anti weren¡¯t Dr. Zabe¡¯s official disciple, even if she had a thousand mouths, she would never have been able to exin herself. Even if the officer steps forward and tells us it¡¯s some kind of foreign Inte conspiracy, we may not believe it! We would think that this was a trick the medical university hade up with to keep Anti! Gosh, what a devious move!"
"Yes, even if Anti were to stay in the school, she probably won¡¯t be respected by the students anymore. If I imagine that... this is too scary!"
"..."
While everyone was realizing what was going on, someone said, "ine Jonas is a spy, that¡¯s why he defamed Anti. But what about Jon Myers and ine Miller?"
At once, everyone looked at Jon and ine in unison.
ine was already swallowing hard when Brenda entered the auditorium and announced that this was an operation to arrest spies. She became even more terrified in this instant and immediately said, "I didn¡¯t! I..."
Before she could finish, Jon rushed up to ine and pped her. He pointed at her furiously and shouted, "Fess up, did you collude with them? Is that why you came to me and misled me into standing up for alternative medicine with you?!"
ine: "?"
She knew that Jon was nning to abandon her. At once, she narrowed her eyes and retorted furiously, "I didn¡¯t! All I did was badmouth her behind her back, but you were the one who really blew up the matter! Mr. Myers, don¡¯t forget that you even said that you wanted to drag Dr. Zabe into this! All just to deal with Nora! Because she is an Anderson, and because she gave the Andersons the Carefree Pill! I¡¯m sure everyone in the alternative medicine circle is aware of your grievances with the Andersons. Don¡¯t think that you can whitewash yourself..."
"I was misled by you!"
While Jon and ine were having a dogfight with each other, Brenda sneered and took a step forward. "Excuse me, are the two of you done quarreling?"
ine and Jon immediately shut up and looked at Brenda.
ine swallowed. "Captain Brenda, y-you must believe me. I have also been part of the police force. I will never do anything to betray the country..."
Jon also anxiously exined, "Ma¡¯am, I really was wronged..."
Brenda¡¯s fiery crimson lips curled upward. She smiled and said, "I don¡¯t have the eyes that can see through everything. I¡¯m not going to be able to tell if the two of you are spies or not, so..."
She stepped back. Then, her voice suddenly became frigid and she ordered, "Take them into custody and interrogate them in ordance with the regtions!"
"Yes, ma¡¯am!"
As the exchange took ce, another two people emerged from the students and caught Jon and ine on the left and right respectively!
Jon and ine panicked.
"Ma¡¯am, I¡¯m really not a spy. Listen to me..."
"Captain Brenda, I¡¯m innocent. I just found Nora an eyesore, that¡¯s all. I did not betray the country..."
Unfortunately, Brenda couldn¡¯t be bothered to listen to them. She curled her lips disdainfully and ordered, "Bring them back!"
With a wave, her men immediately took out all the people they had just arrested, leaving behind only the New York University of Medicine students.
Nora nced at them and followed Brenda out.
However, before she could step out, Shaw stopped her. "Anti, if you already had something nned, why didn¡¯t you tell me in advance? I wouldn¡¯t have had to make up that story for you. Who knows what the students are saying about me behind my back now?!"
Nora raised her eyebrows and said coolly with a smile, "It¡¯s not like you¡¯ll lose weight if someone ostracizes you a little."
Shaw: "..."
He heaved a huge sigh. "I don¡¯t care, I have suffered a lot of physical and emotional damage because of this. I did it all for you, so you have topensate me!"
Nora: "?"
Shaw then said, "Look at how passionate about learning our school is! Why don¡¯t you stop being an external hire and just take up an official position in the school? What do you think of the position of deputy dean of the School of Neurosurgery?"
"No, Nora is Dad¡¯s student. She should be working in the School of Alternative Medicine instead!"
Silvester¡¯s son was the dean of the School of Alternative Medicine in the university. Upon hearing what Shaw said, he hurriedly rushed over.
Shaw panicked. "But I was the one who got Anti to be a professor here!"
"Heh, that¡¯s because I didn¡¯t say anything. If I were to make a request, do you think Nora would dare to refuse?"
"..."
While the two were arguing, Nora slipped away quietly. After going out, she took a deep breath and went straight to the special department. She was going to visit Trueman!
Chapter 521: The Truth About the Pregnancy Back Then!
Chapter 521: The Truth About the Pregnancy Back Then!
Nora had just left school when her phone rang.
She got into her jeep and picked up the call. Mr. Zabe¡¯s voice immediately sounded on the other end of the line. "Nora, where are you?"
Nora: "...Silvester, I still have something on. I¡¯ll take my leave."
Mr. Zabe said, "You can¡¯t leave. Let me tell you, I¡¯m already old. I¡¯m in my sixties and about to retire! The position of New York College of Traditional Medicine¡¯s director must be yours!"
As soon as he said this, she heard Dean Shaw¡¯s voice. "Anti, as the world¡¯s number one surgeon, you are destined to hold a scalpel. Don¡¯t be fooled by Mr. Zabe!"
"What fooled? This is my father¡¯s order! As my father¡¯s disciple, she should take over!"
"Heh, you know she¡¯s a disciple. But is Anti your disciple?!"
"...Don¡¯t be unreasonable here. Let me tell you, it¡¯s a waste of Nora¡¯s talents to hold a scalpel!"
"Why is it a waste of talent? She can solve many unsolved human mysteries! She can provide great help to the advancement of medicine! It would be a waste of her talents if you make her study alternative medicine!"
"Tsk! Dean Shaw, you¡¯re shameless!"
"Mr. Zabe, you¡¯re the shameless one, aren¡¯t you? You¡¯re clearly threatening her by using your father to suppress Anti!"
"..."
"..."
As the two of them argued, Nora said, "Why don¡¯t..."
The voices on the other end stopped instantly. Then, Dr. Zabe and Dean Shaw spoke simultaneously.
"Nora, who do you choose?"
"Anti, you can¡¯t betray me! I lied just now because of you!"
"Heh, did Nora need you to lie? What an unnecessary move!"
"...You!"
Seeing that the two of them were arguing again, Nora raised her eyebrows and suddenly said, "Sigh, Silvester, Dean Shaw, what are you guys talking about? I entered the tunnel and there¡¯s no signal. We¡¯ll talkter!... Ah? My phone ran out of battery too? It¡¯s switched off?"
With that, she turned off the phone, afraid that the two of them would call again.
It was... a headache.
Nora touched her forehead and kept driving.
It was finally quiet.
20 minutester, she arrived at the special department. When she entered, she saw that the staff members were all very busy.
Voices could be heard from every interrogation room. Some people were still locked up in cells. As there were not enough interrogation rooms, they had not been interrogated yet.
There were probably too many people who had just been arrested.
Nora thought about this and walked straight into the interrogation room. It was as if he had heard that she was here, Morris weed her.
The man was still wearing his jacket and leather boots. His long legs were thin, making him look very capable and masculine.
Nora admired it silently for a while before retracting her gaze and asking, "Which interrogation room is Trueman in?"
Although there were not enough interrogation rooms, an important core member of a mysterious organization like Trueman would definitely be in the interrogation room.
The two of them had been texting for so long and had even exchanged messages. Nora was really curious about Trueman. She did not know what this person was like.
Unexpectedly, when she said this, Morris¡¯s expression froze. He lowered his eyes and said, "I didn¡¯t catch Trueman."
Nora: "??"
A question mark slowly appeared in her mind. When she was at the university, she had clearly heard Captain Ford rushing into the hotel through her Bluetooth earpiece.
They had found the other party¡¯s hotel. How could they not have caught Trueman?
As she was hesitating, Morris sighed. "Trueman escaped and was not in the hotel. We only caught a group of bodyguards. When we entered the hotel, we realized that Trueman had been on a video call with them."
Nora: "!!"
She frowned. "When did he escape?"
Morris shook his head. "I¡¯m not sure. I was there personally to keep an eye on him, but I didn¡¯t sense him leaving at all. Besides, the bodyguards were all around, and he was the only one... It was as if he could predict that we would arrest him, so he ran away in advance!"
Nora was not very surprised by this conclusion.
Trueman seemed to have a high status in that mysterious organization. He had always been called Little Master. It was not unusual for such a person to be cautious.
Furthermore, it had been a few days since he checked into the hotel. If it were her, she would definitely have changed ces.
She sighed. "What a pity."
"It¡¯s not a pity."
Morris suddenly said, "Because we¡¯ve captured many key figures this time, especially those bodyguards. They¡¯ve alle into contact with the core information of the mysterious organization. The clues they can provide are definitely more than ever before!"
Nora nodded.
At this moment, she realized that Morris was looking at her. He seemed to want to say something but stopped himself.
Nora frowned and asked, "What are you trying to say?"
Morris was silent for a moment before saying, "We caught someone you know."
Nora: "?"
She asked in surprise, "Who?"
"... Caleb."
When Morris said this name, Nora was a little surprised!
Caleb¡¯s status in that organization should not be low. How could he be captured so easily?!
She frowned and asked, "How did they catch him? Are they sure he¡¯s rted to the mysterious organization?"
Morris said, "When we rushed into the hotel room, Caleb was talking to Trueman. Trueman seemed to trust him very much. I¡¯m sure he has a deep rtionship with the mysterious organization!"
Nora frowned.
Morris continued, "Because we still don¡¯t know Caleb¡¯s identity in the mysterious organization, we don¡¯t dare to torture him. But he hasn¡¯t said a word since he was arrested."
Nora was about to say something when her phone suddenly rang.
She picked up her phone and realized that it was Trueman who had sent her a message. "Little servant, I lost this game, but Caleb¡¯s health is not good. If possible, please give him a cup of hot water and the medicine found on him. He needs to take his medicine on time. Thank you."
Nora: "..."
It was as if they were in cahoots!
She frowned and replied in front of Morris: "Why should I help you?"
Trueman: "Didn¡¯t you want to ask me some questions? I can answer them for you."
When she saw this, Nora¡¯s eyes narrowed.
She clenched her jaw and finally asked the biggest question in her heart: "Tell me first, how did I get pregnant back then?!"
She knew that at this point, Trueman was begging her to cooperate. He would not dare to lie to her! Therefore, she would definitely get an answer now!
Chapter 522: The Final Truth Must Be Cruel!
Chapter 522: The Final Truth Must Be Cruel!
After Nora sent the message, Trueman replied: "Give him the medicine first."
Nora: "..."
This person knew how to bargain.
She looked at Morris.
After all, they were in the special department. If Morris did not agree, this deal could not bepleted.
Morris was silent for a moment. There was a look of deep thought on the man¡¯s determined face. Then he nodded, his cold facial features filled with determination. "Ok."
The two of them arrived at the storage area and saw the medicine Caleb had taken out when he was detained.
Nora looked at the medicine bottle. It was a medicine to treat coughs and also had some function to clear the lungs. In order to prevent Caleb from hurting himself, she even specially opened the medicine and took a look. The medicine inside was a mid-tier drug. She crushed a pill, smelled it, and tasted it. Finally, she nodded at Morris to confirm that the medicine was fine.
Morris turned around and brought Nora to the interrogation room.
The two of them came to the innermost interrogation room,pletely made of metal. No matter how strong the person inside was, they could not escape.
Morris pushed open the dark iron door, making a creaking sound.
Nora saw Caleb sitting there immediately.
He ced his hands in front of him obediently and lowered his head. When he heard the sound, he did not turn around. It was as if nothing around him had anything to do with him.
He was coughing and holding a piece of tissue in his hand. There were traces of blood on the tissue.
"Cough, cough, cough!... Cough, cough, cough!"
The entire interrogation room was filled with his coughing sounds, making one feel ufortable.
Nora frowned.
She picked up a paper cup and took a cup of water from the water dispenser beside her. Then, she walked to Caleb and ced the medicine in front of him before handing him the water.
Caleb took the water and medicine. His hands were trembling slightly as he lowered his head and said, "Thank you."
This was the first thing Caleb had said after he was arrested.
Nora replied, "You¡¯re wee."
Caleb¡¯s fingers paused slightly. Then, he looked up in surprise. When he saw Nora, he seemed to freeze.
Hesitation appeared in his eyes. Then, he returned to normal and took the medicine.
After taking the medicine, he drank the entire cup of water.
Seeing that Caleb still seemed to be coughing, Nora took the cup and walked to the water dispenser at the side. She helped him get another cup of water and handed it over again.
Caleb stared at the cup and his gazended on Nora¡¯s slender and fair fingers.
He was silent for a moment before taking the cup and drinking again. However, he did not look at her again as if he was unfamiliar with her.
Nora looked at his expression and was slightly stunned.
The next moment, she realized.
If the two of them acted too familiar, perhaps it would arouse the suspicions of the special department? That was why he was deliberately cold to her.
Nora hesitated for a moment before sitting opposite him.
Morris had already closed the door, cutting off the probing outside.
He sat down with Nora and took out a notebook and pen. It seemed like he needed to prepare some statements. "Mr. Gray, may I know what your rtionship with Trueman is?"
Caleb coughed, but it was clearly much lighter than before. It should be because of the two sses of water and the medicine.
He looked up at the two of them. "You don¡¯t have to rack your brains to interrogate me. I won¡¯t say anything. I have nothing to do with Trueman."
The moment he said this, Morris said coldly, "If that¡¯s the case, why would he text Nora to give you medicine? A person like him doesn¡¯t care about the lives of others, but he gives you special treatment!"
Trueman was a very cold-blooded person.
So far, he had killed four people.
One of them was Abigail, and the other was Victor. After the two of them were defeated by Nora, one died on the spot, and the other was arrested. In the end, they died in their cells.
Then, he gave Hiry the drug, and she died from pain.
He even killed Yvonne.
Now, the other bodyguards were being tortured in all sorts of ways, but he did not care at all. He only cared for a sickly Caleb.
As soon as Morris finished speaking, Caleb suddenly raised his head. He stared at Morris and Nora in disbelief. Then, he said with a trembling voice, "Don¡¯t make any deals with him!"
This sentence was filled with vignce.
Nora frowned.
Morris hesitated for a moment and nced at Nora.
Obviously, it was good progress now that Caleb was speaking after Nora entered!
Morris interrogated him. "Why? He only asked Miss Smith to give you medicine, and then he would answer some of her questions. This doesn¡¯t seem to do Miss Smith any harm!"
Caleb¡¯s expression became nervous. He said to Nora again, "Listen to me. Don¡¯t make any deals with him!"
Nora: "..."
She frowned. "You should be more concerned about yourself!"
Caleb took a deep breath. He still lowered his head. Even in the dark interrogation room, he looked gentlemanly and refined.
His voice was rich and powerful. "Miss Smith, Captain Ford, you don¡¯t have to waste your effort on me. I still say the same thing. I won¡¯t say anything. You can torture me... Cough, cough, cough..."
A flurry of coughs interrupted him.
He coughed violently, looking as if he was going to cough his lungs out. It was unbearable to watch.
After this bout of coughing passed, he said, "My broken body is already riddled with holes. I won¡¯t be afraid of any pain, so your torture is useless against me. Of course, you can try... Cough, cough, cough..."
Nora and Morris looked at each other.
Without even trying, they knew that this violent cough would tear someone¡¯s throat apart. His organs would definitely be very ufortable. At this time, any other stimtion would be good for him. He could divert his attention.
Besides...
Looking at Caleb¡¯s body, he would probably not be able to survive if he was tortured too much.
This was also one of the reasons why Morris had not used torture.
Nora stood up and walked to Caleb. She reached out and pressed his wrist.
Caleb wanted to pull his wrist out, but Nora used a little strength and he could not break free. He could only frown and say, "Miss Smith, it¡¯s useless even if you try. If it was possible, I would have let you treat me a long time ago. Cough, cough, cough..."
Nora frowned and ordered, "...Shut up."
Alternative medicine practitioners hated it when patients moved or talked. They had to be calm. Her fierce words made Caleb choke. He could not even cough.
Time passed by slowly. Nora frowned tightly.
She looked at Caleb in disbelief. She seemed a little indignant as she closed her eyes again and continued to take his pulse.
A minuteter, Nora opened her eyes in surprise.
Caleb retracted his hand silently and covered his mouth with the tissue beside him again. Because he was holding back his cough, his mouth tasted like blood.
He let out a shaky breath and some blood sprayed on the tissue.
It looked like he was going to vomit blood and die the next second...
Morris asked, "How is it?"
After learning that Nora was Dr. Zabe¡¯s disciple, Morris trusted her medical skills even more.
Nora hesitated for a moment. Just as she was thinking what to say, Caleb said slowly, "End-stage lung cancer. I know."
Nora: "..."
She looked at Caleb in shock.
Caleb smiled. "I knew about this illness before I returned to the country, so I haven¡¯t asked you to take a look at it. It¡¯s useless because there aren¡¯t any good anti-cancer drugs."
Nora¡¯s mouth tightened.
Caleb coughed again and wiped the corner of his mouth. "You don¡¯t have to look at me like that. I know I won¡¯t live past thirty."
He was 29 years and 10 months old now. He only had two months to live.
Furthermore, lung cancer was a very torturous disease.
Actually, dying early was a form of relief.
Of course, he did not say that.
Nora nodded at Morris.
Morris¡¯s expression instantly darkened. Facing such a patient, the Special Case Department had no other means.
He looked at the guard at the door and said, "From now on, set a fixed time every day. Remember to give him medicine."
"Yes."
After giving his instructions, he then looked at Nora and gave her a look. Nora nodded.
She stood up. "Mr. Gray, you... have a good rest."
With that, she walked out with Morris.
However, just as she reached the door, she suddenly heard Caleb¡¯s voice. "Miss Smith, I have something to say to you."
Nora looked at him. "Please speak."
Caleb was silent for a long time before finally saying, "There may be some stones better left unturned because the truth will definitely be cruel."
The truth was cruel...
Was he implying something?
Nora clenched her fists. "What do you mean?"
Caleb lowered his head, looking like he would not speak again.
Nora left the interrogation room full of thoughts.
She arrived at the lobby of the special department with Morris. Then, Nora took out her phone and sent a message to Trueman. "He has taken the medicine. Do you need me to send you a video to prove it?"
Trueman replied quickly: "No need."
Nora: "Then where¡¯s my answer?"
Trueman¡¯s reply this time was a little slow. He was probably editing the content. It took him five minutes to send a message.
When she saw his answer, Nora¡¯s eyes widened in shock...
Chapter 523: The Truth!
Chapter 523: The Truth!
Nora stared at her phone. She looked at the content of the message. She did not expect such a reply.
She had imagined countless possibilities and guessed all kinds of situations, but she was unwilling to believe this.
Trueman¡¯s message was very clear: "It¡¯s artificial insemination."
Artificial insemination... These four words allowed her to imagine that after she fell asleep back then, someone had entered her room and injected her body...
Even her giving birth was a conspiracy by others?
She clenched her fists tightly.
Morris was also staring at her phone at the side. As Trueman was involved in the mysterious organization¡¯s case, he had been observing their chats the entire time. When he saw this reply, he looked at Nora in surprise.
He had originally thought that Nora¡¯s children were born because she and Justin were truly in love. He did not expect this to be the case...
He was in disbelief, let alone this woman.
Nora¡¯s fingers tightened around the phone. Her chin was clenched tightly and her face was expressionless, but one could vaguely feel the anger surging out of her.
From the first time Morris had met her, he had always felt that Nora had a calmness that could not be affected even if Mount Everest copsed in front of her. It was as if nothing in the world could stump her.
Later on, he also realized that the girl was very skilled. Be it in alternative medicine or modern ...
An outstanding person should have their own pride.
At this moment, she must be feeling furious.
At the thought of this, Morris took a step back and decided not to look at her messages anymore. He did not want her to feel even more embarrassed and indignant.
Nora was indeed very angry.
She had clearly been working hard to learn all kinds of skills and knowledge since she was young. She was clearly not afraid of anything now, but how could she be controlled by others?
Even when giving birth, she was given no choice!
As she lowered her eyes and stared at her phone, Morris suddenly said, "It will take some time to interrogate all the people. This is not your specialty. Why don¡¯t you go back first?"
When Nora heard this, she narrowed her eyes.
She looked at Morris and nodded. "Okay."
With that, she turned and left.
After she left, someone came to Morris¡¯s side and said, "These people have very tough mouths. They haven¡¯t said anything yet."
Morris frowned. "Interrogate them again."
The other party nodded and sighed. "Our interrogation methods are indeed advanced, but they are still not top-notch. From what I know, the world¡¯s number one killer, ck Cat, has an interrogation method that can make criminals talk about anything!"
Morris nced over.
The other party immediately shrugged.
Brenda appeared out of nowhere and said, "No matter how powerful ck Cat is, he¡¯s not in our special department. What¡¯s the point of saying this? Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll apany you to take a look."
As the two of them spoke, Morris¡¯s gaze was fixed on the door.
The girl¡¯s back was stubborn, but there was a sadness he had never seen before.
He suddenly wanted tofort her, so he took two steps toward the door. When he reached the door, he suddenly saw a tall man standing in front of the girl¡¯s car in the parking lot...
Morris stopped in his tracks.
¡ª
Nora lowered her head and walked to the jeep in an extremely bad mood. She took out her car keys and unlocked the car.
When she got closer, she suddenly looked up and saw Justin leaning against her car, looking at her silently.
The man had his back to the sun. His ck suit made him look capable. His legs were thin and long, and he was wearing ck leather boots.
On his fair skin, those dark eyes were staring at her deeply. The mole at the corner of his eye was obvious.
Nora was stunned to see him. She asked, "Why are you here?"
Justin opened the driver¡¯s seat door very naturally and got in. Nora walked around to the front passenger seat. After she sat down, the man started the car and answered her question. "I¡¯m here to pick you up from work."
Nora: "..."
The two of them went back home. Nora was silent and did not say anything.
Justin seemed to have sensed her emotions and asked, "What¡¯s wrong?"
Nora suddenly looked at him. "I know how I got pregnant back then."
Justin was slightly stunned before he smiled. "How did you get pregnant?"
Nora saw that his expression was rxed and pursed her lips before saying, "Artificial insemination. So the night you lost your memory, you were probably taken by someone..."
She did not say the rest, but Justin definitely understood.
Nora felt that her and Justin¡¯s lives had been plotted against. The moment he heard this, the man would definitely be very angry and furious.
Just like herself, he had a helpless resentment toward things that he could not control and was clearly schemed against.
Unexpectedly, Justin¡¯s expression was calm, as if he was not angry at all. He even answered casually, "Oh, what a pity."
Nora: "?"
Just as she was confused and did not understand what this meant, she heard him say, "Unfortunately, you didn¡¯t get pregnant naturally."
Nora: "!!"
She frowned and asked, "You¡¯re not angry?"
"No."
Justin answered simply with one word. At a red light ahead, he stopped the car and waited. He turned to look at Nora. The man smiled and said, "Actually, I¡¯ve never been interested in how you got pregnant. I only know one thing."
Nora was stunned. "What is it?"
"I¡¯m very happy and thankful that you¡¯re the mother of my children. I¡¯m even thankful to the person who schemed against me."
Nora: "??"
She frowned. "What kind of thinking is that? If it were someone else, would this matter be any different from... being raped?"
Justin smiled when he heard this. "I¡¯m not angry because it¡¯s you!"
The light turned green. Justin looked ahead and started the car, his deep eyes staring at the road ahead.
There was something he did not say.
If the two of them did not have a child, he probably would not have had any interactions with Nora in this life, right?
¡ª
At the Smiths.
Ian and Joel were sitting on the sofa, anxiously waiting for news from the Medical University.
The matters over there had just been settled. The reporters had not released any news yet. Nora¡¯s phone was switched off again, so they did not know the results.
At this moment, the butler walked in. "Mrs. Hunt is here."
Chapter 524: A Slap in the Face!
Chapter 524: A p in the Face!
Ian frowned. "What?"
With that, Mrs. Hunt walked in and smiled. "Ian, I¡¯m here today for the marriage between Justin and Miss Smith."
Ian pursed her lips. "Mrs. Hunt, why would they get married?"
Mrs. Hunt smiled and lowered her eyes. She sat on the opposite side of the sofa and did not have the attitude of asking for Nora¡¯s hand in marriage. Instead, she looked high and mighty. "Miss Smith has caused so much trouble and gone to the School of Medicine to participate in some debate today. I heard that Dr. Zabe sent his most capable disciple to the school. I¡¯m afraid Miss Smith won¡¯t get any benefits this time!"
Hearing this, Ian and Joel looked at each other, their eyes filled with worry.
Initially, the Smiths had nned to help with this matter. Ian and Joel had many ns to handle this matter.
However, when Nora found out about it, she only told the two of them not to worry. She had a way to stop them from interfering and ruining her n. That was why the two of them did not make a move.
On one hand, they believed that Nora had the ability to handle it.
On the other, they were still worried.
Hearing Mrs. Hunt¡¯s words, Joel said, "Are you sure Dr. Zabe¡¯sst disciple has gone there? Is he... the one who treated someone¡¯s pulse through a curtain?"
When Nora was young, she hade to New York with Henry. She had once gone to look for Dr. Zabe. Coincidentally, someone questioned the ability of Dr. Zabe¡¯sst disciple. Therefore, Dr. Zabe let Nora take someone¡¯s pulse through a curtain. His medical skills instantly got their fame back.
Therefore, all these years, although Nora had never traveled around New York, the fact that Dr. Zabe¡¯sst disciple had good medical skills was recognized by the alternative medicine world!
When they heard that Dr. Zabe¡¯s disciple was going, Joel and Ian became worried.
Mrs. Hunt smiled. "Yes, that¡¯s the one! So, I¡¯m afraid Miss Smith is in trouble this time. I wonder if the Smiths have prepared some follow-up public rtions ns? We can¡¯t let Miss Smith be a pest in the medical world, right? Also, I heard that many people at the school are proposing to remove her from her position as an external professor! If that happens... will she really have to hide overseas?"
Mrs. Hunt¡¯s words seemed to be filled with concern for Nora, but every word seemed certain that Nora would not be able to get through this.
Ian frowned. "You don¡¯t have to worry about this! After all, this is our family¡¯s business!"
Mrs. Hunt smiled. "Ian, I have a suggestion this time. I have a way to let her avoid this matter!"
Joel and Ian looked at each other again. They both felt that there was no way this old witch could be so kind?
Joel narrowed his eyes and asked unhappily, "What way?"
Mrs. Hunt did not sense his unhappiness at all. She smiled. "If Miss Smith marries Justin, with the power of our families, we will definitely not let her suffer in New York!"
Joel and Ian frowned.
Mrs. Hunt continued, "In the past, the two families had an engagement. Now that the two children like each other, our family is not one forget righteousness when ites to benefits. If we see that Miss Smith is in trouble, we can¡¯t do something like trying to clear our ties. Therefore, once Miss Smith bes Madam Hunt, even if she does something ridiculous, who in New York would dare to rush in front of her and say nonsense?"
She said, "This is a mutually beneficial thing. Ian, you won¡¯t reject me this time, right?"
With that, she smiled at Ian. The wrinkles on her face were almost sticking together!
Ian sneered. "Who said Nora would definitely lose? Don¡¯t you have any confidence in her?"
Mrs. Hunt immediately said, "It¡¯s not that I¡¯m not confident in her. I¡¯m just too confident about thest disciple of Dr. Zabe! We don¡¯t care about alternative or modern medicine. As long as she can treat illnesses, she will be a good doctor. But do you know that thest disciple of Dr. Zabe developed Zabe Corporation¡¯s Calming Pill?"
At the mention of this, Ian and Joel¡¯s expressions turned a little ugly.
Yvonne had spent a lot of money to buy a pill, but she did not give it to Ian, who needed it more. Instead, she had given it to Mrs. Hunt to curry her favor.
At that time, Joel was angry.
Later, when something happened to Ian at the Hunts, he had used that pill... It was as if the gift from the Smiths was being taken back!
Speaking of which, the Smiths did owe Mrs. Hunt for this matter.
Joel lowered his eyes. Just as he was about to say that he would pay a high price again to buy Zabe Corporation¡¯s Calming Pill, he heard Mrs. Hunt continue, "That pill is a priceless treasure. As for that pill, it¡¯s a little overboard to say that it can bring the dead back to life. However, at the critical moment, it¡¯s still useful to save lives! Not to mention that Ian used this pill to extend his life back then,ter on, when I returned to my mother¡¯s house, my sister-inw suddenly had a cerebral hemorrhage. At that time, the family doctor said that there was no hope. However, I took out that pill and fed it to her. Even when she was sent to the hospital, she was still breathing and had recovered!"
Mrs. Hunt was full of praise as she said, "So, I don¡¯t have to say much about the effects of Zabe Corporation¡¯s Calming Pill, right? And how skilled must be the person who can make it? He must have already mastered alternative medicine! In that case, he can be considered my sister-inw¡¯s savior! How much of a chance does Nora have of winning against him?"
When Ian and Joel heard this, they felt even more uncertain.
Actually, if Nora won this debate, people would at most say that she was young and frivolous. She had the true ability, so it was nothing.
The worst oue was that they would be mocked if they lost!
If Dr. Zabe¡¯s disciple really arrived, would Nora really lose?
As the two of them were thinking, the butler at the door spoke again. "Sir, someone from the Andersons is here."
The Andersons?
Ian hurriedly said, "Pleasee in!"
With that, Simon and Melissa walked in quickly. The moment they entered, Simon looked around and asked anxiously, "Where¡¯s Nora?"
Before Ian could speak, Mrs. Hunt said, "You guys heard about Miss Smith too, so you¡¯re anxious, right? She hasn¡¯t returned yet! She might have lost thepetition and lost face..."
Simon was surprised to hear this. "Lost thepetition? How could she have lost? Sheril called just now to tell us about thepetition. She didn¡¯t lose!"
Mrs. Hunt said confidently, "How is that possible? I received news that Dr. Zabe¡¯sst disciple has gone there to participate in the debate. How could Miss Smith win?"
Simon looked at her and said with a strange expression, "Do you not know who Dr. Zabe¡¯sst disciple is?"
He was shocked to hear the news and hade to seek confirmation!
Mrs. Hunt sneered. "It doesn¡¯t matter who it is. Even if it¡¯s the Hunts or the Andersons, we can¡¯t give in to her in this matter... After all, this is a conflict between alternative and modern medicine! Unless... Miss Smith is thatst disciple, this matter won¡¯t end well!"
Chapter 525: The Entrance Is Going to Be Destroyed!
Chapter 525: The Entrance Is Going to Be Destroyed!
Mrs. Hunt had just finished speaking when Simon smiled and asked, "How did you know?"
Mrs. Hunt: ??
What did she know?
She looked at Simon in surprise and recalled what she had just said. Then, she was stunned. It couldn¡¯t be what she had said...
Ian and Joel were also stunned as they frowned at Simon.
At this moment, the sound of a car stopping could be heard from the door. Then, Nora and Justin walked into the living room. The two of them had just entered when they were stunned to see the people in the room.
Nora¡¯s gaze swept past Mrs. Hunt and the Andersons. She called out in surprise, "Simon, Melissa why are you guys here?"
Simon immediately weed her with a smile. "We came to see you. What other surprises do you have that we don¡¯t know about?! You¡¯re Dr. Zabe¡¯sst disciple?!"
As soon as he said this, Ian almost stood up from the wheelchair, but his legs softened and he sat back down.
Joel was slightly surprised.
The person who was the most shocked was Mrs. Hunt. She stood up suddenly and held the butler¡¯s hand. Then, she looked at Nora and Simon in shock. "What... what did you say? She... she¡¯s Dr. Zabe¡¯sst disciple?"
"That¡¯s right!"
Simon smiled. "When Sheril called to tell us, I couldn¡¯t believe it!"
At this point, his eyes turned red. "Yvette¡¯s medical skills really have a sessor! Nora, you must continue to learn from Dr. Zabe and try to surpass him!"
Melissa immediately pushed him and smiled. "What are you talking about? The child will definitely be more outstanding!"
Simon instantly nodded. He took out a tissue and wiped his tears. Then, he looked at Nora. "You¡¯ve really brought glory to Andersons! As expected of Yvette¡¯s daughter!"
Melissa also said, "Yes, you¡¯re outstanding in not only alternative but also modern medicine... You really surprise us! What else are you good at?"
Nora: "Actually, it¡¯s nothing."
As soon as she said this, Cherry¡¯s voice was heard. "Mommy, don¡¯t you know how to hack as well?"
Simon smiled. "Oh, do you know programming?"
Nora: "...A little."
"Tsk!"
Augh sounded. Nora turned around and saw Justin suppressing hisughter and saying, "Yes, just a teensy bit."
Nora red at him and motioned for him not to say anything.
Simon smiled. "It¡¯s okay. If you like it, you can treat it as a hobby! You don¡¯t have to be too good at it. The two things that cross borders in medicine are already the best!"
"Yes, there are specialists in every field!" Melissa agreed.
The two of them looked at Nora with eyes almost glowing.
While the few of them were chatting, Ian looked at Mrs. Hunt again. When he saw her shocked expression, he said, "Mrs. Hunt, why are you so agitated over such a small matter? Nora is only average at alternative medicine. She just happened to create Zabe Corporation¡¯s Calming Pill and happened to save your sister-inw¡¯s life. She¡¯s just your family¡¯s benefactor. Don¡¯t be so agitated. Calm down!"
Mrs. Hunt felt like she had been pped in the face and was speechless.
Joel¡¯s lips twitched.
Uncle Ian, who was the one who stood up in shock and fell back down! He spoke as if he was very calm...
However, he could not poke Ian¡¯s sore spot. He smiled and said, "Uncle Ian and Aunt Anderson were both outstanding figures back then. How could the child you two gave birth to be any less capable? Nora¡¯s intelligence and genes are definitely stronger than yours! Now, no one will dare to nder Nora anymore, right? I want to see who in New York dares to look down on her?"
Mrs. Hunt¡¯s face turned even redder.
Simon raised his chin and said proudly, "Back then, Yvette¡¯s suitor shook the entire New York. Almost all the young talents liked her! Now that Nora is so outstanding, who would dare to look down on her? Nora is the second Yvette!"
Mrs. Hunt knew what they were hinting at.
Back then, people who wanted to marry Yvette could line up for days! They were indirectly praising Nora!
When Mrs. Hunt thought of what she had just said, she was instantly furious. She jabbed the walking stick in her hand on the ground and said angrily, "Miss Smith can¡¯tpare to Yvette back then, right? After all, Yvette didn¡¯t have two children! No matter how good Miss Smith is, some people will still be calctive about this! I think it¡¯s better if she¡¯s with the children¡¯s biological father."
Ian frowned.
Justin¡¯s face darkened. "Grandmother!"
Mrs. Hunt instantly smiled. "Alright, don¡¯t be angry. I¡¯m done talking. I just heard that the Smiths were looking for a son-inw a few days ago! But I haven¡¯t seen many peopleing. The only one who came seems to be that ine? Look, wealthy families still care about this..."
The Smiths fell silent.
Mrs. Hunt¡¯s words were very true. There were indeed no outstanding peopleing to seek Nora¡¯s hand in marriage. After all, many wealthy families would shrink back at the sight of a woman with a burden.
Unexpectedly, the butler rushed in hurriedly after that. He looked a little anxious. "Sir, something bad has happened! A group of people has gathered outside! They said they want to marry Miss Nora!"
Chapter 526: The Person Who Plotted The Artificial Insemination!
Chapter 526: The Person Who Plotted The Artificial Insemination!
Amid the silence in the room, Ian suppressed all his emotions and tried his best to make himself seem calm. He said, "Let... them in."
The butler nodded.
When he went out to let the people in, the atmosphere in the living room suddenly became rather strange. Everyone looked at Mrs. Hunt.
Mrs. Hunt also broke into a frown. She had repeatedly been forced to eat her words today, which made her very embarrassed, but she mustn¡¯t admit defeat.
She looked outside and said, "Well, that actually does make sense. News of the Smiths recruiting a son-inw has already spread for a few days, so there will definitely be people dreaming of rising up the social hierarchy calling on you. People like them are just here for the Smiths¡¯ money, though! They are... men that sponge off their wives!"
After saying that, she seemingly managed to convince herself. "Yes, that must be the case..."
Ian and Joel: "..."
Simon and Melissa¡¯s frowns deepened further.
A smiling Melissa stepped forward. The woman wearing a ssy dress looked very elegant. Although she was nearly fifty, herplexion was fair and delicate, and she didn¡¯t look old at all. She said softly, "Mrs. Hunt, how are you so sure that they are all men intending to sponge off their wives when no one has evene in yet? Given how outstanding Nora is, there will undoubtedly be a lot of people coveting her. Not all of them may necessarily be good men, and I reckon that situations like what you¡¯ve just described will definitely exist, but don¡¯t worry, Nora¡¯s marriage is something very important to both the Smiths and the Andersons. We will definitely keep our eyes peeled and make sure we look for someone good for her! So, you don¡¯t have to worry about that, Mrs. Hunt!"
Previously, when Mrs. Hunt invited Melissa to the Hunts¡¯, she had adopted a very arrogant attitude. It could be said that Melissa had taken care to be cautious with everything she said and did, but even at that time, she had carried herself with grace and poise.
Now that she had the Smiths¡¯ support, Melissa was even more confident. Her voice was polite and gentle as she said unhurriedly, "Of course, Yvette also had a ton of suitors back then. It was only after careful selection that she finally picked Mr. Smith. The apple of the Smiths¡¯ eye will no doubt excel even more. Besides... Given how outstanding Nora is, and how she already has children, she doesn¡¯t necessarily have to rely on men in order to survive. Times have already changed, there is nock of youngsters! I heard that Ms. Hunt herself has announced a few years ago that she¡¯s a non-believer of marriage. At that time, so many people had sung praises of Ms. Hunt and said that she was so dashing and heroic. Therefore, we¡¯ll just let Nora decide based on her mood...
"If she¡¯s in a good mood and finds someone who tickles her fancy, she can try dating him. If she really doesn¡¯t take a fancy to anyone, then that¡¯s that. Do you think the Smiths and the Andersons won¡¯t be able to support Nora financially? Besides, with Nora¡¯s medical skills alone, how many people do you think are begging for her..."
Every word she said was justified and well-founded, and they made Mrs. Hunt choke so badly that she couldn¡¯t even say a word.
Mrs. Hunt took a deep breath and said, "Then let¡¯s see if there is anyone she likes!"
As she said that, footsteps came from outside the door and the butler¡¯s voice traveled over. "This way please."
Mrs. Hunt looked over. She¡¯d initially thought that there would only be two or three visitors, but little did she expect that a dozen or so people would enter all at once!
On top of that, all of them were marrieddies of wealthy families whom she often met?!
Mrs. Hunt was dumbfounded.
The person in the front was the wife of a director from a government organization. As soon as she entered, she looked straight at Nora, took a step forward, and held her hand. She said, "You must be Ms. Smith, right? Oh my, look at how pretty you are! You look just like how Yvette did back then! No, you¡¯re even prettier than her! I heard that the Smiths are looking for a good life partner for you? What do you think of my eldest son? He is awyer, and should be a good match for you!"
Nora: "..."
Thedy was so enthusiastic that she didn¡¯t quite know what to say. At this point, anotherdy stepped forward. She smiled and said, "Don¡¯t listen to her, Ms. Smith. Her eldest son is awyer, so he¡¯s terribly busy. He won¡¯t be able to find time to apany you at all. My son, on the other hand, has more free time! He is the president of apany and doesn¡¯t usually have much to do. I have photos of him on my phone. Would you like to have a look?"
"There¡¯s also my son..."
The Smiths didn¡¯t have a matriarch, so for a while, everyone flocked to Nora.
Nora had never witnessed anything like this. Moreover, she had never been adept at talking, so she was stunned by their enthusiasm.
At the sight, Melissa kindly walked over and stopped in front of Nora. "Ladies, Nora¡¯s mom passed away early. If there¡¯s anything you need, you can talk to me instead. I¡¯m her aunt, but I¡¯m just like a mother to her!"
Nora breathed a sigh of relief at once. She quietly took a step back, nodded slightly, and said, "Everyone, I¡¯ll go and have a change of clothes first."
After that, she bent over and picked up Cherry, who had slipped behind Melissa and was tiptoeing to look at the photo of the handsome guy on the phone. Then, she went straight upstairs.
Cherry said, "... Mommy, I don¡¯t need to change! Let me stay with Grandaunt Melissa! I miss Grandaunt Melissa!"
Nora: "..."
What you miss are those photos in thedies¡¯ cell phones instead, don¡¯t you?!
She ignored Cherry¡¯s request and took her upstairs. Then, she ignored the plea for help in Justin¡¯s eyes and merely raised her eyebrows as she gave him a silent message: ¡¯Good luck.¡¯
Justin: "..."
Mrs. Hunt was in disbelief as she stared at the women.
Thosedies were some of the most famous people in New York. It was difficult for them to evene together, so howe they had all suddenlye to the Smiths¡¯ today?
Seeing that everyone else had all gathered around Melissa, she grabbed Mrs. Lovell, who hadn¡¯t gone over yet, and asked, "Mrs. Lovell, you guys... Don¡¯t you know that Nora already has a child?"
Mrs. Lovell looked at her and smiled. "I know that, Mrs. Hunt!"
Then, she said, "But if Ms. Smith didn¡¯t already have a child, how would my son possibly have a chance with her?"
Mrs. Hunt: ??
Mrs. Lovell took the opportunity to say, "My elder brother wanted to marry Yvette Anderson back then, too. With her good genes and her good looks, the offspring she gave birth to would definitely have been very smart and good-looking. Unfortunately, only people like Mr. Smith and Mr. Hunt were worthy of Yvette, and she did indeed choose Mr. Smith in the end. Families like ours stand no chance at all! But things are different now! Since Ms. Smith already has a child, surely she¡¯ll lower her expectations a little?"
Mrs. Hunt: "!!"
She was stunned.
Mrs. Lovell immediately nodded. Then, she lowered her voice and said, "Think about it, how amazing a person was Yvette back then? Yet her daughter has outdone her! Not only is she the top surgeon, but she¡¯s also the person standing at the very pinnacle of alternative medicine! If someone like her marries our family, wouldn¡¯t I enjoy a long life? Besides, the children that Ms. Smith gives birth to will definitely be very smart! This willpletely improve my family¡¯s genes!"
"..."
Mrs. Hunt stared at the people in front of her in a daze, finding all these rather unbelievable. "Don¡¯t any of you mind that she has given birth before?"
Mrs. Lovell smiled. "Of course not! Having one more clever person in the family will definitely be a help to the family in the future!"
Next to them, Justin¡¯s posture suddenly became ramrod straight, and he felt a huge sense of crisis.
Upstairs.
Nora did not change. After tossing Cherry onto the sofa, she picked up her cell phone and continued to send messages to Trueman: ¡¯Who plotted my artificial insemination back then?¡¯
Although she was very fat back then, she had already learned a lot of different skills by then. It was very difficult for anyone to set up traps for her.
Additionally, Justin had also taken charge of the Hunt Corporation by then, and he usually brought bodyguards with him whenever he was out. Just who exactly were they? To think they could retrieve Justin¡¯s sperm without anyone noticing?
Chapter 527: Karl Is Troubled
Chapter 527: Karl Is Troubled
It seemed like Trueman wasn¡¯t looking at his phone, so he didn¡¯t reply right away after Nora sent the message.
After staring at the phone for a while, Nora tossed it aside and went to take a bath.
Cherry and Pete came together. There were identical frowns on their little faces. Cherry said with dissatisfaction, "Pete, Grandpa is introducing boyfriends to Mommy again! Sigh!"
Pete was about tofort her and tell her that it was okay when Cherry remarked enviously, "When will my Daddy find me a bunch of young men?"
Pete: "?"
He¡¯d thought that Cherry was worried that their parents would be separated, but as it turned out, she was just being envious of Mommy?! She was simply hopeless!
The corners of Pete¡¯s lips spasmed and he looked at the bathroom.
Then, he put down the book in his hand and slowly walked out the door.
¡ª
"Mr. Smith, before I came here, my husband said that he didn¡¯t manage to beat you when he was fighting for Yvette back then, so your daughter has to show my son some courtesy this time! At the very least, let them meet and try to get along with each other!"
Seeing that Melissa simply refused to say anything, someone shifted their target to Ian instead.
Ian¡¯s usually lifeless countenance was filled with smiles and pride at the moment.
In the past, everyone would deliberately ban any mention of Yvette Anderson in front of him. None of them had dared to mention her name. However, the mention of her name instead filled him with pride now.
He smiled and replied, "Of course!"
Justin: !!
Suddenly, he felt very upset that he didn¡¯t have any elders who could speak up for him.
He nced at Mrs. Hunt resentfully. The elderly woman looked very awkward and embarrassed. She stood there with her hands on her walking stick, looking like she wanted to speak with Ian, yet didn¡¯t know what she should be saying.
Justin lowered his eyes and sighed inwardly.
His father had run away from home with his mistress when he was only five. His mother had also moved out and never returned. His grandmother was the one who had brought him up, so he had great respect for her.
Thus, he couldn¡¯t adopt aggressive measures against his grandmother.
Moreover, should his grandmother continue to be dissatisfied with Nora, given her skill in infighting within the household, he was afraid that she would keep making trouble for Nora.
That was why Justin had allowed her to keep making trouble for the Smiths¡ªso that she would keep being rebuffed.
It was only after she had been rebuffed and realized how strong and powerful Nora really was that she would be truly convinced. This way, when Nora married into the Hunts in the future, at the very least, she wouldn¡¯t make things difficult for her.
Thus, he did not rescue her from her predicament.
He simply stood there without saying anything. Suddenly, someone pulled his sleeve. Justin lowered his head to see Pete standing by his leg and gently tugging his arm. When he looked over, the boy asked in his young and tender voice, "Daddy, aren¡¯t you worried that someone will snatch Mommy away?"
Justin: "?"
He raised his eyebrows. Only then did he realize that everyone around them had stopped talking and were looking at both father and son in surprise.
Mrs. Lovell didn¡¯t quite understand. "Daddy... Mommy... Mr. Hunt, what does he mean by that?"
Pete blinked and replied, "My Mommy is Nora!"
Everyone: "??"
Everyone looked at Ian and Mrs. Hunt with puzzled looks on their faces.
Only then did something click in Mrs. Hunt¡¯s head. She came back to her senses and said with a smile, "Tsk, look at me, I¡¯ve forgotten to announce something to everyone! Ms. Smith is our little Peter Hunt¡¯s biological mother. Peter and her daughter are twins! In other words, Cherry is a child of the Hunts! So, we won¡¯t bother you guys to take care of her anymore!"
Everyone: "!!!"
Everyone looked at Justin.
"So, Mr. Hunt and Ms. Smith are in a rtionship? How far has the rtionship gone?" Mrs. Lovell asked.
Mrs. Hunt nudged Justin.
Justin knew what she meant, but he nevertheless looked at Ian subconsciously. Sure enough, the man had broken into a frown. As such, Justin lowered his gaze and replied, "I am still trying to woo her."
His words made Ian¡¯s frown rx.
Mrs. Hunt, however, was a little mad. "Justin!"
Justin nced at her but said nothing.
The others remarked, "Oh, you¡¯re still wooing her? Then that means we still stand a chance! It¡¯s just that... I wonder what is your stance towards the matter, Mr. Hunt?"
Mrs. Hunt took a step forward. She was about to say something domineering such as "Whoever tries to woo Nora would be going against the Hunts"...
Once she said that, it would definitely force some of them into retreating.
Unexpectedly, before she could speak, Justin replied calmly, "It¡¯s a fairpetition."
"..."
His one-liner made Mrs. Hunt feel as if her breath was caught in her chest. She couldn¡¯t get it out, nor could she force it back down.
...
After she finally sent away all the people who hade over to propose marriage, even Melissa heaved a huge sigh of relief.
When Pete saw Justin off, the little fellow sighed, looked at Justin contemptuously, and said, "Daddy, you are so useless."
Just now, he had deliberatelye downstairs and called them Mommy and Daddy loudly just to help him out, but little did he expect him to be so useless.
Justin, however, raised his eyebrows. The beauty mark at the corner of his eye shimmered as he said with a smile, "It¡¯s useless to drive them all away. It¡¯s pointless even if they curry favor with Mrs. Anderson or your grandfather."
A puzzled Pete asked, "Then what is useful?"
"The most effective method is to snag your mommy."
Justin always focused only on the crux of the matter. As long as Nora was willing to be with him, even if Ian opposed to them being together, would there be any use?
Pete: "??"
As he watched Justin leave, he suddenly felt like his father was still the more scheming one after all!
When Pete returned upstairs, Nora had already taken a bath and was lying on the bed reading a medical book. She was still having a headache over how to cure Quentin.
At this moment, her cell phone suddenly rang.
Thinking that Trueman had replied, she picked up the phone and took a nce. However, she instead saw a text message: "I will do my best to woo you. Even if you don¡¯t ept me, I won¡¯t use the children to hold you hostage."
Nora: "..."
Her lips curled into a smile. Her anger and frustration at finding out that she had fallen victim to someone¡¯s ploy seemed to have disappeared for the most part when she saw the message.
¡ª
The next day.
When Nora woke up and went downstairs, she saw Karl in the living room. He was following behind Tanya and asking with a smile, "Can your wedding be brought forward by two days? How about holding it tomorrow?"
Tanya felt a little helpless. "The hotel and everything else has already been booked. We can¡¯t change the date just because we want to. Besides, the schedule is already very tight now. Is there something wrong?"
Karl looked a little anxious, but he nevertheless replied, "No, it¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine..."
He scratched his head. "I just feel a little nervous, so I want to get everyone done and over earlier!"
Tanya became a little angry when he said that. "If you¡¯re busy with something, then you can leave. To be honest, it doesn¡¯t matter even if you don¡¯t attend my wedding!"
Karl had never fulfilled his duties as a father in Tanya¡¯s life during the past two decades. The rtionship between Tanya and him was inherently conflicting right from the start.
Karl hurriedly waved and said, "No way! I¡¯m really fine. I will definitely be there at your wedding! I¡¯m your father, Tanya!"
He broke into a grin and looked at her ingratiatingly.
Tanya snorted at the sight and continued to prepare for the wedding.
However, deep down, she still felt rather uneasy.
She suddenly looked at Karl and asked, "Is something the matter with yourpany?"
In order not to make Tanya worried, Karl and Joel hade together and made up a story. They told Tanya that Karl was the CEO of a listedpany abroad. They did not intend to let her know about all those things in the underworld.
Karl said seriously, "Nothing¡¯s wrong, really! Besides, what can be more important than my daughter¡¯s wedding? Don¡¯t think too much into it! If you don¡¯t want to change the wedding date, then we won¡¯t change it! You can just be in charge of taking good care of your skin and sleeping for the next few days. All you need to do is to turn up like the beautiful bride you are on the day of the wedding!"
Tanya breathed a sigh of relief and uttered an "okay". Then, she continued to fill out the invitations.
Seeing her busying herself with her tasks, Karl sat on the sofa next to her. A gentle smile formed on his rough face.
At this moment, Karl¡¯s phone suddenly vibrated.
When he answered, his expression instantly changed. He stood quietly and walked out.
Nora happened to be taking out bread and milk from the refrigerator at this moment. She was about to eat them when she noticed his reaction. After thinking about it, she followed him out.
Karl had a very serious look on his face. His voice was very low as he said, "No! I can¡¯t leave now! I promised Tanya that I would attend her wedding, so I have to be there! You don¡¯t have to say any more. You guys can go back first. Don¡¯t worry about me!"
He hung up after he said that. When he looked back, he was shocked to see Nora there.
Nora frowned. She looked at Karl steadily and suddenly asked, "Have you met with some kind of trouble?"
Karlughed. "No way. Don¡¯t think too much into it, hahaha~"
After saying that, he walked back into the room. As he did, he sent a message on his cell phone.
As Nora stared at him from the back, she suddenly thought of something. She picked up her cell phone and switched to ck Cat¡¯s ount. Sure enough, she saw a message from Karl: ¡¯SOS! Help, ck Cat!¡¯
Nora replied: ¡¯Juste straight to the point if you have something to say.¡¯
Karl sent another message: ¡¯If something happens to me in the future, please do me a favor.¡¯
Nora¡¯s pupils shrank: ¡¯What is it?¡¯
Karl: ¡¯Protect my daughter, Tanya.¡¯
Nora: "What happened? If you don¡¯t tell me, I¡¯m not going to help you."
Chapter 528: Caught!!!
Chapter 528: Caught!!!
No matter what happened, Nora would always take good care of Tanya.
She had deliberately said that just to force Karl to tell her the truth.
A short whileter, Karl replied: "I trust your character very much, ck Cat, so I¡¯m leaving Tanya to you!"
Nora frowned.
The Assassin Alliance was an illegal organization and most of their crimes weremitted abroad. In addition, the Assassin Alliance was very loyal. Most of themissions that Karl epted were requests for revenge, and he never killed the innocent indiscriminately. This was also the reason why she was willing to stay in the organization.
Karl might seem like a goofball and acted like a gangster, but he was, in fact, an intelligent and meticulous man.
The organization¡¯s assassins had never taken any lives in the country. It stood to reason that they wouldn¡¯t be in any trouble after he returned to the States, so what was going on?
Seeing that Karl was refusing to say anything, Nora decided to call ck Panther.
ck Panther was Karl¡¯s number one assistant. He was also one of the bodyguards who had returned to the States with Karl this time. He was originally not known as ck Panther. After she became famous as ck Cat, ck Panther wanted a name simr to hers, so he had changed his name.
Nora had been speechless at the time.
She wanted to tell him that that wasn¡¯t her real name, but he didn¡¯t really understand their naming conventions. On top of that, he didn¡¯t like studying, so he simply refused to believe her.
In addition, if anyone in the organization called him by his original name and not ck Panther, he would get angry. This led to him really changing his name to ck Panther in the end.
She used a voice changer and asked, "What happened to Karl?"
ck Panther sighed. "It seems like he¡¯s gotten himself into trouble. He didn¡¯t tell me anything about it, and only told us to leave America as soon as possible. But he¡¯s insisting on staying instead..."
Nora frowned and said, "You guys should leave first."
Even ck Panther wasn¡¯t aware of what was going on. Just what had Karl done?
While she was wondering about it, Tanya¡¯s voice came over from the living room. "Nora, hurry up ande with me to try on the wedding dress!"
When Nora walked over, she saw Tanya standing there excitedly. "They worked overtime to alter the wedding dress I chose, so it¡¯s done now. I also customized the bridesmaid¡¯s dress for you. Let¡¯s go and try it on together!"
Nora nced at Karl. Even though he was trying his best to maintain his demeanor, his brows were still locked together, and he kept looking down at his phone time and time again.
When Tanya walked over to the door after grabbing Nora, she suddenly looked back at Karl and asked, "You... Do you want toe with me?"
Go with her?
Karl originally looked anxious, but when he heard her, his eyes lit up and he suddenly smiled and said, "Yes, let¡¯s go together! I want to see you in a wedding dress!"
Tanya looked happy and in good spirits. When she heard his reply, she smiled and said, "Okay. Did you drive here? Joel is heading over from the office, we¡¯re meeting at the bridal shop."
Karl replied, "I did, I did! Let¡¯s go! Dad will take you there!"
The few of them went out together and got into Karl¡¯s car.
While Karl was driving, he put his phone on the stand as a navigator.
Nora and Tanya sat in the backseat.
Tanya was sitting right behind Karl, so she couldn¡¯t see his expression. However, there was some faint excitement on her face. To be honest, there was something she had never mentioned all this time.
She had never had a father in her life. What she was the most envious of was that Hiry had a father who protected her.
She stared at the seat in front of her and suddenly said, "Thank you!"
Karl was taken aback.
Tanya turned and looked out the window. "To be honest, when I was a child, I always wondered about something. When I grow up and get married in the future, what should I do if I didn¡¯t have a father to marry me off? I¡¯d always known that Uncle Jones would never do it on behalf of my father..."
Her words took Karl by surprise.
His jaw tensed up and then, he grinned and said, "Well, now you do, Tanya!"
After saying that, the look in his eyes became firm and resolute.
Tanya smiled. "Yeah."
She felt unprecedented happiness in this instant.
She had found her daughter.
She had found her father.
Her rtionship with Joel had also returned to what it had been in the past...
It seemed like she had no more regrets in life...
She was immersed in the joy of trying on the wedding dress, but Nora¡¯s gaze was fixed on Karl¡¯s phone instead...
Although she was in the backseat, she had good eyesight. She could clearly see the text messages on Karl¡¯s phone.
Beep!
Beep!
Beep!
"..."
He received numerous messages, all of which were messages from ck Panther urging Karl to leave and meet them. The few of them had left to look for a helicopter. This way, they could just fly off.
But after taking a few nces at the phone, Karl instead turned it off.
For some reason, the atmosphere became tense.
Nora took a deep breath. She had almost immediately concluded that Karl was definitely not being pursued by enemies.
After all, as the leader of the Assassin Alliance who had killed so many bad guys, there would eventually be bad guys approaching him for revenge.
There was no way Karl would put Tanya in danger with him.
So, after ruling out that possibility, what exactly was happening to Karl? Just what was about to happen?
While she was thinking about it, the few of them arrived at the bridal shop.
After getting out of the car, Karl followed Tanya into the shop and they went upstairs.
A worker brought the wedding dress over, and Tanya went to try it on. There was also a dedicated makeup artist there to put on some simple makeup for her.
Outside, Joel was looking at a row of suits. While he was picking some out, he suddenly looked at Karl and suggested with a smile, "Dad, why don¡¯t you pick one too? You can wear it at the wedding."
Karl¡¯s gaze swept across the suits when he heard that. In the end, he picked a dark red one. "Tanya¡¯s wedding is a joyous event. I¡¯ll wear this one!"
Joel nodded.
The group of people went to the fitting rooms.
Nora instead became the most leisurely person there.
A short whileter, Karl walked out in a suit. As he neatened his clothes, he seemed a little at a loss, and he didn¡¯t even know where to put his hands. He asked nervously, "Does it look good?"
Nora smiled and replied, "... Yeah, it does."
At this point, the fitting room¡¯s curtains were pulled open. Tanya stood there in a pure white wedding gown. When she saw Karl, she raised her eyebrows in slight surprise. Then, she smiled and stretched out her hand to him.
Seeing how pure and beautiful she was, Karl¡¯s eyes shone brightly. He raised his hand, but when he was about to touch Tanya¡¯s hand, he hurriedly retracted it, took out a piece of tissue from his pocket, and wiped his hands meticulously...
At the sight of how nervous he was, Nora couldn¡¯t help butugh.
Was he really that man who dominated the underworld?
At this moment, her cell phone suddenly rang. When she answered, Morris¡¯ voice came from the other side. He said, "We¡¯ve made one of them talk. He¡¯s confessed! It turns out that the few of them entered the country with someone¡¯s help! We¡¯ve found his aplices!"
His voice gradually merged with reality. Taken aback, Nora asked, "Who is it?"
As soon as the question left her mouth, she heard footstepsing toward her. Then, a few inclothes officers and Morris rushed in. They pointed their guns at Karl and shouted, "Karl Moore, you have been surrounded! Freeze!"
Nora¡¯s head whipped to the side abruptly and she looked at Karl in disbelief.
Karl seemed to have seen thising long ago. His hand, which he had just wiped clean, stayed in mid-air just like that. He hadn¡¯t taken his daughter¡¯s hand yet.
However, he didn¡¯t try to take it anymore.
He merely turned his head to Morris and said calmly, "Don¡¯t be nervous, I won¡¯t resist. Can I change my clothes, though? I shouldn¡¯t ruin the ones I¡¯m wearing right now."
"..."
Chapter 529: Is Karl Really An Accomplice?
Chapter 529: Is Karl Really An Aplice?
Both of Karl¡¯s hands were raised when he spoke.
He stood in between Morris¡¯ gun and Tanya, using his body to block her as if he was afraid that someone would misfire and end up injuring Tanya.
Morris looked at Nora.
Nora nodded slightly at him.
Only then did Morris say, "Change here."
"Okay."
Karl took off his suit and folded it neatly. He wanted to pass it to the worker next to him, but the worker was so scared that he was already squatting next to him with his hands over his head.
He could only pass the clothes to Joel.
Joel was staring at him with a frown. "Dad..."
"It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine."
Karl patted his hand lightly. "It¡¯s just a misunderstanding. I¡¯m fine."
Joel¡¯s jaw tensed up and he looked at Morris. He was about to take a step forward and say something, but Karl stepped in front of him and stopped him. He shook his head. Then, without daring to look at Tanya, he said in a low voice, "Take good care of Tanya and Mia."
After saying that, he reached into his pocket.
"Freeze!"
A inclothes officer yelled warily at him.
Karl immediately raised his hand. He looked at the few men again and said gently, "Don¡¯t get worked up, don¡¯t get worked up... I told you, I won¡¯t resist. I¡¯m just taking out something."
Morris nodded again.
Karl took out a bank card from his pocket and handed it to Joel.
Joel was surprised. "This is?"
Karl smiled. "My wedding gift for the two of you."
After saying that, he held his hands over his head and walked towards Morris step by step. Before he reached them, Tanya suddenly asked, "You... What¡¯s the matter?"
Karl looked back at her. He was still smiling and his voice wasforting. "I¡¯m fine, I really am. Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s just a small matter. You don¡¯t have to worry. Just rest assured and prepare for the wedding. I will try my best toe back on your wedding day. I promised that I will personally marry you off."
Tanya¡¯s eyes were red.
Dressed in the pure white wedding gown, she looked holy and clean. The sight made Karl smile.
Morris put away his gun at this point. He took a step forward, took out his handcuffs, and handcuffed Karl¡¯s wrists. Only then did everyone else rx.
To be honest, when they discovered that Karl was the aplice, everyone had been very nervous.
Logically speaking, it should have been very hard for them to catch a big boss like him.
Besides, from the day before to this current point in time, he actually had sufficient time to escape, but he hadn¡¯t.
Everyone had thought that they would be in for a fierce battle, but it didn¡¯t happen.
Karl had surrendered just like that?
Everyone looked at one another, still somewhat in disbelief.
Even when Karl was brought into the car downstairs, everyone still felt that things had progressed too easily.
¡ª
In the bridal shop, it was only after Morris left with his men that Tanya seemed to finally recover. She stared straight at Joel and asked with a trembling voice, "He... Will he be okay...?"
Karl and Joel had lied to her that Karl was a businessman, but Tanya was no fool. How would she possibly not sense the gangster-like aura around Karl and his men?
Joel held her hand. "Let¡¯s go home first. I will find out what is going on!"
Tanya nodded.
When the two were talking, Nora had already left the shop. She followed after Morris. After they went downstairs, a few people escorted Karl into the car.
Nora looked at Morris. "Are you sure it¡¯s him? As far as I know, Karl never involves himself with domestic affairs."
Morris nodded. "We have already looked into it. When Karl came back to the States, he had indeed returned with the group of them. It is said that they were also the ones who arranged for Trueman Yale¡¯s departure. That¡¯s why we didn¡¯t notice anything."
Trueman had left the country silently. No one knew where he had gone.
This incident was indeed beyond Nora¡¯s expectations.
But if Karl was the one who had done it, then everything would make sense.
Sending a person out of the country was something that couldn¡¯t be any easier for the Assassin Alliance.
She frowned and looked inside the car again. No matter how she looked at it, Karl didn¡¯t seem to her like someone who would be connected to the mysterious organization.
Seeing how concerned she looked, Morris said, "We are just asking Mr. Moore back with us to aid in our investigations. Once I have any news, I will let you know."
Nora nodded.
However, she knew that Karl had most likely done it.
Without sufficient evidence, Morris and the others would never ask him to go with them at gunpoint just to cooperate with the investigation.
After Karl got into the car and was taken away, Nora picked up the phone and dialed ck Panther¡¯s number again.
ck Panther answered very quickly. "What¡¯s the matter, ck Cat?"
Nora asked, "Did you guys bring a few outsiders into the country when you came to America?"
ck Panther was surprised. Then, he asked, "Is it because of them that Boss is suddenly in trouble?"
Nora¡¯s heart sank.
Instead of answering her question, ck Panther had instead asked her a question of his own. However, his response had indeed answered her first question.
Her jaw tensed up and she slowly asked, "What exactly is going on?"
ck Panther sounded very anxious. "I knew something would go wrong! When Boss suddenly said that he wanted toe back to the country and have a look, I already felt like something wasn¡¯t right. Then, he said that he was here to look for you, so I didn¡¯t think much about it. But unexpectedly, when we were departing, I discovered that he had brought a few people with him. Those people didn¡¯t look like good news to me, so I tried to persuade him not to do it, but Boss didn¡¯t listen to me. He even told me not to be nosy, and said that it had nothing to do with me! But look, something has happened! Just who exactly are those people?"
Nora couldn¡¯t disclose the special department¡¯s information, so she didn¡¯t answer him. Instead, she asked coldly, "When did the Assassin Alliance start taking gigs like this?"
ck Panther obviously sounded a little guilty. He replied, "That¡¯s what I thought, too. Our organization isn¡¯tcking money. It was indeed too rash of Boss to take the job! What should we do now? The few of us wille back at once and save Boss!"
Nora stopped him at once. "This is the United States, it¡¯s not a ce where you guys can mess around! Go back and wait for news from me!"
With Karl arrested, ck Cat naturally became the leader of the Assassin Alliance. ck Panther was full of admiration for her, so he immediately replied, "Understood."
After hanging up, Nora thought for a while and told Joel and Tanya to go home for now. As for herself, she drove to the special department, intending to have a good chat with Karl.
When she arrived at the special department, Morris was already done interrogating him. When he saw Nora, he kept silent for a while before he said, "He has confessed."
Nora: "?"
She walked straight to the interrogation room. When she opened the door, she saw Karl sitting there.
Nora sat opposite him and asked directly, "Uncle Karl, if you want to attend Tanya¡¯s wedding, then tell me, where is Trueman Yale?"
Chapter 530: Jill’s Secret!
Chapter 530: Jill¡¯s Secret!
When he heard her, Karl looked at Nora and asked, "If I say that I don¡¯t know, will you believe me?"
Nora was taken aback. "Why wouldn¡¯t you know?"
Karl sighed. "I really don¡¯t know how he left the country. I am only responsible for bringing them into the United States! Moreover, after we arrived in the country, we went our separate ways. I didn¡¯t involve myself with them after that."
Nora frowned.
She¡¯d originally wanted to give Karl a chance to redeem himself, but with the way he was putting it, it really was Karl who had brought them into the country?
She broke into a frown.
Karl said, "It is indeed my fault for forging their documents and bringing them in and out of the country illegally. I am willing to be punished for it. You guys can decide the sentence!"
These were small charges, so he would probably be sentenced to jail for three to four years.
Seeing Karl confessing to his crimes so readily, Nora couldn¡¯t help asking, "As far as I know, the Assassin Alliance never takes such jobs. Why did you take the job?"
Karl sat on the chair casually. His big and muscr body on the tiny chair made the chair look as if it would copse any moment.
He rolled up his sleeves, revealing the tattoos on his arm. He was the very picture of a delinquent from the underworld.
He grinned. "Why else could it be? Because they offered a lot of money, that¡¯s why!"
Money...
Before Nora could say anything, Morris had already spoken. He said, "Mr. Moore, as far as I know, they only gave you 1.5 million dors to enter the country. Others may be tempted by this amount of money, but considering how you are worth a few hundred million dors, surely you won¡¯t be interested in the job, right? I hope you can cooperate with our investigation! You have to give us a logical reason! Otherwise, we have reason to believe that you are in cahoots with the mysterious organization!"
Morris¡¯ suspicions were well-founded, and even Nora couldn¡¯t refute him.
Karl sighed. "It really was for the sake of money! People like us don¡¯t have any boundaries for what we do. What¡¯s bringing a few people back to the country when we are used to even murder? You think a few hundred million dors is a lot of money? That money is slowly umted from several million-dor jobs! I¡¯ll say this, though¡ªI have never killed anyone in the United States, so you have no right to arrest me because of this!"
He spoke clearly and logically and was totally a wily old fox.
Nora looked at him, her jaw tensed up.
She knew that Karl wasn¡¯t telling the truth.
In the eyes of outsiders, the Assassin Alliance was indeed an underworld organization. As long as one offered them money, they would take themission and do the killing.
However, she knew that the Assassin Alliance had boundaries!
Besides, there was an unwritten rule in the Assassin Alliance, and that was¡ªthey were not allowed to kill Americans! Because they didn¡¯t want to leave behind criminal records in the States.
This rule was set by Karl, which went to show that the man had feelings for the country.
In fact, one could even say that Karl might have already made up his mind to retire in the States.
Yet he was suddenly saying that he was willing to do anything for money. She didn¡¯t believe him at all!
Before returning to the States, Karl waspletely unaware that he had a daughter. In the organization, he often advised others: "It¡¯s enough to just have enough to spend. Don¡¯t get too caught up in greed!"
Besides, even ck Panther could tell that those people were problematic. Would he not be able to see it?
Something was definitely wrong here!
Nora stood up suddenly, nodded to Morris, and left the interrogation room.
Since Karl refused to say anything, then she would investigate this herself!
She didn¡¯t believe that there was anything in this world that Q and ck Cat wouldn¡¯t be able to resolve!
¡ª
Nora went straight back to the Smiths¡¯.
She was originally nning to go upstairs to do something, but when she was parking, she unexpectedly found an outsider¡¯s car in the parking lot.
Puzzled, she walked into the living room. Before she even got close to the living room, she heard Jill¡¯s voiceing from the room. "I knew he was a bad person. He was already covered in tattoos when he was young. It was obvious from a nce that he wasn¡¯t a reliable man, but I didn¡¯t expect him to be such a vicious criminal! Now that he has been arrested, hah, he really deserves it! What goes aroundes around! He has to pay the price for killing so many people! The way I see it, he can forget about ever getting out of prison!"
The things she said were extremely awful.
Tanya sneered, "No one knows or can be sure what the truth is, or why they arrested Dad! I don¡¯t need you to talk nonsense here!"
"Talking nonsense?" Jill¡¯s voice instantly rose. "Tanya, do you have a conscience or not? Are you still calling a murderer like him your father?! If I were you, I would never acknowledge him!"
Nora frowned.
She was about to enter the living room when Hiry¡¯s father, aka Jill¡¯s current husband, said, "Tanya, don¡¯t hold it against your mother for saying such awful things. We rushed over as soon as we heard the news. If even a small family like the Joneses have heard about the incident, then I¡¯m afraid all of New York probably knows by now? With a father like him, even if you don¡¯t mind, won¡¯t Mr. Smith mind? The Smiths have a reputation to uphold! What¡¯s more, Mr. Smith¡¯s and your wedding is in two days.
Surely you need someone to give your hand away at the wedding, right?! That¡¯s why we are here... Your mother is ultimately still your mother, how can she just stand by idly and watch you be married without someone to give your hand away? We¡¯ve already discussed this between the two of us. Since you grew up with the Joneses, why don¡¯t you get married as a Jones instead?"
Nora was infuriated. She pushed open the door, but she immediately heard Tanya sneer, "Mr. Jones, Mrs. Jones. I am not worthy of your kindness. Please leave!"
After saying that, Tanya immediately ordered the butler, "See the guests out!
The butler came in. "Mr. Jones, Mrs. Jones. This way please!"
Mr. Jones got up. However, Jill shouted at Tanya angrily, "Tanya, you¡¯re mistaking a good man for a bad one! Our suggestion is all for your own good! Yet you¡¯re not appreciative of our gesture?"
Tanya didn¡¯t have the time to talk to them. She was terribly troubled at the moment.
When she didn¡¯t speak, the butler said aggressively, "Mrs. Jones, if you refuse to leave, then I will have to call security!"
"Don¡¯t touch me, I can leave by myself!" Jill red at Tanya. Suddenly, she said, "By the way, don¡¯t the Smiths have a real estate project that they are looking to partner up for? You can approach the Yeet Enterprise. Remember to tell Joel this."
Tanya: "?"
She found what she said ridiculous. "Why should I?"
Jill was also sneering. "Because I took $300,000 from them! I¡¯m your mother! Even if you¡¯re dead, you have no choice but to acknowledge it! Since I¡¯ve taken the money, you, as my daughter, have to get things done! I¡¯ve already written them an IOU! If you don¡¯t get Joel to work with them, then they wille to you for money!"
After saying something so shameless, Jill sneered again, "You¡¯d best think carefully about what a father like that will bring you! The Joneses are at least innocent and have never broken thew! I¡¯d advise you to think about this carefully."
Tanya was really very tired. She stared at Jill and suddenly asked, "Why are you treating me like this?"
"Why?"
Jill suddenly became furious. She pointed at her and ranted, "You caused Hiry¡¯s death, so you owe us all of this! You have to back Uncle Jones and let him support the Joneses! Otherwise, for as long as you¡¯re alive, I, your mother, will never stop harassing you and making life difficult for you! Now that that goddamn Karl isn¡¯t here anymore, I shall see what else you people can do about me!"
No matter what, her parents were the ones who had given her life.
Jill was her mother, so she and Joel couldn¡¯t really kill her.
Previously, Jill hadn¡¯te over to make a scene anymore because Karl had intimidated her. But now that Karl had been arrested, Jill immediately saw hope again.
"Get lost!"
Tanya yelled at her.
Jill slowly walked toward the exit. "Don¡¯t forget what I told you and remember to tell my fantastic son-inw that! Also, remember to let me know when Karl¡¯s sentence is passed... Hahaha!"
Tanya was so furious that her chest was heaving up and down.
Nora lowered her eyes. She stepped forward and bumped into Jill, who was about to leave!
After the collision, she stepped aside and raised her eyebrows at Jill.
Jill cursed furiously, "Are you blind?"
But when she saw Nora, she swallowed back down the curses at the tip of her tongue. She merely muttered "Tsk, what bad luck" under her breath and went out with Mr. Jones.
Nora looked at them from the back with a cold look in her eyes.
Then, she took out a miniature earphone and put it in her ear.
Just now, when she made contact with Jill, she had nted a virus into her cell phone. Her cell phone was now Nora¡¯s listening device!
She wanted to hear what the two people would say after they left.
Jill¡¯spletely different attitudes towards her two daughters, Hiry and Tanya, puzzled her. If a mother could love her daughter to the point of how she coddled and spoiled Hiry, then how could she possibly be so indifferent and hostile to her other daughter?
Something she was unaware of must have happened back then! No matter how substantial the reasons that Jill had previously given were, she didn¡¯t believe it one bit!
She turned on Jill¡¯s cell phone and eavesdropped on the couple¡¯s conversation after they left the Smiths.
Chapter 531: Back Then!
Chapter 531: Back Then!
The two of them likely had only just gotten into the car and left. Only their breathing and the sound of the car starting and moving could be heard at the moment. For a while, neither of them spoke.
Nora looked upstairs while she listened in on them¡ªTanya was holding her head and she looked worried and anxious.
Nora looked around and asked, "Where¡¯s Joel?"
"He went to ask Dad what happened." Tanya raised her head nkly and looked at Nora. She asked in a puzzled manner, "Nora, my father... Is he really a bad guy?"
Nora¡¯s jaw tensed up. She looked at Tanya and sighed. "There are no so-called good guys or bad guys in this world... Neither is there true good or evil..."
When she was a child, she had abhorred evil.
But as she grew up and came into contact with more and more things, her many identities also came into contact with a lot of people. Only then did she graduallye to understand.
In this world, no one was strictly evil or good.
Take, for example, Jill. She was aplete viin from head to toe for others, but to Hiry, she was a good mother.
And take, for example, Karl... He indeed had a lot of blood on his hands and also looked fierce and menacing, but in Nora¡¯s eyes, a man like him was instead likable.
Tanya, who didn¡¯t get the answer she wanted, hung her head once more.
After a while, thendline at home suddenly rang. The nanny picked up the call, upon which she looked at Tanya and said, "It¡¯s Mdm. Sue."
Tanya frowned.
It was Sue from the ancestral home again.
Before she could say anything, Nora went downstairs and answered the phone. As soon as she said "hello", Sue said, "Tanya, has your father really been arrested? Oh my, is a scary man like him finally going to be brought to justice? How delightful! He even fired at us the other time. Heh, does he think he can just shoot at others so casually? He¡¯s such a boor!"
Nora couldn¡¯t bring herself to listen any further, so she went straight to the point and asked, "What exactly do you want?"
It was only then that Sue realized that it was Nora on the phone. Surprised, she said, "Nora? Well, all the better if it¡¯s you on the phone. I¡¯ll tell you this, Karl Moore is a huge viin. Now that he has been arrested, they definitely won¡¯t let him out anymore. We¡¯ve already asked around; it¡¯s said that hemitted murder. Tell Joel to hurry and divorce Tanya! This is also what your granduncle wants. The Smiths mustn¡¯t have a murderer¡¯s daughter as a daughter-inw! It would be horrible if news of this were to spread!"
Nora frowned and sneered, "Are you a police officer?"
Sue choked. "Huh? Of course not!"
Nora said, "Oh, it¡¯s fortunate that you¡¯re not. Otherwise, there would have been so many cases of injustice in the world!"
"..."
Despite being dissed, Sue didn¡¯t get angry. She said, "Oh Nora, I know you¡¯re on good terms with Tanya, but just giving her a bit of money in private will suffice. Someone like her is not suitable to be the matriarch of the Smiths! News of the incident has already spread in New York! There are even people saying that Jill was right to leave Karl Moore back then and that Tanya is regarding a bad man as her kin! She should be repaying the Joneses for their kindness! How can she abandon the Joneses just because she has climbed up the socialdder? Isn¡¯t a woman like her too cold-blooded? She¡¯s so ungrateful!"
"... I¡¯m hanging up," said Nora.
As soon as she said that, Sue said anxiously, "Wait, don¡¯t hang up just yet! I¡¯m talking business here. Do you know who spread all this news? It¡¯s Jill! She deliberately spread the news everywhere until the whole city was talking about it. Think about it, even if Tanya does be the matriarch of the Smiths, is there anyone in New York who would respect an ingrate like her?"
Smack!
Nora hung up huffily.
As soon as something happened to Karl, an all too eager Jill had immediately started dragging Tanya¡¯s name through the mud. She was too much!
She lowered her gaze. Right at this moment, she finally heard Jill and her husband¡¯s conversation in the earphone!
Mr. Jones said, "Don¡¯t fall out with her like that. Doing that will not benefit anyone! Can¡¯t you take a softer attitude with Tanya?"
Jill¡¯s voice was very shrill. "Why should I? I feel like killing that little bitch the moment I see her face!"
"That¡¯s enough! You have to change that attitude of yours!"
Jill sneered, "Hah, you weren¡¯t the one in pain and suffering during that incident back then, of course you wouldn¡¯t mind! But I do!"
"Back then, back then... That¡¯s all you keep talking about. Why are you bringing up all those things from back then again? Don¡¯t talk about it anymore. Aren¡¯t you afraid that Mr. Smith wille to know of it?"
"What are you so scared of? We¡¯re in our car right now! You have never wanted to talk about it all these years. Since you refuse to let me talk about it, all the more I will do so! Back then..."
Chapter 532: Nora’s Methods!
Chapter 532: Nora¡¯s Methods!
The couple¡¯s voices traveled through the earphone, their conversation taking Nora by surprise.
Through their argument, she slowly learned the truth of what had happened back then.
She was utterly stunned.
One could say that she had experienced a lot over the years, but even so, she never would have expected a viin like Jill to really exist in this world!
Her jaw tensed up and her brows locked together into a tight frown.
Lily came back at this point.
A guest room had been prepared for Lily all this time. Every once in a while, she woulde back, take a day off, and rest. After all, she was terribly busy at the moment. Not only did she have to take care of Old Maddy, but she also had to take care of Quentin.
She stretched and entered the house. After stepping into the house, she looked at Nora and said, "Anti, long time no see."
Nora stared at her. Suddenly, she pulled off her earphone, coughed, and asked "Lily, are you busy?"
Lily: "??"
She slowly looked at Nora and then, the corners of her lips spasmed. She said, "Boss, you must be the most exploitative capitalist in the whole country."
She really was back just to rest for a day!
On top of that, this was the only day she hade back this whole week.
Nora, however, got onto her feet. She took out the hair that she had pre-packed¡ªneedless to say, she had plucked those strands of hair off Jill¡¯s head when she collided with her just now. The hair follicles were still attached.
Lily: "!!!"
The corners of her lips spasmed, and she felt like she was close to getting ustomed to it by now. She asked, "Whose DNA are you going to check this time?"
"Jill and Tanya¡¯s," replied Nora.
"... Got it."
They had done DNA tests for Tanya quite a few times by then. Lily already had records of her data, so she didn¡¯t need any more samples. She took the samples from Nora and headed to the door dejectedly. As she did, she said, "Boss, you really have to give me a pay raise."
"..."
After watching Lily leave, Nora turned and went upstairs.
Joel came back at dinnertime in the evening. With a big frown on his face, he looked at Tanya and said, "I¡¯ve gotten someone to ask around. Dad didn¡¯t do anything serious, so he will probably be out after two or three years of jail at most..."
Tanya breathed a sigh of relief.
Two to three years of jail for a bad man really wasn¡¯t that long.
Tanya had actually been worried that Karl would be imprisoned for life. She looked at Joel and said, "If you can pass him a message, tell him that I will wait for him outside, and will provide for him in his old age."
Joel nodded.
Nora, who was seated at the side, listened to them, feeling that Joel was indeed rather capable.
The special department¡¯s matters were handled with a very high level of confidentiality. On top of that, Morris was a tough nut to crack, no matter what kind of attitude one took with him. It was extremely difficult for one to find out what was going on within the department.
Yet Joel had found out after running here and there for an afternoon.
This showed that the special department wasn¡¯t entirely imprable.
Next to them, Warren and Maureen were eating with their heads down. Perhaps because of Karl¡¯s incident in the afternoon, the couple¡ªwho were usually the ones livening up the atmosphere at home¡ªdidn¡¯t speak.
But if one were to look at them closely, they would see that Maureen had a furious look on her face while Warren was smiling ingratiatingly at her. Maureen, however, had turned away and was ignoring him.
Nora was preupied with thoughts of Jill and Tanya¡¯s DNA test because she wanted to verify the truth of what they had said in the car, so she didn¡¯t notice that there was something wrong with the couple.
After dinner, Joel suddenly looked at Tanya and said, "When I was getting someone to ask around about Dad today, I actually met him."
Tanya was taken aback.
Joel kept quiet for a while before he sighed and said, "He wants you to carry on with the wedding as nned, and is asking us not to dy the wedding because of him."
Tanya bit her lip and lowered her head. "He¡¯s thinking too much. Why would we cancel the wedding because of him?"
Nora nced at Tanya.
She knew that her best friend was being verbally stubborn again. She had heard Tanya call the hotel this afternoon to cancel the wedding banquet... When the hotel told her that the deposit was non-refundable, she had even snapped at them impatiently and said that they needn¡¯t refund her then.
But...
"The wedding should indeed carry on as nned," said Maureen suddenly. She still sounded a little stiff, but one could faintly hear the concern in her voice. She said, "For some reason, news of what happened to Tanya has been spread everywhere and the city is abuzz with rumors. My family even called to ask about it today. If the wedding is canceled, those unaware of what¡¯s going on will think that Joel has be unhappy with Tanya. Also... there are already a lot of people specting that the wedding will be canceled."
The things that those people said had sounded way worse, actually.
"... The Smiths will never ept a murderer¡¯s daughter. I even heard that her father is an underworld figure. Jill had been forced into a rtionship with him back then, and he even forced himself on her... He¡¯s even a rapist! How scary! It¡¯s fortunate that he has been arrested!"
"Heh, like father like daughter. Tanya is his daughter, so she¡¯s not going to be anything good either. If I had a father like him, I would be too ashamed to marry Mr. Smith!"
"Wait for it. The Smiths will definitelye up with some kind of excuse to cancel the wedding. After all, if they hold such avish wedding now, it will look really bad when they divorce in the future."
"..."
There were all sorts of spections, and Maureen¡¯s family had ryed them all to her.
Tanya would be living in New York as Mrs. Smith in the future. She couldn¡¯t possibly be like Justin¡¯s mother and lock herself up in a vi in the suburbs all day, never going out or socializing for the rest of her life.
As long as she had to socialize, she would have toe into contact with others. And as long as she came into contact with others, disputes would inevitably happen.
Therefore, they mustn¡¯t let Tanya be looked down upon!
Upon hearing what Maureen said, the few of them got together and discussed the issue. In the end, they decided that the wedding would continue as nned!
The worried Tanya and Joel went upstairs. Maureen also went upstairs with Warren, one behind the other, leaving only Nora who walked up the stairs slowly.
Upstairs.
Nora sat on the sofa, her hands flying about on the keyboard at high speed.
She now understood what was going on with Jill. However, she had to figure out the truth about Karl too!
She intended to investigate what exactly had happened when Karl left New York back then...
Seeing Nora hard at work, Pete, who was lying on the bed, sent a message to the tyrant: "Something has happened at home. This is a good chance for you to impress Mommy, why aren¡¯t you here? You¡¯re so useless!"
Pete frowned and heaved a huge sigh. He was simply so mentally exhausted!
In order to let the family of four reunite, he was shouldering too many responsibilities all by himself!
The tyrant was usually so smart, yet he wasn¡¯t making use of such a great opportunity to impress Mommy?
With her cell phone in hand, Nora hacked into a certain system.
To be honest, she already had a vague guess deep down and was just here to verify it. But unexpectedly... the moment she hacked into the system, she was obstructed by a master hacker!
The two of them went back and forth. Even after a few rounds of fighting, neither of them could beat the other. However, perhaps because the other party was part of the public security system and thus held an advantage on their home turf, Nora was temporarily at a disadvantage.
The other party opened a chat channel and asked straightforwardly: ¡¯Who are you?¡¯
Nora: "?"
She thought for a moment and replied: ¡¯I am Y.¡¯
Y was Justin anyway. Surely he wouldn¡¯t hold it against her if she borrowed his name, right? After all, Justin was very powerful in the country, whereas her identity as Q had already been exposed in front of quite a few people.
After sending the message, she asked: ¡¯Who are you?¡¯
The other party kept quiet for a long while before they finally replied: ¡¯Oh, I am Q.¡¯
Nora: "???"
Chapter 533: Jill’s True Colors!
Chapter 533: Jill¡¯s True Colors!
Nora stared at the screen for a while before she suddenly realized something.
Well, that made sense. Out of the few known hackers in the world, who else besides Y couldpete with her for a few rounds?
Justin hadn¡¯t showed up the whole day even after learning what happened to Karl. As it turned out, he had the same suspicions as her, so he was also hacking into the system in the middle of the night?
The corners of Nora¡¯s lips spasmed.
Just because Justin hacked into the system first, she had thought that he was someone from the other side.
The corners of her lips spasmed again. Her phone rang at this point and then Justin¡¯s low and deep voice came from the other side. "Are you nning to make me take the rap again?"
Nora thought back to when the two of them had first met. Every time she did something with one of her identities, upon being discovered, everyone would think that it was Justin who had helped her. She didn¡¯t want to reveal her identity at that time, so she hadn¡¯t refuted it.
However, the two of them weren¡¯t familiar with each other yet at that time. She had even felt a little embarrassed having him take the me.
As for now... Had she already be so used to it?
Nora coughed and changed the subject. "What did you find?"
Justin, who had sensed her intentions, let out a low chuckle. Hisugh reached her ear through the phone, making her feel as if she was about to have an eargasm.
Justin slowly said, "I discovered that there isn¡¯t any information about Karl in the system!"
A surprised Nora subconsciously replied, "Something¡¯s off."
As she spoke, Justin stopped obstructing her and Nora entered the system too.
When Karl went to Switzend more than twenty years ago, he had actually sneaked into the country illegally. Therefore, there definitely wouldn¡¯t be any record of him purchasing air tickets or leaving the country.
However, before he entered the country illegally, Karl had been a gangster in New York. At that time, when he was dating Tanya¡¯s mother, he hadmitted a crime and ended up being arrested. That was why he had broken off contact with Tanya¡¯s mother.
So, how could he not have any criminal record in the police station?
The fact that there wasn¡¯t anything was, in fact, the biggest problem of all!
Justin said, "I¡¯ve already checked for more than three hours. He indeed doesn¡¯t have any criminal record."
Nora took a deep breath. "I see."
She exited the system.
There were only two possible reasons for Karl¡¯sck of criminal record in the system. The first was that Karl himself had engaged a hacker to infiltrate the system and delete his records after he made a name for himself.
After all, he was part of the Assassin Alliance abroad. The less others knew about him, the better it was.
Of course, there was also the second possibility¡ªhis records had been transferred away, so they weren¡¯t on the Inte.
But why had they been transferred away?
This was what Nora had to investigate next.
She said to the phone, "I¡¯m hanging up."
She nned to go to the special department to interrogate Karl again the next day.
But unexpectedly, when she said that, Justin quickly replied, "You¡¯re so heartless."
There was a bit of resentment in his voice.
"... What?"
Justin sighed. "You throw me away once you¡¯re done using me. Are you already denying doing anything with me when you haven¡¯t even pulled your pants back up?"
Nora: "??"
She hadn¡¯t done anything with him at all!
Nora hung up straight away.
Her cheeks were a little red.
What kind of nonsense was that man spouting? What pants didn¡¯t she pull back up?!
Elsewhere at the Hunts¡¯.
Justin, who had been busy for more than four hours, came up empty-handed. However, theputer made the corners of his lips curl upward into a smile in the end.
He shook his head and went to bed.
After hey down, he fell asleep very soon.
He couldn¡¯t tell if it was because he had talked about pulling up one¡¯s pants with Nora, but he had an unexpected dream that night.
In the dream, it seemed like someone had drugged him and knocked him out, it was six years ago.
While he was half-awake, he¡¯d had his way with a woman... The woman was very fat and very soft... In his daze, he seemed to have seen a pair of almond-shaped eyes.
"Huff!"
Justin¡¯s eyes suddenly flew open and he stared at the ceiling.
To be honest, he couldn¡¯t remember a thing about how he had been drugged and knocked out, or how his sperm had been retrieved six years ago. Throughout all these years, that was the sole night he had no memory of.
But the dream from the previous night was too real.
It felt so real it was as if he had actually experienced it... Looking back at it now, it seemed like the memory of that night back then was graduallying back to him.
¡ª
¡ª
The next day.
After she woke up, Nora originally nned to head to the special department to ask Karl what exactly was going on with his criminal record. However, the moment she went downstairs, she instead saw peopleing and going in the living room, which was filled with people.
Tanya was sitting on the sofa and looking at these people with a numb look on her face.
As for Maureen, she was busy greeting the wealthydies visiting them.
Most of them were here to ask if the wedding would still be held. When they heard that it would be, they started to give her wedding gifts in the pretense of friendship.
Maureen found someone to make a note of the gifts and their senders, so that Tanya could return the favorter.
Seeing how troublesome the situation was, Nora frowned.
She suddenly didn¡¯t feel like having a wedding anymore. How boring must it be to just sit and wait on the sofa? If she had that much spare time, she might as well just go to bed instead!
But it seemed like she was thinking too much. She didn¡¯t have many friends in the States anyway.
It was different for Tanya, who grew up in New York, after all...
With that in mind, Nora went down the stairs and up to Tanya. She said teasingly, "To think you said that you didn¡¯t have any friends. Does this look like you don¡¯t have any friends?"
"... Do you even remember your kindergarten ssmates?"
Nora: "?"
Tanya smiled wryly and said, "I really don¡¯t have any impression of them. These people even said that they danced with me when we were children! How would I possibly remember anyone from when I was five or six?!"
Nora instantly understood.
These people were here to ingratiate themselves with the Smiths in the name of being good friends with Tanya!
The corners of Nora¡¯s lips spasmed.
At this point, the butler hurriedly walked in and said, "Ms. Nora, Mdm. Tanya, this is terrible! Mrs. Jones is here again! She¡¯s crying at the door because we refuse to let her in..."
Nora and Tanya looked at each other.
The butler sighed. "We do want to drive her away, but with so many peopleing and going today, it won¡¯t reflect well on us if people were to notice. How should I handle this?"
Nora sneered.
She was originally nning to find an opportunity to spill the beans about Jill and Mr. Jones¡¯ conversation in the car. With Jill rushing over to court death now, this was undoubtedly a great opportunity!
She sent Lily a message straightaway: ¡¯Have you brought the DNA report back?¡¯
Lily responded very quickly: "I¡¯m on the way."
When Nora saw her reply, she stood and raised her almond-shaped eyes, making her seem like someone who took swift and resolute action. She walked out of the house slowly and said, "Then let¡¯s go and meet her."
Tanya originally didn¡¯t want to, but Nora was already walking out of the house, so she could only follow behind.
As soon as the two went out, they saw Jill sitting on a big rock outside the gate to the Smiths¡¯ manor. She was wiping her tears with a handkerchief.
Next to her, someone was passing by and asked, "Mrs. Jones, are you crying because you can¡¯t bear to part with your daughter, who will be married soon?"
Jill heaved a huge sigh. "Of course. I gave birth to her after all. No matter how badly I treat her, she was once part of my body..."
When Hiry and Tanya were embroiled in awsuit, Jill and Tanya had fallen out very badly. To be honest, everyone knew that the rtionship between the mother and daughter was not good.
So, what was Jill here to show off about?
A lot of people hade to the Smiths¡¯ to deliver gifts today. More than a dozendies had slowly gathered around Jill by now. Including their chauffeurs, assistants, and servants who hade with them, there were nearly thirty people surrounding Jill at the moment.
Jill stood there and wept. "My life is so hard. What could I do after those things happened and I became pregnant with that murderer¡¯s child back then? Being young and kind, I could only give birth to the child... It¡¯s true that I didn¡¯t treat her well, but she is the child of a murderer and even a rapist! I can¡¯t help but think of her father whenever I see her. How could have I treated her well? Sob..."
As soon as she started weeping, the unsuspecting people around her immediately realized something.
"As it turns out, there is actually more to it than it seems!"
"It¡¯s no wonder Jill treats Tanya so badly, then. If you look at how she treats Hiry, she¡¯s actually not a wicked mother. To be honest, if I were her, I might not have been able to even keep the child."
"Me too... Come to think of it, I even scolded Jill for treating her daughter badly back then. But if that¡¯s the case, then her actions are indeed forgivable!"
"She has already done pretty well by giving birth to Tanya and giving her life! After that, she even raised her and didn¡¯t kill her... Come to think of it, Tanya should really thank her."
"I wasn¡¯t understanding towards her previously. They are both her daughters, so how could she treat them so differently? Whenever I visited the Joneses when I was young, she had never really treated Tanya well. But now, I suddenly understand why she did that."
"..."
Everyone passedments one after another.
Jill wept even more miserably. "Yes, I was really hesitant back then. I didn¡¯t want to give birth to her, but in the end, I still couldn¡¯t bear to abandon a tiny little life, so I gave birth to her!"
She looked at Tanya, who hade out. She cried and shouted, "Tanya, I know I was wrong. All of this is my fault. I misced my resentment towards your father on you. Can you forgive me?"
As soon as she said that, everyone looked at Tanya.
"Ms. Turner, why don¡¯t you forgive her?"
"Yeah. In a situation like this, if you still don¡¯t forgive her, then you¡¯ll be the one at fault!"
"She didn¡¯t mean it..."
Lily¡¯s car arrived at the gate at this point.
Chapter 534: Trying To Take Advantage of The Smiths? Are You Worthy?
Chapter 534: Trying To Take Advantage of The Smiths? Are You Worthy?
Lily¡¯s car couldn¡¯t enter because the gates werepletely blocked.
She could only park the car at the roadside. With the DNA test report in hand, she walked around the crowd and strode towards Nora.
Nora was still standing at the side and watching. After receiving Lily¡¯s report, the corners of her lips curled upward slightly¡ªit was just as she had expected!
However, she didn¡¯t immediately step forward to say anything. Instead, she continued to observe the situation with a look in her eyes that seemed as though she had the whole situation under control.
Lily whispered, "Anti, can I finally..."
She stretched out two fingers, made a gesture as if a little figure was walking, and asked happily, "... go to bed now?"
"... Go ahead," replied Nora.
"Whew!"
Lily breathed a sigh of relief and took two steps toward the porch. But she had only taken two steps when her phone rang. No one knew what the person on the other side said, but Lily¡¯s expression suddenly changed. She messed up her hair irritably and shouted angrily, "Shit!"
Then, she turned andined to Nora with her cell phone in hand. "Quentin simply refuses to relieve himself without me. I ultimately am not fated to have any rest."
Nora: "?"
She asked hesitantly, "Didn¡¯t you hire several caregivers for him?"
When Lily heard this, she became even angrier. Lily, who had initially teased Quentin and infuriated him every day in the hospital, looked utterly helpless in this instant. She said, "In the beginning, I wanted to tease him, so I helped him with it every time. He was shy at first, but he eventually got used to it. When I got someone else to do it, he keptining that he can¡¯t do it with anyone else now, so he keeps holding it in!"
Nora: "..."
Lily nced at her. "Can I hook Quentin up to a urinary catheter and drainage bag?"
"..."
Nora nced at her and quietly replied, "No."
Quentin had very strong self-esteem. If they hooked him up to a drainage bag, it would probably scar him mentally. He was someone who liked to show off and bask in the limelight. Nora really didn¡¯t want to make him feel like he was handicapped.
Lily was also just joking. Different patients must be treated differently. Besides, Quentin was really very handsome and she liked his looks very much, so she would just let it be.
She shrugged. Then, she squeezed her way out of the crowd that she had only just squeezed past toe in, and drove off.
As Nora looked at her from the back, she couldn¡¯t help but touch her nose. Should she give Lily another pay raise? Look at how tired she was making the child.
While she was talking to Lily, she didn¡¯t forget about Tanya, of course.
After Lily left, she looked at Jill again.
There was a ring of people around Jill. All of them were marrieddies who hade to give Tanya wedding gifts. Some of them were afraid of getting involved and didn¡¯t want to offend Tanya, but most of them were mothers who didn¡¯t agree with Tanya¡¯s behavior. They came forward tofort Jill.
"Alright, alright. No matter what, it¡¯s all over. The murderer has also been thrown into jail, so no one will harass you anymore. As for your children, Tanya is your only daughter now. Since you¡¯ve already brought her up, it¡¯s not like you can really be enemies with her, right?"
"Exactly. Mrs. Smith is not an unreasonable person, either. You have a daughter yourself too, so you should also be able to understand your mother¡¯s pain..."
Tanya, who was so angry that she was shaking, clenched her fists.
Jill was clearly spouting nonsense. Karl had clearly said that the two of them were willingly dating each other back then. How did it turn into a im that Karl had forced himself on her?
She pointed at Jill and took a deep breath. "Dad said that the two of you willingly dated each other back then!"
Jill sighed. "Yes, of course he would say that. How else can he put it? That he forced himself on me? For your reputation¡¯s sake, I also allowed him to force me into a corner. When I thought of the nightmare from back then, how could I dare to tell the truth?"
Jill dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief. "But things are different now, he has been arrested. I believe the bad guys will definitely receive retribution! That¡¯s why I am willing to tell the truth now. All these years, I have really been so wronged and suffered so many grievances!"
Everyone else heaved sighs.
Tanya sneered, "You don¡¯t have to y the victim and try to win sympathy here. My father is not that kind of a person."
When she said that, Jill cried even harder. "Tanya, how can you trust a murderer over me? I know that murderer has made a lot of money overseas and that he has given all that money to you, so you treat him better than you treat me! But don¡¯t forget, I am your mother who brought you up! Whereas you have only known him for half a month!"
This remark of hers was a little usatory and hinted that Tanya only trusted Karl because of money.
The expressions of the wealthydies around them immediately changed. They looked at one another and the corners of their lips spasmed.
Jill was still speaking. She said, "I know Karl left you a lot of money! You will also bring it with you to the Smiths after your wedding tomorrow. I don¡¯t care about any of that, I can bear it. But how can you abandon me and refuse to acknowledge me as your mother?"
The others stepped forward and tried to persuade Tanya. "Mrs. Smith, Mrs. Jones is actually quite pitiful. There¡¯s nosting enmity between mothers and daughters. Mrs. Jones certainly made a mistake and was partial to Hiry in the past, but now that Hiry is gone, you are her only daughter... Why don¡¯t the two of you reconcile?"
Everyone liked being harmonious, and disapproved of abandoning the elderly¡ªthough Jill didn¡¯t need Tanya to provide for her...
With everyone trying to persuade her, Tanya¡¯s eyes were close to reddening.
Karl actually had the chance to flee.
Although she hadn¡¯t been aware when the incident took ce, she had tossed and turned all night yesterday, unable to sleep. After thinking about it carefully, she realized that Karl¡¯s cell phone had been constantly ringing when they were on the way to the bridal shop.
Later, Karl had also behaved as though he knew that the officers would rush in to arrest him...
He had already known a long time ago, but he hadn¡¯t fled. He was just hoping that he could drag things out until his daughter¡¯s wedding and that he could give his daughter¡¯s hand in marriage to Joel at the wedding before he left.
But it had still been toote.
No one knew that when Karl was taking off his suit, he had turned to her and looked at her with a smile in his eyes. He had even said, "You look so beautiful in the wedding gown."
Her father had helped Jill and taken action against her in the beginning because he felt a little guilty toward Jill. How could someone like that possibly force himself on Jill?
Tanya clenched her fists and asked, "What exactly do you want?"
Jill finally sat up straight and sighed. "Tanya, what can I do? I just want you to see me as your mother. Can¡¯t we just get along properly? Your Uncle Jones has also been wanting to form a good rtionship with the Smiths."
Form a good rtionship with the Smiths...
As expected, she was here to demand benefits again!
There was simply no end to that family of parasites!
Jill got onto her feet. "The two of us are mother and daughter, but the Smiths have been constantly cracking down on the Joneses recently, causing the Joneses¡¯ business to nosedive. Tanya, I don¡¯t expect the Smiths to take care of us anymore. On ount of our rtionship as mother and daughter, can¡¯t you give the Joneses a way out?"
She was spinning stories again!
Tanya was filled with despair as she stared at Jill.
Joel had a thousand and one ways to punish the Joneses, but hadn¡¯t he already chosen to not take any action because of her?!
If Jill wasn¡¯t her mother, the Joneses would have gone bankrupt a long time ago!
Tanya¡¯s eyes were all red. When she was about to speak, a voice suddenly rang out. "So, you want to take advantage of the Smiths? Are the Joneses worthy of doing so?"
Chapter 535: Feel Free To Sue Him Then
Chapter 535: Feel Free To Sue Him Then
The voice was clear and pleasant but cold, shocking everyone present. Everyone suddenly turned around to see Joel, who had returned home at some point, standing outside the crowd. The man, who usually had a smile on his face, had a frosty look at the moment.
Everyone who saw him subconsciously stepped aside and made way for him.
Just like that, Joel took step after step toward Tanya and went up to her. As he stood beside her and held her hand, his attractive fox-like eyes nced at Jill.
Jill¡¯s heart trembled at the sight of him.
But when she thought of how Joel had always shown her mercy in the past, she became bold again. "The Joneses brought Tanya up. By virtue of our kindness in bringing her up, how are we unworthy of it?"
The Joneses had brought Tanya up?
The woman must have forgotten again how Tanya had survived!
At the Joneses, she survived by eating garbage that the others had left behind. The money that she bought her school textbooks with were all earned by working as a babysitter for the Joneses. The nine-yearpulsory education was free of charge. Even the money for her tuition in high school hade from her distributing flyers during summer vacations!
What kind of financial support had they given her?
Joel had decided not to hold it against the Joneses all this time simply because Jill was Tanya¡¯s mother.
No matter how badly she treated Tanya, she was her biological mother. This was a fact that would never change!
He hadn¡¯t made any moves because he was afraid that Tanya woulde to regret it in the future. After all, they were mother and daughter rted by blood, and Tanya had indeed grown up under her supervision.
Moreover, Tanya initially had Karl to stand up for her, so Joel was more than happy to hide at the back.
Firstly, this gave Karl an opportunity to do something, which would help with him repairing his rtionship with Tanya. Secondly, as a junior, it ultimately wasn¡¯t appropriate for him to be too merciless with his elders.
But now that Karl had been imprisoned, if Joel still didn¡¯t step forward, wouldn¡¯t Tanya be bullied to death?
The previous night, when Jill took money from other people, demanded that Joel did what she asked, and then left after saying that, Tanya had already thought it through.
On that night itself, she had already told Joel that she wanted to sever ties with Jill!
Tanya had already made up her mind.
Jill had no boundaries. There was no way Tanya would allow such a shameless parasite to leech off the Smiths!
It was because she had finally made up her mind that Joel stepped forward today.
He didn¡¯t want outsiders to rebuke Tanya and say that she didn¡¯t have a conscience. In that case, he would be the bad guy instead!
He stared straight at Jill and sneered, "What does the fact that you¡¯re Tanya¡¯s mother have to do with the Smiths?!"
The question stunned Jill, and she stood where she was in a daze. She frowned and asked Joel perplexedly, "Tanya is your wife, so that makes me your mother-inw! How am I unrted to the Smiths?"
Joel¡¯s eyes suddenly turned cold. "Oh? Sorry, but I¡¯ve always been a cold and heartless man, and I believe there are a lot of people who have said that about me behind my back. They call me the smiley Hades, right?"
Joel and Justin were equally famous in New York, but he wasn¡¯t as fearsome as Justin because he always looked like he was smiling.
However, everyone knew that he was a wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing.
One could never figure out what he liked. He might be smiling at you one second, and then taking your life the next!
Many years ago, a real estatepany had been driven into a corner by the Smiths. Desperate, the boss had approached Joel and gotten down on his knees in front of him to beg for forgiveness.
The smiling Joel had told him to stand up.
Thinking that Joel had let him off, the boss had left gratefully. However, the next day, he found out that thepany had still gone bankrupt! In the end, the boss threw himself off the top of a building.
This incident was also the first thing that Joel had done after he took over the Smiths. It had intimidated all of New York, and no one had dared to underestimate him ever since.
At this moment, when Jill heard what he said, chills suddenly ran down her spine.
She stared at Joel and swallowed. "W-what are you nning?"
Joel took out a stack of evidence proving the Joneses¡¯ crimes of tax evasion and waved it back and forth. He replied, "I just thought I¡¯d cooperate with the authorities and crack down on some tax evasion."
Jill swallowed at once, the look in her eyes going nk.
She stared at Joel incredulously. "H-how dare you!"
The authorities had been very strict in cracking down on tax evasion recently. Should the evidence about the Joneses¡¯ tax evasion be submitted, the Joneses would definitely go bankrupt!
Not only would they lose all their money, but Mr. Jones would even have to go to jail!
Joel cast his eyes down. "I have already dialed 911 just now. I¡¯m sure the police wille and retrieve the evidence very soon."
His simple one-liner made Jill¡¯s knees go weak with fright.
It was at this moment that Mr. Jones, who had sent Jill here, finally couldn¡¯t hide anymore. He got out of the car at the side, stepped in front of Jill, and said to Joel, "Mr. Smith, this is all a misunderstanding! A misunderstanding! I will take her away now, okay?"
Jill said angrily, "No!"
Smack!
Mr. Jones pped her across the cheek at once. "Shut up!"
Then, he wanted to drag her away and leave.
Joel stared at Mr. Jones.
He had threatened them several times with theirpany previously and each time, Mr. Jones woulde forward and take Jill away. But a short whileter, Jill would always pop up again.
Every word of hers had even stabbed right into Tanya¡¯s heart this time.
Joel said dispassionately, "I¡¯m afraid the two of you won¡¯t be able to leave this time."
Mr. Jones had initially thought it would be the same as before this time too. If they behaved themselves for a while, Joel would let them off. He didn¡¯t expect to hear a response like that instead.
He was so scared that sweat instantly trickled down his forehead. His face paled a little and he said, "Mr. Smith, we¡¯re all family here. Your mother-inw was just too angry. Please forgive her this one time! I promise she will never show up in front of you ever again."
Joel looked at Mr. Jones. "It seems like you¡¯ve been saying this same thing every time."
The look that Joel was giving him made Mr. Jones choke on his breath at once.
He red at Jill furiously, stretched out his hand, and hit Jill¡¯s face again, causing her cheek to swell at once. He said, "You bitch, I told you not toe, but you simply had to! Hurry up and get down on your knees at once, and apologize to Tanya and Mr. Smith!"
Get down on her knees?
By demanding that Tanya¡¯s mother kneel down and apologize to her, were they really apologizing, or were they trying to drive Tanya into a corner?!
Everyone present could see this very clearly.
Jill burst into tears at once. "Tanya, you have no conscience whatsoever! Do you really want me to get down on my knees in front of you?!"
Everyone looked at Tanya in unison and began to persuade her.:
"Mrs. Smith, Mrs. Jones knows that she¡¯s in the wrong. Why don¡¯t you let her off this time..."
"Yes, Mrs. Smith, one must have boundaries in what they do. She¡¯s your mother..."
"..."
Tanya stared at her and merely smiled sarcastically.
"No, it¡¯s fine."
Joel suddenly spoke up.
Jill immediately breathed a sigh of relief. She just knew that so long as she was Tanya¡¯s mother, there was nothing Tanya and Joel could do about her!
She was still thinking about it when she suddenly heard Joel continue. He said, "If you have anything else to say, you can tell that to the police!"
As he said that, the police came over in the distance. "Mr. Jones? Someone has reported you for tax evasion! Pleasee with us to the police station to assist in investigations!"
When the police officers showed up, everyone present was shocked.
No one had thought that Joel actually meant business this time!
Everyone looked at him in shock and swallowed hard.
Jill also came back to her senses. She immediately burst into tears again and cried out, "Tanya, Joel! Are the two of you really going to drive me into a corner until I¡¯m dead? How can you be so heartless?!"
Like before, Joel spoke without waiting for Tanya to say anything. He said, "I have always been a heartless man. After all, I¡¯m someone who doesn¡¯t even want his biological parents."
Joel¡¯s rtionship with his parents had always been bad.
After Ian had chosen him to be the heir to the Smiths, he had stayed with Ian all these years and rarely interacted with his parents.
Joel was a very straightforward and decisive person. Since he had already made the decision to pull no punches, he would not show any mercy anymore. Even if Tanya med him for it in the future, he would still get rid of the scourge for her today!
His expression was cold and there was no emotion in his eyes. He clearly looked like he was going topletely abandon Jill and the Joneses.
Jill and Mr. Jones panicked for real when they saw him like this.
Mr. Jones became furious and kicked Jill. "It¡¯s all your goddamn fault!"
Despite being kicked, Jill did not retaliate. Instead, she looked at Tanya and Joel furiously and asked, "Are the two of you really going to push us this far?"
Tanya didn¡¯t reply.
Joel replied with a smile, "You¡¯re mistaken. I didn¡¯t force you to evade tax."
It was obvious that he wasn¡¯t going to be persuaded otherwise!
At once, Mr. Jones knew that he was finished. He red at Jill huffily. "Goddamn it, if I am going to be finished, then I am definitely taking you to hell with me!"
The look in Jill¡¯s eyes became flustered at his words.
Given what the two of them had done back then, if he spilled the beans, both of them would be doomed no matter what!
Therefore, Jill mustn¡¯t let him be detained!
She yelled, "Tanya! Joel! If the two of you dare to give the evidence to the police, I will make a police report that Karl raped me!"
Her words made Tanya¡¯s eyes widen abruptly.
Jill stared at them and said, "I wonder how many years of imprisonment Karl will be sentenced to if a rape charge is added? Life imprisonment? Tanya, if you really hate me that much, then I will sue him!"
Tanya and Joel, who didn¡¯t expect Jill to be so shameless, frowned.
All Karl had done was transport some bad guys into the country, so even if he was sentenced to jail, it would just be for two to three years. However, if Jill were to sue him and the rape charge was proven, then Karl¡¯s sentence would increase by a lot more years!
Despite that, Joel remained unmoved. "Do you have any evidence?"
"Evidence?" Jill yelled furiously, "Tanya is the evidence! If the two of you don¡¯t give me a way out, then even if I die, I will take her down with me!"
Seeing that the atmosphere was more or less ready and that she was about to achieve her goal, Nora finally walked out slowly. She said with a smile, "Feel free to sue him, then."
Chapter 536: Jill Is Not Tanya’s Mother!!
Chapter 536: Jill Is Not Tanya¡¯s Mother!!
Nora¡¯s words made everyone present look at her in shock.
Jill did not understand why she would suddenly say such a thing, but she still looked at Tanya angrily. "You don¡¯t want your biological mother anymore? You don¡¯t want your biological father either?! Tanya, I didn¡¯t expect you to be such a heartless person!"
Tanya frowned at her scolding.
However, Nora just had to smile and say, "Of course she wants her biological father, but her biological mother... do you even qualify for that?"
This sentence caused a hugemotion!
Everyone present looked at Nora in disbelief.
Even Tanya frowned and looked at Nora in confusion.
Jill¡¯s eyes flickered, but she did not think a girl would be able to tell anything. She cried and said, "How am I not? I spent 10 months pregnant and gave birth to her, but now, she doesn¡¯t even recognize me as her mother? Yes, I didn¡¯t treat her well, but I gave her life! That¡¯s the eternal family tie!"
The others nodded. "That¡¯s right. It¡¯s a debt for a parent to give their child life. Even if she doesn¡¯t acknowledge this mother, she can¡¯t sue her own mother..."
"She¡¯s too unfilial..."
When Jill heard that there were still people speaking up for her, she looked at Tanya. "Tanya, choose! If you dare let the police take your Uncle Jones away, I¡¯ll report the matter to the police!"
Nora had her hands behind her back. Her almond-shaped eyes jumped slightly. She looked at Jill as if she was looking at an idiot. "Didn¡¯t I say it just now? Go ahead and sue him. You said that Karl raped you, but Karl said that he and you were truly in love. Tanya¡¯s existence is solely the product of your love. Whoever reports him will have to be the witness. You have to produce reasonable evidence. Without evidence, it¡¯s useless even if you sue her to the gods!"
With that, she deliberately looked at Jill and said slowly, "When the timees, you¡¯ll be framed. You¡¯ll have a good time in jail with Mr. Jones."
With that, she knocked her head with the DNA report in her hand. "Look at my memory. A man and a woman can¡¯t be in the same prison, you two will have to separate... On the other hand, Karl only made a small mistake. He¡¯ll be detained for only two years."
She frowned. "I remember that Uncle Karl is not very good-tempered. I think he wanted to..."
At this point, she nced at Jill.
Then, she tsked and said coldly, "I wonder if Uncle Karl will let you off then?"
These words made Jill shudder.
She had never known that Karl would only be sentenced to two or three years. If that was the case, then after Karl was released two yearster, her life would definitely not be good!
When she thought of how Karl had once pointed a gun at her, Jill¡¯s legs went limp. She immediately cursed, "I don¡¯t have evidence of his rape, but back then, Karl was a gangster. He even took a life!"
Nora¡¯s grip on the DNA result tightened slightly, but her voice was still filled with mockery. "Human life? How strange. If there was such a case, why didn¡¯t the police know?"
In order to confirm Karl¡¯s crime, Jill shouted, "27 years ago, Karl once killed a person named Leonel! He was also wanted back then. He escaped from the country after that! Although more than 20 years have passed, he¡¯s still a murderer! I saw him kill people back then with my own eyes!"
Leonel...
Nora frowned.
She had watched Jill scold Tanya here, and watched as Joel was forced into a corner by Jill step by step. It was all to force her to say this!
They had gone to investigate Karl but to no avail.
However, if they investigated this case, they would definitely find some clues!
If she had asked Jill nicely, Jill definitely would not have told them. That was why Nora decided to use this method!
Now that her words had been dug out, she instantly stood up and could not be bothered to act anymore. Her expression returned to its usual coldness.
Although Joel did not understand what his little sister had been doing just now, he sneered when he saw that she had stopped talking. He said to Jill, "Don¡¯t you know that there are limits to cases? After the limit, old cases will not be dug out again!"
He ignored Jill¡¯s shocked expression and said to the police, "Now that we have our answers, please take her away!"
He handed the evidence of tax evasion to the police.
The police were about to leave with Mr. Jones.
"Wait!"
"Wait!"
Jill and Nora suddenly spoke at the same time.
The two policemen turned back in shock.
Jill nced at Nora and sneered. "You¡¯re afraid too, right? Let me tell you, Tanya, Joel, if you dare to sue your Uncle Jones, I¡¯ll kill myself here today!"
She looked at Tanya with hatred. "And you¡¯d be the murderer who killed her own mother! You forced your mother to die!"
Almost as soon as she finished speaking, Nora walked in front of the police. "Police officers, I want to report a case too."
The two policemen were stunned. "Who are you suing?"
Nora raised the DNA report in her hand. "I want to sue Jill! She is not Tanya¡¯s mother!"
Chapter 537: Fake Face!
Chapter 537: Fake Face!
Her words stirred up a thousand waves.
The people outside looked at Nora in surprise.
Joel and Tanya¡¯s eyes widened as well. The two of them looked at each other. Tanya was at a loss. Joel stepped forward and asked, "Nora, what¡¯s going on?"
Nora did not hand the DNA report to the police. Instead, she dragged her feet and walked to Tanya, and handed it to her.
Her almond-shaped eyes were filled with pity. She sighed. "Jill is not your mother. No, I should say that the person standing in front of everyone is not Tanya¡¯s mother!"
Tanya had already done a DNA test with Karlst time, so she already knew what the DNA test report looked like.
When she heard this, she still opened the report in her hand in disbelief.
When she saw that their DNA was only 30% simr, she was stunned.
Jill was not her mother.
She was not her mother.
This thought made Tanya swallow hard. She raised her head again and looked at Nora.
Her lips trembled as she asked, "Nora, what¡¯s going on?"
Her eyes were already filled with tears.
Since she was young, Jill had always said to her¡ª
"I¡¯m your mother. Can I hurt you?"
"I¡¯m your mother. No matter what I do to you, I¡¯ve given you this life, and you owe me!"
"I¡¯m just biased toward Hiry. You owe me this! I¡¯m your mother, so you have to support me in my old age!"
"..."
She had had enough of all the moral abductions and usations from the people around her. She had always wondered what mistake she had made to make her mother hate her so much.
However, she had never thought that Jill was not her mother at all.
At this moment, there was no anger from being deceived in the depths of her heart. There was no surprise now that she knew the truth. All she had was a rxed feeling from the depths of her soul.
Yes.
She heaved a sigh of relief.
She was not an annoying child, much less a child that even her own mother did not like.
Tanya¡¯s eyes turned red. Since she was young, she had always wanted to ask why she did not like her, but at this moment, she seemed to have received the answer she had wanted for so long.
This left her in a daze. She did not even want to ask...
It was only when Joel spoke that Tanya looked at Nora.
Before Nora could say anything, Jill, who was shocked by Nora¡¯s words, had already shouted, "You¡¯re talking nonsense! You¡¯re talking nonsense here! I¡¯m her mother!"
Nora pointed at the DNA report in Tanya¡¯s hand. "The evidence is right here. Are you still not going to admit it?"
Jill¡¯s eyes were in a daze, and her expression was extremely ugly. She panicked and refused to admit it. "Your report is definitely fake!"
However, Joel exined, "This report was produced by the National Detection Center. Its authenticity is absolutely reliable!"
Jill swallowed hard and looked at the people around her. Suddenly, she pointed at her face and said, "Everyone,e and judge. You say I¡¯m not her mother? Then how can I look so simr to her?! Even Hiry and I aren¡¯t as simr!"
Jill was not actually ugly. Tanya was 60% simr to her but was even more beautiful.
However, Hiry looked ordinary. From the looks of it, Jill looked more like Tanya¡¯s mother than Hiry¡¯s. If Nora had said that Hiry was not Jill¡¯s child, people might have believed her more.
Therefore, everyone said,
"That¡¯s right. I think they look alike too!"
"Tanya and Jill¡¯s eyes are the same. How can they not be mother and daughter?"
"Even if they¡¯re not mother and daughter, they should be family. After all, they look so simr. But why is the DNA simrity only 30% in this report?"
"..."
The people around them discussed softly. Even if the DNA report was true, they trusted their eyes more.
When Jill heard this, she suppressed her panic and said, "Yes, just by the looks, Tanya and I can confirm that we¡¯re biological mother and daughter! There¡¯s definitely something wrong with your report! Don¡¯t try to brush us off with such a report!"
When this was said, everyone looked at Nora.
Some people also felt that the report was fake...
"With the Smiths and Hunts¡¯ power, it shouldn¡¯t be difficult to fake a DNA report, right?"
"In order to draw the line with Jill, is the Smith family creating a lie?"
"Jill is really too much of a mess. How many times has she forced her biological daughter like this? But the way they falsified the DNA report is too low."
"..."
Jill felt a little smug. Her eyes were even colder, but she still found a way out for the two of them. "Tanya, look at your face. Youpletely inherited my strengths to be so good-looking. Now, you can¡¯t deny that you¡¯re rted to me by blood, right? The report can be fake, but can your face be fake?!"
Tanya frowned.
She was too simr to Jill.
Then why did Nora say that they were not mother and daughter?
She then came back to her senses and looked at Nora. She asked, "What¡¯s going on?"
Nora¡¯s expression was still light. She was very slow and calm.
She was wearing a pair of jeans and a white T-shirt. As she looked at the sun, her straight ck hair was casually draped behind her back. When she saw that everyone was looking at her, her lips curled up slightly as she slowly said, "Of course you can fake your face."
Chapter 538: The Truth!!
Chapter 538: The Truth!!
Everyone was shocked.
Everyone¡¯s eyes swept across Tanya and Jill¡¯s faces.
Her face could be fake... With the current stic surgery skills, of course she could fake it!
Everyone had watched her grow up. She had always been like that since she was young. Everyone knew if she had changed her face or not. But as for stic surgery...
Everyone looked at Jill.
Jill¡¯s eyes became even more flustered.
She had vowed earlier that the DNA report was fake because she thought that Nora and Tanya could onlypare their DNA. She had relied on her face to pretend that the report was fake. But now, she understood.
Nora clearly knew more!
When Tanya heard Nora¡¯s words, she was even more stunned. On her beautiful face, her eyes looked at Nora in shock. "You mean... she did stic surgery ording to look like my mother?"
Jill stared at Nora, wanting to know what she would say next.
She felt as if all the warmth in her body had dissipated at this moment.
She swallowed, still holding onto some hope. Then, she saw the girl standing there and said coldly, "She reced your mother."
Her words made Jill¡¯s legs weaken and she fell to the ground.
She knew.
She really knew everything!
But how did she know?!
Nora knew that everyone was very curious. She originally wanted to exin everything in one breath, but she did not expect her to suddenly open her mouth and yawn.
Everyone was speechless.
Nora also felt that she was a little too much. At such a high energy moment, how could she suddenly be sleepy?
Her voice became even hoarser as she said slowly, "She¡¯s not Jill. The real Jill passed away 25 years ago!"
Jill shook her head crazily and roared at her, "No, this isn¡¯t true. You, you¡¯re talking nonsense! This is a story you made up! You have no evidence!"
Nora sneered. "How do you know I don¡¯t have evidence? Jill... Oh, wait, should I say Margot?"
Jill... No, it should be Margot. She was even more flustered when Nora said her real name. Her body trembled slightly.
She wanted to say something, but when she opened her mouth, it was as if her throat was blocked. She was speechless.
She was really too shocked and afraid.
She had never thought that Nora would really investigate her this thoroughly!
A voice suddenly came from the crowd.
"Margot? Oh my god, I¡¯ve heard of this person!"
"Where did you hear that?"
"When we were young, she was in the papers. She and the person she mentioned earlier... Yes, Leonel, they were a couple! I remember now. Back then, after Karl killed Leonel, his wife fled for her life and ran on the streets in a panic. She bumped into the police and said that Karl had killed someone. Then, the police captured Karl. I heard that Margot was killed a yearter. She died very tragically, and her face was disfigured. The police only confirmed her identity with an identification document. Everyone said that Karl had returned to kill her again... Isn¡¯t she dead?"
"..."
No one was stupid. Hearing what this person had said, everyone was stunned for a moment before realizing something.
Everyone looked at Margot and took a step back in shock.
Tanya¡¯s mind was in a mess. She looked at the person, who had just spoken, in disbelief. She suddenly realized something and her eyes turned red. "The person who died... was my mother, Jill?!"
Nora nodded. "Yes. Back then, Karl did not kill anyone. It was Margot who had an affair and got pregnant. After Leonel discovered this, Margot went all out and killed him! However, Karl happened to see her. Margot could only me him at that time and even stabbed herself. She told the police that Karl had killed someone."
"At that time, Karl had escaped and inadvertently confirmed his crime. However, Karl had more friends in the underworld. Everyone believed his words, so they began to harass Margot. They even said that if she didn¡¯t turn herself in, she would really die!
At that moment, Margot incidentally bumped into Karl¡¯s girlfriend, Jill, who is also Tanya¡¯s mother... She began to devise a n.
After she and Jill gave birth, she schemed to kill Jill and undergo stic surgery to look like Jill to marry her adulterer, Mr. Jones!
"As for Tanya... She didn¡¯t kill her because everyone knew that Jill was pregnant. And she didn¡¯t want her biological daughter to be an illegitimate daughter. Therefore, she left Tanya behind and forged Hiry¡¯s birth date, making Hiry the true young mistress of the Joneses!"
All of this was heard by Nora through Margot and Mr. Jones¡¯s fight the other day. Afterbining the bits and pieces, Nora formed aplete logical chain!
When she saw Margot¡¯s pale face and Mr. Jones, who had copsed to the ground in fear, she knew that her reasoning was perfect.
...
...
Although the recording of their eavesdropping could not be used as evidence, after finding out what had happened back then, Nora had already found all kinds of evidence.
And she submitted it to the police.
After Nora slowly described what happened back then, the entire ce became silent.
A voice suddenly sounded. "Back then, someone even said that Margot was killed to avenge her husband. She and her husband were very close... I even shed a few tears for her, but I didn¡¯t expect the truth to be so cruel!"
"..."
Tanya¡¯s eyes were already red from anger as she red at Margot.
Margot had framed her biological father and even killed her mother. She had even enved her for 26 years!!
Tanya trembled in anger.
She suddenly screamed and rushed to Margot. She raised her hands and attacked!
"Pisk!"
The crisp sound of a p rang in everyone¡¯s ears. The people around frowned.
Some people even sighed deeply.
The two policemen waited for Tanya to p her more than twenty times. When Margot¡¯s face was clearly swollen, they stepped forward and stopped her. "Alright, you¡¯re not allowed to fight."
They also wanted to do things professionally, really! However, they had suddenly felt a little dizzy and could not vent their anger! Therefore, they had given the victim the chance to beat the criminal! That was it!
Tanya was pulled away.
Her palm was swollen from the ps, but she still felt that she had not vented her anger for the past 26 years.
Joel said, "You have to believe in thew."
Tanya covered her head and slowly squatted down. She cried in pain again.
Margot, whose eyes were swollen from the ps, looked at her and wiped the corner of her mouth before spitting out a mouthful of blood.
Perhaps she knew that she was done for, so she stopped pretending. She stared at Tanya and sneered. "You can only consider yourself unlucky! Who asked your father to see through me?! Haha, I did so many bad things, and my daughter received retribution. When she died, I didn¡¯t want to live anymore! But it doesn¡¯t matter if I die. Your father also broke thew! He has to go to jail! He can¡¯t even attend his daughter¡¯s wedding. Your family deserves to have a bad ending! Hahahaha!"
Chapter 539: Karl’s Choice!
Chapter 539: Karl¡¯s Choice!
Margot hated Karl.
Leonel and Karl were both gangsters back then. They did not do much work and gambled every day. She was sent to Jones¡¯ bed by Leonel to get some money.
Mr. Jones was rich and liked her body. The two of them were often together.
However, every time Leonel took the money and asked her to sleep with him, he would beat her up. Later on, when he realized that she was pregnant... Leonel would get her to ask Mr. Jones for a huge sum of money!
Only then did Margot kill him ruthlessly.
At that time, she did not have any hostility toward Karl. However, it was strange that Karl had bumped into her murder scene!
Margot still remembered that she had turned around happily after killing Leonel, only to be scared out of her wits when she saw Karl.
She begged him to pretend that he had not seen any of it.
However, when Karl saw Leonel die, he said, "Margot, turn yourself in. I believe thew will treat you gently!"
However, she then stabbed the knife into her own arm.
She was covered in blood as she walked past Karl. She was also doing this for her own happiness. She was pregnant. She could not go to jail!
She ran into the street and shouted, "Murder! Murder!"
Karl chased after her. "Margot, don¡¯t be like this. Go surrender yourself!"
Then, she bumped into the traffic police. She said that Karl had killed someone.
As a hooligan, Karl always had some criminal records on him. If he ran away, he would be confirmed as a murderer.
Margot thought that she would be able to rest easy from now on. She even wanted to have a child and marry Mr. Jones.
However, Mr. Jones said that he could not marry her. Her status was too low, and she was even married. If the two of them got married, the police would suspect them of Leonel¡¯s murder.
She had endured it silently and finally gave birth to Hiry.
Then, Jill came looking for her. She carried the child who had been born just two days ago and knocked on her door. "Margot, where did Karl go? He can¡¯t have killed anyone, right? Can you tell me? Where did he go?"
Margot stared at her beautiful face.
Mr. Jones always said that she was not beautiful enough to marry him. Jill cried and wanted to look for the police to investigate the case again.
Margot was afraid. Therefore, she went all out and killed Jill.
After killing her, Margot stared at that face.
Karl¡¯s murder case had not been closed yet. The police were already suspecting her, but what if Margot was also killed?
Margot then cut open Jill¡¯s face and forced Mr. Jones to bring her for stic surgery. From then on, she lived with Jill¡¯s identity.
As for Tanya...
She had originally wanted everyone to know that Jill had given birth. She did not want her daughter to be an illegitimate daughter and a murderer¡¯s child.
Therefore, she left Tanya behind and forged Hiry¡¯s birth date. From then on, she had always wanted Tanya to die.
When she was young, she had even deliberately locked her in the toilet to starve for four days. The family went out for a holiday.
When she returned, she thought that she would see her corpse, but the little girl was still alive at herst gasp. She was like wild grass with such tenacious vitality.
...
Margot and Mr. Jones were taken away by the police.
With Nora¡¯s statement and some evidence provided, Margot¡¯s murder charge was confirmed. What awaited her would be life imprisonment and the dark days in prison.
A shocking conspiracy was easily exposed by Nora.
Furthermore, the so-called murderer¡¯s father had already been cleared of suspicion. Tanya was no longer a murderer¡¯s daughter.
The people who hade to the Smiths to give gifts finally faced Tanya more sincerely. Everyone gave their gifts and left.
The room finally quietened down after everyone left.
Tanya was in a daze while Joel sat beside her andforted her softly.
Mia looked up and teased Tanya. "Mommy, can I dance for you? Don¡¯t be sad. I¡¯ll help you hit bad Grandma..."
Tanya hugged Mia.
However, Cherry¡¯s eyes were as big as ck grapes. The game on the phone had not started yet, but she said, "God-mom, you should be happy. After all, it¡¯s not that your mother doesn¡¯t love you, but she¡¯s not your mother at all! Can you be happy? Why don¡¯t I share the handsome guys I have with you?"
Nora: "?"
Joel: "??"
Pete: "????"
Pete pulled a long face and scolded, "Cheryl Smith! How many times have I told you not to keep in contact with Brenda anymore? Otherwise, I¡¯ll tell the tyrant!"
Cherry stuck her tongue out at him. "Pete, you can¡¯t be the tattler!"
"..."
The sky gradually darkened.
Nora sat on the sofa, but she still felt a little uneasy.
At 10 PM, when she had finished showering and was about to sleep and then wake up early the next day for Tanya¡¯s wedding, her phone suddenly rang.
She picked up the call and Morris¡¯s voice came from the other end. "Karl has escaped."
Nora: "??"
She did not speak for a moment, but Morris said in a deep voice, "Breaking out of prison will add to his crime! He could have been sentenced to two to three years, but now, he¡¯ll be sentenced to at least five years!"
¡ª
At the same time, in the dark suburbs, a helicopter was parked.
ck Panther looked at Karl and said, "Boss, let¡¯s go! They must be looking for you everywhere!"
After leaving, they would be free!
Chapter 540: Q’s Habit
Chapter 540: Q¡¯s Habit
Karl stood there, staring downtown.
The sky in New York was gray and heavy. The foggy sky seemed covered in ayer of gray gauze. But at this moment, such weather was nostalgic in Karl¡¯s eyes.
Because his daughter was there.
As he was staring, his phone suddenly rang.
He picked up the call and a voice came from the other end. "Aren¡¯t you going to leave?"
Karl was silent for a moment before saying, "If I leave like this, I¡¯ll never be able toe back!"
Escaping from prison added to his crime.
He could even be killed during the capture!
The other party sneered. "You shouldn¡¯t havee back in the first ce. You just have toplete the mission and bring those people back. Why are you interfering? Have you forgotten about your murder case?"
A hint of coldness appeared in Karl¡¯s dark eyes. "But now, the truth of my murder has been revealed. I¡¯m not the murderer!"
"It¡¯s toote! You¡¯re already on this road. There¡¯s no turning back. Go abroad immediately and wait for my orders."
Karl took a deep breath. After a moment, he said, "Okay."
¡ª
"Once he flees, he¡¯ll be a fugitive if hees back. He probably won¡¯t be able to return to the country for the rest of his life!" Morris was still talking. "Besides, this case itself has a lot of suspicious points. If he leaves like this, he¡¯ll be associated with the mysterious organization forever. Perhaps New York will also be hostile to the Assassin Alliance in the future!"
Nora: "..."
She hesitated for a moment before finally saying, "Is it that easy to get past the prison of the special department?"
"..."
Morris felt offended!
He coughed and exined, "Our prison is invincible. Even a cannon won¡¯t st open the door."
Nora asked, "Then how did he escape?"
Morris sighed. "He got the key."
"..." Nora was speechless again. Then, she shook her head and said, "How long had it been since he escaped until you found out?"
Morris was silent again. "Five hours."
"..." Nora pursed her lips. "Five hours. You didn¡¯t notice?"
Morris knew that Nora did not mean to look down on him, but he still felt a little hurt in his heart. He coughed and said, "Some surveince cameras were reced by the ones in front, so no one realized that he had escaped. I thought about his daughter¡¯s wedding tomorrow, so I wanted to use that as a breakthrough and persuade him again. I only realized he was not inside when I pushed open the door."
Nora held her chin and continued, "Alright, then I understand. There are spies in the special department."
Morris did not answer yes or no, which meant that he was probably suspicious as well.
After a while, Morris said, "We¡¯ll set up a surveince camera around Tanya tomorrow. Do you think he¡¯lle?"
Nora was silent for a moment. After a while, she sighed. "I don¡¯t know."
She really could not tell which was more important between Karl¡¯s life and his daughter¡¯s wedding.
She hung up andy on the bed.
After thinking about it for a while, she sent Justin a message: "Help me hack into the system and investigate Leonel¡¯s case."
Justin called her immediately. When she picked it up, she could hear the sound of typing on the keyboard. The man chuckled and said, "Why don¡¯t you do it yourself?"
Nora yawned. "I¡¯m tired."
Justin nodded.
Then, he hacked into the system. After two minutes, he said, "There are no records."
Leonel¡¯s case was public knowledge, so why were there no records?
Nora frowned and was in thought when Justin said, "Oh no."
Nora was taken aback. "What¡¯s the matter?"
Justin coughed. "I was discovered."
Nora: "?"
How could Y be discovered?
As she was thinking, she heard Justin say, "Last time, the two of us hacked into it. We probably identally triggered something. The hackers from the special department targeted us. I was in a hurry to find the answer earlier and didn¡¯t notice it. Now, the other party has established a passageway to chat with me. He asked me who I am."
Nora: "?"
She hesitated for a moment and asked, "Then what did you say?"
Justin chuckled. "I said, I¡¯m Q."
Nora: "!!"
Why did she have to take the rap?!
She grimaced. "And?"
Justinughed again. "He¡¯s recruiting me and wants me to work for the special department."
Nora: "..."
The corners of her mouth twitched. Before she could ask, Justin said again, "I rejected him."
Nora responded with an "oh". Then, she heard the man opposite herugh softly. Nora asked, "What¡¯s wrong?"
Justin smirked. "It¡¯s nothing."
His tone was filled with mockery.
Nora ignored him. "Stop talking. You exposed your identity. I won¡¯t bail you out when they catch you."
Justinughed. "Don¡¯t worry. If I¡¯m caught, I¡¯ll be Q and you¡¯ll be Y."
"..."
With Q and Y¡¯s identities, could they still y with each other like this?
Nora did not bother with him anymore and hung up the phone.
¡ª
The next day was Tanya and Joel¡¯s wedding.
The wedding was held at the New York Grand Hotel. The Smiths had booked the entire hotel. Although Tanya kept saying that she did not want to hold a grand wedding, Joel did not agree. He even increased the scale of the wedding after discussing it with Karl.
The hotel had originally been booked by someone. Joel had to pay 10 times the price to snatch it from someone else. Of course, this was not important.
The important thing was...
It was rare for Nora to wake up early!!
The wedding was held at noon, so Tanya had to wake up at six o¡¯clock to put on makeup, change her clothes, and prepare to go to the hotel. Nora¡¯s mission today was to apany her the entire time.
After the rm she had set rang three times, she got out of bedzily and walked out with narrowed eyes.
As soon as she went out, she saw Joel standing at the door, looking at her with a faint smile.
Nora was taken aback. "What¡¯s the matter?"
Joel said, "The special department called mest night and wanted to get Q¡¯s contact details from me. I said she was overseas. The special department kept saying they wanted to recruit an expert hacker like Q and asked me if there was anything else that could convince her, other than that fetish..."
Nora: "??"
She asked curiously, "What fetish?"
What did Justin say yesterday?!
Joel looked at her and chuckled. "Yeah, I asked this question too. Then, they replied that..."
Chapter 541: The Wedding!!
Chapter 541: The Wedding!!
Joel deliberately paused. It was only after Nora raised her eyes that he finally said, "Q said he won¡¯t leave the Hacker Alliance because there¡¯s someone in there he loves deeply¡ªhe can¡¯t live without Y."
Nora: "!!!"
Joel leaned into her ear and said, "So, the reason why you still haven¡¯t epted Mr. Hunt, as well as why you don¡¯t take much initiative in this rtionship is that... you have someone else you like?"
Nora: "???"
Joel sighed. "Out of everyone you could like, why do you have to like Y, though? Don¡¯t you know that Y is the Hunt Corporation¡¯s exclusive hacker and that he is on very good terms with Justin? They all say that he may be Justin¡¯s secret brother. Nora, you¡¯d better not make the two brothers turn against each other."
"..."
Nora couldn¡¯t be bothered to pay any attention to Joel¡¯s teasing. She asked, "Is the groom that free today?"
Joelughed and said, "Alright, I¡¯m just checking if Mia has woken up yet. I¡¯m going."
After he left, Nora shook her head.
Then, she went to Tanya¡¯s dressing room and watched Tanya put on her wedding gown. Nora also wore a white bridesmaid¡¯s dress.
She didn¡¯t put on any makeup. Her eyes and brows were light and simple, and her almond-shaped eyes docile.
At first nce, everyone would be attracted by Tanya next to her¡ªafter all, she was the bride. But once one looked over, even though Nora didn¡¯t put on any makeup, she was still an existence impossible to ignore.
At 8:28 in the morning, Tanya was picked up by the bridal car. At about ten o¡¯clock, she entered the hotel.
The hotel was jam-packed with people.
Nora apanied Tanya to the lounge, where thetter would touch up her makeup depending on the situation. Once it was twelve o¡¯clock, the wedding would begin!
When Nora entered the lounge, she looked around and found several undercover officers that the special department had dispatched.
She broke into a frown.
In this instant, she actually hoped that Karl would note.
But when she looked at the strained smile on Tanya¡¯s face, she couldn¡¯t help but sigh.
Tanya sat at the vanity table and stared at the woman with exquisite makeup on in the mirror. In her eyes, however, was deep sorrow.
The day before, when Jill... no, Margot, the fake Jill, was taken away, it finally sank in that her mother had already passed away back then.
And her father... after being wronged for so many years, left with no other choice, had finally embarked on the path of crime.
Amid the silence, soft whispers suddenly drifted over from the door.
"Have you heard? Karl has escaped from prison! He has escaped again!"
"Sigh, if he hadn¡¯t escaped back then, maybe Jill wouldn¡¯t have died, and Tanya wouldn¡¯t have led such a miserable life when she was a child..."
"Yeah. Besides, his crime isn¡¯t that serious in the first ce this time. Breaking out of prison like that, he¡¯ll probably never return to the States again, right? Why would he do that?"
"Why wouldn¡¯t he? The way I see it, it¡¯s a good idea! He has been living in Switzend all this time and has nevere back all these years anyway. I reckon he has a lot of money all saved up. If he is imprisoned, how is he going to squander all that money?"
"... That¡¯s true, but he is too selfish if he does that."
"He probably doesn¡¯t want his daughter anymore, right? I heard that he gave his daughter a huge sum of money?"
"What¡¯s the use of having so much money? Are people like us short of money? Tanya is really pitiful, though. She really doesn¡¯t have even a single person from her own family anymore."
"..."
The voices gradually faded into the distance and the room became quiet.
Tanya suddenly said, "Say, Nora, how nice would it have been if he hadn¡¯t escaped back then?"
Nora clenched her jaw.
She knew that Tanya was a little resentful toward Karl at this instant.
If one thought about it carefully, Karl had indeed let Jill down.
He was obviously in a rtionship with Jill, yet he had just upped and left without taking any responsibility. Neither had he told Jill about his whereabouts, which led to Jill approaching Margot and losing her life.
If he hadn¡¯t killed anyone, he should have trusted the police.
Tanya lowered her head. "He had even persuaded Margot to surrender, so why did he refuse to trust thew himself? He was a coward!"
She covered her face with her hands.
Nora sighed and put her hand on Tanya¡¯s shoulder.
Tanya raised her head again. "He had already made a mistake once back then, yet he still ran away again this time..."
Nora sighed silently.
To be honest, if Karl had obediently gone to jail, Tanya might not have been so angry. However, Karl¡¯s second escape made her very ufortable.
He was being a coward again!
Nora said, "Perhaps he has his own difficulties."
Tanya scoffed, "I don¡¯t understand, what kind of difficulties could have made him abandon my mother back then? And what about now? What kind of difficulty could he be facing?"
Nora did not say anything.
Someone knocked on the door at this point, and then a middle-aged couple walked in. At the sight of them, Tanya hurriedly got up and dabbed at the corners of her eyes with her head down.
Nora looked at the couple.
The woman was pretty and delicate while the man was calm and steady. He looked a little like Ian.
After the two entered, the woman spoke first. She said, "Hello, I am Joel¡¯s mother."
Tanya hurriedly greeted her respectfully. "Hello, auntie."
The woman nodded in a distant manner.
As for Nora, enlightenment suddenly dawned upon her.
They were Joel¡¯s parents! So, that made them her uncle and aunt?
After Ian inherited the Smiths, everyone in the same generation as Ian had moved out one after another, leaving only the young ones in the manor.
Joel had grown up under Ian¡¯s care and was not close to his parents.
Joel¡¯s mother said indifferently, "Today is your wedding with Joel, so we¡¯vee. Well, some things are hard to say at the wedding, so I can onlye over to speak with you in private."
Tanya was very respectful. "Please, go ahead."
Joel¡¯s mother lowered her head and a look of disdain appeared in her eyes. She said, "We all know your background..."
Tanya bit her lip.
Joel¡¯s mother went on. "We will not fault you for having an ordinary person as your mother and a criminal as your father, but I hope you can let us take Mia and bring her up."
As soon as she said that, Tanya¡¯s eyes widened and she said, "No, you can¡¯t!"
The moment she said that, Joel¡¯s father snorted and sneered, "Why not? Can someone like you bring up a child well? We won¡¯t allow you to groom the third generation of the Smiths into good-for-nothings!"
Joel¡¯s mother was surprisingly gentle as she said, "Don¡¯t get us wrong, Tanya, he doesn¡¯t mean anything wrong. It¡¯s just that your father is ultimately a very unsavory man. Now that he has even escaped from prison and be the talk of the town, we are just worried that Mia will be negatively impacted..."
Tanya clenched her fists.
A sense of shame surged up in her. She stared at the two people in front of her, never expecting that her inws would say such things.
Chapter 542: Giving Her Hand Away!!
Chapter 542: Giving Her Hand Away!!
Tanya was shaking. "What¡¯s wrong with my father? He was wronged back then. He was forced into his current situation!"
Even though she wasining about him just now, she couldn¡¯t help but defend him when others badmouthed him.
Joel¡¯s mother sighed and said, "Don¡¯t be so averse to us. We are Mia¡¯s grandparents, we won¡¯t harm her."
Pretty much right after she said that, though, an icy-cold voice came from the door. "The two of you don¡¯t have to worry yourselves about this."
Joel strode in.
The man, who had always been a wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing, didn¡¯t have a smile on his face at the moment. He looked at the couple in front of him very coldly and said, "Neither are you two Mia¡¯s grandparents."
At the sight of Joel, the couple looked a little flustered.
Joel¡¯s mother sighed and said, "Joel, you can¡¯t say that..."
Joel raised his eyebrows. "Didn¡¯t the two of you already say so back when I was five? That you don¡¯t want a son like me anymore! That you¡¯re severing ties with me! You even wanted to kick me out of the Smiths at that time... If it weren¡¯t for Uncle Ian, I¡¯d probably have already starved to death."
Joel¡¯s father suddenly shouted angrily, "Watch the way you¡¯re talking to us! No matter what, we are still your parents!"
Joel chuckled. He sounded a little sarcastic as he repeated, "Parents?"
His words made both his father and mother shut up.
Nora looked at them.
Although she had heard from Louis a long time ago that Joel didn¡¯t get along with his parents, she hadn¡¯t expected it to be this bad.
What exactly did they do to Joel to make him dislike them so much? To the extent that he would even mock them for calling themselves his parents?
Was he saying that despite being their son, they didn¡¯t even treat him as well as Ian, who had adopted him?
While she was wondering, Joel¡¯s mother said, "Joel, you¡¯d better not be so ungrateful! If it weren¡¯t for us, you would never be what you are today! Let alone inherit the Smiths!"
Joel smiled. "It¡¯s Uncle Ian who agreed to me inheriting the Smiths, not the two of you."
His words made both his parents choke.
Joel narrowed his fox-like eyes. "If you don¡¯t want me to get angry, then please leave and live your own lives. Don¡¯t ever attempt to dictate mine."
His threat made his father choke. Then, he snorted, turned, and went out.
Joel¡¯s mother took a deep breath and said, "Do you think I want to meddle in your affairs that much? You have no idea how many people out there secretly look down on that woman you¡¯re marrying! Everyone is saying that she doesn¡¯t even have an elder to give her hand away today! This wedding is no different from a joke!"
She raised her chin and said, "Doesn¡¯t matter if you acknowledge us or not, I won¡¯t attend such a wedding. I will never ept a daughter-inw whose father is a criminal! Goodbye!"
When Nora craned her neck, she saw the woman saying something to her husband. Then, the two of them left the ce for real.
As parents, they weren¡¯t even going to attend their son¡¯s wedding?
What weirdos.
Nora frowned.
Joel had already walked behind Tanya and was holding her shoulders.
Tanya was still shaking and there was sadness in her eyes. She suddenly asked, "Did I embarrass you?"
Joel hurriedly replied, "Why would you? Don¡¯t talk nonsense. Don¡¯t worry, I have already made all the arrangements for the wedding."
"... But they are all gossiping in private..."
Joel sneered, "Do you know why they only dare to say those things in private?"
"Why?"
"Because they don¡¯t dare to say it in front of me!" Joel said coldly and seriously, "Who would dare to badmouth you in front of me? And how would they dare to talk nonsense in front of you? Aren¡¯t they afraid that Mrs. Smith would get angry and make them bankrupt overnight?"
"Pfft!"
His words made Tanyaugh.
Joel was about to say more when the door was pushed open. Justin strode in. He was here as the best man today.
He stood beside Joel and slowly said, "Mr. Rogers has called it quits."
Mr. Rogers was a middle-aged man with a lot of prestige to his name in New York. The few of them had approached him to ask him to give Tanya¡¯s hand away today.
After all, without a father to give her hand away, the wedding would seem iplete.
But why had he suddenly called it quits?
Joel¡¯s brows drew together. "What happened?"
Justin looked at Tanya and sighed. "Those people outside are saying rather unpleasant things. Mr. Rogers overheard them and left in anger."
Then, his jaw tensed up and he said, "Unfortunately, I don¡¯t have any reliable elders. The main issue, though, is that the wedding is about to start. There are only ten minutes left."
Joel also clenched his fists.
Just as the few of them were at a loss as to who to invite over at thest minute, Nora slowly said, "I¡¯ll give her hand away!"
The two of them looked at her in unison.
Nora walked over to Tanya and said, "Tanya and I were already disapproving of asking Mr. Rogers to do it when you guys asked him to. I am Tanya¡¯s one and only best friend. Now that she is getting married, I will give her hand away! From now on, I will be Tanya¡¯s family!"
"..."
There was a moment of silence in the room.
A brief momentter, Joel gave the final word. "Okay!"
He looked at Tanya and smiled. "I was just in denial when I approached Mr. Rogers. I can¡¯t shut those people up anyway. In that case, why should we let others control us? It¡¯s our wedding today, I only want the people closest to us to bear witness to our love!"
Tanya¡¯s eyes were red. She nodded heavily and said, "Yeah!"
¡ª
The wedding began.
After the lounge was opened, Nora held Tanya as she stood at the door, where there would be a red carpet leading to the stage where Tanya would meet with Joel.
As soon as the two of them appeared, a buzz went through the crowd.
"What¡¯s going on? Why isn¡¯t there anyone giving away the bride¡¯s hand in marriage?"
"Her father escaped from prison. Of course there wouldn¡¯t be anyone!"
"Isn¡¯t a wedding like this a little too weird?"
"Yeah... I also heard that Tanya isn¡¯t even bringing anything with her into the marriage. All her father gave her was a bank card. How much money can there be inside!"
"The two families are not a good match! That must have been some sheer dumb luck for Tanya to be able to marry Mr. Smith!"
"To tell the truth, although Hiry Jones is not that great either, she is ultimately still the precious youngdy of the Joneses. Back then, when she got engaged to Mr. Smith, the Joneses gave them a full 30% of theirpany shares! Inparison, Tanya is really pitiful..."
"..."
Everyone¡¯sments reached Tanya¡¯s ears.
Tanya clenched her fists.
She looked at the red carpet ahead and suddenly thought of Karl.
The man was crude but meticulous.
Although she knew that he had escaped from prison, Tanya still wanted to record the wedding and show it to him in the future.
She took a deep breath.
She knew that without corresponding social status and without having a family with enough power to contend with the Smiths, life would be very hard for her in the future after she married Joel.
But she was not afraid.
She stretched out her hand, upon which arge warm hand enveloped it.
Tanya was taken aback.
When did Nora¡¯s hands be so rough?
She turned her head and looked over...
Chapter 543: Karl Has Come!!
Chapter 543: Karl Has Come!!
... only to see Karl standing next to her.
He was wearing the dark red suit that he had tried on the other day, and he was beaming. He had a naive and ingratiating smile on his face.
He looked at Tanya and smiled. "I¡¯vee, Tanya."
Tanya¡¯s eyes instantly reddened. She grabbed Karl¡¯s hand tightly but noticed that he was holding a small silver pistol in his other hand. The gun was pointed at Nora.
He didn¡¯t say anything, but the undercover officers hiding in the crowd did not dare to step forward.
Tanya was shocked. "Dad, what are you doing?"
A smile appeared on Karl¡¯s face when he heard her call him "Dad". He said, "Don¡¯t worry, she is your best friend, I would never hurt her. It¡¯s just that I have to do this to see your wedding to the end."
Nora understood, though. She stood therezily, fearless of the silver pistol pointed right at her.
Because... there weren¡¯t any bullets in the gun.
That was just a toy gun that Karl yed with. As ck Cat, she had even once mocked Karl about it. However, Karl had said, "This gun can be used to threaten people! What do you guys know?"
And now, it really was being used to threaten people.
She stood where she was calmly and turned her head to look over. Sure enough, Morris had already taken a step forward. Karl, however, grinned and said, "Captain Ford, I¡¯d advise you not to move. I just want to see my daughter¡¯s wedding to the end. I¡¯m sure you guys will agree to it, right?"
Morris clenched his jaw.
Nora raised her brows and saidzily, "Captain Ford, I don¡¯t wanna die."
"..."
Everyone was rather speechless when they saw her reaction. For some reason, despite her saying things like ¡¯she didn¡¯t want to die¡¯ as though she was scared, she couldn¡¯t even be bothered to look like she was in fear and trepidation.
In the crowd, even Justin¡¯s lip corners couldn¡¯t help but spasm.
Why was his girl toozy to even act? She was simply... so cute.
Morris held his earphone over his ear and said into it, "Everyone, remain on standby. Don¡¯t mess around!"
His words immediately calmed all the other undercover officers.
Karl offered Tanya his arm and allowed her to hold it.
Tears were rolling down Tanya¡¯s cheeks.
She didn¡¯t know what to say. From the red carpet at the entrance to the stage in the distance, there was a total distance of two hundred meters.
Joel was standing in the middle of the red carpet and waiting for her.
Karl walked forward with her step by step. He said in a rather flustered manner, "Don¡¯t cry, Tanya! Dad¡¯s fine..."
The crying Tanya asked, "Did you escape from prison just to attend my wedding? Don¡¯t you know that by doing that, another charge will be added to your crimes? You only needed to be in jail for two or three years, but now you¡¯ll have to be in there for five years!"
Karl grinned and said, "I¡¯m tough and sturdy. Five years is just right. Three years aren¡¯t enough for me to do anything in prison at all."
"..."
Tanya¡¯s lips were still pressed together tightly. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she said, "Mom was killed by Margot."
"I know. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t let her off," replied Karl coldly. Then, he sighed and said, "I¡¯ve already let your mother down once, Tanya, I can¡¯t let you down too. I hope you can be the happiest bride today."
Tanya was choking from her sobs.
Nora, who was ¡¯being held at gunpoint¡¯ by Karl, walked leisurely beside the two of them. She heaved a silent sigh as she watched them. She nced at the crowd, only to find that Ian was actually sitting in the first row and silently tearing up.
In addition, as he cried, he even nced at her as though he had sensed her looking at him.
Nora: "..."
Excuse me!
Your status as a big boss in the world ofmerce has shattered!
Right at this moment, a cold and unfamiliar voice suddenly rang out in the earphones: "Karl Moore has broken out of prison. He is armed and threatening the safety of the hostage. The sniper is ready and on standby. Permission granted to kill the target if necessary!
"I repeat, as part of the Assassin Alliance, Karl Moore is a cruel and vicious man. For the hostage¡¯s safety, as well as the safety of everyone present, permission has been granted to shoot and kill the target whenever necessary!"
"Sniper, get ready!"
Together with the voice, another slightly younger voice also rang out in Nora¡¯s ear:
"Nightingale ready!"
Nora¡¯s eyes suddenly darkened.
Morris held his hand over his ear. "Sir, no! The suspect has no ns to shoot!"
The person whom Morris had addressed as "sir" sneered, "How would you know if he has ns to shoot or not? Besides, his hostage¡¯s life is in danger! Sniper, fire at once! This is an order!"
"Yes, sir!"
Morris wanted to say more, but the sniper had already answered.
Nora frowned. Only then did she realize that Morris actually wasn¡¯t the boss of the special department. Well, that made sense, though. He was only 25 to 26 years old; no matter how fast he rose through the ranks, there was no way he could control the entire special department.
Gunning down Karl, though?
If that happened, Tanya¡¯s wedding would turn straight into a funeral!
Besides, Karl wasn¡¯t intending to kill her at all.
Nora narrowed her eyes.
Right at this moment, Tanya, who was too agitated, tripped over her wedding gown in her high heels. Karl subconsciously put away the gun pointed at Nora and helped Tanya up.
It was at precisely this moment that the sniper¡¯s voice rang out in the earphone: "Target locked on!"
"Fire!"
"Yes, sir!"
Bang!
The sound of a bullet whizzing through the air caused an uproar in the entire ce.
Chapter 544: Don’t Worry, Dad
Chapter 544: Don¡¯t Worry, Dad
The whole ce was filled with the sound of a bullet piercing through the ss. The bullet looked like it was going straight for the back of Karl¡¯s head, and would subsequently go right through his brain and kill him on the spot!
When that happened, he would take all the grievances with him into the ground and would forever be a secret.
However, in that split second, Nora suddenly stepped forward, grabbed Karl¡¯s suit, and pulled him to the side!
The bullet whizzed past the side of his head by a hair¡¯s breadth, grazing him!!
Everyone was dumbfounded.
Even Karl himself didn¡¯t seem to expect something like that to happen, so he looked stunned.
Seeing that Morris and the others were about toe forward, Nora pulled the man¡¯s sleeve and pointed his pistol at her waist again. Then, she raised her hands and shouted, "Don¡¯t move!"
Morris and the others stopped in their tracks again.
In that instant, Karl had already recovered.
He, who had witnessed all sorts of situations and experienced countless life and death situations, had only been flustered just now because this was his daughter¡¯s wedding.
However, he quickly recovered and held Nora at gunpoint again.
In fact, when he was searching for the sniper so that he could get out of the line of fire, Nora stepped forward and stood in between him and the sniper!
The cold and stiff voice rang out in the earphone again. He cursed furiously, "What is the hostage doing?!"
Someone whispered a reminder, "She is not a hostage. She¡¯s Nora, a forensic doctor in the special department!"
The hard voice immediately became more anxious. "Then she must be wearing our earphones, right? Nora, can you hear me?"
Nora¡¯s expression remained unchanged and she stood motionless.
The cold voice spoke again. "Find a way to shift a little. You¡¯ll be able to get out of the line of fire that way!"
Nora remained motionless.
"Damn it!"
The cold and hard voice seemed a little anxious. "What kind of forensic doctor is she? Has she undergone specialized training in the system before or not?"
"She is an externally hired forensic doctor!"
The cold voice was exasperated. "As expected, external hires are no good! Sniper, take aim. For the sake of everyone else present, you have to act decisively!"
The moment the voice said that, a low but clear voice suddenly rang out. "Captain Johnson, that¡¯s not quite appropriate, is it?"
The voice took Nora by surprise for a moment. She turned her head and looked over subconsciously, only to see that Justin had walked over to an undercover officer at some point, taken off his Bluetooth earphone, and was currentlymunicating with the officers.
He spoke very aggressively. "The hostage is my fianc¨¦e. If you disregard my fianc¨¦e¡¯s safety and insist on using such risky means to gun down the criminal, I will definitely pursue the matter!"
His words were loud and powerful¡ªat the very least, they made the cold and hard voice choke. A momentter, he said, "Mr. Hunt, we are currently executing a mission. Please understand. The man holding your fianc¨¦e hostage is a killer who¡¯s wanted internationally! He is very dangerous!"
Justin remained tough and aggressive. "Captain Johnson, you don¡¯t have to exin so much, I don¡¯t understand anyway. All I know is that my fianc¨¦e¡¯s life is currently in your hands."
"..."
Johnson fell silent for a while. In the end, he nevertheless lost. He ordered, "Sniper, retreat."
"Yes, sir!"
Nora could clearly feel that the danger from the sniper had disappeared. Obviously, the sniper had put away his gun. Only then did Nora whisper to Karl, "Uncle Karl, hurry up as much as you can."
The sniper rifle just now had already put Karl on alert.
Whenever he was in such dangerous situations, he was usually surrounded and protected by the few top-ranked assassins.
Although they were not present at the moment, the girl¡¯s calm and simple appearance gave him an inexplicable sense of security.
It was just like... ck Cat was by his side.
As soon as the thought formed in Karl¡¯s mind, he immediately shook his head. Then, he held Tanya and continued walking forward step by step until he could hand her to Joel.
Behind Tanya were Pete and Mia holding up the train of her gown for her. Pete was wearing a suit while Mia was wearing a white organza dress. Neither of them was affected by what had happened just now.
Cherry was seated beside Ian in the guest seats. She was holding her cell phone and pouting as sheined, "Sob, how can they not let Cherry be a flower girl? They are baddies!"
Ian patted her head gently and said, "It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine. Grandpa will hold a wedding and let our little Cherry do it next time!"
Cherry¡¯s eyes immediately lit up and she raised her head. "Really, Grandpa?"
Ian nodded!
Cherry tilted her head and asked, "But I want to do it as soon as possible~ Can you hold a wedding soon? Who is going to get married?"
As soon as she said that, Louis, who was also sitting there, suddenly felt chills all over.
Then, he saw Ian slowly turning his head to look at him.
Louis hurriedly waved and said, "Uncle Ian, I don¡¯t even have a girlfriend. I..."
Before he could finish, Ian said, "If you get married, I¡¯ll give you 50 million dors."
Louis instantly paused.
Although he had tricked Trueman into giving him moneyst time, he simply had too big a "family". Because he had gained some money, he had adopted another bunch of stray cats and dogs, resulting in his expenses also increasing by a lot.
50 million dors...
Louis immediately said, "Uncle Ian, my girlfriend and I have actually been hiding our rtionship from you! We have been wanting to get married for a really long time! When do you think would be a suitable time to hold the wedding?"
"..."
Nora wasn¡¯t aware of what was happening in the audience.
At this moment, she saw that Karl had already led Tanya to Joel.
At the holy and pure wedding, Tanya wore a wedding gown while Joel wore a ck tuxedo.
Karl stretched out his hand and ced Tanya¡¯s hand in Joel¡¯s.
He patted Joel on the shoulder and slowly said, "Take care of my daughter, young man. If you dare to let her down, bully her, or find someone else outside, I will send ck Cat to take your head!"
Joel wasn¡¯t bothered about the threat in his words. He merely straightened his back and looked at him as he said, "Don¡¯t worry, Dad."
Karl nodded.
He took a step back and raised his hands. At this moment, Morris was the first to rush up to the two of them. He held his arms behind his back, took out his handcuffs, and handcuffed him.
Tanya, who had heard themotion, wanted to look behind her.
Karl, however, shouted, "Don¡¯t look back. You must always look ahead of you in life. Tanya, be happy."
Tanya¡¯s eyes turned red.
She choked back her sobs and nodded hard.
Tanya and Joel walked up the tform step by step. When she turned to look at her father, she instead only saw his back as he was led away.
¡ª
At the special department.
Karl was brought back once more. Nora didn¡¯t stay at the wedding but followed them over, instead.
She found that Karl hade in very naturally this time as if he was going home.
His rxed expression made Nora and Morris look at each other with puzzled expressions.
Nora kept feeling that something was wrong.
It stood to reason that Karl would know that another charge would be added to his crimes, now that he had been arrested again. Shouldn¡¯t he be sad about it? So, why was he looking so rxed instead?
After the group of them took him to the interrogation room, he looked at Morris and Nora. "I wanted to take some things with me to my grave, but I don¡¯t want to hide it anymore. I don¡¯t want my daughter to have to shoulder the weight of being called a murderer¡¯s daughter! Do you know how I escaped?"
Chapter 545: Another Secret Identity~
Chapter 545: Another Secret Identity~
How he had escaped?
Everyone was aware that there was a traitor in the special department.
Was Karl intending to confess and plead for leniency?
From the looks of it, for Tanya¡¯s sake, he had indeed thought things through and made up his mind.
Nora and Morris were about to speak when the door of the interrogation room was suddenly pushed open. A middle-aged man, who looked about fifty years old, strode in.
The man, who looked furious, immediately stared at Nora after he entered. He said, "What¡¯s the matter with you?! As a member of the special department, even if you¡¯re an externally hired forensic doctor, you should not be letting someone point a gun at you!"
Nora frowned as she looked at him.
Morris spoke up at this point. He said, "This is Captain Johnson, who is also my mentor. He was the one who guided me when I first entered this line of business."
Nora looked at the man.
So, he was the one who had ordered the sniper to fire just now?
The man¡¯s aura was identical to Morris¡¯s, and both of them were cold and steely men. But for some reason, Nora didn¡¯t like him very much.
Morris looked at Johnson and slowly exined, "Captain Johnson, Ms. Smith is an externally hired forensic doctor. She is only responsible for studying and researching the gic modification drugs that the special department investigates and confiscates. Therefore, it is very understandable that she wouldn¡¯t be able to keep up in terms of physical strength."
Johnson stared at Nora. "She can¡¯t keep up in terms of physical strength? The way I see it, she¡¯s a spy. Why did you block the bullet for Karl Moore just now?"
Nora raised her eyebrows, her almond-shaped eyes looking somewhat innocent. "What bullet?"
Johnson snapped, "You ced yourself in the line of fire between him and the sniper to help him! Stop pretending!"
Nora said, "What are you talking about, Captain Johnson? I¡¯m just a weak and powerless externally hired forensic doctor. How would I know about the bullet trajectory of the sniper rifle?"
Her words made Johnson choke.
However, Morris, who was standing beside them, nced at her with a cold look on his face.
Nora kept standing where she was and feigned innocence.
Johnson was infuriated. He pointed at her and ranted at Morris. "Look at how she¡¯s using her ignorance to justify her actions! We don¡¯t need someone like her in the special department!"
Morris frowned.
At this point, Johnson spoke again. He said, "Also, Karl¡¯s escape is definitely an inside job. In that case, who is the traitor in the department? Going by how well she cooperated with Karl today, it may just be her!"
Morris immediately said, "Watch what you say, sir! As a police officer, we mustn¡¯t say anything without evidence."
"Hah..." Johnson was likely terribly outraged. He said, "Then we won¡¯t discuss this today. I have already looked thoroughly into Ms. Smith¡¯s background while on the way here, and I will tell you now¡ªshe is not suitable for the special department!"
Morris frowned. "Sir, you..."
Johnson held his hand up and stopped Morris from speaking. He said, "Listen to my reasons for saying that first! Nora Smith¡¯s mother is Yvette Anderson! And Yvette Anderson is someone we can confirm was a member of the mysterious organization back then! That alone makes Nora Smith unsuitable to remain in the special department!"
"Her mother is a suspect, so what she needs to do is steer clear and avoid suspicion! But what are you doing instead? You¡¯re letting someone who should be avoiding suspicion be part of the case! Is this what I taught you?!"
Morris clenched his jaw.
Johnson pointed to the special department regtions and asked, "Morris, what is rule seven of the special department regtions?"
Morris straightened his back at once and recited aloud, "All direct or coteral rtives of persons involved in the special department¡¯s cases are to stay away from the investigations to avoid suspicion!"
Johnson pointed at him, "Do you still think she is suitable to stay in the special department?"
Morris still wanted to exin. "But¡ª"
"No buts!"
Johnson looked at Nora aggressively and said, "Nora Smith, you have been fired! Please immediately return all your credentials to the special department and leave! You are not allowed to carry out any further private investigations into the case!"
Nora: "?"
She nced at Karl, who was sitting there.
Karl had clearly wanted to tell them something just now. Was he forbidding her from listening?
She looked at Morris again. He took a deep breath and said, "Ms. Smith, go back for now. After I discuss this with Captain Johnson, I will invite you back again."
"Hah!" Johnson sneered, "She¡¯s nothing more than a weak and powerless girl who only knows how to be a burden to the team during critical moments! What¡¯s the purpose of inviting a person like her back?!"
Morris sighed.
Nora understood now.
It seemed that Johnson had the final say in the special department.
She raised her eyebrows, took out the special department¡¯s staff pass from her pocket, and handed it to Morris.
When Morris took it from her, he lowered his voice and said, "Don¡¯t worry, give me some time. I will definitely let youe back in style!"
His mentor had been transferred to the special department out of nowhere this time.
The special department originally had no direct leader. It could be said that Morris dominated the team. With the sudden appearance of an obstruction like him, he needed some time to regain his authority in the special department!
Nora looked at him. Her lips suddenly curled into a smile and she said, "No, it¡¯s fine."
She¡¯d had enough of being an externally hired forensic doctor. Did they really think she cared for it?
If she had that much spare time, she might as well just go home and have a good sleep instead! It had already taken up so much of her time!
She nced at Karl again, only to see him wave at her rxedly. He smiled and said, "Go back and tell Tanya that I will be fine, Nora! Tell her to wait for me toe home with peace of mind!"
Nora didn¡¯t know where his confidence wasing from, but she nheless turned and left the interrogation room.
After she left, Morris looked at Johnson and said, "You will regret the choice you have made today, sir!"
Johnson sneered, "She¡¯s just a useless little girl. Why would I regret anything?"
At this moment, someone knocked on the door and walked in. He sighed and said, "Captain Ford, those few bodyguards we arrested the other day are too tight-lipped. They simply refuse to say anything!"
Morris frowned.
At this point, Johnson¡ªwho had been transferred to the department out of nowhere¡ªin order to show off his abilities, said, "If it¡¯s about interrogation, then I have a particrly great candidate to nominate!"
"Who is it?" asked Morris.
Johnson lowered his head and replied, "ck Cat."
ck Cat?
Morris subconsciously nced at Karl.
ck Cat was the top assassin in Karl¡¯s organization! Now that they had arrested Karl, how would ck Cat possibly be willing to help them?
While he was thinking about it, Johnson smiled triumphantly and said, "Don¡¯t worry, I can get ck Cat to help us! People like ck Cat, talented at investigations and interrogation methods, are what the special department needs the most! Morris, you¡¯re too shortsighted. That girl who does scientific research is nothingpared to ck Cat! I am confident that I can headhunt ck Cat and bring him into the department!"
Chapter 546: Who Says I’ve Been Fired?
Chapter 546: Who Says I¡¯ve Been Fired?
Outsiders weren¡¯t aware of the conversation in the special department.
By now, Nora had already returned to the Smiths¡¯.
Tanya and Joel¡¯s wedding was over, and all of them had gone home. As she was worried about Karl, Tanya was feeling rather down in the dumps. Knowing that she wasn¡¯t in the best of moods, everyone else left early.
The moment Nora got home, her cell phone rang.
When she picked up the call, Justin¡¯s voice rang out on the other end. "I took Cherry out for a stroll. She seemed a little unhappy."
Nora nodded. "... Oh, okay."
She obviously sounded aszy as usual, yet the sharp Justin nheless sensed something. He asked, "In a bad mood?"
"Yeah."
Nora didn¡¯t like to whine, so she had always mulled over everything quietly by herself.
But when faced with Justin¡¯s question, she couldn¡¯t help but say, "I¡¯ve been fired by the special department."
As soon as she said that, there was a moment of silence on the phone.
A brief momentter, she heard a sigh from Justin, who then said, "If I say that I¡¯m actually pretty happy about it, would you beat me up?"
Nora: "?"
Justin said pitifully, "I¡¯m always so worried about you every time you¡¯re out on a mission. Now that you¡¯ve finally been fired, you can stay at home safely and spend more time with the children."
Nora: "??"
Why was what he was saying sounding so off?
The corners of her lips spasmed, and she couldn¡¯t help feeling that their roles had been reversed!
Justin let out a low chuckle and asked, "Do I sound like a house-husband?"
Nora: "!!"
Justin sounded very rxed as he added, "It¡¯s their loss for firing you. I can only say that they are blind. You don¡¯t have to feel sad about it. The way I see it, they will be crying and begging you to go back very soon!"
Nora raised her eyebrows. "Why do you say that?"
Justin chuckled again. "Didn¡¯t they invite Q to join the team? Also, if your identity as Big Sister is exposed, they will definitely be even more desperate..."
Nora thought for a while about what he had said and suddenly felt that that was indeed the case.
A smile formed on her lips and she opened the door and entered the living room. She was about to speak again when she noticed Ian, who was in his wheelchair, in the living room contemting something in silence. Upon hearing hering in, Ian immediately looked at her.
Nora was a little surprised. "Were you waiting for me?"
Ian nodded. Then, he suggested hesitantly, "Let¡¯s have a chat?"
Nora walked up to him and casually tossed her phone into her pocket.
Thinking that Justin would hang up, she didn¡¯t disconnect the call.
Then, she pushed Ian¡¯s wheelchair to the garden.
The weather was very fine that day. Tanya and Joel had picked a good day for the wedding.
The sun shone down upon them, yet it was neither ring nor intense. It felt refreshing andfortable as the two of them walked in the shade in the garden.
Ian suddenly said, "Nora, the way that Karl risked being arrested just toe back and give Tanya¡¯s hand away in marriage today moved me greatly."
Nora raised her brows.
Ian sighed and said, "I¡¯m really afraid that I won¡¯t be around when you get married in the future. My health has always been poor..."
Nora replied in a lukewarm manner, "As long as you don¡¯t do anything stupid, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem for you to live till you¡¯re seventy or eighty years old."
"..."
Ian sighed.
He had already been sick of living previously. After he realized that Nora was his daughter and that Yvette hadn¡¯t betrayed him, he had suddenly felt even less like living because he couldn¡¯t wait to go to heaven and be reunited with her.
However, his daughter had kept him here instead.
Butter, when he saw how much effort Karl was putting into building his rtionship with Tanya, and when he heard what everyone was saying about Tanya, Ian suddenly understood something¡ªchildren without parents would be bullied by others.
Even if the child was very strong and powerful, people would still sigh whenever they mentioned them, and remark that it was a shame that both their parents had died and that they weren¡¯t blessed enough.
They even put the me for things like how the child was not blessed enough to have their parents with them on the child.
Society demanded too much from girls.
Nora wasn¡¯t as tough and hardy as Joel, Quentin, and Louis. Therefore, he had to do his best to stay alive. As long as he was alive, he would be able to back his daughter up.
It was at this moment that Ianpletely abolished his thoughts of suicide and not wanting to live for real.
For the first time in his entire life, he felt that he was still of use to someone and that there were still people who needed him.
With that in mind, Ian smiled and said, "Even so, I still hope that the day I see you get marriedes soon. After all, no one knows for sure which woulde first¡ªtomorrow, or an ident?"
Nora did not refute him. Instead, she asked, "What you mean is...?"
She felt a little hopeful.
Even Justin, who was listening to the conversation through the phone that Nora had tossed into her pocket, couldn¡¯t help raising his brows.
His father-inw had finally thought things through. Had he be agreeable to their marriage?
While he was wondering, he heard Ian say, "Why don¡¯t you go on a blind date tomorrow?"
Justin: "?"
He heaved a silent sigh!
To be honest, he understood what Ian was thinking. His father-inw must think that the other branches of the Hunts were too unstable and too chaotic, right?
He lowered his head.
Suddenly, a sense of lethargy and world-weariness welled up in him.
To be honest, even till now, he had been the one maintaining the connection between him and Nora in this rtionship all this time. He had tested it before¡ªif he didn¡¯t send any text messages to Nora, she could ignore him for a whole day.
Thus, he felt rather dejected in this instant. He didn¡¯t understand what the point of trying to please his father-inw was anymore...
But it was at this moment that he suddenly heard Nora hesitate for a moment and ask, "Do you really disapprove of Justin? I¡¯ve always thought that you were just making things difficult for him so that you would be in a more advantageous position, but I didn¡¯t expect that... Can you tell me why?"
Ian was not surprised by Nora¡¯s question at all.
He immediately answered, "Because Justin is different. He is too cunning and sinister, and also too powerful. You won¡¯t be able to control him."
Nora: "?"
Ian said, "In marriage, one always overwhelms the other. Although your status is on par with his, Justin has a trump card that others can¡¯t see through. A husband like him, who is beyond your control, will put you in a very passive position in the marriage."
Nora: "..."
Ian went on. "He will make you take the burden of all the objectives and goals he wants to achieve. It¡¯s to the extent that you won¡¯t even realize anything if he takes advantage of you. You¡¯ll be counting the money for him even after he¡¯s sold you. Justin is that scheming and capable!"
"..."
Nora was stunned. Obviously, she hadn¡¯t expected Ian to say something like that.
She kept quiet for a while before she said, "Actually, I am also very strong."
Who did her father think he was looking down on?!
Ian: "??"
He had said so much, but unexpectedly, it had sparked the desire to win in his daughter instead?
The corners of Ian¡¯s lips spasmed. "What I mean is¡ª"
Nora interrupted him and said, "Don¡¯t make things difficult for him anymore, he is the children¡¯s father, after all. The kids will also be in a dilemma if you keep pulling a long face at him all the time. Besides... Do you think there¡¯s anyone among the men you¡¯ve found more good-looking than him??"
Ian: "??"
He was dumbfounded. "So the reason why you are dating him¡ªor rather, that you like him¡ªis that he¡¯s good-looking?"
Nora became even more puzzled. "Can¡¯t I?"
Of course, one would need a reason to like another person.
If Justin wasn¡¯t outstanding, wasn¡¯t handsome, and didn¡¯t treat her with that much sincerity, why would she like him?
"... Y-yes, you can."
"Uh-huh." Nora said, "Even though you can¡¯t stop us even if you disapprove of the rtionship, I still want to say this: Thank you for letting us be together."
Ian: "??"
Why was she already thanking him for letting them be together? When did he do that?
The corners of Ian¡¯s lips spasmed.
Nora yawned. "Is there anything else? If there isn¡¯t, then I will go upstairs and go to bed for now."
Ian: "..."
Ian could only watch helplessly as Nora abandoned him in the garden and shuffled to her bedroom on the second floor of the vi. The corners of his lips couldn¡¯t help but spasm again.
Although he knew that there would be bodyguards who would take him back to the house, was it really okay for her to just abandon him here?
Ian knew that it must be because he had badmouthed Justin a lot just now, so his daughter had gotten mad at him. Ever since the two of them acknowledged each other, this was the first time that his daughter was giving him the cold shoulder.
It was all that pretty boy¡¯s fault!
The huffy Ian suddenly looked to the side and ordered, "Go and gather all the good-looking men in New York! I¡¯m going to look through them one by one. I simply don¡¯t believe I can¡¯t find someone more handsome than him!!"
The speechless bodyguard hidden in the shadows replied, "Yes, sir."
¡ª
When Nora returned to the bedroom and took out her cell phone from her pocket, she saw that the call had already been disconnected a long time ago.
She wasn¡¯t bothered. However, when she took off her clothes and got ready to take a bath, she suddenly received a call from the Hunt manor. Thinking that it was Cherry, she picked up the call.
But unexpectedly, the elderly Mrs. Hunt¡¯s voice instead suddenly rang out on the opposite end. "It¡¯s me, Ms. Smith. I heard from Brenda that you¡¯ve been fired by the special department? This is too much!"
Nora: "?"
Had Mrs. Hunt suddenly turned over a new leaf?
Why was she suddenly speaking up for her?
Nora¡¯s brows knitted together. Thinking that it would be better if she got along with the elderlydy, she was about to reply when the olddy instead said, "As a woman, it is better that you stay at home and take care of your husband and kids instead. Not every woman can handle jobs that require so much professionalism like those of the special department. You are different from Brenda. Brenda has been through high-grade education since she was a child, so she is more than capable enough to deal with jobs like hers. You, on the other hand, are different. Not only did you grow up in the countryside, but you also don¡¯t know much about the way of the world. It¡¯s understandable that you would offend your team leader. In my opinion, you don¡¯t have to feel too sad about it. This may instead be something positive for you!"
Nora: "..."
She knew it, the fox might grow gray but it would never be good!
She didn¡¯t say anything¡ªbecause she discovered on her phone that she had suddenly received a few emails, and some of them were sent from the special department¡¯s official email address.
One was sent to Q.
Another was sent to ck Cat.
The content of the two emails was very simr and adopted a sincere tone. Additionally, both were inviting her to join the special department to be of service to the United States!
The sender of both emails was also a man with thest name Johnson.
Initially, Nora hadn¡¯t wanted to bother with him. However, Mrs. Hunt¡¯s voice rang out in her earphones. "You are too unsociable and entric. It¡¯s understandable that other people would dislike you..."
The corners of Nora¡¯s lips curled upward and she said, "Who says I¡¯ve been fired because they dislike me?"
Chapter 547: Nora Is So Popular~
Chapter 547: Nora Is So Popr~
Mrs. Hunt was taken aback. "What do you mean? Weren¡¯t you fired?"
Nora didn¡¯t pay any more attention to her. After all, chatting with her was a total waste of time. She politely replied, "I¡¯m going to bed. Goodnight."
And then, she hung up.
If she weren¡¯t Justin¡¯s grandmother, she couldn¡¯t even be bothered to say goodnight.
How dare she say that she was unskilled in building interpersonal rtionships? Hah.
Nora picked up the phone and sent a message to Solo: ¡¯How do you find me as a person?¡¯
Solo, who was far away in Switzend, gnashed his teeth in fury upon seeing her text message.
If she hadn¡¯t saved his life, he wouldn¡¯t have been enved and suppressed by her so easily.
But did he dare to fight back? Of course not.
Thus, Solo replied: "You¡¯re fantastic! Absolutely great!"
Nora was very satisfied.
See? Even someone as unsociable and entric as Solo thought that she was a great person. Why would she be poor at building and maintaining interpersonal rtionships with others?
Solo sent another message: "I¡¯m going back to the States in a couple of days and will be in New York. Wanna meet?"
He wasing back to New York?
Didn¡¯t that mean that it would be perfect for her to use him to cover up her identity?
Nora didn¡¯t want her identity as Q to be exposed. Thus, she replied: ¡¯Good timing. I have something I need you to do.¡¯
Nora put down the phone,pletely unsuspecting that she might not really be great at interpersonal rtionships, after all. When she was about to go to bed, someone knocked on the door.
She opened the door to find Joel outside. He had an anxious look on his face. "Nora, what exactly is going on with Karl?"
Nora replied calmly, "He is very confident, and even told me that he¡¯ll be fine."
Joel: "?"
It had be more difficult for him to ask around and get news from the special department this time. Rather than asking others for news, he might as well just straight-up ask Nora.
Thus, after Karl was taken away, he had been waiting for her toe home while he also continued getting his men to ask around and find out what had happened.
But he didn¡¯t expect that all she would say was just a few words?
Perhaps it wasn¡¯t convenient for her to tell outsiders about the ongoings in the special department.
But... Never mind. Given how reticent this younger sister of his was, she wouldn¡¯t be able to give him a clear ount of what had happened even if he wanted to hear about it.
With that in mind, Joel nodded. Then, he patted her on the shoulder and said, "I heard about what happened to you. It¡¯s okay, don¡¯t be depressed about it."
"... What happened to me?" asked Nora.
Joel was surprised. "You know, you¡¯ve been fired!"
Nora blinked. "Why would I be depressed about it?"
Joel: "??"
The siblings stared at each other for a short while. Then, Joel coughed and turned to leave. As soon as he turned, Nora suddenly called out to him, "Joel."
Joel looked back at her.
Nora asked, "How do you find me as a person?"
How did he find her as a person?
Arrogant and cocky, of course! On top of that, she was just like a rock¡ªnever soft toward anyone!
But could the wily little fox Joel say that?
Certainly not.
He smiled and replied, "Very cute."
Nora nodded in satisfaction. "Okay, there¡¯s nothing else."
Without waiting for Joel to leave, she immediately turned and closed the door.
... What a rude little girl!
After asking the two of them about it, Nora felt even more assured.
See? Both of them had said that she had a good personality, so how would she possibly be unskilled at interpersonal rtionships?
When she woke up the next day, Nora opened her eyes to see Pete already sitting at the desk and studying quietly.
She stretched. Before going to the bathroom to wash up, she looked at Pete and called out, "Pete?"
Pete looked up. "Yes, Mommy?"
Her son¡¯s eyes were serious, which made Nora smile. She asked, "What do you think of your Mommy?"
Pete tilted his head.
Although Mommy was always either sleeping or on the way to sleeping, for Pete, who¡¯d never had a mom since he was a baby, just having her within his sight was already great.
Especially if he could see her right away whenever he lifted his head while she was in bed and sleeping.
Pete smiled sincerely and said, "You are the Mommy who spends the most time with her kid!"
A smiling Nora nodded.
See? Not only did she have good rtionships with others, but she was also the best mother in her children¡¯s eyes!
After washing up, Nora opened the door and went downstairs. When she was about to have breakfast, she suddenly saw Louis sneaking out.
Nora suddenly called out, "Louis."
Louis paused and looked back at her, upon which his eyes lit up. "Nora?"
Nora tore off a piece of bread and asked, "How do you find me as a person?"
Louis curled his lips disdainfully when he heard her question.
Not only was she cold, indifferent, and reticent¡ªmaking her seem just like a walking refrigerant¡ªbut she was also arrogant and cocky. Even the way she walked was so unwomanly!
But when he thought of Nora¡¯s money...
Louis beamed and replied, "Kind, beautiful, and approachable, of course, Nora! You¡¯re practically a model woman of the times!"
Nora became more satisfied.
She ate the bread she was holding and then asked, "Where are you going?"
Louis straightened his back and replied, "To talk to my girlfriend about marriage!"
Nora was taken aback. "You have a girlfriend?"
Louis waved and replied, "Of course not. But I¡¯m going to find one now!"
Nora was enlightened. She remarked, "I knew it. How would you be able to find a girlfriend with that head of bleached blond hair of yours?"
Louis: "???"
Why was his cousin¡¯s mouth so toxic?! Could he take back thepliments that he had gone against his conscience to give her just now?
Never mind. On ount of how he couldn¡¯t afford to mess with her because of how rich she was, he would just suck it up!
After asking several people in a row, where all of them said that she had a good personality and was popr, Nora¡¯s doubts had all been assuaged. She confidently threw what Mrs. Hunt had said the day before to the back of her mind.
After finishing her breakfast¡ªor rather, lunch¡ªNora got ready to go upstairs to read her medical books and look for a way to treat Quentin.
As soon as she went upstairs, she saw Ian waving at her.
When Nora walked over, Ian took out a few photos and asked, "Nora, what do you think of these people? Are they handsome enough?"
He gave priority to a certain photo he had taken out. The man in the photo looked a little like Justin, he also had deep-set eyes and a straight, sharp nose.
Ian said, "He¡¯s an Oscar-winning actor. Surely he¡¯s handsome enough, right?"
"... Yes, he is pretty handsome."
Ian¡¯s eyes lit up. "How about meeting him, then?"
Nora yawned. "No, it¡¯s fine. Justin is still more handsome."
"How can that be? No matter how I look at him, he¡¯s more handsome than Justin, isn¡¯t he?"
Nora tilted her head. "Perhaps it¡¯s because... he doesn¡¯t have a beauty mark at the corner of his eye?"
Ian: "???"
With that, Nora entered her bedroom.
Justin¡¯s beauty mark at the corner of his eye was pretty much his signature. Nora wasn¡¯t lying when she said that just now¡ªshe really did feel that Justin¡¯s beauty mark at the corner of his eye was very distinctive!
¡ª
At the Hunts¡¯.
After Justin ended the call the previous night, he walked to the full-length mirror at home and looked at himself.
He touched his cheek with hisrge hand and rubbed the beauty mark at the corner of his eye.
As it turned out, Nora liked him because of his face?
In that case, he had to give full y to his strengths.
He suddenly picked up his cell phone and called Lawrence.
The man answered very quickly. Justin said, "Send me some sheet masks and skincare products."
Justin was a fastidious man in his lifestyle, but he had always been rtively careless with his face. It was already enough for him that he cleansed his face every day. However, things were different now!
He was going to start paying attention to skincare!
Thus, Lawrence came over to deliver sheet masks to Justin early in the morning. He said, "... Apply this in the morning for five minutes. After that, apply this lotion and then the emulsion. Also, this is for anti-aging..."
After exining all the skincare products¡¯ functions in session, Lawrence noticed his boss rubbing the beauty mark at the corner of his eye with his fingers. It was to the extent that the skin there was turning red.
Justin suddenly asked, "Say, do you think the mole can be removed? Why is it so ugly?"
"... Of course. Do you need me to make an appointment with the doctor for you?"
"Yeah, contact them." Justin was very concerned that the mole would affect his appearance.
Lawrence immediately contacted the director of the best aesthetic clinic in New York and spoke with him seriously. During the phone call, Lawrence even said, "News of Mr. Hunt visiting the clinic must not spread and must be kept absolutely confidential. In addition, get the best doctor in the clinic to do it and ensure that there aren¡¯t any scars. You must arrange for a doctor with zero cosmetic surgery failures!"
"Yes, yes, of course!" The director respectfully replied. Then, he asked, "What does Mr. Hunt want to do? His nose? Eyes? Or the whole face?"
Lawrence frowned and replied, "None of that, of course. It¡¯s even more serious."
The director¡¯s heart sank at once.
It was the aesthetic clinic¡¯s honor that Mr. Hunt wanted toe over and have cosmetic surgery done. However, it was also exceptionally stressful to perform cosmetic surgery on wealthy people like him.
After all, everyone¡¯s sense of aesthetics was different. In the event that Mr. Hunt was dissatisfied, it would instead damage their clinic¡¯s reputation!
The director was filled with trepidation. He asked, "Then which body part is he intending to treat?"
An area that was more important than the eyes, nose, and face would be...
Could it be that Mr. Hunt found a certain part of himself not... strong enough? So he wanted to do something about that?
While the director¡¯s imagination was running wild, Lawrence said seriously, "At the corner of his eyes..."
The corner of the eye... The director breathed a sigh of relief. Although operating on the corner of the eye was just a minor operation, it would indeed be very unsightly if not done well.
The corners of Mr. Hunt¡¯s eyes were pretty good-looking, though?
Then, he heard the rest of Lawrence¡¯s words: "... is a mole."
The director: "???"
After they made an appointment, Justin looked at the time and realized that he would be just in time to have dinner with Nora after removing the mole.
Yup, hopefully, he would be able to give her a surprise in the evening!
¡ª
At the special department.
Johnson had alreadye over early in the morning. When Morris saw him, he walked over and said, "Sir, I think the dismissal of Nora Smith as our forensic doctor requires further discussion."
Johnson waved and said, "There is nothing to discuss. The department doesn¡¯t need people with medical skills! What we need are talents like ck Cat and Q! I have already sent emails to both of them and invited them to join the team, and am currently waiting for them to reply!"
Then, he said, "And now, I¡¯m going to interrogate Karl! No one is to enter the room without my permission!"
Chapter 548: Which Part of Him Is Different?
Chapter 548: Which Part of Him Is Different?
Nora read the whole afternoon. At five o¡¯clock, Justin called and said that Cherry wanted to have dinner with her.
A puzzled Nora asked, "Then why don¡¯t the two of youe over?"
Justin hesitated for a moment, seemingly somewhat reluctant to say something. However, in the end, he still said, "I doubt we cane over to the Smiths¡¯. After all, Uncle Ian seems to have quite a lot against me."
What he said simply made him sound as if he was suffering too much injustice.
Nora suddenly felt a pang of heartache, so she said, "Alright, send me the address. I wille over with Pete."
"Okay."
After hanging up, Justin sent her a text message with the address of the restaurant they were having dinner at.
Nora nced at it. It wasn¡¯t very far from the Smith manor.
Thus, she decided to read for another half an hour before she set off.
However, perhaps because it was destined that she wouldn¡¯t be able to find any peace, her cell phone suddenly lit up¡ªJohnson had sent her another email inviting her to join the special department.
This time, the email was sent to ck Cat. The email read as follows:
"Hello, ck Cat. Have you seen myst email? Even if you are not interested in the United States¡¯ special department, do you not care whether Karl Moore lives or dies?"
Nora stared at the email and narrowed her eyes. She immediately replied to the email: ¡¯What do you mean¡¯
She had always been straightforward in her typing, and couldn¡¯t even be bothered to add punctuation marks.
The other party responded very quickly: "Karl has been arrested for breaking thew in the USA. You should be aware of that, right? Don¡¯t you want to save him? If you agree to join the special department, I can find a way to release him."
Release Karl?
Nora narrowed her eyes and sneered.
Did that man think that she was a three-year-old? Karl had broken thew. Without a reasonable exnation, how could the special department possibly release him?
She narrowed her eyes and replied: ¡¯How are you going to release him?¡¯
Johnson¡¯s reply came even faster this time: "I can release a public statement that he is my informant. This way, he can say that it was by my instructions that he brought those people into the country."
When she saw this, Nora¡¯s pupils shrank abruptly.
An informant...
This sure was a wless exnation. On top of that, it would also allow the special department to release him right away!
But why would Johnson say that Karl was his informant?
Nora frowned. Suddenly, she thought of how Karl had insisted that he did it for money when she and Morris had asked him over and over why he had illegally brought the people from the mysterious organization into the country.
After that, Karl had sessfully escaped from the special department¡¯s cell...
Could it be that...
Nora narrowed her eyes. The dark pupils in her cat-like eyes flickered with a dim glow.
It seemed like she had figured something out!
¡ª
At the special department.
Morris stood outside the door to the interrogation room, hoping to listen in on the conversation taking ce inside. Unfortunately, the interrogation room had been soundproofed, so he couldn¡¯t hear anything at all.
He wanted to know what the two of them were talking about, but as soon as Johnson had entered, he had turned off the surveince cameras, rendering Morris unable to find out what Johnson and Karl were talking about.
His brows locked together tightly. After waiting for about half an hour, Johnson finally walked out of the room.
Morris hurriedly took a step forward and asked, "Did you manage to get anything out of him?"
Johnson nced at Morris and shook his head. "He still refuses to talk."
Morris suggested, "I¡¯d suggest hiring Nora Smith back into the team. She knows Karl. He had already decided to talk the other time!"
Johnson sneered when he heard what he said. "She is a forensic doctor, so it¡¯s not like she¡¯s part of the interrogation process. Why should we ask her toe back? To watch the special department make a fool out of itself?! I¡¯ll tell you this¡ªI don¡¯t agree to it!"
Then, Johnson pointed at him and said, "The one we need the most right now is ck Cat. I have already emphasized this many times! Asking a doctor to be a forensic expert? Are you trying to be funny here? Does she have any experience in solving criminal cases? Or have the people in the special department be so poor that they can¡¯t even afford to see a doctor when they are ill?"
Morris clenched his jaw. He found Johnson¡¯s words too unpleasant.
He took a deep breath. "Captain Johnson, you are prejudiced against Nora!"
His term of address had gone from "Sir" to "Captain Johnson", which went to show that Morris had be extremely unhappy with him.
"Yes, I am! She was simply too unprofessional at the wedding! We don¡¯t need someone like her! Hah!"
Morris stared at Johnson. "Don¡¯t be so sure. You should never offend a doctor!"
Johnson sneered, "Heh, are you threatening me? I¡¯ll tell you this, what I fear the least is getting sick! I am in great health and have never gotten sick all these years! Even if I do fall sick, I will never ask her to treat my illness!"
After saying that, he walked out of the room straightaway.
But as soon as he reached the door, his vision went ck and he suddenly fainted and copsed!
"Captain Johnson!"
"Captain Johnson!"
Amid the chaos, Johnson was sent to the hospital.
¡ª
Nora took Pete to the restaurant.
When they arrived, for once, Justin actually wasn¡¯t there before them.
Nora didn¡¯t lose her temper just because she had to wait. She took Pete into the private room.
They were at a Japanese restaurant. The solid wood decor in the private room looked veryfortable.
Pete took off his shoes and started writing his assignments with his legs crossed. As he did, he asked, "Mommy, why is the tyrant insisting that we have dinner together tonight?"
Nora was about to reply that she didn¡¯t know either when the door was pushed open. Cherry ran in first. She blinked with her big round eyes and looked at Nora. Then, she said excitedly, "Mommy, quick, look at Daddy! Which part of him is different today?!"
Chapter 549: Falling Into Her Hands!
Chapter 549: Falling Into Her Hands!
Which part of him had changed?
Cherry¡¯s words made both Nora and Pete look at the door curiously.
Justin took step after step into the room.
He was wearing a ck suit. The tall and slender man leaned against the door after entering. His narrow and sharp eyes swept across the private room and then, his gaze traveled to the ceiling and he let out a cough.
Nora¡¯s gazended on his face right away!!
His cheeks, which were as smooth as usual, were still poreless, and his fair skin was glowing. In addition to his deep and bottomless eyes, his straight and sharp nose, as well as his...
Huh? Where was the beauty mark at the corner of his eye?! Why was it gone?!!
Nora got up abruptly and looked at Justin in astonishment.
Justin, who had caught a glimpse of her expression, breathed a sigh of relief inwardly.
From the looks of it, her breath had been taken away by how he currently looked, right?
Next to them, Cherry was cheering. The little girl bounced around and said, "Mommy, look! Isn¡¯t Daddy more handsome than before?"
Justin¡¯s cheeks were a little red.
Wasn¡¯t the way the woman was looking at him a little too explicit and a little too fervent?
He was just thinking about it when the corners of Nora¡¯s lips spasmed and she asked, "The beauty mark at the corner of your eye is gone?"
Justin nodded. "Yeah. Do I now look..."
Before he could utter the word "better", the woman in front of her suddenly curled her lips disdainfully and sighed. "You¡¯ve be uglier."
Justin: "???"
Nora nced at him disdainfully with a touch of regret in her eyes. "Why did you remove the beauty mark for no reason? Did you suddenly lose your mind?"
Justin: "???"
Even the look of interest in Nora¡¯s eyes seemed to have faded away somewhat. As she looked at Justin, she sighed again, looking as though she thought there was no more hope left for him.
Justin: "..."
A short silence instantly descended upon the private room.
Cherry and Pete looked at each other. Then, Cherry ran to Pete with her stubby little legs, sat down next to him, and then rested her chin on her hands. She said, "Look at him, Pete. I told Daddy that the beauty mark at the corner of his eye was attractive, but he simply insisted that it wasn¡¯t and insisted on going to the beauty salon to have it removed! As expected, Mommy and I have the same taste when ites to handsome guys!"
"... Uh-huh," said Pete.
Cherry then took out her cell phone and said, "Shall we y games, Pete? I haven¡¯t carried you for so long~"
"No, I¡¯m not ying. I have to finish this problem."
Cherry: "??"
She curled her lips disdainfully and sighed. "What¡¯s so fun about those problems? How can it be more fun than games?"
Pete looked up at the ceiling speechlessly. "Is ying games the only thing on your mind every day?!"
"Of course not!" Cherry looked at him confidently and said, "I also think about handsome guys!"
"..."
While the two little fellows were talking, Justin touched his nose. Then, he sighed, took out a piece of wet tissue from his pocket, and wiped the corner of his eye, upon which the beauty mark reappeared.
He heaved a silent sigh and said, "Cherry said that you may like the beauty mark, so I didn¡¯t remove it."
His car had entered the beauty salon, but then he turned around and left.
After all, one could just apply a bit of makeup to cover up something sometimes. However, once it was gone, it would never return!
From the looks of it, Cherry wasn¡¯t that unreliable, after all!
Nora was relieved to see the beauty mark back on the man¡¯s face. She remarked, "This looks more pleasing to the eye, after all."
"..."
When Justin saw how relieved she was, the corners of his lips slowly curled upward.
For some reason, he suddenly thought that once they got married, apart from kissing his lips, she could also kiss the beauty mark at the corner of his eye.
The thought of it immediately made the man¡¯s ears redden, and they flushed all the way to the base of his ears.
When Nora caught a glimpse of it, she asked hesitantly, "What¡¯s the matter? Do you have a fever?"
"... No. Let¡¯s have a seat."
The two sat down and started eating while facing each other. At this moment, footsteps rang out outside the door. Then, someone opened the door to the private room and Brenda hurriedly walked in.
Justin frowned. "Why are you here?"
Brenda replied, "For dinner, of course! Aren¡¯t you guys having a party here?"
Justin: "?"
Cherry, who was ying games, asked in puzzlement, "How did you know we are here, Aunt Brenda?"
Brenda took off her shoes unceremoniously and sat beside Nora. "Tsk, have you forgotten what your aunt does for a living? I have all too many ways to find out where you guys are!"
Then, she looked at Nora and said, "Captain Ford spoke up a lot for you in front of Captain Johnson today, but that old stick-in-the-mud still refuses to give in. I¡¯m so mad!"
She picked up a piece of salmon and put it in her mouth. "So, I decided not to stay in the special department and just left. They can do whatever they want! Captain Johnson is notorious for being a difficult man, though. The way I see it, unless he bes seriously ill and falls into your hands, it will be very difficult for you to go back!"
Almost as soon as she said that, Nora¡¯s cell phone rang.
When she answered, Morris¡¯ voice came from the other side. "Captain Johnson is experiencing an acute myocardial infarction. The doctor says that he¡¯s in critical condition now and only you can save him!"
"Pfft!"
Brenda, who was listening to the phone call, suddenly spat out the tea that she had just drunk. She turned her head and looked at Nora in amazement. Then, she suddenly burst into loudughter and said, "My mouth must have been blessed. With this, Captain Johnson has really fallen into your hands, Nora!!!"
Chapter 550: Johnson Gets Slapped In The Face!
Chapter 550: Johnson Gets pped In The Face!
In the hospital.
Johnson woke up in a daze. The dizzy man held his head and sat up. Right away, someone rushed up to him and held him up. He asked, "Captain Johnson, how are you feeling?"
Johnson frowned. "I¡¯m fine. What happened to me?"
"You suddenly had a heart attack. Fortunately, you were saved in time."
As he listened to his subordinate¡¯s report, Johnson suddenly felt rather flustered. He knew how dangerous acute myocardial infarctions were. That must have been some sheer dumb luck for him to be saved.
A doctor in a whiteb coat came in at this time. At the sight of the doctor, Johnson immediately held his hand and said, "Thank you so much for saving my life, Doctor! You are really my savior!"
An awkward look immediately came over the doctor¡¯s face. He said, "Don¡¯t say that, Captain Johnson. I..."
Before he could finish, Johnson spoke again. "Just tell me if you need any help in the future! If it¡¯s within my means, I will definitely get it done!"
As soon as he said that, a cool and clear voice traveled over. "Do you keep your word, Captain Johnson?"
Surprised, Johnson turned his head and looked over, only to see a woman walking in. Her long straight hair cascaded loosely behind her and she dragged her feet as she walked, as though she was toozy to even lift them up properly. Although her almond-shaped eyes looked docile, they looked at him sharply and indifferently as though he was no more than a life-form in her eyes.
Johnson¡¯s expression immediately darkened. "Why are you here?"
The moment he said that, Nora looked at him with a half-amused look.
Next to him, Morris said, "Captain Johnson, Ms. Smith was the one who saved you. If it weren¡¯t for her, I¡¯m afraid it would have been very difficult for you to get past it this time!"
Johnson: "!!"
Never would he have thought that he would be pped in the face so quickly. For a while, he was stunned.
It was instead everyone else who gathered around Nora and said, "Thank you so much, Nora! To think you put aside all the past grievances and rushed over... Don¡¯t worry, we will definitely deal with the traffic vitions that you were pped with for running the red lights!"
Nora nodded.
After receiving the call, she had sped all the way over. On the way there, she ran so many red lights that even the traffic police were hot on her heels. However, she didn¡¯t have the time to stop and exin, so she had straight-up led the traffic police into the hospital.
Morris was the one who had handled all the subsequent negotiations and other matters after that.
She was indifferent and distant, so the rest didn¡¯t know what to say. They could only keep repeating the same thing: "Thank you for what you¡¯ve done!"
Nora waved and said, "I am a doctor, this is what I do."
After saying that, she checked the numbers on the monitor and said, "Captain Johnson is out of danger now, so I will take my leave."
After Nora left the ward, everyone gathered in front of Johnson.
All of them spoke up for Nora. "Captain Johnson, Dr. Smith is really professional. Someone like her is really suitable to be a forensic expert in the department! Why don¡¯t we ask her toe back to the team?"
"Yeah, with her in the department, if you ever have another heart attack, you will receive timely treatment..."
Johnson kicked him angrily. "What are you saying?"
The man took a step back andughed. "Captain Johnson, you were the one who said it yourself just now that the doctor who saved your life is your savior. Besides, you can¡¯t really say that Ms. Smith vited the rules the other time. She is just a forensic doctor, so she¡¯s not responsible for helping us catch the fugitives! Besides, nothing happened, right?"
"Yeah, that¡¯s right. Captain Johnson, why don¡¯t you let Ms. Smithe back?"
Everyone spoke one after another. In the end, Morris said, "Captain Johnson, if it weren¡¯t for her, I¡¯m afraid you would still be unconscious right now. Do you know? When Dr. Smith rushed over, your heart had already stopped beating for twenty minutes. All the other doctors said that it was useless and advised her to give up, but she insisted on performing heart resuscitation on you and fed you her pills. It¡¯s only because of that that you were lucky enough to survive."
"..."
Johnson looked at the people in front of him and clenched his jaw.
Nora had saved his life, but he was not grateful at all. He felt that his condition must not have been that serious. Otherwise, why would he feel as if nothing was wrong with him at the moment?
Nora must have made his condition sound more serious than it really was. That must be why his men were speaking up for her like this.
However, he couldn¡¯t refuse to ept it at the moment.
After all, all of them had been deceived by Nora!
Johnson took a deep breath, feeling like his chest felt a little tight. He could only say begrudgingly, "Fine, she cane back!"
Morris lowered his eyes and slowly said, "She doesn¡¯t have to e back¡¯. I haven¡¯t processed her dismissal yet."
When Johnson heard this, he became even angrier and his chest felt even tighter.
Morris had been in charge of all of the special department¡¯s matters all along, but he was young and impetuous, so he had only been the acting director of the special department even as of now.
Even though he had finally been transferred to the special department, he was only on an equal footing with him right now!
Originally, he¡¯d thought that Morris would show him a lot of respect and faintly put him above himself because he was his mentor. But unexpectedly, Morris had actually said one thing and done another, and secretly disobeyed his instructions?
He was about to get angry when the rest of his men spoke in unison.
"Captain Ford, you are so farseeing! Nice!"
"Yeah, Captain Johnson had said such nasty things when he drove her away that time. How embarrassing would it have been to ask her toe back?! It¡¯s fortunate that Captain Ford didn¡¯t process the dismissal."
"..."
Seeing how they were all defending Morris, Johnson knew that he had to suppress his temper.
Otherwise, how was he going to tame these men?
Johnson narrowed his eyes.
If he wanted to be the director of the special department and suppress Morris, then it was imperative that he build up prestige in the special department!
This particr department was different from the others. If his subordinates didn¡¯t think he was worthy of his position, then it would be very difficult to get work done.
This was also the reason why he had made an example of Nora as soon as he came¡ªbecause she was the forensic doctor that Morris had gone against all odds to personally hire!
Firing Nora was tantamount to pping Morris in the face.
But now, he had instead shot himself in the foot. Nora had singlehandedly suppressed all of his fame!
In fact, he could faintly sense that the members of the special department now had even more trust and loyalty toward Morris!
No, this wouldn¡¯t do. He had to think of a way to even things out!
¡ª
By the time Nora was done saving Johnson¡¯s life, it was alreadypletely dark outside.
She drove straight home.
She parked the ck jeep in the parking lot and entered the house. Just as she entered, her cell phone suddenly rang. She took it out and found that Trueman, who had not been in contact with her for a long time, had sent her a message.
Nora thought of how the answer that the man had given her thest time had made her somewhat ufortable. She wondered what he had sent her this time.
She lowered her head and opened the message. When she saw the content of the message, her pupils shrank.
Chapter 551: Interrogation Master!
Chapter 551: Interrogation Master!
Trueman¡¯s message was: "I still have many secrets to tell you. Don¡¯t you want to know? But it seems like Caleb hasn¡¯t taken his medicine today."
Ever since Morris captured Calebst time, Caleb had been detained in the interrogation room. Furthermore, because he was weak, the special department did not use any special methods to interrogate him.
After all, what if he did not rest well and died from lung cancer?
Nora had forgotten about him.
However, she only frowned and replied: "I¡¯m no longer from the special department. It¡¯s useless for you to look for me. If you want to negotiate, look for Morris."
With that, she put away her phone and entered the house. She heard Joel and Tanya chatting there.
The two of them had already registered their marriage and held a wedding. Now, they were already a formal couple. Logically speaking, they were newlyweds. Furthermore, the two of them had been apart for so long and had just reconciled. Now, their rtionship was great. Tanya and Joel had been discussing their honeymoon even before the wedding...
However, Tanya¡¯s face was filled with worry. "I wonder how he is."
Joelforted her. "It¡¯ll be fine. It¡¯s a prison, not a tiger¡¯s den."
Tanya could not help but ask, "Can¡¯t you think of a way to visit him?"
Joel was silent for a moment.
If it was a normal department, she could definitely visit him.
However, the special department had always had priority over all the other departments. The cases they handled were of the utmost importance!
It was already difficult to get information from such a department, let alone visit it.
He was silent for a moment before saying, "It¡¯s not impossible. I¡¯ll arrange it. Don¡¯t worry."
Tanya sensed his momentary hesitation and suddenly asked, "Is the case my father is involved in very special?"
When Joel saw that she had guessed it, he decided not to hide anything else. Therefore, he sighed and nodded. "Yes, it¡¯s a little special. It¡¯ll be difficult for us to meet, but we can find out about him through Nora."
Tanya lowered her head in disappointment. "Don¡¯t. Nora has just been fired. It¡¯s too hurtful to ask her now. Let¡¯s think of another way!"
Joel nodded.
Nora heard these words and lowered her eyes.
At this moment, her phone rang again. It was a message from Morris. He tried to act smart as he said, "Miss Smith, your vacation has been canceled. You cane back to work tomorrow."
Nora lowered her almond-shaped eyes.
If she had not heard Tanya and Joel¡¯s conversation, she would not have wanted to join the special department. After all, there were too many things to do and it was troublesome.
But now... If she stayed in the special department, at least Tanya would be more at ease.
Furthermore, she could even go through the back door and bring Karl something like breakfast every day.
As she thought about this, Nora replied: "Okay."
After sending the message, she entered.
Joel and Tanya stood up upon hearing her footsteps.
Tanya still looked carefree. "Nora, what were you doing this afternoon? I searched for you all afternoon but did not find you."
Nora noticed that she was pretending to be calm. Her almond-shaped eyes were raised a little. "I have good news to announce."
Tanya widened her eyes. "What good news?"
Nora: "My position in the special department has been remitted! I¡¯m going to work tomorrow. You can prepare some food and necessities for Karl. I¡¯ll help you bring them in."
Upon hearing this, Tanya¡¯s first reaction was not happiness but indignation. "On what basis? First, they chase you away, now they¡¯re asking you toe back and you¡¯re simply going to go back? No, you can¡¯t ept this!"
Nora stared at her.
When she met Tanya overseas, she was like this. She clearly could not find her child, but she was enthusiastic about helping others find theirs.
Just like now, she would never consider things from her own perspective. Instead, she would think from Nora¡¯s perspective.
Nora lowered her eyes and smiled. "They begged me toe back. Besides, I also want to know what happened to my mother, so I¡¯ll give them face!"
Tanya was still concerned about her. "Did they beg hard?"
Nora: "...Yes."
"How hard?"
"They were just short of kneeling down and begging me."
"That¡¯s more like it."
Their conversation was childish but warm.
Joel nced at Nora but did not say anything.
¡ª
The next day, Nora slept until noon again. She got up and had breakfast. When she was about to report to the special department, Tanya handed her a backpack. "There are quite a lot of things prepared for him. It¡¯s a little heavy."
Nora casually picked up the bag that Tanya could only carry with two hands and ced it easily on her shoulder before leaving.
Tanya: "..."
When she drove to the special department, it was already noon.
Nora carried her bag and had just entered when she bumped into Captain Johnson, who was already discharged. He looked a little weak and his face was a little yellow.
However, when he saw Nora, his expression changed drastically. His expression was very ugly as he scolded, "What time is it? You¡¯re justing to work?"
Nora did not care about his reprimand. She took off her bag and threw it on the other shoulder. It happened to hit Captain Johnson, causing him to take a few steps back before he could stand firm.
Nora looked at him coldly. "I¡¯m sorry, Captain Johnson. My contract with the special department clearly states that my work hours are flexible."
At that time, she had especially added this because she wanted to ck off and sleep when she had nothing to do.
Johnson: "..."
He snorted. "What kind of work attitude is this?!"
With that, he rushed out the door as if to wee someone.
Nora ignored him and entered the hall. She was about to look for Morris for him to approve her meeting with Karl when she saw Morris walking out of the canteen with a lunch box.
He must have just had lunch.
Nora walked over and the two of them nodded at each other. Just as Nora was about to speak, two ps suddenly came from the door.
Everyone looked over and saw Captain Johnson standing there. When he saw that everyone was looking at him, he smiled and said, "Comrades, I know that your interrogation of the members of the mysterious organization has reached a stalemate, and the few bodyguards you caught haven¡¯t revealed any info! You all must know who the world¡¯s most famous interrogation master is, right?"
Upon hearing this, the people from the special department who had just returned from lunch shouted in unison, "ck Cat!"
"Yes, that¡¯s right."
Captain Johnson smiled. "So, I specially invited an expert here!"
As he spoke, he moved aside and let the person standing behind hime out.
It was a woman.
She was wearing decent clothes and a business suit. There was a friendly and approachable smile on her face. When she smiled, she had two dimples that looked very sweet. She was like a close neighborhood sister. She nodded at everyone. "Hello, everyone. I¡¯m very honored to join the special department and work with you."
"Wow!"
There were very few female members in the special department. Everyone knew that Brenda was the queen of scumbags. Furthermore, as Captain Brenda, she was outstanding. When she trained with everyone, she would often beat them until they cried. Therefore, no matter how beautiful Brenda was, no one dared to have any feelings for her.
On the other hand, Nora was too secluded and proud. Everyone maintained their respect for her, but it was difficult for them to have the intention to chase after her.
However, this person was different...
"Is this ck Cat? Is ck Cat a woman?"
Someone asked the question in his heart. Captain Johnson instantly smiled. "Of course not. ck Cat is too proud and aloof. He¡¯s more difficult to find. She¡¯s an interrogation master as famous as ck Cat. She¡¯s also an internationally famous psychiatrist¡ªRuth."
Ruth continued to smile. "I¡¯m a psychiatrist. I don¡¯t need to use any means to obtain the information we want. Of course, I know that everyone is very respectful of ck Cat, and I¡¯m also fortunate to have met him. He also said that he¡¯s very interested in my interrogation techniques. If there¡¯s a chance, we¡¯llpete and discuss together!"
Nora: "???"
The corners of Nora¡¯s lips spasmed.
Ruth was indeed a little famous internationally. The reason was...
In order to apprehend a very evil crime boss, she had captured his subordinates and used special methods to force a confession.
After this matter was exposed, everyone praised her for being a great interrogator.
At the same time, Ruth¡¯s reputation started soaring.
She had even openly challenged ck Cat in public and said that his methods were too cruel. All humans were equal, and they did not advocate torture.
At that time, Nora could not be bothered with her. She simply produced a book called the art of interrogation and defeated Ruth with it.
Everyone held their own opinions about ck Cat and her methods, triggering a discussion.
This was what had made her famous.
However, Nora scoffed at this. At that time, Karl had even asked if he should use some methods to suppress Ruth. After all, Ruth was clearly trying to take advantage of ck Cat¡¯s poprity!
Nora felt that there was no need.
However...
Nora smiled and mocked, "When did ck Cat say that she was interested in your interrogation techniques?"
Why didn¡¯t she remember saying this? Besides, she did not know Ruth!
Chapter 552: She Didn’t Remember She Knew Ruth
Chapter 552: She Didn¡¯t Remember She Knew Ruth
Nora¡¯s voice was cold. Even though everyone was talking about Ruth in private, these words still reached everyone¡¯s ears clearly.
Ruth¡¯s fingers tightened.
She looked at the woman who was talking calmly. She was wearing a ck shirt tucked under her clothes and was casually carrying a big backpack. She looked valiant and cool as she stood there.
That question seemed to have seen through her mind, making her feel a little guilty for a moment.
Had she found out that she was lying?
As soon as this thought surfaced, Captain Johnson sneered. "Nora, what do you mean? Only ck Cat knows if he has ever said such things. Are you ck Cat? Why are you questioning Ruth here?"
Nora raised her eyebrows and pursed her lips.
Captain Johnson said again, "I know that women are generally petty. Are you unhappy when you see women more beautiful and popr than you? But this is not a reason for you to question others!"
With that, he snorted.
Ruth also returned to her senses. She still maintained her gentle persona and said with a smile, "Captain Johnson, it¡¯s okay."
After saying that, she looked at Nora. "I¡¯m indeed good friends with ck Cat."
Nora sneered. "Then tell me where ck Cat is. What does he look like?"
Ruth sighed. "I¡¯m sorry. ck Cat likes to hide and rx, so I can¡¯t expose his identity. This is also one of the prerequisites for me toe here and ept Captain Johnson¡¯s invitation."
Captain Johnson immediately echoed, "Yes, so don¡¯t pester Ruth about ck Cat. She won¡¯t mention it!"
Nora: "?"
Tsk, this person was quite sly!
The excuse she had found was perfect.
Ruth did not give Nora a chance to speak again. Instead, she took out a big bag of coffee beans from her bag. "I specially brought this here. The taste is very good. Consider it a gift for everyone to try!"
When she said this, the group of eternally-single men immediately took a step forward.
"Okay, this way. The coffee machine is over here!"
"Miss Ruth..."
Ruth smiled gently. "You don¡¯t have to call me Miss Ruth. Just call me Ruth. We¡¯re all colleagues."
"Okay, Ruth. Coffee is my favorite! People in our line of work often stay upte. Coffee is indispensable!"
Ruth kept smiling. "It seems like my gift was well received ."
"..."
As Nora watched a group of people crowding around Ruth as she walked to the coffee machine, for the first time, she began to think that she was indeed not very good at handling things.
Look at Ruth...
Why didn¡¯t she invite everyone for coffee when she first came to the department?
As she was thinking, she heard Morris¡¯s voice. "What¡¯s in your bag? It¡¯s so heavy."
Morris casually picked it up, nning to help her carry it.
Nora blinked. "There¡¯s no need to trouble you, Captain Ford. The bag is filled with some clothes and food. I wonder if I can give it to Karl?"
Morris thought about it and nodded. "Okay, but you have to go through a routine checkup before you can take it in."
"No problem."
Nora entered the interrogation room.
She wanted to continue chatting with Karl. After all,st time, Karl wanted to say something, but he was interrupted by Captain Johnson.
Since they were here to meet again, she had to get Karl to say what he could not say thest time!
When they went through the security checks, Nora took out things one by one. Tanya had really prepared many things for Karl.
Other than some snacks, there were also cigarettes and daily necessities. They were all eptable, so he let them in.
When they entered the interrogation room, Nora could still vaguely hear the young man guarding the door say, "There¡¯s another girl in the department! Her character is especially good!..."
Nora shook her head and entered the interrogation room.
However, when she saw Karl¡¯s appearance, she frowned. "Uncle Karl, why have you be like this? What did you want to tell mest time? Can you tell me why you helped the mysterious organization bring people into New York?"
Chapter 553: Bullying Her?
Chapter 553: Bullying Her?
Karl¡¯s face was flushed red. He did not feel like he was being monitored at all. Furthermore, he was not even wearing a prison uniform. He was still wearing the clothes he had worn when he was captured.
He sat in the interrogation room in a very rxed manner, as if this was not a prison cell but his own home.
This waspletely different from the first time Karl was captured. He seemed to be certain that nothing would happen to him.
When he heard Nora¡¯s question, he smiled. "Nora, I¡¯m fine now. Help me pass a message to Tanya. I can see her in a few days! I¡¯ll see her openly!"
Nora narrowed her eyes. "Why do you say that? Is there another reason why you transported the people from the organization into New York?"
Karl was very calm. "Nora, I can¡¯t tell you the truth yet, but you¡¯ll find out sooner orter. Don¡¯t be anxious, I¡¯ll be fine too!"
Nora: "..."
She thought about it for a moment and handed him the bag.
Karl instantly opened his bag and took out cooked beef. "Sigh, everything in this prison is good, but I don¡¯t eat well. I eat grass all day. I¡¯m dying of hunger! Nora, get Tanya to prepare some meat for me next time..."
"..."
Seeing that he was still in the mood to be picky about food, Karl was really certain that he would be fine. But what had happened that made his mentality change so much?
Nora thought of a possibility. She deliberately sat in front of Karl and said slowly, "Uncle Karl, tell me the truth. You¡¯re not ying dirty, are you?"
Karl chuckled and did not answer. He only nced at Nora.
Nora instantly understood.
She was right!
She was more certain than anyone else that the Assassin Alliance had nothing to do with the mysterious organization because as the number one assassin of the Assassin Alliance, she was actually the creator of the Assassin Alliance.
Back then, she had handed the Assassin Alliance to Karl because she could not be bothered to manage it.
Furthermore, she and Karl both had the rule that they could not break thew in New York!
However, Karl suddenly took such a huge risk to ept the mission of the mysterious organization for a sum that she felt was not worth it. To her, bringing a group of people into New York was simply far-fetched!
But what if Karl had been entrusted to bring someone to New York for them to capture?
When she thought about this, Nora only felt that her thoughts were suddenly enlightened!
Although Karl did not answer her question, he clearly admitted it in silence!
Nora pursed her lips and suddenly asked, "Then whose informant are you?"
Karl coughed. "I can¡¯t say. I can¡¯t say anything."
As soon as he said this, Nora suddenly said, "Uncle Karl, do you know what happened at the wedding?"
Karl was stunned. "What?"
Nora lowered her eyes. "At that time, as a member of the special department, I was also wearing their earphones. When you brought Tanya up the red carpet and held me hostage, someone in the earphones ordered a sniper to kill you."
Karl was stunned. He frowned and asked, "Who gave the order?"
Nora replied, "Captain Johnson. That day was the second day after he was transferred over."
Karl tensed up.
After a moment, heughed. "I understand. But don¡¯t worry, he¡¯s not my boss."
Nora breathed a sigh of relief when she heard that.
What she said earlier was to prevent Karl from trusting Captain Johnson and revealing key information. However, seeing that Karl was so rxed and the person in question was not Captain Johnson... Then, maybe Captain Johnson did not know his identity?
It seemed like his contact was of a higher status than Captain Johnson and Morris?
Otherwise, how could he guarantee that he would be released?
Nora¡¯s thoughts were running wild, but Karl had already said, "Don¡¯t worry, I know what to do! Go back and tell Tanya that I¡¯ll return gloriously. I won¡¯t let her be the daughter of a criminal!"
When Nora heard this, she stood up. "Okay."
She went out.
When she reached the door, she was still thinking that maybe Karl had never cared about his status in the past. But for his daughter, he had decided to rify things and live like an honest man.
After confirming that Karl was fine and that nothing would happen to him, Nora went out of the interrogation room.
She went to the interrogation room where Caleb was being held.
Caleb still did not speak much. He only ate a few mouthfuls to maintain his vital signs. Nora brought him some medicine and made him take it. However, Caleb still did not speak.
Nora sighed. "Trueman seems to be very concerned about you. He keeps sending me messages asking you to take your medicine."
Hearing this, Caleb looked up at her. There seemed to be some ripples in his eyes, but he was still coughing violently.
Looking at him like this and recalling how the Grays had protected her for so many years... Nora said, "I¡¯ll make some cough medicine for you. Maybe it¡¯ll make you morefortable."
"Cough, cough, cough... There¡¯s no need." Caleb finally said, "It doesn¡¯t matter if I treat this illness or not. There¡¯s no need to waste your time."
However, Nora stood up. "It¡¯s settled."
Although the medicine she made could not treat lung cancer, it could make Caleb morefortable. It was really ufortable to see him cough so heartbreakingly all day.
As she thought about this, Nora arrived at her office. She was about to push open the door and enter when she saw two people packing up. Ruth was standing at the door.
Nora frowned.
Before she could ask, Captain Johnson had already said, "Nora, vacate this office and let Ruth have it! She¡¯s an interrogation master after all, and you¡¯re a forensic doctor. Logically speaking, you shouldn¡¯t have your own office. Besides, you¡¯re free at work and you like to run around. I don¡¯t think it will affect you much. It¡¯s settled. Pack your things immediately."
Nora narrowed her eyes and sneered. "What if I don¡¯t?"
Captain Johnson immediately scolded, "If you don¡¯t clean up, I¡¯ll get someone to do it! I won¡¯t be responsible for breaking your things!"
Nora¡¯s lips curled up slightly. Her gaze fell on Ruth, who was standing beside her with a rxed expression.
Tsk.
It was fine if she relied on her reputation to rise in power. If this person really had interrogation techniques, she did not n to fuss about it with Ruth. But why was she bullying her?
Nora rubbed her wrist and moved her neck.
In this life, she could endure anything except losing out.
Chapter 554: Hacker Q and Y
Chapter 554: Hacker Q and Y
Nora had always been a woman of few words. When solving problems, she would only use her fists and not her mouth.
Although an office was nothing and she was rarely here, it was one thing for her to take the initiative to let go, forcing her to let go was too much.
She narrowed her eyes and took a step forward.
Captain Johnson frowned. The girl in front of him was clearly thin, but for some reason, he felt that she was very imposing.
He straightened his neck and asked, "What are you doing? Are you still going to attack without listening to mymand?"
As soon as he said that, Nora punched him in the chest.
Captain Johnson instantly frowned in pain and looked at her angrily. He waved his hands and rushed forward. "Nora, how dare you hit me? I¡¯ll teach you a lesson now!"
Nora sneered and moved her wrist again. She was about to beat this person up again when a stern voice was heard. "What are you doing?"
Captain Johnson stopped in his tracks. The few of them turned around in unison and saw that Brenda had probably just returned from the training grounds. She was wearing a ck jacket. Her wavy hair was tied into a ponytail, and she looked capable and neat.
She rushed over.
Just as Nora thought that she was here to scold her, she saw Brenda stop in front of her and look at Captain Johnson. "Captain Johnson, no matter what Nora did wrong, you shouldn¡¯t have hit her! No matter what, she¡¯s still a girl. She¡¯s weak and can¡¯t bepared to those smelly boys under you!"
Nora: "?"
She blinked and silently lowered her fists.
Johnson: "???"
He felt like he had heard wrong. "What did you say? She was the one who attacked first!"
His chest still hurt!
Some people surrounded them. They did not know what had just happened. They could only hear Brenda say angrily, "You scolded her badly, so what if she hit you? Isn¡¯t her little fist like a mosquito bite? You actually want to retaliate? This is my sister-inw. Come at me if you have anything! Let¡¯s fight on the field if you dare?"
Captain Johnson shouted angrily, "What do you mean like a mosquito bite? Her punch clearly hurt!"
With that, he pulled open his shirt and pointed at his chest for everyone to see. "My chest is red!"
When he said this, he saw that everyone was looking at him strangely.
Captain Johnson lowered his head and realized that because of his heart attack, he had been sent to the hospital for emergency treatment. This was why his chest was still red.
Brenda sneered. "Captain Johnson, your scam is too interesting~ This clearly happened when the hospital was trying to save you, right? But now you¡¯re saying that it was my sister-inw who did it. It¡¯s clearly a scam!"
Her words were filled with mockery.
The others also said, "Captain Johnson, forget it. Why are you fussing about it with a young girl? Besides, Miss Smith saved your life! We men should be more generous. Don¡¯t keep fussing all the time."
Johnson: "???"
He was about to explode with anger. He felt that he was so aggrieved! What little girl? You bunch of bastards! No one was stronger than her!
Just that punch alone made him want to throw up his lunch!
However, this group of people did not believe it!
When everyone was criticizing Captain Johnson, a hint of surprise shed across Nora¡¯s light almond-shaped eyes. Huh? Something like this was possible?
And she herself had unknowingly been made a delicate girl.
However, when she saw how everyone was protecting her, Nora felt that it was not bad to asionally act delicate.
As her thoughts were running wild, Brenda said, "Nora, what¡¯s going on?"
Nora did not correct her. She pointed at the people working in the room. "They want to force me out of my office."
Brenda¡¯s expression instantly darkened. "Isn¡¯t this going too far?! Why? Nora came first, and you want her to give up her seat for the next person? On what basis?"
Captain Johnson sneered. "She¡¯s a forensic doctor. What does she need an office for? I think there¡¯s a workstation outside! Ruth is a psychiatrist and an interrogation master. Of course she needs her own office! Besides, this office is good and very suitable for Ruth. She has her eyes on this office too..."
Apanying his words, Ruth took a step forward and sighed with a smile. "Captain Johnson, isn¡¯t this a misunderstanding? I didn¡¯t know there was someone here. If I had known that it was Miss Smith¡¯s office, I definitely wouldn¡¯t have fought for it. Alright, alright. Don¡¯t make a fuss over a small matter. I can work anywhere. It¡¯s fine even if I get a work desk outside. Don¡¯t make everyone lose face."
When Captain Johnson heard this, he nodded and looked at Nora. He sneered. "Learn from Miss Ruth. She didn¡¯tin about not having an office! Why are women so petty?!"
After that, without giving Nora a chance to speak, Captain Johnson held his chest and took Ruth to the office beside him.
After the two of them left, Brenda grabbed Nora¡¯s arm. "Nora, hurry up and show me. Are you hurt anywhere? If you¡¯re hurt, my brother would definitely not let me off! Why are you so stupid? Why are you fighting head-on with Captain Johnson? He¡¯s a man, and you¡¯re a woman. If you fight him like this, you¡¯ll definitely be the one at a disadvantage!"
Nora: "..."
Where did Brenda get the illusion that her body was soft and easy to bruise? Uh, no, it was because she was weak?
She grimaced. "I¡¯m fine."
Then, she entered the office.
In the office, she was about to y with her phone or take a nap when a group of people suddenly gathered outside the door. Everyone was chatting with Ruth.
"Do you really know ck Cat?"
Someone asked.
Ruth smiled and did not speak. She pretended to pull a zipper over her mouth. "I can¡¯t say it~"
Everyone smiled and stopped asking.
At this moment, a colleague from the Inte department of the special department, Damon, said, "I don¡¯t have any feelings for ck Cat. I¡¯m only interested in a few well-known hackers. Captain Johnson said he wanted to invite Q over, but he hasn¡¯t invited him yet..."
When Ruth heard this and saw that everyone had changed the topic, she immediately lowered her eyes. "Speaking of which, Q isn¡¯t the best hacker in the hacker world, right? Y is the best hacker."
In the Hacker Alliance, since Nora was toozy to manage things, everything was handled by Y.
When they heard Ruth¡¯s words, everyone looked at her. "Forget about Y, we haven¡¯t even seen Q."
As soon as they said this, Ruth smiled. "Actually, I know Y."
Nora instantly pricked up her ears.
Chapter 555: Go!
Chapter 555: Go!
Nora was originally not interested, but when Ruth said this, she instantly pricked up her ears.
Ruth knew Y... In other words, she knew Justin?
Heh.
Nora smiled sarcastically.
The people outside were already in an uproar. "You know Y? That¡¯s too awesome. Who on earth is Y?"
Ruth sighed. "Y only serves Hunt Corporation and never takes on any missions outside. It¡¯s useless even if I tell you who Y is!"
When Damon heard this, he lowered his head in disappointment. "You¡¯re right."
He lowered his head in dejection. "Our department recently encountered a difficult problem and wanted to ask Q and Y for help. Unfortunately, we don¡¯t know these two people."
Hearing this, Ruth deliberately looked at Nora¡¯s office and said, "I heard that Q has be Smith Corporation¡¯s online consultant? If there¡¯s a problem, why don¡¯t we ask Miss Smith for help? After all, Miss Smith is the eldest daughter of the Smiths. It should be a matter of a word for Q toe over..."
Damon¡¯s eyes instantly lit up. He suddenly turned his head and looked at Nora¡¯s office.
Nora: "..."
Damon¡¯s eyes were burning through the ss door.
Nora lowered her eyes and stood up. She walked to the door and pulled the curtains down, cutting off the view outside.
Everyone was speechless.
The corners of Damon¡¯s mouth twitched. Then, he lowered his head and whispered, "Miss Smith is solitary, cold, and proud. We don¡¯t dare ask her for help."
At the thought of this, Ruth stood up. "Then I¡¯ll try!"
Hearing Ruth¡¯s words sensitively, Nora opened the door immediately and walked out. She could not be bothered to deal with this woman.
Furthermore, she could not expose her identity as Q.
Ruth, who was standing at the door and about to greet her: "..."
The others turned their heads quickly and pretended not to see Ruth¡¯s awkwardness.
Ruth sighed and walked back. "Forget it, I¡¯ll help you. Send me the problems you encountered. I¡¯ll ask Y tonight."
Damon¡¯s eyes lit up. "Really? Okay!"
Damon sent the problems he had encountered to Ruth. Ruth took the questions and returned to the office. She looked at the people outside and a confident smile appeared on her face.
However, she then found the hacker¡¯s website and privately messaged Y: "Master, hello. I¡¯m a programming lover. I encountered a few small problems and wanted to consult with you. Please name a price. I¡¯ll only ask a few small questions!"
After sending the message, she waited for Y¡¯s reply.
She believed that Y would not ignore her if she was willing to pay a high price for such a small problem. Furthermore, even if Y ignored her, she could tell Damon that Y was busy and had not replied.
Soon it was time to get off work. Damon came to knock on the door. Ruth sighed. "Y lives in a different country and lives an inverted life from us. He hasn¡¯t replied to my message!"
Damon understood. "I understand, I understand! Masters have more personalities! I understand. I¡¯m willing to wait!"
Ruth nodded and went out with Damon.
On the way, she met various colleagues in the special department greeting her. On the first day Ruth came, she received a lot of goodwill from everyone!
¡ª
Nora returned to the Smiths. When she stopped the car, she saw a white Land Rover beside her. Louis was wiping it with a towel over there, looking like he loved it very much.
Nora raised her eyebrows. "Is this new?"
Louis immediately nodded. "Yes, I was despised by the beauties. They all refused to be my girlfriend. Sigh! Chester said that it was because my car was too lousy. I had no choice but to change to a new car!"
This car had cost him $90,000!
However, when he thought about it, he realized that he would receive gifts and cash worth a few million dors if he got married. Therefore, he decided to invest.
However, when he thought of this $90,000, his heart ached!
Nora: "...Are you sure those girls didn¡¯t want to be your girlfriend because of your car?"
Louis nodded. "I think so... Nora, what do you mean? Do you despise me?"
Nora did not say anything and agreed silently.
Louis: "..."
Louis was very angry, but he thought of Nora¡¯s bank card and decided to endure it!
He said, "Nora, my car will be yours from now on. You can drive it anywhere if you need! Just remember to help me when you take the car!"
Help him?
Nora did not reject his kindness and could only cough. "Yes, you can definitely chase after a girl! Go for it!"
Louis was stunned. A huge question mark appeared on his head.
Nora was puzzled. "What¡¯s wrong?"
Louis: "...What I mean is, when you take the car out, remember to put gas in it! Don¡¯t cheer me on!"
"..."
Nora ignored the awkwardness and went upstairs.
After entering, she picked up herputer and hacked into the special department. Since she was a member of the special department, she had to help with some things.
If there was a problem with the Inte Department, she would go in and help fix the bug.
After fixing all the problems Damon had mentioned, she logged out of theputer and went to bed.
Yes, she would not leave her name even if she did a good deed!
The next day, she went to the special department as usual. As soon as she entered, she saw Ruth and Damon sitting in the hall together. Damon was sitting there with his head lowered, looking grateful.
Ruth smiled gently and shook her head. She said something.
Nora ignored them and went to the office.
On the way, she heard her colleagues discussing.
"They¡¯re both daughters of wealthy families. People are really different!"
"Yes, Miss Smith is too arrogant. I don¡¯t even dare to trouble her. I didn¡¯t expect Ruth to be so easy-going and help us so much!"
"Besides, Ruth is always smiling. She looks easy to get along with."
"Inparison, I think Ruth is better. Miss Smith is a little too cold..."
"..."
Nora ignored the discussion and entered the office. She saw Brenda sitting there unhappily. "Nora, did you hear that? You¡¯re about to be a bad person in the department! That Ruth is too pretentious! I really don¡¯t know what she did to make people respect her so much!"
Nora nced at her. "Is that why you¡¯re in my office?"
"No."
Brenda stood up. "Justin wanted me to ask why you didn¡¯t reply to his messagest night."
Of course, it was because Ruth said she knew Y!
Nora did not speak.
At this moment, a voice suddenly came from outside the door. "Have you heard? Ruth helped the Inte Department contact Y! She solved their big problem! She¡¯s really awesome!"
Nora: "???"
Who had solved the big problem in the Inte department??
Chapter 556: Ruth Digs Her Own Grave!
Chapter 556: Ruth Digs Her Own Grave!
Nora frowned, her displeasure at its maximum.
She had disliked Ruth very much ever since the first time they had met.
Not only did she use ck Cat to hype herself up, but she had also used Y to make the others like her... She sure was ttering herself a lot.
To think she had actually stolen the credit for the good deed that Nora had done anonymously the night before, though?
Hah.
Nora cast her eyes down, feeling a little displeased.
However, she had always been easy-going in nature, so she didn¡¯t say anything. After all, she couldn¡¯t possibly just go up to everyone all of a sudden and say that she was Q. She still had to keep her identity a secret.
But despite her not making any trouble, she never expected that her conflict with Ruth woulde this quickly!
At two to three o¡¯clock in the afternoon, just as she was about to leave and go home out of boredom, she ran straight into Ruth!
Ruth, who had her head lowered and was carrying documents in her arms, walked over hastily and collided with Nora!
Nora immediately stepped back and quickly avoided the impact of the collision. However, as Ruth was in high heels, she fell onto the floor.
Thud!
A loud collision rang out in the hall.
Upon hearing the sound, the others all rushed out.
"Are you alright?"
"Ruth, are you okay?"
A look of pain came over Ruth¡¯s face. As she massaged her lower back and got onto her feet, she looked at Nora and sighed. "Ms. Smith, why didn¡¯t you grab me just now?"
Nora: "??"
She frowned and stared at Ruth. Then, she replied unhurriedly, "I didn¡¯t react in time."
Ruth¡¯s sweet and pretty facial features scrunched up into a look of pain, making everyone feel bad for her.
She massaged her lower back and sighed again. "Never mind, I¡¯m alright anyway, I won¡¯t me you for it."
Nora¡¯s mind was full of question marks again.
What was she ming her for?
Her brows drew together. When she turned and got ready to leave, Ruth suddenly said, "Ms. Smith, you look rather free to me, can you do me a favor? I need to photocopy these documents, but I think I may have to sit for a while. Can you photocopy them for me?"
The look in Nora¡¯s eyes turned cold at once. She turned to Ruth and immediately replied, "I¡¯m not free."
Was she making her do chores?
Ruth was clearly trying to take her down a notch!
When she was about to leave after her reply, Damon suddenly lost his temper. He said, "That¡¯s enough, Ms. Smith! There should be a limit to everything you do. Just because we aren¡¯t holding it against you, it doesn¡¯t mean that you can behave so brazenly!"
Nora: "???"
Damon shouted furiously, "What did you mean when you said you didn¡¯t react in time? I saw with my own eyes that you took a step back. You obviously could have caught Ruth and prevented her from falling, yet you didn¡¯t reach out. I¡¯d wager it doesn¡¯t even ur to selfish people like you to help others, right?"
Damon continued yelling out his thoughts. "Q obviously works in the Smith Corporation. Now that the team has run into problems, all you need to do is say the word and he would help, yet you are unwilling to help us out! In contrast, look at what Ruth did. She waited until the middle of the night yesterday for Y toe online to solve the huge problem for us!"
Nora¡¯s gaze suddenly turned frosty. "Q doesn¡¯t receive a single cent of remuneration from the special department."
So why should he think that Q should provide her services to the special department?!
Moreover, never mind that she had done a good deed anonymously, and never mind that Ruth had stolen all her credit¡ªbut now they were actually using the credit of what she had done to make things difficult for her?
Hah, then there was no way she could let this go so easily anymore!
The moment she said that, Damon choked on his breath.
To be honest, Damon was actually aware that his resentment toward Nora was unjustified. Q was awork consultant that the Smiths had externally hired, so why should he provide his services to the special department?
But the scariest thing among humans was directparison!
Before Ruth joined the department, Nora¡¯s attitude would only have given people the impression that she was haughty and beyond one¡¯s reach. However, after Ruth joined the team, she had personally helped to contact Y and even straight-up fixed the special department¡¯swork issues for them.
Comparing one to another would only pointlessly vex oneself.
Now that they had someone topare her with, it made Nora seem too selfish and callous!
With that in mind, Damon cheered himself on and said angrily, "Yes, the special department has certainly never paid Q a single cent, but the special department serves the people! If even Ruth can approach Y and beg him for so long to help us out, why couldn¡¯t you approach Q?"
He was twisting reason and resorting to facious arguments now.
Nora ignored him. Instead, she turned to Ruth, let out an icy sneer, and then said, "So, it¡¯s thanks to you that the IT Department¡¯swork was fixed? You were the one who went to Y and asked him to fix it?"
Ruth sighed when she heard what she said.
To be honest, she hadn¡¯t seen Ye online at all even after waiting the whole night the day before. She¡¯d originally been nning to make up an excuse to gloss things over, but unexpectedly, the moment she reached the special department, Damon had rushed up to her excitedly and thanked her for her efforts.
Someone had gone online and hacked into the system the previous night, and also helped them repair the system.
Ruth had been dumbfounded at the time, but because Damon kept thanking her, causing all the other colleagues around them to also thank her, she had tacitly admitted to it.
After all, ording to Damon, Y and Q were the only people who could soundlessly infiltrate the special department¡¯swork and fix their bugs!
It was impossible for Q to be the one who had done it. After all, the special department had already approached Q so many times, but he hadpletely ignored them.
In that case, it could only be Y.
Y must have seen her request ande over to help.
Seeing that Nora had adopted an attitude like that, Ruth sighed and said, "Ms. Smith, there¡¯s no need to focus on whose credit it was. I¡¯m just helping out my colleagues. Just like Damon said, we¡¯re all serving the people here."
Her choice of words simply couldn¡¯t get any prettier!
Nora narrowed her eyes and asked once more, "Did you or did you not ask Y to help the IT department with the bug fixes?"
Ruth narrowed her eyes. Faced with such an aggressive inquiry, she could only bite the bullet and answer, "Yes, I did!"
Damon and their other colleagues immediately spoke up.
"Ruth, you are so impressive! We thank you on behalf of the special department!"
"Yeah. You¡¯ve only just joined us, yet you¡¯re doing so much for the special department and being so concerned for us. You¡¯ve done the IT department such a big favor. You¡¯re setting such a good example for us all! We need morerades like you in the department!"
"Good employees like you are so rare these days~ Some people just can¡¯t bepared to you!"
"..."
Ruth, who was being showered withpliments, adopted a very humble attitude on the surface. She gave them an exceptionally sincere smile and said, "No, these are things that I should be doing."
Damon immediately said mockingly, "To you, these are things that you should be doing, but for some people, even though they obviously just needed to lift a finger to help out... People shouldn¡¯t be too selfish! Especially people in our line of work. If everyone decides to be selfish, then how are we going to protect the society and keep the peace?!"
Nora cast her eyes down frostily as she listened to what they said.
She had really be angry this time.
She slowly shifted her gaze to Damon and asked coldly, "Who says Y was the one who fixed the bug?"
Damon was stunned to hear that. He replied, "What do you mean? Who else could it be if not Y, Q?"
Chapter 557: The Face-Slapping Continues!
Chapter 557: The Face-pping Continues!
When Nora heard this, she countered with a question of her own: "Why not?"
Damon didn¡¯t believe her at first. "How can that be?! Captain Johnson has already invited Q to join the team so many times, but Q didn¡¯t respond at all. Besides, because you are so cold and distant, Ruth said that your status among the Smiths may not be very high, so maybe you can¡¯t assign tasks to Q. Because of that, she told us not to give you any trouble... Therefore, it is impossible for Q to have fixed it!"
Her status wasn¡¯t high among the Smiths? She wouldn¡¯t be able to get Q to do something for her?
Nora looked at Ruth again.
Ruth stood where she was uneasily and immediately said, "Damon, those are just my private spections. Don¡¯t word it so bluntly."
She felt really embarrassed.
Damon actually hadn¡¯t been resentful toward Nora initially the day before. It was under Ruth¡¯s purposeful guidance that he had slowly be brainwashed and felt that working for the special department was an honor and that it was every citizen¡¯s duty to serve the special department!
This had led to him bing resentful toward Nora. He had said, "I am going to talk to her tomorrow. Even someone like you, who has just returned from abroad, is dedicated to the country and the homnd. As the youngdy of the Smiths, shees from an even better family background than you and enjoys an even higher social status, so why doesn¡¯t she have a sense of responsibility?"
His words had displeased Ruth.
She sighed and replied, "Everyone has their own difficulties. Interpersonal rtionships among the wealthy are alsoplex. Some people don¡¯t hold any work positions in their families. Even though they say that they are from rich families, they just look a bit more morous on the surface, that¡¯s all. Who knows what it¡¯s like for them in private..."
Damon had understood what she meant at once. He said, "You mean Nora¡¯s status among the Smiths may not be high enough? But isn¡¯t she the only daughter of the previous head of the Smiths? The current head of the family is the previous head¡¯s nephew, you know!"
Ruth smiled and looked at him. "There you go. The current head of the family is the previous head¡¯s nephew. This means that they aren¡¯t real siblings..."
Damon immediately felt like he had understood something. He nodded and said, "I get it now."
That was how it had led to the conversation just now.
After Ruth made that ambiguous statement, Damon went on. "At first, I¡¯d thought that you must be quite pitiful at home, so I didn¡¯t ask you for help anymore. Neither have I ever forced you to make any contribution to the special department. But for you to make things difficult for Ruth when you haven¡¯t even done anything for the department... You¡¯re too much! Are you upset that she managed to get Y to help?"
As Nora listened to him prattle on, she kept her head down and continued to use her phone, ignoring him.
She had always been someone who preferred to let her actions speak for themselves.
Meanwhile, Damon was stillining. "I have always liked Q and Y, the two of them are every programmer¡¯s idols. I also believe that Q is a patriotic person, it¡¯s just that you have never been willing to convey our messages to him, that¡¯s all! Never mind that you aren¡¯t introducing him to the team, but how can you still be jealous of other people?"
"..."
He was really noisy.
Nora became even more annoyed. She pressed the Enter key on the phone.
Then, she raised her head.
Next to them, Ruth had already slowly opened her mouth. She said, "Don¡¯t say any more, Damon. Everyone has their own lifestyle, we mustn¡¯t impose our own standards on others. Being strict with ourselves and being lenient with others is the best quality one can have."
She spoke patiently and used her words methodically to guide everyone¡¯s thoughts. On top of that, her voice was sweet and pleasant, and she even had two dimples on her face when she smiled.
This immediately made everyone around them find Ruth even more approachable.
The contrast between the two women was simply too strong.
At this moment, Johnson and Morris also came over.
Seeing the group of them there, Johnson frowned and asked, "What are all of you gathering around here for?! cking off?"
"No..." Damon walked over and quickly exined what had happened.
Ruth hurriedly tried to get Nora off the hook again. She said, "Captain Johnson, Captain Ford, don¡¯t hold it against Ms. Smith. She must have her own difficulties too..."
Johnson sneered, his eyes sweeping over Nora. He looked at Morris and said, "Morris, even though you are now the acting director, I still have a better eye for people than you! Even the person you picked trying to bring special talents into the department is so irresponsible. In this respect, you still have lots more to learn from me!"
Then, he looked at Ruth and Nora. "Capabilities and so on are secondary for people specially recruited into the special department. What matters the most is, ultimately, still one¡¯s character! After all, this is a special department!"
Morris frowned. He wasn¡¯t very convinced.
Previously, it was because Nora had gotten a hacker to help them out that they had managed to identify the hotel that Trueman was staying at.
Later, it was only after word, that Q was working for the Smiths, had gotten out that all of them had spected that Q was the hacker that Nora had approached.
Nora might seem like a cold person all the time, but when he thought of how she had fought the people at the martial arts tournament and the boxing champion one-on-one after Quentin met with harm...
She was a loyal person who stood up for her friends and family.
If she really hadn¡¯t helped, then there could only be one reason why¡ªDamon had upset her.
But... whether to help or not was an individual¡¯s own decision in the first ce.
Morris lowered his head and said, "I don¡¯t think we should im the moral high ground to guilt-trip others."
Johnson immediately reprimanded him. "What do you mean by iming the moral high ground? You youngsterse up with all sorts of reasonings and use an endless string of different terms. Back in our era, all we had was a passion for the department! If everyone stands back whenever something happens, how bleak would society be?!"
He didn¡¯t hold back at all when he reprimanded Morris and didn¡¯t show the respect that he should be to the acting director.
He was deliberately taking Morris down a notch in front of everyone.
He wanted everyone to know that even though Morris was the acting director of the special department, he still had the final say when it came to seniority!
His words made Morris frown.
It didn¡¯t matter that he was reprimanded, but if Nora was the one being reprimanded...
He was about to say something when someone from the IT department suddenly ran over and shouted, "Damon, Damon! This is terrible!"
Damon was taken aback. Everyone turned around in unison and asked, "What¡¯s wrong?"
The man gasped for breath and replied, "Ourwork was hacked into again a moment ago. The other party has sent us a message."
Damon asked, "What did they say?"
"¡¯I am Q, not Y.¡¯"
Damon: "??"
Everyone: "??"
Stunned by the news, everyone looked at Nora, only to see her standing there calmly...
If she told them that she had asked Q to help, the group of them would definitely continue to whine. Thus, she had decided that she would just use her actions to prove it instead.
She didn¡¯t give much of an exnation, but Brenda stepped forward and said, "I get it now! It¡¯s you who got Q to help, Nora!"
Everyone looked at her in unison.
Brenda exined, "When we were tracking Trueman the other time, Damon wasn¡¯t skilled enough to do it. It was the hacker whom Nora had approached who pinpointed the hotel as his location! That hacker must have been Q, right? The person who fixed thework bug for us free of chargest night was also Q!"
"..."
The whole corridor fell silent.
Damon¡¯s eyes widened and he looked at Nora in surprise. "Were you really the one who helped us?"
Then, he turned back to Ruth in confusion. "But didn¡¯t you say that it was you who got Y to help?"
Ruth clenched her fists.
She hadn¡¯t expected things to turn around this way!
However, she¡¯d already thought that this might happen when she falsely imed the credit, so she managed to remain calm andposed. She even acted surprised and said, "Y said he would help, though! Wasn¡¯t it Y who did it?"
After speaking, she deliberately took out her cell phone and took a look. "I¡¯ll ask him."
She went to the side and sent a message.
Brenda, however,unched straight into mockery mode. She said, "Oh my, is there still a need to ask, though?! What¡¯s this? Are you already starting to steal other people¡¯s credit when you¡¯ve only just joined the special department?"
Then, she pretended to reprimand Nora. "And you too, Nora! Why are you so silly?! In the future, remember to leave your name behind after you do good deeds, get it?
"Those who understand you all know that, even though you look like a cold person, you¡¯re actually very enthusiastic deep down. You obviously did the IT department a big favorst night, yet you had to suffer all these ridiculous usations aftering to the office today! It¡¯s too much!"
Every word of hers was like a knife that stabbed right at all the people who had condemned Nora just now.
They were all straightforward men. Knowing that they had misunderstood her, some of them immediately apologized.
"Sorry about that, Nora! We really didn¡¯t know..."
"Yeah. What¡¯s going on, though? Ruth imed the credit for herself just like that. It¡¯s only because we misunderstood that we..."
"Why did Ruth im false credit for it, though?"
While everyone was talking about it, Ruth returned. With a guilty look on her face, she immediately said, "I¡¯m sorry, everyone! It was a misunderstanding on my part! After so long, it turns out that it was a misunderstanding!"
After speaking, she handed her cell phone to Damon.
Disyed on the screen was her chat history with Y on Messenger.
Ruth: ¡¯Wasn¡¯t it you who helped us fix thework bugst night?¡¯
Y: ¡¯No. When I infiltrated the system after agreeing to help, I found that the bug had already been fixed, but I forgot to tell you about it.¡¯
Ruth sighed and said, "Y has always been unsociable and entric, and he rarely speaks. He didn¡¯t inform me about it. Moreover, the moment I arrived at the office today, Damon said that the bug had been fixed, so I assumed it was Y... Ms. Smith, I formally apologize for what I said just now! You should still speak up if something happens again next time, though. The department is full of men, so their thoughts are all very straightforward. They won¡¯t get it if you don¡¯t say anything."
Tsk.
She was using Nora of not being genuine enough now.
Nora looked at her and asked, "Are you very familiar with Y?"
To think she even had him on her Messenger!
Even she didn¡¯t have Y as a contact on Messenger. The chat window in the Hacker Alliance was her only way of contacting Y!
Ruth was too much!
The rest, however, felt enlightened. "I knew it, it¡¯s just a misunderstanding!"
Elsewhere, Brenda, who had already walked out of the crowd, stared at Ruth.
At this moment, her cell phone suddenly beeped.
She looked down and saw a message from Justin: ¡¯Have you asked her? Why is Nora ignoring me?¡¯
Brenda took out her cell phone and sent Justin an audio message: "It¡¯s all Y¡¯s fault, Justin. If I were Nora, I would also be really mad! Someone named Ruth, who joined the department recently, said that she¡¯s friends with Y and embarrassed Nora! Quick, go and ask him why he has a friend like that!"
Justin: "?"
To think that was why Nora was angry! In that case, he would have to exin things properly to the public!
Chapter 558: I’m Y
Chapter 558: I¡¯m Y
Justin narrowed his eyes and called Brenda straightaway. He asked, "What exactly is going on? Make it clear."
He obviously wouldn¡¯t know that a new employee had joined the special department, so he needed to ask for the specifics.
Brenda told him what had happened.
Justin fell silent. Then, he said, "I see."
Brenda: "?"
She panicked. "What do you mean ¡¯I see¡¯? Ruth is no kind soul! It¡¯s obvious that she¡¯s aplete bitch, and she keeps making things difficult for Nora in the department both openly and secretly! It¡¯s so infuriating! Hurry up and contact Y! Doesn¡¯t he listen to you the most? Get him to just cklist Ruth, lest she uses his name to throw her weight about here!!"
Justin replied, "Yeah okay, I¡¯m hanging up."
Brenda: "??"
As she stared at the disconnected phone, she simply felt so anxious on Justin¡¯s behalf.
Nora was already so mad. Why didn¡¯t he seem anxious at all? Besides, this was really a tricky situation.
After all, Y was only an employee of the Hunt Corporation. To be honest, even Justin wouldn¡¯t have the right to interfere with Y¡¯s right to make friends, right?
In addition, most of the employees in the special department were men. Once they cleared things up, they would all just drop it and wouldn¡¯t hold any grudges.
As a result, the atmosphere had returned to a harmonious one now.
"Ruth, are you actually that familiar with Y?! You actually have him on Messenger! And he instantly replies to your messages too!"
Ruth lowered her head and smiled. "We¡¯re alright, I guess. He didn¡¯t reply to me the whole day yesterday, though, so I got angryst night. That¡¯s why he¡¯s paying extra attention today."
Nora: "???"
Hah!
That scumbag had sent her a few messages the day before, but she hadn¡¯t paid him any attention. As it turned out, he had gone to coax Ruth and make her happy instead?
Although Ruth might not even know Y in reality, she just didn¡¯t feel like paying any attention to Justin now!
Nora took a deep breath.
At this time, Damon walked up to her and bowed a little. "Sorry about that, Nora! I was too impulsive just now! I mouthed off to you when I didn¡¯t even know what was going on. I know you¡¯re probably still angry. You can beat me up and vent your anger!"
Nora: "..."
The corners of her lips spasmed as she looked at Damon. She couldn¡¯t be bothered to hit him, though, so she said, "No, it¡¯s fine."
She wasn¡¯t trying to specifically help Damon when she helped the special department, so it didn¡¯t matter to her one bit what he had said.
Seeing how distant she was being, Damon flushed as red as a tomato. He knew that he was in the wrong, so he did not dare to ask for Nora¡¯s forgiveness, either. As such, he could only take a step back in embarrassment.
At this moment, Johnson suddenly looked at Nora. "Ms. Smith, since you can get Q to do what you want, then why don¡¯t you, on behalf of the special department, try asking Q to join us again?"
Nora nced at him and replied very slowly, "Q cannot be bothered to join the department."
She turned around and got ready to leave.
However, it was at this point that she suddenly heard Ruth take the initiative to speak. She said, "I¡¯ll try asking Y when I¡¯m free! Y is unsociable and entric, though, and all masters of art have hot tempers, so he may not agree."
Johnson was overjoyed. "That¡¯s great! You have to help us out on this, Ruth!"
Then, he looked at Nora and sneered again, "Isn¡¯t it just doing the IT department a small favor? I don¡¯t know what some people are so arrogant for."
Nora: "??"
She abruptly turned to Johnson, only to see that he was already singing praises of Ruth. "You¡¯re really a greatrade to have, Ruth. If you can get Y onto the team for us, then you would be making a huge contribution to the team! I will definitely promote you!"
Ruth lowered her head and beamed as she said, "Nah, a promotion isn¡¯t necessary. I¡¯m just hoping that the special department will do better and better."
"You are so self-aware! Unlike some people, who only care about themselves and never take the department into consideration! You are a much better person than her!"
Johnson continued topliment her.
Nora curled her lips disdainfully and kept quiet. Morris came up to her, lowered his voice, and said, "Don¡¯t hold it against them! I know that you¡¯ve done a lot for the department."
Nora: "..."
Was Morris afraid that she would get angry, so he had speciallye over tofort her?
There was no need for that, though!
It wasn¡¯t like she was a child.
Nora was about to speak when a hesitant voice traveled over from the side again. "Nora... I know you¡¯re very angry with me, but I¡¯d still like to be a little thick-skinned and ask you something... Can you introduce Q to me? Me? I promise I won¡¯t disturb him. I¡¯ll only ask him the asional question."
Nora looked at Damon. The man had already lost the usatory attitude from just now, and there was a pleading look in his eyes.
Nora sighed and replied, "Q doesn¡¯t have a Messenger ount."
As soon as she said that, Ruth¡¯s surprised voice rang out. "Q doesn¡¯t have a Messenger ount? How can that be?! Everyone uses Messenger to contact one another these days, so why wouldn¡¯t he have one?"
Her words made the atmosphere turn somewhat grave again.
Everyone looked at one another, a guess forming in their hearts. However, they were too embarrassed to say it, for fear that they would embarrass Nora.
Johnson, however, was more than happy to blow things up. He immediately said, "Q probably has one, just that Nora doesn¡¯t know his ount, right? That¡¯s why you say that he doesn¡¯t have one. Here I was, thinking that you were really familiar with Q. Did you have to ask for your elder brother¡¯s approval first when you asked Q for help?"
His words were overflowing with mockery!
Everyone else immediately shut up, not daring to speak anymore.
Everyone looked at Nora, hoping that she would not get mad.
Nora, however, narrowed her eyes. "Even so, I have the means to contact Q, do you?"
Johnson: "??"
He had nothing to say to that!
Just as everyone was at a loss as to what to say, someone suddenly ran over and said, "This is terrible! Someone has hacked ourwork again!"
The moment he said that, Damon and another member of the IT department hurriedly rushed over to the IT department.
Nora thought for a while and followed them over as well.
On the way there, Ruth remarked worriedly, "Surely Q didn¡¯t leave an opening when he was fixing the bug, right? Otherwise, why would we be hacked?"
The few of them entered the IT department just as she said that.
All the screens of theputers in the IT department had gone ck. Damon was typing on the keyboard, but the screen waspletely ck without anything on it.
"What¡¯s going on? The other party is aputer expert, we aren¡¯t their match at all!"
"How did they hack into the system? This is too weird!"
"Our firewall has always been very strong, so ordinary hackers can¡¯t get in at all. Q was the one who hacked into the system to fix the bug for usst night. Apart from Q, there¡¯s pretty much no one else who can hack into the system..."
While the few of them were quietlyining, a chat box suddenly popped up on theputer. Then, a row of words appeared:
"Hello, everyone. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m Y."
Chapter 559: I Don’t Have A Messenger Account
Chapter 559: I Don¡¯t Have A Messenger ount
Y?
The entire special department was stunned.
Damon, who was seated in front of theputer, even cried out with excitement, "Y! Oh my god, to think I have the opportunity to talk to Y in this lifetime of mine!"
Someone echoed him. "First, it was Q who invaded us today, now it¡¯s Y. What kind of sheer dumb luck is the special department having? My god, I feel like I can brag to everyone else in this line of work from now on! This is a big boss we¡¯re talking about here!"
The people next to them were stunned.
"But why is Y suddenly hacking into our system?"
"Yeah, and with such a big fanfare too. No one introduces themselves the moment they appear, right? Besides, judging from his tone, he doesn¡¯t have ill intentions."
Someone nced at Ruth and made a guess.
"Could it be that Y has speciallye over to exin on behalf of Ruth? Is he afraid that we won¡¯t believe her? There is actually really no need for him to do that..."
"It¡¯s also possible that Y is saying hi to us on ount of Ruth, right? Also, judging from what he said, Y seems very friendly..."
"Can I quietly say something? Y feels more approachable than Q. Q is too cold and unapproachable~"
"What¡¯s the point now? I¡¯ve already heard everything you said. Besides, Ms. Smith is still here. What if she overhears and tells Q?"
"..."
While everyone was specting, Johnsonughed again and said, "Seems like Mr. Y is a very polite man! I¡¯ve also sent him an email before to invite him to join the special department, but he didn¡¯t pay me any attention. Come to think of it, Ruth gets more respect from him after all!"
"As expected, the rtionship between Y and Ruth isn¡¯t a simple one after all!"
"If all this is true, then I suddenly have a bold guess here, and that is¡ªY likes Ruth!"
Nora: "??"
What the f*ck?
Was this something that could be tolerated?
The corners of her lips spasmed and she sneered, "That¡¯s not necessarily true."
"Even if it¡¯s not necessarily true, it¡¯s still Ruth who got Y here!" Johnson said, "Therefore, no matter how you look at it, it¡¯s all still Ruth¡¯s credit!"
He looked at Morris again. "You must consider one¡¯s personality when you recruit someone! Morris, this is not an era where an individual should be trying to y the hero. Teamwork is what matters the most! An approachable person like Ruth would definitely bring more pleasant surprises to the department!"
Johnson looked at Ruth and said, "Work hard, Ruth! You have a promising future!"
Ruth, who had been utterly stunned when Y appeared: "..."
She stared at theputer screen nkly, feeling dumbfounded!
Why was Y here?
While she was still surprised, another few words appeared on the screen: "Apologies, I don¡¯t have a Messenger ount, so I can only use this method to rify some things with everyone."
No personal Messenger ount...
When those four words appeared, Ruth felt as if a bomb had gone off in her mind!
However, the rest hadn¡¯t realized it yet. In particr, Damon was even typing a reply excitedly: "It¡¯s okay. What do you want to rify?"
The others were also quietly marveling.
"Advanced hackers approach people in such peculiar ways..."
"Yeah! I suddenly find his actions so cool!"
"What do you mean ¡¯so cool¡¯? It¡¯s more like ¡¯too cool¡¯, okay?"
"It¡¯s obvious at a nce that you guys are science and engineering majors. How uncultured! This is called ¡¯the coolest ever¡¯!"
"..."
While they were being silly, someone suddenly realized something. He said, "Why wouldn¡¯t he have a personal Messenger ount, though? Isn¡¯t he friends with Ruth on Messenger?"
As soon as he said that, the entire IT department suddenly became dead silent.
In addition, almost as soon as he said that, another row of words appeared on theputer screen: "Just to rify, I don¡¯t know anydy named Ruth. Of course, if the special department ever needs my help, Ms. Nora only has to say the word and I will do my absolute best."
"..."
The whole room fell dead silent again.
Surprised, everyone slowly turned to look at Ruth.
As if she had suddenly contracted some kind of contagious disease, the few people who had gathered around her silently moved away at once.
Ruth clenched her fists tightly.
She stared ahead of her in shock. Never would she have ever imagined that a master-level figure like Y would suddenly descend upon their department, and even hack into the IT department with great fanfare just to rify something like that?!
How could this be?!
It was just like someone bragging outside that they knew a certain celebrity. Would the celebrity specially make a public social media post to rify that they didn¡¯t know them?
How would a nobody like Ruth possibly attract the attention of someone as talented as Y?!
It must be Nora!
Y was the Hunt Corporation¡¯s consultant. In order to make herself look good again, Nora must have approached Mr. Hunt and asked him to talk to Y, right?
As Ruth figured this out, she suddenly felt like she had identally messed with the wrong person!
She clenched her fists tightly. In the midst of her fury, Morris¡¯ low and serious voice rang out. "Ruth, please exin what on earth is going on. Do you or do you not know Y?"
Ruth couldn¡¯t help but stammer. She swallowed and suddenly said, "I, I... How are all of you so sure that this person is Y?"
Damon¡¯s jaw tensed up and he slowly said, "By his abilities. Do you think that any old hacker can hack into our IT department?"
Ruth: "!!"
She clenched her jaw. Suddenly, she lowered her head, her demeanor so aggrieved that even her eyes turned red. She said, "I¡¯m sorry, everyone. I... I might have been deceived!"
She took out her cell phone, opened the chat window with Y, and said, "I chat with him a lot. When he said he was Y, I believed him. I didn¡¯t expect that I¡¯ve actually been deceived!"
With her in tears, it would be hard for the others to continue ming her.
However, the corners of Brenda¡¯s lips spasmed and she clicked her tongue loudly. She said, "The moment you joined the department, you imed that you knew this person and that person. So, you¡¯ve found out that the Y you knew is a fake? In that case, might the ck Cat that you im to know also be a fake? Which other big boss do you also know?"
Ruth¡¯s face flushed at once. Seemingly unable to bear the pressure, she ran off in tears covering her face.
After she left, everyone in the special department started to whisper to one another.
"What¡¯s going on?"
"Maybe she really was deceived?"
Johnson felt as if he had been pped in the face. He stared at the people in front of him and suddenly said, "Alright, stop specting. What¡¯s there to say? Go and do your jobs!"
As soon as he said that, Morris said coldly, "Captain Johnson is right, go do your jobs right now! You can¡¯t get any work done just by pping your lips! Do you think you¡¯re special just because you know certain people? Also, let Ruth serve as a warning example for all of you. Despite being a member of the special department, she was deceived by a conman! What an embarrassment!"
His words were simply too mean!
Nora almostughed out loud.
Johnson flushed even redder. He looked straight at Morris. "You¡ª"
But before he could finish, Morris interrupted him and said, "Johnson, the department should be recruiting people who at least have a functioning brain! Also, their character takes priority!"
Morris left straightaway after saying that.
Johnson felt as if his cheeks were stinging and burning hot from being pped in the face. He looked at the people around him again, waved, and said, "Alright, begone! What are all of you looking at?"
¡ª
Nora left the IT department with a smile on her lips.
As soon as she entered her office, her cell phone rang. She picked it up and took a look¡ªit was Justin. She raised her brows a little and pressed the answer button.
"Nora."
The man sounded very aggrieved. "Remember to give me the opportunity to exin the next time something happens!"
Nora looked straight ahead of her and leaned back on her chair. "... Alright."
Her perfunctory tone, however, made Justin very dissatisfied. He heaved a quiet sigh and said, "We are lovers. If even lovers have to be so suspicious of each other, wouldn¡¯t life be too tiring?"
Nora kept quiet for a moment.
She had never been in love, nor had she ever known how to interact with people. She had merely felt ufortable when Ruth said that she knew Y and when the others said that Y might like Ruth. Thus, she had ignored Justin¡¯s messages.
Thinking about it again, she had indeed gone overboard.
She looked at the phone seriously and said, "Okay, I will take note of it next time."
"How are you going to make it up to me this time?" The man suddenly asked in a low voice.
Nora: "?"
The corners of her lips gradually hooked upward. In azy tone, she asked, "Do I have to make it up to you?"
"Yes, you have to." The man was just like a little puppy. He said, "Besides, I haven¡¯t seen you for two days, I miss you. Shall we have dinner together?"
Nora was about to tell him to bring the two children along when the man spoke in a low voice again. He said, "Just you and me. I will book a private room at a ce where no one will disturb us, okay?"
The man¡¯s voice was very low and he sounded as if he was cajoling her, making Nora feel as if feathers were tickling the depths of her heart. She coughed and replied, "Alright."
Nora¡¯s smile stayed on her face even after she hung up.
At the Hunt Corporation.
Lawrence¡¯s lip corners spasmed as he listened to his boss¡¯ shameless words. After Justin hung up with a smile on his lips, Lawrence handed him the document in his hand.
Justin took a couple of nces at it and signed it.
When Lawrence was about to step out, Justin suddenly said, "Lawrence."
Lawrence stopped and looked at him. "Yes, Mr. Hunt?"
Justin asked unhurriedly, "How long do you think it will take for people to seize my power and take over my position?"
Lawrence: "???"
The entirepany is under your control, Boss! I¡¯m afraid your uncle and his family will have to wait a hundred years after this batch of employees changes!
What the heck was his boss thinking?
While thinking about it, Justin said, "With that, I will be harmless and easy to control, right? And Uncle Ian won¡¯t worry anymore."
Lawrence: "????"
Justin looked up at him in silence.
"... Boss, I have something to do!"
Lawrence fled the office before Justin could say anything else. He was really afraid that his boss would ask him to make up ns for thepany¡¯s bankruptcy!
¡ª
At the special department.
Nora was notified of an impromptu meeting.
As soon as she entered the conference room, Johnson said, "Alright, as evident from the investigation, the Y that Ruth knew is indeed a fake. She was deceived by the other party¡¯s skillful tricks. Fortunately, no losses were suffered. The good news, though, is that it is true that Ruth knows ck Cat!"
Nora, aka ck Cat: "??"
Chapter 560: Black Cat
Chapter 560: ck Cat
Before Nora could raise objections, Brenda scoffed and said, "Captain Johnson, you must back up your ims with reasonable evidence! She also said that this Y was real when she imed to know him! How can we be sure that the ck Cat she knows is real?"
Johnson sneered. "Of course I have my own way of verifying this! Moreover, not only is the ck Cat she knows real, but Ruth has also gotten in contact with ck Cat for us! Those men that we arrested still haven¡¯t revealed any useful information. After ck Cat heard about it, he has decided to design some interrogation methods for us! Ruth and ck Cat will discuss and jointly decide on the specific methods!"
After he spoke, he pped his hands by himself and said, "Therefore, let¡¯s let the little misunderstanding today pass. There¡¯s no need to keep harping on it. Ruth is young and has not been exposed to fraud syndicates. Moreover, those conmen¡¯s tricks are too sophisticated. It is normal that she would fall for it!"
The rest of the staff immediately echoed him. "Yeah, it¡¯s nothing much that she fell for it!"
Even Damon said, "Yeah, it¡¯s nothing. Besides, you¡¯ve never seen Y either. But you¡¯ve met ck Cat in person before, right?"
With her eyes red, Ruth bowed and said, "I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ve really let all of you down. I also feel very embarrassed about it. I met Y through the Inte, but I¡¯m good friends with ck Cat in private. I definitely won¡¯t be deceived on that. Besides, ck Cat has already agreed to discuss with me the interrogation methods. I will definitely give everyone a proposal within the next two days!"
She wiped her tears and heaved a silent sigh. She said, "The incident with Y was a huge misunderstanding on my part. Ms. Smith, you were the one who asked Mr. Hunt to get Y toe forward, right? Thank you so much. If it weren¡¯t for you, I¡¯d still be thinking that the Y I knew was real and be kept in the dark!"
Nora: "..."
Ruth¡¯s level of hypocrisy and bitchiness was really beyond her!
The corners of Nora¡¯s lips spasmed.
Ruth stared at Nora. Her expression was still aggrieved and apologetic, but a touch of contempt and disgust welled up in her.
The incident with Y was indeed negligence on her part.
She¡¯d originally thought that big figures like Q and Y wouldn¡¯t be involved inpetitiveness between women, so she hadn¡¯t linked the incident to Nora.
But unexpectedly, in order to beat her in their reputation, Nora had simultaneously gotten both hackers to make an appearance!
One could say that she had spent a lot of money just to make things difficult for her!
However, Q and Y were people whom the Smith Corporation and the Hunt Corporation could easily contact. With the twopanies¡¯ financial and material resources, it was very understandable that Nora would win this round.
But no matter how powerful the Smith Corporation and the Hunt Corporation were, there was no way they would know ck Cat!
She had already asked around.
When Karl first returned to the States, things had been very unpleasant between him and the Smiths and the Hunts. He¡¯d even threatened the two heads of the families with ck Cat.
Therefore, ck Cat was definitely someone that the Smiths and the Hunts couldn¡¯t get in contact with!
No one would be able to expose her again for sure this time.
With that in mind, Ruth became rather smug deep down.
What was the big deal about being temporarily suppressed? Johnson had invited her into the special department precisely because of her identity as a master of interrogation. Only by exhibiting superb working ability would she be able to conquer the people in the department!
Nora ignored her.
This made Ruth¡¯s bow look a bit awkward.
Johnson took the initiative to speak first. He reprimanded her and said, "Alright, Nora, let bygones be bygones. Harmony must be maintained among co-workers, and there mustn¡¯t be any talks of revenge in private, understand? Also, certain people must not hold grudges. We are all a team here!"
Nora curled her lips disdainfully.
Brenda scoffed and said, "Interesting that you should say that, Captain Johnson! Originally, everyone in the department was handsome, so I definitely would¡¯ve wanted the department to be whole. But now that you¡¯ve joined us... Tsk, why do I not want it to be whole anymore?"
Johnson: "!!"
He could hear the ridicule in Brenda¡¯s words, of course.
But there was nothing he could do about her.
Brenda had been transferred into the department by Interpol, so it was impossible for her to ever rise to the position of director in the department. Therefore, she behaved brazenly and fearlessly.
Additionally, because she was from Interpol, she was entirely outside of his and Morris¡¯ jurisdiction. Whether she cooperated with them or not depended entirely on her mood.
Johnson took a deep breath. He could only ignore her and say, "I asked all of you toe here because Ruth and ck Cat need to understand your personalities when customizing interrogation methods and ns for all of you, so I need all of you to fill out a questionnaire for them. Ruth will send the questionnaire to all of youter. I hope everyone will cooperate with her. Understand?"
"Understood!"
Everyone answered in unison.
However, somebody raised a question. "Why do we have to fill in a questionnaire?"
Ruth exined, "I have studied the people you guys arrested. To be honest, we have already employed many different methods, but have not achieved good results. In that case, we may have to crack them one by one, in which case all of you would have to cooperate with one another in acting and so on... As such, I would need to understand everyone¡¯s personalities. The questionnaire is very simple, there aren¡¯t anyplicated questions."
Then, she smiled sweetly and added, "Also, I will be showing everyone¡¯s questionnaires to ck Cat. I¡¯m sure all of you will leave an impression on ck Cat, so you must try your best to answer the questions, okay~?"
As soon as she said that, those who were originally reluctant to answer the questionnaire suddenly became excited.
Johnson nodded. Then, he gave a wave and sat down.
Ruth said, "I will send everyone the list of questions that need to be answered. I hope you can pass them to me before work ends tomorrow. Alright, let¡¯s end the meeting."
When leaving the conference room, Brenda sneered, "Who does she think she is? She just knows ck Cat, that¡¯s all, isn¡¯t it? What¡¯s she arrogant about? She wants me to fill in the questionnaire? Hah!"
Nora looked at her. "Do you think everyone will fill it out?"
"... Yes!"
Nora: "?"
Brenda looked up at the ceiling. "If it means that ck Cat would remember my name, then even I¡¯ m willing to fill out the questionnaire."
"..."
Nora¡¯s lip corners spasmed. "Do you like ck Cat too?"
"Of course!" Brenda walked with wind in her steps. "Is there anyone in our line of work who wouldn¡¯t like ck Cat? If possible, I¡¯d even like to marry ck Cat."
"... What if ck Cat is a woman?"
"That¡¯s even better!" Their male colleagues who hade over at some point jokingly said, "Then we can marry ck Cat!"
"..."
The group of them walked past Nora and caught up with Ruth, who was walking in front. They asked, "Ruth, hey Ruth. What does ck Cat look like? Is ck Cat good-looking? C¡¯mon, just reveal a little about him!"
Ruth became popr again.
Brenda curled her lips disdainfully and sighed. "Although I really don¡¯t feel like paying any attention to her, the temptation that ck Cat presents is simply too great! Sorry, Nora, I gotta betray you for a while. Just a short while..."
After speaking, Brenda took a step forward, hooked her arm around Ruth¡¯s neck, and said bewitchingly, "C¡¯mon, little girl, tell big sis here whether ck Cat is a man or a woman? Is he handsome? Do you think big sis here stands a chance? "
Nora: "..."
She felt like all of them had gone mad.
Then, she heard Ruth sigh and say, "Is everyone that interested in ck Cat? Then why don¡¯t I pick two representatives from among you guys to say hi to ck Cat when I have a meeting with him to discuss the interrogation ns?"
"Wow!"
Everyone was delighted.
Nora: "..."
Was the video conference tomorrow?
In that case, she would arrange a face-pping session!
Chapter 561: Informant!!
Chapter 561: Informant!!
Nora left this group of people and went straight to Karl¡¯s interrogation room.
This big boss still looked rxed. He was on the sofa sleeping soundly. When he heard the door, he opened his eyes and looked at her heartlessly. "You¡¯re here? Why didn¡¯t you bring lunch today?"
Nora: "..."
Did he really treat her as a food deliveryman?
She grimaced and sat across from him. "How long until your business is over?" she asked.
"Soon."
Karl crossed his legs and swayed.
Nora could only say tactfully, "Tanya is very worried about you. Logically speaking, they¡¯re newlyweds now. She and Joel have booked a flight and hotel for their honeymoon two dayster. If you don¡¯te out now, she¡¯ll probably cancel all her ns."
When Karl heard this, he slowly sat up straight. Then, he said, "Two dayster?"
Nora nodded.
Karl coughed. "Alright, I¡¯ll be released in two days. Tell her not to cancel her ns. Young people have to be romantic as newlyweds."
"... Okay."
Nora was extremely satisfied. She stood up and left the room before walking towards Caleb Gray. The man was still coughing. Nora reminded him to take his medicine on time and asked him a few questions. When she saw that Caleb still wasn¡¯t saying anything, she left.
Not long after Nora left the interrogation room, Karl suddenly knocked on the door.
The person guarding him asked through the door, "What¡¯s wrong?"
Karl said, "I want to see Captain Johnson!"
The person thought that he was finally going to reveal information and said excitedly, "Okay, I¡¯ll go look for him now!"
Soon, the person walked away. Two minutester, Captain Johnson, who was about 50 years old, strode over. Before he entered, he said to the two guards, "Leave for a while. Let me have a few words with Karl in private."
"Yes, sir."
Captain Johnson entered the interrogation room and shut down the surveince cameras. Then, he looked at Karl. "What do you want?"
"I want to see Old Morry."
Karl said, "I¡¯ve been making the same request ever since I was arrested the second time. When will you get him to see me?"
Captain Johnson frowned and replied, "I told you, Old Morry¡¯s health isn¡¯t good. He¡¯s in the hospital!"
"Then let him take out my documents. That way, he can prove my innocence. I¡¯m very anxious!" Karl said forcefully.
Captain Johnson was puzzled. "Why are you in a hurry? I said before that if you¡¯re really an informant, you have to wait until we have a clue. It¡¯s not suitable to expose your identity now! Otherwise, we¡¯ll alert the enemy!"
Karl stood up. He was 1.85 meters tall and very strong. When he stood in front of Captain Johnson, his aura was several times stronger than his. Captain Johnson was so frightened that he subconsciously took a step back. "What are you doing? Look at yourself. You don¡¯t look like an informant at all! You¡¯re clearly the leader of the assassins!"
Karl lowered his eyes at these words.
From the time he first went undercover on the streets till now, he had been undercover for more than thirty years.
Yes, he had always been an undercover agent.
Back then, he had deliberately pretended not to care about his family and dated Jill for nothing. It was only a cover for his undercover mission.
Later on, he was framed for killing someone in an ident. His undercover identity could not hold out anymore. At that time, Old Morry had given him another choice.
The first was to rify his identity, but because there was no evidence regarding the murder, he had to wait for the police to slowly solve the case.
The second was to go overseas and continue being an informant.
Karl had no choice at the time. He had sent many people to prison when he was an informant. If he was imprisoned, there was no telling what could happen to him!
Therefore, he had chosen the second option.
Besides, he liked this path too.
After leaving the country, he had kept in contact with Old Morry and got him to help take care of Jill. Old Morry had never told him about Jill¡¯s pregnancy, only saying that Jill had married into a wealthy family a yearter.
It was not surprising that the wealthy families took a liking to Jill¡¯s face.
Karl hadpletely let go of Jill and resumed his undercover career.
He had helped solve five major cases and made several second-ss merits. With his character and looks, he really gave off the feeling that he was a bad person.
Therefore, his identity had never been discovered.
However, he still wanted to go back.
Every time he called Old Morry, he would ask, "When can I go back? I got a promotion again!"
Old Morry was always amused by him. "Keep rising through the ranks. When the timees, you might be the boss and lead a group of people straight to the right path."
Karl was a capable person. He really rose to the second-inmand position step by step.
After helping Morryh crack this criminal gang, he moved again.
After being moved around a lot, his temper became wild, and he gradually forgot about wanting to go home.
Later on, he established the Assassin Alliance. When he had asked Old Morry about it years ago, Morry had even said that it was possible.
His actions had actually crossed the line.
However, Old Morry said that he would help him report to the higher-ups and specially approved him to continue what he was doing. Furthermore, this way, he could continue serving his country.
After he established the Assassin Alliance, he would regrly transfer a portion of the money he had saved back to his "home" every year. He had gotten Old Morry to donate that money.
Over the years, he had indeed helped Old Morry crack many major cases. Many clues could only be obtained with his identity.
Untilst time, when Old Morry asked him to introduce someone from a mysterious organization when he returned to the country. Morry asked him not to reject her and to bring her back to catch a turtle in a jar.
This was also one of the reasons why he had lured Trueman and the others back despite already being rich!
If not for Tanya¡¯s appearance, Karl would have left the country long ago.
At that time, even if he had captured and investigated Trueman, he would not have been caught. He would have continued to be the part-time informant in the Assassin Alliance...
But now, everything had changed.
Captain Johnson looked at his deep eyes and his tone became gentle. "Of course I trust you. I¡¯ll arrange it as soon as possible. However, after your identity is exposed, you can¡¯t be our informant anymore. Are you sure you¡¯ve thought it through?"
Karl stared at Captain Johnson and suddenly said, "Old Morry once promised me that as long as I want to quit, he will immediately let me go. Now, for my daughter¡¯s sake, I want to reveal my identity!"
He could not be the shame of his daughter¡¯s life!
Chapter 562: Going overseas
Chapter 562: Going overseas
Hearing his powerful and resonating words, Captain Johnson continued to speak sincerely, "I know, and I understand you. Actually, I¡¯ve seen Old Morry and he has even verified your identity. Why do you think you were able to escape so easily thest time? You shouldn¡¯t have returned!"
Karl stared at Captain Johnson.
Captain Johnson kept looking at him. "Now, the country needs you, and the people. The mysterious organization has already revealed its hand. As long as we keep following the clues, we¡¯ll catch them sooner orter. I can help you leave now. Going overseas is much better than exposing your identity! Don¡¯t you want to make this special contribution? At that time, you¡¯ll return to the country even more gloriously. As for your daughter... she¡¯s only being gossiped about now. She¡¯ll definitely be able to forgive you and even understand your difficulties!"
Old Morry had said this countless times.
Therefore, Karl remained overseas time and time again.
In the past, he had no rtives and was alone. The struggle was nothing, but now...
Karl lowered his eyes and slowly said, "You don¡¯t have to tell me that. I¡¯m 49 years old this year and have already been undercover for 30 years. How many decades does a person have in their lifetime? I only want to do whatever I want for the rest of my life! I think the people will understand me!"
"You¡ª!"
When Captain Johnson saw that he was unyielding, he said in exasperation, "Why have you be so selfish now? Have you already been outside for so many years that your heart has been polluted?
Karl frowned.
He clenched his fists. "Captain Johnson, Old Morry said that I can stop when I want to stop! This is my freedom! You don¡¯t have to say anything else. Please help me contact Old Morry!"
"..."
When Captain Johnson saw his determined expression, he knew that the decision had been made and that he could not persuade him anymore. He could only sigh deeply. "Okay, I¡¯ll arrange for Old Morry toe over and settle the matter!"
With that, he walked out.
When he reached the door, Karl emphasized, "Two days. I¡¯ll give you two more days. If Old Morry still doesn¡¯te, I¡¯ll look for your Captain Ford. I think he will be very interested in my story!"
Captain Johnson choked and could only nod hatefully. "...Alright!"
"Also..." Karl asked, "I want a grand press conference. I think you all know how to announce my real identity, right?"
If he left just like that, those people would not believe a single wording out of his mouth.
This was the Inte age. If he wanted to recover his identity and walk out of the darkness, he naturally had to do it in a spectacr manner. Otherwise, wouldn¡¯t he be letting down his reputation?
Furthermore, this way, he could improve his social status and public recognition. This was beneficial to his daughter Tanya!
Captain Johnson took a deep breath. "Okay! Wait for the good news!"
He left angrily.
¡ª
After leaving the special department, Nora returned home.
As soon as she entered, she saw two uninvited guests sitting in the living room. She had seen these two people before at the wedding. They were the eldest uncle and aunt of the Smiths¡¯ eldest branch, as well as Joel¡¯s parents.
At this moment, the two of them were sitting upright on the sofa. An uncle, who looked simr to Ian, was crying to Ian. "Ian, Joel married the daughter of a murderer. This matter has embarrassed us all!"
When Ian, who was sitting in a wheelchair, heard these words, his eyes drooped. "Karl didn¡¯t kill anyone. Amos, didn¡¯t we make it clear that the person who killed the man back then was that woman called Margot?"
Amos snorted. "They¡¯re still not worthy!"
Ian sneered. "Not worthy? You all should know who he is, right? I heard that ck Cat and ck Panther are top assassins. Do you think they¡¯re not good enough?"
Amos choked. His wife, Heather, instantly snorted coldly. "But other than us, who else knows that he¡¯s the boss of the Assassin Alliance? Now, everyone only says that hemitted a crime! He¡¯s a criminal! We know his true identity, but ordinary families don¡¯t! They only mock us!"
Ian looked at his elder brother and sister-inw in front of him. Amos was like a father, but he could not support a big family back then. His ears were soft and he listened to Heather on everything.
He had even treated Joel like that back then...
If Ian had not intervened in time, the oue would have been unimaginable!
Ian did not have a good impression of these two people. He said in a cold voice, "What on earth do you want?"
Amos and Heather replied, "Anyway, we can¡¯t stay in New York anymore! We want to go overseas! We¡¯ll stay overseas from now on. Make the arrangements for us!"
When Ian heard this, he was so angry that heughed. "Sure. Don¡¯t evere back after you leave the country. It saves me from feeling vexed!"
What could he do if Amos did not have the ability?
Furthermore, Joel was in charge of the family now. Ian also knew that their status at home was very awkward. Going overseas was indeed the best choice for their entire family.
Joel and Tanya were alsoing downstairs as Ian was thinking about this.
Joel¡¯s smiling face instantly turned cold when he saw the two of them. He had also heard the two scourges and he said, "No problem. Your living expenses won¡¯t becking either. The Smiths will support you forever! We¡¯ll provide you with a wealthy life!"
Nora also felt that this was a good thing.
Heather looked like she was not easy to get along with. Them leaving was the best oue for Tanya.
However, when she heard Heather¡¯sst sentence, she instantly regretted her thoughts.
Heather looked at the two of them and said, "We¡¯ll definitely leave. After all, we can¡¯t live in this country with all of you! You didn¡¯t care about your face and insisted on marrying such a woman. But what about your daughter? I can¡¯t let my granddaughter be mocked in this country. This is harmful to her physical and mental health! Therefore, I¡¯m going to take my granddaughter Mia with me!!"
Chapter 563: Karl Is Not a Criminal!
Chapter 563: Karl Is Not a Criminal!
As soon as she said this, the atmosphere in the living room became tense.
"No!"
"No way!"
Joel and Tanya¡¯s voices were heard at the same time, causing Heather to frown. She did not dare to speak to Joel but looked directly at Tanya. "How can you speak to your mother-inw like this? Although that woman wasn¡¯t your biological mother, you grew up in the Joneses. You should know basic manners, right? Who taught you to address your elders so loudly?!"
Tanya¡¯s chest heaved up and down as she looked at Heather and said slowly, "I know you¡¯re dissatisfied with me, but Mia is the daughter I¡¯ve been looking for for five years. I definitely won¡¯t be separated from her now!"
Heather lowered her head. "Speaking of which, I have to criticize you even more. Tanya, how can you call yourself a mother? How did you lose the child and let her get picked up by Hiry? You helped her bewitch our family for so many years! Besides, I heard that she even abused the child?! This is all because you didn¡¯t take good care of the child!"
Every word she said was like a knife, a knife that stabbed into Tanya¡¯s heart.
She had felt guilty for five years.
She even wanted to torture Hiry after seeing Mia¡¯s injuries...
Although Hiry was already dead, Tanya was still having frequent nightmares. She would often dream that Mia had been lost again. She would usually wake up in the middle of the night and rush to Mia¡¯s room. She would only calm down after seeing Mia safe and sound.
Therefore, she had no way of refuting this sentence!
Seeing that she was stuttering, Heather was about to continue speaking when Joel suddenly rushed to Tanya and said, "I¡¯m the child¡¯s father. The child grew up under my watch, but I didn¡¯t protect her well. In that case, I¡¯m more responsible! Are you going to scold me now?"
How could Heather dare to scold him like this?
Their rtionship had not been terrible since Joel was young. After Joel became the leader, his aura became stronger, and she did not dare to offend him!
She said, "You¡¯re so busy with work and have to take care of thepany. It¡¯s fine that you¡¯re a little careless. Besides, if Tanya hadn¡¯t lost the child, this wouldn¡¯t have happened. How can you be med? Tanya isn¡¯t a qualified mother!"
"Heh!"
Joel sneered. "Then are you a qualified mother? What right do you have to criticize Tanya?"
Heather pursed her lips.
Amos instantly threw the teacup in his hand on the coffee table. "Joel, how can you speak to your mother like this? We¡¯re doing this for Mia¡¯s sake! We¡¯re her grandparents, how can we hurt her? Besides, you¡¯re not by our side all year round and follow behind Ian every day. Shouldn¡¯t your daughter be living with us?"
When Joel heard this, he sneered.
He lowered his eyes and suddenly said, "Are you sure you want to take Mia overseas with you for her own good? Forpany? Isn¡¯t it so that you can ask me for money?"
His words pierced through their thoughts.
Heather¡¯s face instantly turned red.
Amos stood up angrily. "Joel, how can you say that? Do we have such a crude image in your heart?!"
"Isn¡¯t that so?"
A sarcastic smile hung on Joel¡¯s lips.
Nora, who was at the door, instantly understood.
It turned out that Amos and Heather insisted on taking Mia with them because they were worried that after they went overseas, Joel would not give them any money?
As long as Mia was by their side, they wouldn¡¯t be afraid that Joel wouldn¡¯t recognize them as his parents, right?
Nora frowned. What kind of strange parents were they?!
It was no wonder that her brother did not have a good rtionship with his parents.
Joel looked straight at Amos, whose aura weakened again...
Right at this point...
Bam!
Ian suddenly smashed the teacup in his hand hard on the ground with a loud noise.
He slowly raised his head and looked at Amos with a pair of eagle-like sharp eyes. His voice was very cold. "Amos, I didn¡¯t expect you to still be so shameless after so many years! When you leave, the Smiths will definitely give you a huge settling amount. No matter how much you spend in this life, it¡¯ll be enough! Why are you still so greedy?!"
When Amos heard this, he swallowed hard and said slowly, "Ian, that¡¯s not what I mean. Everyone knows that the days of the extended family are getting worse with each generation. Your sister-inw and I adopted another daughter. She¡¯s going to get married in the future too. We must give it to her and her children..."
At this point, Heather poked his arm.
Amos finally realized that he had gone too far.
It was indeed unreasonable to ask Joel for money and leave it to his adopted daughter.
Therefore, he shut his mouth.
On the other hand, Heather suddenly said, "Ian, it¡¯s really not that Amos and I are unreasonable. It¡¯s just that it¡¯s really inappropriate for Mia to stay in the country. I have a video here for you to see!"
With that, she took out her phone and opened a video before handing it to Ian.
Joel and Tanya walked behind Ian and looked at it together.
Nora raised her eyebrows and walked over slowly too. She wanted to see what Heather was up to now.
The video was from Mia¡¯s kindergarten.
A group of children was ying with Legos..
Mia sat alone in a small corner, building a princess toy.
However, there were a few pieces missing. She stood up and walked to the Lego box. She was about to look for the missing parts.
However, as soon as she walked over, the children immediately dispersed.
"Mia¡¯s grandfather is a murderer! We don¡¯t want to y with her!"
"My mother said that murderers have lunacy in their genes. It¡¯s contagious. Mia, stay away from us!"
"That¡¯s right! Stay away from us!"
"A murderer¡¯s granddaughter is a small murderer. Will Mia kill people in the future?"
"My mother said she would. She might go crazy one day!"
"Ah! It¡¯s too scary! Boohoo, I don¡¯t want to die!"
"..."
The children were chattering and screaming. No one attacked Mia, but their actions made her feel hurt.
The little girl looked at the group of people in a daze. She waved her hands. "Don¡¯t be afraid. I won¡¯t kill anyone. Really... I really won¡¯t kill anyone..."
"I don¡¯t believe you! Anyway, I won¡¯t y with you! I won¡¯t be your friend either!"
"Me too. Mia, go away. We don¡¯t want to talk to you!"
"..."
The world of children was very simple, so their words were even more hurtful.
If it was between adults, Tanya would not care about these words, but Mia would.
She was already sensitive and fragile. Mia lowered her head and felt like she could not ever raise it up.
Mia then sighed silently and returned to her seat. However, as soon as she walked back, she realized that someone had broken the lego toy she had made.
She looked at it in a daze. Finally, she sat in the corner alone and lowered her head in frustration. She did not say anything else.
That small girl made one¡¯s heart soften.
Nora sighed silently.
Even her heart ached when she saw this, let alone Tanya!
When Nora looked up, she saw that Tanya¡¯s eyes were already red. She tried hard to control her emotions as her body trembled slightly.
Over the past few days, while Karl was in prison, she had put all her attention on him.
When Mia said that she wanted to go to school with Pete, Tanya had let her go. She had also told Joel to pay more attention to his daughter. However, she did not expect her daughter to be bullied in school?!
Joel hugged her shoulder and patted it gently as if he was giving her strength. "Don¡¯t worry."
Although Mia was rejected, she was better than the other children. She was from the Smiths, so those people did not dare to touch her.
It was just psychological istion.
Joel had actually learned of Mia¡¯s situation long ago. He knew all this.
Joel looked at Heather and asked coldly, "What do you mean by showing this to us?"
Heather said directly, "I¡¯m telling you that the child is not happy in school! She needs to go with us! Leave this ce and change to a new environment. Live well in a ce where no one knows her!"
She said sincerely, "Joel, you¡¯re in charge of thepany, so you definitely can¡¯t leave. Tanya is your wife. You¡¯re newlyweds, and you¡¯re unwilling to separate. Therefore, it¡¯s best for us to take Mia overseas. Besides, if you really can¡¯t bear to leave the child, then the two of you can have another one.?!"
Joel felt that these words were really ear-piercing. "What are children to you? Are theymodities? Or are they pets? If Mia is gone, I can just get another one?"
Heather pursed her lips. "No matter what you say, I¡¯m doing this for your own good! You saw it too. Mia is being pushed aside and isted in school! You¡¯re still her parents, don¡¯t your hearts ache?!"
Joel lowered his eyes. "Mia is growing up. Her matters will be resolved very well. Don¡¯t worry about this. She won¡¯t care about this in the future."
Heather instantly pointed at his nose and scolded, "What do you know? Do you think Mia is as heartless as you? Do you think Mia is the same as you, that she doesn¡¯t care about the opinions of others at all? Let me tell you, in this country, with her grandfather in prison, Mia will be looked down upon for the rest of her life! Something big will happen sooner orter! You either let Mia leave with us or you divorce this murderer¡¯s daughter!"
Nora could not listen to this anymore. She said, "Who said that Karl is a criminal?!"
Heather sneered. "He is already in prison and they aren¡¯t letting him go. They must have sufficient evidence to keep him in there. They couldn¡¯t have kept him there just to make friends, right?"
Chapter 564: Joel is Not Their Son!
Chapter 564: Joel is Not Their Son!
After Heather said this sarcastically, she saw Nora looking at her with a faint smile.
It was as if she was looking at a clown making a fool of itself.
Nora was unwilling to say more. After all, saying anything before the truth was revealed might cause some unwanted changes.
She only spoke vaguely, "Perhaps he¡¯s in there for tea with a friend?"
Karl was an informant. Going to the police station was like going to work!
Heather was about to say something when she felt Ian¡¯s gaze.
Faced with this third brother, she was naturally afraid. She said, "No matter what, Karl¡¯s matter has affected Mia. As her grandparents, the two of us have to interfere in this matter."
Her granddaughter was not doing well at home, and it seemed reasonable for her grandparents toe looking for justice.
However, Joel said, "Tanya and I are the child¡¯s parents. Her legal guardianship also belongs to Tanya and me. Even if we go to the court, it doesn¡¯t seem like you have any right to order her around, right?"
Amos was furious. He pped the table and roared, "Joel, do you still want to go to court with us? Don¡¯t you find it embarrassing enough?"
Heather¡¯s eyes turned red as she looked at Ian. "Ian, we rarely interfered in Joel¡¯s matters for so many years, but look at this heartless person. He keeps threatening us. Aren¡¯t we doing this for Mia?"
Ian would definitely protect Joel, but before he could say anything, Joel jumped in, "Since you care about Mia so much, you guys should know that she¡¯s actually doing very well in the kindergarten! What are you trying to say here by taking things out of context?"
Heather was stunned. "What do you mean by taking things out of context?"
Joel snorted.
He patted Tanya¡¯s shoulder and took out his phone. He opened the video yer app. There were a few videos inside. They were all taken from the kindergarten¡¯s surveince cameras.
In the beginning, her ssmates pushed her aside.
After all, the children were very simple-minded and felt that the granddaughter of a bad person must be another bad person.
Mia was indeed very sad.
However, after five minutes, Pete walked in with the Math Olympiad book in his arms. He only took a few casual nces before walking over to Mia and sitting beside her.
Someone said, "Cherry, aren¡¯t you afraid that she¡¯ll be a bad person and kill you in the future?"
Pete looked up at the child as if he couldn¡¯t be bothered with him. However, he still said, "You¡¯re so timid. Are you even a boy?"
Five-year-olds felt that they were already old enough and hated being mocked for being timid.
When that little boy heard this, he raised his chest. "Of course! How am I timid?! I dare to sit with Mia!"
He quickly walked over and sat near Mia.
Pete looked at the children looking over and pursed his lips. "Are you all cowards?"
"Of course not!"
"Of course not!"
"I¡¯m very bold!"
"..."
A group of children quickly gathered around.
They surrounded Pete and Mia and watched as Mia rebuilt the Lego toy. She learned to dance, was agile, and had quick fingers. Soon, she used the Lego pieces to build the little princess from Frozen. It was very lifelike.
"Wow! Mia, you did a good job!"
"Mia, can you teach me?"
"I want Elsa! Build another Elsa!"
Mia blushed and said, "But there aren¡¯t enough Legos."
"There¡¯s more here!"
One of the children took out his own Legos and gave them to Mia. "My Legos are all here! Mia, hurry up. I want to see Elsa!"
"..."
The group of brats who had made Mia feel upset earlier was now dragging their chins as they watched Mia meticulously build the Lego models. The atmosphere became joyful.
When the model was done, the group of people surrounded Mia and apuded.
"Mia, you¡¯re so awesome!"
"I want to y with you in the next ss!"
"..."
Hearing this, Pete stood up and pursed his lips. "You¡¯re all cowards. Your mommies just scared you a little and you don¡¯t dare to y with Mia anymore. Mia will ignore you now because the world of the strong doesn¡¯t need fence-sitters."
With that, he held Mia¡¯s hand and walked out.
The other children looked at each other and stood where they were.
The surveince cameras could only see Mia and Pete¡¯s backs. Mia suddenly stopped in her tracks and looked at Pete. "Brother Pete, I understand! I shouldn¡¯t care about what others think of me. You never yed with them, but they still like you a lot because you¡¯re the best!"
Pete nodded. "Yeah."
The two children then skipped out of the ssroom.
The video ended there.
Joel looked at Amos and Heather. "Life isn¡¯t always smooth-sailing. Sometimes, some small bumps can increase the child¡¯s courage to ovee them. Furthermore, Ever since Tanya¡¯s return, Mia is clearly more confident than before! Therefore, she doesn¡¯t need your so-called care at all."
With that, his eyes turned cold as he said, "I still have something to ask the two of you. Only the children¡¯s guardians are allowed to watch the surveince camera footage from the kindergarten. How did you know that Mia was being bullied? You got someone to steal the footage, and now you¡¯re even trying to use it to trick us?"
Joel¡¯s questions got sharper and sharper. In the end, his voice was already icy cold.
Of course Joel knew that Mia might not be doing well in school.
Joel had still insisted that Mia go.
Mia was too timid. She had to learn how to face the world.
However, this did not mean that Joel had thrown his daughter out. He had been paying attention to her every moment in school.
Therefore, when he saw Amos and Heather¡¯s video, he was not surprised at all because he had already known about it long ago.
Amos and Heather swallowed hard. The two of them clearly did not expect Joel to realize so quickly what they had done!
As they hesitated and thought about how to exin this, Ian said forcefully, "Amos, Heather, if there¡¯s no reasonable exnation for this, then you should know the consequences!"
Amos instantly looked up and straightened his neck. "Ian, we were anxious because we saw the video and didn¡¯t understand the situation! Besides, no matter what, Joel is our son! What¡¯s wrong with us meddling in his family matters? Can¡¯t parents control their children?!"
Heather said, "That¡¯s right, Ian. As his parents, can¡¯t we criticize him a little?"
Their unreasonable behavior made Ian take a deep breath.
He looked at Joel and suddenly sighed. "From today onwards, he¡¯s no longer your son."
Chapter 565: Don’t Offend Justin!
Chapter 565: Don¡¯t Offend Justin!
With that, the entire room fell silent.
Amos and Heather were stunned. The two of them looked at Ian at the same time. "Ian, what do you mean?"
Joel looked at Ian in confusion.
Ian lowered his eyes and said slowly, "Back then, when I handed the position of the family head to Joel, I hesitated to formally adopt Joel under my own name. Now that I think about it, it would have been better to adopt him. This way, at the very least, it would¡¯ve shut your stupid mouths. Not just anyone can mock my sessor!"
His domineering attitude stunned Amos and Heather.
In the past, when Ian raised Joel by his side, the two of them were worried that Ian would not ept Joel. They had asked for adoption before, but Ian said that he was just a nephew.
They were all members of The Smith family. Whether they went through with the adoption or not was only a formality.
However, the two of them did not expect Ian to change his tune now.
Joel was also stunned as he looked at Ian in a daze.
Ian stared at him. "Joel, would you like to be my son?"
Joel¡¯s eyes turned red.
After so many years, he had gained a lot of knowledge from Ian and learned how to manage thepany. It could be said that he was personally taught by Ian.
When he was young, everyone told him that Ian was only teasing him by bringing him along. Otherwise, why wouldn¡¯t he go through with the adoption?
He had also asked Ian this question.
However, Ian said, "Because I don¡¯t need a son. I raised you only because the Smithsck a sessor."
Joel understood at that time that Ian had never thought of him as a son. He was only doing his duty to the family.
Ian always had a distant attitude toward him.
Joel treated him as his father in his heart, and he knew that Ian had never wanted to leave any worries in this world.
He never expected Ian to make such a suggestion so many years after Joel inherited the Smiths.
Joel could maintain hisposure in the face ofpany matters, but at this moment, he was a little moved. His voice was trembling as he said, "Of course I would, Uncle Ian."
Ian smiled. "You¡¯re still calling me Uncle Ian?"
Joel¡¯s mouth moved. He seemed embarrassed to have said that word.
However, Tanya, who was standing beside him, suddenly said, "Dad, Nora will be my aunt from now on!"
Her words woke Joel up.
Joel¡¯s lips trembled again as he shouted, "Dad."
He had not called Ian Dad for more than twenty years.
"Yes, son."
Ian responded and looked at the shocked Amos and Heather. "I¡¯ll get thewyers to handle all the formalities. I hope that the two of you will maintain a distance from Joel in the future! After all, you have to avoid arousing suspicion! Understand? If I ever find out again that the two of you are doing something outside calling yourselves Joel¡¯s parents, don¡¯t me me for being rude!"
His tone was filled with dense killing intent.
"..."
Both Amos and Heather were frightened. The two of them did not dare to say anything else. They stood up and said, "Okay."
Ian left another sentence. "I¡¯ll arrange for you guys to go overseas. Don¡¯te back again."
The two of them: "..."
They had not expected that not only would they fail to trick Ian, they would even lose what they already had!
After this irksome couple left, Joel quickly restrained his emotions and looked at Nora. He asked, "Nora, Karl... What¡¯s going on with Karl?"
Nora clicked her tongue.
This brother was indeed smart. From what she had said earlier, he guessed that Karl might have a n.
In order not to make Tanya worry, Nora said, "I asked Uncle Karl today. He¡¯s actually an informant. I¡¯ve already found and asked his contact toe out. If nothing goes wrong, he can be released the day after tomorrow."
This sentence shocked Tanya. "What?"
Joel was also a little stunned and found it unbelievable. "The boss of the Assassin Alliance... is an informant for the police? Why does this sound so hard to believe?"
The corners of Nora¡¯s lips spasmed.
She had also found it hard to believe when she first heard Karl¡¯s words.
However, other than this, there seemed to be no other exnation.
She nodded silently at Joel and Tanya.
Tanya: "..."
She suddenly felt likeughing and crying. After a while, she only sighed deeply.
However, Nora did not have the time to chat with them here. She looked at her phone and realized that it was already past four o¡¯clock. She hurriedly said, "I have a date. I¡¯ll get going then."
Seeing that Nora was about to go upstairs instead of out the door, Tanya asked, "I thought you had to go out for the date, why are you going upstairs?"
Nora kept walking without turning back as she replied, "...To change my clothes."
Tanya: "?"
Joel: "??"
Ian¡¯s head that was still lowered suddenly lifted up. He looked at Nora¡¯s back and an angry expression instantly appeared on his face.
Tanya and Joel hurriedly looked in opposite directions and pretended not to have seen Ian¡¯s current appearance.
After changing her clothes, Nora tidied her hair in the mirror again before going downstairs. She strode out happily.
She did not notice the eyes of the old father behind her filled with sadness and worry.
Joel walked to Ian¡¯s side and sighed. "Dad, actually, Justin is not that evil. At least in front of Nora, he¡¯s very obedient."
"What do you know?"
Ian was silent for a moment before he suddenly sighed. "His identity... is too mysterious. Nora definitely can¡¯t get the upper hand over someone like him. She¡¯ll be yed by him."
Joel frowned.
However, he was guessing in his heart. What was Justin¡¯s identity? He could actually make Ian so vignt?
He frowned and asked, "He is..."
Ian was silent for a moment before suddenly saying, "This is my guess. In short, you should make sure you never offend Justin."
Chapter 566: A Date~
Chapter 566: A Date~
¡¯Never offend Justin¡¯...
Joel mentally repeated the words and looked at Ian, perplexed.
Uncle Ian had transformed the Smith Corporation from apany always in second ce into one that was ranked equally with the Hunt Corporation. Over the years, he had seen so much happen in the country, yet in spite of that, he had still reminded Joel to stay vignt and not to offend Justin. Just how powerful and capable was Justin?
While he was musing, Ian said, "If he truly cares about Nora, then he won¡¯t mind even if I make things difficult for him now. But if he¡¯s not, then let me be the one to offend him. I don¡¯t have that long to live anymore anyway. You¡¯re still young, you shouldn¡¯t do things that might jeopardize your future."
Hearing the graveness in his words, Joel nodded hurriedly and replied, "I will keep that in mind, Dad."
Fortunately, he had epted Justin¡¯s goodwill when he took the initiative to build a good rtionship with him. Thus, the two of them currently shared a pretty decent rtionship.
He also suddenly understood why Ian hadn¡¯t reprimanded him when he allowed Justin to enter the house the other time. On the contrary, he had even somewhat given tacit approval to it. In the beginning, he¡¯d thought that it was because Ian was ultimately still somewhat satisfied with Justin, but now it seemed like that might not be the case, after all.
¡ª
Just as Nora left the house, she ran into Pete and Mia returning home hand in hand.
Pete was carrying arge schoolbag on his back, his little face was expressionless. He was totally a mini Justin. When his big round eyes caught sight of Nora, he subconsciously pulled his hand out from Mia¡¯s.
Nora¡¯s gaze swept across Mia. There was no sign of unhappiness on the little girl¡¯s small face with the pointed chin, indicating that the events in the kindergarten indeed hadn¡¯t affected her.
Moreover, Mia had always been very timid in the past and seemed fainthearted at everything she did.
However, the timid look on her face seemed to have dissipated a little. It seemed like Pete had given her a lot of confidence. Joel was right¡ªthe two times when Tanya had met with cyberbullying and experienced reputation crises had indeed made Mia mature quite a fair bit.
While Nora was observing Mia, a puzzled Pete asked, "Mommy, where are you going?"
"Cough."
For some reason, Nora felt a little guilty. Her eyes shifted about and she looked at the sky as she replied, "Mm, I¡¯m going out to discuss some work matters with someone."
She couldn¡¯t help but keep feeling a little guilty that she and Justin were going out on a date without Pete and Cherry.
Pete hesitated for a moment. "With who? Do I know them?"
If she said that it was Justin, how would she reject Pete if he said that he wanted toe too?
With that thought in mind, Nora subconsciously lied. "No, you don¡¯t. I¡¯m leaving."
She hurriedly walked past Pete and Mia. After getting in the car, she drove out in a hurry, her face looking a little panicked.
Pete turned his head and looked at her.
Seeing that Pete was not moving, Mia also stayed where she was.
After a while, Nora¡¯s car disappeared from their sight. Even then, Pete was still standing still.
A puzzled Mia asked, "Pete, what are you looking at?"
Pete heaved a silent sigh. "At my family running out of time."
Mia: "?"
Pete looked back at Mia with sorrowful eyes. "Mommy was lying just now. She doesn¡¯t dare to look into my eyes any time she lies."
Mia thought for a while and said, "Adults are all like that! Why would Aunt Nora lie to you, though? You mean she isn¡¯t going out to discuss work matters with someone?"
Pete nodded. "Mommy never discusses work face to face, always over the phone¡ªbecause going back and forth to meet someone is a waste of time! She might as well sleep instead! I¡¯ve never seen her go out for work before."
"..."
Although Mia wanted to defend her aunt and exin on her behalf, after thinking about what he said, she actually felt like there was nothing she could refute. She could only stare at him and ask, "So? If Aunt Nora isn¡¯t going out to discuss work, what is going out for?"
"It¡¯s almost dinnertime. She¡¯s likely going out on a date."
Mia: "?"
Pete continued to analyze the clues. "If she were going on a date with the tyrant, she would definitely take Cherry and me along with her. Even if she doesn¡¯t take me, going by how much the tyrant dotes on Cherry, she would definitely take her."
With that in mind, he took out his cell phone and called Cherry.
The call was answered as soon as he dialed the number. Before he could say anything, he heard Cherry ranting at someone.
"Hey, do you really know how to y? Is your boat stranded? ... Pete, what do you need? Hurry up and say it! I¡¯m ying games right now!"
"..."
Pete kept quiet for a while before he asked, "Where¡¯s the tyrant?"
"Daddy has a very important meeting with foreign business partners tonight, he¡¯s in the meeting right now!"
Puzzled, she asked, "What¡¯s the matter?"
"... Nothing."
Pete hung up silently.
"Pete, why didn¡¯t you tell Cherry the truth?" Mia asked.
Pete sighed. "She¡¯s still dreaming that we will be together as a family. Let¡¯s not make her worry, too, sigh!"
He straightened his back.
Among the people in his family¡ªthe tyrant was unromantic, Mommy was obsessed with sleeping, and even his younger sister wasn¡¯t any reliable, either. He was the only one bearing a weight that he should not be bearing at his age!
Mia nodded as she listened. Nevertheless, she still tried tofort him. "Maybe Aunt Nora and Uncle Justin are going out on a date? Maybe it just wasn¡¯t convenient to bring you guys along. Pete, don¡¯t think too much into it!"
Pete shook his head. "What would stop them from bringing us along?"
Mia wanted to tell him that there were too many possible reasons.
For example, she was clearly sleeping in her mother¡¯s room every night, yet when she woke up, she would always find herself in her own bedroom instead. Whenever she asked her mommy about it, she never gave her an answer.
When she secretly asked her father about it, her father would also blush.
Sigh, the adults¡¯ affairs were simply soplicated!
¡ª
While Pete kept worrying about her, Nora was currently seated in a private room in a Chinese restaurant and looking at the te of roast duck on the table.
With the fork in her hand, she grabbed a piece of meat, nning to stuff it into her mouth. Justin stopped her with a smile and said, "You¡¯re supposed to eat it with the tbread."
"I know."
Nora looked at the numerous tes of exquisite side dishes, the thinly sliced meat, as well as the small and delicate slices of tbread, and said disdainfully, "It¡¯s just too much work."
Not only did she have to pick up the tbread and wrap the meat and side dishes in it, but she even had to dip it in the sauce afterward!. Whether one ate it in small bites or gobbled them all down, It made no difference since it all ended up in the same ce anyway!
So what was the point of wasting all that time?
Justin let out a low chuckle. He picked up a piece of tbread, wrapped a piece of meat within, and held it up in front of Nora¡¯s mouth. "Open your mouth," said Justin.
A surprised Nora opened her mouth, upon which the wrapped roast duck entered her mouth.
She subconsciously closed her mouth, her lips closing around the wrapped roast duck, as well as around the man¡¯s fingers that he hadn¡¯t been able to pull back in time...
Nora was stunned. Justin also froze.
He had chosen a private room that evening. The two of them were sitting on the same side, and his body was turned slightly toward Nora. His fingers were in her mouth, and his fingertips just so happened toe into contact with her lips and her tongue...
Justin swallowed.
A certain scene shed past his mind, and his cheeks turned red all of a sudden.
As for Nora, her lips parted slightly in a panic and she turned sideways. After she swallowed the mouthful, she looked at the ceiling and started looking for a conversation starter. She said, "The roast duck tastes pretty good with the bread."
"Is that so?"
Justin¡¯s low chuckle rang out in her ear. Then, Nora heard him say, "Then let me have a taste too..."
Apanying that sentence of his was arge hand cupping the back of Nora¡¯s head. Then, her vision went dark as the man leaned forward and started kissing her...
Chapter 567: Let’s Get Engaged!
Chapter 567: Let¡¯s Get Engaged!
The taste of the roast duck was still lingering in Nora¡¯s mouth when the man invaded her territory aggressively.
His crisp and cool breath instantly overwhelmed her sense of smell.
This wasn¡¯t Nora¡¯s first time kissing Justin, yet her heart still felt like it was racing a little. Perhaps it was because the situation this time was different than before?
While she was distracted, she was bitten on her lower lip, which made her snap back to reality. The man let go of her.
His voice was very low and deep. "What¡¯s on your mind?"
There seemed to be displeasure in his voice.
Those deep-set eyes of his were terribly deep and bottomless as if the vast universe was contained within them, which made one unable to see through or guess his thoughts.
Nora seldom found her presence suppressed by others, yet at this moment, his had somewhat suppressed hers, putting her at a disadvantage.
It seemed like her spacing out just now was a form of disrespect toward what they were currently doing.
The thought took her by surprise a little and she said, "Sorry..."
She wanted to say more, but Justin had already leaned over and sealed her lips again.
The atmosphere in the room became amorous.
The room was clearly very spacious, yet Nora still felt like there wasn¡¯t enough air in the room.
She felt like she was about to suffocate.
She gave Justin a light push... but the man instead held her hands,pletely taking control of the situation and taking the lead.
For a moment, Justin felt a little foreign to Nora in this instant.
He had always been cooperative and obedient in front of her, but in this moment, it felt like the man was pushing her down. Even his kiss had be a little more aggressive than before...
This made her feel like she was about to be conquered.
Her fingers, which were holding Justin¡¯s shoulders, curled slightly and she grabbed his shoulders tightly...
Suddenly, Justin put his arms around Nora¡¯s waist and pulled her on hisp.
Nora: "!!"
The position felt a little shameful.
She wanted to protest, so she said, "I¡¯m not Cherry... Mm!"
It was just a pity that the rest of her words were once again swallowed by Justin.
A waiter stood there at the door with a dish in his hands as he listened to the suggestive sounds inside the private room. His cheeks turned red, and he didn¡¯t quite know whether he should go in or not.
...
At the Smiths.
Ian sat in the living room, craning his neck and looking outside the door.
Joel and Tanya had dinner with Mia and Pete. When they saw what he was doing, they couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Dad, what are you looking at? Nora has only been out for an hour!"
"... You can do a lot in an hour!"
Joel: "??"
What Joel had meant was that, given how bad traffic was in New York, driving out for a meal would take at least half an hour. Added to this another half an hour to order and get the food served, Nora would only have just started eating at this point.
What on earth was Ian thinking instead?
The corners of his lips twitched and he walked up to Ian. Thinking of how Ian had told him earlier in the day that Justin wasn¡¯t to be offended, he suddenly said, "Actually, I think Nora may not like Justin as much as you think she does."
Ian: "?"
His eyes instantly lit up and he looked at Joel. "Tell me more."
Joel: "..."
That expression of yours is too obvious!
The corners of his lips twitched again. He sat opposite Ian and said, "Nora seems to like Y, the hacker from the Hunt Corporation. That¡¯s what she said the other time."
News of how Q hacked into the special department and told them that she liked Y had already made its way to him.
Then, he thought about the other time when he had gone to the hospital... Quentin had hinted that Nora seemed to have someone she liked, but it wasn¡¯t Justin. On top of that, the two of them even addressed each other as husband and wife.
When he thought about it that way, even Joel was a little confused. "Who exactly does Nora like?"
Ian was also stunned to hear that. He felt that this was the most baffling question in the world.
Pete, who wasn¡¯t aware of anything, silently appeared beside the two of them. He hadn¡¯t heard what they were talking about.
Instead, he only heard them saying that Mommy seemed to be entangled with three different men...
He suddenly asked, "Are those three men handsome?"
Both Joel and Ian were taken aback.
Joel thought about his question. Quentin had said that the man Nora liked was a pretty boy... so he likely was...
"He probably is, I guess!"
Joel replied hesitantly.
When he said that, Pete heaved a silent sigh and said, "It¡¯s all over."
"What¡¯s wrong?"
Pete replied, "I finally understand why Cherry is such a phnderer. As it turns out, it¡¯s because she inherited it from Mommy."
To think Mommy liked so many people. Would the tyrant still stand a chance, then?
Both Ian and Joel were stunned at his words. Joel hesitated for a moment before he looked at Ian. "So... Nora has cuckolded Justin?"
Ian: "..."
Oh no, why was he suddenly feeling so excited?!
He hurriedly coughed and pressed down and tried to hide his beaming smile. He said, "What do you mean she cuckolded him? The two of them aren¡¯t engaged yet. Nora is just making a few friends and having a few rtionships, that¡¯s all!"
Joel: "..."
Pete: "..."
A speechless Joel reminded him, "You were the one who just told me not to offend Mr. Hunt."
The subtext: "Shouldn¡¯t you also remind Nora about it?"
But unexpectedly, the moment he said that, Ian nodded and said, "Yeah, so you have to maintain a good rtionship with him. This way, when the truthes to light in the future, you could at least ask him for a favor when you lose to him in a fight."
Joel: "???"
Was Ian telling him to build a connection with Justin just so he could make use of it in the future?
¡ª
In the private room, neither Nora nor Justin knew of the sensation that their various secret identities had caused at the Smiths¡¯, let alone that Nora¡¯s image as a phndering scumbag was gradually establishing among the Smiths.
When the two separated from each other, Nora was still in a daze.
She could see Justin¡¯s chest heaving up and down as if he was trying very hard to suppress something...
There was actually an aesthetically-pleasing sense of abstinence to the way he looked, which made Nora swallow hard. She picked up the bowl of soup next to her and drank a spoonful of it in an attempt to calm the sudden stirrings in her heart.
"Nora, let¡¯s get engaged,"
Justin suddenly said, his gaze as scorching as before.
Nora stirred the soup in the bowl with a spoon. A whileter, she finally smiled and said, "Okay."
Hearing her reply, Justin smiled and said, "I suddenly feel a little regretful."
Nora: "?"
"If I knew you were going to agree so easily, I would have said, ¡¯Let¡¯s get married¡¯ instead."
Nora rolled her eyes and said, "Don¡¯t push your luck."
Her eye roll didn¡¯t bother Justin in the least. He merely made another roast duck wrap for her and held it up to her mouth. "Here, have a bit more as replenishment."
Nora: "..."
What kind of replenishment was he talking about?!
She bit the roast duck wrap viciously, deliberately biting his fingers too so that she could see him begging for mercy. But in the end, the man merely stared at her.
In fact, the man even straightened his fingers and wriggled them in her mouth.
Nora: "..."
Nora bit down a little harder. The man¡¯s brows drew together slightly, making her heart soften. She could only let go of his hand. When she let go, she heard a low chuckle from the man.
Suddenly, something urred to Nora and she asked out of the blue, "... Did you wash your hands before dinner?"
Justin: "???"
There was no doubt about it¡ªthe woman was definitely an expert at ruining the atmosphere!
The woman¡¯s words hadpletely extinguished all the desire that had just lit up in him.
He took a deep breath, rolled up another roast duck wrap, and held it up in front of her mouth. He said fiercely, "Eat!"
A beaming Nora ate another mouthful.
With someone serving her so nicely, it seemed that even such a troublesome way of eating had be less of a waste of time.
After the meal, she picked up her cell phone and took a look¡ªtwo hours had passed.
This was pretty much the longest meal she had ever had.
She stood up, stretched, and said, "Let¡¯s go home."
Justin nodded and got up as well.
When the two were about to leave the private room, Justin asked, "Are you full?"
"Yeah."
Was there any way she wouldn¡¯t be?
Justin had been feeding her the whole time, offering her one wrap after another, which had made her all too content.
In a polite move, Nora also asked, "Are you full?"
"No."
The man opened his mouth aggrievedly, which took Nora aback. She looked at the unfinished food on the table. Just as she was about to tell him to eat a little more, the man murmured in her ear, "I didn¡¯t manage to eat at all. All I had was a little taste."
Nora: "?"
She suspected that the man was ying with words!
She went out of the room with a red face. The moment she stepped out, she saw a woman with straight ck hair walking over from the opposite end. She had a smile on her round face, and there were two dimples on her cheeks when she smiled. The woman, who was a little surprised to see Nora, said, "Ms. Smith?"
It was Ruth!
Nora frowned. The next moment, however, she noticed the woman¡¯s gazending on Justin, who was behind her. Then, her eyes lit up.
Nora: "?"
She suddenly felt a little ufortable.
In an almost subconscious move, she took a step forward and stood in between Ruth and Justin, as if to iste Ruth¡¯s tant stare. However, it was to no avail because Ruth suddenly went around her, stepped forward, and looked at Justin excitedly.
"Justin, long time no see!"
Then, in the midst of Nora¡¯s astonishment, she asked, "D-do you still remember me?!"
Nora: "???"
So, Justin really did know Ruth??
No, wait... What was going on?
Chapter 568: Something Big Has Happened!!
Chapter 568: Something Big Has Happened!!
Nora became upset and ignored Justin¡¯s messages the whole night the other time because Ruth had said that she knew Y.
However, it wasn¡¯t really because she was angry. Rather, she had been just been puzzled by the difort she had felt when she heard what Ruth said. That was why she hadn¡¯t replied to his messages.
Later, when Justin hacked into the special department and personally exined the incident, she had returned to her usual self.
Even though Ruth was deliberately speaking with Justin in front of her at the moment, Nora did not be suspicious of Justin right away.
She felt that since the two of them liked each other, they should trust each other.
Besides, Ruth had always been fond of cheap tricks.
Therefore, Nora merely raised her eyebrows and looked behind her at Justin.
The man had always kept a straight face no matter what he encountered¡ªafter all, he had amazing mental resilience. However, Justin raised his brows at this moment, put on a surprised look, and asked, "You are?"
The light in Ruth¡¯s eyes dimmed at his response. She replied, "I¡¯m Ruth, Ruth Yale. Have you really forgotten me?"
Justin lowered his gaze. "I don¡¯t know you, nor have I even seen you before."
Ruth was so anxious that she stepped forward. She wanted to say more, but Justin instead put his arm around Nora¡¯s shoulders as if wanting to im ownership. He said, "Ms. Yale, I am Nora¡¯s fianc¨¦. Please conduct yourself with some self-respect."
Nora: "..."
That scumbag!
Half of that surprised look of his was directed at Ruth, but the other half must be directed at her, right?
In addition, the restaurant was clearly owned by the Hunt Corporation. Now that someone hade up to him, even Nora could sense that the hidden bodyguards were about to rush forward. It was obvious that he could have just driven her away in a more direct manner, yet he was hiding behind her instead.
She had no words for this!
Nora rolled her eyes at Justin. Then, she looked at Ruth with her brows raised and a sharp look in her eyes. "Ms. Yale, do you need something from my fianc¨¦?"
Ruth looked at them in shock. She looked at Justin, then at her, and finally asked, "He¡¯s your fianc¨¦?"
Nora didn¡¯t pay her any more attention. Instead, she started walking toward the exit with Justin. She said, "If there¡¯s nothing Ms. Yale needs, we¡¯ll be leaving. After all, we¡¯re in a hurry to go home and take care of the kids!"
She took a step forward and paused for a while. After Justin took the initiative to follow after her, she finally strode toward the parking lot in satisfaction.
It was only after the two of them went past Ruth that she finally turned around to go after them. She said, "Mr. Hunt, have you forgotten? Five years ago..."
Unfortunately, before she could even get close to Justin, Lawrence had already rushed over and stopped Ruth. He said mockingly, "Ms. Yale, right? Your actions seem too low-ss! I¡¯d advise you to stay away from Mr. Hunt. Otherwise, we¡¯ll have to take action against you!"
Ruth said, "... No, that¡¯s not... I really do know Mr. Hunt, I..."
"What else do you want to say?" Lawrence curled his lips disdainfully and scoffed, "Take a look at yourself. Are you even worthy of talking with something with Mr. Hunt?"
Ruth: "!!"
The wealthy were usually very well-mannered, so Ruth hadn¡¯t expected that she would be rebuked like this when she went forward to strike up a conversation with Justin.
Seeing everyone around them looking over, Ruth turned as red as a tomato and stamped her foot in anger. She pointed at Lawrence and shouted, "You are too much!"
Then, she covered her face and ran off in the opposite direction.
What else could she do? There were bodyguards in the direction where Justin and Nora had left, so she couldn¡¯t go over at all...
Lawrence stared at her from the back and curled his lips disdainfully. "Is that all she has? She¡¯s a far way off from what Ms. Smith did in the past!"
...
Justin took Nora back to the Smiths.
Nora sat in the passenger seat as Justin drove, her cheek resting on one hand while she looked at himzily with her head turned sideways.
Justin suddenly chuckled and said, "Don¡¯t look at me like that. I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to stop myself."
Nora: "?"
"From stopping the car to kiss you."
Nora: "!"
The corners of her lips spasmed. "Can you not be so blunt?"
Justin narrowed his eyes, the beauty mark at the corner of his eye shimmering. "If I don¡¯t, I feel like you won¡¯t understand what I mean."
"Hah~" Nora scoffed, "Are you looking down on me?"
Justin suddenly looked at her. "Then do you know what a butterfly kiss is?"
Nora: "???"
Did such a term exist?
She took out her cell phone and googled it, upon which she saw the exnation: ¡¯A butterfly kiss is an affectionate gesture made by fluttering the eyshes against someone¡¯s skin. The namees from the look of the fluttering eyshes resembling a butterfly¡¯s wings.¡¯
"..."
She turned her head to Justin again, the corners of her lips twitching. She said, "I¡¯m ticklish."
In other words: don¡¯t you dare sweep your eyshes across my skin!
"Oh," The man said with a straight face, "Your eyshes are quite long."
Nora: "..."
She heaved a soundless sigh. Then, she couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Why do you know so much?"
Justin smiled. "Since we aren¡¯t married yet, your father forbids us from going too far. In that case, I would have to put more effort into kissing."
"So..." The traffic light in front turned red. He stopped the car, turned his head to Nora, and asked, "When are you marrying me?"
Nora rolled her eyes. "Let¡¯s just get engaged first."
"Yeah. Tomorrow sounds pretty good to me. I will go over to propose marriage and confirm it with Uncle Ian tomorrow."
Nora: "??"
The way the man answered so quickly made her realize that that was the exact reply Justin had been waiting for.
The corners of Nora¡¯s lips twitched again. She felt like she was reallying to understand the scumbag more and more!
One must absolutely be careful when talking to him, or else they would definitely fall into his verbal traps.
They were about to reach the Smith residence. While they were still a street away, Nora said, "Alright, I¡¯ll just get off here."
This was to prevent Pete from catching sight of Justin.
Justin understood. After all, he also had a little princess at home. Should Pete find out, Cherry would also hear about it.
If his daughter realized that he had abandoned her to go on a date, she would definitely throw a tantrum.
Justin, the ve to his daughter, obediently stopped the car. A ck car then came forward from behind. After he bid farewell to Nora and she drove off, Justin got into the ck car and left.
However, Louis, who was a street ahead of Nora, happened to witness this!
This was the Smiths¡¯ manor. No one else lived in the area, so everyone there was from the Smiths. Therefore, when Nora¡¯s car stopped just now, he had seen everything very clearly!
When he went home, he saw Joel and Ian sitting upright in the living room.
Pete was seated at the coffee table and working on his Mathematical Olympiad assignments. Upon hearing footsteps, the little boy¡¯s head whipped up and he looked over.
But when he saw that it was Louis, the light in his eyes dimmed again.
Louis leaped forward in front of them and shouted, "Something big has happened!!"
Chapter 569: Aren’t You Afraid Of Becoming Enemies With Black Cat?
Chapter 569: Aren¡¯t You Afraid Of Bing Enemies With ck Cat?
Louis¡¯ words caused both Joel and Ian to be taken aback, and the two of them looked at him in unison.
Louis recounted what had happened just now. Then, he said, "I didn¡¯t get a clear look at the man¡¯s appearance, but why didn¡¯t he drop Nora all the way home? Also, after the two got out of the car, they clearly hugged before they changed cars... So, is Nora really seeing someone else behind Pete¡¯s father¡¯s back?"
For Louis, Justin wasn¡¯t the head of the Hunts. Rather, he was just Pete and Cherry¡¯s father!
Pete, Joel, and Ian exchanged looks with one another. In the end, all three of them heaved silent sighs. Ian said, "Don¡¯t talk nonsense. Nora is not like that."
Louis nodded. "I think so too. She¡¯s so rich, there¡¯s no way she would be so fickle!"
Everyone: "?"
Was there any corrtion between fickleness and being rich?
The three people downstairs felt a whole mix of emotions as they watched the unconcerned Louis go upstairs with his head of bleached blond hair. How they wished their IQ was also as low as his!
That way, they wouldn¡¯t think too much into things!
While they were thinking about it, Nora came home.
Even though she looked as cool and cocky as usual, it was obvious that her mood was a little different. Even her footsteps, which she had always been toozy to lift when she walked, had be a little lighter than usual. Even her face was rosy.
Those reddish lips of hers stood out in particr. Ian and Joel, who were already experienced certain things, could tell at a nce what had happened!
The two looked at each other, neither of them speaking.
It was instead Pete who asked, "Mommy, what was your meeting about? It took so long."
¡¯About love,¡¯ said Nora inside her head. On the surface, however, she replied, "Mm, it was about a rtively difficult project. I¡¯m going upstairs to wash up."
But when she reached the stairs, she suddenly looked behind her.
The moment she did, she saw theplex looks on Ian and Joel¡¯s faces. However, the moment she looked behind her, the two of them withdrew their gazes. The one watching TV got back to watching TV, while the one drinking tea took a sip...
It was just that... it seemed like the teacup in Ian¡¯s hand was already empty a long time ago?
Also, with the way how Joel was constantly switching TV channels, what exactly was he watching?
Why were they behaving so weirdly today?!
Without thinking too much into it, Nora said, "By the way, Justin ising over to confirm our engagement tomorrow."
After speaking, she fell silent for a while. Then, she said, "Don¡¯t make things difficult for him anymore, Dad."
The word "dad" made Ian¡¯s hands shake. The teacup in his hand dropped onto the carpet.
Ian suddenly raised his head and looked at Nora in disbelief...
Nora, however, seemed somewhat embarrassed as she went up the stairs with her head down.
Pete also hurriedly packed up his books and followed her upstairs.
Joel and Ian were the only ones left in the living room.
Joel picked up the teacup and ced it in front of Ian. Ian suddenly grabbed his arm and said, "Joel, did you hear that? She called me Dad!"
Joel nodded and smiled. "Yes, I heard it."
Ian immediately sat upright in excitement. He said, "Never mind. I originally wanted to talk some sense into her and convince her that Justin is not suitable to be a member of her harem, but since she likes him, we won¡¯t fight for it!"
Joel: "??"
Ian had always been somewhat opposed to Nora marrying Justin because Justin was too capable. He was afraid that his daughter would be at a disadvantage in the marriage.
But since he had found out that his daughter was a fickle woman who liked only good-looking men, and Justin was indeed very handsome... If his daughter wasn¡¯t just obsessed with romance, then of course he, as her father, would have to help her!
What must he do so that Justin would obediently stay in his role as the ¡¯queen¡¯ and not bother with his daughter¡¯s concubines?
Ian started to ponder this serious philosophical question about life.
¡ª
Early next morning.
Outside the Hunt manor.
Brenda walked forward in her high heels and flicked her airy curls as she opened the door and looked at Ruth, who was standing outside.
It was already autumn and the weather was gradually getting chilly. The air was a bit cold at this time. Ruth, who was rubbing her arms, smiled when she saw her. "You¡¯re here," she said.
Brenda raised her eyebrows and nodded. Then, she led her inside the house and said, "You said it yourself, right? If I show you around the Hunt manor, you will introduce me to ck Cat."
Ruth nodded. "Yes, that¡¯s right!"
Brenda folded her arms, her attitude lukewarm. She hated the woman with a vengeance, but for the sake of meeting ck Cat, she would put up with her!
She still didn¡¯t understand, though. "Why did you make such a request?"
Ruth¡¯s gaze swept around the ce with great interest. She answered, "I just want to know what kind of manor a family like yours lives in. After all, I¡¯ve never seen such riches before."
Brenda rolled her eyes and yawned. Then, she looked down at her freshly-done nails and said, "It¡¯s nothing, actually. There aren¡¯t even as many handsome guys here as there are out there!"
Ruth: "..."
She looked around the house. It was only after she followed Brenda to the master suite that she finally asked, "Where¡¯s your elder brother? I heard he¡¯s very handsome!"
Brenda became wary at once. She looked Ruth up and down and scoffed, "Surely you aren¡¯t here for him, right? I¡¯ll tell you this¡ªwith your in looks, you don¡¯t stand any chance at all! Besides, I already have a sister-inw!"
Ruth narrowed her eyes. "Take me to him. I have something to tell him. If you do, I will let you meet ck Cat. How does that sound?"
ck Cat...
This was too great a temptation for Brenda.
As a member of Interpol, interrogation was her forte. Butpared to ck Cat, she was still far too inferior. Thus, she had always wanted to learn from ck Cat.
One could say that ck Cat was the idol for people like her.
Otherwise, she would never have allowed Ruth to step into the Hunt manor!
Seeing her hesitate, Ruth said, "It¡¯s a fair exchange, isn¡¯t it? Besides, it¡¯s not like you¡¯re letting Nora down by doing that. After all, you¡¯re just taking me to him. Whether or not I can convince him depends on me, not you..."
As soon as she said that, Brenda sighed silently. "I¡¯ve really let Nora down."
With that, Ruth knew that she had given in. She smiled and saidfortingly, "You don¡¯t have to feel guilty about it. This has nothing to do with you."
"How does it have nothing to do with me?"
Brenda suddenly grabbed her hand. "Just a moment ago, I was actually hesitating to choose between ck Cat or Nora! I¡¯ve really let Nora down!"
After saying that, she dragged Ruth to the main door. "Therefore, I mustn¡¯t continue making any more mistakes. Get lost!"
Bam!
Brenda was very strong. She pushed Ruth straight out the door!
Ruth staggered. After steadying herself, she finally reacted and said angrily, "Brenda! Aren¡¯t you afraid that you¡¯ll be enemies with ck Cat if you do this?!"
Almost as soon as she said that, Nora¡¯s cool and crisp voice traveled over. "ck Cat will not be enemies with her!"
Chapter 570: You Have Already Met Black Cat Before
Chapter 570: You Have Already Met ck Cat Before
Nora had a dream the night before.
In the dream, the man¡¯s arms were circled around her waist. After kissing her on the lips, he had asked her to kiss the beauty mark at the corner of his eye...
Then, she had woken up at the groundbreaking time of a little past seven in the morning.
When she thought of how Justin would being over to propose marriageter that day, for some reason, Nora felt a little nervous.
She decided to get out of bed. Even after she walked a few rounds outside and sent Pete to school, she still found herself awfully bored. Thus, she took a U-turn and came to the Hunt manor.
Even she herself didn¡¯t understand why she hade here. It was just that when she arrived at the entrance, she happened to witness the argument between Brenda and Ruth.
She got out of the car and walked over.
Ruth frowned when she saw her. She said, "Why not? ck Cat is my friend! Even if Brenda is the youngdy of the Hunts, ck Cat would never befriend her just because of that! The worlds inside and outside of the country arepletely different! They do not cross paths whatsoever!"
Nora looked at Ruth coldly and scoffed. "Oh, is that so?"
Ruth clenched her fists. A short whileter, she ranted angrily, "I know what you want to say. ck Cat is Karl¡¯s underling while Karl himself is your sister-inw¡¯s father. You must be on good terms with him, so you¡¯re thinking of asking him to put in a good word for you, right? But Karl is in police custody of the special department, unable to get out! You want him to put in a good word for you? Dream on!"
She looked at Brenda and said, "I will being up with the final interrogation n with ck Cat tomorrow. You still have a chance to change your mind before that!"
Brenda ran her fingers through her hair and smiled. In a charming voice, she said, "There¡¯s no need to wait till tomorrow. I told you, get lost."
"You...!" Ruth took a deep breath. She lowered her head and said, "Fine. Don¡¯t regret your decision!"
After saying that, she nced at Nora again before she finally turned and left.
After she left, Brenda looked at Nora. "Why are you here, Nora?"
Nora looked up at the sky, and then suddenly said, "To pick you up for work."
Brenda: "?"
Her eyes lit up in an instant and she held Nora¡¯s arm with a big smile. "Really? That¡¯s so awesome of you! Justin went out early in the morning, though. I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s up to."
This indirectly told Nora that Justin was not at home.
Realizing this, Nora suddenly lost the desire to enter the manor all the more. After all, there was only one person she was interested in in the family. Thus, she led Brenda over to the jeep, got in, and drove to the special department.
When the two of them arrived at the special department, Ruth happened to be already there. As soon as they entered the lobby, Ruth said, "Everyone, I will email you the questionnaire in a while. However, I need all of you to sign a confidentiality agreement. No one is to leak the contents of the questionnaire to anyone, including your co-workers in the department, because this is my little secret~"
Brenda sneered, "It doesn¡¯t feel like she¡¯s designing interrogation ns. Rather, this feels like a sales promotion tactic. She¡¯s being too paranoid about this."
Nora also felt that Ruth was being too secretive about the questionnaire, making it seem like it was some kind of secret martial arts manual.
But before she could say anything, Johnson had already given her his full support. "No problem, we are not bbermouths anyway, right? I¡¯ll be the first to sign the agreement!"
Ruth smiled and handed a copy of the confidentiality agreement to Johnson. She said, "Sorry about that, Captain Johnson, but this is a trade secret among psychologists. It¡¯s not something I can change, so the content of the questionnaires has to be kept confidential."
"I understand!" Johnson said with a serious look, "Even if you ask me how many meals I eat a day, I will still write it all down for you! This is work! Besides, it¡¯smon that experts would take unusual actions!"
After saying that, he signed the confidentiality agreement.
With Johnson taking the lead, the others also stepped forward and signed the agreements.
Brenda raised her eyebrows at Nora and asked, "Do we sign it?"
With a half-amused look in her cat-like eyes, Nora replied, "Yeah."
She certainly wanted to see what exactly Ruth was up to.
Why was it necessary to understand the interrogator¡¯s personality in advance in order for them to interrogate a prisoner?! Were they going to design different ns in ordance with the interrogators¡¯ different personalities?
Why did she feel like Ruth had her priorities the other way?
Nora stepped forward and took a serious look at the confidentiality agreement¡¯s uses.
Seeing that there weren¡¯t any traps, she signed it.
Brenda thought for a moment and also signed it. After signing, she whispered to Nora, "Although I know that I won¡¯t be able to meet ck Cat anymore, nor will I be able to win ck Cat¡¯s favor, I¡¯d still like to be involved with the interrogation proposals drawn up by ck Cat."
Seeing the regretful look on her face, after a moment¡¯s thought, Nora stopped and said, "There¡¯s actually nothing special about ck Cat. It¡¯s just another normal human."
Brenda became anxious at once. "It¡¯s only because you¡¯re the one saying it and that you¡¯re good-looking that I¡¯m not holding it against you. If it was someone else who had said that, I would have mmed my fist into their face!
"Do you know how ck Cat¡¯s reputation came about?"
Brenda said vividly, "ck Cat was supposed to assassinate a psycho who had gone on a rampage, but everyone in the surroundings had gathered around him. In addition, as the man constantly had people trying to assassinate him for many years, he was very cautious. He had ten different rooms in his house and every night, he would sleep in a different one. With the exception of his butler¡ªwho was the person closest to him¡ªno one knew which room he was in. This led to many people failing to take his life¡ªafter all, the one-in-ten probability was too low! It was also a well-known fact that his butler was very loyal to him and had even taken 18 bullets for him before! Even if they caught the butler, no one could get him to reveal which room the man was in¡ªyet ck Cat had managed to! The man died soundlessly in his bed. It was only when he was discovered the next day that everyone realized that the butler had been kidnapped. Through some kind of method, ck Cat had actually gotten the butler to talk!"
As Brenda spoke, she also became worked up. "Doesn¡¯t it sound very exciting, Nora?"
Nora paused. She could only sigh.
That was such old news from so many years ago. Why were people still talking so enthusiastically about it?
She looked at the ceiling and suddenly said, "... Well, you have already met ck Cat."
Chapter 571: The Questionnaire!!
Chapter 571: The Questionnaire!!
"..."
The two of them were suddenly enveloped in silence.
Nora, who had decided to tell her part of the truth, turned to look at Brenda. Just as she was about to say something, the woman sighed and asked, "How did you know?"
Nora: "??"
Brenda rested her chin on her hand and said, "I have indeed seen ck Cat before. Even though I didn¡¯t manage to get a good look at his face, I¡¯m sure he must be a dashing and handsome man!"
Nora: "???"
Brenda heaved another soft sigh and said, "You may find me funny, but when I got news of ck Cat a year ago, I was actually being sent to arrest him. You should also know that ck Cat is an internationally wanted criminal. But when I went over, I didn¡¯t catch him and instead silently let him go. That day, he was dressed fully in ck. ck Cat isn¡¯t very tall, he¡¯s only about 5-feet-7". However, he¡¯s very nimble. I only saw his back view and didn¡¯t get a good look at his face, but it was exactly his side profile that made me fall so deeply for him!"
Nora: "????"
No, wait, why was the story developing kinda weirdly?
Brenda covered her face and went on. "Saying it out loud sure makes me feel shy and embarrassed! Although this does not stop me from looking at other handsome men, if ck Cat wanted me to, I would abandon the whole pond of fish and run straight into his arms!!"
Nora: "!!!"
She wanted to say something, but someone suddenly called out to Brenda. Brenda immediately patted Nora on the shoulder and said, "I¡¯ll go ahead, Nora."
Then, as she turned to leave, she suddenly looked at her again and said, "I really have seen ck Cat before, so you don¡¯t have to feel like it¡¯s your fault that I wouldn¡¯t get to meet ck Cat. Neither do you have to feel guilty about it. You really don¡¯t have to think too much and feel bad about it."
Nora: "???"
Brenda then went off. After walking some distance, she even stretched out her hands and formed a heart with her fingers at her.
"..."
Nora¡¯s lip corners twitched. Only then did she realize that Brenda must have been talking nonsense on purpose because she thought that Nora would feel guilty about it?
She held her forehead and returned to her office.
A whileter, she saw an email from Ruth. It was likely the questionnaire. When she opened the file curiously, she saw some verymon questions, such as ¡¯What color do you like?¡¯, ¡¯What do you like to eat?¡¯, ¡¯How long do you sleep every day?¡¯, as well as a whole slew of other questions about their personal life!
Nora found it a little pointless and boring, so she filled it out casually and sent it back.
At this moment, her cell phone rang. She looked down and found that it was Justin?
She hurriedly answered and asked, "Are you at the Smith Manor?"
"... I have already returned home from there."
When Nora heard this, she misunderstood and thought that Ian had refused to let Justin into the house. Sheforted him and said, "He probably just can¡¯t bear to part with me. I can make my own life decisions, though. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m still a kid..."
"No."
Justin interrupted her. As though he was caught betweenughter and tears, he said, "Your father... that is, my future father-inw, has agreed to our marriage."
Nora: "??"
She was the one astounded this time.
Ian had agreed so easily?
In the midst of her hesitation, Justin, who was just as puzzled, said, "When I went over, the butler showed me into the house before I could even tell him what I was there for. When I brought up the engagement, Uncle Ian agreed to it readily! He even said that he woulde over with some other elders in the family to discuss the wedding date. However, he also said that he would like you to stay with him for a while more. Sigh!"
Noraughed. "Why are you sighing?"
She thought that the man would say that it was because she had to stay with her father for a while more before she could get married, but unexpectedly, Justin instead replied, "I¡¯m sighing because it seems like my father-inw is about to get upset again when he has only just epted me."
Nora was puzzled. "Why?"
"... After all, it¡¯s impossible that I would listen to him. Cherry and Pete also need aplete home! So let¡¯s get married as soon as possible, Nora!"
Nora: "!!!"
The corners of Nora¡¯s lips spasmed. "This..."
"Don¡¯t worry, I will resolve the issue with Uncle Ian. Mm, I think it¡¯s a pretty good idea to hold the wedding in a month. What do you think?"
Nora: "??"
"If you don¡¯t have any objections, then I will make the preparations. You don¡¯t have to bother yourself with anything. All you need to do is rest and wait for the marriage day. Toot... toot... toot..."
"..."
This was the first time Justin had hung up on Nora. It seemed like he was afraid that he would hear a rejection from her.
Nora stared at the phone for a while.
Get married a monthter?
Wasn¡¯t this a little too fast?!
Forget it, there was no way he would be able to convince Ian. Never mind, she wasn¡¯t going to think about it anymore.
Nora patted her face, stretched her legs out, and propped them on top of the desk. Bored, she went out of the office.
Unexpectedly, the sound of Ruth and Brenda having an argument traveled over from the hall.
Ruth asked, "Brenda, why aren¡¯t you submitting the questionnaire?"
Brenda replied coldly, "Because..."
She was about to speak, but she suddenly thought of the confidentiality agreement.
The confidentiality agreement had stipted that no matter what kind of questions were asked, even if they were to refuse to answer, they were not allowed to mention anything about it to anyone!
But she was simply too frustrated!
What kind of questionnaire was that? It was practically an investigation questionnaire about Justin, alright?
There were questions about what he had done when he was young, what schools he had attended at what age, what his personality was like, what his hobbies were, and so on. It was pretty much short of asking what brand of diapers Justin had worn when he was a baby!
Ruth¡¯s motives were practically out in the open!
How could she possibly answer a questionnaire like that?!
She sneered and said, "Because I feel that it¡¯s not of any use to the interrogation. Isn¡¯t that so, Ms. Yale?"
Ruth sighed. "I know that my questions don¡¯t make any sense, but everyone has cooperated and responded. I will also give everyone a satisfactory answer sheet tomorrow. All of you just need to follow the interrogation methods that I designate and you¡¯ll be able to get them to tell you whatever you want! Can¡¯t you just cooperate with me?"
Brenda said coldly, "No, I can¡¯t!"
Ruth sighed and made a show of how she found it a pity. In the end, she said, "Never mind, then. I¡¯d originally wanted to let you meet ck Cat with me. After all, you are well-known internationally for your interrogation skills. But since you are not willing to cooperate, then forget it."
Brenda: "??"
Chapter 572: I’m Black Cat
Chapter 572: I¡¯m ck Cat
Ruth¡¯s smile was very pure and innocent, making everyone around them unable to keep watching what was happening.
One by one, all of them started to persuade Brenda.
"Captain Brenda, this is work. Why don¡¯t you just cooperate with her? Besides, Ruth¡¯s questionnaire is not hard to answer!"
"Yeah, just cooperate with her! I don¡¯t know what the content of your questionnaire is like, but mine was very simple. Revealing a bit of privacy isn¡¯t much of an issue. Ms. Yale will keep things confidential! The confidentiality agreement we signed is mutual!"
The confidentiality agreements they had signed were all mutual.
In other words, while they were not allowed to reveal to outsiders the content of the questionnaires, Ruth was also forbidden from revealing to others their answers.
Otherwise, it would be a breach of contract.
"Captain Brenda, isn¡¯t ck Cat your idol? Going by what Ruth said, as long as you submit the questionnaire, she will let you meet ck Cat!"
"Yeah, this is such a golden opportunity, Captain Brenda! If Nathan got the chance to meet ck Cat, I¡¯d definitely die of jealousy. But if it¡¯s you, then I definitely won¡¯t be jealous!"
"..."
They felt that Brenda was making a mountain out of a molehill. The questionnaire was a psychological one. In other words, it analyzed a person¡¯s psyche by using various small details of their lifestyle. Therefore, the questions would undoubtedly be more lifestyle-oriented.
There was no need to be so serious.
Ruth maintained her innocent girl-next-door image and said, "Yeah, it¡¯s because I heard from Captain Johnson and Captain Ford that you would like to meet ck Cat that I especially kept a ce for you. Do you really not want it?"
"... No, I don¡¯t," replied Brenda.
She was practically forcing those three words through gritted teeth.
When she said that, Ruth sighed and said, "Alright, that¡¯s a real shame."
Then, she announced the ces on the spot and said, "Everyone was very cooperative with the questionnaire. Unfortunately, ck Cat doesn¡¯t like meeting people, so I can only take two people with me to say hi to him! I¡¯ll be talking to ck Cat in a video conferenceter. The people whose names I call out can join me for the video conference~! Damon, Ernie!"
A huge uproar went through the ce.
Everyone looked at Damon and Ernie enviously and remarked resentfully, "What sheer dumb luck they have!"
"Yeah, totally. Ahhhh, I¡¯m so envious! To think they can have a video conference with ck Cat!"
"Goddamnit Damon, you have to treat us to dinner!"
"Ernie, your punishment is that you have to bring us breakfast tomorrow!"
Damon wasn¡¯t bothered. Ernie, however, valued ?money very much, so he became anxious when he heard what they said. He said, "It¡¯s impossible for me to bring breakfast for all of you! I will only bring it for Captain Brenda! She¡¯s the one who gave me the chance to meet ck Cat. If it weren¡¯t for her refusing to submit the questionnaire, how could the opportunity havee to me?"
Those were absolutely the words of an unintentionally insensitive man. He waspletely unaware that his words were like a knife that stabbed right into Brenda¡¯s heart.
Brenda: "..."
The others also burst into loudughter as they jokingly called Ernie shameless, stingy, and so on. Then, they happily sent Ernie to the conference room.
Seeing Damon and Ernie being escorted by everyone into the conference room as if they had just won the lottery, Ruth looked behind at Brenda. Then, she turned again and saw Nora walking over.
She cast her eyes down and suddenly said, "Ms. Smith, Ms. Hunt is really going to such great lengths for your sake! She has even given up such a great opportunity. I¡¯m really full of admiration!"
Nora: "?"
It was for her sake that Brenda had refused to submit the questionnaire?
Could it be that Ruth¡¯s questions to Brenda were all rted to Justin?
While she was thinking about it, Brenda said, "Don¡¯t think too much into it, Nora. Besides, even if I do submit the questionnaire, Ruth would still refuse to give me a ce anyway. We all know that very well!"
Ruth curled her lips disdainfully. "I¡¯ve already gone so far as to say it in front of so many people. If you had submitted it, I would definitely have saved you a ce!"
Brenda lowered her eyes. "It still goes back to the same thing¡ªit¡¯s impossible!"
Seeing how stubborn she was being, Ruth took a deep breath and raised her head. "In that case, I¡¯m very sorry, but I have to go for my video conference with ck Cat now. Goodbye."
After speaking, she walked past Brenda.
Despite saying that she didn¡¯t give two hoots about it, Brenda kept looking at the conference room. She could hear Damon and Ernie¡¯s loudughtering from within. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder what they were talking about...
She clenched her fists, a look of envying over her countenance.
To be honest, she really wanted to meet ck Cat.
But she knew that there were some things she must never do!
"Do you really like ck Cat that much?"
Nora¡¯s cool and clear voice rang out beside Brenda¡¯s ear.
Brenda hurriedly said, "It¡¯s just so-so, actually. It¡¯s not like I really, really wanted to meet him. It would be nice if I could, but it doesn¡¯t matter if I can¡¯t! Besides, I¡¯ve already seen him once back then! Who cares about Ruth¡¯s meeting?!"
After speaking, Brenda curled her lips disdainfully and said, "Ruth is so full of sneaky thoughts! Don¡¯t be fooled by her, Nora, she still harbors illusions about Justin!"
Despite saying that, she subconsciously walked over to the conference room. But when she reached the door, she couldn¡¯t help but feel that her actions were simply too immature.
Thus, she turned around and headed to the office.
When the people next to them saw what she did, they couldn¡¯t help but be puzzled and ask, "Captain Brenda, if you wanted to meet ck Cat that much, then why didn¡¯t you agree with Ruth?"
Brenda immediately stubbornly retorted, "Who says I want to meet ck Cat? I don¡¯t want to at all!"
Then, she looked at Nora and said, "What¡¯s the big deal about ck Cat? Can hepare to my harem? To be honest with you, Nora, I still like handsome guys more than ck Cat..."
"..."
It was only when one was lying that they would be this long-winded.
Brenda didn¡¯t even notice what she was beginning to repeat herself.
Nora sighed silently when she saw her like this. She suddenly said, "Forget it, I¡¯ll just tell you."
Brenda was taken aback. "Tell me what?"
"I am ck Cat."
Chapter 573: Nora’s Academic Qualifications!
Chapter 573: Nora¡¯s Academic Qualifications!
"..."
The two of them were still standing outside the meeting room, and there was no one beside them. Nora had also deliberately lowered her voice.
Brenda¡¯s eyes, which were as beautiful as Justin¡¯s, stared at Nora in astonishment.
Nora was about to exin why she was hiding her identity when Brenda held her hand up and said, "You don¡¯t have to say any more, Nora, I get it all!"
Nora: "?"
Brenda sighed silently and said, "I know you¡¯re trying tofort me, but you shouldn¡¯t joke about something like that."
"..."
"Although I do find it a bit of a shame that I didn¡¯t get to meet ck Cat, I really don¡¯t think it¡¯s that big a deal. As an outstanding member of the Interpol, I will always have a chance of meeting ck Cat if I really want to!"
Brenda patted her on the shoulder. Then, she couldn¡¯t help shaking her head and sighing. She said, "Nora, don¡¯tfort anyone like that in the future. You¡¯re lucky I¡¯m the one you did that to, otherwise, you will get beaten up."
"..."
After saying that, Brenda took another look at the meeting room. Then, she turned and left.
Nora looked at her quietly from the back, the corners of her mouth spasming.
Never mind.
In any case, she had already told her the truth. At least Brenda would not feel deceived when the cat got out of the bag in the future!
However, she didn¡¯t leave. Instead, she walked over to the lounge nearby and stared at the conference room.
She really was very curious.
Just what kind of proposal would someone who had openly made a statement on an international tform saying that her interrogation methods were too aggressive and discordant and that one should instead interrogate suspects humanely,e up with?
She twiddled her thumbs in boredom. After about two hours, the meeting room¡¯s door opened.
Everyone looked at the meeting room, upon which they saw Damon and Ernie walking out with dazed and confused looks on their faces. Ruth was holding documents in her hand, her chin slightly raised.
Damon and Ernie were looking at her with great admiration in their eyes.
The very moment they came out, everyone who had been paying attention to them all this time rushed over and started asking questions one by one.
"How was it?"
"Did you guys finalize the interrogation ns?"
Damon nodded, but then shook his head again.
Ernie also had an indescribable look on his face.
The people around them became even more anxious. They gave him a push and asked, "Come on, tell us, what exactly happened?"
Someone even went straight to the point and asked, "Did you guys see ck Cat?"
With regard to that question, Damon replied, "Yes, we did."
Everyone¡¯s ears perked up. "What is he like?"
Damon sighed and replied, "He was wearing a facial mask and sunsses, so I couldn¡¯t tell. But he talks very little and looks a little thin..."
His description was somewhat simr to the image painted by the people abroad who had seen ck Cat before.
There were also people who were more concerned about the case itself. They asked, "Are the ns done, then? How are they? Are they simple orplex?"
Ernie replied, "... Yes, but I don¡¯t understand them."
Everyone: "?"
Ernie coughed. "I don¡¯t know how to say it. ck Cat and Ruth were speaking in French the whole time... and you guys know what my fluency in French is like... I don¡¯t understand even a single technical term..."
"Boo~" Everyone then looked at Damon. "People in the IT department should understand technical terms, right?"
Now, this was actually a misconception toward software engineers.
Although there were a lot of technical terms in software engineering, one didn¡¯t actually need to know them all. It was enough as long as they understood the ones rted to their specialization.
Damon had taken French sses all the way till the end of college. This was already considered a high level of fluency in the department. But with all of them staring at him like that, he flushed and replied, "... Actually, I didn¡¯t really understand, either. It¡¯s mainly because Ruth¡¯s academic qualifications are too high, and they were using too many technical terms. I really couldn¡¯t understand them."
After speaking, he even scratched his head.
Everyone was speechless.
Then, everyone turned to Ruth and asked, "Come on, Ruth, are the ns done?"
Ruth smiled and replied, "Yes, but only in French, so they need to be tranted."
After saying that, she stretched and asked, "Is there an interpreter in our department?"
Everyone: "..."
With everyone keeping quiet, Ruth immediately understood. She said, "I¡¯m sure Captain Brenda can do it. I just don¡¯t know if she¡¯d be willing to deign helping us trante it?"
Brenda was already standing outside the crowd when they came out of the meeting room.
She was also very curious about what exactly ck Cat and Ruth had talked about, as well as what kind of interrogation ns they hade up with. Was it really possible to get someone to tell the truth without torture?
Never would she have thought that the woman could turn the topic to her without her even saying a single word, though.
On top of that, she even wanted her to trante the documents...
To be honest, there wasn¡¯t really anything wrong with her tranting documents. Brenda had already hung out enough with the men that she wouldn¡¯t fuss over such little things.
But now!
Ruth was telling Brenda to be her assistant instead!
Hah.
She was a member of Interpol. Even Morris and Johnson couldn¡¯t dictate her actions in the special department, so where did that woman get that much confidence from?
She was practically speechless!
Brenda sneered, "I¡¯m not free."
She turned around and left right after she spoke.
At the sight, Ruth sighed and asked, "Captain Brenda, are you still mad about what happened?"
Brenda didn¡¯t even bother reasoning with her this time.
She had already known a long time ago how big of a hypocrite she was anyway.
Seeing how Brenda didn¡¯t reply, Ruth lowered her gaze and sighed. "Captain Brenda seems angry with me! In that case, is there anyone else who speaks French well?"
One by one, the rest of the boorish men either lowered their heads or looked at the sky.
Members of Interpol would definitely need foreignnguage skills, but this was a specialized department of the United States, so there weren¡¯t many among them who were fluent in foreignnguages.
However, someone suggested tentatively, "If it¡¯s someone who¡¯s well-known internationally... then how about Nora? She is the internationally famous surgeon Anti, she might also be fluent in othernguages, right?"
Ruth looked at Nora. She wanted to speak up but suddenly realized something. She said, "Oh, I heard that it seems like Ms. Smith has never been to school? Even if you¡¯re fluent in French, what about English itself?"
Nora¡¯s almond-shaped eyes lifted slightly.
She was just watching the show. She wasn¡¯t here to give herself more work.
Besides, tranting documents would take up time, wouldn¡¯t it? Which of the foreign documents she read didn¡¯t need a few days for them to be tranted?
Therefore, Nora replied decisively, "I¡¯m bad at both."
"..."
Ruth sighed silently. "Forget it, I¡¯ll do it then!"
Johnson walked over from the side when she said that. Upon hearing what she had said, he couldn¡¯t help but frown. He said, "It seems like the academic qualifications of the people in the special department are a little low. Isn¡¯t there anyone with high academic qualifications here? Ruth is a Harvard graduate majoring in psychology, you know!"
The moment he said that, everyone was stunned. All of them looked at Ruth in disbelief.
"Harvard? No wonder she¡¯s so impressive!"
"Yes, when I was watching her talk to ck Cat, the two of them were speakingpletely in French. Although I didn¡¯t understand what they were saying, they still looked so amazing!"
"A Harvard postgraduate majoring in psychology? It feels like some kind of strange life-form has infiltrated us!"
"Hahahaha!"
While everyone wasughing and joking around, Johnson suddenly realized something. He looked at Nora and asked, "By the way, what are your academic qualifications, Ms. Smith?"
Nora raised her brows.
Johnson suddenly turned and looked at Morris, who had just walked over. He said, "I remember that for recruitment into the special department, candidates must have a bachelor¡¯s degree or higher, right? But it seems like Ms. Smith has never attended school. Aren¡¯t you giving too much leeway for your special recruit here?"
"She has never been to school?" Some of the people there had already found it strange when Ruth made that remark just now. They were even more weirded out now. "How did you be a well-known surgeon if you have never been to school?"
Nora exined, "Oh, I¡¯m self-taught."
"Self-taught? That¡¯s amazing!"
"Yeah! To think you could be the top surgeon in the world when you¡¯re self-taught! I also heard that you¡¯re even Dr. Zabe¡¯s only disciple and that you¡¯ve inherited his mantle in alternative medicine!"
"Huh? Is she that amazing?"
"Yeah, didn¡¯t you know?"
"..."
In the midst of the discussion, there were also some dissonant voices mixed in. "But she has never received any orthodox training. Is she really qualified in things other than medical examinations?"
"I can¡¯t help but keep feeling like the talk about direct disciples and whatnot is a little too pass¨¦. I mean, are you going to say in a job interview that you¡¯re some guy¡¯s disciple instead of presenting your own academic qualifications?"
"Yeah..."
Johnson also attacked Morris with this. He said, "What is going on here, Captain Ford? I need a reasonable exnation from you!"
Morris frowned. "I¡ª"
But before he could finish, Johnson sneered, "In other words, even her medical skills came from some unorthodox background and she has never received proper training before. No matter how highly praised she is out there, the special department can¡¯t have someone like her here! What¡¯s the matter with you?! Are you ignoring even the hard conditions for recruitment into the special department? We won¡¯t even talk about a bachelor¡¯s degree anymore. Does she even have an elementary school background? I¡¯m definitely going to report this to the higher-ups! Your behavior is really bing more and more ridiculous!"
Johnson¡¯s words became more and more unpleasant.
The others also shut up one by one. But when they thought about it, they felt that Johnson¡¯s words made sense.
Ruth, who was standing at the side, felt a faint sense of superiority.
She had finally found something that she could crush Nora with. Once news of how she had no academic qualifications whatsoever spread... she would probably be aughingstock!
As the person in the center of the storm, Nora was surprisingly calm.
She had no academic qualifications whatsoever?
Hah.
Just as Ruth was feeling awfully smug, Morris suddenly said, "Captain Johnson, who says that Ms. Smith has no academic qualifications?!"
Chapter 574: Academic Qualifications!
Chapter 574: Academic Qualifications!
When Johnson heard this, he frowned, snorted coldly, and said sarcastically, "An elementary school certificate?"
There might have been experts in ancient times who lived as hermits, but self-taught? In this current age and time? Without the relevant certificates and academic qualifications, that was nothing more than a joke!
Even some of the wealthy and noble were pursuing academic qualifications these days. Most of them were Ivy League graduates.
The moment Johnson said that, though, Morris pulled a long face and said, "Captain Johnson, you were the one who taught me in the past that we must always present evidence when making a case, and that we must always be careful in how we do things. But now that you¡¯ve lived past your days, it seems like you have forgotten all of that!"
When Johnson first joined the department, Morris had treated him as his mentor.
But Johnson had put Morris down time and again in everything. Morris wasn¡¯t stupid, how would he possibly not know what he was thinking?
Following how each and every time Johnson made trouble for him, he had gradually be utterly disappointed in him. He no longer regarded the man as the mentor who had initiated him into the industry.
He had never been a man of forbearance since the start, so he hit back at him directly.
His words made Johnson choke and he reprimanded, "Morris, I know you¡¯re the acting director of the special department, but even so, surely you shouldn¡¯t be talking to me like that, right? No matter what, I am still your mentor! Besides, are you behaving like this because you¡¯re upset at being called out?"
Morris cast his eyes down. His gaze swept across everyone present and he merely said coldly, "My external appointment of Ms. Smith is in fullpliance with all of the special department¡¯s regtions and can stand the test of any investigation! Do a thorough investigation before you speak next time, Captain Johnson!"
Johnson scoffed huffily, "Fullpliance with the regtions? The minimum education requirement for external personnel is a college degree. Did she pay for a college degree certificate?"
Morris, however, did not reply to him. He merely looked at Ruth frostily and said, "One¡¯s abilities are what matter in the special department. Academic qualifications are useless! I¡¯d advise certain people not to do unnecessaryparisons. You guys shouldn¡¯t use academic qualifications... to humiliate yourselves!"
After saying that, he turned and left.
It was only after Morris left that Johnson finally came back to his senses. He looked at Nora furiously and then at Ruth. "Humiliate yourselves... Aren¡¯t you using the wrong words? In my opinion, you are the one who needs to study more! How are academic qualifications not important? If they aren¡¯t important, then why is everyone trying so hard to further their studies and obtain higher qualifications?"
When Ruth heard this, she let out a softugh andforted him. "Don¡¯t be mad, Captain Ford just said that in a moment of anger. But if he says that Ms. Smith¡¯s academic qualifications are inpliance with the rules, then they must be inpliance with the rules..."
As soon as she said that, Johnson sneered, "He probably just means that she meets the minimum academic qualifications requirements in the regtions, right? I heard that she lived in another country for five years, yet she can¡¯t even trante a document..."
Ruth continued to persuade him. "Living overseas is not like how you think it is. I heard that there are areas in every country where immigrants from certain countries tend to congregate, and the people living there all speak in their nativenguage. Thus, there is no need to use the country¡¯s native tongue formunication at all. It¡¯s no different from a reduced version of certain countries. So, even though a lot of people im to have lived overseas in order to make themselves seem more impressive than they really are, in truth, they were just staying there instead. When they return to the country two yearster, they self-proim to be people who have undergone ¡¯foreign education¡¯. How amazing!"
As soon as Ruth said that, Johnson sneered again and said, "Such returnees are impressive on the surface, but rotten inside. The special department does not need useless good-for-nothings like that!"
He looked at Nora again and said, "Nora, seeing how you are still young, don¡¯t alwaysete and leave early. If you have the time, it¡¯s better if you study more instead! Do you think that just having a degree is enough? Even the lowest college degree required to join the special department is a Bachelor¡¯s degree. There are even several people with Master¡¯s degrees here! I heard that Damon is an MIT Computer Science graduate!"
Damon scratched his head at once, a little embarrassed.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology was one of the best universities in the world. MIT¡¯s courses focused on science and engineering, and theirputer science department was the best in the country!
Damon¡¯s academic qualifications were indeed very impressive, and he was indeed a rare talent in the special department.
He hurriedly said, "Captain Johnson, that¡¯s nothing much to be proud of. Throw a stone randomly in New York and it would probably hit an MIT student."
"Look at how humble he is!" Johnson pointed to Damon and said insinuatingly, "Everyone should learn from Damon!"
Damon became even more abashed. "What¡¯s there to learn from me? No matter how great myputer skills are, they don¡¯t even amount to one-tenth of Q or Y¡¯s capabilities. I still have lots more to work on. Even if I am not as amazing as them, I should still at least maintain the gap between us, lest they leave me in the dust."
Damon was a straightforward man. His words were sincere and came from the bottom of his heart.
However, he didn¡¯t know that his words only gave Johnson even more of an excuse to reprimand Nora. He said, "Look at him, now that¡¯s what I call the hope of the United States! If every single one of you iszy, glib, andcking in ambition, then how is the special department going to improve? How will we be able to crack the cases we were tasked with?!"
"..."
Everyone stopped talking.
Ruth spoke up again. "Captain Johnson, you can¡¯t use an isted incident to make demands of everyone."
Johnson sneered, "Why not? As they say, geniuses are not scary. What¡¯s scary is when the geniuses work even harder than you! Never mind that some people don¡¯t have any academic qualifications, but shouldn¡¯t they then put in even more effort to learn from their highly-educated co-workers? And ask them for advice? Do they think that they are already at the top of the world just because they¡¯ve mastered a certain skill? There is no limit to learning! If you don¡¯t advance, you will only fall behind. If you don¡¯t pursue further studies, I¡¯m afraid that your position as the number one surgeon will be reced by someone else in a year or two!"
The front half of his words was only alluding to Nora¡¯s identity, but thetter half had directly singled out Nora.
Nora picked at her ears and looked at Johnson. She lifted her cat-like eyes slightly and said directly, "You might as well just straight-up call out my ID number."
Johnson: "?"
Nora looked at him and marveled, "Are you really Morris¡¯ mentor?"
Johnson frowned. "Of course I am!"
Nora heaved a silent sigh. "In that case, the fact that Morris could be the cautious man he is today must really be some kind of gic mutation!"
Johnson: "?"
Nora nced at him and scoffed, "Morris has already said just now that one should not belittle others when they don¡¯t know any better. Captain Johnson, if your eyes are bad, I can change them to another pair for you. If possible, please go to the archives and take a look at my file before you make such a ruckus."
After speaking, she turned and walked out. "What a huge din."
Everyone: "?"
Everyone could only watch as Nora stepped through the main entrance and left. Johnson was infuriated. He pointed at her from the back and snapped, "What does she mean? Is she saying that I¡¯m blind? She¡¯s too arrogant! Even though her academic qualifications are low, she sure has a huge temper!"
"How dare she even tell me to take a look at her file! Hah, then I shall go and take a look!"
Johnson then took out his cell phone, logged in to his ount, and essed the archives.
He would take a look at that woman¡¯s academic qualifications in front of everyone today so that all of them would know what exactly she was like!
The furious man connected the cell phone to the projector in the hall and disyed her education history on the wall.
Johnson then opened the file containing Nora¡¯s personal information.
Nora looked cool and distant in her photo in the personal data section. The girl¡¯s almond-shaped eyes looked straight ahead as if her gaze prated right into one¡¯s heart through the screen, making one feel a little rmed.
Position: External forensic doctor
Age: 25
Date of birth...
Atst, Johnson looked at the section detailing Nora¡¯s academic qualifications... When he did, he was stunned.
Next to him, the smug smile on Ruth¡¯s face also froze.
Chapter 575: Slap In The Face!
Chapter 575: p In The Face!
Ruth had always been proud of her academic qualifications. After all, there were very few highly-educated people with Master¡¯s degrees like her. People like them were considered scarce talents.
That was why she had suddenly put Nora down with academic qualifications when she spotted her right after they came out of the conference room.
Because it seemed that apart from her academic qualifications, there was nothing about her that couldpare with Nora!
However, she was currently staring at Nora¡¯s personal information on the screen in astonishment. It clearly read:
Education: Doctorate
All education after a Bachelor¡¯s graduation was postgraduate, so postgraduate degrees were the highest level of degree that one could achieve.
In that respect, Nora¡¯s academic qualifications were the same as Ruth¡¯s.
However, Ruth¡¯s was a Master¡¯s degree whereas Nora¡¯s was:
Degree: PhD
Ph.D.... This was the highest level of degree achievable! Was there anything beyond that? Of course there was! There were postdocs and academicians, but those were just upational titles.
In addition, there were many people who couldn¡¯t be postdoctoral researchers or academicians even after spending all of their lives trying.
Yet it was stated in Nora¡¯s file that she was an academician at an international medical university when she was living abroad.
"..."
It was to the extent that Ruth was even wondering if her eyes were ying tricks on her.
Did 25-year-old academicians even exist?!
She rubbed her eyes and looked over again¡ªonly to see that the word "academician" was still clearly stated there. In addition, there were also corresponding certificates proving that all of this was real.
Johnson was dumbfounded.
Ruth also shut up.
Only Damon, the insensitive fellow, was silly enough to say, "Oh my god, I finally understand why Captain Ford said that we would just be humiliating ourselves if wepare our academic qualifications with Ms. Smith¡¯s! B-but what¡¯s going on here, though? Didn¡¯t they say that Ms. Smith has never been to school? Yet she¡¯s actually an academician?!"
Someone nearby swallowed audibly and said, "An academician...! I¡¯ve actually seen a living, breathing academician! No wonder Ms. Smith is so cocky! If my academic qualifications were like hers, I would be even cockier than her, alright? She¡¯s so cool!"
"Where did Captain Ford find someone as talented as her? Her working ability aside, just her academic qualifications alone are already the first of its kind in the special department! Ms. Smith makes us so proud!"
"..."
No matter in what industry and no matter who it was, one would always possess the most basic level of awe in the face of knowledge. People who managed to enter prestigious universities were already very impressive, and geniuses¡ªeven if they were down and out¡ªwould never be ridiculed, either.
Furthermore, given Nora¡¯s academic qualifications and certificates... one couldn¡¯t even call her a mere genius anymore, right?!
"I¡¯m actually working with an academician every day! Gosh, I suddenly feel so honored."
"Me too... I feel like I¡¯m about to float... Captain Ford is so awesome. To think he could actually get such a talent to join the special department..."
While everyone was talking about it, Johnson hurriedly turned off his cell phone. He felt like his cheeks were stinging.
He had recruited Ruth while...
Morris had recruited Nora.
All this time, he had been trying to use the reason that Ruth was better than Nora to weaken Morris¡¯ momentum, but little did he think that he would actually lose all of the few consecutive rounds ofpetition!
This especially stood out when he looked at the group of subordinates here. It was obvious that they now admired Morris even more.
He had totally shot himself in the foot!
Ruth clenched her fists tightly.
She felt like even the glory that ck Cat had brought her just now had all been snatched away.
If she hadn¡¯t mentioned anything about academic qualifications, everyone would probably still be gathered all around her and dying to know more about ck Cat¡¯s proposal. However, it was obvious that their focus wasn¡¯t on her anymore.
Ruth coughed, nning to change the subject. She asked, "Would you guys like to take a look at the proposal that ck Cat and I have discussed and jointly drawn up?"
As soon as she said that, Damon said perfunctorily, "I can¡¯t read it anyway, so I¡¯ll just wait until you¡¯re done tranting it... Speaking of academicians, though! It¡¯s really hard to be one. But considering how Nora is Anti, the top surgeon in the world, it doesn¡¯t seem that improbable that she would be one..."
A puzzled co-worker asked, "Are academicians very amazing?"
Damon¡¯s lip corners couldn¡¯t help but spasm. He gave him a crash course and said, "The United States has a poption of over 300 million people, but there are only over a thousand academicians in the country! In addition, you have to make major contributions in your field to have a chance of being appraised! There are only a dozen or so academicians in the field of medicine! So, would you say it¡¯s amazing or not?!"
"My goodness, then Nora... no, I feel like even the uttering her name is a form of insult towards her. What kind of contribution has Professor Smith made?"
"..."
No one was paying any attention to Ruth anymore. All of them had gathered and were discussing the matter in low voices. Seeing this, Ruth bit her lip hard.
Next to her, Johnson took a deep breath and said, "What¡¯s the use of having impressive academic qualifications? This is the special department! It¡¯s not a medical team! People who can crack the case and catch all the members of the mysterious organization are the ones who are truly the most impressive!"
Unfortunately, no one was listening to him anymore.
Johnson: "..."
"Forget it, Captain Johnson," said Ruth.
Johnson looked at Ruth bitterly and said, "It¡¯s all your fault. You¡¯ve totally embarrassed me!"
A dim light shed across Ruth¡¯s eyes, but on the surface, she instead lowered her head and sighed. "I didn¡¯t expect this to happen, either. But don¡¯t worry, Captain Ford has already said it himself just now. Having high academic qualifications is nothing impressive. As long as my proposal allows us to find important clues through interrogation, it¡¯ll still be all thanks to you knowing talent when you see it!"
Upon hearing this, Johnson looked at her. He suddenly lowered his voice and asked, "Is that interrogation n of yours reliable?"
Johnson had boasted really hard about how Ruth was a master interrogator and whatnot, but to be honest, he didn¡¯t really believe in her, either.
Ruth¡¯s eyes flickered. Then, she smiled and replied, "Just wait for the good news tomorrow!"
Johnson nodded when he heard that.
Then, all of his fury from just now disappeared.
The next day... Heh, he would give the special department a big gift the next day!
¡ª
Nora drove home in the jeep.
On the way home, she couldn¡¯t help but sneeze.
She couldn¡¯t tell who might be cursing her.
She held the steering wheel with one hand and leaned her other arm on the window. Her head was propped on her hand as she looked ahead of her and drove in boredom.
Ruth and Johnson sure were bing kinda annoying.
It was to the extent that she wanted the two of them to disappear from her sight.
However, those two usually only made small trouble, so she could only disclose her identity and give them a p in the face at the most, which was no fun at all.
She wondered when the two of them would do something big instead?
nd and painless tricks like those were simply too boring!
While thinking about it, she returned to the Smiths.
As soon as she entered the house, Maureen came running out in tears. She was taken aback for a moment. Before she could even ask what had happened, Warren rushed over. He said, "Sigh, dear, let me exin..."
Maureen, however, refused to listen and left at once.
Warren chased after her and went past Nora. It was as though neither of them had noticed her.
Nora: "..."
The couple was quarreling again.
The corners of her lips spasmed and she ignored them. Instead, she went up the stairs. As soon as she reached the door, she saw Joel staring at her. He said, "Mr. Hunt came over today."
Nora raised her brows.
The sensitive woman discovered that for some reason, Joel¡¯s term of address had changed from "Justin" to "Mr. Hunt" again.
There was a little more respect in his speech.
"Uh-huh, and then?" She asked.
Joel replied, "He proposed marriage, to which Dad has agreed. Then, he immediately set a few dates where he¡¯ll being over so that you guys can settle on a wedding date."
Nora: "..."
Was that man in such a hurry?
Her lip corners twitched and she nodded. "Okay, got it."
After replying, she was about to enter her bedroom when she heard Joel¡¯s voice again. "Nora," he said.
Nora looked back to see Joel looking at her hesitantly. A short whileter, he suddenly said, "You... Why don¡¯t you treat Mr. Hunt a little nicer and be a little more faithful to him?"
Nora: "?"
Even though she was confused, she nodded before she finally entered her room, leaving behind Joel, who could only heave a soundless sigh as he looked at her from the back.
In the future that Ian had nned for Nora, Justin was the queen in her harem. As for the concubines, they sure were pitiful. They wouldn¡¯t even be getting an official status.
Just like that, Justin¡ªaka the queen¡ªstarted to y multiple roles all by himself without him even knowing.
...
The next day, Nora only woke up at noon as usual. When she went downstairs, she saw Tanya standing there and looking at her nervously. She said, "Nora, I will go with you to pick him up and bring him home!"
Nora yawned.
Before she came home the day before, she had gone over and visited Karl again. He was still the same as ever. He had even asked her to tell Tanya to prepare some dumplings for him to eat that day.
In the kitchen, the dumplings were already all wrapped andid out on the tray, stuffed to the brim with fillings.
Nora took a couple of bites from a slice of bread. Then, she went to the special department with Tanya.
When the two arrived, Karl had not been acquitted yet. Nora took Tanya to visit him first.
When he saw Tanya, Karl chuckled and asked, "Are the dumplings all wrapped and done?"
Tanya looked at him huffily and folded her arms as she replied fiercely, "No, they aren¡¯t!"
Karl grinned and scratched his tattooed arm. "Well, never mind if they aren¡¯t done yet, what are you being so fierce for? You¡¯re not like your mom at all!"
At the mention of Tanya¡¯s mother, Tanya fell silent for a moment before she asked, "What was she like?"
Margot, who had killed Jill and stolen her identity, had always beaten and scolded Tanya since she was a child. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that she was afraid that others would discover her identity, she would probably have drowned Tanya a long time ago.
But it was precisely because of Tanya¡¯s existence that no one ever connected her to Margot.
Tanya had never experienced a mother¡¯s love.
Karl was about to tell her about Jill when Johnson suddenly knocked on the door outside and said, "Karl, Terry is here!"
As they had to deal with work matters, Nora led Tanya out of the room.
Karl was waving at them. The burly man looked just like a kid asking for candy. He said, "I¡¯ll tell you all about it when we get home!"
Tanya rolled her eyes.
Even though she cared for him, on the surface, she was always acting as if she didn¡¯t.
Nora, however, was staring at the man named Terry. He had wrinkles on his face and was in a wheelchair. Johnson pushed the man in the wheelchair into the interrogation room...
For some reason, a foreboding feeling suddenly welled up in Nora.
Sure enough, some timeter, a gunshot suddenly rang out in the room!!!
Bang!
Nora¡¯s pupils shrank and she rushed over!
Chapter 576: Leave?
Chapter 576: Leave?
Everyone in the special department immediately became nervous. They ced their hands on their waists and held their guns.
Tanya reacted a little slower than Nora, but then her legs went limp. She stumbled toward the interrogation room. As she ran, she shouted, "Dad!"
In the interrogation room, the people with guns could only be the two policemen. Then, who had fired the gun? Who had been hit?
Nora ran quickly into the interrogation room. Before she could get close, the people guarding outside had already rushed in. The person in the lead was actually Ruth!
After they entered, Ruth¡¯s voice suddenly came from the interrogation room. "Ah!"
Nora sped up and rushed to the door. She hurriedly looked inside and saw that Karl was holding a gun in his hand. He was pressing it against Ruth¡¯s temple.
The others, including Captain Johnson, all pointed their guns at him!
Nora¡¯s gaze swept across Karl¡¯s body first. When she saw that there were no traces of him being hit, she finally rxed. Then, she turned around and saw that Old Terry was lying in a pool of blood.
She rushed over and checked Old Terry¡¯s pulse, but she realized that his temple had been pierced by a bullet. There was no way to save him.
Nora frowned.
At this moment, Morris had already rushed over. He asked in a low voice, "What¡¯s going on?"
Captain Johnson still had a frightened expression on his face. His eyes were red as he shouted angrily, "Karl kept saying that he wanted to see Old Terry. He would only tell the truth when he saw Old Terry, so I called him over. But I didn¡¯t know that Karl hated Old Terry for misjudging his murder case back then. He killed Old Terry!!"
With that, Captain Johnson pointed his gun at him. "I want to take revenge for Old Terry!"
However, Karl blocked Ruth between him and himself and shouted, "If you dare to shoot, I¡¯ll kill her!"
Captain Johnson frowned.
Seeing that no one came forward, Karl said, "I didn¡¯t kill anyone! Old Terry is my boss. How could I kill him?! It was Johnson who killed him and framed me!"
When Captain Johnson heard this, he sighed silently. "What? Karl, do you think this is a drama?!"
Karl shouted, "It¡¯s true! Old Terry is my boss. He has my file! Johnson killed Old Terry and wants to kill me too!"
Captain Johnson frowned.
He took a deep breath and said, "What bullsh*t. You said I killed Old Terry. Should I test the trajectory?! Let¡¯s see whose pistol killed Old Terry!"
At this moment, both Karl and Captain Johnson had a gun in their hands.
Everyone would know after testing the guns.
Karl narrowed his eyes and stared at Captain Johnson.
He could not figure out why Captain Johnson would do this...
...
Two minutes ago, when Captain Johnson and Old Terry entered, Old Terry had even held his hand and said that it had been hard on him for so many years.
Karl sighed. "I just want to recover my identity so that I can return to my daughter."
Old Terry expressed his understanding. He even said that he himself had retired because he wanted to go back and apany his daughter...
However, Karl was stunned. "You retired? Weren¡¯t you working all along? When did you retire?"
Old Terry was stunned. "I retired five years ago. Your matterster were..."
Before he could finish speaking, Captain Johnson suddenly took out a gun from his pocket. It was wrapped in tissues. He fired through the tissues and aimed the gun at Karl!
In his panic, Karl reached out to snatch the gun!
And there were only his fingerprints on the gun!!
If he went to verify it, there would be no evidence at all!
His original n was to kill Old Terry and Karl. This way, he could bury everything!
But Karl had some skills.
Not only did he snatch his gun, but he also shoved him hard and rushed out. It was filled with Johnson¡¯s people outside. If Karl went out, he would die too!
However, Ruth just so happened to pass by outside at this moment. When she turned the corner, she was still talking. "Captain Johnson, we want to start the interrogation from Karl. May I?"
Then, she was quickly taken hostage by Karl.
He did not manage to fire that shot!
Now, it was big trouble.
However, Johnson had a n.
...
Captain Johnson raised his gun and stood with the group of people around him. He said, "Besides, I¡¯m from the special department. Why would I kill Old Terry? I¡¯mrades with Old Terry! Brothers! Old Terry even took a bullet for me. Everyone knows that!"
Captain Johnson¡¯s eyes were red. He was furious. "I want to avenge Old Terry!"
With that, he took another step forward and looked like he was about to shoot!
Karl pushed Ruth!
Ruth immediately shouted, "Captain Johnson, save me, save me!"
Captain Johnson looked extremely angry and he only felt that Ruth was meddlesome!
As Captain Johnson thought about this, he narrowed his eyes. "Karl, if you¡¯re innocent, then put down the gun and let go of Ruth!"
Karl sneered. "How is that possible? Do you think I¡¯m mad? If I let go of her, I¡¯ll be the one dying the next second!"
Karl was very smart. He knew that there was a sniper in the special department. Therefore, not only did he hold Ruth hostage, but he even hid inside the interrogation room.
The interrogation room was airtight, and it had be his safe-haven!
Karl did not wait for Captain Johnson to speak again and shouted, "Go out, all of you!"
Captain Johnson and Morris could only slowly retreat.
As soon as he went out, Captain Johnson mmed his fist on the wall in anger. Tears flowed down his face as he roared, "I¡¯m the one who harmed Old Terry!!"
At this moment, inside the special department, Janson ran over. He shouted as he ran, "What¡¯s going on? What happened to my father?"
The dead Old Terry inside was his father!
When Captain Johnson saw him, he instantly patted his shoulder. "It¡¯s me. I¡¯m the one who caused your father¡¯s death!"
Janson¡¯s eyes widened. Then, he seemed to have understood something. He pulled out his gun and rushed into the room. "I want to avenge my father!"
However, he was grabbed by Morris. He said in a deep voice, "Janson, don¡¯t be impulsive. You have to trust us. We¡¯ll give you a fair answer!"
Hearing Morris¡¯s words, Janson suddenly squatted down and covered his face.
He believed in Morris.
The door to the interrogation room was still open. Morris shouted into the room, "Karl, let go of Ruth and surrender. We¡¯ll give you a chance to defend yourself! This is also your best choice!"
Karl did not move. He wanted to leave!
The moment Captain Johnson killed Old Terry, he no longer believed in this ce.
Furthermore, five years... Old Terry said that he had retired five years ago. Then, who had been giving him orders these five years?!
These matters were extremely terrifying when thought carefully. It made Karl only want to escape and return to somece he was familiar with.
He held Ruth hostage and walked out of the interrogation room, avoiding the ss door and any ce that could be hit by a sniper rifle. He moved out bit by bit. "Prepare a car for me! I want to leave this ce immediately!"
Ruth was so frightened that her legs were trembling. "Give it to him! Captain Ford, give it to him! I don¡¯t want to die!"
Morris looked at the two of them. After a moment, he said, "Karl, have you thought it through? If you leave like this, then your charge of murder will be confirmed! You¡¯ll never be able to prove your innocence!"
Karl lowered his head. "Fleeing is better than death!"
However, when he said this, Captain Johnson suddenly pointed not far away and said, "But what about your daughter? Do you want your daughter to be a murderer¡¯s daughter for the rest of her life? Karl, aren¡¯t you afraid you¡¯ll traumatize your daughter by doing this in front of her?!"
Karl suddenly looked at her daughter.
Tanya was standing holding the wall. Her beautiful eyes were looking at him without a blink. Her eyes were filled with shock.
Karl tightened his jaw.
Tanya did not know what to do...
It was very dangerous now.
He might get killed if he stayed here much longer!
As she was thinking...
An angry voice was heard. "You killed my father. I¡¯m going to kill your daughter!"
Janson stood up suddenly and raised his pistol to aim at Tanya!
Karl was anxious. He let go of Ruth and shouted at Tanya, "Careful!"
Tanya¡¯s eyes widened.
Even Morris looked suddenly turned toward Janson, but it was toote. Janson had already pulled the trigger!
At the moment, just as everyone held their breaths, they realized that Janson had pulled the trigger but there was no sound at all.
Janson¡¯s hands were trembling. Only then did everyone realize that the gun was not loaded!
Morris was shocked. He stood between Tanya and Janson and shouted angrily, "What are you doing?"
Janson looked at Morris and said, "Captain Ford, don¡¯t worry. I didn¡¯t forget I¡¯m a cop!"
He knew what he should and shouldn¡¯t do!
Then why did he suddenly target Tanya?
At this thought, Morris suddenly realized something. This was a diversion!
This was Janson and Captain Johnson¡¯s n!
Indeed, Morris suddenly turned his head and saw that on the other side, Captain Johnson suddenly shouted at Ruth, "Get down!"
Ruth understood and hurriedly dropped to the ground.
Then, Captain Johnson calmly shot Karl with a cold expression!
Captain Johnson wanted to kill Karl!!
Karl looked at the gun aimed at him and knew that he could not escape...
He subconsciously looked at Tanya.
For some reason, he suddenly thought of the dumplings that Jill had once made for him with three-fish filling...
Was he going to die here today?
Although he was unwilling, he seemed to feel a little better when he thought about how he was going to reunite with Jill.
These thoughts shed across Karl¡¯s mind...
But at this point!
Unexpectedly, the falling Ruth suddenly raised her arm. Coincidentally, she blocked the bullet aimed at Karl!
Bam!
The bullet hit Ruth¡¯s arm, causing her to cry out in pain. "Ah!!"
The bullet was blocked. It seemed to be mostly luck, but no one had noticed that Nora, who was treating Old Terry on the ground, had suddenly picked up a coffee bean lying on the ground and thrown it at Ruth, hitting her arm.
Nora narrowed her eyes. She had been performing CPR on Old Terry with another policeman.
However, she was actually looking around and watching the reactions of the people around her.
Karl was saved again. He quickly came back to his senses and grabbed Ruth¡¯s arm, taking her hostage again! She, who had been trying to escape had been shot in the arm, causing her to turn pale.
At this moment, Ruth was so angry that her entire body was trembling.
She just wanted to receive credit. She did not expect things to end up like this!
Karl did not listen to her and dragged Ruth to the door.
At the door, ck Panther was waiting in a ck car. He was originally going to pick Karl up from prison.
He did not expect to get into such a situation.
He immediately rushed to Karl¡¯s side and asked, "Brother, what¡¯s going on?!"
When Captain Johnson saw him, he shouted, "Do you see that? That is ck Panther! He¡¯s here to receive Karl. They must have nned everything long ago! They nned to kill Old Terry!"
He was not anxious at all.
Luck was a factor when he picked up the gun earlier.
It would have been best if he could kill Karl. But even if he couldn¡¯t, Karl would still be frightened away. As long as he left, everything could be buried!
Karl roared, "I didn¡¯t!"
Morris stared at him. "Karl, I believe you. Put down the gun and surrender. I guarantee that no one can hurt you! I¡¯ll find evidence for you! But if you leave, your innocence will never be proven!"
ck Panther said warily, "Brother, we can¡¯t trust these people. They¡¯re too sly! Follow me. We can escape from here! ck Bear and the others are ready!"
Hearing that ck Bear was here, Karl was even more confident to escape.
However...
Was he really leaving?
Karl turned to look at Tanya, who was following behind everyone.
If he left, he might never see Tanya in his life again.
But if he did not leave...
"Brother, you have to go! You don¡¯t have any evidence to prove your innocence!" ck Panther was anxious and shouted vigntly. The two of them hid behind the car and avoided the snipers.
The car was in front of him.
Once he got into the car, he could leave safely.
However, Captain Johnson shouted, "We can¡¯t let him go. We have to make him pay for Old Terry¡¯s death! He killed Old Terry!"
Karl narrowed his eyes and made up his mind.
He reached out and held the car door.
When Captain Johnson saw this, he heaved a sigh of relief.
However, at this moment, a cold voice suddenly sounded. "Who said Old Terry is dead?"
Chapter 577: Stay or Leave?
Chapter 577: Stay or Leave?
Nora¡¯s words caused everyone to look at her.
Morris¡¯s eyes darkened and he nced at Captain Johnson. However, there was no surprise in his eyes. He sighed silently at this old fox and looked at Nora at the same time. He asked, "Old Terry isn¡¯t dead?"
"His heartbeat just returned to normal."
Nora said, "But his head was blown up at his temple. He¡¯s currently in aa..."
When Captain Johnson heard this, his deep eyes were filled with contemtion, but he pretended to be excited. "What? Old Terry really isn¡¯t dead? That¡¯s great! He¡¯s in aa. Can he recover?"
Nora nodded. "Of course. I have a way to save him!"
"Great!"
Captain Johnson was so excited that his eyes were red. "Old Terry is an outstanding police officer. If he died just like that, it¡¯d be all my fault!"
Nora kept staring at Captain Johnson, hearing all his lies with interest.
Originally, she had thought that Captain Johnson was a brainless and impulsive person. But at this moment, she suddenly realized that she had misjudged him!
Ever since Captain Johnson had entered the picture, he had been very troublesome. He was easy to anger and his hate for her was obvious.
This had made her lower her guard, thinking that Captain Johnson was really such a person.
It was only after this incident that Nora suddenly realized that this Captain Johnson was really a sly old fox!
If he was really just a senile old man, how could Captain Johnson have killed someone and framed Karl? How could he have done everything so naturally?
Having worked alongside these five years, Nora trusted Karl more.
Although Karl did not say anything, she had already guessed the reality of the matter.
Captain Johnson fired, and Karl snatched the pistol. There could be a ballistic analysis. However, Captain Johnson¡¯s fingerprints were definitely not on the pistol in Karl¡¯s hand!
Captain Johnson was careful enough not to leave any evidence.
And...
Old Terry¡¯s temple was pierced by a gun. The bullet trajectory was also calcted in advance.
Now, Captain Johnson was so calm, and he was also certain that Old Terry would not survive. What Nora had said earlier was actually a lie...
Nora lowered her almond-shaped eyes slightly. She did not look at Captain Johnson but at Karl. She said calmly, "Now, all the evidence points to you, but Old Terry is still alive. Whether you leave or stay is your decision."
Karl tightened his jaw.
After repeatedly breaking out of prison, he could already be the number one criminal in the special department. If he stayed, it would be even harder to escape next time.
Furthermore, the situation was not optimistic for him.
When Karl hesitated, Captain Johnson shouted angrily, "Nora, what nonsense are you talking about again?! Make him stay and bear the punishment! Even if Old Terry didn¡¯t die, he was the one who injured him!"
Janson clenched his fists. "He¡¯s my father¡¯s murderer. Even if he leaves, even if I have to chase him to the ends of the earth, I¡¯ll catch up to him!"
Karl looked at the people in front of him.
Not long ago, he was also one of them. It was because he looked evil and did not look like a good person that he was chosen by Old Terry to be an undercover agent.
After being undercover for so many years, he really wanted to go home.
However, there was no one at home, and it was meaningless toe back. Therefore, he had established an Assassin Alliance overseas. On the surface, he took money to do things, but was it not just another way to maintain peace?
After leaving this ce, he could continue to live a happy life.
But was he really leaving?
His gaze fell on Tanya, who was following Nora and stumbling out the door. On his daughter¡¯s bright face, her eyes were stuck on him. There was reluctance, hesitation, and confusion in them.
Karl understood her thoughts.
She wanted him to stay, but she was afraid that he would die if he did. She wanted him to live, but she did not know what to do.
Karl suddenly lowered his eyes.
He turned to look at ck Panther and said, "Get in."
ck Panther heaved a sigh of relief and sat in the driver¡¯s seat.
The others immediately took a step forward. Morris said in a deep voice, "Karl, don¡¯t make the wrong choice! We will give you justice! You have to believe in us!"
Captain Johnson picked up the walkie-talkie and said to the sniper hiding in the dark, who was searching for the best sniping position, "Find an opportunity and kill him! Take revenge for Old Terry!"
When Nora heard this, she nced at Captain Johnson.
But she said nothing.
Strictly speaking, Captain Johnson wasn¡¯t doing anything wrong. For the safety of the hostages, shooting was inevitable.
Just as she was worried that Karl would really leave, she saw him grab Ruth and say to ck Panther in the car, "Go!"
ck Panther was stunned and shouted, "Brother!"
Karl did not speak. His eyes were very firm. "Go!"
ck Panther bit his lips in anger. However, when he saw the people slowly surrounding him, he knew that if he did not leave now, he would probably be trapped if the sniper found his position.
If his brother would not leave, then he had to leave first to find a chance to save him.
Thinking of this, ck Panther became ruthless. He stepped on the elerator and rushed out!
Other police officers chased after him, but unfortunately, they could never catch a top killer like ck Panther.
Karl pushed Ruth and slowly raised his hand.
Captain Johnson instantly picked up his gun and was about to shoot Karl when Morris suddenly held his hand and said in a deep voice, "Captain Johnson, he has already surrendered. It¡¯s probably inappropriate for you to kill him, right?"
Captain Johnson took a deep breath and shouted angrily, "He killed Old Terry!"
Janson, who was beside him, rushed forward.
Ruth thought that Janson was here to pick her up and reached out. However, the next moment, Janson circled around Ruth and rushed to Karl, waving his fists at him!
With a bang, Janson hit him in the face.
Karl did not dodge. He stood there and stared at Janson. "You¡¯re Old Terry¡¯s son, so I¡¯ll take this punch!"
Just as Janson was about to hit him again, someone rushed forward and stopped him. "Alright, alright. That¡¯s enough. We have to follow thew!"
"Yes, we can¡¯t beat others up in private... Let¡¯s go see your father quickly!"
Janson was taken away by the other colleagues. A group of people immediately rushed forward and detained Karl. They twisted his arms behind his back and restrained him.
At this moment, Karl¡¯s face was swollen and he did not look good.
However, he still looked up and gave Tanya a reassuring look.
Tanya¡¯s eyes instantly turned red. She held Nora¡¯s hand. "He¡¯s innocent!"
Chapter 578: Wake Old Terry Up
Chapter 578: Wake Old Terry Up
Nora patted her hand. "You should go back for now. I¡¯ll handle the matters here."
Tanya knew that it was useless for her to stay. Instead, Janson and the others could use her to deal with Karl. Therefore, she nodded and left.
Only then did Nora enter the department. She did not look at the things in the hall and turned to the interrogation room.
Someone had already called 911. The medic rushed in and was looking at Old Terry¡¯s eyes in the interrogation room. The medic frowned. "Well, it¡¯s useless even if we pick him up."
"Yes, his temple was pierced. He¡¯s probably already brain dead. There¡¯s no way to save him."
The forensic doctor in the special department also sighed. "I don¡¯t think it¡¯s necessary, either."
Faced with their words, Nora lowered her eyes and said, "You don¡¯t have to care about him. You just have to take him to the hospital. My medical team will take over the treatment for Old Terry."
The medic was stunned and looked at her in confusion. "You are?"
"I¡¯m Anti."
Nora showed her identification card. The few medics instantly nodded. "Okay."
They lifted the stretcher and ced Old Terry on it. As soon as they went out, they were stopped by someone in the hall.
At this moment, a group of people from the special department was gathered in the hall. At a nce, there should be more than a hundred people.
At this moment, everyone was in a frenzy. Some wereforting Janson, while others stood behind Captain Johnson, opposite Morris.
Janson clenched his fists tightly, his body was slightly trembling. "Captain Ford, my father is here while Karl is lying in the interrogation room. Are you still protecting him? Why can¡¯t you give the judgment now?!"
Captain Johnson also said, "Morris, why on earth are you protecting him? He¡¯s a criminal! A murderer! Are you going to protect him just because he¡¯s close to Nora? Now, all the evidence is here. With all the evidence, why don¡¯t you convict him immediately?!"
Logically speaking, convictions were a matter of the court.
However, this department was rtively special. Because of theplexity of the cases they investigated, the special department was independent of all departments.
Therefore, the special department waspletely qualified to judge Karl.
Janson pointed at Karl and shouted angrily, "Captain Ford, my father has been a police officer his entire life and has never done anything to let the people down! He has more than twenty wounds on his body, all of which are scars from being injured during missions. Now, They act up and hurt every time the weather gets rainy! But even so, he has never troubled the country... Why should a person like him ept such an oue?! I want Karl Moore to be sentenced to death! He deliberately killed someone! I want to execute him with my own hands!"
Janson was agitated.
Even if Nora said that she could treat Old Terry, he did not have much hope. His temple was pierced, so how could he still live?
Captain Johnson sighed at the side. "Janson, don¡¯t be agitated. Morris will definitely give everyone an exnation."
Janson wiped his tears and looked at Morris fiercely.
Morris pursed his lips and said slowly, "We still need to investigate this matter..."
"What else is there to investigate?!" Captain Johnson couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. He red at Morris angrily. "Or do you believe this murderer and want to investigate me?! I¡¯ve beenrades with Old Terry for more than twenty years. We¡¯re brothers. Don¡¯t you believe me?!"
As soon as he said this, Janson suddenly raised his head and red at Morris. "Captain Ford, my father and Captain Johnson are good brothers. I trust Captain Johnson. Besides, the evidence is conclusive. What else is there to investigate? Are you nning to subside his trial because he has let go of the hostage and turned himself in? I don¡¯t agree! I¡¯ll never forgive a murderer!"
With that, he looked around. "Brothers, help me! I only want to get justice for my father!"
Everyone in the special department was brave.
Many of theirrades had died during missions.
Regarding Janson¡¯s encounter, they were very concerned. From their point of view, Captain Johnson and Old Terry were brothers. Furthermore, with the evidence avable, how could they still suspect Captain Johnson?!
Therefore, everyone said:
"Captain Ford, you have to give an exnation for this!"
"Yes, he killed a hero. Old Terry is an existence we all respect!"
"Captain Ford, you can¡¯t shield the murderer!"
At this moment, the people from the special department stood behind Janson and Captain Johnson.
Johnson narrowed his eyes.
Previously, he had used many methods but the people from the special department did not stand on his side. But now, with Old Terry¡¯s death, so many people had leaned over to his side.
Perhaps this was because humans innately sympathized with the weak.
Morris stared at those people, his eyes persistent and cold. However, he stood in front of Karl, opposite his colleague.
He slowly said, "It¡¯s not that I¡¯m protecting the murderer, but this case can¡¯t be closed yet. We can¡¯t let any suspects off, but we can¡¯t malign any innocent people either!"
Janson¡¯s eyes were red as he stared at him. After a moment, he sneered. "Okay, okay! I understand!"
He wiped his tears.
Captain Johnson seemed to be furious as well. "Morris, what the hell do you mean? If you suspect me, just arrest me! What are we after in this industry? The murderer is right behind you. You don¡¯t care about him and want to aim the gun at yourrade?!"
Captain Johnson was clearly stirring up everyone¡¯s emotions.
Everyone looked at Morris.
Morris took a deep breath.
Captain Johnson had orchestrated the situation very carefully. He did not leave any evidence behind. The only way to overturn the case was with Old Terry.
Morris said, "When Old Terry wakes up, we¡¯ll ask him before convicting Karl!"
Captain Johnson sneered. "With just one sentence from Nora, are you sure that Old Terry can wake up? Morris, his temples have exploded. How would he evere back to life? If Old Terry doesn¡¯t wake up, you won¡¯t judge Karl? If he stays in a vegetative state his entire life, will Karl wait for him forever?!"
Morris was speechless.
Nora walked out hearing all themotion. She narrowed her eyes and suddenly said, "Don¡¯t wait forever. Give me three days. I¡¯ll wake Old Terry up!"
Chapter 579: Treatment!!
Chapter 579: Treatment!!
The moment Nora spoke, Janson and the others¡¯ gazes fell on her. It reduced the pressure on Morris.
Janson¡¯s gazended on Old Terry lying on the stretcher.
Earlier, he had seen his father¡¯s body. His father¡¯s heart had stopped beating. Blood and brain matter had oozed out from his temples. It was a tragic sight.
His colleagues had pulled him away.
At this moment, he turned around and saw that Old Terry¡¯s chest was heaving weakly on the stretcher. It was obvious that he was nearly dead.
Janson¡¯s eyes turned even redder. He asked with a trembling voice, "Can you really treat him?"
Nora nodded.
However, Ruth, who had finished treating her wounds, held her arm and said, "Miss Smith, what the doctors said earlier clearly indicated that he can¡¯t be saved. It¡¯s not good for Old Terry if you forcefully keep him alive! His brain is already dead, so why are you torturing his body like this? Just to avoid punishment for Karl?"
When Ruth said this, Janson instantly became furious. "Nora, what on earth is going on? Can¡¯t my father¡¯s illness be treated? Is there really no such precedent in the world?"
Nora lowered her eyes and nced at Ruth coldly. Then, she looked at Janson and lowered her head. "Indeed, there are no cases of brain dead patients waking up yet."
These words made Janson¡¯s eyes instantly be even more furious. He was like a lion, as if he wanted to rush over and bite her the next moment.
Nora was not afraid at all. She stared at him and said, "But I have a method that might allow your father to obtain a new life. I wonder if you want to use it?"
Janson was stunned. "What way?"
Nora sighed silently. "What is our special department investigating?"
Janson frowned and quickly came back to his senses. "Gic medicine?"
Nora nodded.
Then, under everyone¡¯s gaze, she said slowly, "Everyone has seen the power of gene serum. It can change the DNA and make the body stronger. As our forensic doctor, I have been researching this gene serum for a while now. I¡¯ve cracked this gene serum!"
With this sentence, everyone looked at her.
Even Morris looked at her in disbelief.
Ruth¡¯s eyes widened. "How... how is this possible?"
Nora said calmly, "How is it not?"
Ruth bit her lip and did not speak.
Instead, it was Captain Johnson who sneered. "Nora, I think you¡¯re really putting the cart before the horse! The case we want to investigate is the human body experiment corresponding to the gene serum! This gene serum itself is an illegal substance. You actually want to use this thing?"
Nora raised her eyebrows. "In order to save people, even if it¡¯s poison, we have to use it, right?"
Captain Johnson snorted. "But what¡¯s the difference between this and a human trial?!"
The difference...
Of course there was a difference.
Nora lowered her eyes. "Old Terry is already dead anyway. What if the gene serum really revived him?"
She pointed at Old Terry¡¯s head and said, "The gene serum has the ability to revive cells, so it can extend bones and bring people back to life. In theory, as long as a person is still breathing, this serum should work!"
Captain Johnson still wanted to say something, but Nora looked straight at Janson. "I¡¯m telling you now, this is the only way. There might be a 50% chance of making your father wake up. So are you going to use it or not?"
Janson said without hesitation, "Yes!"
He did not even need to think about it.
Captain Johnson hurriedly said, "Janson, you..."
Before he could finish, he was stopped by Nora. "Captain Johnson, what are you thinking by stopping me from using the gene serum? Are you that afraid that Old Terry will wake up?"
Captain Johnson choked on her words and shouted angrily, "Of course not. If Old Terry can wake up, I¡¯ll be happier than anyone else! But you¡¯re using his body as an experiment. This is really uneptable! Besides, what if this gene serum has side effects?! Old Terry is already brain dead. Are you going to insult his corpse and beliefs?"
Janson hesitated.
However, Nora seemed to have expected this. She still said casually, "Therefore, I won¡¯t choose Old Terry as my test subject. I¡¯ll use it on someone else first."
Janson subconsciously asked, "Who?"
"My cousin, Quentin."
Nora said slowly, word for word, "You all know that my third brother has all his bones broken. With the current medical knowledge, it¡¯s impossible for him to stand up again. The gene serum can definitely treat people who have broken their bones. I¡¯ll inject the gene serum into Quentin today. After observation, if his health improves, I¡¯ll give it to Old Terry. Is that okay?"
Of course!
If she was confident enough to use it on her own brother, why couldn¡¯t it be used on Old Terry?
Janson hurriedly nodded and decided. "Yes!"
Nora looked at Morris again and raised her eyebrows to ask, "Captain Ford, can I?"
She was asking if she could use the gene serum.
Morris looked at Captain Johnson.
Actually, it was illegal for them to use this drug now.
But to save Old Terry... Morris said in a deep voice, "Yes."
The matter was settled.
Seeing that he could no longer interrupt, a dark light shed across Captain Johnson¡¯s eyes.
The people gathered in the hall quickly dispersed. Captain Johnson entered the office with Ruth following behind him. "Captain Johnson, do you need me to help you interrogate Karl and make him confess?"
"No, it¡¯s fine."
Captain Johnson said, "Our best option is to stay put for now!"
He had the absolute advantage. How could he lose?
Besides...
Old Terry¡¯s temple had exploded, and his brain matter hade oozing out. He was already dead. Captain Johnson did not believe that Nora could treat Old Terry. Also, what gene serum... Heh, how could it be so effective?
He was waiting to hear the news of Old Terry¡¯s death and then send Karl to the guillotine. Then, he would make use of this matter to pull Morris down from his seat!
It was really killing three birds with one stone!
However, Ruth reminded her worriedly, "I heard that Nora took Old Terry to the hospital where her medical team is. And she will treat Quentin tonight."
Captain Johnson sneered. "Okay. Then we¡¯ll wait for her treatment results tomorrow!"
Chapter 580: What If He is Cured?!
Chapter 580: What If He is Cured?!
In the hospital.
Quentiny there with a straight face.
Lily stood beside him and was looking at his vitals on the monitors. Quentin was nowpletely out of danger. His physical indicators had returned to normal. Other than the shattered bones that had not healed, there was no danger.
Hey there weakly, looking at the ceiling.
Then, the door was pushed open.
Nora brought Janson and another member of the special department in.
Quentin nced at her and said in surprise, "Sister, you changed men again?" You even changed to two men at once?
Nora: "?"
She frowned and did not react to his words. Beside her, Lily coughed. Quentin instantly stopped talking.
"..."
Quentin was like a stupid teenager.
Nora ignored his words and said, "I found a way to treat you."
Quentin¡¯s eyes instantly lit up as he looked at her. "I knew you could do it! Treat me quickly. I¡¯m bored to death, and I¡¯m still being bullied every day!"
With that, he red at Lily.
Nora followed his gaze and looked at Lily in confusion. She saw Lily looking to the side. Lily did not even dare to look her in the eye.
Nora: "..."
She did not speak and just looked at Lily silently. After a while, Lily could not help but say, "Alright, alright. I admit it. Boss, I just pinched his face!"
"Did you just pinch my face?"
Quentin shouted angrily.
Lily: "...Oh, I touched his chest."
Nora and Quentin continued to watch her whine.
Lily: "...I touched his thigh."
Nora still did not speak.
Lily was anxious. "That¡¯s all! Oh, right, and his Adam¡¯s apple."
"..."
Quentin looked like he had been humiliated.
Lily was shocked. "Why are youining to my boss like this? What if she fires me or lowers my sry? Don¡¯t say anything else. I¡¯ll be responsible!"
"Okay."
Quentin¡¯s expression was natural. After saying this, he looked at Nora. "What is the treatment method? What are these two men here for?"
Nora was silent for a moment before exining, "I¡¯m using the gene serum I extracted to treat you now. Because we don¡¯t know how effective it is or if there are any side effects, these two are here to record your reactions."
Upon hearing this, Quentin immediately pursed his lips. "Heh, as a peerless expert, I won¡¯t make a sound even if you scrape my bones to treat my wounds. Come on!"
Then, he acted as if he was going to the execution ground.
Nora raised her eyebrows.
She had said that on purpose.
Quentin loved to show off. She had deliberately told him that these two people were here to observe him. Quentin would definitely be very cooperative and not make a sound.
Treating broken bones was very painful, but she could not use anesthesia. Quentin had to withstand it all on his own.
Nora thought about this and nodded. Then, she said to Lily, "Let¡¯s start."
Janson and the forensic doctor from another department stood by the side and observed them.
Janson had to confirm that this medicine was really useful. Otherwise, he would not dare to let Nora use it on his father.
Everyone in the special department knew that although the gene serum sounded good, it was actually a drug used to produce monsters.
Looking at the fate of those who had used this drug, they were all either crazy or dead. No one was unscathed.
As he was thinking, he saw Nora take out a medical box. She opened the box with a serious expression and carefully took out a ss jar.
Then, Nora brought over a syringe and took half of the serum from the ss jar.
The ss tube was crystal clear, and the gene serum was transparent and colorless.
Janson swallowed. The forensic doctor from the special department beside him called Mark asked, "Is this the gene serum?"
Nora nodded and said, "I extracted it from their blood and refined it. It can guarantee that this gene serum is good."
With that, she looked at Quentin and asked with a grave expression, "I can¡¯t guarantee what the final oue will be if this drug is injected. Brother, I¡¯ll ask you onest time. Are you really not afraid?"
Quentiny there and looked at her with a serious expression. He suddenly asked, "What did you call me?"
Nora lowered her almond-shaped eyes. She looked obedient, but her aura was cold and stern. She called out again, "Brother."
This was the first time Nora had called him brother.
The Big Sister of Quinn School of Martial Arts, an existence respected by everyone, actually called him brother!
Quentin was extremely excited. He nodded and said, "Don¡¯t hesitate. Come!"
Nora took a deep breath. Looking at her, she seemed to be very uneasy.
Then, she walked to Quentin and raised the needle to insert into his arm.
A few momentster, Nora suddenly pressed on the broken joint on his arm and asked, "Does it hurt here?"
The moment she pressed it, although Quentin did not say anything, his expression instantly became ferocious.
He should be in a lot of pain. It was so painful that cold sweat broke out on his forehead, and his veins bulged. However, he gritted his teeth and did not make a sound.
Janson and Mark could not stand it anymore and frowned.
Nora sighed. "Quentin, if it hurts, just shout it out..."
Quentin gritted his teeth. The words almost came out of his throat. "It! Doesn¡¯t! Hurt!"
Janson and Mark: "..."
Lily could not stand it any longer. She walked to the two of them and said, "You two, go out. Quentin has too much pride. If you¡¯re here, he won¡¯t shout even if it hurts. It¡¯s not good for him to hold it in."
Janson and Mark nodded and the two of them left the room.
"Ahh!"
Almost as soon as they were out the door, a bloodcurdling scream filled the room, followed by Quentin¡¯s cries of pain and murmurs.
Mark could not help but say, "This is too torturous."
Janson nodded.
At this moment, his phone rang. He picked it up and saw Captain Johnson¡¯s message. "How¡¯s the treatment?"
Janson replied to the voice message, "I can¡¯t see anything yet, but the side effects of that drug are really huge. Listen to this, this scream..."
Janson moved the phone away from his ear and aimed it at the ward.
A faint whimper came from inside.
When Captain Johnson heard this, he sighed. "Janson, why do I feel like Nora is too unreliable? Do you really believe she can revive people?"
Janson swallowed. For some reason, he recalled Quentin¡¯s appearance from earlier. He suddenly said, "Perhaps? Uncle Johnson, for my father¡¯s sake, I want her to try."
"...Okay, I respect your choice."
In the special department, Captain Johnson hung up the phone. He walked back and forth in the office, looking out the door from time to time.
He looked deep in thought.
He had originally refused to believe that the gene serum could create a medical miracle.
But why did she suddenly feel a little reliable now...
What if? What if Nora really cured Old Terry¡¯s illness? What should he do?!
Chapter 581: Justin’s Brilliant Power
Chapter 581: Justin¡¯s Brilliant Power
Captain Johnson¡¯s original certainty suddenly turned to uncertainty, making him a little vexed.
He told himself not to be nervous as he walked around the room.
His rationality told him that no one could revive a person from the dead. Old Terry was already brain dead. Even if he had been injected with a gene serum, it was impossible for him to survive.
On the other hand, he had seen too much in the special department and knew how strong those people had be after being injected with the gene serum.
Once, their team had arrested a woman. After she was injected with a gene serum, she became extremely strong. He had seen with his own eyes that the woman had picked up a 150-kilogram object easily and thrown it into the distance...
The more he learned about it, the more he respected that gene serum.
Captain Johnson suddenly took a deep breath and sat in his chair.
At the door, Ruth knocked.
Captain Johnson said, "Come in."
After Ruth entered and saw him, she asked, "Captain Johnson, you don¡¯t look too good. What¡¯s wrong? Is there anything I can help you with?"
Ruth¡¯s arm was still wrapped in a bandage.
Captain Johnson¡¯s gaze swept across the wound before he sighed. "I¡¯m just thinking about Nora¡¯s gene serum. Can it really save people?"
When Ruth heard this, she narrowed her eyes.
After a while, she said, "Captain Johnson, you might not know, but gene serum is really too popr in the underworld. This serum can improve human genes and make humans perfect. However, the amount of gene serum produced by that mysterious organization is too little. Normal people can¡¯t even get in line."
With that, she pretended to hit her mouth. "Look at my mouth. What I mean is, you have to keep Miss Smith¡¯s gene serum a secret. Otherwise, who knows how many people woulde fighting over it!"
Her words made Captain Johnson narrow his eyes.
After saying a few more perfunctory words to Ruth, Captain Johnson asked her to leave.
However, after Ruth left, he immediately took out his phone and logged into a foreign forum. There, he posted: "Gic drugs can be used as life-saving medicine, they can even revive people!"
At the bottom of this thread, it exined in detail that Nora had extracted the gene serum from the prisoner and decided to use it on her already disabled rtive.
The drug would also be administered to a severely injured colleague. But it would have to wait three days.
Immediately after the post went online, many anonymous people immediately asked if this was true. One person even asked Johnson personally.
Austin: "Is the news reliable?"
When Captain Johnson saw who it was, he was instantly excited.
Austin was the most powerful underground boss in the UK. He dominated the UK and was not afraid of anyone!
Since he had taken a liking to the gene serum, he would definitely spend a high price to snatch it! With him around, even the Assassin Alliance might not be able to withstand!
Captain Johnson replied: "I guarantee it¡¯s true! They¡¯re doing experiments in the hospital as we speak!"
He was afraid that Old Terry would wake up, but he could not let anything happen at this time. Since he could not do it himself, why not use someone else to kill him?
There were countless organizations in the world. He would let those people be enemies with Nora as he sat still and reaped the benefits!
Captain Johnson felt that his n was absolutely perfect.
Austin replied casually: "I want this gene serum."
He was openly dering his sovereignty under the post, also warning those small organizations not to try if they did not have the ability!
When Captain Johnson saw this, he instantly heaved a sigh of relief.
Since Austin had said so, their organization would definitely send someone.
This time, Nora¡¯s matter was over!
However, he did not know that his actions were being monitored by someone who had witnessed the entire conversation.
The ck-and-white office was filled with low-key luxury.
Justin sat behind the desk, his dark and long eyes staring at the thread. Then, he slowly lowered his head and his long fingers casually tapped on the sofa.
Lawrence, who was standing beside him, was indignant. "Mr. Hunt, this Austin is not to be trifled with. Although their organization is as famous as the Assassin Alliance, Austin never keeps his word. He¡¯s much more terrifying than Karl Moore! Miss Smith is in big trouble now!"
However, Sean said, "Do you want to help? Mr. Hunt, now is the perfect time for you to be a hero and save the beauty!"
Lawrence rolled his eyes at Sean and said nervously, "You talk too much. I¡¯m the one handling Mr. Hunt¡¯s romantic matters. Do you have any experience?"
Sean: "No, what do you think we should do?"
Lawrence smiled. "We have to save the damsel in distress, of course!"
Sean: "...How is this different from what I said earlier?"
Lawrence said, "Of course there¡¯s a difference! The hero saving the damsel in distress has to wait until Austines to New York. When Miss Smith is in danger, the hero will save the damsel in distress in our own territory! This would make Miss Smith rely on Boss..."
Before he could finish speaking, he saw that Justin had already opened a drawer and taken out an encrypted phone to prevent tracking. He called Austin.
At the same time, in the Smiths, Ian was contacting Austin.
The call had just been connected when Ian said, "Austin, Nora is my daughter. You have to give up on the gene serum this time."
Austin sneered and replied, "Stop me if you can."
Ian narrowed her eyes. "I know you¡¯re very strong, but this is New York. The Smiths have not been living in retirement all these years!"
Austin¡¯s tone was still light. "I know that your family has power and influence in New York. The Smiths can scare others, but you¡¯re not qualified to scare me, my dear!"
Ian was extremely angry. "Are you really not afraid of the Smiths?"
Austin smiled. "I¡¯m really am not."
After a moment of silence, Ian said again, "Aren¡¯t you afraid of the Hunts?"
Austin still smiled gently. "Are the Hunts any different from the Smiths?"
When Ian heard this, his deep eyes narrowed.
He had always suspected that Justin was somehow behind the underworld forces in the UK... That was why he had deliberately mentioned the Hunts in front of Austin. But Austin¡¯s tone seemed unaffected even after the mention of the Hunts. Either his guess was wrong, or Austin did not know who the real boss was!
Could it be that Ian was overthinking? Justin actually did not have that much power overseas?
As he was thinking, Austin¡¯s phone suddenly received another call on the second line.
Austin said, "Smith, if that¡¯s all, I¡¯m hanging up. See you in New York~"
With that, he hung up.
Austin pursed his lips.
The two families only lorded over New York, but what were they overseas?
With that in mind, he looked at his phone. The called ID was nk.
Chapter 582: Is Austin Coming?!
Chapter 582: Is Austin Coming?!
Austin narrowed his eyes.
His phone was also protected. Logically speaking, unknown numbers should not be able to reach his phone. But now, his phone was ringing.
Austin was silent for a moment before picking up his phone and answering the call.
A pure British ent came from the other end of the line. "You¡¯re too bold, Austin."
That voice...
Austin stood up in shock. He swallowed and asked tentatively, "Mr. King?"
The voice on the other end was low as if it came straight from hell. It made Austin feel like someone had poured a bucket of ice water on his head in the middle of summer. "It¡¯s me."
Austin hurriedly said, "Mr. King, I don¡¯t know what I¡¯ve done to make you call me personally?"
His mind was racing, he was afraid that he would anger him if he was any slower. "Is it that gene serum? Do you want it too?"
The other party: "...Scram."
Austin: "Okay, I understand. I¡¯ll immediately cancel all the flights to New York... I guarantee I won¡¯t appear in New York anytime soon!"
"Beep, beep, beep..."
The call ended.
It was only then that Austin realized that his entire body was drenched in a cold sweat as if he had just been scooped out of water. He looked ahead in surprise and muttered to himself in confusion, "Mr. King is also after the gene serum? If he wanted the gene serum, he only to say the word and the other party would have obediently given it to him, right? Besides, why would Mr. King need such a thing?"
Austin was very puzzled, but he did not dare to ask anything else.
One of his subordinates asked, "Are we still leaving?"
Austin kicked him. "For what? Do you want to die?"
¡ª
In the country.
After Ian hung up the phone, he thought for a while and finally called Joel. He asked him to send all the people from the Smiths¡¯ dark forces to protect Nora at the hospital.
After speaking to Joel, Ian was silent for a while but remained worried.
Austin was too terrifying. He was the worst at keeping his promises. Furthermore, he was ruthless. Ian was afraid that the Smiths would not be able to withstand his attacks.
At this critical moment, Ian put down his prejudice against Justin and called him.
Justin picked up quickly. "Mr. Smith, what¡¯s the matter?"
Ian coughed. "You must have seen the post on the foreign forum by now, right? Austin ising to snatch Nora¡¯s medicine. Although I don¡¯t know what it is, Austin is a little difficult to deal with. I¡¯m worried about Nora¡¯s safety. The Smiths¡¯ men are already on their way to the hospital..."
He suddenly could not say anything about asking the Hunts to send someone out.
He was pleading, after all.
However, before he could think of a way to say it, he heard Justin say, "I have 81 bodyguards here. I¡¯ll personally guard outside the hospital. Is that okay?"
Hearing this, for the first time, Ian felt that this son-inw seemed pretty good.
He coughed again. "Yes. I¡¯ll be more at ease if you guard it personally."
Justin said politely, "I¡¯m still young, after all. There are some things I couldn¡¯t do well, so I still need your guidance. This time, you¡¯ll be themander, and I¡¯ll listen to your orders. How about that?"
He was showing weakness.
It also made Ian lower his guard against him for the first time.
In the end, Justin was only a man who had just fallen in love. He shouldn¡¯t be that dangerous, right?
Ian said, "Okay, sure. Then listen to the arrangements."
"No problem."
¡ª
Justin hung up the phone. Lawrence shouted from the side, "Boss, how can you not let Miss Smith know that you¡¯re the one actually saving her?"
Sean also looked at Justin.
Justin touched his nose. The mole under his eye flickered, and a sly look appeared in his eyes. "If I¡¯d done something Ian couldn¡¯t, do you think he¡¯d still be at ease handing Nora to me?"
Justin had suddenly understood Ian¡¯s thoughts.
Thinking about it, if he were to find a husband for Cherry in the future, he definitely would not want her husband to be too powerful. He only hoped that Cherry would be happy and healthy and could find a reliable person to take care of her for the rest of her life.
The more capable a man was, the grander his ambitions. Such a man would be all the more difficult to control.
If Cherry¡¯s husband was stronger than him, how could he help Cherry take revenge if he bullied her in the future?
Therefore, the best way was to prevent Cherry¡¯s boyfriend from having the ability to overpower him!
Therefore, not only could he not follow Lawrence¡¯s instructions and show off his abilities, but he also had to keep a low profile and make Ian put down his guard against him.
Justin stood up and walked out.
Lawrence asked, "Boss, where are you going?"
Justin turned around. "The hospital, of course. Didn¡¯t I promise Ian that I would guard Nora?"
Lawrence was confused.
Austin did not dare toe!
However, before he could finish speaking, Justin had already strode out the door.
¡ª
Austin wasing.
This news made Captain Johnson excited and he was constantly paying attention to the movements outside.
The next morning, there was still no news from the hospital.
Captain Johnsonforted himself. It would take 12 hours for Austin to fly from the UK to New York. He must not be here yet!
At noon the next day, there was still no news of him at the hospital. Everything was unbelievably stable.
Captain Johnson could only continue tofort himself. Austin had arrived in New York, and he definitely needed to rest. He could not do anything without the proper preparation.
However, by the morning of the third day, Austin still hadn¡¯t shown up!
Captain Johnson could not sit still.
He walked around the room. He, who had not slept the entire night, had serious dark circles under his eyes. He even went online and sent a message to Austin: "You didn¡¯te?"
Austin replied: "Are you looking for death? Scram!"
Johnson: "???"
He looked at Austin¡¯s reply on the screen in a daze. Was Austin really not here?
He said he woulde, and then posted ament that frightened others so much that they did not dare to jump in. But in the end, Austin still did note? Why?!
Captain Johnson abruptly stood up.
He wanted to rush to the hospital, but hisst remaining rationality calmed him down.
Don¡¯t be anxious, don¡¯t be anxious...
What if that gene serum was useless? He definitely could not fall into Nora¡¯s trap!
At this moment, Janson called. His voice was a little dull. "Captain Johnson!"
He was choking on his tears as he spoke.
Captain Johnson heaved a sigh of relief and hurriedly said, "Did the experiment fail? Nora¡¯s brother didn¡¯t stand up, right? Like I said, using the gene serum to treat illnesses is impossible! But Janson, don¡¯t be too depressed. Life and death are determined..."
At this point, Janson interrupted him. "No, Captain Johnson, that¡¯s not what I meant. I called you to tell you... It worked! Quentin has stood up!"
Chapter 583: Quentin stood up!
Chapter 583: Quentin stood up!
Captain Johnson¡¯s pupils constricted as he looked ahead in a daze. "What did you say? He stood up?"
"Yes!" Janson could not hide the excitement in his voice. "You know Quentin¡¯s previous situation. All his bones were broken, but three days after he was injected with the gene serum, he stood up!"
Captain Johnson swallowed.
He really stood up.
If the gene serum could revive broken bones, then could it also revive damaged brain cells? Therefore, Old Terry had a cure?
Captain Johnson¡¯s mind exploded.
If Old Terry woke up, everything he had done would be exposed.
No¡ªthis was all part of their scheme. Quentin could not have stood up.
"Uncle Johnson, this is really a medical miracle that I¡¯ve seen. It¡¯s simply too awesome. I didn¡¯t expect the effect to be so good. Three days... only three days! Quentin stood up. If my father is injected with the drug, can he wake up? Uncle Johnson, Uncle Johnson? Are you listening?"
"I¡¯m listening." Captain Johnson came back to his senses. "I¡¯lle to the hospital immediately."
"Okay."
After hanging up, Captain Johnson got up, put on his jacket, and drove straight to the hospital.
"Screech!"
Captain Johnson¡¯s car stopped outside the door. He got out of the car and ran to the VIP ward.
At a distance, Justin sat in the front passenger seat of a car. After watching Captain Johnson enter, he turned around and looked at the back seat.
Nora was lying there to catch up on her sleep. She had a cap covering her face. She was hugging her arms, and her long legs were slightly bent in the cramped seat.
The moment he turned back, Nora¡¯s cold and hoarse voice was heard. "He¡¯s here?"
"He just went in."
Justin said calmly, "Go to sleep. I¡¯ll keep an eye on him."
"Okay," Nora repliedzily. It seemed like she didn¡¯t even have the strength to speak.
No one knew that she had not slept at all for the past three days.
To outsiders, Quentin had only taken an injection of gene serum and recovered slowly. However, no one knew how much she had done in private...
Nora was usually not very energetic and only relied on sleeping to replenish her energy. At the time, she had been awake for three consecutive days. She walked out of the hospital with dark circles under her eyes. When she saw Justin¡¯s car, she climbed inside without a word and fell down.
Justin did not dare to move, afraid that if he did, he would make a rubbing sound that would disturb her. When he saw the woman¡¯s exhausted expression, his heart ached.
Usually, this woman even felt that her dates dyed her sleep, let alone three days of sleepless nights?
He was really worried that Nora would sleep for 72 hours likest time!
However, she seemed to know that she had unfinished business. Therefore, even though she was lying there, she was still paying attention to the outside?
As Justin thought this, he saw Nora suddenly remove her hat and rub her slightly greasy hair. She said in a slightly frustrated tone, "Forget it, I can¡¯t sleep."
With that, she opened the car door, put on her cap, and walked to the hospital.
Her legs seemed to have lost strength as she walked, and her dragging footsteps became more and more intense. Furthermore, her face was cold, and her entire body was filled with an aura that stopped others froming close.
Justin got out of the car and was about to follow when he suddenly heard Cherry¡¯s familiar voice. "Mommy ~"
Justin subconsciously turned his head and saw Cherry getting out of Sean¡¯s car and running over.
Nora also stopped in her tracks.
"Mommy, I miss you so much! I haven¡¯t seen you in days. I miss you so much!"
Cherry ran over to Nora and reached out with her small little hand. Just as she was about to speak, Nora turned her face and looked at her.
The rest of Cherry¡¯s words were stuck in her throat. Her small body trembled forcefully. Then, her hand moved in a different direction, and her words became, "Daddy, hug~"
Justin: "..."
He lowered his head and carried her up. He saw Nora ring at him and walking forward.
Cherry stayed obediently in Justin¡¯s arms until Nora was far away. Then, she leaned into Justin¡¯s ear and asked softly, "How long has Mommy been awake?"
"72 hours."
Justin replied.
"Tsk..." Cherry gasped. "It¡¯s over. ording to my understanding of Mommy, she¡¯s at the nuclear stage!"
Justin: "??"
Cherry struggled to get down.
Justin put her down. Perhaps it was their actions that made Nora turn her head around again.
Cherry immediately said seriously, "Mommy, I suddenly remembered I haven¡¯t finished my homework. I¡¯ll go back with Uncle Sean now."
Nora¡¯s face was expressionless. Her almond-shaped eyes looked at her. After a full three seconds, she finally nodded.
Cherry immediately felt like she had been pardoned. She said to Justin, "Daddy, good luck." Then, she ran over to Sean happily.
Justin: "..."
This little smartass saw Nora¡¯s cranky mood and quickly slipped away!
Justin shook his head and followed beside Nora. Then, he reached out and hugged her waist.
When his hand touched her, he could clearly feel her body stiffen. A violent aura lingered around her as if a storm was about to descend.
Nora was really going crazy.
Other women had strange personalities during their periods and would explode easily at the slightest annoyance, but she did not. She usually did not care about others.
It was only when she could not sleep enough that the slightest displeasure could drive her crazy.
At this moment, no one dared to approach her.
When this man¡¯s hand was ced on her waist, Nora felt that a wave of evil fire seemed to have found a way to vent out. However, when she turned her head, the man¡¯s refreshing aura came over. It actually made her feel like a volcano had touched a stream of icy water. All her frustration was suppressed by the silent and refreshing aura.
Nora pursed her lips and sniffed hard.
The man reached out and took off her cap. He stroked her hair as if he was stroking fur. Nora was like a wild cat about to explode. Her temper was slowly soothed.
Perhaps it was because she had just taken a nap in the car?
Nora suddenly felt like she was not that tired anymore.
She then strode toward the VIP ward.
Outside the ward.
Captain Johnson still did not believe that Quentin could stand up. Janson might have been deceived by Nora. He had to see it with his own eyes.
He and Janson arrived outside Quentin¡¯s ward and looked in through the ss window.
He saw Quentin holding the table beside him with difficulty and moving his feet bit by bit...
Chapter 584: Johnson Gives Himself Away!
Chapter 584: Johnson Gives Himself Away!
Although every step he took was terribly shaky and fraught with great difficulty, he had indeed managed to stand!
Countless fine beads of perspiration formed on his forehead.
Lily was helping him up at the side. "You have only just recovered, you mustn¡¯t overdo it. Go back and lie down after another two steps!"
"Heh, only weak people wouldn¡¯t be able to get up and walk around immediately after they recover. Don¡¯t forget that I was the third-best fighter in the martial arts scene in New York before I got hurt!"
Quentin was clearly so tired that even his voice had be weak, but the things he said were still as stubborn andpetitive as before.
Lily¡¯s lip corners spasmed. "Fine, you¡¯re the third-best fighter in the world, okay? Even so, you still have to rest more!"
"... I¡¯ll walk another round."
Quentin, who refused to listen, continued to move about. Then, he said, "You don¡¯t know how tired of lying in bed I¡¯ve been all this time!"
He looked at Lily, grinned, and said, "Don¡¯t be fooled by how trusting I was of Nora before this. To be honest, I wasn¡¯t confident of it myself, either. I had also been worried at that time and wondered what I should do if I really can¡¯t stand again?"
This was a rare asion where Lily was actually hearing him confessing his true thoughts, so she didn¡¯t diss him.
But unexpectedly, Quentin then said, "If that happened, the martial arts scene would have suffered too great a loss!"
Lily: "???"
Quentin didn¡¯t notice Lily¡¯s surprise at all. He was still going on by himself. "Now that I¡¯ve recovered, I have to make full use of the time I have to rehabilitate. There are so many people waiting for me! I also have to continue with my martial arts practice. One day, I will defeat N... I mean, Big Sister!"
He had almost blurted out the fact that Nora was Big Sister again.
Lily: "..."
Lily was filled with a sense of resignation. She walked up to Quentin, sighed heavily, and said, "I¡¯ve treated so many patients with Anti, but I really haven¡¯t met anyone like you my whole life!"
Quentin looked at her. Even though he was as pale as a sheet, and the fine beads on his forehead had condensed into drops of sweat trickling down his cheeks, his eyes nevertheless still lit up. "Someone as handsome and talented as I am?"
"... No, someone as groundlessly confident as you are!"
"..."
While the two were bickering, Quentin hadpleted another round.
Outside the door, Johnson and Janson looked at each other.
Johnson asked in astonishment, "Was he really paralyzed just a few days ago?"
"Yes, he was." Janson whispered, "I held and pressed his joints before the operation. They were all soft and broken... Although they haven¡¯t fully healed yet, they are on the way to recovery."
Janson¡¯s eyes flushed with excitement. "Dr. Smith has already told me that it really is possible for my father to regain consciousness!"
Johnson took a deep breath.
He suddenly said, "Janson, have you really thought this through? Are you really going to let your father use the gene serum? It¡¯s only been three days! What can you really see in just three days? What if there are aftereffects? Also, is the use of the gene serum really legal? Have you ever considered all this?"
Upon hearing what he said, Janson took a deep breath and said solemnly, "Uncle Johnson, I know you are someone who takes rules and regtions very seriously, but this time, I would like to fight for my father¡¯s sake."
He clenched his jaw and said, "When my father was first gone, I felt like I was dreaming. It was very unreal and all I wanted was to avenge him. But during thest three days, I¡¯ve thought about it countless times. If there is any way I can help Dad regain consciousness, I will try it without a second thought! Because he did not leave us even a word before he died. If I can get him to wake up for a short while, even if it¡¯s just for him to bid farewell to us, my mother won¡¯t be so sad anymore, right?
"Uncle Johnson, you will support me, right?"
Johnson¡¯s eyes flickered and he said, "Why wouldn¡¯t I? Even I didn¡¯t get to properly bid farewell to Terry, let alone you! Everything had happened so quickly that day!"
He sighed bitterly and said, "I was too worked up afterward as well, and insisted on avenging him. If Morris hadn¡¯t stopped me, I might have killed Karl on the spot!"
Speaking of Karl, Janson became agitated. "Is Captain Ford still defending him?"
Janson had been watching over Terry in the hospital thest three days, so he hadn¡¯t had time to confront Karl yet.
"Sigh!" Johnson pretended to sigh. Then, he said, "You¡¯re on good terms with Mark, right? I heard that he went to the interrogation room to punch Karl and take revenge for you. But Captain Ford detained him before even before he could hit him! He even told him to reflect on his actions and write a report!"
"What?"
Janson clenched his fists in anger. "Just what exactly has Karl done to brainwash Captain Ford that he would defend him so much?!"
Johnson nodded. "Exactly! Captain Ford has been refusing to put Karl on trial. I really don¡¯t know what he¡¯s thinking. Poor Mark, though, he¡¯s still locked up right now."
Janson became furious and indignant. "Captain Ford has really be muddleheaded! He has never done this before. He is really disappointing me this time!"
After making use of the opportunity to paint a bad picture of Morris, Johnson said, "It¡¯d be for the best if Terry can wake up. Otherwise, we won¡¯t be able to cement Karl¡¯s charges. Captain Ford will probably use the excuse of insufficient evidence to release him!"
Janson clenched his fists tightly.
At this time, the sound of footsteps traveled over from a distance away. The two looked over to see Morris and Nora walking over.
Nora was apanied by a big and tall man. Although he fell behind by a few steps, it was impossible for anyone to ignore him. It was none other than Justin.
Morris asked, "Janson, how is your father doing?"
Janson sneered, "Do you even care how my father is doing, Captain Ford? Shouldn¡¯t you be more concerned about Karl¡¯s safety instead? Why aren¡¯t you staying by his side in the special department anymore?"
Upon hearing what he said, Morris kept quiet.
Nora, however, narrowed her eyes. Her gaze swept across Johnson and Janson impatiently and she asked, "So, do you want to treat your father¡¯s illness now?"
Janson nodded at once. "Yes!"
Although he didn¡¯t like Nora either¡ªafter all, Nora and Karl were on very close terms¡ªshe was the only one who could treat his father now.
With the box in her hand, Nora walked past Janson and entered the ward where Terry was.
Everyone went into the room one by one.
Johnson, who was at the end of the line, looked into the distance from time to time.
Justin raised his eyebrows and asked, "Waiting for someone, Captain Johnson?"
His one-liner made everyone look over.
Johnson immediately replied, "No, I¡¯m not."
In spite of that, he became a little anxious.
Why weren¡¯t the people from the inspection unit here yet?!
His brows drew together and he followed the others into the ward. Then, he saw Nora open the metal box. Right at this moment! The sound of footsteps suddenly traveled over from afar.
About seven to eight people rushed into the ward. The person leading the team said, "Morris Ford! We have received news that someone is conducting human experiments in the hospital! Such actions are absolutely prohibited! I demand that all of you stop what you are doing at once!"
Chapter 585: Cranky Nora Slaps Them In The Face!
Chapter 585: Cranky Nora ps Them In The Face!
The gene serum was the purpose of the special department¡¯s existence itself!
Yet not only had the special department not been able to catch the culprits behind the gene serum, but they were instead conducting human experiments of their own?
This must never be allowed!
The purpose of the inspection unit¡¯s existence was to keep Morris under strict control.
Morris frowned when he heard him.
Janson spoke up at once. "We are not conducting human experiments with the serum. We are trying to save a life!"
The people from the inspection unit replied, "No, you can¡¯t do that! This needs further investigation! Someone has given us a signed tip-off saying that you people are conducting human experiments here in an attempt to turn the gene serum into medicine. You must stop such behavior at once!"
Janson was dumbfounded. "A signed tip-off?"
Justin immediately looked at Johnson. He was expressionless, but in his eyes was a look of clear understanding as though he had seen through everything. He said, "Captain Johnson has been waiting for someone the whole time. Might they be who he was waiting for? How did you know that they woulde, Captain Johnson?"
His words made Janson look at Johnson incredulously. "Uncle Johnson?"
Johnson had originally wanted to refuse, but if he had given the tip-off anonymously, the people from the inspection unit wouldn¡¯t be able toe so quickly. He had no other choice, so his name had gone onto the records.
As such, he could only admit to it. He sighed and said, "I am doing this for your own good, Janson! Do you know what you are doing? Do you know how fearsome the gene serum is? How many people have died because of it? How many victims of human experiments have died because of it? It¡¯s a poison itself! You mustn¡¯t use it!"
Janson panicked. "Uncle Johnson, you saw it yourself! Quentin Smith managed to get back onto his feet! There¡¯s hope for my father now!"
Johnson shook his head and sighed. "It¡¯s useless. Even if it really works, you can only use it after it has gone through the inspection unit¡¯s checks. You can¡¯t use it on someone without going through the proper channels!"
He adopted a righteous attitude and said, "Have you forgotten how much your father abhorred the gene serum? If he was conscious, do you think he would agree to you using it?"
Then, he looked at Morris and said, "And you, too. As the leader of the special department, how can you allow your subordinates to mess around? This has to be strictly rejected!"
A cold Morris suddenly sneered, "Captain Johnson, is it really because of these pretentious reasons that you¡¯re so opposed to this? Or is it because you¡¯re scared?! Scared that Terry will regain consciousness?"
Johnson choked on his breath.
Janson turned to him abruptly.
Johnson immediately said, "Janson, you must trust me!"
Janson, however, kept quiet.
At this point, the people from the inspection unit walked up to Morris and said, "We need to understand what is going on right now. Please cooperate with us! Captain Ford, are you aware that Nora Smith is intending to use the gene serum to treat Terry?"
Morris looked at Nora.
Nora raised her brows. Although she rarely socialized with others, she knew that Morris would probably be held ountable for the incident if he responded affirmatively.
Thus, before Morris could speak, she said, "This has nothing to do with him. I¡¯m the one who wanted to use the gene serum to treat the patient and save his life."
The person from the inspection unit looked at her at once. He frowned and said, "Ms. Smith, in that case, are you aware that your actions could have severe repercussions? Your serum does not have sufficient experimental data to support its use. By rashly using it on a human, you are undoubtedly ignoring several medical principles!"
Nora raised her brows.
Before she could say anything, Janson¡¯s eyes suddenly reddened. "It¡¯s not her fault, I asked her to do it! I want to save my father!"
The person from the inspection unit shook his head. "You are also at fault, but the main responsibility is not yours. We will definitely pursue this to the very end!"
Nora had already unsealed the bottle of gene serum in her hand. She was still holding the syringe as well.
Janson stared at Terry on the bed. During thest few days, Terry¡¯s vitals had been weakening further and further. Should the inspection unit¡¯s investigations take a few days toplete, by the time they are done investigating everything, Terry would probably die, regardless of whether or not they granted them permission to use the gene serum.
Three days... ording to what Nora had said, that was the longest Terry could survive for!
Janson felt a lump of frustration stuck in his throat, unable to go up or down.
He had indeed made a mistake, but he just wanted to save his father. Even Quentin¡¯s condition was improving, so why couldn¡¯t he inject his father with the gene serum?!
The person from the inspection unit said sternly, "Quentin Smith¡¯s condition is improving at the moment, but whether or not he really will recover, as well as what kind of aftereffects he may suffer are unknown. The gene serum has not even been tested on animals before. Therefore, ording to the regtions, it is prohibited to inject humans with it! Besides, the gene serum is a strictly controlled substance. Everything involving the drug is against thew! Despite that, you¡¯re still knowingly breaking thew, which makes what you¡¯re doing even more of a muddleheaded move! All of you are to cooperate with us and follow us back to the station for the investigation now!"
Janson was close to tearing up. "No, I can¡¯t..."
He turned to Morris. "Captain Ford, what should I do? What should I do now?"
The medicine that could save his father was clearly within sight, so why couldn¡¯t they use it?
Just as he was in tears and Morris was also at a loss, he suddenly heard an impatient and disgusted voice.
"Why are you crying? Can you even call yourself a man?"
Janson choked on his sobs.
His head whipped towards the back abruptly to see Nora still calmly standing where she was. Her arm was outstretched, and she had already inserted the needle into the bottle of gene serum. Then, she drew the remaining half of the bottle¡¯s contents into the syringe.
Seeing what she was doing, Johnson panicked at once. He shouted, "Nora Smith, what are you doing?"
Nora stared at the syringe in her hand. She pushed the syringe plunger with her fair fingers and cleanly expelled all the air inside. Then, her cat-like eyes turned to Janson and Morris frostily and she said only three words: "Hold them back."
Then, she strode towards the bed.
Janson and Morris were dumbfounded.
It was only when the people from the inspection unit reacted, yelled for Nora to stop what she was doing, and were about to rush over to snatch the syringe from her that Janson and Morris finally recovered from their daze.
The two hurriedly stopped in front of Nora and blocked her from them. "I¡¯m not letting you over!"
Chaos broke out in the ward at once.
The sound of people pushing one another, loud arguing, and angry yells rang out one after another as though they were about to blow the roof off.
Amidst the fierce dispute, Nora took step after step towards Terry and walked up to him. Then, she lowered her head and plunged the needle into the blood vessel in Terry¡¯s arm.
She looked behind her at Johnson and the people from the inspection unit, whom Janson and Morris were keeping outside the door. Then, she exchanged a look with Justin, who was standing leisurely in front of her. After that, she slowly pushed the end of the syringe and injected the gene serum into Terry.
"..."
The inspection unit had more people on their side, after all, so they ultimately managed to break through Janson and Morris¡¯ defenses and rushed into the ward.
However, what entered their sight was instead Nora slowly pulling out the needle and pressing an alcohol-soaked cotton ball against the skin.
After crankily finishing all she had to do, she finally tossed the disposable syringe into the trash can. Then, she looked at the people from the inspection unit and Johnson. "Were you asking me to cooperate with you just now? Okay, I will fully cooperate with the investigation now."
"..."
Chapter 586: It’s Being Repaired!!
Chapter 586: It¡¯s Being Repaired!!
"You people! All of you are too arrogant!"
Never would Johnson have ever expected that Nora would solve the problem in such a simple and crude manner in front of the members of the inspection unit.
Was she not at all concerned about getting in trouble?
She was too much!
Johnson looked straight at the people from the inspection unit and pointed at Morris and Nora. "Did you guys see that? That is exactly how Captain Ford operates! Everything he does is utterly nonpliant with the rules and regtions! Also, they have stolen what they are supposed to be guarding! How can they extract the gene serum from patients?! What makes them any different from the members of the mysterious organization?!"
An indignant Johnson criticized them usingly.
The people from the inspection unit looked at the bed and asked, "What do we do? Is it possible to still extract the serum that has been injected into him?"
Next to him, the lip corners of the doctor who hade along with them spasmed. "Of course not," he replied.
After the man spoke, he craned his neck and nced at the bed. Then, he said, "Terry¡¯s condition is simply too serious, though. It is near-impossible for anyone to take a bullet through the temples and survive.
"Never mind, let¡¯s just take them back with us for now and take our time to investigate!"
There was nothing the people from the inspection unit could do, either. They could only look at Morris, Nora, and Janson and say, "The three of you, please follow us back to the station to assist in the investigation!"
Janson looked at his father. He wanted to say something, but Morris suddenly said, "Terry is here on hisst breath. Let Janson stay, I wille with you instead."
Terry had gotten injured while on duty, so everyone in the department felt a lot of heartache for him. Upon hearing what he said, after a moment¡¯s consideration, the group of them said to Janson, "You can stay in the hospital and observe your father¡¯s condition for now. However, you are not allowed to leave the hospital, and you must also make sure that you are avable whenever we summon you!"
Gratitude welled up in Janson in this instant.
He looked at Morris and thought of how Johnson had called him unkind just now just because he had detained Mark, who had tried to punish Karl for his sake...
But as it turned out, deep down, Captain Ford understood everything better than anyone else.
Janson¡¯s resentment towards Morris for defending Karl all this time disappeared.
With his eyes red, he nodded. "Okay! Thank you, Captain Ford!"
Morris patted him on the shoulder quietly. Then, he looked at Nora. Just as he was about to speak, Nora yawned and said, "I will cooperate with the investigation."
Morris breathed a sigh of relief.
He was really afraid that the woman would leave the hospital in a moment of pique and end up getting into a conflict with the people from the inspection unit.
After all, she tended to employ unorthodox methods and was often defiant of authority.
While he was thinking about it, he heard Justin next to him suddenly say, "Excuse me, but where will you be taking them to? How long will the investigation be? Also, can they bring their own bedding?"
Upon hearing this, Morris¡¯ heart lifted slightly and he felt some inexplicable joy. A momentter, sure enough, he heard the people from the inspection unit hesitate for a moment before they replied, "Yes, they can."
"Alright, I will make some preparations, then."
Thus, half an hourter, when Morris and Nora got out of the inspection unit¡¯s car together, they immediately saw a group of attendants standing in front of the entrance to the special department.
Two of the attendants were carrying a 6 feet mattress. Some were carrying pillows and some were carrying quilts. All of them were standing there respectfully.
Justin did not take the same car as them, but he was also standing there calmly. When he saw them, he waved at the person who had led the inspection unit during the operation and said, "Hi~"
Everyone: "..."
Morris stared at Justin, and then nced at Nora who couldn¡¯t stop yawning. It seemed like she couldn¡¯t even keep her eyes open anymore. All of a sudden, he felt really good.
How frustrated he had felt when those two treated him this way thest time was how happy he currently was.
Because they had said that they could bring their own beddings¡ªafter all, Nora and Morris¡¯ actions were still under investigation, and both of them were talents from the special department¡ªthey couldn¡¯t request that they take the beddings back now, either. They could only watch helplessly as Justin entered the department with all the bedding.
He chose the most spacious interrogation room there, after all, if the room was too small, the big mattress wouldn¡¯t fit.
Then, they speedily transformed the interrogation room into a hotel room in just two minutes.
Nora entered and took off her shoes. Although she also felt that Justin¡¯s actions were a little exaggerated, she nevertheless obediently sat on the bed.
After that, someone from the inspection unit entered and said, "Ms. Nora Smith, please cooperate with us in the investigation. May I know if¡ª"
"Can I close my eyes and rest for a while?"
Nora suddenly spoke and interrupted the other party.
"... Yes, sure."
He assumed that she would just be napping for half an hour when she asked to "rest for a while", but unexpectedly... When he exited the room, he immediately saw Justin standing outside. He closed the door obediently and instructed, "She hasn¡¯t slept for three days. You can ask her your questions after she wakes up."
Although he didn¡¯t know how Justin had entered the inspection unit¡¯s premises¡ªafter all, strangers were not allowed entry¡ªthe man in charge of interrogating Nora nevertheless replied, "... Alright, I guess!"
They were all colleagues. He mustn¡¯t go too far!
And then...
He learned the meaning of the words "Queen of Sleep".
Five hourster, he came over and found that Justin had moved a chair over to the door. The man, who was sitting outside the door, shushed him.
Surprised, the interrogator asked, "She¡¯s still asleep?"
"Yes."
Justin sighed. "After all, my Nora forgets to even eat and sleep once she starts working. She doesn¡¯t know what rest is at all. Sigh!"
The corners of his lips spasmed. "Alright."
When he turned to leave, Justin suddenly said, "Um..."
When he turned back, Justin said, "Can you tell the people in the interrogation room next door to keep it down a little? The interrogation rooms here are not as soundproof as I¡¯d thought!"
"..."
¡ª
While Nora was dead to the world, the situation in the hospital was also changing.
With Morris temporarily taken away, Johnson became the provisional leader of the special department. He also stayed in the hospital and stood outside Terry¡¯s ward.
Five hours had passed. After checking and analyzing Terry¡¯s condition, the forensic doctor came out.
Johnson hurriedly asked, "How is he?"
He suppressed his nervousness.
He knew that there was no way Terry would survive. No matter how godly one¡¯s medical skills were, surely there was no way missing brain cells could be recovered, right?
But unexpectedly, the forensic doctor¡¯s brows drew together tightly, and then, with a fervent look on his face, he said, "It¡¯s too amazing! It¡¯s simply too amazing!"
A foreboding feeling welled up in Johnson. "What happened?"
The man replied, "Terry¡¯s brain cells are really recovering!!"
They were recovering?
Johnson was utterly stunned. He said incredulously, "What?"
The doctor took a deep breath and said, "Terry will really be able to wake up in another day¡¯s time!"
Chapter 587: Johnson Takes Action!
Chapter 587: Johnson Takes Action!
Johnson had always been someone who could keep himself calm.
From the start to the end, he had never believed that someone who had taken a bullet through the temples could survive.
That was why he had not done anything all this time. Neither would he leave behind any potential ckmail material for Nora.
However, things were starting to develop more and more bizarrely.
Even the inspection unit¡¯s forensic doctor was saying that Terry had a chance of regaining consciousness?
However, he mustn¡¯t panic.
Regaining consciousness did not mean that he would remember the past! Surely there was no way newly-grown brain cells would retain past memories, right?
He couldn¡¯t help asking, "Would he remember what had happened in the past?"
The forensic doctor replied, "One¡¯s memories are stored in the central nervous system. As long as the nerves are not destroyed, the memories could be retained. It all still depends on Terry¡¯s condition after he wakes up!"
Johnson was dumbfounded when he heard this.
The forensic doctor went back into the ward and continued to observe Terry¡¯s condition.
Johnson stood outside. Then, he suddenly turned and headed outside. When he was about to go down the stairs, he saw Lily supporting Quentin as he walked about in the corridor.
Shockingly enough, Quentin, whose body had been limp all over, could already walk a great distance without any help or stops.
Lily was even giving himpliments. She said, "Nice! Your recovery is progressing so fast!"
Quentin exined, "Yeah, I can feel my body repairing itself bit by bit every day. I can feel the bones growing, it¡¯s as if something is bubbling inside me... It¡¯s amazing! I¡¯d always known that Nora¡¯s medical skills were amazing, but I didn¡¯t expect them to be this good!"
Lily also nodded. "I finally understand why people are chasing after the gene serum. It¡¯s simply too amazing!"
"..."
Johnson kept walking downstairs as he listened to their conversation.
He lit up a cigarette downstairs in the hospital and started smoking, his emotions bing more and more irritable.
He extinguished the cigarette butt and tossed it into the trash can. Only then did he get into his car and make his way to the special department.
As soon as he stepped inside the special department, everyone there gathered around him. They looked at him and asked, "Captain Johnson, what happened to Captain Ford? Did he really vite the regtions?"
"Captain Johnson, shouldn¡¯t Mark be released by now?"
The attitude of the people in the department towards Johnson had clearly be a lot more enthusiastic than before, all just because Morris hadn¡¯t immediately taken revenge for Janson when the ident happened. This had made everyone unhappy with him.
Johnson smiled and replied, "He¡¯s fine, they are just trying to thoroughly investigate what had happened. All of you are also aware that Captain Ford¡¯s way of doing things is too nonpliant with the rules. Sigh! Alright, let¡¯s just free Mark for now! Also, you all shouldn¡¯t be gathering here. Go and do what you¡¯re supposed to be doing!"
Everyone nodded.
They wanted to say more, but Johnson had already entered his office. He took out another cigarette and started to smoke.
He was still waiting¡ªwaiting for further news from the hospital about Terry¡¯s condition. Brain damage could lead to many different scenarios. He couldn¡¯t take any risks yet!
After some time, it gradually turned dark outside.
Someone suddenly pushed open the door to Johnson¡¯s office. An excited Mark rushed in and said, "Johnson, I think Karl is about to be convicted of his crimes!"
Johnson was surprised. "What do you mean?"
Mark replied, "Janson just contacted me and said that Terry opened his eyes today! He obviously wanted to say something, but because he couldn¡¯t control his body yet, he couldn¡¯t speak. Janson also said that Terry will be able to speak after another day¡¯s time. When that happens, we will have a testimony! Let¡¯s see what Karl has to say after that!"
Panic entered Johnson¡¯s eyes, but he nevertheless feigned surprise and said, "Really? That¡¯s great!"
After Mark reported the "good news", he left the office.
Johnson stayed in the office for a while more. He suddenly extinguished the cigarette. A sharp look shed in his eyes. After that, he went out and called Mark over.
He instructed, "Interrogate Karl overnight and try your best to get him to confess to his crimes! This will be a gift for Terry once he wakes up!"
A fierce look appeared in Mark¡¯s eyes. "Don¡¯t worry, I will definitely get you a satisfactory oue!"
Johnson nodded. "I¡¯ll head to the hospital and watch over Terry, ??and strive to get a statement from him! This way, we¡¯ll be able to have Karl convicted as quickly as possible!"
"Yes, sir."
Johnson then went out and drove off. However, he did not go to the hospital. He stopped by a pharmacy and bought some drugs capable of instantly suffocating someone...
Chapter 588: A Big Meeting!
Chapter 588: A Big Meeting!
When Johnson arrived at the hospital, he found Janson asleep outside Terry¡¯s ward.
He looked around vigntly.
As a professional with many years of experience in the industry, he had been suspecting all this time that all of this was just a trap that Morris and Nora were trying to lure him into.
Even though the two of them had been taken away by the inspection unit, Johnson did not let his guard down in the least.
He had always been a perceptive, paranoid, and meticulous person. Otherwise, he would not have be Morris¡¯ mentor back then.
His rash, irritable, and upright personality on the surface was all just a disguise to establish a sense of harmlessness to the leaders above, so that he would be promoted quickly.
As facts had proven, he had indeed seeded.
That act of his had deceived a lot of people. All of them had let their guard down around him. In fact, the people involved in innumerable workce traps back then had all underestimated him because of his disguised carelessness, allowing him to makeebacks and turn defeat into victory.
Thus, even at this moment, Johnson¡¯s first reaction was not to enter the ward in a hurry and kill Terry, ??but to observe the surroundings.
With his years of experience and surprisingly sharp intuition, he made sure that there wasn¡¯t anyone watching him in the surroundings and that he wasn¡¯t being plotted against by anyone. Atst, he lightly pushed open the door to the ward and went in.
In the ward, Terry was lying on the bed. He had lost a lot of weight due to hisa over the past few days. His head was wrapped in white gauze, and he was unconscious, his eyes closed.
The first thing Johnson did was inspect the ward. Even after confirming that there weren¡¯t any surveince cameras there, he did not immediately inject the toxic chemicals into Terry. Instead, he observed his vitals.
His heart rate was maintained at a little past sixty and was very stable. Although it was a little slower than normal, it was still considered healthy.
The other numbers were also indeed very good, which indicated that Terry was alive and recovering.
The gene serum was indeed impressive.
With that in mind, Terry avoided all the angles that might allow one to photograph him, took out the deadly chemicals from his pocket, and injected them right into Terry.
He moved smoothly in one go without any hesitation whatsoever, fully exhibiting thepetency of a professional.
When he was done, he took a step back. Shortly after, the monitor emitted a sharp beep. He gave Janson a push before he even woke up. Then, he shouted, "Janson, quick,e over and take a look! What¡¯s the matter with Terry?"
Janson opened his eyes in a daze. Upon hearing the warning rm from the monitor, blood drained from his face. The hospital staff had also rushed over by then. Unfortunately, the heart rate monitor was only showing a straight line.
...
Terry was dead.
He had died a day after being injected with the gene serum. The cause of death was cardiac arrest, which seemed like a heart attack, yet also seemed like it was caused by the gene serum.
His body was taken away by the people from the inspection unit.
Janson was extremely dispirited. Never would he have thought things would turn out like this. Quentin was obviously still well and alive in the ward next door...
When news of the incident reached the special department, most of the colleagues felt their hearts sinking.
Johnson quickly returned to the department to counsel everyone. He sighed and said, "The gene serum was nothing good right from the start. Most people have lost their lives after being injected with it. I was already opposed to the idea back when Nora wanted to use it to treat Terry, but they simply refused to listen... And Morris, too. I really don¡¯t know how Nora managed to brainwash him so badly that he actually trusts her so much and goes along with her ridiculous actions!"
The others also sighed.
Janson stared at Johnson.
He had a suspicion in his heart, but he didn¡¯t know whether he should trust Johnson or not. Seemingly sensing his hostility, Johnson walked up to him and said, "Janson, you now understand why I tipped off the inspection unit, right? I really did it for Terry! The gene serum cannot be counted on at all! God knows how much Terry must have suffered during the past few days! I wonder if he could feel any pain when he was unconscious..."
As Johnson spoke, Janson¡¯s eyes reddened.
Johnson sighed and said, "For all his life, Terry had been at odds with the people behind the gene serum. I never expected that he would still have to suffer such torture before his death. Janson, can you understand my good intentions?"
Janson suddenly clenched his fists. Nevertheless, he replied sensibly, "Nora only used the gene serum in order to save my father¡¯s life, even though it failed in the end... The real murderer is Karl Moore!"
He said, "I request that we close the case and convict Karl as soon as possible!"
Johnson shook his head and sighed. After a while, he said, "The special department has the right to convict a criminal of their crimes, but the problem is that only the acting director has the right to do that! Now that Morris has been taken away by the inspection unit, no one in the department has the right to do that anymore!"
He frowned at once and said, "I wonder when the investigation into Morris will bepleted. Also, when will the new acting director be assigned?"
The moment he said that, Janson was slightly taken aback.
He, who was still in the throes of pain from losing his father, got the vague feeling that Johnson was bringing up the matter because he wanted to fight for power.
But before he could say anything, Mark, who was next to him, said angrily, "That¡¯s easy! We can jointly propose to remove Captain Ford from his post and then support Captain Johnson as the acting director in the interim! When that happens, you will be able to convict Karl of his crimes!"
Johnson frowned when he heard what he said. "That¡¯s... not quite a good idea, is it? Although Morris has done something muddleheaded, it was Nora who had deceived him..."
Mark immediately gritted his teeth and said, "Captain Ford has indeed be muddleheaded! The way he looks at Nora isn¡¯t right. For so many years, he has always been firm and impartial, but how many oundish things has he done for Nora? All I did was interrogate Karl for a short while the other time, yet he actually locked me up!"
Mark and Janson were best buddies. He often went over to their ce for meals. As his senior, Terry had also taught him a lot, and he had benefited a lot from his teachings.
That was why Mark was so worked up. He didn¡¯t even wait for Johnson to speak and immediately said, "A lot of people in the department think so too. Just wait for it, Captain Johnson, I¡¯ll take care of this!"
After speaking, Mark ran off.
Janson looked at him from the back, his eyes were all red.
¡ª
A dayter, the inspection unit came to the special department, nning to investigate the incident about Terry and also to announce the final oue.
As the incident had blown up a great deal in the special department, and also because Morris had gone against everyone¡¯s will to protect Karl, they had decided to hold a huge conference to resolve the matter.
Seeing everything going smoothly, Johnson finally rxed.
He felt that things were undoubtedly going very smoothly and there wouldn¡¯t be any unexpected issues.
Chapter 589: Old Terry Is Not Dead!!
Chapter 589: Old Terry Is Not Dead!!
Karl¡¯s case had already been reported to the organization. Many people knew about this matter, and it attracted wide attention.
Of course, this was still Captain Johnson¡¯s doing.
Morris was powerful and had umted a lot of connections over the years. After the incident, many people had spoken up for him and put pressure on the inspection unit.
The inspection unit had originally nned to let Morris be released early, but with Old Terry¡¯s death along with Captain Johnson¡¯s actions, it was not appropriate to let him go.
After all, if they were to forcefully let him go now, it would probably arouse the displeasure of the crowd.
Therge conference room of the special department could amodate a hundred people.
All the staff members of the special department were present.
Morris had broken thew and helped Nora give Old Terry the gene serum. This matter was going to be judged today.
After all, Morris¡¯s actions at that time were to save people, so the inspection unit did not know how to punish him.
At this moment, the meeting room was fully packed.
Most of the people inside were divided into two parts.
A portion of them was of Morris¡¯s loyal supporters. They had worked with him for many years and believed in him. They even said, "Captain Ford is also doing this to save people! If there are lives in danger, would we not prioritize saving people over viting some rules?"
The other group was led by Mark.
Janson was heartbroken and depressed, but Mark was indignant and retorted, "Then why didn¡¯t he convict Karl even after so long? He didn¡¯t even allow me to interrogate him! There must be something wrong!"
"That¡¯s right. Don¡¯t we know what gene serums are? They¡¯re harmful! They¡¯re poison! This is what we¡¯ve been fighting against. Over the years, how many colleagues have been sacrificed to fight against the mysterious organization that makes this gene serum? In the end, you want to use this thing on one of our own? How ridiculous!"
The person supporting Morris said, "But Captain Ford did it to save people!"
"But Old Terry is dead! He¡¯s not saved! The facts have proven that we were right! Captain Ford is too extreme. The special department has even be his one-man hall! Also, why is the trial against Karl Moore dyed? We clearly have all the evidence!"
As the crowd was in a heated argument, the door to the meeting room was pushed open. Then, apanied by a staff member from the inspection unit, Morris strode into the meeting room.
The moment he entered, the entire conference room instantly became silent.
Everyone looked at him.
As he had been detained for two days, a ck beard had appeared on Morris¡¯s chin. At this moment, he looked more like a mature man.
His gaze was like an eagle as it swept across everyone present, causing them to shut their mouths.
Morris and a few people from the Ministry of Supervision sat on the stage and looked down. One of them then started speaking, "Alright, now the special department is divided into two factions regarding Morris¡¯s situation. One half thinks that Captain Ford has been negligent in his work. As long as he apologizes to Janson, this matter will be over. The other half thinks that Captain Ford has used illegal drugs from the special department recklessly and seriously vited thew. He should be dismissed from his post till further investigation! Now, we want to ask the public¡¯s opinion!"
As soon as he said this, the two sides started arguing again.
Their words were the same as earlier.
Looking at the heated discussion, Captain Johnson suddenly said, "Um, I¡¯ll say something. Everyone, please listen to me."
He sighed and said, "I was the one who brought Morris into this industry. Now that I¡¯m going to judge him, I really can¡¯t bear it. But there¡¯s nothing I can do. He has done something wrong and made some bad judgments! If anyone gets hurt in the future and says that the gene serum can be used to save lives, will he break thew and take it out again? We have to firmly put an end to such things! Therefore, in this situation, I suggest reducing the punishment for Morris. A dismissal is too serious. We should let him work from the bottom again and punish him with three months of sry cut as a show of service. I wonder if anyone has any objections?"
This kind of neutralized opinion instantly shook the people below.
Those who originally thought that Morris should be punished but still had some feelings for him and could not bear to remove him from the Investigation Committee immediately nodded.
Those who were originally on Morris¡¯s side also felt that this n was reasonable...
For a moment, this proposal from Captain Johnson received the agreement of most people!
Mark stood up as well. "To be honest, Captain Ford has indeed worked hard and provided meritorious service all these years. I think it¡¯s too big of a punishment for him to be dismissed. I can¡¯t bear for Captain Morris to leave either. I think what Captain Johnson has said can be done! If he starts from the bottom again, I believe Captain Ford will be able to rely on his contributions to return to this position quickly!"
Everyone nodded. "Yes."
When Captain Johnson heard this, he was very satisfied.
He was doing this on purpose!
Morris had too many connections and too deep of a background. He could not possibly p Morris to death. He could only take a step back and let him resign. Then, the chair of the Special Case Department Head would be his now!
This was his goal.
Seeing that everyone below had agreed, the people from the inspection unit then looked at Morris. "Captain Ford, do you have any objections to this punishment?"
With that, everyone looked at Morris.
Morris lowered his eyes. After a moment, he suddenly looked up and said slowly, "Yes."
Everyone fell silent again.
Captain Johnson frowned. "Morris, this punishment is already very light. You knew the rules and vited them, so you have to pay the price. People can¡¯t just be forgiven when they¡¯ve done something wrong!"
"You¡¯re right."
Morrisughed coldly and suddenly stood up. "It¡¯s very hard to cover up when you¡¯ve done something wrong. What about a murderer? Compared to my mistake, isn¡¯t your mistake more serious?"
These words made Captain Johnson¡¯s pupils shrink. He sneered and said, "Morris, Karl keeps saying that I killed Old Terry, but do you really trust him over me? You¡¯ve really disappointed me. Do you have any evidence to say that I have killed someone?"
"Of course."
Morris said slowly, "Not only do I have evidence, but I also have a witness!"
With that, he looked at the door. He was clearly here to be judged, but he turned the tables and said, "Come in."
Apanying this sentence, Nora strode inzily and yawned, pushing a wheelchair along.
Her face was filled with impatience as if she had not slept enough. Her expression was not very good.
However, no one noticed that at the moment. Everyone¡¯s attention was on the person in the wheelchair.
It was Old Terry.
Chapter 590: Captain Johnson’s True Colors Were Revealed!
Chapter 590: Captain Johnson¡¯s True Colors Were Revealed!
When Old Terry appeared on the scene, the entire audience was shocked.
Janson stood up in shock and looked at Old Terry in disbelief.
Why was his father here?
He should be in the hospital¡¯s mortuary.
While Janson was so shocked, Captain Johnson¡¯s heart was already in turmoil!
Old Terry... He was clearly dead!
He couldn¡¯t be alive after he had drugged him.
He swallowed hard and looked at Old Terry in horror. The person who had appeared there was like a demon! A demon that had climbed out of hell.
Before Captain Johnson could speak, Janson¡¯s eyes were already red. He took a step forward. "Dad, you¡¯re still alive?"
Old Terry¡¯s head was wrapped in gauze. The gauze on his head covered half his head, and the other half was horribly swollen. His voice seemed to be blocked by something in his throat. It was very hoarse, and it was very ufortable to hear.
He slowly said, "I¡¯m not dead, I¡¯m still alive."
It was really him!
Everyone present widened their eyes. Why was he still alive?
Old Terry¡¯s next answer puzzled everyone. "The gene serum can even restore brain cells. How could I have died?"
Captain Johnson swallowed.
He thought that he could rest easy after seeing Old Terry die with his own eyes. However, he did not expect him to be alive! Had the gene serum cured the poison he had injected?
How could... this be?!
Thus, in the end, even if he was meticulous, he had still lost to fate!
"Uncle Terry, it¡¯s great that you¡¯re still alive!" Mark¡¯s feelings were purer than others. It was also easier for him to recover from his daze. He rushed to Old Terry and said with red eyes, "Tell everyone now who shot you?!"
With that, heined aggrievedly, "Karl has been arrested, but he refused to confess. Captain Ford actually said that he felt aggrieved. He even used Captain Johnson of killing you. How is this possible... You¡¯re awake now, tell everyone who shot you that day!"
Mark red at Morris. Before Old Terry could speak, he said, "Captain Ford, if Old Terry personally testifies, you can use it as absolute evidence, right? If you still think the evidence is insufficient, we won¡¯t ept it if you don¡¯t punish Karl Moore!"
"Right, we can¡¯t ept this!"
Behind Mark, many hot-blooded youths from the special department shouted.
Morris¡¯s gaze was sharp. Despite being criticized and questioned by so many formerpanions, he said calmly, "Let Old Terry speak first!"
Everyone looked at Old Terry.
Mark even walked to Old Terry. "Uncle Terry, hurry up and speak. Karl framed Captain Johnson and Captain Ford believed Karl¡¯s words. Quickly clear Captain Johnson¡¯s name!"
Captain Johnson, who was shielded behind him, had a livid expression, his eyes flickering.
He knew that he waspletely finished this time.
Old Terry coughed a few times. It seemed like even his cough was very ufortable. He even touched his head and looked at Captain Johnson. "Old Johnson, I had already woken up yesterday. I didn¡¯te yesterday was because I couldn¡¯t figure out why you had shot me?"
"..."
With that, the entire ce fell silent.
Everyone seemed baffled by this sentence, but they also seemed to understand it. Then, they suddenly looked at Captain Johnson.
Janson was the first to react. He shouted at Captain Johnson, "Uncle Johnson, it was you who shot my father? You! But why... Why did you try to kill my father?!"
Captain Johnson narrowed his eyes and refused to admit it. "Old Terry, are you confused? I think you¡¯re just confused. How could I try to kill you? Have you been bewitched?"
With that, the people around looked at Old Terry.
The people in the special department were all passionate youths.
In order to carry out their mission, they had sacrificed countless people and manyrades. Therefore, the camaraderie between them wasparable to that of real brothers.
Captain Johnson was their role model whom they looked up to.
Many young people wereforted by Captain Johnson when they felt lost in life.
Therefore, after the incident, everyone would definitely choose to trust their leaders andrades!
Even at this moment, everyone trusted Captain Johnson more.
Mark shouted, "Uncle Terry, what are you talking about?"
Old Terry sighed and continued, "Old Johnson, I understand now. Back then, Karl was my informant. When I retired, I transferred him to you. At that time, I was not in good health. I stayed in the hospital for half a month and was even in aa. Before I fainted, I gave you his contact details and asked you to tell him that I¡¯d retired him from undercover duty. You didn¡¯t tell him, did you?"
Captain Johnson pursed his lips. "Old Terry, I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about!"
Old Terry sighed again. "You know, I have evidence that he¡¯s an undercover agent! Old Johnson, I¡¯ve never doubted you. Over the years, you¡¯ve used the intelligence he provided to solve many cases. Don¡¯t you know how you got from a lowly beat cop to where you are today? How could you still treat him like this?! The reason you killed me and framed him was because of that charity fund, right?"
When Captain Johnson heard Old Terry¡¯sst sentence, he knew that he could not hide it anymore!
Old Terry said slowly, "Your son is overseas. He bought a sports car worth $5,000,000. Where did this moneye from?"
Captain Johnson stammered, "How... how would I know? He didn¡¯t buy a sports car at all. What nonsense are you talking about?"
Old Terry¡¯s voice was very hoarse, and his words were sharp and unpleasant. "We have all the records of whether he bought it or not. I can get the bank to send them over right now. The money your son spent buying a car and a house outside are all from the charity foundation Karl gave you, right?"
Captain Johnson was flustered. "You..."
"Back then, when you contacted him with the information I gave you, you did not reveal your identity. He thought that you were me, so he told you that he wanted to give New York a charity. Then, when he talked about money, you were tempted, right? You pretended to be me because Karl only trusted me! You took the money and put it all in your own pocket! We¡¯ve already investigated your bank ounts. Old Johnson, you can¡¯t deny it!"
When Captain Johnson heard these words, he knew that he had to admit it no matter how much he lied.
Morris shouted, "Captain Johnson, aren¡¯t you going to confess now?"
Captain Johnson looked at him suddenly and shouted, "Even if I confess, you can¡¯t escape from what you¡¯ve done with the gene serum!"
Chapter 591: Captain Johnson’s Defeat!
Chapter 591: Captain Johnson¡¯s Defeat!
Captain Johnson hated Morris to the core.
He was ashamed to face Old Terry. After all, he was the one who had shot him.
Karl had given him a lot of money over the years.
Therefore, when he saw that Karl was captured by the special department, Johnson was afraid that he would expose his identity and lead the special department to investigate the fund.
Captain Johnson helped Karl escape because he wanted him to leave New York and be of use to him in the future.
Unfortunately, Karl had actually stayed for his daughter¡¯s wedding.
In order to prevent any idents, Captain Johnson had gotten the sniper to shoot him at the wedding. He wanted to kill him so that there would be no risk.
Unfortunately, Nora had stirred things up again. After that, she had arrested Karl. Morris had watched Karl closely and made him unable to do anything.
Karl had forced him to look for Old Terry. Helpless, he could only call Old Terry over.
However, no matter how much he calcted, he had missed Nora and Morris¡¯s persistence!
If Morris was not so persistent, he could have convicted Karl after Old Terry died or gotten someone to kill him. The matter could still be controlled.
Unfortunately, Morris was too protective of Karl!
And Nora, this little b*tch, actually developed some gene serum and saved Old Terry, who should have died!
It was all their fault, all their fault!
Captain Johnson knew that he had already been exposed. There was nothing else to say. He shouted angrily, "And you, Nora. I asked you toe to the special department to catch the mysterious organization, not to develop the gene serum. But what have you done? Do you think you¡¯re much better than me? I just want money, but you¡¯re in cahoots with the people from the mysterious organization. What you do is no different from the mysterious organization!"
Morris looked at him and sighed deeply. "Captain Johnson, what we¡¯re talking about now is your murder charge."
Captain Johnson sneered and said, "I¡¯m at most considered to have attempted murder! But your and Nora¡¯s crimes are far too serious. I just want to ask you something. If gene serum can treat illnesses and save lives, and can even bring people back to life, then what is the meaning of the years of work we have done targeting the mysterious organization?! This research they¡¯ve done is beneficial to humans!"
"Your actions make all our actions seem so ridiculous! Is the birth of this drug supposed to make us hurry up and submit to the mysterious organization?"
"And you, Old Terry. Don¡¯t look at me like that. You¡¯re stupid. You don¡¯t know how to earn money. Is it wrong for me to make money? I¡¯ve risked my life so many times. On what basis can I not live as well as others? Those people from wealthy families can casually earn money, live in mansions, and drive good cars. But what about us?"
He looked around. "Our existence is a joke! This drug developed by the mysterious organization that we¡¯ve been trying so hard to catch has be your life-saving straw!"
"Morris, I attempted murder. You¡¯re not any better off than me. It was you who made the special department dispensable!"
If the drugs in the mysterious organization could really save lives, should the mysterious organization really be ouwed?
This question appeared in the hearts of many members of the special department at the same time.
They had fought for so many years and sacrificed so manypanions. What was the reason? Was the justice they insisted on even right?
Just as everyone was confused, they suddenly heard a scoff. "Old Johnson, in that case, you admit to your crimes?"
Captain Johnson narrowed his eyes. "Yes, I confess. I attempted murder and choose to surrender. My sentence will be lighter!"
"But regarding Morris, I strongly urge the Ministry of Supervision to deal with him seriously! He covers the sky with one hand in the special department and is ying a good role in reversing the situation! Heh, his thoughts are evil and his heart is already leaning towards the mysterious organization!"
As soon as Captain Johnson finished speaking, he saw Old Terry suddenlyugh softly. Thatughter was clear and was no longer as hoarse as before.
Captain Johnson was stunned.
Everyone was stunned and looked at Old Terry in disbelief.
Old Terry reached out and pulled at the skin at the chin, tearing off a piece to reveal Brenda¡¯s stunning face!
This time, no one could speak.
This sudden change in attitude caught everyone off guard.
After tearing off the fake skin on her face, Brenda stood up and took off the wig. Her beautiful hair fell down and she stood there beautifully in her hospital gown. "Captain Johnson, I¡¯m sorry to inform you that Old Terry is really dead. You didn¡¯tmit attempted murder. You havemitted a real murder!"
Captain Johnson widened his eyes.
He took a step back and looked at Brenda before looking at Morris and Nora again...
At this moment, someone instantly understood something...
This group of people had no evidence of him killing anyone. Even the transfer record was forged carefully. It was difficult for anyone to notice.
When he killed Old Terry, he had done it wlessly!
Morris had no evidence to prove Karl¡¯s innocence. After all, he had the motive to kill Old Terry.
Unless Old Terry said it himself and testified as a witness.
However, Old Terry was already on hisst breath at the time. He could not have lived!
Therefore, that gene serum was not so magical at all. It only healed Quentin¡¯s injuries, but it could not revive the dead!
Old Terry was really dead!
However, this group of people had put on a show for him. It was a miracle that Quentin¡¯s bones had recovered. Johnson had seen a medical miracle with his own eyes, so he believed that Old Terry could be treated.
The moment Old Terry appeared, he did not doubt his authenticity.
However, he had forgotten what Brenda was best at¡ªDisguise!
When Captain Johnson figured this out, the people from the inspection unit said, "Captain Johnson, you¡¯ve already admitted yourself that you killed Old Terry. The motive and evidence are enough! What else do you have to say?!"
What else could he say?
Nothing!
Captain Johnson knew that it was useless to say anything now. He looked at Morris and Nora angrily. "I want to say that these two people have vited the rules of the special department and used the gene serum to treat Quentin without permission. This is all Nora¡¯s private use of public power!"
Even if he died, he had to make Morris and Nora suffer along!
However, as soon as he finished speaking, he saw Nora, who was behind Brenda, yawn heavily. Then, she said casually, "Gene serum? Are you talking about this?"
She casually picked up an iron box and opened it. There were rows of transparent ss bottles inside.
Nora slowly curved her lips. "These are just vitamins."
Chapter 592: About the Child?
Chapter 592: About the Child?
Nora was very focused when she worked. When she was overseas, she would often work for a few days and nights in a row. After that, she would sleep for a very long time. Therefore, she had specially made a vitamin solution to prevent hypoglycemia in her sleep.
Lily only needed to inject this solution into her body. She did not need to wake up herself. She could sleep for 72 hours, or even more.
Captain Johnson was stunned. "How... how is this possible?"
Nora raised her eyebrows. Because she had not slept enough, her temper was a little grumpy as she spoke impatiently in a hoarse voice, "The inspection unit has already collected the needles and syringes I used on Old Terry that day. They have checked theposition inside and confirmed that it is indeed a vitamin solution. Why do you think Captain Ford and I were let out?"
They had been acquitted!
Furthermore, the Inspection unit had cooperated with them and put on a show!
As for the medicine used on Quentin...
The gene serum Nora had pretended to inject was all a cover to fool Janson into convincing Captain Johnson.
The drug actually used for Quentin¡¯s treatment was administeredter on!
She did not sleep for three days and three nights to synthesize an excellent drug for the recovery of his bones using the medical skills given by her master, Dr. Zabe. This medicine was the Bone Adhesion Balm.
Quentin was finally able to stand up because of that drug. The drug would not take effect that fast, but to help her convince Captain Johnson, Quentin had stood up forcefully and walked back and forth.
Now, he was lying on the bed again. He had been injured for a hundred days, not to mention that his bones had been rejoined. He had to recuperate wellter on.
As for Old Terry...
Since his temples had exploded, there was no way to save him and he had died on the very same day. However, how and when to tell the others about his death was all nned by Nora.
At this point, the truth was revealed.
Captain Johnson was arrested and taken away by the Inspection unit. What awaited him next was trial and execution. The death penalty was unavoidable. After all, his crime was too serious.
Janson realized that his father had really passed away and started crying. Mark and the others felt as if their worlds had copsed.
Just as everyone was feeling mixed emotions, Ruth suddenly rushed out.
Her arm was still wrapped in bandages and her charming face was filled with fear. She said, "Officers, I want to report something!"
When she said this, the people from the Inspection unit looked at her.
Ruth said, "Captain Johnson had asked me to develop a n to interrogate Karl. I found it very strange at the time, so I kept dying the ns. Now, I understand. Fortunately, I trusted Captain Ford. So that¡¯s how it is! Anyway, I want to report something!"
The people from the Inspection unit and the surrounding special departments all looked at her.
Ruth said righteously, "When I went to his room to find some information, I realized that hisputer was switched on. He had logged onto an externalwork. I checked his records and realized that Captain Johnson had posted a message on a foreign underworld forum. He said that Nora had a gene serum, he was trying to attract overseas organizations to fight for it. I think the reason he did that was also to stop Old Terry¡¯s treatment."
Her words made the expressions of the people change drastically.
Captain Johnson had alreadymitted a heinous crime by killing people for money. However, they did not expect him to be in contact with foreign underworld? They definitely needed to investigate if he was a spy!
The officer from the Inspection unit said, "Comrade Ruth, the intelligence you have provided is very important. We will thoroughly investigate the matter! If any of you people have any other information for us, you have to tell it in time!"
Ruth¡¯s eyes were red as she lowered her head. "Although I grew up overseas and was rmended by Captain Johnson to join the special department, I knew this ce was my home when I came to New York. I didn¡¯t expect Captain Johnson to be such a vile person..."
The people from the Inspection unit could onlyfort her. "It¡¯s okay. This has nothing to do with you."
Ruth sighed. "I know it has nothing to do with me, but it was Captain Johnson who rmended me to the special department. This..."
The people from the Ministry of Supervision immediately calmed her down. "It¡¯s okay. The special department wees all talented people! Besides, you¡¯ve done a good job by reporting Captain Johnson!"
Ruth heaved a sigh of relief.
This was the reason she had rushed out to snitch against Captain Johnson.
She had been rmended by Captain Johnson. If he left, she was afraid that the department would chase her away.
She hurriedly looked at Morris and said, "Captain Ford, ck Cat and I have already sorted out the interrogation n. If we interrogate them ordingly, I guarantee that they will all speak!"
Morris stared at Ruth.
Morris was a person who cared about principles when he did things. Although Ruth had always been against Nora in the past, she had never done anything against his principles.
Moreover, Captain Johnson had just been arrested. If he turned around and dealt with Ruth, he would leave a bad impression on the other people in the special department, making them feel uneasy.
At the thought of this, Morris said, "Work hard. Don¡¯t spend so much time on those trivial matters in the future!"
Ruth blushed and she said, "Yes Sir!"
Morris then looked to the side and wanted to speak to Nora, but he saw Nora and Brenda already walking out when he turned his head.
Nora was so tired that she did not want to speak, but she still looked at Brenda in confusion. "You are quite good at disguises. Your acting was very realistic."
Brenda said, "Of course. I¡¯m made use of my makeup and forgery techniques to the limit!"
Nora was curious. "Can you impersonate anyone?"
Brenda said, "No, it would be very difficult to impersonate you. After all, your head is smaller than mine. I would prefer someone with a big head. I just need to add some skin and stuff like that. If I had to impersonate you... Do you think I can peel off ayer of skin?"
"..."
The two of them walked along busy chatting. Just as they left the door, they saw Justin standing in the parking lot. His tall and slender figure was noticeable at a nce.
He was leaning against the car with his legs crossed. When he saw the two of them, he immediately stood up and walked toward them.
Brenda clicked her tongue twice and said in azy and charming tone, "Justin, you were married to your job when you weren¡¯t with Nora in the past. Now that you have Nora, have you thrown your job away in some cold corner?"
Justin ignored her.
Instead, he opened the car door and said to Nora, "Let¡¯s go home and catch up on your sleep."
Nora nodded and got into the car.
Justin walked to the other side and was about to get into the car when Ruth suddenly came running out of the special department. When she saw him, her eyes instantly lit up and she hurried over. "Mr. Hunt, I really have something to tell you!"
Justin did not even look at her and got into the car.
Ruth had no choice but to bite her lips and shout, "It¡¯s about the child! You¡¯ll regret it if you don¡¯t listen!"
Chapter 593: Welcome Home!
Chapter 593: Wee Home!
About the child?
Justin¡¯s footsteps paused as his long and cold eyes looked at her. However, he only nced at her casually before getting into the car.
He had nothing to say to Ruth about the child.
The car started and Ruth chased after it. Just as she was about to reach the car, Lawrence suddenly came out and grabbed her. "Miss Ruth, let¡¯s talk!"
When Ruth saw that it was him again, she bit her lip in anger and said, "I really have something important to discuss with Mr. Hunt! It¡¯s about the child! His son!"
Lawrence lowered his eyes. "What¡¯s wrong with Pete? Tell me first."
Ruth¡¯s eyes were firm as she slowly said, "No, I must discuss this with Mr. Hunt face to face. I won¡¯t say anything until I see him!"
The corners of Lawrence¡¯s mouth twitched. "This trick again. Are you going to ask him out on a date when you see him? Miss Ruth, I¡¯ve already seen this trick of yours a million times. I advise you to behave yourself! Mr. Hunt has a fianc¨¦e! It¡¯s Miss Smith, do you understand?"
He pursed his lips and looked at Ruth up and down. "Please take a good look at yourself. What about youpares to Miss Smith? Your face? Your figure? Or your talent? Tsk! Look in the mirror if you have the time!"
Lawrence got into the car and left behind Justin.
Ruth was left alone in embarrassment.
She clenched her fists tightly and took a deep breath after a moment. "Just wait and see! I¡¯ll expose the person you like sooner orter and make her fall from grace!!"
¡ª
The limousine was driving back to the Smiths.
Justin personally drove so Nora could rest without any hindrance. He drove the car so smoothly not even a little vibration could be felt.
Noray on the big bed on the backseat and slept with her eyes closed.
She had only fallen asleep when she suddenly sat up.
She hesitated for a moment. "Did we forget something?"
Justin looked at her. "What can I forget? Just go to sleep."
Nora¡¯s face was pale and listless. Her almond-shaped eyes were lowered and she could barely open them. When she heard Justin¡¯s words, she thought that it was probably nothing serious, so shey down again. This time, she really fell into a deep sleep.
Not long after their car left, Karl was released from the special department.
Everyone in the special department stared at him.
Janson had gone to settle Old Terry¡¯s funeral matters, so Mark represented him as he stood there. The moment Karl came out, he stood straight as a wall and saluted.
An undercover colleague was someone they should admire the most. However, under Captain Johnson¡¯s guidance, he had instead humiliated Karl several times over the past few days.
At this moment, Mark really felt that he had been wrong. "Sir, I was wrong! Please hit me and vent your anger!"
Young officers were always hot-blooded. However, they could realize their mistakes and change. They did not always have bad intentions.
Karl looked at him and thought of his younger days...
He patted Mark¡¯s shoulder and said, "You did the right thing. Even if there¡¯s no evidence and you have doubts about the enemy, you must haveplete faith in yourrades!"
Just as he himself had never doubted Old Terry all these years.
Even if such a thing had happened before, it should not have caused the people in the special department to have a crisis of distrust toward theirrades.
Mark¡¯s face turned even redder. "But Captain Johnson turned out to be like this. Can ourrades be trusted?"
"Yes!"
Karl replied affirmatively, "There are always exceptions. But those willing to give up everything for the people deserve respect."
They could not let the people in the special department have a trust crisis because of Captain Johnson.
Mark nodded thoughtfully.
At this moment, Morris held a uniform in his hand and walked to Karl with steel steps. He suddenly saluted Karl and handed him the uniform. "Karl, wee home."
Wee home.
These words made Karl¡¯s eyes turn red.
With trembling fingers, he slowly took the uniform and returned Morris¡¯s salute.
Then he turned and walked out.
Along the way, people from the special department kept looking at him. People saluted Karl one after another as he walked past them. With everyone¡¯s attention on him, Karl went out the door.
In the solemn and tragic atmosphere, Karl¡¯s voice suddenly came from outside the door. "Where¡¯s Nora? This heartless person. Did she not think of taking me home?! Do I have to take a taxi home?!"
Everyone was speechless.
Morris hurried over and arranged for a car from the special department to send him home.
¡ª
At the Smiths.
After reaching the Smith Manor, Justin picked up Nora, who was in deep sleep, and took her inside.
The matter had been resolved, and Austin had note to the country.
Ian was very satisfied. It was rare that he did not have a bad expression of Justin.
Justin went upstairs and gently ced Nora on the bed. Then, he heard themotion downstairs.
His brows drew together tightly.
He went out and looked downstairs. He realized that it was Sue. At this moment, she was pointing at Tanya. "Tanya, your status is so awkward now! Your father killed a person and even killed a policeman! He¡¯s simply toowless!"
Tanya rolled her eyes and ignored her. However, just as she was about to go upstairs, Sue said, "You¡¯re now the mistress of our family. It¡¯s too embarrassing to have a murderer as a father! Look, so many invitation letters have been sent to my house. No one dares to invite you. Therefore, Joel, don¡¯t you think I should be the one appearing as the mistress of the Smiths?"
Many people wanted to curry favor with the Smiths to do business. As the mistress, she could get many gifts from them.
Being the mistress of the Smiths was a very glorious thing.
Sue was using Tanya¡¯s bad reputation to vie for this position!
She really courted death every day.
Joel lowered his eyes. "I won¡¯t trouble you with that kind of thing."
"How is it trouble? I¡¯m also a member of the Smiths. Besides, Tanya¡¯s status is too awkward now, and she¡¯s not suitable to appear in public. Isn¡¯t it my responsibility then?"
Almost as soon as she finished speaking, a police car stopped outside the vi with a screech.
Chapter 594: Going Home~
Chapter 594: Going Home~
The Smith manor was still some distance away from the gates.
Thus, when the police car stopped, the security guard hurriedly popped his head out the window and was badly frightened. "Are they here to arrest someone again?"
Puzzled, the butler went out and went up to the police car politely. Just as he was about to speak, the car window rolled down, revealing Karl¡¯s face. He asked, "Is Tanya at home?"
The butler was taken aback. "Mrs. Smith has been home all along. Mr. Moore, have you... hijacked a police car?"
Had Karl broken out of jail and even stolen a police car?
Wasn¡¯t he a little too bold?
The butler¡¯s thoughts terrified him.
Upon hearing what he said, Karl broke into a grin. He even patted the steering wheel and asked, "Is this car dashing or what?"
The butler: "..."
"C¡¯mon, cut the crap and open the door! I¡¯m going in to look for my daughter!"
Following Karl¡¯s words, the butler swallowed. He ultimately didn¡¯t dare to stop Karl from entering, so he opened the gates.
The car swayed about as Karl drove carelessly on the driveway.
In the living room.
Tanya¡¯s eyes were lowered and she kept quiet.
With a cold look on his face, Joel said, "Grandaunt Sue, I don¡¯t find my wife¡¯s status awkward at all."
Sue curled her lips disdainfully and said, "You don¡¯t have to glorify her anymore. All of New York already knows by now that her father is a murderer. This has pretty much been cemented. We also have our own contacts that we can use to find out the information we want! Tanya is not invited to any of the events in the New York circle these days. If you don¡¯t believe me, then why don¡¯t you go out and have a look yourself? Think of all the invitations that the Smiths had received when Yvonne was still around. Who is going to send the Smiths any invitations now?"
She went on. "It¡¯s not just Tanya. Even Nora is also... What is a good girl like her doing being a forensic doctor? Doesn¡¯t she find it crass dealing with dead bodies every day? It¡¯s even taboo for many people, that¡¯s why they are not sending invitations to Nora anymore, either.
"But there are many things that require a woman toe forward and take care of. Take a look at the Smiths now, how many presentable women are there?
"Besides, I¡¯m here this time because of a huge transaction!"
Joel narrowed his eyes and looked at Sue.
Sue said, "There isn¡¯t anynd avable for purchase in New Yorktely, right? The real estate business is gradually failing. The part of our family¡¯s business in the real estate hasn¡¯t produced any profits this year! But I daresay that this project of mine is definitely the most profitable in the real estate industry!"
Joel immediately understood what project Sue was talking about.
He immediately cut her off and said, "The Smiths will not brood over certain businesses. The real estate industry is not doing well anymore. It was a wise choice that we pulled out in time!"
He didn¡¯t give Sue a chance to speak, but stood up and pushed her out instead. He said, "Grandaunt Sue, we have a lot to do. Why don¡¯t you go home for now?"
Tanya watched the two of them.
Joel had always been a wily little fox. Even if he was obviously unhappy about something, he would still keep a smile on his face. He maintained a smiley disposition all year round and then decimated his enemies behind their backs.
He seldom got angry on the surface back then.
But he was actually starting to get physical now. It must be because what Sue was about to say had something to do with her.
As soon as the thought formed, Sue said, "Joel, don¡¯t push me. Isn¡¯t it for the sake of letting the Smiths profit that I¡¯m here to talk about the project today? Are you going to deprive the Smiths of such huge profits just to protect your wife?"
Sue rushed up to Tanya and said, "Do you know? There is a big project in New York that all thepanies are bidding for right now. The Smiths could have easily fought for it; it¡¯s all because of you that we have let this project slip by us!"
Tanya frowned and looked at Joel.
Joel¡¯s voice became even colder. "Grandaunt Sue, don¡¯t force me into taking action against you!"
Sue, however, lifted her chin and said, "Then why don¡¯t you do it? But before you do, I still have to make this clear!"
She looked straight at Tanya and said, "This huge project was to build a courthouse on a plot ofnd in the suburbs! And since this building is so special, they require an engineering team with a crystal clear track record with thew! The Smiths have indeed never broken thew before even after being in business for so many years! But we now have a daughter-inw with a murderer for a father! You¡¯ve utterly ruined the Smiths¡¯ reputation! We can¡¯t bid on the project anymore just because of you!"
Tanya bit her lip when she heard this.
As for Joel, he immediately shouted, "Where¡¯s the housekeeper?!"
Lucy entered the room and said, "I¡¯m here."
"Show Grandaunt Sue out!"
"Yes, sir."
Lucy took a step forward as she spoke. She grabbed Sue¡¯s hand right away and started to drag her toward the door.
Sue, however, sneered and said, "Joel, do you think this problem will just go away if you drive me out and stop me from talking? Even if I don¡¯t say anything about it, both of you should know that it¡¯s all because of her father that we have been barred from the project! Hah, we, the Smiths, have never so brazenly broken thew all these years, but we have totally embarrassed ourselves this time! Are you still going to defend a wife like that?"
To be honest, building a courthouse didn¡¯t bring much profit.
However, it was a representation of one¡¯s corporate reputation in the country!
It was indeed extremely unsightly that the Smiths¡¯ engineering team didn¡¯t even qualify to bid on the project.
However...
Joel refuted her. "We may not be able to win the project even if we bid for it, anyway! How can you me it all on Tanya?"
Sue sneered, "With what all the outsiders are saying, the Smiths have utterly embarrassed themselves, yet you are still defending her! Not only is a matriarch like her unable to do anything for the Smiths, but she¡¯s even giving us a whole lot of trouble! Joel, I told you, I came here with a project! As long as you let me be the matriarch of the Smiths on the surface, I can convince the Department of Housing and Urban Development to give the Smiths a chance to participate in the bidding! Whether we make money or not doesn¡¯t matter; what matters is earning back the reputation we have lost!"
Joel frowned. He was about to speak when police sirens came from the door.
Sue¡¯s eyes lit up at once when she heard the police sirens. She pointed at Tanya and said excitedly, "Hear that? The police are here again! Have we be at constant loggerheads with the police? Tanya¡¯s father must have gotten himself in trouble again, they¡¯re here to arrest Tanya now!"
As soon as she said that, a wild and boorish voice came from the door. "Who dares to arrest my daughter?!"
Upon hearing this, the few of them looked over one after another and saw Karl striding in wearing a police uniform!
Chapter 595: Arresting Someone
Chapter 595: Arresting Someone
A shudder went through Sue when she heard his voice. Seeing that it was Karl walking in, Sue was reminded of the terror she had felt being dominated by him thest time, and her legs turned into jelly.
Karl was dressed in a police uniform, which covered all of his tattoos and made him look very righteous. It was just that there was no change to his simple and honest image.
As he entered, Karl grinned at Tanya and said, "I¡¯m back."
Tanya¡¯s eyes reddened.
Joel put his arm around her shoulders.
After greeting his daughter, Karl finally looked at Sue. Upon recognizing her, he frowned and said with displeasure, "You again?"
Sue swallowed hard. "No, it¡¯s not me!"
Karl: ?
Sue was so terrified that she didn¡¯t dare to speak. Instead, she said to Tanya and Joel, "Um, I have something to do, so I¡¯ll be going now!"
She hurried out after speaking, upon which she spotted the police car parked at the door.
Sue became even more scared and almost fell onto the ground. She got into the car and immediately told the chauffeur to quickly drive off. When they reached the gates, she saw the butler instructing his subordinates, "Quick, close the gates. If anyonees and asks about Mr. Joel¡¯s inws, just tell them that you don¡¯t know anything!"
"Yes, sir!"
The butler sighed. "He even has the guts to steal a police car. Surely Mr. Moore didn¡¯t really break out of prison again, right?"
Sue became even more scared and she didn¡¯t dare to say any more. She immediately urged the chauffeur to hurry up and drive back home.
But when she got home, the more Sue thought about it, the more scared she became.
She said to Samuel, "People like Karl Moore are all devils who kill without even batting an eyelid. Do you think he wille to take revenge against me?"
Samuel was, surprisingly, rtively calm. He replied, "I know that family well. Although they seem cold and ruthless, they are reliable... As long as you don¡¯t provoke them, they won¡¯t do anything to you."
Samuel just found Ian an eyesore, that¡¯s why he was always going against him. However, he had never harbored any thoughts of harming the Smiths.
Sue, however, said, "But I have already made an agreement with the other party. They will give the Smiths a chance to bid for the project and I will give them money! This way, I would also be the matriarch of the Smiths. With that, won¡¯t all the Smiths¡¯ little opportunities to make money be ours in the future?"
Samuel curled his lips disdainfully. "Dream on. The matriarch of the Smiths? You sure dare to dream big. With how stingy Ian is, he has all the power in the family tightly in his grasp, okay? His word is absolute in for the Smiths! Joel was personally taught and groomed by him. Do you think he will ever make you the matriarch of the Smiths? Don¡¯t even think about it!"
Seeing that even Samuel wasn¡¯t cooperating with her, Sue got anxious. "Why are you being such a loser? Haven¡¯t you ever thought of improving our family¡¯s conditions?"
She walked back and forth in the room. Then, she went out. "No, this won¡¯t do. I¡¯m calling the cops!"
Samuel was taken aback. "What are you going crazy for?"
Sue replied, "I am a good,w-abiding citizen. Now that someone like him has broken out of jail again, I have to inform the police about it! Even if it is not for money, I am afraid that he wille over in the middle of the night and murder me! There are murder cases everywhere these days. It¡¯s not like you haven¡¯t seen the news!"
Before Samuel could recover, Sue had already left.
The forty to fifty-year-old woman was a bit chubby but didn¡¯t look swollen. She merely looked a little well-fed. Her butt twisted from side to side as she got into the car and went straight to the nearest police station. The moment she entered, she immediately said, "Officer, I¡¯d like to make a police report! A murderer has broken out of jail and is now hiding at the Smith Manor!"
¡ª
At the Smiths.
Karl didn¡¯t have the time to bother with Sue after she fled. Instead, he asked, "What project is it? I can talk to them!"
He was now a hero in the special department. Morris definitely wouldn¡¯t reject him if he asked to give the relevant departments a heads-up.
Joel smiled and replied, "No, it¡¯s fine. You¡¯ve only just returned, you should take a good bath and rest instead!"
The fact that Karl had returned in the uniform showed that what Nora had said was all correct. From the looks of it, Karl¡¯s identity must have been reinstated.
The obstacle standing in the way of the Smiths would go away even without him speaking with the relevant authorities.
Upon hearing what Joel said, Karl sniffed himself. Then, he scratched his head and looked at Tanya. "Do I smell? I¡¯ve been taking baths every day in the special department!"
As he spoke, he even stretched his arm towards Tanya so that she could take a sniff as well.
Tanya: "..."
She pushed Karl¡¯s arm away and sighed. "There are dumplings in the kitchen. Do you want some?"
Karl¡¯s eyes lit up. "Yes!"
Tanya walked to the kitchen straight away.
The servant in the kitchen said, "What do you need, Ma¡¯am? Let me do it!"
"No, it¡¯s fine," replied Tanya. Then, she took out the frozen dumplings from the refrigerator and put them in the pot.
Karl came over. The servant smiled and said, "Mrs. Smith made these dumplings herself. She didn¡¯t let us help at all! You¡¯re so blessed, Mr. Moore!"
The simple-looking Karl couldn¡¯t stop chuckling.
Ian came downstairs at this time.
He could get out of the wheelchair and walk with crutches by now, and his recovery was going well. When he saw Karl, he huffily asked, "Old man, why are you in my house again?"
Karl craned his neck and replied, "I don¡¯t have a house in New York, so where my daughter is is my home!"
When Tanya saw Ian, she asked, "Dad, would you also like a te of dumplings?"
Ever since Joel started calling him "Dad", Tanya had also changed her term of address for Ian.
But as soon as she called him "Dad", Karl became jealous. "Girl, why are you calling him Dad? He¡¯s not eating!"
Ian couldn¡¯t help but smile. The moment the smile formed, his good looks immediately revealed themselves. He had always been an attractive man. Now that he was keeping himself well-maintained, and his cheeks had be a bit fleshier, he looked a lot younger than before. His smile was very elegant. He said, "I¡¯ll have a te."
Initially, he hadn¡¯t wanted to eat it, but just for the sake of annoying Karl, he would have a te of dumplings, no matter what.
Karl said, "... My daughter made them for me! You are not allowed to eat any!"
Ian leaned on the crutches and sneered, "This is my house! Get out of here!"
While the two old men were arguing as if they were children, a group of police officers suddenly swarmed in through the doorway!
There were about ten officers. All of them were wearing bulletproof vests and had surrounded the living room.
Ian frowned and asked, "What¡¯s going on?"
The perspiration-soaked butler came after them and replied, "Sir, I tried to intercept them, but they refuse to listen to me..."
What apanied his words was Sue walking in from behind the policemen. She pointed at Karl and shouted, "Officer, that¡¯s him! He is a murderer! He even escaped from prison and stole your car!"
Karl: "??"
Chapter 596: Making A False Police Report
Chapter 596: Making A False Police Report
Karl was still holding the bowl of dumplings that Tanya had prepared for him when the policemen surrounded him. The officer at the front looked at him warily and asked, "Who are you?"
Karl neatened his uniform, waved, and replied, "One of you, obviously!"
Sue immediately yelled, "You mustn¡¯t believe him, officer! His affairs were all over the news just some time ago! Quick, arrest him! He had already escaped from jail once to attend his daughter¡¯s wedding!"
Someone had filmed Karl¡¯s escape from prison to attend the wedding the other time. The video had made it to the news, making him a household name in New York.
Therefore, the police officers had also heard a little about it. They looked at Karl in surprise.
Karl: "..."
He put down the bowl of dumplings, sighed, and then took out his ID from his pocket and threw it to the leading police officer from a distance.
The man flipped open the ID. Upon seeing the badge number on it, he opened up the system and keyed in his information. Karl¡¯s profile appeared at once.
When he saw the words "Went undercover for 25 years. Returned to the team on XX day of XX month of XX year" among other things, he was filled with awe and respect at once.
Sue was still sneering at them. "Tanya, you are too much! Hurry up and persuade your father to surrender! Don¡¯t drag the Smiths into this! You mustn¡¯t be so selfish! Now that you have be known as a murderer¡¯s daughter, it¡¯s already very hard for you to socialize in New York. You¡¯ll be breaking thew if you continue to shelter a criminal! Even if you must break thew to help your father, how can you drag the Smiths? You¡ª"
Sue was very afraid of Karl, so she was hiding behind the leading policeman as she spoke. While she was speaking, though, she saw the policeman suddenly straightening his back. Then, he saluted Karl!
After that, with a wave from him, the other SWAT officers also immediately stood straight and put away their weapons. Then, the leading policeman walked up to Karl and respectfully returned his ID. "Thank you for your hard work!"
Sue: "??"
Karl waved him off. "Not at all."
After Kal put away his credentials, just as the policemen were about to leave, he suddenly said, "There are costs for you guys to respond to a call like this, right?"
Of course.
It took time for everyone to gather at the training ground, collect their equipment, and set off.
Before the leader could reply, Karl looked at Sue again and said, "You can¡¯t just respond to a call for nothing. Why not take this woman who made the false police report back with you and educate her?"
"Yes, sir!"
Karl was a retiree of the special department. Morris had even given him several medals. All the contributions he had made were all apparent on his clothes in the form of medals.
Thus, his position was much higher than the other officers¡¯.
Upon hearing what Karl said, the officers immediately held Sue down.
Dumbfounded, Sue shouted, "No! I¡¯m not...! I didn¡¯t...! What is going on? I don¡¯t know anything at all! ..."
It was just a shame that they couldn¡¯t hear the rest of what she said as the group of policemen was very efficient. They took her with them straightaway.
After they left, Karl looked at Ian. "The Smiths suck. Howe random people just waltz in so casually?"
The butler came in at this point.
To be honest, the butler had already received news of the police officers¡¯ impending arrival before they had even arrived. He had specially asked Joel whether he should let them in or not.
The Smith Manor wasn¡¯t a ce that they could enter just because they wanted to!
Joel had agreed to it at that time and instructed the Smiths¡¯ bodyguards not to get into a conflict with them.
However, Ian and Joel couldn¡¯t be bothered to exin.
After mocking them about it, Karl took his bowl of dumplings and started digging in. He even said unceremoniously, "Get a room ready for me."
Ian looked at him frostily. "Are you even nning to take up permanent residence here?"
"Of course."
Karl said, "I am now employed, so I will have to work in New York from now on. What, are you guys going to drive me away? If so, then I¡¯ll be taking both my daughter and granddaughter with me."
Ian curled his lips disdainfully. "Would I be afraid of you? I just think that it¡¯s too pitiful for you to live all by yourself! Fine, fine, stay here if that¡¯s what you want!"
"..."
Seeing the two of them bickering, Joel and Tanya looked at each other.
Earlier, Tanya had no father.
Ian had also given up on life and sought death.
But now, it seemed like everything was developing for the better...
¡ª
Nora woke up after just 48 hours this time.
Firstly, it was because she had already made up more than thirty hours of her sleep debt previously. Secondly, it was because she had to go to the hospital to visit Quentin. Although the bone adhesion balm was great, it was necessary to reapply it every other week.
Moreover, she had to personally see to it because the application of the balm had to be apanied by acupuncture.
When she stretched, she saw that both Cherry and Pete were also on her bed and taking a nap with her.
Everyone who should know about Cherry and Pete¡¯s identities was already aware by now, so Pete had cut his hair short while Cherry was slowly growing out her hair.
The two little fellows¡¯ mouths were slightly open, and they looked really cute asleep.
While she was looking at them, Pete suddenly opened his eyes.
Although his eyes still looked a little dazed, he quickly recovered. When he saw that she was awake, a touch of a smile formed on the little boy¡¯s face.
He rubbed his eyes and sat up. "Mommy, do you want a ss of water?"
Nora had been asleep for an extended period of time. Even though she had been injected with nutritional fluids, her throat was still parched and dry. She replied hoarsely, "Yeah."
Pete slipped off the bed at once. He was about to go out and pour her a ss of water when the door opened. Justin pushed the door open and walked in with a ss of water and a bowl of in oatmeal. "I thought you might have woken up when I heard soundsing from the room. Here, have some water and oatmeal."
Nora: "..."
She thought of how she always saw the three of them right after she woke up during thest two times she fetose.
She felt a little touched.
Her cell phone beeped just as she finished the oatmeal. She picked it up to see that it was a message from Brenda.
The message she had sent a day ago was: "Johnson has been tried and sentenced to death. He will be executed immediately. Most of the money that Karl gave him over the years has also been recovered, but there¡¯s nothing to be done about the portion that has been spent."
The message she had sent just now was: ¡¯Are you awake?¡¯
Nora replied: ¡¯Yeah.¡¯
Brenda called her at once.
When Nora answered, an agitated Brenda said, "Hurry over to the special department, Nora! Ruth has managed to get those people to talk after using the ns that ck Cat drew up! As it turns out, the mysterious organization really is rted to your mother! The situation is very disadvantageous for you right now!"
Hearing this, Nora narrowed her eyes at once and said, "Okay, I¡¯m on my way."
Chapter 597: Interrogation Results!
Chapter 597: Interrogation Results!
After hanging up the phone, Nora stroked Pete¡¯s head. Then, she looked at the sleeping Cherry and whispered, "Look after Cherry. Don¡¯t let her y games all day."
Pete nodded seriously and replied, "Okay."
Nora then got up, changed, and went out.
Justin drove her there.
Nora was in the passenger seat. On the way to the special department, she suddenly thought of Trueman. She opened her chat record with him and found that he still hadn¡¯t answered the question that she asked him thest time.
Nora asked again: ¡¯Who plotted my pregnancy?¡¯
The person who had managed to plot her pregnancy must also be capable of drugging Justin. This was definitely no simple person.
Trueman didn¡¯t reply to her right away.
Nora frowned.
As if he could sense her emotions, Justin suddenly said, "No matter what happens, it has nothing to do with you."
Taken aback, Nora turned to look at him.
Justin then said, "The previous generation¡¯s affairs have nothing to do with us. Even if your mother has really done something, it has nothing to do with you."
Nora lowered her eyes.
After a while, she nodded.
To be honest, she had already seen iting. Just like what Morris had said at the beginning, he had also suspected Yvette of being involved in the production of the gene serum. Back then, on the grounds of treating someone¡¯s illness, Yvette had escaped after she left the police station.
With that in mind, she arrived at the special department.
As soon as she entered, she noticed that the way the people there looked at her had changed a little.
Nora frowned.
At this moment, Brenda rushed out, grabbed her, and took her straight to her office. After entering, Brenda closed the door, blocking out the gazes and gossips of the people outside.
When she looked back behind her, she saw that Nora was already seated on the sofa in her office.
Brenda said, "Excuse me, Nora, she is already starting to bully you. Why are you still so calm?!"
Nora raised her eyebrows. "Alright, tell me, how did she bully me?"
Brenda sat in front of her and exined, "She has already made them talk. Those people are saying that your mother, Yvette Anderson, was a member of the mysterious organization! On top of that, her status in there was pretty high!"
Nora nodded. "And then?"
Brenda sighed. "All the bodyguards who were arrested are saying the same thing. They came back to the States this time to look for your mother! They even said that..."
Brenda nced at her and went on. "... that you are also involved in this. They said that you are their undercover agent."
Following what she said, the door to Brenda¡¯s office was pushed open. A few people from the special department stood outside, all of them staring at Nora.
Brenda¡¯s expression changed at once. She looked at them harshly and demanded, "What do you think you¡¯re doing? Are you staging a rebellion?"
The few of them hesitated for a moment. Then, they said, "Captain Brenda, it¡¯s like this. The suspects have said that Nora is their undercover agent..."
Brenda sneered, "And you believe them?"
They sighed and replied, "We don¡¯t believe them, either, but ording to the regtions, we have to ask her a few questions."
Brenda let out a "hmph". "What kind of questions? Don¡¯t you know what she has done for the special department? Two days ago, it was none other than Nora who exposed Johnson¡¯s conspiracy here and allowed one of our undercoverrades to return to the light. It was also her who let you people know who the more reliable one between Captain Johnson and Captain Ford is! But now you¡¯re actually running over to interrogate her? Also, have you people asked Captain Ford for permission to interrogate her?"
Reprimanded by Brenda, none of them dared to speak.
At this moment, a voice reached them. "Don¡¯t be mad, Captain Brenda. Everyone is just trying to do their jobs..."
The few of them stepped aside, upon which Ruth walked over from behind.
Ruth had been very popr in the special department recently because of the interrogation n that she and ck Cat had designed. Everyone had be a believer of her.
In addition, all of them had interrogated the suspects for many days¡ªin fact, some of them had even started to employ torture methods¡ªyet none of them had managed to make the bodyguards talk. Despite that, Ruth¡¯s interrogation methods had easily made them talk, which gave everyone a new perception of her interrogation abilities.
Originally, because of the Johnson incident, everyone had distanced themselves from Ruth somewhat. However, everyone here admired capable people.
Ruth¡¯s ability had made everyone¡¯s fondness for her grow exponentially.
Moreover, because the interrogation n was designed by ck Cat and her, Morris had left her in charge of all interrogation matters.
Ruth looked at the two of them, a smile still on her face. Her dimples made her look like a little girl next door.
Brenda stared at her. "What? You want to interrogate Nora too? Are you worthy of that?"
Ruth lowered her eyes. "How would I dare to do that? I know Ms. Smith¡¯s status in the special department is special, and also know very much just how much Captain Ford values ??her, so how would I possibly dare to interrogate her?"
"Then hurry up and get the hell out of here!" Brenda shouted sharply.
Ruth sighed. "Captain Brenda, all the bodyguards are now saying that Yvette Anderson was the second-inmand in the special department back then. She was also involved in the development of the gene serum and other issues. All of them came to the States just to search for her! Moreover, they also said that she is in possession of all the theories and mechanics of the gene serum! Yvette Anderson alone can establish another mysterious organization!"
Brenda sneered, "So? Yvette Anderson is dead!"
Ruth looked at Nora. "But her daughter is still alive."
Brenda immediately said, "I didn¡¯t know that the special department¡¯s principles involve imposing parents¡¯ crimes onto their children? Even the children of murderers have to be arrested, right?"
Ruth sighed and looked at her helplessly. "As I said, Captain Brenda, we will not be arresting Ms. Smith. We just want to summon her to answer a few of our questions. Isn¡¯t it in her interest to clear her of all suspicions as soon as possible?"
To be honest, ording to the rules and regtions, Ruth¡¯s approach was appropriate.
She upied the moral high ground this time.
On the contrary, Brenda¡¯s interception at the moment was a bit unreasonable.
As Yvette¡¯s only daughter, even if Nora was not involved with the mysterious organization, she was obligated to assist the special department in their investigations.
But... when Ruth became the interrogator, there was no way Brenda would allow Nora to suffer such grievances.
She was about to say more when Nora got up and said, "I want to interrogate the bodyguards."
Ruth and the others were stunned.
A contemptuous smile immediately formed on Ruth¡¯s countenance. At once, she said, "What do you mean by that, Ms. Smith? I can understand if you suspect that my proposal is problematic, but this proposal was designed by ck Cat and me. Are you saying that you doubt ck Cat¡¯s interrogation abilities?"
Chapter 598: Interrogation?!
Chapter 598: Interrogation?!
She was exactly the one that Nora was suspicious of!
She narrowed her eyes and said, "I have never doubted ck Cat¡¯s abilities."
Only then did Ruth nod. "In that case, you don¡¯t need to interrogate them. Captain Brenda, if you really refuse to let us take her away, that¡¯s okay too. I will ask her a few questions right now and right in front of you. Surely that would do, right?"
Brenda looked at Nora.
Nora stared at everyone outside.
She knew that even she herself would probably have doubted someone in her position, let alone them.
Her mother was a member of the mysterious organization. Even if she wasn¡¯t, what was certain at the moment was that she was undoubtedly connected to the mysterious organization!
On top of that, she was being so mysterious. They definitely wouldn¡¯t fully trust her.
She nodded. "Ask away."
As expected of someone who once dared to say on a public forum that ck Cat¡¯s interrogation methods were problematic, Ruth was certainly skilled when it came to interrogation methods. She went straight to the crux of the matter and asked, "Ms. Smith, I¡¯d like to ask, do you have any impression of your mother?"
Nora remained seated on Brenda¡¯s sofa, her posture like a big boss. Her voice was cool and crisp as she slowly replied, "If one could retain their memories from when they were a six-month-old baby, then perhaps I might still have had an impression of her."
Yvette had died a few months after she was born. How would she possibly have any impression of her?
Ruth then asked, "Did she leave you anything?"
Yes, an audio recording.
However, Nora lowered her eyes. She didn¡¯t want them to know the content of the recording.
Besides, she was certain that there was nothing rted to the case in the recording.
She looked straight at Ruth and answered, "Yes, but it has nothing to do with the case."
Ruth¡¯s voice instantly turned stern and severe. "Ms. Smith, please cooperate with our investigation! We will decide whether or not it has anything to do with the case after we verify it. Please tell us what your mother left you and where it is!"
Nora looked straight at her.
Ruth, however, was not afraid. She continued to stare at her as well.
Nora lowered her eyes.
Suddenly, it urred to her that the Grays had wanted Anthony to marry her even after she became pregnant back then. They must have wanted something that her mother had left behind, right?
Later, Anthony had demanded the small pharmaceuticalpany that her mother had left behind. She had gone to thepany premises and searched it before, though, but she hadn¡¯t found anything useful.
And now, Ruth was asking her if her mother had left her anything...
Although she knew that this was a step in the interrogation process and was also a necessary procedure; had it been someone else who had asked her that question, she might not have thought too much into it. But if it was Ruth...
Why was she getting the feeling that Ruth was also trying to sound her out to find out what that thing was?!
Nora did not speak.
The atmosphere suddenly died down.
Even Brenda looked at Nora and said, "Nora, if it¡¯s not very important, why don¡¯t you show it to them?"
"No,"
Nora replied, "This involves my privacy. It is also my personal belonging. I have the right to refuse to show it to anyone."
She sounded very firm.
Even if she were to present the audio recording, she would only let Morris listen to it.
Brenda fell silent for a while. Then, without any hesitation, she chose to stand in front of her. She faced Ruth and said, "Nora does indeed have the right to do that."
Ruth, however, said aggressively, "Finding the roots of the mysterious organization and taking all of them down in one fell swoop is what matters the most right now. Ms. Smith, as a member of the special department, can¡¯t you just cooperate with us?"
She spoke as if Nora would be the special department¡¯s sinner if she did not cooperate with them.
The others also looked at her.
Ruth went on. "Also, don¡¯t you find your past very weird? How did you meet Dr. Silvester Zabe when you grew up in California? And how did you learn everything you know about surgery? Dr. Zabe is in New York; surely he couldn¡¯t have run all the way to California to take you as his disciple, right?!"
Why not...
It wasn¡¯t just Silvester but also Quinn and...
Nora cast her eyes down and said nothing.
Ruth went on. "In addition, you came to New York at a time that is really too coincidental. We have already done the calctions. Not long after you came, Caleb Gray also arrived. After Gray came, Trueman Yale brought his bodyguards with him and came here too. Since then, Yale has been in constant contact with you. May I know why this is?!"
Every word Ruth spoke was insinuating that there was something between her and Trueman.
Nora cast her eyes down and sneered, "If it¡¯s about that, you can ask Captain Ford about it."
She had always kept Morris in the loop about hermunication with Trueman.
However, Ruth said, "Are you nning to have Captain Ford protect you? What bad timing, though, because something came up, he is out today. Therefore, you must exin this clearly today. Otherwise, I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be able to leave the special department."
After Ruth spoke very aggressively, she stepped aside. At once, a group of SWAT officers from the special department came forward from behind her.
Brenda frowned. "Ruth, what is the meaning of this?"
Ruth adopted a very aggressive attitude and replied, "Captain Brenda, I am in charge of all interrogation matters. Captain Ford has also given me the right to act ording to my will! Now that Nora is involved with the key figures of the case, she can only be released after she has been thoroughly interrogated. Otherwise, we have firm grounds to believe that she has rtions to the mysterious organization!"
Brenda went forward and stopped right in front of Nora. "Try taking another step forward! I¡¯m going to see which one of you has the guts to take her to the interrogation room when I¡¯m standing right here?!"
"We won¡¯t take her away."
Ruth said, "We will interrogate her right here in your office. Give it some good thought, Ms. Smith. We will only be able to trust you if you hand over what your mother has left you!"
After speaking, she took a step back and left straightaway.
Brenda frowned and looked at the SWAT officers at the door. She knew that they were there to monitor them.
Infuriated, she whipped out her cell phone at once and said, "I will call Captain Ford right now and get him toe back!"
Unfortunately, after she took out her cell phone, she realized that there was no signal at all.
She was stunned for a moment. Then, she suddenly realized what was happening. "F*ck! They actually jammed the signal in my office?!"
She looked at Nora and said, "Two days ago, when you were in a deep sleep, Captain Ford received a call for help from the border. Someone who appears to be from the mysterious organization has allegedly shown up there, so he took some men with him and immediately went over as reinforcement. Before he left, because Ruth looked like she was doing a decent job of interrogating the suspects, Captain Ford temporarily gave her the rights to interrogation. But I didn¡¯t expect that she would actually start targeting you!"
Brenda went out with her cell phone at once. She said, "Wait for me here, Nora. I¡¯ll go out and find a signal and call Captain Ford! I¡¯ll make hime back right away. Even if he can¡¯t, I will make him call the department and release you!"
Nora, however, leaned back on the sofazily and stared at the ceiling.
Even if they couldn¡¯t get him on the phone, Morris would have toe back the next day anyway.
No biggie, she would just sleep the day away!
Chapter 599: She’s Not Going To Put Up With It Anymore!
Chapter 599: She¡¯s Not Going To Put Up With It Anymore!
After Brenda left her office, she went to the special department¡¯s entrance. But when she dialed Morris¡¯ number, she found that his cell phone had been switched off.
She broke into a frown.
When she turned to go back, she found the SWAT officers blocking her way.
Brenda narrowed her eyes and stared at the two of them. "How dare you stop me?"
The two replied, "Captain Brenda, we are in the process of interrogating Nora Smith at the moment. You are not from the interrogation unit, so you are not allowed to enter your office."
Brenda immediately sneered, "Is that so?"
She rolled up her sleeves at once and said, "Let¡¯s see if you two can stop me, then!"
Then, she went on the offensive right away.
In no time, she had flipped the two officers onto the floor. Only then did Brenda dust her hands off and continue walking forward.
However, the other people at the door blocked her way once more.
Brenda stared at them. "Are you sure you want to go against me?"
The few of them looked at one another. Atst, they sighed and said, "Captain Brenda, we were assigned this task! We will unconditionally obey all orders rted to interrogation!"
Brenda: "!!"
She was livid. She let out an icyugh and said, "Fine. Then you guys cane and try me!"
But as soon as she said that, Nora¡¯s calm and dispassionate voice traveled over. "Forget it."
Taken aback, Brenda looked at her.
With the SWAT officers in between them, Nora said to her, "You will only be detained along with me if youe back. It¡¯s morefortable outside. Why don¡¯t you go home for now?"
"You have been detained? How does Ruth have the right to detain you?!"
Nora shrugged. "Who knows?"
Brenda took a deep breath, turned, and started walking out. "I¡¯ll go and look for Justin right away, Nora!"
Seeing that Brenda had left, Nora returned to the room.
She closed the curtains and looked at Brenda¡¯s white sofa.
That woman sure knew how to enjoy life. There was even a white fluffy nket on the sofa that suited lying down just right. Nora could almost imagine Brenda¡¯szy and charming appearance as shey down on it.
She shook her head, walked over, andy down.
She would just catch up on sleep.
¡ª
In the other room, Ruth stared at the monitor showing what was happening in Brenda¡¯s office.
The surveince cameras were newly-installed, but she could already see Nora lying on the sofa.
She bit her lip. Suddenly, she said to the person next to her, "Go there and do this..."
When she was done speaking, a hesitant look came over the countenance of the person next to her. "Isn¡¯t that kinda inappropriate, Ruth? Nora is also a member of the special department after all."
Ruth looked at him at once. "Do you still think of her as part of the special department? Don¡¯t forget, her mother is the backbone of the mysterious organization! If it weren¡¯t for her mother, the gene serum would never have emerged into the world! How many people have died because of the gene serum all these years? And how many children did they kidnap for human experiments back then?!"
Ruth gritted her teeth hatefully. "More than twenty years ago, as many as a thousand children had gone missing in the country. It was only in the end that it was discovered that they had been captured by the mysterious organization. It was only after they conducted brutal and inhumane experiments on the children that the gene serum was created! The members of the mysterious organization are simply devoid of all conscience! All these years, in order to capture the mysterious organization, how many of ourrades have we sacrificed? Now that Nora Smith holds clues to the mysterious organization, why should she be allowed to keep mum about it? Just do what I say! I will bear all the consequences!"
The person felt that Ruth was right, yet also not.
For a while, he didn¡¯t know what to say. In the end, he could only say, "... Alright, I guess."
¡ª
Elsewhere, Nora was lying on the sofa.
While she was resting, someone suddenly rushed into the room.
Nora opened her eyes to see a few people from the special department. They took amp and switched it on with a loud snap. After themp was switched on, piercing light illuminated the whole room, making it as bright as day!
Nora frowned.
She knew that this was an interrogation tactic. High-intensity light like this would irritate people and make them ufortable. Even if they closed their eyes, they wouldn¡¯t be able to fall asleep.
She clicked her tongue coldly.
So, was Ruth nning to use these interrogation tactics on her?
She raised her eyebrows and looked at the person who had switched on themp. The person nced at her and tried to persuade her. "Ms. Smith, why don¡¯t you show us what your mother left you? Don¡¯t try to tough it out anymore. Even if Captain Fordes back, he still has to act ording to the regtions!"
Nora replied detachedly, "No."
The man sighed. He could only leave the room.
At the door, Ruth stood there and looked at her with a smile. "Ms. Smith, we have no choice but to do this. After all, this is a standard tactic. I hope you can understand! Of course, if you hand it over now, I can remove themp at once."
Nora lowered her eyes and said nothing.
Seeing how she looked as if she didn¡¯t want to talk, Ruth said, "Since you haven¡¯t decided to make the right decision yet, you can continue to give it more thought!"
After speaking, she left and closed the door with a bang.
Ruth had already asked around a long time ago¡ªsleep was the most important thing to Nora. Now that she couldn¡¯t sleep, she would definitely be exceptionally anxious while being detained in there!
In the room.
Nora leaned on the sofa and stared at themp.
The light was very ring. After she closed her eyes for a while, she found that she really couldn¡¯t quite fall asleep. Moreover, with such a strong light stimting her senses, she started to be a little irritated, making her seem a little impatient.
She decided not to put up with this anymore.
Chapter 600: Black Cat!
Chapter 600: ck Cat!
Initially, Nora had thought that even though it was obvious that Ruth was making things difficult for her, she was indeed acting ording to regtions.
After interrogating the suspects and finding out that the mysterious organization¡¯s ultimate mastermind was Yvette, she should indeed interrogate Nora.
But Nora was not just anybody. She was internal personnel of the special department.
Even if they wanted to interrogate her, they should have asked Morris for permission first. After all, she was someone whom Morris had specially recruited!
When Ruth detained her and forbade her from leaving, she could understand and think of it as Ruth trying to prevent her from taking the opportunity to escape in case she really was involved with the mysterious organization.
Therefore, she had intended to cooperate with them in the beginning.
After all, once Morris returned, the truth woulde to light.
That was why she hadforted Brenda and told her to leave just now.
But Ruth was actually installing a light like that in her room?
What kind of attitude was that?
Even in a normal interrogation, they should not be employing torture methods when there was no evidence of her involvement with the mysterious organization!
Nora closed her eyes and experienced for herself the pain and agony of someone under interrogation. Ten minutester, she ultimately decided not to go against herself anymore.
Thus, she picked up her cell phone, tapped away on it a little, and sent out a signal from the room whose signal had been jammed.
About five minutester.
The SWAT officers from the special department looked warily at Nora who had exited the room.
She stood there, thin and frail and standing at a height of 5¡¯7, yet all the men felt pressured by her presence.
"What¡¯s going on?"
Ruth came over and asked. At the sight of Nora, her pupils shrank. "A-are you actually thinking of escaping? Nora, do you have a guilty conscience?!"
Nora flexed her wrists a little. "No, I just think that getting this over with quickly would be better."
Ruth was taken aback. "What do you mean ¡¯get it over with quickly¡¯?!"
As soon as she said that, Nora, who was in front of her, suddenly hooked her toes around the chair next to her. Then, she applied some force and the chair flew straight towards Ruth!
Ruth screamed and tried to duck. But would the target of Nora¡¯s attack be able to avoid her?!
Bang!
The chair crashed into Ruth, grazing her forehead and making her head buzz from the impact. She demanded furiously, "Nora, what are you doing?! Are you trying to break out of jail?!"
After shouting at her, she looked behind her at the SWAT officers and shouted, "What are you people still in a daze for? She is attacking us! Hurry up and arrest her!"
The SWAT officers took a step forward. Just as they were about to attack, Nora suddenly whipped out her cell phone¡ªMorris¡¯ face was disyed on the screen.
Nora hadn¡¯t had enough sleep, so she was very grumpy at the moment.
She felt a lot better after she hit Ruth. Only then did she say, "Captain Ford, go ahead and tell them what you have to say!"
At the sight of Morris, Ruth¡¯s pupils shrank.
... Impossible!
There was no signal at the area where Morris was. She had only started to target Nora after she confirmed that Morris was unreachable by phone, so how did she manage to give him a video call?!
On the screen, Morris¡¯ lip corners were also twitching.
The woman obviously could have taken out her cell phone right away, yet she had to get violent instead...
Never mind.
Morris coughed and said, "Nora is someone that I specially recruited. Before recruiting her into the special department, I have already thoroughly investigated everything about her! She has nothing to do with the mysterious organization! In addition, I have been constantly kept in the loop about hermunication with Trueman Yale. It was also because of her contact with Yale that we were able to pinpoint his ce of residence and arrest those suspects."
His words clearly exined what had happened to everyone.
The members of the special department¡¯s interrogation unit understood at once that they didn¡¯t need to interrogate Nora at all.
The members of the special department didn¡¯t have any feelings for Nora. After all, she was cold and distant in nature. Although she held a position in the special department, she hardly came to work.
However, the members of the special department trusted Morris a lot, especially after the Johnson incident.
Therefore, what Morris said must be true.
Moreover, given Morris¡¯ high position in the department, if he was willing to be Nora¡¯s guarantor, then they should not be interrogating Nora anymore.
Ruth also understood this. Even though she was filled with hatred, she knew that she had already missed the opportunity to do anything, so she did not dare to say any more.
Without Johnson providing her cover, everything she did now must be logical and reasonable in order for her to be able to stand her ground.
Thus, she said, "Since Captain Ford has put it that way, then Ms. Smith can go. However, since her mother is rted to the case, then it stands to reason that Ms. Smith should stay away from the investigation to avoid suspicion! Therefore, shouldn¡¯t Ms. Smith stop participating in further interrogations rted to the case, Captain Ford?"
Even if she couldn¡¯t bring her down, she would drive her away!
Morris hadn¡¯t even spoken yet when Nora herself said, "Sure."
Nora looked at the people in front of herzily.
To be honest, there were indeed people who really couldn¡¯t fit into the team atmosphere after joining the group halfway.
Moreover, she had alwayse and gone alone. During this period of time in the special department, she hadn¡¯t felt any concern from them at all, either. All she had experienced was just pressure and restrictions.
She had already wanted to leave the special department a long time ago.
However!
Nora went on. "Let me interrogate those people before I go. After I am sure that they are telling the truth, I will leave."
Her mother was indeed involved with the mysterious organization.
Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have told her to keep a low profile, bide her time, and avoid standing out, lest she attracted the mysterious organization¡¯s attention and put herself in danger.
But if her mother really was the leader of the mysterious organization, then why hadn¡¯t she gone abroad and met up with the mysterious organization after she fled from New York back then?
Given how the mysterious organization could move Trueman to ces without anyone realizing it, wouldn¡¯t it also be a piece of cake for them to move her mother somewhere else back then?
Yet they hadn¡¯t!
Not only had they not done that, but Yvette had even gone to California, where she spent the rest of her life. On top of that, she even married a little ruffian like Henry Smith and entrusted herself to him.
Something was definitely wrong!
While she was contemting, Ruth said sarcastically, "Ms. Smith, I have already talked about this just now. Even if you don¡¯t trust me, don¡¯t you trust ck Cat? It¡¯s impossible for the interrogation proposal that I designed with ck Cat to have ws."
ck Cat...
Tsk.
After the spotlight incident, she felt extremely disgusted that how the woman was using her to brag.
Nora¡¯s lip corners suddenly curled into a smile and she sneered, "Do you really know ck Cat?"
Ruth raised her chin at once. "Of course. ck Cat and I are very good friends. Our colleagues have already seen us when we were discussing the proposal together the other time..."
But as soon as she said that, Nora retorted dispassionately, "But ck Cat doesn¡¯t know you!"
Chapter 601: Black Cat’s Interrogation!!
Chapter 601: ck Cat¡¯s Interrogation!!
ck Cat didn¡¯t know her?
Ruth¡¯s pupils shrank and her head whipped towards Nora. She clenched her fists nervously and retorted, "What? I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying!"
"Oh, you don¡¯t? Then I¡¯ll exin it to you carefully."
Nora hadn¡¯t slept well, and on top of that, she had only eaten a bowl of oatmeal after she woke up, so she was a little tired. She suddenly pulled a chair next to her over and sat with the back of the chair facing her. She propped her arms on the back of the chair and slowly said, "You¡¯re aware that Karl has been acquitted, right?"
ck Cat was the number one assassin in Karl¡¯s Assassin Alliance. However, outsiders werepletely unaware that Karl had never actually met ck Cat before.
Following what Nora was saying, everyone immediately understood that she had met the real ck Cat before.
Everyone in the special department gasped.
Nora stared at Ruth. The wound on her forehead was still bleeding. She was holding a tissue against the wound, but her eyes were already starting to be evasive. Nevertheless, she said insistently, "Yeah, I know that, but I have no idea what you are trying to say."
Nora sighed. She said solemnly, "Aren¡¯t you very smart? Yet you don¡¯t even understand something as simple as this? Then let me put it more bluntly for you!"
She slowly said, "ck Cat said that they don¡¯t know you at all. So, which ck Cat did you design the so-called interrogation n with?"
Ruth choked on her breath.
Of course, she knew that the ck Cat she had spoken with was a fake.
She was about to use the same trick again when Nora said lightly, "Surely that ck Cat of yours didn¡¯t also deceive you, right?"
Ruth: "!!"
During all her previous interactions with Nora, she had always found the woman very stupid, and thought that she didn¡¯t really know how to speak properly. She didn¡¯t expect that she would also know how to diss someone!
Her rhetorical question had rendered Ruth speechless. Her throat moved a little, but even after a long while, she still couldn¡¯t squeeze even a word out of her mouth.
It was surprisingly Nora who couldn¡¯t be bothered with her anymore. She looked straight at her cell phone and said to Morris, "I¡¯m going to interrogate those few suspects."
"Okay."
Morris agreed without any hesitation.
Ever since the Johnson incident, because of Morris¡¯ meritorious contributions, the word "acting" had been removed from the front of his job title. He could now make the decisions for everything pertaining to the special department.
Now that he had spoken, those who had obeyed Ruth¡¯s instructions were no longer under her control.
Nora walked straight to the interrogation room.
Morris picked a few people to work with her.
As for Ruth, she remained where she was.
Mark and a few others who had cooperated with Ruth also awkwardly stood where they were. In particr, the staff member who had installed the spotlight in Nora¡¯s room for Ruth just now felt even more embarrassed. He couldn¡¯t help but stare at Ruth and say, "As it turns out, you don¡¯t know ck Cat at all? You are so full of lies. Which sentence of yours is actually true?!"
Ruth bit her lip.
She clenched her fists tightly. A short whileter, she suddenly looked at the man and retorted, "Regardless of whether I know ck Cat or not, the interrogation proposal I produced has indeed yielded useful information, and that is what I am capable of!"
The way people all around looked at her suddenly changed.
In particr, Damon immediately said, "Previously, I thought you were just deceived by a fake Q, but you actually used the same trick time and again. I have finally seen your true colors!"
Ruth knew that she couldn¡¯t carry on the act anymore. With nothing else to lose, she threw the handle after the de.
She took a deep breath and said, "Yes, I don¡¯t know Q or ck Cat, I made up all of it! But my ability is real! There is absolutely no problem with that interrogation proposal!"
Then, she looked at Nora¡¯s back and followed after her.
The others also followed after her.
Ruth stared at Nora and sneered, "You just don¡¯t give up, do you? So, you don¡¯t believe that all of this has something to do with your mother and that your mother is the mysterious organization¡¯s second-inmand? Okay then, go ahead and interrogate them yourself! Let¡¯s see what you can get out of them!"
There was anger in her words.
But at the same time, there was confidence!
Her interrogation methods were viable and were the real deal!
Besides, the bodyguards had all been trained by the mysterious organization, and would never easily reveal the mysterious organization¡¯s location. How would they possibly tell the truth?
By stupidly going over to interrogate them, Nora was doing nothing more than a final struggle.
She knew that whatever Nora was about to do was nothing more than a few tips the real ck Cat had given her. However! When it came to interrogation, the actual person had to be present in order for it to work.
ck Cat¡¯s capabilities weren¡¯t something that one could learn with just a few words.
If that was possible, ck Cat could just publish a book. Why would everyone have to admire ck Cat so much?
ck Cat had their own style and momentum!
Therefore, Ruth was confident that nothing woulde out of Nora¡¯s interrogation!
Nora ignored her. Before she entered the interrogation room, her cell phone vibrated. She looked down to see that it was actually a reply from Trueman.
This time, Trueman did not dodge her questions. Instead, he answered her questions directly.
Her question was: ¡¯Who plotted my pregnancy?¡¯
Trueman¡¯s answer, however, made her pupils shrink.
Nora cast her eyes down. A momentter, she put down her cell phone and instructed the people apanying her, "You guys wait outside. I will go in alone."
The special department staff members wanted to say something, but the video call with Morris was still connected, so he said, "Do as she says."
With that, all of them stood outside the door.
Nora entered the interrogation room and closed the door.
The moment the door closed, all the sounds outside were cut off. All the sounds inside the interrogation room were also isted.
Ruth stared nervously at the door to the interrogation room.
She knew that if Nora got a different answer from hers in her interrogation, then she would most likely be fired from the special department.
But... there was no way Nora would be able to get anything out of them.
Sheforted herself.
In the interrogation room.
Nora sat opposite one of the bodyguards. The bodyguard, who was shackled down with iron chains, was seated opposite her. The two looked at each other. Suddenly, Nora asked, "You said that my mother was involved with the mysterious organization, right?"
The bodyguard nodded. "Yes."
Nora cast her eyes down. "Is that really true?"
The bodyguard nodded again. "Yes, it is. Our purpose ining to the United States this time is precisely to take over what she has left behind. You are her descendant! So that makes you a member of the mysterious organization too!"
Nora stared at him. "I will ask you once more¡ªis what you just said true?"
"Yes, it¡¯s true."
The bodyguard answered firmly.
"Oh, okay." Nora got onto her feet and disconnected the video call with Morris. Then, she flexed her wrists and said, "In that case, the interrogation officially begins now."
Chapter 602: Full Confession!
Chapter 602: Full Confession!
"The interrogation officially begins"?
The bodyguard was dumbfounded. Before he could understand what was going on, Nora suddenly came up to him. With azy demeanor and a bit of impatience in her facial expression, she stretched out her hand...
"Ahhhh!!"
A sharp cry of pain came from the interrogation room.
Even the interrogation room¡¯s great soundproofing couldn¡¯tpletely drown out the cry, which went to show just how loud the man in the interrogation room had been.
The people outside became nervous at once.
Damon and Mark went up to the door to the interrogation room and looked inside worriedly. They called out, "Ms. Smith? Ms. Nora Smith? Are you okay?"
But apart from cries of pain, no other sound came out of the room.
Damon couldn¡¯t help but ask, "That guy couldn¡¯t have broken free and assaulted Ms. Smith, right?"
A look of worry also came over Mark¡¯s countenance.
Ruth stood at the side and scoffed inwardly. Here she was, thinking that ck Cat had really imparted a skill or two to Nora. As it turned out, they had just told her to torture them, that was all.
This was against thew!
Nora must have given up on herself after making up her mind to leave the special department, right?
When it came to things like torture, every report made was taken seriously.
Besides, with the way how those bodyguards from the mysterious organization were, it was impossible that one could make them talk just by torturing them. If it was possible, the special department personnel would have done it a long time ago.
She had a lot of faith in the well-trained members of the mysterious organization.
While she was thinking about it, cries of pain traveled over from the room one after another. She leaned against the wall outside leisurely.
After waiting for a full ten minutes, the door to the interrogation room suddenly opened.
Nora walked out of it calmly.
There seemed to be a little displeasure on her countenance, making the hearts of the people outside sink.
Ruth, however, became excited. She immediately said, "Nora, did you get anything out of them? Or did you not manage to get them to say anything at all? Or did you get the same answer as I did just now? Also, you tortured him just now, right? Is the information received through such methods reliable? Will he give you false evidence?"
Nora stared at her. "I didn¡¯t torture him."
"You didn¡¯t?" Ruth sneered, "How can that be? The man¡¯s voice was close to shooting up to the high heavens just now, we all heard it. Are you still trying to deny it?! Heh, I¡¯m going in to have a look!"
She went straight into the interrogation room.
Damon and Mark also followed behind her closely.
What the two of them were thinking, though, was that if Nora had really tortured the suspect, then they must find a way to cover it up for her.
Unexpectedly, when the three of them entered the interrogation room, they instead found the bodyguard drenched in sweat. Cold sweat was dripping from his forehead, but he actually didn¡¯t look like he had suffered any injuries!
Ruth refused to give up. She took a step forward and checked the person¡¯s vitals, but she couldn¡¯t find anything wrong with him.
Ruth hesitated.
Did she really not torture him?
Why was Nora so mysterious in everything she did, though? She really didn¡¯t know what she had done just now. However, Ruth suddenly didn¡¯t dare to let her make contact with the other suspects anymore.
She frowned and looked straight at Damon. She said, "Nora must not have gotten anything out of them, but we clearly heard something just now. Therefore, we mustn¡¯t let her interrogate the rest of the suspects!"
Damon lowered his head. He, who had no affection for Ruth whatsoever, didn¡¯t feel like listening to Ruth talk at all at the moment.
Ruth wanted to say more, but Nora¡¯s low voice had already traveled over. "He has confessed everything. Re-interrogate him and get a statement from him."
Everyone: "??"
Ruth: "??"
After Nora said that, she nced at the bodyguard in the interrogation room.
The simple nce from her actually made the bodyguard shudder all over. The big burly man had always been rational and aggressive before this, but it was as if he had be apletely different person.
Stunned, Ruth asked, "What did she do to you?"
What did she do to him?
The thought of what had taken ce just now terrified the bodyguard.
He swallowed and suddenly said, "I¡¯ll confess! I¡¯ll confess everything! Don¡¯t let her interrogate me anymore! She¡¯s the devil himself! The devil!!!"
"..."
Chapter 603: Identity Exposed!
Chapter 603: Identity Exposed!
Half an hourter, a dispirited Ruth walked out of the interrogation room with the others.
All of them had rather awful looks on their faces as they looked at Ruth. Mark said, "I will send the new information from the interrogation to Captain Ford right away. As for how you will be dealt with, it¡¯s up to Captain Ford."
After speaking, he hurriedly walked to the side and called Morris to give him a report.
The others stared at Ruth.
Five minutester, Mark returned.
He stared at Ruth and said, "Captain Ford says that the special department does not need a hypocrite like you. Please leave!!"
Ruth might have deceived them, but her academic qualifications were real. Her ims of knowing Q and ck Cat were all made verbally, so there was no actual ountability to be held.
It was just like how a lot of ordinary people would brag and im that they knew certain high-ranking officials. Even if one saw through their lies, could they arrest him?
As long as they didn¡¯t make use of that to break thew, no one could arrest them.
Ruth hadn¡¯t broken thew either. If one must say that she had made a mistake, then it would just be negligence at work at most. Her academic qualifications and so on were all real. The interrogation ns she had produced were also all rigorous and backed up by science.
It was just that the information she received from the interrogation was different from the final answer.
Ruth bit her lip. Even without her looking up, she could still feel the gazes from the people around her. She balled up her hands and suddenly shouted, "You can¡¯t do this to me! Captain Ford can¡¯t do this to me! Be it my interrogation methods or the statements, none of it is wrong! Nora¡¯s mother really is the mysterious organization¡¯s second-inmand! There is no doubt about that!"
Seeing that she was still unrepentant, Mark sighed and said, "But she has already betrayed the mysterious organization! You didn¡¯t manage to get them to tell you this critical fact! That makes the statement you got theplete opposite!"
Yes, that¡¯s right...
Yvette had indeed been the second-inmand in the mysterious organization. In fact, she had even been a key figure in the gene serum¡¯s research and development. However, she hadter betrayed the mysterious organization and fled back to the United States.
After being arrested in the country, the reason why she had fled from prison was also to escape the mysterious organization¡¯s pursuit! That was why she had escaped to California!
Also!
When Yvette escaped, she had taken away a key part of the mysterious organization¡¯s research and development of the gene serum. As a result, their gene serum research and development had been missing something all these years. All the gene serums they had developed were also iplete.
This was why the people who consumed the gene serum either went crazy or died.
Why had Yvette betrayed the mysterious organization? The bodyguards did not know the reason. All they knew was that the purpose of theming to the United States was to take back from Yvette¡¯s sessor everything that had belonged to the mysterious organization.
It could be said that based on Ruth¡¯s interrogation results, Nora had be the enemy of the special department.
But when one looked at the final interrogation results instead, not only was Nora not their enemy, but she was even in the same camp as the special department.
These were twopletely different conclusions.
As for whether it was Ruth¡¯sck of ability that led to her failure to uncover the final conclusion or a deliberate act on her part, Morris couldn¡¯t be bothered to pursue this.
At least, on the surface, she was no longer suitable to stay in the special department.
Meanwhile.
Nora was outside the interrogation room. She had also interrogated the other bodyguards. The answers she got from them were the same.
She clenched her jaw.
She picked up her cell phone and looked at Trueman¡¯s reply to her text message:
"Your pregnancy was out of everyone¡¯s expectations. After an investigation into it, we were able to confirm that your mother was the one who had set up the whole thing. You should be aware that she made a deal with Caleb, but she deceived him, as well as the rest of us all. The original agreement between Caleb and her was that once you came of age, she would return to the organization what she had stolen while you married into the Grays. But for some reason, she broke the agreement. Your mother has never been someone trustworthy!"
Nora stared at the text message.
What she remembered of her mother was that she had fled to California behind Ian¡¯s back. She was the one who had left her the audio recording in California, as well as the one who had made various arrangements for her future.
After she came to New York, she had also learned from other people what her mother had been like. Therefore, the image she had of her mother had gradually started to take a clear shape in her mind.
Even if she had never felt her mother¡¯s embrace before, the impression she had of her mother was now that of a strong, independent, powerful, and unrestrained woman.
She was the center of attention that even young and talented men like Ian had pursued. It could be said that she was someone whom almost everyone looked up to.
The Carefree Pill she had developed on a whim had be sought after by all after she improved its form.
Her prowess in alternative medicine was recognized by everyone in the field. Even Jon, no matter how much he disliked her, always looked like he thought of her as a talented person whenever he mentioned her.
Everyone who had lived in the same era as her mother called her a legend whenever they mentioned her.
She was just like the sun¡ªalive and vibrant, yet also enviable.
People only had praise for her whenever they mentioned her name!
Yet, she had really once been a member of the mysterious organization... On top of that, she had even made use of a method like artificial insemination to make her daughter pregnant!
She took a deep breath, Caleb¡¯s words suddenly shing across her mind: "... the final truth will definitely be cruel."
Nora clenched her hands into fists.
No matter the reason for her betrayal to the mysterious organization, her decision was right. For the special department, the fact that she was not an enemy was cause for celebration.
But for her...
Why on earth would she want to plot against her own daughter like that?!
She had always hated how her life was out of her own control. Bing pregnant was the only thing in her life that had deviated from her expectations.
She could only say that she was fortunate that Justin was the children¡¯s father. But... what if she hadn¡¯t fallen in love with Justin her whole life? Would those two children have been destined to grow up without a mother or a father?!
For a moment there, her feelings towards Yvette became ratherplicated.
At this time, Morris finally came back.
He looked like he was in a hurry. From the looks of it, he had just gotten off the helicopter. After entering the special department, he immediately made eye contact with Nora.
Then, he took a deep breath and said, "You can¡¯t leave."
Nora didn¡¯t respond. She was uninhibited by nature, and such a lifestyle of having to adhere to rules and regtions in everything she did actually didn¡¯t suit her.
Compared to working in the special department, she would prefer to sleep instead.
Besides, now that they had figured out the truth, she didn¡¯t feel that there was a need for her to stay anymore.
She didn¡¯t speak, her stance clear.
Morris gazed at her. A whileter, he finally heaved a sigh. "Never mind. It¡¯s only because certain people in the department disappointed you."
His gaze swept towards Mark and the others nearby.
Mark and the others hung their heads at once.
Cooperating with Ruth to interrogate Nora was indeed something that filled them with guilt.
Nora said, "It¡¯s nothing."
She wasn¡¯t nning on holding those things against them¡ªbecause she had never once regarded Mark and the others as friends.
Seeing how indifferent she was, Morris kept quiet for a moment before he finally said, "If you want to leave, then why don¡¯t you pay Caleb Gray onest visit? He probably has something to tell you."
Caleb?
Nora was a little surprised. She then turned and walked towards Caleb¡¯s interrogation room.
In the hall.
With a sharp look in his eyes, Morris stared at the people who had cooperated with Ruth. He pointed at them and said, "Do you guys know what you have done wrong?!"
However, they didn¡¯t know what Morris was upset about. Someone among them even said with dissatisfaction, "Captain Ford, we were just following procedure. We can apologize to Ms. Smith."
"It¡¯s toote."
Morris knew that Nora would never turn back once she made up her mind.
He also knew that everything that took ce in the special department during this period of time had immensely disappointed her.
Those people curled their lips disdainfully. "That¡¯s Ms. Smith being petty, then. Is there anyone here who wouldn¡¯t have the asional disagreement with one another? How is it that she¡¯s the only..."
But before he could finish his sentence, Morris¡¯ gaze had already swept towards him, causing him to shut up.
"Isn¡¯t she just a forensic doctor? What¡¯s she being so arrogant for?!"
Someone muttered under their breath.
When Morris heard this, he sneered, "A forensic doctor? Do you think she is just a forensic doctor?! The way I see it, you still don¡¯t understand what you have missed out on!"
"What else could it be..."
The man replied with dissatisfaction.
At the side, as Damon stared after Nora, for some reason, he couldn¡¯t help but feel like there was some sort of mysterious and unfathomable aura around her. He suddenly asked, "She¡¯s... not Q, is she?"
Morris didn¡¯t say anything.
He did not deny it, but he did not refute him either.
Damon¡¯s eyes gradually widened. He thought of some of the things they had done to Nora after she joined the special department and he held his head in regret. "If... if she really is Q, then... my god, what have I done to her?!"
The person next to him was taken aback when he heard him. However, even though Q was a god to the people in the IT department, they were nothing to them. Thus, he said, "What¡¯s the big deal about people like Q and Y? At the bottom of it all, they are just hackers. For the special department, it¡¯s ck Cat who is the most impressive! As long as she isn¡¯t ck Cat, our loss is negligible!"
But as soon as he said that, someone nearby poked him.
In a low voice, he said, "After she interrogated the bodyguards just now, the bodyguards called her the devil and revealed everything..."
As soon as he said that, the whole ce suddenly fell silent.
A short whileter, someone murmured, "S-surely not...? Could it be that..."
Chapter 604: The Truth From Back Then!
Chapter 604: The Truth From Back Then!
"Impossible! If she¡¯s Q, how can she be ck Cat?"
Someone could not believe it. "Besides, Miss Smith doesn¡¯t look like one to dirty her hands. A delicate young mistress can¡¯t be the number one killer."
The number one killer was a top-secret agent!
Such a person must have trained every muscle in their body. Furthermore, they probably had to train every day. Miss Smith was so free. She was either sleeping or preparing to sleep at all times. How could it be her?
When this was said, everyone believed it.
After all, in the special department, those who maintained their muscles really needed to train every day. However, Nora looked thin and weak. She could not be that strong.
Someone else said, "She was interrogating those people earlier. ck Cat must have given her some tips!"
This thought seemed to make everyone feel morefortable and ept it. After all, if Nora was ck Cat, that would be too inconceivable. Therefore, everyone nodded and echoed this thought.
Morris was not sure if Nora was ck Cat, either.
However, in terms of martial arts, Nora was Quinn School of Martial Arts¡¯ Big Sister. He felt that since she was Q and Big Sister, there was a high chance that she was ck Cat. After all, ck Cat was a top-secret agent and a special-ss killer. No matter what they did, other than strong martial arts and intelligence, they also needed a good grasp of technology.
Forget about the uncertainty.
However...
Morris slowly said, "ck Cat¡¯s identity is mysterious. It¡¯s not something that can be seen through by any ordinary person. ck Cat isn¡¯t someone that just anyone can hire. However, Nora knows Karl. He might be the person who understands ck Cat the most."
When the people heard this, they were a little indignant. "Karl is also one of us now. Can¡¯t we just get Karl to invite ck Cat? She knows ck Cat probably through Karl, right?"
As soon as someone said this, Morris¡¯s voice turned cold. He smiled sarcastically and said, "You have the cheek to mention Karl?"
Everyone shut their mouths at once.
Morris¡¯s gaze swept across everyone¡¯s faces coldly and he said word by word, "You guys always say that Nora is useless. Then I¡¯ll help you guys count how many things she has done for us since she joined the special department!"
"She was the one who lured Trueman out and gave us a chance to capture him. Regardless of whether she¡¯s Q or not, she was the one who gave us Trueman¡¯s location. Otherwise, our Inte department wouldn¡¯t even be able topare to the experts on Trueman¡¯s side. We couldn¡¯t locate him at all! Furthermore, it was her who fixed thework department¡¯s bugs!"
Damon¡¯s face turned red.
Morris looked at Mark again. "It was also her who set up a trap at thest minute and exposed Captain Johnson¡¯s true face. She also proved our hero Karl¡¯s innocence. Otherwise, Karl would have been killed by you already, right?! You still want to find ck Cat through Karl? Heh..."
Mark was embarrassed and lowered his head.
"So, what right do you have to judge Nora here? Not to mention her identity, just going by her contribution to the special department, who canpare to her?"
Morris¡¯s every word pierced into the hearts of these people. The entire ce fell silent. No one raised any objections.
Morris saw that the people had finally shut their mouths and looked at Mark. "Come here."
Mark followed behind Morris, and the two of them walked to the side.
Morris suddenly said, "Take a few people and monitor Ruth 24/7! You must catch her!"
Mark looked at him in a daze. "Captain Ford, you¡¯re..."
His eyes lit up. "You¡¯re suspecting Ruth?"
Morris lowered his eyes.
Of course, Ruth was suspicious!
She first interrogated the four bodyguards, and the answers she got were all aimed at Nora. If Nora had not interrogated the bodyguards again, she might have been implicated by Ruth. She might even have had to leave the country, right?
Moreover, after detaining Nora, she took advantage of the time when his phone had no signal to interrogate Nora. It was as if she was afraid that he would not give her this chance.
Furthermore... he had received news of the mysterious organization and the other party had deliberately set up a signal jammer nearby. Wasn¡¯t this too much of a coincidence?
If Nora had not hacked the jamming device and forcefully contacted him, he might still have been outside!
There were too many coincidences, so many that he could not help but suspect Ruth.
Before Morris could answer, Mark instantly stood up. "Captain Ford, don¡¯t worry. I promise toplete the mission this time!"
Morris nodded.
On the other hand, Nora entered Caleb¡¯s interrogation room and saw Caleb was reading something. His cough seemed to have improved a lot and was not as frequent as before.
Hearing this, Caleb turned to look at her and said, "Your medicine is not bad."
Before this, Nora had given Sheril a form and asked her to help concoct a bottle of medicine. Although it could not treat lung cancer, it could slow down his cough.
Nora nodded. "I¡¯ll further refine it for youter."
Caleb was silent for a moment before suddenly saying, "Then you have to speed up."7
Nora: "?"
She was stunned for a moment and looked at Caleb in confusion.
Caleb put down the book and poured a cup of tea for Nora. His treatment here had clearly improved. "I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll leave soon."
Nora paused. "Where are you going?"
"Back to the mysterious organization."
Caleb said slowly.
His words stunned Nora.
If he was imprisoned here, how could he return to the mysterious organization?
Nora had just thought of this when Caleb answered her doubts. "I chatted with Captain Ford."
Nora instantly understood.
Karl¡¯s identity had already been revealed, and he was no longer suitable to be a spy overseas. So Morris had instigated Caleb?
Nora was stunned.
Caleb¡¯s status in the mysterious organization should be quite high. How could he be persuaded to defect so easily?
As she was thinking, she heard Caleb suddenly say, "Actually, I¡¯m the same as your mother."
The same...
Nora looked at him directly. "What do you mean? Do you know why she betrayed the mysterious organization back then?"
"Yes."
Caleb replied calmly and pointed to the chair opposite him. "Sit. There are some things I want to tell you."
Nora was really only here to say goodbye. After all, she had left the special department. It was indeed inconvenient to see him again in the future.
But she did not expect Caleb to suddenly reveal the truth from back then?!
What had Yvette done back then?
Chapter 605: Why Are You Pregnant?!
Chapter 605: Why Are You Pregnant?!
Nora sat opposite Caleb and looked at this man who was getting thinner and thinner because of lung cancer. His deep eyes were filled with helplessness as if he had seen through the world.
Those eyes made him look more refined.
He slowly said, "Do you know how your mother joined the mysterious organization?"
Nora shook her head. "No."
Caleb slowly said, "Actually, she was tricked into it."
Nora was surprised.
Caleb continued, "The mysterious organization was a small society. Your mother was deliberately set up with difficult questions and baited by them to join, but she had no idea what the organization was really doing... Your mother was only interested in gic modification. Human genes always have defects. Think about it, who wouldn¡¯t want their genes to be perfect? Your mother was virtuous and her research in medicine had already reached the peak back then.
Everyone in the country said that Dr. Zabe¡¯s alternative medicine was the best, but that was not the case. Back then, the best in alternative medicine was actually your mother. It was just that she was still young and could notpare to Dr. Zabe in terms of seniority.
That¡¯s why she was targeted by the mysterious organization.
The leader of the mysterious organization was famous for his academic research. He often discussed medicine with your mother and threw out all kinds of difficult questions about the production of gene serums.
Your mother used up all her wits and answered whatever questions she could every time. Over time, your mother started sensing that something was wrong, so she asked the leader.
The leader invited your mother to visit their dream factory overseas. Only then did your mother discover the true identity of the mysterious organization!"
Caleb lowered his eyes. "Do you know what the mysterious organization has done?"
Nora shook her head. "I don¡¯t really know."
Caleb took a deep breath and said slowly, "The mysterious organization studied the gene serum. In the beginning, they tested it on adults and realized that their genes had already been rigidly fixed. It was not viable to change them again. Most of the people who had been injected with the gene serum either turned crazy or exploded. Therefore, they changed their strategy. Only experiments on some children could seed. Therefore, in that year, they bought a thousand children who had been abducted or abandoned all over the world. Most of those children were just born and were not even three years old.
Those children all became the subjects of their experiments. They often injected drugs and extracted blood from them. Some even treated them as Petri dishes to see the effects. They sized up the viruses and bacterias. Some even deliberately injected the ratio virus into them to see if the gene serum can defeat the virus. Some even had their hands and feet chopped off and their organs plucked because the researchers wanted to know if the gene serum had the ability to regenerate their organs... And while doing those experiments, they wouldn¡¯t inject the children with anesthetic because the anesthetic would change the effect of the gene serum... Among a thousand children, only a few survived, and most of them died."
Nora¡¯s heart clenched tightly when she heard these words.
She had always known that the mysterious organization was filled with evil and was trying to change the human gic sequence. Furthermore, she had seen with her own eyes that Hiry, Yvonne, and the others had all been harmed by that drug.
After entering the special department, she had also checked the information and knew that the mysterious organization was experimenting with children. There were also data about there being about a thousand children.
However, she had never known that the details were so infuriating!
Caleb had said it in too much detail, so much so that an image appeared in her mind.
If it was six years ago when she didn¡¯t have children, she might have only called them animals. However, now, whenever she thought of Cherry or Pete lying on the operating table and being tortured by them, she felt like destroying the mysterious organization!
They were so cruel and inhumane!
Nora¡¯s expression turned cold. "And?"
Caleb took a deep breath. "When your mother saw this, she also felt strange anger. Only then did she realize that she had unintentionally helped a tyrant for so long. However, she also understood that a head-on sh could not resolve the problem. She pretended to cooperate and epted the leader¡¯s invitation to be the boss of the research and development department and the second-inmand of the entire organization. Then, she found an opportunity to steal the data at the research and development department and fled back to the country with the information."
Nora clenched her fists. "Then?"
"At that time, the mysterious organization was only thought of as an organization engaged in child trafficking. Your mother was caught by mistake. After she found an excuse to escape, she realized that the people in the mysterious organization were very resourceful. She could not resist at all and thus she fled. Do you know why she went to California?"
Nora shook her head.
Caleb sighed. "Because she had saved a three-year-old boy from the 1,000 children captured by the mysterious organization. That boy told her to look for his parents in California."
Nora was stunned and looked at Caleb in shock.
Caleb smiled. "That¡¯s right. That boy is me."
Nora: "!!"
She stood up in shock and looked at Caleb in disbelief.
Caleb lowered his eyes and slowly said, "When I was three, they injected me with a gene serum and improved my gic code. They deliberately did not inject the serum all at once. At that time, my parents being quite capable reached the mysterious organization to find me. Unfortunately, by that time, I could no longer leave. My body had been conditioned such that I would die if I stopped taking the serum at regr intervals. I had to be injected with the serum every month to maintain my life."
Perhaps he had said too much at once, and he coughed again.
Nora handed the tea to him.
He took a sip and suppressed the itch in his throat. "And thus, I was tied to the mysterious organization. When my parents found out, they felt helpless. At that time, your mother decided to make a deal with the Grays. The Grays helped her hide her identity and guaranteed to raise you until you were 18 years old. She also left the form for thest dose of the serum. I was to be injected with thest dose once I turned 25."
When she heard this, Nora suddenly understood everything.
No wonder she had an engagement with Anthony! No wonder the Grays did not break off the engagement even when she got pregnant. What they wanted was the form for thest dose of the serum!
And the reason why the mysterious organization came to New York and kept looking for her mother was because of that form!
At this moment, she came to a sudden realization!
But what about her pregnancy?
Why did her mother betray the Grays and arrange for her to have a child with Justin?
Was there a secret behind this?!
Chapter 606: The Night Five Years Ago!
Chapter 606: The Night Five Years Ago!
She stared at Caleb.
Caleb waved his hand. "Don¡¯t look at me like that. I don¡¯t need that drug anymore."
Nora was surprised.
Calebughed softly. "I¡¯m one of the few remaining children out of the 1,000. Logically speaking, my transformation was very sessful. Unfortunately, I was diagnosed with lung cancer when I was 26. That¡¯s why I no longer need that drug."
Nora fell silent.
Suddenly, she felt that the deal between the Grays and her mother was not worth it. They had helped hide their identities for so long, but in the end, fate had yed a joke on Caleb.
She lowered her eyes. "If I can find the form for thest drug, I¡¯ll give it to you."
Calebughed softly. "Aren¡¯t you afraid that I¡¯m still loyal to the mysterious organization and am lying to you about the form?"
Nora stared at him and did not speak for a moment.
Caleb sighed silently. "I won¡¯t tease you anymore. I¡¯ve already hated the mysterious organization deeply. This illness has instead helped me. I can finally get rid of them. However, I¡¯ve always been living on the edge. I only have two months left to live. I want to use my limited life to help the special department. It could be my help to humanity. Let¡¯s make them pay for the thousand children who died in front of me!"
Nora understood. "So Morris will let you go and you¡¯ll go undercover?"
"Yes." Caleb looked at the ground. "Trueman is one of the children of the leader. Back then, the leader threw his children in and injected them with serums. Only Trueman survived, so he¡¯s the second-in-charge of the mysterious organization. This is also the main reason why the mysterious organization has been looking for thest form your mother left behind! If he doesn¡¯t inject thest dose within half a year, Trueman will die."
Nora was stunned. "Then you and Trueman..."
Caleb chuckled. "That¡¯s right. I grew up with him. Many of us kept dying every month. In the end, only four have survived till now. Perhaps because of our experiences together, Trueman is still polite to me. Furthermore, because of the serum, I¡¯m smarter than ordinary people. My status in the mysterious organization is higher. But even so, I don¡¯t know where the leader and Trueman¡¯s nest is... My goal for returning this time is to find their foundation so that the special department can cooperate with Interpol and eliminate them all!"
...
Nora was silent for a long time. The truth she had been searching for was exposed in front of her just like that, but this truth was iparably cruel.
After a long time, she asked, "How did my mother die back then?"
Caleb was silent for a moment.
Nora stared at him with a determined look. "I want to hear the truth."
Caleb sighed. "The mysterious organization is very powerful. Back then, your mother leaked some information under the cover of my parents. Seeing that they were about toe looking for you, your mother chose to die to protect you."
Back then, Yvette had left Ian because she didn¡¯t want to drag him into all of her mess.
Later on, when she was discovered, she knew that she could no longer escape.
She had used her death to stop that pursuit.
Caleb continued, "After your mother died, my parents helped cover all the evidence, and you were safe. But no one expected for the Andersons to recognize you. You even appeared in New York in such a high-profile manner. Yvette had a daughter who was still alive. This attracted the attention of the mysterious organization, and it finally made them discover what had happened back then."
Caleb lowered his eyes. "When he found out that my parents and I had hidden your whereabouts to protect you, the leader wanted to kill me. It was Trueman who begged for mercy and saved my life."
Nora also said, "After you were caught, Trueman sent me a message. He said that he would answer one of my questions in exchange for me to give you medicine. He treats you pretty well."
Caleb sighed. "Yes, this is also why I didn¡¯t betray all these years the mysterious organization despite knowing that they were in the wrong."
Nora nodded and asked again, "About my pregnancy..."
"I don¡¯t know anything about that," Caleb replied. "I don¡¯t understand why you got pregnant. I don¡¯t understand why my family has protected you for so many years."
Caleb smiled bitterly. "Back then, Anthony despised you and refused to fulfill the marriage agreement. After this matter blew up too many times, my family even suggested that I take his ce and fulfill the marriage agreement."
He looked at Nora, his eyes were suddenly deep. "In the end, we¡¯re not fated to be together."
Faced with his words, Nora did not know how to answer.
Caleb muttered to himself, "Fortunately, you didn¡¯t marry me."
He coughed.
Nora looked at him and sighed. She did not say anything and patted his shoulder. "When are you leaving? I¡¯ll see you off."
"No, it¡¯s fine."
Caleb replied slowly, "I¡¯ll pretend to escape. Otherwise, Trueman would find out."
Nora nodded.
The two of them were speechless for a moment. Nora simply said, "I¡¯ll get going then."
"Okay, goodbye."
When Nora walked to the door, she realized that Caleb had already picked up the book and was back to reading it leisurely.
He looked warm and mellow, and he indeed looked suitable for such a scene.
Nora then went out and did not see Caleb suddenly put down his book after she left. He looked at the door and let out a long sigh.
Then, he covered his chest and coughed violently.
He quickly took out the medicine Nora had prepared for him. He opened it and wanted to take a pill, but he suddenly realized that there was only one pill left in the bottle.
He stared at the pill for a while and suddenlyughed at himself. He ced the pill back into the bottle and could not bear to take it.
Nora, who was outside the door, did not know this.
She only looked at Morris and asked, "When did Caleb start talking?"
Morris stared at Nora for a while and replied, "The day after you sent him the medicine."
Nora: "..."
She did not speak and just waved at Morris before leaving..
From the moment she left the special department to the parking lot, she did not look back.
Life was not worth looking back at.
Nora arrived at the parking lot and saw Justin¡¯s car parked not far away. She had just walked over when she saw Ruth standing in front of Justin.
She was tightly clutching Justin¡¯s sleeve. "Mr. Hunt, I knew it. I knew you would definitelye if I locked up Nora. It¡¯s too difficult to see you!"
Justin¡¯s expression was cold and even a little impatient.
He was about to speak when Ruth shouted, "You can¡¯t treat me like this. Have you forgotten that night five years ago? I was the woman that night!"
Nora, who was about to walk over, was speechless.
She stopped in her tracks.
Her first thought was not that Justin was dating this woman, but that Ruth was somehow involved in the matter of extracting Justin¡¯s sperm and injecting it into her body to make her pregnant?!
How did she get pregnant? How did Justin lose his memories and got schemed against? She was still wondering when this woman exposed herself.
She had really met her match!!
Chapter 607: Capture Her
Chapter 607: Capture Her
Justin did not n to bother with this woman at all.
However, he did not expect Ruth to suddenly say such a shocking thing, making him frown.
Actually, he had dreamed of that night a few times recently.
In his dream, he had not been robbed by some cold instrument. Instead, he had slept with a woman! He had brushed it aside thinking it was just a wet dream.
However, when Ruth shouted this, he frowned tightly.
For some reason, at this moment, he recalled very clearly that he had indeed slept with a woman five years ago!
This realization suddenly made him nervous. His heart clenched slightly as he subconsciously looked at Nora.
His first reaction was¡ªwould Nora be angry?
The second reaction was¡ªif that person was Ruth, he would definitely feel extremely disgusted. Damn it!
However, in his memories, he did not seem to be rejecting her that night...
This thought made him feel like he had swallowed a fly. He felt like his body had betrayed him...
As his thoughts ran wild, the bodyguards who had rushed forward to chase Ruth away were stunned. From what Ruth said, she seemed to have slept with Mr. Hunt?
Should they chase her away or retreat?
Everyone looked at Justin in confusion. However, their big boss was staring straight at Nora in front of him. He did not give them a single nce, making them unable to do anything!
Should they go forward and pull Ruth away or retreat quickly?
Boss, please give some instructions? They didn¡¯t want to watch some melodramatic scene here!!
While everyone had their own thoughts, it gave Ruth a chance to showcase her skills. She tried to grab Justin¡¯s hand. The man dodged guiltily. Ruth did not get his hand, but she grabbed his sleeve. Ruth looked straight at him. "We¡¯ve slept together before. Mr. Hunt, have you really forgotten me? Do you really not remember me?!"
Justin: !!
He saw Nora standing there silently in the distance, her gaze fixed on him. He frowned in panic. "Don¡¯t talk nonsense!"
"I¡¯m not talking nonsense. I have evidence!"
Ruth was very anxious. She took out her phone directly. "After we slept together back then, I took a photo to remember it."
With that, she handed the photo to Justin.
Justin stared at the photo.
He narrowed his eyes slightly. In the photo, he was lying on the bed, asleep. Ruth was beside him. Her cheeks were slightly red, revealing her fair shoulders. She looked shy and bashful.
Now, there was even evidence.
Justin felt that he could not exin anymore, especially when he met Nora¡¯s cold gaze. It actually made him feel that he was... dirty?!
Justin felt like he had swallowed half a fly, and he was so disgusted.
He pushed Ruth away and strode towards Nora. "Nora, let me exin..."
Nora waved her hand. "Stay where you are."
Justin was taken aback.
Ruth bit her lip and looked over.
After seeing Nora, her eyes flickered with a fierce and cold light. But then, she looked at her pitifully. "Miss Smith, don¡¯t be angry. It was an ident... but... but after that night, I never forgot Mr. Hunt... Mr. Hunt also liked me. That night, he wanted me three times... He even said he would be responsible for me..."
Her eyes turned red immediately. She stared at Nora and said, "I know I¡¯m being very shameless in saying this, but I really love him... I beg you, please help me and Mr. Hunt! You don¡¯t love him at all, anyway. You¡¯re only with him because of the child..."
She lowered her head and cried.
Justin¡¯s expression changed drastically. He pushed her away with disdain as if he was pushing away a pile of trash; as if being stained by her once was already very disgusting and dirty.
He shouted sternly, "Don¡¯t talk nonsense! Nora, I¡¯m not, I didn¡¯t... five years ago, you know, I had no memories! I was framed!"
Ruth cried even harder. "Mr. Hunt, how could you be like this... You clearly wanted it that night. You seemed intoxicated when you rushed into my room..."
As she spoke, she looked at Nora.
However, this woman, who was usually very cold, was now covered in ayer of frost. She stared at Justin and suddenly sneered before turning to leave.
Justin strode forward, wanting to chase after her.
However, before he could move, Ruth had already grabbed his arm again. "Mr. Hunt, you can¡¯t treat me like this!"
When she blocked him, Nora had already gotten into her big ck car and driven away.
Justin¡¯s expression was very ugly. He lowered his head to look at her, his long phoenix eyes filled with anger and violence. He shouted softly, "Let go!"
Ruth was frightened by his appearance. The mole at the corner of his eye seemed to be filled with killing intent, making her take a step back.
At this moment, Lawrence suddenly walked over in rapid steps and handed the phone to Justin. He whispered, "Mr. Hunt, bad news!"
Justin¡¯s eyes narrowed as he looked down.
Lawrence exined, "I don¡¯t know who sent this message saying that you¡¯re suspected of rape. It even has a photo of you and... Miss Ruth from a few years ago!"
Justin looked down. It was a photo of him breaking into Ruth¡¯s room.
Lawrence said, "Everyone is specting now that you often used your power to force women to do in private and even took pictures of them. They say that there are many others that haven¡¯t been photographed. They¡¯re requesting a strict investigation!"
Justin suddenly looked at Ruth. "You did this?!"
Ruth bit her lip. "Yes, I did it. Mr. Hunt, I can go out there and say that we¡¯re boyfriend and girlfriend. Then, it won¡¯t be considered rape. Otherwise, you¡¯ll definitely be sued!"
Justin frowned.
Ruth stared at him. "Mr. Hunt, can we talk now?"
Justin thought for a moment before saying, "Get in."
Ruth got into Justin¡¯s car and they drove all the way to the Hunt manor. When they entered, she turned to look at the scenery outside, a light appearing in her eyes.
She was going to be the mistress here soon!
She did not see that Justin was looking down and sending a message to Nora. "I brought her to the Hunt manor. No matter what we do to her here, no one will know. You cane over. Do you want me to pick you up?"
Chapter 608: My Dad’s Not Here~
Chapter 608: My Dad¡¯s Not Here~
Nora replied, "No need. I¡¯lle overter."
Just now, outside the special department, although Nora and Justin hadn¡¯t said a word, when their eyes met, Justin instantly understood Nora¡¯s meaning.
It was outside the special department.
The special department was half a police station. It was a fair and strict ce. It would be inconvenient to interrogate Ruth there, so it was best to take her away.
Therefore, Nora took the opportunity to act.
Normal girlfriends would be jealous at that time, right? Therefore, it was normal for her to be angry and leave.
Subsequently, Ruth directed and acted in a public opinion battle. It seemed like she was forcing Justin to lower his head, but Justin was only beating her at her own game and taking advantage of the situation.
Justin put down his phone and narrowed his eyes again.
Ruth should be thankful because if not for Noraing to interrogate her about her role in what had happened back then, he really wanted to kill Ruth on the spot!
Unfortunately, Ruth seemed unaware of this fact.
The car arrived at the Hunt manor and drove into Justin¡¯s residence.
The car stopped and Justin got Ruth out of the car and into the living room. As soon as they entered the living room, Justin was about to call for someone to take Ruth down when Mrs. Hunt¡¯s voice suddenly sounded. "Justin, you¡¯re finally back!"
With that, she walked over with her walking stick, trembling. "What¡¯s with the report on the Inte? What¡¯s going on between you and that girl?"
After saying this, she saw Ruth following behind Justin.
Mrs. Hunt was stunned. She frowned in surprise. "This is?"
Ruth immediately stepped forward and held Mrs. Hunt¡¯s hand. "Mrs. Hunt, I¡¯m Ruth, and I¡¯m also the girl from the report. Mr. Hunt and I are..."
At this point, she nced shyly at Justin and then lowered her head. "It¡¯s that kind of rtionship."
Mrs. Hunt immediately frowned and looked at Justin in surprise and confusion. "Justin, you¡¯re..."
Ruth was about to say something when Justin¡¯s face turned cold and he said, "Grandma, I have something to discuss here. Please leave for now."
Mrs. Hunt was actually afraid of Justin.
He used to listen to her when he was young, but when he grew up and had his own views, he would never listen to her again. Mrs. Hunt knew very well that apart from respect, Justin¡¯s feelings for her were of familial love.
She would not do anything to hurt their rtionship, so she said, "Alright, then you guys talk. You guys talk..."
The olddy leaned on her walking stick and walked out slowly.
After she left, Ruth looked at Justin and directly spoke her mind, "Mr. Hunt, I want to be Mrs. Hunt!"
"..."
¡ª
Elsewhere.
Nora returned to the Smiths and saw Tanya standing outside the door.
She asked anxiously, "How is it?"
Tanya: "They¡¯re still arguing."
The reason she rushed back was that Tanya had sent her a message saying that the two children had gotten into a fight!
They had a fight!
This was the first time she had heard of it. After all, Cherry was a little cutie who spoke her mind and made people love her.
And Pete was a sensible and obedient little gentleman.
How could the two of them get into a fight?
Hearing the two words "still arguing," Nora instantly heaved a sigh of relief. "Fortunately, I came back quickly."
Tanya nodded. "Yes, go talk to them..."
As soon as she said this, she heard Nora¡¯s next words. "Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have had the chance to see what their fight looks like!"
Tanya: "???"
Was this something a mother should say?!
When Nora entered, Cherry was arguing with Pete.
Pete said sternly, "Cherry, you can¡¯t y games every day. You should learn something."
Cherry refused to let go of her phone and hugged it in her arms. "Pete is bad. If you keep trying to control me, I won¡¯t love you anymore! Why should humans learn, anyway?!"
Pete lectured her seriously, "It¡¯s to make yourself better!"
"And?"
"Then, when you grow up, you can learn many techniques. You can also control everything without being confused by the butler!"
"And then?"
Pete: "After that, you can live a happy and blissful life."
Cherry was being unreasonable. "But I have my parents and you. I¡¯m already living a blissful life!"
Pete: "?"
He could only exin again, "Cherry, you have to make your life valuable. You can¡¯t live every day in vain! This is wrong!"
"Why? Making life valuable is to satisfy your own desires, right? It¡¯s also to make you happy? But the value of my existence is to get first ce in the game! I¡¯m being needed every day! Without me, Chesty can¡¯t even get first ce in the national server!" Cherry patted her chest. "I¡¯m very awesome!"
Pete: "...I can¡¯t out-talk you, but you have to learn knowledge, especially your English. You have to make up for your idioms and poems!"
"I know how to memorize 300 poems~" Cherry was very persistent.
Pete: "...But you don¡¯t know Mathematical Olympiad questions! You don¡¯t know how to do programming, and you don¡¯t know how to make a robot either. You still have a lot to learn!"
Cherry bit her lip. "Pete, what you¡¯re saying is too boring. Boohoo. But I also know someone who¡¯s very good with these things. He¡¯s a genius!"
With that, she picked up her phone and opened an application. There was a lot of chat content inside. She sent a voice message. "Are you there? My brother wants topete with you!"
After sending the message, she said to Pete, "I met him overseas. He¡¯s five years old this year, just like you! Don¡¯t force me to study. Gopete with him!"
The other party replied with a voice message. It was a young voice, but this voice had a hint of ruffianism. "Where did you get a brother from? Don¡¯t you only have one brother?"
Cherry: "My biological brother. My mother found my biological brother!"
The other party: "Tsk~ So what if he¡¯s your biological brother? I¡¯ll definitely beat him, but I don¡¯t have time topete with him now."
Cherry: "Why? What are you busy with?"
The person said, "I¡¯m dissecting a small animal. I n to rece the rabbit¡¯s leg with another rabbit¡¯s."
Cherry was stunned. "Didn¡¯t your father stop you from ying with those things?"
As soon as she said this, the other party replied, "Hehehehe, my father will be away for a few days. I¡¯m simply too free!"
Chapter 609: Go to the Hunts to Interrogate Ruth!
Chapter 609: Go to the Hunts to Interrogate Ruth!
Cherry asked again, "Where did your father go?"
The other party: "God knows. Anyway, that¡¯s not important. The important thing is that no one will care about me."
Cherry asked, "Doesn¡¯t your mother care about you?"
The other party: "I don¡¯t have a mother. I lived with my father alone."
Cherry: "??"
The other party replied, "Alright, let¡¯s not talk about it. I¡¯m busy. I¡¯ll let your brothere and see how awesome I am another day!"
Cherry put down her phone in resignation.
Beside her, Pete looked at her curiously. "Who is this?"
Cherry tilted her head and exined, "This is a good friend I know from the Inte. His hobby is to grow wheat on cows. He can make the wheat smell like beef, dogs, rabbits, and dogs. He¡¯s very smart. He once connected a dog¡¯s body to a cat¡¯s head for two hours. Unfortunately, they died in the end."
Pete: "... Cherry, stay away from this person!"
Cherry was stunned and asked in confusion, "Why?"
Pete said seriously, "Because this person is either a lunatic, and everything he says is a lie, or he¡¯s crazy! Why did he connect the dog¡¯s body with the cat¡¯s head? Did he torture the two pets to death just for fun?"
At these words, Cherry thought of a child torturing two little pets and instantly shuddered.
She swallowed. "Pete, you make it sound so scary!"
Pete continued to teach her seriously. "So stay away from him in the future!"
Tanya and Nora, who were at the door, were speechless.
Tanya said, "If not for Pete¡¯s honesty and kindness, I would have thought he was jealous."
Nora: "..."
The corners of Nora¡¯s lips spasmed.
In fact, over this period of time, she had long realized that however obedient and sensible Pete was, it was only on the surface. How could Pete be a good person when he grew up with Justin?
This fellow had many thoughts.
To put it bluntly, he was scheming.
She had just confirmed that Pete was jealous! Otherwise, he would not have said bad things about the other boy!
However, when did Cherry make such a weird friend? Which family was that child from? He was so young, but he was already so cruel.
Of course, Cherry was not easily fooled. She pursed her lips. "Brother, I won¡¯t talk to him if you let me y games!"
Pete: "!!"
He was silent for a moment before he sighed and did not probe further. "Forget it."
Cherry picked up her phone excitedly.
The slightly intense dispute dissipated into thin air.
Nora looked at Tanya. "See that? It¡¯s a good thing I came fast."
Tanya: "..."
The scene of the two children being obedient returned to the room. Nora simply went out. Just as she was about to leave, her phone suddenly rang.
She took a look and realized that it was Morris.
She was stunned for a moment before answering the call. She heard Morris say, "Caleb has escaped."
Nora was surprised. "So fast?"
"Yes, everyone¡¯s attention was on you and Ruth today. He found a chance to escape."
That was true.
After all, Caleb wanted to pretend that he had escaped. It was definitely appropriate for the special department to be in such a mess today, but...
She suddenly felt a little regretful.
Previously, she had asked Sheril to make a few cough pills for him. As it was her first time making them, she had only made a few and was urgently making a second batch. Unfortunately, with him gone, she could not give them to him even if she made one, right?
As she thought about this, Morris suddenly changed the topic. "I heard that Ruth and Mr. Hunt have returned to the Hunts? And Mr. Hunt is suspected of raping her?"
Nora frowned and sounded a little unhappy. "Is that so?"
"Yes, my people saw her enter the Hunt Manor with their own eyes. If possible, can you spare her life? I still want to use her to bait people."
Nora was silent for a moment before saying, "Don¡¯t worry. Justin and I are goodw-abiding citizens."
"..."
In the special department¡ªthe corners of Morris¡¯s mouth twitched when he heard the beeping sound on the phone.
Mark, who was beside him, looked at Morris carefully. "Our people can¡¯t enter the Hunt Manor, so we don¡¯t know what they¡¯re doing inside... We really don¡¯t have a choice. Can we get Miss Smith to take a look? And report to us..."
He did not pursue the matter with Ruth nor suspect her. He only chased her away. It was all Morris¡¯s bait. He wanted to see her contact the mysterious organization and take advantage of the opportunity.
However, who would have thought that Ruth would be taken to the Hunt Manor as soon as she left the special department, causing them to lose their surveince?!
Morris looked at him and sneered. "Report? In what capacity should I ask Miss Smith to report to us?! If she was still in the special department, then I could request her to go on a mission as her superior. But what should I do now?"
Mark shut his mouth and lowered his head.
Why did it feel like the special department was in chaos ever since the moment Miss Smith left? The investigation that had finally gotten on track previously had be troublesome again...
¡ª
Nora got out of the car and was about to walk to the living room when she was grabbed by Mrs. Hunt.
Mrs. Hunt looked at her and saw that she did not look happy. She instantly trembled and coughed. She suddenly said, "Miss Smith, um, you have to be forgiving..."
Nora: "???"
The olddy suddenly felt guilty.
Although she was very arrogant in the past, after learning that Nora was Pete¡¯s biological mother, she knew that this marriage was set in stone!
Even if it was just for Pete, she had to be Justin¡¯s wife.
Therefore, she had to suppress Nora in the future. She could not let her be too arrogant in the Hunts.
But now!
Why was there another woman?
What if Miss Smith got angry and suddenly broke off the engagement?!
She was anxious inside, but Nora could not be bothered with her. She had already walked into Justin¡¯s living room.
As soon as she entered, she saw Ruth sitting calmly on the ground. Her hands and feet were already tied, but she was not anxious or flustered. She said with certainty, "Mr. Hunt, I dared toe here alone with you because I have leverage. Your interrogation techniques are useless against me. Unless ck Cates in person, no one can make me talk..."
Chapter 610: A Woman’s Jealousy
Chapter 610: A Woman¡¯s Jealousy
Lawrence and two bodyguards stood behind Ruth.
Justin sat on the sofa with a cold expression and a strong aura. At first nce, he reminded Nora of the first time she had met this man in California.
Only at times like these could Nora clearly see that this man had a noble status. When he was not in front of her, the man¡¯s expression was high and mighty. His entire body exuded an unapproachable aura.
He could not be bothered with Ruth and only lowered his head to handle the documents.
Lawrence was talking to Ruth instead. "Miss Ruth, don¡¯t make things harder for yourself. Over the years, no one has ever been able to hide anything from us..."
Ruth did not want to bother with him at all and directly said to Justin, "Mr. Hunt, it¡¯s useless for you to ignore me like this. Aren¡¯t you afraid of the public¡¯s opinion? If I just disappear out of nowhere, I¡¯m afraid the outside world will start talking about you silencing me!"
Justin turned a page of the document, took out a pen, and signed it.
However, Lawrence said, "Tsk, Miss Ruth, you¡¯re looking down on the Hunts too much, aren¡¯t you? Do you think a battle of public opinion will matter to us? Do you think you can publish such news as you please with Y around?"
Ruth was stunned.
She looked at Lawrence and saw strong confidenceing from this assistant. It was as if those things were nothing to him.
She bit her lip. "Shut up! I¡¯m talking to Mr. Hunt. How can you interrupt?"
Lawrence raised his chin and sneered. "Miss Ruth, you have to know that I¡¯m only here to talk to you because I¡¯m bored. Do you think you would otherwise have the chance to talk to me?"
As Justin¡¯s special assistant, Lawrence¡¯s words had a very big say in New York!
Ordinary people would have to rack their brains if they wanted an opportunity to speak to him. He was very proud and aloof.
Ruth was furious. "Who do you think you are? Do you know who I am? You can¡¯t afford to offend me!"
Lawrence sneered. "Who are you?"
Ruth wanted to say something, but she calmed down. "You want to pry information out of me? I won¡¯t say anything..."
Then, she looked at Justin again and said, "Mr. Hunt, I suggest you let me go. Let¡¯s have a good talk. Otherwise, my people will call the police if I¡¯m missing for 24 hours!"
Lawrence: "Omg, I¡¯m so scared!"
He pursed his lips. "Who do you think the Hunts are? Even if your people call the police, can they step foot into our property without any evidence?"
Ruth frowned. "You..."
Lawrence squatted down. "So, I suggest you talk nicely. After all, we don¡¯t want to kill women either."
Ruth spat and saliva sttered on Lawrence¡¯s face. "Since I dared toe, I¡¯m not afraid of torture. Besides, you can¡¯t torture me! If I lose so much as a strand of hair, I guarantee that Mr. Hunt will regret it very much!"
Lawrence frowned.
He did not know where Ruth¡¯s confidence came from, but to be safe, he still looked at Justin.
At this moment, Justin finally put down the document. He slowly raised his head, but his gaze passed through Ruth and went straight to Nora. Then, he stood up.
He was still acting very cold and distant, but now, a smile suddenly appeared on his face. He strode to Nora and said, "You¡¯re here!"
Nora nodded calmly and then turned her gaze to Ruth.
Ruth did not seem to expect her toe over, but the moment she saw her, she suddenly understood something. She looked at Justin again and frowned. "You all teamed up to deceive me!"
Nora and Justin could not be bothered with her. Only Lawrence bothered to talk to her. "Of course. Did you just notice? Heh, Miss Smith and our Mr. Hunt can already talk with just their eyes. How could he have been stirred up by you? Let me tell you, your matters are nothing in Mr. Hunt¡¯s eyes. Besides, Miss Smith is very magnanimous. She has been framed before, so she definitely won¡¯t fuss about anything!"
As he spoke, Lawrence nced at Nora carefully.
Nora: "..."
She turned back to look at Justin and saw that he was also sizing her up. It seemed like this person really cared about her opinion.
However...
If Justin had really slept with Ruth, it would be quite... disgusting.
She simply waved her hand and said to Lawrence, "Stop wasting time. Just interrogate her."
Lawrence instantly nodded. Just as he was about to call for someone to pull her down, Ruth¡¯s eyes widened and she gritted her teeth. She looked at Justin and shouted, "I slept with Mr. Hunt. Do you really dare to interrogate me? Do you dare to touch me?!"
Everyone: "?"
Lawrence was stunned by the logic of her words. "Why can¡¯t we interrogate you?"
Ruth looked at Justin. "Mr. Hunt, can you really bear to? We had a one-night stand after all. How could you treat me like this?!"
"..."
There was a silence.
After a while, a sneer came from Nora¡¯s mouth. Her pretty face could not help but tighten slightly. She only felt that this women¡¯s brain circuit was damaged. She shook her head and mocked, "Do you think you¡¯re filming a tv show?"
Ruth bit her lip. "You¡¯re too shameless. Are you going to torture me? I¡¯m a woman. You guys call yourself men?!"
Lawrence: "..."
Nora waved her hand. "Forget it. Find a soundproof room. I¡¯ll interrogate her."
Lawrence was stunned. "Miss Smith, you¡¯re doing it?"
"Why? Can¡¯t I?" Nora retorted.
Lawrence hurriedly nced at Justin and saw him nod. He then said eagerly, "Of course! you can definitely do it!"
With that, he got the two bodyguards to carry Ruth to the basement.
The dark room in the basement was very soundproof.
After the few of them went in, Ruth was tied to a chair. Her posture was still calm. "I¡¯ve already said that you will only hear what I want to say. You¡¯ll never know what I don¡¯t want to say!"
Lawrence also persuaded, "Miss Smith, why don¡¯t we do it? After all, it¡¯s not appropriate to let you do such a bloody thing, right?"
Actually, he was thinking to herself, "Miss Smith, you can treat illnesses, but can you interrogate people?"
However, he quickly figured out that Miss Smith wasn¡¯t here just to interrogate her. She just wanted to take the opportunity to hurt Ruth!
Sigh, women! They were indeed petty. Although they said they were not jealous, they actually cared more than anyone else, right?
He wanted Miss Smith to have fun. Later, he would find an excuse to take care of her mood and do it himself!
Chapter 611: Nora is Black Cat!!
Chapter 611: Nora is ck Cat!!
The basement was very big and spacious.
It was dozens of square meters. Ruth was tied to a chair in the corner with some equipment for interrogation.
Justin sat on the leather sofa beside her, and the two bodyguards stood respectfully behind him.
Lawrence was exining to Nora one by one. "Miss Smith, this isn¡¯t an ordinary whip. There are thorns on it. It¡¯s especially painful! Even a strong man can¡¯tst five minutes with this whip! Do you want to use this?"
Nora shook her head and sighed. "It¡¯s too rough."
Lawrence: "..."
He could only walk to the other side and take out a box of needles. "Miss Smith, have you seen this before? Do you know how you can prick her with these needles? It won¡¯t leave any marks on the person, but it¡¯s super painful! You can also insert these needles into her body or along her blood vessels to slowly reach into her heart, tormenting her bit by bit..."
Nora also shook her head. "This is too despicable."
"..."
Lawrence kept exining one tool after another. Until he had introduced all the tools in the room. Nora did not find any one satisfactory.
Lawrence was a little speechless, but he was still very cooperative. At least, exining these torture devices one by one was already psychological torture for Ruth!
When Lawrence saw that Nora was not satisfied, he could not help but sigh in his heart. Miss Smith was a girl after all. She probably could not stand these scary things. Tsk, tsk. What interrogation? She probably just wanted a little taste of it.
However, he still said, "If Miss Smith doesn¡¯t like them, why don¡¯t the few of us go through these tools on her first and see if she can withstand it?! If she can, then we¡¯ll let Miss Smith do it again!"
With that, Lawrence looked at Ruth.
However, Ruth calmly remained seated. There was no fear in her eyes at all. She sighed. "Mr. Hunt, you forced your way into my room and raped me back then. You¡¯ve let me down. Besides, do you think these torture devices will work on me?"
She was arrogant and looked very confident. However, it was unknown where this confidence came from.
This made Justin and Nora feel extremely surprised.
In fact, when Justin invited Ruth to the Hunts, he originally wanted to find another excuse, but Ruth had readily agreed. At that time, Ruth¡¯s actions had exceeded Justin¡¯s expectations.
No woman should be so stupid as to threaten a business tycoon.
Moreover, judging from what Ruth had done in the special department, she should be a meticulous person. She pretended to know Q and ck Cat and sessfully fooled almost everyone.
In fact, if these two identities weren¡¯t Nora¡¯s own, Ruth might not have been pped so hard in the face.
One should wonder how could such a smart woman fall into their trap so easily?
Moreover, she kept saying that her identity was not simple...
Not simple...
Lawrence suddenly said, "Could it be that you¡¯re an agent who has undergone secret training?"
Ruth sneered. "So what if I am? So what if I¡¯m not? I didn¡¯t expect Mr. Hunt to be so cold-blooded to the woman he once had a rtionship with!"
After saying that, she looked at Nora again. "And you! Do you really not care that I slept with him?"
Nora replied calmly, "It¡¯s already the 21st century. Are you still living in ancient times?"
Regardless of whether Ruth¡¯s words were true or not, even if they were true, it was five or six years ago. Modern people from the 21st century wouldn¡¯t care about such small things.
Moreover, it was under the circumstances where Justin was schemed against. How could Nora be jealous and act unreasonably because of this... No way!
Nora would never admit that she was jealous. That was why she had not said a word to Justin since she entered.
Ruth bit her lip and took a deep breath before saying, "We didn¡¯t just sleep together for a night!"
Nora raised her eyebrows and smiled. "I had guessed it."
Ruth was stunned.
Nora continued, "You were the one who schemed against him back then, right? But I don¡¯t understand. Whose side are you on?"
Ruth stared at her. "Alright, since you¡¯ve guessed it, I have nothing to hide. I¡¯m one of your mother¡¯s people!"
The message Trueman sent her had said that Nora¡¯s pregnancy was all nned by her mother.
So if her mother¡¯s people had schemed against Justin, then Ruth was indeed one of her mother¡¯s people?
But this was impossible!
As she was thinking, Ruth suddenly said, "Back then, I drugged Justin, but he was too strong. Even with the drug, he could still withstand it. I had no choice but to do it myself... Only then did I obtain his sperm. However,ter on, I became more and more jealous of you. I didn¡¯t want to be an invisible person. I also fell for Mr. Hunt, that¡¯s why I came here. How is it? Are you satisfied with this answer?"
"No."
Nora sneered. "There are too many holes. There are ws in your logic. I guess you¡¯re from the mysterious organization."
Ruth sneered. "How is that possible? Don¡¯t nder me here!"
Nora rubbed her wrist and stepped forward. "It seems like you really won¡¯t cry until you see the coffin. Since you¡¯re not cooperating, don¡¯t me me for being ruthless!"
With that, she arrived in front of Ruth.
Ruth red at her. "I¡¯m one of your mother¡¯s people, but I¡¯ve undergone training! Using these torture devices on me is a waste of time!"
"I don¡¯t like to waste time, either." Nora suddenly leaned closer to Ruth and whispered into her ear. "You can only hype yourself up as an interrogation master by using my reputation. You don¡¯t know a thing about interrogation, Ruth!"
Ruth¡¯s eyes widened when she heard this.
She looked at Nora in disbelief. Her lips trembled. "You, you, you¡¯re ck Cat?"
How could this be?!
She was ck Cat... Why was she ck Cat?!
No, she suddenly thought back to the times in the special department. Every time she mentioned that she knew ck Cat, Nora would always have a mocking smile on her face.
Furthermore, when Nora entered the interrogation room and interrogated those bodyguards, they started singing in no time. At that time, she had thought that ck Cat had guided her...
While she was extremely frightened, Nora lowered her eyes. She took out two gloves from her pocket and slowly put them on. "Last time, I needed five minutes to interrogate the top-secret agent known to have the toughest mouth. Guess how long will youst?"
Chapter 612: Child!!
Chapter 612: Child!!
The basement was very dark.
Ruth looked at Nora. Her voice was very low, but there was a little coldness in it. It sounded arrogant and domineering.
The mottled light shone on her face, making the woman¡¯s body flicker between light and dark. She was like an envoy from hell... No, it could be said that she was a demon from hell!
Ruth¡¯s nervous breathing stopped.
She suddenly recalled that scene back in the special department¡ªafter Nora came out of the interrogation room, the bodyguard had shouted that he would confess as long as the demon did not interrogate him again!!
Furthermore, ck Cat¡¯s achievements were famous all over. International agents were known to have the strongest mouths. No matter what mission they received, it would be strictly confidential. It had almost be the benchmark of the agent world.
However, that person was defeated by ck Cat.
On a mission, ck Cat only needed five minutes to knock out the employer¡¯s name from his mouth...
Five minutes...
Ruth¡¯s mentality copsed.
She believed that she had undergone strict training and was stronger than those bodyguards, but she was no match for the strongest agent!
Therefore, before Nora could do anything, she suddenly closed her eyes and shouted, "I¡¯ll say it. I¡¯ll say whatever you want me to say!"
Nora¡¯s hand paused slightly.
She ced her hands on either side of Ruth¡¯s chair and approached her with a strong aura. She asked, "What¡¯s your rtionship with Trueman?"
Ruth bit her lip.
Seeing that she was silent, Nora sneered. "Do you want to know how I got the strongest agent to speak? It¡¯s actually very simple. My scalpel is very sensitive. I cut his tissueyer byyer, letting him feel his skin being peeled off bit by bit without anesthesia..."
She took out a small and exquisite scalpel from her pocket.
Ruth shivered and shouted suddenly, "Trueman is my brother!"
Nora paused.
Even Justin¡¯s movements stopped for a moment.
Ruth shouted, "Trueman is my brother! Ie from the Yale family! So you can¡¯t attack me. The Yales will never let you go!"
Nora narrowed her eyes. "So you¡¯re really from the mysterious organization?"
Ruth gritted her teeth. "Yes."
Nora continued to ask, "Then were you the one who plotted my pregnancy six years ago?!"
Ruth shook her head. "I didn¡¯t plot it. I was just involved!"
Nora suddenly let out a deep breath.
Ever since she learned that her pregnancy was nned by her mother, the ufortable feeling of being schemed against had finally dissipated.
Indeed.
Her mother would rather sacrifice herself to protect her. How could she have done such a thing without her knowledge?
Nora lowered her eyes. "Why did you scheme against me?"
Ruth stared at her. "It was your mother who betrayed the mysterious organization first. We only wanted to break your agreement with the Grays! Besides, you were so well hidden. Wasn¡¯t it just right to punish you when we found you?!"
With that, Ruth stared at her. "Also, you should thank me. You were fat and ugly back then. No one wanted you! I heard that Anthony Gray proposed to break off the engagement many times, but he was rejected. If not for me, where else would you have found such a good man?! And you were so lucky to have a child for him!"
Nora: "..."
She raised her almond-shaped eyes slightly and suddenly looked at Justin before saying calmly, "Yes, I want to thank you for this. If not for you, I might never have met him."
Her words made Ruth bite her lip tightly. "Yes, if you hadn¡¯t given birth to his child, how could Mr. Hunt have fallen for you?! You should thank your stomach for doing so!"
However, Nora asked again, "Then why him? If it was to punish me, wouldn¡¯t it be better to find a random bad man?"
Ruth frowned. "How would I know? I told you, I didn¡¯t n it. I just cooperated. My mission was to scheme against Justin!"
Nora was puzzled. "Was it nned by Trueman?"
Ruth sneered. "That¡¯s right. My brother has really found a good man for you."
Nora lowered her eyes and said after a while, "How did you scheme against Justin?"
Ruth looked at Justin and took a deep breath. "This is very simple. I drugged his food, but I didn¡¯t expect him to be so strong. In the end, I had to do it myself..."
At this point, she looked at Justin. "So, Mr. Hunt, you and this woman aren¡¯t even married yet, but we¡¯ve already done it! You can¡¯t treat me like this!"
Justin still ignored her.
However, Nora sneered. "Who cares about marriage? Children are the most important. Can¡¯t you even see this?"
As soon as these words were out, Ruth was furious. She suddenly looked at Nora and Justin. "Children? Heh, do you think you¡¯re the only one with a child? What if I say that I gave birth to a child for Mr. Hunt too?!"
"..."
"Mr. Hunt, I also got pregnant that night. I gave birth to a boy! That child is yours! If we really count, we¡¯re even more intimate!"
"..."
In the underground interrogation room, there was a sudden silence.
Even Lawrence, who was watching themotion, suddenly shut his mouth. The smile on his face disappeared.
He looked at Ruth in disbelief.
Justin also raised his eyebrows and looked at Ruth in surprise.
This was the most unexpected answer in today¡¯s interrogation.
Nora¡¯s eyes narrowed and she froze on the spot.
Seeing that none of them spoke, Ruth sneered and finally found her ce. "Why did Ie here with Mr. Hunt? Don¡¯t I know that he takes both ck and white? If I didn¡¯t have a trump card, I wouldn¡¯t be here!"
She looked at Justin. "Our son is in the hands of my brother overseas. I want to tell you that I have to video chat with my brother every day to ensure nothing happens to him. Otherwise, our son will suffer every pain I do! If I break a finger, he will also break a finger! Since you love your children so much, you won¡¯t ignore the well-being of our child, right?!"
Justin narrowed his eyes.
Ruth took a deep breath as finally had the upper hand. She slowly smiled.
However, she did not expect Justin to stand up the next moment. He walked over step by step, his tall figure filled with oppression. He finally said his first sentence ever since entering the basement. "Do you think I really forgot what happened that night?"
Chapter 613: Justin’s Glorious Coldness
Chapter 613: Justin¡¯s Glorious Coldness
Ruth¡¯s pupils constricted as a flustered expression shed across her face.
After finding out that Nora was ck Cat, she was in a mess. That was why she said so much in one breath. However, she did not expect Justin to still remember what had happened back then?
Justin stared at the panic shing across her eyes and sneered. He moved aside and said to Nora, "Nora, looks like I¡¯ll have to trouble you again."
In other words, Ruth was still lying and needed ck Cat to interrogate her.
Nora moved her wrist. "No problem."
She pressed down on Ruth¡¯s arm. The next moment, a silver needle was inserted into one of her acupuncture points. A sharp pain enveloped her instantly.
Ruth felt like her entire body was about to be torn apart. All the pain was concentrated on that point, which gave her an intense urge to dig that piece of meat out.
It hurt.
It hurt too much.
She had never experienced such pain before!
"Ahh!"
A shrill scream was heard. Then, she saw Nora pick up the scalpel again and about to sh her body. Ruth shouted, "I told you, no matter what you do to me, my brother will take revenge on that child!!"
These words made Nora pause.
She stared at Ruth and saw that her forehead was already covered in a cold sweat because of the pain. Her hair was wet as she red at Justin fiercely. "He¡¯s your son. Do you really not care about your own son?!"
Justin frowned. "You are full of lies. We didn¡¯t have any rtionship at all back then, but you made it sound like it was true. Do you think I¡¯d still believe you?"
Ruth bit her lip. "Heh, don¡¯t forget that I had drugged you back then. It was easy for me to get pregnant with your child! Even if everything else is a lie, the child is real!! I swear! Your son is in my brother¡¯s hands! If you dare to let ck Cat interrogate me again, your son will suffer the same pain!"
Justin was stunned.
Seeing that he finally hesitated, Ruth then looked at Nora. "I also gave birth to a child for him. Now, you don¡¯t have any upper hand!"
Nora pursed her lips and suddenly took off her gloves. "How boring."
She left the interrogation room after saying those cold words.
Justin hurriedly followed behind her. When she saw the two of them leave, Ruth finally heaved a sigh of relief. At the same time, an unprecedented pleasure rose in her heart.
See, she had said it before. No woman could withstand such jealousy!
At the mention of the child, Nora finally could not take it anymore, right?
¡ª
Nora¡¯s face was cold. She walked from the basement to the living room.
Justin followed behind her. His tone and demeanor were hesitant. He wanted to exin, but he did not know what to say.
At this moment, Nora suddenly stopped in her tracks. "What she said about the child should be true."
Justin¡¯s pupils shrank.
He pursed his lips and organized his words before saying, "I don¡¯t have any memories of that night. I only lied to her before she immediately exposed herself. That woman is full of lies. Her words can¡¯t be trusted."
However, Nora lowered her eyes. "She¡¯s very smart. Her words are 80% true and 20% fake. You can¡¯t tell them apart. However, although the needle I put in earlier hurts, I could still judge her speech and blood flow, as well as her heart rate. When she mentioned the child, she didn¡¯t seem to be lying."
Justin was enlightened. "So you pretended to be jealous and paused the interrogation?"
Nora rolled her eyes at him.
She wanted to say that she was not pretending to be jealous, but she could not say that. She instead said, "I¡¯m worried that she might have a tracking chip in her body. My methods of torture are a little cruel. If it¡¯s really like what she said, what if the shameless and immoral Trueman really is torturing that child?"
Nora was worried about that child who might not really exist!
Even if that was the child of Ruth and Justin, she could not bear to hurt him!
Perhaps it was because she had felt guilty toward her son since he was young. When she was overseas, she had interacted with many children. She had even gone to ces like Africa and seen some hungry children who could not even eat well.
She could not ignore the life of a five-year-old child.
It could be said that this was her only weakness in life.
Not to mention that this child was Justin¡¯s son, but even if he was a stranger, she would still be soft-hearted.
Nora knew her own weakness, so she simply withdrew from the interrogation. Anyway, she already knew most of the things she needed to know.
Next, it was up to Justin!
Justin knew that Nora was avoiding suspicion, but when he looked at her like this, he suddenly felt a pang of indescribable guilt.
He really had a child with someone else...
Nora would definitely mind, right?
He lowered his eyes and said, "Yes, leave the rest to me."
Nora nodded and turned to leave.
Before she could leave, however, Justin suddenly called out to her, "Nora."
Nora turned back.
Justin suddenly sighed. "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll definitely give you an exnation."
Nora was a little stunned. Then, she nodded. "I trust you."
She had always been the type of person who either did not love orpletely believed the other person if she did. She no longer hid her many identities from Justin.
After Nora left, Justin returned to the basement.
His gentleness and love from earlier had disappeared, and he was exuding a bloodthirsty aura. As he entered, everyone in the basement lowered their heads. Feeling his aura, they did not dare to speak.
Justin came to Ruth and asked in a deep voice, "Where is that child?"
Ruth bit her lips. She felt a terrifying pressure from him. It was even more terrifying than when she first learned that Nora was ck Cat. She replied, "He¡¯s with my brother."
Justin lowered his eyes. "What¡¯s the child¡¯s name?"
"Xander Yale."
Ruth continued, "He took my surname."
Justin did not pursue this matter further. Instead, he stood up and looked down at her. "Get someone to bring the child here. I can let you leave. A life for a life."
Ruth¡¯s pupils constricted. "No way..."
The child was her bargaining chip. How could she give the child to him so easily?
However, before she could finish speaking, a hand as hard as steel grabbed her neck! It was as if it would snap her neck the next second!
Chapter 614: Bring The Child Here!
Chapter 614: Bring The Child Here!
Ruth¡¯s eyes widened, a look of despair forming in them.
She couldn¡¯t breathe properly and her throat felt like it had all stuck together.
Her brain started receiving insufficient oxygen and her vision ckened intermittently. Then, she cked out from suffocation.
Ssh!
A basin of icy-cold water was sshed onto Ruth¡¯s face, waking her up with a start. Only then did she realize that she had been released and had fallen onto the ground.
The basement was dimly lit, so she had no idea just how long she had been unconscious.
She wiped her face with her hand. When she looked up, she saw Justin seated on the sofa with his legs crossed, coldly looking at her.
The look in his eyes gave Ruth a shock. When she thought of what had happened before, she swallowed hard and said, "Mr. Hunt, you can¡¯t kill me! If you kill me, that child will die too!"
Because Justin had strangled her just now, thereby injuring her wind-pipe, her voice was hoarse. Additionally, the more she spoke, the more she ended up straining her throat, causing searing pain.
Ruth clutched her neck. In this instant, she became very sure of something¡ªJustin really had wanted to kill her just now!
While she was thinking, Justin suddenly took out a small chip. "Is this how you keep Trueman Yale informed of your situation at all times?"
Ruth¡¯s pupils shrank.
That was a tracker-cum-monitoring device that had been imnted in her. It allowed Trueman to check on her situation at any time.
It was only with thismunicator and the child that Ruth could ensure her safety.
Yet even themunicator had been discovered?!
Justin threw the chip he was holding between his fingers onto the floor. Nora had reminded him of it before she left. After that, he had instructed Lawrence to bring him the relevant apparatus before he finally found it in Ruth¡¯s stomach.
He crushed the chip with his foot. After breaking it, he scoffed, "Do you think my men won¡¯t be able to find the child just because you¡¯re dead?"
Blood drained from Ruth¡¯s face. "I... I am the child¡¯s mother!"
"So?"
Justin countered dispassionately. His voice was low and rich, making him sound just like a demon in the dim basement. "I can make it such that the child will never know that I¡¯m the one who killed you."
Ruth swallowed.
Seeing the strong murderous intent in the man¡¯s deep-set eyes, she knew that he was telling the truth!
She started shivering all over.
In this instant, she suddenly discovered that Justin was actually a hundred times... no, ten thousand times more terrifying than ck Cat!
No matter how powerful ck Cat was, what she did was ultimately still torture. However, Justin had been dispassionate and unconcerned the whole time. It was as if nothing was a problem in his world, and that he was the king in control of everything!
Such arrogance and confidence weren¡¯t to be found even in her brother, Trueman!
While Ruth was filled with fear and trepidation, Justin suddenly said lightly, "Of course, whether that child exists or not, as well as whether he is my son or not, is still yet unclear."
"He¡¯s your son! I guarantee it! I have evidence to prove this!" Ruth was terrified. She knew that she had to prove right away that the child really existed, and that he was indeed Justin¡¯s. Otherwise, he really might kill her!
Also, from the situation just now, she now knew very clearly that Justin didn¡¯t like to hear superfluous rubbish.
It was just like how she had wanted to bargain with him just now¡ªthe man hadn¡¯t given her a chance to speak and had almost strangled her to death instead!
She looked around in a panic. Then, she asked, "Can I use your phone to log in to my email inbox?"
Justin didn¡¯t move. It was Lawrence who stepped forward and handed her his cell phone.
Ruth behaved this time. She didn¡¯t dare to do anything funny. She obediently logged into her email inbox and found some videos.
She said, "These are videos of Xander. You can have Y check if they are real. Once you watch the videos, you¡¯ll know I¡¯m telling the truth!"
Lawrence took the cell phone back from her and took a look first.
But when he did, a look of surprise immediately came over his countenance. He walked over to Justin at once and handed him the phone.
Justin took the phone and looked down at it to see a five-year-old boy in the video. He had a crew cut and was doing his homework seriously.
Seemingly sensing that someone was filming him, he raised his head in annoyance, his deep-set eyes ring at the camera.
Those eyes... that face... they looked exactly like Justin¡¯s!!
Pete and Cherry¡¯s looks were abination of the good parts of both Justin and Nora¡¯s, but Xander was totally a miniature version of Justin.
There was no need to do a DNA test for Justin to know that he was most definitely his son.
Still, he was a little disappointed.
After all, before he saw the child, he had once wondered what if Nora was the one who had given birth to this child too?! Or perhaps Nora had actually given birth to triplets back then, so the child would have looked exactly the same as Pete and Cherry?
However, that was not the case.
Ruth shouted, "Mr. Hunt, Xander and I are very close. You mustn¡¯t kill me!"
Justin put down the phone and looked at her. "Call Trueman Yale. I don¡¯t care how you do it, you have five days to get him to send the boy here. Otherwise, I won¡¯t hold back on you!"
After saying that, he stood up at once and strode out.
But as soon as he walked over to the door, Ruth couldn¡¯t stop herself from shouting, "Mr. Hunt!"
Justin stopped but didn¡¯t look back.
Ruth shouted hoarsely, "Why? Both Nora and I are mothers to your children. Why are you treating me like this instead?!"
Justin sneered, "Because you are not worthy."
Then, he left the room.
What Ruth didn¡¯t know was that it wasn¡¯t because of the children that Justin was in love with Nora. Before he even knew that she was Pete¡¯s mother, he had already admired her and fallen in love with her!
¡ª
When Nora said that she was washing her hands of the matter, she meant it.
First, she went to the hospital to treat Quentin¡¯s condition. As this was already the second time, she only gave him a simple change of dressing. After fussing over him for five to six hours, she finally went home and fell into a deep sleep.
By the time she woke up, two days had already passed.
This time, she finally got enough sleep. She got out of bed refreshed. When she entered the study, she saw the two children with their heads together and staring at the screen.
As Nora walked over, she heard Cherry say, "Did you see that, Pete? I told you he is really impressive! He solved all the Mathematical Olympiad problems you made!"
They were currently on the phone, so a voice rang out: "Of course! I¡¯m a genius, you know!"
Pete was still expressionless. He replied, "You mean a fake one?"
"You are just jealous of how smart I am. I have an IQ of 301! No one can beat that!"
Pete said, "Sorry to disappoint you, but I have an IQ of 302."
"You¡¯re just bragging. The current highest recorded human IQ is 301, AKA mine." The little boy on the other end of the line said lightly, "You¡¯re being sopetitive just to show off in front of Cherry. But no matter how hard you try, can you hold back your pee?"
Pete flushed at once. He had always been a gentleman and never used such crude words. How could that guy talk about things like poop and pee so casually?!
Seeing that he was upset, Cherry hurriedly changed the subject. "Have the rabbits recovered? The ones you were talking about two days ago."
The boy sounded a little disappointed as he replied, "No, they showed symptoms of rejection, so both rabbits died."
Cherry: "?"
She blinked. "Oh, are you in a bad..."
Before she could say "mood", the boy sighed and said, "I am indeed in a bad mood."
Cherry was about tofort him when he went on. "After all, those two rabbits¡¯ flesh is too low quality. They are so hard to chew!"
Cherry: "?"
Pete: "??"
Nora, who had just walked into the room: "??"
"It¡¯s okay, though. I also have another ten rabbits, fifteen cats, and more than twenty stray dogs. It¡¯ll be No. 3 and No. 4¡¯s turns next. But I¡¯m wondering if I should gouge out No. 4¡¯s eyes and put them in No. 3, or should I cut off No. 3¡¯s ears and put them on No. 4?"
"..."
"Say, if I nt wheat in a cow, will beef-vored grains of wheat grow from it? Also, can a dog¡¯s head be installed on a cow¡¯s belly?"
"..."
Just the sound of the several questions he asked in session was frightening enough.
The trio looked at one another. Nora suddenly asked, "Cherry, what is your friend¡¯s name?"
Chapter 615: Triplets!!
Chapter 615: Triplets!!
Cherry was taken aback for a moment, seemingly only just realizing that she hadn¡¯t asked the boy for his name yet. She asked, "Hey, what¡¯s your name?"
"My name?" The boy sounded terribly cheeky. He said, "My name is made up of two sybles. The first is ¡¯grand¡¯ and the second is ¡¯dad¡¯."
Cherry was taken aback. "Granddad?"
"Yeah, I¡¯m here!" The boy responded very quickly. "Hello, my granddaughter!"
Cherry: "..."
She was furious. "Why are you so mean?!"
"Hahaha! Alright, I won¡¯t tease you anymore. Myst name is Yale while my first name is Dad!"
"Dad Yale?"
"Watch the way you¡¯re talking to your dad, girl!"
"..."
Cherry was furious. She was about to hang up when he said, "Okay, okay, I won¡¯t tease you anymore. I can¡¯t tell you my name¡ªyou can just call me ¡¯big brother¡¯."
Pete was pulling a long face. "Haven¡¯t you had enough yet?"
The other boy replied, "I have. At the very least, I don¡¯t want to be your brother, I only want to be Cherry¡¯s."
Nora, who was listening to the conversation next to them: "..."
Nora had thought that Cherry was already very cheeky. She mouthed off all the time and was very mischievous, and was not as well-behaved and sensible as Pete. Butpared to the other boy, Cherry was simply too good!
Also, Cherry didn¡¯t use such crudenguage!
Nora frowned. It stood to reason that she wouldn¡¯t feel any fondness for that little boy, but for some reason, as she listened to the young and tender voice acting like an adult, she actually didn¡¯t feel annoyed or disgusted.
Nora¡¯s voice was very low as she asked, "Boy, has your father returned?"
She remembered that the boy had said the other time that he didn¡¯t have a mother, only a father.
Wasn¡¯t his father going to discipline him when behaved like this?
The boy replied, "He¡¯s back. Who are you?"
Cherry immediately said, "She¡¯s my mommy."
"Oh, the queen of sleep?"
Nora: "?"
She looked straight at Cherry, only to see the little fellow¡¯s eyes darting about and looking elsewhere.
Hah.
Nora cast her eyes down and said, "Children shouldn¡¯t use such crudenguage, okay?"
"Yeah right, as if!" The boy seemed a little angry. He retorted, "Do you know why Tom¡¯s grandma lived till she was 108 years old?"
Nora: "?"
"Because she doesn¡¯t ever meddle in other people¡¯s business Do you think you can lecture me when even my father hasn¡¯t said anything?"
Nora¡¯s eyes turned cold. She was about to say something when Pete suddenly lost his temper. "Apologize to my mother!"
"I won¡¯t! Why should I?!"
Pete snorted coldly. "If you don¡¯t, then Cherry and I won¡¯t talk to you anymore!"
"So be it. I have nothing to lose anyway. Do you think I¡¯m afraid of you?"
Pete looked at Cherry.
Cherry had also gotten angry. To be honest, Cherry was actually the most protective of Nora among the few of them. She immediately said, "If you don¡¯t apologize, then we won¡¯t talk to you anymore!"
"Hmph! Then this friendship is over!"
Cherry hung up on him straightaway when the little fellow said that.
Cherry was a little upset. She stared at the phone for a while before she finally looked at Nora and said, "Mommy, he¡¯s too mean. Don¡¯t be mad!"
How would Nora possibly get mad at a child?
She ruffled Cherry¡¯s hair and nodded quietly. Then, she went downstairs for dinner.
Upstairs.
The boy called again after the phone call was disconnected.
Cherry rejected the call.
However, the boy persevered and called again.
Cherry rejected the call again.
¡ª
In another country.
In a dim and gloomy room somewhere, barely any light lit up the room. Only the light from a bulb illuminated the basement.
A boy who looked just like Justin sat at a desk.
He stared at his cell phone and looked in silence at the screen that indicated that his phone call had been disconnected. He couldn¡¯t help but curl his lips disdainfully. "Hmph~ How dare she keep rejecting my calls. She must be sick of living!"
He threw the phone aside. Then, he looked at the rabbits, puppies, and kittens in the cages outside.
He got up, walked over, and squatted in front of a rabbit.
The rabbity there on the verge of death.
The little fellow kept quiet for a while. Then, he said, "No. 3, are you still alive? You must stay strong!"
The little bunny¡¯s ears moved, but it didn¡¯t get up.
The little boy sighed. "They¡¯ve gouged out your heart. Puppy No. 3 beside you just so happens to have an extra heart. Say, if I put its heart in your chest, will you be able to live?"
The little rabbit remained still and silent, its eyes closed.
The little boy stretched out his arm and stroked its head as he threatened, "You mustn¡¯t die. If you die, I will turn you into rabbit stew! You hear me? No. 3!"
The bunny remained motionless.
The little boy slowly heaved a sigh. Then, he looked at No. 4, No. 5, and No. 6 at the side.
He propped his chin on his hand and said, "I¡¯ve done a search on the Inte. The doctor who can perform organ transnts the best now is Anti, a woman. I wonder if I¡¯ll seed if I learn from her?"
He was babbling continuously to himself when someone suddenly opened the door.
Then, a big and tall figure walked in.
The light behind the man covered his face in darkness, so one couldn¡¯t see clearly what he looked like.
However, the little boy¡¯s eyes lit up. "Daddy, you¡¯re back?!"
"Yeah, I¡¯m back." The man chuckled somewhat maliciously. His voice also sounded very shrill. He asked, "Xander, do you want to go to the United States?"
The little boy was surprised. "The United States? For what? I don¡¯t want to go, Daddy. I just want to stay here."
His fifteen rabbits and innumerable dogs and cats were still waiting for him to master medical skills so that he could save them!
However, the man said, "Tsk, what am I to do, then? Someone has detained your aunt in New York, and they have demanded that you go over to take her ce!"
Xander scoffed and said indifferently, "I¡¯m not going! Whoever wants to go there can go instead!"
¡ª
After her meal, Nora looked at her cell phone and found that Justin had sent her a few messages.
She gave him a call.
Justin answered very quickly. The man¡¯s voice was low and a little raspy as he asked, "You¡¯re up?"
"Yeah."
Nora responded. She stretched and asked, "What¡¯s the matter?"
"Do you remember who delivered the children for you back then?"
Nora frowned at the question.
Back then, Henry had thought of her pregnancy as a scandal, so she¡¯d never had any maternity checkups done. Even until she gave birth, she had never had any checkups.
She replied, "It¡¯s a small clinic, I don¡¯t quite remember anymore. Why?"
Justin was silent for a moment. He¡¯d initially wanted to hide it from her, but when he suddenly thought of Nora¡¯s abilities and her identity, he came to terms with it. Thus, he voiced his guess. "Nora, is there a chance that you actually gave birth to triplets back then?"
Chapter 616: Too Many Children!
Chapter 616: Too Many Children!
Triplets?
Nora subconsciously wanted to retort, "Do I look like an animal to you?"
But when she was about to do so, she suddenly remembered that due to obstructedbor, she had actually passed out at one point during childbirth.
From her perspective, she had only fainted for a short while at the time. She had regained consciousness after just a brief ckout. The doctor had then told her to continue pushing.
Then, she gave birth to a child, who was taken away by Henry. When she got down from the delivery bed to take her child back, her belly acted up again, after which she gave birth to Cherry.
She found Justin¡¯s supposition too strange, so she couldn¡¯t help but reply, "It¡¯s not impossible, but the chances are very low."
Even she hadn¡¯t noticed three different heartbeats in her belly during her pregnancy.
Justin¡¯s voice was full of joy. "Really? Then I¡¯ll get them to send the child back. When he¡¯s here, let¡¯s have a DNA test done."
Seeing that he was being so anxious about it, Nora didn¡¯t really have any objections, either. "Alright."
However, at the bottom of her heart, she didn¡¯t hold out much hope.
She understood how Justin felt, though. Even she would find it fairly disgusting if he had a child with another woman, let alone Justin himself.
Besides, she wasn¡¯t that much of a saint that she could treat Ruth¡¯s child like her own.
If Ruth and Justin really had a child together, would she and Justin be able to remain as they were? She couldn¡¯t guarantee it, nor could she imagine it.
She was toozy to deal with overlyplicated rtionships.
¡ª
After hanging up the phone, Nora returned to the bedroom.
Cherry was ying games while Pete was studying. Mia was seated next to Pete, her chin on her hand as she watched him while nodding off.
Pete sighed helplessly. "Mia, why don¡¯t you climb onto the bed and nap for a while?"
Mia immediately sat up straight. "I am not sleepy, Pete!"
Pete: "..."
Cherry nced at her. Although puzzled, she continued to y her game with her head down. While she was ying, she said, "Pete, that boy is calling me again. Should I answer?"
"No, you¡¯re not allowed to answer unless he apologizes to Mommy!"
"Okie-Dokie!" In a soft and tender voice, Cherry replied, "I¡¯ll do as you say, Pete!"
Pete was very satisfied. However, he was very curious. "How did you meet him?"
Cherry tilted her head and replied, "I once went to y with Princess Lucy. You know how the royal family has a lot of rules and regtions, right? Princess Lucy was taking etiquette lessons at that time, so out of boredom, I started ying with my phone. Then, someone nearby sent me a message. Without thinking too much about it, I added them back and we chatted a little. That boy is very strange. He only talks to me when it¡¯ste in the night, and the things he says are also very confusing. But he is very smart and he taught himself a lot of things! I hadn¡¯t contacted him for a very long time. If it weren¡¯t because you were forcing me to study, I wouldn¡¯t have remembered him either!"
Nora: "?"
She narrowed her eyes.
Princess Lucy was Cherry¡¯s good friend in the UK. The little girl often visited her, but because Nora needed sleep, it was usually her aunt who took her there.
If she had added him as a friend when she was in the pce, wouldn¡¯t that mean that the boy had been near the pce? Or even living in the pce itself?
Princess Lucy was part of the UK¡¯s royal family. Why would there be unrted people in the pce?
So, just who exactly was that boy?
While musing over it, her phone rang again.
When she answered, Morris¡¯ voice came from the other side. "Ms. Smith, Caleb Gray has sessfully returned to the mysterious organization. He said that he will help us find the location of the mysterious organization¡¯s headquarters in the near future."
"Okay."
Nora responded indifferently.
Although she sounded indifferent, she had cast her eyes down coldly.
Her mother had been driven to her grave by the mysterious organization. She would definitely avenge her!
She asked, "Haven¡¯t you guys found any clues during all these years?"
Morris was silent for a while before he sighed and replied, "It¡¯s very difficult for us to look for clues. First of all, it¡¯s inconvenient for us to do anything abroad. Secondly, they seem to be protected by very powerful people... Furthermore, there are many ces abroad that even the Interpol can¡¯t reach."
Nora understood.
Not every country was like the United States. There were still many countries with a monarchy. The UK was a country like that.
It was just like how there was a mysterious child hiding in Princess Lucy¡¯s pce, yet no one could go in and investigate!
As the two didn¡¯t have anything else to share with each other, Nora hung up the phone.
¡ª
Elsewhere.
Justin tapped the sofa with his finger lightly.
He was musing over something with a frown.
Next to him, Lawrence felt like his boss had gone a little bonkers.
Just now, he had dispatched someone to California to investigate the person who delivered the children for Ms. Smith back then. The two were currently waiting for news.
How could that kid possibly be the boss and Ms. Smith¡¯s, though? And why would their child possibly end up in Ruth¡¯s hands? On top of that, he was even in Trueman¡¯s clutches...
These things were simply tooplicated.
But wasn¡¯t it exactly just as strange back then?
Someone had called and said that his boss had a child and that he was about to die. When his boss went to the specified location, he had really found Pete...
That wasn¡¯t all. Later, they met Cherry, and now, there was Xander too? Surely there wouldn¡¯t be a fourth, fifth, and sixth child, right? That would be too many children!
While he was thinking, agitated footsteps rang out outside the door.
Sean walked in. He looked at Justin and said in a low voice, "I¡¯ve found information about that small clinic!"
Chapter 617: You Are Not My Mother
Chapter 617: You Are Not My Mother
Justin subconsciously sat up straight. He lowered his voice and instructed, "Speak."
Sean said, "That small clinic had only one doctor when Ms. Smith gave birth. After that, the doctor went abroad for further studies and has not returned to the country since. I¡¯ve checked his family background and found that he was unmarried back then. Both parents have died, so he doesn¡¯t have any family anymore."
Sean then paused and said, "During my investigation, I discovered that Ms. Smith had already sent someone to look for him when she was living abroad. After returning to the country, she had searched for him again. She was probably searching for the little mister at that time, but she couldn¡¯t find the doctor."
Nora had told him all that on the phone just now.
Nora would definitely tackle the problem from a few different angles when she was searching for her child. Yet despite her abilities, she still hadn¡¯t managed to find the man. This showed that the man had hidden himself very well.
Justin¡¯s long slender fingers tapped against the sofa.
Lawrence became anxious. "What are you doing? You can¡¯t even find a doctor from some small clinic?"
Sean nced at him silently and said nothing. Lawrence lifted his chin, looked at Justin, and asked, "Boss, what should we do?"
Justin suddenly said, "We can¡¯t find him, but surely there is someone else we can ask?"
Lawrence asked, "Who?"
Sean seemed to understand something. He nodded and said, "You¡¯re right. I will send some men to look for him right away."
Lawrence: "?"
After saying that, Sean went out.
Lawrence immediately looked at Justin. "Boss, who are you looking for?"
Justin nced at him indifferently. Then, he answered, "Henry Smith."
When Lawrence heard this, he suddenly realized something. "You¡¯re right! Henry Smith watched Ms. Smith¡¯s entire childbirth, so he must know how many children she gave birth to! Why didn¡¯t I think of that? After his wife and daughter betrayed him, he didn¡¯t even have money to buy a ne ticket home. Our men schemed and made him a beggar, so he must still be under our surveince now! We just need to find him and we¡¯ll know what we wanna know!"
Justin listened to him prattle on and on. Then, he nodded. "Yes, you are right."
Lawrence touched his head. "I also think I¡¯m really smart. To think I understood Boss¡¯ thoughts right away."
Hepletely forgot that Sean had immediately understood what Justin meant with just one sentence from him, and had already left to get things done by then.
Justin gave Lawrence a disdainful look. Then, he asked, "How is that person in the basement?"
Lawrence, who had underperformed next to Sean just now, was just thinking of proving himself. At Justin¡¯s question, he hurriedly replied, "Don¡¯t worry, Boss, our men are watching her. We won¡¯t let her escape! We have also given her a cell phone to let her contact her people abroad. She has been making frequent calls almost every day and begging her brother to send the child here!"
"Oh," said Justin.
Just as he got up and was about to go out, Lawrence suddenly asked, "Boss, it¡¯s been almost three days. Are you really not going to give her any food?"
Since that day, Ruth had been imprisoned in the basement. Justin had also left instructions forbidding anyone from giving her food.
The basement had a bathroom with water in it.
However, there was nothing to eat there. Ruth had already asked for food several times over thest few days!
It had been three whole days. She was close to starving to death.
Lawrence was also afraid that she would really starve to death. That was why he had asked about it.
Unexpectedly, Justin replied coldly, "She won¡¯t die of hunger. Of course, if the child doesn¡¯t return within ten days, then it won¡¯t matter even if she starves to death."
If Trueman didn¡¯t send the child back, then it would mean that he didn¡¯t care in the least whether Ruth lived or died.
In that case, why should he care?!
Lawrence swallowed. He felt that there was murderous intent in his boss¡¯ voice when he said that. It was only then he realized that his boss had really be angry this time.
His boss rarely got angry for real. After all, he could pretty much solve every problem with just a wave of his hand. For him to be so angry this time... Surely it wasn¡¯t because Ruth¡¯s existence had made Ms. Smith jealous, right?
Lawrence felt like he had figured something out.
Justin couldn¡¯t be bothered to go to the basement. Or rather, the sight of Ruth made him sick, so he didn¡¯t want to go. Lawrence, however, had to go.
After all, he had to remind and urge her several times a day to call her people overseas.
When Lawrence went down to the basement, he saw Ruth lying on the ground and eating... paper towels.
She was in a pathetic state. Her hair was greasy and stuck to her face while her cheeks were sunken in from hunger, making her look a little scary. After going hungry for three days, she had probably lost a few pounds.
Lawrence tutted a couple of times.
At the sight of him, Ruth put down the paper towels in her hand. She stared at Lawrence, her eyes fierce and vicious. She said, "Give me something to eat! My son is about toe back to the country soon. When he does, he will be a Hunt! Even if Mr. Hunt does not give me the status I deserve, he still has to acknowledge his son! My son will be the head of the Hunts in the future! Lawrence, aren¡¯t you afraid that my son will make life difficult for you in the future if you treat me like this?!"
Lawrence: "?"
He scoffed and threw the phone to Ruth. "Time for you to make a call. If you want food, then we¡¯ll talk about it when your son arrives! Just like you said, he is a Hunt. If he says the word, who would dare starve you?"
Ruth bit her lip, picked up the phone, and called Xander.
She had no other choice. Trueman had said that Xander didn¡¯t want toe. He had to respect his will.
Ruth¡¯s eyes shed with hatred when she thought of this.
Was there even a need to respect his will? He was just a sh*tty kid!
They had raised him for so long. What was the big deal about making him return to the States to save her? Shouldn¡¯t he do that? That kid was a total devil!
While thinking about it, she took a deep breath.
The call was quickly connected.
Xander¡¯s devilish voice rang out. "Aunt Ruth, what do you want this time?"
Ruth got a shock when she heard the word "aunt", and she nced at Lawrence. She quickly lowered her voice and said, "How many times have I told you this? You have to call me Mom!"
"Tsk, did you give birth to me? Why should I call you Mom?"
Ruth was so angry that she yelled, "Xander!"
"I¡¯m still here, you don¡¯t have to be so loud. I can hear you~"
Ruth took a deep breath and suppressed her anger. "Xander, be good, hurry ande and save me, okay? There are a lot of fun things to do in America!"
"Wow, really?"
Ruth nodded. "Yes, yes, of course. If youe here, I can buy you lots of things."
"Oh, I don¡¯t need anything."
"..."
"Is there anything else you need? If not, then I¡¯m hanging up. Also, Aunt Ruth, don¡¯t ever talk about being my mother or whatnot anymore. My mom is the woman who gave birth to me, not you!"
Elsewhere.
Lawrence was eavesdropping on their conversation with a listening device.
Chapter 618: Putting The Cards On The Table
Chapter 618: Putting The Cards On The Table
He heard clearly everything that Ruth said.
However, he could only hear static noiseing from the other side.
Obviously, the other party also had a very powerful hacker who could block his signal, so only Ruth could hear the voice.
Lawrence frowned and put down the listening device altogether. He went up to Ruth and turned on the speaker mode on the cell phone.
Ruth had already known this when she made the call, of course. That was why she had called Xander with peace of mind and hadn¡¯t been afraid that he might let something slip. After all, Xander¡¯s phone had been modified, so no one could listen in on his voice.
But with Lawrence switching on the speaker mode so tantly, she immediately said, "Xander, behave. Hurry up ande to America to look for me. I promise I won¡¯t touch your rabbits anymore when I go back!"
When Xander heard this, his voice suddenly rose. "Really?"
Xander, who grew up in the basement, had never been allowed to go out. His father was the only one who had apanied him and taught him everything. He was also able to teach himself a lot of things through online sses.
His father was very busy sometimes, so he could only stay in the basement by himself.
The little rabbits, cats, and dogs had apanied him for many years. They were his closest friends, but those friends of his were instead the adults¡¯ tools for experiments.
Xander was very unhappy about this.
But he didn¡¯t know how to fight back. Having grown up there, he didn¡¯t even know that he could fight back. He just wanted to save the rabbits and keep his little friends alive.
Therefore, if an organ transnt was possible, then he was willing to do it!
In his world, there was only life and death. There was no right or wrong!
Even if sewing a dog¡¯s head onto a cat¡¯s body was a serious vition of natural science and went against humanity¡¯s moralpass, for him, as long as it could keep Dog No. 6 alive, nothing else mattered.
Ruth nodded. "Yes!"
Xander hesitated for a moment. Then, he said, "Alright, then."
Ruth breathed a sigh of relief. "Come over as soon as you can!"
"Okay, okay. You¡¯re so annoying!"
Xander hung up the phone.
Ruth breathed a sigh of relief. When she handed the phone to Lawrence, she said weakly, "Mr. Zimmer, I hope you¡¯ll keep your word. The day Xander arrives at the manor, you must send me food!"
Lawrence picked up the phone and nodded. "Of course."
¡ª
Justin drove to the Smiths¡¯.
When he entered, he found Nora lying on the bed, her head rested on one hand as she watched Cherry and Pete.
She had her phone in her hand and she nced at it from time to time.
Seeing the three of them peaceful and happy, Justin fell silent for a while.
He walked over and sat beside Nora.
Nora nced at him and said, "You¡¯re here."
"Yeah."
Justin sat at the edge of the bed. He stared at her for a while before he suddenly chuckled and asked, "Are you jealous?"
"No."
Nora replied calmly, "If I have the time for that, I might as well use that time to make up for lost sleep instead."
Justin: "?"
He narrowed his eyes a little and then sighed. "Nora, I feel that this incident has at least proven one thing."
Nora looked at him. "What is it?"
"It at least proves that I am serious about you, rather than making do because of the kids."
Justin looked at her earnestly, his gaze deep and bottomless, making them look particrly devoted and affectionate.
Even the beauty mark at the corner of his eye looked a little more serious than usual.
Nora felt as if her heart had been coated in honey.
It felt like a ray of sunlight had suddenly shone through the skies after it had been dark for several days.
She had never known that this was what being in love felt like. A single sentence from him could make her so happy.
Despite that, she turned away and with her cheeks burning a little, replied, "Oh."
The man kept quiet for a while. Then, he suddenly asked, "What about you?"
Nora was taken aback.
Justin continued gazing at her. "Are you only with me because of the children?"
Nora kept quiet for a moment.
To be honest, someone with a personality like hers did not understand what being in love was.
When she first learned that Justin was Pete¡¯s father, she had been wary of him and had feared that the man would take the child away after he knew the truth.
After all, her first reaction was also to take the two kids and go out of the country immediately.
But what had happenedter?
When did that man slowly make his way into her heart without her even realizing it?
Justin looked at her seriously.
His heart slowly sank.
To be honest, he had been thinking about this problem all this time. He had always known that he was the one who had been acting and pretending not to know the truth, and insisting that Nora was in love with him. That was how the two of them had gradually gotten together.
It could be said that he was the one who had been putting in the effort in their rtionship all this time.
If there were 100 steps between the two of them, then he had already taken 99 steps. There was only onest step left now...
In the past, he had never dared to hope for Nora to respond.
After all, even if he had forced her into it or tricked her into it, the woman was already his.
They also had two children. It seemed like from the moment the truth was revealed, they had naturally gotten together and were like an old married couple.
At the same time, it was also as though they were making do and living like this for the sake of the children.
But Justin was starting to dislike such days more and more.
He¡¯d originally thought that he wasn¡¯t bothered about Nora¡¯s stance, but now...
He wanted Nora to take that step.
He observed Nora¡¯s expression seriously, but instead saw hesitation, confusion, and even puzzlement on her face...
These were all emotions that he didn¡¯t want to see.
The shyness and love that he had wanted to see the most were nowhere to be seen!
The smile on Justin¡¯s face slowly disappeared, and his expression became serious.
He was still waiting, waiting for her answer.
One minute passed...
Two minutes passed...
Even after three minutes passed, the woman still did not speak. This caused a sense of loss and pain to suddenly surge up in Justin.
She had never actually given their rtionship proper thought before, right?
Justin suddenly stood up. "I get it."
That woman didn¡¯t have a heart at all.
Perhaps her feelings for him weren¡¯t even of love!
Justin was extremely depressed. He restrained his anger and then looked at Cherry and Pete, only to see the children looking at him worriedly.
He suppressed his sadness and hesitation and ruffled Cherry¡¯s hair. Then, he got up and walked out.
The truth was so cruel.
Yet despite knowing the truth, he still didn¡¯t want to let go.
He walked rather quickly. Soon, he came to the parking lot.
He put his hand on the car door handle. Just as he was about to open the door and enter, a delicate arm reached over and held the door down.
Surprised, Justin¡¯s head turned to the side abruptly to see Nora looking at him.
His heart suddenly started to pound.
Chapter 619: How Is She Different?
Chapter 619: How Is She Different?
Nora chased after him. Was she going to say something?
Justin looked at the woman expectantly.
Then, she said, "You¡¯re leaving now?"
The woman¡¯s voice waszy and filled with confusion.
Justin: "..."
He knew that this woman did not know how to be flirtatious.
He lowered his eyes and sighed. "Yes, I have something to do at thepany."
He suppressed the unhappiness in his heart and said in a fit of pique, "Is there anything else?"
"Yes, there is."
Nora said word by word, "When I first interacted with you, it was indeed because of the children. And I actually had no ns to get married in this life."
Justin¡¯s heart slowly sank.
The woman leaned against his car and raised her chin slightly. Her almond-shaped eyes were staring into the distance. "You also know that I was very fat when I was young. I was humiliated and scolded by others. At that time, I wanted to live alone in the future. Later on, when I had a child, although I was very curious about how she came to be, I took things as they came. I slowly understood that I could live with the child and I did not need a man to rely on."
She had her own hands and feet. If she was capable, what man did she need to rely on?
Justin¡¯s heart sank.
He sighed.
Indeed, many women looked for men to rely on, but this kind of love was wrong in itself.
Marriage should be for both parties to rely on each other, not purely on men.
If a woman looked for a man only to find someone to rely on, then in such a rtionship, the woman would naturally be at a disadvantage.
He had never nned to get married before. He even felt that life would be better if he only had Pete.
Butter...
As he was thinking, he heard Nora say again, "Later on, when I met you, I slowly came in contact with you. I felt veryfortable being with you. The two of us were always honest with each other, and you always acted like a qualified father.."
Hearing that they were honest with each other, Justin¡¯s eyes shook guiltily.
However, when he heard that he was a qualified father, he felt sad again.
In her heart, was he just a qualified father?
But he did not want her to ept him just for his role as a father!
As he thought about this, he heard Nora say, "After that, I realized that I was treating you a little differently."
Justin¡¯s disappointed heart suddenly lit up.
A light shed across his long and narrow eyes as he asked, "What¡¯s different?"
Nora tilted her head. "It¡¯s just different."
Justin was very anxious. "Where?"
"It¡¯s different everywhere."
"Where?"
"...Anyway, it¡¯s different!"
Justinughed softly.
¡ª
On the second floor.
Ian stretched his neck and stared into the distance, holding a telescope in his hand. "Justin doesn¡¯t look too good. Did they quarrel? You just passed by there. Did you hear anything?"
The butler said, "I only heard Mr. Hunt asking Miss Smith ¡¯where¡¯..."
"Where..." Ian thought about it carefully. "I understand. Are they discussing where to go for a vacation?"
The butler: "?"
The corners of his mouth twitched. He looked at Ian and suddenly asked, "Old sir, don¡¯t you care if the Inte says that Mr. Hunt raped a woman a few years ago?"
As soon as he said this, Ian nced at him. "Butler, you have to look beyond the surface. How could Justin take a liking to that ordinary-looking woman? Unless he¡¯s blind! Even if the Inte is in an uproar, it must be Justin and Nora¡¯s n. This is not the main question!"
The butler asked, "Then what is?"
Ian frowned and looked down. "The main question is where are they going?"
The butler was speechless.
Ian put on his reading sses and took out a map. "Which ces did Yvette want to go for her honeymoon years ago?"
The butler: "..."
Ian looked at the map for a while and then looked outside.
The butler suddenly asked, "Old sir, do you agree with Mr. Hunt and Miss Smith¡¯s rtionship now?"
Ian sighed. "I just feel that I¡¯ve never seen Nora smile like this before."
As long as she had that smile, how could he bear to stop them?
Sigh!
¡ª
Nora and Justin yed around for a while. When Justin questioned her, she took two steps back with a smile on her face.
Her almond-shaped eyes curved slightly, making her look cheerful. She was no longer as cold as she usually was.
In the end, Justin lost.
He knew that this woman was not flirtatious. It was already enough that she could say something different. It was probably impossible for her to say things like she liked him or loved him.
Forget it, this was it!
When Nora was not looking, he suddenly rubbed her head. Her long and soft hair was as smooth as silk in his hands, making him love her so much that he could not bear to let go.
Unfortunately, Nora lowered her head and avoided it. "Can you go upstairs now and continue to be a good father?"
Justin smiled. "There¡¯s really something going on in mypany."
Nora: "?"
The mole between Justin¡¯s eyes seemed to be smiling. "It¡¯s true."
Nora finally understood. So this man had just left in frustration earlier and was not really sad?
She seemed to have been deceived by his appearance again!
Nora took a deep breath and took a step back to give way. "Alright, go!"
Justin nodded happily and got into the car to leave.
¡ª
When he arrived at thepany, Sean and Lawrence happened to catch up.
Lawrence instructed, "Boss, I keep feeling that Ruth doesn¡¯t have a good rtionship with that child. Perhaps the child really isn¡¯t hers. Besides, the other party has a mysterious hacker who blocked the signal, preventing me from hearing what he said."
Justin lowered his eyes. "That¡¯s not unusual."
The mysterious organization had existed for so many years and even had a tendency to expand day by day. There had to be a lot of power within, so what was strange about a hacker who could block their signals?
As he was thinking, Sean said, "Boss, our people went to look for Henry."
This sentence made Justin stop in his tracks and look at him. "And?"
Sean sighed. "He¡¯s dead!"
These words made Lawrence and Justin¡¯s pupils shrink.
Lawrence asked nervously, "What¡¯s going on? Didn¡¯t our people follow him all the time?"
In order to punish Henry, Justin had someone steal his driver¡¯s license and money, making him unable to leave New York.
Ever since then, he had been begging for a living.
However, he had always been under Justin¡¯s surveince.
Logically speaking, bringing him over was a simple matter, but now, it had suddenly turned out like this...
Sean said, "I also learned about it just now. It happened yesterday. He and a group of beggars were fighting for food, but our people did not see it. When he separated from those people, he kept clutching his stomach and staggered. When he fell to the ground, our people rushed forward and realized that he had been stabbed in the stomach. He died in the hospital today."
When Lawrence heard this, he said angrily, "How did he die? Your people are too useless. What should we do now?"
Sean did not speak.
Justin suddenly lowered his eyes. "His death only proves our suspicions"
Chapter 620: Xander Yale Is Here!!
Chapter 620: Xander Yale Is Here!!
Everyone shut their mouths at this.
Sean nodded. "Yes."
He and Justin looked at each other.
Lawrence thought carefully and came to a realization. "Yes, this is too coincidental! The organization ignored Henry till now, but when the child¡¯s existence was revealed, they suddenly killed him! If it were in the past, we would have wondered if the doctor who delivered the child had been sent overseas by Henry or by the mysterious organization. But now, it seems obvious that it was the mysterious organization! There¡¯s indeed a problem with Xander¡¯s identity!"
Seeing that he was finally being smart, Sean gave him a thumbs up.
Lawrence was speechless.
Justin did not say anything and went upstairs.
The two of them followed behind him. Justin asked, "Have you asked Ruth when that child will get here?"
Lawrence said, "Yes, our people call her every hour. Besides, she¡¯s very hungry. She doesn¡¯t need us to rush her now. She¡¯s already taking the initiative to call."
"Yes."
When they went upstairs, Justin sat on the sofa.
His long fingers tapped the table as if he was waiting for something.
At this moment, his phone rang.
Justin looked down and realized that it was an unknown number.
He picked it up and a sharp voice came from the other end. "Mr. Hunt, the mysterious organization has never thought of you as our enemy."
Justin paused and suddenly asked, "Trueman?"
"Yes, it¡¯s me."
Trueman said, "My sister was insensible back then and hid your child in secret. In the end, she took root and gritted her teeth. However, for so many years, this child has always been kept safe and healthy. On the ount that I took care of him for five years, why don¡¯t you spare my sister¡¯s life?"
Justin sneered. "Are you sure she gave birth to the child?"
"Of course, I¡¯m very sure." Trueman smiled. "If you can guarantee that you won¡¯t kill my sister, I¡¯ll send Xander back to the country."
Justin said, "Send him back first. We¡¯ll discuss the rest when the childes to New York!"
Trueman suddenly sneered. "Mr. Hunt, I thought this was a fair deal."
"Is that so?" Justin said calmly. "With me, it doesn¡¯t matter if the transactions are fair or not. It all depends on my will! I¡¯ll give you two days. If the child hasn¡¯t arrived by then, your sister¡¯s life will be gone!"
Trueman sneered. "Don¡¯t you even want to negotiate, Mr. Hunt? Why?"
Justin didn¡¯t say anything.
Trueman knew that he wanted to ask for more.
He suddenlyughed. "Alright, Ruth is not that important here. I¡¯ve already sent the child back to you. Mr. Hunt, remember to pick him up~"
As soon as he finished speaking, Trueman hung up.
His sudden retreat made Justin frown.
Lawrence and Sean stood beside Justin. The two of them asked hesitantly, "Boss, why did Trueman suddenly give up?"
Justin lowered his eyes and said, "When Ruth appeared in front of me and came here, she had actually been abandoned. Trueman has never cared about this sister."
Lawrence was puzzled. "Then why did he still give in and send the child over?"
Sean also clenched his jaw.
However, Justin suddenly said, "He didn¡¯t say, so he must have bigger ns! We have to be careful. Double the number of secret guards around the Smiths."
"Yes, sir!"
Currently, Cherry and Pete were both living in the Smiths. Other than the Smiths¡¯ own secret guards, the Hunts had also sent many people over and surrounded the Smiths like an iron bucket.
Justin had a feeling that although Trueman had been forced to leave New York, he still had a big move left. He definitely had a trump card.
Perhaps there would be a bloodbath in the future!
¡ª
Cherry¡¯s phone rang again.
She nced at it and realized that it was still a Facebook voice message.
She cut off his voice again and sent a voice message. "If you don¡¯t apologize to my mother, I won¡¯t talk to you!"
In the end, the other party also sent a string of voice messages.
Cherry stared at it curiously for a while and could not help but open it. She heard the other party¡¯s naughty voice. "Good sister, I¡¯m in New York!"
When he said this, Cherry was instantly surprised. She asked in a voice message, "What are you doing here?"
"Of course... I¡¯m here to apologize to your mother in person!"
The other party replied.
Cherry: "??"
She had chatted with him for about half a year and would not believe that he had suddenly be a good person. The corners of Cherry¡¯s mouth twitched. "Why don¡¯t I believe you?"
The other party: "You disappoint me too much. How can you not believe me? Aren¡¯t we good friends? You should understand me. If you don¡¯t believe me... You¡¯re right, hahaha!"
Cherry: "!!"
She was so angry that she threw her phone on the table and ignored him!
This boy was too bad. He was not as good as her brother at all!
¡ª
At the same time, outside the Hunts¡¯ house.
A small figure stood there. After sending the voice message, he threw the phone into his pocket.
Then, he looked at the door in front of him.
Dad had asked him toe here and had said that his biological father was here.
Only then did he realize that Trueman was not his biological father. Pfft, he was not his Trueman¡¯s biological son. Other than having an unknown mother, he also had a father?
This couple was really ruthless. It had been five years, but they had never looked for him.
Moreover, it seemed like his biological father did not like him?
He sneered and walked forward to knock on the Hunts¡¯ metal door.
"Who is it?"
The guard inside asked.
The little fe shouted, "It¡¯s me! I¡¯m looking for Justin!"
The guard was stunned. "Who are you?"
The little fe ced his hands on his hips and sneered. "I¡¯m your grandfather! Open the door! I¡¯m looking for Justin!!"
At the Hunt Corporation.
Justin, who had received the news, stood up immediately. As he walked to the Hunt Manor, he said to the butler, "Pick up some of his DNA samples and send them to Miss Smith immediately."
"Yes, sir."
He did not expect this child toe so quickly and suddenly.
Chapter 621: Little Devil!
Chapter 621: Little Devil!
"Mrs. Hunt, something big has happened! Someone who looks identical to Mr. Hunt hase to our door and he ims to be Mr. Hunt¡¯s son!"
Mrs. Hunt was drinking afternoon tea when her personal butler rushed over and told her what had happened at the door.
The olddy was shocked and stood up suddenly. "What?"
She swallowed. "Who gave birth to that child? What¡¯s wrong with Justin? How many children does he have out there?!"
The butler: "..."
Yes, he had be a father once five years ago. Now, he was going to be a father again!
Mrs. Hunt held the butler¡¯s hand. "Let¡¯s go and take a look!"
On the way, she could not help but say to the butler, "You have to keep this matter a secret! Don¡¯t let the Smiths hear about it!"
The butler was stunned. "Didn¡¯t you disagree to this marriage with the Smiths?"
"What nonsense are you talking about? In all of New York, the only person worthy of being pampered is the eldest daughter of the Smiths. Yvonne is gone, and now, only Nora is left. Furthermore, she¡¯s Pete¡¯s mother! What I¡¯m worried about now is that if the Smiths find out about this child, they will call off the engagement!"
Mrs. Hunt frowned. When she thought of her maiden family¡¯s matters... she lowered her voice even more. "Besides, we have a request for her now!"
The butler immediately understood and nodded.
When the two of them arrived at Justin¡¯s vi, they happened to hear a low crying from inside!
She rushed in and saw a little boy carrying a ck backpack. He was holding a bodyguard¡¯s hand and biting it.
The bodyguard wanted to snatch his finger back, but he was afraid that it would hurt his teeth. If he did not use force, his fingers could not be retracted.
This little brat was using all his strength to bite him!
The steward beside him was Justin¡¯s trusted aide and was loyal to him. When he saw this, he shouted anxiously from the side, "Xander, let go of his hand! His fingers will break off if you keep biting!"
Xander red at him with a pair of long, narrow eyes identical to Justin¡¯s. He refused to let go and muttered something.
The butler couldn¡¯t hear him clearly, so he said, "We just want to take your saliva. We don¡¯t n on harming you!"
Xander continued to growl.
The butler said, "I swear, I¡¯m really not trying to hurt you! It¡¯s just that you said you¡¯re Mr. Hunt¡¯s son. Shouldn¡¯t we go and check? What if he¡¯s not your father? You don¡¯t want to call a stranger your father, do you?"
Hearing this, Xander¡¯s eyes darted around before he finally let go.
The bodyguard¡¯s fingers had already been bloodied. There was a row of small teeth marks, and it was shocking.
The butler wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and heard Xander say, "You have to tell me before doing such things, okay? You didn¡¯t say anything and stuffed a cotton bud into my mouth. I thought you making me eat it!"
The butler: "..."
The butler was speechless and simply nodded. "Yes, yes, yes. You¡¯re right!"
Only then did Xander open his mouth. "Hurry up and take it. I also want to know if Justin is my father!"
If not, he would be anxious to go back and see his bunny No. 3 and 4!
The other bodyguard stepped forward in fear and took out a cotton bud. "Xander, don¡¯t bite me!"
Xander raised his brows.
The bodyguard reached into his mouth and stirred the cotton bud at his throat. Just as he was about to take his hand out, Xander suddenly pretended to bite.
The bodyguard was so frightened that he hurriedly took a step back and staggered.
"Hahahahahaha!" Xander pointed at the bodyguard and raised his head tough. He looked arrogant and wanton, but his eyes were filled with mischief. "How fun!"
The butler: "..."
He suddenly missed Pete.
When Pete was young, he was autistic and did not like to talk much. He hid in a corner quietly. He was the opposite of this little demon who yed with people everywhere?
He wiped his forehead and carefully ced the cotton bud in the bag. Then, he got someone to send it to Nora.
After sending him off, he turned around and saw that Mrs. Hunt was already standing in front of Xander. She asked in a trembling voice, "You¡¯re Justin¡¯s son? Where¡¯s your mother?"
"What about you?" Xander asked. "Old grandma, are you Justin¡¯s mother? Aren¡¯t you too old and ugly? Don¡¯t tell me Justin looks like you and is very ugly? I don¡¯t think I¡¯m his son!"
Mrs. Hunt: ??
She took a step back and pointed at Xander. "You, you, you..."
Xander took two steps toward the butler and said in disdain, "Butler, she¡¯s already demented. Why is she still living here? Shouldn¡¯t she be sent to a nursing home?"
The butler: "?"
Mrs. Hunt: ?
The butler beside Mrs. Hunt said, "Mrs. Hunt isn¡¯t demented!"
Xander blinked. "Is that so? Then she stammers? It¡¯s so fun. Old Grandma, how old are you?"
Everyone: "??"
Mrs. Hunt was indeed old, but because of the Hunts¡¯ high status, no one had dared to speak to her like this all these years.
Her hands immediately trembled in anger as she pointed at Xander and shouted angrily, "You, you, you!"
"My name is Xander. Can you call me by my name?"
Xander¡¯s eyes were extremely bright like ck grapes and were filled with anticipation. "If you stammer, won¡¯t you be calling me Xan, Xan, Xan... Hahahaha!"
Mrs. Hunt: "!!"
She rolled her eyes in anger and fell back.
"Mrs. Hunt!"
The butler cried out in shock and hurriedly grabbed Mrs. Hunt. "Hurry, call the family doctor over!"
Therefore, when Justin came back, he saw that Mrs. Hunt had been carried out. He could only go to Mrs. Hunt without looking at Xander.
Mrs. Hunt had just fainted from provocation. The family doctor measured her blood pressure, gave her some medicine, and used Zabe Corporation¡¯s Calming Pill to calm her down.
Mrs. Hunt stared at Justin. "Justin! W-Where did you get such a son?!"
Justin: "..."
When the olddy finished speaking, she was frightened.
She covered her mouth. Why did she really start to stammer?
¡ª
At the Smiths.
After the Hunts sent Xander¡¯s DNA sample over, Nora drove straight to the hospital.
After all, it was time to check up on Quentin¡¯s again.
Just as she arrived at the door of the ward, she heard Quentin say to Lily, "You don¡¯t seem very busytely?"
Lily nodded. "Yes. Boss hasn¡¯t asked me to do a DNA test for a long time, after all. It¡¯s simply awesome! You don¡¯t know it, but I¡¯m a top student. How can I do such menial tasks every day? That¡¯s simply an insult to me!"
Chapter 622: Call Me Daddy a Hundred Times
Chapter 622: Call Me Daddy a Hundred Times
Quentin nodded. "Yes. Wherever there¡¯s pressure, there¡¯s resistance!"
Nora pushed the door open and entered.
The two of them looked at her in unison.
Quentin was shocked and smiled awkwardly. "N-Nora, you didn¡¯t eavesdrop on what we were saying earlier, did you?"
Nora stepped forward. "No."
One word relieved the two of them. Then, the woman said casually, "Yes, I heard it openly."
"..."
The room was silent for a moment. Then, Nora took out the sample bag from her pocket and handed it to Lily.
Lily: "..."
Lily stared at the bag and winced.
She had just told Quentin that she could not bear any more humiliation!
For her face, she had to resist symbolically!
She looked up at Nora and said, "Boss, you¡¯re too much!"
Nora raised her brows.
Lily said forcefully, "You¡¯re only giving me one bag. What do Ipare it to?!"
Quentin: "??"
Nora raised her eyebrows. "Oh, take my DNA."
Lily nodded and asked, "DNA of the cord blood or your current one?"
After all, Nora¡¯s DNA from the past was different from her current one.
Nora said, "Check them both."
"Okay!" Lily took the bag and walked out. After taking two steps, she looked at Nora again. "Boss, I was just joking earlier. You know, I love it when others insult me!"
"..."
Quentin looked at Lily¡¯s departing back with aplicated expression and twitched the corners of his mouth. He felt that she was really hopeless!
¡ª
At the Hunts.
After confirming that Mrs. Hunt was fine, Justin walked to his vi.
When he entered, he saw the mini version of him sitting obediently at the dining table. He was staring at the te of rabbit meat in front of him and crying. "Rabbits are so cute. How can you eat rabbit?!"
With that, he raised his tear-stained face and looked at the cook usingly.
Justin stood at the door and did not move. He wanted to see what this child was nning.
The chef was stunned. He stared at Xander and asked, "Xander, don¡¯t cry. Then what do you want to eat? I¡¯ll cook it for you!"
Xander sighed. "I never eat small animals. They¡¯re all living beings just like us humans! We can¡¯t be so cruel!"
The cook nodded.
Looking at the little fe, especially his cute appearance and fair skin, who anyone would want to pinch, he said, "Xander is really kind! Then why don¡¯t I cook something different for you? How about braised carp?"
"No, carps are small animals too. You can¡¯t eat them!"
Xander continued, "Puppies, kittens, rabbits, even little chicks, ducks, cows, little pigs. We can¡¯t eat them!"
The chefforted him. "Xander, but you need nutrients to grow. You still have to eat meat!"
"I see..." Xander sighed. "Actually, I do eat meat, but there¡¯s nothing I like in this house."
The chef heaved a sigh of relief. "Then tell me, what do you want to eat? I¡¯ll go out and buy it! There¡¯s no meat our Hunts can¡¯t buy in New York! If you want to eat seafood, we can get live fish sent by helicopter! Or we can buy wild animals from the mountains!"
Xander stared at him and said softly, "Is that so? Coincidentally, what I like to eat is also seafood and wild game!"
The chef smiled. "What do you want to eat?"
Xander said, "If it¡¯s seafood, I¡¯ll eat sharks or whales. If it¡¯s wild game, I like to eat tigers and leopards."
The chef was speechless.
Xander stared at him and nodded.
The chef was speechless.
The two of them looked at each other for a while. In the end, the chef lost and twitched his mouth. "Xander, I can¡¯t buy those!"
Xander tilted his head. He looked obedient, but the smile on his lips was like a demon. "But didn¡¯t you say earlier that the Hunts can buy anything? I don¡¯t want the stars or the moon but can¡¯t I ask for any seafood or game?"
"..."
Xander sighed. "Sigh, the Hunts are supposed to be the top family in New York, but I didn¡¯t expect them to be some!"
"..."
"Isn¡¯t my cheap father a little too boastful?"
"..."
Seeing that the chef was about to cry, Justin lowered his eyes and entered the room. He waved at the chef, and thetter finally heaved a sigh of relief and quickly slipped away.
Xander turned his head when he heard the sound of footsteps.
When he met Justin¡¯s eyes, his gaze paused.
Xander had actually seen Justin¡¯s photo before he returned to the country, but he did not expect him to be even more good-looking than the photo. He was still filled with hostility when he had not seen his biological father.
However, when he finally saw him, he pursed his lips.
Suddenly, he said, "Are you my real father?"
Justin stared at the little fe and did not miss the confusion that shed across his eyes. He walked to Xander and sat opposite him.
In this way, the two of them were sitting eye to eye.
Only then did Justin say, "If nothing unexpected happens, I should be."
"Okay." Xander held his chin with both hands. "Then call me Daddy a hundred times before I acknowledge you."
Justin: "?"
Xander raised his brows. "The Inte said that if you want to be a father, you have to be a son first! When a child is learning to speak, don¡¯t you have to call him Daddy a hundred times before he says it? So..."
Xander grinned and crooked his finger at Justin. "Call me Daddy a hundred times first and I¡¯ll listen to you."
"..."
The dining room suddenly fell silent.
Justin narrowed his eyes and stared at him. Suddenly, he smiled. "You¡¯re wrong. Normal people need to be taught a hundred times, but my son, Pete, had learned it at once. Could it be that you¡¯re stupider than Pete?"
"How could that be?!"
Xander was provoked. "My IQ is 303! I¡¯m the world¡¯s number one!"
Last time, when he said 301, he was looked down upon. This time, he raised it by two.
Justin nodded. "Yes, then you know everything without the need for me to teach you!"
When Xander heard this, he shut his mouth. A hint of stubbornness suddenly shed in his eyes.
Justin looked at him as if he was a hedgehog with spikes all over his body. He also had a headache over this child.
At this moment, his phone rang.
He lowered his head and saw that it was Nora.
Justin was slightly stunned. He suddenly realized why she was calling. After picking up the call, he said, "The results are out?"
"Yes."
The woman¡¯s voice was very calm. "Where is he? I want to see him."
Chapter 623: Nora is Here!
Chapter 623: Nora is Here!
Justin¡¯s heart beat wildly. He did not expect Nora¡¯s answer to be ¡¯Yes¡¯, but he still said, "Okay, I¡¯ll bring him to see you."
"No, I¡¯lle to you."
After Nora finished speaking, she hung up the phone. Justin did not know whether tough or cry. At the same time, he inexplicably began to feel uneasy.
He, who was always calm and collected, actually had a scary thought at this moment. What if this child was not his and Nora¡¯s but really belonged to him and another woman?
Why didn¡¯t Nora say a few more words earlier to let him know?
As he was in thought, he turned around and saw Xander looking at him curiously.
The child¡¯s eyes were pure like a sheet of paper. However, when he looked over, Xander deliberately put on a calm andposed expression.
The little man had his own pride, but the innocence that asionally leaked out made Justin purse his lips.
Justin admitted that the way Xander had secretly looked at him earlier had pierced his heart. It made him unable to hate or detest this child for a moment.
He sighed silently and walked to Xander. He touched his head and was about to speak when Xander said, "Did you get a call from a Tigress?"
Justin: "?"
Xander rolled his eyes. "Look at how scared you are!"
"..."
The hand Justin had used to touch Xander¡¯s head suddenly felt very itchy. He really wanted to give him a good beating on his butt.
He said, "I haven¡¯t beaten a child before."
Xander was stunned. He was about to speak when he said in a deep voice, "I hope you won¡¯t give me a first time for it."
"..."
Xander was frightened!
Justin pointed at the porridge on the table. "Eat."
Xander looked down at the food on the table and picked up a spoon to eat.
Seeing that he had finally calmed down, Justin heaved a sigh of relief. When Xander was done eating, he said, "There will be a... beautiful aunting to see youter. I hope you can be more obedient, understand?"
Regardless of whether Xander was Nora¡¯s son or not, Justin did not want Nora to have a bad impression of Xander.
Xander did not look like Cherry. She looked identical to Pete. Before he knew it, the two of them had already known each other for a while and developed deep feelings for each other.
Xander was aplete stranger to Justin, and his personality was also very unpleasant.
To Justin, if Nora and Xander got into a fight, or if Xander angered Nora and the two of them could not live under the same roof...
Justin would definitely choose Nora and Cherry without hesitation.
When Xander heard him say this, he pursed his lips. "I¡¯ve always been very obedient, okay?"
"..."
Justin felt that this child might not understand the word obedient well.
He sat beside him and sized him up.
The little fe did not sit properly. He liked to curl his legs and move them continuously. He was like a child with ADHD who could not sit still for a moment.
He wolfed down his food without any hesitation, like someone who had been hungry for a long time.
Pete had grown up with him. Food, clothing, and housing were all arranged in strict ns. Even at a young age, he was very noble.
Although Cherry was a little naughty, she was loved by everyone. Her words were especially pleasant to the ear, and her bearing wasparable to that of a foreign princess.
He had heard from the little girl that her grandmother had hired a nanny for her. She was Princess Lucy¡¯s family teacher at the pce in the UK.
Comparing Xander to those two¡ªthey were simply iparable.
Justin really felt a headache this time.
A person¡¯s personality solidified at a young age. Later on in life, even if one could forcefully correct their habits, their personality could not be changed.
Under Justin¡¯s troubled gaze, Xander finished his meal.
He threw his spoon on the table casually. The dining table and the floor around him were filled with the dishes he had eaten. He patted his tummy and sighed. "Frank isn¡¯t here, unfortunately. Otherwise, the ground would have definitely been licked clean by him."
Justin: "... Who¡¯s Frank?"
Xander: "My dog!"
"..."
Justin¡¯s temples throbbed.
At this moment, Xander¡¯s phone suddenly rang. He picked it up and Ruth¡¯s voice came from the other end. "Xander, why are you still picking up the call? Have you left?"
Xander stuck out a finger and dug his ears. He ced it at the front and blew on it before saying slowly, "Yes!"
"That¡¯s good, that¡¯s very good!" Ruth¡¯s voice was very weak. She was clearly extremely hungry. "Then what time is your flight? When can you get here?"
Xander raised his brows. "In the morning."
"Morning? Then you¡¯ll have to wait for a few hours. Why didn¡¯t you ask your father to buy you the earliest flight?"
Xander: "I meant yesterday morning."
"..." After a moment of silence, Ruth¡¯s voice suddenly rose. "Yesterday morning? Then you haven¡¯t boarded the ne yet? Or have you already arrived?"
"I¡¯m here!"
Xander continued slowly.
Ruth: "!!"
She was really anxious this time. "Why didn¡¯t you tell me?!"
"You didn¡¯t ask me!"
Xander was bold and confident.
Ruth shouted, "Didn¡¯t I tell you to contact me when you get here? Besides, I told you before, what do you have to do when you get here?"
Xander: "I have to send you food. I remember it!"
"...Then what are you doing now?"
Xander blinked his eyes. "I¡¯m eating!"
"...What are you eating?! I¡¯ve been hungry for five days! Hurry up ande down to bring some food to me!!"
"What¡¯s the hurry?" Xander¡¯s voice was still slow and roguish. "You haven¡¯t starved to death yet, right?"
"..."
"Alright, alright. I¡¯ming. Stop screaming. You¡¯re even worse than Frank."
"..."
The corners of Justin¡¯s mouth twitched as he listened by the side.
This brat¡¯s ability to anger people was really good.
He did not go to the basement because he could already feel Ruth¡¯s hysteria!
Then, Justin saw Xander hang up the phone and look at him. Just as he thought Xander was going to ask if he could go to the basement, he asked, "Which room am I staying in?"
Justin: "??"
At this moment, with a screech, the jeep stopped outside his vi. Nora strode in.
Chapter 624: Exposed!
Chapter 624: Exposed!
When he saw Nora, Justin hurriedly stood up and went out to wee her.
Xander whistled and said, "Your tigress is here?"
Justin: "..."
He gave Xander a warning look. After Xander shut his mouth, he looked at Nora again.
Nora had already arrived in front of them. Her gaze avoided Justin and looked at Xander.
Ignored, Justin¡¯s lips twitched before he waved at Xander. "Come here."
Xander pursed his lips and walked to the two of them with a disdainful expression. Then, he nced past Nora and looked at the sky.
"Greet her."
Justin ordered.
Xander raised his eyebrows. "Okay, you¡¯re the one asking me to greet her."
Justin: "?"
A bad feeling had just risen in his heart when he saw Xander wave at Nora. "Hello, tigress!"
"..."
The entire living room suddenly fell silent.
Nora frowned and looked at Justin. She asked coldly, "Did you ask him to call me that?"
Justin denied it tly. "No."
Xander said, "It was you, Demon King. You made me call her that. How would I know what tigress means at my young age?"
Justin: "..."
This time, it was really difficult to exin.
He wanted to exin, but he saw Nora frowning.
Justin¡¯s heart instantly became even more perturbed.
However, Nora was thinking. Why was this child¡¯s tone so familiar?
At this moment, her phone suddenly rang.
Nora lowered her head and saw that it was Lily. She nodded at Justin and picked up the call. The other party said something and she nodded. Then, she said that it had been hard on her and hung up.
She looked up again and nodded at Justin.
Justin said, "Take Xander to the room upstairs."
"Yes, sir."
The butler walked over smartly and said to Xander, "Xander, please follow me upstairs."
Xander nced at Justin and looked at Nora again. His eyes darted around before he said, "Dad, can I go to the basement?"
Justin narrowed his eyes.
Was this child finally thinking of Ruth? Had he realized his conscience?
He lowered his eyes in thought for a moment and nodded.
Then, Xander said, "She hasn¡¯t eaten in a long time. Can I bring her something to eat?"
Justin did not want to leave any bad psychological trauma for the child. Furthermore, he had other ns, so he nodded and agreed. "Go to the kitchen and pick something."
Xander nodded and went to the kitchen.
The chef was still standing there as he asked, "Xander, should I take down the roasted rabbit you don¡¯t like?"
"No need, no need. It¡¯s too cruel!"
Xander hurriedly waved his hands. "You guys don¡¯t know how to cherish life. You can¡¯t kill animals!"
The chef was speechless.
Xander ced his hands behind his back and entered the kitchen. "Let me see what¡¯s good. Do you have vegetables?"
The chef hurriedly said, "Yes, they¡¯re all fresh organic vegetables. Can I make another one for you?"
"There¡¯s no need." Xander continued, "Do you know that the best thing to eat is food in its original state? If you cook it, it won¡¯t have the original taste! Eh, these vegetables and that carrot over there look alright. Let¡¯s take these."
"..."
Xander picked up a yellowed vegetable leaf that the chef had picked when cooking and a dry carrot. Then, he looked at the butler. "Let¡¯s go!"
The butler¡¯s lips twitched as well, and he led Xander toward the basement.
The two of them quickly disappeared from the room.
After confirming that Xander could not hear their conversation, Justin then looked at Nora. Before he could ask, Nora replied, "No."
Justin was stunned, a hint of disappointment shing across his eyes.
It was not...
But if not, why did Norae over to see him?
ording to her lifestyle, even if she had such a child, she would not be so proactive if she did not care about it.
Justin was thinking when he heard Nora continue, "When I called you, Lily had just gotten my results. We¡¯re not mother and son. The DNA simrity is only 80%."
Justin frowned.
He was thinking about something when he heard Nora continue, "Then, I asked Lily topare his DNA with yours."
When Justin heard this, his eyes instantly narrowed. "You mean..."
Nora slowly said, "Don¡¯t forget what kind of organization Trueman is from."
Justin instantly understood. "You¡¯re saying that this child might have been injected with a gene serum?"
"Yes." Nora sat down on the sofa. "The younger a child is, the more their genes change after they are injected. I personally came over to take a look to confirm if he really is your son."
Justin asked, "And what do you think?"
"He¡¯s almost the same as you. He must be your son. But... Lily called me just now after doing a DNAparison between you and him. Your gic simrity is only 93%."
93%...
What kind of result was this? Only cousins or rtives had this percentage. If they were were biological father and son, it should be 99%.
Justin realized something.
Nora said again, "So I¡¯m certain that this child was indeed injected with a gene serum. Therefore, my DNAparison with him can¡¯t be counted."
Justin hesitated for a moment. "There¡¯s no way to investigate?"
"Yes, there is."
Nora looked at him with certainty. "Gic changes mean that the DNA sequence has changed. We can extract samples from different ces and send them to Lily, she can piece together the original DNA sequence. When the timees, she can it with us separately."
When Justin heard this answer, he nodded. "Lily will have her work cut out for her."
"Yes, but it will take a while."
After Nora finished speaking, Justin suddenly walked to her side and took out his phone to hand it to her. He rubbed her hand affectionately. "Then let¡¯s see if Ruth is his mother, first."
He touched his phone a few times with his fingers and opened the surveince video of the basement.
Justin had not asked Xander to go down earlier because he wanted to confirm this.
After all, Ruth was in a life-and-death situation. A hungry person would not be very careful and would definitely expose the truth!
Chapter 625 - 90% Biological
Chapter 625: 90% Biological
The two of them stared at the phone.
Xander was led out of the elevator by the butler.
He bounced around as he walked, not at all calm and steady. His eyes darted around as he sized up his surroundings.
This basement was specially built for interrogations, so it was dark and damp. If an ordinary child entered, they would probably be afraid of the dark, but Xander seemed fine.
He was quite bold.
Justin sighed silently in his heart.
If it was his son, he had not embarrassed him.
As he was thinking, he saw Xander enter the interrogation room.
Justin switched to a camera and looked at the interrogation room. The furnishings inside were no different from before. The only change was that Ruth had copsed in the corner.
Perhaps because she had not eaten for five days, she was very weak. However, she was not dead because there was still water in the basement.
Nora raised her eyebrows. "She took good care of herself."
Justin said, "She washes her face and rinses her mouth every morning. It¡¯s obvious that she has a strong psychological quality."
She was indeed well-trained.
The two of them were just thinking about this when Ruth slowly raised her head. When she saw Xander, her eyes shone with a pleasant surprise. "Little Xander! Have you brought... food for Mommy? Quickly bring it to me!"
Xander threw a bag over.
Ruth hurriedly picked up the bag and searched inside. After searching for a while, she saw that there were only a few rotten leaves and a carrot in the bag. She instantly became furious. "Xander!"
She bit her lip. "You¡¯re taking revenge on me now that I¡¯m in such a condition, right?"
Revenge?
These two words made Justin and Nora look at each other.
Xander threw up his hands. "There¡¯s nothing I can do. This is the Hunts¡¯ house. Justin didn¡¯t let me bring food for you. It¡¯s already enough that I could steal these."
When Ruth heard this, she immediately said angrily, "He¡¯s too inhumane! How can he be so heartless to a woman?! Can¡¯t he give me something to eat? He¡¯s simply evil!"
Justin, who was staring at his phone and inexplicably taking the me, was speechless.
Nora snorted andughed.
This child was quite interesting!
Ruth really thought that it was Justin¡¯s order, so she did not care anymore and took out a carrot to eat.
After having not eaten for a few days, she ate the carrots exceptionally well.
After finishing a carrot, she looked at Xander. "Go get me another one."
Xander shook his head. "Justin is a great demon king. His people have been staring at me all along. I only got this one because I cried, threw a tantrum, and hung myself three times! He only agreed to give you a carrot every day. I¡¯ll steal more vegetable leaves for you tomorrow!"
Ruth: "!!"
Ruth still wanted to say something, but Xander said, "Oh, I¡¯m going upstairs. He asked me to only stay here for a minute."
With that, he turned and ran out.
Ruth was anxious. "Xander, when did he say he would let me out?"
Xander ignored her. Seeing that the little boy was about to run out, Ruth became even more anxious. She climbed to her feet, but unfortunately, her legs were too weak. She copsed to the ground and could only shout angrily, "Xander, don¡¯t forget what my brother told you when you came here!"
"I remember, I remember!" Xander waved his hand. "Don¡¯t worry! Dad also asked me to tell you to stay here at ease. You won¡¯t die."
Ruth: "..."
After Xander left, Justin disconnected the video surveince.
The two of them looked at each other.
Although Xander did not say anything unexpected, they could still tell that something was wrong.
Nora could not be bothered to speak. Justin said, "When Ruth saw Little Xander, her first words were a little sharp when she referred to herself as his mother. Although she did not make a mistake, she hesitated a little. This means that Little Xander did not call her mother when he was overseas."
Although Ruth had undergone training, she had been hungry for five days after all. Even if she reminded herself to be careful when she saw Xander, her reaction would be slow because her brain was short of glucose.
Nora agreed with Justin and nodded.
Justin suddenly asked, "What do you think the probability of Little Xander being our child is?"
Nora kept quiet for a moment.
This man did not even notice that his address for Xander had already changed to Little Xander.
He really liked this son, huh?
Nora lowered her eyes slightly and suddenly smiled. "90%."
When Justin heard this number, his eyes suddenly lit up.
Nora said slowly, "The DNAparison between strangers is usually only 23%. 84% is actually very high."
Even if his genes had changed, they could not change so much.
Justin took a deep breath.
Nora was about to say something when the butler beside Mrs. Hunt walked over. "Miss Smith, Mrs. Hunt heard that you¡¯re here. She just happens to be unwell and wants you to take a look."
Nora raised her brows.
Justin said, "Didn¡¯t Grandma take her medicines today? Is she not well?"
The butler sighed. "It¡¯s better to let Miss Smith take a look. Sir, don¡¯t worry. Mrs. Hunt is very concerned about Miss Smith right now."
Justin still wanted to reject him, but the butler said, "Sir, this is to treat Mrs. Hunt¡¯s illness. After all, there¡¯s a difference between men and women. Furthermore, someone from Mrs. Hunt¡¯s maiden family has arrived..."
As soon as he said this, Justin understood something. He nced at Nora and immediately pulled her to the side. He sighed. "I know what¡¯s going on. Grandma didn¡¯t ask you toe over to treat her illness. She wants you to treat her grandnephew¡¯s wife from her maternal family."
Nora: "?"
Grandnephew¡¯s wife... Their rtionship was a littleplicated!
Justin added, "That wife has a harder life. She was good to Pete in the past, so..."
Nora understood now.
The reason Justin told her this was because he did not want to keep her in the dark.
But the decision was hers.
However, that wife was good to Pete. Furthermore, treating a patient was just a simple matter to her. It was no big deal. Therefore, she said, "I¡¯ll go take a look."
Justin nodded and reminded her in a low voice, "It¡¯s a gynecological problem, so I won¡¯t go over."
Nora gave him an "okay" gesture.
The butler heaved a sigh of relief and brought Nora out.
The Hunt Manor was very big, and Justin and Mrs. Hunt did not live together.
After walking for about 15 minutes, they arrived at the vi where Mrs. Hunt lived. Before Nora entered, she heard a voice from inside. "Did he really have a son with another woman? And he looks identical to Justin? The moment he entered, he said that he wanted to snatch Pete¡¯s position? There¡¯s a good show to watch now. Look at that Smith woman. How can she still be so arrogant?! Didn¡¯t she ignore you because she gave birth to Pete and Cherry? She should be anxious now, right?"
Nora: "?"
Had Xander ever said such things?
The butler coughed and reminded them that the person in the room had arrived.
Sure enough, the voice inside paused. Then, someone came out. It was a middle-aged woman in her forties or fifties. She was slightly round.
When she saw Nora, she instantly smiled and walked up. "Oh, this is Miss Smith, right? You¡¯re so good-looking! I¡¯m Mrs. Hunt¡¯s niece-inw! I¡¯m your elder. Just call me Mrs. Livingstone."
The olddy was the current head of the Livingstones, Mrs. Livingstone.
Nora did not speak.
The woman¡¯s gloating words were still ringing in her ears.
She was not deaf.
"Oh, Miss Smith, you¡¯re really introverted! Are you still shy?"
Mrs. Livingstone continued to smile. Her voice was not loud, but it felt noisy.
Nora lowered her eyes and kept silent.
At this moment, a woman, about 25 years old, walked over. She said softly, "Miss Smith, on behalf of my mother-inw, I apologize for what she said earlier."
This open and honest attitude made Nora have a good impression of her.
She looked over and realized that the woman was very gentle. When she smiled, she looked very shy and likable.
The butler introduced her in Nora¡¯s ear. "This is Mrs. Livingstone¡¯s daughter-inw, Helen Stewart. You were asked toe over to treat this person."
With that, the butler pursed his lips, clearly looking at Helen with disdain.
Nora was a little stunned.
Treating her?
This person looked flushed and very healthy. What was wrong with her?
As she was thinking, Mrs. Livingstone sneered. "Helen, how can you interrupt when an elder is talking?! So what if I criticized Miss Smith? You even apologized on my behalf... With your lousy body, can you represent our family?"
Helen¡¯s face turned red.
She smiled awkwardly at Nora and lowered her head. She was clearly very self-conscious.
Nora was stunned. She asked, "Is there something wrong, Mrs. Stewart?"
Helen was stunned.
Ever since she married into the Livingstones, she had been called Madam Livingstone whenever she went out. This was the first time in recent years that she was called Mrs. Stewart.
As she was in a daze, Mrs. Livingstoneughed softly and mocked, "What¡¯s wrong is that she has already been married for three years and still can¡¯t have a child! As a woman, she can¡¯t even have a child. How embarrassing. Miss Smith, hurry up and take a look at her. Is there still a cure?!"
Helen¡¯s face turned red from the mockery.
Beside her, Mrs. Hunt frowned and scolded, "How can you say that? We¡¯re outside. Pay attention to your family¡¯s image!"
Mrs. Livingstone said unhappily, "Mrs. Hunt, you know as well that our family has only had one heir for several generations. When ites to this generation, we¡¯re all very anxious. Why can¡¯t they have a child?! Let Miss Smith quickly take a look at Helen and see if she¡¯s hiding something. If she really has some hidden illness, let¡¯s get it over with as soon as possible."
Helen, who was standing beside him, was about to cry.
Nora could not watch on.
Chapter 626: Whose Problem?
Chapter 626: Whose Problem?
Nora frowned. "Mrs. Livingstone, it¡¯s fate to have a child. We can¡¯t rush it. They¡¯ve only been married for three years. Some couples only get pregnant after 10 years. This is very normal."
"What¡¯s normal?! Why did you give birth to two children when Justin only did it once with you? He even gave birth to a child with another woman... Miss Smith, I know you don¡¯t want to have too many children and pressure Pete. You don¡¯t want Justin to have another son, right? But you don¡¯t understand our family. Our family has only had one heir for several generations, and we really need to have another family heir now."
Mrs. Livingstone rolled her eyes and continued to speak in a high and mighty tone, "And you, Miss Smith. Don¡¯t despise Justin for having another child outside. The Hunts have such a big business, we can¡¯t let Pete handle it alone. You should treat the other child as your own! Women have to be magnanimous. You can¡¯t cry and restrain a man¡¯s hands and feet, understand?"
Nora: "??"
She almost sneered.
What kind of crazy idea was this?
After Mrs. Livingstone said that, she said to Helen, "And you, since you can¡¯t give birth yourself, don¡¯t stop my son from giving birth with someone else. It¡¯s not like you¡¯re getting a divorce. Those women outside can¡¯t be taken seriously! You¡¯re the only daughter-inw in the Livingstones. You can¡¯t just be jealous every day, understand? Women can¡¯t be so short-sighted. If the Livingstones family line ends here, no one will raise you when you¡¯re old!"
Helen clenched her fists tightly. She was so angry that her entire body was trembling.
Nora lowered her eyes and slowly said, "Oh? I wonder how many sons Mrs. Livingstone has?"
Mrs. Livingstone choked and continued, "Our family has only had one heir for several generations. Of course, I only have one son!"
Nora clicked her tongue. "Mrs. Livingstone, you¡¯re too short-sighted. The Livingstones are big and powerful. How can we only let Mr. Livingstone take care of it alone? Why didn¡¯t you ask him to have more children with other women when he was young? Then, you could treat them as your own sons! Women shouldn¡¯t be too jealous, right?"
Mrs. Livingstone: "???"
She was instantly furious. "Miss Smith, how can you say that? I¡¯m already old. Can¡¯t I criticize you guys? Haven¡¯t you always been disrespectful to Mrs. Hunt just because you¡¯re Pete¡¯s biological mother? Let me tell you, Justin has another son now. The future heir might not be Pete! Don¡¯t be too arrogant! Many people are eyeing the position of Madam Hunt!"
Hearing her speak, Nora yawned heavily.
Mrs. Livingstone: "..."
She felt like she was being looked down on. She was about to scold Nora a little more when Helen said, "Grandma, don¡¯t say anything else. Pete has been raised as the heir for so many years. His status won¡¯t be shaken so easily. Besides, that child is just hearsay. We haven¡¯t confirmed if it is true yet!"
Mrs. Livingstone instantly changed her tone. "What right do you have to control me? You¡¯re a hen that can¡¯ty eggs. I really don¡¯t know what the use of the Livingstones marrying you is! You¡¯ve already drunk bowls of medicine to nurse your body, but it has no effect at all. Instead, you¡¯ve spent a lot of our family¡¯s money! If I were you, I wouldn¡¯t be able to raise my head outside!"
Helen bit her lip. "Grandma! We¡¯re here to see the doctor today. If you continue to be like this, Miss Smith won¡¯t let me see her!"
Mrs. Livingstone only suppressed her displeasure when she was threatened.
Beside her, Mrs. Hunt also reprimanded her. "Stop talking! I¡¯m already old, I don¡¯t need anyone to respect me! I just want her and Justin to live happily!"
After saying that, Mrs. Hunt looked at Nora. "Good child, can you examine Helen?"
She was worried that Nora would turn around and leave in a fit of anger.
After all, this was Dr. Zabe¡¯s personal disciple. Other than her, probably no one else could treat this illness, right?
Nora really wanted to turn around and leave. From the looks of it, Mrs. Livingstone was an unreasonable person.
However, when she saw Helen and her red eyes, Nora sighed. "Give me your right hand."
When Helen heard this, she was stunned.
She did not expect Miss Smith to not mind Mrs. Livingstone¡¯s words and still treat her.
A joyful expression appeared on her face. She walked to Nora and reached out her hand.
Nora sat on the sofa and took her pulse silently.
About a minuteter.
Nora opened her eyes and met Helen¡¯s uneasy ones.
"How is it?" Mrs. Livingstone stepped forward. "Can she have children?"
Her words were filled with anticipation as if she had already prepared a few women to deliver her son to have a child after the diagnosis was confirmed!
Nora sneered. "She has no problem."
Chapter 627: Whose Problem?!
Chapter 627: Whose Problem?!
Nora stared at Mrs. Livingstone and said, "She has no problem."
Mrs. Livingstone was stunned. She did not expect this answer, so she asked again, "What do you mean no problem? If there¡¯s no problem, why can¡¯t she get pregnant?"
Nora looked at Helen and asked, "Is your family blessed with sons?"
When Helen heard this, she nced at Mrs. Livingstone and nodded.
Mrs. Livingstone sneered. "Back then, our family took a liking to her family because they were blessed with sons. That¡¯s why we married her into our family! Her elder sister gave birth to six children in three years, and they were always triplets! Her second sister was even more ridiculous. She gave birth to triplets and even quadruplets! Our family doesn¡¯t yearn for those anymore. Can¡¯t she at least give birth to one? But it has been three years, and there¡¯s not even a shadow of a child! What a good-for-nothing! Or are you a mutant of your family¡¯s genes?"
Mrs. Livingstone was really anxious.
When Helen entered the family, she had wanted to hug six children in three years. It was simply perfect. It could also break the curse of their family¡¯s third generation.
Therefore, when they first got married, she had been caring toward Helen. The two of them had lived harmoniously for half a year.
Half a yearter, there was still no change in Helen¡¯s stomach. Her attitude changed drastically. She began to urge her and found all kinds of recipes for her to eat.
Helen lowered her head.
She did not know what was wrong with her or why she could not conceive.
She had seen many doctors, taken many drugs, and even used many methods, but none of them worked.
She was already trying for test tube babies.
But the procedure for the test tube baby was too painful.
She had to take ovtion jabs every month...
As she was thinking, she heard Nora say, "Mrs. Livingstone, It needs two people to conceive a child. It¡¯s not her fault."
When she said this, Mrs. Livingstone was stunned.
She reacted for a moment before suddenly understanding. She was stunned. "W-What do you mean? Are you suspecting that there¡¯s something wrong with my son?"
Helen also looked up suddenly.
She bit her lip.
In fact, she had raised this question a few times over the years, but Mrs. Livingstone would always mock her and interrupt her. "There¡¯s nothing wrong with my son. You can¡¯t give birth, so you are ming the man? Heh, he only provides the sperm. It must be your problem!"
She had seen many doctors. Most of the doctors had persuaded her to let her husbande with them, but Mrs. Livingstone and her husband never listened to her. They even mocked her every time.
Her husband sneered and said, "I got a girl pregnant five years ago. If not for her status being low and her being with me just for my money, I would have married her long ago. Now, you actually dare to doubt me! Ridiculous!"
Therefore, the Livingstones had never admitted that there was anything wrong with him, and they had never made her husband see the doctor.
She looked at Mrs. Livingstone and bit her lip. "Grandma, let hime and get checked. Miss Smith¡¯s medical skills are superb. Just by taking my pulse, she could tell that my family is blessed with sons..."
"Shut up!" Mrs. Livingstone shouted angrily.
Helen bit her lip and mustered her courage to say, "Grandma, I¡¯ve suffered a lot all these years for the sake of bearing a child, but I¡¯ve never said a word about those hardships! But don¡¯t you want a child? If it¡¯s really about my husband, can¡¯t you let Miss Smith treat him as soon as possible?!"
These words made Mrs. Livingstone narrow her eyes.
Beside her, Mrs. Hunt said, "Helen is right. Ask your grandnephew toe over! Miss Smith is Dr. Zabe¡¯s disciple and the godly surgeon, Anti. If there¡¯s no problem, then of course, it¡¯ll be a happy ending. If there¡¯s really a problem, it¡¯ll be easier to treat him as soon as possible!"
Mrs. Livingstone was silent for a moment. When she saw that even Mrs. Hunt had spoken, she could only say, "Even if I called him over, he wouldn¡¯te!"
Mrs. Hunt frowned. "Tell him I want to see him!"
Mrs. Hunt was Justin¡¯s grandmother and was deeply respected. The other party did not dare not to ignore hermand.
Mrs. Livingstone nodded with a smile, then red at Helen. She picked up her phone and walked to the side to make a call.
After she went to the side, Nora looked at Mrs. Hunt.
Mrs. Hunt sat there looking very weak and a little pale.
No matter what the reason, she was really good to Pete. Nora walked to her and did not say anything. She held her hand and felt her pulse.
Mrs. Hunt was stunned.
She stared at Nora.
The woman had her almond-shaped eyes closed, and her long eyshes were hanging on her face. She was obedient, sensible, and beautiful. When she had her eyes closed, she looked like a quiet fairy on a beautiful portrait.
This appearance indeed made one¡¯s heart soften.
She was thinking when Nora suddenly opened her eyes. A hint of coldness shot out from them. It washed away the gentleness from before and she became a little more firm and indifferent.
Mrs. Hunt quickly retracted her gaze and heard her tsk. "Don¡¯t worry. You won¡¯t die anytime soon."
Mrs. Hunt: "..."
After getting so old, hearing things about life and death was thest thing she wanted. Nora¡¯s words were really stabbing her heart.
Mrs. Hunt snorted. "There are so many things happening at home, how can I not worry? So, can you get married sooner and raise that illegitimate son of Justin as your own? That way, I¡¯ll be fine too..."
Before she could finish speaking, Nora suddenly turned around and walked to the fish tank in the room.
Mrs. Hunt: "..."
So... her obedience and sensibility earlier were all fake!
Helen saw Nora walking over alone. She thought about it and followed beside her.
She whispered, "Thank you."
Nora raised her eyebrows. "It¡¯s just my job."
Helen smiled bitterly. "I¡¯ve seen so many doctors. Every time they raise this question, I ask them to tell my mother-inw, but she wouldn¡¯t agree... You¡¯re the only one who can persuade her."
When Nora heard this, she gave her a heads up. "There might not be anything wrong with your husband. Maybe it¡¯s because of psychological reasons that you weren¡¯t able to get pregnant for a long time."
Helen nodded. "I know. I just wanted him to get checked..."
Half an hourter, a fierce argument came from outside the door. A man was shouting, "You called me over just to get me a check-up? Mom, I think Helen is crazy. How can I be sick?"
Mrs. Livingstone whispered, "I also know that you¡¯re not sick, but that Miss Smith is a divine doctor. You should let her take a look. This is also your grandaunt¡¯s wish!"
Hearing this, the man sneered. "Sure, let¡¯s check. If there¡¯s nothing wrong with me, then our family can let Helen leave! She can¡¯t even have a child, is she even a woman?"
A man in his mid-twenties was wearing a suit, but he looked very greasy. He said this as he walked in.
After entering, he looked at Nora.
He strode over and sneered. He reached out and let Nora take his pulse. "Helen, you just don¡¯t want to admit that you have a problem, right? Alright, I¡¯ll make you give up today!"
Chapter 628: Diagnosis Results!
Chapter 628: Diagnosis Results!
Thomas was the only son of the Livingstones¡¯ third generation. He had been spoiled since a young age.
He was usually very arrogant at home. The only child in Old Madam Hunt¡¯s family was also very spoiled, which made Thomas even more arrogant.
Back then, when he married Helen, other than the Stewarts being famous for their sons, it was also because Helen had a timid personality and could let Thomas have his way.
After Thomas roared at Helen, he looked at Nora in disdain. "Alternative medicine? Is this reliable? Let me tell you, alternative medicine is a sham..."
Mrs. Livingstone hurriedly said, "Don¡¯t speak nonsense. Miss Smith is not only an alternative medicine doctor, but she¡¯s also a famous modern medicine doctor! Furthermore, she¡¯s your future sister-inw!"
Thomas and Justin were of the same generation. Although their rtionship was a lot more distant, Old Madam Hunt¡¯s love for her family made Thomase over often when he was young.
Therefore, Thomas curried favor with Justin.
When he heard this, he immediately smiled. "Oh, my sister-inw! Look, we became friends after a fight..."
Nora: "..."
Not only was this person spoiled, but even his personality was bad.
She took Thomas¡¯s pulse seriously.
Thomas kept on nagging. "Ms. Smith, take a good look at my pulse. When you¡¯re done, tell this woman that I¡¯ll definitely be fine. Make her give up on asking me to see the doctor all the time! I¡¯m fine! She always finds a reason to find faults with me. Heh, isn¡¯t she just afraid that I¡¯ll divorce her?"
By the time he finished speaking, Nora had already opened her eyes.
Thomas hurriedly asked, "Ms. Smith, how is it?"
Nora stared at his expression for a while and asked a few regr questions. When she was done, she said with a serious expression, "Indeed, the problem is with you."
These words stunned Mrs. Livingstone. She stepped forward nervously and asked, "What¡¯s wrong?"
Nora said, "He has asthenospermia. It means that his sperm has low motility. That¡¯s why he has not been able to impregnate Helen for so many years."
Mrs. Livingstone¡¯s eyes widened. "Can... can this be treated?"
Nora nodded. "Of course."
She looked down and picked up the paper. "I¡¯ll prescribe a few doses of medicine. He must take them exactly as I prescribe. He should be good in a month."
Mrs. Livingstone nodded and asked, "What¡¯s wrong with him? How did ite to this? Our Thomas made his ssmate pregnant at the age of 20! He didn¡¯t have this problem in the past!"
Nora immediately looked at Thomas with a faint smile and said, "Oh, it¡¯s probably because he did it too frequently!"
As soon as she said this, Mrs. Livingstone subconsciously looked at Helen and scolded, "Vixen! Are you digging out my son¡¯s aura every night? Why are you so shameless?"
Helen¡¯s face turned red from the scolding. She said, "Grandma, Thomas rarelyes back while I stay at home. How can I possibly..."
Ever since she went to the doctor, in order to make Helen pregnant, the Livingstones had asked Thomas toe back every month during her ovtion period.
He was indeed rarely at home.
Mrs. Livingstone was stunned. Before she could react, Helen¡¯s eyes were red as she looked at Thomas. "Y-You haven¡¯t broken up with Cecelia yet, have you? Last time I found out, you promised me that if it ever happened again, we would get a divorce!"
Thomas pursed his lips.
Only then did Mrs. Livingstone realize something. She pped Thomas. "How can you be with such a promiscuous woman? You¡¯re still doing it so frequently. You really don¡¯t know how to keep it in your pants! Who is this Cecelia?! She seduced you until your body was sucked dry! You have to break up with that vixen!"
With that, she turned back tofort Helen. "Helen, don¡¯t fuss about it with Thomas. He¡¯s young. He likes to y around. This isn¡¯t a big deal. Why are you talking about divorce? But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll definitely watch over him well! I guarantee that he¡¯ll drink a month¡¯s worth of medicine and then you two can have a child!"
Helen bit her lip and sobbed. "I, I want to go home..."
Mrs. Livingstone nodded. "Okay, okay. Let¡¯s go home... We¡¯ll talk when we get back. We¡¯ll stop fooling around outside~"
Helen shook her head. "I want to go back to my mother¡¯s house."
At this moment, she felt aggrieved and could no longer hold it in.
It had been so many years. Because she could not give birth, her maiden family was disrespected by the Livingstones. It seemed unreasonable.
Her mother had even secretly given her all kinds of medicines. She even promised that she would give birth to three children in one pregnancy!
But it turned out that all those grievances were for nothing!
It was not that she could not give birth at all. It was all because of Thomas!
The reason Thomas could not impregnate her was not because of his health, but because he was doing it too frequently with someone else... The word too frequently hurt Helen, and she felt that she was simply petty to the bone.
But how could Mrs. Livingstone let her go?
Knowing that it was not Helen¡¯s fault, she continued to coax her.
However, at this moment, Thomas sneered. "Alright, have you yed enough?!"
Helen was taken aback.
Thomas pointed at Nora and said, "Did you two n this? You want to push the me on me! Hehe, I¡¯m a very strong man. How can I have such a problem?! You guys are really lousy at acting!"
Nora frowned.
Mrs. Livingstone was even more stunned. "Thomas, what nonsense are you talking about? Miss Smith is Dr. Zabe¡¯s disciple!"
Thomas sneered. "What disciple? I think it¡¯s just a scam! Mom, I already said that alternative medicine is a sham! And Helen wants a divorce? Then let¡¯s get a divorce! How can a barren woman have the face to stay at home?!"
Mrs. Livingstone frowned. "Don¡¯t talk nonsense, Miss Smith..."
"She¡¯s lying to you!" Thomas raised his chin and said proudly, "I have evidence!"
Mrs. Livingstone was stunned. "What evidence?"
Chapter 629: The Real Reason!
Chapter 629: The Real Reason!
Thomas¡¯ gaze swept across everyone present. He sneered, "Cecelia is pregnant!"
"..."
The whole living room was silent.
Everyone looked at him.
Even Mrs. Livingstone was stunned. She subconsciously uttered, "Really?"
Thomas nodded. "Of course. We just found out during a checkup. I was with Cecelia when you called me just now! Mom, you don¡¯t have to beg this woman anymore. You can finally have the grandchild that you wanted!"
Then, he looked at Helen and gave her a mocking smile. "Tsk, tsk. I really didn¡¯t expect you to spin such lies just so you could shirk your responsibilities! Heh!"
Helen bit her lip and looked at Nora. Her voice shook as she asked, "Can people with asthenospermia still reproduce?"
Nora kept quiet for a moment before she replied, "Without medical treatment, chances of reproduction are very low."
It was so low that it was almost negligible.
However, it was indeed still possible.
As soon as she said that, Thomas sneered, "Wow, so now you¡¯re going to use probability to mislead us? I¡¯ll tell you this¡ªCecelia was also pregnant a year ago! It was just that I didn¡¯t want the child then, but she¡¯s pregnant again now! How are you going to exin that? If there¡¯s really something wrong with me, then how am I able to impregnate Cecelia so many times? Also, I¡¯ve never felt that I couldn¡¯t do it! On the contrary, Helen, you¡¯re so loud in bed every night, yet look at what has happened. Just who is it that¡¯s infertile, you or me?"
Helen: "!!"
She flushedpletely crimson.
Why was he saying such things in public?
Besides, she had only done that topliment him... To be honest, the man really was very average in bed.
But when they had first gotten married, he simply kept asking her about it and kept forcing her to answer even when she didn¡¯t feel anything. As a result, she could only pretend to feel it...
Helen shook her head hard and tried not to think about those disgusting things.
Yes, that was right.
The monthly sexual intercourse was a form of torture and something disgusting to her.
In Thomas, she could only see a man¡¯s self-satisfaction and inexplicable self-confidence...
She clenched her fists.
The situation had suddenly reversed. In the living room, Mrs. Livingstone had just been coaxing Helen a moment ago, for fear that she would really divorce Thomas; yet now she suddenly looked like a victorious rooster. She lifted her chin, looked at Nora, and then let out a sarcasticugh. "Asthenospermia? What nonsense. The way I see it, Ms. Smith... also has moments where she makes mistakes in her medical diagnoses, right?"
Nora broke into a frown.
Mrs. Livingstone snorted and looked at Helen. "Didn¡¯t you want to return to your parents? Sure, I¡¯ll send you there! I¡¯ll get the chauffeur to take you home right away! You can¡¯t eveny an egg after marrying into the Livingstones for three years. What¡¯s the use of having you here? I want my own grandchild! Divorce! The two of you must divorce!"
After speaking, she looked outside and said, "Where¡¯s the chauffeur? C¡¯mon, take Helen home right away! While you¡¯re there, tell her family members that the Livingstones don¡¯t want an infertile woman in the family!"
"Yes, ma¡¯am."
The Livingstones¡¯ chauffeur replied. Then, he entered and walked up to Helen.
Helen bit down hard on her lip.
A momentter, she lowered her gaze and then looked at Nora. She said, "Sorry, I¡¯ve implicated you."
Then, she left.
After she left, Mrs. Livingstone directed the line of fire at Nora again. She said, "Ms. Smith, in my opinion, you must have lived abroad for too long. You haven¡¯t even mastered half of Dr. Zabe¡¯s medical skills! How can you misdiagnose us?! Don¡¯t worry, though, I won¡¯t publicize this. After all, if word spreads, it¡¯s the Hunts who will be embarrassed. After all, not only are you the youngdy of the Smiths, but also the future mistress of the Hunts!
"Also, you shouldn¡¯t be so arrogant. After all, we, the older generation, have so much life experience that you can learn from!
"Sigh, just because they have been touted about so much, some people end up naturally feeling that they are so impressive, when in fact, they are so unremarkable! To think they can even misdiagnose someone as having asthenospermia, yet they can¡¯t even see the problem with an infertile woman! Ms. Smith, you¡¯d best not provide medical consultations anymore, lest you misdiagnose them with some kind of illness when they are perfectly healthy, and end up ruining their health! Not everyone is as magnanimous as us to condone your mistakes. Oh, and also~
"You should just stay at home instead of going outside and treating people¡¯s illnesses. How unhygienic is that? You¡¯d best just stay at home and take care of your husband and children instead. You¡¯d be doing a meritorious deed just by grooming the future heir to the Hunts... Ms. Smith, I¡¯m talking to you. Why are you always using your cell phone? You¡¯re so rude!"
While Mrs. Livingstone was prattling on and on, Nora was staring at her cell phone. She had just hacked into the hospital¡¯s system and found Cecelia¡¯s medical records.
When she read the records, her lips suddenly curled into a smile.
Chapter 630: Divorce!
Chapter 630: Divorce!
Nora hacked into the hospital system and quickly found Cecelia¡¯s medical records.
Cecelia was indeed pregnant.
That much was clearly stated in the medical report from the hospital.
ording to the medical report, Cecelia was already three months pregnant.
Nora originally thought that the pregnancy was fake, but in the end, it turned out to be real. This was out of her expectations.
Therefore, she thought about it and then checked Thomas¡¯ travel records. When she did, she found out that three months ago¡ªin other words, the period when Cecelia had be pregnant¡ªThomas had actually gone out of the country!
In addition, Cecelia hadn¡¯t gone with him!
A suspicion formed in Nora¡¯s heart. She turned off the phone and looked at Thomas. "How long has Cecelia been pregnant?"
Thomas lifted his chin. "Hmph! It¡¯s been more than a month!"
It was just like what she had thought.
Nora lowered her eyes.
Cecelia was lying. By iming that the three-month-old baby was only a little over one-month-old, her objective was self-evident.
She gave him a mocking smile and said, "Oh."
Then, she turned and walked out.
Seeing how she was behaving, Thomas curled his lips disdainfully and then called out after her, "It¡¯s okay, Nora! We are family, I won¡¯t spread the news that your medical skills arecking!"
After saying this, he looked at Mrs. Livingstone. "Mom, since Cecelia is already pregnant and Helen is infertile anyway, why don¡¯t we get a divorce straight away?"
Mrs. Livingstone was actually still hesitating and in an internal struggle.
Cecelia was no kind soul. How could shepare to Helen¡¯s well-behaved, sensible, and filial personality? Cecelia was shrewish and had already be well-known in the circle as a rebellious woman a long time ago.
But when she thought of how Cecelia was already pregnant... Besides, at least she wasn¡¯t a poor girl like the one her son had impregnated back in college. No matter what, one could at least say that the two families were equally matched in status this time.
Mrs. Livingstone made up her mind. "Okay!"
The two then bid farewell to Mrs. Hunt. How could one like Mrs. Hunt, who had experienced all sorts of ups and downs, possibly trust a stranger so easily, though?
She asked, "Thomas, is that Cecelia woman trustworthy? You must check everything out clearly, okay?"
Thomas replied, "Yes, yes, I know. Don¡¯t worry, Grandaunt! It¡¯s not like I want to be the father to someone else¡¯s child. I¡¯ve already asked about it a long time ago. We¡¯ll be able to have a DNA test done once she¡¯s four-month pregnant!"
When Mrs. Hunt heard this, she nodded. "Okay."
After the two of them left, Mrs. Hunt looked at the housekeeper. She frowned and asked hesitantly, "Do you think Nora¡¯s medical skills are really that bad?"
If they weren¡¯t good, how would she be able to make the Zabe Corporation¡¯s Calming Pill?!
The housekeeper, however, replied, "Ma¡¯am, who cares whether they are good or not? In any case, she has made a mistake this time! This shows that Ms. Smith is just enjoying a reputation unwarranted by any actual skill."
Mrs. Hunt nodded at her words.
She was right.
She wasn¡¯t going to care if Nora was an impressive woman or not! In fact, what she wanted was for Nora to not be that impressive. Otherwise, how would she be able to control such a well-known woman after she married into the Hunts?!
¡ª
Nora went straight back to the Smiths¡¯ after she left.
Cherry, who was sitting cross-legged on the sofa and ying games, was dissing someone. "Hey, the person in the support role, you¡¯re not the Invisible Man, why are you hiding? Have I, a gunner, seen you even once during the entire session?"
Hearing this, Pete sighed silently and continued to read with his head down.
When Nora nced at the book, she found that her son was reading a book about world economics. The corners of her lips spasmed a little and she couldn¡¯t help thinking that the little fellow sure was a mutant.
She wondered how high Xander¡¯s IQ was. Would it be higher or lower than Pete¡¯s?
While she was musing over it, Pete, who had noticed hering in, hurriedly got up. He handed her the ss of water in front of him. Then, he took out a set of pajamas and handed it to her. "Mommy, are you tired?"
Nora: "..."
The longer she lived with Pete, the more she found that the little boy was really very caring and heartwarming. However, his behavior instead made Nora feel her son¡¯s desire for motherly love.
She indeed had too little time to spend with her children.
Thinking about this, she took the ss of water from Pete and took a couple of sips. Then, she ced it on the coffee table next to her and took the pajamas. She looked at Pete and asked, "Pete, do you know Helen Stewart?"
Pete¡¯s eyes lit up at the name and he nodded. Then, he said with a bit of embarrassment, "She is quite nice. Uncle Thomas often visits the Hunts, so Great-grandma told him to y with me. He is very well-behaved on the surface, but in private, he called me a little idiot. After he married Aunt Helen, every time he came over, she would bring me toys. When Uncle Thomas scolded me, she would also stop him gently..."
At that time, Pete had never experienced a mother¡¯s love, and he also felt nothing toward the nannies¡¯ attempts to please him.
But Helen was truly kind and caring. On top of that, she was also filled with love and patience for children. People like her gave Pete a veryfortable feeling.
When Nora heard what he said, she finally understood why Justin had asked her to help them.
Just by how Helen had kept Petepany, she couldn¡¯t let the matter go unchecked.
With that in mind, Nora suddenly said, "Pete, I¡¯m going out for a while."
Pete nodded.
Nora turned around, went out of the house, and drove to Helen¡¯s parents¡¯ home, the Stewarts¡¯ residence.
To be honest, she initially didn¡¯t intend to bother with the Livingstones¡¯ mess. After all, Thomas¡¯ fatherhood had nothing to do with her.
But since Helen had treated Pete kindly, she couldn¡¯t just sit back and wash her hands of the matter.
When she came to the Stewarts¡¯ residence, the guards stopped her.
When she said that she was looking for Helen, the guard gave her a wry smile and said, "They are... kinda busy at the moment, so it¡¯s not convenient for outsiders to enter."
Nora broke into a frown.
Just as she was about to reply, a car came up to them. Then, a hasty-looking woman got out. She was a little chubby and looked somewhat like Helen. She said to the guard, "This is...?"
The guard exined, "Ms. Jessica, this is Mrs. Helen¡¯s friend. She¡¯s here to visit Mrs. Helen, but... Mrs. Livingstone hase over with Mr. Livingstone and they are currently making a scene in the house, so..."
When Jessica Stewart, the Stewarts¡¯ eldest daughter, heard this, she said straightforwardly, "For her toe over to look for Helen, she must be Helen¡¯s friend. How can you refuse her entry? News of the scandal will spread sooner orter anyway, so what¡¯s there to be scared of? Let here with me!"
Only then did the guard let Nora through.
Nora raised her eyebrows, finding the youngdy rather interesting.
The two drove into the residence together.
They parked the car. Before they even stepped through the door, they could already hear an arrogant Mrs. Livingstone saying, "They must divorce! But this is all because your daughter is infertile, so we¡¯re not going to give her anything! Also, the Stewarts didn¡¯t make her situation clear before the marriage, so this is fraud! On top of that, she also wasted three years of our time. Otherwise, the Livingstones would already have at least two children in the family by now! You have topensate us for this!"
Helen¡¯s mother, Mrs. Stewart, said furiously, "Divorce? So that she can make way for that homewrecker?! Mrs. Livingstone, are you that anxious that you can¡¯t wait even a second longer?!"
Mrs. Livingstone sneered, "Cut the crap. In any case, it¡¯s the Stewarts who are in the wrong! As for Cecelia¡¯s pregnancy, Thomas didn¡¯t cheat. It¡¯s because Helen is infertile, that¡¯s why he went to another woman!"
Chapter 631: The Truth!
Chapter 631: The Truth!
Mrs. Stewart became even more infuriated when she heard this. She clutched her chest, unable to speak.
Helen was just crying her eyes out next to her.
Her father was not at home, so the two women from the Stewarts were obviously suppressed in momentum.
When Nora was about to take a step forward, Jessica, who was next to her, stepped forward abruptly and said loudly, "Mrs. Livingstone, now that¡¯s not very nice! What do you mean Thomas didn¡¯t cheat? Is the child in her belly not Thomas¡¯? Did Thomas not have sexual rtions with another woman while he is married?"
Mrs. Livingstone choked at once.
Jessica went on. "My little sister certainly hasn¡¯t given birth to any children, but are women mere baby-making tools? Are you saying that the Livingstones and the Stewarts¡¯ union was solely for the purpose of having children? If so, then why didn¡¯t you just approach surrogate mothers instead? What is the point of having Helen there? Besides, do you have any medical evidence to prove that my little sister is infertile? This isplete sophistry. If you cannot produce a medical report, then I will sue you for nder!"
Jessica was very aggressive, much like a hen protecting her chicks. She stood in front of her mother and Helen and blocked them from Mrs. Livingstone.
Mrs. Livingstone seemed a little afraid of Jessica. She subconsciously stepped back and said, "No matter what, they have to get a divorce!"
"Divorce? Sure, but you have to give my little sister thepensation she deserves. The Stewarts are not to be trifled with either!"
After snapping back at Mrs. Livingstone furiously, Jessica looked at Helen and said, "What is the use of crying when your husband has already cheated on you? Times have changed, can¡¯t you even stand up for yourself? Helen, I¡¯m telling you, you have to divorce him! Are you nning on keeping that man so that he can bring back more illegitimate children?!"
The sobbing Helen nodded. "I will do as you say, Jessica."
She was thoroughly heartbroken.
When she got married, everyone had said that she was really blessed to be able to marry into the Livingstones. Given how close a rtionship the Livingstones and the Hunts shared, she would surely wee a good life in the future.
But who knew that Thomas would actually be such an insect?
Mrs. Livingstone sneered, "Jessica, what do you mean by that? We Livingstones are decent people, we are not people who indulge in casual rtionships! We won¡¯t just want any random woman!"
Jessica sneered, "Oh, really? Considering how you can ept even someone like Cecelia, the Livingstones¡¯ standards for women are really too low!"
Mrs. Livingstone wanted to continue the argument about Cecelia, but she suddenly realized something. She sneered, "The problem is not about Cecelia right now; rather, it¡¯s about Helen¡¯s infertility. On top of that, she even conspired with a doctor to shift the me onto my son! What a pity for her, though, because Cecelia is pregnant, which just so happens to clear my son¡¯s name! On the other hand, even though it has been three years since Helen married into the Livingstones, she hasn¡¯t gotten pregnant even once, so the problem must lie with her. Since that¡¯s the case, then this marriage should be annulled! When the two of them got engaged back then, we had agreed that whoever does something wrong after marriage would receive a smaller portion of the joint financial assets! Therefore, Helen can only leave the Livingstones penniless!"
Cecelia was pregnant.
The timing was simply too sensitive.
Should news of it spread, everyone would surely know that Thomas had cheated on his wife. If that happened, he would no longer be able to hold his head up high in the circle of the wealthy in New York.
That was why Mrs. Livingstone hade over to make a scene. Firstly, it was because a married couple¡¯s joint property was indeed difficult to divide. Secondly, it was because she mustn¡¯t allow her son to be known as someone who had mistreated his ex-wife!
She mustn¡¯t allow her son to be the main reason for the marriage¡¯s failure.
Jessica let out a contemptuousugh. Suddenly, she lowered her eyes and said, "We are all respectable people that don¡¯t wish to embarrass ourselves. The Stewarts will not ask the Livingstones for even a single cent more than what should be given. However, alimony must be given because you made Helen quit her job after she married Thomas! Because of that, she now has a three-year unemployment gap in her career!"
Mrs. Livingstone sneered, "Then what about the money that the Livingstones gave the Stewarts when they got married back then?"
The Livingstones had given them arge sum of money as a wedding gift.
By saying that, Mrs. Livingstone was demanding even that sum of money back, even though they had given it to them as a gift.
Jessica was about to speak when Helen suddenly looked at Thomas. "Thomas, what is the meaning of this?"
Thomas curled his lips disdainfully and replied, "My mother¡¯s will is also mine! I¡¯ve found you really boring since a long time ago! You don¡¯t even move at all in bed. It was really no fun at all!"
Helen turned paler. Atst, she lowered her head and said, "Fine, fine... I will return you all that money the Livingstones gave us!"
A shocked Jessica looked at her abruptly. "Helen, what kind of nonsense are you saying?"
If they returned that money, what would outsiders think?
Why didn¡¯t they take any money from the Livingstones during the divorce? But even gave them money instead?
Of course, it was because they had done something wrong!
People often didn¡¯t care about the details, they only looked at the results. Neither would they think that Helen was being generous. Instead, they would definitely think that Helen must have done something to let the Livingstones down!
Helen, however, shook her head. "Jessica, I just want to be divorced as soon as possible."
She didn¡¯t want to be entangled with him any further.
She would just cut the Gordian knot. This way, she would be able to go home and live a carefree life!
Seemingly having understood the meaning behind her words, Jessica said nothing more.
Mrs. Livingstone sneered, "Helen, are you feeling guilty? Well, that makes sense. We won¡¯t hold you ountable for wasting my son¡¯s time either. We¡¯ll just let the matter go at that! I just hope that you won¡¯t bother my son after the divorce!"
After that, Mrs. Livingstone, Thomas, and Helen settled on the time and date that they woulde over to take the money, as well as when they would sign the divorce papers.
After making all the arrangements, before the two left, Mrs. Livingstone emphasized once more, "Helen, the Livingstones won¡¯t hold it against you and your family this time! But remember this, the divorce is because of your infertility. It has nothing to do with the Livingstones!"
Thomas nodded. "Yes, that¡¯s right. Remember this¡ªit¡¯s I, Thomas, who doesn¡¯t want you anymore!"
After saying that, Mrs. Livingstone and Thomas left.
After they left, Helen squatted on the floor and suddenly burst into wracking sobs. She clutched her head and murmured, "I am so useless. Why couldn¡¯t I just get pregnant? Why? I¡¯m so useless..."
Only then did Nora finally take a step forward. She said, "It¡¯s not your fault."
Chapter 632: The Truth About Xander Yale
Chapter 632: The Truth About Xander Yale
Nora had hidden herself in the corner after she entered just now and had refrained from interfering with their family affairs.
Therefore, the few of them hadn¡¯t noticed her in the heated argument.
When she spoke, Helen finally looked up in a daze. At the sight of Nora, she wiped her tears and stood up. "Ms. Smith... Why are you here?"
Before Nora could speak, Jessica asked, "Ms. Smith, what did you mean by that?"
Nora sighed silently.
Helen was simply too much of a pushover. Beingdylike and soft-spoken were positive traits; gentleness was also part of a person¡¯s character. However, being excessively weak and delicate would only encourage others to bully one even more.
However, Jessica seemed different. She was more straightforward and the questions she asked hit the crux of the matter.
Nora didn¡¯t want tofort or persuade them about anything. She merely said, "Thomas is not the father of Cecelia¡¯s child."
As soon as she said that, the people in the room were dumbfounded.
Jessica was stunned. She said, "He isn¡¯t? If he isn¡¯t, then what is Thomas doing? Also, why do you say that? Do you have any evidence?"
Jessica¡¯s thought process was clear. Helen, however, was still looking at her in a daze.
Nora cast her eyes down. "I checked his pulse the other time, he does indeed have asthenospermia. On top of that, his condition is very serious. Therefore, it stands to reason that Thomas will not be able to have children. However, he said that Cecelia is pregnant and that they only found out about the pregnancy today. So I went to check Cecelia¡¯s pregnancy records. I found that her HCG levels are rtively high. Those numbers are impossible in a patient who is only a month pregnant. In addition, I also found out that Cecelia has prior medical records from more than one month ago. At that time, they had already diagnosed that she was more than a month pregnant. From this, we can conclude that she should already be three months pregnant by now. Helen, where was Thomas three months ago?"
A dazed Helen replied, "Thomas was in France three months ago. A project over there had run into problems. As it was rtively tricky, he stayed there for nearly a month..."
At this point, Helen spoke again. "Did he go to France with Cecelia?!"
She seemed astounded. But as soon as she said that, Jessica smacked her hard on the head and said, "Helen Stewart, what¡¯s wrong with you?! What kind of situation do you think you¡¯re in right now? Yet you¡¯re still being jealous?! Is there anything about that man that¡¯s worth being jealous?! If you continue to be like this, I will really look down on you! Don¡¯t you know that women should be independent?! If even you look down on yourself, then how can you make others value you?!"
However, Helen said in tears, "I¡¯m not looking down on myself. But it¡¯s true that I was married for three years, yet I didn¡¯t get pregnant..."
Jessica was exasperated. She yelled furiously, "Hansel Lloyd¡¯s wife also didn¡¯t have any children even after so many years of marriage, and they adopted a child in the end. But look at her, when has she ever felt inferior about it?! When has she ever not carried herself graciously? Do you know why?!"
Helen nodded. "It¡¯s because she is good at managing thepany. She is actually the one in charge of Lloyds¡¯pany..."
It was at this point that Helen finally suddenly understood. Her eyes reddened and she hung her head. "You¡¯re right, Mrs. Lloyd can¡¯t reproduce, but the Lloyds have never dared to look down on her because of that. Neither has she ever felt inferior because of it... Only when one bes strong will they not be looked down upon..."
Seeing that she had finally understood, Jessica looked at Nora again. "I saw Cecelia at an event two and a half months ago, she couldn¡¯t have gone out of the country with Thomas. Therefore, the child really isn¡¯t his!"
As soon as she said that, next to them, Mrs. Stewart, their mother, immediately banged the table and stood up. "Since it is not his, then let¡¯s go over and tell them about it right away. We¡¯ll throw the evidence right in their faces! And see how they still have the cheek to demand a divorce!"
"..."
The room suddenly fell silent.
Taken aback, Mrs. Stewart looked at the three of them.
Jessica didn¡¯t pay any attention to Mrs. Stewart. Instead, she looked at Nora first and said, "Ms. Smith, thank you so much for not revealing all this the moment you stepped in!"
Nora merely smiled at her quietly.
Mrs. Stewart, however, was puzzled. "Why didn¡¯t she say it? If she had, we would have been able to p both mother and son in the face just now! How nice would that have been?"
Jessica looked at Mrs. Stewart, who had the same personality as Helen, and felt rather helpless. "Mom, what then?"
Mrs. Stewart replied, "When they are sure that the problem lies with Thomas, they definitely won¡¯t dare to divorce Helen anymore! And since all of this is because of the Livingstones themselves, they will only keep Helen happy in the future!"
Jessica lowered her eyes. "And then? What happens after that? Do you want Helen to stay by his side as he goes for medical treatment, and then let him do a return of the prodigal son?"
Mrs. Stewart choked. "Girl, those words of yours sting too much."
Jessica turned to Helen. She said, "Helen, you have two options now. The first one: You go to the Livingstones immediately with the evidence and tell them the truth. You will then be the Livingstones¡¯ hero."
Helen was taken aback.
Jessica, however, stared at her and said, "But I¡¯ll be clear about this¡ªif you do that, then you¡¯re no longer my sister! From then on, even if the Livingstones bully you, don¡¯t evere back here and cry to us about it!"
Helen bit her lip.
Mrs. Stewart became even more hesitant. She said, "Jessica, it¡¯s better to demolish a temple than to destroy a marriage. If you do that..."
"Mom!" Jessica reprimanded her angrily. "Have you really be muddleheaded from old age? Back then, we failed to ask around properly and find out what Thomas was really like before we allowed Helen to marry him. Now that we have finally seen his true colors, instead of making a quick escape, what are you people still staying in the hellhole for?!"
Mrs. Stewart sighed. "Never mind, I wash my hands off this. The world belongs to you youngsters now. I¡¯m old now, so I don¡¯t understand anymore."
Nora: "..."
She could finally see what was going on now. Jessica was the one in charge at the Stewarts, whereas the real mistress of the household didn¡¯t have any control over anything.
She looked at Helen too, wanting to know her choice.
Helen bit her lip and said, "Jessica, Ms. Smith. I¡¯ve made up my mind¡ªI want a divorce! What should I do in the second option you proposed?"
Jessica pped her on the shoulder. "Now, that¡¯s my sister, alright! No matter the asion, you must always have the courage to face your troubles. Us daughters of the Stewarts don¡¯t have to worry about remarrying at all! Now that you have made up your mind, then it¡¯s time for us to set things up."
Jessica said, "We won¡¯t reveal the truth for the time being. Let¡¯s make use of the opportunity while the Livingstones are still willing to get a divorce to get all the divorce procedures done first! Otherwise, once the Livingstones know the truth, they will definitely refuse to divorce. The Livingstones are big and powerful, and even have the Hunts backing them up. We won¡¯t be able to beat them in a direct confrontation. When that happens, it will be very hard for you to divorce him! After that, we will find an opportunity to let the cat out of the bag! I will also use the next few days to find Cecelia¡¯s adulterer!"
Her thought process was clear, and she also had the courage to shoulder responsibility. Then, she turned to Nora and said, "But you¡¯ll probably have to suffer some injustice for the next few days as a result of this, Ms. Smith. The Livingstones will definitely spread the news and say that the me lies fully with the Stewarts."
Nora raised her eyebrows and nodded. "I understand."
This was precisely the reason why she hadn¡¯t immediately brought up the matter about Cecelia when she came in and found that the Livingstones were discussing divorce matters.
Jessica felt very bad about this. She said, "I know the Livingstones very well. They don¡¯t want any blemishes on their reputation. Back then, when Helen was about to marry into the family, there wasn¡¯t any bad press about him out there. Even the matter about him impregnating someone when he was twenty years old was rumored to be the girl¡¯s plot against Thomas. We were fooled by them!"
She was about to say more when Nora¡¯s cell phone suddenly rang.
She looked down and nced at it¡ªit was an overseas number.
Nora raised her eyebrows and gestured to Jessica that she was answering a call. Then, she went out and picked up the call. Caleb¡¯s voice came from the other end: "Ms. Smith, I heard that Mr. Hunt has an illegitimate child? I¡¯m calling to tell you the truth I¡¯ve found out about Xander Yale!"
Chapter 633: The Truth: Ruth Is Not Xander’s Mother!!
Chapter 633: The Truth: Ruth Is Not Xander¡¯s Mother!!
Nora was taken aback.
To be honest, as early as Trueman had released Xander, she had wondered if Caleb knew anything. However, she hadn¡¯t taken the initiative to ask him.
Caleb had returned to the mysterious organization with the sacred mission of the special department on his shoulders. She mustn¡¯t bother him with her personal affairs, lest Caleb¡¯s identity was exposed while investigating them.
Thus, she had never asked him about it, nning to look into it herself.
Besides, Lily was alreadyparing their DNA and would seed sooner orter. It was just a matter of time.
But unexpectedly, Caleb had taken the initiative to call her?
A touch of gratitude rose from the bottom of Nora¡¯s heart, and she asked, "What is the truth?"
Caleb¡¯s voice was very low¡ªobviously, he was making the call in secret. "ording to my investigations, that child has been hidden by Trueman in the headquarters all this time, so I have never seen him before. But when Trueman was talking with him on the phone, he identally let something slip. He told Xander to try his best to save his Aunt Ruth, but the child instead said, ¡¯Why? She didn¡¯t give birth to me nor has she ever taken care of me. Am I supposed to save her just because she is your sister?¡¯ Trueman then said, ¡¯Then at least make sure that she doesn¡¯t die.¡¯ Xander agreed and then he said, ¡¯Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t give it away. At the very least, in my biological father¡¯s eyes, Aunt Ruth is my mother.¡¯
Therefore, based on this, I would think that Ruth is not his mother."
Nora cast her eyes down.
To be honest, she had already guessed as much. Ruth and Xander¡¯s DNA match was only 20%. Even though Xander might have been injected with the gene serum, modifying his genes, it was still impossible for his DNA to change so drastically.
Therefore, at the very least, it was impossible for Ruth to be his mother.
Now that Caleb had confirmed it, they could get rid of Ruth first!
Trueman didn¡¯t seem to really care about whether his sister lived or not anyway.
With that in mind, Nora thanked Caleb over the phone. "Thanks. I¡¯ll treat you to dinner when you return."
"Okay." Caleb¡¯s voice became a lot more rxed. After a brief silence, he suddenly said, "Nora... Ms. Smith, can I call you that?"
"... Yes, you can."
He had already done so anyway. Could she even say no?
The corners of her lips spasmed a little. Then, she heard Caleb speak again. He said, "Nora, I¡¯m very sorry that I didn¡¯t keep Anthony in check back then, and ended up allowing him to humiliate you and annul the engagement."
"... You have already apologized for that."
Caleb chuckled, his voice gentle and mellow. "I¡¯d like to apologize for it again."
"... Alright, then."
Nora yawned. She sounded rxed as she said, "I¡¯ve already forgiven the Grays."
To be honest, she had never once hated the Grays.
Although Anthony had looked down on her, ridiculed her, and mocked her all the time when she was fat, at that time, the only thing on her mind had been sleeping, so why would she take it to heart?
She said into the phone, "It sounds like your cough has be a little better. I made more medicine and wanted to give it to you, but I didn¡¯t expect you to leave early."
Calebughed. A whileter, he suggested, "Why don¡¯t you send it to me via international express mail, then?"
Nora raised her eyebrows and replied, "Sure."
After hanging up the phone, Caleb, who was sitting alone in a luxuriously decorated room overseas, stared straight ahead of him.
He suddenly murmured, "I wonder if she¡¯ll visit me since I have given her the address?"
After all, he didn¡¯t have long to live anymore. He really wanted Nora to visit him before he died.
Unfortunately, he waspletely unaware that such indirect methods were totally ineffective on an insensitive lout like Nora.
In the States, Nora didn¡¯t even take a look at the address. She forwarded it straight to Sheril and told her to mail the medicine out. Then, she gave the Stewarts a heads-up that she was leaving, and went back to the Smiths.
As soon as she arrived at the Smiths¡¯, she received a text message from Justin: ¡¯I heard about the incident with the Livingstones. Do you want me to give them a warning?¡¯
A single word from Justin could scare the crap out of Thomas and his mother.
When Nora saw his message, she called him right away. She asked, "Have you already given them a warning?"
The man¡¯s voice was very low. He chuckled and replied, "No, not yet. Didn¡¯t I ask for your instructions just now?"
Nora liked that he didn¡¯t take the liberty to act on his own in everything he did. At the very least, if Justin had given the Livingstones a warning, Helen might not even be able to divorce him anymore.
She smiled and said, "Nah, you don¡¯t have to warn them about it. We already have a n. But if I cause the Livingstones to be utterly disgraced, will you be put in a spot, Mr. Hunt?"
To be honest, he would indeed be very much put in a spot.
After all, Mrs. Hunt woulde crying to him.
But since Nora had asked, then the answer could only be: "No, it won¡¯t."
Thomas was Mrs. Hunt¡¯s grandnephew. By right, now that Mrs. Hunt¡¯s immediate family members were gone, the people from Mrs. Livingstone¡¯s generation should be the only ones staying in contact with her. And once Mrs. Hunt was gone as well, the two families would no longer have any rtions with each other.
However, Mrs. Hunt cared for her maiden family, and on top of that, Thomas was always visiting. That was how he had forcibly made it look as if the two families shared a close rtionship with each other.
For Mrs. Hunt¡¯s sake, Justin was also willing to take care of the Livingstones a little. However, that was all just charity on his part.
Since the Livingstones were blind enough to offend Nora, then he didn¡¯t need to care about such things anymore.
Justin was very clear about who mattered and who he should keep dear.
Nevertheless, he should still ask for credit where it was due.
Justin said straightforwardly, "Even if Grandma hits me with a bat, I still won¡¯t be put in a spot."
Nora: "..."
Come to think about it, it seemed like Justin also had it pretty tough being caught in between her and Mrs. Hunt. Fortunately, he still chose to stand firmly on her side.
Satisfied, Nora uttered, "Yeah."
Justin took the opportunity to make a request. He said, "Then are you stilling over to the Hunts tomorrow? You were in such a hurry today that I didn¡¯t even have time to show you around, especially... I intend to turn my vi into our home after marriage. Do you want to give your opinion on the renovations?"
Nora thought for a while and replied, "I only have one request."
"What?"
"The bed has to befortable."
"..."
Justin also knew that that was the only thing she would ask for. He chuckled and said, "Of course, it has to befortable. After all, if the bed is not sturdy enough, I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t be able to support the two of us when we..."
Nora: "?"
Weren¡¯t they chatting? Why was the man suddenly making innuendos?
She rolled her eyes. "While we do what?"
"Don¡¯t think too much, I was talking about us fighting on it. Didn¡¯t you say it yourself, Big Sister? You¡¯ll beat me up every time you see me..."
Nora: "!"
She suddenly felt like her fists were itching. "Tsk, Big Brother, I suddenly feel like married life won¡¯t be that boring anymore. We can spar every day. This way, we can even exercise a little."
Justin: "..."
That wasn¡¯t the kind of exercise he wanted!
He said, "Why don¡¯t youe over tomorrow and we make a pick for the master bedroom? Cherry and Pete haven¡¯t been to the Hunts for really long too."
"... Alright."
Nora agreed.
She wondered what kind of sparks would fly among the three little fellows once Cherry and Pete met Xander?!
She raised her eyebrows and tried for a while to imagine the three of them together, but she simply couldn¡¯t. Atst, she shook her head and said, "By the way, Ruth is not Xander¡¯s mother."
When Justin heard this, his pupils shrank. "Are you sure?"
"Yeah."
Nora answered.
The two chatted a little more before they hung up.
Justin sat in the study and thought about what Nora had said just now. Suddenly, he got up and walked to the basement.
He emitted bloodthirsty murderous intent all over.
He had been worried that Ruth could really be Xander¡¯s mother, so he hadn¡¯t gotten rid of her. But now that he knew the truth... Heh.
He went downstairs. When he arrived at the basement, he found the butler standing guard at the door.
When Justin walked over, he realized that Xander was also there.
He was squatting on the ground and chatting with Ruth while facing her.
Rather than saying that they were chatting, though, it was more like Xander was making fun of Ruth. The little fellow¡¯s chin was resting on his hands as he looked at Ruth and prattled away.
However, what he said stunned Justin!!
Chapter 634: Are You? Are You Worthy of It?
Chapter 634: Are You? Are You Worthy of It?
The butler noticed Justin. When he was about to speak, Justin stopped him. He went up to the door and looked inside quietly.
He narrowed his eyes, a look of scrutiny forming within.
To be honest, fathers didn¡¯t have any resistance towards their children.
This was especially in the case of people who¡¯d had children before. Thus, even if Xander was a little devil who had been raised by Trueman, and even if he had thrown the whole Hunt manor into a tizzy after his arrival, Justin nevertheless still gradually went from finding the boy a stranger to feeling a bit softhearted towards him.
But when he saw him sitting opposite Ruth, he still couldn¡¯t help but frown.
The child did not understand the difference between good and evil, let alone what was right and what wasn¡¯t. In addition, what he did after he returned to the Hunts had indeed angered him.
Yet when he thought of how he might be the third child he had with Nora, he would relent again.
In fact, he was actually worried about something. Should the child really be beyond hope, and should he be determined to take Trueman and Ruth¡¯s side, then even if he must imprison him for a lifetime, he still mustn¡¯t allow him to hurt his loved ones!
While he was contemting, he saw Xander hand Ruth a carrot. He was telling her about the benefits of eating carrots.
"Carrots contain a lot of nutrition. They also contain carotene and anthocyanins. Eating three a day can lower one¡¯s cholesterol levels by 10 to 20%. It can also effectively prevent cardiovascr and cerebrovascr diseases, which is very important to the human body..."
He prattled on and on about the benefits of eating carrots, but Ruth became angry instead. She said, "I told you, I want bread! I want rice! I want carbohydrates! Xander, I have already gone hungry for six days! If you continue like this, I will die!"
"No, you won¡¯t. Carrots have nutrients, they will keep you alive, so don¡¯t worry about it. Also, even if you really are dying, I will find someone to save you..."
Xander spoke with a lot of confidence.
Ruth: "..."
She was furious. She said, "Xander, tell me, are you doing this just to take revenge on me?! Because I made you eat carrots when you were younger?! The opportunity hase to you now, hasn¡¯t it? But don¡¯t forget this¡ªI will go back sooner orter! When I do, I will tell your father what you did! As for you, there will eventuallye a day where you¡¯ll fall into my clutches again!"
A touch of contemtion shed across Xander¡¯s eyes, but his expression remained amicable. He held his chin with his hands and said, "What are you talking about? I don¡¯t understand."
"How can you not?! You did it on purpose! When you were four years old, my brother entrusted you to me and told me to take care of you for a week. During that one week, all I fed you were carrots every day. You must be holding a grudge against me because of that! You little brat, I didn¡¯t expect you to still remember all that even though so much time has already gone by. How dare you do this to me! You must be sick of living!"
As Ruth spoke, she went forward to hit him.
However, because she hadn¡¯t eaten for a long time, she was weak all over. The moment she moved a little, she fell straight onto the ground.
Xander stood up in front of her and rubbed his nose.
This subconscious action of his was actually exactly the same as Justin¡¯s!
At the door, Justin froze when he heard their conversation and saw Xander¡¯s subconscious action.
He had always been a little wary towards Xander. Thus, he had never liked this son of his since his return.
Even if he did faintly feel a bit of fondness for him, he suppressed it at the bottom of his heart and kept it hidden.
He¡¯d thought that Trueman must have treated Xander very well, which led to the development of his anarchical character, but never had he ever imagined that Xander had actually gone through all that?
Giving a child nothing but carrots for seven days¡ªjust how exactly did Ruth have the heart to do something like that?!
He suddenly clenched his fists and stared fixedly into the interrogation room.
Xander was standing there, staring at Ruth. After a while, he said, "Yeah, if my father hadn¡¯t returned in time, I might really have starved to death!"
Ruth yelled furiously, "What nonsense are you talking about? You have everything in your room! There is fire, there are pots, and there are also rabbits! All you had to do was just eat those rabbits! Who told you to be so pretentious and say ridiculous things like the rabbits are your friends? You even gave the carrots to the rabbits! What a joke. Those rabbits are delicacies to humans! I really don¡¯t know who you¡¯re putting on that pretentious act for! My brother may pamper you and let you y with the rabbits, but I won¡¯t! You love your rabbits so much, don¡¯t you? Then let¡¯s see whether you can hold back from eating them when you¡¯re starved for weeks!"
Xander lowered his head. "They are not food or animals. They are my friends."
Ruth sneered and said in a low voice, "So what even if they are? Didn¡¯t they get eaten anyway after they died?! Hahaha! When my brother came back, he took you out and gave you a pot of meat, right? That was a pot of rabbit meat! And also your favorite No. 6¡¯s meat!"
Xander trembled a little.
The thin little boy seemed to emanate a sense of loneliness and confusion.
He stared at Ruth. "Yeah, Dad scolded you after that. I thought you would change, but unexpectedly, you instead killed No. 6 the very next moment and even tricked me into eating it..."
Ruth smirked. "Aren¡¯t rabbits delicious? I remember asking you how it tasted at the time, you said it was delicious. And then? What happenedter on? Whenever your rabbits died, you would always choose to eat them. Heh, so is there anything wrong with what I did?"
Xander stared at her.
Indeed, ever since that incident, he would eat his rabbits after they died.
Because... if he didn¡¯t, then the rabbits would be taken away and used as specimens for more research. His friends wouldn¡¯t be able to rest in peace even after their deaths.
If he ate them instead, then the rabbits would be safe.
While Xander was thinking about it, the door to the room was suddenly pushed open. Justin strode in, his deep-set eyes staring straight at Ruth.
There was murderous intent in his eyes.
Ruth was shocked and intimidated by the look in his eyes. But right after that, she asked, "Mr. Hunt, are you here to let me out?"
Justin¡¯s gaze became even colder. "Yeah, I¡¯ll send you home."
Ruth¡¯s eyes lit up. But the next moment, she instead heard Justin add, "After all, one must eventually return to their roots."
"..."
Ruth suddenly understood what he meant. Her eyes widened in fright and she shouted, "Y-you¡¯re thinking of killing me? No, you can¡¯t do this to me! I¡¯m Xander¡¯s mother!"
Xander had promised Trueman that he would not expose her identity. This was the only thing that could protect her now!
Unexpectedly, as soon as she said that, Justin said, "Oh, are you? Are you... worthy of being his mother?"
Chapter 635: A Family of Five
Chapter 635: A Family of Five
Even an ordinary unrted person wouldn¡¯t have been able to starve a four-year-old for a whole week!
Even he, Justin, had never abused Xander after meeting the child, despite how much he hated Trueman.
Ruth was badly frightened when she heard Justin¡¯s words. She swallowed. "W-what are you saying? I am his mother. If you don¡¯t believe me, then ask Xander!"
Xander was standing at the side and looking at Justin in confusion. He didn¡¯t understand why Justin had suddenlye in, or why he was suddenly so angry.
But he still thought of the instructions Trueman had given him before he came to the States.
He had told him to cooperate with Ruth. It would do as long as it didn¡¯t expose her identity.
Therefore, after he came to the States, he had never once called Ruth "Aunt Ruth". Ruth¡¯s question at this moment was putting him in a spot, though.
He didn¡¯t want to speak lies like Ruth was his mother.
The little fellow in an internal struggle said, "She..."
"Shut up!" Justin suddenly barked in a low voice. The man had a very powerful aura around him and he gave off a very oppressive feeling. In this small and dark basement, he was clearly the king of this world, dominating one¡¯s life and death!
Those two words of his frightened Xander.
Then, the man said in a low voice, "Where¡¯s the butler?"
"Here, sir."
"Take Xander upstairs and put him to bed."
"Yes, sir."
Without another word, the butler picked up Xander in his arms and walked out of the basement at once.
For the first time, Xander became scared. Puzzled, he turned his head to the back and looked at Justin¡¯s back. The figure was obviously getting further and further away from him, but in his eyes, it was as if it was instead bing bigger and bigger...
This continued until the butler went out the door with him in his arms and then went upstairs.
When he was sure that Xander had entered his room, Justin finally looked at Ruth.
Then, he turned and shut the door to the basement.
Ruth looked at him, a touch of despair suddenly welling up in her...
She asked in trepidation, "M-Mr. Hunt, what... what are you doing?"
"Sending you home."
...
...
The terrible screams from the basement were all blocked by the soundproofed walls.
In the guest room upstairs, Xandery on the bed with his eyes closed. However, he pressed his ears hard against the bed and carefully tried to listen to the sounds downstairs, but he simply could not hear anything.
The little fellow couldn¡¯t help but rollover.
Then, he opened his eyes.
Had the tyrant suddenly be angry just now because of him?
Surely not?
The tyrant obviously didn¡¯t like him. Trueman had also said that the tyrant was in love with a woman. He would not like him for the sake of that woman too.
Therefore, the tyrant disliked him very much.
But if that was the case, then why was the tyrant punishing Aunt Ruth?
Xander couldn¡¯t figure it out, so he decided not to think about it anymore.
That night, Xander had another nightmare.
In the nightmare, a big tiger kept chasing him and said that it wanted to eat him and his rabbits. He ran and ran, but he simply couldn¡¯t keep running anymore.
Just when he thought he was going to be eaten, a big and tall figure suddenly appeared in front of him.
He couldn¡¯t see the tall figure¡¯s face because his back was to him, but for some strange reason, in the dream, he found the figure very reliable, and he gave him a strong sense of security.
¡ª
¡ª
Early the next morning, Nora brought Pete and Cherry to the Hunts¡¯ manor.
As soon as they entered, Cherry dived into Justin¡¯s arms like a butterfly. In her young and tender voice, she shouted, "Daddy, Daddy! Did you miss me?"
Justin caught the little girl and picked her up. Then, he replied, "Yes, I did."
Cherry immediately gave him a kiss on the forehead. "I missed you too! I even dreamed of you!"
"Really?"
Justin sounded pleasantly surprised. "What did you dream?"
Cherry started to talk about her dream.
Pete followed beside the two of them with a disdainful look, his expression as though he had nothing to live for anymore. At this moment, Justin¡¯srge hand suddenlynded on his head and ruffled his hair.
Pete immediately lowered his head and avoided his hand. He said, "Ty... Daddy, you mustn¡¯t touch a child¡¯s head. Otherwise, they will be stupid."
But Justin instead replied, "Well, you have a high IQ anyway, so it¡¯s okay even if you be a little stupid."
"..."
Justin then looked at the back.
Nora dragged her feet and yawned as she walked behind the three of them. Obviously, she hadn¡¯t slept enough yet. He asked, "What time did you sleepst night?"
Nora rolled her eyes. "It¡¯s because I got up too early today."
Had she woken up early so that she coulde over to meet him?
Justin smiled.
He suddenly paused for half a step. When Nora walked up to him, he said, "I¡¯ve taken care of Ruth."
Taken care of her?
Nora was a little surprised. "What did you do to her? The special department still has their eyes on Ruth and is nning to look for clues through her."
Justin asked, "If Ruth really knew anything integral to the organization, do you think someone like Trueman would have allowed her toe to the States?"
Nora also felt that Trueman didn¡¯t care about Ruth at all.
Hearing this, she uttered an "oh" and didn¡¯t bother any further with the topic. She said, "Just don¡¯t give the special department anything to use against you."
"Of course not. I don¡¯t do anything illegal."
Justin said, "I only sent her home."
Ruth¡¯s home was located abroad. It had nothing to do with him if she was killed in a gun robbery outside the country.
Nora: "..."
She understood now.
She raised her head and nced upstairs. Then, she looked at Cherry and Pete and asked, "Where is Xander?"
She wondered what kind of scene the three little fellows would make?
Chapter 636: Good News~~
Chapter 636: Good News~~
Upon hearing what she said, Justin suddenly said, "I¡¯m starting to feel more and more like Xander is our son."
Nora was taken aback. "How so?"
Justin suddenly smiled. "He went to bed very earlyst night, but he is still asleep even now, and he always looks like he doesn¡¯t get enough sleep. Did he inherit that from you?"
"..."
The corners of Nora¡¯s lips spasmed.
In the bedroom upstairs.
Xander had actually already woken up a long time ago. In fact, he was even hiding behind the curtain at the windowsill and looking down at the lower floor.
When Justin picked up Cherry, a lump had even formed in his throat. For a moment, he really wanted to throw Cherry onto the floor.
But when he thought of how they might be Cherry and Pete, the friends whom he had gotten to know through the Inte, he resisted the urge to do so.
That woman had given birth to Cherry and Pete.
The four of them were a family, whereas he, Xander, was an extra.
Therefore, he wasn¡¯t going to join them.
Hah.
The proud Xander continued hiding upstairs. He closed his eyes and continued pretending that he was asleep.
¡ª
Xander was asleep, so after the family of four entered the living room, Nora sat on the sofa, closed her eyes, and rested.
Cherry was in Justin¡¯s arms. She was showing him her ranking in her game on her cell phone. She said, "Daddy, look! I have already achieved 100 stars in the game! Aren¡¯t I amazing?!"
Justin nodded. "Yup, Cherry is the best."
Cherry grinned happily at the praise.
Next to them, Pete couldn¡¯t help sighing. "Even if you stick your foot in his face, he would still say it smells nice."
Cherry: "?"
She retorted indignantly, "But my feet do smell nice!"
Why would a little princess¡¯ feet possibly stink?!
Pete: "..."
The few of them engaged one another in a rather vapid conversation. A whileter, when Justin was about to invite Nora upstairs to pick a room for their master bedroom after marriage, footsteps suddenly came from the door. Then, with the help of the housekeeper, an unsteady Mrs. Hunt walked in.
As soon as she entered, her gaze fell on Nora. She said, "I heard that Pete is back, so I came over to have a look. So, Ms. Smith is also here?"
Nora opened her eyes, raised her eyebrows, and ignored her.
The olddy walked up to Pete. "Pete,e over to Great-Grandma and let me see if you¡¯ve lost weight? How have you been? Have you been healthy? Have you been eating well? Did the Smiths mistreat you?!"
By saying such things in front of Nora, Mrs. Hunt was deliberately trying to anger her.
Unfortunately, she found that Nora was not affected by her questions in the least.
Pete also answered earnestly, "No, the Smiths are great too. Grandpa treats me very well."
Seeing that Nora was still ignoring her, Mrs. Hunt suddenly found all this rather boring.
Thus, she stopped trying to be mean and sat on the sofa instead. She looked at Nora and said, "Ms. Smith, I have already given the Livingstones instructions not to spread the news about your misdiagnosis!"
Nora raised her eyebrows when she heard this.
What was she trying to say by that?
While she was thinking about it, Mrs. Hunt went on. "I initially thought that your medical skills must be very impressive since you are Dr. Zabe¡¯s disciple, but you ultimately still have too little experience inparison with him. Only the elderly are good at alternative medicine! It¡¯s different from modern medicine."
She then said, "Originally, Thomas thought you were in collusion with Helen, so he was hell-bent on publicizing the matter. I was the one who stopped him..."
After saying that, she looked at Nora.
She¡¯d thought that Nora would thank her for it, but unexpectedly, the woman¡¯s attitude towards her was actually still as halfhearted as ever. Mrs. Hunt became rather angry at once. "Ms. Smith, I know you don¡¯t care about such things¡ªafter all, your reputation is already in tatters¡ªbut you still have to pay more attention to it in the future. After all, even if you don¡¯t care about it, the Hunts do!"
As soon as she said that, Justin cast his eyes down and said, "On the contrary, I think these things about fame and status aren¡¯t very important. Haven¡¯t I also been notorious all these years? How has that affected the Hunts?"
Upon being talked back right to her face, Mrs. Hunt found herself at a loss for words.
A short whileter, she finally stood and said, "Fine, it¡¯s this olddy here who was being too meddlesome! Thomas is a loudmouth. I daresay that if I tell them that I¡¯m washing my hands off this matter, news of Nora¡¯s misdiagnosis will definitely be the talk of the city tomorrow!"
Justin raised his eyebrows. "Oh, it¡¯s okay."
Nora still looked as though she wasn¡¯t intending to speak.
Mrs. Hunt was infuriated. "Fine, fine. Since all of you are taking that attitude, then I¡¯ll get someone to tell them about it right away!"
As she spoke, she started walking out.
When she reached the door, Nora suddenly said, "Mrs. Hunt."
Mrs. Hunt stopped and looked over. As expected, Nora must not want to be embarrassed either, right? So, was she giving in now?
But as soon as the thought shed through her mind, she instead heard Nora ask, "When are the Livingstones nning to get the divorce done?"
Mrs. Hunt: ?
She was furious. "I just received news that they have already gone to the court. Looking at the time, the two of them should be out by now!"
"Oh?"
Nora raised her eyebrows when she heard this. Then, she chuckled and said, "In that case, I also have a piece of good news here to celebrate with you, Mrs. Hunt."
Mrs. Hunt was taken aback. "What¡¯s the good news?"
Chapter 637: Thomas The Huge Cuckold!
Chapter 637: Thomas The Huge Cuckold!
Nora cast her cat-like eyes down and slowly said, "I have never made any mistakes in my diagnoses."
Mrs. Hunt frowned.
She clenched her jaw. "Heh, are you trying to say that your diagnosis of Thomas is correct?"
Nora raised her eyebrows and said nothing.
Mrs. Hunt balled up her fists. As someone who had experienced so many things in life, she had actually already had her own suspicions when Thomas said that Cecelia was pregnant. She had even personally brought it up to the Livingstones.
At that time, Mrs. Livingstone and Thomas had clearly promised that they would investigate it properly.
Since they had proceeded with the divorce, she¡¯d thought that it was because Thomas had already made sure that the problem didn¡¯t lie with him, or that he had confirmed that the child in Cecelia¡¯s belly was his!
But judging from how confident Nora looked...
She couldn¡¯t help but think of the Zabe Corporation¡¯s Calming Pills that Nora had made. Dr. Zabe was the only person in the world who could make those pills, but he had long since be bedridden and unable to make medicine anymore.
Nora was the one and only disciple whom Dr. Zabe had personally epted.
When Mrs. Hunt thought of this, she suddenly became flustered.
She hurriedly walked out with the help of the housekeeper!
Seeing her staggering back, the corners of Nora¡¯s lips lifted into a smile.
Justin looked at the cheeky smile on her lips. For some reason, he suddenly found it terribly difficult to resist the urge in him. He couldn¡¯t help but step forward and give her a kiss at the corner of her lips.
As soon as he did that, both of them were stunned.
Even Cherry and Pete were dumbfounded.
Then, Cherry turned away and covered her eyes. "Yikes, how shameful! But I can¡¯t see anything anymore! Mommy and Daddy can continue what they are doing!"
As for Pete, he lowered his head and said calmly, "Did something happen, Cherry? I was working on my problems just now, so I didn¡¯t see anything."
Cherry shook her head wildly at once. "Not at all, not at all! I was ying games the whole time, so I didn¡¯t see anything either..."
Nora: "..."
She kept quiet for a while, but in the end, she couldn¡¯t help but expose Cherry. "You haven¡¯t even logged in to your game."
Cherry paused. Then, she picked up her phone and said, "Really?"
She sighed silently. "These detestable underage restrictions! The child lock is still stopping me from ying games! s!"
Justin also couldn¡¯t resist exposing Pete. "Your book is upside down."
Pete: "..."
He straightened the book in silence. He was about to say something when Justin suddenly exchanged a look with Nora. Then, as if they were telepathic, the two of them picked up the two kids and gave Cherry and Pete each a kiss on the cheek.
Cherry and Pete, who were caught off guard and kissed by their parents, reactedpletely differently.
Cherry blinked and said, "Mommy, your mouth smells nice~ I feel like my heart is soaring through the skies from the kiss, and I feel like I¡¯m in such a good mood that I can y a hundred rounds without losing my temper!~"
Nora replied, "... It seems that you¡¯re only allowed to y for an hour a day, though?"
Cherry: "..."
Hmph, Mommy is so mean! Why does she always have to poke her where it hurts?!
As for Pete, he wiped his cheek in silence with a look of disgust.
Justin: "..."
He looked at the son in his arms, and then at his soft, tender, and sweet-talking daughter. Justin suddenly felt like he had kissed the wrong person!
The brat simply mustn¡¯t be pampered.
While the four of them were being rowdy, upstairs, Xander¡¯s eyes were widened as he watched them in disbelief.
It seemed like he had never seen people kissing one another like that.
He touched his mouth and suddenly curled his lips disdainfully.
Mouths were meant for eating. Wasn¡¯t it dirty to kiss people like that?
Hah, those two stupid kids!
But he nevertheless touched his lips with his fingers. Then, he put two fingers together and rubbed them against his cheek.
Was this what a kiss felt like?
Xander was in a daze. But right after, he suddenly shuddered. Yuck, how gross!
He would never do such childish things.
He would never y with them either!
With that in mind, Xander shrank back and crawled back into the bedroom.
The family of four downstairs didn¡¯t see Xandere down even when lunchtime came. When Nora went upstairs to take a look, she found that Xander was pretending to be asleep. However, since he wasn¡¯t sick, she didn¡¯t expose him.
After all, even though Xander might be her son, the final results weren¡¯t out yet. She didn¡¯t want to invest her emotions in him too early.
In the event that it turned out that they weren¡¯t parent and child in the DNA test, yet she had already developed feelings for the child, things would be troublesome.
And she had always been someone who hated trouble the most.
Therefore, Nora went down the stairs and yed with Cherry and Pete for a while. After that, the four of them went upstairs to pick the master bedroom.
Princess Cherry straight-up took two rooms. She wanted to merge the two rooms and then put her dolls in them.
Pete¡¯s room was beside Cherry¡¯s.
Even though Justin hadn¡¯t brought it up, he had also wanted to merge two rooms for Pete. However, Nora said, "I think you can merge these two rooms and use one of them as a study. Pete¡¯s robots and books can be ced in there."
She felt that their father was being too partial to one party, so she had to even things out.
Pete¡¯s eyes, which were looking at Nora, lit up brightly at once. At the sight, even Nora couldn¡¯t help but ruffle his hair with a smile.
Justin originally wanted to say that they didn¡¯t have to go about it in such a troublesome way. Once the brat grew up, he would just give him a small house and let him stay there instead of living with them.
However, this was the only suggestion Nora had given about the renovation, so after a 0.1-second-long silence, Justin still agreed to it in the end.
When they left at night, Nora left Cherry there.
After all, she couldn¡¯t let Justin be all alone either, could she?
She hadpletely forgotten that when she first learned about the two children, she had wanted to kick a certain someone away and escape with the two kids.
"Bye-bye, Mommy~ I will miss you!"
Cherry stretched out her chubby little hand. After she said that cutely, she immediately took Justin¡¯s hand and raised her head. Her ck jewel-like eyes were damp and moist, making it unbearable to see her like that. She said, "Daddy, I¡¯m so sad that I can¡¯t y my games! Can you really bear to make a cute little girl like me sad?"
Justin: "..."
"Daddy, can you ask Y to write me a program that can fool the system and make me look like an adult?"
"..."
In response to his pitiful daughter¡¯s demands, Justin only made one request: "Don¡¯t tell your mom about it!"
"Don¡¯t worry, Daddy!"
Cherry¡¯s eyes were bright and shiny. "I love Daddy the most!"
Justin: "..."
After that, Cherry went upstairs happily.
¡ª
While the family of four was happily spending time with one another, Mrs. Hunt was deeply troubled.
After Nora had said that, she had returned to her house and called Thomas right away. When she called, Thomas and Helen had just exited the court.
As he looked at the divorce decree in his hand, Thomas said, "Helen, you should also understand that for wealthy families like ours, heirs take top priority. Nobody would want a woman like you who can¡¯t reproduce! On ount of how we were married for three years, why don¡¯t you stay with me? I¡¯m going to marry Cecelia, though¡ªafter all, I have to give my child a proper identity! But don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t treat you badly. What do you say?"
Helen clenched her fists as she listened to the disgusting things he was saying.
She took a deep breath. A momentter, she slowly said, "Thomas, what is so good about being with you? Are you that good in bed? Do you know how happy I am to be able to divorce you?! Atst, I don¡¯t have to tolerate your ipetence and inexplicable self-confidence anymore!"
Her words stabbed right into Thomas¡¯ sore spot. He had always been smug about his great stamina in bed. Thus, he immediately got angry and said furiously, "Good going, Helen! You shameless ingrate! Okay, then we¡¯ll see just how miserable you¡¯ll be in the future! Heh, don¡¯t expect that I¡¯ll hide the truth for you when others ask me why we divorced!"
He turned around to leave after shouting at her. However, it was at this time that he received a call from Mrs. Hunt.
Chapter 638: Taking Action!
Chapter 638: Taking Action!
When Thomas answered the phone, he heard Mrs. Hunt asking, "Have you divorced her?"
"Yes, I¡¯ve collected the certificate."
Thomas said. When he turned around to look at Helen, he instead saw that she had already gotten in the car and left. The sight infuriated him at once.
In his opinion, Helen had to be in tears and crying her eyes out when she left him. But judging from her appearance, why did it look like she was dying to divorce him instead?
While he was thinking about it, he heard what Mrs. Hunt said. Thomas immediately sneered, "Grandaunt, in my opinion, she must just be talking big again! Don¡¯t worry! I know my body well! There¡¯s definitely no problem with me! Also, I have already asked Cecelia about it. She is very sure that the child is mine! Because she is no longer in contact with her previous boyfriend!"
Cecelia was a well-known socialite in the circle and had a chaotic private life.
Mrs. Hunt frowned and said, "Even so, you should still be cautious. Why don¡¯t you visit a hospital and go for a checkup? Even if you don¡¯t trust alternative medicine, surely you trust modern medicine, right?"
When Thomas heard this, he fell silent. It was only after a while that he finally replied, "Okay, okay, I get it."
After hanging up the phone, he walked to his car.
He opened the door. In the passenger seat was a woman with heavy make-up¡ªit was Cecelia.
Cecelia asked, "Shall we go and register our marriage?"
Initially, Thomas had said that he would register his marriage with Cecelia immediately after he divorced Helen. After all, they couldn¡¯t get married after Cecelia¡¯s belly showed instead. If that happened, it would end up reflecting poorly on them.
But when he thought of what Mrs. Hunt said just now, Thomas suddenly felt that there was no need to rush. He kissed Cecelia and said, "Tsk, what¡¯s the hurry? The test can be done once the baby is four-months-old, right? We¡¯ll register the marriage after we do a DNA test. If you are in a hurry, we can hold the wedding first."
DNA test?
Cecelia¡¯s eyes flickered. She said, "I see, Thomas, do you not trust me? If you don¡¯t trust me, then why are you marrying me?! In that case, I will have the baby aborted right away! I don¡¯t want this baby anymore! It hasn¡¯t even been born yet, yet its father is already rejecting it! Why is my baby¡¯s life so hard?!"
Thomas looked at her. "That¡¯s enough, what are you putting up that act in front of me for? It¡¯s all because you have a bad reputation, so the elders at home are worried. Once the baby is four-months-old, we can do a DNA test and put my family¡¯s hearts at ease. Why wouldn¡¯t I trust you? But is there any use if I alone trust you? My family has to trust you too! Be good~ I know you are suffering injustice here, but if you have done nothing wrong, then what¡¯s there to be afraid of? It¡¯s just a DNA test. What¡¯s so scary about it?"
Cecelia bit her lip.
She knew that Thomas had already made up his mind.
Cecelia could only lower her head. "I am doing this all for your sake! You mustn¡¯t bully me in the future!"
"Okay, okay. C¡¯mon, let¡¯s go, baby. I¡¯ll buy you a ring!"
As the two drove off in the car, a touch of anxiety shed across Cecelia¡¯s eyes.
¡ª
A dayter.
News that the Livingstones had divorced Helen because she was infertile spread throughout New York.
"What¡¯s going on? Why are you implicated by this?" Sheril, whose hair reached her shoulders, said angrily in front of Nora, "Not only are they saying that your medical skills arecking and that you were bribed by Helen, but they are also saying that you were nning to let the Livingstones be the scapegoat?"
Nora let out a huge yawn.
She took a sip of water and asked, "You woke me up so early just to say that?"
A confused Sheril said, "But it¡¯s not early anymore. It¡¯s already eleven!"
"..."
Nora always slept until one o¡¯clock in the afternoon!
She sighed and took out a slice of bread. As she tore it into strips and ate it, Sheril went on. "Everyone¡¯s saying that you are too young and that you only have superficial mastery of Dr. Zabe¡¯s medical skills and not the essence, so your medical skills arecking! They are too much!"
Nora uttered an "oh".
Sheril would like to say that she, an onlooker, was simply so much more anxious than the person involved herself!
She asked, "What are you going to do?"
Nora¡¯s eyes were a little dark as she replied, "Don¡¯t worry about it."
She¡¯d thought that the Stewarts would take it slow, but unexpectedly, they had actually taken action so quickly and so aggressively!
Chapter 639: Face-Slapping At The Birthday Party!
Chapter 639: Face-pping At The Birthday Party!
The rumors spread so wildly that the news became the juiciest piece of gossip in the circle.
After all, rich elderlydies loved gossiping about other people the most.
The Stewarts had long since be the envy of everyone in New York because all the Stewart sisters had given birth to triplets, yet Helen couldn¡¯t.
Everyone wasughing at them.
As for Nora... When everyone heard that she wasn¡¯t actually that skilled in alternative medicine, they finally heaved a huge sigh of relief.
It couldn¡¯t be helped. Ever since the return of the real youngdy of the Smiths, she had already given everyone too many surprises.
After hearing that her medical skills werecking, everyone finally found her more down-to-earth.
No one ridiculed her, however. In fact...
"Don¡¯t get yourself down, Ms. Smith! You are still young. It¡¯s only natural that the older and more experienced the doctor is in alternative medicine, the better they are!"
"Yes, that¡¯s right. Ms. Smith, alternative medicine pays more attention to relying on talking to the patient, observing the patient¡¯s symptoms, and skillful pulse diagnoses. You have been working behind closed doors and away from the masses previously, so it¡¯s only natural that you would have less experience. Besides, it¡¯s probably very difficult to tell through one¡¯s pulse that they have a condition like asthenospermia, right? Therefore, this is not your fault."
"Ms. Smith, even though you didn¡¯t inherit the essence of Dr. Zabe¡¯s skills in alternative medicine, it doesn¡¯t matter. After all, you are great at modern medicine! For people like us, our hands would be shaking if we had to hold a scalpel, yet you can even operate on people¡¯s brains! That¡¯s really amazing!"
"Ms. Smith, when are you and Mr. Hunt getting married? Has the wedding date been set?"
"..."
A group of women surrounded Nora and chattered away non-stop.
Nora felt a headacheing on, and she somewhat regretted attending the party.
It was Helen¡¯s birthday today.
Yes, the day after her divorce was her birthday, but Thomas must have forgotten all about it, right?
In order to wash away the dispirited air around her younger sister, Jessica, the eldest youngdy of the Stewarts, had organized a grand birthday party for her.
Jessica, who had married into the Scotts, had six children¡ªfour boys and two girls. Her status in the family was also very high.
Since she had personally organized the birthday party, on ount of the Scotts, most of the invited guests would attend.
Moreover, Jessica was also intending to seek a new partner for Helen at the birthday party.
The best way to shake off a previous rtionship was to start another one right away.
Nora had also been invited, so she was also here.
She nodded at the people around her indifferently and walked to the side.
After she left, the few people said mockingly to the people sucking up to her just now, "She¡¯s not even Mrs. Hunt yet, I don¡¯t know why you people are ttering her so much! Besides, her medical skills aren¡¯t that great either!"
The few of them, however, sneered, "Even if she isn¡¯t Mrs. Hunt, she¡¯s still Ms. Smith. Besides, you make it sound as if you people are that great. I really don¡¯t know what gives you the idea that you can look down on others?"
The people mocking them suddenly choked on their breaths.
Elsewhere, Nora had walked up to Helen, who looked listless and as though she couldn¡¯t get her spirits up at all.
Jessica was lecturing her. "Can¡¯t you psych yourself up a little? Is that scumbag really worth you doing this?"
Helen hung her head and sighed. "Jessica, I¡¯m not doing this for him. But I really find it pointless to announce the truth at the party. So what even if everyone knows that I¡¯m not infertile? Do we want the people approaching the Stewarts to propose marriage only for Stewarts¡¯ ability to reproduce?"
Sometimes, people who had been hurt too deeply found it a chore to even fight back.
Jessica looked as if she had expected better from her, yet she also choked at her words.
At this moment, a flurry of activity suddenly came from the door.
The three of them looked over to see a woman with heavy make-up walking in¡ªit was Cecelia!
Helen¡¯s pupils shrank at once and she stood up.
Cecelia smiled and said, "Helen, it¡¯s your birthday today, so I¡¯vee to give you a gift. I¡¯d also like to offer you my apologies. Thomas really shouldn¡¯t have spread the truth everywhere like that. His actions are too hurtful towards you..."
Helen, who had looked utterly listless just a second ago, immediately got all fired up!
Nora: "?"
As expected, the one capable of stimting Helen would only be the enemy she hated the most, right?
Chapter 640: Her Schemes Fail!
Chapter 640: Her Schemes Fail!
Nora raised her eyebrows. Helen clenched her fists and asked hostilely, "What are you doing here?"
Cecelia walked over and sighed. "I am here to give you a gift, of course."
She handed over the gift box in her hand. "Thomas bought this handbag for me. I think it suits you well, so I¡¯ll just give it to you..."
The handbag that Thomas had bought for her...
Thomas had never bought her even a single gift during their three years of marriage!
Helen became even angrier, and she felt like her heart hurt a little.
In the end, what exactly was her three-year-long marriage?!
She clutched her chest and took a step back.
Jessica stepped in front of her and said, "Sorry, you are not wee here."
Cecelia sighed. "Jessica, you can say that we were close friends back then. There are only so many people in the circle. They may be divorced, but do the Stewarts really want to have a sour rtionship with the Livingstones? I¡¯m sure the people attending the birthday party today wouldn¡¯t want to see the two families fall out with each other, either!"
The people around them felt rather awkward at once.
For the sake of the Scotts, they were willing to attend the party, but if they were going to fall out with the Livingstones, then they would be unwilling to see that happen.
Cecelia¡¯s words seemed to force the people present into taking sides¡ªin other words, forcing them to be enemies with the Livingstones.
To be honest, the Livingstones weren¡¯t scary. It was the Hunts who were!
Everyone nced at Nora and then at Cecelia.
Nora was the Hunts¡¯ future mistress, but Cecelia was part of the Livingstones, and the Livingstones were the elderly Mrs. Hunt¡¯s family.
Would Mrs. Hunt sit by idly and watch the Livingstones get bullied?
For a while there, everyone was thrown into an internal struggle. Had they known this would happen, they would have made up an excuse and skipped the party!
Jessica understood what they were thinking. They were only here as a favor to her so that the divorce wouldn¡¯t look so awful on their part. They had kind intentions, so she couldn¡¯t possibly let the people who hade leave the ce unhappily.
Therefore, Jessica said promptly and decisively, "You¡¯re making it sound more serious than it is. What do you mean by a sour rtionship or whatnot? Are the Stewarts and the Livingstones going to be enemies just because the two of them have divorced? We are still friends! Besides, I even sent an invitation to the Livingstones for Helen¡¯s birthday party today!"
Cecelia went with the flow and said, "That¡¯s right. Since we are friends, then don¡¯t you wee your friend here?"
Jessica: "!!"
The huffy woman could only say in an aggrieved manner, "I was just worried about your health. After all, you¡¯re pregnant, aren¡¯t you?"
She looked at Cecelia¡¯s belly.
Cecelia¡¯s belly was already starting to show a little. Jessica immediately said, "I heard you are one month pregnant? Why does your belly look like you are three months pregnant instead, though?"
As soon as she said that, Cecelia¡¯s eyes flickered.
She was so scared that she looked straight at Jessica. However, the other party had a sincere look on her face as though she didn¡¯t mean anything else by what she said.
Cecelia breathed a sigh of relief.
She must have been thinking too much. At this time, there was activity at the door again. Everyone turned their heads to see Thomas walking in.
He even had a bouquet of flowers in his hand when he entered.
At the sight of him, everyone looked at one another.
To be honest, in a divorce between two wealthy families, it was impossible for the two families to break off all ties with each other¡ªbecause the two families¡¯ businesses had already be entangled with each other¡¯s at the point of marriage.
This was the reason why so many people would rather have their own rtionships in private than divorce.
Driven by interests, to be honest, even Jessica didn¡¯t actually want to fall out with the Livingstones, either.
The reason for the birthday party today, as well as why she had even invited Thomas to the party, was actually so that she could give Thomas the evidence of Cecelia¡¯s cheating behind closed doors. By choosing to tell them the truth before Cecelia and Thomas got married, one could say that she was showing the Livingstones goodwill.
After that, they would publicly announce that Thomas and Helen¡¯s divorce was not because of Helen¡¯s infertility.
Jessica knew that this way of doing things was actually very frustrating.
But she had no other choice.
This was the way it was in the world of grown-ups.
Jessica¡¯s ns were very beautifully thought-out.
Seeing that Thomas was also being very supportive and had even brought flowers, she breathed a sigh of relief at once. She walked over and said, "You¡¯re here."
Thomas had always had a good reputation among outsider. This was also why Mrs. Livingstone was sure that the Livingstones¡¯ reputation wouldn¡¯t suffer even if they divorced.
He looked straight at Helen and handed her the bouquet. He said, "A night of love is worth a hundred days of friendship after all. Even though we are no longer husband and wife, we are still friends. If you ever need my help, you can approach me."
During the divorce the day before, the bastard had said such scummy things in private, causing Helen to leave in fury.
But when he said those words today... Even though she knew very well that the man¡¯s words were not to be trusted and were false, in that instant, Helen still felt like crying.
As she held her tears back, she lowered her head, took the flowers from him, and nodded.
Then, she said, "Excuse me, I have to go for a change of clothes."
After speaking, she turned and walked upstairs.
Jessica wanted to follow her, but more guests arrived at the door at this point. As the hostess, Jessica had to greet them.
A bored Nora was about to follow Helen when Thomas stopped her. He said, "Ms. Smith~"
The man¡¯s smile made him look very cheap.
Nora raised her brows.
Elsewhere, Helen had reached the stairwell on the third floor. She was about to turn the corner when she heard a voicee from behind her: "Helen."
Surprised, she looked back to see that Cecelia had followed after her at some point and was standing on the step below her.
After Cecelia came up, she held her hand and said, "I have something to tell you."
Chapter 641: The Unsuccessful Scheme Backfires
Chapter 641: The Unsessful Scheme Backfires
Helen stared at her and snapped angrily, "Are you here to tell me that the child is not Thomas¡¯?"
Cecelia¡¯s expression changed drastically at once!
She said, "What nonsense are you talking about?!"
Helen sneered, "The bellies of women only one month pregnant won¡¯t show at all! They only show up when they are at least three months pregnant! But Thomas was not in the country at all three months ago. Heh, did Thomas take you abroad with him?"
Cecelia clenched her fists and narrowed her eyes. "What nonsense are you talking about? My baby is only one month old. My belly is only showing because I have been eating too much recently, so I have gained weight! I know you can¡¯t have children, so you¡¯re venting your anger on me, but even so, surely you can¡¯t nder me like that, right?"
Helen took a deep breath. "Then we¡¯ll just wait for the Livingstones to do the DNA test when you¡¯re four months pregnant!"
She turned to leave.
However, Cecelia grabbed her arm and held it tightly. She sneered, "You are just jealous of me, right? That¡¯s why you¡¯re saying things like waiting for me to be four months pregnant and whatnot. Mark my words, I won¡¯t give you the opportunity to do that!"
After speaking, she suddenly let go and fell backward!
No one noticed what was happening to them. At that moment, Nora, who had been stopped by Thomas, yawned sleepily and asked, "You need something?"
Thomas smiled. "You sure are stubborn, Ms. Smith! Given how things are, you still told my grandaunt that I¡¯m sick?"
Nora looked at him and replied seriously, "You really are sick."
"You¡¯re the one that¡¯s goddamn sick!" Thomas suddenly lowered his voice and swore. He said, "Nora, don¡¯t think that you¡¯re my sister-inw just because they say so! You¡¯d best keep this in mind: Even if you¡¯ve married Justin, I¡¯m not to be trifled with, much less when you haven¡¯t even married him yet!
"Also, I¡¯d advise you to show my grandaunt respect. Otherwise, don¡¯t me me if I don¡¯t hold back! I have a hundred ways to make your life a living hell!"
Nora: "?"
She asked curiously, "Which hundred ways are those?"
She only had the same few methods she used for interrogation, so she was really rather curious. If they proved useful, she could even tell Morris about them and impart them to the special department.
Thomas sneered, "Didn¡¯t you just have a taste of the suffering that public opinion can bring? Everyone now knows that your alternative medicine skills are half-baked. Half of the power and authority that you established in the field of medicine has been destroyed by me! Ha!"
"..."
Nora sighed disappointedly. She wanted to tell him that it didn¡¯t affect her in the least and that she didn¡¯t feel anything at all.
But before she could speak, a scream suddenly rang out from the side!!
Then, together with the scream, a thud rang out, like that of someone rolling down the stairs and then hitting the floor heavily!
Nora¡¯s pupils shrank. She turned around abruptly and walked towards the stairs.
Thomas was also taken aback. "Why does that voice sound so much like Cecelia¡¯s?"
Cecelia... It seemed like she had left with Helen just now.
One must know that Cecelia was currently pregnant with his child!
When Thomas thought of this, he hurriedly walked over. When he saw a group of people surrounding the front, he immediately took a step forward and broke into a furious rant without even a moment¡¯s thought. "Helen, what did you do to Cecelia?! You vicious jealous woman!"
But as soon as he walked over and saw the person lying on the ground, he was utterly stunned.
~ A minute ago ¡ª
Cecelia grabbed Helen¡¯s arm. With a mocking smile on her lips, she said, "... I will never give you the opportunity to do that."
She mustn¡¯t keep the child.
If she did, it would just be evidence of her cheating. However, she mustn¡¯t let the baby just disappear either. If she had a miscarriage right after she was asked to do a DNA test, it would arouse too much suspicion.
Besides, if she lost the baby, it would be even more unlikely for Thomas to marry her!
This was the only solution she had. If she lost the baby because Helen had pushed her off the stairs, it would give the Livingstones an excuse to attack Helen!
And when Cecelia became the victim, the Livingstones would have to take responsibility for her. Even if it was just for the sake of dealing with public opinion, in order not to bring shame to the family, they would still let her marry into the family to appease her!
The corners of her lips curled up into a smile as she cooked up a beautiful daydream. In fact, she was already imagining the day when she would be Mrs. Livingstone. Therefore, she let go of Helen and let herself fall down the stairs.
But the next moment, someone grabbed her arm tightly.
Helen grabbed her forcefully, pulled her up, and then pushed her further up the stairs.
Helen fell down the stairs while Cecelia was pushed up the stairs onto the third floor.
When Cecelia looked back again, she saw the look in the eyes of Helen, who had always been elegant and gentle, in mid-air as she fell.
Her lips moved and she said, "I will definitely give you that opportunity."
Chapter 642: The Badass Nora Smith
Chapter 642: The Badass Nora Smith
Cecelia: "!!"
She was so shocked that she couldn¡¯t even move.
It was only when the others rushed over that she finally came back to her senses.
With this, she couldn¡¯t give herself a miscarriage anymore!
It would be too obvious if she fell again. Also, it wouldn¡¯t be Helen who pushed her down anymore!
For a while, Cecelia could neither advance nor retreat.
At the top of the stairs.
Nora was giving first aid to Helen.
She had slowly started to bleed after she fell down the stairs, and she was extremely weak at the moment. Nora gave her a checkup and found that she had suffered bone fractures and a slight concussion, but was not in danger of dying. Only then did she breathe a sigh of relief.
She was about to speak when Jessica rushed over and shouted, "Helen, what happened?!"
Helen was in a lot of pain. Both her arms and her legs hurt, but she still stared hard at Cecelia and said, "Cecelia was nning to falsely use me of pushing her down the stairs. I identally fell trying to save her."
Everyone there was a member of the rich and powerful circle. All of them were very familiar with little tricks like that.
Jessica understood everything with just those few words of hers.
Her eyes turned red from anger. She pointed at Helen and shouted, "How can you be so muddleheaded! Even if she seeds in ndering you, we still have evidence against her!"
Jessica had already found Cecelia¡¯s adulterous lover¡ªin other words, the father of the baby¡ªa long time ago.
She was nning to hand him over to Thomas together with the evidence today.
But Helen instead smiled at her wryly and said, "Jessica, you don¡¯t understand what the Livingstones are like. Without the baby, there won¡¯t be any direct evidence. For the sake of not shaming themselves, they would rather refuse to admit or believe it."
If the child was gone, Cecelia and her lover would be able to insist that nothing had happened.
After all, even if Cecelia did have sexual rtions with her lover three months ago, her private life had always been chaotic anyway. The Livingstones would never believe a word of what they said.
Therefore, nothing must happen to the child! Because it was the most crucial evidence!
Helen was in so much pain that her face was as white as a sheet. While the ambnce hadn¡¯t yet arrived, shey where she was and said to Jessica, "I thought it through in that moment just now. Women have to stand up for themselves, otherwise, they will forever be looked down upon.
"Jessica, I have be strong."
"See? I¡¯m actually in so much pain right now, but I didn¡¯t even cry."
Seeing her younger sister like that, Jessica¡¯s eyes reddened.
She nodded. "Go to the hospital first. I¡¯ll handle the rest."
"I¡¯m not going... Jessica, I want to stay here and watch them make a joke out of themselves!" Helen grabbed Nora¡¯s hand and refused to let go, for fear that if she did, she would be taken away by the ambnce.
Jessica kept quiet for a while.
Nora said, "She¡¯s fine for the time being."
Only then did Jessica agree.
Everyone around them had heard their conversation. Even Thomas frowned and looked at Cecelia.
When he looked at Cecelia, who was upstairs, the woman finally regained her senses. She hurriedly came down and shouted, "Helen, I know you loathe and hate me. I have also been apologizing to you the entire time just now. I told you, even if I be Mrs. Livingstone, you still have a ce in Thomas¡¯ heart. The separation is not your fault, it was just because you can¡¯t have children. But how can you jump down the stairs yourself and falsely use me like that?! You even said that I won¡¯t have the chance to be Mrs. Livingstone when you jumped down, sob...
"It¡¯s fine even if you don¡¯t want me to be Mrs. Livingstone, but you can¡¯t use such a suicidal method to make false usations towards me! Thomas, you have to stand up for me!"
Thomas immediately red at Helen furiously. "Why are you starting to resort to such tricks like crying, kicking up a huge fuss, and threatening suicide? Are you trying to save our marriage with those tricks? I¡¯ll tell you this¡ªno way!"
When Helen saw how Thomas had chosen to believe Cecelia without any hesitation, she knew at once that she had done the right thing just now.
If the child was gone, Thomas would definitely refuse to believe the truth.
She clenched her fists. Suddenly, she looked at Cecelia and said, "In that case, do you dare to go to the hospital for a test?"
Cecelia nodded. "Of course! Why wouldn¡¯t I? But for the baby, I want to wait until it¡¯s four months old before I do it. It¡¯s only a little over one month old right now, so there is no way to do the test! For the sake of my baby¡¯s health, we have to wait! Thomas and I have already talked about it. Besides, I have a clear conscience, so I¡¯m not afraid! I am not scared of any test! It¡¯s just that it¡¯s not the right time yet. Don¡¯t worry, two monthster, I will have it done even without you needing to mention it!"
She was stalling for time.
A lot of things could happen in two and a half months! At the worst, she would just find an opportunity to have a miscarriage at the veryst moment. In any case, she mustn¡¯t cement those ims at the moment.
Just as Cecelia thought so triumphantly to herself, Nora suddenly stood up impatiently. She gave a wave, upon which the two bodyguards that Justin had given her rushed over.
Nora pointed to Cecelia and ordered, "Take her to the hospital for the test. I will take responsibility for all the consequences."
Chapter 643: Results!
Chapter 643: Results!
The two bodyguards walked up to Cecelia obediently.
Terrified, Cecelia screamed and grabbed Thomas¡¯ hand. She said, "Thomas, the baby is still too young. It will die if the test is done on it! I¡¯ve already asked about it, it can only be done when the baby four-months-old!"
Thomas was also outraged. He looked straight at Nora. "What are you doing? Do you have no regard for human lives whatsoever?!"
Nora cast her eyes down. "Four months old? If you count the time, it¡¯s already about there anyway."
When Cecelia told Thomas about her pregnancy, she had already been more than three months pregnant. Now that a few more days had gone by, the time was almost right.
Besides, she would be asking Lily to do the amniocentesis test, in addition to the DNA test.
She had rtively good technique, so it would not harm the baby.
Although the child was not Thomas¡¯, when it came to children, Nora had never thought of going as far as to take its life.
... even if Cecelia, the child¡¯s mother, didn¡¯t want the child anymore.
Cecelia¡¯s pupils shrank, but she still firmly refused to admit it. "What do you mean by that? You must be Helen¡¯s friend, right? Are you actually doing something like this just for Helen? Do you have any idea who the Livingstones are or not?! Don¡¯t you know that the Livingstones and the Hunts share very close ties?!"
As soon as she said that, Thomas said, "This is Nora."
Nora Smith?
Cecelia¡¯s eyes flickered a couple of times and she understood at once. Her expression changed drastically in fright.
But she absolutely must not go with them. Once she did, everything would be over!
Therefore, despite spacing out for a moment, Cecelia quickly calmed down and continued acting. She said, "I get it now. It¡¯s because you misdiagnosed Thomas, so you want to vent your anger on us now, right? Thomas! Do you really not want the baby anymore?! Don¡¯t forget that the doctor has already said that it¡¯s certain that our baby is a boy!"
There were many ways of determining whether a child was male or female when they became six-weeks-old.
One of them was by looking at the ultrasound scan when the baby was six-weeks-old. If the fetus was rectangr, it was a boy. If it was squarish, then it was a girl.
There was also numerical data to support the theory.
Therefore, Cecelia was very sure that the baby in her belly was a boy.
Her shout made Thomas even more anxious.
When he was twenty years old, he had identally impregnated a woman. Later, as the woman¡¯s social status was too low, Mrs. Livingstone had forced her to have an abortion.
After that, for some strange reason, even though Thomas had fooled around with a lot of women, he had never managed to get anyone pregnant ever again.
At first, he¡¯d thought that it was because he was lucky and had done a good job at taking preventive measures.
But even after marrying Helen, he still didn¡¯t have children despite so much time passing. To be honest, he was also very anxious about it. Now that Cecelia had be pregnant after so much difficulty and the baby was even a boy...
Thomas went up to the two bodyguards and got physical at once. He said, "Don¡¯t touch her! I¡¯m telling you, don¡¯t touch her! I will fight whoever touches my baby!"
Unfortunately, the two bodyguards didn¡¯t listen to him at all. One of them grabbed him while the other grabbed Cecelia¡¯s arm.
The people Justin gave to Nora would naturally be rather skilled.
There was no need for Nora to take any action at all. They subdued Cecelia straightaway and led her¡ªor rather, forced her¡ªout.
Nora didn¡¯t look back. Instead, she got the paramedics to take Helen with them straightaway. The group walked out the door with great momentum and went to the hospital.
Behind them, Thomas was shouting, "Nora Smith! Helen Stewart! This is no different than kidnapping! I will never let you people off!"
He struggled and tried to break free of the bodyguard¡¯s hold.
It was just a shame that he simply couldn¡¯t break free, no matter what he did.
He looked at the bodyguard and yelled furiously, "Justin Hunt is my cousin! You¡¯ve got a lot of balls to have the audacity to do this to me!"
However, the bodyguard still kept his eyes lowered and said nothing. It was only when Nora and the others got into the ambnce and headed towards the hospital that he finally let go of him.
After Thomas regained his freedom, he took out his cell phone and called Mrs. Livingstone. Then, he rushed out.
By the time he drove over to the hospital, Mrs. Livingstone had also arrived. The two went upstairs together and found the ce where they had forcibly brought Cecelia to.
Cecelia had already been forcibly pushed into the operating room for an amniocentesis test.
As for Nora, she had dressed Helen¡¯s fracture and arranged for her to be sent to the VIP ward.
Thomas rushed in at this point and yelled at the two of them, "Helen, that¡¯s enough! Just because you can¡¯t have any children, do you also want to kill off my family line? If anything happens to my son, I will kill you!"
Helen was already as calm as still waters by now.
All her sadness at the divorce had already disappeared.
Perhaps it was when Thomas cheated on her, or perhaps it was when she slowly discovered Thomas¡¯s true colors; but after a point, she didn¡¯t have any feelings for Thomas anymore.
She kept her gaze lowered and said nothing.
Jessica said, "It doesn¡¯t take long for amniocentesis test results to be out. The same goes for DNA tests. You will receive the results very soon."
Thomas, however, sneered and said, "You people were the ones who took Cecelia. Who can be sure whose DNA sample it is?!"
Jessica said, "You can take Cecelia¡¯s DNA sample and do a test yourself!"
Thomas frowned deeply and said, "Jessica Stewart, Nora Smith, do the two of you have any idea what you are doing? Just who is it that gave you the guts to do that to my woman?!"
Almost as soon as he said that, a deep voice came from the door: "Me."
Thomas froze when he heard the voice. When he looked behind him, he immediately saw the big and tall Justin standing right there.
Thomas¡¯s mes of fury were extinguished at once.
Nora raised her eyebrows slightly and walked over. She asked, "Why are you here?"
Justin cast his eyes down, his voice gradually warming up as he replied, "To inspect the hospital, and also to visit Quentin along the way. When I heard that you are also here, I came over to have a look."
Quentin was Nora¡¯s cousin, so of course he would have to take good care of him.
Enlightened, Nora nodded.
At this point, Thomas rushed over. "Justin, Justin! You have to help me! Isn¡¯t Nora clearly bullying me here? If she doesn¡¯t like Cecelia and likes Helen more, she could¡¯ve just said so earlier. That way, I wouldn¡¯t have gotten a divorce! But she¡¯s straight-up getting rid of my baby, Justin! I can¡¯t have that!"
Justinughed. "Your baby? Can you even have children?"
Thomas choked. Then, he insisted stubbornly and said, "Why wouldn¡¯t I be able to have children, Justin? The baby in Cecelia¡¯s belly is mine!"
Justin said coolly, "Oh, then let¡¯s just wait a few hours for now!"
Thomas: "..."
Since even Justin had told him to wait, of course Thomas wouldn¡¯t dare to go against him.
However, Mrs. Livingstone, who was standing next to him, suddenly said, "Justin, since you¡¯re standing up for them, then I can take a step back with regard to Ms. Smith and that little bitch Helen bullying the Livingstones! We will not pursue the matter of them making the decision on their own to do an amniocentesis test for us! But if Cecelia¡¯s baby is indeed Thomas¡¯s, or if the amniocentesis test leads to a miscarriage or other consequences, then we must bepensated for the damages!"
Before Justin could say anything, Jessica had already asked, "What kind ofpensation do the Livingstones want?"
Mrs. Livingstone suddenly smiled. "I have heard a long time ago that your family has a secret technique for having triplets, right? If the child is Cecelia¡¯s, then you must give us the medicine for having triplets for free! Aspensation!"
Medicine for having triplets?
Upon hearing this, Nora suddenly looked at Jessica.
For some reason, she suddenly had a strange feeling in her heart.
At this moment, Lily finally walked out of the operating room.
Chapter 644: Heartless Boss~
Chapter 644: Heartless Boss~
When Lily came out, everyone looked at her.
Mrs. Livingstone was the first to ask, "Is the child okay?"
Thomas looked at her angrily as if she had just killed his child...
However, Lily ignored these two people and walked straight to Nora.
One had to know that Lily was considered a famous surgeon outside. When had she been treated so slowly by others? Oh, except for her boss.
Just like now, she had already walked to Nora, but Nora still did not speak. She could only say, "Boss, I¡¯ve sessfully taken the DNA sample, the patient¡¯s child is fine."
Nora¡¯s reply was, "Okay."
She yawned widely.
Lily: "..."
Thomas, who was beside him, red at her. "You said that there¡¯s no problem, but how can I trust you? I¡¯ve already asked how to do amniotic fluid puncture. Forget about one month, even at four months the probability of a miscarriage is very high!"
Nora looked at him slowly. "It¡¯s highly unlikely that anything would go wrong when Lily is the one performing such a small procedure."
Thomas: "?"
Lily, who was inexplicably praised, instantly raised her chin in excitement. Her proud expression was very obvious. She rolled her eyes and handed a DNA sample to Thomas. "This is your child¡¯s DNA. You can find a random testing facility now. If you suspect that I changed the sample, you can go to Cecelia¡¯s side now to take her DNA sample forparison. My results will be out in two hours."
Sigh!
The DNA testing Lab would have taken at least three hours to produce the results!
How could she only need two hours?
She was too good!!
Lily helplessly took another DNA sample and went straight to the monitoring room in the hospital. As she walked, she could not help but think: Was it okay to refer to herself now as a professional DNA tester?
After Lily left, there was silence.
Thomas looked at Nora and wanted to say something, but because Justin was present, he could only remain silent.
After staying there for a while, he saw Cecelia being pushed out.
Thomas pursed his lips and strode toward her. Amidst her cries of surprise, he plucked a few strands of her hair and turned to leave.
Cecelia had her hair pulled out, but she could not say a word at this moment.
She knew that she was finished.
When Mrs. Livingstone saw Cecelia, she had already rushed up and held her hand to ask, "Cecelia, how are you now? Where¡¯s the child? Is the child still around?"
She felt that the child would definitely not make it.
One month pregnant was the easiest time to have a miscarriage. After the amniotic fluid was punctured, the child would definitely be gone...
Unexpectedly, when he said this, Cecelia actually revealed a hesitant expression. She bit her lip and said after a moment, "It, it¡¯s still..."
"Still here?" Mrs. Livingstone was also surprised, but she continued, "It¡¯s okay. Some people don¡¯t have a miscarriage immediately..."
In Mrs. Livingstone¡¯s opinion, the child in Cecilia¡¯s stomach was Thomas¡¯. Even if it was gone, it didn¡¯t matter. At the very least, after getting the secret to having triplets, their family could also have triplets!
Who would care about Cecelia?
Therefore, what she cared about the most now was to get the DNA results and then p the faces of the Stewarts and Nora!
Nora did not have the time to stay in the hospital and wait for the results.
Justin was also a busy person. If he wanted to manage such a bigpany, he definitely could not waste time. But with these two people together...
Justin whispered, "Wait for the results?"
Nora nced at him and suddenly felt that being with him, wasting two to three hours was nothing.
She nodded, so the two of them sat down on the bench in the hospital corridor and began to chat. "What was Cherry doing when you went out?"
Justin said, "Oh, don¡¯t worry. I didn¡¯t let her y games."
If there was no flicker in his eyes when he said this, it would have been more believable.
Nora pursed her lips and chided him. "Her eyes are still developing. If she stares at her phone all the time, she will be short-sighted."
"It¡¯s okay. She¡¯s a girl. If she wants to y, she can y for a while. Besides, we¡¯re not short-sighted, so it¡¯s not gic. I help her do eye exercises every day and give her fish liver oil."
Nora: "..."
She grimaced. "Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re spoiling her too much?"
"Is that so?" Justin thought about it seriously. "It¡¯s okay. Cherry isn¡¯t arrogant and willful. She has a sweet mouth and is especially obedient. I didn¡¯t spoil her much either. The child is sensible."
"..."
Nora felt that she simply could not argue with Justin.
She sighed silently.
At this moment, Lily came out with the DNA test results.
Lily walked to Nora and yawned too. Then, she handed the results to her.
Lawrence, who had followed Justin, teased, "Lily, you¡¯ve been with Miss Smith for a long time. Are you also so sleepy? This is the third yawn I¡¯ve seen from you today!"
Lily said unhappily, "Boss yawns because of sleepiness. I¡¯m yawning because I¡¯m too tired! I haven¡¯t slept for 24 hours."
Lawrence: "...I¡¯m sorry."
When Mrs. Livingstone saw Lily, she walked over and asked, "What was the oue? The child must be Thomas¡¯, right?!"
Chapter 645: DNA Testing for the Truth
Chapter 645: DNA Testing for the Truth
Nora nced at the report and could not be bothered with this woman. She threw the report to her.
Mrs. Livingstone immediately took it.
After taking a look, she was stunned and frowned tightly.
Jessica, who was apanying Helen, walked over at the right time. When she saw Mrs. Livingstone¡¯s disbelieving expression, she walked to her and said, "This child is almost four months old. Now that the results are out... Mrs. Livingstone, you should believe it, right?"
Hearing her words, Mrs. Livingstone suddenly looked up.
She did not dare to believe this report and said, "Impossible. After I found out that Cecelia was pregnant, I personally took her to the hospital for another checkup! It was indeed a month old!"
How could she not know how long Cecelia was pregnant for?
She had suspected it before, so she specially took Cecelia to the hospital. Yesterday, before Thomas got a divorce, she had done a fresh checkup.
As soon as she said this, Jessica asked, "Which hospital did you go to?"
Mrs. Livingstone said, "New York Women¡¯s and Children¡¯s Hospital."
Jessica lowered her eyes and sneered. "Don¡¯t you know that the director of that hospital is Cecelia¡¯s cousin?"
Mrs. Livingstone: "???"
She was stunned. "How could this be?!"
Why would she bother to find out who the director of New York Women¡¯s and Children¡¯s Hospital was? Therefore, she had never thought of this question! However, when she went to the hospital and confirmed that the child was only one month old, the doctor had joked, "Eat less. Those who don¡¯t know might think that your tummy is more than three months old. If you¡¯re too fat, it¡¯ll lead to prematurebor~"
That was why she was certain that the child in Cecelia¡¯s stomach was Thomas¡¯.
But now, she realized that perhaps this was all nned by Cecelia long ago!
Mrs. Livingstone¡¯s expression changed from white to purple and then to as pale as paper. A series of changes made Nora, who was beside her, click her tongue in admiration.
However, Mrs. Livingstone refused to admit this. "This DNA report is definitely fake! You must be lying to me!"
She took a step back and stared at Jessica and Nora. "Have you two worked together? Hehe, are you still going to say that there¡¯s nothing wrong with Nora¡¯s medical skills? Let me tell you, it¡¯s impossible. My son can¡¯t have weak semen!"
If the child in Cecelia¡¯s stomach was really not Thomas¡¯...
This proved Nora¡¯s previous guess about Thomas being infertile.
But how could her son be infertile?
No way!
This report was definitely fake!
Jessica sighed. "Miss Smith had already guessed that you might not believe it, so she got your son to find a randomb outside to do it. We can wait for your son¡¯s results."
With that, she decided not to go back to the ward and sat on the bench in the corridor. She said, "Mrs. Livingstone, asthenospermia can be treated. You don¡¯t have to look like you¡¯re mourning your parents. At least your family wasn¡¯t deceived by Cecelia, right?"
Mrs. Livingstone sneered. "I don¡¯t believe anything you¡¯re saying now! I want to wait for my son toe back!"
"... Alright, then."
After waiting for more than two hours, Thomas finally returned.
The moment he appeared in the corridor, Mrs. Livingstone stood up and hurried over. "Son, is the result out? What is it? The child is yours, right? Tell me these people are lying to me! They brought me a fake DNA report!"
Thomas¡¯s expression was dark and he looked very angry. He did not speak for a moment.
After a while, he pushed Mrs. Livingstone away and entered Cecelia¡¯s ward.
When Mrs. Livingstone saw this scene, she was overjoyed. A rxed expression finally appeared on her face as she sneered at Jessica. "Did you see that? My son went to see Cecelia first after returning. This means that Cecelia¡¯s child is definitely his! Otherwise, why would he care so much about Cecelia?"
However, as soon as she finished speaking, she heard Thomas¡¯s angry roaring from the ward. "Tell me, who is the father of this bastard child?!"
Chapter 646: Furious
Chapter 646: Furious
After the angry roar, Cecelia kept her mouth shut. "This child is yours. What nonsense are you talking about?"
Smack! A pnded ruthlessly. Thomas roared, "This child isn¡¯t mine! The evidence is conclusive now, but you¡¯re still lying here?! Tell me, whose child is this?!"
"It¡¯s yours..."
Cecelia refused to speak.
"F*ck, I¡¯ll beat you to death!"
Thomas could not stand it anymore. Even in front of so many people, he began to curse.
The ward was instantly in chaos. Then, medical staff rushed in and said that Cecelia was pregnant, urging Thomas not to do anything.
Outside the ward.
Mrs. Livingstone stood there in a daze.
What did Thomas say in the ward?
Was that child a bastard?
Bastard...
Did this mean that the child was not Thomas¡¯? Then what Jessica and Nora said was right?!
Mrs. Livingstone suddenly looked at Nora and Jessica...
Her son really had asthenospermia.
He might not have a child of his own in this lifetime!
Mrs. Livingstone stood on the spot in shock. The determination she had shown in front of them earlier was just as helpless and face-smacking now!
She felt very embarrassed, especially since they were in the VIP ward. People in the VIP ward at this private hospital were all from wealthy families!
Justin hade personally. At this moment, everyone around had already stretched their necks to look at them.
A day ago, when the two of them got a divorce, Mrs. Livingstone had even spread rumors outside to prevent the Livingstones from being criticized. She said that it was fine if Helen could not have a child, but she even teamed up with Nora and nned to turn the tables on her. But now...
Someone shouted, "Mrs. Livingstone, so Helen didn¡¯t y the me game. The one who can¡¯t have a child is really your son!"
In front of Justin, someone also began to suck up to him.
"Miss Smith¡¯s medical skills are really awesome. It¡¯s alternative medicine. She can tell that he has weak semen just by taking his pulse? As expected of Dr. Zabe¡¯s disciple!"
"Yes, yes. Mrs. Livingstone, you were still talking nonsense just now. How Miss Smith¡¯s medical skills aren¡¯t good and she¡¯s too young and hasn¡¯t grasped the essence of alternative medicine. Now, you realize that you¡¯ve wronged her, right?"
"..."
Mrs. Livingstone bit her lip in anger.
The Livingstones had always had a good reputation outside. Firstly, Mrs. Hunt knew how to conduct herself and had always taught them not to do embarrassing things, so the Livingstones had developed the habit of hiding embarrassing things.
Secondly, Mrs. Livingstone was very scheming.
When she heard these words, her eyes instantly turned red. She held Nora¡¯s hand. "Miss Smith, you¡¯re really a godly doctor. We¡¯ve wronged you! It¡¯s all my fault. Look, can you help Thomas treat his illness?"
Nora: "?"
She raised her eyebrows and suddenly smiled. "Mrs. Livingstone, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll be staying at home to educate my children and take care of my husband in the future. I won¡¯t embarrass myself outside."
Mrs. Livingstone: "???"
She was stunned for a moment before realizing these were the words that she herself had said in a moment of anger back at the Hunts.
Now, Nora was using these words to shut her mouth!
Mrs. Livingstone bit her lip in anger, but in front of so many people, she continued to apologize. "Miss Smith, I know you¡¯re angry. For the sake of Mrs. Hunt, don¡¯t fuss about it with me! I¡¯m an elder, so I¡¯ll inevitably be a little biased when I do things. I apologize to you, okay?"
Nora: "I only decided to concentrate on recuperating from now on because of you. I won¡¯t show my face outside anymore. Isn¡¯t this what you told me two days ago?"
Mrs. Livingstone: "???"
The surrounding people were speechless.
Who had not been sick before? No one could guarantee that they would not have to beg Nora in the future! Therefore, everyone criticized Mrs. Livingstone.
"Mrs. Livingstone, you¡¯re being too much. What era is it now? How can a woman not have her own career?"
"That¡¯s right. Do you think we¡¯re living in ancient times? Should a woman just raise her children and stay at home..."
"Mrs. Livingstone, you¡¯re really old and outdated! Which young person these days isn¡¯t busy with their career? Besides, anyone can be a wife in a wealthy family. If Miss Smith doesn¡¯t use her medical skills, won¡¯t she be wasting her talent?"
"..."
Mrs. Livingstone had always been someone who could upy the highest position in public with just a few words. However, she did not expect that this time, she would be defeated by Nora¡¯s two sentences.
She was furious. Hearing the words around her, she suddenly lowered her voice and said in a voice only Nora and she could hear, "Nora, don¡¯t be shameless! So what if your medical skills are good? Others can also treat his illness. My son will give birth to his own child sooner orter, but what about you?! You still have to face Justin¡¯s illegitimate son!!"
These words made Nora¡¯s pupils shrink.
Then, she heard Mrs. Livingstone continue, "I heard that the illegitimate son has a very strange temper. He¡¯s almost a little demon king. He grew up outside, has a very wild personality, and doesn¡¯t have any manners. He stirred up trouble at home and wouldn¡¯t let anyone have a moment of peace! I think you should indeed put down your career and stay at home. You should teach your eldest illegitimate son well! Heh!"
Chapter 647: Triplets!
Chapter 647: Triplets!
He was wild... rude... and had a strange temper... Little Demon...
These words entered Nora¡¯s ears, making her very ufortable.
She did not understand why, but when she heard others say that about Xander, she felt that although she was right, these bad words were too much for a child.
Her eyes turned cold suddenly and she sneered. "Do you think it¡¯s really that easy to treat his weak semen?"
Mrs. Livingstone was stunned and asked, "What do you mean?"
Nora had already lowered her eyes and did not want to speak anymore.
Thomas had been overly indulgent and had serious kidney deficiency. His weak semen had already reached the level of sterilization.
This illness was really difficult to treat.
However!
If he wanted a child, she had an alternative medicine pill.
She had originally wanted to say this, but after Mrs. Livingstone had scolded Xander, she suddenly decided not to mention it.
Yes, she could not be bothered to mention it previously.
She smirked and did not say anything else.
Mrs. Livingstone still wanted to ask more, but Jessica walked forward and stopped her. She lowered her voice and said, "Mrs. Livingstone, I have clues about the adulterer. I can provide them to you for free."
Mrs. Livingstone narrowed her eyes and looked at her warily. "Are you that kind?"
Jessica sighed. "I just want you to take back what you said about my sister not being able to have children! If this gets out, my sister¡¯s future won¡¯t be easy."
When Mrs. Livingstone heard this, she suddenly thought of something. She instantly smiled and grabbed Jessica¡¯s hand. "Jessica, look. This is a misunderstanding! We can¡¯t get a divorce. Thomas is just a child. He also realizes his mistake this time. The two children are really ignorant. Why are they getting a divorce so hastily? Sigh, I think we¡¯ll get them to remarry tomorrow!"
Jessica: "?"
She frowned. "Mrs. Livingstone, they¡¯re already divorced. Besides, my sister can¡¯t possibly live with your son anymore!"
Mrs. Livingstone waved her hand. "Why not? They¡¯re husband and wife. A day as husband and wife means a hundred days of grace. When they got a divorce, I saw that Helen was also very sad. Now that I know that this is all a misunderstanding, I think we should let them get back together. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll look after Thomas in the future. I won¡¯t let him make any mistakes again!"
Nora, who was beside him, could not help but interrupt. "He doesn¡¯t have the ability to make mistakes anymore."
He had been indulging himself too much. He probably can¡¯t even get a morning erection anymore.
He still wanted to make a mistake?
Tsk.
When Mrs. Livingstone heard this, she blushed.
Jessica was even more furious. She lowered her voice and said, "Mrs. Livingstone, I asked you to say this because our family doesn¡¯t want to fall out with you. I think you shouldn¡¯t go overboard!"
With that, she leaned closer to Mrs. Livingstone and lowered her voice. "Mr. Hunt is right here. I¡¯m sure you saw his attitude. I don¡¯t think you want to make things difficult for Mr. Hunt and Mrs. Hunt, right?"
The sole reason the Livingstones were respected in New York was Mrs. Hunt.
Mrs. Livingstone also relied on this confidence, but Justin was the head of the Hunts!
When Mrs. Livingstone heard this, she knew that this matter could not be blown out of proportion. She lowered her voice and said, "Alright, in that case, let¡¯s make a deal! I¡¯ll help Helen rify that it¡¯s not her fault. This is all a misunderstanding. Tell me the way to have triplets!"
She still wanted triplets.
After all, it was really enviable for a wealthy family to have triplets!
Twins were verymon nowadays, but triplets were very rare!
Jessica frowned and sighed. "I really don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about."
Mrs. Livingstone sneered. "Stop pretending. I¡¯ve already done my research. In the past five years, there have suddenly been many triplets in New York. And all of those families are more or less rted to yours!"
Chapter 648: The Way to Have Triplets
Chapter 648: The Way to Have Triplets
When Jessica heard this, her expression instantly changed.
However, she suppressed herughter and regained her calmness in an instant. "Mrs. Livingstone, your words are a little frivolous. Before us, other families have had quadruplets, quintuplets, and sextuplets. They have all been on the news. Why are you only focusing on our triplets?"
When she said this, her voice was very low.
She clearly did not want it to be made public.
Mrs. Livingstone began to count. "There are not many twins in wealthy families, let alone triplets. But in the past few years, there have been a total of seven pairs of triplets in wealthy families. The first is yours, the next is your second sister¡¯s, and then yours again. Your second sister even gave birth to quadruplets.
Your family has a lot of children. Your mother gave birth to them. You and your second sister are also twins. We don¡¯t have any doubts, we only exim how awesome your genes are.
However, following that, the Lloyds also gave birth to twins. The strange thing was that be it the man or the woman, there was no precedent of them having multiple births. When I asked around, I learned that the mother of the girl from the Lloyds was your mother¡¯s half-sister! It was only because the two of them did not live together since they were young that the outside world did not know about their rtionship."
At this point, Mrs. Livingstone smiled and continued, "And..."
She exined the origins of the seven triplets clearly.
In the end, she said, "Therefore, your family must have a way to have triplets. Tell me, I will never nder Helen outside in the future! Also, once she gets her dowry back, I can also share a portion of her shared assets with Thomas."
When Helen got a divorce, she had only brought back her own dowry.
But actually, her dowry and the Livingstones¡¯ assets had earned a lot of money over the years.
Logically speaking, Helen should get a bonus.
Unfortunately, the Livingstones did not give it to her.
Helen was anxious to get a divorce and wanted to cut everything off and start a new life. She did not force it.
Hearing Mrs. Livingstone¡¯s words, Jessica bit her lips and said after a while, "Mrs. Livingstone, I don¡¯t know or understand anything you¡¯re saying. Triplets and twins are the same. It depends on genes. This also depends on fate!"
It was impossible for Jessica to reveal this secret.
She had thought it through very clearly. Being able to have triplets was her younger sister¡¯s trump card to find a man again! As long as this trump card was around, she did not have to worry that no one would want to marry her.
Seeing that she refused to speak and that other than the two of them, the other three pairs of triplets were not conspicuous, Mrs. Livingstone could not force her.
She could only say angrily, "Alright, since you don¡¯t know what¡¯s good for you, don¡¯t me us!"
With that, she left without exining anything to Helen under the scrutiny of the crowd.
Jessica looked at her back and took a deep breath. She felt that she had taken extra care of the Livingstones when it came to handling matters, but the Livingstones¡¯ current state was really disappointing.
As she was thinking, she heard Nora say, "There¡¯s nothing wrong with Helen¡¯s injuries. It¡¯s just a normal fracture. She¡¯ll be fine after resting for a while. I have some special ointment here that can heal her wounds faster. And, don¡¯t worry. this injury will not affect her future life."
Nora¡¯s words were vague, but everyone present understood.
Helen was fine!
She could conceive!
When Thomas was proven to have weak semen, Helen¡¯s reputation would have be better. However, if no one rified, it was indeed difficult to say.
Who knew if there was a problem with both of them?
Now that Nora had said this, it was equivalent to guaranteeing that Helen did not have a problem!
Therefore, the gazes around her instantly became more enthusiastic.
Triplets!
Jessica¡¯s heart warmed up. She walked to Nora and suddenly made up her mind. She grabbed her hand. "Miss Smith, are you interested in having triplets with Mr. Hunt in the future? I have a way..."
Nora: "?"
She had already given birth to a pair of twins, and Xander was most likely her child. What else could she want?
Three were enough!
However, as she thought this, she narrowed her eyes and suddenly said, "I wonder what your method is?"
Jessica looked around and finally leaned close to Nora¡¯s ear mysteriously. "I have a medicine. I¡¯ll give it to you for free."
Medicine...
Nora was stunned and looked at her suddenly.
Her heart skipped a beat. She suddenly asked, "Where did you get this medicine?"
Could she have given birth to triplets because of this medicine back then?!
Chapter 649: That Lunatic
Chapter 649: That Lunatic
Hearing this, Jessica was stunned and did not answer for a moment.
After a moment, she sighed. "Actually, it was six years ago. I had once saved a lunatic. He was wearing ragged clothes and fainted from hunger on the way. Then, I gave him some food and some money. In order to repay me, that person gave me a form."
Jessica sighed. "At first, I did not believe in that form. I brought it home for my mother who knew a little about alternative medicine. After taking a look, she said that it was a divine medicine. Therefore, she got me to make a few pills. When we wanted children after marriage, we ate one pill and really gave birth to triplets."
At this point, Jessica continued, "Later on, I gave it to my second sister. She also gave birth to triplets. However, my second sister was more greedy. She ate two during her second pregnancy, so she gave birth to quadruplets..."
Nora: "?"
This could still be controlled?
She hesitated for a moment. "What did that lunatic look like?"
At the mention of a crazy person, she thought of a possibility. It was Old Maddy who was still in the hospital and being taken care of by Lily.
Ever since Old Maddy¡¯s food poisoning incident, he had been in the hospital. Later on, Nora taught Lily the method of acupuncture and asked her to continue treating Old Maddy.
Speaking of which...
Not only did Lily have to perform acupuncture on Old Maddy regrly, but she also had to drug Quentin regrly. She also had to constantly do DNA tests and restore the DNA sequencing to its original state before using it topare samples...
She was really busy.
Yes, remember to give Lily a raise!
While Nora was thinking about this, Jessica said, "He looked like a normal person. He looked quite dirty, but I didn¡¯t take a photo."
Nora took out her phone and found Old Maddy¡¯s photo to show her. "Is this the person?"
Jessica looked at the disfigured person and immediately shook her head. "No. The lunatic I saved spoke incoherently, but he wasn¡¯t disfigured. I still remember that there was a huge mole on his left cheek, and there was a strand of hair on the mole."
Old Maddy had been disfigured more than twenty years ago.
However, Jessica had saved the person six years ago.
Six years ago... was also the time when Nora was about to get pregnant!
Nora suddenly asked, "Where did you save him?"
Jessica said, "I was traveling in the country. It was in a small town, but as for where it was, I have to think about it... It seemed to be near California!"
California...
Nora continued to ask, "What about the time? When was the exact time six years ago?"
Jessica recalled carefully. "Six years ago... it should have been winter. Because I remember the madman¡¯s hair was frozen at the time. The clothes he wore were tattered. I even gave him my husband¡¯s down jacket. Yes, it was winter. My husband and I had gone out for our honeymoon!"
Winter!
When Nora was pregnant, it was in the winter six years ago!
This made her even more suspicious of what had happened.
Jessica saw that she was asking so many questions and thought of how Nora had alsoe from California. When she saved him back then, that person also seemed on his way to California...
She suddenly asked, "Is this rted to you?"
Nora nodded. "If I¡¯m not wrong, it should be rted to me."
Justin suddenly said, "Jessica, do you still have anything left of him?"
As the head of the Hunts, it was difficult for the Stewarts to talk to Justin on normal days. Only someone at the level of her father-inw could sit beside Justin and talk with him.
Therefore, when he spoke, Jessica instantly became even more proactive.
She thought about it carefully and suddenly said, "Oh, the form that person gave me back then is still here! It was written by hand!"
Form...
Nora and Justin looked at each other and said in unison, "Can we take a look?"
"Of course."
Jessica said, "But it¡¯s at the Stewarts¡¯. Should I go back and get it?"
"No, it¡¯s fine."
Nora decided to follow beside her. "I¡¯lle with you to get it."
Jessica nodded without hesitation. In her impression, Nora could not havee to steal the form for the triplets. After all, Nora was Dr. Zabe¡¯s disciple!
Jessica trusted her medical skills very much.
After settling Helen down, Justin let her stay in the VIP ward and even sent someone to protect her to prevent Thomas from harassing her. After settling all of this, Jessica drove in front and Justin followed behind her with Nora. The two cars left the hospital and went straight to the Stewarts.
On the way.
Justin drove while Nora stared ahead and suddenly asked, "How are Cherry and Xander getting along?"
Chapter 650: It’s Her!!
Chapter 650: It¡¯s Her!!
Justin smiled. "...They haven¡¯t met yet."
Nora: "?"
She turned her head hesitantly and heard Justin say, "Ever since Cherry came back, Xander has been hiding upstairs. He got the butler to deliver to his room. He has been acting suspiciously every day for god knows what... I didn¡¯t bother with him too much."
Before confirming Xander¡¯s identity, Justin¡¯s feelings for this child were stillplicated.
On the one hand, he was disgusted by the sudden appearance of a child.
On the other hand, this child might be his and Nora¡¯s. Even if it was not Nora¡¯s, it should probably be his. Therefore, he could not hate the child.
There were even times when he looked into the child¡¯s pure eyes and felt that Xander could still be saved. Perhaps this child was not as bad as Trueman in his bones.
After all, he was only five years old!
In such aplicated situation, if he did not want to interact with Cherry, Justin would not force him.
Nora was silent for a moment. "Are you sure they haven¡¯t met yet?"
Justin was about to answer yes when he suddenly paused and pursed his lips. "At least they hadn¡¯t met before I went out."
Nora rubbed her forehead. "Yes, I guess they will meet now."
She knew Cherry too well!
The little fellow was definitely not the obedient type. She would definitely be very curious if there was a child living upstairs!
Justin: !!
He immediately became nervous. "That child, Xander, has a bad temper and a foul mouth. Would he bully Cherry? No, I have to call and get the butler to take a look."
Before he could pick up his phone, Nora pressed his hand down and sighed silently. "Forget it. It¡¯s not certain who will bully whom!"
Justin: "..."
His daughter was so soft and obedient, how could she bully others?
Nora rolled her eyes.
It seemed like Justin still did not understand the little demon¡¯s nature. If she were that obedient, why would Nora be so strict with her?!
However, when the little demoness faced the little devil, she wondered who was stronger between Cherry and Xander?
Suddenly, she was a little curious!
Nora smirked. Just as she was thinking about it, she saw Justin say, "No, I still have to make a call. Cherry is a girl. She can¡¯t be wronged!"
Nora: "..."
Originally, it was not certain who would win between Cherry and Xander, but if there was a father to pull the strings, then Cherry would definitely be able to suppress Xander, right?
Justin went to make a call, but Nora ignored him.
After the call, the group arrived at the Stewarts.
When they saw theming over in a grandiose manner, especially when Justin drove into the Stewarts¡¯ house, the Stewarts instantly became nervous and trembled top to bottom.
Mrs. Stewart was very nervous when she saw this. The soft-hearted woman held Jessica¡¯s hand and asked carefully, "Why is Mr. Hunt here?"
Jessica looked at Nora helplessly. "They have something to discuss. Mom, where¡¯s that prescription from back then? Take it out and let Miss Smith and Mr. Hunt take a look!"
Mrs. Stewart nodded and went upstairs. Soon, she came down with a form in her trembling hands.
She handed the form to Nora respectfully. When she handed it to her, she was still saying, "Miss Smith, thank you so much for helping Helen! Without your help, Helen definitely wouldn¡¯t have been able to get rid of this marriage. If you want this form, then take it! However, you shouldn¡¯t take too much of this medicine. Damn it, look at me. You¡¯re an alternative medicine doctor yourself. What else can I say? Look at the prescription yourself and you should understand! It¡¯s best if you only take one pill every time. Your family already has twin genes. One pill can help you give birth to triplets! Don¡¯t take too many. Having too many children is very bad for the mother..."
Nora took the form. After opening it and seeing the words, she was stunned!
It was her!!
Chapter 651: Yvette’s Words!
Chapter 651: Yvette¡¯s Words!
The note should have been written a long time ago. The edges had been worn down to the point of being dpidated. It had been protected very well by the Stewarts.
The piece of paper was probably very old. It was slightly yellowish as if it would disintegrate with a light tug.
Nora was silent for a moment before suddenly asking, "Can I have this piece of paper?"
Jessica sensed Nora¡¯s expression and knew that the matter seemed to be a little serious. She said, "Sure. Actually, we have already recorded the form on this piece of paper. We kept this piece of paper tomemorate it."
This piece of paper was meaningless to the Stewarts.
Nora nodded. She carefully folded the piece of paper following the creases and ced it in her pocket.
When she looked up again, she looked at Jessica and thanked her.
Jessica said, "I should be the one thanking you. However, please keep this between us."
If everyone came looking for their secret medicine, it would be troublesome.
Nora understood, so she nodded.
She did not stay long with Justin. Before leaving, Justin suddenly stopped in his tracks and looked at Jessica. "If there¡¯s anything in the future, you can directlye to me."
This was a promise Justin made to her.
After all, although Nora had helped the Stewarts, It was hard for Jessica to take out the form to repay her. Now that Jessica was being so cooperative, the Hunts could not ignore them.
Furthermore, if Jessica did not give the form to Mrs. Livingstone, she would probably be enemies with them. Justin¡¯s words were also a promise to the Stewarts for their protection.
The Hunts would not stand on the Livingstones¡¯ side!
Jessica heaved a sigh of relief.
The reason she was so cooperative was that she hoped that the Hunts and Smith would not interfere in this matter. The Stewarts and her husband¡¯s family were not afraid of the Livingstones. What they had always been afraid of were the Hunts!
¡ª
After leaving, Nora remained silent.
After getting into the car, Justin did not ask her why her expression was serious and only asked, "Where are we going?"
Nora was silent for a moment before replying, "The Andersons."
Justin paused for a moment and drove straight to the Andersons.
When they arrived at the Andersons, Melissa was a little surprised. "Nora, why are you back so soon? Did something happen?"
Nora¡¯s expression was better now.
Or rather, she had always been expressionless. Therefore, at this moment, she was expressionless. The people from the Andersons did not notice either. Nora said, "I came to see Grandma."
Although Mrs. Anderson¡¯s eyes had recovered, she was still old. All kinds of things had happened to her body, and it had worsened with age. Therefore, Nora would visit her every once in a while.
She felt that her words were wless.
However, Melissa nced at Justin, who was following behind her, and lowered her eyes. "Okay, go!"
Nora went upstairs and Justin sat on the sofa downstairs.
This was the Andersons¡¯ house, after all. He could not go upstairs at will. There were many women at the Andersons. It was not like the Smiths where he had his own room.
He had just sat on the sofa when Melissa suddenly sat opposite him and said, "Justin, there are a few things I¡¯m not sure if I should say."
Justin immediately sat up straight.
Justin had always admired the Andersons.
Yvette was a admirable figure in the past, and the Andersons had not lost their pride all these years. Although they could notpare to the Hunts in terms of business, they had always been in the lead in the pharmaceutical industry.
Melissa was a schr and also a well-known painter. He would often visit the Andersons when she was in California.
Hearing Melissa¡¯s sudden serious tone, he said humbly, "Please speak."
Melissa lowered her eyes. "You should know Nora¡¯s temper and character as well. She¡¯s not one of those gentle women who stay at home. She has a huge drive and can go even further than her mother back then. You know this, right?"
Justin nodded. "I know. I never wanted her to feel trapped."
Others tied their wives down, but it was impossible for him to do so.
Even if she became Madam Hunt, Nora would not be his essory!
But why would Melissa suddenly say such things?
As he was thinking, Melissa said, "Yes, I heard you have an illegitimate child?"
Justin: "..."
He understood!
Although Nora had acted very normal earlier, Melissa had still caught her mood immediately. She had pretended not to see it. Now, she was knocking him down!
Although not many people knew that he had an illegitimate child, there were still quite a few. Melissa had probably heard some rumors!
He hurriedly said, "I haven¡¯t confirmed it."
Melissa looked at him. "Huh?"
Justin suddenly felt like he was facing his mother-inw. He hurriedly exined, "We haven¡¯t confirmed if that child is mine yet, but don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve already dealt with the person who pretended to be his mother. Also, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll make things difficult for Nora because of him in the future."
Melissa then heaved a sigh of relief. "Nora has a cold personality and is not suitable to take care of children. The Hunts are very busy. It¡¯s not like we can¡¯t afford to raise a child. Us Andersons and Smiths are not petty either..."
Melissa had long guessed that if Justin had an illegitimate child, he was probably schemed against.
To be honest, this was not Justin¡¯s fault.
After all, the children between Justin and Nora seemed to have been schemed against.
Melissa could tolerate him raising a child outside. After all, it was too unreasonable to stop a father from raising a five-year-old child. However, this child could not appear in front of Nora and disturb her!
Hearing Justin¡¯s guarantee, Melissa frowned.
Was Nora a little frustrated? Was she frustrated about this?
Upstairs.
Nora checked Mrs. Anderson¡¯s pulse and confirmed that she was fine. Then, she went out and entered the room she had stayed in after returning to New York.
That room belonged to Yvette.
After entering, she went straight to the study and took out the medical book Yvette used to read. There were many notes on it, all written by Yvette.
She took out the piece of paper she had brought with her and unfolded it. Then, she looked at the words on the paper.
Yvette¡¯s writing was extremely aggressive. She always liked to draw thest stroke very long. Her handwriting was unique and different from others. When she turned a corner, she liked to draw an extra arc.
After carefulparison, she finally came to a conclusion.
The words on the paper were indeed written by her mother, Yvette!
Chapter 652: How Did She Get Pregnant Back Then?
Chapter 652: How Did She Get Pregnant Back Then?
The words were from Yvette, but it did not mean that the person who had schemed against her back then was Yvette. However, it meant that the lunatic at least knew Yvette.
The person who had schemed against her for her pregnancy back then was definitely Trueman.
Otherwise, Ruth would not have had a photo of her and Justin...
Furthermore, if her mother¡¯s person had schemed against her to get her pregnant, then it was impossible for Trueman to know the entire truth.
Nora frowned. Her head was filled with confusion.
What happened back then was like a mystery.
What was going on?
Why was her mother¡¯s form in the hands of that old man? And did she give birth to twins or triplets back then?!
At this moment, her questions were like a tangled ball of thread that could not be resolved.
Nora took a deep breath and suppressed the confusion in her heart. She then walked out of the door and went downstairs. She realized that Justin was sitting on the sofa with a serious expression while Melissa was also looking amiable. The two of them should have had a pleasant conversation just now.
Nora greeted Melissa before leaving the Andersons with Justin.
When he saw Nora¡¯s gaze, Justin stood up and went out with her. The man sat in the driver¡¯s seat again. Melissa then heaved a sigh of relief.
She smiled and watched as the two of them left. When she went upstairs, she saw that Mrs. Anderson was standing by the window, staring at their departing figures.
Melissa saw the worry on Mrs. Anderson¡¯s face and could not help but say, "Mom, Mr. Hunt seems to be very good to Nora. You should be relieved! Why are you still so worried?"
Mrs. Anderson sighed. "I¡¯m just afraid that one day, Nora will suddenly disappear like Yvette."
Melissa was taken aback.
Mrs. Anderson lowered her eyes. "Back then, Ian treated Yvette like this too. The two of them were childhood sweethearts and had a good rtionship, but Yvette disappeared just like that... Back then too, Yvette and Ian had just returned home. At that time, Yvette ran into something and her face shed with a daze. Then, she went missing."
Mrs. Anderson held her chest. "I always have a bad feeling."
Melissa looked at Mrs. Anderson, not knowing what to say.
¡ª
At this moment, in the distant car.
Nora told Justin of her discovery. "If Trueman schemed against us, what role did my mother y in this? Also, why did we have to have twins or triplets?"
Nora thought that she was joking.
Unfortunately, when she turned around to look, she saw that Justin¡¯s expression was grave and did not catch the joke in her words.
She asked hesitantly, "What¡¯s wrong?"
Justin sighed silently. "Nora, have you ever thought that perhaps your pregnancy was not due to artificial insemination?"
Nora was stunned. "What do you mean? Did you think of something?"
Justin nodded. "Recently, I¡¯ve been having a dream. In the dream, I seem to have returned to that night. Me and a..."
Justin hesitated for a moment before continuing, "...A slightly plump woman slept together."
"A slightly plump woman?"
Nora immediately said, "That¡¯s definitely not me."
Justin: "?"
Nora said, "Back then, I weighed almost 200 pounds. I wasn¡¯t just a little plump..."
Justin: "!!!"
The woman who had slept with him back then was a fatty!
But could he say fatty?
If he said it, Nora would definitely fight him to the death!
He coughed. "I meant slightly plump and about 200 pounds."
Nora: "?"
She immediately nced at Justin in disdain. "Then your standards for being slightly plump are a little low."
"..."
Justin felt like he was being looked down on.
The corners of his mouth twitched, and he finally sighed. He finally understood. In Nora¡¯s eyes, being fat meant being fat. She was not like other women. She would not even let him say that she was slightly plump and would get angry if he did.
Justin was about to speak when Nora suddenly looked at him warily. "Everyone says that people gain weight when they are middle-aged, especially men in their thirties. When the timees, you won¡¯t reach your slightly plump standard!"
Justin: "?"
Was he being despised?
The corners of his mouth twitched. He was about to say something when he heard Nora continue, "If you weigh 200 pounds, your body will have a huge problem."
Justin instantly heaved a sigh of relief, feeling that Nora was concerned about him.
However, she continued, "When you¡¯re 200 pounds, you can¡¯t lie on your stomach when you sleep. It¡¯s ufortable pressing against your heart, but it¡¯s too tiring to sleep in the same posture. Therefore, it¡¯s better to be skinnier."
"..."
Justin was stunned.
He felt that he would never be able to keep up with her thoughts.
After Nora finished talking, the woman changed the topic again. "So, whatever Trueman said about the pregnancy might be a lie? We might also have gotten pregnant naturally?"
Justin nodded.
Nora was even more confused. She felt like there were a few more knots in that mess. "But in that case, did Trueman scheme for us to be together? Or did my mother?"
Previously, she had felt that her mother had schemed against her to get her pregnant and could not ept it.
However, after learning that her mother had sacrificed herself to save her, Nora¡¯s thinking had changed. Perhaps at that time, in her mother¡¯s eyes, her life was more important than anything.
Trueman said that she would have died if she hadn¡¯t given birth.
If this was really the reason, she could ept that her mother had arranged for her to get pregnant.
But if it was arranged by his mother, how did Trueman take over? How did Xander end up in his hands?
She frowned. As she was thinking, she realized that the car had already entered the Hunt Manor.
She raised her eyebrows hesitantly and heard Justin say, "Don¡¯t you want to see how Cherry and Xander Yale are doing?"
His voice was very friendly when he mentioned Cherry.
When Xander was mentioned, he said his full name.
Nora pursed her lips. "I really want to know."
The two of them stopped the car at the entrance. Someone came over and drove the car to the parking lot.
The two of them walked into the living room.
Nora subconsciously sped up. She really wanted to see how the two children interacted.
Pete had always given in to Cherry. Cherry had also been very tolerant of Pete because she had looked forward to meeting her brother since she was young. As long as Pete did not touch her game, the two little fellows would be very loving.
However, Cherry might not be patient with others.
The two of them had just entered when they heard amotion in the room.
Chapter 653: Old Maddy is Awake!!
Chapter 653: Old Maddy is Awake!!
"I¡¯m so angry, I¡¯m so angry. Jumbo, are you fighting with a wild beast? You stayed in the jungle for so long, don¡¯t you see that the middlene has already opened up! There¡¯s so much HP, are you blind?"
Although Cherry was very fierce when she scolded people in her childish voice, it was funny to see her dancing on the sofa.
"I think he might be a Buddhist who can¡¯t bear to kill."
Xander stood behind Cherry¡¯s sofa and yed the supporting role.
Cherry rolled her eyes and turned around with her back to Xander. It was obvious that she did not want to talk to him. "Can you shut up?"
Xander stuck out his tongue and closed his eyes. He stood there obediently.
Cherry continued the next group battle. "Jumbo! I¡¯m an ADC, do you know what an ADC is? Why are you stealing from my minions? Don¡¯t you know I¡¯m looking for more resources?"
She had just finishedining when Xander said again, "This guy probably died of poverty in his previous life, so he wants whatever money he sees in this life."
Cherry was in a fit of anger. She nodded immediately. "You have a point!"
However, as soon as she finished speaking, she suddenly realized who had said those words. Cherry immediately rolled her eyes and nced at Xander. She tilted her head and said in a childish voice, "Can you not talk to me?"
Xander stabbed his elbows into the sofa and hung his chin. His chubby face was held in his hands. "But there¡¯s only you and me in this house. If I don¡¯t talk to you, who will I talk to?"
Cherry: "...The butler!"
"Tsk, I¡¯m not talking to him." Xander continued to look at Cherry. "I just want to talk to you."
Cherry: "..."
She rolled her eyes again and stood up from the sofa. She strode upstairs with Xander following behind her. "What are you going to do?"
Cherry: "I¡¯ll y upstairs."
Xander nodded. "I think it¡¯s quieter upstairs too. It¡¯s too noisy with peopleing and going downstairs."
The two of them went up to the second floor one after another and arrived in front of Cherry¡¯s room. Cherry walked in and Xander was about to follow when Cherry suddenly turned around and looked into the distance. "Daddy!"
Xander suddenly looked over but realized that there was no one there. He turned around to see Cherry¡¯s door close with a bang.
Xander: "..."
The door almost hit his nose.
He touched his nose. That appearance was really identical to how Justin usually looked when he felt ufortable.
Why was Cherry so angry? She was not as cute as she was on the Inte.
As Xander thought about this, he pursed her lips. Then, just as he was about to knock on the door, he heard footsteps downstairs. When he turned around and saw Nora and Justining upstairs, he immediately strode forward and rushed into his room.
Bang!
The door closed. Xander was prepared to sleep.
Sigh!
He sighed silently.
Before he returned to the country, Trueman had said that the woman beside Justin was very annoying, so Xander hated Nora.
However, who would have thought that Nora was the mother of his only friend?
What should he do now?
He originally wanted to tease Nora. But if he did that now, would his only good friend really cut ties with him?
Xander ced his arms behind his head andy on the bed staring at the ceiling in frustration.
Outside the room.
Justin raised his eyebrows and said, "Why do I feel like Xander is avoiding you?"
"Really?"
Nora touched her face. "I¡¯m not that scary, am I?"
However, it was quite strange that the two children did not quarrel.
She did not know what had happened previously...
As Nora thought about this, she and Justin looked at each other and then went their separate ways. Nora went to Cherry¡¯s room.
Justin went to Xander¡¯s room, nning to probe.
Nora had just entered when she saw that Cherry had finished her game and was video calling Pete.
The little girly on the bed, her legs swaying. "Pete, that Xander really looks identical to Daddy. He keeps trying to curry favors with me. Fortunately, I listened to you and realized his goal long ago. I ignored him!"
Pete: "...Okay, keep ignoring him. Cherry, I¡¯ve asked around. Everyone says that he¡¯s the illegitimate child of Dad and another woman. He must have a reason to curry favor with you, so this person can¡¯t stay. Otherwise, Mom will be very sad! We have to firm our resolve!"
As if she was doing a spy mission, Cherry nodded. "Pete, don¡¯t worry. Although he fawns on me in every way and his words are indeed quite nice, I won¡¯t be bewitched by his sweet talk! Daddy can have other babies apart from you and me, but this baby has to be born from Mommy. Otherwise, he¡¯ll be our enemy! We can¡¯t be good to him or be soft-hearted to him. Or else we¡¯ll be betraying Mommy!"
It was as if she was talking to Pete and herself.
In fact, after her father left today, Cherry had sneaked upstairs with the intention of messing with this little demon. After all, she had heard that on the day she was not around, the little demon had bullied several servants in the house!
He even bit the hand of her favorite bodyguard.
How detestable.
She had to teach this lousy child a lesson!
Therefore, she had secretly entered Xander¡¯s room with a spider in her hand. When she pushed the door open, she realized that the person, who looked like her father, was sleeping on the bed.
She smiled and walked over to ce the spider in Xander¡¯s hand, wanting to scare him.
The spider in her hand was big, as big as a thumb, but it did not bite or poison. Cherry did not n to hurt him. She just wanted to scare him.
When the spider crawled on her arm, Xander seemed to have sensed it. He slowly opened his eyes and raised his arm. When he saw the spider, Xander was indeed frightened.
He screamed, his face turning white!
Cherry felt that it was about time. After all, she couldn¡¯t scare him to death. She was about to take the spider away when she saw...
Xander seemed to be frightened. His other hand suddenly grabbed the spider, and then¡ª
He stuffed the spider into his mouth...
He stuffed it into his mouth...
In his mouth...
Cherry was shocked. She looked at him with wide eyes.
Xander took two bites and said calmly, "It tastes good, but it¡¯s a little hard. Find a soft one next time."
Cherry: "..."
She was bewildered!
The little demoness who had been making trouble and bullying others since she was young was stunned by this unpredictable little demon in front of her!
Cherry was dumbfounded.
After a moment, she rushed toward Xander with a loud shout and reached out to poke his mouth. "Return my spider to me! She¡¯s my pet!"
That¡¯s right. She had raised that spider. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t know so much.
But unexpectedly!
Xander had eaten it!!!
Cherry was furious. Then, she saw Xander look at her. "Then should I spit it out for you?"
As he said this, he nned to reach into his throat and even made a disgusting retching gesture. Cherry was a little princess who loved cleanliness. She hurriedly jumped out of bed and took a few steps back.
Xander did not spit out anything. Instead, he smiled at Cherry.
Cherry knew that she had been tricked.
She cried out loud. It was not because she had been deceived, nor was she at a disadvantage. It was because her little pet was gone!
She did not want to care about this stinky boy anymore.
"Hey, why are you crying?"
Xander was anxious. He jumped out of bed and was about tofort Cherry when she suddenly opened her mouth and bit Xander¡¯s arm.
Xander: !!
When he saw Cherry¡¯s tearless eyes, he knew that he had been tricked too.
The pain in his arm made him cry out, "Hey, let go. Are you a dog?"
However, Cherry did not let go at all. She wanted to take revenge for her pet spider!
Xander was furious. He suddenly said, "If you don¡¯t let go, I¡¯ll crush your spider to death!"
Hearing this, Cherry was stunned.
She looked up and saw Xander reaching out with his other hand. His chubby hand slowly opened, and her spider was lying on his palm.
Cherry: "..."
Cherry ignored him.
However, Xander found her amusing and followed her downstairs.
Cherry yed games and scolded people in-game, so Xander yed along and said a few words. When it came to scolding... Pete had never been able to say it, so it made Cherry feel a little warm?
Furthermore, it felt like two swords hadbined!
At the thought of this, she shook her head suddenly.
She pped her head.
Cherry, what are you thinking about?!
How could she have a good impression of that bad child, Xander? She had to dislike him! Because liking him would be betraying her mother.
Cherry tried to build up her emotions, but she could not help but say, "Pete, Xander doesn¡¯t seem that bad~"
Pete: "?"
Oh no!
His sister had been corrupted!
Pete was silent for a moment before suddenly saying, "I¡¯lle back tomorrow."
He could not let his sister be abducted by a bad child!
Cherry nodded. She was about to say something when Nora entered. She hurriedly hung up the phone. When she turned back, she saw Nora looking at her tentatively.
Cherry immediately blinked herrge grape-like eyes and flew into her arms. "Mommy, why are you here? Did you feel that Cherry missed you?"
Her little mouth was like honey.
Nora rubbed her head and was about to ask her how she was getting along with Xander when her phone suddenly rang.
She lowered her head and saw that Lily was calling. "Boss, Old Maddy is awake. He said that he has something to say to you!"
Old Maddy had woken up...
Coincidentally, Nora wanted to ask him about the triplets!
Chapter 654: Twins Or Triplets?
Chapter 654: Twins Or Triplets?
Nora hung up the phone and looked at Cherry. After a moment¡¯s thought, she nevertheless gave her a reminder. "Don¡¯t bully the boy."
Cherry nodded at once, the very picture of a well-behaved girl. She replied, "Don¡¯t worry, Mommy! Xander and I will get along very well!"
For some reason, when she saw how she was behaving, Nora was entirely unconvinced.
But if Cherry was refusing to say it, then she couldn¡¯t possibly force her to, right?
As such, she let Cherry stay obediently in the room while she went out. When she did, she happened to bump into Justin, who wasing out of Xander¡¯s room. When the two met, Nora raised her eyebrows and asked, "How did it go?"
Justin looked a little awkward. "He said that he¡¯s getting along very well with Cherry and told me not to worry."
Nora: "..."
She had obviously seen the two little fellows being awkward around each other, so how could they possibly be having fun?
But both of them were refusing to tell the truth...
"Do you believe him?" She asked.
Justin kept quiet for a while before he suddenly replied, "Whether the children are fated to get along or not is out of our hands. There are siblings who have trouble getting along. Let¡¯s not force it."
He was afraid that Nora would tell Cherry to treat Xander better, which might instead make the children rebellious.
Nora had always taken an easy-going and stress-free approach to child-raising.
If Cherry liked ying games, then she would let her y.
Of course, this was also because of Cherry¡¯s unique character. It definitely wouldn¡¯t do for other children to be as addicted as Cherry was to games. However, Cherry¡¯s IQ was too high. She had to use games and y with Barbie dolls to calm down her hyperactive brain.
Since Justin had put it that way, she nodded and walked out of the Hunt Manor.
When she was going down the stairs, she suddenly turned and looked back, upon which she saw a small head quickly darting backward in Xander¡¯s room as though he was afraid of being seen by her.
Nora withdrew her gaze, though a faint indescribable emotion welled up in her.
However, she quickly suppressed the emotion.
She didn¡¯t want her judgment to be impaired because of her emotions. Before she could be sure of whether Xander was her son or not, it was better that she had less contact with him, lest she developed feelings for him. If that happened, things would be troublesome.
She wasn¡¯t the only one who thought that way. As Justin walked her to the parking lot, even he himself suddenly said calmly, "For Trueman to send the child back so easily, yet not for the purpose of saving Ruth, something must be wrong. Although it is highly likely from a DNA perspective that Xander is our son, until we can confirm it, we must not be soft-hearted."
Nora, who knew what he meant, nodded.
After leaving Justin¡¯s vi, she started to drive out of the manor. However, someone stopped her while she was on the way out. With a frown, Nora stopped the car and looked at the Hunts¡¯ housekeeper who had stopped her.
The housekeeper was looking at her with a smile. She said, "Ms. Smith, Ma¡¯am invites you over to her ce."
Nora cast her eyes down and suddenly smiled. "Sorry, but I¡¯m not free."
As soon as she said that, the housekeeper¡¯s expression instantly changed.
She looked at Nora in surprise, upon which she saw a glint of indifference bursting forth from the woman¡¯s cat-like eyes. She started the car and drove forward.
Fanny, the housekeeper, had been working for Mrs. Hunt for many years and had been taking care of the Hunt Manor for several decades. She was highly respected in the manor, and even Justin generally treated her a little more politely than others.
Fanny didn¡¯t expect Nora to be this rude to her!
The sixty-year-old Fanny frowned. Just as she was about to speak, she realized that Nora was really driving off. She could only step aside and say, "Ms. Smith, please wait a minute. I¡¯m doing this for your sake. I doubt you want to put Pete in a spot, right?"
Nora: "?"
She let go of the gas pedal. The car came to a halt.
Fanny followed beside the car and went on. "Ms. Smith, it won¡¯t do for you to continue taking things so seriously with Ma¡¯am like this. After all, she¡¯s your elder. If you give in, Ma¡¯am definitely won¡¯t make things difficult for you, either. Take Mr. Livingstone¡¯s illness this time for example. If you take the initiative to cure Thomas¡¯ condition, and get the baby-making form from the Stewarts¡ªyou¡¯ve done them such a huge favor this time, so they will definitely give it to you¡ªwhen that happens, you will be the Livingstones¡¯ benefactor. Ma¡¯am will definitely remember what you¡¯ve done for them. This way, Pete won¡¯t have to be caught between his great-grandmother and his mother too, right?"
Nora knew it. Fanny must havee to her to get her to treat Thomas¡¯ condition.
She scoffed and looked at Fanny. "You want me to treat Thomas¡¯ condition? Sure."
Seeing her relent so easily, Fanny smiled and said, "I knew Ms. Smith is a smart person. I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t want to make things difficult for Mr. Hunt either. In that case, when can you treat Mr. Livingstone¡¯s illness?"
Nora replied casually, "Oh, I¡¯m not sure about that because you¡¯ll have to get an appointment. You can contact my assistant and talk to her about it."
After saying that, she stepped on the gas pedal right away. The car zoomed forward at once, puffing dust into Fanny¡¯s face!
Fanny: "..."
It was then that she realized that she had been tricked.
If she went to her assistant to get an appointment, god knows how long they would have to wait!
Everyone knew how good Anti¡¯s medical skills were, so they all went to her for medical consultations. However, Anti only epted two patients a month, so there was a huge line at Lily¡¯s at the moment.
Thomas really did want to have his condition treated. However, Mrs. Hunt had already gotten people to ask around¡ªif they were to really join the queue, they would have to wait for at least ten years!
By then, Thomas would be nearly forty. What was the point of having his illness treated then?
Fanny stamped her foot angrily.
When she returned to the vi, Mrs. Hunt was sighing. She said, "I owe her big this time. Sigh! Never mind, if she performs well in the future, then I¡¯ll just stop making things difficult for her!"
But as soon as she said that, she instead saw a troubled-looking Fanny.
Mrs. Hunt was stunned. "S-he didn¡¯t agree to it?"
Fanny nodded.
Mrs. Hunt smacked the sofa angrily, her expression instantly bing awful. She clutched her chest, so angry that she actually couldn¡¯t breathe for a moment. Fanny hurriedly gave her a Zabe Corporation¡¯s Calming Pill. A short while after she took it, she finally felt like she could breathe again. She said, "How dare she refuse! This is so maddening!"
Mrs. Hunt took a deep breath. "How dare she disrespect me again and again. It seems that I really have to teach her a lesson!"
¡ª
Nora waspletely unaware that she had infuriated Mrs. Hunt. She had already arrived at the hospital by then.
Lily was waiting for her at the door.
Nora asked, "When did he recover?"
Lily lowered her voice and said, "Actually, he was already showing signs of it two days ago. He had stopped making a din or kicking up a fuss, so I think he had likely already recovered at that time. He looked more like he was observing his surroundings at that time, and seemed to be full of hostility. It was only today that he finally said that he wanted to see you."
Nora nodded and entered the ward with Lily.
Old Maddy was seated on the bed. The burns on his face made him look extraordinarily scary. His entire face was t with two holes in the area where his eyes were supposed to be. There were also two holes at his nose, and his outer lips were gone. He waspletely disfigured.
Previously, when he was crazy, he had looked a little more pleasing to the eye. But now that he was no longer crazy and had calmed down, he actually felt scarier.
If a child stumbled into the room and saw him, they would probably burst into tears out of fright.
After Nora entered the room, Old Maddy stared at her hard with his beady eyes. A long whileter, he sighed and said, "You two really look alike! Too alike! You practically look just like Yvette."
Nora didn¡¯t care about that. She immediately voiced her biggest concern at the moment. "Last time, you said that I needed to have children. In that case, did I give birth to twins or triplets?"
Chapter 655: Why She Would Die If She Didn’t Have Children!
Chapter 655: Why She Would Die If She Didn¡¯t Have Children!
Nora stared hard at Old Maddy to look at his reaction after she voiced the question.
She would never trust a person¡¯s words that easily, so she wanted to determine whether he was telling the truth through his reaction.
What she didn¡¯t expect, though, was that because of the burns on Old Maddy¡¯s face, he couldn¡¯t make any facial expressions. Even his eyes were too small for her to see anything. This made him hard to read.
Old Maddy kept quiet for a while. Suddenly, he asked, "Twins? Triplets? What are you talking about? Didn¡¯t you only give birth to a daughter?"
In Old Maddy¡¯s impression, the daughter of thedy he served had returned and gave birth to a daughter.
How could it have been twins or triplets instead?
Seeing how logical his answer was, Nora frowned. "Uncle..."
"I¡¯m not worthy of having you call me that." Old Maddy interrupted her and said, "My name is Jake Reed. I am your mother¡¯s subordinate, and you are the youngdy whom I now serve."
Seeing that he had brought up her mother again, Nora asked, "What on earth happened back then?"
Old Maddy heaved a sigh. "Your mother was tricked into doing human research by a mysterious organization back then. When she realized what was happening, she hurriedly ran away from the organization. However, that organization was simply too powerful. In order to avoid implicating your father, your mother staged an elopement and made everyone think that she had betrayed your father. Then, she left New York and went to a small town in California. At that time, she only took me with her."
Old Maddy¡¯s exnation was simple, but it matched the story that Nora had previously heard.
"And then?" She asked.
"Then, your mother found someone with thest name Smith¡ªHenry Smith, I think¡ªand pretended to marry him. The two of them then lived in secret in California. Do you know why she went to Henry?"
Nora had a guess, but she didn¡¯t say it.
Old Maddy then said, "Because she wanted you to have thest name ¡¯Smith¡¯. Even if you couldn¡¯t grow up under your real father¡¯s love and care, she still wanted you to keep your realst name."
It was just like what she had thought.
Her mother must have been deeply in love with Ian back then!
That was why the tinypany she had founded in California was named Idealian Pharmaceuticals.
Nora did notment on the love between her parents. Instead, she listened quietly.
Old Maddy went on. "Butter, she was still discovered by the mysterious organization. Because I had never made an appearance in front of others, she told me to leave and hide somewhere. Then, once you turned twenty, I was supposed to tell you that you must have a baby!"
He continued. "I had no friends or rtives and had been working for your mother the whole time. I didn¡¯t know what I should do during all those years, either. Moreover, I knew that your mother was in danger, so I had only one thought in my mind, and that was to look for your father! The Smiths were strong and powerful. If there was someone who could save your mother, it was your father. But on my way to New York, I encountered people from the mysterious organization. They injured me."
Old Maddy seemed to be recalling the events from back then. He said, "After that, my mind was in a state of confusion. All I knew was that I had to go to New York to look for your father... but I forgot why I had to do that. I also kept your mother¡¯s order strictly in mind, that was, to tell you that you must have a baby before you turn twenty!"
Nora had been stunned the moment Old Maddy mentioned that she had to have a baby. Upon hearing him bringing it up again, even though she knew that she shouldn¡¯t be interrupting him at this time, judging from his demeanor, he should have already finished the story. There was nothing after that. Thus, she finally couldn¡¯t stop herself from asking, "Why did I have to have a baby?"
Old Maddy heaved a huge sigh. "Because... you would have died if you hadn¡¯t!"
Nora became more confused.
Trueman had also told her the same thing. He had told her that she would have died if she hadn¡¯t had a baby. At that time, she had been dubious about his answer, but Trueman had said that he was telling the truth. Later on, however, she discovered that what he had said was only half-true.
Nora had always wanted to know why she had to have a baby back then. It seemed that, be it her mother or Trueman, both of them had made that choice for her. But... why?
Thinking about this, she asked, "Why?"
Nora knew that the answer would finally be revealed today.
Chapter 656: The Truth!
Chapter 656: The Truth!
Nora narrowed her eyes and looked at Old Maddy intently.
There was silence in the ward.
Lily had left the room when the two started talking, and was standing guard outside the door.
The white-walled ward seemedpletely silent. Apart from tranquility, there was only the smell of pungent disinfectant in the air.
But be it Old Maddy or Nora, both of them were very used to such a smell.
The former had stayed there for a very long time by then and had already be ustomed to the smell, while thetter had pretty much grown up being bathed in the smell.
When she was in poor health as a child, she was often hospitalized. Her bedroom at home would also be sanitized with disinfectants.
Nora lowered her eyes slightly. Then, Old Maddy said, "After you were born, your mother discovered that the mysterious organization was in pursuit of her. In order to ensure your survival, she died before the mysterious organization¡¯s eyes, so that they won¡¯t continue investigating. But we all knew that they definitely won¡¯t stop. Besides, no one could say for sure whether the Grays were trustworthy or not."
Old Maddy looked at her. "It¡¯s only when you be strong enough that you can resist bing someone else¡¯s pawn. Your mother was driven into a corner at that time was because she was not strong enough."
Not strong enough...
Nora was taken aback.
Yvette could stir up the entire New York and throw it into instability back then. The drugs she developed¡ªeven in this age after more than twenty years had gone by¡ªwere still relevant.
She was multi-talented. To this day, she was still a legend in New York.
Yet someone like her was not strong enough?
Moreover, even now, Nora did not feel that the mysterious organization was that powerful. In the United States, they had beenpletely suppressed by the special department.
Trueman had even almost been arrested. In the end, he had to leave the country in a pathetic state to seek refuge abroad.
So, had her mother made the wrong choice back then?
Would they really have been that fearsome if she had joined hands with Ian? Besides, why didn¡¯t her mother seek asylum from the authorities?
These were all mysteries!
She wanted to ask something, but Old Maddy had already continued, "In order to give you the ability to defend yourself, and in order to give you enough confidence to face these things that you are facing today, she had no choice but to inject you with... a serum."
Nora¡¯s back suddenly became ramrod straight. "What?"
Surprise shed across her eyes. But right after, it became a look of realization!
To be honest, she had already guessed as much that she had also been injected with a gene serum. When Lily was checking her DNA some time back, she had discovered that her IQ genes had mutated a little.
This was also the reason why the DNAparison between her and Ian had only reached 98% and not the benchmark for a father-daughter simrity.
Perhaps because he saw that she had be a little agitated, Old Maddy hurriedly waved and said, "It was just a little! A little! Your father and your mother are already some of the most intelligent people in the world, so their daughter¡¯s IQ could never be low. That¡¯s why your mother only injected you with very little serum. There was only a bit of difference in your DNAparison with Ian, right?"
Nora nodded.
It was medically recognized that a father-daughter pair¡¯s genes should be 99.8% simr, but hers and Ian¡¯s were only 98% simr. This indicated that a 1% change had indeed urred.
Moreover, the change had even urred in the IQ gene.
So, it was because she had also been injected with the gene serum that she was so smart and was able to master so many things easily?
While she was contemting, Old Maddy spoke again. "However, that serum has a side effect. Has your health always been poor?"
Nora fell silent.
She had been frail since she was a child and often easily fell sick. She often visited the hospital and had poor immunity. The moment the weather changed, she would inevitably catch a cold. This had also given her stepmother a chance to give her hormonal injections, which had caused her to be fat.
Therefore, even though she was a fatty¡ªa fatty who could fight and a fatty who was very smart¡ªher constitution was indeed poor.
Additionally, Caleb was also in poor health. When she thought of him, all she could remember was the sight of him coughing his lungs out. As for Trueman, his physical condition was currently unknown. Given how he had kept himself hidden all this time, it probably wasn¡¯t that great either.
But what did this have to do with her having children?
Could it be that...
Nora¡¯s pupils shrank suddenly. Her head whipped up abruptly, upon which she heard Old Maddy say, "Adults cannot withstand the gene serum¡¯s modification at all. Even if they seed, they will only have two years left to live. Even if they don¡¯t die after two years, they will go crazy. Children¡¯s bodies have a high level of malleability, but even so, you likely wouldn¡¯t have been able to withstand even that bit of serum. Moreover, your IQ genes were close to being perfect in the first ce, so the serum couldn¡¯t show that great an effect on you. That¡¯s why, before the age of twenty, you needed to expel the excess dosage by giving birth."
Nora was stunned.
However, her first reaction was to ask, "Then what about the children? Will there be residual serum in the children?!"
Old Maddy shook his head. "We don¡¯t know. Your mother didn¡¯t have the time to verify that either. All she wanted was to protect you. I also brought this up to her at the time. Her answer to me was..."
Old Maddy kept quiet for a while before he sighed and said, "... It¡¯s her child. She will have to do something about them herself."
Nora: "..."
She had to check immediately whether there was any mutation in Cherry and Pete¡¯s genes, as well as whether there was any residual gene serum in them.
She stood up suddenly. As she looked at Old Maddy, she asked another question, "In that case... why did the father of my children have to be Justin Hunt?"
Old Maddy was taken aback. "I wasn¡¯t the one who executed that part of the n, so I¡¯m not sure. Back then, apart from myself, your mother also had two other subordinates."
Old Maddy had been crazy for so many years, so he definitely wouldn¡¯t know the details of Nora¡¯s pregnancy.
In other words, if her mother was the one who had plotted her pregnancy, then it was likely the other two who had carried out the n. She was about to ask when Old Maddy said, "One of them is Charles Ramsey while the other is Ivan Rogers. Charles is very recognizable. He has a mole on his face, and there¡¯s a strand of hair on the mole."
Nora: "!!!"
Wasn¡¯t that the lunatic Jessica had mentioned?!
She frowned and looked at Old Maddy again. "How do I contact Charles?"
Old Maddy sighed. "The three of us didn¡¯t contact one another much. Besides, twenty years have already passed. Our contact methods may have be obsolete."
Nora, however, said firmly, "Tell me."
Old Maddy kept quiet for a moment before he said, "For more than twenty years, we never told one another our cell phone numbers. It was always one-way whenever we contacted one another. No matter which one of us it was, if we wanted to contact someone, we had to publish an ad in the newspaper and state clearly the number of a payphone and the time in the ad. When the other party saw it, they would find a payphone and call you."
"..."
Nora¡¯s lip corners spasmed. Why were they contacting one another as if they were spies? And it sure was old-fashioned. Even the three of them were on guard against one another... What exactly was her mother doing back then? Why did she have three such subordinates?
It seemed that she would have to talk to Old Maddy about her mother¡¯s past again when she had time.
If they didn¡¯t want the other party to know their phone number, couldn¡¯t they just encrypt it?
She sighed. "Tell me the contact method."
Old Maddy nodded.
After telling her about the contact method, he said, "Just publish it in the daily newspaper."
"... That would be a hard thing to do."
Most newspapers were published online these days, there weren¡¯t many physical copies anymore. Even if there were, hardly anyone would buy them these days!
Old Maddy was also dumbfounded. "What should we do?"
Nora held her forehead. "I have a solution. But first, myst two questions¡ªthe first one is, do you know why they chose Justin Hunt as the children¡¯s father?"
Chapter 657: The Mystery of Xander’s Birth!
Chapter 657: The Mystery of Xander¡¯s Birth!
Old Maddy said, "I don¡¯t know why he was chosen, but your mother told us at the time to choose the smartest one. That¡¯s because the serum she gave you improved one¡¯s genes. Even if it was passed on to the child, their genes wouldn¡¯t be modified much if the child was born very smart. This way, if the serum is unable to do what it¡¯s supposed to, it will be ineffective. I would think that is likely the reason why."
Nora: "..."
So, Justin had been chosen because of his high IQ?
The corners of Nora¡¯s lips spasmed.
But she felt that the answer didn¡¯t seem uneptable either.
After all, Cherry¡¯s IQ was slightly higher than Pete¡¯s, probably because half of a female¡¯s genes were inherited from the father.
"Then, here¡¯s myst question."
Nora stared hard at Old Maddy. "If I gave birth to more children, would the amount of serum distributed to each child have be smaller, thereby making it safer for them?"
If her theory was correct, then she could conclude that she had indeed given birth to triplets!
Her mother must have given her the triplet-making drug in order to let the three children share that bit of gene serum. If so, Xander would be her son!
However, Old Maddy suddenly smiled and answered, "Of course not."
He sighed and said, "Your mother only injected you with a very low dosage of serum in the first ce. The number of children you gave birth to didn¡¯t affect anything. It can be said that the serum could not bring much harm to the child after passing through your body."
Nora was stunned.
Why was the answer different from what she had imagined?!
She frowned, perplexed as to how things had turned out this way.
While she was thinking, Old Maddy spoke up again. "Besides, your mother once said that the Andersons have genes for having twins, so it all depended on your luck. Whether you have twins or just one child, they are all still your children."
"..."
Nora looked closely at Old Maddy for a long while. In the end, she lowered her eyes. "I see."
She went out of the room to see Lily standing there and nodding off as she leaned against the wall.
Nora asked, "How long has it been since youst slept?"
Lily, who was taller than her, immediately replied, "Twenty hours, I guess?"
Nora uttered an "oh" and then said, "Get some rest."
Those three words made Lily all excited, but unexpectedly, she then heard Nora say, "Once you¡¯re rested, try to restore Xander¡¯s DNA data as soon as possible."
Lily: "..."
If she wanted it "as soon as possible", how was she going to get a good rest?!
She couldn¡¯t help butin, "Boss, you are so impractical. Instead of saying so much, it¡¯s better that you just give me a pay raise instead."
Nora looked at her curiously. "Are you very short of money?"
"Not really~"
Lily blinked and replied, "It¡¯s mainly because it costs quite a lot to support young men. Besides, that man in question is even your cousin. Boss, how much do the Smiths give to Quentin each month? Can we negotiate a little and have them give him a bit less in the future? If not, I won¡¯t have enough to keep him as my ¡¯mistress¡¯!"
Nora: "..."
She patted Lily on the shoulder. Then, she turned and left.
When she returned to the Smiths, to her surprise, she found Samuel seated in the living room. Seeing her, he immediately came forward with an ingratiating smile and said, "Nora, can you talk to Joel and have him release your Grandaunt Sue?"
Nora: "?"
She looked at Joel, only to see him as smiley as ever as he said, "Granduncle Samuel, what are you saying? Nora has nothing to do with this."
As he spoke, he gave her a look.
Nora went upstairs at once. In the corridor, she could still hear Samuel downstairs. He said, "Joel, you can¡¯t do this. Sue did make a false police report, but it¡¯s already been so long. Shouldn¡¯t you let her out by now? I heard that you even talked to the police, so she¡¯s having a hard time inside. You can¡¯t treat her like this..."
Joel was still smiling at him. "Granduncle Samuel, what are you talking about? I don¡¯t understand..."
"You wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing, stop pretending! I know all about it!!"
Samuel yelled angrily.
Joel, however, remained as smiley as ever. "Really? So, what do you know, Granduncle Samuel?"
Nora: "..."
She finally knew how Joel came to be known as a wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing. He was really good at frustrating people and making them feel as if everything they did was useless.
And in private, not only was he merciless, but also vicious.
She was sure that Joel was definitely the one behind Sue¡¯s continued imprisonment.
It was like back then...
After Hiry was imprisoned, she had been having a very hard time.
Nora had wanted to punish her at the time, but when she looked into it, she found that both Karl and Joel had talked to the people inside. This led to Hiry¡¯s life inside bing a living hell. This was also why she had been duped in the end the moment they gave her a bit of hope.
Joel might look like a pushover, but in truth, he was secretly very vicious!
Moreover, after Tanya poisoned Hiry and was falsely used of murdering her, and then her name subsequently cleared again, someone had exhumed Hiry¡¯s grave.
She was already dead, yet her corpse had been taken out of the grave and whipped... One could say that this was revenge for Mia.
The woman who impersonated Jill also had a miserable end. She had attempted suicide several times in prison.
It was just a pity that Joel would not allow her to die after all the wicked things she had done, so she hadn¡¯t been sessful in killing herself all this time.
Nora went upstairs and ignored the ongoings downstairs. It was just that after a while, she heard that Samuel had decided to withdraw from thepany¡¯s board of directors and that he had also voluntarily given up some of his dividends to expand the ancestral graves and repair the Smiths¡¯ ancestral home.
Nora shook her head, feeling like Joel was really someone who got things done quietly and inconspicuously.
However, she didn¡¯t care much about these affairs in the Smiths.
After going upstairs, she posted a missing person notice in the online version of a newspaper.
Because she had spent some money on it, the missing person notice was published right in that night¡¯s newspaper.
As long as Charles was still alive, he would probably take the initiative to contact her when he saw the ad, right?
After Nora was done, she leaned on the desk, her fingers tapping lightly against the desk as she waited quietly for the call.
Old Maddy¡¯s recovery had allowed her toe one step closer to the truth.
She had also received a great deal of information earlier in the day.
The mystery of why she would have died if she hadn¡¯t had a baby had finally been solved.
But when she thought of this, she hurriedly stood up and walked over to Pete. Pete, who was writing his assignments, sensed her presence. He raised his head and looked at her. "What¡¯s the matter, Mommy?"
Nora held his hand and said, "Nothing much. Just a routine check of your pulse."
Pete looked at her quietly, his dark eyes filled with trust and love.
This made Nora suddenly think of the split-second nce she had seen from Xander when she was at the Hunt Manor earlier that day. It seemed like there was a simr pair of innocent eyes looking at her at that time...
A few hours after the ad in the newspaper was published, her cell phone suddenly rang.
Nora looked over¡ªit was an unfamiliar number!
Charles¡¯ call was here!
The mystery of Xander¡¯s birth would finally be revealed!
Chapter 658: Hello, Charles
Chapter 658: Hello, Charles
Nora withdrew her hand that was checking Pete¡¯s pulse.
Pete didn¡¯t have any major problems with his health. They were just some small problems typical of children.
From the looks of it, the gene serum didn¡¯t have any effect on him.
Nora was relieved. She narrowed her eyes and then answered the call.
A low and deep male voice came from the other end. "Hello, who are you?"
Nora frowned and identified herself at once. "I am Nora Smith. You should know who I am, right?"
The call fell silent at once.
Nora slowly said, "Charles, I know you were my mother¡¯s subordinate. I have some questions for you."
Perhaps because she had called him by name, Charles replied, "I have nothing to say to you!"
He hung up right away after saying that.
Nora stared at her cell phone and clenched her jaw.
Why wasn¡¯t Charles talking?
Was he hiding something?
She picked up her cell phone and immediately started tracing the call to find out his location.
Half an hourter, Nora paused when she saw Charles¡¯ location. She stood up, rushed out of the house, and drove straight to the hospital.
That¡¯s right.
Charles was in the hospital!
After Nora rushed to the hospital and got out of the car, she immediately saw a group of nurses and doctors moving about in a hurry and busy at work. Ambnces arrived at the entrance of the hospital one after another.
A lot of people in whiteb coats were anxiously giving first aid to the victims being carried out of the ambnces.
Their white clothes were dyed red, and some of the victims¡¯ blood had wet the white sheets, forming a shocking and harrowing sight.
All the non-urgent passages in the hospital had been closed, and all the doctors had rushed over to deal with the victims of the traffic ident.
Nora stood at the door and looked at her busy colleagues. She heard a doctor approaching and asking, "What happened?"
"Sigh, it¡¯s a long story. A bus got into a traffic ident. All fifty-odd people in the bus are injured!"
"Really? How did this happen all of a sudden? I¡¯ll take over the patient here, you can take care of the one over there ..."
Although the doctors were flustered, they dealt with the victims in an orderly manner. The other patients also wisely stepped aside.
When a real disaster urred, everyone knew that life was more important than anything else.
Beep, beep, beep...
A medical instrument started sounding a warning beep. Nora looked to the side and saw that an unsupervised victim had suddenly gone into shock.
Upon hearing the warning beep, a panicked nurse shouted, "Where is Dr. Wilson? Where is Dr. Wilson?"
"A patient went into cardiac arrest just now, Dr. Wilson has gone over!"
The nurse was in a huge panic. "This patient has gone into shock! What do we do now?"
Nora rushed over subconsciously. She was wearing a ck shirt. She took a whiteb coat from the side and put it on. Then, she walked over to the nurse and said, "Let me do it!"
"You? Who are you?"
The nurse looked at her dubiously. "Are you a doctor?"
Nora¡¯s one-liner made the nurse shut up: "I am Anti."
The name Anti was most definitely a regal existence for people in the medical industry.
Therefore, a look of joy came over the nurse¡¯s face at once. "What should we do about this patient?"
Nora took a look at the patient and immediately instructed, "Start CPR at once. Inject 5ml of..."
Perhaps because her voice was simply too calm and collected, the nurse gradually calmed down. Under her orders, she began to perform CPR on the patient.
What came after that was a slew of first aid measures. Atst, the patient¡¯s heartbeat returned to normal. Nora touched his abdomen and said, "The patient has internal bleeding. Send him for surgery at once!"
"Yes, doctor!"
Patients typically needed to go for X-rays¡ªand on top of that, it wasn¡¯t even known which part of the body required X-rays¡ªbefore they could receive treatment. In the process of finding the cause of their illness, they ended up missing the most optimal treatment time.
However, with just a casual touch, Nora had figured out the cause of the patient¡¯s condition, thereby speeding up the rescue process. This also saved them a lot of unnecessary trouble.
After the first aid waspleted, the people outside gradually dispersed.
Most of the patients had also been categorized. Patients with minor or moderate injuries were currently resting in the corridor outside due to ack of beds.
As for patients with serious injuries, they had been pushed into the operating rooms.
There were enough doctors in the hospital. Thus, after the initial panic, the order resumed and they started to provide medical treatment in an orderly manner.
Nora took off her mask and gloves, and then tossed the whiteb coat into the room next door. When she looked around, she noticed a man standing at the door to the operating room. He was talking to a nurse excitedly. "I¡¯m so excited. Oh my god, I¡¯m so lucky. Really, I¡¯m really too lucky... This is a whole bus of people we¡¯re talking about. The bus even rolled over, and everyone is injured, but not me! Look at me, I didn¡¯t even get a scratch!"
The nurse said, "... Yes, okay, sir, we understand, but I¡¯d still suggest that you have a full-body examination done. After all, there could still be many internal injuries."
The man patted his chest. "No way, I really am fine! There¡¯s nothing wrong with me at all! Look at me, look at how energetic I am! I am the luckiest person on earth!"
As the man spoke, he began to turn on the spot.
Nora had initially taken notice of the man because of his behavior, but the very moment he turned around, Nora suddenly froze.
Because... there was a mole on the side of the man¡¯s face, and there was even a strand of hair on the mole!
When one connected this to the reason why Nora hade to the hospital...
She narrowed her eyes. Suddenly, she took a step forward and patted the man on the shoulder.
The man turned around.
Nora narrowed her eyes and stared at him. "What a coincidence, Charles."
Chapter 659: I’m Sorry, Ms. Yvette
Chapter 659: I¡¯m Sorry, Ms. Yvette
Charles was stunned. Then, he said excitedly, "You know me? Young missy, howe you know me? How did you know my name is Charles? Haha, do you know? I was really lucky today. The bus overturned, and everyone in it was injured, but I didn¡¯t suffer even a scratch. I must have saved the world in my previous life!"
For the fifty-year-old to say such things, Nora couldn¡¯t help but find it rather odd. Many older people, even if they surfed the Inte a lot, rarely said such things in real life.
She frowned. "Do you know who I am?"
Charles didn¡¯t seem surprised at all. "It doesn¡¯t matter who you are. Isn¡¯t what matters the fact that I dodged the bullet today? Do you know how dangerous it was? The bus¡¯ brakes had suddenly failed and it was rushing straight toward a mountain in front of us, you know! The woman in front of me was screaming the whole time in fear, and even I thought that I was dead meat. But unexpectedly, even though the bus overturned, I turned out fine!"
Nora frowned upon hearing his description of what had happened. "How are you okay?"
Charles replied, "I don¡¯t know. I was just very fortunate. The bus overturned and quite a few people died on the spot. Did you see? You don¡¯t even have to try saving a few of those people who were pushed in just now... Sigh, do you know?"
His expression turned a little nostalgic. "I am actually not a good person. Of course, I am not a bad person either. I just did some bad things back in the day and helped some bad people in the past. Over the years, I have been devoting myself to God. And look! Results are showing! God must have been watching over me this time, that¡¯s why I managed to escape..."
The more he talked, the more excited he became. He actually looked a little like he was going to cry bitterly. He said, "After I go back, I must be even more pious. I shall donate all my money to the church!"
None of the other nurses were paying attention to him. In addition, seemingly because he had met Nora, someone who was willing to listen, he was very excited.
Nora looked at him in silence.
No wonder Jessica had said he was a lunatic. There was indeed something wrong with his mental health, and he seemed crazy.
She lowered her eyes and slowly asked, "How much money do you have?"
The man suddenly lowered his voice, but it seemed like he couldn¡¯t quite control his volume. Thus, even though he had lowered his voice, he was actually still very loud. He said, "Don¡¯t be fooled by my ordinary clothes. I am no ordinary man! I have a lot of money! I used to work for a very impressive person. More than twenty years ago, she even paid me up to $15,000 a month!
"$15,000 a month, you know! Do you know how much $15,000 was worth over twenty years ago? It was worth even more than $150,000 today! I was really basking in the limelight back then!"
Charles seemed caught in his memories. He said, "After that, I earned a whole lotta money, but I didn¡¯t dare to spend it. I would¡¯ve felt guilty if I were to spend that money..."
He burst into tears and said, "I have five million dors, but I hid the cash at home. I didn¡¯t dare to spend it, you know? But after this ident, I¡¯ve sorted out my thoughts. You know how a person would have epiphanies at near-death moments? Why didn¡¯t I dare to spend that money? All that money belongs to me!"
Nora frowned.
Even if her mother had given him $15,000 a month, that would only amount to $180,000 a year. For him to have five million dors, he would have had to work for thirty years! Yet! As far as she knew, after her mother passed away, she hadn¡¯t given those three people any more money.
So, how would Charles possibly have five million dors in cash?!
Also, why was he saying that he dared not spend the money? Where had that money...e from? Were they benefit that her mother had given these people, who had worked under her for years?
But if that was the case, why didn¡¯t Old Maddy receive any?
She frowned and asked, "Who gave you the money?"
Charles nced at her and then chuckled. "I can¡¯t tell you that, young missy, I can¡¯t. I went against my conscience for that money, so I can¡¯t tell you... Sigh!"
He went against his conscience for that money...
Nora narrowed her eyes.
At this moment, the family members of the victims had all reached the hospital. Some rushed over to the operating rooms while some rushed over to the bodies of the people, who had been pronounced dead, and started to cry bitterly.
All of a sudden, the hospital became a mess again.
When Nora was about to ask Charles about something, a voice came over. "Charles, are you okay?"
She turned to see a fifty-year-old man approaching them. He was standing in front of Charles and looking him up and down. "You don¡¯t have any family, so they called me instead!"
Charles replied, "What can happen to me? I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m totally fine! Bro, let me tell you, I was really very lucky today..."
Charles then started to recount in detail again what had happened that day.
Nora: "..."
The man was seriously neurotic.
She rolled her eyes and walked up to the two of them. Just when she was about to ask something, Charles¡¯s friend suddenly said, "Okay, okay, I get it. I know you went through life and death today, you are soooo lucky. But why are you suddenly so chatty?"
Nora paused and looked at the two men abruptly.
Charles was still babbling on and on neurotically. "Because I¡¯m agitated and excited. I thought I could only be a stevedore for the rest of my life. Did you know? I thought that I didn¡¯t deserve happiness anymore. I thought I could only be like you for the rest of my life, only be aborer!"
His friend¡¯s expression changed. "What do you mean by that? Who are you looking down on?"
Charles was still babbling. In fact, he had even started crying, as if the emotions that he had kept suppressed for a long time were finally erupting. He said, "Stevedores, of course! Not only is the work tiring, but the pay is also so low! You guys may be uncultured, but do you know who I am? I graduated from Hamlin School of Medicine, you know!"
The Hamlin School of Medicine?!
Nora narrowed her eyes.
His colleague, however, had never heard of the school. "What are you going crazy for? You must have hit your head, right? Why are you acting so weird today? Never mind being chatty, but you¡¯re even suddenly talking about a medical school? If you were a high-achieving student, would you have been working as aborer with us?"
Charles waved dismissively and said, "Yeah, I¡¯m different from you people. So you see, God still cares for me. Even when I was in a traffic ident, I didn¡¯t get hurt at all..."
Nora¡¯s heart suddenly sank as she listened to their conversation.
She took a big step forward and suddenly asked, "Excuse me, is he usually very quiet?"
Charles¡¯s colleague nodded. "Yeah. Ramsey talks very little. It¡¯s rare for him to be this excited. It must have gone to his head!"
As soon as he said that, Nora grabbed Charles¡¯s hand. She suddenly shouted at the doctor beside them, "Arrange a CT scan for him immediately!"
The doctor was stunned. "What?"
The man looked at Charles carefully. "But he doesn¡¯t seem injured!"
Charles also said, "Yeah, I am not injured. I¡¯m not doing a CT scan. Are you a doctor? You just want my money, right?!"
As soon as he said that, Nora looked at him seriously with an awful look on her face. She said, "You graduated from medical school, right? Then let me ask you this: What are the symptoms of intracerebral hemorrhage?"
Intracerebral hemorrhage...
Charles subconsciously answered, "Excessive secretion of adrenaline, causing people to be overly excited. After that, they will bleed from their seven orifices..."
At this point, he suddenly realized something.
Nora¡¯s expression became even more serious.
Yes, that¡¯s right!
If there was too great a change in Charles¡¯s personality, then he must be suffering a hemorrhage in the brain!
Internal bleeding was a very serious condition. There was a high chance that it would block blood vessels and form congestions. By the time it was discovered, it would be toote for diagnosis and treatment!!
Nora hadn¡¯t immediately discovered Charles¡¯s abnormal behavior because she¡¯d thought that he was a madman. After all, ording to Jessica¡¯s description, Charles was a madman.
But through the chat with his colleague, one would know that he was usually not like this. It was only with his colleague¡¯s description of him as a taciturn man that it fit the personality of the man who had called her. That was how she had suddenly realized Charles¡¯s abnormal behavior.
The doctor next to them, however, frowned. "Who are you? Why should I arrange a brain CT for him? Don¡¯t you know that people who undergo CT scans are exposed to radiation? It¡¯s best that healthy people not do it..."
After he said that, Nora immediately said, "I am Anti!"
The doctor shut up at once and looked at Charles. Then, he suddenly picked up his cell phone and called the CT department upstairs to make arrangements for the man to jump the line.
Nora looked at Charles again.
Charles was dumbfounded. He touched his head. At this point, he could faintly feel something warm trickling out of his nose.
He touched it and found that it was blood.
Only then did he realize something.
His eyes widened at once and he suddenly said, "I get it, I get it now. It¡¯s them. They are here to silence me..."
Nora clutched his wrist tightly. "Tell me, who is trying to silence you? The mysterious organization?"
Upon hearing the words "mysterious organization", atst, Charles focused and looked at Nora. In his state of excitement just now, after grabbing Nora, he had immediately started chatting with her. He hadn¡¯t noticed Nora¡¯s looks at all.
But in this very instant, he saw Nora¡¯s face clearly.
Her face was 90% simr to Yvette¡¯s back then!
His eyes widened suddenly. "Ms. Yvette?"
Nora¡¯s eyes flickered faintly with a sharp glint. "I am Nora Smith."
Nora Smith!
The name made Charles¡¯s pupils shrink.
He subconsciously said, "You look so much like Ms. Yvette now that you¡¯ve lost weight."
After she lost weight...
This meant that Charles had definitely seen her a few years ago.
Was it when she was pregnant?
Had her mother gotten him to set up her pregnancy?
The thoughts flooded into her mind.
However, Nora found that Charles¡¯s pupils were starting to dte. There was no time for her to ask all the questions she wanted to ask. She could only ask one of them: "Tell me, did I have twins or triplets back then?!"
Charles¡¯s eyes were starting to lose focus, as though he could no longer think straight.
He stared at Nora nkly.
Twins or triplets...
His eyes suddenly reddened and he said, "Ms. Nora, I¡¯ve let you down. I betrayed you back then, and also betrayed Ms. Yvette... For so many years, I have felt guilty about this..."
But that was not what Nora wanted to hear.
She asked again, "Tell me, was I pregnant with twins or triplets?"
Charles¡¯s eyes were red. He suddenly smiled and said, "Yeah, the mysterious organization threatened me and bribed me. They gave me five million dors, but because I betrayed Ms. Yvette, I have never spent that money all these years. I¡¯m sorry, I plotted against you. I am going to repay your kindness now! They wanted to silence me, but they didn¡¯t expect that I would meet you before my death..."
However, what he said next made Nora¡¯s eyes widen in disbelief, yet also with enlightenment.
Chapter 660: Her Numerous Secret Identities
Chapter 660: Her Numerous Secret Identities
Charles clutched her sleeves tightly. The world was already spinning in his vision.
Nevertheless, he tried his best to calm himself and tried hard to tell her something.
More than twenty years ago, Yvette had told him, Old Maddy, and the other man to go into hiding, and to make Nora give birth to a baby before she turned twenty.
Because this was the only way she could stay alive.
The three of them had fled in three different directions. Old Maddy had attracted and taken more of the mysterious organization¡¯s attacks for the two of them. Because of that, and because he hadn¡¯t received any news from him since, Charles suspected that he might already be dead.
Old Maddy¡¯s name wasn¡¯t actually Old Maddy. He was known as that because his way of doing things was simply too outrageous. Yvette also trusted him the most. He was also someone who could throw his life away for Yvette¡¯s sake.
After Old Maddy attracted more firepower from the organization, Charles had left with the other person.
He¡¯d thought himself sessful, but he didn¡¯t expect that the mysterious organization would still catch him.
Charles had be scared at that time. He knew very well just how fearsome the mysterious organization was. At that time, the mysterious organization had threatened him with his family. In the end, he chose to give in and told them about Yvette¡¯s ns...
After that, the mysterious organization had given him five million dors. They only had one request for him, and that was¡ªto tamper with Nora¡¯s pregnancy and have her give birth to as many children as possible.
After he did all that, the mysterious organization knew that he was no longer of any use, so they began to hunt him down. During his escape, he met Jessica Stewart. In order to repay her for saving his life, he had given her the miraculous medicine that could help a woman give birth to triplets.
He knew very well what the mysterious organization wanted, so how could he possibly allow Nora to fall for their tricks?
With that thought in mind, Charles suddenly grinned. He looked at Nora and said firmly, "You gave birth to twins, not triplets."
Almost as soon as he said that, his vision cked out and he fainted.
In thest few moments before he passed out, he thought to himself:
¡¯Ms. Nora can only, and must only give birth to twins. The existence of an extra child would be a catastrophe for her!¡¯
Besides, the triplets were clearly a trap that the mysterious organization had set for her. How could he possibly allow the mysterious organization to seed?
After he said that, as though he hadpleted his life mission, he closed his eyes and said what he thought would be thest few words he would ever utter in this lifetime: "Ms. Nora, you don¡¯t have to save me."
His life would probablye to an abrupt end at this moment, right?
Back then, for the sake of his family, he had betrayed Yvette. Butter on, his family had contracted an illness and died anyway. Their illness was incurable, but he knew that Yvette¡¯s medical skills had been the culmination of the industry back then. Had she still been around, perhaps she could have saved his family...
This was fate, he supposed.
And now, he could finally repay his debt to Yvette with his life.
...
Twins, not triplets?
Nora stood there dumbfounded and in disbelief.
After doing a DNA test and discovering that Xander¡¯s genes were 80% simr to hers, she could basically confirm Xander¡¯s identity.
Becauseplete strangers would never have such a high degree of simrity in their DNA.
That was why she had told Justin that there was a 90% chance that he was their son. To be honest, at that time, she had more or less be convinced that she had given birth to triplets.
Yet Charles was telling her that she didn¡¯t have triplets?
How did this... How could this happen?!
Yet at the same time, she also felt a sudden sense of closure.
Indeed, triplets were originally just her and Justin¡¯s conjecture. It was also the best possible result for Xander. Neither of them wanted the other to have to suffer from having someone else¡¯s child stuck in their family.
Now it had been confirmed, what was she so sad about?
Nora lowered her gaze and stared fixedly at the man in front of her. For some reason, she suddenly found herself very unhappy with the answer.
She watched as doctors rushed up to them; she watched as everyone else rushed up to Charles; and she watched as he started to bleed from the nose, eyes, ears, and mouth...
People suffering from internal bleeding¡ªand on top of that, those whose symptoms suddenly broke out in a short period of time¡ªwere very difficult to save.
Charles also knew it himself.
However...
Nora suddenly stepped forward and followed the stretcher into the operating room.
While on the way there, she stared hard at Charles.
She wasn¡¯t going to let him die¡ªbecause she was not satisfied with his answer!
¡ª
The next day.
When a tired Nora walked out of the operating room, she immediately spotted Old Maddy, who was outside the operating room and staring at the door. The moment the door opened, Old Maddy stood up. The man in the hospital gown asked nervously, "Ms. Nora, I just heard that Charles was in a traffic ident. How is he?"
Nora rubbed her temples and yawned sleepily. She looked at Old Maddy and suddenly replied, "He¡¯ll be fine."
Old Maddy breathed a sigh of relief.
But at the same time, he looked at her nervously and asked, "Then, have you asked him whether you gave birth to twins or triplets?"
"Yes, I have."
Nora replied.
Old Maddy looked at her nervously. "Then you gave birth to...?"
Seeing the anxiety in Old Maddy¡¯s eyes, Nora kept quiet for a moment before she finally repliedzily, "He said I gave birth to twins."
"That¡¯s great!"
Old Maddy heaved a huge sigh of relief when he heard that. However, she seemed to notice that his reaction was a little inappropriate.
Nora wanted to ask about it, but Old Maddy suddenly avoided the topic and said, "Ms. Nora, to be honest, you shouldn¡¯t have saved Charles. I only just found out that he betrayed Ms. Yvette back then. What¡¯s the point of saving a man like him?"
After saying that angrily, without waiting for Nora to ask any further, he turned around and walked back to his ward. He said, "Sigh, I¡¯ve be old. I¡¯ve only just recovered, I¡¯m going back to rest."
Nora stared at him from the back.
Old Maddy and Charles must be hiding something from her, and it had something to do with whether she had given birth to twins or triplets. For some reason, it seemed like Old Maddy was really hoping that she didn¡¯t give birth to triplets?
She broke into a frown.
At this moment, Lily walked out.
When Nora was operating on Charles, Lily had been her assistant throughout the operation. Lily, who was very informed about Nora¡¯s family affairs, asked, "Boss, should I still continue the DNA restoration?"
Nora was silent for a long while. After thinking for a while, in the end, she still said, "Yes, continue it."
She knew that Charles¡ªand also, Old Maddy¡ªboth seemed to care for her and want to protect her. Thus, they hadn¡¯t told her some things.
But she was no longer the baby from back then who needed them to protect her.
She had grown up and was strong and powerful enough.
She could deal with everything herself.
With that in mind, she followed Old Maddy leisurely into his ward. Old Maddy could only look back at her helplessly. "Ms. Nora," he said.
Nora sat on the sofa and rubbed her forehead, somewhat sleepy and extremely impatient due to not getting any rest. She slowly said, "I want the truth. Why do the two of you want me to have twins instead?"
Old Maddy sighed and replied, "Ms. Nora, it¡¯s not that we¡¯re hoping for it, but rather, you indeed gave birth to twins. Didn¡¯t Charles already say so? I was not with you back then!"
Old Maddy really was unaware of the situation with the children.
However...
Nora suddenly changed the topic. "What exactly are you hiding from me?"
Her words made Old Maddy choke on his breath.
He started to muse again.
Nora was not in a hurry. She could sense that Old Maddy didn¡¯t harbor any hostility towards her. He really was very loyal to her mother.
She slowly said, "I want to know the truth."
Old Maddy¡¯s jaw tensed up and he said, "Ms. Yvette left you a voice recording before she died. You must have listened to it over and over, right?"
Nora nodded.
Old Maddy then said earnestly, "Ms. Yvette said that before you be strong enough, there are some things that I can¡¯t tell you."
When Nora heard this, she put down the leg that she had crossed over the other.
She put her hands on the sofa¡¯s armrest. Her cat-like eyes gleamed, and she was filled with self-confidence as she said, "I am already strong enough."
Old Maddy sighed. "Ms. Nora, there are so many strong and powerful people in the world. I know that your medical skills are the best in the world. In fact, one can even say that you are already on par with Ms. Yvette. But even so, she still wasn¡¯t the mysterious organization¡¯s match¡ªbecause she was too obsessed with medicine back then, and ended up not dabbling in anything else. However, a truly powerful person needs to be impressive in all aspects. For example, martial arts? I won¡¯tpare you with your predecessors. I heard that the most powerful martial artists of today are the Big Brother of the Irvin School of Martial Arts and the Big Sister of the Quinn School of Martial Arts. Can you beat them in a fight?"
Nora: "??"
"Another example would be the most popr and trendy things of todayputers. After I woke up, I found that society has undergone drastic changes over the past two decades. Computers were notmon at that time, but there are hackers everywhere now. I heard that the most awesome hackers now are Q and Y? Can you beat them when ites toputer skills?"
Nora: "???"
Seeing that Nora¡¯s expression had frozen, Old Maddy thought that his words were taking effect, so he continued to painstakingly persuade her. He said, "Let¡¯s not talk about such technical knowledge anymore, but just about fleeing. I recently learned that the most impressive international racer is Yanci. If you are in danger, can you drive as fast? Yanci can escape from the danger, but can you?"
Nora: "?????"
Old Maddy went on. "They are all experts in a single type of technical skill. There¡¯s also one thing more absolute¡ªin this world exists the most powerful organization, the Imperial League. Have you even heard of it? There are only a dozen or so people in the organization, and every single one of them is a big figure who can cause chaos with a flip of their hand! The global economic crisis in the 1970s was caused by none other than the Imperial League! It¡¯s only when you join the Imperial League that you will truly be able to confront the mysterious organization, but Ms. Nora, can you do that?"
Nora: "..."
If one didn¡¯t go into detail, she wouldn¡¯t even realize that she had so many secret identities.
Old Maddy was still going on. "There will always be someone better. Ms. Yvette was too arrogant, which led to her fall in the end. If you can achieve those things I just mentioned, then I will admit that you are strong enough, in which case, I will then tell you the truth."
"..."
Chapter 661: How Can One Have So Many Secret Identities?
Chapter 661: How Can One Have So Many Secret Identities?
There was a strange silence in the room all of a sudden.
Seeing that Nora hadn¡¯t said anything for a while, Old Maddy thought that she had received a huge mental blow because of what he said, so he sighed andforted her. He said, "In any case, one can neverpete with an organization just by themselves. Ms. Nora, don¡¯t be discouraged. To be honest, you can also establish and build your own forces. If you can¡¯t be a top-ss hacker like Q and Y, then bring them under you!
"As for the Imperial League, if you can get in touch with the members¡ªeven if it¡¯s just a bit of contact with one of them¡ªyou can slowly try to grow and develop. When that happens, and we gain the ability to fight against the mysterious organization, I will tell you the truth!
"You don¡¯t have to think it is that difficult. Although it is certainly hard, we can take it slow. Even though I have already aged, you are still young. Five years, ten years... You still have a long way ahead of you. You will definitely find a chance somewhere!"
The corners of Nora¡¯s lips spasmed. Suddenly, she said, "There is indeed a chance."
Old Maddy: "???"
He was taken aback for a moment. Then, he heard Nora slowly say, "My hacking skills should be more or less on par with Y¡¯s¡ªbecause I am Q."
Old Maddy was dumbfounded.
But right after that, he heard something even more incredible.
"Well, it¡¯s hard to fight against the Big Brother of the Irvin School of Martial Arts because he won¡¯t fight me. But I can¡¯t fight the Big Sister of the Quinn School of Martial Arts either, because I am Big Sister. Mm... I will strive to surpass myself every day."
Old Maddy: "!!!"
He looked at Nora in shock, a look of disbeliefing over his countenance. His lips started to tremble, and then he saw the girl frown as she said, "As for the escape you mentioned, I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t need that because I haven¡¯t lost any fight before. My driving speed was used to chase after people instead."
Old Maddy: "...!!!"
This time, Nora didn¡¯t even need to reveal her secret identity. With his lips trembling, he was already asking, "Y-you are also Yanci?"
"Yeah."
Nora did feel that it was a little embarrassing to reveal her secret identities and all that. After all, it wasn¡¯t quite appropriate of her to show off to him how amazing she was.
It would be best if Old Maddy could guess the truth through what little she said.
While she was thinking about it, she heard Old Maddy¡ªwhose lips were still trembling¡ªspeak again. He said, "But... but... the Imperial League..."
As though it was nothing much, Nora said, "Oh, the boss of the Imperial League is King. This part is certainly a bit difficult."
Old Maddy breathed a sigh of relief, but right after, he heard her slowly say, "After all, everyone in the Imperial League only interacts online. They rarely meet in person, so I indeed don¡¯t know who King is. If they ever hold a gathering, I canpare myself with him and see which of us is more impressive."
Old Maddy: "??"
He became even more dumbfounded. His face, which was already disfigured in the first ce, was unable to make expressions, easily making him seem dull and dimwitted.
The man was even more dazed at the moment.
In fact, he even swallowed and looked at Nora incredulously as he said, "You... you... You¡¯re a member of the Imperial League?"
"Yeah," Nora stretched out her long and slender legs and said, "King invited me into the group five years ago."
Old Maddy: "!!!"
He felt like he was really going crazy!
His jaw had dropped and he couldn¡¯t even say a single word as he stood there like a statue.
Then, he heard Nora slowly say, "Mom said that I shouldn¡¯t casually expose my identity if I¡¯m not strong enough¡ªbecause it will put me in grave danger. Therefore, I have been using secret identities and living a low-key life all these years. Maybe you can tell me what else I am still not good enough at? And I¡¯ll go and master it?"
Nora seemed rather troubled. "When on earth can I be considered strong?"
Old Maddy: "..."
Why did it feel like Ms. Nora was humble-bragging to him?
Utterly stunned, he swallowed and said, "Ms. Nora, I need a bit of time to calm myself down."
Nora waved, gesturing to him to do whatever he wanted.
Old Maddy walked back and forth in the room, asionally sighing and looking at Nora in disbelief. He kept feeling like he was dreaming.
How could a person have that many secret identities?!
Was this because of the gene serum that Yvette had injected into Nora back then to improve her IQ? But he clearly remembered that she had only injected a very, very small amount into her...
Chapter 662: King’s Identity!
Chapter 662: King¡¯s Identity!
The room was filled with weird silence.
Old Maddy, who had taken some time to calm himself down, suddenly said, "Let... let me go and rinse my face to clear my mind a little."
It seemed that even the amount of time he had spent calming himself down just now hadn¡¯t allowed him toe to terms with the new information.
He entered the bathroom in the ward in a daze and turned on the faucet. Then, he scooped a handful of icy-cold water and sshed it onto his face.
As it turned out, during these twenty-odd years that he had been crazy, Ms. Nora had be this outstanding?
If Ms. Yvette were still alive, she would probably be very d to see this, right?
Outside, Nora heard him turn on the faucet. Amid the sound of the water flowing and sshing, she seemed to hear Old Maddy¡¯s sigh.
A minuteter, the sound of water flowing was still continuing.
Seemingly sensing something, Nora sprung onto her feet and rushed straight into the bathroom¡ªonly to find that the window in the bathroom was wide open, and Old Maddy was already long gone!
Nora frowned.
She has been thinking about how Old Maddy and Charles seemed to be hiding something from her, but she didn¡¯t expect Old Maddy to pull a disappearing act in this situation?
The first thing she did was observe the room. There were no signs of tussling, but the anti-theft barrier outside the window had been broken.
This definitely was not something that could be done in just a minute...
Nora frowned. At this moment, her cell phone beeped¡ªit was a text message from an unfamiliar number. It read:
"Ms. Nora, even though you have already be very strong, you are still not strong enough to contend with the mysterious organization. Do not underestimate anyone in this world. Your next task is to be friends with King. Until then, do not go against the mysterious organization."
Nora: "?"
She raised her eyebrows and sent a reply: ¡¯Where are you? King and I are already friends.¡¯
Five years ago, in order to make some money to feed Cherry, she had set up a stock market boom. Without risking anything of her own, she had used somewful tricks in the stock market to make 75 million dors. After that, King had taken the initiative to contact her and added her into the Imperial League.
At the moment she entered the Imperial League, she had probably already be friends with King, right?
Old Maddy replied: ¡¯Do you trust him?¡¯
Nora was silent for a moment before she replied: ¡¯Yes.¡¯
Old Maddy: ¡¯Then does he trust you?¡¯
Nora thought for a while and replied: ¡¯Probably.¡¯
At the very least, when King added her into the group, he¡¯d said in private that everyone in the group should help one another out and be friendly towards one another.
During the past five years, King hadn¡¯t asked her to do anything. In the group, she was no different than a lurker. After observing the Imperial League for a whole five years, she found that the members of the organization were all very low-key, and they mostly talked about world economic trends.
These people were in control of global economies. No matter what they did, they discussed everything properly with one another. Even if a dispute broke out, a single word from King was enough to shut them up.
In her impression, the members of the organization were all very happy to help. Additionally, none of them had ever questioned information brought up by other members of the group. They had always given their fellow members unconditional trust.
Therefore, Nora felt that she could trust King and that King would also trust her.
After all, it wasn¡¯t as if the two of them would have any financial dealings with each other. Besides, King was really very nice. He was the only one who knew what she was capable of, yet had never ever disturbed her sleep! Instead, just like that, he had allowed her to be a freeloader in the group~
But Old Maddy wasn¡¯t satisfied with Nora¡¯s reply.
Old Maddy replied: "Ms. Nora, do not ever trust anyone. The same also goes for King! Also, the part that makes the mysterious organization powerful is not as simple as you think it is. I¡¯m afraid even King wouldn¡¯t want to be enemies with them. But unfortunately, if there is someone in this world who can help you beat the mysterious organization, then that person would undoubtedly be King."
Nora: "?"
She had always felt that she was very ordinary and was not strong enough. That was why she had been keeping her secret identities well-protected and preventing them from bing exposed, just so she could avoid what her mother had warned her of.
She would be in danger if anyone took notice of her.
Thus, she frowned and sent another message: ¡¯How can I get King to help me?¡¯
The mysterious organization had driven her mother to her grave. She had to avenge her.
However, Old Maddy merely replied: "King will not help you¡ªunless he is the children¡¯s father. Only then will he have the same standpoint as you. Ms. Nora, heed my advice, don¡¯t trust King unconditionally, let alone trying to avenge Ms. Yvette. Take the two children and Mr. Hunt with you and live out the rest of your life in the States peacefully! Ms. Yvette had never thought of having you take revenge for her. Don¡¯t look for me, there are some things that I will do on your behalf. When it is time for me to appear, I will naturally show up in front of you. Also, if you are ever in trouble, you can contact me by posting a newspaper ad."
Nora hurriedly sent a message: ¡¯What are you going to do on my behalf?¡¯
Old Maddy didn¡¯t reply anymore.
When Nora called him, she was informed that the other party had switched off their cell phone.
She traced the location of the cell phone number, only to find that its coordinates were changing along with the flow of the sewer, indicating that Old Maddy had already removed the SIM card from the phone and tossed it into the sewer.
Old Maddy was very professional¡ªor at least, that was certainly the case when he was hiding from people.
Nora frowned.
Five minutester, Lily brought the surveince camera footage from the hospital.
After all, this was the Hunt Corporation¡¯s private hospital. Here, Lily behaved almost as casually and naturally as she would at home. With just a word from her, the security guards had given her the surveince camera footage without a question.
Nora sat in Old Maddy¡¯s ward and checked the footage.
She found that after Old Maddy regained rity of mind, the first thing he had done was check his surroundings. Every morning, when he went to the toilet at a fixed time, he would always carry a paring knife with him.
Through the footage of the cameras on the outside, one would find that Old Maddy had been sawing at the anti-theft barrier every day when he went to the toilet. However, he also made sure the barrier stayed the way it looked. This way, when he needed to use it, the anti-theft barrier could be easily broken with just a bit of effort, thereby making it convenient for him to escape and preventing him from being trapped in the ward.
Nora clenched her jaw.
Old Maddy definitely hadn¡¯t been trying to avoid her when he did all this. After all, his eyes were very gentle and void of hostility when he looked at her.
So, these subconscious actions of his, as well as his uneasiness... Who was he hiding from?
There was only one answer¡ªthe mysterious organization...
Nora clenched her jaw.
Yes, Old Maddy was constantly on guard against sneak attacks from the mysterious organization.
She lowered her eyes.
To be honest, she had been somewhat underestimating the mysterious organization all this time. After all, when Trueman was in the country, he had almost been arrested and had been hiding from the special department the whole time, like a rat that could only live in the dark for life.
It was only now that she suddenly realized the reason why her mother hadn¡¯t worked with the Smiths to fight against the mysterious organization after she returned to the country¡ªso that she wouldn¡¯t implicate Ian.
Why had her mother fled?
Because the mysterious organization was too powerful!
The mysterious organization had never been an organization that one had the luxury to underestimate! Otherwise, why would her mother be driven into a corner like that?!
She felt that it seemed like she hadn¡¯t taken the mysterious organization seriously all this time...
From the very beginning, this way of thinking was wrong, terribly so.
Old Maddy must have also sensed that from ?her. That was why he had refused to say anything and chosen to up and leave instead, right?
But... just how capable was the mysterious organization?
While Nora was musing over this, her phone rang¡ªit was Justin. When she answered, his low voice came over the phone: "Old Maddy has escaped?"
The ongoings in the Hunt Corporation¡¯s private hospital would no doubt be reported to him at once.
"Yeah."
Nora replied dispassionately, but her voice was full of frustration.
This was the first time she felt so powerless.
Justin kept quiet for a while before he finally said, "I¡¯ll get my men to look for him."
"No, it¡¯s fine."
Nora stopped Justin. She said, "After so many years, he has finally be sober. It¡¯s time that he sees to his own business."
Besides, going by Old Maddy¡¯s professional, spy-like demeanor, it would be really hard to find him.
Justin was taken aback for a moment. Then, he asked, "Then you¡¯re not going to ask him what you want to know anymore?"
When Nora heard this, she suddenly curled her lips into a smile. She raised her eyebrows and said with a smile, "He may have left, but isn¡¯t there still another one here?"
Old Maddy must have thought that Charles was doomed. Even if he came to, the cerebral hemorrhage would still make him a vegetable. But he definitely had no way of knowing that she had saved Charles¡¯ life!
What Old Maddy was trying to hide...
Charles would definitely confess it all!
Since he was someone capable of betraying her mother back then, Nora could guarantee that she would definitely be able to pry what she wanted out of his mouth!
When Justin heard this, he let out a low chuckle. "Yup, I knew my Nora was amazing, but I didn¡¯t expect her to be this amazing. Given Charles¡¯s situation, he was no different than a dead man, yet you managed to save him."
The corners of Nora¡¯s lips spasmed.
This straightforwardpliment... Wasn¡¯t it a little too... pleasant to the ears?
The corners of her lips slowly curled upward. She suddenly said, "By the way, can I ask you about someone?"
As the head of the number one family in the United States, Justin would probably know who King was, right?
Chapter 663: Build A Good Relationship With King
Chapter 663: Build A Good Rtionship With King
Old Maddy had said that she would only be able to fight against the mysterious organization if King was willing to help her.
Nora currently didn¡¯t even know why she had to fight against the mysterious organization, let alone what exactly they were hiding.
But she still wondered¡ªif she seeded in building a good rtionship with King, then did that mean Old Maddy would return?
But how was she going to build a good rtionship with King? She didn¡¯t even know who he was!
Justin was at least the head of the number one family in the country. Besides, Nora had been suspecting all this time that he was actually the person with the alias Eagle in the Imperial League.
After all, there was no doubt that there were Americans in the Imperial League.
Through her observations, over the years, even though both the Hunt Corporation and the Smith Corporation had made some bad investments, they had skillfully avoided the huge pitfalls that mattered the most.
Although they had made great efforts to advertise how much they had lost, they had still profited overall.
Their overall direction had not deviated from the right path. The small investment failures were just red herrings. Had Nora not been rtively sensitive to numerical data, she probably wouldn¡¯t have noticed either.
These two families definitely had a way to get news from the Imperial League.
Therefore, Justin and Joel must both be in the Imperial League, right?
While she was thinking, Justin asked, "Who is it?"
Nora asked, "Where are you?"
"... At home."
"I¡¯lle to you. These things have to be said in person."
The Imperial League was not something that could be talked about casually. Moreover, when they joined the Imperial League, they had sworn that they would never expose the existence of the Imperial League to outsiders.
It was just that she felt that Justin was Eagle, that was why she had decided to ask him about it. However, it indeed was not suitable to talk about it over the phone.
Even Justin¡¯s voice sounded a little more cheerful than before. He said, "Sure,e over to my ce, then. Pete is here."
Nora: "?"
She hesitated for a moment. "Why is Pete there?"
Had she neglected her son because she was a little busiertely?
A tinge of guilt suddenly formed in her.
She was just thinking about it when Justin said, "Oh, the Hunts are having exams today. Cherry can¡¯t cope."
Nora: "..."
She sighed silently. Suddenly, she asked, "How many people know about Pete and Cherry?"
The fact that they were twins had not yet been disclosed to the public, but because everyone who should know about it was already in the know, Justin and Nora weren¡¯t deliberately hiding it anymore.
Justin answered, "All the Hunts know about it by now."
He had used the words "Hunts" and not "my family".
From the term of address alone, one could see that Justin actually did not have a strong sense of belonging to the Hunts.
Nora wasn¡¯t bothered about that, though. The Hunts¡¯ power and authority had never been part of her consideration in being in a rtionship with Justin anyway. Therefore, after uttering a "Hmm...", she immediately said, "I¡¯ming over right away."
¡ª
At the Hunts¡¯ family school.
Pete put down his pen after he finished the exams. When the bell rang, indicating that ss was over, he handed in his papers and walked out of ss.
As soon as he went out, he saw Cherry sitting in the garden outside and ying games. At the sight of him, she rushed over excitedly and asked, "Are the exams over, Pete? Did you get a perfect score?"
Pete replied, "Most likely."
"You¡¯re so awesome, Pete!" Cherry the little bootlicker¡¯s words of ttery started flowing as though they didn¡¯t cost anything. She said, "Pete is the smartest big brother in the world! He¡¯s also the most awesome big brother in the world!"
Pete: "..."
Although Cherry would always do this every time she saw him, he still wasn¡¯t used to hearing such things from her. He silently changed the subject and lowered his voice. "Where is that little imp?"
Cherry also lowered her voice. "He¡¯s in the room. He has been surprisingly well-behaved, and hasn¡¯t left his room all this time."
Well-behaved?
Pete sneered, "He¡¯s definitely just pretending to be well-behaved. C¡¯mon, I will go and meet him. I will definitely expose his true colors!"
Cherry nodded and followed behind him.
When the two were about to leave the school, Fatty rushed over. "Pete, you little idiot, your position as sessor to the family will be gone very soon. Nanny nanny boo-boo... That¡¯s so awesome!"
As soon as he said this, the rest of the children began to ask, "What happened?"
Fatty replied, "Because Uncle Justin now has an illegitimate child, and he even brought him back home! Pete won¡¯t be Uncle Justin¡¯s only son anymore! They¡¯re saying that the illegitimate child is not to be messed with. Pete, you¡¯re finished!"
"Pete is Daddy¡¯s one and only sessor. Xander is nothing. Don¡¯t you dare talk nonsense!"
Cherry got angry and stood in front of Pete.
Fatty, however, became distracted. Ever since he realized that Cherry was a girl and was Pete¡¯s younger sister, he had realized that the person ying games with him back then was actually Cherry!
It was precisely this little liar who had bullied him. At the sight of Cherry, Fatty wanted to seek revenge even more. He shouted, "You must be Cherry, right? What gives you the right to look down on Uncle Justin¡¯s illegitimate son? He¡¯s at least a boy, but what about you? Uncle Justin has not even officially introduced you to outsiders yet. You are just an illegitimate daughter who can¡¯t even inherit anything! You can¡¯t evenpare to his illegitimate son!"
Cherry: "??"
Her big dark eyes widened and she said, "Oh, I see! So, you are also an illegitimate son, Fatty! No wonder Uncle Roger has been treating you so badly!"
Fatty retorted, "I¡¯m not an illegitimate son! What nonsense are you saying?"
Cherry said, "But you just said that because Daddy didn¡¯t introduce me to outsiders, that makes me an illegitimate daughter. In that case, when has Uncle Roger ever introduced you to outsiders?"
Fatty: "?"
For a moment, he was actually stumped by Cherry¡¯s facious argument. In fact, after thinking about it, he even felt that what she said was true! Why didn¡¯t his father introduce him to outsiders and say that he was his son?
Cherry tilted her head and continued. "Or are you not Uncle Roger¡¯s son at all?"
Fatty: "?"
Cherry sighed. "I mean, look at how fat you are while Uncle Roger is so handsome. He¡¯s more or less as handsome as Daddy, so how can you possibly be his son? Oh, I know! Uncle Roger must have found you somewhere outside and brought you back home, right?!"
Fatty: "??"
He was close to tears. "I am my father¡¯s son!"
Cherry asked, "How are you going to prove that?"
"..."
Fatty was utterly stumped. Suddenly, he burst into tears, turned around, and ran out while yelling, "Daddy, am I your son or not?!"
With just a few words, Cherry had driven Fatty away. She blinked with her big eyes at Pete and shook her head lightly. "Do people be stupid when they get fat, Pete?"
Pete: "..."
He took Cherry¡¯s hand and said, "Alright, let¡¯s go home!"
He couldn¡¯t be bothered to argue with Fatty. He just needed to casually do a little something and Fatty would have a hard time in school.
But the sight of his younger sister standing up for him put him in a really good mood!
Therefore, he would go home right away and teach Xander, who was making his sister feel troubled, a lesson!
Hand in hand, the two kids hopped and skipped as they ran over to the vi where Justin lived.
They didn¡¯t even see that Justin was standing not far away.
Nora¡¯s car also happened to enter the Hunt Manor at this point.
Chapter 664: Birthday~
Chapter 664: Birthday~
Nora drove straight to Justin¡¯s vi.
The moment she entered, someone had notified Justin of her arrival. So when Nora stopped the car, Justin was already in the parking lot waiting for her.
When Nora got out of the car, she saw Justin looking a little serious. She subconsciously asked, "What¡¯s wrong?"
After a short silence, Justin replied, "I¡¯m thinking of celebrating Cherry¡¯s birthday."
Celebrating her birthday...
Nora was taken aback for a moment. It was only then that she realized that it would be Cherry¡¯s birthday in five days.
Even though that day was Cherry¡¯s birthday, it was also the day she had lost Pete. Thus, she rarely celebrated Cherry¡¯s birthday in the past.
Besides, when they were abroad, they had very few rtives with them. Every time it was Cherry¡¯s birthday, her aunt would just prepare a small gift for her and buy her a cake.
Going by what Justin had said, surely he wasn¡¯t nning to hold a grand birthday party for her, right?
What had happened?
Nora looked at him hesitantly, only to see Justin sigh and quietly say, "I want to host a good birthday party and formally introduce Cherry and Pete to the public."
In the past, he had kept Pete very well-protected and avoided letting outsiders know what he looked like in order to prevent him from being kidnapped.
But now that Pete was five years old, there was no longer a need to continue hiding him. At the very least, it was time to let the New Yorkers familiarize themselves with Pete and Cherry.
Just like Fatty said, the way he kept hiding them was as if he had no intention of acknowledging the two children.
Nora didn¡¯t know what had happened, but she would never object to something that was dispensable to her but could put Cherry on cloud nine.
That¡¯s right, Cherry loved excitement.
She had always envied how lively and exciting Princess Lucy¡¯s birthdays were. Princess Lucy even had many people visiting her to give her birthday gifts, whereas she didn¡¯t have any friends.
She also wanted to wear a beautiful princess dress like a princess, and gracefully thank everyone for attending the party.
Now, her father could finally make that wishe true for her.
Nora asked, "Are you going to hold it at the Hunts¡¯?"
Justin nodded. "Yeah. I¡¯ll let the butler handle it, you don¡¯t need to worry about it."
Then there would be even less of a problem.
Nora agreed to it at once.
While the two talked, they started walking to the living room.
When they entered, they were just in time to see the three children sitting in the living room and ying with building blocks.
Pete was arranging the blocks while Cherry and Xander were directing him from either side.
"Pete, it seems like that block should be ced here."
"Hey, it¡¯s obviously supposed to be ced here, isn¡¯t it?"
Pete kept a gentle expression on his face and looked at Cherry. He said, "I think Xander is right."
Cherry thought for a while and then said, "I think so too."
Xander: "?"
Just as he was confused as to what was happening, Nora and Justin walked in.
Whatnded in their eyes was the sight of the three little fellows having fun together.
Both Nora and Justin were a little surprised.
Both of them knew very well what the children they had raised were really like.
From Nora¡¯s perspective, Cherry was a man with the appearance of a girl who would never tolerate someone else taking her ce. She would undoubtedly be full of hostility towards Xander.
From Justin¡¯s perspective, although his son was taciturn, he was, in fact, a very scheming boy. Coupled with his insecurities, he was very territorial.
The two children had only epted each other so quickly because they simply looked so much alike, and also because they had themon experience of switching ces with each other.
But they were definitely not people who could easily ept another child!
Justin and Nora looked at each other. Justin asked, "What are you guys doing?"
Cherry immediately raised her little head. "Daddy, we¡¯re ying together. Pete and I both like our little brother Xander very much~"
Xander frowned at once. "I told you, I¡¯m older!"
Cherry sighed helplessly. "In that case, when were you born? I was born on September 8. It will be my birthday in five days~ Oh, yes, it will also be Pete¡¯s birthday! We are twins, so we have the same birthday! What about you?"
Chapter 665: Pete’s Little Sneaky Thoughts
Chapter 665: Pete¡¯s Little Sneaky Thoughts
When Cherry asked the question, Nora immediately looked at Xander.
Birthday?
That¡¯s right, she wondered when Xander was born? If he shared the same birthday as Cherry and Pete... then would that also exin a little something?
But when Xander heard Cherry asking about his birthday, he was slightly taken aback.
Then, he lowered his head, coughed, and said, "I don¡¯t have a mother, so how would I know when my birthday is?"
Cherry blinked.
Pete walked over and said, "Then why don¡¯t we celebrate our birthday together? I have never celebrated my birthday before either."
Xander immediately looked up. "Really?"
"Yeah."
Xander¡¯s eyes lit up at Pete¡¯s answer.
He raised his chin and said proudly, "Okay then!"
Pete then looked at Justin. "Daddy, can the three of us celebrate our birthday together this year?"
Seeing how the three children seemed to be having fun, Justin narrowed his eyes and suddenly smiled. "Sure."
After agreeing to the children¡¯s request, he went upstairs with Nora.
After all, he and Nora still had things to talk about!
It seemed that Nora had wanted to ask him about someone just now?
The two adults went upstairs. After they disappeared from the corridor, the smiles on Pete and Cherry¡¯s faces instantly disappeared and they looked at Xander hostilely.
Cherry asked, "Pete, why are you letting him celebrate his birthday with us?"
Pete replied softly, "If I don¡¯t invite him, Daddy will sympathize with him because he looks so pitiful. Once he does, Daddy will be biased! And this will be unfair to Mommy!"
Cherry was enlightened. "No wonder you told me to be nice to him in front of Daddy! If we bully him, Daddy will also feel bad for him, right?"
Pete nodded. "Yeah."
The little fellow was very sensitive. This was the strategy he had devised.
After the two spoke, they both looked at Xander.
Xander was pointing at a block. "Put this one here..."
"Okay."
However, Pete instead tossed the block in his hand onto the table and said, "This is so boring. You can y by yourself."
Xander: "??"
He touched his nose.
Tsk.
What was that brat being so arrogant for? If it weren¡¯t for Cherry, would he be ying such childish games with him?!
¡ª
Elsewhere, after going upstairs, Justin was still afraid that Nora would think too much, so he exined, "Pete is very sensitive. Although he seemed to be defending Xander just now, he probably had some sneaky little n in mind. I could only agree to it. When the timees... I can find an excuse to trick Xander into leaving the house and we can just celebrate Cherry and Pete¡¯s birthdays instead."
He didn¡¯t want Nora to feel ufortable, nor did he want her to think that he was already putting Xander on the same level as Cherry and Pete when they hadn¡¯t even confirmed the boy¡¯s identity yet.
To be honest, Justin still had conflicting emotions even now.
He had deliberately lessened his contact with Xander at home precisely because he was afraid of developing feelings for him.
Should Xander¡¯s mother turn out to not be Nora, he felt that he might just raise the child but would never really ept him.
He knew that this was very unfair to Xander.
But if he treated Xander like his own and kept him by his side, the one suffering justice would then end up being Nora.
There was no way to have one¡¯s cake and eat it too.
Neither would he throw the problem to Nora. Therefore, he would make the choice himself.
When Nora heard this, she was silent for a moment.
To be honest, she did not actually feel much hostility towards the boy.
Besides, even though Charles said that she had given birth to twins, she couldn¡¯t help but keep feeling like Xander was also her child.
This feeling was bing more and more intense with each meeting.
If they only celebrated the twins¡¯ birthday and neglected Xander...
Nora lowered her eyes. After they went upstairs, the first thing she did was to take out her cell phone and call Lily.
Lily answered very quickly. "Boss, what¡¯s up?"
"When can youplete Xander¡¯s DNA restoration?"
Lily replied, "In a week at thetest, and that¡¯s if I work overtime. And Boss, you can¡¯t ask me to do anything else within the week."
Nora kept quiet for a moment before she said, "Alright."
Then, she suddenly asked, "When will Charles wake up?"
Lily heaved a silent sigh. "See, Boss? This is already another task. For now, it seems that he may wake up within the week."
Nora said, "Okay, either you finish restoring Xander¡¯s DNA within five days or you get Charles to wake up within five days."
Lily: "..."
If Xander really was her son, then she couldn¡¯t celebrate only the twins¡¯ birthday.
Therefore, this must be confirmed before their birthday.
Chapter 666: The Same Birthday
Chapter 666: The Same Birthday
After hanging up the phone, Nora followed Justin into the study.
Justin closed the door thoughtfully and looked at her with a smile. "What do you want to ask me?"
He was very happy.
He felt that Nora was finally willing to talk to him when she met with a problem. This feeling of being needed gave him an indescribable sense of satisfaction.
Nora didn¡¯t understand what he was smiling at. Instead, she looked at him.
Suddenly, she asked, "Do you know Eagle?"
Justin was taken aback for a moment. He asked hesitantly, "What?"
Nora was also a little surprised seeing his expression.
Justin had always been very rxed in front of her, but when she said the codename ¡¯Eagle¡¯ just now, Justin did not react?
Wasn¡¯t he Eagle?
During her hesitation, Justin asked again, "What Eagle? A codename ¡¯Eagle¡¯? What organization is he from? That codename is toomon. There are a lot of..."
Although there was an Eagle in the Imperial League, the codename was simply toomon. He needed to ask and properly rify.
However, his reaction made Nora even more certain that he was not Eagle.
Nora kept quiet for a long while.
When they joined the Imperial League, they had sworn that they would not tell outsiders about its existence. They were allowed to use the information they got from the organization to help their rtives, but they were not allowed to reveal the source of the information.
Outside, they were not allowed to mention the Imperial League.
Earlier, she had thought that Justin was Eagle, that was why she had told him that she wanted to ask him about someone.
But if Justin was not Eagle, then she was not allowed to talk to him about anything regarding the Imperial League, let alone ask him who King was.
Nora had always been a rule-abiding person.
Therefore, in the end, she chose not to ask about it anymore. She said, "Never mind, it¡¯s nothing."
Justin: "?"
He wanted to say something, but the butler was knocking on the door. He had to let him in.
The butler asked, "Sir, did you need something?"
Justin thought for a while and replied, "I will hold a birthday party for Pete and Cherry to celebrate their fifth birthday in five days. Make the necessary preparations."
His words made the butler bewildered.
For wealthy families like the Hunts, if they wanted to hold a birthday party, they would have to make reservations and other arrangements in advance. After all, it would be toote for them to custom-make anything now.
But since Justin had said the word, then even if it was toote, they had to make it happen in time.
The butler asked, "Is it a grand party or a small one?"
Justin replied, "Send an invite to all our friends and family."
It wasn¡¯t necessary to invite his business associates. He was indeed nning to introduce Cherry to everyone, but there was no need to invite that many people.
Even so, after inviting all of his friends and family... It would still be a medium-sized party.
For the Hunts, they could expect almost a thousand guests for a medium-sized party.
Although the butler was troubled, he nevertheless immediately lowered his head and said, "Yes, sir."
He was in a hurry to leave after saying that, so he asked, "Do you have any other orders, sir?"
"No."
"Okay, then I will go and make preparations right away."
He would have to busy himself with preparing the party invitations, the menu, as well as all the servants¡¯ deployment. Moreover, as there would be a lot of guests on that day, he would also have to prepare sufficient parking space and arrange for security personnel.
The Hunts would probably be very busy soon.
Justin¡¯s one-liner had quite literally put the butler up to his ears in work!
Before leaving the room, the butler suddenly stopped and looked back at Justin. He asked, "Is the birthday party for Mr. Pete and Ms. Cherry?"
"Yeah," replied Justin with a nod.
With that, the butler understood and went out.
Elsewhere, after Nora was done dealing with her affairs, she didn¡¯t stay any longer. After all, she had ended up wasting some time giving Charles medical treatment. Thus, she was going home to sleep.
The strange thing, though, was that Pete, who usually followed her everywhere, had actually taken the initiative to say that he wanted to stay at the Hunts, saying that if he went with her to the Smiths, he might affect Nora¡¯s rest.
Nora could only agree to his request. After thinking about it, she asked Pete to the side and said earnestly, "Pete, don¡¯t bully the boy, okay?"
Pete fell silent for a moment when he heard her. Then, he tilted his head and asked, "But what if he bullies Mommy?"
Nora smiled and ruffled his hair. Her voice was very low but reassuring as she said, "I know Pete is a filial boy, but no one is capable of bullying Mommy. Okay?"
Pete looked up at her.
Nora was very tall. He was only as tall as her waist at the moment. In his eyes, his Mommy was gentle and strong.
Pete had never needed anyone or anything to give him cover, but in front of his mother, he abandoned all his sneaky thoughts and conspiracies, wanting only to be the most well-behaved child in front of her.
He rxed and nodded. "Okay, Mommy!"
After she left, Pete and Cherry came together again.
Cherry asked, "Pete, are we still going to drive Xander away?"
Pete kept quiet for a long while before he finally replied, "Let¡¯s put all our ns on halt for now. We¡¯ll take action only if Xander bullies Mommy, or if Mommy suffers injustice because of him! We absolutely won¡¯t tolerate his existence in the family!"
"Okie-Dokie!"
Cherry pped. But then, she suddenly realized something¡ªwhy was she so happy that they weren¡¯t driving Xander away anymore?
It must be that she found Xander really pitiful because he didn¡¯t have a mom!
She would never ever admit that she did like Xander a teeny-weeny little bit!
After the two children spoke to each other, they went up the stairs hand in hand to y in the room upstairs.
Neither of them saw Xander walking out from the side.
He stared angrily in the direction where the twins had left.
He was even holding his favorite book about human anatomy, as well as a doll detailing a human¡¯s body structure.
Initially, for Cherry¡¯s sake, he had wanted to make friends with Pete. Even though Pete said that it was very boring ying building blocks with him, he had gone back upstairs to fetch his favorite toy.
But he hadn¡¯t expected to hear such conversation.
They wanted to drive him away?
They were too much!
They were all Daddy¡¯s children, and this was also Daddy¡¯s home. Why should he be driven away just because he didn¡¯t share the same birthday as them?
The little boy clenched his fists. Suddenly, he turned and went back upstairs.
After entering his bedroom, the angry Xander threw the doll in his hand onto the floor. At once, the doll broke into pieces.
A hostile look shed across Xander¡¯s eyes.
At this moment, his cell phone rang.
Xander picked up the call. Trueman¡¯s somewhat evil and slightly shrill voice came from the other side. "My dearest Xander, how have you been?"
"... Fine. By the way, Dad, when is my birthday?"
When Trueman heard this, he paused. Suddenly, he chuckled and replied, "September 8. Why?"
September 8! His birthday was the same as Cherry and Pete¡¯s!
Chapter 667: He’s Not An Illegitimate Child!
Chapter 667: He¡¯s Not An Illegitimate Child!
Xander was stunned. He chose not to tell Trueman the truth but instead replied, "It¡¯s nothing."
Then, he suddenly asked, "Daddy, do you think I really won¡¯t be able to get along with my new father?"
Trueman sneered, "Of course. Do you think Justin Hunt treats you well?"
Xander thought for a moment and answered, "Not too well, but not that bad either, I suppose!"
"Then what about Nora Smith?"
Xander tilted his head and answered, "She treats me okay too. She didn¡¯t drive me away, nor did she quarrel with Justin to get him to send me away. Instead, she¡¯s very calm, as if she doesn¡¯t care about my existence."
"Really?"
Trueman sounded a little unhappy. "That woman sure is big-hearted. Or should I say that she doesn¡¯t love Justin Hunt at all? Otherwise, why wouldn¡¯t she care that her man has another child?"
Xander touched his nose and suddenly asked, "Is there a chance that she thinks I¡¯m cute, so she can¡¯t bear to do anything to me?"
"Heh," Trueman suddenlyughed. "Do you think a woman would find her husband¡¯s illegitimate child cute?"
Xander felt very ufortable being called an illegitimate child.
But he didn¡¯t get angry.
Because Trueman was right.
He didn¡¯t have a mother but was instead Justin¡¯s child from some unknown woman. Didn¡¯t that make him an illegitimate child?
Trueman went on. "Don¡¯t be fooled by their superficial actions. Adults¡¯ affairs are much moreplicated than you think. They don¡¯t care about you at the moment only because you haven¡¯t grown up; you¡¯re not a threat to Peter Hunt¡¯s position yet. If you be outstanding enough to be the next heir to the Hunts, do you think they would still treat you well?"
For a while, Xander didn¡¯t speak.
Trueman scoffed, "Have you forgotten about Prince Charlie? He is also an illegitimate child. His stepmother deliberately raised him into a good-for-nothing... That¡¯s why you must find a way to drive Pete out of the Hunts! This is the only way you can be Justin Hunt¡¯s only son, understand?"
Xander narrowed his eyes. "Yes, Daddy."
Although he felt that Trueman was wrong, he did not refute him.
Since he was a baby, he had known that there would only be severe punishment waiting for him if he rebutted his father¡¯s words.
He heaved a small sigh.
Then, he stood up and walked out. He was going to tell them that his birthday was also on September 8, so they could hold the birthday party together.
Xander had long forgotten Trueman¡¯s instructions.
The excited boy went to look for Pete and Cherry, but when he walked up to the door of the room where Pete and Cherry were, he was instead stopped by a few children.
These children were all from his uncles and aunts¡¯ families. They were about ten years old, so they roughly knew what they were doing. From a young age, their parents had told them to curry favors with Pete and had also forbidden them from bullying him.
When they heard that Pete was back, they specially came over to y with him.
However, they didn¡¯t expect Pete to refuse visitations again. This made them feel rather bored.
Just when they were about to leave, they happened to run into Xander.
A kid said very loudly, "Is that Uncle Justin¡¯s illegitimate son?"
Someone replied, "He does look a little like Uncle Justin, but what a pity that he is a little bastard without a mother! There¡¯s no way he can inherit the Hunts!"
"Yes, yes! I even heard that he grew up with monsters in the wild. Can you speak humannguage?"
"C¡¯mon, make a sound and let us hear it..."
The few of them surrounded Xander. They pushed him and bullied him. "Xander, right? Who is your mother?"
"He doesn¡¯t have a mother, and he doesn¡¯t even know when his birthday is! So, did he pop out of a rock?"
"Are you here to y with Pete? What makes you think you can y with him? Are you worthy of ying with him? He is the rightful son of the master of the household, what about you? You¡¯re an illegitimate child! You can¡¯t evenpare to Pete¡¯s little finger!"
"Why are you keeping quiet? Are you stupid? Pete is the smartest of us all, you know! I bet your IQ is not even a fraction of his. Also, do you know a birthday party will be held in a few days? Uncle Justin is holding it so that he can announce to everyone that Cherry is his daughter! It has nothing to do with an illegitimate child like you!"
"..."
The children were just repeating what they had secretly heard from the adults.
A boy named Xander had arrived, and everyone was talking about him. When someone asked if Pete¡¯s status would be threatened, everyone had immediately refuted him.
Not only had Pete exhibited a high IQ since he was a baby, but his mother was even the youngdy of the Smiths. With a status like hers, how would she not be able to protect Pete?
Therefore, everyone looked down on Xander.
The children¡¯s words made Xander clench his fists.
He stared at the kids in front of him. Although he wanted very much to charge forward and scratch their faces, he couldn¡¯t do that. Every one of them was much stronger than him.
He focused on the leader of the group.
The kid was mocking him. He said, "Did you grow up with cats and dogs? Do you sleep together with them? Then can you talk like a dog?"
Xander narrowed his eyes and touched his nose. Suddenly, he smiled and replied, "Of course. Not only can I talk like a dog, but I can even..."
He whispered something.
The leader of the children immediately took a step forward and asked curiously, "What else do you know?"
Xander grinned. "Come over here, I¡¯ll only tell you about it."
"Okay."
The child leaned into his face. The next moment, Xander¡¯s sharp little teeth mped down on his ear!
"Ahhh!" An ear-piercing scream went right through the roof into the high heavens.
The kid shoved Xander away, but he didn¡¯t let go. The rest of the children rushed forward and started beating Xander up, but Xander still refused to let go.
It wasn¡¯t until his teeth had pierced all the way through the child¡¯s ear that he finally let go. He ignored the pain all over his body.
He grinned and said, "In addition to knowing how to bark like a dog, I also know how to bite like one."
He stretched out his hand and looked at the others. "Who¡¯s the next one that wants to be bitten?"
Xander had blood at the corner of his lips at the moment. After saying that, his malevolent eyes looked at the other children. When the children saw the boy bleeding profusely, they became so frightened that they dispersed at once. "Run!"
Even the child who was bitten held his ear and rushed out with the other children.
Seeing them leave, Xander wiped the corners of his mouth. He rolled his eyes and walked towards Justin¡¯s study.
He was going to tell his father that his birthday was also on September 8 and that he was not an illegitimate child!
He would get his father to announce to everyone on his birthday that he was his son!
In the study.
The seated Justin was musing after he saw Nora off.
He wondered when Xander¡¯s birthday was...
If it was also September 8, then it would pretty much confirm that Nora was his mother too...
Chapter 668: Who’s The Naughty Boy?
Chapter 668: Who¡¯s The Naughty Boy?
Xander hid outside the door and secretly observed Justin.
He saw the man frowning, seemingly troubled. The man looked like he was contemting, and while he did, he kept touching his nose.
Xander¡¯s hand, which was also touching his nose, paused. He blinked and put his hand down.
Beforeing, he had wanted to tell the tyrant about his birthday and also wanted to get him to publicly announce that Xander was also Justin¡¯s son on that day.
But after he arrived, he was a little afraid to go in.
What if Daddy Tyrant refused to celebrate his birthday for him even after he told him about his birthday?
He spent too much time thinking about it. Suddenly, he heard amotioning from a distance away. Xander turned over to see that the group of misbehaving kids who had just left had returned!
It was just that this time, they had also brought their parents with them.
Jack Hunt, the leader of the group and the boy whose ear Xander had bitten, was crying. His eyes had bepletely red. He held his mother¡¯s hand as he walked over. His ear hadn¡¯t been bandaged yet. Although he wasn¡¯t bleeding anymore, the wound still looked shocking.
As soon as he walked over, Jack pointed at Xander andined, "Mommy, that¡¯s him! He¡¯s the one who bit my ear!"
Jack was a child from the Hunts¡¯ side family. His family had attached themselves to the main family and depended on them for their livelihood.
Jack¡¯s mother could also be considered someone from a wealthy and prestigious family. She looked straight at Xander, her finger nearly jabbing his face as she demanded, "What¡¯s the matter with you, kid? What makes you think you can bully my son? Can¡¯t you talk it out properly with them? Did you have to bite him? Are you a dog?"
Her voice was rather loud, causing everyone around them to look over.
Because they were at the door to Justin¡¯s study, Justin also heard themotion. He opened the door.
When Jack¡¯s mother saw Justin, she immediately started crying. She said, "Justin, look! That boy nearly bit off Jack¡¯s ear! He is too much!"
She cried and said, "My little Jack has always been a sensible boy. Because he¡¯s a few years older, I¡¯ve always told him to give in to Pete and keep him happy¡ªafter all, Pete is still young. But how can this little devil be so naughty? How can he be so quick to bite other people? He¡¯s too much!"
Justin frowned and looked at Xander.
He¡¯d had rtively little contact with Xander during this period, so he didn¡¯t actually know what the boy was like.
However, a child that Trueman had brought up would undoubtedly be a little unorthodox.
What stood out, in particr, was the time when he first arrived at the Hunt Manor. When the bodyguard tried to take a sample of his DNA, the boy had bitten the bodyguard¡¯s hand and almost broke it.
After that, his personality and way of handling things became even more unpredictable.
But when Justin interrogated Ruth, he realized that Ruth had abused the boy before. That must be how Xander had developed such a vicious and cruel personality despite his young age.
He narrowed his eyes and looked at Xander. He asked, "Did you bite him?"
Xander¡¯s eyes widened.
He looked at Jack¡¯s mother, and then back at Justin.
The other boy¡¯s mother had defended her son right away when something went wrong, but what about his Daddy Tyrant?
Xander suddenly became very angry.
He clenched his jaw, lifted his chin, and nodded stubbornly. "Yeah, I did."
He hated being looked down upon the most.
Therefore, after he spoke, he even grinned at Jack and said, "Ha, you are already ten years old while I am only five, yet you can¡¯t beat me in a fight. That¡¯s already embarrassing enough, yet you even ran to your mommy just because you couldn¡¯t beat me? What kind of man are you?!"
Jack: "!!"
Upon being ridiculed, he felt even more aggrieved. He hugged his mother at once and burst into tears.
Jack¡¯s mother¡¯s eyes reddened. "You saw that, right, Justin? That boy is simply too arrogant, his upbringing is horrible! He shows no sign of remorse! Justin, you have to stand up for Jack! They are all children of the Hunts. Even if he is the n head¡¯s son, he can¡¯t just bully other people so casually!"
Justin narrowed his eyes and looked at Xander. He asked, "What exactly is going on?"
He didn¡¯t know what had happened. Even if he was prejudiced against the boy, he couldn¡¯t just assume so easily that Xander was in the wrong.
But he was asking the wrong person.
If it was Pete, Pete would think that his father was asking him about what had happened, and would exin everything clearly and truthfully.
But the one he was asking was instead Xander...
The boy was sensitive. Without the love and care from a mother, he had grown up relying only on himself. When he met with trouble, all he knew was to shoulder everything head-on by himself.
Justin¡¯s question broke his heart.
To think he didn¡¯t trust him.
Ha, what¡¯s the use of having a father like that?!
His gaze turned cold straightaway. The little fellow scoffed and ignored Justin. Instead, he looked straight at Jack. "Yeah, I bullied you. So? Weren¡¯t you asking for it? It¡¯s your ear this time, but next time... Heh!"
Jack was so scared that he took a step back.
Xander became smug at once.
However, Jack¡¯s mother stood right in front of Jack. She pointed at him and yelled, "You¡¯re really a wild child from god knows where! You have no manners whatsoever!"
Xander folded his little arms. "What are manners? After all, I don¡¯t have a mother. Even though I have a father, he is pretty much non-existent too. Without anyone to teach me, how would I have any manners? If you find me an eyesore, then why don¡¯t you hit me?! But do you dare to? I¡¯m Justin¡¯s son, you know! If you have the guts, then just p me across the cheek instead of prattling on and on forever over there!"
The child¡¯s attitude made Justin¡¯s expression darken.
Xander was simply too arrogant and domineering. There was no trace of Pete¡¯s temperament in him at all. His expression turned cold and he said, "Xander, I¡¯ll give you one more chance. Tell me what exactly happened!"
"What happened? Nothing much? It¡¯s just what you saw. I, your son, bullied someone. What? Do you also want to hit me?"
Xander said stubbornly, "What gives you the right to lecture me? Have you ever raised me?"
Justin clenched his jaw. Suddenly, he narrowed his eyes and said, "Aren¡¯t you living in the Hunt Manor right now?"
His one-liner made Xander even more sensitive.
He looked at Justin angrily.
What Jack and the other children said just now resounded in his ears: "... Uncle Justin is holding the birthday party so that he can introduce Cherry to everyone! Who do you think you are? You are just an illegitimate son! Uncle Justin has never thought of acknowledging you as his son at all!"
And sure enough!
He must be trying to drive him away!
Xander clenched his fists and sneered, "Really? But aren¡¯t I living in the Hunt Manor because you begged my father to send me here?"
Seeing how stubborn he was, and how he simply refused to tell him anything, the big and tall Justin slowly squatted down. He said, "Xander, I hope you can talk to me if you meet with trouble. Don¡¯t learn from Trueman..."
But before he could finish, Xander pped him and then took a step back. "What did I learn from him? My father was the one who brought me up, so I would definitely be like him! I was born a bad person! You really wish you could get rid of a son like me, right? I don¡¯t want a father like you either! I didn¡¯t want toe back here at all! It¡¯s all because you used Aunt Ruth to force me back here! If you find me annoying, then why don¡¯t you send me back?! In my heart, my only father is Trueman Yale!"
After saying those extreme things, Xander stared at Justin stubbornly.
Justin: "..."
He fell silent.
With Xander behaving like this, he suddenly didn¡¯t know how tomunicate with him.
Instead, he got back up and looked at Jack¡¯s mother.
Jack¡¯s mother shouted, "You saw that, right? Justin? Having a child like him at home really makes me so scared. Since he can bite my son today, then he may just bite someone else tomorrow. We are not part of the main family, so I can put up with it. But what if he bites Pete?"
Justin frowned. Then, the woman added, "And what if he bites Cherry?"
That one line of hers made Justin¡¯s gaze turn cold.
Fights among little boys were nothing much, but if it involved Cherry... He looked straight at Xander. "No matter what the reason, you are not allowed to bite anyone in the future!"
Xander looked at him angrily. "Heh, how can a dog¡¯s son not bite?"
His words made Justin frown again. "Xander! Yale!"
Xander stood there stubbornly, the expression on his little face all strained.
Jack¡¯s mother sighed. "Don¡¯t ask him about it anymore, Justin. I¡¯ve already found out what happened. Jack came over to visit Pete and y with him, but Xander saw him. He rushed over immediately and said that he is also your son, so he also has the right to order them around. He wanted Jack to y with him, but Jack refused, so he bit him..."
Justin narrowed his eyes. He stared at Xander and asked once more, "Is that what happened?"
He wanted to know the truth.
The child was still young. Some habits could be corrected. Who Trueman had led astray could also be forced back onto the right path.
However, Xander did not speak.
Jack¡¯s mother suddenly turned to look somewhere. At the sight of something, she immediately said, "Justin, even if you don¡¯t believe us, won¡¯t you believe Pete? Pete, quick,e here and tell your father what happened just now. Did Xander bully Jack?!"
Hearing this, Justin looked into the distance to see that Pete and Cherry had also heard themotion and walked over.
After they approached, Justin looked straight at Pete and asked, "Is that what happened?"
He trusted Pete.
Because he had brought him up.
Jack¡¯s mother was relieved. Pete had never been a kind and sweet dimwit. Rather, he was very clever. He understood the power of such schemes and conspiracies very well.
Besides, Jack had said that Pete wanted to drive Xander away. Wasn¡¯t this exactly a great opportunity for him to do that?
Therefore, as long as Pete was not stupid, he would know what to say.
By virtue of the incident, Jack would also be able to cling to Pete. When they grew up, his life in the Hunts would also improve!
Jack¡¯s mother made beautiful ns in her mind and looked at Pete expectantly.
Chapter 669: This Family Is Actually Not That Bad Either
Chapter 669: This Family Is Actually Not That Bad Either
Jack¡¯s mother had not taken her child to the hospital to have his wound dressed right away in order to please Pete.
For so many years, their family had been trying their best to turn Jack into Pete¡¯s right-hand man. Unfortunately, both Pete and Justin were very indifferent to others.
This was especially true since Pete also had mild autism, which led to him not having anyone close at home.
That was why Jack¡¯s mother saw this incident as an opportunity, despite his injury.
She said, "Yeah, Pete, tell him what happened. Quick, tell your dad just how annoying that boy is. He often loses his temper and bullies others for no reason. He¡¯s too domineering. He¡¯s also very savage and has no manners whatsoever. Get your father to kick him out of the house, or take him out and have him educated before he moves back in! Otherwise, with so many children in the house, who knows who would be bitten next?"
Her hints were already so obvious. Pete should have understood.
Yet Pete didn¡¯t speak.
Jack¡¯s mother was stunned. Suddenly, she realized that perhaps Pete didn¡¯t want to be involved in the dispute. If word got around that it was Pete who had driven Xander away, his reputation would be badly affected.
She narrowed her eyes at once, feeling like she had ultimately still underestimated Pete.
His skill at infighting within the household was simply too great.
He was nning to just watch from the sidelines.
But since she wanted to express her loyalty to him, Jack¡¯s mother spoke presumptuously again. "I suddenly remembered something. Pete had been busy when Jack came to visit him. Pete, did you not see them fighting?"
As soon as she said that, Pete suddenly replied, "I did."
Jack¡¯s mother was taken aback, but then she immediately became overjoyed. "Then hurry up and tell your father what the truth is!"
Pete was really getting involved?
She was ecstatic. Elsewhere, Xander looked at Pete and thought of the conversation he¡¯d overheard just now.
Pete wanted to drive him away.
Just like Daddy said, no one in this family weed him. He was just an extra. The woman¡¯s children were undoubtedly filled with hostility towards him.
Ha.
Did they think that he wanted to be here?
Xander lifted his chin and turned his head stubbornly to the side. Then, he heard Pete say, "It was indeed Xander who bit Jack¡¯s ear."
Xander clenched his little fists and became even more disdainful.
He snorted coldly. "Yeah, I bit him. What about it? If you¡¯re that great, then why don¡¯t you..."
Before he could finish, Pete went on. "But it was Jack who picked a fight first. He called Xander an illegitimate child who didn¡¯t have a mother and even said that Daddy won¡¯t want him and would throw him out. The group of them even beat Xander up. Xander only bit him in self-defense."
As soon as he said that, everyone present fell silent.
Everyone looked at Pete incredulously.
After giving a clear ount of what had happened, Pete didn¡¯t speak any more. Instead, he took a step back and exchanged a look with Cherry.
Cherry had a big smile all over her face, and she gave her brother a big thumbs-up.
Pete raised his eyebrows.
The boy who used to be frosty and autistic in the past could now exchange vivid and enthused looks with others.
Jack¡¯s mother was dumbfounded. She stood where she was in a daze and looked at Pete in disbelief. She swallowed. "Pete, do you know what you just said?"
Pete lowered his eyes. "Yes, I do."
Although he did want to drive Xander away, it wasn¡¯t going to be through such despicable means. Besides...
A tinge of anger shed across Pete¡¯s eyes.
Xander was Daddy¡¯s son. He only wanted to drive him away because he was worried that his existence would affect Mommy¡¯s emotions.
But this did not mean that outsiders could bully him!
If Xander was up to no good, or if he made Mommy ufortable, then Pete definitely would not be soft-hearted. However, he couldn¡¯t lie in this instance.
Justin looked at the son, whom he had brought up, with satisfaction.
No matter the situation, Pete had never disappointed him. He would y little tricks to make him neglect Xander a little, but in the face of what was right and wrong, he was never ambiguous.
He ruffled Pete¡¯s hair gently. Then, he looked at Jack¡¯s mother. With a sharp look in his eyes, he said, "It seems like Gordon has been a little too busytely. That must be why he hasn¡¯t been educating Jack properly. In that case, I¡¯ll just let hime back and spend some quality time with his son!"
Gordon Hunt was Jack¡¯s father.
Although he wasn¡¯t a prized member of thepany or family, Justin would still assign him some jobs and projects so that he could earn a bit of extra money from them.
But now that they had the audacity to call Xander an illegitimate child...
In that case, he didn¡¯t need to continue with those jobs and projects anymore.
Justin could dislike and ignore his son¡ªin fact, he could even lecture him¡ªbut other people were not allowed to!
As soon as Justin said that, blood drained from Jack¡¯s mother¡¯s face. She said, "Justin, I... I... Let me exin..."
"I only believe what Pete says."
Justin interrupted her. Then, he looked at the butler. "Since Jack misbehaves so much, he needs to be educated properly. Don¡¯t let him attend sses at the Hunts¡¯ private school for a while."
"Yes, sir."
The butler answered. Then, with a wave, security officers rushed in. They grabbed Jack and his mother immediately and took the two of them out.
Jack¡¯s mother was dumbfounded.
All the children of the Hunts studied in the Hunts¡¯ private school in order to build rtionships with one another. After all, there were fewer and fewer people in the direct lineage. If the people in the side families were too far away, who would still remember them in the future?
Yet Justin had straight-up barred Jack from attending sses with just a word!
This showed that the Hunts were intending to abandon their family.
She screamed and cried. She wanted to apologize, and she wanted to speak, but Justin didn¡¯t give her the opportunity to. He drove them out straight away.
Xander stared nkly at everything happening in front of him.
He hadn¡¯t expected Pete to speak up for him, nor had he expected the tyrant to deal with the problem like that.
He remembered that he had also fought with a kid before in the past, but Daddy Trueman had told him that he had to find a way to deal with it himself. If he beat them up and made them bleed, then they wouldn¡¯t dare to bully him anymore.
It was only then that Xander had started attacking others. In the beginning, he only used his tiny little fists. It was only when he found that it didn¡¯t make the other party bleed that he started to bite.
Every time he bit someone and made them bleed, Trueman would apud and say, "Good job! Keep that up!"
But now...
Justin was actually dealing with the kid who had bullied him on his behalf?
He suddenly felt like this family was not that bad either...
Just as his imagination was running wild, Justin squatted down again and looked straight at him. He asked, "Xander, were you here looking for me?"
Chapter 670: His Birthday Is on September 8
Chapter 670: His Birthday Is on September 8
Xander looked at the man in front of him.
He looked a little dazed, and his big dark eyes were filled with confusion and perplexity.
When the man squatted down to speak with him, he looked straight at him. Every time Daddy Trueman spoke with him, he always looked at him from above, making him feel as if he was ordering him about.
But the tyrant was not like that.
His behavior made him feel respected.
Xander swallowed. He nced at Pete again and then, he suddenly said, "I came to tell you about my birthday."
When Justin heard this, his eyes narrowed and he asked, "When is it?"
Xander was about to answer when his cell phone suddenly rang, interrupting him.
Xander took out his cell phone, upon which he saw the word "Daddy" on the screen¡ªit was Trueman. He was a little surprised. When he answered the phone, Trueman said, "I heard someone bullied you at the Hunts¡¯?"
Xander turned and nced at Justin. He grinned and said, "I bit his ear off!"
"Good job."
Trueman let out a deep chuckle and said, "As expected of the son I brought up!"
His father¡¯s praise gave Xander a sense of aplishment. As soon as he lifted his little chin, he heard Trueman ask, "How did Justin deal with the situation after you bit him?"
Xander looked at Justin. Then, his big dark eyes swiveled around. As though he was avoiding the question, he answered, "What else can he do? Just like that, I guess. Daddy, the food here is pretty nice."
When Trueman heard this, he fell silent for a moment. Then, he smiled and said, "If it tastes good, then just stay there a few more days."
Xander nodded. "Okay."
He had made an agreement with Trueman before he came. They had agreed that for the sake of his rabbits, cats, and dogs, he would only stay in the United States for a maximum of ten days.
When he first came, he had been very resistant.
But now, just a moment ago, he suddenly felt that it would be nice to stay here too.
As soon as the thought formed, he heard Trueman say, "Oh, pass the phone to your father. I want to tell him something and have him take good care of you."
Although Xander felt that it wasn¡¯t appropriate to do that, he had never gone against Trueman¡¯s orders. Thus, he looked at Justin and said, "Here."
Justin had been observing him the whole time.
In the basement the other time, he had heard that Ruth had mistreated him. Thus, he didn¡¯t know how Trueman treated the child. But judging from the way he spoke on the phone, it seemed that his rtionship with Trueman was pretty good.
Xander was smart. That was why he was able to bully Ruth. Judging from how he and Trueman got along, at the very least, Trueman likely did not abuse him.
The discovery made Justin feel a little morefortable. He answered the phone, but because he didn¡¯t want the children to hear their conversation, he walked to the side and said softly, "Hello."
"Mr. Hunt, my sister is dead."
There was some faint amusement in Trueman¡¯s voice when he said that, as though he had never once cared whether Ruth lived or died.
Justin lowered his eyes. "Oh? She left the country after I released her. What happened next has nothing to do with me."
Needless to say, Ruth had been killed by someone he sent.
Child abusers like her shouldn¡¯t stay alive in the world.
Besides, when she was in the country, she had given Nora trouble too.
Justin was no kind soul. There was no doubt that he was a merciless man.
Trueman chuckled and said, "I am not calling to hold you ountable. Rather, I just wanted to tell you that she has, after all, never treated Xander well. I¡¯ve wanted to deal with her for very long. It¡¯s just a pity that the Yales¡¯ family teachings don¡¯t allow us to do anything to our family members."
Justin: "..."
As early as Trueman¡¯s first contact with him, he had already known that Ruth didn¡¯t matter that much to Trueman. Even so, he didn¡¯t expect her to be this unimportant.
From the looks of it, it now seemed more like Trueman was using him to deal with Ruth.
But that didn¡¯t matter.
Had it been before, when Justin felt that Ruth was dispensable, he might have been angry at being taken advantage of by Trueman. But now, even if he was restraining himself and stopping himself from getting too close to Xander before they figured out his birth origin, the things Ruth did to Xander were still unforgivable!
He lowered his eyes. "What are you calling me for?"
Truemanughed. "I heard that you are hosting a birthday party for Cherry and Pete. In that case, why don¡¯t you do it together with Xander¡¯s?"
Justin narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"
Truemanughed again. "It means that... Xander asked me about his birthday just now, and I told him that it¡¯s September 8. If you don¡¯t take him to the birthday party on that day, how do you think he would feel?"
Justin instead asked, "When exactly is his birthday?"
"Make a guess?"
"..."
Justin clenched his fists.
Truemanughed again. "I really look forward to it. If you have to choose between Peter Hunt and Xander, who would you choose?"
Justin suddenly asked, "Is Xander¡¯s mother Nora or not?"
"Tsk." Trueman smacked his lips. However, his words made Justin cast his eyes down. "You can say she is, but you can also say she¡¯s not. Why would you believe anything I say. If I say that she is, then my motive may be to get you and Nora to treat him well. But I may actually be lying in order to have him beat Pete and inherit the Hunts¡¯ assets. If I say she¡¯s not... maybe he actually is her son? And my objective is nothing more than to make you treat one better than the other, and make the brothers turn against each other? Mr. Hunt, I heard that you are your father¡¯s only son and that you had been selected as the heir to the family when you were a child. But between Xander and Pete, who both have high IQs, who would you choose?"
"..."
Trueman chuckled after he said that. "I have already passed you the message. As for whether you want to take Xander to the birthday party or not, it¡¯s up to you."
With that, Trueman hung up.
Justin stared at the phone with a frown.
Trueman¡¯s call had totally disrupted his ns!
He looked at Xander, only to see that the boy, who had been very distant just now, was looking up at him.
The colors of his eyes were clearly defined, and he looked very cute and innocent. He raised his head proudly and said, "I was indeed looking for you. I am here to tell you that my birthday is also on September 8."
"..."
¡ª
After Nora left the Hunts¡¯, she did not go home.
She went straight to the hospital and performed acupuncture on Charles.
Half an hourter, a groggy Charles finally woke up.
Chapter 671: If Only They Were Triplets
Chapter 671: If Only They Were Triplets
When Charles opened his eyes, he was still a little confused. After all, before he fainted, hisst memory was that he was going to die.
Was this heaven?
The white light dazzled him for a long time before he realized that he was in the ward. When his senses returned, his body suddenly trembled. He slowly turned his head and saw Nora sitting on the sofa beside him, looking at himzily.
The girl¡¯s almond-shaped eyes were slightly lowered, and she gave off the feeling that she was invincible.
It was strange. Some gave off a strong presence even without doing anything. Nora¡¯s current appearance was giving him tangible pressure.
Charles swallowed, but he realized that his throat was very dry. But he did not even dare to ask Nora to pour him a cup of water.
His lips moved. After a moment, he said in a voice that seemed like it was about to tear, "Did you save me?"
Nora then looked at him and nodded.
She pressed the button on the bed again. Then, a nurse walked in. She first dabbed a cotton bud on his lips and fed him some water when his lips were moist.
After about half an hour, Nora was a little impatient from waiting. She was even tired from waiting. Only then did the nurse stop what she was doing and leave the ward silently.
Looking at her figure, Nora felt that this nurse knew how to read minds. She was indeed the Hunts¡¯ top nurse.
She stood up and stretched her armszily. Then, she focused on Charles. "Did I give birth to twins or triplets?"
Charles looked at her and was silent for a long time before he slowly said, "Twins."
Nora lowered her eyes. "I¡¯ll ask you onest time. Did I give birth to twins or triplets?"
Charles was about to speak when Nora interrupted him. "You betrayed my mother once. Are you going to betray me again? If you betray me this time, I won¡¯t let you off easily."
Charles was stunned. He suddenly swallowed. "Even if you kill me, the answer is still twins."
As soon as he said this, Nora suddenly approached him and asked, "The doctor who delivered my babies back then has been captured."
Hearing this, Charles was stunned. "How is that possible?! He¡¯s already dead!"
"..."
The entire ward suddenly fell silent.
After a moment, Charles realized that he had said something wrong. He pursed his lips and turned his head away, not saying anything else.
He looked like he was ready to die.
He said with a very hoarse voice, "Ms. Nora, back then, I betrayed Ms. Yvette because the mysterious organization used my family to threaten me. Butter, my family still died of an illness... Now, I don¡¯t have a family anymore. Furthermore, living in such deep guilt is also a pain to me. So if you don¡¯t believe me, you can kill me at will and take my life."
Charles was really not afraid of death.
His rtives were all dead, and he was the only one left. Furthermore, the betrayal made him feel like he was trash.
The reason he was still alive was to be punished.
Death was a form of relief to him.
He closed his eyes.
After a while, a low sigh suddenly came from the room.
Nora¡¯s voice waszy, low, and hoarse. It had a unique charm. Her voice gave people a feeling of calmness.
She suddenly asked, "Back then, the mysterious organization used your son to threaten you, right?"
Charles nodded slightly.
Nora continued, "That¡¯s why you betrayed my mother. As for my mother, I heard that she deliberately exposed herself in order to protect me and was killed by the mysterious organization."
"No," Charles said. "Ms. Yvette deliberately exposed her tracks andmitted suicide. Only when she died would the secret she had stolen from the mysterious organization be the true secret that no one knew about. Only then could you have escaped the mysterious organization¡¯s gaze."
Nora lowered her eyes. "Yes, so parents¡¯ love for their children is selfless. Since you know this, why are you hiding it from me?"
Charles froze.
He suddenly turned back and looked at Nora, only to see the girl standing there domineeringly.
"I don¡¯t know what kind of person my mother is. I only want to make my own decisions in my life. I hate those kinds of plots where things are hidden from me for my supposed own good. I hope that this kind of thing won¡¯t happen to me again."
Charles clenched his fists. "Nora..."
Nora yawned again. She looked at Charles fixedly. "So, are you going to say something or not?"
Charles was silent for a moment before saying, "I... Let me think about it."
It always took time to make a decision.
Nora stood up and walked out.
Seeing how straightforward she was, Charles was stunned. He shouted, "Ms. Nora..."
Nora stopped in her tracks and turned back. Her tone was calm as she said confidently, "Your reaction has already told me the answer."
"I just want to know why you¡¯re hiding it from me."
"..."
¡ª
At the Hunts¡¯.
Justin did not give Xander an answer about whether to hold a birthday party together. After all, he still wanted to discuss it with Nora.
He changed the topic and got Xander, Pete, and Cherry to leave.
The three children were still friendly with each other in front of him.
However, after leaving Justin¡¯s line of sight, Pete¡¯s face instantly darkened as he took Cherry to the side.
Xander called out to him, "Hey, thank you for today!"
Pete ignored him.
However, when she separated from Xander, Cherry could not help but say, "Pete, Xander isn¡¯t that bad, right?"
This time, Pete did not rebut her.
When the others had mocked Xander for not having a mother, he had been furious and felt sorry for him.
Because he had no mother when he was young, and he had also been secretly called an illegitimate child.
But now, he had a mother.
Therefore, he had wanted to rush out and save him at that time. Unfortunately, Xander did not give him the chance. He had resolved it himself.
At the thought of this, Pete sighed slightly. "But his existence is a sin to Mom!"
Cherry tilted her head. "If only he was born to Mommy."
However, this was probably impossible.
The two children lowered their heads.
Xander, who had been following them, lowered his head silently when he heard this.
So his existence was a mistake.
Did that mean that his departure was actually the best thing for this family?
Chapter 672: Couldn’t Bear to See You Again
Chapter 672: Couldn¡¯t Bear to See You Again
After this thought surfaced in Xander¡¯s mind, he suddenly lowered his head.
He slowly returned to the room. After closing the door, he suddenly wanted to know what the siblings were doing. He sat up on the bed, logged into his Facebook, and called Cherry.
The other party picked up quickly. "Are you going to apologize to my mommy?"
Xander: "...Yes, I apologize. What are you doing?"
He blinked his clear eyes and looked at the phone curiously. Then, he heard Cherry say, "We¡¯re discussing how to deal with a little demon!"
Xander was stunned. "Little demon?"
Cherry nodded. "That¡¯s right. He¡¯s my father¡¯s child with another woman. Because of his appearance, my mother must be very sad. We can¡¯t let her be sad. Mommy¡¯s health isn¡¯t good. If she¡¯s in a bad mood, she won¡¯t be able to sleep well."
Xander pursed his lips. "But it¡¯s not his fault, is it?"
"..."
The other party fell silent when Xander said this.
Xander looked ahead in a daze. His eyes, which were identical to Justin¡¯s, flickered with confusion.
He said in a daze, "Perhaps he doesn¡¯t want to be so hated. He never thought of snatching Pete¡¯s identity. He just wants to... have a home..."
Xander¡¯s voice suddenly became very, very low when he said thest four words.
Indeed.
He had wanted a home with parents since he was young. In the basement, he had seen a mother kiss her child a few times through the window. He had also seen the father put his son on his shoulder several times and let the child ride him like a horse.
But he did not have such experiences.
All he had were his rabbits, kittens, and puppies.
Xander lowered his head. Then, he heard Pete say, "Maybe, so we¡¯re hesitating."
Cherry suddenly said, "Actually, he¡¯s Daddy¡¯s son, which means he¡¯s my brother. Besides, I don¡¯t hate him that much. We¡¯re already in a dilemma now. How good would it have been if he had never appeared? That way, Daddy and Mommy wouldn¡¯t have had to worry about him."
Xander: "..."
Never appeared...
It seemed like no one in the house wanted him.
Xander suddenly said softly, "I understand."
Cherry asked curiously, "What do you understand?"
He understood that they disliked him.
Xander suddenly smiled. "It¡¯s nothing. Don¡¯t worry, that big trouble will leave soon. You two will return to your old lives!"
Cherry tilted her head. "How do you know?"
Xander stared at his phone. He suddenly wanted to ask, "If I were Xander, would you still want me to leave?"
However, he did not ask.
He only asked, "Cherry, can we be friends?"
"Of course!" Cherry replied quickly. "Aren¡¯t we already friends? Although, you always curse... It¡¯ll be better if you can change this bad habit! My mommy doesn¡¯t let me y with bad kids."
Xander was stunned.
When he heard the question, "Aren¡¯t we already friends?", he could not help but smile.
Actually, Cherry was the first friend in his life.
At that time, he was too bored in the basement. He downloaded Facebook and searched the people nearby.
He did not have much hope when he searched, but he did not expect to find Cherry¡¯s profile.
The two of them added each other as friends and he finally had his first friend. Every time he was bored, he would tease Cherry.
She was very smart and had a sharp tongue. The two of them often chatted and argued...
He was very talkative and he treated Cherry as his sister.
But now, his sister wanted him to leave and disappear. How could he not leave?
Even if it was just to return his sister¡¯s peaceful life, he should leave.
At the thought of this, he lowered his head and suddenly said, "Cherry, can we chat often in the future?"
"As long as I¡¯m not ying games, anything is fine!"
Xanderughed again at this answer.
Even if he left, he would not have lost this friend, right?
Xander hung up silently. Then, he jumped out of bed and sized up the room he had lived in for a few days.
This was originally a guest room, but he had received a lot of things in the past few days.
Justin was someone who avoided gossip and did not interact with him much, but he had always taken care of him.
There was a Lego model that he liked ced on the table. There were also stuffed animals that he liked...
Xander touched them one by one and said goodbye.
He looked at the Lego model and sighed. "After I leave, Cherry will probably patch you guys up properly!"
He then looked at the kittens, puppies, and toys beside him. "I wonder how puppy No. 5 is doing. When I came here, his leg was broken. He must have missed me and probably needs me very much!"
With that, he seemed to be talking to himself. "So, it¡¯s best if I go back! My bunnies miss me too! I have never been apart from them for so long."
As if he had convinced himself, Xander smiled.
Then he picked up his small bag and walked out eagerly.
He opened the door and looked at the people downstairs who were busy preparing for his birthday party. He tiptoed and walked out.
He was very smart and avoided the gaze of butlers and nannies. He secretly left the vi alone and ran to the entrance.
When he reached the door, he turned back.
Cherry, Pete, goodbye!
He recited in his heart before picking up his small bag and running out without hesitation!
It was fine. Even if he left this ce, he could still live an exciting life!
Xander encouraged himself silently as he walked.
However, when he really reached the Hunts¡¯ garden, he turned back to look at Justin¡¯s vi. A faint reluctance suddenly swept through his heart.
His footsteps became slower and slower.
Sigh.
Would the tyrant and Cherry be sad to see him go?
Actually, he himself was a little reluctant.
When Xander thought of this, he lowered his head. His little body instantly wilted. He turned back again and was about to leave when he suddenly saw a familiar figure appear in front of him...
Chapter 673: A Small Misunderstanding~
Chapter 673: A Small Misunderstanding~
Xander was going through the back door. After all, it was too dangerous if he went through the front door, making it easy for others to see him.
At the back was a ce where food was delivered for the Hunts¡¯ kitchen.
For the birthday banquet, the butler had already begun to buy ingredients wantonly. For example, right then, a few people were pushing fresh king crabs. They were following behind the kitchen manager to deliver them.
These two were the familiar faces Xander had seen.
They were tall, and they looked very strong.
These two people were Trueman¡¯s men.
He had seen them in the basement overseas. At that time, they were killers and were very skilled.
He remembered his dog Butterscotch. When it was being dragged away, it protected its son, Biscuit, fiercely. It was a dog taller than a person and was agile like a wolf.
At that time, Trueman had called the two of them over. They could not inject anesthesia into Butterscotch as the blood would affect the experimental data. So the two of them grabbed the dog with their bare hands and subdued it.
In his small world, Butterscotch was the guardian angel of all the cats and dogs. It was also his guardian angel. He watched helplessly as its bones were broken by these two people and dragged out...
This made him feel that his little heart had been heavily injured. Therefore, in his world, these two people were like demons who were very terrifying.
If Trueman said that these two people could beat everyone in the Hunts down, Xander would believe him.
Xander was stunned when he saw them.
Why were these two here?
Was his father here to pick him up?
As Xander hesitated, the two of them suddenly noticed him. One of them immediately said, "Is that Xander?"
With that, the kitchen steward turned his head.
Xander was hiding behind the grass. If one did not pay attention, one would not be able to see him. However, when the two of them spoke, the butler saw him and immediately became anxious. "Xander, why are you here?"
The butlers at home knew Xander.
On the first day he had returned home, the head butler had gotten them to pay attention, afraid that this little demon king would do something to tease everyone.
No one liked him and he was too naughty. He tortured them until they could not speak.
For example, in the kitchen, when he said he wanted to eat bean sprout crabs, he had tormented a group of people for an entire day.
To prepare Bean sprout crab, as the name suggested, one had to tear off the crab meat and stuff it into the small bean sprout.
The kitchen staff had tried to satisfy Xander... After all, although Justin was indifferent to him, he had instructed them to take good care of him. How could anyone dare to disregard Xander?
Therefore, the group of people in the kitchen found three clever people. They looked at the very thin bean sprouts and stuffed crab meat into them for an entire day before sessfully stuffing 100 pieces.
When the dish was served, Xander casually took a bite and turned to feed the stray cats at home.
The kitchen staff was really furious, but there was nothing they could do.
Pete never used such methods to torture people. Other than cooking strictly ording to the recipe, Pete was really easy to serve.
When the kitchen manager thought of this, he sighed.
Xander had been discovered. His escape n could only be dyed for the time being. He carried his bag and slowly turned around to walk back. "Oh, I was too full. I was just taking a walk."
The kitchen manager was speechless.
How could the incharge dare to let him go back alone? He could only follow behind him and watch him enter Justin¡¯s vi with his own eyes before leaving.
After he left, Xander sneaked out of the room again.
Xander blinked hisrge eyes. Before he returned to the country, his father had said that if he wanted to see if his new father cared about him, he should make all kinds of requests to see if his father would fulfill them.
That was why Xander had made so many requests. As he watched everyone in the Hunt circle around him, he felt his presence in the Hunts for the first time.
Was this how Pete and Cherry had lived all these years?
They could get whatever they wanted.
Even those unrealistic bean sprout crabs were possible!
What about him?
In the basement overseas, one had to give something of the same value in exchange for anything they wanted. Dad said that it was called self-sufficiency.
Although he thought that was quite cool, he actually preferred Pete¡¯s life.
He was really degenerating!
Xander shook his head. He was about to leave, so he did not want to think about this anymore. Anyway, he still had to live his old life!
He hunched his back and continued walking. When he arrived at the park, the two people he had seen earlier suddenly walked out of the forest and surrounded Xander.
Xander was stunned. He looked at the two of them in fear. "What are you doing here? Are you here to take me back?"
One of them chuckled. "Xander, Mr. Yale asked you not to go back. Only by staying here can you snatch the heir¡¯s position! Besides, isn¡¯t this ce good?"
Xander frowned. "Snatch the heir¡¯s position?"
"That¡¯s right. Did you forget the mission Mr. Yale gave you when you returned to the country?"
Xander pursed his little lips. His face was simply the same as Justin¡¯s.
When he returned to the country, the mission Daddy had assigned him was to destroy the rtionship between Justin and that woman and to snatch Justin¡¯s love.
However...
He frowned. "Dad... The tyrant isn¡¯t easy to fool. He likes Cherry and Pete a lot. He won¡¯t like me."
Each time Justin looked at Pete and Cherry, although his expression did not change, his eyes were filled with gentleness.
Just like when they were arguing earlier...
He had looked straight at Pete. His eyes clearly said that he would believe anything Pete said.
Justin would never give him such trust!
Just as Xander thought of this, he heard the bodyguard say, "Mr. Yale has asked us to help you. Don¡¯t you want to obtain Justin¡¯s fatherly love?"
Xander was tempted by this sentence.
Did he want to?
Of course.
He wanted to.
He asked, "How can you help me?"
The bodyguard grinned. "Have you forgotten? Didn¡¯t we agree that you would find a chance to trick the twins out of the house? After we kidnap them and kill them, Justin will only have you as his son. Wouldn¡¯t that be good?"
Xander¡¯s pupils shrank when he heard this.
Not far away, Pete and Cherry were hiding. When they saw Xander tiptoeing, the two of them were worried that Xander would do something bad, so they followed him out.
However, they did not expect to see this scene!
Cherry¡¯s eyes immediately widened as she looked at Pete. "Pete, Xander is too bad!"
Pete pursed his lips tightly. He did not expect Xander to be so bad! When he had seen Xander being scolded, he had actually felt sorry for him...
Pete suppressed his anger and nced at Cherry. "There¡¯s no one here. Let¡¯s run..."
He wanted to show Xander¡¯s true face to his father!
The two of them retreated silently, but at this moment, they heard a voice...
Chapter 674: Joining Forces~
Chapter 674: Joining Forces~
Fatty¡¯s voice suddenly came from behind. "Pete, Cherry, what are you doing here?!"
This voice instantly alerted the three people in conversation.
The two bodyguards immediately turned around. One of them was agile and ran over quickly, blocking Pete and Cherry¡¯s way!
As for Fatty, his opponent had hit him on the shoulder and knocked him out.
Then, he sneered and looked at Xander. "Xander, you really tricked these two people out!"
Hearing this, Pete and Cherry were even more furious.
It was especially so for Cherry. She red at Xander with her dark eyes. "Jerk, liar! Pete and I were going to let you go, and we were going to like you. How can you treat us like this?!"
She still wanted to shout, but her mouth was covered by the bodyguard. There was some knockout powder on the handkerchief, so Cherry fainted.
Pete shut his mouth when he saw this and did not say a word.
When the bodyguard saw his expression, he did not attack immediately. Instead, he smiled and said, "You¡¯re quite obedient."
Pete did not speak, but his eyes were fixed on Xander.
Xander looked at them in a daze. He wanted to exin that it was not like that. He did not trick them out. However, he suddenly recalled that before he returned to the country, his father had indeed said that he wanted to drive a wedge between Justin and Nora.
At that time, he had been very stupid and asked, "What if I don¡¯t seed?"
Trueman touched his head. "Don¡¯t worry. Once you appear, there will definitely be a rift between those two. After all, no woman can ignore the fact that their lover has a child with another woman, right?"
Then, he had chuckled and said, "Besides, I¡¯ll help you be the Hunts¡¯ heir."
At that time, he did not understand what this help meant, but he understood now!
However, he did not expect this.
He looked at the two bodyguards and wanted to tell them to let go of the two children, but he suddenly thought of how powerful these two were.
He had never had the right to speak.
He was not like Pete, who was the young master of the Hunts. With just one sentence, he could make everyone in the Hunts serve him.
Even if he said no, this was what his father wanted. The two bodyguards would not let go.
These two bodyguards were too powerful... This ce was rtively remote. Everyone was busy in the front hall preparing for the birthday party.
When Xander chose to leave, he had chosen the path that no one else in the house would take.
No one woulde over here!
It was useless even if he shouted.
Xander thought about it and looked at Pete and Cherry. He suddenly said, "I miss Dad. I don¡¯t want to stay here. I want to leave with you guys!"
He wanted to stay with Cherry and guarantee that the two bodyguards would not kill them!
The two bodyguards instantly frowned.
After all, the mission they had received was to kidnap the two children. Trueman did not say that he wanted to bring Xander back!
As they were thinking, Xander shouted, "If you don¡¯t take me with you, I¡¯ll tell Daddy Tyrant that you kidnapped Cherry!"
The two bodyguards pursed their lips.
If Justin knew who did it, he would probably find them very quickly. The two of them could only press on their earphones. Trueman¡¯s lowughter came from the earpiece. "Bring him back!"
Trueman had been talking to them from the beginning to the end.
He had just drugged Cherry and not Pete. This was his intention. He chuckled softly. "We have to let people know that it was Xander who did this, right?"
The two bodyguards were a little worried. "But in the king crab cage, only two children could be ced."
They had brought the king crab over in a cage. The cage was supposed to be the tool to smuggle the two children out.
Now that Xander was leaving at thest minute, they could only kidnap one of the twins.
When Pete heard this, he said very calmly, "Then you should take me. After all, I¡¯m the future heir of the Hunts. It¡¯s useless for the daughter to stay in the Hunts..."
He looked at Xander again with a very cold gaze. "I¡¯m your opponent, right? If you want the heir¡¯s position, you can only seed by getting rid of me."
Xander looked at him, wanting to exin that he did not think that way.
Even if he had thought of this before returning to the country, he had already dismissed it aftering here. However, when he looked into Pete¡¯s dark eyes, he could not say anything.
When the two bodyguards heard this, they felt that it made sense.
However, a voice suddenly came from the earpiece. "Kidnap the daughter, Justin loves his daughter the most."
The two bodyguards were speechless.
Someone wanted to exin. "The daughter could not be the heir to the Hunts. Mr. Yale, you..."
"Do as I say."
Trueman interrupted him. After all, he did not just want the heir¡¯s position!
The bodyguard instantly stood up straight. "Yes."
He looked at Pete and then at Cherry before saying, "Which one of them is the girl? Take off your pants! Why are their hairs so long... Take the girl away and leave the boy behind!"
These words made Pete¡¯s pupils shrink.
Logically speaking, they should have kidnapped him to help Xander, but why would they suddenly kidnap Cherry?
However, this thought onlysted for a moment before he pointed at the fainted Cherry and pretended to be adorable. "He is a girl. I¡¯m not a little girl! I¡¯m a little boy!"
When he said this, the bodyguardughed. "Pfft, he is a girl? You¡¯re contradicting yourself!"
Pete immediately covered his mouth as if he had said something wrong. "No, I¡¯m not Daddy¡¯s daughter. Pete is!"
The other bodyguard had already rushed to him and grabbed him. "Alright, take off your pants!"
As he spoke, he had already moved to take off Pete¡¯s pants.
Pete was anxious.
Regardless of whether he was humiliated or not, if he was discovered to be a boy, these people would definitely take his sister away.
He struggled, but he suddenly heard a childish voice. "Cherry, stop pretending! I¡¯ve lived with you for so long. How could I not recognize you?"
Pete was shocked. How could he have forgotten about Xander?!
This person was in cahoots with this bunch of baddies! He really hated the moment he had softened his heart for Xander! If he wasn¡¯t so soft-hearted, how could he have let this ingrate harm them?
He suddenly turned his head. He had originally thought that Xander had ratted him out, but he did not expect...
Chapter 675: Her Son Had Suffered Too Much!
Chapter 675: Her Son Had Suffered Too Much!
Pete thought that this was all Xander¡¯s scheme. Just as he was sighing in his heart that he had not dealt with him and had softened his heart, he realized that Xander¡¯s words were actually... directed at him?
He frowned slightly.
Xander had already rushed over. "Alright, hurry up. I saw someone walking over when I was leaving earlier. If we don¡¯t go now, they¡¯ll see us!"
When the two bodyguards heard this, they hurriedly took the cage containing the king crab. Without a word, they drugged Pete and let Xander enter.
Xander could not disobey them and clenched the cage tightly.
He happened to touch Pete. As soon as he touched him, he felt Pete move his leg back.
Xander was stunned and suddenly looked at Pete.
He did not faint?
Of course, Pete would not be drugged again. He had realized that they had brought sleeping pills and had been on guard. When the person came up, he had held his breath.
Now, he moved... Firstly, those people had let him in too ufortably and twisted his leg.
Secondly, he wanted to test Xander.
What were Xander¡¯s intentions for suddenly helping him?
If he yelled for help right now, he could conclude that Xander was in cahoots with that group of people. He had said those words just now to get rid of him!
After all, hadn¡¯t Xander always said that he wanted to defeat him and be the Hunts¡¯ heir?
If he did not... Then there was probably something else going on.
He held his breath and waited for Xander¡¯s reaction.
He was actually looking forward to it.
Although he did not know what he was expecting...
After a while, he felt Xander sit obediently beside him and squeeze his shoulder.
Although the two of them did not interact for a very long time, Pete understood what Xander meant at this moment. He wanted him to not be impulsive. He would find an opportunity to escape when there were many people.
Pete did not move again.
However, he suddenly felt a little happy.
He quickly nned how to escape in his mind. There were many people in the Hunts, and the butler had neglected them. In about half an hour, he would definitely notice that they had disappeared.
If anything happened while they left, his father¡¯s bodyguards would definitely notice and save them.
As Pete was thinking, the cage was covered.
Suddenly, one of the bodyguards took out a knife and aimed it at the basket outside Pete. Then, he stabbed the knife forward. Through the covers, he punctured Pete¡¯s skin!
Pete endured the sharp pain and did not move.
The other person asked, "What are you doing?"
The bodyguard said, "This little fellow just tried to save herself by tricking us into kidnapping his brother. It means that she¡¯s not that stupid. I¡¯m afraid that the drug won¡¯t be enough. It¡¯ll be bad if she wakes up midway and yells. Anyway, our mission is to get rid of her. If we¡¯re discovered, we can just kill her andplete the mission!"
When the other person heard this, he nodded. "You¡¯re right."
Pete: "..."
Xander: "..."
The two children looked at each other and understood the look in each other¡¯s eyes. They could not think about fooling around now.
If the two of them dared to make a scene, Pete would die before anyone could react!
It was all over.
Xander thought to himself that he could only leave the Hunts for now and think of another way.
Pete sighed silently.
Forget it, he would not struggle. He would just wait patiently for the tyrant and mommy to save him. At most, he would be mocked by the tyrant after he was rescued.
He, the dignified heir of the Hunts, had actually been kidnapped. This was simply the greatest humiliation of his life!
The two of them hid in the cage and watched helplessly as the two strong bodyguards took them out of the back door.
As they were preparing for a birthday party, the house was very busy.
They had only security measures in the main house to ensure that no one would rush in to harm them. However, no one expected the three little fellows to be so sneaky. They avoided the security guards and ran out themselves!
After leaving the Hunts, the two bodyguards carried the cage to the car.
Xander and Pete were thrown into the backseat as the car started.
When they were leaving, a ck jeep arrived at the gate.
At this moment, the car Xander and Pete were in happened to start slowly. When Nora stopped the car and waited for the door to open, the butler greeted her respectfully. "Miss Smith."
Nora nodded.
For some reason, she suddenly turned to look at the white Volkswagen and asked, "What is that for?"
The butler said, "It¡¯s for the king crabs."
Nora raised her brows.
She only felt a little conflicted, but she was concerned about Xander. She did not say anything and drove straight into the Hunts¡¯ vi.
When Justin heard that she was there, he was a little surprised.
He walked out of the room and saw Nora¡¯s anxious expression. She asked, "Where¡¯s Xander?"
When Justin saw her like this, he had a faint guess in his heart and said, "He¡¯s upstairs."
Nora did not wait for him to say anything else and rushed upstairs.
At this moment, she was a little excited.
She did not know that she had a son other than Pete and had actually wanted to push this son away. In the past few days, when his identity was unknown, Xander had suffered countless grievances!
However, when she rushed upstairs, she realized that the room was empty!
Nora frowned.
At this moment, the butler rushed over. "Sir, something has happened!"
The Hunts moved quickly. There were cameras in almost every corner. Although there was no one in the back garden, there were cameras.
Every ten minutes, there would be security guards looking at all the cameras.
They realized that Fatty and Cherry were on the ground and instantly became anxious!
It had only been ten minutes since the incident. They had already realized that the child was missing!
When she saw Cherry being carried in by the security guard, Nora quickly took two steps forward and checked her pulse to see if there was anything wrong with the child. Then, she pressed on one of her acupuncture points a few times. Cherry opened her eyes in a daze.
When she saw Nora and Justin, she immediately shouted, "Mommy, Daddy! Go save Pete quickly! Xander wants to kill him. He wants to be the heir to the Hunts!"
When she said this, Nora¡¯s body trembled.
Brothers fighting each other... Was this a gift from Trueman?!
She stood there and suddenly thought of the car she had seen earlier. Her eyes darkened and she rushed out without a word.
At her speed, she should be able to catch up to that car!!
Chapter 676: Coming to Die?
Chapter 676: Coming to Die?
When he saw her walking out, Justin hurriedly followed.
Nora ran to her car quickly. She did not even open the car door, her figure entered through the open window.
This series of movements was like flowing water. Before Justin could run to the front passenger seat, her car had already started.
Seeing that he could not catch up, Justin jumped forward and pulled the door to the front passenger seat.
He also wanted to follow Nora¡¯s movements. Unfortunately, his figure was too tall. Even if he was thin and fit, he had a big frame and could not enter.
He could only open the car door to sit in the front passenger seat.
Before he could even sit properly, the car had rushed out.
Justin sat there steadily before closing the car door and buckling his seatbelt. He held the handle with one hand and then looked at Nora. "Do you know who it is?"
"Yeah."
Nora stared ahead. Her almond-shaped eyes were especially focused. There was a faint expression of seriousness when she was driving. Her thin lips slowly moved. "When I arrived at the gat, a car delivering the king crabs had just driven away."
Justin: "How do you know it¡¯s them?"
This was the best time to save the child. If they missed this time, it would be difficult to find him.
It was not that Justin did not trust her, but he wanted to ask her clearly.
Nora: "Logically speaking, a delivery car shouldn¡¯t have a ck film on the windows. Besides, that car was clean. There was no dirt on the axle at all. The butler said that they were fresh king crabs sent directly from the sea. How is that possible?"
Just now, she had felt that something was wrong, but she was anxious to see Xander, so she did not bother. But now that she thought about it, Nora quickly caught the main point.
Justin did not retort again, acknowledging her choice.
At the same time, he took out his phone and began to order the bodyguards at home to block the way. He contacted Brenda from the special department.
When Brenda heard that Pete had been kidnapped, she was immediately furious. "F*ck? They are kidnapping my nephew? Brother, wait. I¡¯ll bring everyone from the special department to save my little nephew! Tell Nora too, don¡¯t be anxious. With me around, there definitely won¡¯t be a problem. Tell her not to be impulsive¡ªJust wait at home and don¡¯t cry. I¡¯ll definitely bring Pete back!"
Justin silently nced at Nora, who was driving crazily, and replied, "Okay..."
After hanging up, he was silent for a moment before asking, "Xander, he..."
"I gave birth to triplets back then."
Nora said straightforwardly, "Charles confessed."
When he heard about the triplets, Justin¡¯s eyes lit up!
To be honest, after interacting with Xander for this period of time, he could not say that he had no feelings for this child. Now, he was also born from Nora. It was simply perfect for him.
However, he suddenly thought of something and his eyes darkened. "It¡¯s... It¡¯s Xander who kidnapped Pete..."
Nora clenched her jaw.
She stared ahead and suddenly said, "Even if he did, it doesn¡¯t matter. The child has followed Trueman since he was young. It¡¯s normal for him to have learned bad things. This is our responsibility. He has a long life. We¡¯ll turn him back to the good side in the future!"
When Justin heard this, he fell silent.
That was not what he meant.
He was worried that if the brothers hurt each other, it would leave a psychological trauma on Pete.
He had known Pete since he was young. He knew his character very well. He was strong and vengeful. No matter who it was, as long as they did not treat him well, he would definitely not give them a chance.
He had been diagnosed with mild autism when he was young, and few people could enter his heart.
However, Xander had hurt him. He would probably never be his friend again.
If her two sons were distant, Nora would also have a headache in the future. When Trueman sent the child back, he should have realized that the truth could not be hidden. However, he still sent the child back.
This was his goal!
She fell silent and did not think about this question again. After all, the priority was to save the two children.
Nora sped like she was in a race. On the way out of the Hunt Manor, she drove at almost 150 miles an hour. Five minutester, she caught up to the car in front.
Nora narrowed her eyes and stepped on the elerator again.
However, just as she was about to overtake him, the car in front suddenly became two.
There were two cars. They drove back to back. The two cars separated at the junction ahead and sped up.
Screech!
Nora¡¯s car stopped at the junction.
She looked at the two roads and looked at Justin without hesitation. "You go to the left, I¡¯ll go to the right!"
Justin did not waste his breath and got out of the car decisively. "Okay."
As soon as he got out of the car, Nora¡¯s car chased after the car on the right.
After Justin got out of the car, a minuteter, a sports car from the Hunts stopped beside him. He pulled the driver out. "Trash, you¡¯re too slow."
The driver was speechless.
He was already driving the fastest he could!
He really did not understand how Miss Smith had driven an ordinary jeep like a sports car?!
Justin did not give him a chance to speak again and ran off!
¡ª
The king crab minivan drove much faster than ordinary cars.
After separating from the dummy car at the junction to confuse them, the two bodyguards drove toward the countryside.
One of them looked back and said, "Justin got out of the car, but that woman is chasing after us. F*ck, I really don¡¯t know how she¡¯s driving that car. Has it been modified? It¡¯s so fast! She¡¯s about to catch up to us!"
The other person frowned. "Has she caught up?"
"Yes! The car is only five meters away from us!"
"Then stop the car and kidnap her too! We can report this to Trueman! Isn¡¯t she walking straight into a trap?"
"Okay!"
The car stopped. There was no one else on the road.
The two bodyguards got out of the car.
In the car.
Xander pushed Pete¡¯s arm and could not help butin, "Your Mommy is quite good-looking, but her brain isn¡¯t that good, is it? How can she rush over so recklessly?"
Pete rolled his eyes at him. "You¡¯re not allowed to talk about my mother like that. Also, my mother is very powerful. She¡¯s here to save us!"
He had subconsciously used the word ¡¯us¡¯, and it warmed Xander¡¯s heart.
He raised his chin and snorted. "I don¡¯t think she¡¯s here to save you. She¡¯s here to make trouble, right? She¡¯s alone after all. Besides, do you know how strong those two bodyguards are?"
After saying that, he thought back to the bodyguards subduing Butterscotch and could not help but shiver.
Even Justin might not be able to beat them. Nora was just a woman. Wasn¡¯t she here to court death?
Chapter 677: I’m Your Mommy 1
Chapter 677: I¡¯m Your Mommy 1
Xander stretched his neck nervously and looked behind the ss window.
His small body leaned against the seat. His eyes were filled with nervousness and fear. These two bodyguards had left too much fear in his young heart.
Trueman probably knew this too, which was why he had sent these two people.
Because if it was anyone else, Xander would definitely not be so obedient.
He was famous for being unreasonable and domineering. At home, he would always bully others, except for these two bodyguards...
When Xander thought of this, he could not help but sigh silently. "Pete, your mother is finished this time."
Pete: "?"
He rolled his eyes. "Talk about your own mommy! My mommy is super powerful!"
Xander pursed his lips when he heard this. "My mother died long ago. My father said that my mother died after giving birth to me."
When Pete heard this, he was stunned.
He had not expected Xander to say such a thing.
He was stunned for a moment before he suddenly reached out and patted Xander¡¯s shoulder tofort him. "I¡¯m sorry."
He apologized for his words.
Xander waved his hand casually. "You didn¡¯t know that my mother is dead, so I don¡¯t me you. However, your mother is near her end too."
Pete: "..."
Xander bit his lip and reported the situation outside to Pete. Pete¡¯s legs were still tied, so he could not sit up. Then, he heard Xander say nervously, "Your mother got out of the car... She¡¯s walking toward the two bodyguards... She nced at me. Although there¡¯s a ck film on the ss, she should have seen me, right? Then she should know that you¡¯re in the car. Pete, your mother started chatting with the two bodyguards. Is she begging for mercy?"
Pete copsed into his seat and struggled to get up. "...I¡¯d rather believe that she¡¯s sleeping than that she¡¯s begging for mercy right now."
With his mother¡¯s character, it wouldn¡¯t be her style if she didn¡¯t beat up those people until they were looking for their teeth on the ground.
Mommy was Quinn School of Martial Arts¡¯ Big Sister!
He was able to learn martial arts because of Mr. Quinn¡¯s respect for her.
At the thought of this, Pete, who was lying on the chair, ced his hands on the chair and wanted to stand up. However, Xander was pressing down on him, preventing him froming up.
He pushed Xander and said, "Help me untie the rope on my legs. I¡¯ll help Mommy."
Xander nced at him. "Forget it. Can you even help?"
The dizzy Pete: "..."
Although he was a very smart child and knew that he had to hold his breath when the bodyguard covered his mouth with the drug, he still could not control his breath. He had inhaled some of the drug, so his entire body was limp now. This was also the reason why he had not stood up despite struggling.
Xander looked at him and pursed his lips. "Besides, your mother might be discussing the price with them and nning to sell you!"
Pete: "Mommy can die for me, why would she sell me?"
Xander rolled his eyes. "How could that be? Why would a person die for someone else?"
He had been cold to others since he was young, and he did not have any feelings for anyone else. He did not feel any kinship at all. He only had a little reliance on Trueman as his father.
However, Trueman had never hugged him or called him lovingly. He had never said things like he loved him and would protect him.
Trueman would always stand there and say to him condescendingly, "Xander, you have to protect yourself. Otherwise, you¡¯re not fit to be my son! When you encounter danger, only you can protect yourself. You have to be selfish, understand?"
One time, Xander had even asked Trueman, "Daddy, if I fell into the water, would you save me?"
Trueman had sneered. "No, although I know how to swim, there¡¯s no rationality in a drowning person. How many people have died in the water to save others? Why should I put myself in danger for you?"
"..."
This was the education Xander had received since he was young, so he did not believe that Nora would die for Pete.
However, Pete looked at him in surprise. "Any parent in the world would give up everything for the child. Although there are bad fathers, they are still the minority. Protecting children and making sacrifices for them is human nature."
"How is that possible?"
Xander still did not believe him.
Pete sighed. "Why don¡¯t you believe in a parents¡¯ love for their child?"
Love?
What was love?
Xander grimaced. "This is too mystical. I don¡¯t understand a thing. Besides, do you think the tyrant loves me? I¡¯ve been back for so long, but I haven¡¯t felt his fatherly love even once!"
When Pete heard this, he was silent for a moment.
Then, heforted him. "That¡¯s because you weren¡¯t in danger. Besides, it¡¯s not that Dad doesn¡¯t love you. He just... needs to make a choice. If he¡¯s too close to you, Mommy and I might be unhappy."
Xander fell silent before he snorted coldly. "So, love has conditions, doesn¡¯t it?"
"..."
Pete was speechless.
To Xander, Justin¡¯s love did have a condition. The condition was that Xander did not hurt Nora, Pete, and Cherry.
And once he hurt them, Justin would definitely give up on him.
However, if outsiders came to bully Xander, Justin could also risk his life for him.
In this world, any family would have preferences. With so many children, most parents could not really love them all equally.
However, parents loved their children.
Pete did not defend Justin. Anyone could say this to Xander, but he could not.
Just as Pete was feeling conflicted, he suddenly heard Xander cry out in shock, "Ah, your mommy¡¯s been beaten!"
Pete was shocked. He twisted his body and wanted to sit up to look back. He asked anxiously, "What happened to my mommy?"
"She was beaten! One of them attacked suddenly and she was hit. How pitiful!"
Xander grinned. "Pete, from today onwards, you¡¯re going to be a motherless child like me~ Hahahaha~"
Pete frowned. Although he knew that Xander¡¯s words could not be trusted, when he thought about how powerful those two bodyguards were, how they had easily stuffed him into the car, he felt a little worried.
Mommy had been busy these past few days. Could it be that she was not feeling well and was about to faint? Was that why that person had seeded?
No, he wanted to save Mommy!
At the thought of this, Pete struggled violently again. When Xander saw him, he suddenly said, "Isn¡¯t it good to have no Mommy? No one will control you anymore!"
Chapter 678: I’m Your Mommy 2
Chapter 678: I¡¯m Your Mommy 2
Pete red at him. "I¡¯d rather be controlled by her for the rest of my life!"
Xander was stunned when he heard this.
The little person suddenly fell silent. He could not help but ask again, "Is a mother really that important to a person? Didn¡¯t you just reunite with your Mommy? You didn¡¯t have her in the past five years either!"
Pete was so anxious that his eyes turned red. Although he knew that his mother might be fine, he lost his mind when it involved her.
He shouted, "You haven¡¯t had a mommy before. You don¡¯t understand the feeling of having a mommy! Mommy¡¯s embrace is warm, and Mommy¡¯s body is soft. Mommy will speak softly, kiss my forehead, and call me baby... So move aside and let me up. I want to save Mommy! I can¡¯t lose Mommy!"
Pete¡¯s cries made Xander fall silent again. He watched as Pete propped himself up with his small arms, but fell down again because of the drug. Xander suddenly said, "Your mother is fine. I was joking."
Pete was taken aback.
Xander¡¯s face tensed up as he nced back and continued, "They haven¡¯t attacked yet, but it seems like they haven¡¯t reached an agreement. They¡¯re about to attack. Forget it, I¡¯m in a good mood today and don¡¯t want to kill anyone. I¡¯ll save your mother!"
With that, he pushed Pete away and quietly opened the car door before getting out.
He walked forward step by step.
He was already extremely afraid when he saw the backs of the two bodyguards.
Butterscotch had been his sky back then, and his sky had been pierced by these two bodyguards. Xander had been fearless since he was young, but he was afraid of these two bodyguards.
Now, he wanted to save Pete and Cherry¡¯s mother from the hands of these two bodyguards. Thinking about it, he felt like he had gone crazy!
However, when he saw Pete struggling and Nora driving to catch up to him, he felt inexplicably sad.
So this was how it felt to have a mommy!
At the thought of this, he mustered his courage and walked toward them.
As soon as he approached them, he heard the two bodyguards say, "Miss Smith, since you don¡¯t know how to appreciate my kindness, don¡¯t me me for being nasty!"
With that, the two of them attacked.
The few of them did not see that Xander had silently slipped out. At this moment, he was hiding behind a tree.
When Xander heard their words, he suddenly became anxious. He suddenly shouted and rushed to the two bodyguards with his eyes closed, hugging one of their legs tightly.
Then, Xander shouted, "You¡¯re not allowed to hurt Cherry¡¯s mother!"
The two bodyguards were stunned.
One of them narrowed his eyes and sneered. "Xander, you¡¯re really insensible. Mr. Yale has instructed us. If you¡¯re insensible, don¡¯t me us for being ruthless!"
Xander was already trembling in fear when he heard his words.
He swallowed hard and looked at Nora. He shouted, "Pete¡¯s mommy, run quickly! I¡¯ll spare your life today!"
With that, he looked at the bodyguards again. "I said, you¡¯re not allowed to hurt her!"
The bodyguard chuckled softly and bent down to grab his cor. Xander was immediately picked up.
His feet left the ground and kicked in the air as he red at the bodyguard in fear.
Pete, I helped you save your mommy!
But where was his mother?
As soon as this thought crossed his mind, he suddenly heard a deep and cold voice. "You¡¯re courting death."
Xander was stunned.
He wanted to know who was looking for death, so he turned around and saw that Nora¡¯s expression had be dark. Her almond-shaped eyes were filled with coldness.
Her gaze was fixed on the bodyguard¡¯s hand that was holding him, and she quickly took a step forward.
Another bodyguard had already jumped in front of them. "Miss Smith, we¡¯re lecturing the child on behalf of Mr. Yale. You don¡¯t have to worry. I¡¯ll y with you..."
Xander: !!
Why was Pete¡¯s mother so stupid? She still wanted to fight!
The bodyguard was almost a head taller than her and was strong. Although she was also very tall, she was like a child when she stood in front of him.
Pete¡¯s mommy is so stupid!
Xander was like a puppy. When he was being carried, he was anxious that Nora would not have the opportunity to escape.
Xander felt that it was all over.
Now, not only was Pete captured, but his mother was also going to be captured. As for him, he had vited his father¡¯s wishes. After he was captured, he would definitely be locked in the basement for a year.
He would even make these two bodyguards educate him well...
Xander could not help but shiver when he thought of that scene.
At this moment, he was in despair.
However, in his despair, he suddenly had a ridiculous idea.
If his mother was still alive, would shee and save him?
Just as this thought surfaced in his mind, he heard a loud bang. Xander could not help but cover his eyes.
It was all over.
That bodyguard was indeed powerful. Pete¡¯s mother had been beaten up so badly!
He did not even dare to look...
When Pete sees this, he would definitely cry...
After these thoughts shed through his mind, he heard the bodyguard holding him say in a deep voice, "Have you learned wrestling before?"
Xander: "?"
He subconsciously widened the gap between his fingers and looked, only to see that the other demon bodyguard had copsed on the ground.
A long leg stepped on his back, preventing him from breaking free.
Moving up that leg, he saw Nora standing there against the light. Her voice was still cold, but the words she said were like the sound of nature. "Let go of the child. I¡¯ll y with you."
"..."
Xander was ced on the ground in a daze. Then, he saw the bodyguard, who had held him like a pir, exchange only three blows with the woman before being mmed to the ground.
Then, he saw the woman send him flying far away with a kick. His body left a long mark on the ground.
The two bodyguards who could subdue Butterscotch and who could never be defeated in his eyes fell to the ground and vomited blood, unable to get up.
Then, the woman looked at him and walked toward him.
The sun behind her was about to set. It emitted a dazzling red light and shone a warm light on this woman.
At this moment, Xander suddenly had an idea.
How good would it be if she was his mother?
However, he then lowered his head and realized that his thoughts were ridiculous and hrious.
How was this possible?
Chapter 679: I’m Your Mommy 3
Chapter 679: I¡¯m Your Mommy 3
Deep envy for Pete and Cherry suddenly rose in Xander¡¯s heart.
First, Justin nned to abandon him for them.
Then, they had such a powerful mother...
The two of them were really too blessed.
As he was thinking, the bodyguard who had been kicked away by the woman suddenly said, "Xander, we¡¯re all doing this for you. How can you be like this?"
With that, Xander immediately looked at the woman in front of her in a panic.
He wanted to exin, but he suddenly felt that there was no need to. This person was originally his enemy. Even if he said something, would this person believe him?
Just like when he was usedst time, he had shut his mouth tightly and did not exin anything to Justin. At this moment, he became stubborn again, and an awkward and aggrieved feeling rose in his heart.
He stared at Nora.
The woman in front of him suddenly narrowed her eyes filled with hostility and killing intent.
Ever since he was young, Xander had been most afraid of these two bodyguards. They had left an irreparable wound in his heart.
The second was Trueman.
Yes, he was afraid of Trueman.
Although Trueman had never fought in front of him or hit him, he was very perceptive and had intuition.
He knew that he had to curry favor with Trueman in order to live well.
Justin was the third person he was afraid of. The aura he asionally emitted was frightening.
The woman in front of him was clearly thin. Compared to the other men, she seemed a little too thin.
However, for some reason, Xander felt a strong ruthlessness and killing intent at this moment. It made him feel even more afraid than the two bodyguards did.
Xander¡¯s small body trembled.
Trueman¡¯s father had said that he was this woman¡¯s thorn in the flesh. She would find a chance to get rid of him.
So, was this the opportunity?
She would kill him and say that she had identally injured him when she was saving Pete. That would be perfect!
This thought suddenly gave rise to a rebellious state in Xander¡¯s heart.
Then, he watched as the woman suddenly rushed toward him. She even reached out a fist and aimed it at his head.
Xander did not move or dodge.
Perhaps it could be said that the woman was too fast and he did not have time to react at all. He could only feel the wind of the punching at him before he closed his eyes.
Living was tiring and he did not have any dignity.
However, Xander had never wanted to die.
Was he going to die here today?
A loud bang was heard. Then, he heard someone grunt and fall to the ground with a heavy thud.
However, the expected pain and head injury did not arrive. Xander was stunned for a moment before he slowly opened one eye.
He saw her standing in front of him, waving her fists.
He turned around and saw that the first bodyguard who had been beaten down by her had copsed behind him. He was holding a dagger in his hand.
Drip.
Something warm fell on his face.
Xander looked up in a daze and saw that the woman¡¯s hand was tightly clutching the de of the dagger. Her fingers had been pierced by the sharp de, and they were dripping with blood.
Xander understood.
Just now, the bodyguard behind him had wanted to kill him with a dagger. It was this woman who had saved him!
Xander did not expect this at all. He looked at Nora in a daze.
He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, the woman suddenly reached out with her other hand and grabbed the man¡¯s shoulder. With a little force, she pulled him behind her.
"How dare you hurt him? You¡¯re courting death!"
As these cold words came out, Nora suddenly stepped forward and swung her arm forcefully. The de in her hand hit the bodyguard¡¯s chest!
The bodyguard was stabbed in the heart and died on the spot.
Nora¡¯s eyes were still shining with a fierce light. The killing intent around her was strong.
She suddenly looked at the bodyguard she had kicked away and saw that he had bitten the poison in his mouth and died.
Both bodyguards were dead.
Xander looked at their corpses in disbelief, stunned.
"Don¡¯t look."
The woman covered his eyes with her intact hand and took him into her arms.
Xander¡¯s body froze.
The woman¡¯s embrace was warm and soft. It waspletely different from Trueman¡¯s body. It was fragrant, like medicine.
Was this the scent of Pete¡¯s mother?
Xander¡¯s nose suddenly felt sour.
He really wanted such a cool mother...
But why did Pete¡¯s mother want to protect him even if she had to get injured?
They were clearly on opposing sides?
When Xander thought of this, he secretly looked at Nora¡¯s left hand. Her fingers had a huge wound pierced by the de, and they were still bleeding.
However, Nora did not stop the bleeding. She only turned Xander¡¯s head so that he could not see the two dead bodies. She asked in a very low voice, "Where¡¯s Pete?"
At this moment, Pete¡¯s safety was more important than reuniting with Xander.
These three words instantly jolted Xander back to reality.
He looked into the distance in a daze and pointed at the car. "In the car, he was drugged..."
Almost as soon as he finished speaking, Nora quickly took him to the car.
When she arrived at the car and confirmed that there was no one else around, Nora opened the backseat door. She saw Pete sitting up with his butt sticking out.
Unfortunately, the drug¡¯s effect made him feel weak all over.
Hearing the car door, Pete slowly raised his head. When he saw Nora, his eyes lit up. "Mommy!"
"Yes."
Nora carried Pete out and checked his pulse. After confirming that the little guy had only fainted from a small amount of knockout drug and was fine, she rxed.
Just now, she was really worried about Pete.
They had only known each other for a few months...
"Mommy, I¡¯m fine!"
Pete said softly andforted Nora.
Xander looked at the two of them from the side, his eyes were already red.
He turned his head silently and looked to the side.
At this moment, he felt like a third wheel.
Actually, yes. He was redundant, to begin with.
Before he returned, his father had said that his mission was to destroy their family of four. But now, when he looked at Nora and Pete, he thought of Justin and Cherry.
Xander lowered his eyes and slowly moved.
His departure was indeed the best for them.
However, after taking two steps, his shoulder was suddenly held back.
Xander was stunned. He slowly turned around and saw Nora standing there, asking him curiously, "Where are you going?"
Where was he going?
At this moment, Xander suddenly felt extremely aggrieved by this question.
He also wanted to know where he was going!
If he left here after betraying his father, where could he go?
He would rather wander alone than harm their family of four again.
Xander sniffled and said arrogantly, "I can go wherever I want. Who are you to control me?"
Nora stared at the little boy and said slowly, "I¡¯m your Mommy."
Chapter 680: I’m Your Mommy 4
Chapter 680: I¡¯m Your Mommy 4
"..."
There was no one on this road and no cars in sight.
At this moment, there was only the sound of the wind blowing in the distance. Nora¡¯s voice seemed to have merged with the wind, making Xander feel like he had heard something wrong.
He looked at Nora in confusion. He hesitated and asked, "What did you say?"
Nora looked at the little fellow.
Xander had been raised by Trueman since he was young. He had a strange and stubborn personality. At this moment, his entire body was prickling, as if he was resisting all the warmth from the outside world.
She turned to look at Pete. He was safe and had fallen asleep in peace.
Nora hugged Pete with one hand and reached out to Xander with the other that was covered in blood. "Let¡¯s get to know each other. I¡¯m your mother."
Xander stared at the wound on her palm.
He still felt that he had heard incorrectly. "What mother? Stepmother?"
Could it be that because he had nned to save them, this woman was touched and had decided to adopt him?
The thought made him happy at first.
However, his happiness immediately sank.
He, Xander, wanted a mother, but he was definitely not fighting with others for one...
He took a step back and sneered. "I don¡¯t need anyone else¡¯s pity. Scram! I¡¯m telling you, you don¡¯t have to pretend in front of me. Justin isn¡¯t here, either. Why must you?"
When Nora heard this, she sighed silently.
This child was really too cautious.
She was about to exin when a car arrived in the distance.
"Nora, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m here to save you!"
Brenda shouted her slogan and jumped out of the car. When she saw the situation in front of her, she was stunned. "What? What¡¯s going on?"
Nora: "..."
Brenda looked around. "Where is he?"
Nora asked curiously, "Who?"
"The hero who saved you. Nora, don¡¯t tell me you killed these two people."
"...No."
Nora was a good citizen. How could she kill someone? She exined, "Theymitted suicide."
Brenda got the others to check on the two dead bodyguards and confirmed that they had bothmitted suicide by poisoning.
The person who was stabbed in the heart by Nora had swallowed the poison after he was sent flying by Nora¡¯s punch... Therefore, at this moment, it was unclear if he was killed by that hit or the poison.
How could Brenda care about this?
She only looked at Pete before ring at Xander. "Xander, what did you do to Pete? You¡¯re so small, how can you be so evil?!"
Xanderughed coldly when he heard this. He hugged his arms and stared at Brenda without saying a word.
Brenda was even more furious. "Tell me, who is your mother? How did she teach you to be like this? She¡¯s too much! I must find her and chat!"
Xander lowered his eyes. He was about to say that her mother was already dead when he heard Nora say again, "What do you want to talk about?"
Brenda said angrily, "I want to talk about Xander¡¯s thoughts, of course. How can he be so vicious at such a young age? He even harmed his half-brother!"
Nora lowered her eyes. "It¡¯s not his fault."
Before Nora had fought with the two bodyguards earlier, she had seen with her own eyes that Xander was nning to save her. Furthermore, when she went to hug Pete, she had also realized that the rope around his hand had loosened. This made her realize that there must be something else going on.
When Brenda heard this, she leaned close to Nora¡¯s ear. "Nora, don¡¯t worry. In my heart, I only recognize you as my sister-inw. However, I have to investigate who gave birth to Xander. Besides, I definitely won¡¯t let Pete suffer from this. If you feel ufortable, I¡¯ll help you teach Xander a lesson!"
Nora: "...There¡¯s no need. I¡¯ll do it myself."
Brenda: "?"
She was stunned. "Aren¡¯t you afraid of getting in conflict with my brother?"
Just as Brenda thought about this, she heard Nora say, "It¡¯s the mother¡¯s fault that the child was not educated properly. I¡¯m his mother, so this doesn¡¯t involve you."
Brenda: "??"
She was stunned.
She lowered her head to look at Xander and then looked up at Nora again. In the end, she still asked in disbelief, "Nora, you, you mean that Xander is your son?"
"Yes."
Nora did not want to touch Xander with her bloody hands, so she stood in front of him.
Xander pursed his lips. "Hey, stupid woman. I told you, I don¡¯t need sympathy, and I don¡¯t need you to be my stepmother either. You..."
As soon as he finished speaking, he saw Nora suddenly turn back and look at him. She slowly squatted down and looked into his eyes. Then, she said word by word, "I¡¯m not your stepmother. I¡¯m your biological mother..."
Xander was stunned.
This time, he was really stunned.
He stared at Nora in disbelief. He only felt that the world was a fantasy.
Was he dreaming?
Did God hear his inner thoughts and make him hallucinate?
Xander swallowed, the wordsing out of his mouth were very awkward and proud: "So what if you say that? My mother died long ago, my father said so. Do you have any evidence?"
Chapter 681: Birthday Party! 1
Chapter 681: Birthday Party! 1
Five dayster.
On the Hunt twin¡¯s birthday, the entire house had been busy since morning. The birthday party was at dinner, but all kinds of fresh ingredients were sent in early in the morning.
The manor was busy but orderly.
In the hall of Justin¡¯s vi.
Cherry was wearing a beautiful dress.
Pete was also wearing a suit, looking very gentlemanly.
However, Xander was wearing a set of casual clothes. He had a white short-sleeved shirt and ck pants with a red jacket on top. No matter how one looked at it, he did not look dressed appropriately.
The butler stood at the side with a small suit on the tray in his hand, pleading with him. "Xander, young master, please change into this first."
Xander reached out and pretended to grab him. He grinned and said, "Don¡¯t call me that. Mr. Hunt and Ms. Smith haven¡¯t proven that I¡¯m their son yet. I won¡¯t admit it!"
That¡¯s right.
Xander had asked her that day, "Do you have any evidence?"
Nora¡¯s answer had been, "Not for the time being. But I had given birth to triplets."
Xander pursed his lips. "But that doesn¡¯t mean that I¡¯m the third!"
Nora: "?"
She felt that what he said made sense.
Xander became proud. He raised his chin and said, "If there¡¯s no evidence, I won¡¯t acknowledge you as my mother. , even Justin might not be my real father!"
Nora: "..."
"So." Xander raised his little chin. "Bring out the evidence If you want me to acknowledge you!"
Nora realized that Xander had a proud personality. He liked it when others begged him...
Helpless, she could only agree.
Anyway, the DNA test report was about toe out...
Because Nora was injured, she had been staying in the Smiths for the past few days¡ªsleeping. Her way of recovery was through sleep.
Therefore, Pete and Cherry were both at the Hunts.
Nora did note today. When she woke up, she went to the hospital to look for Lily. She helped Lily by standing beside her and urging her to finish the report quickly.
She would onlye back when she got the report.
Therefore, the few people in the hall were waiting for her arrival.
Xander nced at the door, his eyes filled with anticipation. Nevertheless, he deliberately pretended not to care. "Tsk, the report isn¡¯t out yet. How slow! Hey, is your girlfriend okay?"
Thest sentence was said to Justin, who was sitting on the sofa.
Justin: "..."
He grimaced and suppressed his anger.
He had pretty much confirmed the little guy¡¯s identity, which was why he was tolerating him so much.
Before Nora went to bed, she even reminded him to get along well with Xander and not to provoke him.
Justin was afraid that Xander wouldin to Nora. He had really tolerated everything these past few days.
He took a deep breath and told himself that it was his biological son. Only then did he go back to reading the documents on theputer.
Xander grinned and turned to look at Pete. "So your father is a mute."
Justin: "..."
Veins were popping out on his forehead.
Pete rolled his eyes. "Don¡¯t go overboard. If God can¡¯t stand it anymore, and the DNA report says that you¡¯re not his son, you¡¯ll be in trouble."
Xander: "?"
Even someone as bold as him was shocked by these words.
He swallowed and turned to look at the door again. He suddenly asked, "How¡¯s your mother¡¯s hand?"
Nora had been injured because of him. Xander was touched, so he found an excuse to ask.
Pete replied, "I don¡¯t know."
Xander: "...Can¡¯t you call and ask? Why are you so unfilial?!"
Pete rolled his eyes. "Who was the reason that my mother got injured? Who¡¯s the unfilial one?"
Of course, he had gone to see his mother.
Two days ago, he had gone to the Smiths. At that time, he had even called out to Xander and asked if he wanted to go with him, but Xander had arrogantly rejected him.
"..."
The two little fellows were about to quarrel when footsteps finally came from the door. Nora entered with the DNA report.
¡ª
Elsewhere.
In the front hall, Mrs. Hunt was holding Mrs. Livingstone¡¯s hand and looking around.
Mrs. Livingstone said angrily, "Mrs. Hunt, that Nora is really too much. She said she wouldn¡¯t treat Thoma. So, she really didn¡¯t want to see him. We bought a person¡¯s appointment and to cut the queue for her to see him, but when she found out, she canceled it!"
Mrs. Hunt frowned and sneered. "She must have been frustratedtely!"
When Mrs. Livingstone heard this, she instantly became curious. "Why?"
Mrs. Hunt said, "That illegitimate child kidnapped Pete. She even injured her hand trying to save Pete. Sigh, in the end, that illegitimate child was still brought home by Justin... She¡¯s so angry that she hasn¡¯t visited for four days. Logically speaking, she shoulde over and keep an eye on her son and daughter in their birthday party."
Only then did Mrs. Livingstone vent her anger. "That¡¯s good! I think Justin was only interested in her for a moment. Over time, with her bad temper, how can he stand it? There¡¯s even that illegitimate child, Xander, mixed in. He kidnapped Pete this time, who knows what he¡¯ll do in the future! This is just one big problem. It¡¯s the barrier between her and Justin for the rest of their lives, hehe!"
Chapter 682: Birthday Party! 2
Chapter 682: Birthday Party! 2
Time passed slowly. Soon, the sky turned dark, but the Hunt Manor was brightly lit. All kinds of luxury cars were gathered. When they arrived at the Hunts¡¯ territory, everyone listened to the security guards obediently and parked their cars in the parking lot.
Only a manor as big as the Hunts and Smiths could hold so many cars!
Everyone was dressed very well. They were all in luxurious dresses and suits. They entered the hall with smiles.
Those who were invited by the Hunts to their children¡¯s birthday party were all famous figures in New York. For a moment, the hall was filled with people¡¯s greetings.
Other families might need to have their masters receive guests at the door when they held a banquet, but the Hunts only sent a member of the side family to guard the ce. Justin did not appear in the hall at all.
However, the guests did not feel neglected. Instead, they entered the hall humbly.
The men gathered to discuss the current economic trends.
The women gathered together and gossiped in secret.
"The lounge upstairs is where Mr. Hunt is, right? I heard that up until now, no guest has been invited upstairs by him."
Everyone wanted to get to know Justin. On such asions, he would also invite a few people upstairs for a chat. Some were businessmen, and some were new CEOs.
However, up until now, no one had been invited upstairs.
"Yes, I wonder who could be invited upstairs..."
"So what even if someone gets invited upstairs? What¡¯s rarer is for Mr. Hunt toe downstairs to personally wee someone, right? He¡¯s so proud and aloof. It seems like he has never weed a guest at the door before."
"You¡¯re thinking too much. Who has the face to make Mr. Hunte downstairs?!"
As the few of them were chatting, they suddenly realized that the door to the lounge upstairs had suddenly opened. Justin rushed down and straightened his clothes as he walked.
Everyone below fell silent at that moment.
Everyone turned to look at him and saw him go downstairs with hurried footsteps. He was tall and had long legs. He went out the door in just three steps.
Everyone: "?"
"Who¡¯s here?"
Everyone looked at the door curiously and saw Justin respectfully supporting Ian as he walked in. He stood beside Ian and lowered his head slightly in a respectful manner.
Joel followed beside the two of them with a smile. Beside him was Tanya holding Mia¡¯s hand.
As soon as they entered, everyone in the living room came to a sudden realization.
That¡¯s right, the Smith family was the only family in the country who couldpete with the Hunts.
In the past, Justin would not lower his head in front of the Smiths because he was powerful and did not fear them. But now... he was their son-inw!
Through Justin¡¯s respectful attitude toward Ian, and the way hepletely ced himself as a junior to receive him, everyone understood.
It seemed like Mr. Hunt was very happy with Miss Smith!
It made sense!
Miss Smith had given birth to two children for Justin!
Everyone was thinking about this question in their hearts when they saw the butler supporting Mrs. Hunt and walking toward Ian and the others. As soon as she walked over, she smiled and said, "Ian, you¡¯re here!"
Ian frowned.
Justin and Nora were already engaged. Furthermore, under such circumstances, he could not throw a tantrum and refuse to acknowledge this son-inw.
Therefore, Ian nodded. "Mrs. Hunt, how are you feeling today?"
Mrs. Hunt sighed and said heavily, "Not very good. I worry about my family every night!"
Ian: "?"
Before he could ask anything, Mrs. Hunt said, "It¡¯s our Justin who has let the Smiths down regarding Xander. However, Xander is also a child of Justin. He¡¯s his biological son, so I can¡¯t just give him up. Sigh, Ian, I¡¯ll apologize to you here! I hope the Smiths can let bygones be bygones. We¡¯ll still be good inws in the future!"
As soon as she said this, the surrounding people instantly began to discuss softly.
"No wonder Mr. Hunt is so polite to the Smiths. So he did something wrong..."
"It seems like the matter of the illegitimate child is true, but Mrs. Hunt is really muddle-headed to mention this in front of so many people!"
"That¡¯s right. If the Smiths forgave Mr. Hunt, it would make the Smiths lose face. It¡¯s as if the Smiths are one level lower than the Hunts. But if they don¡¯t forgive them, are they going to argue on the spot? Mrs. Hunt is being more and more confusing!"
However, some people¡¯s eyes lit up and they sneered. "What are you talking about? Mrs. Hunt is openly suppressing her granddaughter-inw!"
This sentence made everyone around shut their mouths and look over.
The battle between Mrs. Hunt and Miss Smith began now!
Ian stared at Mrs. Hunt with coldness in his eyes.
How could he not know about the most heated discussion in New York?
At home, he had asked Nora if she wanted to rify things. In the end, Nora said that the truth was not like what was being said outside. As for the details, they would be revealed today.
Therefore, Ian suppressed the anger in his heart and nodded at Mrs. Hunt before going upstairs.
It was his grandchildren¡¯s birthday today. He did not want to argue here to avoid making a fool of himself!
If he did not speak, she would take it that he had given in.
However, looking at him like this, Mrs. Hunt raised her nose and said, "Ian, you¡¯re forgiving Justin, right? I knew it. Miss Smith is a good child, and you two are reasonable people. Besides, Miss Smith and Justin already have two children. Even if it¡¯s just for the children, she has to bear with it..."
These words made even more people frown.
They felt that something was wrong.
Why did she have to endure it for the sake of the children?
Did the olddy want to use the children to extort Nora?
"It¡¯s like saying that since you got pregnant before marriage, you can only marry our Hunts?
Everyone looked at Ian.
Ian slowly frowned. "Mrs. Hunt, what do you mean?"
Mrs. Hunt continued to pretend to be ignorant. "What I mean is, for the sake of Cherry and Pete, the Smiths shouldn¡¯t fuss about it with our family! Look, you¡¯re here for their birthday party today. Doesn¡¯t this mean that you won¡¯t fuss about it anymore?"
Ian: "!"
There was no change in his expression, but he was furious deep down.
His daughter had not married into the family yet, but she was already being looked down on.
This was too much!
He was about to speak when Mrs. Hunt continued, "From now on, we¡¯re all family. I have to treat Xander better. He¡¯s so pitiful. Without his mother by his side, I can¡¯t treat him unfairly and make him resist!"
Mrs. Hunt said this in front of everyone.
Unexpectedly, as soon as she finished speaking, Justin slowly said, "Grandma, Xander has a mother."
Chapter 683: Birthday Party 3
Chapter 683: Birthday Party 3
When Justin said this, the entire ce became silent.
Everyone looked at each other in amusement.
Even Mrs. Hunt was stunned. When she had asked Justin about Xander¡¯s mother, he had said that if that person dared to appear, he would definitely kill her. Then, he had said that his mother was dead.
But now, why did a mother appear?
Mrs. Hunt was stunned.
She had appeared in front of Ian and mentioned the illegitimate child in front of so many people. She also said that Nora was pregnant before marriage because she wanted Nora to have a bad reputation in the upper-ss society in New York. It was to suppress her so that she would not rely on the love of the Smiths and Justin to do whatever she wanted at home!
After all, she no longer cared about herself.
Last time, when she asked her to treat Thomas, Nora had rejected her and did not care about her at all.
Nora¡¯s identity was really too good.
Not to mention being Ian¡¯s only daughter, just Nora¡¯s status as a doctor ensured that Mrs. Hunt would not have to worry about herself when she was old. But now, Justin said that Xander¡¯s mother was still around and he actually did not seem to hate her...
Mrs. Hunt was shocked, and her expression changed.
Ian frowned and looked at Justin unhappily!
What was the meaning of this?
However, the scheming Ian did not explode on the spot. After all, this was his grandson and granddaughter¡¯s birthday party. No matter how many grievances he felt, he had to suppress them.
Mrs. Hunt was burning with anxiety. Before she could say anything, Mrs. Livingstone, who had been standing beside her, watched themotion and said, "Huh? In that case, Mr. Hunt, you know Xander¡¯s mother? But speaking of which, it wasn¡¯t easy for that woman to give birth to your child. She even raised her child for five years. Our family really should treat her well, right?"
Mrs. Hunt wanted to suppress Nora, but she still wanted this granddaughter-inw.
But Mrs. Livingstone wanted to foil this marriage!
Her son had gone to several hospitals but could not be treated. He even went to see a traditional alternative medicine doctor. In the end, the doctor told her that he would never recover.
If he really wanted to try, only Dr. Zabe¡¯s disciples could treat him.
Their only hope was with Nora, but Nora did not help them!
Mrs. Livingstone hated Nora.
If you don¡¯t treat my son? Then don¡¯t even think about living well!
Mrs. Livingstone was about to say something when Mrs. Hunt suddenly grabbed her arm and stopped her from speaking. She looked at Ian. "Justin, you¡¯re being ridiculous. How could Xander have a mother? Even if he does, our family will never admit it! On behalf of the Hunts, I only acknowledge Nora as my granddaughter-inw!"
With that, she turned to Justin and scolded, I don¡¯t care what you think about Xander¡¯s mother. She¡¯s never allowed to enter my family, do you hear me?"
Mrs. Hunt¡¯s attitude changed drastically.
Justin¡¯s eyes narrowed. Just as he was about to announce who Xander¡¯s mother was, Mrs. Livingstone said, "Auntie, you¡¯re wrong! She¡¯s Xander¡¯s mother, after all. It¡¯s only natural for her to want to see her son! Why can¡¯t she marry into the family? Even if Miss Smith marries Mr. Hunt, she has to be magnanimous. She can¡¯t suppress a mistress... We¡¯re all dignified people, so we can¡¯t do such a thing, right?"
Mrs. Livingstone¡¯s words were very vicious.
Shepared Xander¡¯s mother to a mistress. Under such circumstances, if Ian did not break the engagement soon, the entire New York wouldugh at the Smiths!
If he let his only daughterpete with a mistress, the Hunts would forever trample on the Smiths.
Ian pursed her lips and looked at Justin again.
He had seen with his own eyes how much Justin liked Nora. There must be a reason for this person to suddenly mention Xander¡¯s mother.
As for the inside story, why was he still so calm...
Unless...
Ian thought of something and his pupils suddenly constricted. He suddenly looked at Justin. Could it be...
Ian¡¯s eyes lit up.
When Mrs. Livingstone said this, Mrs. Hunt¡¯s expression changed drastically. She pointed at her and said, "How ignorant! How could a woman like that enter my family? Justin won¡¯t have anything to do with that kind of woman in the future!"
Mrs. Hunt was furious.
No matter how important her maternal family was, they were not as important as her grandson!
Mrs. Livingstone¡¯s words were too heartbreaking!
Mrs. Livingstone covered her mouth andughed. "Auntie, why are you so angry? Justin didn¡¯t even say who she is. Besides, she might even be a daughter of a wealthy family. Look at you, you¡¯re simply denying her!"
Mrs. Hunt lowered her eyes. "I don¡¯t care who she is, I won¡¯t acknowledge her!"
She had meticulously raised Pete to have a high IQ. He was someone more outstanding than Justin and was destined to be the Hunts¡¯ heir.
No matter how good her status was, she did not want it!
Furthermore, Nora¡¯s status was already very high.
As soon as Mrs. Hunt finished speaking, Justin said, "She¡¯s indeed from a wealthy family."
Mrs. Livingstone smiled. "Oh? Who is it? Do we know each other?"
Chapter 684: Birthday Party! 4
Chapter 684: Birthday Party! 4
Justin continued to smile. "You should have heard of her by now!"
This meant that she was of high status!
Mrs. Livingstone was even more excited. "Then tell me..."
Beside her, Mrs. Hunt pulled Mrs. Livingstone¡¯s hand hard and even began to pinch her arm, but Mrs. Livingstone didn¡¯t pay attention.
Mrs. Hunt¡¯s anger rose. She only wanted to throw Mrs. Livingstone out!
Why did her maternal family have such a foolish niece-inw?
She suppressed Nora only because of a small trick. Later on, when she took a liking to Nora, she helped her make up for it and save her face.
However, Mrs. Livingstone was determined to ruin this marriage.
Mrs. Hunt¡¯s blood boiled. She felt that she had suppressed her granddaughter-inw here for her maiden family. But what had her maiden family done?
Not to mention that Nora was the best candidate for being the Hunts¡¯ daughter-inw, but if she ruined this marriage, how could she still have the face to stay in the Hunts?!
At this moment, Mrs. Hunt was suddenly a little disappointed.
For so many years, she had been working hard for her family.
The Livingstones had long been in dire straits. If not for her being here, the Livingstones would probably have been removed from the first tier of the wealthy families.
She had done so much for her maternal family. What did she get in the end?!
Mrs. Hunt was furious.
Unable to shut Mrs. Livingstone¡¯s mouth, she could only look at Justin and wonder at the same time.
What was wrong with her grandson today?!
She knew how much he cared about Nora. But why was he suddenly not giving the Smiths face today?
Whispered discussions filled the entire banquet hall.
"Oh my god, is Mr. Hunt not nning to marry the Smiths?"
"Then why is he so polite to Mr. Smith?! It can¡¯t be an apology, right?"
"Miss Smith is so pitiful. She isn¡¯t even married yet, but she¡¯s already fighting for favor with others..."
"Whose daughter is she? How can she seduce Mr. Hunt? Hasn¡¯t Mr. Hunt been pure of heart for so many years? When we were young, we even said that he didn¡¯t get close to women! It was said that he¡¯d be disgusted if women touch him... Why are there so many women now?!"
"..."
"..."
As the crowd was discussing, Justin lowered his eyes.
He had already achieved his goal.
After all, Mrs. Hunt was his grandmother. However, because of Thomas, she was very dissatisfied with Nora and had even caused a lot of trouble in private.
He knew that he had to let Mrs. Hunt see the true colors of her family.
After all, this was the grandmother who had raised him. He could not chase her out when she was old. Furthermore, she had given her heart to Pete before.
Therefore, when Mrs. Hunt first spoke, he did not stop her and even added fuel to the fire. He did this to let Mrs. Livingstone reveal her true nature.
Now, the olddy should be very dissatisfied with Mrs. Livingstone, right?
Only then did Justin slowly say, "Not only has Mrs. Livingstone heard of the eldest daughter of the Smiths, but she has also seen her, right?"
Everyone: "??"
Everyone was puzzled, not understanding what he was saying.
Mrs. Livingstone was stunned. "The Smiths? Which Smiths?"
At the mention of the Smiths, everyone would only think of the Smiths in New York, but was there another wealthy Smith family?
Justin lowered his eyes and sneered before looking at Mrs. Hunt.
At this moment, Mrs. Hunt had already reacted. She looked at Justin in shock and felt stunned. Could it be...
"Hahaha!" Ian¡¯s loudughter suddenly spread throughout the entire banquet hall. Then, he patted Justin¡¯s shoulder. "Triplets! So Nora gave birth to triplets back then!"
He raised his head proudly. "Three at a time. My daughter is so awesome!"
Everyone: "??"
The entire ce was in an uproar.
Everyone exploded and discussed the topic fervently.
"Miss Smith gave birth to three children in one go? She¡¯s too lucky!"
"Oh my god! So there are no illegitimate children at all. All three children were born to Miss Smith. No wonder Mr. Hunt is so polite to the Smiths!"
Mrs. Hunt was also overjoyed and heaved a sigh of relief.
Justin said, "That¡¯s right. Peter Hunt, Cheryl Smith, and Xander Yale are all Nora and my children!"
With that, the surrounding people congratted him.
"Mr. Hunt, congrattions!"
"Three children, two sons and a daughter. Mr. Hunt is so lucky!"
"..."
Some people congratted Ian.
"Ian, you have three more grandchildren now. Congrattions! Hahaha, but you¡¯re going to have to spend a lot of money. Have you prepared three gifts?"
Ian was overjoyed. "Of course. How can I not have enough gifts?"
The others immediately got their family members to go back and prepare another gift. After all, they had only prepared two sets.
The people around them became busy. The great-grandmother was clearly Mrs. Hunt, but everyone ignored her.
No one came forward to congratte her. They could all see Miss Smith¡¯s status in the Hunts in the future.
Mrs. Hunt red at Mrs. Livingstone and forced a smile. "So it¡¯s a misunderstanding."
She was simply like a clown who had beenughed at by everyone!
She wanted to suppress her granddaughter-inw, but she did not expect to raise her status even more.
With that, she pulled Mrs. Livingstone to the side. "Come with me!"
The two of them left the hall and entered the lounge beside it. As soon as they entered, Mrs. Hunt turned around and pped Mrs. Livingstone. "Pa!"
Then, she shouted angrily, "What did you mean earlier? You made things so awkward for me!"
Mrs. Livingstone covered her face and her eyes darted around before she sighed. "Auntie, I¡¯m doing this for your own good. That little hussy hasn¡¯t married in yet, but she¡¯s already not giving you any face. What will happen if she marries in the future?"
Mrs. Hunt was furious and her heart turned colder. "You don¡¯t have to find excuses. You just wanted to interfere in that marriage!"
Mrs. Livingstone pursed her lips and whispered, "Didn¡¯t I fail in the end?"
She had admitted it herself, and this made the old madam¡¯s eyes turn cold.
She said coldly, "I¡¯m Justin¡¯s grandmother. He won¡¯t do anything to me. Who do you think you are? You actually dare to publicly nder the Smiths?"
Mrs. Livingstone covered her face and said, "Auntie, I¡¯m your niece-inw. He has to ept it for my sake, right? What can he do to me?"
Her disdainful expression stabbed Mrs. Hunt like a needle.
However, at this moment, the door was suddenly pushed open. Then, the Livingstones rushed in with flustered expressions.
Chapter 685: Birthday Present 1
Chapter 685: Birthday Present 1
When Mrs. Livingstone saw the person, she was a little stunned and asked, "What¡¯s wrong?"
That person leaned over and whispered something in Mrs. Livingstone¡¯s ear. Mrs. Livingstone suddenly stood up and looked at that person. "What did you say? The Stewarts aren¡¯t cooperating with us anymore?"
The person smiled bitterly. "It¡¯s not just the Stewarts. The Levins, the Sos, and the Lowes have all conveyed their intentions to cancel the coboration. I heard that it¡¯s..."
The person nced at the olddy. "It was Mr. Hunt."
The Livingstones were dishonest in their business. Their prices were high and their quality was bad, but there were still so many people fawning on them. Wasn¡¯t it because they wanted to establish ties with the Hunts?
Now that Mrs. Livingstone had openly angered Justin, even if Justin did not say a word, that group of people would still revoke their cooperation!
Mrs. Livingstone waspletely stunned. She suddenly looked at Mrs. Hunt and realized how much she had been wrong.
She said in disbelief, "H-how dare he?!"
Justin had been very respectful to Mrs. Hunt since he was young. He also handled the Livingstones¡¯ matters very carefully, so Mrs. Livingstone had the confidence to oppose Nora publicly.
She did not expect Justin to do this for Nora.
She swallowed and fell in front of Mrs. Hunt. "Mrs. Hunt, auntie, you can¡¯t ignore us! If you don¡¯t care about us, the Livingstones will go bankrupt!"
Mrs. Hunt stared at her. "Don¡¯t be anxious. I¡¯ll talk to Justinter."
She had openly provoked Ian earlier, and it had made Justin unhappy.
She had watched him grow up and knew Justin very well. He did not expose the truth the moment she opened her mouth. Instead, he allowed her to nder Nora like a clown. Then, he revealed the truth just to embarrass her and teach her a lesson.
As his grandmother, Mrs. Hunt was certain that Justin was a good child who valued rtionships. Otherwise, he would not be so loyal to Nora.
He would not do anything to Nora, but he would fall out with his own grandmother!
Justin was now in charge of the Hunts. If his heart left her, how could she live sofortably in the future?!
Mrs. Hunt wanted to wait until Justin was no longer angry. Then, she would mention these things to Justin and ease the rtionship between the two families.
However, as soon as she said this, Mrs. Livingstone immediately shouted, "Auntie, Thomas is your grandnephew. We¡¯re all part of your maiden family. We¡¯re all your backing! Isn¡¯t our situation a joke to others now? Go look for Mr. Hunt now! He definitely won¡¯t reject your request!"
When Mrs. Hunt heard this, she instantly pursed her lips.
When they were outside, Mrs. Livingstone did not listen to her and insisted on going against Nora. At that time, she had still felt that this niece-inw of hers was just angry and did not think of her.
But now, she was demanding her to do things so righteously...
Mrs. Hunt felt her heart being blocked. The family she loved so dearly had always been using her!
The olddy covered her chest and waved at Mrs. Livingstone. "Go out!"
Mrs. Livingstone was stunned. She looked at Mrs. Hunt and saw that her expression was ugly as if she could not breathe. She was instantly frightened and did not dare to speak again.
However, before leaving the room, she could not help but turn back to look at her. Seeing that her fingers were trembling as she picked up the teacup and prepared to take a sip, Mrs. Livingstone threatened, "Mrs. Hunt, maiden family is a woman¡¯s dignity. If the Livingstones fall, you won¡¯t have any dignity left!"
"..."
Bang!
Mrs. Hunt suddenly threw the teacup in her hand to the ground and pointed at the door. "Scram!"
Only then did Mrs. Livingstone jump up and leave.
After she left, Mrs. Hunt sat there gasping for breath. The butler beside her quickly took out a Calming Pill and handed it to her.
Mrs. Hunt¡¯s chest heaved violently, and she felt like her heart was about to explode. However, after taking the medicine, she suddenly felt relieved.
Shey down slowly with the help of the butler.
After a long time, she slowly opened her muddy eyes and sighed.
The butler asked, "Mrs. Hunt, what do you need?"
"Nothing..."
Mrs. Hunt opened her mouth and suddenly looked at the small box with the medicine. For some reason, she suddenly paused and said in a daze, "This medicine was made by Nora, right..."
The butler nodded. "Yes, Miss Smith made it herself. There are only two boxes in the entire city. You have one here."
There was also a box at the Andersons.
The olddy paused and suddenly sighed heavily.
Her resentment towards Nora suddenly faded.
When she thought about what had happened previously, she did not even understand what she had done...
How did she push her grandson away?
She slowly closed her eyes.
¡ª
Downstairs, Ian entered the VIP room to rest.
When the time came, Pete, Cherry, and Xander held hands as they went upstairs.
Cherry stood in the middle. On her left was Pete, and on her right was Xander.
Pete was wearing a gentleman¡¯s suit and his behavior was very appropriate.
Xander was wearing the same outfit, but he was twisting his body from side to side. He had lived in the basement since he was young, and he had never worn clothes that were of the right size. He felt like his tiny self was being trapped in this tiny suit!
He did not twist too much from left to right. And the little fe was good-looking and looked exactly like Justin when he was young, so he looked especially likable.
Everyone below looked at him.
Pete seemed to have sensed something and turned to look at Xander. The corners of his mouth immediately twitched, and he coughed to remind him, "Don¡¯t twist around. It¡¯s embarrassing!"
Xander took a long time before saying, "...My pants are too tight."
Pete: "..."
As a boy, he understood this kind of pain very well. Sometimes, his clothes would tighten before they were sorted out. He coughed and suddenly pushed Cherry to walk in front. He followed in front of Xander and whispered, "Hurry up and tidy it."
"Okay."
Before Cherry knew what was going on, the two children behind her had already dealt with the problem.
When they went downstairs, the three children looked around and found it fun.
The others were also full of praise for the three children.
However, Mrs. Livingstone¡¯s sharp voice was mixed in. "Speaking of three children, Pete is the most outstanding. After all, he grew up beside his father since he was young. He looks like a little aristocrat. Cherry and Xander are far from him!"
Chapter 686: Birthday Present 2
Chapter 686: Birthday Present 2
Even if it was to curry favors, everyone praised the three children. Amidst the praise, Mrs. Livingstone¡¯s words were especially striking.
Everyone looked at her in unison.
Mrs. Livingstone coughed. Anyway, she had already offended Justin, so she might as well go all out. "Why are you all looking at me? Look at the three children! Pete grew up with Justin and received elite education since he was young. What about Cherry? She grew up with Miss Smith, and everyone should have heard about Miss Smith¡¯s past, right? She grew up in a small ce in California. What kind of knowledge and horizons can she have? Cherry¡¯s upbringing is definitely not as good as Pete¡¯s."
At this point, she looked at Cherry. "Cherry, it¡¯s not that I¡¯m criticizing you, but you have to study hard. Girls who y games every day are bad. However, this isn¡¯t your fault. You can¡¯t me yourself for having suitable environment to grow up in..."
Although Nora was the eldest daughter of the Smiths, she grew up in a small ce in California.
Everyone knew about this, but Nora was Anti and also the disciple of Dr. Zabe. Who could guarantee that they would never need her help?
Therefore, no one mentioned her past.
However, with Mrs. Livingstone saying this, everyone could not help but size Cherry up.
The little girl stood there gracefully. She was wearing a white princess dress and a cute diamond hair clip on her head. She looked adorable no matter how one looked at her.
Cherry blinked her dark eyes and her expression darkened.
She suddenly thought of the time when her brother had forced her to study every day...
At that time, her brother would always look at her and sigh. He even said that she should not embarrass mommy.
She felt that she was soft, cute, and charming. How could she embarrass her mother?
But now, she understood.
So this group of people thought that she and her mother had been living in a bad environment since she was young?
This was too infuriating!
The little fe immediately stepped forward and raised her head to speak. "Grandma, have you been living well since you were young?"
Mrs. Livingstone was a daughter of a wealthy family. She immediately raised her chin. "Of course."
Cherry instantly shrunk her neck. "Then I don¡¯t want to grow up in a good environment. I don¡¯t want to be like you and force my nose in other people¡¯s matters."
With that, she suddenly covered her mouth. "Oh, I want to stay away from this woman. I¡¯ll be infected by you! Why are you pointing fingers at others?! Mommy says this isn¡¯t good!"
Not being judgemental was the best virtue.
Amongst the wealthy families and youngdies, this had always been the rule. However, where there were many women, there were many disputes and gossips.
The circle of wealthy madams in New York was too boring. Therefore, everyone often gossiped. It was not very good.
At this moment, Cherry¡¯s words made everyone present respect her.
No matter what, just Cherry¡¯s words showed that her upbringing was not bad!
Mrs. Livingstone was so angry that her entire body trembled, but she still sneered and said, "Cherry, I¡¯m your rtive. That¡¯s why I care about you. Why would I care about other people¡¯s matters? If you despise me for disciplining you, then I¡¯ll apologize to you! Sigh, kids these days are so sensitive. I can¡¯t even say anything as an elder!"
She wasbeling Cherry as being disrespectful to her elders!
Pete narrowed his eyes and stepped forward. He suddenly smiled and said, "Mrs. Livingstone, what kind of family do youe from? Why didn¡¯t I know that we¡¯re rtives?"
Mrs. Livingstone immediately said, "Your great-grandmother is my aunt. I¡¯m definitely your rtive!"
Pete seemed to be stunned. He was very gentlemanly as he seriously asked, "Is that so? Then everyone here today is my family, right?"
Those who could attend the banquet were all from families deeply rooted in New York. Were they not rted at all?
Pete was being sarcastic. Where did shee from?!
These words were like a p to Mrs. Livingstone¡¯s face, making her even angrier.
However, on second thought, their rtionship with the Hunts was really supported by Mrs. Hunt alone. She instantly blushed and stopped talking.
Coincidentally, Ian and Justin came downstairs.
Mrs. Livingstone instantly shut her mouth.
Ian and Justin had already arrived in front of the children and began to give them presents.
Ian¡¯s gift to Pete and Xander was his own shares in thepany. Five percent was given to the two children just like that!
Chapter 687: Birthday Present (3)
Chapter 687: Birthday Present (3)
The two boys had received very precious and valuable gifts. The moment the shares were presented, they immediately aroused the envy and admiration of everyone around them!
The Smith Corporation had a market value of hundreds of billions of dors. It was impossible for one to spend all the money that came from even just five percent of thepany¡¯s shares!
In that case, what was Ian going to give Cherry?
While everyone was thinking about it, they saw Ian turn to Cherry. In addition to also giving her the same amount of shares, he took out an exquisite box and opened it. Inside the box was a diamond the size of a pigeon¡¯s egg.
Ian handed it to her. "This is the Heart of the Ocean. I got it at an auction a few years ago. I¡¯m giving this to you today, Cherry. Do you like it?"
Cherry¡¯s eyes lit up. "Yeah, I do, I do!"
Ian smiled with satisfaction.
The crowd was dumbfounded for an instant. Then, a huge uproar went through them.
That jewel was simply too rare. So many families had tried their darnedest to fight for it but little did they expect that it would end up in the hands of a five-year-old.
Everyone¡¯s eyes were filled with admiration. "I¡¯m so envious of Cherry!"
As soon as they said that, someone sighed and remarked, "What a pity. There were originally two such diamonds, so that is just one of them. There¡¯s another one just like it, but its whereabouts are unknown even now."
"Having one is enough! It¡¯s only because the Smiths have such a big business that they can win the jewel in the auction. Apart from the Hunts, who else is rich enough to do that?!"
"..."
While everyone was paying Cherrypliments, there were also some who didn¡¯t agree with the way Mrs. Livingstone had lectured the child just now. They immediately said mockingly, "No matter how Cherry¡¯s life was in the past, from the very day she returned to New York, she has been living in a nest of gold and silver! The girl still has a whole load of blessings ahead of her! Besides, Mr. Hunt is especially doting toward his daughter. She is most definitely the undisputed little princess of New York!"
The veiled insults made Mrs. Livingstone so angry that she immediately retorted, "Even so, it won¡¯t get rid of the fact that she lived in poverty when she was younger! A child¡¯s personality solidifies by the time they turn five!"
Some people also said with dissatisfaction, "You can¡¯t say that she lived in poverty, right? I heard that their family is pretty well-to-do..."
Although the Smiths in California were not as wealthy as the Smiths in New York, they were still rather well-off. With an annual ie of over five million dors, how would they really be that poor?
Mrs. Livingstone pursed her lips. "Tsk, if they aren¡¯t poor, then why don¡¯t I see her rtivesing over to give her gifts?"
Everyone was speechless.
Most of the people who came with gifts had presented them on the spot.
Ian, who was an especially close family member, had caused a huge sensation when presenting his gifts, but it was true they didn¡¯t see any gifts from anyone from where Nora used to live.
While thinking about it, Mrs. Livingstone suddenly spotted Lisa in the crowd.
Lisa was Nora¡¯s cousin when she was living in California. Although her father, Henry, mistreated her, Nora had always been on good terms with her aunt. Lisa had also been willing to y with her when they were children.
Since her children were celebrating their birthdays, Nora had also sent an invitation to her aunt.
However, the ce was simply too far away. Besides, Henry had simply gone too far overboard, so her aunt was too embarrassed to visit her. Thus, she had sent Lisa, who was studying at the New York University of Medicine, toe over as a representative of their family.
Lisa had bought Lego sets for the children and was carrying them at the moment.
Mrs. Livingstone, who had been paying attention to Nora, knew that Lisa was Nora¡¯s cousin. Sheunched into mockery mode at once and said, "Oh my, it¡¯s not like no one came at all, isn¡¯t it? Ms. ck, you must be Ms. Smith¡¯s cousin, right? Your mother is her aunt from that family, right?"
Lisa flushed. She nodded and awkwardly hid the gifts in her hands behind her.
She was really embarrassing Nora!
In front of all the expensive gifts from others, her Lego sets were really not presentable.
However, the more she hid, the more Mrs. Livingstone asked, "What gifts did you bring for the three children?"
Lisa: "..."
She took a step back in silence.
Mrs. Livingstone, however, had already spotted the Lego sets behind her. After all, Lego boxes were simply too big. It was hard for people not to spot them.
She immediately smiled and eximed, "Oh my, are those Lego sets?!"
Then, she took another nce and said, "How much do they cost? Why do they look like bootlegs to me..."
Lisa panicked at once. "No way! These are genuine products from the official store. They cost more than $300!"
Mrs. Livingstone smiled. "Oh, they cost more than $300? Then they must be authentic, after all. That¡¯s so expensive!"
As soon as she said that, Lisa realized that she had been tricked. She immediately flushed with embarrassment.
Everyone around them was looking over and staring at her.
Lisa was at aplete loss.
At this point, Louis suddenly appeared behind Lisa and put his arm around her shoulders, his head of blond hair awfully blinding. He grinned and said, "Lisa, did you buy the gifts I asked you to buy on my behalf?"
Then, he looked at the Lego sets in Lisa¡¯s hands. "Hey, that¡¯s the one! Cherry and Pete love that the most! They asked me to buy these for them! You¡¯re simply so reliable!"
He bent over, picked up the Lego sets, and handed them to Cherry and Pete. "Happy birthday, little guys!"
Cherry hurriedly looked up and said, "Thank you, Uncle Louis!"
Louis said, "Tsk, Uncle Louis has lots of money. Why must you insist on something like this? I don¡¯t even have anywhere to spend all that money now!"
His words were a p to Mrs. Livingstone¡¯s face.
If Lisa was the one giving them a gift worth $300, then perhaps it might really be because she was poor. But if it was Louis... As a Smith, how could he possibly be poor?!
Everyone knew that he had earned millions of dors recently!
Mrs. Livingstone frowned and clenched her fists. Then, she sneered, "Nice acting, Mr. Smith!"
Then, she asked cheerfully, "Then what is Ms. ck giving them? Surely you didn¡¯te empty-handed, right?"
Louis panicked when he heard this.
Given his miserly nature, how could he possibly buy them gifts? He had been nning to give the children his stray cats and dogs.
But he couldn¡¯t possibly take the cats and dogs out now and say that they were from Lisa, right?
He had wanted to give cats and dogs because the children liked animals.
But if they came from Lisa, then it would again highlight that Nora used to live with a poor family. Louis was furious. If he had known, he would have spent a few hundred thousand dors and bought them an expensive gift!
As such, he could only smile sheepishly and say, "Why does she have to give them gifts? She¡¯s younger than Nora, and is still studying at the moment! Are there any younger sisters who give their elder sister¡¯s children gifts when they are still studying?"
While that was certainly true, in this situation, Mrs. Livingstone, unfortunately, gained the upper hand at once. She said, "So, the family Ms. Smith used to live with really didn¡¯t give them any gifts, right?!"
Everyone started to specte. Did Ms. Smith really live in poor conditions back then?
Mrs. Livingstone continued to discredit Nora. "I have heard that her stepfather treated her very badly in the past. When she was a child, she never even went to school... I heard that all her clothes were also junkyard stuff. It¡¯s understandable that a family like that wouldn¡¯te over and bring any gifts."
Almost as soon as she said that, someone suddenly walked in at the door.
It was the butler. He was leading a distinguished man dressed in a ck suit into the room. The man was very tall and looked quite old but still very gentlemanly. He looked straight at Cherry and said with a smile, "Cherry, I¡¯vee to give you your birthday gift."
Cherry¡¯s eyes lit up when she saw him. "Grandpa John! Was my grandaunt unable toe? What a shame!"
John, a butler, smiled and replied, "Yes, unfortunately, she wasn¡¯t able to make it! However, she won¡¯t scrimp on the gifts. I have brought them here."
When Mrs. Livingstone heard him, she immediately curled her lips disdainfully.
It was normal that they would have rtives abroad.
That so-called "Grandpa John" didn¡¯t look like someone from a huge conglomerate, though. At best, he was just a butler. Never would she have thought that she was actually right on the mark.
Mrs. Livingstone immediately smiled and said, "Your grandaunt? Cherry, you have a grandaunt overseas? What does she do for a living? Quick, open the present and let us have a look!"
Chapter 688: Birthday Present (4)
Chapter 688: Birthday Present (4)
Mrs. Livingstone looked at Cherry with a big smile after she spoke.
Louis had resolved the trouble with Lisa¡¯s gift just now, so she couldn¡¯t attack Cherry with that. But the next moment, a so-called grandaunt had arrived.
Mrs. Livingstone was waiting tounch into face-pping mode after she took a look at the gift!
She stared hard at the gift, her gaze so scorching that it was as if it could set the box on fire.
At the side, both Ian and Justin narrowed their eyes. They nced at Mrs. Livingstone, neither of them speaking.
Both knew very well that Nora was no ordinary woman, and that the people she knew in the past were all very impressive. However, everyone seemed to be at a consensus that Nora had lived in tough circumstances in the past.
In fact, they had even spun a dramatic story in their heads about how a poor girl had survived after her stepfather robbed her of the only financial assets that her mother had left behind.
Therefore, even though they all knew that Nora¡¯s medical skills were fantastic, the moment they thought of her past, they kept feeling pity and sympathy for her.
There were even families that said that it was a pity about Ms. Smith; that if she had grown up in New York, she would most certainly have be even more outstanding than Yvonne Smith, yet she was just a doctor now... Nothing else about her seemed that great.
Moreover, what people of social status like theirs were particr about were social connections and their social circle.
If the friends one hung out with were impressive, then they would also be very impressive.
Nora was already a full-grown adult. On top of that, she didn¡¯t have any appropriate girlfriends among her peers in New York. This made her social circle even smaller.
Nora would probably just be the youngdy of the Smiths and Mrs. Hunt in the future. Apart from holding the asional medical consultation, she would probably just stay at home, lead a stable life, and be a good wife and mother to her husband and kids, right?
People like that were sad and pitiful.
She obviously had a good family, yet she hadn¡¯t received the education and opportunities that her family background could have given her when she was a child.
Come to think of it, the story was worthy of being extolled, yet alsomentable.
That was why Justin and Ian wanted to give Nora the opportunity to set an example and establish prestige among her peers during the asion today so that everyone would know that she was no ordinary person!
Thus, neither of them interrupted Mrs. Livingstone¡¯s nonsense, but merely lowered their gazes.
At the same time, the two big bosses also thought to themselves: "It¡¯s about time that the Livingstones go bankrupt!"
Of course, Mrs. Livingstone, who didn¡¯t know that she had already be a thorn in the Smiths and the Hunts¡¯ sides, was still digging her own grave.
Even John was a little dumbfounded when he heard Mrs. Livingstone.
How could she force someone to open their gifts when they hadn¡¯t decided whether to open them or not?
John looked at Cherry a little hesitantly and asked, "Cherry, should I open it?"
Before Cherry could speak, Mrs. Livingstone said, "Yes, open it and impress us! Since it¡¯s a gift for Cherry, then it must be very extraordinary!"
The people around them were speechless.
Mrs. Livingstone¡¯s behavior was simply too unsightly!
To attend someone¡¯s birthday party and then attack them, she was really just so... Everyone stepped away from Mrs. Livingstone, making her stand out like a sore thumb.
However, Mrs. Livingstone didn¡¯t realize. Right now, all she wanted was to thoroughly ruin Nora¡¯s reputation.
Cherry looked at Mrs. Livingstone and then at John. There was amusement in her big eyes as she said, "Grandpa John, since she wants to see the gift so much, then let¡¯s open it and have a look!"
When John heard this, he opened the gift box. It was only then that everyone discovered that the tiny little box was actually a safe.
With a smile, John said, "The password is the one you always use, Ms. Cherry."
Cherry stretched out her chubby little arm and pressed a few numbers.
Click!
The tiny safe opened, revealing the blue gem inside.
At the sight, everyone around them went into a huge furor!
"The Heart of the Ocean?!"
Someone eximed abruptly. He suddenly looked at the gift box that Ian had handed Cherry just a few moments ago and eximed incredulously, "Two Hearts of the Ocean?!"
He sounded absolutely astounded.
How could he possibly not be, though?
One Heart of the Ocean was already worth more than a million dors. Unless a family was backed by a solid and robust foundation, who would be able to buy it?
It was not surprising that the Smiths would have one, but how did that grandaunt of hers get that kind of money? For one to be able to afford a gemstone like that and even give it to their grandniece as a gift, they would have to have hundreds of millions of dors in their pocket!
Everyone swallowed.
Mrs. Livingstone even blurted out, "Surely that isn¡¯t a fake, right?"
But as soon as she said that, she felt that she must be mistaken¡ªbecause a curious Cherry had already put the two Hearts of the Ocean together. Usually, there were differences in gemstones that ordinary people might not be able to pick out, but when good and bad ones were ced side by side, even with the naked eye, one should still be able to tell the difference. However, there was no difference between these two gems at all. It was as if they had been carved out of the same stone!
And of course, they did indeede from the same rock.
When Louis saw this, he said annoyingly, "Wow, Cherry, your grandaunt is so rich! To think she can gift you a diamond worth millions of dors as a gift!"
Cherry grinned at him. "Yeah! My grandaunt is really rich!"
Louis nced at Mrs. Livingstone.
Mrs. Livingstone pressed the matter and asked, "Who is your grandaunt? We should have more or less heard of someone as rich and influential as her!"
Cherry rolled her eyes. "I¡¯m not gonna tell you!"
Her grandaunt¡¯s business was involved in some shady dealings, so Cherry didn¡¯t want to reveal her identity and upation.
Mrs. Livingstone, however, misunderstood. She immediately scoffed, "Ha, you¡¯re just afraid that we would recognize her, aren¡¯t you? Well, that makes sense. Since the Smiths can afford one gemstone, they can also afford two."
Louis went on the offensive at once. "Mrs. Livingstone, what do you mean by that? Are you saying that the Smiths bought this gem too in order to make Cherry look good?"
Mrs. Livingstone had truly shed all pretenses by then. Sheughed and said, "Mr. Smith, we are not trying to mock Ms. Smith. In fact, we even find her very inspirational! But aren¡¯t you kinda overdoing it a little, and also being a little too protective?! Even if you¡¯re just acting, can¡¯t you at least give Cherry¡¯s grandaunt a noble identity thatmands high prestige and respect?! If she¡¯s just rich, then who knows whose money that is? All the rich people overseas are of high social status!"
Now, that was going too far.
The others were about to tell her to knock it off a little when the butler entered the hall in a panic again. He said, "Princess Lucy from the UK... is here!"
Chapter 689: Birthday Present (5)
Chapter 689: Birthday Present (5)
Everyone was dumbfounded when they heard him.
Princess Lucy from the UK?
Who was that?
Everyone looked at Justin, wondering if the Hunts had already reached such a height that they could even get the British royal family to visit in person and offer well-wishes to their children for their birthday?
One must know that the royal family did not easily establish good rtions with wealthy families.
While everyone was marveling, someone asked, "Mr. Hunt, when did you make friends with the British royal family?"
Justin, however, frowned. Unlike everyone else, the princess¡¯ arrival did not make him nervous. Instead, he calmly instructed the butler, "Everyone visiting is a guest. Show her in."
"Yes, sir!"
The butler replied. Then, with his head down, he went out again.
After the butler left, Mrs. Livingstone looked at Cherry. "Which country is your grandaunt living in?"
Cherry tilted her head. "The UK!"
Mrs. Livingstone covered her mouth andughed. "Oh my, would you look at that? Had you known that Mr. Hunt was acquainted with the British royal family, it would have been so impressive if you had gotten him to get the princess to give you a gift instead!"
In other words, she was implying that the Smiths had messed up.
Even if they wanted to give her the gem, they should have gotten someone with a high social status to give it to her instead. Only then would it prove that Nora really was very impressive.
But as soon as she said that, Justin said, "I don¡¯t know them."
To be honest, he did.
However, the one he knew was not Princess Lucy but her mother instead¡ªin other words, the Queen of the United Kingdom!
But he clearly remembered that because he hadn¡¯t sent the Queen an invitation because he wanted to keep the party low-profile. Besides, the children¡¯s fifth birthday was not a big asion, either.
Could it be that the Queen¡ªwho was one fry short of a Happy Meal¡ªhad heard about his children¡¯s birthday, so she sent the little princess here to please him?
That was impossible, though...
His identity shouldn¡¯t have been exposed yet.
While Justin was thinking about it with a frown on his face, the butler had already led the distinguished guests in.
A little girl with blond hair and blue eyes walked in. She was fair-skinned, and her big eyes were bright and twinkling. Her curly shoulder-length hair was spread out slightly behind her, and her formal dress cinching her waist made her look slim and graceful.
Although she was only five, so her body hadn¡¯t grown and developed yet, the princess looked just like a doll, and was extraordinarily good-looking!
Behind the princess were a few bodyguards in professional attire. They scanned the surroundings vigntly and protected the princess.
After Lucy entered, her big eyes blinked and she looked around.
Although she was young, her every move carried an air of nobility and elegance.
Justin took a step forward and came up to Lucy. He asked the attendant next to her, "Why is the princess suddenly visiting our humble abode?"
Princess Lucy was too young, so Justin couldn¡¯t be bothered to greet the child.
Besides, since she was so young, her attendants would surely somewhat be able to speak on her behalf.
With a smile, the attendant replied, "Rx, Mr. Hunt. Her Highness merely heard that it¡¯s her close friend¡¯s birthday, so she hase over to visit."
As soon as he said that, Justin narrowed his eyes.
The people around them who had heard the attendant were also surprised.
The princess¡¯... close friend¡¯s birthday?
Everyone turned and looked at Cherry, Pete, and Xander once more.
So, which one of them was the princess¡¯ friend?
Mrs. Livingstone didn¡¯t hear the exchange, so she was still a little dazed. She was standing at the side and speaking to Cherry.
"You see that princess over there? There¡¯s grace in her every action. Now, that¡¯s self-confidence that only a good family background can provide! What a shame that you didn¡¯t grow up in a good environment. Even if you¡¯re the youngdy of the Hunts, you still don¡¯t have a bearing as outstanding as hers! I¡¯m sure that just a few months ago, you¡¯d never even dared imagine that you would ever see a princess, right?"
Cherry: "?"
Everyone around them: "?"
Everyone looked at Mrs. Livingstone as though they were looking at a fool!
Mrs. Livingstone didn¡¯t understand why everyone was staring at her. Instead, she continued speaking smugly. "What are all of you looking at me like that for? Am I wrong? You don¡¯t have the guts to say these things, but I do! And it isn¡¯t just Cherry but Ms. Smith, too. No matter what, it¡¯s just not good to grow up in a family like that..."
Seeing her performing a one-man show over there, Cherry gave her a push and said, "Excuse me, granny, you are blocking my way!"
Mrs. Livingstone, who had been pushed aside, stumbled to the side.
She looked over and censured Cherry furiously. "That¡¯s so rude of you, Cherry. How can you treat your elders like that? You should learn from Princess Lucy, take a gander at her deportment and manners! ..."
She had only just spoken when she saw Cherry, with joy all over her face, lift her little skirt and run past her.
On the other side, Lucy had also finally found the little buddy she knew so well among the adults¡¯ legs. Her eyes lit up, and she also rushed over.
Chapter 690: Birthday Present (6)
Chapter 690: Birthday Present (6)
"Cherry!"
"Princess Lucy!"
The two little girls called out each other¡¯s names and rushed toward each other. The adults standing in between them stepped aside one after another and made way for them.
Thus, in full view of everyone present, the two little girls met atst.
At a distance of four inches apart, the two came to a stop. Both of them lifted their skirts and greeted each other elegantly, their movements were very regal and beautiful!
In addition, Cherry and Princess Lucy¡¯s movements were practically identical!
When they were done, the two little girls finally held each other¡¯s hands and started jumping about happily.
"Dear Lucy, why are you here?" asked Cherry.
Princess Lucy replied, "Because I missed you, my best friend!"
Cherryughed loudly, her voice crisp and clear.
Princess Lucy smiled at her happily. Then, she said, "It seems that you have fallen behind quite a fair bit in your etiquette lessons during thest six months that we haven¡¯t met~! If Mrs. Steve hears of this, I¡¯m afraid, she¡¯d spank your bottom so hard it would split into two!"
Cherry stuck out her tongue. "You have also fallen behind in your etiquette lessons."
Princess Lucy burst intoughter. "After you left, I made an excuse and stopped going to sses. Besides, we have already passed the exam a long time ago, so Mother said that I don¡¯t have to go anymore!"
"That¡¯s awesome!"
Cherry pped.
Lisa, who could hear them, was dumbfounded. She subconsciously asked, "Cherry, do you and Princess Lucy share the same etiquette teacher?"
Cherry exined, "Yup, we go for lessons together! Mrs. Steve is the best etiquette teacher in the UK. My grandaunt said that girls should learn to carry themselves well, so she sent me to take the lessons! Later, Princess Lucy begged Grandaunt to get Mrs. Steve to teach her too while she taught me. That¡¯s how the two of us met each other!"
Her words were like a bomb that sted everyone so hard that they couldn¡¯t recover.
Initially, when they heard the girls¡¯ conversation, everyone had thought to themselves that Cherry, as expected, had indeed lived an extraordinary life abroad.
However, for most typical wealthy families, as long as they were willing to pay, they would be able to engage teachers who exclusively taught the royal family, and invite them to their homes to give their children lessons.
Everyone had also assumed that it was Nora or the grandaunt, whom Cherry had spoken of just now, who had done so.
Her grandaunt might also have wanted to let Cherry and Princess Lucy be acquainted with each other through the etiquette teacher so that it would be convenient for her to establish a connection with the royal family.
Going by what Cherry had said, though, why did it sound like it was not her grandaunt who wanted to curry favor with the royal family, but the other way around instead?
So, just what kind of social status did Cherry¡¯s grandaunt have?!
Lisa didn¡¯t think that far ahead. She only remembered Mrs. Livingstone lecturing Cherry about her upbringing and criticizing her for having poor etiquette. Thus, she turned to Mrs. Livingstone and sneered, "Mrs. Livingstone, how do you find Cherry¡¯s etiquette? Do you think she learned well? Is there anything else about her upbringing that you think requires improvement?"
Mrs. Livingstone was dumbfounded. She stared at Cherry incredulously, feeling like her face had already gone numb from all the ps she received.
How could this be?
Howe Cherry knew the princess of the royal family?!
Moreover, she seemed to know the princess very well...
In this instant, in the eyes of everyone there, Cherry and Nora suddenly turned into towering giants. Their image had be high and lofty in an instant, making them feel like people beyond their reach.
In fact, the two of them felt a few notches even more impressive than how Yvette Smith had felt back then!
Everyone swallowed. This time, they offered their sincere congrattions.
"Mr. Hunt, Ms. Smith is so amazing! She can even get her daughter to be good friends with a princess..."
"Mr. Smith, even though Ms. Smith was not by your side all these years, it looks like she has been living very well!"
"Eh? Where¡¯s Ms. Smith? Why isn¡¯t she here? I wanted to talk to her about parenting and ask her how she raised Cherry so well?"
"..."
While everyone was offering their congrattions, Justin smiled slightly. Then, he looked straight at Mrs. Livingstone and said, "Mrs. Livingstone, you¡¯ve had your fill of fun. Surely you have nothing else to say now, right?"
Mrs. Livingstone bit her lip. "I didn¡¯t expect Ms. Smith to have such a superior standard of living ... Fine, you can take it that I was worried for nothing! It only had your interests in mind when I said all that. I was worried that you would wed an inappropriate woman, but it¡¯s alright now. I¡¯m not worried anymore, so I have nothing more to say."
With that, she turned to leave.
But as soon as she turned, Justin¡¯s frosty voice reached her. "Wait a minute, Mrs. Livingstone. You may not have anything else to say, but I do."
Taken aback, Mrs. Livingstone looked at him.
Everyone also quietened down and looked over.
Justin looked at the butler and said, "It seems that the people at home don¡¯t have the ability to distinguish who is family and who isn¡¯t. People from beyond three generations are no longer considered rtives. The Hunt Manor is not a ce that just anyone can enter."
The butler understood at once. He immediately straightened his back and replied, "Yes, sir."
Then, the butler walked up to Mrs. Livingstone. With a smile, he asked, "Mrs. Livingstone, may I know if you have an invitation to the party?"
Mrs. Livingstone: "??"
How would she possibly have one?!
All the guests at the party were invited by Justin. However, every time she came, she had always gone straight to Mrs. Hunt instead.
Dumbfounded, she shook her head. "No, I don¡¯t."
The butler heaved a sigh at once. "Sir, this is an oversight on my end. I will forgo three months of pay as punishment."
Then, he gave a wave. "Guards, there is ady here without an invitation. Please take her out!"
Mrs. Livingstone: "!!"
Her eyes widened and she looked at the butler in disbelief. "H-How dare you?!"
However, the security officers had already rushed over. They subdued Mrs. Livingstone straightaway and led her out the door. She struggled fiercely, forming an extremely nasty sight.
At the same time, the security officers also located Thomas where the youngsters were and threw him out as well!
No matter how great the feud, generally speaking, no one would throw a guest straight out of their house. That would simply make the other party look too bad.
Justin¡¯s actions sent a clear message to everyone present: ¡¯Justin Hunt hates the Livingstones¡¯!
The guests at the party were all either rich or noble. All of them immediately got the hint.
The president of a certain bank stepped forward at once. "The Livingstones owe the bank 30 million dors. I¡¯ll have to press them for it tomorrow."
"Yikes, they don¡¯t even have any cash flow left. I think we¡¯d better suspend our project with them!"
"..."
As the saying went, everyone kicked men when they were down. The Livingstones could straight-up dere bankruptcy the next day!
Justin turned his head to the back in satisfaction and looked at Ian.
Just a moment ago, he had sensed murderous intent from Ian. He wondered what the Smiths¡¯ dark forces would do to the Livingstones?
He wanted to ask Ian about it. If his father-inw wasn¡¯t going to take action, then he would make the arrangements himself.
But unexpectedly, when he looked over, he instead found Ian, who was surrounded by people, looking somewhat distracted.
He was staring hard at the pair of Hearts of the Ocean with an agitated look on his face.
When Cherry ran to Lucy, she had ced the gems in his hands.
The two gems...
He had bought the first Heart of the Ocean and given it to "her" back then...
The trembling Ian raised his head and looked at John, who was standing in front of him. His fingers curled tightly into fists and then he asked hoarsely, "Thedy you serve... Who is she?!"
Chapter 691: Birthday Present (7)
Chapter 691: Birthday Present (7)
The tall and thin John was a little surprised by his question. He replied politely, "Mr. Smith, mdy¡¯s name is Jessica."
Jessica?
Ian broke into a frown. "Is she American?"
John answered, "Yes, she is."
She was American!
Ian¡¯s heart thumped wildly again. He then asked, "Does she go by any other name?"
"Yes," John paused and then said, "She also goes by Queenie Schmidt."
Ian lowered his eyes in disappointment when he heard the unfamiliar name. He stared at the two gems in his hand. Suddenly, he pointed at them and asked, "How did she get this?"
John smiled. "Ma¡¯am said that a friend who has already passed away had given it to her. Since it¡¯s that friend¡¯s granddaughter¡¯s birthday today, she shall return it to its original owner."
A friend who had already passed away had given it to her...
That friend must be Yvette.
Ian¡¯s disappointment grew even stronger.
He shook his head, feeling like he must have lost his mind.
Although he knew very well that Yvette had already died twenty years ago, the moment he heard a bit of news about her, he could not help but wonder if she was still alive.
He lowered his gaze and put the other gem into the box.
Then, he sighed.
As he had only just recovered, he couldn¡¯t stand for too long. Thus, Ian turned, went up the stairs and toward the VIP lounge to rest.
Justin didn¡¯t understand why his father-inw had suddenly be depressed. He followed after him and asked, "Uncle Ian, what¡¯s wrong?"
Ian waved him off. "It¡¯s nothing. You get back to the party."
Justin held his arm and said, "I¡¯ll take you upstairs, and also check in on Nora along the way."
Nora hated crowds the most. Besides, she wasn¡¯t the star today, so she had been hiding upstairs the whole time.
Ian nodded.
But after Justin helped Ian upstairs, he found that Nora, who should have been resting in the VIP lounge, was not in there?
Where had she gone?
¡ª
It was extraordinarily lively downstairs.
Cherry and Princess Lucy hadn¡¯t met for a very long time, so they had a lot to talk to each other about. The way they couldn¡¯t stop talking to each other was as though the two of them had be conjoined twins.
As for Pete, he was surrounded by the children of the Hunts. He was the future heir to the n. Moreover, he had grown up with them and also gone to school with them. Thus, even though he was introverted, the group of children still yed with him.
Pete didn¡¯t want to talk to them, so he turned and joined the children from the kindergarten instead.
The Hunts were celebrating the children¡¯s birthday today, so most of the guests had also brought children of simr age with them.
The children, led by Mia, didn¡¯t dare to disturb Cherry and Princess Lucy, so they could only circle around Pete instead.
"Wow! You really look just like Cherry!"
Someone stretched out their little hand to pinch Pete¡¯s cheek.
Mia smiled shyly and gave Pete a birthday present. "I drew this for you, Pete. Have a look and see if it looks good?"
When Pete opened it, he found that it was a drawing of three children.
Two of the children looked the same. One of them was wearing a white organza dress¡ªit was Cherry.
The other was wearing a small suit¡ªit was Pete.
The timid little girl in the middle was none other than Mia.
Mia looked at him and said timidly, "Pete, shall the three of us stay together forever?"
When Pete and Cherry were staying with the Smiths, they hadn¡¯t yed with Brandon but only with Mia instead. The three of them got along very well.
Pete nodded. "Sure!"
"Cherry!"
Brandon, who had been in a state of shock and silence ever since he saw Pete, suddenly yelled, "So you guys are two different people! It¡¯s not because you can cut off your little willy, turn into a little girl, and then have it grow back!"
Everyone: "??"
Pete: "???"
Brandon wailed, "... To think I trusted you so much and started studying how to cut off my little willy without any pain! I¡¯m lucky that I haven¡¯t gotten around to doing it yet! Sob!"
"..."
After a moment of silence, they suddenly burst outughing.
Children¡¯sughter was contagious. The whole party livened up because of theirughter.
In a corner one was paying any attention to, Xander stood all by himself and looked around nkly.
He didn¡¯t have a single friend here. Apart from the three gifts from his rtives, there was no one else here who would bring gifts for him.
"Wow! Did you see? Princess Lucy gave Cherry a diamond hairpin that she made! She¡¯s so good with her hands! That hairpin is really pretty!"
"Mia also drew a picture for Pete! And Brandon gave Pete his favorite ne!"
"When is my birthday? I want gifts too!"
In the children¡¯s world, how expensive a gift was didn¡¯t matter. What mattered was the amount of sincerity in the little gifts that the ssmates gave one another.
Xander clenched his jaw.
He balled up his little fists tightly.
He suddenly wanted very much to go back, return to the basement, and lock himself up.
Just as his imagination was running wild, a big warm hand suddenly stroked his hair.
Xander was taken aback.
He looked behind abruptly and saw Nora standing behind him.
The woman was very tall and slim. Her almond-shaped eyes were slightly downcast. When he raised his head, the woman tugged her trousers up a little with her long and slender bandaged hands, and then she slowly squatted down. She rested her chin on her hands, looked at him at eye-level, and said, "Happy birthday, precious."
"..."
Xander¡¯s cheeks slowly started to burn.
The woman¡¯s voice was low and sounded pampering.
This made his expression turn somewhat embarrassed.
He coughed and said, "Don¡¯t call me that, it¡¯s so mushy!"
Noraughed. "Then what do you want me to call you? Babe? Darling? Or baby? Or perhaps... Xander?"
Xander rolled his eyes. "You can just call me Xander! Why are you so frivolous?! Be serious!"
Nora retracted her smile. Suddenly, she stretched out her uninjured hand to him and said, "Hello, Xander. Let me introduce myself. My name is Nora Smith, and I am your mommy. Mm, although I have been Cherry¡¯s mother for five years, and have also been Pete¡¯s mother for three months, I am still too ipetent a mother. I hope we can get along in the future. Oh, by the way, my hobby is sleeping."
Xander: "?"
The woman was speaking to him so seriously that it instead made him a little embarrassed.
He paused. Then, he suddenly grinned and said, "Hello, Nora Smith, my name is Xander. Although I have a father, it¡¯s as if I don¡¯t. This is my first time being someone¡¯s son. Please take care of me!"
One of the little guy¡¯s canine teeth was visible when he smiled, making him look very adorable.
Nora stroked his hair. "Yup, let¡¯s both try our best, okay~?"
"..."
Xander pursed his lips.
The way she spoke as if she was coaxing little kids sure was dumb!
But he didn¡¯t realize that even though he was pursing his lips, there was also a smile there.
During their conversation, Pete suddenly walked over and handed Xander a gift.
Taken aback, Xander stared at the box in front of him.
Pete said, "Although you haven¡¯t acknowledged us yet, Mommy has already told us that you are our brother. So, happy birthday."
Xander felt his eyes stinging again.
He took the gift and said in a stuck-up manner, "I didn¡¯t prepare birthday presents for you guys though~"
"It¡¯s okay, yeah!"
Cherry also walked over hand-in-hand with Princess Lucy. She handed him the little gift that she had prepared a long time ago and said, "We are older than you, so we won¡¯t mind. Since you are the youngest, we will give in to you!"
Xander: "??"
He frowned and got mad at once. "I¡¯m your elder brother!"
Cherry tilted her head. "You are my younger brother! We should be particr about whoes first! Besides, isn¡¯t it great being a younger brother? This way, I¡¯ll give in to you!"
Pete also nodded and cooperated with Cherry.
Xander: !!
Chapter 692: Birthday Present (8)
Chapter 692: Birthday Present (8)
Nora had never thought that Trueman would actually send a gift.
The butler in front of her also had a grave look on his face. He said, "It was delivered by a mailman. We have investigated him¡ªhe is indeed an ordinary mailman, he has been delivering the mail here for many years. Also, the parcel was sent from within New York."
From within New York...
Had Trueman returned to America?
She was rmed.
To be honest, because Xander had grown up under Trueman¡¯s care, his personality had long since developed to be like Trueman¡¯s. Thanks to Trueman¡¯s grooming, his moralpass had also strayed from the right path a little.
Trueman was not a good man. Besides, one could tell from what Xander had said that he did not treat Xander that well either.
Moreover, didn¡¯t Xander leave her side precisely because Trueman had taken him?
One couldn¡¯t hold gratitude towards a human trafficker just because they didn¡¯t kill their son.
Thus, Nora didn¡¯t want the two of them to ever make contact with each other again.
Besides, the way she saw it, Xander was nothing more than Trueman¡¯s pawn. Judging from Trueman¡¯s attitude towards Ruth, one could tell that the man was rather unfeeling...
She stared at the gift box in her hand and slowly opened it.
When she saw the contents, a look of shock suddenly formed in her eyes, and she instantly mmed the lid shut! She thought of all the events in the past, as well as what Caleb had told her, and her heart suddenly started to pound madly.
"What¡¯s wrong?"
Just as she was a little flustered, Justin¡¯s low and deep voice came from the back, putting her at ease a little.
She looked behind her and narrowed her eyes. Just as she was about to speak, someone nearby noticed Justin and came over to talk to him.
Nora kept quiet.
Justin said, "Uncle Ian is in the lounge upstairs. Why don¡¯t you go over there? I¡¯lle over in a minute."
"Okay."
Nora¡¯s fingers around the box tightened, seemingly very afraid that the box would fall and shatter. She took a deep breath and went upstairs.
Before she entered the lounge, a cry of surprise suddenly rang out from below.
Nora looked down to see a few people holding cages. Inside the cages were some rabbits, as well as cats and dogs.
Xander was circling around them in joy and surprise. "No. 6! No. 3! And Rabbit No. 5! Why are you guys here?"
Nora: "?"
It was the butler again who had brought the cages in. He had only brought them in after consulting Justin.
In the midst of Nora¡¯s hesitation, Justin had dismissed the person who came up to him with just a few words. He went over to her.
Nora kept quiet for a while. Then, she asked, "Are those also gifts from Trueman?"
"Yeah."
Justin said, "I allowed the butler to bring them in here when he asked me about it. Since Trueman has shipped them to Xander by air freight from a great distance away, they are likely very important to him."
Before, he had neglected Xander a lot when they couldn¡¯t be sure of his identity.
The two of them were currently dying to give Xander everything he wanted so that it would foster a sense of belonging in him. It was indeed beyond their expectations that Trueman would send the animals here.
After all, with the animals here, Xander would probably no longer have any longing for that basement abroad, right?
Moreover, with thepany of these animals that had grown up with him, perhaps he wouldn¡¯t be so difficult to get along with anymore.
The two of them stood at the door and stared at that little corner below.
Some people simply loved having cats and dogs around, so they weren¡¯t surprised that someone would give them to Xander as gifts.
The butler put them in the corner and said to Xander, "Mr. Xander, these animals have to be tested for diseases. We didn¡¯t know that you have so many pets. Are you nning to keep them with you, or would you like us to specially set aside a room in the garden and let them stay there? If it¡¯s the former, then we¡¯ll have to merge your room with the one next to it, so that it¡¯ll be big enough."
Xander replied without any hesitation. "They are not my pets, they are my friends! Of course they are gonna stay with me!"
The butler was a little troubled. "But this would mean that you may have to stay in a guest room during the renovation."
Xander was very happy at the moment because of the animals, so why would he possibly mind all that? He immediately waved. Just as he was about to say that he was alright with it, Pete said, "Why don¡¯t you stay with me for the time being?"
Xander was a little surprised. Then, he grinned and asked, "Aren¡¯t you afraid that I will beat you up in the middle of the night?"
Pete sighed. "So be it, if that¡¯s the case. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t retaliate. After all, you are my younger brother."
Xander: "??"
"Get lost! I¡¯m the older brother!"
Pete shook his head helplessly. "Okay, okay, you are the older brother. Will that do?"
Xander: "?"
That way of speaking... Why did it sound so much like he was giving in to him?
When he thought of what Pete had said just now about how an older brother should give in to his younger brother, he immediately understood. It was just like how an adult faced with a child¡¯s unreasonable demands would say "Will that do?" in a pampering manner! That was exactly what it felt like!
Xander suddenly felt rather frustrated.
How was it that he simply could not get the upper hand when he faced Pete?
He bared his teeth at Pete and acted as if he was going to pounce forward and bite him. At the sight, the animals in the cages also howled at Pete.
In fact, Butterscotch¡ªaka No. 6, the wolfhound¡ªeven got ready to pounce forward.
Pete was not frightened. Instead, it was Xander who got a shock. He immediately tried to calm them down. "Stop that, Butterscotch!"
Only then did the wolfhound stop. It looked at Xander perplexedly, probably wondering to itself, "Doesn¡¯t master hate that guy a lot?"
As though sensing its hesitation, Xander rolled his eyes. He looked up at the ceiling and said in a stuck-up manner, "He is my younger brother. Even though I don¡¯t like him, I¡¯m the only one who can bully him. Understand?"
"Woof! Woof!"
Butterscotch let out a couple of barks. While there was no way of knowing whether it had understood Xander, it certainly didn¡¯t bark at Pete anymore.
"This cat is so cute!"
Princess Lucy said as she pointed at a listless little cat in the cage.
Cherry had also squatted down beside the cage. She stretched out her chubby little hand to touch the animals in the cage, but when the cat saw her hand reaching into the cage, it shrank back and stared at her with its green eyes. Cherry¡¯s heart melted at the sight. "Xander, this cat is so cute! Can you give it to me?"
"Heh, no way! Emerald is not a pet, I can¡¯t give her away just like that!"
But after Xander said that, he added, "Unless you acknowledge me as your older brother."
"Big Brother Xander!" Cherry yelled out without hesitation, taking Xander by surprise. Cherry rushed up to him and said, "Big Brother Xander! Big Brother Xander! You¡¯re the best, yeah!"
Xander: "!!"
Could the girl please have a limit to how low she could go?
The corners of his lips spasmed a little. "I can let Emerald stay in your room, but you mustn¡¯t bully her."
"Okie-dokie! I promise! No problem!"
Cherry and Lucy looked at each other and the two of them secretly giggled. Lucy then asked, "Can we sleep with her tonight?"
"Of course!"
Without Nora and Justin¡¯s permission, Cherry had agreed to Lucy¡¯s request to stay over!
Also, the reason why she had happily acknowledged Xander as her older brother was that she was very sure that she was the youngest! Her mother had said so.
Her mother had said that back then, after she regained consciousness, she had only managed to save herst child.
As for who the older one between Pete and Xander was, it was hard to say. After all, Nora didn¡¯t know which of the two boys, that had been carried out of the room, Trueman had taken...
Cherry looked at Xander again and looked him up and down.
Xander was a little ttered by her gaze. "Are you looking at how your big brother is more handsome than Pete?"
Cherry replied, "... Nope. I was just thinking that it¡¯s fortunate that you treat these animals very well. Otherwise, I would think that you¡¯re the psychotic little friend I had met online!"
Xander: "??"
Cherry exined, "I met a little psycho on the Inte. He is very annoying and also very foul-mouthed, he¡¯s basically just like you. He also has a lot of pets... but he¡¯s always carrying out psychotic experiments and bullying those little animals every day. You are not like him, though. You love and care for the animals so much, you would never bully them, right?"
Xander the Little Psycho¡¯s lip corners spasmed a little. He quietly replied, "... Nope!"
He swore that he would never let Cherry know in his lifetime that he was that exact little psycho himself!
¡ª
The two adults upstairs didn¡¯t know about the children¡¯s conversation. The two looked at each other and entered the room.
Ian was sitting on the sofa. He looked at Nora when he heard the door open.
He wanted to ask about her aunt¡ªin other words, about Queenie¡ªand ask her how they had met, and also what kind of person she was. But unexpectedly, when he looked up, he instead saw a very grave and solemn look on Nora¡¯s face.
Ian immediately abandoned his thoughts and asked, "What¡¯s the matter?"
In just a split second, a sharp and forceful feeling had already crept into his voice, and he sounded much like he was ready to fight it out with the person who had bullied his daughter.
Additionally, after he spoke, he nced at Justin.
Justin was speechless.
In an attempt to exin, he hurriedly asked, "What did Trueman send?"
Nora clenched her jaw.
She looked at Ian and then at Justin.
In the past, she had always shouldered everything by herself whenever she met with trouble. But now, she had a father, as well as a lover.
Nora did not push herself beyond her capabilities. At the question, she immediately opened the gift box in her hand.
Lying quietly inside the box was a small bottle of serum.
The serum was stored in a tiny ss bottle, and there was only a very small dose. However, written on the note beside it was its name: ¡¯Gene Serum¡¯.
For a while, all three people in the room fell silent.
Justin stared at the serum. Suddenly, he sighed. "I knew it. It was just a matter of time before we eventually found out. So, why would Trueman still send the boy back when he could have used the boy to threaten us. So that¡¯s how it is!"
Ian frowned. The man, who wasn¡¯t in the loop about the ins and outs of what had happened, asked, "What do you mean?"
Chapter 693: Xander Is Bait
Chapter 693: Xander Is Bait
Justin pursed his lips and handed a piece of paper beside the medicine in the box to Ian.
Ian opened it and saw a line of words: "You have to inject Xander within half a month or he¡¯ll die."
Ian¡¯s pupils shrank as he looked up in disbelief.
Nora took a deep breath and exined, "Caleb once told me that there is no way to expel the side effects of the gene serum on an adult. Therefore, even if an adult seeds in improving their genes, their lifespan is greatly shortened. Within the mysterious organization, they had once found thousands of children to do experiments. Among these children, those who could not withstand the gene serum died. Those who could withstand it had to be injected regrly. Otherwise, they would die too. Just like Caleb and Trueman have to inject the gene serum regrly."
Ian drew a sharp breath. "Are you saying that Xander will be controlled by him from now on?"
Nora nodded.
Ian clenched his jaw and gripped the handle of the chair tightly. Then, he said sternly, "How dare he scheme against my grandson! He¡¯s really suicidal! Our family will fight this mysterious organization to the end!"
Nora looked at him and lowered her eyes.
Justin looked at Nora nervously. "Xander¡¯s DNA can¡¯t match yours and mine. It¡¯s because of this medicine, Nora. Is there something wrong with his body?!"
Nora frowned. "To be honest, I don¡¯t know."
She looked at Justin. "At least he¡¯s healthy for now. Do you think Trueman is lying to us?"
Justin took a deep breath. "Yes."
Justin¡¯s suspicion was very reasonable.
Trueman was both good and bad. He had never done things logically. It was indeed reasonable that he really nned to cheat them.
What if Xander didn¡¯t need a gene serum but was still injected with it under Trueman¡¯s deception?
Nora kept quiet for a long while.
At this moment, her phone suddenly rang. She picked it up and heard Caleb¡¯s deep voice. "Miss Smith, you might be in trouble."
Nora was taken aback. "What¡¯s the matter?"
Caleb said in a low voice, "I noticed that Trueman secretly sent a V15 gene serum to the country... You might not understand what V15 means. Let me tell you¡ªThe gene serum is divided into 16 stages from 1 to 16. The serum is also divided into 16 injections. Only after these 16 injections can youpletely be a transgenic person. Your life will be worry free, and you might even get more benefits from your body and live longer. But before this, if any injection is missed, you would die! I once told you that the mysterious organization raised a group of children who were very powerful. Among those few, there were five who survived. The five of us have taken the doses up to V15. Currently, only V16 is left, but V16 is in your mother¡¯s hands."
Nora¡¯s eyes narrowed. She stared at the gene serum in her hand and took out that small bottle. She flipped to the back and realized that the words "V15" were written on it!!
She asked, "Xander is my son. He sent this gene serum to my son!"
The other party paused and sighed. "Trueman only has three months left to live. No wonder he¡¯s in such a hurry!"
A cold light shed across Nora¡¯s eyes. "What do you mean?"
Caleb sighed. "The longer the interval between the injections, the lighter the body¡¯s endurance bes. They have realized that one can¡¯t take more than two years to take the next injection. I¡¯m the same age as Trueman. We¡¯re 29 years old. After the initial few, we had taken injections every two years. We injected V15 nearly 21 months ago. If V16 is not found within three months, Trueman will die."
Nora instantly grasped the logic behind this. "So Xander was not even six years old, but he was already injected with 14 serums? This means that he was injected with three serums annually!"
"..." The other party was silent for a long time before he sighed silently. "Yes."
One word made Nora¡¯s heart hurt like a needle.
She could not think about it. She had no idea what Xander had experienced in the past five years!
She clenched her jaw.
Caleb sighed. "Trueman must have realized your existence when you were giving birth, so he deliberately stole your child. When your mother died that year, the mysterious organization could do nothing to her. The mysterious organization was probably afraid that you would note out and hide the antidote your mother had left behind, so they deliberately took Xander to force you to yield!"
Nora took a deep breath.
Trueman¡¯s actions had really infuriated her!
She was furious!
Trueman used the child as the bait just to force her to find the V16 left by her mother!
She said angrily, "Let Trueman die!"
With that, she hung up.
That¡¯s right. This was Trueman¡¯s true motive.
Sending Xander back to drive a wedge between them was not his real goal. If Justin and Nora could not even save a child, they were not worthy of being the heads of the Hunts.
His goal was to force Nora!
Nora took a deep breath and looked at Justin.
As the two of them were thinking, there was a sudden violent knock on the door. "Mommy, mommy, open the door quickly! Something¡¯s wrong!"
Chapter 694: Mommy, Save It!
Chapter 694: Mommy, Save It!
It was Cherry¡¯s voice.
Justin rushed over fiercely and opened the door. Cherry rushed in anxiously and pulled Nora downstairs. Her voice was filled with tears. "Mommy, hurry up and see Butterscotch. Butterscotch can¡¯t take it anymore!"
Butterscotch?
Nora frowned and suddenly realized something. She hurriedly went downstairs in front of Cherry.
As soon as she came downstairs, the butler walked over. "Xander and Butterscotch are in the lounge. I was afraid of causing a panic, so I asked the security to move them over."
Nora nodded at the butler.
This was Justin¡¯s butler. He was good at handling matters and had always been very polite to her.
Hearing this, Nora rushed to the lounge again. Just as she entered, she heard Pete¡¯s voice. "My mommy is also your mommy. She¡¯s a doctor. She will definitely be able to treat Butterscotch. Don¡¯t worry."
Princess Lucy was also standing beside them, looking at them with wide eyes and fear.
Hearing the sound of footsteps, Pete and Princess Lucy turned to look at Nora. Pete¡¯s eyes lit up. He rushed over and held Nora¡¯s hand. He pointed at the dog in the cage in the corner and said, "Mommy, hurry up and save Butterscotch."
Nora walked over and realized that Butterscotch was lying in the cage. It seemed to have no strength at all. Ity on its side with its legs straightened. However, its eyes were wide open as it looked at Xander. Its pupils had already begun to expand, and it was obvious that there was no treatment possible.
Nora¡¯s heart sank. She turned to look at Xander and saw that he was extremely calm. His little face was tense as he squatted beside Butterscotch and stared at him. He held a small knife in his hand.
When she saw that knife, Nora¡¯s pupils constricted. She asked directly, "Xander, what are you doing?"
Xander was still staring at Butterscotch as he said stubbornly, "Butterscotch¡¯s heart can¡¯t take it anymore. Fluffy¡¯s body isn¡¯t good, but its heart is still alive. I want to exchange Fluffy¡¯s heart for Butterscotch¡¯s... That way, both of them would be alive..."
"..."
Any child would definitely panic upon hearing such words.
However, at this moment, Nora only felt her heart slowly getting stifled.
In the past, she had always thought that Xander was a mischievous child who was just ruthless. When the security officer had collected his DNA samples, Xander had even bitten him.
Later on, he was always acting stubborn. Whatever Justin asked him, or whatever Nora asked him, he would not answer.
Last time, he was framed as an outsider and had taken Pete away. Until he returned, he had not exined a word.
During that time, Justin tried to talk to him many times, but he was stopped by Nora.
It was only when Pete woke up and told the truth that Justin could let go of the knot in his heart.
Nora thought of how he looked when she took the DNA test report and walked to the VIP lounge upstairs to hand the report to him.
After he pretended to be mature and finished reading the report, he stood up and looked at the butler to simply say, "Yes, I can change now."
He did not say anything and only nced at Justin and Nora proudly. Then, he said, "You can prove that you¡¯re my parents now, but this is only written evidence. I haven¡¯t acknowledged you in my heart yet. You still have to work hard, understand?"
Therefore, he had never called her Mom and Dad.
This was how Xander was. He was a strange, entric, and domineering child. At this moment, he was holding a knife and quietly saying that he wanted to rece Butterscotch¡¯s heart.
Over the years, although Nora had saved many people, it was inevitable that she experienced life and death in the hospital. She had a calm personality and did not care about many things.
But at this moment, her eyes were gradually turning red.
Even though Xander had grown up in a bad environment, he still remained true to himself.
She said, "Xander, it¡¯s useless. Its body will reject the new heart."
"How could that be?"
Xander frowned. "Aren¡¯t they all hearts? How can you be so sure?!"
With that, he extended his hand again and wanted to open the cage. "Open the cage quickly. I want to save Butterscotch! It¡¯ll be toote!"
"Woof."
Butterscotch suddenly let out a weak bark. The bark made Xander¡¯s body stiffen. Then, he suddenly turned to look at Nora. "Aren¡¯t the Smiths and Hunts very powerful? Hurry up and call the doctor Anti to treat Butterscotch! Anti can save Butterscotch! Quickly call her over. If she doesn¡¯te, kill her!"
Xander¡¯s eyes were filled with madness.
Looking at his heartbreaking appearance, Nora reached out and pressed his head. "Xander, I¡¯m Anti."
I am Anti.
These words caused Xander¡¯s body to stiffen.
He pushed Nora away and stared at her in shock. "You¡¯re Anti... Mommy, hurry up and save Butterscotch!"
The first time he called Nora Mommy, he was asking her to do something that she could not.
However, Nora knew that if she did not do something now, Xander would probably go crazy.
She took a deep breath and nodded. "Okay."
Then, she took out her phone and called Lily.
Lily¡¯s voice was hoarse. "Boss, I¡¯d just fallen asleep..."
She had done the DNA tests without sleeping for several days. She did not even attend the children¡¯s birthday party and had fallen asleep.
Only two hours had passed!
Before she could finishining, she heard Nora say, "Come to the Hunts immediately and assist me in a heart transnt surgery!"
"...OK."
Chapter 695: Three Months
Chapter 695: Three Months
Before Lily could rush over, the tables in the waiting room had already been gathered. All the medical equipment at the Hunts¡¯ had been transported in under Justin¡¯s guidance.
When Lily rushed over, she hurriedly changed her clothes and put on surgical gloves to assist Nora in the surgery. When she saw the dog on the operating table, Lily was stunned. She hesitated and asked, "Boss, why are you operating on a dead..."
Before she could finish saying the words ¡¯dead dog¡¯, Nora suddenly shot her a look. That nce contained a warning, causing Lily to instantly shut her mouth.
Only then did she realize that the others in the room had been chased out. Except for a child standing in a corner.
He stood there silently with a knife in his hand and did not move at all. His eyes were fixed on the operating table.
He was not afraid of such a bloody scene at all.
Only then did Lily realize that something was wrong. Therefore, she cooperated with Nora prepared to rece Butterscotch¡¯s heart.
Nora stared at the dog. Butterscotch was already dead.
When Nora came to see it, she realized that its heart had already stopped beating.
This was also the first patient who had died in front of her in Nora¡¯s medical career.
But she was still acting.
No, not for show.
Nora was actually dissecting Butterscotch.
These words were cruel. Butterscotch was Xander¡¯s friend. Xander would never allow it to be treated like this, but Nora had to do it.
That was because she wanted to observe the power of the gene serum through Butterscotch!
Xander had been injected with a gene serum. This was definitely the most important thing for her. Her mother had not left anything behind. She had long investigated this.
There was nothing in thepany she had left behind, either... or she had not realized it yet.
She couldn¡¯t just pin all her hope on her mother. She had to research it herself!
When she saw Butterscotch¡¯s heart filled with cracks, her heart shrunk. The power of that mysterious gene serum was too great.
In Butterscotch¡¯s body, only its heart was ruptured. The rest of its body was more developed than an ordinary dog.
Furthermore, this dog¡¯s brain development was very good. The current Butterscotch had the intelligence of a three-year-old child. The gene serum was indeed powerful!
...
Two hourster, Xander covered Butterscotch with a white sheet.
He finally admitted that Butterscotch was dead.
He looked at Butterscotch in a daze but did not cry. He only said, "So, even a heart transnt was useless!"
With that, the child lowered his head, as if he felt guilty for his ignorant thoughts.
He looked at Butterscotch¡¯s corpse and then at Nora. For the first time, he made his own request. "Can we... not eat Butterscotch?"
Nora was taken aback.
Xander sighed. "The friends who died in the past had all been eaten."
He still remembered Butterscotch¡¯s mother, who was also a fierce big dog. After it was taken away by the two bodyguards to be dissected, the two of them had boasted it in front of him, "Dog meat is really delicious!"
Therefore, after his little animals died, he would force himself to eat them.
In that case, those friends¡¯ corpses would not be treated so cruelly.
But now, he did not want to eat it anymore.
Would his new parents agree?
While Xander was a little perturbed, Nora held his chin up and touched his head.
Half an hourter, a pit was dug out on the ground in the Hunts¡¯ back garden. Butterscotch¡¯s corpse was ced in a ss coffin Justin had bought and slowly lowered underground. Then, the man handed a shovel to Xander. "Let him rest in peace!"
For the first time, Xander realized that his dead friend could be buried in peace!
His eyes turned red.
He finally felt the warmth of this house.
After Butterscotch was buried, Xander was still sick. The child was a little feverish and was talking nonsense in his sleep.
"Butterscotch, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll treat you."
"Fluffy, don¡¯t be afraid. I don¡¯t have to eat you anymore. Actually, rabbit meat is very bad..."
"..."
Cherry looked at him with her chin propped up and sighed silently.
Pete also frowned. "Dad, shouldn¡¯t Xander¡¯s name be changed?"
Hearing this, Justin nced at Nora.
After Cherry returned to the Hunts, he had not changed her name. The name "Cheryl Smith" was very pleasant to hear. Besides, he did not think that there would be anything between their surnames.
As for Xander... Justin had already found a few names for him. Since the child had grown old enough, Justin wanted him to choose for himself once he was awake.
Nora did not care about this, but her heart ached for Xander.
At this moment, her phone suddenly rang. It was a message from Trueman.
"Looking at the time, Butterscotch¡¯s V15 should have expired. It died without the V16, right? Do you want Xander to die too?"
"Oh, right, I forgot to tell you. Xander¡¯s injected genes were to modify his brain, so if he dies, it won¡¯t be because of his heart. It¡¯s useless for you to transnt his heart. You have to change his brain, but as everyone knows, there have yet to be any sessful cases of brain transnts. Besides, are you really going to rece his brain?"
"Since Xander is still a child he would only have about three months after taking the V15. Therefore, you only have three months, just like me."
Chapter 696: Clues
Chapter 696: Clues
Three months...
This was indeed Trueman¡¯s real goal.
Nora stared at the V15 serum in her hand. At this moment, she was contemting whether to inject it into Xander.
If she did not inject it, he would die in ten days.
If she injected it, he would be in control of the drug.
Nora lowered her eyes.
Justin walked out and held her shoulder. "Xander¡¯s fever has subsided. Don¡¯t worry."
With Nora around, even if Xander had a fever, he would not have any problems.
Nora nodded.
At this moment, the butler suddenly walked over. He looked at the two of them and fell silent. For a moment, he did not know how to report.
Nora asked, "What¡¯s wrong?"
The butler sighed. "There¡¯s a cat among Xander¡¯s pets. Seems like it wouldn¡¯t make it."
"..."
Nora went to the room downstairs. Mrs. Hunt liked raising pets, so there were people at home who knew how to raise pets. They took good care of Xander¡¯s ten-plus pets.
The other pets were very energetic, but they were clearly a little afraid. They huddled in a corner, but one of the cats was lying on the ground listlessly. Its eyelids were drooping, and it was obvious that it would not survive.
Nora nced at it.
Her phone rang again. It was Trueman. "Oh, and Tiger. It seems like Tiger won¡¯t be able to make it past two days. Those pets have been injected with V15. They¡¯re only short of V16."
Nora clenched her jaw.
Justin narrowed his eyes. "He only wants us to watch the animals die one by one, but there¡¯s nothing we can do. We need to find V16!"
Trueman¡¯s methods were really cruel.
He knew that the two of them were not people who could be easily manipted, which was why he had made this decision. Perhaps the two of them did not believe that Xander would die. When they were searching for the V16 Yvette had left behind, they had not put in enough effort. Perhaps they would not realize the severity of the matter until Xander suddenly died.
Therefore, he had sent Xander¡¯s friends over with good intentions on the surface to make the child happy. However, his real goal was to let the two of them witness their deaths one by one to increase their urgency.
Yes, that was right.
A sense of urgency.
Nora felt very anxious at this moment.
Although she was very good at medicine and had a certain status in biological engineering, it still took time for her to grasp new things.
Furthermore, the mysterious organization had worked hard for so many years and no one had been able to develop V16. This meant that V16 might not be something that she could easily develop alone.
Nora suddenly turned around and walked out.
Justin followed behind her, but she stopped him. "Stay here and take care of Xander. I¡¯ll be right back."
The woman who had always been sleepy did not have time to sleep now.
Although Justin wanted to follow her, he knew that if he did not stay by the three children¡¯s side, Nora might not be able to feel at ease, either. Therefore, he stopped in his tracks.
He stared at the woman¡¯s back and lowered his eyes.
His eyes were dark as he clenched his fists tightly.
¡ª
Nora went straight to the hospital and found Charles¡¯s ward.
Charles had already fallen asleep. He was woken up by the noise and looked at Nora in front of him in shock.
Nora asked, "You stopped me and didn¡¯t want me to know about the triplets. I understand now."
When Charles heard this, he instantly sat up.
He stared at Nora and said carefully, "Miss..."
"What is the V16? Do you not want me to look for the form my mother had left behind?"
When Charles heard this, he instantly sighed. "Miss Nora, once the V16 appears, it will definitely cause widespread panic in the world. If the serum is perfected and humans are able to acquire wless gics, do you think humanity would survive?"
Nora thought of the few people who had injected gene serum in the martial arts arena. They were really powerful. If that kind of serum was mass-produced and had no side effects, wouldn¡¯t future humans be able to create several powerful armies?
Thinking about it, it was indeed terrifying.
However, she could not care less about this.
She said, "I know the truth now. I don¡¯t have time to care about what you¡¯re saying. I can find V16 and save Xander before destroying it!"
When Charles heard this, he knew that it was hopeless for him to stop her. He took a deep breath and said, "But V16 is not that easy to find. The mysterious organization has been searching for 25 years for the thing, but there are still no clues. It means that this thing is really very well hidden."
"No matter how well hidden it is, there must be traces."
Nora stared at him and said, "You must have a clue."
Otherwise, the mysterious organization would not have spared him. Charles had betrayed Yvette many years ago, and the mysterious organization had squeezed him dry of all his value but had not killed him. This meant that there was a need for this person to live.
To Trueman, the only value of Charles¡¯s life was that he could provide some clues to find V16.
Therefore, Nora was certain that Charles had a clue.
When Charles heard this, he instantly shut his mouth as if he was facing a formidable enemy.
Nora sat opposite him. "At this point, there¡¯s no longer a need to hide. Tell me."
Chapter 697: A Trick, Yvette’s Skillful Methods
Chapter 697: A Trick, Yvette¡¯s Skillful Methods
Charles lowered his head and sighed heavily.
He felt like he had no dignity to speak of it in front of Nora.
However, he knew that he had betrayed Yvette and then Nora. He deserved all of this.
He raised his head and looked at Nora. "Ms. Nora, do you know how difficult and dangerous it will be for you to find V16?"
Nora looked at him.
Charles took a deep breath. "Do you really think that the mysterious organization is weak? Ms. Nora, you¡¯re wrong, very wrong! Trueman is only one of them! Their power is so strong that you can¡¯t even imagine it, their background as well. Everything they show you is what they¡¯re willing to let you find out. Even that child..."
"At the time, I kept emphasizing that you had twins because I wanted you to stay away from Xander and not be dragged into the V16 mess. But you were still too smart. That child was injected with a gene serum. Logically, if I didn¡¯t admit it, you shouldn¡¯t have noticed, since your DNA wouldn¡¯t match very well."
What he did not know was that Nora and Lily¡¯s medical skills were high enough to restore the initial DNA.
Nora could not be bothered to exin this to him. But was the mysterious organization really so powerful?
She lowered her eyes.
To be honest, all she had heard until now was that there would be danger when she grew up and that she should stay away from mysterious organizations.
However, the only person from the mysterious organization whom she really came into contact with was Trueman.
Although Trueman¡¯s behavior was bad, to Nora, he was as childish as a three-year-old little demon.
She asked, "Is the mysterious organization really that powerful?"
Charles asked, "If they¡¯re not strong, if they¡¯re not powerful, why didn¡¯t Ms. Yvette ask for help? Why did she escape to California by herself? Why did she keep you alive while she herself had to die in the end?"
Nora fell silent.
She had already wondered about this question.
The mysterious organization was very powerful overseas, but was it that powerful in New York? Back then, if her mother had asked the special department for help and not tried to escape, would she not have had to die?
Charles shook his head. "Because your mother knew that even if she asked for help, it was useless! In the end, she came to California. In the end, she could only die helplessly to protect you and your secret. No matter how powerful your mother was, she was still discovered by the mysterious organization in the end. Ms. Yvette was still a step behind."
After Yvette died, Charles felt like his worldview had copsed.
Even someone as strong as her had been forced to this extent by the mysterious organization that she had to protect her daughter with her life. She had been discovered by the mysterious organization and they had found him as well.
At that time, his heart wavered.
Ms. Yvette was not a match for a mysterious organization.
Therefore, in the end, he chose to betray Ms. Yvette in fear.
After that, he watched helplessly as the Grays and the Smiths in California slowly developed. Both sides thought that their cooperation was very stable, but they did not know that everything was under the surveince of the mysterious organization!
The two families were yed like monkeys. In the end, they arranged for Charles to get Nora pregnant with multiple children...
He sighed and continued, "I betrayed Ms. Yvette. Not long after her death, the mysterious organization discovered your existence and learned about your mother and the Grays¡¯ conspiracy. They sat on the fishing boat and dominated the subsequent events!
Later, I was used by the mysterious organization to deal with you. It was indeed because of the drug that you gave birth to the triplets. And your pregnancy back then was plotted by Trueman!"
Compared to the mysterious organization, Ms. Yvette was still a step behind.
As Charles was thinking, he saw Nora shake her head. "Instead, I feel that the mysterious organization has fallen into my mother¡¯s trap."
Charles was stunned and looked at her in confusion.
Nora stared at him. "So what if the mysterious organization found out about me? They did not catch me and interrogate me about V16¡¯s whereabouts because they knew that it was useless!
They had to wait obediently until I grew up. They had to ensure my safety with bodyguards because if I died, the Grays would never have been able to get the V16, and the mysterious organization would forever lose it as well.
Mother should have known this when she died. Until now, everything has been in her ns!"
Charles was stunned.
His eyes widened and he stared at Nora in disbelief.
After careful consideration of her words, he realized that it was not impossible for Ms. Yvette to fight against the mysterious organization!
At least for the past 25 years, the mysterious organization had been protecting Nora.
This was all within her expectations.
Charles felt like his entire worldview was about to copse. He looked at Nora in a daze.
Nora continued, "In fact, mother should have guessed that they would inject my child with gene serum and I would be controlled by them. Therefore, she really must have left behind the V16 form or thepleted product! Although I don¡¯t know why the mysterious organization didn¡¯t just keep me themselves, she couldn¡¯t just let my child die at their hands!"
Charles looked at Nora. His thoughts were already in a daze.
He said, "I know why they didn¡¯t keep you."
Nora hesitated and asked, "Why?"
"It¡¯s because your mother had injected you with a gene serum to improve your intelligence the moment you were born. That drug was unique. Once injected, the body is unable to take other drugs. Not only did they not dare to inject you with another serum, but they also needed to guarantee that you digested the small amount your mother had injected you with."
Gic serums themselves had huge side effects. This was also why only five children from the mysterious organization had survived all these years.
Charles was silent for a moment as if he was slowly realizing how ingenious Yvette¡¯s arrangements were. "Besides, the mysterious organization doesn¡¯t dare to attack you. If you die, there will be nothing left! That¡¯s why they chose your child!"
When Nora heard this, she suddenly realized that her mother had injected her with a small amount of medicine after she was born. She had really considered all aspects of the matter!
She was surprised by her mother¡¯s ingenious arrangements. She looked at Charles and stepped forward, staring at him. "So now can you tell me?"
Chapter 698: The Clue Is on Her!
Chapter 698: The Clue Is on Her!
Charles was a little stunned by Nora¡¯s words.
Over the years, he had always thought that it was because Yvette was no match for the mysterious organization that she had been schemed against. But it turned out that he was wrong.
It was as expected of Ms. Yvette.
He lowered his head and smiled bitterly. After a moment, he said, "She left behind a medicine."
Nora suddenly looked at him. "Where is it?"
Charles shook his head. "I really don¡¯t know. She had left you a clue. She once said that it would be up to you to find it."
Before she died, Yvette had arranged everything for the three of them.
When the four of them separated, Old Maddy was worried about Nora¡¯s safety and had asked, "Are you really sure about Nora? Besides, the clues to the V16 are only meant for Nora. Will she be in danger?"
Yvette had said at that time, "If she finds it in the future, it would mean that she has the intelligence and power to resist the mysterious organization. If she can¡¯t find it... Then, as long as V16 doesn¡¯t show up, nothing will happen to her. The mysterious organization will protect her."
Clues...
Her mother had really left a clue.
Nora stood up suddenly. At this moment, there was no need for Charles to lie to her. He was definitely telling the truth.
However, other than a voice message, the only thing her mother had left behind was thatpany.
Thepany... When she was in California, she had suspected that the Grays wanted herpany, so she had already turned thepany upside down. There was nothing there!
It seemed like she had overlooked something.
At this moment, Charles was useless to her. Nora turned around and walked out.
She had just taken two steps when Charles suddenly shouted, "Ms. Nora..."
Nora stopped in her tracks and turned back.
Charles¡¯s old face was filled with caution and frustration. He looked like his heart had turned to ashes. He hesitated and said, "I¡¯m sorry... Ms. Yvette probably won¡¯t forgive me."
Looking at this person and thinking about his miserable life, Nora suddenly said, "She will."
Charles was stunned.
Nora said calmly, "She never med you."
Charles had betrayed Yvette and spent his entire life in guilt. When he heard this, he felt like the huge rock pressing on his heart for so many years had dropped. He heaved a sigh of relief.
Nora did not look at him again and walked out of the ward.
Lily followed beside her and asked in confusion, "Boss, why did you say your mother would forgive him? For someone like him who betrayed his master, if it were me, I would never forgive him!"
Hearing this, Nora sighed and looked at her. "Because even his betrayal was within my mother¡¯s expectations."
After saying this, Nora strode away.
Lily was left standing in the hospital. When she came over today to see Quentin, she did not n to leave with Nora. When she heard Nora¡¯s words, she suddenly felt a chill run down her spine.
¡ª
The clue was with her, which was also the reason why the mysterious organization did not attack her directly.
As for staying low-profile, her mother¡¯s warning was probably to let her conserve her strength.
By now Nora had finally guessed all her mother¡¯s ns. At the same time that she was excited, she was also anxious.
With her mother being so smart, it would probably be even more difficult for her to resolve this problem.
On the way back to the Smiths, she put on her earphones and listened to the recording her mother had left her. This was the only thing her mother had left behind.
After listening to it a few times, she had those words memorized.
Nora sighed silently.
It seemed like she had to go to California and chat with the manager of Idealian Pharmaceuticals. Since her mother had trusted him back then, he must have some important information.
As she thought about this, she listened attentively to the recording in her earpiece and suddenly captured some information.
At the same time, her phone rang.
Chapter 699: Who Dares to Chase Me Away?
Chapter 699: Who Dares to Chase Me Away?
Nora had a sh of inspiration and caught some information. However, all her inspiration was interrupted by her phone ringtone, making her frown.
She felt like something she had overlooked was about to surface, but it instantly sank to the bottom again.
She sighed silently.
It seemed like she really could not be anxious.
She picked up her phone. A gentle voice came from the other end. "Nora, I¡¯ll go to the Huntster. Are youing?"
It was Justin¡¯s mother, Iris.
When she thought of the gentle woman, Noraughed softly. "Okay... Sister."
After all, she had recognized her as her God-sis back then.
Iris had really taken good care of herself. Over the years, she had been raising flowers every day and did not care about the outside world. Such a person had no worries and still looked to be in her thirties.
She probably couldn¡¯t get Nora to call her Mom, either.
Hearing Nora call her ¡¯sister¡¯, Iris was silent for a moment before she smiled. "Only call me that in private. Don¡¯t call me that when we¡¯re at the Hunts."
Nora: "?"
Just as she raised her eyebrows, she heard her say, "I don¡¯t want my son to be a cold machine when he faces me."
When Nora heard this, she was silent for a moment before replying, "Okay."
Justin and Iris¡¯s rtionship did not seem to be very good. She did not know the specific reason, but she did not want to add to the misunderstanding between them.
After hanging up, she drove back to the Hunts.
When she arrived at the door, she noticed that Iris¡¯ car had also arrived.
The woman was wearing a white dress. She was tall and slender. Her actions had the elegance and grace of a youngdy from a big family. She slowly walked toward Nora.
"...What are you here for?"
Nora almost called her God-sis. Fortunately, she controlled herself.
Iris looked at her affectionately and said, "It was Cherry and Pete¡¯s birthday yesterday. I won¡¯t join in the fun, but as a grandmother, I have to make up for it. Besides... I heard that you had actually given birth to triplets back then?"
Nora: "..."
Why were Iris¡¯s eyes so mocking when she mentioned the triplets?
She had even added, "How awesome!" at the end.
"..."
Nora felt a little awkward and followed her into the room.
In the living room, Cherry was ying games on the sofa while Pete was sitting beside her, reading. Xander was still resting upstairs. Although his fever had subsided, he was still a little weak.
When they saw Iris, their eyes lit up. They jumped down from the sofa and ran to her.
Pete was clearly much more lively than before. He took the initiative to shout, "Grandma!"
Cherry¡¯s eyes widened as well. "Grandma, tell me the truth. Are you a vampire?"
Everyone: "?"
The others were a little surprised. Why would Cherry say such rude things?
Only Nora¡¯s mouth twitched. She was used to it. Sure enough, she heard her next words. "Why don¡¯t you look old at all? You¡¯re still so young and beautiful? If we go out together, people will definitely think you¡¯re my sister!"
"..."
"..."
Saying that she was her sister was too much.
However, such lies did not feel strangeing from Cherry¡¯s mouth. She even wanted tough.
Iris smiled and picked her up. "Cherry, you¡¯re so sweet. I wonder who you inherited that from?"
"Not Mommy!"
Her mother was the most stubborn and did not like to speak!
After Cherry subconsciously said this, she looked up at Nora. When her eyes met Nora¡¯s, she immediately added, "After all, I¡¯ve already inherited Mommy¡¯s beauty~ I can¡¯t be greedy!"
"..."
This little bootlicker.
Nora¡¯s lips curled up. Her almond-shaped eyes red at her slightly.
Iris alsoughed out loud. Then, she gave the three children the gifts she had brought and went upstairs to see Xander.
Nora had lit a calming incense in the room, so the little guy was sleeping very soundly and did not wake up.
Iris did not want to stay in the Hunts for very long. She stood up and said, "I¡¯ll see him next time."
She went out and then downstairs with Nora. When she saw Justin standing there, her eyes flickered for a moment before she nodded at him.
"You¡¯re here."
Justin¡¯s attitude was also very cold. Iris said, "I¡¯de to see the child. I¡¯ll get going now."
Justin nodded distantly.
Iris nced at him. Although there was a lot she wanted to say, she did not know where to start. In the end, she silently walked past Justin.
Just as she reached the door, the butler rushed in. "Sir, bad news! Old Sir is back!"
When the butler saw Iris, he instantly shut his mouth.
Iris frowned. "Who?"
The butler was anxious. He nced at Justin and could only bite the bullet and say, "J-Jus... Justin¡¯s... father."
Iris immediately clenched her fists.
The butler added carefully, "And... and that woman."
"..."
When Nora saw the situation, she looked at Justin. She saw the man raise his eyes and stare outside with a deep gaze. He was silent for two seconds before saying, "Chase her away."
However, as soon as he finished speaking, a voice was heard. "This is my house. Let¡¯s see who dares to chase me away?"
Chapter 700: Iris’s Changing Face
Chapter 700: Iris¡¯s Changing Face
Then, a middle-aged man strode in.
Herman was almost fifty years old this year. He looked elegant and his hair was half white, making him look a little old. On his face, which was 40% simr to Justin¡¯s, his long and narrow eyes had the wisdom of many years.
Iris looked at him.
She hadn¡¯t seen him for more than twenty years. He was still wearing the suit he loved the most back then. The years had left traces on his face, making her momentarily dazed.
Then, a gentle smiling woman followed him in. If one looked carefully, one would notice that the woman and Iris¡¯s style was a little simr. They were both gentle and elegant.
Unfortunately, the same clothes had all kinds of charm on Iris, but on her, it seemed a little too heavy.
Iris¡¯s pupils constricted.
When Herman saw her, he frowned and asked sternly, "Heh, I was wondering who wanted to chase me out? So it¡¯s you..."
His gaze fell on Justin before he looked at Iris. "You two seem to have a good mother-son rtionship!"
Justin looked at the two of them in silence. He did not speak or deny this sentence because he did not want to say anything that would make Iris lose face.
When Iris heard this, her expression instantly turned cold. She turned back to look at Nora and said calmly, "From now on, you have to take good care of the three children. I¡¯ll be leaving now."
With that, she prepared to go leave.
Nora nced at Cherry. Cherry immediately walked to Iris¡¯s side and held her arm. "Grandma, be careful~"
Iris froze when she heard her.
She immediately retracted her arm from Cherry¡¯s hand. She lowered her eyes and said calmly, "There¡¯s no need. I can walk myself."
Cherry looked at Iris in confusion. Why did her grandmother suddenly change her attitude when she was still so good to her and her brother just a moment ago?
She must be angry that she and her brother had not gone to see her for too long!
Therefore, Cherry looked up and whined, "Grandma, Pete and I will visit you often in the future!"
Iris¡¯s grip on her bag tightened slightly, but she still lowered her head and said slowly, "No."
She turned around and said coldly, "My flowers are all very expensive. You touched them so casually thest time you came to visit me. You¡¯re very rude..."
Cherry bit her lip.
Since she was young, she did not care if others criticized her or scolded her. This was the first time that someone she cared about had said something bad about her!
She widened her eyes sadly and looked at Iris in confusion.
Justin, who was a ve to his daughter, could no longer stand Cherry¡¯s aggrieved look. He stepped forward and said in a very cold tone, "She¡¯s still young. How is she being rude? Six-year-old children would naturally be curious about things. Did she harm your flowers?"
Iris said, "Orchids are the most precious. They¡¯re not for children to y with. Besides, I hate children the most. They¡¯re too noisy..."
Justin sneered. "So you hated me this much when I was young?"
Iris was stunned.
Justin ignored her and picked up Cherry. "If you like orchids, I¡¯ll buy you a hundred pots. You can smash them anywhere in the back garden."
The hostility in his words was very strong.
Nora narrowed her eyes and saw Iris¡¯ face instantly turn as pale as paper. However, following that, she continued coldly, "You¡¯re rich. You can spoil the child however you want, but don¡¯t bother me!"
Justin was about to re up when Herman suddenly said, "Iris, why are you still so selfish? This is your granddaughter! How can you treat her like this? You¡¯re really too much!"
Iris suddenly looked at Herman with anger in her eyes. Everyone else had the right to criticize her, but what right did he have to criticize her? Did he not know why she had be like this?!
Herman narrowed his eyes and smiled. He walked forward as if he did not understand her. Step by step, he arrived in front of Justin and sighed deeply. Like an old father, he said, "Justin, it was Dad and Mom who let you down back then. For so many years, I¡¯ve always wanted toe back to see you, but your mother always refused... Sigh! I came back this time because I heard that you held a birthday party for the triplets. I specially came to give gifts to my grandchildren!"
With that, he looked at the woman behind him. "Lauren, hurry up and get the gifts!"
The mistress named Lauren stepped forward and ced the three presents in her hand on the ground. Then, she took one out and handed it to Cherry. "Is your name Cherry? Your name is really cute. The little guy is also so cute. Come, let your grandmother hug you!"
A hug from a grandmother...
Iris had already reached the door, but when she heard this, she suddenly stopped.
She subconsciously turned around and saw the four of them standing together like a family. She felt like an outsider.
Iris felt a pain in her heart.
However, she still turned around forcefully and prepared to leave.
At this moment, a pair of hands held hers tightly. She was stunned for a moment. When she raised her head again, she saw Nora.
Chapter 701: Can You Accompany Me Tonight?
Chapter 701: Can You Apany Me Tonight?
Iris was stunned.
Nora asked, "Why?"
Iris¡¯s jaw tensed up.
She clearly knew that Nora was asking why her attitude suddenly changed so much, but she still pretended to not understand. "What why?"
As the two of them were in a stalemate, Cherry¡¯s childish voice was heard. "Grandma? But isn¡¯t Grandma Daddy¡¯s mother? Why does Daddy have two mothers?"
The mistress, Lauren, was stunned for a moment and stood there awkwardly.
Herman said, "Cherry, this is my current wife. You should call her Grandma."
Cherry tilted her head and stared at him, feeling a little unhappy. "Who are you?"
Herman¡¯s expression froze. He coughed and suppressed the frustration in his heart.
Before returning home, Lauren had already asked around and found out that Justin was a ve to his daughter, so as long as she pleased Cherry, she could obtain Justin¡¯s favor.
Therefore, Herman pretended to exin patiently, "...I¡¯m your father¡¯s father."
"Daddy¡¯s father is my grandpa, and Daddy¡¯s mother is my grandma~" Cherry pretended to be stupid and sang a children¡¯s song. After she finished, she even smiled at Justin. "Daddy, did I sing well?"
"Very well."
Justin touched her head, but his gaze swept across the area in front of him. Iris and Nora¡¯s figures tugged at each other in the corner before the two of them went out.
Justin lowered his eyes.
¡ª
Outside.
"What on earth is wrong?" Nora blocked Iris¡¯s way and asked, "Is there something you can¡¯t say?"
"No!" Iris looked as cheerful as before. She even smiled gently. "I just don¡¯t like the Hunts."
Nora frowned. "But when we first met that afternoon, you told me a lot about you and your son. You clearly care about him. I thought that you had thought things through when you came to give birthday presents to the three children."
Iris frowned and suddenly looked up. "I just want to maintain a good rtionship with you."
Nora: "?"
Iris revealed her purpose casually. "You know orchids so well. You¡¯ll definitely be able to help me. Therefore, for your sake, I pretended to give my grandchildren some gifts. I don¡¯t like them."
Nora frowned. Her almond-shaped eyes shone with confusion. "Why?"
"Because..." Iris said word by word, "Herman¡¯s blood flows in their veins! He betrayed me back then, so I hate everything rted to him!"
Nora clenched her jaw.
Iris continued to smile as she said, "I used Justin to force Grandpa Hunt to chase him away and sessfully stayed at home. It was not because I was noble, but because I wanted to fight with him for the assets! Didn¡¯t he want Hunt Corporation? I snatched it from him! As for Justin... I really can¡¯t get close to him. He looks too simr to Herman. As soon as I get close to him, I remember Herman¡¯s disgusting face. I just want to stay in the vi alone. No one can disturb me."
Iris turned around and left.
This time, Nora could not stop her.
However, Iris must have her reasons.
The woman who had confided in her for an entire afternoon was not lying. But why?
Nora thought about it and turned back to enter the room. However, the moment she turned her head, she saw Justin standing not far behind her.
The man¡¯s eyes were dark and unclear. Half of his face was in the light under the streetmp, and the other half was in the dark. Under the night sky, the mole at the corner of his eye became colder.
Obviously, he had heard Iris¡¯ words.
When Nora thought about how she and Iris were talking earlier, Iris must have clearly seen Justin¡¯s eyes, but she still said those words. She was clearly doing this on purpose!
She was even more certain that Iris had her reasons.
But what difficulties did she have?
As she was thinking, she saw a hint of loneliness sh across the man¡¯s face. Justin suddenly said, "Nora, even my birth mother doesn¡¯t like me. Do you really like me?"
At this moment, he was like a pitiful worm in the corner forgotten by everyone.
Nora looked at him and her heart softened. She walked to Justin and looked at him seriously. "I really like you."
Justin seemed to be extremely touched. He reached out and hugged her tightly as he murmured in her ear, "How could that be? Even Mother hates me... What can you like about me?"
This side of Justin was really heartbreaking.
Nora thought about it and hesitated for a long time. In the end, she replied, "You¡¯re good-looking!"
She did not see the corners of Justin¡¯s mouth twitch. "..."
Did he not have any other merits in Nora¡¯s heart?!
As he was thinking, he felt Nora pushing him away. Justin quickly sorted out his emotions and regained his lonely expression.
He seemed to have been hurt by Iris¡¯s words.
He finally grabbed the opportunity to push Nora further. He could not let go so easily.
He sighed silently. "Nora, can you stay with me tonight?"
Nora: "???"
Justin looked into the distance, his deep eyes filled with sadness. "I have some things I want to tell you."
Nora was about to reject him when she heard him say, "It¡¯s about me and my mother."
"..."
Nora twitched her lips and finally sighed. "Alright."
¡ª
At this moment.
Iris sat in the car and left the Hunts.
When the Hunts¡¯ iron gate was closed, Mrs. Landis couldn¡¯t help but say, "Ms. Iris, why must you do this... It has been so many years. Now that Mr. Hunt has grown up, he¡¯s clearly very powerful. Tell him your difficulties!"
Iris lowered her head. "It¡¯ll be troublesome if I tell him. Forget it. It has been so many years. He didn¡¯t grow up with me. Why should I ask him to grow old with me?"
Mrs. Landis stared at her. "What do you mean by trouble? You¡¯re his mother! You¡¯ve suppressed the longing in your heart for so many years and you didn¡¯t even look at him. You hug your phone every night and repeatedly watch videos of him growing up that the servants at home had sent your husband... You can¡¯t bear to delete those videos, even if your phone is full..."
Iris didn¡¯t say anything.
Mrs. Landis suddenly leaned in front of her. "Miss, if you don¡¯t want to tell Mr. Hunt, then tell me! What happened back then? Why?"
Chapter 702: Reasons
Chapter 702: Reasons
What had happened back then...
Even Mrs. Landis didn¡¯t know the full story. All she knew was that after Herman left, Iris had suddenly packed up her things one day, moved out of the Hunt Manor, and moved into the small vi here.
From then on, it was as if she had suddenly be cold-hearted, and no longer cared about Justin.
But Mrs. Landis still remembered that one day when the five-year-old Justin, who didn¡¯t understand anything at all, suddenly ran all the way to the vi, crying and shouting for his mother.
But Iris had refused to open the door. She had stayed in the house and merely said, "Go back. I don¡¯t want to see you."
"Mom, open the door!"
Outside the door, the five-year-old Justin tried his best to knock on the door, but as though she had hardened her heart, she never opened it.
Justin was just as stubborn. He shouted, "If you don¡¯t open the door, I won¡¯t leave!"
Later, it started to rain.
It was storming, and the winds were howling in the heavy rain. The bodyguard gave him an umbre, but he pushed him away. The stubborn little boy kept standing on that rainy night.
Justin had a very determined look in his eyes. He didn¡¯t believe that his mother would really ignore him.
Neither did he believe that his gentle mother would suddenly be so cruel and hard-hearted.
Butter, cold and hungry, he finally fainted from exhaustion. Even when he had copsed onto the ground, he kept his eyes open with thest vestiges of his strength and stared at the door.
What disappointed him was that from beginning to end, the door never opened once.
From then on, Justin understood that Iris didn¡¯t love him anymore. After visiting a few more times, he rarely came again.
But he didn¡¯t know that Mrs. Landis had seen with her own eyes that the entire time he was in the rain, Iris had also stood in the rain in the courtyard inside the vi.
When the bodyguards outside eximed in shock after he fainted, Iris had rushed to the door. Both her hands had been on the gates, but she never opened the door.
Her tears had mixed together with the rainwater on her face, and she wept silently with her mouth open. That was the most painful night of Iris¡¯ life that Mrs. Landis had ever seen.
She was a hundred times sadder than when Herman had betrayed her.
In her opinion, Iris didn¡¯t actually love Herman at all¡ªor rather, she didn¡¯t love him that deeply. After all, theirs had been a political marriage.
She had given all her love to Justin.
But for some reason, mother and son had to be separated. They had clearly been so close once upon a time, yet they were likeplete strangers now.
Mrs. Landis simply didn¡¯t understand what had happened. She stared at Iris, only to see tears all over her face.
Mrs. Landis panicked. "Ma¡¯am, what¡¯s wrong? What¡¯s the matter?"
Iris covered her face with her hands.
Beforeing, she¡¯d thought that since so many years had gone by, everything must be okay by now, right?
Besides, Nora had once tried to persuade her and had told her that her son had already grown up. Perhaps her troubles were nothing more than trivial matters to him.
That was why she had, after a long internal struggle the day before,e to the Hunt Manor today with the clothes she had carefully selected for the three children.
Deep down, she wanted to repair her rtionship with her son.
She could also see that, although her son was surprised to see her, he was not hostile towards her. But little did she expect that... that man woulde back!
As expected, those thoughts of hers were all just wishful thinking.
She should just stay in that small vi her whole life like someone¡¯s trapped canary and live out her life all by herself.
This was the price she had to pay for that incident back then.
Without any hope, there would be no disappointment.
The little spark of hope that had finally ignited after much difficulty had suddenly been extinguished that evening.
Iris lowered her head. "Don¡¯t ask anymore, Mrs. Landis."
Seeing how sad she looked, Mrs. Landis sighed.
¡ª
At the Hunts¡¯.
When Justin and Nora entered the living room, they found that Cherry had gone to the bedroom upstairs. Herman and Lauren were sitting on the sofa, drinking the tea that the butler had just handed them.
Justin seemed utterly heartbroken by Iris. There was sadness on his face. He took Nora¡¯s hand and sat opposite Herman and Lauren.
Herman said, "You saw that, didn¡¯t you? Your mother is a cold-hearted person. Justin, she has always been so selfish. You should have already be ustomed to it a long time ago, right?"
Justin raised his head suddenly, piercing light shooting out of his eyes. "Why are you here?"
Herman narrowed his eyes. "This is my home. Of course I was going toe back someday! Besides, my agreement with your mother back then was for me to leave the Hunts for twenty years! Don¡¯t worry, I know that the entire Hunt Corporation is now in your hands. Even if I¡¯m back, I won¡¯t be able to take anything back from you... I¡¯ve been doing my own business abroad all these years, and have my own assets, so I won¡¯t covet your money. I came back just to visit you, as well as your grandmother along the way."
After saying this, he stood up and started walking out. "I will go and say hi to your grandmother first. I will stay at her ce tonight."
The fake Lauren said pretentiously, "Justin, this is our gift for the children. Cherry is afraid of strangers, so she didn¡¯t ept the gift. You can give it to herter."
After the two left, Justin looked at Nora. "Why don¡¯t you go upstairs first? I will deal with these gifts."
Nora had been worried that he would misunderstand Iris, and end up being moved by Herman¡¯s few words. It was only then that she realized that he actually disliked Herman that much. She was relieved.
She nodded and went upstairs.
After she went upstairs, Justin picked up his cell phone and answered a call. Sean¡¯s voice came from the other side: "Boss."
Justin¡¯s gaze was very cold. He lowered his eyes slightly and asked, "Have you looked into it? What did she say in the car after she left...?"
Sean then recounted the conversation between Mrs. Landis and Iris in the car and told him how Iris had reacted.
Justin lowered his eyes and listened quietly.
Sean said tentatively, "Ma¡¯am seems to be having some difficulties, and she is not indifferent to you. Although she speaks disdainfully about the videos sent to her in the past, she has actually kept them all..."
Justin knew all this, of course¡ªbecause he was the one who had gotten them to send those videos!
All he wanted to know right now was¡ªwhy?!
Sean was still reporting his discoveries. "The gifts that Ma¡¯am brought for the children were all carefully selected and prepared a month in advance. After hearing that you have another child, she even prepared an additional gift overnight to make up. She was actually nning to tell you some kind of truth when she took the initiative to visit today... but it seems like she has regretted it. It seems that the change in her emotions only took ce after your father returned."
"Okay."
Justin understood what Sean was saying. He raised his eyes and looked ahead of him dispassionately. Then, he slowly said, "If you can¡¯t get anything out of my mother, then try the other side."
"Yes, sir."
Chapter 703: Nora, You’re The Only One I Have Left Now
Chapter 703: Nora, You¡¯re The Only One I Have Left Now
Justin stared into the distance as he hung up the call.
There was a tinge of loneliness in his eyes.
To be honest, he had never believed that his mother had suddenly stopped loving him. When he was a child, he had been so stubborn that he had fainted in rain. When he woke up, he had known right away that it would be useless to approach her again.
Later, as he grew up, he suddenly discovered one day that a servant at home was filming a video of him. After that, the servant had sent it to someone.
At first, he¡¯d thought that the servant must be scheming something, so he¡¯d constantly stayed on guard against him. However, even as time passed, the servant didn¡¯t take any action.
After he grew up, Justin quietly studied and learned hacking techniques without anyone knowing. He had then hacked into the servant¡¯s phone and discovered his secret.
As it turned out, all the videos of him¡ªfrom when he was a child all the way until he turned into a young adult¡ªhad all been sent by the servant to his mother, who had never shown any concern for him!
He took the opportunity to hack into his mother¡¯s cell phone, only to find all the videos of him stored within. Every video of him¡ªfrom when he was a child until he became a young adult¡ªwas in there. None of them had ever been deleted.
And every night, before going to bed, she would watch the videos of him over and over again.
Justin had been thirteen years old then.
Since then, he became certain that his mother was hiding something from him, and that she had her reasons and difficulties for doing so.
It could be said that he had never held any grudge towards his mother.
However, this did not mean that he was not angry about it.
He was indeed furious.
When he was young, he couldn¡¯t do anything. Thus, for his own good, his mother had kept those secrets from him. But even as he grew up, was his mother still unable to believe in him?
Besides...
It was undeniable that feelings and rtionships were built and developed through daily contact and interaction with one another. The twenty-year-long separation had left him and Iris with nothing much to say to each other.
Thus,ter on, he only asionally visited her at the vi, and never without reason.
He was waiting.
He was waiting for his mother to take the initiative to tell him the truth. But judging from her behavior, was his mother nning to keep it from him for the rest of her life? Just because it would bring him trouble?
Justin lowered his head.
To be honest, there were times when he felt like giving up on the investigation.
So what even if he found out what had happened?
Since she hadn¡¯t been by his side as he grew up, why should he apany her as she grew old...? Besides, sometimes habit really was something awfully scary¡ªhe had already grown used to not having her at home.
If there came a day where he suddenly found himself with a mother nagging at him, he might not be able to get used to it either.
Yet when he heard from Sean that she had cried, his heart softened again.
No matter what, they were still mother and son. Even if he was indifferent by nature, and even if he might only care about a few people; the woman was still among the few he cared about.
Moreover¡ªand also the main reason¡ªNora seemed to share a very good rtionship with her.
Upstairs.
Nora entered the room to see Cherry pulling a long face. Although she was sitting on the sofa and ying games, she was not happy.
Pete nced at her. "What¡¯s the matter? Is something troubling you?"
Cherry killed an enemy in the game and then looked up at him. "Is it that obvious that I¡¯m upset?"
"... You didn¡¯t rant at anyone while ying your game today," replied Pete with the corners of his lips spasming. The little girl was pretty much just short of tantly writing the words "I¡¯m unhappy" on her face.
Even Princess Lucy asked, "Cherry, what¡¯s wrong? Did someone bully you? I¡¯ll get the bodyguards to beat them up!"
As she spoke, she even waved her tiny little fists. She looked just like a Barbie doll.
Cherry sighed quietly. "Don¡¯t beat her up, Lucy. You don¡¯t understand."
A puzzled Lucy asked, "What don¡¯t I understand? Is this some kind of rule in America? Why should you put up with it when that person is upsetting you?"
"Because it¡¯s my grandma we¡¯re talking about!"
Cherry rested her chin on her hand and said, "Grandma was really nice to me in the past, I don¡¯t know why she suddenly changed today. She must have a reason for doing so! Do you know why she did that, Pete?"
Pete shook his head. "I don¡¯t know."
Cherry was a little disappointed. "You are so stupid~"
"..."
Cherry sighed quietly. "Forget it, it¡¯s time for my live-stream!"
After speaking, she sat on the sofa and opened the live-stream app.
Seeing the little fellows chatting so happily, Nora didn¡¯t go in to disturb them and left instead.
Cherry was not someone to dwell on things, so she would never take such small matters to heart. Neither did she need Nora tofort her. In her opinion, Justin was simply overthinking things.
After she left, she looked downstairs again and saw that there was no one in the living room. However, there was a figure on the balcony.
Although Nora was very sleepy and wanted very much to look for somece where she could sleep, when she thought of how hurtful Iris¡¯ words earlier in the day had been for Justin, she nevertheless went down the stairs and walked towards him.
As she went over, she saw the man standing there with his back to her.
The moonlight cast a silver glow on him, making a smooth silhouette of the dark and overcast figure. He exuded a sense of alienation and indifference, yet at the same time, he looked as though he had been forgotten in a corner.
He seemed so sad and lonely that it made one feel sorry for him.
This was especially when the man, who had never smoked, actually had a cigar held in between his fingertips at the moment. The smoke from the cigar curled upwards, making him look even lonelier.
Nora felt like they could pretty much make a movie with the scene.
The corners of Nora¡¯s lips twitched a little. She hadn¡¯t expected the man to be so deeply hurt.
She walked over and stood behind him. Just as she was about to speak, the man suddenly turned around and embraced her tightly. His chest was very hard and solid. It felt rather ufortable when he held her so tightly.
Yet Nora did not dare to push him away at a time like this, for fear that he would be even sadder¡ªbecause the man happened to whisper into her ear, "Nora, you¡¯re the only one I have left now."
"..."
Nora kept quiet for three seconds, but in the end, she still couldn¡¯t stop herself from saying, "You still have Cherry, Pete, Xander, Brenda, and also Sean and Lawrence. There¡¯s also..."
Justin: "..."
He really shouldn¡¯t have allowed the woman to speak. The moment she opened her mouth, she would absolutely be the insensitive girl who ruined the atmosphere!
The corners of Justin¡¯s lips spasmed. Seeing that Nora was actually nning to continue listing the rest, he promptly and decisively lowered his head suddenly and caught the woman¡¯s lips.
He could see the girl freezing suddenly. Then, her almond-shaped eyes widened and she looked at him in astonishment. It seemed like her first reaction was to push him away, yet she held back.
Justin closed his eyes. He could sense that the girl was being extra-tolerant today, so he pushed his luck and invaded her mouth.
The crisp smell of tobo on the man rushed into Nora¡¯s nostrils bossily, making her feel like the smell was actually quite pleasant?
To be honest, she hadn¡¯t thought of pushing him away.
If the man needed a hug and a kiss to reinforce his sense of security, then she didn¡¯t mind giving them to him.
Besides, he really was exceptionally pitiful today.
Thus, not only did Nora not resist, but she even stretched out her arms and circled them around his neck tightly, and started responding to his kiss.
The atmosphere gradually turned amorous.
It seemed like all the air at the balcony had been sucked away. In the narrow space, the man and woman¡¯s chests heaved up and down. After some time, Justin suddenly picked up Nora and carried her like a newly-wed bride. He said, "Let¡¯s... go to the bedroom upstairs."
The suggestiveness in his words were very apparent.
When he stared hard at Nora, he saw the girl, whose cheeks were scarlet and her eyes misty, reply, "Okay."
Chapter 704: She’s Asleep
Chapter 704: She¡¯s Asleep
To be honest, Justin hadn¡¯t expected her to agree.
He¡¯d long discovered that the woman had always been rtively indifferent in her feelings. It hadn¡¯t been that long since the two of them confirmed their rtionship, either.
The woman¡¯s chest was heaving up and down intensely at the moment, and her eyes contained a faint hint of womanly charm and shyness. When she agreed with her cheeks all red, he was instead stunned for a moment.
But right after, he regained his senses.
Seemingly afraid that the woman would go back on her word the very next second, he turned around at once and strode up the stairs.
Nora, whose head was buried into his chest, could see that his eyes were as deep and bottomless as the ocean. The way his eyes were staring at her so closely was as though he was looking at his prey, which made one feel daunted and timid.
But unfortunately, who did he think Nora was?
She had always been the hunter, not the hunted. When had she ever allowed herself to be in a disadvantageous position?
So, the next moment, she yawned.
The two went up the stairs and entered the bedroom. With her in his arms, Justin rushed straight towards the bed. However, he had only just taken two steps when Nora said, "Let¡¯s take a bath first. Who¡¯s going in first, you or me?"
Justin¡¯s eyes instantly turned even darker. "... Let¡¯s go in together?"
"Get lost."
Nora sat upright and jumped out of his arms. "I¡¯ll take a bath first."
She took out an unused bath towel from the side and walked into the bathroom.
Mr. Hunt, who had stayed outside, was so anxious that he was going around in circles. He hurriedly made the bed; then he checked whether the big bed was sturdy enough and whether it would make any noise if people jumped on it.
After that, he swallowed again and smoothed his hair.
If Lawrence or Sean were to see him like this, they would probably marvel in amazement. Was that really their boss, who had never even frowned a little in the face of business transactions worth billions, or even dozens of billions?
Ssh~
The sound of water stopped. Justin stood up straight, his eyes fixed in the direction of the bathroom. The door opened, and Nora walked out.
The bathrobe was wrapped around her, and she was toweling her hair. Because of the hot bath, her cheeks had be even rosier and moist. Her almond-shaped eyes nced at him shyly and she said, "It¡¯s your turn."
His Adam¡¯s apple shifted a little. "... Okay."
He picked up the bathrobe and rushed into the bathroom like an eager child.
He washed himself seriously and carefully during the bath, for fear that Nora would notice if he didn¡¯t clean any part of himself well. Even so, he took only two minutes in the bath and ran out again.
Then, he saw Nora already lying on the bed.
He slowed down, his breathing bing heavier and heavier. He walked up to the bed where Nora was. As he thought of what was about to happen that night, he became rather excited.
But the next moment, his excitement died down.
Because! The mouth of the woman on the bed was slightly ajar, and her eyes were closed. This... Was she asleep?
Justin: "??"
How would he know that when they were downstairs just now, as they kissed and kissed, Nora had also been getting sleepier and sleepier?! This continued until the man finally suggested going to the bedroom, and she breathed a huge sigh of relief.
Would she finally be able to go to sleep?
Therefore, with her eyelids droopy, she had replied sleepily, "Okay."
It wasn¡¯t the shy and bashful reaction that Justin had imagined on his own at all!
The corners of Justin¡¯s lips spasmed a little. He wanted to lift the quilt but realized that the woman had wrapped it tightly around herself, and was refusing to let him in.
"..."
Justin took another deep breath. In the end, he stood up in silence, went into the bathroom, took out the hairdryer, and quietly started drying her hair for her.
He hoped beyond everything that perhaps the noise would wake the woman?
Unfortunately, even until her hair was all dry, she didn¡¯t wake up.
On the contrary, seeing her unintentionally exposed shoulders while drying her hair, the fire in Justin¡¯s heart started to burn even more strongly.
In the end, Justin took another cold bath that night.
¡ª
Nora did not wake up until noon the next day.
She stretchedfortably. But when she turned her head to the side, she was instead faced with the man¡¯s dark and gloomy face, which gave her a huge shock.
Justin asked quietly, "Did you sleep well?"
"... Yeah."
Nora yawned. Then, she got out of bed and went to wash up.
Justin could only sigh helplessly. As he got up, he heard movement outside the door. He went over and looked through the peephole to see the three children and Brenda standing outside.
Brenda was asking nosily, "Did your Mommy really sleep in therest night? That¡¯s why your father is sleeping in for once?"
Cherry replied, "Uh-huh, uh-huh! It seemed like Mommy¡¯s legs felt a little weakst night, so Daddy carried her upstairs!"
Pete said, "... It¡¯s not that Mommy¡¯s legs were weak."
Cherry was puzzled. "Then was it because Mommy couldn¡¯t walk anymore? So she was acting like a baby?"
Pete: "?"
At the side, Lucy covered her mouth and giggled.
Brenda¡¯s eyes, however, were gleaming in an extremely gossipy manner. She said, "Cherry, you are so dumb! They are making younger brothers and sisters for you!"
Cherry: "?"
Justin: "??"
What kind of nonsense was she saying? What was she teaching his daughter?
Justin opened the door angrily. His voice deepened and he reprimanded, "Brenda!"
Brenda got a huge fright. But when she looked over at him, she received an even bigger fright. She swallowed and asked, "How hard were you guys going at itst night, Justin? It gave you dark circles under your eyes?"
Justin: "?"
Before he could speak, Brenda spoke again. "I understand, I understand it all. After all, this is the first time you guys were doing it after such a long time. It¡¯s very normal that you wouldn¡¯t be able to hold yourself back. But you guys still have a long future ahead of you, you know? You have to..."
The corners of Brenda¡¯s lips curled into a smile as she spoke. With an alluring voice, she said, "... take it easy a little~ After all, Nora is frail and unable to take care of herself. You mustn¡¯t be a beast to her, Justin."
"..."
Justin retorted angrily, "What nonsense are you saying?"
"What do you mean ¡¯nonsense¡¯~?" But after she spoke, something suddenly urred to Brenda and she became terribly rmed. "Surely not? The two of you, a lone man and a lone woman sharing the same room, you know? Could it be that you have some kind of undisclosed condition, Justin? If so, then you mustn¡¯t keep it to yourself. Nora¡¯s a doctor, hurry up and have her give you a checkup!"
Justin¡¯s expression turned even darker. "No, I don¡¯t!"
"That¡¯s more like it!" Brenda breathed a sigh of relief and patted her chest. "Otherwise, you¡¯ll be worse than a beast."
"..."
Justin felt like he was about to get a heart attack from anger.
Who was she calling worse than a beast, goddammit?!
Bang!
Justin shut the door.
¡ª
In the suburbs.
At noon, Iris stood in the greenhouse and took care of her orchids in boredom.
The door was suddenly pushed open and Herman strode in. When he saw her, he entered the greenhouse.
Iris frowned at the sight of him. "Get lost, you are not wee here."
Herman said, "Don¡¯t get me wrong, I¡¯m not here to rekindle old rtionships with you. It¡¯s just that... how were you taking care of our son at home? Your rtionship with him is terrible. I was not by Justin¡¯s side when he was a child, yet you didn¡¯t stay with him?!"
Iris balled up her fists tightly. "You¡¯re asking why my rtionship with Justin is so terrible when you already know the answer to that question?! Isn¡¯t it all because..."
Chapter 705: An Unfaithful Woman?
Chapter 705: An Unfaithful Woman?
"Because..."
Iris had hidden the secret about what happened all those years ago in her heart for twenty years and had never mentioned it to anyone. Everyone in this world could criticize her, scold her, and hate her.
In fact, it was okay even if Justin refused to acknowledge her as his mother. However, the man in front of her was the only person who was not worthy of speaking about her rtionship with her son!
She stared at Herman, though, there wasn¡¯t any anger in her. She merely felt that the man couldn¡¯t get any more thick-skinned than he already was. She sneered and slowly said, "It¡¯s all because of the fantastic things you did back then!"
Herman frowned when he heard this. "What does it have to do with me? You were obviously the one who was unfaithful!"
"You¡ª!"
Iris really found his words ridiculous to the extreme. She stared at Herman. A short whileter, she sneered, "It¡¯s been twenty years. Your ability to reverse right and wrong and twist the truth has really improved!"
Herman wanted to speak again, but Lauren walked in through the door and interrupted their conversation. She said, "That¡¯s enough. Dear, Iris, don¡¯t argue anymore. I know you still hold a grudge against Herman, but it¡¯s already been twenty years now, so what¡¯s the point of doing that to yourself? Justin has already grown up. What Herman did for you back then is already good enough. He has already given up all of his inheritance to the family assets for the two of you... He practically left the family penniless."
Lauren sighed. "You don¡¯t know how difficult it has been for us to start from scratch when we were abroad all these years."
Iris: "?"
What a clever way of phrasing things. Those who didn¡¯t know better might really have thought that Herman was a good man!
Iris was not a woman of forbearance. She said eloquently, "Howe I don¡¯t remember Herman leaving the Hunts penniless back then? Weren¡¯t thepany shares from back then his father¡¯s? Just because his father had chosen Justin over him as the heir to the family, it somehow ended up bing him giving the assets to me and my son?"
A sharp look shed across Lauren¡¯s eyes. "Sigh, you don¡¯t understand. It was Herman who took the initiative to withdraw from the fight because he felt that he had let the two of you down. Otherwise, why would the old sir have chosen a child, who was only five years old, over him?"
Iris was really rendered speechless by her shameless remark. She sneered and said, "So, am I supposed to be thanking the two of you then?"
A sullen Herman said, "You can skip the words of gratitude! What was that way of bringing up the boy, though? Just because I was forced into leaving and couldn¡¯t see Justin anymore, you really left him to fend for himself?! And ended up causing that boy to be so perverse and domineering?!"
Seeing that he was criticizing her again, Iris was so furious that she actuallyughed. "I have never stopped you from visiting him, but have you ever taken the initiative to contact him all these years? Your son had probably already stopped existing in your eyes when he was lost back then!"
Herman frowned. "How can you say that, Iris? Isn¡¯t it obvious that I didn¡¯t contact him because I was afraid that you would feel ufortable about it? If I contacted him frequently whereas you, his mother, stayed here like a widow, then he would have hated and resented you even more!"
Iris gave a lowugh. Suddenly, she really couldn¡¯t be bothered to say anything to him anymore. He was simply so capable of twisting all her words.
For Iris, her son was what mattered to her the most.
All these years, because she hadn¡¯t been able to stay by his side, the child hadcked mother¡¯s love. She had been counting on Herman to stay in contact with him frequently. After all, a father yed a very important role in a child¡¯s growth!
But he hadn¡¯t.
Herman rarely ever contacted Justin. In fact, he had only called Justin twice during the past twenty years.
She took a deep breath and pointed to the door. "This is my home. Please leave, otherwise, I¡¯m going to call for someone to send you out."
Justin had told her before that he¡¯d stationed some bodyguards for her nearby.
Due to certain reasons, Iris had agreed to it. The bodyguards were standing right outside the door at the moment. However, they hadn¡¯te in to stop Herman.
To be honest, this made Iris a little ufortable.
The son must still resent her. That was why he hadn¡¯t protected her despite the circumstances.
While she was thinking, Lauren continued adding fuel to the fire and said, "Well, no matter what happened in the past, now that Justin has grown up, you¡¯ll have to interact with Justin in the business market, Herman. Iris, we came back to America this time partially to expand our business into the domestic market. It just so happens that we can deal more with the Hunts for some of our operations. They are father and son after all. They will eventually get in touch with each other once they work together, and will slowly make up for the regrets from the past."
After saying that, she looked at Iris. "Also, Justin¡¯s kids are really just too adorable! You don¡¯t know how funny Cherry is. She loves the princess dress I brought over to her this morning."
Iris¡¯s heart tightened.
Her granddaughter was having fun with Lauren?
But when the thought formed, she felt like she was being narrow-minded again.
That¡¯s true, even though she and Herman were divorced, it did not mean that Justin had to sever all contact with him. The Hunts were Herman¡¯s family, and the elderly Mrs. Hunt was his mother...
She had only just thought of that when Lauren spoke again. She said, "By the way, we don¡¯t have a ce to stay during our temporary return to America, so we will stay at the Hunt Manor for the time being. You won¡¯t have any objections, right? Cherry is very weing of us, she even said that she likes me, her grandmother, very much..."
The two of them had stayed at the Hunts¡¯ the previous night.
Iris¡¯s heart felt even heavier. Then, she heard Lauren sigh and say, "Iris, we will be part of the same family in the future. I hope you can let go of all your grievances from the past so that we can all live in peace with one another. This way, Justin won¡¯t feel awkward being caught in the middle either, right?"
Iris clenched her fists. "We won¡¯t interfere with each other¡¯s lives as long as you people don¡¯te over and bother me!"
Lauren took Herman¡¯s arm. "Why would we bother you?"
With a big smile, she said, "Herman, since there¡¯s nothing else we need with Iris here, then let¡¯s go back. We just need to inform Justin that he needn¡¯t worry about Iris being unhappy about it! Let¡¯s go back, Cherry is still waiting for me to y dolls with her!"
Herman nodded, and the two turned and left.
As she stared at them from the back, Iris felt as if there were needles pricking her heart.
Even though she couldn¡¯t approach her son or her grandchildren before, she could still live with it somewhat. But why should Herman and Lauren be able to stay at the Hunt Manor? Why should they be able to y with her granddaughter every day?
Iris¡¯ eyes reddened.
Mrs. Landis came over. She heaved a quiet sigh and said, "Ma¡¯am, if you still keep the truth of what had happened back then to yourself, that scumbag and that cheap woman will take Mr. Hunt away from you! Look at how the bodyguards didn¡¯t even stop them from going in and out of here. These must have been Mr. Hunt¡¯s instructions!"
Iris felt even worse.
At this moment, Cherry¡¯s voice suddenly rang out from Mrs. Landis¡¯ cell phone...
Cherry should be live-streaming at this time.
Iris suddenly took the phone from her. She would see how Lauren was going to interact intimately with Cherry!
Chapter 706: Showing Off?
Chapter 706: Showing Off?
Cherry had switched on her webcam during her live-stream that day, so the live-stream was rtively more formal this time.
Every time she live-streamed, her Sponsor Grandpa would definitely be online. Sponsor Daddy asionally came in to visit, but it was not as frequent as before.
It was probably because he could now see her in person every day.
Cherry wasn¡¯t bothered about these things, though.
However, a Sponsor Grandma had joined the live-stream recently.
Of course, she wasn¡¯t addressing that person as Grandma; rather, "Sponsor Grandma" was that person¡¯s username. Sponsor Grandma was currently ranked second in her virtual gift rankings.
The one in the first ce was always Sponsor Grandpa. No one could surpass him.
The one in third ce, Sponsor Daddy, no longer cared about the ranking these days, so his score had been slowly dropping.
Cherry first greeted Sponsor Grandpa. Then, when she saw Sponsor Grandma enter the live-stream, the little fellow immediately called out sweetly, "Hi, Sponsor Grandma! How are you doing?"
Sponsor Grandma wrote in thements: ¡¯Not well.¡¯
As the big boss ranked second in her virtual gift rankings, herment was highlighted in the live-stream.
Cherry saw thement right away. Puzzled, she asked, "Why? Did someone make you angry? Beat them up then!"
Iris looked at the live-stream. She wanted to say, "You¡¯re the one who made me angry, you little brat."
To think she was actually having fun with someone like Lauren...
If Lauren had gotten into a rtionship with Herman after the two of them had divorced normally, then Iris actually would not have prevented Lauren and Cherry from having fun with each other.
After all, it was good for her to have another person who loved her.
But Lauren was not a good person at all. She was afraid that Lauren would lead Cherry astray.
Iris was terribly angry and frustrated. When she was about to send anotherment, she suddenly caught a glimpse of a princess dress on the sofa behind Cherry.
Was that the gift that Lauren had spoken of? The one that she had delivered to Cherry early in the morning?
Iris suddenly felt very discouraged.
She put down the phone silently and stood up.
To be honest, when she agreed to that condition back then, she had already left the family. It was destined that she would no longer have much of a rtionship with her son for the rest of her life.
In that case, why bother disturbing his life?
Iris lowered her head and turned off the live-stream.
She didn¡¯t want to ask Cherry about Lauren anymore¡ªafter all, she was the one who had pushed Cherry away with her own hands the night before.
Since she had already made her choice, then what right did she have to demand that Cherry be close to her?
Iris was caught in a dilemma and internal struggle. Mrs. Landis, who was looking at her from the side, was terribly anxious. However, she also knew that once Iris made up her mind, no one would be able to convince her otherwise.
She heaved a silent sigh and changed the subject. "Ma¡¯am, the pot of Jade Orchids you wanted to buy will be delivered soon, right? Where should we put it?"
Sure enough, Iris finally perked up a little when she heard this. She stood up and walked one round in the greenhouse with Mrs. Landis. Atst, she said, "That pot of Jade Orchids is very rare and very difficult to take care of. We must treat it with great care."
"Okay."
As the two chatted, they got busy in the greenhouse.
Seeing that she was finally no longer so listless anymore, Mrs. Landis breathed a sigh of relief.
An hourter, the two finally made room for the new pot of orchid. Only then did they sit down again.
Night had almost fallen. The sky had gradually darkened, and the surroundings were quiet. Apart from the chirping of birds, there was no other sound.
When one looked up, through the small courtyard, they could see the skies of New York that were hazy all year round.
Iris had lived like this for a whole twenty years.
Mrs. Landis had left to make dinner. As Iris sat in the greenhouse, her gaze fell onto Mrs. Landis¡¯ cell phone again, hardly able to stand the itch in her heart.
Suddenly, she really wanted to hear Cherry¡¯s voice.
She opened the live-stream again.
At once, she heard Cherry¡¯s clear and pleasant voice: "... Jungler, have you gone invisible? Howe I never see you during team battles?"
Iris couldn¡¯t help but smile at the way she spoke when she dissed other yers, and she almostughed out loud.
As expected, Cherry was still the same bundle of joy she knew her to be.
Beep.
At this moment, her cell phone suddenly rang.
Iris picked it up casually, the smile still on her face. She saw that someone had sent her a short video. She opened it casually, upon which Lauren¡¯s face immediately appeared. She was speaking to the camera with a smile on her face, "Iris, I am going to go and y with Cherry now. Cherry has always been a very polite and adorable child~"
Iris: "!!"
She stood up angrily. Lauren must have been afraid that she wouldn¡¯t believe that they had a better rtionship with Justin¡¯s family, so she had deliberately sent that to provoke her, right?
Iris was jealous and envious, but even more helpless and sad.
She stared at the video. She could see that it was Cherry¡¯s room that Lauren was about to enter.
The next moment, in Cherry¡¯s live-stream, the sound of someone knocking on the door, as well as Lauren¡¯s gentle voice rang out: "Cherry? Grandma¡¯sing in, okay~?"
Iris clenched her fists.
She looked at Mrs. Landis¡¯ cell phone and stared at Cherry¡¯s live-stream.
She wanted to close it so that she wouldn¡¯t see their interaction, yet at the same time, she wanted to open her eyes wide and take a good look at what exactly she had lost...
She felt as though a big invisible hand had closed around her heart tightly. Her chest felt stuffy and tight, and she felt awfully aggrieved.
Just as she was in a dilemma, she heard Cherry¡¯s young and tender voice be impatient: "Who said you coulde in here?"
Chapter 707: The Face-Slapping Came So Quickly!
Chapter 707: The Face-pping Came So Quickly!
At the Hunts¡¯.
Lauren entered the room with a smile on her face. She¡¯d originally wanted to get along properly with Cherry¡ªafter all, she really did want to make Cherry happy.
Once she pleased Cherry, that would mean that she had also pleased Justin.
But she hadn¡¯t expected Cherry to always look so impatient whenever she saw her.
She didn¡¯t know that Cherry was live-streaming, so she smiled and said, "Grandma misses little Cherry, so I came over to visit you..."
After speaking, as if she was on very good terms with Cherry, she walked over to the sofa next to her and picked up the princess dress she had given Cherry earlier that day. She asked, "Don¡¯t you like the princess dress that Grandma bought you? Why didn¡¯t you put it on?"
Cherry blinked with her big eyes and answered bluntly, "Because I don¡¯t like it, of course!"
Lauren looked at her hesitantly. "Then what kind do you like? Pink ones? Purple ones? Or?"
Cherry tilted her head to the side, which made her look very naughty. Her grin made her look even more like a little devil. She replied, "It¡¯s you I don¡¯t like."
Lauren was taken aback.
Cherry said, "So, as long as it is from you, I won¡¯t like it. Don¡¯t waste your time trying to please me. Please go out! I don¡¯t have a grandmother like you!"
The little fellow¡¯s voice was crisp and clear, and she spoke loudly and sonorously.
Lauren flushed, but she didn¡¯t dare to bully Cherry, especially in this room. Thus, she said, "Cherry, it is not right of you to speak to your grandma like this. It¡¯s very impolite behavior..."
Cherry suddenly stood up and walked straight towards Lauren.
The camera in her live-stream was facing the side right from the start, so it had captured part of the scene.
As a result, everyone saw Cherry pick up the princess dress and then push Lauren out the door. The little fellow was very strong. After she pushed Lauren out of the room, she stood there and said, "Go away you... you... wh*re!"
Cherry had never ever called anyone names.
Even when she was dissing people in her live-streams, she had never called anyone names. Therefore, when she tried to think of a word for Lauren, she had to think for a very long time before she finally remembered one of the insults that Xander frequently used.
After calling Lauren a wh*re, Cherry mmed the door shut.
Cherry continued her live-stream after she returned.
But at this point, she noticed that a lot of reproachful remarks had suddenly appeared in thements:
"Isn¡¯t the live-streamer¡¯s behavior too crass? What did that gentle olddy do to you? To think you¡¯re actually calling her names?"
"I¡¯ve already found her an eyesore a long time ago. She¡¯s only five, yet she¡¯s so skilled at dissing people in games. To think you guys im that she has never called anyone names. Ha, didn¡¯t she do just that just now?"
Some of her fans were also trying to correct her:
"sweetcherry, that¡¯s your grandma. You mustn¡¯t call your family such awful names."
"Yeah. It¡¯s very rude of you to just toss the dress that your grandma bought for you..."
...
...
A group of Inte keyboard warriors, who didn¡¯t even know anything about her family situation, started to leavements in her live-stream.
A bad-ass Cherry replied, "You are not me, so what would you know? She is a bad person! My mom told me to stay away from her!"
Thements instantly became even fiercer.
¡ª
However, Iris was no longer in the live-stream at this point.
She had closed the live-stream when Lauren knocked on the door. She didn¡¯t want to watch their heartwarming moments, which would only sadden her. She stared ahead of her nkly.
About half an hourter, Lauren sent her another text message: ¡¯Sorry about that, Iris, I was ying with Cherry the whole time just now. I realized that the little girl is really very well-behaved. We had a lot of fun together. She also said that she likes me very much.¡¯
Little by little, Iris¡¯ heart sank as she read the message.
Yeah, how would Cherry possibly not be lovable?
She had always been a good girl who was polite and sweet-talking. Every time she saw her, the things she said made her heart melt.
It seemed that no matter what, she just couldn¡¯t harden her heart towards the little fellow.
Everyone would probably like her, no matter who it was.
Iris didn¡¯t want to think about it anymore, so she straight-up blocked Lauren¡¯s phone number. Then, she stood up and went to dinner.
Mrs. Landis had made mushroom risotto that evening.
The two of them had a te each. However, the usually fresh and delicious mushroom risotto didn¡¯t taste right to her that evening. She said, "Mrs. Landis, the mushroom risotto doesn¡¯t taste very nice today."
Mrs. Landis took a bite. "It tastes pretty good, Ma¡¯am. You only think it tastes bad because you are in a bad mood. Every time you are in a bad mood, you don¡¯t feel like eating."
"... Really?"
Iris slowly put down her spoon. She sighed silently. Then, she got up and started walking upstairs. "I¡¯m not eating anymore. I¡¯ll go to bed instead."
Mrs. Landis heaved a quiet sigh as she stared at her from the back.
Iris had originally thought that she would be fine after she went upstairs and had a good night¡¯s sleep. But after shey down, she simply couldn¡¯t get to sleep.
The text messages that Lauren had sent to her kept appearing before her eyes, making her feel like there was something stuck in her chest, unable to get out.
At this moment, her cell phone suddenly rang.
When Iris answered, Lauren¡¯s voice came from the other side again. "Iris, why did you block me? Is it because you don¡¯t want me to send you those messages? Well, that makes sense. I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t want Cherry and I to be so close to each other, but the child wants a grandmother too!"
Her words made Iris so mad that she was shaking all over. Right at this moment, she suddenly heard a rush of footsteps. Then, Mrs. Landis opened the door and entered her room. She said, "Ma¡¯am, Cherry is trending!"
Chapter 708: A Real Piece of Work
Chapter 708: A Real Piece of Work
Trending?
What was trending?
Iris pretty much subconsciously picked up her cell phone. Right away, she saw that sweetcherry was trending on social media because she had called her grandma names out of anger in her live-stream.
To be honest, it wasn¡¯t really trending that high in the rankings.
It barely entered the top fifty in the rankings and had only just made the list. Mrs. Landis had only found out because her attention was on Cherry.
Iris hurriedly opened the article linked in the post, where she saw a video clip from the live-stream footage. In the clip, Cherry had driven her grandma out of her room and called her a wh*re.
Iris stared at the video clip in shock.
Although she knew that it was certainly not right of Cherry to call people names, for some inexplicable reason, she felt really good.
While she was looking at Mrs. Landis¡¯ cell phone, Lauren was still talking to her over the phone. "Iris, Cherry is really adorable. Are you sure you don¡¯t want toe over and spend some time with her? She really likes her grandmother. When she kept calling me Grandma, I felt really sad for you..."
As she listened to the woman, Iris¡¯ lip corners suddenly curled into a smile. She turned on the cell phone¡¯s speaker mode, and then she held the other cell phone with the video clip close to her own phone¡¯s microphone. The sound of a girl scolding someone in anger rang out from it at once: "Go away, you... you... wh*re!"
Lauren¡¯s voice came to an abrupt stop.
She was terribly stunned. She first nced at her cell phone in confusion, and then looked at the vi at the side in surprise.
If she wasn¡¯t already sure that Cherry hadn¡¯t left the house, she¡¯d have thought that she was with Iris!
But if she wasn¡¯t, then why would her voicee from Iris¡¯ call?
While she was still in a daze, Iris chuckled lightly and said, "By the way, I forgot to tell you that Cherry loves ying games and also likes holding live-streams. Everything that happened between the two of you in the room has all been captured in her live-stream. So, how on earth are you so confident that my granddaughter would like you? You wh*re?"
Lauren: "!!"
She gnashed her teeth in fury!
When Cherry called her names, she had only cursed and ranted inwardly, and felt that the girl was awfully ill-mannered. However, she hadn¡¯t really bothered getting angry with a child.
When she came out of the room, she couldn¡¯t help but still feel irritated, so she had called Iris to provoke her.
But who would have known that everything that had happened just now had been captured in the live-stream?!
This was no different from her personally putting her face in front of Iris and letting her p it!
This was simply so... torturous!
Lauren took a deep breath at once. She countered and replied, "Even so, I am finally living with the Hunts, whereas you have been driven out!"
Iris scoffed. "The Hunts? I¡¯ve already stopped caring about them all those years ago. I don¡¯t even want Herman anymore, so what would I still want the Hunts for? Things are no longer the same as before. Back then, Herman was the one in charge of the family, but the person-in-charge is now Justin! If you want to stay there, go ahead. Justin has always been bad-tempered ever since he was a child, though, so you¡¯ll have to be more tolerant with him. Sigh, it¡¯s simply not asfortable as it is at my ce, where I can grow my flowers, bask in the sun, and do whatever I want... Tsk, Mrs. Landis, don¡¯t forget to sanitize our houseter, in case the wh*re who came over today had dirtied it."
Iris had originally nned to talk to Nora about the child calling people names, but in this instant, she herself had been subconsciously led astray by Cherry.
Iris, who had always followed the rules and kept her nose clean her whole life, suddenly understood at this moment just how great it felt to call someone a wh*re.
Well, it wasn¡¯t like Cherry called people names that often either, so she would just let the matter pass.
With that in mind, Iris spoke into her cell phone again. "Is there anything else, Mrs. Wh*re?"
"... Iris Evans! Do you think that you¡¯re better than me just because of this? So what even if the Hunts belong to your son? You¡¯re on bad terms with him anyway! I will show you that I am much better than you are now! You..."
"Oh, so there¡¯s nothing else, right? If so, then I¡¯m hanging up. No one likes to listen to barking dogs."
Iris cut Lauren off and then hung up in a good mood.
This simply felt too good!
Mrs. Landis looked at herdy and shook her head. Ma¡¯am was simply so childish, crying at one moment and thenughing the next...
No, wait, she didn¡¯te up here to talk about that. She said anxiously, "Ma¡¯am, don¡¯t just smile. Cherry is still being attacked on the Inte. Aren¡¯t you going to do anything about it?"
"What am I supposed to do about it?" Iris red at Mrs. Landis. The re from the woman, who was still charming despite her age, only made her look bewitching and alluring.
The colors of the nearly fifty years old woman¡¯s eyes were still well-defined, and her gaze was also clean and clear. God had really given her a good appearance.
After Iris chided her coquettishly, she stood up right away. "If anything happens to Cherry, Justin won¡¯t just stand by and do nothing. By the way, Mrs. Landis, is there still any mushroom risotto left? I¡¯m hungry."
After saying that, Iris started walking downstairs.
Mrs. Landis: "..."
Mrs. Landis still wanted to speak. She held up her cell phone to show it to her. She said, "Mr. Hunt probably still hasn¡¯t realized, right? Look, the post is going up the rankings again... Huh? Why is the post gone?"
Mrs. Landis stood still in a daze.
Iris, who was walking in the front, waved. "You just happened to see the post in time, and fortunately also showed it to me in time. If you were a stepte, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to see it at all! Don¡¯t I know just how efficient Justin is?"
"..."
Mrs. Landis silently gave her a thumbs-up in her heart.
As expected, no one knew a son better than his mother!
¡ª
At the Hunts¡¯.
Lauren stamped her foot angrily after Iris hung up on her.
"Iris and Cherry sure are real pieces of work!"
Hearing her furious voice, Herman lowered his eyes. "I told you not to provoke them, yet you simply insisted on doing so. See, you¡¯ve been outgunned, haven¡¯t you?"
Lauren took a deep breath. "I did it all for your sake, and for our family..."
When she said this, her eyes widened. Then, she walked up to Herman and took his arm. "Speaking of which, though, why can¡¯t Irise back to the Hunt Manor? Back then, when your family chose her and Justin over you and made you leave, the Hunts shouldn¡¯t have been so powerful that they could forbid her from entering the Hunt Manor, right?"
Herman red at her.
Lauren continued to shake his arm. "Come on, tell me why..."
Chapter 709: The Great Master Orchidiance
Chapter 709: The Great Master Orchidiance
Herman pushed her away. "I can¡¯t tell you."
"Why not?" Lauren persisted and said, "What kind of secret do you have with her that even I can¡¯t know about? Dear, we are husband and wife, you know!"
"There are some things that even husband and wife can¡¯t talk about!" Herman was firm. He pushed her hand away. "Alright, let¡¯s go over to my mother¡¯s earlier and have dinner with her!"
Lauren looked at him from the back, a sharp look shing across her eyes.
Ha.
Did he really think that she wouldn¡¯t know the truth if he didn¡¯t tell her about it?
The only reason why she had asked him was just so she could see if Herman was still hiding anything from her even after spending twenty years together.
Unexpectedly, she still hadn¡¯tpletely entered the man¡¯s heart.
Lauren took a deep breath, feeling the need to vent her pent-up emotions.
When the two were about to walk over to Mrs. Hunt¡¯s vi, the security guards suddenly stopped them. They said, "Sir, the two of you must move out today... You are not allowed to enter this ce either."
Herman and Lauren were stunned.
Lauren frowned. "Do you know who you are talking to?"
The security guard replied stiffly, "I do."
"Yet you still have the audacity to say that? You¡¯ve got a lot of gall! Who gave you the courage to say something like that?"
As soon as Lauren spoke, she heard a low voice: "I did."
Lauren and Herman were both stunned. They turned around abruptly to see Justin striding over. He had a cold and sullen look on his face, and his deep-set eyes were as filled with aggressiveness as an eagle¡¯s.
Herman frowned. "Justin! How dare you dishonor your parents just because you¡¯ve be the sessor to the Hunts!"
Justin strode up to the pair. With a fierce and piercing look in his eyes, he pointed at the exit and said firmly and loudly, "This is the Hunt Manor, and you are someone whom Grandpa has kicked out. I am just following Grandpa¡¯s will. How would I possibly dare to be unfilial with my parents?"
"You¡ª!"
Since Herman was using his seniority to pressure him, then he would bring out Grandpa Hunt. This shut Herman up at once.
Justin stared at the man in front of him and narrowed his eyes dangerously.
He had left the two of them here to provoke Iris on purpose.
That was why he¡¯d instructed the bodyguards not to stop them when they went to visit Iris earlier in the day. Firstly, he wanted to hear their conversation and see if he could sound them out about the truth behind what had happened back then.
Secondly, he wanted to push Iris into a corner and give her a sense of crisis.
But in the end, he found that even though Herman obviously knew the truth, he refused to make any mention about what had happened. Iris also refused to say a single word about it.
It seemed that this method of his was useless.
Moreover, it had even brought his precious daughter trouble. Although he had deleted all the negativements on the Inte, there would be some trouble for him to deal with in the aftermath.
In that case, why let the two of them stay any further?
Therefore, he couldn¡¯t even be bothered to act anymore.
Justin said straightforwardly, "If you don¡¯t leave by yourself with dignity, then I can only make you leave in an undignified manner."
As soon as he said that, a few bodyguards swarmed up from behind him.
Herman and Lauren frowned, and both of them took a step back. Herman pointed at him and cursed, "You¡¯re so cold-blooded! I¡¯m your father, you know! How dare you treat me like this! ... Don¡¯t touch me, we will leave by ourselves!"
Justin couldn¡¯t be bothered to waste his breath on them. The bodyguard next to him also took a step forward, so Herman and Lauren couldn¡¯t say any more, either. The two of them could only leave.
¡ª
"Herman and Lauren have moved out of the Hunt Manor?"
When Iris received the news the moment she woke up the next day, she became even happier. She was sitting in the greenhouse with a pair of scissors in her hand and trimming her nts.
After she was done, she smiled and put down the scissors. Then, she suddenly sighed.
A puzzled Mrs. Landis asked, "Ma¡¯am, what¡¯s the matter?"
Iris replied, "Justin has grown up."
Mrs. Landis was taken aback. "Why do you say that?"
Iris nced at her, her pale and slender fingers gently touching the orchid next to her. She asked, "Why didn¡¯t he drive Herman and Lauren away when they first arrived at the Hunts¡¯? Why didn¡¯t anyone stop them when they came here? Yet he drove them away after they went back and the incident with Cherry¡¯s live-stream broke out?"
Mrs. Landis shook her head. "Why is that?"
"Because... he was trying to push me into a corner. He wanted to force me to make a stand." Iris¡¯s words confused Mrs. Landis. She scratched her head and asked, "And then?"
"Then, I saw what happened in Cherry¡¯s live-stream and realized the truth. He understood at once that these things wouldn¡¯t be able to trigger any feelings in me anymore. In that case, wouldn¡¯t having them around no longer be of any use?"
Although Mrs. Landis didn¡¯t really understand, she still said happily, "Mr. Hunt has taken your side!"
"Of course."
Iris said proudly, "That¡¯s my son we¡¯re talking about, after all!"
Then, she stared at the pot of flowers beside her that wasn¡¯t blooming very well and heaved a quiet sigh. "Say, if I approach my daughter-inw with this pot of flowers and ask her for advice, would she hate me?"
Mrs. Landis: "..."
"Forget it." Iris seemed to have given up somewhat. She said, "Some things are meant to be yours, and some things aren¡¯t. I¡¯m already so old; how long can I live? In that case, I¡¯d better not make any more trouble for the children! These orchids will apany me for the rest of my life instead!"
Mrs. Landis red at her. "Your remaining time in this world is pretty expensive, then. Who knows how many houses you can buy with just these nts!"
Iris smiled and replied, "These are nothing. The best is still that pot of Jade Orchid. It should have arrived in New York by now, right? Why hasn¡¯t it been delivered yet?"
Almost as soon as she said that, her cell phone rang suddenly.
Iris was a little taken aback. When she answered the phone, a voice came from the other side: "Mdm. Iris, I¡¯m really sorry!"
Iris was surprised. "Matthew, what¡¯s wrong?"
Old Matthew, like Iris, was also an expert in cultivating orchids. Not only did he like orchids, but he was also rich. That was why he could cultivate so many orchids. The Jade Orchid in question was Matthew¡¯s.
Iris had pestered him for very long before he finally relented and agreed to sell it to her at a high price.
Matthew heaved a huge sigh. "Originally, I¡¯d already found a professional to deliver that pot of flowers to you in New York, but I must sell it to ady named Lauren Hunt now!"
Lauren Hunt?
Lauren again?
Iris frowned. "That¡¯s not how you do business, Matthew. I was the one who bought it first, you..."
"Let me finish." Matthew said, "It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to sell it to you, but rather, something has gone wrong with my pot of Ghost Orchids. Lauren is an expert gardener, and she said that she can nurse it back to health for me. Mdm. Iris, you are also someone who loves flowers, so you should know what that pot of Ghost Orchids means to me, right? Lauren said that she will treat the orchids with alternative medicine..."
Iris said huffily, "She¡¯s just imitating Orchidiance!"
Matthew nodded. "Yes, I know, but I don¡¯t care. I just want my Ghost Orchids to be cured. Do you know this pot of orchids has been with me for three years? It bloomed during the year that my wife passed away... Not only is this pot of flowers expensive, but it is also of special significance to me. Mdm. Iris, unless you can find me Master Orchidiance, I really can¡¯t sell that pot of flowers to you anymore... I must let you down this time!!"
Iris: "!"
How was she supposed to find Orchidiance at such short notice?
Next to her, Mrs. Landis was in a panic. "Ma¡¯am, why don¡¯t we consult Ms. Smith about this? She can also cure orchid diseases!"
Chapter 710: Let Me Tell You A Story
Chapter 710: Let Me Tell You A Story
Iris paused for a moment when she heard Mrs. Landis. Then, she said to Matthew, "Give me a day. Tell me about the Ghost Orchids¡¯ symptoms, or take a photo and send it over. I... I¡¯ll find someone to take a look at it for you!"
Matthew was surprised. "Do you really have a solution?"
Iris sighed. "I recently met a young friend who is very skilled at treating orchids, I will go and ask her for advice. You can give the orchids to Lauren after if my friend can¡¯t cure them!"
Matthew knew about the dispute between Iris and Lauren. Hearing this, he kept quiet for only a second before he said, "Okay! Mdm. Iris, we have been taking care of orchids for so long, so I trust you and am willing to give you a chance. If it weren¡¯t for the Ghost Orchids, I wouldn¡¯t have broken our agreement. But if you still can¡¯t solve the issue by tomorrow, then you can¡¯t hold that against me anymore."
Iris nodded. "I understand."
People who truly loved orchids regarded the flowers as their life. Matthew was one of the best gardeners in the industry, and the Ghost Orchids were his very life itself, so she could understand why he did what he did.
After hanging up the phone, Matthew told her the orchids¡¯ symptoms. He was very detailed in the description¡ªafter all, he had be very experienced after cultivating flowers for so long. He included details about what he had done to the flowers in the past, the soil he nted the flowers in, and so on.
Iris stared at the description for a while before she raised her head and looked at Mrs. Landis. "That pot of Ghost Orchids has indeed encountered quite a difficult issue. I¡¯m afraid that even Orchidiance would find that pot of flowers rather difficult to save. In that case, let¡¯s take a gamble!"
Mrs. Landis was a little taken aback. "What gamble?"
Iris took a deep breath. "A gamble on my destiny. If Nora can save this pot of flowers, then that pot of Jade Orchids will be mine. What¡¯s meant to be mine will definitely be mine."
Mrs. Landis didn¡¯t understand what she was hinting at. She nodded and said, "Of course!"
She didn¡¯t know that Iris had made a decision at this instant.
If Nora could save that pot of orchids, then she would have pretty much made a miracle.
If so, then she would tell them the truth about what had happened back then.
She didn¡¯t want to give the younger generation trouble, but her blood ties with her son were right there. There was one thing that Lauren had been right about¡ªCherry liked her grandmother.
She could cruelly push Justin away when she was young, but now that she had gotten on in her years, she was no longer as bold and resolute as she had been when she was young.
She also craved the heartwarming and gentle moments of being with Cherry and the others.
With that in mind, Iris took out her cell phone and sent a text message to Nora. First, she sent Nora the symptoms of Matthew¡¯s orchids, and then she sent another sentence: ¡¯Can you take a look and see if you can save this pot of flowers for me?¡¯
¡ª
Nora was currently at the Andersons¡¯ and looking for something in her mother¡¯s room.
Despite the unexpected incident at Iris¡¯, and Herman¡¯s return, Nora had not forgotten what she was the most anxious about right now.
Her mother had left her information about the V16¡¯s whereabouts, yet she wasn¡¯t capable enough to find it. When she thought of how Xander was still sick, she was filled with impatience and irritability.
Mrs. Anderson was standing at the door. As she watched her turn the study upside down, she asked, "Nora, what are you looking for?"
Nora asked, "Grandma, did my mom leave anything important behind?"
Mrs. Anderson nodded. "Yes, of course!"
Nora suddenly looked up. "What did she leave behind? Show me!"
As soon as she said that, Mrs. Anderson smiled gently and kindly at her, all the wrinkles on her face squeezing together. She said, "She left you! You are the best gift she left the world."
Nora: "..."
The corners of her lips spasmed and she sighed silently. "Okay, Grandma, I¡¯ll look for it myself!"
She was about to take out the dust-covered things under the bed and flip through them when her cell phone suddenly beeped.
She picked it up and saw the messages Iris had sent to her:
¡¯Can you take a look and see if you can save this pot of flowers for me?¡¯
¡¯If you can, I will tell you a story.¡¯
Tell her a story?
Was Iris finally going to reveal her troubles?
A touch of joy shed across Nora¡¯s eyes and she immediately replied: "I¡¯lle to you right away."
Chapter 711: Take A Gamble!
Chapter 711: Take A Gamble!
When Nora came to the vi, Iris was sitting in the greenhouse with a tea bar in front of her. She was sipping on a cup of tea, but her eyes were fixed on the greenhouse.
At the sound of footsteps, she turned and looked over. When she saw Nora, she gestured to the seat opposite her and asked absentmindedly, "Can you save them?"
"I can try."
Nora had never been one to make absolute promises.
After all, Ghost Orchids were awfully delicate. A little carelessness could easily lead to problems.
Iris took a sip of tea and sighed silently. She looked at Nora. "Do you really want to hear that story?"
Nora nodded.
Iris fell silent for a while. Then, she asked, "Even if it really brings you guys a lot of trouble?"
Nora nodded again.
Even so, Iris was still worried. She pressed on and asked, "Have you asked Justin about it? Is this also what he wants?"
Before Nora could speak, Justin¡¯s voice came from the door: "Yes, it is."
Seeing that he was also here, Iris was stunned.
She stared at her son.
Justin had already grown to a height of a little over 6¡¯2", and was a full head taller than her. Her small and thin son from twenty years ago had already grown into a man with an indomitable spirit.
Iris clenched her fists.
She suddenly asked, "Don¡¯t you hate me? No matter what my reasons are, I have ultimately been absent in your life for so many years."
Justin¡¯s jaw was strained, and the beauty mark at the corner of his eye was shimmering in the light. After a short silence, he answered, "I did when I was a kid, but not anymore."
Iris was taken aback.
Justin turned his head to the side and looked away. Apart from being able to say some mushy things to Nora, he was actually a little ufortable saying such things to others.
The man stood up straight. As though he was talking about work matters, he said to Iris, "When I was a child, everyone had a mother except me. When I got into arguments with Roger, his mother would stand in front of him unreasonably and push me, but I didn¡¯t have anyone like that. Not only did I not have a mother, but even my father was gone. At that time, I did indeed hate you for being so cruel.
"But now, it doesn¡¯t matter anymore, because all of that has passed. I know you have your own difficulties and reasons for doing so."
Justin¡¯s voice was actually very calm and dispassionate. There wasn¡¯t any emotion in it at all.
It was as if he was just narrating something that had happened in the past.
But his words painted a very lucid picture in both Iris and Nora¡¯s minds.
The little Justin had been bullied. His father had been kicked out of the family. His mother was clearly still in New York, yet she did note home. He obviously had a father and a mother, yet he became an orphan in the Hunts.
Perhaps the little boy had cried in private. Perhaps on many nights, he had run to this very vi and looked up at the person inside, hoping that Iris would open the door and give him a hug.
But she hadn¡¯t.
Just like that, he had grown into an adult...
Nora took Justin¡¯s hand and held it quietly.
Iris felt as if her heart was being wrung tightly. However, she was already ustomed to the pain¡ªbecause every night he came over, she knew he was there.
What he didn¡¯t know was that she had also been looking at him from upstairs. It was just that she couldn¡¯t go down.
The most intimate rtionship in the world was the one between a mother and her child.
Children¡¯s love for their mothers was purer than their mothers¡¯ love for their children.
Because in the world of children, their mother was the only thing that mattered.
But in their mothers¡¯ world, there would always be things to weigh and evaluate, as well as worries and reservations.
Iris¡¯s eyes reddened. She lowered her head and said, "Justin, I will give you another chance. You now have children and a wife. If I tell you those reasons, your days in the future may not be peaceful anymore. But if I don¡¯t... there are only so many days I have left in my life. Isn¡¯t it good the way we are now?"
That was how Iris had always seen the situation.
Wasn¡¯t it good for them to stay the way they currently were, where mother and son didn¡¯t meet, and each kept to themselves peacefully?
When Justin heard her mention that he now had a wife and children, he looked at Nora.
Nora held his hand tightly, the look in her eyes firm and determined.
Justin could sense her encouragement towards him. He nodded to Iris and said, "We have made our decision."
Iris¡¯ jaw tensed up.
After a while, she finally sighed and said, "Alright, in that case, then let¡¯s take a gamble. If Nora really can save that pot of Ghost Orchids, then I will tell you two the truth!"
Orchidiance¡¯s way of curing orchids was actually very miraculous. Additionally, because they were giving medical treatment to orchids, the dosage was even harder to control.
Not every alternative medicine practitioner could do that.
Even Orchidiance would probably find it rather difficult, let alone Nora.
It would be nothing short of a miracle if Nora could cure the Ghost Orchids.
Iris didn¡¯t want to lead such a dull life either. She didn¡¯t want to pretend to be all calm and unaffected here. She could harden her heart towards Justin because he had already grown up, but she also wanted to have fun with Cherry.
Thinking of this, she looked at Nora with light in her eyes.
This was the mentality of a gambler.
When Justin saw her reaction, he knew that Iris had already relented somewhat. To be honest, if he gave her another push at this point, she would tell him the truth.
But he didn¡¯t want to use such schemes against his mother.
Thus, he looked at Nora.
Nora felt great pressure from both of them looking over. The corners of her lips spasmed and she looked at Iris. She said, "Iris, you can start thinking about how to word the story."
She took out a piece of paper and handed it to Iris. "This is the prescription."
Chapter 712: It’s Cured?
Chapter 712: It¡¯s Cured?
On the way here, Nora had already looked at the photos and the description of the symptoms that Iris had forwarded to her and silentlyputed the form.
The prescription contained very low drug dosages, so they shouldn¡¯t pose any danger to the flowers.
Nora had always been very confident in her knowledge of her specializations. After all, when she was in California, no one woulde to her for medical consultations. In order to improve her medical skills, she had instead treated the flora and fauna at home!
That was why she was so knowledgeable about orchids.
Of course, this was really difficult to achieve.
Because flowers were undoubtedly different from humans. If it weren¡¯t because Nora had experimented with flowers and nts for so long, she probably would not have mastered such fine control of drug dosages.
Iris was a little dumbfounded when she saw the piece of paper she was offering to her.
She immediately took a photo of the prescription and sent it to Matthew.
It was only after she sent it that she raised her head and said, "Nora, you wrote that prescription so quickly."
She had settled on a prescription without even speaking with Matthew.
Nora slowly replied, "I have treated that disease in other flowers before, so I kinda understand it."
Iris: "..."
As the corners of her lips spasmed, she received a call from Matthew. He said, "Mdm. Iris, this prescription that you sent me...?"
Iris nced at Nora and said, "My daughter-inw came up with it. You can give it a go! I can at least guarantee that nothing will go wrong with it."
Matthew sighed. "It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust you, it¡¯s just that... you gave it to me a little toote!"
Iris was taken aback. "What?"
Matthew said, "Lauren has just borrowed that pot of Ghost Orchids from me, saying that while she cures them for me, she would also like to hold an orchid exhibition so that the people who like orchids in New York could admire them."
What Matthew didn¡¯t say was that Lauren hadn¡¯t just approached him, but also people from various wealthy and aristocratic families in New York. After all, precious and expensive flowers like orchids weren¡¯t things that ordinary people could afford.
Lauren had assembled a group of people with the euphemistic excuse of letting everyone visit an exhibition featuring famous flower species. This way, everyone could learn something new and widen their horizons. Therefore, people shouldn¡¯t hide and keep all the good things to themselves...
The meaning between the lines was that Iris was too petty.
Matthew didn¡¯t want to sow discord between them, so he had left that part out.
Iris frowned. "She has cured your Ghost Orchids?"
"Pretty much." Matthew sighed. "Actually, when I called you, I¡¯d already used the prescription she gave me. I didn¡¯t expect the Ghost Orchids to really be much more alive just half an hourter."
Iris sighed silently.
She hadn¡¯t expected things to develop this way! What an unfortunate turn of events!
She said quietly, "Congrattions."
"What is there to congratte me about?" Matthew smiled wryly and said, "She will be holding an exhibition tomorrow. Even if it¡¯s just for the sake of my flowers, I¡¯ll have to attend. Not only do I have to contribute my flowers, but I also have to contribute my presence. That woman is just so... Mdm. Iris, orchid lovers like us are usually people at peace with the world. We just take care of the orchids for our own joy, but look at her, isn¡¯t what she¡¯s doing no different from forcing me to..."
Iris didn¡¯t like talking about people behind their backs, let alone when it was about Lauren. Thus, she said, "It¡¯s for the best that the flowers are cured."
"Yeah."
Matthew then said, "Your daughter-inw is very talented, though! Her prescription is only one herb off from Lauren¡¯s! Using alternative medicine to cure orchids is Orchidiance¡¯s specialty. Many alternative medicine practitioners also wanted to give it a try. As a result, so many orchids have died from their attempts over the past few years. Lauren is the only one who has finally mastered the technique after studying it for a long time..."
At this point, Matthew sighed heavily. Unable to stop himself anymore, he said, "Mdm. Iris, you have to be careful. Lauren is bent on beating you in orchids this time. I heard that after she caught wind of the fact that you like orchids, she has been imitating Orchidiance¡¯s methods in treating orchids for thest five years. Who knows how many orchids she has destroyed before she finally became as experienced as she is today..."
Matthew, who sounded like he found the orchids somewhat a pity, added, "Who knows how many precious orchid varieties she has destroyed just to vent her frustrations, sigh!"
Matthew looked down on Lauren¡¯s actions very much.
They were taking care of orchids because they truly loved orchids, but Lauren was just using the orchids as a springboard to edge out Iris.
It was just a pity that no matter how much one was into their hobby, they would still have to bow down in the face of reality.
Iris didn¡¯t pay any attention to those things. However, she still found it somewhat a pity.
She had already lost the gamble before it even started.
She looked at Nora and said quietly, "Alright, I¡¯m hanging up!"
Unfortunately, the next moment, Nora grabbed the phone.
Nora stared at the phone and asked, "Which other herb did she add to the prescription?"
Matthew seemed surprised by her voice. In the end, he named a herb.
The corners of Nora¡¯s lips curled into a smile. After Iris hung up the phone, she said, "Let¡¯s go to the orchid exhibition tomorrow."
Chapter 713: Reconciling With Yourself
Chapter 713: Reconciling With Yourself
As soon as Nora said that, Mrs. Landis, who was next to her, said, "But we don¡¯t have an invitation!"
Nora and Iris looked at each other. The two spoke at the same time, "We will have one very soon."
Mrs. Landis: "?"
A puzzled Mrs. Landis looked at Justin. "Are you going to ask Mr. Hunt to ask for two tickets?"
"No, it¡¯s fine."
As soon as Iris said that, someone knocked at the door. Then, the mailman appeared and said, "Mdm. Iris, mail for you."
Iris and Nora looked at each other again.
A look of realization shed across Nora¡¯s eyes, and she said to Mrs. Landis, "See, isn¡¯t that the invitation?"
Mrs. Landis: "?"
Mrs. Landis took the mail from the mailman. When she opened it, she found that it was indeed an invitation for the orchid exhibition. She was astounded. "Ms. Smith, Ma¡¯am, aren¡¯t the two of you too amazing?"
Iris scoffed. "By holding the orchid exhibition right after she returned to New York, she¡¯s clearlying right at me. Since she wants to p me in the face, how could she possibly not invite me?"
Mrs. Landis couldn¡¯t help but smack her own forehead. "Look at me, because I¡¯ve been living here all this time and haven¡¯te into contact with people much, I¡¯ve even forgotten about such basic household infighting!"
Both Nora and Iris were amused by Mrs. Landis¡¯s use of the words "household infighting".
Iris patted her and asked, "Where did you learn all these words from?"
Mrs. Landis replied with a smile, "Oh, you know how I watch all those TV dramas when I have nothing to do! I learned it from them!"
Iris suddenly gave her a fierce look and said, "Mrs. Landis, how dare you ck off while I wasn¡¯t paying attention! You sneaky treacherous woman! I¡¯m going to deduct your pay!"
Mrs. Landis pretended to be scared. "Ma¡¯am, other people work only nine to six, whereas I wait on you twenty-four hours a day! Aren¡¯t you even going to allow me to watch a bit of TV for entertainment?"
Iris smiled. "Your sry is for twenty-four hours of work each day! You should already be thankful that I¡¯m letting you sleep!"
Mrs. Landis protested, "You capitalist!"
"In that case, I¡¯ll pay you for sixteen hours instead?"
"... Ma¡¯am, if you exploit your staff any further, I might secretly add poison into your favorite food."
The two of them bickered and started to joke with each other.
There was finally a smile on Iris¡¯s face that was calm and serene all year round.
Mrs. Landis looked at her, very d and relieved.
The two of them were just joking around, of course. Iris had given Mrs. Landis much more than her sry all these years. Both of Mrs. Landis¡¯ children were already married, and they both had their own properties in New York and were living lives of luxury. This was all thanks to Iris.
After twenty years of herpany, Mrs. Landis was more like family to Iris now.
Justin stood at the side and watched them bicker and joke with each other.
To be honest, for so many years, his mother¡¯s appearance had long be vague and blurry in his mind¡ªbecause every time he came over, all he would see was Iris¡¯s frosty face.
The woman¡¯s lively appearance faintly reminded him of how she had hugged, kissed him, and teased him when he was a child.
At that time, she had alsoughed and talked happily like what she was currently doing.
Originally, because he hadn¡¯t had much contact with Iris for more than two decades, Justin had felt some estrangement towards his mother. However, that sense of estrangement had lessened considerably at this instant.
It was as though the mother in his memories, who loved to talk,ugh, y, and joke around, had returned. For him, the word "mother" was no longer just an identity but had once again be vivid and animated.
The feeling made the corners of his lips curl upward imperceptibly. He cast his eyes down and hid theplex emotions in his eyes.
Mrs. Landis was a huge mischief-maker. She had also wanted Iris and Justin to reconcile for very long. Seeing that the atmosphere today was great, she said, "Mr. Hunt, you really loved the ravioli I made when you were a child. Why don¡¯t you stay for dinner tonight?"
Justin subconsciously looked at Nora.
When she saw him looking over, Nora nodded and said, "Alright."
Mrs. Landis became excited at once. She rolled up her sleeves and walked into the kitchen as she said, "Since you guys are staying for dinner tonight, I will have to show off my culinary skills! Ma¡¯am eats too little, so she doesn¡¯t give me a chance to show off my skills at all."
"..."
After Mrs. Landis entered the kitchen, the atmosphere among the trio standing outside immediately became a little awkward.
Iris looked at Nora and then at Justin. Atst, she said, "I¡¯ll go and give Mrs. Landis a hand. Given her age, she¡¯ll be too slow!"
After speaking, she also went into the kitchen.
Nora and Justin were the only ones left outside. The two of them looked around the greenhouse. Justin pointed at the orchids and said, "I heard that people who raise orchids have high moral character. Now it seems like that¡¯s not always the case."
He was referring to Lauren.
Nora, however,ughed and said, "I don¡¯t know about others, but I know why my god-sister likes taking care of orchids."
Nora deliberately emphasized the words "god-sister".
Justin: "??"
He raised his eyebrows, knowing that Nora was being cheeky and asking to be taught a lesson again.
As soon as the thought formed, he looked at Nora¡¯s lips, wishing he could take a few nips to vent his "anger".
As for Nora, she said, "Do you want to know why? If you do, then call me God-aunt Nora. I¡¯ll tell you if you do."
Tsk.
She was starting to take advantage of him now.
Justin stroked his chin and suddenly leaned forward. He lowered his voice and asked, "Ms. Smith, are you sure you want to be my god-aunt?"
Nora: "?"
She decided not to tease him anymore, lest it backfired on herself. She coughed and said, "Iris... I mean, Aunt Iris and I already knew each other before she even knew who I was. She told me at that time that she was raising all these flowers because her son had given her a pot of orchids once."
Justin was stunned.
He looked at the orchids, his jaw tensing up.
He remembered now. When he was ten years old, he had indeed given her a pot of orchids on her birthday. The woman had epted his gift. At the same time, she had also told him that she had only epted the gift because she liked orchids.
Since then, the floodgates opened and she started to buy a lot of orchids.
Justin had always thought that it was because she liked orchids. But as it turned out, it was just an excuse for her to ept her son¡¯s gift.
He turned to look at Iris in the kitchen.
Mrs. Landis had prepared some ingredients, and she was picking and choosing from among them. However, everything that she picked out just so happened to be his favorite...
Justin lowered his head.
In truth, his mother had never really left him all these years, and he¡¯d always had his mother¡¯s love with him by his side, right?
In this instant, he suddenly reconciled with his mother¡ªor rather, with the part of himself that had been ufortable because his mother hadn¡¯t taken care of him.
He also suddenly became open-minded and let go of some things in this instant.
He let out a silent sigh. Right at this moment, his cell phone rang.
When he answered, Herman¡¯s voice came from the other side.
"Justin, didn¡¯t you want to know why your mother has been avoiding you? I will tell you now."
Chapter 714: A Call From Hell
Chapter 714: A Call From Hell
Upon hearing his voice, Justin narrowed his eyes. He wanted to say he didn¡¯t need it¡ªhe wanted to hear it from Iris instead¡ªbut he suddenly paused.
Iris would never tell him about her grievances. He would only be able to hear about her grievances from others.
For example, Iris would probably never tell him why she liked orchids because she had never been a woman who knew how to express her feelings.
Justin thought about it and said, "Okay, speak."
In a vi in the outskirts of New York.
Herman and Lauren sat on the sofa.
Lauren was looking at Herman, who said, "You probably only know that I cheated on your mother with Lauren back then, so all this time, you must have thought that all the problems with our marriage lie with me, right?"
Herman¡¯s words gave voice to the mentality that most women held¡ªthat every man who cheated was a scumbag.
Justin lowered his eyes, but he sneered, "You are wrong."
Herman was taken aback.
Justin said, "You are not a good husband, and at the same time, you are not a good father either."
Many people thought that once a man cheated, he would no longer be a good father.
But that wasn¡¯t necessarily true.
Some men might cheat on their wives a lot, but they wouldn¡¯t hold back on their love for their children. Perhaps the cheating itself might affect the children, but even so, they would still try to make up for itter.
Besides, some married couples were indeed not suitable to stay together. Even if they had children, those who needed to divorce would still divorce each other. However, the divorce did not affect their love for their children.
But this wasn¡¯t true in Herman¡¯s case.
Not only had he cheated and hurt Iris, but he had also left Justin to fend for himself afterward. It was as if he¡¯d never had a son like him.
He hadn¡¯t just let Iris down, but also Justin.
Herman was stunned for a while. Then, he tried to exin himself. "Justin, it¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t care about you, or that I did not love you..."
"At your age, you shouldn¡¯t keep going on and on about things like love and romance."
Justin dissed him mercilessly again.
Herman: "..."
Justin said concisely, "Just tell me the reason."
"..."
Herman spent a while organizing his thoughts. Finally, he sighed and said, "Justin, I know I¡¯ve neglected you, but you have to understand. I did all that because your mother cheated on me first! I am a man, how could I let someone cuckold me? That¡¯s why I went to Lauren! Don¡¯t be fooled by how Iris looks as if she¡¯s at peace with the world! She is not as indifferent to fame and fortune as she makes herself out to be!"
Iris had cheated on Herman?
Stunned, Justin suddenly looked at the woman in the kitchen.
Herman took a deep breath. "She had found another man outside. I couldn¡¯t condone her behavior, so I filed for a divorce. When your grandpa wanted to keep you in the family, I couldn¡¯t just let her sit back and enjoy the rewards of her sess, and even hog my family¡¯s business on top of that. Besides, all she could think of was that man, so I made a request¡ªthat she would leave you alone. You were still young at that time, and I was afraid that she would usurp your power and be the real master of the Hunts. Justin, I schemed and did all this for your own good!"
Justin frowned.
Herman¡¯s argument might sound seamless andpletely logical at first hearing but in truth?
If what he said was true, why did Iris spend all these years in agony in the suburban vi instead of going to her adulterous lover and keeping himpany?
He sneered, "Do you think I will believe that?"
Herman also panicked. "I have evidence!"
Justin asked, "What evidence?"
He was already biased towards Iris at the moment and was highly disapproving of Herman¡¯s statement. If that was really the reason, then Iris¡¯s decision to ignore him would really be too absurd.
While he was feeling ufortable about the whole thing, Herman said, "Those orchids! Those orchids are the evidence! She didn¡¯t like orchids at all in the past. You should remember that there were barely any orchids at home when you were young, but look at how she started to take care of so many orchids after she moved to the suburbs! It¡¯s exactly because her lover loves orchids! Ha, because I trapped her in New York, she couldn¡¯t meet her lover anymore, so she could only pour all her yearning and pining into the orchids instead!"
Justin: !!
What smooth logic!
If Nora hadn¡¯t told him just now why Iris was keeping so many orchids, he¡¯d probably really have be suspicious.
But now...
Justin scoffed. "Is that so?"
Herman said, "Yes, everything I said is true. Justin, Dad has actually been very worried about you and has done a lot for you, so don¡¯t be so distant towards me. I know I have never shown you any fatherly love, but I can give that to you in the future..."
"I don¡¯t need it."
Justin straight-up rejected him. "Is there anything else?"
Herman said, "I want to visit your grandmother tomorrow, she¡¯s my mother after all. Tell the people at home to let me in!"
Justin scoffed. "Nice try. You can forget about ever entering the Hunt Manor for the rest of your life."
He wanted to hang up after saying that, but Herman shouted, "Justin, Justin! You can¡¯t do that to me! I did all that for you! You refuse to let me in, yet you allow Iris to enter! Tell me, did Iris bewitch you? Has she been badmouthing me all these years? No matter what, I am still your father... toot... toot... toot..."
Justin hung up on him.
Herman had called him just to sow discord between him and his mother, so as to make his way into the Hunts little by little.
¡ª
In the vi.
Herman stared at his mobile phone with a frown after Justin hung up on him. He couldn¡¯t help but curse, "That brat! Why is he so stubborn?!"
Lauren looked at him: "Is the reason you said just now true?"
Herman scoffed and said, "Half of it is, I suppose."
Lauren rolled her eyes at once. "Aren¡¯t you afraid that Iris will tell him the truth? It will be even more difficult for you to repair your rtionship with him then!"
Herman said confidently, "She won¡¯t."
Lauren was taken aback.
A self-mocking Herman said, "Because if she does, it would bring great trouble to her son. That¡¯s why she will never say it."
¡ª
It was only after Iris and Mrs. Landis made a total of six dishes that the three of them finally sat down.
Iris wanted Mrs. Landis to eat with them, but thetter took her food and went into the kitchen instead of eating at the same table with them.
After the three of them sat down, Justin stared at Iris. Suddenly, her cell phone rang.
She was taken aback for a moment, seemingly never expecting anyone to call her.
But when she looked down at the phone, it turned out to be an unfamiliar number...
Iris¡¯s hand started shaking and she rejected the call immediately.
However, the other party persisted and kept calling.
Iris became obviously nervous. She stared hard at the phone, as though the caller hailed from the depths of hell itself.
Chapter 715: Nora Is Orchidiance!
Chapter 715: Nora Is Orchidiance!
Iris was very nervous. Despite her trying to make herself appear calm and collected, her tightly-clenched fingers, as well as her dted pupils, had exposed her emotions.
Justin¡¯s gazended on the unfamiliar number and he said, "Your phone is ringing."
"Huh? Oh, it¡¯s probably just a sales call."
Iris said as she rejected the call again. Then, as if she was afraid that they would call again, she switched off her cell phone. She even tried to gloss over the topic and said with a smile, "They are so annoying. There are simply so many such sales calls these days. It wasn¡¯t easy for us to have a meal together."
Seeing her like this, Justin merely nodded.
Nora and Justin exchanged a look, neither of them exposing her lie.
Afterwards, even though Iris tried her best to pretend she was very excited and happy about the meal, the two of them could still tell that she was a little distracted.
After all, Nora and Justin were more insightful than most ordinary people and had astounding observation skills.
After the meal, the two bade goodbye to Iris.
Before leaving, Nora looked at Iris again and asked tentatively, "See you at the orchid exhibition tomorrow?"
Iris seemed a little hesitant. It must have been because of those phone calls.
However, she only stayed quiet for a second before she raised her head. "Yeah."
Her voice was firm.
This showed that she would not be changing her mind again.
She was really taking a gamble. If Nora managed to cure the pot of Ghost Orchids, then she would tell them the truth. If she failed, then she would take the truth with her to the grave, and never cause the children any trouble.
Seeing her like this, Nora and Justin looked at each other again and left.
Nora and Justin were in the same car. Justin was driving. After they turned the corner ahead, he stopped the car.
By then, Nora had already set her cell phone number as an unknown caller. Then, she keyed in the string of numbers that had been disyed on Iris¡¯s cell phone just now.
She had a photographic memory, so she had memorized the phone number with just a single nce.
Nora then handed her cell phone to Justin.
Justin dialed the number without hesitation.
The other party quickly picked up. A man¡¯s voice came through the phone: "Hello?"
A prompt and decisive Justin asked, "Who are you?"
The other party was silent for a while. Then, he let out a low chuckle and hung up without saying anything else.
Justin: !!
Inexplicably, what Herman had said about Iris cheating on him shed past his mind.
He frowned.
Nora also frowned. "He kept the call time within fifteen seconds, I can¡¯t trace his location."
Justin took a deep breath. "Don¡¯t bother anymore."
Nora looked at him.
Justin said, "I won¡¯t ask anymore. I¡¯ll wait for her to tell me everything herself."
He didn¡¯t want to investigate anymore.
He had suddenly realized something¡ªbecause there were always people trying to sabotage his investigations, it would inevitably lead to unnecessary misunderstandings.
Nora knew what he was thinking. She gave him a thumbs-up right away and said, "Yup, that¡¯s the way. You¡¯re family, so you shouldn¡¯t harbor suspicions about each other. Besides, from what I saw just now, Iris... I mean, your mother didn¡¯t change her mind just because of that call."
Justin nodded.
Iris wasn¡¯t a weakling or a pushover.
She had taught Justin to be strong and aggressive since he was a child. This was also why Justin hadn¡¯t believed Herman¡¯s nonsense.
How could Iris possibly be someone who easily epted fate?
If she really had a lover, then she would definitely have tried to think of ways to spend the rest of her life with him instead of wasting her youth away here.
¡ª
The next day.
Nora drove to the suburban vi early in the morning.
Iris had dressed up for the asion and was wearing an elegant and beautiful white fitted dress. She got into the car after she left the house.
The woman didn¡¯t look at all like she was nearly fifty years old. After dressing up, she was dazzling and graceful. Her figure was curvy, and coupled with her fair skin, it was only when one looked closely that one would see any wrinkles on her face. With the way she looked as she stood there, some people might believe it if one said that she was only twenty years old.
Nora raised her eyebrows and formed a heart with her hands at Iris.
Iris got into the car, and the two headed straight to the orchid exhibition.
Lauren¡¯s orchid exhibition was held at a hotel in central New York. The orchids she borrowed from various families had all been ced on shelves.
At a nce, there were all kinds of orchids that one could ever think of.
In the most eye-catching position was Matthew¡¯s Ghost Orchid.
The Ghost Orchids were very rare, so they had upied the central position of the orchid exhibition.
After Nora and Iris got out of the car and entered the hall with the invitation, they immediately noticed the pot of Ghost Orchids.
When Iris saw the orchids, she eximed, "Lauren has really cured that pot of Ghost Orchids. They look so full of vigor."
Only then did Nora reveal something: "There is a problem with her prescription."
Iris, who was a little taken aback, looked at Nora.
Nora whispered, "Her prescription has one more ingredient than mine. That herb is too powerful. It can quickly allow orchids to look energetic and filled with vigor, but over time, even bigger problems will appear. It¡¯s just like how humans suddenly be very energetic before they pass away. Going by how much time has passed since the medicine was given to the Ghost Orchids yesterday, the Ghost Orchids will wither after another half an hour. In the first ce, there are a lot of restrictions when ites to using drugs on nts. Those who are not proficient in it really shouldn¡¯t do it."
Iris was dumbfounded. She couldn¡¯t help but say, "Orchidiance has also said that before, and told everyone not to imitate them. Aren¡¯t you also imitating Orchidiance, though?"
Nora raised her eyebrows. Suddenly, her lips curled into a smile and she replied, "Who says I¡¯m imitating Orchidiance?"
Iris: "???"
Then, as though she had realized something, she looked at Nora in astonishment.
Could it be... that Nora was none other than Orchidiance?!
Just as she was about to speak, Lauren entered the hall and said with a smile, "Iris, you¡¯re here! Did you bring any orchids with you today?"
Iris immediately reined in theplicated look she was giving Nora. She looked at Lauren and replied, "No."
"You didn¡¯t?"
Lauren was shocked. "It is written on my invitation that everyone whoes to the orchid exhibition should bring a pot of flowers, so that everyone can appreciate and admire each other¡¯s flowers."
After she spoke, Lauren sighed silently and said, "Iris, surely it¡¯s not because you can¡¯t bear to show us your flowers, right? I have heard that you have gathered a lot of rare orchids in your private collection over the years! I am holding this orchid exhibition precisely because I hope that orchid lovers can gather and share their joy with each other. In fact, an orchid exhibition like this should have been held long ago. What¡¯s the point of hiding and keeping all the good things to ourselves? Everyone here is an orchid lover, it¡¯s not like they¡¯ll spoil the flowers, right? Iris, you are being overly cautious."
Although she said that she was being too cautious, she was instead implying that Iris was too stingy and petty, just so she could highlight how generous and capable she, Lauren, was instead.
A group of people from wealthy families gradually gathered around them. Everyone looked at Iris.
Iris, however, scoffed.
Was she trying topete with her in terms of eloquence?
She wasn¡¯t someone who would take sh*t from others!
Chapter 716: Face-Slapping (1)
Chapter 716: Face-pping (1)
Lauren had organized the orchid exhibition to suppress Iris¡¯ arrogance.
Back then, even though she had seeded in changing her status from a homewrecker to the man¡¯swful wife, to be honest, she knew that there weren¡¯t many in the circle of wealthydies who approved of her. Everyone approved of Iris instead.
In that case, Lauren would outdo Iris in thetter¡¯s forte! This way, she could also show off in front of everyone else!
She said, "Iris, why are you keeping quiet? Are you upset? Well, that¡¯s true. There¡¯s no one in New York who doesn¡¯t know that you love orchids the most. By right, you should have been the one organizing the orchid exhibition instead, but because you didn¡¯t take any action, I found someone to do it instead... What a shame. I heard that you also have a pot of Ghost Orchids, so I even wanted to let everyone admire them!"
As soon as she said that, Iris looked at the people around her. She smiled and said, "The things you say are so ridiculous. Must I hold an orchid exhibition just because I like orchids? In that case, since Mrs. Lange likes diamonds, must she also hold a diamond exhibition? Since Mr. Sullivan likes antique paintings, should he open a museum then? These are just personal hobbies. On the other hand, why haven¡¯t I heard anything about you liking orchids before?"
Her few simple words had immediately suppressed Lauren.
How would the wealthy and the noble possibly take out whatever they liked and show them off to everyone? If they did that, then they wouldn¡¯t be showing off their wealth instead!
Lauren had made a mistake at a fundamental level, making her seem petty and cheap, and also making all thedies look down on her. They had only attended the exhibition because of Matthew¡¯s Ghost Orchids.
After all, Matthew¡¯s Ghost Orchids really were a rare sight.
Iris¡¯s words had suppressed Lauren¡¯s momentum, causing everyone around them tough. They echoed Iris and said, "She¡¯s right, we are not frivolous people."
Showing off one¡¯s wealth for no reason would only arouse aversion and disgust from other people.
Moreover, even though Lauren wasn¡¯t an orchid lover, she had held an orchid exhibition. Iris had pointed out her objective.
Lauren clenched her fists in anger. She¡¯d finally invited so manydies to the exhibition today after much difficulty. Originally, she¡¯d wanted to improve her position among thedies, but little did she expect Iris to be so sharp-tongued!
Lauren lowered her head and smiled. "I certainly don¡¯t have any love for orchids, but don¡¯t forget that I am an alternative medicine practitioner. It¡¯s only because Matthew asked me to cure his flowers that I decided to hold the orchid exhibition. I found his Ghost Orchids such a rare sight and wanted everyone to see it! This way, everyone can also share their experience on growing orchids with one another along the way."
Her few simple words immediately made the richdies around them not dare tough at her anymore.
Everyone at the exhibition was a true flower lover. Was there anyone among them whose flowers would never have any problems? Should something go wrong, it would be great to have someone like Lauren help.
She could even cure Matthew¡¯s Ghost Orchids. Lauren was simply too skilled at curing orchids.
Someone immediately said, "Mrs. Hunt, you are so capable. You have even cured such a delicate flower that¡¯s so difficult to treat! It¡¯s amazing! By the way, my flowers have also met with a small problem. I wonder if I can ask you for some advice?"
Lauren smiled gently and replied, "Sure. In the first ce, this orchid exhibition isn¡¯t meant for showing off; rather, it¡¯s to facilitatemunication!"
With a few simple sentences, she had saved the scene again.
Some of the others walked over to Iris and said, "Mdm. Iris,e to think of it, that woman is actually quite capable. Her methods of curing the flowers¡¯ illnesses are very simr to Orchidiance¡¯s. Everyone¡¯s privately specting that Lauren may be Orchidiance! Sometimes, for the sake of the orchids, we should bow down to others!"
"Yeah, she actually cured Matthew¡¯s Ghost Orchids. She¡¯s really very impressive."
Matthew¡¯s Ghost Orchids had been withering day by day for about half a month. He had been tp many orchid masters to cure it, but it had barely seen any effect.
News of it had already spread in New York.
Through his Ghost Orchids, Lauren had made a name for herself.
At the mention of Orchidiance, Iris subconsciously nced at Nora. Then, she scoffed and said, "She¡¯s no Orchidiance. Compared with Orchidiance, she is far inferior!"
The contempt in her words made thedies look at one another. In the end, none of them dared to say anything. They could only smile awkwardly.
Lauren also heard her. At once, she narrowed her eyes and said, "Mdm. Iris, now that¡¯s rather meaningless. Matthew had certainly wanted to approach Orchidiance, but the problem is that Orchidiance is so mysterious. No one knows who she is, let alone where to find her. I heard that she¡¯s not even in the country, so it¡¯s impossible for anyone to find her. I admit that my treatment methods are indeed imitating Orchidiance¡¯s, but am I wrong to diagnose and cure Matthew¡¯s Ghost Orchids for him?"
Chapter 717: Face-Slapping (2)
Chapter 717: Face-pping (2)
The ce was silent.
No one there dared to offend Iris¡ªafter all, she was Justin¡¯s mother. Although they weren¡¯t on good terms with each other, it was said that Justin would still specially visit the suburban vi every month.
Besides, no matter how bad their rtionship was, Justin would never sit by and watch other people bully his mother.
Therefore, no one defended Lauren. However, Lauren could cure orchids¡¯ illnesses. Everyone there was an orchid lover, so none of them dared to offend Lauren either.
For a while, no one said anything.
Iris¡¯ lip corners, however, curled into a smile. Although she hadn¡¯t asked Nora just now if she was really Orchidiance, it had given her confidence.
She looked at Lauren and said, "What¡¯s the big deal about being able to cure orchids? My daughter-inw can also do it!"
She looked at Nora with a proud look on her face.
When Lauren heard this, she looked at Nora.
A momentter...
"Pft."
She let out a softugh.
After sheughed, Lauren said, "Sorry, I really couldn¡¯t help it. Mdm. Iris, what you said is really funny. I know Ms. Smith is the great Dr. Zabe¡¯s disciple, and I also know that she is Anti the famous surgeon, but neither of those titles is rted to orchids. Mdm. Iris, surely you don¡¯t think that every alternative medicine practitioner can cure orchids, right? Flowers are different from humans!"
Iris also smiled when she heard her. "Of course I know that. It¡¯s just that my daughter-inw happens to have studied orchids a little before. In fact, she is..."
Before she could say "Orchidiance", Lauren interrupted her. "Is that so? Then why don¡¯t youe over and have a look at Matthew¡¯s Ghost Orchids, Ms. Smith? You should know that pot of Ghost Orchid¡¯s prior condition, right? Can you cure it?"
Nora nced at it and said calmly, "Yes."
As soon as Lauren wanted to reply, Iris took out a piece of paper. "This is the prescription that my daughter-inw wrote for that pot of Ghost Orchids. You can take a look at it!"
"Does Ms. Smith really know how to cure orchids?"
"If you think about it, there¡¯s a chance that she does. Ms. Smith is the best alternative medicine practitioner after all!"
"..."
Once Lauren lost the advantage of being able to cure orchids¡¯ illnesses, the people around them immediately dared to speak up for Iris.
When Lauren heard them, she immediately took the prescription from Iris. After she nced at it, she said, "Iris, Matthew must have told you about this prescription, right? This is exactly the same as mine! It¡¯s just a pity that even if you¡¯ve made a copy, you left out one ingredient!"
"She didn¡¯t leave it out." Nora said unhurriedly, "It¡¯s because the prescription doesn¡¯t need that ingredient. Orchids are delicate flowers. The ingredient you added will hurt it."
"It¡¯ll hurt it? No way." Lauren said confidently, "That ingredient is supposed to revive a nt¡¯s shine and glow, so how could it possibly be harmful? What¡¯s more, that pot of Ghost Orchids is being disyed so vividly and vibrantly in front of everyone right now. Everyone can see for themselves the flowers¡¯ current condition. In just a day, it has regained its vitality. Ms. Smith, you are being too dogmatic!"
Nora looked at the pot of flowers. "Affliction of diseases makes one copse like a mountain, and the treatment of diseased areas is akin to trying to extract strands of silk from one another. The usage of such strong medication will only keep the orchid alive for a while but make it wilt even faster. As an alternative medicine practitioner, surely you don¡¯t need me to teach you something like that, right?"
Lauren: "?"
Her understatement-like way of talking made Lauren angry. She said, "Ms. Smith, I know that you are Justin¡¯s wife. There¡¯s nothing wrong with protecting and defending your mother-inw, but even so, you can¡¯t just speak so carelessly like that. This ingredient is certainly a little strong, but I¡¯ve already tested it on other orchids before. There won¡¯t be any problems in the future! Facts speak louder than words. I know that you are an alternative medicine practitioner, but alternative medicine requires many years of practice to umte experience. From what I see, you don¡¯t give medical consultations very often, so you¡¯re probably not very experienced when ites to the practical aspect, right? Besides, humans are different from flowers. I have treated a lot of flowers and gone through a lot before I gained experience. What about you?"
When Nora heard this, she said calmly, "Then let¡¯s make a bet."
"What do you want to bet on?" Lauren asked.
Nora looked at the pot of Ghost Orchids and answered, "That problems will definitely ur with this pot of flowers within an hour."
Lauren scoffed. "Ms. Smith, stop joking. How can that be? I¡¯ve already cured that pot of flowers! How can anything go wrong with it when it¡¯s so filled with vitality? But since you¡¯ve said so, then okay, I ept the bet, Ms. Smith. If nothing goes wrong with the flowers, then I hope Mr. Hunt can allow Herman and I to return to the Hunt Manor and stay there."
Nora¡¯s lips curled into a smile. "Okay. If something goes wrong with the flowers, then I want you to apologize for wrecking someone else¡¯s marriage back then!"
Chapter 718: Face-Slapping (3)
Chapter 718: Face-pping (3)
Lauren¡¯s pupils shrank.
The biggest humiliation of her life was when she involved herself with Herman¡¯s marriage and became the third party persecuted by everyone. Whenever people talked about her these days, they always called her the homewrecker who had sessfully be thewful wife.
Yet Nora had brought it up in public in front of everyone. It was simply infuriating.
There was anger all over Lauren¡¯s face. She demanded, "What¡¯s the meaning of this, Ms. Smith?"
"You don¡¯t dare to make the bet with me?"
Nora raised her brows.
Pushed into a corner, the angry and anxious Lauren could only say, "Fine."
She clenched her fists tightly.
In order to return to the Hunt Manor, as well as to return to the pinnacle of status in New York, she was really holding nothing back. When she thought about it carefully, though, nothing could go wrong with that pot of flowers anyway. Nora was at aplete disadvantage when she made the bet with her.
To be honest, the moment Nora said that the ingredient was too strong, Lauren had already felt a little guilty. She¡¯d actually had some takeaways from her time studying medicine abroad over the years.
However, she strongly believed that even if something were to really go wrong, it would only happen at ater stage.
It was impossible for that to happen within an hour.
She was sure to win the bet.
When she thought about it this way, Lauren didn¡¯t feel so unhappy anymore¡ªbecause the bet was clearly to Nora¡¯s disadvantage.
After the two parties made the bet, Lauren summoned some people and instructed, "Keep a close watch on this pot of Ghost Orchids. If anything goes wrong, you must notify me immediately!"
No matter how rare the Ghost Orchids were, they were nothing more than a pot of flowers for Lauren. What she cared about was not the flowers but winning the bet.
She spoke very loudly, everyone heard her. Lauren exined with a smile, "We¡¯ve already made the bet, after all. I¡¯m just afraid someone would deliberately spoil the flowers within the hour because they are sore losers. It would be terrible if people refuse to pay up when that happens."
Iris, however, ignored her. Instead, she pulled Nora to the side, lowered her voice, and asked, "Tell me the truth, are you Orchidiance?"
Nora¡¯s lips curled into a smile and she nodded.
Iris: "..."
She stared at Nora with a dazed look on her face. "Orchidiance is the only person capable of curing Matthew¡¯s flowers, why didn¡¯t I think of that? No, it¡¯s because you are too young. I didn¡¯t expect Orchidiance to be so young, I always thought that she would be as old as me, or perhaps even older."
Nora looked at her.
After speaking, Iris¡¯s immediate thought was not that she now had someone to treat the flowers in her greenhouse, if anything ever happened to them.
On the contrary, she heaved a huge sigh.
She said, "I originally thought that there are only so few people in this world who can cure Matthew¡¯s Ghost Orchids because those flowers are really very difficult to treat. When you said that you can cure them, I thought that you were just taking a gamble. But I didn¡¯t expect that what was just a one in ten thousand probability for me, would instead be a 100% sure-win probability for you."
Nora replied, "Therefore, you have to tell your story now."
Iris was taken aback for a moment. In the end, she waved and said, "Ah well, never mind, this is all meant to be!"
She had also thought things through herself. By taking a gambler¡¯s mentality with this, she was also just trying to give herself a ray of hope in the future.
She didn¡¯t want to age and die in that suburban vi and be separated from Justin for the rest of her life, either.
All of this had been predestined a long time ago, that was all.
She said, "I hope the two of you won¡¯t hate me after you hear my story."
Back then, she had shielded Justin from everything. Now that her son had grown up, it was ultimately time that he paid his debt.
Iris sighed.
Nora patted her shoulder. "We¡¯re not afraid."
When one was young, their mother was an almighty figure that shielded them from everything.
Now that they had grown up, they were willing to be that almighty figure for their mother.
The two chatted for nearly an hour. When the hour passed after they made the bet, Lauren nced at the orchid. When she saw that it was still blooming beautifully, she heaved a sigh of relief at once.
She then went up to Iris and Nora. "Ms. Smith, you¡¯ve lost."
Nora looked at her. "There are still two minutes to an hour."
Lauren smiled and said, "There are only two minutes left, but that pot of flowers is now blooming even more beautifully than before. There is no risk of it wilting at all, so you two are losing for sure."
"That¡¯s not necessarily true."
Nora stood up and looked down at the time on her cell phone.
Lauren curled her lips disdainfully and said, "Ms. Smith, to be honest, we are all family. How can there by any grudges among family? Why do we have to draw such a clear line between us? Why don¡¯t we just forget about the bet? Lest it reflects poorly on us. I¡¯m not someone who would hold grudges against my young ones either. The old madam is getting on in years, though. Herman has always wanted to be filial to his mother and be by her side, so let¡¯s not have the Hunts stop him anymore..."
As soon as she said that, a security guard rushed over in a panic and said, "Mrs. Hunt, this is terrible!"
Lauren was taken aback. She turned around and saw that the security guard was actually the one whom she had instructed to keep a close watch over the Ghost Orchids just now!
Chapter 719: Face-Slapping (4)
Chapter 719: Face-pping (4)
Lauren frowned. "What are you doing? This is outrageous, why are you in such a panic?!"
The next moment, the security guard said, "The Ghost Orchids are dead!"
Lauren was stunned. She frowned and said, "That¡¯s impossible!"
The security guard pointed to where the Ghost Orchids were and swallowed hard. "I-it¡¯s true!"
Lauren strode towards the Ghost Orchids.
Iris and Nora looked at each other. They smiled at each other and followed after her.
As soon as she walked over, she saw that the pot of Ghost Orchids, which had originally been beautiful and charming, had wilted. As though itcked water, the flowers were slowly drooping.
Additionally, it was also visibly withering.
Lauren stared at the Ghost Orchids in shock. At this time, Nora looked down and nced at the time. She said, "59 minutes and 20 seconds. Mdm. Lauren, you¡¯ve lost."
Calling her Mdm. Lauren and not Mrs. Hunt, this was no different from pping Lauren in the face.
Lauren couldn¡¯t be bothered to care about something like her name at the moment, though. She stared at the Ghost Orchids and muttered to herself, "That¡¯s impossible... Absolutely impossible... I have tried that prescription on so many orchids before, and nothing like this has ever happened!"
Those orchids had all survived. Even the one in the poorest condition had survived for half a month.
More and more people were gathering around them.
Seeing that everyone hade over, Lauren felt even more embarrassed. Suddenly, she turned to Iris. "What did you do to the orchids?"
Iris: "?"
She raised her eyebrows, a smile forming on her lips. "That¡¯s really interesting. From the moment we made the bet, we have been sitting in the corner. There are so many people here who can testify to that! Besides, isn¡¯t the security guard keeping watch over the flowers someone you had found? Are you saying that your security guard didn¡¯t keep a good watch on the flowers?"
The security guard panicked when he heard her. He hurriedly defended himself and said, "Yes, I did. I was staring at this pot of flowers the whole time. How would I dare to leave its side when it¡¯s worth more than a million dors? I didn¡¯t even dare to blink the whole time, for fear that something would go wrong. I can guarantee that everyone had stayed far, far away from the flowers and did note close at all during this period of time."
Everyone at the flower exhibition was from wealthy families, and all of them were very smart and shrewd. Lauren had already made it clear that she was using the pot of flowers to fight with Iris. No one would be blind enough to go forward and mess with the flowers.
Lauren panicked. "Why would something go wrong with the flowers when no one went near it? It must be because you didn¡¯t watch over it properly!"
The security guard panicked even further. He pointed to the surveince camera at the side and said, "There is surveince camera footage as proof!"
Atst, Lauren couldn¡¯t find anything else to me it on, so she could only look at the orchid again.
At this point, Nora said, "I told you, that ingredient you added can indeed speed up the Ghost Orchids¡¯ recovery, but it¡¯s just like how a person would suddenly be in very good spirits before their death. You have made the Ghost Orchids spend all of its future vitality in just one day, so it withered faster than before!"
Lauren shouted, "But my prescription has been verified to be useful! All the other orchids were fine!"
Nora said coldly, "It¡¯s not that they are fine, it¡¯s just that nothing has happened to them yet! Ghost Orchids are more delicate than other orchid breeds, and there are only a few pitiful varieties of them. Different orchids are like different people, so the dosages they are given would definitely have to be different. All the orchids you used the prescription on should have withered within half a month to a month¡¯s time."
Before returning to America, Lauren had already known that Matthew was looking everywhere for someone to treat his pot of Ghost Orchids. Thus, when she was still abroad, she had already figured out the prescription and tested it on numerous pots of orchids.
She had only returned after she verified the prescription.
But little did she think that her ns would actually fail because of the Ghost Orchids?
While she was thinking, her cell phone rang. When she answered, her domestic helper from abroad said, "Ma¡¯am, two of the orchids that you cured have withered in the greenhouse!"
"..."
Those words were just like a p in her face, making Lauren finally realize that there was indeed a problem with her prescription.
At this point, Matthew had also heard themotion. With the help of someone, he walked over unsteadily.
Matthew was already here a long time ago. He wanted to watch over his Ghost Orchids, but because he was already so old, after he came and put the pot of Ghost Orchids down, he had gone to the VIP lounge upstairs immediately.
When he saw the Ghost Orchids¡¯ condition, he panicked at once. He looked straight at Lauren and demanded, "What¡¯s going on? You¡¯d best give me an exnation for this!"
Lauren swallowed and clenched her fists. She could only grit her teeth and deny it. She said, "Matthew, your flowers were incurable from the start. My prescription had at least allowed it to recover for a day. Besides, when you passed me the flowers, I was already just making a Hail Mary effort. I also feel very guilty that they didn¡¯t recover, but there is really no other way around it."
She sighed quietly and added, "I¡¯m sure you have also already exhausted all the solutions you could think of during thest few months, that¡¯s why you could only give Orchidiance¡¯s method a try in the end. I have also really tried my best, Matthew. You won¡¯t me me for it, right?"
Lauren was slinging usations when she was the viin herself. However, her words indeed shut Matthew up.
He had indeed tried all sorts of ways to cure the Ghost Orchids, but they had all failed. In the end, he could only try treating them with Orchidiance¡¯s method.
But how many people really knew how to do that?
When he chose to give Lauren¡¯s method a try, he had been taking a gamble.
In all honesty, though, if Lauren hadn¡¯t looked so confident at the time, how could he have allowed her to try treating his orchids so easily?
Come to think of it, although Lauren had been very confident that she could cure the flowers, the things she said had been very watertight. It was true that she had never promised that she could cure the orchids.
When he thought of this, Matthew was so angry that his chest felt all tight as though he couldn¡¯t breathe. He looked at the pot of Ghost Orchids in distress and said, "Why can¡¯t it be cured? Why can¡¯t it be cured?!"
Lauren tried to counsel him. "Matthew, I¡¯m afraid that there¡¯s really no cure for that pot of flowers anymore. Even if Orchidiance were here, she probably wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything, either."
Would Orchidiance also be unable to do anything about it if she were here?
Lauren sighed. "I have already thoroughly mastered Orchidiance¡¯s method, so I am sure that I was indeed using Orchidiance¡¯s method to treat the flowers. I¡¯m really sorry for your loss!"
Matthew hung his head in frustration.
At this time, Nora suddenly said, "It¡¯s notpletely impossible to treat it."
Her one-liner made everyone present raise their heads and look at her.
Matthew also looked up hopefully. Nora stepped forward and stared at the pot of Ghost Orchids. "I do have a solution here."
Matthew asked excitedly, "What kind of solution is it?"
Nora was about to speak when Lauren said, "Ms. Smith, I¡¯d advise you to be careful when you speak. I told you just now, people good at alternative medicine may not necessarily be able to cure flowers. After all, there is still a very huge difference between flowers and humans. Not everyone can imitate the essence of Orchidiance¡¯s skill!"
The moment she said that, Nora¡¯s lips curled into a smile and she slowly said, "You are right, it is certainly true that not everyone can imitate the essence of my skill."
Chapter 720: I’m Here To Listen To The Story
Chapter 720: I¡¯m Here To Listen To The Story
"..."
The ce suddenly fell silent.
Someone beside them, who didn¡¯t understand what Nora meant, kindly exined, "Ms. Smith, Mrs. Hunt is saying that no one can imitate the essence of Orchidiance¡¯s skill, not yours..."
She paused abruptly at this point. Only then did she finally realize something and she eximed, "Y-you are Orchidiance?"
Nora nced at her and said nothing.
Iris lifted her chin and looked at her proudly. "That¡¯s right, my daughter-inw is Orchidiance."
In an instant, it raised a huge furor in the entire exhibition. Everyone looked at Nora in astoundment. "Not only is she Dr. Zabe¡¯s disciple, but also Anti the surgeon. I¡¯m actually not surprised at all to hear that she¡¯s also Orchidiance... Ms. Smith¡¯s medical skills are truly amazing!"
"Oh my god, as it turns out, Orchidiance has always been right by our side. Isn¡¯t she supposed to be staying abroad?"
"I heard that Ms. Smith only came back from overseas a few months ago..."
"Yes, now that you mention it, all the facts line up."
"..."
Amid everyone¡¯s spections, Lauren bit her lip tightly. She still couldn¡¯t believe it, but she also knew that there was no need for someone like Nora to impersonate someone else.
After all, even if she was not Orchidiance, she was already popr enough in New York.
Nevertheless, she felt that she couldn¡¯t admit defeat just like that, so she said, "Ms. Smith, since you are Orchidiance, then you should have known that the prescription given to the orchid was wrong from the moment you entered the exhibition. Why didn¡¯t you bring it up and save the orchid then? Instead, you had to wait until it started withering to show off your medical skills? How much do you think the Ghost Orchids have suffered as a result?"
Nora: "?"
Iris sneered and stepped right in front of Nora. She said sharply, "Lauren, you¡¯re being unreasonable. Didn¡¯t my daughter-inw already say so just now? What can we do when you refuse to admit that your prescription is wrong? Besides, my daughter-inw has said that the flowers can still be saved!"
Lauren bit her lip. "But I didn¡¯t know that Ms. Smith is Orchidiance. If I had known, I definitely would have agreed to it. I get it now, the two of you just wanted to use that to make a bet with me... so that I would admit my mistake. But why bother doing something like that? Wouldn¡¯t you ruin Matthew¡¯s Ghost Orchids by doing that? Iris, if you hate me, then you can juste at me. You are also an orchid lover, how can you treat a pot of Ghost Orchids like this?"
"..."
Her facious and heretic arguments surprisingly sounded like they made sense at first.
If Nora had revealed her identity the moment she entered the hall, would they have stopped her from treating the orchids? Did she have to wait until the orchids became like this to highlight her abilities?
They were clearly using that pot of orchids to p Lauren in the face, and also to make the bet with her!
Everyone looked at Iris and Nora.
Even Matthew, who clearly knew that he couldn¡¯t me the two of them¡ªafter all, he still had to rely on Orchidiance for help if he wanted to save the Ghost Orchids¡ªcouldn¡¯t help but feel ufortable about the situation.
He didn¡¯t like Lauren, because not only did she use the Ghost Orchids to threaten him into selling the Jade Orchids to her, but she even forced him to put his pot of Ghost Orchids on disy in the exhibition.
He¡¯d initially thought that Iris was different from her, but he didn¡¯t expect her to actually turn out to be the same type of person in the end.
Matthew sighed. Even the way he looked at Iris had changed a little. An orchid lover beside him couldn¡¯t help but say, "Mrs. Hunt... Everyone here is a flower lover, is there a need to do something like that? "
"Yeah, how can you make that pot of Ghost Orchids suffer such cmity just to vent your anger on someone? Even if it¡¯s cured, it probably won¡¯t be able to return to its former glory, right?"
"Lauren is not an orchid lover anyway, and was just using them to show off. We all despise her in our hearts, but Mdm. Iris, you are not supposed to be someone like that!"
"..."
Everyone was reproaching her softly, and their voices were so low that one couldn¡¯t tell who was the one speaking. After all, no one dared to openly offend Iris.
There was, however, a straightforward person who stepped forward. She pointed at Iris and sighed. "Mdm. Iris, you have always been a fairy-like person all these years, and your love for orchids is also a role model among our peers. All these years, how many potted flowers have you saved from the hands of people who have no love for flowers? Why have you lowered yourself so much that you would fight with someone like her?! And for the sake of fighting, you even used a pot of Ghost Orchids to vent your anger! Sigh!"
"..."
Lauren¡¯s countenance alternated between being pale and being sullen as she listened to the remarks.
She¡¯d originally thought that everyone would see her in a different light after she came to the orchid exhibition, but little did she expect that they had never thought highly of her before!
They must have been polite to her only because they were afraid that if they offended her, they wouldn¡¯t have anyone to ask for help when their orchids fell sick, right?
So, now that they knew that Nora was Orchidiance, and knew that her medical skills were not as good as hers, they were starting to voice their real thoughts?
When Lauren saw everyone attacking Iris, she secretly felt very happy.
What kind of person was Iris?
One must know that Iris had been a beauty who was equally famous as Yvette in New York back then.
Yvette owed part of her fame to her looks and the other part to her talent. After all, her amazing talent and brilliance had indeed shocked and astounded many.
But Iris was different.
When one spoke of her, everyone would only marvel at and admire her for her beauty and her ethereal character. She was just like a celestial maiden. Anyone who had seen her wouldn¡¯t be able to describe her negatively.
She was lively and cheerful.
Her voice was as beautiful and pleasant as a bird¡¯s.
Her nimble movements made her look even more like a celestial maiden from the heavens.
Therefore, when Herman and Iris divorced, out of everyone in New York, half of the men had insulted Herman and called him blind while the other half was secretly happy that their goddess was single once more.
In addition, Iris wasn¡¯t fond of disputes. Unlike Yvette, who had made enemies everywhere and be the women¡¯s imaginary enemy, she had a good personality. Moreover, she was simply so beautiful and on top of that, her beauty was not the aggressive kind. Even women were amazed by her beauty. No one would be jealous of her beauty; instead, they would only want to defend and protect her beauty.
But hadn¡¯t she brought Iris down from her exalted position all the same?
In order to fight Iris, she had ended up being criticized by others. When she thought of it that way, Lauren felt a sense of aplishment again.
She could work with this, too!
At the very least, not everyone would be biased towards Iris anymore whenever the two of them were mentioned.
While she was thinking about it, Nora said, "You¡¯ve misunderstood Aunt Iris."
She took a step forward and spoke to Matthew. She said, "When I told Aunt Iris yesterday that there was a problem with the prescription, she had wanted to contact you right away. I was the one who stopped her."
Lauren said, "Ms. Smith, there¡¯s no need for you to shoulder all the responsibility just to protect Mdm. Iris¡¯ reputation."
Nora looked at her. "I¡¯m not trying to shoulder anything. It¡¯s because it has to be done that way."
Lauren was taken aback.
The people around them also all looked at her.
Nora lowered her head and said dispassionately, "Matthew said yesterday that the prescription had already been used on the Ghost Orchids, so it was already toote to stop him at that time. Therefore, it was necessary that we wait for the medicine to take effect before further treatment can be carried out. Otherwise, if I use any more medicine on it, the Ghost Orchids won¡¯t be able to handle it, and will end up dying."
Everyone was taken aback.
Nora looked at Lauren. "Therefore, there is no need for you to nder Aunt Iris here. It is only on Aunt Iris¡¯ ount that I¡¯m even here to treat that pot of Ghost Orchids."
With that, everyone looked at Iris.
Iris stood where she was, her back straight.
In spite of how she was nearly fifty years old, one couldn¡¯t see any signs of age on her at all. She was slim and graceful, as though she had always been that youthful celestial maiden from back then all this time.
Matthew was very ashamed of himself. He hung his head at once and said, "To think I¡¯ve misunderstood you, Mdm. Iris. I am so despicable! All these years, you are the only one who has shown true love for orchids!"
The others also apologized.
Iris was a distant and unemotional person, and she didn¡¯t feel much for rtionships in the first ce. She usually didn¡¯t interact much with them, either, so she merely said dispassionately, "It¡¯s fine."
In any case, she wouldn¡¯t be taking it to heart at all.
At this point, Nora, who didn¡¯t care about what the others were saying, had taken out a bottle that she had prepared in advance and handed it to Matthew. She said, "This is the medicine that Aunt Iris brewedst night using my prescription. Rub the leaves gently with the solution and water it with 0.1 ounces a day. The flowers will recover in half a month."
A very grateful-looking Matthew took the solution from her with both hands.
At this time, someone looked at Nora and said, "Orchidiance... Ms. Smith, there is a small problem with my orchid. Can you..."
Nora cut the other party off. "Sorry, but if you want a medical consultation with me, then you¡¯ll have to follow my rules."
The man was taken aback.
Nora said, "I only ept two patients a month. You can contact my assistant to get an appointment and queue up."
Everyone: "??"
Everyone knew that it was hard to book a medical consultation with Nora. The dates were already full for as long as five to six years in the future. Humans could still afford to wait, but how could flowers afford that?
When they were about to speak, Nora looked at Iris and said, "Alternatively, I visit Aunt Iris on the 15th of every month to check on her flowers for her. You can try then."
Everyone looked at Iris again as if they had found a savior.
Iris: "..."
Nora waspletely pushing her out as a shield.
However, Iris also understood that Nora had blown her own cover in order to intimidate Lauren for her. Additionally, she was also probably making them visit her in order to alleviate her loneliness.
At this moment, Nora looked at Lauren, who was about to walk aside, and stopped her. "Mdm. Lauren, have you forgotten our bet?"
Lauren paused and turned around.
Nora pointed to Iris. "Please apologize for wrecking someone else¡¯s family back then!"
Lauren: "!!!"
She bit her lip hard and looked at Iris, her expression extremely awful. But in front of so many people, she had to take responsibility for her actions.
Thus, she took a deep breath and bowed to Iris. She said, "Iris, Herman and I couldn¡¯t help ourselves from falling in love back then and ended up betraying you. We are truly in love with each other, and we also know very well that we have let you down; that was why Herman had left the family without taking a single cent. If you feel that we still owe you something, then I solemnly apologize: I¡¯m sorry!"
By putting a hidden message in her words and mentioning that Herman had left the family without taking any money from them, she wanted to tell everyone that she and Herman had already paid the price for their actions.
Still, no matter what, she had admitted to wrecking someone else¡¯s family!
As a result, she had thoroughly embarrassed herself in front of everyone.
She clenched her fists and took a deep breath. Then, she forced a small smile and said, "Alright, it¡¯s okay even if you resent me or dislike me, but since I¡¯ve gathered everyone here, then why don¡¯t you guys enjoy and admire the orchids? I suddenly remembered that I have something to do, so I will leave first. You can direct all matters about the orchid exhibition today to the manager."
After saying that, Lauren turned and left.
Nora narrowed her eyes as she looked at her from the back.
Lauren¡¯s final move had been very graceful, and she also spoke elegantly. Her words really didn¡¯t seem like something a vicious side character pretending to be a pure and innocent woman would say.
For her to be able to snatch Herman away from the top beauty Iris back then, it seemed that she did indeed have a trick or two up her sleeve.
She lowered her eyes.
For some reason, she couldn¡¯t help but feel that Herman and Lauren¡¯s sudden return to America was a little fishy.
¡ª
Nora strolled around the orchid exhibition with Iris. The people there were simply too enthusiastic towards the two of them. Unable to bear it, they found an excuse and slipped away.
On the way back to the vi after leaving the orchid exhibition, Iris looked at Nora again and again. However, she didn¡¯t say anything at all. After thinking about it, she refrained from making conversation.
Soon, the two returned to the suburban vi.
As soon as they entered the gates, Iris spotted Justin¡¯s ck Maybach parked outside the door. She took a deep breath and entered the house.
Justin stood up. As he stood there and looked at her, Iris asked, "Did you know that Nora is Orchidiance?"
Justin shook his head.
He didn¡¯t know who Orchidiance was¡ªafter all, he wasn¡¯t knowledgeable about orchids.
However...
The corners of Justin¡¯s lips curled into a smile and he said, "I believe in Nora¡¯s capabilities, so I waited here to listen to your story.
Chapter 721: The Truth
Chapter 721: The Truth
Iris looked at Nora and then at Justin.
Nora had only said that she would attend the orchid exhibition, she hadn¡¯t revealed anything else to Justin at all. Even when they were on the way to the orchid exhibition, she had only said that she could save the Ghost Orchids. She hadn¡¯t revealed that she was Orchidiance.
Therefore, Iris had always been skeptical about whether Nora could cure the Ghost Orchids or not.
But Justin had trusted her very much.
Was that how it felt to be mutually trusting towards each other?
When she thought about it carefully, she actually didn¡¯t have a single person she could trust in her life, which was rather sad.
If she really had to think of one, then perhaps she had only trusted that one person...
Thinking of this, Iris cast her eyes down. She pointed to the greenhouse next to them and said, "Let¡¯s talk inside."
Because she wanted to like orchids, she had ended up really bing fond of them. When she was gardening and taking care of the flowers, she was able to truly abandon all distractions and concentrate on work.
Therefore, Iris had really fallen in love very much with orchids over the years.
Her heart calmed and became peaceful after she entered the greenhouse.
She sat there quietly and picked up the teapot that Mrs. Landis had prepared at the side. Then, she poured three cups of tea and put them on either side of the coffee table.
Sunlight streamed brazenly into the ss conservatory, making the ce look warm and toasty in the cold weather.
The white coffee table and seats added a bit of rustic elegance to the ce, making one feel as if they could really be at peace with the world just by sitting in there.
Iris¡¯ gaze fell onto the orchids next to them, but she didn¡¯t speak, seemingly in a struggle over how to start.
At this time, Justin asked, "Is it rted to the kidnapping back then?"
Iris was taken aback. She looked at him.
Justin said indifferently, "When I was five, a woman I didn¡¯t know suddenly showed up at home and told me to call her Mom, but I refused. After that, I was kidnapped."
Justin cast his eyes down. "Later, I met a man. He got into a tussle with the kidnappers, so I took the opportunity to escape and returned home ording to the route I remembered. I¡¯ve always thought that I managed to escape because I was smart and seized the right opportunity, but now that I think about it, why did that person so coincidentally enter a confrontation with the kidnappers at that time? You were the one who sent him, right?"
Iris pursed her lips tightly before she finally nodded. "You can say that."
Justin continued with his analysis. "After they kidnapped me, they wanted neither money nor manpower. It was clear that they wanted to kill the hostage. On top of that, they also wanted me to die a distance away from home. At that time, the Hunts were already one of thergest families in New York, yet even they couldn¡¯t find me. In that case, who did you seek help from?"
Iris bit her lip.
Justin stared at her, light flickering in his deep-set eyes. "Or should I say, who did you beg for help? That person you begged for help is the one who imprisoned you here in this small vi, and also forbade you from being with me, right?"
Iris eximed, "How did you know that? Do you already know who he is?"
"I don¡¯t."
Justin said dispassionately, "Ever since I realized that you have reasons for doing what you did, all these years, I have been wondering what on earth those reasons are. At first, I thought that you had made some kind of agreement with Herman, but after he came back, I realized that that wasn¡¯t the case at all. You have never feared him, so how could you possibly make such a ridiculous agreement with him? Besides, you have always been afraid of giving me trouble all these years, so you always rejected the Evanses every time they approached you for anything. Therefore, it is impossible for you to harbor thoughts of usurping the Hunts¡¯ assets. Grandma also doesn¡¯t seem to be on guard against you. After thinking about it, that is the only possibility left."
Iris¡¯ eyes reddened.
Since Justin had started the topic, she picked up from there. She said, "My marriage to your father is a political marriage between wealthy families. The one he liked was actually Yvette Anderson. I know all of that, so I¡¯ve never med him for cheating¡ªbecause I have never loved him either. However, he went too far. I¡¯d already given them my blessings and left the family, yet they neglected you and caused you to be kidnapped! Everything rted to the kidnapping has already been erased by now. I suspect that it¡¯s Lauren¡¯s handiwork and that she had colluded with that group of kidnappers, but I don¡¯t have any proof. That time, after I came back from my trip overseas and discovered that you were gone, I begged the Hunts and the Smiths for help. At that time, Nora¡¯s father was still the head of the Smiths. Mr. Smith helped me to search for your whereabouts, but unfortunately, there was no news of you at all. By then, it had already been more than twelve hours since your disappearance. If I still couldn¡¯t find you, there was a very high chance that they would kill you. So, I had no other choice. I could only approach him..."
Iris clenched her fists tightly at the mention.
Her eyes were full of hate towards Lauren.
Justin suddenly asked, "Who... is he?"
Iris sighed and shook her head. "To be honest, I don¡¯t know either."
Justin and Nora exchanged a look and both frowned.
However, neither of them raised any questions because the look in Iris¡¯ eyes had started to be distant, and she was already starting to go down memoryne. She said, "I met him in college. He was my first boyfriend."
Her simple few words stunned the two of them.
He was her first love? Then why didn¡¯t she know who he was?
While they were thinking about it, Iris said, "When we were still studying, he was a poor boy named Philip Coleman."
At this point, Iris looked at Justin. It was inevitable that she would feel a little embarrassed mentioning her first love in front of her son and daughter-inw.
She lowered her head. "I met him at a dance party. He fell in love with me at first sight. After that, he tried to woo me for a very long time. Among all the rich youngsters, he was very unremarkable, but for some reason, he was the only one who caught my eye. After we graduated, my family wanted me to get engaged with Herman for the political marriage."
Iris¡¯ voice was a little serious and burdened when she mentioned that. After a while, she finally heaved a huge sigh and said, "It¡¯s actually a very cheesy story. My family was driving me into a corner. Mom was seriously ill, but Dad refused to pay for her high medical expenses unless I agreed to the marriage. I had no other choice at that time, so I broke up with him."
At this point, Iris looked at Justin and gave him a wry smile. "He had been pretending to be a poor boy in school because he was worried that people would be attracted to his money, whereas I happened to be in need of it."
The two of them had let each other slip by perfectly.
Iris sighed. "Both he and I were rtively self-restrained people, so the breakup went smoothly. After that, your father and I got married. Everything was fine until one day, your father said that a foreign businessman hade to America and was holding a party. He wanted me to attend it with him..."
She hadn¡¯t expected to meet Philip again at the party. Philip was the foreign investor at the party.
Everyone was trying to please him because they had heard that he was from a foreign wealthy family.
Even though the Hunts and the Smiths had already reached the pinnacle in America, there was another family in another country that loved doing business very much. They had been merchants for generations and had amassed a lot of wealth over the years.
People like them had always been low-key in their behavior. Even when he was out, he used a pseudonym. Philip Coleman was not his name; it was just the pseudonym he used in America.
She had never known his true identity.
At the party, Philip found an excuse to corner her.
Iris knew that Herman was someone who hated being embarrassed, so she said, "My husband doesn¡¯t know about my first love. Please don¡¯t tell him about it."
At that time, Iris¡¯ belly was already showing slightly.
She had given all her love to the baby in her womb.
At that time, the way Philip looked at her had changed. He let out a sarcasticugh and said, "I have never been acquainted with Ms. Evans before. Nice to meet you."
When he said that, Iris had felt like someone had suddenly gripped her heart tightly.
What she¡¯d thought was a peaceful breakup was still capable of piercing her heart two yearster.
She put on a graceful smile and nodded at Philip.
But after she turned around, she was unable to maintain the smile on her face.
However, Philip would appear in her life again. Philip became good friends with Herman and visited them at home. Herman had pointed to Iris¡¯ belly and said to Philip, "Philip, he¡¯ll be your god-son in the future!"
At that time, Philip had looked at Iris pointedly and remarked, "I¡¯m so envious of you for having such a good wife, Herman."
Herman asked, "Aren¡¯t you married yet, Philip?"
Philip shook his head and immediately said, "I have someone in my heart I can¡¯t forget, no other woman can capture my eye."
When he said this, the look in his eyes as he stared at Iris had been persistent and terrifying.
Herman, however, was still unaware of what was happening. He said, "Oh? Then why didn¡¯t you marry her?"
Philip lowered his head. "I had concealed my identity at the time, so she thought I was poor and went to someone of higher social status instead."
Herman cursed the woman for being materialistic and shameless.
Iris flushed as red as a tomato as she listened to them from the side.
Philip, however, said, "It is instinctive to pursue a better life, so I don¡¯t hate her. In fact, if she is ever in trouble in the future, I would still be willing to help her."
Herman had immediately given him a thumbs-up. "You sure are magnanimous, Philip!"
Philip then said, "My family also has a lot of secret properties in America, it¡¯s just that most people don¡¯t know that. If you ever run into trouble in America, I can also be of assistance."
Herman hadn¡¯t thought much about it at the time and had thought that those words were directed at him. At once, he started chatting andughing happily with Philip.
However, Philip¡¯s attitude suddenly became cold and he left.
Since then, he had never stepped into America again. It was onlyter that Herman finally understood why Philip had fallen out with him back then.
After he left, Iris had let out a long sigh of relief.
She admitted that her decision had betrayed Philip back then, but Philip had also hidden his family background from her. Wasn¡¯t that also a form of deception towards her?
Their rtionship had ended without any real reason. They were ultimately just not meant to be.
When Justin was five years old, Philip had called her.
He was still using the same phone number he had used when they were in college. Iris answered the call. At that time, she had already found out about Herman¡¯s cheating, so she was in a bad mood.
Philip had only asked her a question on the phone: "Do you regret what you did?"
Did she regret what she had done?
asionally, in the dead of night, Iris would think of Philip. If she had been a little more firm and resolute back then, and if she had lived as unrestrainedly and happily as Yvette had, then would her life have been better?
But every time the thought formed, she would look at Justin.
Although she didn¡¯t love Herman, Justin was the greatest gift that God had given her.
She loved her son more than anything in the world.
"Mom, buy me harder Lego sets next time. These are too easy."
Her son with a super high IQ made a request with a frown.
Iris immediately smiled and said into the phone, "I have no regrets."
She hung up the phone.
Afterward, when Mrs. Hunt made her choose between tolerating Herman or doing something else, she had decided to be selfish for once. Perhaps her rebellious streak from college times hade toote, but she decided to file for divorce.
She dragged her suitcase behind her and left the house.
After that, Herman had brought Lauren home. After she came back from her trip and learned that Justin had been kidnapped and was missing, she had felt like dying.
Even with the Hunts and the Smiths¡¯ power, they couldn¡¯t find Justin. At that time, she had panicked.
Her five-year-old son, no matter how high his IQ, was still just a child.
If the other party was determined to kill the hostage, then he would probably have already be a corpse by then!
She didn¡¯t dare to wait any longer. In her panic, she inexplicably thought of what Philip had once said: "... My family also has a lot of secret properties in America, it¡¯s just that most people don¡¯t know that. If you ever run into trouble in America, I can also be of assistance."
She dialed Philip¡¯s phone number with trembling fingers.
The man seemed very hesitant, only picking up the call after it rang for a very long time. The man smiled and said, "Do you need something? It¡¯s my wedding today. The groom can¡¯t be absent, you know."
Iris didn¡¯t have the leisure to care about such things. Besides, so many years had already gone by, her feelings for him as her first love had already faded a long time ago. She immediately asked, "Can you save my son?!"
Philip was startled. "What happened?"
Iris recounted the story. Atst, she asked: "Aren¡¯t you very powerful in America? Can you find him?"
"Yes, I can." Philip was very confident. "But why should I help you?"
Why should he help her?
Iris had been stunned then. Indeed, why should he?
While she was in a daze, Philip said, "I¡¯ll give you two choices."
"What?"
"The first one: Fly over to my wedding now. I am still missing a bride."
Iris thought that he must be out of his mind. She said, "My son is missing! Philip, I am not in the mood to joke around with you."
"I¡¯m not joking." Philip chuckled and said, "Why should I help you for no reason?"
Iris bit her lip. Atst, she took a deep breath and said, "I can¡¯t agree to your request. I will never leave my son¡¯s side ever again."
Because she had gone overseas for a holiday, Justin had gone missing.
Her son needed his mother after all. She must not leave him.
Moreover, her rtionship with Philip was just puppy love during college. Compared with reality, she cared more about Justin.
She started to cry. Her voice was choked with sobs as she said, "Philip, please, I¡¯m begging you."
"..."
The other end of the call was silent for a long time. In the end, Philip sneered and said, "I can find him for you, but you have to promise me something."
"Tell me what it is!"
Philip enunciated every word carefully and said, "You can watch over your son, but I forbid you from ever getting close to him for the rest of your life. You can only look at him from a distance."
"Iris, this is your punishment for betraying me back then."
"... Okay, I promise you that!"
Later, Iris and Herman got divorced, Herman was kicked out of the house, and Justin became the new leader of the n with his grandfather grooming him ever since.
As for Iris, she could only hide in the vi.
She could still remember thest few words that Philip had said to her. His voice was very cold and missing any trace of emotion. He said, "Since you have agreed to my condition, then you must keep your word. Otherwise, you know what I¡¯m capable of, I will spare no costs to kill your son. I can save your son¡¯s life, but I can also easily crush him like an ant."
"..."
Even now, Iris still didn¡¯t know who Philip really was.
Mysterious families like his kept their identities very well-hidden. She couldn¡¯t make any contact with them at all.
All she knew was that if she stayed away from Justin all her life and maintained a distant attitude toward him, then she would be able to guarantee his safety.
Therefore, that was exactly what she had been doing all these years.
...
...
The story was over.
There was no bloodshed nor intense love and hate. It was so in and nd. In fact, when Iris mentioned Philip, she no longer felt any love for him but only fear and thoughts of her agreement with him.
Iris looked at Justin. "The world¡¯s top families can control the world economy and are very terrifying existences. I have distanced myself from you all this time because I¡¯m afraid they would destroy you and the Hunts the moment they decide to take action. To be honest, my life here all these years by myself has been veryfortable. Aging and dying alone can also be considered a kind of happiness.
"Justin, you wanted to know the truth and I¡¯ve already said it, but I don¡¯t want you to pursue it any further. Back then, I was the one who had let him down. After that, I even asked him to find you for me. He gave you your life, so let¡¯s just leave it at that."
Seemingly because she hade clean about everything that had happened back then, Iris breathed a sigh of relief.
She lowered her head. "You don¡¯t have to be enemies with him for my sake. After all, I am already an old woman in my autumn years."
After she said that, she slowly closed her eyes and sighed deeply.
Nora looked at her. She was actually very shocked, though she pretended to be nonchnt on the surface.
When Iris was young, she must have been very gentle and a big pushover, right?
That was why she had given in to her family¡¯s arrangements back then.
But was her mistake really so big?
Didn¡¯t Philip hold any responsibility for why they weren¡¯t together? They had already been in a rtionship for several years, so why didn¡¯t he tell her his identity and his background?
Also...
Weren¡¯t there a few too many powerful people in the world?!
The mysterious organization¡¯s forces already spanned throughout the world, and now there was another mysterious mega-corporation?
All her life, she had only been concerned with sleeping every day and also felt that it would do as long as she made enough to survive. It was only now that she suddenly realized that she was actually... so poor!
While Nora¡¯s imagination was running wild, Iris¡¯ cell phone suddenly rang again.
It was still that same unfamiliar number.
If Nora wasn¡¯t wrong, then he was likely Philip.
Chapter 722: Opponent!
Chapter 722: Opponent!
Sure enough, at the sight of the phone number, Iris¡¯ pupils shrank slightly and fear arose in her again.
She wanted to pick up the phone and switch it off, but before she could touch it, a big well-defined hand took the phone.
Iris¡¯ head whipped up abruptly and she looked at Justin incredulously.
Justin looked at her firmly. His voice was calm and steady, and he seemed capable of protecting Iris from everything in the world. He said, "Let me."
Iris shook her head.
She was very scared.
Although the Hunts were powerful, they were really no match for globally powerful families that had hundreds¡ªeven a thousand¡ªof years of history.
She swallowed. "Justin, forget it."
Justin could understand her fear and panic. His mother was worried that she would affect the Hunts because of her own affairs, but she didn¡¯t know that he had another identity that was powerful enough to make him fearless.
It was just that due to certain reasons, he couldn¡¯t reveal that identity of his.
He lowered his head and said, "Mom, don¡¯t be scared."
After saying that, he picked up the cell phone, got up, and answered the call. A deep and pleasant male voice traveled over through the phone: "Iris, you have broken our agreement."
Nora stood beside Iris.
She held Iris¡¯ shoulders and looked fixedly at Justin.
Justin said into the phone, "From now on, I will be the one to fulfill that agreement."
The original agreement was that Iris would age and die alone in the suburban vi as punishment. If she couldn¡¯t restrain herself and got close to her son, then Philip would take action against the Hunts and Justin.
When Justin said that he would fulfill the agreement, the man immediately understood what he meant.
Philip sneered, "Heh, that weak little boy from back then has grown up and be independent, hasn¡¯t he? In that case, I¡¯ll teach you how to behave."
As soon as he said that, Iris panicked. She rushed forward and shouted, "Philip,e right at me if you want! Don¡¯t do anything to the child, you..."
But before she could finish, Philip snapped, "Iris, that¡¯s enough!"
Iris was taken aback.
Philip smiled and said, "Aren¡¯t you just saying that because you¡¯re very sure that I won¡¯t do anything to you? Now that the kid has grown up, you can¡¯t me me for being nasty anymore!"
He hung up right after saying that.
Iris: "..."
The disconnected tone from the phone resounded in the depths of her heart like the bangs of a drum, making her feel terribly flustered.
She swallowed and looked up at Justin, feeling like she had be the sinner of the Hunts.
The most mysterious megacorp was about to take action against her son.
Iris grabbed Justin¡¯s arm. She wanted to say that she would go and apologize to the other party, but when the words reached the tip of her tongue, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to say them¡ªbecause if she did, then it would be no different from her throwing her own pride onto the ground and trampling on it.
Iris took a deep breath.
Just as she was filled with worry and trepidation, she saw Justin walk around her and look at Nora. He asked, "Nora, are you scared?"
Nora raised her brows.
The Hunts had offended the most mysterious megacorp in the world, which sounded pretty exciting. Also, if Justin really lost everything, then wouldn¡¯t Pete¡¯s status as the next head of the family be useless?
But...
She broke into a grin and raised her eyes slightly. "It¡¯s okay, if you go bankrupt, I¡¯ll support you..."
After saying that, she spotted Iris, so the rest of her words did a U-turn in her mouth and she added, "... guys."
Justin: "?"
He¡¯d originally intended to tell her not to be scared, but he hadn¡¯t expected Nora to say something like that. Suddenly, it made him really feel like going bankrupt for fun.
It seemed like it wasn¡¯t that bad an idea to have a sugar mommy and be kept as a lover?
Ahem.
Iris looked at the two of them, suddenly finding herself speechless.
This must be love.
If she had trusted Philip back then, things would not havee to where they were. Now that she thought about it, so what even if she had to fight to the death with her family back then?
At most, she would have just started all over from scratch.
The woman, who was nearly fifty, was moved by the love between Nora and Justin. This inspired the greatest fighting spirit in her.
She said, "Okay, if we go bankrupt, then... we¡¯ll let Nora support us!"
Justin: "?"
The corners of his lips spasmed. Those who didn¡¯t know better would have thought that Iris was saying that she would support them after he went bankrupt!
He couldn¡¯t reveal his identity, but when he saw that the two women seemed so full of fighting spirit, he got out of his internal struggle. He smiled and said, "Don¡¯t worry, even though I would very much like to sponge off a woman, I¡¯ll refrain from trying that."
He spoke solemnly. "With me around, the Hunts will not go bankrupt."
Her son¡¯s firm and confident words made Iris¡¯ flustered heart calm down.
To be honest, before she told the truth, she¡¯d still been taking a chance.
She felt that since twenty years had gone by, perhaps Philip had already forgotten her a long time ago, or perhaps he no longer minded. But now that things had reached this point, it was useless to dwell any further on it.
When she was young, for Justin¡¯s sake, she had suffered so many grievances and wasted twenty years of her youth in this vi.
Now that her son had grown up, it was time for him to support and protect her.
After Iris came to terms with it, she got out of her internal struggle. She suggested, "How about having a meal before you leave?"
"Nah, it¡¯s fine."
Justin rejected her. Iris nodded and said, "Well, I¡¯m sure you have a lot of arrangements to make. In that case, go ahead!"
Justin exchanged a look with Nora when he heard this.
There were some things that Justin was too embarrassed to say, but Nora understood what he was thinking, so she said, "Well, he does have a lot to do, but the most important thing now is helping you to move out, Iris."
Iris was a little surprised.
She looked at Justin in disbelief, only to see him nodding at her.
Iris bit her lip. "S-surely there¡¯s no need for that? I¡¯ve already be ustomed to living here."
"Really?" Nora was a little troubled. "But both of us will be very busy in the future. I was thinking of asking you to take care of the three children at home..."
At the mention of the children, Iris hesitated.
Nora sighed again. "Pete has been with Justin since he was a baby and has mild autism. Cherry also likes her grandmother¡¯spany very much. As for Xander, the situation is even tougher. That boy was raised by Trueman Yale, so heckspanionship from his family and is very insecure. Sigh! I wonder if Xander will end up straying onto the wrong path in the future..."
Convinced, Iris gritted her teeth at once and said, "I¡¯lle with the two of you!"
Iris was someone whose actions spoke louder than words.
Now that they had agreed on it, she would no longer be afraid. She immediately called Mrs. Landis over to pack her things for her.
Justin held her shoulders, walked to the side, and said softly, "Mom, after youe back, you have to take over the home."
Iris wanted to refuse, but Justin said with a cold look in his eyes, "Grandma has issues with Nora. Now that Herman is back, she¡¯ll definitely waver again. She has be muddleheaded, I can¡¯t let her control the house anymore. Otherwise, when Nora marries me in the future, the family will definitely be a huge mess."
Justin sighed. "You don¡¯t understand Nora. The only thing she likes to do is sleep, and she hates troublesome things the most. If she finds out she¡¯ll have to face so much trouble by marrying me, there¡¯s a high chance she won¡¯t marry me anymore."
Iris: "..."
Her son was being too exaggerated.
Nora hadn¡¯t even uttered a single word of rebuttal despite the super huge trouble she had just caused. From that alone, one could see that Nora would never refuse to marry him just because of something as trivial as that.
However, her son was right in saying that she ought to take over the house. This way, when Nora marries into the family, there would be a lot less trouble handing over the family affairs.
Now that she could do something for them, Iris felt that her return was no longer entirely meaningless.
There were almost a hundred pots of orchids in the greenhouse. But with just a phone call from Justin, more than twenty bodyguards walked in one by one and started to move the flowers out.
Seeing them going in and out, Nora slipped over to Justin and remarked, "Pete said that you always bring more than twenty bodyguards with you when you go out. So, it really is true!"
Justin nodded. "Yeah, sometimes I bring more."
Ever since he was abducted at the age of five and subsequently rescued, Justin always traveled with this many people.
Nora nced at him silently with a pitying look in her eyes.
Justin thought that she was feeling sorry for him because he had been kidnapped at a young age, but in the end, Nora unexpectedly said something that totally ruined the atmosphere, "Just how scared of dying are you?!"
Justin: "???"
The night was so pleasant and the environment also so nice. There was a romantic mood in the air even till the woman had kept quiet, so howe it was ruined the moment she spoke?!
The corners of his lips spasmed.
The group eventually separated.
Nora was going to theboratory to continue her research into Xander¡¯s affairs. For her, no matter how important something was, and no matter how big the Hunts¡¯ fortune was, Xander¡¯s affairs must still be handled first.
Because it would be time for him to be injected with the V15 in another three days.
Nora had been struggling over whether or not to inject it into him.
Would he really die if he was not injected with it?
Was the gene serum really lethal, or was it more like a drug addiction where one must continuously consume it? She had to study it and find out properly before the deadline.
Besides, since Philip had said that he was going to take action against the Hunts, then it definitely was not going to be something he could aplish with a few words.
He also needed to make preparations.
It would take a few days for things to ferment. Therefore, her main task during these three days would still be to study the V15.
In the hospital.
When Nora arrived at theboratory, Lily was analyzing theponents of V15. Seeing Nora enter, Lily immediately said, "Boss, the serum¡¯sponents are indeed not analyzable. It is tooplex, I am afraid it will take a few years for us to study it thoroughly."
Nora was not surprised.
If the gene serum¡¯s form was that easy to analyze, then Trueman and the others would not have pursued her mother so persistently.
Twenty-five years had already passed, yet Trueman and the others were still putting their hopes of finding clues on her. In that case, this must surely be a herculean task.
To be honest, Nora had already expected the results, but she still couldn¡¯t bring herself to terms with it.
She nodded. "I¡¯ll take over."
Lily stepped aside and Nora sat down. She held various instruments in her hands and separated theponents of the serum, hoping to find clues from it.
Three dayster.
Nora¡¯s eyes were bloodshot and she had dark circles under her eyes.
After three consecutive days of work without any sleep, she had finally derived the V15 form, but at the same time, her heart also sank.
It was really a gene-repairing drug and not some kind of narcotic drug.
In other words, Xander must be injected with the drug, otherwise, he would really die.
She took a deep breath.
A whileter, she took out her cell phone and called Caleb, who was abroad.
As soon as the call connected, Caleb said, "Nora, I have been waiting for your call."
Nora kept quiet for a while before she asked, "Is it necessary to inject him with the V15?"
"Yes, it is." Caleb said, "If you don¡¯t, the reparation of the previously repaired genes won¡¯t be adequate, and his brain will explode which would surely kill him. I have already looked into it¡ªXander¡¯s modifications are in his brain genes. If the V15 is not injected at the stipted time, he will die."
Nora sighed. "The V15¡¯s form does not seem veryplex."
"Yes, none of the forms from V1 to V15 areplex. The mostplex one is the V16. In addition, there are a few types of gene serums. Some improve IQ while some improve physical strength. The forms for V1 to V15 are all different for each type of serum. The only thing they have inmon is that they all need the veryst V16!"
Upon hearing this, Nora¡¯s pupils shrank.
Caleb sighed. "I¡¯m dying, so I don¡¯t need the V16 anymore. However, every gically-modified person would need the V16 at the end. Therefore, you should know the importance of the V16 now, right?"
Nora nodded to express that she had understood.
No wonder her mother had said that she must not expose her abilities, lest she ended up being targeted.
It was possible that some of the most outstanding people in the world might just be gically-modified humans. Additionally, there were so many people that needed the V16 as an antidote.
She suddenly felt even greater pressure.
Such a group of people looking for her, could she really obtain the V16 for Xander?
Also...
If what her mother had left behind was really the form... If she really produced the V16, thereby removing thest restriction on sessful gic modifications, what would the world turn into?
Would someone deliberately train a group of gically modified warriors and unify the world?
Or would human beings with gically modified IQ genes develop at a high speed and deplete the earth¡¯s resources in a dozen years¡ªor perhaps even just a few years?
She dared not imagine such consequences.
But with how things currently were, she didn¡¯t have the leisure to care about such things anymore either.
Nora said, "I see."
Caleb was silent for a while. Suddenly, he said, "I didn¡¯t expect Xander to also be your son. Don¡¯t worry, I will contact you in time if I find clues regarding the V16."
Nora had been trying hard to find clues from the things that her mother had left behind, but she still couldn¡¯t find any.
It would be for the best if Caleb could inform her if he found any clues.
Nora replied, "Thanks a lot."
Caleb kept quiet for a while before he finally said, "You¡¯re wee."
After hanging up the phone, Nora called Justin.
The phone only rang once before Justin answered. He asked, "How is it?"
Nora was silent for a moment. Finally, she said, "Let¡¯s inject him with it."
When Justin heard this, he knew at once that the serum was safe and could be injected as-is. But at the same time, the injection would only extend Xander¡¯s lifespan by three months.
If they still couldn¡¯t find the V16 within three months, Xander would still die.
He said, "Okay."
Before hanging up, Nora asked, "How is Xander?"
"He was fine thest few days, but he started having a headache when he woke up today. I¡¯ve gotten the family doctor to inject him with an anesthetic, so he is now asleep." Justin exined Xander¡¯s condition, "I will inject the gene serum into him now."
"Okay, I¡¯m on my way. Observe all of Xander¡¯s reactions after the injection."
"Okay."
Nora left and drove straight to the Hunts.
The car stopped right in front of the vi. When she went upstairs, she saw that Justin had not injected the serum into Xander yet. When he saw her, he exined, "Our medical equipment is constantly observing Xander¡¯s condition, so it won¡¯t cause any dys. I wanted you to see it with your own eyes."
Nora nodded.
There would probably be physical reactions after the injection. These were all important clues and experimental data, which might y a certain role in Nora¡¯s subsequent research and development of the V16.
This was despite Nora realizing after studying the v15 that she probably would not be able to develop the V16 in just three months with her own abilities.
Her only option now was to look for clues that her mother had left her.
Xander was lying quietly on the bed. She personally injected Xander with the V15. Little by little, the liquid was injected into his body.
Xander, who had been under anesthesia, suddenly opened his eyes after the serum was injected.
His eyes were clean and clear as though he hadn¡¯t been affected at all.
He sat up in a daze. He looked at Nora and then at Justin. Then, he rubbed his head.
Justin asked nervously, "Do you feel ufortable anywhere?"
Xander shook his head, his big eyes filled with puzzlement. He replied, "I don¡¯t feel any difort. It¡¯s just that a Mathematical Olympiad problem that I was discussing with Pete yesterday has suddenly be very simple..."
"..."
This was the consequence of taking the IQ improvement gene serum.
It seemed that Xander¡¯s IQ would be the highest in the family in the future.
Nora observed all the numerical data of Xander¡¯s body. In the end, she concluded that everything about Xander¡¯s body was normal.
It was so normal that Nora even wondered if she had been fooled by Trueman.
Had she made the right decision in injecting Xander with the V15 or not?
Then, someone pushed the door open. Pete and Cherry followed behind Iris obediently, and the three came over together. When they saw Xander sitting there, all three of them released a huge pent-up breath.
The two little fellows and Iris¡¯ movements were exactly the same, which gave people a joyful feeling.
Nora and Justin looked at each other and smiled.
However, Nora¡¯s mood became increasingly heavy.
The more one understood the gene serum, the more they would realize just how amazing it was.
It was too un-human-like.
She sighed silently.
At this moment, they suddenly heard a noise from downstairs.
Justin went downstairs and saw Herman standing there. When Herman saw him, he immediately yelled, "Justin, have you be muddleheaded? How can you let Iris move back here? Do you have any idea how big a disaster she will bring to the Hunts by moving back here?!"
Herman was furious. He pointed to Iris and said, "And you, too. Never mind that you have offended an influential person, but you still have the cheek toe back here now? Will you really only stop after you¡¯ve implicated all the Hunts?! Leave the Hunt Manor at once! Otherwise, the Hunts will really be in huge trouble!"
Iris frowned.
With regard to that, she had no right to speak.
Justin stepped forward and asked, "Where¡¯s the butler? Who let him in?"
The butler was wiping his sweat in silence beside him. No matter what, Herman was still Justin¡¯s father. The bodyguards did not dare to take any real action against him when he forcibly broke in.
The butler didn¡¯t speak. It was instead Herman who shouted angrily, "Do you know that Philip Coleman has already started to take action against the Hunts? I heard that he has been doing arge-scale acquisition of the Hunt Corporation¡¯s shares, our share prices are rising madly right now. A lot of the shareholders have all decided to sell their shares. He has made up his mind to take over the Hunt Corporation!"
Justin calmly replied, "Yeah, I know."
"You do? Are you sure you do?! With the shares bing more and more expensive, we will have less and less cash flow to buy back the shares! At the same time, we will also have fewer and fewer shares in our hands. I know you have also been dispatching people to secretly buy them, but how can the Hunts¡¯ cash flowpare to theirs? They have umted generations¡¯ worth of riches! No one knows how many trillions of dors they have! Can you beat them? As far as I know, the Hunts only have a few hundred billion dors worth of cash flow!"
Herman pointed at him. Then, he lowered his voice and said, "I have also heard another piece of important news¡ªI heard that Philip is a member of the Imperial League. Do you know what the Imperial League is?
"The dozen or so people in there are in control of global economic trends! The Hunts can¡¯t beat them at all! What you are doing is no different from risking the entire Hunt Corporation! Everyone already knows about this and they are all waiting tough at the Hunts?! Your uncle¡¯s family are also waiting for you to step down!"
After saying all that, Herman went on anxiously and angrily. "You are my son, so I will definitely have to take your side. Justin, your only option now is to drive Iris out or send her to Philip. Otherwise, you won¡¯t be able to appease his anger! Our family really can¡¯t afford to mess with them! The Imperial League! They are part of the Imperial League, you know!"
Justin frowned when he heard him say the things he shouldn¡¯t be saying, and the look in his eyes turned cold.
Chapter 723: The Shocking Turn of Events
Chapter 723: The Shocking Turn of Events
Herman, who didn¡¯t know that he had already hit Justin¡¯s sore spot, was still talking about how powerful Philip was.
As he spoke, Iris gradually lowered her head.
She knew that she had destroyed the family¡¯s peace and tranquility.
Just as she was suffering through her psychological ordeal, and while Herman stood on the moral high ground and criticized her...
Justin suddenly said, "So, that¡¯s why you were willing to give your wife to someone else? And even cooperate with him to act as if your son had been kidnapped?"
His simple few words made all the sounds in the room cease abruptly!
Iris¡¯ head also whipped up and she looked at them in disbelief.
Herman¡¯s mouth was still open. He was staring at him in shock because he had been exposed, and it seemed like he¡¯d never expected Justin to say such a thing.
Iris went from being confused to being shocked. Her brows slowly drew together and she looked at Herman in disbelief. She swallowed and asked, "Justin, what do you mean?"
Herman immediately shouted, "Justin, don¡¯t you dare make false usations!"
Justin lowered his eyes. "I didn¡¯t want to thoroughly embarrass you, but since you insist on getting into the line of fire, then let¡¯s just speak frankly here!"
He looked at Herman and said, "When Philip Coleman visited the house as a guest and talked about his ex-girlfriend, you already knew that the ex-girlfriend he was talking about was Mom, right?"
Herman didn¡¯t admit it, but he suddenly didn¡¯t dare to look at Iris. "What nonsense are you talking about?"
Justin sneered, "In the following few years, the Hunts showed faint signs of being suppressed. During those few years, the Smiths also gradually gained the upper hand, and it looked like they would soon surpass us and be the number one family in New York, didn¡¯t it?"
Herman immediately said, "That¡¯s because Ian Smith is very impressive, whereas I don¡¯t have any talent for business!"
"Is that so?"
Justin cast his eyes down. "The Hunts do not have the custom of only letting the eldest son or people from the direct lineage inherit the title of the head of the family. Although you were a bit of a jerk back then, Grandpa had chosen you. He must have a reason for doing so, right? Uncle Raymond, as well as my other uncles, were eyeing your position, yet they couldn¡¯t take it from you. Why was that? Is it also because you don¡¯t have any talent for business?"
Herman choked.
Justin continued to speak with a contemptuous smile on his face. "Outsiders all say that the elderly Mr. Smith had ced all his energy and focus into thepany during those few times because of the heartbreak he¡¯d suffered, but he had been in a total daze at that time, so how could he possibly have had such great ambitions?"
Feeling that there was nothing to live for anymore, Ian had sought death at one point. He hadn¡¯t even cared about his family property anymore and had given everything to his nephew.
In fact, one could even say that before Nora¡¯s return, he hadn¡¯t even considered adopting Joel as his son. Instead, he was just giving it away.
Even if Ian had turned his sorrow into motivation after Yvette¡¯s departure, it was still impossible for him to really want to expand and develop the Smith Corporation. He would only casually work for the Smith Corporation out of sheer boredom.
But even when Ian was in a bad state of mind, the Hunts had gone from bad to worse. In addition, during that time, his grandfather had still been around and had been the person in charge of the Hunts. Herman hadn¡¯t taken over the family yet!
Herman was not at all as ipetent as what outsiders made him out to be. Otherwise, how would it have been possible for him to take Lauren with him to another country, start from zero, and achieve what he had currently aplished in just twenty years?
That¡¯s right, Herman and Lauren already had a sessful business abroad. The fact that Lauren had immediately organized such arge orchid exhibition when she¡¯d only just returned to the country was enough proof of their current economic strength.
Moreover, there was something that Justin had actually been unable to figure out all these years.
Even if Herman had done something wrong and cheated on his wife, would anyone really be like the old Mr. and Mrs. Hunt, and drive their son out of the house but keep their grandson?
All of these were choices that the Hunts had been forced to make back then!
When the elderly Mr. Hunt and Herman felt like they hade to their wits¡¯ end regarding thepany, they immediately understood what had happened. Thus, Herman had promptly and decisively cheated on Iris, in order to make her give up hope on him.
They¡¯d originally thought that Philip would let them off once they sacrificed Iris, but they were wrong.
At that time, the only thing Iris had cared about was her son. When she went traveling, she¡¯d actually run into Philip. However, she had no ns to rekindle her rtionship with him.
This caused Philip to be even crueler, and he found someone to kidnap Justin!
One could say that the Hunts had abstained from taking action at that time, despite their ability to do so. The Hunts were so powerful in New York, how would they possibly be unable to find the child when he was first discovered missing?
It wasn¡¯t that they couldn¡¯t find him; rather, they hadn¡¯t searched for him at all!
By the time Iris returned and found that he was been abducted, too much time had already passed. By then, even if she sought help from the Smiths, the kidnappers would have already fled New York. Even the Smiths wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything about it!
Therefore, the Hunts had forced Iris to approach Philip.
They wanted to use Iris as a sacrificial offering.
Unfortunately, Iris still didn¡¯t have any thoughts of reconciling with Philip. Instead, she reached a different agreement with him, which was to watch her son grow up in the Hunts without interfering with his life.
After the old Mr. Hunt heard about this, he realized and understood that since Philip loved Iris so deeply, he would never hurt her. Additionally, if he wanted Iris to protect the Hunts, then it would only be possible if Justin stayed in the family.
Thus, Mr. Hunt had pretended to drive away Herman, and also dered that he would take it that he never had a son like him. His purpose in driving him away was so that Herman could go overseas, start a new business, and open up a new world for the Hunts.
This was so that the Hunts could avoid a crushing defeat should something ever go wrong with Philip and he targets the Hunts in the future!
Herman might look like he had left the family without taking a cent, but when he went abroad back then, his father most certainly would have secretly given him a sum of money as start-up capital.
All of their schemes were closely linked with one another. The elderly Mr. and Mrs. Hunt, who seemingly had a deep sense of love and righteousness, were just doing all that for the sake of the Hunts.
Justin had only slowly pieced everything together after Iris told him the truth.
This was also the reason why he hadn¡¯t immediately sought revenge on Lauren for kidnapping him¡ªbecause she wasn¡¯t the one who had instigated the kidnapping at all.
It was Philip!
Justin¡¯s words, like a sharp knife, cut open the Hunts¡¯ veil of pretense, exposing all of their ugly and nasty true colors.
Iris was shocked and astounded. She felt like the worldview she¡¯d held all these years hade crashing down all around her. She thought that she had caused the Hunts huge trouble, but little did she think that the Hunts had been using her all this time?
Herman refused to admit it. "What are you talking about? I don¡¯t understand at all, you..."
"You don¡¯t understand? Is that so? In that case, shall Iy out all the evidence one by one?"
Justin¡¯s voice was low and deep, but there was a mocking smile on the corners of his lips.
Herman narrowed his eyes.
After some time, he finally dropped his pretenses. He calmly said, "Since you¡¯ve already figured out everything, then take your mother with you and leave the Hunts at once¡ªbecause, I, the real head of the Hunts, am back."
Justin stared at him.
Herman lowered his head and looked at the family members who had hurried over after hearing about his return and the argument. He straightened his back. On his visage that was three parts simr to Justin¡¯s, his eyes were dark and deep.
He calmly said, "My father left all the shares in the family to me back then."
After saying this, he immediately took out a will.
Upon seeing the share transfer agreement, everyone was shocked.
When the elderly Mr. Hunt passed away, in his final words, he had only left instructions saying that Justin was to take charge of thepany. Therefore, Justin had naturally inherited his shares.
With the will, though, Justin would be kicked out of the picture.
Everyone in the family fell silent. They all stared at the will and then at each other, all of them at a loss for words.
Roger said, "Uncle Herman, if a will exists, then Grandpa¡¯s shares should indeed be given to you. In that case, from today onwards, you will be the head of the Hunts!"
Some defenders of Justin said, "But is the will really valid? Who can prove it?"
Along with these words, someone supported a shaky Mrs. Hunt as she walked out. She said unhurriedly, "I can prove it."
Chapter 724: The Hunts Who Plot Against One Another
Chapter 724: The Hunts Who Plot Against One Another
Nora was standing upstairs and watching the intense discussion downstairs.
She clearly saw that Justin had trembled lightly when Mrs. Hunt walked out.
Nora sighed silently.
Justin might never have ever thought that his grandmother, who had raised him into an adult, would also be part of the group of people plotting against him.
How sad and lonely must that man surrounded by his so-called family members be right now?
Justin was a man who had always been scheming and inscrutable, so he didn¡¯t say anything.
Iris, however, stared at the group of people. The woman, who now knew the truth, was suffering quite the mental breakdown at the moment¡ªnot for herself, but for her son!
Her entire body shook with anger, and she rushed up to Herman, stretched out her hand, and pped him across the cheek.
Smack!
She had put all of her strength into the p, causing Herman¡¯s head to turn to the side.
Nora saw that Herman could have avoided the p, but he didn¡¯t. Instead, he chose to take it.
Iris screamed, "Herman Hunt, you are so despicable! Never mind that you plotted against me, but how can you plot against even your own son?!"
Herman¡¯s head was turned to the side. The handprint on his cheek quickly swelled up visibly, which went to show just how furious Iris was.
He looked at Iris calmly. "Iris, I don¡¯t mind if you me me for this. It¡¯s all because I am too incapable. Twenty years ago, I didn¡¯t have the ability to keep you by my side; twenty yearster, I still don¡¯t have the ability to keep you with me. When we got married, we had clearly vowed that we would never abandon each other for the rest of our lives, but unfortunately, you have offended someone you should not have."
When Herman said that, there was sorrow in his eyes as he gazed at Iris.
To be honest, hadn¡¯t he also loved Iris when he was young?
In fact, one could even say that he still did.
At that time, he and Ian had both courted Yvette. Later, after Yvette chose Ian, he had also been envious of the beautiful love between the two of them.
Afterward, he had met Iris.
When he saw how gentle Iris had been to the poord Philip, his heart had skipped a beat.
Thus, he had gotten the Hunts to approach the Evanses and propose marriage.
Everyone said that he had married Iris because he could not manage to take Yvette as his wife. The only person in New York who wasparable to Yvette at that time had been Iris.
But nobody knew that he had only courted Yvette back then just to fight with Ian. Towards Iris, however... he had truly fallen in love with her.
He hadn¡¯t expected Iris to agree to the proposal, either.
Before they got married, Iris had told him honestly that their marriage was a political one, that she had no feelings for him.
However, Herman had still insisted on getting married. At that time, he was already in love with her. He¡¯d even vowed that he would treat her well for the rest of his life.
He just never expected Philip the pauper to suddenly transform into the head of one of the mysterious families of the world.
Back then, when the Hunts were suppressed by him, just how tormented had he been?
His father had spent his entire life turning the Hunts into a big and powerful family, but before thepany and family were even handed over to him, he had already implicated them...
Herman had indeed deliberately betrayed Iris, but at that time, he had also suffered great emotional torment.
...
Iris didn¡¯t understand theplicated look in Herman¡¯s eyes. She merely felt that the man in front of her was simply too shameless!
She stared at him. "If that was the case, then you should have made things clear to me from the start! Even if I have to leave with Justin, I would never drag the Hunts in this!"
How could Herman possibly bear to let them leave, though?
He clenched his jaw and narrowed his eyes. "You want to take Justin away? Justin is my, Herman Hunt¡¯s, son! He is a descendant of the Hunts! Are you nning to take him with you as you turn to Philip?! I won¡¯t allow it!"
Iris really couldn¡¯t understand him.
He was the one taking full advantage of her and her son, yet he was also the one saying that Justin was his son, so they mustn¡¯t leave.
She felt that Herman must be schizophrenic.
She smiled in resignation and asked, "Herman, what do you mean by that?"
Herman cast his eyes down and sighed. "What I mean by that? Couldn¡¯t you have just behaved yourself, epted your fate, and stayed in that suburban vi for the rest of your life? This way, I would never have returned to the family, and would never have fought with our son for the position of the head of the family! But look at you... You had already stayed there for the first twenty years, why did you let everything go to waste in the end?!"
Iris stared at him, finally understanding what he meant.
It was because of Herman¡¯s selfish intentions that they hadn¡¯t let her go back then!
Since he had given up Iris, then he totally could have just let go and push her into Philip¡¯s arms. Given Philip¡¯s means, he would have been able to trick Iris into staying with him eventually.
But Herman hadn¡¯t!
Instead, he had used Justin to keep her captive, preferring to imprison her for twenty years in a suburban vi as though she was a canary in captivity, over giving her true freedom!
She clenched her fists tightly. "Herman, you are such a despicable lowlife!"
Herman lowered his eyes and took a step forward. "I don¡¯t care whether you call me despicable or shameless, but Iris, you and your son only have two choices now."
Iris stared at him. "Go on."
Justin also looked at Herman.
Herman sighed and said, "Justin, you are my son, why would I do anything to harm you? If your mother goes to Philip and asks him to stop, then I will take it that this will doesn¡¯t exist. My business overseas is enough for me to support myself."
Iris took a step back.
Even now, Herman still wanted to sacrifice her.
While she was contemting in a daze, she heard Justin¡¯s firm and sonorous voice.
"That¡¯s impossible. Tell me the second option."
"You¡ª!" Herman was practically speechless towards Justin. He pointed at him, his finger in the air for a while.
The elderly Mrs. Hunt took a step forward and held Justin¡¯s arm. "Justin, my good grandson, just agree to it! Iris had already moved to the suburbs when you were five, and she has never taken care of you ever since. Besides, who knows if her heart had already been with Philip long ago? They are each other¡¯s first love, so can¡¯t you just take it that you¡¯re giving your mother your blessings? ??Once she is gone, the will would be considered non-existent. All these years, it was only under your leadership that the Hunts coulde this far, everyone can see that. If your father ever dares to fight with you for the position of the head of the family after your mother leaves, I will be the first to raise my voice!"
Justin looked at Mrs. Hunt as she spoke.
It was not that she did not love him.
It was just that before loving him, the Hunts¡¯ interests mattered more than anything else!
Justin then looked at Herman.
All these years, he had hardly ever called him, nor had he ever paid any attention to him. He had just been taking advantage of him all along.
From beginning to end, Iris had been the only one who did things for his sake.
Justin looked at Herman coldly. "Tell me the second option."
Seeing him like this, Herman said angrily, "You are really so unrepentant! If you don¡¯t agree to it, then even if it¡¯s for the sake of the Hunts, I¡¯ll have toe home and inherit the shares that your grandfather has left me! Justin, by then, I won¡¯t be able to guarantee that I¡¯ll be able to protect you and your mother! Also, the consequences of you going head-to-head with Philip will only be you overestimating your abilities."
However, it was as if Justin hadn¡¯t heard him.
He merely let out a contemptuous scoff.
Herman sighed. "Justin, I did care about you all these years¡ªafter all, you are my son. As long as you are willing to take a step back and send your mother to Philip, and if your mother thinks of a way, Philip won¡¯t drive the Hunts into a corner anymore. Don¡¯t worry, Dad definitely won¡¯t fight with you. I haven¡¯t been by your side all these years, sigh!"
There was finally a bit of real emotion in those words of his.
Herman was not a good person, but he was not a total viin whopletely disregarded kinship either.
Justin, however, looked at him and said, "I¡¯m d you weren¡¯t with me when I grew up."
Herman was taken aback.
Justin said sarcastically, "After all, they all say that like father, like son. If you had been by my side, I might have also be a despicable lowlife scum like you who betrayed women in for survival."
His sarcasm made Herman¡¯s face flush!
He pointed at Justin angrily. "You! What right do you have to insult me like that?! Justin, since you refuse to listen, then don¡¯t me your father for fighting with you! You must give me all the assets that your grandfather has left me! You also have to give me the position of the head of the family!"
Herman narrowed his eyes. "You are still too young and headstrong, so you arepetitive over everything. In that case, I will take over as head of the family for a few years for you! You can inherit it again after I die! It¡¯s only right for a son to inherit his father¡¯s legacy. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t leave you with nothing."
As soon as he said that, Justin said coldly, "Oh? I can give you all of Grandpa¡¯s assets, but do you think that you can be the head of the family just because you have those shares?"
Herman was taken aback. "What do you mean?"
Chapter 725: King of the World
Chapter 725: King of the World
Herman held the will in his hand. "This is a will left behind by your grandfather. This will ispletely valid since he did not leave any other will when he passed away! Are you still nning to deny it?"
Justin sneered. "Of course I won¡¯t deny it. I¡¯ll give you what you want. Lawrence!"
"Yes."
Lawrence, who had appeared at the door, walked in with a share transfer agreement in his hand. He handed it to Herman. "Mr. Hunt, this is the share transfer agreement Boss prepared for you. Please sign it."
This turn of events exceeded everyone¡¯s expectations.
Everyone looked at Justin in confusion.
Lawrence exined, "Since Boss knows that you schemed against him back then, how could he not understand the reason why old sir had not left a will behind here? Boss won¡¯t take a single cent from him. He¡¯ll return it all to you. It can be considered as him repaying the Hunts for raising him!"
When Herman heard this, he felt a little ashamed.
He stared at Justin and advised again, "Justin, why are you doing this? You¡¯ve worked hard for the Hunts for so many years. It no longer matters to our family how much money we have. Are you really going to watch the Hunts walk toward destruction?"
Mrs. Hunt could not bear for Justin to leave.
They did note to force Justin to leave today. They only had one goal: to get Iris to calm Philip¡¯s anger.
Herman had feelings for Iris. No matter how reluctant he was, he still had to give her up.
Mrs. Hunt said, "Justin!"
Her old eyes were filled with tears. How could she not have feelings for a grandson she had raised with her own hands? Furthermore, no matter how outstanding her son was, her grandson was better!
Justin was more business-minded than Herman.
Making him the person in charge was the best thing for the Hunts.
Roger was shocked. "Justin, have you really thought it through?"
He had fought for the position of power his entire life, and he was going to hand it over just like that?
As the group of people was letting their thoughts run wild, Justin said, "Sign it."
Herman could only lower his head and open the share transfer document in his hand. However, when he saw the contents, he was instantly stunned. "Justin, what do you mean by this?!"
He mmed the document on the ground. "Are you kidding me?!"
"What¡¯s wrong?"
Mrs. Hunt was dumbfounded.
Herman pointed at the document and said, "The transfer of shares here is only 5%! Father left me 54% back then!"
Only with more than 50% of the shares could one have the right to speak.
Everyone understood this logic.
Therefore, the shares Justin had received from Old Master were 54%.
But now, he was only giving back 5%?
Justin nced at Lawrence. When he did not speak, Lawrence began to exin endlessly, "Mr. Hunt, listen to me. We have calcted these shares very meticulously."
Herman stared at him.
Lawrence said, "Boss took over Hunt Corporation ten years ago. Over the years, after the Hunts went public, they issued a portion of the shares to the public. The shareholders¡¯ shares have been diluted quite a lot. Everyone in the family should know this."
If the Hunts wanted to be powerful, they had to issue shares to finance it. Naturally, the shares in the hands of the family members would shrink.
In fact, although they called it issuing shares, and while a portion of the shares had indeed been bought by the stockholders, most of the shares had been bought by Justin himself!
That was why Justin¡¯s shares had not been diluted all these years and had remained at 51%.
Lawrence continued, "The 54% from ten years ago is less than 5% now. Boss thought that since you gave him life, he would give you a little extra."
Herman: "!!"
Herman was furious. "A hundred million from ten years ago is not the same value as a hundred million today!"
"Okay."
Lawrence said, "Boss has already exchanged it for your current value and even considered the dor depreciation. Otherwise, you don¡¯t even have 1% of the shares."
Herman: "..."
He did not expect this oue. He looked at Justin and said angrily, "Are you trying to take the Hunts for yourself?"
Justin said calmly, "I¡¯m just taking back what belongs to me."
He had led the Hunts to where they were today. In ten years, the Hunts¡¯ assets had increased by a few hundred times. Although the shares of the family members had shrunk, whose money had not increased by more than a hundred times?
When he, Justin, thought of Herman and Grandpa Hunt¡¯s intentions, he instantly realized something and asked Lawrence to calcte all the money he had earned over the years.
Since he had chosen to make this public today, how could he not be prepared?
He did not care about the Hunts¡¯ money, but...
Thepany he casually ran could not be taken away just like that.
Herman took a deep breath.
He did not expect Justin to have such meticulous records. He could not find any mistakes in his work.
He had originally thought that Justin was not prepared, but now...
He could only get back five percent of the shares.
However, 5% was also a significant share.
Seeing his hesitation, Lawrence said, "Mr. Hunt, are you going to sign this or not? If you don¡¯t sign it, then you¡¯re giving it to my boss. That¡¯s good too. Otherwise, my boss would only have 40% of the shares left. Sigh!"
When Herman heard this, he signed it without hesitation.
After signing it, he looked up again. "Justin, don¡¯t think you¡¯ll win just because of this. You only have 46% of the shares now. You can¡¯t say anything."
With that, he raised the 5% shares in his hand and said, "As a 5% shareholder of thepany, I¡¯ll cooperate with others and request to choose the chairman again. Roger! How many shares do you have?"
When Roger from the side family heard this, he said, "7%."
"How much is it? I¡¯ll buy it!"
Herman had also earned a lot of money from his overseas businesses over the past few years. He could be said to be wealthy now. He said directly, "Also, for the Hunts¡¯ shares, anyone who wants to sell them at a high price cane and look for me!"
Roger looked at Justin and then at Herman. He immediately chose the team without hesitation. "Herman, what are you saying? Damn, we have 7% of the shares. You don¡¯t have to buy it, either. I¡¯ll give you the right to speak without it!"
Wasn¡¯t it good to watch the father and son fight amongst themselves?
"Okay, let¡¯s go have a chat. Who else has more shares? My old friends from back then should still be in thepany..."
Herman and the people from the side family left Justin¡¯s vi.
Mrs. Hunt stood there, her figure trembling. She looked at Justin and shouted, "Justin, I have 10% of the shares. Don¡¯t, don¡¯t me me... If you make a decision, you cane and look for me! If I give you that 10%, you¡¯ll still be the head of the Hunts!"
With that, she left.
After everyone left, Nora said goodbye to Justin and prepared to go home to sleep.
After all, she had not rested well for a few days.
As for Justin¡¯s matters, she would talk about them when she woke up.
Iris also went upstairs to apany the three children. After everyone left, Lawrence came in front of Justin. "Boss, you could have just given him 1% of the shares, why did you give him 5%? Now, you have less than 50%. You don¡¯t have absolute control anymore."
Justin nced at him and said calmly, "If we don¡¯t give him some hope, will those demons show their faces?"
Lawrence: "?"
Lawrence coughed.
It turned out that Boss was nning to clean up the Hunts!
He said, "Then let¡¯s..."
Justin no longer had the lonely feeling of being betrayed. He was like the king of the world again, as if everything was under his control.
He said slowly, "Doesn¡¯t Sean have 4% of the shares? Let him spread the news that he ns to sell them and see how many people are interested in these shares!"
"Yes, sir!"
Sean¡¯s shares were his shares.
Therefore, Justin had always been holding onto 50%!
Lawrence asked, "Then about Philip..."
As soon as he said this, Justin¡¯s phone rang. He opened it and realized that it was Imperial League¡¯s chat page.
Someone asked: "Who has shares of the Hunt Corporation? I¡¯m willing to buy them at a high price."
Justin sneered when he saw this.
Chapter 726: With King, There’s No Need to Be Afraid
Chapter 726: With King, There¡¯s No Need to Be Afraid
The person who had asked this in the group was Bear.
There were 12 people in the Imperial League. Other than King, all of them were represented by animal names. No one in the group knew each other, including King. No one was allowed to probe the others¡¯ privacy, so even King did not know who the other 11 were.
But now, Justin was certain.
Bear was Philip.
He sat on the sofa with his long legs crossed. His well-defined fingers tapped the arm of the sofa beside him. His long eyes were narrowed slightly as a dark light shed across them.
When he saw his expression, Lawrence could not help but light a candle for Philip¡¯s funeral in his heart.
This meant that Boss was going to set up traps again!
He wondered how badly Philip would be tricked.
As he was thinking, Justin suddenly smirked and sent a message in the group: "I do."
As King, it was normal for him to own the shares of thergestpany in each country.
No one in the group was suspicious.
Bear¡¯s attitude immediately became respectful. "I¡¯ll talk to you in private, sir."
Justin sat there leisurely, his expression unchanged.
At this moment, Lawrence asked, "Boss, why are you still selling your shares to him? Aren¡¯t you afraid that you¡¯ll lose control of the Hunts if you sell them to him?"
Lawrence knew his boss.
Justin had 51% of the shares under his name and was quite domineering in controlling the direction of thepany.
However, there was still 4% under Sean¡¯s name. In addition, Justin¡¯s Imperial League persona also controlled 5% of the Hunts¡¯ shares.
Boss had the shares firmly in his hands. After giving Herman 5%, it seemed like there were only 46% left. However, in reality, he still had the final say in the Hunts.
When Justin heard this, he nced at Lawrence and smiled. "If he offers a high price for this 5% of shares, I could consider selling them."
The Hunts was only a cover for Justin to hide his identity. Compared to the financial group he really controlled, the Hunts¡¯ assets were simply a drop in the ocean.
Lawrence: "..."
He understood!
Boss was asking for a sky-high price.
As he was thinking, Sure enough, Bear sent a private message: "Could you name a price? I want those shares."
Justin was about to extort him when another message suddenly appeared in the group.
Cat: "Can you sell them to me? I¡¯m willing to pay a high price."
Justin: "?"
Lawrence, who was watching secretly, was stunned. "Who is this? Isn¡¯t Philip the one called Bear? Or is he Cat?"
Justin was also confused, but he quickly said, "No."
He was the one who had personally invited Cat to the Imperial League. It was considered new blood in Imperial League because he did not want Imperial League to forever be controlled by those old fogeys.
Times were changing. Five years ago, he had realized that Cat had emptied a certain stock without anyone noticing. Then, she had earned 75 million dors. The stocks had stabilized. This person was very talented in business, but she was also very restrained.
She had only earned 75 million dors before she became invisible. After that, she was no longer greedy.
Justin had admired her very much at that time, so he personally invited her to the Imperial League.
In Imperial League, Cat rarely spoke. Justin had been observing all these years to see if there were any big dealings. After all, the information in Imperial League allowed one to win without even trying.
However, he realized that there were none at all.
This made Justin admire Cat even more. He felt that this person could resist the temptation of money.
How could he have expected that Nora did try to earn more money only because she wanted to sleep and was not free at all? Furthermore, she had always felt that 75 million dors were enough!
Justin knew that Philip was not Cat, but he did not understand why she would suddenlye out and make trouble.
As he was thinking, someone else jumped out.
Eagle: "I want to ask about the price too. We can give it to the highest bidder."
"..."
Lawrence was confused and could not help but look at Justin. He was silent for a long time before saying, "Boss, how many people have you offended?"
Justin: "..."
He also wanted to know what was wrong with Eagle!
Bear: "No matter how much they are willing to pay, I can increase the price by 20%."
"..."
Justin stared at the Imperial League group. For the first time, he felt that things were a little out of control.
¡ª
At the Smiths.
Joel stared at his phone for a moment before looking at Ian and reporting, "There¡¯s indeed someone in the group buying the shares. Dad, you¡¯re so perceptive. But is Philip really that difficult to deal with? Raising the price by 20% is simply too much."
Ian lowered his eyes and said, "Philip is definitely in the Imperial League. More than 30 years ago, I tried my best to join this group. When I entered the group, Bear was already there. The group is filled with torch mes passed down from generation to generation. When I entered the group, there were only eight people. Over the years, more people joined until there were 12 in total. Everyone in the group is a tycoon. Don¡¯t underestimate them."
Joel nodded to show that he had learned something.
Ian had passed on Eagle¡¯s ount to him.
Everyone said that he was not Ian¡¯s child. The outside world was saying that Ian did not treat Joel as someone in power. He had only given a portion of his shares, and his shares were only handed to him to manage.
However, Joel knew in his heart that Ian had really treated him as his heir.
It was because the person in charge of the Smiths did not want to inherit those shares, but this ount!
Over the years, he had been in charge of the Smiths and finally understood how important this ount was.
Joel nodded respectfully.
Ian asked again, "How much liquid capital is on my ount?"
Joel sighed. "It¡¯s only in tens of millions, but I still have it on my tab. Besides, I can continue to cash out a portion of it. I¡¯ll sell some shares if need be. Let¡¯s think of a way and help Justin get past this hurdle!"
After saying that, he was silent for a moment and asked, "Dad, is it possible that Justin is also in the group?"
Ian waved his hand. "There¡¯s an unwritten rule in the group. Only one person from each country can enter. There are two people from New York, but Cat is of English descent and can be considered British."
Joel sighed. "In the future, if there are any important clues or intelligence, you have to tell Justin. Otherwise, he won¡¯t be Philip¡¯s match."
"Yeah."
Ian took a deep breath. "Take care of him more in the future so that Nora can have a higher status at home!"
Joel agreed.
Elsewhere, in the bedroom.
Noray on the bed and stared at the message in the group.
She had originally wanted topete with him. Although she only had 75 million dors, what if she could buy 0.01% of the shares?
In the end, she was too tired. She fainted in the blink of an eye and did not open her eyes again.
When she woke up again, three days had passed.
She stretchedzily. When she went downstairs, she happened to see Simon and Melissa downstairs talking to Ian. There was even Justin sitting beside her.
Simon: "...I have some cash here too. Although it¡¯s not much, it¡¯s still a token of my sincerity. However, when we buy the Hunts¡¯ shares, we have to write Nora¡¯s name. Justin, don¡¯t think too much about it. After all, you¡¯re not married yet. Of course, I don¡¯t mean for you to be controlled by Nora."
Justin said humbly, "Uncle, it¡¯s not necessary for the time being."
However, Melissa called out his name. "Although it¡¯s said that husband and wife should have the same heart without thoughts of profiting, and we¡¯re not trying to sow discord, a woman indeed can¡¯t rely on a man. With these shares, even if you have a change of heart in the future, you would have to consider it carefully."
Justin: "..."
Change of heart?
How was that possible? What he was worried about now was that Nora would have a change of heart!
He waved his hand and said, "Melissa, I can¡¯t have a change of heart."
He was high and mighty and would make anyone lower his head no matter who saw him. Only Ian and Joel could sit on equal footing with him, but right now, he was just a junior!
Justin sighed silently. He was just here to see if Nora was awake. Why did he coincidentally bump into Simon and Melissa?
As he was thinking, Ian smiled confidently. "Even without the Hunts¡¯ shares, Nora won¡¯t be bullied in the Hunts. Don¡¯t worry, the Smiths have confidence!"
This behavior stunned them.
Simon thought about it and suddenly realized something. He originally did not n to mention it, but he looked at Justin and whispered, "Could it be that the Smiths really knows that big shot like in the legends?"
Melissa was stunned. "What big shot?"
Simon smiled. "We¡¯re all jokingly talking about a legend. It¡¯s said that the richest man in the world keeps a very low profile. Outside, everyone calls him King."
Melissa was stunned. "Is there really such a person?"
Simon shook his head. "I don¡¯t know about that. I¡¯ll have to ask Ian."
However, Ian revealed a deep smile and did not speak.
Simon immediately understood and looked at Justin. "You¡¯re really lucky, kid. If that¡¯s the case, even if you¡¯re really chased out by the Hunts, you can rely on the business opportunity your father-inw got from King to start over! Don¡¯t be afraid!"
Justin: "???"
Nora, who was upstairs: ???
Chapter 727: Who is King?!
Chapter 727: Who is King?!
Nora had never felt very anxious about earning money.
She was Cat, she was in the Imperial League group. A casual investment based on some information would earn her a lot. Why should she be persistent?
But now, she realized that someone from the Smiths was also in the Imperial League chat?
Who was it?
The corners of her mouth immediately twitched. Could Eagle actually be Joel?
From their previous conversation, she had once determined that Eagle was an American, and among them, the first person who could enter Imperial League was Justin.
Last time, she wanted to ask Justin if he knew King, but when she probed him, he said was not Eagle.
It turned out that Justin was not in the group?
However...
King was the creator of that group. It was said that before technology became so advanced, they already had special contacts.
Imperial League had been established for hundreds of years.
Nora went downstairs.
When the people downstairs heard themotion, they all looked up. When they saw Nora, Justin suddenly stood up and said, "You¡¯re awake?"
"Yes."
Nora had just replied when Justin looked at the kitchen and said, "Wait a minute. I¡¯ll see if they¡¯ve cooked anything."
After sleeping for three days without eating, she should definitely eat something soft to digest when she woke up.
Justin entered the Smiths¡¯ kitchen and acted like he was familiar with it. Simon and Melissa looked at each other.
Melissa nodded in satisfaction.
When Ian saw this scene, his eyes were also filled with satisfaction.
Simon even whispered, "When he heard that Ian knew King, Justin¡¯s attitude became even more respectful."
Ian had a proud look on his face as he looked at Nora. "Did you see that? This is the power of our family! This kid probably won¡¯t dare to bully you again!"
Nora: "..."
For some reason, she felt that the reason Justin was suddenly so enthusiastic was that he felt a little guilty.
But what was he feeling guilty about?
At the thought of this, Ian sighed. "We can only buy them from Hunt Corporation¡¯s insiders in the country. King didn¡¯t sell his shares to me. He sold them to Philip!"
Nora suddenly recalled that she was trying to buy the shares in the group three days ago!
When she woke up, her bidding had turned cold?
She immediately sat on the sofa and casually took out her phone. She opened it and looked at the Imperial League chat group. She realized that for the first time, there were fifty-plus messages.
These fifty-plus messages were sent by Bear and Eagle.
The two of them continued to raise the price, wanting to buy five percent of Hunt Corporation¡¯s shares from King.
From the normal 1.5 billion dors at the beginning, they had increased the bid to 15 billion!
Nora: "!"
The Hunts were worth tens of billions, but this was only five percent of the shares. In the end, they sold it to Bear for 45 billion!
This was simply ten times the market price!
The corners of Nora¡¯s mouth twitched. She felt that this group of people was crazy. She also felt that she was lucky to have fallen asleep. Otherwise, she would have felt even poorer.
Why was she only worth 75 million dors...
As she was sighing, Ian said, "The price of tens of billions is ridiculous. However, I had a grudge against Philip back then. Unfortunately, King sold it to Philip."
Simon said directly, "Why did King sell it to him but not to you?"
Ian sighed silently. "Actually, King knows very well how much money everypany has. There are only a few such people in New York. How can theypare to Philip? King must think that we¡¯re too poor. Sigh!"
Justin, who was walking out with the porridge, instantly fell silent when he heard this."..."
He really did not!
Although he looked down on the Hunts¡¯ assets, he did not dare to look down on his father-inw!
He instantly felt even more guilty. He was afraid that his father-inw would have something against him if he knew that he was King. He hurriedly carried the porridge to Nora and handed it to her.
Nora took it. After taking two sips, she suddenly asked, "Dad, who is that King?"
Although she had only joined Imperial League five years ago, she had actually been very curious about King for a long time.
The people in the group were especially in awe of him. Furthermore, Old Maddy had saidst time that only with King¡¯s support and trust would she have the power to fight the mysterious organization.
But now, she did not even know who King was and what was going on with Imperial League!
Hearing her question, Ian said, "King¡¯s identity is very mysterious. It¡¯s said that this identity can be traced back to hundreds of years ago. I¡¯ve only heard about the news here. His consortium is low-key and huge. Some even say that one-tenth of the global wealth belongs to his consortium.
However, their financial group is anonymous. No one knows whichpanies they have their hands in. For example, everyone should know about the Hunts¡¯ shares, but no one knew that five percent belonged to King.
As for King himself, no one has seen his true face. I heard that he lives in a castle. There are thousands of beautiful women in the pce, and he has thousands of sons to choose his next heir from."
Justin: "?"
Why didn¡¯t he know that he had thousands of sons?!
The corners of his mouth twitched. He was about to exin when Ian smiled. "Of course, this is all nonsense. It¡¯s all spection about King. After all, he has so much money. I think his life has already reached its peak."
Ian thought about it for a moment before saying, "ording to my guess, although their consortiums earn money, they¡¯re also limited. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have to be so low-key. Besides, King¡¯s legacy is very strange. Their legacy every generation is very peaceful. You can¡¯t feel the change in King in the group at all. I once suspected that King had never changed. He¡¯s an old monster who has lived for a hundred years. After all, technology and medicine are so advanced now. It shouldn¡¯t be difficult to live a long life, right?"
Justin: "..."
Nora was even more curious by Ian¡¯s words. "Don¡¯t you have a guess as to who King is? Aren¡¯t there only a few richest men in the world?"
Ian shook his head, indicating that he did not know. Even those people did not seem like King.
The corners of Justin¡¯s mouth twitched as he listened to them guess who he was in front of him.
But when he thought of the reason he became King, he lowered his eyes and sighed.
After the few people were done discussing, Justin and Nora went upstairs and finally had time to themselves.
Justin was about to tease her, but he was grabbed by Nora. She asked, "Do you know who King is?"
Chapter 728: Pleasing Father-in-law!
Chapter 728: Pleasing Father-inw!
Justin was slightly stunned when he heard this and subconsciously said, "I don¡¯t know."
"Okay."
Justin retorted, "Is something the matter?"
"Not really. I just wanted to find out since Dad sounded so mysterious."
Nora did not doubt it. After all, when Ian and the others mentioned King downstairs, she realized that Eagle was Joel, not Justin.
This meant that Justin might not be in the group at all.
... He was quite pitiful.
So, she shouldn¡¯t mention this topic to agitate him?
Thinking of this, Nora changed the topic. "Are you really okay? If you need help, just tell me directly."
"No, it¡¯s fine."
Justin thought that she was going to ask him for help. But even if she wanted to look for King for help, he could not reveal his identity.
It would be very dangerous if this identity was revealed.
Perhaps instead of helping Nora, he might end up hurting her.
This was also why he had lived in New York for so many years as Justin Hunt alone. After all, no one would associate the person in control of the number one family in New York with King.
The number one power in New York had always lived in public. No matter where he went, his exact whereabouts could be found.
At the thought of this, Justin lowered his eyes and said, "From the legends I¡¯ve heard of King, I learned that if you want his help with something, he is a very easygoing person. You can get Joel to convey your thoughts."
Nora nced at him.
She thought that she could deliver the message herself without needing to ask Joel, but she decided not to continue this conversation. She changed the topic again. "How has Xander been these past few days?"
After analyzing Xander¡¯s gene serum without any sleep for three days and injecting him with the drug, Nora fell asleep for three days after realizing that all his vital signs were normal.
When she woke up, she was most concerned about Xander¡¯s health.
"...He¡¯s fine."
Justin thought about it and replied cautiously.
Nora immediately sensed the meaning. "That means something has happened?"
Justin sighed and rubbed his forehead. "I only tested his intelligence and realized... that it¡¯s gotten higher. His intelligence is even higher than Pete and Cherry¡¯s."
Pete was an extremely smart child. Otherwise, he would not have learned the Math Olympiad questions at the age of five. Those questions were very difficult even for university students.
Cherry was also a representative of high intelligence. She could not calm down. Nora could only let her y games to divert her attention and make her hyperactivity better over the years.
Contrary to these two, Xander had always lived beside Trueman. Nora did not know him very well.
His intelligence surpassed Pete and Cherry¡¯s?
Nora was silent for a moment before finally sighing deeply. "Gic medicine is indeed a good thing."
Justin also nodded. "This temptation is really too difficult for humans to resist. Who doesn¡¯t want to strengthen their bodies? Who doesn¡¯t want to have outstanding intelligence? We will definitely face many temptations in the future."
At this point, he suddenly asked, "Nora, if you sessfully find the V16, will you take it?"
Nora curved her lips and smiled. "I¡¯m already one of the smartest people in the world. Why bother? Besides, humans should respect evolution. The current level of human technology and research are not enough to support a sudden arrival of highly intelligent humans."
Hearing her words, Justin smiled. "What if that gene serum really seeds and can extend one¡¯s life?"
Nora was fine.
She had been a Buddhist her entire life. It was enough for her to have enough money to survive and have her rtives by her side. Furthermore, even if she passed away, she would only be sleeping endlessly.
She was not scared of it.
She waved her hand casually. "Not interested. I¡¯ll change my clothes. Let¡¯s go see Xander."
"Okay."
"..."
The two of them stood opposite each other. Nora looked at him for a long time before pointing at the door. "Aren¡¯t you going out?"
Justin smiled. "Our children are already five years old. We¡¯re a couple. Do you still care about this?"
Nora: "..."
This man was getting more and more shameless.
She turned around and seemed to be walking to the cloakroom. When Justin strode forward, nning to follow her, she suddenly turned around and kicked him in the chest.
Justin subconsciously stepped back and reached out to block, but he was kicked two steps back by Nora and he went straight out the door.
The next moment, "Smash!"
The door was closed. Nora¡¯s cold and low voice came from inside. "Be good. Wait outside."
"...Tsk."
Justin looked at his hand and could not help butugh softly. Nora was actually shy.
A minuteter, Nora changed into a ck windbreaker and went out.
She seemed to prefer ck. This coat was especially wide on her. Coupled with her slender figure, she looked especially stylish.
As Justin watched, his eyes darkened.
The two of them went downstairs and greeted Ian before leaving.
On the way to the Hunts to see Xander, Nora switched on her phone. She secretly turned to her side and opened the Imperial League chat group.
She had originally nned to see what kind of investment opportunities there were, but as soon as she entered, she saw Bear mocking Eagle?
Bear: "If you don¡¯t have money, don¡¯te making trouble next time @Eagle."
Philip came back to his senses. He knew that he had been tricked into making a bid of 45 billion dors, but he did not dare vent his anger on King. So he aimed it at Joel?
ording to her brother¡¯s character, he would definitely ignore him.
However, when Nora went out, she had seen that Ian had logged in to his ount, so the eagle in the group was now Ian. If it was Ian, then...
Sure enough, there was an argument in the group.
Eagle: "Why? Are you getting angry out of humiliation? If you don¡¯t want to buy that 5% of the shares, you can transfer it to me. Heh, you regret buying it? You can¡¯t afford to lose, but you don¡¯t dare to argue with King. You only know how to talk big here?"
Nora: "..."
Ian¡¯s words were really provocative, but it was satisfying!
Bear: "Heh, King sold his shares to me because he knew you didn¡¯t have the money. You don¡¯t have to sow discord here. I¡¯ll never have any objections to King. King should know that you can¡¯t afford them, so he sold his shares to me."
Eagle: "Hehe, 45 billion for 5% of the shares. Only a fool would buy it. What are you so proud of?"
Bear grabbed the opportunity immediately: "What do you mean only fools would buy it? Are you saying that King tricked me? You¡¯re the one who¡¯s being disrespectful to King!"
Nora: "!"
It was all over.
Ian was counter-attacked!
In the end, King had sold his shares to Philip and not to Eagle. This showed his attitude. Besides, King had just received Philip¡¯s 45 billion dors. He was definitely biased toward Philip.
Philip had just made a few casual remarks. Would King have something against Ian?
King had a high status in Imperial League and his words were final. How was Ian going to talk in the group in the future?
Nora frowned.
Ian clearly sensed this too and said in the group: "I have no objections to Mr. King. You¡¯re the one who started the argument today."
Bear: "You called me stupid for making the deal yesterday. Aren¡¯t you saying that King tricked me? @King, say something fair."
Let King speak?
If King spoke up, he would definitely side with Bear!
Was there a need to think about that?
Who would admit that they had scammed others when doing business?
Nora pursed her lips and thought about how to say something in the group to draw this matter to an end. However, Philip began to be aggressive.
Bear: "Purchasing 5% of the Hunts¡¯ shares for 45 billion dors is indeed a few times higher than the market value. But Mr. King definitely has no intention of extorting me. Isn¡¯t it all because you¡¯re bidding against me here? This is a fair transaction. The highest bidder gets it. How can you judge Mr. King like this?"
Nora: "!!"
Eagle: "I have no doubts about Mr. King¡¯s impartiality. You don¡¯t have to sow discord here."
Bear: "Who¡¯s sowing the discord here? Who brought this up in the group first? Mr. King, what do you think?"
At this moment, someone came out to agree.
Rabbit: "I swear that the highest bidder got it yesterday. There¡¯s no unfairness. Mr. King is absolutely fair in handling things."
Wolf: "Mr. King is absolutely fair."
...
A row of people below echoed.
Finally, Bear sent another message: "Did you see that? Eagle, you should apologize to Mr. King and to me!"
The matter became heated. While Nora was anxious, the car arrived at the Hunts.
Nora was still thinking about what to do. At this moment, King, who had been silent all along, suddenly reacted.
Chapter 729: King’s Slap!
Chapter 729: King¡¯s p!
It was obvious that King had taken advantage of the two families fighting to raise the price in the deal three days ago. The final beneficiary was King.
No matter how he looked at it, he could not admit that he had been unfair and had lied to Bear. Therefore, Philip was certain that King had targeted Ian in the group.
The others could not say that the deal was unfair.
Ian instantly became the target.
If King were to appear now, he would definitely be on Philip¡¯s side.
Nora was thinking about how to help Ian resolve the situation and make the atmosphere less awkward when she saw...
King: "Would a normal person spend 45 billion dors on the Hunts¡¯ shares that are only worth a few billions?
The others echoed King and instantly sent a message to the group.
Rabbit: "King is right."
Wolf: "King is right."
...
Nora was also typing a message. "Eagle also isn¡¯t saying that King is unfair. It¡¯s clearly Bear who is stirring trouble in the group..."
She was typing and wanted to say a few words for Ian when she suddenly realized the meaning of King¡¯s message. She was stunned and confused.
Why was this King acting a bit different than his usual self?!
He had clearly made a killing three days ago and taken advantage of Bear, but now he was stilling out to mock him? This waspletely against his principle of peace!
He was simply making enemies.
Nora was taken aback.
In the distant Smith Vi, Ian was stunned. He was prepared to express that this was not what he meant. At most, he would apologize to King and Bear.
After all, everyone in the group was a big shot. Furthermore, in the past, even if King did not smooth things over, he did warn them to be careful with their words.
But¡ªwhy had King suddenly be so straight?
When he said this, Ian was really stunned.
Philip, who was overseas, was even more stunned.
After spending 45 billion dors, he had actually been very unhappy. However, he did not dare to lose his temper at King, so he could only vent all his anger on Eagle.
After all, Eagle was an American. Eagle might be Justin himself.
During the period when Eagle joined the Imperial League, the Hunts were the number one family in New York.
That¡¯s why he suddenlyunched an attack on him in the group. The goal was to make everyone in the group reject him.
Moreover... his ount was one of the first six to join the Imperial League when it was established!
Although he did not dare to be called the richest man in the world, since no one knew how much money King had, Philip was indeed invincible overseas.
Even King had given him some face in the past. In the group, if King was first, Philip would be second.
Therefore, no one had expected King to suddenly attack Philip.
What did that mean?
Philip was furious. "King, did you send the wrong message? Or was your ount hacked? What do you mean?"
Nora was also thinking about what King meant when she saw him throw another sentence into the group. "It means that your IQ is very low."
"..."
The group instantly fell silent.
After all, if the first and second big shots fought, who would dare to interrupt?
Even Ian was confused for a moment.
King sent another message: "I¡¯m selling my shares to you not because Eagle is poor, but because he¡¯s smarter than you and not easy to cheat."
"..."
In the Smiths¡¯ vi, when Ian saw this sentence, he could not help but sit up straight. There was a look of satisfaction on his face from being recognized.
He smiled and sent a message in the group.
Eagle: "Mr. King, you think too highly of me."
King: "You¡¯re worth it, sir."
Everyone: "??"
Why did the word "sir" suddenly be so meaningful?
The people in the group instantly fell silent.
In the past, Eagle did not receive much respect in the group. After all, he was considered a neer in the group.
But now, King spoke so highly of Eagle. Could it be that King had instructed Eagle to raise the price yesterday and his goal was to cheat Bear?
This...
Bear was furious. "King, what do you mean?"
King: "What¡¯s the point of bullying a small family in New York? What are the principles of the Imperial League? You openly tried to break them, don¡¯t me me for being merciless!"
The principles of the Imperial League...
Nora thought about it. Imperial League¡¯s group page clearly said that they were not to bully the weak.
But!
First of all, was Justin weak?
Secondly! Over the years, Imperial League had wanted to expand its influence, so how could it not have bullied others?
Everyone was in control of the global economy, so they were all fine. Why did King suddenly mention this principle?
Everyone was confused.
However, Philip was indeed Philip.
Offending King would not end well for him.
The reason King had dominant status in the group was that he was the leader.
He was the one who was leading everyone forward step by step. Philip had to give him face. Therefore, when he saw that King had given a reasonable exnation, Philip did not dare to probe further. He lowered his head in the group. "I forgot to exin. I have a personal grudge with the Hunts."
King: "Since it¡¯s a personal grudge, then these 45 billion dors are worth it."
Bear: "You¡¯re right."
Through the screen, Nora could feel Philip¡¯s anger. However, his forbearance made Nora alert again.
At Philip¡¯s level, it was easy for him to toy with people.
Just like how he could imprison Iris for 20 years with one thought!
However, it was precisely such a person who was used to being arrogant, but he was being so adaptable. He was indeed one of the rulers of the few mysterious families in the world!
Seeing that there were no more messages in the group, Nora finally put down her phone.
When she looked up again, she heard Cherry call out "Mommy" in a childish voice. Cherry was usually a bootlicker and had a sweet mouth, but she always felt that her words were not sincere.
However, the one who was the most clingy to Nora was Cherry.
After not seeing her for three days, the little fellow did not even y games anymore. She hugged Nora¡¯s thigh and did not let go. "Mommy, I miss you so much~ I didn¡¯t eat or drink well these past few days!"
Pete, who ran over with her, reminded her, "That¡¯s called not wanting to eat or drink. Besides, I don¡¯t think you ate any less."
Cherry immediately looked at him and exined boldly, "That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t say I didn¡¯t eat, I said I didn¡¯t eat well!"
Pete: "..."
Nora touched Pete¡¯s head and then looked at Xander, who was sitting on the sofa and looking over eagerly.
The little guy was very proud. He was clearly looking over, but he still pretended not to care. It was funny.
Nora walked over and rubbed his head. "Does Xander miss Mommy?"
"Tsk!" Xander rolled his eyes. "You¡¯re too mushy. I¡¯m not that childish!"
Although he said that, he did not pull his head away from her.
Pete immediately rolled his eyes. "Then who is it that asks almost every day why Mommy sleeps for so long?"
Xander: "?"
His face turned red instantly and he snorted. "I was afraid she would die!"
"You¡¯re not allowed to curse Mommy!" Cherry looked fierce.
Pete frowned as well. "Don¡¯t say such nonsense. How could Mommy die? You¡¯re talking nonsense!"
Xander pursed his lips. "I was just saying. It¡¯s not like she¡¯d really..."
He still did not say the word ¡¯die¡¯.
The three children huddled together and argued. It made Pete talk more. Cherry¡¯s ADHD had recovered even without gaming, and it also made Xander not hate this family so much.
Nora checked Xander¡¯s body again. When she saw that he was fine, she finally heaved a sigh of relief.
Justin still had some work matters to settle, so he went to the study. Nora was downstairs ying with the three children.
She looked at Xander and suddenly asked, "Xander, do you want to change your name?"
Xander was stunned and looked at her. "What name should I change? There¡¯s no need to change it. It¡¯s meaningless."
Nora hesitated and said, "But you¡¯re Justin and my child. You can choose whether you want your surname to be Smith or Hunt."
Xander immediately pursed his lips. "I don¡¯t want my surname to be Smith. I don¡¯t want my surname to be Hunt either!"
Hearing this, Nora was stunned. "Why?"
Xander¡¯s eyes instantly flickered. "Sigh, why are you so annoying?! I¡¯ve been called Xander Yale for five years. Why do I have to change my name? I¡¯m not changing!"
With that, he jumped up in anger and ran upstairs.
Nora frowned.
Why was Xander so sensitive and against changing his name?
Was he hiding something?
Or was he still...
Nora sighed silently. Trueman had raised him for five years. If he still had feelings for Trueman, it was really a headache. After all, she could not forcefully change Xander¡¯s thoughts and feelings.
As she was thinking, Pete said, "Mommy, don¡¯t be angry. I know why he doesn¡¯t want to change his name."
Chapter 730: Taking Revenge For Xander
Chapter 730: Taking Revenge For Xander
Upon hearing what Pete said, Nora asked, "Why?"
Pete sneaked a nce upstairs again, then he nced at Cherry, who was hugging Nora¡¯s thigh, and coughed.
Before Nora could say anything, Cherry said in her young and tender voice, "I¡¯m not leaving, Pete! I also wanna listen!"
"..."
Left with no other choice, Pete could only sigh silently. He nced at the upper floor again before he finally said, "When Xander woke up, he overheard some people¡¯s conversation."
When Xander regained consciousness, his IQ had once again increased, and he also became more sensitive.
The young child had never had his parents by his side since he was born. Although he had just returned to the family, he could nevertheless sense the family¡¯s servants¡¯ dislike of him.
After all, he had really been very naughty previously.
He pretended to be nonchnt on the surface but had been improving his behavior in private. He went to the lower floor to y with Cherry¡¯s childish dolls with her, and also apanied Pete and worked on Mathematical Olympiad problems together. In truth, he had also been working hard to integrate himself into the family.
But the day before, he had simply been too bored. On top of that, the little guy liked to be secretive and sneaky in everything he did, so he had sneaked into the shared toilet used by the servants at home and eavesdropped on their conversations.
This was because he had found out, after a search on the Inte, that the toilet was where one could listen to the juiciest gossip.
The little guy had squatted in the cubicle and listened to the men chatting outside.
"Did you notice that Xander¡¯s temper has improved recently?"
"That¡¯s probably because Pete and Cherry are so well-behaved that he has also be better-behaved due to their influence. He grew up elsewhere, so he has an unruly temper, but he has reined himself in now!"
"You¡¯d better not say such things so carelessly. Mr. Hunt hates us talking about them in private!"
"I know, aren¡¯t I just telling you?"
"Well, no matter what the reason, you can say that Xander has been reformed, I suppose. But in that case, why hasn¡¯t Mr. Hunt changed his name? Or legally registered him as part of the family yet?"
"Tsk, here, I¡¯ll exin that to you. This is just my spection, but you see how Cherry¡¯sst name is Smith, right? In the future, she will probably inherit the assets that the Smiths leave for her mother. As for Pete, hisst name is Hunt, and he has long been unofficially appointed as the future heir of the Hunts. If Xander changes his name, then should he take Smith or Hunt as hisst name?"
"Are you saying that Mr. Hunt doesn¡¯t n to give him any shares?"
"Speaking of shares... Do you know? The Hunts always have the final say in the Hunt Corporation because they have more than 50% of the shares firmly in their control. Although Herman and Justin have separated now, this must not happen to the next generation. Therefore, he will only give the shares to one person, so that he can guarantee that person¡¯s absolute rights and control of the Hunt Corporation. Will he give them to Xander? Or to Pete? Who knows? The purpose of Xander¡¯s sudden return is precisely to fight forpany shares with Pete!"
"Tsk, no wonder he suddenly came back when he has already been away for so many years. That¡¯s true, the Smith Corporation¡¯s shares are also arge sum of money. Even if Mr. Hunt doesn¡¯t give him any shares, Ms. Smith definitely will. He¡¯s in for a windfall this time!"
"Exactly... But little bastards like him can only fake good behavior, he definitely won¡¯t be able to change his personality deep down inside. No matter what he does, he won¡¯t be able topare to Pete¡¯s gentlemanly demeanor..."
"..."
The two left the toilet as they chatted, leaving Xander dumbfounded and speechless inside. He walked out in a daze. As soon as he stepped out, he saw Pete, who was also standing outside. He must have heard what they said just now.
Xander flushed at once. In particr, as he looked at Pete, he suddenly shouted, "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not interested in the Hunts¡¯ assets! I also don¡¯t have any interest in fighting for them with you! I will make all my money by myself in the future!"
After saying that, he pushed Pete away and ran to the vi.
"Later, even though he didn¡¯t quarrel with me, he didn¡¯t spend much time solving Mathematical Olympiad problems with me anymore. He has been ying games with Cherry the whole day today!"
Pete hung his head and spoke in disappointment.
He must have also wanted very much for Xander to y with him.
Cherry raised her head, her big dark eyes blinking as she said, "Really? Why didn¡¯t I notice anything?"
"..."
Cherry was cute and was a sweet-talker, but she was also very insensitive. It would be a wonder if she could sense the little boy¡¯s secretive thoughts!
All she could do was just fight others in a battle of wits. In truth, she really was rather insensitive.
However, it was also through the contrast between her and Pete that Nora had discovered something¡ªchildren who grew up with their mothers would indeed have a stronger sense of happiness.
Look at Pete. He might openly say that Xander was sensitive, but wasn¡¯t he also just as sensitive? Otherwise, how would a five-year-old possibly contemte so many problems?!
When Nora thought of this, as well as of the two servants¡¯ conversation, she felt a burst of anger. She lowered her head and looked down at Pete at once. "Can you recognize the two servants who were talking behind your backs?"
"Mommy, I have already looked into it!"
One could always rest assured with Pete¡¯s way of handling things. Despite his young age, he was already capable of taking every aspect into consideration. He said, "The two of them are in charge of cleaning the garden in the backyard. One of them is Greg Lewis, the other one is Lionel Scott. They have been working for the Hunts for three years."
Nora: "..."
The corners of her lips spasmed and she couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Since you have already found out everything, then you must also have ways of dealing with them, so why haven¡¯t you taken any action?"
Pete¡¯s authority at home was not to be vited.
Moreover, although the boy was mildly autistic, he was not stupid. On the contrary, he was very clever.
Pete replied, "Xander must bepeting with me right now. Since everyone says that I am better than him, if I step forward to defend him, he will definitely feel even more ufortable. Besides, isn¡¯t it the parents¡¯ responsibility to protect their children?"
Pete looked at her eagerly, "Also, I think that Xander would prefer you to protect him instead."
Nora: "..."
The corners of her lips spasmed. Faced with Pete like that, she suddenly said, "Pete, be honest with me. Back then, when two of your private tutors bullied you, you hadn¡¯t resisted them. Is it because you had never thought of putting up any resistance?"
Pete lowered his head when he heard this.
He initially didn¡¯t want to exin, but he suddenly felt like opening up in this instant. He nodded and answered, "Yes. At that time, I thought that I had brought harm to my grandmother, so I didn¡¯t feel like fighting back anymore."
Nora heaved a quiet sigh.
The boy was simply too sensitive.
She took Pete¡¯s hand and walked straight out. "Come on, let¡¯s go to the garden and look for the two of them!"
As for Cherry, her eyes swiveled a little and she let go of Nora¡¯s leg. Then, she ran upstairs.
Mommy was about to unleash her prowess. How could she possibly not get Xander to watch a show as entertaining as that?
How exciting! How thrilling!
Hehehe...
In the garden in the backyard.
Two male servants were chatting as they swept the floor.
"I saw Pete yesterday. The look in his eyes when he looked at me was just so... Why does it make me feel a little uneasy?"
"What are you thinking? Pete never gets angry, it¡¯s fine."
The other man whispered, "Say, do you think Pete overheard what we said that day? After all, he was standing right outside when we stepped out..."
"Heh, so what even if he heard us? We are here as cleaners by Roger Hunt¡¯s rmendation. Can a kid like him even fire us? Besides, even if we are fired, we will still get arge sum of money!"
Chapter 731: Making False Counter-charges
Chapter 731: Making False Counter-charges
"No, Roger Hunt put us here so that we can snoop around for news, but who would have thought that Mr. Hunt¡¯s supervision would be so strict? We have been here for three years, but we haven¡¯t found any useful news at all, sigh! If we are fired, he may not necessarily protect us."
"Don¡¯t worry needlessly. It¡¯ll only embarrass him if he doesn¡¯t protect us. Even if it¡¯s just to prevent himself from being embarrassed, he will still protect us. Besides, everything we said was favorable towards Pete. I don¡¯t think he will spread any nonsense!"
The two, who did not notice the people walking towards them from behind, continued specting in low voices.
"Furthermore, Mr. Hunt can barely protect himself now. Now that his father has returned to fight for thepany¡¯s ownership with him, he can¡¯t be bothered to deal with us. It¡¯s the safest for us right now!"
"You¡¯re right, heh heh. I wonder who will win, Mr. Hunt or his father? At the bottom of it all, it¡¯s all just because of Mrs. Hunt."
"Have you seen Mrs. Hunt? She doesn¡¯t look like a fifty-year-old at all. You can easily say that she¡¯s thirty; and even if you say she¡¯s twenty, there will probably still be people who would believe it! How can someone be so beautiful?!"
"Women are trouble. It¡¯s precisely because she is so pretty that things went wrong! On top of that, she doesn¡¯t even look old at all. What else is she, if not a vixen?"
"..."
"Shut up!"
Nora was originally nning to listen and see what else the two of them would talk about, but in the end, they changed the subject and started talking about Iris instead.
This was intolerable.
Her fierce bark gave the two men a shock. They turned back in unison to see Norae up to them while holding Pete¡¯s hand.
Nora¡¯s pretty face was tense, and there was faint anger and a pressurizing aura in her eyes. Added to this her tall and slender figure, which allowed her to stand at about the same height as the two men, her aura became increasingly strong.
They were so scared that they hurriedly lowered their heads. "Ms. Smith," they said.
Nora narrowed her eyes and stared at them. "Badmouthing your employers behind their backs... Is that what your contracts asked of you?"
The Hunts¡¯ servants were mostly old-timers whom the Hunts were already ustomed to having around. Some of the old-timers¡¯ family members would also work there. Although there was no such thing as indentured servitude these days, their employers would never abuse them. In fact, they treated them very well, so most of the servants in the family were very loyal.
There were some old-timers who received even better treatment, such as Fanny, who served the elderly Mrs. Hunt. She had served Mrs. Hunt her whole life, so the two were as close as sisters.
However, the servants also knew that they should protect themselves, so all of them were hired on a contractual employment system.
When the two servants were hired to clean the garden in the backyard three years ago, they had also signed employment contracts. Thus, their job scope and job requirements would definitely be stated in detail in the contracts.
The two servants looked at each other in fright. One of them said boldly, "Ms. Smith, you must have misheard. We didn¡¯t badmouth our employers."
The other man also recovered from his shock and stammered, "Y-yes, he¡¯s right. We didn¡¯t talk about our employers behind their backs. We were talking about another family, you must have misheard!"
Nora: "?"
They were really just so... Were they pretending that nothing had happened when they had already been caught red-handed?
She lowered her eyes. She couldn¡¯t be bothered to say anything else to the two, so she immediately said, "You should know very well whether or not you¡¯ve talked about your employers behind their backs just now. As for Pete and I, we were standing right here. Heh, are you going to take the initiative to resign? Or do you want me to get someone to fire you?"
Nora was very aggressive. "If it¡¯s thetter, then I¡¯m afraid the two of you will end up being cklisted. You don¡¯t need me to exin the consequences of that, right?"
Should they be cklisted, no one would employ them when they went job-hunting in the future.
Besides...
Pete raised his head. In his big eyes, which looked just like Cherry¡¯s, was not thetter¡¯s cheeky cuteness but instead a scheming look. In his young and tender voice, he said, "Mommy, why are you letting them off? If we tell Daddy, the two of them will be in for it!"
What Nora said had already intimidated the two servants just now, so when they heard what Pete said, the two immediately fell onto the ground in fright.
One of them said, "Sir Pete, we realize our mistake now, sob!"
Nora stroked Pete¡¯s hair. "Forget it, everyone makes mistakes. Let¡¯s forgive them wherever possible!"
Upon hearing what she said, the two servants looked at each other, both swallowing hard. One of them said, "T-thank you, Ms. Smith. W-we will leave by ourselves..."
Nora nodded and pointed at the door. "Get out."
The two nodded. Then, they turned around and walked out.
When they disappeared from the garden, Xander¡¯s voice traveled over. "Hmph, are you letting them off so easily? You are such a weakling and a pushover!"
Nora cast her eyes down and heaved a silent sigh.
She squatted down and looked at Xander. "You are still young, so you don¡¯t understand how important jobs are to people. Now that the two of them have lost their jobs, they will find even feeding themselves a problem. This is already a very severe punishment."
Xander had grown up with Trueman. Nora didn¡¯t want him to be too narrow-minded. She wanted him to learn to be kind to others.
Xander sneered, "Even so, that won¡¯t do! Their punishment is too light!"
Cherry blinked. She didn¡¯t understand the ins and outs of what had happened, but even so, she immediately retorted, "Don¡¯t talk nonsense, Mommy must have her reasons for doing what she did! Mommy will definitely punish them for you!"
Pete exined, "Xander, don¡¯t worry. Do you think they will have it easy after they resign? Mommy has already said that jobs are very important to them. Do you think that people who can never find a job again in the future will be able to enjoy life?"
To be honest, punishment for talking ill of others behind their backs shouldn¡¯t have been so severe.
However, since they were Roger¡¯s pawns, how would Nora possibly be that kind?
Moreover!
Pete exined further, "Mommy can¡¯t openly do anything to them because this is a society governed byws! They are just people that our family had hired, they are not our ves! Besides... we don¡¯t actually have the right to fire them!"
Hisst sentence stunned both Cherry and Xander. Both of them asked in unison, "Why?"
"Because..."
Before he could finish, footsteps came from the garden¡¯s entrance again and Roger walked in with the two servants.
Roger had a smile on his face as usual. As soon as he entered, he said cheerfully, "Oh my, who is this? Isn¡¯t this Justin¡¯s fianc¨¦e? What¡¯s wrong? How did these two bastards make you so angry that you lost your temper so badly?"
The rest of Pete¡¯s words were cut off by him. He looked at Cherry and Xander, held their hands, and whispered, "That mean Uncle Roger will tell you the reason!"
Both Cherry and Xander looked at Roger in confusion.
Roger¡¯s eyes were narrowed, but he had a very gentle and amiable expression on his face. He said, "Nora, you haven¡¯t even married into the family, yet you are already throwing your weight around in the Hunts¡¯ residence? Isn¡¯t that quite inappropriate? Besides, what exactly have these two people done wrong? They kept crying and crying, so I couldn¡¯t understand what they were saying. They are, after all, people whom I recruited into the family, so you have to give me a reason for dismissing them no matter what, right? The Hunts are reasonable people, we mustn¡¯t bully them just because they are weak and powerless!"
At the sight of him, Nora cast her eyes down slightly. She said dispassionately, "They badmouthed their employers behind their backs. Isn¡¯t this reason enough?"
Roger immediately replied, "What? They actually had the audacity to badmouth their employers behind their backs? The reason is enough, of course. It is clearly written in the employee contract that they are not allowed to talk about their employers behind their backs, let alone divulge news and information about them to outsiders!"
After saying this, he looked straight at the two servants. "How can you make such a mistake when you know full well that you¡¯re not supposed to do that? If the two of you have really badmouthed your employers behind their backs, then you will certainly have to be fired. In addition, you will also have to return the wages paid to you during the past three years aspensation!"
The moment Lionel and Greg heard this and noticed the look Roger was giving them, they got the hint. They shouted, "Mr. Roger, we are innocent!"
Roger snorted coldly. "You¡¯re innocent? What¡¯s the use of you crying foul here? Since my sister-inw has said that the two of you did badmouth your employers, then she definitely has evidence to back it up! Otherwise, she would never make any baseless usations."
He then looked at Nora with a smile and said, "Nora, where¡¯s the evidence? If you can produce the evidence, then I will deal with these two people right away!"
"..."
Pete sighed silently and exined to Cherry and Xander, "You saw that, right? America hasbor protectionws. Even if you want to fire an employee for misconduct, you have to produce evidence of their misconduct first."
Xander was perplexed. After all, he had grown up in a basement and didn¡¯t know much about human rtions. He asked, "But didn¡¯t you and Mommy hear them?"
Cherry, however, had understood by then. She stamped her foot and said angrily, "Tsk, Xander, why are you so stupid? We did hear them, but they can also counter us by saying that we are lying! We have to produce factual evidence as proof! No wonder Mommy only threatened those two into resigning just now. As it turns out, it¡¯s because Mommy doesn¡¯t have any actual evidence!"
By this point, Xander had also understood. A look of deep thought appeared on his countenance. "So that¡¯s how it is!"
On the other side, Roger was still looking at Nora. Seeing that she was keeping quiet with her eyes narrowed, he smiled and said, "Nora, where¡¯s the evidence? Show us the evidence! Surely you do have evidence, right?"
Lionel and Greg changed their tunes at once. "Mr. Roger, we really didn¡¯t speak ill of others behind their backs! Ms. Smith is just ndering us because she doesn¡¯t like us! You mustn¡¯t fire us. If you really do so, then we will sue you and go for judicial arbitration! Theborw will protect us!"
Upon hearing what they said, Roger looked at Nora smugly.
Seeing this, Xander whispered, "Are we going to drop the whole thing just like that?"
Xander might not understand anything else, but he did understand one thing, and that was¡ªNora wanted to take action against those two people, and if she failed, it would be very embarrassing for her!
Cherry, however, blinked and said with a smile, "No way! Does Mommy look like such a weakling to you?"
Xander: "??"
Chapter 732: Who Says I Don’t Have Any Evidence?!
Chapter 732: Who Says I Don¡¯t Have Any Evidence?!
Nora hadn¡¯t even married into the family, yet she was already punishing the Hunts¡¯ servants who had bullied her son.
To be honest, if news of the incident spread, it really wouldn¡¯t sound very nice.
On top of that, the worst thing was that she didn¡¯t even seed in doing so, which would only serve to make it look even more like she was not respected at the Hunts¡¯ residence. This was exactly Roger¡¯s objective.
He had fought Justin for the position of the head of the family for a lifetime, yet he¡¯d never been able to obtain the position all this time.
Now that he finally had the opportunity to make trouble for him, Roger was really giving it his all.
He looked at Nora triumphantly and said, "Nora... you may be Justin¡¯s fianc¨¦e, but it¡¯s not right of you to do that! Without any evidence, how can you fire the servants so carelessly? We are no longer in ancient times. The servants are also humans, we are all equal here. We have signed contracts between us. If you must fire them, sure. You¡¯ll just have to pay them additional wages aspensation. Shall I ask the Finance Department to give them the extra wages and then dismiss them?"
Dismissing them with extra wages would be tantamount to admitting that the two servants hadn¡¯t made any mistakes, but were dismissed purely because Nora didn¡¯t like them.
Should news of it spread, wouldn¡¯t it still end up as Nora abusing her authority?
Those sure were some nice ns that Roger had made.
Nora still looked as calm and dispassionate as ever. Seeing Roger¡¯s stance, she looked straight at the two servants. With a contemptuous smile on her lips, she asked, "Are the two of you really not going to take the initiative to resign?"
Lionel and Greg hurriedly shook their heads.
"We really didn¡¯t do anything wrong, how can we resign?"
"Yeah. You can just say so if you don¡¯t like us, Ms. Smith. You can fire us, but surely you can¡¯t be so bossy as to force us to resign, right?"
The more they spoke, the more aggrieved the two of them became, which attracted people nearby to gather around them. A group of servants hired by the Hunts had gathered at the back door to the garden and were watching the excitement.
Roger nced behind him. His men among the crowd immediately started to fan the mes. He said, "Ms. Smith, you haven¡¯t married into the family, right? What right do you have to deal with the Hunts¡¯ servants?"
"Yes, besides, servants are also humans. What makes you think you can be so overbearing?"
"There¡¯s equality in the society now, you can¡¯t look down on us! We are just working for the Hunts, there¡¯s no other rtionship between us. Your actions are really disappointing!"
"Yeah! Ms. Smith, you are too much!"
Nora raised her eyebrows and looked at them without speaking.
The dispute quickly reached the few masters of the Hunts.
Soon, Iris came over. When she entered, she immediately reprimanded the servants gathered there. "What are all of you doing gathered around here? Go and do what you should be doing!"
When the rest of the servants heard her, they subconsciously wanted to leave. However, Roger said, "You can¡¯t put it that way, Aunt Iris. Aren¡¯t they all servants? They just want to see whether our family will treat them fairly! The Hunts¡¯ hundred years of good reputation mustn¡¯t be ruined by Nora today!"
Roger¡¯s men also spoke up at once. "Yes, we are going to stay right here. Greg, Lionel, don¡¯t be afraid! Sometimes, we just have to stand up strong and safeguard our interests!"
"We and the Hunts are just employer and employees, we don¡¯t have a master-servant rtionship here! Make no mistake about it, guys!"
"Exactly, we are not ves! very has long been overthrown! It¡¯s the era of peace and democracy now..."
"..."
The rest of the servants were manipted into thinking that Nora had bullied the servants and was looking down on them.
As a result, people from the other vis also started to echo them.
The bigger themotion became, the more people started to gather...
Iris frowned and reprimanded them at once. "It¡¯s working hours right now, what are all of you staying here for? Go back to your respective workstations at once!"
Although Iris had only moved back into the Hunts¡¯ manor for a few days, with the help of Justin, she had already taken over the Hunts¡¯ housekeeping rights shortly after she moved back in.
Besides, the woman was simply too beautiful, so much so that she had a unique aura around her.
It made one unable to hate her or dislike her.
Everyone did like listening to their beautiful employer, so they decided to leave. But when they were about to leave, another voice traveled over: "Iris, now that¡¯s not right of you to say that. Who would still be in the mood to work when something like this has happened? Haven¡¯t they already all gathered here? Since that is the case, then, in my opinion, why not just handle this incident in an open and fair manner?!"
Along with the voice, Lauren walked over gracefully.
Her hip twisted from side to side as she walked over. When she came forward in front of the crowd, she looked at Nora with a smile and asked Iris, "Are you going to protect your daughter-inw? Or are you going to protect your employees?"
With a single sentence, she put Nora and all of the Hunts¡¯ servants on opposing sides.
As expected, she sure was impressive.
Nora raised her eyebrows and looked at Lauren.
On the way to the manor, Justin had already told her that ever since Herman came into possession of the Hunt Corporation¡¯s shares, he and Lauren had moved back into the Hunts¡¯ manor.
In addition, Herman wanted Iris to give up her housekeeping rights to Lauren.
Mrs. Hunt was already very old. While she took the medicine that Nora made, she also turned a blind eye to all these things.
But because of Herman and the fuss he¡¯d kicked up, Lauren¡¯s speaking rights at home had suddenly increased.
There were now faint signs that she could contend with Iris.
And sure enough... As soon as she heard that something had gone wrong with Nora, she had hurried over immediately.
At the sight of her, Iris frowned in disgust. "What do the affairs in Justin¡¯s vi have to do with you?!"
Lauren sighed at once. "Now that¡¯s not right of you to say that, Iris. No matter what, I am still Herman¡¯swful wife, whereas Ms. Smith and Justin are not married yet! Besides, we are all part of the Hunts here, of course I¡¯d have to be concerned about the Hunts¡¯ reputation! News of Herman and Justin fighting for shares has already be the talk of the city¡ªthat¡¯s not a bad thing, though, because the Hunt Corporation¡¯s shares have skyrocketed as a result¡ªbut at a time like this, we mustn¡¯t allow any negative news from within the family to be exposed. Things like bullying and oppressing servants and nannies must not happen. Besides, the servants and nannies are here to help us and take care of us, everyone is a friend. We mustn¡¯t have arrogant and unreasonable employers who carelessly bully the servants..."
Her words hadpletely put herself on the moral high ground.
All the servants around them, no matter who it was, pped when they heard her.
Iris was very calm. She said, "Don¡¯t you dare sow discord here. When have I ever said that the servants are treated as lower-ss humans? Neither do I have any intentions to suppress them. Lauren, don¡¯t bother diverting the conflict with your words. The incident today is purely between Nora and those two people, it has nothing to do with anyone else! Besides, judging from what you said, are you saying that as long as they are part of the weak and powerless, they will always be right? Even Herman had to be punished and driven out of the Hunts when he made a mistake back then, let alone them. Everyone is a human here. Why can¡¯t they be punished when they have made a mistake?"
Iris had never been a coward or someone who allowed others to bully her. She was articte and eloquent from the start, and she easily refuted Lauren with just a few words.
Lauren curled her lips disdainfully and sneered, "Iris, you keep saying that they have made mistakes, but what mistakes did they make? Surely the Hunts can¡¯t drive them out of the house just because Ms. Smith casually made some false usations about them without any proof, right? In that case, if I find someone an eyesore in the future, does that mean I can also casually use them of stealing money without any evidence and then drive them out? Is thebor contract nothing but an ornament?"
Iris scoffed, "Of course it isn¡¯t, neither do I dare treat it as one. However, families have family rules of their own. Let¡¯s go by the book today!"
"Go by the book? The way I see it, aren¡¯t the rules and regtions herepletely dictated by the two of you? Iris, if you can¡¯t produce any evidence today, then I think you¡¯d better not manage the household affairs anymore. You¡¯re making too big a mess here!"
Lauren stepped forward and said very arrogantly, "I, however, don¡¯t mind giving myself a little work and taking care of the family!"
As she spoke, the corners of Nora¡¯s lips curled into a smile. "With the way you twist the truth and how you condone the servants specting about their employers, why should you manage the family?"
Lauren scoffed, "You insist that they were specting about their employers, but what did they say? Do you have any evidence? The most hateful thing here is you spreading rumors when you don¡¯t have any evidence! Iris, in my opinion, a daughter-inw like Nora is simply too unreasonable. You¡¯d better carefully reconsider the marriage with the Smiths, and not let Justin take such an unreasonable wife who has the audacity to run amok at home when she doesn¡¯t even have any evidence!"
Just as Iris was about to speak, Nora said contemptuously, "Who says I don¡¯t have any evidence?"
Chapter 733: Face-Slapping!
Chapter 733: Face-pping!
Her emotionless one-liner took Lauren aback for a moment.
But right after, she recovered. How could Nora possibly have any evidence?
If she had any, then she would have already produced it as soon as Roger came over. She was probably just being stubborn by saying something like that now!
Besides, the two of them had only chatted casually with each other a little. Outsiders hadn¡¯t heard them, so how would she have any evidence?!
Lauren snorted. "What kind of evidence can you possibly have?"
Nora raised her brows. Suddenly, she took out her phone and yed a video¡ªit was a conversation between Lionel and Greg!
Also!
It didn¡¯t just include their conversation from just now, but also what Pete had overheard them saying in the toilet that day!
When they wereing over, Pete had been worried that they would deny the allegations, so he had passed the recording to Nora.
After they arrived, Nora had deliberately stood behind the two and listened to their conversation for a very long time before she finally stepped forward, just so she could obtain the evidence.
How would Pete and Nora possibly not have a n B?
As for why she hadn¡¯t said anything just now...
Nora had been waiting for Lauren toe over and confront Iris. By producing the evidence at this moment, she was giving Lauren a p in the face!
The recording finished ying. Nora had specially removed the part where the two of them called Iris a vixen¡ªafter all, the fact that they had badmouthed about their little masters was already enough.
There was no need to publicly poke fun at the elders.
There was now solid evidence of Greg and Lionel talking about their employers behind their backs. In addition, they had even said such nasty things about them. Their oue was now a foregone conclusion!
Lauren¡¯s expression immediately changed after the recording finished ying.
She broke into a frown. Then, she immediately changed her tune. "Ms. Smith, if you had evidence of what they did, then why didn¡¯t you produce it earlier? By doing so, aren¡¯t you causing misunderstandings among us?"
Nora did not need to reply to her¡ªbecause Iris had already done that for her. Iris said, "Tsk, if she had produced it earlier, then how would we have seen that side of you just now? Lauren, you covet the Hunts¡¯ housekeeping rights, yet you can¡¯t even distinguish right from wrong. How can the Hunts¡¯ housekeeping rights be given to you?! You¡¯d better just keep Herman happy instead!"
Lauren: "!!"
Her face alternated between being as pale as a sheet and as red as a tomato. In particr, Iris lecturing her from a higher position felt especially unbearable for her.
She was a mistress-turnedwful-wife, so her status in the family was low from the start. And now, she had been thoroughly embarrassed by someone else.
She clenched her fists angrily.
On the other side, Roger immediately said, "Tsk, look at you, Nora. If you had produced the evidence earlier, I would¡¯ve dealt with these two people right away. Alright, since there is now evidence, rest assured that I will drive them out of the house. In addition, no one out there will dare to hire them ever again!"
After saying this, Roger kicked the two men¡¯s butts and said, "Get lost!"
He took the two men with him and slipped off with his tail between his legs.
It was only when he left the garden that he came to a stop. After getting someone to take Greg and Lionel away, he looked at the upper floor.
Where Justin¡¯s study was, despite curtains blocking the view, he could see a tall and lean figure standing there.
A sharp look shed in Roger¡¯s eyes.
The person next to him asked, "Mr. Roger, what are you looking at?"
Roger sneered, "I¡¯m looking at that man and wondering why he¡¯s so lucky to find such a smart wife!"
"..."
In the garden.
After Roger left, the rest of the servants, who had realized what happened, dispersed and returned to their respective posts to work.
For a while, only the masters of the house were left in the garden.
A triumphant Cherry was singing praises of Nora to Xander. "Did you see that? Mommy is the most powerful person on earth! No one can escape her clutches once she decides to fight!"
"..."
A silent Nora looked at her daughter. She was about to make a dry remark about how Cherry was probably the only one who would talk about her like that when she noticed Xander looking at her with his eyes all bright and shiny.
Last time, Mommy had defeated those two bodyguards who could kill even Butterscotch, and now, she¡¯d taken revenge for him...
Xander could only sigh and marvel inwardly: Mommy was simply too amazing!
Despite his thoughts, though, he didn¡¯t dare to express them. When Nora looked over, he immediately reined in his look of worship and adopted a cool expression again. He grinned and scoffed, "What¡¯s the big deal?"
"Yes, that¡¯s right."
Nora¡¯s lip corners curled into a smile and she said, "Keep calm and carry on."
Xander: "?"
He looked at Cherry nkly. "What does that mean? Is it an idiom?"
Cherry, however, was very familiar with Inte lingo and memes. The little fellow shook her head and replied, "No, what Mommy means is, these are all small matters to her, so just act normal and don¡¯t be too impressed!"
Xander: "..."
Pete: "..."
As expected, only women understood other women!
While the four of them were talking to one another in low voices, Iris and Lauren had reached the point of dishing out tough talk.
Lauren stared at Iris. After her expression changed a few times, she finally sneered and said, "Ha, you can¡¯t deal with me by yourself, so you got yourself a helper?"
Iris was unfazed. "Well, at least I have someone I can ask for help. What about you? What, did the old madam not help you?"
Lauren: "!"
Bringing up that topic was no different from stabbing a knife straight into her heart.
Mrs. Hunt valued status and family background the most. One must know that Iris was a model youngdy of a wealthy family, whereas Lauren was just an ordinary person. Therefore, Mrs. Hunt had already disliked her intensely back then.
This time, even though Mrs. Hunt had taken Herman¡¯s side on the surface, in private, she actually leaned more towards Justin.
At least, with regard to housekeeping rights, Mrs. Hunt hadn¡¯t made any trouble this time.
Of course, this also showed that Nora and Justin¡¯s efforts some time ago hadn¡¯t been in vain. The olddy did indeed understand some things now and had be more reasonable.
Lauren balled up her fingers in anger. A whileter, though, she loosened them. She said straight to Iris, "Yes, I may not be valued, but no matter how unvalued I am, at the very least, I won¡¯t impede Herman. But I can¡¯t say the same for you, can I? You¡¯re a vixen with bothersome debts everywhere. You¡¯re the one who brought the Hunts to a point where father and son have turned against each other!
"Iris, if I were you, I would be ashamed to even stay in the Hunt Manor. Howe you have the cheek to do so?"
Her words made Iris choke. Nora, however, immediately retorted, "Tsk, Lauren, we are all women here, why are you victim ming? Is Aunt Iris at fault just because she¡¯s good-looking? Whereas you¡¯re right because your looks are average? What kind of reasoning is that?"
"You¡ª!"
Lauren stretched out her finger and pointed at Nora angrily. But even after a while, she still couldn¡¯t find anything to rebut her with. As such, she could only shout, "Just you wait! The Hunts will be Herman¡¯s sooner orter, and when that happens, all of you will be driven out of the house! And you, cherish yourst moments with your son! Philip has already called Hermanst night, the two of them are nning to join forces! Let¡¯s see what your oue will be like in the end!"
She left immediately after saying that.
Upstairs.
Inside Justin¡¯s study.
The corners of Justin¡¯s lips curled into a smile as he watched Nora stand up for his mother and publicly p Lauren in the face for her.
It would be too low-ss of him to interfere in the household affairs. He¡¯d better let the women settle their own affairs instead!
At this moment, his cell phone suddenly rang.
When he answered, Philip¡¯s voice came from the other side: "Young man, do you admit your mistakes?"
Justin raised his brows and sat on the sofa. His voice was calm as he said, "No."
Philip sneered, "As expected, you really are young and brazen. Do you have any idea what you are about to lose? Without money, even your lover will leave you!"
Justin replied, "She won¡¯t."
Philip sneered, "She won¡¯t? That¡¯s because you¡¯re not there yet. Didn¡¯t your mother leave me back then precisely because she thought I was poor?"
Justin suddenly said, "No, it¡¯s because you were not worth her trust."
If one concealed the fact that they were rich, and continued to test their girlfriend instead of helping her even in her most desperate time of need...
People like that deserved to lose their girlfriend.
Philip paused. Then, he said sinisterly, "Very well, you have thoroughly offended me! Young man, do you know the consequences of that?"
Justin raised his eyebrows.
Of course he did. The consequences were that Philip had lost 45 billion dors, of course!
Before he could speak, Philip spoke again. "Do you know who you have offended or not?"
Justiny downzily. "Well, no, I really don¡¯t."
His understatement-like tone made Philip choke. It was only a short whileter that he finally asked, "... Do you know of the Imperial League?"
Chapter 734: What Should Xander’s Last Name Be?
Chapter 734: What Should Xander¡¯s Last Name Be?
Justin smiled. "No, I¡¯ve never heard of it."
"..."
His words seemed to make Philip choke, and even his choice of words became less harsh. He said, "Howe you don¡¯t know anything at all, young man? How exactly did you manage to expand the Hunts to their current size? The way I see it, the Smiths should have taken over as the number one family a long time ago!"
His words gave Justin the illusion that the man seemed to be mentoring him a little.
Philip continued to speak fiercely. "The Imperial League is the most mysterious business organization in the world. There are twelve members in it, and they each use a different animal as an alias. They can dominate world economy trends because they have the sharpest intuition and they are sensitive enough to discern world development trends and pick up improvements in technology. Some time ago, the Imperial League had said that the real estate market in America will undergo rapid development, so everyone went to America to take their share of the loot. Now, the Imperial League says that the real estate market will go into decline, whereas new energy and technology will usher in all-around development, so everyone is starting to invest in those."
At this point, Philip said, "Don¡¯t be mistaken and think that it¡¯s the Imperial League members who are influencing the direction of the world; rather, this is the inevitable trend of social development. The Imperial League is just going along with the trend! But with such a group of forward-looking people in there, our twelve families will never meet with any trouble! We will always be in the leading positions in the world. The Hunts don¡¯t even know about the Imperial League, you¡¯ll be eliminated by society and be out of touch sooner orter!
"Heh, if you don¡¯t find a way to join the Imperial League, then you can wait to be utterly crushed by me!"
Justin: "..."
If it had only been an illusion earlier, then he was now sure of it¡ªPhilip was pointing him to a way out.
From beginning to end, Philip had never wanted them dead!
Justin fell silent for a moment. Suddenly, he spoke, his term of address for Philip also bing a little more respectful.
"Uncle Philip, you actually don¡¯t hate my mother at all, do you?"
His one-liner made Philip choke.
After a while, he sneered, "How can that be? I hate her with every fiber of my being. For the sake of a mere $80,000, she abandoned me. Ha, in the face of money, our rtionship is not worth anything!"
Justin, however, said, "You could¡¯ve killed me when you kidnapped me back then. Wouldn¡¯t that have pained and saddened my mother even more than separating me from her? Why bother waiting to save me after twelve hours?"
Philip didn¡¯t speak.
Justin spoke again. "You were just waiting for my mother to give in and approach you for help. Were you waiting for her to apologize and bow down to you?"
Philip sneered, "Boy, you talk too much!"
Justin let out a lowugh and said no more. However, he¡¯d already understood.
Philip really did love his mother very much.
It was true that Philip also hated his mother, but in the face of love, most of his hatred had been offset. Even though he¡¯d punished his mother like that, he had never wanted to kill her. This showed that he had never really thought of hurting her.
Perhaps...
Justin lowered his eyes. He couldn¡¯t help but start wondering.
When Herman realized the truth back then, if he had protected and defended his wife aggressively instead of giving her away, perhaps Philip would not have been so persistent but chosen to let go instead.
Because sometimes, the best way of showing one¡¯s love was to let go.
It must have been Herman¡¯s choice that had made him even angrier and even more disappointed, right? Iris had abandoned him for a man like that!
When Justin put himself in the other man¡¯s shoes and thought about it, he immediately understood Philip¡¯s indignation and selfish motives back then. Even though he was the one who had caused his family tragedy, in this instant, Justin instead hated Herman even more, not Philip.
He lowered his head and suddenly asked, "Uncle Philip, do you know what led to your failure back then?"
Philip was silent for a while. Then, he sneered, "Is a kid like you nning to teach me how to behave?"
Justin ignored his sarcasm and spoke earnestly. "Love can withstand trials, but it cannot stand being constantly put to the test. You and Mom were in a rtionship with each other for three years in college. When you were a poor boy, she had already chosen you. Doesn¡¯t that already show that she isn¡¯t someone who detests the poor and pursues the rich? Yet you still deceived her after that, putting her to the test again and again. That could have only ended in tragedy."
There hadn¡¯t been any misunderstanding between Philip and Iris.
What there was between the two of them was just a sense of resignation.
Back then, Iris¡¯s father had forced her into marrying Herman by threatening to not pay for her mother¡¯s medical treatment. At that time, Iris had tried approaching Philip for help.
She had asked him if he had any money, and if he could pay for her mother¡¯s medical expenses for her.
A person who had been wealthy since he was a child wasn¡¯t something that others couldpare to. No matter how hard he pretended to be poor, there would always be traces of his true origin.
Iris must have suspected it before, right?
Yet, Philip had taken the opportunity to put her to onest test and made her choose between her mother and him.
If Iris could abandon even her seriously ill mother for their rtionship, then he would never ever distrust her again.
Unfortunately, Iris did not dare to take any chances in the end. She had chosen her mother.
Philip suddenly became angry. "Love is the purest thing in this world, it should not be mixed with any kind of interests or impurities! Your mother is a person who shirks her responsibility in love, that¡¯s why she met a man like your father! A man who can¡¯t even withstand a single test!"
Philip was a very extreme man.
Justin snorted. "If Mom could only choose one between her mother and her lover, yet she chose you and decided to let my grandma die... How could someone like that even exist?"
"Why not?! Back then, I..."
Philip pulled the brakes in time at this point. He sneered, "Heh, you think I was in the wrong, right? In that case, what about you? Can your rtionship withstand a test?"
Justin raised his eyebrows. "I never put such things to the test. Neither do I ever put human nature to the test."
"Do you never put it to the test, or are you just afraid of putting it to the test?" Philip provoked him. "Isn¡¯t your current situation exactly a trial? Now that you are in a pinch, how are the Smiths reacting? They must still be showing you full support, right? So, you¡¯re moved? Is that it? Shall we make a bet?"
Justin smiled. "What kind of bet?"
"We¡¯ll make a bet on the Smiths¡¯ reaction after you lose! We¡¯ll see if they will let their youngdy marry you after you lose! And make a bet on whether your fianc¨¦e will still marry you or not!"
Justin lowered his eyes. "I won¡¯t lose."
Philip sneered, "Having confidence is good, but arrogance will only blind oneself. There is nock of people who are stronger and more powerful than you in this world. Do you think you are already number one in the world just because you¡¯ve flourished the Hunts? You are nothing in front of anyone from the Imperial League!"
"Thanks for the advice."
"Who¡¯s giving you advice?! Justin, I¡¯ll wait for you and Iris to bow down to me. There wille a day when you¡¯lle begging to me!"
Philip was probably livid. After saying that, he hung up the phone at once.
Justin stared at the phone.
His anger towards Philip from before slowly dissipated.
At this moment, he heard voices from outside. A smile formed on his face and he walked out of the study. As soon as he exited the room, he saw Nora and Iris bringing the three children upstairs.
At the sight of him, Cherry ran over first. "Daddy!"
The two boys, Pete and Xander, were more reserved. They walked up to him docilely. Pete said, "Daddy."
Xander pursed his lips and muttered unwillingly, "Daddy."
Seeing his awkward behavior, Justin squatted down and looked at him at eye-level. He asked, "Xander, can we now change your name?"
Upon hearing this, Nora knew at once that Justin must have seen everything that happened just now. She curled her lips disdainfully.
That stinky man was such a sweet-talker. He must have asked her over so that she could help Iris out, ha.
Despite her thoughts, she looked at Xander with concern. Suddenly, she smiled and suggested, "How about adopting myst name and being a Smith too?"
Justin didn¡¯t object. "Adopting Smith as yourst name works too. Xander, I¡¯ve thought of a few names for you. Would you like to test them out?"
Xander looked at the five faces around him. All of them had concern in their eyes, which made him a little ufortable.
But after he thought about it, he still said, "I don¡¯t want to take Hunt as myst name, lest those people say that I came back to fight for family assets with Pete. Ha, I¡¯m not interested in that bit of assets at all. I will make my own money when I grow up!"
Justin echoed him. "Uh-huh, so let¡¯s change yourst name to Smith?"
Xander nced at Nora. Then, he lowered his head and said, "I... I don¡¯t want to take Smith as myst name either."
The few of them were surprised.
Xander rolled his eyes. "Does it really matter what myst name is?"
Nora thought for a while. "Not really, it seems?"
"Then that¡¯s it, right?"
After saying that, Xander turned around and ran straight to his room. After entering, he locked the door from inside.
The little fellow sighed silently.
At this moment, his cell phone rang suddenly. When he answered, Trueman¡¯s voice came from the other side: "Hello, Xander, it¡¯s Daddy."
Chapter 735: The Board of Directors!
Chapter 735: The Board of Directors!
Hearing that familiar voice, Xander¡¯s pupils shrank greatly.
Yet, a sense of longing suddenly welled up in him, and he said into the phone, "Daddy, I miss you."
Even if there really were problems with the way Trueman taught Xander, Xander had ultimately still been brought up by him during the past five years.
In the Hunt Manor, Xander had to be subjected to so many people¡¯s negative attitudes towards him. It was only with Trueman that he was the one and only person who mattered.
As soon as he said that, Trueman scoffed and said, "You miss me? Then why don¡¯t youe back? I will arrange for someone to pick you up."
Xander paused.
"..."
Upon seeing his reaction, Trueman said, "See? I knew you wouldn¡¯te back once you¡¯ve met your real parents! Even though you say that you miss me, your actions say otherwise, because you have already integrated into their family, right?"
Xander lowered his head. "Daddy, I won¡¯t forget you."
But he wasn¡¯t going to go back there anymore.
From the moment he left the basement, he had never wanted to go back. Besides, he had only thought of going back earlier because of the animals.
However, Trueman had surprisingly sent them all to him.
This freed Xander from hisst scruples.
Trueman didn¡¯t force him to return, though. He merely asked, "Have you changed your name?"
Xander replied, "No."
"Tsk, considering Justin Hunt¡¯s personality, would he tolerate you having Yale as yourst name? I am a viin in their eyes after all. It won¡¯t make you much of a better person if yourst name is also Yale!"
Xander wanted to exin on behalf of Justin, but he said nothing in the end.
By then, Trueman had already changed the subject. He asked, "How¡¯s your mother?"
Xander didn¡¯t understand his question, so he answered, "She¡¯s fine. What about it?"
"... Nothing."
Trueman wanted to say more, but someone suddenly knocked on the door¡ªit was Cherry. She called out, "Xander,e on out! It¡¯s time to eat~! The food today smells really delicious! They prepared your favorite chicken drumsticks~"
Upon hearing this, Xander said to the person on the other end of the phone call, "Daddy, I¡¯m going to eat!"
After he said that, he hung up right away, opened the door, and ran out.
In another country.
In a dark room somewhere.
As Trueman listened to the disconnected tone in his cell phone, he muttered, "That brat, how dare he hang up on me? He¡¯s so heartless!"
Caleb¡¯s amicable voice then rang out. "It¡¯s not like you treat him well either. Now that he has found his real parents, he¡¯s not going toe back for sure."
Trueman¡¯s voice rose instantly. "How did I not treat him well? I was even the one who saved his life!"
Caleb sighed. "Yes, okay, you saved him... but after that, you locked him up in the basement. Of course he¡¯s going to be morefortable there. He needs to lead a normal life too."
"Hah."
Trueman said sulkily, "Your coughing seems to have eased a lot!"
Caleb nodded. "Yeah, it got much better after I took the medicine. At the very least, I won¡¯t have to suffer for the next three months. I probably also won¡¯t have to suffer before I leave for good."
"You¡¯re such bad luck!"
¡ª
After the family of six had lunch, Cherry, Pete, and Xander yed together in the living room. The three little guys didn¡¯t have the habit of taking naps but watching them made Nora sleepy.
Nora, who was staying so that she could spend more time with Xander, leaned against the sofa and watched them. At the same time, she mulled over where her mother would most likely put the V16.
At this time, Justin sat next to her and sighed. "Xander is still a little estranged from us. We¡¯ll have to spend a lot of time with him to improve that."
Nora nodded. "Yeah."
Justin looked at her eagerly. "So, why don¡¯t you just move in and stay here for now?"
Nora: "?"
She raised her eyebrows and looked at Justin.
Justin immediately made a vow. "I¡¯m really just saying this for the children¡¯s sake. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t harbor any inappropriate thoughts about you!"
"..."
His attitude, which outright revealed everything he wanted to hide, simply rendered Nora speechless.
The corners of her lips spasmed. When she looked back at the children, she saw that Cherry, Pete, and Xander were all staring at her, as though they were all waiting for her answer.
Nora pretended to consider the suggestion.
Cherry immediately said, "Pete, howe other kids¡¯ parents can all live together, but ours can¡¯t? Sigh, we must really be the most pitiful children in the world!"
Xander asked, "Must everyone¡¯s parents live together? Wouldn¡¯t it be very crowded if they sleep on the same bed?"
Pete hurriedly interrupted Xander. He said, "But it¡¯s warm when you¡¯re squeezed together. I like to sleep with everyone snuggled up together."
After the three children spoke, they continued to look at Nora eagerly.
Nora: "..."
She looked away, upon which she saw that Justin was also looking at her. As such, she could only look away again, yet when she did, she saw that even Iris was staring at her from the stairs as if she was eavesdropping on them.
"..."
Nora heaved a silent sigh and said, "Never mind, I¡¯ll just stay here for tonight then!"
"Yay!"
"That¡¯s awesome!"
"Mommy, sleep with us tonight!"
Cherry iled about and danced with excitement. Although Pete and Xander didn¡¯t say anything, the two boys¡¯ eyes had lit up. It was apparent that they were also very happy.
Justin¡¯s lips also curled into a smile.
At this moment, Lawrence strode into the room. When he saw Justin, he said respectfully, "Boss, Mr. Hunt has just proposed holding a board of directors meeting, so that they can re-elect the president of the Hunt Corporation."
Justin sneered when he heard Lawrence. Suddenly, he asked, "So, he¡¯s be certain that he has 50% of the total shares?"
Herman only had 5% of thepany¡¯s shares. He also bought some during thest few days at a high price, nearly spending all the money he¡¯d earned abroad.
Raymond and his family had also expressed their full support for him. With the addition of some other shareholders as well...
Lawrence smiled. "He has been going around thest few days, so he has likely convinced some of them to take his side. As per your instructions, our men have also agreed to support him, so he is very confident now. Additionally, he has also been going around telling everyone that the Hunt Corporation is a ce where only your words go..."
Justin sneered, "Then let¡¯s see on that day just how many people are really in support of him!"
Lawrence nodded. Then, he said, "However, it seems like he received a call from Philip today. Thetter clearly expressed his support for him, and has also handed over the 5% ofpany shares he owns..."
Lawrence had a smile on his face when he said this.
Justin nodded.
After Lawrence finished reporting all the work matters, he left at once.
Nora rolled her eyes and immediately understood everything when she saw the two men¡¯s interaction.
She knew it, there was no way that guy would ever allow himself to be stuck in a disadvantageous situation. He definitely had a n B lying in wait!
In order to gauge and evaluate which of the Hunts were disloyal, he was dangling 5% of the shares as bait so that he could clean them all out in one fell swoop!
He sure knew how to go with the flow. On the surface, he seemed like he was stuck in a difficult situation, but in truth, the whole thing was a trap that he had set up!
Justin understood at once when he saw the way she was looking at him. He smiled and said, "Don¡¯t worry about me. You can also tell Uncle Ian not to waste any money, I know what I¡¯m doing! You guys don¡¯t have to worry, this situation will be resolved very soon. After all, if the Hunts are in too big a mess, Uncle Ian won¡¯t let you marry me."
He was dealing with the Hunt Corporation¡ªas well as the Hunts themselves¡ªall for the sake of separating and clearing away the unnecessary and superfluous!
Since there was garbage that needed to be cleaned up among the Hunts, then that was what he would do. This way, he could also provide Nora, thezy oaf, with a haven where she could sleep peacefully.
"..."
Nora curled her lips disdainfully. Suddenly, she said, "The way I see it, you¡¯re the one who benefits the most from the whole thing!"
Justin chuckled. He was about to admit to it when Nora corrected herself and said, "No, the one who benefited the most is King! He sure is sly and cunning."
After all, he¡¯d earned 45 billion dors for nothing!
Justin¡¯s lip corners spasmed when he heard the words "sly and cunning". He cleared his throat. When he was about to speak, Nora said, "Forget it, I won¡¯t talk behind his back anymore. After all, I still have favors to ask of him!"
She had favors to ask of King?
Justin frowned. Suddenly, he turned Nora¡¯s shoulders so that she faced him, and he asked, "Why favor do you need from King?"
Chapter 736: Sleeping With Mommy
Chapter 736: Sleeping With Mommy
Nora thought about his question carefully.
Earlier, she hadn¡¯t told Justin about it because it was forbidden for the members of the Imperial League to reveal anything to outsiders. Should they do so, they would be viting the agreement, and she had always been a very rule-abiding person.
But since Ian and the others had already brought it up in front of Justin, then Nora felt that there were some things that she could still say.
She immediately answered, "Old Maddy once told me that if I wanted to fight against the mysterious organization, I must get full support from King."
Justin frowned. "Why?"
Nora shook her head. "He didn¡¯t exin."
Justin was puzzled.
For a moment, he wanted to acknowledge that identity of his, but when he thought of how he couldn¡¯t vite the agreement and reveal his identity to outsiders, he could only keep his silence. Instead, he said, "It shouldn¡¯t be difficult to get his support."
Nora nodded. "We¡¯ll see. Just focus on your affairs for now. Meanwhile, I will also think carefully about how exactly I should look for leads about the V16."
Clues to the V16 must be hidden among the things that her mother had left her.
As for where exactly that was, though, she hadn¡¯t figured that out yet.
Justin wanted to say something, but Lawrence had entered again and was reporting to him the current situation in thepany.
At the sight, Nora didn¡¯t speak anymore.
That night, Nora stayed at the Hunts¡¯.
After Justin hurriedly finished dealing with thepany¡¯s affairs, the restless man¡¯s mind waspletely on returning home as quickly as possible. After handing over thepany¡¯s affairs to Lawrence, he went home straight away.
Lawrence couldn¡¯t help but ask Sean, "Is Boss busy with something? Why is he in such a hurry?"
Sean: "..."
He kept quiet for a moment. Then, he coughed and answered, "Perhaps, I guess."
Their boss¡¯ wife was at the Hunts¡¯, so of course he would be in a hurry!
As far as he knew, even though their boss and his wife already had kids, they hadn¡¯t truly done it yet? After all, thest time they did it was because someone had plotted against them!
Lawrence, however, frowned. "This won¡¯t do. He¡¯s having a showdown with Herman in a few days. Going by how irresponsible Boss is being, I think I¡¯d better go over with the documents and look for him again!"
Sean stared at how earnestly Lawrence was digging his own grave. After a brief silence, he finally said, "If you feel like being sent to some godforsaken ce, then go ahead."
Lawrence: "?"
¡ª
Justin returned to the Hunts¡¯ after he finished dealing with all the matters to do with the board of directors meeting, which would be held in a few days.
By the time he got home, it was already 9 pm.
ording to the children¡¯s timetable, they were supposed to go to bed at this time. Nora would also go to bed with Cherry at this time in the past.
Therefore, Justin was not surprised at all when he didn¡¯t see her in the living room. He went straight upstairs and entered his bedroom.
As soon as he entered, he spotted a slender figure lying on the bed.
Justin was stunned.
He¡¯d thought that Nora would go to Cherry¡¯s room and sleep with her, so he would have to think of a way to trick her intoing over.
Unexpectedly, she was being so self-aware this time?
For a moment there, Justin felt a surge of heat rushing straight into his heart. He suppressed the stirrings in his heart, looked at the woman on the bed, and then went straight into the bathroom. After changing out of his suit, he took a quick bath and then walked out of the bathroom.
There was a bit of light on the bed when he came out of the bathroom.
Nora was lying on the bed and looking at her phone¡ªshe was actually awake!
To be honest, Justin had been worried when he was taking a bath just now. If Nora fell asleep again like the other time, then should he wake her up? Or should he wake her up? Or should he wake her up...
Unexpectedly, the woman was actually waiting for him.
The corners of Justin¡¯s lips curled into an even bigger smile.
Even the beauty mark at the corner of his eye started to shimmer a little more. As he had just taken a shower, his cheeks were a little more crimson than usual, and his chest was also heaving up and down a little more intensely than usual.
He slowly walked over to the bed and sat right on the edge of the bed beside Nora.
The lights in the room were switched off, so the room was dim. The curtains were also fully drawn, and no light coulde through. Only the faint night light was shining over. One could see that the person on the bed was indeed Nora.
Justin observed her for a while. Suddenly, he chuckled softly and asked suggestively, "Are you waiting for me so that we can sleep together?"
"... Uh-huh!"
Suddenly, a young and tender voice answered him.
Justin was taken aback. His line of sight went past Nora, where he finally saw Cherry sitting up from underneath the covers.
Cherry, who was wearing pajamas with a strawberry print, was rubbing her eyes. She said cutely, "Daddy, we are all waiting for you, yeah!"
The sensitive Justin caught something amiss in her words. He asked, "All?"
"Yeah!" Cherry pointed to the side. "Pete and Xander are here too!"
After she spoke, Pete and Xander also sat up from underneath the covers.
Justin: "..."
As the corners of his lips spasmed, he heard Cherry go on. She said cutely, "A family should lie down neatly side by side together, so let¡¯s sleep together! Daddy, your bed is a little too small, though!"
The bed in Justin¡¯s room was a king-size bed.
After all, he was a tall man.
But now, he suddenly felt like the bed was too big. Otherwise, why would they think that a family of five could fit on one bed?
Cherry was even making a request. "Daddy, can we custom-make a bed that¡¯s 120 inches wide?"
"No."
Justin refused her request straightaway. Then, he said, "A custom-made bed doesn¡¯t look nice. Besides, with such a big bed, there won¡¯t be enough space in the room."
Cherry: "?"
She, Pete, and Xander stared at the big and spacious 1,080-square-feet bedroom, perplexed as to how there wouldn¡¯t be enough space in the room.
Justin immediately gave an order. "Therefore, the three of you are to go back to your own rooms now!"
He spoke very sternly.
Unfortunately, Cherry was not at all afraid of Justin, who was a ve to his daughter. She refused him straightaway. "No, I don¡¯t wanna!"
She clung onto Nora and said, "I wanna sleep with Mommy!"
Pete said, "I want to sleep with Mommy too."
Xander also said, "I also want to sleep with Mommy."
Justin: "..."
When he wanted to reply, Nora said, "You guys promised that you would fall asleep within five minutes. Four minutes have already passed."
As soon as she said that, the three little fellowsy down in unison, covered themselves with the quilt, and closed their eyes obediently.
"..."
Justin looked at the three children, and then nced at Nora, who was already yawning. Right away, he knew that once the three children fell asleep, the woman would probably also fall asleep along with them.
What else could he do, though?
He could only sit there quietly and stare at the few of them on the bed.
¡ª
It was alreadyte in the night.
Although Nora¡¯s eyes were closed, she was listening to the three children¡¯s breathing.
When their breathing gradually steadied, it meant that they had finally fallen asleep.
Ha, they promised that they would fall asleep in five minutes, yet they took ten minutes to fall asleep. Atst, she could finally sleep in peace now!
The thought had only just formed in Nora¡¯s mind when someone suddenly lifted the quilt. The next moment, a scalding-hot body slipped under the covers.
"Nora, the children have fallen asleep. It¡¯s time that we do some adult things..."
Chapter 737: Nora VS Justin: Who’s The Winner?
Chapter 737: Nora VS Justin: Who¡¯s The Winner?
Nora was not a little girl anymore. In fact, she had already given birth to three children. She might not have ever really gone into "battle" with a clear mind, but even if she had never actually done it for real, it wasn¡¯t like she was unaware of the process.
Moreover, the 25-year-old majored in medicine and practically knew the structure of the human body inside out. As such, she was even more familiar than most with regard to the matter.
At the bottom of it all, it was nothing but one¡¯s physiology making mischief. Justin¡¯s pheromones were just being excessively released... Ahem, never mind, she must be over-thinking it.
While Nora¡¯s imagination was running wild, the man¡¯srge hand was started wandering all over her body.
Nora¡¯s nerves¡ªwhich had always been dull and dense¡ªturned sensitive at this moment. Although she was very sleepy, her mind became exceptionally excited.
In the dark.
She stared at Justin¡ªthe man had already flipped the quilt open and slipped under the covers.
Because the children were present, his movements were very light. The two shared a quilt, and his burning hot body gradually warmed Nora¡¯s slightly cold one.
A sense of restlessness slowly spread throughout her entire body.
Seeing that she wasn¡¯t rejecting him, the man lowered his head and kissed her on the lips gently.
After giving her a peck on the lips, seeing that she still wasn¡¯t responding, the man pecked her on the lips a second time, then the third time... until Nora, who found his kisses ticklish, parted her lips and bit his lip.
Justin took the opportunity to deepen the kiss.
He barged into her territory savagely and went on a rampage. In this instant, the man looked totally different from his usual self...
This was the first time Nora was feeling how strong the man was, as well as also the first time she was feeling the terrifying aura around him that seemed to want to swallow her whole.
Her cheeks gradually turned scarlet during the kiss. As her eyes remained closed, Justin gradually took control of the rhythm. Then...
The man¡¯s callused fingertips roughly rubbed against her skin. Wherever he touched, it was as though an electric current was going through her, giving her a tingly and rxed feeling.
At some point in time, her pajamas had alreadye off...
The two finally faced each other without anything in between them.
In the dimly lit room, both Justin and Nora¡¯s breathing had be heavy.
The two stared into each other¡¯s eyes. Atst, they hade to thest stage...
Justin stared at her, his voice a little hoarse. "Nora, are you ready?"
Nora kept quiet for a while. Then, she answered, "Yeah."
After she uttered the word, when Justin was about to take thest step, a young voice suddenly reached them.
Xander asked, "What are Daddy and Mommy doing?"
Cherry replied, "They are probably sparring. Daddy asked Mommy if she¡¯s ready, right? So they are probably about to fight each other! After all, Mommy has always wanted to beat Daddy in a fight!"
"Huh? Can Mommy beat Daddy? Shall we help?"
"I don¡¯t think so, both of them are experts. It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t know who is stronger... Xander, let¡¯s make a bet, whoever loses will y as support in the game! I¡¯ll bet on Mommy!"
"Then I¡¯ll bet on Daddy!"
Cherry gave Pete, who was sleeping in the middle, a push. She asked, "Pete, who are you gonna bet on?"
Pete: "..."
He didn¡¯t speak. After two seconds of silence in the room, Cherry spoke again. "Pete?"
Pete replied, "... I¡¯m asleep."
Among the three little fellows, Cherry knew nothing about the rtionship between men and women, and even often pretended to be a boy for fun. Xander was even more uninformed about such things. Although he had a high IQ and picked up things very quickly, he had ultimately still been living in and grown up in a basement all this time, so he didn¡¯t understand anything at all.
Only Pete vaguely understood something. Even so, he didn¡¯t quite understand either. All he knew was that his parents had to sleep together before they could have children... As to how exactly the process went, he didn¡¯t quite understand.
But it was as clear as day that Daddy and Mommy were making younger siblings for them at the moment!
So, what were those two idiots disrupting them for?
How was anyone supposed to fight under the covers? They wouldn¡¯t be able to move with ease at all, okay?!
Pete heaved a deep sigh inwardly. Before he could figure things out, Cherry said, "Quit bluffing me, Pete. How would you be able to talk if you¡¯re asleep? Who are you gonna bet on? Bet on Mommy! Mommy is the most powerful!"
Pete: "..."
He silently opened his eyes, turned his head along with Cherry and Xander, and looked at Nora and Justin, who were sharing a quilt.
Suddenly, Cherry flipped open her quilt and said, "Mommy, how¡¯s the fight with Daddy going? I¡¯lle over and help you!"
As she spoke, she made a move to burrow under Nora¡¯s covers.
"Stop!"
Fortunately, Nora stopped her in time. She said, "We¡¯ll be done right away. Just give us a moment."
Cherry¡¯s big eyes were opened wide as she looked at Nora. She replied obediently, "Okie-dokie!"
Thus, the couple under the covers started to move, making rustling sounds as they did. Piece by piece, they put their clothes back on the same way they took them off just now.
After they were dressed, Nora shot a re at Justin.
Her cheeks were crimson, and she felt like she had broken out in a cold sweat from fright!
Then, she found her actions just now simply too absurd. What was she doing with Justin when the children were sleeping right next to them?!
In contrast, Justin the scumbag looked absolutely calm and collected as he flipped the quilt open and got out of bed.
Cherry looked at them. "Who won?"
Justin chuckled. "Your mom did."
"Yay!"
Cherry cheered with a grin and looked at Xander excitedly. She said, "You¡¯ll have to y as support tomorrow~"
Although the support role was important, the little fellows all preferred to lead and y as heroes instead. Thus, Xander replied very reluctantly, "... Alright, I guess."
After the three of them finished speaking, they all looked at Nora again. "Mommy, Daddy, are you guys gonna continue fighting?"
"..."
Nora buried her head into the covers and said in a muffled voice, "No, we¡¯re not. Go to sleep!"
Cherry alsoy down obediently. "Okie-dokie! Mommy, if you guys fight again, be sure to inform us so that we can watch, okie~?"
Xander also hurriedly said, "Yeah! I wanna win next time! Daddy, fight harder next time!"
"..."
Nora really didn¡¯t feel like speaking anymore. She merely asked, "Didn¡¯t you guys already fall asleep just now?!"
Cherry replied, "Uh-huh, but we were woken up by your fight~"
"..."
Nora¡¯s cheeks turned even redder. Fortunately, it was nighttime, otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t be able to show her face at all! It seemed that their movements just now had indeed been a little too loud.
She covered herself with the quilt, turned over, and went to sleep!
Even if someone held a knife to her neck tonight, she Wasn¡¯t! Going! To! Wake! Up! Again!
Justin: "..."
He looked down at his trousers. He had no choice but to turn around and enter the bathroom.
Cherry asked softly, "Daddy, where are you going?"
"I¡¯m going to take a bath!"
"But didn¡¯t you already take one just now?"
"I was defeated by your mother, so I need to take another cold shower to calm myself down."
"Daddy, it¡¯s not shameful to lose to Mommy."
"..."
In the end, it was Pete who spoke. He said, "Cherry, shut up and go to sleep!"
"Okie-Dokie!"
¡ª
The next day, by the time Nora woke up, the three children had already gone downstairs. She checked the time, it was ten o¡¯clock.
She stretched. At this moment, Justin quietly pushed open the door. When he found that her eyes were open, he walked in.
Nora asked hesitantly, "Why aren¡¯t you at the office?"
Justin¡¯s eyes were a bit red as he stared at her, much like a wolf whose prey was right beside its mouth, yet it hadn¡¯t eaten it. There was a savage ruthlessness in them.
He coughed and replied, "Oh, there¡¯s no difference even if I work from home."
"Aren¡¯t you busy?"
Nora stretched and sat up.
Justin rejected the call from the vibrating cell phone in his pocket. "No, I¡¯m not."
After speaking, he took a step forward. "Nora, the children are downstairs..."
Practically right after he spoke, there was a knock at the door. Xander called out, "Daddy, is Mommy awake? Are you guys going to fight again?"
Justin: "??"
Nora: "????"
"Really?! Really?!"
Cherry also came over.
"..."
Justin stood up straight, took a deep breath, and reluctantly opened the door.
Nora could only go to the bathroom to wash up.
After they went downstairs and had a simple breakfast, the three children yed with one another. Nora went to the study, intending to study something.
Not long after she entered the study, Justin walked in with a te of cut fruits. There was a ravenous look in his eyes as he asked, "Fruits, Nora?"
Nora: "..."
The look in his eyes made Nora panic.
But she could understand his feelings very well!
After all, a wolf would still be able to bear with its hunger if its prey was out of its sight. However, if the prey was right next to its mouth, then how would it be able to endure it?
Besides, she indeed also found it a bit of a shame that things hadn¡¯t worked out the night before.
She raised her eyebrows and stood up. With a teasing look in her eyes, she replied, "I don¡¯t want fruits. I want you."
"..."
Justin¡¯s breathing suddenly turned heavy.
To be honest, his level of desire in this respect had always been very low. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have been single for so many years. After all, with a position like his, if he really had such needs, there was a long line of women waiting for him.
However, he wasn¡¯t interested in any of them.
Nora was the only one he had taken a fancy to.
This was especially the case when the woman was going back and forth right in front of him. Coupled with how he had almost swallowed her down, bones and all, the night before, the itch in his heart had be even harder to bear.
He couldn¡¯t work at all that day. When he looked at the reports, all that shed in his mind was the way she had looked the night before.
He could even feel the touch of her skin lingering on his palm...
Justin felt that he would go crazy if he held back any longer.
But just as he started striding forward, another knock came from the door. Then, Xander called out, "Daddy, are you about to fight with Mommy? Come on, you must win today! I don¡¯t wanna y as support anymore!"
"..."
Justin¡¯s momentum immediately weakened.
"Pft."
Seeing his reaction, atst, Nora couldn¡¯t hold back anymore. She couldn¡¯t helpughing out loud.
Herughter made Justin¡¯s dark pupils turn even more resentful.
The aggression in the man¡¯s eyes slowly dissipated, ultimately turning into a look of resignation.
Xander had just joined the family, so he mustn¡¯t keep the boy outside. If he did, it would cause negative thoughts to form in the child.
He went out and started tofort Xander.
Justin sat on the sofa dejectedly. As he watched the three little fellows ying in front of him, all he could feel was dejection and a sense of defeat.
He had never felt this way even when he encountered troubles in business.
When he was sighing in silence, he saw Noraing down the stairs with a coat on.
When Cherry saw her, she asked, "Mommy, are you going out to work?"
"Yeah, there¡¯s something I need to do at the hospital."
After Nora spoke, she nced at Justin and went out.
Justin leanedzily on the sofa. As he listened to the sound of the car starting outside, he couldn¡¯t help sighing.
That woman was really heartless!
The thought had only just formed when his cell phone beeped.
He picked it up and looked down to see that Nora had sent him an address.
Justin was taken aback. Then, he saw a text message from Nora:
¡¯This is a vi I bought in suburban New York.¡¯
Then, she sent a GIF of a woman with heavy makeup on holding a tiny handkerchief and waving it at him.
Justin stared at it for a while. Suddenly, something clicked in his head.
He stood up abruptly, his eyes all lit up.
"Daddy, where are you going?"
Cherry asked again.
Justin strode out of the house. "I¡¯m going to work."
¡ª
To be honest, with regard to her rtionship with Justin, Nora had actually long felt that the conditions were already ripe.
Taking the final step was only a matter of time.
She parked the car, entered the vi, and then reached her arm out behind her to close the door. But before she could close it, a pair of big hands held the door open.
Justin then walked in and closed the door. "With this, no one can disturb us anymore."
Right after he said that, he held her waist firmly, pulling her straight into his arms...
Chapter 738: Justin Is Short of Money?
Chapter 738: Justin Is Short of Money?
On this day, on the outskirts of New York, an amorous and suggestive atmosphere filled Nora¡¯s entire vi.
A full and satisfied Mr. Hunt held Nora in his arms, his fingers stroking her back again and again. On his countenance was a look of contentment that had never been there before.
His dark eyes were so deep and bottomless that no one would dare to look into them. When one nced at them, it was as if they were looking at the deep and boundless starry sky. The man asked hoarsely, "Nora, are you sleepy?"
Nora was a little tired, though for once, she was surprisingly not very sleepy. She pushed Justin away and got up. The quilt slid down her fair skin.
She was very fair, which made the numerous marks and love-bites on her body look a little rming as if she had been abused.
At the sight, the look in Justin¡¯s eyes deepened again.
However, Nora quickly put on her clothes. She pulled her hair behind her and said, "I¡¯m not sleepy. Let¡¯s go back."
Justin sighed silently and leaned against the headboard. In this instant, he really felt like having a post-lovemaking cigarette, but as a doctor, Nora would undoubtedly hate the smell of cigarette smoke, so he suppressed the urge and said, "I don¡¯t feel like leaving."
Nora ignored him and continued to put on her clothes. After she was dressed, she started to walk out. "Then I will go first. You can go hometer."
Justin: "..."
Why did it feel like the two of them were having some kind of ndestine affair? To the extent that they had to go home at different timings to avoid suspicion?
The corners of his lips spasmed as he flipped the quilt aside and stood up as well.
Nora had already gotten dressed in a clean and swift manner and was walking toward the exit. Her legs were still a little soft.
When she thought of the position they had taken just now, she silently took a deep breath. From the looks of it, it seemed that she should exercise more in the future and stop cking off. She hadn¡¯t expected it to be this tiring!
On the other hand, true to what Quinn had said, it was apparent that Justin had indeed been training very diligently every day. Thus, his physical fitness was obviously better than hers.
That guy had also exhausted a lot of his stamina just now, yet he looked perfectly fine and was even in good spirits.
Thinking of this, Nora pursed her lips.
Were the two of them really going to waste so much energy on such unnecessarypetition against each other, and end up exhausting each other out?
She sighed silently and quickened her pace, for fear that staying there would make her develop thoughts of reducing her sleeping time by half an hour for exercise.
Justin put on his pajamas. He was nning to chat with Nora for a while, but the sound of the door closing instead came from the door. Then, the car started outside. When he walked over to the balcony, he saw that Nora had already slipped away in the car.
Justin: "..."
He sighed silently again.
At this time, his cell phone rang¡ªit was Lawrence.
"Boss, everything has been settled. I need you to put on a show and y along with the performance now."
The situation with the Hunt Corporation shares was at a critical juncture, and Herman was very actively running around in thepany at the moment. It probably wouldn¡¯t be very appropriate for Justin to behave too calmly at this time.
Lawrence said, "I bought you an air ticket for a flight tonight. Would you like to go abroad for a vacation for the time being?"
Justin: "?"
He raised his eyebrows, knowing what Lawrence meant.
Justin was one of the people standing at the pinnacle of the country. Now that he had encountered a problem, he would undoubtedly have to seek help from some of his foreign business partners. Lawrence was asking him to pretend to go overseas to seek help so that they could bluff Herman and a few certain people among the Hunts.
This was to prevent some people, who knew him too well and were apprehensive of his mighty reputation, from bing too scared toe out and make trouble upon seeing his overly-calm reaction. If that happened, how was he going to nab all of them in one fell swoop?
But...
Justin coughed. "Okay, get Sean to impersonate me and leave the country."
Lawrence was taken aback. "Would that really work?"
Justin nodded. "Yeah, we¡¯ll do just that."
By the time he said that, he had already gone downstairs. He went to the kitchen and took a look, upon which he found that the vi was obviously frequently cleaned.
However, there was nothing to eat in the fridge.
Thus, he said, "Buy some food and send it here."
Then, he gave Lawrence the address.
Lawrence asked, "... Mr. Hunt, are you hiding a secret lover?"
Hiding a secret lover?
Justin, who found his words interesting, smiled and chuckled. "Just do as I say and send it over. What are you asking so much nonsense for?"
"Okay."
Half an hourter, Lawrence entered the vi with a bag of food in his hand. Then, he took a look around the area. Before he left, he even asked, "Does Ms. Smith know that you¡¯re staying here?"
Justin kicked him out the door.
¡ª
After Nora returned to the Hunts, she yed with the three kids for a while.
Soon, it got dark outside and it was time for dinner. However, Justin didn¡¯te back.
Nora picked up her cell phone to send him a text message and ask about it. But in the end, before she could send the message, Brenda walked into the house.
As soon as she entered, she asked solemnly, "Nora, tell me the truth, is Justin in need of money?"
Nora raised her eyebrows. "What¡¯s wrong?"
While she spoke, she typed a few words on the phone and sent a message out: "Aren¡¯t youing back for dinner?"
Brenda looked right and left before she finally leaned towards her. "Nora, I just got the news that Justin has gone abroad to raise money! He ns to buy 5% of thepany¡¯s shares at a high price! But he actually doesn¡¯t have any money left. Once news of this spreads, it will definitely throw people into a panic!"
Nora: "?"
Justin needed money?
Then why didn¡¯t he say so? Although she was very poor and only had 75 million dors, at least the Smiths could produce billions of dors at any time without a problem...
While she was thinking about it, Cherry asked, "Is Daddy very short of money?"
Brenda looked at her and sighed. "Seems that way."
Cherry said, "Then why don¡¯t I ask my grandaunt for some money for Daddy? My grandaunt can lend quite a few hundred!"
Brenda propped her chin on her hands. "What¡¯s the use of a few hundred?"
"Aunt Brenda, do you know what I mean by a few ¡¯hundred¡¯?"
"Hundreds of thousands of dors? But a few hundred thousand dors won¡¯t be enough either. I already have a few hundred thousand dors here. I have been ying too hard all these years, and on top of that, I like to shop a lot... Some time ago, I bought around a hundred handbags during ck Friday sales... There¡¯s still time for me to return them. Nora, why don¡¯t you lend me some money? So that I can pay the bnce and return them to save the money for Justin instead."
While Brenda was prattling away, Cherry sighed silently and said, "My grandaunt¡¯s moneyes hundreds of millions of dors."
Brenda: "..."
bbergasted, she stared at Cherry for a while. Then, she sighed. "Cherry, you mustn¡¯t brag like that. Whosepany has hundreds of millions of working capital?!"
After she spoke, she looked at Nora again. "Nora, I called Justin just now, but he has already switched off his phone. He¡¯s on the ne right now, so we won¡¯t be able to contact him."
As she spoke, Nora¡¯s cell phone vibrated and Justin¡¯s text message reached her: "I won¡¯t be able toe back for the next few days. I¡¯m someone who¡¯s supposed to be on a ne to another country right now."
Nora: "..."
She blinked and looked at Brenda again. "Did you say that Justin is on a ne?"
Chapter 739: Catching The Adulterous Couple?
Chapter 739: Catching The Adulterous Couple?
Brenda lowered her head and took a nce. "Yeah, he should be on the ne right now. Nora, if Justin calls you after the nends, tell him that... If he needs me to sacrifice myself and enter a political marriage for his sake, just say the word. "
Nora: "..."
Brenda touched her face, her lips curling up into a charming smile. "After all, given my looks, I¡¯m still worth a bit of money, aren¡¯t I?"
"... Okay."
With her head lowered, Nora continued to send messages to Justin: ¡¯So, where are you now?¡¯
Justin sent her a set of GPS coordinates.
Before Nora even opened them, she realized that those were the coordinates for the vi she¡¯d taken him to earlier that day.
Nora: "..."
The corners of her lips spasmed and she heard Brenda asking, "Nora, who are you messaging?"
"No one in particr." Nora was not a very good liar, so she calmly changed the subject. "Who do you want to marry?"
Brenda became a little troubled at once. "I haven¡¯t made up my mind yet."
Nora thought that she didn¡¯t want to get married, so she was about to talk her out of it when the woman sighed and said, "The York boy is a little puppy while the one from the Shaws is a little wolfhound. As for the Smiths, we already have you, so I¡¯m not needed there anymore. Otherwise, the Smith boys would also suffice since they are pretty good-looking. What a real dilemma this is!"
"..."
The corners of Nora¡¯s lips spasmed. Next to her, Cherry echoed Brenda. "Yeah, Aunt Brenda, what a real dilemma this is! It¡¯s so hard to choose! Can¡¯t you marry all of them? Can¡¯t a woman marry several men?"
Brenda: "?"
Nora: "?"
"Pft!"
Brenda couldn¡¯t help butugh. "Cherry, what a wonderful idea you have! I am saving money right now so that I can take care of many young men in the future!"
Cherry¡¯s eyes widened. "I see! Once you have money, you can take care of many young men at once!"
"..."
Nora felt that there was a high chance Brenda would lead the little girl astray if she stayed here any longer, so she immediately started pushing Brenda towards the door. "Okay, okay, hurry up and go out!"
After speaking, she came back and had dinner with the three children.
At night.
Nora slept with the three children. For once, though, she actually had insomnia after the children fell asleep. She picked up her cell phone and saw Justin had sent her a message: "The food abroad is pretty good, do you want some? I¡¯ll treat you to lunch tomorrow?"
Then came a photo he sent.
It was a photo of a steak.
Nora had never cared much about what she ate, but when she saw the photo, she actually wanted to eat it.
She replied: ¡¯Did you cook that?¡¯
¡¯Yes. So, is Ms. Smith willing toe over and have a taste tomorrow?¡¯
Nora smiled and replied: ¡¯Depends on whether I have time tomorrow.¡¯
Despite saying that, she put down her phone and turned to look at the three babies who were on the same bed as her.
No matter how naughty the three little fellows were when they were awake, they would always be cute and innocent once they were asleep. All of them were sprawled on the bed with their arms and legs spread out. The sight of them lined up in a row made one feel exceptionally blissful.
Nora kissed Xander¡¯s cheek before she finallyy down.
The night passed peacefully.
Soon, it was dawn. When Nora woke up, the three little fellows had already gotten dressed and gone downstairs to y.
Since Xander¡¯s return, Cherry had stopped going to kindergarten. The three of them yed together every day.
In order to have Xander rx and integrate into the family as soon as possible, neither Nora nor Justin had forced her. After all, Cherry was the family¡¯s bundle of joy.
After breakfast, Nora left the house and headed to the suburban vi.
In the vi, she had lunch with Justin and then took a nap. Nora didn¡¯t leave the vi until 5 PM when she got ready to go home and have dinner with the children.
She couldn¡¯t wake up in the morning, so she didn¡¯t have breakfast with the children.
Since she was with Justin for lunch, then she would definitely have to be with the children at night.
For two days in a row, that was how Nora spent her time.
This continued until the third day, when she went out as usual at noon.
When her car disappeared from the parking lot, Lauren held Mrs. Hunt¡¯s arm and walked out of the house with Iris. The three of them looked into the distance. Then, they got into the car and instructed the chauffeur, "Follow her!"
The chauffeur followed Nora to the suburban vi.
The chauffeur stopped the car at the side of the road a distance away. From there, they could smell a fragranceing from the vi after Nora drove in, as if the upants were cooking.
Mrs. Hunt was pulling a very long face.
Lauren paused. Then, she sneered and said, "Here I was, thinking that the rtionship between Ms. Smith and Justin was really that good! Haha, Justin has only been abroad for two days, yet she is already lonely? To think she has found another man outside!"
Iris said, "No, Nora would never do that. She is not that kind of a person..."
"If not, then can you tell me who it is inside?" Lauren spoke aggressively. "Surely it can¡¯t possibly be Justin, right? Are you saying that the great president of thepany is cooking for someone else in there? And being kept hidden like a secret lover? I¡¯ve already checked¡ªthis vi belongs to the Smiths! In other words, this vi is Nora Smith¡¯s!"
Iris: "..."
Mrs. Hunt¡¯s expression turned even darker. "The audacity of her! I didn¡¯t think that Nora would actually do something like this! She has utterly shamed the Smiths and the Hunts!"
After she spoke, she looked straight at the chauffeur and instructed, "Drive over! I want to see which part about the man inside is better than Justin that she would actually abandon Justin and look for someone else outside!"
The chauffeur: "..."
Iris rejected the order. "This is Nora¡¯s privacy. It¡¯s not appropriate for us to go over and disrupt their peace right now!"
Lauren lowered her head and said, "Iris, what do you mean by that? We are doing this all for Justin¡¯s sake! I have already noticed during the past few days that she goes out at a fixed time every day. Additionally, when shees back, her face is visibly rosy. Hah, has she be bored with Justin just because he doesn¡¯t have money anymore? Now, that won¡¯t do, the Hunts mustn¡¯t have a daughter-inw like that!"
Her words brainwashed Mrs. Hunt even further. She immediately said, "Yes, go in at once and see who exactly Nora is fooling around with! The Hunts will never tolerate such a daughter-inw!!"
Chapter 740: Beat Her at Her Own Game
Chapter 740: Beat Her at Her Own Game
Iris stared at Lauren and said, "This doesn¡¯t mean that Nora has a boyfriend!"
Lauren smiled and said, "It can¡¯t be Justin inside, can it? He¡¯s overseas and he¡¯s been gone for two days. I¡¯ve observed her. When she goes out every day, her face is abnormally red! Why? You¡¯ve been pure of heart for so many years. Don¡¯t you even know the basics?"
Iris¡¯s face turned red.
Mrs. Hunt¡¯s fingers trembled in anger.
She pointed at the door. "This woman, how can she treat Justin like this?! How can she?! Where¡¯s Justin? I¡¯ll call him immediately. How can she dare to cheat on him?!"
With that, Mrs. Hunt took out her phone and prepared to call Justin.
However, before she could press her hand down, Iris grabbed her hand and shouted, "Mom!"
After shouting this, she bit her lip and finally hardened her heart. "Mom, Justin is very busy at the moment. Let¡¯s not disturb him! Besides, so what if he finds out? Can he still cut ties with the Smiths?!"
Mrs. Hunt was stunned.
Iris decided to make things clear. "Are you on Herman¡¯s side?"
Mrs. Hunt hesitated.
She had watched both her son and grandson grow up.
Moreover, her grandson was indeed more suitable to take over the Hunts than her son. Although she had helped her son rify the will that day, it was still the will left by Old Master.
In her heart, she really did not like Lauren¡¯s behavior. Furthermore, as a woman, she also felt disdain for her son for abandoning his wife.
Mrs. Hunt had always been high and mighty. Previously, she did not like Nora because she had grown up in the countryside. She was afraid that she would be petty like one from a small household and would not be suitable for the status of the Hunts.
Now, she understood.
Justin was filled with internal and external trouble.
Herman was watching him from the inside while Philip was targeting from the outside. At this moment, his grandson had already gone overseas to prepare the funds. If he knew about Nora, would he cut ties with the Smiths? Or would he tolerate it?
If he cut ties with the Smiths, he would have no power topete at all!
But to endure it?
How sad would a proud person like her grandson be?!
Mrs. Hunt¡¯s eyes turned red from anger. Her entire body trembled as she pointed at the vi. "Then here, here..."
Lauren tried to persuade her. "Mom, go in and take a look. What if we¡¯ve misunderstood Miss Smith? Besides, with her behavior, she¡¯s not fit to be our Hunts¡¯ daughter-inw! Let¡¯s go in and catch the adulterer?"
Iris sighed. "There are still three children..."
Three children...
When she thought of Pete and Cherry¡¯s innocence and cuteness, Mrs. Hunt¡¯s heart softened even more.
She took a deep breath and suppressed it. She instructed the chauffeur, "Take us home!"
Lauren was indignant and continued to urge, "Mom, isn¡¯t this inappropriate? How can our Hunts suffer like this? Let¡¯s go in and take a look!"
Mrs. Hunt red at Lauren and turned to get into the car. After getting into the car, she saw that Lauren still looked indignant. She gritted her teeth and said, "Get in!"
With that, her gaze fell on the vi again.
Lauren did not dare to disobey her. She could only follow Iris into the car.
Lauren was still fuming. "Mom, are we just going to let her do this? Then we¡¯re too aggrieved. Is our family going to be bullied like this?"
After the car started, the more the old madam thought about it, the more aggrieved she felt. She said, "It¡¯s okay. Wait until Justin gets through this! With his personality, he definitely won¡¯t tolerate her!"
"..."
Lauren rolled her eyes. He was still going to get through this?
Herman was also full of confidence and nned to wait for Justin to personally hand over the Hunts¡¯ power!
The car arrived at the Hunt Manor very quickly.
After getting out of the car, Iris went to Justin¡¯s vi worriedly. Lauren looked around and followed behind her. She saw the butler holding a photo and saying something to Iris...
Coincidentally, the photo was seen by Lauren. It was a photo of Nora entering the vi.
She leaned closer and heard Iris say, "Suppress the news. Give that reporter more money and tell her not to write nonsense outside!"
"Yes."
The butler went out. Iris turned around and saw Lauren.
Lauren smiled sarcastically. "Why? Are you still helping your daughter-inw hide the truth? Justin is really promising! Is he nning to live off his wife after being chased out of the house?"
Iris frowned and stared at her. "It¡¯s not certain who will be kicked out yet. Don¡¯t be too full of yourself!"
Iris turned around and entered the vi.
As soon as she entered the vi, the worry on Iris¡¯s face disappeared. She looked out of the door and saw Lauren turn around and leave in the distance. Then, she took out her phone and sent a message to Nora. "It¡¯s done."
She was being followed, and not by an expert either. After all, the people Lauren hired were all unprofessional. If Nora was followed by a person like Morris, it would be difficult to detect. However, against an ordinary person, how could Nora not have noticed?
She could not be bothered to take a detour and shake them off to prevent Lauren and the others from misunderstanding. Therefore, she simply went to the suburban vi.
Anyway, no one would have thought that the man inside the vi was Justin.
After all, Justin¡¯s personality was so domineering, it was impossible for him to do such a thing.
After a few days, Lauren did show up and called Iris and Mrs. Hunt to catch the couple.
Iris decided to y along with them.
Of course, Mrs. Hunt and the others could not have entered the vi. Even if Iris did not persuade Mrs. Hunt to leave, she would not have been able to enter.
Now... Lauren and the others would probably rx even more!
She was right.
When Lauren returned home, she went straight to Herman and was reporting to him. "Justin is definitely at the end of his rope! Otherwise, Nora wouldn¡¯t dare to do this so openly. The Smiths must have thought that he has no chance of winning, that¡¯s why they dared to do such a thing. Tsk, at the critical moment, even his fianc¨¦e betrayed him!"
Herman did not like to see her smug face. He sneered. "Heh, she dares to betray Justin now. Let¡¯s see what she¡¯ll do when her family¡¯s assets are handed to Justin!"
As soon as he said this, Lauren said, "He might not even want anything! Besides, why do you have to return everything to him?"
Herman red at her. "Who else can I give it to besides my son? At the end of the day, it¡¯s all your fault for being useless! You couldn¡¯t even give birth to a son for me all these years!"
Lauren was instantly rendered speechless.
Did Herman hate Justin?
Not necessarily.
After all, how could there be a father who has no feelings for his child?
Back then, he had chosen to take a different path and his son felt that he was wrong and even criticized him. Now, Herman wanted to prove that he was not wrong!
He wanted him to see how difficult Philip was to deal with. He wanted him to experience failure and pressure and understand his decision back then.
As for Iris... he had no choice but to give her to Philip.
At the thought of this, Herman picked up the document again.
Lauren suddenly came to his side. As she massaged his shoulder, she said, "Herman, I still think something¡¯s wrong. Justin has been managing the family for so many years, so how could he say no? Furthermore, he¡¯s clearly giving you 5% of the shares. Isn¡¯t he digging his own grave?"
Herman sneered. "He¡¯s too young and thinks that even without that 5%, there are still shareholders he can rely on. But he doesn¡¯t know that no one will stand with him in the face of benefits! This time, I gave up so many benefits to win the support of those old men. Heh, I¡¯m going to give him a lesson for messing with Philip and let him know that there¡¯s always a sky beyond the sky!"
When Lauren heard this, she heaved a sigh of relief. Then, she revealed an excited and smug expression.
The board of directors meeting would be held the day after tomorrow. At that time, Justin would step down, and she wouldpletely suppress Iris.
The winner was the king, and everyone else was the loser. When the time came, she would only be Madam Hunt. No one would remember she was a mistress.
Chapter 741: Board Meeting Tomorrow!
Chapter 741: Board Meeting Tomorrow!
In the vi in the suburbs.
Nora stood by the window and watched as the car in the distance left. She pursed her lips and turned around to sit at the dining table.
In front of him was lunch prepared by Justin. The steak had been cut into small pieces and there was also soup. It looked incongruous.
However, Nora did not care at all. She picked up the soup and took a sip. Shemented, "Yesterday¡¯s soup was salty. It¡¯s just nice today."
"Yes, this means that I still have the talent to cook."
Justin had a smile on his face. After saying that, he scooped another bowl for her.
Nora looked at him and praised, "It¡¯s been hard on you, cooking is so difficult. You don¡¯t have to keep doing it. I¡¯ll get someone to cook for you."
Justin raised his eyebrows. "Is it difficult? Why do I feel it¡¯s quite simple?"
"Simple?"
Nora raised her eyebrows and continued, "Do you know? I have cooked three times in my life."
Justin was very interested and smiled. "Oh, which three times?"
Nora took a bite of the steak and felt that it was not satisfying. Justin had cut it into pieces too tiny. She used the fork to cut five or six pieces and stuffed them into her mouth. After chewing twice and swallowing, she said, "The first time I cooked was overseas. At that time, Cherry was one year old. I wanted to cook her a bowl of egg soup."
Justin asked, "And?"
"I took salt for sugar and steamed it until it was too soft. When I fed it to Cherry, she kept vomiting."
"Hahahaha!" Justin rarelyughed so carelessly. He seemed very cheerful when heughed.
"I did not give up and cooked again. But I forgot to turn off the fire and burnt the bottom of the pot. Fortunately, I was fine. However, my youngest aunt ordered me never to cook again."
Nora sighed helplessly. "But I didn¡¯t give up. I went into the kitchen for the third time and burned it all down. Forget it. I might not have any talent for cooking."
Justin watched as she described her talent seriously andughed non-stop. "You¡¯re the mighty Anti, the number one doctor of alternative medicine, an international racer, a hacker, and Big Sister of Quinn School of Martial Arts. You¡¯re outstanding in all fields, but you don¡¯t know how to cook!"
Nora rolled her eyes. "Geniuses are not omnipotent."
Justin was tired from smiling. "It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll cook in the future."
"Yeah."
Nora saw that he wasughing so hard. She ate the beef ruthlessly again and chewed hard. She would treat it as chewing this dog man.
What was so funny?
What was wrong with her only having cooked thrice or burning a kitchen down?
¡ª
On the fourth day.
The board of directors meeting was tomorrow, and the atmosphere in the Hunt Manor became serious.
Furthermore, even the weather seemed to have sensed something. There was a sudden cold wind.
It was even beginning to snow in the entire region.
When Nora woke up in the morning, she felt the cold outside and wrapped the nket tightly around her. Then, she sneezed. The door was pushed open and Cherry ran in. Her little nose was red from the cold. "Mommy, Mommy, the heater is here!"
Nora felt the coldness in the air and frowned. "Where¡¯s the heater?"
Cherry said, "The temperature dropped today. Uncle Butler said that the entire manor was warming up today, so the heater was switched on at Fatty¡¯s house! But why don¡¯t we have it here yet?"
Nora: "?"
She frowned and lifted the nket to cover herself with a thick coat.
Ever since she had a major hemorrhage while giving birth, she had always been weak and afraid of the cold. At the slightest hint of cold weather, she would turn on the heater. The room had to maintain 72 degrees Fahrenheit.
The weather was only 70 degrees yesterday, but today, it was suddenly 40 degrees. Furthermore, it was snowing. It might get even colder.
It was too cold.
She wrapped herself in her clothes and followed Cherry downstairs. When she went downstairs, Iris was quarreling with the steward of the greenhouse.
"There are heaters everywhere else, why isn¡¯t there one here?"
The in-charge lowered his head and said with a smile, "Madam, the temperature suddenly dropped this year. I wasn¡¯t expecting that. We don¡¯t have enough fuel left. Besides, something seems to be wrong with the heating pipe here. I¡¯ve already called for someone to fix it."
A small family might use electricity to warm themselves, but the Hunt Manor was too big, so they had a special boiler for heating.
Before Iris could speak, Pete said, "Since there¡¯s not enough fuel, why don¡¯t you let us use it first? We usually use it first."
As the patriarch of the Hunts, everyone in the Hunts served Justin. When had he ever suffered like this?!
The in-charge smiled. "Pete, you also know you guys get to use it first every year, so it¡¯s time for others to use it first this year. It¡¯s all fair!"
This sentence was unfair!
The heating in the servants¡¯ room was already there, but their small vi did not have it? Furthermore, the heating ducts had not broken even once in the past, how did they suddenly break this year?
It was obvious that they were behind this!
Iris also frowned. "That¡¯s enough! Fix it immediately. I¡¯ll give you half an hour to turn on the heating in the vi! Otherwise, I¡¯ll leave you to your own devices!"
Cherry loved to run around barefooted on the ground. Now that she was freezing, it was inconvenient for her.
The in-charge was not afraid and acted shamelessly. "Madam, this request of yours is really making things difficult for me! Where can I find someone to fix it? I don¡¯t know how to fix it myself. I¡¯ve already asked for repairs, but the maintenance staff is currently busy. I don¡¯t have a choice! If you punish me or fire me because of this, you¡¯d be going against the contract..."
The person in charge of the greenhouse was Mrs. Hunt¡¯s subordinate.
The matriarch would definitely not let her great-grandson freeze. Therefore, it was no doubt Lauren who had ordered this.
What a despicable method.
Iris was so angry that her chest heaved. She wished she could bring her three precious grandchildren to her vi in the suburbs. At the very least, it was up to her when the heater came on.
But she could not leave.
This was the Hunt Manor, the ce where Justin was the head. If she left with her grandson, in less than a minute, there would be news of Justin being chased out of the house!
Iris really did not know what to do when faced with such a shameless subordinate.
At this moment, Xander ced his hands on his hips and said, "You¡¯re such an unruly ve. Isn¡¯t it just because Dad isn¡¯t around that you¡¯re bullying us? Let me tell you, Mom is still here! Besides, Dad will be back soon!"
These words should have frightened the in-charge, but he did not expect the in-charge to immediately smile when he heard this. "Even if your father is back, he probably won¡¯t have the mood to care about us. He¡¯ll be busy handling your mother!"
Xander was stunned. "What about my Mom?"
The in-charge continued to smile. Just as he was about to speak, Iris¡¯s face darkened. She shouted angrily, "I dare you to say it!"
The in-charge pursed his lips. In front of the child, he originally wanted to talk about Nora¡¯s pretty boy. After all, this matter had spread everywhere! Even the location, time, and the other party¡¯s identity as a pretty boy were made clear.
However, Iris was too strong. He could only shut his mouth.
Iris roared, "I don¡¯t think you want to work here anymore!"
The in-charge said, "Does it matter if you want me to work here or not? We¡¯ll hold a board of directors meeting tomorrow. After it ends, let¡¯s see if you still dare to be so arrogant!"
Iris pointed at him and scolded, "What nonsense are you talking about?"
The in-charge pursed his lips. "I¡¯m not talking nonsense. This news has already spread. Mr. Hunt will not be the head of Hunt Corporation for long. Then, there will be another person in the Hunts to respect!"
Pete couldn¡¯t help but say, "It¡¯s not certain who will win!"
"Sigh, Pete, what are you saying... You have confidence in your father, but it¡¯s a pity your mother doesn¡¯t. She¡¯s already preparing to run... Otherwise, the hearts of the people below wouldn¡¯t have scattered so much!"
When Nora went downstairs, she heard these words.
A cold glint shed across her almond-shaped eyes.
Although it had been an act to deliberately give others the illusion, she was still a little angry at this moment.
Chapter 742: Board of Directors!
Chapter 742: Board of Directors!
Nora knew that if the news of Justin being poor was released, there would definitely be some people who would hit him when he was down.
However, she did not expect these small figures to be so crafty and drilling.
A small steward in charge of the boiler and kitchen in the Hunts actually dared to speak to his little master like this? He was really tired of living!
Nora lowered her eyes.
It was cold at home, but she could turn just on the air conditioner.
However, she was not in good health. Therefore, in her house, there had to be a heater in the winter.
Furthermore, she did not like to wear too thick a shirt. It was inconvenient to move around like this, especially when she was working in theboratory. Wearing too thick a shirt would affect her work.
Therefore, she stepped forward and asked, "What¡¯s wrong with the heater?"
When the in-charge heard this, he immediately said in a sarcastic tone, "Miss Smith, even if I tell you what¡¯s wrong, what can you do? You should wait for the maintenancepany toe. Besides, what you should be concerned about now is helping Mr. Hunt raise more money. Why are you making things difficult for a small manager like me here? Don¡¯t you think so?"
The in-charge spoke in a way that pushed away all responsibility.
Nora lowered her eyes and sneered. "What¡¯s your name?"
"Felix." The in-charge directly reported his name. "Why? Is Miss Smith firing me? But I didn¡¯t make a mistake. I¡¯m not like the two garden cleaners you fired previously where you held evidence over them."
Nora could not be bothered to speak. She said, "Yes, I¡¯ll remember you."
It was a casual sentence, but it made Felix feel a chill. He stared at Nora and felt that he was scaring himself just now.
Justin was about to be chased out of the Hunts, what could Miss Smith do to him?
He straightened his back. "I¡¯m a nobody. Why would Miss Smith remember me?"
"You¡¯re not a nobody."
Iris was furious. "At this moment, no one else dares to fight casually. They¡¯re all waiting for the conclusion tomorrow. You¡¯re the only one who can stand out. Hehe! You¡¯re really good at seizing opportunities!"
Felix¡¯s thoughts were seen through by her, and his face turned red.
He had been here for so many years. He was one of Mrs. Hunt¡¯s people, but he had always been working in the kitchen. This work was idle and had no room for growth. He was really annoyed.
Later on, he wanted to request Mr. Hunt frequently to transfer to other ces, but Mr. Hunt ignored him. When he went to look for the in-charge, the in-charge said that he was too scheming and not loyal enough. Mr. Hunt would not put him in an important position.
How was he not loyal?
If he was not loyal, he would have stopped working for the Hunts a long time ago, okay? The Hunts only offered a higher sry...
Therefore, he was unwilling to ept this. He also wanted to be like a manager.
Many people outside wanted to do business with the Hunts, and they were very respectful to the stewards who went out to do things.
Therefore, he had to grab the opportunity.
This time, Justin was clearly not going to make it. As for Lauren, she wasmanding others at home. Everyone mostly agreed with her on the surface but opposed her on the inside. Only he jumped out.
He wanted to be the first person in front of Lauren.
When Mr. Herman became the head of the Hunts, Justin and his family would be marginalized. At that time, wouldn¡¯t Lauren be the one in charge of the household?
Therefore, he listened to Lauren now.
Wasn¡¯t he just suppressing the people here to see if they would resist?
It was too easy to do such a small thing.
Felix retracted his thoughts and said with a smile, "Madam Iris, I don¡¯t understand what you mean. I¡¯m just doing my job. Alright, if there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll get back to work."
With that, he left.
Looking at his back, Nora narrowed her eyes and touched her mouth.
Beside her, Cherry whispered, "He¡¯s finished."
Xander and Pete looked at her. "What¡¯s wrong?"
Cherry: "When Mommy wipes her mouth, it means that she¡¯s very angry. The consequences are serious!"
Xander and Pete: "?"
The two of them raised their heads and looked at Nora. However, they felt that this woman really seemed to be releasing a murderous aura at this moment.
The two little guys shivered in unison.
At this moment, Brenda twisted her waist and walked in. The moment she entered and saw Nora, her eyes instantly lit up. She came directly to her and grabbed her hand. "Why did I hear my mother say that you have a pretty boy outside?"
Nora: "?"
Brenda was the daughter of the third side family.
The third household had always been Justin¡¯s supportive faction, and since Brenda and Justin had a good rtionship, Justin had always taken good care of the third household.
Brenda said, "When my parents heard about this, they couldn¡¯t sit still. They¡¯ve always been in Justin¡¯s faction. Now, they¡¯re being squeezed at home!"
Brenda pursed her lips. "Nora, is Justin really done for? If he¡¯s done for, let me know. I¡¯ll let my parents be fence-sitters for once too. I don¡¯t want you to take care of Justin if he fails. If they fail, it¡¯ll be difficult for them to move forward in the Hunts!"
With that, he sighed again. "What do you think Herman is thinking? Why does he have to fight with Justin? He and his mistress don¡¯t have a son. Won¡¯t the Hunts still belong to Justin in the future? I really don¡¯t understand. However, Nora, is your pretty boy even more good-looking than Justin?"
Nora: "..."
Was there something wrong with this woman?
Brenda grimaced and entered, only to discover the problem immediately. "Why is it so cold here? Where¡¯s the heater?"
Cherryined, "Felix wouldn¡¯t let us use the heater. He said he wanted us to get in line."
"Line? F*ck!"
Brenda was furious. "I¡¯ll go and see what¡¯s going on?! A servant actually bullied his master!"
With that, she turned and left.
Cherry, Pete, and Xander signaled with their eyes, and the three little fellows followed behind Brenda obediently.
As soon as they walked past, they saw Brenda kicking Felix away.
Bang!
Felix fell to the ground in pain. There was snow on the ground, but the temperature was very high. The snow was melting and, with his fall, his clothes were stained with mud.
Felix said in exasperation, "Ms. Brenda, what are you doing?"
"I¡¯ll give you ten minutes to turn on the heater for my little nephew and niece. Otherwise, hehe. Don¡¯t say that my brother hasn¡¯t been chased out yet. Even if he is chased out, I¡¯ll beat you up until you¡¯re half disabled. Do you think Herman will fuss about it with me?"
Nora was Justin¡¯s fianc¨¦e. If Nora hit him, Herman would definitely fuss about it. But if it was Brenda...
Even if the third branch stood on Justin¡¯s side, she was still the daughter of Herman¡¯s younger brother. He definitely did not dare to mess with Brenda.
Felix immediately said, "Okay, okay. I¡¯ll make the arrangements immediately."
With that, he quickly got someone to turn on the heater in Justin¡¯s vi.
In fact, the heater that led to Justin¡¯s opulent vi was only separated by a metal sheet. When the metal sheet was opened, it gradually warmed up.
After Felix opened it, he became angrier the more he thought about it.
Therefore, when he woke up the next morning, he turned off the heater again!
The person beside him asked, "Why did you cut off their heater again?"
Felix sneered. "Today is thepany¡¯s board of directors meeting. Justin didn¡¯te backst night. What does this mean? It means that the preparations for raising money overseas haven¡¯t been smooth! Otherwise, he would have returned home long ago. After this meeting ends today, I want Lauren to hear that their vi has turned cold the moment shees back!"
The person beside him asked, "Are you sure they¡¯ll win?"
"Of course." Felix was extremely confident and smug. "After today, I won¡¯t be a mere steward in the kitchen!"
He was the first person to jump out and stand by Lauren¡¯s side. He was the one who supported her, so Lauren would definitely put him in an important position!
At the same time, in Hunt Corporation¡¯srge conference room, all the directors were gathered. The board meeting was about to start!
Chapter 743: Center!
Chapter 743: Center!
When Nora woke up, it was already past nine.
She woke up an hour earlier than usual. When she thought of how Justin was going to thepany to face a group of old men¡¯s attacks today, she found it funny.
After some thought, she took out her phone and quietly hacked into Hunt Corporation¡¯s internalwork. She secretly turned on the conference room camera.
She wanted to see how Justin nned to fight this group of old-timers.
She yawned and turned on her phone on the way to the bathroom. As she brushed her teeth and washed her face, she stared at her phone.
On the screen, Hunt Corporation¡¯s office looked abnormally big.
The rows of tables and chairs were enough to seat a hundred people. This was probably thergest board meeting Hunt Corporation had held in recent years.
Everyone came one after another and sat there silently.
Herman and Lauren had also arrived. They sat at the head of the table in front and chatted with the other people.
Fortunately, this camera had an audio function. Otherwise, Nora would not have heard what they said.
Justin¡¯s second uncle from the side family was currently ttering Herman. "Herman, you should have be the head of this family long ago. You don¡¯t know how much I¡¯ve been cheated by that kid, Justin, all these years! He¡¯s too domineering. The Hunts are simply operating on his word. Just a while ago, I made a small mistake and he directly removed my position!"
With that, he pretended to touch his eyes and wipe his tears.
Nora: "..."
Herman sighed. "Raymond, I¡¯ve let you suffer all these years. He¡¯s young and impulsive, and he¡¯s insensible. He must have done things to offend all the directors. When heester, I¡¯ll get him to apologize to everyone!"
Raymond nodded and was about to say something when the third son of the Hunts, who was also Brenda¡¯s father, said, "Raymond, aren¡¯t you exaggerating a little? Could it be that Justin¡¯s decisions all these years were wrong? Furthermore, he also let go of the project you insisted on so much. What happened in the end? You made a loss before Justin slowly retracted his full power. It¡¯s not right for you to criticize him like this. Didn¡¯t Justin do well enough? How many times have the Hunts¡¯ assets increased in the five years that he was in charge of the family business? When Grandpa was still around and in poor health, who was the one who handled thepany matters behind the scenes? Even if nobody else knows, you and I should know, right? He had long-term goals even when he was still in school. His talent in business is obvious."
As soon as he finished speaking, Raymond sneered. "Spencer, I think you¡¯re used to being his licking dog! Can a person only be measured with money? He¡¯s the one with a problem!"
Spencer was so angry that heughed. "Raymond, you¡¯re being unreasonable. We¡¯re in business. What else can we look at other than profits?"
Raymond snorted. "People have to be particr, okay? The Hunts don¡¯t belong to him alone. Why should he say whatever he wants? Did I know from the beginning that I would lose money? I definitely hope that the Hunts will do better!"
Spencer smiled. "So, whoever can make thepany profitable should be the one in charge! Brother, am I right?"
Checkmate.
Herman narrowed his scheming eyes and smiled. "Of course."
As soon as he finished speaking, Lauren said, "Raymond is right. This is also what I n to tell everyone. Everyone should have seen how outstanding Herman was back then. Over the years, he has been living overseas as a test from Grandpa Hunt. We also established Hunt Corporation overseas. If Herman manages the Hunts, then the overseas business will naturally have to be merged with the mainpany. Of course, Herman was paid by Grandpa Hunt back then. Although it was private money, Grandpa Hunt¡¯s dividend was also paid by thepany. Herman has been thinking of returning home all these years. When he went overseas back then, he said that he would treat it as starting a branch... Now, our overseaspany¡¯s valuation is tens of billions. Of course, it can¡¯tpare to the Hunts, so everyone¡¯s shares won¡¯t be diluted in the future."
The shares would not be diluted. In other words, Herman would divide the overseaspany equally with every sensible person present!
Ten billion dors, even if it was 0.1%, it was still ten million dors!
Who wouldin about having too much money?
The people present looked at each other. Some of them were even more hesitant.
When Nora saw this, she pursed her lips as well. She felt that this group of people¡¯s struggles were really high. Furthermore, she was really poor!
Should she think of a way to earn money?
She pursed her lips. At this moment, footsteps came from the door, and a tall man appeared.
The camera was facing the door, so she could only see the back view of the man.
However, even so, she still recognized this man at a nce.
After all, they hade much closer in the past few days. Even if he only had a few cells left, she could still recognize him.
Of course, this was a little exaggerated.
Nora could recognize him because the aura of the man was too strong.
Even though the shareholders present were all elites and Herman was a senior expert on a billion-dor project, Justin¡¯s aura was not weak at all.
Just as he appeared at the door, a number of his loyal subordinates suddenly stood up and greeted, "Hello, Mr. Hunt!"
The others subconsciously stood up as well.
Even Raymond could not help but leave the chair. Just as he was about to greet Justin, he sensed that Roger was sitting steadily and saw that Herman was also calm andposed. Only then did he press his butt back onto the chair.
Nora found it funny. She washed her face and sat on the sofa. She crossed her legs and continued to watch.
In the meeting room.
When Justin entered, those who were questioning him and even denouncing him as a hegemon instantly shut their mouths.
He took two steps forward and realized that his seat was upied.
He did not scratch or make a fuss and sat on the first seat on the right.
Although he was sitting below Herman, everyone¡¯s attention was still focused on him. Justin¡¯s body made everyone know that the head chair was not the center, but where he was, that was the center of the crowd.
Sensing the change in everyone¡¯s eyes, Herman was a little angry and said, "Justin, it¡¯s the board of directors meeting today. You¡¯rete. Apologize to your uncles first."
He was nning to suppress his aura first.
Nora had not experienced this before and found it quite fun. She nned to see what Justin would do.
Chapter 744: Complete Victory?
Chapter 744: Complete Victory?
Herman¡¯s move meant to suppress Justin¡¯s aura.
The board of directors meeting was convened and the leaders were thest to arrive. It was nothing, but he used the word "uncles" to show that everyone present was older than him and should be respected.
If Justin refused to apologize, it would appear that he was very rude.
However, if he apologized, his imposing aura from before would disappear.
Herman¡¯s words caused Justin to fall into a passive state.
Nora stared at her phone, wanting to know what this man would do. At the end, when everyone looked at him, his gaze suddenly fell on the camera and stared at the screen.
It was like itnded on Nora¡¯s face through the screen!
Nora: "..."
Was this guy that perceptive?
It was just a camera, and he had already discovered it?
No, wait...
She had broken through the firewall created by Y. How could he not know? Furthermore, when Nora invaded, she did not encounter any obstacles. Did that mean that this man had allowed her to do so?
As if to confirm her thoughts, she heard him say calmly, "Yes, I was with my wife, so I got dyed. Uncles, please forgive me."
Nora: "!!"
Her face instantly turned red. F*ck!
What wife!
Who was his wife?
The two of them were not married yet, okay?
Nora pursed her lips and wished she could throw her phone aside.
However, she was very curious. Wouldn¡¯t his aura disappear if he apologized?
Therefore, she could not bear to throw her phone away.
However, the next moment, he said, "However, although we¡¯re a family business, how many family businesses have been destroyed by internal strife? When Grandpa Hunt began working for Hunt Corporation, he made a rule that Hunt Corporation will never allow anyone to take advantage of us. In thepany, rtionships are not important, only ability is."
With that, he sat up straight. "Uncles, let¡¯s abandon all kinds of rtionships now. In this room, there¡¯s only the chairman and the directors!"
When he said these words, his attitude was still very light, but the words he said were not to be underestimated.
His aura returned instantly.
Everyone in the meeting room said in unison, "Yes, Mr. Hunt!"
Herman: "..."
Nora, who was staring at the screen, expressed that she had learned something!
Although she did not have so many people to control and it was useless to learn, she had to admit that the man¡¯s calm and confident tone was indeed very charming.
Nora did not feel hungry either. She simply stretched her legs out on the sofa andy there. She found afortable position and continued to stare at the screen.
In the meeting room.
Justin said a few words and pulled the situation back. When Herman saw this, he said, "Justin, you¡¯re wrong to say that. Business is business, but a businessman has to be a human first and be more loyal! How can you neglect someone who has contributed to thepany? Isn¡¯t this breaking an old man¡¯s heart? For example, your second uncle has been working hard for so many years for thepany. With one mistake, you removed his position. You¡¯re so ruthless to your own uncle, so what about the other shareholders?"
With that, he sighed. "It¡¯s my fault for not being by your side since you were young. Your grandfather and grandmother have spoiled you rotten!"
Justin did not speak and just nced at Lawrence.
Lawrence entered with a document and handed it to the shareholders.
It was a list of all the projects that Raymond had lost over the years!
Justin had never done anything to him because the few billion he had lost was a small sum to him, but...
Justin said sarcastically, "If we don¡¯t remove him from his role, should we let him continue to incur losses to thepany? I don¡¯t care, but do all the directors agree?"
A few billion was a lot of money to these small shareholders who held a small portion of thepany¡¯s shares!
Herman had just distributed the money to the shareholders, but now, Justin continued to use the shareholders¡¯ money to persuade him.
Herman choked and red at Raymond, feeling that his brother was really useless.
He continued to smile. "Alright, let¡¯s not talk about this today. Our mission today is to elect a new chairman. I¡¯ve seen our financial statements. Over the past six months, the profits have stagnated, but the overseas market can be expanded. Over the years I¡¯ve been overseas, I¡¯ve also umted some connections, so I¡¯m rmending myself. If I can be the chairman, then I will bring improvements to the Hunt Corporation."
With that, Raymond and Lauren apuded.
The other shareholders also began to p.
Justin¡¯s eyes narrowed.
Over the past six months, economic stagnation and bankruptcy could be seen everywhere. It was only natural. Not to mention the Hunts, but even the Smiths could not escape unscathed.
Herman was actually starting with this.
Justin sneered and did not speak.
It was not that he did not want to exin, but there was no need to at all. The directors knew in their hearts that they wanted to pretend to be ignorant. Even if he called out, they would not wake up. If he exined, they would only show weakness.
Raymond could not help but mock, "Justin, did you hear that? You¡¯ve brought Hunt Corporation to a standstill! Is your crime lighter than mine? Also, real estate is clearly so profitable, but you suddenly called for a halt and insisted on investing in theputing sector. Thepany has invested hundreds of millions, but there¡¯s no sign of profit... I know you have your own ideas but you can¡¯t mess around with the interests of the entirepany!"
Lawrence argued, "A portion of thepany¡¯s investments are in electronics, and the electronics industry has always been dependent on foreign technologies. If we don¡¯t develop our own technology and our supply from overseas is cut, the consequences will be unimaginable. President Hunt is considering things from a high position for the future of Hunt Corporation! You can¡¯t be short-sighted!"
Raymond pursed his lips and mocked, "Why would thepanies cut our supply? They¡¯re not stupid. Why would they turn down good business? Instead of spending billions on research and development, you might as well buy their product!"
This was indeed decided by Justin personally against everyone¡¯s objections.
The shareholders were already unhappy that they had to invest tens of billions in research and development every year. However, Justin was the head of the Hunts and had 51% of the shares. No matter what meeting he held, he could veto everyone.
Lawrence sneered. "There¡¯s no need to wait ten years; five... no, just two years. Just wait and see! The international market is changing rapidly. If we don¡¯t n ahead, we might bepletely restrained! President Hunt¡¯s decision is definitely far-sighted!"
"Heh, stop calling him President Hunt here!" Raymond stood up immediately and pped the table. "After today, who knows if he¡¯ll still be President Hunt? Other than him, who else agrees to what you¡¯re saying? Which one of you here doesn¡¯t have anyints? In my opinion, he should give up his position as president and let Herman take over!"
Herman waved his hand. "Alright, Justin is still young and won¡¯t listen to our advice. If I be the president, the first thing I¡¯ll do is cut this R&D fund. R&D can be done, but we can¡¯t invest so much money!"
His words made Raymond p. "Herman is right. You should be the next president!"
Although Spencer did not agree with Justin¡¯s actions, so many years had passed, and they had disagreed many times!
For example, back then, when he wanted to enter real estate, no one agreed. What happened in the end?
He had made a killing over the past few years.
Therefore, he followed Justin blindly. He said, "I think President Hunt is still the most suitable. After all, he has brought thepany to where we are today. When have his decisions ever backfired?"
Upon hearing this, a group of people began to argue.
The scene became chaotic.
Most people did not agree with Justin¡¯s actions.
Seeing this, Herman was extremely satisfied, especially when the few shareholders who had never approved of him were also criticizing Justin loudly.
He suddenly said, "Alright, now is not the time to scold me. Today is also not the assessment meeting for Justin. We¡¯ll choose the new president first. Now, let¡¯s raise our hands and agree to let me rece Justin as the president. Please raise your hands if you agree!"
With that, he looked at the shareholders.
The other shareholders had all been taken down by him, leaving only these few shareholders wavering.
Those few shareholders actually did not have a lot of shares.
Together, it was 5%.
The six of them had a very fierce quarrel with Lawrence earlier. Originally, they were very hesitant, but Raymond¡¯s words hit their weak spot.
Therefore, when this was said, those people hesitated for a moment. In the end, three of them raised their hands!
Beautiful!
The three of them upied 3% of the shares, and Justin only received the support of the other three at most, only 48%! Coupled with Spencer¡¯s 1%, he only had 49%...
Herman had wonpletely this time!
Herman and Raymond smiled. Raymond had already begun to congratte him. "Herman, congrattions! Hahaha!"
Herman also said, "I¡¯ll need everyone¡¯s cooperation in the future..."
Neither of them saw that someone in the corner had not raised his hand...
Chapter 745: Slap in the Face!!
Chapter 745: p in the Face!!
Among the hundred-plus shareholders present, other than Justin, who upied 46%¡ªthe second branch upied 5%, and the third branch only upied 1%. This was because the third branch had transferred their shares to Justin previously. This was also Grandpa Hunt¡¯s wish. He did not want the shares to be divided, so when they separated back then, they had taken fewer shares and more cash.
Over the years, Justin had privately given them the dividends for the other four percent of the shares.
Other than them taking the majority, the rest of the shares were concentrated on a few shareholders.
One of these was Justin¡¯s subordinate, Sean. Sean held 5% of the shares. Philip had spent a lot of money to buy 5%, and the six uncertain shareholders ounted for 5%.
Actually, it was not the entire board of directors. Only the six of them were uncertain. It was mainly because the other shareholders upied too few shares. Some people could even be ignored.
There were a few dozen people, but they only ounted for 1%.
Herman had spent a lot of money in private to purchase 20% of the shares, almost spending all his savings over the years.
Coupled with the 5% Justin had given him, Philip¡¯s 5% was also managed by him. Therefore, he had a total of 30% of the shares.
Herman found a few other shareholders and forced them to lean toward him. Therefore, he did not care that four-fifths of the dozens of shareholders did not support him.
This was because their shares added up to only 1%.
In addition, Mrs. Hunt still had 5% of Hunt Corporation¡¯s shares. The other shareholders had agreed to his request and even received benefits from him... After some calctions, Herman felt that victory was within his grasp!
He stood up and said, "Alright, Justin. I¡¯m already the president of thepany. I¡¯ll have to arrange your next job. Are you going to stay in thepany or what? However, I don¡¯t think any otherpany will dare to take you in, right?"
Justin raised his eyebrows.
Raymond added insult to injury. "Herman, I object to Justin staying! Unless he apologizes to all of us for his arrogance in the past!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the door was pushed open. The little girl in the pantry brought the tea cart in and served everyone coffee.
When Raymond saw this, he waved his hand. "Go out."
Then, he looked at Justin. "Justin, do it instead. You¡¯ve been unreasonable in thepany all these years. How many people have you reprimanded? Apologize to everyone now. We¡¯re not that petty. If your apology is sincere enough, we¡¯ll agree to let you stay in thepany!"
Spencer frowned. "Raymond, you¡¯re going overboard!"
With that said, Raymond sneered. "Spencer, don¡¯t say such stupid things here. After all, you¡¯ve been eating for free all these years, right? You haven¡¯t done anything and haven¡¯t been scolded either. How can you understand our heartache of being scolded by a junior? Heh!"
Raymond felt like he had turned over a new leaf. He pointed at the coffee cart and said, "Justin, let¡¯s start with Raymond. I want two spoons of sugar, not milk."
Justin: "..."
He remained sitting there steadily and did not move at all.
Raymond frowned and looked at him. "Aren¡¯t you going to move? Why? Will you only apologize if the president says so himself?"
When he said this, Raymond looked at Herman. "Herman, look at how arrogant he is. In the past, when you weren¡¯t around, he was always so high and mighty. Now that you¡¯re back, you have to teach him how to face his elders! He has to be more modest! He shouldn¡¯t be high up in the air."
Justin continued to sit there and watch them act like clowns.
A staff member was recording the voting data for the day.
Actually, there were not many people who really supported Herman today. Not even one in five. As for the shares, they had to be calcted...
The conductor continued to calcte...
He looked past Sean...
Sean was Justin¡¯s subordinate, but Justin was clearly different from his two assistants. Usually, Lawrence followed beside him most of the time.
Moreover, Lawrence was a very cheap person. He often mocked Sean in thepany and liked to go against him.
Everyone knew that Sean was very dissatisfied with President Hunt. After all, President Hunt was too biased between him and Lawrence!
Therefore, Herman was the first to contact Sean. Sean hesitated for a long time and only agreed after Herman promised him many benefits.
But...
The conductor swallowed and wanted to say something...
Sean did not raise his hand. His 5% shares along with President Hunt¡¯s shares alone were 51%... not to mention the support of the people from the third household and most of the small shareholders...
He really wanted to remind him, but when he saw that Justin was not saying anything, he continued to silently calcte...
After Raymond said this, Spencer said, "Raymond, don¡¯t be so anxious. You haven¡¯t even taken office, but you¡¯re already anxious to take revenge. Your table manners are too ugly! Besides, there are only a dozen or so people who raised their hands to support Herman!"
Raymond smiled. "So what if there are more than ten people? Look at them. Those 7 to 8 people only have 1% of the shares! Even if they all support Justin, he only has 49% of the shares at most. My brother still upies the majority!"
With that, he looked at Justin proudly. "Justin, are you feeling very ufortable? It¡¯s just 49% or so, you lost to Herman by a little. This is your retribution!"
"Who asked you to be so domineering? That¡¯s why your rtions are so bad! Look, which of these majority shareholders like you? If you were a little more respectful to them, you wouldn¡¯t have ended up like this!"
He stood up straight and continued, "We majority shareholders don¡¯tck money at all! We care about our face and sense of achievement, but have you ever given them to us? Heh."
Justin raised his eyebrows. "You should earn your face and dignity yourself, they¡¯re not given for free."
"Earn it ourselves? Ha, you¡¯re funny! Then don¡¯t talk about me. Tell me about your favorite subordinate, Sean! He must have worked hard enough in thepany! He has done a lot for you all these years, but didn¡¯t he betray you today?!"
With that, everyone¡¯s eyes fell on Sean in the corner.
Raymond pointed at him. "Look at him. Aren¡¯t you sorry... Sean, why isn¡¯t your hand raised?"
Almost as soon as he finished speaking, the conductor silently said, "Shareholders, the calctions are done..."
Chapter 746: Continuing to Slap Face!
Chapter 746: Continuing to p Face!
Raymond stared at Sean.
Herman had realized earlier that Sean had not raised his hand to agree, so he had shut his mouth early with a bad feeling in his heart.
When the conductor said this, everyone looked at him.
Without the conductor saying anything, everyone understood that the 5% shares in Sean¡¯s hands were very important.
Therefore, Raymond interrupted him and asked, "What¡¯s the result? Sean hasn¡¯t agreed yet! Add Sean¡¯s shares too!"
When the conductor heard this, he looked at Sean weakly and waited for his choice.
Raymond said, "Sean, what are you waiting for? Hurry up! Didn¡¯t you say that Justin was unfair to you? He trusts Lawrence who doesn¡¯t know how to do anything and only knows how to curry favors all day, but he¡¯s more wary of you!"
Lawrence, who was shot lying down, was speechless.
He was really furious as he stood behind Justin.
What did he mean by only knowing how to curry favors?!
Who was he looking down on?
He was just trying to figure out his boss¡¯s thoughts!
Lawrence was furious.
Raymond continued to drive a wedge between them. He spoke about all the dissatisfaction in Sean¡¯s heart and forced him to raise his stand. "And when you bought 5% of the shares years ago, it was also your family who supported you. At that time, he sold them to you at a higher than market price. You¡¯ve hated this boss of yours for a long time, haven¡¯t you? Didn¡¯t you say so yourself? You¡¯re not trusted in thepany!"
What he said was reasonable. It was obvious that he was really dissatisfied with Justin. If it had been anyone else, they would have fallen out when these words were said.
But Sean and Justin...
The corners of Lawrence¡¯s mouth twitched as he could not help but curse inwardly!
What kind of nonsense talk was this? Sean was the one who paid for the shares, okay?! Boss just wanted to inject capital into Hunt Corporation, that¡¯s why he used Sean!
If he did not know the truth, he might have scolded Justin for treating Sean badly with Raymond.
But in reality?
Lawrence knew very well!
Sean was the person his boss trusted the most. The reason why he was not put in an important position in thepany was that he was also managing his business, okay?!
Lawrence was the most pitiful one. He sucked up to his boss every day and begged for food...
As Lawrence thought about this, he felt like crying.
With that, Herman said, "Sean, don¡¯t worry. This is a public ce. He won¡¯t dare to do anything to you. Besides, you¡¯re not betraying him. You¡¯re a shareholder, so you have your own choice!"
At this moment, Herman and Raymond both thought that Sean was afraid of Justin.
After the two of them finished, Sean slowly said, "Okay."
Raymond: "Then raise your hand?"
The conductor also looked at him weakly. "Mr. Sean, do you approve of Mr. Herman being the president of Hunt Corporation?"
Sean said simply, "No."
"..."
For a moment, the entire meeting room fell silent.
In the strange atmosphere, the conductor slowly said, "Yes... Well, if Mr. Sean doesn¡¯t support it, then there are 17 people who support Mr. Herman as the president of Hunt Corporation, one-sixth of the total number. Everyone¡¯s shares add up to... 45.3%. There is less than half the number of people and shares, so... the motion is rejected."
"..."
With that, the conductor said, "Then next, those who approve of Mr. Justin¡¯s continued role as the president of Hunt Corporation, please raise your hands."
As soon as he said this, the other people in the office raised their hands.
Also!
Not only these people, but even those who had supported Herman raised their hands again. Someone even exined, "Mr. Hunt, I had heard incorrectly. I had heard incorrectly..."
Justin ignored these people.
But Raymond and Herman kept their eyes on Sean.
Sean raised his hand.
At this moment, both of them knew that they had been yed by Sean!
Raymond was furious. He pointed at him and scolded, "Sean, you¡¯re good! So you were just messing with us? Heh, you¡¯re a spineless person. You deserve to never be ced in an important position by Justin!"
Sean said angrily, "I can get money without doing work. Isn¡¯t that better?"
Raymond was speechless.
Herman narrowed his eyes.
The conductor said at the appropriate time, "There are 90 people who support Mr. Justin Hunt¡¯s continued role as Hunt Corporation¡¯s President. This totals to 65% of shares; the motion is passed. Mr. Justin Hunt will continue to be thepany¡¯s president!"
With that, everyone in the meeting room stood up and started pping.
Justin sat there steadily the entire time. When he raised his hand slightly, the pping crowd instantly fell silent. Then, he looked at Herman and said, "You gathered all the shareholders together to see how you embarrass yourself?"
Herman: "You...!"
"Meeting dismissed."
Justin¡¯s cold words blocked Herman¡¯s words. Then, he stood up and strode out. He could not be bothered to speak to Herman.
However, Herman saw him walk out the door and stood up to follow him. He shouted angrily, "Justin!"
Justin stopped in his tracks and looked at him.
Herman walked to Justin.
A person close to 50 years old could no longerpare to Justin¡¯s stature. Justin¡¯s figure was ramrod straight as he looked at Herman. An unfamiliar pressure and depth exuded from his dark eyes, making him difficult to fathom.
At this moment, Herman suddenly understood that the son in front of him was not someone he could control.
However...
He narrowed his eyes and said in a low voice, "Do you think you can protect Iris just because you beat me? I¡¯m not even half as good as Philip! He¡¯s not stupid! You can continue to be the chairman, but I advise you not to fight Philip head-on. If he wants Iris, you¡¯ll have to send her over! Otherwise, the Hunts will be ruined in your hands sooner orter!"
When Justin heard his words, he only felt mocked. He could not even be bothered to look at him now as he strode forward.
Justin went downstairs and got into the car, driving toward the Hunts.
Lawrence and Sean helped him clean up the people in thepany, now it was time to clean up the people at home!
¡ª
"Felix? What¡¯s wrong with you? Why did the heater stop again?!"
Brenda grabbed Felix in exasperation and questioned him angrily.
Felix sat there calmly and fiddled with his fingers. "Ms. Brenda, I advise you not to interfere!"
Brenda grabbed his cor. "Try saying that again?"
Felix was very arrogant. "Ms. Brenda, I advise you not to make a move either. Otherwise, when the board of directors meeting is over, there will be just one family left! Your third branch might also be chased away!"
Justin¡¯s car slowly stopped at the entrance of Hunt Corporation.
Felix and Brenda both turned to look. Felix touched his stomach, which was in pain from being kicked yesterday, and smiled. "Look, he must have lost! Only those who lose scurry back to pack! Mr. Herman and Madam Lauren are still in thepany. They must be busy with the handover. Your good days are over! You hit me yesterday, I¡¯ll remember this! Heh!"
Brenda: "!"
She red at Felix, but she still walked toward Justin.
As Justin entered, the servants at home all looked over, wanting to know the final oue.
As the vanguard of Lauren, Felix went to Justin¡¯s vi and nned to take the opportunity to mock him. As he approached, he heard Brenda ask, "Justin, how was the meeting?"
Chapter 747: The Divorce Storm?
Chapter 747: The Divorce Storm?
Justin got out of the car and prepared to go home to see the three children.
After all, it had been three days since he pretended to go on a business trip.
Hearing Brenda¡¯s words, he casually replied, "It was nothing."
He casually entered the vi.
Brenda: "?"
She was stunned. She stood in the yard and asked, "What do you mean by nothing? Justin, you didn¡¯t really lose, did you? Are we really going to move?"
When Felix, who was at the door, heard this, he became even more pleased with himself. He said with a smile, "See, Mr. Hunt indeed has indeed seen the world. Your position as president is gone and you still say it¡¯s nothing... Heh!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the chauffeur who had returned with Justin exined to Brenda, "Ms. Brenda, you¡¯re mistaken! Mr. Hunt won! Lawrence and Sean are currently handling some matters in thepany. Mr. Hunt was worried about the family, so he came back first!"
With this sentence, Felix¡¯s heart skipped a beat. For a moment, he felt that he had heard wrong.
What did the driver say?
Justin had won?
Then he...
Felix stood there stiffly.
At this moment, Justin, who had entered, came out with a cold expression. His gaze swept across the room and stopped on Felix. "You broke the heater?"
Felix: !!
He was so frightened that he hurriedly took a step forward. His legs went limp and he fell to the ground. He shouted, "Mr. Hunt, I didn¡¯t do it on purpose. I, I, I..."
Before he could finish speaking, Justin kicked him!
Bang!
This pain was even stronger than Brenda¡¯s kick yesterday. It sent Felix flying again and mmed him into the wall behind him before he fell to the ground with a thud.
His entire body hurt and he felt like his organs had been jolted out!
"Bring him down and teach him a lesson."
With that, Justin turned around and returned to the vi.
Felix was still dizzy when his arm was tied behind his back and he was taken downstairs.
¡ª
"Daddy is awesome!"
"Daddy is so domineering!"
"Daddy, that kick of yours was like the Monkey King. It was simply too awesome!"
"Daddy, Cherry wants a hug. I missed you, where did you go?"
The bootlicker Cherry hugged Justin¡¯s leg and looked up with a smile as she ttered him. Her childish voice made Justin feel like his heart had melted.
He nced into the room and asked, "Where¡¯s your mother?"
"Mommy¡¯s still upstairs!"
Afterforting Cherry and letting her continue to y downstairs, Justin went upstairs. He had just entered when he saw Nora sleeping on the sofa.
Justin walked over and gently picked her up and ced her on the bed.
The heater in the room wasn¡¯t working and it was very cold.
The moment he went to bed and touched the silk nket, Nora instinctively curled up and mumbled, "I¡¯m cold."
Hearing this, Justin smiled.
He took off his clothes and stuffed himself into the nket.
Nora asked in a daze, "What are you doing?"
"Aren¡¯t you afraid of the cold?"
Justin¡¯s voice was vague. "I¡¯ll warm you up."
Nora: "..."
Nora still wanted to say something, but her hands and feet were pressed down by his big hands and legs. The man¡¯s body was like a hot stove. It was quitefortable hugging him like this.
She could not be bothered to move.
However, she did not expect the man to push his luck. "You¡¯re still cold, right? Why don¡¯t I help you exercise to warm up?"
Nora: "?"
...
...
While the two of them were done warming up, the room was filled with an ambiguous atmosphere.
Perhaps the temperature of the floor had risen a little. Or perhaps the exercise earlier had indeed worked.
Nora was not cold anymore and she fell asleep again.
Justin looked at the woman hugging him.
Although they¡¯d already had skin-to-skin contact before, the woman did not want to be intimate with him and kept pushing him away.
But now, she was obediently being hugged by him.
Suddenly, he did not want the heater anymore.
Ahem.
When Nora¡¯s breathing got even, Justin finally lifted the nket and got out of bed.
He held his vibrating phone and put on a sleeping robe. He went to the study and closed the door before answering the call.
On the other end of the line was a familiar voice. "Kid, you win this time."
It was Philip!
Justin¡¯s voice was a little hoarse. After all, he had just finished ¡¯exercising¡¯ and was still a little thirsty. "Thank you."
Philip said, "Unfortunately, you won the workce but lost the love seat."
Justin: "?"
He raised his eyebrows and was about to speak when Philip smiled sarcastically again. "You should understand by now that women are no good, right? They say they love you, but in the end, they always go with someone else! Now, I¡¯ll let you have a taste of how I felt back then! I hope you¡¯ll like this gift I¡¯m giving you next."
With that, he hung up.
Justin: "?"
What was Philip doing?
As he was thinking, Lawrence called. "Boss, you¡¯re in the newspaper!"
Justin: "?"
Lawrence took a photo and sent it over. It was a weekly magazine in the mall. Although there were fewer physical magazines now, this magazine¡¯s sale had never fallen. After all, the ones who ordered this magazine were all high-end people in the business world. This group of people still had the habit of reading physical newspapers and magazines.
There was a piece of news in today¡¯s journal:
"The oue of the Hunts¡¯ internal strife has not been determined, but Miss Smith has already found a way out."
"Not only is Justin Hunt fighting his father for the consortium, but he is also facing his fianc¨¦e¡¯s affair!"
Justin: "?"
He continued to read the content:
[ording to reports, a photo and video of Miss Smith keeping a pretty boy have surfaced. It has been confirmed that Miss Smith has an affair outside. Justin is in danger. Did Miss Smith sense that he wouldn¡¯t ovee this difficulty?]
There were photos of Nora going to the vi in the suburbs below.
Lawrence continued, "Now, it¡¯s not just in the newspapers. Even on the Inte, there are people spreading the news. Our IT department has contacted people to delete the thread, but the other party seems to have made ample preparations. Every time we delete it, they bring it up again. It can¡¯t be deleted now."
On the Inte...
Justin opened a website again and saw that the number one trending article was: "A shocking inside story of a wealthy family: A poor man was abandoned by his fianc¨¦e."
It was a video of Nora cheating on him.
The people below were already cursing.
"The wealthy families are so chaotic."
"I heard that wealthy couples are only husband and wife on the surface, but they each do their own thing. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s true or not, but no one has ever caused such a scandal, right?"
"The Hunts are really in an embarrassing situation now! They¡¯re definitely going to break the engagement!"
"Miss Smith is indeed too much. The marriage between the Smiths and Hunts is too out of line. No matter what, can¡¯t she just get Mr. Hunt to step down before looking for someone else? This is really a p to Mr. Hunt¡¯s face!"
Of course, there were also some who raised doubts weakly.
"Can¡¯t it be Mr. Hunt in the video?"
"Is the person above joking? Everyone in the business knows he was overseas those few days. If he¡¯s overseas, does he have two bodies?"
"Stop arguing! Go and take a look. Someone has dug out who the man hiding in Miss Smith¡¯s golden house is!!"
Justin: "??"
He followed the thread and clicked on a link. When he saw the list of people being suspected, he did not know whether tough or cry!
Chapter 748: Clarification!!
Chapter 748: rification!!
There was a sea of guesses. They were all either male celebrities or people from the male model circle. These people had amon feature, and that was that they were all very handsome.
At the end of each guess, it was written clearly that during that period of time, these male celebrities and male models were in the city. Furthermore, on the night that Nora was photographed, they basically had no work.
Furthermore, among these people, there were some artists under the entertainmentpany employed by Smith Corporation. They were all saying that these artists had a secret background. Now, it seemed like the truth was out. This background was Nora!
Justin: "..."
Theizens were really imaginative! They could think of everything.
He lowered his eyes and sneered.
At this moment, Brenda walked in secretly. When she saw him, she instantly stepped back and nned to escape.
However, before she could leave, Justin stopped her. "Where are you going?"
Brenda turned around and looked at him awkwardly. Her voice was a little graceful and charming. Even if she were to speak to Justin, she could not change her tone. "Justin... are you in a bad mood?"
Justin: "?"
Brenda said, "I actually understand you very well, but I also understand Nora quite well. After all, Nora can¡¯t give up the entire fish pond just because you¡¯re in there!"
Justin: "???"
Brenda continued to persuade him. "You have to be happy and go with the flow in life. Sometimes, you have to be carefree. Justin, you should understand Nora. It was so difficult for her to give birth to three children for you. She just made a small mistake that any woman could make!"
"..."
"Oh, Justin, why don¡¯t you understand? Nora definitely loves you the most, but think about it. When the most outstanding male celebrities in the entertainment industry gather together and ask you to choose, can you do it? Nora has been keeping her innocence for you all these years. It has been very difficult..."
The more Brenda spoke, the more she felt Justin¡¯s expression darken, and her voice gradually became softer.
Actually, she knew that her sister-inw was in the wrong!
After all, Nora had let her brother down!
However, as a person who liked handsome men of all colors, she really understood her sister-inw¡¯s cheating...
Brenda sighed silently. "Actually, Nora is already in this state now. Why don¡¯t you two really call off the engagement?!"
Lawrence, who was standing beside her, thought that Brenda was speaking up for Justin. He was about to say that Ms. Brenda was usually very unreliable and he did not expect her to support her brother at the critical moment!
However, just as this thought shed across his mind, he heard Brenda¡¯s next words. "That way, Nora will be free."
Lawrence: "??"
His eyes widened.
Justin also looked straight at Brenda. After holding back for a while, he finally said, "Scram!"
"Okay." Brenda winked at him. Then, she looked at the three little cuties walking down from upstairs upon hearing her voice. She nodded at Cherry and reminded her, "Don¡¯t be naughty these few days~ Your father is in a bad mood."
The children were speechless.
Justin: "??"
He could not help but take half a step in Brenda¡¯s direction. It frightened her so much that she instantly jumped up from her spot like a frightened rabbit.
Even in her high heels and short leather skirt, she ran away quickly. As she ran, she waved her hand and said, "Justin, bye-bye! Think about it!"
"..."
Justin felt his forehead throb faintly.
This sister had not been like this when she was young. He did not know when she had be so loose, especially when she said those words. How could she?
Her manners were extremely bad.
She was his younger sister. Justin cared a lot about her the past few years and wanted her to have a serious rtionship.
However, she always rejected him righteously, saying that she would let the other handsome men down.
As for getting married, she had never even thought about it. She even said that she was a celibate.
It was also because of her attitude that her parents didn¡¯t have any thoughts ofpeting. After all, why would they need so much money?
Wasn¡¯t it enough to live without worry?
With their daughter¡¯s attitude, they would not have a grandson to hug either!
Brenda was 24 years old. She was at the peak of her life, but she dolled herself up only to work at the police station.
It really gave Justin a headache.
However!
What gave him a headache was not the thought of how to correct Brenda, but the worry that she would lead his daughter astray.
The corners of Justin¡¯s mouth twitched before he lowered his head to look at Cherry and said sincerely, "Cherry, you can¡¯t learn anything from your aunt Brenda when you grow up!"
Cherry: "...But I think Auntie is pretty cool! Mommy also said that Auntie is very carefree!"
Justin: "??"
Pete, who was beside her, sighed silently. He stepped forward and held Cherry¡¯s hand. "Cherry, it¡¯s not good for you to be like this!"
Cherry: "Why?"
Pete: "Look, Mommy only has us because she has Daddy. But how could Auntie have a baby if she doesn¡¯t find an uncle for us?"
Cherry: "?"
Pete continued, "If everyone stopped having children, won¡¯t humans be extinct in this world sooner orter?"
Cherry: "???"
Xander pursed his lips by the side and added, "Liar! Mommy and Daddy aren¡¯t married yet, but there¡¯s still the three of us, right? Besides, are you going to let Cherry bear children for another boy when she grows up?"
Hearing this, Pete choked on his words.
The two brothers who had a sisterplex immediately stood beside Cherry.
Pete: "No, having a child is very dangerous. Mommy has already given birth to us. There¡¯s no other way, but Cherry, don¡¯t give birth to a child for others!"
Xander: "Yes, I should find another boy to bear your child!"
Cherry: "...That¡¯s awesome!"
Justin: "?"
Pete interrupted Xander darkly, "Which boy are you nning to get your sister to have a child with?"
Xander immediately came to his senses. "No, Cherry can¡¯t fall for another boy. Boys are all bad people!"
Pete nodded and said to Cherry, "Yes, Cherry, stay single. It¡¯s good, just don¡¯t be like Auntie. She likes handsome men everywhere. You can like handsome men but just look at them. Don¡¯t get involved with them, okay?"
Cherry: "But didn¡¯t you say that if no one gives birth, humans on Earth will be extinct?"
Pete: "...You¡¯re the only one who¡¯ll be fine without a child."
Cherry hesitated for a moment. "Alright, then I only like my brothers and Daddy!"
Justin: "..."
Wasn¡¯t this too much?!
However, he did not have the time to care about what the children said. After all, it was all just childish babble. He could not take them seriously. There were more important things to do now.
Justin stopped Lawrence. "Go and rify."
Philip must have found someone to me the news. Furthermore, the matter had already blown up. It concerned Nora¡¯s reputation. He did not want to ept it. He had to make things clear.
Therefore, Hunt Corporation¡¯s official page posted a message:
"Miss Smith has indeed been to the suburban vi, but the person waiting for her in the vi was none other than President Hunt."
Then, he released a photo of Justin standing in a suburban vi.
There were photos as evidence and words to rify.
The news on the Inte immediately suppressed it. Everyone¡¯s public opinion was guided.
"Haha, it turned out to be a farce. The engaged couple only went for a date and was still scrutinized by the public. How ridiculous."
"These guys are so obsessed with wealthy families. It¡¯s as if they themselves are from wealthy families. Are the people in wealthy families so free? You guys haven¡¯t reached that level, but you always think so badly of them..."
Justin¡¯s phone rang again.
He picked up the call and Philip¡¯s sarcastic voice came from the other end. "Heh, I didn¡¯t expect you to be willing to sacrifice so much for the marriage between the Smiths and Hunts. You can even tolerate being a cuckold?"
Chapter 749: Hacker Q?
Chapter 749: Hacker Q?
When Justin heard this, he narrowed his eyes.
He sat down on the sofa calmly and crossed his legs. Then, he said, "Mr. Coleman, what do you mean?"
"Heh, I thought that you and your fianc¨¦e were at least in love. I didn¡¯t expect you to only be a couple on the surface... I must have misjudged you. I thought that, even if you¡¯re a couple on the surface, you chose to tolerate her for the time being because you were worried that something would happen to thepany. However, there must be some grudge in your heart. You don¡¯t believe in love anymore, do you?"
Justin said, "I believe her."
"Are you still trying to puff yourself up at your own cost? I¡¯ve seen too many PR tactics like yours. Many couples in the entertainment industry have their scandals rified by hired people. Heh! However, I never expected this to happen to you. I thought you would be more arrogant than others." Philip¡¯s voice was very cold. He no longer had the attitude he had on the phonest time. "You disappoint me!"
"However, you¡¯re indeed mother and son. You two are really good at using marriage as a bargaining chip!"
After Philip said that, he seemed a little stubborn and crazy. He smiled sarcastically. "You¡¯re the same as your mother. You¡¯re always like this. Heh, you¡¯ve disappointed me! Justin, I¡¯ll make you pay for making me your enemy!"
Justin frowned.
He had sensed Philip¡¯s coldness on the phone earlier.
However, when Philip called himst time, he had vaguely wanted to give him some pointers. Furthermore, up until now, Herman had been the one making a fuss and scaring them. Philip had not really done anything yet!
At most, he had bought 5% of the shares from the Imperial League¡¯s King and supported Herman.
However, this method was child¡¯s y to him.
He had suddenly said that he wanted them to pay the price... This gave Justin a bad feeling.
He looked at Lawrence suddenly. "Go, investigate. I suspect that... Philip is in New York!"
When Lawrence heard this, he instantly straightened his back. "Yes!"
In a vi in the suburbs.
A tall and slender figure stood there. The man was wearing a ck suit. Although he was almost fifty, he was still good-looking. One could tell from his strong eyes that he was American.
If Iris was there, she would have noticed that Philip had gotten old.
After all, after 20 years of hardships, their best times were gone forever.
At that moment, Philip¡¯s face was cold. He smoked a cigarette hatefully and stubbed it out in the ashtray.
The man was shrouded in smoke. He turned back, his eyes red as he smiled sarcastically. "I thought too highly of them. Hehe, I thought that her son could really let me see what love was, but they disappointed me too much! I¡¯m so disappointed!"
Philip strode forward and paced back and forth. He murmured, "Jason, you saw it. I gave them a chance. Over the past twenty years, I¡¯ve given them countless chances! But what happened in the end? She didn¡¯t withstand my test. Even her son has her blood and genes in his bones. He treated love as a marriage deal!"
Behind him stood his secretary, Jason. "President Coleman, maybe it really was Justin in that vi? After all, hiseback at the board of directors meeting today was very unexpected. The so-called overseas fundraising was just a gimmick, a smokescreen."
Philip sneered when he heard that. "How is that possible? Do you think I don¡¯t know who Nora is cheating with?"
Jason immediately asked, "Who is it?"
Philip lowered his eyes and sneered. "In order to figure out who she was cheating with, I got someone to hack into the vi¡¯s system when she entered that vi. I wanted to see who that pretty boy was."
Jason asked, "Did you hack into it?"
"No," Philip said slowly.
Jason was stunned when he heard Philip say, "You know Old K? His hacking skills are first-rate. I asked him to do this, but after he hacked into the system, he encountered an obstacle. In this world, there are only two hackers who can defeat Old K."
Jason subconsciously replied, "Q and Y? Then, is it Q or Y?"
"Q."
Philip said slowly, "Old K said that Q must have blocked his attack in that vi."
When Jason heard this, he instantly understood something. He said, "You mean... the man who has an affair with Nora is Q?!"
Q was a hacker god. It was even more impossible for him to be Nora¡¯s bodyguard.
Therefore, after eliminating all kinds of possibilities, there was only one possibility left¡ªNora¡¯s pretty boy was Q!
Philip nodded. "That¡¯s right. Besides, I asked around about Qter. Smith Corporation had never been able to convince Q to work for them, but after Nora returned to the family, Q joined them as well. I don¡¯t believe that these two people don¡¯t have any feelings for each other!"
Jason nodded. "There must have been some private rtionship between Nora and Q! No wonder Q had been hiding his identity all along. It turns out that he was being kept in a golden house!"
Philip¡¯s eyes were filled with disappointment. "Even I realized it. With Justin¡¯s temperament, do you think he wouldn¡¯t notice it?"
Jason shook his head. "He must have."
They had to admit that Justin was talented.
Philip clenched his fists. "Therefore, I¡¯ve been waiting to see what Justin would do when he¡¯s in the same situation I was back then. However, I never expected that he would be willing to be cheated on for the marriage between the Hunt and the Smith Corporation! Business is important, but is it that important? He really disappoints me!"
Jason lowered his head and sighed silently.
He had been with his boss for so many years, how could he not understand his thoughts?
The boss had always liked Iris so much that he wanted her to apologize. As long as she lowered her head, the boss would definitely give in.
Otherwise, how could his boss still be single after 20 years?
Furthermore, even after Iris and Justin vited the agreement from back then, the boss did not n to kill them all. He had always adopted a loud and simple method.
Even during this fight for the position of chairman, the boss had given them a way out.
He had even said to himself that if Justin could withstand his test, he could consider letting them go.
After all... he had never seen such a smile on Iris¡¯s face when she was with her granddaughter and grandsons.
However, he did not expect Justin to disappoint him so much.
Jason did not know how to persuade his boss to let go.
At that moment, he heard Philip¡¯s order. "Let them... do it!"
Philip had originally thought that he and Iris had been punished for 20 years for holding back. He actually did not want this to continue. He wanted to let go. If Justin had given him an answer and told him that he should not have probed too much, then this matter might have ended.
However, he did not expect that they would still end up fighting.
Chapter 750: Brenda "Compromised"
Chapter 750: Brenda "Compromised"
When Nora woke up, it was already the next day.
She stretched and sat up slowly. She realized that Brenda and the three little heads were staring at her. When they saw her, Brenda heaved a sigh of relief. She held her chin with both hands and said slowly, "Nora, you¡¯re finally awake."
Nora: "?"
She raised her eyebrows and continued to stretch before asking, "What¡¯s wrong?"
"You really kept a pretty boy outside. Nora, you¡¯re really too much!"
Nora: "?"
Then, she heard Brenda¡¯s next sentence. "How can you not tell me about your pretty boy? No matter what, let me help you choose! Also..."
Brenda was very nosy. Her eyes were very bright as she asked, "Is that person handsome? Compared to my brother?"
Nora: "..."
The corners of her mouth twitched. She ignored Brenda and looked at the three children. When the three children saw that she was awake, they automatically walked to the sofa and sat there to y.
Nora lifted the nket and got out of bed in her pajamas. She yawned and entered the bathroom.
She was about to enter when her hand was grabbed by Brenda.
She turned around and saw Brenda, who was usually yful, sigh. "Nora, um... why don¡¯t you give up that pretty boy of yours?!"
She lowered her eyes. "Actually, I can tell that you and my brother are in love. Why do you need someone to interfere between the two of you? Go apologize to my brother. He has already helped you suppress the matter. He shouldn¡¯t mind, right?"
It was the first time Nora had seen Brenda acting so serious. She was about to exin when she saw Brenda change her attitude from before. "But if that¡¯s the case, won¡¯t that handsome man you have outside be left helpless? He¡¯s so pitiful. I think you should give him to me?"
Nora: "?"
The corners of her mouth twitched. She decided to ignore Brenda.
This woman was never reliable!
After entering the bathroom, she washed up and walked out. She yed with the three children for a few hours before leaving in the afternoon and continuing to the suburban vi.
She was at her wits¡¯ end.
She had just read the message when Solo said that he wanted toe to look for her and ask her to find a ce to stay.
Fortunately, there were two vis.
Otherwise...
ording to Justin¡¯s petty character, the vi they lived in would definitely not be lent to Solo.
After her car drove into the vi, she saw a tall, thin, and fair boy standing there in a daze with messy hair.
When he saw her, Solo instantly rushed over and tried to grab her hand. "Anti, I¡¯m here to tour New York. Are you okay with me staying for a while longer?!"
Nora avoided his enthusiastic hand and said, "No objections."
Then, she brought Solo to the door of Vi No. 9.
Along the way, Nora made sure that no one was following her. Otherwise, at this critical moment, if she was photographed again, it would really be difficult to exin.
When Nora thought of this, she simply threw the key to Solo. "Go in yourself. Order takeout if you want to eat anything. I¡¯ll leave first."
Hacker Solo: ??
He was stunned. "Anti, is this how you treat distant guests?"
Nora did not turn back. She waved her hand and got into the driver¡¯s seat coolly. Then, she drove away.
When Solo saw her like this, he could only sigh silently. "You¡¯re really rude to your guest!"
He entered the vi angrily.
...
A small head suddenly emerged from the grass in the distance.
As an Interpol officer and a professional, Brenda was best at tracking and investigation. For the sake of her brother¡¯s happiness, she had spent a lot of effort today to find this vi where her sister-inw kept her pretty boy.
She thought about it and walked to the vi¡¯s door. She knocked.
"Who is it?"
A wary voice came from inside.
Brenda: "Open the door."
Solo opened the door.
Without a word, Brenda fell into his arms. "I¡¯m sorry. I have low blood sugar. Can you give me something to eat?"
When Solo saw a woman, he subconsciously held Brenda. When he heard her words, he looked up and realized that the woman in front of him was extremely stunning. Her long eyes were enchanting. She was simply born charming!
How could he reject such a person?
Solo¡¯s face turned red, and he did not even know where to ce his hands and feet. The shy man moved aside. "Okay... Okay!"
Brenda took the opportunity to size up Solo.
This man was very thin. At a nce, he was the kind of technical geek who stayed in the room all year round and rarely went out to see people.
However, his facial features were very delicate.
How could a pretty boy supported by his sister-inw be bad?
As Brenda thought about this, she smiled at Solo and followed him in.
Sigh, in order to let her sister-inw and brother live happily together, she could onlypromise and sacrifice herself to abduct this pretty boy!
¡ª
In the President¡¯s Office.
The tall French windows illuminated the room. The ck-and-white color scheme made the room look very majestic.
Justin leaned back in his chair.
Lawrence and Sean stood in front of him as they reported. "Philip Coleman attacked several of our clients within a day and interrupted all our projects from the past quarter. Boss, what¡¯s wrong with Philip Coleman?"
Sean pushed up his sses in silence and said, "He had been shouting arrogantly previously, but he didn¡¯t do much. He only gave Herman 5% of the shares. But now, he must have provoked Herman somehow and made him start suppressing them wantonly. Fortunately, those are our long-term clients. Now, due to Philip Coleman¡¯s pressure, the clients don¡¯t dare to continue working with us but they haven¡¯t agreed to work with Philip Coleman either. After all, they still trust us a lot."
Lawrence sneered. "Of course they trust us. How much have they earned from following us all these years? If they leave us immediately after being threatened, then we won¡¯t work with them in the future! Hunt Corporation might still care about their little money. Does Boss care?"
Lawrence was really irritated when something happened.
Sean was silent for a moment before saying, "I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good thing for us to continue arguing. After all, Philip Coleman is also a member of the Imperial League. He must have misunderstood something to suddenlyunch such a huge attack. It¡¯s almost a lose-lose situation. I think the best way is to figure out why. Why is he so sure that Nora has someone outside?"
Lawrence was dissatisfied. "Sean, are you afraid? What are you afraid of? Just attack!"
The corners of Sean¡¯s mouth twitched. "We can¡¯t shrink back to investigate. Personally, I don¡¯t think we need to engage in an indifferent business battle. After all, Hunt Corporation can¡¯t handle his suppression yet. If this continues, Hunt Corporation will either go bankrupt or King would have to invest in it. But this way, it would be too obvious. Boss¡¯s identity might be exposed. Therefore, we should carefully consider the situation now."
Chapter 751: Q’s Identity Has Been Found!
Chapter 751: Q¡¯s Identity Has Been Found!
Sean¡¯s words made sense.
It was to the extent that Lawrence didn¡¯t even know what to say anymore. He lowered his head and muttered to himself, "But if we take the initiative to contact them, then it will look like we have epted defeat."
Taking the initiative to contact the enemy made it look as though they were begging for mercy.
Sean looked at him. He really didn¡¯t know what he should be saying about him anymore.
In the end, he looked at Justin and asked, "Boss, what do you think?"
Justin would never decide against investigating what exactly had happened just because he didn¡¯t want to be embarrassed, and end up making enemies for himself everywhere.
The first principle of business was to hold harmony above all else.
Justin¡¯s fingers tapped against the sofa, his expression surprisingly calm. Although he was rather angry at Philip¡¯s insistence that Nora had cheated on him, his rationality was still intact.
He slowly replied, "The question here is, will they tell you even if you ask them about it?"
Sean frowned.
That was also what he was worried about.
Philip had made it clear that they intended to be on opposing sides with them. His attitude was as though he couldn¡¯t be bothered to talk to Justin, and as though he was determined to drive them to their wits¡¯ end. At a time like this, even if he sent Sean to bow down and ask them about it, Philip definitely couldn¡¯t be bothered to say anything.
When Justin saw the big frown on Sean¡¯s face, he finally smiled and said, "What¡¯s the hurry? Tell those clients to persevere for a while longer. Even if we don¡¯t ask him about it, someone will approach him and find out for us just what has happened!"
Lawrence was dumbfounded when he heard him. He asked, "Boss, who¡¯s going to ask them about it for us?"
Sean: "..."
Justin: "..."
Justin ignored Lawrence, lowered his head, and continued to read his documents and deal with work matters.
As for Sean, the corners of his lips spasmed and he lowered his head and said, "I know what to do now."
Lawrence was still confused. "Sean, what have you realized? What are you and the boss talking in riddles about?!"
"... You¡¯re better off just continuing being the bootlicker," replied Sean.
Lawrence¡¯s attention was immediately diverted. "Damn you, Sean! Are you looking for a beating or what? You¡¯re the bootlicker! Everyone in your family is a bootlicker! What I rely on are my education and abilities, okay?"
"..."
The two left the Hunt Corporation bickering.
After they stepped out, Sean happened to see Herman walking by in front of him, so he suddenly stopped.
Lawrence bumped into him at once. "What are you doing? Has Philip scared you so badly that your mind isn¡¯t functioning anymore?"
Sean frowned and sighed. "How can that be? No matter how powerful Philip is, this is America! America will protect us. Besides, he isn¡¯t just up against the Hunt Corporation, but both the Hunt Corporation and the Smith Corporation, which are leadingpanies in the country. If we were overseas, we definitely won¡¯t be his match, but given the current situation, it¡¯s hard to say who the winner will be!"
Lawrence nodded. "You are right!"
Sean spoke again. "No wonder Boss decided to cover up the news about Ms. Smith cheating. Unless we absolutely have no other choice, news of it mustn¡¯t get out."
Lawrence: "?"
He was dumbfounded. He wanted to reprimand Sean and say that Ms. Smith hadn¡¯t cheated on Justin and that the person in the vi was none other than Justin himself!
Other people might not know any better, but he had delivered food to Justin before!
But when he looked up, he happened to see Herman standing where he was. The elevator had obviously already arrived, yet he didn¡¯t enter. Lawrence got it right away.
The guy was indeed rather smart, otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to stay by Justin¡¯s side and help him fend off all of the unwanted advances on him all these years.
He promptly and decisively said, "Yeah, it¡¯s just that Boss has suffered some grievances. Sigh!"
Sean and Lawrence exchanged a look. Then, both walked into the corridor next to them in unison.
After they left, Herman¡¯s face turned green.
Lauren, who was beside him, looked at Herman¡¯s expression and immediately said, "I didn¡¯t expect that Justin would be willing to even be cuckolded just so he could keep his position! Sigh, he may despise you, but at least you were much better than him back then!"
Herman suddenly looked at her. "You talk too much!"
Lauren knew that Herman didn¡¯t want to talk about the shame and humiliation of being forced to give up his wife, so she immediately said, "Don¡¯t take it to heart too much. What happened back then was not your fault, really."
Herman lowered his head. "If Justin loses the Smiths¡¯ support, I wonder how long he¡¯ll be able to keep his position as president of thepany!"
Lauren¡¯s eyes flickered when she heard this.
She said, "I¡¯ll go and ask around."
The two went downstairs. With their chauffeur driving, Herman took Lauren to the hotel where Philip was staying. He had just set up a meet with Philip, the two were really nning to join forces this time.
In the hotel.
In the study, Herman and Philip discussed how they should go about suppressing the Hunt Corporation.
Lauren¡¯s status was not worthy of seeing Philip yet, so she could only chat with Jason, Philip¡¯s assistant, outside the door.
Jason¡¯s hands were ced in front of him, and he stood where he was in a prim and proper manner without moving at all. It was obvious at a nce that he was trained in martial arts. He was not only Philip¡¯s assistant but also his bodyguard.
After a moment¡¯s thought, Lauren leaned over and asked, "Mr. Jason, to be honest, even though Herman and Justin are fighting each other in thepany, Iris is still in charge of family affairs. I n to fight for the housekeeping rights, so I¡¯d like to ask you a favor."
Jason nced at her with some disdain, but he nevertheless asked, "What kind of favor?"
Lauren said tentatively, "Originally, the matter about Nora Smith¡¯s cheating was already a sure bet, but who knew that Justin would suddenly pop up out of nowhere and insist that he was in the vi during those few days. In truth, he had actually gone abroad during that time. We all know this very well, but even so, I don¡¯t have any actual evidence, so I can¡¯t cement the fact that Nora cheated either... If the news about her cheating can be cemented and posted onto the Inte, the Hunts will have to break off the engagement with the Smiths, even if it¡¯s just to avoid embarrassing themselves. When that happens, he won¡¯t have any help from the Smiths anymore."
Upon hearing this, Jason lowered his eyes and suddenly said, "Nora Smith¡¯s secret lover is Q the hacker."
"What?" Lauren didn¡¯t expect to sound such important information out of Jason so easily. She said in surprise, "Really?"
"Yeah," Jason told her about the evidence he¡¯d found.
Lauren instantly understood.
After Herman and Lauren left, Jason finally entered the office and said, "I have told Lauren about Nora Smith keeping Q as a lover."
"Okay."
Philip said, "Eagle of the Imperial League is probably a Smith. I don¡¯t want to fall out with the members of the group either."
After all, King had taken Eagle¡¯s side thest time.
Therefore, when Herman was on the way over earlier that day, Philip had hinted to Jason to give them the true identity of Nora¡¯s secret lover, as well as evidence of it.
¡ª
On the third day.
As soon as Nora woke up, she received a call from a concerned Tanya. In a low and hoarse voice, Nora asked, "What¡¯s the matter?"
Tanya said immediately, "Nora, you are trending on social media again! They are saying that they¡¯ve found out who the pretty boy you¡¯re keeping as a lover is!"
Chapter 752: It’s Okay For Her To Blow Her Cover As Q!
Chapter 752: It¡¯s Okay For Her To Blow Her Cover As Q!
Nora: "?"
Hadn¡¯t the news about her having a secret pretty boy lover already been rified? They had already said that the so-called "lover" was Justin!
Why were they saying that they had discovered her lover¡¯s identity again?
The corners of her lips spasmed and she said, "The so-called ¡¯pretty boy¡¯ is Justin."
"... I knew it was definitely fake news! With your personality, Mr. Hunt alone is already enough to affect your sleep. How would you possibly ever have another lover?"
Nora: "?"
After she hung up on Tanya¡¯s call, she opened the link that her friend had sent her. The headline of the article was ¡¯Rich Engaged Couple Fills In Loopholes For Each Other¡¯ while the subheading was ¡¯Poor Mr. H¡¯.
The article¡¯s content, however, was ridiculing the man for actually being willing to even take a loss such as his fianc¨¦e cheating on him, just for the sake of his political marriage with another wealthy family. He was exceptionally quick and decisive in epting the fact that he¡¯d been cuckolded, showing that a certain Mr. H was not as bad-ass and domineering as what everyone thought, after all.
In thements, a group of people criticized the author for lying through his teeth and spouting nonsense when he didn¡¯t even have any evidence.
The author then dished out tough talk:
How was there no evidence? To find out who on earth was staying in the vi, K the hacker had specially hacked into the system, but unexpectedly, he was met with friendly fire.
Although he didn¡¯t manage to see what the other party looked like, K was sure that the person who had blocked his invasion was Q!
Q was the Smith Corporation¡¯swork consultant. It could be said that ever since Q took up the position, the Smith Corporation¡¯s firewall had improved even further and that there had been no major problems so far.
As everyone knew, Q only became the Smith Corporation¡¯swork consultant after Ms. Smith returned to the Smiths. From this, one could conclude that the pretty boy whom Ms. Smith was keeping as a lover was none other than Q!
It was no wonder that Q never epted private gigs from outsiders. As it turned out, it was because he already had such a huge patron!
The evidence presented on the Inte wasplete andprehensive. On top of that, a video of K hacking into the vi¡¯swork system that day was also posted. In the video was a big battle involving a bunch of programming codes. The vi¡¯s hacker had defeated K in the end.
Those who couldn¡¯t understand the codes would say, "How amazing!"
As for those who could, all the more they would say, "They havepletely reached a skill ceiling in the world of hackers! It can¡¯t get any more impressive than that!"
Just like that, some of thements digressed from the original topic. However, they were quickly brought back to topic by others.
"It is said that Mr. H has offended an influential figure, and it¡¯s to the extent that hispany is about to face a crisis! The political marriage between the two wealthy families is at a critical juncture right now. Without the protection of a certain Smith family, I¡¯m afraid Mr. H will find himself in an even worse situation! No wonder he has even epted being cuckolded!"
"Speaking of which, those three children may not be Mr. H¡¯s either, right? Surely he isn¡¯t raising another man¡¯s children on top of being cuckolded, right?"
...
...
Nora merely found the endless Inte abuse funny.
They were saying that her secret lover was she herself?
Her lips curled into a sneer. As she was not sure who the one spreading the news was, she ignored all the rted content on the Inte, opened her bedroom door, and went downstairs.
Justin had skipped work that day and was sitting on the sofa downstairs and watching Cherry y games.
Cherry was dissing people while she yed games.
Xander was cheering for her from the sidelines.
Pete stared at the two of them in silence, sighed, and picked up the Mathematical Olympiad worksheets in front of him.
Seeing the three of them like that, a troubled Nora rubbed her temples. Atst, she said, "Um, why don¡¯t we send the three children to kindergarten?"
"I don¡¯t wanna!" Cherry was the first to object to the suggestion. She said, "Cellphones are not allowed in kindergarten!"
Xander didn¡¯t want to go either. "Why would I want to hang out with a bunch of stupid kids? I¡¯m not going!"
Pete was the only one whose eyes lit up. He looked at Nora, and then at Justin. However, the words at the tip of his tongue did a U-turn and he swallowed them back down. In the end, he merely coughed and said, "I think we should go."
"Why?"
"Why should I?"
Cherry and Xander looked at him in unison.
Pete hurriedly said, "Mommy and Daddy are usually very busy at work, so they don¡¯t have any time to spend with us. It¡¯s not right of us to coop ourselves up at home all the time. Besides, Mia is a pushover, so who knows if she¡¯s being bullied at school? If we go, we can protect her. Moreover, didn¡¯t God-mom say she wants to take you as her apprentice and teach you how to dance, Cherry?"
Cherry: "..."
Despite the huge internal struggle, when she thought of how much of a pushover Mia was, she sighed and said, "Okay then, I suppose!"
Xander was still opposed to it, but Pete ignored him and said, "Then I¡¯ll contact the kindergarten teachers and tell them that the three of us areing to school tomorrow."
Xander: "..."
He followed after Pete. "Hey, I didn¡¯t say that I¡¯m going to school. You..."
As they spoke, the two of them went upstairs to the study to call the kindergarten.
Seeing this, Cherry also followed after them. She called out, "Pete! Xander! Wait for me!"
After the three children went upstairs, Nora finally looked at Justin and asked, "Do you know about the ongoings on the Inte? Are you the one behind it?"
She thought that Justin had set up something.
However, Justin replied, "Lauren got a reporter to post that news online."
Nora raised her brows.
Justin, however, smiled and said, "I was just about to ask you something too. Is it okay for your secret identity as Q to be exposed?"
Nora curled her lips disdainfully.
It didn¡¯t matter to her anymore.
In the past, she had been averse to blowing her cover only because of her mother¡¯s final words. The mysterious organization was already after her, though, so what was there for her to be afraid of now?
Practically right at this moment, Mrs. Hunt¡¯s voice came from outside the door. "Where is that woman?! Kick that unfaithful woman who¡¯s fooling around outside and giving Justin a bad name out of the house!"
As the voice rang out, Lauren helped Mrs. Hunt into the room.
After they entered, Mrs. Hunt¡¯s gaze fell on Nora first. Then, she looked at Justin and said, "Justin, did you see what that woman has done? Yet you still want to protect her?! What on earth are you thinking?! How can you be so muddleheaded?! Is this a loss that you should be epting?! Kick her out of the house! We can¡¯t have a matriarch like her in the Hunts!"
Her hands shook with anger. "To make matters worse, she actually made all those things she didmon knowledge! How utterly embarrassing!"
Lauren also sighed. "Ms. Smith, Justin is utterly devoted to you, yet you have disappointed him so. How can you do something like that?"
She looked at Justin triumphantly. "And you too, Justin. In order to gain the Smiths¡¯ support, you actually n to even cover up something like that? If you choose topromise now, that woman will only be even more brazen in the future! Look at what she¡¯s doing all day! Apart from sleeping, she doesn¡¯t do anything decent! Break off the engagement, Justin. You deserve better! Also, the Smiths must give us an exnation for this!"
If they insisted on an exnation from the Smiths, then the Hunts and the Smiths were bound to fall out.
A proud Lauren thought to herself that she had really done some excellent work for Herman this time!!
Chapter 753: Press Conference
Chapter 753: Press Conference
Mrs. Hunt immediately rebuked Lauren angrily. "What kind of exnation do you want from them? Nora didn¡¯t grow up with the Smiths at all, what kind of responsibility would possibly lie with the Smiths? Don¡¯t talk nonsense! Even if the engagement is called off, the cooperative rtionship between the two families will not change! After all, the children belong to both of them. They are also Smiths¡¯ grandchildren!"
The Hunts weren¡¯t trying to curry favor with the Smiths. However, if her grandson had the Smiths¡¯ support, then he would have a much easier time in the future.
The moment Justin defeated Herman, Mrs. Hunt had sided with Justin.
Although she knew that a rift had already formed between her and her grandson the moment she stepped forward to defend Herman, everything she did was for the good of the Hunts.
Justin could be said to have been brought up by Mrs. Hunt. Her feelings for her son and grandson were the same.
Now, she would support whoever was more capable.
Take, for example, Raymond. He was also her son, but she had still sided with Justin without any hesitation back then.
Lauren curled her lips disdainfully.
However, she did not dare to refute Mrs. Hunt. In this family, only with the olddy¡¯s approval would she be able to go further.
She said, "Yes, yes, you¡¯re right. Nora is not equivalent to the Smiths... I¡¯m just afraid that the Smiths will fight for the custody of the children once they call off their engagement."
As soon as she said that, Mrs. Hunt¡¯s brows drew together tightly and she subconsciously said, "Pete mustn¡¯t be given to them!"
But right after that, she hesitated. "Cherry likes her father, so she should also stay. We should respect the children¡¯s wishes!"
Lauren sighed. "Ian Smith is not someone who willpromise easily."
Mrs. Hunt sneered, "The Smith Corporation now belongs to Joel Smith. Will he want Pete to go there andpete with his children for the family¡¯s assets?"
Lauren, however, was still embellishing the story. "But Ian is still around..."
Mrs. Hunt looked at her sharply. "It¡¯s precisely because Ian is still around that we should talk it out with them properly! Everything is negotiable! However, the fault doesn¡¯t lie with us in this matter!"
She looked straight at Nora. "You know very well what you¡¯ve done out there. You have let the Hunts down! Especially when you can¡¯t even clean up after yourself properly, causing the whole thing to blow up so badly. You¡¯re such a good-for-nothing!"
Mrs. Hunt was right.
If the matter wasn¡¯t exposed to outsiders, then even if she felt frustrated about it, she could still bear with Nora.
After all, it was always better for such scandals to be covered up. But now that it had been exposed, she would have to see that the matter was dealt with!
The more she thought about it, the more frustrated she became. The way she was looking at Nora was as if she wanted to rip her apart. "You¡¯re so shameless and an utter disgrace! Ugh!"
Nora ignored her. She was more than happy to watch the two act like clowns.
However, when Mrs. Hunt suddenly verbally attacked Nora, Justin would have none of it. His expression darkened and he said, "Grandma, you shouldn¡¯t be so bitter towards Nora when it¡¯s not clear what is going on yet!"
"It¡¯s not clear what is going on yet?" Mrs. Hunt looked at him furiously. "You actually know very well that she cheated on you, don¡¯t you? Are you still ying dumb with me about what is going on? They¡¯ve even found out who she cheated with by now! Yet you are still telling me that it¡¯s not clear what is going on yet? Justin, why have you suddenly be so muddleheaded?!"
Justin lowered his gaze. "Grandma, you¡¯re the one who¡¯s being muddleheaded!"
Lauren interjected, "Let¡¯s have a good talk about who the muddleheaded one really is today. Nora, I have a question for you: The rumors on the Inte are so vivid and convincing, so was Q in that vi you visited or not?!"
Nora raised her eyebrows. She¡¯d just woken up, so her lips were a little dry. She licked them a little before she slowly replied, "Yes, Q was there."
Lauren scoffed, "There we go."
Justin looked at her and said unhurriedly and dispassionately, "I was also in the vi."
Lauren scoffed. "Justin, are you still defending her when things have alreadye to this point? You were also in the vi? What were you doing there? Surely you weren¡¯t there just to watch them cozy up to each other, right? Or perhaps you¡¯re trying to say that Q was only staying there temporarily? Why does Q have to stay in Nora¡¯s vi when the Smiths own so many houses?
"Don¡¯t bothering up with some kind of excuse that Q is a security guard or something, either. Would Q act as a security guard for you guys when he¡¯s such an amazing hacker?! Stop your poorly disguised attempts to cover up the truth!"
Mrs. Hunt also spoke earnestly. "Justin, don¡¯t defend her anymore. I know what you are worried about. Don¡¯t worry, I will give you my shares. With Grandma here, I won¡¯t allow your father to overwhelm you again! As for the Smiths... Let¡¯s move on. There is no need for you to suffer such grievances!"
Mrs. Hunt¡¯s heart was truly aching over him. She thought that her grandson was only putting up with it because of either the Smiths or the children.
After all, Justin was a man of great forbearance.
At this point, the butler came in. When he saw them, he paused for a while before he said, "Sir, there are some reporters outside. They would like to interview you about... Ms. Smith¡¯s ch... going out on a date."
As soon as he said that, Lauren curled her lips disdainfully and said, "Look at what¡¯s happening, it¡¯s to the point that even the reporters are here! The Hunts have really embarrassed themselves! Justin, are you still going to protect that woman?"
Mrs. Hunt also said, "Justin, you have to be firm and decisive. Go out and tell the reporters right away that you¡¯re calling off the engagement!"
Justin looked at Nora. When he saw her giving him a slight nod, he said, "Take the reporters to the reception hall."
"Yes, sir."
The butler left to make the arrangements. They were going to hold a small press conference in the reception hall at home.
"Justin, you haven¡¯t be totally muddleheaded, after all!"
Mrs. Hunt breathed a sigh of relief. She looked at Nora and said, "Let¡¯s go over together! We¡¯ll make things clear today!"
She took the lead.
Nora and Justin followed behind her leisurely.
Lauren suddenly came up to Nora and asked with a softugh, "Ms. Smith, I know it¡¯s not appropriate of me to ask something like this, but is Q good-looking? I can¡¯t help it; master hackers like Q and Y are simply too mysterious, so I¡¯m really curious!"
Even though she imed that she was asking out of curiosity, she was merely trying to bring up Q to disgust Justin!
She¡¯d thought that Nora would be evasive about the topic, but unexpectedly, Nora actually thought about it for a while before she answered, "Yeah, Q is handsome."
Lauren: "?"
Was the situation already so bad to Ms. Smith that to make it worse made no real difference to her?
She took the opportunity to ask, "He is? I don¡¯t believe you, surely he can¡¯t be more handsome than Justin, right?"
Nora nced at Justin. Her lips curled into a smile and she replied, "Yeah, I think Q is more handsome than him."
After speaking, she even raised her eyebrows, looked at Justin, and asked, "What do you think?"
Lauren: "?"
Nora must be out of her mind! To think she had even ripped off the veryst bit of decency. She was in for a good showter!
Chapter 754: Nora Smith Is Q!
Chapter 754: Nora Smith Is Q!
At the same time, Lauren was also secretly delighted. Given how she had just provoked Justin, he would definitely lose his temper!
Just as she was thinking about that, Justin thought for a while before he looked at Nora with a smile and said, "Q is prettier than me."
Lauren: "??"
She was a little confused. At the same time, she also became a little uneasy. However, she didn¡¯t quite understand why she was feeling so uneasy.
Theck of hostility between the two also confused her very much.
Why on earth was Justin being so tolerant towards Nora?
Even Herman had been jealous when he discovered that Iris and Philip were in a rtionship before!
While she was puzzled and uneasy, Nora and Justin entered the reception hall.
As soon as the two entered, the reporters started to fire questions at them madly:
"Mr. Hunt, do you have an exnation for the expos¨¦ on the Inte? Is Q really staying at Ms. Smith¡¯s vi in the suburbs?"
Justin smiled calmly at the question. He nced at Nora and said, "I suppose you can say that."
His words caused an uproar among the reporters.
Was he nning to admit to the cheating?
Should Nora be revealed to be cheating, then Justin would definitely break off his engagement with her!
"So, are the two of you holding this press conference to announce your engagement annulment?"
A bold reporter voiced a question.
The Smiths and the Hunts¡¯ political marriage impacted the New York business circle, so everyone was very concerned about it.
Mrs. Hunt nodded when she heard the question.
Unexpectedly, the next moment, Justin instead answered, "No."
Everyone: "?"
As everyone looked at him in puzzlement, Justin exined, "I am indeed the one my fianc¨¦e was on a date with at the suburban vi."
As soon as he said that, one of the reporters there let out a softugh.
Mrs. Hunt also red at him.
Lauren frowned. Right away, she said a little sarcastically, "So, the three of you were on a date in the suburban vi? Surely it can¡¯t be that you and Ms. Smith were ying host to Q in the suburban vi, right? And then by chance, you guys encountered someone nning to hack into the vi¡¯swork to see who Ms. Smith is on a date with? If so, then what a huge coincidence that is!"
This was the only possibility that Lauren could think of.
The reporters snickered even more.
That excuse couldn¡¯t get any more hrious, alright?
On top of that, it was an utterly brainless one too!
One of the gutsy busybodies among the reporters spoke up.
"Mr. Hunt, are you still protecting your fianc¨¦e even at a time like this? Is the Hunt Corporation really done for? Has ite to the point where you have no choice but to rely on the Smiths?
"Or is it not so much that the Hunt Corporation is done for but rather, Mr. Hunt has suffered too great a loss from the infighting? You can¡¯t break off the engagement with the Smiths, so you¡¯re deliberately making that excuse?
"Even so, that¡¯s too hrious an excuse. Q is obviously staying at the Smiths¡¯ vi, yet you are still saying that you¡¯re the one on a date with Ms. Smith. Surely it can¡¯t be that you are Q himself, right?! Hahaha..."
Hisst sentence waspletely a joke.
However, it suddenly rmed Lauren.
Her head whipped towards Justin, and she suddenly thought of something that Herman had once said: "Justin is very smart. He has demonstrated a high level of understanding ofputer technology before."
Could it be that... Justin really was Q?
No wonder he and Nora had been unusuallyposed just now.
The thought made her raise her head suddenly and look at Justin nervously, for fear that he would say that he was indeed Q.
If so, wouldn¡¯t their uing ns be utterly disrupted?
While she was thinking, a stern and serious Justin replied, "Of course I¡¯m not Q."
Lauren let out a huge sigh of relief.
Everything was fine as long as he wasn¡¯t Q!
As long as he wasn¡¯t Q, the allegations of Nora¡¯s cheating would be cemented!
The reporter was just joking, but unexpectedly, Justin had actually answered him so seriously, which made him pause for a moment.
Just as everyone was about to continue with their questions, a low voice rang out.
"I am Q."
Chapter 755: Iris Goes Missing, Meeting Again
Chapter 755: Iris Goes Missing, Meeting Again
As soon as the voice rang out, everyone looked at the woman standing beside Justin in unison.
Nora was dressed casually in ck streetwear with her hair loose behind her. She lookedzy and rxed as she stood where she was, as though she was still half-asleep.
However, the woman had a powerful presence that was hard to ignore.
Even so, everyone thought that they must have misheard what she just said. One by one, they looked at her. Someone asked incredulously, "M-Ms. Smith, did you say something just now?"
Nora yawned impatiently.
She wasn¡¯t in the mood to watch the show when the one she was facing was a reporter.
She couldn¡¯t be bothered to speak, so Justin¡ªwho usually also couldn¡¯t be bothered to speak and usually let Lawrence speak on his behalf¡ªhad no choice but to speak on her behalf.
Justin heaved a silent sigh inwardly.
After he entered a rtionship with Nora, even he found himself too long-winded sometimes!
He immediately said, "Yes, that¡¯s right. Let me make the introductions, everyone. My fianc¨¦e is none other than Q. However, Q is just her alias. My fianc¨¦e has never done anything illegal with this identity."
This was one of the reasons why it was okay for Q¡¯s identity to be made public!
The whole ce suddenly fell silent. However, someone soon spoke.
"No wonder... no wonder Q was the one who counterattacked when that person invaded thework during Ms. Smith¡¯s visit to the vi. And no wonder Q was the one who built the vi¡¯s Inte firewall..."
"My god, people even said that it was because Q is having an affair with Ms. Smith that he started to work for the Smiths after Ms. Smith returned to the family... But Ms. Smith is Q herself! No wonder Q became the Smiths¡¯work consultant after she returned to the family!"
"So that¡¯s how it is. No wonder Mr. Hunt said that he¡¯s the one on a date with Ms. Smith the whole time, and even when Q¡¯s identity was exposed, his stance didn¡¯t change... As it turns out, this is actually just a misunderstanding!"
While everyone was questioning Nora¡¯s im, Lauren¡¯s shrill voice interjected them, of course. She eximed, "T-that¡¯s impossible! H-how can she possibly be Q?"
When Justin said that he was not Q, Lauren had been very excited.
But unexpectedly, Q wasn¡¯t Justin but Nora?!
No, that was absolutely impossible! This was definitely something they hade up with in an attempt to guide public opinion!
She looked straight at Justin. "How can you spin such stories? There¡¯s no way she¡¯s Q! Unless she can produce evidence of it!"
Justin sneered. But before he could speak, Nora suddenly asked, "Are you unconvinced?"
She nced at Lauren casually, and then at the reporters, who were obviously rather skeptical. She let out a lowugh and said coldly, "I wee your challenge any time."
Her nce struck fear into them.
Who would still doubt her when she had already talked so big?!
A video of Nora saying that, as well as the look in her eyes when she looked at the reporters, happened to be filmed and then posted on the Inte.
For a time, Nora became the target of everyone¡¯s worship and admiration.
In fact, some even thought that that look in her eyes was simply too cool, too alpha, and too sassy! A group of people started to call her their husband in the article.
Just like that, the public opinion crisis was easily resolved.
After the reporters left, Mrs. Hunt looked at Nora with aplicated look in her eyes and swallowed. Suddenly, she asked, "Are you really Q?"
Nora did not speak.
However, Mrs. Hunt went on by herself. Her voice shook as she said, "Not only are you Anti, but you¡¯re also Dr. Zabe¡¯s direct disciple. And now, you are actually Q too... W-what other identities do you still have?"
Nora curled her lips disdainfully. "I probably don¡¯t have any more, I can¡¯t remember."
Justin: "..."
Wasn¡¯t it more like she had too many identities, so she didn¡¯t know which one to mention?!
He then looked at Mrs. Hunt and asked, "So, Grandma, do you still have any objections about Nora?"
Did she still have any objections about her?
To be honest, the reason why Mrs. Hunt found Nora so objectionable was actually the fact that she always looked sozy andx all the time, as though she couldn¡¯t wake up at all. She simply couldn¡¯t stand it.
But considering how impressive she was, how could she possibly not see her in a new light?!
Mrs. Hunt clenched her jaw, reluctant to admit that she had wronged Nora. She said stubbornly, "Since this is all a misunderstanding, then why didn¡¯t you say so earlier? By doing that, aren¡¯t you just deepening the misunderstanding for no reason?"
Nora raised her brows.
Tsk, the olddy was still trying to forcibly justify her actions!
However, the olddy was a little stuck-up and not very honest with her feelings, so she couldn¡¯t change her way of thinking just yet. She didn¡¯t want to bother herself with her.
It was instead Justin who suddenly said, "If I don¡¯t pretend to be muddleheaded, then how would I be able to make you see certain people¡¯s true colors?"
Mrs. Hunt was stunned. Bewildered, she asked, "What?"
Justin sneered, "Who do you think spread the news that Nora was keeping Q as a lover to outsiders? Also, do you think ordinary people can afford to hire a hacker like K to investigate Nora? Or are you saying that he was just being nosy, so he wanted to check it out himself? Then, he happened to find out that it was Q, and also coincidentally happened to tell you about it. Am I right, Lauren?"
When Justin saw that Lauren was nning to leave, he looked straight at her when he said hisst sentence and called her out.
Lauren stopped.
Mrs. Hunt suddenly understood something. At once, she looked at her and eximed, "It¡¯s you?! Didn¡¯t I already tell you?! We can just resolve the Hunts¡¯ family matters by ourselves! We shouldn¡¯t hang our dirtyundry in public! Yet you actually blew the matter up for your own interests?!"
Lauren wanted to exin herself. "Mom, I..."
"Don¡¯t call me Mom! I don¡¯t have a daughter-inw like you! Get out! Get out of the house! You¡¯re not allowed to ever enter again!"
Mrs. Hunt mmed her walking stick onto the floor and ordered loudly.
Lauren and Herman coulde and go freely in the Hunts¡¯ manor only because Mrs. Hunt had agreed to let them into the manor.
Also, no matter what, Justin couldn¡¯t stop a son from visiting his mother, either, right?
But now that Mrs. Hunt had given the order, Lauren could forget about ever entering the manor again.
With that, Lauren had beenpletely kicked out of the Hunts.
After Mrs. Hunt mercilessly drove Lauren out of the manor, she looked at Justin with aplicated expression.
After a while, the olddy muttered, "Oh Justin... I¡¯ve gotten old... I¡¯m not going to bother with the Hunts¡¯ affairs anymore!"
After saying this, she heaved a sigh. Fanny held her arm and supported the shaky olddy. Then, the two of them left.
As Nora stared at the olddy¡¯s hunched back, she knew that the olddy would likely never make trouble for her again in the future.
She looked at Justin. Just as she was about to speak, the butler suddenly walked in. With a big frown, he said, "Sir, Mdm. Iris went grocery shopping this morning to pick some ingredients for Pete and the others, but she¡¯s still not back yet. I just called her, as well as the men who went with her, but none of them answered. Mdm. Iris... she¡¯s missing!"
Justin frowned at once. "What did you say?!"
His voice suddenly became stern and severe.
Iris... was missing?!
He looked straight at Nora.
Nora instantly understood something. "It must be Philip!"
Philip hade to New York recently, so all of them had been very careful. However, Philip¡¯s focus had stayed on the business disputes the whole time, so it had given them the misconception that he intended to win them through their fight inmerce.
Who would have thought that he would suddenly abduct Iris?!
¡ª
In a vi in the suburbs of New York.
A cold Iris looked frostily at the man in front of her.
Twenty yearster, the man had be both familiar yet also a stranger to her.
Chapter 756: The Clue To V16 Has Finally Been Found!!
Chapter 756: The Clue To V16 Has Finally Been Found!!
Philip was of mixed descent.
Although he looked like a westerner, if one observed him closely, one would see that his facial features were rather exotic.
His gaze made people feel that he was a very affectionate and loving man.
But Iris knew just how cold-blooded he really was.
With a calm look on her face, she stayed silent.
Philip didn¡¯t speak either. Aplex look shed in his eyes.
He suddenly asked, "I remember you once said that the rich and the poor can be distinguished from their temperament. So back then, what you liked was not me but my money, right?! You actually knew from the very beginning that I was rich, right?"
Iris actually found it a little ludicrous to hear him ask such a question again when more than twenty years had already passed.
She lowered her gaze, toozy to bother exining all of that. She said, "You can think of it however you want to."
As soon as she said that, Philip took a big step forward and held her shoulders.
The two of them hadn¡¯t met for over twenty¡ªin fact, close to thirty¡ªyears. They were each other¡¯s first love, yet despite being reunited, the atmosphere actually didn¡¯t feel that awkward.
It was as if everything was still the same as it was back then.
Philip narrowed his eyes. "I heard it with my own ears at the party back then. Are you still going to use such sophistry on me?"
He had heard it?
Iris was taken aback.
The man was standing very close to her. Iris could see that he was tall and lean and hisplexion was fair. In her trance, she even felt like she had gone back over twenty years in time.
Back then, he actually was not very eye-catching in school.
He wore ordinary clothes and kept a low profile.
It was not because of his chase of her that Iris had noticed him; rather, it was because when she was in college, she noticed that he had been studying in the library ever since he enrolled in the school.
He had a lot of self-restraint.
Most people who had just started college after their SATs would rx for a while, but he hadn¡¯t. Ever since he became a freshman, he had been diligent and working hard.
Once, Iris had noticed that she couldn¡¯t understand the books he read.
At that moment, Philip suddenly became tall and mysterious to her.
After that, despite many chasing after her, she didn¡¯t take a fancy to any of them.
It wasn¡¯t that they weren¡¯t hardworking enough; rather, it was because none of them was as hardworking as Philip!
The way he behaved as though there was no tomorrow, as if he wished he could break time into pieces and absorb knowledge as much as he could.
Therefore, when he started to chase Iris, she couldn¡¯t even imagine a man like him would have time to date someone?
She had agreed.
At that time, she didn¡¯t yet know that being curious about someone and slowly paying attention to them was the beginning of love.
She only knew that every time she saw Philip studying hard whenever he was not with her, yet never felt that he was wasting time when he was with her; she would feel a sense of aplishment and contentment.
At that time, she was a talented girl from the Evanses and also a well-known figure in the school.
Once, at a party, someone next to her couldn¡¯t resist asking her, "Iris, what on earth do you like about Philip? Surely it can¡¯t be because he is handsome, right?!"
At the mention of him, a vivacious and high-spirited Iris had raised her eyebrows and replied, "Why, I¡¯m dating him for other reasons, of course!"
"Haha! What kind of other reasons can it be? Surely it can¡¯t be because his family is rich, right? Iris, what on earth makes you think that he¡¯s from a rich family?"
All the rich second-generation heirs who hung out with Iris looked down on Philip.
But Iris knew that Philip was definitely no ordinary person.
Although she had never been one to care about such things, as she interacted with him, she nevertheless found the man unusual.
Upon hearing the others ridiculing him, she couldn¡¯t help but retort, "How are you so sure that he¡¯s poor?"
¡ª
Iris remembered now.
At that time, after she said that, she had vaguely seen a familiar figure in the distance that disappeared when she looked more closely.
She hadn¡¯t paid the matter much attention at the time, much less known that her few words with her friends had affected Philip so much.
He had been pretending to be a pauper so that he could find a girlfriend who truly loved him, but he didn¡¯t expect that Iris had actually seen through him.
This became Iris¡¯ sin, as well as a hurdle that Philip couldn¡¯t ovee all this time.
For so many years, he had been asking himself something: Why on earth had Iris entered a rtionship with him in the first ce?
It must be because she could tell that he was not really a poord, right?
So, what Iris loved was actually his money?
Well, that made sense. His family was ranked among the top five richest families around the world. It was just like how his mother had married his father because of his money.
When he was five, his mother¡¯s infidelity had been discovered.
When his pained and agonized father demanded an exnation from her, his mother had instead screamed, "Who do you think you are? If you weren¡¯t rich, I would never have married you!"
She had said a lot of nasty things. In the end, his father had killed her.
After killing his mother, his father had looked at him and told him this: "Don¡¯t ever expose your wealth to anyone. Only the woman who loves you for who you are truly loves you."
After that, his father hadmitted suicide.
He simply couldn¡¯t bear the pain of his mother¡¯s betrayal, so he had ultimately chosen the easiest way to resolve everything.
Philip, who had been an orphan since he was a child, had long known that the people around him only treated him well because he was rich.
Take, for example, his uncles in the family. They openly and secretly fought over the right to raise him, but he had overheard them saying in private that whoever raised him would be able to get their hands on the family¡¯s money.
At that time, he had locked himself in a room all by himself. Atst, he told his uncles that he didn¡¯t need anyone to raise him and that he could grow up by himself.
Since then, the only thing he trusted in this world was profits. He didn¡¯t believe in love¡ª
Until he met Iris in college.
He loved her, just like how his father had loved his mother.
However, he didn¡¯t dare to trust her, so he¡¯d kept his family background a secret from her the whole time.
This continued until the end when she came to him and said that she knew he had money, and asked him to give her $80,000 so that she could pay for her mother¡¯s medical fees...
Her mother¡¯s medical fees?
At that time, Philip had suddenly thought, if she had to choose between her mother and him... If she stayed with him even if he couldn¡¯t produce any money; then it would mean that she truly loved him.
He would not refuse to have her mother¡¯s illness treated.
The moment she chose him, her mother would receive the best medical treatment in the world.
Unfortunately, she had ultimately still disappointed him.
For the sake of money, she¡¯d even agreed to marry into the Hunts.
As Philip thought about all these past events, he felt like his sadness and heartbreak from that moment had resurfaced. His grip on Iris¡¯ shoulders tightened even further, as though he wanted to break her shoulder des.
He said angrily, "You know what? You¡¯re the one who made me believe that love would never exist!"
Iris didn¡¯t move, nor did she frown.
The delicate woman did not make even a sound. Instead, she endured the pain in her shoulders and said, "Love does exist, it¡¯s just that the two of us didn¡¯t pass the test."
Philip sneered, "Yeah, right. Love has always been a sham! Iris, there¡¯s not a single decent woman in this world! Not you, not your daughter-inw! Ha, your son said that I shouldn¡¯t have put love to the test so many times, but what about him? He didn¡¯t do so, but didn¡¯t his fianc¨¦e still cheat on him in the end? So, women are all heartless!"
However, Iris said, "The love between Justin and Nora does not need to be put to any tests. She will never cheat!"
"She won¡¯t?" Philip said, "Everyone already knows about her infidelity, yet you are still so sure that she won¡¯t cheat on Justin? Should I say that you are stupid, or should I say that you¡¯re just refusing to believe the truth? I¡¯ve even found her adulterer for you!"
Philip grinned andughed. "Look, Iris, aren¡¯t I nice to you? But what gives a woman like you the right to hurt me again and again?! Damn you! All women should die! Especially pretty ones!"
He suddenly stretched out his arm and grabbed Iris¡¯ neck. A sharp gleam shot forth from his eyes as he said, "I have wanted to kill you for so many years. Once I kill you, I won¡¯t be in so much pain anymore, yet I can¡¯t bear to. Iris, I can¡¯t bear to lose the love between us... but now, I understand¡ªlove doesn¡¯t exist at all! Ordinary couples do not have the luxury to cheat because they have to work themselves to the bone for survival. As for the wealthy, how many married couples among them are truly in love?
"Therefore, the word ¡¯love¡¯ is a huge joke in itself! My father shouldn¡¯t havemitted suicide back then¡ªbecause it¡¯s not worth it!"
The more Philip spoke, the more agitated he became. His grip also became tighter, as if he wanted to break Iris¡¯ neck. He said, "So, once I kill you, I will be freed and I will never believe in love again. Hahaha... Don¡¯t worry, after I kill you, I will also kill your daughter-inw so that your son will also understand how hateful she is! Because all women who betray love deserve to die!"
The hysterical man¡¯s voice was hoarse as he shouted at the top of his lungs. As he spoke, his grip around Iris¡¯ neck became even tighter, and murderous intent and hatred also burst forth from his eyes.
For how much he loved her all these years was also how much he hated her.
The love and hate did not disappear with the passage of time. Instead, they slowly fermented and became more and more intense...
In this instant, Philip felt like all his years of persistence and concessions were just a joke!
Kill Iris.
I will never believe that love exists.
Those were the only thoughts left in his mind.
The woman he was strangling grabbed his hand with both hands and hit it hard. Her nails scratched the back of his hand, yet he didn¡¯t let go.
Until she slowly stopped moving...
Right at this moment, the door was suddenly pushed open and Jason walked in. With his cell phone in hand, he looked at Philip anxiously and said, "Boss, Justin Hunt has held a press conference and rified everything¡ªall of this is a misunderstanding! It turns out that it was really Nora Smith and Justin Hunt who were in the suburban vi! And Q... is Nora Smith!"
"..."
Philip was stunned.
He lowered his head subconsciously, only to see that the woman in his grip had already stopped breathing...
¡ª
¡ª
"Justin, Nora. Philip and I have too much history that needs to be sorted out. I¡¯ve left with him to see the world and also to say goodbye. Don¡¯t look for me, I wille home once all our grievances have been resolved."
In the Hunt Manor, the voice message rang out from Justin¡¯s cell phone again.
Justin listened carefully to the information inside.
Nora sat next to him nervously. "Is Iri... I mean, Aunt Iris really okay? Did Philip force her to say that?"
Justin clenched his jaw and carefully analyzed the voice message. "You can tell from her tone of voice, it doesn¡¯t seem like she was forced to say that. Also, you can tell from the sounds in the background that they are near the sea, which means that they have already left the city."
With a sullen look on his face, he slowly analyzed the message and said, "You can also hear clock bells in the background. Although it is very subtle, it¡¯s still audible. The time is also correct, so she shouldn¡¯t be in danger."
Despite saying that, he still called Sean over and ordered, "Put aside all your current tasks and find Mom! If she doesn¡¯t want toe back, then stay by her side. If she wants to go home, then take her home!"
After speaking, Justin narrowed his eyes and suddenly added, "If necessary, you may reveal your identity!"
Sean replied, "Yes, sir!"
After Sean left, when Nora was about tofort Justin, Cherry suddenly rushed over and shouted, "Mommy, quick,e over and have a look! Another of Xander¡¯s rabbits has died!"
Nora and Justin stood up abruptly, and the two walked straight to Xander¡¯s room.
Xander, who seemed to have already be ustomed to it, was looking down at the animals in the cage.
Nora sighed silently.
The animals had all been injected with V15. Without the V16, all that awaited them was death.
Additionally, animals had shorter dosage intervals than humans, ranging from a few days to two weeks.
Recently, of the dozen or so animals that Trueman had sent, five had already died.
Xander squatted down and stroked the rabbit¡¯s fur lightly. He said, "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be with you guys soon."
His one-liner made Nora¡¯s heart ache sharply.
Xander knew... He knew everything!!
During the recent period of time, Nora hadn¡¯t actually bothered herself much with the Hunts¡¯ mess. Instead, she had been trying hard to look for clues of the V16 for Xander every day.
However, despite searching through all the things that her mother had left behind, she still didn¡¯t find anything.
Afterforting Xander, Nora and Justin went out.
A sullen Nora put on her earphones.
ying in the earphones was the one and only audio recording her mother had left her.
Recently, Nora had been listening to the recording every day. She could already do aplete replication of Yvette¡¯s words right down to her tone of voice, yet she still couldn¡¯t find any clues.
She felt very discouraged and thwarted.
She sighed deeply and returned to Justin¡¯s bedroom.
ying in the earphone was still the same audio recording that her mother had left her before she died.
She was feeling very down, so she simplyy down on her back on the bed and closed her eyes.
Before she knew it, she had fallen asleep.
In the middle of the night.
All of a sudden, Nora opened her eyes wide and sat upright on the bed. A look of surprise and enthusiasm suddenly burst forth from her eyes!
She finally understood what her mother had left behind!
Chapter 757: She Had Sacrificed Too Much!
Chapter 757: She Had Sacrificed Too Much!
Nora¡¯s actions woke Justin up.
His voice was clear as he asked, "What¡¯s wrong?"
He did not look like he was asleep.
Nora did not care about this. She stood up and rushed to the study room. Then, she put on her earphones. Her mother¡¯sst words started ying on them.
She took out a pen and paper and listened carefully.
After a while, she suddenly looked up at Justin and asked, "Do you have good hearing?"
Justin hesitated. "Quite."
"Then you do it!"
Nora stood up and got Justin to take her ce on the seat. She handed both earphones to him. "Listen carefully to the background noise. There¡¯s a metronome. Help me decipher the difference between the beats."
Justin did not understand what she wanted to do, but he did as she asked. He frowned and listened attentively to the recording.
After listening for a few seconds, Justin realized something.
How was this a metronome? It was just noise created by someone knocking on the table.
After studying the intervals between the taps, Justin looked up and said, "This is Morse code."
"Yes, that¡¯s right."
Nora picked up the piece of paper and began to decipher the content on it. As she read, she exined, "I don¡¯t have very sensitive hearing. In the recording my mother had left behind, the background noise was too rhythmic and soft. I always thought it was the sound of a tap or a clock."
In fact, she had sensed it thest time she heard the voice inside. However, before she could figure out what was going on, she had been distracted by something else. When she returned to it, she could not find it.
She was born with a terrible voice and sang out of tune. That was why she had missed this after so many years.
Today, Justin was analyzing the voice message Iris had sent. When he mentioned a clock in the background, Nora caught on to it.
Now, she had finally figured it out.
Justin: "..."
He raised his eyebrows and finally learned one of Nora¡¯s ws.
He walked to Nora¡¯s side and held her shoulder. He suddenly said, "I helped you. Do you want to reward me?"
Nora¡¯s attention was all on the Morse code. She casually replied, "What reward do you want?"
"Hmm, sing a song for me?"
Nora: "..."
She resisted the urge to roll her eyes at him and turned her back to him. She continued to look at the Morse code.
Justin walked over and sat beside her.
Five minutester, Nora rubbed her forehead.
Justin said, "You can¡¯t solve the cipher?"
The Morse code was encrypted.
Nora nodded and asked, "How do you know?"
Justin sighed. "If the evidence your mother left behind could easily be cracked by others, it wouldn¡¯t have taken so many years. This secret could only be discovered by you. So I guessed that the Morse code must have been encrypted. Your mother must have hidden a key to the cipher."
Nora nodded.
She put down the piece of paper in her hand and could not help but feel a little discouraged.
She had finally discovered the secret. She thought that the clue to the V16 would be in her hands, but she did not expect it to be another mystery!
Her mother¡¯s password book...
The corners of her mouth twitched. "There are so many books left in my mother¡¯s study. How can I tell which one is it?"
Besides, her mother had always liked to read.
There were even many books back home in California.
California...
Nora immediately said, "I¡¯ll go back to California tomorrow."
Justin nodded.
That night, Nora kept turning in bed and could not sleep no matter what.
At dawn the next day, she woke up. When she went out, she bumped into the three little fellows who were about to eat breakfast and go to school.
When they saw her, the three little fellows revealed shocked expressions.
Cherry tilted her head. "Mommy, did the sun rise in the west today? You woke up so early?"
Nora pursed her lips and heard her continue to suck up to her. "But early morning Mommy is so beautiful! I¡¯ve never seen Mommy wake up early at 7:30 AM!"
Nora: "..."
She suspected that Cherry was mocking her.
She rubbed the heads of the three little fellows and took out breakfast to eat a few mouthfuls. Then, she said, "I¡¯m going to California today. I¡¯ll go in the morning and return in the afternoon."
Cherry nodded meekly. "Okay! Mommy, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll miss you. I¡¯ll take good care of my brothers too!"
Pete said worriedly, "Find a chauffeur. Don¡¯t fall asleep on the way."
Xander nodded and grinned. "It¡¯s fine if you hit someone else when you¡¯re asleep, but don¡¯t hit yourself."
"..."
The corners of Nora¡¯s lips spasmed.
Was she that worrying?!
She walked out with a piece of bread in her mouth. Just as she left, she saw that Justin, who she did not see when she woke up, was sitting in the front passenger seat of the car, looking at her silently.
His ck car was parked at the door.
Nora got into the car without a word and said while chewing a piece of bread, "I thought you went to work."
"How could I?"
Justin said, "I¡¯ll apany you to California."
"Fasten your seatbelt."
Nora stuffed the bread in her mouth. The car rushed out with a whoosh, raising a cloud of dust.
Nora would not find a chauffeur.
No one drove faster than her.
If not for the fact that it was too darkst night, she would have gone to California overnight!
On the way, Justin handled matters on his phone.
Sean sent a message: "I still haven¡¯t found her."
Justin replied: "The sound of the sea might be deliberately giving us false information. Contact our men at the airport and see where they went."
Sean: "Yes."
Justin put down his phone and hid the worry in his eyes.
Where was Iris? Was she alive or dead? No one knew.
Yesterday, he had said it confidently, but he was still worried.
However...
On one side was his wife and son, and on the other was his mother.
He could not do anything but ask Sean to find his mother.
¡ª
At the Hunts¡¯ residence.
Nora and Justin had just left when Brenda drove home.
She got out of the car, feeling exhausted. She yawned and asked the butler, "Did Justin and Nora seem alright?"
The butler nodded. "Yes."
Brenda heaved a sigh of relief and said happily, "This is all thanks to me!"
The butler: "?"
Brenda pursed her lips. "You don¡¯t understand. If not for me, Nora wouldn¡¯t have returned to her family. She might have run off with that pretty boy!"
Brenda had pestered that pretty boy the entire day yesterday!
He did not even have the time to pick up his phone, let alone go on a date. Later on, when he was asleep, she deliberately took his phone and found Nora¡¯s chat to send her some messages!
Nora must have felt the coldness of the pretty boy and returned to her family!
She was really the savior of her brother¡¯s family! When her brother returned, she had to let him know that she had sacrificed too much for him!
The butler was speechless.
Just as Brenda was about to speak, the butler silently opened his phone and showed her the news about how Nora and Justin had rified the matter.
Chapter 758: Password Book!
Chapter 758: Password Book!
Brenda lowered her head in confusion. When she saw the content, she was stunned.
She slowly raised her head and looked at the butler in disbelief. Then, she said, "Was this set up by Nora and the others? Don¡¯t tell me that Nora is really Q!"
The butler was silent for a moment before he finally nodded.
Brenda: "..."
Brenda¡¯s fatigue from earlier was swept away. She instantly puffed up as if she had been deceived and walked out the door. "I¡¯ll see him!"
Brenda drove back to the vi in the suburbs.
When she arrived at the door, she began furiously knocking on it. After knocking for a long time, the door was finally opened. Solo¡¯s face was pale, and he stood there looking extremely exhausted.
He rubbed his eyes. It was obvious that he had just fallen asleep. When he saw Brenda in front of him, Solo instantly revealed a surprised expression. "Sweetie, you¡¯re back?"
Brenda was stunned by his address. She continued to shout, "Who¡¯s Sweetie?"
Solo was puzzled. "Didn¡¯t you sayst night that your name was Sweetie?"
Brenda: "...I think so. Forget it, I won¡¯t pester you about my name. Let me ask you, why did you lie to me?"
Solo was even more puzzled. "What lie?"
Brenda took a deep breath. "I asked you if you were a programmer. You said ¡¯yes¡¯!"
Solo tilted his head. "I really am! I¡¯m a programmer and I write codes. I make games for others to earn money!"
Brenda: "?"
Therefore, this fellow was not Q, nor was he a hacker. He was a true programmer?!
She choked and asked after a moment, "Then when I asked you if you were from Switzend, you said ¡¯yes¡¯ to that too?!"
Solo felt even more aggrieved. "I¡¯m really from Switzend. I still have a ne ticket here. Do you want to take a look?"
Brenda: "???"
She was stunned. "So you¡¯re not lying to me?"
"No, why would I lie to you? I¡¯ll drop dead right now If I did!" Solo swore. Then, he looked at her and revealed a shy and innocent look. "Um, you came over so early. Did you miss me?"
Brenda: "!!!"
She finally understood that she had made a mistake!
She had found the wrong person!
Oh my goodness!
She had suffered a huge loss.
At the thought of this, Brenda looked at Solo again. She did not expect to have sacrificed so much for her sister-inw and brother.
No, she could not take this loss.
Therefore... she had to sleep with him a few more times!
At the thought of this, Brenda grabbed his cor and pushed him into the door...
¡ª
It would take five hours to drive to California.
After driving for two hours, Nora switched ces with Justin.
She could rest in the front seat.
She picked up her phone and realized thatst night, Solo had sent her a few baffling messages like a lunatic.
"Actually, I just want your money. I don¡¯t like you at all. I already have someone I like."
"It¡¯s over between us. Let¡¯s leave it at that."
Nora: "?"
The corners of her mouth twitched as she replied to Solo: "?"
After sending it, she received a message from Solo. He had been typing for a very long time.
However, after typing for a long time, he only sent one photo.
It was... Brenda?!
Furthermore, why was Brenda sleeping on his bed?
Solo asked: "Do you know this person? She said she¡¯s your sister."
Nora: "...Yes."
Solo continued to ask mysteriously: "I found her police badge. She said she was a cop, not Interpol, right?"
Nora: "?"
She thought about it: "Why?"
Solo: "Imitted a crime overseas and only returned to the country to hide. It¡¯s good that she¡¯s not Interpol. I¡¯m just afraid the Interpol will catch me!"
Nora: "??"
She thought about it. It seemed like that was what Morris had said when he introduced Brenda to her in the special department. Was she sent by Interpol?
Her lips suddenly twitched.
However, she could not expose Brenda¡¯s disguise, so she did not say anything.
Unexpectedly, at the next moment, she saw Solo send a message: "By the way, I told her that I¡¯m a programmer. I make games and stuff. Don¡¯t tell her that I¡¯m a hacker~ Thank you!"
Nora: "!!"
What were the two of them up to?
Why were they hiding their identities from each other?
She shook her head in confusion.
Justin looked at her and asked, "What are you doing?"
Nora thought about it and said, "Being a cupid."
Justin: "..."
The corners of his mouth twitched. He still wanted to say something, but Nora leaned back and closed her eyes to sleep.
Justin: "..."
The two of them arrived in California very quickly.
Justin drove very steadily. After entering California, he turned around and saw that Nora had already woken up at some point. She was looking into the distance silently.
She grew up in California. Nora was very familiar with this ce.
She looked at the street silently.
When she was young, she had not attended school because she was fat and weak.
She had been locked at home.
However, her master lived next door and taught her martial arts.
Therefore, she could actually sneak out. Sometimes, she would walk along this street and see how other parents and children interacted.
As she watched, she would be... sleepy. Then, she would find a random ce to take a nap. After sleeping, she would wake up and continue walking.
There were a few times when she did not go home after walking the entire night, but Henry and Wendy at home would not notice.
She did not feel sad. Instead, she felt more free.
The two of them returned to the Smiths¡¯ house in California.
Henry had not returned. When Wendy came back, she had swept away all the family assets. The vi belonged to Henry. Without him, they could not sell it.
Coupled with her aunt¡¯s protection, the vi was still around.
The door had abination lock.
Nora walked over and entered the passcode.
She did not know the passcode initially. It was her aunt who had told her after changing the passcode. She had also said to her, "This house was left behind by your mother. It should be left to you. This house is yours."
After Henry passed away, this house was transferred to her name.
After Nora entered the vi, she realized that there was no change on the first floor. The valuables in the house had been taken away, but it was not messy. It was probably cleaned by her aunt.
She went upstairs and realized that the door to the study was open. After pushing the door open, she saw that it was filled with books left behind by her mother, Yvette.
Her mission today was to find the password book from these and crack the Morse code.
But which book was her password book?
Nora wandered around the room, thinking.
Suddenly, she thought of something.
Chapter 759: Find the Code Book
Chapter 759: Find the Code Book
Nora said directly, "The password is not in these books."
Justin asked hesitantly, "Why do you say that?"
Nora said, "Mother knew what kind of person Henry was. They don¡¯t want to love him. After she passed away, Henry would definitely have removed all traces of her at home, so she definitely won¡¯t have left the passcode in this house."
Justin nodded.
Some of the books in the study had not been read at all. Some of the books had not even been opened. It was obvious that Henry had bought them to show off.
He asked, "Do you have any leads?"
Nora nodded.
She suddenly said, "What is it that you can leave behind in the open, something normal people wouldn¡¯t bother with?"
Justin frowned. He suddenly thought of something and suddenly said, "The ount book!"
"That¡¯s right. It¡¯s the ount book of Idealian Pharmaceuticals!"
Nora walked out.
She did not have any attachment to this home that she had lived in for 18 years.
To her, this was just a ce to sleep. Henry and Wendy did not treat her well, so she did not have any feelings for them.
She slept well anyway.
Therefore, she had no feelings for this ce.
Justin nced at the room again. He was very curious about the ce Nora had grown up in. However, he saw Nora¡¯s determined back and followed behind her.
Half an hourter, Nora brought Justin to Wayne¡¯s house.
Wayne opened the door and saw her. He immediately shouted excitedly, "Ms. Nora, are you finally returning to inherit the family assets?"
Nora: "..."
She was silent for a moment before saying, "Back then, when Mother handed Idealian Pharmaceuticals to you, did she give you the ounts?"
Wayne immediately nodded. "Yes! I have it!"
He moved aside and let the two of them in. Then, he went to the study room, picked up a bunch of ount books, and handed them to Nora. "These are for the past few years. The earnings of the pharmaceutical factory have always been very stable. There are about five to six million dors every year. I¡¯ve already transferred this quarterly dividend to your card. Also, these..."
Nora interrupted him. "I just want the ount book my mother left you."
Wayne was stunned. "Why? If you don¡¯t look at the ounts from the past few years, how would you understand the bnce sheet? Ms. Nora, have you never managed apany before? Actually, to manage apany, you have to look at the ounts first. For example, look at this sum of money..."
Nora saw that he was as long-winded as usual. She nced at it and grabbed a book among the more than ten ount books on the table.
The cover of the notebook was made of small flowers. It was obvious that it was not Wayne¡¯s style. Furthermore, the cover was a little worn out. It could be seen that it had been around for a long time.
After she opened it, her mother¡¯s words fell into her eyes.
Nora looked up at Justin and stood up. "I found it."
Justin nodded and got up as well.
Wayne was still talking endlessly, but Nora interrupted him. "Alright, stop talking."
Wayne: "?"
Nora said, "Idealian Pharmaceuticals is yours from now on. You don¡¯t have to report to me."
Idealian Pharmaceuticals was just a smallpany her mother had left behind to take care of her basic expenses. Furthermore, Wayne had been managing thepany for so many years. He had already lived up to Yvette¡¯s expectations.
It was understandable that she would give this smallpany to him.
Wayne: "?"
He immediately said emotionally, "Ms. Nora, you..."
Before he could finish, Nora interrupted him. "Don¡¯t be touched. You deserve it."
After saying this, she and Justin left without hesitation.
Wayne: "??"
He did not want to say that he was touched. Boohoo!
He wanted to go on a holiday! Back then, Ms. Yvette had trapped him here. She even said that as long as he sessfully handed thepany to Nora, he would be free.
However, he did not expect to be trapped by Ms. Nora for the rest of his life.
He wanted to retire!!
¡ª
Nora got into the car and ced the book in her bag.
Other than her, there were a few more people in this world who were also looking for V16. These people were all people like Trueman, who had taken the V15.
Caleb had said before that in the experiment back then, five children had survived.
Including him and Trueman, there were three people outside.
These three people had probably already be big shots by now. Furthermore, Joel had once said that after learning that Nora was his sister, Quentin had been personally protecting her. At that time, he had realized that there were several groups of people following her.
Therefore, Nora would not expose the ount book to anyone.
She would look at the ount book when she returned to a safe ce.
On the way, Justin saw that she was a little bored, so he asked, "How did Wayne offend you?"
Nora: "?"
She looked at Justin in confusion and tilted her head. "He didn¡¯t offend me!"
Justin: "Then why did you use such a smallpany to trap him in California?"
When Nora heard this, she was even more confused.
Seeing her like this, Justin seemed to realize something and chuckled. "Don¡¯t tell me you really think this Wayne guy is a manager?"
Nora asked, "Isn¡¯t that so?"
Justin was certain now. It seemed like Nora really did not know Wayne¡¯s identity.
The corners of his mouth twitched as he said, "This Wayne was a world-renowned biologist more than twenty years ago. He served as a biology professor at Staav University."
Nora: "!!"
She was stunned.
Staav University was currently the top institution in the world, and the microbiology department of this institution was the top existence in the world.
This Wayne was actually a professor at Staav University?!
20 years ago, he was not even 30 years old!
Justin continued, "I don¡¯t know how he offended your mother, but he was trapped in California for more than twenty years. Now, because of you, he¡¯s going to be trapped for the rest of his life."
Nora: "..."
No wonder this person was so agitated when she said that she would give thepany to him. So it was not because he was touched, but because he really did not want it?
Nora was thinking about this when Wayne called her. Nora picked it up and heard him crying. "Ms. Nora, please let me go! I really just want to retire!"
Nora thought for a moment. "How did you offend my mother?"
Wayne instantly shouted, "Ms. Nora, I¡¯m innocent! I¡¯ll exin things between me and your mother to you before you make a judgment, okay?"
20 minutester, after hearing Wayne¡¯s story, Nora was so shocked that she lost all her sleep.
Chapter 760: Someone’s Impersonating?
Chapter 760: Someone¡¯s Impersonating?
27 years ago, Yvette had be a pharmaceutical master in New York. Unwilling to ept the current situation, she went to the best university in Switzend.
At that time, Wayne was a rising star at Staav University. Everyone said that he would create a miracle in biology.
Yvette went straight to him and said that she could create a gene serum that could improve human gics. She also took out the gene serum V1 and tempted him to follow her back to the country.
Yvette had used this tactic to deceive Wayne. Following that, she made a bet with Wayne on which of them could replicate the V1.
Because at that time, there was only one V1.
Later on, of course, Yvette won and Wayne lost. Yvette made Wayne agree to fulfill one of her requests.
Wayne agreed without hesitation.
At that time, Yvette did not say what the request was...
A yearter, Wayne suddenly received a call from Yvette. She said, "You owe me. My request is that you return to the country ande to California to help me manage apany."
"..."
He took care of it for 25 years.
Wayne cried bitterly on the other end of the line. "When I came to California, I asked for a leave from the school. I said I was here to do research. So many years have passed, but I haven¡¯t gone back to cancel my leave! Your mother is very outrageous! Ms. Nora, you can¡¯t be so cruel to me!"
Nora: "..."
Hearing this, she felt that Yvette had indeed gone overboard with Wayne.
However, Nora did not understand how Yvette took in her underlings back then. Old Maddy and the other two were so loyal to her.
Now, she had reason to suspect that they had all been tricked by Yvette.
Her mother¡¯s smart and powerful image suddenly cracked a little in her heart.
Wayne continued, "Ms. Nora, there¡¯s really nothing left to take care of in thepany! I don¡¯t want that V1 form anymore! It has been so many years. Can you let me go? Boohoo... Let me tell you, I¡¯m feeling bitter..."
Seeing that Wayne was about to start nagging again, Nora interrupted him, "Do whatever you want."
Wayne choked. "Really?"
"Yeah."
Nora found him a little annoying. "You can stay too if you don¡¯t want to leave."
Wayne immediately said, "No, I just feel a little... like I¡¯m in a dream. Ms. Nora, you¡¯re much more open-minded than your mother!"
Nora: "..."
"Then I¡¯ll resign~ I¡¯ll submit my resignation letter tomorrow! Leave thepany¡¯s matters to others! However, Ms. Nora, it has been so many years. I actually have feelings for thepany, you..."
Nora could not help but say, "If you don¡¯t shut up, you¡¯ll have to keep managing it."
"...Okay, goodbye, Ms. Nora."
After the talkative Wayne finished speaking, he could not help but add, "I¡¯ll write a resignation letter now. I¡¯ll email youter~"
Nora hung up straight away.
Then, Justin said, "Since you¡¯re here, do you want to visit Irene?"
No matter what happened to Henry, although unrted by blood, Irene was her aunt and had indeed been very good to Nora since she was young.
After acknowledging the Smiths, Nora did note back again. Since she was in California, there was no reason not to visit her.
At the thought of this, she nodded.
Justin turned the car around and drove to the cks ording to Nora¡¯s instructions.
On the way, Justin got out of the car to buy some fruits when they passed by a fruit stall. After getting into the car, he suddenly lowered his voice and said, "We were indeed followed. After we left your house, someone entered and began searching."
Nora lowered her eyes. "Do you know who it is?"
Justin said, "My people are tracking him. Let¡¯s pretend that we came to California to visit an old friend, and not expose anything."
Nora nodded. "Sure."
Her heart sank.
There were indeed many people who wanted the gene serum.
She lowered her eyes in thought as the car finally arrived at the cks.
Her aunt, Irene, had married her uncle Will ck and then had a daughter, Lisa ck. This family of three treated Nora very well.
The cks lived in a small house, about 140 square meters. It was a small family.
When the two of them arrived, they saw a few hooligans squatting there.
Someone was smoking. Everyone was staring at the stairs.
When she saw them, Nora frowned.
At this moment, a middle-aged man lowered his head and came out to throw the trash.
When he went out and saw the gangsters, he shrunk his neck and turned to walk upstairs. However, before he could take two steps, someone chased after him and shouted, "Will ck, when are you going to pay us back the money you owe us?"
Will ck?
Nora, who had not gotten out of the car, was slightly stunned.
This hunchbacked man was her uncle? But what had happened that turned him so much older in just a few months?
She frowned and was in thought when Will said, "I don¡¯t have any money!"
"You don¡¯t have money. Doesn¡¯t your family own a smallpany? You can hand over thepany to us!"
Will shouted angrily, "I won¡¯t do it!"
The person immediately stepped forward and grabbed his cor. "Stop stalling. I¡¯m telling you, the Smiths will not save you!"
Will was indignant. "On what basis can you coerce me to sell mypany?! I¡¯m not selling it! Is there still anyw in this world?"
"Why?" The punk spat and continued, "You guys offended the Smiths! Let me tell you, we have Hunt Corporation backing us! Miss Smith is President Hunt¡¯s fianc¨¦e! We have to help President Hunt vent his anger!"
Will was in disbelief. "This, this was instructed by Nora? No, it¡¯s impossible!"
"Why not? Henry treated her so well, but in the end, she¡¯s not his biological daughter. She must be holding a grudge. Besides, Henry is already dead, so why are you still alive? Furthermore, your family made a fortune back then from Irene¡¯s dowry, so the cks also belong to Miss Smith. Why can¡¯t we help Miss Smith take back thepany?"
Will was stunned and speechless.
Right at this point...
"Ahem, ahem."
Irene walked out of the door with a bad expression. She was clearly forced into a corner by these gangsters.
She took a deep breath and finally said, "Give it to them!"
Will was anxious. "Irene, we..."
Irene sighed. "He¡¯s right. My brother stole from Yvette, and I also took her money when I got married. Your business might as well be hers. We owe Nora too much..."
Chapter 761: Untitled
Chapter 761: Untitled
When Will heard this, he was silent for a moment.
Irene had a brain tumor and had just undergone an operation. She was still in a recuperative state and looked much thinner than before. The flesh on her face had sunken in.
Looking at his wife and recalling how she was bright and beautiful in the past, Will sighed.
Ever since the reveal that Henry was not Nora¡¯s biological father, Irene had been in a constant state of anxiety. The thing she said the most every day was: "...How could my brother be so shameless? Everything of the Smiths should belong to Nora! How could he be like this?! He took the money Nora¡¯s mother had left behind and raised his woman and daughter, but he did not care if Nora lived or died..."
"He owes Nora too much."
"He owes Nora his entire life."
She hated Henry very much, but a few days ago, news of Henry¡¯s death had reached them. When Irene heard it, she was stunned.
At that time, Will thought that Irene would be very sad. Unexpectedly, she only remained silent for a moment before sighing. "This is his retribution!"
She looked very calm, but from that day on, she could not sleep at night.
One day, Will woke up in the middle of the night to use the toilet. He saw Irene standing on the balcony muttering to herself, "Henry, why did you leave just like that? You can¡¯t repay what you owe Nora for the rest of your life. Even when you leave, you take your debt with you..."
Irene became thinner and thinner every day.
Will wanted to say that he had used Irene¡¯s dowry for his capital and he was the one who had been managing thepany bit by bit.
So they could return double the initial capital to Nora. They could also leave behind their retirement savings.
However, when he saw his wife¡¯s appearance and how she spent her days in guilt... He had seen her pick up her phone several times and enter Nora¡¯s number, but she never dared to call her.
Will sighed and suddenly lowered his head. "Okay, I¡¯ll listen to you."
He looked at the few hooligans and said, "I¡¯ll give thepany to you!"
Nora, who was in the car, frowned.
Her hand was on the door handle. Just as she was about to get out of the car, Justin suddenly grabbed her hand and said softly, "Wait a little longer."
Nora: "?"
The moment she looked at Justin, she came to a sudden realization!
These few hooligans were not hired by Nora or Justin. Then who had hired them? What was their motive?
She narrowed her eyes.
Indeed, the conversation continued.
After Will said this, the few hooligans stood up. "Alright, I¡¯ll get someone to deliver the contract immediately."
Will helped Irene up.
However, before they entered the building, the hooligans behind them shouted, "Wait!"
Irene turned around.
The hooligan smiled. "Miss Smith said that when you got married years ago, other than some money, there were also some books and jewelry. They were all left behind by Miss Smith¡¯s mother, give them to us now!"
When Irene heard this, she pursed her lips.
In the car, Nora and Justin also understood that these people were indeed here for Yvette¡¯s belongings.
The two of them then got out of the car. Nora shouted directly, "Wait a minute."
Hearing her voice, Irene¡¯s body trembled and she turned around suddenly.
She looked at Nora in disbelief.
Even Will was surprised and looked over.
The two of them looked at her directly. They did not expect Nora toe here.
Actually, they all knew that these few hooligans weren¡¯t Nora¡¯s.
It was because they had clearly said that they were under Mr. Hunt¡¯s orders. Nora would not be so heartless to them.
It was just like how she had treated Irene back then.
However, Irene did not want to call Nora. She felt that if Mr. Hunt hade to ask for it, she should give it to him.
Moreover, she owed Nora this.
As she was in a daze, Nora had already strode to Irene¡¯s side and called out softly, "Irene."
Hearing this, Irene¡¯s eyes turned red.
Nora was still willing to acknowledge her. This meant that Nora had never med her.
She held Nora¡¯s hand. "You came at the right time. Take those things away!"
Nora frowned and was about to speak when the hooligan shouted impatiently, "What is it that you¡¯re taking away? Don¡¯t you understand? Those things are ours. You have to give them to us!"
Nora narrowed her eyes and looked at them coldly. "Who do you think you are?"
To be honest, her heart ached when she saw her aunt¡¯s haggard appearance.
She should have returned earlier to see her. ording to her aunt¡¯s kind and conflicted character, she would definitely feel that she had let Nora down. However, Nora had been so busy with Xander that she had forgotten everything and ended up forgetting her aunt. This was why Irene had lived so long in guilt.
Nora was a little angry.
When the hooligans heard this, they sneered. "Youngdy, you¡¯re so young. I advise you not to interfere in other people¡¯s business! Let me tell you, we¡¯re from the Hunts!"
Nora narrowed her eyes.
The hooligan continued, "Do you know the Hunts in New York? There has been a lot of talk about the fight for the throne recently. Unfortunately, the one who to lose was Herman. Mr. Hunt is awesome! He can even win against his own father. He doesn¡¯t care about the few of you!"
When Justin heard this, he walked forward and asked, "Who instructed you guys to do this?"
The hooligan sneered. "Who are you? Don¡¯t you see no one in the district dares to interfere? What are the two of you doing here?! Why should I tell you who assigned me this mission? You just have to know that this is all Mr. Hunt¡¯s wish!"
Irene had never seen Justin before, so she did not know him.
When she saw him now, she looked at Nora in confusion.
Nora was about to exin something to her when the hooligan became impatient. He stepped forward and grabbed Will. "Will, the contract is here. Hurry up, sign it and we¡¯ll leave!"
Nora was already here. How could Will still sign it?
He said, "I¡¯m not signing this contract. I..." He handed the things belonging to the cks and Yvette to Nora.
Unfortunately, before he could finish, the hooligan became too anxious. He interrupted him and shouted angrily, "You¡¯re not going to sign it? I bet you won¡¯t cry until you see the coffin! Since that¡¯s the case, don¡¯t me us for being ruthless!"
With that, he waved his hand and someone rushed forward.
Justin blocked the three of them. Seeing his strong aura, the punk said, "Brother, I advise you not to interfere in Mr. Hunt¡¯s matters!"
Chapter 762: Rushing into the Dragon King Temple
Chapter 762: Rushing into the Dragon King Temple
Mr. Hunt¡¯s matter?
Justin narrowed his eyes.
From the way Nora rushed out of the car, he could tell that she cared a lot about her aunt. Furthermore, back then in California, he had seen Nora almost drop her disguise to save Irene.
Therefore, Irene was someone Nora cared for deeply.
These few hooligans used his name to do evil, wasn¡¯t this letting them leave a bad impression on her elders before he even met them?
He sneered. "Mr. Hunt? Why didn¡¯t anyone tell me?"
Seeing that he was being so disrespectful, the hooligan waved his hand. "Since you don¡¯t know how to appreciate our kindness, don¡¯t me us for being rude!"
As soon as he finished speaking, seven to eight people behind him rushed forward.
It seemed like he was nning to restrain the four of them and force Will to sign it!
The hooligan leader stood behind them, but he was a little anxious. The leader had called again to urge them to settle this matter in a short time and take away all the things Irene had brought from the Smiths.
Therefore, even if Will and Irene did not relent, they nned to use force today.
He just did not know why two people suddenly came out and blocked his way. Since that was the case, he would not be polite!
When the few of them went forward, there was even someone who looked at Nora and rubbed his wrist. "Boss, are we hitting women too? This little girl is quite beautiful!"
The leader casually pped him on the head and said, "Pfft! We¡¯re on a serious mission now! If this woman knows her ce and leaves, I¡¯ll let her off this time."
"Okie-Dokie!"
The group of people thought that they would definitely seed today, but they did not expect the seven to eight people would copse to bite the dust within a minute!
The hooligans fell to the ground, especially the one who had teased Nora earlier. Not only did the man in the suit knock him down, but he also buried his face to the ground!
The leader was stunned and he looked at Justin again. "F*ck! It turns out we bumped into a tough guy. Let me tell you, it doesn¡¯t matter how powerful you are. You¡¯re dead meat! You even dare to offend Mr. Hunt from New York. I think you¡¯re tired of living!"
With that, he took two steps back, picked up his phone, and said, "Leader, we bumped into a tough guy here... Yes, he knocked down eight of my men alone. I think you have to look for a professional! What? You¡¯lle over personally to see who this blind person is? Alright, I¡¯ll wait here!"
After hanging up, he looked at Justin warily. "Our leader ising soon. He¡¯s from the Hunt Corporation, Mr. Hunt¡¯s trusted aide in California! He¡¯s also the person in charge of Hunt Corporation¡¯s power in California. I¡¯m telling you! Don¡¯t run if you dare to fight!"
Justin stared at him coldly. When he heard his words, he narrowed his eyes and thought carefully in his mind. The person in charge of California was... "Zester West?"
When the hooligan heard this name, he hurriedly nodded. "Yes! It¡¯s President Zester. Heh, since you know him, you must have heard of his power, right? Let me tell you, President Zester is an expert from the Irvin School of Martial Arts! He has a close rtionship with Mr. Hunt. You should have heard of him!"
Justin: "..."
How could he not have heard of him?
Zester was his junior.
Since his junior was out looking for a job, he, as the Big Brother of Irvin School of Martial Arts, had to help him. Therefore, he had let him join the Hunt Corporation.
Justin absolutely did not believe that Zester had betrayed him and was doing all of this in private. This was because he knew Zester very well. He was not a smart person. He was single-minded and could only carry out orders, it was impossible for him to have any bad intentions.
Then someone could only have used Zester.
Who could this be?
He could only ask when Zester came over.
He did not say anything else and turned to look at Nora.
Nora did not want Irene and Will to wait downstairs either. She simply held Irene¡¯s arm. "Irene, let¡¯s go upstairs!"
Irene nodded.
The four of them walked upstairs to Irene¡¯s house. They entered and sat on the sofa in the living room. Irene looked at Justin first.
Justin coughed and stood up. He was about to greet her when he heard Irene say, "This is the bodyguard the Smiths arranged for you, right? Thank you so much for earlier! Please take good care of Nora in the future and protect her!"
Justin: "?"
He stood there awkwardly and looked at Nora silently.
He saw Nora secretly covering her mouth and giggling.
The corners of Justin¡¯s mouth twitched, and he simply agreed. "Okay."
After saying that, Irene sighed and looked at Nora. "Nora, I know you¡¯re not behind those people out there. Mr. Hunt was the one who sent them here. I understand, these things are all yours. Mr. hunt did the right thing. He should return them to you."
Will also said, "Yes, take them. Otherwise, it¡¯ll only make Mr. Hunt unhappy. A person like him must be in an unpredictable mood! Nora, would it be difficult for him to get along with you if you get married?"
Irene asked nervously, "Every time Lisa calls, she always says that you¡¯re doing well. The Smiths love you very much, and the Hunts also love you very much. Even if on ount of the Smiths, they don¡¯t dare to neglect you. But what about Mr. Hunt? How does he treat you? Nora, don¡¯t be afraid, you can tell me. Marriage is not a small matter. You can¡¯t make do with it... Mr. Hunt must be very domineering, right? If you¡¯re unwilling to get married, tell me. I¡¯ll help you..."
Nora: "?"
Justin: "..."
Seeing that Irene and Will were going too far, Nora pursed her lips and smiled. Justin coughed and suddenly said, "Um, Irene, sorry to disturb you."
Irene looked at him in surprise.
Why was this bodyguard calling her by her name?
As she was thinking, a mor came from downstairs. "President Zester, they¡¯re upstairs. Two ignorant people came and insisted on protecting them. They¡¯re quite good at fighting. The men have all been beaten down!"
Then, Zester¡¯s deep voice was heard. "Follow me. I want to see who¡¯s tired of living!"
The hooligan said in a fawning manner, "This person has some skills. You have to be careful!"
Zester sneered and said, "Even five of him would not be enough in front of me. Besides, the only person in the world who can beat me is my Big Brother!"
As they spoke, the two of them went upstairs.
The hooligan shouted from the door, "President Zester, they¡¯re here!"
After saying that, he looked at Justin as Nora proudly and shouted, "You¡¯re dead!"
When Irene and Will heard this, they immediately became nervous. Then, they saw the burly Zester walk in. He entered aggressively, but the next moment, his aura suddenly changed...
Chapter 763: Luring the Snake out of the Cave
Chapter 763: Luring the Snake out of the Cave
Zester stood rooted to the ground and looked at the people in the room in shock.
Justin stood there, but there were three people sitting on the sofa. They were Irene Smith, Will ck, and one other woman.
The hooligan beside her was still moring. "Let me tell you, this is Mr. Hunt¡¯s friend, President Zester! He¡¯s in charge of the Hunt Corporation in California. Furthermore, he¡¯s from the Irvin School of Martial Arts. You actually dared to attack us just now. You¡¯re too much. You¡¯re dead!"
With that, he looked at Zester and pointed at Justin. "President Zester, it was this bodyguard who attacked me just now!"
Zester:"..."
He rubbed his eyes and asked in confusion, "Why does this bodyguard look so much like Big Brother?"
Justin: "..."
Nora: "..."
Nora originally thought that this Zester might have something to do with the gene serum or was ordered by someone. But at this moment, looking at his silly appearance, she could not help but twitch her lips.
Yes, she had solved the case.
This Zester must have been deceived.
After all, such a foolish person could not have been sent by the mysterious organization as a spy.
When the hooligan heard this, he said in surprise, "President Zester, this person is good-looking and handsome. I already said that it was Mr. Hunt¡¯s order to get those things, but he refused to listen. He¡¯s clearly not taking Mr. Hunt seriously. You have to teach him a lesson!"
Justin could not be bothered to beat around the bush with them. He directly looked at Zester and asked, "Who asked you toe here?"
Zester was stunned. "This person¡¯s voice is the same as Big Brother¡¯s!"
Justin: !!
His expression changed as he reprimanded, "Zester West!"
Zester shivered and immediately jumped up. "F*ck! It really is Big Brother... No, why are you here? And why did you smile at me just now? You smiled so much that I didn¡¯t even recognize you! You should be more fierce to me. That¡¯s more familiar!"
Zester was really a little stunned earlier. In his impression, his Big Brother had always been very serious. Who asked him to smile just now? It made him unable to be recognized.
Justin: "..."
How could he not smile at Nora¡¯s aunt?!
His expression darkened. He felt that this junior was too stupid. He took a deep breath and continued, "Who sent you to ask for these things?"
Zester: "It was you..."
After saying that, when he saw Nora, his eyes shed. Then, he lowered his voice and said, "Oh, I understand. Justin, are you nning to help Nora do something? In the end, your ttery fell on deaf ears? Alright, I¡¯ll help you shoulder the responsibility. You didn¡¯t order me to do it. I wanted it myself! I¡¯m a good brother, right?!"
"..."
Justin could not be bothered to speak anymore and pped his head. "When did ever I order you to do this?"
One had to use a stupid method against an idiot.
As expected, Zester finally said something useful. "You sent me an email! You even sent me a voice message. Have you forgotten? You¡¯re so young, but you¡¯re already so forgetful?"
Justin suppressed the urge to kick him away. "Let me see the email and voice message!"
Zester nodded and took out his phone to open the email. Sure enough, it was from Justin¡¯s ount.
Justin narrowed his eyes.
His email had not been used much recently, but there had always been a firewall. There were only two or three people in the world who could break through his firewall, so it would be easy to find.
Zester found the voice message and yed it for him.
The voice inside was very simr to Justin¡¯s, but he was sure he had not said these words.
Justin narrowed his eyes.
At this moment, Nora walked over and took Zester¡¯s phone. She also looked at them. Nora said, "The voice is synthesized. Someone recorded parts of your voice to make this."
Justin raised his eyebrows and smiled.
Heard one¡¯s own recorded voice would feel a little unfamiliar, of course. It was difficult to judge.
He did not expect Nora to be so familiar with his voice.
Nora did not know why this man was smiling at her. She opened his email again and checked it before saying, "Why does this firewall look so familiar?"
Justin stood behind her. "Yes, how can you not be familiar with your own creation?"
Nora: "?"
She then realized that the method to break through Justin¡¯s firewall was really something she used often, and there were also traces of her using it.
But!
How could she have hacked Justin¡¯s email and sent something to Zester?
She frowned. "There are two possibilities¡ªeither the other party learned my method, or he used my software."
Justin nodded.
After a moment of silence, they looked at Zester in unison.
"Who did I tell you to give these things to?"
"Who did Justin ask you to give these things to?"
Zester, who was being questioned by the two of them at the same time, was even more stunned. He looked at the two of them in a daze and said weakly, "Wasn¡¯t it supposed to be sent to Big Brother?"
"What¡¯s the address?"
"Just, just the vi at Big Brother¡¯s home in New York!"
The vi at home...
Could it be that the person who had arranged for this was in the Hunts?
However, the Hunts had just been cleaned up by Justin. The servants in the house had also been cleaned up. This kind of problem should no longer exist.
Therefore, the person who wanted to find info about V16 from the book her mother had left behind could not be at the Hunts.
If he was not at the Hunts, then...
Delivery!
¡ª
Half an hourter, Zester walked out with a box full of books. After he went out, he immediately called a deliverypany to collect the mail to New York.
Soon, the courier came and received his parcel before leaving with it.
The delivery man put away the package. There was still another parcel to collect, so he did not stay long. However, he did not notice that after he left, three people came out of the house and followed behind him sneakily.
The delivery man did not care much about the package. He threw the package into his car and drove to the next house to receive the package.
When he went upstairs, the express car was parked outside.
Not many people passed by this time in the district.
Nora and Justin stood in an obscure corner not far away.
Zester looked at the two of them and was very puzzled. "Big Brother, Nora, what are you doing here?"
Almost as soon as he said this, a person on a motorcycle suddenly came to the courier car. Then, he pulled out a box of books and threw them into the courier car. Then, he took out the parcel from the cks.
His movements were so fast that if they had not been staring, they would not have realized it at all!
"Catch him!"
Chapter 764: The Mastermind Revealed
Chapter 764: The Mastermind Revealed
Zester was simple-minded. Although he did not understand what they were doing, he rushed out when he heard this.
The person on the motorcycle wearing a helmet thought that he was undetected. He turned a corner and was about to leave when he saw a burly man suddenly crawl out from behind the grass and pounce on him, scaring him.
He hurriedly turned the elerator and wanted to rush over, but although Zester looked huge, he was very agile. After all, he was a member of the Irvin School of Martial Arts. He grabbed the handle of the motorcycle and jumped to the side of the motorcycle. Then, he let go of the handle, grabbed the person¡¯s shoulder, and pulled hard.
The front wheel of the motorcycle instantly went high up and the back wheel spun on the spot. In the blink of an eye, the motorcycle flipped over, and the person was dragged off the motorcycle.
The motorcycle dropped to the grass beside him and the person on it was sessfully caught by Zester.
The battle seemed intense, but Zester held the advantage.
Only then did Nora and Justin walk over slowly. Zester pulled down the helmet of the motorcycle owner. It was a fifteen-year-old child!
The child spat. "Consider me unlucky to have fallen into your hands!"
Nora frowned. "Who asked you to steal things?"
The child pursed his lips. "No one. I just like to y. What¡¯s wrong?"
Nora still wanted to speak, but Justin suddenly stepped forward and grabbed his wrist, pressing him hard against the ground. A dagger fell with a ng.
Nora narrowed her eyes.
She had thought that this child was just a thief and had been instructed by someone. After all, he was really too young. She did not expect him to be hiding a dagger.
The moment the dagger fell, the child was suddenly turned around and had his arm pinned down by Justin. In a seemingly inhuman way, he pulled his arm away from the opposite direction.
Then, he stood up and turned to run out.
His movements were smooth and flowed like water. Zester did not react at all and the child broke free.
The child ran very quickly. It was almost as fast as a 100-meter sprint. As he ran, he turned back and made a funny face at Nora.
He looked very arrogant!
If it was anyone else, this child would definitely have kept running. Unfortunately for him, Nora and Justin were also present.
Nora did not move.
Justin threw a small stone he had been ying with in his hand.
Bang!
The little stone hit an acupuncture point on the boy¡¯s knee, causing his knees to weaken. He fell to the ground andnded on his face.
"Ah!"
When the boy fell, Zester had already caught up to him and he grabbed him again.
This time, Nora and Justin did not interrogate him. Instead, they brought him into the car and tied him up.
Zester drove while the little boy had his hands and feet tied to the backseat.
Nora squatted down beside him and pulled up his sleeve. She saw that there were indeed many needle marks on his arm.
She studied it carefully and wanted to search the boy¡¯s body again, but she was stopped by Justin. She looked at Justin hesitantly and saw his eyes drift as he said, "I¡¯ll do it."
Nora: "..."
No way. She was only searching his body, but this man was still jealous.
She smirked and raised her almond-shaped eyes slightly, looking like she had seen through Justin¡¯s scheme, but she still moved aside.
Justin did not speak, but his ears turned red. He coughed before searching the boy¡¯s body. Soon, he found a medicine in his pocket.
Nora had a serious expression. She opened the medicine bottle and took a sniff. Then, she said with certainty, "Indeed, he¡¯s been injected with a gic improvement agent."
She had learned this from the special department.
The word gene serum only applied to the correct form of V1-V16. Currently, not many people in the world had injected this serum.
However, these potions, the ones that improved strength, had all kinds of hidden side effects. These imperfect potions could only be called gene improvement agents.
These injections were all unorthodox. They were extremely harmful to the body and only allowed one to obtain temporary strength.
The drug that Yvonne had been injected with was a gene improvement agent. If one did not adjust the amount of this medicine well, they would hemorrhage and die. Even if they did not hemorrhage, those who had been injected with the medicine could only live for two years.
It was not like the real gene serum. If Trueman got the V16, his DNA would be improved and he would be the first person in the world with a perfect gic chain!
"Return the medicine to me!"
Seeing that Nora had opened the medicine, the boy roared angrily. Although his hands and feet were tightly bound, he twisted them with all his might.
Seeing how agitated he was, Nora asked, "Where did you get this?"
The boy shouted, "I spent a lot of money on this before Jude gave it to me. Return it to me!"
Jude?
Nora narrowed her eyes. "Who is Jude?"
She suddenly felt like she had found an undergroundwork!
The boy sneered. "I know. You want to buy medicine from Jude, right? Then let go of me. Or else I won¡¯t take you there!"
Hearing his words, Nora and Justin looked at each other and did not speak.
Soon, Zester brought the two of them to a vi in California.
The Hunts¡¯ old residence was in California, so Justin naturally had a ce there. This vi was very big. Not long after the two of them entered, Howard swaggered in as he looked at his younger brother from his second grandfather¡¯s family in the old residence.
As soon as he entered, he shouted loudly, "Justin, you¡¯re too much. Why didn¡¯t you inform me that you wereing to California?"
Justin ignored him and looked at Nora, gesturing for him to greet her.
However, Howard touched his hooked nose and ignored Nora. He only asked, "Justin, where¡¯s that weakling of yours? Doesn¡¯t he follow you wherever you go? Why isn¡¯t he here?"
Hearing this, Nora looked up. "Who is this weakling?"
"Pete! He¡¯s so small and doesn¡¯t deserve to be my brother¡¯s son at all!" Howard was Justin¡¯s crazy fan.
He had always protected and admired him unconditionally.
However, Howard felt that it was his humiliation that Justin had a son with autism!
Pete was not fit to be his brother¡¯s son!
Moreover!
Howard nced at Nora disdainfully.
This woman looked fragile. How was she different from those youngdies of wealthy families in the city? She was clearly spoiled.
Other than having a good family background, what else about her could match up to Justin?
In this world, the only person who could match up to his brother was Quinn School of Martial Arts¡¯ Big Sister!
Chapter 765: Protect Quinn School of Martial Arts’ Big Sister?
Chapter 765: Protect Quinn School of Martial Arts¡¯ Big Sister?
When Howard thought of this, he suddenly reacted and red at Nora. "Did you scold me just now?"
Nora raised her eyebrows and shrugged. She did not say anything.
Of course, she would retaliate when someone scolded her son. She was not so easygoing where anyone could pinch her cheeks.
Howard was instantly furious and wanted to rush forward to beat her up, but he had just taken a step closer to Nora when Justin¡¯s bright eyes swept over, scaring Howard.
Howard was a boor.
He had been immersed in martial arts since he was young. He had a strong masculine aura and was fundamentally opposite of the Irvin School of Martial Arts¡¯ teachings. Therefore, Irvin had never taken him in as a disciple.
Moreover, Howard was a die-hard fan of the Quinn School of Martial Arts, so Quinn would ignore him even more.
Justin did not care that Howard was furious and asked, "You came at the right time. Do you know Jude?"
When it came to a serious matter, Howard calmed down. He sat opposite Justin and said, "I¡¯ve heard of him. Jude¡¯s dark power rose under California this month. I¡¯m involved in some of it, so I know a little. This person came less than half a month ago and already has a group of loyal supporters. I heard that it¡¯s because he has a secret drug that can make people stronger. Now, he¡¯s quite powerful in California. I¡¯m also thinking of meeting him!"
With that, Howard touched his chin and couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Brother, is there really such a medicine? It can make people stronger? If I get some, will Quinn take me as his disciple?"
Justin: "...I don¡¯t know if he¡¯ll ept you as his disciple, but if you really eat it, I¡¯ll have toe to California again in two years."
Howard: "Why?"
"To collect your corpse."
"..."
Howard was speechless for a moment before he sighed. "When I heard about it, I was indeed tempted. But after some thought, I realized how could a person be stronger just like that? There must be a price to pay. Besides, I still despise people who rely on drugs to be stronger."
Howard was a reckless person obsessed with martial arts. He wanted to be stronger and had a dream.
However, he was also stubborn and had his own pride.
Fortunately, he did not rush to court death.
Justin suddenly asked, "Do you know Jude¡¯s stronghold?"
"Of course."
"How many people do you have?"
Howard immediately patted his chest and said, "Justin, in California, you can have as many as you want!"
Justin nodded. "Ok, get our men prepared. We¡¯ll destroy their nest tonight!"
"Okie-Dokie!"
With that, Howard turned around and left, calling for help.
After he left, Justin looked at Nora with a stern expression.
Nora thought about it and suddenly asked, "Do we need to tell Morris?"
After all, Morris was from the special department. It was more appropriate for him to handle such matters. The secret organization and the gene serum were both being investigated by the special department.
Justin was silent for a moment before saying, "Alright."
Nora picked up her phone and informed Morris about the n.
It was illegal for them to fight in private, but if Morris came, they would be assisting the officials.
After receiving her call, Morris immediately sent someone over.
At night, a group of people gathered in an abandoned steel factory in California. Morris and Brenda rushed over quickly, but the other members of the special department had not arrived yet.
Howard led more than a hundred people and was exining to Justin, "These are all men we trained with. Justin,mand them without any worries!"
The group of people instantly stood up for Justin. They shouted in unison, "Big Brother!"
Justin: "..."
Nora: "..."
It looked a little like a gangster meeting.
Nora felt that it was funny.
However, the next moment, Howard suddenly pointed his spear at her. "Justin, why did you bring her here?"
Nora: "?"
She raised her eyebrows but before she could say anything, Brenda said unhappily, "Who is she!? Howard, why have you been so rude since your childhood? Or don¡¯t you know that she¡¯s Justin¡¯s wife? Shouldn¡¯t you be calling her Sister-inw?"
Howard pursed his lips. "Get lost. What right does a woman like you have to order me around?"
Brenda sneered. "Because I can beat you down!"
Howard was momentarily at a loss for words.
Other than Justin, Brenda was the only one in the Hunts who could fight. Otherwise, she would not have been able to work with Interpol.
However, Howard said coldly, "I can¡¯t argue with you, but it doesn¡¯t matter if youe. After all, you can fight. What is she doing here? Is she here to hold us back? There will be many shes there. It will be a real fight. Who will protect her?"
"I can protect Nora. Besides, there¡¯s Justin too. Why are you such a busybody?"
Brenda defended.
Howard sneered. "You¡¯re protecting her? Is your mission here to protect her? Besides, Justin, how can you use you protect her? There are so many of us here to protect you! A woman who doesn¡¯t know martial arts must be bored. Is she joking?"
Brenda continued to defend her. "But Nora knows medicine. She¡¯s our forensic doctor!"
"Forensics doesn¡¯t charge into battle. Besides, we¡¯re here to catch people today, not to see a doctor. Are you kidding me? People should know their limits. Keep her here obediently, lest she pisses her pants in fear and mes meter!"
Brenda was furious. "If Justin wants to bring her, what can you do about it? Or do you want to rebut his decision too? Are you disobedient? Besides, as a man, shouldn¡¯t he protect his woman? Justin, tell me, should I let Nora in?"
Justin watched as the two of them argued. Howard¡¯s words were simplyughable. He raised his eyebrows and said, "Okay, I¡¯ll protect Nora."
Nora: "..."
What kind of stupidity was this?
She raised her almond-shaped eyes slightly but did not speak. She could not be bothered to argue with this retard.
However, Howard did not give up. "See, Justin? You should find a wife like Quinn School of Martial Arts¡¯ Big Sister. No matter what you do in the future, she won¡¯t hold you back! Even if this woman can¡¯tpare to her, she should at least learn some fancy martial arts, right?"
Nora: "???"
Howard took a deep breath and walked to Justin and Nora¡¯s side. He waved his hand. "Let¡¯s go!"
Forget it. He would help protect the person his brother liked!
He would have to take the opportunity to take a photo of this woman¡¯s frightened and crying appearance and make his brother despise her!
Chapter 766: Being Dramatic
Chapter 766: Being Dramatic
With great momentum, the group infiltrated the abandoned steel factory ahead of them.
Their mission that evening was actually a little difficult.
The hundred or so men were all ordinary people, whereas some of the men under Jude¡¯smand had taken the gene-improvement solution. Inparison, it seemed that ordinary people were rtively at a disadvantage.
Fortunately, Howard had gathered a rtivelyrge group of people, and they were alsounching a surprise attack. Most of Jude¡¯s subordinates were not there.
There were only about thirty people there.
Therefore, Howard was full of confidence and felt that he would definitely win.
"You guys, go in through this door. You guys over there, go in through that door..."
Howard gave the men instructions for the formation so that they could prevent the enemy from escaping.
They not only had to capture Jude today, but they also had to prevent news of their attack from getting out. Otherwise, Jude¡¯s subordinates would nevere over again. Should that happen, they wouldn¡¯t be able to capture them all.
Those men didn¡¯t do anything wrong, though. Rather, it was because they had been injected with the gene-improvement solution, so they only had two years left to live.
Morris would definitely want to save them.
After all, most of them weren¡¯t aware of the truth and didn¡¯t know what exactly Jude was doing. Their desire to be stronger was the only reason why they were under his control. They didn¡¯t deserve to die.
The special department officers woulde over immediately once they arrived. As the main force and the vanguard, Morris and Brenda took the lead and rushed in first.
They were professionals, after all.
Morris and Brenda led their respective men and attacked an entrance each.
The steel factory had three entrances. Howard, Justin, and Nora were in charge of attacking thest entrance.
Howard took the lead and snorted at Nora. "Stay behind me and don¡¯t be a hindrance to Justin, understand?"
"..."
Nora ignored him, merely following him at the back leisurely.
Seeing herzy appearance, Howard couldn¡¯t help but say, "Are you here for shopping, or are you here to capture someone?"
Did she have any idea at all just how cruel and savage the people whom they were about to face in there were?
Despite that, Nora merely nced at him leisurely again and slowly uttered, "Oh."
Howard felt as if his punch hadnded on a wad of cotton, his attack totally negated.
Infuriated, he muttered, "Pete must have inherited his invalidity from you! No matter what you do, you just can¡¯t keep your spirits up. What a weakling!"
Nora nced at him. "Do you believe me when I say that he¡¯ll be able to beat you in a fight ten yearster?"
No matter how strong a five-year-old was, it was impossible for them to beat a trained martial artist like Howard.
But that might not necessarily be the case ten years from now.
Howard sneered and said, "Of course I do, he is Mr. Quinn¡¯s disciple after all! What are you proud of, though? Even if Mr. Quinn¡¯s disciple was just a block of wood, it would still be able to beat me in a fight! Besides, it¡¯s entirely because of Justin that Mr. Quinn decided to take him as his disciple!"
"Really?"
Nora countered sarcastically. However, it was exactly that simple sentence of hers that annoyed Howard a little. He snapped, "What kind of attitude is that? Are you looking down on Justin?"
Nora¡¯s lips hooked into a smile. "Why couldn¡¯t he have taken Pete as a disciple because of me?"
Howard sneered, "You? Do you think you are the Quinn School of Martial Arts¡¯ Big Sister? Do you think you can get Mr. Quinn to take a disciple so easily?"
"..."
Well, she really was, though.
Nora touched her nose and nced at Justin.
Justin¡¯s lips curled into a smile.
What a dimwit. He was in for a surpriseter!
Justin wanted Howard to experience social death for despising Nora and Pete all the time. The nastier the things he said at this moment, the more the p to his face would hurt.
Therefore, Justin did not bother exining Nora¡¯s identity to him.
Amidst Howard¡¯sints, the group finally charged into the factory.
At the sight of them, someone immediately shouted, "Who are you people? What do you want?"
He¡¯d only just spoken when Howard rushed over, his fist striking the man and putting him in a daze. Even his teeth hade loose and he spat out a few.
After he punched the man, Howard deliberately turned around to reveal the man¡¯s miserable appearance to Nora. He¡¯d thought that the woman would be terrified at the sight, or at the very least, turn pale, right?
Unexpectedly...
Nora nced at the man and then... she yawned???
What kind of joke was this?!
Should she be yawning even at an exciting moment like this?!
Howard was stunned.
But the next moment, he understood.
The woman must have incredible mental resilience, otherwise, Justin would not have brought her here, either. Hmph, she wasn¡¯t that useless after all. At least she didn¡¯t burst into tears like other women.
When Howard thought of this, he continued to rush forward.
Over at where Brenda and Morris were, their siege advanced rather quickly, causing Jude¡ªwho was in the abandoned steel factory¡ªto rush towards Howard¡¯s group with a few of his martial arts experts. He was nning to break through them and fight his way out.
When Nora followed behind Justin leisurely while Howard and his men were clearing the way, they encountered a group of people in a corridor.
There were eight of them in total. The one surrounded by the others was obviously Jude, who had long hair and blue eyes.
He was big and stout and had bulging muscles all over his body, making him look very fierce.
"Damn!" Howard said, "Why did we have to run into the eight of them?"
"What¡¯s wrong?" Justin asked.
Howard replied, "Those eight men are known for their fighting skills, especially Jude. I thought they would split up and flee separately, but unexpectedly, they stayed together... and we even ran into each other. Justin, my men are no match for them. If we force our way through, they will probably be injured."
Howard didn¡¯t want hisrades, who saw him as their leader, to die for nothing. Those eight men were simply too strong, his brothers would only end up as cannon fodder.
Therefore, Howard wanted Justin to take action.
Justin slowly said, "Okay. Stand back, all of you."
Following his instructions, Howard led his men to stand behind Justin.
Seeing this, Judeughed and said, "Not bad, that¡¯s pretty gutsy of you. In that case, today, I shall show you how powerful I am!"
Then, he said, "That guy should be the strongest among them. I¡¯ll keep him upied while the seven of you rush out!"
"Yes, sir!"
Justin said to Nora behind him, "I will deal with Jude. I¡¯ll leave the rest to you."
Nora nodded.
Among the eight people, Jude was the only one who was a little troublesome. The rest were no big deal.
Just as she was about to reply, Howard, who mistakenly thought that Justin was speaking to him, said loudly, "Don¡¯t worry, Justin, leave the rest of them to me! Even if I die, I will never give them a chance to leave!"
Nora: "..."
Those were just a few insignificant riff-raff. Did he really need to be so dramatic?
Chapter 767: It Turns Out That My Sister-in-law Is An Expert
Chapter 767: It Turns Out That My Sister-inw Is An Expert
Justin took a step forward. Jude was indeed rather skilled, though it was also possible that his skills and great physical strength were all thanks to the gene serum, making him a little difficult to deal with.
When Jude started exchanging blows with him, he knew at once that he was in trouble. He¡¯d originally thought that the people at this entrance would be easier to deal with since those at the other two entrances were all professional police officers, but it seemed that he¡¯d made the wrong choice!
He immediately said to the people behind him, "You guys, break your way through first!"
Only when they left would Justin be distracted, thereby giving him the chance to escape.
The few men behind him were all subordinates whom he¡¯d taken a lot of care to groom. They were the strongest in their circle and had also shown the best results after taking the gene-improvement solution.
Even Howard was no match for them, which went to show how strong they were.
The men nodded immediately. They bypassed Jude and Justin and rushed towards Nora and Howard.
Justin didn¡¯t intercept them.
It seemed like he trusted the people behind him very much.
At the sight, Howard was terribly moved.
In the past, Justin had always called him a good-for-nothing because he didn¡¯t make any progress despite practicing martial arts for so long. All of his moves were just fancy, without any real substance. Yet Justin was putting so much trust in him at this moment.
There were eight of them in total. They might not be as strong as Jude, but they had numbers on their side!
He must not let Justin down!
With that in mind, lofty ambitions suddenly surged up in Howard. He bit the bullet and stepped forward at once. "I can do it, Justin! Don¡¯t worry!"
As he let out a roar, he attacked one of the eight men at once!
Howard felt that this must be the highlight of his life. He followed after Justin, using his bare hands to deal with Jude¡¯s seven henchmen... well, one of them.
He used everything he had to dodge his opponent¡¯s attack, and then he punched and kicked them.
They exchanged numerous blows without any pause.
The two of them delivered kicks at each other with great force, as though they wanted to beat all the dust off their clothes. Wherever he was hit, Howard felt as if his bones were close to breaking. The pain was so great that he was close to losing all his strength.
But he mustn¡¯t admit defeat!
He mustn¡¯t bring shame to Justin!
Thus, Howard gritted his teeth and continued to strike the opponent hard!
"Haaaaah!"
With a great shout, Howard finally knocked the man down onto the ground!
The two of them were pretty much equally matched, but with his determination, he had beat him!
When he held the man under him, Howard felt that he had done it! He had seeded!
He raised his head excitedly, only to suddenly realize that he had only stopped one of them and there were six left!
The people behind him only knew fancy moves without any substance. They could handle ordinary people, but not any of these eight opponents.
The six men must have already sent all the people behind him flying by then, right?
While not fatal, they would definitely suffer injuries.
No, wait...
That woman!
Howard hurriedly looked behind him to check on Nora and see if she was hiding in the corner and shaking in her boots.
He wondered if Justin would be mad at him for not protecting Nora well.
While he was thinking about it, he turned his head to the side, only to see...
The six men, whom he¡¯d thought of as incredibly powerful, had all copsed onto the floor beside him?
All of themy there, unable to get up.
Nora stood beside them and dusted off her hands leisurely, as though she was the one who had defeated the seven men.
Howard looked at the people behind him and praised them. "Not bad, guys! Out of those seven tyrants, I didn¡¯t expect you guys to actually be able to stop six of them! Who¡¯s the one that¡¯s so impressive?"
As soon as he said that, his men all looked at one another. Atst, all of them looked at Nora.
Howard: "??"
What was that supposed to mean?
But when he looked at the men again, they looked like they had absolutely no intention to do anything...
Howard was not like the brainless Chester. He couldn¡¯t help but frown and think.
Half a beatter, he stared at his men incredulously and said, "What are you guys looking at her for? Surely it can¡¯t be her who did this, right? Did she beat them all with her beauty? What kind of joke is that?!"
The men nodded in unison.
Then, they looked at Nora in shock again.
They¡¯d originally thought that she was a girl with a weak personality. After all, she had such a good temper. Howard had scolded her for so long, yet she hadn¡¯t retorted at all.
But when they thought of the brutal scene just now...
They felt like their worldviews had been totally subverted! Who would have thought that a delicate woman like her would be a master martial artist?
Stunned, Howard frowned. "No way, you guys..."
Before he could finish speaking, the man under him suddenly pushed Howard away and ran out.
"Stop him!"
Howard shouted. The next moment, he saw the man running up to Nora.
Chapter 768: I Don’t Need It
Chapter 768: I Don¡¯t Need It
Howard was greatly rmed. In his opinion, the person whom he had intercepted was likely the strongest among the seven.
Although he didn¡¯t like his sister-inw very much, for Justin¡¯s sake, he couldn¡¯t let her get hurt either.
Was that guy running up to Nora to take her hostage and force everyone into retreating?
What bad luck!
He knew it, women were trouble. Why did she have toe?
As soon as the thought formed, he stepped forward to rush over. But his leg had only just reached out when he saw the man reaching towards Nora.
At some point, there was already a dagger in his hand. He jabbed it right at Nora¡¯s neck.
"Don¡¯t move! Or I¡¯ll¡ª"
But before he could say "kill her", Nora had suddenly stretched out her hand, grabbed his wrist, and exerted a little force.
Crack!
The dagger in the man¡¯s hand fell to the ground, and his wrist emitted a crisp snap.
Howard had just beaten up the man, but even all the pain he¡¯d suffered just now couldn¡¯tpare to the sharp pain he was currently feeling. The pain made him turn limp, and he slumped onto his knees in front of Nora.
To everyone, Nora seemed to just be holding his wrist lightly. With her eyes slightly raised, she slowly asked in a low voice, "Are you getting down on your knees to beg me for mercy? That¡¯s not quite appropriate, is it?"
"..."
The whole ce was quiet.
Even the thug had fallen into a daze from the pain. He looked at Nora in astonishment. Where on earth did the delicate woman get all that physical strength from?
On the other side, Howard looked at them in astonishment. He swallowed and looked at his men. "... So, she really was the one who... beat all those men just now?"
His men, who only knew fancy moves, lined up in a row and then silently took a step back in unison so that they were all one step further away from Nora. Then, they nodded together.
Howard: "..."
By the time the situation here was resolved, Justin had also finished dealing with Jude. At this time, Morris and Brenda also rushed over from the other two entrances.
By then, Nora had already let go of thest man¡¯s hand. The man¡¯s wrist was drooping limply, his bones obviously fractured.
Upon seeing the men copsed on the floor beside Nora, Brenda raced towards her at once and sent the man with the limp wrist flying with a kick. She red at Howard furiously and demanded, "What¡¯s wrong with you? How can you let him rush all the way up to Nora? What if he scared her?"
She held Nora¡¯s hand and said, "Don¡¯t be afraid, Nora! I¡¯m here!"
Howard: "..."
His lips moved. He wanted to exin, but before he could say anything, Nora nced over at him, scaring Howard so badly that he shut up at once.
Nora didn¡¯t want Brenda to know that she was very strong. After all, she found Brenda¡¯s protection of her very heartwarming.
Howard, who looked like he was in a huge dilemma, shouldered the "me" and said, "It... it was my mistake!"
Brenda: "?"
She and Howard had always been fighting with each other. Why was he suddenly giving in this time?
However, she didn¡¯t want to spare too much thought on those issues at the moment. After she held Nora¡¯s hand, she looked at Justin andined, "Justin, why didn¡¯t you stop him?"
Justin: "..."
"Alright, alright." Nora patted Brenda¡¯s handfortingly. After she calmed her sister-inw down, her gaze swept across the people present. Howard¡¯s men immediately straightened their backs and shivered in unison.
Nora¡¯s gaze then swept across the people on the floor. Her little sidekicks immediately reacted and they walked over to arrest everyone lying on the floor and escort them out.
After tying them all up, Brenda said, "Nora, we¡¯ve found their R&D base. I will take you there now."
Nora nodded.
To be honest, she¡¯d always wanted to see how these gene-improvement solutions with unknown chemicalponents were made. But when she entered theirboratory with Brenda, she found that everything there was very in and crude.
This was no R&D base at all!
"What¡¯s going on?"
Brenda turned to the side and grabbed Jude.
After Jude was arrested, he had known right away that there was no escape for him. He immediately exined, "We actually don¡¯t have a base or anything like that. These gene-improvement solutions are just diluted versions of the gene serum!"
Nora: "..."
Everyone: "..."
After they had put in so much time and effort, the truth was actually so dull?
And here they thought they had caught a den of thieves that manufactured gene serums!
"Where did you get the gene serum from?" Morris asked, his voice low and serious.
An honest and obedient Jude exined, "I bought it. We have a sales channel abroad where we can buy pure gene serums. The diluted serums don¡¯t cause too much harm to ordinary people¡¯s bodies."
"They only have two years left to live, yet you¡¯re saying the serums don¡¯t cause too much harm to the body?"
Morris frowned.
Jude said cautiously, "The gene serum can only be used on children. Adults can¡¯t withstand it at all, they will explode and die immediately. But once it¡¯s diluted, their genes can still be improved a little... Besides, there are statistics that show that some people have survived past two years..."
"What happened after the two years?"
"... They lived for another half a month."
"..."
Brenda sneered, "You are pretty smart, aren¡¯t you? Using the gene serum on yourself while giving others the gene-improvement solution instead. You¡¯re purely just harming people!"
"No, no!" Jude was very honest. "How would I be worthy of using the gene serum? I¡¯m also using the diluted gene-improvement solution. I... need money, my child has a terminal illness, but the medical fees cost more than one hundred thousand dors. Only if I used the gene-improvement solution on myself would I have been able to convince the others that I have be stronger, and only then could I sell the gene-improvement solution... I didn¡¯t have any other choice..."
His words stunned everyone present. All of them looked at him in disbelief.
Even Nora and Justin exchanged a look.
They¡¯d initially thought that Jude was likely one of the five children who had survived the experiments back then, but little did they expect that he actually wasn¡¯t?
No wonder he was so easygoing!
Jude¡¯s martial arts prowess just now, though... He had kept Justin upied for three minutes all by himself!
At present, there were actuallyrge skill gaps in martial artists in the country.
Apart from Irvin and Quinn, the strongest were Big Brother and Big Sister. The other disciples didn¡¯t have bodies well-suited for martial arts. Moreover, in these modern times, no one would work that hard to practice martial arts, either.
As a result, apart from a few top martial artists, the rest were all rather mediocre.
This was also the reason why Big Brother and Big Sister were so popr in the circle, as well as why their statuses were unopposed!
Because there were very few in America who could evenst ten moves with Justin!
The diluted gene-improvement solution alone could improve a person¡¯s physical constitution this much. In that case, just how strong would people who had been injected with gene serums, and whose genes had truly been improved, be?
Nora and Justin suddenly felt that even they might not be their opponents¡¯ match should they encounter them!
Their hearts sank.
It was also in this instant, in the face of absolute power, that Nora finally realized how terrifying the gene serum was.
No wonder even her mother had been driven into a corner and chose to die back then.
Her expression darkened. When she thought of how those five people were after the V16 that Xander needed, she suddenly felt rather panicked, scared, and at a loss.
The V15 gene serum was already so powerful. Should they be injected with the V16, wouldn¡¯t they all be superhumans?!
While she was thinking, at some point, Howard had already sneaked over to her. Earlier, he had been overbearing and arrogant towards her and had also reprimanded her as and when he wanted to, but he was now very cautious around her.
He asked softly, "Um, Nora... You must be from the Quinn School of Martial Arts, right?"
The Irvin School of Martial Arts didn¡¯t try to win by physical strength. It was just like how Justin hadn¡¯t subdued Jude with just one move.
Only the Quinn School of Martial Arts would use such open and aboveboard moves.
Nora admitted to it with a grunt.
As soon as she did, Howard spoke again. "Then are you Linda from the Quinn School of Martial Arts? Have you met Big Sister before?"
The martial arts-obsessed teenager scratched his head. "I... I want to ask Big Sister to be my teacher! Do you know where she is? What does she like? How can I please her?"
"..."
Nora looked at the young man¡¯s pious attitude and sighed silently. "I don¡¯t need pleasing."
Chapter 769: New Trap
Chapter 769: New Trap
After saying that, Nora walked past him and walked out with Justin.
There was no point in staying any longer in theboratory. They were going to interrogate Jude to find out who was giving him the orders so that they could find the mastermind hiding behind everything.
It was only when the two of them reached the entrance that Howard finally realized what Nora meant. His eyes widened in disbelief and he stared at Nora from the back in shock and astonishment.
When he did, he saw that, because the door was a little narrow and two people could not pass through it at the same time, Justin subconsciously took half a step back while Nora walked out calmly without feeling like anything was wrong.
Howard: "..."
Since when did Justin ever give way to others?
He had always been the leader of the family, yet he was naturally giving way to someone else now.
In addition to being in love with her, it was even more so because that person was worthy of him doing so!
So, she really was Big Sister!
No wonder Justin, who had always been very protective of his own, didn¡¯t even say a word when he badmouthed Nora. On top of that, he¡¯d even given him a seemingly half-amused look.
At that time, he¡¯d thought that it was because Justin liked Big Sister, but he finally realized why now!
Howard felt like he had been pped in the face, and he was distressed.
He had actually mocked Big Sister!
Was it toote for him to apologize?
With that in mind, Howard hurriedly followed after them.
On the way out, Nora kept thinking about the problem she was facing, wanting to know the specifics of the clue to the V16. After the incident just now with Jude, she couldn¡¯t quite wait anymore.
Her gait couldn¡¯t help but speed up. Justin followed closely behind her.
When the two came to the car, Justin was about to open the car door for Nora when a figure darted over, opened the car door, and said humbly, "Nora, be careful not to knock yourself against the top of the door!"
Nora: "..."
Justin: "..."
Howard looked at Nora ingratiatingly with a smile. "Nora, what do you think of my martial arts? Do I have any hope of entering the Quinn School of Martial Arts and bing your disciple?"
"..."
Nora thought for a while. Suddenly, she sighed and said, "Let¡¯s get the old man to teach you instead."
She then picked up her cell phone and called Quinn.
Quinn was very loud. He hollered, "What¡¯s up, Sleepyhead?"
Nora touched her nose, not quite used to someone calling her by a nickname. She coughed and said, "I¡¯ve found you a disciple."
"... You took a disciple for me? Have I agreed to it? Yet you took them in so casually? If you want to take a disciple, then take one for yourself!" Quinn retorted.
Next to Nora, Howard felt as if his heart was in his throat when he heard Quinn.
He had met Quinn before. Back then, when he was in New York, Quinn hadn¡¯t even shown Justin any courtesy. Wasn¡¯t Nora being a little too impolite with him?
Would Quinn expel her in a fit of rage?
Just as he was thinking about it, he heard Nora say calmly, "I¡¯ve already told him to go to New York to look for you."
"... He¡¯d better bring a present!"
"Okay."
"... Okay? What do you mean ¡¯okay¡¯? You no-good disciple, you..."
Before Quinn could finish, Nora hung up the phone and looked at Howard silently. "Quinn is old, so he¡¯s a little long-winded. Don¡¯t mind him."
"..."
Howard was already frozen on the spot like a statue.
He¡¯d never imagined that Quinn would actually agree to it just like that! Additionally, Norapletely had the upper hand in her talks with Quinn!
While he was in a daze, Nora and Justin got into the car, left the ce, and headed straight to the Hunts¡¯ family home.
Even if outsiders were tailing them, they wouldn¡¯t be able to enter the residence.
Jude was taken away by Morris and Brenda.
After returning to the family home, Howard asked, "Nora, why didn¡¯t you bring Jude back?"
Nora was puzzled. "For what? Interrogation?"
Howard frowned and replied, "Yeah, didn¡¯t you catch him to find out who was the one giving him the orders?"
"... Aren¡¯t Morris and the others more apt when ites to interrogating prisoners?"
So, why should she bring the prisoner back and do it herself instead?
If she was that free, she might as well make up for lost sleep instead!
Thinking of this, Nora curled her lips disdainfully.
Howard: "..."
By the time they arrived at the family home, it was already 10 PM. After entering, Nora and Justin steadfastly ate dinner without rushing, and then went to their room to rest.
After the two of them entered, a servant in the Hunts¡¯ family home quietly walked to an inconspicuous corner, took out a cell phone, and made a call.
"Doesn¡¯t seem like they have found the codebook. Or else they would have been in a hurry to see read it."
The person on the other end of the call said something and the servant replied, "Okay, I understand, sir."
After saying this, he hung up the phone, quietly made up an excuse, and went up to the door of the room Justin and Nora were in. While no one else was around, he pressed his ear against the door and listened to the voices inside.
Nora said, "Don¡¯t be so anxious... Slow down..."
"Nora, don¡¯t move. Let me do it..."
Creak...
"Are you satisfied?"
"..."
What followed were suggestive sounds, which even made the eavesdropping man blush.
After the man listened for a while more, he finally turned and left. He then took out his cell phone and sent a text message: "I am certain that they didn¡¯t find the codebook."
Inside the room.
Nora sat steadily on the sofa with the ledger, and codebook she¡¯d found, in her hand and read it leisurely.
At the edge of the bed, Justin had put one hand on the bed and was pressing down hard, causing it to creak.
He continued his performance.
"Nora, does it feel good?"
"Nora, do you want more?"
"Nora, let¡¯s do it again?"
"What? One more time? Are you really trying to squeeze your husband dry?"
Nora: "..."
That man was simply too shameless. Although he was just acting, wasn¡¯t he going a bit too far?
The corners of her lips spasmed. "Did you take some kind of drug? How many times do you n to do it in one night?"
Justin chuckled. "I¡¯m very strong. Why don¡¯t you try me?"
Nora: "..."
The man was really bing more and more explicit after the two of them got together.
She lowered her head and continued to look at the codebook in her hand.
Five minutester, the code was deciphered.
As she stared at the revealed information, Nora held her forehead in surprise.
Seemingly having sensed her peculiar reaction, Justin finally ended his solo "exercise" on the bed and strode over to her. When he saw the Morse code trantions recorded in her notebook, he also frowned. "That¡¯s it?"
Nora heaved a quiet sigh. "I knew it, Mom must have set up another trap for us! What should we do?"
Chapter 770: Dead Or Alive?
Chapter 770: Dead Or Alive?
Nora and Justin stared at the Morse code trantion, both a little speechless.
There was only a string of numbers in the trantion, which looked like some kind of code. Apart from that was the name of a bank and the vault number of a safe deposit box.
This showed that her mother had left something in the safe back then.
Could it be the V16?
Nora¡¯s brows drew together as she pondered about it.
Justin asked, "When are you going over to retrieve the contents?"
Nora looked at him and then back at the bank name.
The safe deposit box her mother had set up was in the Bank of New York, but if they returned and went to the Bank of New York so rashly, the people tailing them would surely realize that something was amiss.
But if they don¡¯t go in person... Should they send someone else to retrieve the contents instead, Nora was concerned that her mother might have left some kind of trap behind which would cause the person to fall into the trap if they didn¡¯t notice anything.
Therefore, their biggest problem at the moment was to find out exactly how many people were tailing and monitoring them, as well as how to avoid them...
In other words, they needed to find a suitable excuse to go to the Bank of New York.
Nora sighed silently.
She tossed the ledger aside and thought for a moment before she said, "Let¡¯s find a suitable opportunity."
"Okay."
That night, both of them were a little troubled.
They weren¡¯t in the mood to do anything else even when they were lying on the bed. Nora also had insomnia for once. After mulling over something for a long time with her eyes closed in the dark, she suddenly turned to Justin and asked, "How was Jude¡¯s martial arts prowess?"
Although Justin¡¯s breathing was steady the whole time, Nora could sense that he was still awake. Sure enough, as soon as she spoke, Justin¡¯s voice came over.
"It was alright. The gene serum is actually not as scary as we imagined."
"Really?"
Nora was a little dubious.
If Jude¡¯s martial arts prowess was only "alright", then howe Justin only managed to subdue him after she defeated eight people?
However, the Irvin School of Martial Arts¡¯ moves were light and nimble, and they were known for their strategies instead. Perhaps it did take that much time for them to deal with such people.
Nora breathed a sigh of relief when she thought of that.
She¡¯d originally thought that since Jude was so strong, then the mastermind would surely be even stronger. But if Jude¡¯s skills were just alright, then perhaps the gene serum¡¯s effect wasn¡¯t that great after all.
All her worries were unnecessary.
With that in mind, Nora turned around and finally fell asleep peacefully.
Upon hearing her even breathing, Justin suddenly stood up.
He strode to the bathroom, opened the door, and then took out a first aid box in a practiced manner.
Then, he lifted his gray silk pajama pants.
There was arge bruise on his thigh. He applied some ice and lightly massaged the bruise.
After the massage, he took off his shirt.
He looked in the mirror and turned around in silence.
On Justin¡¯s back was anotherrge patch of ??bruises. On top of that, there was also a bit of blood. His injuries were a shocking sight.
Had he been an ordinary person, he probably would have been in so much pain that he could not even walk or move. Yet Justin hadn¡¯t shown even the slightest sign of that.
He applied some more ice to the bruises on his back with nary a frown.
He had gotten all these bruises from Jude during his fight with him that day. Of course, Jude had also suffered very serious injuries.
Even so, just how terrifying was it that someone could fight on par with him just because they had taken the gene serum?!
On top of that, Jude was really just a nobody underling!
This showed that the person who had sent Jude had at least ten Judes under hismand!
Justin could beat one or two Judes, but what about eight or ten?
Even he and Nora together probably wouldn¡¯t be a match for them.
Justin sat in the bathroom after he treated his wounds, his brows slightly furrowed. His expression also became extraordinarily grave.
Their enemy was too powerful and too terrifying.
The gene serum had been around for more than twenty years ago. It was unknown how great a force they had built all these years. No wonder Yvette had chosen to die back then, and no wonder the special department still hadn¡¯t obtained any substantial leads despite so many years of investigation.
Justin frowned. Suddenly, he took out his cell phone and sent a message to Lawrence and Sean: ¡¯Enhance our security measures! And summon all our men back.¡¯
Sean quickly replied: ¡¯Yes, sir.¡¯
Lawrence¡¯s reply came half a beat slower: ¡¯Got it, Boss. Has something happened?¡¯
Justin took a deep breath and wrote: ¡¯Protect the three children and Nora.¡¯
¡¯Yes, sir.¡¯
After sending the messages, he made more arrangements on his cell phone before he gently returned to the bed andy down beside Nora.
The next day, by the time Nora woke up, Justin was already awake. He seemed to have already washed up and changed. He stood at the head of the bed and looked at her. "Let¡¯s return to New York?"
"Okay."
Then, Nora added, "But before I go back, there¡¯s one thing I need to do."
An hourter.
At the cks.
Nora handed the key to the Smiths¡¯ vi to Irene. "Aunt Irene, why don¡¯t you guys move to the vi?"
Irene was about to refuse when Justin said, "The vi will be abandoned if it stays unupied year-round. Nora grew up there after all. If your family moves in, you guys can also help take care of it."
As soon as he said that, Irene and Will looked at each other. Then, they nodded.
Nora then handed Idealian Pharmaceuticals¡¯ management rights to Will. "Uncle Will, I¡¯ll have to trouble you to take care of thepany while we¡¯re in New York."
Will nodded.
After handling all this, Nora and Justin finally set off for New York.
¡ª
At the same time.
Far away in Switzend, a cruise ship drifted on the sea.
The cruise ship was huge and had all kinds of facilities on it, including even luxury shops. However, there were no guests on board, and it seemed like someone had reserved the whole ship.
In a room.
Irisy there quietly.
A tall man stood quietly beside her.
The man reached out and gently stroked the woman¡¯s cheek. He whispered, "Iris, it¡¯s time to get up and eat."
He¡¯d had her favorite morning tea prepared.
Chapter 771: Repaying Debts
Chapter 771: Repaying Debts
The woman on the bed was motionless.
She was so pale that her skin looked almost transparent.
She looked like she had already lost all signs of life...
However, Philip was not panicked at all. He continued to gently stroke Iris¡¯ cheek with his fingertips.
He persisted like that for ten minutes until Iris finally let out a long sigh. She slowly opened her eyes, meeting Philip¡¯s head-on. Underneath Iris¡¯ long eyshes, her eyes were filled with a sense of resignation. "Why are you doing this?"
...
That day, when she went into shock from Philip¡¯s strangling, Iris had nearly died.
At that moment, she had really stopped breathing.
But when Philip saw that she really wasn¡¯t breathing anymore, he¡¯d panicked and hurriedly performed CPR on her, bringing her back to life.
At the same time, Philip had also been informed that Nora was Q. Only then did he realize that he had ultimately still lost the bet with Justin.
Iris hadn¡¯t struggled at that time but merely looked at him quietly.
Her gaze had terrified Philip, and he couldn¡¯t help but ask, "What are you looking at me for?"
Iris replied, "I have already given you a life back. Is this enough as repayment for the love between us back then?"
Was it enough?
Iris had be utterly disappointed in him a long time ago.
Back then, Iris asked him for help, yet he¡¯d continued to test her feelings for him. During that time, Iris had given up on the man.
If one asked her whether she loved him?
Iris¡¯ love for Philip was certainly not as deep as thetter¡¯s love for her.
After all, to Philip, love was everything.
However, that was not the case for her. She had never been someone obsessed over love. Compared to romantic love¡ªfamily affection, friendship, and even her life itself were more important.
Yet if one were to say that she did not love him?
Philip was someone whom she found hard to forget and let go of.
Despite five years passing since her marriage to Herman and even after having Justin, Iris had still been shocked at that moment where she met Philip once more.
After all, he was her unforgettable first love, how could she possibly not have loved him?
However, Iris had already made her choice.
She had sealed her heart and would never give herself and Philip another chance.
She and Philip both owed each other.
Philip owed her a debt of trust, whereas she owed him unwavering love. Only with much difficulty had he finally seen true love in her, yet in the end, it had still turned into a sham, causing him to lose his trust in the world.
In that instant, Iris felt like she had been freed.
Philip¡¯s expression, which had been full of guilt, had also shown his regret and fear.
In that instant where his emotions had gotten the better of him, he had hardly been able to control his emotions. That was why he¡¯d done something so ruthless. Philip regretted his actions.
The moment he saw Iris¡¯ head hanging and her losing all signs of life, he knew that he had made a mistake.
True love for someone was to watch them live happily, not constant tests and destruction!
In the past twenty years, he had watched Iris from a distance and watched how she¡¯d rather take care of flowers in the suburban vi than leave with him. That had indeed been torturous, butpared to that, he couldn¡¯t ept Iris leaving this world for good even more!
It could be said that Philip¡¯s bout of venting had allowed him to finally realize his true feelings¡ªhe was afraid of losing Iris!
Yet, Iris hadpletely let go of the rtionship after her close brush with death.
She didn¡¯t owe him anything anymore.
Unfortunately, when Iris wanted to leave, Philip hadn¡¯t agreed to it and had forcibly taken her to the cruise ship.
Only on the ship, and only at sea, would that man be unable to find them.
Iris wanted to escape, but in the vast sea, where could she go?
She could only ignore him and try her best to persevere.
At this time, seeing that she had finally spoken, Philip hurriedly said, "It¡¯s enough, it¡¯s enough! Iris, everything you say is correct. Let¡¯s have something to eat first, okay?"
Iris had not eaten for three days.
Without food or water, the body wouldn¡¯t be able to take it.
However, Iris shook her head. "I told you, I¡¯m not going to eat if you don¡¯t free me. Philip, I don¡¯t owe you anything anymore, you have no right to put me under house arrest."
Philip sighed silently when he heard this. He said, "I¡¯m not putting you under house arrest. I just want to start over with you."
"That¡¯s impossible."
Iris was weak, so her voice was a little low.
She sighed. "Nothing can happen between us anymore. There are no longer any ties or debts between us."
Her firmness made Philip panic.
He wanted to say more, but Iris closed her eyes, turned over, and continued to rest on the bed as if she had fallen asleep.
Philip stared at her back, at a loss as to what to say. He could only back away quietly and leave the room in silence.
Upon hearing him leave, Iris breathed a quiet sigh of relief.
However, not even five minutester, the door was opened again. Philip said a little joyfully, "Iris, I¡¯ve thought of a solution."
Iris opened her eyes. The moment she looked over, she was stunned. "What are you doing?!"
Chapter 772: Taking Revenge For Her
Chapter 772: Taking Revenge For Her
Iris was stunned.
Philip had found someone to carry arge fish tank into the room. The fish tank was half a person¡¯s height and nearly three feet long. With a basin in his hand, someone poured water into it.
After doing it a few times, the tank was full.
Iris couldn¡¯t understand what Philip wanted to do. However, the servants left after filling the tank with water, leaving only Philip and Iris in the room.
Philip gazed at her with his deep and bottomless eyes. Inside his eyes was love so strong that it was nearly crazy. He suddenly said, "Iris, I know you are angry at me for almost strangling you to death, so I will take revenge for you now."
After he spoke, he suddenly lowered his head and plunged it into the water!
Iris¡¯ pupils shrank and she sat up abruptly.
As she hadn¡¯t eaten for three days, the violent movement made her vision ckout. She shook her head. After regaining a bit of light in her eyes, she looked at the room again.
Philip¡¯s hands were grasping both sides of the fish tank tightly, and his head was still immersed in the water!
Iris shouted, "Are you crazy?!"
She rushed up to Philip and grabbed his cor to pull him out. However, Philip was very strong, Iris couldn¡¯t make him budge in the slightest.
Iris hurriedly got down beside him and started to bang on the fish tank!
In the water, Philip opened his eyes, which were a little red from holding his breath. He stared at Iris, his lips moving. Although there was no sound, Iris understood what he was saying: "Are you still angry?"
"..."
Iris was utterly stunned.
She stared at Philip in disbelief. The man¡¯s eyes were firm and determined as if saying that if she continued being angry, then he would really suffocate himself to death!
Iris hurriedly nodded to express that she was no longer angry.
She really was not angry.
She merely felt freed.
Despite that, Philip didn¡¯t get out of the water. His lips were still moving. He asked, "Will you eat?"
"..."
Iris clenched her jaw, not sure how she should answer.
If she ate, she would bepromising.
But she didn¡¯t want to continue her rtionship with Philip. Now that she had gotten on in years, she felt that enjoying family life and ying with her grandchildren at home was the best oue she could ever have.
While she was hesitating, she noticed that Philip¡¯s eyes were starting to roll up, indicating that he was about to pass out.
Iris yelled, "Come out of there! Come out!"
But Philip did not move.
It was as though he would nevere out unless she answered him.
Seeing that the man was really about to suffocate himself to death¡ªa minute had already passed since he went into the water¡ªIris did not dare to waste any more time. She hurriedly shouted, "I¡¯ll eat, I¡¯ll eat!"
When Philip heard this, he finally let go...
However, by then, he was already exhausted and couldn¡¯t climb out at all and he fell into the fish tank instead.
Iris tried to pull him out again. As the man wasn¡¯t resisting anymore, she managed to pull him out after putting every bit of her strength into it.
Ssh!
Water sshed onto the ground, wetting the entire deck...
Philipy there, his arms limp beside him. As he took gulps of air, he slowly opened his eyes.
Iris rushed up to him and gave him a p across the cheek!
Smack!
Iris stared at him and snapped furiously, "You lunatic! You are a lunatic!"
Philip, however, merely stared at her with a smile. His simple and naive appearance suddenly reminded Iris of their first date.
He was introverted at that time. To be honest, among all the people courting Iris, he was neither eye-catching nor outstanding, yet she had chosen to date him.
He didn¡¯t know where to take her or how to be nice to her, so he had stood below her dormitory and waited for her. After she got dressed and came downstairs, he could only give her a silly smile.
The faces of that boy from back then and the man in front of her gradually ovepped.
Iris cast her eyes down and said nothing.
The servants outside had already entered, and they started to clean up everything in the room.
Soon, the water on the floor was gone and the fish tank was also carried away. The room became clean and spotless. They even prepared a change of clothes for Iris, whose clothes had gotten wet when she pulled Philip out of the water.
Iris went to the bathroom and changed.
After she came out, she found that Philip had also changed into a set of clean clothes with the help of the servants. He had calmed down somewhat by then. The table was also full of her favorite breakfast foods.
Iris walked over. Before she could do anything, Philip pulled out the chair for her, his behavior extremely gentlemanly.
Iris sighed.
She lowered her head.
If she didn¡¯t eat, she didn¡¯t know what else Philip might do...
Never mind.
She would just take it that all her years of growing flowers in the suburban vi were just a vacation. She made up her mind to eat and drink properly from now on. Otherwise, if her health suffered, how was she going to go back, enjoy family life, and y with her grandchildren?
As for Philip... She lowered her eyes.
She¡¯d just treat him like a stranger.
Seeing that she was willing to eat, Philip broke into a grin excitedly. He sat opposite her and kept offering her different dishes. However, she didn¡¯t eat any of the food he served her.
Philip sighed silently and put down his cutlery. "Iris, I know you still me me for everything that has happened, but I will slowly make up for what I¡¯ve done. We will definitely be able to return to what we were like in the past."
Iris wanted to say that it was impossible, but when she looked up, she saw Philip staring at her and saying, "It¡¯ll definitely be possible. Definitely, absolutely."
"..."
Iris decided to shut up.
After she finished eating, she felt a little more energetic. Although she was still rather weak, she didn¡¯t want to lie down in the room anymore, yet she didn¡¯t want to be alone if she were to go out for a walk, either.
She wanted even less to be with Philip.
While she was deep in thought, Philip smiled and said, "Iris, look who¡¯s here?"
Iris turned to see Mrs. Landis walking in. At the sight of Iris, Mrs. Landis stepped forward and called out, "Ma¡¯am!"
Iris was surprised.
Philip sighed. "We¡¯re going to have to drift at sea for a while. I was afraid that you would be lonely, so I brought her here too. With her apanying you, you would probably have a very good time here. By the way, you can go shopping. The cruise ship has everything, and there isn¡¯t any limit to your purchases at all."
They were on a tourist cruise ship. Even a single ticket cost thousands of dors, yet Philip had reserved the entire ship.
The cruise ship was huge andvish.
The cruise ship was just like arge shopping mall. There were all kinds of luxury goods there, so one wouldn¡¯t find it boring even if they stayed here for a month.
As Iris listened to what he said, she lowered her eyes, patted Mrs. Landis¡¯ hand, and said, "Then let¡¯s go out for a walk."
If she stayed in the room, she¡¯d have to face Philip. If so, she might as well rx, calm down, and protect herself well. They would eventually dock one day.
After Iris and Mrs. Landis went out, Jason quietly came in and walked up to Philip. He said, "Boss, King is calling again. What do you think his rtionship with Justin Hunt really is?"
Chapter 773: Husband And Wife Work Together
Chapter 773: Husband And Wife Work Together
Philip narrowed his eyes when he heard this.
To be honest, when he abducted Iris, he¡¯d initially nned to take her away, but he hadn¡¯t expected the Hunts to be so capable. On top of that, Justin was not as simple as it seemed.
Justin had driven them into such a corner that they nearly couldn¡¯t leave New York.
After that, when Philip wanted to return to his turf, he¡¯d received a call from King, asking him to send Iris back home safely.
Philip realized it then.
No wonder King had sold him the shares at such a high price. King had already taken the Hunts¡¯ side a long time ago, everything he did was to help the Hunts.
He couldn¡¯t figure out the rtionship between King and the Hunts, but he didn¡¯t dare to offend him, either. Thus, he had put on an obedient front and pretended to obey his instructions, but taken Iris to the cruise ship the next moment.
As long as they were at sea, King wouldn¡¯t be able to find them. Even if they found their location, they wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything.
This was also why he¡¯d taken Iris to the ship.
Of course, there was also another reason.
When they were in college, he¡¯d once asked Iris where she wanted to go on a vacation the most. Iris had replied, "I don¡¯t like sports. Mountain climbing and all that makes people sweat and it stinks. I like ferry vacations. I can travel around the whole world on a cruise and it won¡¯t tire me out either."
This most elegant way of travel was her favorite.
At that time, Philip had said that he would take her there in the future.
He was just fulfilling the promise he¡¯d made back then.
Thinking of this, Philip took the satellite phone from Jason. King¡¯s deep voice came from the other end.
"Philip, Iris hasn¡¯t returned home yet."
Philip replied, "Yeah, she and I still have some old promises that we have not fulfilled. We are having a lot of fun, so please don¡¯t worry, Mr. King."
King fell silent for a while. Finally, he said, "If anything happens to her, I will make you die a terrible death!"
The other party¡¯s harsh words shocked Philip.
The main reason why no one dared to refute King in the group was that he really was just like a king. When Philip inherited his Imperial League ount as a child, King had already been in the group for as long as forty years.
He could remember like it was just yesterday that someone in the group had questioned King¡¯s position and actions thirty years ago. Their century-old business empire had gone bankrupt within a month.
King had used actions to prove his position and status.
Since then, no one in the group dared to ever go against him again.
Philip was a fierce and savage man through and through, but even he was afraid of King. He thought for a while, but still decided to ask, "May I know how you are rted to Justin Hunt? Why do you protect them so much?"
King sneered, "Don¡¯t ask things you shouldn¡¯t be asking. You just need to know that Iris is a rtive of mine. Anyone who hurts her will have to pay the price."
His rtive...
That meant that they were rted by blood!
Philip was stunned. He¡¯d thought that as long as he got over his own issues, he would be able to be with Iris again; just like how Herman had obediently divorced Iris when he casually manipted the Hunts a little.
Iris had also stayed in the suburbs for more than twenty years and never remarried.
Little did he expect that Iris had such a powerful background?
But if Iris knew King, then shouldn¡¯t she have sought help from King instead of him when Justin was kidnapped?!
What exactly was going on?
Philip was puzzled, but when he wanted to ask further, King had already hung up.
This gave Philip some reservations.
He suddenly looked at Jason. "Get our men to thoroughly investigate Iris¡¯s background."
Although Jason didn¡¯t understand, he nheless said respectfully, "Yes, sir."
¡ª
At the Hunts¡¯ residence in New York.
Justin lowered his gaze and went into deep thought after he hung up the phone.
Philip was a little crazy, and he also had an unyielding aura etched deeply in him. Therefore, he mustn¡¯t push him too hard; it was very likely that Philip would otherwise kill both himself and Iris.
Justin had exposed his family ties with Iris just so Philip would hesitate to do anything rash.
Of course, Justin was also now certain that he understood Philip very well. The man loved Iris very much and was reluctant to hurt her. Or else why would he hold back for more than twenty years?
"Boss, we have found their whereabouts. Philip owns a cruise ship that left shore three days ago. Those who had booked tickets have all received refunds and information aboutpensation from the cruise ship. Therefore, we are guessing that Mdm. Iris is on the cruise ship."
Sean reported his findings. "We have contacted the people on the cruise ship. We have an informant there, and he has passed us a message saying that Mdm. Iris is fine. On the contrary, Philip has been begging her for forgiveness."
He frowned and went on. "The troublesome part is, although we have pinpointed the cruise ship¡¯s location, there are too many of Philip¡¯s men on board while we only have one informant, so we have no way of snatching her back. Additionally, if we dispatch a helicopter or a ferry to take her back, given themotion it would cause, we won¡¯t be able topletely guarantee Mdm. Iris¡¯ safety at sea. Therefore, we may still need to wait for her to return safely by herself after she and Philip resolve the issues between them."
After confirming that Iris was safe for now, Justin was relieved.
He lowered his head and looked at the map on the table. "Just get someone to monitor them at all times. Dispatch a ship to follow them from a distance and make sure they don¡¯t discover the ship. But if any problem arises, they are allowed to immediately approach and carry out a rescue operation!"
"Yes, sir."
Sean took out his cell phone and made arrangements.
After the arrangements were made, he looked at Justin, only to see him staring at the location of a certain bank on the map.
Sean asked, "Boss, what¡¯s wrong?"
Justin was silent for a moment. Suddenly, he said, "Station all our men in New York near this bank. Nora and I will be going there within the next two days."
"Yes, sir."
Sean turned to leave, but before he stepped out, Justin suddenly stopped him. "Get a few of our men to follow me out tonight."
Sean¡¯s heart sank.
Justin was the Irvin School of Martial Arts¡¯ Big Brother. To be honest, he was fully capable of protecting himself in most typical dangerous situations. The reason why he brought so many bodyguards with him was just so he could weaken the enemy¡¯s attention on him.
Yet he was specially bringing their own men with him this time? What kind of dangerous mission was he going on?
He lowered his head and said, "I¡¯ll go with you."
"No, it¡¯s fine."
Justin suddenly looked at him. "The Hunts and the Imperial League need you."
Sean: "..."
Suddenly, it felt a little like Justin was leaving hisst words, which made him feel rather uneasy.
He called a few of their most skilled men over. Then, he watched as Justin led the men and entered the darkness.
At the same time, Nora also quietly left the Hunt Manor.
She was going to the bank to see what on earth her mother had left her!
Chapter 774: She Can’t Wait Anymore!
Chapter 774: She Can¡¯t Wait Anymore!
Nora couldn¡¯t wait anymore.
Perhaps it wasn¡¯t the V16 but clues to it in the safe deposit box, but there were only two months and twenty days left until Xander had to take the V16.
Every passing day was torture for her.
This was especially true when she saw the terrible atmosphere at home upon returning from California earlier in the afternoon. Cherry was not ying games, neither was Pete working on his Mathematical Olympiad. Instead, both of them were circling around Xander.
Cherry had taken out all her favorite Barbie dolls and princess dresses and wanted to give them to him.
Xander hadn¡¯t taken them.
As for Pete, he also hinted that he could give him all the Mathematical Olympiad worksheets he had bought.
Xander hadn¡¯t taken those either.
The little fellow slumped on the sofa and waved as he said, "I don¡¯t like your stuff! I only like animals!"
When Cherry heard this, she immediately suggested, "I have an uncle who also loves animals a lot. He has a lot of stray cats and dogs. Why don¡¯t we get Uncle Louis to send us a few?!"
But Xander had waved and said, "No, I don¡¯t want them. Those animals are your uncle¡¯s friends, not mine."
Cherry corrected him. "Xander, he¡¯s also your uncle. He is very generous. Besides, he also needs money to feed that many cats and dogs, but he doesn¡¯t have any. He will definitely thank us if we help him raise a few!"
Pete also nodded and said, "Yes, he also has a dog whose coat has a mix of colors."
As soon as he said that, Xander replied, "So what? Even if he does, it¡¯s still not Rainbow."
Rainbow was Dog No. 3. As its coat was a mix of different colors, Xander had named it Rainbow. The name was too clich¨¦, and even Rainbow itself disliked it. However, that was what Xander called it, so it had no other choice.
Rainbow was also the healthiest among the dogs there.
However, just this morning, Rainbowy down on the floor and never woke up again.
Xander, who had be ustomed to death and parting, had dug a hole in the garden together with Cherry and Pete and buried Rainbow there.
There were now several more mounds in the garden, all of which contained Xander¡¯s friends.
Every time they went to the garden, their hearts would be exceptionally heavy.
As soon as Xander said that, Cherry and Pete looked at each other, neither of them daring to continue. Cherry changed the subject and said, "Xander, have you decided yet? Are you going to take the samest name as me or Pete?"
Neither Cherry nor Pete would be changing their names.
But surely Xander couldn¡¯t keep using Yale as hisst name, right?
While Cherry and Pete were thinking about it, Xander waved and said, "Nah, I haven¡¯t."
Cherry said, "Why don¡¯t you take Smith as yourst name like me? Grandpa will like you a lot!"
Pete said, "Boys should take Hunt as theirst name, of course. It¡¯s better to have the samest name as Daddy."
Cherry then said, "But if Xander¡¯sst name is Hunt, then wouldn¡¯t he end uppeting with you over family assets? Let¡¯s have Xander take Smith as hisst name and inherit Grandpa¡¯s assets instead!"
Pete and Xander both looked at her. "What about you?"
Cherry grinned. "I have Grandaunt!"
Pete: "?"
Xander: "??"
Cherry tilted her head and said, "Grandaunt doesn¡¯t have any children, so she has always said that everything she has is mine. Princess Lucy can testify to that!"
Princess Lucy had been staying at the Hunts¡¯ ever since she came to celebrate Cherry¡¯s birthday the other time. She had stayed with Cherry and yed with her for three whole days.
Later, because of all the uncertainty and turmoil regarding Herman and Philip, Justin had sent her back.
She and Cherry had been reluctant to part when she had to go.
At the mention of her grandaunt, Cherry tilted her head and said, "I miss Grandaunt!"
Xander had been listless the whole time.
Even when Nora came home, all three children rushed over, and she yed with them for a while¡ªXander was still not very happy.
However, it seemed like the little boy had learned to hide his emotions from an early age, so he didn¡¯t let it show at all.
After having dinner with the children, Nora sent them back to their room to rest.
The three little fellows were still very young. Coupled with the fact that she was around that night, they had all mored to sleep with her. Thus, all of themy down together on the bed.
The heartless Cherry fell asleep very quickly.
Pete looked at Xander worriedly.
Nora patted his head.
Pete was simply too sensitive. On top of that, he even knew to be mindful of other people¡¯s emotions. He was so sensible that it made one¡¯s heart ache.
On the contrary, it was Xander the little devil who couldn¡¯t fall asleep. It was only after Nora lit the calming incense she had developed that Pete and Xander finally fell asleep.
She got up to check on Justin and see what he was doing.
But as soon as she moved, she heard Xander shouting in his sleep, "Mommy, save me! Rainbow, I don¡¯t wanna die. Sniff..."
"Rainbow, is it cold in the soil?"
"Does it hurt when you die?"
"Do you still feel anything after death?"
"..."
Nora was frozen in ce.
She had lit the calming incense, so despite Xander¡¯s extreme unease, he didn¡¯t wake up. However, his words pierced Nora¡¯s heart like a dagger.
As it turned out, Xander was feeling very insecure.
He had been fearful all along, yet the boy had never said anything in front of them.
It was true that he felt sorry for the animals and was sad to part with them.
But who wouldn¡¯t be afraid of death?
This was especially when... Xander had an extremely high IQ. He understood the concept of life and death.
Nora took a deep breath and walked out of the room.
She didn¡¯t go upstairs to look for Justin.
On the way back to New York, she and Justin had agreed to find a suitable opportunity to get rid of the people tailing her. After that, they would go to the bank to retrieve the things there.
But she couldn¡¯t wait anymore.
After Justin¡¯s fight with Jude, he had be extremely cautious. This made the perceptive Nora realize that the people tailing them could not be ordinary.
ording to Caleb, the five children who survived back then had all be big bosses in different ces. Trueman and Caleb were in Switzend, but there were still three others who were following her in search of the V16!
She didn¡¯t know who they were, nor did she have any clue as to their identities at the moment.
But if she dragged this on any further, she was really afraid that she wouldn¡¯t be able to save Xander anymore.
It was just a safe deposit box, wasn¡¯t it?
She would just go and retrieve it!
With that in mind, Nora left the Hunt Manor. She didn¡¯t drive. Instead, she tried her best to avoid the people tailing her in the dark and turned into a small alley at the side.
After doing this several times, she finally got rid of the people tailing her and arrived at the bank.
The bank was closed and locked up at night. This was not an issue for Nora, though.
She took out her cell phone casually and tapped away on it quickly.
Click!
The door to the bank opened and Nora slipped inside.
Chapter 775: A Stranger!
Chapter 775: A Stranger!
It was pitch ck inside the hall.
Nora turned on her cell phone immediately after she entered. On the screen was theyout of the bank.
Although her mother had deposited the things in the bank more than twenty years ago, the location of the safes was still the same despite theyout of the bank changing over the years.
Thus, her mother¡¯s things were still there.
Nora remembered clearly that it was safe no. 06 and the password was her birthday.
She walked soundlessly towards the safe deposit boxes.
There was no staff inside, only security officers patrolling back and forth. However, it was very difficult for them to spot her.
Nora was in full ck clothing, so shepletely blended with the darkness.
Light-footed and nimble, she headed straight to the safe deposit boxes. But after she passed by two rooms, she suddenly heard footsteps behind her.
Nora¡¯s pupils shrank and she suddenly darted into the corner next to her. When she looked behind her, she caught a shadow shing past.
It seemed that it was very unsafe here tonight.
And she wasn¡¯t alone here!
The thought made Nora bite her lip. Her first thought was that she hadn¡¯t managed to avoid the people tailing her and had been followed!
Aside from professionals like Morris, the only ones who could follow her without her noticing were people more skilled than her in martial arts.
Someone more skilled than her in martial arts?! Was it Jude¡¯s boss?
Could that person be one of the five children who had survived in the gene serumboratory?
It could only be one of them!
Nora broke into a big frown.
Her mind ran at high speed. What should she do?
Since he had followed her here, he must already know by now that something was up with the bank. Even if she turned around and left, it would be difficult for her to dispel the other party¡¯s suspicions.
Even if he didn¡¯t know that the safe in question was No. 06, now that he had locked on to the bank, all he needed to do was just check all the safes and he would find the clue.
Therefore, she had no way out.
Tonight, she, Nora Smith, must retrieve the V16 that her mother had left behind. Otherwise, it was highly likely that she would be caught by the other party!
With that in mind, Nora took a deep breath.
Then, she suddenly stopped and went on the offensive!
She would test the ck-d man¡¯s skills first.
Bam!
The moment sheunched her attack, the two got into a fight. The other party responded very quickly. Before her fist could connect, he was already blocking her attack and counterattacking.
In just a single exchange of blows, Nora concluded that he was most definitely someone whose genes had been modified with the gene serum!
Because his physical strength was too great!
Nora had been practicing martial arts for a very long time. Since she was a child, she had been relying on her natural talent toe this far. On top of that, she even became the Quinn School of Martial Arts¡¯ Big Sister.
This was the first person in her life to give her a foreboding pressure.
Her almond-shaped eyes were widened big and round as she stared at the person in front of her.
In the darkness, the man¡¯s eyes shone green. He wore a baseball cap and a facial mask, revealing only his eyes. The way he stared at Nora was as if he had just spotted his prey.
When he was blocking Nora¡¯s attack, the man chuckled and said, "Is that all you¡¯ve got?"
He had an ent. It was obvious that he was a foreigner.
In this instant, Nora felt a little angry at herself for not training properly. If she had been a little more diligent, then she might have had a chance if she went at her opponent with full force.
She took a deep breath. "Who are you?"
"You don¡¯t need to know that. Just hand over the V16 obediently and I will spare your life."
The man moved toward her one step at a time. "Resistance is futile. All my genes have been improved and I have no ws. I am the most powerful fighter on earth now. Without any firearms, you won¡¯t be a match for me at all."
The man spoke confidently and arrogantly.
How could she use firearms here, though? If she did, all the security officers woulde running in an instant!
Nora was in a half-squat, ready to attack.
She knew that she was not the man¡¯s match, but she couldn¡¯t just go down without a fight.
The V16 was Xander¡¯s, she would never relinquish it to anyone else!
She took a deep breath and sneered, "Try me."
The man seemed a little surprised at her reaction. Nevertheless, he let out a low chuckle and said, "Trueman is right, you are indeed too stubborn. You hold out hope until you¡¯re faced with the grim reality. In that case, I shall show you how strong I am! "
The man stepped forward abruptly and closed the distance between him and Nora!
Nora had just exchanged a punch with the man, so her fingers were still hurting. How would she possibly dare to still fight him head-on?
Thus, the moment the man got near, Nora tucked and rolled. A scalpel suddenly appeared in her hand, going straight for the man¡¯s throat!
The scalpel was her weapon.
She had always been a tough woman who met challenges head-on. She didn¡¯t believe that the man was really stronger than her!
But the next moment...
ng!
Not only did the man evade her attack, but he even struck her wrist. Nora had always had a lot of physical strength, but her hand was in severe pain at this moment as she lost all the strength in her hand instantly.
The scalpel fell right onto the ground!
She really couldn¡¯t beat him!
The thought shed through Nora¡¯s mind. By then, the man behind her had alreadye close again. When it looked like he was about to catch her, a contemptuous sneer shed across Nora¡¯s lips. At once, she turned back and brandished her hand!
A st of white smoke erupted in the air.
It was a drug to knock one out!
The man froze for a moment.
However, Nora didn¡¯t take the opportunity to attack. It wasn¡¯t like she could beat him anyway. Also, her objective today was not to kill the opponent but to find the V16.
So... If she couldn¡¯t beat him, then she would just run. There was no problem with that whatsoever.
She did a tuck-and-roll and slipped into the corridor next to her. Then, she raced forward.
She didn¡¯t look back, but she could sense that the man was catching up to her.
The gene serum had improved his body, so his physical abilities surpassed that of ordinary people. The drug just now only had minimal effect on him. There was no way it would subdue him.
Therefore, Nora ran like the wind. The tables and chairs in the bank also hindered the man during the pursuit.
The man got closer and closer to her. Just as he was about to catch her, Nora dodged and ran into the room where the safe deposit boxes were.
Then, she locked the door!
At once, the sound of someone trying to break the lock rang out at the door. However, Nora¡¯s objective was precisely psychological warfare.
She raced towards safe no. 06 to get her hands on the V16 before the man could rush in!
Chapter 776: The Moment of Farewell!
Chapter 776: The Moment of Farewell!
Click!
When Nora opened the safe, the sound of the door opening also rang out.
She looked behind her abruptly and saw the man in ck entering. His hand was on the light switch, and with a snap, the room became as bright as day.
Nora¡¯s eyes narrowed.
For the first time in her life, Nora, who had been leading in every field no matter what it was since she was a child, felt a sense of powerlessness.
The man was too strong.
To be honest, she didn¡¯t get that feeling even when she fought with Justin. While she was thinking, the man said again in broken English, "Give me that thing. I spare your life."
Nora didn¡¯t move, keeping her hand in the same position ready to open the safe. She tried to stall for time. "You are only strong because you took the gene serum. Artificial strength like that won¡¯t deter or intimidate anyone."
The man sneered, "Justin Hunt can say that but what makes you think you can too? Haven¡¯t you also been injected with the gene serum?"
Nora frowned.
His words didn¡¯t mislead her, nor did she feel like she was not as strong as she¡¯d thought herself to be, but was instead very annoyed because of what he said. Nora knew very well that what her mother had only injected into her a minuscule amount of IQ gene-improving serum. All her achievements to date were to her own credit!
She wanted to say more, but the man hade right up to her in a sh and delivered a kick right to her face!
His movements were ruthless, merciless, and icy-cold.
Should the kick strike Nora, she would very likely die on the spot.
She didn¡¯t have time to look at the safe, she could only dodge.
She¡¯d only just dodged the attack when the man¡¯s other leg came at her with another kick. The look in his eyes was icy and carried disgust for Nora.
"I gave you a chance. Since you don¡¯t cherish it, then forget it!"
He swung his fist again.
Nora dodged awkwardly and asked, "Do you have a grudge against me?"
She was trying to guess his identity by talking to him.
The man sneered. "Don¡¯t bother guessing, you don¡¯t know me. But I know your mother! If it wasn¡¯t for her, I wouldn¡¯t be in this state today!"
Nora frowned. "Weren¡¯t you only a few years old when my mother died?"
"Heh, if she hadn¡¯t developed the gene serum, would we have be tools for their experiments? I hate sanctimonious hypocrites like you! You say that we are wicked and that the world should lock us up but in reality? Was it our choice that we became like this?!"
The man was speaking more, but every word of his was cold and frosty. He stared at Nora and said, "So, you all deserve to die!"
Almost as soon as he said that, he threw another punch!
Nora retreated again, only to find that her back was already against the wall. As the man attacked her again and again and she took step after step backward, she had been forced into a dead end.
Nora could only raise her arm to block his attack.
... Even if she knew that the man was strong enough to break her arm! And crush it!
She closed her eyes and listened to the maning nearer and nearer to her.
The moment the man was about to strike her, she suddenly opened her eyes.
The best form of defense was the offense.
How could Nora possibly sit around and do nothing?!
Without even thinking about it, she put all her strength into her leg and kicked the man¡¯s abdomen!
The man had only two choices¡ªeither he pulled back his arm, thereby allowing her to dodge the bullet, or continued to attack and she fought him to the death, even if it meant that she would suffer an even more serious injury herself!
Now that the lights were on, the security guards would discover the situation here in no time. If she stalled for enough time, someone would eventuallye. As long as the V16 did not fall into the man¡¯s hands, Justin would still have a chance of obtaining it for Xander.
Nora narrowed her eyes, but little did she expect that the man would choose the second option without any hesitation.
Thud!
Nora¡¯s leg connected with his abdomen.
In spite of that, the man didn¡¯t stop and his fist went straight for Nora¡¯s arm!
Thud!
Another thud rang out.
However, the pain of having an arm broken didn¡¯te, which took Nora aback. When she regained her senses, she realized that someone¡¯s leg had intercepted the ck-d man¡¯s fist from the side.
The blow made the man in ck finally take a step back.
Before Nora could see who her rescuer was, she was pulled back by her shoulders. A solid and strong figure then stood in front of her, blocking her from the man in ck.
Nora stared at the person in front of her.
Even though he was dressed in ck clothes, suitable for moving around in the dark, and a baseball cap, she still recognized at a nce that he was Justin!
The man in ck had put all his strength into the punch just now. Although Justin kicked at his fist, it stood to reason to he shouldn¡¯t have been able to withstand the punch, yet it seemed like Justin¡¯s leg waspletely fine.
Nora suddenly thought of how Justin was always forced into fleeing around the room whenever she fought with him.
Now that she thought about it again, though, the man had been going easy on her all this time!
He was obviously stronger than her!
Nora looked at the man in ck again. Even though he had been kicked by her and had also exchanged a blow with Justin, the man merely took a few steps back as if he waspletely fine.
The man looked at the two of them and chuckled softly. "Hah, you overestimate yourselves."
Then, without saying anything else, he stepped forward without hesitation. Justin and Nora looked at each other. The two of them tacitly took a step forward and fought with the man.
Despite fighting two-on-one, the man still seemed to be having an easy time.
They mustn¡¯t continue fighting with him like this.
The thought had only just shed past Nora¡¯s mind when Justin grabbed her arm and pushed her to the safe.
"Hurry!"
Justin had only uttered a word but Nora immediately understood what he meant. At once, she reached towards the safe.
The man was infuriated when he saw this. He bypassed Justin and attacked Nora.
Nora didn¡¯t care. With full assurance, she entrusted Justin with her safety and opened the safe!
The man wanted to rush over, but Justin kept him upied.
However, the moment Nora opened the safe, her pupils shrank!
Because!
Inside the safe was nothing but a bomb!
The bomb was triggered the moment she opened the safe, and it instantly started to disy a countdown of twenty seconds!
Next to the bomb was a tiny box!
Was this... the trap that her mother had left her?
Had it been someone else who did not know the password, the bomb would probably have gone off the moment the door was pried open. Only when she used the password to open the door would she have time to escape.
Her mother had really... considered every possibility.
Even so, she probably never thought that her daughter would be trapped here, right?
Without any hesitation, Nora picked up the tiny box, turned around, and shouted, "Run!"
As soon as she shouted, the man in ck rushed right up to her. He reached out to grab the box in her hand.
Nora dodged and shouted, "If we stay any longer, we will all die here!"
Despite that, the man stood right at the door and sneered, "You two can forget about leaving if you don¡¯t give me that!"
The countdown reached ten seconds!
The walls of the room with the safes were forged from steel to prevent people from breaking in and stealing things. There weren¡¯t any windows but only a metal door.
With the man standing guard at the door, it was impossible for the two of them to escape!
At the critical moment, Justin suddenly snatched the metal box from Nora and threw it to the left of the door. He shouted, "Here, you can have it!"
The man stepped aside without any hesitation to grab the box.
Nora frowned.
The timing was too tight, she didn¡¯t have any time to swap the box¡¯s contents at all. The metal box was still the one that she¡¯d just taken out and the V16 might be in it.
She didn¡¯t dare to take any chances!
Just as she was about to rush over to grab it back, Justin grabbed her arm and she was thrown out the door with great force.
Thud!
By the time Nora fell to the ground, Justin had already grabbed the metal box before the other man. He flung it out the door without any hesitation!
And then...
Before Nora could get back up, both the man in ck and Justin raced madly towards the door.
Justin looked at Nora.
They were out of time.
The countdown turned from one to zero.
Boom!
The room exploded.
Waves of heat spread swiftly from the metal safe to the door...
All Nora could see was the heat waves hit Justin and the man in ck from the back. The two of them were only one step away from the metal door!
He wouldn¡¯t be able to get out in time...
Upon realizing this, Nora sprung off the floor and rushed straight to the metal door!
With the door in between them, she and Justin looked at each other.
Suddenly, the corners of Justin¡¯s lips curled upward. At thest moment, he suddenly mmed the metal door shut!
"Noooo!"
Nora screamed!!
Justin... He was still in there!!!
He wasn¡¯t out yet!!
But the only thing that she heard was the click of the lock that came from beyond the big metal door, as well as the rumbling explosion inside...
Chapter 777: Whose Corpse Is That? Is Justin Dead Or Alive?
Chapter 777: Whose Corpse Is That? Is Justin Dead Or Alive?
A metal door separated the two worlds.
Nora used all her might to kick and stomp at the door, but she simply couldn¡¯t open it. She could only watch helplessly as the fire in the room got bigger and bigger.
The explosion also finally attracted the security officers¡¯ attention, who immediately called the firefighters.
Nora stared at the door.
Her countenance remained calm and collected the whole time. Even when people started rushing to the scene, she rationally slipped the metal box into her pocket.
Soon, the fire was put out. The firemen finally pried open the door and rushed in.
Everything inside had been blown up and burned to ashes. On the groundy a charred, unrecognizable corpse with only the bones left.
There was only one corpse... This filled Nora with hope.
The man in ck and Justin had both been inside, so how could there be only one corpse?
Right away, she looked at Morris, who hade over upon hearing the news, and said, "Do a DNA check."
Morris didn¡¯t have Justin¡¯s DNA data.
However, Nora did. In order to do aparison with Xander¡¯s DNA, she had even retrieved samples again. Thus, Lily had urate data of his DNA.
Morris nodded at her request.
Some people also came to investigate why they were in the bankte at night and even bombed it.
However, Sean promised topensate the bank for all their losses while Morris also said that Nora was the special department¡¯s legal adviser, so it was perfectly normal for her toe over and conduct investigations.
With that, news of the incident was suppressed.
Nora went straight to the special department together with the dead body.
When she returned once more to the familiar ce, all the people around her who had once wronged her felt so guilty that they didn¡¯t dare to face her.
When Brenda heard the news, she rushed over and looked at her in disbelief. "Nora, i-is that Justin?"
"No, it isn¡¯t."
Nora sounded certain, but she didn¡¯t know whether she was saying that to Brenda or to herself. She said, "There¡¯s only one corpse, it can¡¯t be him..."
Brenda also nodded when she heard this. She said, "That¡¯s right, that¡¯s definitely not Justin, Nora. Justin has always been mysterious, and he¡¯s always so secretive about everything he does. Also, ever since he was abducted when he was five, he always brings more than twenty bodyguards with him. There¡¯s no way anything would happen to someone who fears death as much as he does..."
Despite saying that, her voice gradually became choked up.
Even Brenda didn¡¯t quite believe what she was saying.
If that wasn¡¯t Justin, then where did he go? Didn¡¯t he know that Nora and his children were waiting for him toe back?
Why hadn¡¯t he shown up yet?
But she couldn¡¯t say that, much less did she dare to. In fact, she was just holding out a glimmer of hope that the body was not Justin¡¯s!
Upon hearing this, Morris nced at Brenda.
The woman, who had always been exquisitely dressed, looked a little like she was in a mess at the moment, which went to show how flustered she was due to her involvement with the matter.
He took a deep breath and sent the bones to theb.
While waiting for the result, in order to relieve some of the pressure on Nora and Brenda, Morris asked, "Nora, you said just now that the two of you met a man in ck when you two went to the bank to take something. In order to save you, Mr. Hunt locked himself in the room with the man in ck, right? If so, then why was there only one dead body at the scene?"
Nora looked at him.
Morris exined to her cautiously, "This can only point to one thing¡ªthere must be other passages out of that room! I have already gotten my men to look into it. If other passages exist, then Mr. Hunt should be fine."
Nora nodded. "Yes, that¡¯s exactly it."
Seeing that she looked somewhat flustered, Morris let out a soft sigh. Suddenly, he asked, "So, did you get what you wanted to take from the bank?"
Did she get it?
Nora raised her head slightly and stared at Morris. A whileter, she shook her head lightly and replied, "It was taken away by the man in ck. He was waiting at the bank precisely because he wanted to take it from us..."
Her voice became softer and softer toward the end. One could hear dejection in her voice.
At this moment, Morris¡¯ cell phone rang.
After he answered, a touch of joy came over his expression. He looked at Nora and said, "They really found a tunnel in the room! So, Mr. Hunt really may have left from that tunnel!"
However, Nora¡¯s heart instead sank when she heard him.
Sure enough, there really was a tunnel in the bank. In that case, who had dug the tunnel?
While she was contemting, chaotic footsteps suddenly came from the door of theb. Herman¡¯s furious roar then came over.
"What¡¯s going on? What exactly has happened to Justin?!"
Before Nora could speak, Lauren said reproachfully, "Ms. Smith, why did the two of you go to the bank in the middle of the night instead of sleeping? Why was there an explosion? I heard that this only happened to Justin because he wanted to save you? Who exactly have you offended? Why did this happen?!"
Herman¡¯s eyes were all red. It was obvious that he was heartbroken and devastated over what had happened to Justin. He stared at Nora and demanded, "C¡¯mon, talk! What¡¯s going on?!"
Nora clenched her jaw.
She did not exin, but Sean, who was next to her, said, "It¡¯s Mr. Hunt who invited Ms. Smith to the bank. He wanted to show her some of the things he¡¯d prepared for their wedding, but he did not expect to encounter a robber..."
Sean also lowered his head. "Ms. Smith has nothing to do with any of it."
"She doesn¡¯t? How can it have nothing to do with her?!" Lauren yelled furiously, "If it wasn¡¯t for the wedding, would he have gone to the bank in the middle of the night? And end up giving the robbers a chance? In my opinion, Nora jinxes the Hunts! Ever since she appeared, the Hunts have been really unlucky!"
Her words made Herman feel even worse.
Nora¡¯s eyes were still lowered and she did not speak. She was still re-enacting in her mind everything that had happened earlier.
Everything had been such a blur that even now, she still hadn¡¯t figured out what exactly had happened.
The man in ck had only appeared at the bank because he followed her there. In that case, howe Justin also showed up at the bank? On top of that, he even happened to be in the room where the safe-deposit boxes were?
Had he done the same thing as her? Because he knew that it was dangerous, he didn¡¯t want to drag Nora into it?
While she was thinking, Herman sat on the bench next to her.
Lauren supported Herman by the arm. "Herman, you must hang in there. Justin is no longer around. If something also happens to you, what are the Hunts going to do?"
Upon hearing this, Herman immediately understood something. He straightened his back abruptly and said, "You¡¯re right, I mustn¡¯t copse. Now that Justin is gone, I¡¯m the only one who can handle the Hunts now..."
Lauren nodded. "A kingdom mustn¡¯t go without a king for a day. Simrly, the Hunts mustn¡¯t be missing a president either. Now that Justin¡¯s fate is unknown, you have to bear responsibility for the family and thepany!"
They were clearly nning a coup d¡¯¨¦tat!
The sight filled Sean with anger.
It hadn¡¯t even been determined whose charred corpse it was, yet those two were already starting to think about the family inheritance? They didn¡¯t have a conscience at all!
He looked at Nora angrily, only to see the woman say coldly, "Justin¡¯s fate is not unknown. He¡¯s definitely still alive!"
"If he¡¯s alive, then why didn¡¯t hee back to look for us?" Lauren countered. "To be honest, we all know deep down that the corpse is most likely Justin! Nora Smith, it¡¯s all your fault, so stop pretending like you¡¯re that loyal and in love with him! Do you really think I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re thinking? You¡¯re just concerned about your position as Mrs. Hunt and how Justin¡¯s assets will be distributed, right? I¡¯ll tell you this¡ªyour children are still young, so don¡¯t even think about taking over thepany! Herman is the most rightful sessor to thepany now!"
Nora clenched her fists.
She took a deep breath. Just as she was about to speak, the door to theb suddenly opened and the doctor in charge of the DNAb came out.
Nora went toward him at once while Brenda and Lauren also rushed over anxiously. The group of them surrounded the doctor.
Herman wanted to go forward, but he didn¡¯t dare to. Instead, he stood behind the crowd in a daze.
Before Nora could say anything, an anxious Lauren asked, "Doctor, the charred corpse, who is it? Are the results out? Is it Justin?"
Chapter 778: This Feels Great! You’re Exactly The One I Want to Hit!!
Chapter 778: This Feels Great! You¡¯re Exactly The One I Want to Hit!!
Everyone looked at the doctor in unison.
Nora stood opposite the doctor. She stared at the doctor¡¯s lips, only to see him say word by word, "... Based on the DNA samples provided by Ms. Smith, we have confirmed that the body is indeed Mr. Justin Hunt¡¯s."
"..."
That one line of his caused the whole ce to fall silent.
Everyone looked at the doctor in disbelief.
As for Nora, her expression was calm and her eyes cast down. It seemed like she was thinking about something...
¡ª
¡ª
The entrance to the Hunts¡¯ manor was jam-packed with people.
A few cars approached.
Nora was the first to get out of the car. Immediately, she saw Mrs. Hunt, who was at the entrance, take a step forward. Her hands shook as she asked, "Nora, where is Justin? The DNA result shows that the corpse isn¡¯t Justin¡¯s, right?"
Nora was silent.
Screech!
Another car came to a halt. Herman, Lauren, and the others got out of the car. As soon as they did, Herman looked at Mrs. Hunt. His knees gave way and he fell onto the ground.
In tears, he cried out, "Mom!"
His behavior made Mrs. Hunt suddenly realize something. Her eyes widened and she staggered backward. Her vision turned dark and she was about to faint.
Fortunately, Fanny carried the Zabe Corporation¡¯s Calming Pills with her at all times, so she hurriedly fed her a pill and stabilized her condition. As Mrs. Hunt gasped for breath, the perplexed olddy asked, "What on earth is going on?"
Herman was heartbroken.
Even if all he did were bad things when he was young, Justin was still his son and he had always been proud of him. Now that his son was dead... how could he possibly not be sad?
Lauren took the opportunity to speak. "It¡¯s all Nora¡¯s fault! She wanted Justin to show her what he¡¯d prepared for their wedding in the middle of the night, so he took her to the bank. But they ended up being targeted by crooks, who took the valuables and even killed Justin in an explosion!"
Mrs. Hunt staggered backward again. She took a deep breath and looked at Nora.
Nora did not exin.
She couldn¡¯t blow up the matter about the gene serum. Besides, she was also very flustered and her mind was in a mess at the moment, so she didn¡¯t have anything she wanted to exin either. She merely stood where she was, her gaze in the direction of Justin¡¯s vi.
The three children were still there. She wondered how they were.
While she was thinking about it, Lauren came forward, pointed at her, and rebuked her. "It¡¯s obvious at a nce that you¡¯re from the boonies. How dare you ask for money and gifts in the middle of the night?! Is money all you can see?! Nora, you¡¯re the one who killed Justin!"
At once, the people around them started whispering to one another, and all of them pointed at and gestured to Nora.
Seeing that Nora had be the target of public criticism, Lauren looked at Mrs. Hunt with satisfaction. She walked over, held her arm, and said, "Mom, I¡¯m sorry, but Justin is already dead! The Hunt Corporation mustn¡¯t be without a CEO, so in my opinion, why don¡¯t we let Herman..."
Before she could finish, Mrs. Hunt took a deep breath and looked straight at Fanny. She said, "Fetch my wooden walking stick!"
Fanny looked at Mrs. Hunt hesitantly.
Mrs. Hunt, however, stomped her foot angrily. "Go!"
Fanny could only hurry into the house. A whileter, she came back out with a walking stick.
The walking stick was made of thick, solid wood, and it hurt a lot if used to hit someone.
Mrs. Hunt took a deep breath and took the walking stick from Fanny.
The walking stick was very heavy. When she took it from Fanny, she paused for a while.
Brenda, who had followed closely behind the others back to the manor, had already parked the car by then. At the sight, she raced towards them in a panic and shouted, "Grandma, what are you doing?! This isn¡¯t Nora¡¯s fault, you mustn¡¯t hit her! If Justin was still here, he definitely won¡¯t let you do that!!"
Next to her, Lauren sneered, "Brenda, how can you be so insensible? If it wasn¡¯t for her, Justin wouldn¡¯t have died. Why are you still defending her? Do you have a conscience or not?"
Brenda, however, put herself in between Mrs. Hunt and Nora. She said, "Grandma, wake up! This really has nothing to do with Nora! No one expected an ident like that. Besides, Nora must be the most heartbroken among us all right now!"
Mrs. Hunt didn¡¯t listen to her. Instead, she said to the security guard next to her, "Pull her away."
"Yes, ma¡¯am."
Someone stepped forward and held Brenda back. Although she could get physical with them, she didn¡¯t want to make a huge scene.
She rolled up her sleeves and shouted to Nora, "Nora, hurry up and go! Don¡¯t stay here stupidly to let her hit you!"
However, Mrs. Hunt had already raised the walking stick!
When Lauren saw this, her lips immediately curled into a smirk.
Justin was dead, and to make matters worse, Mrs. Hunt was about to hit Nora. Those three little bastards had lost their shield. From now on, the Hunts would belong only to Herman. She would see who else was going to fight with her!
She even looked at Nora and said, "Nora, Mom is already so old. If you still have even a bit of conscience in you, then just stay still and let her vent her anger. Otherwise, wouldn¡¯t you be letting down Justin when he¡¯s already dead??"
Nora stood where she was, showing no reaction to her words whatsoever.
Just as Lauren was feeling smug, the raised walking stick suddenly struck her hard instead!
Thwack!
The severe, burning pain stunned Lauren and she couldn¡¯t react for a while. She stared at Mrs. Hunt incredulously and shouted, "Mom, you¡¯re hitting the wrong person! Nora is over there!"
Right after she spoke, Mrs. Hunt¡¯s second blownded on her fiercely. She said, "You¡¯re the one I¡¯m beating up! Something has happened to Justin, yet you are not sad at all! Your entire mind is on the Hunts¡¯ assets! Why is Herman so blind that he would marry someone like you?!"
Thwack!
When the walking stick struck Lauren again, she finally started to dodge. However, the moment she moved, Brenda, who had been standing beside her utterly stunned, recovered. She said, "Grandma¡¯s getting old, are you nning to go against her? If anything happens to her because you made her angry, then you¡¯ll be a sinner!"
Lauren: "!!"
That bitch was using what she had said just now against her!
Furious and panicked, Lauren could only look at Mrs. Hunt. "Mom, mom! Stop hitting me! Justin is already dead, you only have Herman now! He¡¯s your only son left! Isn¡¯t that right?"
"Who says I only have one son? Raymond and Spencer are also my sons! As for the sessor to the Hunts, aside from Justin, I still have Pete!"
Mrs. Hunt shouted firmly and loudly.
Her words shocked everyone present, and all of them looked at Mrs. Hunt in disbelief.
What did Mrs. Hunt mean by that?
Was she nning to support Pete, who was only five years old, as the head of the Hunts?
Lauren bit her lip and shouted, "Mom, you¡¯re too biased! Pete is only five! What can he even do?"
Mrs. Hunt, however, lowered her head and said in a low voice, "He is certainly still young, but there¡¯s Nora! She is the youngdy of the Smiths and also Pete¡¯s mother. There is absolutely no problem with her temporarily taking over as CEO of the Hunt Corporation in Pete¡¯s stead!"
Lauren was even more stunned. "She? Does a woman like her even know how to do business?! You must be muddleheaded!"
"Hah, this matter is settled! Now, we¡¯ll see to Justin¡¯s funeral matters!"
Mrs. Hunt made the final decision.
After all, she had been in the Hunts for many years. Even now, she still held a lot of prestige in the family.
Seeing this, Brenda helped Nora towards the olddy. Then, she held Mrs. Hunt¡¯s arm and said, "Grandma, you totally saw the big picture this time!"
Mrs. Hunt nced at her coldly and cast her eyes down.
After that, the Hunts made arrangements for Justin¡¯s wake.
Nora returned to Justin¡¯s vi. As soon as she entered, she saw the three children looking at her.
Cherry and Pete¡¯s identical faces showed simr anxiety.
Xander tried his best to disguise his concern with indifference, but the way his eyes flicked towards the door from time to time betrayed him.
The moment Nora entered, Cherry ran up to her. She raised her head and asked, "Mommy, is Daddy really dead?"
Faced with the three children and their three pairs of pure and innocent eyes, Nora found herself at a loss for words for a moment.
Suddenly, she felt a little angry. She lowered her head and replied calmly, "No, he just has something to do, so he went out for a while. He will be back in three months at the most."
Xander nced outside the room. Then, he said, "You¡¯re lying!"
"No, she won¡¯t!" Cherry said firmly, "Mommy never lies to me! Mommy said that we mustn¡¯t run away from our difficulties, but face them head-on, so she will never lie. If she says that Daddy isn¡¯t dead, then he¡¯s definitely still alive!"
After saying that, an assured Cherry turned on her game on the cell phone.
Pete and Xander: "..."
The two boys nced at each other, and then looked at Nora in unison.
Nora ruffled their hair and sighed. "Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll go upstairs and change first."
She had to attend the waketer, so she needed to change into formal clothes. She also needed to go upstairs to see what was in the metal box that Justin had "exchanged for with his life". Was it the V16? Or just a clue to its whereabouts?
Although the three children could sense something, they didn¡¯t dare to say anything, so they just nodded.
Nora went upstairs and gave Lily a call. "Are the test results of the bones out?"
Lily spoke very calmly, and her voice sounded very reassuring. She replied, "Yes, it¡¯s out, Boss. The results of the DNAparison with Mr. Hunt¡¯s are..."
Chapter 779: Redirecting Their Troubles!
Chapter 779: Redirecting Their Troubles!
Nora drew the curtains and sat on the sofa, her grip on the phone tightening a little.
The events from the previous night resurfaced before her eyes.
When Justin pushed her out, he¡¯d whispered three words into her ear: "Nora, trust me."
From the moment the man in ck showed up, all the way until she and Justin both appeared in the room where the safe-deposit boxes were, every single second had been too rushed. She and Justin hadn¡¯t said a word to each other at all!
At that moment, she could only put her trust in him, go with the flow, and get out of the room.
After that, she saw the metal box flying out and hid it in her clothes, but when she looked back, Justin was already closing the metal door.
The sound of the bomb going off in the room and the click of the lock on the metal door were like boulders that weighed down on her heart.
He had told her to trust him...
But when Morris and the others carried out the charred body, regardless, she had still been filled with disbelief and unable to rest assured at all.
That was why she had impulsively gone to theb together with the corpse.
After that...
As there weren¡¯t any records of Justin¡¯s DNA in the database, Nora could only get Lily to send over the records of the samples she had taken in the past.
When Lily sent them over, she had hinted to Nora that Sean had changed the DNA records on the way.
At that moment, Nora had be a little relieved.
But she was still worried.
It wasn¡¯t until she returned to the room, answered Lily¡¯s phone call, and heard her say loud and clear, "The DNAparison results show that it¡¯s not Mr. Hunt," that she finally becamepletely relieved!
After hanging up the phone, Nora did not change her clothes right away. Instead, she took out the metal box from her clothes and put it on the coffee table. Then, she sat on the sofa and kept quiet for a very long time.
What exactly was in the metal box no longer mattered to her. What mattered was... what on earth was Justin doing? Why did he fake his death?
Also, why did he prepare a dead body?
Was he the one who had put the bomb in the safe?
What was his purpose in doing this?
Nora couldn¡¯t figure it out at all.
Just as she was pondering over these questions, her cell phone suddenly rang.
She answered the call. Caleb¡¯s voice came from the other end.
"I heard that Mr. Hunt is..."
He paused slightly. Then, he asked, "You... are you okay?"
"I¡¯m fine."
Nora lowered her eyes, her voice calm and t.
Caleb breathed a sigh of relief. Just as he was about to say something, Nora heard someone snatch the phone from him. Trueman¡¯s shrill voice then rang out.
"You¡¯re such a good-for-nothing! That barbarian snatched away the V16 from right under your nose? You¡¯re so useless! No wonder even Justin Hunt died! He deserves it!"
Nora¡¯s grip on her cell phone tightened a little.
Even if she knew that Justin was just faking his death, she still couldn¡¯t help but get a little angry.
But right after, Trueman sneered and said, "My little servant, why don¡¯t we cooperate with each other?"
Nora narrowed her eyes. "Cooperate on what?"
Trueman said, "Like me, Xander only has a little over two months left to live. Let¡¯s cooperate. I will go to the barbarian and take back what your mother had left. If it is a clue, then you will solve it. Once you get the antidote, you are to give me a share of it! I guarantee that I won¡¯t make any more trouble."
Nora balled up her fists tightly. "Why should I trust you?"
Trueman let out a lowugh. "Do you have any option apart from trusting me when you can¡¯t even beat that barbarian in a fight? What else do you have to be so arrogant about when even your husband is dead...? If you want to save Xander, you can only beg me for help!"
Nora hung up on him right away!
She looked at the metal box in front of her again. She seemed to have somewhat understood Justin¡¯s objective this time.
The man in ck alone was already so powerful that neither of them could beat him in a fight, yet he was only one of the five gically-modified humans!
If Trueman, Caleb, and the other two were added to the equation too, how would she possibly be a match for them?
Nora had clearly sensed that she¡¯d already thrown everyone off before she went to the bank.
Yet she had still ended up being tailed by the man in ck. That was why Justin had set up this whole thing¡ªin other words, he was redirecting their troubles elsewhere!
Indeed, even though she had imed that the two of them only went to the bank in the middle of the night because Justin wanted to show her what he¡¯d prepared for their wedding, Trueman andpany all knew that they had gone to the bank for the V16. But now, the situation was that she and Justin had been in "terrible shape and big trouble" when they were facing the man in ck, so they had lost to the man who then stole the V16 from them!
News of this had already started spreading in private among the insiders.
No one would suspect that the V16 was actually still with Nora¡ªafter all, the man in ck had even "killed" Justin! If he hadn¡¯t achieved his objective, would he have spared Nora¡¯s life?
Therefore, he must have taken the V16!
With that, everyone who had been watching Nora would now watch the man in ck instead!
Also, Nora might not know who the man in ck was, but the other four among the five sessfully gically modified children did.
This was Justin¡¯s setup, as well as personal safety that he¡¯d exchanged for with his life!
One could say that his ploy was perfect and seamless...
But where had the man gone? Why hadn¡¯t he contacted her even now?
Moreover!
When the metal door closed and the st of the explosion rang out in the room, did he really have time to retreat into the tunnel safe and intact? Also... the man in ck was gone, so he must also have discovered the tunnel and escaped along with Justin.
Could Justin beat the man in ck? Definitely not...
So, was Justin dead or alive? Was he seriously injured? Was that why he couldn¡¯t get in touch with them?
While Nora¡¯s imagination was running wild, a knock came from the door. Brenda¡¯s voice rang out.
"Nora, I have prepared your outfit for the wake. When... you¡¯re ready,e out and take it!"
Since Justin was "dead", they had set up a wake for him.
A lot of friends and family would being to the wake to pay homage to Justin. As his fianc¨¦e... and the mother of their three children, by right, Nora should be there to attend to the guests.
Nora did not move.
Outside, Brenda called out again. "Nora, can you open the door first? Grandma... has something to tell you."
Mrs. Hunt?
Nora hurriedly hid the metal box again before she walked to the door and opened it.
The door opened to reveal Brenda, who had already changed into a ck formal dress, standing outside with Mrs. Hunt.
Mrs. Hunt¡¯s fingers shook as she nced at Nora. She took a deep breath and said, "To be honest, deep down, I me you for his death."
Nora was taken aback.
Mrs. Hunt said, "Herman may be my son, but Justin is also my grandson! I watched him grow up! It was my wish ever since Justin was a child was for him to manage thepany and I¡¯m also the one who put in the most effort in him! Now that he¡¯s gone, this old woman can¡¯t live on anymore!"
Mrs. Hunt pounded her chest as she spoke.
When she saw her reaction, Nora suddenly understood why Justin had been in such a dilemma back then.
He had continuously allowed Mrs. Hunt to dig her own grave, and then allowed Nora to p the olddy in the face after that. In doing so, his objective was to let her suppress Mrs. Hunt and also to make Mrs. Hunt acknowledge her.
Privately, Joel and Ian had actuallyined about it before. They felt that Justin could have easily just sent Mrs. Hunt away with a few words, yet he¡¯d made her suffer such grievances.
But in this instant, Nora suddenly understood.
The elderly Mrs. Hunt might have made a lot of concessions for the Hunts, but her feelings for Justin were all real.
At the very least, Mrs. Hunt was the most saddened by Justin¡¯s "death" at the moment...
When Nora was thinking, Mrs. Hunt spoke again. She said, "But... I can¡¯t me you for it! Pete is Justin¡¯s son and also the heir to the family. As Pete¡¯s mother, you must pull yourself together! Nora, I know that you grew up in the boonies, but you have impressive medical skills, so you should have been exposed to high-ss events before. Today, you must keep up a presentable front for the family! As forter, I will help you to protect Pete¡¯s Hunt Corporation and personally hand it over to him when he grows up..."
After saying that, Mrs. Hunt looked at her again. She kept quiet for a long while before she finally said, "I dere a temporary... truce between the two of us."
After saying that, she turned and left.
Seeing her staggering footsteps, Nora suddenly stood up straight. This was the first time she felt respect for the olddy from the bottom of her heart.
Despite the multiple twists and turns that the family had faced, she was able to ovee the ordeals no matter what the circumstances.
When her son left, she had supported her grandson to be the heir.
Now that her grandson had left, she was going to support Pete.
In that case, how could she break the olddy¡¯s heart?
For some reason, Justin wasn¡¯t contacting them. In that case, she would protect his home for him until he returned!
With that in mind, Nora locked the door from the inside.
She took out the metal box and opened it.
She would take a look and see what on earth was this thing that everyone was fighting over!
Chapter 780: It Wasn’t Like She Was A Racer!!
Chapter 780: It Wasn¡¯t Like She Was A Racer!!
The breeze blew at the curtains, making them flutter. In the room, Nora¡¯s face alternated between light and dark as the fluttering curtains cast shadows on her.
She stared at the contents of the metal box in astonishment¡ªthere was only a memo, and written on it was Morse code again.
However, she already had the key to Morse code¡¯s umon encryption, so it took her only two minutes to decipher the code on the memo: "Staav University, Archives, No. 004"
"Archives, No. 004"?
What did that mean?
Nora didn¡¯t have time to look up anything. She tossed the metal box under the bed, tore the memo, went into the bathroom, and flushed it down the toilet.
...
Thereafter, as Justin¡¯s fianc¨¦e, Nora helped out at the wake while the three children yed in the vi.
Fatty even peeked at them from the door. When he found that the three of them were ying, he immediately shouted, "Why aren¡¯t you guys crying when your father is dead?"
Cherry was furious. "You¡¯re the one whose father is dead! There¡¯s no way Daddy would die!"
Fatty scoffed, "Why not? They are holding a wake for your father right now! He¡¯s dead! And he¡¯s not gonnae back! The three of you are fatherless children from now on!"
Right after he said that, Xander reached into his pocket and suddenly took out a slingshot. Then, he picked up a pebble, aimed it at Fatty, and fired!
Thud!
The pebble struck Fatty¡¯s mouth urately, making his lip bleed.
Fatty immediately burst into tears and ran away crying. "Boo, the three of them are teaming up and bullying me!"
Cherry: "..."
Xander: "..."
Pete: "..."
¡ª
Three dayster, they buried the body in the cemetery.
The dead were gone, and the living must look forward.
At the wake, no one dared to make things difficult for Nora because Ian and Joel stayed with her the entire time, never leaving her side for even a moment. This also prevented Nora from having a chance to find out what No. 004 of Staav University¡¯s archives was.
It was not until three dayster, after everyone finally dispersed, that she secretly logged on to the Inte and hacked into Staav University¡¯s archives.
It stood to reason that in this era of e-learning, all files should have been digitized so that it would be convenient for people to reviewter on. However, when Nora keyed in the search term "No. 004", red error text appeared on the webpage: "There are no records of the file you are trying to ess."
Nora frowned.
When she was abroad, she had majored in medicine, so she was very familiar with some schools¡¯ quirks. Oftentimes, schools didn¡¯t upload information about the subjects they excelled at and other top-secret information into their electronic database. This was to prevent the information from bingmon knowledge.
Well, that made sense. Given how mysterious the V16 was, why would they digitize information about it and make it convenient for her, a hacker, to steal the form any time she wanted?
Nora rested her chin on her hand and heaved a silent sigh. It seemed that she would have to make a trip to Staav University.
It was just that... How was she going to head there in an inconspicuous and low-key manner?
If she went over so rashly, she would definitely attract the attention of the people tailing her.
Although the man in ck had taken a lot of people¡¯s attention off her, she mustn¡¯t be too willful in her actions.
That night, Nora couldn¡¯t sleep a wink as she mulled over how she could go to the Staav University in Switzend without anyone noticing.
At ten o¡¯clock the next day, she was awakened by an unfamiliar number.
When Nora answered the phone grumpily, a voice came from the other end.
"Ms. Smith, there¡¯s a routine board meeting today. You are the only one who hasn¡¯t arrived yet. May I know how long more you¡¯ll need before you arrive? Is there a traffic jam?"
Nora: "??"
What board meeting was this guy talking about?
As she didn¡¯t speak, the other party went on. "Ms. Smith? S-surely you didn¡¯t forget, right? I told you about it yesterday at the... Since you¡¯re taking over the Hunt Corporation, you¡¯ll have toe over and have a chat with the directors, no matter what."
"..."
Nora finally remembered now. Someone had indeed mentioned it.
Before she could answer, Roger¡¯s voice came from the other end of the call.
"Is my sister-inw still not here yet? Nora has always tended to sleep more, and she always sleeps until noon at home. Justin also indulges her quite a fair bit... You¡¯ll have to get used to it, everyone."
As soon as he said that, some shareholders became unhappy. One of them said, "This is a board meeting! Does she not care about it? She¡¯s too much! Will the Hunt Corporation really be alright if we get such azy person to be the CEO?"
"Yeah, it¡¯s too much that she¡¯s still asleep even at this time!"
Roger heaved another sigh. "... Calm down, everyone. She¡¯s just a young girl after all, she¡¯s not as rough and sturdy as us men. It¡¯s okay even if she sleeps a little more than most."
Nora: "..."
This hypocritical way of talking... She¡¯d really just witnessed the male version of a bitch!
It might seem like he was speaking up for her, but every word of his was sowing discord between her and the others!
Nora took a deep breath and said, "I didn¡¯t forget, I¡¯m in a traffic jam!"
"A traffic jam?"
Roger chuckled. "Nora, you really know how to make excuses, don¡¯t you? Since you say you¡¯re in a jam, then that means you¡¯re already on the way, right? How long will it take you to arrive?"
"I reckon the jam willst for half an hour."
"... So, half an hourter, are you going to say that the jam will continue for another half an hour, Nora? After all, this ce is pretty far from the Hunts¡¯ manor, so it¡¯ll take at least an hour to get here! If that¡¯s the case, then why don¡¯t we disperse first and let you take your time? We can move the morning board meeting to the afternoon instead?"
As soon as he said that, someone said, "I have a meeting with an important client in the afternoon! We already arranged for the meeting to be held today, how can you suddenly reschedule it?"
"That¡¯s right, it¡¯s too irresponsible!"
Before the other party could say anything, Nora said, "If I say I¡¯ll take half an hour, then half an hour is how long I¡¯ll take."
Roger was aggressive. "What if you¡¯re still not here in half an hour?"
"We¡¯ll talk about thatter. I¡¯m driving, I¡¯m hanging up."
After giving him a concise response, she got out of bed in a whoosh, quickly changed, brushed her teeth, and went downstairs.
Brenda followed closely behind her, "Nora, my men just told me something! Roger has been spreading rumors in thepany about howzy you are! He even said that you must still be at home, so you won¡¯t be able to reach even in an hour¡¯s time... It¡¯s toote even if you drive over now!"
Nora got in the car and started it. "Who says it¡¯s toote?"
She sped off with a whoosh right after she spoke.
As Brenda stared at the dust blown into the air by the car, she heaved a silent sigh.
Nora had really been too careless this time.
How could she say that she would be at thepany in half an hour?
No matter what, it would take an hour for anyone to drive to the office from the manor! It wasn¡¯t like she was a racer!
Chapter 781: She’s Here!!! How Embarrassing!
Chapter 781: She¡¯s Here!!! How Embarrassing!
Brenda was anxious but helpless. She could only tell her people on Facebook to support Nora more.
At the same time.
In the conference room of Hunt Corporation.
The room was already in chaos. Everyone was discussing enthusiastically.
Howard sighed. "Everyone, calm down. I just called home. Our family said that Sister-inw has indeed just left. She can¡¯t be here before an hour."
When he said this, everyone instantly became even more furious. "Then why was she lying just now? She said that she would be here in half an hour... Heh, when she arrives at thepany, it¡¯ll already be past 11. It¡¯ll be lunchtime!"
"How could she forget about the meeting? She¡¯s too much!"
"If she really likes to sleep, then she can just sleep at home. Why is sheing here to thepany? Is she here to make trouble? Can she lead our Hunt Corporation forward with just her looks? I really doubt it now!"
"Let¡¯s go! Why are we waiting here?"
These people were all very rich and had their own tempers.
In the past, when Justin was around, he could still suppress them. But now, how could a group of old foxes tolerate a little one like Nora?
Everyone stood up and was about to leave when Hunts¡¯ third uncle said, "Everyone agreed just now to wait for Miss Smith for another half an hour. There are only twenty minutes left. Why don¡¯t we wait and try?"
Then, he looked at Howard. "You said you called home, but why didn¡¯t I receive any news? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re talking nonsense and ndering Nora!"
As soon as he said this, Howard immediately cried out in grievance. "Uncle, you can¡¯t say that about me! How could I possibly nder my own Sister-inw? If you don¡¯t believe me, give our family a call!"
Brenda¡¯s father, the third son of the Hunts, continued, "I won¡¯t call. I won¡¯t pry into the chairman¡¯s whereabouts. This is very rude. I¡¯ll only wait here. When the timees, if she still hasn¡¯te, she¡¯ll give us an exnation!"
When Howard heard this, he instantly waved his hand and suppressed the crowd. "Alright, since Third Uncle has said so, then uncles, please give me face and stay! We¡¯ll just quietly wait for Nora toe over!"
Everyone was a little dissatisfied with Howard¡¯s act.
However, no one spoke much.
After all, after thepany had been through a few baptisms, the people left behind now were either middlemen, people who had never fought as a team, or Justin¡¯s own people.
Although Justin had passed away, thepany had not copsed!
When Howard saw this situation, he blinked at the person behind him. That was his personal secretary. She did not work in Hunt Corporation, so she had not been cleaned up by Justin back then.
At this moment, the secretary said, "Everyone, we¡¯re certain that Miss Smith has just left the house. She definitely won¡¯t be able to reach on time. Since that¡¯s the case, why don¡¯t we discuss if Miss Smith is suitable and if she has the ability to be the chairman?"
Everyone fell silent.
Although everyone was very dissatisfied with Nora beingte, they respected Justin very much.
However, what the secretary said next made everyone waver.
The secretary sighed. "We¡¯re all doing this for the good of Hunt Corporation and President Hunt. Besides, Miss Smith is only acting as the temporary chairman. Her future position belongs to Peter Hunt! If Miss Smith is so reckless and can even bete for a meeting, then will you hand Hunt Corporation¡¯s future to her?"
Her words hit the nail on the head.
In fact, when Justin suddenly passed away, everyone was a little flustered. Over the years, Justin had covered the sky with one hand in thepany.
asionally, when everyone had different opinions, they would earn money as long as they listened to Justin.
It did not matter if they lost money.
As long as they were sincere about thepany, Justin would lose his own money to keep them profitable.
He had this kind of magic power to make people submit to him sincerely!
But now, was Hunt Corporation really going to be managed by a woman who only knew how to sleep?
Everyone began to think.
Third Uncle frowned and scolded, "Is the board of directors¡¯ meeting something a secretary like you can enter as you please? Besides, Justin has only been gone for a few days, and you¡¯re already teaming up to bully his widow?!"
His tone was very heavy as he spoke.
Everyone¡¯s faces heated up.
At this moment, Howard stood out. "Uncle, thepany is not a family business. All family businesses face destruction. This is what Justin said when he was still alive, so he never let anyone favor rtives! This is also why everyone admires him! But now, are you being biased and protecting Nora? Are you really not going to care about thepany¡¯s future?"
Third Uncle sneered. "The future of Hunt Corporation lies with Pete... Peter Hunt! Over the past ten years, our rise has been too fast. Now is the time to calm down and fight steadily! In another fifteen years, when thepany is handed to Peter Hunt, it will be a new beginning!"
Howard sighed. "You want us to stay in the same spot for 15 years? Uncle, you can, but can the directors here do that? Business is like sailing against the current. If we don¡¯t advance, we¡¯ll retreat. Is a million dors from ten years ago the same as a million dors ten yearster? It¡¯s different! The property will depreciate! We can only maintain our current status by constantly improving. Uncle, I know you¡¯re thinking for Justin, but I think, if he was still around, do you think he would hire an employee who¡¯s casuallyte to lead us?!"
Third Uncle mumbled, "Isn¡¯t she just half an hourte?"
"She can¡¯t reach in half an hour. Besides, she¡¯s lying! She clearly just left..."
Howard scolded her. He was about to say something when the door was suddenly pushed open. Nora strode in!
Chapter 782: King!!!
Chapter 782: King!!!
The moment Nora walked in, the entire conference room fell silent.
Howard rubbed his eyes in confusion as if he had seen wrongly. The smile on his face froze.
The servant at home had just said that Nora came out of the house 20 minutes ago. How could she have arrived so quickly? Did she fly over?
When he was stunned, Third Uncle said, "Nora, you¡¯re here! I knew it. How could you have forgotten such an important meeting?! You must have left long ago!"
With that, he said in a low voice, "However, Howard said that you just left the house. I wonder which servant told him that. This isn¡¯t good. You¡¯ve left an impression on us directors that you¡¯rezy!"
Howard knew that he had lost this round.
However, his expression did not change. The smile on his face returned to life as he said, "Yes, yes. I must have made a mistake there! Fortunately, you¡¯ve arrived. Otherwise, these uncles would have waited for you for an hour! Nora, did you sleep tillte this morning? Even if there was a traffic jam, you shouldn¡¯t be half an hourte, right?"
Although Nora arrived within half an hour, it could not change the fact that she waste.
Nora narrowed her eyes slightly. She did not exin and walked straight to the host chair. After sitting down, she said calmly, "I¡¯m sorry I¡¯mte."
These short words inexplicably gave people a sense of security and calmness.
The other shareholders looked at her. At this moment, everyone suddenly had a little confidence in thepany¡¯s future.
At least this woman could really control the situation. In such a tense atmosphere, she could handle the problem easily. It seemed like she had some skills.
Howard¡¯s heavy fists hit cotton and he instantly felt that it was meaningless.
If he continued to talk about her beingte, it would make him look very petty. Therefore, Howard smiled and said, "Nora, it¡¯s okay. We¡¯re family. Let¡¯s start the meeting, okay?"
This person was really petty. Norained in her heart and nodded.
Then, the people below reported their respective projects to her so that she could understand the business quickly.
Nora was multitasking. As she listened, she looked at her special assistant, Mr. Livingstone, who was standing beside her. This was a child from the distant family of Mrs. Hunt. He had already served Mrs. Hunt for more than five years and had always been in contact with her.
This person was very good at managing thepany. He had once been a professional manager and had a good reputation in the industry. This was also the person Mrs. Hunt had worked hard to invite to help Nora run Hunt Corporation!
Logically speaking, he should have reminded Nora that she wasing to the meeting today. After all, as the special assistant, he was responsible for these small matters.
Moreover, Nora had always been carefree. Lily was the one handling the medical matters. Even if Justin was here, he could not possibly remember his daily schedule. It was arranged by the special assistant!
Moreover, Mrs. Hunt had even instructed Mr. Livingstone repeatedly yesterday to get him to help her no matter what. He had to suppress the situation!
But this Mr. Livingstone did not remind her?
At the very least, he should have informed her that she should leave for thepany at 9 o¡¯clock!
Nora thought about this and turned the pen in her hand.
"...President Smith, what do you think we should do with this case? Should we continue or shelve it?"
As she was thinking, the first person finished reporting and asked her about it.
Nora was about to speak when Mr. Livingstone beside her suddenly said, "You should go ahead and do whatever President Hunt advised when he was still around."
Mr. Livingstone stood behind Nora, looking handsome as a special assistant.
With his words, everyone understood.
It seemed like Miss Smith was still just for show. Had she found a professional manager to act for her?
However, that was fine too!
As long as Hunt Corporation continued to develop well.
Everyone thought about this. Next, they faced Nora one by one but actually began reporting to Mr. Livingstone.
Justin had already arranged most of the projects well enough. They could continue ording to his instructions and things he had left behind.
Mr. Livingstone opened his mouth to handle the matter and sized Nora up.
This woman was his new partner.
When Mrs. Hunt called him over to help, he had thought that he was going to be the manager of Hunt Corporation. He did not expect to be her special assistant!
Mr. Livingstone was unwilling.
He was a dignified economist and a doctoral student who had double degrees, but he now had to listen to a young girl around 25 years old?
Therefore, he deliberately did not inform Nora toe for the meeting.
His goal was to make Nora panic after she waste. Then, he woulde and help suppress the situation. That way, in the future, Nora would definitely rely on him excessively.
By then, Nora, this President Smith, would be useless. He would still be the manager of Hunt Corporation!
As Mr. Livingstone thought about this, Howard suddenly said, "Nora, I have some questions. I want to ask you about it."
Nora raised her eyebrows. "What is it?"
Howard said, "When Justin was around, he asked us to prepare some gold reserves. Therefore, when the price of gold increased a while ago, we bought some gold futures. However, Justin misjudged this time. After he got thepany to buy it, the price of gold began to fall. Furthermore, it became worse and worse. Until now, the price has already dropped to two-thirds from when we bought it. Should we quickly dump the gold futures now? Otherwise, the loss will be even greater!"
Nora: "?"
Gold futures? Isn¡¯t that a type of investment bond?
She frowned and before she could speak, Mr. Livingstone was about to speak again. "About that..."
However, before he could finish, Howard suddenly said, "Mr. Livingstone, are you a special assistant or a professional manager? If you¡¯re here to manage thepany, why did you make Norae here? If you¡¯re just a special assistant, aren¡¯t you saying too much today?"
Mr. Livingstone instantly shut his mouth and looked at Nora at the same time.
As a special assistant, it was wrong to interrupt casually. However, if Nora asked, then it would be reasonable for him to answer.
Therefore, he was waiting for Nora to speak. He was also very confident that after Nora witnessed his recent actions, she would definitely open her mouth to beg him.
Howard continued, "Nora?"
Nora: "..."
She rarely paid attention to gold futures. After all, she was not that obsessed with earning money. Who knew when the gold would rise?
What was she going to say about this question?
As she was thinking, a message was sent to the Imperial League group.
[King: Gold will climb crazily in the next three days.]
Chapter 783: King Was Watching Her!
Chapter 783: King Was Watching Her!
Imperial League could only be essed through a special encrypted web page. If one didn¡¯t log in, they wouldn¡¯t be able to see the information inside.
Nora was not interested in economics in the past, so she did not care much about this organization. However, ever since Old Maddy saidst time that he wanted King to support her unconditionally, she had begun to pay attention to Imperial League.
In order to not miss any important info, Nora had written a small program. As long as someone sent a message, she would receive a notification on her phone.
That was why she had received such a message.
Looking at that message, Nora suddenly raised her head and looked around.
Her first reaction was that King was monitoring her. Otherwise, why would the message about the gold be sent directly to her?
Wasn¡¯t this too much of a coincidence?
She had never believed that there were any coincidences in this world.
However, she did not know anyone else in Hunt Corporation. So, what was going on?
She frowned and was in a daze because she could not figure it out.
This behavior created an illusion for Howard, making him misunderstand that Nora did not know anything. He smiled and said, "Nora, I think you don¡¯t know! That¡¯s true. I know this is the decision Justin had made previously. You don¡¯t want to overthrow it, but things have already turned out like this. It¡¯s better for you to face it positively. Besides, this is apany, not a ce for you to be emotional. Nora, I hope you can wake up. My suggestion is to throw away the gold in our hands. Otherwise, if the price of gold continues to fall, you might lose all your capital!"
When Mr. Livingstone heard this, he pursed his lips.
He could tell that among the board of directors, the others were still considered polite and friendly to Nora. However, they were not in so much danger.
Only Howard was troublesome.
However, this was actually a good thing for him. If the people on the board of directors were not like Howard, what was the meaning of his existence?
Therefore, he had to make the atmosphere more tense and create some business conflicts. Only then could Mrs. Hunt and Nora trust him!
Therefore, Mr. Livingstone shut his mouth. He did not speak and nned to act ording to the situation.
Howard made things difficult again. Nora finally came back to her senses from her thoughts. She decided not to think about it anymore. She looked at Mr. Livingstone and saw that his eyes were fixed somewhere else. He did not have the intention to speak at all.
Logically speaking, he should have warned her.
Nora understood something. She pursed her lips and raised her almond-shaped eyes to look at Howard. "There¡¯s no need to throw it away. Futures always rise and fall. It¡¯s normal."
As soon as she finished speaking, Howard sneered. "Normal? The futures in the past never fell by more than a third! If we don¡¯t sell them now, we¡¯ll lose a lot of money! Nora, you don¡¯t know about futures, right? You haven¡¯t bought them before, either. Don¡¯t you know what futures mean? Do you need me to exin it to you?"
Every word was targeted at her.
Noraughed softly. "There¡¯s no need to exin. Although I don¡¯t really understand, let me ask you, when Justin was around, did he ever make a wrong decision?"
Everyone shut their mouths.
Justin was a business genius, and he did not lose money doing business. Thepany lost a few projects, but they were the ones who insisted on doing them, not Justin. Sometimes, Justin would give them face and let them do it, which was why they lost money.
This resulted in losses and wins on the ount. But actually, Justin was brilliant on his own and had never lost money!
When Howard heard this, he was also stumped. However, his eyes darted around and he said with a smile, "Nora, Justin is a business genius. We don¡¯t deny it. Over the years, the Hunts have indeed climbed a few steps under his lead. However, the futures have indeed changed a lot in the past few years. Furthermore, gold has started to fall rapidly these past few days. If Justin was still around, the losses would have stopped long ago... Sigh!"
With that, he revealed a fake look of sadness.
Nora lowered her eyes. "Yes, let¡¯s leave it like this!"
With that, she did not give Howard time to speak again. She looked at the others and said, "It¡¯s a project set by Justin. You don¡¯t have to ask anymore what to do. It¡¯s gettingte. Everyone, leave your projects behind and go have lunch!"
Actually, the board of directors meeting today was to let Nora meet everyone.
There was no need to say everything.
Moreover, with the words Nora said to Howard earlier, everyone thought of Justin¡¯s glorious achievements and did not dare to speak anymore, so they all stood up. "Okay!"
Everyone handed the project books they had sorted out to Nora and left one after another.
A thick stack of information quickly appeared in front of Nora.
After everyone left, Howard stood up with a smile. He had long been marginalized by Justin and was only responsible for buying some gold futures.
Howard said, "Nora..."
"In thepany, please call me President Smith." Nora interrupted him. "This is not a family business. We¡¯re only business associates here, not family."
"..."
He lowered his eyes. "Okay, President Smith. I advise you to take the gold futures seriously. You might not know how much Hunt Corporation has bought. It¡¯s not a small investment worth a few hundred thousand dors or a few millions... It¡¯s tens of millions of dors!"
Nora raised her eyebrows. "I understand."
Seeing her calm demeanor, Howard did not know what to say and could only leave angrily.
After he left, Nora stood up, picked up the stack of documents, and walked out.
Mr. Livingstone followed behind her. He wanted to say something, but Nora said directly, "You don¡¯t have toe tomorrow."
She did not want such an assistant!
And when it came to assistants...
Where was Lawrence?
Why did Lawrence disappear after Justin faked his death?
For some reason, she suddenly had a bad feeling.
Sean was still in thepany, but he had always been in charge of the outside world. Lawrence was in charge of Justin¡¯s internal matters. Logically speaking, since he had faked his death, Justin would definitely let Lawrencee back. Had something happened to him?
She thought of that explosion again.
Nora was suddenly vexed. She simply hugged the stack of documents and returned home.
After she left, Howard walked out of the room and sneered at her back.
This time, Nora was definitely going to lose!
This was because Justin had asked him to buy 15 million dors worth of gold back then, but he had secretly changed it to 80 million! The other 65 million were for him alone.
Justin had sharp eyes and had always been good at reading things.
However, Justin was no longer around. There was no evidence. It was up to him to decide if he had helped thepany buy 15 million or 80 million!
Therefore, two days ago, when the gold began to fall rapidly, he had transferred the 65 million dors worth of gold that he had bought personally to thepany.
Fortunately, it would only be thepany that made a loss.
He had also made up for his loss from thepany.
If it fell again, it would drop by more than half.
If that was the case, Nora could not afford to lose 40 to 50 million!
This had nothing to do with him. He had suggested throwing it out at the meeting today. It was Nora who did not listen, so... he was waiting to see Nora make a fool of herself!!
Chapter 784: Genius? Slap Her in the Face?
Chapter 784: Genius? p Her in the Face?
Nora hurriedly drove back home. After getting out of the car hugging thepany¡¯s project books, she went straight to the study room.
After cing the books on the table, she picked up her phone and looked around before calling Justin.
This was the first time she had taken the initiative to look for him since the incident.
However, when she dialed the number, the automated tone reminded her, "The number you have dialed is unreachable."
That made sense. The phone had been destroyed in the explosion. After all, Justin¡¯s belongings had been found beside the corpse.
Therefore, it was reasonable that she could not find him on the other end of the line.
Nora could not help but start to think again. Where did Justin go?
Just as her thoughts were running wild, the door was pushed open. Following that, the heads of the three little fellows appeared at the door. Cherry blinked herrge eyes and said in a childish voice, "Mommy, are you thinking of Daddy?"
"... I suppose," replied Nora.
When Pete heard this, he said, "Mommy, didn¡¯t you say Daddy just has something to do? He¡¯ll be back soon."
Nora held her chin. "But there is so much work. My head hurts too!"
Xander immediately craned his neck to take a look and said, "Is there too much work? It would be good if someone helped you share the burden."
Cherry immediately said, "Mommy, let Pete and Xander help you!"
Xander took the opportunity to say, "Yes, let Pete help you!"
Pete and Cherry looked at him at the same time, their identical faces filled with confusion.
"Why Pete?"
"Why me?"
Xander scoffed. "Of course it¡¯s because Hunt Corporation will be yours in the future. Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t understand. The tyrant won¡¯te back. Mommy is helping you work! So, you should be the one doing it!"
Pete: "!!"
However, Cherry was still nodding her head vigorously. "Xander, you¡¯re right!"
"..."
Xander patted Pete¡¯s shoulder. "Go on, don¡¯t be afraid. It¡¯s just like your Math Olympiad questions."
"..."
How could these business matters be the same as the Math Olympiad?!
Were they as difficult as Math Olympiad?!
Pete nced at Xander in disdain before walking silently to Nora¡¯s side. "Mommy, I¡¯ll do it."
Nora: "??"
She was already stunned by the three children¡¯s conversation.
What the heck was this?
Were they really only five years old?
After their intelligence and genes were improved, they could be so spectacr?!
Pete climbed into the chair. His small hand grabbed the first project and opened it to read.
Nora could not help but ask, "Pete, do you... understand?"
Pete nodded. "Yes. Actually, Daddy often let me see these in the past. It¡¯s just that these are too dry and boring. I still like the Math Olympiad more."
"..."
Nora remembered. She had once asked Justin what Pete was good at. Justin¡¯s original words were: "He¡¯s a business genius!"
Now, she finally understood what this meant!
She grimaced and decided to stand up and give him her desk.
Pete counted the projects. "Mommy, you guys should go and rest first. It will probably take six to seven hours to finish reading these."
"..."
Faced with such an impressive and crazy son, Nora felt that she should get used to it.
She sat on the sofa beside him.
Cherry and Xander sat obediently beside her.
This was the scene Mrs. Hunt saw when she entered.
Her little great-grandson was reading some documents.
The woman sat on the sofa and emptied her mind to Cherry and Xander. The scene was simply tragic.
Mrs. Hunt¡¯s expression changed as she asked, "Why did you fire Mr. Livingstone?"
Nora replied, "Did hein to you?"
Mrs. Hunt frowned. "Mr. Livingstone is the best manager in New York. You don¡¯t know anything about business. If you fire Mr. Livingstone, what will you do next?"
Nora lowered her eyes. "Don¡¯t worry. Thepany is fine."
"Are you okay? Why do I hear that Howard is fighting with you? Howard is now spreading the news that you won¡¯t let him throw away the gold futures. He even said that he¡¯ll lose 50 million dors to thepany as soon as he takes over! Although Hunt Corporation doesn¡¯t care about 50 million, if word gets out that you¡¯re acting like this a day after taking over, they¡¯ll only say that you¡¯re incapable!"
Ever since Mrs. Hunt temporarily reconciled with her, Nora knew that she was really doing this for the Hunts.
After Justin¡¯s funeral, this old woman had visibly lost some weight.
Since she was so sad, Nora could not bear to let her continue to be on tenterhooks for her. She said, "Don¡¯t worry. I have information from a reliable channel here. Gold prices will rise."
Mrs. Hunt frowned, not trusting her. "What channel?"
King¡¯s existence could not be revealed to the outside world.
Therefore, Nora could only say, "A friend."
"A friend?"
Mrs. Hunt sighed. "It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust you. It¡¯s just that if you had such channels, you would have made a killing long ago, right?"
Nora: "..."
She only cared about sleeping and did not take the opportunity to earn money.
The corners of her mouth twitched. Just as she was about to speak, Mrs. Hunt said again, "Is your friend really reliable? Don¡¯t be fooled. They have a lot of traders in this industry. They invested 80 million this time, it¡¯s not a small sum!"
Nora said calmly, "Don¡¯t worry. He¡¯s reliable."
Mrs. Hunt still did not believe her.
Mr. Livingstone, who was following behind Mrs. Hunt, said, "Miss Smith, I know you want to establish your power, so you¡¯re anxious, but I have a lot of information here. The gold market has been too turbulent recently. It¡¯s indeed not good. Fighting Howard with the gold market like this is like ying with a knife in a sea of fire. It¡¯s too dangerous! I suggest you listen to Howard and dump your investment. Even if the gold prices really increaseter, it¡¯s still Howard¡¯s fault! Why do you do this?"
When Nora heard this, she looked at him. "Your information is not very reliable."
Mr. Livingstone was instantly furious. "Impossible! Miss Smith, you¡¯ve always been studying in the medical world, so you might not understand the rtionship between us businessmen. It¡¯s all built on interests. There are only interests between us. In order to obtain this information, I have paid a big sum! How much did you pay? Or how much did you give?"
Nora: "??"
From her expression, she knew that Nora did not give anything.
Mr. Livingstone sneered. "Why don¡¯t we make a bet?! If you lose, then you have to listen to me from now on! If you win, I¡¯ll resign!"
Chapter 785: Mrs. Hunt’s Spirit
Chapter 785: Mrs. Hunt¡¯s Spirit
Since Mr. Livingstone had said such harsh words, Mrs. Hunt instantly trusted his judgment more. She stood out and said, "Alright, listen to Mr. Livingstone on this matter. Nora, I know you also want to help the Hunts and even more so help Pete protect the Hunts, but you have to keep your eyes open and not let others find any loopholes. It¡¯s best not to trust your so-called friend so easily."
Mrs. Hunt said to Mr. Livingstone, "Don¡¯t lower yourself to her level. Saying that you want to resign is just an angry remark. Don¡¯t worry, Nora has neglected you this time. I¡¯ll pay you double."
When Mr. Livingstone heard this, he nodded. "Alright! Then now, Miss Smith, follow Howard¡¯s thoughts and throw out the gold investment. That¡¯s the best choice!"
Nora listened to their conversation and smiled. She knew that Mrs. Hunt had always looked down on her.
Even though she had pped her face frequently, Mrs. Hunt still felt that Nora had grown up in the countryside and did not know anything.
Therefore, as a result, she also looked down on her "friend."
Nora lowered her head.
After a moment, she looked up with a stern gaze. "No."
She only said one word, but it showed her displeasure very clearly!
Mr. Livingstone frowned tightly. He was so angry that his fingers were trembling as he pointed at Nora.
He had really spent a lot of money to get some information about the global gold price from Wall Street. This was also the capital he nned to use to control Nora this time.
But why was this woman so stubborn?!
He flung his sleeves in anger. "Miss Smith, if you don¡¯t throw it away, then wait to lose! Besides, Roger happened to catch your pigtail. Your future doesn¡¯t look bright!"
Mrs. Hunt was also anxious. She hit the ground with her walking stick and said, "Nora! I trust you because you¡¯re Pete¡¯s biological mother, but don¡¯t be overconfident! I know that you have good medical skills and might have some powerful connections, but you¡¯re not a businessman. You don¡¯t know the twists and turns here at all! I think that so-called friend of yours is also a bad friend! You can¡¯t trust himpletely!"
Bad friend?
Nora sneered and sat on the sofa behind her. Then, she said, "Mrs. Hunt, I respect you as Justin¡¯s grandmother, so I¡¯m still being polite to you. But actually, I haven¡¯t gotten married to Justin yet. Legally, I have nothing to do with him. I advise you to be more polite!"
Mrs. Hunt was furious. "Polite? If I didn¡¯t support you, how could you be in this position? You¡¯re simply killing the donkey after it¡¯s outlived its usefulness!"
Nora raised her eyebrows. "Say whatever you want, but I¡¯m the one in charge of thepany now! So, stop talking nonsense. I won¡¯t throw away this gold! Alright, I¡¯m going to sleep with the three children. Please!"
"Sleep?"
Mrs. Hunt was even more surprised and anxious. She looked at Nora in disbelief. "It has alreadye to this, but you still want to sleep? How can you sleep? Don¡¯t you care about the Hunts at all?"
Nora could not be bothered to speak anymore.
It was indeed difficult to change opinions. After all, prejudice was difficult to correct.
With this in mind, she stood up and walked to the door to open it. "Please."
"..."
They were both from wealthy and respectable families. If Nora was so rude, Mr. Livingstone would definitely lose face. He said angrily, "Okay, okay! Miss Smith, don¡¯t me me for not warning you when you have topensate me! Don¡¯t cry and beg me toe back! I¡¯m not returning!"
With that, he turned and left.
Mrs. Hunt hurriedly followed behind Mr. Livingstone. "Mr. Livingstone? Mr. Livingstone?"
After the two of them left, Nora closed the door with a bang. Only then did she sigh silently.
It was finally quiet.
She walked straight to the bed and climbed up. She closed her eyes and fell asleep.
¡ª
In the courtyard.
In the end, Mrs. Hunt caught up to Mr. Livingstone, who had no intention of leaving.
They were all managers, but who could be the manager of such a bigpany like the Hunts? This was almost every manager¡¯s dream!
He made such a fuss with Nora just to stay!
Mr. Livingstone deliberately slowed down. Sure enough, he waited until Mrs. Hunt caught up. "Don¡¯t go. Nora is young and insensible. Don¡¯t take her words to heart!"
Mr. Livingstone pretended to be proud. "Mrs. Hunt, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to help. With your order, I resigned from my current job and ran here. But as you can see, I¡¯m really unfortunate to have such an arrogant boss! I really can¡¯t be the special assistant of the Hunt Corporation!"
Mrs. Hunt frowned. "Mr. Livingstone, look. Why don¡¯t I give you five times your sry?"
Mr. Livingstone shook his head. "It¡¯s not about the sry. It¡¯s just that if Miss Smith keeps going against me and doesn¡¯t listen to me, even if I can create a n to raise the Hunts to the heavens, she won¡¯t follow it. Sigh!"
Mrs. Hunt sighed. "She¡¯s young and has never held such an important position. There are so many people at home who are eying her covetously..."
After Mrs. Hunt said this, she thought of Hunt Corporation and Justin. Her chest started to hurt.
Her eyes were red. "Don¡¯t fuss about it with her. How about this? I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything else we can do about the gold. Let her suffer this! At the same time, I¡¯ll let her know how powerful you are. She¡¯ll be obedient in the future!"
Mr. Livingstone frowned. "But if she doesn¡¯t listen to me this time, she¡¯ll have to bear the consequences. At that time, her prestige in thepany will drop. How can I help her then?"
Mrs. Hunt lowered her head. "Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll make up for the 50 million loss!"
This sentence made Mr. Livingstone¡¯s eyes widen as he said in disbelief, "What?"
"I¡¯ll make it up." Mrs. Hunt said firmly, "I have 300 million in cash. If thepany pursues the matter, I¡¯ll make it up to them. Justin is the one who bought the gold, it has nothing to do with her. Please don¡¯t lower yourself to her level, Mr. Livingstone."
When Mr. Livingstone heard that 50 million dors could be taken out by Mrs. Hunt easily, he was even more tempted.
Hepromised. "Alright, Miss Smith is really lucky. You¡¯re so good to her, sigh!"
"..."
After Mr. Livingstone left, Mrs. Hunt stood there and sighed silently.
Fanny stood behind her and said, "Mrs. Hunt..."
Mrs. Hunt sighed. "In the past, I listened to the old man and ced Justin as the leader. However, after Justin left, I realized that humans still have feelings for each other... The only thing I can do for him is to protect the woman and children he loves the most..."
Chapter 786: No Shortage of Money!
Chapter 786: No Shortage of Money!
When Fanny heard what she said, her eyes reddened and tears almost fell from her eyes.
She looked at Mrs. Hunt. "Ma¡¯am..."
A faltering Mrs. Hunt continued walking to her residence. She said, "Humans are never content with what they have. When he was around, I not only wanted him to make concessions for the sake of thepany but even wanted him to enter a political marriage. He expanded thepany step by step into what it is today all because he loved his grandma, but you know what? Justin¡¯s dream wasn¡¯t to be a bossy CEO because he is a romantic at heart. I¡¯m the one who shackled him here with my love for him... During thest two days, I have thought a lot and realized that many things I did were wrong. If I could do it all over again, I¡¯d want him to just be alive and happy... What¡¯s the use of expanding thepany into such a big and powerful one when he isn¡¯t even here anymore?"
With a sigh, she left Justin¡¯s vi and slowly walked to her own.
After she entered the vi, she felt rather panicked and short of breath.
Fanny brought her the Zabe Corporation¡¯s Calming Pills. After taking one, she stared at the pills. Atst, she sighed and said, "Never mind, I¡¯ll just pay back what I owe Justin to that woman instead!"
After saying that and taking the medicine, the difort in Mrs. Hunt¡¯s chest was alleviated and she felt a lot better. Only then did she lie down and go to sleep.
The next day, Mrs. Hunt woke up with a start.
After she opened her eyes, she looked at Fanny and asked, "What time is it?"
Fanny looked at the time. "It¡¯s only seven o¡¯clock."
"What time does the stock market open?"
"Nine o¡¯clock."
Mrs. Hunt breathed a sigh of relief. She got out of bed and slowly started to wash up. Just like that, she slowly passed the time until it was nine o¡¯clock. At nine o¡¯clock, she looked at Fanny, only to see her expression changing greatly when she picked up the phone and took a nce at it.
Mrs. Hunt¡¯s heart sank at once. Sure enough, the next moment, Fanny said, "The gold price yesterday was $45 per gram, but it has dropped to $32 per gram..."
Mrs. Hunt broke into a huge frown.
Justin had acquired the gold at nearly $63 per gram. With this, it had be a 50% loss for them!
In other words, it was a loss of nearly 40 million dors!
Mrs. Hunt felt as if her heart was being tightly squeezed. Her cell phone rang at this time. When she answered, Mr. Livingstone¡¯s voice reached her.
"Mrs. Hunt, have you seen the gold price? My friend didn¡¯t lie to me! It¡¯s the end of the line for gold futures, we¡¯ve already suffered a loss of 40 million dors! If this continues, we will really incur a loss of 50 million dors!"
Mrs. Hunt took a deep breath and looked at Fanny. "What is Nora doing right now?"
Fanny replied weakly, "I just called Mr. Hunt¡¯s vi. The butler said... he said... that Ms. Smith is still asleep, and that she has forbidden them from waking her up unless it¡¯s a matter of life and death."
Mrs. Hunt: "..."
She felt like her heart condition had gotten even worse. She took a deep breath, yet she felt as if she could neither expel that breath of air nor force it back down. It was stuck in her chest, making it feel terribly stuffy and ufortable.
After hanging up Mr. Livingstone¡¯s phone call, Mrs. Hunt got onto her feet with Fanny¡¯s help. She said, "Come on! Let¡¯s go and wake her up!"
"To sell the gold?" Fanny asked.
"No, we¡¯re not selling it anymore." Mrs. Hunt said firmly, "We¡¯ll lose 40 million dors if we sell it now. Even if we wait a while longer, the most we will lose is just 50 million dors. After all, it¡¯s not like gold prices will ever fall to zero. There¡¯s no real difference between 40 million and 50 million dors anyway, so let¡¯s not make her p herself in the face."
Fanny held the olddy¡¯s arm and looked at her faltering appearance. "Then you¡¯re going over because...?"
"I¡¯m going to wake her up!"
Mrs. Hunt tapped her walking stick against the floor. "Even if she¡¯s just all form and no function, she still has to behave the way she should be behaving! Which family¡¯s matriarch sleeps in every day? Besides, how can anyone even sleep for twelve hours a day?! Her health will eventually suffer if she stays in bed like that every day!"
Fanny nodded.
To be honest, she¡¯d wanted to bring this up a long time ago¡ªshe had never seen anyone aszy as Nora! She could sleep for more than twelve hours a day? She must be hiding in her room and secretly ying with her cell phone instead, right?!
The pair arrived at Justin¡¯s vi.
Mrs. Hunt walked up to the door and knocked.
Nora was extremely grouchy after being awakened, but when she saw that it was Mrs. Hunt, she didn¡¯t say anything.
Mrs. Hunt stood where she was and reprimand her with gusto. "Can you open your eyes? It¡¯s already nine, yet you¡¯re still asleep?! Do you know that gold prices have reached another new low?!"
Nora yawned. "... Oh."
Mrs. Hunt: "..."
She felt like she was about to suffer a heart attack!
Just how unconcerned about the matter was she?!
Mrs. Hunt took a deep breath. Only then did she speak again. "Nora, I¡¯m really not trying to scold you, but can you stop being sozy? I have never seen a woman aszy as you! From now on, you will get up at eight... no, you must get up at six every morning and exercise!"
Nora: "?"
Exercise?
Just as she found herself somewhat puzzled, Mrs. Hunt said, "No matter what, you must make sure you stay alive for a while longer! I don¡¯t have that many years left to keep Petepany, so you¡¯ll have to keep himpany for a few more years!"
Nora: "..."
She wanted to say that she would be able to live a few more years if she gave her a few more hours of sleep.
If she slept only eight hours a day, she would totally die right in front of her!
But when she saw how Mrs. Hunt¡¯s chest was heaving up and down intensely, she slowly swallowed the words back down.
She must have been pretty furious with her the day before.
The olddy sure was a pain.
Nora heaved a silent sigh and very reluctantly replied, "Okay, I suppose."
If she wanted her to get up at 6 AM, then she would just go to sleep at 6 PM.
Just as the thought shed by her mind, a check appeared in front of her.
Nora looked at Mrs. Hunt in confusion. "This is?"
"It¡¯s a check for 50 million dors. If you don¡¯t want to sell the gold, then don¡¯t. If the directors make things difficult for you at the meeting, then just make up for the loss with this money."
After she spoke, Mrs. Hunt turned and walked off. "Did I owe you something in myst life or what?! Why do I have to pay for your mistake? I really don¡¯t know what kind of sheer dumb luck you have to be able to date Justin and even have three children with him..."
Upon hearing her babbling, Nora lowered her head.
Suddenly, her lips curled into a smile.
The olddy was actually pretty cute.
She looked down at the check in her hand. Originally, she wanted to go after Mrs. Hunt and return it to her, but after a moment¡¯s thought, she decided against it, lest the olddy not only got angry with her but also distrusted her.
In any case, gold prices would be rising in another two days. She would just show her the truth then. Surely that would do, right?
While she was thinking about it, the butler came to report something to her. He said, "Ms. Smith, Mrs. Smith called just now to ask if you are awake."
Mrs. Smith...?
Nora took a while to realize that he was referring to Tanya, Joel¡¯s wife.
Nora nodded. "Yeah."
Half an hourter, Tanya came with a check, which she handed to her. She said, "Joel told me to pass this to you. He also said, ¡¯80 million dors? What¡¯s the big deal? I¡¯ll even take care of the capital and let Nora throw the money onto the table at the board meeting! The Smiths are in no way short of money!¡¯"
Nora: "???"
Chapter 787: A Commercial Conspiracy?
Chapter 787: A Commercial Conspiracy?
Nora was a little surprised.
Mrs. Hunt gave her money only because she had never believed in her "friends", but wasn¡¯t Joel in the Imperial League? Didn¡¯t he see what King said in the group?
King had already said in the group that gold prices would rise in the future. He should have be aware of it after seeing the message, so why was he still giving her money?
Suddenly, Nora thought of something and she looked straight at Tanya. She asked, "I see. What about Dad?"
Tanya replied, "Dad has been paying a lot of attention recently to what is happening to you but he didn¡¯t offer to give you any money this time. When I bumped into him while I was on my way here today, he didn¡¯t mention anything about it, either. I reckon it probably didn¡¯t ur to him? Is the money not enough? I still have some, and so does Joel. How much more do you need?"
Now that Joel was Ian¡¯s son, Tanya had also be his daughter-inw.
Therefore, she also addressed Ian as Dad now.
Upon hearing what Tanya said, Nora suddenly understood.
As it turned out, Ian was still using that ount? Didn¡¯t he already give it to Joel? Why did he take it back? Honestly...
With that in mind, Nora cast her eyes down and slowly asked, "How is Joel doingtely?"
At her question, Tanya nced at Nora. A momentter, she finally sighed and said, "Actually, there¡¯s something I don¡¯t know whether I should say or not."
Nora replied, "Is there still anything the two of us shouldn¡¯t be saying to each other?"
The two were already close friends when they were still in Switzend.
Now that Tanya was with Joel, she was leading a blissful and happy life. Coupled with how much of a cutie Mia was, even her firecracker-like temper had significantly changed for the better.
She had always been a straightforward woman, though, so she simply decided toe straight out and say it. She said, "To be honest, Joel¡¯s rtionship with Dad did be a little delicate after your return. Dad had given all of his shares of thepany to Joel, but now that you¡¯re back, Joel often says that everything that the Smiths own should have been yours."
Just as Nora was about to speak, Tanya sighed and went on. "But Dad said that you arezy and don¡¯t like taking care of such things, so he wants Joel to continue taking care of thepany. You should also know that the management of a family business requires absolute control inpany shares, so this led to Dad having to give him 51% of the shares. Dad only had 70% of the shares, so he can only give you 19% now. Because of this, Joel keeps saying that you¡¯re at too much of a disadvantage, so he has decided that for as long as he¡¯s alive, he will give you half of all the dividends he receives."
Nora: "!"
He really didn¡¯t have to.
She was fine as long as she had enough to spend. What would she need that much money for?
She refused her right away. "No, it¡¯s fine. I will set up my bank ount to reject the funds."
Nora¡¯s way of doing things had always been direct and decisive.
Tanya covered her mouth andughed. Compared to before, she had really be much gentler. At the sight, Nora couldn¡¯t help but remark, "Justugh if you want to. What are you covering your mouth for?"
Tanya rolled her eyes. Then, she said emotionally, "Nora, do you know? I have always thought that people¡¯s rtionships with one another are predestined and everyone we meet will surely impart to us a little knowledge. In Mia¡¯s case, she taught me how to be gentle. How would I possibly dare to be loud when I speak to her? Before I knew it, even the way Iugh became a lot gentler!"
"..."
Nora agreed with her, though.
Since she was a child, she had always beenzy and had never thought about having children at all. Who would have known that she would be pregnant all of a sudden and even give birth to three at one go...
No matter howzy and unwilling tomunicate with others she was, with Cherry the little chatterbox sucking up to her all day long, before she knew it, even she had started to talk more.
She felt that she had talked more to Cherry than she ever did during the first twenty years of her life.
While she was thinking, Tanya got back to business. She said, "I knew you wouldn¡¯t want it, so Joel said that he has thought of a way to make it up to you!"
A way to make it up to her?
"What is it?" Nora asked.
Tanya pursed her lips and replied, "That¡¯s something top-secret among the Smiths, so how would I know? In any case, he told me not to worry."
"...Oh."
She handed the check back to Tanya. "When you¡¯re back, tell Joel that gold prices will rise in two days. If he¡¯s interested, he can also buy some."
Tanya didn¡¯t really understand, but she was a messenger between the two, so she took back the check and said, "Okay, I¡¯ll tell him."
Then, she got up and left.
It wasn¡¯t until she stepped out of the Hunts¡¯ manor that Tanya suddenly realized something.
Because of what had happened to Justin, her heart had been very heavy when she came. She wanted to keep Norapany as much as she could, yet she also had to restrain herself and make sure that she didn¡¯t bring up Justin, lest it saddened Nora.
But as she chatted with Nora, upon seeing that she was in such a good state of mind andpletely didn¡¯t look like she had just lost her beloved, she forgot all about the matter.
It wasn¡¯t until she left that she finally remembered.
However...
Wasn¡¯t Nora in a little too good of a condition?
As she thought so, she shook her head slightly, suppressed her doubts, and went back to the Smiths.
¡ª
After seeing Tanya off, without having any time to wonder what Joel was referring to that was more important thanpany shares, Nora went straight to the Hunt Corporation.
Now that she was the CEO of the Hunt Corporation, she couldn¡¯t stay at home and sleep in every day anymore.
In addition, she had to take care of all thepany matters and get everything on the right track as soon as possible. Only then would she be able to leave and look for the V16!
When Nora arrived at thepany in the car, the surrounding employees all looked at her and started pointing and gesturing at her.
The moment she arrived at her office, Roger invited himself in. At the sight of Nora, he sighed silently and said, "Nora, didn¡¯t I already tell you to sell the gold futures? Yet you simply refuse to listen! Well, look at how we¡¯ve made even more losses now!"
Nora lowered her head. "Mmhmm."
Roger hadn¡¯t closed the door when he entered, deliberately letting the people in the secretarial department outside hear what he was about to say.
"Nora, I know you are rich, and I also know that Grandma gave you 50 million dors. But it¡¯s thepany that¡¯s losing money here! You have enough money to support your willfulness, but what about thepany¡¯s shareholders? And these employees in thepany too. What are they supposed to do?"
Nora frowned and replied, "I will bear all the losses. I will also give the shareholders and employees an exnation, you don¡¯t have to worry about it."
Before he came, Roger had already guessed as much that she would say that, so he immediately acted like he was painstakingly trying to persuade and talk sense into her.
"Nora, I know you are rich. Even if you use up all of Grandma¡¯s 50 million dors aspensation, you still can get money from the Smiths. At the worst, you can evenpensate for the losses with Justin¡¯s money, but don¡¯t you know that you are just eating into your savings by doing that? You will empty your savings one day! Besides, with the way you¡¯re behaving, how are you going to give the people in the Hunt Corporation any hope? Do you know that everyone in thepany has been feeling jittery and uneasy since Justin¡¯s ident? In fact, there are even rumors going about outside that the Hunt Corporation is about to lose its position as the number onepany in America!"
Nora: "?"
Roger continued. "Over the years, the Hunts and the Smiths have been vying for the top spot in America. From the start, the twopanies¡¯ profits have been more or less the same. If you make losses in a few projects, it may lead to a change in our position. Do you really want to see that happen?!"
"..."
Everyone said that the Smiths and the Hunts werepeting and fighting with each other, but from Nora¡¯s perspective, the twopanies had always been doing business in a mutually beneficial manner. It was fine as long as both made money, why bother caring about who earned more?
Whether it was Joel, Justin, or even Ian, they had never thought aboutpeting for top spot and whatnot. On the contrary, these empty des were all given by outsiders.
As a Hunt, it went without saying that Roger understood that.
Yet he¡¯d still voiced such a ludicrous question¡ªespecially when his question caught the attention of those outside.
Through the door, Nora could see that everyone in the secretarial department had pricked up their ears to hear how she was going to answer!
In addition, before she could answer, Roger was already starting to set up a trap for her. He said, "No, wait. Nora, you¡¯re a Smith, so you must favor the Smiths instead! I see, so that¡¯s how it is! ... Even though you¡¯ve borne Justin three children, you¡¯re still a Smith! And your daughter is also a Smith! Even after she and Justin acknowledged each other as father and daughter, she didn¡¯t change herst name all this time!"
Roger suddenly thought of something and he even said, "I get it now, I¡¯ve finally figured it out! I have been perplexed about why you refuse to cut our losses despite gold prices clearly plummeting day by day. As it turns out, you were lying in wait for that!"
Nosy and gossipy secretaries would send news of their dispute to the group chats. Thus, Roger¡¯s words were like a thunderbolt that bombarded the hearts of all the employees of the Hunt Corporation.
Everyoneunched into a discussion in the group chat.
"Is Ms. Smith¡¯s heart really not in here?"
"Surely it¡¯s not that bad? After all, the two families have already allied with each other through a political marriage. They even have children!"
"Friend, Ms. Smith and Mr. Hunt are just engaged, they are not married yet! Legally, Ms. Smith is not Mr. Hunt¡¯s wife yet!"
"Oh my god! Now that you¡¯ve put it that way, I¡¯m suddenly starting to form a conspiracy theory here... No, no, surely not? Is Ms. Smith actually here to harm us? Will apany as big as the Hunt Corporation really go out of business?"
"I feel so anxious! Will theyy off staff? Will I beid off? I¡¯m already middle-aged! If I lose this job, I won¡¯t be able to find a better job at all!"
"..."
"..."
Everyone was specting. For a while, all the employees in thepany panicked.
The local media also reported the incident and it made headlines in business news. For a while, everyone was discussing it on the Inte as well as in real life.
The focus of their discussion was:
In order to take the top spot in the country, the Smiths were stooping too low!
Nora also came under fire on the Inte:
"I¡¯ve suddenly understood the Smiths¡¯ ploys. The way wealthy families manipte people is really so sinister! Oh gosh, how scary!"
"Nora? She¡¯s the top socialite, right? So, the way to rout the enemy is to bear him a child, then inherit his business and bring down hispany?"
Some reporters also cornered Nora and asked her for her opinion on the matter.
Nora merely looked at the camera and said a few words.
"In two days, I will tell you the answer."
Chapter 788: It’s Time For Some Face-Slapping!
Chapter 788: It¡¯s Time For Some Face-pping!
That one line of Nora¡¯s immediately went under analysis by everyone, who then posted it on the Inte.
Some people¡¯s interpretations were:
"She¡¯ll give us an answer in two days? Gold prices will probably hit a new low in two days! When that happens and the Smiths be the most profitablepany of the year, she¡¯ll then announce her break with the Hunts?"
"Friend, are you kidding? Her children can already inherit the Hunts¡¯ property. What will remain of Ms. Smith if she breaks off ties with them? That bit of dividends from the Smiths?"
"Now that you¡¯ve mentioned the dividends, won¡¯t the Smiths give Ms. Smith the position of sessor? After all, everyone knows that the current head of the Smiths is the previous head¡¯s nephew!"
"Haha, I am a Smith Corporation employee. I can tell you very clearly that Ian Smith has already transferred thepany shares to Joel Smith, so he now has 51% of the shares, which gives him absolute control over thepany. The previous head only gave Ms. Smith 10 of the shares, so all your spections are nonsense!"
"You¡¯re from the Smith Corporation? Then can you tell me if yourpany and the Hunt Corporation have really been in apetitive rtionship all these years?"
"Of course we are! We are not onlypeting with them on the outside but also internally. Every project always has two teams studying and developing it. Onlypetition can motivate a person¡¯s most primitive passion, but as far as I know, the Smith Corporation does not care about things like being first or second. The Smith Corporation¡¯s annual turnover is not much less than that of the Hunt Corporation!"
"Even if it¡¯s not much less, it¡¯s still less than theirs. Even if they don¡¯t care about who¡¯s first or second, they are still in second ce. Who wouldn¡¯t want to get rid of their fate of being in second ce forever? Besides, Mr. Hunt only has one son. Even if Ms. Smith ys a few small tricks and makes the Hunt Corporation lose 80 million dors, all that will happen is that they¡¯ll be the second in terms of annual turnover this year. The Hunts won¡¯t be too concerned. But by doing so, the Smiths can take first ce for once, so why not? It¡¯s just 80 million dors, the Smiths probably don¡¯t even think anything of it, right?"
...
...
Some believed it while some didn¡¯t. Everyone gloated over others¡¯ misfortune while they chatted about the gossip and waited quietly for the results that woulde in two days.
Nora wasn¡¯t one to bother listening to what outsiders said. Instead, she was dealing with the Hunt Corporation¡¯s affairs as well as looking for an overseas project so that she could find an excuse to go to Switzend.
In thepany, she approached Celine, a female staff member who was temporarily taking Lawrence¡¯s ce in the secretarial department, and asked, "Does thepany have any projects in Switzend?"
With her head lowered, Celine answered stiffly, "No. If you have the time to be looking at overseas projects, then why don¡¯t you settle thepany¡¯s domestic affairs first? Regarding the gold futures, what exactly are you thinking?"
After Justin¡¯s ident and in Lawrence¡¯s absence, Celine had temporarily taken over thetter¡¯s position as the leader of the secretarial department.
However, she had always been supportive of Nora. Her current attitude, though... Something wasn¡¯t right.
Nora looked up to see the woman, who was usually mild and gentle, staring at her with her clear and attractive eyes. Her voice was obviously very gentle, yet the way she spoke was very stiff. She said, "Gold prices have dropped again today. Why aren¡¯t you doing any trading in the market? With the way you¡¯re behaving, don¡¯t you think you¡¯re letting down Mr. Hunt? "
Nora: "?"
She raised her brows. Suddenly, she asked, "Do you also think that I am not doing my best for the Hunt Corporation?"
Celine bit her lip. "Isn¡¯t that right? If you really were doing your best for the Hunt Corporation, then why would you fire Lawrence?"
Nora was taken aback. "What did you just say?"
Celine sneered, "I¡¯ve already found out about everything that happened, so you can drop your act! Lawrence is very familiar with thepany and he is also Mr. Hunt¡¯s right-hand man. You fired him because you want to bypass him and do things unfavorable to thepany, right? Ms. Smith, when Mr. Hunt was still around, we could all see for ourselves just how well he¡¯d treated you. Don¡¯t you think your actions have really let him down? Lawrence is very loyal to Mr. Hunt, how can you fire someone like him just like that?"
Nora: "?"
She countered with a question of her own. "When did I fire Lawrence?"
Celine sneered and said, "You don¡¯t have to pretend anymore, I already know all about it. You fired Lawrence the day Mr. Hunt died. His resignation letter is right there in thepany¡¯s email inbox. I¡¯ve already seen it!"
Nora: "!"
She went through the email inbox at once. Sure enough, she saw Lawrence¡¯s resignation letter, which was sent on the day that Justin died.
Lawrence¡¯s resignation letter was written very clearly. To sum it up roughly, he wrote that Mr. Hunt had been very kind to him, so he needed some time to get over what had happened. He also told them not to look for him. After that, he left...
Nora: "..."
To think she had been wondering why no one noticed that Lawrence had disappeared just like that after Justin faked his death. As it turned out, it was because he had already made all the necessary preparations in advance.
So, he had left together with Justin?
Where had they gone, though?
Switzend?
They must have done that and concealed their identities just so they could go to Switzend to look for the V16, right?
But when she thought of the man in ck who was still alive, and how he¡¯d forced her and Justin to retreat all by himself, as well as how Justin had also been forced into faking his death as a countermeasure; deep worry arose at the bottom of Nora¡¯s heart.
No, this wouldn¡¯t work. She must go to Switzend right away.
Nora made up her mind. Suddenly, she looked up at Celine and asked, "Who told you that I was the one who fired Lawrence?"
Celine had already seen Lawrence¡¯s resignation letter a long time ago, yet her attitude towards her a few days ago had still been very good. However, this had suddenly changed today. Someone must have said something to her.
Sure enough, the next moment, the look in Celine¡¯s eyes changed. She lowered her head and replied evasively, "I promised that person that I wouldn¡¯t tell you their identity. Don¡¯t bother trying to find out who told me the truth. That person is someone you trust, otherwise I wouldn¡¯t have believed them so easily."
Someone she trusted?
How many people did Nora trust?
Her friends were all absolutely worthy of her trust. It was impossible for any of them to betray her.
Nora didn¡¯t think any deeper into it. Instead, she said, "I didn¡¯t fire Lawrence."
However, Celine yelled agitatedly, "Are you still denying it at a time like this? Lawrence was in such a bad mood after he was fired that he has been keeping his cell phone switched off all this time! He doesn¡¯t answer my phone calls at all! You don¡¯t understand Lawrence¡¯s feelings for the Hunt Corporation! If he does anything silly, I won¡¯t let you off!"
Her behavior...
Nora raised her eyebrows. "You¡¯re in love with him?"
Her words made Celine choke. Then, she said, "Yes, I¡¯m in love with him, I¡¯ve had a crush on him for five years. Ms. Smith, I can tell you this very clearly¡ªif you cannot handle the matter about the gold futures well, then please forgive me for not being able to cooperate with you!"
After speaking, she turned and walked towards the door. However, when she reached the door, she turned her head to the back, looked at her with determination, and said, "Feel free to fire me. With the Smiths¡¯ abilities, I believe that you¡¯ll be able to find someone to take over my duties in no time. However, I didn¡¯t stay in the Hunt Corporation for so many years for nothing. If you fire me, everyone in the secretarial department will also leave with me! I am not Lawrence. He may allow himself to be driven away by you, but I won¡¯t!"
After saying that, Celine went out the door.
Nora: "..."
She looked at Celine. The woman was highly efficient and extremely capable. When Nora first took over the Hunt Corporation, she had helped her a lot.
Celine was not like Mr. Livingstone. She was loyal to thepany. Even now, she was still protecting the Hunt Corporation in her own way.
Such people were rtively prone to bing loyal to a fault.
Unfortunately, such people were also extremely easy to make use of!
Nora wasn¡¯t going to fire her. How could she fire someone who did their best and gave their all for thepany¡¯s interests?
She just needed to wait one more day to pass. Once Celine understood her efforts, she would surely regain trust in her character. Going by how loyal Celine was to thepany, she would definitely tell her who the one sowing discord behind the scenes was.
Thus, when the next day came...!
Chapter 789: Her Friend
Chapter 789: Her Friend
At seven o¡¯clock in the morning, Mrs. Hunt woke Nora up.
Had it been before, she would have lost her temper a long time ago¡ªafter all, she had always been extremely grumpy right after she woke up. Now, though, no matter how displeased she might be, when she saw how aged Mrs. Hunt looked and how she had be even less spirited than before, she could only get out of bed in silence.
Then, under the supervision of Mrs. Hunt, she would go out for a run.
Next to her, Mrs. Hunt said, "You can stop once you work up a sweat. If you don¡¯t, then you have to continue running until it¡¯s eight o¡¯clock. Only then will you look more energetic. It¡¯s obvious from how listless you look all the time that you are not exercising enough."
"..."
Nora let out a big yawn, her eyelids so heavy that she could hardly even lift them.
Mrs. Hunt was still standing where she was and saying, "Can you open your eyes? Otherwise, how would you be able to intimidate and keep those people in the Hunt Corporation in check? They are all waiting tough at you today!"
Nora yawned again.
Mrs. Hunt felt even more distressed when she saw her yawning non-stop. She couldn¡¯t help but say to Fanny, "Justin had always been self-disciplined. He went to bed at eleven every night and woke up at five to exercise. How on earth did he fall in love with azy woman like her?"
Fanny sighed. "You talk about her so disdainfully, yet you are always encouraging her with your actions!"
Mrs. Hunt said, "Of course I have to be encouraging towards her! Otherwise, what if she goes on strike? Even if it¡¯s just for Pete, I have to inculcate in her a sense of belonging to the Hunts!"
Fanny did not speak.
Mrs. Hunt then said, "I wonder if she will ever remarry, and if she does, will she be willing to be buried next to Justin after her death? Justin would be too lonely if he¡¯s all alone... It¡¯s all my fault. In the past, I had thought that just him being strong would be enough..."
It was only when someone was no longer around that others would realize that it didn¡¯t matter what they did, as long as they were still alive.
Often, people only learned to cherish what they had after losing it.
It was just like how parents often wanted their children to do well in school, but once something went wrong with their health, they would realize that their children¡¯s health and happiness were what truly mattered the most in life.
This was the same for Mrs. Hunt toward Justin.
When Fanny heard what she said, she heaved another quiet sigh.
Justin¡¯s departure had dealt too great a blow to Mrs. Hunt, causing even apetitive woman like her to be much moreid-back.
In the past, she would have demanded a lot of Nora, but now, she only had one requirement for her, and that was... to look more energetic and keep up appearances?
Fanny shook her head and looked in front of her again.
What entered her sight, though, was Nora jogging at a speed neither too fast nor too slow and in control of the rhythm. She had already been jogging for half an hour, though. A normal youngster would probably already be sweating profusely, yet she didn¡¯t even break a sweat.
"Alright, that¡¯s enough."
Half an hourter, at the sight of Nora¡¯s pale visage, Mrs. Hunt stopped the training. In the end, she couldn¡¯t bear to push her too hard after all, for fear that the sudden training load would be too much and end up burdening her.
She said, "Just increase the duration bit by bit every day, doing so much in one go won¡¯t work. Look at how pale you¡¯ve be, yourplexion is almost transparent! Do you feel dizzy? Let¡¯s go back and have a bite! Your health is too poor!"
Nora: "?"
She had just been warming up!
Was it already over?
The olddy was too easy to please.
As Nora thought so, she yawned again.
Herplexion had be even paler because of her sleepiness, so the olddy fed her a lot of nourishing food for breakfast. She said, "You are toozy. If you stay thiszy all the time, your body will be weak. Eat more and exercise more from now on, okay?"
Nora: "..."
After gobbling down the food, Nora got up to go to the office.
She had only just stepped out of the house when Mrs. Hunt suddenly got up.
"Where are you going?" Fanny asked.
Mrs. Hunt cast her eyes down and said, "To the office. Today is thest day of the three-day period she mentioned. Outsiders aren¡¯t the only ones paying attention; some of the old-timers in the Hunt Corporation are paying even more attention than them. So, I¡¯m going there to support her!"
Mrs. Hunt knew very well that the people currently in thepany were all either capable or loyal to Justin.
However, it was exactly these people who would make things difficult for Nora.
Of course, Mrs. Hunt would never be bewitched or blinded by the rumors and gossip outside. She knew very well that the Hunt Corporation and the Smith Corporation had always been in a win-win situation.
Only withpetition between the two would there be pressure on thepanies to grow. This was also the foundation that bothpanies needed in order to survive and continue being leaders in business.
This was a kind ofmercial bnce. If one established a monopoly, then they easily became arrogant, leading to them bing blinded and missing the forest for the trees. If that happened, it would instead put the enterprise at an even bigger risk.
Fanny said, "Alright."
¡ª
At the Smiths.
Joel got up early in the morning and went downstairs. Tanya asked, "Why are you setting off so early today?"
Joel replied, "The market opens at nine o¡¯clock. Once it opens, gold prices will also be set. I suspect that the Hunts will make use of this to make things difficult for Nora, so I¡¯m going over to back her up."
Upon hearing this, Tanya immediately took Joel¡¯s arm and said, "I¡¯ll go with you! Let¡¯s support Nora together!"
Joel nodded. "Yeah."
¡ª
At the Andersons¡¯.
Simon was counting his savings.
Melissa sighed. "Mrs. Hunt could produce 80 million dors so easily, and so could the Smiths. Once upon a time, our family was also considered well-off, so why are we so poorpared to them?"
Simon also sighed. "Yeah, I know, right?"
While the two of them were grousing, Logan entered the room and took out a check. "This is a check for 30 million dors. Why don¡¯t you pass this to her?"
As soon as he said that, Simon and Melissa both looked at him. "Logan, did you go racing again?"
When Logan suffered his leg injury previously, many doctors had said that it would be very tough for it to healpletely. However, Nora had cured him subsequently, so he¡¯d continued his most beloved career.
Logan was now America¡¯s top car racer in standard car racing!
In spite of that, Logan was still working hard to improve his skills. Whenever someone asked him about it, he would always say, "... Compared to her, I¡¯m still too far behind!"
Logan nodded. "I wonder if this is enough."
Simon said, "With our money added, it should be enough to make up for the losses this time. Surely she won¡¯t incur a loss of 65 million dors, right? Melissa, what¡¯s on your mind?"
Melissa replied, "I suddenly feel like we may not really need to send her the money."
Simon was taken aback. "Why?"
Since Melissa married him, she had always given her all for the family. Had she suddenly be selfish?
However, Simon was understanding about that too. Life hadn¡¯t been easy for his wife all these years.
As soon as the thought formed in his mind, Melissa said, "I suddenly thought of thest time Nora invested in stocks for me. It was also a constant loss in the beginning, but in the end, I made money."
As soon as she said that, Simon chuckled and said, "You were investing in stocks then, it¡¯s different this time. Gold prices have been falling for two consecutive months, it is impossible that they would rise all at once..."
Chapter 790: Gold Prices Make A Comeback!
Chapter 790: Gold Prices Make A Comeback!
At the Hunt Corporation.
When Nora arrived in her car, there were already a lot of people in thepany.
Most of the shareholders had alsoe. Everyone was very concerned about how she would give an exnation to the media and everyone else today.
When Nora entered the CEO¡¯s office on the top floor, the secretaries, who all had feelings for the Hunt Corporation, were chatting with one another in low voices.
"She says that she will give everyone an exnation today, but I really don¡¯t know what kind of exnation she¡¯s going to give. It will be the year-end closing in two days, and thepany¡¯s annual turnover data will be calcted then. If gold prices still don¡¯t recover by today, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll be hard to say which way the Hunt Corporation will go this year."
"Sigh, I have a friend working in the Smith Corporation. They have already calcted their turnover for this year and it has increased by a lotpared tost year¡¯s. This year, under Mr. Hunt¡¯s lead, we have invested a lot in research and development, especially in the fields of biomedicine and microchip research. Those 1.5 billion dors are nevering back. Once youpare them like this... Is the Hunt Corporation really going to be dethroned?"
"Actually, we have all seen the annual data reports. The Hunt Corporation barely manages to take first ce each year. It seems that our profits exceed the Smith Corporation¡¯s by only tens of millions every year. With such a small gap, any money-making project can get things done... When you think of it that way, our victories reallye too difficultly..."
"Don¡¯t you know? This is actually all part of Mr. Hunt¡¯s ns. Only when the turnover is only tens of millions of dors higher and at risk of being surpassed will we have the motivation to work harder. Otherwise, if the gap is too big, we will end up monopolizing the market... Also, if the difference is just tens of millions of dors, then the Smith Corporation will also be motivated to catch up with us. But because of this, it¡¯s really hard to say which way it¡¯ll go this year..."
"Yeah, it¡¯s all Ms. Smith¡¯s fault. If she had disposed of the gold futures in time on the day of the board meeting, we wouldn¡¯t be losing this much money. If wepare carefully, our profits are actually just a few million dors less than the Smith Corporation! If she had disposed of them at that time, the loss would have been reduced by 15 million dors, and our position as number one this year would also have been in the bag."
"So, this shows that some people¡¯s hearts are just not in here!"
Celine suddenly remarked coldly.
It was now the end of December. The figures for the year¡¯s annual turnover had been calcted and released at the end of the day before. There were only a few days left to the end of the month. After that, they would add the profits from these few days to the previous data. Once that was done, the results would be out very soon.
The profits from several major projects had all been included, and it was impossible for there to be anyrge sums of ie during the next few days.
It could be said that the results were already fixed.
Had it been the day before, Celine would still have ced a bit of trust in Nora, but now that she had seen the statistical results, she had lost all trust in her.
She suddenly stood up and said, "We are only a few million dors short of the Smith Corporation¡¯s profits this year. If the difference was big, I wouldn¡¯t have been suspicious of Ms. Smith, but now, I have no choice but to doubt her. I think she did this deliberately. Besides, the amount of money lost is not that much for them either..."
Someone whispered, "But Ms. Smith is now the Hunts¡¯ daughter-inw, why would she help the Smiths? It¡¯s not like she¡¯s the head of the Smiths..."
Celine nced over frostily. Even when the usually-gentle woman got angry, her voice merely shook a little. She was utterly livid. "Because... she will be the head of the Smiths very soon!"
"What?"
Everyone was puzzled. "Howe? It has already been decided long ago that Joel Smith is the head of the Smiths. Besides, he also holds 51% of the shares. Is your information reliable or not?"
Celine was furious. Even her eyes had turned a little red, and she was shaking in anger all over.
"Of course. She forced Lawrence to resign just so she could abuse her authority and pull all these dirty tricks. If Lawrence was still here, and if Mr. Hunt was still here... The gold futures would have been sold long ago. How would it havee to this?!"
She suddenly bit her lip and said, "We must unite as one and protect the Hunt Corporation together now!"
The Hunt Corporation had undergone several major bouts of cleansing. With the exception of Roger, everyone who was still in thepany was loyal to the Hunt Corporation.
Therefore, when they saw the data report the day before, they had panicked.
They had always been proud to be part of the Hunt Corporation. Additionally, when Justin was still around, he had treated them all very well.
Thus, all of them had always regarded thepany as their home.
As Celine was the deputy manager of the secretarial department, she only had a little less authority than him. Besides, all of them could tell that Celine and Lawrence¡¯s rtionship was a little ambiguous.
As soon as she said that, everyone responded to her call.
"Yes, we can¡¯t let her destroy the Hunt Corporation. We must unite as one! Let¡¯s boycott Ms. Smith and oppose hering into the office!"
"Kick Ms. Smith out!"
"Let¡¯s watch over the Hunt Corporation for Mr. Pete!"
"..."
With their emotions roused, they stood up one by one and blocked the way out of the elevator.
Behind the crowd, as Roger looked at the situation, his smirk became even more malicious, and a cold glint shot forth from his narrowed eyes.
Ha.
He couldn¡¯t beat Justin, but did they think that he couldn¡¯t beat a woman who had never done any business?
Indeed, the old fogeys in the board of directors might not care about this bit of money¡ªafter all, 30 million dors split equally among everyone wasn¡¯t much¡ªbut there was nock of people who were concerned about the Hunt Corporation¡¯s image.
These workers were what an enterprise truly relied on for survival!
These people were elites from all walks of life. Now that they hade together to resist Nora, he would see what else Nora had to be so smug about!
As Roger thought so, the elevator arrived with a ding.
Nora walked out from within.
As soon as she stepped out, someone threw a ss of water in her face!
Nora¡¯s eyes narrowed and she moved her head to the side a little. With a loud ssh, the water sttered onto the floor.
Her brows drew together, and she saw that Celine had led a group of people to block off the path outside the elevator. In addition to the secretarial department, there were also some other people from other departments.
Although they were not senior executives, they nevertheless represented at least one-tenth of thepany¡¯s manpower!
Nora frowned and asked, "What are you people doing?"
Celine replied, "Ms. Smith, you are not weed here in the Hunt Corporation!"
Just as Nora was about to speak, Roger took a step forward and said, "Nora, you¡¯re really just so... Why can¡¯t you listen to me? Do you know that your actions have really disappointed everyone?! Just for the Smiths¡¯ sake, you made us suffer a loss... You are ultimately still a Smith after all! Only Hunts would truly have the Hunts¡¯ interests at heart!! In the past, when Justin was still here, I was always indignant, but now that he¡¯s gone, it is time for me to step up to the challenge and take on the burden! Nora, I think you should go back. From now on, I will take care of the Hunts¡¯ affairs instead. After all, even if there are conflicts between Justin and me, I am ultimately still a Hunt! At the very least, I will never harm the Hunts¡¯ interests for the sake of the Smiths!"
When Roger said that, Celine immediately looked at him with a very reluctant look on her face.
When Lawrence was here, he¡¯d called Roger a wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing before. Despite Justin¡¯s cold and stern exterior, he really treated his subordinates very well. However, this was not the case for Roger.
Roger was friendly on the outside but cold on the inside! Such people were the scariest. However, if they drove Nora away, then it would seem that Roger really was the only one who could take over as thepany¡¯s interim CEO.
Thus, Celine did not say anything.
She intended to wait until she got in touch with Lawrence to discuss this problem!
Since Celine did not say anything, the other secretaries did not raise any objections. They all stood behind Roger.
Nora looked at Roger and scoffed, "How did I harm the interests of the Hunts?"
Roger asked, "Have you forgotten about the gold futures?"
Nora lowered her eyes and looked down at the time.
The clock on her cell phone jumped from 8:59 to 9:00.
Nora raised her head and slowly said, "The market is now open. Everyone can take a look at today¡¯s gold price now."
Her words took Celine by surprise a little.
Regardless, she quickly took out her cell phone and opened the trading app.
Roger sighed. "Don¡¯t be stubborn anymore, Nora. Considering how badly gold prices have fallen, even if they do recover today, how much can they really recover? It¡¯s not like they will recover all at once, right? I think you¡¯d best go home quickly and stop making such a scene in thepany. Otherwise, you will only be embarrassing Justin. If you also thoroughly embarrass Pete, it won¡¯t be easy for him to take over thepany in the future..."
Right after he said that, his mobile trading market app sent a push notification to his cell phone: "Gold prices make aeback today!"
Chapter 791: Slap in the Face!!!
Chapter 791: p in the Face!!!
"Get out of Hunt Corporation!"
"That¡¯s right. We don¡¯t need a CEO like you!"
"..."
A few people with insufficient intelligence did not look at the gold price on their phones. After all, this group of people did not care about this. Usually, they did not even have an app for trading. However, they were very loyal to thepany, so they followed their original n and shouted their slogan.
At the scene, there were already reporters pointing their microphones at them. The reporters were also let in by Celine. After all, if reporters sensationalized this matter, it would be easier for them to chase Nora out of Hunt Corporation.
At this moment, the reporters also wanted to rush over and surround Nora to interview her first-hand information.
However, at this moment, Celine suddenly raised her head and looked at Nora in disbelief.
Someone beside her shook her shoulder and asked, "Celine, what¡¯s wrong? Say something? Everyone is waiting for you to speak!"
Celine swallowed.
She said word by word, "Gold... has risen in price."
"..."
Risen.
Everyone fell silent.
Only Roger stared at the data on his phone and wondered if he had seen it incorrectly. He rubbed his eyes and looked again. The price column still said that the price had increased.
He was not seeing things!
Roger suddenly looked up and argued, "So what if the price increased? Even if the price has gone up, aren¡¯t we still at a loss?! We¡¯re only losing a little, but we¡¯re barely on par with the Smiths!"
Gold could not have grown so high in a day. The price of gold today had increased to more than 300 dors. It was still a loss from buying now.
However, Roger¡¯s words were clearly unbelievable.
Nora sneered. "Do you remember your words? There are still a few days until the report for this year. This is enough!"
The report would not be finalized until the 30th of December. The price increase was definitely enough!
Roger choked from her rebuttal. He still wanted to say something, but Nora walked past him and directly walked in front of Celine. She asked, "You said earlier that you wanted me to leave?"
Celine bit her lip and looked at her in disbelief. "I, I... No, I don¡¯t know..."
Nora turned around and looked at the others.
Someone else raised a question. "We¡¯re still in a loss-making state. Perhaps the short rise today is just a momentary recovery!"
"Alright, that¡¯s enough."
Someone beside him pushed him and said, "Miss Smith said that the results will be revealed in three days. The price of gold increased today. What does this mean? It means that Miss Smith really has insider news! That¡¯s why she was so adamant that the gold futures would not be sold. She resisted everyone¡¯s objections and left the gold futures untouched because she was certain that the gold prices would rise!"
After saying this, those who did not understand came to a realization.
How much hostility did everyone have towards Nora earlier? Now, they felt so guilty and regretful. They regretted misunderstanding her!
The misunderstanding was cleared!
Nora raised her eyebrows and did not say anything. She wanted to enter the room.
Just as she was about to enter, a reporter rushed over. "Miss Smith, you..."
Nora had a headache.
She hated dealing with reporters the most. However, at this moment, Celine suddenly blocked her way. "I¡¯m sorry, you don¡¯t have an appointment with President Smith... You need to stop here."
Nora, who had entered the office, was speechless.
She turned around and saw that Celine had said something. She was gentle and magnanimous as she took the reporters downstairs. Those difficult reporters could not say anything harsh in front of her.
Then, Celine turned around and arranged some things. The people from the secretary department got busy.
The chaotic top floor immediately became orderly.
This was Celine¡¯s work ability.
She was very powerful.
As Nora thought about this, she saw Roger suddenly turn around and n to sneak away. However, before he could leave, Nora pressed his shoulder. "Where are you going?"
Roger¡¯s shoulder was pressed down, and he could not move anymore. At this moment, he stared at Nora and could only smile. "Nora, where else can I go? Of course I¡¯ll go to work!"
"Work?"
Nora nodded and suddenly smiled. "Yes, I called the directors to a meeting. Let¡¯s go together!"
At the board of directors meeting.
Roger wanted to escape, but he smiled awkwardly. "Nora, uncles, look, I have so little shares in thepany. It¡¯s not appropriate for me to stay here. I have something to care of. I¡¯ll take my leave first?"
Unfortunately, just as he turned around, he heard Nora¡¯s voice. "Alright. Anyway, we¡¯ll discuss the punishment for you next. It¡¯s not good for you to stay."
As soon as she said this, Roger stopped walking. He looked directly at Nora. A cold light shed across his smiling eyes before he said, "Nora, what are you talking about? My punishment? What have I done? I was doing it for the good of thepany. The gold futures had fallen so badly back then. Furthermore, although it increased a little today, you can¡¯t be too confident. What if it¡¯s the end of the world? No one knows how much money you can earn. You haven¡¯t brought any profits to thepany yet. Isn¡¯t it inappropriate for you to start flipping out here?"
Nora narrowed her eyes.
Roger continued to sigh. "I know. In the past, I didn¡¯t get along with Justin and you had a problem with me. But now that Justin isn¡¯t around, I can¡¯t bully you two! Nora, why are you targeting me like this?"
Roger was still talking when Nora suddenly threw a document on the table.
When he saw that document, Roger¡¯s expression changed.
¡ª
Downstairs, Mrs. Hunt had arrived.
She was old. The car drove slowly and smoothly. She was still talking to Fanny as she got out of the car. "Tell me, why is a girl like her driving so fast? She disappeared in the blink of an eye. I didn¡¯t catch up all the way!"
Fanny smiled and said, "Maybe she was in a hurry..."
As the two of them spoke, they saw Mr. Livingstone arrive. When he saw Mrs. Hunt, he walked forward.
This was what he and Mrs. Hunt had agreed on. Today, Mrs. Hunt would help Nora suppress the people in thepany. However, the following arrangements still required Mr. Livingstone to be the first special assistant.
In the future, thepany¡¯s decisions would still depend on Mr. Livingstone...
When she saw Mr. Livingstone, Mrs. Hunt was about to speak when Mr. Livingstone sneered. "Don¡¯t be anxious. Let¡¯s see today¡¯s gold price first! It¡¯ll also let you know how reliable my source is!"
Mr. Livingstone picked up his phone confidently. He had to show the evidence first before he could upy a high position in the subsequent negotiations!
He opened the trading app.
Chapter 792: Continue to Slap His Face
Chapter 792: Continue to p His Face
Mrs. Hunt sighed and did not notice the change in Mr. Livingstone¡¯s expression. She continued, "If you doubt someone, don¡¯t use them. If you use them, don¡¯t doubt them. Besides, doing businesses with losses and wins, so it¡¯s normal for Nora to asionally suffer losses in projects. After all, it¡¯s her first time managing apany. Don¡¯t think you can look down on her... Her old friends might be unreliable but with me around her future friends will definitely be reliable..."
However, Mr. Livingstone was still staring at the phone. When he saw the price on it, he was stunned.
His eyes widened as he stared at the phone in disbelief, thinking that he must have seen it wrongly.
It was fine if it did not drop. After all, it could not keep falling, but it actually increased?
Moreover, the price was fluctuating. Did it increase again after a while?
Mr. Livingstone swallowed and looked up.
Mrs. Hunt continued to speak. "So, when you see Norater, don¡¯t mention this matter anymore. Just treat it as the past... Let¡¯s go!"
When Mrs. Hunt was talking to Mr. Livingstone, she had already entered the president¡¯s elevator.
Ding!
The elevator reached the top floor.
As soon as Mrs. Hunt finished speaking, the door opened. Celine stood outside. When she saw Mrs. Hunt, she revealed a respectful expression. "Mrs. Hunt..."
Mrs. Hunt nodded and asked, "Where¡¯s Nora?"
Celine said, "She¡¯s at the board of directors meeting."
"Board of Directors meeting? Are those people really going to make things difficult for her?"
When Mrs. Hunt heard this, she was anxious. She immediately turned around and walked to the meeting room. "Let¡¯s go and take a look. Nora is so stupid and has never experienced such things. She will definitely be frightened by others. Don¡¯t embarrass our family again!!"
Her words were unpleasant, but her footsteps were fast. It was as if she was afraid that if she was a step slower, Nora would feel aggrieved.
Celine followed closely behind her. "Mrs. Hunt, what are you talking about? Everyone in thepany is very happy now. They can¡¯t wait to praise President Smith. President Smith has seen all kinds of things. It¡¯s okay to have minor skirmishes!"
Mrs. Hunt was stunned. "A minor skirmish? The price of gold fell so badly today, won¡¯t those directors skin her alive?"
Celine was also stunned. "Have you not seen the gold price today?"
The old madam was puzzled. "No, I didn¡¯t see it."
She really did not want to see it. Just looking at it made her heart ache a little.
Although money was just a number to her, she could not help but feel ufortable when she saw her fortune evaporate.
However, the next moment, Celine smiled. "Mrs. Hunt, the gold has increased today! Furthermore, the price has increased by 100%! In thest half an hour, it has increased by 10 dors again. Furthermore... We finally received some insider news today that the gold price will keep rising in the future!"
Mrs. Hunt: ??
She was stunned and stopped in her tracks. She looked at Celine in confusion. "You mean the price increased?"
"Yes! It increased!"
Celine was smiling from ear to ear. Just now, she was so hostile to Nora, but now, she was so protective of her. Furthermore, because of her past suspicion and betrayal, Celine felt even more guilty toward Nora!
She said, "Everyone mocked President Smith and misunderstood her but President Smith did not fuss about it with us. Instead, she made us wait for two days. Today, she finally pped us in the face with the truth! Everyone in thepany knows President Smith¡¯s capability now! She has connections in the business industry! Now, everyone is supporting President Smith!"
Mrs. Hunt: ??
She felt that the President Smith in Celine¡¯s mouth was not the same person as thezy granddaughter-inw at home. She could not help but ask, "Is the President Smith you¡¯re talking about Joel or Nora?"
Celine: "...It¡¯s Nora, President Smith!"
Mrs. Hunt felt a little confused. Did Nora really make the right bet?
She could not help but turn her head and look at Mr. Livingstone again. She saw that he looked anxious and was talking on the phone in a corner. His voice was very low. "What¡¯s wrong with you? I gave you so much money and now you¡¯re doing this to me? You guessed... Do you know you¡¯ll be hit by a car when you go out tomorrow?! You liar! Return the money to me or I¡¯ll sue you!..."
The furious Mr. Livingstone hung up the phone. When he looked up and saw Mrs. Hunt, his face instantly turned red. He said, "Mrs. Hunt, I... I made a mistake this time. But you¡¯re right. Everyone makes mistakes. It¡¯s normal to have losses and wins. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll definitely handle the future projects carefully! I¡¯ll also help you assist Miss Smith well!"
When Mrs. Hunt heard this, she lowered her head and sighed. "Mr. Livingstone, our family¡¯s business has losses and wins. I can¡¯t be angry at my own family, right? After all, we¡¯re family, but it¡¯s different for outsiders..."
With that, she looked at Celine. "Take all the unimportant people outside. Don¡¯t disturb President Smith¡¯s meeting."
Celine smiled and regained her usual calm and gentleness. She nodded. "Yes!"
¡ª
In the meeting room.
The shareholders had already seen the documents that Nora had thrown on the table.
Nora¡¯s fingers gently knocked on the table as she slowly said, "Everyone has seen it. These are the transaction records for our recent gold investment. You can see that Roger first bought 100 million for thepany, and then he bought 400 million in his own name. After that, the gold depreciated but he found a way to sell the futures in his hands to thepany for 400 million. It¡¯s equivalent to thepany buying 500 million worth of futures. I wonder what everyone thinks about this?"
Roger stood up immediately and looked at Nora in disbelief. The smile on his face finally disappeared. He narrowed his eyes and smiled. "Nora, are you joking? Besides, how could you have ess to the records of my bank ount? You can¡¯t use something so groundless to nder me!"
"Really?"
Nora rested her chin on her fingers and yawned. She had really woken up too early in the morning. Then, she smiled and said, "You might have forgotten how I can get your bank records. Other than being a doctor, I¡¯m also a hacker."
Chapter 793: Justin’s Whereabouts
Chapter 793: Justin¡¯s Whereabouts
Roger¡¯s eyes suddenly shrunk. "You... you hacked into the banking system! You¡¯re breaking thew. I¡¯m going to sue you!"
Nora sneered. "Sue me? You still have to wait for me to deal with you first, right?!"
With that, she stood up and said impatiently, "Roger is fired from the board of directors forpromising thepany for his personal gain. Furthermore, the price you paid for the gold was 400, but when you sold it to thepany, it had already dropped to 280. However, you still sold the gold to thepany at 400. Now, you have to make up for this difference. Otherwise, I¡¯ll see you in court!"
If the difference was made up, then it would be over 100 million!
Although Roger could gather that bit of money, he still felt his heart ache.
However, if Nora sued him, then that could jeopardize his retirement ns. He should take out the money to resolve this trouble first!
He looked at Nora angrily. "Okay! I¡¯ll agree to everything! But don¡¯t forget that I can still sue you!"
Nora raised her eyebrows. "What are you going to sue me for?"
Roger sneered. "For hacking into the banking system."
"Really?"
Nora picked up the bank records. Her milky hand held the few pieces of paper and threw them into the shredder beside her. Then, she said, "When did I do that? Instead, just now, you admitted in front of everyone that you stole thepany assets, so we can ask the bank to investigate your ount now..."
Roger: "!!"
He stared at Nora in disbelief. "You! She¡¯s lying. Did you all hear that?"
Roger looked at the other directors and saw that everyone had turned their heads away looking like they had not heard anything.
Seeing their expressions, Roger instantly understood that these people were Justin¡¯s trusted subordinates!
He could only ept this loss!
Roger clenched his fists.
He was really speechless!
¡ª
Last time, when Justin was around, he only fired Roger¡¯s father, who was also the second son of the Hunt family, from the board of directors. After all, Raymond had admitted his mistakes and left behind a seemingly idle Roger.
Now, Roger was also chased out.
In the entirepany, even the flies that Justin had hated were gone in the end.
This matter quickly spread in the circle.
¡ª
Downstairs at Hunt Corporation.
Joel had just arrived when he received a call from his secretary. After informing him of this news, he immediately smiled bitterly and looked at Tanya. "Alright, we came for nothing. Let¡¯s go back!"
Tanya was stunned and asked what was going on. When she heard Joel¡¯s words, she said, "Nora has her own connections. The person she¡¯s talking about is probably her aunt. Her aunt is also a top figure in Switzend! Even the aristocrats in Switzend have to respect her aunt! How can Nora have any bad friends?!"
Joel nodded. "Yes, I¡¯m overthinking. Besides, Nora will be better in the future because she¡¯s about to get the world¡¯s best source of information."
Tanya: "?"
She looked at Joel in confusion. "What do you mean?"
Joel smiled. "It¡¯s nothing."
He turned the car around and was about to leave Hunt Corporation when he suddenly saw Logan leave in a sports car. Joel instantly chuckled. "It looks like we¡¯re not the only ones who care about Nora!"
In the Andersons¡¯ car.
On the way, Simon urged the driver to drive faster.
At the side, Melissa was angry with a cold expression.
Simon said, "Alright, wife, don¡¯t be angry. I know you¡¯re not a petty person. Let¡¯s treat this money as a loan to Nora, okay?"
Melissa instantly became even angrier.
When she had said those words at home, Simon thought that she was reluctant to pay and had even expressed his understanding. However, the more he said, the angrier she became.
Was she the kind of person who only cared about her family and not Nora?
She said angrily, "Am I that kind of person to you?"
Simon understood. "No, Honey. If giving away the money was not the issue then why did you say we didn¡¯t need toe over?"
Melissa was really furious. She looked at the sullen man in front of her and finally sighed. "You, you¡¯re really... I mean, Nora probably doesn¡¯t need our help!"
Simon lowered his head. "I know. The Smiths are stronger than us, but we¡¯re family, after all. We have to help..."
Melissa: "!!"
Melissa took out her phone in anger. When she realized that it was nine o¡¯clock, she opened the trading app. When she saw the gold price, she threw the phone at him. "See for yourself!"
Simon: "..."
For the next half month, Simon slept on the sofa.
¡ª
People concerned about Nora came and went outside. However, Nora, who was upstairs, did not know that these people had been there.
This did not stop her from working.
Pete¡¯s work was done very well and many projects were approved. Nora was only responsible for throwing those things to Celine beforeing to Justin¡¯s office to sit.
Half an hourter, there was a knock on the door.
Nora looked up and saw Celine walking in.
She lowered her head and twisted her fingers. As if she had done something wrong, she continued, "President Smith, I¡¯m sorry. I just contacted Lawrence. He said that he left on his own and it has nothing to do with you."
When Nora heard that she had contacted Lawrence, she asked in surprise, "Where is he?"
Celine said, "He said he¡¯s taking a breather in Switzend. He asked me not to tell anyone."
Nora: "!!"
It seemed like Justin had really gone to Switzend.
But why couldn¡¯t he tell her?
She frowned, unhappy.
As she was in deep thought, Celine suddenly said, "President Smith, I have something to report to you. The person closest to you had told me...!"
Nora¡¯s eyes narrowed. She looked at Celine. "Who is it?"
Celine bit her lip and finally said a name. "Joel!"
Nora: "?"
Joel?
How could this be?!
Chapter 794: Mysterious Account
Chapter 794: Mysterious ount
At the Smith Corporation.
After sending Tanya back home, Joel went to the Smith Corporation.
As soon as he entered the top floor, his special assistant came to him. "President Smith, this is your itinerary for today."
Joel nodded. After taking the itinerary, he casually nced at it and suddenly stopped in his tracks. He turned back to look at his executive assistant, Mindy. She was a capable woman. Her hair was neatly tied behind her head and she was wearing a ck suit. Her eyes were very serious.
Joel lowered his head and said, "We¡¯re having a meeting."
When Mindy heard this, she was stunned.
The meeting Joel was talking about was not a normal meeting but a private one with a few of them. However, he had an important appointment at ten o¡¯clock. She was about to object but when she met Joel¡¯s eyes, which were always smiling but were now firm, she could only lower her head. "Yes!"
Two minutester, Mindy and eight senior executives in their thirties appeared in the President¡¯s office.
Joel stood in front of the French window with his back facing them.
Smith Corporation was a 60-story tall building. Standing there, it seemed like the entire New York could be seen. This was the proudest thing about Smith Corporation and Hunt Corporation.
They were high above and everyone else seemed to be crawling at their feet.
The crowded human life downstairs was as small as an ant in their eyes.
He looked at it for a while and turned around to look at the few people standing respectfully in front of him. These were all the people who had fought with him in thepany after Ian handed thepany to him.
Joel still remembered that when he took over thepany back then, the elders in thepany with Ian were very indignant and had secretly made many obstacles for him because he was too young.
It was all because of this group of people who had apanied him through those dark days that he conquered those old fogeys.
It could be said that it was even more difficult for Joel than Justin to be the true sessor because he was not Ian¡¯s biological son. He was not the rightful heir!
There were many people under Ian who knew his true identity... They were even more dissatisfied with him.
Therefore, Joel trusted his subordinates very much. Over the years, Smith Corporation had been getting better and better under their leadership.
He sat down on the sofa beside him. The smile on his face disappeared and he became serious.
Those people looked at each other, not knowing what was going on.
Mindy said, "President Smith, did you call us over to say something?"
Joel nodded. "Yes. Last night, Uncle signed a share transfer agreement with me. Now, 51% of thepany¡¯s shares are mine."
These words were meant to reassure everyone.
However, the nine of them did not speak. They continued to stare at Joel as if waiting for him to say something.
Joel was silent for a moment before saying, "I rejected that ount."
This sentence made the nine of them frown.
"President Smith, that ount is the most important. How can you not want it?"
"Yes, President Smith. You should know that that secret ount is the foundation of the Smiths¡¯ continued rise!"
"President Smith, although we don¡¯t know what that ount is, we all know that many projects in the past were onlypleted because we got information from that ount. Without that ount, how would we obtain that precious information in the future?"
"President Smith, that ount is the foundation of the Smith Corporation. 51% of the shares are not as important as that ount. You..."
"..."
The people below expressed their opinions one after another. They all felt that Joel should keep that ount. Without the ount, even if he got 51% of thepany¡¯s shares, he would still be controlled by others in the future.
Mindy said indignantly, "I knew it. Why would Old President Smith give you 51% of the shares so easily? After all this, he left his ount to his own daughter. From now on, President Smith, you¡¯ll always be under her control! No matter how well the Smith Corporation does in the future, it¡¯ll still be hers! You¡¯ve done so much for thepany, but in the end, you¡¯re only helping her! Old President Smith is really scheming!"
Mindy¡¯s words made it difficult for the others to calm down.
Everyone said, "Yes, President Smith, you¡¯re making us disappointed. President Smith, we can¡¯t just let this matter go. Tell me, what should we do next? Can we get the ount back?"
"President Smith, say it. As long as you give the order, we won¡¯t hesitate to do anything even if it means touching the edge of thew!"
"..."
Looking at these people, Joel sighed silently. "Don¡¯t you understand what I just said?"
The few of them paused.
Joel said word by word, "What I¡¯m saying is that I rejected that ount. Dad gave me his ount but I insisted on leaving it to Nora. There¡¯s no need to discuss this anymore."
Mindy instantly bit her lip. "President Smith, you¡¯re too naive. Old Master probably gave her his ount long ago! When Miss Smith said the gold price would rise, it really did. Where did she get the information from?"
Chapter 795: A Child Missing Love
Chapter 795: A Child Missing Love
"President Smith, you treat Old President Smith as your father, but he¡¯s just ying with you! He has already handed that ount to Miss Smith. Saying that he gave it to you was just a test!"
"That¡¯s right. Nora has that ount. It¡¯s like adding wings to a tiger for Hunt Corporation. In the future, the gap between us and Hunt Corporation will grow wider and wider!"
"Yes, Miss Smith predicted the gold price so urately and even said the number of days clearly. She must have known about it long ago!"
"President Smith, you..."
"Enough!"
Joel suddenly roared angrily and interrupted their conversation.
Joel was very famous outside. The few people inside were also afraid of him. If not for his ability, why would these people follow him willingly?
With that, Joel lowered his head and said, "This matter is settled! Even without a source of information, can the Smith Corporation no longer grow? I think you guys took the shortcut too generously and have already lost your ambition to fight! Society is developing so quickly and opportunities are everywhere. Why? Others can do well without a source of information but you bunch of elites can¡¯t evenpare to them?"
With that, the group of people did not dare to speak again.
Everyone lowered their heads.
Joel¡¯s gaze swept past them one by one before he finally said, "This matter ends here. I hope you don¡¯t y any tricks behind my back. Dad taking me in and raising me is already the greatest kindness to me. The entire Smith Corporation should belong to Nora. However, Nora couldn¡¯t be bothered to manage it, so Dad handed it to me. I hope you don¡¯t forget your conscience! Don¡¯t forget who helped you guys till this day! Without Dad, how could you have gotten where you are today?"
These words made everyone even more afraid to speak.
Actually, including Mindy, everyone was from a poor family. Some were orphans. It was Ian who had started a fund and paid for their studies. Some who were talented had been allowed to study abroad.
They were not bound to enter Smith Corporation after they returned. However, if they wanted to enter, they had to go through an interview with Joel.
These were people Ian had nurtured for Joel.
He had indeed never tainted it before and had handed it all to Joel. Only this group of people knew that it was Ian who had paid for everything when they were young. When they grew up, it was Joel who they interacted with. They had handed all their loyalty to Joel.
This was the greatest wealth Ian had left for Joel.
Therefore, although Mindy¡¯s words were very reasonable, Joel still did not dare to have any resentment toward Ian. He could not have any! This was the father who had raised him!
There was no such thing as contentment in the human heart in this world. Joel had once seen a story¡ªA tycoon gave a beggar $100 a day. Day after day, year after year, the beggar got used to it. Until one day, the tycoon did not bring extra money and only gave the beggar $1.
The beggar was furious. He threw the $1 to the tycoon and shouted, "What do you mean by this? Are you humiliating me?"
Joel was that beggar. Since he was young, everything was given to him by Ian.
Now, if Ian wanted to take it back, he should not have any resentment. Otherwise, wouldn¡¯t he be an ingrate?
He could not be the enemy of someone he was indebted to.
The few of them did not dare to speak anymore.
Joel waved his hand. "Alright, go out. I won¡¯t pursue this matter here, but if I find out that anyone has targeted Nora, don¡¯t me me for not considering our rtionship!"
These words made Mindy shiver. She bit her lips and finally lowered her head before leaving the office with the others.
After the few of them left, Joel sat on the sofa.
This made sense, but he had treated Ian as his father since he was young. Now that his father¡¯s true daughter was back, the entire family was doting on her. Ian¡¯s entire heart was on Nora... Actually, to a child like Joel whocked love, it was impossible for him to not feel ufortable at all.
Fortunately, Tanya had been by his sidetely and had suppressed the dark side of his heart.
Joel took off his sses and rubbed his temples.
Now that he had a father, a daughter, and a wife¡ªhe had lived enough, right?
He did not want that ount. Even if Ian really gave it to Nora, it was only right. After all, Nora was his flesh and blood... He should let her have her way.
Furthermore, there was only one girl in the family. It was only right for all the brothers to give in to their younger sister!
Joel brainwashed himself like this and finally started a day of work.
At four in the afternoon, Joel¡¯s phone suddenly rang.
He lowered his head and realized that it was Ian.
He was overjoyed.
After starting work at thepany, Ian rarely called him. His father¡¯s love was always reserved. He yearned for his father to call and scold him for doing something wrong. This was the normal way a father and son interacted. However, Ian was his uncle in the past and had not done this before. Although, he had not done this after he became his father, either.
He picked up the call and said in a rxed tone, "Dad, what¡¯s wrong?"
"Nora ising home for dinner tonight. She said she has something to say. Come back early."
Ian¡¯s words made Joel¡¯s heart sink. He lowered his eyes and smiled. "Okay."
Chapter 796: Joel’s Redemption
Chapter 796: Joel¡¯s Redemption
After hanging up the phone, Joel sat on the sofa and looked quietly into the distance, his heart a little heavy.
Nora often came back to have dinner with the Smiths after she started staying with the Hunts but Ian had never specially informed him about it before. Ian¡¯s solemn behavior regarding hering over this time gave Joel the feeling that he might have found out about what had happened.
When Mindy handed him his schedule for today, the sharp Joel had discovered the problem.
He¡¯d already stated long ago that he would not be seeking information from that ount anymore, yet as part of his itinerary that day, Mindy had still arranged for him a meeting with a certain person. This showed that Mindy hadn¡¯t given up yet.
Joel knew that those few subordinates of his had never actually given up on the ount.
After all, an ount like that would allow them to create their own legendary era of the Smiths!
He could understand his nine subordinates¡¯ feelings.
They had been with him since their college days. Even when they went abroad for further studies, it was all for the sake of better assisting him upon their return. They rose and fell together with him.
If Joel¡¯s authority among the Smiths fell, their status in thepany would also fall along with his. They were loyal and dedicated to him.
This was especially the case for Mindy. Being the lone woman among the nine, she was exceptionally capable. Although he had told them not to take any action, it was highly likely that she had already done something to Nora.
Joel also roughly knew what she had done.
Mindy was not like Quentin, she wasn¡¯t capable of big moves like assassinating someone. The most she could do was just create a bit of trouble to annoy Nora.
To be honest, Joel knew that Mindy should be dealt with, but he still wanted to protect her.
After all, she¡¯d been working for him for so many years. Even if she hadn¡¯t contributed anything meritorious, she had nevertheless done a lot of hard work. Besides, Mindy had never made any mistakes, and even the one time she did was for his sake...
Originally, Joel wanted to cover up the incident.
But when Ian suddenly asked him toe home for dinner, Joel understood at once that he wouldn¡¯t be able to cover it up anymore.
Besides, he also owed Nora an exnation.
With that in mind, Joel took a deep breath.
At noon, Tanya suddenly came.
A mildly surprised Joel looked at Tanya. "Why are you here?"
Tanya raised the lunch box in her hand. "To bring you lunch."
Tanya was not a housewife but a woman who ran her own business. She had opened a dance studio in New York that taught dancing to children. By right, she should have been very busy today.
Joel watched her "virtuously"y out the food on the table. While doing so, her actions were a little too rough and she identally spilled a bit of the soup. In addition, when she wasying out the food, the bite-sized fried chicken caught her eye and she peeked at him. When he pretended to be reading a document, out of the corner of his eye, he saw her secretly take a piece of fried chicken and stuff it into her mouth.
Joel: "..."
Although it seemed like she had be much more even-tempered, her temperament had never actually changed. She was still as rash as she had been in her youth. Joel let out a lowugh and stood up.
After walking over, the two sat facing each other. Tanya poured him a bowl of soup. She had obviously prepared it for him, yet she gave herself a taste of it first. Then, because she found it delicious, she naturally ced the bowl in front of herself and started to drink spoonful after spoonful of soup.
Joel, who was waiting for her to hand him the bowl of soup, could only pick up another bowl in resignation and fill it with soup himself. At the same time, he also gave Tanya a refill.
Then he asked, "Aren¡¯t you busy?"
"Totally! I¡¯m swamped!"
Tanya spoke with contentment as the delicious soup flooded her mouth. Then, she looked at him and added, "But no matter how busy I am, I should still visit my husband, right~? Are you feeling kinda down today?"
Joel: "..."
He put down the spoon, cast his eyes down, and heaved a sigh. His smile disappeared little by little and he asked, "How did you know?"
"Tsk," Tanya continued to drink her soup and then said, "I know you too well. The moment you lift your butt, I already know what kind of gas you¡¯re gonna fart..."
The corners of Joel¡¯s lips spasmed. "Can¡¯t you be a little more refined in your speech?"
Tanya pouted. "Isn¡¯t it because Mia isn¡¯t here right now? I¡¯m already close to suffocating to death from acting like a prim and properdy in front of Mia all the time. Now that there is no one else here, why can¡¯t I be a little cruder?"
"..."
Joel held his forehead. "Alright."
He didn¡¯t realize that even though his smile was not as bright as the one before, the fake smile on his face was gradually being reced by a genuine one.
"So, what happened? Tell me about it!" Tanya said.
When Joel was about to speak, Tanya waved and said, "If you¡¯re gonna say it, then tell me the truth. You have always been sensitive, withdrawn, and needy since you were a child. You may look high up in the air, but deep down, you are terribly fragile. I stopped looking at you through rose-tinted sses a long time ago, so there is no need for you to put up any pretenses. You can just say it as it is."
When Joel heard her, he lowered his head and thought for a while. Then, he said, "Dad has an ount, the Smiths¡¯ true inheritance. You can get a lot of useful financial news and information there."
With just a couple of simple sentences from him, Tanya got it right away. "Dad gave the ount to Nora?"
Joel nodded and then said, "It seems that the info about the gold prices came from there, but I¡¯ve only just rejected Dad¡¯s offer and told him to give Nora the ountst night. However, Nora was already aware of this information three days ago."
Tanya nodded again. "I see, you suspect that Dad already gave Nora the ount long ago yet he kept it from you and even probed you about it yesterday?"
Joel nodded again.
He hesitated for a moment before he said, "Dad is not someone like that. If he wants to give me something, he will do so straightforwardly. If he doesn¡¯t want to, then he will tell me clearly that he doesn¡¯t want to. He has never tried to sound me out. Has Dad noticed my sneaky little thoughts?"
Tanya rolled her eyes. "Who wouldn¡¯t? You always act so calm and collected as though such things don¡¯t bother you, but in fact, what youck the most is a sense of security. You don¡¯t care about that ount at all; what you care about is Dad¡¯s feelings towards you."
That one sentence of hers had hit Joel¡¯s deepest self.
However, Tanya then said, "To be honest, this is very normal. Think about it, children never want a second child in the family, because once a second child appears, they will take away part of their parents¡¯ love."
Joel shifted into listening mode. Suddenly, he felt like his sneaky little thoughts didn¡¯t seem that serious anymore. He asked, "And then?"
Chapter 797: Who Gets The Account?
Chapter 797: Who Gets The ount?
Tanyaughed. "Then the children cry and kick up a fuss, of course! As they say, the squeaky wheel gets the grease, so those whoin the loudest get the most attention. This is very simple logic. It¡¯s normal for you to think like this. Even if you were Dad¡¯s real son, you would still be jealous, much less when you aren¡¯t!"
Joel: "..."
He denied it. "I¡¯m not jealous."
"Yes, yes, you¡¯re right, you¡¯re not jealous at all." Tanyaughed. She raised her head to look at him and then said solemnly, "You don¡¯t need to feel embarrassed about it, any normal person would feel the same way. You will slowly adapt and get used to it. Usually, in families with more than one child, the eldest will eventually also grow to love their siblings. You will find that you¡¯ve just gained one more family member who loves you, that¡¯s all."
Joel: "..."
Why did Tanya sound as though she was coaxing a child?
Joel lowered his head and started to eat.
Tanya looked at him. "Hey, did I manage tofort you or not?"
"Yes, you did." Joel offered her a piece of fried chicken, upon which Tanya immediately pursed her lips and said, "I¡¯m a dancer, you know. Am I supposed to eat such greasy food? Why are you so careless..."
Despite saying that, she secretly picked up a French fry.
Joel: "..."
Why didn¡¯t he see her being so self-disciplined when she was sneaking the fried chicken into her mouth?!
The smile at the corners of his lips deepened. He said, "I will talk it out with Norater at night. As for Dad, I was too narrow-minded. I understand his actions and I also understand that to him, Nora is ultimately still different."
How could one¡¯s feelings for their biological and adopted children possibly be the same?
Tanya, however, said, "It¡¯s also different between children they raised and children they didn¡¯t! Didn¡¯t you see that news some time ago? The child¡¯s biological parents found and approached him after he grew up, but the child was only close to their adoptive parents. You were raised by Dad, and Dad has a very good rtionship with you! Considering Nora¡¯s personality¡ªbesides, she doesn¡¯t know how to wheedle for attention either¡ªDad will definitely find her too aloof!"
Joel: "..."
Tanya smiled after she spoke. "Therefore, to Dad, there¡¯s no difference between you and Nora. The two of you are the same to him!"
Everything she said beforehand was for the sole purpose of saying thisst sentence.
Joel suddenly became enlightened. "Yeah."
After the two ate and Tanya was about to go home, Joel suddenly stood up. "I¡¯ll go home with you!"
Tanya was surprised. "What¡¯s wrong?"
Joel smiled and replied, "My subordinate did something bad to Nora. As her elder brother, surely I have to apologize to her in person, right? Why don¡¯t I cook for you guys today?"
Tanyaughed. "Okay! Then make me some beef steak! You know how I like it done the best! Eating beef at night helps lose weight!"
Joel: "..."
The two went downstairs together and got ready to go home.
After they left, Mindy appeared at the door. When she overheard Joel saying "My subordinate did something bad to Nora. As her elder brother, surely I have to apologize to her in person, right?", she clenched her fists.
She lowered her head, aware that what she did had displeased Joel.
Moreover, it had even nearly destroyed their familial harmony.
Then, she thought of how she had only been able to go to school because of Ian sponsoring her studies. It was just that the old man had never taken the credit for himself.
Mindy took a deep breath. She knew that she had really made a mistake this time!
However, she wasn¡¯t going to apologize for it anymore¡ªbecause Mr. Smith had already shouldered the me for her. The only thing she could do now was never to take the liberty to act without permission again, and also never to make trouble for Ms. Smith again!
¡ª
Joel returned home.
Even Ian, who was basking in the sun in the living room and staring out the window along the way, was a little surprised to see him. "Why are you back so early?"
Joel smiled and replied, "Isn¡¯t Noraing for dinner? I¡¯ll cook."
Ian was dumbfounded. "What are you cooking for? It¡¯s not like we don¡¯t have a chef. Come over and sit with me for a while instead."
Joel sat next to Ian.
Ian, who was warm andfortable from the sun, slowly said, "Joel, I want to thank you."
Joel was taken aback. "Dad, what¡¯s the matter?"
Ian said, "Do you remember the day when your dad... I mean, my brother hit you, and you ran over and put your arms around my leg?"
Joel nodded.
Ian smiled and said, "That day, I actually didn¡¯t want to live anymore."
Joel¡¯s expression suddenly became serious.
Ian continued to speak. "But the look in your eyes was simply too pure and innocent. Because you looked at me like that and treated me as yourst hope to cling to, I had suddenly found a reason to live."
His words astounded Joel.
Since he was a child, what his uncle had said to him the most was that he must excel and take over the Smith Corporation. And once he inherited thepany, Ian would give up on living.
For Joel, that was the most psychologically tormenting period of his life.
He¡¯d thought that his uncle had nothing to live for anymore because the Smith Corporation, thepany that his uncle cared about the most, had found a sessor.
But as it turned out!
He was the one whom his uncle had cared about?
While he was thinking about it, Ian said, "Later, I handed over the Smith Corporation to you. Seeing how you¡¯d grown up and your ability to stand on your own, I felt that there was no reason for me to live anymore."
"Dad!"
Joel¡¯s eyes suddenly reddened.
Ian said, "Then, Nora came back. It was only when she told me that there are a lot of people after her life and she may not have much longer to live anymore, that I finally found another reason to live. Even then, I still didn¡¯t know how to treat her well. I¡¯d never taught her, never watched her grow up. I didn¡¯t know what she liked or disliked, either..."
Joel thought of how Ian had apanied him as he did his homework in the past. When he couldn¡¯tplete his tasks, Ian would reprimand the tutor for giving him too much homework.
When he was ying, although Ian didn¡¯t y with him, he always sat nearby. Sometimes, he did work in the study instead, but when Joel asionally nced over, he would see Ian standing in front of the window looking at him.
In the past, he¡¯d felt that his uncle was too cold and aloof and only cared about his work. But in this instant, it was as though he was suddenly looking at those memories from a different perspective, allowing Joel to see what was truly on the other side.
He held Ian¡¯s hand.
Ian said, "Joel, I¡¯ll ask you onest time, have you given careful thought to that ount? You are a sensitive and introverted child who¡¯d always rather make himself suffer just to make me happy. I want to hear the truth from you now!"
Joel gave a wry smile.
He understood now, Ian hadn¡¯t given Nora the ount. He might have just told her the information from the group instead. He was clearly among the people whom Ian cared about.
Joel¡¯s expression became resolute. "I¡¯m sorry, Dad, I misunderstood you. Let¡¯s give that ount to Nora! I¡¯m saying this with full sincerity. Neither you nor I was with Nora when she was growing up. This is the only thing we can give to her now. With this, hopefully, she will have an easier journey in the future."
Ian frowned. "Are you sure? If you give it to her, the Smith Corporation may never reach the height you aspire to bring it to."
Ian understood Joel.
He was an ambitious and capable man. Under his leadership, the Smith Corporation had prospered day by day and be even more brilliant than when it was still in the hands of Ian.
Joel wanted even greater glory and wanted to create his own business empire, so he had been working hard all these years.
He would only seed with the help of the ount.
Joel smiled. This time, his smile was happy and reassured, and also liberated and determined. "Yes, I¡¯m very sure."
He knew exactly what he had given up.
As soon as he said that though, Nora walked into the living room and asked hesitantly, "What are you so sure about?"
Chapter 798: Grandpa, Come Watch My Live-Stream!
Chapter 798: Grandpa, Come Watch My Live-Stream!
As soon as Nora spoke, Ian and Joel looked at each other. Joel was about to reply when a young and tender voice piped up. "Is there any for Cherry?"
The three children entered one after another, all of them looking at Ian and Joel eagerly.
Ian: "..."
Joel: "..."
There was only one ount in the family, but there were three of them. How were they going to split it?
Joel didn¡¯t think that much, though. He was about to speak when Ian coughed and said, "Of course there is. I was saying that I n to give your mother a vi. If you want one, then you kids can have one each!"
In front of the children, Ian didn¡¯t want to seem like he didn¡¯t have enough to spare, so he decided to have a private chat with Nora aler instead. He wasn¡¯t going to tell the children about the ount.
Besides, if possible, Ian wanted Nora to eventually give Pete the ount.
It wasn¡¯t that he was partial to Pete¡ªhis personal favorite was most definitely Cherry. After all, he was still watching her live-streams every day!
He was the number one patron of Cherry¡¯s live-streams!
However, he didn¡¯t want Cherry to be a businesswoman. It was too tiring. As a girl, she should just rx and make money without doing anything. It would do as long as she was happy.
Hard and tiring tasks like running a business should just be left to Pete. After all, Pete was brought up by Justin, so he definitely had the talent to do business.
As for Xander... Ian didn¡¯t have much of an impression of him yet, so he didn¡¯t know what he liked or disliked, or what he was good at. They still had a lot of years toe, though, so he would just wait and see.
When Ian interrupted Joel, after a moment¡¯s thought, the young man immediately understood that Ian didn¡¯t want his image of an almighty grandfather to be ruined in front of the children, so he simply changed the subject altogether. He said, "You¡¯re finally here, Nora. Why don¡¯t you spend some time chatting with Dad? I¡¯ll go to the kitchen and make you guys my signature beef steak. Nora, how do you like your steak?"
Nora was silent for a moment before she said, "I prefer Hamburgs."
"Then I¡¯ll make you Salisbury steak."
After saying that, Joel really went into the kitchen.
Nora stared at him from the back. When she thought of what Celine told her in thepany, the corners of her lips rose a little, seemingly having realized something.
While she was thinking about this, over at the other side, Cherry was already sitting on Ian¡¯sp and was in the midst of another crazy bout of ttery. She said, "Grandpa, why do you look so young? If you go out with us, people would easily believe me even if I say that you¡¯re my daddy!!"
The corners of Xander¡¯s lips spasmed a little. He couldn¡¯t stand Cherry being a bootlicker at all, so he said dryly, "Why don¡¯t you just call him your elder brother?"
Cherry pouted. "No way, how old would Mommy have to be for her to give birth to someone who¡¯s Grandpa¡¯s age?!"
Cherry loved her mom the most, so she absolutely must not make Mommy look old just to make her grandfather look young!
Xander: "?"
Pete couldn¡¯t help but hold his forehead, feeling like his sister was quite an unbearable sight to behold.
Ian, however,ughed out loud and patted Cherry¡¯s head. He said, "I don¡¯t need to look as young as your father, either. I¡¯m alright with just being the youngest-looking grandfather! My little Cherry is so adorable, she will definitely be the belle of the ball when she grows up!"
Cherry nodded. "Of course! I look a lot like Mommy. Since Mommy is so pretty, I definitely won¡¯t look bad, either!"
Nora, who had never participated in their chat but was constantly a part of it: "..."
That little bootlicker.
Nora made a dry remark inwardly. Then, she got up and entered the kitchen.
Joel was slicing the beef. When he saw her, he smiled at her. In those usually-smiley eyes behind the sses was a smile a little more sincere than usual.
Nora said, "Joel..."
Before she could finish, Joel said gracefully, "Nora, nice timing. I happen to have something that I wanted to apologize to you for."
He straightened his back and said, "Mindy, my executive assistant, has probably created some trouble for you. How much damage did she do? I¡¯llpensate you for it. Has Mindy¡¯s mistake reached the point of no return, though? If it hasn¡¯t, then on my ount, can you forgive her this once?"
Nora was a little dumbfounded.
She had been nning to cautiously and indirectly warn Joel about his subordinates¡ªafter all, since the day she had first met him, there had always been a sense of distance between her and her elder brother.
Moreover, Joel kept his thoughts so deeply hidden that sometimes even she couldn¡¯t tell what her elder brother was thinking.
Unexpectedly, he was being so direct and straightforward with her today?
The surprise rendered her speechless for a while. This wasn¡¯t quite what she had been expecting!
It felt as if Joel had been hiding behind a stic film the whole time, but he had now stepped out and was truly standing in front of her.
Joel misunderstood Nora¡¯s hesitation. He asked, "Are the losses very heavy? Or did you lose some talented people? If it is very serious, then I definitely won¡¯t cover up for her..."
Nora hurriedly replied, "No, it¡¯s nothing."
Mindy¡¯s actions hadn¡¯t actually done her any harm. On the contrary, it had made Celine develop a sense of guilt and loyalty to her. For Nora, this was just a trivial matter.
When she briefly recounted the incident with Celine, Joel sighed and said, "Mindy likes to engage in psychological warfare. Don¡¯t worry, if she ever dares to do it again, I definitely won¡¯t let her off easily. This time, let me make amends with this steak instead!"
Nora found Joel rather strange today.
However, she liked this feeling very much, so her almond-shaped eyes curved a little and she said, "Then you¡¯d better make it delicious, Joel."
Joel looked up at her. As the two of them looked at each other, they both startedughing.
After that, when Tanya and Mia returned home from school, the family enjoyed a pleasant dinner together.
While eating, Xander kept looking at Mia.
The small and frail Mia, who was dainty even when she ate, asked in a small voice, "Xander, why do you keep looking at me? Is there something on my face?"
"No," Xander answered seriously, "It¡¯s just that Pete keeps talking about you, so I wanted to see what you look like. It¡¯s not like you¡¯re cuter than Cherry!"
Mia: "..."
Thwack!
Nora gave Xander a light pat on the head. "Watch what you say, young man. It¡¯s not very gentlemanly telling a girl she isn¡¯t cute!"
Xander stuck out his tongue. "She looks okay, it¡¯s just that she¡¯s not quick-witted enough and she looks very listless. Of course she¡¯s not as cute as Cherry!"
The shrewd and clever Cherry stuck out her tongue. "Stop talking, Xander. Mia is just more modest than me! Isn¡¯t that right, Pete?"
Pete was eating calmly. He nced at Mia¡ªas she was not used to being in the spotlight, she was staring at them timidly with her doe-like eyes. He immediately changed the subject and said, "Yeah, you¡¯re too lively. Cut down on dissing people when you y games tonight."
At the mention of her games, Cherry immediately looked at Ian and said, "Grandpa, I¡¯m having a live-stream tonight! Come and watch!"
Chapter 799: I Don’t Need The Account
Chapter 799: I Don¡¯t Need The ount
Cherry¡¯s mouth was stuffed, so her cheeks were bulging. Her big eyes were full of anticipation as she said, "My live-streams are really fun!"
Ian: "..."
Cherry went on. "Plus, I have a Sponsor Grandpa in my live-stream who¡¯s my number one fan. Will youe and tip me?"
"..."
Ian swallowed a piece of meat and coughed. As Nora and Joel looked over with knowing looks, he coughed again and said, "Sure, I¡¯lle to cheer you on tonight!"
"Yay! I knew Grandpa loves me the most! It¡¯s just a pity that Daddy is not at home, otherwise, he would also havee. Sigh!"
Speaking of Justin, Cherry couldn¡¯t help but look at Nora. "When is Daddying back?"
The table instantly fell silent.
None of the Smiths dared to say anything, seemingly afraid that they would make Nora sad.
On the contrary, it was Nora who suddenly raised her head and looked at everyone in confusion, not quite sure what was wrong. Then, she lowered her head again and resumed eating.
Everyone was speechless.
After everyone finished eating, Tanya looked at Nora hesitantly and said, "Nora, um... My condolences."
Nora: "?"
She was a little confused. "Huh?"
Tanya spoke again. "Um, about Justin..."
Only then did Nora suddenly realize something. "Oh, I forgot that Justin is dead."
No wonder they had all looked at her when Cherry mentioned her father just now. She forgot that Justin had faked his death.
A slightly chagrined Nora smacked her forehead.
In novels, they never let the heroine know about fake death plots. Why was Justin so unreliable even for something as simple as this? She had to constantly keep in mind that he was "dead".
Nora sighed silently. "I¡¯m so sad."
After saying that, she speared a piece of steak and put it into her mouth. Then, she speared another piece and put it on Cherry¡¯s te. "Here, have more!"
Everyone was speechless.
Wasn¡¯t she sad?
Why was she eating so heartily?!
They then looked at the three children and Nora again, only to see the four of them exchanging looks with one another and then digging into their food happily.
Nora had already instructed the three little fellows that they mustn¡¯t say in front of outsiders that their father was still alive.
Everyone: "..."
After the meal, Nora went upstairs with the four children. Tanya, who had stayed behind to direct the servants in cleaning up, couldn¡¯t help but look at Joel. She said, "I heard that some people stop feeling sad when they be too sad. Nora probably hasn¡¯t recovered yet! She may not know what death really means, sigh! Some people suffer a whole year before they truly recover."
Joel also frowned. He asked, "Should we get Nora a therapist?"
"Will that be too much fanfare?"
Tanya was a little hesitant. "Besides, Nora is a doctor herself, and an all-around one at that."
Joel became a little troubled.
Ian, who was listening from the side, said, "No, it¡¯s not necessary. I think this is pretty good. If she can¡¯t live just because her lover died, then she¡¯s not worthy of being my, Ian Smith¡¯s, daughter!"
Tanya and Joel: "?"
Both of them had question marks all around their heads. Then, they looked at him in unison.
Who was the one who wanted to die all the time back then?! Just because Yvette was dead?!
Ian didn¡¯t get the look in the couple¡¯s eyes at all. He merely said, "Alright, Joel,e on, let¡¯s take care of our business."
Joel nodded.
When the three of them went upstairs, Tanya was still thinking to herself that Nora must be thoroughly heartbroken.
Nora had always been like that. When they were living abroad, among the group of parents searching for their missing children, she had seemed to be the one in the best mental condition.
In truth, though, she was awfully broken deep down. Once she set her mind on something, she stuck with it for a lifetime.
It seemed that Tanya would have to find an opportunity to have a chat with her.
With that in mind, Tanya entered Nora¡¯s bedroom. The four children were ying, so the ce was very lively. Tanya said, "Nora, Dad and Joel want you to meet them in the study. They said they have something to talk to you about."
Nora nodded, left the four children to Tanya, and headed to the study.
As soon as she entered, she saw Joel and Ian sitting upright on the sofa with serious expressions on their faces. They looked at her. After she entered, Joel got up to confirm that no one was outside. It was only after he got someone to stand guard at the door that he finally closed it.
It went to show just how important this matter was that the two of them were about to bring up.
Even Nora couldn¡¯t help but straighten her back. She felt as if what Ian and Joel were going to talk about might be a matter of life and death for the Smiths!
Otherwise, why would they be so secretive about it?
While she was thinking about it, Ian said, "Nora, it¡¯s like this. In order to guarantee that Joel has absolute control in thepany, I¡¯ve given 51% of my shares to him, so there¡¯s only less than 20% left for you and the children. Joel feels that you are getting too little."
The nd topic made Nora yawn, and she felt a little sleepy. "It¡¯s already a lot. It¡¯s not like I do any work there."
"..."
Her words made Ian choke and he looked at Joel.
Joel said with a smile, "In addition to the shares, the Smiths have another important inheritance. Since Dad has shown partiality toward me in the shares, then let¡¯s give the ount to you instead!"
Nora was taken aback. "What ount are you talking about?"
Joel lowered his voice and said mysteriously, "You heard us talking about the Imperial League the other time, right?"
Nora: "??"
Joel went on. "Dad also mentioned it the other time, he had spent a lot of effort back then to join the Imperial League group. In the group, people share business information with one another and you can get information there earlier than anywhere else in the market. You should understand the significance of the ount, right?"
"... Yeah, I do."
Joel nodded and looked at Ian. "So, Dad¡¯s ount will be handed over to you. Now, I¡¯m going to tell you the Imperial League¡¯s rules and regtions."
Ian nodded and took out his cell phone with a very grave look on his face.
His behavior made Nora feel like they might be performing some kind of sacrificial ceremony.
Nora¡¯s lip corners spasmed. "It¡¯s fine."
Ian sighed. "I know, you don¡¯t want to take advantage of Joel, either. This ount is indeed more valuable than any amount of shares. Just share the really important information with him in the future and it¡¯ll do."
Joel also nodded. "Nora, you don¡¯t need to feel awkward about this."
Nora replied, "... I¡¯m not feeling awkward. I just don¡¯t need the ount."
Chapter 800: I Have An Account Too
Chapter 800: I Have An ount Too
She didn¡¯t need it?
Joel sighed. "I know that your focus is all on medical research and that you have never thought about doing business, so this ount may just be something that¡¯s nice to have but not a necessity for you, but in the future..."
Nora pressed her lips together.
To be honest, they were not allowed to reveal anything about the ount to outsiders.
It was an Imperial League rule that no one, except for the sessor, was allowed to be privy to its existence.
Therefore, those few subordinates of Joel¡¯s were only aware that an incrediblemercial ount existed, but they didn¡¯t know what kind of ount it really was, or what organization it was part of.
Additionally, their family¡¯s situation was also a special one¡ªJoel and Nora were both Ian¡¯s sessors. That was why they wereying out everything and talking about it.
Even Tanya was not qualified to be a part of this meeting.
Thus, Nora hadn¡¯t immediately exined everything clearly in the beginning.
But judging from what Joel and Ian were saying, if she didn¡¯t make things clear, then she would have to ept the ount?
Nora held her forehead.
She didn¡¯t want it.
By then, she had also figured out why Mindy wanted to take action against her. As it turned out, it was precisely for the ount!
She interrupted Joel and said, "I also have an ount there."
"..."
The room suddenly fell silent.
Ian and Joel looked at her, both stunned and puzzled.
A brief momentter, Joel finally coughed and said, "Nora, you don¡¯t have to make things up and say that you have an ount just to reject me..."
Ian was also taken aback, but he seemed to understand something and asked, "Is Justin also in the group? Did he leave his ount to you? That shouldn¡¯t be, though. If he was in there, why didn¡¯t he say anything when King was selling his shares the other time??"
Seeing that the two of them were so bbergasted, Nora had no choice but to tell the truth. "Cough, what I mean is... I have one of my own."
"..."
This time, the two men became even quieter.
A short whileter, Ian took out his cell phone, opened up the group chat, and asked, "Who are you?"
"Cat."
Ian: "..."
Joel: "..."
The two men were stunned.
They looked at Nora in unison. After a while, Ian asked, "How did you join the group?"
"King added me."
Nora didn¡¯t understand either. "So I became part of the group just like that."
"..."
Ian couldn¡¯t believe it at all. "That¡¯s it? So simple?"
"Yeah."
Ian: "..."
He felt like his worldview had been severely impacted!
Back then, in order to join the group, he had fought and struggled abroad for so many years. On top of that, it was only after he developed the Smith Corporation so well in the country that he finally qualified for an evaluation.
Additionally, one needed at least two referrals to join the group...
One shouldn¡¯t be fooled by the seemingly small number. There weren¡¯t even that many people in the world who knew of the Imperial League¡¯s existence, let alone know who was in it?
It was only by a stroke of serendipity, as well as his own capabilities, that Ian managed to get two people to recognize his worth. After the referrals, he had gone through another three years of probation before he finally joined the group!
Yet Nora had been directly invited into the group by King?
The corners of his lips spasmed and he could only sigh silently. "You outdo even me, Nora."
Joel also nodded. "That¡¯s amazing, Nora."
Nora smiled and said, "Therefore, I don¡¯t need the ount. Let¡¯s just return it to Joel!"
Ian had actually given Joel the ount long ago. It was just that when Ian regained motivation to live on for Nora¡¯s sake after her return to the family, Joel had returned the ount to him.
Ian handed over the ount to him once more. "Since your sister already has one, then I will give this back to you! The password is still the same."
The password was still the same.
Whenever Joel needed to, he could log in to check the news in the group at any time.
When Joel heard this, a touch of tenderness shed across his bottomless eyes again.
Ian genuinely loved his adopted son.
He didn¡¯t stand on ceremony anymore, he nodded and said, "Got it."
After the matter about the ount was settled, Ian looked at Nora. After thinking for a while, he finally asked, "Nora, what are your ns for the future?"
Nora raised her eyebrows. "What?"
Ian hesitated for a moment before he finally said, "The Hunts were in a stormy situation some time ago, so I didn¡¯t bring it up then. But you and Justin are only engaged, not married. To put it bluntly, he is just your lover..."
"He¡¯s my fianc¨¦."
For some reason, Nora didn¡¯t want Ian to call him her lover, so she corrected him.
Ian paused for a moment and then spoke again. "He¡¯s ultimately just your fianc¨¦. You have to look forward in life... If you want to find another..."
"No, it¡¯s fine." Nora interrupted him and said, "I don¡¯t have time for that."
She then said, "If there¡¯s nothing else, then I¡¯ll get going."
"Okay, you can go first if you have something up."
By the time Ian finished, Nora had already left.
After she left, Joel mused for a moment before he finally said, "Dad, I think Nora really has feelings for Justin."
Ian sighed. "Yeah."
After a short silence, he said, "Everyone in our family is very devoted when ites to love. You and Tanya have reunited as lovers, so I won¡¯t say anything about that, but Nora... I wish she would be more fickle and avoid going down the same path I did."
Yvette was the only one in Ian¡¯s eyes all his life, but he had only really spent two short years with her.
For the twenty-six years, eight months, and three days that came after, he had been all alone.
He¡¯d also thought about looking for another woman, but none of them couldpare to her. Even if they were better than her in a certain aspect, in his eyes and in his heart, they still weren¡¯t as good as her.
He¡¯d also thought about making concessions, but in the end, he simply couldn¡¯t.
He had already tasted the pain, loneliness, and reclusiveness of being devoted to love. Thus, when he initially found out that Nora might have another lover, despite his surprise, Ian had been relieved.
He¡¯d rather his daughter be a little more fickle in love than have her be like him and suffer the pain of love because of someone.
At first, he had been disapproving of Nora¡¯s rtionship with Justin because the elderly Mrs. Hunt didn¡¯t like his daughter, so he didn¡¯t want her to suffer any grievances. Later, it was because he was afraid that his daughter would sink too deeply into the rtionship.
The deeper one loved, the more painful it would be when they got hurt.
However, Justin was simply too outstanding. He visited the Smiths, again and again, proving to Ian his love for Nora. Toward the end¡ªin fact, when they got engaged¡ªIan had already epted him deep down.
Who knew that he would suddenly die at such a young age, though?
He¡¯d deliberately used the word "lover" to mislead himself and Nora so that thetter wouldn¡¯t be overly concerned. So what even if the children were also part of the Hunts?
Nora and Justin were not married!
She still had the freedom to look for another man.
But judging from Nora¡¯s stance, it looked like she didn¡¯t n on looking anymore...
While Ian was feeling troubled over his daughter¡¯s future, the door suddenly opened and Cherry came in. She said, "Grandpa, I¡¯ve started my live-stream! Come on in!"
Chapter 801: Biological Grandpa!
Chapter 801: Biological Grandpa!
Ian: "?"
Cherry was already standing in front of him and took out her phone. "Grandpa, I¡¯m livestreaming. You have to download the app first... Eh? You already have this app. Don¡¯t tell me you watch other people¡¯s livestream too?"
Cherry immediately felt aggrieved. "Then why don¡¯t you look at mine?!"
Ian: "!"
Cherry was furious. "You must have gone to watch someone else¡¯s livestream. You actually don¡¯t like me. I¡¯m angry!"
Ian: "..."
Cherry sounded angry as she opened his app with a stern expression. "I want to see who Grandpa looks at every day. Is she cuter than me?"
Ian: "...As cute as you."
Cherry¡¯s fingers froze as she pursed her lips. "Grandpa, you¡¯re really biased. You think those wild flowers outside are cuter than me! Boohoo, you must have been seduced by some little vixen!"
Ian touched his forehead. "Who did you learn to speak like this from?"
Cherry: "Xander! He said that all the boys find the wild flowers outside more alluring! That¡¯s why Pete keeps mentioning Mia. However, I¡¯ve already corrected Xander. Mia isn¡¯t a wild flower, she¡¯s a family flower. She¡¯s our family!"
Cherry was very loyal.
Mia had long been included in the family.
Ian: "..."
Cherry opened the live-stream app. When she logged in, she was still asking, "Grandpa, then who¡¯s cuter, Mommy or the streamer you like?"
Ian: "..."
How could hepare his niece and daughter?
He was stumped by Cherry¡¯s question. He was about to say something when he heard Cherry say angrily, "Don¡¯t say they¡¯re equally cute!"
Ian: "..."
He touched his forehead. "Look at the streamer I¡¯m following first."
"No, no, no!" Cherry whined deliberately. "Answer my question first. I¡¯ll look at itter!"
Ian secretly looked outside for Nora and then whispered, "I think this girl is cuter than your Mommy!"
Cherry: "!!"
Her eyes were wide open like dark grapes as she shouted, "Grandpa, you¡¯re so bad! How can there be anyone more adorable than Mommy?"
She shouted angrily, "I want to see who it is!"
With that, she logged in to the app. She nced at the ID and saw the words "Sponsor Grandpa".
Cherry: "?"
Her first reaction was: "Grandpa, your name is the same as my number one supporter!"
Then, she saw that Ian had hundreds of thousands of fans too. They were all famous for tipping Cherry. After all, people who could tip millions at once were very famous on the live-stream app.
However, Ian only followed one person.
Cherry opened it and was stunned when she saw her photo.
She suddenly looked up. "Sponsor Grandpa?"
Ian nodded helplessly.
Cherry: "!!"
She blinked and suddenly understood. Her face immediately blossomed with joy. "So you¡¯re my Sponsor Grandpa! Grandpa, you¡¯re too good to me!"
Ian was about to be smug when he heard her say with a stern face, "But! How can you say that I¡¯m cuter than Mommy? Of course Mommy is the cutest and most beautiful! No one canpare to Mommy, not even me!"
Ian: "??"
The child¡¯s praise for her mother had really reached the peak!
¡ª
Ever since she learned that Ian was her Sponsor Grandpa, Cherry called him even more affectionately in the live-stream.
"Grandpa, another ne! I want to see a ne!"
A ne floated past the live-stream.
Cherry continued to y her game. "Grandpa, if I kill all four of them, spam a row of 666s for me!"
After the fourth kill, hundreds ofments with 666 rewards flew past Cherry¡¯s game screen.
Everyone in the live-stream realized.
In the past, sweetcherry did not really want gifts. Even when her Sponsor Grandpa gave her too many gifts, she would stop him. But now, sweetcherry had changed!
Someone below said:
"For some reason, I don¡¯t like this attitude of wanting gifts. I can give it to you, but if you ask me for it, I¡¯d like you less and less. I wonder if Sponsor Grandpa feels the same?"
"Same here. I keep feeling that sweetcherry doesn¡¯t treat us as outsiders today. Besides, isn¡¯t that Sponsor Grandpa¡¯s temper too good?"
"Is sweetcherry short of money? She actually took the initiative to ask for tips today?"
"What a wonder! Isn¡¯t asking for a gift too straightforward? Other streamers are very vague. Sweetcherry is too tant!"
...
...
There was a flurry of discussions below. Cherry asionally saw it and pursed her lips. She replied, "He¡¯s my grandfather. What¡¯s wrong with me wanting gifts from him?"
Everyone began to mock her.
"Is he your biological grandfather? He¡¯s only called a grandfather if it¡¯s biological. Do you really think that calling him Grandpa a few times will make you the granddaughter of a wealthy family? Will he acknowledge you?"
"That¡¯s right. The child is so young. She probably can¡¯t tell the difference! Her parents don¡¯t care either."
Of course, not everyone spoke against sweetcherry. Among the manyments, there were not many discordant ones, so Cherry did not notice.
However, this matter reached the old madam¡¯s ears.
After Mrs. Hunt learned that Cherry was live-streaming and that Justin did not mind, she did not care either. It was fine as long as her child was pampered. At this moment, no one knew that Mrs. Hunt was also in Cherry¡¯s live-stream.
Cherry had seen too many of those badments and did not care about them. However, Mrs. Hunt did not understand them. Especially when Cherry called him ¡¯Grandpa¡¯ so affectionately, it made Mrs. Hunt angry. She simply walked over to the vi.
At this moment, Nora was considering what kind of excuse to make to go to Switzend and look for the V16. She nned to set off within two days. She had taken care of the mess Justin had left in the country. Even without her, thepany could still operate fine.
She could not dy finding the gene serum for Xander.
At this moment, Mrs. Hunt entered. When she saw that Nora was lying on the bed, she immediately felt angry and said, "Nora! Why are you lying on the bed again?"
Nora: "?"
She raised her eyebrows and got up. "What¡¯s wrong?"
Seeing that she still had not stopped beingzy, Mrs. Hunt was so angry that she did not know what to say. However, she still said, "Hurry up and control Cherry! It¡¯s bad enough that she keeps calling an outsider ¡¯Grandpa¡¯ in the live-stream, but she also keeps asking for gifts! Our family doesn¡¯tck money! Why is she making a fool of herself in front of outsiders? I¡¯ll give her whatever she needs!"
Nora: "??"
Chapter 802: Grandpa’s Identity
Chapter 802: Grandpa¡¯s Identity
Calling an outsider Grandpa?
Nora knew that Cherry had a loyal fan on her live-streams. He was her Sponsor Grandpa. However, she knew that Cherry had never been a child who did not know her limits.
She could not possibly ask for things from a fan unless it was someone she was familiar with.
Familiar person... After some thought, Nora had a guess. She said, "Let¡¯s go and take a look."
With that, she turned and went to Cherry¡¯s room.
Cherry¡¯s live-stream was a little noisy, so she rarely stayed by her side during the live-stream.
On the way to Cherry¡¯s room, Mrs. Hunt nced at Nora, who was expressionless. She thought about it and exined, "I don¡¯t mind that Cherry is embarrassing us. I just feel that your father will be unhappy if he hears her calling an outsider ¡¯Grandpa¡¯ like this."
She was making up for her harsh words just now.
Someone like Mrs. Hunt cared a lot about the Hunts¡¯ image in the outside world. How could she not care that Cherry wanted something from others?
However, when she thought about how this old madam had always been arrogant to her in the past, and now, she actually exined it to her, Nora decided to tolerate her.
There was always progress.
With this in mind, the two of them arrived at Cherry¡¯s room.
Nora knocked on the door. After opening the door, she looked at Cherry and pointed at her phone. Cherry understood and said, "Mommy, wait for me just a minute. It¡¯s thest team battle! I can push the crystal if I win the team battle!"
Nora nodded and walked to the sofa beside her.
Mrs. Hunt: "..."
She looked at Nora and felt that as a mother, she was really spoiling her child too much. She was here to chat with her but she had to wait for her to finish this round?
Although Mrs. Hunt was dissatisfied, when she thought of how Justin pampered Cherry even more, she could not say anything to criticize her. She could only sit on the sofa with Nora unhappily.
Cherry said that one could push the crystal if they won the team battle. However, in this group battle, the two sides were in a draw and there was only one person left. Therefore, they were still a littlete, causing the game to be extended for a full 15 minutes.
Mrs. Hunt was gradually getting impatient from waiting. She turned around and nced at Nora, but she saw that she was already leaning against the sofa again. Had she fallen asleep?
Mrs. Hunt: "!!"
However, Cherry was still talking. "Grandpa, do you think I have to fight for another 15 minutes? Hmph, that¡¯s impossible! I¡¯ll definitely end the battle in five minutes!"
"What if it doesn¡¯t end? y with you for three hours? There¡¯s nothing wrong with that! But what if I win? What are you going to give me?"
"A sports car? No, I already have a sports car! Dad bought it for me! ... What do I want? I don¡¯t really need anything. You¡¯re buying me a million-dor gift? It¡¯s a little small. I want two million dors!"
Mrs. Hunt: "!!"
Her expression changed.
y for three hours? Is this what a serious girl should be saying? Cherry was only so old but she was already being led astray.
She coughed and woke Nora up beside her.
Nora rubbed her eyes and looked at Cherry. She asked, "What time is it?"
Cherry was anxious. She had fun with the team battle and pushed the other party¡¯s crystal. "I want it to end quickly. Mommy is getting anxious. Also, Grandpa, I won! Don¡¯t shower me with gifts yet, wait until next time! Bye~"
After saying that, she ended her live-stream. Then, she looked at Nora and Mrs. Hunt and asked, "Mommy, what¡¯s wrong?"
Nora yawned. "Your Sponsor Grandpa..."
Before she could finish, Mrs. Hunt interrupted her. "Cherry, you have to stay away from that Sponsor Grandpa in the future!"
Cherry was puzzled. She tilted her head and asked, "Why?"
Mrs. Hunt immediately said, "Because he¡¯s not a good person, of course!"
Cherry: "?"
Mrs. Hunt said, "Everyone you know on the Inte is bad. Look, he keeps sending you gifts. He must have ulterior motives!"
Cherry shook her head. "No, my Sponsor Grandpa is not. He..."
"What?" Mrs. Hunt¡¯s face turned cold. "Look at the request he made to you. What do you mean by apanying him for three hours if you can¡¯t win? You¡¯re the daughter of the Hunts, how can you y with him? Who does he think he is?"
With that, she could not help but say, "You haven¡¯t even yed with me for three hours!"
She sounded a little jealous.
Cherry: "?"
She blinked. "But Grandpa, he..."
"Grandpa? What Grandpa? I think he¡¯s a cheat! Cherry, I don¡¯t object to you live-streaming, but you have to be careful about your words and actions, okay? Besides, he¡¯s not your mother¡¯s father. Why are you calling him Grandpa so affectionately?"
Cherry: "He¡¯s..."
"In short, you have to cut ties with this Sponsor Grandpa. The children of Hunts can¡¯t ask for a gift from others! I¡¯m telling you, other than your own elders, you can¡¯t ept money from anyone else! Okay?"
Cherry: "..."
She blinked her big ck grape-like eyes and looked at Nora pleadingly. "Mommy..."
Her great-grandmother would not give her a chance to speak!
However, when she shouted this, Mrs. Hunt scolded her even more fiercely. "It¡¯s useless even if you call your Mommy. Your Mommy can¡¯t just listen to you! Let me tell you this, it¡¯s impossible! Delete all the contact details of your Sponsor Grandpa immediately! Return the money for the tips. You can¡¯t ask for anything from him anymore!"
Cherry: "..."
However, Noraughed out loud. That smile was very faint, but it made Mrs. Hunt angry immediately. "Nora, what are youughing at? Am I wrong?"
The olddy was a little angry and began to speak without restraint. "Grandpa Grandpa Grandpa! You called him so affectionately but your real Grandpa never gave you any tips! I¡¯m your great-grandmother. Even I tipped you!"
Cherry was stunned. "Huh?"
"What?" Mrs. Hunt said. "Look at your daily rankings. I¡¯m fourth on it! I gave you tens of thousands of dors for fun but your biological grandfather didn¡¯te to support you! Hmph. Cherry, haven¡¯t you seen clearly? Even if your surname is Smith, you¡¯re still a child of our family. So be good. Let¡¯s change your surname, okay?"
Nora: "..."
Mrs. Hunt had always had a grudge against Cherry for having the surname Smith. She finally had a chance to tempt Cherry.
Nora chuckled and looked at Cherry. "Listen to your great-grandmother. Return all the money to Grandpa. Yes, and tell him not to give you anything in the future."
Chapter 803: Too Few Naps!
Chapter 803: Too Few Naps!
Cherry blinked. "Okay!"
When Mrs. Hunt heard this, she was stunned. "Wait, what did you say?"
Could it be that...
"Sponsor Grandpa is Grandpa!"
Cherry¡¯s words stunned Mrs. Hunt even more. "Huh?"
Cherry exined word by word, "Grandpa is Sponsor Grandpa, that¡¯s why he gave me so many gifts! Great-grandma, can¡¯t I take anything Grandpa gives me in the future?"
The little girl looked up with a very serious expression. Her face was identical to Pete¡¯s, but it was filled with cunning and intelligence. She tilted her head. "Is that so?"
Mrs. Hunt¡¯s heart skipped a beat.
She was not belittling Ian on purpose. It was just that Cherry was never as close to her as she was to Ian. Even when she called people on the Inte, she called them so affectionately. The way she called him Grandpa was really sweet.
She was her biological great-grandma. How could she notpare to a fake grandfather?
In her panic, she had said those things on purpose to say that Ian did not support her because she wanted Cherry to like her more. However, she did not expect to be pped in the face!
She immediately said awkwardly, "...Of course not. Ian is your grandfather and your surname is Smith. You can take whatever he gives you."
"Yay!"
Cherry looked at her happily. "Great-grandma, Grandpa is No. 1 on my rankings. I think you¡¯re right. Although my surname is Smith, I¡¯m also a member of the Hunts. Therefore, can you reach No. 1 on my rankings too? It doesn¡¯t matter if you can¡¯t reach it, No. 2 is fine too!"
Mrs. Hunt: "!!"
She immediately said, "Of course! I¡¯ll rush to the first rank when I get back!"
With that, Mrs. Hunt stood up and left in a sorry state.
After leaving the vi, Fanny could not help but smile. "Look at you. You always say that you want to hand over thepany to Miss Smith, but you just can¡¯t stay idle every time and worry. Actually, Cherry and Nora are much better than we imagined."
Mrs. Hunt sighed. "The main thing is that Nora was raised in that sorry state of a family. I heard that she never even went to school. When I think of this, I can¡¯t stop worrying. Especially with Cherry. Look,pared to Pete, Cherry is so much worse. She doesn¡¯t even learn well and ys games every day. She¡¯s the same as that brat Chesty. When she grows up, she¡¯ll be useless too. Pete grew up beside Justin, that¡¯s why he¡¯s different."
At the mention of Justin, Mrs. Hunt became a little mncholic. "If Justin was here, he could still correct Cherry and Xander¡¯s habits. But now that he¡¯s gone, what can Nora do for the children? Can she put the children to sleep every day?"
Fanny sighed silently.
No matter how unwilling Mrs. Hunt was, she still said, "Actually, Nora is very smart. Although she seemszy, she still became a genius in medicine. If she was more diligent, she might not be that much worse than Justin."
Fanny nodded. "Miss Smith is indeed smart. Look at how she handled thepany¡¯s matters this time. She¡¯s very beautiful. Furthermore, after Miss Smith took over thepany, everything in thepany remained normal. No idents happened."
Mrs. Hunt nodded again.
Then, she said, "Alright, I¡¯m the one who¡¯s overthinking. I keep feeling that she can¡¯t do it but she¡¯s actually very capable. With the Smiths backing her, she won¡¯t need any advice from an old woman in the future! The only thing I can do is get her to wake up every day to exercise and sleep less. Look at her. She sleeps so much, her body will copse! When a person lies in bed for a long time, their bones turn soft. Tomorrow, we¡¯ll call her for physical training!"
Fanny nodded. "Okay. Mrs. Hunt, you¡¯re stubborn but soft-hearted. You¡¯re clearly worried about Miss Smith¡¯s health but you find so many reasons to hide behind."
Mrs. Hunt did not speak and followed Fanny forward. "I can¡¯t interfere in her business matters. The only thing I can do is correct her daily life, sigh!"
Fanny echoed, "You did the right thing. Miss Smith is really pitiful. She didn¡¯t have a mother since a young age and grew up in that kind of family. I heard that she was often locked at home when she was young. I guess she only slept because she had nothing to do. After all, sleeping is the best way to kill time. Ian is a father after all. He definitely can¡¯t say that his daughter iszy, so no one criticized her after her return. Perhaps she doesn¡¯t know that this state is really too decadent."
Mrs. Hunt nodded again.
Fanny continued, "Fortunately, she met you. You now treat her like your biological granddaughter. I don¡¯t think you care as much about Miss Brenda as you do about Miss Smith!"
The olddy was even more satisfied. "She doesn¡¯t have a mother and the elders in the family can¡¯t interfere. Therefore, there are some things that only I can say..."
As the two of them chatted, they suddenly bumped into a tall woman in a white coat walking over. She was clearly going to Justin¡¯s vi.
Mrs. Hunt stopped in her tracks. "Isn¡¯t this Lily? The one who works with Nora?"
Lily stood still and nodded with a smile. "Hello, Mrs. Hunt!"
Mrs. Hunt frowned. "Why are you here?"
Lily exined, "I¡¯m here to check on Boss."
Mrs. Hunt instantly felt like she had found a bosom friend. "Yes, go take a look quickly. She looks like she doesn¡¯t have enough energy. Let me tell you, it¡¯s definitely because she sleeps for ten hours a day! This is really..."
She had slept too much, which caused her health to deteriorate.
Before she could finish, Lily nodded. "Yes, you¡¯re right! I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with Bosstely. She sleeps for ten hours a day! This is really bad for her health!"
Mrs. Hunt said, "So she should train more. She sleeps too..."
Before she could say the word "too much," Lily interrupted her indignantly. "Yes, you¡¯re right. She sleeps too little!"
Mrs. Hunt: ??
Chapter 804: I Want to Go Back!
Chapter 804: I Want to Go Back!
Mrs. Hunt was stunned. Then, she heard Lily continue, "With her physical condition, it¡¯s very bad not to sleep 14 hours a day! I really don¡¯t know which idiot keeps disturbing her every day and doesn¡¯t let her sleep. I¡¯ve already checked, the Hunt Corporation doesn¡¯t have that much work for her, and there are very few things that I arrange for her. Tell me, why is she doing this when she¡¯s free to sleep?"
Mrs. Hunt: ??
She was stunned. She said, "I think eight hours of sleep a day is enough. 14 hours? Isn¡¯t that too much?"
Lily sighed. "Old Madam, an ordinary person would definitely have enough sleep in eight hours, but is Boss a normal person?"
Mrs. Hunt fell silent. Wasn¡¯t she normal?
Then, she heard Lily say, "Her body has been weak ever since she was young. Her IQ is ridiculous. She knows learns at once, so it¡¯s very draining. Think about it. She¡¯s thest disciple of Dr. Zabe and is the top surgeon, Anti. She knows almost everything about alternative and western medicine. Furthermore, she¡¯s also a hacker. Most people won¡¯t be able to reach her level of hacking in their entire lives but she is already so capable.
How many brain cells have to die every day for these things? I¡¯ve studied it before. Her brain cell reproduction speed is double that of a normal person. Therefore, if she can¡¯t get sufficient sleep, her energy will not be able to keep up and she will be stupid in the future. I really don¡¯t know who has such a grudge against her and wants to harm her?"
Mrs. Hunt: "!!"
She swallowed and said again, "Did you just say that she has extraordinary intelligence?"
"That¡¯s right," Lily said. "Boss is very smart and has incredible IQ, almost the highest among humans. Otherwise, why do you think Pete is so smart?"
At this point, she thought that Mrs. Hunt might not understand, so she said, "You don¡¯t understand, right? Let me exin to you. Men have XY chromosomes and women have XX. The IQ gene is on the X chromosome. A boy¡¯s Y chromosome is inherited from the father while the Xes entirely from the mother. So Pete¡¯s IQ is inherited from Boss."
Mrs. Hunt: "!!"
She felt like her worldview had been refreshed again.
In the past, she always felt that Pete was indeed Justin¡¯s son because he was so smart at a young age, but as it turned out, it was because of Nora!
After Lily exined, she said, "Sigh, let¡¯s not talk about this anymore. I¡¯ll go check on Boss first and see if she¡¯s asleep. She hasn¡¯t slept well for a few days. I told her to rest early today."
With that, Lily left.
After she left, Mrs. Hunt swallowed.
She looked at Fanny in a daze and said, "Did you hear what she just said?"
Fanny: "...I heard her."
Mrs. Hunt said, "So I¡¯m harming her by not letting her sleep? Is it normal for her to sleep so abnormally? Did I do something bad out of kindness?"
Fanny smiled bitterly. "Seems like it."
Mrs. Hunt: "..."
¡ª
On a cruise ship.
When Iris and Mrs. Landis were shopping in the luxury store, they saw the waiters in the distance pointing at her. However, when she walked over, those people immediately stopped talking.
Iris frowned, not knowing what was going on.
There was no cell phone signal on the cruise. The only thing she could contact the outside world with was the satellite phone. However, Philip was afraid that she would contact Justin, so he had not given her a chance to use the satellite phone.
Recently, Iris¡¯s eyebrows had been twitching.
She nced at Mrs. Landis. Mrs. Landis understood what was going on. She took a few steps back and Iris entered the luxurious shop beside her. She began to buy things carefully.
She did not have to pay for her purchases, of course. In the end, she would settle the bill with Philip.
Furthermore, this cruise ship belonged to hispany.
"Wrap this up for me."
Iris pointed at the luxurious items and said to the staff.
The staff was overjoyed.
They earnedmission on how much they could sell. However, the cruise was booked by a single person. They might not make much money from this trip.
Iris was not a person who liked to shop. She only went shopping every day to take a look. It was rare for her to buy so many things today.
After Iris finished shopping, Mrs. Landis walked over with a pale face. Her legs were a little weak. It could be seen that something had happened.
Iris held her and asked, "What¡¯s wrong?"
Mrs. Landis stammered. She swallowed and held Iris¡¯s wrist. "Miss, you, you have to hold on. Just now, they said... said that Mr. Hunt is dead."
Iris was a little confused. "Dead? What do you mean? Also, who¡¯s dead? Herman?"
Mrs. Landis¡¯s eyes turned red as she suddenly cried. "No, it¡¯s Justin. Justin has passed away!"
"..."
Iris¡¯s vision turned dark as if she was struck by lightning. For a moment, she felt that the space around her had twisted. She looked at Mrs. Landis in confusion. "Jus- Justin passed away?"
Mrs. Landis cried.
Iris did not cry. Instead, she turned around and walked to the guest room. "I don¡¯t believe you. I want to go back..."
Chapter 805: I Want to Go Home!
Chapter 805: I Want to Go Home!
Iris looked very calm.
She walked steadily toward the control room.
Philip was handling some work matters there. There were many ces the consortium needed him to sign.
At that moment, Jason was standing in front of Philip and saying respectfully, "We have received news from a reliable source. Our people have also gone to New York to take a look. We have confirmed that Justin has indeed passed away."
Philip pursed his lips. "King hasn¡¯t contacted ustely, has he?"
"That¡¯s right."
Jason said, "Ever since Justin passed away, King hasn¡¯t asked for our men anymore. I¡¯m guessing that King¡¯s sudden appearance might have been because of Justin. Now that he¡¯s gone, King doesn¡¯t care anymore. Boss, you don¡¯t have anything to be afraid of. Can we go home now?"
Because King had contacted them, the group of people were hiding on the cruise ship and could not go back.
Philip was wary of King!
Now that Justin was gone, there was indeed nothing to worry about.
Philip¡¯s expression was tense. He suddenly said, "Tell me, how should I tell her about this? How would she ept it?"
In order to save her son, she, who had always been proud, had lowered her head in front of him.
Because of her son, she willingly trapped herself in a suburban vi for 20 years. Now that her son was dead, what would happen to her?
At the thought of this, Philip said, "Don¡¯t dock yet."
"Yes, sir."
Jason vaguely understood something. Boss did this because Iris would hear the news when they reached the shore. At that time, she might not be able to take it.
Moreover, there are too many uncertainties on the shore.
King¡¯s attitude was ambiguous. What if King immediately came looking for her after reaching the shore and took her away?
Philip wanted to observe her for a while longer!
The two of them had just finished talking when Iris suddenly pushed open the door. She looked straight at Philip. "I want to dock. I want to go home."
Philip and Jason exchanged looks. Jason lowered his head respectfully and went out.
Only Philip and Iris were left in the room.
Philip took two steps toward Iris. "Iris, you know about Justin... But it¡¯s useless for you to go home now. The people I sent have already confirmed that his corpse has been burned and buried. There¡¯s no point in you going back now."
Iris closed her eyes in despair.
She clenched her fists tightly, her voice trembling slightly. "Let me go back and take a look. I¡¯ll go see him... and Cherry, Pete, Xander. Oh, Nora too. They must be so sad. I want to go back..."
Philip continued to smile. "Iris, don¡¯t worry. They¡¯re living well. Nora took control of thepany and will hand it to his son in the future. You¡¯ve already sacrificed more than twenty years for your son. How many decades can a person have in their life? You abandoned me for 20 years. Now that he¡¯s gone, I¡¯ll apany you for the next 20 years..."
"I don¡¯t need you to apany me!"
Iris looked at him sadly. "Philip, let me go! They need me now!"
Philip lowered his eyes. "I told you, he¡¯s already in the coffin. It¡¯s useless even if you go back! Iris, for you, I¡¯ve never done anything to your son. It¡¯s fate that he died in an ident! The universe has handed your future to me. I won¡¯t let go!"
Iris gritted her teeth and red at him. "Philip, you pervert! If you don¡¯t let go, I¡¯ll only hate you!"
"It doesn¡¯t matter if you hate me."
Philip looked at her greedily. "Iris, I understand now. Even if you¡¯re not willing, as long as you¡¯re by my side, it¡¯s fine. For the past 20 years, I¡¯ve been considering your feelings. That¡¯s why you and I missed each other for so long. Now, I want to be selfish for once. I want to be selfish for us!"
Iris was furious and sad. Her words were very hurtful. "Us? You¡¯re selfish for yourself, aren¡¯t you? Philip, you¡¯re crazy!"
Philip nodded with a smile. "Yes. Even if I¡¯m crazy, you¡¯re the one who drove me crazy. Therefore, Iris, you have to be responsible!"
"You¡ª!"
Iris pointed at him, speechless.
Philip¡¯s expression turned a little cold. He suddenly threw a dagger on the table. The metal shed loudly.
Philip said, "Unless you can kill me, don¡¯t even think about leaving."
Iris stared at the dagger and suddenly picked it up. She aimed it at Philip¡¯s heart. "I¡¯ll kill you!"
"Kill me then!" Philipughed. The originally gloomy man had an exotic handsomeness. At that moment, he was even more sinister. There was madness in his eyes. "Leaving you hurts more than death. If you kill me and leave, I won¡¯t feel pain anymore. Come on!"
He held Iris¡¯s hand and used a little strength. The tip of the knife pierced through his skin. He stared at her. "Can you bear to?"
Could she bear to?
At such a close distance, Iris could see that the corners of the man¡¯s eyes had already grown wrinkles.
They were both old.
As she was thinking, Philip exerted strength in his hand. The knife stabbed deeper into his chest, and blood gushed out.
The warm blood jolted Iris back to reality. She subconsciously took a step back and let go. The dagger fell to the ground.
Philip looked at her andughed out loud. "You can¡¯t do it. You love me deep down! Iris, don¡¯t lie to yourself!"
Iris looked at the person in front of him. She did not know why he was so stubborn.
But he was after all someone she had loved sincerely...
She smiled bitterly and suddenly turned to leave the room.
After she left, Jason entered and heard Philip instruct, "Don¡¯t dock for the next two months. Use a helicopter for supplies. Also, find the person who leaked the news and throw him off the boat!"
His eyes were vicious and filled with bloodthirsty killing intent.
Jason was shocked.
Wasn¡¯t he killing someone by throwing them off the boat?
However, he did not dare to resist. He lowered his head and said yes before leaving.
Philip smiled slightly and narrowed his eyes.
This was the happiest time of his life. No matter what happened, even if the sky copsed and the earth exploded, it could not stop him from being with Iris!
Just as he thought of this, Jason ran in. "Boss, something happened!"
On the deck.
Philip had just rushed over when he saw Iris standing at the edge. The wind blew her white dress and she looked like she was about to fall into the sea.
She looked at Philip and said word by word, "I said, I want to go home."
Chapter 806: Justin Appears!!
Chapter 806: Justin Appears!!
The sea breeze was rustling and whistling.
Iris¡¯ skirt fluttered as though it was going to take her with it and fly into the air.
The emaciated woman stood on the edge of the deck, swaying in the wind. It felt like she would lose her bnce and fall at any moment.
Philip¡¯s eyes widened. "Iris,e back here! Come back!"
Iris looked at him, her eyes resolute and determined. She said firmly, "Let me go home, Or else, I¡¯ll jump down from here!"
Philip frowned. "Are you threatening me with your life? Even if you jump off, there are doctors on the cruise ship. I won¡¯t let you die! Without my permission, you are not allowed to die!"
"Really?"
Iris suddenly smiled. Then, she turned around and jumped down without hesitation!
...
...
The sea was very blue, and it was very windy.
In the distance, the sky was also very clear.
In such an environment, among the waves, when the white figure fell into the water, she was quickly swallowed up by the waves and she rose and fell in the sea.
"Iris!"
Philip shouted. He dashed forward and jumped into the sea without hesitation!
...
...
Half an hourter.
In a lounge on the ship.
Philip was wet all over. The seawater made his hair stick to his face and the sticky feeling felt terrible. Even though the heater in the room had been turned up to the max, he still felt awfully ufortable.
He stared at Iris, who was on the bed.
The woman¡¯s eyes were tightly closed. On her pale visage without even a trace of rosiness, her eyshes trembled gently. Her body was also shaking because of the cold.
Even though she was wrapped in a quilt, it couldn¡¯t relieve how cold she was.
Philip looked at her.
Iris¡¯ lips moved a little and she slowly said, "Philip, I want to go home."
"..."
As he stared at her, Philip¡¯s tightly sped hands tightened and loosened, again and again. A whileter, he stood up abruptly and shouted at the door, "Jason!"
Jason quickly entered. "Boss."
Philip¡¯s sinister eyes stared fixedly at Iris, the corners of his lips curling into a mocking arc. He ordered, "Return to shore!"
Jason was surprised, and he looked at Iris. In the end, he nodded. "Okay."
The cruise ship made a U-turn ahead and went straight back the same way it came.
Philip sat in the room for a long time. He didn¡¯t go for a shower.
He merely stared at Iris in astonishment until she opened her eyes and nced at him. Her tone was a little light and her voice pitifully soft.
Her words were clearly so gentle, yet also so cruel. She said, "Philip, aren¡¯t you doing everything you want because you know that I like you, so I won¡¯t bear to kill you? I can also do the same."
"..."
Philip stared at her in shock.
This was the first time in so many years that Iris had said that she liked him.
He was even somewhat crying with joy. His eyes were damp as he stared at her. "Iris, you like me. You admitted it. As I expected, you do like me, right?"
Iris pulled her hand back and turned her head to look away.
Philip continued. "Then let¡¯s be together? Your son has already died, so no one can tie you down anymore. Come with me."
Iris let out an icyugh. She looked at him and said, "If you insist on taking me with you, then what you¡¯ll eventually take with you will surely only be my dead body."
"..."
"..."
The room was awfully quiet. One could only hear the waves outside.
Philip looked at the stubborn Iris. He didn¡¯t understand.
"Iris, I like you so much, and you also return my feelings. We are in love with each other. Why can¡¯t we be together?"
Iris replied, "Perhaps... this is what they mean when they say it¡¯s not meant to be."
Sometimes, love was letting go and fulfilling oneself.
But Philip would never understand the meaning of these words.
He would never ever understand what it meant.
Iris didn¡¯t want to discuss this with him anymore. She found it pointless. She just wanted to go home now. She wanted to go back to New York and return to the people who needed her.
Philip looked at her, her cold attitude making him mad as he gritted his teeth. He clenched his fists tightly. After a while, he finally said, "I can let you go back and have a look if that¡¯s what you want, but once you¡¯ve seen them, you must leave with me at once! Iris, I told you, I love you. Even if what I¡¯ll take with me is your dead body, no one can separate us!"
After saying that, Philip stood up abruptly. After he went out, Jason followed suit.
Philip looked back at the room. Then, he lowered his eyes and said, "Gather our men at the shore and tell them to wait there. After taking Iris to Justin¡¯s grave, we¡¯ll bring her back immediately."
Jason immediately asked, "What if King¡¯s men are also there?"
Philip narrowed his eyes. "That shouldn¡¯t be the case."
He lowered his eyes and said, "No matter what, I still have a bit of status in the Imperial League. Now that Justin is gone, I am the closest to Iris. King likely won¡¯t meddle in our affairs anymore."
After he said that, a ruthless look formed in his eyes. "But if he insists on meddling, then he can¡¯t me me for not showing him courtesy anymore!"
Jason was stunned. He felt that his boss must have lost his mind. To think he dared to resist even King now! In the past, he more or less still had some reservations in his actions but there wasn¡¯t any left anymore.
But when he saw the bloodthirsty look in his boss¡¯ eyes, he could only nod and leave to make the arrangements.
As they had been sailing for a few days, it took two full days for them to return.
Two dayster, when Iris saw the coastline in the distance, even her body¡ªwhich Mrs. Landis was supporting¡ªwas trembling slightly.
She was about to go home. How she wished that the news she had heard was fake. Even now, she still felt like she was in a dream, as though none of this had ever happened; that Justin was not dead but was waiting for her toe home.
¡ª
Switzend.
In a room somewhere.
The room wasrge and the lighting was poor.
A low and hoarse voice slowly said, "They¡¯re back? That¡¯s quick."
Lawrence lowered his head. "Yes, they¡¯ve already disembarked. They¡¯ll be heading to New York soon."
"Well, since they¡¯re back, then let¡¯s save Mom."
The man opposite him spoke again.
Lawrence nodded. "I¡¯ve already arranged for our men to be there. However, our men ultimately still have to think twice before they act in the country, so they may not be as liberal as Philip¡¯s men. I¡¯m afraid that when the timees for them to fight it out, idents may happen."
In the shadows, the man with his back to Lawrence fell silent. A whileter, he finally said, "Find a way to notify Nora about this. If she is there, she will help."
Lawrence sighed. "I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re just trying to dy her froming to Switzend, right?! But Boss, considering how smart Ms. Smith is, will she really be unable to guess what you¡¯ve done?"
The man didn¡¯t answer his question. He merely stood by the dark window for a long time. A whileter, he finally turned around slowly.
At the sight of his current appearance, the startled Lawrence was rmed. "Boss, you..."
Chapter 807: I’m Here To Pick You Up!
Chapter 807: I¡¯m Here To Pick You Up!
New York City, USA.
Iris stood in front of Justin¡¯s grave and stared at the tombstone in shock.
The Hunts were actually supposed to be buried in the family cemetery in California after their deaths. By right, his body should have been returned there, after which all of his assets would be split among the inheritors.
However, Nora had refused to send the body there.
Instead, she wanted him to stay in New York with her until she died, whereupon the family could then move her and Justin¡¯s graves to California together.
With those words of hers, Mrs. Hunt had immediately made up her mind to have Justin buried in the cemetery in the outskirts of New York.
After all, people would be lonely withoutpany after death.
Justin and Nora weren¡¯t legally married yet, so she was not considered his wife at all. Should Nora meet another man suitable for marriage in the future and remarry, she would not be able to be buried in their family cemetery anymore.
Now that Nora had said that, how could Mrs. Hunt possibly still make life difficult for her?
If she could keep Nora in the family and have her protect Pete¡¯s inheritance for him¡ªsuch that the Smiths and the Hunts would still have a connection to each other¡ªeven if she wanted Mrs. Hunt to wait upon her every day, Mrs. Hunt would be willing to do so.
Therefore, it was a very easy decision for her to have Justin buried in New York.
It was just that when Iris looked at the tombstone in front of her and at Justin¡¯s photo on it... It was an ID photo of him. In the photo, his expression was stern and serious and he didn¡¯t smile. His eyes were cold and there was a beauty mark at the corner of his eye.
Iris still felt that all of this wasn¡¯t real.
She shook slightly as she stood there...
After standing there for some time until Iris¡¯s legs had turned weak, Philip took a step forward and held her hand. "You have already seen him. Now, let¡¯s go!"
However, Iris remained where she was and said, "I want to go home! Nora and the others need me!"
Philip¡¯s expression darkened at once. "Iris, you should already count your blessings that I allowed you toe back! Don¡¯t push your luck!"
But Iris shook her head and said, "Justin is gone but he left behind three children and Nora. I have to go see them and help them get through this difficult time! I need to be with my family!"
Philip frowned. "I only agreed to let youe back and have a look. I didn¡¯t agree to let you stay. Iris, Justin is already gone. Do you think you can still escape?"
After he spoke, he grabbed Iris¡¯s wrist!
Iris lowered her eyes and sneered, "Here in New York, do you think that no one wille and save me just because Justin is gone?"
She balled up her fists tightly and suddenly looked around her. At once, seven to eight ck-d bodyguards swarmed out and walked towards them.
Philip lowered his gaze when he saw them. He let out a lowugh and said, "I¡¯ve always known that you are no bimbo and that you would definitely build your own forces. You said things like you didn¡¯t want so many people to disturb your son¡¯s peace, so you only allowed me toe here with you... But do you think these few guys can stop me?"
He pped.
The bodyguards who were waiting outside rushed in.
Fifteen to sixteen men immediately surrounded the seven to eight bodyguards.
Iris paled.
She¡¯d originally thought that Philip would not go too overboard. Also, she¡¯d only made use of her son just so she could stay and assist Pete, so even if Justin were to know what she had done, he wouldn¡¯t me her for disturbing his peace.
Unexpectedly, Philip had made a backup n.
In this regard, she ultimately still couldn¡¯tpare with Philip.
Iris bit her lip and clenched her fists.
After the dozen or so men restrained the seven to eight bodyguards, Philip sped Iris¡¯s shoulders tightly again and said, "Let¡¯s go. Don¡¯t bother seeking death anymore. If you¡¯re dead, all the more you won¡¯t be able to see your grandchildren anymore."
Iris wouldn¡¯t seek death in vain, of course!
She was so mad that she couldn¡¯t say anything.
At this moment, a young and tender voice reached her.
"Grandma! Little Cherry is here to pick you up!"
Chapter 808: The Big Sister of The Quinn School of Martial Arts?
Chapter 808: The Big Sister of The Quinn School of Martial Arts?
When the voice rang out, Philip frowned and turned to look outside.
He¡¯d initially thought that it must be arge group who hade, but in the end, he only saw Nora walk in leisurely with her three children.
Philip breathed a sigh of relief.
Instead, it was Iris who panicked when she saw them. She shouted, "Nora, why did you bring the children here? This has nothing to do with you guys, hurry and leave this ce! I don¡¯t want you to identally hurt yourselves!"
Nora¡¯s gait was slow andzy as if she had to use a lot of strength even just to walk. As she shuffled, she yawned.
It couldn¡¯t be helped.
Philip and Iris hade to the cemetery early in the morning. She was usually still asleep at this hour. Although she¡¯d received news that they would being over the day before, she couldn¡¯t just go to bed at noon, right?
In the end, she waited until 8 PM before she went to sleep. After that, she¡¯d woken up at 6 AM, resulting in ack of sleep.
She was terribly sleepy. Pete handed her a piece of tissue and said, "Mommy, wipe your tears."
Nora took the tissue and casually wiped her eyes. Then, another small hand reached towards her. When she looked down, she found that it was Xander¡¯s. Seeing her lower her head, he looked at the tissue in her hand and said, "I¡¯ll hold it for you."
Only after Nora handed Xander the tissue that she¡¯d wiped her tears with did she look ahead of her.
Just as she was about to say something, she couldn¡¯t help but yawn again.
Pete and Xander: "..."
Cherry, who had long been ustomed to her behavior, decided to just speak in her stead.
"Grandma, don¡¯t worry! Pete, Xander, and I won¡¯t get hurt! If that fierce grandpa dares to hit us, then I will get Mommy to smash his butt into pieces!"
Iris: "..."
Philip: "..."
The corners of Philip¡¯s lips spasmed a little and he nced at Iris. When he saw her staring at him, he said, "You guys can go. I won¡¯t do anything to children."
Just like back then, even though Iris had rejected him and chosen to stay in the suburbs of New York because of Justin, he hadn¡¯t taken any action against Justin.
Iris breathed a sigh of relief when she heard this. She looked at Nora and said, "Nora, stop this and take the children away. Although Philip has said he won¡¯t do anything to the children, it would be terrible if they got hurt."
Nora nodded. She looked down at the three children and said, "You three, stand aside."
"Okie-Dokie!"
"Okay."
"¡¯Kay."
After the three children respectively answered in their own ways, they looked at one another. In the end, they ran to a corner at the side where even if a fight broke out, it probably wouldn¡¯t reach them.
After they took their positions there, Cherry shouted again, "Grandma, don¡¯t be afraid! We¡¯re here to take you home!"
Iris: "..."
Philip: "..."
The corners of Philip¡¯s lips spasmed again. He looked at Nora and said, "Don¡¯t waste your breath. Do you know how many of my men are waiting outside?"
As they wereing to America this time, in order to prevent Iris from ying tricks, as well as to prevent Justin¡¯s men from saving Iris, Philip had brought almost a hundred mercenaries with him.
Upon hearing what he said, Nora rubbed her wrists and picked up her cell phone impatiently to check the time.
Then, she said, "Rx, it¡¯s almost time."
Philip: "?"
Nora was about to exin when Jason suddenly rushed in and shouted, "Boss, I don¡¯t know why, but New York¡¯s underworld forces are here! We have been surrounded!"
The underworld forces of New York?
By right, mercenary and the underworld were two different worlds, they shouldn¡¯t have anything to do with each other. What were New York¡¯s underworld forces doing here?
Even Philip was a little dumbfounded. He looked at Nora in astonishment and asked, "For you to be able to get the underworld forces to do your bidding, how much did you spend?"
At this moment, people from the Quinn School of Martial Arts also walked in. Behind them was a group of thugs, each with a baseball bat in their hands. They looked just like ruffians and they were led by a thick and muscr Jordan.
As it was still early, there wasn¡¯t anyone around the area. Coupled with the fact that this was a cemetery, the surroundings were even quieter than usual.
Jason said, "They are all people from the underworld. Although they didn¡¯t bring firearms with them¡ªprobably to avoid identally hurting the children¡ªbecause Ms. Iris had said that cemeteries are sacred ground and we shouldn¡¯t bring firearms here, we didn¡¯t bring any with us this time, either... Also, for some reason, they¡¯re all skilled martial artists. That man named Jordan Hoffman offed Paul Quin, a boss from New York¡¯s dark forces, some time ago and is now the new leader of the city¡¯s dark forces. It is said that he owns a car racing club, so by right, he shouldn¡¯t be short of money..."
Philip took a step forward and asked, "... Mr. Hoffman, I also have some dealings with New York¡¯s underworld forces. Is there some kind of misunderstanding between us?"
Jordan didn¡¯t want to offend Philip, either, of course.
Although Philip was not from America, he nevertheless had a lot of influence globally.
He coughed and replied, "Sorry, Mr. Coleman, but I have no other choice. I owe the Quinn School of Martial Arts¡¯ Big Sister a favor. Now that she has given the word, I can¡¯t disobey her."
Philip had no choice but to look at the people from the Quinn School of Martial Arts. He said, "I have no grievances or feuds with the Quinn School of Martial Arts. Why is Big Sister hostile toward me? Is it because the Hunts offered you money? How much did they offer you? I can give you double the amount!"
His gazended on Lucas.
Lucas was known to outsiders as the Quinn School of Martial Arts¡¯ manager. Philip didn¡¯t want to be enemies with the Quinn School of Martial Arts, so he said, "Mr. Lucas, I wonder if that¡¯s okay with you?"
Philip said, "We have also worked with each other before. Every time I¡¯m in America, I pay the Quinn School of Martial Arts a visit. We can be said to have some ties with each other, so why be enemies?"
Upon hearing this, Lucas nced at Nora, coughed, and said, "Um, Big Sister personally gave the order today, so I can¡¯t call the shots here. Mr. Coleman, we don¡¯t wish to be enemies with you, either. As long as you let Madam Iris go, we can still be friends."
Big Sister again?
The Big Sister of the Quinn School of Martial Arts was well-known everywhere, but she was too mysterious and was nowhere to be seen. No one knew who she was.
A curious Philip stepped in front of Iris and asked, "Has Big Sister personallye today? May I know who it is? Can we talk this out properly?"
Upon hearing this, Nora yawned again and stepped forward. "What do you want to talk about?"
Chapter 809: Release Her!!
Chapter 809: Release Her!!
Nora was simply too sleepy and she kept yawning again and again.
She looked up at Philip and slowly asked, "What do you want to talk about?"
Her voice was a little hoarse and carried a bit of impatience from having just woken up.
Philip: "?"
His brows drew together tightly.
Jason said, "The one we want to talk to is Big Sister. Ms. Smith, you..."
But before he could finish, something suddenly dawned on him and he looked at Nora in disbelief. Then, he turned to Philip. "Boss..."
Philip lowered his gaze, his lips suddenly curling into a smile.
"I see, Ms. Smith is none other than the Big Sister of the Quinn School of Martial Arts! No offense, but do you really want to interfere in the affairs between me and Iris?"
His voice was clear and he spoke in an exceptionally rxed manner. "There are some misunderstandings between Iris and me, so we are in the midst of a petty lovers¡¯ argument right now. Considering how deeply in love Ms. Smith and Justin are, you should understand, right? You won¡¯t want to split up a pair of lovers, right?"
Nora looked at Philip and said, "Women have be independent these days. Whether she wants to continue her rtionship with you or not, and whether she wants to leave with you or not, is entirely up to my god-s... Aunt Iris to decide."
Philip: "?"
Nora raised her eyebrows again. "Release her and I¡¯ll let all of you leave safely. Otherwise, Mr. Coleman, you might as well stay here for the countdown on New Year¡¯s eve."
"..."
Philip broke into a huge frown.
Next to him, Jason said, "Boss, we can let her go right now. We¡¯ll just find a way to take her away again in the future."
Philip took a deep breath and looked at Iris.
He¡¯d thought that with the Smiths and the Hunts¡¯ capabilities, they would not be able to keep him here in America.
Never had he ever imagined that the Quinn School of Martial Arts and New York¡¯s underworld forces would also get involved. If he met them head-on, his hundred or so men would surely be goners.
Philip was a man who knew how to retreat when he should.
Yet if he were to let Iris go just like that... He didn¡¯t want to!
At the side, the three children stood on their tippy-toes as they watched the show. Xander asked, "Will he let Grandma go?"
Cherry replied, "That fierce grandpa definitely will!"
Pete nodded. "Yeah, he won¡¯t hurt Grandma."
However, Cherry said, "That¡¯s not necessarily true. But since Mommy is here, there definitely won¡¯t be any problem!"
Pete and Xander: "..."
The three chatted happily. At this moment, a foreign mercenary not far from them suddenly rushed towards them! He stood right in front of the three children, looked at Nora, and threatened, "Let us go! Or else I will kill your children!"
Nora: "?"
Everyone raised their eyebrows and looked at Philip reproachfully.
Iris shouted, "No!"
She looked at Philip and said angrily, "Philip, is this the moral boundary that you imed to have? Didn¡¯t you say that you wouldn¡¯t do anything to the children?!"
Philip didn¡¯t expect this turn of events, either. He clenched his fists and sneered, "You think I ordered him to do that?"
Iris let out a coldugh. She wanted to say something but the mercenary at the side had already spoken again.
"Mr. Coleman, this is the only way we can leave safely. Even if you let thatdy go, this group of people is still free to do whatever they want to us!"
Even if they handed Iris over, it was still entirely up to Nora whether she wanted to let them go or not.
Philip hated things going out of his control the most. To be honest, the best solution at the moment was to threaten them into letting them go with Iris¡¯ safety, but Philip couldn¡¯t bring himself to do that.
He narrowed his eyes and looked at the three children blocked by the man. He¡¯d thought that the children would be very panicked and flustered, but unexpectedly, all three of them were very calm.
In particr, Cherry even gestured to themselves and then turned to Pete and Xander and said, "I think he may kidnap me! I¡¯m a girl, so I¡¯m the weakest among us!"
"..."
Philip lowered his gaze. For some reason, even though Cherry looked somewhat like Nora, he instead saw a semnce of Iris on Cherry¡¯s face.
Even the look in his eyes had softened a little.
The tense atmosphere had calmed down significantly.
Philip expelled a breath of air and slowly said, "Let the..."
But before he could say the words "three of them go", the mercenary reached out to grab Cherry.
Philip¡¯s brows drew together.
Iris also took a step forward and shouted, "Let go of Cherry!"
Everyone wanted to snatch the child. Nora was the only one who remained where she was, calm and motionless. The next moment, the man who was about to grab Cherry suddenly screamed. He suddenly retracted the arm he¡¯d stretched towards Cherry and took two steps back.
His arm was outstretched straight and there were a few needles stuck into it!
Additionally, a dagger had also been stabbed into it. His arm dripped with blood, forming an unbearable sight!
Pete had stabbed him with the dagger.
After practicing martial arts with Quinn for some time, he¡¯d already picked up some skills.
Justin had custom-made the dagger for him after he and Xander were kidnapped, and it was exceptionally durable.
Xander was the one who had jabbed the man with needles.
Recently, he had been learning from Nora which parts of the body would hurt more when attacked and he remembered the two particr locations on the arm.
Additionally, he¡¯d also specially asked Nora to custom-make a few needles for him. He carried them with him everywhere, euphemistically calling it his form of self-defense.
Cherry looked at Pete, and then at Xander. Atst, she pouted and said, "Mommy, you and Daddy are too biased! Why don¡¯t I have any self-defense skills?!"
Nora: "..."
Pete immediately exined, "When Daddy gave me the dagger, he told me that it was for me to protect you."
Xander also pursed his lips and said, "When Mommy gave me the needles, I also said that I would protect you."
With straight faces, the two of them said, "So, you don¡¯t need any self-defense skills. The two of us are your self-defense skills."
Nora: "..."
Those two boys with a sisterplex!
After the man was repelled, Lucas, who was the nearest to him, rushed over to subdue him. The three children were also sessfully protected.
Nora didn¡¯t look at the three children. Instead, she looked at Philip and said domineeringly, "Let her go."
Chapter 810: I’m Going To Look For Justin
Chapter 810: I¡¯m Going To Look For Justin
Philip didn¡¯t look at Iris but stepped aside instead.
When Iris walked out from behind Philip, she was still a little in disbelief. After being trapped by him for half a month, she had be used to it. She didn¡¯t expect that she would really be freed.
She took two quick steps forward and came right up to Nora¡¯s side.
Nora looked at her.
Iris knew what she meant. She shook her head.
Only then did Nora give a casual wave. With that, the people from the Quinn School of Martial Arts and Jordan¡¯s men moved out of the way and allowed Philip to leave.
Philip, however, looked at Iris. "Iris, you can¡¯t bear to let us fight, right? I know you are afraid that I would get hurt, so that means I have a ce in your heart, right? So why can¡¯t we be together?"
Iris lowered her eyes and sighed silently. "Philip, do you know what the biggest regret in my life is?"
Philip immediately answered, "That you didn¡¯t leave with me back then!"
However, Iris merely smiled wryly. She really didn¡¯t know where the man was getting all that confidence from. Word by word, she said, "My biggest regret is meeting you back then."
Philip stumbled and he stood still. "What?"
Iris slowly said, "I said, my biggest regret is getting to know you. If I didn¡¯t know you, maybe I would have been able to live in peace my whole life, right? I could happily get a divorce if I wanted to, and go wherever I wanted to, instead of being trapped by you in the suburbs of New York City for twenty years!"
Philip couldn¡¯t believe it. "Iris, I don¡¯t believe you. You must be trying to provoke me. Otherwise, why would you make Nora let me go so easily?"
Iris lowered her head. "I just don¡¯t want to have anything to do with you anymore. I hope you can respect yourself and never approach me or disturb my life ever again!"
After saying that, Iris turned and left with Nora while Philip stood where he was.
"Iris! You¡¯re lying! Everything you said is a lie!"
Philip shouted and rushed over to chase after her. However, he was stopped by Lucas and the others.
"Mr. Coleman, don¡¯t force us to take action against you."
After Nora and Iris left, Lucas and the others also left one after another.
Only Philip and his men were left.
A shocked Philip stared in the direction that Iris had left. After standing there for some time, he finally looked at Jason and asked, "Tell me, Jason, have I really made a mistake?"
Jason sighed. "Boss, let¡¯s go home."
Philip shook his head. "Without her, where would my home be?"
Jason fell silent.
His boss¡¯ love was simply too extreme. Probably no woman, no matter how strong or powerful she was, would be able to stand his love, let alone Iris.
Jason was about to say something when Philip suddenly turned around with a cold look on his face. He looked at the man who had tried to grab Cherry just now and suddenly demanded, "Who asked you to attack the child?"
Philip was not a good man.
But for Iris, he¡¯d wanted to keep thest bit of his moral boundaries in front of her.
Upon being questioned by Philip, the man got a huge shock and he got down on his knees right away. "Boss, I was just trying to save you!"
Philip, however, lowered his eyes, turned, and strode away.
Jason, who was following him, heard him say, "There is no need for a man who can¡¯t follow orders to return with us."
Jason understood at once.
"Yes, sir."
This meant that he was going to get rid of the man!
Jason followed closely behind Philip. "Boss, you can exin to Ms. Iris that you didn¡¯t order the man to do that. This way, maybe she won¡¯t me you anymore."
Philip chuckled. "Would she believe anything I say?"
Jason was taken aback.
Philip said, "She didn¡¯t start getting angry at me because of this incident."
¡ª
Iris, who had returned home with Nora, was currently looking at the three precious children. With a sorrowful face, she looked at Nora and suddenly said, "Nora, if you have anything you want to do, then just go ahead and do it. I can look after the children."
Now that Justin was gone, she didn¡¯t want to trap Nora with the Hunts.
If Justin was still alive, he probably wouldn¡¯t want Nora to be alone for the rest of her life, either.
For her son¡¯s sake, Iris had already been miserable all her life. She didn¡¯t want Nora to be like her.
Upon hearing this, Nora immediately said, "Yeah, well, it just so happens that I¡¯m about to go and look for Justin too. I¡¯ll leave the Hunt Corporation to you for now!"
Iris was stunned by her words. She grabbed Nora¡¯s shoulders and said, "... Don¡¯t be sad. It has already happened, you have to face reality."
Nora: "?"
She was taken aback for a while. Then, she said, "I¡¯m not sad!"
Iris, however, became nervous. "I understand, you may not be able to ept right away the fact that Justin is gone, but Nora, if you want to cry, then just cry. You don¡¯t have to put up pretenses in front of me."
She hugged Nora and continuedforting her. "Justin wouldn¡¯t want you to be like this. He loves you so much, he would definitely want you to be happy. Don¡¯t waste your own life, life is not just about romance. Besides, you can still find another man if you meet a suitable one in the future... I know it¡¯s not appropriate of me to say such things now, but I¡¯m really afraid that you would do something silly... No matter what, you have to stay strong. You still have your father and your children, okay?"
Nora: "??"
Only then did she realize that she hadn¡¯t yet told Iris that Justin wasn¡¯t dead!
Chapter 811: Admiring The Scenery In Justin’s Stead
Chapter 811: Admiring The Scenery In Justin¡¯s Stead
Nora hurriedly said, "Iris... There¡¯s something I have to tell you. Justin is..."
"Let¡¯s not talk about him anymore, okay? If you¡¯re going to look for him, then I¡¯d rather you forget him. Nora, one¡¯s life is what matters the most, remember this."
Iris looked at her, her eyes were full of heartache. "I¡¯d always thought that you¡¯re a calm and rational person but it turns out that you are just like everyone else when you encounter something like this. Nora, I didn¡¯t expect you to love Justin so much. You really shouldn¡¯t do anything silly..."
Nora: "..."
The corners of her lips spasmed. Atst, Nora found a break in Iris¡¯ speech and interrupted her.
"Justin is not dead."
"I know, I know."
Iris nodded.
Nora was stunned. "You do?"
Iris¡¯s eyes became even redder. "Yes, he is not dead. He will always live on in your heart."
Nora: "?"
Iris sighed and held her hand. "You should live on properly with him. Justin was only twenty-six years old when he said goodbye to this world. Take him with you as you look at every ce in this world."
Nora: "..."
"He¡¯d want you to be his eyes and admire the Northern Lights and the frozen Antarctic that stretches on for miles. He¡¯d also want to watch the three children grow up and have their own families... Nora, can you promise me that you¡¯ll look at all this for him??"
"..."
The corners of Nora¡¯s lips spasmed again. Atst, she said, "He¡¯s not dead yet. He has eyes too, he can see all that himself."
Iris: "?"
She was stunned. "Nora, when you say he¡¯s not dead, you mean...?"
Nora nodded. "It¡¯s exactly what you¡¯re thinking. He¡¯s still alive, so he can look at this world! He¡¯s not dead!"
Iris: "!!"
The room fell silent for a moment.
After a while, Iris finally understood. Nevertheless, she still asked, "Then where did he go? And why did he fake his death?"
Nora recounted what had happened. In the end, she shook her head and said, "I¡¯m not sure about the specifics, either. He¡¯s in Switzend now. Now that you¡¯re back, I¡¯m going to Switzend to look for him."
Iris asked, "He hasn¡¯t contacted you yet?"
Nora nodded, vaguely feeling a little uneasy.
Iris frowned. "Surely he didn¡¯t hit his head in the explosion and lose his memory, right?"
Nora: "?"
Iris sighed. "That¡¯s why he hasn¡¯t contacted you all this time¡ªbecause he has forgotten you. Nora, you should go to him now, but maybe he has already been rescued and is mistaking his rescuer for his lover in his daze. If that¡¯s the case, then Nora, hurry and bring him home!"
Nora: "???"
Did she think this was a TV drama? Or a novel?
How could something that corny possibly happen?!
The corners of Nora¡¯s lips spasmed. "Well, I have to go to Switzend now, so I will leave the domestic affairs to you. As for the children... I will have to trouble you to take care of them!"
The journey to Switzend was fraught with unknown dangers and the V16¡¯s whereabouts were still a mystery. Moreover, once she left the States, her days would no longer be this peaceful and crises might happen at any time. Therefore, Nora would never take the children abroad with her.
Iris understood what she meant. "Although I don¡¯t know what you guys are nning, since Justin had to fake his death, it must be very important. This is what the two of you have decided. As for me, I shall be your firm and solid support.
"So, Nora, go ahead. Leave the children to me! There won¡¯t be any problems!"
Nora nodded.
After handing over thepany to Iris, Nora went out. By then, it was already noon. She didn¡¯t want to waste even a day, so she got Lily to buy her a ne ticket to Switzend for the same night.
It was just that... How was she going to tell the three children¡ªespecially Cherry¡ªthat Mommy would be away for a while?
Cherry was very clingy to Nora. In the past, even when Nora was sleeping, the little girl would stay in the same room as her. Later, after she and Justin acknowledged each other as father and daughter, she was asionally separated from her, but even so, she would still want to meet her every two or three days.
It could be said that Cherry had never been away from Nora since she was born.
This time, though, Nora would probably be away for a month at the shortest, or three months at the longest before she would be back...
She didn¡¯t know how to exin it to Cherry.
While she was troubled over this, Pete and Xander came out of their rooms. The two little boys looked at Nora. "Mommy, are you going to Switzend?"
Nora nodded.
She looked at Cherry, who was behind the two of them, and coughed. She slowly said, "I can¡¯t take the three of you with me this time. Stay at home and take good care of one another, okay?"
Pete and Xander looked at each other. "No problem!"
Sure enough, Cherry pouted. "Mommy, can¡¯t you take Cherry with you? I miss Grandaunt!"
Nora shook her head. "I have something to do over there this time. I will be back as soon as possible."
Cherry hung her head.
The way she looked was as though she had been abandoned made Nora¡¯s heart soften.
Just as she was about to speak, Cherry raised her head. "Then say hi to Grandaunt for me."
"Okay..."
Nora answered.
Cherry turned around sulkily and said, "I won¡¯t see you off then, Mommy. I¡¯m afraid it will make me sad."
Nora rubbed her head. "Okay."
The little fellow really was very clingy, so she must really be very sad today.
Her sons were the boys they were, though. Pete and Xander didn¡¯t react as pretentiously as Cherry did.
Nora then said, "Okay, I¡¯ll go and pack for the trip. You guys can go y!"
"Okay."
The three children ran off after replying.
After Nora packed her luggage, she went out to say goodbye to them. But when she thought of how Cherry had said that she would be sad, Nora simply got in the car and went straight to the airport instead.
However, as soon as she arrived at the airport, she received a call from Iris. "Nora, the children are missing!!"
Upon hearing this, Nora¡¯s heart tightened.
Chapter 812: Daddy!!
Chapter 812: Daddy!!
Nora narrowed her eyes and looked straight ahead of her with a sharp look in them.
The kids were missing?
Philip likely hadn¡¯t left the country yet. Did he change his mind and decide toe back?
The thought had only just formed when something suddenly urred to her, stunning her for a moment. She slowly turned her head and looked at the trunk of the car.
She was silent for a while. Suddenly, she walked over and opened the trunk, upon which she immediately saw the three little fellows hiding inside all curled up.
Cherry, who was at the innermost position, was trying to stretch her legs. "Pete, you¡¯re in my space!"
Pete shifted a little. "What about now?"
Xanderined, "You¡¯re kicking my butt!"
"..."
Nora: "..."
She let out a cough. Only then did the three little fellows raise their heads abruptly and look at Nora. Cherry didn¡¯t show any signs of sheepishness from being caught at all. On the contrary, she blinked and said, "Mommy, have we already reached the airport? That was quick~"
Her drawn-outst syble when she spoke amused Nora.
These three little fellows were too daring!
To think they actually hid in the trunk! It was very dangerous for them toe all the way here like that!
This was especially true when she drove at high speeds. Fortunately, she was on the highway the whole way to the airport, so the roads had been very good. Also, because it was still early and she still had time until boarding, she hadn¡¯t been in a hurry and had driven leisurely.
With a displeased look on her face, Nora said, "Who said you guys can do something like this?"
Cherry immediately hugged her arm. "But Mommy, I can¡¯t bear to part with you~"
Nora lowered her eyes and took a deep breath. "I know, I can¡¯t bear to leave you, either. But there¡¯s something very important I need to do in Switzend, so I can¡¯t take you guys with me."
Cherry hurriedly said, "I know, you are looking for medicine to treat Xander¡¯s illness, right? If so, then all the more we are going. I can even help Mommy."
Nora spoke very firmly. "No."
Pete said, "But Mommy, we really don¡¯t want to be separated from you. We¡¯ve only just been reunited. Besides, the tyrant is not here anymore. If you leave too, then we..."
He did not finish his sentence.
But there was no doubt that the sensitive Pete must be feeling insecure.
Nora¡¯s heart softened a little. But after looking at the children, she nevertheless hardened her heart and said, "You don¡¯t have to say any more. I¡¯m getting Uncle Richard to take the three of you home. You three absolutely cannote with me this time!"
Given how dangerous the situation was, how could she possibly bring them along?
With that in mind, Nora turned to speak to the chauffeur, who hade with her. However, a small hand suddenly grabbed her wrist again.
She lowered her head to see Xander looking up at her. The little fellow was grinning. Whenever he spoke, there was always a somewhat unorthodox temperament around him, his canine teeth were so white that they were gleaming.
He slowly said, "Mom, you said today that you¡¯ll be in Switzend for a month at the shortest and three at the longest, but you will definitely be back after that. But what if you can¡¯t find the V16, have you thought about that? When you return three monthster... Would it be to bury me? Just like how I buried Butterscotch in the soil, are you also going to bury me in there?"
His wordspletely breached Nora¡¯s defenses.
She bent down, lowered her head, and put her arms around Xander. She said, "No, that won¡¯t happen, Xander. Don¡¯t worry, I will find the antidote for sure!"
Xander continued grinning as he said, "But it¡¯s also possible that you won¡¯t find it. If so, then I only have three months left to live."
In a low whisper, he slowly said, "For these three months, I just want to be with you and the tyrant."
The stunned Nora was frozen in ce.
Indeed.
Her mindset all this time was that Xander had only less than three months left to live, so she had to try her best to find a way out for him. However, she¡¯d neglected something¡ªwhat if she couldn¡¯t find one?
Then, in thest three months of Xander¡¯s life, was she going to be away from the boy¡¯s side?
She finally gave in. "Okay, I¡¯ll take the three of you with me!"
"Yay!" Cherry stretched out her arms and jumped right into Nora¡¯s arms excitedly. She circled her arms around Nora¡¯s neck and said, "Mommy is the best! Atst, we don¡¯t have to be separated anymore!"
Pete was also relieved.
Xander beamed, his smile somewhat relieved and courageous.
Every time the topic of death came up, to be honest, he was terrified.
Come to think of it, though, if he could die in Mommy¡¯s arms, then it wouldn¡¯t seem that scary anymore.
There were still two hours till boarding time. Nora contacted Lily urgently and bought three first-ss tickets for the children. Only then did she get out of the car with them.
The group didn¡¯t have much luggage. When they were walking to the airport, a troubled Pete even said, "Is it okay that we didn¡¯t bring any luggage? We don¡¯t even have a change of clothes..."
"Don¡¯t worry, Pete! Grandaunt will definitely get everything ready! I¡¯ll tell her right away that we¡¯reing to see her soon! I guarantee that Grandaunt will definitely be there to pick us up when we get off the ne!"
As soon as she said that, Nora stopped her. "Don¡¯t tell your Grandaunt."
Cherry was surprised. "Why?"
Nora exined, "We are going there secretly this time, it¡¯s not good for us to attract attention from too many people. So, we won¡¯t be going to your Grandaunt¡¯s for the time being."
Nora nned to infiltrate the university and search for the V16 straightaway.
Trueman and the other few experimental subjects must all be watching her, especially the expert fighter... She must keep as low a profile as possible!
Cherry was a little disappointed to hear this. "Oh, I see~"
She missed her grandaunt so much!
Nevertheless, she nodded sensibly. "Okie-Dokie!"
¡ª
Fifteen hourster, the nended in Bern, the de facto capital of Switzend.
Nora had lived there for five years, so she was very familiar with everything about Switzend.
She dragged the suitcase with Cherry sitting on top. Xander and Pete followed beside the suitcase. The group of four got off the ne.
There were foreigners all around, but since both Cherry and Xander had grown up abroad, they didn¡¯t find it unusual.
Although Pete had never been to Switzend, he had been exposed to many things, so he was also very calm.
When the four of them were about to head to the exit, Nora suddenly stopped¡ªbecause she saw a familiar figure in front!
Before she could react, Cherry had already slid off the suitcase. She ran over and shouted, "Daddy!"
Chapter 813: Daddy??
Chapter 813: Daddy??
Nora was also a little dumbfounded.
The side profile of the man in front was exactly the same as Justin¡¯s, especially the height of his nose bridge. Even the firm curvature of his jawline was the same as Justin¡¯s.
She was aware that Justin was in Switzend, that was why she hade to look for him. However, the four of them had stayed very low-key when they came. In fact, when they were buying ne tickets, they had even gotten help from Morris to hide their identities.
Therefore, no one would know that she hade to Switzend. So, howe Justin was here?
Moreover, if Justin showed up here, then wouldn¡¯t he have died for nothing? Er, she meant faked his death for nothing?
While Nora was thinking about this, Cherry had already rushed over. Just as she was about to touch ¡¯Justin¡¯¡¯s arm, a few ck-d bodyguards suddenly rushed over and stopped Cherry. "Little girl, no going near, okay~?"
Cherry: "?"
She blinked and pointed at Justin. "I¡¯m here for Daddy!"
But no matter what she said, the bodyguards simply wouldn¡¯t let her pass.
Cherry had no choice but to shout at the man standing beyond the bodyguards. "Daddy! Daddy! I¡¯m Cherry! Don¡¯t you know who I am anymore?"
A puzzled Nora also quickly walked over.
Perhaps because he heard themotion, ¡¯Justin¡¯ finally turned his head and looked over.
The moment he did, Nora and Cherry were stunned.
The man in front of them had a profile almost identical to Justin¡¯s, but when seen from the front, there was only a 30% resemnce. Also, the man was pale and a little sickly, and there was a sense of frailty in his eyes, which looked just like Justin¡¯s. His lips were slightly thicker than Justin¡¯s and he was wearing makeup. He wore heavy foundation which made him seem a little effeminate. The feeling he gave off waspletely different from the cold, inadvertently noble, and sensual one that Justin had.
When he saw Cherry, he was taken aback for a moment. Then, he let out a low scoff. "Are you my fan? Fans these days are really just so... Do they bring their children with them when they go star-chasing now?"
Fans? Star-chasing?
Nora was dumbfounded.
"Ahhh! Kelvin! Look over here!"
While Nora was still in a daze, several female fans around her rushed forward and shouted, "We have been following you since we got to know that you¡¯reing to Switzend for filming! Kelvin, can you give us an autograph?"
When Kelvin Hart heard this, a touch of a smile shed across his eyes. He covered his mouth and coughed. Then, he walked over, took the book from the fan, and signed it with a flourish.
Nora especially took a look at his signature¡ªhis handwriting when he signed his name "Kelvin Hart" was also different from Justin¡¯s usual handwriting.
She looked at Kelvin at close range again.
The man did indeed resemble Justin very much. However, his makeup was too heavy, so she couldn¡¯t tell what he really looked like...
She wanted to observe him some more, but a bodyguard had already walked over and blocked her prying eyes.
After Kelvin gave the fan an autograph, the fan said, "Kelvin, I will always cheer you on! I know you have been overseas for shoots all this time, but wherever you may be, our hearts will always be with you!"
Kelvin¡¯s lips curled into a smile. His voice was calm and emotionless as he said, "Thank you."
Those two words, however, took Nora and Cherry aback once more.
Cherry couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Are you really not Daddy? But why do you not only look a bit like Daddy but also sound like him?"
Yes, that was right.
Kelvin¡¯s voice was also very simr to Justin¡¯s.
It was just that Justin¡¯s was lower and deeper.
Nora¡¯s gaze at Kelvin became even more scorching.
She really wanted to remove his makeup and see what he really looked like!
Her gaze was too intense, causing Kelvin to look over. He ruffled Cherry¡¯s hair, and then said with a chuckle, "Did your mom y videos of me at home every day and tell you that I¡¯m your father? Thereby giving you the wrong impression? Miss... Please be rational as a fan!"
After saying this, Kelvin gave them another amicable smile and then turned to leave.
Nora wanted to chase after him but was stopped by the bodyguards. "Mr. Hart is very tired. Please go back!"
When the fans heard this, they could only leave.
Nora, however, stared at Kelvin from the back as he departed, somewhat contemtive.
Behind her, Pete and Xander also stepped forward. The two little boys also stared in Kelvin¡¯s direction.
He walked out of the airport under the protection of the bodyguards. However, at the exit, he suddenly turned his head and looked at the four of them. The corners of his lips hooked upwards into a sneer, and then he got into the car.
Nora was a little taken aback by that smile of his.
Her sixth sense told her that the man knew who she was!
Yet, he really was rather different from Justin...
When she broke into a frown, Pete said, "That¡¯s not the tyrant! Daddy has never smiled like that before!"
In her young and cute voice, Cherry asked, "... Then is he Daddy¡¯s twin brother?"
But Xander curled his lips disdainfully and said, "He doesn¡¯t look like the tyrant, though!"
After the little fellows finished their evaluation, they looked at Nora again.
Nora had already taken out her cell phone. "We can just ask Google."
She didn¡¯t pay attention to the entertainment industry, so she didn¡¯t know of Kelvin or whatever his name was.
But if Kelvin really was famous, then there would definitely be information about him on the Inte.
With that in mind, she typed in the search term "Kelvin Hart". The next moment, information about Kelvin popped up on her phone...
Chapter 814: His True Identity!!
Chapter 814: His True Identity!!
There was a lot of information about Kelvin on the Inte. After all, he was a famous Hollywood star with an impressive track record.
Even though he had been filming overseas a lot due to frequent involvement with foreign productions, his status in the American entertainment scene was not low.
The Inte also listed a lot of movies he¡¯d starred in. All of them were big productions, with some even being box office hits. He could be found in all those movies.
Nora usually didn¡¯t watch such movies.
The photos on Kelvin¡¯s social media ounts were also simr to his appearance from just now. He indeed bore a 30% to 40% resemnce to Justin from the front while in some asional photos his profile was almost identical to Justin¡¯s.
Nora frowned.
One could always hide simrities in appearances from the front with makeup but they wouldn¡¯t be able to hide anything with their profile¡ªbecause a person¡¯s skeletal structure was unchangeable!
Therefore, she still wanted to know what Kelvin really looked like under his thick makeup and didn¡¯t rule out the possibility that he was Justin.
Nevertheless, Nora still opened up Kelvin¡¯s personal schedule.
Famous actors like Kelvin naturally had fans and stans. In fact, some overzealous fans from overseas even immigrated to America just so it would be more convenient for them to follow him everywhere.
Therefore, Kelvin¡¯s schedule was publicly listed very clearly. There were even videos as proof.
During the time Justin was with her in America, Kelvin had been filming with a crew... There were pictures to prove it!
At the sight, Nora could only frown.
From the looks of it, Kelvin really was not Justin.
The two men looked so much alike, though. Were they really unrted to each other?
Nora put down the phone.
Never mind.
It didn¡¯t matter what Kelvin¡¯s rtionship with Justin was. She was here in Switzend to look for the V16 for Xander, not for a holiday!
Nora put down her cell phone, looked at the children, and said, "Let¡¯s find a ce to stay first."
Cherry pouted. "But Mommy, if we¡¯re not going to Grandaunt¡¯s, then where are we staying?"
Nora smiled. "I¡¯ve already made all the arrangements."
Her grandaunt had a special status in Switzend, so there would surely be a lot of people paying attention to her. If the four of them went to her, it would be very easy for them to identally expose their identities.
Before she found a suitable excuse for them to be in Switzend, Nora must keep a low profile.
She went straight to the parking lot with the children. Soon, she spotted an old and rundown car parked below. The car wasn¡¯t locked, but there was no one inside.
Nora walked over naturally and opened the door. "Get in."
Obviously, this was part of Nora¡¯s arrangements.
The three children sat in the back. Nora started the car and drove out of the airport.
On the way, Cherry watched as the familiar environment around her slowly went past her. She suddenly remarked, "It¡¯s been so long!"
Pete was observing the surroundings.
Xander pouted and asked, "Mommy, where are we staying? Surely not the basement, right?"
Nora smiled. "Of course not. We¡¯ll reach in a sec."
As she spoke, the car suddenly turned the corner into a residential area.
A bright-eyed Cherry asked, "Mommy, are we staying here?"
"Yup."
Nora turned a few more corners in the car. Soon, she stopped in front of a vi with a characteristic design. "This is where we¡¯ll be staying."
The four got out of the car and entered the three-story vi.
The vi was very neat and clean¡ªobviously, someone had cleaned it up.
Nora had lived in Switzend for five years, so she would certainly have her own connections here.
She took the three children to look at the rooms and allowed them to choose which rooms they wanted. When she was about to take the children out for a bite, someone knocked on the door.
Nora walked over and opened the door to see a man in a ck suit outside.
"Hello, Ms. Smith, right? My boss would like to invite you to dinner."
Nora: "?"
She frowned. "Your boss?"
The man in ck nodded. "Yes."
He shifted to the side and nodded in a certain direction, where Nora saw parked a huge ck car. The windows were tinted, so people on the outside would not be able to look inside.
Just as Nora was about to refuse, the van¡¯s window suddenly rolled down a little and the man inside appeared in front of Nora.
His profile was strong and his silhouette well-defined.
He looked so familiar that Nora instantly became a little excited. The next moment, however, the man turned and looked over.
It was not Justin but Kelvin. His lips curled into a smile.
"Wanna know who I am?"
Chapter 815: Playing With One’s Sister-In-Law
Chapter 815: ying With One¡¯s Sister-In-Law
The interior of the limousine was luxuriously decorated.
It was only when Nora sat in it that she found that the car was extremelyfortable. The space in the center was very wide and there was even a tray with expensive red wine and crystal wine sses on it.
After she got in, the man handed her a ss of wine.
Nora raised her eyebrows and took it from him. Before she could do anything, Kelvin had picked up another wine ss and bumped hers, making a melodious clink with the light touch.
The clink resounded in the van.
Just by this action alone, Nora became sure that the man was not Justin.
Justin wasn¡¯t so pretentious.
The corners of her lips spasmed and she put down the ss of wine.
Kelvin said, "Drink, and I¡¯ll tell you who I am."
The man had a malicious smile on his face and he was slightly leaning forward, his attitude high and mighty.
With her eyes lowered, Nora looked at him.
The man nced at the wine ss, much like he was forcing her to drink. "Don¡¯t you want to know who I am?"
The inside of the van suddenly became quiet.
Nora and Kelvin looked at each other, both with great momentum.
After a while, Nora suddenly said, "I know who you are."
Her words took Kelvin aback.
Nora leaned backwards away from him. "A person who looks like Justin must have blood rtions with him. Chester and Roger both look a little like him but neither of them resembles him as much as you¡ªsomeone who bears a 30% resemnce to him. Right, Kelvin? Or should I say, Calvin Hunt?"
Kelvin was just his stage name.
Many changed their names when they entered the entertainment industry. This was a verymon practice.
In truth, though, his real name was Calvin Hunt!
When Nora did a Google search and found that Kelvin and Justin were not one and the same, she¡¯d sent a text message to Howard and gotten him to check the genealogy of their generation. Sure enough, he had found the name Calvin Hunt.
The Hunts would never easily reveal their genealogical information to outsiders.
After all, Nora was not married to Justin, so she was technically not a Hunt yet.
Therefore, Howard hadn¡¯t shown her the actual family tree but just a family rtionship chart that he had drawn himself.
The Hunts were a century-old family, so they had many branches of lineage.
For example, even Howard and Justin didn¡¯t share the same grandfather. Instead, they had descended from sibling grandfathers. Therefore, Howard¡¯s family, who lived in and looked after the family home, was referred to as the Californian Hunts. Howard¡¯s grandfather was the second oldest among his brothers.
As for Calvin, he was a child from the third brother¡¯s line of descent.
His grandfather was Howard and Justin¡¯s grandfathers¡¯ younger brother.
Because Howard was living in the family home, he had a slightly higher position in the family. However, people on the fringes like Calvin would never be noticed by the main branch¡ªin other words, Justin and his immediate family.
Needless to say, Howard was so cooperative because he was at the stage where he was full of admiration towards Nora, the Big Sister of the Quinn School of Martial Arts. After all, a single sentence from her had allowed him to be Quinn¡¯s disciple!
Through the rtionship chart he drew, Nora had also figured out Calvin¡¯s identity and status.
Although they were distant cousins, Calvin and Justin¡¯s grandfathers were said to resemble each other very much. Therefore, it was unsurprising that Calvin and Justin would bear a 30% resemnce to each other.
Nora had exposed Kelvin¡¯s¡ªor rather, Calvin¡¯s¡ªidentity. Calvin was stunned for a moment. Then, his eyes widened in surprise. "Everyone says that my sister-inw is both smart and beautiful. It seems that it is indeed so."
After he spoke, he smiled again. "It¡¯s just a shame that you became a widow at a young age."
There was hostility in his words.
When Nora realized his identity, she¡¯d asked Howard how his rtionship with Justin was... Howard¡¯s reply to her had been: The two were like oil and water, they were mortal enemies.
Justin was like a big brother at home. He was always high up in the air and he was always the best in everything he did. Children like him were naturally the center of attention ever since a young age.
Under such circumstances, Justin would be faced with two situations:
One where people admired him, like Howard and Chester. Such people saw Justin as an idol. However, the other was with people like Roger and Calvin, who were indignant towards him.
Roger¡¯s indignation stemmed from his desire to fight for the Hunts¡¯ inheritance.
As for Calvin, he was too far away from the direct line of descendants, so he didn¡¯t even have the right to fight for anything. Howard once said that after Calvin grew up, his family had nned to send him to work in the Hunt Corporation. They had also wanted Justin to arrange a good position for him.
But Calvin had his own pride. Without even saying a word to anyone, he¡¯d moved to another city to be an actor.
The Hunts didn¡¯t want an actor in the family. After all, just like Katharine Hepburn once said, "Acting is the perfect idiot¡¯s profession... and not a very high-ss way to earn a living", the Hunts thought very little of acting. Therefore, Calvin had taken on the alias Kelvin Hart in the industry and also told his family not to make use of the Hunts¡¯ connections for his career!
Calvin¡¯s parents had even approached Justin. They wanted Justin not to help him, in hopes of forcing their son to change his mind.
Therefore, no one knew that Kelvin was a Hunt.
Because of all this, Calvin had be very hostile towards Justin.
Nora couldn¡¯t be bothered to speak any further with a rebellious child like him. Calvin looked like he was only 25 or 26 years old. She turned to get off the car.
But at this moment, someone held her shoulder.
Then, Calvin¡¯s voice rang out in her ear. "Are you leaving already, Nora? Actually, I called you over to ask you something. Have you heard how some men like ying with their sisters-inw...?"
Chapter 816: Grandaunt’s Company!!
Chapter 816: Grandaunt¡¯s Company!!
His tone was ambiguous. When he spoke, his breath almost stuck to Nora¡¯s neck.
The hand pressing on Nora¡¯s shoulder was not obedient either. It pressed gently and was filled with ambiguity.
Nora¡¯s back froze. Just as Calvin¡¯s words fell, she suddenly turned back. Immediately, she waved her arm and pped away his hand on her shoulder!
"Tsk, why? Nora, do you think I don¡¯t earn as much money as Justin?"
Calvin leaned closer to her. "But doesn¡¯t all the money in the Hunts belong to you now? With the money in your hands and my appearance simr to him... In fact, I don¡¯t look any different from him. Everyone says that I¡¯m the most handsome man in the US. Nora, are you not interested in me?"
Nora narrowed her eyes and swept her gaze across his face. She suddenly said, "You¡¯re indeed a little handsome."
Calvin narrowed his eyes and looked pleased.
However, the next moment, Nora said, "After all, you look a little like him. Unfortunately, when I see things about you that don¡¯t look like him, I¡¯d feel disgusted."
Nora pushed open the car door and got out neatly.
She strode into the vi, leaving Calvin staring angrily at her back in the car!
Calvin was so angry that he gritted his teeth in the car.
What did she say just now? She would feel disgusted by him?
How could this be?!
He was the most handsome man in the Hunts! His facial features were even more iconic than Justin¡¯s!
His looks, which were enough to make fans go crazy, were worthless in her eyes?
She was too much!
Too much!!
Calvin was so angry his chest heaved up and down. He red ruthlessly in the direction Nora had left in and then closed the car door.
After the car door was closed, he picked up his phone aggrievedly and made a call. "Hello, Brother. Am I not handsome? Nora is really, really too much!!!"
On the other end of the line was a deep voice. The man paused for a moment and suddenly asked in a low and hoarse voice, "You saw her?"
Calvin said, "Yes, I saw her! She¡¯s already in Switzend. She¡¯s quite smart. She knows that staying here won¡¯t attract much attention. I even saw Pete. He grew up in the blink of an eye. Thest time I saw him, he was still drinking milk..."
After Calvin rambled on, he finally said aggrievedly, "Brother, I don¡¯t care. Nora said I¡¯m disgusting. You have to take revenge for me!"
The man opposite him chuckled and said, "Yes, you cane back."
Calvin was stunned. "What for? I still have a shoot tomorrow! One of my scenes is in a university..."
The person on the other end of the line suddenly said, "You don¡¯t have to go..."
Calvin: "???"
...
...
After Nora returned to the vi, she greeted the neighbor with the three children.
The neighbor was very enthusiastic. "Oh, we¡¯re all Americans. We should help each other. By the way, guess where Ie from?"
Nora: "Florida?"
The neighbor was shocked. "How did you know?"
"..."
Nora returned a polite and awkward smile before taking the children to visit another house.
The people living here were all Americans. The people on both sides of her were also very kind and safe. Of course, Nora had already arranged a few secret guards around to prevent anyone from hurting the three children when she was not at home.
After visiting the neighbors, Nora walked the three children around the area.
After all, if nothing went wrong, they would be staying here for the next three months.
After walking around for a while, they bumped into an olddy when they returned. She was standing in front of their house. When she saw the four of them, the olddy instantly revealed a look of disdain. After sizing them up, she pursed her lips. "What do you do for work? The people living in our vis are all high-ss people. We don¡¯t want any shady neighbors..."
Nora: "?"
She raised her eyebrows and asked, "What do you mean?"
"You have three children at such a young age. Don¡¯t tell me you got pregnant at 17 or 18? Are these three children illegitimate too?"
Cherry immediately ced her hands on her hips and replied, "My daddy and mommy are husband and wife! We¡¯re not illegitimate children!"
Being engaged also meant they were husband and wife!
Hearing that, the olddy pursed her lips. "What about your father?"
Cherry: "?"
Nora lowered her eyes and slowly said, "I¡¯m working outside. I don¡¯t usually go home."
"Tsk, are you working part-time? How much money can you earn? If you don¡¯t have money, why do you have to go overseas? You just want to stay here when you don¡¯t even have the money to match our standard of living... Let me tell you, my son has a decent job! He¡¯s a director at NTT!"
The olddy raised her chin proudly as she talked.
Nora: "?"
Cherry was stunned. "NTT?"
"Yes, NTT. Have you heard of thepany? Let me tell you, my son works there. He¡¯s a really respectable person, understand? He¡¯s not like you guys. You¡¯re working part-time! Can you afford to rent this ce? Why do you have to stay here? I advise you to go to the slums!"
Cherry: "!!"
How could she not have heard of it? She had grown up in the NTT headquarters!
NTT was her grandaunt¡¯spany!
Chapter 817: Approaching the Library
Chapter 817: Approaching the Library
Although she could not expose her grandaunt¡¯s identity to avoid being noticed, Cherry was not one to be bullied. She retorted, "Grandma, I thought your son was NTT¡¯s boss. So he¡¯s also working for someone else!"
They¡¯re all working for others, so why is she looking down on them?
The olddy was instantly furious. "What do you know? There¡¯s a difference between working for someone else and working part-time! NTT is the hottestpany in Switzend in recent years. Everyone working at high positions there can get a million-dor annual sry! Your father worked hard every month, but does he have ten thousand dors? The rent here isn¡¯t cheap. In my opinion, you should live on the streets! How many months can you bear the rent here? You¡¯re preventing others from renting a house here. You¡¯re a dog in the manger!"
Cherry was about to say something when a plump middle-aged woman jogged over. When she heard the olddy¡¯s voice, she immediately ced her hands on her hips and scolded, "Hey, what¡¯s wrong with you? You promised to live together peacefully in my house. How can you bully the new tenant?"
When Mrs. Long saw the fat woman, she pursed her lips. "Landy, you have to understand. Who bullied them? Don¡¯t make irresponsible remarks. I¡¯m just telling them the rules of living here. Besides, who knows where this woman came from? Everyone who lives here has a clean background!"
The plumpndy retorted angrily, "She¡¯s renting my house. What rules are you talking about? If you don¡¯t want to stay, then fine. Can¡¯t you just leave? Many people are queuing up to rent my house! Besides, this isn¡¯t some random person. She¡¯s a foreign student from Staav University!!"
"Okay, okay, I¡¯ll stop talking about it, okay?!" After Mrs. Long said this, she looked at Nora again before turning around. Even though she was far away, she was still nagging softly. "Doesn¡¯t she just have a few stinky houses? What¡¯s she showing off for? My son works in NTT! He¡¯ll be able to afford such a house sooner orter!"
After Mrs. Long walked away cursing, thendy finally looked at Nora. "Miss Smith, right? Come, there are a few things to take note of in the house. I¡¯ll show you."
With that, she opened the door but did not enter first. Instead, she waited respectfully at the door.
After Nora brought the three children in, thendy closed the door and walked in. The next moment, the arrogance on her face disappeared and was reced with kindness. "Miss Smith, you¡¯re back! Oh, let me see Cherry. Has she gained weight?"
Cherry also smiled and said, "Cindy!"
Cindy was the friend Nora had made when she was overseas. Back then, she was homeless with her husband. It was Nora who took her in and asked her to stay here to collect the rent.
That¡¯s right. This row of houses belonged to her. When she had bought and rented them out back then, the price was not high. It was just to give those Americans who came to Switzend a resting ce.
It was just that...
Cherry said, "Cindy, why did such a bad old madam rent Mommy¡¯s house?"
Cindy smiled bitterly and said, "That olddy sounded too pitiful back then, so I let her rent the house. Her son is earning money now and she wants to bring her sister over to live with her, so she asked me to rent her this house you¡¯re staying in. However, Miss Nora asked me to keep it for her, so I didn¡¯t rent it. I said that someone has already booked the house. She didn¡¯t dare to offend me, so she took her anger out on you."
Cherry was stunned. "Why does she have to rent this house?"
Cindy said, "Who doesn¡¯t want to rent our ce? It¡¯s cheap and the house is good. Miss Nora has no intention of earning money from this rent, so many people want to stay here now! Besides, she got her sister to rent a house nearby. Don¡¯t worry, their contract will expire next month. When the timees, I won¡¯t rent it to them again no matter what. A person with such a character doesn¡¯t have the right to receive Miss Nora¡¯s care! Besides, isn¡¯t her son rich? Go out and rent an expensive house! She only knows how to take advantage of others!"
With that, she put down Cherry and looked at Pete. "This is Pete, right? I heard from Miss Nora that she finally found you. I haven¡¯t seen you before! Your small body is stronger than Cherry¡¯s!"
"..."
Cindy patted Pete heavily before turning to Xander with a grin. "This little kid must be Xander. Am I right?"
Xander: "..."
He was now as smart as a 14-year-old. He felt so childish when she spoke to him in such a coaxing tone.
The corners of his mouth twitched. He grabbed Cherry and Pete. "Let¡¯s go upstairs and take a look!"
"Okie-Dokie!"
Cherry and Pete did not n to go to school. These three months would be considered a vacation!
The three children went upstairs inseparable. Only Nora and Cindy were left downstairs.
Cindy said, "Miss Nora, go to Staav University tomorrow without any worry. I¡¯ll help take care of the three children!"
Nora nodded.
She then gave Cindy some instructions regarding Cherry, Pete, and Xander¡¯s hobbies as well as their favorite foods.
¡ª
The next day, at the entrance of Staav University.
Nora took out her student ID. After handing them to the guard, she entered the school.
She came here as an exchange student from the New York University School of Medicine. Every December, there would be exchange studentsing to study.
As a professor at New York University School of Medicine, creating a fake identity and getting a ce was a piece of cake.
She needed to report first and then take the opportunity to go to the library to look for files.
After entering the university, Nora was attracted by everything in front of her.
Staav University was indeed one of the top international universities. The environment inside was especially beautiful. As she was admiring it, a voice suddenly came from behind. "Oh my god! Kelvin really came to our university for a shoot!"
Chapter 818: Mr. Hunt Can’t Take It
Chapter 818: Mr. Hunt Can¡¯t Take It
There were many international students at Staav University. The Europeans, Asians, and African-Americans were all harmonious and without discourse.
This was the center of academic discussions worldwide. There was no hatred between countries and there was no disdain between skin colors. Everyone who entered this ce was a student who worked hard for scientific research.
This was the feeling given off at Staav University.
The approaching aura was filled with youth.
Of course, in such a friendly atmosphere, there were also young people who chased after idols. Therefore, when they heard the cry, many people turned their heads in unison to look at the door.
Kelvin?
He was an international superstar!
Be it his singing, dancing, or acting¡ªthey were all remarkable in the industry. Furthermore, he had received the title of Best Actor in Hollywood. This man had conquered all the men, women, old, and young in Switzend.
Therefore, everyone stopped in their tracks.
However, university students were also well-known figures in their respective fields. They had their own pride, so they were not like the usual fans who swarmed around their idols.
After eximing in surprise, they stood politely at the side and watched silently as Kelvin and his assistants walked over.
Nora originally did not want to care about Kelvin.
However, the person walking in front of her stopped and blocked her way. She did not want to stand out, so she simply stopped in her tracks and looked over.
Kelvin was still wearing heavy makeup today. His dark circles seemed like he had not slept for the entire night. The smokey makeup was so thick that Nora could not bear to look at him.
She really did not know how this man was so confident that he was more handsome than Justin.
Nora thought about this and pursed her lips.
However, the next moment, Kelvin suddenly stopped in his tracks and looked in Nora¡¯s direction. Their eyes met in the air.
Nora¡¯s eyes narrowed and a smile appeared on her lips.
This Kelvin was teasing her yesterday, but he still dared to look at her today?
Nora was just thinking about this when she saw that the disgusting eyes of ¡¯Kelvin¡¯ in front of her were very deep at this moment. There was an unfathomable light in his dark eyes.
This familiar gaze made her freeze on the spot as if she had been struck by lightning.
However, when she looked closer, she saw that Kelvin¡¯s eyes had returned to their usual warm smile. He smiled and greeted the surrounding fans. This made Nora shake her head.
What was wrong with her?
For a moment, she felt that Kelvin and Justin were very simr.
If she had not personally investigated Kelvin¡¯s true identity yesterday, she might have followed him again today to get to the bottom of it.
But now, she did not want to waste time.
Kelvin and Justin were not on good terms. If she went over, she would only be inviting humiliation.
When she thought of this, Nora simply took a few steps forward and walked straight to the Department of Biomedicine.
This time, when she came to be an exchange student, the medical academy¡¯s staff was already full. It was not appropriate for her to take someone else¡¯s seat. On the other hand, the Department of Biomedicine just happened to have a vacant seat. Therefore, Nora came here as a student of the Department of Biomedicine.
It did not matter which school it was, as long as she could get in touch with the archive room!
She came here this time to get a student card and then go to the file room to look for clues about V16!
The few lines her mother had left in the metal box had directed her to the private room 004 in the Staav University archives.
Nora thought about this and went to report to the Department of Biomedicine. She also prepared a student card.
After all the procedures werepleted, she asked the counselor who had handled these procedures, "Excuse me, may I ask how to get to the archive room?"
The counselor was stunned for a moment before saying, "The archive room in our school is the library. Do you want to borrow a few books?"
Library...
No wonder she could not find the file room on the map.
It made sense. It had been more than twenty years since her mother had left the note. The archive room must have ceased to exist long ago. It had probably been merged into a library.
Nora smiled. "Yes, I want to borrow a few books rted to the curriculum."
The counselor instantly smiled. "Oh, then you can go to the library. By the way, Lisa, remember toe to ss tomorrow. Don¡¯t bete~"
Lisa was a fake name Nora had given herself.
Nora nodded.
After separating from the counselor, Nora simply walked straight to the library.
Although Nora was already 25 years old and would be 26 years old after the new year, because she looked young and had a slender figure, her fake identity was that of a 22-year-old university student.
As she walked to the library, she bumped into a few boys who came to chat with her.
The atmosphere overseas was more open. After rejecting them, Nora simply went around the field and straight to the library.
However, just as she reached the entrance of the library, a basketball suddenly hit her!
The university students on the field instantly shouted, "Move aside, beautiful girl! Move aside!"
At the same time, everyone¡¯s hearts rose. If such a beautiful girl was hit by a basketball, they would feel terrible.
Just as they thought about this, they saw that Nora seemed to have heard the wind. She turned around beautifully and caught the ball. Almost instinctively, she turned the basketball on her wrist and aimed it at the basket, throwing it over gently.
Thud!
The ball entered the hoop.
Everyone was silent. Then, someone suddenly asked in surprise, "Are you from New York?"
Nora nodded.
The person immediately said, "Impressive!"
"Impressive, impressive!"
The others immediately apuded. Nora instantly became the focus of the crowd.
Nora: "..."
She grimaced and continued walking but the boy ying basketball chased after her. "Hi, I¡¯m Jack. May I ask where you¡¯re going?"
Nora: "Library."
Jack instantly spoke, his teeth white and bright. "Oh, then I¡¯m sorry to tell you that Kelvin¡¯s crew is filming there now. You might not be able to enter... They booked it for two hours."
Jack looked down at his wristwatch. "You have to wait another hour and a half."
Nora: "?"
Seeing that the clue to V16 was inside, how could she wait?
She frowned and was in thought. Suddenly, a low male voice came from ahead. "Director, let that girl in. It¡¯ll be too strange if there¡¯s no one in the library. I think she can be an extra with her looks!"
Nora turned around and saw "Kelvin" staring at Jack unhappily.
"..."
Chapter 819: This Familiar Narcissism
Chapter 819: This Familiar Narcissism
If Kelvin spoke, the director would definitely agree.
He got someone to let Nora in. Jack instantly raised his hand and shouted, "Hey, director, look here. I want to be an extra too. It¡¯s free! Can I? I can pretend to be a couple with this girl. I..."
"No."
Before the director could speak, Kelvin rejected him, stunning Jack. He scratched his head in confusion. "Why?"
Nora was also confused.
Jack was already frowning.
Kelvin ignored him and looked at the director. "The scene we¡¯re filming focuses on how hard the students work. Acting romantic in the library is bad for the school¡¯s image."
Jack instantly understood. "Then I will do something else. Can I read? I can read with this person. Can I?"
Kelvinughed softly. "No. There are already too many extras."
"..."
In the end, it just couldn¡¯t be done.
Jack was furious, but he could only watch as the bodyguards and the security personnel on the scene made way for Nora to enter the library.
Nora: "..."
The scene they were filming was a ssic Hollywood fight scene. It was about the male lead yed by Kelvin who had discovered the secret of genes in university.
As a weak little boy, he was bullied until one day he decided to be stronger.
He and his professor developed the spider gene. The professor used him as an experiment and injected him with the spider gene. He wanted to be Spiderman. He seeded and his physical abilities really improved, but in the end, he was swallowed by the gene and he became a real spider. His humanity was gradually swallowed up as he became stronger and stronger.
He lost his mind and became a killing machine.
The National Security Bureau sent agents to kill him, but he was too strong. He defeated all the agents alone.
While being chased, he was saved by the female protagonist. During the time they spent together, he went from being ignorant to one with his feelings.
The professor had seen him be stronger, so he injected himself with the genes to be a true Spiderman. He wanted the male protagonist to rule the world with him.
The professor used the video of the male protagonist being bullied to anger him and restrain his gradually awakening consciousness again. The male protagonist apanied the professor to destroy the city.
In the end, his girlfriend appeared and pulled back the male protagonist with love. She made him suppress his genes and he finally was finally able to control his abilities. He then defeated the professor and saved the city.
At the end of the story, he sessfully joined the National Security Bureau and began to protect the world.
In short, it was a story of a person who gradually recovered his humanity with the help of love.
Western blockbusters were all about sci-fi.
Now, they were in the early stages of the filming.
The scene Kelvin was filming today was of the male protagonist being bullied again. He hid in the library while the strong students outside whistled and waited for him toe out so that they could beat him up.
The male protagonist was very flustered and stayed in the library until nightfall.
In the end, he discovered the secret of genes in the library. His high intelligence was recognized by the professor. The two of them hit it off and began the development of the spider gene.
Nora did not know the storyline. She just found it fun to watch Kelvin film.
However, she was not here to watch a show.
She had more important things to do.
She pretended to be a passerby and walked around inside, wanting to look for file 004.
There was a corner in the library where files were ced. In order to make it look real, the male protagonist yed by Kelvin was in this corner. An abandoned gene file was needed.
Nora searched in the library. After learning that the files were all in the corner where Kelvin was, she slowly moved over.
This continued until...
"Cut!"
The director suddenly shouted and immediately said to Nora, "Student, may I ask what¡¯s wrong with you? Why do you keep walking in front of the camera? Do you want to get my attention? Or do you want to act too?"
After the director finished speaking, he looked Nora up and down. Then, his eyes lit up. "Hey, there are not many girls as beautiful as you. If you want, I can add a role for you!"
Nora: "...There¡¯s no need."
The director pestered her. "You may be used to rejecting others but you really don¡¯t have to talk to me like that. If you want to act, I can be your guide to enter the entertainment industry."
Nora: "There¡¯s really no need."
She was not interested in acting at all. She only wanted toplete her mission and go back to sleep!
The director did not believe her. "How could you not want it? If not, then why did you scuttle in front of the camera? I noticed you the moment you entered. You¡¯ve been trying to approach the camera for a while. Although you¡¯re very careful, it¡¯s obvious that you¡¯re doing this for the camera!"
Nora: "?"
She exined calmly, "I¡¯m not doing this for the camera."
"Then why?"
The director questioned.
Nora: "..."
Of course, it was for file 004!
But could she say that?
No, she couldn¡¯t!
She was a new student, so it was very odd for her to need a file from here!
Nora thought about this and was about to reply to the director when Kelvin¡¯s deep voice interrupted. "What else could it be for? It¡¯s for me!"
Nora: "??"
The director: "?"
Kelvin walked over and looked at Nora. "I know. You¡¯re my fan. You¡¯re crazy about me, but this is the production team. Please don¡¯t interrupt our shoot."
With that, Kelvin touched his nose and looked at the director. "Director, since she likes me so much, why don¡¯t we let her stay beside me? Someone has toe to the archives to make it seem more real."
The director: "...Okay, let¡¯s do that!"
Nora: "..."
She looked at Kelvin and was about to speak when Kelvin said, "When the filming starts, don¡¯t look at me like that. You have to pretend not to know me, okay? Although it¡¯s difficult for you to not like me, bear with it for the shoot."
Nora: "!!"
Bear with it?!
Moreover, why was this confident and narcissistic look so familiar?!
Nora was about to speak when the director shouted and the filming began.
She immediately retracted her thoughts and turned to take out a file on the bookshelf.
The file wasbeled 009.
009?
Nora¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up!
The library¡¯s files were regrly needed.
They were all ced in order.
If 009 was here, then 004 must be in this row!
As she thought about this, Nora quickly turned around. She retracted all her thoughts, including how Kelvin had taken advantage of her earlier. She began to look for her file in the row seriously...
004 was the V16 her mother had left behind!!
She had to find it!
Sure enough, beside 009 was 008, followed by 007, 006, and 005. Then, beside 005 was... 004!!
Chapter 820 - 004!
Chapter 820: 004!
Nora took down the file beside 005. At the same time, she felt a little nervous.
V16 concerned Xander¡¯s life and Justin had faked his death for this. Furthermore, the bosses of a certain industry were all eyeing this medicine covetously.
Now, this drug was in her hands?
As she was thinking, she looked down and saw that the title of the file in her hand was... Archive 003?
Nora¡¯s eyes were slightly stunned.
She took a closer look and saw that it was indeed 003. When she opened it, she realized that it was about the data of a mouse experiment that was once done by the school 50 years ago.
The data was critical, it was indicated that it was because of this set of experimental data that a vine was sessfully created.
However, it had nothing to do with the gene serum.
Nora put down 003 and flipped forward unwillingly. She found 002 and 001. She continued to flip back. It was 005. This row continued until 035, but there was no 004!
Nora frowned and turned around, wanting to continue looking at the shelf beside her.
Just as she was about to walk over, a loud p suddenly came from behind.
Nora: "?"
She looked up in a daze and saw the director and the others looking at her. The director praised, "Thisdy, you¡¯re really too talented in acting! You vividly portrayed the appearance of a genius looking for a certain piece of information! You were so engrossed. It was as if you hadpletely forgotten the existence of the camera. You¡¯re simply a born actor!"
Nora: "?"
She had indeed forgotten about the camera because she was about to find 004.
The corners of her mouth twitched. The director stepped forward and handed her a card. "If you¡¯re interested in acting, you can contact me!"
"..."
Nora nced at the name card silently.
Kelvin beside him also walked over slowly. His tall figure stood beside Nora. The two of them looked very pleasing to the eye. The director looked at them and sighed. "Kelvin, your partner has already been confirmed but how good would it have been to let thisdy y your girlfriend? The feeling when you two stand together is too strong! The two of you look like real lovers!"
Nora: "!"
She took a wary step back and leaned to the side.
However, she heard a lowugh. She turned her head and saw "Kelvin" smiling maliciously. He lowered his head and smiled. "Nora, why? Do you really want to act as a couple with me?"
Nora: "..."
Nora rolled her eyes and took two steps to the side to maintain a distance from Kelvin.
The director seemed to want to say something else. Nora interrupted them. "Are you done filming?"
"I¡¯m done filming."
The director then realized something and looked at Kelvin. "Let¡¯s go film the next scene! Kelvin, we¡¯re going to film the scene where you meet your girlfriend. This part needs to be more romantic."
Nora ignored them and continued to flip through the files.
She did not see "Kelvin" nce at her and immediatelyugh softly. "Director, I¡¯m not in a good condition today. I¡¯ll only film the action scenes! As for the romantic scenes, I¡¯ll film them another time!"
The director: "...Okay, Kelvin. You¡¯re too professional! However, when you were filming earlier, your mood was indeed not right. You did not show the urgency and fear of being chased by bad people..."
"Kelvin" continued to smile. "Yes, tomorrow. I¡¯ll do a re-take."
"But why tomorrow? Can¡¯t we do it now?"
"...I¡¯ll be better tomorrow. Besides, we rented the library for two hours. Don¡¯t stop others from reading."
"Alright, then."
The crew packed their equipment and prepared to leave.
Before leaving, Kelvin turned back and looked at Nora, who was searching through the files seriously. His eyes were filled with deep longing and a smile.
Nora was really cute sometimes!
The production team left and the library became quiet.
Nora searched through the archives once again. In the end, she felt helpless and went to the librarian. She asked, "Hello. May I ask why some serial numbers are missing in the archive room? Are they lost?"
The librarian immediately said, "Oh, no. Some of the files¡¯ contents are too important. They¡¯re protected by us. Only tutors and students who have reached a certain level can apply to check them. Why don¡¯t you tell me which file you want to see? I¡¯ll help you."
Nora narrowed her eyes. "No, there¡¯s no need. I¡¯m just curious."
With that, she smiled and nced at the administrator¡¯s screen before turning to leave the library.
Outside, she found a random chair and sat down. Then, she picked up her phone and hacked into the library system. She searched the files and entered File 004.
50 years ago,puters were not widely used. However,ter on, many files were entered into an electronic system.
However, 004 was not recorded.
The system only showed that 004 was an S-rank file. There was only a physical file.
Nora: "..."
She then checked file 048 because she realized that 004 was not the only one missing there. After counting, many serial numbers were not there.
As it turned out, file 048 also only had a physical file.
This meant that if she wanted to see Archive 004, she had to be a professor at Staav University or a student of rted research projects!
How... troublesome!
Nora could not wait to break into the archive room at night and steal it.
However, this would not do. It would attract the attention of those looking for the gene serum.
Justin had faked his death to make those people turn their eyes away. If she caused too much of a ruckus, the secret might get out any moment.
When she thought of this, Nora suppressed the urge in her heart and finally decided to think about it carefully!
¡ª
Nora did not gain anything from the library. She left the library and returned home.
The car had just stopped when he saw the olddy from the neighborhood scolding Cherry. "Thief, you¡¯re a thief! You¡¯re so young and yet you don¡¯t learn well. You actually steal!"
Chapter 821: Slander?
Chapter 821: nder?
A lot of people had already surrounded the vi where Nora lived.
Everyone stood outside and pointed at them.
Mrs. Long had her hands on her hips as she cursed, "Like I said, these people haven¡¯t even been here a day and they¡¯ve already started stealing! She¡¯s definitely not a good person. We shouldn¡¯t let such a person stay in a district like ours!"
Someone beside her advised, "Mrs. Long, you¡¯ve been scolding her for so long. The youngdy is so cute, she doesn¡¯t look like a thief. Tell me, what did she steal?"
Mrs. Long immediately said, "She stole my scallion pancake!"
As soon as she said this, everyone looked at the scallion pancake in Cherry¡¯s hand. She had already eaten half of the pancake and now she was holding the pancake and looking at Mrs. Long with ck grape-like eyes.
Hearing this, Cherry took another bite of scallion pancake. Her mouth was stuffed full, making her look especially cute.
Someone beside her said, "Mrs. Long, isn¡¯t it just a cake? Can you just let it go? We¡¯re all neighbors, and the child is very young. She might just be hungry if she ate your cake!"
Mrs. Long sneered, "What do you know? She¡¯s already so bad at a young age. She¡¯s a crooked stick! Do you know what her father does? He¡¯s a worker! Do you know what her mother does? She¡¯s so young and doesn¡¯t look like a proper mother at all! I think she didn¡¯t even go to school and just fooled around with a man. She gave birth to these three little bastards! She gave birth early but didn¡¯t raise them well. If we let them stay here, they¡¯ll be the stinky bugs in our district sooner orter!"
With that, everyone looked at Cherry in confusion.
However, Cherry took another bite of the pancake. Her clear eyes were staring at Mrs. Long as she stood there and asked, "Grandma, who is a stinky bug?"
Mrs. Long immediately pointed at her. "You are, of course!"
"Oh." Cherry smiled and began eating again.
The scallion pancake was really delicious!
She took two mouthfuls and the crowd burst intoughter. Before Mrs. Long could understand what was going on, someone beside herughed. "The little girl is teasing you!"
Mrs. Long: "!"
From where do children nowadays learn to tease like that?
She did not react for a moment.
Cherry shrugged. She had learned this from her motherst time! Although it was an old trick, it was very effective in angering others!
The vicious old woman was so angry that her chest was heaving. Cherry grinned and continued to eat her scallion pancake.
Mrs. Long took a few deep breaths. Her fingers were trembling. "You little girl, you have a sharp tongue. I can tell at a nce that you won¡¯t be a good person when you grow up. I think you¡¯re going to be like your mother. You¡¯re so young, you didn¡¯t learn to be good. You¡¯ll live well with bad men!"
Cherry did not understand her words but her eyes lit up. "Do you think I¡¯ll be like my mommy?"
Mommy was so strong. How good would it be if she was like her?!
Therefore, she grinned. "Thank you!"
"..."
Mrs. Long was really furious. "Look, look. Her skin is so thick. I scolded her and she thanked me! What right does a person like her have to stay with us?"
"Alright, alright." Some people could not stand it anymore and stepped forward. "The little girl looks fine. She doesn¡¯t look like shees from a bad family at all. Mrs. Long, you must have some misunderstanding. Besides, if she came from a bad family, could she afford to rent a house here?"
Although the houses here were cheap, not everyone could rent them.
Mrs. Long immediately said, "Heh, that¡¯s not right. Today, she stole my family¡¯s scallion pancake. She might steal your watch tomorrow! Do we have to guard against thieves every day if we stay here? Are you willing to do that?"
These words made everyone around shut their mouths.
No matter who it was, they did not want to be neighbors with a thief.
Therefore, everyone looked at Cherry and said, "Youngdy, I think you should apologize to Mrs. Long! Isn¡¯t it just a scallion pancake? Your parents will definitely be able to afford it. Apologize well and repent. We won¡¯t pursue the matter with you!"
Mrs. Long sneered as well. "Heh, apologize? You can¡¯t apologize about this. Why don¡¯t we call the police? We have to get the police to teach this little brat a lesson!"
"Don¡¯t call the police!"
"That¡¯s right. It¡¯s just a small matter. We¡¯re all neighbors. Why must you do this?"
"The child is only five years old. What does she know? Mrs. Long, don¡¯t fuss too much..."
When the others heard this, they began trying to persuade her.
Only then did Mrs. Long look at Cherry. "Alright, then let her kneel and apologize to me! Kneel to me as an apology!"
Kneel and apologize...
This was too humiliating.
Although everyone felt that Mrs. Long was being a little too much, they still looked at Cherry. Someone advised, "Youngdy, just kneel! Get down on your knees!"
Cherry pursed her lips. "I¡¯m not doing that!"
She had never knelt for anyone before!
Her grandparents could not bear to make her kneel and her mother protected her as well. As for the grandfather and great-grandmother she met when she returned to New York, they all wished they could treat her well. How could they make her kneel?
Cherry said, "I didn¡¯t do anything wrong. I didn¡¯t steal her pancake!"
"You didn¡¯t steal it?" Mrs. Long sneered. "You¡¯re still lying even now? If you didn¡¯t steal my pancake then why is my pancake in your hand?"
Cherry took another bite of scallion pancake. "You gave this to me!"
Everyone was shocked and looked at Mrs. Long.
However, Mrs. Long straightened her back and sneered. "I gave it to you? Then I used you of stealing my family¡¯s pancakes? You¡¯re really funny. Do I have nothing better to do than bullying a child like you? I didn¡¯t n on fussing about you stealing one of my pancakes, but you¡¯re even lying now. You¡¯re hopeless!"
Chapter 822: I Have Evidence!
Chapter 822: I Have Evidence!
Nora stood in the crowd and looked at Cherry silently.
She was not anxious because Cherry was so calm. She must have a n.
Otherwise, Pete and Xander would have rushed out of the house a long time ago. The two had a sisterplex. Why would they keep watching as if it was some show?
She looked inside coldly.
Mrs. Long¡¯s words were clearly more believable. After all, there was no need for an olddy to target a child. Furthermore, they had just moved in, so there was no dispute.
Therefore, everyone looked at Cherry and advised, "Little kid, you should apologize! Stop being stubborn!"
Of course, there were also people who trusted Cherry, but Mrs. Long was very domineering. Especially because her son worked in NTT, she became even more domineering. They could not offend her, so they advised, "Little kid, stop being stubborn. Apologize!"
Cherry pursed her lips. "You¡¯re the one who gave it to me!"
She took another bite of the scallion pancake and chewed.
Mrs. Long looked at the others and sighed heavily. "See? She¡¯s so young but she still doesn¡¯t admit to her mistakes! Can you tolerate a child like this living here? I won¡¯t call the police but I suggest we make them leave! I don¡¯t want to be neighbors with such people!"
Cherry blinked. "Bad Grandma, call the police. You¡¯re the one who gave me this pancake! I didn¡¯t steal it!"
When the person beside her saw that she was still saying that, he immediately said, "Child, stop talking. Where¡¯s your mom? Call her out quickly! You said that Mrs. Long gave it to you. Do you have evidence? If you don¡¯t, Mrs. Long will definitely not let you off. You..."
As the kind person was persuading her, Cherry said, "Who said I don¡¯t have evidence?"
She blinked and took another bite of the scallion pancake. Her other hand reached into her pocket, it looked like she was going to take out her phone.
Nora¡¯s eyes curved slightly.
Little Smarty.
She knew that Cherry would definitely not lose. Mrs. Long had scolded them yesterday and she definitely had ill intentions foring to give them scallion pancakes today. Although Cherry was more straightforward and not as perceptive as Pete and Xander, she was not so stupid as to fall for the bad guy¡¯s trap.
She definitely had evidence!
As Nora thought about this, she saw Cherry take out her phone and say, "I have..."
Cherry was about to say that she had evidence when a weak voice suddenly sounded.
"I... I-I can prove it..."
Everyone turned around and saw a thin girl in her twenties slowly raising her hand.
Nora, who was about to walk forward, stopped in her tracks.
The girl was very thin and short. She looked very weak and had a timid expression.
Although she looked a little like Mia, Mia was the pampered daughter of the Smiths. She looked small and weak, her figure was so slender that others couldn¡¯t help but protect her.
However, this girl seemed like the kind of person who came out to work because of bad family conditions...
This was the first impression she gave to Nora.
Of course, Nora knew who this girl was. Cindy had already given her information on everyone who lived here. She had made sure that there was no danger before daring to let the three children stay there.
The girl¡¯s name was Rene. She was an orphan and had been adopted by a couple in Switzend. However, her adoptive parents did not treat her well. They had beaten and scolded her since she was young. She had only escaped from that house when she was older and was currently living here with her boyfriend.
They were poor, but they were stubborn and had been working hard. Cindy pitied their plight and had reduced their rent. The house they rented was the smallest and in the worst condition.
Rene spoke softly as well. It conveyed the trauma of enduring domestic violence. When she spoke, she did not dare to look at anyone. Her long hair covered one-third of her face. "I can prove that just now, when Mrs. Long... She¡ªshe gave the child a scallion pancake. I... I was there... I saw it..."
Rene had a pitiful background that everyone knew about. Everyone believed her words.
Therefore, they immediately turned to look at Mrs. Long.
"Mrs. Long, what¡¯s going on?"
"Yes! How can you bully a child?"
"You¡¯re too evil! We¡¯re all Americans. We¡¯re from the same country. How can you bully one of our own?"
"..."
At this moment, Mrs. Long knew she had been exposed. She immediately said unhappily, "Alright, alright. I was just teasing her. What¡¯s wrong? I was just joking! Alright, disperse! What are you looking at?"
Mrs. Long ced her hands on her hips. "My son works in NTT. Do you think I won¡¯t ask him to stand up for me?"
With that, half the people around instantly dispersed.
NTT was now so popr in Switzend that everyone had bits and pieces of it in their lives. No one wanted to offend NTT executives.
When most of the people had left, Mrs. Long looked at Rene and said fiercely, "Rene, you¡¯re really a busybody! Why? Are you here to prove that you¡¯re impressive? Do you think you¡¯re a messenger of justice? I think you should worry about yourself before you try to mess with others!"
With that, she sneered. "Your boyfriend seems to be working in NTT too!"
She immediately panicked. "Mrs. Long, w-what do you mean?"
"What do I mean? Heh, your boyfriend is just a worker in NTT but my son is a senior executive. You dared to mess with me over a little girl. Fine, I¡¯ll see if your boyfriend can still stay in NTT! Let¡¯s see!"
After saying this, Mrs. Long red fiercely at Rene and turned to enter her house. However, she suddenly saw Nora standing behind her and was shocked.
However, Mrs. Long quickly recovered and smiled sarcastically. "Say, Miss Smith, I think you should still move away with your three children! Otherwise, if my son finds out that I was bullied today, I really can¡¯t say what he¡¯ll do! Also, if Rene¡¯s boyfriend loses his job, they¡¯ll be homeless. Then, It¡¯ll all be because of you!"
With that, she raised her head arrogantly and entered her house ruthlessly.
She mmed the door shut.
Rene¡¯s body trembled in fear when the door was closed. Then, her eyes turned red as her entire body trembled. She must have been frightened.
Would her boyfriend really lose his job?
Chapter 823: Who Will Be Fired?!
Chapter 823: Who Will Be Fired?!
Nora walked over to Rene. She was about to talk to her but, as though she was badly frightened, Rene suddenly turned away and ran into the smallest house at the side.
Nora: "..."
Through the window, she saw Rene pick up her cell phone, her hands shaking as she did. She seemingly made a phone call. The person she called said something, which frightened Rene so badly that her eyes reddened and she started to cry.
Nora frowned.
Rene seemed to have sensed Nora looking at her. She was so scared that she suddenly drew the curtains and curled up in the corner. As for what she was doing, Nora couldn¡¯t see.
"Mommy, isn¡¯t Auntie Rene a little too timid?"
Nora nodded. After a moment¡¯s thought, she told Cherry to go back into the house. She then walked up to Rene¡¯s door, raised her hand, and knocked on the door.
Rene¡¯s timid voice rang out. "W-who is it?"
Nora replied, "I¡¯m your neighbor, I live next door. Thank you for speaking up for Cherry..."
"Y-you¡¯re wee."
Rene sounded like she was about to cry. "Please, I beg you, don¡¯te to me anymore. I... I don¡¯t want him to lose his job..."
Nora hurriedlyforted her. "He won¡¯t lose his job, don¡¯t worry. Can you open the door? I have something to tell you."
"I-I have nothing to say to you. P-please don¡¯t disturb me, okay?"
Rene stammered a little when she spoke and she didn¡¯t sound confident of herself.
Nora¡¯s brows knitted together. She wanted to knock on the door again, but the door to Mrs. Long¡¯s house on the opposite side opened at this point. Mrs. Long sneered, "She won¡¯t dare to open the door for you. Considering how much of a coward she is, if she dares to open the door for you, then wouldn¡¯t she offend me? If her boyfriend loses his job, she will have to go back to her family! When that happens, her foster father will beat her to death!"
After saying this, Mrs. Long started ranting again.
"Don¡¯t step forward to speak up for others if you¡¯re not that capable. If you do something, you must be brave enough to own up to it. Heh, your boyfriend must be really unlucky to fall for you. He¡¯s a graduate from a prestigious university¡ªand Staav University at that¡ªso why did he fall in love with someone like you? When my son came home a few days ago, he even mentioned your boyfriend and said that he was nning to promote him. But now...? He can forget about getting promoted! And just wait to be fired instead!"
Mrs. Long was very loud. Rene¡¯s rental house was the most rundown one of the lot, so sound instion was not very good. Therefore, she heard everything that Mrs. Long said. At once, she huddled up in fear and even started shaking all over.
Nora broke into a frown and she sneered, "It¡¯s not certain who will be the one to get fired yet!"
Mrs. Long curled her lips disdainfully. "Tsk, tsk. Are you still talking big even at this point? Heh, maybe you¡¯re just not aware of the situation here¡ªmy son is her boyfriend¡¯s direct superior!!"
Nora wanted to say something, but Rene¡¯s door suddenly opened. Rene, who was thin and skinny just like a sheet of paper, appeared. She looked at Mrs. Long timidly and then, with choked sobs, she said, "I was wrong! P-please don¡¯t fire my boyfriend! I was wrong! Please, I¡¯ll even get down on my knees!"
As she spoke, she really got down on her knees with a thud.
Mrs. Long, however, was unmoved.
At this moment, a male voice suddenly reached them.
"Rene, what are you doing? Get up!"
Along with the strong and firm voice, a big and tall figure rushed over. The man looked about 23 or 24 years old and was obviously a fresh college graduate. There was a sense of boyishness from having just entered the working ss on his face.
He was wearing a suit and looked like someone from upper-ss society, yet his actions and behavior carried a sense of boyishness. He looked very bright and cheerful and was very dashing.
He rushed over and held Rene up.
Rene, whose voice was nasal from crying, said, "Liam, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ve caused you trouble. You have a promising future ahead of you, I mustn¡¯t hold you back. Sob..."
Upon hearing this, Liam Martin pulled Rene up even more forcefully. He said loudly and firmly, "Rene, don¡¯t be afraid! I told you that I would protect you! Since I¡¯ve taken you out of that house, I will definitely protect you! Even if I can¡¯t continue with this job, I can still get other jobs! Trust me!"
Rene looked at him timidly. "No, no, it¡¯s my fault. If I get on my knees and beg Mrs. Long, she will forgive you. I can¡¯t mess with your career..."
Liam sighed. "Rene! That¡¯s enough! Alright, I¡¯ll handle this. Go back into the house, okay?"
Rene wanted to say something but Liam reached out a finger and pressed it against her lips. "Alright, just go in first! I¡¯ll handle this."
A dazed Rene nced at him before she finally lowered her head, her long hair covering her face as though this was the only way she could feel safe.
She slowly retreated into the house.
Liam closed the door and then looked at Nora. Nora was about to exin when Liam said, "You don¡¯t need to say anything, Rene has already told me everything that happened. She did the right thing!"
After saying that, he looked at Mrs. Long. "You¡¯re already in your sixties, yet you bullied a five-year-old? Do you think that makes you very impressive? You may scare Rene, but you won¡¯t scare me!"
Mrs. Long sneered, "It seems that you really don¡¯t n on staying in NTT anymore, right? Okay, I¡¯ll call my son right away!"
She took out her cell phone and made a phone call. In no time, someone answered, upon which her son, Fred Long¡¯s, voice rang out. "What¡¯s up, Mom?"
After Mrs. Long told him what had happened, Fred sneered and said, "I see. Don¡¯t worry, Mom, I¡¯ll make him pay!"
Then, Fred shouted into the phone again.
"Liam, I know you are listening. You can go straight to HR tomorrow to hand in your resignation! NTT does not wee people like you!"
With that, Fred hung up.
Mrs. Long sneered and nced at Nora and Liam again. She said, "Ms. Smith, he was fired entirely because of you!"
Nora¡¯s eyes were already narrowed. She said dispassionately, "He won¡¯t be fired."
When Mrs. Long heard this, she scoffed. "Do you think you¡¯re a supervisor in NTT? You¡¯re saying that he won¡¯t be fired?"
Nora replied, "NTT is well-known in the industry for being fair and just. Liam has not made any mistakes, NTT has no right to fire him!"
Mrs. Long found her words hrious. "My goodness, you sure are naive! Do you think this is a utopia? Or do you think you¡¯re in a movie? Not only is NTT¡¯s hierarchy very strict, but Liam is also a fresh college graduate. He has no one in NTT who can speak up for him! My son can easily fire him!"
"Really?"
Nora¡¯s lips curled into a smile. "Then let¡¯s see who will be fired tomorrow!"
Chapter 824: Fire Someone for me
Chapter 824: Fire Someone for me
Nora spoke very lightly, but her words chilled Mrs. Long.
She frowned, but she still felt that the woman in front of her was just talking big, so she said, "Okay, then let¡¯s wait and see!"
After she spoke, she even looked at Liam viciously and said, "What are you acting like a knight in shining armor here for? I¡¯ll wait for you toe crying to beg me tomorrow!"
She snorted loudly and entered her house.
After Mrs. Long went in, Liam finally looked at Nora.
Nora immediately said, "You won¡¯t be fired, don¡¯t worry."
This was a statement.
However, Liam obviously didn¡¯t believe her. He smiled wryly and said, "You don¡¯t have to me yourself. Don¡¯t worry, I got into NTT with my own capabilities, so even if I¡¯m fired, I can still support Rene and myself. We¡¯re neighbors and even fellow Americans, so let¡¯s watch out for each other in the future."
He entered the house with an anxious look all over his face. Then, the sound of Liam softly coaxing Rene came from the house.
Nora did not enter her house.
Instead, she stood outside and listened for a while.
Something was very wrong with the state Rene was in. Not only did she wear shabby clothes, but her hair was also dirty and greasy, making her look just like a homeless person on the streets.
Moreover, when she heard Mrs. Long say that her boyfriend would be fired, her reaction had also been highly abnormal, so much so that it even made Nora dubious as to whether Liam was a good boyfriend or not.
After all, Liam was leading a morous life outside, so why would Rene look like this at home?
She was worried that Liam was not what he seemed like, so she¡¯d deliberately stayed behind to eavesdrop on them.
When she was surfing the Inte recently, she had learned that a lot of men emotionally manipte their girlfriends. They would say things like "It¡¯s a blessing that an excellent man like me is interested in you" and "No one will want you except me", and use notions like these topletely control a woman¡¯s thoughts and make them feel that they couldn¡¯t live without them.
The fact that Rene was unemployed and the way she¡¯d looked so scared and horrified at the thought of Liam being fired was very simr to how women under their boyfriends¡¯ control would behave.
However, despite her eavesdropping on them outside for a long while, all Nora heard was Liam coaxing Rene in an extremely patient manner. Rene¡¯s condition also gradually improved.
Although she kept apologizing, in the end, the two still went off sweetly to prepare dinner.
Liam sincerely treated Rene well.
Nora turned and returned to her vi.
Cindy was preparing dinner for her and the children. When she saw her, she said, "I didn¡¯t go out when Mrs. Long came over..."
She was afraid that Mrs. Long would be suspicious of Nora¡¯s identity if she saw her.
Nora nodded, indicating that she¡¯d done well. She then asked, "What¡¯s up with Rene and Liam from next door?"
Cindy replied, "Liam is really a very good man and he also really loves Rene. Liam graduated from a famous university and he alsoes from a very good family. But out of everyone, he simply fell in love with Rene, who has been a victim of domestic violence since she was a child. Doesn¡¯t Rene look just like a beggar in front of him? When Liam brought her home, his family disapproved of their rtionship, so he decided to simply move out and live by himself with Rene! Sigh! For Rene, Liam is her redemption."
Nora: "..."
Her brows knitted together a little.
"What¡¯s wrong?" Cindy asked.
Nora smiled. "It¡¯s nothing."
Then, she added, "I was just thinking that I¡¯ve never seen love like that between the two of them before."
A handsome and cheerful boy who was high up in the air and had grown up in a well-to-do family, and a filthy girl who was timid, overcautious, and jumpy...
No matter how one looked at it, they simply looked like a strangebination.
Nevertheless, in order to give the pair of lovers a happy ending, Nora still picked up her cell phone and made a phone call.
"Yeah, it¡¯s me. Make some arrangements for me¡ªI want to fire someone and retain someone else in thepany."
¡ª
Early the next morning.
When Liam woke up, he saw that Rene was already up and was preparing breakfast for him.
Rene¡¯s fingernails were a little long and the undersides were also a little grimy. She looked slovenly but Liam knew that it was because she didn¡¯t dare to cut her nails.
Since she was a child, cutting her nails had always been a form of torture for her.
Her adoptive parents abused her and had even gone so far as to pluck out her nails before. The pain made her never want to cut her nails for the rest of her life.
Therefore, she never cut her nails unless she absolutely had to. Usually, when they got too long, she would just bite them off.
She put a slice of butter in between bread slices and handed it to Liam.
Without finding it dirty, Liam took the bread from her and took a bite.
After he finished breakfast, he gave Rene a kiss on her forehead. The look in Rene¡¯s eyes turned gentle and blissful at once, the way she looked at him was as though he was the only light in her life.
Liam smiled and pinched her cheek. "Why are you so cute, Rene? Don¡¯t worry, even if I¡¯m fired, I will still find a way to feed us, so don¡¯t be scared."
Rene nodded happily. Then, she said, "Well, y-you may not necessarily be dismissed from thepany. Besides... Besides, I-I can also go and find a job. I-I can also contribute a little to this family."
Liam touched her head. "Yeah, my little Rene has grown up."
After saying that, he picked up a folder, put on a suit, and left the house.
But after he stepped out, his expression sank.
He expelled a heavy breath of air.
Fred happened to be his superior. ording to NTT¡¯s regtions, Fred could decide whether Liam stayed or left all by himself.
Therefore, Liam knew that there was no chance of him lucking out today.
When he was walking out with his head down, he happened to see Mrs. Long standing at the door and looking at him with a big smile like a victor.
"Liam, I will show you today just how wicked and sinister this society is! So what even if you¡¯re a Staav University graduate? If you must me someone, then you can just me yourself for having bad taste and falling in love with such a slovenly woman. However, I can still give you a way out¡ªhow about you break up with that woman? My niece is an excellent girl, I can introduce you to each other. If the two of you are in a rtionship, my son will take care of you..."
Chapter 825: Who Is The Letter of Dismissal For?
Chapter 825: Who Is The Letter of Dismissal For?
Nora heard what Mrs. Long said the moment she stepped out of her house in the morning.
She frowned, wanting to say something. But when she looked over, she saw Rene hiding at the window of her house. She was staring nervously at Liam, her eyes fixed on him as if she was afraid that he would not want her anymore.
She was so nervous that her hands were tightly wrung, but she didn¡¯t have the courage to call out to him, interrupt Mrs. Long, or argue with her.
Her hair was still dirty and greasy because she was unwilling to wash it and the clothes she wore were old and worn out. Her head was constantly down and she looked like she didn¡¯t have any confidence at all.
It wouldn¡¯t even be surprising if she was mistaken as a beggar when she walked down the streets.
Someone like her certainly seemed out of ce next to Liam.
On the other side, Mrs. Long was still talking. "Rene is a piece of trash. Besides, she has been abused by her adoptive parents since she was a child!. Liam, you shouldn¡¯t throw away your future because of someone like her!"
Liam sighed. The cheerful man said, "I¡¯m not going to leave Rene."
His firm voice made Rene¡¯s eyes overflow with happiness.
Mrs. Long wasn¡¯t pleased, though. "Howe you can¡¯t even distinguish between something good and bad? Your family will never ept a wife like her! Did your parents raise you just to let you marry a good-for-nothing like her?"
Liam sighed. "She¡¯s not a good-for-nothing!"
Liam walked towards the gates. "I¡¯m going to work. I¡¯ll bete if I stay any longer."
However, Mrs. Long grabbed his sleeve. "Liam, listen to me, my niece..."
"Is your niece so ugly she can¡¯t even find a man by herself?"
Nora¡¯s light words interrupted Mrs. Long¡¯s boasting of her niece. She was stunned for a moment, and then she abruptly turned to look at Nora. "What a busybody! Mind your own business!"
Nora smiled sarcastically.
Mrs. Long retracted her outstretched arm. Having failed to achieve her goal, Mrs. Long was very indignant. She snorted coldly. "Liam, I will give you your options here and now. The first: Stay with that beggar and get fired today!
"Second, break up with that pushover and I will let bygones be bygones. My son will take care of you in NTT, so you will definitely rise through the ranks!"
Nora also looked at Liam.
Liam sighed helplessly and shook his head. "I told you, I will never abandon Rene."
After saying that, Liam went straight out the door.
Mrs. Long yelled angrily, "Fine, you refuse to choose, right? What an ingrate, you can just wait for my son to fire you!"
Liam ignored herpletely and walked away.
Mrs. Long stomped her foot angrily. When she turned and saw the smile on Nora¡¯s lips, she suddenly became annoyed. "What are youughing at? He¡¯s going to be fired all because of you! He is being chauvinistic now, so he won¡¯t me you for it yet, but what about in the future? When he thinks of how he once had a great future waiting for him yet it was shattered because of you, do you think he won¡¯t me you for it in the future?"
Nora ignored the lunatic.
She had already notified Cindy to evict Mrs. Long and drive them away.
Nora, who couldn¡¯t be bothered to talk to her, simply walked out the door without even a side-nce.
¡ª
Liam walked down the road, his head down.
Although he hadforted Rene and said that he might not lose his job, he knew very well that Fred had always been very domineering and had been suppressing neers like him in thepany.
Since Mrs. Long hadined the day before, Fred definitely wouldn¡¯t let him off.
There was a 90% probability that he would be fired when he went to work today.
He sighed.
He took out his cell phone and sent his resume to otherpanies, hoping that apany would immediately hire him after he was fired.
Otherwise, Rene would really feel guilty.
He called many of his ex-ssmates, hoping that they could get him a job through referrals. Unfortunately, all his ex-ssmates had only just entered the working society, so none of them were qualified to give referrals.
An ex-ssmate even sent him a message: ¡¯Liam, you went to the bestpany. Why are you changing jobs?¡¯
Liam didn¡¯t know how to answer.
He sighed, put down his phone, and got on the bus.
Even though he had gone from being a rich boy to a life where he had to take a bus whenever he was out, Liam did not feel ufortable at all.
Before he knew it, the bus had arrived.
Liam alighted from the bus and subconsciously nced at his watch¡ªit was 8:55.
Oh no, he was going to bete.
Liam hurriedly ran to thepany, but as he ran, he suddenly realized that he was going there to be fired. Even if he waste, it didn¡¯t really matter, right?
Liam slowed down.
He became downcast and dejected again.
After he reached thepany at thest moment, he sat in his seat. The person next to him suddenly leaned over and whispered, "Hey Liam, did you offend Fred or what? Why did he ask for you with a long face the moment he arrived at work today? Also, I saw him calling HR just now and saying that he wants to fire you!"
Thest ray of hope in Liam¡¯s heart was gone.
He¡¯d originally hoped that Fred wouldn¡¯t act based on his emotions but only now did he realize that he was exactly someone like that.
Liam clenched his fists.
Although he had just graduated, his sry here was very high, enough to support him and Rene. He was also used to being a big spender and everything he ate and drank was the best of the lot.
Thus, he didn¡¯t have much savings. What was he going to do during his job-hunting period after he gets fired?
While he was thinking about this, Liam¡¯s arm was suddenly bumped. He looked up to see Fred standing in front of him.
Liam hurriedly stood up and said, "Mr. Long, about what happenedst night, I..."
"There¡¯s nothing much to say about it." With a big belly, Fred said, "You will receive your letter of dismissal in a while..."
As he said that, an HR staff member walked in with a letter of dismissal.
Chapter 826: Slap In The Face! You Are Fired!
Chapter 826: p In The Face! You Are Fired!
Liam stared nkly at the HR manager walking in, utterly stunned.
He didn¡¯t expect it toe so quickly.
He said in a daze, "How can this be?"
Fred smirked smugly. "I told you, in NTT, a word from me is enough to decide your life and death! Liam, you are simply too insensible. You¡¯ve really disappointed me!"
Liam: "!"
Fred then lowered his head and suddenly said, "By the way, did you send your resume to otherpanies? If so, then I¡¯ll tell you this¡ªin the name of NTT senior management, I will be punishing you for dereliction of duty. With this, let¡¯s see whichpany would dare to hire you!"
If he were to shoulder such a penalty, Liam¡¯s career would be ruined.
It was useless even if he was a Staav University graduate!
Liam¡¯s eyes widened and he clenched his fists tightly.
Seeing how he was obviously livid yet he still had to bear with it, Fred raised his eyebrows, feeling as pleased as punch. He simply loved how fantastic it felt seeing someone dislike him yet unable to do anything to him.
"Pack up your things... Oh, you don¡¯t have much to pack anyway. You guys, watch him, don¡¯t let him take away anything confidential from thepany! You¡¯d best leave obediently, otherwise, I¡¯ll call the security!"
Liam, whose fists were balled up, was shaking all over.
The colleagues around him also found Liam very pitiful.
At this moment, thepany¡¯s HR manager walked up to Fred.
When Fred saw her, he smiled and said, "Lucy, it¡¯s just a small employee being fired, why have youe in person? You could¡¯ve just let your subordinates run the errand and bring the letter of dismissal instead."
In NTT, ordinary HR personnel was enough for the dismissal of low-ranking employees.
Only when someone from the senior management was being dismissed would the HR manager be personally involved.
Thus, Fred felt that Lucy was kinda making a mountain out of a molehill today.
Lucy looked at him and opened her mouth. But before she could speak, Fred looked at Liam. "Lucy, a general manager, has personallye to deliver the letter of dismissal! You¡¯d better just leave obediently! It¡¯s best that you don¡¯t make any trouble or embarrass yourself!"
After saying this, Fred looked at Lucy triumphantly. "Lucy,e on, take out the letter of dismissal! Don¡¯t waste everyone¡¯s time."
Lucy slowly looked at the dismissal letter in her hand, seemingly thinking about what to say. "How should I say this..."
The way she looked as though she was in a dilemma pleased Fred, who said, "Isn¡¯t it just a letter of dismissal? Don¡¯t worry, Lucy, thepany would definitely have their reasons for dismissing an employee! Besides, no matter who it is, would they dare to sue NTT? After all, NTT has the most powerful team ofwyers in the world!"
After he spoke, he looked at Liam. "I should think that no one would dare to make any trouble in NTT, right?"
Every word of his was warning Liam against making a scene!
It was useless even if he did make a scene, NTT would definitely have a legitimate reason for dismissing him. Even if he took them to court, there was no way he would win. This was the darkness of society!
Fred, who was terribly excited, stared at Liam.
Liam took a deep breath. He didn¡¯t want to make a scene, either. He had feelings for NTT. He didn¡¯t want to give himself a bad impression of NTT just because of Fred.
He picked up his bag without taking anything else, stood up, and grabbed the letter of dismissal from the HR manager. He looked down at it... The next moment, when he saw the name on the letter of dismissal, his eyes suddenly widened.
There was even a moment when he felt that he must be seeing things.
He rubbed his eyes.
Fred was still saying, "Liam, although you haven¡¯t been in NTT long, you should still work hard after you go to otherpanies. Don¡¯t make the same mistakes you made in NTT again..."
Liam turned his head in disbelief and looked at Fred.
Fred was still smiling. "What now? You don¡¯t want to leave anymore? It¡¯s no use begging me now... Once the dismissal letter is out, it¡¯s impossible to keep you in thepany anymore..."
The HR manager finally couldn¡¯t bear to watch anymore. She sighed heavily and said, "Sorry, Fred, I¡¯m going to announce thepany¡¯s decision now."
Everyone around them was looking at them, so Fred said, "Oh, yes, of course. This is thepany¡¯s decision, so of course, it has to be announced. Lucy, you can say it! No matter what, I will always support thepany¡¯s decision."
Lucy sighed again and nced at him.
Then, she took the dismissal letter from Liam and stuffed it into Fred¡¯s hand.
Fred said, "... Are you telling me to hand the dismissal letter to Liam myself? So that it will look more formal?"
But as soon as the question came out, Lucy said, "Fred, you¡¯re fired."
Chapter 827: You Offended Someone You Shouldn’t Have!
Chapter 827: You Offended Someone You Shouldn¡¯t Have!
Fred: "?"
Fred frowned, but then immediately smiled. "Lucy, what kind of joke is this?"
After speaking, he lowered his head and looked at the dismissal letter in his hand. "It¡¯s not funny at all."
But as soon as he spoke, he saw that the name on the letter was indeed Fred Long.
Fred was dumbfounded.
He felt that he must have read it wrong. He rubbed his eyes and looked at it again.
For the first time, Fred felt like he couldn¡¯t quite recognize his name anymore.
How did this... How could this happen?!
Fred raised his head sharply and looked at Lucy. "Did you make a mistake? Why would I be fired? Who gave you the guts to fire me?"
Lucy replied, "It¡¯s Jesse."
Jesse happened to be Fred¡¯s direct superior. Fred usually shared a good rtionship with him. One could say that it was precisely because of Jesse that Fred could do whatever he wanted in thepany.
Therefore, he didn¡¯t believe it at all. "That¡¯s impossible! What¡¯s the reason? Why would Jesse fire me?!"
Lucy sighed. "The reason for dismissal is written in the letter."
Fred hurriedly opened the dismissal letter, upon which he saw things he had done recently that vited thepany¡¯s principles listed one after another. Everything was clearly listed.
Fred swallowed. He suddenly looked at Lucy. "Where¡¯s Jesse? I want to see him!"
However, Lucy took a step back. "Jesse doesn¡¯t want to see you, so please leave."
After saying that, she paused and went on. "You said it yourself just now¡ªthepany must have their reasons for dismissing an employee! And no matter who is dismissed, would they dare to sue NTT? NTT has the best team ofwyers in the world!
"So, I should think that no one would dare to make any trouble in NTT, right?"
"I¡¯m already showing you a lot of courtesy by personally handing over the dismissal letter. Don¡¯t embarrass yourself anymore."
"If you don¡¯t leave, I¡¯ll have to call the security. I think you wouldn¡¯t want the security officers to drag you out, right? That would be really unbing."
"Oh, by the way, because you were fired for such major mistakes, we will be dering all of this on your employment record. This may have a certain impact on your job search in the future, but my dear friend, I believe you can ovee this, right?"
"..."
Every sentence she spoke was the same as what Fred had said to Liam just now, which made Fred feel as if someone had just pped him across the cheek. He couldn¡¯t say anything at all.
He looked at Lucy in shock.
Lucy tilted her head and gestured to the outside. "This way, please."
As they say, everyone kicked the man when he was down. Everyone had long been dissatisfied with Fred¡¯s behavior, so the moment she said those things, someone said, "By the way, when Liam was being fired just now, he was asked not to take anything from thepany. Then what about Mr. Long?"
"Of course, he¡¯s not allowed to, either," Lucy replied with a straight face. She then looked at Liam. "Liam, since you¡¯re still working with us, why don¡¯t you be responsible for monitoring Fred? Don¡¯t let him take anything rted to thepany with him when he leaves."
"..."
Liam, who was still dazed and shocked, only recovered after he was spoken to. He hurriedly replied, "Okay!"
After speaking, he looked at Lucy again in shock. "D-does this mean I won¡¯t be fired anymore?"
Lucy nodded. "Yes, the notice to dismiss Fred was issuedst night, so strictly speaking, he had already been dismissed by thepany this morning. Therefore, the orders he issued are invalid."
Liam¡¯s eyes lit up and he suddenly became excited. "Okay!"
He looked straight at Fred. "Mr. Long... Oh, no, wait, I mean Fred, can you please leave thepany at once?"
"..."
Their roles had been instantly reversed. From someone being suppressed, Liam had be the one suppressing others now.
In this instant, Liam felt indescribably fantastic!
He was simply too lucky!
Who would have thought that Fred would make a mistake at this juncture?! Jesse was practically his lifesaver!
"Liam, you¡¯re so lucky!"
"Yeah! You escaped!"
Liam chatted andughed with the others, totally relieved. He didn¡¯t have to leave NTT anymore! He was so happy!
"I¡¯ll treat you guys to dinnerter. Now, I have something important to do."
After saying that, Liam took Fred to thetter¡¯s office.
Fred¡¯s office was separated from the rest. When he entered the office, he was already starting to break down. His eyes were red and swollen.
After entering, he went straight to the phone without hesitation.
Liam hurriedly stepped forward to stop him. "What are you doing?"
"Go away! I¡¯m going to ask Jesse what the hell is going on?"
Fred pushed Liam away. Liam frowned. He wanted to act resolutely and call for the security officers, but the phone call suddenly went through.
Fred shouted, "Jesse, you betrayed me! Why? I just want to know why!"
Liam, who wanted to stop him, paused slightly¡ªhe also wanted to know why.
Just as he thought of this, he heard Jesse reply, "Because you¡¯ve offended someone you shouldn¡¯t have!"
He had offended someone he shouldn¡¯t have?
Who was it?
While Fred was thinking about it, next to him, Liam stopped abruptly. Could it be that...
Chapter 828: I Can Understand
Chapter 828: I Can Understand
Could it be... his neighbor, Ms. Smith?
S-surely not, right...?
Liam shook his head and dismissed the idea. It was impossible.
The previous evening, Ms. Smith had said with certainty that he would be fine...
But if Ms. Smith was that capable, how could she live in an ordinary neighborhood like theirs?
Therefore, it couldn¡¯t be her.
But Ms. Smith¡¯s confident gaze and tone made him uncertain again...
"Who is it? Who did I offend? Jesse, you have to let me know why this is happening to me!" Fred shouted.
On the other end, Jesse fell silent for a moment before he finally said, "I told you, you offended someone you shouldn¡¯t have. That¡¯s all I can tell you. Fred, leave. Don¡¯t make any trouble, otherwise, things will be even worse for you."
With that, Jesse hung up.
Fred wanted to call him again, but security officers came in at this point.
"Fred, please leave thepany..."
"..."
¡ª
Nora reported at Staav University again.
She hade pretending to be an undergraduate exchange student, so she was assigned a solo dormitory room. Of course, Nora had already submitted an application for living outside of the school premises. It had also been approved.
At Staav University, exchange students must have a ssmate partner to guide them in their studies. The counselor had assigned her the best student of their major to guide her.
She was a very tall girl and was a little chubby. Blond and blue-eyed, she wore sses and looked like a pedant very particr about things.
The counselor said, "Oscar, please take care of Lisa for the next three months, okay?"
Oscar nodded. "Yeah, I will take good care of her. I mean, I¡¯ll try my best, but if she can¡¯t keep up with my pace, I won¡¯t slow down my work just for her because I find that a burden. That¡¯s okay, right?"
The counselor nodded. "Of course. Lisa is the best student in the Department of Biology at the New York University School of Medicine. Well, you should be able to show her the difference between Staav University and the NYU School of Medicine, right?"
The New York University School of Medicine¡¯s Department of Biology was not even ranked in the country. They were only able to have an exchange program with an international university like Staav because the New York University School of Medicine¡¯s president had struck a deal with Staav University¡¯s president.
In truth though, all the students in the department looked down on the New York University School of Medicine.
Only upon the counselor¡¯s request did Oscar reluctantly agree to the request. She looked at Nora unwillingly and sized her up. She asked, "No offense, but does your school choose exchange students based on how they look?"
After she said that, afraid that Nora might misunderstand, she shrugged and added, "What I mean is, you¡¯re really pretty."
This girl looked down on the New York University School of Medicine, so she naturally had a sense of superiority.
Nora could understand, though. The universities were ranked in America too. Would MIT, Stanford, or Harvard students think highly of bottom-feeders?
No matter how great the bottom-feeders¡¯ achievements were, star students would always subconsciously have a kind of pride in them.
Oscar didn¡¯t deliberately suppress it; instead, she disyed it straightforwardly and openly. Nora didn¡¯t dislike her.
She smiled and said, "You are also very pretty."
Oscar shook her head. "But beauty can¡¯t rece knowledge. You should know that the courses in our university are rtively extreme and the lecturers here are all impressive people. The lecturer for our ss is a famous figure in the field of biology. His name is Epson, you definitely would¡¯ve heard of him! He is already a top-ss figure in the pharmaceutical profession and the drugs he developed have all be the ceiling of the pharmaceutical industry."
Nora: "..."
Her acquaintances were simply everywhere.
How could she possibly not know Epson?
That guy used to send her e-mails frequently because he wanted to research a clinical drug with her. Because of the difficulty and precision of the study, Epson had sent her e-mails for a whole year!
Of course, she hadn¡¯t agreed even now.
Yet she was going to go for his sses now?
How interesting.
Nora lowered her head and entered the ssroom with Oscar. Oscar had always been a model student, so she wanted to rush straight to the front the moment she entered.
Unfortunately, because the counselor had summoned her over to meet Nora, they came a littlete, so the front row was full.
Staav University students really loved studying.
Oscar looked at Nora resentfully. "It seems that we will have toe earlier next time."
Nora nodded.
She and Oscar could only sit in the corner of thest row.
Even so, many people continued to stream into the ssroom after that, some even stood at the back to listen.
Nora was puzzled. Were there not enough seats in a university as big as Staav?
Just as she was wondering about this, Oscar relieved her doubts. "Everyone loves Professor Epson¡¯s sses, so people from other majors alwayse to listen every time he teaches. Sigh! But they are very self-aware, so they will let us have the seats first."
Nora: "..."
The academic atmosphere here sure was intense!
Even azy person like her found it a bit touching.
Yeah, it seemed that she had really been toozy before and had wasted all her time sleeping. In the future, she must... tell the three children never to learn from her!
The moment she thought of this, Nora yawned.
She had be sleepy again.
Oscar looked at her. "You must be serious in ss. If you space out for even a moment, you won¡¯t be able to keep up with Professor Epson¡¯s train of thought. During his previous lecture, my stomach simply hurt too much, so I went out for five minutes. When I came back, I felt like he was speaking Greek."
"... Aren¡¯t you just exaggerating?"
"No, I¡¯m not." Oscar continued. "The theoretical knowledge of students from the New York University School of Medicine is very weak, so it¡¯s okay even if you don¡¯t understand the lecture. I can lend you my notes after the ss."
"..."
Nora paused for a while. She suddenly asked, "I have a question¡ªhow can I obtain the qualifications to ess a file from the Department of Biology?"
"Are you talking about File No. 004?"
Oscar nced at her again. "You don¡¯t have any chance of that. That file is very precious, only a few in the biology department have ever seen it. There are a few requirements you need to fulfill if you want that ess. The first requirement is that you must understand Epson¡¯s lessons."
She then said, "One must be grounded in their learning. Take it slowly, step by step. Don¡¯t be greedy."
Seeing this, Nora frowned. "What if I can understand Professor Epson¡¯s ss?"
"How can that be?" Oscar obviously found what she said a joke. "Even I can¡¯t fully understand it, so how would you possibly understand?"
As Oscar spoke, Professor Epson came in. As soon as he entered, his eyes swept across the whole ss and suddenly fell on Nora.
Chapter 829: Advanced Archives
Chapter 829: Advanced Archives
Epson was a big and tall white man. He was 30 years old and a little fat. There was a trace of hostility in his eyes.
Nora narrowed her eyes.
Did Epson recognize her?
But they had never met before!
While she was wondering, Epson said, "That girl I¡¯ve never seen before, the one in thest row. Yes, you. Tell me your name."
As Epson¡¯s voice rang out, all the students in the ssroom looked at Nora.
"..."
Although Nora was weirded out, she answered calmly, "Lisa."
"Lisa?" Epson smiled. "You must be the exchange student from the New York University School of Medicine, right?"
Nora nodded. "Yeah."
Epson lowered his gaze. "Oh, I heard that the courses there are quite simple. By the way, you are from the Department of Biology, right? The professor that your school externally hired... No, she¡¯s not an external hire anymore but an internal one. Have you attended Professor Anti¡¯s sses before?"
Nora: "??"
She raised her eyebrows, puzzled. "Anti is the director of the Department of Surgery, she¡¯s not from the Department of Biomedicine, so she has never taught sses there."
"Is that so?"
Epson¡¯s voice was full of displeasure when he talked about Anti. "She sure is as arrogant as ever!"
"..."
Nora understood now.
Epson had once sent her an email every day for more than 300 days, but she had never replied to him. To Epson, she must be overly arrogant.
Epson must have something against Anti!
Nora did not speak.
Epson continued. "I have to say that it is really regretful that she has never taught you."
Nora: "?"
The next moment, he went on. "Therefore, you have no way of evaluating our sses, let alone realize that I am actually much better than her."
"..."
The corners of Nora¡¯s lips spasmed a little. Her eyes narrowed and she couldn¡¯t be bothered to pay attention to him anymore.
She simply lowered her head and opened the textbook.
She had already thoroughly studied and researched biomedicine a long time ago. In order to be Silvester¡¯s student, not only did she have to be skilled in alternative medicine but she also had to have pharmaceutical knowledge. Biomedicine was an important tool in pharmaceuticals.
When a bored Nora flipped the book from beginning to end, she found that she already knew everything in it, so she simply put the book aside and put her head down on the table.
The hardest part of bing a student was that, because she had to go to ss at eight o¡¯clock, she had to get up at seven in the morning every day, wash up, and then drive over...
She was simply too sleepy!
Oscar, who was sitting next to her, stared at Epson nervously, wishing she could record everything he said so that she could go back and study it carefully.
The girl, who was listening to the ss earnestly, turned her head abruptly. When she saw Nora sleeping on the table, she frowned a little and then sighed.
The two periods were over very soon. In the blink of an eye, it was ten o¡¯clock.
As they were juniors, they didn¡¯t have that many sses, so there were no more sses for the rest of the day.
Theughter of her ssmates around her made Nora slowly wake up. She raised her head with a groggy look in her eyes. Because she had been sleeping on the table, there was a mark on her cheek.
"Hahaha! This girl is so cute!"
"But she actually had the guts to sleep in Professor Epson¡¯s ss. What a pity, what Professor Epson talked about in this ss was simply amazing!"
"Actually, you can¡¯t really me her for that. Without a foundation, she won¡¯t be able to understand anything..."
"..."
Nora didn¡¯t care about what they said at all. She merely stretched and looked at Oscar. "There aren¡¯t any more sses today, so see you tomorrow?"
After speaking, she picked up her bag to leave.
Oscar was stunned. "Where are you going?"
Nora replied hesitantly, "Home, of course!"
Oscar held her forehead. "How can you go home? There¡¯s a cellr and molecr biology exam tomorrow! Oh my god, I forgot that you probably don¡¯t have a timetable yet."
Oscar then said, "We are already at the end of the term, so exams are just around the corner. Although you are an exchange student, you happened to be in time for it. I really don¡¯t know what your school is thinking, sending an exchange student here at this time. Why didn¡¯t they send you here at the start of the new semester instead?"
It was because she couldn¡¯t afford to wait for the new semester, of course.
But Nora wasn¡¯t going to exin that to Oscar, so she just nodded and said, "Okay, I see."
Only then did Oscar speak. "Then let¡¯s go to the library to study together! I can teach you some basics. Althoughst-minute cramming may be useless, we should still try, right?"
"... No, it¡¯s fine. I have something on, so I¡¯ll leave first."
Without giving Oscar another chance to speak, she walked out with her backpack.
File No. 004 wasn¡¯t even in the library, so why would she still waste time going there?
The ce she wanted to go to now was Staav University¡¯s Advanced Archives.
Nora strolled around the school. After asking around, she came to the building where the archives were located.
She looked left and right. When she saw that no one was paying attention to her, she went straight upstairs.
The Advanced Archives was Staav University¡¯s secret base. All the archives in the room were ssified SSS-level and held top priority in the school.
A special ID card was required to enter no matter who it was.
Thud!
Nora identally bumped into someoneing out of the room.
The man immediately looked at her with a frown and said, "Sorry."
Then, seemingly in a hurry, he ran away in a panic.
After he had gone far away, Nora looked at the ground.
In the end, what she wanted hade to her so effortlessly.
Just like that, an ess card for the advanced archivesy quietly on the ground¡ªit had slipped out of the pocket of the man just now.
With the opportunity right in front of her, needless to say, Nora wasn¡¯t going to let it slip by.
She bent over and picked up the card. When she looked around and saw that no one was around, she swiped it on the lock at the door right away.
Beep.
The metal door opened. Nora narrowed her eyes and entered right away!
Chapter 830: She Had Never Intended To Hide Her Strength
Chapter 830: She Had Never Intended To Hide Her Strength
The advanced archives had a fully metallic interior design.
Although they called it an archive room, it was actually more like arge safe. Nora looked at the room full of technology. The room was more than 5,000 square feet and there were many shelves on the walls. There were small boxes on all the shelves.
Each box was marked with abel.
Nora looked over. From the outside all the way to the inside, there were hundreds¡ªalmost a thousand¡ªof them.
In the middle was a long table with only paper and pens on it. It was very neat and clean.
The files in the advanced archives were all highly important confidential material that mustn¡¯t be leaked. For confidentiality¡¯s sake, they had never been digitized, so as to prevent hacking attempts from hackers like Q and Y.
The files here were never loaned out either. One had to read all the files they wanted to check out in the room itself.
Therefore, there were elites from various industries seated at the long table at the moment. Most of them were postgraduate students working on projects with their mentors.
Some lecturers also had toe over to refer to the materials.
Only one or two undergraduates were eligible to ess the room.
Nora didn¡¯t make much noise when she entered but she was startled when she saw the room full of people.
She certainly hadn¡¯t expected it to be so lively in here.
After she entered, a student on duty asked, "Who are you? How did you get in?"
Nora pondered for a moment.
The student on duty seemed to have a very wary look in his eyes. There were only so many people who coulde in here to study and refer to the materials, so he would definitely know who had ess and who didn¡¯t.
Therefore, she probably wouldn¡¯t be able to pretend that she hade in to read the books here.
Thus, Nora simply replied, "I came the wrong way."
After speaking, she wanted to leave.
However, she was stopped by the student. "Miss, you can¡¯t go. You must exin clearly why you¡¯re here, otherwise, we have grounds to suspect that you are here to steal important data from the school."
The advanced archives were Staav University¡¯s crucial capital that had allowed it to establish its position and be ranked third among all the universities in the world. Thus, the security here would undoubtedly be very strict.
Nora looked down at the card in her hand.
She was about to exin that she had found a card and came in without knowing what this ce was when a low and deep voice suddenly reached them.
"How did you find this ce?"
When Nora turned, she immediately saw Kelvin¡¯s heavily made-up face.
He had eyeshadow on and his eyeliner was drawn long, which made him look even more bewitching than usual. Hisplexion was very fair from all the makeup but the thick foundation was surprisingly not cakey.
After not seeing him for two days, the fellow¡¯s skin condition seemed to have improved.
Nora didn¡¯t understand why a thought like that would pop up in her mind at a critical moment like this. The next moment, though, Kelvin looked at the student on duty and said with a sense of resignation, "She¡¯s my fan."
The student sighed at once. "I knew it! Kelvin, we agreed to let you shoot here, but only for half an hour; and you are also not allowed to touch any of our stuff here. But your fans are even breaking in now..."
Kelvin was very tall. He leaned against the wallzily and said, "Sorry, since she¡¯s my fan, I¡¯ll deal with her myself."
After speaking, he walked straight toward the door. He grabbed her wrist as he passed by Nora.
Nora was dumbfounded.
She stared nkly at the hand holding her wrist.
His hand... The warmth of his palm was very simr to Justin¡¯s yet at the same time, it was also different¡ªbecause there was a burn scar on the back of his hand.
Kelvin had indeed scalded himself. The incident took ce just a week before Justin had faked his death. Therefore, he was not Justin...
After leaving the archives, Nora came back to her senses and shook off Kelvin¡¯s hand. She asked, "Why did you help me?"
When "Kelvin" heard this, the look in his eyes turned a little deeper.
Damn it, those eyes were looking a little like Justin¡¯s again!
Nora frowned. The next moment, she heard him chuckle and say, "Didn¡¯t I already tell you? Some men like ying with their... sister-inw..."
When the man spoke, he bent over slightly and leaned close to her ear.
His breath when he spoke tickled her neck. "What do you think, Nora? Won¡¯t you consider me?"
Nora took a step back and avoided his seduction. Then, she immediately bent her knee to hit him in the crotch. Shocked, Kelvin quickly jumped back a step. Only then did he manage to avoid the woman¡¯s attack.
With a sharp look in her eyes, Nora said sloppily but murderously, "Keep a distance of three feet from me from now on. Otherwise, don¡¯t hold it against me if my arms or legs itch for some action!"
After saying that, she turned and left.
After the woman disappeared into the distance, Kelvin touched his head.
His Nora was still as straightforward and explosive as always! Wasn¡¯t she a little too harsh? He had almost been kneed...
¡ª
Nora went home. Nothing special happened that night except Liaming over to give them a cake in the evening.
"Rene made it, I hope you guys like it. By the way, I managed to keep my job. Mrs. Long¡¯s son has been fired. Thendlord also approached Mrs. Long today and informed her that she was going to evict them. Mrs. Long has been ranting and swearing all afternoon but thendlord is very powerful and isn¡¯t someone she can afford to offend, so she has agreed to move out in three days."
Liam looked at Nora tentatively as he spoke.
He wanted to know if she was the person whom Fred had offended but shouldn¡¯t have.
But the woman¡¯s expression was so calm and peaceful that he couldn¡¯t tell anything from it...
Liam could only return disappointed.
Nora didn¡¯t care about such things, though. All she wanted at the moment was a good night¡¯s sleep.
The next day was the cellr and molecr biology examination.
As soon as Nora entered, Oscar frowned and looked at her, her expression as though she had expected better from Nora. She handed her book to Nora and said, "The exam is starting soon, you¡¯d better take a quick look! Otherwise, you won¡¯t pass!"
Nora: "..."
Before she could even decline, the person next to her said, "It¡¯s useless even if she looks at it now."
"Yeah, there¡¯s no way she¡¯ll do well in the exam. All the exchange students thate here every year from the NYU School of Medicine¡¯s Department of Biology are really lousy."
"The NYU School of Medicine is too lousy. Even though they are a top medical university in the US, they are still far behind in biomedical engineering."
"Yeah, I think so too."
"..."
The group of people expressed their concern for her.
Oscar was also anxious. The girl sat next to Nora and said, "Can you please take a look? If you get an E, it¡¯ll embarrass us too!"
Unlike most universities, the grading system here ranged from A to E where:
A represented ¡¯Excellent.¡¯
B represented ¡¯Good.¡¯
C represented a pass.
D represented a fail.
And E represented extremely unsatisfactory performance.
When Nora heard this, she raised her eyebrows and pushed the book back to Oscar. Right after, she curled her lips into a smile and said, "Nah, that¡¯s not gonna happen."
Oscar was stunned. "What? Are you saying you won¡¯t read it or..."
Before she could finish, Nora said, "What I mean is, the NYU School of Medicine won¡¯t score badly."
After all, she had never intended to hide her strength!
Since only ¡¯Excellent¡¯ people could openly go to the archives to read the material there, she would be an ¡¯Excellent¡¯ person!!
Chapter 831: Exam!
Chapter 831: Exam!
But when Oscar heard what Nora said, she thought she was just trying to push herself beyond her abilities.
Oscar hurriedly exined, "It¡¯s not that we look down on the NYU School of Medicine, but for so many years, all the exchange students thate from your school really takest ce all the time. They have never produced any respectable grades..."
This was also the reason why no one in the Department of Biomedicine wanted to be an exchange student.
The New York University School of Medicine¡¯s Department of Biomedicine was not ranked in the country nor was the university the best specialist institution in the country. Their best courses were in surgery, medicine, and other specializations to do with medical skills. They were rtively weak in pharmaceuticals.
On the other hand, Staav University was the best school in the world when it came to biomedical engineering. This was also the most difficult course to get into at Staav University every year.
There was undoubtedly a gap between the two.
Although no one knew why the two schools had an exchange program each year, it was indeed a form of torture to have the biomedicine majors study here.
Oscar thought that the students¡¯ments had hurt Nora¡¯s self-esteem, so sheforted her and said, "Your grade in the exam is what matters the most; nothing else matters. Lisa, you really disappoint me. It¡¯s not bad for one to be poor; what¡¯s worse is when one is poor and still tries to defend their hollow pride. If I were you, I would try my best to absorb knowledge and use my best grades to shut them up instead of giving up on myself like what you¡¯re doing!"
After Oscar finished speaking, she took back her book. "Lisa, do you know why the counselor asked me to guide you? It¡¯s not because my grades are the best; rather, it¡¯s because I¡¯m the most hard-working. The counselor does treat you well. We are all her students, so she doesn¡¯t look down on you. On the contrary, you¡¯re trying to prove yourself everywhere and maintain your pitiful self-esteem. You¡¯re a really sad person."
After saying that, Oscar didn¡¯t look at her anymore.
She had her own form of arrogance too. Although she found Lisa¡¯s standard in the specialized course poor, she was still willing to help her. Oscar never looked down on students who were poor in learning. She only looked down on students who were obviously poor in learning yet still refused to work hard.
Nora wanted to exin, but the lecturer had already entered.
"Let¡¯s start the exam."
Nora could only shut up.
The exammenced.
Oscar took her exams even more seriously than studying. Only through exams were her efforts reflected each time. She liked the feeling of taking first ce.
The exam questions were not difficult for Oscar, so after she finished the multiple-choice questions at the front, she subconsciously nced at Nora only to see that she had already turned a page.
Oscar frowned.
Did she not know how to do any of them? So she just randomly picked a few options?
Oscar shook her head.
Was she such a sensitive person?
She lowered her head and continued with the paper.
There was a question in the middle that stumped Oscar a little.
She frowned as she contemted the question wanting to deduce what the answer was. She had two ideas in mind but she didn¡¯t know which one was correct. After thinking about it for a long time, she finally chose one and wrote it down.
Right after she wrote down the answer to the question, she heard footsteps.
Oscar raised her head abruptly to see Nora getting up and submitting her papers.
Oscar: "?"
Her expression turned even more awful and her contempt for Nora grew even stronger.
She liked people who worked hard and disliked people who gave up easily even more.
She still had two pages left toplete but that woman had already submitted her papers. She must havepletely given up on the exam, right?!
Not only was she poor at her studies but she didn¡¯t even work hard and relied only on guesswork for her exams. On top of that, she even submitted her papers ahead of time. Even her attitude towards her studies wasn¡¯t respectable anymore. She hadpletely given up on herself!
An expression as though she had expected better from Nora came over Oscar¡¯s countenance.
She took a deep breath and continued with the exam.
After the exam, when she left the ssroom, she happened to see the counselor waiting for her outside. At the sight of her, the counselor asked, "Oscar, where¡¯s Lisa?"
A displeased Oscar replied, "She handed in her papers ahead of time, she already left!"
The counselor looked at her. "Did you guys look down on her? Oscar, This is an academic institution. We mustn¡¯t look down on anyone here, okay?"
Oscar said with dissatisfaction, "I didn¡¯t look down on her. I just look down on people who are poor at their studies."
After speaking, she requested, "Can I stop being her guide? We don¡¯t get along and we¡¯ll never be able to work together."
The counselor frowned. "Oh, have you given up on Lisa, dear? You are the best student in the ss. If even you give up on her, then what is she going to do?"
Oscar¡¯s heart softened but after thinking about it carefully, she nheless hardened her heart and said, "Ma¡¯am, I didn¡¯t give up on her, she¡¯s the one who gave up on herself. I¡¯m not going to study with such an unmotivated person."
The counselor immediately said, "What must she do for you to help her? Oscar, I believe you can still give it a try."
Oscar shook her head. "That¡¯s impossible, I¡¯m not interested in her anymore. Besides, I want to take the postgraduate entrance exam. Ma¡¯am, you know me. If you want me to guide her... well, unless she does better than me in the exam."
The counselor immediately hung her head. "You know that¡¯s impossible. You are the top student among the juniors and always score the best in exams."
Oscar shook her head and walked off with her school bag in her arms. "So, there¡¯s no way I¡¯ll ever do that again. I¡¯m going to the library to read, please don¡¯t take up my time anymore."
Oscar left, leaving only the counselor standing there as she sighed.
What was Lisa supposed to do if Oscar refused to guide her anymore?
What a headache.
After thinking about it, the counselor decided to go to the cellr and molecr bioscience professor¡¯s office. She asked, "Professor, how did Lisa do in the exam?"
The professor waved dismissively and said, "They¡¯ve only just finished the exam, so I haven¡¯t looked at the papers yet."
The counselor asked, "Can you take out Lisa¡¯s test paper and take a look first?"
The counselor only hoped that Lisa wouldn¡¯t score too badly in the exam. If Nora could get a C, then she could try talking to Oscar again!
Chapter 832: How Did She Do In The Exam?
Chapter 832: How Did She Do In The Exam?
When Professor Wilson heard the counselor, he couldn¡¯t help but shrug. "The papers have only just been collected. They haven¡¯t been given to me yet, so..."
He couldn¡¯t see Nora¡¯s test paper, either.
The counselor sighed. "Never mind then!"
Professor Wilson asked curiously, "Are her grades very good? I happen to need two undergraduates as assistants in myb. If her grades are excellent, then I can consider her for the position..."
"Oh, no." The counselor exined, "She¡¯s an exchange student from America. Oscar doesn¡¯t want to guide her anymore, so I was thinking that if she could at least score a C, then I can try talking to Oscar about it again."
Upon hearing this, Professor Wilson waved and said, "Oh, an exchange student from America? The students from that school are terrible, so I doubt she can score a C. Even in her best condition, the highest she can score is probably just a D. I¡¯ll go a little easy on her!"
The counselor nodded.
She thought for a while and suddenly said, "Professor, you said just now that yourb needs assistants from the undergraduates, right? You¡¯ll definitely want Oscar, so why don¡¯t you take Lisa too? As an exchange student, everyone looks down on her. If you let her help out at theb, maybe she¡¯ll be motivated to do better!"
Professor Wilson thought for a while and shook his head. "I only want Oscar. My experiment requires the assistants to go to the archives to refer to the materials there, so I didn¡¯t even pick that many postgraduate students. It is impossible for me to ept someone who doesn¡¯t know anything into the team."
The counselor frowned and said, "But our school treats the exchange students so coldly every year, which reflects really badly on us. This year, the school has ordered me to treat Lisa well. Besides, Lisa is so pretty, she¡¯s the prettiest among all the exchange students I have seen. She has an indescribable mysterious feeling about her..."
Before she could finish, Professor Wilson interrupted her. "I see, you want me to ept her so that it looks like our course values the exchange students, right? But there are many professors conducting experiments, it doesn¡¯t necessarily have to be me. I can rmend someone."
The counselor blinked. "You mean...?"
"The university¡¯s deserter, of course. Didn¡¯t that guye back this year? The one who takes a sry from the school every month but doesn¡¯t do his job? I heard that he ns to set up an experimentb! Can¡¯t you just shove Lisa into hisb?"
The counselor understood at once. "You¡¯re referring to Professor Myers? But Professor Myers was the best professor of microbiology in the past. Will he ept an exchange student?"
Wilson smiled. "Wayne Myers is also from America, so who knows? You can try asking him. Besides, you said it yourself¡ªthat was all in the past. Do you think he is still the best when more than twenty years have already passed? I heard that hisb hasn¡¯t gotten any investors so far and neither have any students applied to be under him."
When Wayne disappeared more than twenty years ago, everyone had said that he left to go into business. This was because he had kept asking people from the university¡¯s School of Economics and Business Management business-rted questions.
It was said that hispany didn¡¯t do very well, so he had returned to campus.
Many looked down on him upon his return. Everyone privately mocked him for living in the past and thinking that he was still the best microbiology professor, which had made him set extremely strict standards for students applying to join his projects.
As a result, he still hadn¡¯t established a team for his project. Additionally, no one was investing in his project.
The counselor found Wilson¡¯s suggestion perfunctory but when she thought about how Oscar had rejected Lisa, she was afraid that even Lisa would give up on herself if she didn¡¯t arrange for Lisa to be assigned to ab.
She could only say, "I¡¯ll try talking to him!"
For Lisa, she had to bite the bullet and give it a go.
After saying this, she turned and saw a cranky figure at the door.
Wayne stared at Wilson.
The two could be said to be old friends. Wilson hadpeted with him back then but he didn¡¯t expect him to have be so despicable.
Didn¡¯t he just take care of Idealian Pharmaceuticals for Ms. Yvette for a few years? Yet they were now taking him for a nobody?
They were too much!
Wayne was a chatterbox from the start and was incredibly naggy. He was so furious that he started ranting.
"Wilson, you piece of garbage, how dare you look down on me like that? You couldn¡¯t catch up with me back then, no matter how hard you tried. I was in first ce while you were the perennial second. Yet now you¡¯re shoving a student you don¡¯t want to me? Do you think I will take them? You... #£¤%@..."
Wayne ranted at him for a whole ten minutes without any pause in between, causing both Wilson and the counselor to be dumbfounded.
When Wayne finally stopped, the counselor hurriedly said, "Professor Myers, that¡¯s not the case. Lisa is a good student..."
Before she could finish, Wayne retorted furiously, "Do you think there is something wrong with my brain? Would I ept someone Wilson doesn¡¯t want? I¡¯m not stupid! I... #£¤@%..."
He scolded Wilson for ten minutes without any pause, again.
"..."
After he was done, he became thirsty, so he picked up a ss and poured himself a ss of water.
Wilson nced at the counselor and suddenly said, "Since Myers doesn¡¯t want her either, then let¡¯s just forget it. American students are poor in their studies anyway, so neither of us would want them in ourbs, isn¡¯t that right, Myers?"
His provocation angered Wayne instantly. "F*ck you! Who are you looking down on? I¡¯m an American myself! American students are not poor in their studies at all!"
Wilson waved and said, "The facts are right in front of you. I don¡¯t want that American student and neither do you. If American students are really that excellent, then why wouldn¡¯t you want them?"
Wayne, who had been checkmated, was a little at a loss for words. "Just like the ones here, there are good and bad students in America. How can you lump them all together?"
Wilson said, "But Lisa is already the best student there, yet neither you nor I want her, so... I can only say that American students are simply too lousy in biomedical engineering."
When Wayne became the best microbiology professor back then, he had made his country proud.
There might not be any borders in science but there were among scientists!
Now that Wilson was driving him into a corner like this, would he be able to bear it?
He immediately said, "Who says I don¡¯t want her? I want her! I just don¡¯t want your rejects, that¡¯s all. Ha, but if you let me pick from all the students in the ss, I would definitely pick her. What¡¯s her name again..."
The counselor hurriedly replied, "Lisa."
Wayne nodded. "Yes, Lisa! She is the most pleasing to the eye among all the students in the ss. I¡¯ll take her! Students from America are not inferior in any way at all!"
Wilson smiled. "Myers, you have to think through this. That student¡¯s grades are very poor, you know..."
"Ha, just because she has poor grades doesn¡¯t mean that she¡¯s not talented! Maybe she¡¯s just not good at exams. Wilson, you are being biased by evaluating a student like that! Besides, they¡¯ve only just finished the exam, so their grades aren¡¯t even out yet! How are you so sure that her grades are bad?"
Wayne was puffing himself up at his own cost right now!
No matter what, he had to ept Lisa into hisb team today. He mustn¡¯t let anyone think that American students were totally unwanted here!
At the very worst, he¡¯d just let her mooch off the team.
While he was thinking about it, the test papers from the exam were delivered to the office.
Wilson¡¯s eyes lit up. "The test papers are here. Let¡¯s find Lisa¡¯s and take a look? Didn¡¯t you want to know whether Lisa would get a D or an E just now?"
The counselor: "..."
She didn¡¯t want to know anymore!
When the counselor proposed to let Lisa join ab project, she had really only done it for the student¡¯s interests and only wanted to boost her confidence. She didn¡¯t expect it to turn into an excuse for Wilson and Wayne to fight.
She was extremely grateful to Wayne for epting the student, so she didn¡¯t want to embarrass him.
But just as she was about to speak, Wilson had already found Lisa¡¯s paper from among the stack of test papers. He smiled and said, "Come on, let¡¯s see just how ¡¯excellent¡¯ this student from America is."
He sounded mocking when he said ¡¯excellent¡¯.
After speaking, he even looked at Wayne and said, "Come on, Myers, let¡¯s take a look together."
Chapter 833: Face-Slapped By The Grades!
Chapter 833: Face-pped By The Grades!
Wayne¡¯s gaze fell on the test paper and he immediately said, "I have something on, so I¡¯ll have to go now."
Then, he turned and started walking to the door.
Wilson called out to him and said with a smile, "Hey Myers, what¡¯s the matter? Are you worried that your heart won¡¯t be able to handle her exam results? Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m really good at CPR..."
Intense sarcasm oozed from the big and tall man.
Wayne stood at the door with his back to him. Suddenly, he turned his head to the back and said, "Wilson, you are still as superficial as you were back then. A student¡¯s quality should never be judged by their exam scores¡ªthis is our school¡¯s motto, isn¡¯t it?"
Wilson¡¯s expression changed at once but he nevertheless sneered and said, "Then what are you afraid of?"
Wayne coughed and said, "What am I afraid of? I¡¯ve never been afraid of anything, I¡¯m just really busy. I have an appointment with a potential investor. That¡¯s the most important thing at the moment, isn¡¯t it?"
After saying that, he ran away.
In some academic aspects, the New York University School of Medicine students were indeed rather weak. If Lisa were an exchange student from Stanford University or Harvard University, it might not have been this bad.
But since he already knew what the oue would be like, why stay and be humiliated?
Wayne knew all this very clearly, that was why he had run away at once.
Wilson: "..."
The counselor: "..."
An infuriated Wilson broke into a huge rant. "That guy is still as shameless as ever! He always says certain things in a highfalutin manner to highlight how noble he is, when in fact, he is a despicable and shameless viin! Ha, so he¡¯s refusing to look at the grades? Then all the more I¡¯m going to look at Lisa¡¯s grades! After I mark her papers, please send them to Myers¡¯ office! He should at least be aware of his student¡¯s level of mastery in the basics, right?"
After saying that, a vicious Wilson lowered his head and looked at the neat and clean test paper.
The answer to the first question was option C. On the paper, Lisa had picked option C. The answers were to be shaded on the answer sheet.
Wilson curled his lips disdainfully.
Well, the first question was really easy. It wasn¡¯t surprising that she would get it right.
If she got even the first question wrong, then she would have had no hope for the rest of the exam.
He then looked at the second question, the answer was option B. She had gotten it right again.
Well, this was normal too.
Next came the third question... the sixth... and the twentieth question! She had gotten all the multiple-choice questions right!
Wilson involuntarily straightened his back.
He quickly looked at the fill-in-the-nk questions, which all turned out to be correct again?
He turned the page and looked at it...
As this was the final exam for the semester, the questions were all very difficult. Wilson had been worried that even Oscar wouldn¡¯t be able to get them all correct, but from start to finish, Lisa had gotten all the questions right!
In particr, the optional bonus question... Its difficulty level was very high and was a topic that could only be studied at the postgraduate level.
But!
She had gotten that right too!
As Wilson went through the paper, he swallowed and looked up at the counselor nkly.
When the counselor caught a glimpse of his expression, she immediately became nervous. "Professor Wilson, is it very bad? Did she get a D?"
D?
Wilson smiled wryly and replied, "You really don¡¯t know your student at all."
The counselor misunderstood even further. She was so anxious that she was about to cry. "Surely it can¡¯t be an E, right?"
If someone got an E for the exam, she would also be held responsible for it.
The counselor wanted the whole ss to perform well. No one was to be left behind.
The counselor hurriedly said, "Professor Wilson, this student only transferred in at the end of the semester, so it is normal for her to be unable to keep up. Can you not give her an E? Can we let her take a make-up exam after giving her some time to study?"
"... No, she... got an A! A+!"
The counselor: "?"
She was stunned. "What?"
Wilson tossed her test paper aside. "Wait a minute, maybe... maybe there¡¯s something wrong with my test paper? Maybe it¡¯s too easy?"
He felt that he might have miscalcted the difficulty of the paper, so he took out Oscar¡¯s test paper and started to evaluate it.
Oscar got a multiple-choice question and a fill-in-the-nk question wrong. In addition, she didn¡¯t correctly answer the bonus question...
Wilson: "..."
He went limp and leaned back on the chair.
He raised his head nkly and said, "If I say that I want Lisa now, do you think Myers will give her to me?"
Of course not.
Wayne was not to be trifled with.
The counselor and Wilson looked at each other.
Wilson sneered and said, "Hmph, what¡¯s the use of doing well in one test? No matter how much of a star student she is, she is still just an undergraduate. Undergraduates can only be assistants in theb. She won¡¯t be of any help to our core experiments at all."
¡ª
Nora waspletely unaware that something like that had taken ce in the school, let alone the fact that she was about to bump into Wayne again after she came to Switzend.
After she handed in her test paper, she wandered around the school trying to find a way to enter the archives.
But in the end, she identally spotted Kelvin and his crew filming in the distance again.
Nora: "..."
Staav University covered an area of ??5,000 hectares. It stood to reason that it wouldn¡¯t be easy for anyone to run into each other in such arge ce. This sure was a small world.
The corners of Nora¡¯s lips spasmed a little and she turned to leave. But the moment she turned, she identally bumped into someone.
"Sorry."
The tall man immediately said. Then, when he looked at her, he eximed, "Hey, it¡¯s you! What a coincidence, we¡¯ve met again!"
Nora looked at the man in front of her. He had a strong and muscr frame and well-defined facial features, he gave off a very bright and cheerful feeling.
Seeing the nk look on her face, the manughed and said, "Jack, I¡¯m Jack. I almost hit you when I was ying basketball the other day but you managed to block it..."
Nora, who finally recalled the incident, asked, "Do you need something?"
Jack grinned and asked, "Do you have a boyfriend?"
Nora: "??"
In the distance, Kelvin, who was filming, had already spotted Nora at a nce when she was walking over. The man had to do a lot of work for his filming today¡ªafter all, "Kelvin" had been cking off thest few days.
Therefore, he didn¡¯t have any ns to look for his sister-inw at all. However, he didn¡¯t expect a boy to stop her and ask such a question.
Kelvin smirked.
Ha.
Was he trying to court his sister-inw? He sure thought really highly of himself.
Just as he was thinking about it, he heard Nora reply, "I used to have one but not anymore."
Kelvin: "???"
Jack was surprised. "Did you guys break up?"
Nora shook his head. "No, he¡¯s dead."
Kelvin: "!!!!"
Jack became even more astonished but he quickly recovered and said, "Well, that¡¯s a shame. Can I pursue you?"
Chapter 834: There’s Something Wrong With Him
Chapter 834: There¡¯s Something Wrong With Him
In universities, students fell in love quickly and were also very straightforward about it.
Nora was surprisingly very calm about his confession. After all, over the years, she had received a lot of confessions. This was true due to her good-looking facial features even when she was fat.
Just as she was about to reject him, a man¡¯s voice came from behind her. She turned around to see that Kelvin, who was filming, hade behind her at some point. The man asked sarcastically, "Are Cherry, Pete, and Xander doing well?"
Nora: "?"
Was the man especially keeping a watch on her? Didn¡¯t he have work to do?!
Was the crew this nonchnt that he could just stop filming whenever he wanted to?
The corners of Nora¡¯s lips spasmed.
Jack was a little surprised. "Who are Cherry, Pete, and Xander?"
Kelvin raised his eyebrows, looked at Nora, and grinned. He was cold and standoffish to others, but when facing Nora, this younger cousin of Justin¡¯s was just like a little devil.
There wasn¡¯t the familiar feeling she had felt when she talked to him the other time, though.
Nora was already nning to say that she had three lovely children, but Kelvin had interrupted her. Now that Jack was also asking, she replied, "They are my adorable children."
Jack: "?"
Stunned, Jack looked at Nora incredulously. "Oh my god, you really have three children? Are you even legal yet? You look sixteen at best!"
When Kelvin heard him, he snickered and muttered, "Tsk, this man sure is smooth. Which part of you looks like you¡¯re sixteen when you are already so old?"
Nora: "..."
A puzzled Jack asked, "What did you say? I didn¡¯t catch that."
Nora replied, "He said you say some really nice things."
"Really?" Jack was a little embarrassed. "That¡¯s apliment, right? I¡¯ve always been like this."
"..."
Nora kept quiet.
Jack looked at Nora again and said, "Your children must be really cute. If there¡¯s time, I would like to meet them. So... Can I pursue you?"
Kelvin frowned.
She already had three children yet he still wanted to pursue her?
Nora also raised her eyebrows, though, she rejected him again, "No, you don¡¯t have to. I have no ns to date anyone for the time being."
Upon hearing this, Kelvin breathed a sigh of relief. At least that woman knows what¡¯s good for her!
"Aw, alright." Jack looked a little down, but he quickly looked at her again. "I¡¯ve asked around. You¡¯re an exchange student who just came to our school, right? How about I show you around the campus?"
His suggestion piqued Nora¡¯s interest.
Her eyes narrowed a little.
It was said that there were many mysterious corners in universities that only boys knew about. Perhaps there might be things that Jack found different or extraordinary about the school?
Thus, Nora nodded happily and said, "Sure."
She followed behind Jack and was about to leave.
Kelvin was dumbfounded.
He grabbed Nora¡¯s arm and said angrily, "How can you go with him? He obviously has designs on you. In a situation like this, shouldn¡¯t you keep your distance from him for Justin¡¯s sake?"
Nora¡¯s brows drew together. She didn¡¯t understand why Kelvin had suddenly be so impetuous.
However, Kelvin was now giving her the same feeling she had gotten from him the first time they had met. As expected, the bit of familiar feeling she had gotten from him, which had reminded her of Justin, was all just an illusion.
She grabbed Kelvin¡¯s hand and made him release her with just a bit of force. Nora then said, "Don¡¯t you get along poorly with Justin? Shouldn¡¯t you be very happy to see this?"
Kelvin: "!!"
After saying that, Nora walked over to Jack. "Let¡¯s go."
Kelvin practically flipped out after the two walked away. At the side, the director and his assistant came over and said, "Hey Kelvin, it¡¯s time to shoot!"
Kelvin snapped, "Shoot? Go away!"
The assistant was distressed.
For some reason, it was as if Kelvin had be apletely different person thest two days. Although his acting skills were not bad, they didn¡¯t quite fit the role. After being off-form for two days, his condition had finally recovered today, so the director was nning to shoot a little more to make up for the poor performance the past two days. What was Kelvin¡¯s problem this time?
His problem?
Kelvin was in a huge panic.
His sister-inw was about to be stolen by someone else! How would he possibly be in the mood to shoot?!
Justin was the one here thest two days. By right, he was supposed to be making up for the scenes he shot today...
He picked up his cell phone, walked to the side, and dialed a number. No name was disyed on the screen. As soon as the other side answered, he whispered, "Justin, you¡¯ve been cuckolded!"
"..."
The deep male voice paused for a moment before he finally asked, "What¡¯s going on?"
Kelvin repeated parts of the conversation between Nora and Jack. Then, he became indignant and said, "She clearly knows that Jack has designs on her, yet she still went to tour the campus with him. That means she¡¯s neither rejecting nor epting him, that¡¯s total scumbag behavior! It¡¯s fortunate that you¡¯ve already separated from her, Justin. You should have a good look at her true colors while the two of you are not married yet!"
"..."
The man opposite fell silent for a while before he finally asked, "Did she really go off to tour the campus with Jack?"
"Yes!"
Kelvin was furious. He was about to rant a little more when the other man said, "Something is wrong with Jack. Keep an eye on him."
Kelvin was taken aback for a moment. Then, he became dumbfounded. "Of course there¡¯s something wrong with him, he has already started to pursue Nora... No, wait, you mean..."
Justin¡¯s low and deep voice slowly reached him. "Nora must have discovered something. That¡¯s why she left with him."
"..."
An indescribable expression came over Kelvin¡¯s face. "Why are you still finding excuses for her? Justin, howe I never realized that you¡¯re someone who can¡¯t think straight once you fall in love?"
"Get lost."
The other man paused for a while before he added, "Don¡¯t get in her way."
"..."
Was he telling him not to get in the way of her dating other guys?
As expected, Justin was hopeless!
Kelvin took a deep breath and became even more displeased with Nora.
¡ª
On the other side, Nora walked around the campus casually with Jack, who then asked for her contact information. After the two exchanged numbers, Jack left.
Nora narrowed her eyes as she stared at him from the back.
While she was musing, a voice reached her.
"Lisa?"
Nora turned and saw Oscar approaching. The woman, who was holding a book, followed her gaze and also looked at Jack¡¯s retreating back. She said with dissatisfaction, "You are here to study, not to fall in love! How can you..."
She¡¯d only just said that when the counselor spotted them and came over excitedly. "Oscar, Lisa, you are both here! Nice timing, because I have news for you girls. Professor Wilson has already marked Lisa¡¯s papers, her grades are out!"
Oscar immediately said, "Hurry up and tell us, so that knows where she stands!"
Chapter 835: A+?!
Chapter 835: A+?!
Oscar was a very conservative girl.
From what she knew, being able to enter Staav University to study was what many people dreamed of. She was not here to date but to learn.
She did not even have enough time to study usually, so how could she date?
Therefore, she despised university students dating.
Especially Lisa.
She was from New York and her results were bad, to begin with. As an exchange student, not only did she not have any self-awareness but she was even being pursued not long after she came?
She handed in the papers so early to go on a date with this person, right?
Oscar¡¯s disdain for Nora reached the limit. She even reached the point of never talking to this person again. She was afraid that she would be affected by herziness.
When the counselor heard Oscar¡¯s words, she misunderstood. She smiled. "Yes, I was about to tell you that I want you to continue helping her ..."
"No, I refuse," Oscar said bluntly. "I can¡¯t help her with anything."
The counselor instantly misunderstood what she meant and said with a smile, "Do you know her results? Although you can¡¯t teach her, you can still help her around the university!"
Every time an exchange student came to the school, the counselor would get a student from the same dormitory to help guide the student.
After all, other than studying, there were many other matters to take care of. Exchange students were not too sure about such things. It was better to have someone guide them.
This was also why Oscar had saidst time that if Nora¡¯s results surpassed hers, she would help her again.
However, Oscar did not understand what the counselor meant. "I don¡¯t need to see it to know her results. I came to this school to study, not to waste time, so I rejected her. I won¡¯t be with a person who isn¡¯t in the mood to study and thinks too much. She affects my life too much... I only want to be with students who have good grades. You should have heard of the saying: One is marked by thepany one keeps. I don¡¯t want my results to fall behind..."
She was always straightforward.
She was pretty good to Nora previously. Although her words were not very nice, she still took care of her.
She was not bad at heart but her mouth was unforgiving.
When the counselor heard this, she finally realized that Oscar was acting the same as her. They both had thought that Nora was a bad student. She hurriedly exined, "But Lisa is..."
Before she could finish, Nora interrupted the counselor. "I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ve caused you trouble. You don¡¯t have to do it anymore in the future."
With that, she looked at the counselor. "I¡¯m already very familiar with the school. I don¡¯t need anyone to show me around. Thank you. Is there anything else?"
The counselor¡¯s eyes widened and she was stunned. She shook her head in a daze. "No..."
"Okay, I¡¯ll get going then."
Nora left.
Looking at her calm back, the counselor could not help but think of the paper Professor Wilson had reviewed. It was clean, very clean, and there were no traces of calction...
What kind of person was this mysterious American girl?
For a moment, the counselor could not understand.
As she was thinking, Oscar pursed her lips and said, "Counselor, I only want to partner with someone with good grades and one who loves to study. Please don¡¯t waste my time with such a person next time."
With that, she raised her chin proudly and prepared to leave.
The counselor looked at her and suddenly sighed. She asked, "Do you know what Lisa¡¯s grade was this time?"
"I¡¯m not interested in whether she gets a D or an E."
The counselor: "No, she didn¡¯t..."
Oscar was stunned for a moment but she quickly came back to her senses. "Is it C? Most of the exchange students from New York University School of Medicine in our school get Ds. It¡¯s no wonder she¡¯s so arrogant."
"..." The counselor pursed his lips. "She got an A+. She got the only perfect score in the ss."
What?
Was she hallucinating?
Chapter 836: There’s still Lisa!
Chapter 836: There¡¯s still Lisa!
She frowned. "Did you see something wrong?"
The counselor sighed. "No, Professor Wilson personally graded the papers. Oh, he even evaluated yours. Congrattions, you¡¯re an A too but it¡¯s an A-."
Oscar: !
She knew that she could not get full marks this time because the questions were especially difficult.
She was very satisfied with this result.
But why did Lisa get full marks?
She was stunned.
The counselor patted her shoulder. "I know you love to study and you¡¯re very hardworking but I keep feeling that you¡¯re the type to bury your head in books. When I heard that Lisa scored full marks, do you know what my first reaction was?"
Oscar shook her head.
The counselor sighed. "What youck is a proper technique for studying. I originally thought that while showing Lisa around, you could start observing how she studies. A person like her is clearly talented. You two couldplement each other. You said that you would have to lead her, but actually, I wanted her to lead you."
After all, Lisa was leaving after three months.
No matter how good her results were, she was not a student of their school.
The counselor was also selfish!
But now...
The counselor was momentarily at a loss for words.
Oscar was also stunned. She suddenly turned her head to look into the distance and saw that Nora had just turned a corner in front of her. She had disappeared.
At this moment, she suddenly realized what she had lost...
¡ª
Nora did not care too much about Oscar and the counselor¡¯s thoughts. Oscar liked the hardworking type. Yes, Nora was born far from this type.
If she had the time to work hard, she might as well sleep more.
Therefore, since their personalities did not match, it was better for them to separate.
Moreover, she was not really there to learn. Her goal was the V16!
No matter what, she would never forget this!
Nora was about to walk forward when she suddenly saw a few familiar faces walking over.
She stopped in her tracks and suddenly turned around.
The few familiar faces were none other than the senior executives of NTT. The person in the lead was Royce, youngest aunt¡¯s second-inmand. He was in charge of thepany¡¯s investments.
Behind him were a few employees from the investment department in the NTT.
They did not notice Nora, but she was afraid that Royce would recognize her, so she hid her figure.
She could not let her aunt know that she was back. Otherwise... going by her aunt¡¯s exaggerated personality, everyone in Staav University would know about her.
She did not want to attract attention right now.
After all, there were five psychopaths like "Trueman" watching her look for the V16!
It was better to keep a low profile.
Nora avoided them but she did not notice that among the staff behind Royce, Liam was looking away in confusion.
Why did he seem to have seen that poor neighbor, the mother of three children, Lisa?
Liam was American and American faces were more recognizable to him.
Especially Nora¡¯s bright and beautiful looks. She was stunning at a nce and was difficult to miss. Therefore, he felt that he could not have seen wrongly.
Furthermore, Rene had said that Lisa was studying at Staav University.
Although it was rare for college students to date, have children, and even get married, it was not unheard of. There were one or two such people every year.
Therefore, Liam did not think much of it.
However, why was Lisa avoiding him?
Liam shook his head and looked away in confusion. He entered the office ahead with Royce.
As he walked, the person beside him asked, "This project is clearly not outstanding enough, why did youe here?"
Royce said, "Because I want to give him a chance."
Wayne was sitting there in the office. When he saw them, he immediately stood up eagerly. After shaking hands with Royce, they sat opposite each other.
"Professor Myers, we¡¯ve already studied the project book you gave us and are very interested in your experiment. Can you exin it to us in detail?"
Royce asked.
Because the CEO was American, he had a particrly good attitude toward this American professor working at Staav University. Although, his proposal was written in a mess that no one could understand.
Everyone said that if he couldn¡¯t even write a project book, there must be something wrong with this professor.
However, Royce felt that if he visited him in person, this professor might be able to exin it more clearly. He did not mind giving this professor a chance.
Wayne did not understand this.
He had always been a research-type yer. He was not good at making proposals and he was not good at twisting and turning these things around. Otherwise, with his connections, he would not have kept thepany Yvette stayed in so small...
Wayne did not know that his performance was not up to standard. He was even worse at talking about the main points in front of these people. He disyed his long-winded nature. "Mr. Royce, it¡¯s really good that you came. I can tell you that my project is definitely the best. You would have no worries about investing at all..."
Royce: "..."
This professor was clearly not suitable for business.
The corners of his mouth twitched. He looked at the people behind and finally said, "Professor Myers, may I ask where your assistants are?"
He wanted to find a person who could speak concisely and get straight to the point.
However, when Wayne heard this, he choked.
Hisboratory... was empty?!
He smiled awkwardly and exined, "So far, I¡¯m the only one in theboratory..."
At this point, he suddenly realized that there was another person.
He paused and thought about her name hard before saying, "...With Lisa. Yes, there¡¯s also Lisa. Um, wait a minute. I¡¯ll call her counselor and get her toe over immediately to meet you! Say, this Lisa is really... How can she bete at such an important time?"
As Wayne spoke, he took out his phone and called the counselor.
Chapter 837: Investment Project
Chapter 837: Investment Project
Wayne took his phone and went out to make a call. He was afraid that Royce would leave. When he went out, he even turned back to look at him.
After he went out, someone asked, "Mr. Royce, we don¡¯t think highly of this project, in the first ce. Besides, look at this professor. He¡¯s notpetent either... When you asked about the members of theboratory, he said that there were only two of them... Are we really going to invest in such an experiment?"
Royce sighed gently too.
He actually knew Wayne. It was very unusual for him to be famous as an American professor in a ce like Staav. Therefore, when he saw his project, he thought that as long as it was even a little viable to invest, he would try.
Anyway, the boss had too much money to spend. He would treat it as patriotism and help his fellow countrymen.
However, he did not expect Wayne to be so unreliable.
From the looks of it, he had only recruited one student?
How was he going to do the project?!
Investing in him was no different than throwing away money, right?
Royce touched his forehead. "Forget it."
He would not invest in this project.
¡ª
Nora followed Royce over and wanted to see what he was here for.
As soon as she entered the building, before she could go upstairs and enter the elevator, she received a call from the counselor. Nora picked up the call and the counselor said, "Lisa, I forgot to tell you when we met earlier... Um, I got you a spot in myboratory as an assistant. How about this? Your mentor needs you toe over right now. Hmm, can youe to Room 706 in theboratory first?"
Laboratory assistant?
This was really happening!
She was just thinking about how to join aboratory so that she could get ess to the archive room!
She said, "Okay, I¡¯lle over now."
After Nora finished speaking, she looked up and realized that this was theboratory building.
706... was the seventh floor. She pressed the elevator button.
The elevator reached the first floor quickly. She went up and pressed the button for the seventh floor.
Ding!
The elevator arrived.
Nora had just walked out of the elevator when she heard two people talking in the corner.
Wayne was pulling Wilson back angrily. He was very anxious as he said, "Old boy, you definitely have bad intentions foring here. How can I believe you?! Let me tell you, don¡¯t think of entering myboratory. I¡¯ll never let you in!"
Wilson sneered. "I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about. I can tell you that I¡¯ve been good friends with NTT¡¯s Mr. Royce for many years. I just don¡¯t want him to get cheated. You can cheat others but you can¡¯t cheat him."
Wayne was even more anxious now.
He had finally returned to continue his research. He could finally stop being a manager. However, because of the 20 years of absence, the school and the students no longer trusted him.
Social change was fast and the school had developed a lot. When Wayne was mentioned, the new generation of investors would ask in confusion, "Who is this?"
No one would remember that more than twenty years ago, he was influential and sessful at Staav University. They would only remember that he was a business loser. He had gone out to start a business and failed.
Therefore, although Wayne had been back for a month, the situation here had not been resolved.
His old friend saw that he was pitiful and rmended him to NTT. He even especially emphasized that he was an American professor, which was why he had received this opportunity.
Wayne definitely could not give up.
If he had no money, then he would have no project. If he had no project, why did hee back?
He pulled Wilson back. "Aren¡¯t you just jealous that I¡¯m getting involved with Royce? Wilson, don¡¯t pretend to be so kind here. Let me tell you, it¡¯s impossible for you to see Wilson speak ill of me! Even if I have to stay out here all day, would I let you in?! Get lost!"
Wilson felt that Wayne was simply unreasonable.
He was indeed here to convince Royce not to invest in Wayne. Firstly, he did not want Wayne¡¯s project to be established. What if Wayne seeded and suppressed him?
Secondly, he nned to tell Royce how unreliable this person was and owe NTT a favor.
He had a good rtionship with NTT the past few years. They had invested in a lot of projects.
However, Wilson never expected Wayne to be so shameless. When he saw himing over, he pulled him into the corridor!
Wilson was furious and said, "Wayne, you¡¯re too much! You and Lisa are the only ones in yourboratory. What kind of project is this? Aren¡¯t you scamming the investors?"
"Why do you care? Only with money will we have everything we need! Without anyone to invest in the project, how can we get good students?" Wayne retorted.
For example, Wilson was a popr professor. Whenever a project was established, many graduate students would immediately register. With people, investors would alsoe.
However, Wayne was different.
Although everyone thought highly of his projects, no one invested in them. The students were not stupid. He had just arrived this year and did not even have a graduate student under him. How could anyone follow him?
Only when they saw the investment would their ssmates choose to follow him.
But why would they invest in a project without enough members?
This was a vicious cycle.
Wilsonughed angrily. "It¡¯s because the field you want to study is wrong. If it really has a future, why didn¡¯t anyonee? If they don¡¯t see any benefits in the short term, no one will follow you. Even if NTT invests in you, it will be a waste of money. I won¡¯t allow this to happen!"
With that, he pushed Wayne away and walked out.
Wayne continued to hold him back. "Don¡¯t even think about it!"
Wilson was really speechless and anxious. He simply said, "It¡¯s fine if I don¡¯t go but if you don¡¯t return to the room for a long time, Royce and the others will leave. Isn¡¯t it the same thing?"
Wayne was anxious. He turned around and suddenly saw a student standing outside the staircase. As he was holding Wilson, he could not turn around and could only shout, "Is that Lisa outside?"
Nora: "...Yes."
Wayne immediately shouted, "Go in first and stall for time!"
Chapter 838: Meeting Old Friends
Chapter 838: Meeting Old Friends
"..."
Nora only said the word yes. Wayne did not hear her voice.
Nora held her forehead.
She did not expect to meet Wayne. This was really fate.
She did not expect Wayne, who had returned to Staav University, to be in such a sorry state.
When Wilson heard this, he was stunned. After a moment, he did not know whether tough or cry. "Wayne, you¡¯re simply too shameless! Lisa is only an undergraduate. What can she help you with? She doesn¡¯t even know what project you¡¯re doing. You¡¯re making things difficult for her!"
Wayne blocked the door and refused to let Wilson out. He said, "She¡¯s a student from myboratory. Why do you care how I treat my students? Hey, Lisa, did you hear me?"
However, Wilson suddenly said, "I regret it. Lisa, you cane to myboratory. I¡¯ll take you in. How about that?"
Wayne immediately cursed, "Shameless Wilson, didn¡¯t you throw her to me because you thought her results were bad? You¡¯re really unscrupulous! You even want students with poor grades?"
When Wilson heard Wayne say this, he blushed. He knew that the counselor had definitely not told Wayne that Lisa had scored full marks for the exam. He said calmly, "No, Lisa is an excellent student. I¡¯ll definitely want her. Lisa, how about it?"
Wayne could not turn back. He had his back pressed tightly against the door. His head was twisted so much that he could only see an indistinguishable figure in the distance. He could not see the details at all.
He shouted, "Lisa, don¡¯t listen to his nonsense. We¡¯re all Americans. Our eyes are filled with tears when we meet. You can¡¯t betray me!"
Nora: "..."
Her almond-shaped eyes narrowed slightly as she heard their conversation.
It seemed like Professor Wilson thought that her results were bad, so he had pushed her to Wayne.
She smiled and replied calmly, "Oh."
Wayne instantly became smug. "Did you hear that? I didn¡¯t despise her even when her results were bad. We Americans all have grateful hearts. Wilson, why don¡¯t you remember the time I helped you back then? Why do you have toe and ruin my show today?"
When Wilson heard Lisa say this, he shrugged. "I¡¯m not helping the investors, I¡¯m helping you. Otherwise, if you cheat them and your reputation spreads, no one will invest in you when you start a new project. I can actually give you a few of my projects. You can start them first. It¡¯s better to look for investors after you have a reputation."
Wayne sneered. "How many do you want to give me? How generous of you to say that. Don¡¯t forget that I was better than you back then! My reputation was greater than yours!"
Wilson smiled. "Is that so? But you also said that it was back then. In today¡¯s Staav University, who still remembers that there was a Professor Wayne in the biomedical faculty? You¡¯ve been doing business for so many years, you¡¯ve long ruined your reputation!"
Wayne¡¯s eyes turned red when he heard this.
He was doing this to fulfill the promise he had made back then.
That woman... had died so tragically, how could he leave her alone?
He shook his head and abandoned the thoughts in his mind. "Anyway, I don¡¯t care. I have to take down this investor. Wilson, I won¡¯t let you meet them!"
He shouted again, "Lisa, hurry up and go into theboratory to talk to them. There¡¯s my business n on the table. Take a look and read it for them... Say good things... If they don¡¯t invest all of it, investing a part of it would be good enough..."
As Wayne was exining, Wilson smiled. "Heh, Royce is a professional investor. Do you think he can¡¯t tell anything from this?"
Wilson reached out his hands. "Alright, Wayne. I¡¯m not going, but do you think Lisa will be of any use to you if she goes into theboratory? You have no choice because Lisa is just an exchange student. She has no weight in this project."
Wayne naturally understood this.
However, in order to not let Wilson go out and cause trouble, he had to detain him here.
Currently, there were only him and Lisa on the entire project. If he did not let Lisa go, what else could he do?
Wayne frowned in anger. He turned around and shouted again, "Lisa, hurry up. Don¡¯t let the investors wait too long!"
"...Alright."
After Nora agreed, she took two steps forward and walked to Laboratory 706 from the door that was revealed.
Wilson looked at Wayne and shook his head.
He spread his hands and pretended to look down on her. He pursed his lips and said, "Wayne, I¡¯m waiting to see a good show."
...
Nora stood at the entrance of theboratory.
She knew that the person in the room was Royce but when she thought of Wayne¡¯s current state, she felt that she had to help him.
After all, Wayne had fallen to such a state for Yvette.
Sigh!
She sighed and pushed open the door.
Inside the room.
The investor was looking at the door impatiently.
Someone said, "Hey, Professor Wilson sent me a message. He said that Professor Myer¡¯sboratory only has him and an undergraduate American exchange student. He doesn¡¯t have anyone important. How can he have the cheek to work on a project?"
The other person frowned and said, "Just two people? Furthermore, the n is written in a mess. I can tell at a nce that it was rushed. Don¡¯t tell me Professor Myer did this alone?"
"Ah, no wonder Professor Myer hasn¡¯t called us over despite being away for so long. He¡¯s really rude to leave us here! We shouldn¡¯t invest in such a project, right?"
"Wilson just sent a message to suggest that we should invest very carefully. He¡¯s our partner and won¡¯t lie to us. Since he warned us, he must not be optimistic about this project."
Royce took the project book and flipped through it casually before nodding.
He looked down at the time and stood up. "I still have something onter. Since Professor Myer is so busy, let¡¯s go."
"Then about the project... We¡¯ll talk about it next time."
With that, he opened the door and saw a tall American girl.
Chapter 839: Investment!
Chapter 839: Investment!
Looking at this familiar figure, Royce was stunned.
He stared at Nora in disbelief, his eyes widened.
Ms. Nora?
Was it Ms. Nora?
Compared to half a year ago, when she was in New York, she seemed to have lost some weight and had be more beautiful. If not for those familiarzy almond-shaped eyes when Nora walked on the streets, Royce would not have recognized her.
But what was Ms. Nora doing here?
Royce was a little stunned.
As he stood there, the people behind him thought that Nora had blocked the way. Someone immediately asked, "You are?"
Nora nced at Liam and yawned. She saidzily, "Lisa."
Lisa?
Royce frowned.
But this was clearly Ms. Nora. Why was she calling herself Lisa?
He looked at Nora in confusion, but he saw the woman giving him a cold warning gaze.
Royce: "..."
He did not quite understand what this gaze meant.
Royce respected Nora a lot. The chairman was not married and did not have children. When he picked Nora up from the countryside back then, he had said that NTT would be handed over to Cherry in the future.
Who was Cherry? She was this woman¡¯s daughter!
Moreover, wasn¡¯t he handing it to Cherry because Ms. Nora only slept all day and did not want to get involved in the business at all?
The chairman had no choice. He had just said that he would hand thepany to Cherry but he was actually giving it to her, in disguise.
As he was thinking about Ms. Nora¡¯s intentions, the people behind him misunderstood.
One of them said, "You¡¯re Lisa, the person Professor Myer was talking about? Why are you here? Where¡¯s Professor Myer?"
Nora looked at the stairs. "He... might be a little busy?"
Everyone: "??"
Everyone felt like they had been yed.
They hade to see his project as investors but he was acting like such a big shot? Did he really think he was some well-known professor? They would still give some face to a professor like Wilson. After all, Wilson had done many projects in the past.
However, Wayne was really too unpopr!
Royce¡¯s first subordinate said, "Since Professor Myer is so insincere, we¡¯ll get going now! We don¡¯t want to waste our time here!"
Nora: "?"
She raised her eyebrows and was about to speak when a bright and careful voice was heard. "Well... Since Lisa is here, why don¡¯t we listen to her for a minute?"
Following the voice, Nora then saw that her neighbor, Liam, was in this team too.
"..."
Nora held her forehead.
There were quite a few familiar faces today. However, Liam seemed to have received a promotion. It seemed like she had made him level up.
After Liam finished speaking, everyone looked at Liam. Royce¡¯s subordinate scolded, "You¡¯re just a neer to the department. What are you talking about? How can an undergraduate exin aboratory project? It¡¯s too much!"
Liam was reprimanded and was too afraid to speak.
On the other hand, Royce came back to his senses when Liam was interrupted by the two of them. He stared at Nora and asked, "Let the undergraduate talk about... erm... do you want to talk about it..."
He looked at Nora tentatively.
Nora: "...I don¡¯t know what the project is."
She would note to work on a real project. As Anti, she had not done many projects in the past. Furthermore, it took a lot of time to work on a project.
At most, she would just be registering.
When Royce heard this, he immediately understood and said, "Then you don¡¯t have to say anything else!"
When he said this, one of Royce¡¯s men misunderstood him. "Yes, there¡¯s no need to say anything else. It¡¯s useless even if you do. We won¡¯t be investing in your project! The project proposal is a mess. There¡¯s only the two of you..."
Royce: "..."
He really wanted to shut his subordinate¡¯s mouth!
He was usually very good at ttering him. Why couldn¡¯t he tell that something was amiss today?
He had finallye back to his senses.
Ms. Nora was hiding her identity by saying that she was Lisa! The warning gaze she had given to him earlier was also to tell him not to speak nonsense. Otherwise, why would she be here if she could just expose her identity?
Royce understood.
Ms. Nora was asking for an investment!
However, she could not expose her identity, so he had to make his investment look fair on the surface!
But his own subordinate had been undermining him here. How could he still invest "fairly"?
As he was thinking about what to do, Liam said again, "Um... Actually, there are only two people involved in the project. This kind of thing is easy to resolve. Professor Myer was very famous in the school back then but he has fallen from grace these past few years. As long as we invest, the number of people would definitely not be a problem."
One of Liam¡¯s men sneered and retorted, "Not a problem? I think it¡¯s a big problem! Have you been bribed by him? What¡¯s the difference between this and a scam? Besides, this project proposal is aplete mess. Is there any need to invest?"
Liam was lectured. He clenched his jaw and looked at Nora again.
Rene had said that it was not easy for Nora to raise the three children alone. It was not easy for her to attend school here. They were all neighbors and he had to help.
Therefore, Liam took a deep breath and continued, "That project... Actually, if you look at it carefully, you can tell that it will be very valuable in the future. Although we won¡¯t be able to get any benefits in the short term, we have to look further ahead..."
Even if Royce was helping Wayne out of friendship, he could not have given him money for no reason.
Wayne¡¯s project was indeed promising for the future.
However, Royce¡¯s subordinate continued to scold him, "This idea of yours is very dangerous! We¡¯re investors, of course we look at the long-term benefits! But you¡¯re a neer, what do you know? You still dare to speak nonsense here? Don¡¯t tell me you want to speak up for Lisa because she¡¯s beautiful? Mr. Royce will definitely not agree! Isn¡¯t that so, Mr. Royce?"
Chapter 840: You’re Welcome
Chapter 840: You¡¯re Wee
Royce had been walking at the front just now, so his back was to the people behind him at the moment. As a result, his subordinates couldn¡¯t see his expression all this time.
Liam was just a neer in the department. After being lectured, he immediately lowered his head.
He indeed had selfish motives when he spoke up for Nora, so he didn¡¯t dare to refute the other men.
Inwardly, though, he thought to himself, I¡¯m done for. I¡¯ve offended Mr. Royce¡¯s favorite subordinate. I probably won¡¯t have an easy time in thepany now.
The promotion he had just received might even be taken away soon.
Despite that, though, he still said, "You misunderstand. Lisa¡¯s just someone I know, that¡¯s all. She is not an unreliable person, she..."
The man beside Royce was still scolding him. "You don¡¯t look at such external factors in a project, but at the project itself! So, Liam, you know Lisa? Then this means you¡¯re blind! To think you can¡¯t make a distinction between work and private matters! In my opinion, you are not suitable for our department at all!"
Liam: "!!"
As expected, was he really going to be fired?
He wanted to cry. He had only managed to dodge the bullet because of the investigation into Fred. Was he going to face another unemployment crisis now?
While Liam was thinking about this dejectedly, Royce finally turned his head slowly and looked behind him.
He stared at his trusted subordinate, his face totally sullen.
Seeing his sullen expression, Royce¡¯s subordinate misunderstood even further. He immediately said, "Mr. Royce, don¡¯t be angry. I will make sure to keep an eye on neers like him in the future. I..."
Before he could finish, Royce mmed his briefcase against his head and said, "Neer? The way I see it, the neer has more gumption than you do!"
As soon as he said that, with the exception of Nora, a ton of question marks suddenly appeared above everyone¡¯s heads: ???
Liam¡¯s head also whipped up and he looked at Royce in disbelief.
Royce snapped, "You must have gotten old, so your eye for things can¡¯t keep up with the youngsters anymore! That neer is doing very well in my opinion! Hm, yeah, I also think this project is promising! I¡¯m going to invest in this!"
Royce¡¯s subordinate was stunned.
Actually, he didn¡¯t do anything wrong.
After all, Wayne¡¯s project was indeed too unreliable.
It was a good project but Wayne¡¯s project proposal was simply too badly written. No one who received the proposal would invest in it.
Nevertheless, the man was quick to back down. "Yes, yes, you are right, Mr. Royce. In that case, how much should we invest?"
"How much I should invest..." Royce looked at Nora again while thinking to himself, Ms. Nora, can you please give me some kind of response?!
But Nora didn¡¯t look at him.
Unable to receive any signals from her, Royce could only look at Liam. "How much do you think we should invest?"
Liam had said just now that he and Ms. Nora knew each other, so maybe he would be able to suggest a suitable amount?
Not expecting Royce to actually ask him for his opinion, Liam was a little taken aback. He said in a daze, "Eight... Eight..."
Before he finished speaking, Royce nodded directly: "Eight million dors? Okay! I¡¯ll invest that amount! The money will be transferred into the ount tomorr... no, tonight. Is that okay?"
Liam: "???"
What he¡¯d wanted to say was, they could try investing eight hundred thousand dors first...
Seeing that the money was secured, Nora nodded and moved aside. "Okay."
"What is the bank ount number?" Royce asked.
Nora yawned again¡ªshe had gotten sleepy. She pointed to the corridor and said, "You can talk to W... Professor Myers about it!"
She turned and walked out. "I¡¯ll get going then."
Everyone: "!!"
Royce¡¯s subordinate felt that she had snubbed his boss, so he immediately pointed at her and said, "What¡¯s the matter with you? You¡¯re just an undergraduate! You..."
"You what?"
Royce pressed his arm, which was rudely outstretched, down and said, "Shut up! You also know that she¡¯s an undergraduate, right? Undergraduates are just assistants in projects, so of course she wouldn¡¯t know anything! Go and get Wayne Myers here instead!"
Then, he looked at Liam with a big smile and said, "You did great today, Liam! Well,e here, let¡¯s have a chat... How do you and Lisa know each other?"
"You guys rented houses from the samendlord? Where do you live?"
Liam, who felt highly ttered and as though something awesome had fallen into hisp: "???"
¡ª
When Nora was leaving, she specially nced at the corridor.
In the corridor, Wayne was still reasoning with Wilson. With a door between them and Nora, the volume of his voice was reduced several times. He droned on and on.
"... Wilson, you are not loyal to your friends at all... I know you want to suppress me so that I won¡¯t be able to catch up with you... Goddamn it, in any case, you can forget about leaving this ce today! If I can¡¯t get NTT to invest in my project, then I will starve to death here with you!"
"..."
Wilson was practically speechless. "You are so shameless!"
Waynepletely ignored his outburst and continued to nag at him.
Nora: "..."
She knocked on the door and said, "W... Professor Myers, I¡¯m Lisa."
Wayne immediately cried out, "Lisa? Have they made their decision? I knew it, NTT is not going to invest in us, sigh. I¡ª"
Before he could finish, though, Nora¡¯s low voice came over. "NTT is asking whether an investment of eight million dors is enough?"
"... What?"
He suspected that he had misheard. It was not until Nora repeated herself that he suddenly let go of Wilson. The man, who had still been dejected a moment ago, was suddenly revitalized. "Yes, it¡¯s enough! It¡¯s enough!"
When he turned around and looked over, Nora had already strode ahead of her.
When Wayne opened the door and entered the corridor from the stairwell, all he saw was Lisa¡¯s back. He wanted to say something but he suddenly heard footstepsing from the other side. The people from NTT came up to him and said respectfully, "Professor Myers, let¡¯s sign the contract..."
Wayne turned around instantly and went off with the people from NTT, leaving behind only an utterly confused Wilson.
He widened his eyes, finding the turn of events absolutely incredible. Had the world gone crazy?
NTT was investing eight million dors in Wayne?
Good god, was NTT doing charity because they had too much money or what?!
¡ª
The extent of Wilson¡¯s shock was exactly how triumphant Wayne felt. He mocked him extensively for a while, pissing Wilson off so much that even his heart rate was out of whack.
Nora didn¡¯t know of all this and neither did she care.
She strolled around the school again. Soon, it was evening. Nora decided to go home, she mustn¡¯t leave the three children at home all by themselves for too long.
As soon as she got home, she coincidentally saw that Liam was also at his door.
Nora raised her eyebrows.
Before she could speak, Liam looked up, smiled at her, and said confidently, "You¡¯re wee! We¡¯re neighbors, so it¡¯s only right that I give you a hand! It¡¯s just that I never thought that ourpany leader would think so highly of me! And even listen to my suggestion..."
Nora: "?"
The corners of her lips spasmed and she uttered an "oh" a little speechlessly.
Liam smiled. "It¡¯s not easy for you to take care of three children by yourself, so I will definitely help you if you run into trouble. Now that you¡¯ve clinched the investment deal, your professor will definitely value you! Your education journey will also be very smooth-sailing. You really don¡¯t have to thank me! But if you really want to, then you can do me a favor?"
"..."
Nora kept quiet for a while before she asked, "What kind of favor?"
"Can you guys keep Renepany a little? I¡¯m always busy with work, so she¡¯s all alone at home. Plus, with her personality... Just take care of her a little! You can just think of it as thanking me for helping you out today!"
Liam practically felt like he was a messiah.
To be honest, he¡¯d just impulsively blurted it out when he spoke up for Nora earlier. At that time, he had also been terrified and had really thought he was going to be fired.
Unexpectedly, hispany leader had spotted his talent!
As expected, he really was a talent when it came to making investments.
Liam looked at Nora again.
Yeah, it really wasn¡¯t easy for Lisa to take care of her children all by herself. He should help wherever he could...
The thought had only just formed in his mind when the sound of a car stopping outside the vi suddenly reached them.
Liam looked behind to see Royce getting out of his Rolls-Royce limousine. Then, he hurried through the gates.
Liam was surprised.
Then, joy came over his face and he strode over. "Mr. Royce, why are you here?"
Had Roycee to visit and look at his living conditions since he had asked earlier in the day where he lived?
Didn¡¯t the leaders of NTT value him a little too much?!
Unexpectedly...
Chapter 841: Strange Text Messages!
Chapter 841: Strange Text Messages!
Liam thought that Royce was here to visit him, so he even felt faintly like something fantastic had just fallen into hisp¡ªbut he never expected Royce to simply walk past him and stride right up to Nora!
Liam was stunned.
When he turned around, he saw the man, who was high up in the air in thepany, ask, "Ms. N... Ms. Lisa, why are you here? Does Ma¡¯am know?"
Liam: "??"
The handsome and cheerful boy was utterly stunned.
He stared at Royce in disbelief.
What did he just say?
He swallowed.
"Ms. Lisa"? "Ma¡¯am"? Why was he speaking so politely as though her position was above his?
The only person whom Royce would address as "Ma¡¯am" was the boss of NTT. Why was he asking Lisa about her?
Liam¡¯s thoughts were in a mess. He couldn¡¯t figure out what was going on at all.
He stared nkly at Royce and then at Nora. For a while, he felt like he was dreaming.
Nora sighed a little the moment she saw Royce.
It seemed that she wouldn¡¯t be able to conceal this identity of hers in front of Liam anymore.
She broke into a small frown. She first nodded slightly at Royce, motioning to him to wait a moment. Then, she looked at Liam and said, "Please keep my identity a secret."
Liam nodded dumbly.
Then, Nora looked at him again and asked, "So, can you let me have a private word with Royce?"
Liam: "!!"
He looked at Royce.
When Liam first joined thepany, he had seen Royce high up in the air. He was surrounded by people when he walked past Liam. He hadn¡¯t even spared him a nce.
At that time, Liam had told himself that he must work hard to climb thedder into the department and be Royce¡¯s subordinate! And be someone like Royce!
But the goal he was struggling in life to move towards was instead standing humbly in front of Lisa with a respectful look on his face. In fact, the man, who had never even spared him a nce before, was even giving him a somewhat ingratiating smile right now.
Liam knew that this was all because of Lisa.
In his trance, he nodded and walked into his house.
After closing the door, he couldn¡¯t hear what Lisa and Royce were saying anymore. However, at this distance, he could still see Lisa saying something to Royce in a low voice and Royce nodding repeatedly.
This huge reversal of roles made Liam hang his head in disappointment.
He was an honest man, so he wanted to climb higher grounds with his own efforts. Even when Fred was bullying him the other time, he hadn¡¯t felt anything and had just thought that this was something that a man should do.
But at this moment, seeing Lisa¡¯s sudden transformation from someone who needed his help to someone high up in the air, he couldn¡¯t help but sigh. In this world, a person¡¯s social status was simply too predisposed to change.
¡ª
"Don¡¯t tell my aunt."
Nora ordered, her voice extremely frosty.
Royce gave her a wry smile. "Ms. Nora, this... If Ma¡¯am finds out, I¡¯m afraid I will be punished."
Nora said, "It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll get Cherry to bail you out when that happens."
"Okay! Then it¡¯s all a-okay. With Ms. Cherry around, there absolutely won¡¯t be any problems with Ma¡¯am. What are you doing here though, Ms. Nora?"
Royce hade especially for Nora¡¯s promise.
One was his boss while the other was the future sessor. He didn¡¯t want to offend either.
But if he informed his boss straightaway, Nora would definitely get angry, so it was imperative that he came to ask for instructions and also get a guarantee from her.
Royce was very shrewd. Cherry¡¯s significance to his boss was iparable to everyone else.
At this question, Nora said, "You don¡¯t need to bother with my affairs. Just make sure you do your job well and that would do."
Royce immediately lowered his head slightly in deference. "Okay."
Then, he gave Nora his promise and said, "I will definitely handle Professor Myers¡¯ project well, I won¡¯t let anyone block his funds. And Liam, too. I will also promote him when the timees. Ms. Nora, are you nning to set up your own team in thepany?"
The sessor would surely need a new team, so Royce had misunderstood.
Upon hearing this, Nora nced to the side.
Liam was standing in front of the window and staring at her with aplicated expression. However, the scorching idolizing look in his eyes was impossible to hide.
That was what a young man who had just graduated from school should look like¡ªfull of hope for his career, enveloped in passion, and dying to break out into the world.
Nora thought of how Liam stayed by Rene¡¯s side and had never abandoned her. She also thought of how she had specially done a background check on Liam because she was worried that he had brainwashed Rene and was emotionally manipting her but found that he had a clean family background.
From kindergarten all the way to university, there were photos from every stage of his life. There was no way anyone could fake that.
Therefore, after a moment¡¯s thought, Nora replied ambiguously, "You can try putting a little more effort into grooming him."
Liam was kind-hearted and a good person.
He had even dared to speak up for her at the university. From that, one could see that the young man did have the passion to make achievements. People like him were capable, so it would also be beneficial for NTT to train and groom him.
Royce nodded right away. "No problem."
After the two reached an agreement, Nora instructed Royce not to disturb her if there was nothing important. Only then did Royce leave subserviently.
After Royce left, when Nora was about to enter her house, Liam suddenly opened his door and walked out. He looked at her nkly as he said, "L-Lisa... um..."
He wanted to say something but he didn¡¯t know how to put it into words. In the end, he simply said, "About the incident with Fred the other time... Thanks!"
He had finally understood. It wasn¡¯t because of his luck that something had happened to Fred; rather, it was Nora who had given thepany a heads-up!
Nora looked at him. Suddenly, her lips curled into a smile and she replied, "You¡¯re wee. You can just let Rene keep my childrenpany a little more."
Liam: "..."
He thought back to what he¡¯d said just now about how she didn¡¯t need to thank him and that it would do if they just spent a little more time with Rene. Liam¡¯s face suddenly started to burn. He scratched his head and smiled at her naively.
The naive young man couldn¡¯t help but always think that he was the hero of the world and that it was his good fortune to be appreciated by his boss. It was only now that he realized that his real luck was getting to know Nora.
After Royce left, he got into the car.
Just as he was about to leave, he noticed Fred approaching.
Mrs. Long was still living here for the time being. Her son had not only suddenly lost his job but he couldn¡¯t even find a job in the industry anymore. She had no ce to go for the time being. Thus, Cindy, thendlord, had given her a few more days to find new amodation before she moved out.
Nora didn¡¯t have much to say about this.
After all, Mrs. Long was busy looking for a job, so she didn¡¯t have the time to bully Cherry anymore. It wasn¡¯t like Nora would only be satisfied after she drove them into a dead corner.
Fred¡¯s job search had also been very difficult. At NTT, he was already a senior executive, so now that he was restarting as a low employee, not manypanies were willing to hire him. Even if there were some that were willing, they offered a very low sry.
He wanted to go back to NTT but he was told that he had offended someone.
Who on earth had he offended? He only punished Liam recently but he had already investigated the young man¡¯s family background a long time ago. There was no way he would have such connections!
When he came back all down and dejected, he suddenly caught a glimpse of Royce¡¯s car, which instantly stunned him on the spot.
It was Royce!
He was apany leader who stood above all but one!
Why was he here?
Could it be that...
Fred swallowed and entered the garden. When he did, he happened to see that Nora hadn¡¯t gone into her house yet...
During thest two days after he returned home, his mother had pointed at Nora¡¯s door andined to him. She said that the woman, who just moved in, had bullied her.
She had told him a lot, such as how she was taking care of three children even though she was all by herself.
Fred had been busy looking for a job, so he hadn¡¯t had time to give them trouble yet. He was just so nning to make trouble for them today!
But when he thought of Royce¡¯s car, the stunned man blurted, "Was Royce here for you?"
Nora: "??"
She raised her brows.
It didn¡¯t matter that Liam had found out about her identity because he would keep the secret for her, but Fred and Mrs. Long were not good people. If they found out, Nora wouldn¡¯t be able to keep her identity a secret anymore.
But Royce had just left and she was out in the garden...
Nora nced to the side. When she saw Liam, she pointed at him calmly and replied, "He was here for him."
Liam: "!!"
Fred was already looking at him.
Faced with his former supervisor¡¯s gaze, Liam swallowed. After a while, he nodded and pretended to say calmly, "Yes, he was here for me..."
Fred was utterly stunned. He suddenly thought of how he had been fired just when he was going to punish Liam.
He was even told that he had offended someone he shouldn¡¯t have. Wouldn¡¯t that precisely mean Liam?
Thus, he reacted very quickly and rushed over. He said, "Liam... no, Mr. Martin, you know what they say about how friends begin as enemies. We just got off on the wrong foot, that¡¯s all. I¡¯m sorry for what I did to you in the past. Should I get down on my knees? Spare me! I really can¡¯t find a job now and my family will be out of food next month! I have elderly and children in my family..."
Liam: "..."
He looked at Nora in rm and uncertainty.
Seeing that he was staying quiet and looking at Nora, Fred also looked at her. He thought of what Mrs. Long had done and hurriedly said, "Ms. Lisa, I¡¯m sorry, my mother only bullied you because her younger sister wants to move here. She wanted to rent the house that you¡¯re living in, that¡¯s why she wanted to drive you away. I¡¯ll apologize to you, okay?"
Nora already knew this a long time ago, so she was unmoved.
At this moment, Mrs. Long also came home. With her cell phone in hand, she ranted as she walked.
"If you¡¯re noting, then why send me a message saying that you want to? You asked me to rent a ce for you and even said that you want to live with me? I almost drove my neighbors away because of you. Now you¡¯re telling me that it wasn¡¯t you? That you didn¡¯t send me any messages? Ha, how can that be? My chat messages are all right here!"
Fred was dumbfounded. He looked at Mrs. Long and asked, "Mom, did she say she isn¡¯ting anymore?"
Mrs. Long was furious. "Yeah! I thought she wasing today, so I called and asked where she was, but now she says that she never sent me any messages asking me to rent a house for her! Has she be muddleheaded from old age?"
"Mom! How can you get something like this wrong?!" Fred was aghast. In order to rent that house, he¡¯d offended someone he shouldn¡¯t have and even lost his job!
"No, Fred, I didn¡¯t make a mistake! It¡¯s your aunt who¡¯s being inexplicable! I¡¯m serious, look! The chat messages are all here!"
Mrs. Long hurriedly took out her cell phone and handed it to Fred.
Just as Fred was about to look at it, a slender hand suddenly reached over.
Nora stared at the chat messages on Mrs. Long¡¯s phone. Two days before she arrived, Mrs. Long had received a message on her cell phone asking her to help with renting a house.
After that, the person chatted with her every day and pressed her about the house.
But Nora could tell at a nce that the tone of these chat messages was different from that of the previous messages! Her phone had been hacked!
Nora¡¯s eyes narrowed.
She had never been one to think that such things were mere coincidences!
Someone must be up to no good behind the scenes!
But who was it?!
She took Mrs. Long¡¯s cell phone and went into her own house.
Mrs. Long shouted anxiously, "Hey, what¡¯s the matter with you? Are you stealing my phone?!"
But before she could go on, Fred stopped her.
After Nora entered the house, she took out her own cell phone and easily hacked into Mrs. Long¡¯s. Then, through the text messages, she began to track down the other party!
She wanted to know who was plotting against them! And what their objective was!
Chapter 842: Don’t Laugh
Chapter 842: Don¡¯t Laugh
It stood to reason that, for the other party to use Mrs. Long¡¯s sister¡¯s number to send her messages for so long without her sister ever finding out, meant that they must have hacked into Mrs. Long¡¯s sister¡¯s cell phone and used it to send the messages.
With that in mind, Nora also went with the flow and hacked into Mrs. Long¡¯s sister¡¯s cell phone.
There would always be traces left behind whenever a cell phone was hacked into.
She sat on the sofa, her cat-like eyes skimming through the programming codes at high speed. Suddenly, she found something and followed it, nning to find out who that person was!
Unexpectedly, though, the person who had still been online a moment ago suddenly vanished. The device on the other end was also destroyed. With this, Nora could no longer find out anything about the other party.
She broke into a frown.
This showed that the other party was undoubtedly a master hacker. The moment she invaded, they discovered her. Additionally, they could also get out in time when she wanted to pinpoint their location. This indicated that they were even more skilled at hacking than her?
In this world, other than herself, Y was the only other hacker on the same level as her!
But Y was Justin, so it couldn¡¯t be him.
If he didn¡¯t want her toe to Switzend, a phone call would have done the trick.
There was no need for him to stoop to such low-level means.
In that case, if it was not Y, then who was it?
When did another top hacker emerge?
When Nora thought of this, something suddenly urred to her. She picked up her cell phone and called Caleb, who answered in a timely manner.
"Is something wrong?" He asked.
Nora asked, "Among the five children who survived the experiments back then, did any of them pick up hacking?"
Caleb paused for a moment when he heard this. Then, he answered, "Yes."
Nora¡¯s heart sank.
Caleb sighed. "Now that you¡¯re going to meet them sooner orter, I¡¯ll tell you about the five of us."
Nora¡¯s expression became grave and solemn. "Go on."
Caleb said, "You¡¯ve already met ¡¯Barbarian¡¯, he¡¯s the man in ck who attacked you and Justin in America. He was injected with a gene serum that enhances physical fitness, so he¡¯s likely the strongest martial artist in the world at present. He has a pair of brown pupils..."
"Wait," Nora interrupted him, "I saw blue pupils that night."
Caleb chuckled. "Cosmetic contact lens technology is so advanced these days, isn¡¯t it a piece of cake to change the color?"
"..."
Nora was practically speechless. They could even do something like that?
She had been nning to identify him by his eyes!
Caleb continued. "That guy¡¯s skills have probably already reached the pinnacle of what humanity can achieve. No one can beat him in a fight."
Nora acknowledged that.
That night, she and Justin were no match for him even when they teamed up. Quinn and Irvin¡ªhers and Justin¡¯s teachers¡ªwere probably the only ones who were his match!
"His weakness is that he¡¯s stupid. Of course, his IQ is that of an ordinary human, but because his offensive abilities are simply too powerful and his body too nimble and agile, we couldn¡¯t kill him all these years, either."
"... Were you guys trying to kill him?"
Caleb coughed and replied, "Like me, he resents the mysterious organization for using us in human experiments, so he has long since defected. Trueman has organized many capture and assassination attempts but none of them have been sessful."
Caleb also resented the mysterious organization.
That was why he had betrayed the mysterious organization and be the special department¡¯s spy after he contracted lung cancer and had only two months left to live.
Barbarian¡¯s offensive abilities were very good.
Nora mentally positioned him. She then asked, "Who else is there?"
Caleb went on. "There¡¯s also one whom we call ¡¯Spacey¡¯ because he likes to space out. He was very unsociable when he was a child... He was injected with the gene serum that improves neural genes, so he is extremely smart. I heard that when he grew up, he started dismantlingputers and found that he liked it a lot."
Nora caught a key word. "Heard?"
Caleb smiled wryly and said, "Yeah, well, the five of us had already separated from one another when we were ten years old. Back then, the mysterious organization told me to stay with Trueman while they sent the other three to other ces. At that time, I didn¡¯t understand why, but Iter realized it was because they knew a long time ago about the deal that the Grays had struck with your mother, so they were using me as bait. Trueman treats me very well though, maybe because we once shared weal and woe!"
Nora nodded. "Go on."
Caleb continued. "There is also one whom we call ¡¯Listener¡¯. You should know that the human ear can only detect sounds of a certain frequency, so we cannot hear sounds below or above that range. But after this part of the human DNA was deciphered, he could hear sounds of every frequency in the world. He is also highly sensitive to sound, so he has always disliked us for being too loud."
Barbarian¡¯s improved genes were rted to physical qualities, which was understandable.
Spacey¡¯s were neural genes. She reckoned that like her, some improvement was also made to his IQ genes, so he was smarter than ordinary people.
But wasn¡¯t Listener¡¯s story... a little silly?
The corners of her lips spasmed. "Isn¡¯t a skill like that kinda useless?"
Caleb coughed. "Humans research DNA and decipher the DNA code in order to enhance our abilities. In terms of nimbleness and agility, we can¡¯tpare to leopards; in lifespan, we can¡¯tpare to turtles. Therefore, the DNA research back then was tackled from various aspects. It was just that everyone¡¯s injections were random."
Nora nodded.
She suddenly became very curious. "What kind of gene serum were you injected with back then?"
"..."
As soon as she asked, Caleb fell silent. A whileter, he let out a lowugh. He sighed and slowly asked, "Can I keep it a secret?"
Of course.
No one should be forced into such things.
Just as Nora was about to say that, Caleb sighed and said, "Forget it, I¡¯ll tell you. But... you mustn¡¯tugh."
Nora: "?"
She mustn¡¯tugh?
Could it be that Caleb¡¯s improved genes were even more useless than Listener¡¯s?
Chapter 843: What A Coincidence!
Chapter 843: What A Coincidence!
While Nora was wondering about it curiously, Caleb coughed and said, "Forget it, I won¡¯t say it anymore."
"..."
The corners of Nora¡¯s lips spasmed a little and she suspected that Caleb was ying her for a fool.
Seemingly sensing her displeasure, Caleb chuckled lowly and said, "I really can¡¯t bring myself to say it. If I ever see you again in this lifetime, I will tell you in person."
Caleb had returned to the mysterious organization this time as the special department¡¯s spy.
He only had two months left to live.
In fact, if his lung cancer worsened, he might not even have two months.
Therefore, he didn¡¯t know when he would be able to return to America and see Nora again.
Nora realized what he meant, so she said, "We will meet for sure."
"Hopefully."
Caleb was about to speak again when a shrill voice suddenly came from the far end of the phone. "Who are you calling, hiding here?"
It was Trueman!
Nora frowned, worried about Caleb.
"No one in particr." Caleb¡¯s voice was calm and he didn¡¯t seem to be nervous at all.
"Oh? Heh, show me!"
The sound of people fighting over the phone came from the other side. Caleb said anxiously, "Give me back the phone!"
Trueman scoffed. "Am I not allowed to know who you¡¯re on the phone with? I¡¯m going to see what you¡¯re doing behind my back!"
After that, Trueman must have looked at the phone and seen her name, because he sneered and said, "My little servant?"
"..."
Nora ignored him but Trueman said with a sneer, "Oh my, I didn¡¯t expect you two to keep in contact even after you¡¯ve separated. Why? Is my little servant interested in my little sidekick? Or..."
His voice suddenly turned frosty. "... has my little sidekick betrayed me? And turned to you guys?"
Nora wanted to make up an excuse but before she could speak, Caleb sighed and said, "She was just asking me a few personal questions."
"What kind of questions?" Trueman was pushy and aggressive. "And personal ones at that? Ha, are the two of you even that close?"
Seeing this, Nora did not speak.
Caleb continued speaking in an even-tempered manner. He said, "She was asking me about the five people who survived back then and what they are like. She wants to find Barbarian and avenge Justin."
His story seemed to have convinced Trueman.
He scoffed and said, "My little servant, you want to seek revenge? I¡¯d advise you not to fantasize about that! It¡¯s impossible for you to contend with Barbarian when you only have a normal person¡¯s strength!"
After he spoke, he asked, "Did you tell her what Barbarian¡¯s gic modification is?"
Caleb replied, "Yeah, I did."
Trueman uttered an "oh" and then asked, "And Listener and Spacey¡¯s?"
"I told her."
"Tsk." Trueman smacked his lips softly and remarked, "You sure tell her everything you know! Do you like her that much?"
Nora was a little taken aback to hear this.
She looked at the phone in astonishment, upon which she heard Caleb¡¯s prompt rejection. "Don¡¯t talk nonsense, she and I are just friends."
Trueman scoffed. "Just friends? From when we were children all the way till now, I have never seen you care so much about any friend. Caleb, don¡¯t forget who you are! Do you have any right to be in love with someone?"
Nora slowly frowned.
Caleb was in love with her?
How could this be? How few times in total have they met?
She was about to speak when Caleb denied it. "I don¡¯t, I know very well who I am. I just feel guilty towards Ms. Smith, that¡¯s all! After all, the Grays didn¡¯t manage to protect her back then."
Trueman scoffed again. "You say one thing but mean another. You¡¯re really very dull. You are already about to die yet you still don¡¯t have the courage to express your feelings!"
Caleb had really panicked this time. "Trueman, shut up!"
After saying that, he hurriedly exined, "Nora, don¡¯t listen to his nonsense."
Nora was a little embarrassed. "... Okay."
Although she had been confessed to by many others, she really hadn¡¯t expected Caleb to fall for her.
She shook her head, dismissing the idea.
Then she heard Trueman say, "You guys are so boring. Forget it. My little servant, Barbarian¡¯s body has been improved to the greatest extent. He can not only control every muscle with finesse but he can also lift a thousand pounds! Even if you are the Quinn School of Martial Arts¡¯ Big Sister,pared to him, you still have lots more to work on! If you really want to avenge Justin, then there is only one way."
Nora lowered her eyes. "What is it?"
Trueman suddenlyughed. "Training with me."
Nora: "?"
Trueman asked, "Do you know which genes of mine were improved?"
Nora shook her head. "No."
Truemanughed. "It¡¯s longevity!"
Nora: "?"
Trueman said slowly, "Once humans live for a long enough time, don¡¯t they all pursue longevity? The gene serum I was injected with improves precisely this gene. You and I won¡¯t be able to beat Barbarian in a fight even if we team up but we can wear him down until he dies!"
"..."
The joke really was not funny at all.
Trueman, however, suddenly said seriously, "Do you think I¡¯m joking? I¡¯m not. What do you think a person pursues after they have earned enough money? Don¡¯t kings and people with high social status eventually all pursue immortality? Barbarian¡¯s boost in physical strength and Spacey¡¯s boost in intelligence are all nonsense in the face of longevity! Why do you think the mysterious organization studied human genes in the first ce? It was precisely for longevity!"
Nora: "!"
"My little servant, is the information I told you today enough? Heh, are you considering joining us now? Once we find the V16, we will crack the code of human longevity!"
Nora curled her lip. "I¡¯m not interested in longevity."
"Tsk."
Trueman curled her lip and said no more to her. Instead, he said, "Caleb, I¡¯ve found news of Barbarian. Go to him and bring me back the clue to V16, or V16 itself!"
"Where is he?" asked Caleb.
Nora¡¯s ears pricked up too.
However, Trueman hung up the phone at this moment!
Nora: "..."
Trueman had definitely brought up Barbarian¡¯s whereabouts on purpose without telling her the answer.
Nora put aside thoughts of Barbarian for now and began to think about the person who had hacked into Mrs. Long¡¯s cell phone. If she wasn¡¯t wrong, he must be Spacey.
But why would Spacey do that?
Did he just want to use Mrs. Long to give her some painless annoyance?
Was there any point in doing that?
Nora couldn¡¯t figure out what Spacey was thinking, so she could only put down the phone.
She was a little curious about Caleb¡¯s improved genes and why it was so difficult for him to speak of it.
¡ª
The next day, when Nora went to ss, the counselor walked in with a bespectacled man. "Guys, this is our school¡¯s newly-hired professor. Please wee him, everyone."
Nora: "..."
As she looked at Caleb¡¯s familiar and gentle face as he stood on the podium, she suddenly curled her lips into a smile.
Caleb did a self-introduction. Then, when his gaze swept across the students, the moment he saw Nora, he paused slightly¡ªobviously, he had no idea that Nora was here!
With this though, Nora had also confirmed something.
Trueman had ordered Caleb to find Barbarian. Since Caleb had shown up here, this meant that Barbarian was at Staav University.
Besides, now that they had met, she would also be able to know about Caleb¡¯s improved genes.
Chapter 844: Anti’s Reputation Is Unwarranted By Actual Skill?
Chapter 844: Anti¡¯s Reputation Is Unwarranted By Actual Skill?
"That professor is so handsome."
The students below the podium were all secretly discussing Caleb.
Nora raised her brows.
Caleb was really very handsome. On top of that, the dashing aura around him was elegant and gentle. He wore sses and always smiled gently before he spoke, which gave people a refreshing feel, like a spring breeze.
Yet at the same time, it didn¡¯t give people the feeling that he was easy to get close to. On the contrary, there was a sense of alienation and nobility.
He and Justin both came from wealthy families but the two gave peoplepletely different feelings.
Justin felt like a fierce and ferocious war god. He was terrifying and intimidating.
Caleb, on the other hand, was like a celestial being, making people feel like he was out of one¡¯s reach.
Nora lowered her eyes, put her head on the table, and fell asleep.
She attended sses just so she wouldn¡¯t attract attention. She had chosen to be an exchange student at this time because there weren¡¯t many sses during this period.
Caleb¡¯s voice was gentle and hypnotic.
As Nora listened, she slept even more soundly.
On the podium, Caleb chuckled when he saw the girl fall asleep, and he subconsciously lowered his volume. In fact, when someone spoke, he gently reminded them, "Keep your voice down. Don¡¯t disturb your ssmates who are sleeping."
The students: "..."
The ss was soon over. After ss, Nora stretched and stood up. This time, she didn¡¯t leave but looked at Caleb at the front instead.
Caleb wanted toe to her but was stopped by a student. "Professor Gray, I don¡¯t understand this part here..."
Nora yawned. While she was waiting for him, a voice suddenly came from the side.
"Hey, Lisa."
She turned her head and saw Oscar standing beside her with an embarrassed look on her face. She said, "I know you may not care, but I still want to apologize."
Nora knew what she meant. She didn¡¯t mind, though.
She didn¡¯t regard Oscar as a friend, so she didn¡¯t take her prejudice towards her to heart at all. She nodded and said, "It¡¯s okay."
After speaking, she picked up her bag and went out the door.
Oscar had aplicated look on her face as she looked at Lisa from the back. After hearing what the counselor had said the day before, she had gone to Professor Wilson to check her exam papers.
In the end, she found that the other girl had indeed gotten every question right.
At first, she felt that the girl had deceived her, but she immediately realized the next moment that Lisa had never said that she couldn¡¯t do the questions. In fact, she had even mentioned several times that she didn¡¯t need her help.
It was her own arrogance that had made her think that Nora¡¯s grades were bad.
Oscar stared at Lisa from the back. For some reason, she suddenly felt like the girl¡¯s image in her mind was getting bigger and bigger.
Nora didn¡¯t leave after she exited the ssroom but stood at the corner and waited.
After a while, Caleb came over. The man, who was a head taller than her, asked with a smile, "Lisa?"
Nora nodded. "Yeah, Lisa."
Caleb smiled again. He said, "Long time no see."
"Yeah, long time no see."
Nora replied calmly.
Caleb looked straight at her and then asked, "Are you... okay?"
Nora: "?"
Just as she was puzzled over Caleb¡¯s question, she heard Caleb speak again. "About Mr. Hunt..."
"..."
Alright, Nora had once again forgotten that Justin was "dead"!
She lowered her eyes. In order to hide her emotions, she could only say calmly, "Actually, we weren¡¯t that close."
Strictly speaking, she and Justin had only known each other for three months and during those three months, they had not been together every day, either.
When she put it that way, even she herself was puzzled.
She had never had many friends her whole life, so why had she fallen in love with him in such a short period of time? On top of that, it was to the extent ofplete trust.
Nora¡¯s expression at the moment seemed a little puzzled.
Her statement convinced Caleb, though.
After all, Nora had always been cold and indifferent since she was a child and had never been one to fixate on rtionships. To be honest, it would be stranger if she was dramatic about it.
Seeing that she wasn¡¯t too hung up over it, a smile formed on Caleb¡¯s face and he said, "Yeah, I¡¯m d you¡¯re alright."
He looked at the time and suggested, "Let¡¯s have lunch together?"
"Sure."
Caleb was the special department¡¯s undercover agent. Additionally, when he was in America, he¡¯d helped her a lot. Besides, Nora also wanted to know about Barbarian, so she and Caleb left the school together and went to a private room in a restaurant nearby.
When the food came, Nora sat opposite Caleb and asked about Barbarian first. "Is Barbarian here?"
Caleb nodded. "Trueman found out that Barbarian had appeared in the school, so he wanted me toe over and take a look. Why are you here too?"
Right after he spoke, he figured out something and asked directly, "Did youe here because you have a clue about V16?"
Nora knew that she wouldn¡¯t be able to give a convincing exnation once she was found here.
Even a fool wouldn¡¯t believe her spiel about being an exchange student at this point.
Besides, even though she couldn¡¯t fully trust Caleb, some things were still okay to let him know.
She nodded. "Yes."
Caleb frowned. "Then you have to be careful. If Spacey has his eye on you, then he must know that you are here. Barbarian is also here... Nora, you mustn¡¯t underestimate any of the five of us who survived among thousands of people!"
Nora nodded, her expression solemn. "Got it."
After speaking, she suddenly asked, "So... Which genes of yours were improved?"
Caleb instantly turned red.
He was a little embarrassed.
Nora smiled slightly. "You said that you would tell me if we ever meet again!"
Caleb sighed. "Forget it, I¡¯ll tell you."
"...Okay." Nora¡¯s ears pricked up curiously.
Caleb seemed a little shy. He coughed and then sighed and said, "Well, it¡¯s my heat resistance genes."
Nora: "??"
Her first reaction was that she didn¡¯t understand!
Caleb sighed. "At the appropriate level of humidity, the average person¡¯s cells start dying at around 113 degrees Fahrenheit. The highest one can endure is 122 degrees but I can survive in an environment of 176 degrees."
Nora: "..."
So! What was the use of improving genes like that?!
Why would humans study such strange things?
But the next moment, she realized a problem. "Then can¡¯t you undergo high-temperature treatment for your lung cancer? Cancer cells can be killed at just 110 degrees!"
At 110 to 122 degrees Fahrenheit, cancer cells would die after a few hours. However, normal cells would also be killed at the same time, which was why humans couldn¡¯t fight cancer with this method.
But Caleb could!
Just as Nora was about to say something, she suddenly realized something. "The cancer cells can also survive at 176 degrees?"
Caleb nodded.
Nora: "..."
If his cancer could be cured so easily, he would have recovered a long time ago. Other doctors must have also thought of this idea before.
She held her forehead.
Caleb looked calm, though. "It¡¯s okay, I have already prepared myself for it. In any case, even if my cancer is cured, I won¡¯t be able to find the V16 anyway..."
Cancer was difficult to treat.
Nora sighed silently.
She then asked, "What are Spacey¡¯s characteristics?"
Caleb shook his head. "I haven¡¯t seen him since I was ten and he didn¡¯t like to talk much back then... Apart from Spacey, you also have to watch out for Listener. Nora, all five of us who survived, want to live; so they will definitely fight with you for the V16. The key here is¡ªtime is running out."
Xander didn¡¯t have much time left, either.
Nora knew that she had to hurry and find a way to enter the archives and obtain File No. 004!
Since the food was here, the two of them stopped talking and started to eat.
Halfway through the meal, because the chatter was simply too loud in the private room next door, faint voices traveled over.
"Professor Epson, the results of your research are great! You have been trying to invite Anti to do this project with you, right? Except she didn¡¯t respond. If she learns that you have seeded in your research for the project, she will definitely regret it."
It was a student paying lip service to Epson.
"Of course!" Epson sneered, "The way I see it, Anti¡¯s reputation is unwarranted by any actual skill. Look at how many patients she has operated on over the years! Two operations a month? I can¡¯t help but wonder if those patients were even really sick?"
Some students next to him also echoed him. "Yeah, who knows, maybe they were just acting with her. If her medical skills are really that great, why would she do that?"
Chapter 845: First Time?
Chapter 845: First Time?
Epson sneered. "You make it sound so mysterious. Her formalism is too extreme. She only treats two sick patients every month? I don¡¯t believe that she¡¯ll only treat two people a month when her husband, son, and father get sick together. Will she let the other person wait for death? How ridiculous!"
"Hahahaha!"
The others alsoughed.
Epson was actually not popr with the students. He deliberately gave convoluted lectures to emphasize that he was different from the others, rendering everyone unable to understand his lectures.
Even Oscar had to listen carefully. If she was even a little distracted, she would not be able to keep up.
Therefore, Epson had always had a demon ss in school. He was arrogant and proud. The project he applied for could not bepleted by himself but he did not want anyone to take a share. Now that someone had finally invested in his project, he finally had some results and had long been promoted.
If he did not know Anti and did not have her contact details, he would have walked to Anti long ago!
What he was about to solve was a difficult problem in the medical world!
It was said that Anti had been researching this difficult problem for a few years. Until now, there had been no results.
Epson now wished he could announce to the world that he was a hundred times better than Anti.
Nora originally did not care about their mockery but when she heard ¡¯husband, son, and father¡¯, she frowned.
He should not badmouth her family. Shouldn¡¯t he be a little considerate when badmouthing others?
She stood up and was about to go over and teach Epson a lesson when the room door was kicked open.
Epson and the students eximed, "Who are you? Which school are you from?"
Nora was raising her eyebrows when she heard a familiar female voice charmingly say, "Tsk, listen carefully, you can learn from me. Call me ¡¯Mother¡¯. Come, learn from me."
"Mother..."
Epson and the other students were at first very vignt against this woman who had suddenly barged in, but when they heard her charming voice, they subconsciously repeated her words.
"Sigh! My stupid sons!"
The woman smiled.
It was only then that Epson and the other students realized that they had been yed. They were instantly furious and shouted, "B*tch!"
Epson was furious but he was a teacher, after all. Therefore, he asked, "What are you doing? Do you have something against us?"
The woman sneered. "I don¡¯t have any grudges with you but the Anti you¡¯re talking about is my sister-inw. Of course, I can¡¯t stand you badmouthing her! Now, you better apologize to her or else..."
Thud!
With the sound of a ss bottle shattering, Brenda said domineeringly, "No one will leave here unscathed today!"
"..."
¡ª
In the private room next door.
Hearing Brenda¡¯s voice, Nora felt that it was unbelievable.
Wasn¡¯t Brenda in New York?
Why was she in Switzend?
She was about to leave the room and reunite with Brenda when her phone rang again.
She picked it up and heard Solo¡¯s voice on the other end. "Anti, sigh!"
Nora: "?"
This fellow was always full of energy when he called her. Why was he sighing the moment he called? It seemed like something was wrong. Wasn¡¯t Solo in New York?
She frowned. "What¡¯s wrong?"
"Do you know where your sister-inw is?"
Solo¡¯s voice was listless. "I suddenly can¡¯t contact her. We were fine at first but she suddenly suggested breaking up with me. Now, she¡¯s gone."
Solo continued, "I want to ask her in person why she left without saying goodbye. What did she say? She said she has always been a loose woman. She said she was only ying with me for a while but I don¡¯t believe it. Who the hell wants to y with me by giving up their first time?"
Nora: "Her first time???"
Brenda liked to mess around and she liked handsome men. She would flirt with any man she saw, so Nora thought that Brenda had done it a long time ago. Was it really her first time?
Solo said, "Yes, I¡¯m sure it was her first time, with me! Why?"
"..."
Chapter 846: Killed
Chapter 846: Killed
Nora felt a little stunned.
Was Brenda¡¯s flirtatious behavior all fake?
She thought that Brenda was naturally dissolute... Oh, wait. Justin had said that Brenda was fine when she was young, but she suddenly seemed to have be a different person when she returned home after going overseas.
At that time, Justin had a lot of opinions about foreign countries. He said that Cherry would stay in the country when she grew up, that the culture overseas was too bad, and so on...
While Nora was thinking, Solo continued, "Besides, she disappeared. I can¡¯t find her anywhere. Her information is very confidential. Isn¡¯t she just a small police officer? Are the identities of all the police officers in New York so difficult to investigate?"
Solo was a hacker. If he wanted to find someone, he could just search on hisputer.
He wanted to know where Brenda lived, where she was, and if she had gone out. However, he did not have any clues!
Brenda¡¯s identity was kept secret.
Nora: "...It¡¯s not that difficult, is it?"
Solo sneered. "Heh, how is it not difficult? Although I¡¯m not as good at hacking as you are and you¡¯re Q, you might not be better than me when ites to finding people! To be honest, I¡¯m doing this for you because you saved me. Why don¡¯t you show me your skills as Q?"
Nora: "...There¡¯s no need."
Solo agitated her. "I think you¡¯re afraid? If you can¡¯t find her, would you feel embarrassed? If word gets out that Q can¡¯t even find a person!"
Nora: "..."
This provocation was useless against her.
Solo said so much because he wanted to provoke her to help him find someone.
The low voices of Epson and the other students rang out in the private room next door, apanied by Brenda¡¯s cold smile. "Did you just apologize? I didn¡¯t hear you. Louder!"
Nora: "I know where she is."
Solo: "??"
"F*ck? Are you that fast? How long has it been? I¡¯ve been searching for hours on the Inte but I haven¡¯t found anything. Only a second has passed, right?"
Solo felt like his worldview had exploded.
They were bothputer hackers, so how could the difference be so great?
"..."
The corners of Nora¡¯s mouth twitched. She ignored him and did not care about his thoughts. Instead, she said, "I¡¯ll ask if she¡¯s willing to see you."
Solo: "How can you be like this? Am I your good friend or her?"
Nora: "She¡¯s not my good friend."
"Then what¡¯s there to consider? You have to support me!"
Nora replied calmly, "But she¡¯s my sister-inw."
"..."
After hanging up the call, Nora went out.
As soon as she came out, she saw Epson and the other students in a sorry state. Their faces were all bruised. It seemed like Brenda had not been gentle.
A few people walked out of the private room in a panic and looked at Brenda. "Wait here. We¡¯ll call the police immediately!"
Brendaughed softly and waved her fists.
Epson and the students were instantly frightened. They turned around and ran.
Epson even fell down during his escape.
He looked very pathetic.
Brenda seemed to be satisfied. She pped her hands, and when she turned around, she suddenly saw Nora. She immediately said in surprise, "Nora? Why are you here?!"
Then, she saw Caleb walking out of the private room with Nora. She asked, "You¡¯re eating with a friend?"
"Yes."
Nora pointed to the private room. "Join us?"
Brenda nodded. Her gaze brushed past Caleb¡¯s face and she asked, "Didn¡¯t you go to Trueman¡¯s ce to be a spy?"
Caleb had been captured by the special department before, so Brenda knew him very well.
Caleb said, "Yes, he sent me toplete a mission."
"I know," Brenda said. After entering the private room with Nora, as a member of the special department, she first checked the cameras around the private room. After confirming that there were no problems, she said, "You reported to Captain Ford that Barbarian was at Staav University, right? So Captain Ford sent me here! After all, this is my territory!"
As an Interpol officer, Brenda had always been on duty in Switzend. She was very familiar with the surroundings.
Caleb asked, "You¡¯re here to look for Barbarian?"
"Yes," Brenda said. "We investigated Barbarian. He¡¯s a serial killer. He¡¯ll definitely take the chance to kill when hees to Staav University. Besides, someone has already been killed."
When Brenda said this, it instantly aroused Nora¡¯s interest. "Who?"
Brenda exined, "He was a professor who researched genes at Staav University. He was found dead at homest night. The method of murder was very cruel. We investigated the scene and suspect that it was done by Barbarian. He should be looking for clues about V16."
Nora instantly frowned.
When Barbarian was in the country, he would hide his murderous intentions before attacking.
Actually, be it him, Listener, Spacey, Trueman, or Caleb¡ªthese five people were all victims of that gene serum experiment.
But now, in order to find V16, some had already gone crazy.
As Nora was thinking, Caleb sighed. "It¡¯s not his fault. After his body was strengthened, Barbarian¡¯s character changed. He became more and more savage and very violent. Actually, among the children who were strengthened, some of them did not die from their body¡¯s rejection of the gene agent. At that time, those children were killed by Barbarian."
"..."
Chapter 847: Call the Police!
Chapter 847: Call the Police!
A group of children had been detained since they were young and had never received aneducation. They were only given gene serum at fixed intervals. Just the thought of it was cruel.
These children were indeed very pitiful.
Brenda said calmly, "But this doesn¡¯t be a reason for him to kill people. If people start taking revenge on society because of pitiful encounters in their childhood, then what need is there for thew? And what was the professor¡¯s fault in all this, why was he killed?"
Caleb and Nora nodded.
Brenda¡¯s expression was filled with justice at this moment. She was no longerzy when she spoke.
She slowly said, "However, the meaning of our existence is to protect this rtive fairness."
She looked at Nora and said slowly, "Nora, I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re here, but the future of Staav University will be very chaotic. You¡¯re so thin and weak. Why don¡¯t you leave first? Tell me what you want and I¡¯ll help you."
"..." The "weak" Nora pursed her lips. "Don¡¯t worry, I can protect myself."
Brenda did not trust her but she also knew that she would definitely not shrink back from what her sister-inw wanted to do. Therefore, she said seriously, "Nora, then put my phone number on your speed dial. If you encounter danger, call me. I¡¯ll be there anytime you need. Also, it¡¯s best to keep your identity as Anti a secret to prevent Barbarian from targeting you. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll catch him and kill him personally to avenge my brother!"
Brenda¡¯s voice turned cold when she said thest sentence.
"... Okay."
Nora replied silently.
After Brenda finished talking to them, she looked at the time. "A few of us are going to Staav University to investigate. Nora, if there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll get going."
With that, she looked at Caleb. "And you! You¡¯re a spy. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s good to interact too much with Nora, you should avoid attracting Barbarian¡¯s attention. You guys should maintain a distance."
Caleb: "..."
Brenda had always been decisive despite looking like a richdy; wearing high heels, a short skirt, and a mink coat.
Nora saw that she was about to leave after saying that and hurriedly called out to her. "Brenda."
"What¡¯s wrong?" Brenda stopped in her tracks and looked at her. "Is something the matter, Nora?"
Nora said, "Solo wants to know where you are. Should I tell him?"
"..."
When Brenda heard the name Solo, she fell into a daze. Then, she sneered and lowered her eyes. She said in a light and cold voice, "There¡¯s no need. Tell him not to look for me. He has no chance. I¡¯m already sick of him. If he keeps pestering me, I¡¯ll be annoyed. He shouldn¡¯t be such a sore loser, right?"
With that, Brenda turned and left.
Nora stared at her back for a while.
Caleb asked, "What¡¯s wrong?"
Nora lowered her eyes and replied calmly, "Something¡¯s wrong with her."
Caleb: ?
Nora noticed that he did not understand but she did not exin it.
There was something wrong with Brenda.
Usually, when she faced other men, she would always take the opportunity to flirt. But now, forget that she did not tease Caleb, she even let it go and went straight to the point. Clearly, she was not interested in other men anymore.
It must be because of Solo that she was so frustrated.
Moreover, when she said that she was sick of him earlier, although her eyes were lowered and covered it, Nora still saw the coldness in them.
Brenda hated Solo.
However, Solo said that when he and Brenda were glued together, Brenda had suddenly turned hostile. Logically speaking, if she suddenly turned hostile, she should be a little sorry for Solo.
It shouldn¡¯t be resentment.
There must be something else between Brenda and Solo.
Nora called Solo. The call was picked up quickly. Solo asked, "Is she willing to see me?"
"No."
Nora replied, "Solo, what happened between you and Brenda?"
Solo was stunned. "What happened? I really don¡¯t know. Did I not wash my feet in bed?"
Nora: "?"
"Or was it because I touched her head with my right hand when I woke up in the morning? Does she like me touching her with my left hand?"
Nora: "??"
"Or is my cooking too bad? I told her to order takeout but she insisted on me making it myself. Sigh!"
Nora: "???"
Solo was about to cry. "Anti, tell me, what did I do wrong?! Why is she ignoring me?! I really... I¡¯m almost thirty now. After so many years, I¡¯ve finally fallen for a woman... Help me!"
"..."
¡ª
On the other hand, Brenda left and called her subordinate.
Aaron, her subordinate, said, "Captain Brenda, I¡¯ll gather our men immediately."
Aaron, who was wearing a police uniform from Switzend, was a tall white man. He was walking on the street and was about to meet Brenda when four people with bruises on their faces suddenly walked over.
When Epson and his students saw him from afar, they rushed over as if they had seen their savior. "Officer, someone beat us up!"
Aaron was a person with a strong sense of justice. He asked, "Who is it?"
"An American woman!"
Epson shouted.
Aaron immediately said, "She beat up the four of you alone?"
When Epson heard this, he realized that it was very embarrassing. He nodded. "I suspect she¡¯s American. She knows boxing! She¡¯s very strong! Officer, you should get a few more people over. Otherwise, I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be her match alone!"
When Aaron heard this, he said, "Don¡¯t be afraid! My Captain is nearby! I¡¯ll call her over!"
With that, Aaron made a call. "Captain Brenda, there¡¯s a situation here!"
"What? You¡¯re already nearby? You saw me? Okay!"
After Aaron hung up, Epson and the students immediately said, "Officer, you have to punish that woman severely. She¡¯s really too detestable. She beat us up without any reason!"
Aaron: "Don¡¯t worry. Our Captain is a high-ranking inspector who abhors evil. With her around, no one will be afraid! Even if an international mercenary came here, he probably won¡¯t be able to beat my Captain!"
Epson was relieved.
He had just been bullied by a woman, which made him very ufortable!
Now, he finally had a chance to take revenge!
He had to teach that woman a lesson! He had to send her to jail!
Epson turned around and saw Brenda walking over. He proudly raised his head...
Chapter 848: Digging His Own Grave
Chapter 848: Digging His Own Grave
When Brenda saw these people, she was stunned. She did not expect Aaron to be talking about these people.
She walked over slowly. Wearing high heels, she swayed her hips and waist as she walked. She looked very attractive but her powerfulbat skills made Epson and the others unable to have any charming thoughts.
He thought about how the four of them had been beaten up by a woman, especially in front of the students. She had even asked him to apologize to Anti. Epson decided to regain his face.
He suddenly walked forward and said, "Girl, do you see that? The police are here. If I call the police, how many years would you be in jail for beating the four of us?"
Brenda: "?"
She raised her eyebrows and sneered.
When Epson saw her like this, he said again, "It¡¯s not toote to beg for mercy now. Perhaps I¡¯ll be soft-hearted and agree to let you go. However, I want you to apologize for your actions earlier and kneel down to lick my shoes. Say a few words about how Anti is inferior to me and this matter will be over. How about that?"
Brenda¡¯s sneer turned to a cold smile. "I think your skin is itching again?"
When Epson heard this, he immediately said, "You¡¯re too arrogant. You dare to threaten me in front of the police! Alright, then don¡¯t regret it. I¡¯ll make your life in prison worse than death! Do you know what kind of life criminals get in jail?"
Brenda touched her chin. "Yes, I really know."
Epson said fiercely, "It¡¯s good that you know. There are many barbaric people locked up in our prisons. They fight andmit all kinds of crimes. If a delicate woman like you goes in, you¡¯ll probably be their favorite toy. I bet your life there will be very easy! You won¡¯t be alone at night! Hehe!"
With that, he turned around and saw Aaron walking over. He hurriedly shouted, "Officer, it¡¯s her. This woman beat the four of us up!"
Aaron, who came forward excitedly because he saw his captain, was speechless.
He was stunned. He looked at Brenda in disbelief and then at Epson and the others. He asked in surprise, "Are you sure she hit you?"
"Yes!" Epson did not know at all that the show was about to start and shouted, "Please punish her severely. This woman is still so arrogant. She simply doesn¡¯t care about us. Officer, where¡¯s your captain? Quickly get her toe over and arrest this person!"
Brenda pursed her lips and stepped forward.
Epson was instantly frightened and jumped behind Aaron. "Officer, hurry up and arrest her!"
Aaron: "..."
The corners of his lips twitched as he looked at Brenda. "Captain Brenda, what¡¯s going on?"
When Epson heard this, he was stunned.
What did this police officer call her?
Captain Brenda?
Why did the policeman call her Captain Brenda?
As he was thinking, he heard Brenda¡¯s deep voice as she smiled charmingly. "Yes, they insulted police officers behind my back. I had to teach them a lesson, of course."
With that, she looked at Aaron and said, "Arrest them and lock them up for 24 hours!"
"Yes!"
Aaron straightened and shouted. He immediately took out four handcuffs and walked to Epson.
Epson: "..."
They had thought that they had just escaped a cmity but they did not expect that they would be going to jail!
They would be detained for 24 hours, locked up with those hooligans. They might not have a good time tonight!
Epson looked at Brenda pleadingly. He was about to speak when he saw the woman reach out a slender hand to her lips and gesture for him to keep quiet. Then, she looked at Aaron and smiled. "Our professors and students love crowds a lot. You have to find them a good cell. Let them have somepany tonight."
Aaron nodded. "Yes!"
Epson: !!
¡ª
The next day, when Nora went to school again, she heard Oscar say, "Professor Epson is really awesome. Do you know? He and Professor Anti are both researching the same topic. Anti has not made any progress but Professor Epson already has an idea. He¡¯s about to seed!"
Nora: "?"
She raised her eyebrows and asked, "What project?"
Although there was some friction between her and Oscar previously, Oscar had always liked the strong. She had no objections to Nora now. On the other hand, Nora had never taken others seriously. Therefore, she did not have any grudges against Oscar, either. Oscar had be the only person in the ss who could share info with her.
Oscar said, "The topic he¡¯s researching is about neurosuppression using gene improvement drugs. Anti has also studied this before. Unfortunately, she stopped because she couldn¡¯t seed. But now, Professor Epson is about to seed!"
Then, she lowered her voice and said, "I heard that Professor Epson has always treated Anti as his imaginary enemy and is secretlypeting with her. Now that he has developed this project, he probably wants to p Anti¡¯s face and let her know that he is also very capable! He has dered war on Professor Anti many times and asked her toe to Staav University for an academic debate. Professor Anti did not ever dare toe."
Nora: "..."
She had not received this invitation at all.
However, there were two reasons.
Firstly, she never read irrelevant junk mail. Maybe Epson had really written a letter and she hadn¡¯t seen it.
Secondly, Epson did not dare to issue a challenge at all. These words were just bold statements made for the outside world.
Nora pouted. She did not take this matter to heart.
After all, she had verified in the past if genes could suppress the nerves. It could not be done.
She just had to wait patiently for Epson to fail.
She did not say much. Soon, Epson¡¯s ss began.
When he walked to the podium, his legs were limp and there were some bruises on his face. He even covered his buttocks with one hand as if he had just undergone hemorrhoid surgery.
When the ss saw this, they all suppressed theirughter and did not dare tough.
At this moment, Professor Epson suddenly said, "I n on inviting two students from our ss to be my assistants. Who¡¯s interested?"
As soon as he said this, the students¡¯ attention was diverted. They raised their hands one by one. "Me, me!"
It was like a King choosing his concubine at night. He looked at his ssmates and nodded in satisfaction. Suddenly, he said, "Yes, Oscar. You can try. Then, thest person is..."
Amidst the expectations of the entire ss, Epson smiled and suddenly looked at thest row. He slowly said, "Lisa."
Nora: "???"
She suddenly looked up and saw Epson say, "As an exchange student from New York University School of Medicine, Lisa must know a little about Professor Anti, right? I heard that she also has her ownboratory and project team, so I¡¯m giving you this chance toe to myboratory to take a look. Compared to me, New York University School of Medicine is nothing!"
Chapter 849: I’m Anti!
Chapter 849: I¡¯m Anti!
Nora narrowed her eyes.
This Epson guy was really a troublemaker.
She twitched her mouth and was about to reject him when Oscar said, "Oh my god, that¡¯s awesome, Lisa. This way, we can work in aboratory together!"
"Professor Epson is awesome. He¡¯s giving an American exchange student a chance to learn. Okay, we¡¯re willing to give this chance to Lisa!"
"Lisa, go! Study hard!"
"Yes, we¡¯re willing to let Lisa enjoy this honor. We also want her to have an unforgettable stay at Staav University."
"..."
The students were very warm-hearted. All of them were very magnanimous, making Nora find it hard to reject them. If she rejected them now, it would seem like she did not know how to appreciate kindness.
Never mind.
Nora nodded. "Sure."
Epson¡¯sboratory should also need the archive room to check the files. Then, she would go and see if there was a chance. After all, it would take time for Wayne¡¯sboratory to get up and running.
The project could not be started immediately.
With the initial funding in ce, Wayne still needed to gather sufficient graduate students. Of course, now that NTT had decided to support Wayne, many outstanding graduate students in the school had begun to sign up to participate in his projects. Wayne was flooded with sess and was doing his job well!
"Thene with me to theboratory after ss."
With that, Epson began the ss.
His ss today was not difficult to understand. The main reason was that he had not slept wellst night and was too tired. Therefore, he was not in the mood to make things difficult for the students and showcase his ¡¯professionalism¡¯.
They were done quickly. Oscar pulled Nora and followed behind Epson.
At this moment, Nora¡¯s phone rang.
She picked it up and nced at it. It was a message from Brenda. "Nora, that Epson spentst night in a cell. I took extra care of him to take revenge for you!"
Nora: "..."
She looked up again and saw Epson walking in front, limping and holding his waist. She suddenly felt that Epson was so professional! He made her, the culprit, admire him a little.
At this moment, Oscar said, "Professor Epson, are you okay? Do you need to rest today?"
Epson instantly said angrily, "Of course not. My project can bepleted in two days. I have toplete finish it quickly and let the entire world see that she¡¯s inferior to me!"
"..."
The corners of Nora¡¯s mouth twitched. This person was persistent on his way to p her!
As she was thinking, Epson suddenly looked at her. "Lisa, you¡¯re from New York University School of Medicine. You¡¯ve seen Anti, right?"
Nora: "...Yes, I¡¯ve seen her before."
After all, although she could not see herself directly, she saw herself in the mirror every day.
Epson immediately asked, "Is she very arrogant?"
Nora: "?"
Other than being a littlezy, she was not considered arrogant, right?
When she did not speak, Epson sneered. "I know that Anti is the new star of your school. You definitely don¡¯t want to speak ill of her, but can she help you find glory? She can¡¯t. Only I¡¯m willing to bring you into myboratory. Therefore, in the future, who will be your mentor? Do you understand?"
"... Yeah, I do."
Oscar also pulled Nora¡¯s arm. "I know you won¡¯t belittle Professor Anti but Professor Epson likes it when others mock her in front of him. Even if you don¡¯t mock her, don¡¯t side with Professor Anti. Otherwise, Professor Epson will be angry."
"...Okay."
Nora was helpless and anxious. She only knew about Epson from the email. She had never met him before. Why did this fellow treat her as his imaginary enemy?
"Alright, we¡¯re here. Be careful what you say!"
With another warning, the two of them stopped in front of a room in theb building with Epson. Epson took out his key card and opened the door.
Nora looked inside and saw seven to eight graduate students in white coats busy researching topics.
When they heard the voice, they turned around and saw Professor Epson. Everyone shouted, "Professor Epson, you¡¯re more professional than Anti!"
Nora: "??"
Epson smiled. "Hello. We¡¯re on duty tonight. We have to get the project done and send the report as soon as possible! I can¡¯t wait to p Anti¡¯s face!"
A few people with bruises like his echoed together, "Not only do I want to p her face, but I also want to hit her nose!"
"I want to hit her in the face! I want her to never speak again! She can only bow down to us."
"I also want her to beg to join us. I heard that she has children in the country. I want her children to be ashamed of having such a mother!"
Nora: "??????"
So their daily ritual was badmouthing Anti?
How great of a grudge was this?!
The corners of her mouth twitched as she heard Professor Epson say, "Alright, these two are my students. I¡¯ll get them to do the odd jobs. This is Oscar, the forever first in the ss."
Everyone looked at her.
She was at a loss. "Hello, seniors. Let¡¯s p Anti¡¯s face together!"
Nora: "..."
Epson looked at Nora again and introduced, "This is an exchange student from New York University School of Medicine. She has seen Anti in person."
Along with this sentence, everyone looked at Nora.
Nora: "..."
Everyone was confused.
Seeing that she was silent for a long time, Oscar poked her arm. "Say it! You¡¯ll hit Anti¡¯s face!"
Nora: "...I can¡¯t say it."
"Why?"
The others also red at her.
Nora coughed. "Because I¡¯m Anti."
"..."
Chapter 850: Meeting
Chapter 850: Meeting
There was silence in theboratory.
A few momentster, Oscar coughed. "What did you say? How can you be Anti? You¡¯re Lisa! Oh I know, what you mean is that you and Anti are not only from the same country but also from the same School of Medicine, so you and she are simr, right?"
Nora: "..."
Before she could speak, the others had already opened their mouths.
"That must be the case. If she really was Anti, why would shee over as an exchange student here?"
"Heh, you are so unappreciative. Professor Epson gave you such a great opportunity, yet you don¡¯t know how to cherish it? Is it because you think Anti is great? Then why don¡¯t you work on a project under her instead? Besides, can she evenplete the project?"
Upon hearing this, Nora replied, "Because there¡¯s no way this project can bepleted."
Everyone retorted angrily at once.
"How is it impossible? We¡¯re almost done!"
"There are no borders in academics. You should be looking at which professor is better rather than blindly working behind closed doors!"
"Professor Epson, she is so ungrateful, I think you¡¯d better kick her out!"
"..."
As Epson listened to everyone around him, he looked at Nora again and sneered, "No, I must keep her here."
Everyone: "?"
Epson said to Nora, "You think Anti is great, right? Then I will show you that I am better than her! I will also let you verify with your own eyes whether this project will be sessfullypleted or not. I will show that Anti is nothing! In terms of scientific research, we here at Staav University are the best. Alright, don¡¯t stand around here to talk. Split up and get to work!"
One by one, the rest of the students left the area around Epson. All of them curled their lips disdainfully at Nora and some even gave her the finger to express their contempt.
Oscar also quietly tugged at Nora¡¯s sleeve. "Even if you like Professor Anti, don¡¯t speak up for her anymore, okay?"
Nora: "..."
This was just so... She couldn¡¯t even leave despite wanting to.
She asked, "Is there anything that needs to be checked at the archive?"
She was still thinking about going to the archives to look for File No. 004.
Someone replied, "Yeah, there is. I need you to go to the archives to look up File No. 102..."
But before he could finish, Epson sneered and said, "No, no, she doesn¡¯t have to do anything. She just needs to witness our sess."
As soon as Epson said this, no one dared to assign her work anymore.
The undergraduate who should have been worked to the bone had now be an idler.
"..."
Nora fell silent for a while. Then, she simply sat in the rest area at the side.
Just like that, she watched as Oscar busied herself here and there. Under their directions, she printed documents and did things that would nevere within a mile of core content.
Soon, it was noon.
At the request of the professor, Oscar went out to buy lunch, but when she brought it back she found that there wasn¡¯t any for Nora.
Oscar was very apologetic. "I didn¡¯t know that there was one portion fewer. They refuse to give you one..."
Nora wasn¡¯t bothered. "Then I¡¯ll just go out and eat by myself!"
She stood up. When she was about to go out, Epson sneered, "You have to be back by 1 PM! Otherwise, I won¡¯t give you any credits at all."
Nora ignored him and went out.
She wasn¡¯t really an exchange student, so she had no need for credits.
After having lunch at the cafeteria, she was about to go back to theb when she ran into Jack again. At the sight of her, Jack stepped forward and said with a smile, "Lisa! What a coincidence! We meet again!"
Nora had half a smile on her face. "Yeah, what a coincidence indeed."
Jack scratched his head. "Actually, it¡¯s not really a coincidence. I was waiting for you. I circled the cafeteria five times before I finally saw you."
Nora: "?"
He sure was direct...
She lowered her eyes and asked, "Why were you waiting for me?"
Jack said, "I heard that there¡¯s a serial killer in the school, so I thought I would protect you. Don¡¯t be scared, I can take you home."
"..."
Nora raised her eyebrows, not expecting such an answer.
"How did you know about the serial killer?" She asked.
Jackughed. "It¡¯s all over the school. Several SWAT cars have entered our campus and there are SWAT officers patrolling all the entrances and exits now."
SWAT officers?
Did that mean that Brenda was also here?
While she was thinking about it, her cell phone rang. When she lowered her head and answered, she found that it was Solo.
"Hey Anti, I¡¯m at the gates of the school but the management is too strict. They don¡¯t allow anyone without a student ID to enter. Why¡¯s that? Isn¡¯t the Staav University campus free to enter?"
"...I¡¯ll pick you up at the gates."
"Nah, you don¡¯t have to." Solo sighed and said, "Juste to the SWAT team¡¯s temporary detention room on campus."
Nora: "?"
"Oh, they didn¡¯t let me in just now even when I insisted on it, so I stole someone¡¯s student ID. They found out about it, so I¡¯ve been brought in."
"..."
Nora¡¯s lip corners spasmed and she suddenly raised her eyebrows. "Well, okay, I¡¯lle right over."
She hung up the phone and walked over to the detention room leisurely.
Outside the detention room.
Brenda sneered at her subordinate and said, "Let¡¯s go, I want to see who has the balls to talk so big and say that he¡¯ll make sure we can¡¯t use ourwork if we don¡¯t let him go. Ha!"
Chapter 851: Brenda’s Troubles
Chapter 851: Brenda¡¯s Troubles
When Nora walked over, she happened to hear Brenda, so all the more she wasn¡¯t in a hurry anymore. She even walked over two steps slower, stood outside the door, and peeked inside.
Brenda pushed the door open and entered. Her cold expression froze when she saw Solo.
Solo was ranting at the other SWAT officers.
"... I told you, I¡¯m here to look for someone. How can you arrest me so indiscriminately? Hurry up and let me go! If you don¡¯t, I won¡¯t let you guys off!"
But when he saw Brenda, Solo¡¯s expression instantly changed.
He was so fierce just now, but he suddenly became cautious in an instant.
"Brenny?"
Nora, who was standing outside the door, suddenly felt a wave of disgust.
Brenny?
What a mushy nickname.
The SWAT officers were also stunned. They looked at Solo and then at Brenda. Finally, they asked, "Do you know each other?"
"Yes!"
"No!"
Solo and Brenda answered at the same time.
Aaron, the SWAT officer, became even more confused. "Captain Brenda, do you know him or not?"
"No."
"Yes."
Solo and Brenda answered at the same time again, except that they had switched answers this time.
Solo thought that perhaps Brenda didn¡¯t want to admit in public that he was her boyfriend, so he changed his stance.
But Brenda knew that if she denied knowing him, it would be very difficult for Solo to get out. When the two simultaneously switched stances, Aaron looked at them again in confusion.
Suddenly, realization dawned upon him. "Oh, I get it!"
He looked at Solo. "Boyfriend?"
Solo nodded immediately. Just as he was about to say yes, Brenda straight-up denied it. "No."
With a cold look, she added, "But I know who he is. He¡¯s not Barbarian, you can release him!"
Aaron nodded. "Okay."
After Solo was released, Brenda turned around and walked out.
Solo followed after her and asked, "Brenny, you admitted to knowing me just now. Is it because you were worried that I would be detained? I still have a ce in your heart, right?"
Brenda took a deep breath, turned around, and said word by word: "Listen, I would have said the same thing even if it was someone else. Because this is my job. I want to rule all the suspicious people out."
Her words stunned Solo, and a somewhat lonely expression came over his face. "But I¡¯m not just anyone. Didn¡¯t you say that you like me? And that you also like being with me? You even told me to listen to you and do as you say..."
Brenda lowered her eyes, which seemed somewhat chilly. Her lips slowly curled into a sneer and she said, "If you are really willing to do as I say, then you should leave immediately and never appear before me ever again!"
"But why?" Solo, who didn¡¯t understand, pressed further.
"I told you," Brenda said word by word, "I¡¯m tired of you."
"..."
Solo stepped in front of her and blocked her way. "Brenny, I don¡¯t believe what you say at all, you¡¯re not someone like that! It was obviously your first time when you were with me..."
"My first time? You must be dreaming. Heh, I¡¯ve already fooled around with at least ny men¡ªmaybe even a hundred¡ªand you are nothing among them. So, don¡¯t pester me anymore!"
After Brenda said that, she took out a nk check. "Or is it money that you want? How much do you want? I can give it to you."
Solo stood where he was, terribly aggrieved. "I¡¯m not doing it for money..."
"Then forget it."
Brenda kept the check back in her pocket. Then, with both hands on the holster at her waist, she strode away.
Brenda had put on the Swiss police uniform for work today. The uniform made her legs look long and her waist thin and slender, she looked cool and alpha in it. The moment she walked out, she attracted the gazes of everyone around her.
Aaron, who was outside, hurriedly followed her when he saw hering out.
Solo came after her the moment she left the room but before he could catch up with her, he saw Brenda suddenly put an arm around Aaron¡¯s shoulder. She said with a low giggle, "Hey handsome,e to my room tonight. Let¡¯s exchange tips on how to catch criminals!"
Her voice was charming and extraordinarily seductive when she said it.
It was just like that time when she had knocked on Solo¡¯s door and stood outside looking at him.
Solo froze.
Seeing Brenda¡¯s behavior, Aaron immediately smiled and put his arm around her waist. "Sure thing, Captain Brenda. I have long wanted to have an in-depth exchange with you."
The two went farther and farther and even flirted with each other.
Solo stared at them, unable to speak for the longest time.
After Brenda and Aaron turned a corner, the two suddenly stopped and separated from each other at the same time. Brenda said, "Thanks."
Aaron grinned. "No problem, Captain Brenda. After working together for so many years, we do have some tacit understanding between us. Was that your boyfriend?"
Brenda¡¯s expression turned sad but her eyes were still cold. "Not anymore."
Aaron wanted to ask further, but Brenda said, "These are not things you should be asking about."
Aaron immediately made a gesture of zipping his mouth, indicating that he wouldn¡¯t say any more.
Only then did Brenda begin to give instructions.
"All thebs must be emptied tonight, no one is to stay for experiments. This is to prevent Barbarian from killing anyone at night. Everyone he attacked is involved with biomedicine, so we must focus on protecting those people."
"Yes, ma¡¯am."
Aaron straightened his back, answered affirmatively, and left.
After he left, Brenda let out a deep breath. At this moment, Nora suddenly appeared beside her. She fixedly looked at Brenda and asked, "What on earth is going on between you and Solo?"
Brenda pressed her lips together tightly at the question.
She was about to speak when Nora interrupted her. "I saw everything you and Aaron did just now, Brenda. Don¡¯t useme excuses to dismiss me again."
Brenda paused.
She looked at Nora. Her eyes suddenly reddened and she chuckled softly. In a soft whisper, she said, "Nora... I¡¯d always thought that the world was very big, but why is it actually so small?"
Upon hearing her emotional sigh, Nora held her shoulders and asked, "What on earth happened?"
Chapter 852: You Have No Right To Interfere With My Freedom
Chapter 852: You Have No Right To Interfere With My Freedom
Brenda narrowed her eyes. "Don¡¯t ask anymore, Nora. I just can¡¯t be with him. Solo found his way here because you gave him the address, right? Don¡¯t do that again."
After she said that in a low voice, she raised her head again and went back to her usual calm andzy self. "After all, with him around, I won¡¯t be able to go to other handsome guys anymore! Right?"
Seeing how Brenda looked like she didn¡¯t want to say anything, Nora knew that she had probably done something wrong this time.
Perhaps she shouldn¡¯t have told Solo where Brenda was but she had always felt that a lot of issues between people were only caused by misunderstandings.
It was just like Tanya and Joel back then. There had been so many misunderstandings between the two of them. If they didn¡¯t meet or contact each other, how were they ever going to resolve the misunderstandings between them?
That was why she wanted to let Solo and Brenda meet and talk things out.
But judging from Brenda¡¯s behavior just now, it seemed that she had no intentions of exining anything at all?
Nora paused for a moment before she slowly said, "Brenda, I think it¡¯d be best if there aren¡¯t any misunderstandings between you two. Those corny TV dramas and novels are too exaggerated. We¡¯re all adults here. Moreover, times are moving so fast these days. If there really is some kind of misunderstanding, then it would do everyone good to exin everything clearly."
Brenda lowered her eyes. "There is no misunderstanding between him and I. Nora, I know very well what I am doing."
Seeing that she was still unwilling to reveal more, Nora nodded. "Okay, I won¡¯t interfere with you guys."
"Thanks."
Brenda and Nora were both straightforward people. After the two talked it out, Brenda said, "I just want to catch Barbarian now. As for Solo, I¡¯ll leave him to you."
"Yeah, okay."
Brenda left after saying that.
Nora remained where she was and looked at her from the back.
Brenda was very professional. After she went into the distance, she picked up the walkie-talkie and started to contact the people stationed in every direction. They were required to report every ten minutes to prevent Barbarian from breaking through from any direction.
As for Nora, she went back where she came from and turned the corner to see Solo standing there nkly.
When Nora first met Solo, he had been seriously injured. His lungs had been punctured and he looked like he wouldn¡¯t survive. The guy had only survived because Nora had operated on him.
Even when he was seriously injured, the man was never serious. After owing her a favor, every time he had to do something for her, he had always done so very reluctantly.
This was the first time Nora had ever seen him look so lost and dejected.
She walked over and asked, "Are you going back?"
"No." Solo shook his head. "I don¡¯t believe she would do something like this. I want to stay and find out why she¡¯s doing this. It wasn¡¯t easy for me to finally fall for a woman after all this time. I can¡¯t just give up like that!"
Nora kept quiet for a moment but did not dissuade him.
Solo then looked at her again. "So, can you find me a ce to stay?"
Nora: "?"
Was he gonna cling to her now?
She replied, "It¡¯s not like you don¡¯t have any money. Go and get a hotel room for yourself."
"I can¡¯t stay at a hotel." Solo followed behind her and said pitifully, "Didn¡¯t I tell you? I broke thew."
Nora¡¯s lip corners spasmed a little. When she recalled how Solo had told her upon his arrival in America that Interpol was after him in Switzend. She asked, "What did you do?"
Solo scratched his head. "It¡¯s actually nothing serious. All I did waspete with a white hat and hack into hisputer. After that, those petty guys started toe after me."
A white hat referred to a hacker who served the government.
Solo had always been mboyant in his way of doing things, so Nora didn¡¯t find it strange that he would do something like that. The corners of her lips spasmed a little and she sighed. "Fine."
Nora took him to a hotel, booked a room for Solo with her fake ID, and paid for a five-day stay.
"Five dayster, if you still haven¡¯t gotten everything settled, you¡¯ll have to find somece to stay by yourself," said a heartless Nora.
Solo: "..."
Seeing that Nora was leaving, Solo grabbed her. "What kind of mission is Brenny on here? Isn¡¯t she just a nobody policewoman? Why did shee to Switzend?"
"... To arrest a serial killer."
Solo¡¯s expression changed. "Isn¡¯t that very dangerous?"
Solo had been studyingputers all this time, so he was cooped up indoors all year round. Although he was pretty tall, he was skinny and barely had any flesh on him. Nora nced at his body disdainfully, not sure why Brenda had fallen in love with him.
He wouldn¡¯t evenst a punch from her or Brenda.
Solo said anxiously, "Then I¡¯m going to protect her tonight!"
Nora curled her lips disdainfully. "You? Forget about it. If you go, she¡¯ll be in even more danger."
Because she would have to protect him!
Solo: "..."
Solo¡¯s lip corners spasmed and he said nothing.
Nora didn¡¯t bother with Solo anymore and left the hotel. He was already nearly thirty years old, surely he could take care of himself, right?
Nora kept walking around the campus.
To be honest, she could also just charge into the archives and look for File No. 004. However, with Barbarian nearby, she shouldn¡¯t do that. If she did, then she would be outright telling him that the V16 was in the archives.
She couldn¡¯t beat Barbarian in a fight, so she mustn¡¯t let him take the lead.
She could only outsmart him and use a reasonable excuse to check out File No. 004. It seemed that she could only approach it using Wayne¡¯s project.
When she thought of this, Nora started walking towards theboratory building.
As soon as she entered, she heard quarrelinging from ahead.
Originally, she wasn¡¯t intending to pay attention to it, but in the midst of the quarrel, she heard Brenda¡¯s voice. She turned around and walked over only to find Epson and Brenda arguing.
Brenda was dressed in professional attire and looked very smart. She had one hand on her hip and the other raised as she checked the time. "You must leave this ce by five o¡¯clock at thetest."
Epson replied angrily, "I¡¯m not going to leave! My experimental project is about to bepleted! You must be doing this because of Anti, right? You don¡¯t want me to finish my experiments quickly, for fear that it¡¯ll p her in the face? Heh, Officer Hunt, you are just a police officer! We have all the permissions to work on our experiments here! You have no right to interfere with my freedom!"
Chapter 853: Epson Digs His Own Grave
Chapter 853: Epson Digs His Own Grave
Behind Brenda was Aaron. When he heard Epson, he said, "It¡¯s for your own good that we¡¯re telling you guys to leave. Nighttime is the peak period for murders. Also, this particr serial has a strange pattern. Once he starts, he kills a person a day until he has killed enough. His targets this time are people involved in biomedicine, like you. You guys are our key protection targets!"
Epson sneered. "That¡¯s a nice way of saying it, but why do we have to stop while theb next door doesn¡¯t?"
Aaron was simply rendered speechless. "I told you, his targets are people involved in biomedicine, especially professors specializing in gics. The professor next door is not involved with biomedicine, so he will be fine, of course!"
However, Epson didn¡¯t believe him. "The way I see it, all these murderers and whatnot are all things that you guys made up, right? I haven¡¯t heard of anyone who has died. Besides, everything was very normal in school today. Captain Brenda, I just insulted Anti, that¡¯s all, isn¡¯t it? I know that you and Anti are both Americans and that she may even be your rtive, so you don¡¯t want me to continue with my project. Ha, do you think I won¡¯t know what your objective is?"
Brenda: "?"
She was dumbfounded. "What objective do I have? Howe I don¡¯t know anything about it?"
Epson said, "I¡¯ve already asked my friends in America. Professor Anti has been conducting experimental research recently and her research is on gics. She also hasn¡¯t shown herself for several days. Heh, did she hear about my progress? Is that why she¡¯s burying herself into her research and trying to finish her project ahead of me? As for you? You made up a story about some murderer to disturb me and dy my progress. I¡¯m not stupid, I¡¯ve already seen through your ploy!"
Brenda: "??"
Nora, who just came over: "??"
No matter what, she had to provide an exnation as to why she had suddenly disappeared in America. Thus, she had told Lily to say that she was conducting research, and therefore, not seeing guests. She didn¡¯t expect Epson to spin such a story in his head, though!
To be honest, before she came to Staav University, she didn¡¯t even know who Epson was.
The corners of her lips spasmed. Being seen as an imaginary enemy or whatnot was really irritating.
Brenda replied, "My sister-inw isn¡¯t conducting any research. You¡¯ve misheard."
"Sister-inw? Heh, I see, so you and Anti have ties like that! No wonder you¡¯re doing so much for her. Do you think I¡¯d believe she isn¡¯t doing any research just because you say so? In any case, myb mustn¡¯t halt progress tonight!"
Epson simply refused to listen.
Brenda took a deep breath. "I am in charge of campus security now, so everyone shouldply with my arrangements! If you refuse to obey orders, don¡¯t me me for taking action against you!"
"And how are you going to do that?"
Epson sneered, "Keep that for the scaredy-cats, I won¡¯t be fooled. In any case, you don¡¯t have to say any more. Myb will not halt progress tonight!"
After he spoke, he looked at the students. "Whoever wants to leave early, feel free to do so! I won¡¯t stop you!"
As soon as he said that, the students looked at the police, and then at Epson. Then, one by one, they stood beside him.
"I¡¯m not leaving, Professor."
"Neither am I. I want to quickly finish this for the professor. We are only one step away from sess!"
"Yeah, we¡¯ve already worked overtime for half a month. After working so hard for so long, we are just left with two days of work. How can we give up now? We must continue the experiments!"
"We have the freedom to do what we want! You have no right to interfere!"
"Yes, that¡¯s right! If the police force us toply with orders and prevent us from conducting our experiments, then I will report you to your superiors!"
"..."
She looked at the ignorant people in front of her, so mad that she was about to pop a vein or two.
Brenda: "!!"
She looked at the ignorant people in front of her, so mad that she was about to pop a vein or two.
In the end, she looked at Epson, sneered, and said, "Fine, you can stay if you want but please sign this waiver of liability for not obeying our instructions. Otherwise, I have to take full responsibility for any idents!"
She couldn¡¯t be bothered if some people wanted to court death.
She was a member of Interpol. She was only responsible for arresting Barbarian.
She wasn¡¯t going to pay any more attention to these idiots.
Brenda had never imed to be a messiah. After solving so many global cases over the years, she¡¯d already seen through a lot of mundane things in life.
Upon hearing what she said, Epson sneered. "Do you think we will be fooled if you use such things to scare us? There are so many professors of biomedicine, I¡¯m just a nobody among them. Even if the murderer or whatever really exists, they won¡¯t target me. Besides, you guys are the ones who keep bringing up the serial killer, we have never seen him before. What¡¯s the big deal about signing the agreement? I¡¯ll sign it for you! I will take responsibility for my own life!"
After speaking, Epson stepped forward and signed the disimer that Brenda handed over.
Brenda then looked at the students. "You must also take responsibility for their lives!"
Epson scoffed. "Of course!"
"Okay."
Brenda took back the papers. Out of professional courtesy, she reminded him once more, "We will be patrolling nearby. At any time, if you see anyone suspicious, make sure to yell. We wille over right away."
Epson¡¯s response, however, was: "Don¡¯t worry, we won¡¯t give you the opportunity to enter theb to search for anything! You can forget about stealing the results of my experiments for Anti!"
Brenda: "???"
Chapter 854: Competing With Anti???
Chapter 854: Competing With Anti???
Brenda felt that there was something wrong with the man¡¯s brain, but she was ustomed to people demanding freedom of action and had already learned ways to deal with it.
After bringing her men out of theboratory, Brenda said to Aaron, "Get a few more people to patrol theboratory building tonight!"
Out of the professional ethics of an international special forces officer, she ultimately still had her moral responsibilities.
Aaron nodded. "Roger that, Captain Brenda."
After the two spoke, Brenda left and went somece else to make more arrangements.
In theboratory building.
After Brenda left, Epson looked at the rest of the group. "Alright, let¡¯s continue work, guys!"
After speaking, he suddenly asked, "Lisa, where are you going?"
Nora, who had turned around and was about to leave: "?"
She looked back and raised her eyebrows. "Home."
She had three hungry babies to feed at home! There was no way she would stay here and work overtime with them.
Besides, if Barbarian was going to show up tonight, then it would be the safest to leave this ce, both for herself and for everyone else in the school.
However, Epson got mad. "Did I say you can go? You are also a member of theb, how can you just leave without the consent of your supervisor?"
Nora stood still and asked, "Oh, can I go then?"
Epson: "?"
He was about to refuse when Nora said, "You said it yourself just now¡ªeveryone is free to choose whether they want to stay or not. Some people choose to trust you, others choose to trust the police. I also have the right and freedom to choose to go home now, right?"
Her argument shut Epson up.
Nora then looked at Oscar and said, "The SWAT would never make trouble unreasonably. Since she can get the school to give her the authority, that means she is no ordinary person. Why are you people so reluctant to trust them? What are you going to do if you really meet with danger? "
Her words made Oscar waver. She looked at Epson and said, "Professor, I..."
Before she could even finish, Epson became even more furious. "What? Do you believe her nonsense too? If you do, then you can also go with her!"
Oscar heaved a sigh of relief. "Then I¡¯ll go for now. I¡¯lle over early in the morning tomorrow to bring breakfast for you and the seniors..."
But right after, Epson sneered and said, "Your seniors are all working overtime while the two of you are just here to share the fruits of theirbor, yet you can¡¯t even do something like staying upte? In that case, what do I need you for in myb? You guys can leave, but once you do, you will be seen as having withdrawn from my experiment."
This made Oscar stop.
She looked at Nora with a wry smile. "Lisa, the professor is indeed giving us credit by having us here. It doesn¡¯t seem appropriate to leave at this time..."
Oscar would never miss any opportunity to climb thedder and boost her r¨¦sum¨¦.
Nora was very calm, though. "Yeah, okay. Since that¡¯s the case, then I withdraw."
Her understatement-like reaction angered Epson.
Epson looked at her, finding the girl a total ingrate. He was giving her such a wonderful project for free, yet she didn¡¯t even want it. Was it because she thought Anti was better than him?
Epson was livid. He pointed at her and snapped, "Fine, fine. If you want to withdraw, then go ahead! To think I originally wanted to give you a chance. I hope you won¡¯t regret this two dayster!"
Nora raised her eyebrows. She looked at the rest of the students in theb and spoke up for Brenda again. "Compared to our lives, no form of glory is worth mentioning."
After saying that, she turned and left.
Her remark caused unrest among the students.
Someone a little more timid couldn¡¯t help but say, "Professor Epson, why don¡¯t we listen to the police? To be honest, even if the results are dyed by two days, Anti should not be able to make it ahead of us..."
"Yeah, Professor, we..."
However, Epson only looked at them as though he had expected better from them. "All of you are too naive. Do you know how scheming Anti is? She has not shown up in America for several days. This shows that she is putting everything she has into her research right now! She must know that we are mocking her, so she is working overtime. We are fighting a battle against time right now! Whoever sessfully develops it first will win!"
Everyone looked at one another.
Finally, someone couldn¡¯t help but raise their doubts. "Anti just didn¡¯t show herself, that¡¯s all. Hasn¡¯t she always been mysterious? No one could find her. Maybe she¡¯s just sleeping..."
Lily had once publicly stated that Anti didn¡¯t have that much time because she needed to sleep twelve to sixteen hours a day. Thus, she really didn¡¯t have time to do anything else.
Epson sighed. "Do you actually believe that?"
The person continued to retort. ??"But what if Anti is not researching this topic at all?"
Epson sneered and puffed out his chest confidently. "How can that be? Although I, Epson, am a nobody at Staav University, I am still a little famous internationally. She definitely knows me and pays attention to me! She also sees me as her rival! She is undoubtedly anxious andpeting with me for time right now! Just you wait! Once we finish the project one step ahead of her, she will definitely jump out and say, ¡¯Oh, I am also working on this project, I¡¯m just not as fast as you guys.¡¯"
Epson curled his lips disdainfully. "She sure is arrogant!"
Now that Epson had put it that way, everyone believed him. They all took it seriously and said, "Then we have to be one step ahead of Anti! Let¡¯s work overtime! Professor, we are ready! We¡¯ll do this for the sake of your honor!"
"Okay, I¡¯m counting on you guys!"
Epson frowned and then said loudly, "It¡¯s not just for my sake but also for the honor of Staav University! I thank everyone in advance!"
Even he was awfully moved by himself.
This time, he would definitely be able to suppress Anti! He would make that arrogant woman bow down before him.
As for that murderer or whatever, heh, there¡¯s no way he woulde to him... right?
Chapter 855: A Complaint?
Chapter 855: A Comint?
Nora, who had been set as an imaginary enemy, didn¡¯t give two hoots about whether Epson¡¯s experimental project was sessful or not. When she returned home, she found the house pretty lively.
When she pushed open the door and entered, she saw an uninvited guest¡ªRene.
Rene still looked as timid as ever and her head was lowered.
However, she had taken a bath, so her hair was a lot smoother. There wasn¡¯t a bad smell on her anymore either. Although her clothes were in¡ªand even had patches in some ces¡ªthey were clean.
Cherry was offering her snacks to her. "Rene, try it! Don¡¯t be afraid! It¡¯s delicious!"
Rene was so frightened that she pushed the snack back to her. "N-no, it¡¯s okay. I don¡¯t eat them..."
"Have some! It¡¯s fine, I can¡¯t finish so many snacks anyway, yeah!"
Cherry¡¯srge eyes blinked, she smiled and said again.
Rene shook her hands again.
Cherry didn¡¯t press any further. The moment she took away the snacks, Nora saw Rene breathe a sigh of relief¡ªobviously, she was scared of socializing.
But since she was so afraid of socializing, why was she here?
While she was thinking about it, when Rene saw her enter, she was so shocked that she immediately stood up. "M-M-Ms. Smith."
"... I¡¯m not M-M-Ms. Smith. My name is Lisa."
Rene was stunned for a moment.
Nora¡¯s voice was still as low as ever as she said, "Well, just kidding. You don¡¯t have to call me Ms. Smith, you can just call me Lisa."
A touch of gentleness shed across Rene¡¯s eyes when she sensed her kindness.
People who lived in a world filled with malice would be grateful for every little bit of kindness that others showed them. That was exactly how Rene looked at the moment¡ªgrateful.
She lowered her head and whispered, "I... I¡¯m here to thank you."
"For?"
While asking, Nora looked at Xander.
There were still two months left, so Xander was in very stable condition at the moment.
Rene continued to speak softly. "Liam got promoted because you helped him, right? Thank you."
"You¡¯re wee." Nora looked at her: "I was the one who dragged him into it, so of course I had to do something."
Rene breathed a sigh of relief again.
Then, she pointed to the cake on the table and said, "I-I made that myself. Y-you and the children can try it."
The three little fellows would never touch things their neighbors gave them until she got home. Nora was very satisfied with their manners.
She nodded. "Thank you."
Rene became self-conscious again, though, she also felt relieved havingpleted her task. "T-then I¡¯ll go first."
Nora waited until she left before she walked to the door and looked out. Sure enough, she saw Liam waiting for Rene outside.
Rene¡¯s eyes lit up when she saw him. She walked over and took his arm. She looked very clingy. When she whispered something, Liam nodded.
Obviously, Rene had taken the initiative to visit them because of Liam¡¯s instructions.
Was he trying to please her because he knew that Nora was a high-level executive at NTT?
Nora did not feel much about it, though. After all, this was human nature.
¡ª
Soon, night fell.
At Staav University¡¯sboratory building.
Epson was actually very scared. After all, everyone else in the building had obediently halted their experiments and gone back.
If there really was a murderer, there would be no one to kill except them.
Thus, even though he was very sleepy, he still kept his spirits high and kept an eye outside.
Slowly, bit by bit, the clock moved from nine o¡¯clock to five in the morning.
Seeing that the sky was gradually brightening, Epson slowly rxed. He even walked over to the students and said jokingly, "See? A whole night has passed, there are no murderers at all! Those people were just trying to scare us. It¡¯s fortunate that we didn¡¯t leave and end up wasting this precious night. I¡¯m going toin to the university president tomorrow! And tell him that those SWAT officers are simply running too wild in the school, which has seriously affected our lives and work progress!"
Chapter 856: Barbarian’s Modus Operandi!
Chapter 856: Barbarian¡¯s Modus Operandi!
Everyoneughed when Epson said that.
It gradually became bright outside. One by one, the Staav University professors reported for work. Students also gradually woke up in the dormitories and went for their sses.
Everyone had believed Brenda when she said with absolute conviction that Barbarian would definitely take action¡ªafter all, Interpol had extraordinary status.
Regardless, Epson still went to the university president¡¯s office and told him that the serial murderers or whatnot didn¡¯t exist at all. He even pointed out something angrily and said, "Professor Mayer was probably killed at home by people seeking revenge on him, but that group of people are not only clinging onto this but even carrying this over to a serial killer hypothesis. This is just the police¡¯s excuse for their ipetence! There are so many projects to be done at Staav University, are we really going to follow their instructions and leave work on time every day? This is ridiculous!"
Upon hearing Epson, the other professors and students rushing their work also approached the president to lodge theirints.
"Our projects cannot afford any more dys! Since nothing went wrong in Professor Epson¡¯sbst night, this means it¡¯s okay for us to work after hours too."
"Yeah, we can¡¯t halt our progress just because of a murderer who may not even exist."
"If our progress is affected, it will also affect Staav University."
"..."
The president couldn¡¯t hold up under the pressure of so many people, so he went to Brenda.
"Captain Brenda, I know you guys are from Interpol, but nothing has happened at allst night. The murder pattern of that serial killer ¡¯Barbarian¡¯ you mentioned, is that once he starts killing, he must kill one person every day before he¡¯ll stop, but no one diedst night. The professors and students have begun to raise objections and they areining that your regtory measures are too strict!"
Brenda, who was dressed in a military uniform, straightened her back. She looked at the president and slowly asked, "Are you sure there is nothing wrong with all the professors?"
"Yes, I¡¯m sure!"
The president sighed. "Although we are morally obligated to cooperate with you, nothing of the sort that you mentioned happened yesterday, so I think you must be mistaken. It¡¯s impossible that Barbarian would be in the school. Alternatively, maybe the screening was done well yesterday, so he didn¡¯t have a chance to enter the school at all. I¡¯m afraid we can¡¯t cooperate with you anymore."
Brenda exined nervously, "Sir, yesterday¡¯s situation was indeed unexpected and non-conforming to Barbarian¡¯s killing pattern, but trust me, I have been tracking him for three years now. There¡¯s no way I would be wrong. He must be the one who killed that professor on the first day! He¡¯s definitely here in Staav University!"
The principal replied, "I believed you when you told me this yesterday. When I asked you if you had any evidence, you told me that you were basing this on intuition. But Captain Brenda, there are times when one¡¯s intuition can go wrong. Do you have any actual evidence? For example, traces of himself that Barbarian leaves behind after he kills someone?"
A stern-faced Brenda exined, "He has always been cautious and doesn¡¯t leave anything but a poker card behind after he murders someone. When Professor Mayer died, there was a poker card in his home."
The president sighed. "But what if the murderer deliberately did that to mislead you? So that you¡¯ll suspect it¡¯s Barbarian? The school carries out and researches hundreds of projects every year and many of them are pressed for time. They really can¡¯t afford to be dyed! Captain Brenda, do you think..."
Brenda¡¯s expression tensed up and she said, "Sir, do you know who Barbarian is? He has gone on five killing sprees during the past three years, and each time, he killed five people in a row before he stopped. Some of them might have been bad eggs, but some of them were also innocent citizens! In order to kill someone, Barbarian once ced a bomb and killed an entire bus full of people with him! He has no concept of life at all. It¡¯s most dangerous when there are many students in the school. I don¡¯t think you would want murders to take ce, either, right?! Once Barbarian shows up, if there are too many people around, there will be countless casualties. Are you sure you really don¡¯t care?"
Brenda¡¯s words made the president¡¯s jaw tense up. After a while, he sighed and said, "Fine, you¡¯ve convinced me again. But if the situation still differs from what you say after tonight, then we may not be able to cooperate with you anymore."
Brenda nodded. "No problem."
When she came out, Aaron came forward at once. He said, "Captain Brenda, what on earth is up with Barbarian? He didn¡¯t do anythingst night? The professors and students are all calling us good-for-nothings now and some are even telling our men stationed at their positions what to do! Our guys are all feeling really awful!"
Aaron gritted his teeth in fury and added, "That guy named Epson is especially bad. He brought his students with him and openly called us ipetent."
Chapter 857: Found it!!
Chapter 857: Found it!!
When Brenda heard this, a sharp look came into her eyes and she lowered her gaze. She said, "Tell our guys not to listen to them. They are just a bunch of ignorant and pedantic students!"
Aaron nodded. But right after, he heaved a deep sigh. "Everyone understands that, it¡¯s just that we are also anxious. Did we really make an error in judgment this time? Is Barbarian not here?"
"He¡¯s here."
Brenda was very sure.
Firstly, the way Professor Mayer was killedpletely matched Barbarian¡¯s modus operandi. Secondly, Caleb was here. Additionally, he also clearly stated that Trueman had only sent him here to look for leads after he got to know of Barbarian¡¯s whereabouts.
Therefore, Barbarian must be in Staav University.
But why was it that they simply couldn¡¯t find him?
Aaron couldn¡¯t help but say, "We kept everyone unrted to the school out of campus yesterday. Was he unable to get in? That¡¯s why he didn¡¯t take any action?"
The professors all had their own living quarters in the staff dormitories, so none of them had gone home the day before. All of them had stayed in the dormitories.
Therefore, the whole school was currently sealed off.
Had Barbarian really been unable to get in as a result?
Brenda found it unlikely, though.
For Barbarian to walk away unscathed every time after he killed so many people, what he relied on was precisely his strong fighting abilities. A door wouldn¡¯t be able to shut him out.
Brenda couldn¡¯t help looking at Aaron once more. "Get someone to verify once more whether all the professors came for work normally today."
Aaron nodded. "I have already contacted Peter, the director cooperating with our investigation of the professors and students this whole time, just now. He has confirmed that all professors have reported for sses and also that there are no students or professors absent from sses so far."
Brenda frowned. She was very puzzled.
While she was thinking, a few people, who looked like students, passed by her. When they saw her, they pointed at her and said, "You see that woman there? That¡¯s the woman. She¡¯s from Interpol. She must be why the police are so ipetent this time! First of all, women can¡¯tpare to men because they tend to be emotional in their way of handling things. Just now, I heard that she determined that we¡¯re facing a serial murderer because of her intuition? What kind of times are we living in? Does anyone solve cases with their intuition?
"Also, she said yesterday that someone would definitely be killedst night, so a lot of policemen were dispatched to handle the situation. But not only was there no news of anyone being killed, theb that worked overtimest night even turned out fine! I really don¡¯t understand why the president is cooperating with them..."
"Sigh, our project was originally supposed to bepleted with just two more nights of overtime but it was postponed all because of her. Even the investors have be unhappy about this."
"Ours, too. Epson said that the whole school was very quietst night and nothing happened at all. He also said that she¡¯s doing all this for Anti!"
"Anti? What does it have to do with Anti?"
"The officer said that Anti is her sister-inw. Anti is currently conducting research in the US on the same topic as Epson, so the two of them are racing against time to see who can clinch the project first. That¡¯s why the officer made up a ridiculous excuse like this to make things difficult for Epson. Unfortunately for her, he was not fooled. Our professor didn¡¯t dare to take responsibility for potential idents, so he obeyed their instructions, but Epson signed a waiver saying that he would take responsibility if anything happens in hisb!"
The two left while discussing the incident in low voices.
Aaron was furious. He wanted to go up and reason with them but Brenda held him back.
"Ignore them," she said.
Aaron took a deep breath.
Brenda wanted to say something, but out of the corner of her eye, she suddenly glimpsed a familiar figure in the corner ahead. She cast her eyes down, suddenly took Aaron¡¯s arm, and said, "Alright, Aaron, let¡¯s talk business instead!"
Aaron: "?"
However, he lived up to the name of being long-term partners with Brenda and immediately understood what she meant. Right off the bat, he said, "Sure. Have you had lunch? You must be exhausted after the busy morning. Let¡¯s have lunch first!"
"Okay."
After Brenda answered, the two walked off intimately.
Only after they went into the distance did Soloe out of the corner. The skinny man clenched his fists tightly, awfully mad. He asked Nora beside him, "How am I inferior to that officer?"
Nora replied, "You are not as tall as him."
Her one-liner pierced Solo¡¯s chest like a knife.
Solo retorted, "Aren¡¯t I just a little shorter than him?"
"You¡¯re not as strong and muscr as him."
A second knife was plunged into Solo¡¯s chest.
Nora looked Solo up and down. "Apart from your face, which is still not too bad, everything else about you seems to be inferior to him?"
Solo: "?"
He felt that a rain of des had just showered on him!!
Solo heaved a silent sigh and lowered his head. "No matter how much better he is than me, Brenny likes me, not him."
Nora: "?"
"Are you that confident?" She asked.
"Of course." Solo said, "Do you think I¡¯ll get into a rtionship with someone so casually? I know Brenny was up to no good when she first approached me, but her feelings for me,ter on, were genuine. I feel the same way towards her too!
"I just want to know why on earth Brenny is ignoring me? There must be something wrong in here!"
Nora nodded.
She also knew that something was wrong, but if Brenda refused to say anything, then she couldn¡¯t do anything either.
¡ª
Elsewhere.
Brenda and Aaron went to the school cafeteria. As it was lunchtime, there were a lot of people there.
When the pair entered, many students started to gesture at and talk about them.
Of course, public opinion was not overwhelmingly one-sided. There were still quite a fair number of people who spoke up for them.
"The police are just doing this in the name of prudence. It¡¯d be best that the murderer doesn¡¯t exist, but what if it¡¯s true? Projects are important but whenpared with our lives, aren¡¯t our lives still more important?"
Aaron paid attention to the ongoings around him as he ate.
"Our lives are indeed important but these rumors are really wrong. Everyone knows that Barbarian has to kill for five consecutive days once he goes on a killing spree. Since nothing happenedst night, this means that there is absolutely no problem! It¡¯s not Barbarian..."
"..."
The students were extremely concerned about the case, so everyone was discussing it.
Even Aaron couldn¡¯t help but start to doubt himself. He said, "Captain Brenda, are you sure it¡¯s really Barbarian? Peter has confirmed with me again that all the professors have indeed reported for work. This doesn¡¯t match Barbarian¡¯s pattern. Also, if there is no murder case, then I¡¯m afraid the police will really have to withdraw tomorrow..."
Upon hearing this, Brenda suddenly looked up at him. "Just now, you said that the professors have all reported for work, but what about Peter himself?"
Aaron was taken aback. "Peter and I have been contacting each other by cell phone all this time. I haven¡¯t seen him today but he was talking in the group chat early this morning."
Brenda¡¯s movements as she ate became slower and slower and she could no longer hear all the voices around them.
She suddenly asked, "Peter was also a lecturer before he became the director, right? What did he teach?"
Aaron was stunned. He swallowed and answered, "Biomedicine."
Chapter 858: Capturing The Criminal!
Chapter 858: Capturing The Criminal!
The timing when they came for lunch happened to coincide with Epson.
The students were busy with the experiments but Epson didn¡¯t need to do much, so he was free to go out for lunch.
As soon as he entered, he saw the students around him all looking in one direction. He followed everyone¡¯s gaze and looked over to see the pair who stood out in the crowd in their uniforms.
Epson curled his lips at once. He sneered and then walked over. "What a coincidence, Captain Brenda, I didn¡¯t expect you guys to alsoe here for lunch. Why do you guys still have the time to eat, though? Didn¡¯t you say that the serial killer is in the school? Everyone has stopped their experiments to cooperate with the police, so shouldn¡¯t you guys be so busy catching the bad guys that you don¡¯t even have time to eat? ..."
Epson spoke sarcastically.
Just as he was speaking, Brenda and Aaron pretty much only thought for two seconds before they jumped onto their feet. They moved so quickly that Epson got a shock.
In particr, Brenda and Aaron had a fierce and savage look in their eyes at the moment, which scared Epson so badly that he took a step back and waved his arms in front of him.
"What are you doing? Captain Brenda, we¡¯re on campus now. I won¡¯t hold it against you for beating me up thest time, but there are so many students watching us now. If you dare..."
Before he could even finish, Brenda and Aaron sprinted out of the cafeteria at lightning speed.
Epson: "?"
Epson: "..."
He stood where he was in confusion, puzzled about what the pair did just now.
He frowned. At this moment, a student nearby came over and asked, "Professor Epson, what just happened? What¡¯s up with those two?"
Epson thought for a moment and replied, "I reprimanded them just now, so they must have suddenly woken up ande to their senses, I suppose? So they¡¯ve gone to patrol and track down the murderer! I should think that the lockdown will be lifted soon! Besides, I reckon they must have also realized that it was not a serial killer who killed Professor Mayer, so they are too embarrassed to face us!"
Epson convinced even himself with his words.
The students nearby all gave Epson a thumbs up. They said, "Professor, you¡¯re really an educator in both morals and science. Not only do you impart us knowledge but you even taught those two some principles of life."
"Professor, your project will definitely seed! You will definitelyplete it faster than Anti!"
"..."
After being ttered by the students a little, Epson got ahead of himself and said, "Yeah, I think so too. Uh-huh, you guys don¡¯t have to look at me like that, I just did what I should have..."
¡ª
Elsewhere, after Brenda and Aaron sprinted out of the cafeteria, they went straight to the staff dormitories where the professors lived.
The professors hadn¡¯t been allowed to go home, so Peter was also living there. While they were running, Brenda asked, "When was thest time you saw Peter?"
Aaron replied, "At nine o¡¯clockst night. We separated after we verified together that all the professors, except for Epson, had gone to the staff dormitory."
Brenda broke into a frown. She took a deep breath and slowly said, "Barbarian has a habit of killing between 11 pm and 4 am."
Therefore, it was possible that Peter had really been murdered!
Aaron also became nervous. He picked up the walkie-talkie and spoke into it. He asked, "Jabil, have you seen Professor Peter today?"
"I exchanged a few text messages with him. Just half an hour ago, he was telling me that I can go to the cafeteria to eat."
Aaron interrupted him. "What I¡¯m asking is have you seen him in person?"
The other party paused and then answered, "No."
Aaron took a deep breath and said, "Head to Professor Peter¡¯s room in the staff dormitory immediately!"
"Roger!"
After hanging up, Brenda and Aaron sped up even more.
The two were anxious to solve the case but even more eager to save Peter. While running, they didn¡¯t notice Solo and Noraing out of the corner.
At the sight of them, Solo immediately went after them.
Nora also followed closely behind them.
Solo said, "Judging from how they look, they have probably found something rted to the suspect. Let¡¯s follow them and have a look. If we can help, then let¡¯s do so. Serial killers are too dangerous!"
Nora nodded. "Yeah."
Brenda resented Barbarian.
After all, to her, Barbarian was the one who had killed Justin, but it wasn¡¯t like Nora could tell her the truth, either. Nora was worried that Brenda would take things too hard and end up forcing a fight with Barbarian.
She had witnessed Barbarian¡¯s strength before.
He was an extremely tough opponent.
With that in mind, Nora quickened her pace.
When Brenda and Aaron reached the staff dormitories, the two exchanged a look. Then, back to back, they rushed in. Both of them were holding their guns and had them aimed straight ahead.
Brenda walked in front while Aaron followed behind her.
As old partners, the two cooperated seamlessly.
Just like that, they came right up to Peter¡¯s door. Brenda knocked on it. Immediately after, she gripped her handgun tightly and said, "Professor Peter, I have something to talk to you about. Please open the door."
Right after she spoke, she heard footstepsing from the room.
Brenda narrowed her eyes and exchanged a look with Aaron.
Aaron took a deep breath. "The person inside may be the murderer."
Brenda also nodded.
However, despite the movement inside, no one opened the door.
Brenda put her hand on the door handle and tried to open it but couldn¡¯t. She looked at the anti-burry lock on the door.
At Staav University, professors¡¯ rooms were likely to contain their research materials, so each door was set up with digital locks. It was difficult to crack the password from the outside.
Brenda did not have the password to Peter¡¯s room.
She paused for a moment. Aaron pointed his handgun at the lock, intending to shoot.
However, Brenda stopped him. She said, "Unless you have the password, you won¡¯t be able to break the lock even if you shoot at it! On the contrary, we may even alert the enemy."
Aaron was anxious. "But if we dy any longer, the person inside is gonna escape!"
Brenda¡¯s brows drew together. While she was thinking, a weak voice came over.
"I... I can open the lock for you."
Upon hearing the voice, Brenda and Aaron turned their heads in unison to see Solo sticking to the wall like a weakling. Seeing the pair look over, he looked at Brenda ingratiatingly and said, "I can open the lock for you guys. Give me ten seconds."
After speaking, he took out his cell phone and started to tap away.
Seeing this, Brenda¡¯s pupils shrank.
She abruptly reached over and grabbed Solo¡¯s phone. "I don¡¯t need your help!"
Unfortunately, she was a step toote!
When Solo offered to open the door¡¯s digital lock, he had already started to attack it. Right after Brenda spoke, the door opened with a ck!
The person inside also appeared in front of everyone at this moment.
Not expecting so many people toe rushing in, he seemed rather flustered. When he heard their voices, he immediately stood up.
"Don¡¯t move!"
"Freeze! Put your hands up!"
Brenda and Aaron shouted at the same time and pointed their guns at him.
Even Barbarian wouldn¡¯t be able to fight back against firearms!
After all, the gene serum had only improved his physical fitness. It couldn¡¯t turn his skin into steel!
"Turn around!"
The tall and sturdy figure slowly turned around. It was a face that Nora was familiar with...
Chapter 859: Why Is Brenda Ignoring Solo!
Chapter 859: Why Is Brenda Ignoring Solo!
"Jack?"
Nora, who was behind the few of them, uttered in surprise.
It was no wonder that she was surprised. After all, Jack¡¯s bright and sunny image was simply too out of line with Barbarian. Moreover, Nora had fought with Barbarian before back in New York, so she knew that he could not possibly be Barbarian...
While she was thinking, Aaron rushed over. Together with Brenda, they cautiously grabbed Jack¡¯s arms, held them behind him, and arrested him!
Jack, who looked rather flustered, eximed, "What¡¯s the matter? What happened? Sh*t! You can¡¯t just arrest me without a reason!"
Both Brenda and Aaron also felt that things were going too smoothly and the two looked at each other. While Aaron held Jack down, Brenda cautiously circled the room. However, she did not see Peter at all!
At the sight, Nora took the initiative to question Jack. She asked, "Why are you here, Jack?"
Jack, who was bent over due to being bound, answered, "Professor Peter wanted me to clean his room. What¡¯s the matter with you guys?"
In university, many postgraduate students working under the professors also doubled as their assistants in their personal life. In fact, a fair number of professors even got their postgraduate students to pick up their children from school for them. Therefore, situations like what Jack was iming did exist.
However, he had a very flustered look in his eyes, so it was obvious at a nce that he was lying.
Aaron immediately held him down even more forcefully, which made Jack feel as if his arm was going to break. He shouted, "You can¡¯t treat me like this! I¡¯m a student of Staav University! What gives you the right to treat me like this?"
Aaron¡¯s expression darkened even further when he said that.
Nora said, "If you don¡¯t tell the truth, I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t be able to help you, Jack."
Jack pressed his lips together when he heard her.
Nora nodded to Aaron.
Aaron slowly let go of Jack, but nevertheless continued to point his handgun at him warily.
If Jack was Barbarian, even if all three and a half humans present teamed up¡ªSolo could only be regarded as half a person here¡ªthey still wouldn¡¯t be his match.
Therefore, Aaron and Brenda did not dare to let down their guard one bit.
Jack stood up straight and shook his arm, which had be numb from being held down. Only then did the young man, who was close to tears, say, "I was doing Professor Peter¡¯s work for him... He said that he should have been taking care of this by himself, so he didn¡¯t want me to tell anyone about it."
As soon as he said that, the rest understood.
Why, Jack had been the one handling all the work¡ªincluding verifying the professors¡¯ attendance¡ªin the group chat since the morning, not Peter!
Aaron broke into a huge frown and asked, "Where¡¯s Peter?"
Jack shrugged. "I don¡¯t know. Why would the director ever tell me where he¡¯s going?"
Aaron looked at Brenda.
Brenda suddenly took a step forward and attacked Jack, which scared him so badly that he immediately retreated. Even so, he did not manage to dodge her attack. There was no sign of an act in his actions.
Brenda said, "He¡¯s not Barbarian."
Only then did the fierce and menacing look on Aaron¡¯s face ease. The way he looked just now was as if Barbarian had killed his father.
Nevertheless, he was furious. "When did you start handling these affairs for him? And when was thest time you saw him?"
Although Jack was displeased at being punched for some inexplicable reason, he nevertheless answered Aaron¡¯s questions honestly. He replied, "At ten o¡¯clockst night. When I left this ce, I told him that I woulde over at six this morning to continue helping him with his work."
Aaron asked, "Didn¡¯t you see him when you came here this morning?"
"No." Jack replied, "He was already gone when I came. He usually gets up at 5:30 for morning runs and then he takes his breakfast after it. I was also wondering why he isn¡¯t back yet and was just about to call him."
Aaron noticed something suspicious. "How did you get in if Peter wasn¡¯t here?"
Jack was confused. "I have the password to Professor Peter¡¯s room. Ie here every morning to clean up when he goes for his morning run. Is something the matter?"
His exnation was wless.
There was no problem with Jack¡¯s answers.
Nora also frowned.
After circling around the room, Brenda finally took a deep breath and said, "Peter has been murdered."
Both Aaron and Jack looked at her in shock.
Jack blurted out, "How can that be?!"
Brenda took out a poker card. "This is Barbarian¡¯s calling card. He leaves a poker card like this behind whenever he appears. Here¡¯s the question, though: Where is Peter¡¯s body?"
She looked straight at Aaron. "Retrieve the surveince footage."
Aaron nodded.
The night before, they had spent the whole time keeping a watch on the staff dormitory. There was no way anyone could enter the room without them knowing. There must be something wrong in here.
Soon, Aaron retrieved the surveince footage and started checking it on his cell phone.
Everything had gone well the night before. Except for a few students, no one had gone to Peter¡¯s room. There was no trace of Barbarian having ever entered.
After going through it once, Brenda said, "Barbarian typically kills at night between ten and four. Let¡¯s slow down the video and watch the footage for those six hours again."
"Okay."
Aaron reyed the video.
They had sped through the video at twenty times the original speed just now. This time, they slowed it down and watched it carefully.
Nora suddenly noticed something amiss. She was about to speak when Solo suddenly tugged at her sleeve. Nora immediately understood and closed her mouth.
Solo was intending to disy his professional expertise.
It was just like how Nora hadn¡¯t offered to unlock the door for them just now¡ªbecause there was Solo.
Sure enough, Solo said, "Look at the part at five minutes past midnight."
Brenda was taken aback.
Aaron¡¯s fingers also paused slightly but he still reversed the video to the part at five minutes past midnight.
Solo pointed to the video and said, "The time flow here is not quite right. A hacker has likely covered up something here. Look here..."
A very professional Solo pointed out something odd, "The reflection of the moon outside the window was at this position at 11 pm. It should have changed its direction after midnight but this part here stayed the same the whole time and never changed."
Aaron and Brenda were stunned for a moment and they both looked at Solo.
Solo continued. "This shows that their hacker has masked the part after midnight with the footage from 11 pm, so as to prevent you guys from noticing anything unusual."
Aaron hurriedly asked, "Is there any way to restore the surveince footage at twelve o¡¯clock?"
Solo shook his head. "That¡¯s where they were really brilliant. The surveince footage after twelve o¡¯clock has been fully masked, which means that the camera was turned off at midnight. Therefore, even if you discover something amiss, you won¡¯t be able to find the original video anymore¡ªbecause it was never recorded."
If the video was never recorded, then even if they had a master hacker on their side, it would still be impossible for them to recover it.
After all, how was one supposed to recover something that had never existed?
Solo subconsciously said, "The guy is very cautious. It feels like he knows that you have hackers on your side, so he is guarding against that."
Hackers...
As soon as Solo said that, Brenda suddenly looked at Nora.
Nora also narrowed her eyes.
Between Q and Y, only her identity had been publicly announced, so the other party did not know that Y was Justin. Besides, even Nora couldn¡¯t say for sure whether Justin was here or not, let alone the other party?
Therefore, she was the one whom they were guarding against!
In other words, Barbarian was already aware that Nora was here.
Nora frowned.
Once again, she was acutely feeling just how tough the enemy was. Barbarian¡¯s overwhelmingly powerful fighting abilities coupled with Spacey, whose hacking skills might beparable to hers...
Could she really beat abination like that and get the V16?
While Nora was thinking, Brenda had already sorted out her thoughts. She looked straight at Aaron and said slowly, "The most important thing for us now is to find Peter¡¯s body as soon as possible, so that we can prove that I am speaking the truth, or else the president is going to kick us out tomorrow! In addition, the students and professors are all intellectuals with minds of their own. They will never let us confine them here for ten days or half a month!"
Aaron nodded but said anxiously, "But where is the body? We don¡¯t have any clues at all."
Brenda said, "The whole campus was closed offst night, so they definitely can¡¯t transport the body out. The body must still be within school premises!"
Aaron nodded again. "Okay, I¡¯ll send someone to look for it right away. Even if we must turn the whole school upside down, we will find the body."
After that, Aaron made a phone call and dispatched his men to look for the body.
But after he hung up the phone, he saw an extremely grave look on Brenda¡¯s face.
"What¡¯s wrong?" Aaron asked.
A grim-faced Brenda replied, "We have been investigating suspicious people the whole time since yesterday, but even until now, we still haven¡¯t found any clues. Barbarian is a living, breathing person. We¡¯ve also reminded the students to be careful if they spot any strangers. Although the school is big, the student poption is dense, yet no one has spotted any strangers even until now. Do you know what this means?"
Aaron shook his head.
Before Brenda could speak, Nora replied on her behalf. She said, "Barbarian is either a student or a teacher in the school."
"..."
Her one-liner was akin to a thunderous explosion in their ears.
Everyone looked at her in stunned disbelief.
Brenda nodded. She said, "Yes, Nora is right. I always thought that Barbarian was all brawn and no brains but it¡¯s only now that I¡¯ve realized that he is actually very clever. No wonder he instantly disappeared the moment we found even a tiny lead on him all these years."
Nora, however, said, "There is another possibility, though."
Brenda looked at her. "What is it?"
In a low voice, Nora slowly answered, "Someone is helping Barbarian."
Spacey, the genius with the high IQ.
When Solo said just now that the other party had hackers on their side, she¡¯d immediately thought of Spacey.
If Barbarian wasn¡¯t blindly acting in a reckless and foolhardy manner at the moment, then this meant that the highly intelligent Spacey must be giving him advice and guidance!
Spacey¡¯s IQ genes had been improved, so he must be highly intelligent.
As for Barbarian, his physical fitness had been improved, so he was extremely strong. The two, teaming up, made for an even more terrifying enemy than Barbarian alone.
Brenda nodded solemnly.
After the two spoke, the room suddenly fell into silence.
After a while, Brenda recovered and said, "Alright, Nora, we are going to continue with the case. You guys can go now!"
Solo, however, said, "Brenny, I¡¯m not leaving, I can stay and help you. Look at how much help I was to you just now, you..."
Before he could finish, though, Brenda cut him off. She said, "What can you even help with? Do you think you¡¯ll be of help to us just by mouthing off some nonsense? Hurry up and leave, I don¡¯t want to see you! You¡¯re just a pretty boy who only knows how to freeload. Go away!"
Solo paled when he heard her.
He didn¡¯t expect Brenda to say such things just to drive him away.
He gave her a resigned smile and said, "Brenny, I¡¯m a hacker. I solved the technical problems for you just now. If someone hacks into the system again tonight, at least I¡¯ll be able to find out. Why are you¡ª"
"Hacker? I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about, you are just a programmer. Please don¡¯t pester me anymore, okay? Go away!"
Brenda pointed at the door and yelled at him.
Solo was stunned again.
He wanted to say something but Nora had already turned around. She said dispassionately, "Let¡¯s go."
Solo was not afraid of Brenda, but he was afraid of Nora. That big boss wasn¡¯t very even-tempered. Although he still had a lot to say to Brenda, when he nced at Nora from the back, he chose to follow after Nora.
Even after Solo stepped out, he was perplexed. "Does Brenny hate me that much? But why?"
Nora looked behind her at the people in the room. Suddenly, she said, "Leave this ce."
Solo was taken aback. "Anti, are you also not on my side anymore? Do you also think I¡¯m a good-for-nothing? There is obviously a misunderstanding between Brenny and me, we have to resolve it and talk things out properly! We love each other, I¡¯m not willing to just let go of her like that! Besides, you saw just now that I can really be of help to her. Although myputer skills are not as good as yours, I¡¯m still a well-known hacker..."
Nora was about to interrupt him when Aaron suddenly came out of the room.
He stared at Solo and suddenly said, "When you said that your name was Solo, I didn¡¯t think much about it. Are you the hacker Solo?"
"Yes, yes, that¡¯s right!" Solo nodded. "I¡¯m Solo the hacker! I can be of help to you, really! Go and tell Captain Brenda to let me stay!"
Solo hadpletely forgotten that he was currently wanted by Interpol.
As soon as he said that though, Aaronughed and said, "So, you are Solo! What a coincidence!"
"Yes, what a coincidence, right? There can¡¯t be a bigger coincidence than this! Although I¡¯m not as strong or muscr as you, I¡¯m still useful, right?" Solo vaguely found the value of his existence. "So, you..."
Aaron suddenly stepped forward, grabbed Solo¡¯s arms, and held them behind him!
Solo: "?"
Just as he was at a total loss, Aaron cast his eyes down and said coldly, "We were looking for you all over the world, but to think you present yourself right on our doorstep!"
Solo was taken aback. Then, he shouted nervously, "Hey bro, I didn¡¯t do anything bad. This is just a misunderstanding! A misunderstanding, I say... Brenny,e out and save me!"
Despite his shouts, Brenda didn¡¯t step out of the room. Aaron let out a low scoff and said, "I thought you and Captain Brenda were just having a petty lover¡¯s quarrel, I didn¡¯t expect this at all. I finally understand why she¡¯s ignoring you now..."
Solo was not at all anxious about being arrested anymore. On the contrary, he asked, "What have you understood? Hurry and tell me! I¡¯m at a total loss! Why is she asking to break up when nothing happened? What am I doing wrong?"
Chapter 860: How To Make Up For It
Chapter 860: How To Make Up For It
Despite being a well-known hacker, Solo didn¡¯t really take the fact that Interpol was after him seriously.
After all, all these years, he had only undertaken privatemissions and most of the money he earned was legal. He had only run to America because¡ªfirst, he wanted to visit Nora, and second, he found being targeted by Interpol very troublesome.
But even if he was caught, he would be released from jail after just two or three months. Moreover, if he took the initiative to cooperate with Interpol, he could even join them, start out on a clean te, and be a white hat.
The Interpol had even invited Solo to join them before, but he had declined.
Now that he knew that Brenda was an Interpol officer, he started having thoughts of joining them. That was why he had kept disying his professionalism just now.
That was why Solo was not afraid at all, despite Aaron subduing him, and was even asking him what was going on.
Aaron didn¡¯t hold back at all, which made Solo¡¯s shoulders hurt terribly. However, none of it couldpare with his desire to know what on earth was going on with Brenda.
Aaron stared at Solo, the deep hatred in his eyes almost overflowing.
He sneered, "Fine, if Captain Brenda won¡¯t tell you the truth, then I¡¯ll do it. The two of you will never be together because..."
"Aaron!"
Before Aaron could finish, Brenda¡¯s frosty voice came over, preventing him from saying the rest of what he wanted to say.
The woman, who stood tall and straight, came out of the room and her gaze fell on Solo. Her pretty face was tense and frosty as she slowly said, "Don¡¯t waste your breath telling him unnecessary things!"
She took a step forward. She clenched her fists tightly, stared at Solo, and said, "You and I have been walking two different paths from the start. I¡¯ve told you a long time ago to stay away from me but you keep sending yourself up to my doorstep again and again. In that case, I might as well ept this achievement that you¡¯re offering me! Aaron!"
Aaron stood up straight. "Present!"
Brenda lowered her eyes and kept quiet for a long while.
Solo was also staring at Brenda, his eyes full of incredulity. However, he quickly reacted and said, "Captain Brenda, I know I may have done some things that vite internationalw, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve done any huge wrongdoings, right? Seeing that I am repentant and have also offered to help you, why don¡¯t you consider recruiting me into the team?"
Brenda¡¯s fists were shaking a little.
Next to her, Aaron also sneered. His eyes were all red and all his muscles seemed to be bulging as though he would kill Solo with a punch the very next moment.
Before he could speak, Brenda said, "Detain him for now, then get the local police to take over. Our main priority now is to arrest Barbarian!"
"Captain Brenda!" Aaron yelled furiously.
Brenda was shaking all over. "Do as I say! We will do everything ording to the system!"
Aaron looked at Solo. The way he was gritting his teeth in fury confused Solo and put him at a loss. Regardless, after a short pause, Aaron replied, "... Yes, ma¡¯am!"
Atst, Solo couldn¡¯t help but say, "No, you two, I¡¯m asking to join you guys here. Also, aren¡¯t I just a tiny little criminal? Do you really need to gnash your teeth so hard? You make it seem like I¡¯m some kind of heinous murderer. I..."
"Shut up!"
Brenda suddenly red at him and let out a low shout, which shut Solo up.
Only then did Brenda look at Aaron. "Take him to a solitary cell and keep him there."
"Yes, ma¡¯am."
Aaron left with Solo.
Nora, who was standing at the side, nced at Brenda.
Brenda took a deep breath.
Nora walked up to her and suddenly asked, "Just what exactly is going on?"
Brenda¡¯s eyes were all red and there were faint tears in her eyes.
She lowered her eyes and suddenly smiled. "You know something, Nora? Some people with certain abilities may not have done anything wrong, but their abilities are, in themselves, a mistake..."
After leaving behind those words, Brenda turned around abruptly and said, "I¡¯m going to look for Peter¡¯s body. If I can¡¯t find it today, I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll really be turned away tomorrow. I¡¯ll leave for now!"
With that, she left.
Nora¡¯s jaw tensed up as she stared at her from the back.
However, she didn¡¯t go after Brenda but followed Aaron instead.
Solo was a hacker, so he was physically very weak and posed no threat to her at all. Yet Brenda hadn¡¯t escorted Solo in person but gotten Aaron to do it, instead...
This showed that Brenda had actually been covering up for Solo all this time!
She was giving Solo the chance to escape.
After all, for Solo to sessfully dodge the pursuit of so many police officers all these years, he must have had his ways too.
It was just that after she walked over, she found that Solo had kept his head down and followed Aaron the whole time, showing no intention of resisting whatsoever.
Halfway, when Aaron passed by the washrooms, he suddenly paused. He looked at Solo and said, "I¡¯m going to the washroom for a while. Stay here and don¡¯t run, you hear me?"
Solo looked at him nkly. "Okay."
Aaron nced at him again before he finally entered the washroom.
Nora hurried over and grabbed Solo¡¯s arm. "Let¡¯s go."
However, Solo stood still and shook his head. "I¡¯m not leaving."
Nora didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry. "Aaron left you out here to give you the chance to run!"
"I know."
Solo let out a quiet sigh. As though a confused child, he lowered his head and said, "That¡¯s why I can¡¯t leave. I want to know why on earth Brenny is ignoring me. Surely I have to find out why, right?!"
Nora: "..."
To be honest, Nora had roughly guessed what the reason might be but she only had a vague idea as to what might have happened, so she would have to investigate to get the specifics. She said, "I¡¯ll check what happened for you."
"Even so, I¡¯m still not leaving."
Solo squatted on the ground stubbornly and hugged his knees.
Nora could only bend down as well, her patience close to running out. "What¡¯s up with you?"
Solo sighed. "If I go, Brenny and I won¡¯t ever have a chance of reconciling. I have to stay!"
It was only when Nora heard this that she suddenly realized what he meant.
Solo wasn¡¯t stupid. Otherwise, he would not have gotten so many things done for her so quickly all these years. He knew and understood everything deep down.
He knew very well that he would be a fugitive if he ran away. Brenda didn¡¯t want to arrest him, but at the same time, Brenda waspletely pushing him away.
He looked at Nora nkly. "Even if I¡¯ve really done something wrong, I have to know what it is. Surely I have to find out whether there¡¯s any possibility of making it up to her? I don¡¯t want to give up Brenny just like that."
Solo¡¯s crimes would only put him in jail for two or three months at most.
Nothing much would really happen to him.
Seeing that he was being so stubborn, Nora sighed quietly and said, "Fine."
But as soon as she said that, Aaron¡¯s voice came from the washroom entrance. "You can never make up for the mistakes you¡¯ve made!"
Solo hurriedly turned around and looked at Aaron. "What on earth is going on? What did I do wrong? What did I do?"
Aaron clenched his jaw.
He looked at Solo savagely. "What you¡¯ve done wrong? You owe us a life!"
Solo was stunned but he quickly came back to his senses. "I... I didn¡¯t. I¡¯ve never killed anyone, I¡¯ve never taken suchmissions! I..."
Before he could finish, Aaron asked, "Do you remember someone named Marcus?"
Solo paused for a while before he suddenly realized who he was talking about. "Yeah, I remember him. Isn¡¯t he a hacker? He even provoked me and said that he was a better hacker than me..."
After saying that, Solo asked, "But what does it have to do with him?"
Aaron lowered his eyes. "He was my and Captain Brenda¡¯s partner!"
Solo was taken aback.
Aaron continued to speak.
"Marcus, Captain Brenda, and I¡ªthe three of us were close friends and we always worked together whenever we handled cases. Marcus was in love with Captain Brenda, so he always worked hard to coordinate with her during operations. Marcus was very capable. The higher-ups once talked to him about having him lead a team but Marcus never agreed. Instead, he willingly worked under Captain Brenda¡ªnot because he admired her abilities, but because he wanted to protect her!"
Aaron clenched his fists, his whole body shaking. There was hatred and resentment in his eyes as he stared at Solo.
His appearance caused a foreboding feeling to suddenly arise in Solo. "W-where is he?"
Aaron lowered his eyes. "He¡¯s dead!"
Solo¡¯s heart sank. "B-but I wasn¡¯t the one who caused his death. What does it have to do with me? I¡ª"
Before he could finish, Aaron suddenly looked at him. "He was not convinced of your hacking skills, so he once publicly mored that he wanted to pit his skills against yours, right?"
Solo nodded. "Yes, but I ignored him."
Aaron sneered and lowered his head.
He suddenly asked, "Three months ago, did you take amission to hack into someone¡¯s cell phone?"
Solo nodded. "Yeah, how did you know?"
Solo had always been taking privatemissions from others but he had never done anything terrible like murder. Additionally, the peoplemissioning him were required to inform him of what they intended to do postmission.
He didn¡¯t allow them to make use of him to do bad things.
When he thought of that, he suddenly looked at Aaron. "That phone... was Marcus¡¯?"
Aaron lowered his eyes. "No, it was Captain Brenda¡¯s."
His reply made Solo¡¯s eyes widen abruptly. He suddenly thought back to three months ago when someone had sent him an email, saying that his girlfriend had betrayed him. She had cheated on him with many people at the same time and was a scumbag. Therefore, he¡¯d offered Solo $3,000 to pinpoint the girl¡¯s GPS location.
$3,000 was just peanuts to him, but he hated such women the most, so he¡¯d epted the simplemission.
He checked the cell phone number given by the other party, whereupon he found that the girl was indeed an unfaithful woman and a yer¡ªbecause the cell phone¡¯s GPS location was often in ces like nightclubs.
After Solo sent the GPS coordinates to his client, his client had replied, "She¡¯s too much! How dare she be a town bike! She cuckolded me for so many years but I didn¡¯t even realize! Man, I¡¯m pissed!"
With the mentality of someone watching a show, Solo had replied, "Just break up. She¡¯s not worth it."
But his client then sent a message begging him for help. "Can you help me hack into my girlfriend¡¯s cell phone for ten minutes? I want to lock her in the toilet and scare her a little as punishment."
For Solo, a small request like that was not even worth mentioning.
He agreed immediately. In fact, he¡¯d even felt that he was punishing evil and promoting good.
But he didn¡¯t understand¡ªhow could she have been Brenda?
While he was in a daze, Aaron sneered and spoke again. "That day, after much difficulty, Captain Brenda, Marcus, and I finally managed to get hold of Barbarian¡¯s whereabouts. In order not to alert the enemy, Captain Brenda went in to scout the ce first. We agreed that she would give us a signal in five minutes but we suddenly lost contact with her! Marcus was worried about Captain Brenda, so he rushed in at once... He thought that the signal source he had set up was inadequate, causing Captain Brenda to be unable to send us the signal... But we had never thought that the reason why she hadn¡¯te out was just because of a hacker¡¯s little prank!! Marcus, in order to save Captain Brenda, was brutally killed by Barbarian."
At this point, Aaron suddenly raised his fist and mmed it in Solo¡¯s face!
Nora didn¡¯t do anything. Instead, she watched the two fixedly.
Solo didn¡¯t duck either. It seemed like he had never imagined that things could have turned out like that...
He¡¯d only hacked into someone¡¯s phone for ten minutes and prevented them from using it. How did it involve someone¡¯s death?
On top of that, out of everyone it could have been, that person was Brenda!
He even remembered that he had had a few conversations with the owner of the cell phone back then.
Using an unknown number, he had sent the other party text messages and scolded her, saying that she should repent and that her boyfriend was still waiting for her.
The girl had replied: ¡¯Are you nuts?¡¯
At that time, he¡¯d harassed the girl by sending her a ton of text messages because he wanted her to change her mind and return to her boyfriend.
In fact...
After hacking her cell phone for ten minutes, when he returned control of the phone to the girl, he had even left a message on the screen: ¡¯Hahaha! You must have been scared silly, right? You deserved it!¡¯
Solo staggered a couple of steps backward.
He thought of how those big mocking words would have suddenly appeared on the phone as Brenda came out dragging the body of herrade who had died tragically. When he thought of how he was the one who had sent that message to her...
Solo suddenly clutched his chest.
No wonder... no wonder Brenda had said that there was no misunderstanding between them.
Yeah, there certainly wasn¡¯t any misunderstanding.
There was only hatred and a feud between them!
That was why Interpol, who had always ignored him, had started toe after him when the charges were not even serious. Even if he was caught, he would only serve two or three months in prison.
Solo¡¯s nose was broken, warm liquid slowly trickled down.
He suddenly didn¡¯t know what to do anymore.
Aaron pointed to the outside. "Leave! We investigated after the incident and found out that it was just a hacker¡¯s prank and that you indeed don¡¯t have anything to do with Barbarian...
"Yes, you are innocent and you were deceived, but no matter how many excuses I make up for you, it can¡¯t erase the fact that you caused Marcus¡¯ death! So, you get it now, right? Captain Brenda will never forgive you¡ªbecause the moment she sees you, she thinks of the text message, those short ten minutes, and Marcus¡¯ tragic death! Get lost! I¡¯m not interested in detaining you. Stay away from us in the future!"
Aaron really wanted to beat up Solo and kill him, but of all people, Captain Brenda had fallen in love with him.
Marcus¡¯ only wish when he had been alive was for Captain Brenda to find someone she loved... Now that she had, Aaron couldn¡¯t really kill Solo to avenge him.
Solo, however, remained where he was. He murmured to himself, "W-what can I do to make up for it?"
"Make up for it?" Aaron sneered, "Only if you can bring Marcus back to life!"
Chapter 861: Smoking The Enemy Out
Chapter 861: Smoking The Enemy Out
How could the dead possiblye back to life, though?
Solo remained where he was, stunned to the spot.
He didn¡¯t know how he should exin himself, let alone what he should do... All of this was thanks to his stupidity and self-righteousness!
Regardless, he couldn¡¯t reconcile himself with it. He still wanted to grasp something, so he asked, "What can I do now?"
Aaron lowered his eyes. "The only thing you can do now is to leave Captain Brenda. When Marcus died, she was out of it for whole 6 months. It¡¯s also for the sake of taking revenge for Marcus that we are so focused on arresting Barbarian now, but your existence will only keep reminding Captain Brenda how tragic Marcus¡¯ death was! You being with her will only bring her pain!"
After saying that, Aaron looked down and checked the time. Then, he walked past him and said, "I won¡¯t arrest you¡ªbecause you don¡¯t deserve to go to prison for reformation."
With that, Aaron left, leaving behind only Nora and Solo.
Nora looked at Solo. For a while there, she didn¡¯t quite know how she shouldfort him.
She suddenly understood Brenda¡¯s feelings very well. From her perspective, Solo might not be the murderer¡ªin fact, he had even been deceived¡ªbut how could Brenda possibly bring herself to face him with peace of mind?
During the past few months, Brenda probably didn¡¯t just hate Barbarian, but also the person who had hacked her cell phone, right?
If Solo hadn¡¯t hacked her phone at that time, they wouldn¡¯t have lost contact and Marcus wouldn¡¯t have rushed in to save her...
So, how could Brenda possibly bring herself to be with Solo?
Solo didn¡¯t do anything wrong.
His only mistake was that he had trusted the wrong person.
Brenda also didn¡¯t do anything wrong.
She couldn¡¯t let down Marcus. She couldn¡¯t get into a rtionship with the person who had indirectly caused his death. She couldn¡¯t cross that hurdle in her heart.
Therefore, when Nora asked Brenda what was going on, Brenda had told her that there was no misunderstanding. All this time, there had never been any misunderstanding between her and Solo.
Yeah, there certainly wasn¡¯t any.
All there was between the two of them was a dead knot!
Marcus¡¯ death was like a thorn forever stuck between the two. Even if Brenda chose to be with him, she would probably live in guilt for the rest of her life.
Nora sighed. She patted Solo¡¯s shoulder and said, "Why don¡¯t you leave the school for now?"
"... Okay."
With his head down, a wilted Solo followed behind Nora and left the school.
Nora personally walked Solo out of the school gates. She watched Solo enter the hotel outside the school. After he packed his modest luggage¡ªwhich was just a backpack¡ªhe got into a cab and left.
Only then did Nora turn around. As soon as she did, though, she saw a sh of Brenda not far away.
Nora smiled wryly.
Actually, Brenda couldn¡¯t get over Solo either, right?
She walked over slowly and came up to Brenda. She said, "He¡¯s gone. Don¡¯t look anymore."
"Yeah, okay."
Brenda turned around. On the face of the stubborn woman was a strong and resilient expression.
Nora asked, "Can¡¯t bear to part with him?"
Brenda¡¯s lips curled into a wry smile. "Yeah, I can¡¯t."
She paused for a while and then said, "It wasn¡¯t easy for me to finally fall for a man, yet I¡¯m letting him go just like that. But don¡¯t worry, Nora, I¡¯m not someone who can¡¯t think straight once I fall in love. I don¡¯t have time to mope around now. My priority now is to catch Barbarian! And avenge Marcus!"
Nora was a little surprised to hear this. "Avenge Marcus?"
"Yeah." Brenda seemed to have lost the frivolity that was usually around her. She said straightforwardly, "I know Justin isn¡¯t dead."
Nora was taken aback. "When did you realize?"
Brenda looked at her. "I thought of it when I saw you here at Staav University."
Brenda looked ahead of her. "Justin¡¯s death came out of nowhere. He is the Big Brother of the Irvin School of Martial Arts. He may not be able to beat Barbarian in terms of pure strength but the Irvin School of Martial Arts is the most skilled at scheming and ying tricks, so Justin should be great at escaping. Later, when I saw that you weren¡¯t very sad, I initially thought it was because you and Justin didn¡¯t love each other that much. However, the three children were also smiling happily every day. To outsiders, the children are still young, so they must not know what death really means, but I know what Pete is like. Although he is young, his IQ is equivalent to that of a fifteen-year-old, so it¡¯s impossible that he wouldn¡¯t understand. Then, when I saw you here, I knew right away that there must be something up with you and Justin."
Brenda was a police officer great at noticing details. It was not surprising that she would detect such things.
Now that things hade to this, Nora didn¡¯t want to hide it from her anymore, either. Thus, she nodded and said, "Yeah, he didn¡¯t die."
Brenda heaved a sigh of relief. "I won¡¯t ask what the two of you are doing, but if you ever deal with Barbarian again, you can count me in. There¡¯s an irreconcble feud between us!"
"Okay."
The two chatted while searching for Peter¡¯s body in the school.
The rest of the policemen had already searched everywhere but it was as though Peter had disappeared into thin air, and they simply couldn¡¯t find any clues. In fact, for some reason, some students even said that they had seen Peter buying breakfast in the cafeteria in the morning.
Brenda found this puzzling. "That¡¯s impossible. Are they sure that the person they saw was Peter?"
Aaron was even more incredulous. "Yes, they are sure that the person they saw was Peter. After I asked them about it carefully, they told me that Peter always wears a baseball cap and carries a towel with him when he goes running every morning. After that, while covered in sweat, he goes to the cafeteria to buy breakfast and brings it back to his dorm room. I¡¯ve checked the surveince cameras in the cafeteria¡ª¡¯Peter¡¯ had his back to the cameras the whole time and he didn¡¯t show his face at all. He only created an illusion to make everyone think that Peter had gone for breakfast, when in fact, the person buying breakfast at that time was the murderer!"
Brenda¡¯s brows drew together tightly. "Barbarian¡¯s modus operandi is very strange this time. He used to kill in a direct and brutal manner all the time but he¡¯s simply being too strange right now. Not only did he kill Peter and leave us without any clues, but he even pretended to be Peter after that... What on earth is he trying to do?"
While Brenda was thinking, Aaron also remarked, "If it weren¡¯t for the poker cards in the room, I would have thought that Barbarian really isn¡¯t the one behind it all this time! How could someone like him, who has always been simple-minded and straightforward, possiblye up with such aplex n? What the hell is he nning?"
Nora, who was next to him, suddenly said, "I know what he¡¯s nning now."
Aaron was taken aback. "What is it?"
Nora looked out the window. "There you go, his objective hase..."
Following what she said, someone pushed open the door to the office they were in.
A few professors and students walked in. As soon as they did, they began to use and criticize Brenda and Aaron.
"Officer, what on earth is the matter with you guys? Do you have any idea how urgent our projects are? We agreed to your request when you wanted us to cooperate with you yesterday. There¡¯s absolutely no way we¡¯re doing that again tonight!"
"Yeah, we¡¯re staff and students here at Staav University, not prisoners! We can choose to disobey your orders! We demand freedom!"
"We are all students and professors. Instead of investigating Professor Mayer¡¯s death and going after his murderer, you¡¯re staying here and doing so many meaningless things... On top of that, you¡¯re even iming that Professor Peter has been killed? How can that be? If Professor Peter has really been killed, then produce some evidence for it!"
"Is it okay to lie just to prove that your judgment is correct? Professor Peter just posted on Instagram, yet you¡¯re saying that he¡¯s dead? This is ridiculous!"
"Yeah, do you think Staav University¡¯s staff and students are pushovers? We have a School of Law here! I¡¯m aw student myself. Officer, I¡¯d like to talk to you about human rights and freedom now..."
"Officer, you have no right to imprison so many of us. We have our right to freedom. You can¡¯t lock up nearly ten thousand teachers and students in the school with you just because of a murderer! I¡¯m going out now... I have something on at home!"
"I¡¯m going out too! I¡¯ve run out of tissues, I need to go to the supermarket!"
"I¡¯m going out too, I¡¯m going out too..."
"..."
The people¡¯s voices got louder and louder.
Seeing their behavior, Nora lowered her eyes and said slowly, "You see that? Now, this is exactly what he¡¯s after."
She looked at Brenda. "Barbarian came here to look for something and he¡¯s not leaving until he finds it, but your presence here has seriously affected his ability to judge the situation and his objective. That¡¯s why he¡¯s doing this¡ªhe wants to incite the students and professors into driving you guys away."
Aaron: "!"
He clenched his fists furiously. "Damn! That son of a bitch!"
Brenda was much calmer. She lowered her eyes and looked at Epson, who was leading the crowd. She said, "The president and I have already agreed that I will leave tomorrow if there¡¯s still no murder tonight. However, in the meantime, all of you must still obey our orders! We represent the school¡¯s decision!"
Epson scoffed and asked, "You represent the school¡¯s decision? Therefore, we should just waste another night here? Captain Brenda, if no murder happens by tomorrow and the police leaves, then what happens to our lost time tonight? Who is going topensate us for it? Who is going to take responsibility for our lost time?!"
Brenda took a deep breath. "I will!"
Epson demanded aggressively, "And how are you going to take responsibility for it?"
Brenda sneered, "If nothing happens by tomorrow morning, then I am willing to be punished! I will take off this uniform I¡¯m wearing!"
"Okay! Don¡¯t forget what you said!" Having achieved his goal, Epson said cheerfully, "I hope you won¡¯t break your promise tomorrow!"
"Don¡¯t worry, I never go back on my word!"
Brenda retorted stubbornly.
Epson scoffed, "Then we¡¯ll wait until tomorrow!"
After Epson left with the students, Aaron couldn¡¯t help but ask anxiously, "What do we do if we still don¡¯t find Peter¡¯s body by tomorrow? Captain Brenda, are you really going to hold yourself responsible for this?"
Captain Brenda had once said that she would never take off her uniform until she caught Barbarian and took her revenge!
Upon hearing what he said, Brenda looked at Nora.
Nora nodded slightly.
Brenda lowered her eyes and said, "We may not be able to find Peter, but isn¡¯t Barbarian going to continue killing tonight anyway?"
With Nora¡ªin other words, Q¡ªhere, no hacker would be able to breach her firewall and infiltrate the staff dormitories!
And if the staff dormitories were unsafe, Barbarian wouldn¡¯t be able to attack them anymore. With that, he could only set his sights on theboratory!
Barbarian was a highly psychotic murderer. Once he started a killing spree, he must kill five people before he stopped. This was his principle and dedication.
With that in mind, Brenda looked coldly at Epson¡¯s back in the distance. It seemed that she would have to smoke the enemy out tonight!
Chapter 862: You Shall Witness A Historic Moment
Chapter 862: You Shall Witness A Historic Moment
That night, a curfew was imposed on the staff dormitories. Brenda also requested that the professors remain in their rooms and not go out after 8 pm.
The professors had a lot to gripe about it.
They all looked at Brenda.
"Are you treating us as prisoners? This is too much!"
"We are your targets of protection, not your targets of surveince! The police are too much!"
"What makes you think you can stop us from going out after eight o¡¯clock? Never mind that you¡¯re stopping us from carrying out our experiments at night, but you¡¯re even starting to dictate what we can and cannot do tonight? This is too much!"
"..."
The professors protested but the iron-fisted Brenda still forced them to stay in their rooms. When the professors were asked to return to their rooms, they dished out tough talk. "Just you wait! I¡¯m definitely going to report you tomorrow! You people shouldn¡¯t be here at all!"
Brenda had already be immune to such words by now. She replied, "Okay, if nothing goes wrong tonight as well, I¡¯ll get out of here by myself tomorrow."
Her reply shut up all the professors.
Seeing that they weren¡¯t talking anymore, Brenda left.
More than a dozen SWAT officers were protecting the staff dormitories.
Aaron said, "With this, even a housefly can forget about getting in there, right?"
Brenda stroked her chin. "Yeah, under such circumstances, it is impossible for Barbarian to head there again! Aaron, get our men to follow me to theboratory building!"
Aaron followed behind her. He looked at Nora curiously and asked, "Captain Brenda, are that student¡¯s skills good enough? Barbarian has a hacker with him, so surely we can¡¯t rely on a student here, right...?"
Brenda: "..."
She said to Aaron, "Don¡¯t worry."
Aaron then asked, "By the way, Captain Brenda, didn¡¯t you work with Anti when you went to the US? I remember Anti once revealed that she¡¯s Q, and Marcus also used to admire the hackers Q and Y the most. Is Q really that amazing?"
"..."
Nora listened to their conversation and followed behind the two with a smile as they walked to theboratory building together.
She had already encrypted the surveince camera system at the staff dormitories. No hacker¡ªincluding even Y¡ªwould be able to breach it.
Thus, Nora wanted to go with Brenda to arrest Barbarian.
Brenda was worried about her, though. "Are you really going to theb?"
Nora nodded. "Yeah."
Brenda was still very worried. "You¡¯re weak and powerless, so you have to keep yourself well-hidden, okay? Don¡¯t let Barbarian catch you!"
Nora wanted tough when she heard the words "weak and powerless."
She said quietly, "Don¡¯t worry, no matter what, I¡¯m still capable of protecting myself."
Although she couldn¡¯t beat Barbarian in a fight, she wasn¡¯t someone to be trifled with, either.
While Nora was on the way to theboratory, Brenda, who was ultimately still worried about her, handed her a small button and said in a low voice, "Nora, if anything goes wrong, press this button immediately. We will rush in right away!"
"Okay."
Nora ced the button in her pocket and went to the upper floors.
When she entered Epson¡¯sboratory, she happened to run into Oscar, who¡¯d just had dinner ande over to work. Upon seeing her, Oscar grabbed her wrist and asked, "Why are you here?"
Nora: "?"
Oscar looked around. "The SWAT team has surrounded the area. Judging from how they look, they are dead certain that Barbarian will attack us tonight. Why did youe today when you weren¡¯t here yesterday? Aren¡¯t you just throwing yourself into danger?"
Nora: "??"
Since when did she be so close with Oscar?
Oscar, however, looked around and stuffed a pepper spray into Nora¡¯s hands. "Take this, I bought it at the supermarket today. If a bad guy reallyes, we can at least use this for self-defense!"
Nora: "..."
The pepper spray was probably useless on Barbarian but she thanked Oscar anyway. Then, she entered theb with her.
Epson happened to spot the two of them. He walked over at once and began to mock Nora. "What are you doing here? Didn¡¯t you quit this project? Did youe to grovel because you heard that we arepleting the project tonight?"
Nora was surprised. "The project will bepleted tonight?"
Epson said smugly, "Yes, we¡¯ll be able toplete the project tonight! We¡¯re left with just thest step now!"
Nora: "..."
She really wished she could tell him that it was exactly at the end, when she coted all the experimental data, that she found out that the project would never seed. However, going by how confident Epson looked, even if she were to tell him that, he probably wouldn¡¯t believe her.
Thus, Nora simply shut up.
On the contrary, it was Oscar standing next to her who said, "Professor Epson, Lisa knows that she was wrong. In order to demonstrate your magnanimity, and also to give her the chance to tell Anti that she once witnessed a great experiment, you should keep her here, right?"
Her words convinced Epson. "You¡¯re right. In that case, follow me, Lisa. I will let you see with your own eyes that I am greater than Anti!"
"... Okay."
She followed behind Epson and walked into a deeper part of theboratory.
The postgraduate students passed all of their experimental data to Epson.
Epson stood where he was and stared solemnly at the numerical values ??on theputer screen. "You see this? This is our experiment that will be sessfullypleted very soon! Lisa, you are about to witness a historic moment! Oh, I forgot, you¡¯re just an undergraduate student, so you probably don¡¯t understand my data, right? It¡¯s okay, once the data finishespiling, you should at least be able to recognize the word "Sess", right? I hope you can remember how you feel then, so that you can report it to Anti..."
Amidst Epson¡¯s loud and excited talking, all the data was uploaded.
He looked behind him. Even his expression had be somewhat abnormally excited as he said, "Do you see that? Once I give this button here a push, all the data will start coting! I am only one step away from sess!"
Chapter 863: What Anti Looks Like
Chapter 863: What Anti Looks Like
Nora stared at his data.
Although she only caught a sh of the data that had just been uploaded, she still got a clear look at it¡ªEpson¡¯s experiment was the same as the one she had done in the past. Its final oue would only be a failure.
She lowered her eyes and kept quiet.
Many of Epson¡¯s students swarmed toward them.
Everyone had painstakingly worked day and night for a month and now it was finally time to get the fruit of theirbor. This was the moment that mattered the most to them.
Epson pressed the data consolidation button.
Epson¡¯s students said, "Lisa, you have never seen an experiment like this back in America, right? You¡¯ll bear witness to a miracle today!"
"Yeah, you are so lucky! Even though you didn¡¯t do anything, you still gained Professor Epson¡¯s trust. It¡¯s really a blessing for you to be able to take part in an experiment like this!"
"Yeah! I bet even Professor Anti wasn¡¯t this nice to you, right? Moreover, Staav University is much better than the NYU School of Medicine! At the very least, Anti is the only internationally well-known doctor there, whereas Staav University has many! Professor Epson is just one of the many professors here! You should have a better understanding of how great Staav University is by now, right?"
Amidst their sarcastic, envious, or admonishing remarks, Nora didn¡¯t utter even a word.
"Look, it¡¯ll be done real soon!"
Distracted, everyone stopped focusing on Nora.
At this point, someone tugged on Nora¡¯s arm.
Nora turned her head to see that Oscar hade up beside her. She lowered her voice and said, "Why don¡¯t you apologize to Professor Epsonter for showing disrespect towards him? Professor Epson may make himself out to be magnanimous and say that he will forgive you but he¡¯s actually very petty. Once the project seeds, he will definitely go around saying that he¡¯s better than Professor Anti, and you are going to be the evidence that he¡¯ll use. Be careful not to let him make use of you."
After speaking, Oscar sighed. "You are ultimately just an exchange student, so you have to go back sooner orter. If you offend Anti, your studies won¡¯t go smoothly in the future."
Nora: "..."
Oscar had given her so many kind warnings that she didn¡¯t quite know what to do anymore.
Oscar exined, "Actually, I secretly really like Professor Anti because she¡¯s so cool, but I can¡¯t say that out loud. Even if Professor Epson seeds in his experiment, I¡¯m still not going to think that he¡¯s really better than Professor Anti. It would be nice if I could meet Professor Anti even just once in this lifetime."
Then, Oscar sighed and added, "Unfortunately, there is probably no hope for that anymore because Professor Anti only took one postgraduate student under her wing. I really wonder who it is that¡¯s so lucky..."
Nora: "..."
"You¡¯ll meet her for sure," she said.
After all, they had already met.
However, Oscar lowered her voice again and asked, "By the way, you must have already told Professor Anti that Professor Epson is carrying out this experiment, right?"
"... Yeah, she knows about it."
Oscar then asked, "T-then can you pass a message to Professor Anti for me?"
"Sure."
Oscar sighed. "Actually, I admire her very much. A one-time failure doesn¡¯t mean anything¡ªafter all, Professor Anti doesn¡¯t specialize in pharmaceuticals; her forte is her surgical skill."
"..."
Now, Nora couldn¡¯t concur with that. She coughed and said, "Anti... Professor Anti is actually even more skilled in her pharmaceutical knowledge than her surgical skills."
"Really?"
Oscar was a little surprised. Although she did not quite understand why Nora would suddenly say something like that, she nevertheless said, "Well, that doesn¡¯t matter. Even if Professor Anti is more skilled in pharmaceutical knowledge, I still believe this is just a one-time failure for her. I heard that many of the pills that Professor Anti created have already spread to Switzend... She is still very awesome, no matter what. Now that Epson has beat her in something for once, he will definitely spread talk about how ipetent Professor Anti is. Do tell Professor Anti not to take it to heart..."
"He won¡¯t have the chance," Nora replied.
Her reply took Oscar by surprise. "What do you mean?"
Nora¡¯s lip corners curled into a smile. "I¡¯m saying that Professor Epson won¡¯t have the chance to do that."
Immediately after she spoke, one of the students at theputer with the experiment data eximed, "It has stopped! It reached 100%! The result... The result will be out in a moment!"
"It¡¯s out!"
The next moment following their shouts, however, everyone suddenly fell silent.
Oscar hurriedly tugged on Nora¡¯s arm. "For the sake of the credits for Professor Epson¡¯s ss, just congratte him..."
Before she could finish, though, she heard someone exim in shock, "How... how can this be?"
"Yeah, why did it fail?"
Oscar: "??"
"No, this is impossible!" Epson let out a low bark. He hurriedly looked at theputer and said furiously, "Something must have gone wrong! Yes, that must be it! There¡¯s no way it would fail! Re-upload it! Re-upload all data!"
"Roger!"
All the students nodded and re-uploaded all the data.
Epson then clicked the Consolidate button.
But five minutester, theb was still filled with silence, indicating that it was still unsessful!
Epson still refused to believe it. He said, "Someone among you must have made a mistake in the data! Go and get it checked again, pronto! And upload it again within half an hour!"
"Roger!"
Following Professor Epson¡¯s order, all the students once again threw themselves into the intense experiment.
Only Nora and Oscar stood in the corner by the side, one looking like she was waiting for some kind of result and the other looking a little lost¡ªafter all, at Oscar¡¯s current level of knowledge, she couldn¡¯t fully understand the experiment yet.
Another hour passed.
They uploaded the data once more but it still failed!
Epson stared at hisputer in disbelief. The students started to talk among themselves at this point.
"What¡¯s going on?"
"Yeah, it¡¯s so weird. What¡¯s going on?
"... It suddenly urred to me that someone had once said that Anti has tried this idea before, but it unfortunately failed. Therefore, this particr hypothesis doesn¡¯t work... We were too confident and got careless!"
As soon as the student said that, though, Epson looked at her furiously. "How can that be? This is the only possible way! How can it fail? This doesn¡¯t make sense, something must have gone wrong somewhere! But where? Where does the problem lie?"
"This... Every line of data is extremely urate, we have already confirmed it a dozen times and there really isn¡¯t any problem. How could this have happened? What should we do?"
"Yeah, the data is too strange!"
While everyone was deep in thought, a low voice reached them.
"It¡¯s the third set, it can¡¯t be integrated with the rest of the data. This problem is unsolvable."
Everyone was contemting the issue seriously, so when they heard this, they all looked at theputer.
Sure enough, everyone discovered the problem.
"How did it turn out like that?!"
"It really is impossible to integrate this part into the rest of the data. In other words, our hypothesis was wrong from the beginning!"
"Have we been doing pointless work this whole month?"
"Professor Anti once said that this method will never work, but we simply refused to believe it and insisted on wasting a month to verify it..."
"..."
Amid everyone kicking themselves over their actions, Epson held his head. "How can this happen? How?! This is impossible... I¡¯m definitely better than Anti..."
Seeing his reaction, the students hurriedlyforted him. "Professor Epson, y-you have done your best."
"Go away! Even if I¡¯ve done my best, I still can¡¯t ept this! This is a matter of academic dignity!"
Epson¡¯s eyes were fixed on the screen.
No one realized that Nora was the one who had pointed out the problem just now.
Oscar, who was standing beside Nora all this time, stared at her in shock. It wasn¡¯t until then that she finally recovered and asked in astonishment, "How did you know that there is a problem with the third set of data?"
"... Well, I have experienced this failure before," replied Nora.
Oscar was stunned. A momentter, though, she suddenly realized something and said, "I see! Did you also participate in Anti¡¯s experiment back at the NYU School of Medicine? That¡¯s why you knew from the start that this experiment would never seed!"
"... You can say that," Nora said.
She had indeed been involved in her own experiment from the very beginning.
But the moment she said that, a besotted look instead came over Oscar¡¯s countenance. "Professor Anti is simply too amazing! As soon as she started the experiment, she noticed the problem and ended it. Gosh, I really wish I could meet her!"
After speaking, she lowered her head and took out her cell phone.
"What are you doing?" Nora asked.
Oscar replied, "I¡¯m going to search for photos of Anti... I want to see what she looks like!"
Chapter 864: The Murderer Is Here!!
Chapter 864: The Murderer Is Here!!
Nora: "..."
When she saw Oscar really opening up her Inte browser and keying in the search term, she asked in surprise, "Haven¡¯t you seen one before?"
There were indeed news reports about her in the States, but she and Justin had deleted them from the Inte after each incident¡ªafter all, she didn¡¯t want to reveal her face. If one checked the news in time, they might still be able to catch a photo of her, but now...
"Why aren¡¯t there any pictures?"
Oscar was surprised. "I heard that she trended on social media and was even in a tormented rtionship with the richest man in America! I also heard that Anti has two children but I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s true or not."
Nora: "..."
While they were chatting, Epson hadpletely forgotten the crisis that woulde that night. Dejected and dispirited, he waved off the students around him and said, "Let¡¯s all just go back for now!"
The time...
Nora checked the time¡ªit was exactly one o¡¯clock in the morning.
She stopped everyone and said, "We are in a time of crisis right now. If we split up at this time, we¡¯ll be in even more danger. I think it¡¯s better that we stay in theb. This way, if something happens, at least we can work together..."
Barbarian might be powerful but surely even he couldn¡¯t attack all thirty-odd students in theb, right?!
But as soon as she said that, Epson took his anger out on her. He snapped, "Murderer? What murderer?! The SWAT team is just trying to scare us! I told you, there is no murderer at all! You just want to stay here tough at me, right?"
Nora: "?"
His reaction frightened Oscar and she hid by the side. The rest of the students looked at Nora.
Nora lowered her eyes. "Professor Epson, have you heard of a medical condition known as persecutory delusion? You seem to be suffering from it. Do you need me to contact a doctor for you?"
Epson: "!"
That woman didn¡¯t even need to use swear words when she insulted someone!
He pointed at Nora furiously and continued ranting. "Do you think I¡¯ve lost to Anti just because my experiment was unsessful? If nothing else, she didn¡¯t even try! When you look at it that way, I¡¯m still better than her!"
Nora: "..."
She ignored the lunatic and looked at the students instead. She said, "It¡¯s very cold outside right now and the police have already closed entry to the dorms a long time ago. Even if you leave, there¡¯s nowhere for you to go. On the contrary, it¡¯s safer here and the police have also stepped up security measures around theboratory building. In my opinion, everyone should stay here until daybreak! But of course, all of you have the freedom to choose what you want to do."
Nora¡¯s voice was filled with sarcasm when she mentioned "freedom".
Everyone looked at one another. In the end, Oscar took the lead and walked over to Nora. She said, "I... I¡¯m staying."
The rest were divided into two factions at once. Some approved of staying there for the time being but gave very grandiose reasons for their decision, of course.
"Professor, our dorm has already closed, so we can¡¯t go in now anyway. I don¡¯t want to disturb the dorm supervisor, so I¡¯ll just stay! I¡¯ll just go back at five o¡¯clock."
"Yeah, that¡¯s right. I live rtively far away, Professor, so I won¡¯t be going back, either."
There were also some who wanted to leave.
"Hah, you are all cowards who allowed that woman to scare you! Professor Epson, I¡¯ll go. I¡¯m going back to the dorm now. Isn¡¯t it morefortable to go back and sleep on afy bed instead?"
"..."
Everyone quickly split into two factions. However, only two male students left with Professor Epson in the end.
Epson looked at his favorite students and then at the rest. He snorted and said, "What a bunch of cowards! How are people like you going to create miracles for the pharmaceutical industry? You don¡¯t even have the courage to go back to your rooms! You¡¯re not suitable for carrying out research with me at all!"
After scolding them, Epson sneered. "Let¡¯s go!"
"Okay."
The two students followed Epson. One even said, "Professor, we¡¯ll walk you back to the staff dormitory before we go back!"
"Good going!"
After the three men¡¯s voices gradually faded into the distance, Nora and the rest of the students each found afortable spot in theboratory, nning to leave once dawn broke.
¡ª
Epson and the two students entered the elevator.
Because of the failed experiment, Epson was pulling a long face and had a very serious expression. He stared straight ahead of him, his eyes behind his sses full of anger and embarrassment.
The two students standing behind him echoed his opinion andforted him. They said, "Professor Epson, you don¡¯t have to care about them! They are all cowards!"
"Professor Epson, you don¡¯t have to worry about the experiment¡¯s failure... This method may not have worked, but at least we ruled out the possibility, which is also a kind of proof of the theory. We have still made a contribution to the pharmaceutical industry!"
"Professor Epson, although Anti had already proposed a year ago that this direction doesn¡¯t really work, she did not carry out the experiment. Instead, we reached the final step and proved that this direction indeed doesn¡¯t work. Academics should have the spirit of getting to the bottom of things. From this point alone, you are much better than Professor Anti! At the very least, when she discovered obstacles, she did not ovee them but chose to give up instead. She is toocking in the spirit of scientific research!"
Each of the two was more eloquent than the other and their coaxing gradually made the awful look on Epson¡¯s face turn for the better.
However, theypletely didn¡¯t realize the facy in their words.
If one already knew that the path led to a dead-end, then why waste time researching it?
However, they weren¡¯t going to bring that up at this time.
Instead, they began to ridicule the others.
"The Americans are so timid, they don¡¯t have the courage or spirit to forge new ground at all. It¡¯s just like how Lisa believed the SWAT¡¯s ims. Besides, even if a murderer reallyes, will the three of us men be unable to beat him in a fight when he¡¯s all alone? Hah, but they simply insist on getting through those four hours in theb instead. They are so stupid!"
Epson even scoffed sarcastically and said, "What murderer? I think he¡¯s probably just a burr or a robber. Professor Mayer was probably just killed because he was too thin and weak. Not only do I exercise every day, but the two of you are also so strong and well-built. If we run into a murderer, let¡¯s just catch them and throw them in the SWAT¡¯s face! This way, we can even put an awful look on their faces!"
The two students nodded in agreement again.
By then, the trio had reached the ground floor.
They walked out of the elevator with big smiles, ready to exit theboratory building. None of them noticed the man in ck standing in a corner in the dark.
He had nearly blended with the night.
Only a pair of eyes glowed red in the dark.
¡ª
Upstairs.
After Epson and the two students left, everyone found a corner suitable for themselves and got ready to rest.
At this time, someone suddenly asked, "Will Professor Epson hold a grudge against us and refuse to give us credits for this subject because we chose to stay?"
"Surely not...?"
"Actually, when you think about it, it doesn¡¯t really seem that scary. The murderer they were talking about did not appear at all. Maybe all this really is a joke like what Epson said!"
"People will only mock us and call us cowards if we stay here. That exchange student is too timid. The moment there¡¯s any sign of trouble, she immediately tells us to stay and not go out... Just how much does she cherish her life?!"
"I also think that we have been misled by Lisa. I suddenly regret staying, I should have left with Professor Epson just now..."
Of course, apart from these people with 20/20 hindsight, there were also those who defended Nora.
"Why didn¡¯t you say that back then? What does this have to do with Lisa? You made your own choice, so don¡¯t me it on others!"
"Exactly. Besides, the police have been making a ruckus in school. That officer was so absolute when she said that she would leave if nothing happens by tomorrow, which means that something is definitely wrong! What¡¯s the big deal about us staying here? It¡¯s just four hours, is it so hard to get through that? I didn¡¯t see you guysining this much when we were doing experiments overnight!"
When the person who med the situation on Nora heard the people defending her, he got up and retorted, "What¡¯s wrong with me griping a little? Why are you being so protective of her? Is it because she¡¯s pretty? Is that why you developed protective feelings for her? Heh, if you have the time to have tender, protective feelings for the fairer sex, then why don¡¯t you think about how to appease Professor Epson¡¯s anger instead?!"
The few who defended Nora happened to be male. It wasn¡¯t that they had developed tender, protective feelings for the fairer sex, rather, there were only a pitifully small number of girls in theboratory. Including Oscar and Nora, there were only four.
The other two had kept quiet, that¡¯s all.
Seeing that they were going overboard with their words, Oscar immediately said, "That¡¯s enough, you guys! Lisa is an exchange student, you know. Are you nning to have her tell everyone after she returns to the US that this is how we treat exchange students at Staav University? Where is your mettle as a student of Staav University? Have you forgotten the school motto?"
Oscar¡¯s words calmed both parties down.
The boy who had med Nora said, "Fine, I was wrong, but I really shouldn¡¯t have offended Professor Epson. He is famous for being petty. It¡¯s clear that we stayed behind because we were afraid that something would go wrong, but actually, with so many of us here, even if a murderer does show up, what¡¯s there to be afraid of?"
As soon as he said this, the rest nodded. "Yeah, what¡¯s there to be afraid of? Come on, let¡¯s go. If we hurry and catch up with Professor Epson, we may still be able to salvage a bit of our image. We can go back to our respective dormster..."
Two-thirds of the remaining students got up in an instant. "Yeah, sounds good. Let¡¯s go back to the dorms. This ce gets really cold in the middle of the night, even with the heater on! Theboratory building is old after all, it was freezing thest two days."
"Yeah, let¡¯s go together. Even if we run into the murderer, I reckon our numbers will scare him sh*tless. We¡¯re no wimps... Besides, the murderer may not even exist!"
Everyone headed to the exit as they spoke.
However, it was at this moment that someone opened the door from the outside!
Immediately after, one of the students who had left with Professor Epson just now appeared at the entrance.
The student who had criticized Nora just now immediately said, "Why are you back? We were just nning to go after you guys..."
But before he could finish, the student slumped right onto the floor!
Chapter 865: Barbarian Is Here!!
Chapter 865: Barbarian Is Here!!
Thud!
The student fell straight to the floor, causing everyone to take a step back in shock.
It was also at this time that they realized that he was bleeding at the back of his head. Then, a strong and well-built man dressed fully in ck, wearing a baseball cap and a ck face mask, walked in.
He was not strong and muscr in the traditional sense, where one had bulging muscles and was big, tall, and mighty. Rather, he had a tall and slender figure but every muscle on his body seemed to be just right.
Although one couldn¡¯t see what he looked like, there was ferocity and savagery in his eyes.
Nora was certain that he was Barbarian pretty much right off the bat!
She had met him in the room with the safe-deposit boxes in the Bank of New York back then.
Nora held her breath and clenched her fists.
Barbarian had someone in his grip. With a light push, he pushed Epson into theboratory. Epson looked in horror at the student¡¯s dead body on the floor and swallowed hard.
The rest of the students screamed and retreated in panic.
The four girls hid at the back. In fact, the other two were already hiding under the testbed. They huddled under the table as they shook in fear.
While Nora was observing Barbarian, Oscar pulled her by the arm and she hid under the table together with Oscar.
Oscar was shaking all over, her fearful and horror-stricken eyes big and wide. She gestured to Nora to keep quiet.
She actually remembered to pull her to safety at a critical moment like this...
Nora formed a bit of a good impression of Oscar.
Oscar took out her cell phone, typed on it, and showed the screen to Nora: "Don¡¯t make a sound. Don¡¯t be afraid, the police are nearby. They will definitelye to save us!"
Nora: "..."
When she looked up, she saw that even though Oscar was clearly terrified, she still nodded affirmatively at her as though she was trying to give her confidence.
She cast her eyes down and looked out through the gap under the table.
Epson¡¯s arms were raised and he swallowed. The door to theboratory had already been shut by then. Barbarian stood at the door, his eyes quietly observing everything in the room. He stared straight at Epson and said slowly, "The gene serum."
His voice was very low and deep. Additionally, the man spoke very briefly and concisely. It seemed like he was a very reticent man.
Epson was taken aback. He said, "What gene serum? I... I don¡¯t know..."
Barbarian stepped forward abruptly and grabbed his wrist. To outsiders, it seemed like he had only exerted a little force, but Epson immediately cried out in pain. By the time Barbarian let go, his hand had already slumped down loosely, his wrist obviously broken.
Epson fell to the floor and rolled around in pain. None of the students beside him dared to step forward.
Barbarian spoke again. "Tell me everything about the gene serum."
He spoke very slowly, just like how he had back in the States.
Epson waved and hurriedly exined, "I really don¡¯t know anything about a gene serum or whatnot. Can you be reasonable? I am just an unimportant little professor, how would I possibly know about such big things?!"
Barbarian frowned.
His red eyes were filled with suspicion.
Nora noticed that Barbarian didn¡¯t seem to know what to say but he suddenly turned his head as though he was listening to a voice in his earphone.
Thereupon, Barbarian suddenly understood something. He walked over immediately and asked, "Which file in the archives is rted to the gene serum?"
Epson wanted to cry. He replied, "I really don¡¯t know. The files in the archives are all essible. If you want to know, I can check them out for you... But I¡¯ve never heard of the gene serum or whatever you¡¯re talking about..."
"You¡¯re lying!"
Barbarian was very hot-tempered. Just like in the US back then, he got violent the moment he didn¡¯t get the answer he wanted. He kicked Epson, sending him flying. It wasn¡¯t until he crashed into a chair that he finally came to a stop.
The kick made Epson cough up a mouthful of blood.
"Ahh!"
The girl squatting at the table nearby screamed in fright, attracting Barbarian¡¯s attention.
Barbarian turned his head and looked over.
The rest of the students gathered. A boy suddenly said, "A-are you the serial killer? Do you know that there are thirty of us here?! You can¡¯t beat us alone! You..."
Before he could finish, Barbarian suddenly fished out a silver pistol from his pocket and shot his knee.
Bang!
The boy fell to his knees.
With that, the others finally realized just how strong he was. Putting aside his physical strength that could send one flying with a single kick, just his gun alone already meant that none of them was a match for him.
Just as they were in a panic, Barbarian suddenly looked at Epson again. "Are you sure... you don¡¯t know anything about the gene serum?"
Epson was curled up on the floor in pain. When he heard the question, he nodded hurriedly. "I really don¡¯t know anything, I..."
Bang!
Another gunshot rang out.
Barbarian shot another student.
The man, whose eyes were blood-red, said, "If you really can¡¯t remember, then I can get them to jog your memory a little."
Epson: "!"
His eyes widened and he shouted furiously, "They are students! They don¡¯t know anything! Ce at me if you want something! Don¡¯t go after them!"
Barbarian narrowed his eyes a little. He turned his head sideways again, likely listening to Spacey¡¯s instructions. The next moment, he held up the pistol and pointed it at another student. "Will you talk or not?"
Nora, who was hiding under the table, was already clenching her fists.
She was not Barbarian¡¯s match... nor was she a police officer. However, when she saw Epson, someone who was usually awfully bad-tempered, protecting his students, for some reason, an impetuous feeling suddenly surged up in her.
She cast her eyes down and lightly expelled a breath of air.
She was no saint.
She had waited here for Barbarian so that she could find out what his intentions were, and also to get a clear look at his movements, so as to prepare for the retrieval of File No. 004ter on.
Now that she had discovered that Barbarian only knew that the gene serum was in Staav University but didn¡¯t know anything else, she was relieved.
She really shouldn¡¯t be going out there at this time.
Firstly, Barbarian was armed. Not only was she not his match in the first ce, but she would probably even be shot in the head the moment she showed herself.
Secondly, there were more than thirty students present. If Barbarian beat up or killed them one by one, she reckoned that the police would probably break in before it was even her turn. With that, she could also leave theboratory safely.
In fact, if she didn¡¯t show herself, Barbarian might not even know that she was here... let alone fight with her for File No. 004. She could quietly leave with the antidote.
Either way, no matter how one looked at it, this was the best course of action.
But when she saw Barbarian pointing his gun at a student again, Nora narrowed her eyes.
Chapter 866: You Have Been Surrounded!
Chapter 866: You Have Been Surrounded!
To be honest, Nora didn¡¯t feel much of a sense of belonging to the people here.
Moreover, they had even disregarded her kind intentions and refused to heed her advice. One could say that they had only themselves to me for their predicament.
If Epson and the two students hadn¡¯t left, the door to theb would have been locked. Even someone like Barbarian would have had to put in some work to get in and they would definitely have held out until the police came.
Nora narrowed her eyes and looked at Barbarian coldly.
Just as Barbarian was about to pull the trigger again, Epson suddenly said, "Fine, I¡¯ll talk! I¡¯ll talk! Don¡¯t shoot!"
Nora stopped what she was about to do and shrank back. She looked at Epson in surprise.
Did Epson have clues to the gene serum?
How could that be?!
She broke into a huge frown. The next moment, she saw Barbarian, whose eyes had also lit up, look at Epson.
A pathetic-looking Epson got up from the floor. He was terrified to the extreme by then and his voice trembled as he said, "I know where the thing you are looking for is!"
Barbarian stepped forward abruptly and grabbed his cor. "Where is it?"
Epson took a deep breath and slowly said, "I know what you are looking for and I can tell you what you want, but you must promise not to hurt these students! They are innocent!"
Barbarian sneered. "I don¡¯t care about those worthless people."
Epson swallowed.
He looked at Barbarian and spoke again. "I hope you keep your word. But in order to ensure the students¡¯ safety, I will only tell you what you want to know after they have all left!"
Barbarian: "?"
He subconsciously wanted to agree to the request, but a low voice came from his earphone at this point and Barbarian kept quiet. A momentter, he sneered and said, "You are in no position to negotiate with me. Tell me what I want to know immediately!"
Epson frowned. "I..."
Bang!
Barbarian shot another student¡¯s thigh!
The bullet struck the student¡¯s femoral artery and he fell to the floor at once, his blood spreading all over it!
"Okay, I¡¯ll talk!"
Epson didn¡¯t dare to dy any longer. He said, "What you want is in the archives! File No. 004!"
Barbarian sneered, "Why should I believe you?"
Epson took a deep breath and replied, "File No. 004 is a top-secret document and even I can¡¯t ess it. The gene serum you mention can only be this document! That¡¯s all I know!"
After he spoke, for fear that Barbarian would shoot again, he said, "The archives are built from the sturdiest material invented by the school. Without my pupils to unlock the door, you won¡¯t be able to get in, so don¡¯t kill these students! Otherwise, I won¡¯t help you!"
At the critical moment, Epson exhibited the demeanor he should have as a teacher.
Barbarian nced at him and then at the terrified students in the room. He sneered and said in a low voice, "A bunch of cowards! Absolutely boring!"
Then, he grabbed Epson and ordered, "Come to the archives with me!"
Epson breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay, I¡¯ll go with you!"
After speaking, he looked back at the students in theboratory. He hurt everywhere from being beaten up just now and he was shaking all over in fear. However, he still said in a trembling voice, "S-stay here and don¡¯t move around, all of you. Get a doctor to treat their injuries immediately..."
After leaving instructions, he took step after step to the door while Barbarian pulled him.
He was limping a little from being beaten up.
Maybe because Barbarian found him too slow, he grabbed his cor and half-dragged him to the door. However, Epson didn¡¯t put up any resistance.
The students couldn¡¯t help but call out, "Professor..."
Epson stopped.
He turned back slowly.
The students looked at him.
There was usually fear in the students¡¯ eyes when they worked under him for his experiments. Most of them were with him just for credits and to sessfullyplete their degree.
He relied on such things to control the students and make them show him a great deal of respect.
But at this moment, Epson found that the look in the students¡¯ eyes had changed.
Their eyes were filled with sentiment, much like cubs looking at their mother who had to leave in order to protect them...
Epson knew that he was most likely going to be out of luck once he left. He suddenly said, "I may have lost to Anti in my experiment, but as a teacher, I didn¡¯t lose to her, right?"
Nora, who was still hiding behind the desk, was taken aback.
The students¡¯ eyes instantly reddened.
Oscar was also stunned and she couldn¡¯t recover for a long while.
For a while, none of the students in the room spoke.
Barbarian would never give Epson time to talk nonsense, so without waiting for the students¡¯ replies, he dragged Epson out of theb.
After they left, the students in theb instantly rxed.
At this time, the sound of the police confronting Barbarian outside also reached them. One could vaguely hear Barbarian holding Epson hostage and moving toward the archives.
Some police officers also rushed into theboratory and administered first aid to the students who were shot...
The students were in a mess.
Some were so scared that they burst into tears while some huddled together as they trembled. Everyone seemed to be in shock...
It was at this moment that someone suddenly said, "Professor Epson..."
As soon as the person spoke, choked sobs echoed in the room.
Oscar also murmured to herself nkly, "I always thought of Professor Epson as a bad teacher. He is mean, his credits are hard to earn, he has awfully high expectations of students, and he is extremely arrogant and keeps harping about being rivals with Anti... But actually, Professor Epson is a good teacher..."
A lot of them shared Oscar¡¯s sentiments...
Nora, however, took a deep breath and darted out of the door while the students were in turmoil!
Epson had told Barbarian about File No. 004 and they had gone to look for clues.
If she went over a step too slow, it was highly likely that the clues would be taken away by Barbarian!
The thought made Nora speed up her movements even further.
As soon as she approached the archives, she saw that the police were already in formation outside. Brenda was shouting into the archives, "Barbarian! You have been surrounded! Put down your weapons ande out at once!"
However, inside the room, Barbarian turned a deaf ear to the noise outside.
His eyes were on the wall filled with files.
The door was closed and the police would not being in for a while.
He threw Epson aside. After confirming that he couldn¡¯t walk, he walked up to the wall in the archives and counted them in order.
The files on biogics were on the left.
He strode over, whereupon he immediately spotted File No. 004 sitting there quietly!
Barbarian¡¯s hands were shaking. He gently opened the door...
Chapter 867: Her V16!!
Chapter 867: Her V16!!
A vignt Barbarian kept his eyes peeled.
Back in the US, he had opened the safe only to find a bomb inside.
He had nearly died in the US.
Instead of rushing up to it recklessly, this time, he opened it gently and looked at the filing cab warily.
The filing cab was even moreplex and secure than the bank¡¯s interior, which went to show just how rich and solid Staav University¡¯s history and foundation were. Their level of protection towards these unpublished intellectual properties was at the peak!
There were no bombs or hidden weapons inside, probably to prevent injuring students if they identally opened it.
However, this made Barbarian feel that everything hade too easily.
At this time, Nora had already gone around theboratory to a window. The windows here were made of bulletproof ss and it wasn¡¯t easy to open them.
They were just there to let light into the room. One couldn¡¯t get in by tampering with the windows.
Nora squatted down quietly.
The ss was originally meant to be a means of protection for the archives but it had instead be a barrier. She could only look in, in hopes of verifying File No. 004¡¯s authenticity.
She saw Barbarian cautiously take out a box from the filing cab. When he opened it and nced inside, his eyes lit up.
He carefully put the box into a pouch. Then, he took out bandages and tied them around himself to prevent the contents from falling out when he charged out of the archivester.
He wrapped the bandages around nearly a dozen times before he threw the tape aside.
Then, he looked at Epson coldly.
Epson was hurting all over. He had been beaten up, and while they were walking over, he was so terrified that he had gone limp all over. He couldn¡¯t even stand.
Seeing that he had found what he was after, Epson asked, "You have what you want now. C-can I go?"
Barbarian, however, lowered his eyes and sneered contemptuously. The man seemed like someone who rarely spoke and his voice was as cold and ruthless as ever as he replied, "How am I supposed to get away without a hostage?"
One could only enter and leave the archives through the door; everywhere else was securely sealed. It was indeed true that he would only be able to leave through the door...
After Barbarian had what he wanted, he grabbed Epson and headed out.
When they reached the door, Barbarian put his pistol against Epson¡¯s temple and made him stand in front of him. Only then did he open the door and walk out.
As soon as he did, he saw Brenda leading a group of SWAT officers nearby. She looked at him warily and said, "Barbarian, you¡¯d best put down your weapon and surrender. Do you really think you can break through all of us here?"
Upon hearing this, Barbarian narrowed his eyes and hoisted Epson slightly again. "If you want him dead, thene and catch me!"
His words made Brenda¡¯s brows draw together.
Epson looked at Brenda. By then, his face was already covered with tears.
Next to Brenda, Aaron gritted his teeth and said, "Captain Brenda, who cares about his hostage? We had already told that guy that it was dangerous, yet he still insisted on carrying out his experiments. Anyway, he has already signed the liability waiver agreement, so even if he dies, it has nothing to do with us. Let¡¯s go!"
Aaron had been holding back his desire to avenge hisrade-in-arms for a long time now!
Barbarian¡¯s whereabouts were simply too hard to get hold of.
Even now, despite the two parties being in such close proximity, Barbarian was still neatly dressed and his body fully covered. Even at this point, they still didn¡¯t even know what he really looked like!
Now that they had finally found leads on Barbarian after tracking him for so long, how could he give up?!
Upon hearing what Aaron said, Epson was full of regrets. Tears streamed down his face as he sobbed. "I was wrong, I really was. Captain Brenda, I should have trusted you guys... I¡¯m the one who caused this whole situation today, it¡¯s all my fault..."
Immediately after he spoke, Epson suddenly lowered his head and bit down hard on Barbarian¡¯s hand!
He knew that the SWAT officers did not care whether he lived or died!
There was no useining about them either. The only thing he could do now was to seek a way out himself.
Sure enough, the instant he suddenly lowered his head, the pain made Barbarian push him away.
As the two were standing at the door to the archives, Barbarian¡¯s push sent Epson back into the archives. Epson, who had finally regained freedom of movement, was so terrified that he ran straight into the archives. As he did, he even searched for cover.
"Go!"
Brenda¡¯s eyes lit up at once when she saw that Epson was temporarily out of danger. She shouted, "Charge!!"
Then, she paused for merely a second before she added, "Take him down, dead or alive!"
Sometimes, in order to catch the fugitive alive, the police would act with scruples, but in Barbarian¡¯s case... they had long since wanted him dead!
The very instant she said that, everyone raised their submachine guns and started spraying bullets at Barbarian!
This was what entered Nora¡¯s sight after she went around the archives and came over.
The ground floor was nearly surrounded by the SWAT team and they had even preparedrge-caliber guns. There was probably no way out for Barbarian this time!
However, she was afraid that the V16 in Barbarian¡¯s possession would end up damaged.
She wanted to rush forward and stop Brenda¡¯s barrage of gunfire but it seemed that Barbarian had expected all this.
Since he had already decided toe to the school to steal the V16 and even put the SWAT team on alert long ago, how would he possiblye straight over so stupidly? He was obviously prepared. When Epson fled, he hadn¡¯t immediately tried to shoot him. Instead, he took out a smoke bomb and hurled it onto the floor.
As a result, there was a cloud of smoke in front of the SWAT team when Brenda gave her orders. Without a target, everyone could only recklessly rake the area with bullets.
"Charge!"
Brenda took the lead and rushed over, but then she suddenly heard Epson scream.
She didn¡¯t spare Epson even a nce. After weaving through the smoke, she caught a sh of Barbarian darting into the fire escape at the side!
Brenda picked up her walkie-talkie at once. "Close off the emergency exits on all floors andunch a carpet search!"
As long as Barbarian was still in the building, he would never be able to escape!
Brenda was not anxious. She mustn¡¯t disperse her forces and spread herself thin, so she would keep her men with her and go after him step by step!
When Nora saw Barbarian rushing into the corridor and Brenda also charging in with a group of SWAT officers, without any hesitation, she ran to the elevator nearby and immediately pressed the button for the top floor.
Brenda andpany chased after Barbarian upwards from the bottom.
Also, while she was running to the elevator, she picked up her cell phone and activated the building¡¯s security system, instantly locking all the emergency exits leading in and out of the fire escape!
By making use of Staav University¡¯s security system, she saved Brenda and the other SWAT officers a whole lot of trouble.
With this, Barbarian could only go up and down the fire escape. He couldn¡¯t enter the main building through the fire escape¡¯s emergency exits.
Because... she had locked all of them.
Nora then entered the elevator and pressed the button for the top floor.
As the elevator door slowly closed, she saw that the archives were on fire. However, with the police helping to put it out, Epson would only suffer burns at most. His life wouldn¡¯t be in danger.
She slowly lowered her gaze and waited to wee her V16.
Chapter 868: She Has Gotten The V16!!!
Chapter 868: She Has Gotten The V16!!!
The elevator went up quickly to the top floor.
As the archives building had been sealed off and no one was allowed to enter that night, the elevator didn¡¯t make any stops the whole way and it went up extremely quickly. No matter how fast Barbarian was, he wasn¡¯t going to be faster than the elevator.
Therefore, when Nora came out of the elevator, Barbarian had only just reached the halfway mark at best.
She looked down.
At Staav University, the building with the archives was the tallest and it had as many as fifty floors. It stood out among all the buildings in the schools and was the hallmark of Staav University.
This particr high-rise building had brought Staav University its sess, so all the important things were kept here.
At the top of the building, the wind whistled loudly. It was as if one would be blown away the moment they looked away.
Nora¡¯s gaze swept across the ground floor. Nearly all the police forces in the entire school had congregated downstairs and surrounded the building. With this, unless Barbarian could fly, there was no way he could escape.
And obviously, flying was impossible.
No matter how much human genes were improved, they would never be able to reach that point.
Therefore, it was inevitable that Barbarian would be arrested today.
Nora withdrew her gaze, took a deep breath, and walked to the stairs at the side. She opened the door and headed down the stairs to wait for Barbarian.
She stopped after only going down two to three floors. She stood there and listened to the sounds gradually traveling up from below.
Barbarian was physically very fit, so it was good to have him climb the stairs for a few more floors and burn some of his stamina.
Nora stood where she was with her cat-like eyes lowered and held her breath.
About two minutester, she finally heard heavy footsteps.
She leaned against the wall and looked down quietly. The lights in the stairwell were all motion-sensitive, so the lights on each floor came on one by one as Barbarian rushed to the top.
Nora lurked in the dark quietly and watched as the lights below slowly came further and further up. Atst, Barbarian reached the floor right below her!
After such a hike, even though the SWAT officers led by Brenda were all physically very fit, they ultimately couldn¡¯t catch up with Barbarian, whose genes had been improved. They were about five floors away from him.
The sound of gunfire downstairs traveled upwards constantly. Bullets hit the walls, causing dust to fall.
When she heard Barbarian¡¯s footstepsing from below, Nora pressed her back even closer to the wall. The instant Barbarian finally turned around and was about to rush up...!
Nora got up abruptly, propped her hand against the handrail of the stairs, and propelled herself forward. She shot forward like a leopard, her leg kicking towards Barbarian!
The whole way up, Barbarian had only been on guard against the gunfire from below. He never expected someone to attack from above, so he was stunned.
However, his gically-improved body had long since reached the limits of the human body.
His brain might not have reacted yet, but his body, with its keen senses, responded instinctively. He suddenly balled up his fists, held his arms up in front of him in self-defense, and received the kick that Nora had delivered with all her strength!
Thud!
The sound of bodies making contact resounded. Nora¡¯s full-powered kick ultimately still forced Barbarian to take a couple of steps backward and he came to a stop at once.
The lights came on.
When Barbarian got a good look at Nora, his red eyes immediately revealed bloodthirsty murderous intent. He sneered and said, "After Justin Hunt yed those tricks on me in America, you also came here to ambush me. The two of you husband and wife are really two of a kind and incredibly insidious!"
"Thanks for thepliment."
Nora steadily stood where she was with a calm expression on her face. She saw that Brenda and her men were about to rush upstairs toward them, so she immediately said, "Hand it over, and I¡¯ll let you through to the top."
Barbarian sneered at her mockingly. "Your husband may have a chance of stopping me for a moment, but you? You actually dare to threaten me?"
His gaze fell on Nora¡¯s leg. "If I¡¯m not wrong, your leg must be numb by now."
Nora¡¯s leg was indeed numb.
Out of everything she had seen so far, Barbarian¡¯s physical constitution was truly one of a kind!
Even if she trained hard, she probably still wouldn¡¯t be able to achieve a physical condition like his.
Humans repeatedly trained and stimted their muscles precisely to get closer and closer to the limits of what was humanly possible. However, Barbarian had undergone gic modifications since he was a child; his body was the limit of human potential itself!
Despite that, Nora still looked rxed. "I know you are very strong, but no matter how powerful you are, you are still human. In the face of an all-out firearms assault, your body is not worth even a mention!"
The firearms invented by human beings could instantly kill even an elephant, let alone Barbarian?
In order to catch Barbarian, Brenda had deployed a lot of firepower this time!
Even if Barbarian was wearing a bulletproof vest, there was no way he could withstand so many attacks.
Barbarian narrowed his eyes. As he listened to the approaching footsteps from below, he let out a low bark. "You must be sick of living!"
He rushed forward mercilessly at once. Instead of trying to break through with brute force, this time, he brandished a pistol. Just as he was about to shoot Nora, his arm suddenly went numb!
Barbarian lowered his head abruptly to see a silver needle stuck into his arm.
He raised his head sharply again. Nora was still standing where she was as though she hadn¡¯t moved. A silver glint, however, shed across her fingertips¡ªobviously, she was the one who had shot the needle at him.
Barbarian frowned and sneered again. "Do you think a mere needle can take me down? Even if it can prate my bulletproof vest, what can it do to me? You are just an ant trying to do things beyond your power!"
As he spoke, he tried to raise his arm once more¡ªonly to find that it had bepletely numb. His fingers were also not as nimble anymore...
Seeing this, Nora finally took a deep breath. She continued to stay far away from him as she slowly said, "Yes, a needle isn¡¯t much¡ªbut what if it¡¯s coated with tranquilizers?"
On top of that, it was a dose capable of knocking out an elephant.
Nora had never dared to underestimate her opponent. Back in the States, she¡¯d already had a taste of how powerful Barbarian was. Even when she and Justin had joined forces, they were unable to force Barbarian back in the slightest!
Therefore, back when Brenda confirmed that Barbarian was here, she had already made full preparations.
Otherwise, why would shee up here all by herself to intercept him? She wasn¡¯t stupid.
Wouldn¡¯t she be tempting fate for nothing if she did?
Barbarian tried his best to move his fingers again but found that they had indeed be a lot stiffer. In fact, with his movements, the numbness had spread to his entire arm...
If this went on, the tranquilizer would soon spread throughout his entire body as blood circted through his arteries.
The sound of Brenda and the others chasing after him traveled up from below again at this time¡ªthey had already caught up!
Barbarian, who didn¡¯t have time to fire at Nora anymore, wanted to rush up the stairs right away.
"I¡¯d advise you not to move."
Nora said impassively, "The more intense your actions, the faster your blood flows and the quicker the tranquilizer will take effect..."
Barbarian: "!"
His senses were very keen. He could already feel the numbness starting to spread from his arm to the rest of his limbs... He couldn¡¯t move anymore!
As soon as Barbarian discovered this, he heard the thin woman standing above say coldly andzily, "Oh, wait, you¡¯ve already had intense exercise when you were climbing the stairs just now, so blood was already circting through your arteries more quickly than usual. Therefore, you probably can¡¯t move anymore by now, right?"
Barbarian: "!"
No matter how slow Barbarian might be, at this moment, he finally understood¡ªhe had been fooled!
When the woman was advising him against moving and whatnot just now, she had merely been stalling for time.
He red at Nora furiously.
Nora, however, waited for another two seconds. She couldn¡¯t afford to wait for Brenda and the others to reach because their firepower would turn Barbarian into swiss cheese and end up destroying the V16!
Therefore, after calcting the time, she came up to Barbarian from upstairs. With her needle as a de, she made a quick sh, cutting through the bandages that Barbarian had tied firmly around himself, and took the ck box!!
Chapter 869: It’s In The Bag Now!
Chapter 869: It¡¯s In The Bag Now!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
The sound of gunfire and footsteps rushed all the way up. Brenda showed up below them, only a flight of stairs away.
After Nora got the V16, she quickly backed away...
As for Barbarian, who had killed so many people, even if he was reduced to pulp by Brenda andpany¡¯s firepower, it had nothing to do with Nora.
Nora wasn¡¯t going to be a saint and think of Barbarian as a pitiful soul who had been forced into this.
It might be true that he had be what he was today because he had been used as an experimental subject when he was a child, but no matter the reason, it was no excuse for him to take other people¡¯s lives at will!
Therefore, after Nora got the ck box, she immediately stepped back to put distance between herself and Barbarian. However, it was right at this moment that Barbarian moved!
This didn¡¯t make sense though, because Nora had been nning for today for a long time. The silver needle might seem tiny but the amount of tranquilizer on it was absolutely capable of knocking out even an elephant!
However, Barbarian hadn¡¯t been knocked out.
All of that just now was just an act. No... Perhaps he had indeed been paralyzed for an instant¡ªor perhaps he had been paralyzed all the way until this moment¡ªbut regardless, just as Brenda rushed up and Nora took the V16 from him, Barbarian attacked!
His pistol had dropped onto the floor because of the paralysis.
Without a gun, he lunged at Nora¡¯s wrist at lightning-fast speed and sneered. "As it happens, I don¡¯t have a hostage with me at the moment!"
In other words, he was going to take Nora hostage!
This way, even if Brenda and the others rushed up there, they could no longer bombard him with firepower.
Barbarian moved very quickly. Moreover, having sessfully paralyzed him just now, anyone would be caught off-guard, no matter who they were. Once he seeded, the V16 would still be his, and on top of that, he would even gain a hostage to save his life with!
Barbarian had it all nned out but all he grabbed was air.
Nora, who should have been nearby, was already two steps away from him at this moment, which happened to be just enough for her to escape his clutches!
Nora couldn¡¯t beat Barbarian in a fight.
She had known that a long time ago. In fact, when she was in the States, she had even suffered at his hands because of it. Even when she and Justin had joined forces, they were still no match for Barbarian.
Therefore!
Even if she had already prepared the needle and the tranquilizer, Nora would never make the mistake of underestimating the enemy again.
Thus, whether Barbarian was really paralyzed or just pretending, Nora was ready to flee the moment she got the V16.
Even so, despite having prepared for it in advance, Barbarian had nearly caught her.
Nora was greatly rmed.
No wonder Brenda and the others couldn¡¯t catch Barbarian even after so many years. That man was simply too strong.
If it weren¡¯t for the fact that the tranquilizer had indeed taken some effect and slowed Barbarian¡¯s movements a little, she would still have been caught! It didn¡¯t matter that she had made so many preparations and how vignt she had been.
She was simply too lucky to even have gotten away by the skin of her teeth.
Nora thought to herself while she fled up the stairs quickly.
She didn¡¯t dare to let her imagination run wild anymore¡ªbecause Barbarian was already chasing after her madly after missing once.
Nora ran up with all her might. Once she reached the top floor where the field of vision was wide, she would only need to persevere for a minute... no, in just ten seconds or so, Brenda and the others would be able to hurry over and bombard him with firepower!
However, she was still a little uneasy because Barbarian¡¯s movements were simply too fast. The man had climbed more than 50 floors without a pause and had even been hit with tranquilizers, yet he was maintaining a speed equal to hers!
The two kept running with three steps between them the whole time...
Nora went upstairs quickly, not daring to waste any time at all. Just as she was about to sprint over to a safe position she had in her sight, she suddenly heard a voice.
"This way!"
The sudden voice on the top floor startled Nora.
She turned her head sharply. In the split second that this took, Barbarian caught up with Nora and threw a punch at the back of her head!
After going up thest two floors, the tranquilizer in Barbarian¡¯s body seemed to have dissipated. He had ovee it quickly. His powerful physical constitution left Nora bbergasted!
No matter how well-prepared she was, in the face of Barbarian, strength was what gave one thest say!
And he had never been one to be reasonable!
Nora could feel the punching toward the back of her head but her body seemed locked in ce. Just when she could no longer break free...
Someone suddenly lunged toward her from the side!
Bam!
The man blocked the blow for Nora with his body, which sent him flying and he fell heavily on the floor.
With the V16 in her hand, Nora didn¡¯t dare to do anything. She only did a tuck-and-roll and put some distance between herself and Barbarian. Then she looked at the man eagerly.
She thought that Justin had finallye.
After all, it had been a long time since that scumbagst appeared. On top of that, he hadn¡¯t even contacted her.
However, she knew that Justin must be nearby and constantly paying attention to the V16!
But when she took a good look, the man who couldn¡¯t get back up anymore after Barbarian knocked him to the ground with a punch was actually... Caleb?
"It¡¯s you?"
Barbarian, who was also clearly taken aback, uttered in surprise.
Caleb, who had copsed on the floor, spat out a mouthful of blood.
The man, who had cancer, didn¡¯t have long to live, in the first ce. The punch seemed to have hit his lungs, causing him to cough violently. Nevertheless, he still tried his best to speak. "Barbarian... cough... Long time... cough... no see... Cough, cough... It¡¯s not toote... to repent... cough, cough..."
"To hell with repenting!"
Barbarian seemed a little bemused. "You and I are in the same boat. You should be hating people like them who didn¡¯t take our lives seriously. Yet you are defending her?!"
Caleb suppressed the metallic taste of blood in his mouth and replied, "She is also in the same boat as us. Her mother had experimented on her too!"
"How is it the same?"
Barbarian was furious. "The injection her mother gave her was safe. It¡¯s a gene serum with an antidote, she¡¯s fine! But how many of us have died?"
Upon hearing this, Caleb started to cough again. He said, "But she¡¯s only after the V16 to save her son, he has also been used as an experimental subject. Isn¡¯t that enough?"
"No, it¡¯s not!" Barbarian stared at Caleb. "How can that make up for those 1,000 children who died in theb back then?"
At this point, Barbarian suddenly lowered his eyes and sneered. "Besides, what right do you have to judge me? Caleb, we have always been enemies, haven¡¯t we? All five of us are enemies because we all need the V16! We all want to live!
"So... Since I¡¯ve run into you today, once I¡¯ve dealt with her, I don¡¯t mind getting rid of you, Trueman¡¯sckey, either! Besides, you are here to help Trueman get rid of me, right? "
After speaking, Barbarian raised his fist again and charged toward Nora.
But as soon as he moved, someone grabbed his leg. Barbarian looked down to see Caleb clinging onto his leg and shouting to Nora, "Hurry up and go!"
Nora: "!!!"
She looked at the two, her gaze falling on Caleb¡¯s face.
There was blood on the corner of the man¡¯s lip and he was as pale as a sheet. However, those deep and bottomless eyes of his showed determination at this moment.
"You must have a death wish!"
Upon seeing what he was doing, Barbarian kicked him again.
Despite that, even though Caleb had already curled up in pain, he simply refused to let go!
Bam!
Barbarian kicked him again.
Caleb threw up another mouthful of blood.
Bam!
Barbarian didn¡¯t hold back and kicked him again, every kicknding on Caleb¡¯s abdomen. Nora wasn¡¯t near them, but as a top surgeon, she knew that Caleb¡¯s internal organs might already have shifted from the kicks.
She clenched her fists tightly.
Bam!
Barbarian finally kicked Caleb away again, he mmed into the wall at the side and fainted.
Only then did Barbarian turn around and look at Nora.
The instant he was about to attack...
"Freeze!"
"Fire! Suppress him!"
Brenda and the others had finally arrived!!!
There was no way for Barbarian to fight back anymore!!
Chapter 870: Medical License
Chapter 870: Medical License
Bang! Bang! Bang! Ratatatatata...
Gunshots rang out incessantly, hitting the area where Barbarian was. He rolled and dodged a wave of bullets, then tried to charge toward Nora again.
But before he could, another burst of concentrated gunfire came at him, rendering him unable to run toward Nora.
Barbarian looked at Nora with his crimson eyes.
Nora breathed a sigh of relief.
As more and more people came up, the gunfire also became more and more concentrated. While Barbarian could still rely on his body¡¯s flexibility and nimbleness to dodge at this point, he wasn¡¯t going to be able to do the same in a while!
He had pushed himself into a corner this time.
Under the cover of the gunfire, Nora dashed straight toward Brenda, the metal box containing the V16 clutched tightly in her hands! Her eyes, however, remained fixed on Barbarian.
As Brenda directed the men behind her, she shouted, "Barbarian, you have been surrounded! Put down your weapon and surrender!"
As soon as she said that, the corners of Barbarian¡¯s lips curled up slightly into a touch of a sneer. Immediately after, he sprinted toward the edge. Continuous gunfire came from behind him but the bullets allnded at his feet!
Barbarian¡¯s speed and reflexes were simply too fast.
Regardless, it was useless¡ªbecause there was no way forward! If he ran any further, what awaited him would only be death!
But contrary to everyone¡¯s expectations, Barbarian did not slow down even when he reached the edge. Brenda frowned, took out a pistol, and continued to shoot at him.
Barbarian, however, leaped off the fifty-story high-rise building!
Had he lost the will to live because he knew that he had been surrounded?
Barbarian¡¯s move stunned everyone for a moment. Nora suddenly thought of something and hurried to the edge of the building.
There, she saw Barbarian, who had already plummeted from the building, floating in the air with his wingsuit open. He looked just like a bird as he glided away.
He elerated extremely quickly, so he had already glided out of Brenda¡¯s range. All the police officers on the ground floor could only raise their pistols and aim at the sky.
However, Barbarian was too high up in the sky, so he was out of their range as well.
Everyone could only watch as Barbarian glided away...
"Shit!!"
Aaron swore anxiously.
They had deployed so much manpower and resources this time, yet they had still allowed him to get away?
Wingsuiting was an extreme sport with only a few hundred people doing it in the whole country, though. Who would have thought that Barbarian would be a master of extreme sports?
Brenda also broke into a frown.
After spending so much time setting up everything, they could be said to havee the closest to Barbarian this time, yet he had still gotten away. They felt so helpless!
Nora was not as furious as Aaron and Brenda, though. Although she found it somewhat a pity, Barbarian was, after all, the first person to have his body gically modified in physical fitness. He was someone Nora and Justin couldn¡¯t beat in a fight even when they joined forces.
He wouldn¡¯t be Barbarian anymore if they could catch someone like him so easily!
Besides, from the start, her target was not Barbarian but the V16.
Nora lowered her head, looked at the object in her hand, and finally breathed a sigh of relief.
What came next was sending the seriously injured andatose Caleb to the hospital, as well as dealing with the affairs in school.
In the hospital, Nora unexpectedly ran into Epson.
He was being supported by someone as he walked out of a room after a checkup. He bragged to his student, "I told you, I¡¯m fine, but you guys simply insist on me doing a full-body checkup because you¡¯re worried. Did you hear the doctor? I¡¯m fine!"
His student replied, "It¡¯s because you were trapped in the washroom when the archives caught fire. The temperature in the archives was very high when the fire was put out, it was very easy for you to burn yourself!"
Epson curled his lips disdainfully. "I told you, I wet a towel and blocked my mouth and nose with it!"
The student nodded. "Yeah, you¡¯re really lucky this time to not have suffered any burns at all, Professor Epson... Even we suffered burns to some extent when we went in to save you..."
Epson was very stuck-up. He said, "That¡¯s because you guys weren¡¯t careful! Who do you think I am? Even Anti would have suffered burns in that situation, but not me! I¡¯ve at least beaten her again in this!"
The students around him: "..."
Nora: "..."
Epson leaving with Barbarian for the sake of the students had certainly moved her a little but this feelingsted no more than three seconds.
What was wrong with Epson, really?
Couldn¡¯t he stopparing himself to her?
She had never given a damn about Epson before, okay?
The corners of Nora¡¯s lips spasmed. She ignored them and walked straight ahead to check on Caleb.
She had just taken a couple of steps when she ran into Oscar.
Oscar¡¯s arm was exposed. There was arge burn on it and blisters had formed all over it, making her grimace in pain. When she saw Nora, she asked, "Where were you just now? Did you go to save Professor Epson too?"
Nora: "?"
"Too?"
"Yeah, Professor Epson only left with Barbarian because he wanted to save us, so we all went to save him. You have no idea how dangerous the situation was. That serial killer is too vicious, he even set fire to the archives to burn Professor Epson to death. Fortunately, we arrived in time to put out the fire... But even so, because we weren¡¯t wearing protective clothing when we rushed in to save Professor Epson, all of us were scalded by the mes."
Nora: "..."
She was about to give her some kind of exnation when the door to the operating room Caleb was in suddenly opened. Someone shouted, "He¡¯s dying! The patient is dying! One of his ribs has punctured his lungs, none of our doctors can handle the operation! What do we do?"
Nora¡¯s eyes narrowed at once. "What?"
Wasn¡¯t Barbarian a little too strong? Was Caleb really going to croak in advance because he suffered all those kicks?
The doctor said, "This is beyond my ability. Given his condition, there¡¯s likely only hope of saving him if Dr. Anties in person! Even so, putting aside the fact that we can¡¯t get in contact with Dr. Anti, even if we do get in contact with her, there¡¯s no way she can hurry over to the hospital within half an hour! But the patient doesn¡¯t have much time left! Sigh!"
When Oscar, who was following Nora at the back, heard the doctor, a regretful look came over her face. She said, "How did Professor Gray show up on the top floor? What a huge shame, the murderer didn¡¯t manage to kill Epson but he killed Professor Gray instead? I feel so sorry for Professor Gray! If only Anti were here..."
She had only just spoken when she saw Nora suddenly reach upwards and tie up her hair. Immediately after, she walked straight to the operating room and said, "Take me to him!"
Oscar was stunned. She followed after her and asked, "What are you going there for? Are you a doctor?"
Even the doctor wanted to stop her but it was at this moment that Nora took out her medical license. The name on it was...
Chapter 871: It’s The V16!!
Chapter 871: It¡¯s The V16!!
The nurse was about to stop Nora, but before she could speak, Nora took out her medical license and tossed it at her. Immediately after, she picked up a surgical gown from the side and entered the operating room.
The nurse looked down. When she saw the name on the medical license, she was stunned on the spot.
Seeing this, Oscar hurried over anxiously. Her gaze fell on the license in the nurse¡¯s hand, only to see a name written on it: "Anti".
Oscar: "..."
Stunned, her head whipped up and she looked at Nora in disbelief.
¡ª
Caleb¡¯s operation was indeed difficult. He needed someone with high precision to perform the surgery.
Three hourster, after Nora finished stitching him up, she finally stretched and loosened her muscles. The people supporting her in the operation all looked at her with eyes full of worship.
Nora didn¡¯t pay any attention to that.
She had obtained the V16, so she no longer needed to hide her identity...
Therefore, she nodded openly at the people around her and then left the operating room. As soon as she went out, she saw a group of people waiting outside.
All of them looked up when they heard the door open. However, when they saw her, they all turned their gazes behind her.
"Where¡¯s Anti?"
"Where¡¯s Anti?"
"I heard that Dr. Anti came in-person to operate on a patient, so I specially waited here!"
The hospital they were in was affiliated with Staav University and most of the patients here tonight were Staav University students. Thus, when they heard that Anti was here, all of them had gathered around to see what she was like.
Nora: "..."
Seeing the crowd outside, she suddenly felt that she¡¯d better not reveal her identity, after all. Thus, she said to the nearest person walking over, "She¡¯s at the back. I¡¯m just here to help."
After speaking, she took off her gloves and surgical gown and cut through the crowd.
One by one, everyone who heard her looked behind her... Nora took the opportunity to leave, but unfortunately, she¡¯d only just turned around when she saw Oscar.
Oscar was looking at her with aplicated look in her eyes.
Nora: "..."
She raised her eyebrows and walked over. "What¡¯s wrong?"
Oscar swallowed. "I... I¡¯d like to apply to be a postgraduate student under you. I hope you won¡¯t disqualify me because of my rudeness to you before."
Students like Oscar were verymon. Moreover, she was hardworking enough, so Nora still had a rather good opinion of her. It was just that maybe their personalities didn¡¯t get along, so they couldn¡¯t be friends.
However, that didn¡¯t mean that she had to dislike the other party.
Nora nodded. "Sure, if I ever recruit postgraduate students again."
Oscar took a deep breath, not daring to speak any further, she nodded instead.
When the two were walking ahead, they happened to see Epson hurrying over.
The student behind him said, "Slow down, slow down..."
Epson, however, was in a big hurry. He said, "If I go any slower, I won¡¯t be able to see her anymore! To think Anti is at Staav University! She must be here to steal my experiment results! Otherwise, why would she be here? So, my experiment still caught her attention, didn¡¯t it?"
Nora: "..."
The corners of her lips spasmed and she shook her head a little. Then, she moved away to let Epson and the students pass first. Just as they were walking past her, they suddenly stopped.
Epson looked at her and asked, "Have you seen Anti?"
Nora shook her head.
Epson continued with his questions. "Is she a fatty?"
Nora: "?"
Epson sneered and said, "The news I received says that she¡¯s a fatty who weighs nearly 200 pounds. She is also azy bum, so she¡¯ll never lose any weight for sure!"
"..."
Five years ago, when Nora first came to Switzend, she had indeed been fat. Moreover, she had even publicly shown her face back then. However,ter on, after she became famous, she never revealed her face or any information about herself anymore.
She didn¡¯t expect that people still thought of her as the fatty from before...
As the corners of her lips spasmed, Epson said, "Never mind, given your status, how could you possibly meet Anti? I¡¯d better hurry and go, it¡¯d be awful if I end up wasting time because of you."
Nora: "..."
Oscar: "..."
With aplicated look on her face, Oscar watched as Epson ran past them in a hurry. She let out a soft sigh and said, "Professor Epson is still wearing his burned trousers and didn¡¯t even have time to change, just so he could hurry here to look for you. What a shame that he doesn¡¯t know that the very same student he looks down on is the goal that he has been pursuing all his life."
Nora: "..."
Why was she detecting a bit of sarcasm in Oscar¡¯s words?
She shook her head and went out the door.
Brenda and the others were waiting for her. The SWAT team was all armed with heavy firearms. Brenda was in the midst of lecturing the men. She said, "If Barbarianes again, we must kill him. Do you hear me?"
"Yes, ma¡¯am!"
As soon as Nora came out, Brenda came over. She lowered her voice and said, "Nora, we will protect you."
Before Nora could speak, Brenda exined, "Nora, now is not the time to put on an affected act. You have what Barbarian is looking for, right...?"
Nora wanted to speak, but Brenda stopped her. She said, "I didn¡¯t see anything nor do I want to report anything, so what you¡¯ve taken has nothing to do with me, Nora. My task is just to catch Barbarian and since what he¡¯s desperately after is with you, he will definitelye to you! So, we must stay by your side!"
After speaking, Brenda held up her gun.
Nora nodded. "Okay."
With the V16 in her possession, she wasn¡¯t going to be so foolish as to act alone.
Although she could hire bodyguards for protection, she was indeed impressed with Brenda¡¯s professional abilities.
No one was going to be better than Brenda.
She asked in a low voice, "Is the school safe now?"
"Yes, it¡¯s safe."
Brenda took a deep breath. "We weren¡¯t sure who he was before, so it wasn¡¯t safe, but now that he has escaped... We did a headcount and found that he had been hiding among the students. Now that we have dug out the identity he was using, it¡¯ll be hard for him to get back into the school."
Only then did Nora breathe a sigh of relief.
She looked somewhere and suddenly said, "Keep watch for me for a while."
Brenda nodded. "Okay."
Only then did Nora go to a corner in a blind spot where Brenda stood.
This was the safest ce.
Nora finally took out the metal box from her bosom and opened it.
Before getting the V16, Nora had been constantly wondering what her mother had hidden in here. Was it the V16¡¯s form? Or was it something else?
It wasn¡¯t until now that she finally solved the mystery.
It wasn¡¯t a form but the actual V16 itself.
Chapter 872: Two Potions
Chapter 872: Two Potions
Two vacuum bottlesy silently in the box.
Two...
These were perhaps the only two in the world.
However, there were five survivors...
Nora frowned.
Five people... Including Xander, there were six people fighting over two potions. No wonder Barbarian was fighting so hard.
She did not have time to think too much about it and closed the box.
She picked up the instruction manual beside her.
The manual pointed out that this drug could not be injected directly into the body and required purification. However, the purification method was not given.
Still, this could not stump Nora...
She only thought about it for a while and roughly knew what machines were needed to purify it.
Long nights meant more thinking.
Nora decided to purify it at Staav University. After purifying the V16 drug, she would inject it into Xander.
The others might hate them but once Xander got the injection, in two months, those people would all be gone...
When she thought of this, Nora seemed to see the light.
She put away her things and said to Brenda, "Take me to theboratory. I¡¯ll look for Wayne. There happens to be some equipment for purification in hisboratory."
Brenda did not ask what it was and just said, "Okay."
The two of them... No, it could be said that a SWAT team escorted Nora to theboratory.
On the way, not far away, someone passed her and sighed softly. "Did you hear? The great pianist Love died this morning."
"Sigh, she¡¯s the top pianist in the world. Some people say that her attainments had surpassed everyone else¡¯s. It¡¯s as if she was born for the piano."
"Yes, I¡¯ve even attended her concert. Her perfect pitch really is the most impressive I¡¯ve ever heard of. No matter what sound you make, she could still tell... I heard that back then, there were some people who deliberately yed randomly in front of her, but she urately identified what instrument it was. Furthermore, at the same time, she had identified another sound. Everyone first thought that she had failed, but in the end, it turned out that there really was a bird flying past the window. The bird had even cried!"
"What a pity. She¡¯s only 30 years old..."
"Isn¡¯t that so? A pianist like her might have been able to make some stunning piano pieces in the future. Sigh!"
"..."
Everyone discussed and left.
Nora stopped in her tracks.
The pianist Love...
As she was thinking, her phone suddenly rang.
She picked up the call and Trueman¡¯s sharp voice came from the other end. "Love is dead! Do you know who Love is?"
Nora paused for a moment and suddenly thought of something. She immediately asked, "She¡¯s Listener?"
"That¡¯s right!" Trueman seemed to be a little angry. "That fool went to learn piano after leaving the mysterious organization. She never thought of searching for the V16. Hehe, I didn¡¯t expect her to be the first person to die among us!"
When this was said, Nora fell silent.
The remaining five children back then were not all bad people. For example, Listener relied on her gic modification to work in the music industry.
It was admirable that such a person was not afraid of death.
However, Trueman clearly did not think that way. "She¡¯s dead! Do you know what this means?"
Nora pursed her lips. "It means that thest injection of the gene serum isn¡¯t very stable."
"Yes, it¡¯s unstable. Time is unstable! We clearly only have two months left. Listener had taken the V15 with me... Therefore, you have to find the V16 as soon as possible!"
Nora did not bother about him anymore and hung up the phone.
There were two V16s now. There was no doubt that she would give one of them to Xander, but the other one... she wanted to give it to Caleb.
With this in mind, she arrived outside Wayne¡¯sboratory. Just as she was about to push the door open and enter, she heard the counselor¡¯s voice. "Lisa!"
Nora turned around and saw the counselor walking over quickly. She grabbed her hand and said, "I heard that Epson¡¯s experiment failed; but it¡¯s okay, there¡¯s still Professor Myers. You can still get good grades if you follow Professor Myers, so don¡¯t be discouraged~"
Nora: "..."
She nodded and was about to continue when the counselor said, "Oh, right. Professor Myers is a little strange. You have to talk nicely. You haven¡¯t met him yet, right? Then I¡¯ll take you to see him and let him take care of you."
With that, the counselor pushed the door open and entered.
As soon as she entered, she said to Wayne, who had his back to the door, "Professor Myers, Lisa is here. Although you¡¯ve already recruited graduate students as your assistants, Lisa has also contributed to this project. Please don¡¯t make things difficult for her..."
Wayne pursed his lips. "Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not that kind of a person. Isn¡¯t it just a student who wants toe in and earn some credit? I¡¯ll still give you this bit of face. But as an undergraduate, she has to be diligent and must have good eyesight. She can¡¯t drag us down, okay?"
"Of course, Lisa is an American exchange student, very diligent. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll have a lot to talk about!"
The counselor smiled and pushed Nora. "Lisa, greet Professor Myers quickly."
When Nora heard this, her lips curled up.
Chapter 873: Little... Lisa?
Chapter 873: Little... Lisa?
Wayne had been a little arroganttely.
After the NTTpany decided to invest in him, there were suddenly many peopleing to interview him. He chose many excellent students from them and most of them were graduate students.
Inparison, Lisa seemed a little inferior.
Therefore, Wayne had never taken Lisa seriously.
Furthermore, ever since Lisa joined thisboratory, Wayne had been asking Lisa toe over and help. However, even being an exchange student, she did note on time and stood him up. This made Wayne very angry.
Therefore, he decided to teach her a lesson.
Hearing the counselor¡¯s words, Wayne finally turned his head and looked at Lisa in front of him. "Lisa? Do you know what I want to do with thisboratory now? Do you know who has invested in it? You..."
Before he could finish, he froze when he saw the person in front of him.
When the counselor saw Professor Myers staring at Nora and not saying anything, she became a little flustered.
Was Professor Myers really angry and not giving Lisa a chance?
Just as the counselor was worried, she suddenly saw Professor Myers¡¯s eyes light up. His high and mighty expression instantly became one of bootlicking, as if he was one of those mask-changing performers.
Wayne rushed to Nora and lowered his head to say, "Ms..." Ms. Nora?
Before he could finish speaking, he saw Nora shaking her head slightly. This meant that she did not want to be acknowledged... Therefore, Wayne¡¯s next words changed into: "...Miss Lisa?"
The counselor: "?"
Miss Lisa?
What the heck was this?
Why did she feel a sense of respect behind Professor Myers¡¯ words?
And why did he call her ¡¯Miss¡¯?
Although Lisa did look young, why was he addressing her so affectionately?
Nora did not care about the counselor¡¯s thoughts. She walked forward and said to Wayne, "Yes, Professor Myers. I hope you can take care of me."
Her voice was low and maic.
Wayne felt a little embarrassed to be called Professor Myers by her.
Ms. Nora¡¯s pharmaceutical skills were better than his? How was he qualified to be called a professor by Ms. Nora?
The counselor felt that the atmosphere between the two of them was strange, but she did not understand. Therefore, she could only smile and say to Wayne, "Professor Myers, I¡¯ll leave Lisa with you. You have to take good care of her."
"...Definitely!"
The counselor looked at Nora again. "You have to learn well from Professor Myers. You can¡¯t lose your temper, understand? Professor Myers is an esteemed professor. Furthermore, he has the support of the NTTpany. Their projects are very meaningful to the school. You have to be obedient. Professor Myers¡¯boratory has many rules. You have to follow them, understand?"
Wayne was speechless.
Can you shut up, counselor?
Nora smiled and looked at Wayne with a faint smile. "Okay, counselor. Don¡¯t worry."
"..."
After the counselor left, Nora then looked at Wayne. "Rules?"
Wayne: "...Ms. Lisa, you¡¯re the one making the rules."
In the beginning, Wayne did not know why NTT had invested in him. Now, he understood everything!
No wonder "Lisa" was suddenly very happy after meeting the person in charge of NTTst time. It turned out to be like this! Ms. Nora was the heir to NTT!
Nora: "..."
She did not want to fight with Wayne anymore and said, "I¡¯ll borrow yourboratory."
She wanted to purify the V16 as soon as possible and then bring it home for Xander.
Chapter 874: Purification of the V16
Chapter 874: Purification of the V16
Because Wayne had received an investment from NTT, he was valued by the school. Theboratory arranged for him was also thergest in the school.
The equipment inside was all top of the line.
The graduate students who came to interview with Wayne were also the top students of Staav University.
In just a few days, Wayne¡¯s project was fully established. Today was the official start of the project.
If Nora wanted to borrow theboratory, Wayne would definitely not object.
He even immediately took out his phone and informed everyone that the project¡¯s establishment would be dyed for a day to prevent everyone froming over and disturbing Nora.
"What¡¯s the reason?" NTT asked when Wayne called to inform them.
He nced at Nora and saw her waving her hand.
Wayne immediately said, "Oh, there¡¯s no reason. I¡¯m just not feeling well today."
"Yes, my stomach hurts... Who hasn¡¯t had a few days of tummy pain every few months... No, I¡¯m not a woman, how can I have cramps! ..."
"Yes, I just have diarrhea. It¡¯s nothing serious. What? You want to see me? No need, really no need... Huh? You¡¯re already on the way? Then... Okay."
After hanging up, Wayne touched his forehead. "Ms. Nora, who is the person in charge at NTT? Isn¡¯t he too responsible?"
Nora also raised her eyebrows and smiled. "Forget it. They have always done their best."
It was because of their professionalism that NTT could reach where they were today.
They had said that they would start the project today, so they would definitely send someone over.
But...
Nora looked at Wayne and suddenly smiled. "Your stomach hurts? Is it really painful, or is it fake?"
Wayne: "?"
He understood. In order to deal with thepany¡¯s follow-up, he definitely had to act more like it. After all, Nora was going to use theboratory and he did not want to make a hugemotion.
Wayne¡¯s eyes darted around and he said, "The people from thepany do a very strict investigation. Furthermore, the people they send over definitely won¡¯t know you. In order to avoid trouble and to let you continue hiding your identity, I¡¯ve decided to sacrifice myself!"
After saying this, Wayne took out thexatives. Without waiting for Nora to speak, he gulped a bunch. "Ms. Nora, do you see that? I¡¯m loyal to you! For you, even if I copse today, I won¡¯t say a word! You don¡¯t have to praise me. I¡¯m such a serious person. I¡¯ve always been chivalrous and bold... h, h..."
"..."
Nora pursed her lips. This actor.
She ignored him and looked into the room. She walked to theboratory and began to purify V16.
Nora was worried at first. The V16 was not like wine, where the older the wine, the richer it was. After all, medicine had a shelf life. Furthermore, the box that was wrapped around the V16 looked like an ordinary one. She could not be sure of it. Could the V16 expire?
However, after testing with microscopes and various instruments, she realized that the V16 had not expired!
Some of the microorganisms inside were still alive. The serum was so fresh that it seemed to have been made this month.
She was even more impressed with her mother¡¯s medical skills now.
It was said that medical standards were getting more and more advanced. Her mother¡¯s era was more than twenty years ago but her medical standards at that time were simply too awesome.
Nora sighed in her heart and began to purify the V16.
Through her research on gene serum, Nora had her own views on this. The entire purification process took approximately four hours.
After talking to Wayne, he had let her work in peace.
When the people from NTT arrived, Wayne would help deal with it.
Nora nodded.
Actually, if she knew the person from thepany, it would not be so troublesome. She was just afraid that she would not know the person toe. If she caused a misunderstanding, it would be troublesome.
However, soon, Nora realized that she was thinking too much.
The people sent by thepany were actually Liam and one other employee she did not know. Although Wayne¡¯s project seemed to have taken eight million dors, to thepany, this money was just a ssh. It was nothing to them.
It couldn¡¯t be someone at Royce¡¯s level.
When Royce realized that Liam and Nora knew each other, he naturally handed over the project to Liam. Therefore, the person who had been in contact with Wayne these past few days was Liam.
The moment Liam entered, Wayne held his buttocks. His stomach hurt so much that his face was pale. Sweat broke out on his forehead and anyone could tell that it was not an act.
Liam said, "Professor Myers, what are you doing?"
Wayne had a bitter expression on his face as he sighed. "Sigh, I originally thought that if it was just a small difort, I would be able to bear with it. But look, I¡¯m really... Pfft!"
When Wayne said this, a fart came out. He said, "I, I can¡¯t take it anymore. I¡¯ll go to the bathroom first."
After saying that, he looked at Nora and instructed Liam, "Oh, right, this is my student. Um... I called her over to help tidy up theboratory. Yes... please don¡¯t disturb her..."
With that, he ran to the bathroom.
Nora: "..."
Wayne had taken thexative for nothing.
If she had known it was Liam, she would have said something to settle it.
However, it was obvious that Liam was unaware that Wayne knew of Nora¡¯s rtionship with NTT; and Wayne was unaware that Liam knew that she was rted to thepany.
Therefore, the two of them were trying their best to hide her identity.
Liam did not even walk towards Nora. Instead, he waited for Wayne toe out of the bathroom before saying, "Professor Myers, your illness is very serious. In my opinion, why don¡¯t we dy the project by two days?"
Wayne: "...Okay, okay!"
It was said that the people from NTT were all as cunning as foxes. Furthermore, their sharp eyes could see through any problems. They hated changing their schedule the most. But today, it seemed like they were very easy to talk to. What was going on?
Three hourster.
Nora finallypleted the purification.
She prepared two test tubes and ced them in a special small container before draining the air.
This was something she had specially searched for when she came to Switzend. It could preserve freshness and ensure that the interior waspletely vacuum-packed. Furthermore, it was small and convenient.
She had just closed the V16 container when her phone suddenly rang.
She subconsciously picked up the call. Barbarian¡¯s voice came from the other end. "Have youpleted the purification?"
Hearing this, Nora¡¯s eyes narrowed. She suddenly raised her head and looked around.
How could Barbarian have called at the exact moment she was done? It was as if he had seen it with his own eyes!
Nora clenched her jaw. Her intuition told her that this was not over!
Chapter 875: Spacey!!
Chapter 875: Spacey!!
Nora looked around vigntly.
Outside theboratory, Brenda led a few special officers to patrol. In theboratory¡ªLiam, Wayne, and an unknown employee from NTT were chatting.
Could it be that Barbarian had someone among these people?
Did he bribe some people?
Nora looked at everyone suspiciously.
Brenda and Wayne had to be excluded. These two people were definitely not on Barbarian¡¯s side. As for the others...
She frowned and said calmly into the phone, "What does it have to do with you?"
"It¡¯s indeed none of my business, but I think it¡¯s rted to your three children, right?"
When this was said, Nora suddenly narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean?"
"Do you think you¡¯ve hidden the children well? I already know their exact location. What do you think I should do?"
When Nora heard this, she could not help butugh. "What are you trying to do?"
When she wanted to stay at Staav University and fight with Barbarian, she had already arranged for the children at home to be safe. How could she be threatened like that?
As she was thinking, Barbarian said, "I understand. You found a very professional person to watch over them and ensure their safety. You can guarantee that I won¡¯t charge in to look for them, but can you stop a bomb?"
Nora¡¯s eyes narrowed. "What?"
Barbarian lowered his eyes and slowly said, "I know. You¡¯ve already moved the three children to Horgen District. I¡¯m not sure which building it is, but what if I can raze the entire district to the ground?"
Nora: "!!"
Barbarian lowered his eyes. "I have such a bomb in my hand. As long as I throw it gently, the entire district will be destroyed. I don¡¯t even need to find out where your three children and bodyguards are..."
When Barbarian said this, his tone was filled with disdain.
Nora clenched her fists. "So?"
"Hand over the serum in your hand obediently."
Barbarian¡¯s voice was very cold. "Otherwise, I¡¯ll drop the bomb in three hours!"
Nora lowered her voice. "You¡¯re a lunatic!"
In the current technological society, such bombs were rare, but they were indeed not difficult to procure.
Nora believed that Barbarian had the ability to get such a bomb, but she could not help but say, "There are so many people in the district. How can you?!"
Horgen was a safe district nearby. There were a few vis inside and the people living there were all people of high status.
But Barbarian wanted to bomb these people just like that?
Barbarian sneered. "I don¡¯t know them. Are they rted to me?"
Nora: "..."
He was insane.
This person waspletely crazy.
For a gene serum, he waspletely treating humans as trash!
Nora lowered her eyes and suddenly said, "Okay, how do I hand the serum to you? Where should I go?"
Barbarian: "There¡¯s no need to trouble yourself. I know you¡¯re very skilled with medicine. It won¡¯t be good if you change the serum midway. Now, hand the gene serum in your hand to Liam."
Liam...
Nora looked at the door suddenly and saw that Liam had changed from his previous timidness. He pushed the door open and came in front of her calmly. "Ms. Smith, give it to me."
"..."
Nora stared at Liam.
She clenched her fists tightly. After a moment, she said, "So you¡¯re the one who exposed my children¡¯s location. Liam... Or should I say, Mr. Spacey?"
Chapter 876: This is Switzerland!
Chapter 876: This is Switzend!
After Nora came to Switzend, there were many things she could not understand.
For example, at the ce she lived, she was targeted by her neighbor, the olddy. The olddy¡¯s phone was clearly hacked. She had said that her sister wasing and wanted her to rent a room for her. That was why her neighbor, Mrs. Long, had scolded Nora fervently.
This kind of small trick was nothing to Nora.
But that was what Spacey had done.
At that time, Nora did not understand why he had done it. However, at this moment, she suddenly understood.
Liam wanted Rene and him to be friends with them sessfully!
Liam had requested her to go to Nora¡¯s house more often to y. He said that he wanted the three children to apany her. Liam¡¯s true goal was not to let Rene have somepany but to obtain more information about Nora and the three children.
Rene¡¯s background was pitiful, so it was very easy to have people drop their guards around her.
Furthermore, Nora had investigated Rene.
As an orphan of American descent, her life in Switzend was not good. No one adopted her for a long time until she was finally taken in by a family. In the end, her adoptive parents turned out to be bad people.
Her adoptive father wanted to take advantage of her but was discovered by her adoptive mother. Her adoptive mother beat and scolded her at every turn. There were even a few times when Rene had to go to the hospital for treatment.
Rene had finally escaped hell. How could anyone doubt her pitiful background?
To be honest, when Nora first came to Switzend, she thought that everyone was from the mysterious organization. She even suspected Liam, but she never suspected Rene...
Rene could enter and leave their house freely. Even if she had sent the three children away, Rene could still easily find out which district they had gone to...
Hearing Nora call him ¡¯Spacey¡¯, Liamughed. "Most people sympathize with the weak. If I just appeared in front of you, you would definitely have suspected me. That¡¯s why I chose Rene. I learned about you guys without anyone noticing."
Nora frowned and suddenly smiled. "So, there¡¯s really no true ¡¯love at first sight.¡¯"
She knew it!
Rene was timid and dirty like a beggar.
On the other hand, Liam looked bright and handsome. Why would he like Rene?
In the beginning, she even suspected that he was emotionally manipting Rene. However, after an investigation, she realized that Liam was really good to her.
There was even a time when she felt that this might be true love.
It turned out that Liam was just making use of Rene.
Liam did not deny this. He just held out his hand. "Give it to me."
Nora took a deep breath and lowered her head to look at the V16 serum in her hand. She suddenly smiled and reached out to hand the two bottles to Liam.
Liam was relieved that she handed it over so easily.
He carefully ced the serum in his pocket and turned to walk out. He said, "Ms. Smith, I think you know very well that if you dare to act rashly, we won¡¯t guarantee your children¡¯s safety! So you better be obedient. Of course, I know you¡¯re very skilled."
When Nora was extracting the medicine, although he was bickering and joking with Wayne, Liam had been paying attention to Nora. When Trueman called her, she did not even have the time to change the medicine.
Therefore, this V16 must be the real deal.
Liam rushed out the door excitedly.
Barbarian¡¯s voice came from his earpiece. "Have you got it?"
"I got it!"
Liam spoke calmly before getting into the car. "I¡¯lle to you now."
Barbarian nodded. "Okay."
Liam suddenly said, "I keep feeling that things are going too smooth."
Barbarian had always been simple-minded. He said, "It didn¡¯t go smoothly though, right? It¡¯s only because of me. I could go to the school to investigate and escape unscathed. But what if it was someone else? I only came out of the dark to verify the authenticity of the serum. I¡¯m a little far away now,e over quickly and meet us. We¡¯ll leave after getting the serum. Trueman and the others are still watching us!"
Liam took a deep breath. "Are you sure it¡¯s okay?"
Barbarian smiled. "Of course. What are you afraid of? After I get the V16 and inject it, I can break through the limits of my body again. After that, no one will be able to catch me!"
As Liam drove, he nced back. "I¡¯m just worried that Nora will catch up. I¡¯m not you. I don¡¯t have such good skills."
"She won¡¯t dare to. The bomb is right there. If she dares to chase after you, I¡¯ll pull the trigger!"
Liam suddenly asked, "Are you sure they can¡¯t find the bomb and defuse it?"
Barbarian sneered. "Justin¡¯s strength in New York is okay but they don¡¯t have much power overseas. You have to know that this is Switzend!"
¡ª
In theboratory.
Nora was opening her mouth to exin. "Queenie, are you sure you can find the bombs? And dismantle them?"
Azy voice came from the other end. "Of course, I¡¯m sure. Can you have some confidence in me?"
Nora sighed. "When I returned to New York back then, you told me that you were not very powerful."
"...What I was saying is, be honest with Justin. I¡¯m no longer afraid of others! Also, you didn¡¯t contact me after you came back. Have you grown wings? Heh, now Cherry is being threatened. You¡¯re really weak! Don¡¯t worry. To transport a bomb like that, they would have had to dismantle it and then move it without alerting anyone. They can¡¯t dare to make too much of a fuss. No matter how good a job they do, there will always be evidence! Give me half an hour and I¡¯ll help you take care of the bomb!"
"Half an hour?"
Nora lowered her head and looked at the time. "Is that enough?"
When the other party heard this, she suddenly sneered and said domineeringly, "Nora, don¡¯t worry. Don¡¯t forget that this is Switzend! It¡¯s my territory!! Wait for my good news! My NTT is not to be trifled with!"
"However, you have to promise me that after the bomb is removed, you¡¯ll bring the little guys to stay at home with me! I miss Cherry so much. Besides, I don¡¯t believe that anyone in Switzend will dare toe here and court death!"
Chapter 877: Counterattack!!
Chapter 877: Counterattack!!
In the vicinity of Horgen District, Switzend.
Since Barbarian wanted to blow up Horgen District, that meant that the bomb must be installed somewhere close. However, Horgen District, which was considered a residentialplex for the wealthy, was enormous and even contained a park. It wasn¡¯t going to be easy to find the bomb that Barbarian had buried.
However, on this day, everyone in the vicinity of Horgen District went into action.
The couriers first investigated the list of items that had been delivered to the district during the past ten days.
The courierpany¡¯swork of people covered nearly the whole area and there were one or two employees who knew everyone in the district. However, nobody knew that all the courier deliveries in the vicinity were already under the monopoly of apany named Send Express, let alone know that Send Express was a subsidiary of NTT.
At themand of NTT¡¯s boss, aka Queenie Schmidt, a secret showdown was quietly taking ce out of sight.
In addition to the courierpany, all the street sweepers also went into the district to clean the ce. Based on the information sent by the couriers, they conducted a search in the district.
Added to this the fact that the officers on patrol were employees of a securitypany, the inconspicuous group came together to form a formidable force even greater than security cameras. In just the span of thirty minutes, they found the bomb.
The group immediately made a police report.
Nora, who was sitting in theboratory, was rather speechless when she received the phone call.
"Why did you call the police instead of just dismantling it?" She asked.
Queenie scoffed. "I¡¯m a good,w-abiding citizen, you know. They should be the ones doing this, in the first ce. Why should I take care of it for them?"
"..."
Nora fell silent.
Queenie had professional bomb disposal experts in her team, yet she had to insist on making a police report instead.
The corners of her lips spasmed in speechlessness, upon which she heard anotherugh from Queenie, who then added, "Besides, it¡¯s not like Cherry is even there, so why should I waste my time and effort doing it? I¡¯ve already made a great contribution by finding the bomb!"
That¡¯s right.
The three children had left Horgen District a long time ago.
Given that Nora had not only wanted to send the children elsewhere but was also aware that her whereabouts were already exposed to Spacey, how would she possibly stop at something as simple as just driving them to another ce?
She had sent her children to Horgen District by car the day before, but unbeknownst to outsiders, the houses in the district had underground passages through them that connected straight to the vis next door.
Cindy had been living in the vi next door all along. She drove the car out every day, so it hadn¡¯t raised Liam¡¯s suspicions at all when she sneaked the three children out.
After all, Nora had only just sent them to the district. Who would have thought that she would immediately transfer them elsewhere?
She had wanted the bomb to be defused because it was too powerful. Should it go off, it would bring harm to the people in the vicinity.
Queenie spoke again. "Tsk, the bomb has been defused. How are things on your end?"
Nora¡¯s lips curled into a smile. "They still haven¡¯t realized that they have been fooled. Don¡¯t worry."
Queenie chuckled softly and remarked dryly, "You wily little fox."
Before she hung up, she said, "Cherry and the others are here with me. They are very safe, so you can put your mind at ease! You sure are fertile, though. To think you gave birth to three babies, are you actually a sow?"
Nora: "!"
The corners of her lips spasmed and she hung up on her.
The things that her aunt said simply sounded too awful.
Wasn¡¯t it all because her mother had injected her with the serum that she¡¯d had a multiple pregnancy and given birth to three children?
She rolled her eyes and opened theboratory door.
When Liam took the serums and left just, he had threatened her against pursuing him. On top of that, he had even switched on the security cameras in theboratory to monitor her. For the lives of those in Horgen District, Nora had refrained from taking any rash actions.
But now...
It was time to counterattack!
She might not be able to beat Barbarian in a fight but Spacey would most certainly be a breeze!
On the highway.
Liam was driving at high speed. He stared ahead of him with a savage smile, but it was at this moment that he received a phone call from Barbarian.
"The bomb has been defused!"
His words took Liam by surprise. "What?"
Barbarian¡¯s voice was also full of shock and horror. He said, "It¡¯s true! I couldn¡¯t locate the bomb just now, so I checked the surveince cameras. That¡¯s when I found that the police have already surrounded it. I pressed the remote control after that but the bomb had already been defused!"
Liam hammered the steering wheel.
"It¡¯s only been half an hour! Didn¡¯t we agree that you would buy me three hours? Half an hour is not enough for me to get away at all!"
Barbarian said grudgingly, "Never mind, with the V16 in your hands, they won¡¯t dare to do anything to you! Besides, no one went after you when you fled. It¡¯ll be toote even if they start chasing after you now! There are no traffic jams here, after all!"
Liam felt enlightened when he heard him. He said, "You¡¯re right. Putting aside whether or not they can catch up to me, just the fact that the V16 is in my possession is already as though I have a hostage with me. If they dare so much as to capture me, I will destroy the V16! Everyone can forget about living then!"
After hanging up the phone, Liam looked behind him.
Half an hour had passed and he was already a great distance from Staav University. Unless the other party was a godlike car racer, they could forget about ever catching up to him...
Liam breathed a sigh of relief when he thought of this.
Nevertheless, he did not dare to ck off and continued forward.
Ten minutester, Liam suddenly sensed something amiss.
He turned his head sharply to the side to see a big ck jeep driving side by side with him on the road.
The moment he looked over, the jeep¡¯s window slowly rolled down, revealing Nora¡¯s cool and beautiful visage.
Liam: "!!"
His pupils shrank abruptly and he mmed down on the gas pedal.
However, the next moment, the jeep caught up once more.
No matter how hard he tried, he simply couldn¡¯t shake off the jeep. On top of that, he was obviously driving very fast and there were several bends on the highway. It was as if one would be thrown right out of the car if they didn¡¯t slow down...
Yet!
He spun the steering wheel frantically before he finally managed to turn a corner, but when he looked over at Nora¡ªthe woman had one hand on the steering wheel while she slowly stretched out the other.
Suddenly, she made a finger gun, pointed it at him, and uttered, "Bang."
At that moment, Liam felt like he had just encountered the Devil himself.
Chapter 878: Threat! Splitting The Loot
Chapter 878: Threat! Splitting The Loot
The sports car droned, its engine running at high speed.
But no matter how much Liam sped up or overtook the other party, he simply couldn¡¯t shake off Nora.
Gradually, he began to panic.
His hands around the steering wheel were perspiring and cold sweat trickled down his forehead...
He looked over at Nora again¡ªonly to see that the woman was still following him leisurely at the side. She was obviously overtaking him at times and could easily block his way by drifting horizontally, yet she deliberately slowed down and fell behind him.
She was just like a cat that clearly could catch the mouse but chose to tease its prey by deliberately letting it escape and then catching it again.
The look in the woman¡¯s eyes when she looked at him also carried a sense of determination to get what she wanted.
Liam felt even worse. He looked ahead of him again and swallowed nervously.
His physical fitness had always been poor and he started to fumble about somewhat frantically despite only having driven for such a short period of time. His legs had even be a little weak from consecutively overtaking cars at high speed on the highway.
Screech!
He mmed on the brakes and nearly collided with the car in front while the car behind also nearly collided with him. The driver behind was so mad that he swore at him loudly when he drove past.
However, Liam didn¡¯t have the leisure to care about that. Instead, he looked at the big ck jeep speeding past him.
He originally thought that the jeep would race off into the distance and would not be in time to brake, but unexpectedly, it instead steadily came to a stop once more with a screech at only 300 feet away. The woman was even in the mood to turn on the blinkers and stop the car at the shoulder.
Her calm and collected attitude made Liam feel humiliated.
He clenched his fists.
Liam suddenly dove back into the car to start it up again. However, by then, Nora had already gotten out of the jeep and ced one hand on the door. She stood there quietly like a great mountain suppressing Liam. He simply couldn¡¯t step on the gas pedal for the longest time.
Liam, who was shaking all over, broke down mentally. Before Nora could even speak, he yelled, "The V16 is with me! Let me go and stoping after me! Or else I will destroy it!"
Nora raised her eyebrows.
Seeing that she wasn¡¯t saying anything, Liam finally started the car. His car had only traveled 600 feet when the jeep caught up with him from the back again.
Liam panicked. He rolled down the window furiously and shouted to Nora, "I told you, don¡¯te after me! Or I will destroy the V16!"
However, Nora ignored him and continued to follow him.
Barbarian¡¯s voice also reached Liam through his earphone.
"What¡¯s going on? Is she out of her mind? She¡¯s really not threatened by you?!"
Liam snapped, "Who the f*ck knows what¡¯s going on?! Barbarian, where did you glide to? Can youe over and provide reinforcements?!"
Barbarian fell silent. He replied, "I won¡¯t be able to make it there in time. As a precaution, I glided a few hundred miles away. You¡¯re too far away, even if I do get to you, it will take me two or three hours... You have to calm down and keep yourself together..."
"I can¡¯t!" Liam hammered the steering wheel furiously. "It¡¯s driving me nuts!"
Barbarian: "..."
Suddenly, Liam said, "I¡¯ve made up my mind, I¡¯ll return her one of the V16s. This way, she won¡¯t keep haunting me anymore!"
His words instantly enraged Barbarian. He said, "Which of us are you going to use it on if you bring back only one?!"
Liam yelled, "I don¡¯t have the goddamn time to care about you anymore! I just want to get away asap!"
Nearly right after he said that, Liam suddenly took off the Bluetooth earphone on his ear and flung it out the window.
The cars on the highway moved too quickly, the earphone was instantly crushed by the car behind the moment it fell to the ground.
Barbarian¡¯s voice faded into the wirelesswork...
Liam looked ahead¡ªthere was a bridge.
He suddenly drove the car toward it. Then, he parked it and stood on the edge of the bridge.
In a mere span of about ten seconds, Nora¡¯s car stopped beside him. She stood a short distance away and looked at him quietly.
Liam, however, took out two serums and opened the lids. He pointed them at the bridge deck and said, "Don¡¯te over, Nora! Let¡¯s make a deal! You let me go and we each take one of these two serums. But if you refuse to give me a way out, then I will empty them both into the river!"
Chapter 879: Where Did That Scumbag Go?
Chapter 879: Where Did That Scumbag Go?
Once Nora retrieved the serums, she would only need one for Xander.
Caleb was the only one with some bare connections to Nora. However, his cancer was already at an advanced stage and he didn¡¯t have long to live. Besides, he¡¯d never thought of fighting for the serum, either.
Therefore, it was true that she only needed one.
It was better for Nora to agree to Liam¡¯s offer. By having the two of them take one each, the spoils would be evenly divided.
Moreover, the current situation seemed to have reached an impasse.
Liam was very sure that Nora would agree, yet she merely cast her eyes down and continued forward.
"Don¡¯t move! If youe any nearer, I really will empty the serums into the river!"
Liam shouted nervously.
However, Nora did not stop.
She continued to walk forward with a faint smile on her lips.
"Well, It¡¯s purified water anyway, so it doesn¡¯t matter even if you empty them into the river."
Her words stunned Liam. "What did you say?"
Nora looked at him. "As I said, we stayed in the school because we wanted to catch Barbarian, and for that end, we had made full preparations. So why would I head to theb to refine the gene serum so carelessly after getting my hands on it?"
She looked at Liam and went on. "I didn¡¯t expect you to be the backup n in Barbarian¡¯s ns, but the moment you entered theb, I figured it out. In that case, why would I still refine the V16 and give it to you?"
She stared at the reagent bottles in Liam¡¯s hand and said, "Feel free to toss it."
There was only distilled water in there anyway¡ªNora had poured the real gene serum into an inconspicuous test tube in Wayne¡¯sboratory instead.
It was only after Liam took the two bottles of "gene serum" and left that she had slowly, and leisurely, stored the real V16 in a special container.
Liam: "!!"
He stared at the bottles in his hand in disbelief. Suddenly, he opened the lids and tossed one straight into the river.
But even when he did that, Nora didn¡¯t react in the slightest.
This showed that everything she said was true!
Liam realized at once that he had been fooled!
He threw the other bottle of purified water into the river too and immediately got into his car. Before Nora could catch up, he started the car violently, causing it to zoom straight ahead!
Given Nora¡¯s driving skills, he knew that she would definitely be able to catch up with him, but by then, fleeing had already be something instinctive for him.
Seeing that panic had seized him again, Nora cast her eyes down and sneered. She got into her car, moving very slowly as she did. By the time she got into the car, Liam¡¯s car was already 600 feet away.
But just as she was about to speed up to catch up to Liam...
Bang! Boom!
Liam¡¯s car suddenly exploded violently!!
The entire car was instantly submerged in a sea of ??mes, which in turn caused a few passing cars nearby to also explode!
Nora could feel her car also shaking. Sound waves and the residual impact of the explosion assailed her from the front, the impact even cracked the windshield.
¡ª
Half an hourter.
In the hospital.
Nora finished having her wounds dressed.
Fortunately, the windshield of the car she was driving had been modified into bulletproof ss, so it was rtively safe. But even so, parts of the windshield had still shattered and stabbed into her arm.
However, the other four or five cars around them were not as lucky.
Some of the people in the cars suffered burns that covered more than 70% of their skin while others were killed on the spot. There was even a family of three in one of the cars. Both parents had died and only the child in the back seat had survived. Even so, he had also suffered burns.
Before he was administered anesthesia, he kept calling out for his parents... The doctors could onlyfort him and tell him that his parents would be back soon.
The scene was simply too devastating and Nora couldn¡¯t help clenching her fists as she watched.
She really didn¡¯t expect that Spacey would nt a bomb on his own car. In addition, his mental resilience had also been much worse than she¡¯d imagined.
To think he would start running about in a panic like a headless chicken...
She clenched her jaw. After her arm was bandaged, her cell phone rang.
It was an unregistered number.
She answered the call, whereupon Barbarian¡¯s voice came from the other end: "Is the scene in front of you to your liking?"
Nora¡¯s pupils shrank abruptly at his words and she suddenly realized something. She asked, "You¡¯re the one who nted the bomb in his car?"
"That¡¯s right," Barbarian sneered, "Not only is he stupid and daft, but he¡¯s also a coward who values his life very much. When someone like him encounters a problem, there¡¯s no way they would have the guts to risk an act of desperation. If he didn¡¯t die, it would have destroyed our n! He knew too much! So, if he couldn¡¯t retrieve the V16, then he must die!"
Barbarian¡¯s cold-heartedness made Nora clench her jaw.
As Nora watched the bodies of the parents from the family of three being pushed out of the operating room, she suddenly couldn¡¯t help but question him. "Have you ever thought about how many innocent people have been hurt by your actions? How many innocent families have been destroyed?"
Barbarian sneered. "What do they have to do with me? Besides, from the moment I was born, has the world ever shown me any kindness? If not, then why should I show them any kindness? Don¡¯t take the moral high ground and condemn me. You haven¡¯t suffered the way I have, how can you possibly understand how I feel?"
"..."
He spoke coldly and indifferently. There was no anger in his voice¡ªin fact, there wasn¡¯t even any emotion, just like how a human wouldn¡¯t be full of guilt just because they crushed an ant.
His attitude convinced Nora that the man might really have bombed the whole Horgen District, had her aunt not helped her deal with the bomb there.
If one were to say that Nora had felt that Barbarian and the others only became what they were today because of the cruel things that the mysterious organization had done to them, then she no longer held any sympathy for Barbarian at this point.
Life should be respected, not toyed with as though it was worth nothing!
Barbarian must exist only to take revenge on society, right?
Nora did not say anything else.
Barbarian, on the other hand, suddenly said, "The two gene serums are with you, right? But I¡¯m telling you this: do not attempt to inject your son with the gene serum!"
Nora was a little taken aback. "Why?"
"Heh, when I was a child, I lived with four other children. Do you know how the four of them died? When they were injected with the seventh and eighth doses, the interval between those two doses was shorter than half the interval between the previous ones..."
Nora suddenly realized something. She asked, "Are you saying that one would also die if they are injected with the V16 too early?"
"Of course. Otherwise, why would we suddenly only start searching frantically for you during thest two years?"
Barbarian sneered and said, "It¡¯s because all of us have only less than three months left, yet the drug cannot be injected in advance. You¡¯ve only just injected your son with the V15, right? Then you¡¯ll have to wait at least two months before you can inject him with the V16."
Nora didn¡¯t believe Barbarian, but she didn¡¯t dare to disregard his words either.
She was afraid that something would go wrong.
Barbarian would never tell her all this out of the kindness of his heart, though. Sure enough, the next moment, he said, "If you don¡¯t believe me, then feel free to ask Caleb Gray about it. Of course, I¡¯m not telling you all this out of kindness; rather, it¡¯s because I can¡¯t get back in time. I¡¯m afraid that you would be in a hurry and inject your son with the serum first."
Nora: "..."
Well, that made sense.
She hung up on Barbarian and went to Caleb.
Caleb¡¯s operation had just ended. With his rib broken, he would have to be bedridden and rest for a while, no matter what. She asked Caleb about the authenticity of Barbarian¡¯s ims and he told her that what he said was true.
"It seems that I¡¯ll have to find a ce to store the serum and wait for a month to pass before I can inject Xander with it?"
Nora felt uneasy.
She had finally obtained the serum after much difficulty but she was now being told that she had to wait another month.
Who knew what other unforeseen events might ur during this one month¡¯s time?!
Caleb also felt awfully helpless. He sighed and said, "Yes, that¡¯s right. Also, since Trueman is watching Barbarian, he must also know that the serums are with you. While Barbarian is also a fearsome existence, Trueman is not to be trifled with either. I¡¯d suggest that you stay cautious during this one month¡¯s time."
A resigned Nora nodded.
A safe ce...
She hardly knew of any safe ces.
What was she going to do about this?
She wondered if Justin had any?
At the thought of Justin, though, Nora couldn¡¯t help but gnash her teeth.
Where had that scumbag gone while she was ving away here?!
Nora inwardly gave the man a piece of her mind in secret. With the school on lockdown and even the explosion on the bridge, she didn¡¯t believe that Justin wasn¡¯t aware of their situation.
Since he wasn¡¯t contacting them, it meant that he might be doing something more important.
Nora had only just thought of this when her cell phone rang.
When she answered, her aunt¡¯s voice came from the opposite end: "Cherry and the others are here with me. When are youing over?"
Nora heaved a silent sigh and replied, "Now, I guess."
It had been a very long time since she hadst seen her aunt.
Chapter 880: Queenie Schmidt
Chapter 880: Queenie Schmidt
Nora drove to the castle where Queenie lived.
Over the years, NTT had be thergestpany in Switzend after it was founded by Queenie. Moreover, she loved living a luxurious lifestyle, so she had built a castle in the country.
The castle was an impregnable fortress. Even if Barbarian knew that they were here, unless he dropped a nuclear bomb on the castle, it was impossible for him to blow up the ce.
All the architecture she saw along the way as she drove was European-style, the castle was gorgeous.
As soon as Nora¡¯s car arrived at the entrance of the castle, the huge iron gates opened automatically. There, John, the butler, greeted her in person. When he saw Nora, he said with a smile, "Good day, Ms. Nora."
Nora nodded at John. However, she did not get out of the car but continued driving further into the castle.
It took more than ten minutes to drive from the entrance to the ce where Queenie lived, which went to show just how expansive ?the castle grounds were.
Atst, the car stopped in front of a vi. Nora had only just parked the car when Cherry, Pete, and Xander came running out of the vi.
Cherry hugged Nora and said, "Mommy, I miss you so much! It¡¯s only been a day but it feels like forever since Ist saw you!"
Pete also grabbed her hand and looked up at her fondly.
Nora took the opportunity to squat down and give Cherry a kiss. She also pecked Pete on the cheek. Pete¡¯s cheeks were all red and he was very content.
Xander adopted a cocky act and snorted derisively when he saw the two children¡¯s behavior. Hemented, "You two haven¡¯t weaned off your mom¡¯s milk yet, have you?"
But Nora grabbed him and kissed him on the cheek too.
Xander immediately put on a disgusted expression. As he wiped off the non-existent saliva on his cheek, he said, "Yuck, don¡¯t you find that filthy?"
His eyes, however, were sparkling.
At a young age, he had already learned to say one thing when he really meant another.
Nora ruffled his hair and then led the three children into the vi.
Nora felt exceptionally rxed, both physically and mentally, here.
Back then, after her aunt took her away, she¡¯d lived here for five years. This ce was like her real home and was also the first ce to have given her a sense of security.
Upon entering the living room, she looked at the woman sitting on the sofa.
The woman was in her forties, yet she looked like she was only in her early thirties. When she stood next to Nora, one would believe it even if they were told that the two of them were sisters.
She gave off a different feeling from Iris.
Iris was like a celestial maiden, ethereal with an otherworldly beauty.
Queenie, however, was arrogant and mboyant. d in a red silk nightdress, her nails were painted scarlet and she held a ss of red wine in her hand as she leaned against the sofa. Her eyes were bright and teasing as she looked at Nora. "Wow, you actually remembered toe home?"
Nora smiled and sat beside her. She took her arm and said, "Hi, Aunt Queenie."
Queenie snorted and said, "And here I thought you¡¯ve already forgotten that you still have an aunt in me. You¡¯re really something now, aren¡¯t you? To think you didn¡¯te to me after you came to Switzend, ha!"
Nora: "..."
Cherry ran over and hugged Queenie¡¯s arm. She said, "Don¡¯t be mad at Mommy, Grandaunt Queenie! Mommy really misses you very much, it¡¯s just that she has a bit of work to do. She was afraid that you won¡¯t let her work if she came back, that¡¯s why she stayed elsewhere instead! Although we didn¡¯te back, we still thought of you every day~"
Queenie immediately put her arms around Cherry and pecked her on the cheek. "Oh, my precious little baby. Why is your tongue so sweet?"
Cherry burst into giggles.
Nora also breathed a sigh of relief.
Her aunt had a bad temper, and when she got mad, it scared even her.
Back then, when she gave birth in the States and almost died, her aunt had returned to the country and then taken her abroad without a word. But after that, she had ignored her for half a year.
Nora and her aunt had been in contact since she was a child. Her aunt had even wanted to take her abroad when she unexpectedly became pregnant, but Nora had refused.
At that time, she had felt that staying in the country would be morefortable since there was no one bothering her.
This led to her nearly having a lethalplication that year.
After being mad at her for half a year, her aunt finally broke the silence and spoke to her only because Cherry was simply too adorable.
Pete and Xander stood at the side and looked at the grandaunt whom they didn¡¯t know. After Queenie had her fill of kissing Cherry, who was in her arms, she finally asked, "By the way, where¡¯s your Mr. Hunt? Howe he¡¯s not worried about leaving you here alone?"
Nora heaved a silent sigh and answered, "I don¡¯t know where he¡¯s gone."
Queenie snorted coldly and said, "All these men! None of them are reliable! On top of fighting with Barbarian, they even tried to rob you of your things, yet he didn¡¯t even show up! What¡¯s the use of having a man like him? If you ask me, you should juste to me with the children, instead!"
Nora smiled and replied, "That¡¯s exactly what I have in mind. You gotta keep your word, okay?"
Queenie choked. A momentter, she curled her lips and said, "Forget it, your Mr. Hunt is not someone to be trifled with."
Her reply, however, made Nora frown. She suddenly asked, "Aunt Queenie, you seem to know Justin? Who on earth is he? Howe even someone like you are in awe of him?"
"Awe? What nonsense! C¡¯mon, can you hold a conversation or not?! I¡¯m reluctant to go against him only because things will be very troublesome if I mess with him! Do you think I¡¯m afraid of him?"
Queenie raised her ss of red wine and took a sip. Then, she gave her a wink and said, "But if you want to know, I can let you in on a secret..."
Queenie raised her chin at Nora.
Nora leaned over and brought her ear closer. Then, she said, "Aunt Queenie,pared to Justin, I¡¯m actually more interested in your secrets. Who... on earth are you?"
Chapter 881: Do You Want To Go In?
Chapter 881: Do You Want To Go In?
Ever since she was born, Nora had known that she had an Aunt Queenie.
Even Henry knew of her. Her aunt would alsoe back to the country to visit her once a year.
Henry thought that Queenie lived a very difficult life abroad, so he had never shown her much civility. However, Queenie treated Nora very kindly. She told her that she was her mother¡¯s god-sister and that her mother had once saved her life. Nora hadn¡¯t thought much about it back then.
Later, Queenie continued to treat her very well.
Five years ago, when she brought her from the United States to Switzend, one could say that she had saved her life. After all, a woman was actually at her weakest and frailest duringbor.
Moreover, she had even been pregnant with twins... no, triplets. To make matters worse, it had never urred to her that she might go intobor in advance, so she hadn¡¯t been prepared.
It couldn¡¯t have been easier for someone to take her life at that time if they had wanted to.
It was her aunt who had nursed her back to health. Later, she even gave in to all of Cherry¡¯s demands, which gradually made Nora lower her guard towards her.
But Nora was still very curious¡ªwho on earth was her aunt?
She had founded and raised NTT from the ground up...
Nora had checked NTT¡¯s sess story before and one could say that it was totally a savage one. She had first resold counterfeit goods in Southeast Asia, where she made a lot of money amid a hail of gunfire. After that, she came to Switzend and started a moneyundering business.
This continued until she founded NTT and established it into a world-renowned enterprise.
The woman had taken only twenty-odd years to develop NTT to the flourishing business it was today!
However, there was nothing about the first twenty years of the life of someone like her.
Given how much of a talented and intelligent woman she was, how could she possibly have led a dull and uneventful life during the first twenty years of her life?
Just like Yvette, it was impossible for one to conceal their talent. Despite not having a dramatic personality, Yvette¡¯s name had still be known to others in New York back in that era.
Outstanding people¡ªespecially those who reached the apex in an industry¡ªwould always shine, no matter how low-key they stayed.
But this wasn¡¯t the case for Queenie.
The first twenty years of her life were too ordinary. She was a girl who had grown up in a normal family and then suddenly emerged dazzling when she turned twenty years old...
This was simply too unusual.
Upon hearing Nora¡¯s words, the corners of Queenie¡¯s lips couldn¡¯t help but curl into a smile. She said, "What¡¯s the matter? You don¡¯t trust me?"
Nora stared into Queenie¡¯s eyes with her own almond-shaped ones.
Queenie had very attractive eyes. They were slightly upturned and looked very charming. When her lips curled up into a faint smile, she formed a particrly bewitching sight.
Nora sighed. "Why wouldn¡¯t I?"
If she didn¡¯t trust her, would she have sent the three children here?
One could say that Nora trusted Queenie the most in this world¡ªeven if she knew next to nothing about her.
Even Justin would have to take a backseat...
Queenie scoffed. "Don¡¯t bother thinking any further about it. You will know who I am, and everything else you should know, when it¡¯s time for you to find out. Do you want to know Justin Hunt¡¯s secret or not?"
"No."
Nora waved Queenie off and said, "I¡¯d rather have him tell me himself."
"..."
Queenie stared at her speechlessly for a while. In the end, she snorted and said, "I didn¡¯t expect you to fall for a man."
Nora knew what Queenie meant.
Back when she was living abroad, Queenie had introduced several men to her, but she had rejected them all. It was true that she hadn¡¯t had any ns for romance at that time.
Besides, she felt that being in love would affect her sleep time too much! Therefore, she had once dered that she would never fall in love with anyone in her whole life, nor would she ever get married.
Who would have thought that she would meet Justin after that...
Nora was about to speak when Xander, who was next to her, blinked with his big eyes and interrupted them. He asked, "Is Mommy supposed to fall in love with a woman then?"
Queenie: "???"
Nora: "???"
Pete and Cherry: "???"
All four of them turned and looked at Xander in unison, making the little fellow shrink back. "W-what?"
"..."
His interjection stopped Nora and Queenie from conversing further, though.
Instead, Queenie stood and said, "Alright, kiddos, how abouting upstairs with me and having a look at your room?"
"Okay!"
Pete and Xander got up.
Cherry took their hands and said, "Come on, let¡¯s go! I¡¯ll show you guys around our home! My room is really, really big, so we can sleep together, yeah!"
Hearing Cherry calling the ce "our home" brought a smile to Queenie¡¯s eyes.
Nora also stood up. She was about to head upstairs with them when her cell phone suddenly rang. When she answered, the voice of Cindy, who was helping her take care of the houses, came from the other end: "Boss, there is something wrong with Rene..."
"What¡¯s wrong?"
Nora¡¯s eyes turned a little chilly.
Cindy replied, "She hasn¡¯t left her house since yesterday. I found it strange, so I went in to take a look just now, and that¡¯s when I found her on the bed with her hands and feet bound. Later, I found out that it was Liam who had tied her up... He had sent Rene to get close to us, but now that she isn¡¯t of use anymore, he abandoned her here."
"... And then?" Nora prompted.
It stood to reason that Cindy should be more than capable of handling these people smoothly, so why was she still calling her for instructions?
Cindy sighed and said, "I untied Rene and told her to leave¡ªafter all, I know you probably won¡¯t hold it against her¡ªbut she refused to. She says that Liam was just pranking her and would definitelye back for her. She simply refuses to leave the house no matter what...
"Also, there¡¯s something mentally wrong with her. She has stayed curled up in a corner all this time, neither eating nor drinking. She just huddles up with her arms around her knees. She looks kinda pitiful, so I¡¯m wondering if it¡¯s okay if we take her in for a few days?"
After speaking, Cindy also became sure that she was being soft-hearted this time, so she hurriedly added, "I won¡¯t let here into contact with you guys ever again."
Nora sighed silently.
Rene was a pitiable person.
Being adopted by abusive parents at a very young age, she had left one hellhole with much difficulty only to be brought into another by Liam.
Liam had treated Rene really well¡ªso well that Rene must have even begun to believe in love, right?
But in the end, he had only been making use of her.
How could so many instances of love between people of unequal statuses possibly exist in this world?
Nora thought for a moment and then said, "Mm, just let her live there if she doesn¡¯t want to leave. We are not short of that bit of rent anyway."
"Okay."
Nora hung up the phone and went upstairs.
As soon as she arrived on the third floor, she heard Cherry pointing to a room and exining to Pete and Xander, "That room is full of Grandaunt Queenie¡¯s secrets, so we can¡¯t go in there, okay~? No matter the circumstances, we are not allowed to go in, okay?"
Nora¡¯s eyes fell on the door.
Ever since she came to Switzend five years ago, she had been told all this time that she was forbidden from entering Queenie¡¯s room.
Nora had never once pried into Queenie¡¯s privacy or secrets, either.
However, it would be a lie to say that she wasn¡¯t curious.
In fact, there were so many times she had wanted to push the door open, only to restrain herself in the end...
It was at this moment that Queenie suddenly stood in front of her and asked with a smile, "Wanna go in?"
Chapter 882: She’s Playing Herself?
Chapter 882: She¡¯s ying Herself?
When Nora heard this, she pursed her lips.
Of course, she wanted to.
But could she enter?
Queenie had asked her countless times in the past five years but she would never really let her in.
She pursed her lips and was about to speak when Queenie smiled. "Don¡¯t worry. The things inside will be yours sooner orter, but not now."
A hint of sadness shed across her eyes every time she heard this.
When Nora heard this, she could not help but retort. "Since it will be mine sooner orter, why can¡¯t it be now?"
"Because it¡¯s noon."
Nora: "..."
Again.
Queenie, this indecent woman, always liked to tease her like this.
She grimaced. "Forget it if you don¡¯t want to let me in."
With that, she took the three little ones to their room.
When she learned that Nora had three children, Queenie got someone to renovate the house. The three children were still young and liked to live together. Therefore, Queenie burst open the room beside Cherry¡¯s and made one big room.
The three children lived together.
In a room more than a hundred square meters, there were only three beds. In the big room beside it was a children¡¯s amusement park with everything they could ask for.
There were childish games, Legos, and some smart games. Even Pete and Xander, two highly intelligent children, liked them very much.
Cherry was the only one ying with childish skateboards and stuff.
She was not stupid, but she was toozy to think.
She even said forcefully, "A five-year-old should do what a five-year-old does. Brothers, if you have already learned everything, what will you learn when you grow up?"
Pete and Xander nodded in unison. "Sister is right!"
The corners of Nora¡¯s mouth twitched. These two kids and their sisterplex... If she did not know that Cherry was a good-natured child, Nora would be worried that her family had raised a devil incarnate.
She walked the three children around the room and yed with them the entire afternoon.
At night, after the three little ones went to sleep, Nora went to Queenie¡¯s room. She took out the V16 serum and handed it to Queenie. "Aunt, keep this safe for a month for me."
She had already asked Caleb. She would be able to Xander with the gene serum in a month.
Queenie casually took the thing in her hand and looked at it a few times. "This is what that group of people is fighting with you for, right?"
Nora nodded.
Queenie looked at her. "Do you trust me that much? Aren¡¯t you afraid I could have gotten close to you just for this?"
Nora said seriously, "Aunt, there are two bottles here. If you got close to me for this, you can take one bottle and leave the other for Xander."
Queenie was slightly stunned.
After a moment, she suddenly smiled. "You¡¯re quite generous."
She did not admit that she also wanted the serum. She did not deny it, either. However, it made Nora even more confused.
However, Nora did not probe further.
She had never probed too much about Queenie.
It was just like Justin. If Queenie was willing to tell her, she would do so. Nora would wait until that day.
At night, Nora slept her first good sleep sinceing to Switzend.
Ever since she brought the three little ones overseas, she had been guarding against Barbarian and Spacey.
She had expected that she would be exposed to Spacey¡¯s vision the moment she stepped overseas. Although she could not guess how, she had nevertheless taken precautions.
Nora never underestimated any opponent.
In the end, she got both bottles.
The result of her scheming was that she had not slept well for a few days.
Therefore, she slept from eight the previous night to two the next afternoon for a total of 18 hours.
When she woke up, all her fatigue was gone.
Nora stretched before picking up her phone. She realized that there were a few missed calls on her phone. They were all from Tanya.
Tanya was living very happily with Joel in New York. Why would she suddenly call her?
Nora raised her eyebrows and called Tanya.
Tanya picked up quickly. "Nora, my father has something he wants to trouble you with. However, if his matter is very dangerous, you don¡¯t have to promise him anything. I¡¯ve already told him..."
Her father...
Nora had just woken up, so she took a while before reacting. Tanya¡¯s father was... Karl Moore?
Why was he looking for her?
Could something be wrong with the Assassin Alliance?
Nora said, "Okay, I¡¯ll contact him."
After Karl¡¯s identity as a police informant was exposed in the country, he chose not to stay.
After being in the underworld his entire life, he was already used to the underground life in Switzend. Although he was reluctant to leave the country, he did not want to stay.
Therefore, he chose to go overseas.
Nora understood why Tanya had called her. After all, he was Tanya¡¯s father. If his life was in danger, she should help him.
However, what Tanya did not know was that Nora and Karl were also good friends. After all, she was the number one assassin in the Assassin Alliance, ck Cat.
Nora called Karl. He picked up quickly. "Hello, niece. Can you do me a favor?"
Nora: "... What favor?"
Karl seemed to find it a little difficult to exin. He suddenly asked, "By the way, have you watched the new movie, ¡¯Assassin Not Calm¡¯?"
Nora: "???"
What the heck was this?
What did his need for a favor have to do with the movie?
Then, she heard Karl say, "That movie is about an actor acting as an assassin. Coincidentally, I encountered some trouble here and needed our ck Cat to make an appearance. However, I can¡¯t contact ck Cat at all. Someone rmended that movie to me, so I came looking for you."
Nora: "??"
Karl continued, "Do you know who ck Cat is? She¡¯s the number one assassin in our Assassin Alliance, a world-famous personality. Um, we recently received a job to protect the Queen of the UK during an event. However, the other party specifically asked ck Cat toe personally... ck Cat is busy in New York, so she can¡¯te. Can you help me to put on a show?"
Nora: "?????"
Karl continued, "I originally wanted to call Tanya over, but she¡¯s too hot-tempered. She doesn¡¯t have the temperament of ck Cat at all. Then, I thought of you. You¡¯re cold enough and cool enough. You¡¯re very simr to ck Cat, so can you help me with this? By the way, this isn¡¯t dangerous. You just have to keep a straight face and not speak. You can even sleep."
The corners of Nora¡¯s lips spasmed.
Was Karl asking her to act as herself? Was he high...
Chapter 883: The Temperament of Black Cat
Chapter 883: The Temperament of ck Cat
Seeing that Nora was silent, Karl was afraid that she would disagree, so he exined further. "Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll protect you. We have many experts here. Actually, it would have been fine if ck Cat wasn¡¯t around. However, Queenie heard about ck Cat¡¯s reputation, so she specially requested ck Cat... You don¡¯t have to do anything at all. Besides, the Queen ising to Switzend for a meeting this time. It doesn¡¯t have to be too long. I¡¯ll just dy you for three days..."
Nora: "...Since that¡¯s the case, just exin the situation."
Karl scratched his head. "Damn, I¡¯ll tell you the truth. You might not know this but there¡¯s an organization called the Hitman League in our industry. We¡¯re rivals. All these years, because of ck Cat, the Hitman League has been suppressed by us. This time, besides her own guards, the Queen of the UK also invited some of us and some people from the Hitman League to guard her. The people from the Hitman League suggested your name. They even mockingly said, "Isn¡¯t the Queen worth the appearance of ck Cat?" They¡¯ve put us on fire. We can¡¯t disrespect the Queen..."
Nora thought about the Queen¡¯s character. She indeed wanted the best in everything. Since the Hitman League mentioned ck Cat, the queen must want ck Cat.
As a member of the Assassin Alliance, Nora had to consider matters for the Assassin Alliance, so after thinking for a moment, she said, "Alright."
Karl was overjoyed. "Then I¡¯ll send someone to pick you up? I¡¯ll tell you about the habits and characteristics of ck Cat so that you won¡¯t expose yourself in front of others. Besides, you¡¯re the Big Sister of Quinn School of Martial Arts... You shouldn¡¯t be afraid of anything in terms of martial arts..."
Nora nodded without much care. "Okay."
Spacey was dead and Barbarian had fled outside.
Indeed, she had nothing to do now.
After hanging up, Karl was afraid that she would regret it and immediately sent someone to pick her up. Therefore, two hourster, Nora arrived at the headquarters of the Assassin Alliance.
This was a basement. The light was dim.
Nora, as ck Cat, had been here before. At that time, she had asked Karl why he chose this ce. The reason Karl gave was: the atmosphere here was strong.
For a killer association, ck was the best color!
Nora was speechless about this but she respected Karl¡¯s choice.
At this moment, she looked at Karl standing opposite to her and saw that he had already taken out a ck cat face mask and handed it to her. "Hehe, ck Cat always wears a mask for the outside world. The only time she doesn¡¯t wear a mask is when she assassinates someone. Therefore, everyone who knows what she looks like is dead. This also means that no one knows what ck Cat looks like. Therefore, it¡¯s perfect for you to pretend to be her."
He said with anticipation, "This is the mask that ck Cat left here. Put it on and see if the size is suitable... Oh, right, I¡¯ll tell you about her habits. ck Cat keeps her hands in her pockets so that she can take out her concealed weapons at any time. And her back is always straight. As for her temperament..."
Karl scratched his head. "Her temperament is very mysterious. I can¡¯t say for sure. Sigh, I can¡¯t ask for your acting to be exactly simr... Put on the mask first. Let¡¯s see..."
Along with this sentence, he saw Nora smile and put the mask on her face.
At that moment, Karl¡¯s eyes widened...
Chapter 884: The Little Princess Is Here Too
Chapter 884: The Little Princess Is Here Too
"You look like her! You look so much like her!"
Karl circled around Nora. "If I didn¡¯t know who you were, I¡¯d have been convinced that you were ck Cat."
Nora: "..."
Actually, it wouldn¡¯t hurt even if she told him the truth, but she was currently in the open while Barbarian and the rest were hidden in the dark. She didn¡¯t want them to find out too many of her different identities.
Thus, she didn¡¯t say anything.
After circling around her twice, Karl said to ck Panther, the assassin ranked second in the Assassin Alliance, standing next to him, "If anything happens, you are to handle it. Don¡¯t let Ms. Smith do it, lest it expose her identity."
ck Panther nced up and down at Nora, curled his lips, and said, "Fine."
Karl then smiled again. "But there¡¯s no fear even if she has to fight. Ms. Smith is no delicate, sheltered youngdy. She¡¯s the Big Sister of Quinn School of Martial Arts in the States... Her moves are not any worse than ck Cat¡¯s!"
ck Panther was not happy to hear that, though. He sneered and said, "Now, I don¡¯t like the sound of that, Boss. How are her moves on par with ck Cat¡¯s? Even if the two are more or less equals in their fighting abilities, ck Cat is still an assassin. She is an existence that people can¡¯t even begin to guard against. If ck Cat and Ms. Smith have to face each other in a fight, Ms. Smith would probably be killed before she even realizes what¡¯s going on!"
"What nonsense are you saying?"
Karl gave ck Panther a push and then looked at Nora and apologized. "Don¡¯t take what he says to heart, Nora! ck Panther is a diehard fan of ck Cat and is a huge supporter of her. Don¡¯t hold it against him..."
Nora would never hold it against ck Panther, of course.
Because of her, ck Panther had even changed his codename as an assassin, saying that he wanted to be part of the same series as her. He even made a big hoo-ha about this in the Assassin Alliance, such that the codenames of all the members of the Assassin Alliance were now things like "ck Bear", "ck Ram", "ck Hound", and so on. The ce had pretty much be a zoo ofrge ck animals.
Nora nodded.
Only then did Karl breathe a sigh of relief.
Then, he spoke again. "Nora, don¡¯t mind me if I talk a bit more, okay? Uh, don¡¯t tell Tanya what I do outside of the States, all right...? She¡¯s a delicate and proper youngdy raised in a well-to-do family. Let¡¯s just let her stay at home and try for a second child with peace of mind. Don¡¯t let her know what we men are doing outside, lest it worry her..."
Nora was surprised. "... She wants a second child?"
"Yeah!" Karl said, "When I was on a video call with her, she said that you have already given birth to three children while she has only one, so she must hurry to catch up with you and strive to have three children too!"
"..."
Nora¡¯s lip corners spasmed. Tanya probably wanted more children only because her rtionship with Joel was really good!
But she kinda understood how she felt.
Neither Tanya nor Joel had many whom they truly considered their kin, so they must feel especially lonely.
She could still remember what Tanya had once said. She actually had a dream when she was a child: to have many children and treat them especially well.
Since she didn¡¯t have a mother who treated her kindly, she would give her children a good mother, instead.
At that time, Tanya and Joel had already broken up and she was living abroad.
Her only child had also gone missing.
Nora had asked her why she wasn¡¯t having children right away¡ªafter all, with another child, her guilt towards her missing child would lessen and she would also be able to start a new lease of life.
Tanya¡¯s answer at that time was that she hadn¡¯t yet met the person whom she was willing to bear children for.
Now that she had met Joel, Tanya must be nning to kick off her grand baby-making ns, right?
While she was thinking, Karl asked secretively, "By the way, you¡¯re a doctor, right? Do you have any way of helping Tanya have a multiple pregnancy?"
Nora: "?"
Karl sighed. "She¡¯s my only daughter; I don¡¯t have any descendants apart from her. In the past, I gave all the money I made to the people of the United States, only to find out in the end that Johnson had withheld all of it without authorization. All of it was recoveredter, though, and Captain Ford of the special department has also returned it all to me. You can say that I am now a person with substantial financial assets, in which case I would need someone to inherit them, right? If Tanya can give birth to a few more children and let me pick one of them to take over my business, that alone would make me content!"
"..."
Nora¡¯s lip corners spasmed. "How many are you nning for Tanya to have?"
"Two at the very least, I suppose. Mia is definitely not going to be suitable to take over my business. Besides, judging from the crazy extent of how much Joel dotes on and spoils her, he¡¯s definitely going to want another child so that they can inherit the Smiths¡¯ business and work to support Mia. In that case, Tanya would have to give birth to at least two more! Three would also do, but four is the most ideal!"
Nora: "!!"
Did that guy think Tanya was a sow?
And think that she could produce four in a litter?
The corners of her lips spasmed and she rolled her eyes, wondering to herself howe Karl had be so unreliable these days...
She didn¡¯t entertain the topic any further but asked, "What is the route like for the security assignment this time?"
The Assassin Alliance¡¯s front was actually a security agency, so they took on security management gigs for some events.
Upon Nora¡¯s words, Karl finally came back to his senses. He exined, "I¡¯ll give you a quick exnation about the job. We are protecting the Queen of the UK this time, but it¡¯s not the Queen herself who engaged our services, It¡¯s the Swiss authorities."
Nora raised her brows.
Karl went on. "Her Majesty will be bringing her own guards while we are responsible for the security of the outer boundaries. By the way, I heard that Her Majesty brought a little princess with her. Her name seems to be Lucy? Didn¡¯t she visit your home previously?"
Nora: "?"
Wasn¡¯t she Cherry¡¯s little buddy?
She was here too?
While Nora was thinking, Karl went on. "The Swiss authorities have not only hired us to protect Her Majesty but also approached the Hitman League. The workload is actually not a lot, but it¡¯s a good opportunity for ourpany to do some publicity..."
After going abroad this time, Karl had gradually cleaned up thepany¡¯s act.
Taking on assassination missions all the time would make the organization shadier and shadier. Now that he had a daughter, he wanted to make the organization a clean and aboveboard one.
This way, at least he wouldn¡¯t be registered as a person banned from entering the country when he wanted to return to the United States to visit his daughter.
Of course...
Even if he used to be the local police¡¯s informant, he was ultimately still an underground overlord now, so he would have to undergo strict checks when entering the country.
In other words, if Morris didn¡¯t give the relevant authorities a heads-up, someone like Karl would not be allowed entry into the country at all.
American soldiers were all men of firm and unyielding character. They didn¡¯t fear the Assassin Alliance at all.
Therefore, the organization would indeed have to take on security jobs from now on.
All the members of the organization were on board with it. Karl had also sent a message to ck Cat to notify her of it, and she had agreed to it as well. Therefore, everyone would be going into the light from now on.
After saying this, Karl took out a few photos. "By the way, this is a photo of the captain of the Queen¡¯s personal bodyguards. Here, have a look. I heard he¡¯s extremely formidable and mysterious, so let¡¯s try our best not to get into a sh with him."
Nora took the photo from Karl. She had only taken a nce when she froze.
She broke into a frown.
She had never imagined that this guy could turn out to be the captain of the Queen¡¯s personal bodyguards?
Chapter 885: King?
Chapter 885: King?
The captain of the guards was slender and the muscles on his body evenly-proportioned, making him look like someone not to be trifled with. His looks were finally revealed this time.
Likely of mixed descent, the man was very good-looking. It was just that he had red eyes, and it was exactly through those eyes that Nora had recognized him¡ªhe was Barbarian!!
Never could she have ever imagined that Barbarian would turn out to be the captain of the Queen¡¯s Royal Guards!
She broke into a frown, suddenly feeling like there seemed to be more to it than met the eye.
But when she thought about it, it made sense. For Barbarian to survive unharmed until now after he left the mysterious organization and became enemies with Trueman, he must have some kind of power backing him up.
But if the Queen of the UK was the said power, then it wouldn¡¯t be as surprising anymore.
Did Her Majesty know of Barbarian¡¯s true identity, though?
Did she know that he was a serial killer?!
Nora frowned as she thought of the Queen¡¯s personality and temperament...
Cherry and Princess Lucy had be close friends because Queenie had brought the former over and introduced her to Lucy. Additionally, the Queen also treated her extremely courteously.
Firstly, it was because she wanted Queenie to also establish apany like NTT in the UK¡ªafter all, one should not underestimate the power of capitalism in foreign countries.
Secondly, it seemed that it was because she also wanted something from her.
What she wanted, though, was something Nora wouldn¡¯t know. All she knew was that there were a lot of connections between NTT and the British Royal Family.
When she thought about it that way, Nora couldn¡¯t help feeling like things had beplicated.
Just then, her cell phone rang.
Cherry¡¯s voice reached her from the other end when she answered.
"Mommy, Princess Lucy is in Switzend. She said that she is here to attend a meeting between country leaders and that she also wants to visit Grandaunt Queenie. Do I let her know that I¡¯m also here?"
Everyone already knew that they were in Switzend by now, so there was no need for them to hide it anymore.
Besides...
Nora lowered her eyes.
She had only just entrusted the V16 to Queenie whose castle was an impregnable fortress. No matter how strong Barbarian was, he was still human with the limitations of a human¡¯s body. There was no way he could ever get in!
Yet at precisely a critical moment like this, the Queen of the UK hade with the little princess. On top of that, the princess even wanted to visit...
It was impossible not to read too much into it.
But since they were already here, then she would just take things as they came!
Nora replied, "Yeah, sure."
"Okie-Dokie! I haven¡¯t seen Lucy for the longest time too! I love you, Mommy~"
Cherry kissed her phone before she hung up excitedly, likely off to reply to Princess Lucy¡¯s text messages.
Nora¡¯s lips curled into a smile.
At this moment, ck Panther standing next to her suddenly spoke. "By the way, have you met Her Majesty before? Don¡¯t you act like a bumpkin when you meet Her Majesty! You have to stay calm, you hear? You¡¯re representing ck Cat now, you know! You mustn¡¯t bring shame to her name!"
Nora: "!!!"
However, she ignored ck Panther and looked at Karl instead. She suddenly asked, "What is the Queen of the UK here in Switzend for?"
Karl thought for a moment and then looked around before he got ck Panther to lead the others out of the room. Only then did he walk over to the door and nced outside.
After seeing that no one was paying any attention to them, he even closed the windows and so on before he finally lowered his voice and said, "I asked around and found out some information, but you mustn¡¯t spread it to outsiders, okay...?"
Nora nodded.
Karl said, "I heard that it¡¯s because some people in Switzend want to get acquainted with Mr. King, so they asked Her Majesty to introduce them to one another."
His words made Nora¡¯s eyes widen abruptly. "What?"
King wasing?
That very same... King from the Imperial League?!
Chapter 886: Who’s The Eldest?
Chapter 886: Who¡¯s The Eldest?
At the mention of King, Nora thought of how Old Maddy, before he left the United States, had once told her that she would not have any way of contending with the mysterious organization at all unless she had King¡¯s support.
She had privately sent text messages to King afterward, but because she was toozy to foster a connection with him, it eventually went nowhere. Little did she expect that King would being to Switzend?
Wouldn¡¯t she be seeing the legendary King soon too then?!
While thinking about it, Nora headed home.
The Queen would only be here the next day. Karl originally wanted her to stay the night at the Assassin Alliance, but Nora had declined.
After all, she had three kids at home waiting for her!
She went straight home.
The three little fellows were ying together at home.
Cherry, who didn¡¯t have to attend school now, was gaming all she wanted.
Pete looked at her helplessly. He wanted to persuade her to study, but unfortunately for him, Cherry was paying him no attention whatsoever. As for Xander, he seemed to be ying with his cell phone indifferently as though he was trying to study and learn something on it.
When Nora got home, she saw the three little fellows ying separately on their own.
The moment she entered the room, Cherry looked up at her and immediately tossed her cell phone aside. She ran over, hugged her leg, and said, "Mommy, you¡¯re back? I missed you! Did you miss me?"
Nora: "..."
Just like that, the scolding Nora was about to give upon seeing Cherry ying on her cell phone again was suppressed.
The little fellow knew how to deal with her simply too well.
Nora heaved a soundless sigh and ruffled her hair.
Cherry blinked with her dark grape-like eyes, and with great self-awareness, said, "Mommy, I¡¯d only just started my first round when you came. I wasn¡¯t ying at all till now! Really! You can ask Pete and Xander about it if you don¡¯t believe me!"
Cherry blinked her eyes a couple of times at Pete and Xander after she spoke.
"... Yeah, she wasn¡¯t ying," said Xander.
Pete looked at Nora. The upright little guy didn¡¯t want to lie to his mother, so he felt a little troubled and his face scrunched up.
When Queenie, who was next to him, caught a glimpse of his expression, she burst outughing, which sort of rescued Pete from his dilemma. She remarked, "Your children have such distinct personalities."
She pointed at Cherry andmented, "She¡¯s a quick-witted little imp."
Then, she pointed to Pete andmented, "This boy is already so calm and steady at his young age. He¡¯s got a very strong sense of awareness of being the eldest."
But as soon as she said that, Xander retorted indignantly, "I¡¯m the eldest here!"
Pete looked at Xander and sighed. "Okay, okay, you¡¯re the eldest. Don¡¯t kick up a fuss with Grandaunt Queenie."
Xander: "?"
What¡¯s up with that indulgent tone?
He sounded just like an elder brother tolerating his younger brother¡¯s tantrums!
Xander was about to erupt. "I¡¯m telling the truth! I¡¯m the eldest!"
"Mm-hmm, mm-hmm, everything you say is right," said Pete.
Xander: "..."
The little guy had always been sharp-tongued and eloquent with others, but why was he feeling like he was at a huge disadvantage when he was up against Pete¡¯s "good-natured and modest" personality?
It was as if he was the one being unreasonable and kicking up a fuss.
The corners of Xander¡¯s lips spasmed. He sneered and said, "Fine, whoever has the higher IQ between the two of us would be the eldest. How does that sound?"
Pete replied, "Okay."
Xander looked straight at the book in his hand and said, "Then let¡¯spete using Mathematical Olympiad problems?"
Pete replied, "Sure, I¡¯m okay with them all. It¡¯s also okay if we don¡¯tpete."
Xander: "!!!"
Seeing that Xander was already all bent out of shape, Pete blinked a couple of times with his dark eyes.
Chapter 887: We Had Already Met A Long Time Ago!
Chapter 887: We Had Already Met A Long Time Ago!
Earlier, he had been having a dispute with Xander over who was elder between the two, butter, his mommy had said that whoever was calmer, steadier, and more tolerant of their younger siblings would be the elder brother. It was at that time that Pete had suddenly understood the true meaning of being an elder brother.
And wasn¡¯t that so? Look at how he had shut up Xander who was smart-mouthed and liked insulting others.
Seeing how calm and unperturbed he was, Xander looked at Cherry. The little girl had already taken advantage of the quarrel between the two boys to pick up her cell phone and had started another fierce and exciting team battle.
Xander asked, "Cherry, who is the elder brother here?"
Cherry didn¡¯t even look up. "You are both my elder brothers!"
"No," Xander said, "You have to say who your eldest brother is!"
Nora was a little troubled by the dispute between the two boys.
The problem was, even as their mother, she couldn¡¯t even give an answer, either.
Upon being pressed for an answer by Xander, Cherry blinked and looked up. "Actually, Pete has always been the eldest to me~"
As soon as she said that, Xander¡¯s eyes turned red. "How can you say that?!"
Compared to Xander, Pete was calmer and steadier. On top of that, he gave in to her all the time and even nned everything out for her, so Cherry had long since considered Pete the eldest among them.
As for Xander, because of the environment he was brought up in, he had a very extreme personality, and the way he behaved and handled things seemed a little frivolous. Although Cherry regarded him as her elder brother too, she still found Pete more like the elder brother between the two.
Could she say that, though?
Most certainly not.
Thus, Cherry blinked and sighed. "It¡¯s because Pete and I met each other first, Xander. That¡¯s why I think he¡¯s the elder brother between the two of you!"
Since she couldn¡¯t say it was a personality issue, Cherry simply diverted the topic to whom she had met first.
As soon as she said that, Xander became worked up and he shouted, "But we clearly knew each other first!"
Cherry was taken aback. "Huh? How did we know each other first?"
Xander was livid. "Have you forgotten? I already had you on Facebook Messenger a long time ago!"
Then, to prove that he had known Cherry before Pete, Xander took out his cell phone, opened up Messenger, and showed it to Cherry. He asked, "Do you remember now?"
Cherry: "!!"
She blinked and looked at Xander again. "Oh, I see, so you¡¯re that friend I made online!"
Upon the sudden realization, Cherry remarked, "No wonder I found you so annoying the first time I met you! So that¡¯s why!"
Xander: "..."
But right after she spoke, Cherry held her hands over her mouth. Why did she blurt out the truth in a moment of agitation? She was too much! That must have seriously hurt Xander¡¯s self-esteem.
In an attempt to make amends, Cherry added, "From the looks of it, it seems that we are really meant to be! You can be the eldest, then!"
Cherry then turned to Pete and asked, "Pete, you won¡¯t mind, right?"
Pete continued to wave magnanimously and replied, "Nah, I don¡¯t. It¡¯s fine, we¡¯ll just go with whatever you guys say."
Xander: "!!!"
Nora, who was at the side: "..."
Xander was about to die of aggravation from that pair of siblings.
Come to think of it, though, Pete and Cherry had gone through more together. Take, for example, how the two had to worry over their respective parent¡¯s issues when they had only just met. In addition to that, the two of them had also deceived her and Justin for a really long time...
It was perfectly normal for the two of them to share a close rtionship with each other.
It was just that...
Afraid that Xander would be too mad, Nora changed the subject and asked curiously, "How did the two of you meet?"
Chapter 888: The Mysterious Organization’s Headquarters
Chapter 888: The Mysterious Organization¡¯s Headquarters
Nora was asking purely to divert Xander¡¯s attention from the conflict.
Little Xander was already close to snapping, no thanks to the pair of siblings¡¯ attitudes.
Cherry was worthy of her title as the thoughtful and understanding little baby, indeed. She instantly understood what Nora was trying to do and immediately said, "He showed up as a friend suggestion from ¡¯nearby search¡¯ on my phone! Mommy, do you remember when Grandaunt Queenie took me to visit the British royal family? I had just gotten my cell phone and installed a messenger app back then and I really wanted to add some friends to it. So I looked at the list of friend suggestions from ¡¯nearby search¡¯ and added Xander! This is such a fateful meeting!"
After speaking, Cherry walked up to Xander and grabbed his hand. "As it turns out, we had already met each other so long ago, Xander!"
Sure enough, Xander was appeased. He snorted and said, "Yeah, I knew there was no way I could have been so kind to a snotty little kid for no reason. So, I guess you can say that this is predestined!"
Cherry nodded repeatedly. "So, can I continue with my game now?"
The team battle had already started. If she kept dallying further, her teammates would be chewing her out real soon!
Xander: "..."
The three little guys reconciled and continued to y in peace. Nora sat beside Queenie and watched them.
As she did, she thought of what Cherry had said just now, connected it with the environment in which Xander had been brought up, and all of a sudden, she jumped onto her feet.
Her brows drew together and she looked at Xander in astonishment and asked, "Xander, Cherry. Are you guys sure that Cherry only added Xander as a friend when she was visiting the British royal family and looking at the list of suggested friends nearby?"
Xander shook his head. "How would I know where she had added me?"
He had grown up in a basement and had never gone out before, so he didn¡¯t know where that ce was at all.
Cherry nodded. "Yes, I remember it really clearly. When I was ying games that time, Chesty had told me to get a Facebook ount so that it would be easier for him to get in touch with me. That was why I had registered for a Facebook ount. But I didn¡¯t have any friends in it, so I added someone from the list of nearby people at that time... I was with Princess Lucy then!"
Nora: "!!!"
She looked at the two of them. Suddenly, she turned around, left the living room, and went up the stairs into her room.
Then, she picked up her cell phone and made a call to Morris.
Morris answered very quickly. "Is something up?"
Nora kept quiet for a while before she suddenly asked, "Didn¡¯t you say that you have been looking for the mysterious organization¡¯s location? Have you found any leads?"
Morris¡¯s low and deep voice traveled through the cell phone to Nora. He replied, "No, our opponents are too powerful. We can¡¯t find any clues at all."
After staying quiet for a while, Nora finally asked, "Could it be the British royal family¡¯s residence?"
Her words stunned Morris for a moment, but immediately after, he said, "No wonder, then!"
Security at the royal pce was strict. There was no way the Americans would be able to infiltrate the ce.
If the mysterious organization really was hiding underground beneath the royal pce, then it would indeed be impossible for the United States to sniff out their base.
Morris frowned. "I¡¯ll get my men to look into it."
"Okay."
After hanging up the phone, Nora frowned and wondered. If the mysterious organization really turned out to be located beneath the Royal Pce, then is the Queen involved or not?
She had a vague feeling that the whole thing would being to an end soon.
At this moment, her cell phone suddenly rang. When she answered, Karl¡¯s voice traveled over.
"Dammit, there¡¯s a traitor in the Assassin Alliance. They told the Hitman League that this ck Cat is a fake! What are we going to do now?"
Karl was furious. "The Hitman League will definitely make things difficult for you. Also, if the news spreads that you are a copycat, it will deal a terrible blow to the Assassin Alliance¡¯s reputation. How about this: why don¡¯t you sit it out this time? We¡¯ll also give up the security gig this time!"
Toward the end, Karl¡¯s voice had even died down and he became rather depressed.
The job this time was not only a great opportunity for the Assassin Alliance to officially make their existence public but it was also the best time for Karl to partner with the government and let thepany start over with a clean te. Who knew when their next opportunity would be if they let it slip by them this time...
However, he couldn¡¯t put Nora in danger.
Chapter 889: Blowing Her Own Cover: I Am Black Cat
Chapter 889: Blowing Her Own Cover: I Am ck Cat
No matter how highly Karl valued the opportunity, he simply couldn¡¯t let Nora take such a risk.
Even though he and Ian always bickered the moment they saw each other, deep down, they still greatly admired and respected each other. Putting aside the fact that he and Ian both held each other in high esteem, just the rtionship between Tanya and Nora alone was already...
Karl thought of how Tanya had reacted when he called to ask her to get in touch with Nora for him. His daughter had kept asking things like: "Is it dangerous?", "Are you sure it won¡¯t be dangerous?", "Is there no danger at all?", and so on. Karl had guaranteed that he would never let Nora get even a scratch in the incident.
Now that things had turned out like this, who knew what the Hitman League might do to them?
If Nora got hurt, how was he going to answer to his daughter?
Therefore, after weighing the pros and cons, Karl decided that he¡¯d rather miss the opportunity to clean up thepany¡¯s act and go into the light than risk having anything happen to Nora.
But unexpectedly, when he was about to hang up the phone, Nora instead said, "No, it¡¯s fine. The mission will continue as nned!"
Karl was surprised. "What?"
"All right, that settles it. See you tomorrow."
After hanging up the phone, Nora yed with the three little fellows for a while and then went to bed early at eight o¡¯clock in the evening.
Cherry and Pete had long since be ustomed to her going to bed early, but Xander felt that his mommy wasn¡¯t spending enough time with him and he still wanted to y some more with Nora.
Even if Nora didn¡¯t say anything but just patted his head, he still felt especially happy.
But the woman was now lying there motionless and had gone into a deep sleep after just a mere two minutes. He curled his lips unhappily and muttered with discontent, "Howe she sleeps so much?"
Cherry continued gaming without even raising her head as she replied, "Geniuses need a lot of sleep!"
The moment she said that, Pete nodded in agreement.
In the game, Chester was also very approving of the statement. He said, "Yeah,e to think of it, Justin always slept more than others since he was a child. He needed nine hours of sleep a day. Later, when my father scolded me for being such a bum and told me to learn from Justin, I also started to sleep nine hours a day."
Cherry was surprised. "And then?"
Chester replied, "He slept for nine hours a day, so I also slept for nine hours a day. Justin didn¡¯t fold the quilt, so I also didn¡¯t fold the quilt. After he woke up, he started to study, so I watched him study. He was terrifying once he started studying; sometimes, he could even study for a whole day! I was also very impressive¡ªI could watch him for a whole day! And now I can also y games an entire day!"
The three little ones: "..."
Chester grinned and said, "But it¡¯s fine. I¡¯m just an ordinary person, so it¡¯s not really an issue. Look at how busy Justin was... Besides, smart people have to shoulder a lot of responsibilities. He took over the family business when he was only 18, unlike me, who can still afford to be here and y games, even though I¡¯m already 22 years old. Right?"
Pete: "..."
Xander: "..."
The two had no way of refuting him.
As for Cherry, her eyes widened and a longing look appeared on her face. She said, "Wow! I¡¯m so envious, Chesty! I will also work hard like you in the future!
"If my brothers sleep for ten hours a day, then I will also try my best to sleep ten hours a day! If they work hard to eat, then I will also eat lots of meat and grow up quickly! Pete and Xander, the two of you gotta study hard, okay? I will also work hard to y my games!"
After speaking, she turned to look at Pete and Xander and held up her little fists at them. "I¡¯m cheering for you, Pete and Xander~"
Pete: "..."
Xander: "..."
Chester finally understood how dire the consequences of his words were.
If Justin found out that he had led his little niece astray, he would probably jump out of his grave and beat him up, right?
At the thought of Justin, Chester¡¯s heart sank.
Chester¡¯s father was Justin¡¯s fourth uncle and the youngest son in the family. He grew up with a lifestyle of eating, drinking, and making merry. His mother hated how his father was always just mucking around like that, so she had put high hopes on him after she gave birth to him.
The elderly Mrs. Hunt treated all the kids in the family equally.
Roger, who was the son of Mrs. Hunt¡¯s second son, graduated from a prestigious university andter joined thepany. He was certainly capable, but unfortunately, his heart wasn¡¯t in the right ce. Moreover, he even sabotaged them in all sorts of ways, which ended up in him beingpletely kicked out of the picture by Justin. Regardless, Roger was indeed talented.
Brenda, the daughter of Mrs. Hunt¡¯s third son, didn¡¯t even need any boration. A graduate of a prestigious university, she was not only part of the Interpol but had even risen up the ranks to take the position of captain. Her ability was evident. The hard work that Brenda had put in since she was a child was also obvious to all.
He was the only one who liked gaming. However, neither Mrs. Hunt nor his mother had been approving of it.
In the end, it was thanks to Justin, who took care of him, that he could be this carefree, ying games every day and doing what he liked while receiving dividends from the family business.
When he thought of this, Chester got into a bad mood.
Why did someone like Justin have to die?
Moreover, Justin had disliked him ying games with Cherry the most when he was alive. Thus, Chester immediately said, "You mustn¡¯t learn from me, you hear?!"
"Why?" asked Cherry.
It would do as long as her two brothers worked hard. Wasn¡¯t it good for her to just grow up happily?
Even though Pete would also try to persuade her to study, Cherry still thought that it was more fun to enjoy herself and have fun instead~
Xander was very easygoing about it¡ªafter all, his personality was half-orthodox and half-heretical, in the first ce. In order to coax Cherry into agreeing that he was the elder brother of the two, he patted his little chest and said, "Well, don¡¯t worry. Only your big brother here needs to work hard. You can just be one happy little sister!"
Just as Cherry was about to break into a smile, Chester heaved a quiet sigh and said, "But if you do that, in the future, everyone will definitely say that Nora is a failure."
The three children were very protective of their mommy. Upon hearing what he said, Cherry and Xander immediately asked:
"Why?"
"Why?"
The two looked at Pete in unison after they spoke, only to see him frowning, obviously aware of the reason. He answered, "Because you¡¯re the only one who grew up by Mommy¡¯s side after we were born. If both Xander and I make a name for ourselves in the future, whereas all you know is having fun, they won¡¯t say that it¡¯s because the two of us are pampering you. They will only say, ¡¯See? As expected, the child that Mommy brought up is no good, after all!¡¯"
As soon as he said that, the room fell silent.
On the phone, Chester also said, "It¡¯s exactly as Pete says. You should also know that there are a ton of busybodies whose tongues love to waggle here in New York City. They simply love making a show out of other people¡¯s lives! In the future, when Pete and Xander have both be sessful and they be so envious that they are filled with jealousy, they aren¡¯t going to talk about how impressive your brothers are but only about how inferior you are! And then, they will me it all on Nora!"
Cherry tilted her head. It was evident from her big dark eyes that she was thinking about something.
After a while, she sighed and said, "Okay, I get it~!"
Suddenly, she felt like her game wasn¡¯t that fun anymore.
She put down her cell phone and said, "Chesty, I¡¯m not ying anymore. I¡¯m going to study!"
Chester: "?"
He hurriedly shouted, "Hey, at least finish this round before you go!"
Cherry shook her head. "Nah, I¡¯m not ying anymore. I have to make sure I do what I say! Before I be aplished, I¡¯m never ying games again!"
Chester: "!!"
Had he known, he would have said those things after the round, instead!
Early next morning, Nora felt like things were a little strange at home.
She went down the stairs. It was only when she was observing the room while she ate that she realized that her daughter, whose cell phone was never out of her hands, was currently reading a book about Mathematical Olympiad problems. She asked, "Pete, what is this question talking about?"
Pete was about to answer when Xander, who was next to them, squeezed his way in and said, "Here, I¡¯ll teach you."
"Okie-Dokie."
Pete: "..."
Nora: "??"
She rubbed her eyes, wondering if she had gotten out of bed the wrong way today.
Why were things so strange?!
Her daughter had previously shown some symptoms of ADHD because of her high IQ, but with her two sons teaching her, she was actually faring much better.
As such, Nora did not overly interfere.
Justin and their two sons all pampered Cherry and thought that it was fine as long as she grew up happily. However, Nora didn¡¯t agree. Being a woman herself,pared to that, she would rather her daughter be strong with a passion for life.
After all, she wasn¡¯t going to live with her brothers her entire life. The only person one could rely on was themselves.
Therefore, no matter the reason for her daughter¡¯s sudden diligence, she was very d.
After breakfast, she exchanged hugs with the three little ones and kissed each of them on the forehead. Only then did she leave and head to the Assassin Alliance.
But when she entered the basement, she found that no one there showed any indication of moving out.
Nora raised her eyebrows. When she reached Karl¡¯s room, she saw the mafia boss sitting on a chair with a troubled look on his face.
Nora frowned and asked, "Why haven¡¯t you set off yet?"
Karl sighed. "I¡¯ve thought about it all night. Let¡¯s not go anymore. You are more important than all of this. Tanya and Old Ian will probably give me a real thrashing if you lose even a strand of hair."
Nora: "..."
She said with certainty, "It will be fine."
"How can that be? I know you¡¯re the Big Sister of the Quinn School of Martial Arts and that you¡¯re very skilled at fighting, but assassination is different from open and aboveboard martial arts factions like yours. In particr, the Quinn School of Martial Arts¡¯ moves are all candid and forthright, they don¡¯t understand tricks and conspiracies at all. Although the Hitman League won¡¯t dare to go too far, they will definitely try to sound us out. Unless ck Cat is there personally, no one can guarantee your safety."
Seeing that Karl was staying so stubborn, Nora knew that he was worried about her safety.
She sighed. Now that things hade to this, she didn¡¯t want to hide it from him anymore either, so she simply blew her own cover and said, "I¡¯m ck Cat."
"..."
Chapter 890: She’s Fake!
Chapter 890: She¡¯s Fake!
"..."
The man opposite her fell silent at once. A whileter, Karl finally coughed and spoke again. "Actually, what you say makes sense too. Um, are you sure you want to go?"
Nora was a little surprised to see that the man wasn¡¯t actually that agitated. However, Karl was a worldly man after all, so Nora thought that he must have already guessed a thing or two long ago. Thus, she said, "Yeah, let¡¯s go."
"Whew!" Karl stood and patted her on the shoulder. "Okay then. Uncle Karl owes you one, Nora! If we can get away with it, I¡¯ll give you a big gift. If not, we¡¯ll pull out halfway through, no matter what happens. Remember, nothing is more important than your safety, okay?"
Nora: "?"
Why did she feel like she didn¡¯t quite understand what Karl was saying?
While she was contemting, Karl said, "But you sure are a dedicated one, Nora. It¡¯s a shame that you¡¯re not in the acting industry. It¡¯s right for you to start getting into it right away, though. It¡¯s only when we all firmly believe that you¡¯re ck Cat that they won¡¯t be able to spot any ws! After all, no one has ever seen what ck Cat really looks like!"
Nora: "!"
So, despite her already blowing her cover, Karl still didn¡¯t believe her?
Nora¡¯s lip corners spasmed. "I really am ck Cat."
"I know, I know! From this moment on, you are ck Cat!"
Karl had "I understand" written all over him.
Nora: "..."
Forget it, she had already told him the truth anyway. The man could believe what he liked.
She was tired of exining!
Karl didn¡¯t give her the time to exin any further, either. He called someone in and instructed, "Have the men get ready, and then we can set off!"
ck Panther, who had just entered, nced at Nora and asked, "It¡¯s okay for us to move out again now?"
With a stern look, Karl said, "Watch the way you talk! You¡¯d better show some respect to ck Cat! Also, tell all the men in the know that Ms. Smith is ck Cat!"
ck Panther nodded. "Yes, sir."
Then, he went out. A short whileter, all twenty of them were ready to move. They were responsible this time for picking up the Queen at the airport and then escorting her to the hotel where she would be staying. After that, they were to protect the Queen and ensure her safety for the next three days.
Of course, the Queen¡¯s personal guards would be the ones protecting her in close proximity; they were only responsible for the security of the periphery.
With the Queen visiting, the Swiss president would have to meet with her. The two would also be shaking hands and discussing matters. During this period, they would be responsible for part of the security work. The specifics were wholly arranged by Switzend¡¯s Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection, and Sport;monly abbreviated DDPS.
After the twenty of them were ready, Karl stepped forward and said to Nora, "ck Cat is the strongest member of our organization, so you¡¯ll undoubtedly be the leader when we head out for missions. Do you have any experience with the security industry?"
But after he asked the question, without even waiting for Nora to answer, he hurriedlyforted her and said, "Don¡¯t be scared, you don¡¯t have to panic. You¡¯re just the leader on the surface. I will get ck Panther to secretly assist you, so you¡¯ll only be themander on the surface. In reality, all orders will be issued by ck Panther."
"..."
Just like that, the words "Yes, I have" on the tip of Nora¡¯s tongue became stuck.
The corners of her lips spasmed and she said, "... Okay."
The group set off with mighty momentum.
Out of the twenty of them, fifteen rode in ck cars. With each five sharing a car, a total of three cars were deployed. As for the remaining five, they rode motorcycles.
As themander, Nora would most certainly have to ride a motorcycle. After all, motorcycles were more convenient and they also allowed one to have a better understanding of the surroundings, which would help her in making appropriate judgments.
ck Panther also rode a motorcycle.
The five of them put on identical ck uniforms. Then, Nora put on her mask while ck Panther took out his sunsses and put them on. He looked at Nora contemptuously and said, "Can you ride a motorcycle? If not, you can ride one of the cars. You¡¯re a girl anyway, so it would make sense even if you¡¯re in the car."
But as soon as he spoke, he saw that Nora was not paying him any attention at all. Instead, she put on her mask and got onto the motorcycle skillfully. Her slender leg struck and pushed the kickstand up. Then, her hand wrapped in a ck glove twisted the handlebar and the motorcycle¡¯s engine roared to life.
"Let¡¯s move out!"
Following her order, the motorcycle sped out with a whoosh, leaving behind only a cloud of dust for ck Panther.
ck Panther: "..."
ck Panther hurriedly got on his own motorcycle and went after her.
Five motorcycles and three ck cars headed to the airport with great momentum. Sometime during the journey, ck Panther elerated and caught up with Nora.
When he was about to say something, Nora suddenly elerated and overtook him.
ck Panther: "??"
Why did he feel like he had been rejected?
Nora certainly was rejecting his presence¡ªhe talked too much! Moreover, ck Panther had a habit of chewing gum when he was on a mission and the sight of his mouth constantly moving got on her nerves.
The group arrived at the DDPS and reported for duty.
The DDPS staff members began to check their identities.
Nora didn¡¯t have to worry about that, though, because Karl had already prepared an ID card for her.
The Minister heading the DDPS picked up her ID card and nced at it. Just as he was about to let her pass, a voice reached them.
"Mr. Clifford, are you sure she is ck Cat?"
Clifford was a little taken aback by the question.
Nora looked behind to see a group of ten people dressed the same as them walking over.
At the sight of them, ck Panther exined softly, "They are members of the Hitman League. The one in the lead is their captain for this operation, his name is Abbott. He likes talking trash and his looks make one feel like beating him up."
Nora: "..."
Actually, she felt that ck Panther¡¯s way of speech kinda made one want to beat him up too, but she didn¡¯t say anything.
When Clifford heard Abbott, he asked bemusedly, "What are you trying to say?"
Abbott smiled and came up to Nora. He circled around her twice and then said, "Mr. Clifford, we are here to protect the Queen, you know. Are you sure you want to let her wear a mask here? Aren¡¯t you afraid that she may be a copycat?"
Clifford smiled and replied, "ck Cat is very well-known in both the world of assassins and the DDPS. Besides, how would someone from the Assassin Alliance possibly be a copycat?"
Abbottughed and said, "Then I¡¯ll show you how she¡¯s a copycat!"
Practically right after he spoke, Abbott went for Nora¡¯s face.
He had already received reliable information that Karl had found a copycat to impersonate ck Cat. Since she was just pretending, her fighting skills must not be much.
If he took off her mask in front of Clifford, he would be able to show him ck Cat¡¯s fighting skills, orck thereof. With that, her identity as a copycat would be exposed.
"Look out!"
ck Panther cried out but it was still toote.
Who would have thought that the man would suddenly attack when they had only just met?
Abbott¡¯s hand was already around Nora¡¯s mask. The moment he applied a bit of force, he would be able to remove it. With a smile, he asked, "Are ck Cat¡¯s moves this lousy?"
Chapter 891: Are You Sure You Want To See It?
Chapter 891: Are You Sure You Want To See It?
At the sight of the situation, ck Panther was filled with chagrin.
Never would he have thought that Abbott would have the guts tounch an attack right in front of Clifford!
Neither did he expect Abbott to move so fast, either. It seemed that the Hitman League had been hiding their true strength when the two were up against each other in the past.
The Hitman League was a gang with a long history, after all, it was founded earlier than the Assassin League. It was no wonder that they had a more robust foundation, as well as more powerful hitmen unknown to others.
It was also no wonder that they would have the guts to challenge and provoke ck Cat.
Even so...
ck Panther couldn¡¯t help but look at Nora. Didn¡¯t they say that she was the Big Sister of the Quinn School of Martial Arts? Why had she been restrained so easily? If it was ck Cat, there definitely wouldn¡¯t have been any problems!
As ck Panther thought about it, faint anger came over his face, and he said furiously, "You are so shameless, Abbott! You attacked your own allies?!"
ck Panther then turned to Clifford and said, "Mr. Clifford, are you going to condone Abbott¡¯s actions? ck Cat came here overnight from the United States on our request, you know. She hasn¡¯t slept a wink sincest night. Isn¡¯t it understandable that her reaction would be a little slow today? Besides, who would have thought that he wouldunch a sneak attack right in front of you?"
Clifford also broke into a frown and looked at Abbott. "What are you doing, Abbott? The two of you are allies in this operation! Why did you attack ck Cat as soon as you came over? You¡¯re being very antagonistic."
Abbott replied, "Mr. Clifford, I was just wondering if we should let someone else take over themand for this operation? The Hitman League¡¯s momentum may not have been as strong as ck Cat¡¯s from the Assassin Alliance during the past two years, but you¡¯ve already witnessed my abilities today.
"Besides, considering how ¡¯ck Cat¡¯ here was restrained so easily, even if she really is ck Cat, can you trust her abilities? In this industry, the strong have the final say."
Clifford¡¯s brows drew together at once.
He looked at Nora again, a touch of doubt alsoing over his face.
After all, while it was certainly true that Abbott hadunched a sneak attack just now, in their industry, who could say for sure that no one among their peers had been bought by the enemy?
Because of that, there were extremely demanding requirements on one¡¯s abilities as an individual.
Moreover, the government had only deployed 30 people from the two organizations for this operation because they simply did not have enough manpower, and all 30 of them had already agreed that ck Cat would be the one in charge of their deployment.
After all, ck Cat¡¯s status in the hitmen world was among the highest.
However, for her to be restrained by another party at such close range, was ck Cat really as strong as the stories imed? Or was it really like what Abbott had imed¡ªthe person in front of him was not ck Cat?
Hesitance came over Clifford¡¯s countenance.
ck Panther said firmly, "Heh, even tigers doze off at times, let alone humans? Abbott, don¡¯t you go too far now!"
Abbott smirked and said, "I don¡¯t care, I will only bow down to the strong. So, tell me, ck Panther: is it ck Cat who iscking in vignce? Or is this person here not ck Cat at all?"
ck Panther: "!!"
As an assassin, it was simply humiliating to bebeled ascking in vignce!
Yet, if he were to answer that Nora was not ck Cat, it would mean that the Assassin Alliance was deceiving the DDPS. If that happened, it would be even harder for them to obtain good resources in Switzend¡¯s security industry in the future.
ck Panther red at Abbott furiously. Just as he was about to speak, Nora, who had stayed silent all this time, suddenly said, "Who are you calling an assassincking in vignce?"
As soon as she spoke, Abbott smirked and answered, "You, of course. It¡¯s rumored that those who have seen your face are all dead. I¡¯m already about to take off your mask, yet you still haven¡¯t noticed at all. Is this not proof that you¡¯recking in vignce? Besides, the way I see it, all that talk about how everyone who has seen your face is dead must all just be rumors, right? The Assassin Alliance sure knows how to generate buzz for themselves. They make it sound so real that it¡¯s as though it¡¯s legit..."
He had only just said that when he suddenly heard a low chuckle.
Abbott was taken aback. The next moment, the masked woman said icily in a low voice, "Oh? Then try taking off my mask."
Her words made Abbott dumbfounded.
He broke into a frown and said, "Heh, are you still talking big even at this point, ck Cat? Well, since you¡¯ve given me the permission to take off your mask, then I will do just that and show everyone what a stunner ck Cat really is!"
Immediately after he spoke, he gripped the mask to rip it off.
But the next moment, he found that he couldn¡¯t exert any force in his hand at all!
Stunned, he lowered his head. It was only then that he discovered that stuck into the underside of his wrist, outside of his sight, was a silver needle gleaming with subtle light.
It was exactly this needle that had prevented Abbott¡¯s hand from exerting even the slightest bit of force.
Abbott was stunned.
Seeing that Abbott wasn¡¯t doing anything despite his big talk, the rest all looked at him¡ªonly to see him standing where he was, beads of cold sweat forming on his forehead, yet his hand showed no further signs of moving.
Only then did they follow his line of sight and finally spot the needle.
Additionally, they also noticed that Nora¡¯s other hand was on Abbott¡¯s chest.
At first nce, they thought that she had recovered and was intending to push him away.
But if one looked closer, they would see that there was another barely discernible needle in between the fingers of Nora¡¯s fist, and it was pointed right at Abbott¡¯s heart.
With just a little force, the needle would quietly pierce his heart without anyone even realizing it.
Nora¡¯s icy voice resounded in everyone¡¯s ears.
"I told you, everyone who has seen my face is dead. So, do you still want to see it?"
For no reason whatsoever, her words carried a sense of ferocity and domineeringness!
It shocked and awed everyone present.
Abbott didn¡¯t dare to move.
When Clifford, who was next to him, saw this, he breathed a sigh of relief.
He had finally witnessed ck Cat¡¯s ability to take someone¡¯s life without making a sound.
Moreover, with just a mere silver needle, she could take someone¡¯s life without them even realizing it. This was simply too horrifying!
Clifford¡¯s attitude toward ck Cat underwent a huge change at once. He said, "Please don¡¯t be mad. Abbott just likes to trash-talk. We have to work together to protect the Queen in this operation. Everyone here wants to serve the country, so let¡¯s not fuss over these things anymore. ck Cat, can you forgive Abbott this once?"
Nora didn¡¯t really take Abbott seriously.
The man could somewhat be considered a chivalrous hitman.
The assassination missions he took on all targeted bad guys... So he was quite famous in the hitmenmunity.
Of course, this was also the reason why the Swiss authorities were willing to ept them.
Neither of the hitmen organizations was made up of heinous miscreants. Now that they wanted to clean up their act, the government was more than happy to see this through. Which was why they had given them this opportunity.
Thus, upon hearing what Clifford said, with a flip of Nora¡¯s slender fingers, the silver needle disappeared.
Then, she took a step back and put some distance between Abbott and herself.
With her intimidating murderous intent gone, Abbott finally breathed a sigh of relief.
He stared at the masked woman in front of him and said, "Just you wait. I will definitely find proof that you are not ck Cat!"
Chapter 892: Security Work
Chapter 892: Security Work
Nora didn¡¯t pay any more attention to Abbott. After the identity check, she went to the specified assembly point with ck Panther and the others.
They were nning to head to the airport in a while to pick up the Queen.
After leaving Abbott, ck Panther came up to her and said, "Ahem. You unexpectedly have some pretty good moves."
Nora raised her brows. But before she could speak, ck Panther spoke again. "Don¡¯t get ahead of yourself, though. ck Cat is definitely better than you. All that would be no big deal for ck Cat. Also, keep quiet when they start talking about troop deployment, formations, and all that. I will give the directions, instead."
"... Oh, okay," Nora said.
Soon, the ten people on Abbott¡¯s side finished the identity checks. The 30 of them then followed the Swiss troops, and with great momentum, got ready to set off for the airport.
Before they set off, Clifford said, "Please turn off your cell phones and turn them in."
One was not allowed to carry their cell phone on missions. This was a rule.
Nora understood.
Thus, she didn¡¯t n on asking for special privileges, and she took out her cell phone. However, when she was about to turn it in, it started ringing.
She gestured to Clifford.
Clifford immediately nodded and permitted her to answer the call. Had it been anyone else, he would definitely have been much stricter, but she was ck Cat, after all. On top of that, she had even disyed a bit of her skill just now, so Clifford was quite afraid of her at the moment.
Nora picked up the phone call¡ªit was Cindy, thedy helping her look after her houses in the residential district.
"Ms. Nora, something¡¯se up. Just thought I¡¯d inform you about it."
Nora raised her brows. "What happened?"
Cindy replied, "It¡¯s all Liam¡¯s fault!"
Liam? In other words, Spacey?
Wasn¡¯t he already dead?
While Nora was wondering about it, Cindy said huffily, "That Liam is such an as*hole! Do you know? He gave Rene¡¯s address to her family before he set off! And her family found their way here yesterday! They were crazily fierce and forcibly took Rene away..."
Nora lowered her eyes.
She remembered looking into Rene before. She was an orphan taken in by her adoptive parents. However, her adoptive father had abused and even raped her. When her adoptive mother saw what had happened, not only did she not hold her adoptive father responsible but she had even given Rene a beating.
That was how Rene had be the way she was.
After leaving them and living with Liam recently, Rene¡¯s condition had improved.
It was just that Liam was simply too nasty. After making use of her, he pushed her right back in there?
However, Rene was just a stranger to her.
Nora was not a saint. Without saying anything else, she prompted, "Uh-huh, and then?"
Rene was mentally ill, so in the eyes of thew, she was deemed legally incapacitated and was required to have a guardian. Her adoptive parents were her legal guardians.
Therefore, legally, there was no problem with them taking Rene away.
Cindy said angrily, "I didn¡¯t stop them because I thought they were legally allowed to take her, but I didn¡¯t expect things to go so wrong today! They live rtively far away, so they didn¡¯t go home immediately after they took her yesterday; they instead went to a hotel nearby. That night, when her adoptive father was about to vite her again, her adoptive mother found out and they got into a fight. The man killed her adoptive mother and was about to kill her too, but he was arrested by the police in time. Poor Rene, there were injuries all over her. She has been sent to the hospital, but because she has no other rtives, the police contacted me when they found out that she is my tenant. Boss, I¡¯d like to bring her back."
Cindy had always been a kind woman.
Back when she was in a desperate situation, Nora had helped her out. Because of this, she also tried to help her fellow Americans as much as she could.
In the past, Cindy would never have reported something like this to her, but because it involved Liam, she had brought it up.
Nora answered indifferently, "You can do as you wish."
And then, she hung up.
After that, the group set off for the airport.
Nora rode a motorcycle this time too.
She vaguely heard Abbott instructing his subordinates next to him, "Be alert and smart about things. That¡¯s the Queen, you know. If our performance satisfies the Queen, things will go very smoothly for us when we go to the UK in the future. In fact, if we work harder, we can even be members of the Queen¡¯s personal guard."
His subordinates replied, "Yes, sir."
Nora nced at Abbott.
ck Panther curled his lips. Through the walkie-talkie, he asked Nora, "Do you think the Queen will think highly of him?"
To be honest, it went without saying that all of them hoped to excel and stand out in this security operation.
Nora answered with great certainty, "No, she won¡¯t."
"I didn¡¯t think so, either. Even if someone does impress her, it will likely be someone from the Assassin Alliance. After all, we have the trump card¡ªck Cat!"
For once, ck Panther didn¡¯t diss her. Nevertheless, he still asked, "Why do you think that¡¯s the case?"
"... Because he is ugly," Nora answered.
Abbott was not a good-looking man.
But the Queen of the UK... Heh, she was someone who liked good-looking people.
Unattractive people would never catch her fancy.
At the thought of the Queen, Nora couldn¡¯t help but curl her lips disdainfully.
Queenie¡¯s business was often involved with the British Royal Family. The Queen was acquainted with her, and on top of that, she had been trying to invite her to expand her business into the UK all this time. If she could get NTT to expand operations into the UK, it would bring a huge fortune to the country.
Thus, the Queen often invited Queenie to various banquets.
Nora had attended a few of them.
But her personality shed with the Queen¡¯s.
The two didn¡¯t like each other.
If it weren¡¯t because Cherry got along rtively well with Princess Lucy, and her daughter only had that one friend, Nora wouldn¡¯t even want to meet the Queen at all.
Later, it was Queenie who took Cherry to the UK instead of her, and she never went there ever again.
ck Panther: "..."
The corners of his lips spasmed and hemented, "Women sure look at things from a strange perspective."
Soon, the group arrived at the airport with mighty momentum.
Clifford arranged for all of them to stay at the periphery of the airport.
Abbott craned his neck and nced at the exit from time to time. He asked, "Say, will the Queen notice us? What can we do to get her attention?"
"That¡¯s the Queen, you know! She¡¯s royal blood!"
"Yeah, we¡¯re already very lucky to be able to act as her guards even once..."
While the few were conversing, they noticed movement from the other side.
The people conversing instantly shut up. Hoping to show their best to the Queen, everyone stood up straight and kept quiet like the police officers inside.
Then, like the moon surrounded by a myriad of stars, the Queen came out of the exit. She kept her eyes in front of her and walked toward the car in front.
But just as she passed by Abbott, Nora, and their men, the Queen suddenly turned her head and looked over.
Chapter 893: Take Off The Mask
Chapter 893: Take Off The Mask
Everyone there was stunned by the Queen suddenly turning her head and looking over.
Everyone tensed up even further.
Nora¡¯s sharp ears caught Abbott muttering, "Did Her Majesty notice me? She must be looking at me! I¡¯m sure of it! Look at me, look at me..."
Nora: "..."
The corners of her lips spasmed.
Just how much did that guy want a connection with the Queen?
The Swiss president would never receive the Queen in person, of course. Therefore, the one here to receive her was someone from the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA). Next, they had to escort the Queen to the prearranged location where she would be having a meeting with the Swiss president.
Seeing the Queen suddenly stop, the minister heading the FDFA couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Your Majesty, may I ask what you are looking at?"
At the question, the Queen withdrew her gaze and her lips curled into a smile. "I didn¡¯t expect to see a woman among the guards, that¡¯s all."
"Yes." The minister followed her line of sight and saw Nora, upon which he immediately exined, "That is ck Cat."
"ck Cat?"
The Queen¡¯s interest was mildly piqued. She asked, "That world-renowned assassin?"
The minister nodded and replied, "Yes, Ma¡¯am. In order to receive you into the country, we have brought in third-party security personnel from the Assassin Alliance and the Hitman League, both of which are very well-known globally. I am sure you must have heard of them before!"
The Queen nodded.
Of course she had, but... She couldn¡¯t help but cast another nce at ck Cat. Then, she shook her head.
Seeing this, the minister couldn¡¯t help but ask, "May I know if something is the matter, Ma¡¯am?"
"No, it¡¯s nothing." The Queen replied, lowering her gaze and hiding the emotion in her light blue eyes.
She merely felt that the woman looked a bit like a person she disliked, that¡¯s all.
That person¡¯s name was Nora Smith, she was Queenie Schmidt¡¯s niece.
Queenie, who had no children of her own, was said to cherish that niece of hers very much, so the Queen had once hosted a banquet to entertain them a few years ago.
She¡¯d originally nned to foster a good rtionship with Nora.
After all, Queenie had already gotten on in age, so even though she wanted to please Queenie, she had nothing inmon to talk to her about.
But little did she expect that woman to be just as difficult as her godmother.
Yes, that¡¯s right. Even though the Queen had found out through her investigations that Nora¡¯s mother and Queenie were sworn sisters, what Queenie told outsiders was that Nora was her goddaughter.
With that, she was announcing Nora¡¯s identity to the public.
The Queen thought back to that banquet. While she was talking to Nora, Nora had fallen asleep...
Yes, that¡¯s right, she had fallen asleep.
Was it because the things she was saying were too boring? The Queen had been awfully embarrassed at that time. Even though Queenie subsequently exined that Nora had a weak constitution and needed a lot of sleep, the Queen hadn¡¯t believed her.
That reason was simply too perfunctory.
Besides, the wild and untamed aura around Nora had already put her, someone in a position of power, off from the start.
Of course, these were all things that the Queen could tolerate.
The one thing that she couldn¡¯t, however, was that... she had married Justin Hunt!
Out of the many men the Queen had seen, she was only impossibly infatuated with Justin. But due to her status, a rtionship was impossible between her and Justin.
Even so, she had hoped that Justin would never be close to any woman. After all, he was such an outstanding man. There were only a few in this world who would be worthy of him.
Yet the woman living abroad just had to receive news that Nora had married Justin.
To make matters worse, the most hateful thing was that the articte Cheryl Smith had turned out to be Justin¡¯s daughter!
Justin must have epted her only for the sake of the child!
After all, Nora didn¡¯t have any talents. All she had aplished was finding a good godmother!
When she thought of this, the Queen suddenly wasn¡¯t angry anymore.
Yes, what was there to be so calctive about with a useless woman who thought only of sleeping?
Besides, how could a capable person like ck Cat possibly be Nora? It wasn¡¯t like she was short of money, she must be sleeping at home at the moment!
When she thought of this, the Queen revealed a touch of a graceful smile and said, "I¡¯m very curious about ck Cat. Let her protect me at close proximity!"
She nodded to the person behind her.
The bodyguard beside her immediately said, "Yes, Your Majesty. Then let¡¯s have her join your motorcycle fleet!"
"Okay."
The Queen agreed to the suggestion. The bodyguard, however, looked at the Swiss personnel and said, "Have her remove her mask before she joins us."
Chapter 894: We Don’t Know Each Other Very Well
Chapter 894: We Don¡¯t Know Each Other Very Well
The Swiss minister in charge of receiving the Queen had long since heard about ck Cat from Clifford, so he was rather in a spot. He said, "But ck Cat once said that everyone who has seen what she looks like is dead... She had also requested to wear a mask when she took on this assignment, so..."
The bodyguard said arrogantly, "Perhaps you can go over and ask. I don¡¯t think anyone would refuse the Queen¡¯s request."
The main issue here was: how ridiculous would it be if someone wearing a mask was among the Queen¡¯s personal bodyguards?
It would look really awful, which would greatly affect their public image.
The Queen had also heard their conversation, but she ignored them.
She had always been high up in the air. In her world, it was only right that these people obeyed her orders. In fact, they should even be proud of being able to protect her.
The Queen continued toward the exit of the airport.
¡ª
"Are you sure you want to give up the opportunity? You guys best think carefully what your purpose is foring to escort and protect the Queen," said Clifford to ck Panther.
ck Panther replied, "But before we came, we had already agreed that ck Cat would be wearing a mask."
It was most certainly their greatest honor to be selected by the Queen to be her personal guard. If word of it spread in the future, it would bring them a lot of fame.
With that, the Assassin Alliance would be able to openly, and uprightly, transform into the Assassin Security Agency.
When Nora first heard the newpany name, she had been speechless.
Since they were a security agency, couldn¡¯t they remove the word "assassin"?! The name made it sound as if they were guarding assassins instead.
Clifford sighed and said, "You guys also said that ck Cat wouldn¡¯t be able toe, but isn¡¯t she still here in the end?"
It¡¯s not the same.
ck Panther silently grumbled inwardly. Could ck Cat even take off her mask?
She was a copycat! There was no way she could remove it.
Although losing an opportunity like that was a huge pity, ck Panther simply couldn¡¯t allow ck Cat¡¯s face to be shown in public¡ªfor ck Cat¡¯s sake, as well as for Ms. Smith¡¯s.
ck Panther refused the offer. "We really can¡¯t."
When Abbott, who was next to him, first saw Clifford approaching, he¡¯d thought that the Queen had really taken notice of him, but unexpectedly, it turned out to be the fake ck Cat instead?
Thus, when he heard ck Panther refusing the offer, he scoffed, looked at Nora, and said, "Of course they wouldn¡¯t dare to¡ªbecause she¡¯s fake!"
ck Panther looked at him frostily. "It is our organization¡¯s responsibility to protect ck Cat¡¯s identity."
"... Never mind, then. What a shame, though," said Clifford.
After speaking, Clifford left and went after the Queen¡¯s bodyguard. After saying a few words to him, the bodyguard cast another nce at them.
Then, he went to report to the Queen.
When the Queen heard of this, a look of surprise came over her face. However, she didn¡¯t spare them even a nce but instead said, "Nevermind, then."
The person next to the Queen couldn¡¯t help butment, "How shameless and unappreciative."
¡ª
Nora wasn¡¯t aware of what was happening there.
Instead, her eyes werepletely fixed on the big and tall figure following the Queen.
The man¡¯s muscles were well-proportioned and every step he took was regr and rhythmic as though every muscle on his body was just right.
Nora had only ever seen a good figure like this on Barbarian.
Every human¡¯s muscles developed differently post-training because the way everyone exerted force in training was different.
But this was not the case for Barbarian. He was naturally endowed with perfect muscles because he had been injected with the gene serum.
As bodyguards were not allowed to wear masks because they represented the British Royal Family, Nora finally managed to get a clear look at Barbarian¡¯s face.
He looked to be of mixed descent and had chiseled facial features. His scarlet eyes struck fear into one¡¯s heart. Barbarian, who was 6¡¯3", was wearing the bodyguard uniform, which made him look just like a soldier.
Perhaps sensing Nora¡¯s scrutiny, he suddenly turned his head and looked over.
Nora looked away at once.
The man¡¯s sixth sense was simply too sharp. To think he could even sense the malicious gazes of others!
"Let¡¯s go."
ck Panther¡¯smand sounded in their earphones.
Everyone turned around and went out in a line.
As soon as they got out, they saw that the Queen had already gotten into the car.
A mighty motorcycle fleet and several ck sedans led the way ahead while the Queen¡¯s car and her personal bodyguards drove in the middle.
Nora and the others got on their motorcycles. Just as they were about to follow, Clifford suddenly came over. With his face full of embarrassment, he said, "Um, the captain of the Queen¡¯s guards has ordered for you guys to bring up the rear."
"..."
The group fell silent.
Everyone looked at ck Cat and Abbott.
Nora did not speak.
Abbott, however, asked, "Why? We didn¡¯te just to bring up the rear for them!"
The Assassin Alliance and the Hitman League were both globally-renowned assassination organizations and everyone present was a skilled and well-known hitman.
Therefore, before they came, even though Clifford had not tasked them with protecting the Queen at close proximity, they were still meant to follow the Queen closely at the back.
This was a form of trust and recognition toward them.
Yet they were suddenly being told to bring up the rear now? This was downright humiliation.
Clifford also sighed. He said, "The Swiss will show you goodwill, but obviously, the Queen doesn¡¯t quite trust your abilities."
Abbott was furious. "Then we quit!"
Clifford kept quiet for a while. Then, he said, "When you joined us, the contract we signed stated that you will obey our orders, or else the Swiss government will never work with you again in the future."
They were here to be security officers, not big bosses.
All of them understood this. Besides, it went without saying that cooperating with and following the Swiss authorities¡¯ orders would also be a use written into the contract.
Abbott was so furious that he felt like he was getting a toothache.
As for ck Panther, he frowned and said, "Let¡¯s go."
Their only option was to go along with it now. What else could they do? If they breached the contract, it wouldn¡¯t be theirmission from the job that they would be losing but their chances of working with the Swiss government and the British Royal Family!
Abbott also understood this, so all of them set off dejectedly.
Nora rode her motorcycle and led the group at the forefront.
Abbott sped up and came up to her.
This time, Nora couldn¡¯t speed up and overtake him¡ªafter all, the Queen¡¯s motorcade was in front. She couldn¡¯t overtake them.
As a result, she could only put up with Abbott¡¯s noise. He said, "Never mind that you are a copycat, but so what even if the real ck Cat was here? We worked hard all our lives, and even after bing top-notch hitmen, we are still nothing in front of the Royal Family. We aren¡¯t even qualified to lead the way and can only follow behind the motorcade... Also, did you see, those bodyguards were even looking at us with disdain in their eyes! They clearly look down on us! What are they so arrogant about?"
Nora: "..."
Abbott went on. "Hey, say something. Are you dumb? Or is ck Panther actually the one in charge of you guys? Are you guys just gonna put up with it when you have been bullied?"
Nora stayed silent for a while before she finally said, "We don¡¯t know each other very well."
Abbott: "..."
Chapter 895: King!
Chapter 895: King!
Nora simply had the ability to end a conversation in one second t.
Her reply made Abbott choke, it was only a whileter that he finally spluttered, "Hmph, it¡¯s because you don¡¯t dare to offend them, isn¡¯t it? Are you still trying to get into their good books? Come on, they arepletely looking down on you! No, wait, I just remembered something: you¡¯re a copycat! If the real ck Cat was here, she would never allow them to look down on all of us!"
After all, ck Cat was the crowned head of the assassinmunity!
Seeing that Nora was staying silent as though she couldn¡¯t care less, Abbott became all the more convinced.
Real assassins all took great pride in themselves.
He immediately lost interest in chatting with Nora, and he went to chat with ck Panther instead, to which ck Panther thought, ... The two of us don¡¯t know each other that well, either, do we?
¡ª
The Queen¡¯s visit did not have any influence on anything, so there wasn¡¯t really anyone who attempted to assassinate her, and they safely and smoothly reached the hotel where she would be staying.
The Swiss government had specially made arrangements at the hotel for the Queen¡¯s reception. For that purpose, they had cleared out everyone in the hotel, keeping only some of the hotel service staff.
Nora and her party were at the back of the entourage, so by the time they arrived at the hotel, the Queen had already checked in.
After they parked the cars in the parking lot, they went to the hotel lobby and waited for further instructions.
The Queen would be in Switzend for three days, so the security assignment would also span three days.
In the hotel, the Queen¡¯s personal bodyguards were allocated rooms on the same floor as the Queen herself, while the Swiss authorities¡¯ internal personnel was allocated rooms on the two floors below them.
Needless to say, they were not allowed to stay in the hotel rooms all day. They were to change over guard duty every two hours and take turns to rest.
However, when it was Nora and her party¡¯s turn to be allocated rooms, the captain of the Queen¡¯s personal bodyguards suddenly said, "My apologies, but there aren¡¯t any rooms left. You will have to look for a ce to rest by yourselves."
Abbott and ck Panther were outraged at once.
Abbott immediately retorted, "How can there be no rooms left when there are so many here?"
The entire hotel had been vacated and it wasn¡¯t like the guards on the mission had filled up all the rooms.
The captain of the bodyguards calmly replied, "Her Majesty is terribly averse to noise, so the two floors above and below the one she is staying on have been left empty. Everyone else upies one room each. Of course, there are still three vacant rooms left, but there are thirty of you in total, so I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t be easy for you to make appropriate arrangements there, right?"
Even if they arranged for two people to share a room each and took turns resting inside, they would still need at least seven and a half rooms.
The captain¡¯s decision was logically sound. After all, it was guaranteed that the Queen¡¯s personal bodyguards and the Swiss personnel were trustworthy, but one couldn¡¯t say the same for them.
Therefore, it was normal that their welfare would be overlooked and their living arrangements prioritized at the lowest.
Abbott was about to say that they had only ten people among them and, therefore, could have the rooms allocated to them when the captain added, "To avoid causing infighting among you, let¡¯s just leave those three rooms empty, lest you go against the rules and get into a dispute over a few rooms."
Abbott: "..."
The captain regarded them with total contempt, so immediately after he said that, he turned around and left.
The people behind Abbott spoke up right away. "What the hell? We have to stay here for three days, you know. Are we really gonna forgo sleep for the next three days? They are too much!"
The rest of the group also looked at ck Panther. "ck Panther, what should we do?"
Abbott broke into a frown.
ck Panther thought for a while and then said, "The shift changes every two hours. Go to the cars and nap for a while after someone takes over your shift. We have stayed in environments harsher than this when we were out on missions in the past; this is nothing to us. Once we push through the next three days, we will be starting over with a clean te. Think about it¡ªin the future, all of us will be able to openly go on the streets and we won¡¯t need to sneak about anymore. So, let¡¯s just put up with it for these three days!"
ck Panther¡¯s words were very impactful, everyone nodded after hearing him.
After thinking about it for a while, Abbott¡¯s men also came to the conclusion that this was their only option.
They would just grin and bear with it!
With that, the two groups split themselves into teams and half of them went to the cars in the parking lot to rest.
ck Panther nced at Nora and then walked over and said, "Get some rest! You don¡¯t have to report for duty unless necessary."
Abbott sneered, "Why should she be exempted from duty? Is ck Cat unable to endure hardships like this?"
ck Panther gave Abbott a warning look. "Because she is a woman!"
Had it been anyone else, perhaps they might have retorted, ¡¯So what even if she¡¯s a woman?¡¯ However, Abbott wasn¡¯t that shameless, so ck Panther¡¯s words shut him up immediately.
ck Panther was in charge of the operation and Nora had never contested him for the right tomand all this time. Therefore, when she heard him, she merely nodded and went to the parking lot to look for a car to rest in.
When she found their cars, she got into one and sat in the passenger seat. Then, she leaned back and closed her eyes.
While she was resting, some people walked by. One of them said, "... Have you heard? A special guest will being tonight! And they¡¯ll be right in this hotel! For the Queen of the UK and the Swiss president to give them so much importance, I wonder who the guest is?"
"Give them so much importance..."
Nora¡¯s first thought upon hearing them was: "King ising!"
Her eyes flew open suddenly.
In that case, she couldn¡¯t ck off like this anymore. After all, in addition topleting the three-day-long assignment, she was also here to meet King and foster a good rtionship with him.
Almost immediately after the idea formed in her mind, Clifford walked out from the side. The man, who was in the midst of a phone call, said, "I will definitely send the most professional bodyguard to protect the distinguished guest! I will also take care of all themuting arrangements for them. Don¡¯t worry about it! I¡¯ll go select someone right away!"
Chapter 896: Tonight Is Her Chance!
Chapter 896: Tonight Is Her Chance!
In the hotel room where the Queen was, the captain of the bodyguards stood before her.
The Queen took off her coat. She was wearing a long gilded dress underneath, she looked so elegant and noble that the captain dared not even gaze upon her directly. Yet when he turned his head to the side, he saw the Queen¡¯s close protection bodyguard, who was in the room with them, staring straight at her with his red eyes fierce and vicious. The captain of the guards red fiercely at him at once.
That was the Queen! How could he be so ill-mannered?!
Yet the Queen didn¡¯t say anything even after noticing him. She merely waved and dismissed them from her presence.
When Barbarian saw the gesture, he even spaced out for a moment as though he didn¡¯t understand it. It wasn¡¯t until someone pulled his arm that he finally went out with them.
After they left, the captain remarked with dissatisfaction, "Your Majesty, that man is still as ill-mannered as ever. Why do you bring him with you all the time?"
With a smile, the Queen replied, "Because he is very strong."
The captain was rendered speechless. However, he quickly recovered and asked, "Are you sure you want to transfer him over for the meeting tonight? Is that man named King really so important? Besides, he must have his own bodyguards as well, so he may not necessarily need him!"
Hearing the name King, a kind and affable smile formed on the Queen¡¯s countenance and her eyes lit up a little. She replied, "Well, he may have his own guards, but I¡¯d still like to show him my sincerity by sending the dedicated bodyguard I keep by my side, who is sworn upon his life to protect me, to protect him."
Barbarian was the Queen¡¯s most trusted bodyguard, sworn upon his life to protect her.
The captain immediately said with dissatisfaction, "But if he leaves your side, you will be in great danger!"
The Queen waved dismissively and replied, "There¡¯s no need to worry. Why would anyone plot against me in Switzend? Alright, that¡¯s enough. Just send him there."
The captain frowned and asked, "Now?"
"Yes. Go to the airport, wait for King¡¯s arrival, and then pick him up. You must ensure his safety."
The captain couldn¡¯t help but ask, "But what if you really meet with danger? If you..."
"Alright, no more ¡¯buts¡¯. The hotel is very safe. Even if he¡¯s not around, you¡¯re still here, aren¡¯t you? Not to mention the rest of the bodyguards. If it reallyes down to it, there are also all the Swiss guards and even the Assassin Alliance!"
Speaking of which, the Queen suddenly thought of something and suddenly said, "If you really can¡¯t put your mind at ease, then transfer ck Cat over and have her protect me."
As soon as she said that, the captain curled his lips disdainfully and said, "Those people are too ill-mannered and undisciplined. They will never amount to much, especially that defiant and rebellious ck Cat. Don¡¯t worry, we won¡¯t need her. I will definitely ensure your safety, Ma¡¯am."
"Alright, I trust you."
The Queen was indifferent.
In her opinion, having these personal bodyguards by her side was already enough.
The captain of the guards went out and sent Barbarian to the airport to wait for and protect King. Then, he double-checked the shift duty schedule and patrol route map. After verifying everything, he stood outside the Queen¡¯s door.
Through the window, he saw the masked ck Cat downstairs getting out of the car and slowly looking up.
The captain of the guards immediately curled his lips in contempt. From the looks of it, the woman still had intentions of currying favor with the Queen. Unfortunately, all she had was fame but no actual skills...
Besides, how could those sloppy and undisciplined people possiblypare to people like themselves who had received formal training?
¡ª
Downstairs.
Nora raised her head and looked upstairs.
She had an electronic device in her hand and was intending to survey the surroundings to prevent unforeseen situations from breaking out. She also incidentally wanted to use the opportunity to perform well, in hopes of being selected and sent to protect King.
Nobody could say if it was just sheer dumb luck or what, but she actually discovered a hint of abnormality¡ªnearby the hotel was a teeny-weeny, barely discernible signal...
She locked on to it instantly and found that it was amunication signal.
She hacked into someone¡¯s phone at once, upon which she heard someone speaking in a low voice:
"The close protection bodyguard by the Queen¡¯s side has left!"
"What about the rest?"
"Don¡¯t worry, the rest of the personal bodyguards are all trash. They can¡¯tpare to our troops!"
"Okay, we¡¯ll get the men ready. We must make sure the Queen dies here! Tonight is our chance!"
Chance?
Nora¡¯s eyes lit up.
Chapter 897: Untitled
Chapter 897: Untitled
Nora didn¡¯t have any intentions of saving the Queen.
After all, Barbarian was her personal bodyguard, and from the looks of it, he seemed like the one she trusted the most. The information she¡¯d gotten from Karl had also stated that the Queen was on very close terms with Barbarian.
Therefore, it was yet unknown whether the Queen was a friend or a foe. Besides, the two didn¡¯t get along. Nora would have to be so bored that she has nothing better to do before she would even think of saving her.
However, she still felt that tonight was her chance!
She had already be suspicious of the Queen when she first found out that Xander had grown up in a basement in the royal pce. Coupled with how close a rtionship the Queen and Barbarian shared, Nora now suspected that the Queen was rted to the mysterious organization.
In fact, she might even be the leader of the mysterious organization.
Trueman was just the young master after all. His father could be called the real leader, but what if his father was actually serving the Queen?
After all, the Queen did have the power!
She was the sovereign of a state, after all!
Thus, Nora wanted to sneak into her room to find out the truth.
But with Barbarian around, she couldn¡¯t sneak in at all. With a powerful guard like him around, the chances of her being discovered were simply too high. Although ck Cat was nimble and agile, and there was almost no ce in the world she couldn¡¯t get into, wouldn¡¯t it be safer if Barbarian was not there?
Therefore, tonight was her chance!
Nora hung up the phone. Then, she yawned and walked over to the lobby.
ck Panther and the others were walking around the lobby on guard duty. The benefit of being away from the Queen¡¯s floor was that they could be rtively more rxed. At the sight of her, ck Panther hurried over and asked, "What¡¯s the matter?"
Nora replied, "Since you don¡¯t need me around tonight, I¡¯m going back."
ck Panther: "?"
He was dumbfounded. "What are you going back for?"
As if it was right and justified, Nora answered, "To sleep."
ck Panther became even more bbergasted. "Can¡¯t you sleep in the car?"
"It¡¯s ufortable in there," replied Nora.
ck Panther: "!!"
Goddammit, he felt like swearing!
What did she think a mission was? Did she think it was okay to be so casual about it?
He wanted to speak but Nora left without giving him a chance to.
ck Panther: "??"
As he stared after Nora, ck Panther couldn¡¯t even bring himself to swear anymore. He could only fume indignantly to himself¡ªIf ck Cat was here, she definitely wouldn¡¯t be like this!
That woman was simply too unprofessional.
At the sight of his reaction, Abbott, who was next to him, seized the opportunity to mock him. He said, "Women are nothing but trouble, if you ask me. Look at ck Cat, is this the attitude she should be taking toward a mission as an assassin? Just because it¡¯s ufortable in the car... she¡¯s going home to sleep?"
ck Panther was awfully frustrated and aggrieved.
He knew that Abbott was saying that while being fully aware that this "ck Cat" was fake... in other words, he was deliberately besmirching ck Cat¡¯s name.
After all, it wasn¡¯t like ck Panther could change his tune and say that Nora wasn¡¯t ck Cat but just the youngdy of a wealthy family...
He could only swallow his frustration...
Nora, however, didn¡¯t pay any attention to the two men¡¯s dispute. After she left the hotel, she took off her mask, fished out from an inconspicuous part of the hotel a set of dark clothes that she had hidden in advance, and put them on.
Beforeing, she had already scouted out the ce.
After all, even if Barbarian was around, she still wanted to check it out, just in case.
If the Queen turned out to have anything to do with the mysterious organization and the transnational biological gene serum case, then Nora would definitely teach her a good lesson!
Of the more than 1,000 children who had been experimented on, only five remained...
This had nothing to do with her, but Xander had been locked up by them for whole five years!
Even though she had been very calm and impassive on the surface after she found her son, the moment she thought of how her son had lived in a ce like that for five years, a surge of anger welled up in her.
She would definitely take revenge for him.
She walked straight to the back of the hotel building. Immediately after, she took advantage of the moment when the guards were changing shifts to put on a pair of non-slip gloves and climb up the wall!
Her movements were as agile and nimble as a cat¡¯s as she pressed herself t against the building. Coupled with how it was dusk, so it was getting dark out but the street lights hadn¡¯t yet turned on, no one would notice that there was someone there unless they looked closely.
Nora climbed straight to the floor where the Queen was and looked in through the window to observe the situation. When she reached the Queen¡¯s room, she hung off the wall with one hand and took out a small thin wire with the other. Then, she poked it in, fiddled with it a couple of times, and the window opened at once. Before anyone could react, she slipped in in a sh.
Her movements were smooth and fluidic, and she did not attract the guards¡¯ attention at all.
The Queen¡¯s suite was huge. Nora quickly found a closet and slipped in.
The Queen happened toe out of the study at that point with a document in her hand.
The royal aide following the Queen by her side was giving her a report on some of the UK¡¯s affairs. Nora was not interested in the talk until the subordinate suddenly asked, "Your Majesty, you have been making mention of King all this time, but... who on earth is he?"
At the question, the Queen said a name.
Chapter 898: Justin Hunt is King!!
Chapter 898: Justin Hunt is King!!
Justin Hunt.
The two words resounded in the room.
The Queen was speaking in Welsh.
This particr aide was the subordinate the Queen trusted the most.
Although it was forbidden to speak of the name to outsiders, after holding back for so long, the Queen finally couldn¡¯t help but say it out loud today. The aide was astonished but also enlightened. She remarked, "No wonder you treat him differently."
It didn¡¯t stop at just "differently", though!
If it weren¡¯t because the man couldn¡¯t marry into the royal family, the Queen would have died to marry him!
Unfortunately, the royal family had a literal throne to inherit and her own marital matters were not something she had a say in. Despite that, the Queen had never forgotten Justin all these years.
Just as the aide wanted to speak, her cell phone rang.
She answered the call and then said to the Queen, "It¡¯s Princess Lucy."
The Queen took the cell phone, sat on the sofa, and took over the phone call.
In the closet, Nora quietly stood where she was. It was unknown whether she had heard them when they spoke that name just now.
On the sofa, Princess Lucy¡¯s adorable voice came over through the phone.
"Mommy, where are you? I miss you so much~"
The Queen replied, "I¡¯m at the hotel. Do you want to take a look around?"
"Okay!"
After Lucy spoke, the Queen childishly held up her cell phone and went around the room. Lucy smiled and said, "How I wish I could be there with you! But I¡¯ll only reach the day after tomorrow, sigh!"
The Queen couldn¡¯t helpughing. "It¡¯s just two days."
"But these two days feel like forever to me. I miss you so much."
The Queen snorted and replied, "You mean you miss Cherry, right?"
Lucy giggled and said, "Of course I miss you more, Mommy. By the way, have you prepared the gift I asked you to?"
The Queen¡¯s expression immediately turned sullen. She said, "That¡¯s my favorite figurine but you¡¯re taking it just to give it to Cherry! Lucy, you¡¯vee a long way, haven¡¯t you?!"
Lucy wheedled, "Mommy, you¡¯re an adult. How can you fight over something with a child? Besides, didn¡¯t we already agree on this long ago? My most esteemed royal Mommy?"
Although the Queen was dissatisfied and wore a huffy expression, she nevertheless said, "Fine, fine!"
"Also! Mommy, remember to help me prepare a gift for Cherry¡¯s mother too~"
The Queen¡¯s face darkened immediately. "I refuse."
"Come on, Mommy. My royal Mommy, my most favorite and the most beautiful Mommy in the world~ I know you don¡¯t like her only because you¡¯re jealous that she¡¯s prettier than you~"
The Queen¡¯s face darkened even further. "Lucy!"
The sight of the Queen, who was frosty and all-powerful in public, behaving like this when interacting with her daughter in private made Nora see her in a new light a little.
Lucy hung up.
The Queen¡¯s aide asked, "Shall I prepare a gift for Ms. Nora Smith?"
The Queen snorted and replied, "Yes, do it. She¡¯s Cheryl Smith¡¯s mother, after all!"
"Yes, ma¡¯am."
The aide then asked, "Are you really going to give that figurine to her?"
The Queen¡¯s heart started to bleed at the thought.
The figurine in question was no ordinary figurine; it was a limited edition one that was specially made for her because they knew that she liked it! As it was made of pure gold, it had caused a great stir in the Royal Family back then, with all of them saying that she was being too extravagant.
After all, the Royal Family had to be mindful of its public image. Although they led a luxurious lifestyle, they should still remain approachable tomoners.
At the time, the Queen had dered that she would never ask for a second one. Therefore, once she gave it away, it would be gone for good.
The aideforted her and said, "Why don¡¯t I switch it with an ordinary figurine instead? Princess Lucy is not interested in such things, so she¡¯ll never realize."
The Queen hesitated for a moment. In the end, she sighed and said, "Forget it, just give it to her! What am I fighting with a child for?"
It was unknown whether the "child" she spoke of referred to Lucy or Cherry.
When the two were about to start chatting, all of a sudden, chaos broke out on the lower floors.
Outside the door, the captain of the bodyguards suddenly said, "Your Majesty, a fire has broken out downstairs! The fire is spreading too wildly. Let¡¯s hurry and shift somece else!"
As he spoke, the fire immediately spread to the upper floor with a great boom like a serpent of mes!
There was obviously something wrong with these mes. It was clear that someone had doused the ce with mmable materials.
They were trying to burn the Queen to death!
Nora frowned.
Who would harbor such an intense grudge against the Queen?
While she was wondering about it, the aide answered her question.
"The mysterious organization is so horrible! How can they do this to you?! They are so persistent,ing after you from abroad all the way to Switzend! Your Majesty, let¡¯s hurry and leave!"
Nora was stunned when she heard her.
The mysterious organization was after the Queen¡¯s life?
Did this mean that... the Queen and the mysterious organization were enemies?
The cogs in Nora¡¯s mind turned at high speed.
ording to Trueman, Barbarian had betrayed the mysterious organization. However, the Queen was backing up Barbarian. It might seem like Barbarian was protecting the Queen, but in truth, wasn¡¯t he also under the Queen¡¯s protection?
Otherwise, the mysterious organization would already have found him in all these years.
The fire was fierce, and to make matters worse, they were on the higher floors. Nora pushed open the closet door and walked over to the window to check on the situation outside.
On the first floor, ck Panther and Abbott had discovered the fire upstairs and were running up frantically with their men.
Since they had taken the remuneration, they must do their job.
This was a rule in the Assassin Alliance.
Just as she was about to jump out the window, gunshots suddenly rang out from beyond the door!
The door was pushed open once more; the aide and the captain of the bodyguards protected the Queen as they entered. The captain said, "Their firepower is too intense out there! We can only hide here for now!"
The aide retorted furiously, "But the fire will reach us soon! Are we supposed to just let ourselves turn into roast pigs by staying here?"
Even at a moment like this, the Queen reprimanded her angrily and said, "Please mind your words! You¡¯re the only pig!"
The aide: "..."
The aide looked at the captain and yelled furiously, "What do we do now? Think of something! If Barbarian was here, he¡¯d definitely be able to take the Queen out of here!"
The captain frowned and said, "I didn¡¯t expect the mysterious organization to be so powerful that they could even infiltrate the Swiss government... Don¡¯t worry, everyone will rush upstairs once they hear the gunshots. There aren¡¯t many of them, so they will be subdued very soon!"
The aide, however, yelled, "There may not be many of them, but all of them are fighters ready toy down their lives! They are risking their lives precisely to stop the people downstairs from saving us!"
Fighters ready toy down their lives for their missions did not fear death.
Moreover, the corridor was narrow. By staying there, they were preventing the Queen from going out and stopping people froming in just so they could burn the Queen alive.
Now, the captain could either charge out there and fight those people outside to death, or they could stay there and wait for their deaths.
The captain was certainly willing to risk his life. But the problem was that once he charged out there, should he die, there would really be no one left to protect the Queen! Until the assants barged into the room, the captain¡¯s duty was to stay by the Queen¡¯s side and protect her.
At the window, Nora found herself at a loss for words as she listened to their conversation.
She was originally nning to jump down by herself, but for some reason, she suddenly thought of the Queen¡¯s facial expression when she said that she would give the figurine to Cherry.
The Queen was arrogant, but it seemed that she wasn¡¯t entirely useless either.
When she thought of this, Nora suddenly put on ck Cat¡¯s mask and walked over abruptly. The moment she moved, the captain noticed her presence, and he immediately pointed his gun at her.
Nora couldn¡¯t be bothered to waste her breath on him, so she cast a silver needle at the muzzle, pushing it away from her. Then, she went up to the Queen and grabbed her arm. Immediately after, she rushed to the window and leaped out!
"Ahhh!"
The Queen thought that she would be smashed into pulp, but unexpectedly, the speed at which she was plunging suddenly dropped to zero. Only then did she realize that Nora was clutching a rope with her other hand.
It was unknown what kind of material the rope was made of, but it was resistant to fire.
However, because Nora had only one hand to grip the rope with, her hand ended up rubbing tightly against the rope. Moreover, she was even carrying another person¡¯s weight. This led to the glove bing damaged from the friction, which caused her palm to bleed.
Bam!
Noranded on the ground.
As for the Queen, she fell onto the ground.
At this point...
A screech of tires rang out¡ªBarbarian was back from picking up the guest. He jumped out of the car and ran toward the Queen.
"Your Majesty, are you all right?"
Barbarian helped the Queen up.
The Queen got up. The woman, who had experienced many assassination attempts in her life, was calm and collected. She replied, "I¡¯m fine. Where¡¯s King?"
"I¡¯ve brought him here."
Following Barbarian¡¯s reply, the door of the car opened and a tall familiar-looking figure got out of the car.
Chapter 899: She Doesn’t Speak Welsh?
Chapter 899: She Doesn¡¯t Speak Welsh?
King wore a ck, patternless mask covering his entire face in the darkness. He also wore a ck trench coat that fully wrapped around him.
Apart from his height, one couldn¡¯t tell anything of his appearance at first nce.
King was like the ruler of the night. Just him standing there, a chilling aura enveloped the surroundings, such that no one around them dared take him lightly.
At the sight of him, the Queen neatened her hair and smoothed her skirt. Then, with a smile, she started to walk over to King.
Barbarian, however, said, "Why don¡¯t you see a doctor before going over? King is not in a hurry."
The Queen had long since regained her usual poise and grace. She ced her hands at her abdomen and kept her back straight as she, in strict ordance with court etiquette, walked over to King. As she did, she said, "Mr. King is already here. If I choose to go to the doctor now, wouldn¡¯t I be snubbing him?"
Barbarian hesitated for a while and then tried to dissuade her again. "There¡¯s been an assassination attempt on your life, hasn¡¯t it? It¡¯s fine even if you make him wait a bit."
Although there had been an assassination attempt on her life, and the Queen had been awfully flustered when she was upstairs just now, she maintained her pride at this moment and deliberately said within earshot of King, "This little hup is nothing. I¡¯ve seen worse."
"... But our bodyguards are all still upstairs," said Barbarian.
"Why do you have so many excuses?" The Queen interrupted him and said reproachfully, "As my first bodyguard, you should learn to stay calm."
The Queen spoke very gracefully and took the opportunity to educate him. Then, she added, "Besides, didn¡¯t a lot of people from the Assassin Alliance and the Hitmen League alsoe over? It is their honor to protect me!"
After speaking, she looked at Nora with a gentle and elegant smile and said, "There are so many talented people around. ck Cat here can even mount the eaves and walk the walls!"
Nora nced at her, hesitant to speak and also at a loss for words.
While the Queen was speaking, she had alreadye up to King. She bowed gracefully and said, "Long time no see, Mr. King."
The Queen had practiced the action numerous times in front of the mirror.
King was not someone one could meet all the time.
Thest time the two of them met had been three years ago.
The Queen maintained her pride and self-esteem in front of the person she liked, wishing to show him only her best.
King hesitated for a moment. His dark eyes first nced behind her, seemingly passing over ck Cat quickly before he returned a bow of his own and said, "Long time no see, Your Majesty."
King spoke in Welsh, his voice deep and pleasant.
The Queen¡¯s eyes lit up, and she continued in Welsh and said, "Mr. King is as charming as ever."
King, however, looked around and didn¡¯t answer.
Seeing this, the Queen suddenly realized something. She suddenly looked at Nora and asked in English, "ck Cat, do you speak Welsh?"
Nora shook her head without hesitation.
Only then did the Queen put her mind at ease.
King probably had some things that he couldn¡¯t quite mention in public, so the two would need to have a private chat. Besides... ck Cat had been upstairs just now, who knew when she had reached there? The things that she and her aide had said in Welsh weren¡¯t suitable for outsiders¡¯ ears. However, now that she knew ck Cat didn¡¯t speak Welsh, she could rest assured.
Only then did the Queen look at King.
For some reason, she felt that King seemed relieved too.
Although he still sounded distant, his words were more or less still pleasant. He said, "Your Majesty is as radiant as ever."
The Queen covered her mouth andughed. She said, "Really? I thought I¡¯d aged since west met three years ago."
King: "..."
He gave the Queen aplicated nce and then replied, "Not at all. It seems that time doesn¡¯t move for you, Ma¡¯am."
The Queen lowered her eyes and said, "I heard that you now have a daughter too. As it happens, she and my daughter are good friends. Your fianc¨¦e, Nora Smith, and I are also old friends. She was round and plump back then, but I heard that she has lost weight and be much prettier? I wonder who is more beautiful, me or her?"
... Hah, I have now witnessed for myself our farce of a friendship, Nora thought to herself.
At the mention of Nora, King nced at ck Cat again. Something shed across his dark eyes as though he was weighing something. Atst, he said in Welsh, "You have a grander presence, Ma¡¯am."
The Queen bit her lip.
King hadn¡¯t said that she was more beautiful but only that she had a grander presence. Although it sounded perfunctory, it was already very rare for him to say that.
As a businessman, King rarely participated in power struggles. Although he maintained good rtions with the authorities of various countries, he never curried favors with them.
For every country, in addition to the military, their economy was also of utmost importance.
Therefore, no matter where he went, King was always weed, and he was also the object of everyone¡¯s favor. Besides, King had said it straight to her face that she was ugly.
After a separation of three years, the man had surprisingly be less mean.
The Queen¡¯s face glowed even more radiantly than before.
She smiled and asked, "Then, shall we have dinner tonight? Will Mr. King grace me with his presence?"
King answered, "It¡¯d be an honor to."
After speaking, he nced at Nora again and then deliberately said in English, "It¡¯s a custom in the UK to conduct business over a meal anyway, so it¡¯s not a problem."
The Queen didn¡¯t understand why he had added that in English, but she didn¡¯t press the matter.
Upstairs, the two assants had been shot dead and the fire was extinguished, but the hotel had still suffered a lot of damage. Fortunately, the restaurant next to it was still open, and there was also amodation avable in that building.
Thus, the group moved over to the other building with great momentum.
The Queen said to King, "Why don¡¯t you head to the restaurant first? I¡¯ll go back and get a change of clothes."
"Sure," replied King.
Only then did the Queen head to the upper floors with her aide, who had been rescued, holding her arm. While she was heading upstairs, something seemed to ur to the Queen and she said to Nora, "ck Cat, you will stay close to me and protect me."
Nora followed behind her without a word. Even after she walked far into the distance, she could still sense King¡¯s gaze on her.
On the way there, the Queen and her aide continued speaking to each other in Welsh.
The aide smiled and said, "Mr. King is surprisingly polite today. He doesn¡¯t seem entirely disinterested in you."
The Queen, however, sneered, "Do you really think that is true? It¡¯s only because he has something to ask of me! Otherwise, he would never go along with me like that!"
The Queen had dealt with King many times before, so she knew very well what he was like.
For him to suddenly go along with her, he must have something to ask of her.
However, the Queen changed the subject again and said, "Regardless, I held myself very well just now, right? I must have been very elegant, right? That¡¯s exactly it; I want him to see how elegant I have be so that he will be filled with regret!"
The aide looked at her hesitantly.
The two entered the room that had been prepared for them. The queen held her skirt up and walked gracefully into the dressing room. And then...
"Ahhh!"
The Queen pointed to the woman with the dark, sooty cheeks in the mirror. "I-Is that how I looked just now?"
At the thought of how she had deliberately feigned elegance and gracefulness when she looked like such an ugly mess, the Queen had a mental breakdown.
The aide: "..."
"Barbarian! Why didn¡¯t you tell me?!"
Barbarian, who was standing outside the door: "..."
He had been trying very hard to, but if the Queen refused to listen, there was nothing he could do!
Chapter 900: She Speaks Welsh
Chapter 900: She Speaks Welsh
The Queen felt like she had just experienced social death.
Because of the fire, not only was there soot on her face, but even her hair had frizzled from the fire and was draped on her head in a mess. Yet she had gone to meet King with her face in this exact state and even asked him, "Who is more beautiful, me or Nora Smith?"
The moment she thought about it, she felt so embarrassed that she wished she could bury herself in a hole...
The Queen quickly changed into another set of clothes. By the time she stepped out, she had regained herposure. The aide observed the Queen¡¯s expression warily and asked, "Your Majesty, are you alright?"
Although the Queen felt terribly embarrassed deep down, she remained calm on the outside.
She answered, "It seems King has quite a big request for me this time."
Otherwise, given that ridiculous appearance of hers, would King be able to bring himself topliment her?
The aide also found it puzzling. She asked, "What could he possibly have to ask of you? After all, he is..."
She swallowed the rest of her words, however.
The Queen nced at Barbarian and ck Cat and then gave the aide a look.
It was forbidden to reveal King¡¯s identity to outsiders. Even after so many years, the aide was the only one the Queen had told the truth. Although Barbarian was her trusted bodyguard, it was still better to keep some things secret if possible.
The aide shut up.
Nora, who was following them at the back, was observing Barbarian at the moment.
The man had shed his fierce and savage aura. He was as docile as a wolfhound when he was by the Queen¡¯s side, which felt rather novel to her.
With each of them harboring their own thoughts, the four entered the restaurant.
King was already seated on the sofa.
The Queen put on a dignified smile and walked over as though she hadn¡¯t just made a fool of herself. With a smile, she said in English, "I¡¯ve kept you waiting."
King paused and nced at ck Cat before he replied in Welsh, "It¡¯s my honor to wait for you."
All these things King was saying were all just a gentlemanly way of speech in the UK.
Not a single word was suggestive or ambiguous.
But because King had always been stern with women, the chivalry he was disying at the moment shocked and ttered the Queen.
She just didn¡¯t know why King had switched to Welsh again. Wasn¡¯t it alright even if theymunicated in English?
The Queen smiled and sat opposite King. While ordering food, King went along with her food preferences the whole time. Additionally, he also spoke in Welsh the whole time.
After ordering food, the Queen started to discuss work matters with King. She said, "Alright, you¡¯ve been very courteous to me the whole evening. Tell me, what exactly do you want to ask of me?"
King didn¡¯t beat about the bush; after all, it was better if he could leave after finishing his business here. He hated wasting time the most.
He said unhurriedly, "I will be going to the UK sometime in the near future."
The Queen: "?"
Her eyes lit up. "We have guest residences in the pce. You are wee to stay there any time."
King coughed and said, "I intend to bring a few friends."
The Queen smiled. "These are all trivial matters, there is no problem at all. When have I ever rejected you during all your past visits?"
King thought to himself, ... I¡¯ve never stayed at the pce before!... Even though the Queen invites me over with great enthusiasm each time... Besides, I¡¯ve only been to the UK thrice! She makes it sound like I go there all the time!
Fortunately, a certain somebody did not understand Welsh.
King breathed a sigh of relief and didn¡¯t refute her. He coughed and said, "There will be... quite a few peopleing this time."
The Queenughed again. "Other people¡¯s homes may not be able to house too many guests, but what¡¯s ¡¯quite a few¡¯ people to the pce? How many people will you be bringing? I¡¯ll get things ready for you in advance."
"Not that many, actually. Just a hundred or so, I suppose," replied King.
The Queen: "?"
Even her smile had frozen a little.
One hundred outsiders in Buckingham Pce? Should they be up to no good, with that number, they could stage a revolution in there!
It was no problem at all if King was just bringing four or five people there, but a hundred was too many.
No wonder he was being so amicable today!
The Queen was a little displeased. She asked, "What are you bringing so many people with you for? Surely it can¡¯t be because you¡¯re getting married, right?"
"No, that¡¯s not the n," replied King.
The Queen then asked, "Is your fianc¨¦eing?"
King raised his brows.
The Queen said meaningfully, "You know, the mother of your children."
King¡¯s identity was not to be revealed to the public, so the Queen would never directly mention Nora¡¯s name.
King answered, "No, she won¡¯t being."
Only then did the Queen breathe a sigh of relief, but she soon said with a smile, "Speaking of her, your fianc¨¦e and I have met a few times before. I¡¯ve also personally received her before when she visited the pce in the past."
King nodded but didn¡¯t pay much attention to what she said. Just then, the food was served. After he took a couple of bites from his sd, he suddenly realized that something wasn¡¯t right. He looked up abruptly and asked, "Did you say that she has been to the pce?"
The Queen nodded. "Yes, that¡¯s right."
A foreboding feeling suddenly welled up in King¡¯s heart. He asked, "Did the two of youmunicate in English?"
The Queen replied, "Of course not. She speaks fluent Welsh."
King: "!!!"
Chills suddenly ran down his spine.
Didn¡¯t someone say that they didn¡¯t speak Welsh?!
Chapter 901: Will King Refuse?
Chapter 901: Will King Refuse?
King subconsciously looked at Nora, who was standing at the side and seemingly guarding them. In truth, though, she was leaning against the wall with her head tilted to the side and napping.
The Queen continued. "By the way, what are youing to the UK for?"
King lowered his gaze and answered, "Mm, I have some business meetings to attend."
"What kind of business meetings require you to bring 100 people with you?"
King lifted his head and looked at the Queen intently. "Are you forbidding me froming over?"
The Queen choked.
For some reason, she felt like the man¡¯s attitude had turned a little cold, and the perfunctory amiability from just now was gone.
The Queen wasn¡¯t afraid of him, of course.
It was just that, because she had a crush on him, she was automatically relegated to a disadvantageous position.
She exined patiently, "I¡¯m not forbidding you froming, but every visitor to Buckingham Pce is subject to strict scrutiny. After all, you should know that not just anybody is allowed to enter. You can only bring a maximum of 20 people with you into the pce!"
King bargained, "70."
The Queen sighed. "30 at most. No more than that!"
"60."
The Queen: "?"
The Queen gritted her teeth and said, "35! No more!"
"55."
The Queen: "!!"
Did he think he was negotiating a business deal with her? Did he know the consequences of giving 55 of them the go-ahead into Buckingham Pce?!
The Queen couldn¡¯t help but ask, "What on earth are you nning to do there?"
"Business meetings."
"..."
Well, with that, she couldn¡¯t continue the topic with him any further.
Nora, whose eyes were narrowed into slits, seemed asleep, but in reality, she had been listening to them with her ears pricked up.
What kind of business meeting was he having? Was that the way to make a request to the Queen?
Just as she was secretly dissing him, the Queen heaved another helpless sigh, surprisingly showing him exceptional patience. She said, "I really take my hat off to you. You refuse to tell me anything, yet you insist that I give you clearance. 40 people¡ªthis is my limit."
"Deal."
King immediately replied with just a single word.
Only then did the Queen say, "What have you been up totely? You..."
Before she could even finish, King suddenly stood up and said, "I suddenly recalled that I have something to attend to, so I¡¯ll leave first."
The Queen: "??"
She stared at King, stunned.
Was he kicking her to the curb now that she had outlived her usefulness? And casting her aside as soon as she had served her purpose?
This man was so...
She was practically at a total loss for words. She asked resignedly, "You only want to bring 40 people with you into the pce, right?"
King countered with a question of his own and asked, "Can I bring more?"
"... No, you can¡¯t! But you can¡¯t just cast me aside after making use of me, either. Can¡¯t you at least finish the meal with me?"
"Then let me bring another ten people with me."
"..."
The Queen really took her hat off to him. She stamped her foot angrily in a rare show of girliness in front of outsiders and said, "Go, go! Your time sure costs a lot!"
King nodded.
Just as he turned to leave, the Queen looked at Barbarian and said, "Go with him. You are responsible for protecting him during these three days he¡¯s in Switzend."
However, Barbarian said in Welsh with displeasure, "But what are you going to do if I¡¯m gone? You¡¯ll be in great danger if you encounter another attack like the one just now."
The Queen raised her chin proudly and said, "I was the one who contacted him and asked him over to Switzend. If it¡¯s so dangerous here, then all the more I have to ensure his safety. Besides, aren¡¯t there a lot of people here anyway? Didn¡¯t ck Cat risk her life to protect me precisely because she wants to be my close protection bodyguard?"
After speaking, afraid that Barbarian would still be worried, the Queen looked at Nora and said, "ck Cat, seeing that you saved me, I allow you to stay by my side and protect me."
After saying this, she raised her head proudly.
As the Queen of the UK, she had always been the subject of adtion. Take, for example, the two major organizations, the Assassin Alliance and the Hitman League. In order to please her, both had given their all in the rescue operation just now.
Abbott from the Hitman League had even suffered burns from the fire.
Now that she was giving ck Cat an opportunity like this, she would undoubtedly be incredibly grateful to her.
Unexpectedly, though, as soon as she spoke, ck Cat walked over. The woman¡¯s voice was icy as she replied impassively, "No, it¡¯s okay."
Her reply stunned the Queen, and she asked, "Didn¡¯t you risk your life toe upstairs and save me just so you could stay by my side and protect me?"
"No."
Nora looked at King intently and said, "I did it so that I could protect him."
With King visiting Switzend, Clifford, the Swiss minister, would have to arrange for people to protect him. Just a moment ago, a team of people had already assembled outside, ready to set off.
When the Queen heard her, she inexplicably felt like she had just been stabbed in the heart.
She looked at ck Cat and then at King, feeling a little embarrassed. She said, "King has never allowed women toe near him, so I¡¯m afraid this won¡¯t be possible."
Nora raised her eyebrows and looked at King. She replied, "Really? Why don¡¯t you ask him?"
King was, after all, the VIP this time. Clifford would definitely prioritize pleasing him over other people.
The Queen was rather annoyed, so she asked King in Welsh, "This is ck Cat from the Assassin Alliance. She¡¯s a woman. She says that she wants to be your bodyguard, but I don¡¯t think you would agree, right?"
As the Queen spoke, she nced at ck Cat. No one was allowed to refuse her!
Especially if it¡¯s a woman.
King had always practiced abstinence. If she hadn¡¯t known that he had a son, she would have thought that he liked men instead.
Apart from that woman named Nora Smith, King would never allow other women toe near him.
Therefore, King would reject ck Cat for sure.
Once King rejected her, she would also reject her! She would see what ck Cat would do then!
She would be the one embarrassed!
King: "..."
He was about to answer when he saw ck Cat turn to look at him. For some reason, he felt like ck Cat had seen through his mask.
Chapter 902: In The Same Car
Chapter 902: In The Same Car
King kept quiet for a while. He actually didn¡¯t want her toe with him; after all, what he was about to do was too dangerous.
However, he could see the persistence in her eyes at this moment.
If he didn¡¯t agree, then she would go to the UK with the Queen.
That¡¯s right, when King realized that she understood Welsh, he had immediately known that she had seen through his n.
He heaved a quiet sigh and said, "It¡¯s my honor to have Ms. ck Cat protecting me."
The Queen who was waiting tough at ck Cat: "?"
Her eyes widened in surprise, and she looked at King and ck Cat in disbelief, her gaze shifting between the two again and again. Atst, with a frown, she asked, "Are you sure?"
King nodded. "Yeah."
The Queen bit her lip. "Won¡¯t your fianc¨¦e mind?"
She deliberately spoke in English so that ck Cat understood what she was saying.
She had to let ck Cat know that King had a fianc¨¦e! And on top of that...!
The Queen smiled and added, "And your children, too?"
King raised his brows and immediately replied, "They would probably be thrilled."
The Queen: "..."
She¡¯d had enough!
Even so, all she could do was maintain a graceful smile. She looked at ck Cat and said, "Since Mr. King has chosen you, you will be responsible for keeping him safe these three days."
Nora nodded and followed King out.
As the Queen watched ck Cat, who was about to step out, she suddenly thought back to the moment she had rescued her earlier in the evening.
When the fire was surrounding her in the high-rise building, despite being confident and determined, the Queen had nevertheless thought for a moment that she might die in there.
Over the years, after experiencing so many assassination attempts, she had long since be ustomed to such situations.
But in the dark night, as the mes spread, when ck Cat held her waist and leaped off the tall building with her, she had taken notice of ck Cat¡¯s hand that was gripping the rope.
At this moment, as ck Cat walked toward the exit, even though the wound on her palm had been dressed, the white bandages around it still made her narrow her eyes a little.
The Queen¡¯s authority was not to be challenged.
Therefore, when ck Cat rejected bing her bodyguard to be King¡¯s instead, she had indeed gotten angry and had wanted to see her make a fool out of herself. But when she saw the bandages around ck Cat¡¯s palm as she followed King out the door, the Queen¡¯s eyes suddenly flickered.
"Wait a minute," The Queen suddenly said.
Both King and ck Cat stopped in their tracks.
The Queen walked up to ck Cat and said arrogantly, "Come over here. I have some instructions for you."
Nora: "?"
After speaking, the Queen raised her chin and walked to the side. Nora followed her over.
Initially, she¡¯d thought that she would be subjected to ridicule and mockery from the Queen, but unexpectedly, the Queen instead said awkwardly and fiercely, "I just want to warn you that Mr. King¡¯s fianc¨¦e is not to be trifled with!"
When she thought of Nora and how she always looked so nonplussed at everything, the Queen gritted her teeth angrily. Then, she said, "Two dayster, we¡¯ll be going to his fianc¨¦e¡¯s turf. If she hears that a female bodyguard like you is by King¡¯s side, that shrew will definitely be jealous!"
Nora: "?"
The Queen went on and said fiercely, "If you run into that fat and fierce shrew, remember to take a step back. Don¡¯t worry, seeing that you saved my life, I will take you in. I won¡¯t let them mock you."
"... Okay."
Nora looked at the blond and blue-eyed woman, who was always putting on airs, in front of her. For some reason, she now found her a little cute.
Seeing how indifferent ck Cat was, the Queen became even angrier, feeling like her kindness had gone unappreciated. She immediately waved her off and said, "Alright, alright. You can go!"
Nora turned around. However, before she left, she said softly, "Thanks."
Her voice was cool and low, but it made the Queen feel a little better.
¡ª
Nora followed King out the door. Clifford, who was standing outside and waiting in person, looked at King respectfully and said, "Mr. King, these are the bodyguards that I¡¯ve picked for you. They will be responsible for your safety while you are in Switzend."
King nodded indifferently.
He understood very well that while those bodyguards were, on the surface, protecting him, in actuality, they might be secretly monitoring him instead.
Moreover, most of them were internal personnel of the Swiss government.
King had his own bodyguards with him, so the bodyguards deployed by the Swiss could only stand guard at the outer boundaries.
King walked to his vehicle.
Clifford continued. "Mr. King, are you sure you don¡¯t want to stay in the hotel we prepared for you? After all, our arrangements will be safer..."
But as soon as he said that, King nced at the hotel that was still emitting smoke, and he asked, "Is that so?"
Clifford: "..."
He suddenly lost all his confidence!
He gave him an embarrassed smile and said, "In that case... See you tomorrow."
The queen had an appointment with the Swiss president and King the next day.
King nodded and turned to get into the car.
Nora followed behind him. When she arrived where his car was, she saw two familiar faces: Sean and Lawrence.
The two men had left the country at some point in time and were by his side.
Well-done.
He had the time to contact them, but not the time to give her a phone call.
Ha.
While thinking about it, Nora saw King get into one of the cars. Immediately, she tried to get into the same car but was stopped by Lawrence.
"You, take the car at the very back."
Lawrence ordered.
He looked at the woman in front of him and curled his lips disdainfully. Where did this female bodyguard even pop up from? To think she wanted to take the same car as his boss. Ha, no way.
He had to watch over his boss for Ms. Smith, after all.
However, without even saying a word, Nora merely bent over, went around Lawrence nimbly, and got into the car.
King, who had just gotten in the car: "..."
For some reason, he suddenly felt chills running down his spine.
Chapter 903: Missing Her Uncontrollably
Chapter 903: Missing Her Uncontrobly
Outside the car, Lawrence immediately panicked at the sight and stepped forward. He said, "Hey, you can¡¯t..."
Bam!
Nora closed the car door, shutting out Lawrence¡¯s noisy yammering.
Lawrence: "?"
Lawrence became even more fired up. He reached out to knock on the car window but Sean grabbed his arm at this point. He pushed his sses up slightly and said frostily, "Don¡¯t knock anymore."
"What do you mean ¡¯Don¡¯t knock¡¯?!" Lawrence retorted furiously, "Didn¡¯t you see how stupid that woman is? Is this car one she can get into? It¡¯s my duty to block out unwanted propositions for Boss!"
After speaking, he wanted to knock again, but Sean¡¯s voice came over once more. He said, "Do you think any random person could get into Boss¡¯ car?"
As soon as he said that, something clicked in Lawrence¡¯s mind.
Indeed, others might not know, but he did. His boss was the Big Brother of the Irvin School of Martial Arts and was highly skilled in martial arts. It was true that not just anyone could get near him.
Yet his boss had allowed that female bodyguard to enter the car. Could it be that...?
Lawrence red at Sean. "Boss has fallen for someone else? Or is he nning to see someone else behind Ms. Smith¡¯s back? Sean, you mustn¡¯t go along with Boss in things like this; we must stand on the side of justice. Although Ms. Smith isn¡¯t very reliable, she did bear three children for Boss! ..."
Sean: "..."
Sean couldn¡¯t be bothered to speak any further, he dragged him over to the car behind.
After everyone got into their cars, Sean ignored the noise by his ear and ordered, "Let¡¯s go."
All the cars immediately started and drove out one after another.
Inside the ck car in the middle.
King sat upright, ncing to the side out of the corner of his eye every now and then.
Nora had followed him into the car. She must be thinking that "Revenge is a dish best served cold", right?
But since getting in the car, she had stayed silent the whole time, leaning against the seat with her arms folded. The aura around her was frigid and she seemed to be waiting for him to speak first.
King didn¡¯t know what to say.
Had she discovered his identity yet or not?
A long whileter, seeing that Nora was still staying quiet despite so much time passing, King finally couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. He asked slowly, "Are you mad?"
"..." She didn¡¯t respond.
She must really be mad at him, right?
King turned his head. The nervous man wanted to exin, but when he leaned in, he suddenly heard even breathinging from the woman.
King was stunned for a moment. Then, he gently removed her mask, upon which he saw that the woman¡¯s eyes were closed and her lips slightly parted. As expected, she had indeed fallen asleep.
"..."
King gazed intently at her for a while.
It seemed that he simply couldn¡¯t get enough of that face.
After waiting for a short while, he slowly took off his ck mask, revealing the visage that took even time¡¯s breath away. Above his fair cheeks were deep-set eyes filled with love and affection. Even the beauty mark at the corner of his eye seemed to be glowing softly in this instant.
The chauffeur looked through the mirror at the two people in the backseat.
In his earphone was Lawrence¡¯s voice.
"Keep an eye on them, Hubert. Don¡¯t let that woman take advantage of Boss. Also, if Boss loses control of himself, you must remind him that he has three children at home, so he can¡¯t fool around outside. That woman, Nora Smith, is not to be trifled with. If she finds out that Boss had the audacity to phnder, she will definitely walk out on him with the three kids!"
Just like that, the chauffeur watched helplessly as his boss took off the woman¡¯s mask. As he couldn¡¯t get a full view from the mirror, he couldn¡¯t see the woman¡¯s face. Nevertheless, he still saw his boss slowly leaning toward her...
Just as the chauffeur was about to see what his boss wanted to do, a screen was suddenly lowered with a loud swoosh, blocking their line of sight.
The partition not only blocked the chauffeur¡¯s line of sight but also blocked out sound. As a result, he couldn¡¯t tell what was going on inside anymore.
The chauffeur: "!!"
"How is it? Hubert, is it convenient for you to talk?"
Hubert became nervous. "Yeah, I can talk now, Lawrence."
Lawrence asked, "Then speak. How is that woman? Is she behaving?"
Hubert replied, "I can¡¯t see anything anymore. Boss has pulled down the screen!"
Lawrence: "!!!"
Two secondster, Lawrence panicked. He cried out, "It¡¯s over! It¡¯s all over! Sean, this is all your fault for blindly pleasing Boss all the time! Don¡¯t you know that times like these are when he needs subordinates like us the most? Now that Boss has made such a mistake, tell me, what is he going to do?! One is Ms. Smith while the other is that female bodyguard. Surely Boss won¡¯t sumb to seduction and abandon his wife and children, right?!"
"... Can you shut up?" asked Sean.
"No, I can¡¯t! I¡¯m in a huge panic!"
Lawrence was just like a cat on a hot tin roof at the moment.
Sean decided to ignore him.
In the backseat, Justin had absolutely no idea what his subordinates were currently picturing in their minds. He merely leaned in closer and closer... Then, his lips slowly pressed against her soft lips.
He didn¡¯t dare to exert any force, for fear of waking her up.
However, his longing for her that he had kept restrained all this time was infinitely amplified at this moment, consuming him all of a sudden.
He gazed at the visage right before his eyes.
The girl was so pale that her skin was practically see-through. Seemingly exhausted, she slept rtively soundly. Her small and delicate nose was pert and her usually indifferent almond-shaped eyes were tightly shut at the moment. She looked so docile and well-behaved that it made one want to ravish her.
He tried hard to restrain his desire. Even his breathing had be messed up causing the man, who had always been sharp, to fail to notice that the woman¡¯s breathing had also be messed up.
He merely gazed at her in such close proximity. It was a whileter that he finally struggled to slowly raise his head. The moment the soft sensation at his lips disappeared, he felt an emptiness in the depths of his heart.
As he touched his lips, he couldn¡¯t help but look at the woman again¡ªonly to see that in the dimly lit car, the woman had, at some point in time, opened her eyes and was looking straight at him.
"..."
Chapter 904: Come On, Let’s Get Straight To Business
Chapter 904: Come On, Let¡¯s Get Straight To Business
Justin sat up abruptly. The man, who had just done something bad, had such a guilty conscience that he didn¡¯t dare to look at her.
The man, who had always been able to dominate the space he was in, tensed up. In his mind, his thoughts were also warring with one another: When had she woken up? She didn¡¯t feel that just now, did she? Should he continue kissing her?
While he was having an internal struggle, the woman abruptly grabbed his cor and pulled him over hard. Justin, a man who could dodge all the gunfire in a rain of bullets, was yanked toward her like a weakling, and he bumped into her.
"Come on, let¡¯s..."
Upon hearing this, Justin kissed her hard again.
The kiss this time was extremely passionate.
Justin felt as if the woman was about to im every part of him, right down to his bones, and the lust in his eyes gradually grew stronger. But when he was about to reach into her clothes, the woman grabbed him.
Justin slowly looked at her. In a husky voice, he asked, "Not doing it anymore?"
Nora replied, "Let¡¯s..."
She¡¯d only uttered a word when the man moved again, seemingly dying to devour her in the car. Nora hurriedly held his hands down again.
It was only then that she felt that the man actually had a lot of physical strength. He must have intentionally lost to her in all their fights in the past, right?
Sensing her displeasure, the man stopped.
His breathing was ragged and fine beads of perspiration had formed on his forehead in the small vehicle. His voice had be even hoarser than before as he asked, "Didn¡¯t you say ¡¯Let¡¯s¡¯?"
"... I meant let¡¯s talk!" retorted Nora.
Justin froze, only realizing then that he had misunderstood. But now that his desire had been aroused, how would he possibly have the leisure to care about that? He leaned forward to kiss her again and said, "Let¡¯s talk after our business here is done."
"..."
Nora held his head away from her, the look in her eyes chilly as she said, "Mr. King, our business here is to have a good talk."
"Mr. King"...
That one line of hers made Justin suddenly realize something: the woman was angry!
He coughed and hurriedly sat up straight, all the nonsensical thoughts thrown out of his mind. He looked at Nora and said, "Nora, listen, let me exin."
"Okay. Go on, I¡¯m listening."
Nora folded her arms and looked at him indifferently with her cat-like eyes.
How could Nora possibly not be mad?
She had already told Justin that she wanted to look for King and curry favor with him but little did she think that the man would keep the fact that he was King from her!
Although the man had worn a mask, he was someone whom she loved deeply. No matter how hard he tried to hide his identity, even if it was by pure intuition, she would still be able to recognize him immediately once they met.
Even if that guy turned into ashes, he still wouldn¡¯t be able to escape her notice. Did he think he was that sessful in hiding his identity?
Even so long after they got in the car, he still didn¡¯t exin himself like he should have done. Instead, she even had to ask him about it.
Moreover, ever since the Barbarian incident, the guy had disappeared into thin air. He had the time to contact Sean and Lawrence but didn¡¯t have the time to give her even a phone call?
Ha.
There were serious consequences to be had when Nora got mad!
Seeing the cold look in the woman¡¯s eyes, Justin immediately understood how important this matter was. He lowered his eyes and heaved a silent sigh. He said, "It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t want to tell you, or that I didn¡¯t want to contact you. I... was injured."
Injured?
Nora¡¯s eyshes quivered a little and she nced at him out of the corner of her eye.
Who was he trying to kid?! Going by how enthusiastic he had been while he was chatting with the Queen earlier, no matter how one looked at it, he didn¡¯t seem to be hurt at all.
This guy was too insidious. He must be deliberately acting weak in front of her, right?
She didn¡¯t move, nor did she speak. Instead, she continued waiting for him to exin.
Justin didn¡¯t seem to be waiting for her to speak either. He merely touched his chest subconsciously.
Upon noticing what he did, Nora frowned and said, "Take off your clothes."
Ahead of them was a traffic light.
Thus, the car had stopped temporarily.
Hubert, the chauffeur, pressed his ear against the screen, hoping to hear what exactly was going on behind him. But the moment he did, he heard the four sensational words: "Take off your clothes".
Hubert: "!!"
In his earphone, Lawrence was still pressing him for details.
"How is it? Did you hear anything?"
"Y-yes, I did."
"What are they doing? What are they saying?"
Hubert stared straight ahead of him in a daze as he replied, "¡¯Take off your clothes¡¯."
"What?!"
Lawrence was dumbfounded. "It¡¯s over, it¡¯s all over. Boss has really been bewitched by that vixen! Ms. Smith is going to be abandoned!"
"..."
In the backseat.
Justin was also stunned for a second by Nora¡¯s directness. Then, he broke into a smile, his eyes creasing, which seemed to even brighten the dim light in the car a little.
He remarked unhurriedly, "Mm? Are you that direct?"
However, he didn¡¯t move.
Nora knew that the man was doing it on purpose this time to change the subject. Without saying another word, she reached out forcefully, grabbed Justin¡¯s zer, and took it off.
As soon as she removed the zer, she saw that the color of the ck shirt he was wearing was a little darker on his chest.
Nora¡¯s pupils shrank, her keen senses detecting that those were bloodstains.
She yanked hard. With a loud rip, the silk shirt was torn open, revealing the white bandages wrapped around Justin.
The bandages were soaked with blood. It was apparent that it was either an old wound that had opened, or it was a fresh one.
She frowned and asked, "What happened?"
"It¡¯s nothing." Justin said impassively, "It¡¯s just a small injury."
Nora had already unraveled the dressing, upon which she saw an incision near where his heart was. Judging from its size, it was likely made in order to remove a bullet from within...
In other words, a bullet had scarcely grazed his heart.
Although she knew very well that the man survived, the mere thought that he might have died if the bullet had even so much as deviated by the scantest of lengths made the look in Nora¡¯s eyes turn cold. Murderous intent abruptly burst forth from all around her, and she slowly asked, "What on earth happened?"
Her voice was trembling a little, the fearless woman found herself somewhat shaken at the moment.
Her children had indeed almost lost their father at one point.
Justin patted her on the head as if he was smoothing the fur of a cat close to bing riled up. His voice was mellow and powerful as he replied, "It¡¯s really nothing. It was just a little skirmish with the enemy."
A little skirmish?
That so-called "little skirmish" had almost won him an appointment with Hades!
Seeing that Justin was about to speak again, Nora¡¯s voice turned stern and she said, "I want the truth."
She had never been a fragile flower who needed to be protected by a man.
Chapter 905: He Was By Her Side All Along
Chapter 905: He Was By Her Side All Along
Seeing her resolute eyes, a short silenceter, Justin finally told her the truth. "A few days ago, the mysterious organization sent their men here."
Nora¡¯s eyes narrowed at once.
Right.
The mysterious organization had always been said to be extremely powerful. Even back in the United States, when Nora and Justin wanted to catch them, they¡¯d been as slippery as eels and had withdrawn all their men there.
Nora only had a taste of how strong Barbarian was; she hadn¡¯t yete into direct contact with the mysterious organization¡¯s armed forces.
Back when Barbarian came to steal the V16 at Staav University, Brenda¡¯s men had surrounded the school. Despite that, Trueman had still sent just a weakling like Caleb.
Though Caleb had indeed given her a hand at thest moment, the truth was that throughout the fight for the gene serum, the mysterious organization¡¯s armed forces had never once showed up!
She had been wondering why things had gone so smoothly. As it turned out, Justin had fended off the mysterious organization¡¯s attacks for her.
She gazed at the man in front of her.
Back in the United States, he single-handedly held Barbarian back, tossed the clue to the gene serum to her, and then faked his death to direct all the conflicts to Barbarian.
This had made Barbarian everyone¡¯s target.
After that, while everyone kept their eyes on Barbarian, thinking that he¡¯d gotten his hands on the gene serum, she had sneaked into the university and retrieved the real gene serum.
He hadn¡¯t made an appearance then either.
Later, Queenie had even griped about him pulling a disappearing act and leaving her and the children in the lurch.
She¡¯d thought that he was either busy or injured, but as it turned out, he¡¯d gone to eliminate all the remaining obstacles for her!
The man was no weaker than her, and he even had two assistants, Lawrence and Sean, by his side. As King, she believed that he even had his own armed forces. Yet, in spite of all that, he¡¯d still nearly taken a shot to the heart from the mysterious organization.
Nora didn¡¯t even need to probe him for details to imagine how dangerous it must have been!
Seeing that she had fallen silent, Justin said, "Um... Actually, I..."
"You don¡¯t need to say any more." Nora interrupted him. She checked the wound and found that the operation had been very sessful. Even if she was the one performing the operation, all she¡¯d have aplished would just be a nicer suture and nothing else. She started to rummage through her bag.
As ck Cat, she had been carrying a backpack on her back the whole time.
Justin watched as the girl nearly poked her head all the way into the backpack as she rummaged through it with both hands. The edges of the backpack pushed her hair back, causing a few strands of hair to stand messily, which made her look rather adorable.
The warmth in his eyes deepened.
Since he became King, it had be a given that he¡¯d have to go through perilous situations again and again.
Injuries were alsomonce.
In the past, whenever he got hurt, he¡¯d always feel lost and wonder what he was doing all this for. But now, it seemed that he had found his purpose in life.
He knew that she was no fragile flower, of course. That was why, back in the United States, he¡¯d dared to fake his death and slip away so decisively. He had also left the Hunts to her with peace of mind without even so much as a word to her.
Sure enough, she lived up to his expectations and helped him protect the family.
Outside of the United States, he¡¯d led his men to fight off the mysterious organization¡¯s attacks, but in truth, how could he possibly be unaware of the danger she would be putting herself in at the university?
Despite that, he did not regard her as someone who needed protection; rather, he saw her as hisrade-in-arms and the other half in his life.
They joined forces to protect their three children, and watching over them as they grew up seemed to have given meaning to his life.
While he was thinking, Nora found the medicine he needed.
As Nora had to lead the team in the security assignment, she¡¯d specially brought some medical supplies with her, so that it would be more convenient if she needed to treat any wounds. In the hotel, a fire had broken out on the upper floors. When the men at the lower floors besieged the two assants, they hadn¡¯t suffered any injuries, so the supplies had been left untouched.
She cleaned Justin¡¯s wound with saline solution and then checked his sutures. After applying a salve on the wound, she gently dressed his wound once more.
As his wound was on his chest, her head was lowered as her hands went around Justin¡¯s torso again and again.
Justin could see the top of the girl¡¯s head. A few strands of her hair brushed across his skin, tickling him. He wanted to reach out and neaten her hair for her, and help her smooth out the two silly locks of hair standing upright atop her head.
But the moment he moved even a little, the girl would say fiercely, "Don¡¯t move."
He could only maintain the same posture.
By this time, the car had arrived at Justin¡¯s residence. When the car stopped, Lawrence quickly hurried over. Though the car windows were covered with ck films that prevented people on the outside from looking in, when Lawrence leaned in close, he could still spy two vague silhouettes.
That was when he saw the female silhouette pressed right against the male silhouette¡¯s chest. Not only was she bobbing up and down, but she even ordered coldly, "Don¡¯t move."
Lawrence: "!!!"
Was that female bodyguard into such thrilling stuff?!
No wonder his boss was overwhelmed! It was over, all over! Ms. Smith had been utterly defeated!
He was going to see just who on earth that woman seducing his boss was!
Chapter 906: Jealousy
Chapter 906: Jealousy
Lawrence stood right outside the car door and waited quietly for it to open.
Atst, the people inside stopped what they were doing, and it quietened down.
A whileter, the car door finally opened and the female bodyguard got out. However, she¡¯d put on ck Cat¡¯s mask again, rendering it impossible for anyone to see what she looked like.
Lawrence red at her fiercely and then looked at the man in the car. However, even after a while, the man inside didn¡¯t move. He couldn¡¯t help but call out hesitantly, "Boss?"
Only then did the man in the car move. He put on his zer and got out with his mask on.
However, everyone could see that underneath Mr. King¡¯s zer, his shirt had been ripped apart!
On top of that, his zer was also crumpled and it was obvious at first nce that he had been ravished. Everyone lowered their heads at once and pretended not to have seen anything.
The men sent by Clifford looked at one another and immediately informed Clifford of the news.
Unable to wait any longer, the eager Mr. King had done this and that to ck Cat right in the car. Moreover, judging from how ck Cat¡¯s clothes were barely rumpled while Mr. King¡¯s were in a mess... As it turned out, Mr. King didn¡¯t stay away from women; he just had no interest in ordinary people and liked the wild ones like ck Cat, that¡¯s all!
He preferred being at the bottom!
Even Lawrence couldn¡¯t bear to look anymore. However, his eyes, as he looked at Nora, became even more filled with grievance.
He couldn¡¯t help but look at Justin. With his voice lowered, he asked, "Boss, how... how can you let her tear your clothes apart like this? Didn¡¯t you put up any resistance?"
"... I did," Justin replied.
"Then how did she still..." Lawrence couldn¡¯t bring himself to say the rest. Since he¡¯d still been ravished despite putting up resistance, needless to say, his attempt at resistance must have failed!
Gosh, was that female assassin known as ck Cat really that ferocious?!
Just as the thought formed in his mind, he saw the person walking in front suddenly stop and look behind. The moment she looked over, Lawrence hid behind Sean in a sh, too scared to stand up for Nora any further.
Even Boss was no match for her. Ms. Smith, I can only offer you my condolences!
Nora looked around the ce and found that it was a private mansion, likely King¡¯s property in Switzend. Though not as big as Queenie¡¯s castle, when she looked around casually just now, she realized that the security measures here were excellent. The armed forces stationed here were also immensely strong.
It would be impossible for anyone to sessfully invade unless they had thousands of people.
She nced at Justin, upon which the man strode over and came up to her. He asked, "What would you like for dinner?"
"Beef Wellington."
Justin: "?"
For some reason, he suddenly recalled that the Queen had been eating Beef Wellington earlier in the evening. This... should be... seemed to be... and probably was... a coincidence, right?
He coughed, and then he said with a nod, "Alright, I¡¯ll get them to prepare it right away. It takes a while to cook, though, so you¡¯ll have to wait a little."
Nora remained where she was. Behind her mask, her cat-like eyes looked at him in a seemingly amused manner, and she seemed to raise her brows as she replied, "Uh-huh, it¡¯s my honor to wait for you."
Justin: "?"
He didn¡¯t realize anything for a while there.
The two entered the living room. Nora went straight to the sofa and took a seat while Justin went to the bedroom and changed into loungewear. But when he came back out, he saw Nora staring at him, so he asked, "What¡¯s the matter?"
Nora replied, "Nothing much. I¡¯m just looking at how you still look as radiant as ever and how time doesn¡¯t move for you at all."
Thinking that she missed him, joy welled up in Justin. But the next moment, he suddenly realized something: why did those words of hers sound kinda familiar?
He suddenly recalled his exchange with the Queen when he had met her earlier in the day:
"Mr. King is as charming as ever."
"Your Majesty is also as radiant as ever."
"Really? I thought I¡¯d aged since west met three years ago."
"Not at all. It seems that time doesn¡¯t move for you, Ma¡¯am."
"... I wonder who is more beautiful, me or your fianc¨¦e?"
"You have a grander presence, Ma¡¯am."
...
The corners of his lips spasmed a little. "That¡¯s... Nora, I was just being polite with her. Don¡¯t take it seriously. I..."
"I understand. You saw that the Queen has a grander presence, so you needed to be polite with her, of course."
Justin: "!!"
At that time, he¡¯d really believed that she didn¡¯t understand Welsh. That was why he had tried to tter the Queen so that it would be easier for him to convince her to allow him to take more men with him into the pce.
Justin and the Queen had actually spent three months in school together. He knew the Queen very well. She was a proud woman who liked beinguded and praised.
And sure enough, wasn¡¯t it because he haduded the Queen with enough praise that she allowed him to take a groundbreaking total of 40 men with him into the pce?
But who knew that Nora could understand what he had said? It was all over! The backyard was on fire!
Justin panicked. He wanted to exin, but he didn¡¯t know how to. Just then, he saw the girl seated on the sofa blinking, and then, she suddenly burst intoughter.
"..."
Realizing that she was just joking and wasn¡¯t really mad at him, Justin heaved a sigh of relief.
Why would Nora ever mind something like that?
She¡¯d never been one to care about superficial things. She just wanted to... tease him.
After all, leverage on him didn¡¯te easy...
But after she spoke, she straightened her expression and said, "Come on, tell me, what are you going to the Royal Pce for?"
Chapter 907: The True Mastermind Behind The Scenes!
Chapter 907: The True Mastermind Behind The Scenes!
Now that things hade to this, there was no point in hiding anything from her anymore.
Justin kept quiet for a while before he replied, "I can confirm that the mysterious organization is in Buckingham Pce."
Nora nodded.
She had already informed Morris of this.
She had learned about it from Xander. One could say that the two children had unwittingly solved a longstanding mystery. However, she hadn¡¯t been in contact with Justin during this period at all. Therefore, Justin had derived this entirely by himself.
From the looks of it, King indeed held great power. At the very least, he had more sources of information than Morris.
She asked, "Is the Queen connected to this?"
"No."
Justin answered with certainty.
Nora¡¯s lip corners curled upward, and a seemingly amused look entered her eyes.
"Oh? You trust her that much?"
Justin promptly answered, "No, it¡¯s not that. She is simple-minded, and she isn¡¯t that cunning. If the mysterious organization was hers, she would have shown it off long ago."
Nora: "..."
The man sure had a strong survival instinct. She couldn¡¯t tease him even if she wanted to. How uninteresting...
Regardless, she asked, "If it wasn¡¯t authorized by the Queen, then who else could it be? For such arge organization to stay hidden in Buckingham Pce, who else can achieve it besides her? Moreover, Barbarian is by her side."
Cherry and Princess Lucy were very good friends. As such, Nora was obligated to rescue the Queen from the fire, but she hadn¡¯t nned to do so at all at that time precisely because her impression of the Queen had plummeted after learning that the mysterious organization was in Buckingham Pce.
It was through the chat between the Queen and her aide that sheter vaguely sensed that the Queen had nothing to do with the matter. Coupled with how she¡¯d witnessed the Queen¡¯s love for her daughter, that was why she had saved her.
There was still a lot of time before the Beef Wellington would be ready, so Justin sat next to Nora and filled her in on the Queen¡¯s situation.
"During this recent period of time, I¡¯ve figured out the mysterious organization¡¯s situation on the inside. Those 1,000 children selected by the mysterious organization had gone through extraordinarily inhumane torture in their childhood. The five who ultimately survived greatly resent the mysterious organization.
"The five of them are Trueman Yale, Caleb Gray, Listener, Spacey, and Barbarian.
"In Trueman¡¯s case, he has no choice. As the young master, the mysterious organization is his home. For Caleb, he is on rtively good terms with Trueman because thetter saved him several times. That¡¯s why he works for the mysterious organization.
"But the other three can be said to have irreconcble differences with the mysterious organization.
"The pianist who died some time ago was Listener. After undergoing gic modifications, she became extremely perceptive to sounds, but this characteristic was not of any particr use to the mysterious organization. Moreover, she was obsessed with the arts. Whether genuine or just an act, she didn¡¯t hold any substantial impact on the mysterious organization. After Trueman took over, he spared her life. Unfortunately, Listener ultimately still died from the bacsh brought upon by theck of the V16..."
At this point, Nora interrupted him and asked, "They were all injected with the gene serum at the same time, so why did Listener die two months earlier than the rest?"
Justin exined, "I was also puzzled by this. After sending someone to investigate, I found out that Listener was older than the rest of the children."
Nora was taken aback.
Justin said, "The 1,000 children that the mysterious organization experimented on had ranged from newborns to ten-year-olds. Of the five who survived, the other four are of simr age, with all of them being about two or three years old back then. Children too young cannot withstand the gene serum¡¯s effects; while those too old find the transformation too painful to endure and their bodies are also unable to adapt to the effects. Listener was already ten years old at that time. She was also the only one who survived among the ten-year-olds. Going by their ages, Trueman, Caleb, and the others are about 28 or 29 years old now, but Listener was already 36 years old."
Nora nodded, a contemtive looking over her face.
Caleb had given her a crash course on the five survivors¡¯ abilities, but it was not as detailed as Justin¡¯s investigation results.
Justin went on. "As for Spacey, he¡¯s a hacker, and hees and goes like a ghost. He is also very smart and has stayed in hiding all this time, so the mysterious organization can neither find him nor do anything about him."
Upon hearing this, Nora thought of the dead Liam, and her eyes darkened a little. Her slender fingers tapped against the armrest of the sofa, and her expression turned somewhat contemtive.
At the sight, Justin asked, "What¡¯s wrong?"
"Oh," Nora¡¯s fingers paused and she said, "It¡¯s nothing. Go on."
"..."
As King, no one had ever dared to speak to him in amanding tone. However, the girl in front of him didn¡¯t make Justin feel affronted in the least. He merely gave her an affectionate smile and went on.
"Thest one is Barbarian. His gic modifications can be said to be the most useful. After escaping from theb back then, he passed out on the road and was picked up by the Queen. Later, the Queen found out that he was a martial arts prodigy, so she trained and groomed him until he became the Queen¡¯s close protection bodyguard. With the Queen protecting him, the mysterious organization doesn¡¯t dare to do anything to him, for fear of alerting her to their existence. I found out that it¡¯s also because of this that Barbarian is very loyal to the Queen."
Nora asked, "Does the Queen know of his identity?"
Justin shook his head. "Who knows..."
Did Justin mean that the Queen was unaware of Barbarian¡¯s identity, or did he mean that even he didn¡¯t know whether the Queen knew or not? The meaning behind the two clearly differedpletely.
Yet Nora understood Justin¡¯s concise answer. Sheughed and remarked, "Then the Queen isn¡¯t as simple-minded as you im she is, is she?"
Despite not knowing the man inside-out, she didn¡¯t fear using him. The Queen had guts.
Moreover, even Justin couldn¡¯t tell whether she knew of Barbarian¡¯s identity or not. This alone demonstrated her shrewdness.
Justin smiled and said, "A woman who can ride out ovepping power struggles to eventually sit on the throne would never be that simple. Regardless, I know the extent of her capabilities. Besides, her age doesn¡¯t match. The mysterious organization was founded during your mother¡¯s time, but the Queen is only thirty this year."
Nora nodded. "In that case, apart from the Queen, who else is capable of keeping such arge organization¡ªor rather, ab¡ªin Buckingham Pce basements?"
The thought alone instilled fear in one.
Beneath the pce that one had lived in for numerous years was a secret inhumaneboratory conducting biological experiments.
Justin smiled and replied, "I¡¯ve thought of someone."
"Who is it?"
Chapter 908: The Shrewish Fiancée
Chapter 908: The Shrewish Fianc¨¦e
Justin leaned over right up to Nora and whispered, "The Queen Mother."
Nora raised her brows. What? Was the Queen Mother still alive?
Justin nodded.
Nora was puzzled. "Then why was the throne ceded to the Queen?"
Justin replied, "The Queen Mother abdicated over ten years ago and has retreated behind the scenes. She¡¯s gotten on in her years and must be already at least 70 years old now. The Queen is her youngest daughter."
Everything clicked in Nora¡¯s head now.
That made sense. Only members of the royal family would be able to build an enormousboratory in Buckingham Pce basement.
"This is just my theory, and I don¡¯t have any direct evidence yet, but I should think that one¡¯s greatest wish after they age would probably be longevity. Moreover, Trueman¡¯s modified genes do indeed have to do with his lifespan. If he manages to get the V16 administered, he would live to at least 200 years old."
Nora sighed. "There are numerous tales of sovereigns seeking the elixir of life in ancient times, and now we have all these things happening too... One¡¯s lifespan is predetermined, so why bother going to such lengths?"
Justin put his arm around her shoulder. "You¡¯re right. But now that I have you and the children, I¡¯d probably feel that my lifespan is not long enough!"
Nora thought about it and then replied, "Well, that¡¯s true."
Justin leaned in closer to her. "Yeah, so I n to march straight to Buckingham Pce to attack and destroy their base. This way, once the mysterious organization is left with only a few people, it won¡¯t pose a threat anymore."
"Got it."
Justin drew even closer to her. "Nora, I..."
But before he could finish, Nora pushed him away and got onto her feet.
"Food¡¯s ready," she said.
A servant brought the Beef Wellington in and ced it on the table.
Justin: "..."
The resigned man got up and followed Nora over. After the two sat at the dining table, Nora suddenly asked, "You don¡¯t intend to take me with you?"
Justin was a little taken aback when he heard this.
After a moment of silence, he finally replied, "I wasn¡¯t nning to. The children are still too young; if something untoward happens to me, I thought at least you¡¯d still be there to take care of them..."
After speaking, he looked at Nora.
He knew that the woman didn¡¯t appreciate him trying to protect her, so he didn¡¯t know if she would agree to it.
Nora, however, rested her chin on her palm and kept quiet without answering as to whether she was going along or not. She merely looked at him suddenly and asked, "You¡¯re not hiding anything else from me, are you?"
"Not at all!" Justin¡¯s eyes flickered and he answered firmly, "Really!"
"Okay."
Nora replied indifferently.
Justin: "?"
So, did she agree to it or not?
He didn¡¯t dare to ask her about it. He would just make preparations with the assumption that she wasn¡¯t going.
After the two finished their dinner, Justin asked her how the children were doing. When he heard that the children were all safe and sound, he breathed a sigh of relief.
Soon, it was bedtime. Justin looked at her with a smoldering look in his eyes and suggested, "Let¡¯s sleep together?"
"No, that won¡¯t do."
Nora had already put on ck Cat¡¯s mask after dinner. She said, "I¡¯m your bodyguard, you know."
Justin also put on his mask.
After all, they were in Switzend. Should anyone learn of his true identity, he would be in for a whole lot of trouble in the future.
He chuckled and corrected her. "My close protection bodyguard, you mean."
Nora: "..."
The two ultimately didn¡¯t share the same bed¡ªthey had a bunch of the Swiss breathing down their necks, after all. Thus, Nora left the house after dinner. As soon as she exited, she spotted Lawrence sneakily keeping an eye on them not far away. At the sight of hering out, he seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.
"..."
The next day, the three parties met for a chat.
As his bodyguard, Nora followed behind Justin and entered the meeting room with him. The Swiss president very graciously invited King to make investments in the country and also offered to give the go-ahead for various policies.
Justin agreed to it, and the discussion between the two parties went very smoothly.
It was just that...
Nora watched the service staffing in and going out.
Her impression was that people who could get a job as service staff here to serve water and whatnot were mostly tall, slender, attractive, and pleasing to the eye. So why was every single one of them the strong and buff type? One of the waitresses even deliberately revealed her arm muscles and lifted her arm a couple of times when she walked up to Justin.
Nora and Justin were speechless.
Neither of them knew that when the waitresses went out, Clifford immediately stopped them and asked, "Did Mr. King take extra notice of any of you?"
The info he¡¯d received the day before had said that King liked being at the bottom!
However, the waitresses shook their heads in unison.
Clifford was perplexed. Was the information wrong? He couldn¡¯t help but reprimand his subordinate.
"Can¡¯t you find a few with the same physique as ck Cat instead?"
His subordinate was close to tears. "Among those who are as slim as her, how many of them have the same incredible physical strength and muscles as powerful as hers?"
Clifford: "..."
King had always been a highly efficient man, and the meeting concluded sessfully in no time. After leaving the meeting room, Justin rejected the warm invitations from the Queen and the Swiss president.
Seeing how firm he was, the Queen could only say helplessly, "I¡¯ll see you at the Schmidts tomorrow, then. I heard that your fianc¨¦e is also here. It¡¯s been a long while since Ist saw her. I miss her a little too!"
After speaking, the Queen nced at ck Cat, who was standing behind Justin.
Did you hear me, woman? His shrew of a fianc¨¦e will be there too!
However, ck Cat didn¡¯t seem to understand.
As such, the Queen could only beckon to her once more and say, "ck Cat, your mission ends tomorrow, right? In that case, you don¡¯t have to follow him there."
Nora: "??"
She looked at the Queen and kept quiet.
At this point, a waitress came over and passed by Nora at the back. All of a sudden, she seemed to lose her bnce as she lurched straight toward Nora. At the same time, her hand grabbed Nora¡¯s mask to rip it off!!
For a moment there, everyone looked over in unison!
Chapter 909: Queenie’s True Identity!
Chapter 909: Queenie¡¯s True Identity!
The waitress was rather displeased.
Clifford had brought the group of them here, hoping that King would take a fancy to them, upon which he would gift the chosen ones to him. If they could catch King¡¯s eye, they would shoot up to sess straightaway for sure.
Unexpectedly, though, be they sweet and pretty, a dominatrix, or pure and innocent, King couldn¡¯t be bothered to spare them even a nce. This filled the waitress with absolute indignation.
Not only was she the prettiest among the group, but her muscles were also the most beautiful among them. How was she any inferior to ck Cat? Thus, she couldn¡¯t help but want to remove ck Cat¡¯s mask and let everyonepare the two of them.
She had clearly seeded, her hand had clearly reached ck Cat¡¯s mask, and yet, the next moment...
Bam!
She was kicked away with great force, which sent her flying out.
Everyone there was stunned.
What shocked them, though, was not the waitress being kicked away, but that it was Mr. King, the man himself, who had kicked her away!
He had grabbed ck Cat¡¯s shoulder with one hand and then stood in front of her, blocking herpletely from the attack and keeping her protected behind him. Everyone who saw this was dumbfounded.
Even Lawrence couldn¡¯t help holding his forehead.
Boss, have you been totally bewitched by that woman?
Have you forgotten that she¡¯s your bodyguard and not the other way around?
Lawrence was close to bewailing this development, he felt terribly aggrieved on Nora¡¯s behalf. No, this wouldn¡¯t do. He was an upright man. He mustn¡¯t allow Ms. Smith to be kept in the dark.
He thought of how they would be visiting the Schmidts the next day. From what he¡¯d heard, Ms. Smith and the three children were also at the Schmidts. Once they went over, he must warn her about this.
Clifford hadn¡¯t expected this to happen, either. Furious, he got someone to take the kicked waitress out of the ce, and then, he said grimly, "Rest assured that I will give you a proper exnation for this, Mr. King!"
Justin gave Clifford a long look and said, "Good. Please liaise with my secretary regarding the disciplinary action to be taken against her."
This meant that he was going to pursue the matter to the bitter end.
Realizing what he meant, Clifford heaved a sigh inwardly and gave a heavy nod.
Only then did Justin leave with Nora.
The Queen was a little unhappy when she saw how protective he¡¯d been of ck Cat just now. However, in front of outsiders, the Queen had always held herself with absolute grace and poise, so she didn¡¯t say anything.
The few of them came to the parking lot.
While King and the Queen were politely bidding each other goodbye, Nora felt someone tugging at her sleeve. She turned her head to the side to see ck Panther behind her. She immediately took a few steps back and asked softly, "What is it?"
ck Panther said, "Abbott ns to expose you. Be careful when you¡¯re with King, and don¡¯t expose yourself."
"Got it."
Nora answered with ease.
However, this made ck Panther very anxious. He said, "Don¡¯t take this lightly or let your guard down. I know you¡¯re skilled, but as assassins, apart from our fighting abilities, there are a lot of other things we can use to prove our identity..."
ck Panther wasn¡¯t finished, but King had already gotten in the car and was calling for Nora. Thus, Nora grunted a couple of times perfunctorily and then turned and left, which made ck Panther panic.
Never mind if she was exposed, but it would be terrible if it ended up affecting ck Cat¡¯s name!
Regardless, there was no use even if he panicked. Nora had already got into King¡¯s car and left.
This action of Nora¡¯s made the Queen narrow her eyes again, but right after, she let out a soft snort. She had initially been a little jealous, but when she suddenly thought of Nora, who was at Queenie¡¯s, her jealousy suddenly vanished.
ck Cat had saved her life, so she wouldn¡¯t want to make things difficult for ck Cat for sure.
In that case, she would let King¡¯s feelings for ck Cat grow even further then. This way, wouldn¡¯t Nora fall out of favor?
Now that she was looking at things from another perspective, she suddenly felt liberated!
The Queen happily started humming a tune. She would be pleased as long as it made Nora unhappy!
Thinking about it that way, ck Cat sure was her lucky star.
Tsk, tsk. She would go to the Schmidts the next day and check out how awful Nora¡¯s expression would be!
With each of them harboring their own thoughts, they respectively returned to their ces of amodation.
After arriving at Justin¡¯s ce, Nora confirmed with him that he wouldn¡¯t be heading out anymore that day and that he would be calling on the Schmidts the next day. After thinking about it, she decided to leave.
Lawrence wasn¡¯t happy about it. He said, "As a bodyguard, how can you step away so casually?"
Nora replied, "Oh, I¡¯m on leave."
Lawrence: "?"
She was only on bodyguard duty for three freaking days, yet she could still apply for leave?
Also, howe her phone was back with her?
Was there anyone permitted to carry their cell phone with them when they were on duty to protect their employer?
However, Lawrence didn¡¯t dare to bring it up. Seeing that even his boss had been ravished by her in the car and that his resistance had been futile, he¡¯d better not offer up his feeble little body for abuse.
Nora left and went to the vi she had been staying at when she first arrived in Switzend.
She wanted to ask Cindy about something.
Unexpectedly, though, the moment she arrived, she saw Cindy standing at the door to the vi. In front of her squatted a grimy girl.
The girl¡¯s hair was clumped in locks¡ªit was obvious that her hair was filthy.
The white dress she was wearing was so dirty that one couldn¡¯t even tell its original color anymore.
Cindy was trying to persuade her into going in. She said, "... Why don¡¯t you go in? There¡¯s no use staying here. Come on, Rene, go in."
But the girl shook her head stubbornly and said, "No, I won¡¯t..."
Cindy broke into a frown. Just as she wanted to reply, she heard the car. When she looked over, she saw Nora getting out of the car, and she came over at once.
"Ms. Nora, why are you here?"
"What¡¯s going on?"
Nora gestured to Rene with her chin.
Cindy sighed. "See, her adoptive parents were killed, right? She doesn¡¯t have anywhere to go anymore, so I took her in. But she refuses to go in and insists on staying here, saying that she¡¯s waiting... for Liam."
Almost as soon as she finished, Rene also caught sight of Nora. The timid girl¡¯s eyes lit up, and she scrambled off the ground and rushed over. She said, "M-Ms. Smith, can... can you tell me where Liam is? Did he go to work? Why isn¡¯t he back yet?"
The girl looked at Nora hopefully as if she was herst hope of salvation in the world. She said, "I... I know you are a good person. Liam told me before to trust you and be with you... And where¡¯s Cherry? I can make her some yummy food!"
As the girl spoke, tears rolled down her cheeks. "Can you guys not throw me aside, please?"
The look in her eyes was as timid as ever. The girl, who had always been quiet and reticent, was speaking so much that a pitying look came over Cindy¡¯s countenance.
She looked at Nora and asked, "Miss, what should we do?"
Nora, however, lowered her eyes and gazed fixedly at Rene. Just as she was about to speak, her cell phone suddenly rang.
When she answered, Trueman¡¯s voice came from the opposite end.
"Hello, my little servant. Do you want to know Queenie Schmidt¡¯s secret?"
Nora¡¯s pupils shrank.
Truemanughed. Even his voice sounded wicked as he said, "I identally discovered her true identity. It was really surprising. This is so exciting. Try guessing who she is?"
Chapter 910: She’s Not a Good Person
Chapter 910: She¡¯s Not a Good Person
Unexpectedly, it was too exciting?
Nora frowned. "Who is it?"
Trueman grinned like a little demon. "Call me Master and I¡¯ll tell you."
"..."
Nora was silent for a moment before suddenly saying, "Master."
Trueman: "??"
"Done. Now, tell me."
Trueman: "!!"
Why did this person suddenly be so shameless after going overseas? Didn¡¯t she refuse to call him ¡¯Master¡¯ in the past?
Nora¡¯s actions were suddenly defying logic, which made Trueman choke. "It¡¯s not so simple as just calling me ¡¯Master¡¯. I want you to listen to me. From now on, I¡¯ll be your real master!"
"Oh, okay," Nora said. "Tell me and I¡¯ll listen to you."
"...I, I won¡¯t say anything! Unless you send the V16 over now!"
Trueman was furious.
Nora: "..."
She knew he would not say it.
Queenie actually had a lot of secrets.
It was not an easy feat creating NTT alone and turning it into such a bigpany.
Her mother had only mentioned Queenie in passing. However, at that time, she had said that if she was ever in grave danger, she should look for Queenie. However, If there was nothing important, she shouldn¡¯t go looking for her. That was why Nora had lived with the Smiths for so many years.
In the end, she became weak when she gave birth and someone had taken advantage of her.
Queenie had suddenly rushed back from overseas and taken her away forcefully.
To be honest, Queenie was more like a way out for her. If she had not encountered any life-threatening situations in the country, perhaps she would always have had this kind of impression of Queenie.
Her rtionship with Queenie had nurtured over those five years in the past.
Over the five years, she always sensed that Queenie was not really happy. As such, she was often drunk and alcohol would not leave her hand.
Only Cherry could make her feel happy.
Nora wanted to know why, but she had never thought of learning it from an outsider. It was like Justin¡¯s secret. She had been waiting for that man to tell her himself.
She knew that Queenie would tell her about it herself when the time came.
Therefore, even if she could know by hearing it from Trueman, she was not disappointed that she could not. In the end, she only nodded calmly.
It was impossible for her to give him the V16.
Trueman: "...Hmph."
Nora saw that he did not hang up. "Is there something else?"
"..." Trueman was really furious. "I know you have two V16s. You will use one for your son, leaving one more. Who are you going to give it to?"
Nora had not considered this problem.
This was because both of the serums were prepared for Xander. After all, it had been so long since the serum was made. Who knew if it would fail? Or if it would be insufficient?
She did not speak. Trueman continued, "Why don¡¯t you give me the other V16? That way, we can work together. ording to you, you and I are in cahoots. I¡¯ll help you. That way, we¡¯ll be stronger."
"..." Nora pursed her lips. That¡¯s not how it was!
This fellow had not improved in his expression at all?
Trueman still felt that he was clear. He continued proudly, "Otherwise, aren¡¯t you afraid that Barbarian will snatch it from you? Let me remind you that Barbarian is invincible. No one can beat him. Furthermore, this person is very unreasonable. Is he as easy to talk to as our mysterious organization?"
Nora lowered her eyes.
Ignoring the fact that the mysterious organization hadmitted countless sins, just the fact that they had pushed her mother to death made it impossible for her to reconcile with them.
Did Trueman really not understand, or was he pretending not to understand?
Trueman seemed to have heard her heart. He was very puzzled. "Don¡¯t tell me, the reason you don¡¯t cooperate with me is because of your mother? That¡¯s a grievance between our generations. They only gave us lives, they haven¡¯t raised us for a day. Are your feelings for her that strong? Let me tell you, feelings and blood ties are useless. Only benefits matter in the end..."
Nora hung up straightaway.
Even if her mother had never raised her, she had thrown her life away for her daughter. Wasn¡¯t this love enough?
Trueman¡¯s words made her expression turn cold.
"Miss?"
Cindy¡¯s voice woke Nora up. She realized that Rene was frightened by the coldness on her body. Her eyes were filled with fear as she looked at her. She took two steps back and did not pester her so much.
Nora then restrained the anger on her body.
Sensing that she was not that scary anymore, Rene slowly took two steps toward her. When Nora looked at her, she stopped in her tracks and lowered her head. It was as if she could not sense her approaching herself without seeing her move.
"..."
Nora entered the living room, and Rene followed.
When Cindy saw this, she immediately said happily, "Ms. Nora, I see that Rene trusts you more. When you entered, she followed you in... You don¡¯t know, she stayed outside the entire night yesterday. The weather is still very cold, but she refused to listen to my advice."
Nora came over to take something. When she heard this, she looked at Rene.
She narrowed her eyes and suddenly said, "I have something to take care of. Send her to the Sos."
Rene immediately shook her head. She was about to speak when Nora said, "Cherry is there."
She instantly shut her mouth and nodded obediently.
Cindy: "..."
After settling Rene¡¯s matters, Nora walked out. When she got into the car, her phone rang again. She picked it up and Caleb¡¯s weak voice came from the other end. "Ms. Smith, Trueman asked me to call you..."
Nora¡¯s eyes turned a little chilly.
Caleb sighed. "He has no concept of familial ties. Do you know why he¡¯s the young master of the mysterious organization?"
"Why?"
"That¡¯s because his old master had ten sons and eight daughters. He threw all of them into the experiment. Other than Ruth, he was the only one who survived."
Nora¡¯s pupils constricted.
Caleb continued, "He has lived a very miserable life. He did not distinguish between good and evil. No one taught him to be good to others when he was young. He grew up in such an abnormal ce that even his thoughts became abnormal. That¡¯s why he feels that blood ties are the most useless thing in the world. Don¡¯t lower yourself to his level. He was still very puzzled when you hung up on him. He asked me to persuade you to cooperate with him."
Nora nodded. Caleb coughed. "I also took the opportunity to ask about Queenie, of course."
Caleb was silent for a moment as if he was organizing his words. "Trueman said that she¡¯s not a good person... She approached you with a goal. He asked you to be careful."
Chapter 911: What Did You Find?
Chapter 911: What Did You Find?
When Nora heard this, she lowered her eyes.
Caleb spoke again, "He has never trusted mepletely, so I didn¡¯t find out her identity. However, since he said that, I think you should be careful."
"Actually, you don¡¯t have to trust anyone, even if it¡¯s me."
At this point, Caleb coughed again. "Although I don¡¯t have a long life, who knows if I¡¯ll want the gene serum again someday?"
Nora asked, "How is your health?"
"I won¡¯t die for a month, at least."
Caleb replied with a smile as if he was not sensitive to this topic at all.
Nora was silent for a long time before saying, "Rest well."
"... Okay."
Nora wanted to hang up the phone, but seeing that he was a little hesitant, she asked, "Why?"
"Yes?"
"Is there nothing else?"
"..." Caleb was silent for a moment before he coughed and said, "You... nothing. I¡¯m hanging up."
"Okay."
After hanging up, Nora felt that Caleb still had some things to say. She frowned and decided to drive to the hospital.
Caleb had helped her block Barbarian¡¯s attackst time. Bones in his entire body had cracked, and he was still recuperating.
In the VIP ward.
When Nora arrived, Caleb was already asleep.
When the nurse saw her, she said softly, "Mr. Gray¡¯s injuries are recovering very quickly, but his wounds still hurt. Besides, he was given general anesthesia during the surgery. He can¡¯t be given any more sedatives now, so it hurts every time we change the dressing."
Hearing this, Nora frowned. "Then, he endured it?"
"Not really." The caregiver smiled. "Whenever this happens, Mr. Gray takes out his earphones and wears them. Hearing the music makes his body feel rxed. He was also very cooperative when changing the dressing. The doctor asked him what music he was listening to that was so effective, but Mr. Gray did not say anything. We just joked that it was his anesthesia."
Listening to music to relieve pain?
This was also a solution.
Nora did not take it seriously. She put on her scrubs and entered the intensive care unit. After checking Caleb¡¯s various indicators, she then looked at the person on the bed.
Caleby there with a faint smile on his lips.
He still had the Bluetooth earpiece in his ear. One of them fell down andnded beside the infusion tube.
Nora was worried that he would move in his sleep and identally press on his earpiece, so she took it out for him. Just as she was about to ce it on the table, her ear twitched.
When the nurse said that listening to music could relieve the pain, Nora was very curious.
After all, this was a medical study. If it was really so effective, she could forget about using anesthesia for mild pain in the future.
She did not n to invade someone else¡¯s privacy herself.
After all, the things he heard most likely belonged to him and couldfort him.
However, she really did not eavesdrop. She was ming her good hearing!
The moment she held the earpiece, the voice from inside reached her ears.
When Nora heard that voice, she was stunned.
She looked at the bed again. Caleb was still sleeping.
Nora felt that she might have heard wrongly.
Otherwise, why would she hear her voice through his earpiece?
She frowned and brought the earpiece closer to her ear.
Her cold and deep voice was clearly heard from inside.
"...That is why I have no desire. I observe its wonders and its frequent desires.
These twoe from the same source and have different names. The same title is profound, mysterious beyond belief, and the door to all wonders..."
Now, she was certain that it was indeed her voice reading the sacred text of morals.
Nora: "..."
She frowned and looked at Caleb.
Seeing that the man was still sleeping, she quietly put the earpiece back.
After leaving, she was still frowning.
The nurse said, "Ms. Smith, why don¡¯t you wake Mr. Gray up? He has been looking forward to you visiting him. You finally came, but he fell asleep. When he wakes up, he¡¯ll definitely be angry."
After saying that, the nurse could not help but look at Nora and advise something beyond her responsibilities as a nurse, "No matter how busy you are, you shoulde and see him more."
The first thing Caleb asked when he woke up every day was, "Has Ms. Smith been here?"
Every time she said no, Caleb would be very disappointed.
His eyelids would droop and his lips would be pursed tightly, making the nurse¡¯s heart ache.
A weak, good-looking man gave others a protective instinct.
The nurse felt that it was all Ms. Smith¡¯s fault for noting often.
Nora did not understand the nurse¡¯s feelings and only nced at her calmly. This nce immediately made the nurse realize that she had said too much. She immediately lowered her head. "I¡¯m sorry, Ms. Smith. I was too talkative."
Nora retracted her gaze and did not argue with her.
The nurse exined carefully, "I poured some soup for Mr. Gray today. He asked if you hade over. When I said no, he got distracted and even got scalded from the hot soup, so I just... I shouldn¡¯t have said so much."
Nora looked into the ward again and was in deep thought.
She instructed, "Take good care of him. Contact me if anything happens."
Caleb¡¯s family was not here. Moreover, Caleb was injured because of her. Nora could not possibly leave him behind.
The nurse nodded, "Okay."
After Nora left, Caleb¡¯s ears in the ward slowly turned red. He opened his eyes. When the nurse saw him, she pushed the door open and entered. "Mr. Gray, you¡¯re awake? What a coincidence. Ms. Smith just left!"
Caleb stared at the ceiling and nodded.
The nurse poured him a cup of water. "Your girlfriend is really beautiful. She must be very busy too, right?"
Girlfriend...
Caleb¡¯s gaze softened. He took a sip of water and lowered his long eyshes, not denying it.
The nurse continued to ramble. "She must be very busy. Otherwise, why wouldn¡¯t shee to see you for so long... But you must like her a lot..."
¡ª
Nora wore a mask and returned to King¡¯s ce.
She entered the living room and sat on the sofa. When he heard that she was back, Justin put down the document in his hand and went downstairs to see her.
Because there were many more people from Switzend in the vi, the two of them were wearing masks very carefully.
They sat opposite each other. The scene was very strange, but it was inexplicably harmonious.
Seeing that Nora remained silent, Justin asked, "What are you thinking about?"
Nora: "Caleb."
The man sitting opposite her had a dark expression on his face. "Huh?"
Nora told him about her voice reading in Caleb¡¯s earpiece.
Justin¡¯s tone was instantly filled with jealousy.
He pursed his lips and suddenly asked, "Didn¡¯t you notice anything?"
Chapter 912: Mother-in-Law Looking at Her Son-in-Law
Chapter 912: Mother-in-Law Looking at Her Son-in-Law
Nora¡¯s expression was serious. "I understand."
Justin was delighted. He was about to say that she should stay away from Caleb when he saw the woman sit up straight and slowly say, "I didn¡¯t expect my voice to have such an ability."
Justin: "?"
Nora looked at him. "I always felt that my voice was not good."
The girl¡¯s voice was crisp and pleasant, but low and cold. As she often slept, it was a little hoarse. It was not considered pleasant in the orthodox sense.
However, her voice gave people a sense of security.
When she spoke in a low voice, she would make others feel that she is especially gentle.
Justin watched as she smiled. "So it can actually be used for hypnosis. Cherry usually doesn¡¯t sleep well. It looks like I¡¯ll have to read some stories to her every night."
Justin, "????"
Was that the point?
Didn¡¯t Caleb like her?
However, since Nora did not notice, he might as well not say anything. He coughed and was about to say something when Nora spoke again, "However, he used my voice without my permission. This isn¡¯t good, right?"
Justin nodded. "It¡¯s indeed not good. It¡¯s a little..."
Before he could say the word perverted, he saw Nora nod. "He has to pay my copyright fee."
"..."
Why didn¡¯t he realize in the past that she was a little money-grubber?!
The corners of Justin¡¯s mouth twitched. He saw that Nora had already forgotten about this matter. She looked at Justin and told him what Trueman had said about Queenie.
Justin frowned. "What are you thinking?"
Nora said, "The gene serum is with Queenie now. Since he said that, I suspect that they¡¯re trying to drive a wedge between us. They want me to take out the gene serum... so that it¡¯ll be easier for them to rob us."
In all of Switzend, the only person Nora trusted was Queenie.
It was also the safest to leave the gene serum there.
Ignoring the existence of Barbarian¡¯s heaven-defying martial strength, just based on the ability of the mysterious organization Justin had mentioned, once V16 was taken out, it would probably not be safe anywhere.
Trueman was unable to invade Queenie¡¯s vi. Was he using this method to make her bring the serum out herself?
Justinughed softly. "Yes, then now..."
"I believe in Queenie."
Nora lowered her eyes and said calmly, "It¡¯s like how I trust you. I trust her too."
She looked up again, her eyes hardening. "So, whoever she is, I trust her."
At night.
After Nora fell asleep, Sean entered Justin¡¯s room.
Justin said, "Investigate Queenie."
Sean was stunned.
The Imperial League had always epted this new power of the financial group. Only with more and more enterprises and wealthy people would the Imperial League keep a low profile.
Queenie was the CEO of the fastest-growingpany in recent years.
The Imperial League had previously investigated the internal structure of theirpany. It would never ept anypany that was involved with drugs. Over the past two years, Queenie had been sending applications to the Imperial League, and they were prepared to ept her.
Why was he suddenly investigating her?
Sean was confused, so he asked cautiously, "To what extent?"
Justin, "Everything."
Although Sean was shocked, he still lowered his head respectfully. "Yes."
After Sean left, Justin leaned back in his chair and stared at the pictures of Queenie¡¯s face on the desk.
He hoped that she deserved all of Nora¡¯s trust.
¡ª
The next day, everyone woke up very early.
It was because they had an appointment with the Queen at the Schmidt vi.
When Queenie heard that King would being, she weed the idea very much.
Justin also had his own agenda. He wanted to understand this aunt from all sides and see what kind of mysterious person she was.
A group of people arrived at the Schmidt¡¯s.
Lawrence looked at Nora following beside Justin and only felt an indescribable feeling. Boss was too brazen. He dared to bring his mistress to see his wife...
Was it because she was wearing a mask that Ms. Smith would not recognize her?
In order to not be recognized, Lawrence and Sean, Justin¡¯s right-hand men, would also wear masks at events.
And thus, four masked people entered the Schmidt Vi.
Because the Queen had rmended them, Justin and the Queen first gathered at the entrance before entering together.
The gate of the vi opened. The ce was enormous, enough for them to park more than a hundred cars.
As they were guests, the Queen and King could not bring too many bodyguards in. As such, they each chose ten people to follow them in when they were outside the door. The others waited outside.
King and the Queen got out of the car and naturally walked in front.
Queenie came personally to wee them.
On the way, the Queen exined to King, "Mdm. Schmidt is a little arrogant. Don¡¯t take offense."
King was very strange, and so was Mdm. Schmidt.
The Queen was really worried that Mars would hit the Earth when the two of them met.
However, it was obvious that the Queen was overthinking.
As soon as they met, Queenie¡¯s gaze avoided the Queen andnded on King. "This is Mr. King, right?"
Her eyes were sizing him up and she was getting more and more satisfied.
Yes, her son-inw¡¯s figure looked good. Nora was lucky!
King narrowed his eyes and said politely, "Hello, Mdm. Schmidt."
This was Nora¡¯s aunt. She was also his elder.
Of course, he had to retract his arrogance.
Their eyes met and the atmosphere was filled with joy.
The Queen: "?"
Why did she feel that the atmosphere between the two of them was a little off?
What was wrong with her gaze as she looked at her son-inw?!
Chapter 913: You’ve Been Cuckolded
Chapter 913: You¡¯ve Been Cuckolded
The Queen was only momentarily surprised before she realized King¡¯s thoughts.
After all, she was Nora¡¯s aunt. Furthermore, Queenie¡¯s attitude toward Nora waspletely nurtured as if she was her daughter. She had already said that thepany¡¯s future belonged to Nora.
Shepletely treated Nora as her biological daughter.
Therefore, King was more polite to her because he knew this.
At the thought of this, the Queen felt a little sour.
Did he really like Nora that way?
When she thought of that arrogant woman, the Queen instantly felt angry. Why were all the outstanding men in the world so blind to have taken a liking to her?
The Queen looked behind Queenie and asked, "Where¡¯s Ms. Smith?"
Queenie smiled. "She¡¯s not up yet. You know that my Nora is a sleeping god."
"..."
Nora, who was following Justin and had just yawned: "??"
The Queen pursed her lips again.
See, she had to sleep at such an important time. Did she not even care about King? But perhaps she knew King¡¯s identity.
The Queen secretly swore that she would definitely ignore her today. She did not beg Queenie anymore, so she could showcase her nobility.
She could not act like she was in a hurry to build a rtionship with them.
As soon as the Queen thought of this, the little one behind her rushed over like an arrow.
Before she could stop her, she heard Princess Lucy say to Cherry, who was following behind Queenie, "Cherry, I¡¯m here to meet you again! Do you wee me?"
Cherry: "Very..."
Before the word "much" could leave her mouth, Xander pursed his lips. "Tsk, why are you here again? How long are you nning to stay at our house this time?"
Thest time Lucy went to New York, she stayed at the Hunts¡¯ house for a whole week. In the end, it was the nanny who carried her and took her away despite the little princess¡¯s cries.
Xander felt that she was too noisy.
The Queen: "!!"
Her expression darkened. Her daughter was a noble princess no matter where she went, but this brat was despising her? Lucy had to have a backbone.
However, the next moment, she saw her daughter lean closer to Xander. "Xander, I brought Cherry her favorite gift! Can I stay here for five days?"
Xander stuck out a finger. "One day at most."
Her daughter shook Xander. "Then, then four days!"
"No, one day."
"But I want to stay at your house. If you don¡¯t let me, I¡¯ll-I¡¯ll..."
The Queen thought that her daughter had finally flipped out.
Yes, that¡¯s right!
Bring out your dignity as a royal princess! Say, if you¡¯re not allowed to stay, you¡¯ll send troops and capture them!
Anyway, as the Queen, she could not say such things. She would leave the unruly and willful things to her daughter! Then, she woulde forward and make peace...
Just as the Queen thought of this, she heard her daughter shout, "I¡¯ll cry!"
The Queen: ...!!!
Little princess, couldn¡¯t she be a little more ambitious?!
Xander was clearly stunned by her words. "Don¡¯t cry. I hate it when girls cry."
"Then, I won¡¯t cry."
The little princess immediately wiped her tears and asked quietly, "Then can I stay for three... two days?"
The Queen: "..."
In the past, her daughter had been Cherry¡¯spdog. Why was she now being Xander¡¯spdog?
The Queen was furious.
She could not gain anything from Nora. Why could her child not gain anything from Nora¡¯s child, either?
Even as royalty, why were they so lowly?!!!
"Are you not feeling well? You don¡¯t look too good."
Queenie¡¯s calm words immediately made the Queen put away her gritted teeth and be elegant again. She smiled and said, "No, I just think the children get along quite well."
Queenie ignored the Queen¡¯s thoughts and only nced at ck Cat standing behind King. She raised her eyebrows.
The Queen immediately moved closer to ck Cat without a trace and blocked Queenie¡¯s vision. "Mdm. Schmidt, shall we take a look at your castle first?"
ck Cat was Nora¡¯s love rival!
She could not let Queenie hurt her.
Queenie nodded. "It just so happens that Nora is sleeping. It¡¯s not convenient for us to disturb her. I¡¯ll show you around first."
With that, she nced at ck Cat meaningfully.
The guards could not follow her the entire time. This was to let Nora hurry back to her room and change her clothes to receive the guests. After all, the two people who came today were also old friends of Nora.
Nora nodded and fell two steps behind. Just as she was about to slip away, her arm was suddenly grabbed.
She looked up and saw the Queen looking at her. She lowered her voice and said, "This is the Schmidt¡¯s territory. Don¡¯t go anywhere. If the Schmidts find out that King is looking at you in a different light, that tigress will definitely not forgive you! Follow behind me, I¡¯ll protect you."
Nora: "..."
She grimaced. "I need to use the bathroom."
The Queen nced ahead and gritted her teeth. "Alright, I¡¯ll apany you."
Nora: "??"
That was not what she meant!
Barbarian, who was standing behind the Queen, looked at her deeply with caution in his eyes. The security guards were very responsible.
Nora lowered her eyes. "No need. I don¡¯t like to go to the toilet with other people."
The Queen: "?"
After finally shaking off the Queen, Nora skillfully walked through the manor and quickly returned to her room. She changed into a set of daily clothes and took off her mask before walking out of the room.
Up ahead, Queenie had already learned that Nora was "awake." Therefore, she brought the group of people back to the living room.
Nora pretended to have juste downstairs and greeted them one by one.
The Queen looked at Nora and then at King. She did not know if Nora really did not recognize King or if she was pretending not to know him. Anyway, she pretended to be seeing him for the first time.
She raised her eyebrows and subconsciously looked behind her.
Why wasn¡¯t ck Cat out of the toilet?
Was she... having diarrhea?
At this moment, King began taking out the gifts he had prepared.
Lawrence had prepared all the gifts. The gifts for Cherry and the others in front were all normal. Cherry, who had received a Barbie doll, tilted her head and sized up King carefully. Her dark eyes were shining, but she did not speak.
Justin knew that the little fellow had recognized him.
However, the little fellow was very smart. Seeing that Nora did not acknowledge him, she did not say anything, either.
Pete and Xander also looked at each other and blinked.
Finally, it was Nora¡¯s turn.
Justin smiled. "I also prepared a gift for Ms. Smith. I wonder if you¡¯d like it."
After saying that, he waved his hand. Lawrence, who was wearing a mask, instantly stepped forward and handed a box with a bird print on it to Nora.
Justin: "?"
Sean: "?"
Nora did not think too much about it and only reached out to receive it.
When the Queen saw this from the side, she pursed her lips and suddenly smiled. "This bird print suits Ms. Smith very well."
Hearing this, Lawrence felt a chill run down his spine. However, he insisted on not bending over. He was different from Boss. He could not encourage Boss to cheat.
Ms. Smith!
This was the only hint he could give her!
He hoped that she could understand!
She had been cuckolded! There were a bunch of cuckolds all above her head!!
Chapter 914: A Close Female Friend
Chapter 914: A Close Female Friend
Nora: "?"
What was up with the meaningful looks in the eyes of these people in front of her?
Even Queenie, who was standing at the side, broke into a frown.
Wrapping paper with a bird print on it?
What was wrong with Justin¡¯s subordinate? Was he cursing Nora to the fate of being cuckolded?
Regardless, Nora still took the gift from him. She was about to hand it to someone beside her when the Queen, who was all smiles, said, "Aren¡¯t you going to open it and have a look, Ms. Smith? Mr. King must have put a lot of thought into picking out a gift for you."
The Queen was hoping for some drama.
Nora nced at her. "At the Schmidts, we prefer to open our gifts in private."
The Queen nced at King. "I don¡¯t think Mr. King would mind, Ms. Smith. Why don¡¯t you let me have a look?"
Now that King had a close female friend, he definitely wouldn¡¯t put that much effort into his gift for her.
The Queen was waiting tough at Nora.
Upon hearing what she said, Nora nced at Justin. Seeing that he wasn¡¯t objecting, she also became a little curious. She opened the box, revealing a piece of jade inside.
A piece of white jadey quietly in the box. She hadn¡¯t even picked it up yet, but she felt as if she could already feel the warmthing from it.
Nora¡¯s hypersomnia was due to anemia, and her hands and feet were often cold. Jade was said to possess healing properties, so carrying some on herself was a great idea.
Moreover, the piece of jade also looked to be of extremely high quality...
At the side, Lawrence exined, "Boss spent millions on the raw gemstone, He even cut and polished it himself. He kept it on himself the entire time after that."
So, after he bought the raw gemstone, he¡¯d personally cut and polished it himself, and even brought it about with him everywhere...
Although it wasn¡¯t really a well-known piece of jewelry, it was the thought that counted¡ªand he¡¯d certainly put a lot of effort into it.
Nora¡¯s lips curled into a smile. She slipped the jade pendant onto a chain and put it around her neck. "I love it, thank you."
"You¡¯re wee."
Justin¡¯s deep voice was also tinged with joy.
The two looked at each other.
The people around them: "?"
Why were they suddenly feeling stuffed to the brim when they hadn¡¯t even eaten yet?
The Queen was so mad that she couldn¡¯t even keep her face straight. She looked at Justin sarcastically and scoffed, "Mr. King sure is thoughtful, although, I can¡¯t help but wonder how many jade pendants you could have made with one raw gemstone? After all, don¡¯t forget that you have another female friend elsewhere whom you¡¯re close to, Mr. King!"
Lawrence looked at Nora eagerly when he heard her.
She hadn¡¯t caught the hint from the gift box¡¯s bird-print wrapping paper.
As his boss¡¯ loyal simp... ah, ptooey, loyal subordinate, he couldn¡¯t possibly betray his boss either, so it wasn¡¯t appropriate for him to be so explicit about it.
Now that the Queen had said it, Lawrence mentally shouted eagerly, "Ms. Smith, do you get it now? Do something about Boss quickly!"
Unexpectedly...
Nora stood where she was and merely looked at King with a smile. "Oh? You have a female friend you¡¯re close to?"
King chuckled and replied, "Well, I suppose you can say that. I fell in love with her at first sight."
The Queen: "?"
Wait a minute, is it really okay for you to be so direct, King?!
Isn¡¯t the person in front of you your fianc¨¦e?!
Yet when she looked back at Nora, she saw a small smile on her usually cold face??
The pair¡¯s actions left the Queen and Lawrence utterly dumbfounded.
After much analysis of the situation, the two finally came to a conclusion: Nora didn¡¯t know who King was at all!
That must be it.
There was no other exnation!
No wonder King had brought ck Cat to the Schmidts¡¯ so openly. He was practically bullying Nora.
Suddenly, the Queen didn¡¯t feel so hostile toward Nora anymore. In fact, she even found her a little pitiful.
So what even if she¡¯d bore the man three children? He had still abandoned her so soon all the same and even yed her like a fool.
The Queen¡¯s eyes suddenly turned kindly, and she even looked at Nora with a slightly pitying look in her eyes. At the sight, a baffled look came over Nora¡¯s face.
But she had never been one to think too deeply into such things.
The group then changed the subject and started talking about the current world economic situation and its future trends.
With regard to such topics, the people in front of Justin at the moment were all business partners, so he spoke freely.
As King, he had a very clear idea of future trends¡ªin fact, he could even single-handedly steer things in any direction... His suggestions and ideas were of infinite help to an enterprise¡¯s development.
The Queen became engrossed in what he was saying.
The British Royal Family also had its own little treasury, alright? She also wanted to make money.
On the other hand, Queenie was a little absent-minded and didn¡¯t show much interest.
Justin¡¯s eyes darkened as he spoke.
For Queenie to lead NTT and turn it into the powerful enterprise that it currently was in Switzend, she must have been highly perceptive to changes in the economy in the past. So, why did it feel like she wasn¡¯t very motivated anymore?
Were those NTT policies really made by her?
At the side, Nora was also falling asleep.
The Queen kept feeling like something was missing, but King usually wouldn¡¯t give her a crash course. One could say that the one he was giving today was all thanks to Queenie.
King was obviously trying to give Queenie a hand so that she could join the Imperial League after her business reached greater heights.
The Queen tried her best to memorize the few development trends that, ording to King, were the most likely to make money in the future. How she wished that she could take out a small notebook and write it all down. Though she kept feeling like something was missing and not quite right, Justin simply spoke so well that she couldn¡¯t help but be utterly engrossed in what he was saying.
This continued until Justin finally stopped. Even then, the Queen still hadn¡¯t had enough, and she gazed at him with admiration in her eyes.
The worship of someone was the foundation of love.
The Queen had fallen for Justin precisely because of his keen insight into the economy. Many years ago, after hearing just a few words from him, the Queen had established a smallpany and made millions of dors!
Noon gradually approached.
Nora suggested, "Let¡¯s have lunch?"
After speaking, she said to the butler, "Uncle John, why don¡¯t you go and prepare a sumptuous lunch for the bodyguards too?"
John, the butler, looked at Barbarian and the others at once. He said, "Pleasee with me, everyone."
Barbarian stood still.
The captain of the bodyguards looked at the Queen.
The Queen waved and said, "Go ahead. We¡¯re at the Schmidts; no one would dare to harm me here."
One could say that she was showing courtesy to Queenie by saying that.
Only then did the captain of the bodyguards leave.
However, Barbarian continued to stand still.
Nora looked at him. "Isn¡¯t he going to eat?"
The Queen smiled and replied, "He¡¯s a stubborn one. Since he hasmitted to protecting me, he won¡¯t stop until I return to the hotel."
After speaking, she looked at Barbarian and said, "You can go ahead too! There are so many skilled people here today, you don¡¯t have to be here."
Had it been before, Barbarian definitely wouldn¡¯t leave.
After all, the incident with the fire had only just taken ce. But today... He nced at Nora and then bowed respectfully to the Queen. Then, he turned and followed after the guards.
Nora and Justin exchanged a look.
The V16 was right here at the Schmidts¡¯. They¡¯d asked the Queen to bring Barbarian here just so they could set up a trap to catch him!
If Barbarian didn¡¯t leave but stayed here to watch over the Queen instead, how was he going to steal the V16?
Now that he was gone, Nora turned around and led the few of them to the dining room.
However, as the Queen looked at Barbarian and the bodyguards from the back, she finally realized what she had overlooked. She suddenly looked at Queenie and asked, "Mdm. Schmidt, how many bathrooms do you have here?"
"... Is something the matter?" asked Queenie.
"I have a bodyguard named ck Cat. She said she was going to the bathroom, but why isn¡¯t she back yet? Surely she didn¡¯t fall into the potty, did she? I¡¯ll go and look for her." The Queen made a move to head out after she spoke.
ck Cat hadn¡¯t been assassinated, had she? Otherwise, why was she in the bathroom for over an hour?
Nora¡¯s legs went limp and she almost stumbled.
Nora: "???"
No, really, why was the Queen constantly paying attention to a tiny little bodyguard? This didn¡¯t make sense.
Chapter 915: Two Sister-Doting Maniacs
Chapter 915: Two Sister-Doting Maniacs
Nora frowned and said, "You probably don¡¯t have to look for her."
The Queen was puzzled. "Why?"
"... I¡¯ll ask the butler to look for her, you don¡¯t have to go yourself," replied Nora.
The Queen thought for a moment. It was indeed lunchtime, so it wasn¡¯t a good time to leave and search for someone. She nodded and said, "Alright. That bodyguard is a little bad at finding her way around, so you have to get the butler to bring her to me."
"... Okay."
Atst, the Queen breathed a sigh of relief and the few of them went to the dining room with the children.
Queenie, as the hostess, took the head seat.
Nora sat to her left. By right, the three little ones should be sitting with her while the guests¡ªJustin, the Queen, and Princess Lucy¡ªsat opposite to them.
The Queen nced at Nora and said with a smile, "Mr. King, Lucy is rather naughty, so let¡¯s have her sit at the side instead."
With the three of them sitting together, if Lucy sat at the side, then the Queen would end up sitting next to Justin.
The mere thought of sitting side by side with King in front of Nora secretly thrilled her.
Was she cuckolding Nora by doing this?
Well, it was that woman¡¯s fault for always adopting such a cocky attitude and ignoring everybody¡ªincluding even the royalty¡¯s authority¡ªanyway...
With that in mind, the Queen pulled out the chair. She was about to sit when Cherry blinked and suddenly said, "Princess Lucy, I wanna sit with you!"
The Queen: "?"
She immediately looked at Lucy, hoping to stop her daughter from replying. Unfortunately, without even a second thought, Lucy immediately shouted excitedly, "I wanna sit with you too!"
Cherry immediately jumped off her chair, went around the five-meter-long dining table, and ran up to King, who was seated on the other side. The little fellow looked up at him and, in her young and tender voice, said, "Handsome... uncle, can we switch seats? I wanna sit next to Lucy, yeah!"
Justin looked at his daughter whom he hadn¡¯t seen for a month and then stretched out his hand and ruffled her hair.
His daughter¡¯s hair was as fine, soft, and delicate as ever, which stirred his heart. In particr, the little fellow¡¯s sly appearance as she blinked with her big dark eyes made him chuckle out loud.
Justin asked softly, "Don¡¯t you want to sit with... me?"
Cherry pouted when she heard him.
Of course she wanted to sit with her handsome daddy.
Little Cherry loved her handsome daddy the most, alright?
But whenpared with Mommy, she¡¯d better give her handsome father to Mommy instead!
Thus, even though Cherry was in a huge dilemma, she nevertheless nodded and replied, "... I wanna sit with Lucy even more!"
At once, the five-year-old Princess Lucy waved her little paws excitedly and automatically switched positions with the Queen. This way, she would be next to Cherry!
In a lively and adorable manner, she also said, "I also want to sit with Cherry!"
Justin stood up and walked around the dining table to the seat that originally belonged to Cherry¡ªin other words, the seat beside Nora. He turned his head sideways to Nora and asked, "Ms. Smith, you don¡¯t mind if I sit here, right?"
The man¡¯s voice was low and deep, and his voice carried a bit of mirth when he spoke, making it sound extraordinarily seductive.
Nora nodded. "I don¡¯t."
"Okay."
However, the man didn¡¯t take the seat. Instead, he pulled out the chair for Nora in a very gentlemanly manner first.
An unceremonious Nora immediately sat down.
The Queen: "!!!"
As she looked at the sumptuous spreadid out all over the table, she suddenly felt like she had lost her appetite!
Is it really okay for you guys to show off how deeply in love you guys are in front of me?
She walked to the edge huffily and pushed away the servant who was about to pull the chair out for her. Instead, she pulled the chair out by herself and nted her bottom on it.
To be honest, the Queen¡¯s admiration for Justin was only in her heart. She had been madly in love with him in the past, but due to her status and her duty as the Queen, there was no way she could abandon her people and elope with Justin. Of course, Justin had never returned her feelings, either.
Thus, she had suppressed her love for him at the bottom of her heart all these years.
She was fine as long as Justin didn¡¯t have a wife, but who knew that he would find himself one so soon? And on top of that, it was even Nora Smith, the person she detested the most?
But when it came down to it, there wasn¡¯t any great feud or enmity between the Queen and Nora, though.
The two of them were husband and wife... So what made her think she had the right to be jealous of them?
The Queen took a vicious bite from her steak.
Mm, the steak was grilled just right. It melted in her mouth and was delicious.
Next to her, Lucy was delighted. She kept wanting to talk to Cherry, but the girl looked like she was close to tears as she looked at her father, mother, and two elder brothers seated opposite her.
Boohoo.
She really wanted to sit on the opposite side instead...
Right at this point...
"Cherry, I¡¯ll switch ces with you."
"Come over here. Let¡¯s switch ces."
Pete and Xander, the two sister-doting maniacs, spoke in unison.
An excited Cherry immediately jumped off her chair again and ran to the two of them.
Pete and Xander looked at her.
Cherry ran over and stopped in between the two. However, when she took a step toward Pete, she suddenly felt a chilling breezeing from the other side.
After a short internal struggle, the little fellow gave Pete an ingratiating smile and then took a step toward Xander. But when she did that, she felt a chilling breezeing from Pete¡¯s side.
Cherry: "??"
She didn¡¯t even know where to put her little foot¡ªwhich was still off the ground¡ªanymore!
In a dilemma, she pressed her chubby little hands together and lowered her head.
She¡¯d wished for a brother when she didn¡¯t have one in the past, but why did she suddenly have two now?
Or how about the two brothers talk it out between themselves? Please stop making things difficult for a poor little girl like her!
Chapter 916: Taking Action!
Chapter 916: Taking Action!
But make it quick, alright? She wasn¡¯t going to be able to keep the one-legged pose for much longer!
Thus, Pete and Xander locked gazes with each other, sparks flying from both boys¡¯ eyes.
At this moment, a weak but life-saving voice reached them.
"I¡¯d like to sit with Cherry, so if her two brothers want to sit over here instead, then how about we both switch?"
Cherry¡¯s eyes lit up at once, and she looked excitedly at Lucy opposite her. Her little foot in the air stepped onto her other foot that she was standing on, and she even scratched the top of her foot with it.
Wow!
The little princess was practically her savior today!
In the end, Cherry and Princess Lucy sat next to Justin, with Cherry sitting close to Justin with an excited look on her face. Seeing how happy she was, the silly Princess Lucy also smiled cheerfully along with her, though she didn¡¯t understand at all why she was so happy.
Xander and Pete were the only ones sitting beside the Queen with sullen looks on their little faces.
The Queen: "..."
Excuse me, just how unpopr was she?!
Was it simply that unbearable to sit on the same side as her?!
Also! Howe even her own daughter had abandoned her and gone looking for Cherry instead?!
She suddenly felt like taking back her gift!
The Queen viciously devoured another piece of steak.
The meal went on with each of them harboring their own thoughts.
Although Justin and Nora didn¡¯t speak, the two seemed to have a tacit understanding that no one else could intrude on. For example, at the start of the meal, Justin immediately passed Nora the salt shaker while she passed him the pepper shaker.
After passing the condiment shakers, the two looked at each other and exchanged a smile. Then, they both lowered their heads and added some condiments to their food with the shaker the other had passed to them.
The Queen: "Burp."
Was she already full after only two pieces of steak?
The corners of her lips spasmed and she couldn¡¯t help but start musing. Nora must have recognized King and realized that he was Justin, right? Well, that made sense. After all, because of her own strong feelings for Justin, even she had found King very familiar the first time she met him. Later on, she tried to confirm again and again whether the two were one and the same.
Nora was, at the very least, Justin¡¯s fianc¨¦e after all, so how could she possibly fail to recognize him?
So, that whole act just now where she pretended that she didn¡¯t know him was really just a farce!
She was the only one silly enough to be kept in the dark.
The Queen huffily speared another piece of steak.
One could say that both the host and the guests had thoroughly enjoyed the meal¡ªwith the exception of the Queen, who was pulling a long face.
After dinner, the few of them returned to the living room for some tea and conversation. The Queen, however, looked to the outside: why wasn¡¯t ck Cat back yet?
While the few of them were having lunch, the people outside didn¡¯t stay idle either.
While Barbarian and the Queen¡¯s guards were enjoying their specially-prepared lunch outside, John, the butler, happened to run into the servant in charge of housekeeping in the castle when he was cheerfully stepping out of the door.
The butler asked, "Have you finished cleaning?"
"Yes, apart from Ma¡¯am¡¯s study, I¡¯ve already cleaned all the other rooms."
Following the servant¡¯s response, John smiled and replied, "Well done. No one is allowed to enter Ma¡¯am¡¯s study."
The servant also smiled and said, "Oh, by the way, the refrigerator in Ma¡¯am¡¯s bedroom is new. I saw that she has put some facial masks and drinks inside. I cleaned that too just now."
John then said, "I appreciate the efforts. We still have guests, though. After they leave, in the living room and in the lobby..."
The conversation between the two went farther and farther away and their voices gradually became inaudible.
Barbarian¡¯s eyes were lowered.
Soon, he finished his meal. He raised his head and looked around. "ck Cat hasn¡¯te back yet?"
The captain of the guards replied, "No, not yet. Maybe she¡¯s lost her way. Don¡¯t bother with her."
The guard next to him also said, "Yeah, she stole Her Majesty¡¯s attention the moment she came. Last night, Her Majesty even sang her praises several times and subtlyined that we aren¡¯t capable enough... So, just let her be! She won¡¯t starve to death anyway."
However, Barbarian said, "I¡¯ll look for her."
The captain of the guards sneered, "Barbarian, I¡¯d advise you not to be a busybody."
But Barbarian, with a warning in his voice, said, "Her Majesty is very concerned about her."
After he spoke, he went straight out the door.
After he left, the captain of the guards let out a contemptuousugh. The guard next to him also curled his lips and remarked, "He¡¯s just a bodyguard who isn¡¯t even on the official payroll. Pleasing Her Majesty is about the only thing he can do!"
As the strongest bodyguard among them, Barbarian wasn¡¯t part of the Queen¡¯s royal guards.
However, he had always followed the Queen¡¯s orders to a tee and conducted himself ording to her preferences.
Therefore, since the Queen valued ck Cat, it waspletely normal for him to go and look for her. It did not arouse the captain and the other guards¡¯ suspicion at all.
When Barbarian stepped out, he found that while the Schmidt castle¡¯s defenses against external threats might be on point, and the entire manor was no different from a solid fortress that didn¡¯t allow even a fly into the premises, the supervision inside wasparably a littlex.
Instead of looking for ck Cat, he took the opportunity while no one was looking to grab the wall with both hands and quickly climb to the second floor.
He didn¡¯t go to the study.
Everything stored in the study was confidential, and there would be safes and so on in there.
Most people would think that the study was the best ce to hide the V16, but he went straight to Queenie¡¯s bedroom instead.
The V16 needed to be refrigerated for it to be kept fresh.
If a refrigerator was suddenly ced in the study, it would stick out like a sore thumb ande across as very strange. But if one was ced in the bedroom instead, they could put facial masks and drinks inside, which would not seem at all obtrusive.
After all, many types of facial masks did require refrigeration.
Queenie¡¯s move was pretty good and was also very misleading.
But Barbarian was no longer the person, who only had brute force and not an ounce of intelligence, he used to be!!
Chapter 917: The Queen Is In Danger
Chapter 917: The Queen Is In Danger
Barbarian cautiously avoided wave after wave of the Schmidts¡¯ security guards.
Due to the V16, the Schmidts had hired a lot more security guards and ramped up the security in the castle even further. Barbarian even spotted some mercenary groups in there. Those people were some of the most nefarious and vicious people around. For Queenie to hire them as security personnel to protect Nora and the others, one could say that she had certainly invested a lot.
It was just a shame that Barbarian was unrivaled when it came to physical fitness and acuity.
In addition,pared to the exterior castle grounds, they did not patrol the inner premises as carefully.
He bypassed all of them and went straight to the door to the bedroom.
Then, he pushed open the door.
But right at this moment, a sharp ring of an rm suddenly sounded in the earphone Barbarian was wearing on his right ear.
It was the rm that the Queen was to activate when she met with danger.
The Queen was calling for him.
Barbarian stopped in his tracks.
He broke into a frown and turned to leave.
But a cold and steady voice then came from his left earphone.
"Where are you going?"
Barbarian replied, "Her Majesty is in danger."
With that, Barbarian left the master bedroom. Without the slightest bit of hesitation, he rushed to the stairs and got ready to go down.
But the cold and steady voice in the earphone said, "Are you out of your mind? The V16 is right in front of you!"
However, Barbarian¡¯s response was still the same: "Her Majesty is in danger."
As he rushed down the stairs swiftly, he said, "A refrigerator has indeed been added to Queenie Schmidt¡¯s bedroom. You can go over there first. Once you get the V16, inject it into yourself immediately. Once Her Majesty is safe, I wille and save you."
After saying that, Barbarian left without hesitation.
Barbarian couldn¡¯t just leave the Queen in danger.
Because the Queen was the only source of warmth in his life.
He could still remember the time when he¡¯d first escaped from the basement ten years ago. Exhausted, he didn¡¯t know where he was, and he¡¯d ended up running around aimlessly in the pce.
The teenage boy had just wanted to find a way out at that time.
And then, he tripped and fell.
Behind him, members of the mysterious organization rushed over. When they were about to catch him, a lovely voice reached them. "Who are you?"
The Queen had still been a princess then.
She was the new heir to the throne.
She had arge number of security officers around her, but even when the people chasing after Barbarian saw the princess¡¯s guards, they still came over calmly, regardless.
A group of royal guards had already subdued Barbarian, who was out of strength after fighting his way out of the basement. Someone said, "Your Highness, it¡¯s obvious at a nce that this isn¡¯t a good man. Her Majesty had warned that there could be hitmen in the pce. He is highly likely a hitman. We should kill him to avoid potential trouble!"
Barbarian did not refute him.
Because he had seen the speaker before.
He was a low-ranking leader in the mysterious organization. His purpose in saying what he did was to guide public opinion.
Barbarian had always been ineloquent and simple-minded. He couldn¡¯t think of a way to exin himself, so he simply closed his eyes in resignation.
He was frustrated.
He didn¡¯t want to die just like that.
After he finally forced open the door to the basement with much difficulty, all five surviving children inside had escaped and fled in all directions. He didn¡¯t know where the others had gone.
But he wanted to see what the world outside was like.
Was he going to die here now?
He hadn¡¯t been administered the V16 yet, though. So, he would still die the day he turned thirty years old.
While Barbarian¡¯s imagination was running wild, he heard the princess¡¯ voice. "He doesn¡¯t look like a bad person to me."
"Your Highness, bad guys won¡¯t write the words "I¡¯m a bad guy" on their faces. He has a murderous aura all around him, and there is even blood on him. He must be a hitman"
"Hold your tongue!" The woman spoke arrogantly and willfully. She said, "If I don¡¯t think he is a bad person, then he is not one. Alright, the few of you, help him up. I will take him away to seek medical treatment, and then I will personally ask him what¡¯s going on!"
Barbarian was taken to the princess¡¯ quarters.
After that, the princess summoned a doctor to give him a medical examination. His wounds were healing quickly, and his strength was also recovering rapidly.
The people from the mysterious organization stood guard outside the door.
When Barbarian slowly opened his eyes, he saw the blue-eyed young girl with a head of curly blond hair behind her walking toward him.
Before he could speak, the princess shushed him and put her finger on his lips. Then, she whispered, "Did you offend Father? Is that why they want to kill you? Don¡¯t worry, with me around, no one will kill you!"
The princess was wearing a white fluffy dress while he was covered in blood. It had been a few days since hest took a bath and his body was covered with dirt, stains, and even blood. It was a hot summer day, and even he thought that he reeked.
Yet it was as if the princess didn¡¯t feel it at all.
Her pure eyes and clean temperament made Barbarian understand for the first time after he left the basement what it meant to be ashamed of oneself, and he shrank away from her.
In the basement, he had been the most powerful person there. In order to obtain the follow-up gene serums, he had even been let out by the organization to kill for them before.
His gene improvements were on his physical body, but at this moment, he felt a sense of inferiority that came from his very soul.
How he wished he could stuff himself into the sea and soak in there for seven days and seven nights to wash away all his sins.
Before Barbarian could think too deeply into these things, he had already rushed over from the upper floor to the main hall.
It stood to reason that everyone in the Schmidts¡¯ castle was very cautious. Moreover, the Queen had always trusted the Schmidts; that was why she¡¯d dared to dismiss all the people around her during the meal.
Barbarian could not think of anyone who might harm the Queen.
Could it be that the people who¡¯d set fire to the hotel the other time hade to the Schmidts¡¯ too?
While Barbarian was thinking about it, he saw the Queen standing where she was, well and intact. She was ring at Nora furiously.
Barbarian: "??"
He walked over with a bewildered look on his face, upon which he saw the Queen with her hands on her hips. The Queen often did this in private, but when in front of others, she¡¯d always paid attention to her manners.
Despite that, she said angrily to Barbarian, "Barbarian, beat her up!"
Barbarian: "??"
After lunch, Queenie wanted to take an afternoon nap, so she left the first floor to the three youngsters and the children. Justin made an excuse and said that he would take the four children to y in the garden at the back, but in truth, he went to the master bedroom on the upper floor to catch Barbarian.
Nora and the Queen were the only ones left in the hall.
Nora wanted to head to the upper floor, so she didn¡¯t want to be stuck here because of the Queen. As a result, the two had had a little dispute just now.
It went like this:
The Queen asked, "Have your butlers found ck Cat or not?"
Nora: "?"
She frowned and said, "I¡¯ll go personally and look for her, okay?"
She got up to leave, but the Queen grabbed her arm and said, "You can¡¯t! I get it now, Nora. You already know who King is, right? Then you must also know that King has special feelings for ck Cat. Is ck Cat still not showing up because you¡¯ve done something to her?! ck Cat saved my life. Hand her over to me!"
Nora: "??"
The corners of her lips spasmed. Someone had told her just now that Barbarian had made his move, so she was in a hurry to head upstairs and meet up with Justin to catch him. Because of this, she couldn¡¯t be bothered to exin and she threatened, "If you still don¡¯t let go, I¡¯m going to hit you."
The Queen got mad. She said, "Don¡¯t you dare think that I¡¯ll be afraid of you just because you can fight a little. I may not know martial arts, but the people around me do!"
Thus, she¡¯d pressed the emergency call button. After Barbarian ran over, she looked at Nora and shouted, "Barbarian, beat her up!"
Nora: "??"
She looked at Barbarian, stunned.
Barbarian, aren¡¯t you supposed to be stealing the V16 from the master bedroom upstairs right now?
Why are you here?
While she was thinking about it, a siren suddenly started wailing in the master bedroom upstairs!!
Nora¡¯s pupils shrank!
The V16 had been stolen!
But if Barbarian was here, who was the one stealing the V16 upstairs?!
Chapter 918: The Real Spacey!
Chapter 918: The Real Spacey!
The Queen was also stunned when the siren went off. She looked at Nora immediately and asked, "What¡¯s going on?"
Nora didn¡¯t bother with her. She merely nced at Barbarian, hesitated a little, and then ran upstairs.
Barbarian followed behind the Queen with a hint of baffled surprise in his red eyes.
He hadn¡¯t stolen anything, so why did the siren go off upstairs?
He wanted to go and take a look, but he then thought of how dangerous the Schmidts¡¯ castle was at the moment. He had to protect the Queen. As soon as the thought formed, he stopped in his tracks.
However, the Queen said, "Let¡¯s go up and have a look too!"
Surely ck Cat hadn¡¯t mistakenly trespassed into somece, right?
She had to save her!
She mustn¡¯t let ck Cat fall into Nora¡¯s clutches.
Only then did Barbarian follow them upstairs.
Nora was already at the door to the master bedroom. The door had been opened and inside was aplete mess. Obviously, a round of attacks had beenunched here just now.
A figure stood there with her hands raised and her back to them, not daring to move.
Because!
The room had been installed with a motion-sensor attack system, infrared sensors, thermal sensors, and more. The moment she moved even a little, the machine guns would turn her into swiss cheese.
All of this had been prepared for Barbarian.
Barbarian had a lot of physical strength, and neither Nora nor Justin could beat him in a fight. But no matter how strong he was, he was still human.
Firearms would surely be capable of killing him, one way or another.
Therefore, Nora had set up all these things in the room. The moment someone took the V16, the mechanisms would activate and the intruder would be trapped within.
Barbarian hadn¡¯t fallen for it, but it had trapped a person inside at the moment.
At this moment, Justin, Queenie, and the others also hurried over. They stood outside the door and looked in. The room was surrounded by steel tes that had sealed off the interior of the room.
The surrounding machine guns were all ready and waiting to fire.
A row of bullets had already left behind their traces on the wall. They were supposed to intimidate Barbarian after he obtained the V16, so that he either stayed in the room quietly or waited to be shot dead if he dared to move!
"Turn around!"
In Nora¡¯s hand was a controller with which she could manually operate the machine guns.
The woman trapped inside was visibly shaking. When she heard Nora¡¯s voice, she cried and said, "I... I don¡¯t dare to..."
That voice...!
It was Rene!
Nora¡¯s pupils shrank and she asked, "Why are you here?"
Fear filled Rene¡¯s voice even further. She was shaking so hard that it was as if she couldn¡¯t even stand anymore. She stammered, "I... I saw someoneing up, so I followed after them... T-the man opened Ma¡¯am¡¯s fridge, so I shouted that there was a thief. He ran away after that... I wanted to chase after him, but as soon as I entered the room, I triggered the sensors..."
Rene started sobbing out loud.
In a low voice, she said, "M-Ms. Smith, I... I¡¯m scared... What¡¯s going on?"
As she spoke, everyone looked at the refrigerator. Its door had been opened...
Nora narrowed her eyes. She was about to speak when the Queen said, "Is there a thief? What¡¯s the matter with all of you? No, wait. Ms. Smith, what are you doing with all these mechanisms in the master bedroom? Doesn¡¯t it scare you when you sleep here? "
"..."
The Queen didn¡¯t know about the V16, so she was very puzzled. "Hurry up and put away those guns. Look at how you¡¯ve trapped one of your babysitters inside..."
Yes, that was right.
Rene had been working as Cherry¡¯s babysitter at the Schmidts¡¯ ever since she was brought there.
She was also wearing the uniform that the Schmidts¡¯ servants wore. Everything seemed to make sense...
Nora nced at Barbarian again. However, she saw that his eyes were narrowed and he was starting to emanate a murderous aura. He looked just like a wolf about to go on a rampage.
Had Barbarian been inside, she wouldn¡¯t be afraid of anything at all, of course.
But now that Barbarian was outside...
This meant that Nora couldn¡¯t release Rene, because...
She slowly said, "You can drop the act, Spacey."
As soon as she spoke, Rene jolted again. Her head turned around in astonishment and she looked at Nora in disbelief. Confused, she asked, "M-Ms. Smith, wh... what are you talking about?"
Nora did not enter the room.
Anyone who entered the room at this point would die.
She stood at the door and said calmly and slowly, "How much longer are you going to keep up that pretense?"
However, Rene still looked as timid as before. She said, "I, I¡¯m not putting up any sort of pretense, Ms. Smith. Are you suspecting that I stole something? I didn¡¯t... I came here only to take care of Cherry... No, that¡¯s not right. I came here to look for Liam. Ms. Smith, is Liam here? Can you give him back to me?"
"So that he can continue being your puppet and do things for you?"
Rene bit her lip, but when she saw the firm look in Nora¡¯s eyes, she suddenly dropped the pretense. "When did you find out?"
"When Liam died."
Nora went on. "Many have told me that Spacey from the mysterious organization is very smart, but Liam¡¯s actions at that time were obviously too rash."
Back then, she¡¯d entered theboratory to refine the V16 immediately after obtaining it. Liam had then gone straight to theboratory and snatched it from her... All of this seemed to make a lot of sense.
After all, if she hadn¡¯t already been on guard long ago, Liam would have taken away the real V16 at that time!
However, Liam had appeared too impetuous that time.
In particr, his death had been due to a bomb that Barbarian had installed.
In the past, Barbarian had always forced his way through situations with brute force. It was only after he started working with Spacey that he began to develop his own thoughts and ideas when handling things. In that case, there was no way he would give up Spacey so easily!
Rene was now apletely different person from her usual timid self. Her head was still lowered and her grimy hair was straggled all over her, but the look in her eyes changed from an innocent and timid one to a sinister and baleful one in an instant.
She was just like someone who had climbed all the way up from hell. She looked at Nora ominously and said, "That¡¯s it? We may be in Switzend, but the Schmidts can¡¯t pass a sentence on to others so casually!"
"Of course not."
Nora spoke again. She sneered and said, "At that time, I was only suspicious of you. Then, your adoptive parents came and forcibly took you away. You instantly became one of the weak, the most pitiful person around. This undoubtedly diminished your suspiciousness ... After all, no one would suspect the weak! But... Are you really? Or should I ask: is your family background really that pitiful? Is it really true that your adoptive parents killed each other in a fight?"
"Of course not!"
As soon as Nora finished speaking, Brenda came over. The moment she came up to Nora, she threw a stack of documents to her. "Nora, I¡¯ve looked into the case that you asked me to. Her adoptive parents did kill each other, but based on traces left behind at the crime scene, I¡¯ve found evidence proving that the two did not resent each other; rather, they were forced to kill each other! And it was you, Rene, who forced them to do it!"
Rene immediately retorted angrily, "Didn¡¯t they deserve that? Should I have stopped myself from fighting back and gotten vited by my adoptive father instead? I just want to lead my life properly. Is there anything wrong with that?!"
"There¡¯s nothing wrong with wanting to lead a good life and protecting yourself." Brenda¡¯s ming red lips were extraordinarily alluring, but her back, as she stood there, was straight and upright as she asked, "But is that really what you¡¯re doing?"
Rene bit her lip. "What do you mean by that?!"
Brenda cast her eyes down. "I¡¯ve already checked your background. During thest ten years, you haven¡¯t only been adopted by one family but three. However, without exception, all of those couples have died!"
Her words shocked everyone there.
Three families?
Even Nora raised her eyebrows.
However, Brenda did not borate. She only said, "Of course, since your offenses weremitted in Switzend, the Swiss authorities will naturally be the ones to handle your case. As an Interpol officer, I am only arresting you because you are involved in an international biogic drug case! But no matter which case it is, you won¡¯t be able to escape the death sentence!"
The death sentence...
Upon hearing what she said, Rene suddenly burst intoughter. She said furiously, "You can¡¯t kill me! Because I have already injected myself with both of the V16 serums! Your only option is to distill out the V16 from my blood now. You can only keep me alive and have me be your gene blood bank! Kill me, and you will lose everything!"
With both the V16s in her, an overdose would result in an excess of the serum in her blood.
However, they couldn¡¯t draw out all her blood at once either, because part of it must have already been absorbed into her body!
If they wanted to extract a single dosage of the V16, they would have to wait for the unabsorbed serum in her body to slowly prate her blood along with the regeneration of her blood. This would take at least several months, or maybe even years!
Barbarian¡¯s pupils shrank and he looked at Spacey in disbelief. She had injected all of the two serums into herself?!
Chapter 919: The Boy And The Princess
Chapter 919: The Boy And The Princess
Barbarian was infuriated.
He and Spacey had already agreed that they would each take one gene serum after they got their hands on them!
He demanded furiously, "How can you be so selfish?"
As soon as he spoke, the Queen, who was watching the show at the side, was stunned.
The Queen looked at him in surprise. "Barbarian, what are you saying?"
Wasn¡¯t this just a case of a babysitter of the Schmidts stealing from her employer? How did it be rted to Barbarian?
The moment the Queen spoke, Barbarian looked at her, though he didn¡¯t speak right away.
The trapped Rene... no, Spacey sneered, "Selfish? You¡¯re the selfish one! If you hadn¡¯t left just now, we would each have had one gene serum! Without you, I definitely wouldn¡¯t have been able to escape, so of course I had to give myself a n B!"
Barbarian¡¯s brows drew together. "You said that the two of us are in this together! That we would never abandon or give up on each other no matter what!"
"Ha!" Spacey, who waspletely different from her timid demeanor before, raised her head andughed. "You abandoned me first! For the sake of your Queen, you abandoned me! But look at what happened? Your Queen didn¡¯t need you at all! She¡¯s standing there well and intact while I¡¯m trapped here!"
Spacey stared at Barbarian angrily. "The Queen has always been the only one in your heart! You never cared about me!"
Barbarian was taken aback. "What nonsense are you saying?"
"Am I wrong?!" Spacey stared at Barbarian resentfully. "We had already agreed that we woulde to the Schmidts today to steal the V16, but for your Queen¡¯s sake, you gave up on our n. You forced me into this!"
Barbarian was rendered speechless in an instant.
However, the Queen, who was standing next to Barbarian, was stunned. She slowly turned her head to Barbarian and asked, "Barbarian, what is she talking about? The two of you are in this together? Are you short of money? Why are you stealing from others with her?"
The Queen knew nothing about Barbarian¡¯s past.
All she knew was that after she saved him back then, she had discovered that Barbarian showed immense talent in martial arts. Thus, she had found someone to teach him martial arts and trained him into her strongest personal protection officer and bodyguard.
Barbarian had also asked for leave and gone out mid-way before. Sometimes, when she stayed in the country and didn¡¯t leave the pce, such that she was absolutely safe, he would ask for half a month¡¯s leave. The Queen had always just thought that Barbarian was going out to handle his personal affairs.
In fact, the Queen had even once teased Barbarian by asking him if he¡¯d found a girlfriend and was going out on dates with her...
Never would she have ever thought that Barbarian would steal from the Schmidts with that babysitter!
Faced with the Queen¡¯s "naive" question, Barbarian found himself at a loss for words.
The Queen looked at Spacey again. She pointed at her and asked Barbarian, "Is she the girlfriend you¡¯ve found outside? Barbarian, why is your girlfriend forcing you to steal? Is the sry I pay you not enough? I¡¯ve given you a house before too. If you need anything else, you can just tell me. There is no need for you to steal..."
The Queen rambled endlessly, but her actions were the only source of warmth at this moment.
Faced with the Queen like that, Barbarian didn¡¯t know how to exin what he had done...
He didn¡¯t speak, but Brenda spoke for him. She said, "Your Majesty, you may have misunderstood something. Do you know that this man next to you is an international serial killer?!"
As soon as she spoke, the Queen frowned. "Who are you? Why are you ndering Barbarian? He was just stealing something. How does that make him a murderer?!"
She stood in front of Barbarian and protected him. She looked straight at Nora and Queenie and lifted her chin arrogantly. "Mdm. Schmidt, Ms. Smith. We do have some ties between us, right? I know you¡¯re unhappy that they stole from you, so how about this, how much does it cost? The British Royal Family will provide fullpensation! But don¡¯t you dare use my subject of being a murderer and whatnot!"
Her bad-ass manner of protecting her own put everyone present at a loss for words for a while.
Barbarian also clenched his fists tightly. Once again, he felt ashamed of himself.
Nora was a woman of few words, but Queenie didn¡¯t wish for conflict with the British Royal Family.
After all, the Queen represented an entire country. Be it the Schmidts or the Imperial League, neither of them would want to be enemies with a country just because of a misunderstanding.
Queenie exined, "Your Majesty, have you heard of the mysterious organization?"
The Queen¡¯s pupils shrank. "Yes, I have. What about it?"
The people after the Queen¡¯s life at the hotel the other time were from that exact organization!
The Queen had always known that.
Queenie pointed at Barbarian. "He used to be a member of the mysterious organization."
The Queen was shocked. "What did you say?"
Queenie went on. "Also, you should know what the mysterious organization does, right?"
The Queen¡¯s brows drew together. "No, I actually don¡¯t."
A resigned Queenie could only exin to the Queen the purpose of the mysterious organization¡¯s existence, as well as their cruel practices.
Two minutester, when Queenie was done, the Queen frowned and said, "If that¡¯s the case, then Barbarian is also a victim! He shouldn¡¯t be arrested! Besides, he has already betrayed the mysterious organization!"
"But he is an international murderer!" Nora said coldly.
"A murderer? Do you have any evidence? If so, you can get in touch with the UK government and request our cooperation in handing over Barbarian instead of arresting him here! Without evidence, I will never hand over Barbarian!"
The Queen was rather attached to Barbarian.
It was a very fascinating emotion.
It was much like a fondness for something that had been around for a long time. After more than ten years, she had long since be ustomed to Barbarian protecting and watching out for her. She stepped in front of Barbarian and shielded him, just like what Barbarian had done for her every time she met with danger.
She even felt that all of this was a conspiracy that the others had devised.
After all...
The Queen looked at Nora. "The V16 or whatever it¡¯s called is with you, right? Are you trying to use this as an excuse to get rid of Barbarian? This way, no one would fight with you for it anymore! But for you to spin lies like this, you¡¯re too much!"
At this point, the masked Justin said solemnly, "Your Majesty, they are not spinning lies."
His words made the Queen suddenly look at him.
In this instant, she suddenly realized that Justin was also aware of all this. Therefore, it wasn¡¯t just Nora who had set up this trap for her; it was also Justin!
The Queen felt betrayed.
She was here at the Schmidts just for a visit as a guest, but the group of them had all been plotting against her.
The smile on her face disappearedpletely, and she revealed a cold and resolute side of herself. She said, "So, you¡¯re also part of this, King? Hah. Do you really think that we, the British, are that easy to bully, though? I¡¯ve already said it: Barbarian is mine. If you don¡¯t have any conclusive evidence, then you can forget about taking him away from me! Since I¡¯ve brought him to the Schmidts, then I will walk out of this ce with him safe and well! This stands true even if... I must be enemies with the Schmidts and the Imperial League! We, the British, are not afraid!"
She had pride.
As a Queen, she had never been afraid of anyone.
Justin sighed. "He is not a good man."
Despite that, the Queen still said firmly, "He¡¯s not a good man? Barbarian has always been very kind when he protects me. He never kills the innocent indiscriminately, and he has nevere to me with even a bit of blood on him! He doesn¡¯t like to talk, but I know that he is a kind person!"
A kind person...
Her words stunned Barbarian, whom she was protecting behind herself.
To be honest, the reason why he cleaned himself thoroughly every time he killed someone was exactly the Queen¡¯s trust in him.
The Queen had blue eyes as pure as clear water.
Though the Queen was arrogant and always behaved like she was high up in the air, she had the purest heart despite her noble status. Therefore, Barbarian was most afraid of the Queen finding out about his activities...
Thus, he had never left any traces outside that pointed to him being the Queen¡¯s bodyguard, fearing that the matter would be brought to the Queen¡¯s attention.
But as he looked at the Queen, who was standing in front of him and leaving her back exposed to him with confidence, he suddenly felt that he was not worthy.
He was not worthy of being shielded by such a good Queen.
He was not worthy of having the Queen be enemies with the Schmidts and the Imperial League because of him!
Just as Barbarian was about to speak, Brenda curled her lips and said, "You¡¯re the Queen, right? Why are you so muddleheaded? Fortunately, my sister-inw knows what you¡¯re like, so she told me to bring all the evidence here!"
After she spoke, Brenda fished out a stack of paper evidence from her bag and stretched out her hand to hand them to the Queen. She said, "These are all the people Barbarian has killed over the years! He¡ª"
Before she could finish, though, Barbarian suddenly moved!
He charged out from behind the Queen at high speed and threw a punch at Brenda.
Brenda took two steps back abruptly and the documents in her hands fell and scattered all over the floor.
The Queen looked at the floor...
At the side, both Nora and Justin thought that Barbarian was nning to take Brenda hostage because he was at his wits¡¯ end, so they subconsciously stood in front of Brenda to protect her and waited for Barbarian to attack.
Unexpectedly, Barbarian did not rush over. Instead, he stopped in front of the Queen.
He stood on the so-called evidence and blocked the Queen¡¯s line of sight. "Don¡¯t look!"
His voice was filled with panic, just like a child begging for help.
He was afraid of the Queen seeing the evidence, he was afraid of seeing disappointment in the Queen¡¯s eyes...
His tone made the Queen¡¯s heart wrench, and she withdrew her gaze. "Okay, I won¡¯t look..."
Barbarian breathed a sigh of relief.
But right after he let out the sigh of relief, the Queen asked, "Then tell me, are they telling the truth? Did you... really kill a lot of people?"
Barbarian clenched his jaw.
The Queen looked at him fixedly. "You have never lied to me. So, tell me that none of this is true. Don¡¯t worry, I will protect you."
Barbarian¡¯s expression nked out for a moment.
He suddenly thought of their first meeting more than ten years ago.
"You can live here with peace of mind! I will protect you!"
The young princess said to the boy who had just escaped from confinement with injuries all over him.
The boy curled up and tried his best to shrink himself so that his dirty body wouldn¡¯t touch the princess¡¯ pure and clean dress.
He was afraid of soiling the angel.
The princess, however, sat beside him, not caring in the least. Her skirt pressed against his bare feet, and it became stained. Her big blue eyes looked at him as she said, "Oh, but you have to promise me that you¡¯ll never lie to me."
...
Chapter 920: One Down
Chapter 920: One Down
Barbarian looked at the Queen.
Time flew. More than ten years had passed.
The Queen had aged and she now had fine lines at the corners of her eyes. However, those blue eyes of hers had never changed.
Barbarian swallowed.
The Queen spoke again. "Barbarian, say something. I will believe everything you say."
But Barbarian couldn¡¯t.
He had gone through so much since he was a child. He had been in the basement since he was born and was injected with gene serums every once in a while...
The body modification gene serum had really hurt like hell... He didn¡¯t remember the pain he felt when he was a baby, but he remembered all the pain he felt after he turned five years old.
Each gene serum injection had felt as if it was melting his flesh and reconstructing it. No one could understand what that bone-splintering pain felt like.
At that time, Barbarian didn¡¯t understand.
Because that was how life was¡ªuntil the day when he was taken out to kill for the first time when he was ten years old. His powerful body and physical abilities had astonished the others.
It was also only then that Barbarian found out that people outside were living such blissful and happy lives.
A ten-year-old child attended school, acted like a spoiled child in the arms of their parents, and was lovingly doted on by their parents.
Hatred had slowly built up in Barbarian¡¯s heart at that time.
All Barbarian held toward the world was malice. All the beauty in the world had never once been part of his life, so what did it matter even if he destroyed the world?
Therefore, he had never once shown any mercy when he killed. In fact, he only felt happy when he was killing; when he saw his victims shaking like leaves and begging for mercy on their knees.
See? So what even if he had never attended school? So what even if he had suffered abuse as a child?
The way people were so terrified in front of him and the way they soiled themselves in theirst moments looked even more unseemly than he had been back then!
Inside this sick mindset of his, the only person who still allowed him to retain a trace of reason within was his princess.
Whenever he took leave to go out to kill, the princess never asked him what he was nning to do. She would always happily let him leave. And every time he came back after killing someone, the princess would look at him with a teasing look in her eyes.
The princess had said that it was time he found a girlfriend.
But he didn¡¯t know what kind of person he should look for as a girlfriend.
It was at this time that Spacey had contacted him.
He and Spacey were the same.
They had both grown up in the basement. Thus, he¡¯d thought at that time that Spacey must be his girlfriend. The two then teamed up and started to fight for the V16 together.
Barbarian never once felt that he¡¯d done anything wrong.
Yet he realized that he couldn¡¯t say even a word at this moment, as he faced the Queen¡¯s questioning.
Because he didn¡¯t want to see disappointment in the Queen¡¯s eyes. He only liked how the Queen sang his praises whenever she saw his progress inbat training.
Thus, even though he¡¯d opened his mouth, he didn¡¯t know how to answer her.
However, the Queen figured it out through his reaction, and the look in her eyes gradually turned solemn...
She looked at Barbarian and suddenly cast her eyes down. She asked, "Have you... ever killed a citizen of the UK?"
She was not someone with overflowingpassion. In her eyes, only the people of the UK were her subjects. She left the responsibility of managing the people in the rest of the countries to the international authorities; they weren¡¯t part of her responsibilities.
But if Barbarian had killed citizens of the UK... then the Queen couldn¡¯t let him off!!
When Barbarian heard her, he opened his mouth again, though, he didn¡¯t know what to say...
He had.
Once, after going on a killing spree outside, he happened to run into a royal guard who saw him covered in blood while he was on his way back to the pce. In order to cover up his misdeeds, he had killed him.
Seeing his silence, the light in the Queen¡¯s eyes dimmed even further¡ªshe understood his answer.
She slowly cast her eyes down...
At this point, Spacey¡¯s voice suddenly came from the room. "You see that, Barbarian? The Queen¡¯s kindness toward you is not unconditional either! Once you cross her boundaries, she would still kill you all the same! I am the only one in this world who¡¯s like you! So, hurry and kill them and save me! I can synthesize the other V16 from my blood for you!"
Spacey was doing all this because she was worried that Barbarian would defect at thest moment, so she was trying to build a n B for herself!
But Barbarian didn¡¯t seem to have heard her at all. He stared at the Queen in dumbfounded silence. Only one thought was running through his head: "She¡¯s be disappointed in me."
He felt like his world was about to copse around him!
At the sight, Spacey bit her lip¡ªshe knew that she couldn¡¯t count on Barbarian anymore. She looked straight at Nora again and said, "It still goes back to the same thing¡ªeven if you arrest me, you still have to feed me well and keep me in a good mood! Or else I¡¯ll kill myself! If I die, you can forget about ever getting the V16 again!"
But even after she spoke, she didn¡¯t see any reaction from Nora and the others.
Nora, in particr, was extraordinarily calm.
Spacey wanted to speak again, but intense drowsiness suddenly came over her. She shook her head, suddenly finding herself unsteady on her feet.
She stumbled a little, whereupon she heard an impassive Nora say, "Oh, I forgot to tell you something. The substance inside those bottles isn¡¯t the V16 but two doses of sleeping pills."
Spacey: "?"
Her eyes suddenly widened. It was then that she finally realized something.
She was right. So many traps and mechanisms had been set up in this ce. It was obvious that they had set this up in order to catch Barbarian, so how could the real V16 possibly be here?
As soon as the thought formed, Spacey¡¯s eyes closed and she passed out.
She fell to the ground with a thud.
But no one looked at her. Instead, they turned to look at Barbarian.
Barbarian had killed Brenda¡¯s best friend... Seeing him in a daze, Brenda couldn¡¯t hold herself back anymore. She suddenly brandished her pistol and fired right at Barbarian!
Bang!
The moment that the gunshot rang out, Barbarian¡¯s sixth sense allowed his body to react faster than his brain. He did a tuck-and-roll on the spot and dodged the bullet from Brenda.
The next moment, Barbarian smashed through the ss window, fleeing through it!
Gunshots from the Interpol officers lying in wait on the ground floor rang out. Brenda also went out in pursuit of him.
Nora and Justin exchanged a look. The couple went down the stairs in unison but saw that Barbarian had already escaped. Brenda, who was stamping her foot in frustration, cursed, "Shit!"
Up against a skilled expert like him, unless they carried out arge-scale bombardment of the Schmidts¡¯ property, they were going to have a really hard time catching him.
The traps had originally been prepared for Barbarian... But unfortunately, they hadn¡¯te into y. Instead, they only captured a weak, though rtively intelligent, Spacey.
In the end, all Brenda could do was detain Spacey.
As Nora watched the officers bring the unconscious Spacey into the police car, she asked, "What will happen to her?"
Brenda answered, "The death sentence."
Nora was taken aback.
Brenda sighed. She said, "We¡¯ve already looked into it. She¡¯s different from Barbarian. Barbarian may have been brainwashed into killing but she, on the other hand, was born wicked. Her evolution involves brain improvements. No one ever taught her to kill, yet after she escaped from the basement and was adopted by her first adoptive family, she deliberately seduced her adoptive father, causing a conflict between her adoptive parents. In the end, the two couldn¡¯t resolve their conflict, and they even hurt her physically. She then set up a trap to kill the two of them. Unfortunately, after she killed her mother, her father regained his senses. He wanted to shoot her dead to avenge his wife, but the police broke into the scene at this point¡ªtheir security guard had reported the father for raping her. When everyone went in, they saw that her clothes were disheveled in a mess and that the man was trying to shoot and kill her. The police tried to dissuade him, but it was to no avail, so they could only shoot and kill him..."
Nora was stunned by the story.
The Queen was also fascinated by the story. She remarked in surprise, "That woman¡¯s thoughts are so unfathomable!"
Brenda nodded. "At that time, everyone believed her ount to be the truth and they erased the traces that she had once been adopted. Later, she was adopted by another family. But in the end, her adoptive parents both died within half a year again. Everyonemented her bad luck and some even said things like she is too pretty and that she has all grown up, so it was no wonder that her adoptive fathers would take a fancy to her, and so on. Thus, after the second incident, she deliberately made herself dirty and unkempt, knowing that everyone thought that she had suffered trauma during the first two incidents. It was only after the third time she killed her adoptive parents... that it finally caught our attention! You can say that we now have both witnesses and material evidence. Not only has she killed six people in a row, but she¡¯s also involved in a major case like the transnational biogic experiment. She won¡¯t be able to escape the death penalty."
Everyone nodded.
After Brenda left with Spacey, the despondent Queen also left with Princess Lucy.
Barbarian¡¯s betrayal... made her feel terrible.
Only Nora, Justin, and the rest remained at the Schmidts¡¯.
As she watched the Queen¡¯s car leave, Nora suddenly asked, "Isn¡¯t she in love with you? Why does it seem like she¡¯s in love with Barbarian instead?"
Justin, who suddenly felt impending doom, thought for a moment and answered cautiously, "...I don¡¯t know."
Nora didn¡¯t press further either. Instead, she changed the topic and asked, "How is it with Barbarian?"
Justin breathed a sigh of relief and answered, "They are still tailing him."
When Barbarian escaped, in addition to the police, the Schmidts¡¯ security officers had also gone after him. In spite of that, he had still escaped, though he ultimately did still take a gunshot.
Justin¡¯s men were also going after him.
Nora nodded.
Justin said, "Don¡¯t worry, I will never allow Barbarian to fight with Xander for the gene serum!"
They weren¡¯t saints.
There were only two gene serums. They couldn¡¯t give them to just anyone.
Nora nodded.
"Daddy!"
Now that there weren¡¯t any outsiders around, Cherry let out an excited yell and ran over.
Justin bent over and picked her up. With his voice gentle and low, he asked, "Miss me?"
"Of course! Cherry thinks of Daddy every day!"
Pete and Xander also came over.
The family of five gathered happily.
In the distance, as Queenie watched them, a hint of a happy smile appeared on the corner of her lips.
At the side, John suggested, "Why don¡¯t you join them, Ma¡¯am?"
But Queenie shook her head and replied, "I¡¯m tired. I¡¯ll just let the family of five reunite instead! An old woman like me shouldn¡¯t bother them."
John looked at her hesitantly before he finally said in a small voice, "You¡¯re only in your thirties..."
As soon as he spoke, Queenie¡¯s chilly gaze suddenly swept over him.
John shut his mouth immediately. "I¡¯ve spoken out of turn, Ma¡¯am."
Queenie lowered her eyes and entered the living room.
She casually picked up a ss of red wine from the table and went up the stairs swirling the wine in the ss. This time, though, she did not enter the bedroom but looked at the room that had been sealed for a long time.
She cast her eyes down. Suddenly, she stepped forward and opened the door.
Chapter 921: Queenie’s Secret
Chapter 921: Queenie¡¯s Secret
In the room were some shelves, on which were ced some boxes containing all sorts of treasures.
On the innermost wall hung an enshrined ck and white photo.
In the photo was a woman in her twenties. She had a bright smile on her face, but everyone knew that this woman had been dead for many years.
Queenie walked forward. As she did, her hips swayed from side to side, as did the red wine ss in her hand.
She went up to the photo, and then, poured the red wine onto the ground.
¡ª
"Daddy, have you not been watching my live-streamstely? You haven¡¯t been tipping me at all! Sponsor Grandpa has be the No. 1 patron now."
Cherry stretched out her chubby fingers and showed off while speaking coquettishly in her young and tender voice, "Grandpa and I make video calls every day! But you disappeared for a month and didn¡¯t look for me even once! Cherry is mad!"
After speaking, she ced her hands on her hips and turned her back to Justin. Her big dark eyes, though, were darting left and right erratically.
Justin rubbed his daughter¡¯s head and said, "I¡¯ve been busy with something really important. What can I do to appease Cherry?"
Cherry blinked and then grinned at him. "Help me get my game ount back! If you make it one without a time limit, I won¡¯t be mad at you anymore! Otherwise, Cherry will be really sad because she¡¯s thinking of you every day but doesn¡¯t have games to kill time with!"
Cherry had ADHD in the past, so Nora had allowed her to y games.
But Nora had recently noticed that Cherry¡¯s two elder brothers¡¯ presence had helped her ovee the disorder, so Nora had disabled her unlimited ess game ount.
It wasn¡¯t advisable for minors to y games for too many hours a day.
But because Cherry liked the game, she had pestered Justin to remove the time limit on the ount, which Nora changed backter.
As a result, Cherry could only y for an hour a day.
Upon hearing what Cherry said, a pampering look filled Justin¡¯s eyes and he said, "You not only say that you¡¯re mad at me but also that you miss me a lot, but in the end, it¡¯s all just for the game ount, isn¡¯t it?"
Cherry turned around and wheedled cutely, "But I¡¯m really bored. After ying for an hour, I spend the remaining 23 hours missing you!"
"What nonsense."
Next to her, Pete exposed her lie straightaway. "You still have to sleep for ten hours a day!"
Cherry: "?"
She raised her chin. "I miss Daddy in my dreams when I sleep!"
Pete went on and said dryly, "But what you said in your sleep was: ¡¯Team battle time! Go! Wipe! Wipe!"
"...Even so, there are still thirteen hours left for me to miss Daddy!" retorted Cherry.
From the side, Xander also said, "You always take your sweet time when you eat, so you take at least four hours to finish all three meals a day."
Cherry: "?"
"I-I think about Daddy when I eat!"
Xander said, "But what you said was: ¡¯Now that I don¡¯t have games to y, even the food doesn¡¯t taste good anymore. Why isn¡¯t the day over yet? I wanna y games...¡¯"
"..."
"Oh, you also spend four hours watching other people¡¯s live-streams..."
"You also spend time savoring every detail of the team battle and ramble at me for two hours, and then at Xander for another two..."
"You also spend time regretting that you didn¡¯t diss others in a wittier manner when you were ying..."
"You also spend time pestering Mommy to release the child restrictions for you..."
"You also..."
Her two elder brothers thoroughly exposed her.
Cherry¡¯s eyes were damp with tears. "Pete! Xander! You two are horrible!"
Pete said, "Stop ying games and do some Mathematical Olympiad practice instead!"
Xander said, "Ore and study dissection with me? Human anatomy is very interesting..."
"..."
Justin couldn¡¯t bear to see his precious daughter being bullied. He picked up Cherry and said, "Is that how the two of you should be treating your younger sister? Alright, hush, Cherry..."
"Can Daddy remove the child restrictions for me then?"
"I¡¯ll have to ask your mom about that..."
"..."
Nora stood at the side. As she listened to the four of them chit-chat, she raised her head and looked at the upper floor.
That mysterious room had been opened, and her aunt was inside.
No one knew what she was looking at.
As Nora thought back to what Trueman had said, she heaved a silent sigh.
Her aunt always said that she would let Nora see the things in that room when the time was right, and when that happened, her aunt¡¯s identity would also be revealed. But when would it ever be the time?
While Nora was musing, her cell phone suddenly rang. When she answered, Ian¡¯s voice came from the other end.
"Nora, I think I know who your aunt is!"
Nora¡¯s pupils shrank. "Who is she?"
"I¡¯m about to board my flight. I¡¯ll tell you when I get there."
When he got here?
Ian was flying over? For Ian to be so excited that he woulde over in person, just who on earth was Queenie??
Chapter 922: Queenie’s Character
Chapter 922: Queenie¡¯s Character
Nora didn¡¯t hang up but asked, "Who is she?"
Ian kept quiet for a while. "I can¡¯t say it over the phone."
This was because he feared that someone could be monitoring their cell phones. Even if Nora was Q, the top hacker in the world, there was no guarantee that no one would be monitoring them. Moreover, even if Nora could guarantee that her cell phone wouldn¡¯t be hacked, could they guarantee the same for Ian?
Not only was she in another country, but the phone call was also an international long-distance one. Could she guarantee that the internationalmunications signal would not be hacked?
Nora could only nod and say, "Alright, I¡¯ll pick you up in eight hours."
"Okay."
After hanging up the phone, Nora sank into contemtion for a long while.
At this point, Queenie came down the stairs drunkenly and asked, "How are things with Barbarian?"
Brenda had wholly taken over the task of arresting Barbarian. The Queen was still unable to ept the fact that he was a murderer, so she had chosen to remain silent on the matter.
Nora sighed. "Barbarian indeed lives up to his name of being the embodiment of the human limits. Despite the intensive attempts to catch him, he still managed to escape... He¡¯s nowhere to be found now."
Queenie nodded. Suddenly, she asked, "Was that Ian Smith calling just now?"
Nora nodded, surprised by her perceptivity. In order to avoid people eavesdropping on her phone calls, her cell phone¡¯s volume was set very low. Even so, she¡¯d still heard them?
Seemingly noticing her puzzled look, Queenie smiled and said, "You called him ¡¯Dad¡¯."
"... Really?"
Nora became doubtful instead.
As it easily exposed the other party¡¯s identity, she rarely greeted someone by name immediately after answering the phone, unless she was in a very safe ce and the other party¡¯s identity was not a sensitive one.
Queenie didn¡¯t n on speaking any further, though. Instead, she swirled the wine in her ss.
Her delicate face was ruddy, and her cheeks were already red.
She said, "In that case, I¡¯ll go upstairs to rest for now..."
She had only taken a couple of steps when Cherry grabbed her. She said, "Grandaunt Queenie, are you going to drink again? Don¡¯t drink anymore. Come and y with Cherry instead! It¡¯s been really long since west yed together."
Queenie raised her eyebrows. "Do you actually remember your grandaunt¡¯s existence when your father, whom you¡¯ve been thinking of this whole time, is already here?"
Cherry grinned and pushed Justin toward Nora. "But I can¡¯t hog Daddy. He ought to spend more time with Mommy too. Besides, they may have a lot to talk about!"
After all, Pete had said that they should let their parents bond with each other so that they wouldn¡¯t separate in the future. This way, the triplets would be together forever!
Therefore, even though she really loved her father, she¡¯d better still leave him to her mother instead!
Displeasure filled Queenie¡¯s expression. "Are you only looking for me because your dad is not around? I¡¯m not going to be your backup n..."
Though she said that, she followed Cherry to the side.
Justin walked over to Nora and the two sat on the sofa.
Justin looked at Queenie, who was holding Cherry¡¯s hand. One was elegant and noble while the other was charming and adorable. The two looked extremely harmonious together.
Justin remarked, "Aunt Queenie seems to really like Cherry, huh?"
"... ¡¯Aunt Queenie¡¯?"
A puzzled Nora asked when she heard the guy suddenly addressing her aunt in a different manner.
Justin smiled and replied, "Since she¡¯s your aunt, then that makes her my aunt too, right?"
"..."
The guy sure was flirting with her every moment of the day.
Nora raised her eyebrows and said, "Yeah, Aunt Queenie treats Cherry very well."
"Tell me more?"
Justin prompted.
Because if he didn¡¯t, Nora would never say any more than that.
Nora smiled. "Sure."
Back then, when she lost a lot of blood during childbirth and her life was on the line, her aunt had saved her and then taken her abroad. Later, she also outright dered Nora the heir to NTT.
During the announcement, her demeanor had been icy-cold, and she also treated her and Cherry coldly.
But if the servants in the family ever slighted them even a little, Queenie would immediately and resolutely mete out punishment to them.
She remembered that when Cherry was three or four months old, because of her frail constitution, the baby caught a rose infection and had a high fever, which needed to be cooled physically. At that time, when she called the doctor over in the middle of the night because of the fever, he¡¯d said that it would be best to avoid taking medicine and cool the baby¡¯s temperature physically instead.
Her aunt had immediatelyined, "Children are so troublesome."
At that time, Nora didn¡¯t know her very well.
So, Nora told her to go back and rest while she took turns taking care of Cherry with the nanny.
Though Cherry was already more than three months old, Nora was still weak due to blood loss during childbirth. Unable to stay awake, she fell asleep in the middle of the night.
But when she was half-asleep, she saw Queenie changing the cold towel on Cherry¡¯s forehead...
She had always been someone with a cold exterior but a warm heart.
Moreover, Queenie was a resolute person with a can-do attitude. She was elegant and attractive, and many men courted her, but she rejected them all.
She said that she didn¡¯t like men and had never thought of getting married.
Thus, everything in NTT was hers and Cherry¡¯s.
Chapter 923: Getting Into Intense Competition To Pamper Their Younger Sister
Chapter 923: Getting Into Intense Competition To Pamper Their Younger Sister
Nora took a sip of water and said, "I¡¯ve never thought of taking anything from her. Seeing that I seemed to have made up my mind, she decided to give NTT to Cherry."
Realization dawned on Justin.
No wonder Cherry had never cared about the Hunts¡¯ assets. As it turned out, it was because she already had NTT.
The Hunts¡¯ assets were indeedparable with NTT.
He lowered his eyes and held Nora¡¯s hand. "Yeah. We¡¯ll talk about it again when the timees."
Nora nodded.
The two chatted for quite a while. When they suddenly fell silent and were about to rest, they noticed Pete and Xander whispering to each other nearby.
Nora had sharp ears, so she heard the two little fellows¡¯ private conversation.
Pete asked worriedly, "Will Cherry be mad because we exposed her like that?"
Xander, who adopted an arrogant and fearless stance, raised his chin and said, "So what even if she does? We¡¯re doing this for her own good. ying games every day is not good for her health!"
Pete nodded. Suddenly, he suggested, "Why don¡¯t we have a good talk with her?"
Xander pouted. "What¡¯s there to talk about? Just let her..."
Before he could finish, though, Pete suddenly sighed and said, "You¡¯re the eldest among us, so you should act like one. Considering how unreliable Daddy is¡ªhe¡¯s either faking his death or keeping quiet and ignoring us all the time¡ªCherry and I will have to depend on you in the future."
Xander¡¯s expression turned smug at once. "Heh, so you admit that I¡¯m the eldest now?"
Pete replied, "Yes. I will do as you say from now on, Xander."
His admission made Xander get ahead of himself. He patted his little chest and said, "Don¡¯t worry, I will look after you and Cherry. I won¡¯t let the two of you go down the wrong path."
Pete asked, "Should we talk to Cherry?"
"Of course!" Xander insisted on acting like the eldest sibling and said, "I¡¯ll ask her toe over right away. We¡¯ll talk to her together."
"Okay, Xander."
Pete¡¯s submissive attitude made Xander walk toward Cherry with his chin raised. He said, "Cherry, as your elder brothers, Pete and I have something to tell you."
Cherry was utterly puzzled.
She said to Queenie, "Brush Flora¡¯s hair for me, Grandaunt Queenie. I¡¯ll be back in a jiffy."
"This is obviously your doll, yet you insist on making me do it... Alright, go on." Queenieined as she took the doll from Cherry, who skipped over to Pete and Xander.
The three little ones got together.
Nora rested her chin on her palm and watched curiously as the two brothers educated their younger sister who had been led astray.
Xander coughed and started the lecture. He said, "Cherry, after thinking about it for a long while, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s right that you keep on ying games like this every day. Do you want to grow up into an adult who doesn¡¯t know anything but ying games??"
Cherry looked crushed at once. She lowered her head, twiddled her thumbs, and said sadly, "But I really wanna y games. Are you also going to tell me what to do when Mommy is already doing so?"
Xander nodded. "Yes. As the eldest among us, this is my responsibility. Moreover, we both feel that you are not doing the right thing."
"Really?"
Cherry looked at Pete. "Do you think so too, Pete?"
Xander also looked at Pete.
However, after pondering for a while, Pete looked at Xander and said, "Why don¡¯t we rx our supervision on Cherry, Xander? As elder brothers, we can support her for a lifetime anyway."
Cherry¡¯s eyes lit up at once and she said, "Pete is the best!"
Xander: "???"
Cherry then red at him and said, "I don¡¯t like you anymore!"
Xander: "!!!!"
After Cherry spoke, she hugged Pete and said, "Pete, let¡¯s go y together!"
Pete was very reserved. He said reluctantly, "... I don¡¯t like ying with dolls, but for your sake... Sigh, alright."
The two walked toward Queenie hand in hand.
Xander: "..."
Xander stood on the spot, dumbfounded.
Only then did he realize that he had been tricked!
At the side, Nora¡¯s lip corners spasmed.
Was there such intensepetition between boys with sisterplexes these days?!
Do they have to start a battle of wits and courage just to win their younger sister¡¯s favor now?
Justin, who was next to her, also found the sight unbearable to watch.
Pete was too devious!
The family had fun all afternoon. This continued until the Queen called in the evening. With a listless look on her face, she asked, "Has ck Cat returned or not?"
Nora: "?"
No, really, so much time had already passed. Why was she still hung up over ck Cat?!
She replied, "She¡¯s gone back."
"Okay."
The Queen hung up on her right away.
"..."
Nora was rendered a little speechless by the Queen. After the children fell asleep at night, she took a look at the clock¡ªit was time to pick up Ian at the airport.
Chapter 924: Black Cat, You’re So Much Nicer Than Nora Smith!
Chapter 924: ck Cat, You¡¯re So Much Nicer Than Nora Smith!
Both Nora and Justin¡¯s identities had already been exposed in front of each other, so they headed to the airport together.
However, Justin kept wearing a ck mask and moved about as King.
Justin drove while Nora sat in the passenger seat.
After a while, her cell phone suddenly rang.
This was ck Cat¡¯s phone.
When she answered, a woman¡¯s familiar voice came from the other end. "ck Cat, have you gone back?"
Nora: "?????"
No, really, what was the Queen doing?!
She had just called her to ask if ck Cat had returned, and now she was calling ck Cat to ask if she had returned!
It wasn¡¯t like she would go missing, right?
The corners of her lips spasmed and she replied, "Yes, I¡¯m back."
"Oh, that¡¯s great."
After saying that, the Queen suddenly heaved a sigh. "I was worried that you might have been caught and detained by Nora Smith. Her eyes are really sharp. You¡¯d better keep your distance from King... By the way, I forgot to tell you that King and Nora Smith are in a rtionship, so you¡¯d better not mess with them. You didn¡¯t see how infuriating Nora was... She actually made use of me to catch someone! I¡¯m so mad! If she wanted me to cooperate, couldn¡¯t she just say so? I¡¯m not an unreasonable person. I think she is deliberately making things difficult for me! Of all people, why was my strongest bodyguard the murderer?"
Nora: "..."
The Queen rambled on. "Am I annoying you by saying so much?"
Nora was about to answer "Yes" when the Queen went on.
"You agree with me, right? Nora is too pretentious. The way she acts like she¡¯s so high up in the air is as if she doesn¡¯t take anyone seriously... Forget it, I won¡¯tin about her anymore. I used to loveining about her the most, but I find that evenining about her is boring these days. s!"
"..."
The corners of Nora¡¯s lips spasmed. If it was that boring, why was she still talking so much?
The thought had only just formed when she suddenly heard the Queen speak again.
"Apart from making sure that you¡¯re safe, I¡¯m also calling because I¡¯d like to confide in you. I¡¯m actually a little sad."
Nora: "?"
They weren¡¯t that close that they could confide in each other, right?
Despite finding it a nuisance, she asked, "What are you feeling sad about?"
Nora definitely wasn¡¯t one to utter such a sentence...
The Queen said, "Barbarian, my bodyguard... You know who he is, right? I¡¯ve always regarded him as my younger brother. Watching him grow up, and watching him be my strongest bodyguard made me really happy. But unexpectedly, he turned out to be a serial killer.
"Do you know? I looked into it just now. I was thinking that if he had never killed anyone from the UK, then I¡¯d just turn a blind eye. But do you know how many people he has killed?
"He has killed almost a hundred people... with more than a dozen of them from the UK... He¡¯s my younger brother, but those people are also my subjects. As an elder sister, I can cover up for my younger brother, but as a Queen, I cannot allow the murderer to go unpunished, such that those who have died cannot even rest in peace.
"The two roles, an elder sister and a Queen, keep switching back and forth in me... Do you know? This is the first time I¡¯m finding something a bit tricky to handle. I don¡¯t know what to do.
"I have dealt with ministers who betrayed me, but I never thought he would betray me too... He has never betrayed me before. No, that¡¯s not right. Killing my people is no different than a betrayal..."
The Queen rambled on and on, making Nora dizzy.
Atst, the Queen asked, "Do you think I¡¯m right?"
Nora replied, "... Yes, yes, you are."
"Sigh, you understand that I¡¯m really being put in a spot too, right? I knew you would understand. You are so much better than Nora. She is a heartless woman. This one time, I confided in her some of my worries, but she actually fell asleep just listening to me. Hah, does she think of my worries as a luby?"
Nora, who was falling asleep: "??"
"Alright, I have to go. Thank you for listening, ck Cat."
After she finished, she hung up at once, not giving Nora a chance to interrupt her at all.
"We¡¯ve reached the airport," said Justin warmly as he looked at her twitching face.
Chapter 925: Queenie Schmidt’s True Identity???
Chapter 925: Queenie Schmidt¡¯s True Identity???
Nora got out of the car and went to the airport exit to wait for Ian.
As Justin was wearing a mask, it would be too eye-catching if he came out, so Nora made him stay in the car.
She did not wait long at the exit before she saw that the flight had arrived. Ian walked out with the crowd.
Ian was in the business ss, so he came out first.
He raised his walking stick as a stewardess supported him.
When Ian had just recovered, he was weak, so he was in a wheelchair. Now, he could walk with a walking stick. Even if he walked slowly, his back was straight. He was wearing a suit, and no one dared to underestimate him.
Nora quickly entered the blockade. She came to Ian and held his arm.
A staff member was about toe over and say that she could not enter so casually, but when he saw this scene, he could not urge her anymore.
The father and daughter slowly walked out. Nora looked back and asked, "Where¡¯s the luggage?"
Ian: "I don¡¯t have one."
Nora was a little stunned.
The Smiths had a private ne, but to fly overseas, they had to apply for a transit pass. This required time and Ian clearly could not wait. Therefore, he took the earliest flight he could find.
He did not even bring his clothes or luggage. It was obvious how anxious he was about the news.
Nora did not dare to ask too much and walked him straight to the exit.
The two of them left the airport and arrived outside the car.
As Justin was here to pick Ian up, he especially drove a spacious car to make it easier for Ian, who had been on the ne for eight hours, to have a good rest.
However, Ian pulled Nora¡¯s hand. "Sit in the back with me."
"Okay."
Nora apanied Ian into the car.
Justin slowly started the car.
Ian nced at Justin. When he saw that he was still wearing a mask, he frowned and asked, "Is he reliable?"
Nora: "?"
She coughed. "Yes."
"If he¡¯s reliable, why is he still wearing a mask?"
Nora was about to exin that this was Justin when she saw Ian wave his hand. "Forget it, I won¡¯t ask anymore. You¡¯re being so mysterious all the time. I don¡¯t care what you¡¯re doing either... If you say he¡¯s reliable, I¡¯ll continue. Turn off all your phones and all themunication equipment in the car."
Seeing Ian¡¯s serious expression, Nora took out her phone and switched it off cooperatively.
She didn¡¯t say anything about being safe in her car.
Because Ian waspletely frightened now. She had to give him the safest environment to make him say it.
When Justin saw this, he simply stopped the car on an empty road.
There was nothing around them.
In fact, Nora even got out of the car and walked around. After confirming that no one could eavesdrop on their conversation, she got back into the car and asked, "Dad, what¡¯s wrong?"
Nora rarely called Ian ¡¯Dad¡¯. Now that she had called him that, Ian¡¯s heart calmed down.
He sighed and suddenly said, "I just... Back then, the Smiths were so powerful. Your mother had to escape to protect me, so it¡¯s always good to be careful."
There had to be a reason the mysterious organization could make Yvette wary.
Nora nodded.
Ian asked, "Is Queenie at the vi?"
"Yes."
Ian swallowed. "I want to see her."
"No, I can¡¯t see her..."
Ian¡¯s words were incoherent. Obviously, even after sitting on the ne for eight hours, he still could not calm his agitated mood.
Nora frowned. "What¡¯s wrong?"
Ian said, "I¡¯m afraid that if I see her recklessly like this, I¡¯ll bring her danger... Forget it, I¡¯ll tell you the truth! I recently found out that when Yvette was overseas, she once tried to get into business. She used an alias when she was doing business... That alias was Queenie Schmidt," he looked at Nora steadily and said word by word.
This sentence made Nora frown.
Why was Ian so nervous and being so mysterious? Was it because he felt that her aunt, Queenie Schmidt, was her mother, Yvette?
Chapter 926: Nervous!
Chapter 926: Nervous!
Nora looked at Ian and did not know what to say.
However, Ian seemed to have confirmed his suspicions. He slowly said, "When your mother died back then, you were still young, so you didn¡¯t see her dead body, right? So think about it. Why is your aunt so good to you? Furthermore, she handed over to you thepany that she worked so hard to establish... Also, the birthday gift she gave to Cherryst time was something I had given to your mother! Nora..."
Seeing that he still wanted to say more, Nora sighed and slowly said, "They lookpletely different."
As soon as she said this, Ian replied, "Her looks could have been adjustedter. Your stic surgery skills are so good now, it wouldn¡¯t have been a hard thing for her to change her face."
Nora was silent again. "Mother is already dead..."
"I didn¡¯t see a dead body, and you didn¡¯t see a dead body, either. I only heard the news from other people. Your mother was so smart, she could definitely find a way out. Nora, I don¡¯t dare to go to the Schmidt¡¯s directly now. I¡¯m afraid that someone might suspect her if they see me there. Can you help me contact her and get her toe out secretly so that we can meet?"
Ian¡¯s eyes were filled with light.
Nora had never seen Ian like this.
He was in high spirits as if he had found a reason to live again.
He had never been so excited, even when he found out that she was his biological daughter.
He must have loved Yvette so much.
Nora suddenly felt a little sad.
She did not want to cruelly crush Ian¡¯s only hope. She said, "I¡¯ll call her now."
"Okay."
Ian smiled.
This smile was like the sun shining into a car, making everything brighter.
Ian was indeed extremely good-looking.
Nora took out her phone and turned it on. She called Queenie.
However, no one picked up for a long time.
Nora frowned and picked up her phone again. She called the butler. John picked up quickly. "Ms. Nora, what¡¯s the matter?"
"Where¡¯s Queenie?"
"She just drove out. She didn¡¯t say where she was going," John replied.
Nora frowned. "Then who did she take with her?"
John said, "No one."
Nora: "?"
She asked, "She didn¡¯t take anyone along?"
"No... I persuaded Madam to take two bodyguards with her, but she seemed to be in a hurry. She only said that there was no need and left."
"Okay."
Nora hung up the phone. She thought about it and called the NTT.
Royce picked up quickly. "Ms. Nora, what¡¯s the matter?"
"Did Queeniee to thepany?"
"No."
After Royce replied, Nora was about to hang up when she heard Royce say, "But Madam called me just now and told me something."
Nora: "?"
She frowned and asked, "What is it?"
Royce said, "She wants us to listen to you from now on."
Nora: "??"
She frowned. "When was this?"
Royce sighed. "Just now, and... Madam is hiding something."
Nora was stunned. "What is it?"
However, Royce said, "How about this? I¡¯ll tell you in person at the Schmidt¡¯s."
Nora nodded. "Sure."
After hanging up, she said to Justin, "We have to go to the Schmidt¡¯s. Hurry!"
When she was on the phone, Justin had sensed that something was wrong, so after she finished speaking, he started the car and rushed to the Schmidt¡¯s.
Ian asked nervously, "What¡¯s wrong with her? Did something happen to her? Or does she know that I¡¯m here and is hiding from me on purpose?"
Nora frowned. She took out her phone and sent a message as she said, "No, she¡¯s missing! I¡¯ll get someone to look for her now."
"Missing?"
Ian¡¯s eyes widened. "How could that be?!"
Why did she leave in such a hurry?
The few of them went straight to Schmidt¡¯s. John was waiting at the door. When he saw Nora, he said, "When Madam left, she said that you can now enter that room."
That room... That room with Queenie¡¯s secret, she could enter now?
So now was the time Queenie had mentioned before?!
Nora¡¯s heart felt worse and uneasier. She asked, "Did she take anything with her when she went out?"
John thought about it and nodded. "Yes. I think she took an insted box."
Confidential documents could be ced in a password box.
Why did she have to use an insted box?
As soon as the thought appeared, Nora immediately realized it. It was the V16!
Only medicine needed to be kept cold!!
Chapter 927: Queenie’s True Identity!!
Chapter 927: Queenie¡¯s True Identity!!
Screech!
The car stopped at the bottom of the vi. Nora helped Ian out of the car. The few of them had just gotten out when they saw Cherry and the other two running out eagerly.
When they saw Ian, the three of them shouted in surprise, "Grandpa!"
Cherry pounced forward and hugged Ian before beginning to speak sweetly. Pete and Xander stood by the side with the corners of their mouths twitching.
However, Nora was not in the mood to listen to them. She entered the vi.
Justin followed closely behind her.
The two of them went straight to the third floor but realized that the door to the mysterious room had already been opened. Nora¡¯s footsteps instantly stopped. She and Justin looked at each other.
Then, he heard Ian¡¯s walking stick.
He walked around Cherry and came to the two of them. When he saw their faces, he asked, "What is it?"
Nora looked at that room. "There is a secret about my aunt¡¯s identity in this room."
Ian immediately looked at the door eagerly and walked in.
Nora followed behind him.
When the two of them entered, they were first attracted to the ck and white photo on the wall.
In the photo was Yvette¡¯s young and arrogant face. She was smiling arrogantly as she looked straight at them. In front of the photo were some offerings. It was obvious that someone had been here all year tomemorate her.
"This..."
When Ian saw the photo, the final hope in his heart suddenly shattered.
No one would secretlymemorate themselves.
Although he had a strong feeling after finding out that Yvette had once used the name Queenie, he really wanted Queenie to be Yvette.
However, he knew in his heart... How could the mysterious organization, which could push Yvette to a dead end, believe that she was dead without seeing her corpse?
But he forced himself not to think about it. It seemed that as long as he did not think about it, Queenie could still be Yvette...
He knew that if he thought about it, this fantasy of his would be shattered.
The walking stick in his hand trembled slightly.
He tried hard to stand up straight and walked forward trembling. His fingers slowly touched the portrait on the wall before he began to size up the items on the surrounding shelves.
"This..."
He picked up a small golden locket and was stunned. "This is Yvette¡¯s..."
In the middle of the golden locket was a piece of jade. This jade pendant had been broken, and there was a crack in the middle.
He looked at the rest of the shelves and realized that most of the things on them were left behind by Yvette.
He picked them up one by one, trembling... It was as if he had returned to the good days he had spent with Yvette.
Nora did not have much feeling for this. After all, she hadn¡¯t seen her mother since a very young age. Her feelings for her mother were not very strong.
She was just looking for something that belonged to Queenie here.
Since Queenie had said that the secret to her identity was in this room, then there must be something that belonged to her!
Nora looked around and suddenly saw a small box.
She was stunned. After walking over, she picked up the box and slowly opened it.
The first thing that came into view was a business card.
On the card was a little girl who looked to be in her teens. She had a ponytail and was facing the camera with a wide smile. The name on the card had been smeared.
The name of thepany on the card was: Philip Biotechnology Laboratory.
"This is the official name of the mysterious organization," Justin suddenly said. He looked at the girl on the card again. He seemed to have realized something, but he still asked, "Who... is this?"
Nora clenched her fists and slowly said, "Queenie."
When Queenie was only eleven or twelve years old, she was a member of the mysterious organization!
This was an oue Nora had not expected!!!
She and Justin suddenly looked at each other. Nora put down the box in her hand and rushed to Queenie¡¯s bedroom!
The V16 was supposed to be in her bedroom!
However, when she entered the bedroom, she saw that the fridge door was open and the V16 inside was indeed gone...
Chapter 928: She’s Queenie!
Chapter 928: She¡¯s Queenie!
Nora was stunned on the spot.
Justin reached out and ced his hand on her shoulder,forting her. "It¡¯s okay..."
There were two gene serums. Even if Queenie really handed both serums to the mysterious organization, he could still talk to Trueman as King and get one back for Xander.
There was still time!
However, he knew that Nora was not worried about the serum right now. She was just confused and hesitant upon being betrayed.
Nora really did not expect it to be like this...
Queenie was from the mysterious organization. She had thought about this a long time ago. However, in the past five years, Queenie¡¯s affection for her was not fake, and her feelings for Cherry were not fake, either.
She had even told her aunt that she could give her one of the two serums.
Then why did she snatch both of them away?
If she had left one for Xander, Nora would not have been so sad.
Nora took a deep breath. When she turned back, she saw the three children looking at them in confusion.
Cherry asked, "Mommy, what¡¯s wrong?"
Pete and Xander looked at her worriedly.
Nora lowered her eyes. "It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯ve just lost something of mine."
Cherry said again, "What did you lose? It¡¯s okay. When Grandmaes back, I¡¯ll get her to help you find it! Grandma is so powerful, she¡¯ll definitely be able to find it!"
Looking at her innocent appearance, Nora touched her head and did not say anything. She walked past her and entered the room that had never been opened for her before.
She wanted to see Queenie¡¯s life.
Justin stood behind her and looked at her departing back. He had never seen her like this. No matter what, she was calm, rational, and powerful.
However, sometimes, what broke a person¡¯s heart was not physical abuse but psychological betrayal.
He followed behind Nora and entered the room with her.
Nora took the box and flipped through it. Only then did she see an identity card.
The ID card was very old. It looked more than twenty years old as the photo was still in ck and white. The name on the ID card was Queenie, but the photo was of Yvette.
This should be the identity Yvette had forged back then.
Below the card was a transfer of shares agreement.
It meant that once she passed away, all that belonged to the NTTpany she had founded would be inherited by her daughter, Nora.
Nora took a deep breath.
20 years ago, the Inte wasn¡¯t as prevalent and most of the records were kept offline. It was not as convenient as it is now. After Yvette disguised herself as Queenie, one could easily change the photo.
Nora had seen Queenie¡¯s identity card.
She had secretly reced her mother¡¯s identity back then...
Nora only felt a little stifled in her chest. It was very ufortable. Was this the feeling of sadness?
She looked down again and realized that there was nothing left.
Although she knew that Queenie was from the mysterious organization, she still did not know anything about her real identity.
At this moment, a car arrived at the door. NTT¡¯s Royce walked in.
When she saw him, Nora instantly narrowed her eyes and asked, "You¡¯ve always known that she isn¡¯t Queenie, right?"
Royce was a veteran from when NTT was first established. He must have seen his mother!
Royce nodded. "Yes. I came here this time to exin it to you..."
He pointed to the sofa. After letting Nora sit down, he said, "I remember it was 26 years ago. Your mother suddenly brought her here one day and said that she would be in charge of everything rted to NTT. I asked her what her name was. Your mother said... Her name was Queenie. Your mother emphasized that she would be Queenie from now on."
Nora was taken aback.
Royce handed her another document. "Look at this first."
She lowered her head and opened it. After taking a look, her eyes narrowed.
Chapter 942: Nora Was Not to Be Trifled with Either!
Chapter 942: Nora Was Not to Be Trifled with Either!
After the two sides reached an agreement, the threat to Queenie and Nora instantly became greater.
At least at this moment, Queenie¡¯s eyes became sharp.
She looked ahead silently.
Trueman said, "Since I¡¯ve already reached an agreement with Barbarian and now have his support, Queenie, the deal will be held here!"
He reached out to Queenie. "Tell your people to stand down and give the serum to me. Then, your mission will bepleted!"
Queenie stared at him silently.
Nora narrowed her eyes.
At this moment, the phone in her pocket vibrated. She looked down and saw that it was a message from Trueman.
Nora frowned and nced at Trueman before looking at her phone.
She saw the content: "I¡¯ve got two gene serums, little servant. I n to give the other one to Barbarian. Are you sure you don¡¯t want to fight for it?"
"If you call me master now and promise to listen to me in the future, I might be able to help you keep one."
Nora: "..."
This meant that Trueman did not know that she was there at all!
The cold mask on her face covered her mocking lips and eyes.
Trueman was ying around.
From this message, it was obvious that Trueman did not n to give the other gene serum to Barbarian at all. He was clearly using Barbarian!
Just as Nora thought of this, Queenie sneered. "I can give this to you, but let go of my family first."
Trueman sneered, but he did not re-up. His voice was very calm, and it was sharp and arrogant. "... Queenie, you really don¡¯t understand the situation. You¡¯re the one begging me now! I¡¯m not the one begging you! Hand over the serum and I¡¯ll give your family a chance to live..."
Queenie took a deep breath. "You...!"
She looked directly at Barbarian. "Barbarian, do you see that? Trueman has never been one to keep his word! Do you really believe him when he says he will help you?!"
When Barbarian heard this, he looked at Trueman hesitantly.
Trueman smiled and said slowly, "Barbarian, she¡¯s clearly trying to drive a wedge between us."
"Is that so?" Queenie asked. "The three of us are bad people. There¡¯s animosity between us. In that case, Barbarian, do you believe him so easily? You helped him get the V16. Are you sure he¡¯ll give you the other V16?"
Barbarian was simple-minded and could not think of much logic.
On the other hand, Trueman sneered. "Queenie, you¡¯re really refusing a toast only to drink a forfeit. In that case, don¡¯t me me for being rude!"
With that, he waved his hand and the people behind him immediately rushed forward.
Nora kept blocking in front of Queenie. Just as Trueman was about to rush over, the masked mercenaries who hade with Nora also jumped forward!
Dozens of people fought four, but the four of them were not at a disadvantage.
One especially stood out among them. He was wearing a ck mask and had extremely strong arms. He hit Trueman so hard that he could not get up for a moment.
Trueman looked at Barbarian. "Barbarian! If we don¡¯t deal with this person, none of us will get the V16!"
When Barbarian heard this, he jumped into the ring as well.
The addition of Barbarian instantly ced pressure on the four of them, and they quickly fell into a disadvantageous position!!
Nora frowned and was a little anxious.
Of course, she had chosen the four of them. She had called over all her fellow disciples in the country. However, even when theybined their strength, they were as powerless as children in front of Barbarian.
Thud!
One of them quickly fell to the ground and his mask was sent flying. It was none other than Quinn School of Martial Arts¡¯ senior disciple, Lucas.
After he fell to the ground, the other three seemed to be unable to withstand it.
Nora observed them.
It had only been a month since theyst met, but Barbarian¡¯s skills were now stronger than what she had seen in New York!
However, since she had guessed that she would encounter Barbarian here, how could she note prepared?!
Although Barbarian was powerful, Nora was not someone to be trifled with, either!
The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and
continue reading tomorrow, everyone!
Chapter 943: I’m Sorry, Nora
Chapter 943: I¡¯m Sorry, Nora
Nora lowered her eyes and slowly walked out from behind Queenie.
She reached toward her waist with both hands, pulled out a pair of daggers, and swiftly joined the battle.
With her joining in, Barbarian didn¡¯t have it that easy anymore, especially when Nora had so much physical strength. She struck at Barbarian with all her might.
Barbarian ducked, but Solo rushed up from behind him and shot at him indiscriminately.
Barbarian: "!"
Though Solo didn¡¯t pose much of a threat, his chaotic gunshots surprisingly stopped Barbarian from advancing for a while.
Solo was holding a submachine gun. He fired away desperately as he went forward.
Nora was also moving forward. Soon, she reached Barbarian again.
Solo bombarded the area in front of him, making rows and rows of bullet trails in the ground and swirling dust all about...
Nora took the opportunity to sneak behind Barbarian and plunged one of her daggers at his heart.
Though Barbarian dodged the attack nimbly, he was still stabbed in the arm by Nora.
His expression instantly turned savage and his movements became even more ruthless.
Nora was about to attack him when she suddenly heard Queenie cry out in shock.
Nora¡¯s head whipped behind her to see that someone from the mysterious organization had bypassed them toe up to Queenie, who was dodging the attacks quickly.
But how would Queenie possibly be a match for a killer when she wasn¡¯t trained in martial arts?
Nora hurriedly pulled back, came right up to Queenie, and kicked the man away!
However, because she had stabbed Barbarian, it brought out the beast in him as he flew into a rage. Seeing her dashing toward Queenie, he charged right over and threw a punch at Nora¡¯s head before she could react.
"Look out!"
When Queenie was crying out, Nora¡¯s sixth sense had already detected the approaching danger. She turned her head and evaded Barbarian¡¯s punch.
However!
She was still too slow!
Barbarian¡¯s fist struck her mask.
Thud!
The mask fell.
Her visage appeared in front of everyone.
Both Barbarian and Trueman were a little taken aback to see her.
Even Caleb, who was beside the few of them, was stunned.
No one had expected Queenie¡¯s bodyguard to be Nora!
Everyone looked at her in astonishment.
Barbarian was the first to react. "It¡¯s you? I¡¯m going to kill you!"
If it wasn¡¯t for Nora, the Queen wouldn¡¯t have found out about the things he had done!
Originally, Queenie was the only one he could kill, but now that Nora had brought herself right to his doorstep, Barbarian¡¯s killing intent soared!
Caleb was the second to recover. There was neither sadness nor joy on his face. He merely frowned and said, "Why are you here?! It¡¯s dangerous, so hurry and get back here!"
Nora smiled at Caleb, but the next moment, she got into a brawl with Barbarian!
Trueman red at Queenie. "You actually betrayed us? Have you abandoned your family?"
Queenie didn¡¯t say anything.
The other three people came toward them at this point, encircling Barbarian with Nora and attacking him together. This finally eased the pressure on Nora a little.
"Kill Queenie Schmidt!"
Trueman shouted angrily.
Another person rushed over to attack Queenie.
Nora could only leave Barbarian to the other three and turn back to protect Queenie behind her.
When she was about to move, she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her back.
Nora¡¯s pupils shrank. She wanted to look behind her, but she found herself unable to move.
Queenie slowly came up to her side and murmured, "I¡¯m sorry, Nora."
Chapter 944: Reversal!!
Chapter 944: Reversal!!
Queenie tossed the syringe in her hand onto the ground. "This is a muscle rxer. It will immobilize you for five minutes. Everything will be fine in five minutes."
After speaking, she walked forward.
Nora suddenly called out to her. "Aunt Queenie."
Queenie paused.
Nora didn¡¯t move, but she said, "Cherry misses you very much."
Queenie was taken aback.
She hadn¡¯t expected Nora to say something like that at a time like this.
She clenched her fists.
After a while, she smiled bitterly and said, "Tell her to take it that I¡¯m already dead."
After speaking, she strode forward and raised her hands. "Everybody, stop!"
The three people that Nora had brought with her would definitely obey Nora¡¯s instructions, so when they heard Queenie, they looked at Nora again. Seeing that she wasn¡¯t moving, they also stopped.
Barbarian and Trueman¡¯s men also slowly came to a stop.
Trueman looked at Queenie. "Have youe round to the idea?"
Queenie sneered. "Rather than having you take the V16 from me and still failing to save my family, I might as well just give it to you now. I¡¯ll take a gamble on whether your character is credible or not. Also, I want to exin that Nora and I are not in this together. I was also threatened by her!"
When Trueman heard this, he nced at Nora and suddenly grinned. "Nora, you didn¡¯t expect to be betrayed by the person closest to you, did you? Hahaha!"
Then, he looked at Queenie and said with a smile, "At least you know what¡¯s good for you!"
Queenie picked up the V16 and walked toward Trueman slowly. "Don¡¯t me me for hesitating. After all, our agreement has always only been a verbal one. You have never given me any way to guarantee that I won¡¯t lose out."
Trueman nodded and picked up his cell phone. "I can give my men a call and tell them to let your family go right away."
Queenie lowered her head and sneered, "Do you think I¡¯m stupid? Even if you let them go, the moment something doesn¡¯t go your way, you will capture them again to threaten me. After all, hasn¡¯t my family been living under your surveince all these years? What¡¯s the difference between their current state and captivity? They will never be free!"
Trueman raised his eyebrows. "Then what do you want?"
Queenie looked at him fixedly. "I want freedom¡ªreal freedom, and to not be your puppet. I want my family freed from your surveince in the future..."
At this point, Queenie¡¯s voice died down to a whisper. "But I¡¯m too weak. Even if you do make me such a promise now, what can I do?"
An amused Trueman replied, "Yes, so what¡¯s the point of you saying all these things? Are the weak qualified enough to negotiate with me?"
Queenie sighed silently.
She took a few steps toward Trueman again.
By then, she was very close to Trueman.
And she was a great distance away from Nora...
She took off the V16 case that had been hanging across her shoulder the whole time. She looked at it and suddenly smiled mockingly. "Will you really give the other V16 to Barbarian?"
As soon as she said that, Trueman¡¯s expression suddenly changed greatly.
He finally understood now!
Queenie was only saying all that useless nonsense just now to let Barbarian realize that he was not qualified to negotiate with him!
Once the V16 fell into his hands, it would be very tough for Barbarian to take it from him.
Therefore, he must act now!
Trueman abruptly turned his head to see that, sure enough, Barbarian kicked away the people next to him and came straight for the two of them.
Trueman¡¯s pupils shrank abruptly and he subconsciously took hold of the V16 case!
Just as he grabbed the case, as expected of someone with gic modifications, Barbarian quickly caught up to them and grabbed the other end of the case.
Barbarian yanked hard at it but did not manage to pull it over.
It seemed that he hadn¡¯t expected Trueman to have so much physical strength.
Barbarian narrowed his eyes. "Are you really going to go back on your word?"
Trueman narrowed his eyes. "No, I¡¯ve never thought of going back on it. Let go..."
"No, give me one of the serums now!"
While the two were arguing, neither noticed Queenie suddenly taking off the ck overcoat she was wearing. She shouted, "Neither of you is going to take it with you!"
As soon as she spoke, Trueman and Barbarian both turned their heads and looked over in unison to see that Queenie had nted several mini bombs all over herself!!!
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Chapter 945: Queenie’s True Objective!
Chapter 945: Queenie¡¯s True Objective!
Queenie had been wearing a ck overcoat the whole time. No one could have thought that there would be rows of bombs under her clothes!
When she took off her coat, Trueman and Barbarian¡¯s expressions changed greatly.
Both wanted to get away from her immediately...
But the V16 was right here. They couldn¡¯t bear to throw the V16 away at all!
Trueman shouted, "Let go!"
But Barbarian said, "You let go! I can dodge the bombs!"
Because of the conflict, they missed their chance to escape immediately.
"I¡¯d advise you not to move!" Queenie yelled angrily, drowning out the two men¡¯s voices. "These are bombs that go off instantly! Once I press the switch, the bombs will explode immediately! No matter how fast you are, you won¡¯t be able to escape!"
As soon as she said that, people around her started to rush toward her!
"Don¡¯t move! If you dare take another step forward, I will detonate the bombs immediately!"
Queenie shouted. A panicked Trueman immediately shouted, "Stay away!"
None of the bodyguards dared to take another step forward.
Trueman looked at Queenie. "Are you sick of living?"
Queenie sneered, "I¡¯ve never thought of surviving. Besides, I was always supposed to die in your n anyway, isn¡¯t that right?"
The smile at the corners of Trueman¡¯s lips disappeared and he roared, "Are you going to abandon your family too?"
"My family?"
Queenie scoffed again. "They are just the ones who gave birth to me. They have never cared about me. Are they worthy of being called my family?"
Back then, she had escaped from the mysterious organization and returned home.
But in the end, she was sent back by her family!
All just because her family did not dare to offend the mysterious organization!
She had been in the mysterious organization since the day she was born... She had long been abandoned by her so-called family!
Trueman was stunned. "Didn¡¯t you work for the mysterious organization all these years because of your family?"
"Is that so?"
Queenie was still smiling. "If I didn¡¯t make you think that way, do you think I would have been able to live such a peaceful and stable life? Family... There¡¯s only one person I consider family, and that is Yvette!"
At this point, Caleb finally realized something. "So, you weren¡¯t under the mysterious organization¡¯s threat at all? The reason why you pretended to be was just to kill two birds with one stone?!"
Queenie didn¡¯t answer him, but neither did she turn her head to the back to look at Nora.
Nora stood where she was.
She looked at Queenie with her eyes a little red and called out, "Aunt Queenie..."
She knew that Queenie would never betray her.
She had always known that!!
She clenched her fists, trying to break free of the shackles that the tranquilizer had cast on her, but so long as time wasn¡¯t up, she couldn¡¯t move...
She could only call out, "Aunt Queenie."
"Don¡¯t call me by that name." Queenie turned her back to her. "I don¡¯t deserve it. I was born as someone shrouded in darkness; it was your mother who brought me into the light. I¡¯ve just been living on behalf of your mother all these years, that¡¯s all!
"Nora, I have already lived enough."
Queenie slowly said, "You must have already seen my medical report. I don¡¯t have long to live anymore. But before I die, if I can take away these two major threats for you, such that you are safe for the rest of your life, then that¡¯s enough for me."
Trueman yelled furiously, "Queenie Schmidt, you traitor! Traitor!"
After shouting, he said to Barbarian again, "Let go!"
But Barbarian stubbornly held on to the thermal instion case tightly.
Running away at this point would mean death, whereas there was still a chance of survival if he didn¡¯t! He would never let go!
Barbarian, who wanted to take the V16, frowned. He even thought of attacking Trueman...
However, Caleb, who was next to them, suddenly thought of something. He shouted, "You mustn¡¯t press the switch! If you blow them up, the V16 will be gone! Without the V16, Xander will die!"
But after he shouted that, he suddenly understood something...
He had a sudden realization. "The V16 is fake!"
As soon as he spoke, Trueman and Barbarian also realized the same thing. The two released their grip on the case at the same time to escape.
However...
"It¡¯s toote... Hahahaha! Having these twoe with me, such that Nora won¡¯t have anything to worry about anymore, is the only thing that I can do for you as your younger sister, Yvette!"
Queenie shouted. Before Trueman and Barbarian could escape, she quickly pressed the switch!
...
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Chapter 946: Trump Card!!
Chapter 946: Trump Card!!
Queenie had a tragic and heroic look on her face.
She had led a turbulent life, and life in the mysterious organization had been no better than death.
If she hadn¡¯t been taken away by Yvette, she would still be struggling in that hellhole.
She thought back to how Yvette had introduced her to everyone in NTT after freeing her from the mysterious organization. How she had given her a new identity and treated her so well.
She had brought her along to brew wine and to cook...
Yvette had even onceughed and said, "In the future, you can make this pasta dish for my daughter and tell her that this is what Mom¡¯s love tastes like."
She had been cracking a joke at the time.
Queenie retorted, "Can¡¯t you do it yourself?"
"I would still be recovering after giving birth. How am I supposed to cook?"
Yvette rebutted confidently.
Yvette was like the sun, always having a positive influence on the people around her and putting everyone at ease.
But such a Yvette gradually unsettled Queenie.
After all, she was a spy for the mysterious organization!
Yvette had clearly brought her out from the mysterious organization. She wasn¡¯t supposed to treat her this well.
The young girl felt terribly uneasy for a long time. Atst, she couldn¡¯t help but go to her and confess her identity.
What Queenie had thought at that time was: "When she realizes that I am not a good person, would she drive me away?"
She mentally prepared herself to be driven back to the mysterious organization.
But unexpectedly, Yvette smiled and replied, "I¡¯m aware of that!"
Queenie was stunned.
Yvette patted her head. "I¡¯ve known for a long time. What are you thinking so much about it for, though? It wasn¡¯t easy for you to escape from that ce. Just do whatever makes you happy."
Queenie asked in surprise, "Aren¡¯t you afraid that I will betray you? Even now, I still don¡¯t know what mission the mysterious organization has nned for me. All I know is that they want me to stay by your side."
Yvetteughed even more heartily. "That¡¯s why I say that the mysterious organization doesn¡¯t understand anything. People develop feelings for one another by spending time. Besides, if you weren¡¯t threatened by them, would you have been able to escape? It¡¯s fine; if there doese a day when you choose to betray me, at least our many years of friendship would still be real."
It was just a shame that, at the time, Yvette had thought that she still had many years to spend with her.
Until one day, a troubled Yvette suddenly approached her to bid farewell. "I wanted to spend another few years with you so that we coulde even closer, but that¡¯s not possible anymore. I¡¯m going back to the States."
At the time, Queenie had replied without hesitation, "I¡¯ll go back to the States with you."
"No, you stay here. NTT needs you more."
Yvette smiled and added, "It¡¯s too dangerous in the States."
At that time, she didn¡¯t know that Yvette was returning to the States to hide from the mysterious organization... It was only if Yvette returned to the States, sessfully set up everything, and prevented the mysterious organization from getting what they wanted that Queenie and Nora would have a chance of survival.
Only then would it give NTT the chance to grow and develop.
And only then would they be able to grow up safely.
Yvette had used her life to save everyone.
Queenie had only been with her for half a year.
A yearter, she finally received a call from Yvette. "Hey kid, I have given birth to a daughter."
Queenie was stunned.
Yvette then said, "I told her that she has an aunt living abroad. You have to help me take care of her, okay?"
Yvette had spoken in a very rxed tone, so it hadn¡¯t urred to Queenie at all that she might be dying soon. She merely smiled sweetly and said, "Sure, Yvette. When are youing back?"
"Coming back?"
Yvette chuckled softly and said, "Kiddo, I can¡¯te back anymore.
"I¡¯m leaving my child to you."
Queenie had been stunned then. Atst, she understood that Yvette was calling to entrust her soon-to-be-orphaned child to her. She shouted, "Get back here, Yvette! Get back here at once! We can face everything together! If you... if you dare let anything happen to you, I will hand over your daughter to the mysterious organization!"
"So, you¡¯ve learned to threaten people, huh? It¡¯s a pity that you won¡¯t be able to threaten me anymore. Kiddo, I¡¯ve never regretted knowing you. Go down your own path from now on."
After saying that, before she hung up the phone, Yvette added softly, "Be happy!"
She had led a very happy life.
Every single day she had spent alive during thest twenty-odd years had been a bonus.
She should have died in the mysterious organization long ago... It was Yvette who had pointed at her when they were in the mysterious organization back then and said, "I like this kid a lot. She¡¯s very much to my taste. Give her to me, I¡¯ll make her my younger sister."
Only then had the mysterious organization let her go.
So, how could she possibly betray Yvette?
Yvette, I¡¯ming to you soon.
Queenie said to herself inwardly. She closed her eyes and quietly waited for the bomb to explode. But...
There wasplete silence in the air.
One could only hear the sound of Barbarian and Trueman throwing themselves onto the ground after they both fled.
Queenie was confused.
She suddenly opened her eyes to see that everybody around her had dispersed and fled in all directions. Some even threw themselves onto the ground and held their heads.
But... the bombs on her didn¡¯t go off.
Queenie: "???"
Everyone: "!!!"
"..."
Time seemed to have stopped at this moment. No one knew what was going on, and they all looked at Queenie.
Queenie touched the bombs on her body again.
She frowned. Why didn¡¯t they go off?
Were they duds?
Surely she wasn¡¯t that unlucky, right?!
She had even bought the most advanced bombs on the market, so how could they possibly be duds?!
Queenie hesitated for a moment. Suddenly, she recalled that when she took Nora to the pasta restaurant earlier that day, Nora had kept circling around her while she was making the pasta.
She had said that she was helping her with the cooking, but in fact, she had done nothing.
Queenie suddenly turned back to look at Nora. Her voice quivered as she asked, "I-it¡¯s you?"
"Yeah."
Five minutes had passed.
Nora was able to move again. She moved her numb arms and legs and then looked at Queenie. Her eyes were a little red as she said, "I dismantled all the bombs."
Queenie: "..."
No wonder!
No wonder she hade after her and said that she wanted to apany her on the final leg of her life even after knowing that she had betrayed her!
As it turned out, she had seen through her ns!
She asked, "When did you realize?"
Nora replied, "You¡¯ve always been vain and fond of wearing red. When I saw you wearing a fully ck outfit this time, I immediately found it strange. Since you were about to die, you would definitely dress yourself up beautifully. Also, you seemed to have... gained weight."
Queenie: "?"
She had been wearing loose red clothing the whole time previously just to prevent people from seeing what her figure was like. She had also only drunk a bit of wine each day and skipped her meals just to shave another few inches off her waist.
This time, with the bombs tied to her body and the ck clothes, her figure had been highlighted even further. Not only did she not look swollen, but her figure even looked just right!
Nora only suspected that she had nted bombs on herself because she felt that she had gained weight?
Queenie¡¯s lip corners spasmed.
Nora was about to speak again when Trueman and Barbarian at the side realized that they had been tricked. The two immediately got up furiously.
Trueman pointed at them. "Nora Smith, the two of you must have a death wish!"
"A death wish?"
Nora quickly walked up to Queenie to prevent the people around her, who had thrown themselves onto the ground, from rushing over to beat her up. She looked at Trueman. "Is this all you had for a trump card?"
Trueman was taken aback. "What?"
Nora lowered her eyes, the corners of her lips curling upward slightly. Her smile was arrogant and brazen as she dered, "Since you have shown me your trump card, it¡¯s time that I show you mine too. None of you are getting away today!"
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Chapter 947: Cornered!
Chapter 947: Cornered!
After speaking, Nora pressed her hand against her ear and whispered to the person on the other end of themunications channel, "Come on out."
As soon as she spoke, clouds of dust suddenly appeared around the highway and several off-road vehicles started racing toward them.
The sight of dozens of carsing from all directions was simply spectacr. It was as if there were thousands and thousands of troops all around, raising fear in people.
Everyone present looked at them in shock.
Screech!
The cars stopped nearby and surrounded Trueman and Barbarian.
One of the car doors opened before the car had even stopped. It was an old man with a gray beard dressed in a white training outfit. His clothes were thin, yet despite how the weather was still transitioning to spring, the old man was not cold at all. On the contrary, he was in a thundering rage as heined, "The car went too fast! Nora, don¡¯t ever make me ride in that car again in the future!"
If someone from the United States was here, they would recognize him right away¡ªhe was Quinn!!
A grandmaster of martial arts was here!
As soon as Quinn spoke, another car door opened and an elegant and refined elderly man got out of it.
The elderly man¡¯s hair was ck and well-groomed. If not for his wrinkles and his calm eyes, it would be impossible for one to tell his age.
The moment he got out of the car, he smiled and said, "Quinn, you still haven¡¯t done anything about your motion sickness even after so many years? The dignified and powerful grandmaster of the Quinn School of Martial Arts with an extraordinary physical constitution is prone to motion sickness... I doubt anyone would believe it if they heard of it, no?"
As soon as Quinn heard him, he straightened his body immediately and retorted, "You devious old scumbag, how dare youugh at me? What¡¯s wrong with having motion sickness? Who made it a rule that the physically fit are not allowed to have motion sickness? My disciple has told me that motion sickness has something to do with the ear. It¡¯s tooplicated, so I can¡¯t really exin it either. I bet a devious old scumbag like you doesn¡¯t understand either, right?"
That¡¯s right, the person talking to Quinn was none other than the grandmaster of the Irvin School of Martial Arts, Irvin himself! He was also the one who had taught martial arts to Justin!
The Quinn and Irvin duo made up the most powerful martial arts force in the current world.
In order to take out Barbarian and Trueman, Nora and Justin, who were determined to take them out in one blow today, had exhausted nearly all their manpower and resources this time!
At the sight of the duo, Trueman knew at once that he wouldn¡¯t be able to escape. His pupils shrank and he shouted, "Nora, you actually managed to get those two here... You sure have invested a lot into this! But so what even if you have? Do you know who the one backing up the mysterious organization is? I¡¯ll tell you this: even those two won¡¯t be able to do anything to me!"
Nora narrowed her eyes. "Oh? So, who exactly did the mysterious organization rely on to get to where they are? The British royal family? But the Queen has never once supported you!"
"The royal family is just a cover!" Trueman stared hard at Nora. "Do you really think you can fight against the mysterious organization by yourself? The mysterious organization is King¡¯s! Do you know who King is? He¡¯s part of the Imperial League! If you dare to do anything to me, King will definitely hunt you down!"
King?
Nora was taken aback.
While she was thinking, a calm and steady voice reached them. "Howe I¡¯m not aware that Imperial League is the one backing up the mysterious organization?"
Following these words, a big and tall man wearing an iconic ck mask walked out slowly from behind the crowd.
The moment he appeared, the whole ce fell silent!
King!
He was the real King!
He was actually here!
It seemed that Trueman hadn¡¯t expected Nora to gain King¡¯s support either. He widened his eyes and looked at King in disbelief. He shouted, "T-this is impossible... Mr. King, why would you cooperate with her? Don¡¯t you want the gene serum anymore? But you have been investing in the mysterious organization all this time! Oh, I get it now... You¡¯ve be attracted to that woman¡¯s looks too, right? I don¡¯t get it. Why are all of you in love with her? She already has three children! And her fianc¨¦ is even dead because of her. Oh, by the way, her fianc¨¦ was Justin Hunt!"
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Chapter 948: Fight!
Chapter 948: Fight!
The moment Trueman said that, Nora raised her eyebrows.
She looked at Justin.
There were a lot of people here today. Though they were all their own men, Justin likely still wouldn¡¯t want to expose his identity as King. Therefore, he wouldn¡¯t take off his mask to p Trueman in the face.
But... When Trueman mentioned "Justin Hunt", wasn¡¯t he exactly referring to him? So, why was he suddenly clenching his fists? Even the veins on the back of his hands were bulging!
Just as Nora was puzzled, she heard Justin grit his teeth and ask, "¡¯Too¡¯? ¡¯All of you¡¯? Who else is in love with her?"
Nora: "???"
Was this really the time to be pursuing such matters?
Why was that man missing the point? Shouldn¡¯t they hurry up, catch all of them, and then clean up the mess so that she could go back home to sleep?!
The corners of Nora¡¯s lips spasmed a little. Then, she noticed that Trueman had immediately shut up and stopped talking.
She gave a wave and ordered, "Go!"
At hermand, the people around them immediately swarmed forward and attacked Trueman and Barbarian.
Trueman had brought dozens of men from the mysterious organization. Though all of them had consumed the gene serum, they were notparable to Barbarian, who was already at the V15 stage. Although they were skilled fighters, they were still no match for the Quinn School of Martial Arts and Irvin School of Martial Arts disciples who had been practicing martial arts since they were children.
Moreover, in order to ensure that they would catch them, Nora had summoned a lot of people this time!
As a result, Trueman and his cronies quickly found themselves at a disadvantage.
Seeing that his subordinates were being taken out one by one, Trueman retreated to where Barbarian was and said, "Go! Get me out of here and I¡¯ll help you get the V16!"
Although the two had just fought for the V16, they hadn¡¯t fallen out with each other.
Besides, if he took Trueman out with him, Barbarian would also gain his assistance and wouldn¡¯t be as isted and helpless as he currently was.
Thus, Barbarian agreed at once. He stepped forward and immediately took out the few people walking toward Trueman. Not only did Barbarian have immense physical strength, but his movements were also nimble. He disrupted the attack from Nora¡¯s men with sheer brute force.
Along the way, he even made an opening in the encirclement so that he could escape with Trueman.
Barbarian charged forward while Trueman followed right behind him.
Nora frowned. However, before she could say anything, the two grandmasters of the martial arts circle, Quinn and Irvin, were already standing in Barbarian¡¯s way. They said to the nearby disciples who were nning to rush forward again, "Stand back. Let me see what he¡¯s made of."
As a result, the battlefield was split into two areas.
One was where Trueman¡¯s men were being crushed by Nora¡¯s men.
The other was where Quinn, Irvin, Nora, and Justin¡¯s showdown with Barbarian was about to take ce.
Despite facing the four standing at the apex of martial arts, Barbarian was fearless. He looked straight at them and spat. Then, he asked, "Which one of you will go first? Or are you going toe at me all at once instead?"
If Nora and Justin teamed up, they could fend off either Quinn or Irvin, but the duo simply couldn¡¯t beat Barbarian.
But in Nora¡¯s opinion, the four of them were already the best in the range of an ordinary person¡¯s martial arts capability. If they still couldn¡¯t beat Barbarian, then one could only say that Barbarian was fated to survive.
These were all the trump cards she had.
While she was thinking, Quinn took a step forward. "I will go first."
After he spoke, Quinn drew a line across the ground with his foot. The Quinn School of Martial Arts focused on physical strength, his foot had left a deep mark on the ground. Then, Quinn immediately threw a punch at Barbarian!
Chapter 949: His Defeat Is Set In Stone!
Chapter 949: His Defeat Is Set In Stone!
Quinn¡¯s punch was fierce and incredibly forceful!
If the punch struck an ordinary person, their bones would definitely break and they would probably die.
Nora had once taken a full blow from him, and even she had been pushed back several steps.
Quinn had been studying martial arts all his life. He poured all of his efforts into learning how to increase his strength, and how to unleash all of his power in an instant.
Yet in the face of such a punch, Barbarian neither ducked nor evaded it. In fact, he even stretched out his fist and met Quinn¡¯s fist with his own!
Thud!
Their fists collided. Even the air could not escape the impact of their colliding fists, instead fully condensing in ce. This was what an exchange of blows between experts was like¡ªa single move was enough to determine the oue!
A muffled thump from the collision rang out, and then Quinn and Barbarian both took a couple of steps backward.
Barbarian felt a little pain between his forefinger and his thumb.
On the other hand, Quinn was a little pale. He sighed and said, "Martial arts are the same as a person¡¯s genes. The apex of martial arts is nothing more than the attempt to push the human body¡¯s potential to its limit. In a one-on-one fight, I am not as strong as him."
Irvin finally took a step forward at this time. "Then let me go next, and see for myself whether this newly broken through human limit is stronger than the original."
After speaking, just as he was about to step forward, Quinn spat and said, "You devious old scumbag, you were just making me test that man¡¯s skill before you attack him yourself, right? You¡¯re so insidious!"
Irvin replied, "The Irvin School of Martial Arts pursues agility and does not use clumsy parameters like physical strength topete with another."
After speaking, without waiting for Quinn to fly into a rage, he moved forward with his arms held up.
Irvin¡¯s movements were very quick and he was very flexible. Barbarian¡¯s fist approached, but before he could even touch Irvin¡¯s clothes, Irvin had already ducked under his arm to go behind him, where he immediately kicked him behind the knee.
Barbarian¡¯s knees were hardy and strong. The blow didn¡¯t bother him at all.
Moreover, as Irvin¡¯s martial arts focused on agility, he wasn¡¯t going to be able to exert too much force in the first ce. This led to Barbarian feeling like he was taking blows all over his body. Though there wasn¡¯t much force in the blows, they were terribly annoying!
He let out a shout and clenched both his fists. When Irvin struck him again, Barbarian mped down on Irvin¡¯s leg with his muscles, rendering him unable to break free.
Irvin: "..."
The sight made Quinn, who was watching from the sidelines, burst outughing. "You devious old scumbag, I knew it, you¡¯re the most underhanded person ever. See, it¡¯s all over now, isn¡¯t it? You¡¯re such an embarrassment."
Irvin replied, "At least I managed to exchange a dozen moves with him, Quinn, unlike you who was defeated in just one."
Barbarian sneered, "Those dozen moves were nothing more than tickles to me!"
Quinn shouted, "You hear that? You devious old scumbag, you can¡¯tpare to me at all!"
Irvin replied, "It¡¯s not that I can¡¯tpare to you, Quinn. Rather, it¡¯s..."
Just like that, the two elderly men began to quarrel, which annoyed the heck out of Barbarian. He shouted furiously, "That¡¯s enough!"
It was almost at this exact same moment that Quinn suddenly bent over and swiftly approached him.
Irvin grabbed Quinn¡¯s arm, allowing Quinn to use him as leverage to spin quickly in the air and deliver a merciless kick to Barbarian¡¯s knee!
Quinn didn¡¯t back off after delivering the kick. On the contrary, with the help of Irvin, he also gave Barbarian¡¯s other knee another ruthless kick!
He and Irvin cooperated with each other wlessly.
One was in charge of strength while the other was in charge of agility...
Soon, Barbarian felt like he had been struck seven to eight times.
By the time he recovered, both Quinn and Irvin had already retreated and put a distance of ten steps between themselves and him.
"... Is that all you have even after teaming up?" Barbarian scoffed.
He had only just spoken when his knees suddenly gave way. With a loud thud, Barbarian fell to his knees.
At the same time, he suddenly also lost all the strength in his elbow joints. His shoulders also seemed dislocated... His eyes widened in shock. "N-no way!"
Irvin stroked his beard. "With enough willpower, one can achieve even the impossible. Even if your body has already reached the limit of human potential, Quinn and I have spent all our lives trying to break the limit. If we can¡¯t break it alone, then we just have to team up."
In this world, no one would ever be at the top forever.
If someone were to be, then it could only be the Quinn and Irvin duo.
Barbarian¡¯s defeat was set in stone!!
The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and
continue reading tomorrow, everyone!
Chapter 950: He’s Doomed
Chapter 950: He¡¯s Doomed
Barbarian copsed onto the ground. Irvin said with a smile, "As expected, you and I are truly invincible when we team up, Quinn."
Quinn replied disdainfully, "Ha, don¡¯t say that, you old devious scumbag. Nothing good ever happens any time you pay me apliment. I will never team up with you ever again!"
Irvin replied, "Well, we won¡¯t need to team up in the future anyway. The future of the Quinn School of Martial Arts and the Irvin School of Martial Arts now lies on the shoulders of the next generation! They are husband and wife, so they can team up."
Quinn immediately curled his lips, but when he nced at Nora and Justin next to him, he ultimately couldn¡¯t say anything.
Nora looked at Barbarian and said, "Take him away."
Upon hearing her, someone took a step forward. He was about to tie up Barbarian, who was slumped on the ground, when he suddenly let out a low growl. Then, his dislocated joints suddenly returned to their original positions!
Both Quinn and Irvin¡¯s expressions changed when they heard themotion. Irvin frowned and said, "He took a drug!"
As Irvin spoke, Barbarian also stood up slowly. His shoulders shifted slightly and his joints popped back to their original positions, scaring the few people walking toward him so much that they stopped in their tracks.
Nora frowned. "What kind of drug is it?"
Irvin had a look of disdain all over his countenance. "A drug that¡¯s banned in martial artspetitions. The stimnt allows you to push your limits even further within a short period of time, but using it gives rise to endless problems and greatly damages one¡¯s health. The use of this drug has be prohibited in martial arts tournaments during the past few years."
Nora frowned upon hearing him.
She sneered and looked at Barbarian. "Barbarian, even if you¡¯ve gotten back up, do you think you can escape when the two martial arts masters are here?"
Barbarian stared at her, his left shoulder making cking sounds as it suddenly popped back in.
Dislocating joints and popping them back in was an extremely painful experience. Barbarian was clearly in so much pain that beads of perspiration had formed on his forehead, yet his eyes were still sharp and even more ruthless than before.
Barbarian replied, "How would I know if I don¡¯t try?"
After saying this, Barbarian suddenlyunched an attack!
"Go!"
Justin, Quinn, and Irvin rushed forward together and surrounded Barbarian. None of them dared to underestimate the enemy.
Because Quinn had said, "Since he has taken the banned drug, his body will definitely break through its limit again, making him so strong that it¡¯s as if he has taken the V16. He¡¯s not to be underestimated!"
Sure enough, Quinn and Irvin had gotten Barbarian down on his knees just now only because they had suddenlyunched a surprise attack.
But now, with the four of them joining forces... Even though Barbarian didn¡¯t have the upper hand, the four of them couldn¡¯t take him down quickly either.
In terms of strength, he didn¡¯t lose out to Quinn.
In terms of speed and agility, he was not inferior to Irvin.
For a while, the four of them and Barbarian entered a deadlock!
At this moment, Nora suddenly heard an exmation. "Lucas!"
She turned her head sharply to see that on the other side¡ªwhere Trueman and the others were surrounded¡ªTrueman¡¯s men had been subdued one by one, leaving only Trueman. Lucas originally nned to take him down, but he did not expect the thin and seemingly weak Trueman to also be rather skilled. He shed Lucas with a dagger and then ran straight to the car at the side!
Nora¡¯s pupils shrank and she subconsciously said to Justin, "Go after him!"
Justin nodded and then turned around and went after him. Soon, he entered a scuffle with Trueman and gained the upper hand.
The situation on Justin¡¯s side was now resolved, but with one fewer person in the four-man siege, there was now an opening in the encirclement. Barbarian was indeed the strongest man in the world; he seized the opportunity that the tiny opening presented and immediately broke out of the three-man siege!
He pushed Nora away in one blow. When Nora was retreating, she fished out a needle and stabbed it into him. However, Barbarian ignored itpletely and raced toward a motorcycle at the side. Before Nora, Quinn, and Irvin could catch up to him, he had already started the motorcycle and sped off!
Quinn wanted to go after him, but Nora stopped him and said, "There¡¯s no need to go after him anymore."
That silver needle was enough to kill him.
In order to take down Barbarian, she had made full preparations.
Then, she finally looked at Trueman, whom Justin had captured.
Chapter 951: I Don’t Have To Lie To You Ever Again
Chapter 951: I Don¡¯t Have To Lie To You Ever Again
Barbarian sped along the road on the motorcycle.
His palms were all sweaty.
His vision was also gradually bing blurry.
Before he came, he had considered the possibility that he might fail, so he had brought the prohibited drug with him. Once he consumed the drug, he would truly no longer be far from death.
For ordinary people, the banned drug would only cause a little irreversible damage to the body and reduce their lifespan, but someone like him would lose even more.
He originally had over a month¡¯s time left to administer the V16, but because of the stimtion from the banned drug, he only had a few days left now.
If he couldn¡¯t get the V16 within the next few days, he would die!
When Barbarian thought of this, he gave the throttle a forceful twist. However, sudden pain in his joints instantly wracked his body with convulsions, and he suddenly fell off the motorcycle.
Only then did he realize that the sharp pain at his waist was slowly spreading throughout his body.
With trembling hands, he touched his waist to find that there was a silver needle stuck there.
He pulled out the needle.
But when his fingers touched the needle, the skin there turned ck.
Barbarian stared nkly at his darkened skin for a while.
Although he was not the brightest bulb in the box, even he understood that he was close to dying.
Since that insidious woman had set up an ambush for him here, how could she not havee prepared?
There was no doubt that the poison she had made was incurable and took effect extremely quickly.
Barbarian knew his body very well. Just by feeling the changes in his body, he could sense that his heart was pounding abnormally fast.
So, the poison on the needle targeted the heart?
He suddenly started to gasp for breath.
He struggled to get up to walk over and pick up the motorcycle on the ground, but he stumbled and fell again.
At this point, a car passed by on the highway. Upon seeing him, a man got out of his car and asked, "Are you alright? Do you need help?"
The next moment, Barbarian took out a dagger and held it against the man¡¯s neck. "Take me to...."
An hourter.
The car stopped in front of thergest hotel in Switzend.
Barbarian pushed open the car door and got out of the car in a suit.
The man in the car was already dead. He was slumped against the steering wheel with a long bloody gash across his neck.
Barbarian nimbly avoided the security guards, entered the hotel, and went straight upstairs.
Upstairs, the Queen was discussing future state policies with other people. At this moment, a siren went off downstairs. When her guards heard the report through their earpieces, one of them shouted, "Alert! A car with a dead body inside has been discovered downstairs! It is highly likely that the murderer is in this building!"
After the captain of the guards spoke, the door was suddenly pushed open. Then, Barbarian appeared there against the light.
The Queen stared at Barbarian.
She stood up abruptly.
She couldn¡¯t see Barbarian¡¯s face clearly, so she merely shouted, "Barbarian, what are you doing?"
The captain of the guards charged toward Barbarian.
Barbarian kicked him away and the man fell immediately.
Then, Barbarian said, "You are too weak."
How could he possibly entrust the Queen to a pig-head of a captain like him?!
He couldn¡¯t rest assured doing so!
He suddenly took out a serum from his waist.
The captain of the guards panicked and yelled, "W-what are you doing?!"
The Queen also suddenly pulled out a pistol and pointed it at Barbarian. "Stop, Barbarian! Or else I¡¯ll shoot!"
Barbarian looked up and grinned at her.
His pearly white teeth made him look a little less gloomy and sullen than he usually was, and also gave him an air of innocence.
He didn¡¯t obey the Queen, but ruthlessly injected the gene modification serum into the captain instead!!
Since you are so weak, I will give you a hand...
"Stop! Barbarian! Stop!" The Queen shouted.
But Barbarian didn¡¯t. After injecting the gene serum into the captain of the guards, he grabbed the deputy... He was going to inject the gene serum into all of them one by one. After all, not everybody could endure the gene serum¡¯s side effects.
In the event that the captain couldn¡¯t endure it and died, there was still the deputy. If the deputy also died, there were still many other guards... He had to leave a strong and powerful bodyguard to protect the Queen on his behalf.
Everyone around them raised their guns and pointed them at Barbarian.
But without the Queen¡¯s order, no one dared to shoot. After all, to the Queen, Barbarian was special.
The Queen¡¯s hands trembled.
She knew Barbarian very well¡ªin fact, she even knew why Barbarian was doing all this! But she didn¡¯t need it! She didn¡¯t need gically modified guards to aid her, much less use gene serums to control them.
People were created equal!!
Her eyes reddened. When Barbarian injected the gene serum into the deputy, her hands suddenly stopped shaking.
Her aide¡¯s eyes also reddened and he shouted, "Your Majesty, they are all your subjects!!"
Yes, they were all her subjects.
As the Queen, she was bound to her duty of protecting her subjects.
Bang!
She fired, squeezing her eyes shut as she did. When she opened them again, she realized that the gunshot had struck Barbarian in the heart.
Barbarian froze, and he slowly turned his head to look at her.
He exhausted thest bit of strength he had to inject the gene serum into the deputy. Then, he fell to the ground with a thud.
His eyes were still open, and he was still looking at the Queen.
The Queen came over with her eyes all red and squatted in front of Barbarian.
Barbarian was shaking a little, and he was on the brink of death. He could feel his body getting colder and colder, blood was trickling out of his mouth.
But his eyes were stubbornly fixed on the Queen.
Only two people had been injected with the gene serum. If neither of them could endure its effects and failed to pull through, who would protect the Queen?
Barbarian was filled with indignation. While he was thinking about it, the Queen suddenly reached her hand out to him.
Her hand was still as warm as it was ten years ago.
The Queen¡¯s face also seemed to return to how she had looked when she was still a princess.
The Queen¡¯s voice was a little choked and it trembled as she said warmly, "Don¡¯t be scared, don¡¯t be scared. Don¡¯t be scared, Barbarian. It doesn¡¯t hurt, don¡¯t be scared. I... I¡¯ll take you home... I told you, I¡¯m going to keep you safe."
Barbarian slowly closed his eyes, and a smile appeared at the corners of his lips.
This was wonderful.
Your Highness, I don¡¯t have to lie to you ever again.
Chapter 952: Aunt’s Identity and the Truth
Chapter 952: Aunt¡¯s Identity and the Truth
Although no one had yet heard about Barbarian¡¯s death, Nora was certain that he would definitely die.
Barbarian had killed too many people. Furthermore, he had almost killed Justin in the past. He had already be a serial killer. If he was left alive, he would only kill more people.
Even if... Nora was touched by Barbarian¡¯s feelings for the Queen.
However, he was only gentle to the Queen and extremely cruel to others. Such a person did not deserve to live.
Even if he was caught by Brenda, he could not have escaped the death sentence.
Nora had never been one to follow the rules and regtions, and she had never been soft-hearted. If she could just poison him and get rid of a lot of unnecessary trouble, then why not?
Therefore, she did not feel any guilt about poisoning the silver needle.
Not long after Barbarian fled, another group of people rushed over quickly from the surroundings. The person in the lead was Brenda!
She quickly came to Nora and asked in surprise, "Nora, why are you here?"
She had received the news from Caleb and gone to the trading center to wait for Trueman and Queenie. However, nothing happened. It was only when arge-scale chaotic battle broke out that she realized and rushed over.
Nora did not answer. Brenda frowned and looked around. "Where¡¯s Barbarian?"
"He escaped."
Brenda said angrily, "He escaped again!"
With that, she turned around and chased in the direction Nora had pointed out.
Nora did not stop her.
Barbarian would probably die on the way. It was just nice for Brenda and the others to collect his corpse.
However, when Brenda and the others walked away, Nora turned around and looked at Solo, who was hiding behind an off-road car after Brenda appeared. "Why are you hiding?"
Solo said, "I..."
Before he could finish, Solo¡¯s legs suddenly went limp and he fell to the ground.
Nora quickly took a step forward and checked his body. Only then did she realize that a dagger had pierced through his waist! That dagger belonged to Barbarian!
Nora frowned.
In the chaotic battle earlier, many people were injured, but she did not expect Solo to be so seriously injured.
She asked, "Why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier?"
Solo pressed the wound on his waist, the dagger still in ce. The wound stopped bleeding. He chuckled. "I didn¡¯t want her to worry."
That¡¯s why he waited for Brenda to leave before saying anything...
Nora really did not know what to say to him. She examined Solo¡¯s injuries and frowned.
Solo asked nervously, "I didn¡¯t cut anything it shouldn¡¯t have, right?"
Nora: "..."
Solo¡¯s injuries were very serious, and there was no operating room here. Nora could only call a few people and send Solo to the hospital first.
The medical standards in Switzend could be trusted. Nora got Lily to contact the doctors in the hospital. It waspletely fine to let them perform surgery on him.
Nora did not follow over because Solo¡¯s injuries would not endanger his life.
She stayed and looked at Trueman.
Trueman, who had been captured, was calm and did not look flustered at all. He even red at Queenie. "Nora, do you really trust the people around you so much? Do you know that Queenie did this for a reason?!"
Nora narrowed her eyes.
Queenie said, "Shut up!"
Trueman sneered. "Why should I shut up? Why can¡¯t I reveal your true identity? What¡¯s wrong? Nora, you still don¡¯t know who Queenie is, right?"
Nora was about to speak when Trueman smiled. "How long are you going to pretend, Listener?"
Queenie clenched her fists in anger.
Nora looked at Queenie and saw that her eyes had suddenly be flustered.
Trueman smiled. "The reason she helped you was to obtain the gene serum in your hand. Do you really think she¡¯s that kind? Ha, don¡¯t be naive! Can she give up her life for a sister she had known for just a few months? Yvette loved her so much that she found that pianist and told everyone that she was Listener to deceive them..."
"Shut up!"
Queenie roared again and rushed to Trueman anxiously. She reached out and was about to p him, but the next moment, she suddenly covered her chest.
She turned around and spat out a mouthful of blood!
"Queenie!"
Nora stepped forward and held Queenie in her arms. She was very weak. She grabbed Nora¡¯s hand and slowly said, "I... You shouldn¡¯t have saved me. I¡¯m going to die... I have cancer..."
She said slowly, "Nora, I¡¯m not as good as you think. I¡¯m afraid of death, but I was sick. I had cancer, which was why I thought of this n. I got rid of these two for you. You don¡¯t have to be too touched... I have my own selfish motives. I hate the mysterious organization too. I hate Trueman..."
Her face, which had been normal a moment ago, was turning pale at a visible pace.
Nora looked at her, her eyes turning red.
At this moment, Trueman suddenly smiled. "Ha, cancer? You can¡¯t lie to me! What cancer? It¡¯s just your physical condition before you get the V16! As long as you inject the V16, you¡¯ll live! From the sound of it, Queenie, you¡¯re really full of lies!"
Trueman¡¯s words made Queenie even more furious. She red at Trueman, but her body was too weak. She had onlysted until now because of her belief.
She spat out another mouthful of blood. She was about to say something when Nora held her hand. "Queenie, I know everything. I understand everything."
Nora¡¯s eyes turned even redder. Low and clear tears rolled down from the corners of her eyes. "You just don¡¯t want to use the V16. You feel guilty for me and you think that you shouldn¡¯t be alive, right? That¡¯s why you want to die like this. You even hid your cancer from me to keep me from being sad..."
As she spoke, her voice became a little choked, but she suppressed all her emotions.
Queenie was taken aback.
She did not expect Nora to be so understanding.
She smiled bitterly and touched the tears on Nora¡¯s face. "Nora, I¡¯m not worth your tears."
She sighed. "You¡¯re... too smart. I just want to leave without feeling so much pain. I don¡¯t want to leave any pain for you... I¡¯m going to look for my sister... Nora, don¡¯t be sad."
Trueman roared withughter. "Hahaha, Listener, you really deserved it! You deserved it! You should have died in the first ce! If you died, Xander and I could take the remaining two serums! Hahaha, who asked you to lie to me? You didn¡¯t bring the real V16. If you had, you wouldn¡¯t have ended up like this!"
Even if she rushed back to the manor to get the V16, it was toote!!
Chapter 953: Live!
Chapter 953: Live!
This was what Queenie had nned.
She grabbed Nora¡¯s hand. "On the dressing table in my room, there¡¯s a button under my skincare products. It¡¯ll open a secret closet in the room when you press it. The real V16 is in there. Nora, I¡¯m sorry. I even lied to you..."
Nora stared at her. "Why? Queenie, why? When I got the V16, I clearly told you that one of those two serums belonged to you!"
Queenie¡¯s identity was a mystery. Over the years, Nora had been guessing who she was.
Later on, she stopped guessing and decided to let nature take its course.
In fact, when she got the V16 her mother had left behind and realized that there were two bottles, she heaved a sigh of relief. She handed the gene serum to Queenie, hoping that if she was really one of the five people from back then, she would take one for herself.
Nora believed that, with Queenie¡¯s intelligence, she must have guessed her intentions.
But why didn¡¯t she save herself?
She clearly knew that these two days would be herst!
Queenie sighed. "I told you, I don¡¯t deserve to live. It was Yvette who saved my life. I should have apanied her when she died, but she had asked me to take care of you. Now that you¡¯re older, you don¡¯t need my care anymore..."
Nora suddenly said, "Then, what if my mother wants you to stay alive?"
Queenie was stunned. Her eyes were a little hazy. "What did you say?"
The pain gradually came from her body, making her a little stunned.
Nora took a deep breath and took out a letter to hand to Queenie. "I found this in your secret room."
With that, she handed a letter to Queenie.
Queenie looked over and realized that it was thest letter Yvette had written to her before she died.
She had almost memorized everything written in the letter. It was just a confession, nothing else. As she was thinking, she saw Nora open the envelope.
Inside the envelope was a line of words:
"Queenie, the reason I entrusted my child to you was to give you a reason to live. The moment you walked out of the mysterious organization, you had already received a new life. You have to live well."
Queenie was stunned.
Nora took a deep breath. "Mother has never given me much help. She only asked her teachers to teach me martial arts and medical skills, but she didn¡¯t feel any need to find someone to protect me. She had always hoped that I could be very strong myself, so I never understood why Mother gave you the mission to protect me until I saw this letter in your room. Queenie, Mother wanted you to live, that¡¯s why she gave you this mission. She wanted you to forget your pain with time and to really love this world!"
The thousand children who had been used as test subjects were all innocent.
However, the children who had been tortured to death were not the most pitiful. The most pitiful were the five who had survived.
The pain they suffered was dozens, maybe even hundreds of times more than the other children. These kids were being tested by all kinds of cold equipment in darkboratories. This was a kind of torture in itself.
Their hearts were twisted.
After Barbarian escaped, he killed people crazily to take revenge on this society.
Barbarian was pitiful.
As for Trueman, his character was very strange. If these people wanted to live, they had to have a belief.
Barbarian¡¯s belief was the Queen.
Trueman¡¯s belief might be eternal life.
After Spacey found her freedom, she tortured her adoptive parents and drove a wedge between them which led to them murdering each other. This was also a way to vent.
Their personalities were dark and gloomy.
It was like a poisonous herb that had never seen light before. It wanted to ughter everyone to take revenge.
Only Queenie did not do anything. This was Yvette guiding her. Her sister was saving her... Having nothing to live for could¡¯ve be a weakness for Queenie.
She probably would havemitted suicide.
Yvette might have sensed this long ago, so after freeing her from the organization and giving her a new identity, she did not leave immediately. Instead, she taught her how to live a blissful life, wanting to save her from the darkness.
Queenie stared at the letter in her hand as her tears suddenly started rolling down her cheeks.
Nora said, "Queenie, think about it carefully. Can you really bear to leave? Can you bear to let go of Cherry? Can you bear to let go of Royce? Even John is so loyal to you! Can you really bear to let go?"
Could she bear to?
At this moment, an impulse suddenly arose in the heart of the disheartened Queenie.
She wanted to live!
She wanted to see the smiles of the people around her, wanted to see Nora¡¯s wedding. She wanted to see Cherry grow up and meet the love of her life...
Her eyes slowly lit up.
Yet!
It was toote!
The light that had just risen in Queenie¡¯s eyes gradually extinguished again.
"Hahahaha!" Truemanughed out loud. "Nora, you gave her a desire to live and then let her die. This is simply too cruel! You¡¯re too cruel!"
Queenie also sighed. "Nora, it¡¯s toote."
"No."
Nora knew that Queenie finally had the will to live. Her lips slowly curled up. "Queenie, I brought the V16."
When she said this, Trueman¡¯sughter instantly stopped!
He looked at Nora in shock. "What did you say?"
The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and
continue reading tomorrow, everyone!
Chapter 954: I Can’t Use This Serum
Chapter 954: I Can¡¯t Use This Serum
Nora took out a bottle of V16 from her pocket. She opened the lid and took out the serum in a syringe.
In the sunlight, her movements looked exceptionally professional and graceful.
Queenie watched her. For some reason, she suddenly felt d and relieved.
Yvette, as you had wished, your child has grown into a very strong person.
At the side, Trueman widened his eyes and looked at her in disbelief. If Barbarian had known that Nora had the real V16 with her, he would probably have risked his life to take it from her, right?
Given Barbarian¡¯s skills, it was more likely than not that he would be able to get it.
Once he obtained the V16 and injected it into himself, Barbarian would have been able to break through his limit again and defeat any number of people! With that, he wouldn¡¯t have had to die.
So, what on earth gave Nora the guts to still bring the real V16 with her when she knew very well that they would be here?
Trueman stared straight at her. As he watched Nora lift the syringe, he couldn¡¯t help but say, "W-wait!"
Nora didn¡¯t listen to him.
Trueman shouted, "Nora, there are only two doses of that gene serum in the world! Are you really going to give one to her? She¡¯s obviously already seeking death! How can you still give it to her?! Stop what you¡¯re doing immediately! Stop! Otherwise, you will regret it!"
Trueman wanted to stop her.
However, Trueman had already been subdued, so he couldn¡¯t put up a fight at all.
Nora remained indifferent to his verbal abuse.
Just as she was about to insert the needle into Queenie¡¯s arm, a hand suddenly grabbed her wrist.
Nora¡¯s line of sight followed the hand, and she looked up to see Caleb standing in front of her. He frowned as he said, "Think twice about what you¡¯re doing, Nora!"
Nora narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean, Mr. Gray?"
"Mr. Gray"...
Nora¡¯s form of address for him immediately became a lot more alienated.
Caleb stared at her. "There are only two gene serums in this world. You have to understand that there may be more important people who might need you to save them. Do you really want to give her one of the serums?"
Although NTT, thepany that Queenie had founded, might seem very powerful inparison with the Hunt Corporation and the Smith Corporation, be it in King¡¯s eyes or the mysterious organization¡¯s, it was insignificant.
Queenie was just Listener, one of the five children from back then.
Among those five children, Trueman was the young master of the mysterious organization!
In terms of status, Trueman indeed seemed superior to the others, and on top of that, Caleb was also on good terms with him. Caleb had never tried to take the V16 for himself, yet he was stopping her at a time like this.
Nora looked at Caleb and sneered. "Mr. Gray, I have never cared about status and whatnot. The only people I hold in my heart are my family."
After speaking, she shook off Caleb¡¯s hand.
But just when she was about to inject the gene serum into Queenie, Caleb shouted again, "But you haven¡¯t caught Trueman yet! Aren¡¯t you afraid that he will fight Xander for the other gene serum after Queenie uses this one?!"
Nora looked at him suddenly. "What did you say?"
Caleb heaved a silent sigh. He suddenly walked up to Trueman, who was being held down, grabbed his suit jacket, and took out a voice changer from around his neck!
The moment he took out the voice changer, "Trueman" panicked. His voice instantly changed as he said, "Caleb, what are you doing? Are you going to betray Mr. Yale?"
"Betray Mr. Yale"...
Nora narrowed her eyes. She suddenly realized something. "You¡¯re not Trueman?!"
This whole time, she¡¯d had a nagging feeling that the trap she had set up this time had worked too smoothly. Howe she had managed to capture both Barbarian and Trueman so easily?
As it turned out, this man was not Trueman!
The fake Trueman immediately sneered and said, "Of course, I am not Mr. Yale. There¡¯s no way Mr. Yale would put himself in such a dangerous situation! But I didn¡¯t expect you to actually betray Mr. Yale, Caleb!"
Caleb ignored him. Instead, he looked at Nora and said, "Trueman is not to be trifled with, Nora. Now that there are only two V16s left in the world, your best bet is to give one to Trueman and maintain friendly rtions with the mysterious organization. If you give this gene serum to Queenie, what is your son going to do if Trueman takes the other one from you?"
Nora clenched her jaw. "I won¡¯t let him!"
But Caleb took a deep breath and said, "Are you sure? Trueman is not as simple as you think. Think about it, despite having so many shes with him thus far, has he really suffered any losses? His power is beyond your imagination!"
As soon as he said that, Queenie also pushed Nora¡¯s hand away. "Nora, he is right. Although I wasn¡¯t in the mysterious organization all these years, I have also heard that the mysterious organization¡¯s new young master is a ruthless man who is even stronger than the previous leader. I can¡¯t use this serum. Save it for Xander instead!"
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Chapter 955: Angering Trueman!
Chapter 955: Angering Trueman!
Nora looked at Queenie with certainty. "So, this is the true reason why you decided to sacrifice yourself, right?"
Queenie was taken aback.
After a while, she sighed silently. "You¡¯ve figured it out again."
Previously, Yvette had hidden the truth from Queenie and helped her survive in the beginning. After thest twenty years or so, she actually didn¡¯t seek death that much anymore.
While she did mean all the things she did and said previously, and was also going along with what Nora wanted, in truth, it was Trueman whom Queenie was really worried about.
Barbarian might be powerful, but he was ultimately still just a fighter whocked intelligence.
Trueman was the real threat!
The mysterious organization was in possession of all the gene serums from V1 to V15¡ªin other words, it was just a matter of time before the mysterious organization created a second Barbarian!
Therefore, when Nora obtained two doses of the gene serum but could not use it on Xander immediately, Queenie didn¡¯t dare to have designs on the other one anymore.
She wanted to leave the second one to Xander, in case of an emergency.
By bringing fake serums with her this time, firstly, she was leaving herself no way out. Secondly, she was afraid that she would not be able to outwit Trueman. Should she really end up being caught by the other party, if Nora had the serum that Trueman needed, then she could at least still negotiate with him.
The best solution that Queenie could think of was blowing up both Trueman and Barbarian with herself.
If it failed, then at least there would still be two doses of the gene serum¡ªone for Trueman, and one for Xander.
It was not that she didn¡¯t want to live; rather, she couldn¡¯t! She dared not!
She didn¡¯t dare to risk provoking Trueman by using the gene serum, thereby leading to him taking the remaining one. If so, there wouldn¡¯t be any left for Xander anymore!
When Queenie saw how sharp and perceptive Nora was to realize her true intentions so quickly, she sighed and pushed her hand away. She said, "Nora, since you already know everything, then you should act with even more caution. I can¡¯t use the serum. I..."
Queenie was about to continue speaking when she suddenly felt a burst of pain, causing her to curl into a fetal position¡ªit was the bacsh from thest gene serum she had received, the V15.
She was close to dying!
Even so, with her other hand, Queenie held on tightly to Nora¡¯s hand that was about to inject the serum into her. "I... won¡¯t... take... it... Let... me... die..."
Everyone present stared nervously at Nora.
Caleb said, "Think about it carefully, Nora!"
But the masked Justin, who was standing behind Nora, suddenly said, "Don¡¯t be afraid, Nora. I am here."
After speaking, he reached out and patted Nora on the shoulder.
His palm was very warm and calming, as though he could resolve anything, no matter how huge a problem Nora caused.
Nora¡¯s heart settled.
She lowered her eyes and heaved a quiet sigh. "Okay, I won¡¯t use it on you."
Queenie breathed a sigh of relief.
Caleb also breathed a sigh of relief.
Even the fake Trueman was relieved.
But the next moment, the very instant Queenie let go of Nora¡¯s hand, Nora abruptly inserted the needle into her arm and quickly pushed down on the syringe!
"..."
Queenie was in so much pain already that she merely felt as if an ant had bitten her shoulder, so she hadn¡¯t realized anything yet... It was Caleb who recovered first. He stepped forward abruptly to stop Nora. "Nora!"
But a big and tall figure blocked his way.
Caleb looked up at the masked King and stared at him. "You..."
"Don¡¯t bother her."
Justin¡¯s voice was very calm and steady. His eyes swept across everyone present, making them shudder.
It only took a few moments to finish the injection.
During the brief interruption, the V16 was fully injected into Queenie.
Her pain gradually began to subside, and she also seemed to undergo some changes.
Queenie¡¯s facial features looked even younger now. Despite looking very sick just now, she was positively glowing with radiance now. Even the pain from the bacsh had disappeared in an instant, easing the frown on her countenance.
She squatted on the ground in a daze as she sensed the changes in her body in disbelief.
Seeing her like this, Nora stretched out her hand to check her pulse. "Aunt Queenie, I would never let Xander take the serum until I confirm its efficacy. You don¡¯t have to feel any psychological burden. I¡¯m only giving you the serum as an experiment."
Despite her saying that, Queenie was no fool.
She naturally understood that Nora was just saying that because she didn¡¯t want her to feel guilty, especially because... once Trueman realized that she had taken the gene serum and that there was only one dose left in the world, the repercussions from Trueman would definitely be humongous.
Nora checked Queenie¡¯s pulse cautiously. She found that the pulse of the woman, who was so weak just a moment ago that her pulse was nearly non-existent, had regained its strength.
She asked, "How do you feel, Aunt Queenie?"
Queenie took in the sensations in her body and slowly replied, "I¡¯ve be even more sensitive to sounds, and it seems like I can hear sounds of an even wider range of frequencies now. My body feels very rxed andfortable..."
Queenie¡¯s physical condition waspletely normal!!
This showed that there was no problem with the V16s that her mother had left.
Nora breathed a sigh of relief for Queenie and Xander.
After all, the V16s were more than twenty years old. Who could guarantee their efficacy?
Nora helped Queenie up and looked at her intently. "Let¡¯s get in the car."
Queenie nodded.
Barbarian was already dead. Though this "Trueman" was fake, Nora nevertheless still handed over the mysterious organization members to Brenda. Then, together with Justin, she took Queenie home.
Caleb sighed silently and said nothing. The limping man left them and went back to the hospital for medical treatment.
Before the fake Trueman was taken away, he shouted, "Just you wait, Nora Smith! Mr. Yale will never let you off! Wait for it! He wille for you very soon!"
Of course Nora knew that Trueman would never give up.
It was just that she didn¡¯t think Trueman¡¯s retaliation woulde so quickly or directly.
On the way home, she received a call from Trueman. Trueman¡¯s voice was harsh and arrogant as he mored. "Seems like you want to do this the hard way huh, Nora! Do you think that all your problems are solved because you now have King on your side? You are wrong! Who do you think could be behind an entity as powerful as the mysterious organization? The previous King of the UK? Is he so powerful that all countries in the world would fear him? To think you¡¯re colluding with King! Heh, you sure are penny-wise and pound-foolish! I don¡¯t mind telling you the truth: the mysterious organization is none other than the Imperial League! Why do you think King is getting close to you? Ha! You¡¯re so naive, it¡¯s unbelievable!"
Nora nced at Justin. "Oh? Then tell me, what is King¡¯s objective in getting close to me?"
Chapter 956: The Truth About The Imperial League!!
Chapter 956: The Truth About The Imperial League!!
Trueman sneered and said, "For the V16, of course! The mysterious organization was founded by the Imperial League. The mysterious organization¡¯s ultimate objective is to decipher the human DNA and achieve eternal youth and immortality!"
Nora didn¡¯t believe him. "You don¡¯t need to sow discord between us."
But Trueman said, "Then how do you think the mysterious organization got their funds for the experiments when it has never involved itself inmerce? Did the money fall from the sky?"
The mysterious organization¡¯s experiments were simply too big and expansive. Moreover, they hired so many professionals from various fields. Their daily expenses were huge. It was true that there was no way for them to support such huge expenses without strong financial resources.
Nora frowned.
Seeing that she was keeping quiet, Trueman slowly said, "Heh, I don¡¯t mind telling you the truth¡ªthe mysterious organization was created by the Imperial League itself! Do you think King is a young man? He has already aged! He wants to live forever! He doesn¡¯t want to die! He has also taken all those gene serums that were injected into me! They are just waiting for the V16 now!"
Aged?
Nora nced at Justin again.
Justin stretched out his finger and put it against his lips, motioning to Nora not to reveal his identity.
Although Nora didn¡¯t understand what was going on, she continued to listen to Trueman.
"You don¡¯t believe me? Then I¡¯ll tell you this¡ªmy father is none other than King! He fathered dozens of children back then to experiment with. I was the only one who survived. He also injected himself with the gene serums, so he¡¯s waiting for the V16 to save his own life! He is even scarier than me, yet you would rather trust him over me?"
Nora: "??"
Justin was even more confused than she was.
When did he father a son who was already this old?
As the two looked at each other, Trueman sneered and said, "But... Heh, under my leadership, the mysterious organization has long since broken away from his control. Even if I get the V16, I won¡¯t give it to him! Because he is the devil! The devil himself! He¡¯s scum!"
Trueman became rather agitated. Toward the end, Trueman even said, "I¡¯m not going to give him the V16 anymore. The ¡¯King¡¯ with you now is definitely fake. I know the real King all too well. You¡¯d best be careful and not let him fool you!"
Then, Trueman grinned and added, "You¡¯re wee."
As soon as he said that, Trueman hung up.
After he hung up the phone, Nora finally looked at Justin and asked, "What¡¯s going on?"
Justin took off his mask.
Everyone in the car at the moment was one of their own. Queenie had also found out Justin¡¯s true identity and was also looking at him curiously at the moment.
Justin sighed silently and replied, "The old King he mentioned is my maternal grandfather."
Nora: "?"
Maternal grandfather?
Come to think of it, she had never met Iris¡¯s family before.
But wasn¡¯t Iris from an ordinary family? Nora remembered that her family had forced her to marry Justin¡¯s father by threatening her with her sick mother...
When she thought of that, Nora suddenly thought of her own situation, and she suddenly realized something. She looked at Justin, upon which Justin, as expected, said, "My mom¡¯s father was not an Evans. I only found out about this when I was fifteen years old. The Imperial League had suddenly approached me at that time."
Justin would never forget that day.
At the age of fifteen, he hadn¡¯t yet taken over the Hunt Corporation and was being suppressed by his uncle Raymond.
He remembered everything very clearly.
That day, Raymond mocked him for being a pennilessd and ridiculed him by saying that without his parents, he didn¡¯t have anything to his name at all. He had told him that, without the Hunts¡¯ support, he was nothing but trash that didn¡¯t have even a single cent.
At that time, the Hunt Corporation was being restructured. Raymond had used his connections to thwart his attempts at taking out loans from the bank. Without any start-up capital, he couldn¡¯t do any of the projects he wanted to do.
He indeed couldn¡¯t borrow even a single cent from the bank.
He had left the house furiously at the time. But the next moment, King¡¯s servant found him.
The servant took him straight to the elderly King. King was indeed very old, he looked about eighty or ny years old. He stared at Justin for a long time before he finally cast his eyes down and said, "Alright, you¡¯re the one then."
Justin didn¡¯t understand what he was talking about, but the servant said, "Sir said that you will inherit the mantle of King in the Imperial League."
Justin: "?"
After speaking, the servant took out a bank card and handed it to him. "This is your pocket money. Give it some thought, Master Hunt."
When Justin checked the bnce on the bank card after the two had left, he found that there were several million dors inside.
He was astounded.
No matter how rich the Hunts were, they weren¡¯t going to give a child millions of dors as pocket money so casually. A few million dors were enough to act as thepany¡¯s entire working capital!
It was not untilter when he took over the Imperial League that he realized just how rich this mysterious family was. A few million dors were nothing more than just a drop in the bucket.
As Queenie listened to Justin¡¯s exnation, she asked curiously, "Was your mother unaware of this all this time?"
Justin nodded. "Yeah. Grandpa had passed away a long time ago, so I didn¡¯t tell Mom about it. She has always thought that she is a child of the Evanses. She has already cut off ties with her family for my sake, so the Evanses have also been behaving themselves all these years."
A curious Nora asked, "Why did the old King choose you?"
The mantle of ¡¯King¡¯ was reserved for the leader of the Imperial League since its inception.
The code names in the alliance did not change. Some of them had already been around for hundreds of years. In the past, when cell phones didn¡¯t yet exist, they had used letters to transmit information to one another.
As such, the code names were passed down from generation to generation.
At the question, Justin stayed silent for a while before he finally said, "I was also very curious about it at that time. Moreover, everything went by in a sh after he chose me. The second time I saw that servant was when my grandfather passed away. He came to me with all of the Imperial League¡¯s confidential documents and told me to take over the Imperial League."
At that time, Justin was only 18 years old!
It was only when heter investigated the matter that he found that the old King did not have many children left in the world. Iris was his only surviving daughter.
Justin was also his one and only blood rtive left in the world.
Because of this, Justin had even secretly reached out to his maternal grandmother, in other words, Iris¡¯s mother.
His grandmother was already in poor health at that time, and she told him the truth on her deathbed.
As it turned out, his grandmother had been kidnapped in her youth. She, together with a group of beautiful women, had been imprisoned in a room, and a king-like man had kept them in captivity.
His grandmother found out that every time one of these women gave birth to a child, the child would be taken away never to be returned.
Thus, she looked for an opportunity to escape.
The pregnant women then married into the Evanses and gave birth to Iris...
"At that time, I even wondered, ¡¯Since the old King is so perverted and likes fathering children so much, how could he possibly not have more children?¡¯ Where exactly did all those children go? But now, I finally know the answer."
Justin said solemnly, "All of them had been sent away as experimental subjects for the gic experiments."
Nora frowned.
They were already conducting experiments during Iris¡¯s generation?
It seemed that the gene serum¡¯s research and development had started even earlier than she had anticipated!
Justin frowned and then said, "No wonder the old butler has been keeping one of the Imperial League¡¯s ledgers from me all this time. Now that I think about it, the amount in that ledger must have gone to supporting the mysterious organization."
He was puzzled. "It¡¯s just that... I thought all of his sons were dead, but if Trueman is still alive, why did he choose me as his heir?"
Nora said slowly, "I may know the reason for that."
Chapter 957: The Neglected Truth
Chapter 957: The Neglected Truth
Justin looked at her.
Nora was silent for a moment before sighing silently. "It should be because you¡¯re a normal person."
How ironic.
The old man had been pursuing immortality his entire life and had created the mysterious organization to develop the gene serum. However, the research could not bepleted sessfully in the end. He did not dare to hand such a big empire like the Imperial League to his only son, Trueman.
All his children had died in the gene serum experiments, so he did not have absolute trust in Trueman.
Instead, Justin became hisst heir.
Justin also understood this logic.
If he had handed the Imperial League to Trueman, would that old man really have been at ease? No...
At this moment, he finally understood something. "I¡¯ve been investigating who had schemed against us back then. You and I are not people who can be easily schemed against. What went wrong... If Trueman is Old King¡¯s son and the mysterious organization is a part of the Imperial League, then everything makes sense!"
When Nora had be pregnant, the surveince cameras in the house showed nothing out of the ordinary.
Nora had been drugged and neglected. After all, she had been in the Smiths for so many years. As a fatty, she had never thought that anyone would covet her body...
Justin was also not someone who could be easily schemed against!
Especially at that time, he had already taken over the Imperial League and the Hunt Corporation. He was powerful, but what if the people in the Imperial League were in cahoots with Trueman?
No, that doesn¡¯t add up...
After all, Trueman did not know that Justin had taken over the Imperial League. It should be said that it was Old King¡¯s old butler who had schemed with Trueman! That old butler was the one who had approached Justin.
Justin nned to investigate the details carefully when he returned.
Someone like this, who had been left behind by Old King and was not loyal to Justin, should be eliminated!
A hint of ruthlessness appeared in Justin¡¯s eyes.
Fortunately, Nora was the one chosen for Justin back then. Otherwise, if it were someone else, having a child with a woman he did not like... Justin was not sure if he could ept it!
When Justin thought of this, he did not say anything else.
Nora did not probe further about the pregnancy back then. When Justin investigated everything, he would definitely tell her the truth.
The three of them returned to Queenie¡¯s manor.
When John and Royce from the NTT saw Queenie, the two of them revealed happy expressions.
The two old men past their primes stood up at the same time and said to Queenie, "Queenie, wee home."
Home...
Queenie knew that from that day onwards, this would really be her home.
The three of them entered together. Queenie suddenly looked at Nora and asked, "When did you realize that I was Listener?"
Nora smiled. "When I was talking with Ian on the phone, you correctly guessed that he was the one on the call. I already had my suspicions at that time. Later on, I got someone to investigate the pianist and realized that she was just a cover for you."
Queenie nodded. "I also wanted to get rid of this identity. With a pianist in front of the public, no one would think of looking toward me."
Nora then said, "You guys are really... Spacey also made a fake identity to confuse others. You¡¯re the same, but you went a step further and even got a fake cancer report. You scared Royce quite badly. You almost fooled me too."
With that, Queenie stopped in her tracks.
After a while, she said, not knowing whether tough or cry, "Do you really think I faked the cancer report?"
Nora: "?"
She was slightly stunned.
Queenie shook her head and said, "After injecting V15, if we don¡¯t get the V16 in time, the cells start mutation. Some of these cells start devouring the body. These cells look very simr to cancer cells under the microscope, which is why it was diagnosed as cancer by the doctor."
Nora was stunned. "In that case, you¡¯re fine?"
"Yes, after injecting V16, those cells will slowly disappear. In the future, other than some changes in my genes, my body will be no different than that of a normal person!"
Nora nodded.
Something suddenly shed across her mind...
She felt that she had neglected something important, but she could not remember it immediately.
Queenie looked at her and asked, "What¡¯s wrong?"
Nora shook her head. "It¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s just that I realized I have neglected something. I suddenly thought of it..."
As soon as she finished speaking, Nora stood still and thought about her conversation with Queenie from the beginning to the end. Her eyes widened suddenly.
The neglected truth suddenly surfaced!
Chapter 958: Trueman’s Bottom Line
Chapter 958: Trueman¡¯s Bottom Line
Nora looked at Justin and was about to say something when Cherry and Pete ran out of the room.
The two of them came out and saw Queenie first. They rushed forward and hugged Queenie¡¯s leg. Cherry¡¯s small voice was filled with tears. "Where have you been? Don¡¯t you want me anymore? They said that something had happened to you. I was so worried!"
After experiencing such deadly events, when Queenie returned to the house and saw Royce and John, she felt a sense of closeness. However, when she saw Cherry, whom she had cared for since she was young, an indescribable fear suddenly surged in her heart.
If she really died, she would never see Cherry again.
Queenie hugged her and her eyes instantly turned red. "Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t leave you again!"
Cherry nodded and grabbed her hand tightly. "You have to keep your word!"
"Okay."
Pete and Queenie did not have a deep rtionship, but after being together the past two days, the little guy was also very worried about Queenie. He sized her up carefully from top to bottom and only nodded when he saw that she was safe and sound.
When Nora saw the two children, she looked back in confusion. "Where¡¯s Xander?"
"He said he¡¯s tired. He¡¯s sleeping!"
Cherry did not think too much about it. "Xander has been sleeping a lot these past few days!"
Pete was really worried. "Mommy, go see him. Is he sick again?"
Last time, when Xander fainted after being injected with the V15, Pete realized that something was wrong with Xander¡¯s health. Although he did not know the entire story, he was still worried about his health.
Although he and Xander werepetitors and were working hard to obtain Cherry¡¯s love, Pete would not fuss about it with Xander!
Hearing Pete¡¯s words, Nora nodded.
She exited the room and walked upstairs. She pushed open Xander¡¯s door and saw a small lump on the bed. She walked over and coughed. "Xander, I came to see you."
Xander was different from the other two children. Xander had a sensitive character, and he was a boy. Therefore, whenever Nora approached him, she would notify him in advance.
However, Xander did not sit up as usual. Instead, he continued to lie there.
Nora¡¯s heart sank. Could it be that Xander was really very sick?
She quickly walked to the bed and lifted the nket. However, she realized that there was no one on the bed at all. The nket was only empty. Xander was not here at all!
Nora was taken aback.
Then, her phone suddenly rang. She picked it up and Trueman¡¯s voice came from the other end. "Why do you think I raised Xander? Do you think the rtionship between Xander and me over the past five years was just an act?"
"Nora, Barbarian and the mysterious organization were not my greatest trump cards. My greatest trump card is Xander."
Nora suddenly clenched her fists. "Xander won¡¯t betray me!"
After being with the child for so long, Nora knew Xander¡¯s character very well.
Although he looked awkward and shouted about fighting and killing, he was actually very kind. Otherwise, he would not have tried to save all those small animals.
Xander had true feelings for her and Justin!
Trueman smiled. "Yes, he has always been a child with love. Over the years, I haven¡¯t made him heartless. So what would he do when he hears that only V16 can treat his father¡¯s illness?"
What...
Nora suddenly realized something. She rushed to Queenie¡¯s bedroom and saw that the box with the V16 was empty. The V16 inside was gone!!!
The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and
continue reading tomorrow, everyone!
Chapter 959: Don’t Bring Anyone!
Chapter 959: Don¡¯t Bring Anyone!
"What¡¯s wrong?"
Queenie and Justin were ying with Cherry and Pete when they saw Nora walking out of Xander¡¯s room in a panic and rushing over to Queenie¡¯s bedroom, so they hurriedly ran over and asked.
Queenie immediately noticed that the refrigerator with the V16, which was supposed to be hidden in a secret ce, was gone. Suddenly realizing something, she frowned and asked, "Where¡¯s the other V16?"
In order to safe-keep the two V16s with them, Queenie had ced both of them there.
In the end, Nora, who had set up everything, had taken one and left the other behind. However, the one that had been left behind was now missing!
Queenie suddenly realized something and she immediately shouted, "There is a thief among us! John! Check who entered my bedroom today..."
"There¡¯s no need to check."
Nora stretched out her arm and stopped Queenie. A hint of remorse shed in her eyes as she said, "It¡¯s Xander."
Queenie was shocked. "Xander?"
Nora nodded.
Guilt filled Nora.
Ever since Xander returned to them, knowing that the child hadn¡¯t had his parents with him since birth and, as a result, was very sensitive, she hadn¡¯t dared to bring up Trueman much in front of him.
As Xander had grown up under Trueman¡¯s care, arge part of his mindset and moralpass was misguided.
Even though he had a good heart, it was inevitable that he would still be affected to some extent. However, neither Nora nor Justin had been in a hurry to do something about it; after all, these things weren¡¯t something that could be corrected so quickly.
They had to be more patient with Xander.
But following that, Justin had faked his death and escaped to secretly investigate the mysterious organization while Nora had been busy facing Trueman and Barbarian. Looking back at it carefully, since Xander¡¯s return, she and Justin had not fulfilled their duty as his parents at all.
For the sake of obtaining the V16, and for the sake of saving his life, they had overlooked the most crucial thing they should have done: spending time with him.
Her eyes reddened.
It was at this moment that Trueman¡¯s voice came from the phone again. "Nora, have you won?"
Won?
Nora had set up an borate n, defeated Barbarian, and caught Spacey; but in the end, she was still tricked by Trueman. She hadn¡¯t thought that Trueman would use Xander like this!
She took a deep breath. Trueman¡¯s voice suddenly became sharp as he said, "I told you not to give the V16 to Queenie, yet you simply had to! Now that there is only one V16 left, what are you going to do?"
What was she going to do...
Nora clenched her fists. "What do you want?"
Trueman had already obtained the V16. In fact, Xander was even in his hands at the moment. He could have just injected himself with the V16 immediately instead of calling her and provoking her over and over again.
Trueman must want something.
When she was thinking about it, Trueman said, "I want you¡ªand you alone¡ªto do as I say now. My little servant, you¡¯re going to meet us very soon. I should think that Xander would also be very happy to hear this, no?"
As soon as he said that, Xander¡¯s voice rang out. "Mommy, don¡¯te! Daddy won¡¯t hurt me!"
But he had only just spoken halfway when Trueman covered his mouth. "Mm...!"
Nora hurriedly said, "Okay, I will do everything you say!"
"Get in the car outside your house now."
The car outside her house...
Nora turned around abruptly and started walking to the door without hesitation. She had only taken two steps when she sensed someone following her at the back. Before Nora could even say anything, Truemanughed and said, "I definitely won¡¯t give you the V16, but if you don¡¯t want anything to happen to Xander, then I hope you can refrain from bringing anyone with you. Anyone at all, do you understand?"
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continue reading tomorrow, everyone!
Chapter 960: Husband And Wife Join Forces!
Chapter 960: Husband And Wife Join Forces!
Upon hearing this, Nora stopped and looked behind her at Justin, who was following after her. She said very solemnly, "Don¡¯t follow me. I have to go alone. None of you are to follow me!"
She couldn¡¯t risk putting Xander¡¯s life in danger at a time like this!
Besides, she was ck Cat... There was probably nobody in this world who was better at escaping than her. Even if she was caught by Trueman, she would not be in mortal danger.
Justin looked into the woman¡¯s eyes.
Her docile and obedient almond-shaped eyes which should have looked charming and timid were filled with determination in this instant.
Justin knew that the woman he loved was no fragile flower who could only depend on men.
He nodded.
Nora looked at him intently. After a while, she finally said, "Don¡¯t worry, I will bring Xander back safely."
After saying that, Nora strode off resolutely.
Justin stayed where he was.
His lips parted slightly as he murmured, "Okay, I¡¯ll wait for the two of you to return."
Seeing Nora leave, Cherry and Pete finally realized that something was wrong, especially since Pete was so sharp and keen. He looked straight at Justin and asked, "Daddy, what¡¯s wrong? Is Xander in danger? Where is Mommy going?"
Justin squatted down and held the children with one arm each. His voice was steady as he said, "Everything¡¯s fine. Mommy is going to pick up Xander and bring him home."
Cherry and Pete, who had been in a panic, finally calmed down after hearing this.
Queenie looked at Justin. "You... Are you really not going after her?"
Justin nodded. "I believe in Nora. Besides, there are other things that I need to take care of."
Queenie was taken aback.
Justin got up. He lowered his head, picked up his cell phone, and immediately made a call. "Investigate everything within the Imperial league that¡¯s rted to the mysterious organization and then... clear them all out!"
There was faint anger in his voice as he added, "Don¡¯t leave even a single one of them!"
Why was Trueman so powerful?
Because he was relying on the Imperial League!
If the Imperial League could find out the identities of all the members of the mysterious organization and cut off all of their sources of ie, then Trueman, who would be left with neither manpower nor money, would no longer pose a threat to Nora!
It was dangerous for Nora to face Trueman head-on.
How would Justin possibly just sit by idly and do nothing? He would defeat Trueman and clear all the obstacles for Nora!
¡ª
When Nora walked out of the vi door, sure enough, she spotted a car parked outside.
After she got into the car and started the engine, Trueman said over the phone, "Throw out your cell phone and call me with the cell phone I¡¯ve left for you, instead."
Nora turned her head to the side and saw an old-fashioned cell phone on the passenger seat. It was an extremely primitive type of cell phone that could probably only be used for calling and not even for text messaging.
Without hesitation, she threw away her cell phone.
The primitive cell phone then started ringing. When she answered it, Trueman¡¯s voice came from the opposite end. "Go to 28 Vail Street."
Nora started the car and went to 28 Vail Street.
As soon as she arrived, the cell phone rang again. When she answered, Trueman said, "My little servant sure is obedient~ Do you see the No. 848 bus? Get on it."
As soon as he finished speaking, the No. 848 bus reached the bus stop in front of her. She nced back at the surveince cameras on the road and then got on the bus immediately.
Chapter 961: Finally Meeting Trueman!!
Chapter 961: Finally Meeting Trueman!!
The phone call went silent. Trueman did not hang up.
He smiled on the other end and said, "Little servant, I¡¯ve finally made you obedient. Hahaha, Xander really is my good son. He made you so obedient."
Nora sat on the bus very calmly. "Can you let me talk to Xander for a while?"
She knew that Trueman liked her being obedient, so her tone was very tactful.
Indeed, this attitude pleased Trueman. He smiled. "Of course."
Then, Nora heard a sobbing voice on the other end. "..."
Xander¡¯s silence filled the phone. He seemed to not know what to say.
Nora¡¯s heart clenched slightly. She slowly said, "Xander..."
Her words made Xander choke even harder as he cried, "Mommy, I¡¯m sorry!"
Nora quicklyforted him. "You don¡¯t have to apologize. There¡¯s no need to be sorry. I¡¯m the one who let you down. I gave birth to you, but I didn¡¯t even know of your existence. I let you live in hell for so many years. Xander, you¡¯re the child I feel most guilty towards."
Xander was definitely shocked, angry, and guilty.
The child was very kind. He knew that his stupidity had put his mother in danger. Xander said, "Mommy, don¡¯t worry about me. Daddy won¡¯t do anything to me. He has always been very good to me..."
Over the years, although Xander had lived in the basement, it was obvious from how Xander had dared to rebut Ruth that his status in the mysterious organization was still very high.
At least Trueman had not abused him.
When Xander said this, before Nora could say anything, Trueman¡¯s sharp voice said with a hint of evilness, "That¡¯s not necessarily true~ My good son, I treated you well previously only to get you to bring me the gene serum. Now, the V16 is in my hands. If your mommy doesn¡¯t do as I say, then I can¡¯t guarantee what I¡¯ll do to you. Of course, beating you up is impossible. At most, I¡¯ll starve you. I think it won¡¯t be good if you don¡¯t eat for three days, right?"
Nora¡¯s voice suddenly sank. "Trueman, if you dare to touch even a hair on my son¡¯s head, I¡¯ll make you die a horrible death!"
Nora rarely said such ruthless words.
She was usually very low-key and tolerant. She was also very indifferent to others, but at this moment, she was really angry.
However, Trueman did not back down just because she was angry. He smiled and said, "Little servant, is this the attitude you should have when talking to your master?"
Nora bit her lips.
After a while, she said, "... Please."
"Heh, this is simply too enjoyable!" Truemanughed out loud. "Your mother Yvette was a stubborn person. The mysterious organization couldn¡¯t do anything to her. For so many years, they could only set traps and slowly wait for the V16 to fall in theirps. Compared to your mother, you¡¯re really better. You refused to admit defeat so many times... Little servant, if you knew this would happen, why did you do this in the first ce? If you had submitted to the mysterious organization and me from the beginning, wouldn¡¯t Xander and I each have had one of the two serums now? As for Listener and whoever, they weren¡¯t worthy!"
Nora remained silent and did not argue.
Xander was in Trueman¡¯s hands, so she had to tread carefully. She asked, "Where do you want me to go? Where are you? If Ie looking for you, you¡¯d definitely want to see me submit to you, right?"
"Ha, little servant, you¡¯re already good at guessing your master¡¯s thoughts~ Not bad, keep going like this! This is how you read my mind!"
Nora: "... Your voice still hasn¡¯t improved."
"It¡¯s okay. When we meet, I¡¯ll allow you to teach me. Now, get out of the bus."
Nora: "?"
She was stunned. She looked at the still moving bus and said in surprise, "I haven¡¯t reached the bus stop."
The bus would not halt until it reached the stop.
Trueman smiled. "As the Big Sister of the Quinn School of Martial Arts, this shouldn¡¯t make things difficult for you, right?"
"..."
Nora took a deep breath and suddenly stood up. Sitting beside her was a tall man. When he saw her stand up, he was a little stunned. He reminded her, "We haven¡¯t reached the stop yet."
Nora ignored him and opened the window.
The next moment, she held her hands up and her entire body slipped out the window.
Thud!
Afternding, Nora rolled away to reduce her momentum. She immediately stood up neatly and looked around, causing everyone on the bus to stare at her in amusement.
"Martial arts!"
"How awesome!"
"So strong!"
"..."
After showing off her skills, Nora did not have any time to listen to these people¡¯s praise. She walked away as per the instructions on the phone.
Not far away, a ck car was parked.
Nora jumped into the car and started it. The bus went to the northwest while she drove to the northeast.
Trueman was preventing others from following behind her. When she got on the bus, the best way was to wait at the next stop. However, who would have thought that Trueman would ask Nora to jump out of a moving bus?
Nora was driving, but her phone was still on the line.
Trueman smiled. "Little servant, you¡¯re really capable. I¡¯m so relieved. Hahahaha..."
Nora looked at the sea in the distance. She narrowed her eyes and suddenly said, "You want me to board a ship?"
"Yes."
Truemanughed. "As long as we go to the open sea, it¡¯ll be difficult for anyone to find us. Not even King! Hahaha, Old King deserves to die. I¡¯ll crush all his hopes for eternal life and watch him die!"
Trueman¡¯s voice was filled with arrogance.
Nora narrowed her almond-shaped eyes and bit her lips.
Half an hourter, Nora could already smell the seawater. She watched helplessly as the coastline slowly came into her view. She knew that if she could not find Trueman at this time and really went on a ship with him to the open sea, she wouldpletely be in Trueman¡¯s hands!
Nora became a little anxious.
At this moment, there was a knock on the phone. Someone should have entered Trueman¡¯s room. The person whispered, "Young Master, bad news! Something has happened to our ship!"
Trueman was stunned. "What happened?"
The person said anxiously, "Our ship has been detained."
Trueman said angrily, "Then look for another. As long as you pay well, I don¡¯t believe you can¡¯t find another ship in a short time!"
The other party stammered and finally sighed. "Young Master, all our funds have been frozen. I just realized that all our bank ounts have been locked! It must be... It¡¯s King! He cut off all our funds!"
Trueman instantly became irritable. He stood up and kicked something away. He muttered softly and cursed, "Trash! You¡¯re all trash. A bunch of trash!"
When Nora heard this, she lowered her eyes and suddenly asked, "Trueman, you don¡¯t have any money anymore, right? I can give you a choice. Give me Xander. I won¡¯t snatch the V16 from you. I¡¯ll think of a way to save Xander myself! Leave him behind. I can give you arge sum of money and let you live happily for the rest of your life!"
Without the support of the Imperial League, Trueman was like a general without soldiers. It was impossible to recover lostnd.
The V16... Nora did not want it anymore.
This was because Trueman was definitely smart enough to inject himself the moment he got the V16, right?
She only wanted Xander!
She wanted to protect Xander. Even if she could not develop a V16 herself, she wanted to apany Xander in his little remaining life.
She could not let the child be so afraid.
At the very least, she had to be by Xander¡¯s side in his final moments.
However, after she finished speaking, Trueman suddenly sneered. "Nora, you¡¯re thinking too much! Haha, I won¡¯t give you Xander. If you want him,e to me! Be my servant for the rest of your life!"
After saying this, he ordered, "Turn the car south. We¡¯ll meet there!"
Nora knew that Trueman had already gone crazy.
This person was simply crazy.
She gritted her teeth and turned the car.
Justin had sent people to look for her throughout the city, but she had already changed cars a few times on the way and changed directions several times too. Under Trueman¡¯s instructions, she had already thrown off those people who had chased after her farther and farther away!
Soon, Nora arrived at an abandoned factory.
She stopped the car and saw a familiar figure standing in front.
When she got out of the car, Caleb walked over with an anxious expression and grabbed her hand. "Nora, what¡¯s going on? Why did Trueman say he captured Xander? He even asked me to bring you to him!"
Looking at the person in front of her, Nora stared at him deeply with her almond-shaped eyes and did not speak.
Caleb sensed that something was wrong with her and said anxiously, "Don¡¯t be anxious. No matter what, I¡¯ll save Xander! Don¡¯t worry!"
However, Nora took a step back and avoided his pull. She looked at Caleb fixedly and said word by word, "There¡¯s no need to pretend."
Caleb was stunned. "Nora, what are you talking about? I don¡¯t understand. You..."
The rest of his words were stuck in his throat.
Because the next moment, Nora called him, "Trueman."
Chapter 962: The Truth!!!
Chapter 962: The Truth!!!
Time seemed to have stopped at this moment.
Caleb looked at her in shock, his expression gradually cracking. He was extremely shocked, clearly not expecting her to see through his secret.
He wanted to say something, but the next moment, he suddenly reached out and took off his sses.
Caleb had always been the rtively thin and refined type. He looked gentle and made people feel like they were bathing in the spring breeze, but after he took off his sses, his entire personality became sharp. The smile on his lips slowly faded and he looked fierce and indescribable.
He grinned. Even his voice and tone changed. "Hehe, hehe..."
He suppressed his smile. Afterughing, he looked up again, his eyes already bing ostentatious and teasing. "Little servant, you¡¯re really smart~"
His voice was sharp, as if it was suppressed in his throat, and also like Caleb¡¯s deliberately fake voice.
Nora felt like Caleb had be a different person. She frowned and asked anxiously, "Where¡¯s Xander?"
Caleb... No, it should be said that Trueman was grinning, revealing his two canine teeth. "Call me Master first, and I¡¯ll bring you to see him..."
Nora looked at him coldly.
Trueman¡¯s expression changed. "What do you mean? You¡¯re not going to say it? Hehe, then I¡¯ll call now and ask someone to beat up Little Xander!"
With that, Trueman took out the walkie-talkie. He was about to speak when Nora¡¯s eyes narrowed. She took a step forward. "I¡¯ll do it!"
This pervert!
She really did not know what kind of fetish this was.
Nora had called him ¡¯Master¡¯ when she texted previously, but at this moment, he had the upper hand. It was another humiliation, being forced to do it.
She found it a little difficult to say.
At this moment, Trueman suddenly seemed to be unable to control his body. He put on the sses in his hand and his aura changed again as if he had be Caleb. "Trueman, don¡¯t go overboard!"
With that, he took off his sses and became Trueman again. "Why? Do you feel sorry for her? Hehe, Caleb, why didn¡¯t you feel sorry for me when you betrayed me?"
He put on his sses again and changed back into Caleb. "Trueman, that¡¯s enough! You¡¯ve already gotten the V16. Return the child to her. Don¡¯t make things difficult for her!"
Trueman said, "Tsk, tsk. Your heart aches just like that? I won¡¯t! How can I give up such a fun toy so easily? Hehe."
"Trueman, don¡¯t go overboard! Otherwise, I¡¯ll hurt this body!"
"You¡¯re really crazy. You¡¯re crazy for this woman!"
"..."
Nora looked at Caleb in front of her in shock. He took off his sses one moment and wore them the next. It was as if Trueman was sealed inside that pair of sses.
It was only after a while that she reacted.
Caleb had a split personality!!
One personality was Caleb, and the other was Trueman!
She thought of everything that had happened previously and realized that Caleb and Trueman were one person. But from the looks of it, there were really two people inside. After all, every independent personality was a separate person.
"Trueman, no matter what, I won¡¯t allow you to hurt them!"
"Tsk, then make her obedient."
"Let me talk to her first!"
"Alright, I¡¯ll give you five minutes. I want an obedient servant."
With that, Trueman put on his sses and became Caleb again.
Seeing that he finally stopped changing back and forth, Nora looked at Caleb in shock and asked, "You¡¯re..."
Caleb wore his sses and touched his forehead. After a while, he said, "I¡¯m sorry. I, I¡¯ve always lied to you, but you¡¯ve seen it too. I can¡¯t control him."
Nora frowned. "Which identity is real between the two? You or him?"
Every person with a split personality would have a primary and a secondary identity.
Caleb hesitated for a moment before saying, "It¡¯s me."
He looked ahead in a daze. "After I was injected with the drug in the basement, I became afraid of the darkness. Somewhere along the line, he was born. He was braver than me, more ruthless than me, and more adept in that life than me. He could watch helplessly as his siblings died without doing anything while I would be sad. It can be said that he is my dark side."
Caleb sighed. "It¡¯s not the time to say this. Nora, listen to Trueman obediently. He has controlled this body longer than I have. Now, if you have any questions, ask me directly. I promise to tell you everything."
Nora looked at him fixedly and asked, "Back then, what happened to the three children? Who told Justin about Pete¡¯s existence?"
Caleb sighed. "I did."
Caleb lowered his eyes and clenched his fists. "I¡¯ve never lied to you. I really hate the mysterious organization. I want to destroy them. This has been my wish since I was young. Your mother was very kind to me back then. I was about to die, it was your mother who had saved me."
Nora was taken aback.
Caleb spoke again, "Although I had two personalities at that time, after taking the V3 gene serum, the rejection was obvious. Like my other siblings, I knew that I was about to die. At that time, your mother came to the basement and saw everything. She went almost crazy at that time and berated the mysterious organization for conducting human experiments. At that time, many children were facing death. Your mother treated a few of those children and took good care of them... In the end, the five of us who survived received your mother¡¯s kindness. However, I was the one who was there at that time. Trueman really did not know, he only had evil in him. The sole purpose of his existence was to survive. Later, your mother betrayed the mysterious organization and said that she had not developed the V16. After escaping the mysterious organization, my father, Old King, put your mother on the wanted list worldwide..."
At that time, Yvette had already realized that the mysterious organization¡¯s head was King, right?
Therefore, after returning to the country, she knew that no one would be able to resist King. She decisively left Ian and escaped to a small town.
However, she was still found in the end.
Yvette could only make a deal with King, or rather, Trueman. She had killed herself and escaped their clutches. Only when her daughter lived to 24 years old would there be clues to the V16!
Caleb apologized. "Caleb Gray is my other identity. Back then, my mother had actually married into the Grays first. Later on, King forced her to have me. Therefore, although I¡¯m King¡¯s child, I¡¯m indeed a member of the Grays..."
He looked at Nora. "I don¡¯t want to be Trueman. I don¡¯t want anything to do with the Yale name. I just want to be Caleb Gray."
Caleb lowered his head. "Back then, King arranged for Justin to have a child with you. After that, he reced all the surveince cameras in your house and buried all clues to the child¡¯s father. Then..."
He sighed. "When I came to look for you, you fainted as you gave birth to your first child. Trueman found a way to get it out in secret. He did it to raise your child. He injected him with gene serums and nned to force you to look for the clues to V16 yourself in the future. Trueman only needed one child. After he left, you gave birth to a second child. Henry threw the child away... I followed the security guard and arrived in the suburbs. He was your son after all. I really couldn¡¯t bear it, so I called Justin and used a voice changer..."
Nora looked at him. "Thank you for saving Pete."
Caleb was silent for a moment before his lips moved. "I definitely won¡¯t watch him die because he¡¯s your son. You¡¯ll definitely be sad if he dies. I don¡¯t want you to be sad."
Caleb immediately shut his mouth.
He seemed to have realized that he had said too much and was afraid that his words would put more pressure on Nora. He turned his head and looked elsewhere. He did not dare to look her in the eyes and quickly changed the topic. "When did you realize that I¡¯m Trueman?"
Chapter 963: The Truth (2)
Chapter 963: The Truth (2)
Nora sighed quietly. "I¡¯ve had my doubts all along. I already had my suspicions when I first tried to capture Trueman."
Caleb was stunned.
Nora lowered her eyes. "When we were trying to capture Trueman that time, I found the hotel where he was staying, but you were the one who walked out of it instead... Later, when we tried to capture Trueman a second time, he escaped and you were caught by the special department, instead. Now that I think about it, you must have allowed them to catch you on purpose, right?"
Caleb nodded. "Yes, I wanted to work with the special department so that I would be able to destroy the mysterious organization."
Nora fell silent for a moment. Then, she said, "I was very puzzled at that time. All our arrangements were appropriate and in ce, so how on earth had Trueman escaped? During that time, I had even monitored all inbound and outbound activity at immigration, but there wasn¡¯t any news of Trueman leaving the country at all. He seemed so mysterious and powerful that he coulde and go as he pleased, but I have never believed that anyone in this world canpletely avoid leaving traces of their existence as if they have never existed."
Caleb sighed. "I didn¡¯t expect you to have be suspicious of me so early."
"At that time, I was just distrustful and a little wary of you, but it didn¡¯t ur to me that you may be Trueman. After all, when you were detained in the special department, I was conversing with Trueman the whole time. This dispelled my suspicions. What really made me suspicious of you was when you were unwell and hospitalized some time back... I came to visit you and the nurse taking care of you said that you were scalded by hot water... But if your gene modification was of heat resistance, how could you be scalded? In that case, there could only be one reason¡ªyou were lying. Your heat resistance abilities haven¡¯t been modified at all... But five children had survived in theboratory back then, and this was something that all five of you knew... It only urred to meter that even though all five of you know about one another¡¯s existence, it may be possible that apart from you, the rest werepletely unaware of the others¡¯ identities."
Caleb nodded. "You have guessed everything correctly."
He lowered his eyes and exined, "When I went to the special department back then, I did allow myself to be caught on purpose. To avoid anyone from recognizing me as Trueman, people kept impersonating me the entire time. My subordinates were also trying to protect me at that time. After all, even though it¡¯s the gene serum that makes it seem like I have lung cancer, the coughing is real. Taking medicine eases my difort and relieves the pain... Cough, cough..."
At this point, Caleb covered his mouth again and started coughing.
Nora waited for a long while before Caleb finally stopped coughing. He said, "After escaping from the mysterious organization back then, the person whose heat-resistant genes were improved only wanted to be an ordinary person, even if it meant that he could only live until he was thirty years old. He begged me to help him hide his identity. I happened to be in need of a public persona, so I agreed to it. He lives a very peaceful life now, and he doesn¡¯t want to be disturbed by the outside world. He also leads a very innocent life... so I don¡¯t want to tell you who he is..."
Nora pressed her lips together. "He¡¯s Professor Epson, right?"
As soon as she said that, Caleb looked at her in astonishment and subconsciously asked, "How did you know?"
Nora replied, "When Barbarian was holding him hostage and asked him about the gene serum, he had answered immediately. But during all that time when I was at Staav University, I hadn¡¯t heard about the gene serum from any of the other professors at all. It was obvious that the matter was not widely publicized; only people who held great interest in it would know about it. Moreover, Barbarian didn¡¯t know who he was at the time. After pushing him into theboratory and setting it on fire, everyone who went in to rescue him, including my ssmates, was injured, yet he wasn¡¯t. That¡¯s when I first became suspicious of Professor Epson..."
Caleb: "..."
Nora nodded. "Yup, he leads a very innocent life indeed."
Professor Epson certainly led an innocent life, didn¡¯t he? He devoted his life to gene serum research, and his only goal was to surpass Anti!
When she thought about that man who regarded her as his imaginary enemy, Nora shook her head wryly. "I won¡¯t do anything to him."
"... Okay."
Caleb replied again before he let out a quiet sigh and remarked, "You really are very smart."
"No, I¡¯m not smart enough. If I were really that smart... Back then, you told me not to trust anyone so easily, and I never once suspected you... Even if I had doubts about everyone, the fact that you and Trueman had indeed appeared at the same time was already enough to dispel my suspicions. It was only when I connected the dots about Aunt Queenie that the fake Trueman gave me a new perspective..."
After Nora exined all this clearly, she looked at Caleb again. "But none of this is important anymore. What matters now is... I want to know what you¡¯re nning. Also, does Trueman know what you¡¯re thinking?"
Caleb looked at her and lowered his eyes. "He doesn¡¯t."
Caleb rubbed his temples, seemingly having a headache. "We only switch back and forth frequently when I want to talk to him or vice versa. We both have control over this body, but he is getting stronger and stronger, so he is already gradually recing me... Nora, I will tell you my ns now. I hope you can go with him. Don¡¯t worry about where exactly he is taking you for now. As far as I know, he doesn¡¯t hold much ill will toward you; he just sees you as a toy. He likes taming people and your stubbornness challenges his authority. Spend some time with him while I take the opportunity to find out where he has hidden the V16..."
Nora was astonished. "Trueman didn¡¯t inject the V16 into himself right away when he obtained it?"
Caleb looked at her. "I stopped him from doing so."
Nora was taken aback.
Caleb sighed. "For this body to take any action, both he and I muste to a consensus first. Although, if I take a forceful approach toward something, he won¡¯t be able to go against my will. After all, I am the primary persona now. But... if he really overpowers me eventually, then I won¡¯t be able toe out anymore... When that happens, he will be able to inject himself with the V16. Nora, time is running out. Listen to me carefully, I have already lived long enough, so the V16 must be left for Xander! I want all the sins to end with me. Do you understand? Do as I say!"
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Chapter 964: Little Servant
Chapter 964: Little Servant
Caleb¡¯s tone became more and more urgent. Toward the end, his voice also gradually became sharper and sharper.
As thest word rolled off his tongue, he took off his sses impatiently and stared at Nora. "He¡¯s done talking to you, right? You should understand by now that you must follow my orders more obediently, my little servant. Now, I want you toe with me, or else you won¡¯t be able to see Xander anymore!"
Nora lowered her eyes and took a deep breath. "Okay."
As soon as she replied, Trueman took out a pill and handed it to her. "Take this."
Surprised, Nora looked down at the pill.
Trueman smiled. "Don¡¯t worry, my little servant, you are my favorite servant, you know. Also, thanks to you, that King confiscated all my assets, so you are the only servant I have now. I¡¯m just worried that you will escape. After all, I can¡¯t beat the Big Sister of the Quinn School of Martial Arts in a fight, and I don¡¯t have a second Barbarian to act as my bodyguard either."
Speaking of Barbarian, when Nora was on her way back to the Schmidts, the Queen had called Justin and informed him of Barbarian¡¯s death. Also, both the captain and deputy captain of the guards protecting the Queen had been injected with gene serums. One was unable to withstand the serum¡¯s effects and had died, while the other became stronger. The Queen had asked Justin what she should do next.
Nora also gave her advice at that time and told her that the gene serums Barbarian was in possession of weren¡¯t the purest, so they only improved a portion of the genes, and they would not make one as strong as Barbarian. Because of this, there would not be too great a bacsh. The man¡¯s lifespan would only be shortened by ten years at the worst.
Barbarian would never let the bodyguard he prepared for the Queen, right before his death, survive the gene serum but die from its bacsh. He really had the Queen¡¯s welfare at heart.
The Queen remained silent for a long time on the phone before she finally said, "I¡¯d like to give Barbarian a proper burial. Would you mind if I do that?"
To be honest, regardless of whether or not Justin minded, the Queen would still do it anyway.
This was her private matter.
However, the Queen really did regard Justin as a friend all these years while Barbarian was Justin¡¯s enemy... Unexpectedly, though, the usually-petty man had replied solemnly, "We should respect the dead. Do what you want."
This world had treated Barbarian too cruelly, so he had taken revenge. But no matter what had happened, now that he was dead, one should let go of all the past sins.
Trueman put the pill in Nora¡¯s hand.
She held it up to her nose and took a whiff¡ªit was a type of muscle rxant.
It didn¡¯t harm the body and would only make one feel weak and limp. This way, she would not be able to resist Trueman anymore.
A sneering Nora nced at Trueman and said, "Indeed, given your puny arms and legs, you¡¯d better not get hurt by me."
Trueman: "??"
Trueman became angry at once, and a touch of malice even appeared at the corners of his lips. "You¡ª"
The next moment, without waiting for Trueman to lose his temper, Nora took the pill, which took effect immediately. She could sense all her physical strength dissipating. It didn¡¯t feel particrly ufortable, though. She moved her hands and feet a little, realizing that she had be no different than any other normal, slender, and frail woman, that was all.
A pill was effective for a day.
In other words, during this period when she and Trueman were to be together, Trueman would be feeding her one every day.
Seeing that she was being so obedient, rebuking her didn¡¯t feel right to Trueman anymore, so he walked ahead of her and said, "Follow me."
He got into the passenger seat of the car in front and gestured at the driver¡¯s seat with his chin. "Drive, my servant."
Nora¡¯s expression darkened a little.
Trueman asked provocatively, "Don¡¯t wanna see Xander anymore?"
Nora took a deep breath. Left with no other choice, she could only walk over and get into the driver¡¯s seat.
She drove following Trueman¡¯s instructions. As her car turned a few corners back and forth on the road, they started to go farther and farther from the city, making Nora frown.
Trueman chuckled. "Originally, we should have been on the cruise ship by now. Howfortable would that have been? Unfortunately, thanks to you guys, we no longer have the cruise ship anymore... I¡¯m very curious, though. My little servant, how on earth did you manage to persuade King and make that old geezer take your side?"
Chapter 965: Meeting Xander At Last!
Chapter 965: Meeting Xander At Last!
Nora didn¡¯t say anything when she heard Trueman.
She merely continued to look ahead as she asked, "Where¡¯s Xander?"
She didn¡¯t know how Trueman would react to the old King¡¯s death. Under such uncertain circumstances, she decided not to say anything for the time being.
Trueman snorted coldly. "He¡¯s waiting for us ahead!"
He didn¡¯t ask any more questions but narrowed his eyes instead.
Two hourster, Trueman suddenly said, "Stop."
Nora stopped the car and looked around.
There was only wilderness and nothing else around. She didn¡¯t know why Trueman wanted to stop here. She had only just started wondering when Trueman opened the car door, got out, and started walking away.
Nora also got out of the car and followed after him.
"Why are you following me?"
Trueman¡¯s voice was sharp and piercing as he scoffed and said, "I¡¯m going to take a leak. Do you want to join me?"
Nora: "????"
She frowned and returned to the car.
She slipped her hand into a pocket in her pants. There, she had a fingernail-sized transmitter that she could use to make contact with the outside world once she pressed the switch.
Just as she was about to press the switch, she saw Trueman standing at the car window, looking at her with a smile.
Nora: "..."
"Get out."
Nora got out of the car.
Trueman took out a scanner that he had gotten from somewhere and started to scan all over her body. As a result...
When he scanned her hair, the scanner beeped.
Trueman frowned. "Take it out!"
Nora held her hands out. "Take what out?"
Trueman looked at her suspiciously and continued to scan downward. The scanner continued beeping even when he reached her neck, never once stopping.
Trueman sneered.
Nora sighed. "I¡¯m here to save Xander. Why would I bring anything with me? Your scanner must be broken."
Trueman didn¡¯t fall for it.
He continued scanning downward. In the end, the scanner kept beeping from her neck to her arms, her waist, her abdomen, and all the way to her thighs and shoes.
Trueman: "..."
Nora held her hands out again. "See? It really is broken."
Trueman thought for a while. Suddenly, he scanned himself with the scanner, but it didn¡¯t make any sound. He looked at Nora frostily and said, "Surrender them yourself, or else I won¡¯t take you to Xander!"
Nora: "..."
She heaved a silent sigh. Then, she reached into her hair, felt around, and took out a steel wire as thin as a strand of hair. Obviously, it was used to unlock doors.
After she took it out, Trueman scanned her hair with the scanner again. Sure enough, it didn¡¯t beep anymore.
He continued to scan downward again. When he reached Nora¡¯s face, the scanner suddenly beeped again.
Nora said expressionlessly, "My nose is fake. There are metal supports inside. That¡¯s why it¡¯s beeping."
But Trueman merely looked at her with a sneer. "Do you think I¡¯ve only just met you? You probably don¡¯t know this, but I know you better than even you know yourself!"
"..."
A resigned Nora could only pull out a white object resembling a wisdom tooth from the innermost part of her mouth. When the scanner scanned the object, sure enough, it started beeping.
Trueman asked, "What is this, my little servant?"
"Poison," replied Nora.
"..."
Trueman continued to scan downward. When he reached her corbones, it beeped again.
This time, without waiting for Trueman to ask, Nora reached out, felt around, and took out a very thin thread again.
The thread was the same color as her skin. Even if one looked at her with a magnifying ss, they wouldn¡¯t be able to tell that she had a thread hidden on her corbone.
Nora coughed and exined, "This is a kite string."
Kite strings were very sturdy, but even such thin strings could kill sometimes. They were often used as weapons in assassinations. In addition, most metal scanners wouldn¡¯t detect them. The one that Trueman had found really was able to detect everything.
After that...
Nora took off the inconspicuous fake fingernails on her fingers. The fake fingernails on all ten of her fingers were all either weapons or poison...
Nora took out a flexible sword from her waist. The flexible sword was of such high quality that Trueman thought it was a belt when he nced at it...
Nora took out the transmitter she was nning to use just now...
Nora removed the wire wrapped around her thigh...
Nora pulled out a dagger she kept close to herself on her calf...
Nora took off her shoes, which were specially customized such that she could control the mechanism inside the shoes with her toes to extend sharp des at the tip...
...
...
Thud!
f.re(e) w.e(b)nov el.c.om
Thwack!
Trueman stared at the seven, eight, nine... twenty weapons that Nora had removed from herself in just a span of five minutes, feeling rather gutted.
He couldn¡¯t even maintain the malicious smile on his lips anymore. Instead, he looked at Nora and asked, "So, if I had taken you to Xander, would I have been dead by now?"
All of those numerous weapons, no matter which, could kill him!
"... No, you wouldn¡¯t have," replied Nora.
Just as Trueman was about to breathe a sigh of relief, Nora added, "I still haven¡¯t found the V16, you know."
Trueman: "..."
After Nora took off everything, she said, "That¡¯s all there is."
However, Trueman didn¡¯t believe her. He scanned her with the scanner again from head to toe.
"There, now you can be sure there isn¡¯t anything else, right?" asked Nora.
Trueman thought about it. Suddenly, he scanned her fingers.
He had already scanned Nora from her hair all the way to her toes. In addition, she had even taken the initiative to take off her fake fingernails. Logically, no one would have suspicions about her fingers anymore.
But the moment Trueman scanned her fingers, the scanner started beeping again.
Trueman: "..."
Nora: "..."
A silent Nora removed the tiny needles hidden in the crevices of her nails, taking out a whopping twenty of them. There were two hidden in each of her nail crevices.
They were too small to be seen at all.
She coughed¡ªeven she felt rather embarrassed herself¡ªand said, "Um, there were so many weapons on me that I forgot about those."
Trueman retorted, "... Do you think I¡¯ll fall for that?"
Nora didn¡¯t care whether he believed her or not, though. As for Trueman, he didn¡¯t even spare her toe crevices this time. After scanning her up and down several times with the scanner, he finally put away all her weapons and continued walking toward the empty grasnd at the side.
"Where are you going?" asked Nora.
Didn¡¯t I already tell you just now? I¡¯m taking a leak!"
Trueman replied after he walked a distance away.
Trueman was not worried that she would escape.
As for Nora, she sat in the car and sighed.
She hadn¡¯t expected to be checked so stringently. Great, now she really couldn¡¯t contact anyone anymore. However, so far, it seemed that things hadn¡¯t gone as badly as she had imagined.
She waited for another five minutes. Just as she was getting impatient, she suddenly saw Trueman appear in the distance.
Beside Trueman was a little boy who only reached the top of his thighs.
The little boy looked dejected, and obviously, rather unhappy.
It was Xander!!!
Chapter 966: Daddy Is Too Lonely, That’s All
Chapter 966: Daddy Is Too Lonely, That¡¯s All
At the sight of Xander, Nora¡¯s eyes lit up instantly.
Without waiting for Trueman¡¯s orders, she opened the door and jumped out of the car.
Xander was a little taken aback to see her. He stayed where he was and did not walk forward.
As they weren¡¯t too far from each other, Nora could hear their conversation clearly.
Trueman said impatiently, "Hurry up."
"I don¡¯t want to," Xander replied.
Trueman scoffed, "Are you trying to make me force you into it?"
Xander said stubbornly, "Daddy, you¡¯ve changed! You¡¯ve never spoken to me like this before!"
Trueman continued to lecture him. "Things are different now. I used to have all the time in the world to y with and foster a bond with you, but we need to hurry now!"
"... I don¡¯t dare to meet Mommy," said Xander.
"Because you¡¯ve let her down?"
Trueman¡¯s words made Xander lower his head even further. The boy, whose head was lowered, was rather dejected. "Mommy spent a lot of effort to get the serum for me, but I..."
f\r(e)ewe.b no\vel
Xander really did know that he had done something wrong.
He had only just said that when Nora walked over. When she heard him, she looked at Xander and asked, "So, you know very well what you have done is wrong, then why did you still do it?"
Xander didn¡¯t dare to look Nora in the eye when he heard this. He kept his head down as he replied, "Because it¡¯s Daddy... I can¡¯t just stand by and watch him die... Daddy is just like Butterscotch and Buttercup. He¡¯s also my best friend..."
Xander had grown up with Trueman, and he was the only person in Xander¡¯s world.
Upon hearing this, Nora nced at Trueman.
After spending all this time with him, Nora knew what Xander was like.
The boy might seem unreliable and behaved like the spawn of satan, but in truth, he was very sensitive and had difficulty fostering bonds with people. This was also the reason he could immediately bring himself to bite the bodyguard¡¯s hand when he saw him.
Because outsiders were all viins to him.
Only a handful of people could qualify to be ssified as his own.
For example, he had said that Ruth was his aunt, but in truth, Xander had never regarded her as one of his own. This led to him never trying to save Ruth when he came to New York. He even bullied her instead.
It was also this incident that had made Nora and Justin think that Xander saw Trueman the same way.
He had clearly been imprisoned in the basement by Trueman since he was a baby. In that case, there was no way he would have deep feelings for Trueman, but now... Nora discovered that she was utterly mistaken!
Even at a time like this, and even when Xander understood that Trueman had taken advantage of him, he was still calling him "Daddy".
Nora stared hard at him. "Xander, I know you are a sensible child. When you were injected with the V15, your IQ improved even further, so you should be able to understand what I¡¯m saying right now. The love and kindness that Trueman showed you in the past were all fake. He only did it for the V16... There is only one V16 left in the world now. If you give it to him, you will die."
When Xander heard this, he paused before he replied, "I... I know."
Nora was surprised. "You know?"
"Yes. Daddy told me about it when he called me."
Nora became even more stunned. She had always thought that Xander had been tricked, but from the looks of it now, it seemed that despite being well aware that only one person could be saved, Xander had still chosen to steal the serum and give it to Trueman?
After Xander said what he did, he looked at Trueman and added, "Daddy never lies to me."
Xander said seriously, "Daddy has never lied to me or told me that he was my real father, so I have always known that I was a child that he had brought from somewhere else.
"Every time Daddy visited me, he would bring me chocte because he knew that I like it.
"Daddy never hits me even when I¡¯m disobedient, but lets me think things through by myself instead.
"Even when Daddy sent me back to Mommy, he exined everything to me clearly..."
After whispering all of that, Xander finally looked at Trueman and said, "But you lied to me this time, Daddy! You didn¡¯t tell me that you would kidnap Mommy too!"
Like a little adult, he stood in front of Nora, looked straight at Trueman, and said, "Daddy, if you let Mommy go back, I promise I won¡¯t let Mommy seek you out! I will also apany you until I die..."
After he spoke, he took a step forward and stretched out his arms to hug Trueman¡¯s leg.
Nora watched the little figure standing in front of her.
For some reason, she suddenly felt her heart warm.
But right at this moment, Trueman picked Xander up carelessly with a strange look on his face. He said, "Of course I had to be nice to you, little guy. it was all to trick you into stealing the V16 for me. But now that the V16 is in my hands, do you think I will still treat you like how I did before?"
Trueman tossed Xander carelessly to Nora.
Nora hurriedly caught hold of Xander.
Trueman scoffed, "What a fool! Keep an eye on your son, my little servant. Otherwise, don¡¯t hold it against me if I show him no mercy!"
After speaking, Trueman walked over to the car and sat in the passenger seat again, leaving the two behind.
Nora looked at him from the back before she finally looked down to see a look of shock all over Xander¡¯s little face. Obviously, he hadn¡¯t expected his adoptive father, who had brought him up, to be like this.
Nora was about tofort him when Xander suddenly said, "Mommy, d-don¡¯t be scared. Daddy just says nasty things, that¡¯s all. But in truth, it is very easy to get along with him. He is just... just... too lonely, that¡¯s all..."
The word "lonely" was uttered very softly.
However, Nora frowned and said, "Xander, human nature is veryplex. You... wille to realize it in the future."
After speaking, she took Xander with her and got into the car.
Xander sat in the backseat obediently.
Nora started the car again.
The trio sat in the car in silence, none of them speaking. For a while, there was a very strange atmosphere in the car.
Two full dayster, Nora finally understood where Trueman was going.
This ce was at the border of three different countries. Governance at ces like this was generally rather messy, and it was a ce none of the three countries cared about. The moment she entered, Nora felt as if time had turned back twenty years. The streets around them were rundown and dpidated, and they could only use cash for purchases. There were even people bartering. All in all, it was a very backward way of life.
All thergepanies must dislike doing business here¡ªafter all, the people here didn¡¯t have any money!
Moreover, most of the buildings here were low-rise, and the paint on the walls was peeling. Ever since Nora drove into the area, she could smell the exposed food on the streets rotting. The streets were very dirty and messy.
Entities like the Imperial League or the Hunt Corporation rarely found themselves here.
Nora started the car again and drove into a dpidated building.
As soon as the car drove in, five to six burly men immediately appeared in front. At the sight of their car, they rushed up to Trueman and greeted him. "Mr. Yale!"
Trueman nodded.
One of them said, "Mr. Yale, you¡¯re finally here. Since we were not sure when you¡¯d return, we haven¡¯t cooked yet. I¡¯ll make something for you right away!"
After driving for two days and taking muscle rxants each day, Nora was rather tired.
She got out of the car. When she was about to take Xander to find somece to rest, Trueman suddenly grinned and said, "No need."
Then, he said, "My little servant! Go make your master something to eat!"
Nora instantly frowned.
Just as she was about to say something, Trueman sneered and said, "Otherwise, Xander won¡¯t be allowed to eat today!"
"..."
Nora felt that the man must be a lunatic. Yet it seemed like he simply took pleasure in bullying her.
Seeing the yful look in his eyes, Nora¡¯s eyes shed a little. Suddenly, her lips curled into a smile. She patted Xander¡¯s hand and slowly said with a smile, "Sure."
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Chapter 967: Eat First
Chapter 967: Eat First
Nora replied and looked at the person weing Trueman. She asked, "Where¡¯s the kitchen?"
The person looked at Trueman and then at Nora before saying, "Follow me."
The entire building seemed to be Trueman¡¯s property. Nora followed the man to the kitchen. As soon as she entered, she heard a clear voice. "Is Young Master here? I¡¯ll cook for him immediately~"
Before she could finish, the person retorted, "No, you go out!"
The chef turned around looking a little stunned.
Her face was dark as if she had been tanned in some ce. She had small eyes and a big face. She did not go out even when told to leave. She asked, "Why?"
The man who led Nora in was named Harry. He was the boss when Trueman was not around. When he heard her, he spat. "What do you mean why? I told you to go out, so go out! Young Master wants to eat food made by this person! Hurry up and scram!"
The chef looked unhappy. "Fine, I¡¯ll go out! Why are you talking to me like this?! I was specially invited by Young Master to cook! Every time Young Masteres over, he eats food cooked by me. Is her cooking so good?"
The chef looked at Nora warily.
Nora did not care. She thought about it and suddenly said, "Then go cook for Xander."
The chef was stunned. "Who¡¯s Xander?"
Nora: "...My son."
Harry had seen Xander, of course. When Nora came into the kitchen, Xander wanted to follow her, but his little head was spinning after traveling for two days straight. He was already tired.
Therefore, Nora got Harry to take Xander to the bed upstairs to rest.
On the way to the kitchen, she had already seen about seven to eight people in this dpidated building, but all of them were burly men. She finally met a woman in the kitchen...
Furthermore, Nora had also asked Harry. She knew that other than the chef, no one else could cook, so she asked the chef to cook for Xander.
As for what she could cook... ahem.
Nora did not make anyments.
The chef still wanted to say something, but Harry waved his hand. "This kitchen is to cook for Young Master. Go to the small kitchen on the side."
The chef went to the small kitchen. Nora then rolled up her sleeves and prepared to cook.
However, when she turned around, she saw Trueman standing at the door gawking at her. Nora raised her eyebrows and asked, "Why are you here?"
"I was afraid you would poison me."
"..."
Although Nora really wanted to poison him, he had brought the scanner from god knows where to check her entire body from head to toe before confiscating all weapons and poisons she had on her.
She was really unable to poison him even if she wanted to.
She ignored Trueman and picked up the steak beside her. "I¡¯ll cook steak for you? This is the mostmon dish I ate overseas."
Trueman knew about this.
After all, for so many years, he had been sending people to monitor Nora¡¯s every move.
Trueman nodded. He saw Nora throw the steak into the frying pan and light the fire.
Nora seared the steak familiarly. Trueman walked behind her and asked, "Have you cooked steak for Justin before?"
Nora: "?"
She nced at the corner of his mouth. "No."
Trueman¡¯s eyes lit up as a smile appeared on his face.
Five minutester, Nora moved the steak from the pan to the te and handed it to Trueman.
Trueman praised, "Little servant, you know how to properly serve your master now. Not bad. It looks like I didn¡¯t teach you in vain... This improvement is really good!"
As he said this, he saw Nora swallowing; she seemed to have smelled the delicious aroma.
He thought about how they had been eating and drinking on the road these past two days. In order not to let Old King find their traces, they had indeed been surviving direly.
She had not eaten well. All she could have was bread and water.
When they were about to reach their destination, there was not much bread left, so she simply gave it all to Xander. He and Nora had not eaten for twelve hours.
Trueman cut his steak into two and brought half of it to Nora¡¯s mouth. "You eat first."
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Chapter 968: My Servant
Chapter 968: My Servant
Nora looked at Trueman in surprise.
To be honest, she was indeed hungry after remaining hungry for twelve hours.
Therefore, when she smelled the meat earlier, she indeed got hungry.
However, was this person really that kind?
Just as she thought of this, she heard Trueman snort coldly and say evilly, "I¡¯ll have you test it for poison!"
"... I can¡¯t poison you without any drugs!"
Norained silently, but she felt that this suited Trueman¡¯s character. She put half of the steak in her mouth without hesitation and began cooking a second steak.
When Trueman saw that she had eaten, he lowered his head in satisfaction and looked at his half. He asked, "Hehe, Justin didn¡¯t even get to eat my little servant¡¯s steak, but I got your first time?"
Nora: "??"
Why did it sound so wrong?
She suspected that Trueman was doing it on purpose.
She ignored Trueman as he cut a small piece of the steak and ced it in his mouth before beginning to chew it.
The steak was marinated, so it tasted good.
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Trueman took a bite and the fresh juice from the steak slipped into his mouth. He chewed again in satisfaction.
Nora blinked and looked at him.
Two minutester, Trueman... was still chewing.
After another minute, Trueman spat out the steak in his mouth. "What are you cooking? Isn¡¯t the fire too hot? I can¡¯t even swallow the steak!"
Nora said, "It¡¯s cooked. As long as it¡¯s edible!"
She had always eaten it like this when she was overseas.
Because she was not in good health and was afraid of all kinds of parasites, whenever she cooked steak, she would cook it very well and then leave it on the me for another while. Although such a steak was difficult to chew, it was the same in her stomach if she swallowed it in one gulp!
Trueman: !!!
Nora spoke again, "Yes, I know my own cooking skills. That¡¯s why I never make things difficult for Justin. I don¡¯t hold a grudge against him."
Trueman: "!!!!!"
He was really angry this time!
He had originally thought that it was her first time cooking steak for someone. He did not expect her to be holding a grudge against him!
Trueman came to Nora¡¯s side angrily. "Go away!"
Nora took a step back.
Trueman reached out. "Give me the pan!"
Nora handed the pan to him.
Trueman began to cook his own steak.
A piece of steak was flipped over a few times. Trueman cooked the steak skillfully. The fire was just right. After he scooped it onto the te, he nced at Nora, who was staring at the meat in his hand as he handed the te over. "Eat half of it and test for poison!"
"..."
After taking two bites of Trueman¡¯s steak, Nora finally realized how overcooked her steaks were. In the past, she was always afraid that her steaks would be undercooked, and thus, ended up with steaks simply too difficult to swallow.
Trueman finished cooking thest piece of steak and looked up to see Nora eating. Her mouth was bulging like a little hamster, looking a little like the way Xander ate.
fre\e(w)ebn ov.e l\. co.m
Trueman lowered his eyes and looked at the two half steaks on the te. He pursed his lips.
After Nora finished eating, she said, "I¡¯ll go see what Xander is eating."
Trueman did not stop her.
Nora went out.
The chef had been told to send food upstairs from the small kitchen. She had probably gone to serve food to Xander.
Harry stood staring at Trueman in shock as Nora left the kitchen. "Young Master, this is?"
"A servant."
Trueman said coldly.
Harry instantly heaved a sigh of relief. When he saw Young Master cook for her personally, he had thought that Young Master had taken a liking to this woman. Was this woman going to be their mistress?
But she was also a servant.
With this in mind, he heard Trueman say again, "Mine."
Harry: ?
Trueman looked at him coldly. "She¡¯s my servant."
Harry: "!!"
He instantly understood what Young Master meant!
On the other hand, Nora went upstairs. When she reached the top stair, she heard the chef scolding someone. "Little bastard, I¡¯m serving Young Master. On what basis should I serve you?"
Chapter 969: Tell Me What?
Chapter 969: Tell Me What?
Two minutes ago.
The chef entered the room with two tes ofsagna.
She took the two tes ofsagna off the tray and ced them on the dining table. Then, she looked at Xander and asked, "What is your rtionship with Mr. Yale?"
After speaking, the chef frowned and asked further, "Are you Mr. Yale¡¯s illegitimate son?"
A child like him was actually staying in her master¡¯s bedroom.
The chef was terribly displeased.
The moment she voiced the questions, Xander curled his lips disdainfully.
On the way there, Trueman hadn¡¯t been nice to him at all. Moreover, their rtionship didn¡¯t use to be like that in the past, but his father had now be extremely scary.
This made Xander curl his lips as he retorted, "Of course not! How could he possibly be my father?!"
His Daddy Trueman wasn¡¯t someone like that!
The chef was taken aback for a moment when she heard his response. Then, she took off the cover on one of the tes and handed it to Xander.
Thesagna on the te was clearly cooked in an extremely perfunctory manner. The pasta was undercooked, and the sauce was watery.
Theyer of cheese on top was almost non-existent, and it even smelled a little bad.
The chef stood in front of him and looked at him arrogantly as she said, "Your mom told me to make you some food. Hah, who does she think she is? Does she think a servant like her can order me around? I am someone who serves Mr. Yale, and he even onceplimented my cooking! Who do you think you are? Never mind that an insignificant servant¡¯s child like you is staying here, but she even wants me to make food for you? What an ignorant woman!
"Tell me, you little bastard, what is your mom¡¯s rtionship with Mr. Yale? Why does he prefer her cooking over mine?"
Xander curled his lips disdainfully and looked at the woman in front of him. "Mommy¡¯s rtionship with that guy is none of your business!"
Xander had never been one to let anyone give him the short end of the stick, so he took off the cover on the other te by himself.
Thesagna on that te looked and smelled delicious. The tomato sauce was rich and meaty, and it was even topped with a lovelyyer of gooey mozzare cheese and parsley. It was obvious at a nce that it was cooked properly for her employer.
Xander pointed at the te ofsagna and said, "I want this te ofsagna!"
"No, you can¡¯t have it!"
The chef stopped him.
Xander immediately asked, "Why?"
The chef immediately picked up the te ofsagna and held it behind her. She said, "I¡¯m someone who only serves Mr. Yale, you little bastard. Why should I wait on you instead?"
"... Who do you think you¡¯re calling a little bastard?" said Xander.
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"You, of course!" The chef sneered. The next moment, Xander overturned the te ofsagna and flipped it right at the chef!
"Ahhh! That hurts! You little bastard! You must be sick of living!"
Nora, who heard their exchange the moment she came up the stairs, hurriedly pushed the door open, where she immediately saw the chef storming toward Xander. Her arm was raised, and she was about to hit him.
The look in Nora¡¯s eyes darkened as she immediately kicked over an old shabby wooden chair next to her.
The chair flew straight toward the chef, hitting her hard on her back. The impact caused the chef to stumble forward, and she fell to the ground.
After themotion, Xander, who had spotted Nora, immediately scrambled off the bed and went behind Nora.
Nora didn¡¯t use that much strength this time¡ªafter all, she had been drugged. Because of this, the chef managed to quickly get back up. When she looked behind her and saw Nora, she immediately yelled, "How dare you hit me?! Do you know who I am? I¡¯m going to tell Mr. Yale what happened right away! And have him get rid of the two of you!"
Almost as soon as she finished speaking, a voice came from the door. "Tell me what?"
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Chapter 970: Psychotherapy
Chapter 970: Psychotherapy
When Nora heard Trueman¡¯s grating voice, she immediately frowned.
Crap.
That guy was currently not only having a ball of a time making fun of her, but also feeling great distaste toward Xander. Now that she had beaten up his little chef, he was definitely going to use it against her again.
She frowned and put her arms around Xander. Then, she looked at the chef and said warningly, "It¡¯s nothing. Your master is already very tired, isn¡¯t he?"
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Seeing her behavior, the chef immediately knew that she was backing down, so she immediately retorted, "What do you mean ¡¯nothing¡¯? Why didn¡¯t you say it was ¡¯nothing¡¯ when you hit me just now? Mr. Yale, you must help me out here!"
After speaking, she immediately ran up to Trueman and grabbed his sleeve. "Mr. Yale, that little bastard demanded that I serve him! Hah, but why should I? You personally hired me as your chef, and you once said that I am allowed to serve only you! On top of that, he even wanted to eat thesagna I made for you! When I refused, he flipped the te ofsagna at me! It really hurt! And that woman, too! Boohoo, she actually hit me!"
The look in Trueman¡¯s eyes turned a little displeased, and he looked at Nora darkly. "She hit you?"
The chef nodded repeatedly. "Yes. Not only did she hit me, but she also scolded me. Boohoo, I only cooked a te ofsagna for the child because I found him pitiful. What makes them think they can boss me around? And even hit me if I refuse to obey their orders?"
The chef¡¯s face was dripping with tears.
Nora looked at Trueman warily, wondering how the man was going to make things difficult for her because of this issue.
But when she was thinking about it, she instead saw Trueman stroking his chin. He suddenly smiled and did something jarring¡ªtaking out a pair of sses and putting them on. Then, his voice turned sinister as he said, "Maybe it¡¯s the fact that he is also your master?"
The chef was stunned. "What did you say, Mr. Yale?"
Trueman¡¯s expression was dark and sinister as he repeated, "I said, it¡¯s because he is also your master!"
Then, Trueman shouted toward the outside, "Harry!"
"Coming, Mr. Yale!"
Harry arrived upon the summons. When he saw the bespectacled Trueman, he was a little taken aback. "Mr. Yale?"
Trueman... No, one should call him Caleb now instead. Caleb pointed to the chef and ordered, "Take her out and teach her the rules. Let her know who she can mess with and who she can¡¯t! Also, get another chef here to make something for the child to eat."
"Yes, sir!"
Harry shivered. He immediately lowered his head, grabbed the chef, and led her out.
The chef yelled, "Mr. Yale! Mr. Yale...!"
"Shut up!" Harry covered the chef¡¯s mouth at once. "Are you still courting death even at this moment?! Have an idea of who you¡¯ve just offended!"
The chef continued to let out muffled cries as she was taken away.
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In the room.
At the sight of Caleb, all the tension melted away from Nora¡¯s head.
Caleb rubbed his temples and sighed. "He didn¡¯t do anything outrageous when I was away, did he?"
Nora paused and then said, "No, he didn¡¯t."
"Good."
Caleb sighed and pulled over a chair in the room. "Xander, we¡¯ll get you something yummy soon, okay?"
Xander looked at Caleb, finding the man¡¯s behavior very novel. He nodded and replied, "Okay."
Then, Nora looked at Caleb and suddenly asked, "Can he hear what I¡¯m saying to you right now?"
"No, he can¡¯t."
Caleb added, "He will only know when we converse."
"Good to know that." Nora sat on the bed. "I want to talk to you about psychotherapy."
Chapter 971: Is Daddy A Bad Person?
Chapter 971: Is Daddy A Bad Person?
Caleb was obviously stunned by her words. It seemed that he had never considered the suggestion before. He broke into a frown and asked, "Would you be able to cure me?"
Caleb had multiple personality disorder. Bluntly put, he had schizophrenia.
Nora had indeed cured someone of it before.
She nodded. "Yeah, I can."
Caleb stayed quiet for a long while before he finally asked, "To what extent can it be cured?"
Nora thought for a while and then answered, "If nothing goes wrong, I can stop Trueman from ever appearing again."
Caleb fell silent.
He heaved a small sigh and said, "In that case, we can¡¯t do that yet."
"Why?"
Nora asked in surprise.
A resigned Caleb replied, "Because only Trueman knows where the V16 is. So far, I haven¡¯t found any info about the V16."
Nora nodded. "Don¡¯t worry about that. Mental illnesses are not something that can be cured overnight. It takes time. I can get started on the preparations for you first."
After Caleb nodded, he sighed again and said, "Actually, it doesn¡¯t really matter if I get it cured or not."
He cast his eyes down and said, "When I get the V16, I will give it to Xander. I won¡¯t be using it myself. When Xander gets thest remaining V16, I will die. So it doesn¡¯t matter if it is cured or not. And if the three of us cannot outwit Trueman, he will be very strong when he injects himself with the V16. By then, I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be able to treat me anymore."
Nora was about to persuade him to ept the medical treatment when Caleb said, "But we can still try having it treated. For now, it¡¯s good enough as long as I can show up more often and upy the body for a longer time. This way, it¡¯ll also be convenient for me to look for clues."
Nora breathed a sigh of relief. "Yeah."
After a while, the new chef that Harry had found brought them the meal prepared for Xander. Xander nced at Caleb and started digging in obediently.
Xander seemed exceptionally distant toward Caleb.
Nora thought about it for a moment. Xander had feelings for Trueman instead of Caleb. Just as a touch of hesitation shed across her eyes, Caleb said, "Trueman doesn¡¯t let me anywhere near Xander, for fear that I will take him away. So, all these years, he has been the one taking care of Xander."
Then, Caleb smiled and added, "But it¡¯s not true that we haven¡¯t had any contact with each other at all either. Xander, do you remember how you insisted on asking for medical books when you were four years old?"
Xander paused for a moment, then he raised his head and looked at him. "How did you know that?"
When he was four, many of the animals around him had died. Xander wanted to save them, but Trueman had said with a sneer, "You? Saving people is what doctors do! What does it have to do with you?"
Xander had retorted at the time, "Then I will be a doctor! Daddy, teach me how to be a doctor!"
When Trueman heard this, he thought of something and sneered, "I hate doctors the most! You can¡¯t study medicine!"
In the past, throwing a tantrum had worked whenever Xander wanted something. This time, however, no matter how much he begged, Trueman simply didn¡¯t agree. He said, "Who do you think your little animals went to? And who do you think operated on them? You can be anything you want except a doctor!"
The executioners in the mysterious organization were all professionals and doctors who, in the name of scientific research, had long since forgotten their basic moral boundaries as human beings.
Moreover, all those people around Trueman¡ªalmost one thousand of them¡ªwho had died while he was growing up had not been given proper burials but were dissected by the doctors instead.
In fact... Some who weren¡¯t even dead had also been taken away for live human experiments.
It was a very cruel reality.
Dissecting the human body and observing the probability of people surviving various situations that challenged human limits were the best ways to understand the structure and limits of the human body.
Of course, it was said that they had taken reference from the actions of a country that obtained a lot of invaluable data from conducting simr brutal experiments on prisoners of war. This led to that country bing more advanced than others in various medical fields.
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That was why Trueman hated doctors the most, especially the ones who studied biotechnology.
But Xander didn¡¯t know that; he just wanted to save his friends. In fact, he had already gouged out a rabbit¡¯s heart and put it into a dog¡¯s body...
He then went on a hunger strike and told Trueman that he would starve himself to death if he was not allowed to study medicine.
Trueman didn¡¯t give in at first.
But Xander was stubborn, and he never relented on things that he had already made up his mind on, so he stopped eating and drinking for real.
Three dayster, the little Xander fainted.
By the time he next awoke, there was a tray next to him. On it was a juicy hamburger on a te, as well as a USB sh drive.
Next to the USB sh drive was a fiercely-written note: "You can only study medicine behind my back. If I find out, I will confiscate everything."
Xander might have grown up locked up in a basement, but he did have ess to the Inte and aputer.
He understood something there and then. He got up, ate the burger, and then inserted the USB sh drive into theputer. Sure enough, inside the sh drive were vast amounts of educational material about medicine.
Xander knew that his Daddy Trueman had an awkward personality, so he strictly followed his orders and only studied medicine in secret, when Trueman was away.
Once Trueman returned, he would immediately stop studying.
At that time, he¡¯d merely thought that Trueman was throwing a temper tantrum, but now that he thought about it again...
Xander seemed to have realized something. "You were the one who gave me that sh drive?"
Caleb sighed, stretched out his hand, and ruffled Xander¡¯s hair.
Xander froze but didn¡¯t push him away.
He then heard Caleb say, "You¡¯re just as stubborn as him, so I didn¡¯t have any other choice but to adopt a solution that offered the best of both worlds."
Xander lowered his head, ate a mouthful of food, and then whispered, "Thank you."
Caleb didn¡¯t say anything. Instead, he got up and walked out. "You guys dig in first. I¡¯ll go and deal with that old chef."
Nora immediately said, "Her mistake doesn¡¯t warrant a death."
Although this was a ce that none of the countries it bordered on cared about, and many things operated in a corrupt manner here, Nora had never been one to show tant disregard for human life.
The chef had been disrespectful to her and her son, but beating her up was already enough. There was no need to kill her.
Caleb turned around and smiled wryly at her. "Of course. Do you think I¡¯m Trueman?"
Then, he went out the door after speaking.
Nora and Xander shared the te ofsagna.
After they finished the food, Nora told Xander to lie down and rest. She suddenly asked, "Have you really never seen him wearing sses all this time?"
Xander answered, "No."
Nora was about to ask another question when Xander suddenly turned to look at her. He said, "Mommy, it¡¯s Daddy who won¡¯t let me see him."
Nora was taken aback.
Xander looked straight at Nora with a bit of dejection and sadness in his eyes. He said, "Daddy said he was a bad person and told me not to meet him. But now it seems that Daddy is the bad person instead, right?"
Chapter 972: Bloodstains
Chapter 972: Bloodstains
Nora looked intently at Xander in front of her.
Earlier, when Xander first returned to them, in order to better get along with the child, neither Nora nor Justin had said anything negative about Trueman to Xander.
After all, for the past five years, Trueman was the child¡¯s only kin.
However, ever since Xander stole the V16 and gave it to Trueman, Nora was filled with regrets. She should have taught her son to differentiate between good and evil.
Seeing that Xander was finally bringing up the topic, she kept quiet for a while before she finally said, "True evil doesn¡¯t really exist in this world, Xander, and everyone has a dark side deep down in their hearts. But as humans, we should safeguard our moral boundaries and stick to them. No matter what we do, even if we act a little selfish for our own sakes, we mustn¡¯t cross that boundary."
Trueman had taught Xander to be unscrupulous and resort to any means avable to achieve his goals.
This was apparent from how Xander had frequently bullied the nannies and security guards when he was living with Nora and Justin. The little guy was a devil through and through. Fortunately, he was still young and kind-hearted by nature, which was the only reason why he wouldn¡¯t do anything illegal.
However, a child¡¯s personality was already cemented by the time they turned five years old.
Xander¡¯s heretical and dark personality had be ingrained in him.
For some, their childhood could heal whatever suffering they experience in their lifetime.
But for others, it took a lifetime to heal the suffering from their childhood experiences.
Those five years spent in darkness had already led Xander astray.
Therefore, Nora taught him things differently from how she taught Cherry and Pete. She wanted Xander to keep to his moral boundaries.
Xander, who seemed to vaguely understand, nodded. However, he persisted and asked again, "So, is Daddy Trueman really a bad person?"
Was he really a bad person?
Nora didn¡¯t answer him directly. She only stroked his hair and said, "People should not be defined by the concepts of ¡¯good¡¯ and ¡¯bad¡¯. Although he is a pitiable man, it doesn¡¯t give him the right to take revenge on society just because of his unfortunate circumstances. Xander, I want you to know this¡ªyou are still young, so educating and nurturing you are our responsibilities. Real parents never contrive against their children when nurturing them. So, if he ever asks you to do anything that brings harm to yourself, please reject him."
Xander was stunned when he heard her words.
As he looked at Nora, he seemed to truly understand in this instant what parents were supposed to be.
After having a heart-to-heart talk with Xander and gaining a deeper understanding of the child¡¯s thoughts, Nora coaxed him to sleep and then went out of the room.
As soon as she stepped out the door, she saw Harry dragging a suitcase and walking out.
The suitcase was huge, and it seemed that there was something very heavy inside.
Nora didn¡¯t pay it much heed. However, when the two passed by each other, Nora suddenly stopped and turned to look at Harry.
Harry gave her a smile and left quickly without saying anything.
But the smell of blooding from the suitcase wafted in the air, causing Nora to narrow her eyes.
Only then did she enter the room, where she immediately saw Caleb cleaning his hands with a wet wipe. He wiped them very meticulously, cleaning his hands one finger at a time. Finally, he tossed the wet wipe into the trash can beside him.
It was then that he finally turned and looked behind him. He seemed a little taken aback at the sight of Nora, but the next moment, he smiled and asked, "Is something up, Nora?"
Nora cast her eyes down. Suddenly, she asked, "What did you decide to do with that chef in the end?"
Without any change in his expression, Caleb replied, "I got Harry to send her away."
"Is that so?"
Nora suddenly pointed to a headband next to her on the floor. "If so, you guys forgot to take her headband with you."
The headband was stained all over with blood.
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Chapter 973: She Offended Someone She Shouldn’t Have
Chapter 973: She Offended Someone She Shouldn¡¯t Have
The look in Caleb¡¯s eyes changed dramatically at once.
Nora stared hard at him and said, "Therefore, you can drop the act, Trueman!"
Upon hearing this, a smile suddenly formed on Caleb¡¯s countenance, and it was as though even his voice had changed, bing sharp and piercing. He removed his sses and said, "My, my. You¡¯re pretty sharp, aren¡¯t you, my little servant?"
After speaking, he licked his lips and then looked at the headband on the floor. Then, he snorted and said, "I¡¯m the only one who can order my servant around. Does she think she can order you guys around too? Is she even worthy of doing so?"
Though his words were what a bossy CEO might say, they instead made Nora¡¯s hair stand on end.
Just because the chef showed disrespect toward her and Xander, Trueman had killed her?
That guy was too bloodthirsty!
In addition, Trueman had even pretended to be Caleb... In that case, did that mean that Nora would have to pay special attention to him in the future when he was switching to his other personality?
Also, when exactly did Caleb turn into Trueman?
The psychotherapy she brought up just now... Was he Trueman or Caleb at that time?
Nora couldn¡¯t quite tell anymore!
From the start, the two of them were one and the same. On top of that, they were primary and secondary personalities who could converse with each other. It couldn¡¯t get any easier for them to pretend to be each other!
While Nora was deep in thought, Trueman started walking toward her, making the look in Nora¡¯s eyes turn even darker and deeper.
After Trueman came up to Nora, he lowered his head and said with a smile, "My little servant, I know that both you and Caleb want the V16, as well as the fact that Caleb will definitely give the V16 to you after he gets his hands on it. He has already lost the will to live a long time ago. To be honest, it¡¯s not impossible for me to give you the V16... If you agree to a condition of mine, I will yield the only chance of survival to Xander. How does that sound?"
A condition?
Nora looked at him warily. She wasn¡¯t naive enough to think that Trueman¡¯s condition would be that easy to fulfill.
Sure enough, the next moment, a smiling Trueman continued, "Give birth to my child. When I have a descendant, I will give you the V16."
Nora¡¯s expression changed dramatically upon hearing his words. "You pervert!"
"Pervert?"
Trueman suddenlyughed. "Why do I find it such a dependable transaction, though? What do you think? I¡¯ll give you five days to think about it. Five dayster, Xander will be ready for the injection. By then, we¡¯ll have to decide for real which one of us will be using the V16!"
After speaking, he patted Nora on the shoulder and added, "Do think about it carefully, my little servant."
"..."
On the outskirts of town.
Harry, together with two of his subordinates, removed the chef¡¯s body from the suitcase.
There were injuries all over the chef¡¯s body, who had died a very miserable death.
The sight made the two subordinates shiver all over, and even their voices were trembling as they spoke. They turned to Harry and asked, "Hey Harry, d-didn¡¯t she get beaten up a little too badly? Why was Mr. Yale so angry?"
Harry stared hard at the two of them and replied, "Because she offended someone she shouldn¡¯t have!"
The two men understood immediately.
"It seems that the woman and child that Mr. Yale brought back with him have a special ce in his heart! Keep your eyes peeled and take care not to make foolish mistakes in the future!"
"Has Mr. Yale taken a fancy to that woman? She certainly is very pretty..."
As the two chatted, they dug a pit and buried the chef.
Next to them, Harry looked at the two hesitantly, but in the end, he merely heaved a sigh. Ignorance was bliss sometimes!!
The chef was also pretty unlucky. She sure had offended the wrong person!!
Chapter 974: It’s Not Too Late
Chapter 974: It¡¯s Not Too Late
Nora returned to Xander¡¯s room.
At the thought of the disgusting conditions that Trueman had put forward, she felt as if she couldn¡¯t breathe.
She hadn¡¯t expected Trueman to actually say something like that.
Someone knocked on the door at this point.
Nora turned and looked behind to see the new cook, the one that Harry had just found, walking in.
With her head lowered, the cook gave her an ingratiating smile as soon as she entered, and then said, "I¡¯m here to clear the tes, Miss."
As it turned out, the tes from Xander¡¯s meal just now hadn¡¯t been cleared yet.
Nora nodded.
The cook had obviously been given a heads-up by Harry, so she did not dare to slight Nora. She came forward and treated Nora as though she was her mistress.
With her head lowered, she walked up to the table. After collecting the tes, she suddenly looked at Nora and asked, "Do you want dessert, Miss? I can make you some."
Nora shook her head. "No need."
The cook lowered her head andughed. "Alright. Having something sweet will make you feel better, though."
When she said that, Nora was taken aback.
She suddenly looked at the cook.
A whileter, she finally got up and said, "You¡¯re right. Xander had been tense and scared the whole way here. Let¡¯s make some dessert in the kitchen so that he can have some ready when he wakes up."
"Huh? I can just make some by myself and bring it up for you."
"No, it¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s go."
Nora took the lead while the cook followed behind her holding the tes and cutlery. As soon as the two left the room, sure enough, they saw Trueman leaning against the wall watching them.
A heretical smile hung on the corners of his lips as he said, "Make me some too."
Nora rolled her eyes but did not refuse. "Okay."
"My little servant sure is gaining more and more self-awareness." Trueman smiled. Just as he was about to follow them, Nora suddenly stopped and said, "Trueman, if you follow me everywhere like this, you are going to give me a certain impression."
Trueman was taken aback. "What?"
Nora raised her eyebrows. "You are going to make me think that you¡¯re in love with me."
Trueman was instantly dumbfounded. After a whole two seconds, he finally lost his temper and snapped, "No way! You sure think really highly of yourself!"
Nora didn¡¯t say anything else but merely raised her eyebrows.
A furious Trueman immediately entered his bedroom at the side.
Only then did Nora follow the cook downstairs and enter the kitchen.
The cook turned on the stove and boiled some water. Now that there were some sounds in the background, she suddenly lowered her voice and said, "My name is Winnie. Mr. Hunt sent me to help you."
As she spoke, she added some sugar and other ingredients to the pot.
Nora lowered her eyes.
That¡¯s right. What the cook said about how having something sweet would make one feel better had allowed Nora to recognize the other party¡¯s identity.
Those were Cherry¡¯s words.
It was just that Nora suspected that she was being monitored in the room upstairs, so she hadn¡¯t dared to take any action. Now that they were in the kitchen and boiling water, with the steam providing the two of them cover, as well as the sound of the exhaust hood running in the kitchen, the two finally dared to converse.
Nora also lowered her voice. "Where is he?"
After Trueman lost his ship, his finances were also sanctioned by King.
His decision to make his way here had been ast-minute one. Additionally, Trueman was also very careful the whole way here, so Nora had thought that Justin would not be able to find them so soon.
But unexpectedly, the man was pretty efficient.
Winnie replied, "He¡¯s in the town. I can go out to buy groceries once a day. Mr. Hunt said that once you are ready, he can storm the ce with his men any time. Is there any message you would like me to pass on to him? Are you safe at the moment?"
"Yes, I¡¯m safe."
Nora was also helping out by looking for ingredients like milk and so on. She kept her head down and tried her best to keep her lip movements subtle as she spoke. She said, "Tell him not to act rashly. Don¡¯t alert the enemy before I find the V16. Both Xander and I are safe, don¡¯t worry."
"Okay, I¡¯ll pass on the messageter."
Winnie raised her head and gave Nora a smile. "I can take care of the rest by myself, Miss. You can go back."
"Alright. The cooking will take a while, so make sure to watch the heat."
"Okay."
The two conversed normally for a while more before Nora finally left the kitchen.
As soon as she went up the stairs, she got a shock¡ªTrueman was standing right in front of her and staring straight at her.
Nora ignored him and got ready to enter the room to sleep with Xander.
However, Trueman grabbed her arm. "Hey, so, what do you think of the conditions I mentioned earlier?"
"... I¡¯m not very impressed."
Nora looked at him. "I¡¯m a human being, not a machine. Besides, if you want children, there is nock of people willing to have your baby, is there?"
"But I don¡¯t want to go to them," Trueman immediately replied.
Nora frowned.
Trueman, who felt embarrassed, became a little angry. "Are you protecting your chastity because of Justin Hunt? Just because you bore him three children?! Do you know that the children you gave birth to back then should have been mine?!"
As soon as he said that, Nora¡¯s head suddenly whipped up, and she looked at him in disbelief. "What did you say?"
Trueman sneered, "I said, the children you gave birth to back then should have been mine! Your pregnancy back then was a conspiracy from the start!"
Nora stared at him. "So you were the one who devised that scheme against me back then, weren¡¯t you?"
"Yup."
Trueman spoke without hesitation. He said, "The moment you were born, your mother injected you with an enhanced version of the gene serum. You had to give birth once you turned eighteen years old, so that you could expel part of the gene serum, or else you would have suffered its bacsh! The old King¡¯s n back then was to have me conceive a baby with you! This way, in order to save our child, you would have had to do anything I said!"
Nora clenched her fists. "Then why was it changed to Justin?"
Why was it changed to Justin?
Because he didn¡¯t want to do it, of course!
Putting aside the fact that Nora had been so fat back then that one couldn¡¯t tell what her facial features looked like at all¡ªso there was no way he would let such an ugly woman bear his child¡ªhe had also been resistant to everything arranged by the old King at that time!
Therefore, when the Imperial League¡¯s old butler approached him and told him to conceive a baby with Nora, Trueman had rejected him at once. He had raised his chin high and said, "No, I¡¯m not doing it! It¡¯ll do as long as we find her another man, right? Find her someone more handsome! In my opinion, that American named Justin Hunt is the most good-looking! Have himplement her genes!"
That one line of his got the people from the Imperial League to secretly take action, leading to Justin and Nora spending the night together...
Of course, Trueman didn¡¯t know that Justin had already taken the King mantle by then.
When the butler received the news, he thought of the old King¡¯s wishes, and thus, agreed to it as well. As such, Justin had actually been duped by his own men.
Otherwise, how could someone as powerful as Justin possibly be drugged by anyone? And even forget what had happened that night?
This all cameter, though.
Trueman¡¯s face flushed red in this instant.
He looked at Nora.
Who would have thought that Nora would be this attractive after she slimmed down?!
In addition... It was only when he returned to the United Statester and deliberately made contact with her that he found out that the woman was no blockhead. Apart from being a beauty, she was also really interesting!
But it was toote.
Everything was toote.
If he had gone along with the old King¡¯s ns and conceived a child with her, would their rtionship have been different from what it currently was?
He had pushed the woman into another man¡¯s arms with his own hands...
But... it wasn¡¯t toote yet either!
If Nora was willing, she could still conceive a child for him now...
Chapter 975: They Are In Love With Her!
Chapter 975: They Are In Love With Her!
"I don¡¯t agree to it."
Nora was very firm.
Even if the one standing in front of her was Trueman, a man with a strange temperament, provoking whom might easily bring her trouble, there were still some boundaries that must be protected.
Sure enough, Trueman frowned and snorted coldly. "Aren¡¯t you afraid that I will kill Xander?"
Nora raised her eyebrows. "If you kill him, you won¡¯t have anything to threaten me with anymore. Also, if you eveny a finger on him, I will make you wish you were dead!"
Toward the end of her sentence, Nora¡¯s voice became awfully sinister.
Her reaction startled even the man standing in front of her.
Trueman¡¯s eyes flickered a little. Seemingly having thought of something, he snorted coldly and narrowed his eyes. "There¡¯s no rush. Sooner orter, I will make you bear my child willingly!"
After speaking, he left.
After leaving Nora¡¯s room, he entered his own room on the third floor.
His room had great soundproofing.
People outside wouldn¡¯t be able to hear anything being said inside. After the man closed the door, the look in his eyes suddenly changed.
"What¡¯s the matter? Why do you suddenly want toe out so badly? Do you have something to tell me?"
"Don¡¯t force her into doing things she doesn¡¯t want to!"
An air of certainty suddenly entered the man¡¯s voice as he said, "You¡¯re in love with her too!"
"Ha, how can that be?!"
"I am you, and you are me. I know your true feelings! I didn¡¯t expect us to actually reach a consensus on this matter."
"So?"
"So, if you want her so badly, why don¡¯t you force her to do what you want? I doubt she won¡¯t do as you say if you hold a knife to Xander¡¯s throat!"
"Ha, you¡¯re having regrets now!"
"I¡¯m not! Shut up!"
"You are! She was originally supposed to be your woman! But you rejected her back then!"
"I told you to shut up!"
"Hmph, I told you back then that the fatty would be lots of fun, but you didn¡¯t believe me and insisted on going against King, instead. You even looked down on her... You looked down on her in the past, but she has now be someone way above your league!"
"You make it sound as though you didn¡¯t have a part in rejecting her back then. Thinking about it now, though, did the two of us oppose the marriage so strongly back then because she was so fat? Or was it because it was what the old man wanted us to do?"
Both of them had been awfully rebellious when they were young.
No, even now, they were still going against their old man.
Although that man had given them life, he had thrown him and his siblings into hell! The two of them were the only ones who hade out alive.
Under such circumstances, how would they possibly be able to make peace with what had happened?
Even if they had be schizophrenic, in this aspect, they¡¯d never had any disagreements¡ªin other words, they would never do as they were told!
"No matter the reason, since we have already lost her, there¡¯s nothing else we can do! You can¡¯t do this to her! This is your fate!"
"Shut up! I told you, I will never ept this fate! If I was going to do that, then why wouldn¡¯t I live like how the old man wanted me to?"
Both of them were rather angry, and both their voices had be sharp and piercing, gradually making it hard to tell them apart.
When they were young, they were too weak and could only live in theboratory as though they were mere objects.
Later, when they survived, they began to put up a resistance.
The first thing they had done as a sign of defiance toward King was to reject King¡¯s orders for him to conceive a child with Nora... Instead, they had pushed the responsibility to someone else.
After that, they cut off all contact with King.
But now that they thought about it, they had done as they were told all their lives, yet they now regretted the one and only thing they had done as an act of defiance.
What a joke.
¡ª
Elsewhere.
Winnie, the cook, went out to buy fresh groceries for that night¡¯s dinner.
She nced around outside a vegetable store and then entered.
As soon as she did, she spied a tall and ruthless figure standing in the shadows. Winnie lowered her head at once and greeted him respectfully. "Mr. Hunt!"
Although Justin¡¯s demeanor was distant, there was a bit of anxiety in his voice. "How is she?"
"Mrs. Hunt is fine. She wants me to tell you to avoid rming the enemy, and to wait for the right moment."
Justin breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay."
But after speaking, he noticed that Winnie was hesitating about something.
"What¡¯s the matter?" He asked.
Winnie nced at him, not too sure if she should ry what she had heard. However, her loyaltyy with the man in front of her, so she coughed and said, "I heard Trueman Yale say that he wants Mrs. Hunt to bear him a child. If she does, he will release Xander..."
Smash!
The man crushed the drinking ss in his hand, and his expression turned extremely awful.
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Chapter 976: Chicken Stew
Chapter 976: Chicken Stew
Justin¡¯s expression turned sinister. But before he could say anything, Winnie hurriedly added, "But Mrs. Hunt rejected him."
This made Justin¡¯s expression mellow a bit.
After a while, he said, "Go back and protect Nora."
"Yes, sir."
After Winnie left, Sean and Lawrence finally came out. "Boss, what do we do now? Why don¡¯t we just barge in there, arrest Trueman Yale, and torture him? This way, Ms. Smith won¡¯t be put in a spot anymore."
Lawrence was angry and indignant. "Yale sure knows how to tter himself. How dare he ask Ms. Smith to bear him a child? Hah, he sure thinks highly of himself, doesn¡¯t he?!"
As soon as he spoke, Sean cleared his throat.
Only then did Lawrence realize that Justin¡¯s expression had darkened even further. Justin said, "Trueman Yale has a strange temperament. It probably won¡¯t work if we employ forceful measures. Do as she says and bide our time for now, but have our men surround them."
"Yes, sir!"
¡ª
Winnie returned to the small rundown building where they were staying.
With the vegetables she had bought in her hands, she entered the kitchen and began to prepare dinner.
Every once in a while, she would raise her head and nce at the upper floors. Only after making sure that nothing was wrong would she then return to dinner preparations with peace of mind.
It was at this moment that she suddenly heard Harry chatting with a few other people outside.
"Add some stuff to that woman¡¯s dinner tonight."
"What kind of stuff?"
"Aphrodisiacs, of course. It¡¯s her good fortune that Mr. Yale has taken a fancy to her. We should add some drugs to her dinner so that she can serve him better..."
"No problem!"
As they chatted, the few of them entered the kitchen. Harry looked at Winnie and said, "Make some stew tonight."
When Winnie heard this, she felt chills run down her spine.
She wanted to contact Justin, but after Harry and the others gave the order, they stayed in the kitchen and kept a close watch on her, giving her no chance to tip-off Justin at all!
Winnie became terribly anxious. As she prepared dinner, she tried to think of a way to resolve the situation. Mr. Hunt had already given her instructions that Mrs. Hunt and Xander¡¯s safety took top priority!
Winnie took a deep breath. Under the watchful eyes of Harry and the others, she made a table full of dishes.
Soon, it was time for dinner.
Winnie brought the food to the table, where she then saw Harry pouring a packet of powder into the chicken stew she had just made. Increasingly anxious, she turned to exit the ce.
However, she had only taken a step when Harry asked, "Where are you going?"
Winnie coughed and answered, "To the bathroom."
Harry pointed to the bathroom in the room. "It¡¯s over there."
Cold sweat trickled down Winnie¡¯s forehead at once. She lowered her head and gave him an ingratiating smile as she said, "Oh, so that¡¯s where it is. I¡¯ll make a quick trip to the bathroom then."
"Yeah, okay!"
Harry looked at another woman next to him and ordered, "You, go with her."
After speaking, Harry looked at the people around him and said, "From now on, none of us are to move about alone. Got it?"
"Got it!"
The rest nodded.
Winnie: !!
She went straight to the bathroom with the other woman, unable to tip-off Justin at all.
By the time she came back out, she saw that Trueman and Nora were already seated at the dining table. Trueman filled a bowl with the stew and handed it to Nora. "Here, I got them to specially make some chicken stew for you."
Nora looked at the bowl of chicken stew but didn¡¯t move.
A beaming Trueman looked at her. "Why aren¡¯t you eating, my little servant?"
Nora raised her eyebrows. Left with no other choice, she could only take the bowl of chicken stew from him.
At the side, Winnie¡¯s expression changed dramatically in an instant!
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Chapter 977: Just Set It Off now
Chapter 977: Just Set It Off now
Winnie didn¡¯t have the leisure to consider that much anymore.
Mr. Hunt had told her that Nora and Xander¡¯s safety took first priority. She took a step forward, but when she was about to say something, she saw that Nora, after taking the bowl of stew from Trueman, only took a quick whiff and immediately asked, "What did you add to the stew?"
Winnie paused.
Next to her, Harry nced at her warily and frowned.
Winnie was so frightened that she hastily lowered her head and pretended to smooth out her clothes, putting on a stiff and reserved appearance.
At the dining table, Trueman smiled and asked, "What could I possibly add?"
Nora lowered her eyes. "Don¡¯t forget that I¡¯m Anti."
Anti wasn¡¯t just a surgeon. She was also an outstanding researcher in the field of biomedicine. She was trained in alternative medicine and was capable of making a lot of different types of poison. Therefore, how would she possibly not be able to smell the extra "ingredients" in the chicken stew?
Trueman leaned back on the chair and smiled. "You are so clever, my little servant. Yes, something has indeed been added to the stew."
Nora raised her eyebrows. "What is it?"
"Muscle rxants," replied Trueman.
Nora: "?"
Trueman smiled. "It¡¯s about time the muscle rxant dosage is increased. Otherwise, what if your body gets used to the dosage and starts building a resistance to it? So, I added some into the stew."
Nora didn¡¯t say anything else.
However, Trueman said, "So, finish it and put me at ease. Otherwise, I¡¯m really afraid that you¡¯ll suddenly appear at my bedside tonight and kill me."
"..."
The corners of Nora¡¯s lips spasmed. She looked down at the chicken stew and then turned to look at Winnie. "Were you the one who added it to the stew?"
Winnie shook her head. "N-no, it¡¯s not me... Ma¡¯am... I..."
She looked at Harry, seemingly asking for help.
Her acting was pretty good.
Nora couldn¡¯t tell what Trueman was up to this time, but she picked up a spoon, filled it with a little stew, and then took a small sip. As a fearful Winnie watched on, she said, "It is the muscle rxant indeed."
Winnie: ?
Muscle rxant?
Then why did Harry say that it was an aphrodisiac?
Winnie was no fool. She immediately understood that Harry was trying to sound her out!
Had she exposed her identity?
No, that was impossible.
She had been living here for many years and was an informant that Justin had been keeping here. Originally, she was not in charge of this matter, but rather, had suddenly been assigned the task.
If she hadn¡¯t exposed herself, then there was only one possibility¡ªTrueman didn¡¯t trust anyone, so everyone was required to undergo a test.
She must have passed the test, right?
It was fortunate that she had kept calm, as well as that Nora had identified the drug as a muscle rxant and not an aphrodisiac. Otherwise, even if she must expose her identity, Winnie would still have prevented her from consuming the bowl of chicken stew.
She heaved a huge sigh of relief.
Nora finished the bowl of chicken stew.
Then, she put down the utensils and got up. "I¡¯m full."
Only then did she head upstairs.
Trueman said to Winnie, "Make a sandwich for Xander."
"Yes, sir."
Winnie entered the kitchen, made a sandwich, and brought it upstairs.
After entering Nora and Xander¡¯s room, she closed the door and turned behind to look at Nora. Before she could speak, Nora suddenly asked, "Do you have anything you can use to make contact with the outside world?"
Winnie was surprised. The room should still be under surveince, so why was Mrs. Hunt being so careless all of a sudden?
Regardless, she lowered her voice and replied, "Yes, I do. Mr. Hunt said that if an emergencyes up, I can set off the signal re immediately. Our men have already surrounded the ce, so they can storm in right away."
As soon as she spoke, Nora sighed and said, "Alright. Then go set it off now."
Chapter 978: Falling Out
Chapter 978: Falling Out
Winnie: ?
A little stunned, she quite didn¡¯t seem to understand. "What?"
"Your identity has been exposed."
Almost as soon as Nora¡¯s words came out of her mouth, the door was pushed open, and Trueman led Harry and a few people into the room. With a smile on his face, he said, "That¡¯s right. Your identity has been exposed."
Winnie was stunned yet again. She subconsciously reached for the smoke bomb, but before she could move, Harry and the others rushed forward and subdued her.
With an extremely cold look on his face, Trueman ordered, "Kill her!"
Harry and the others escorted Winnie out.
As Winnie thought of the previous cook¡¯s fate, she became disheartened.
But just as they were about to exit the room, a voice suddenly came from behind them. "Wait a minute."
Nora said coldly, "Let her go."
Trueman clicked his tongue and said, "When are you going to change your bad habit of being a softie? She is just a servant! Yet you¡¯re actually begging for mercy for her?"
There was no way Nora could treat human life with tant disregard, of course. She repeated, "Let her go."
Trueman sneered. "Sure, I can let her go, but only if you bear me a child! If you do that, I can not only let her go but also Xander, and even you!"
"That¡¯s impossible."
Nora tly rejected his suggestion.
Trueman was infuriated. "Then why should I listen to you and let her go?"
Nora sighed. Suddenly, she took a step back and revealed something in her hand. "Because of this."
After getting a clear look at what she was holding, Trueman, Harry, and the others¡¯ expressions changed drastically.
It was a signal re!
Even Winnie couldn¡¯t help but take a subconscious look at her pocket. Her signal re should clearly have been in there. When did Nora get her hands on it?
As ck Cat, stealing something without anyone realizing was the most basic ability she should have.
Trueman took a step forward to snatch it from her.
However, the corners of Nora¡¯s lips curled upward, and she activated the signal re.
Bang!
Something that looked like fireworks shot straight out of the window, making a "pop" sound in the sky.
The signal had been set off.
At the sight, Trueman became even angrier. With a huge frown on his face, he looked at Nora. "You¡ª!!"
Nora heaved a quiet sigh. "I originally wanted to work with Caleb to find out the whereabouts of the V16, but now it seems that I can give up on that."
Nora lowered her eyes, her expression terribly cold and indifferent. "If I can¡¯t outwit you, then I¡¯ll just have ck Cat interrogate you instead! I believe no one in this world can survive ck Cat¡¯s interrogation."
After all, ck Cat was a master of torture!
At her words, Trueman¡¯s handsome face instantly turned sinister. He said coldly, "Nora, you will regret this! No one can hurt me here!"
As soon as he spoke, the sound of fierce fighting suddenly came from outside.
Harry immediately went out to check what was going on. He returned almost immediately and shouted in panic, "Hurry and leave, Mr. Yale! There is a group of people below us! Our guys won¡¯t be able to hold them back!"
But Trueman didn¡¯t believe him. "That¡¯s impossible! There¡¯s no way she can get so many people here! Especially in such a short time!"
He went toward the window and nced outside, whereupon he suddenly smiled and said, "Oh, so it¡¯s King! Hehe, Nora, you¡¯ve really shot yourself in the foot now. Don¡¯t forget that no matter how much I betray him, I am still his son! I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ve asked the wrong person for help!"
The corners of Nora¡¯s lips curled in a smile. "Well, he¡¯s certainly here for his son."
Chapter 979: King!
Chapter 979: King!
The sound of people fighting downstairs was getting closer.
This showed that King was slowly storming his way upward with his men.
Because of this unexpected turn of events, Winnie was not taken away but only bound by Harry and thrown aside into a corner of the room.
Harry guarded the entrance loyally.
Seeing that the group of people were about toe up, Trueman suddenly said, "Harry, leave."
Harry was taken aback. "No, I can¡¯t leave, Mr. Yale!"
Trueman narrowed his eyes. "The man wearing the mask is my father, he won¡¯t do anything to me. But he is a tyrant and hates people defying him the most. He will never let you off, so it¡¯s better that you leave."
When Harry heard him, he nced outside again. However, he remained firm and said, "I¡¯m not leaving, Mr. Yale! Even if he kills me, I still can¡¯t abandon your side and leave you high and dry!"
He stayed at the door and kept watch on the outside.
"My life was all yours when you saved my life back then. I don¡¯t mind even if I must give it back to you today."
When Nora heard this, she nced at Trueman in surprise.
She originally thought that the people here only obeyed Trueman¡¯s orders because he was paying them, but from the looks of it now, it seemed like that wasn¡¯t the case. As it turned out, Trueman surprisingly had his own personal charm too?
While she was thinking about it, Trueman suddenly looked at her. "Nora, I¡¯d advise you to take Xander and leave this ce now. Otherwise, if you fall into his clutches, you will only suffer a fate worse than your mother¡¯s!"
Trueman frowned, a ruthless looking into his eyes. He said, "You are so foolish! So, so foolish! To think you would choose to join forces with a man like him... You have no idea just how cruel he is. He used even his own children for experiments simply because his genes would be closest to theirs once the experiments seed, which would help himplete the gic modification needed to achieve immortality... A man like him is the devil himself! Just what kind of deal did you make with him?"
Nora pressed her lips together hard. A whileter, she finally asked, "So, you took the V16 and stopped obeying his orders because of this?"
The old King had conducted experiments on his children, and Trueman was now the only experimental subject who might seed.
But Trueman didn¡¯t want to be led by the nose by him, so he had gone against the Imperial League and brought the V16 to a ce in the middle of nowhere like this...
Trueman sneered. "Of course. Why should a cold-blooded animal like him enjoy a long life? Ha, even if I must die, I will never let him extract my genes for research!"
Nora: "..."
Suddenly, she raised her eyebrows and said, "In that case, where is the V16? Why don¡¯t you give me the V16 now, and I leave with the V16 and Xander? This way, he would never be able to get his hands on your genes, right? If not, sooner orter, he will be able to extract your genes if you fall into his clutches!"
As soon as she said that, Trueman instantly raised his voice. "Ha, are you trying to provoke me? The V16 is the only thing I can bank on for survival now. Why would I be so stupid as to give it to you?!
"I am the one in control of my life, and I will never allow anyone to manipte me ever again!"
After saying this, Trueman approached the door again.
The next moment, someone kicked the door of the room open from the outside, and a few people rushed in led by Justin.
Just as Harry wanted to fight back, he was restrained at once.
Trueman stared at King. After staring at him for a while, he suddenly frowned. "Y-you are not that old geezer. Who are you? Where¡¯s the old geezer?"
Thest time he met King, Caleb had been rtively far away from him, so he hadn¡¯t been able to get a clear look at King. Moreover, Justin had also covered himself up quite a lot that time. However, the two were standing too close to each other this time.
They were standing so close to each other that Trueman noticed the other man¡¯s hands immediately.
It was a pair of youthful hands.
They weren¡¯t the same wrinkled old hands he had seen ten years ago.
His eyes widened, and he stared at King in disbelief. He repeated, "Who are you?"
"I am King."
Justin answered calmly.
His answer stunned Trueman, who then asked nkly, "Then where¡¯s the old geezer?"
Justin paused for a moment. Then, he suddenly took off his mask.
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Chapter 980: Let Black Cat Interrogate Him
Chapter 980: Let ck Cat Interrogate Him
When the mask was removed and Trueman saw the familiar face behind it, he was dumbfounded.
He stared nkly at the man in front of him before he broke into a frown. "Ha, so it¡¯s you. In that case, it seems that the Imperial League hasn¡¯te at all. Or are you saying that you¡¯ve usurped that old geezer¡¯s position and reced him? Good, very good. I¡¯ve disliked him for the longest time. Where did you lock him up?"
Justin didn¡¯t speak immediately¡ªhe didn¡¯t know what Trueman was thinking.
But Nora, who had possibly discerned a thing or two, kept quiet for a while before she finally said, "He¡¯s dead."
Trueman was taken aback. "What?"
He looked back at Justin and narrowed his eyes. "That old geezer is dead? How can that be? He is clearly so sick in the head and is even pursuing immortality..."
Come to think of it, it was indeed ridiculous.
The one who wanted to live forever was already dead.
Yet their experiments were still continuing.
At that instant, Trueman suddenly felt like the mysterious organization¡¯s existence was a joke.
He still couldn¡¯t believe it.
After a while, he looked at Justin again and asked, "Are you also his son?"
Justin: "?"
Trueman didn¡¯t wait for Justin to reply before he smirked and went on. "Even if you are his son, you¡¯re younger than me! If you look at it this way, you have to treat me with the same respect you would show your older brother!
"My dear little brother, you should be thanking me. If not for me, would you have gotten into a rtionship with Nora? How are you going to repay me for finding you such a pretty wife?"
"..."
For a moment, Justin found himself at a loss for words.
Going by their blood ties, Trueman was actually his uncle...
The old king was indeed sick in the head.
In order to have arge number of children to conduct experiments on, he had gathered almost a hundred women to conceive children for him. This led to a huge age difference among the old King¡¯s children.
Going by the old King¡¯s age, he had fathered Trueman only when he was in his fifties.
This led to Trueman being only two to three years older than Justin, despite being his uncle.
However, he wasn¡¯t inclined to exin all these details to Trueman. After all, why should he get himself an uncle for no reason whatsoever? Besides, someone like Trueman was not worthy of his respect either.
Justin didn¡¯t say anything, but Trueman¡¯s eyes suddenly reddened. He said, "Ha... Hahaha. I always thought that I was the most special child to him. He had also said that he would hand over the Imperial League to me in the future! Who would have thought that he would still favor you over me in the end?!"
Even if Trueman knew that he had only survived because of his own persistence and tenacity, it was a fact that Justin had never been injected with the gene serum!
Justin: "..."
He still didn¡¯t feel like exining anything.
Besides... in a sense, Trueman actually wasn¡¯t wrong in saying that.
When the old King realized that he still had a surviving daughter, he had chosen to contact Justin. In addition, he had even handed over the Imperial League to him, even though they had only met once!
This showed that the old King had held doubts about his experiments before his death.
He was afraid that Trueman had be a monster, so he hadn¡¯t trusted him...
Changing one¡¯s fate... Could someone still be called human if their genes had been modified?
Justin didn¡¯t say anything else. Instead, he asked, "Where is the V16?"
"The V16..." Trueman. who felt like all his efforts had be a joke, broke into a smile. "You want the V16? I¡¯m not handing it over!"
Just as Justin was about to speak, Nora said, "Let¡¯s take a more direct approach¡ªwe¡¯ll let ck Cat interrogate him instead."
Chapter 981: The Weirdest Situation Has Arisen
Chapter 981: The Weirdest Situation Has Arisen
Justin thought for a moment. It was indeed going to be hard to get Trueman to suddenly grow a conscience and tell the truth. Moreover, they didn¡¯t want to waste any more time either.
Since they had already surrounded the other party and even captured the man himself, why wait any further?
Justin nodded.
He led the others out of the room and closed the door.
Sean and Lawrence were outside the room. When Lawrence heard their exchange, the puzzled man asked, "Has ck Cate, Boss? Why is Ms. Smith asking ck Cat to handle the interrogation?"
Sean: "..."
Justin ignored him and looked at the others.
Winnie had already been freed and was currently standing at the side. As for Harry and the others, they had been captured and were ring at him fiercely. "Don¡¯t hurt Mr. Yale! I¡¯ll do anything you ask!"
"..."
Justin ignored them and looked straight at the room instead.
No one could escape ck Cat¡¯s interrogation.
Half an hourter, the door opened.
Nora came out.
Justin hurriedly stepped forward and asked, "Did he talk?"
Nora let out a quiet sigh. Somewhat troubled, she replied, "No, he didn¡¯t."
Nora had encountered the first obstacle of her life!
Justin was surprised. "He didn¡¯t?"
He had faith in her abilities.
As soon as he spoke, Nora gestured to the room with her chin.
Justin entered to see Trueman sitting on the sofa hanging his head helplessly with a gentle and wry smile.
This wasn¡¯t Trueman¡ªhe was Caleb.
Justin: "..."
"Where¡¯s Trueman?" He asked.
Caleb sighed. "He won¡¯te out."
"..."
At the door, Nora also let out a soft sigh.
Justin suddenly said, "How about doing a body search?"
A resigned Caleb replied, "I have already searched everywhere. Of course, feel free to have your men search me again."
"Okay, I¡¯ll do it." Nora stepped forward. "I¡¯m also a forensic doctor, so I¡¯m great at body searches. I¡¯ll look at the ces that you might have missed."
Just as she was about to step forward, Justin stopped her. He coughed and said, "Sean and Lawrence are also experts in this aspect. Let them do it instead."
Nora wasn¡¯t bothered. She nodded and said, "Okay."
Justin nced at Caleb. For some reason, he seemed to spy a trace of disappointment on his face???
Justin let out a cold snort. With a wave, Sean and Lawrence entered the room.
Lawrence was still hesitating when he entered the room. "Didn¡¯t you say that ck Cat would be doing the interrogation? Why is Ms. Smith doing it instead... I think we should have ck Cat do it. Ms. Smith can¡¯t do it..."
Sean covered his mouth and dragged him into the room.
The door closed. Ten minutester, it was reopened, and Sean and Lawrence both came out. Both of them looked at Justin and shook their heads.
Sean said, "I searched all over but didn¡¯t find the V16. I suspect that Trueman doesn¡¯t carry it around with him but has ced it somewhere instead."
Lawrence nodded. "We even took off his underwear, but there wasn¡¯t anything."
Caleb, who had just exited the room with the two of them: "..."
When he heard Lawrence, the bespectacled man coughed and nced at Nora with his cheeks a little red.
However, Nora wasn¡¯t concerned with their conversation at all.
To be honest... Nora could have subdued Trueman from the start. However, once she realized that Trueman and Caleb were multiple personalities of the same person, she abandoned the thought.
She was afraid of this exact situation.
The moment he was caught, Trueman had gone into hiding.
What was the point of her interrogation when Caleb was already willing to tell her everything? She couldn¡¯t possibly torture Caleb, right?
That was why she had followed Trueman here, in hopes of tricking him into revealing the location of the V16.
But Winnie had exposed her identity.
She couldn¡¯t just watch Winnie die and not do anything about it...
This had led to their current awkward situation.
What were they to do now?
Chapter 982: I Have A Solution
Chapter 982: I Have A Solution
"How did Trueman appear in the first ce?"
Nora asked.
If Trueman refused to appear, then they would have no way of forcing him to reveal the whereabouts of the V16. Moreover, Caleb was the primary personality, whereas Trueman had only appearedter on in his life.
Caleb sighed. "When I was ten years old, there was once when I was on the verge of death after being injected with the gene serum. It was then that he appeared, endured the pain, and helped me pull through..."
He pondered for a while before he suddenly said, "How about you beat me up? Until I¡¯m about to die. He usually shows up at moments like that."
"That works..." said Lawrence as he eagerly rolled up his sleeves. However, Sean pulled him back.
Lawrence looked at him in bewilderment. "What¡¯s the matter? What are you pulling me back for? Surely it¡¯s not because you can¡¯t bear to hit him, right?"
Sean: "..."
He nced at Justin who thought for a moment before finally saying, "No, that won¡¯t do. What if we kill him?"
Caleb: "..."
Nora ignored the two of them. As she stroked her chin, she started to ponder.
She was thinking about how they could force Trueman out.
"Let¡¯s just stay here tonight for now. You two, get a few men to search the ce. Even if you must flip the whole ce over, try and find the V16."
Justin ordered Sean and Lawrence.
The two nodded in unison.
After they left the room, Lawrence was still asking, "Why didn¡¯t Boss let us beat that guy up? Isn¡¯t this the best solution?"
Sean was awfully troubled over the man¡¯s IQ. He said, "Boss doesn¡¯t want Ms. Smith to owe Caleb any more favors!"
"..."
Of course, the people in the room did not hear the conversation between the two.
Justin was currently looking at Caleb. He asked, "Which room do you want to stay in?"
Caleb nced at the room they were in and then at Xander who was asleep on the bed, the meaning of his actions obvious¡ªhe wanted to stay here.
He sighed and said, "It doesn¡¯t matter where I stay. I¡¯m just afraid that Trueman would suddenly show up, causing you guys to miss the opportunity."
"You¡¯re right."
Nora nodded. "In that case, I will stay here with you."
As soon as she said that, Justin subconsciously interjected and said, "No, you can¡¯t!"
Nora: "?"
She raised her eyebrows and looked at Justin, who cleared his throat and said, "I¡¯ll stay with him. If Trueman appears, I¡¯ll call you over."
"... Sure."
As such, Nora got into bed.
Justin and Caleb went out the door and to the next room.
There was only one bed in the room. After the two men entered, neither of them got onto the bed. Instead, they both sat on the sofa.
Justin looked at Caleb intently. "When does Trueman typically appear?"
Caleb sighed. "He doesn¡¯te out very often, nor is there any pattern to when he shows up. Hees out whenever he wants to. This is something outside of my control. To be honest, over the years, my control over this body has been getting weaker and weaker."
Justin narrowed his eyes. He was about to speak when Caleb said, "I didn¡¯t expect you to be my younger brother."
"..." Justin didn¡¯t exin the matter about their blood ties this time either¡ªhe wasn¡¯t intending to. He merely replied frostily, "Blood ties don¡¯t matter to me; only rtionships do."
In other words, even if the two of them were rted by blood, he wasn¡¯t going to show Caleb any mercy.
Caleb nodded. He leaned sideways on the sofa and said, "I¡¯m going to sleep. If Trueman wakes up, remember to keep a close watch on him."
After Caleb fell asleep, Justin suddenly stood and went out.
Outside the door was Nora.
She looked at Justin and asked, "How is it?"
"He didn¡¯te out."
Nora frowned. "Are we going to just keep waiting if he stays inside and refuses toe out?"
After looking at Nora for a while, Justin suddenly curled his lips into a smile and said, "I have a solution."
"What is it?"
Chapter 983: Justin’s Solution!
Chapter 983: Justin¡¯s Solution!
Early next morning, the group sat nearby the dining table.
Caleb had a rtively good sleep. He looked at Justin, who had dark circles under his eyes. Obviously, he hadn¡¯t slept well the previous night.
Winnie had already made breakfast and was cing it on the dining table.
After Nora brought Xander over, the few of them took their seats.
Caleb said deliberately, "Mr. Hunt... No, I should be calling you Justin instead, since you¡¯re my younger brother. Did Trueman appearst night?"
Justin, who had a very grumpy look on his face, replied, "No, he didn¡¯t."
Nora looked at Justin and asked, "You mentionedst night that you¡¯ve thought of a solution. What is it?"
Justin frowned and said, "Let¡¯s talk about it after we go back home. I have a device that should be able to provoke Trueman into showing up..."
Nora was taken aback. "Go home?"
Justin¡¯s expression turned a little sullen at once. He nodded and said, "Yeah. We can¡¯t possibly stay here for the rest of our lives, right?"
It was only after he spoke that he realized that he was being rather grouchy. Thus, he immediately exined, "Lawrence and Sean have already conducted a thorough search herest night, and they still did not find the V16 even after flipping the ce over. Therefore, I am sure that Trueman must have hidden the V16 in the city, so let¡¯s go back."
His words made Caleb frown. Nevertheless, he took a sandwich and started to eat as he said, "Alright."
Nora didn¡¯t think much about it. After pouring some milk into a bowl of cereal and passing it to Xander, she looked at Caleb and said, "I can treat schizophrenia. If Justin¡¯s device doesn¡¯t work, then we¡¯ll do it the troublesome way and just have you take some medicine to drag Trueman out... I believe he will appear for sure once it¡¯s time to administer the V16. "
Caleb thought for a moment and then nodded. "You are right."
Xander looked at Nora with his big round eyes. Then, he looked at Justin before finally looking at Caleb. He said, "Daddy..."
"What¡¯s wrong?"
Justin asked subconsciously. However, he then realized that Xander¡¯s words were directed at Caleb, and his expression turned even grumpier.
As for Caleb, he didn¡¯t react immediately. He nked out for a moment before he finally looked at Xander and asked, "Are you talking to me?"
Xander looked at Nora and shook his head.
Nora said with a smile, "I told him to do it."
Her words made both Justin and Caleb look at her.
Justin had an extremely awful look on his face, whereas Caleb¡¯s eyes lit up a little.
But the next moment, Nora said, "Trueman impersonated you thest time. I was worried that Trueman had already appeared and was impersonating you, so I got Xander to do a small test."
So, that was what they were up to.
Justin¡¯s expression softened.
Caleb said helplessly, "It really is me. How about this? Let¡¯s think of a secret code."
Nora thought for a moment and then nodded. "Okay, that works too."
The two decided on a secret code.
After breakfast, the group packed their things. Under Justin¡¯s watch, everyone left the house in a grand fashion.
Needless to say, Caleb took the same vehicle as Justin, Nora, and Xander.
The van was extremelyfortable.
Unlike the journey here, there were all kinds of food imaginable in the van. Xander held a can of c and munched on snacks, his short legs dangling off the seat as he watched the show on the TV screen on the back of the seat in front of him.
It started drizzling outside before anyone had even realized it.
The radio in the car was reporting a piece of news: "Some areas have been experiencing thunderstorms, which have causedndslides and mudslides. Fortunately, there were no casualties..."
"Why is the weather so bad all of a sudden?"
Nora murmured.
Justin sneered and nced at Caleb. "You¡¯ll have to ask Mr. Gray why he chose toe to a ce like this."
Located at the intersection point of three countries, which made it a ce that none of the countries it bordered cared about, the ce was bound to be poverty-stricken and worthless.
The area was poor and dpidated, and the mountains were also left unsupervised.
Caleb smiled wryly.
Suddenly, Xander asked, "Will there be any danger ofndslides on the path we¡¯re taking?"
As soon as he said that, the van suddenly stopped.
Justin frowned and asked, "What¡¯s the matter?"
In front, Lawrence suddenly ran over from the other car. When the window opened, he said, "Boss, this is terrible! It¡¯s been raining thest two days, so there arendslides in the mountains. The road in front has copsed!"
Following Lawrence¡¯s report, the area where they were suddenly began to shake violently!!
Justin and Nora looked at each other. Neither of them said anything, and both reached out to grab Xander.
"Get out of the van! Quick!"
As he spoke, Justin managed to grab Xander first. He and Nora didn¡¯t have the leisure to care about anything else anymore, and they jumped out of the car immediately.
Caleb also panicked. He stood up immediately and got out of the van with them.
But the moment he got off the van, he suddenly saw the people outside standing side by side. The van that had been shaking was still shaking violently.
However, the van was actually stationary on a giant shaking tform.
Nothing had copsed at all.
All of this was Justin¡¯s ploy.
Upon realizing this, Caleb was stunned. He frowned and looked at Justin, perplexed.
Justin cast his eyes down. He said, "The V16 must be on you. There is no way someone like Trueman would hide the V16 in the city. After all, that would be too risky. The fact that we didn¡¯t find it could only mean that you¡¯ve hidden it rtively well. In dangerous moments, people immediately grab the things that matter the most to them before evacuating. Even if you are Caleb at that moment, Trueman¡¯s consciousness would still wake up, forcing you to make a subconscious reaction..."
As such, his and Nora¡¯s subconscious reaction was to grab Xander.
Justin hadn¡¯t informed Nora of this n beforehand. The radio broadcast in the van, as well as the deliberate darkening of the car windows, were all to create a dim and dark atmosphere for the people in the van.
Only when Nora reacted naturally would Caleb believe what was happening.
The clothes that Caleb was wearing today were all clothing that Justin had specially prepared for him beforehand. When they were setting off, he must have hidden the V16 somewhere for sure.
Whatever Caleb was clutching at the moment was the hiding ce of the V16!!
Chapter 984: Why Should I Save Him?
Chapter 984: Why Should I Save Him?
The few of them looked at Caleb¡¯s hand¡ªhe was holding a ck inconspicuous stic bag.
When they were getting into the van, Justin had deliberately rxed the security checks so that Trueman could bring things in. For Caleb to be holding that bag right now, this meant that...
The V16 was inside!
It seemed that Caleb hadn¡¯t expected himself to pick up the bag either. He was dumbfounded for a while before he finally followed everyone¡¯s gazes and looked at the bag in his hand.
Confused, he broke into a frown and said hesitantly, "It¡¯s true, I don¡¯t really remember what happened at that moment when I was getting off the van... So, the V16 is in the bag??"
Before Nora could speak, next to her, Lawrence stepped forward and reached out for the bag.
But Caleb¡¯s arm suddenly moved, and he took a couple of steps back to dodge Lawrence.
All of a sudden, he sneered, his voice turning sharp and piercing. "I didn¡¯t expect my dearest little brother to be so skilled at manipting people! Ha, I¡¯ve lost this time! Still, do you guys think that you can get the V16 so easily just with that little trick? Impossible!"
With his other hand that wasn¡¯t holding the ck bag, he propelled himself off the side of the van and jumped right over to the other side. Just as everyone was about to go after him, Trueman suddenly stretched out his arm and held the ck bag he was holding near the edge of the cliff.
They were in the mountains.
Below the mountains was an abyss.
The drizzling rain made the area, including the bottom, foggy, and it was impossible for one to see how deep the bottom went. If the V16 bottle dropped down the cliff, it might break!
Gene serums were liquids. Once the bottle broke, no one would be able to recover the contents, not even Nora.
"Stay back."
A smug and brazen look came over Trueman¡¯s countenance. He grinned at Nora and Justin and said, "If youe any further, I¡¯ll throw the bottle down!"
Nora and Justin didn¡¯t dare to move anymore.
Under the few people¡¯s watchful eyes, Trueman opened the ck stic bag.
There was indeed a serum bottle in the bag!
Nora had specially designed the bottle for the V16. With it, the V16 could leave the refrigerator for a short time without the contents going bad. Nora looked at the bottle lid¡ªit was intact.
Obviously, it had never been opened before.
All of this proved that the bottle in Trueman¡¯s hand at the moment... was undoubtedly the V16!
She nodded at Justin.
Justin looked at Trueman. "If you think about it, Xander is your kin too... Can you really bear topletely fall out with us?"
Although Trueman was technically Xander¡¯s granduncle, Justin would never outright reveal the generational¡ªand therefore seniority¡ªgap between the two. Thus, he had used the term "kin" instead.
Trueman sneered. "So? It wouldn¡¯t matter even if he was my son. Didn¡¯t the old geezer himself kill a hundred of his own children?! Do you think that I, who grew up in an environment like that, would still have feelings for familial rtions?"
Justin cast his eyes down. "You are surrounded by my men. Do you think you can escape?"
Trueman didn¡¯t care. "Who says I¡¯m escaping? I¡¯m going to inject the V16 into myself! Hahaha!"
Justin¡¯s expression darkened. "Even if you inject it into yourself and increase your lifespan, believe it or not, I can still kill you right here and now! You won¡¯t live to see another day!"
Trueman narrowed his eyes. "There¡¯s no point in saying all that to me. Once I inject the V16, you will never be able to kill me¡ªbecause you would have to draw a sample of my blood as soon as possible in order to study the gene serum¡¯s chemicalposition. After all, Professor Anti here would never give up on saving Xander, would she?"
Trueman behaved as though he already had the whole situation under control. He sneered and said, "I¡¯ve already figured out all your tricks. If anyone dares to take a step forward, I will throw the gene serum down the cliff right away. If worsees to worst, all of us..."
The look in his eyes suddenly turned cold and sinister, and there was no warmth in his voice at all as he said, "... can go to hell together!"
After saying that, he took a step forward.
"Stop!"
Nora shouted abruptly, afraid that he would really fall off the cliff with the gene serum.
He was already at the very edge of the cliff.
The corners of Trueman¡¯s lips suddenly curled into a smile again. He said, "Nora, I told you that you would regret it if you give the other V16 to Queenie. Let me ask you the same question now: do you regret what you¡¯ve done?"
There were originally two gene serums.
Trueman didn¡¯t really have any intention to kill Xander.
When he ordered Queenie to take both gene serums with her back then, one was for his own use, while he was intending to use the other to force Nora into begging him for it...
But Nora had set up a trap instead. Not only had he almost been captured, but at the critical moment, she had also given the other gene serum to Queenie.
Trueman really wanted to see Nora breaking down in tears right now.
Nora stayed where she was and said firmly, "I don¡¯t regret anything."
She would never regret saving her aunt.
Seeing that she was still being stubborn even at a time like this, Trueman was infuriated. He sneered and said, "Then you can only watch helplessly as your son dies!"
"Trueman!" Nora called out to him. "Xander is your son too. He called you Daddy for five years. How about this? Come back here and give me the gene serum. One drop¡ªthat¡¯s all I will take. I will take only one drop for research, okay?"
"No."
Trueman smirked. "The dosage of this gene serum is meant for one person¡¯s use. If a drop is missing, it may not take effect correctly. Do you think I am stupid? Besides..."
He looked at Xander. "Why should I save him?"
However, the moment he did, Trueman¡¯s pupils suddenly shrank.
Everyone present was currently looking at him. They had kept Xander well-protected in the innermost part of the mountainous path, so no one ever thought that he would be in danger.
Nora and Justin were at the forefront, while Lawrence and Sean were also watching him.
The rest of the bodyguards all had their backs to Xander.
Therefore, no one noticed that a rock above Xander had suddenlye loose and was slowly rolling down...
Suddenly, a rock the size of Xander¡¯s head fell from the sky!
But no one noticed anything!
Only Trueman, who had looked at Xander because of Nora¡¯s mention of the boy, noticed it.
His pupils shrank, and a look of dilemma suddenly appeared on his countenance.
Should he save him?
Even if he called out now, by the time Nora and Justin reacted, it would definitely be toote...
Yet if he didn¡¯t alert them about it, once the boulder fell and struck Xander¡¯s head, the boy would die for sure!
He would die.
But wasn¡¯t it better if he was dead?
Then nobody would fight him for the V16 anymore!
The corners of the man¡¯s lips curled into a faint smile.
Go to hell!
But just as the thought formed in his mind...
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Chapter 985: Xander, Look Out!
Chapter 985: Xander, Look Out!
The look in the man¡¯s eyes suddenly changed.
Without any hesitation, he yelled, "Xander, look out!"
Then, he rushed toward Xander immediately without hesitation.
The mountainous path was not very wide, but neither was it narrow... There was a group of bodyguards around Xander, but even if they turned around in this instant and realized the danger he was in, it would still be toote for them to save him.
Upon hearing Trueman¡¯s shout, Nora abruptly turned her head and looked over. When she noticed the boulder, even though her body reacted faster than her brain, it was still toote.
She ran toward Xander frantically.
But in her heart, she knew that it was toote.
It was toote!
Was her son going to die in this ce just as she was about to obtain the V16?
She couldn¡¯t ept this!
But right at this moment, a shadow rushed over and then... Bam!
The boulder crashed into the shadow.
Trueman... No, one might say that the man was Caleb at the moment because the aura around him had suddenly changed. At the most critical moment, he had switched personalities and be the one to protect Xander!!
However, even though he was fast enough, he still didn¡¯t manage to push the boy away but only held Xander tightly. The next moment, the rock struck his head.
The man lowered his head, his eyes meeting the other pair of big, grape-like, innocent eyes.
Then, he felt warm liquid trickling down his head.
One drop, two drops... Theynded on Xander¡¯s face.
The little guy¡¯s eyes widened in shock as he stared at him in disbelief. A momentter, Xander¡¯s murmurs suddenly turned into a shout. "... Daddy!"
Although his voice was soft, the man still heard him.
The man stretched out his long slender fingers and wiped off the blood on his cheek for him. Then, the corners of his lips raised slightly into an arc.
He looked like he wanted to say something, yet it also looked as though he wanted to mock the boy for looking so funny at the moment. However, his vision went ck, and he suddenly copsed onto the ground...
At some point, the V16 that he had been holding tightly in his hands had also dropped to the ground.
By the time he reached Xander¡¯s side, it had already been toote for him to push the boy away. Thus, his palm had opened, causing the V16 to fall to the ground. In return, however, he had managed to protect Xander.
Nora stared at everything happening in front of her in shock and astonishment.
The bottle containing the V16 was extremely sturdy. After falling onto the ground, it rolled over to her feet.
She bent over and picked up the V16.
She couldn¡¯t tell if it was because the man had been holding the V16 for too long, but the V16 felt burning hot...
"Mommy, save Daddy!"
Xander suddenly shouted.
Nora handed the V16 to Justin and strode over to Xander, where she then bent over to check on Caleb. He had suffered serious trauma to his head, and he needed to be sent to the hospital for surgery at once!
¡ª
In a small town not far away.
The hospital in the town was obviously simple and shabby.
However, the operating room was brightly-lit at the moment.
Little Xander sat stubbornly in the corridor outside, his eyes locked onto the operating room.
Justin stood beside him.
Xander¡¯s little hand clung to his sleeve. Seemingly feeling rather uneasy, he didn¡¯t let go even once. Suddenly, he looked at Justin and asked, "Will Daddy Trueman die? Is he going to be buried in the ground like Butterscotch?"
Butterscotch was one of Xander¡¯s dogs that had died a few months ago.
Justin kept quiet for a moment before he replied, "No, he won¡¯t. Believe in Mommy."
Xander nodded and continued to stare at the operating room.
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Chapter 986: He Will Die!
Chapter 986: He Will Die!
Justin reached out to touch Xander¡¯s head, but when his hand was about to touch his head, Xander suddenly pulled away.
Justin¡¯s handnded on nothing.
Xander said softly, "Daddy Trueman said that not just anyone can touch my head."
His eyes were a little red.
Justin squatted down to look Xander in the eyes. He turned his son to face him and he said, "Xander, it¡¯s not your fault."
"It¡¯s my fault! Daddy Trueman only got hurt because he was trying to save me!"
"That wasn¡¯t Daddy Trueman but Caleb." Justin didn¡¯t know how to exin it to his son. He said, "Trueman is a bad guy who has been using you all this time. The one who saved you is Uncle Caleb."
"I don¡¯t care. They are the same person!" Xander shook his head stubbornly. "I know Daddy has schizophrenia. No matter which personality of his is nice to me, they are the same person to me. I don¡¯t want him to die!"
He didn¡¯t want him to die.
Neither did Justin want anything to happen to Caleb. Otherwise, he would owe him a huge favor!
And Xander would remember him for life!
All the bad things he had previously done would be gone with his death.
And Nora would also feel guilty for the rest of her life.
It seemed that Caleb had done too much for her!
Thus, he didn¡¯t want him to die either!
The look in Justin¡¯s eyes turned solemn, and he looked at Xander intently. He said, "Don¡¯t worry, he won¡¯t die! You have to believe in your mom¡¯s medical skills!"
Those words seemed to give Xander strength.
Xander finally rxed.
Another two hours passed.
Even though it was already three in the morning, Justin didn¡¯t tell Xander to go to bed or anything like that.
At six o¡¯clock in the morning.
The sky was starting to light up.
Atst, Nora came out of the operating room.
She looked exhausted. The moment she came out, Xander stood up abruptly.
The little boy looked at her hesitantly, wanting to ask something yet also too scared to do it.
"He¡¯ll live."
Nora¡¯s two-worded reply put Xander at ease immediately.
The next moment, a nurse wheeled Caleb, whose head was bandaged with gauze, out of the operating room on a gurney to the ward for observation.
Xander followed behind the nurse and entered the ward.
Justin walked over to Nora, and the two went to the ward together.
Caleb¡¯s injury was very serious¡ªafter all, he had been struck by a huge rock... Although he was out of danger, he was still admitted to the intensive care unit.
Xander stood outside the ss door of the intensive care unit and looked inside.
Nora walked over and stroked his hair. "Get some sleep."
"But Daddy Trueman..."
"I¡¯ll be watching over him here. Trust me, he won¡¯t die."
Xander looked at Nora for a long while before he finally nodded and said, "Okay."
Lawrence and Sean took him to a nearby hotel to rest.
Justin and Nora stayed outside the ward.
For a while, neither of them spoke, mainly because they didn¡¯t know what to say at a time like this. Neither of them felt any joy at beating Trueman and obtaining the V16.
In the middle of the night, the equipment in the intensive care unit suddenly started to beep.
Nora stood up abruptly and rushed into the ward.
But after a while, she suddenly staggered out of the ward...
"What¡¯s wrong?" Justin was shocked at her behavior.
Was Caleb dying?
As soon as the thought formed in his mind, Nora said, "His time is up."
"What time?"
"The time for him to take the V16. If the V16 is not administered to him right away, he will die."
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Chapter 987: Old Maddy
Chapter 987: Old Maddy
Immediately after Nora spoke, a group of people suddenly walked over.
There were two bodyguards with another person in the middle.
The bodyguards were both members of the Assassin Alliance while the person they had brought with them turned out to be someone familiar!
The person¡¯s face was full of burn scars¡ªit was Old Maddy who had run away without telling her the truth back then!
Nora still remembered what Old Maddy had said back then. If they couldn¡¯t get the support of King from the Imperial League, they would never be able to defeat the mysterious organization...
Thinking about it again, Old Maddy must have already known at that time that the Imperial League was the one backing up the mysterious organization, right?
Therefore, Old Maddy hadn¡¯t believed that she could get King¡¯s support at all, so he had escaped with the truth to avoid provoking her into bing enemies with the mysterious organization.
Nora hadn¡¯t stayed idle after Old Maddy¡¯s escape. She had gone straight to Karl to help find him. Once found, they were to bring him to her immediately.
Old Maddy stood in front of Nora and let out a small sigh. He said, "Ms. Nora."
Nora was not in a good mood. Her mind was preupied with thoughts of Caleb¡¯s condition, so she only nodded and said, "I finally found you. I¡¯d like to inform you that King..."
But before she could finish, Old Maddy interrupted her. "I know."
A smiling Old Maddy looked at her and said, "I told you, I will naturally appear when the timees. And now, I¡¯m here."
Nora: "..."
So, the bodyguards hadn¡¯t found Old Maddy at all? Rather, Old Maddy had allowed himself to be caught on his own initiative?
Old Maddy looked at Justin. He said, "I¡¯d been looking for clues about King all this time, and I finally found out that you¡¯re King. If I had known, I wouldn¡¯t have had to run away in the first ce... I could have just told you two the truth."
Nora gave him a wry smile. "We know the truth now."
But when Old Maddy heard her, he looked into the ward. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, he said, "No, there may still be something that you don¡¯t know yet."
"What?"
Old Maddy sighed. "I don¡¯t know if I should say it, because telling you will only give you more trouble."
"Say it." Nora looked at him. "Actually, if you had told us the truth from the beginning, we might have been able to avoid all the detours we took after that."
The old man nodded in agreement, and then said, "It¡¯s about Trueman Yale."
Nora was taken aback.
Old Maddy sighed. "I was crazy back then, but after I regained my senses, I started investigating the events back then. I knew about you giving birth to triplets back then."
He said slowly, "I also saw with my own eyes Henry Smith taking your baby and handing him to the bodyguard to get rid of..."
Old Maddy clenched his jaw. "At that time, when the first baby was abandoned, they were going to drown him. I rushed forward to save him, but Henry got someone to stop me. Later, someone came forward and single-handedly saved the baby."
Nora thought of what Caleb had once said, and it took her slightly by surprise. "Who was it?"
"It was Trueman."
Old Maddy paused for a while and then went on. "Or maybe Caleb Gray. I didn¡¯t know who he was at the time and he had shown up alone. A few bodyguards stopped us. When he rushed over, he was stabbed trying to save Xander. The stab he took from the back almost struck his heart and killed him on the spot. To be honest, he could have dodged the attack, but if he did, Xander would have fallen into the water..."
Nora stood frozen hearing those words.
Chapter 988: Someone Has To Be The Villain
Chapter 988: Someone Has To Be The Viin
Old Maddy looked at Justin again. "At that time, he became seriously injured trying to save Xander. He wanted to save Pete too, but he simply couldn¡¯t walk or move anymore, so he called Mr. Hunt... To be honest, be it Xander or Pete, it didn¡¯t matter even if they had died back then because having one child alive was enough. You can say that it¡¯s all thanks to Caleb that both of them survived..."
Old Maddy lowered his head. "I didn¡¯t know that he was Trueman at that time; I thought he was just a young man with a crush on Ms. Nora. It was only after I recovered my memory that I realized that he used to hang around Ms. Nora in the past."
Nora was a little stunned. "Really?"
Old Maddy nodded. "I was under orders to protect you at that time, so I had been observing you the whole time. The young Ms. Nora was round and chubby. He often came over to y with you and also asionally gave you food..."
Nora had fallen ill and started to gain weight when she was five years old.
She vaguely remembered that she did meet a little boy when she was eight or nine years old...
The little boy, who was about twelve or thirteen years old, had stood outside the vi and mocked her for being a little fatty.
But asionally, when her stepmother didn¡¯t cook for her, he would give her something to eat... He had liked teasing her.
However, he had stopped visiting her after a while...
So, she and Caleb had already met in the past?
And...
Caleb didn¡¯t only save Xander this time; he had already saved Xander and Pete once back then!
One could say that without Caleb, the two children would have been killed by Henry long ago!
Nora stared nkly ahead.
There was only one V16 left now. To be honest, after hearing what Old Maddy said, she was now even more at a loss as to what to do.
However, she had always been hard-hearted.
And people were selfish.
Though Caleb had helped her a lot, Xander was her son. The degree of her closeness with them was of utmost importance at this moment. Besides, she had never been the traditional definition of a "good person".
She wasn¡¯t capable of abandoning her son to save Caleb.
She looked up at Justin, but saw the man frowning in silence.
Nora understood what he was thinking.
Justin couldn¡¯t make the decision for them.
Because Caleb had helped her and saved both Xander and Pete¡¯s lives. If Justin made the decision, Xander might hate him for the rest of his life, and their rtionship as father and son would never ever be a harmonious one.
But someone had to be the viin here.
Nora took a deep breath. "I¡¯ll make the decision."
She looked at Justin intently and said, "The V16 is to be given to Xander."
Justin frowned. "Even if he hates you in the future?"
"Yes," Nora nodded and said, "Even if he hates me, he would still be alive. I don¡¯t mind."
Lawrence stood at the side.
He had immediately returned after he and Sean sent Xander back, in case his boss needed him.
After hearing what Nora said, Lawrence couldn¡¯t help but sigh.
Sean had said that their boss would not be able to make the decision because he was afraid that Nora and Xander would hate him.
But in this instant, for the first time, Lawrence found himself admiring a woman and a mother from the bottom of his heart.
As expected, mothers were the ones who could make the greatest sacrifice.
Despite having to endure a lifetime of guilt and her son¡¯s hatred in the future, Ms. Smith could still bring herself to make the decision... Compared to this, his boss¡¯ dilemma suddenly didn¡¯t seem as serious as hers anymore.
But Lawrence also understood that once Nora made this decision, she would have to live in guilt forever for the rest of her life. She would never be able to find peace.
She would owe someone a life for the rest of her own.
Would Ms. Smith, who felt that way, still spend her days happily with his boss?
Lawrence even thought of all the stories where people took their own lives along with the person who died because they owed their life to them...
Since they couldn¡¯t save their life, they would die with them...
Ms. Smith wasn¡¯t such an extreme person, was she?
Lawrence, who had a bad feeling about it, suddenly became worried for his boss.
But when he turned his head and looked over, he saw that...
Chapter 989: Mommy and Daddy’s Wedding!!
Chapter 989: Mommy and Daddy¡¯s Wedding!!
It was extremely difficult for Nora to make this decision.
For the sake of her son, she was going to let down the man who had saved her whole family.
For the rest of her life, she would have to live owing someone else a life...
But so what?
If she could save her son, she would give up even her own life without any hesitation, let alone Caleb¡¯s!
But immediately after Nora made the difficult decision, the man in front of her suddenly sighed.
Nora looked at Justin. For the first time, she felt a little like she couldn¡¯t breathe.
What did he mean by that?
Did he not support her decision?
While she was wondering, the door of the ward was pushed open again, and the nurse came out. "Dr. Smith, the patient is in shock! We are attempting resuscitation, but the cause of the patient¡¯s condition is unknown. We noticed that he has cancer, so that may be it, but we don¡¯t know what exactly is going on. Dr. Smith!"
Beep, beep...
Along with the nurse¡¯s voice, the sound of the patient¡¯s heart beating again came from the ward. However, it was awfully weak, as though it would disappear the next second.
Nora clenched her fists. If she didn¡¯t administer the V16 to Caleb right away, he would die.
She turned her head abruptly to look at the ward. "I... will send him off."
This was her punishment to herself.
Witnessing the death of her son¡¯s savior... This scene would keep reying in her mind in the future, making her heart hurt and filling her with shame and guilt.
Nora, you are such a cold-blooded person.
She dissed herself inwardly. But as soon as she took a step forward, a strong and warm hand suddenly held her wrist.
She turned around to see Justin cing the V16 in her hands.
On the man¡¯s handsome face, the beauty mark at the corner of his eye shimmered especially brightly. His voice was low and strong like the cello, which helped her find her bearings amid her turmoil and confusion. He said, "Give it to him."
The four words stunned Nora.
She looked at Justin in astonishment.
The two of them stood where they were.
Nora was wearing a white surgical gown and gloves. Her dark hair was coiled into a bun with a pencil, revealing her delicate and exquisite face. Her almond-shaped eyes were slightly widened at the moment.
The man was d fully in ck, and his ck silk shirt shone a little under the light. His expression was calm, and his eyes were bright and piercing.
They looked at each other, both silent for a long while.
Beep...
The heartbeat in the ward was bing slower and slower... Every beat seemed like it might be thest.
It was hard to tell just how much time had passed until Nora sped her fingers on the V16 that Justin had handed her. Then, she turned and entered the operating room.
At the side, Lawrence rushed over suddenly and eximed, "Boss, you, you... How can you make such a decision? What about Xander?!"
Justin didn¡¯t say anything.
Lawrence shouted furiously, "I know you have three children, and you have the least amount of affection for Xander, but he¡¯s your son! You can¡¯t..."
By this point, Lawrence¡¯s voice was already all choked up.
In the past, Lawrence had disliked Xander and thought of the boy as a little devil.
After all, he had dark and sinister thoughts and loved ying tricks on the bodyguards and nannies the most. His behavior was also vicious and ruthless...
But when they came to pick them up this time, Lawrence had slowlye to understand Xander¡¯s personality.
The child was clearly pure and kind. All the bad things he¡¯d done in the past were because he had been led astray...
In particr, Xander had stayed by Caleb¡¯s bed. Even when he was extremely sleepy, he had refused to go back to sleep. In the end, Nora had to order him to go back...
The child was very loyal and faithful!
Lawrence had started to be fond of him.
Yet!
Was the child he had just started to be fond of going to die soon?!
How could his boss make such a decision?
But he didn¡¯t dare to say too much either. He could only stare at the intensive care unit angrily.
Through the ss window, he saw Nora opening the V16 gene serum bottle. She drew out all the liquid in the syringe... Then, she looked at the needle.
Under the bright incandescent lights in the ward, the pillow reflected an icy sheen. She pushed the needle slightly to ensure that all the air inside was pushed out. Then, she suddenly looked behind her.
Through the ss door, she and Justin looked at each other.
Justin nodded.
Nora understood at once. She lowered her eyes and injected the V16 straight into Caleb¡¯s arm without hesitation!!
...
...
Caleb¡¯s heartbeat returned to normal.
Justin ordered one of his best bodyguards to stand guard over him, in case he turned into Trueman and escaped after he woke up.
The V16 was indeed powerful.
Even though Caleb had suffered grievous injuries to his head, after he was injected with the V16, his physical fitness became stronger and stronger, and his recovery speed was twice as fast as that of ordinary people. He indeed showed signs of longevity.
After ensuring that he was out of danger, Nora and Justin returned to the hotel.
The two entered the room at the same time.
Little Xander was lying on the bed. He was so small that one couldn¡¯t even see any depression on the soft mattress. It was as if there was no one on it at all...
Justin looked at Nora and suddenly asked, "How long does Xander have left?"
"One month."
Nora replied. She looked at Justin. "We¡¯ve given the V16 to Caleb. What is Xander going to do?"
Justin contemted for a moment, but before he could speak, Xander¡¯s voice suddenly reached them. "Mommy, I don¡¯t mind."
His words took Nora aback for a moment. Then, she turned to look at him.
Xander said, "Daddy saved me several times. I owe him a lot of lives. That¡¯s why I had decided to give him the gene serum long ago. This is my choice."
Rubbing his eyes, he sat up from the bed. Then, he looked at Nora with a smile and said, "I still have a month to live! When I was in the basement, I wanted to see the sea and the desert... But actually, what I really want to see is something else."
Nora¡¯s eyes were a little red. She walked over to the bed and sat down. Then, she picked up Xander and put him on herp.
Five-year-olds were still very small.
Xander was not quite used to such intimacy.
He smiled and said, "I wanna see Mommy and Daddy¡¯s wedding! You know what? Pete and Cherry really racked their brains to get you guys together. They told me that the two of them were the first to discover each other¡¯s identities and that they first found each other in a hotel in California. But at that time, they were afraid that the two of you wouldn¡¯t like each other and the two children might even end up separated from their respective parents, so they chose to hide the truth from you two..."
Back then, Cherry and Pete had really racked their brains and done everything they could to bring the two of them together.
They had even hidden their identities...
Time seemed to return to the very beginning when Nora returned to the United States with Cherry...
"I¡¯ve achieved what they couldn¡¯t. I¡¯m a pretty good big brother, right?!"
Although Xander was sleepy, he looked very smug. He said, "This alone should be enough to make the two of them willingly acknowledge me as the eldest."
"..."
"..."
Nora listened to Xander¡¯s tender voice. The boy had finally be more cheerful and wasn¡¯t so gloomy anymore.
Chapter 990: Two More Things
Chapter 990: Two More Things
"Why...? Why did you inject me with the V16?!"
In the van on its way home, Caleb, who had regained consciousness, couldn¡¯t help but re at Justin. "I didn¡¯t want to live. Besides, I¡¯m already thirty, whereas Xander is only five! Why did you give me the V16?!"
Xander was seated next to him, his short legs dangling off the seat as he kept his head down.
Nora looked ahead.
Justin ignored him.
The furious Caleb grabbed Justin¡¯s cor. "I¡¯ve heard the specifics of what happened. Nora had decided to give the V16 to Xander! You were the one who stopped her! Why? Is it really only because you don¡¯t want them to feel guilty? But he¡¯s your son! Justin, is your heart made of stone? Or do you share the same mindset as that old geezer and feel that you can just father more children? Do you think that you already have enough children, so it doesn¡¯t matter even if you abandon one?"
He clenched his fists agitatedly, his eyes filled with bloodthirst as he stared at Justin.
Justin, whose head was lowered, reached over and pried off Caleb¡¯s fingers clutching his clothes one by one. He looked at Xander and asked, "Xander, do you regret it?"
Xander shook his head. "No, I don¡¯t."
Justin pointed at him and said to Caleb, "Did you see that? Now, that¡¯s my son! This is his choice! Rather than living in guilt and suffering for the rest of his life, it is better that he goes with a st instead!"
Caleb stared at him in astonishment. Only after a while did he spit out contemptuously, "You... Your heart must be made of stone!"
Xander took his hand. "Daddy Trueman, don¡¯t me Daddy. I am a man. If I was in the hospital at that time, I would have made the same choice as Daddy too. That¡¯s what a real man should do!"
He raised his chin slightly.
Caleb looked at him. After a while, he finally heaved a sigh and touched his hair. "You¡¯re only five. You¡¯re no man..."
Xander didn¡¯t speak anymore.
Caleb clenched his fists and looked at Nora. "Nora, what about you? Why did you let him convince you?"
Why?
Because the look in Justin¡¯s eyes at that time had told her to trust him!
Even though Justin still hadn¡¯t given her an exnation, Nora didn¡¯t say much. She merely turned her head and looked out the window.
If there was someone in this world whom she could trust unconditionally, it was undoubtedly Justin.
Before she knew it, after going through so much together, it was only at this moment that Nora realized that she was leaving herself this unguarded against him.
While she was thinking, Caleb said, "By saving me, you¡¯ve also saved Trueman. He..."
"No."
Nora looked at him intently. "I will cure you of your schizophrenia and wipe him outpletely!"
Her words made Caleb¡¯s eyes light up. "Can... can you really do it?"
Nora nodded. "But this needs time. It¡¯ll take a month at the earliest and half a year at the longest. Therefore, you¡¯ll have to go back to the States with me."
"Go back to the States?"
Caleb was stunned. "Are you guys going back to the States?"
But the path they were taking was clearly the way to Queenie¡¯s manor.
They were already back from the border.
Nora nodded. She looked at Xander with a tender glow in her eyes and said, "We¡¯ve settled everything, so it¡¯s time for us to go home... to prepare for the wedding."
After realizing that the mysterious organization belonged to the Imperial League, Justin had cut off all of the mysterious organization¡¯s ie sources.
In addition, the mysterious organization was ultimately still inferior to the Imperial League. By utilizing everything at his disposal, Justin hadpletely dissolved the mysterious organization.
The mysterious organization no longer existed.
The previous King who killed Nora¡¯s mother had long since died... Its new master, Trueman, was also right in front of them. Everything had ended.
Nora would never take her anger at the previous King¡¯s deeds out on Justin, of course... One should only hold the perpetrator responsible for their misdeeds. The previous King¡¯s wicked deeds had already ended during his time.
She had also finally fulfilled her mother¡¯sst wishes and destroyed the mysterious organization, wiping the terrifying biologicalboratory off the face of the world...
Therefore, there were only two things left for her to do now.
First, she had to cure Caleb of schizophrenia and get rid of his other personality that hadmitted all those evil deeds. That would count as her revenge.
Secondly, she had to fulfill Xander¡¯s wish.
As soon as Nora said what she did, the car fell silent.
Two dayster, they finally arrived at Queenie¡¯s residence. When Cherry and Pete saw them, they rushed forward excitedly and gathered around Nora and Justin happily.
Cherry clung to Nora¡¯s leg and said sweetly, "Mommy, Xander said that you¡¯re marrying Daddy. Is it true? Our family of five won¡¯t ever have to separate again in the future, right?"
Pete also looked up at them, his eyes brimming with anticipation.
Nora ruffled the two children¡¯s hair and looked at Justin.
Justin bent over, picked up Cherry, and nodded as he said, "Uh-huh. Is your luggage all packed? We¡¯re going... back to the States!"
Iris was in the United States. Moreover, Nora and Justin¡¯s friends were also there. Therefore, they were holding the wedding in the States!
As for Queenie...
Nora looked at the suitcase behind her, as well as at Ian whose wheelchair was being pushed by a caretaker. With a wave, she said, "Let¡¯s go back!"
¡ª
After they chartered a ne back to the United States, they went back to the Smiths¡¯ residence first.
Joel and Tanya, who had already heard the news, were standing outside the door with smiles on their faces as they waited for them. The group reunited and chatted away.
Mia had already hopped over to Pete. The two little ones seemed to have endless things to talk about.
The group, however, had no idea that a "coup" was currently taking ce at the Hunts¡¯ residence.
Mrs. Hunt, whose hair had already turned white, was seated in the living room at the moment and watching the crowd there...
Everyone was questioning her.
"Why hasn¡¯t Ms. Smithe to work for so long?"
"As expected, women really can¡¯t do it after all? How can we support her when she doesn¡¯t even show up?"
"Ma¡¯am, Pete is still young, but Ms. Smith is so unreliable... Besides, as far as we know, she and Mr. Hunt are not legally married yet. In the eyes of thew, she doesn¡¯t even qualify to manage thepany!"
"Yes, that¡¯s right. Therefore, we still rmend letting Raymond Hunt¡¯s family take over thepany. Ma¡¯am, you must look at the big picture! Of course, if Raymond Hunt¡¯s family can¡¯t do it, then let¡¯s get Herman back. He is Pete¡¯s grandfather and Mr. Hunt¡¯s father after all! He will never harm Pete!"
"All of us here are either too old or too young, yet Ms. Smith, the only one who can manage thepany, isn¡¯t legally married to Mr. Hunt. Ma¡¯am, for the sake of the Hunts, make the call to get Herman back first!"
In the midst of the heated discussion, a thrilled Fanny, the housekeeper, rushed into the living room!!
Chapter 991: Wedding Preparations!
Chapter 991: Wedding Preparations!
"Ma¡¯am, Ma¡¯am! They¡¯re back! They¡¯re back...!"
Fanny was so excited that she was at aplete loss and stuttering.
Mrs. Hunt frowned. "Pete and the others are back?"
"Yes, yes! And, and..."
Mrs. Hunt understood that Nora, Cherry, and Xander had likely also returned.
But so what even if they were back?
Wasn¡¯t their return just in time for the group of people here, then?
Nora had already blown these shareholders away with hermercial prowess. The strategies she had drafted in thepany had impressed them all.
But who¡¯d have expected them to suddenly find out that Nora and Justin hadn¡¯t actually registered their marriage?!
In other words, Nora didn¡¯t have the right to manage the Hunts¡¯ assets at all!
The shareholders here were also terribly troubled, hence themotion today.
They didn¡¯t really have the intention to speak out against anything; it was just that the Hunts ultimately still had to be ones managing the Hunt Corporation...
Mrs. Hunt understood this even more than them.
When Justin first met with the ident, no one was clear about Nora and Justin¡¯s rtionship¡ªafter all, the two of them were already living together. Who would have thought that they were not married yet?
They had sessfully fudged the issue with that
Who knew that this issue would be brought to the surface when the authorities came to investigate tax issues?
Mrs. Hunt was extremely troubled. What should she do?
She waved to Fanny and suddenly said, "They must be tired from traveling. Let them rest first..."
At the very least, she mustn¡¯t push Nora out to handle all these now...
Mrs. Hunt waspletely on Nora¡¯s side now.
But as soon as she spoke, footsteps came from the door, and Nora¡¯s calm voice traveled over. "We are not tired, Mrs. Hunt... Why are all of you here, though?"
As soon as she said that, someone said, "Ms. Smith, we just found out that you and Mr. Hunt are not married yet. You are not his legal wife, so you can¡¯t manage thepany!"
"Oh."
Nora replied calmly, "Then I won¡¯t bother anymore."
Everyone: "?"
Mrs. Hunt was also stunned. "Who is going to manage it if you¡¯re washing your hands off it?"
"The one who owns thepany, of course."
After speaking, Nora suddenly turned sideways. Behind her, three little ones walked in with arge figure.
There was some reflection at the door, so Mrs. Hunt couldn¡¯t see the man¡¯s face clearly right away.
But even if she couldn¡¯t...
How could Mrs. Hunt possibly fail to recognize the grandson she had raised?!
She got up suddenly and looked at Justin in disbelief!!
Her lips were trembling as she called out in surprise, "J-Justin?"
Justin strode forward and soon came up to Mrs. Hunt. He nodded and said, "Grandma."
"..."
For a while, the whole room fell silent.
Everyone looked at Justin incredulously.
Wasn¡¯t Justin dead?
Why was he showing up in front of everyone again?
Mrs. Hunt was the first to recover. Sheughed and cried, and then she suddenly shouted, "You¡¯re alive!"
No wonder... no wonder Nora didn¡¯t shed a single tear after Justin¡¯s death... They must have nned this!
Couldn¡¯t Nora have let her in on it, though?!
But after experiencing so much, Mrs. Hunt had already let such things go.
With tears of excitement on her face, she said, "Good, good! This is wonderful!"
The shareholders at the side were also terribly excited. They said, "It¡¯s great that you¡¯re back, Mr. Hunt!"
"This is great. Looks like we won¡¯t have to get Raymond and his family back from wherever they are..."
"Yes, and your father won¡¯t have toe back to run the show anymore either..."
"The Hunt Corporation has found its leader!!"
"..."
As they spoke, Justin looked at them and suddenly put his arm around Nora¡¯s shoulders. He said slowly, "Next, I want everyone to go all out and help me with one thing."
"What is it?"
"Didn¡¯t all of you say that Nora and I are not married yet? Prepare for the wedding, then! In 20 days, I will give her an unforgettable wedding!"
"... Okay!"
Following Justin¡¯s words, the entire New York instantly became busy.
¡ª
At Hotel Imperial Finest.
"Hello, all appointments for the week before and after the 26th have been canceled. We willpensate you ten times the penalty... Yes, you heard right, it¡¯s ten times... Why? Because we¡¯re holding the wedding of the century!"
In the kitchen.
"Reconfirm that the ingredients will be airlifted the morning of the 26th! They mustn¡¯t arrive too early, or they will be stale by lunch at noon!"
...
At the Smiths.
Ian was in his room calcting something on theputer.
Next to him, Joel said, "Dad, give her more. All of this is for Nora... I will also give her 10% of the shares in my name..."
Ian sighed. "Don¡¯t you think I want to? But she doesn¡¯t want it! She says that it¡¯s annoying when you have too many things!!"
Joel frowned. "Then what should we give her as a wedding gift?"
Next to them, a hesitant Tanya finally spoke up. She said, "Er... I don¡¯t think she would really care even if you give her this much money. Instead, it¡¯s better that you..."
"...That we do what?"
Both Ian and Joel looked at her.
Tanya coughed and replied, "It¡¯s better that you gift her the mostfortable bed in the world."
"..."
¡ª
While everyone was having a headache over their choice of gifts...
At the Hunts¡¯, Iris looked at Nora and Justin in shock and eximed, "What did you say? Xander only has one month left to live?!"
The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and
continue reading tomorrow, everyone!
Chapter 992: Will Xander Die?
Chapter 992: Will Xander Die?
A look of disbelief appeared on the faces of everyone who heard the news, and all of them looked at Nora. Even Mrs. Hunt looked shocked.
Nora looked at Justin and nodded. "Yes."
Bang!
As Nora¡¯s voice rang out, the ss in Mrs. Hunt¡¯s hand dropped onto the floor.
She looked at Xander with aplicated look.
To be honest, Mrs. Hunt didn¡¯t like the boy very much.
She had watched Pete, an honest and upright boy, grow up. However, from the day Xander had firste to their door, he had been awkward and contrary, and behaved in a terribly detestable way.
He was not a boy who behaved properly and followed the rules, which made him an outlier in Mrs. Hunt¡¯s eyes.
However, Mrs. Hunt did not think that Xander would suddenly die so soon.
It seemed that all of Xander¡¯s shorings didn¡¯t matter anymore. It was also at this moment that everyone suddenly realized that Xander was actually just a child.
"It¡¯s okay."
Unexpectedly, Xander gave them a smile that looked as though he had seen through life itself and said, "I don¡¯t feel any pain or difort now. See, I look totally fine, right? I supposedly have a month left to live, but who knows? At least I¡¯m alright now! Besides, I can even be the ring-bearer at Mommy and Daddy¡¯s wedding!"
When the others saw his smile, they could only force themselves to smile as well.
Surprisingly, it was Xander who rushed up to Pete and Cherry and said, "Daddy Trueman has told me that I¡¯m actually the eldest! Both of you must acknowledge me as the big brother from now on, get it?"
Even Xander¡¯s speech had be a little more cheerful.
It was as though he had really let go of all the gloominess from the past five years.
Pete looked him in the eye and replied, "Got it. You¡¯re my elder brother."
Cherry¡¯s big round eyes were filled with tears. She grabbed Xander¡¯s hand and said, "Xander, Cherry doesn¡¯t want to leave you! ... Can you not die?"
As they said, only children and fools spoke the truth.
Nora looked at them and sighed.
In spite of the depressing atmosphere, though, all the Hunts and Smiths showed an unprecedented fighting spirit.
Xander was dying.
The boy¡¯s only wish was for his parents to get married and to attend their wedding...
The thought of it made everyone¡¯s hearts ache.
As a result...
The Smiths and the Hunts showed an unprecedented sense of unity, seemingly truly nning to turn the wedding into the wedding of the century!!
The two parties involved were not really required to handle the wedding preparations themselves, of course.
Nora was currently looking at Pete.
Pete had a firm look on his face and a determined look in his eyes. He asked, "Mommy, is Xander sick? Which part of his body is sick? Is it the heart? Or the kidney? Can you give him mine?"
Pete looked extremely serious and solemn. "I don¡¯t want Xander to die."
Nora: "..."
She sighed and touched Pete¡¯s hair. "It¡¯s the brain."
Nora had done a CT scan of Xander¡¯s whole body.
Xander¡¯s gene modification was to the IQ, so the bacsh had caused cancer cells to proliferate in his brain, leading to brain cancer. Unless the V16 was injected into him, with the world¡¯s current medical science, there was no cure.
Pete was stunned. "Can the brain be changed?"
Nora: "..."
The two were chatting secretly, but right after Pete spoke, Xander pushed open the door and walked in. He said disdainfully, "Why are you so uninformed about medicine? Would I still be myself if my brain is changed? Even if Mommy¡¯s medical skills are so amazing that she sessfully performs the operation, who would be the one alive? You or me?"
Pete frowned. "Probably me. After all, one¡¯s consciousness lies in the brain, which would be mine..."
Xander rested his chin on his hand. "I think so too. Didn¡¯t someone go through a head transnt surgery in hopes of survival?"
Nora: "..."
The corners of her lips spasmed, and she ignored the two little boys¡¯ wild imaginations. But the moment she exited the room, she saw Cherry looking at her with her eyes red.
"Mommy, will Xander really die?"
After asking the question, Cherry looked at her without blinking once.
Nora: "..."
Just as she was thinking about how she should answer the question, Cherry suddenly wiped her tears and said, "I know the answer now."
Then, the little girl turned around and ran away.
Nora stared after her, the corners of her lips spasming.
The little girl had been by her side since she was a baby. A single look from her was all it took for Cherry to know what she was thinking.
Chapter 993: Marriage!
Chapter 993: Marriage!
When the Hunts and the Smiths were up to their necks in work, the parties involved suddenly disappeared.
Justin took Nora and the three little ones, plus an additional Caleb, with him, and the group of six suddenly vanished from the city.
When Joel received Nora¡¯s text message, the corners of his lips couldn¡¯t help but spasm.
"What¡¯s wrong?" Tanya asked.
Joel replied speechlessly, "They said that they are going on their honeymoon."
"..."
Were they already going on a honeymoon when they weren¡¯t even married yet?
But no one who knew about it asked them to return. Even when they encountered problems with the wedding preparation, no one bothered the family of five¡ªthey knew that the family was apanying Xander on thest leg of his journey.
No one wanted to waste a minute or even a second of the time they had left together.
Although, somewhat contrary to the sorrowful and tragic scene that everyone was imagining...
On the beach.
The barefooted Xander stared at the sea and eximed, "Is that the sea?"
"Yeah!" Cherry put her hands on her hips and raised her head as she said, "I often visit the sea. Doesn¡¯t it make you feel rxed and revitalized?"
"Cherry has improved! She knows words like ¡¯revitalized¡¯ now!" Pete said approvingly from the side.
"Yeah!" Xander echoed.
Cherry raised her chin. "Of course... no, wait, why do I feel like you two are mocking me? Boohoo! Daddy, Pete and Xander are bullying me!"
Right after Cherry¡¯s words and her pretense of crying by rubbing her eyes with her hands, Justin, who was d in a pair of cooling beach shorts, strode over.
Pete and Xander looked at each other and hurriedly got ready to flee.
Unfortunately, how could the two little ones possibly outrun the Big Brother of the Irvin School of Martial Arts famous for his agility?
Thus, the two were caught.
Then, the two children¡¯s cries could be hearding from the hotel.
"I was wrong, Daddy! I won¡¯t bully my younger sister ever again!"
"Whoa, I¡¯m dying, Daddy! Can you be a little less heavy-handed?!"
Afterwards.
Nora applied medicine on the two little boys¡¯ butts.
Pete bore with the pain and kept quiet.
As for Xander, he couldn¡¯t helpining, "That tyrant!"
Nora chuckled, though her movements were gentle. "Who told you to say that you have never been spanked by your parents? We were just cooperating with you so that you won¡¯t leave the world with regrets."
"... Mommy, you¡¯ve been led astray too!" Xanderined.
"Then Daddy can just spank him. Why spank me too?"
At the side, Justin coughed. "... It was habitual."
"..."
Pete had mild autism when he was younger, so he was extremely disobedient. At that time, Justin didn¡¯t know about his condition, so he had spanked him.
Pete was also very stubborn then, so he refused to cry out even when he was being spanked, which caused Justin to spank him even harder. This led to him developing a fever in the middle of the night. If Mrs. Hunt hadn¡¯t checked in on him, no one would have noticed.
This was also the reason for the various conflicts between Pete and Justin in the beginning.
When Justin first took Pete to California, Chester had been quite afraid that Justin and the little troublemaker would fight. Neither of them was someone willing to give in. Fortunately, Pete and Cherry had switched ces then. Whenever the little girl cried or wailed, Justin would give in immediately.
Come to think of it, it was true that Pete hadn¡¯t been spanked for a really long time now.
While the family of five was happily spending time together, Caleb sat by himself in his room.
Even the door was closed.
There was no other way!
Nora wanted to treat his illness, so they had to bring him along. However! Justin didn¡¯t want the man to disturb the family of five¡¯s time together, so every time they arrived somewhere, he would lock him up.
He was no patient... He was a prisoner!
The corners of Caleb¡¯s lips spasmed.
At this moment, his expression suddenly changed, and Trueman appeared. "Ha, what a mockery. Aren¡¯t you jealous when you see their family of five living happily?"
"... I¡¯m not jealous. Stop your nonsense. I will never listen to you!"
Trueman¡¯s voice was sharp as he said, "Of course you won¡¯t. Not when you have always been the primary personality! Caleb... You are so shameless!"
"I¡¯m taking medicine prescribed to me by Nora every day. You will disappear after her wedding at thetest."
Upon hearing this, Trueman fell silent. After a while, in a low voice, he finally asked, "Will Xander¡¯s time also be up by then?"
"Yes, but with you apanying Xander in the afterlife, maybe he won¡¯t be so lonely." After speaking, Caleb listened to the excitement in the next room and said, "How nice would it be if Xander didn¡¯t have to die?"
"You conniving little rat! ..."
As soon as Trueman¡¯s ranting began, Caleb suddenly stretched out a finger and said, "Shh. Listen to how happy they sound."
After that, his expression changed a few more times, but he ultimately sessfully suppressed Trueman, who did not appear again.
Next, the six of them visited the deserts and grasnds.
Xander saw the desert and rode a big horse. Not only did he see the beautiful countryside scenery of the United States, Justin even arranged for a private ne to take them to look at the aurora!
During their twenty-day trip, everyone ran unrestrained, abandoning all their worldly troubles and ying to their hearts¡¯ content.
Twenty dayster, they got on the ne and flew back home.
Because!
The wedding was about to begin!
The moment the helicopternded at the airport, Joel and Tanya rushed over, grabbed Nora, and started walking out. "Come on, hurry up!"
"... What¡¯s the big hurry?" asked Nora.
The corners of Joel¡¯s lips spasmed. "You need to have your makeup done and your clothes changed immediately! It¡¯s your wedding in two hours!"
"..."
Justin watched as the two of them dragged Nora into the car, which raced off into the distance. He couldn¡¯t help but take two steps in that direction but was stopped by Brenda, Chester, Howard, and others. "You need to hurry up too, Justin! You have to change into the groom¡¯s outfit and prepare for the wedding!"
Justin hesitated for a moment and then asked, "Isn¡¯t the wedding tomorrow?"
Everyone: "???"
In the car returning to the Smiths¡¯ residence, Nora couldn¡¯t help but ask the same thing too.
Everyone who heard the question couldn¡¯t help roaring inwardly, "How can you guys be so unreliable?! Did you get even the date of your wedding wrong?!"
¡ª
By the time Nora returned to the Smiths¡¯ residence, the makeup artist was already waiting for her.
After checking that Nora¡¯s skin was in good condition, the makeup artist couldn¡¯t help but exim, "Your skin is in such good condition, Ms. Smith! I¡¯ll just give you some simple foundation and lipstick! This way, you¡¯ll look especially healthy and radiant!"
"Okay."
Nora, who rarely wore makeup, sat in front of the mirror hesitantly.
The makeup artist applied powder on her face quickly with a brush. It felt quitefortable, so Nora couldn¡¯t help but doze off.
When someone finally woke her up, Nora slowly opened her eyes. She was a little stunned when she looked in the mirror.
Chapter 994: Stealing The Groom!
Chapter 994: Stealing The Groom!
Now that the woman, who didn¡¯t usually wear makeup, was wearing a little makeup, her skin looked even more beautiful and radiant.
Everyone in the room looked at her in a daze.
They knew that Nora was good-looking, but they didn¡¯t expect her to be this stunning!
At the side, Tanya marveled, "Justin is such a lucky bastard!"
Joel and Ian also stared at her nkly.
Soon, the cars that were to take them to the church arrived...
The grand celebration was so huge that people were still marveling at it a few yearster.
The cost of the wedding was nearly a legend on its own.
Be it the Hunts or the Smiths, both families seemed to want to give them a perfect wedding...
The decoration in the church was also done ingeniously. White and pink exotic roses covered the ce. It was as if the imported flowers didn¡¯t cost a cent...
Nora¡¯s wedding dress was specially made by a world-renowned fashion designer. As time was of the essence, they had to pay through the nose for it...
On the wedding day, the guests at the wedding banquet also shocked the entire wealthy circle in New York City...
Not only did Queenie Schmidt, who was based in Switzend, attend the wedding in person, but she was even seated on the bride¡¯s side.
People from the pugilistic world also attended the wedding. Quinn and Irvin sat at the same table, which amazed everyone.
The frail and sickly Dr. Silvester Zabe also attended the wedding...
There were also international car racers there...
Even the famous Karl Moore was there...
A singer of international fame also personally attended the wedding and sang a song that paid tribute to love...
...
...
All kinds of people one would never have imagineding were all attending the wedding in person¡ªand they were all kith and kin of the bride!
If there was a reporter here, they could make headlines on social media just by interviewing any random person there.
Unfortunately for them, security at the wedding was strict, so not a single reporter made it in.
Nevertheless, the reporters still caught wind of some news because...
Even the Queen of the UK was here!
It must be mentioned that visits by the Queen to other countries must be discussed in advance. However, the Queen¡¯s visit this time was very special. Her reason for visiting the United States was just to attend a wedding...
Although the princess of the UK had also attended little Cherry¡¯s birthday party thest time, she was ultimately still just a princess. Moreover, Lucy was the second child and not the heir appointed by the Queen. Therefore, her visit was in no way as astounding as the Queen¡¯s.
Never mind that the Queen was here, but when she saw the jewelry Nora was wearing, she said jealously, there and then, that she had failed to win it at an auction in the past. She hadn¡¯t expected to see it on Nora...
The wedding was immortalized as a legendary event.
When the bride appeared, the long wedding dress behind her was held up by three insanely adorable children who won over the entire audience. They carefully followed behind their mother and brought her to the tyrant.
When Ian ced Nora¡¯s hand in Justin¡¯s, he closed his eyes, and tears fell from the corners.
He didn¡¯t say anything emotional but only one sentence: "Lad, if you ever dare bully her, I will kill you!"
Justin didn¡¯t get mad. Instead, he nodded solemnly and replied, "Never."
The three little ones behind him also rushed over waving their fists. They said, "Daddy, if you dare bully Mommy in the future..."
The look in Justin¡¯s eyes turned frosty as he looked at them, the beauty mark at the corner of his eye shimmering. "What are the three of you going to do?"
Cherry found herself at a loss for words at once.
Pete and Xander looked at each other and said in unison, "We will bully Cherry!"
Cherry: "??"
Mr. ve-To-His-Daughter Justin: "??"
He sneered and said, "Can the two of you bear to do that?"
Who were they kidding? Those two boys with sisterplexes were way scarier than he was, alright?
He couldn¡¯t imagine anyone being able to take Cherry as their wife in the future. With those two fearsome brothers around, they would probably drive everyone away!
After the wedding, atst, Nora sat on the bed at the Hunts¡¯ manor to rest.
Everyone had a great time that day. Even those who knew that Xander didn¡¯t have long to live all feigned happiness because no one wanted to leave behind any regrets.
The Queen was the only one somewhat distracted at the wedding. She looked at the door from time to time, as if waiting for someone.
While Nora was thinking about it, her cell phone suddenly rang.
When she answered the call, the Queen¡¯s quiet voice came from the other end. "ck Cat, do you know that King got married today?"
"... Yes, I know," replied Nora.
The Queen sighed. "I just knew you would be aware of King¡¯s true identity. Why are you being such a defeatist, though?"
Nora: "?"
"In my heart, you are a heroine who does as she pleases! With your personality and skills, I thought you would havee to the wedding to steal the groom! You are too cowardly!"
Nora: "!!!"
The corners of her lips spasmed. Just as she was about to speak, the Queen coughed and spoke again. "But you still have a chance!"
Nora narrowed her eyes. "What chance?"
"Tonight, of course. They haven¡¯t consummated their marriage yet. Why don¡¯t I create an opportunity for you to take Justin away?"
"... You don¡¯t have to do that anymore," replied Nora.
"Huh? I know you¡¯re skilled, but the Hunts¡¯ security is still something else. You..." Suddenly, the Queen realized something and she asked in shock, "You¡¯re not already at the Hunts¡¯ manor, are you?"
Nora¡¯s lips curled into a smile. "Yeah."
The Queen sounded excited at once. "Where are you? I¡¯lle to you!"
Chapter 995: I’m Behind You
Chapter 995: I¡¯m Behind You
"... In the bridal chamber."
"Huh? You¡¯ve already sneaked into the bridal chamber? But Justin is not there right now... Oh, I get it!"
Nora raised her brows. Had the Queen finally realized who she was?
However, the next moment, the Queen said, "You must have gone there to assassinate Nora!"
Nora: "???"
The Queen continued smiling as she said, "You have my support, ck Cat! Still, you shouldn¡¯t kill her. Although I hate Nora, Cherry would be a very pitiful child if she loses her mother. How about this? I think it¡¯s better if you just kidnap Justin instead..."
As Nora listened to the Queen on the phone and the hurried footsteps outside the door, the corners of her lips curled into a smile.
The Queen continued. "Don¡¯t be rash! It¡¯s not right to take another person¡¯s life. I know you are a killer, but if you kill Nora, Justin won¡¯t let you off... Like you, I really dislike her, especially that poker face of hers that looks as though she never smiles. On top of that, she¡¯s sozy, and all she does every day is sleep... But Kitty, don¡¯t be rash!"
Kitty? Nora¡¯s lip corners spasmed.
The next moment, the Queen lowered her voice and said, "I¡¯m at the door now. Where are you? I¡¯ll pick you up and get you out of there..."
Then, she rushed into the bridal chamber.
Nora was alone in the room. Justin had dismissed everyone else because... Nora, who had to go to her own wedding as soon as she stepped off the ne, had be sleepy!
Thus, after the Queen entered and looked left and right, she didn¡¯t see ck Cat. She curled her lips disdainfully at Nora and said, "I¡¯m here to tour your room. You don¡¯t mind, do you?"
Nora raised her brows and gestured to her to do as she pleased.
The Queen went straight into the bathroom. The room outside was huge, but there was only a big bed in it. There was nowhere else for one to hide, so the Queen had thought ck Cat was hiding in the bathroom.
It was only after she went in that she realized that ck Cat wasn¡¯t in there.
Thus, the Queen whispered into the phone, "Where on earth are you, ck Cat?"
"I¡¯m on the bed."
"..."
The Queen was taken aback by the reply.
After replying, Nora hung up.
She felt that the Queen must have understood what she meant by now.
She waited for the Queen to exit the bathroom and face her. She wanted to know how the Queen would react since she had dissed Nora for so long just now.
The thought had only just formed when she spotted the Queen furtively sticking her head out of the bathroom.
The Queen had blue eyes and blond hair and was a beauty. Her current actions added some yfulness to her bearing, and there was none of the imposing aura she usually disyed before outsiders.
She smiled awkwardly and walked toward Nora.
Nora looked at her quietly, waiting for her to speak.
The Queen slowly came up to her. She said, "Uh... Your bed is really big!"
Nora raised her brows but said nothing.
The Queen coughed and touched her own hair. Then, she continued in Welsh, "Even my bed back in the UK is not as big and soft as yours... Can I try lying down on it for a while?"
Nora: "?"
She frowned, but right after, she saw the Queen suddenly throw herself on the bed. Then, she rolled across the bed all the way from the top to the end. In between, she even pressed her hands against the mattress, seemingly... looking for something?
Nora: "??????"
The corners of her lips spasmed, and she finally understood what the Queen was doing. Thus, she picked up her cell phone and dialed the Queen¡¯s number.
The Queen got a shock when she saw her cell phone ringing. She gave Nora a smile, then hid at the side and asked in a low voice, "Which part of the bed are you at, ck Cat? Why didn¡¯t I find any mechanisms on the bed?"
Nora: "..."
As expected, the Queen hadn¡¯t realized anything at all!
When she made all those excuses and even rolled back and forth on her bed, she was actually searching for ck Cat.
By then, she couldn¡¯t help but really suspect that the Queen had lost her mind. She slowly stood up, walked up to the Queen from the back, and said into the phone, "I¡¯m behind you."
"I¡¯m behind you."
The voice on the phone and the one in real lifeing from behind her merged into one, causing the Queen to freeze. Then, she looked behind her incredulously.
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Chapter 996: Bed
Chapter 996: Bed
The Queen¡¯s eyes widened and she stared at Nora in disbelief.
She stared hard at Nora. "You, you, you..."
"I¡¯m ck Cat," Nora said directly, worried that the Queen hadn¡¯t still realized her identity, as well as to avoid causing further misunderstandings.
"... You are standing right in front of me! Of course I¡¯ve realized!" The Queen replied.
"Oh. I was afraid you¡¯d misunderstand and think that I kidnapped her."
Nora¡¯s reply made the Queen¡¯s eyes flicker. To be honest, when she first saw that Nora was holding ck Cat¡¯s cell phone, that had indeed been her first thought.
However, she would never admit it, so she raised her chin, snorted, and said, "I¡¯m not that stupid!"
"..."
Just as Nora was about to speak, Brenda rushed in. She said, "My goodness, why are you here, Your Majesty? Justin instructed everyone to leave my sister-inw alone and let her sleep. What if your presence here affects her?"
The Queen: "..."
When she wanted to speak, Brenda grabbed her arm and said to Nora, "Have a good sleep, Nora. It¡¯s all because I went to the bathroom and took my eyes off her. In just that split second, she made her way here. Don¡¯t worry, no one will disturb you after this!"
The Queen struggled. "I¡ª"
"Yeah, yeah. Alright, let¡¯s go, Your Majesty. I know you have feelings for Justin, but you mustn¡¯t do anything to harm Nora, or I won¡¯t let you off..."
"The audacity of you! How dare you talk to me like that! I¡¯m the Queen!"
"You may be the Queen of the UK, but I¡¯m not a citizen of the UK," retorted Brenda.
"..."
The two left the room as they quarreled.
Brenda had received a task from Justin that day¡ªeven if the world came crashing down, no one was to disturb them in the bridal chamber!
And so...
When Chester, Howard, the rest of Justin¡¯s cousins, his friends in New York, and other friends from the Smiths came to visit the bridal chamber, they saw Brenda standing at the door.
Brenda was wearing a fiery red mini dress. She brought a chair over and ced it at the entrance of the corridor to block everyone¡¯s way. Then, she said righteously, "Do you have the heart to disturb those five people in the bridal chamber tonight?"
Xander was dying.
Everyone in New York had heard of it. Thus, when they heard what Brenda said, they lost interest in visiting the bridal chamber at once and even cast a nce full of heartache at it before leaving obediently.
Chester also started to entertain the continuous waves of guests on Justin¡¯s behalf, so that he could go upstairs too.
¡ª
Seeing that the bedroom had quietened, Nora finallyy down on the bed.
She had only justy down when she heard rustling at the door. When she looked over, she saw three little heads¡ªfrom top to bottom, they were Xander, Pete, and Cherry respectively¡ªlined up in a row. The three little ones looked at Nora curiously.
When Nora looked over, Cherry asked, "Mommy, are you and Daddy making a baby brother for us tonight?"
¡ª
Justin had to pretend to be slightly drunk before he could finally go upstairs.
It was his wedding night. The mere thought of what was about toe excited him.
It was just that when he was heading upstairs, he received a text message from Joel: "You¡¯re wee for the bed! It¡¯ll definitely be to your convenience! You¡¯ll love it!"
Chapter 997: The Dawning Sun Lights Up The Clouds
Chapter 997: The Dawning Sun Lights Up The Clouds
Joel had ordered someone to construct a big bed and specially sent it over. The mattress was even a high-tech one that felt extremelyfortable. It suited Nora very well, and also suited him and Nora sleeping on it together very well¡
No matter what they did on it, the bed would never creak¡
With his head lowered, he hurriedly entered the bridal chamber. Just as he was about to go for it, he suddenly spotted one¡ two¡ three¡ four people lying on the bed!
The three little ones were lying beside Nora and even rolling about. ¡°Mommy, this bed is awesome! Uncle Joel is still the best, after all! He gave us such a huge bed!¡±
¡°Yes! This way, we can all sleep with Mommy! And it¡¯s not a squeeze either¡¡±
Justin: ¡°???¡±
What the #%£¤#&!!
He couldn¡¯t help but curse in his head!!
Thanks a lot, Joel!!
The corners of his lips spasmed. He was about to speak when Cherry spotted him. She stood up at once and waved at him. ¡°Come on over, Daddy! Let¡¯s sleep together!¡±
The little girl scuttled inward and patted the area beside her. ¡°You¡¯re the biggest among us! This space here is yours!¡±
A resigned Justin walked over. His eyes met Nora¡¯s.
Nora looked breathtakingly beautiful that day. From the very moment heid eyes on her at the wedding, he couldn¡¯t look away anymore. Even Cherry couldn¡¯t take his attention away from her.
He smiled. But before he could speak, Nora said, ¡°You looked pretty handsome today.¡±
Justin paused when he heard her. Then, he suddenly broke into a grin.
Xander looked at Justin and then at Nora. Suddenly, he said, ¡°Hey tyr¡ Daddy. You didn¡¯t say any sweet nothings to Mommy at the wedding today. You have to say one before you can get on the bed!¡±
Pete also nodded. ¡°Yes, you must say that you love Mommy! Otherwise, what if you bully her in the future?¡±
¡°Why would I bully her? I can¡¯t even beat her in a fight,¡± said Justin.
At the side, Cherry suddenly asked, ¡°Daddy, you¡¯re King, so you¡¯re really powerful; but so is Mommy. In that case, who is stronger, you or Mommy?¡±
Nora was also curious. She looked at him eagerly and asked, ¡°Which one of us is the stronger one?¡±
One was the Big Sister of the Quinn School of Martial Arts while the other was the Big Brother of the Irvin School of Martial Arts¡
Both of them were equally strong, but in their private fights, no one ever came out the winner because Justin always let her win.
Justin looked at the four in front of him. Suddenly, he smiled and slowly said, ¡°That which wafts and drifts, yet is neither smoke nor clouds; and that which is lush and rich, circling about; that is what we know as the clouds of auspice.¡±
As soon as those words came out of his mouth, Cherry and Xander were stunned. ¡°What does that mean?¡±
Pete sighed silently and exined, ¡°Those linese from the ¡®Records of the Grand Historian: Treatise on the Celestial Offices¡¯. It means that the morning glow lights up the sky, dyeing the clouds into dazzling colors, therebyplementing each other.¡±
The tyrant was likening himself to the sun and Mommy to the clouds.
Xander and Cherry looked at each other, both suddenly feeling that they should study harder!
Cherry then asked, ¡°Daddy, are you saying that you and Mommy are equally strong?¡±
¡°No, I¡¯m not as good as her.¡±
Justin replied honestly as he looked at Nora affectionately.
As King, and as a leading figure in various industries, he had always been arrogant and never bowed down to anyone. However, in this instant, as he gazed at the woman before him, only one sentence came to his mind:
¡°The dawning sun lights up the clouds.¡±
Even if he was the sun, he was willing to stand behind the clouds and let her shine.
¡ª
That night, the family of five slept together.
Even after spending more than 20 days outside having fun, their rtionship was still surprisingly good.
Nora also had a rare good night¡¯s sleep. Perhaps she was tired or perhaps it was something else, but the corners of her lips curled into a smile in her dreams.
The next day, when she woke up and opened her eyes, she met Cherry and Pete¡¯s eyes at once.
When Nora stretched, Cherry immediately gestured at her to keep it down. She said, ¡°Shh. Mommy, Xander is sleeping in like you. He has already slept for 16 hours, but he¡¯s still not up!¡±
When she said this, Nora froze.
Her head turned to the side sharply and she looked at the face fast asleep beside her¡
Was one month over so soon?
Chapter 998: The Only Person You Can Count On Is Yourself
Chapter 998: The Only Person You Can Count On Is Yourself
Xander¡¯s gene modification was for his IQ. Therefore, when something went wrong with his body, his symptoms were not as intense as Caleb¡¯s and Queenie¡¯s. Instead, it would only be apparent in one way¡ªfalling into aa.
Nora checked his breathing. When she found that he was breathing evenly, she let out a sigh of relief.
Actually, even if Xander were to die, he would only be brain-dead.
Even Nora could not be sure when he would wake up again.
Nora¡¯s grim expression filled the whole Hunt residence with a depressive mood.
It wasn¡¯t until ten o¡¯clock in the evening that Xander finally woke up.
The people around him breathed a sigh of relief at once.
Cherry was the first to speak. ¡°Xander, why did you sleep for so long? You¡¯ve be aszy as Mommy!¡±
Pete kept quiet.
No one had told Cherry about what was soon toe. All of them wanted to protect her.
When Xander heard her, his expression became dazed for a while before he finally said with a smile, ¡°Tsk, I¡¯m having apetition with Pete to see who can sleep for a longer time. As I expected, I managed to sleep longer. I must be the eldest among us!¡±
Xander had a smug look on his face.
Cherry, who didn¡¯t know better, nodded again and again. ¡°Yeah! You¡¯re amazing! Even Mommy can¡¯t sleep as much as you!¡±
Xander sat up and raised his chin.
Next to him, Pete stayed quiet for a long while before he finally said, ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re more impressive. You¡¯re the older brother.¡±
Xander¡¯s eyes lit up.
Seeing the three children¡¯s interaction, Nora and Justin couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get Xander something to eat!¡±
The group apanied Xander downstairs for dinner.
Cherry yawned repeatedly.
She was usually already in bed by this time.
Xander ate something and then said to Cherry, ¡°Cherry, you can go to sleep first.¡±
¡°No, I have to wait for Pete and Xander to sleep with me!¡±
Just as Nora was about to speak, Xander nodded and replied, ¡°Okay, then let¡¯s go to sleep.¡±
The three little ones went upstairs again.
A worried Nora stood outside their door, whereupon she heard the children¡¯s conversationing from within.
Cherry asked, ¡°Xander, why aren¡¯t you sleeping?¡±
¡°I already slept the entire day. I¡¯d be a pig if I could fall asleep that quickly!¡± Xander replied.
Cherry said, ¡°¡ Oh, that¡¯s true. I¡¯m so sleepy, though.¡±
Xander replied, ¡°Go to bed, Cherry. Can you promise me one thing, though?¡±
¡°What is it?¡±
¡°Even if you want to y games all the time, you still have to learn and master other skills. Be it Pete, Daddy, Mommy, or any of our other rtives, I know any one of them can feed you your whole life, but you are the only one you can really count on!¡±
Cherry didn¡¯t quite understand. Nevertheless, the sharp girl caught something in his words. She asked, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you going to protect me?¡±
¡°Because I may not be able to grow up with you anymore.¡±
Cherry was so sleepy that she sounded like she was in a daze. She said, ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious, Xander. We must grow up bit by bit¡ yeah¡¡±
As she managed to speak thest few words, she fell asleep.
Nora cast her eyes down, her heart aching a little.
She wanted to push the door open and enter, but Justin stopped her and shook his head.
Sure enough, a short whileter, they heard a voice in the room again. ¡°Are you asleep?¡±
It was Pete.
Xander replied, ¡°Of course not.¡±
¡°¡ Why aren¡¯t you sleeping?¡± asked Pete.
¡°¡¡± Xander kept quiet for a while before he finally replied, ¡°Because I¡¯m afraid that if I fall asleep, I won¡¯t be able to wake up again.¡±
Chapter 999: That Little Rascal
Chapter 999: That Little Rascal
"..."
Outside the door, Nora felt her heart clenching again when she heard Xander.
Then, she heard rustling movements from Pete.
"What are you doing?" asked Xander.
"Getting out of bed."
"Why are you getting out of bed?"
"Aren¡¯t you having trouble falling asleep? In that case, finish everything you want to do before you go to bed again."
Xander paused. "... The way you¡¯re behaving makes it seem like you¡¯re the older brother."
Pete replied, "You¡¯re the older one."
"Hey, I don¡¯t need you to give in to me just because you pity me!"
"Then am I the older brother?"
"Bah! Daddy Trueman said that he saved me first! It¡¯s only because he didn¡¯t have the strength left to save you that he approached the tyrant... You were born after me!"
"Oh."
"What do you mean ¡¯oh¡¯? You don¡¯t believe me?"
"I do, I guess."
"What do you mean ¡¯I guess¡¯?! Do you believe me or not?!"
"..."
The two boys in the room spoke very softly, catching anyone who heard them betweenughter and tears. Nora and Justin looked at each other and then stepped aside. Then, they saw the two little boys, who had dressed themselves, walking out.
Pete tilted his head and asked, "What do you want to do?"
"Come with me."
Nora followed after the two boys and saw them sneaking into the garden.
Xander came to a spot. He looked around, stepped on it a few times, and then said, "Let¡¯s dig a hole here!"
Pete: "?"
Xander said, "I¡¯ve already looked around. From here, I can see your room, Cherry¡¯s room, as well as Daddy and Mommy¡¯s room. This ce has the best view! So, you must bury me here after I die! I also want to move Butterscotch and Buttercup here to apany me..."
After saying this, a quiet Pete walked forward.
"Where are you going?" asked Xander.
"Don¡¯t you need a shovel to dig a hole?"
"..."
The two little guys went off to get their shovels and returned a whileter. Then, in the dark of the night, they started digging a hole in the garden.
Both of them were smart, so they dug the pit a little faster than others, taking only an hour to do so. After they were done, Xander even tossed about inside. "Yeah, it¡¯s big enough. There¡¯s enough room for me to turn over."
Pete: "..."
Xander spoke again. "It¡¯s just that it¡¯s kinda dark. Can you find me a luminous pearl?"
"Okay."
Pete thought about it for a while and then added, "Great-grandma has a big one. I¡¯ll steal it for you another day."
"Steal?"
"Yeah. I asked her for it before, but she refused to give it to me."
"Alright, then."
Xander spoke again. "Let¡¯s get a quilt. It¡¯s freezing inside."
"Okay."
The two of them went back into the house and secretly returned with a quilt. They stuffed it into the pit, padding itfortably. Xandery down. Finding that it felt prettyfortable, he was finally satisfied. He said, "Okay, that would do. I will stay here after I die!"
Satisfied, he dusted off his hands. Then, he patted Pete¡¯s shoulder and said, "Peter Hunt, take care of our little sister and Mommy when your big brother is gone! Don¡¯t let anyone bully them!"
Pete said seriously, "There¡¯s still Daddy..."
"I¡¯m talking precisely about the tyrant. Mommy is so strong; no one can bully her except the tyrant."
Pete said, "... Actually, Daddy isn¡¯t half-bad."
"Hah."
The two boys started walking back home as they chatted.
Nora, who was standing behind the two: "..."
She turned her head to look at the sullen-looking Justin and she couldn¡¯t help butugh. "C¡¯mon now, are you really going to hold it against a child?"
Justin didn¡¯t say anything, but there was anger in his eyes.
Hah, initially, he had wanted to say something because the boy was so pitiful. But since the little rascal had the balls to say that about him, he would let him be frightened for a while more!
Chapter 1000: A Mistake
Chapter 1000: A Mistake
When the couple turned around to catch up to the boys, they noticed someone sh by nearby¡ªit was Caleb.
All three noticed one another. Caleb paused and looked at Nora.
Both Nora and Justin stopped and then approached Caleb.
Caleb also walked toward them.
They met in the middle where all three stopped.
Caleb, who looked solemn, frowned and asked, "Isn¡¯t there any other solution we can try? Is Xander really going to die? If you can, I¡¯d like you to extract the V16 from my blood and administer it to him."
Nora replied, "You know it yourself that the V16 is absorbed into the cells once it has been injected into someone. Doing that is useless now."
Caleb then asked, "It¡¯s been so long. Haven¡¯t you found the V16 form yet?"
Nora shook her head. "You¡¯ve been with us the whole time over thest month. When am I supposed to find the time to do any research?"
Caleb suddenly became furious. Seemingly a little crazed, he snapped, "So, why did you do that? Why didn¡¯t you use this time to study the V16 instead of wasting time traveling around? If you had studied the V16 in theb from the start, maybe you¡¯d already have found the form by now! And Xander wouldn¡¯t have had to die anymore!"
Nora replied, "Xander made his choice."
The chances of her sessfully developing the V16 in theboratory within a month were close to zero.
So many people had spent decades trying to develop the V16 and still failed. Nora couldn¡¯t say for sure that she could develop something like that in just a few months.
She had already made her decision with regard to this matter a few months ago.
Moreover, Lily had been in theboratory all this time and even so, she had only just managed to outline the real situation. After all, gic modification was a brand-new field for them. They had never looked into it before.
Upon hearing her reply, Caleb realized that his anger was utterly unreasonable. He lowered his head and took a deep breath.
Only then did the trio enter the vi. When they were about to head up the stairs, they saw Xander and Pete looking at them quietly.
The few of them were surprised.
Pete nudged Xander. "Go tell them."
Xander fidgeted awkwardly but stayed where he was.
Seeing this, Nora stepped forward and stroked Xander¡¯s hair. "What¡¯s the matter? Is something wrong?"
"Mommy, I... I want a kiss from you."
Xander made a request to Nora.
Nora nodded and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
Xander then looked at Justin. "Tyr... Daddy, lower your head."
Justin lowered his head.
Xander gave him a kiss on the cheek.
Lastly, Xander looked at Caleb, who took a step forward and squatted down, stretching out his arms to give him a hug.
However, Xander kept quiet. After some time, he suddenly looked at Nora. "Mommy, would you be able to cure Daddy Trueman¡¯s illness?"
Over the past month, Nora had been treating Caleb¡¯s condition the whole time. He had almost fully recovered from schizophrenia. Trueman pretty much never appeared the entire time.
Nora nodded. "Yes, I will."
Xander made another request. "Can you do it before I die?"
"..." Nora was taken aback.
But faced with the stubbornness in Xander¡¯s eyes, Nora could only sigh and reply, "It¡¯ll more or less be done over the next couple of days. Trueman will be killed offpletely and he will never appear again."
Only then did Xander nod. He said seriously, "Then I will wake up again tomorrow. I want to see Daddy Trueman recovering from his illness with my own eyes."
"Okay."
Nora stroked his hair.
Xander yawned. Rubbing his eyes, he then said, "I¡¯m sleepy."
"Go to sleep, then."
Nora said gently, "You will wake up for sure."
"Okay."
Nora went up the stairs, took Xander and Pete to their room, and watched the two little boys get into bed. Xander was awfully sleepy. Unable to control his body, he fell asleep immediately after lying down.
Pete¡¯s closed eyes were still moving about, though.
When Nora noticed, she smiled and flicked his forehead. Pete opened his eyes and looked at her. "Mommy, Xander won¡¯t die, right?"
A surprised Nora asked, "Why do you say that?"
"Once, when I was sick and nearly died, the tyrant held me all night, but he¡¯s not treating Xander with the same tenderness now. This means that he won¡¯t die, right?"
"..." After a long silence, Nora finally replied, "I don¡¯t know, either."
She was telling the truth.
Since the moment Justin made the decision for them, Nora hadn¡¯t once asked him about his n. She had done as he said merely because she trusted him.
She also felt that Justin had a backup n.
It was just that she didn¡¯t know what it was...
Pete was not disappointed at her reply, though. He breathed a sigh of relief and said, "In that case, it¡¯s pretty much confirmed."
Nora slowly broke into a smile. "Perhaps we will have the answer tomorrow."
Because Xander¡¯s body wouldn¡¯t be able to hold out any longer now.
Pete nodded.
¡ª
In a guest room.
Caleb walked in and entered the bathroom. When he was washing up, he took off his sses and looked in the mirror.
In the mirror, Caleb¡¯s smile slowly disappeared and his expression suddenly turned into one of extreme indifference.
Suddenly, he said, "You¡¯ll be dead tomorrow. Is there anything left that you want to say?"
Almost as soon as he spoke, his expression became animated. The corners of his lips rose slightly into a smirk, and his voice also turned a bit shrill. "Caleb, you are so shameless!"
After he spoke, his expression turned into one of indifference again. "I didn¡¯t let you out so that you could throw insults at me."
"Then what did you do that for? To bid me farewell? Ha, are you that kind? Caleb, you stole my credit and my son! And now, you¡¯re here to rob me of my life and my body! You sure are scheming! I must have been blind to misjudge you so badly in the past! Who would have thought that you¡¯d be the biggest winner in the end?!"
Chapter 1001: She Killed The Wrong Person
Chapter 1001: She Killed The Wrong Person
Upon hearing this, Caleb revealed a touch of a smile. "What are you talking about? How is it that I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying? Trueman, you are the entric and vicious extremist here. What does that have to do with me? I am the gentle and considerate hero who betrayed even himself in order to take down the mysterious organization!"
His words enraged Trueman. "You¡¯re shameless! Who did you even betray?! You only went to the special department because I wanted you to! I told you to do it! We were going to fight the old King together!"
Caleb replied, "Is that so? But did you put up any resistance? Haven¡¯t you been doing as he wished the whole time? Besides... this body will only survive if I¡¯m the one in it, no? If you¡¯re the one in it, you would be arrested. Those things you did... Heh... But I¡¯m different; I¡¯m the special department¡¯s informant! In everyone¡¯s eyes, I¡¯m the good guy now! Whereas you, Trueman, are a heinous viin! Besides, thanks to Dr. Smith, you haven¡¯t shown up at all during this period of time, have you? Don¡¯t worry, when you¡¯re gone and I get full control over this body, I will find a way to get Nora for you. I know you¡¯re in love with that little fatty... Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t have visited her when you were younger, right?"
"CALEB GRAY! What are you nning to do to my little servant? She¡¯s my little servant! Not yours!!" Trueman suddenly yelled.
"That¡¯s not something you need to worry about, Trueman. Although you are the primary personality, I am the one who truly controls this body. Don¡¯t forget how you couldn¡¯t do anything except shout and be angry in the past! Your anger was utterly useless; your arrogance was no different from a joke in front of the old King! If I hadn¡¯t shown up and helped you step by step to be what you are today, do you think you¡¯d have been any different from those children who died in theb? Anger is just a disy of your ipetence! I summoned you today to say goodbye to you. No matter how much you resist, it¡¯s useless, hahaha! You arepletely under my control now, so you can¡¯te out at all... You should be thanking me. If I hadn¡¯t let you out, you would just have fallen into a deep sleep instead!"
Trueman was stunned.
He fell silent, aware that what Caleb said was true.
All his anger was pointless at this moment.
Suddenly, he stopped being angry. He said, "Okay, even if everything you said is true¡ªin fact, I can even let myself be killed off tomorrow without fighting back¡ªI only want you to promise me one thing."
"What is it?"
"Don¡¯t do anything to that family anymore."
Caleb smiled. "Sure, I¡¯ll promise you that. Do you trust me, though?"
"No."
Trueman answered truthfully.
"Then why bother saying that? My dearest big brother, give it some good thought. What else do you want to say?"
Trueman clenched his fists.
Anger was a disy of ipetence.
Indeed.
He didn¡¯t know what to do except throw temper tantrums, which was probably why they were in this situation today.
He was clearly the one who had saved Xander and Pete, but Nora and Justin obviously credited Caleb for it. As for Xander... he must also think that Daddy Trueman was a bad person, right? Only Caleb was a good man to him...
Trueman hung his head, which he had held up all this time, in defeat.
He suddenly said, "Xander is about to die. I won¡¯t tell anyone about this, so I hope you can also keep it a secret."
He didn¡¯t want Xander to leave this world with regrets.
Caleb replied, "Of course."
After a while, Trueman suddenly said, "Xander loves ramen the most. I hope you can take him out for some tomorrow. I promised him that I would."
"Okay."
"Xander has always wanted a big helium balloon. He didn¡¯t want to be trapped in the basement forever, he wanted to fly into the sky. I hope you will buy him one. Buy a cheery one. He would like that."
"Okay."
"... Back then, when I visited the little fatty and gave her food, I only did it so that she would agree to be my servant. But she refused so adamantly, she would rather starve to death than agree to it. Toward the end, she even bit my hand..."
Trueman lowered his head and raised his arm. Sure enough, he saw a bite mark on his forearm.
He said, "I was so mad at the time that I threw the food to her and arrogantly dered that I would make her my servant one day."
"Why are you telling me all this?"
Trueman paused and then replied, "Since I¡¯m going to die while you¡¯re going to live on as me, I¡¯ll give you a clear and detailed ount of some of the things that happened back then. I hope you can let Xander leave without any regrets, and I also hope that you can keep these things a secret forever and never let them know... that she killed the wrong person."
Chapter 1002: Goodbye!
Chapter 1002: Goodbye!
Caleb kept his silence and did not speak.
Trueman went on. "Although you and I share a body, you don¡¯t actually know the things I¡¯ve done. But I¡¯m willing to tell you all these details now... I just hope that you can refrain from hurting her in the future!
"Even if you survive, you will still have to live under the special department¡¯s surveince for the rest of your life, so you won¡¯t be able to try any tricks. In that case, I shall fill in for you the details of how I had interacted with them and let you be the real me..."
Trueman heaved a quiet sigh and added, "... as thanks for your appearance back then, which saved me."
Back then, in the mysterious organization¡¯sboratory, as Trueman watched his brothers and sisters die one by one, he had been extremely furious. He was violent and angry, yet also helpless.
It was at this time that Caleb had appeared.
With his appearance, Trueman stopped butting heads with the mysterious organization and started to adopt a soft approach instead. Not only did he be the sole survivor, but he even gained the old King¡¯s approval and became the mysterious organization¡¯s heir!
Back then, the old King had wanted him to conceive a child with Nora.
However, the furious Trueman didn¡¯t want to obey his orders. As though he was ying a prank, he found a handsome guy to take his ce, nning to use him to neutralize the fatty¡¯s genes...
At that time, Trueman¡¯s intentions really were to just defy the old King...
Trueman¡¯s personality was indeed like what outsiders described him to be¡ªuntamed and uninhibited like a devil. Yet, at the same time, he was also a bit guileless.
Growing up in the basement, no one had ever taught him to differentiate between good and evil, so he didn¡¯t understand what was good and what was evil. He was a little devil who wouldn¡¯t even know if he did something wrong.
As a result, Xander, who grew up under his care, also had a simr personality.
Even if he was inherently good, he did not know how to differentiate between right and wrong, or good and evil.
However, Xander had Nora and Justin to teach him whereas Trueman didn¡¯t!
On the other hand, Caleb was a hypocrite. He smiled all the time, but in truth, he was cunning and vicious. That was why he had nned this whole conspiracy and pretended to be Trueman to cheat Nora out of the V16!
In fact, he had even tricked Nora into treating his mental illness so that he could fully take over the body!
Trueman couldn¡¯t resist even if he wanted to.
No...
It didn¡¯t be like this because Nora had treated his illness; it was because he had been secretly taking medicine behind Trueman¡¯s back, causing their control of the body to gradually go out of bnce and lean toward him...
It was now impossible for Trueman to appear even if he wanted to!
Upon hearing Trueman, Caleb sneered and asked, "So, are you saying all this so that I would let you say goodbye to Xander?"
Before their personalities could switch to Trueman, Caleb said, "That¡¯s impossible!"
He would never give Trueman the chance to take back the body and expose the truth.
Therefore, he would never let Trueman say his goodbyes to Xander.
Trueman¡¯s lips curled into a smile as he said, "I know you¡¯ll definitely be afraid and refuse to let me do it. I¡¯m dying anyway; does it matter whether I say goodbye or not?"
"That¡¯s true. In that case, sweet dreams, my brother."
After speaking, Caleb closed his eyes. By the time he opened them again, the look in his eyes had be gentle again.
¡ª
The next day.
Xander woke up eventer thanst time. This time, he slept all the way until eleven o¡¯clock at night.
By the time he woke up, the sky was already dark.
Everyone apanied him to dinner. Then, the group marched to Caleb¡¯s room.
In the room, a dish with a lid over it sat on the table.
As soon as they entered, Caleb pointed to the dish on the table and said, "Xander, this is for you."
Xander was taken aback.
He looked at the dish, his eyes lighting up. "Are you the Daddy Trueman who treats me nicely every time?"
Caleb did not say anything.
Xander slowly walked toward the dish and reached out for it.
Caleb¡¯s eyes were fixed on him.
No one noticed the corners of his lips curling upward slightly, nor the instantaneous change in his eyes.
Xander removed the lid...
Underneath the lid was a cheeseburger!
Xander broke into a smile. "Daddy, you remembered that I like cheeseburgers!"
He picked up the burger and took a couple of bites.
Caleb, however, suppressed the smirk on his lips.
At the same time, two personalities appeared in his mind.
"... You already knew!" Trueman eximed.
Caleb sneered. "Yes. There was no way I was going to trust you when you were telling me so much, of course. If I had prepared ramen for Xander like what you told me to, I would probably have given myself away by now, right? Come on, do you really think that I haven¡¯t been doing anything all these years? I am aware of all the times you visited that boy! I had installed a surveince camera at the ce where you locked him up!"
Trueman: "!!"
Caleb went on. "I certainly am not very sure about your history with Nora, but it doesn¡¯t seem like it¡¯s necessary for me to know anymore anyway."
Trueman was furious and raging. He screamed, "You¡¯re shameless! Caleb, you¡¯re so shameless! She is my little servant! And he is my son! You are so shameless!"
"Trueman, whether it¡¯s Nora or Xander, they are both mine now."
Calebughed.
He opened his eyes and looked at Nora. "Let¡¯s do it. Is this thest acupuncture session?"
"Yes."
Nora walked over slowly and picked up a silver needle. She said to Caleb, "It may take a bit longer this time, and you will also fall asleep. The next time you wake up, he will be gone forever."
"Okay."
With a gentle smile, Caleby down on the specialized bed meant for conducting acupuncture and rested both his hands on his chest. When he thought of how Trueman was about to disappear whereas he would fully take over the body and be a good person... A smile appeared on his face.
His smile was so rxed.
Then, he felt Nora inserting the needle in her hand into his head.
In his ear was her low and mellow voice. "Go to sleep."
He said, "Nora, have I ever told you that I was in love with you too?"
Nora kept quiet and inserted another needle instead.
Caleb began to doze off.
Before he fell asleep, he could vaguely hear Trueman¡¯s furious shouts in his mind. He seemed like he was about to dissipate and fade away as he yelled, "Shameless! You¡¯re shameless!"
The corners of Caleb¡¯s lips rose into a smile. "Goodbye, Trueman."
Chapter 1003: Stay
Chapter 1003: Stay
Trueman was trapped in the body.
He felt like he was watching a rey of his entire life.
From the moment he was born, he had been injected with the gene serum in theboratory. People observed his body at regr intervals. The young boy did not know how people on the outside led their lives. He thought that people were born to suffer; after all, wasn¡¯t that exactly the case for all the children around him?
For him, the happiest day of each month was the day when the old man came to visit.
The old man had already gotten on in years. Trueman was one of the youngest among his children...
It was said that many of the old man¡¯s children before him had already died...
Even so, he still liked the old man because he always brought him loads of delicious treats, including choctes and candies that reduced the bitter taste in his mouth after he was injected with the gene serum.
However, he always stayed at the back of the crowd and never dared to go forward to get closer to the old man. He was afraid of him.
Over time, he grew up.
He could no longer remember which gene serum it was, but one of the times he was being injected with it, he simply couldn¡¯t bear the pain and felt like he was about to die. At that time, a second personality¡ªCaleb¡ªhad slowly formed inside his head.
Caleb had a much better personality than him.
He was impulsive and irritable, and he wore his heart on his sleeve.
But Caleb was more likable, and he knew how to judge the situation better. When the old man visited, he even stepped forward to please the old man, making him so happy that he even gave him two more pieces of the chocte he was holding.
When did changes start taking ce between the two?
Ever since the old man discovered that Trueman had schizophrenia, he was given special treatment. Since then, the numerous times he was injected with the gene serum, the mysterious organization put in full effort to save him, and he ultimately survived the years of ordeal.
All his brothers and sisters around him had died.
Feeling lonely, Trueman regarded Caleb as his brother.
It was just that Trueman didn¡¯t understand why the old man had suddenly handed down the mysterious organization to him after he was injected with the V15. At the same time, he had specifically stated that the heir to the mysterious organization was Trueman while Caleb was only meant to assist him.
It was probably because Caleb was a secondary personality, right?
Then, they started looking for the V16...
Being paranoid, after he became the heir, he acted impulsively in everything he did, no matter what. No one could keep him in check¡ªexcept Caleb.
Because he cared about Caleb.
But never would he have ever imagined that Caleb would fight him for the control of the body one day.
He wanted to be the sole owner of the body.
It saddened Trueman terribly.
But he also felt relieved.
Perhaps only smart and maniptive people like him could survive in this world.
Trueman closed his eyes.
Goodbye, Caleb.
Goodbye, Xander. With Daddy Trueman apanying you in the afterlife, you won¡¯t have to be scared anymore.
... Goodbye, little fatty.
Soon, his consciousness disappeared.
...
...
He thought that he would never open his eyes again.
But in his daze, his eyes suddenly opened. Blinding light shone into his eyes, turning his visionpletely white, and he couldn¡¯t adapt to it at all. He suddenly stretched out his hand and covered his face.
What was this ce?
Where was he?
Wasn¡¯t he already dead?
As soon as the thoughts formed, he heard a voiceing from the side. "Daddy Trueman, is that you?"
Trueman abruptly looked in the direction where the voice came from to see Xander standing there.
Trueman was stunned. He asked, "Xander? Why are you here? Did... your illness rpse, so you reached the afterlife before me?"
Xander: "?"
The corners of his lips spasmed. He turned his head to the side and said, "Looks like he really is Daddy Trueman."
"Yeah. It¡¯s fine as long as we didn¡¯t get the wrong person."
The low and mellow voice took Trueman by surprise again. It was then that he finally looked to Xander¡¯s side and saw Nora. Trueman became even more stunned. "Little servant? Are you dead too?"
"..."
Snap!
Nora switched off the light, dimming the room. She said dryly, "You¡¯re still alive. Also, I am not your servant."
Trueman: "!!"
He looked at Nora in disbelief and sat up suddenly.
He looked down at his hands and then pinched his cheek. Then, he asked Xander, "Quick, take a look at me, Xander. Am I still the same person?"
"... Yes, it¡¯s you, Daddy Trueman."
Even Xander felt rather helpless.
He sighed and walked over to Trueman. He said, "Mommy had already noticed that something was wrong a long time ago. That bad guy pretended to be you and kidnapped me and Mommy, right?"
Trueman nodded. "Yes, that¡¯s right!"
It was precisely from that point onward that he sensed that something was wrong with Caleb, so he had kept asking for control over the body. However, Caleb imed that he had a way to obtain the V16, so he suppressed him and refused to let him out.
The only time he hade out was when Xander had been in danger.
Caleb had been impersonating him to deal with Nora and wanted to disregard Xander¡¯s life.
Besides, if the rock had hit Xander, no one would pay attention to him anymore. With that, he would be able to inject the gene serum into himself immediately...
However, Trueman had fought desperately to emerge that time, sessfully saving Xander¡¯s life at the critical moment.
It was also after that time that hepletely lost control over the body.
But now, he was finally back?
He turned to Nora in a daze. Suddenly, he frowned and sneered, "My little servant, you and Justin sure are generous! You actually injected the V16 into me! Are you abandoning your son? The two of you are not worthy of being parents!"
Caleb had also feigned regret and anguish, but he had done it gently, which looked overly hypocritical.
Who wouldn¡¯t want to live?
There was scorn and disappointment in Trueman¡¯s words, but also some relief and hope. This was what a normal person¡¯s reaction should be.
The biggest difference between Trueman and Caleby in the fact that Trueman was genuine and not hypocritical.
Nora lowered her eyes and said nothing.
Justin took a step forward and brought Xander over to Trueman. Before doing anything else, he asked Nora, "Caleb won¡¯t evere out again, right?"
"Yeah." Nora nodded.
After realizing that Caleb was lying, she decided to go along with his ploy. To destroy a personality, the person must bepletely rxed. If Caleb was tense and distrusted her, it would have been even harder for her to get rid of him.
Xander asked nervously, "Will he ever appear again?"
Nora kept quiet for a while before she replied, "Probably not."
This was unless Trueman birthed another personality.
Xander breathed a sigh of relief.
When Justin heard this, he looked at Xander and then nodded to Trueman. He motioned to them and said, "You heard your mommy. You can rest assured now, right? Alright, say your goodbyes to each other. Xander¡¯s time is running out."
The light in Trueman¡¯s eyes dimmed instantly.
Panic also appeared in Xander¡¯s eyes. He was just a child after all; how could he possibly not fear death?
Chapter 1004: Will He Really Die?
Chapter 1004: Will He Really Die?
Xander looked at Trueman.
He grinned at him, revealing two little canine teeth.
Trueman¡¯s eyes reddened.
Although he had received the V16 injection and survived¡ªwhich made him selfishly feel happy for himself¡ªnow that he was truly faced with the moment of separation, Trueman suddenly understood something he had read on the Inte:
"If one could exchange their life for another¡¯s, or if one could make a wish with their death as the price, then there would probably be a lot of mothers and fathers in Heaven."
Though Xander was not his biological son, he had brought him up for five years and watched him grow from a tiny infant to the big boy he was now. How could Trueman possibly bear to part with him?
He reached out and stroked Xander¡¯s head. "You¡¯re such a silly boy."
Xander took his hand. "Daddy Trueman, don¡¯t do anything illegal anymore. Mommy works with the special department, so she is authorized to arrest you... Daddy is also very fierce. He will be watching you too."
Xander looked at Trueman intently. "Can you promise me that?"
Xander¡¯s words stunned Trueman.
Faced with the child¡¯s clear and pristine eyes, Trueman¡¯s lips curled into a smile. "Okay."
Hearing his reply, relief flooded Xander.
Although Daddy Trueman was not a good man, he always kept his word and never lied...
After talking to him, Xander returned to Nora¡¯s side.
Trueman looked at Nora and Justin and asked, "What do the two of you intend to do about me?"
Trueman could be said to be an out-and-out viin.
Over the years, he had led the mysterious organization tomit a lot of crimes. Besides, he was not like Caleb who had pushed the me for all the crimes on him¡ªhe was indeed a viin.
Nora and Justin exchanged a look.
Justin replied, "I will get you out of here, but everything else that happens after is out of my hands."
The special department was still searching for him all over the world and trying to capture him. Although the mysterious organization had been dissolved, as its leader, Trueman would remain a wanted criminal for the rest of his life.
To be honest, Nora and Justin had the option of handing over Trueman directly to the special department.
However, Trueman had saved Xander twice and even Pete too...
These two reasons were more than enough to hold back Nora and Justin from doing something like that.
Trueman nodded and got up. "We don¡¯t owe each other anything anymore."
Justin said, "The car is right outside."
Justin didn¡¯t want to see him anymore, not even for another minute or second...
Trueman nodded and headed straight for the door. But halfway through, he suddenly turned to look at Justin. "By right, I can be considered your elder brother, which would then make Nora my sister-inw. I have something to ask her. You don¡¯t mind, right?"
Justin looked at him with aplex look on his face. "No, go ahead."
There was no way he would ever tell Trueman the truth! After all, that would put him a whole generation younger than him! He¡¯d just let him think that they were brothers instead!
Trueman looked at Nora. "When did you discover Caleb¡¯s secret?"
The messages he had tried to send hadn¡¯t been conveyed to Nora at all. In that case, how had it urred to Nora?
Nora cast her eyes down. Suddenly, she smiled and said, "If I tell you that I never really trusted Caleb, would you believe me?"
Trueman was taken aback.
Nora exined, "Back then, when he first appeared in New York, he was captured and humiliated because of me. I went to rescue him that time. You may not know this, butter, Morris told me that all those who had bullied him perished in a fire. When he was investigating the matter, he¡¯d thought that either Justin or I was behind it, but neither of us is that cruel."
Although they were all bad people, Justin and Nora never broke thew in the United States!
They were both model citizens who abided by thew. The most they would do was teach them a lesson; they would never cause any fatalities.
In that case, the only other possible exnation was that Caleb had murdered them to vent his anger.
Since they had kidnapped him, there was no doubt that he would want to kill them. However, Caleb had killed them in too cruel a way. All of them had been tortured before they died. It was to the extent that all their bones were broken.
Trueman frowned.
Nora went on. "Later... When he was arrested by the special department, doubts did form in my mind when you sent me a text message to take care of him when there was no way he could ess his cell phone in prison. Butter, when he got someone to impersonate you and meet me, that was when I thought, ¡¯I see, so you can do it like that too!¡¯ He could totally just get a subordinate to imitate the way you speak and do what you¡¯re supposed to do...!
"After his identity was exposed, I became even more suspicious of him. When the cook was killed, that was when I became sure that Caleb was not a good person!
"At that time, I¡¯d thought you were pretending to be him, but the more I thought about it, the less sense it made. Considering how arrogant and conceited you are, how would you possibly pretend to be someone else?"
Ever since Nora met Trueman, she had always known that he was a little devil.
However, the little devil was awfully naive, easily provoked, and didn¡¯t have that many tricks up his sleeve. It was unlikely that he would be willing to pretend to be Caleb to approach her...
"Later, Xander finally confirmed your identity. He has spent the most time with you and knows you the best. He refused to call Caleb ¡¯Daddy¡¯ the whole time but always addressed you as ¡¯Daddy Trueman¡¯..."
At this point, Nora said atst, "So, I took a gamble¡ªI gambled that you were the one who saved us back then... Also, it came back to me..."
Trueman asked, "What did?"
"The way you threw stuff at me from outside my door back then. Caleb¡¯s biggest mistake was telling me that he was the one who had given me food. Given that person¡¯s little devil-like behavior at that time, that person was clearly you!"
Trueman lowered his eyes and smiled. "In the end, he was the one who ultimately exposed himself."
"Yeah."
After exining everything, Nora gestured to the door. "It¡¯s time to go. I can¡¯t guarantee when Morris would be here to arrest you."
Trueman nodded and left.
After he went downstairs and got into the car that Justin had arranged for him, Pete looked nervously at Nora and Justin. "Mommy, Daddy. Will Xander really die?"
The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and
continue reading tomorrow, everyone!
Chapter 1005: Two Options!
Chapter 1005: Two Options!
Pete¡¯s question made everyone look at Justin.
Only Nora, who seemed to have vaguely guessed something, pressed her lips together and kept quiet.
Justin let out a small sigh. He squatted down, looked at Xander, and stroked his head. "Xander, you have two options now."
The puzzled Xander looked at him. "What?"
"The first one: we capture and bring Trueman back, lock him up for life, and never let him show his face outside. This way, you¡¯ll be able to live on openly."
Xander: "?"
Stunned, the boy didn¡¯t seem to be able to quite digest the news.
What was going on?
What was this sudden plot twist?
He didn¡¯t have to die anymore?
They had the V16 now?
While he was thinking, Nora asked, "What is the second option?"
Justin answered, "We let Trueman go free while you stay hidden for life, unable to ever appear before others."
Pete frowned.
Cherry asked nkly, "Why?"
At her question, Justin exined to the three children seriously, "Because we can¡¯t let outsiders know that a third V16 exists."
Other five-year-olds were still naive and innocent at this stage of their lives, but the three of them were different. All three of them were exceptionally intelligent, so Justin felt it necessary to exin everything to them clearly.
Xander suddenly realized something. "A third V16 exists?"
"..." Justin kept quiet for a while and looked at Nora. When he was about to speak, Nora interjected and spoke ahead of him. "My guess is that there exists not just a third but also a fourth, fifth, and even more. Am I right?"
Justin sighed.
He knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to hide anything from Nora.
He nodded.
However, Xander didn¡¯t understand. "But didn¡¯t Grandma only leave two? They were at the university!"
Nora exined, "That¡¯s because your father only allowed your grandma to leave two."
The more Xander heard, the more confused he became.
He felt like he didn¡¯t understand what was going on at all.
He stared at them nkly.
Nora, however, looked at Justin and asked, "If I¡¯m not wrong, the V16 is actually me, right?"
A resigned Justin nodded. "When did you realize?"
"I became suspicious when you told me to give Trueman the V16." Nora lowered her eyes. "Also, back when we found out that Barbarian wasing to New York for the V16 and that Mom had left clues in the bank, I slept very deeply for an hour that night. When I woke up, I found a needle hole on my sole, an inconspicuous part of the body. I didn¡¯t think much about it at that time bute to think of it now, you must have extracted my blood? Therefore, my blood is the V16, right? No, to be exact, my sma is the V16."
Justin nodded. "That¡¯s right."
Enlightenment dawned upon Nora. "So, back then, when you faked your death, your purpose was to create an illusion for them that those were the only V16s left, so if they failed to get their hands on them, they would die! It wasn¡¯t a diversion tactic at all..."
When Justin¡¯s identity as King was still a secret, Nora had really been under the impression that he was diverting attention away from her.
But after his identity as King was revealed, Nora didn¡¯t understand anymore... Since he was so powerful, why did he still have to divert attention away from her? But she finally understood now¡ª
Justin had done all that just to protect her!!
If news of her sma being the V16 were to spread, even if Justin was King, he still wouldn¡¯t be able to stop the whole world from wanting to be stronger.
This was especially the case for the longevity gene...
How many big shots and titans of various industries with the desire to lengthen their lifespans were there in this world? Sure, King could set up the Imperial League and rule over the world, but he still would never be able to control everybody¡¯s desires.
Think about it, once the news got out, how many people would try to steal Nora¡¯s blood?
Their lives would be incredibly tiresome!
Therefore... Justin was actually the one who had left behind the Morse code and so on that Nora¡¯s mother had put in the safe in the bank.
He had already figured out the truth long ago and set up a huge conspiracy!
Justin looked at Nora. Suddenly, he said, "Your mother really loved you a lot."
Nora fell silent.
Yes, Yvette had indeed thought of everything.
If Nora wanted to fight the world¡¯srgest organizations, i.e. the Imperial League and the mysterious organization, she would have needed incredible strength and power. Thus, her mother had prepared a great number of teachers for her.
However, no one could say for sure how powerful she would be as an individual, so Yvette had also arranged onest route for her.
This way, even if she lost the fight, the mysterious organization would still be prevented from killing her.
After all, once she was dead, that would be all the blood they would have.
But if she was alive, she would be able to continuously produce the V16!
The gene serum she was injected with when she was a child was not an IQ-improving one at all; that was nothing more than a gimmick. Her mother had injected her with the V16 instead!!!
When everyone suddenly realized what was going on, Justin said, "But I didn¡¯t foresee Queenie¡¯s sudden appearance."
He had only made two gene serums.
After all, if there were three or four, it wouldn¡¯t be able to make the five survivors of the mysterious organization go for one another¡¯s throats anymore.
One was for Xander.
The other was meant for the mysterious organization as a form of hope. This way, at least the mysterious organization could still give Xander a way out, and they could also cut down on unnecessary trouble.
But never would he have thought that Queenie¡¯s genes had also undergone modification.
As a result, they were still one V16 short.
Although Trueman was not a good man and had taken and injected Xander with the gene serum, this didn¡¯t change the fact that he had saved the two children back then!
Without him, Pete and Xander might have already died long ago.
Moreover, even though Xander had grown up in the basement, Trueman hadn¡¯t done it on purpose. He himself had grown up in an environment like that; in his world, that was how children were supposed to live.
He had even given Xander a lot of animals aspany.
Of course, he was not trying to whitewash Trueman. He was indeed a bad person, but his life should not end in their hands...
Justin looked at Xander again. "In order to keep your Mommy¡¯s secret, you must choose one of the two options. If we lock up Trueman, we can say that we extracted all his blood and refined the V16 from it, thereby saving you. Therefore, Trueman must ¡¯die¡¯. If Trueman doesn¡¯t ¡¯die¡¯, then you must."
Justin lowered his eyes. "I already have it all nned. Pete will receive all of the Hunts¡¯ assets in the future, but the Imperial League also needs a sessor. If you wish to go underground, then it works out because you can be the next King to the Imperial League."
If he chose the second option, then Xander would have to "die" tonight.
From that day onward, he would have nothing to do with the Hunts anymore.
Without hesitation, Xander said, "I choose Option 2!"
He had lived in darkness since the day he was born. So what if he had to continue living in the shadows for the rest of his life?
But as soon as he spoke, Justin¡¯s cell phone suddenly rang. When he answered, a flustered voice came from the other end. "Boss, this is terrible! Trueman... He..."
Chapter 1006: Living For Himself For The First Time
Chapter 1006: Living For Himself For The First Time
The caller, who was too distressed, couldn¡¯t help stammering.
Xander panicked. "What happened to Daddy Trueman?"
Nora also looked over. Justin asked gravely, "What on earth happened?"
His voice seemed to have some magic power that calmed the caller, who then answered, "An ident has happened!"
...
In a hospital ward.
Nora and Justin stood at the door, both looking at the man on the bed.
Xander¡¯s eyes were all red from crying.
"Why are you crying?"
Trueman, who was on the bed, sounded annoyed. "You¡¯re a man, aren¡¯t you? I¡¯m so tired of hearing you cry."
Xander stopped crying at once. He stepped forward and stretched out his little hand to touch Trueman¡¯s face. However, his face was all bandaged, and every part of it was injured.
Yes, that was right.
Trueman was disfigured.
After he got into the car that Justin had arranged for him, as they slowly drove to the airport, a thought suddenly hit him and he cursed. "Sh*t!"
Neither Nora nor Justin were a saint in the traditional sense. How could they possibly do something like giving up the V16 for him and letting their own son die?
Trueman would never have thought this deeply before.
But when he found out that Justin was King while knowing that King¡¯s identity must forever remain a mystery, it was at that moment that it suddenly hit him.
He suddenly said, "Stop for a moment. I¡¯m going to the pharmacy to get some medicine."
Thereafter, he took a bottle of concentrated sulfuric acid and sshed it on his face.
It disfigured him.
This was his way of erasing Trueman from the world and allowing Xander to live on.
Xander had never let him down before. In that case, he wasn¡¯t going to fail him either.
Xander couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Does it hurt?"
"Duh, obviously it does."
Trueman leaned on the bed and crossed one leg over the other. He shook his leg casually as he said, "I am disabled now. Since I brought you up, you must take care of me until I die of old age, you hear? I¡¯m counting on you to feed me from now on!"
In other words, he was willing to stay at the Hunts¡¯ residence and be under house arrest for the rest of his life.
After all, even if he was now disfigured, going by Nora and Justin¡¯s personalities, they still wouldn¡¯t trust himpletely.
Xander nodded and said seriously, "Don¡¯t worry, Daddy Trueman, I won¡¯t let you go hungry! As long as I still have a bite of food, you will also have a morsel of it!"
"Sh*t! Being a big joker, aren¡¯t you?! Leaving yourself a whole bite and giving your dad only a morsel?" Trueman pointed to his face. "I did this all for your sake, you know!"
Xander wanted to say more, but Trueman waved him off. "Alright, get lost. I¡¯m going to bed. I¡¯m exhausted! I¡¯ve only just taken over the body, so I¡¯m not that good with it yet..."
"Okay."
Xander walked to the door. Suddenly, he looked back at him and asked, "Does it hurt, Daddy Trueman?"
Trueman stopped shaking his leg for a moment. Then, he scoffed and replied, "Of course it doesn¡¯t! I told you, I¡¯m a man! This bit of pain is nothing! I won¡¯t make a peep even if I break an arm or a leg!"
Only then did Xander breathe a sigh of relief.
Nora, however, nced at Trueman. She said nothing and cast her eyes down instead.
After the family of three left the ward, Trueman clenched the sheets all of a sudden.
F*ck!
It hurt so f*cking much!!
It hurt so much that all his toes had curled up...
Yet... he was also so goddamn happy.
For the first time in his life, he had lived for himself and made a decision on his own. Atst, his life was no longer dictated by the old King, nor was it the result of discussion with another.
He had lost his freedom again.
But it also seemed that he was finally free.
On the way home, Nora suddenly asked, "What do we do about him?"
Chapter 1007: Five Years Later
Chapter 1007: Five Years Later
"Let¡¯s set him free."
Justin said after a moment of contemtion.
Nora looked half-amused. "Really?"
She didn¡¯t believe that the man trusted Trueman.
To be honest, even she didn¡¯t trust him either.
What if Trueman went crazy one day and told the whole world that she was the V16?
Sure enough, Justin then said, "I will get my men to keep tabs on him."
The n was to have someone tail him and report his whereabouts at all times. If he ever showed signs of reviving the mysterious organization, Justin would off him immediately.
Nora nodded.
Xander surprisingly also nodded, giving his approval for the n.
Nora was a little surprised to see Xander nodding. The drowsy woman leaned against the car seat, upon which she heard the little guy¡¯s voice.
"Daddy Trueman has made a lot of mistakes, so it¡¯s true that it¡¯s inappropriate for him to stay with us. It would be awful if he led Cherry and Pete astray too."
"..."
They soon reached home in the car. After saying goodbye to Xander, Nora went to bed. However, Justin put his arms around her. Just as he was about to speak, Nora said, "I finally know why I¡¯m always so sleepy."
Justin was taken aback. "And why is that?"
"Because my sma is the V16, all the nutrients in my body are constantly being absorbed at an insane rate, leading to my energy level always being low. This, in turn, causes my perpetual lethargy."
Nora looked at him and said seriously, "So, if there¡¯s something you want to do, wait until I¡¯m up again."
"..."
¡ª
A weekter, after Trueman¡¯s wounds stabilized, Nora performed cosmetic surgery on him. Before entering the operating room, Trueman, who looked like he was in a dilemma, asked, "So, all I needed to do was to just request that you perform cosmetic surgery on me? Why did I ssh acid on my face instead?"
An expressionless Nora asked, "Uh-huh. So, why did you do it?"
Trueman: "..."
Nora went on. "Have you decided what kind of face you want?"
Trueman answered, "I want one that is more handsome, more arrogant, and more attractive than Justin¡¯s. Oh, right, he has a beauty mark at the corner of his eye. Give me one too."
Nora looked troubled. "... I can¡¯t imagine a face more handsome than his."
F*ck! Is she showing off how much in love they are? Trueman thought.
Then, the girl yawned and said, "Come on, hurry up and choose. I¡¯m going back to bed after the surgery."
She looked impatient.
Trueman: "..."
When he came out of the operating theater, Trueman had bandages all over his face.
The stitches in some ces were to be removed in a month¡¯s time while some could be removed after just two days.
However, when Trueman woke up, he found himself on a ship instead of the hospital ward. He became angry at once. "Where are you taking me?"
One of Justin¡¯s subordinates looked at Trueman and replied, "Mr. Hunt has instructed us to take you wherever you¡¯d like."
Trueman: "!"
He wanted to rage, but held himself back in the end.
He touched his face and asked, "Compared with Justin¡¯s, whose facial features look better?"
"..."
"Hey, answer me! I¡¯m asking you a question! Are you mute? Or are you blind?"
"..."
¡ª
Five yearster.
In the yground of the top elementary school in New York.
It was already dark, but a few people were still jogging there.
"I can¡¯t run anymore!"
A sweet voice rang out as its owner panted heavily. A pretty little girl somewhat resembling Nora was bent over and gasping for breath.
"Cheryl, did you ruin your body by ying games every day? You haven¡¯t even run that much yet and you¡¯re already at your limit?"
A voice that sounded a little heretical reached her. Alexander Yale jogged to the spot beside the girl and reached out to tug at her. "Come on!"
"... We must have already run eightps by now, right?!" Cheryl retorted.
Alexander curled his lips disdainfully. "Pete can run for hours without panting, you know. Your physical fitness is too poor!"
Cheryl¡¯s eyes widened. "Peter said that we should call him Peter Hunt! Pete is a nickname. He has already grown up!"
"No matter how old he is, he¡¯s not going to be older than me." Alexander ignored her and urged her again. "Hurry up, Cherry!"
"... My name is CHERYL SMITH!!"
Cheryl couldn¡¯t help gnashing her teeth.
Alexander grinned and then reached out to grab her hand. "Alright, alright. C¡¯mon, I¡¯ll pull you along as we run! You don¡¯t want Great-Grandma to say that you were brought up by Mom while Pete was brought up by Dad, and that Pete looks way stronger than you, right?"
During thest few years, even though the family lived in harmony, there was no way that the elderly Mrs. Hunt would just let them be.
As Peter grew up, he became more and more outstanding. He took the college entrance examinations at the age of ten and achieved a perfect score. He had already been sent to college. Cheryl, however, was addicted to games. Although she was smart, she did not focus on her studies.
This led to Mrs. Hunt asionally being sarcastic and saying things like children brought up by serious people were serious, whereas children brought up by certain people were oh-so-delicate...
Cheryl was the darling of the family, but Mrs. Hunt was the only one who still preferred her grandsons to her granddaughter. Over the years, she had even started to ept Alexander, but she simply found Cherry an eyesore all the time...
Upon hearing what Alexander said, Cheryl couldn¡¯t help but sigh. She gritted her teeth and said, "Fine, we¡¯ll run one morep. Just one, okay?!"
"Okay..."
Alexander grabbed her hand. The two were jogging when a strong beam of light shone at them. Then, the headmaster strode over. He pointed at them and yelled, "Hey, you two! Yes, the two of you! Come here!
"The two of you are still so young, but you¡¯re already being bad kids and trying to date like adults?"
Alexander was stunned. "We¡¯re not..."
"Not what? You¡¯re still holding hands, you know! What are your parents¡¯ names? Get your parents here!!"
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Chapter 1008: Calling the Parents~
Chapter 1008: Calling the Parents~
Cheryl said seriously, "Sir, we really aren¡¯t. The two of us are..."
"Cheryl Smith! You¡¯re exactly the one I¡¯ve been wanting to give a talking-to! You sleep during the ss and y games after the ss. We have already told you that cell phones are not allowed in school, yet you still bring it to ss! And now a student with poor grades like you is even misbehaving and dating! You must get your parents here and let us have a good talk with them!"
Cherry: "??"
Her big eyes blinked. But before she could speak, Alexander¡¯s voice turned cold. "What do you mean by a ¡¯student with poor grades¡¯?"
The headmaster was surprised.
He looked at Alexander.
The ten-year-old boy was already as tall as the teacher. His height made him look thin, and his delicate facial features exuded youthfulness.
Alexander was well-known in school because he was simply too good-looking and even had excellent grades. Although nobody knew who his parents were, he had already be the school¡¯s beacon of hope.
The headmaster frowned. "Alexander, tell me, was it Cheryl who seduced you? You should keep your distance from students with poor grades like her! Or she would spread it to you!"
Cheryl was also well-known in school because she was pretty, though her academic performance was average. Additionally, she could always find various ways to smuggle her cell phone into the school, even though the school conducted rigorous checks all the time!
The girl was simply just so weird.
He looked at the form that Cheryl had filled in¡ªher brother was named Peter...
He was a ten-year-old genius with a perfect score on the college entrance examination!
His spection was that Cheryl and Peter¡¯s parents were likely divorced, which was why the two children had differentst names.
He couldn¡¯t help but point at Cheryl, his finger almost jabbing into Cheryl¡¯s face as he said, "Look at you. The two of you are obviously twins and even look pretty alike, but why is there such a huge difference between you and your brother? If you were even half as smart as your brother, you wouldn¡¯t be in this state as you are now!"
Alexander couldn¡¯t bring himself to continue listening anymore. It was alright for him to say that his sister¡¯s grades were bad, but not others, especially if they were saying it so nastily. A wicked smile appeared on his face and he said, "Does having good grades immediately make you excellent by default? But I find Cheryl extremely outstanding too. At the very least, no one is her match when ites to gaming. If it weren¡¯t for the age limit, she¡¯d be the national champion by now."
"Ha, is ying games something to be proud of? National champion? Oh,e on... She¡¯s only ten years old; what kind of national champion can she be? The way I see it, she must have bewitched you so badly that you¡¯ve lost your mind! To think you can even bring yourself to say such things!"
The man said, "Alexander, I know you¡¯re definitely innocent. Don¡¯t let her lead you astray. Alright, you can go. Cheryl,e with me! I must correct your ways properly today!"
After speaking, he reached out to grab Cherry¡¯s arm.
But the next moment, Alexander stood between him and Cherry and said, "No, it¡¯s fine. I think my ways also need some correction."
Alexander folded his arms, his lip corners curling into a sneer. The look in his eyes was frosty and hostile, which made the headmaster panic.
He took a step back. "What kind of look is that in your eyes? Alexander, are you thinking of being violent with me?"
Alexander¡¯s voice turned even colder. "Don¡¯t get handsy with Cheryl."
"You..." The man didn¡¯t have such intentions at all; the ten-year-old Cheryl was just a child in his eyes. He just wanted to grab her arm to prevent her from escaping, that was all...
Alexander was well aware of this, of course. Otherwise, he would have decked him long ago.
Nevertheless, the headmaster was furious. "Fine, fine, being the hero and saving the damsel in distress, are you? Since you think I¡¯m not good enough to teach you... get your parents here! I want to see them tomorrow!!"
After speaking, the teacher turned around and left huffily.
After returning to the office, he thought about it and picked up the parent contact list.
As Cheryl was a girl, he contacted Nora. "Hello, is this Cheryl¡¯s mom? ... Yes, I¡¯m the headmaster at Cheryl¡¯s school. Pleasee to the school tomorrow afternoon."
After hanging up the phone, he called Alexander¡¯s father. "... Yes, that¡¯s right. Three o¡¯clock tomorrow!"
Nora, who saw Justin receiving a call right after she ended hers with the headmaster: "?"
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Chapter 1009: Dating At An Early Age??
Chapter 1009: Dating At An Early Age??
Nora said hesitantly: ¡°Cherry must have had her cell phone confiscated for ying games again. What happened to Xander, though?¡±
Although Cherry didn¡¯t take her studies seriously in school, she was very well-behaved. Moreover, she was good-looking and a sweet-talker, so even if the headmasters confiscated the cell phone, they would return it to her within just a couple of days.
Over the years, the school had rarely ever called her parents because of disciplinary issues.
As for Xander, he was pretty much the model student and had never had any incidents where the school had to call his parents!
Justin was perplexed too. ¡°¡ I¡¯m free tomorrow anyway. Let¡¯s go and have a look.¡±
As the Hunts¡¯ children, the three children¡¯s information was confidential to outsiders and they also faked their identities in school.
Moreover, the three kids all had differentst names¡
Apart from Cherry and Pete who looked too alike to be entirely unrted, nobody knew that Cherry and Xander were also siblings. Nobody knew that they were the Hunts¡¯ children either.
After all, for their safety, they had to be low-key about it!
Furthermore, the three children were enrolled in a private school from the start anyway¡
In order to make Cherry and Xander independent, the two of them even chose to move to the boarding school after fourth grade¡ Cherry was the one who requested this, of course.
Needless to say, Nora knew that she did it because nobody would be able to stop her from using her cell phone once she moved to the school dorms.
Little Cherry knew that it would be difficult to convince Nora, so she had pestered Justin to agree to the request instead. Mr. ve-To-His-Daughter Justin would never turn down her requests, so he had signed the application form for moving into the school dorms.
Nora had even lost her temper because of this.
In the end, it was only when Xander also decided to move into the dorms to monitor her that Nora finally let the matter go.
All three children were extremely outstanding. Pete did everything systematically and did not hide his capabilities¡ªafter all, he was going to take over a publicly-knownpany like the Hunt Corporation in the future.
In that case, Pete¡¯s excellent capabilities must be clear to all.
As for Xander¡ he was even smarter¡ªafter all, he had been injected with the gene serum. However, it was precisely because of this that Nora and Justin decided to have him progress through his education systematically. Xander was raised by Trueman, so his moralpass had be a bit misguided. The two hoped that Xander could slowly correct this through contact with his peers, even if his current sses were way too simple for him¡
Besides, Xander was taking over the Imperial League in the future, so he would stand out less if he did everything systematically.
After all, with people like Pete, one was enough to create a sensation in the country.
Nora and Justin also chose different ways to educate the three children.
¡ª
The next day, the two arrived at the school together.
As it was the headmaster who had asked for them toe, the two went to his office.
The headmaster was a bit taken aback when he saw Nora. However, when he saw howzy and half-asleep the woman looked, he frowned, though he refrained from saying anything nasty. After all, the woman looked like she wasn¡¯t one to be messed with.
¡°Are you Cheryl¡¯s mom?¡± He asked.
Nora nodded.
The headmaster then looked at Justin.
Justin¡¯s elite aura was impossible to conceal, even if he tried his darnedest to tone it down and make himself seem more approachable.
With a smile, the headmaster said, ¡°You must be Alexander¡¯s father? Here, please take a seat.¡±
With confused looks, Nora and Justin sat on the sofa opposite the headmaster¡¯s desk and looked at him.
Nora was reticent, so Justin asked, ¡°Sir, did the two children do something wrong?¡±
¡°Yes!¡±
The headmaster became stern and said, ¡°That¡¯s exactly why I asked the two of you toe! People who enroll their children in our private school are all rich and noble, so I understand that you would have higher expectations for your children! That is why I must let you know in advance if they make any mistakes, so that the problem can be nipped in the bud!¡±
Justin frowned, his voice turning a little stern. ¡°What did Alexander do? He must have instigated it!¡±
After all, his daughter was so well-behaved.
Now, Nora didn¡¯t like hearing that. She frowned and looked at Justin as she said, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s Cheryl who did something wrong and implicated Alexander?¡±
Nora didn¡¯t like how Justin pampered their daughter.
He pretty much had no boundaries.
Fortunately, the family still had her, the mother, around. If not, he would have neglected both their sons.
Justin¡¯s voice immediately softened. ¡°¡ There¡¯s that possibility too, but Cheryl definitely wouldn¡¯t do it on purpose. Since Alexander failed to protect her, the responsibility lies with him!¡±
Nora: ¡°¡¡±
The headmaster opposite them: ¡°??¡±
The confused man lowered his head to check if he had invited the wrong people over.
When conflicts arose among other children, their parents always took their own children¡¯s side unconditionally. Why was this pair of parents so strange?
Had he invited Cheryl¡¯s father and Alexander¡¯s mother over instead of Cheryl¡¯s mother and Alexander¡¯s father?
In the midst of his confusion, Nora slowly asked, ¡°Sir, what exactly did the children do?¡±
The headmaster looked up at once. With a frown, he replied, ¡°They are dating at an early age!¡±
Nora: ¡°?¡±
Justin: ¡°?¡±
The headmaster said righteously, ¡°Children these days mature very quickly. By the time they turn ten, they already know what it means to have a crush on someone. There are quite a few couples in our school too¡ As parents, you should be strict with them! Nip it in the bud! And put an end to this!¡±
Chapter 1010: My Daughter!!
Chapter 1010: My Daughter!!
After saying that, the headmaster looked at the two of them, wanting to see their shocked expressions.
Parents in these days were very strict with their children, especially those who could be sent to this school. Their families were not bad, but the two parents in front of the headmaster were different from the others.
He saw that Cheryl¡¯s mother and Alexander¡¯s father had incredulous expressions. Then, Cheryl¡¯s mother raised her eyebrows.
Alexander¡¯s father asked, ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±
The headmaster was speechless.
What did he mean by that?
Wasn¡¯t that enough?
He was momentarily at a loss for words.
Nora nced at Justin and knew that he had confused the headmaster. Therefore, she added calmly, ¡°Other than this, are there any other problems?¡±
The headmaster was speechless.
He shook his head.
Nora instantly heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±
The headmaster couldn¡¯t think of anything to say.
Why was the reaction of these two parents so strange?
Did they not realize the seriousness of the matter?
The headmaster continued, ¡°Cheryl¡¯s mother, Alexander¡¯s father, do you think this is a child¡¯s game? No, they¡¯re 10 years old and already know how to date. There are other children in school who might follow them at a young age. The children are too young. It¡¯s even worse for them to date at a young age. Especially since Cheryl doesn¡¯t study well. This will lead Alexander astray!¡±
As soon as he finished speaking, Justin¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Who said that she¡¯s not good at her studies?¡±
The headmaster: ?
He looked at Justin in a daze and clearly felt Justin¡¯s anger. He did not understand¡ Why? Was he still protecting his son¡¯s girlfriend?
Nora¡¯s expression turned colder. ¡°Headmaster, if there¡¯s nothing else, then we¡¯ll get going.¡±
After saying this, she yawned.
She really thought that something had happened to the two children, but in the end, it was just a misunderstanding.
The headmaster was even angrier. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the two of you? Don¡¯t you believe me? I caught them myself. They were holding hands and running on the field!¡±
Justin said, ¡°So be it.¡±
They were only 10 years old¡ What was wrong with a brother pulling his sister to run?
With a little thought, he realized that it must be Cherry wanting to ck off. Xander was just pulling her along!
The headmaster was furious. ¡°Alexander¡¯s father, you don¡¯t realize the seriousness of the matter. Cheryl is one of the worst students in the school. She barely makes it through day to day in school. It¡¯s obvious that she¡¯s not a good girl. If Alexander is left with her for a long time, sooner orter, he¡¯ll be influenced by her! You¡¡±
Bang!
Justin pped the table.
The director in front of him was belittling Cherry again and again. He could not help but say in a cold voice, ¡°Who said Cheryl is not a good girl?!¡±
His words made the headmaster choke.
He looked at Justin coldly and saw a hand pressing on Justin¡¯s hand. That hand was very thin and white, with clearly defined knuckles. It was very beautiful.
When that hand fell, the anger on Justin¡¯s face dissipated.
The headmaster heaved a sigh of relief. He wiped his forehead and followed that hand to see Nora¡
The headmaster was stunned.
What was going on? Wasn¡¯t the rtionship between Cheryl¡¯s mother and Alexander¡¯s father¡ a little too ambiguous?
As he was thinking, he heard Nora say slowly, ¡°Don¡¯t hit anyone in this country.¡±
The headmaster: ?
Don¡¯t hit anyone in this country?
He could hit others overseas?
While the headmaster was in a daze, he saw Justin take out his phone and make a call. His voice was very fierce. ¡°Can your school¡¯s headmaster be expelled?¡±
The headmaster was instantly furious. ¡°What do you mean?¡±
He knew that one capable of sending their children to study in this school must have high status, but most of the parents agreed with what he did. He said angrily, ¡°Your son is dating in school and has broken the school rules. I¡¯m talking to you, and you¡¯re still being unreasonable? What right do you have to expel me?¡±
Justin sneered. ¡°Because you so casually ndered my daughter.¡±
The headmaster blurted out, ¡°When did I nder your daughter? I caught them myself. The school has it on video. This is all evidence. I¡¡±
At this point, he suddenly reacted. ¡°¡ Your daughter?!¡±
Chapter 1011: One Cannot Change The Circumstances of Their Birth, But They Can Change Their Destiny
Chapter 1011: One Cannot Change The Circumstances of Their Birth, But They Can Change Their Destiny
The headmaster was absolutely stunned. He looked at Justin in astonishment. ¡°Aren¡¯t you Alexander¡¯s father? How can you possibly be Cheryl¡¯s¡¡±
It was at this point that something finally clicked.
He looked at Nora and then at Justin in disbelief.
With a cool and distant look on her face, Nora stood and said, ¡°They are triplets.¡±
The headmaster: ¡°!!!¡±
Triplets!!
He was utterly stunned.
It wasn¡¯t until the principal heard of what had happened and hurried over that the headmaster finally recovered. He immediately shouted, ¡°I, I didn¡¯t know they were triplets! One of them has thest name Smith while the other¡¯s is Yale!¡±
Justin scoffed. ¡°Oh, and the eldest among them has thest name Hunt.¡±
Alexander¡¯s personality was too weird, so Pete was the most reliable one instead. Therefore, even if everyone at home knew that Xander was the eldest, they still silently regarded Peter as the eldest.
The headmaster: ¡°!¡±
He shouted again, ¡°E-even if that really is the case, this is a misunderstanding. How can you do this to me? I asked the two of you here for your children¡¯s own good¡¡±
Justin said sullenly, ¡°How? Simply by how you spoke so rudely of my daughter time and time again¡¡±
Never mind if he had just said that his daughter had poor grades and would be a bad influence on Alexander¡
After all, he was a headmaster, so they had put up with it. But what had the headmaster said at the end?
¡°It¡¯s obvious that she is no good girl¡¡±
When had the definition of a good girl be so narrow-minded?
Was one worthless just because they had poor grades?!
The headmaster wanted to say more, but the principal immediately reprimanded him. ¡°If you still want to make a living in this industry, then shut up at once! Do you have any idea who you have offended?!¡±
His hushed rebuke shut the headmaster up.
He had finally understood¡ªhe had offended people whom he should not have!
In the end, the headmaster was fired.
Nora and Justin also took Cherry and Xander home.
After all, they were only ten years old and were still too young to be living in school dorms. They had only allowed the two of them to live in the school dorms during thest few days for novelty¡¯s sake. Besides, Nora was not receptive to the idea from the start.
The two children went upstairs. Nora and Justin, however, looked at each other and then drove out of their residence.
¡ª
In the middle of the night.
A nimble figure sneaked into an ordinary residential area. The man had a chilling aura around him. As he walked, someone suddenly stood in his path.
As Nora stood there, she yawned and looked at the man in front of her. ¡°What are you trying to do?¡±
The man scoffed and raised his voice. ¡°You are all good citizens who abide by thew. Leave it to me to take care of that scumbag headmaster!¡±
He was Trueman!
Trueman was an extreme man. Knowing that Xander and Cherry had been wronged, he would definitely show up to deal with the headmaster. Thus, Nora was waiting for him.
She heaved a soft sigh. ¡°His wrongdoings are not that serious that he has to die.¡±
She wasn¡¯t a saint; she just didn¡¯t want to take innocent lives. All the headmaster had done was say some nasty things. What Justin did was already enough punishment.
Trueman¡¯s eyes shed fiercely. After a while, he finally sighed. ¡°Fine.¡±
The two left the residential area and walked out.
This was the first time Nora had met Trueman since they parted five years ago.
The man¡¯s appearance had long since changed, but his temperament was still as heretical as ever. As he swaggered in front, Nora suddenly asked, ¡°What have you been doing these past five years?¡±
¡°Me?¡±
Trueman scoffed and said, ¡°I gathered a group of children and locked them in the basement, of course! Then I tortured them and made them call me Dad!¡±
¡°¡¡±
Nora nced at him silently.
To be honest, she and Justin both knew what Trueman had been doing. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have known that he would show up here tonight¡
Trueman had certainly gathered a group of children¡ but they were all children abandoned by their parents, or were sick or physically disabled. He had set up an orphanage to raise them.
Not only hadcked Trueman motherly love since he was born, but his father was also cruel. This had led to his moralpass remaining misguided his whole life.
The two reached the gates of the residential area. As they were about to go their separate ways, Trueman suddenly called out to Nora.
When Nora looked back, she saw Trueman scratching his head. He said, ¡°I have a question for you.¡±
¡°Speak.¡±
¡°There is a kid in my orphanage. His father is a murderer who has been executed. People around him don¡¯t like him. They call him names, call him the child of a murderer, and say that since his father had killed someone, he should die. What do you think I should do?¡±
Trueman really was having a headache over this.
His way of educating children had always been simple and crude, but when faced with that child who couldn¡¯t see the light, he didn¡¯t know what to say.
When Nora heard this, she paused. Then, she looked at Trueman and said meaningfully, ¡°One cannot change the circumstances of their birth, but they can change their destiny. Don¡¯t let your parents¡¯ tragedy be yours.¡±
Leaving this sentence, Nora turned around and left.
Trueman, however, was stunned in ce.
Chapter 1012: Why One Should Study
Chapter 1012: Why One Should Study
Justin went home while Nora was waiting for Trueman.
By the time she was done talking to Trueman and got back home, she found that Alexander had already gone to bed. When she was about to return to her bedroom, she noticed the lights on the balcony.
She walked over to find Justin and Cherry conversing on the balcony.
Cherry, who was now ten years old, was going through a growth spurt, so she was thin and skinny. However, her cheeks were round and plump with cogen, and her almond-shaped eyes were identical to Nora¡¯s. Together with her double eyelids, narrow at the inner tips and wide at the outer, she was so pretty and looked so delicate that it was as if she was not of this world.
Plenty of directors and scouts from film and televisionpanies had noticed her when they visited the school during the past few years. On many asions, they had asked the teachers to contact her parents on their behalf in hopes of having her debut as a child actress. After all, given her good looks, she would undoubtedly gain immense poprity if she took on the role of the younger version of a female lead.
However, both Nora and Justin had declined the offers after consulting her for her opinion.
Their daughter¡¯s only interest was gaming; she didn¡¯t have much interest in anything else.
Cherry was currently wearing a set of white pajamas. She looked a little down as she sat on the furry rug with her head lowered.
Justin stayed by her side quietly as hisrge hand gently stroked his daughter¡¯s hair.
Nora didn¡¯t go over to disturb the pair.
When she was about to return to the room to take a bath and rest for the night, she suddenly heard Cherry ask, "Am I really that lousy, Daddy?"
Justin¡¯s voice turned cold at once. "Don¡¯t listen to that teacher¡¯s nonsense!"
Justin was a reticent man, but whenever he spoke with Cherry, he would be more patient than usual. He looked at Cherry quietly and said, "Grades are not the only criterion to assess a person. Besides, you are not incapable of studying; you just don¡¯t want to."
Cherry sighed.
Justin kept quiet for a moment before he suddenly asked, "Cherry, can you tell me why you don¡¯t want to study?"
"It¡¯s boring."
Cherry looked up. Her big, clearly-defined eyes were fixed on Justin as she added, "I don¡¯t know what the purpose of studying is, that¡¯s all."
Justin was taken aback.
Cherry said, "I y games to win and to lead the team to victory, but what about studying? What do I do it for?
"Daddy, some people study hard because they want to make a lot of money when they grow up; some people do it because they want to be government officials; some people do it because they want to be astronauts; and some people do it because they want to be doctors. But... I don¡¯t know what I want to do."
She sounded lost as she said, "Apart from games, I haven¡¯t found anything that interests me. I asked my ssmates about it too¡ªsome of them want to make lots and lots of money so that they can spend extravagantly and buy whatever they want. But if it is for the sake of making money, then not only is Daddy already so rich, but Grandaunt Queenie¡¯s assets will also be mine in the future. I¡¯m already so rich that I can¡¯t even spend all that money my whole life. Why should I still work hard to make money?
"Pete¡¯s goal is to turn the Hunt Corporation into a business empire. Money is no more than numbers to him; what he enjoys is the process. Xander wants to be a doctor and find a way to rece a person¡¯s head with another, so he also needs vast amounts of knowledge to realize his goal. But I¡¯m different! I just want to y games for now, and I can still do that even if I don¡¯t study! So, why should I study? Am I supposed to do it just so others pay me a fewpliments?"
Justin fell silent when he heard her.
Cherry turned to look at him and waited quietly for his answer.
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Chapter 1013: Be Confident, Be Fearless, Be Humble, and Live With No Regrets (End of Main Story)
Chapter 1013: Be Confident, Be Fearless, Be Humble, and Live With No Regrets (End of Main Story)
Justin stroked Cherry¡¯s hair and slowly answered, ¡°Cherry, while your mom and I¡ªand even your brothers¡ªwill never leave you to fend for yourself in the future, I hope you can have the ability to solve your problems with your own strength.¡±
Cherry was stunned.
It was a rare asion when Justin smiled. He said to Cherry, ¡°What you guys are learning now may not be useful in the future¡ªyou may not even use some of these things your whole life¡ªbut they form a foundation of knowledge.
¡°You may be interested in gaming now, but it¡¯s impossible that you¡¯ll only y games all your life. I don¡¯t want you to end up as someone who can only look on helplessly when you develop an interest in other things in the future, unable to do anything due to ack of foundation.
¡°Cherry, you still have a long life ahead of you. All the hard work you put in today will build your confidence in the future.¡±
Justin looked at Cheryl after he spoke.
His daughter¡¯s features were young, but she looked thoughtful when she heard his words.
Justin stood up quietly and gave her time and space to think.
As soon as he turned around, he spotted Nora who was standing nearby.
He raised his eyebrows and smiled slightly, the beauty mark at the corner of his eye shimmering a little. Then, he strode over.
The two went back to the bedroom together.
After taking a bath, Justin came out to see Nora sitting on the sofa and looking out the window.
He strode over and asked, ¡°Penny for your thoughts?¡±
Nora replied, ¡°I received a phone call yesterday from a reporter who wants to interview us.¡±
When Pete enrolled at the top university in the United States with a perfect score on his college entrance examination at ten years old, countless reporters wanted to interview his parents. However, they were all rejected. Various schools even invited them to give speeches, but they had turned down all the invitations.
However, Nora suddenly felt like epting one of the interviews now.
Justin didn¡¯t ask her why. He only smiled and said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll make the arrangements.¡±
As he spoke, his misbehaving hand reached into her cor¡
Nora wanted to sleep, but when she thought of how he had advised their daughter so patiently just now, she ultimately did not refuse him¡
¡ª
The next day, Cherry got up bright and early and had breakfast with Xander.
Only a night had passed, but Xander could already sense that there seemed to be something different about his sister¡ªit felt like she had figured out something.
At the dining table, as Mrs. Hunt looked at Cherry, she couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°The school called up your parents and summoned them to the office yesterday, right? Well, Pete has never had teachers summon his parents to the school¡¡±
Mrs. Hunt was just being naggy and mouthing off. Now that she had gotten on in years, there was simply no way of correcting this bad habit of hers anymore. Everyone at home also let her be.
Cherry looked up. ¡°I¡¯ve decided to study hard. I won¡¯t be any less brilliant than Pete in the future!¡±
Her words took Mrs. Hunt by surprise. A momentter, she couldn¡¯t help but scoff and say, ¡°You¡¯re already ten. It¡¯s toote even if you start studying hard now. No matter how hard you work, you will never surpass Pete!¡±
Xander couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Don¡¯t rush, Cherry.¡±
He was nning to tell Pete to slow down a little and wait for their sister.
But as soon as the thought formed, Cherry said, ¡°I¡¯m only ten years old. And even if I¡¯m twenty or thirty, as long as I study hard, it¡¯s never toote.¡±
She stuffed the rest of her sandwich into her mouth after she spoke and then looked at Mrs. Hunt with her big, clearly-defined eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see, Great-Grandma!¡±
She would definitely blow everyone away!
Mrs. Hunt curled her lips disdainfully. ¡°Sure, we¡¯ll wait and see!¡±
Xander said from the side, ¡°Waiting and seeing isn¡¯t much of a bet, Great-Grandma. Why don¡¯t we make a bet instead?¡±
¡°What kind of bet?¡±
¡°We¡¯ll bet on the next exam. If Cherry can get into the top ten, you must admit that you were wrong and apologize to her! How does that sound?¡±
Mrs. Hunt was about to reply when Xander grinned and taunted, ¡°Great-Grandma, you can¡¯t possibly be afraid, right?¡±
No way!
Mrs. Hunt sneered and replied, ¡°It¡¯s a deal! But if she doesn¡¯t get into the top ten in the exam, then she must learn the right ways from me and be a properdy as per my requirements.¡±
Cherry nodded. Her voice was clear and crisp as she replied, ¡°No problem!¡±
After the two little ones left, Mrs. Hunt said to the housekeeper beside her, ¡°Cherry has really been spoiled rotten. She doesn¡¯t carry herself like the youngdy of a noble family at all and even ys games all day¡ She has no talent for learning. All I expect now is for her to behave herself when she grows up and then marry her off somewhere!¡±
¡ª
Elsewhere, the reporter that Justin had arranged a meeting with arrived at a cafe and met up with Nora and Justin.
The reporter¡¯s eyes widened in surprise when she saw them, and she eximed, ¡°You two are so young! I would totally believe you even if you told me that you guys were still in college!¡±
The interview then started.
Nora wasn¡¯t a chatty person, but Justin was willing to supplement information for her.
The interview started with questions about Peter¡¯s study habits, of course. Justin answered all of them in detail.
In the middle of the interview, the reporter asked, ¡°I heard that he is majoring in business management. Are you thinking of having him build a business empire in the future?¡±
The reporter was vaguely aware of the couple¡¯s identities, but she would never include such details in the article, of course.
Justin fell quiet for a while. Then, he nced at Nora and slowly answered with a smile, ¡°No, a child¡¯s future should not be defined by their parents.¡±
The reporter looked at Nora. ¡°Do you think the same way, Mrs. Hunt?¡±
Nora nodded.
The reporter smiled. As she looked at Nora, she said, ¡°To round off the interview, I hope you can say something to all the children out there, Mrs. Hunt.¡±
Justin looked at Nora.
Knowing that his wife was a quiet woman, he was about to take over the question when he saw Nora straighten her back and sit upright. With a firm look in her eyes, she slowly said, ¡°Be confident, be fearless, be humble, and live with no regrets.¡±
Stunned, Justin looked at her with a scorching look in his eyes.
She had never felt sorry for herself because she didn¡¯t have a mother and was neglected by her stepmother and stepfather.
She had never backed down from fear of the unknown and forged ahead bravely even in the face of difficulties.
She had never been arrogant and conceited because of her achievements in whichever field she studied.
And she regretted nothing from the past, lived up to the present, and never feared the future.
She was Nora Smith, his wife.
Sensing Justin¡¯s scorching gaze, Nora turned to look at him. As the two exchanged a smile, a thought shed through their minds at the same time:
¡°There is nothing more I can ask for after having the fortune of meeting her at the pinnacle.¡±
¡°With him by my side for the rest of my life, I can live my life with no regrets.¡±
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Chapter 1014: C, the God of Gaming (1)
Chapter 1014: C, the God of Gaming (1)
Ten yearster.
The ne drew a long trail across the sky.
At the San Francisco International Airport.
Cheryl slowly walked out of the airport with an extrarge 32-inch pink suitcase.
The sixteen-year-old girl had pretty and delicate facial features and did not have any makeup on her wless and tender skin. Her hair was up in a half-bun, and she wore a white dress cinched at the waist. She looked just like a fairy, causing people all around to look at her.
There were even people who thought that she must be a celebrity of some sort.
Cheryl was already ustomed to the way people looked at her.
She was simply too good-looking. She and her brothers were always the center of attention wherever they went. There was nothing they could do about it.
She let out a quiet sigh and then picked up her cell phone to see that there were already a few messages in the family group chat.
Justin: ¡¯Are you there yet?¡¯
Peter: ¡¯She should have gotten off the ne by now, I think?¡¯
Alexander: ¡¯She isn¡¯t there yet? But I just called the airport, and they said that she has definitely arrived.¡¯
Justin: ¡¯@Cheryl, reply once you¡¯ve reached.¡¯
Cheryl: "..."
The corners of her lips spasmed, and she let out another silent sigh. Yet she also inexplicably felt like she had just flown out of a cage. She was simply so excited!
Atst, she could finally escape her three fathers¡¯ control.
The way her two brothers cared for her practically made them her fathers.
Only her mom was slightly more normal among everyone in the family.
For example... Now that she had grown up, she wanted to y in an e-sports tournament and fulfill her childhood dream, however, just convincing her brothers and her father alone had taken so much work!
In the end, her mom had to step in. With just a single sentence, she allowed her to escape from the hellish scene and shut her brothers and father up.
She sighed quietly and replied: ¡¯I have reached. I¡¯m busy, so let¡¯s talk in the evening instead. Leave me alone!!!!!¡¯
It was only after she sent the five exmation points in a row that she finally stopped the three men who wanted to call her.
After putting down the phone, she looked at the pick-up area ahead of her.
That¡¯s right.
She had found a team she had high hopes for and decided to join them.
The team had been sending her private messages in the game for many years, but she had been too young then. Her father had stated that she could only go on trips by herself after she turned sixteen, so she had declined all their invitations in the past.
She looked at the area in front and finally spotted two boys looking at her holding a card.
Written on the card was her in-game alias¡ªGod C.
She had already given up her sweetcherry ount a long time ago because she found the name too childish now that she was all grown up. Thus, she took the first letter from "cherry" as her new in-game name. Her in-game name was C, but everyone called her God C.
Cheryl walked toward the pair. As soon as she went near, she heard them discussing something in low voices.
"Who on earth is God C? She¡¯s so mysterious. There has been a lot of spection over the years that she¡¯s not a girl but a guy instead!"
When one registered for an ount in the game, they had to state their gender, and Cheryl had picked "Female", of course.
Therefore, outsiders knew that C was female.
It was just a pity that nobody believed it as they felt that it was impossible for girls to achieve such results in the game.
The other person replied, "I don¡¯t know, man. God C only joined after our gunner retired... I heard that the coaching team had contacted her long ago, but she rejected them."
"Everybody says that God C has never shown her face all these years because she isn¡¯t good-looking... Actually, I think she is a guy, but still, the coaching team was too hasty! Our life as e-sportspetitors basically ends at 25 years old. Once we pass the age of 25, our reaction time and muscle movement will slow down... But God C had already dominated the game seven to eight years ago. Even if she was 16 years old seven to eight years ago, she would still be 25 now! Is she really up to the task?"
"Yeah... Captain threw a fit in the club because of this too, sigh!"
"Is our club out of money? Going by our boss¡ªChester Hunt¡¯s¡ªpersonality, that shouldn¡¯t be the case, though. How nice would it be if he just head-hunted an expert yer from abroad at a high price instead?"
Yup, the club that Cheryl was joining was founded by Chester, her uncle.
Cheryl stood in front of the pair.
However, the pair was in a hurry to find God C, so one of them took out his cell phone and said, "I¡¯ll give God C a call. I have her number!"
After he spoke, he dialed Cheryl¡¯s number.
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Chapter 1015: C, the God of Gaming (2)
Chapter 1015: C, the God of Gaming (2)
When the ringtone rang out next to them, the pair who was there to pick up Cheryl stared at her nkly.
Then, they saw the pretty, little princess-like Cheryl in front of them holding up her cell phone. In a soft and cute voice, she said, "Hello, I¡¯m C."
"Hello, I¡¯m C."
The voice echoed from the cell phone at the same time. The caller looked at her in disbelief and then stammered, "You... y-you¡¯re God C?"
Cheryl nodded. "Uh-huh!"
She hung up.
To be honest, it wasn¡¯t so much that she didn¡¯t want to directly identify herself. Rather, she knew that the two would never believe she was C even if she went to them directly. That was why she had stood in front of them and waited for them to call her and confirm her arrival.
In this regard, Cheryl understood people like them all too well.
After all, all these years, no one she knew believed that she was C, and some even thought she was lying...
Now that the evidence was in front of them, the two staff members could only ept the truth, no matter how much they doubted it.
"God C! Hello! We are from Club HS. Here, this way, please!"
Cheryl handed the two her suitcase after they spoke, and one of them took it from her. Then, Cheryl walked ahead and asked, "Where is the car?"
"It¡¯s in the car park on B2."
Cheryl nodded.
As the two behind her walked on, they suddenly felt like something didn¡¯t feel right... Why did they seem like her subordinates and God C a queen high up in the air?!
With this thought in mind, the two of them looked at each other.
Then, the car took Cheryl straight to the club.
Club HS was located in a vi district in San Francisco. Chester received dividends from his shares in the Hunt Corporation every year, so he had tons of pocket money that he couldn¡¯t finish spending even if he wanted to. He also owned properties all over the country.
Club HS had shown pretty good results all this time, so Chester had very generously converted a vi in a luxurious district into their clubhouse.
When the car entered the district, Cheryl found herself slightly taken aback. "Is the clubhouse in this district?"
"Yeah."
The person taking her to the clubhouse nodded. Then, he said proudly, "Our boss is super rich, so our club is known as one for the wealthy. All the club members are rich young men!"
The guy thought that Cheryl was astonished by the locale because it wasmon for anyone who visited their clubhouse for the first time to be surprised by the district it was in.
People living in this district were either rich or of high social status. It was undoubtedly an extravagant move to set up a clubhouse here.
However, Cheryl merely nodded calmly.
Afterward, she arrived at Vi No. 8.
When the other pro yers in the clubhouse heard the news of her arrival, all of them craned their necks and looked outside.
God C was their idol.
Many of them had been her fans since they were 16 and continued to this day.
Thus, all of them wanted to see who God C was.
The boy standing at the forefront was dressed handsomely in the team uniform. He rested both hands on his hips, and his whole demeanor screamed arrogance. After all, as the captain of Club HS, and even the one in charge of the design and nning department of the game league, Zac Stannard had always been very proud of himself.
But now that God C was joining the club, was the club going to listen to him or to her from now on?
Zac raised his chin arrogantly.
Mildly unhappy with God C, he nned to trash her in a game and make her recognize his abilities...
His teammates behind him were also talking about God C.
"Judging from how much time has passed, God C must be at least 24 or 25 by now, right? Isn¡¯t she too old to be a pro now?"
"I don¡¯t think she¡¯s too old; the coaching team must have their reasons for doing what they did. They wouldn¡¯t have invited God C to join the team if she didn¡¯t have the skill..."
"God C has never publicly shown her face, and everyone in the industry says that she is horribly ugly..."
"Haha, God C has always been awfully stuck-up, and there were even rumors going around that she may be a rich heir to some business tycoon. I¡¯m just waiting to see the look of astonishment on God C¡¯s face when she sees that we live in such an awesome ce. She will definitely be intimidated, right?"
A car slowly came to a stop in front of him.
Then, the door opened, and a sweet and beautiful teen girl stepped out of it.
The girl was stunningly beautiful. Her exquisite beauty lit up people¡¯s eyes and made it impossible for them to take their eyes off her, but...
Zac frowned and reprimanded the two boys. "Where¡¯s God C? Didn¡¯t you two go to the airport to pick up God C? Why did you bring back some random minor instead of God C?"
The two staff members stared at each other, both at a loss for words.
Zac became even angrier. Just as he was about to speak again, Cheryl stretched out her hand to him. "Hi, I¡¯m C."
Zac: "??"
The teammates behind him who were waiting to catch a glimpse of C¡¯s charming demeanor: "?"
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Chapter 1016: C, the God of Gaming (3)
Chapter 1016: C, the God of Gaming (3)
Everyone looked at Cheryl in astonishment andplete disbelief.
Zac also frowned. However, he was moreposed, so his reaction wasn¡¯t too dramatic.
The other members of the club, however, went into a huge furor after a moment of silence. "No way!"
How could God C possibly be a young girl in her teens like her?
Everyone started talking.
"Hey, stop joking around!"
"Yeah, I know everyone is down because we lost thest championship, bute on, don¡¯t joke around with us like this!"
"Although the sight of a pretty girl makes me very happy, we¡¯re all still waiting for God C to carry us, you know..."
Everyone piped up one by one, none of them believing that the girl was God C, no matter what.
This was very understandable. C was already dominating the game ten years ago, but how young had Cheryl been back then?
Nobody would ever think that Cheryl was C.
Cheryl had long since be desensitized to such situations.
Without hesitation, she took out her cell phone, started up the game app, and logged into her ount in front of them.
Everyone: "!!"
Zac frowned, "Are you really C?"
"Uh-huh."
Even the way Cheryl spoke was soft and cutesy, making her look like a child.
Zac frowned and asked, "Kid, you don¡¯t look like you¡¯re of age yet, do you?"
Cheryl replied seriously, "How can that be?"
Zac heaved a sigh of relief.
He knew it. Why would the club get a minor topete in professional e-sports tournaments, right? However, the next moment, Cheryl added, "I¡¯m only 15! I still have a long way to go before I turn 18!"
Zac: "!!!"
Cheryl certainly looked very young. If it wasn¡¯t for her height, with her young and adorable facial features, she could even pass off as a 10-year-old... Zac had thought that she merely looked young.
After all, in this day and age, it was nearly impossible to tell someone¡¯s age once they put on make-up.
He had thought that she was just pretending to be young and was at least in her twenties, but to his surprise, the kid was only fifteen?
The corners of his lips spasmed.
At this point, someone from the coaching team hurried over. He extended his hand to Cheryl respectfully and said, "Hello, God C! Wee to the club! Why don¡¯t we go in first? What are you doing standing outside?"
Cheryl hesitated and nced at Vi No. 9...
The club consisted only of boys, so her uncle had already assigned her Vi No. 9 before her arrival. She only needed to walk a short distance over to report for duty every day.
However, everyone was so enthusiastic that she ended up being ushered into the clubhouse.
As soon as she entered, the head coach said, "God C, we took into consideration that you¡¯re a girl, so we have connected two rooms into one upstairs and renovated it for you. Would you like to go up and have a look?"
Cheryl: "..."
Before she could move, her teammates picked up the pink suitcase for her and went upstairs.
Cheryl could only follow after them...
She thought about it seriously and decided that she would just stay in this vi for the next few days. She would bring up the topic of moving out after she became familiar with her teammates.
Thus, she followed her teammates up the stairs.
Lionel, a midne mage, was a young lively boy who looked like he was about 20 years old. He smiled and said, "Look! Isn¡¯t your room big? We specially prepared this for girls. Even your room at home isn¡¯t as big as this, right?"
The two rooms had been connected into one, making the room look about 50 to 60 square meters big. For ordinary people, it was indeed considered sufficiently big.
But when Cheryl thought of her suite in the New York vi...
She gave him a polite smile.
Zac smacked Lionel on the head.
Zac could also be considered a rich heir, and his family was also well-known in San Francisco. He could tell that even though the girl was even-tempered and easy to get along with, her every move carried an air of extravagance. She was not a child raised in an ordinary family. Judging simply from how delicate she looked... Her entire self gave off an air of extravagance that only money could nurture.
"Do you want us to help you clean up?" Zac asked.
Cheryl was about to reply when her cell phone suddenly rang. She smiled apologetically at the coach and her teammates and said, "Sorry, I have to take a call."
Then, she answered the phone call. "Hello, sir..."
She turned and walked out of the room.
After closing the door, Cheryl looked at the phone and asked, "Is something the matter?"
"It¡¯s..." Her high school homeroom teacher¡¯s voice came from the opposite end. "It¡¯s about your college admission again. Another few schools have called and offered various attractive conditions in hopes that you would enroll in the schools. You..."
Cheryl sighed. "Sir, I¡¯ve already taken the college entrance examination this year."
That¡¯s right.
Cheryl had also skipped grades.
Ever since she made a bet with her great-grandmother, she had started to study hard.
Although she startedte, her IQ was high enough, so shepleted all the courses in five years and took the college entrance examination that summer.
Of course, she had still yed a lot of games during the past five years.
Now that she was done with the college entrance examination, she had finallye to the club topete as a professional e-sports yer...
The teacher nodded. "I know you have already taken the college entrance examination, but the schools have been urging me for an answer... Those are the top universities in the US, yet you refused rmendations and insisted on taking the college entrance examination... Never mind. Are you really going to wait for the scores to be released?"
"Yeah."
Cheryl smiled.
She had confidence in herself.
"Okay."
The teacher also had confidence in her. Nevertheless, he said, "I heard that you¡¯re going topete professionally. Don¡¯t forget to train every day!"
"Got it."
After hanging up, Cheryl opened the door again and walked back in, where she saw the whole group looking at her.
After hesitating for a while, Zac said, "Kid, you must be taking your high school entrance examinations this year, right? I still think you are too young. You should at least finish high school before you decide what to do for the rest of your life..."
"Yeah!"
The others nodded repeatedly. "Zac was a Harvard student. Back then, he took his college entrance examination and enrolled in the university. It was only after he made it into the team that he dropped out and became a professional yer!"
"Although we aren¡¯t good at our studies, you should still study hard... By the way, did your teacher call you just now because the high school entrance exam results are out? Which high school did you get into? You¡¯re a New Yorker, right? Zac lived in New York City for a while too! Do you want him to help you find a school or something...?"
Cheryl: "???"
Chapter 1017: C, the God of Gaming (4)
Chapter 1017: C, the God of Gaming (4)
She blinked, then replied, "Trinity School."
"Wow! Zac was also from Trinity School. This means that you two are about to be alumni of the same school!" The rest echoed.
In order to leave a good impression of himself on Cheryl, Lionel sang Zac¡¯s praises. "Do you know? Zac almost topped the college entrance examination in your school, but there was a mutant in your school that year who got a perfect score on the exam... But this doesn¡¯t matter; what matters is that Zac legitimately enrolled in Harvard through the college entrance examination. If you stay here and ever need help with your studies, you can just approach him!"
Lionel patted his chest and added, "Zac almost got a perfect score in Mathematics in the college entrance examination, you know! He¡¯s unbelievable! God C, do you want to know how to get an almost perfect score in Mathematics? If you do, you can ask the captain to exin it to you!"
Cheryl: "?"
She was stunned for a moment. After thinking briefly, she answered seriously, "Is it by solving one fewer multiple-choice question?"
Everyone: "?"
Lionel: "???"
What did she mean by solving one fewer question?!
What he¡¯d meant to express was that it was impressive how Zac had achieved a near-perfect score in mathematics, but why was God C¡¯s response making it seem like she was a star student?
The corners of Zac¡¯s lips spasmed.
Suddenly, he found the kid in front of him pretty cute.
Still, he hesitated for a moment before he looked at the coach. "When our team was recruiting, we had stated that candidates must be at least high school graduates. Never mind that she¡¯s a minor; after all, there are yers who started ying professionally when they were only 16. Is she going to be a pro yer when she hasn¡¯t even finished high school, though?"
He broke into a frown and his tone turned serious,pletely forgetting that the cute Cheryl in front of him was God C. "This is not right," he said.
"How so?"
The coach said, "She has already graduated high school! She even took the college entrance examination this year!"
In recent years, the game industry had been growing more and more rapidly. Many teenagers addicted to the Inte wanted to be professional e-sports yers, resulting in many children neglecting their studies and getting preupied with thoughts of dropping out of school to y games.
Thus, there was now a new rule in the professional league¡ªone must finish at least high school or vocational school before they could pursue a career as a professional e-sports yer.
This rule was passed for the good of the children.
Lionel was stunned. "How can that be? She¡¯s only fifteen! Yet she has already taken the college entrance examination?"
Cheryl nodded.
Lionel found it a little incredulous. "You skipped a grade? Why?"
She had definitely skipped a grade.
Cheryl replied, "So that I could y games!"
Her parents had requested that she pass the college entrance examination before she started her career as a professional e-sports yer, so Cheryl had to study as quickly as possible! If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that her brother was too demanding and insisted that she get a full score on the exam before she could skip a grade, she could even have taken the college entrance examination a year earlier!
Lionel suddenly understood something...
There were cases like this in the professional league too.
Some children had gaming talent, and ages between 16 to 22 were optimal for one to y professionally. To avoid letting those few years go to waste, parents of the really talented children would help them skip grades and graduate from high school as soon as possible so that they couldpete.
A kid who joined the league this year had mediocre grades, yet he kept skipping grades in order to y professionally. After graduating from high school this year, he finally became an official yer!
Thus, Lionel thought that Cheryl¡¯s case was a simr one...
He smiled and changed the subject. "Does this mean you¡¯re not going to university?"
Cheryl shook her head again. "No, my parents requested that I go to university, but they have agreed to let me take a year off from school this year."
"Well, that¡¯s true. Aside from Zac, going to university would only be a boring affair for the rest of us. You¡¯re probably only eligible for a third-rate university like me, right?"
"... That shouldn¡¯t be the case," replied Cheryl.
"You mean it may be worse?"
Lionel frowned. He wanted to say something, but he suddenly realized that he was speaking to a delicate young girl, so he shouldn¡¯t rub salt into her wound. Therefore, before Cheryl could exin, he changed the topic and said, "Alright, let¡¯s not talk about this anymore. Let¡¯s instead talk about what to do now. I see that you don¡¯t have much luggage with you. Shall I take you to the supermarket to get the things you need? Oh, by the way, there are only premium supermarkets nearby..."
After speaking, Lionel looked at Cheryl.
The teen girl looked dainty, but she dressed simply, and none of the clothes she wore had brand names on them.
Lionel had only decided to pursue a career in e-sports because his financial situation at home was not good.
Over the past two years, he had earned more than a million dors in wages and bonuses in the club each year, so one could say that he was now exposed to various luxury brands. Since there weren¡¯t brand names on the teen¡¯s clothes, this meant that her clothes must be from fast fashion brands...
With that in mind, Lionel thought of how he had only thirty bucks on him when he first came to the club back then.
He had gone to the supermarket for daily necessities, but after entering the premium supermarket, he identally spent $300 just shopping casually inside.
He had been dumbfounded at the time.
Why was a towel $15 when they were sold for two or three bucks back in his hometown?!
He couldn¡¯t pay at all!
It was Zac who noticed his embarrassing situation and then footed the bill for him...
After recalling his own situation, Lionel looked at Cheryl even more kindly and said, "Come on, let¡¯s go, God C! I¡¯ll take you shopping. I have a membership card, so leave tonight¡¯s bill to me!"
"I can do it too!"
"Me, I can do it! I have money!"
Two other teammates also scrambled to pay.
Zac looked at them, the corners of his lips spasming. He said, "You can ask the coaching team for an advance on your first month¡¯s sry."
... That isn¡¯t necessary at all, thought Cheryl.
She touched the ck card in her pocket and said quietly, "Um... I can pay for myself."
"How much can you possibly have?"
Lionel beckoned to her and said, "Come on, I¡¯ll drive you there."
Cheryl originally wanted to refuse, but when she heard the word "drive", she let out a quiet sigh.
She wasn¡¯t old enough to even get a driver¡¯s license yet...
Even though she could clearly drive and even ride a motorcycle...
Cheryl could only follow Lionel out the door. There was nothing in the room, so she did have to buy things like shampoo, shower gel, etc.
After Cheryl left, Zac suddenly picked up his cell phone and sent a text message to his former homeroom teacher: ¡¯Hey, are you there? Can I ask you about a student?¡¯
He wanted to know what Cheryl¡¯s grades were like so that he could decide if she needed his help in finding a good school after the college entrance examination.
After all, his family did have some status. Lionel¡¯s college entrance examination results had been mediocre back then. It was his family that had helped him enroll in an eptable university. Otherwise, he would not have even been able to enroll in one.
As captain, Zac showed his teammates a lot of concern. If there was anything he could help with, he definitely would. He was much more reliable than their boss, Chester.
After he sent the message, his homeroom teacher replied: ¡¯Who are you asking about?¡¯
Zac: ¡¯Do you know Cheryl Smith?¡¯
His teacher: ¡¯Of course! She¡¯s famous!¡¯
Chapter 1018: C, the God of Gaming (5)
Chapter 1018: C, the God of Gaming (5)
Famous?
Zac was a bit taken aback as he stared at the reply. He asked: ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯
However, his homeroom teacher left him on a cliffhanger: ¡®Wanna guess?¡¯
Zac: ¡°¡¡±
Guess? What for?!
He sent another message to the teacher: ¡®I¡¯ll bring you a couple of bottles of good wine when I go to New York for apetition during summer vacation.¡¯
Only then did his teacherugh and reply: ¡®Cheryl skipped two grades in a row, jumping directly from freshman year to senior year in high school. I heard she did it so that she could take part in a professionalpetition for the same game you¡¯re ying. Oh, by the way, she is also a star athlete. She was specially head-hunted by the school.¡¯
A star athlete?
Zac thought of Cheryl¡¯s docile and soft appearance. She probably wasn¡¯t a student specializing in track and field, was she?
His attention was sessfully diverted, and he asked: ¡®In arts?¡¯
His teacher: ¡®No, shooting.¡¯
Zac: ¡°¡¡±
He thought of how thin and frail she looked, yet she had enrolled in her high school as a shooting sports specialist. In addition, there was a charming contrast when he thought of a cute girl like her holding a gun.
The teacher sent another message: ¡®She stopped practicing during thest few years, though. But with the awards she has won, she won¡¯t have any problems enrolling in university¡¡¯
Zac suddenly realized what was going on.
So, that was what Cheryl was doing.
As an important sport and even apetitive segment in the Olympics, shooting had indeed be very popr in recent years. If her family¡¯s financial situation was good enough and they had exposed her to the sport since she was a child, this was indeed a viable option for her.
By now, he was already under the impression that Cheryl had poor grades and could only get into university by being a specialized student.
Thus, he stopped asking about her grades. Instead, he asked: ¡®She won¡¯t have problems enrolling in university?¡¯
His teacher: ¡®Of course not. She¡¯s very talented in shooting¡¡¯
Cheryl was so sought after by various schools precisely because she was a hot favorite for marksmanship champion in the next Olympics.
Of course, his homeroom teacher didn¡¯t dare to say this out loud, so he could only hint at it vaguely.
After all, Cheryl was so young. If they put so much pressure on her, she might not be able to perform at her usual standard¡ Therefore, the coaches of the national team never let teachers show off to outsiders.
She was the national team¡¯s hidden trump card for the next Olympics.
Zac understood now. He asked: ¡®I see. By the way, which university did she choose in the end?¡¯
His teacher: ¡®She hasn¡¯t picked one so far. The college entrance examination scores aren¡¯t out yet.¡¯
Academic scores were taken into consideration for specialized students too.
As a result, Zac felt that the teacher must have been exaggerating when he said that she had a lot of talent.
If she was really that talented, why would she still need to take part in the college entrance examination? Schools would just find a way to directly recruit her¡
Zac felt that he now had a better understanding of Cheryl.
Her family¡¯s financial situation was not bad and her grades were average. However, because her family was rich, they groomed her interest in shooting, where she then used her talent to enroll in a top high school and eventually university.
C had been ying games since she was five, and she had spent a lot of time ying games over the years, so her forte was still gaming.
Zac, who seemed to have realized something, ended his chat with his homeroom teacher.
However, the head coach of the team walked in with a sullen look on his face. ¡°This is too much!¡±
Zac was surprised. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±
The head coach picked up his cell phone and handed it to Zac. Only then did he realize that their team was being roasted on social media.
Only Cheryl¡¯s back was pictured, but someone had taken a photo of Cheryl, Lionel, and the others shopping at the supermarket, as well as of her entering the club.
The paparazzi must have taken the photos.
However, as soon as the photos were released, all hell broke loose.
Team HS had failed to win the championship this year and came in second ce because their gunner had injured his hand during thest season. This had angered the fans.
In the beginning, everyone was just sad, but because of these photos, the fans now behaved as though they had caught on to something and started roasting the team.
¡®No wonder they lost the game! Their minds are no longer on the game after they made some money, right? Are they just having fun with girls now?¡¯
¡®Us fans can¡¯t even go to a sacred ce like the club, yet they brought a girl in? Has HS given up on themselves after losing thepetition once?¡¯
¡®The whole team was performing below expectations in thepetition. Their sess has obviously gotten into their heads!¡¯
¡®Hah, they still haven¡¯t officially announced their new gunner. Has the club given up on recruiting? Has everyone given up?¡¯
¡®If you have given up, then please let your fans know, lest we continue to foolishly wait for the champions to return!¡¯
¡
¡
Theirments were extremely unpleasant and unbearable.
After losing a game, even dating would be seen as a sin.
This was the reality that professional yers had to face.
Seeing this, Zac¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Get rid of it, lest the kid sees such a disgusting thing and has her mood ruined when she has only just joined.¡±
The head coach sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll go rify the matter, then.¡±
Chapter 1019: C, the God of Gaming (6)
Chapter 1019: C, the God of Gaming (6)
The head coach quickly logged in to the club¡¯s Facebook ount and posted a rification notice.
Club HS E-Sports: ¡¯We believe that our yers have the freedom to engage in romantic rtionships, but we would still like to rify that Lionel is currently not in one; the youngdy is a new member of our club. As for who she is, we¡¯re keeping it a secret for now.¡¯
yers easily became targets in e-sportspetitions.
C was an expert gunner who could be said to be among the top tier of yers in the league. Because of this, there were many who liked to study her habits and y style.
This made it easy for her to be a target for other teams.
Though she would reveal her presence inpetitions sooner orter, having theirpetitors study her y style after the start of thepetition was still preferable to revealing her identity at this point and giving them sufficient time to target her.
They would just keep it a secret for as long as they could.
It would be ideal if they could keep it a secret until the first round of thepetition so that they could catch the opponents by surprise.
This was what everyone in the club had agreed upon previously.
As soon as the coach posted the notice, the fans calmed down.
To be honest, the fans were just expecting better from Club HS, that was all. They were the champions every year, yet they hade in second ce this year. The retirement of the top gunner in the league due to injury had led to everyone paying special attention to Club HS.
They were afraid that the club would not fare well in the future.
Therefore, now that the club had cleared the air, the issue was resolved.
Nevertheless, when some looked at Cheryl¡¯s side profile in the photo, they couldn¡¯t help but raise a few questions.
¡¯Is the new gunner a girl? Isn¡¯t she the first female professional yer in the league?¡¯
¡¯What¡¯s wrong with female yers? Can¡¯t we girls take part in thepetition? What a joke! What age are we in now? Are there still people discriminating against girls?¡¯
¡¯Men have better reflexes in e-sports than women, right? Besides, the people who make it to the pinnacle of various industries all seem to be men.¡¯
¡¯LMAOing at the guy above. Here, let me tell you a story: the most famous surgeon in the world is a woman.¡¯
¡¯Here¡¯s another piece of trivia: Yanci, the top car racer in the world, is also a woman.¡¯
¡¯Chiming in to add that Q, the most well-known hacker in the world, is also a woman.¡¯
...
After receiving a crash course from the rest, the person who had raised the question in the beginning immediately wussed out.
¡¯I¡¯m not discriminating against her. I¡¯m weing her... In any case, the godly Zac is so strong that he can carry anyone anyway!¡¯
¡¯Yes, I wee female yers!¡¯
Thements were rtively peaceful. After all, women had sessfully achieved high positions in various industries over the years. Though there were few femalepetitive e-sports yers, they did exist.
The head coach looked at the rest of the staff with a smile and said, "It¡¯s fortunate that women have made it into the ranks of top performers in every industry over the years, so there aren¡¯t many who question their abilities anymore when they be professional yers."
However, among thesements was a question:
¡¯Judging from her side-profile, she seems very young, though? Is she an elementary school student?¡¯
The coach immediately replied to the message: ¡¯Don¡¯t worry, our new member just took her college entrance examination this year. She reported for duty right after that.¡¯
¡¯Then it¡¯s fine.¡¯
The problem was resolved easily and smoothly. All the dissent online seemed to have disappeared, and not many had raised doubts about girls participating in e-sports.
Even though the coach knew that there wouldn¡¯t be that much opposition in the first ce, wasn¡¯t this going a little too smoothly?
Little did he know...
In New York, Alexander stretchedzily and said, "Tsk, tsk. Trending on social media when she has only just reached the club. As expected, Cherry can¡¯t manage without her big brother!"
As he spoke, Peter, who was sitting opposite him, slowly looked up.
Differences were already starting to show in fifteen-year-old Peter and Cheryl¡¯s looks.
Cheryl still looked cute and adorable, but there was an additional sense of toughness in the same facial features on Peter. In addition, Peter had trained in martial arts frequently over the years, so his features were more defined, and he didn¡¯t have any baby fat. He looked absolutely dashing.
He slowly said, "You mean big brothers."
"... Fine," said Alexander.
He pulled his hand from the keyboard and said, "Write a program and keep an eye on the Inte. If anyone says things like ¡¯girls can¡¯t be professional e-sports yers¡¯ again, ban their ounts! Also, Cherry¡¯s side profile is more than enough on the Inte; all full-frontal photos must be deleted. Don¡¯t go too soft on them. I have something on, so I¡¯ll go for now."
¡ª
The incident was resolved quietly. When Cheryl returned to the club after she was done shopping for daily necessities, she didn¡¯t yet know that she had trended on social media.
Her teammates enthusiastically escorted her to the room and even helped her clean it up.
When the head coach came over, he immediately saw Cheryl seated on the sofa while the rest of the team was busy with chores.
The corners of his lips spasmed.
Generally, whenever there was fresh blood in the team, everyone treated them with mild skepticism. Moreover, they were all still young and hot-blooded. The head coach had been worried that they would get into a dispute with the new member.
But from how things looked... It seemed despite having only been here for two hours, Cheryl had already be the club favorite!
However... the head coach looked at Cheryl.
The teen girl sat quietly on the sofa as she munched on a potato chip she was holding between her fair fingers. Her little mouth was moving constantly, making her look cute and well-behaved, like a little squirrel. Even he didn¡¯t dare to raise his voice at her!
So, it was only natural that she would end up as the club favorite, right?
While the head coach was musing, a staff member suddenly came over. The man looked serious as he said, "Coach, Club JQ is so shameless!"
Surprised, the head coach asked, "What happened?"
"Take a look at this!"
The staff member took out his cell phone, opened up Facebook, and handed it to the coach.
Only then did the head coach realize that Club JQ, their archrival, had officially announced a new member in their team this year!
Team JQ had also weed a new yer this year, and everyone had been guessing who it might be...
However, they had just made an official announcement, and the new member was also a well-known yer in the game¡ªthe female live-streamer, Jimy.
A female yer!
Well, that was some pretty hot news.
The problem, though, was that Team JQ had made a special mention of Jimy¡¯s education when they introduced her¡ªbecause she was a rare one with rtively high academic qualifications among the group!
She was an undergraduate at a prestigious university!
After the news went public, fans of Team JQ took the opportunity to create the image of a highly-educated intellectual for her...
They were clearly facing off with Club HS by doing this!
Fans of Team JQ were even starting to antagonize them on the Inte.
They outright at-mentioned Club HS¡¯ official ount and asked, "How high can your new member score in the college entrance examination?"
The head coach: "!!!"
This was an e-sportspetition!! What was the point of obsessing over the yers¡¯ college entrance examination results?!
What a ridiculous way of antagonizing them!
Had they let their win go to their heads after bing the champions just once?
They had practicallye all the way to their doorstep to bully them now!
Yet...
He nced at Cheryl.
Sensing that he was looking at her, Cheryl looked up, whereupon she saw the head coach smile kindly at her as he said, "It¡¯s okay. College entrance examination scores aren¡¯t everything. We don¡¯t look at one¡¯s college entrance examination results in this industry."
Cheryl: "??"
Chapter 1020: C, the God of Gaming (7)
Chapter 1020: C, the God of Gaming (7)
Cheryl picked up another potato chip, took a bite, and then looked at the head coach. ¡°Oh, okay.¡±
Then, she saw the head coach pacing back and forth in front of her as he looked at her earnestly, looking like someone who wanted to ask her something yet didn¡¯t dare to.
¡°¡ Coach, is there something you want to ask me?¡± Cheryl asked.
The head coach coughed and said, ¡°Um, I¡¯m just asking about this casually. I am absolutely not insinuating anything, nor am I looking down on you! But, well, what kind of university do you think you can get into?¡±
After speaking, the head coach wanted to give himself a tight p.
What was he even asking?
The teen obviously looked easily embarrassed. What if the youngdy couldn¡¯t even get into a university at all? How was she going to answer him?
The head coach immediately tried to repair the situation. ¡°No, what I mean to say is, it¡¯s okay even if it¡¯s just a specialist school. Er, it doesn¡¯t matter whether you go to university or not¡¡±
¡°Yes, yes, that¡¯s right! I also think that academic qualifications aren¡¯t important in our industry!¡± Lionel had also seen the posts andments on Facebook. He came over immediately tofort her and said, ¡°Look at me, I only attended a lousy second-rate university while these guys here went to even worse ones!¡±
The rest of the team also hurried over andforted her.
¡°Exactly, so it¡¯s alright no matter how you score in the exams!¡±
¡°It¡¯s okay even if you don¡¯t attend university!¡±
¡°Haha, mutants like Captain Zac are a rarity in our industry. Nobody can ace their exams while being an expert gamer too, right?¡±
¡°Wepete with our abilities, not academic qualifications!¡±
¡
While they were talking, Cheryl sensed that something was amiss.
The smart girl blinked a couple of times and then opened up Facebook, where she saw that someone had at-mentioned Club HS.
As she stared at her cell phone, her big eyes widened in disbelief.
Upon seeing this, the head coach next to her became even more distressed. ¡°D-don¡¯t cry, Cheryl¡ Everything will be fine, they are just jealous that you¡¯re pretty!¡±
¡°Yeah, you¡¯re so much prettier than that live-streamerdy, so she could only try to make up for the difference with her academics¡¡±
¡°Ignore them. They¡¯re just trying to embarrass you!¡±
¡°Their fans all seem to feel some kind of sense of superiority to others online. Ha, it¡¯s not like having good grades will let them win the championship, right?¡±
As everyoneforted her, they saw her look up.
On her wless little face, they didn¡¯t see any sadness in her eyes but faint¡ excitement instead?
The head coach felt like his eyes must be ying tricks on him. He was about to speak when Cheryl said docilely, ¡°Coach, can I reply to the message?¡±
The head coach: ¡°?¡±
The teen spoke so innocently that he couldn¡¯t even make himself say no!
The corners of his lips spasmed as he considered the proposal for a moment. Then, he replied, ¡°Alright, go ahead, but don¡¯t argue with them. People online are just being led on by others¡ Don¡¯t cry, either, nor do you have to feel like you¡¯ve let the fans down just because your grades are poor¡ Oh, and don¡¯t use foulnguage. We¡¯ll deduct $30 per swear word you use.¡±
¡°Okay!¡±
Cheryl opened up her Facebook settings and changed her name to Cherry HS.
She knew that the club didn¡¯t want her to reveal her identity yet, so she didn¡¯t change it to ¡°C¡±. After the change, the head coach made a wee post on the club¡¯s official Facebook page: ¡®Wee to the club, @Cherry HS.¡¯
With that, everyone now knew that Cherry HS was the new member of Club HS.
After that, Cheryl lowered her head and started typing a message.
The head coach watched her from a distance away and shook his head slightly.
Lionel was a little worried. ¡°Coach, aren¡¯t you concerned that she may use abusivenguage or argue with them?¡±
The head coach replied, ¡°She has promised me that she wouldn¡¯t. Besides, she¡¯s so innocent. Do you think she would argue with them?¡±
Lionel nodded after hearing this. He certainly didn¡¯t dare to even speak a little loudly to Cheryl. The girl looked so delicate that it was as if she would shatter like porcin if he spoke even a little louder than usual.
The two of them thought that even if the girl panicked for real and argued a bit with the people online, she would probably just say something like ¡°If you continue insulting me, I¡¯ll beat you up with my little fists¡±.
There was no firepower whatsoever.
In fact, Lionel couldn¡¯t help but suggest, ¡°Coach, should I help her hurl a couple of insults?¡±
The head coach looked at him coldly at once. ¡°Ha ha, that would be $30 deducted per word, then.¡±
Lionel shut up immediately.
He was the embodiment of a miser.
While the two were chatting, a staff member of the club suddenly approached them anxiously. When he saw the head coach, his expression immediately changed, and he looked as if he wanted to cry!
¡°Coach!!¡±
The head coach looked at him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±
He subconsciously looked at Cheryl and asked, ¡°Did you use abusivenguage?¡±
Cheryl shook her head, the look in her eyes cute and innocent as she answered, ¡°Nope!¡±
¡°Nope¡±¡
She was just too cute!
The head coachpletely believed her.
The staff member next to him was caught betweenughter and tears, though. He said, ¡°God C, it¡¯s true that you didn¡¯t use abusivenguage¡ but it might have been better if you had!¡±
The head coach was stunned when he heard this.
Atst, he sensed something amiss btedly and picked up his cell phone, where he saw that the wee post for Cheryl had been pinned at the top.
In the post, someone had at-mentioned her and asked: ¡®Jimy scored 1300 on her SAT. Do you know how she scored so high?¡¯
At the sight of the question, the head coach¡¯s heart suddenly sank.
He suddenly thought of Cheryl¡¯s response when Lionel mentioned Zac¡¯s near-perfect score in his mathematics paper during the college entrance examination.
He continued scrolling down, and sure enough, he saw Cheryl¡¯s reply: ¡®Did she miss out chunks of questions in one of the papers?¡¯
The head coach: ¡°??¡±
He felt his vision cking out!
He was getting that vague feeling of someone showing off again!!
Nevertheless, he asked, ¡°S-she must be joking, right?¡±
The staff member sighed. He felt as though the head coach, who was strict with everyone, had been blinded by Cheryl. He said, ¡°Keep reading.¡±
The head coach continued scrolling down.
Then, he saw someone at-mention her again. They asked: ¡®Oh wow, since you are so smart, which university do you think you can get into?¡¯
Cheryl replied: ¡®I am considering Harvard and MIT, but I haven¡¯t decided which yet.¡¯
As expected, thements that followed were full of jeering. Everyone was guffawing.
The head coach: ¡°!!!¡±
He looked up at Cheryl.
Still speaking in the same innocent tone, Cheryl said, ¡°See? I didn¡¯t use any abusivenguage.¡±
¡°It might have been better if you had!¡±
The head coach panicked.
If she had used abusivenguage, it would at least have been because the other party had provoked her first, so she couldn¡¯t help but retaliate, which would have made her reaction justifiable. But what was she bragging so freaking much for?!
Harvard and MIT? She was considering them?
Were those two schools something one could joke so carelessly about?!!!
His voice shook as he said, ¡°Um, if memory serves me right, the college entrance examination results will be out in ten days, right?¡±
Cheryl nodded. ¡°Yup!¡±
She was giving him that same harmless and adorable feeling again¡
The head coach felt like he had beenpletely bewitched by her. The corners of his lips spasmed and he found himself utterly at a loss for words.
Next to him, the staff member couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What do we do, coach?¡±
The head coach replied, ¡°What else can we do? Have the PR department ready! They¡¯d better do a good job at handling this matter on the day the college entrance examination results are released!!!¡±
That girl was still so young and was even so pretty, but why must she be such a huge braggart?!!
The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and
continue reading tomorrow, everyone!
Chapter 1021: College Entrance Examination Results Are Out!
Chapter 1021: College Entrance Examination Results Are Out!
What happened next was true to the head coach¡¯s expectations¡ªClub JQ¡¯s fans went into full-out ridicule mode.
By the end of it, the situation had turned into ¡°The presumptuous new member of Club HS ispeting with Jimy over academic qualifications!¡±
This was despite the fact that they had started the argument first!
It was just a shame that Club HS couldn¡¯t clear the air even if they wanted to because Cheryl had personally made those outrageous ims.
In the end, the head coach had no choice but to implement a new rule¡ªuninstall Facebook!
All of them uninstalled Facebook for a period of time. Once the whole thing blew over, they would download it again¡ Their ounts were managed by club staff anyway.
Cheryl had no choice but to do the same. She had always been an obedient girl, so she also did as told and uninstalled Facebook.
¡°Starting from tomorrow, you and Zac will team up in ranked matches to build up a rapport with each other.¡±
The head coach said to Cheryl.
Zac, who happened to exit his room at this point, nodded when he heard him.
Zac was the jungler and ganker of the team. By having the two of them y together, the head coach wanted to let Zac have a look at Cheryl¡¯s y style and habits so that he could work with her to take down opponents.
After all, the jungler was the one in control of the overall pace in a game.
¡°Okay. We¡¯ll try a ranked match at eleven o¡¯clock tomorrow morning.¡±
¡°Okie-Dokie!¡±
After bidding goodbye to the others, Cheryl entered her room.
Everything in the room had been tidied up, so she only needed to unpack her belongings.
Cheryl spent a bit of time unpacking and then washed up. Then, shey on the bed and picked up her cell phone.
There were a lot of messages in the family group chat.
Her brothers and father were asking her how her new club was, whether she was lonely living in a vi all by herself, and whether she wanted them to find her a caretaker.
Cheryl nced at the cramped room and then, with a guilty conscience, replied: ¡®No, it¡¯s fine! I like being by myself!¡¯
As soon as she sent the reply, she received a video call from Justin.
Cheryl: ¡°¡¡±
She answered the call and pointed the camera at the ceiling.
The roomyouts in the two vis were simr. After all, both had been renovated before they were handed over to their owners¡
Justin¡¯s voice was low, and the beauty mark at the corner of his eye was as alluring as ever. As Cheryl looked at him, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder why her father seemed like he simply didn¡¯t age at all.
People would believe him even if he stood next to her brothers and imed that the three of them were brothers!
¡°Show me the room,¡± Justin said.
Cheryl¡¯s guilty conscience immediately took over. ¡°No, I just took a shower, so I can¡¯t right now!¡±
The little girl was already fifteen years old, so Justin did have to watch himself.
He kept quiet for a while and then handed the phone to Nora. ¡°Then show your mom the room.¡±
Cheryl: ¡°!!!¡±
She stared at the sleepy Nora on the screen¡
Her mom looked even younger than her dad. Even after so many years, she still looked like a 20-year-old¡ Of course, this was taking into consideration the fact that she was only 35 years old that year.
She yawned loudly and asked in a low voice, ¡°Must you?¡±
She was talking to Justin.
Justin replied, ¡°Check whether she is living in the vi next door. A girl mustn¡¯t stay by herself in the same house as a group of boys.¡±
¡°¡¡±
Cheryl felt even guiltier now.
Then, she saw Nora¡¯szy eyes nce at the phone. It was as though she could see right through her through the screen.
Cheryl immediately gave her an ingratiating smile. ¡°Mommy, you seem to have be even prettier after a few days of separation! It¡¯s Hollywood¡¯s loss that you didn¡¯t be an actress! It¡¯s humanity¡¯s loss that they can¡¯t see you on the big screen!¡±
Nora: ¡°¡¡±
The obvious ttery clearly indicated a guilty conscience.
She nced sideways. When she saw Justin¡¯s head leaning over, she immediately switched the video call to voice only. She sounded aszy as ever, and she spoke like a big boss as she said, ¡°What are you looking at? Cherry says it¡¯s inappropriate.¡±
¡°¡ Okay.¡±
Her arrogant and domineering CEO of a father was like a little kitten right now.
Cheryl secretly giggled.
Mommy was the only one in this world who could do something about Daddy!
After chatting with them a while more, Cheryl hung up.
Then, she saw a message from Mia: ¡®Cherry, you¡¯re so daring.¡¯
Little Mia did not have an insanely high IQ like her, but she was very hardworking and diligent, so she had also skipped a grade. Thus, even though she was fifteen years old, she was already in her second year of high school.
Cheryl called her.
Mia picked up quickly. The gently speaking girl was no longer the pushover she used to be, but she had such a frail temperament that it made one want to protect her.
Her face was still pointed and oval-shaped like before, except that she was even prettier now after growing up. She hadbined the best features of Joel and Tanya, so she was also well-known for her beauty in the New York circle.
On the other hand, Cheryl didn¡¯t like appearing in public, so few people knew her.
Mia asked slowly, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of not performing well?¡±
¡°How can that be?¡± Cheryl replied sweetly, ¡°Even if I can¡¯t get a perfect score like Pete, I¡¯ll still score at least 1500!¡±
At the mention of Peter, Mia paused and changed the subject subtly. ¡°How I wish half a month could pass when we wake up tomorrow! Then you could¡¯ve pped their faces with your score!¡±
¡°D¡¯aw, time flies by anyway! By the way, what are you doing?¡±
¡°Studying,¡± Mia replied.
¡°You have good grades, so you definitely won¡¯t have any problems in the college entrance exam. Why are you still working so hard thiste at night?¡±
Mia was briefly taken aback. Then, she replied, ¡°Mm, I want to do better on the exams.¡±
So that you can go to Pete?
However, Cheryl held herself back and didn¡¯t say it out loud.
As Mia and Peter grew up, their rtionship gradually became unfathomable. Mia was his younger cousin, yet Peter had gradually put distance between him and her.
This was the same for Mia. She stopped sticking to Peter whenever the two families got together and started sticking to Cherry instead.
Both their parents were busy with various things and didn¡¯t notice this, but Cheryl had.
¡°Alright, I¡¯m cheering for you,¡± said Cheryl.
¡ª
After hanging up, Cheryl threw everything to the back of her mind.
The next morning, after waking up and ying a ranked match with Zac, Cheryl felt some long-lost pleasure!
She always had to carry her teammates in the past, but when she yed in the ranked match with Zac, she felt the capabilities of a professional yer. Zac seemed to know what she wanted to do all the time. Whenever she wanted to rush forward, he was already lying in ambush in the bushes at the side.
And whenever she wanted to retreat, Zac would retreat even faster than her¡
This made Cheryl¡¯s eyes light up more and more!
As expected, professional yers were different!
Immersed in the training, Cheryl didn¡¯t even realize that a whole week had passed.
A weekter, when the head coach held a routine meeting with Zac, he asked, ¡°How is C?¡±
The corners of Zac¡¯s lips curled into a smile and he replied, ¡°She¡¯s great.¡±
He seldom had such high praise for anyone, especially a teammate.
Therefore, the head coach could tell that Zac was very satisfied.
He had also studied the recordings of Zac and Cheryl¡¯s ranked matches.
Zac¡¯s skills were at a much higher level than what he showed. However, Lionel and the other teammates couldn¡¯t keep up with him, so he could only lower his level to cooperate with them.
After all, they yed this game as a team, not as individuals.
As a result, this severely limited Zac¡¯s performance.
However, the head coach found out that God C could keep up with him!
It was as though the two of them shared the same brain. No matter what Zac did, Cheryl could always react quickly and keep up with him. Sometimes, she even reacted earlier than him¡
To be honest, before God C joined the team, he¡¯d had a lot of doubts about the decision!
Not only was God C a girl, but she was also only fifteen years old. Could she really do it?
But after observing her for a week, he realized that she really could!
In fact, with her in Club HS, the team had be even stronger. Thebination of God C and Zac had demonstrated exponential results!
The head coach felt as if the champion trophy of the new season was waving at Club HS right now!
He let out a delightedugh.
However, the next moment, he frowned and said, ¡°Sigh, God C¡¯s gaming capabilities are undeniable, but so is her ability to stir up trouble!¡±
Upon hearing this, Zac¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Is that incident still not over yet?¡±
¡°No, it¡¯s not!¡±
At the mention, the head coach became even angrier. He said, ¡°The situation had originally calmed down, and there weren¡¯t many still mocking her. But during Jimy¡¯s live-streamst night, she made insinuations about the situation again, bringing it back to people¡¯s attention¡ I initially thought that after the incident died down, everyone would forget about it by the time the college entrance examination results came out. But she¡¯s gone and reminded everyone that the results will be out in a week now, which revived the topic¡ Club JQ is so shameless when ites to leeching off others¡¯ poprity and hot topics!¡±
Zac stayed quiet for a while before he asked, ¡°What did the boss say?¡±
He was referring to Chester.
Chester was very protective of the club members. A couple of years ago, when Lionel had a small ident, Chester had immediately paid to get the heat off him and suppressed the incident.
He was sure that the boss would step forward and defend her this time too¡
But as soon as the thought formed, the head coach frowned and replied, ¡°Come to think of it, the situation is rather strange this time. Usually, the boss would ask how things are whenever the club met with even a bit of trouble, but he hasn¡¯t said even a word this time. In fact, when I approached the boss about this matter today¡ªso that he could do something about the Facebook activity¡ªhe actually said¡ to let it be!¡±
Zac was taken aback. ¡°Let it be?¡±
¡°Yeah.¡±
The head coach was so troubled that he was close to having insomnia. He said, ¡°To be honest, being insulted or mocked a little is not a big deal. I¡¯m mainly just concerned that the youngdy won¡¯t be able to take it, leading to her frame of mind being affected¡ That¡¯s exactly what Club JQ is doing this time¡ªtoying with the youngdy¡¯s frame of mind. They are so insidious!¡±
Zac frowned and kept quiet.
He thought of the kid¡¯s seemingly inexhaustible energy whenever she was gaming. Even if there were rumors flying about, surely it wouldn¡¯t get her down, right? Besides, the boss had always been reliable¡
With this in mind, he said, ¡°Then let¡¯s do as the boss says.¡±
The head coach nodded. ¡°Maybe we should see this as a chance for the neer to train her mental resilience. If she can ovee it, nothing will get her down in the future. If she can¡¯t, it won¡¯t do her good if we are overprotective of her anyway.¡±
Amid the few people¡¯s anxiety, atst, the college entrance examination results were released.
The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and
continue reading tomorrow, everyone!
Chapter 1022: The Scores???
Chapter 1022: The Scores???
As the date of release for the college entrance examination results approached, the Club HS members grew increasingly nervous.
After two weeks of interaction, everyone had grown fond of Cheryl, who was good at gaming, looked cute and sweet, and was soft-spoken!
Sometimes when they saw her watching videos as she munched on fries, they couldn¡¯t even imagine that she was the little girl sting people with her cannon in the game.
In the game, Cheryl, whose forte was being a gunner, yed as a female character who carried a cannon as big as herself and could take out half an opponent¡¯s HP with just a single st.
Moreover, the character could move quickly from one spot to another, so her movements were flexible and she was not easily caught. This simply fitted her image too well.
As a result, everyone subconsciously became protective of her... They even subconsciously gave her the best of everything in daily life.
Take for example their lunch. In the past, whenever they had fried chicken, everyone would fight for the drumsticks. This wasn¡¯t because they really wanted the drumsticks; rather, it was just the boys¡¯petitive streak.
But now...
"The watermelon is really sweet today! Come on, cut them into pieces and give some to God C! She likes munching on fruits when she watches game reys."
"Oh, this crab has so much roe! Here you go, C!"
"What? They are customizing new equipment for us again? I¡¯m not in a hurry, so God C can go first! Ladies first!"
"..."
Cheryl had be the club¡¯s favorite.
Even the strict Captain Zac had turned a blind eye to the situation, and was no longer the ¡¯Demon Lord Jungler¡¯ he was previously known as. In fact...
"You can have the first red buff we get."
The first wave of the game was spent clearing monsters in the jungle. In the past, in order to reach level 4 quickly, Zac had to set the pace, so he never gave the first wave of monsters to the gunners or mages.
Even Lionel, the mage, didn¡¯t have such privilege!
Yet Cheryl had been given the team¡¯s first red buff.
When Lionel heard this during a team match, he wanted to cry. He asked, "Captain, when will you ever give me the first blue buff?"
Zac, who was controlling the mouse, replied perfunctorily, "Hmm... Try having a sex change first?"
Lionel: "..."
That evening, they yed until it waste in the night¡ªbecause they would be able to check the examination results online once it was midnight!
The matter had been on everyone¡¯s minds all this time; they just didn¡¯t dare to mention anything about it, that¡¯s all. One by one, all of them looked at Cheryl¡ªonly to see her hands flying across the keyboard at high speed. She didn¡¯t look nervous in the least.
Had she forgotten about it?
Despite thinking so, they found it somewhat of a positive development.
While they were having a break after the match, Zac quickly went to the club¡¯s public rtions department, where he saw the head coach and some others on standby.
Upon seeing him, the head coach extended his hand to him and said, "Don¡¯t worry, we are ready!"
Since the day before, fans of Club JQ had been @-mentioning Cheryl constantly.
A verified big-name fan of Club JQ had made a post, which was subsequently liked and reposted by many:
¡¯The college entrance examination results will be out soon. Are you scared yet? So, have you decided which university to attend? Is it Harvard or MIT?¡¯
They even included a mocking GIF in the post.
It was obvious that they were being sarcastic.
There was still more than an hour until midnight.
This hour-long period tormented everyone in the club.
When Zac returned, he saw Cheryl still gaming with a lollipop in her mouth. She looked as though she had really forgotten about the matter.
Suddenly, he felt awfully unsettled.
He wanted to ask her what exactly was going on.
From the side, Lionel also couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Hey, God C. Um, did you ever try estimating your score after the college entrance examinations?"
Cheryl nced at him with her big and pretty eyes and then answered, "Nope!"
Ever since she started scoring full marks in the mock exams, she seldom looked at the answers. She had absolute confidence that she could get everything right!
Lionel: "..."
He wanted to ask further about the matter, but the person next to him covered his mouth and gave him a look that screamed "Stop asking about it! Why are you so clueless?!".
Lionel muttered, "It¡¯s obviously because she looks so calm and rxed, so I thought she might really pull it off... That¡¯s why I asked..."
She didn¡¯t even try estimating her score... Just how much did Cheryl love her games?!
Although he was awfully anxious about it, he didn¡¯t dare to probe any further. Thus, he tried to incite Zac to do it instead. He said, "Captain, why don¡¯t you try asking your teacher for some information again? Ask him if she can get into a prestigious... nah, a first-rate university. A first-rate university would sound reasonable too. This way, they won¡¯t mock her too badly..."
Zac nced at him and then shoved both hands in his pockets. "Ugh, look at how impatient you are!"
Lionel: "!!"
He hung his head upon being chastised. But when he noticed Zac going out again, he couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Captain, where are you going?"
"To the bathroom."
Lionel: "?"
He scratched his head. "Captain, do you have dder issues? Didn¡¯t you just go?"
Zac: "..."
This time, Zac indeed entered the bathroom next door. He took out his cell phone, opened up his chat with his ex-homeroom teacher, and then sent a text message: ¡¯Hey, can I ask you a question? Based on your understanding of Cheryl, can she get into a first-rate university?¡¯
After a moment¡¯s consideration, Zac changed "first-rate" to "second-rate" and then sent the message...
After sending the message, he waited anxiously for his teacher¡¯s reply.
Time was creeping closer and closer. Like the other members of the club, he was also bing more and more nervous.
People were also starting to be more and more active on the Club JQ social media pages.
But why wasn¡¯t his teacher replying? Was he already asleep at this time?
Wasn¡¯t it too early?
He couldn¡¯t help but call his teacher.
As soon as he dialed his number, someone picked up.
His teacher¡¯s cheerful voice reached him from the other end of the call. "What are you doing, Zac? College entrance examination results will be out in a moment, so we are all waiting! The students¡¯ parents are all trying to talk to me, yet you¡¯re taking up my precious time. Those who didn¡¯t know better would have thought you had a daughter taking the college entrance examinations!"
Zac: "..."
He suppressed his annoyance and said, "Er, take a look at the message I sent..."
The head teacher seemingly nced at it, upon which a strange silence ensued for two seconds. Then, he asked, "Do you actually think Cheryl is aiming for a second-rate university?"
An uneasy and nervous Zac asked, "... Is there no hope of that happening?"
"... No." The teacher replied.
Zac: "..."
He broke into a frown. Just as he was about to speak, his teacher suddenly raised his voice. "Do you actually think that she can only get into a second-rate university? Who do you think you¡¯re looking down on?!"
Zac: "?"
He wanted to respond, but his teacher cut him off and said, "Alright, I have bawling students who need me tofort them because they didn¡¯t score well in the exams. Don¡¯t take up any more of my time!"
After saying that, he hung up.
Zac: "..."
For some reason, he now felt even more uneasy after the call.
What on earth did his teacher mean by that?
¡ª
Cheryl was awfully weirded out by the strange atmosphere in the club tonight. The others would nce at her from time to time, but when she looked back at them, they would quickly look away.
She nced at the time¡ªthe scores would be out in another ten minutes. Thus, she didn¡¯t start a new round after finishing the current one. Instead, she picked up a bag of potato chips and a slice of watermelon and started munching on them.
As she did, next to her, Lionel slightly pushed the paper napkins on his table toward her. He did it again and again until they were right in front of her.
Cheryl: "?"
The girl was confused for a moment. Then, she picked one up and wiped her fingers with it as she said, "Thanks."
"You¡¯re wee." Lionel coughed and added, "These tissues are specially made for wiping tears and snot. Ordinary tissues may irritate the nose and make it turn red if you blow your nose with them..."
When Lionel came down with a cold some time back, the skin at his nose had gotten rashes from wiping his nose with normal tissues. Knowing that the exam results would be released soon and afraid that God C would burst into tears, Lionel had specially searched for these tissues on the Inte and even ced an order a week ago, for fear that they would note in time for today.
Cheryl: "..."
She blinked and replied, "Oh."
Not only was Lionel behaving strangely, but the others around her were also looking at her with slight... sympathy in their eyes?
She thought of telling Zac that something seemed wrong with everyone today, but as soon as she turned her head, she saw Zac taking out a few ice cubes from the refrigerator and putting them on a towel. Then, he coughed and said, "I heard that people should apply an ice pack on their eyes before they go to bed if they cry their eyes out. Um, just so you know, the club has lots of ice cubes!"
Cheryl: "??"
She broke into a frown, not quite sure what was wrong with all of them. Why were they all expecting her to cry?
Amid the strange atmosphere, Cheryl picked up her cell phone, where she found that midnight had struck!
Cheryl¡¯s eyes lit up.
She could check the scores now.
The family had been chatting about this earlier in the day.
Alexander had asked her how many points she thought she could get in the exam, after which he said that they would be able to find out whether she had achieved a perfect score tonight.
Justin hadforted her and told her that it was alright even if she didn¡¯t get a perfect score.
Even her mom, who was alwayszy and only cared about sleeping, had popped up in the group chat and added a "+1" below Justin¡¯s text message.
Peter hadn¡¯t appeared in the chat.
Alexander even took the opportunity to mock Peter for not showing concern for his sister.
When it turned midnight, Cheryl stopped munching on snacks and opened up the exam results website, where she then entered her admission ticket number...
It went without saying that she was concerned about her grades too. There was no doubt that she would be able to enroll in Harvard University; what mattered now was the score she got in with... Once she knew her score, she would also be able to update her family in the group chat.
While she was doing all this, the people behind her crowded around her.
One... two... three... four heads leaned in from behind her, and everyone held their breath as they watched Cheryl hit the Enter key.
The page immediately changed to a loading screen...
Soon, Cheryl¡¯s score appeared.
Everyone immediately looked over, and one by one, their eyes widened.
Were their eyes ying tricks on them?!
Chapter 1023: Fighting For The Same Candidate!!
Chapter 1023: Fighting For The Same Candidate!!
Cheryl also found herself stunned for a moment. Then, she heaved a disappointed sigh.
Disyed on the screen was a score of¡ 0?
While Cheryl was spacing out, a furor went through the rest of the team.
¡°How can this be?!¡±
¡°Is something wrong with the system? How can the score be 0?¡±
¡°Even if you guess your way through the papers and choose C for every question, you still won¡¯t get 0 points, right?¡±
¡°Yeah, there must have been a mistake somewhere!¡±
¡°Even I scored more than 100 points on my college entrance examination back then! It¡¯s too difficult to get a 0!¡±
Someone even entertained a ludicrous thought and asked, ¡°Hey Cheryl, you couldn¡¯t possibly have skipped every single paper and just filled in your name, right? Did you do that just to shut your family up because they wouldn¡¯t let you join the team unless you took the college entrance examination? Are you trying to get back at them?¡±
Cheryl: ¡°¡¡±
The corners of her lips spasmed. When she was about to say something, next to her, a contemtive look came over Zac¡¯s face.
0 points¡ He had seen that before.
Butpared to those people, this youngdy in front of him was¡ So, how could it possibly have been 0 points?
At the same time, Cheryl lowered her head and saw Peter leisurely send a message in the group chat:
¡®Cherry won¡¯t be able to see her scores tonight. The scores of the top 50 in each city are protected, so their scores will be masked and disyed as 0. A certain somebody did not take the college entrance examination, so it¡¯s only natural that he wouldn¡¯t know. @Alexander]
He was dissing Alexander for saying that he didn¡¯t care about his sister.
Alexander responded very quickly: ¡®Even if they have masked it, as a hacker, couldn¡¯t you have hacked into the system to take a look? At the bottom of it all, it¡¯s still because you don¡¯t care enough about Cherry.¡¯
Peter replied: ¡®I tried hacking into their system to check Cherry¡¯s score just now, but they are using thetest firewall technology, so I didn¡¯t manage to get in.¡¯
A proud Justin immediately sent a message: ¡®That firewall was enhanced by Nora.¡¯
Everyone: ¡°?¡±
Cheryl¡¯s lip corners spasmed. What was her dad being so proud of when it was her mom who wrote the firewall program?
Peter asked: ¡®Can Dad hack into it?¡¯
Justin, who waspletely unashamed of the fact that he couldn¡¯t get past his wife¡¯s firewall, replied proudly: ¡®Of course not.¡¯
Alexander: ¡°¡¡±
Peter: ¡°¡¡±
Cheryl: ¡®I have six things to say:¡¯
Cheryl: ¡®¡¡¯
Just as the three were utterly speechless, Nora finally popped up in the chat: ¡®1598. Two points were deducted in the essay.¡¯
Cheryl: ¡°?¡±
The others: ¡°???¡±
After that, Cheryl received congrattory messages from Alexander, Peter, and Justin. However, she was still a little disappointed, so she hung her head.
Her reaction made Lionel and others even more nervous. Everyone asked, ¡°Hey God C, you¡ you didn¡¯t really submit a nk paper, did you?¡±
Zac was also a little confused.
As far as he was aware, the scores of the top 50 in each city were masked as a protective measure. And of course, those 50 candidates were basically split between Harvard and MIT.
Should this really be the case, then there wouldn¡¯t be anything wrong when Cheryl said that she was still considering Harvard and MIT!
Zac felt like he had stumbled upon the truth.
Cheryl was actually a star student.
He clearly felt like he had guessed the truth, so why was Cheryl suddenly showing such an abject look of disappointment? Had she really handed in a nk paper like what Lionel and the others were saying?
Zac became uncertain again.
Just as everyone was bewildered and confused, Cheryl heaved a huge sigh and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t get 1600 points. This is so maddening!¡±
Everyone: ¡°¡¡±
The difference between 0 and 1600 was kinda big, wasn¡¯t it?
Was God C still inland?
Or did she decide to go for the lowest score possible because she couldn¡¯t get a score of 1600?
It was certainly true that nobody had a lower score than that in the entire country!
Everyone¡¯s lip corners spasmed. They wanted to say something, but they didn¡¯t know how they shouldfort her.
0 points¡ God C sure was pitiful!
The only one with a different reaction was Zac. His pupils shrank fiercely, and he confirmed his suspicions.
Originally, he had thought that Cheryl barely made it into the top 50, but judging from what she just said¡ her score was nearly perfect?!
So, she was even smarter than he¡¯d thought?!
Where did a star student like her pop up from?!
Zac frowned.
It was at this point that the head coach also rushed into the room. ¡°God C, how many points did you score?¡±
Cheryl closed the results page quietly and replied, ¡°We¡¯ll have to wait a little longer to find out.¡±
¡°Wait?¡± The head coach, who had never associated with true star students before, was confused. ¡°Aren¡¯t the college entrance examination results out yet? But I saw many people showing off their scores on social media!¡±
Lionel and the others immediately lowered their heads and kept quiet.
Sigh. Since God C was embarrassed to talk about her exam score, then they¡¯d better not expose her.
Zac, however, clenched his jaw, his dark eyes glued to Cheryl. The adorable youngdy in front of him looked harmless and easily made one let down their guard against her, but as it turned out, she wasn¡¯t just amazing at games¡ Was she so full of surprises even when it came to studying?!
He pressed his lips together.
As for Cheryl, she downloaded the Facebook app onto her cell phone.
As soon as she did, she saw that fans of both Club HS and Club JQ had poured into her Facebook page and were asking her about her college entrance examination score.
Cheryl could only reply: ¡®It isn¡¯t out yet.¡¯
As soon as she sent the reply, her cell phone rang. She nced at the number and then stood. ¡°I have to answer a call.¡±
The head coach nodded.
Cheryl tapped on the answer button as she walked past the few of them. Zac happened to be standing right beside her, so he overheard the voiceing from her cell phone: ¡°Hello, can I speak with Ms. Cheryl Smith? Hello, we are calling from the Harvard University admissions office. As you have scored particrly well in your college entrance examination, we would like to invite you¡¡±
Zac: ¡°!!¡±
He was not only an excellent yer in the gaming industry, but he had also been a Harvard student. This had always been something that gave him extraordinary status, as well as something he was proud of.
But in this instant, he suddenly felt that his academic qualifications were worthless¡
While Cheryl was on the phone, the head coach looked at the Facebook page again. Thements on the page were going crazy.
Cheryl¡¯s reply had stunned everyone.
Everyone thought she was pulling a diva act.
Fans of Club HS were defending her while fans of Club JQ were attacking her madly.
¡®Ha, didn¡¯t somebody boast about choosing between two universities previously? Yet she is staying quiet when the results are out? What a joke! Is she afraid that we¡¯ll mock her if she announces her results?¡¯
¡®Everybody else¡¯s grades are already out except hers? Yeah right, does she think she¡¯s special or what?¡¯
¡®Special? What nonsense! A certain somebody is just scared! Since she sucks at studying, why even botherpeting with Jimy over education qualifications?¡¯
¡®Isn¡¯t that obvious? She¡¯s just trying to leech off Jimy¡¯s poprity bypeting with her over academic qualifications! Trash!¡¯
¡
¡
Club HS fans panicked.
¡®This is e-sports, not school!¡¯
¡®Are exam scores even that important? Did everyone in your club go to college?¡¯
¡®What a joke! Who¡¯s even trying topete with Jimy? It was obviously you guys who came forward, okay? Has Club HS ever imed that she is a star student?¡¯
However, Club JQ fans refused to listen to the exnations.
During this period of time, everyone had focused only on what Cheryl had said about how she was considering Harvard University and MIT and med her for it.
Her statement had been posted on Facebook without any context. Who would care about the actual circumstances behind it when they were just onlookers?
All they knew was that they simply found her statement too arrogant!
Many fans even started to at-mention the two schools and inquire if they had admitted her.
MIT was the first to respond.
On MIT¡¯s official page: ¡®We don¡¯t admit just anybody into the school.¡¯
They outright mocked Cheryl with just one sentence.
This elicited even moreughter from Club JQ fans.
Even Jimy herself stepped forward and at-mentioned MIT: ¡®It has always been my dream to attend MIT. I hope I can enroll in the school as a student¡¡¯
However, the cold and aloof MIT ignored her.
This did not stop the others from ridiculing Cheryl, though.
The head coach was in a huge panic. ¡°They are dragging MIT into it as well, it¡¯s going to be even harder for God C to respond now!¡±
As soon as he said that, Zac narrowed his eyes.
He suddenly realized that MIT might not even know the name of the new Club HS member.
Zac clenched his jaw.
He walked toward the door and Cheryl happened to end the call with Harvard University when he did, so Zac immediately showed her what MIT had posted on Facebook.
At this moment, Cheryl¡¯s cell phone rang again.
At MIT.
Student Admissions Office.
A teacher was frantically calling someone on the phone. ¡°The New York top scorer¡¯s phone has been busy this whole time. She must be on the phone with Harvard University! Why are they on the call for so long?¡±
¡°The top scorer¡¯s name is Cheryl?¡±
Just as the teacher was wondering why the name Cheryl sounded so familiar to her, she suddenly realized something and looked straight at the other teacher. ¡°Are you talking about the Cheryl I think you¡¯re talking about?!¡±
¡°Yes!¡±
¡°Hurry up and call her! We have been trying to recruit her into the school sincest year, but she has refused us all this time! The principal even personally instructed me to recruit her into the school, no matter the method and no matter what the conditions I must offer!¡±
While she was talking, the phone call finally connected.
She spoke in a very friendly tone and said, ¡°Hello, Ms. Cheryl Smith. I am calling from the student admissions office at MIT. You¡¡±
But before she could finish, Cheryl replied coldly, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you¡ No, I¡¯m not going there.¡±
The teacher was stunned. ¡°Why? We are below Harvard University in any form. In fact, our school has a better shooting team, which suits your future ns better. You¡¡±
Before the teacher could finish her proposal, Cheryl snorted coldly and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you guys say that not everyone is worthy of being admitted into the school?¡±
The teacher was bewildered.
After Cheryl said that, she hung up at once.
It was obvious that the girl was furious.
The teacher was stunned. ¡°When did we ever say anything like that?¡±
The teacher next to her was also stunned. ¡°Students indeed see our school as the best, but how would we ever dare to say anything like that to a genius like Cheryl? There must be some kind of misunderstanding in here!¡±
Next to them, a teacher said quietly, ¡°I¡ think I know what¡¯s going on.¡±
Chapter 1024: Our New Member is Cheryl Smith
Chapter 1024: Our New Member is Cheryl Smith
"What¡¯s going on?"
The director of the admissions office was right next to him. When the other teacher was talking to Cheryl just now, he desperately wanted to grab the phone and talk to her personally, but Cheryl hadn¡¯t given him a chance to do so at all, hanging up right away instead.
Upon hearing one of the teachers speak up, he immediately became anxious.
The teacher, who happened to open up the university¡¯s Facebook page, showed the post to the director.
The director was stunned when he read it. "But we didn¡¯t say anything wrong in our Facebook post, so why would she be angry? Is she a fan of Club HS? But isn¡¯t Cheryl Smith a shooting athlete? Does she follow gaming news?"
The teacher didn¡¯t understand what was going on, either. He replied, "But she was obviously referring to this statement. Maybe she is a fan of Zac Stannard? Stannard is not only a Harvard student but also good-looking. He¡¯s very popr in the gaming circle."
"... Youngsters are just so impulsive. How can she reject our school just because of this? She didn¡¯t even bother listening to our offer!" eximed the director.
After grousing, the director looked at him and instructed, "Contact the people managing the school¡¯s official Facebook page immediately and tell them to delete the post!"
"... Got it!" The teacher replied.
When the people managing the school¡¯s Facebook page received the news, they were also stunned.
The school hadn¡¯t said anything wrong. After all, a small-time professional yer boasting that they were hesitating between the two schools... was indeed disrespectful to them.
The university¡¯s Facebook page was managed by students, who had made the post in a moment of pique.
There were countless students who woke up early and stayed upte to study just so they could be admitted to the university. Moreover, most of the students in the university were the top students from all over the world. Even if they weren¡¯t the top scorers in their cities, they were at least the top scorers in their schools. Why should the university that they were so proud of be relegated to a mere choice in someone else¡¯s eyes?
As a result, one of the students, who had been stewing over this for a long while, couldn¡¯t hold himself back from making such a post earlier in the day.
Yet they were saying that he had made a mistake?
The student was furious and outraged.
He said to his ssmate, "For their mediocre grades, those professional yers sure are divas! They have actually attracted the attention of the school leaders! Do they make as great a contribution to society as we do when all they do is y games? All of us will be elites in society after graduation, so how are we any inferior to them?! Every single one of them acts as if they are celebrities... What kind of world is this?! Not only do celebrities make more money than scientists, but they are also more respected than scientists..."
Despite the indignant student¡¯sints, he nevertheless deleted the post from the school¡¯s official Facebook page.
However, after he deleted it, the more he thought about it, the more indignant he felt.
In the end, he simply couldn¡¯t help but post about it on his private Facebook ount.
¡ª
"They deleted the post."
In the dim corridor, Zac¡¯s low voice rang out as he stared intently at Cheryl.
"Okie-Dokie."
Cheryl replied adorably. She turned around to return to the training room, but she had only taken two steps when Zac suddenly grabbed her arm. "Hey kid, don¡¯t you have anything to tell me?"
Cheryl: "?"
Stunned, she blinked a couple of times, not quite understanding what he meant. "Like what?"
"Like how many points you really scored in the exam?"
Cheryl let out a sigh, which was followed by another sigh. This made Zac suspect that she had botched the exams. Perhaps the girl usually had ster grades but had been off-form on the college entrance examination this time?
For example, maybe she was usually one of the top five scorers but had only achieved 50th ce in the college entrance examination this time?
While his imagination was running wild, Cheryl replied softly, "1598 points."
Zac: "??"
He was utterly dumbfounded!
There were hardly such high college entrance examination scores in recent years!
He didn¡¯t wonder why Cheryl knew her score¡ªafter all, she had chatted with the Harvard University staff for so long. They might have told her the score in a show of their sincerity.
Rather, what he didn¡¯t understand was...
"Then why are you so unhappy?"
Cheryl pouted. "Because I wanted a perfect score!"
"..."
Zac¡¯s lip corners spasmed, and he felt like he truly couldn¡¯t understand how geniuses think.
He ruffled Cheryl¡¯s hair and said, "Uh... It¡¯s near-impossible to achieve a perfect score. With your score of 1598, you must already be the top scorer this year, so don¡¯t ask for too much."
Since the implementation of the college entrance examination system, his cohort was the only one that had produced a candidate with a perfect score. On top of that, the candidate had even been a ten-year-old child. This had shocked the whole country.
Surely this kid didn¡¯t think that she was that smart or that big of a mutant, right?
After all, people like that candidate must be incredibly intelligent.
But how would he possibly know that Cheryl¡¯s IQ was even higher than her brother¡¯s?! The only reason why Cheryl hadn¡¯t scored full marks was due to her having grown up abroad. Compared to Peter, she was indeed not as used to local expectations as he was.
Given how Cheryl couldn¡¯t even get her history facts right when she was a child, scoring that high in the exams was already a miracle in itself.
God knows how tiring it had been for Peter when he tutored Cheryl all these years...
Cheryl, who soon came to terms with it, grinned and said, "You¡¯re right!"
No way in hell was she going topare herself to her brother!
Wasn¡¯t that purely just asking for trouble?
She turned and happily skipped into the training room.
As soon as she and Zac entered, they heard the head coach say, "They deleted it! They deleted it! MIT has deleted the post!"
But right after he spoke, a distressed staff member next to him broke into a frown in distress. "But an MIT student has posted an expos¨¦..."
The public rtions staff member was close to tears.
It had only been half an hour since the results were released. Why was wave after wave of trouble taking ce on the Inte?
The head coach looked over to see that a student who imed to be from MIT had made a Facebook post as follows:
Sonny: ¡¯Hi everyone, I¡¯m a student at MIT. Regarding the Facebook post that was just taken down, one must thank the power of celebrities for that. When did America¡¯s scientists and the best higher institution of learning be a tool for celebrities to hype themselves? How smug do you feel to trample upon us? Yet our school can¡¯t even respond because if we do, we¡¯ll be criticized for not being magnanimous... I am really worried about the future of this country. Will theree a day when university admissions no longer look at college entrance examination results as admission criteria but the number of fans one has? The future of the scientificmunity is truly deplorable!¡¯
The post was pretty much short of just outright saying that the club¡¯s star power had forced the school into deleting the post!
MIT¡¯s deletion of the Facebook post had initially confused Club JQ fans, but when they saw this post, they immediately went on a mad rampage. In just the span of five minutes, the post had garnered thousands of likes and reposts!
Everyone was questioning what had happened.
¡¯What gives the new member of Club HS the power to force MIT into deleting their post?!¡¯
The head coach, who initially thought that it was their boss who had paid his way out of the situation, was so freaked out that he was going around in circles. "How can you go head-to-head with those two schools?! Boss has really done it this time!"
The public rtions department was also awfully troubled. "How are we supposed to settle this diplomatically now?!"
Club HS fans were also a little outraged.
¡¯What on earth is HS doing? How can you be so stupid? Can money control schools?! This is terrible!¡¯
¡¯Although I like both celebrities and HS yers, I have more respect for the two universities. This behavior is indeed ludicrous...¡¯
Seeing that both sides were now questioning the behavior of Club HS, the head coach knew that their reputation was truly finished this time.
Just as he was at a loss and in a panic...
Zac suddenly logged onto his Facebook ount.
He merely made a one-liner post:
Zac: ¡¯Introducing our newest member. Her name is Cheryl Smith. @MIT @Sonny¡¯
This post was simply bewildering.
Fans on both sides were stunned.
Was the introduction just a name?
¡¯Ha, what does this even mean? Is he telling everyone to attack the new member and hinting that this matter has nothing to do with HS?¡¯
¡¯There isn¡¯t any rtion between the two in the first ce. From the start, the new member was the only one stirring trouble. I highly rmend that Club HS fire her. After all, she did stir up a lot of trouble...¡¯
¡¯What is Captain Zac doing? Is he pushing the me? Didn¡¯t they say that he is the most protective of his own? LOL¡¯
...
...
Everyone went into full-on mocking mode again. However, a huge furor went through the Facebook sphere after that.
Chapter 1025: Harvard University’s Response
Chapter 1025: Harvard University¡¯s Response
Zac had a great number of fans. He had nearly 4 million followers, a number that wasparable to first-rate celebrities¡¯ follower counts.
His Facebook page was even more popr than the official Club HS one.
Since the incident took ce, many people had visited Zac¡¯s Facebook page to ask about the situation. However, he was usually focused on training and rarely posted on social media, so he had never logged in during this period.
The post he had just made puzzled everyone.
Even Sonny, the MIT student, was perplexed.
What was the big deal about Cheryl Smith?
Was he trying to tell everybody to refer to Cheryl by her name instead of "the new Club HS member" when they were sting her?!
While he was sneering at the post, his cell phone suddenly rang.
To his surprise, MIT¡¯s admissions office was calling him.
Given that the admissions office was calling him again after making him delete his Facebook post just now, Sonny suddenly felt a little sheepish. When he answered the call, the director of the admissions office roared, "What the hell are you saying on the Inte?!"
However, Sonny, who didn¡¯t think he was in the wrong at all, retorted, "I can¡¯t say what I want on the university¡¯s official page, so I¡¯ve deleted the post. But why can¡¯t I say what I want on my own ount? Don¡¯t I have any freedom of speech?"
The director was so mad that he could hardly speak. He yelled, "Do you have any idea who Cheryl Smith is?!"
"Heh, who is she? Or is this rted to who her father is? Sir, you taught us that we should not feel sorry for ourselves. We may be penniless students, but we have ideals and ambition! There are so many students applying every year, but how many of them qualify to enroll in our school? I was also the top scorer back in my hometown! What makes her think she can look down on MIT?"
The director was so speechless that he actually calmed down. After staying quiet for a moment, he asked, "What was your score in the college entrance examination back then?"
At the mention, Sonny immediately replied arrogantly, "1442! It was the highest score in my hometown! Both Harvard and MIT called me back then, but I chose MIT in the end. But even so, I have never looked down on Harvard University."
"... Which part of Cheryl Smith¡¯s post looks down on Harvard University? It¡¯s only because of your own low self-esteem that you would find her arrogant! Even you have admitted that you were deliberating between Harvard and MIT back then, so why can¡¯t she?!" said the director.
After being taken back for a moment, Sonny immediately became indignant. He said, "Sir, are you reallyparing me to her? I have been studying so hard for more than ten years, whereas she is a gamer. How can shepare to me?!"
The director kept quiet for a while and then slowly said, "She scored 1598 points on the college entrance examination this year. Be it Harvard or MIT, both are trying to contact her in hopes of recruiting her into the school. When a student like her says that she is considering enrolling in our school, she is actually giving us a chance. But now, I don¡¯t think she will be considering us as an option anymore."
Sonny: "???"
He was stunned. "What? How many points did she score again? 1598 points? That¡¯s impossible! How can anyone even achieve such a high score?!"
However, the director didn¡¯t respond. He hung up on Sonny, leaving him utterly dumbfounded.
Only then did he truly feel like he had made a mistake.
¡ª
Though Sonny had learned about Cheryl¡¯s score, everyone else on the Inte hadn¡¯t.
While everyone was still attacking Cheryl, the Club JQ professional yers, who were mostly night owls, gathered around Jimy in the training room and chatted with one another.
"Haha! This is terrible! To think Zac actually threw the little missy under the bus. He has no conscience whatsoever."
"To think they actually recruited a female member too. But how can she possiblypare to our Jimy? Jimy graduated from a prestigious university, you know! Their member even boasted that she could choose freely between the two universities or something, right? Haha, does she really think she¡¯s a star student? Or does she think that Club HS would take her side? She¡¯s so naive!"
"... Exactly. Jimy is undoubtedly the top female yer in the league! With the exception of Zac, few have better academic qualifications than you..."
But while the group was gloating about Cheryl¡¯s misfortune, an uproar suddenly broke out on the Inte.
Harvard University had made a post on their official Facebook page.
Harvard University: ¡¯We sincerely and wholeheartedly invite Cheryl Smith to be a part of our school! Thanks for giving her up, MIT. @MIT @Club HS¡¯
Harvard had posted this at night, and as soon as it was posted, the entire Inte exploded!
Fans were stunned.
What was going on?
Fans of Club JQ flocked to Harvard University¡¯s Facebook post.
¡¯LOL, what¡¯s going on? Has Harvard also decided to join the fray and back her up?¡¯
¡¯Why should she be admitted into Harvard? Is it just because she is a member of Club HS? Or did the owner of Club HS donate a library in her name or something?¡¯
¡¯Exactly. Even gamers can enroll into the top two universities these days?¡¯
¡¯This is so unfair!!¡¯
¡¯How much did Club HS pay you to put up this pretense?!¡¯
...
...
The fans of Club HS didn¡¯t dare to speak up anymore, either. Although it seemed like their club had won, it looked like they hadn¡¯t employed very respectable means?
Only the director of the MIT students admissions office was furious when he saw the post.
Harvard University was totally refusing to admit that they had benefited from the situation! Yet it was toote for them to do anything now!
What could they do when they were the ones who had made a dumb move first and offended the girl? It was no exaggeration to say that they had offered up a student with immense potential on a silver tter to their nemesis!
Given what they had posted on their official Facebook page at that time, it would be a cold day in hell before Cheryl would pick them!
The furious director of the admissions office immediately called up one of the school leaders. "Wherever did you recruit such a stupid administrator for the school¡¯s Facebook page?! Fire him right away!!"
At Club JQ.
Everyone frowned.
"What the f*ck?! Why?"
"What¡¯s up with Harvard University? Are they really recruiting her? Special admissions? Is gaming her specialty? If so, then doesn¡¯t that mean we can all go to Harvard University now?"
"They are too much!"
Jimy¡¯s brows drew together as she balled up her fists. Having high academic qualifications had given her grounds to be arrogant in this industry. What gave the other girl the right to be admitted into Harvard University?
Nevertheless, she didn¡¯t voice her thoughts. Instead, sheforted her teammates and said, "Alright, alright. We all know the owner of Club HS is rich anyway. To be honest, is there even anything money can¡¯t buy these days? After all, it would be great promotional material if their newly recruited club member was a Harvard student, right? Come on, don¡¯t be mad anymore. I¡¯m fine."
But her words only served to make her teammates even angrier.
One of them even logged in to their Facebook ount and left ament on Harvard University¡¯s post.
¡¯In that case, can I also be admitted via special admissions? I y better than Cheryl Smith. :)¡¯
The smiley at the end couldn¡¯t get any more sarcastic!
On top of that, as he had many fans, hisment quickly garnered tens of thousands of likes and became the topment on Harvard University¡¯s post.
Hisment was simply oozing sarcasm!
In fact, it even made headlines on social media.
As a result, everyone started to ridicule Cheryl even more.
However, it was at this moment that Harvard University suddenly replied to the Club JQ member¡¯sment.
Chapter 1026: Moving Out
Chapter 1026: Moving Out
Harvard University: ¡¯Well, did you take the college entrance examination this year? And did you get a score of 1598? :)¡¯
They had also added a smiley face at the end.
Their reply was overflowing with counter-mockery!
As soon as they replied, all of Club JQ went into an uproar!
The member who had mocked Cheryl in hisment widened his eyes, somewhat confused. "What is Harvard University talking about? Why would I take the college entrance examinations this year? A score of 1598? Are they trying to be funny or what?"
But as soon as he spoke, he saw the looks in his teammates¡¯ eyes change.
After the momentary surprise, the guy finally understood something. "N-no way? You must be kidding, right?"
Likewise, all theizens also went into an uproar.
Everyone pressed Harvard University for more details.
¡¯A score of 1598? You mean to say that Cheryl Smith achieved a score of 1598 in the college entrance examinations?¡¯
¡¯What the actual f*ck? Am I dreaming? On top of the guy who got a perfect score five years ago, a new mutant has emerged now?¡¯
¡¯No wonder she said that she¡¯s trying to decide between the two schools! With those results, she must be the top scorer this year. It¡¯s obvious that she can decide freely between the two schools! She can even take her pick from among all the majors avable!¡¯
The news didn¡¯t just excite theizens. The fans of Club HS, who hadn¡¯t dared to say anything just now, instantly became ted.
One by one, they swarmed into Club JQ¡¯s Facebook page and attacked them furiously.
¡¯Hmm, didn¡¯t someone just say that they wanted Harvard University to recruit them via special admissions? How shameless. Did he be full of himself just because he is a professional e-sports yer? Or does he think the whole world has to pander to him or what?¡¯
¡¯Wanna hear a joke? Jimy has the highest academic qualifications among the female professional e-sports yers.¡¯
¡¯Oh my, I¡¯m sorry but the two yers with the highest academic qualifications are both in our favorite, Club HS now. As for who they are, I¡¯m sure that nobody needs further boration about Zac, while the other is the cutie Cheryl!¡¯
...
...
Upon seeing the sarcasticments, an awful look came over Jimy¡¯s countenance.
She bit her lip.
Her teammates were also incensed. "What¡¯s the big deal about having better grades? What are they being so cocky for?"
However, someone said sheepishly, "Weren¡¯t we the ones who started this...?"
Everyone: "?"
Was this fellow unable to read the room or what?!
However! They weren¡¯t going to take it lying down just like that.
Jimy thought for a while and then smiled and said, "Aren¡¯t we e-sports professionals? Is that star student here to just fool around or something?"
The rest instantly understood what she meant.
"Exactly. We¡¯re e-sports professionals. What¡¯s the use of having good grades? Thepetition is about our gaming abilities... Who exactly is Cheryl Smith? Club HS¡¯ recruitment of her is rather surprising. What ss is a girl like her going to be? Support ss?"
"She¡¯s a support ss for sure. Have you forgotten that the person currently ying as support in their team was initially a gunner? It¡¯s not like girls can be gunners anyway, right?"
"Well, she won¡¯t be a threat if she¡¯s just a support ss, then! Jimy is the top support ss yer in the local server! There¡¯s no way she can outss Jimy when ites to being a support!"
While they were dissing Cheryl, the member whom Harvard University had mocked just now couldn¡¯t stop himself from posting a newment:
¡¯Whoops, sorry about that, it was just a joke. I didn¡¯t expect Ms. Smith¡¯s score to be so good. But since she has spent all her time studying, I wonder how good she is at gaming?¡¯
With just one sentence, he had mocked Cheryl again.
Even Jimy couldn¡¯t resist joining in and posting ament this time.
Jimy: ¡¯Nice to meet you. You must also be a support ss like me, right? See you in-game. @Cherry HS]
Immediately after she posted thement, Club JQ fans seemingly found a direction to go in again, and they tried to reverse online public opinion by saying things like how e-sports were ultimately still all about games and so on...
In Club HS.
"Don¡¯t bother looking at it anymore. They are just a whole bunch of keyboard warriors who can¡¯t stop ming others the moment they find even the most trifling thing to nitpick about. Our fans are no pushovers, though. They have already begun to fight back."
Zac said in a bid tofort Cheryl. As the girl nodded, the corners of her lips curled into a smile and she said, "They think I¡¯m ying as support."
"Yeah."
Zac was not surprised, though.
They were not trying to look down on women in e-sports. However, biological differences were such that men¡¯s reflexes were indeed sharper than women¡¯s. This was no different from how most men were physically stronger and taller than women.
This was an undeniable fact.
However, there were also cases where women would outss men.
If anything, after partnering with Cheryl for the past half a month, Zac had already be fully convinced of her capabilities and didn¡¯t dare doubt her prowess anymore. He smiled and said, "Let them say whatever they want for now. When it¡¯s time for the actualpetition, you will be a real eye-opener for them, as well as a big surprise for our fans."
Though the fans of Club HS supported the club¡¯s decision, they were ultimately still apprehensive about having a female yer on the team.
Everyone was worried that Cheryl would have trouble keeping up...
Cheryl nodded. "Yeah. I¡¯m not bothered about theirments. We¡¯ll see who has thestugh once thepetition starts."
After speaking, she popped into her mouth a lollipop that she had removed the wrapper of at some point and then blinked at him.
The way she looked so sweet and cute made Zac¡¯s heart flutter.
But immediately after, he couldn¡¯t help but be horrified at himself. She was only 15 years old! She was still a kid!
He coughed and turned around, whereupon he saw his teammates utterly stunned.
The head coach was also bewildered.
Everyone in the PR department stared nkly at the battle of words on Facebook.
How did they win the public opinion battle when they hadn¡¯t even done anything yet?
Among them, Lionel was the first to break the silence. He said, "Um, hey, Cheryl. What does Harvard University mean by this? I know you took part in the college entrance examinations this year, but what does this part about having a score of 1598 mean? What am I failing to understand here?"
"..."
Zac couldn¡¯t make himself look on.
Here he was thinking that Lionel had finally smartened up for once, but as it turned out, he was just utterly bewildered!
The corners of his lips spasmed and he said, "Cheryl scored 1598 points in the college entrance examinations."
While the others hadn¡¯t recovered from the shock, Zac said to Cheryl, "You can head upstairs and rest first."
"Okay."
With the lollipop in her mouth, Cheryl went upstairs. Along the way, text message notifications from a group chat popped up on her cell phone.
Alexander: ¡¯I bet you had candy, right? Don¡¯t forget to brush your teeth before you go to bed.¡¯
Peter: ¡¯Peace has returned to the Inte. I¡¯ll be there when yourpetition starts.¡¯
Cheryl smiled at the messages, but right after she did, she saw a message from Justin that surprised her.
Justin: ¡¯Move out tomorrow, you hear?¡¯
Cheryl: "!"
The corners of her lips spasmed.
However, even she understood that her presence was inconveniencing all the upants of the vi.
For example, the morning after she moved into the vi, when she exited her room in her pajamas after she woke up, she had bumped into a shirtless Lionel having breakfast in his floral-patterned boxers.
Lionel had been caughtpletely off guard at that time. Then, he let out a piercing shriek and ran into his room.
As for herself, she also realized that it wasn¡¯t appropriate for her to be walking around in her pajamas, either, so she had returned to her room and changed into another set of clothes...
Besides, the vi she was supposed to move into was right beside this one, so it wasn¡¯t like it was inconvenient for her to report for duty, either!
Cheryl wanted to head back down to inform her teammates that she was moving out, but the moment she turned around, she heard her teammates¡¯ exmations.
"Oh my god, God C scored 1598 in the college entrance examinations?"
"Is she really human?!"
"What the f*ck? How can someone be so good in their studies, yet also be crazy good at games?!"
"..."
After a moment¡¯s thought, Cheryl decided that she would tell them about it the next morning instead.
¡ª
The following morning.
"Pfft!" Lionel choked and spat out his mouthful of bread when Cheryl mentioned that she was moving out. "God C, are you going back to heaven?"
Cheryl: "?"
What on earth was he talking about?!
The corners of her lips spasmed and she replied, "I¡¯m just moving out. My dad said that he¡¯s worried about me because it¡¯s not appropriate for me to stay here with you guys. Plus, he has a house nearby, so..."
Only then did Lionel breathe a sigh of relief.
Everyone tried to reassure her that everything was fine and that they didn¡¯t feel inconvenienced.
Zac was the only one whose eyes dimmed a little.
He thought of how the girl had exited her room with a nk look on her face in the morning, and how adorable she had looked half-asleep. But the next moment, he thought of how Lionel and the rest often made dirty jokes...
He coughed and said, "You can move out if you want, but is the house good enough?"
Lionel immediately nodded. "Yeah. Look at all the fabulous benefits you get when you live here. Your room here is also a spacious one. Your dad¡¯s property is probably an apartment, right? Or a two-bedroom house? In any case, it won¡¯t be any better than this big vi, so why bother moving out..."
Just as Cheryl was about to exin, Zac smacked Lionel on the head and said, "Shut up and eat. Why are you talking so much?"
Lionel curled his lips disdainfully. A short pauseter, though, he said, "Fine, I suppose. We¡¯ll help you with the moveter, God C."
Then, he sent a message to the team group chat.
¡¯When we help God C move out, no one is allowed to mock her for having a small house, you hear? We must be considerate toward her self-esteem!!¡¯
After he sent the message, all the other teammates responded affirmatively.
After breakfast, Cheryl headed upstairs to pack her luggage.
Lionel hurriedly took the suitcase from her and then lugged it out the door. Then, he asked, "Where are you moving to, God C? How long will it take to drive there?"
The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and
continue reading tomorrow, everyone!
Chapter 1027: ... Well, Her Family is Worth At Least $1.5 Million
Chapter 1027: ¡ Well, Her Family is Worth At Least $1.5 Million
Drive?
Cheryl kept quiet for a while.
This upscale neighborhood was rtively quiet, so there was indeed quite a distance between each vi, and traveling to another vi by foot would take at least ten minutes.
However, it took only three to five minutes by car.
In that case, they would just drive, then.
But before Cheryl could answer that it would take only a few minutes, Lionel had loaded the suitcase into the trunk and slipped into the driver¡¯s seat.
This was a seven-seater multi-purpose vehicle. When Lionel sat in the driver¡¯s seat, the rest got into the car immediately. One sat in the passenger seat in the front while others sat in the back, leaving the two seats in the middle to Cheryl and Zac.
After the two got in, Lionel asked, ¡°Where are we going? I¡¯ll set up the GPS.¡±
¡°We don¡¯t need the GPS.¡±
Cheryl said, ¡°Just drive forward.¡±
¡°Huh? Oh, okay.¡±
Lionel started the car obediently and left Vi No. 8. Just as he was about to turn to the gate, Cheryl said, ¡°Turn left.¡±
He subconsciously turned left as instructed, but after he did, he said in confusion, ¡°You¡¯re pointing me in the wrong direction, God C. The exit is to the north while the entrance is to the south¡ Never mind, I¡¯ll just circle back here.¡±
After Lionel spoke, a teammate nicknamed Chonk, who yed as a support ss, asked, ¡°How big is the house, God C? Is it bigger or smaller than your room in the vi?¡±
Chonk¡¯s question arose purely out of curiosity. The room in question was referring to Cheryl¡¯s suite in the vi.
However, Cheryl, who had automatically overlooked the word ¡°room¡±, thought that he wasparing vi to vi, so she naturally replied, ¡°They are the same size!¡±
Her voice was simply too cute.
Chonk, who was entranced by her voice, subconsciously voiced his true thoughts and replied, ¡°Isn¡¯t that really small?¡±
All the members, no matter their financial status in the past, had made a lot of money during their few years of being professional gamers.
Lionel raked in about $1.5 million per year from prize money frompetitions, various product endorsements, live-stream appearances, and more. After a few years as professional e-sports yers, all of them had umted substantial wealth that allowed them to purchase property, cars, and more¡
Therefore, Chonk found even a house about 500 square feet small these days. After all, he had bought a big vi for his parents back in his hometown! Even the penniless Lionel had bought a 2000-square-feet house in San Francisco!
They weren¡¯t looking down on Cheryl; rather, they truly found the house small.
However, Chonk quickly came back to his senses and patted Cheryl on the shoulder. He said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not a big deal. If you work hard in the club, you will be able to afford a big house within two years!¡±
As one of the only two female professional e-sports yers in the league, Cheryl must have an even higher endorsement fee than them.
Lionel also nodded. ¡°Yeah, ignore Chonk. It¡¯s already fortunate that you can afford to live in a 1000-square-feet house. Back then, I was so poor that we had to sell almost everything we had just to cover my travel expenses to the club. Later, when the boss found out about this, he quickly sent some money to my family. Otherwise, my parents would have fainted from hunger¡ Even though I was poor back then, it doesn¡¯t matter anymore. Look at me now! I have already escaped poverty!¡±
Lionel was afraid that they had upset Cheryl.
That was why he was bringing up his embarrassing past.
Chonk immediately followed up and added, ¡°Yes, yes, I can still remember how Lionel looked when he arrived! All the clothes he was wearing were patched and mended! When he took off his shorts at night, even his underwear was full of holes¡¡±
¡°Piss off! Watch what you say! Why are you telling dirty jokes?!¡±
Lionel was furious.
However, it was mainly because such details were simply too embarrassing. How could he tell the pretty girl something like that?
In the backseat, Benjamin, a reticent topner, couldn¡¯t help but nod when he heard Lionel. He frequently cleared obstacles in the topne alone in the game and was a rather reserved guy by nature. In all the time that Cheryl had been here, she had never heard him say much.
If he could just grunt in response, he would never choose to utter an ¡°okay¡±.
If he could express what he wanted to say in just two words, he would never utter a third.
Now, though, he actually spoke up for once. ¡°Everybody starts somewhere. You guys don¡¯t have to overthink this, though. Cheryl¡¯s family is definitely not a poor one.¡±
Would a poor family be able to raise someone as spoiled as Cheryl?
Benjamin had always been one to observe others quietly.
Lionel and Chonk might not have noticed anything, but Benjamin had long since discovered that God C was actually very spoiled.
During meals, she would never take a second bite of food that tasted even a little overcooked.
And when she ate apples, she would only eat them if they were peeled and cut into small pieces, or she¡¯d rather just not have any¡ When she first came to the vi, he had thought that Cheryl didn¡¯t like fruits.
It wasn¡¯t until one night when they ordered a fruit tter takeout that he found her munching away like a little hamster. In addition, she only ate the fresh fruits. For example, she didn¡¯t touch the watermelon, which seemed like it had been left out all afternoon.
Later, when Benjamin quietly cut a few apples into small pieces and ced them on the dining table, sure enough, Cheryl dug into them immediately after dinner¡ She was undeniably a pampered little princess!
Or at the very least, her family doted on her very much.
Benjamin had then thought deeper into it and arrived at the conclusion that Cheryl muste from a rich family.
After all, for them to be able to afford a 1000-square-feet house in San Francisco, they were undoubtedly no ordinary people, alright?!
After all, real estate rates in San Francisco were sky-high¡ The houses nearby cost about $150 per square foot¡ Yup, her family was definitely worth at least $1.5 million!
Lionel echoed him. ¡°Yeah, Benjamin is right! Everyone starts somewhere!¡±
Just as he was about to continue, Cheryl said, ¡°We¡¯re here. You can stop here.¡±
Chapter 1028: God C is a Rich Second-Generation Heir!!!
Chapter 1028: God C is a Rich Second-Generation Heir!!!
Lionel subconsciously stepped on the brakes.
But when the car stopped, he looked out to find that they hadn¡¯t left the neighborhood at all.
Confused, he asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on? There isn¡¯t any house here except for Vi No. 9¡¡±
But when he uttered that, his words trailed off in astonishment.
The rest of the team was also stunned.
Zac stared at Vi No. 9, his lips curling up into a near-imperceptible arc.
Oh my, the kiddo¡¯s family is pretty well-off, isn¡¯t it?
A vi in the neighborhood cost more than $7.5 million. On top of that, Vi No. 9 was situated by theke and was slightlyrger than Vi No. 8, so it was worth almost $15 million!
When they first moved in, Lionel had passed by the vi on an evening run once and remarked enviously, ¡°I wonder who the owner of Vi No. 9 is. The scenery here is even better than ours, and it also seems a bit bigger. Damn the rich, why do they get to enjoy life so much?¡±
But now!
He seemed to have found out who the owners of this vi were.
Zac coughed.
Lionel also swallowed and asked incredulously, ¡°G-God C, sure¡ surely you don¡¯t mean to say that Vi No. 9 is the ¡®house¡¯ you were referring to, right?¡±
Cheryl nodded. ¡°Yup!¡±
¡°Yup¡±¡
Lionel felt like crying. Come on, no acting cute in the club, alright?! Who would have thought that an adorable girl like her would turn out to be a little money bag in disguise?!
He was this close to shedding tears of envy. He said, ¡°A-are you living here alone, God C? How lonely would it be if you don¡¯t have anyone cooking for you, right? Do you want us toe over and apany you¡?¡±
As soon as he spoke, though, the door to the vi opened and a full-time butler stepped out. Dressed in a suit, he looked at the car with a smile and quickly walked over. He made Zac step aside and then opened the door for Cheryl.
Only then did Cheryl get out of the car.
¡°Ms. Cheryl, the vi is ready. This way, please.¡±
M¡ Ms. Cheryl?!
What the heck was this?
Also, the butler looked awfully professional!
The group was stunned.
They had met rich people¡ªfor example, Zac¡ªbefore¡ Lionel and the others had even visited his home. Only manors like the Stannards¡¯ home would need a butler,e on!
So, was God C¡¯s family as rich as Zac¡¯s?!
Zac was also taken aback¡ªbecause he recognized the butler.
The housekeeping industry had a ranking of its own, and this particr butler ranked among the top five in the United States. A few years ago, his family had contacted him with the intention to hire him.
Hoover, the butler, had told them that he was already employed by someone else.
Little did he think that it would turn out to be Cheryl¡¯s family!
Just who¡ exactly was her family?
Even Zac, who was exposed to the wealthy and dignitaries, felt a little lost now.
Smith¡
Was Cheryl part of the Smiths from New York?!
But as far as he knew, the Smiths only had one fifteen-year-old girl in the family, and she was currently in her second year of high school. The girl was said to be shy and gentle, and was also renowned for her beauty¡
Of course, Cheryl was also a beauty, but she was no ¡°shy and gentle¡± girl!
While Zac¡¯s imagination was running wild, the butler picked up Cheryl¡¯s suitcase and politely invited Lionel and the others into the vi.
The housekeeper was currently upied in the kitchen, which was wafting an aromatic smell of something cooking.
Lionel swallowed hard. ¡°God C, I¡¯m so envious that my tears are flowing out from the corners of my mouth. Why does your housekeeper¡¯s cooking smell so good?¡±
¡°¡ Wanna stay for lunch, then?¡± asked Cheryl.
¡°No problem!¡±
Lionel walked straight to the dining hall and seated himself at the dining table.
Zac and Benjamin looked around at the interior decor. It was obvious that the decor here was cozier than in the club, and all the little details exhibited low-key luxury.
After the meal, Lionel couldn¡¯t help but secretly look at Cheryl and ask, ¡°Hey, God C. Um, I kinda wanna ask you something, but I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s okay to?¡±
¡°¡ Go ahead,¡± replied Cheryl.
Lionel coughed and asked, ¡°What business is your family in, God C?¡±
Cheryl thought for a while. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m not sure myself.¡±
The Hunts had businesses in arge number of industries, while her grandaunt was involved with mysterious matters overseas. On top of that, her mom was also an enigmatic one who disappeared for a couple of days or so every month for some inexplicable reason.
In the entire family, her brother, Peter, was the only normal one who went through his education systematically. She had heard that their father intended to hand over the Hunt Corporation to him this year.
Her other brother, Alexander, was also an unfathomable one. Nobody knew what their father was doing with him every day, and she had heard that he was nning to have him inherit something to do with ¡°King¡± and whatnot¡
In any case, Cheryl wasn¡¯t bothered about these things. All she knew was that she was the weakest in the family and that she was so rich that she would never run out of money her whole life!
However, Cheryl¡¯s teammates misunderstood and thought that she was reluctant to reveal anything to outsiders because of her desire to remain low-key, so they didn¡¯t probe further.
After lunch, everyone drove back to Vi No. 8 for afternoon training.
After the training session, Cheryl refused the butler¡¯s offer to pick her up, instead insisting on walking home by herself.
The vi was only a ten-minute walk or three-minute drive away. She would just take the walk as exercise!
Zac suddenly stood up and said, ¡°I¡¯m going out for an evening run, so I can walk you back home along the way.¡±
Cheryl, who didn¡¯t think much about it, nodded.
Before they went out, Cheryl, who suddenly thought of something, said, ¡°By the way, I have to take two days off starting tomorrow.¡±
The head coach happened to exit the room at this point. Upon hearing this, he asked, ¡°What for?¡±
¡°Mm, shooting practice.¡±
Don¡¯t forget that Cheryl had another identity¡ªa shooting athlete!
Although she had enrolled in Harvard via the college entrance examination, she had never given up on shooting as a sport.
The coach was confused. ¡°What?¡±
Zac exined on her behalf and said, ¡°Cheryl is a shooting athlete.¡±
¡°¡ Uh-huh, and then?¡±
Cheryl said, ¡°I promised the national team that I would train with them for at least two days a month.¡±
The coach: ¡°??¡±
The rest of the club seeing her out the door: ¡°?¡±
Cheryl, who had mistaken their reaction as disapproval, exined, ¡°I only need to go for shooting practice two days a month so that they wouldn¡¯t bother me. Don¡¯t worry, my focus is on the game!¡±
Gaming wasn¡¯t a one-man show but a team effort.
Therefore, Cheryl indeed had to spend more time training team coordination with them.
Lionel, who had pretty much be numb to further revtions, said jokingly, ¡°Um, considering that you got a score of 1598 in the college entrance examinations, be it games or shooting, isn¡¯t either too much of a waste? Why don¡¯t you do scientific research instead?¡±
Celebrities and game clubs were lucrative businesses, but being a scientist was obviously a more respected profession!
Cheryl thought for a moment and then replied, ¡°That¡¯s an option.¡±
Everyone: ¡°¡¡±
¡°I¡¯m kidding, I¡¯m kidding¡¡± After speaking, Lionel, who wanted to improve his rtionship with Ms. Rich Heir God C, patted his chest and said, ¡°For the sake of ying for our club, you have decided to patronize the national shooting team and just train with them a couple of days each month¡ But don¡¯t worry! You may not be able to take the championship in shooting, but we will make it up to you with the gamepetition! We are very confident of taking the championship this year!¡±
Cheryl: ¡°?¡±
Who said she couldn¡¯t take the championship in shooting?
She blinked a couple of times and thought of exining, but when she saw how moved everyone looked, as though she had given up shooting for the game¡ she couldn¡¯t be bothered to say anything.
She put on her shoes and went out.
Zac followed behind her.
As soon as the two of them exited, they saw a car at the door. A middle-ageddy dressed opulently then got out and walked straight to the two of them.
The woman frowned at the pair in front of her and then said to Zac, ¡°Why is there a girl in the club? Is she the girlfriend you mentioned?¡±
Zac: ¡°?¡±
Some time ago, his family had wanted to set him up on a blind date.
However, he couldn¡¯t be bothered to go, so he made up an excuse and said that he already had a girlfriend.
It seemed like his mother had misunderstood, though.
He was about to exin when the woman said, ¡°Zac, you¡¯d better be rational about this! I¡¯ve already given my permission for you to be a professional e-sports yer under the condition that you would only y until you are 25, whereupon you will retire and return to inherit the family business! But I will never agree to you dating just any random woman!¡±
After saying that, the middle-aged woman¡¯s eyes reddened and she said, ¡°Your father has brought his illegitimate son home, and I heard that he is even nning to set him up on a blind date with the youngdy of the Smiths in New York. If he really marries Ms. Smith, you¡¯ll be finished! You won¡¯t be able to inherit the family business anymore!! If he wins the Smiths over, unless you marry the mysterious youngdy of the Hunts, you really won¡¯t have any hope of inheriting thepany anymore! Are you trying to drive me to my grave?!¡±
As she spoke, she took out a handkerchief and started to dab at her eyes. ¡°Never mind that he¡¯s fooling around outside, but he¡¯s even brought his illegitimate son home now. Is he so confident that we won¡¯t fight back? Zac, you heartless boy. I suffered so much all these years, yet you don¡¯t care about how I feel at all¡ I have given you everything you wanted all your life¡ How can you treat me as heartlessly as your father? Are you going to let that homewrecker step all over me in the future, too?¡±
Zac heaved a helpless sigh and said, ¡°Mom, stop that act of yours. She is not my girlfriend but a new member of the club.¡±
After a moment, the stunned woman stopped crying and then smiled awkwardly at Cheryl. ¡°Oh, is that so? You should have told me earlier. I ended up crying for nothing¡¡±
Zac: ¡°¡¡±
Cheryl: ¡°¡¡±
Cheryl was thinking about what the woman had said just now, though. Did she say that the Stannards¡¯ illegitimate son was nning to befriend Mia?
She tilted her head and took out her cell phone to inform Mia of the news.
But after a moment¡¯s thought, she decided not to. Mia was currently in her second year of high school, which was a critical moment for her studies. It would be better if she didn¡¯t bother Mia with such news.
Thus, Cheryl sent the message to Peter instead. She wrote: ¡®Hey Peter, the Stannards in San Francisco are nning a political marriage with Mia.¡¯
After sending the message, she looked back up to see the middle-ageddy pulling Zac¡¯s ear as she said, ¡°Listen up now. I didn¡¯t let you do whatever you want so that you don¡¯t fight for what¡¯s yours. That boy is only 18 years old now; you¡¯re a whole three years older than him! You can y games if that¡¯s what you want, but you must take back the family¡¯s assets! It¡¯ll be so embarrassing if I end up being kicked out of the family after putting up so much with the Stannards!¡±
An extremely helpless Zac replied, ¡°¡ Okay, okay.¡±
¡°Try to find the youngdy of the Hunts and see if you can seduce her!¡±
Zac: ¡°!!¡±
Cheryl: ¡°????¡±
The youngdy of the Hunts¡ Was she talking about her?!
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continue reading tomorrow, everyone!
Chapter 1029: The Boss is Here!
Chapter 1029: The Boss is Here!
Surprisingly enough, Cheryl ended up listening to gossip about herself in the end!
She grinned and said, ¡°Um, I¡¯ll go first.¡±
¡°¡ Okay,¡± Zac replied.
Even after walking a distance away, Cheryl could still hear Mrs. Stannard nagging at Zac. ¡°Young man, you are already in your twenties. It¡¯s about time you find a girlfriend. It can¡¯t possibly be that you¡¯ve never had a girlfriend before because you¡¯re into men instead, right?¡±
Cheryl: ¡°??¡±
Did she just hear something she shouldn¡¯t have?
She quickly sped up, lest she ended up being silenced by the captain.
Well, just kidding.
He wouldn¡¯t actually kill her, of course. However, if he made her life difficult in the future, things would certainly be very troublesome.
As her mom said, one must always cut off any potential source of trouble!
It was only after Zac watched the kid speed up and escape that he finally came back to his senses. ¡°Huh? What did you just say?¡±
Mrs. Stannard: ¡°???¡±
¡ª
Cheryl had a good night¡¯s sleep that evening.
When she woke up the next day, the butler drove her to a nearby helicopter base, where she returned to New York for training via helicopter.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
All five shots hit the bullseye in session.
Satisfied, Cheryl lowered the gun. Her coach then came over. ¡°Good, it seems that you haven¡¯t been cking.¡±
But after saying that, he couldn¡¯t help but start nagging at her. ¡°Cheryl, you carry the national team¡¯s hope of victory. We are counting on you for our gold medal this year. Can¡¯t you join that game clubter? What¡¯s so good about games anyway? Can it win you anything? You should stay here to continue training instead. You¡¡±
Cheryl couldn¡¯t help but interrupt. ¡°Coach, what am I even supposed to work on if I stay here to train?¡±
The coach suddenly found himself at a loss for words.
Ever since Cheryl joined the national team, she had consistently hit the bullseye every time. It was indeed true that there was nothing she could improve anymore!
After all, how would he know that Justin was the one who had taught Cheryl her shooting skills?
However, she was not allowed to skip her monthly training. This was the furthest the coach would relent.
Cheryl had agreed to it as well.
After all, she did have to practice a bit every month to prevent her skills from bing rusty.
It was currently June. Once the Olympics rolled about in August, she would bepeting for Team America!
When she thought of how neither of her brothers was involved in such activities, Cheryl couldn¡¯t help but smile.
After a whole afternoon of training, she finally found her groove.
Then, she went straight home in the evening.
As soon as she stepped through the door, she spotted Justin sitting on the sofa and staring at the door. At the sight of her, the man got up. In a low but gentle and cheerful voice, he said, ¡°You¡¯re back.¡±
¡°Uh-huh!¡± Cheryl skipped over and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Mom, Dad?¡±
Justin replied, ¡°Why are you looking for your mom the moment you return¡? She¡¯s already asleep.¡±
¡ I knew it! Cheryl thought.
Her mother¡¯s terrible habit of excessive sleeping still hadn¡¯t changed, despite so many years going by. She fell asleep all the time without any warning.
This was due to her mother¡¯s physical constitution, though.
She was about to go upstairs when Justin said, ¡°The kitchen has prepared your favorite chicken soup. New clothes and dresses from the current season have also been brought upstairs.¡±
After speaking, he looked at Cheryl disdainfully and said, ¡°Girls should dress up more!¡±
Cheryl: ¡°¡¡±
Since she was a child, it was actually her father who had dressed her like a little princess all along.
She had indeed loved princess dresses when she was a child, but now¡ She wore whatever she found convenient, of course.
On the other hand, though, her father didn¡¯t have simr expectations of her mother. Even if her mother wore a sack, he would stillpliment her in it, even if he didn¡¯t really mean it. Yet he now had so many expectations when it came to her?
She pouted and said, ¡°Alright, alright!¡±
Then, she went upstairs.
Before she entered her room, she nced behind at her father to find that he had quietly walked over to the master bedroom. He opened the door gently and then tiptoed in.
Despite so many years going by, Justin didn¡¯t show any signs of aging at all, and even Nora could pass off as her sister when they stood next to each other.
It was as though they weren¡¯t affected by the passage of time at all.
Cheryl shook her head and entered her room.
The home was the mostfortable after all. When she woke up the next day, she went to visit Mia.
Mia looked as gentle as ever. She was clearly younger than Cheryl, yet her thoughtfulness made her seem as though she was the older one instead.
The two had lunch together. In the afternoon, Cheryl went to the training ground for practice again. Then, in the evening, she took the helicopter back to San Francisco.
The next day, she went back to the club and started training with everyone again.
In the blink of an eye, another week had passed.
One day, everyone in the club sobered up. Even Zac looked serious and on guard.
A curious Cheryl asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±
While no one was looking, Lionel secretly replied, ¡°The boss ising over tonight!¡±
Cheryl: ¡°?¡±
The boss? Uncle Chester?
While she was thinking, Lionel grumbled, ¡°The boss loves ying games, but he¡¯s unfortunately not very good at it. Even so, every time hees over, he makes us y with him. He¡¯s terrible at it, but he just loves ying it so much! He also has a bad temper. He disses us every time he loses¡ He has a real knack for insults, too. Do you know what he said when we asked him where he learned to diss others like that?¡±
An earnest and well-behaved Cheryl asked, ¡°What did he say?¡±
Lionel answered, ¡°He said that he learned it from his team leader and that he has already been showing us mercy!¡±
¡°¡¡±
The corners of Cheryl¡¯s lips spasmed, and she thought back to how vicious she had been in the past.
However, she had tried to restrain her temper a little the past month. Besides, she only threw insults at others because they were dumb, but her teammates were some of the best yers in the game.
They cooperated well with one another in-game. Come to think of it, she hadn¡¯t sted anyone at all this month¡ªbecause they had won all the matches!
Cheryl coughed.
Lionel went on. ¡°Also, you know what, the boss¡¯ background is no joke!¡±
¡°What?¡±
Cheryl was surprised.
Did Uncle Chesty have other identities that she was unaware of? Did he have secret identities too?!
While she was wondering, Lionel said, ¡°He is a part of the Hunts in New York!¡±
Cheryl: ¡°????¡±
¡°Uh-huh? What about it?¡±
¡°What do you mean ¡®what about it¡¯? The Hunts in New York! We¡¯re talking about the wealthiest family in America! Even the Smiths are a tad less powerful than them. This is why the boss is so bad-tempered. The sight of him scares us! When he gets here, you¡¯d better not rush up to him in front¡¡±
God C was the club¡¯s favorite person.
Lionel wouldn¡¯t want her to be scolded by the boss, of course!
Every time the boss came over, he would always scold all of them at least a little. Even Captain Zac wasn¡¯t spared. On top of that, he always scolded him for the same things.
¡°Can¡¯t you smile?¡±
¡°How are you going to lead the team when you talk so little? This is so worrying!¡±
When he thought of this, Lionel couldn¡¯t help but look at Cheryl.
Would the boss take pity on a cute little girl like her?
While he was thinking about it, he heard a voiceing from the door. ¡°Boss is here!¡±
Then, a beaming Chester walked in.
As soon as he entered, his eyes locked onto Cheryl and he eximed, ¡°Leader!¡±
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Chapter 1030: What Is Their Relationship?
Chapter 1030: What Is Their Rtionship?
There wasplete silence in the club.
Everyone turned to look at Cheryl incredulously.
Then, they looked back at their boss who was always scolding them.
Chester was 30 years old this year. His wife had just given birth to their son recently, so he didn¡¯t have as much time as before to visit the club these days. Cheryl had already met the adorable and pretty baby boy before.
Chester, who had been so busy taking care of his son and rted matters, could finally rx now. He said, ¡°Hey, leader! Let¡¯s y a round together!¡±
However, the heartless Cheryl replied, ¡°¡ I don¡¯t feel like ying with you.¡±
¡°Why?¡±
¡°You¡¯re horrible at it.¡±
¡°¡¡±
When Cheryl¡¯s teammates heard her blunt reply, none of them dared to even utter a word.
Zac looked at the two of them thoughtfully.
As for Lionel, he widened his eyes and nced at Cheryl worriedly.
Although he had been astonished by Chester calling God C ¡°leader¡± just now, Chester was ultimately still their boss! God C was simply too rude!
What if their boss got mad and refused to pay her sry?!
True enough, Chester did get mad. ¡°If you don¡¯t y with me, I won¡¯t pay you your sry!¡±
He would remit Cheryl¡¯s sry to his sister-inw instead!
Cheryl nced at him. ¡°Do what you want.¡±
Didn¡¯t he know that money was thest thing shecked at the moment?!
Chester: ¡°¡¡±
Chester was obviously at a disadvantage in the conversation, yet nobody could tell for some reason, and they even thought that Cheryl had thoroughly enraged Chester.
A smiling Lionel immediately said, ¡°We¡¯ll y with you, instead, Boss¡!¡±
He took a step forward and stood between Cheryl and Chester, shielding her behind him.
After spending more than 20 days together, Lionel had already started to be protective of her.
Cheryl was now the club¡¯s favorite person¡
An aggrieved Chester whined, ¡°I¡¯ve been having such a hard timetely because I have to take care of my kid. Can¡¯t you agree to my request when I finally have a day off today?¡±
¡°¡¡±
At the sight of his pitiful expression, the helpless Cheryl could only reply, ¡°Fine, just one round, okay?¡±
¡°Five!¡±
¡°One.¡±
¡°Three!¡±
In the end, Cheryl heaved a quiet sigh and relented. ¡°Two rounds.¡±
¡°You¡¯re on!¡±
Chester immediately grabbed Lionel¡¯sputer and mouse and logged into his ount. ¡°Come on, hurry up and log in!¡±
Chester liked ying as a mage, so every time he came, Lionel would have to sit out and let him y instead.
He was more than happy to do so, too.
After all, their boss was not only horrible at the game, but also had an awful temper. Whoever yed with him would end up having to suffer.
Lionel stood at the side and waited. However, after the game started, he found that their boss was actually ying calmly and wasn¡¯t losing his temper¡
In the past, whenever Zac fought in the jungle, he always had to go to the middlene to help him fight the minions there before quickly leaving because he mustn¡¯t steal the experience points. However, when the battle started, Zac promptly went to the bottomne after just a moment¡¯s hesitation.
Sure enough, Chester only nced at him as though he wanted to say something, but held back in the end.
After a while¡
¡°Ahh, I died again! Leader, why didn¡¯t youe and save me?¡±
¡°Save you? Chesty, please look at whether you¡¯re worth it. Is there any point in saving you? Even an advanced cannon does more damage than you!¡±
Lionel: ¡°!!!!¡±
¡°Leader, someone assassinated me again. I¡¯m weak only because I gave you all the coins we earned, so you¡¯re not allowed tough at me.¡±
¡°Ha, I¡¯d rather give all the coins the team earned to a wild boar instead of you. At least the wild boar knows that it should counterattack the enemy, but what about you? You were knocked out in one hit before you could even cast any of the mage¡¯s skills¡ You should learn how to move first!¡±
Lionel: ¡°!!!!!¡±
Although it felt great to see their boss, who was always scolding them, suffer a setback for once, was it really alright for God C to diss him like that?
Also!
God C was so scary!
She didn¡¯t even need to use swear words when she insulted someone!
No wonder their boss always said that his prowess at dishing out insults couldn¡¯tpare to even half of his leader¡¯s¡
Lionel swallowed.
At the end of the round, even though Cheryl and Zac led their teammates to victory, the game didn¡¯t bring Chester any joy at all. He looked at Cheryl aggrievedly. ¡°Hey, leader¡¡±
¡°Be a good boy and go back to the baby. This game doesn¡¯t suit you.¡±
¡°¡¡±
In the end, she still yed another round with her poor uncle. Although he still got scolded, Chester felt totally refreshed this time. After the game, he got ready to leave.
When he was leaving, all the members of the club went to see him off.
Cheryl also followed them out the door.
Chester looked at everyone except for Cheryl and said threateningly, ¡°You guys better treat my leader well, you hear? Or all of you will be in for it!¡±
Everyone: ¡°¡¡±
After speaking, Chester looked at Cheryl cheerfully and then suddenly leaned in close to her. He lowered his voice and said, ¡°By the way, Justin wants me to remind you that it¡¯s Nora¡¯s birthday this month.¡±
¡°Got it.¡±
Cheryl sighed silently.
Her dad celebrated her mom¡¯s birthday grandly every year. Her mom clearly didn¡¯t like it, but her dad insisted that life was about having a sense of ceremony, so she was also forced to prepare birthday gifts for her mom every year.
Sigh, how troublesome.
After the exchange, Chester left in the car.
He had moved to San Francisco for good. Not only was he near the club, but he could also escape the Hunts¡¯ control. Life couldn¡¯t get any better.
After he left, the way Lionel and the others looked at Cheryl changed.
Zac was even convinced that Cheryl must be rted to the Smiths in New York. Otherwise, a Hunt would never put up with her temper.
But soon, he didn¡¯t have the time or leisure to think about Cheryl¡¯s identity because¡!
Something had happened to their club again!
It was also about Cheryl this time¡
The next morning, social media went into an uproar.
Someone had taken photos of Chester leaving the club the previous night, and the person who had posted the photos even maliciously edited the photos before posting them online. Everyone was now secretly saying that Cheryl had only wormed her way into the club by relying on her feminine wiles.
They even called Cheryl a homewrecker. After all, most people knew that Chester was married.
The head coach was furious.
Lionel was puzzled. ¡°We all know this isn¡¯t true. Besides, it¡¯s obvious that the photos are Photoshopped. What are you panicking about?¡±
The head coach red at Lionel and then said, ¡°Boss was whispering into Cheryl¡¯s ear in the photo. The two of them are too close to each other physically¡ I¡¯m afraid that Mr. Hunt¡¯s wife will see the photo. How do you think she¡¯ll look at the photo?¡±
Lionel: ¡°?¡±
The head coach sighed. ¡°If the boss¡¯ wife asks me to fire Cheryl, should I fire her or not?¡±
Lionel: ¡°!!¡±
The head coach looked at him. ¡°Also, although we all know the truth, can Cheryl guarantee that it will not affect her? She is also good friends with the boss in the game. I¡¯m afraid that this incident will affect their friendship! This may seem like a terrible move on their end, but they are going for a psychological attack!
¡°The qualifiers are about to start, and it¡¯s highly likely that we¡¯ll be matched with Club JQ right in the qualifiers. What if Cheryl bes emotionally unstable at this time and doesn¡¯t perform well in thepetition?¡±
While the head coach was worrying over this, a voice reached them from outside. ¡°Coach, this is terrible! Boss and his wife are here!¡±
The head coach: ¡°!¡±
Lionel panicked. ¡°What should we do? Thedy boss is here¡ Will she really make things difficult for God C? I¡¯ll take God C and go into hiding right away!¡±
Even Zac broke into a frown and looked worried this time.
To be honest, when their boss and that kid leaned in so close to each other that day, he had found their actions rather inappropriate. After all, men and women should keep a respectable distance from each other, and it wasn¡¯t like they were family¡
Amid their worry, Chester openly walked into the room.
Chapter 1031: Chester’s Niece?
Chapter 1031: Chester¡¯s Niece?
Everyone in the training room looked serious and on guard.
Lionel looked at Cheryl worriedly.
Cheryl looked at the door.
Like Chester, his wife was also the daughter of a rich family, the kind that mucked around and did nothing purposeful in life. She was cheerful and magnanimous. As soon as she entered, her eyes immediately fell on Cheryl and she said, "God C, I¡¯vee to visit you!"
Everyone in the club: "!!!"
As expected, thedy boss was here for God C.
However, Cheryl stood and greeted her politely. "Hi, Aunty."
Everyone: "??"
Everyone looked at Cheryl in disbelief, all of them incredulous that she had called the other woman "Aunty". Even if she was reluctant to call her "Mrs. Hunt", she should at least have used something that sounded younger!
Thedy boss wasn¡¯t even thirty yet!
"Hey, don¡¯t call me that!" Thedy boss suddenly became stern.
See? As expected, it made her angry!
Lionel immediately took a step forward with a big smile. However, just as he was about to speak, thedy boss said cheerfully, "Call me Kitty!"
Everyone: "..."
The corners of Cheryl¡¯s lips spasmed.
Both her aunt and uncle were equally undependable. The couple had often made her game with them in the past, and her aunt¡¯s nickname in the game was none other than "Kitty".
She coughed. "Why are you here?"
Everyone in the club: "!!!"
Lionel felt like Cheryl looked just like a conversation killer right now.
This was their club! Why couldn¡¯t theye over?!
Yet, for some reason, thedy boss was still smiling brightly. She said, "I saw the trending topics on social media, so I came over to visit you. Those people sure are gossipy. They are not scared to spout all kinds of nonsense... Your rtionship with Chester..."
Before she could even finish, Lionel hastily interrupted her and said, "They are gaming friends! Nothing else!"
Thedy boss: "?"
She raised her eyebrows and looked at Chester.
Chester winked at her.
When the incident broke out after he returned home the day before, his wife had insisted oning over to rify matters as she was afraid that the people in the club would misunderstand Cheryl. He had told her that it wasn¡¯t necessary¡ªafter all, he could already tell from his visit the day before that his leader was most definitely the favorite in the club¡ªbut his wife refused to believe him and simply insisted oning over...
See?
Her teammates treated her incredibly well!
Right at this moment, Cheryl¡¯s aunt¡¯s cell phone started ringing.
Her aunt could only give them an apologetic look and pick up her cell phone. But when she saw the caller¡¯s name on the screen, she raised her eyebrows.
"Who is it?" A concerned Chester nced at her phone.
"It¡¯s Jimy." His wife exined, "She yed pretty well as a support ss previously. You don¡¯t like me ying with guys, so I yed two rounds with her. We added each other on Facebook after that."
"Oh."
Even though Chester wasn¡¯t bothered, he nevertheless heaved a sigh of relief.
Cheryl¡¯s aunt picked up the phone.
The voice of Jimy, who was from Club JQ, rang out at the other end of the phone. "Hi, Mrs. Hunt. Are you okay?"
Cheryl¡¯s aunt: "??"
Baffled at the other woman¡¯s question, she replied, "I¡¯m doing pretty well!"
However, Jimy continued as though she didn¡¯t hear her. "You don¡¯t have to hold yourself back in front of me. We are friends, after all... No, wait, have you looked at Facebook yet?"
But right after saying that, Jimy acted as if she had said something she shouldn¡¯t have and said, "I¡¯m sorry, Mrs. Hunt. Mr. Hunt must have forbidden you from spending too much time on your cell phone since you just gave birth recently... I shouldn¡¯t have said so much..."
Her actions screamed hypocrisy.
Cheryl¡¯s aunt said straightforwardly, "Alright, that¡¯s enough. You must be referring to Cheryl, the female member of our club, right?"
"Oh, you¡¯re aware?" Jimy began to console her. "Cheer up!"
"But I¡¯m not upset!"
Jimy said, "I know you must be upset, so you really don¡¯t have to pretend that you¡¯re not. Anyone would be upset if their husband cheated on them when they¡¯ve just given birth to his child... Of course, I¡¯m not saying that Mr. Hunt must have cheated on you. He would never do anything like that. It must have been Cheryl who seduced him instead. Besides, she probably hasn¡¯t seeded yet..."
"What the f*ck?! What did you just say? Cheryl seduced Chester?" Cheryl¡¯s aunt¡¯s voice suddenly rose.
Everyone in the club turned to look at her.
Lionel, Zac, and Benjamin tensed up at once, afraid that the other party would sessfully sow discord between thedy boss and Cheryl.
Chonk walked over to Cheryl and whispered, "Come on, God C! Hurry up and exin everything to her!"
"What am I supposed to exin?" asked Cheryl.
Chonk: "?"
Everyone else: "?"
On the phone, Jimy was still going on. "Calm down, I¡¯m sure there¡¯s nothing between the two of them. Don¡¯t worry!"
"Of course I¡¯m not worried!" Cheryl¡¯s aunt sneered and said, "Why would anything ever happen between the two of them?"
Her words made everyone in the club heave a sigh of relief.
It seemed that thedy boss trusted God C very much. Phew...
However, the next moment, everyone¡¯s eyes widened in shock.
Thedy boss shouted angrily, "Don¡¯t you dare add fuel to the fire! Do you think I¡¯m not aware of your purpose in calling me? Do you think you can do anything you want just because you¡¯ve joined Club JQ? Who do you think you are?"
Jimy pretended to be aggrieved and said, "Mrs. Hunt, I know you must be frustrated and depressed, but you shouldn¡¯t lose your temper at me. Mr. Huntes from a very good family. Although he is not a direct descendant of the Hunts, he shares a good rtionship with the current head of the family. I know you¡¯ll definitely want to keep this matter under wraps and deal with it together with him... but you shouldn¡¯t let yourself suffer in vain! You can kick up a bit of a fuss and at least get Mr. Hunt to kick that woman out of the club..."
Cheryl¡¯s aunt interrupted her again. "What do you mean by ¡¯that woman¡¯? She¡¯s only fifteen! She¡¯s still a child! Also, who would freaking dare to kick Chester¡¯s niece out of the club??"
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Chapter 1032: See You At the Competition!
Chapter 1032: See You At the Competition!
Her words stunned the other party right away.
The club also fellpletely silent in an instant.
Lionel, who had been worrying about Cheryl, looked at her in surprise when he heard what thedy boss said. Then, he looked at Chester...
Cheryl and Peter shared identical facial features. Though they were indistinguishable from each other when they were children, now that they had grown up, it was now possible to tell one apart from the other. After all, Peter was already starting to go through a growth spurt and was now half a head taller than Cheryl. They were only fifteen years old now, so he would only grow taller in the future.
The older Peter became, the more he resembled Justin.
Cheryl¡¯s facial features were very simr to Justin¡¯s, except that they were gentler and younger. Despite her young age, she was already a stunning beauty, and it was obvious that she would be a second Brenda once she grew up.
70% of the twins¡¯ appearance took after their father¡¯s.
Therefore, if one looked closely, they would see that Cheryl and Chester did resemble each other somewhat.
Wasn¡¯t Cheryl¡¯sst name Smith, though? How could she possibly be a Hunt?
On the phone, Jimy was also stunned. "W-what did you say, Mrs. Hunt? But... but herst name is Smith!"
Cheryl¡¯s aunt sneered. "Can¡¯t she take her mother¡¯s surname?! You fool! In my opinion, you shouldn¡¯t stay in the club anymore. That ce doesn¡¯t suit you."
After saying that, she hung up.
However, she went on after hanging up and said, "What a foolish woman. Doesn¡¯t she know who she is messing with? To think she had the guts to call me... Chester, call Club JQ immediately and tell them to fire Jimy. Look at how much trouble they have caused God C all because of that woman?"
"... It¡¯s not quite appropriate of us to bully others like this, right?" asked Chester.
Cheryl¡¯s aunt sneered and asked, "Do you know what I love the most?"
"What?"
"Bullying others."
"..."
Chester had long since wanted to do this, but he didn¡¯t dare to reveal Cheryl¡¯s identity to the public.
After all, Justin had never once publicly announced anything in order to protect his three children...
If he kicked up a fuss, wouldn¡¯t he end up exposing Cheryl¡¯s identity?
But since his wife had said so, then it must be alright for him to do so.
Chester picked up his cell phone and called Club JQ immediately. "Have you had enough yet? I want you to fire jimy immediately! Otherwise, Club JQ will cease to exist."
"Why? Ha, because she called my wife and made her angry!"
After saying this, Chester hung up.
While Chester was on the phone, Cheryl¡¯s aunt was also talking to the rest of the team cheerfully. "Do you know why my niece took her mother¡¯sst name?"
By then, Lionel and the others were already numb to further shocks, and their brains were not even functioning anymore.
"Because she¡¯s hiding her identity, of course! My niece wants a quiet, peaceful life without any disturbances. Get it?"
Lionel and the others nodded.
On the side, when Zac saw this, he couldn¡¯t help but hold his forehead. The guys in the team were so shocked by Cheryl¡¯s identity that they didn¡¯t even understand what thedy boss was trying to say.
He kept quiet for a while and then said, "Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t tell anyone about it."
Only then did Lionel and the others react. They nodded hurriedly and echoed, "Yeah, we won¡¯t tell anyone!"
Lionel then asked, "But what about Jimy?"
Thedy boss smiled and replied, "Don¡¯t worry, she¡¯s a smart one. She knows that there are things she can say and things she can¡¯t."
Even though she had offended her in this industry, things weren¡¯t that bad for her. At the very least, she could continue live-streaming even after she was kicked out of the club. However, if she told outsiders that she had offended the Hunts... then she could forget about making a living in other industries, too.
Zac understood this very quickly.
Rather, it was Lionel and the others who didn¡¯t understand how such things worked in the wealthy circle. Regardless, they didn¡¯t probe any further. Thedy boss was always right anyway!
As they had a month-old infant at home, Chester and his wife didn¡¯t stay long at the club. They left shortly.
Ten minutester.
Lionel, who was scrolling through Facebook, smiled and said, "Did you see? Jimy has made a post saying that she is quitting Club JQ because gaming is ultimately not something for her."
Club JQ had also posted on Facebook and announced that they had terminated their contract with Jimy, citing ipatibility issues as the reason.
Surprisingly enough, their fans didn¡¯t show much of a reaction.
After all, few girls yed professionally in the first ce. Some clubs had tried using this as a gimmick before, but it had ultimately failed. Jimy¡¯s departure made Club JQ fans breathe sighs of relief instead.
The trending news about Cheryl and Chester had also died down without anyone realizing it. In fact, there wasn¡¯t even any news about them anywhere on Facebook. It was as if the incident had never happened.
However, in order to prevent simr incidents, they nevertheless secretly released a piece of news to the public¡ªCheryl and Chester were rtives!
As the piece of news died down before it even gained traction, few noticed it.
However, Club HS fans were a little worried.
They went to Club HS¡¯ and the members¡¯ Facebook pages and left messages.
¡¯For the sake of the championship, shouldn¡¯t we cancel Cheryl?¡¯
¡¯Club JQ has already terminated their contract with Jimy. Why don¡¯t you guys do it, too? Girls really are a bitcking when ites to e-sports.¡¯
¡¯I¡¯m not looking down on girls here; I¡¯m a girl myself. But girls¡¯ reflexes really aren¡¯t as quick as boys¡¯. Are you guys really not going to consider the suggestion?¡¯
¡¯Are you guys nning on giving up the championship this year because you¡¯ve won for so many years?¡¯
...
Members of other clubs on good terms with Club HS also at-mentioned Zac in their respective group chats. It wasmon for people to switch teams during their time as professional e-sports yers, so there wasn¡¯t much hostility between members of different clubs.
The captains of the various teams had created a group chat each.
The captains of the other teams were all trying to persuade him in their group chats.
¡¯It really is very tough to win with girls on the team.¡¯
¡¯No matter how good you are as a jungler, it won¡¯t do to have a support ss holding you back, Zac.¡¯
Everyone had, by default, assumed that Cheryl was ying as a support ss.
¡¯... Hey, quit it, guys. I heard through the grapevine that the girl is rted to their boss. I reckon she¡¯s probably the daughter of a wealthy family somewhere who¡¯s just out to have some fun. We won¡¯t hold back during thepetition, though.¡¯
¡¯Yeah, let the rich little princess know about the sinister nature of the world! Even Zac won¡¯t be able to carry her, but still bring the team victory!¡¯
E-sports gaming was a team effort. No matter how strong one¡¯s individual ability was, if the team had a weak link, it would still be tough for them to win.
However, this was also where the charm of e-sports was.
Zac looked at the group chat messages that were either showing concern or issuing challenges and then looked up at the girl currently seated in front of theputer tapping away on her pink keyboard seriously. He smiled and wrote:
¡¯I¡¯m not carrying the kid.¡¯
As soon as he sent the reply, everyone got ready tofort him. However, before they could, they saw his next message:
¡¯The kid is the one carrying the team.¡¯
¡¯See you guys at thepetition.¡¯
Everyone: "??"
Three dayster, thepetition officially started, and Club HS ushered to their very first battle!
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Chapter 1033: God C!!!
Chapter 1033: God C!!!
For the first game of the new season, the organizers hosted an opening event where they invited stars to perform. Many clubs sent representatives for the event.
Coaches would usually just attend such events with a random member of the team as the purpose of showing up was simply to show their appreciation to the organizers. However, as Club HS was up in the first round after drawing lots to determine the order, as well as because Zac was simply so popr in the circle, all the members apanying their coaches turned out to be the captains of their teams.
All thepetitors were resting backstage.
The captains gathered and started a discussion.
"Club HS is so unlucky to be up against Club JQ again right in the first round."
"I heard Club JQ found a new member to y as support right after Jimy quit, and the support ys so much better than her! They are also ranked pretty high in the local server..."
"Yeah, my team yed against them in a training match yesterday."
"How did it go?"
"Club JQ has be even stronger."
"..."
The entire group fell silent, all somewhat worried for Club HS.
Be it Zac, Lionel, or even their retired ex-gunner, all the Club HS members were on good terms with the others. However, Club JQ members were somewhat seen as ck sheep among the yers.
They often head-hunted people from other teams¡ªand even yers from other countries¡ªby offering high remuneration.
They stopped at nothing to win.
When Club HS recruited a female team member, they had also immediately recruited Jimy, all because they were determined not to be outdone. They wanted the top spot in everything and were willing to leech off anybody¡¯s poprity.
To be honest, everyone disliked them.
Unfortunately, during thest season, the wrist injury that Club HS¡¯ ex-gunner previously suffered had returned to gue him, leading to him making a mistake in the finals. He had then been killed by Club JQ¡¯s jungler immediately, resulting in Club HS losing the final round of the team battle and Club JQ emerging as the champion.
There was no room for mistakes in team battles.
Everyone was unhappy with Club JQ, and no one ever considered them worthy of their title as champion.
"What is Club HS going to do??"
"With their new support being a rookie, they¡¯re going to lose for sure... Besides, Chonk, who ys as support, didn¡¯t y very well when he yed as a gunner previously either. That was why he switched to a support ss instead. When you spend enough time as a support, you¡¯ll end up habitually protecting your teammates. Do you think people like that would y recklessly?"
While they were deep in the discussion, Zac pushed open the door.
They were all friends with one another, after all. Since he was aware that the captains were all here, there was no doubt that Zac would drop by to say hi.
As soon as he entered the room, the other captains all cast him a pitying nce, which baffled Zac a little.
He raised his eyebrows and asked, "What¡¯s wrong?"
Someone immediately asked, "Why didn¡¯t your team recruit a gunner when they were looking for new members?"
"Yeah, if you had recruited a gunner instead, a certain somebody wouldn¡¯t have been able to join, even if she had all the connections in the world. Even your boss understands that an important position like that is noughing matter..."
"Sigh. Speaking of gunners, someonees to mind right away."
"I also thought of someone..."
"Me too..."
"Me..."
"Drop the ¡¯Me too¡¯. I know who you¡¯re all talking about! We¡¯ve been dominated by her for so many years. Aren¡¯t you guys sick of it yet? You can just say her name¡ªGod C!"
"Hahaha! The mention of her name makes me panic."
"Me too..."
When Cheryl was a child, she often encountered professional yers when she reached the highest tier in the rankings. On asions when her teammates weren¡¯t strong enough, she liked to y against them one-on-one.
A good number of professional yers had loved dueling one-on-one with her back then.
Even their coaches had ordered them to y one-on-one with her.
Because!
One-on-one duels with her were no different from grueling training sessions for movement practice!
Even though she was a gunner, she could still avoid all the assassins and dish out a counter-kill!
With the way she moved and her reflexes, even the head coaches found it a shame that she didn¡¯t y as an assassin.
But when they thought about it again, it was true that the gunner made up the core of a team. She would indeed be the strongest if she yed as a gunner...
Everyone present was a professional yer who had made a name for themselves during thest five to six years, and all of them had experienced the era of God C¡¯s domination in the game. There had even been a rumor among professional yers back then:
yers who wanted to be on the starter team must y one-on-one against God C at least 50 times! This was the only way to train one¡¯s mental resilience!
Before anyone realized it, God C had already be an insurmountable obstacle in their hearts.
At the mention of God C, everyone became pumped up, and they started chatting about how she had trounced them so badly back then. Toward the end, someone said, "That¡¯s why we all thought that your whale of a boss would definitely invite God C to join Club HS after your ex-gunner retired!"
After all, Chester had built up Club HS¡¯ reputation as a filthy rich team with real money!
Zac: "..."
He kept quiet and said nothing.
Well, the kid would have to introduce herself when she went on stageter anyway. When that happened, she would most definitely astound these guys.
Heh, were they looking down on the kid?
"That¡¯s impossible."
One of the captains said, "Think about it, God C was already dominating the game ten years ago, so she must already be past the ideal age for a professional yer. Her reflexes must have already declined."
The others nodded at once. "That¡¯s true. The optimal age for a yer is between 16 and 24 years old. Zac can probably y until he¡¯s 26, but for people like us, things will probably start going downhill from as early as 22!"
Zac was currently 23 years old, but he was still in his prime.
"Forget it, the list has already been finalized anyway. Let¡¯s not trigger him with talk of God C anymore. That said, you now have a little princess instead of God C in your team, Zac. You guys won¡¯t end up trying to protect a support ss like her during thepetition, will you?"
"Wasn¡¯t there a saying that goes something like... ¡¯You can lose the game, but you mustn¡¯t let the princess die¡¯?"
"Actually, that would work, too. You guys can afford to lose a few matches here and there anyway. By the time you guys lose enough matches, I¡¯m sure your boss would also have understood. He¡¯ll definitely find a recement then. I reckon the little princess will probably go home once she¡¯s had her fill with ying too..."
"But this doesn¡¯t change the fact that we¡¯re here to watch you get thrashed by your opponent in the match today, hahaha!"
Now that all of them were joking around, the things they said also changed.
The corners of Zac¡¯s lips curled into a smile, and he patted the shoulder of the person closest to him. "That may not necessarily happen, though."
"What?"
However, Zac decided to leave them on a cliffhanger. He said, "Open your eyes wide and watch the match carefully."
After speaking, he stood up and said, "Alright, I¡¯m off. It¡¯s the kid¡¯s first time participating in thepetition, so I¡¯m afraid she may be nervous."
Everyone: "..."
His tone was so indulgent.
Those who didn¡¯t know any better would have thought he was talking about his girlfriend instead!
All of them exchanged looks with one another. After Zac left, they thought about it and asked, "Has Zac been corrupted by money?"
"It¡¯s possible..."
"Hahaha! Well, that makes sense. Families rted to the Hunts must also be very powerful. That girl probably has quite an impressive background. Zac eventually has to inherit his family¡¯s property, so it¡¯s about time he starts nning for the future..."
"No wonder Zac agreed to let the little princess into the team..."
"Sigh. I feel like the spirit of the game would change once even Zac bows down to money."
"..."
Everyone fell silent.
Gamingpetitions were bing increasinglymercialized.
However, these captains hadn¡¯t been focused on making money back when they started ying; rather, all they had on their minds was winning the game.
Among them, Zac upheld his moral boundaries the most. Should he of all people also decide topromise, they didn¡¯t know if they could persevere in the game for much longer...
Just as a gloomy atmosphere took over the room, the performance on stage ended. Thepetition was finally starting!
The host began to introduce the participants.
One by one, Club HS members went on stage.
Suddenly, someone noticed something amiss. "Look, why does that team seem kinda off?"
Teams generally lined up ording to their roles in the game. Mages fought in the middlene, so they would also stand in the middle... So, why was that pretty girl standing in the second ce from the left?
That position wasn¡¯t for support sses!
Everyone panicked. "Is the new member not a support ss?"
"Going by the position, she¡¯s definitely a gunner!"
"Good lord, the little princess wants to be a gunner... Well, if you think about it, that makes sense. What¡¯s the fun in ying as a support ss? Rich yers love looking for good yers to protect them while they y as gunners anyway. In such cases, those yers even have to give them their kills!"
Just as everyone became gloomier and gloomier, one of the captains suddenly eximed, "F*ck! Look!"
"At what?"
"Look at her game ID!"
Cheryl¡¯s game ID had appeared above her head: HS - C.
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Chapter 1034: Whats Important is That She Had Participated!
Chapter 1034: What¡¯s Important is That She Had Participated!
Everyone was shocked and dumbfounded.
Someone couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°I-is that the same C I¡¯m thinking of?¡±
¡°T-that¡¯s God C? No way¡ Is God C really a girl?¡±
None of them dared to say any more, for fear that they would have to eat their wordster on. They had originally only shown up to show Zac support, but in this instant, they suddenly felt like they had made the right decision toe!
Thepetition was streamed live online.
None of them saw that thements had already gone into an uproar.
¡®C?¡¯
¡®Why does that name look so strange and familiar?¡¯
¡®Dude, you need a crash course on God C the dominator.¡¯
¡®Why did the little princess of Club HS give herself a name like that? Is she trying to imitate God C?¡¯
¡®What nonsense! Game IDs are unique! Duplicate names are not allowed! Did the little princess buy God C¡¯s ount?¡¯
¡®Exactly. God C was already ying this game ten years ago, but the little princess looks just like an elementary school student. There¡¯s no way she¡¯s already 20 years old.¡¯
¡®There is information about Cheryl in the club! She is 15 years old this year!¡¯
¡
Amid the discussion, the match started.
And then¡ everyone found themselves dumbfounded once more.
Thements went into yet another uproar.
¡®F*ck! C¡¯s moves totally dazzled me just now!¡¯
¡®Are those movements even humanly possible?¡¯
¡®She was clearly about to die. How did she manage that counter-kill with so little HP?¡¯
¡®Club JQ should have realized how powerful she is by now! That¡¯s why four of them tried to surround her just now. God C, who was terrified at the time, thought to herself, ¡®Guys, hurry up! Four of the enemies are on their own! I¡¯ve surrounded them!¡¯
¡®Hahahaha!¡¯
¡
¡
Off-stage, in the area where the captains were, nobody dared to say anything. After all, Cheryl¡¯s moves in the game were all too familiar. None of them had any doubts anymore.
Still, someone couldn¡¯t help but ask,
¡°So, God C was just an elementary student when she thrashed us in the game back then?¡±
¡°Ugh, shut up. I¡¯m so embarrassed that I want to bury myself in a hole right now.¡±
¡°Here¡¯s a piece of good news, guys,¡± someone suddenly said.
Everyone looked at him, whereupon he said, ¡°God C took her college entrance examinations this year, so the ones who were thrashed by her during thest three years didn¡¯t get thrashed by an elementary school student¡¡±
¡°¡Get lost!¡±
¡°I can¡¯t imagine how young God C must have been when she struck fear into all of us back then.¡±
Gradually, everyone started to ept the truth. One of the captains sighed and said, ¡°Zac is already difficult enough to deal with. Now that they also have God C on their side, there¡¯s no doubt that Club HS will win thepetition this season.¡±
¡°¡¡±
Everyone fell speechless for a while.
When Club HS¡¯ ex-gunner retired, everyone had been ecstatic and thought that they finally had a chance at victory! But Club JQ had beaten them immediately.
Now that the new season had started, everyone was all geared up to vie for the title of champion, but in the end¡
God C had shown up!
Did they even have any chance left?!
However, someone soon recovered and dered, ¡°My team will definitely take second ce this year!¡±
Even if they couldn¡¯t win Club HS, it didn¡¯t mean that they couldn¡¯t win against others!
Everyone instantly found back the feeling they had when they first yed the game!
Besides, what was the big deal about God C anyway? She might have given them a beating back then, but it was now time for them to get their revenge on the battlefield!
Passion was eternal in e-sports yers! They would never admit defeat!
Passion surged in the captains once more. Full of fighting spirit, it was as though they had found the aspirations they had when they first entered the industry back then.
¡ª
Cheryl had absolutely no idea what kind of impact her presence had brought to that group of e-sports yers eroded bymercialism. All she knew was¡ Club JQ was awfully weak.
After a month of training, her coordination with her teammates had be so smooth that the match against Club JQ waspletely effortless for them.
After winning the third match in a row, Cheryl looked at the others perplexedly. ¡°How did you guys losest season?¡±
Everyone: ¡°¡¡± They felt humiliated!
Why did it feel so good to be humiliated by God C, though?
Well, it was mainly because their match had simply gone so smoothly this time, so they had given all the coins to God C and allowed her to groom them further. In the past, they were worried that the gunner would be assassinated, but now they couldpletely trust God C!
With this battle, almost everybody could foresee what was going to happen in the future.
Netizens were already starting to take notice of Cheryl.
First, she had achieved a score of 1598 in her college entrance examinations. This was undoubtedly the highest score in the country this year. Few could achieve a score like that, even in the New York circle.
Then, there was God C of e-sports¡
Originally, only those in the e-sports circle had paid attention to this incident. However, it gradually blew up and started to attract a great deal of attention.
Everyone swarmed to Cheryl¡¯s Facebook page and began to leave messages.
¡®God C, what¡¯s your secret to having good grades and being a powerhouse yer?¡¯
¡®Does this mean that even geniuses should work hard?¡¯
While they were asking her questions, a number of people also popped up and started to recount Cheryl¡¯s journey of aplishments.
Someone made a post on Facebook, which attracted all theizens¡¯ attention.
¡®I am Cheryl¡¯s ssmate. She grew up abroad, so even when she was ten years old, her studies were aplete mess. Every time the exams came around, she either handed in nk papers or got all the questions wrong. She also never once realized that all her knowledge was wrong¡ But when she was ten years old, God C suddenly turned around and started to study hard. In the first year, she skipped a grade to the fifth, and in the second year, she went to high school. She pretty much did in five years what we would take twelve years to do¡¡¯
As soon as the news came out, all theizens were astounded.
Wasn¡¯t this a ssic example of a bottom-feederunching a counter-attack?!
It couldn¡¯t get any more inspiring!
Everyone had already imagined for themselves how hard God C must have worked during those five years. However, at this point, a yer in the game stepped forward and posted a record of how much time God C had spent in the game during thest five years.
Thanks to this, everyone now knew that God C went online for three hours every day for the past five years¡ Didn¡¯t she need sleep at all?
At this point, Cheryl went online. When she saw everyone asking about her schedule, she posted a reply.
Cheryl: ¡®Yes, I have been very hardworking all this time. Every single day during thest five years, I only slept ten hours, exercised for two, yed games for three, studied for five hours, and practiced shooting for ten minutes¡¡¯
The entire Inte fell into silence.
Hardworking? Yeah, right!
How many people had to sacrifice sleep and wake up at the crack of dawn, spending all their time studying just so they could enroll in a good university? Yet she had achieved that with just five hours of studying a day for five years¡ Was she trying to crush everyone¡¯s hopes or what?!
People did notice that she had mentioned ¡°shooting¡±, though.
Someone asked: ¡®God G, do you like shooting? Are you a professional?¡¯
Cheryl: ¡®Yeah, I am! I am on the national team! I also like skiing, running, ice-skating¡¡¯
¡°¡¡±
At this point, the national team also made a post on Facebook announcing the list of athletes participating in the Olympic Games this year. They specially at-mentioned Cheryl in the shooting section.
Everyone: ¡°!!!¡±
Fans of the Club HS couldn¡¯t help but start to worry.
¡®Considering how many things God G has to do, the time she has for training will definitely be greatly reduced, right? Can she really do it?¡¯
¡®Yeah, next to shooting and studying, gaming doesn¡¯t seem that important anymore. What exactly is God C the best at? I¡¯m so worried!¡¯
Seeing this, Cheryl replied: ¡®Don¡¯t worry, my specialty is gaming. The rest are just my hobbies!¡¯
When everyone saw her reply, they all reached a tacit understanding:
Yup, God C¡¯s specialty was gaming. Studying was something she couldn¡¯t get out of, while shooting was just a hobby. Also, she was just participating in the Olympics to make up numbers on the team!
As a result, Cheryl¡¯s fans couldn¡¯t help but start defending her to outsiders¡ªit didn¡¯t matter whether she won a medal in the Olympics or not. What was important was that she had participated in it!
The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and
continue reading tomorrow, everyone!
Chapter 1035: Six Points
Chapter 1035: Six Points
What came next was a fully-packed schedule.
Club HS had regr matches scheduled for the rest of the month. During the course of thepetition, Cheryl built up an even better rapport and coordination with her teammates.
Club HS won every single match during this one month.
However...
When everyone heard that Cheryl was taking a week off to participate in the Olympic Games, they were shocked.
Lionel was the first to speak. "We can still y as usual during your week of absence by sending in a substitute, so we don¡¯t have to worry about that. But God C, will you be rusty if you don¡¯t y for a while?"
Chonk cocked his head sideways and asked, "Didn¡¯t you say that shooting was just a hobby? Your participation in thepetition is a formality, right? You¡¯ll probably be disqualified in the first round, so you probably only need to take three days off at most. Why are you requesting a week off instead? Thepetition will be over by the time you¡¯re back!"
Benjamin smacked Chonk lightly. "Are you dumb? God C is still teammates with the other athletes, no matter what. Even if she can¡¯t make it to the finals, she should still show support to her teammates! This is a major event. Besides, we haven¡¯t reached the critical point of thepetition yet; it¡¯s just the qualifiers right now. So, don¡¯t worry and just go for the shootingpetition, God C!"
"...Actually, I¡¯m pretty good at shooting," said Cheryl.
"Hahaha! Even so, can you clinch the champion title?" Lionel was the first tough. "Come on, stop the jokes, God C. There are so many shooting experts around. You may be impressive here, but your skills won¡¯t be much to marvel at in front of others. Still, this is something you¡¯re interested in, so we respect your decision!"
The head coach also chimed in. "Yes, we will respect your decision. We will definitely be fine in the qualifiers!"
From how the matches in the past month had gone, it was obvious that Club HS would be the champion this year.
There was no doubt about that!
Cheryl: "..."
Forget it, she wasn¡¯t going to say any more. Instead, she nodded and reached out for her pink suitcase. However, before she could put her hand around it, Zac had already taken hold of it for her. He said, "I¡¯ll see you off."
Theirpetition wasn¡¯t held in San Francisco, so they were currently staying in a hotel. In order to stay with her teammates, Cheryl had chosen not to move to another hotel. All of them were staying on the same floor.
Justin hadn¡¯t expressed any opinion about this. After all, she needed total focus during thepetition, so it was not quite the same as the training sessions in the vi.
"...Sure," replied Cheryl.
The pair walked toward the elevator. Before they got in, Lionel called after them, "It¡¯s alright even if you don¡¯t get a medal, God C! We have a champion title waiting for you right here! Don¡¯t worry, we will definitely be the champions this year!"
"...Wow, thanks for the encouragement," said Cheryl.
"No problem!"
Lionel beamed at her innocently.
When the elevator doors closed, Chonk smacked him on the head. "What did you say that for?"
Lionel replied, "Athletes who do not aim to be champions don¡¯t make good e-sports yers! Everyone that does e-sports aims to win, and I¡¯m sure that includes God C too. That¡¯s why I tried tofort her!"
Chonk sighed. "To be honest, when you consider that she can still make it onto the national team when she spends so little time training... If she used all the time she spends ying games on shooting practice instead, do you think she could win the championship?"
As soon as he said that, everyone fell silent.
Come to think of it, what he said made sense.
Everyone was terribly moved.
God C definitely had the utmost dedication to e-sports!
She was giving up the chance to be a world champion for the gamingpetition! In that case, they must get the gold medal for God C!
Lionel, Chonk, and Benjamin instantly became pumped up. "Don¡¯t worry, God C! We will be fine while you¡¯re away!"
At the door.
Zac loaded Cheryl¡¯s suitcase into the trunk.
Cheryl got in the car and waved to him.
When she was about to shut the door, Zac suddenly said, "Good luck!"
Hm? Cheryl thought.
She was about to speak when she saw Zac smiling at her. He said, "You can do it."
Cheryl blinked in surprise and then returned the smile with one of her own.
¡ª
¡ª
In order to avoid creating a stir, the club did not make any announcements about Cheryl¡¯s participation in the Olympic Games.
However, when a different gunner showed up instead of Cheryl during the next match, her absence caught everyone¡¯s attention.
The fans panicked.
"What¡¯s going on? Why did they change the gunner? Where¡¯s God C?"
"The match feels so dull without God C!"
"What are they trying to do by substituting someone else for God C at this point in time? Do they look down on their opponents that much? Are they trying to say that they can win against their opponents even if they didn¡¯t use their trump card?"
"Of course not! Have all of you overlooked a certain uing event?"
Most people into e-sports were homebodies, and it was to the extent that some weren¡¯t even concerned about real-life events and spent all their time in the game. However, there were still some who paid attention to popr topics in current affairs.
Some peoplemented:
"The Olympics have started! I remember God C saying that she¡¯s part of the national team, so she will be representing America in the Olympics! Did she go to the Olympics?"
"What? You¡¯re right! Come on, let¡¯s see if God Cpeted today!"
"She probably did, right? The women¡¯s qualifiers are taking ce today. I wonder how God C fared and whether she made it to the finals!"
"Haha! Tell me the oue after you guys check it out! I¡¯m just waiting tough at God C now! There are over 100 athletes in thepetition. Do you really think God C will make it into the top 8?!"
"Well, if she does, then she can continue with the games tomorrow. If not, she can return to us and continue with thepetition."
Everybody went to check out the results of the Olympic qualifiers.
Twenty secondster, ament appeared:
"¡¯kay, I¡¯m back from checking the results. Regarding this, I have six points to raise."
"..."
Everyone: "????"
Chapter 1036: Champion!
Chapter 1036: Champion!
Amid all the question marks filling the screen, someone finally wrote something different.
"I can¡¯t describe it any other way than this¡ªshe¡¯s too damn impressive!"
"She¡¯s amazing! Cheryl Smith took first ce in the qualifiers!"
"I suspect that the two of them have the same name. How can anyone not only excel at gaming but also at shooting?"
"Sudden thought here, but... what if Cheryl Smith turns out to be the champion?"
...
...
That¡¯s right, Cheryl had taken first ce in the qualifiers and sessfully made it through to the finals. Once the finals were over, which would be held the next day, she would receive the medal.
Cheryl¡¯s fans started chatting in the forums.
"Don¡¯t go around bragging online just yet, guys! Stay low-key! Low-key, you hear?!"
"Yeah, the girl might have lucked out in the qualifiers, that¡¯s all. If we start bragging and she doesn¡¯t win tomorrow, it¡¯ll be really embarrassing!"
"Cheryl is still young! It¡¯s okay even if she doesn¡¯t win this time! She can always try again after four years!"
"Yeah! You¡¯re right!"
¡ª
As for the Club HS members, after they easily won the match, the host couldn¡¯t help but ask Lionel during an interview, "Do you have anyments about Ms. Cheryl Smith¡¯s participation in the Olympic Games?"
Lionel, who waspletely unaware that Cheryl had already cleared the qualifiers, smiled and replied, "Well, what matters is that she gained some experience by participating, right? God C is cooped up in the club with us all the time. There¡¯s only so much energy one can have. Since her talent has gone to gaming, it¡¯s a given that she won¡¯t do as well in other areas... That¡¯s perfectly understandable, no?"
He cleared his throat and added, "Besides, Cheryl is still young, so do be patient with her. We¡¯ll eventuallypete on a global scale after this, so we can clinch a world championship title for everyone too!"
The host: "??"
Utterly bemused, she looked at Lionel and asked, "Uh... Haven¡¯t you looked at Ms. Smith¡¯s results in the qualifiers?"
Lionel, who was even more lost than her, replied, "Yeah, the match just ended, so I haven¡¯t had a chance to look at my phone yet. I was told toe here for the interview immediately. What¡¯s the matter? Did she rank too low? But that¡¯s perfectly understandable, isn¡¯t it? People shouldn¡¯t be so demanding toward kids!"
"..."
The host kept quiet for a while. Then, she tried to give him a hint and asked, "Seeing that Ms. Smith has ranked first in the qualifiers, how confident do you feel about her taking the champion title tomorrow?"
Lionel: "???"
Lionel felt like he was dreaming even as he walked down from the stage. He pinched himself hard, the pain making him inhale sharply. Only then did he turn to Zac in disbelief. "Hey, Zac. Just what kind of genius have we recruited?!"
The answer to his question came the next day¡ª
Cheryl was the champion!!
An uproar went through the whole country!
Cheryl¡¯s fans were incredibly excited.
"Oh my god! I only became a fan because she¡¯s so pretty. What kind of unbelievable person have I be a fan of, though?!"
"Nation-wide top scorer in the college entrance examinations, a godlike yer in games, and a champion in shooting? Dear Lord, any one of those titles is enough to brand one sessful in life. God C is unbelievable!"
"God C is no human; she¡¯s a god!"
At the same time!
A proud Harvard University official also posted on their Facebook page: "We await the champion."
The moment they made the post, people swarmed to it.
The staff of MIT also raised a furor.
Over at the student admissions office, the head of the department sorely wished he could turn back time.
Why on earth had they allowed students to take care of their official Facebook page?!
Great, not only was Cheryl the top scorer, but she was also a world champion now. If she had picked their school, their reputation would have been so much greater than Harvard!
To save the situation¡ªas well as to prevent the department head from holding him ountable for the farce¡ªone of the teachers in the admissions office smiled and said, "Tsk, those things can only help us in terms of our reputation. The student that we recruited this year is the one who will bring us actual benefits. Don¡¯t forget, he¡¯s from the Stannards in New York!"
MIT had recruited the heir to a conglomerate this time. He hadn¡¯t even started his studies at the university, yet he had already sponsored a good number of the university¡¯s research projects!
In addition, he had also promised strategic partnerships with MIT that wouldst numerous years!
Recruiting him had granted MIT tremendous tangible benefits.
When the head of the admissions office heard the teacher, he felt a bit better.
After all, it wasn¡¯t like Harvard University enjoyed simr benefits...
However, his mood had only just improved a little when the expression of a teacher, who was scrolling through Facebook, suddenly changed dramatically. She stammered, "S-sir, someone just revealed Cheryl Smith¡¯s background..."
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Chapter 1037: Why Didn’t Cheryl’s Mom Take Her Studies Seriously?
Chapter 1037: Why Didn¡¯t Cheryl¡¯s Mom Take Her Studies Seriously?
When the head of MIT¡¯s student admissions office heard her, he couldn¡¯t help but turn to her. "What¡¯s the big deal? It¡¯s not like her background can possibly be more amazing than our student¡¯s?"
For her to train in shooting since she was a child, she muste from pretty wealthy family background.
Not many had the chance to try shooting as a sport.
However, the thought had only just formed when the teacher jumped to her feet. Close to tears, she said, "It certainly is more amazing¡ªshe¡¯s a Hunt."
"What?!"
The head of the department eximed at once.
¡ª
The almightyizens had indeed dug up Cheryl¡¯s family background.
However, this wasn¡¯t to theizens¡¯ credit but that of a certain somebody who couldn¡¯t resist showing off his daughter. This said person had "identally" spilled the beans.
Mr. Justin "ve To His Daughter" Hunt, who had now transformed into Justin "Proud Daddy" Hunt, had outright given all the employees of Hunt Corporation bonus pay equivalent to a month¡¯s sry.
When asked about the reason for the bonus, he merely replied cryptically, "I¡¯m in a good mood."
"Why are you in such a good mood?"
Someone asked cautiously.
He¡¯d initially thought that the cool and aloof CEO wouldn¡¯t answer him, but unexpectedly, Justin smiled and asked, "Have you heard of Cheryl Smith?"
"Yes! She¡¯s our first gold medalist this year! She¡ª"
The man, who was also watching the Olympic Games, was about to sing Cheryl¡¯s praises when Justin said, "She¡¯s my daughter!"
The subordinate: "!!!"
He immediatelyunched into a crazy bout of ttery, which made Justin so giddy with glee that he nodded and said, "Exactly. Neither of the two lousy boys at home canpare to my daughter! My little girl is the best."
The subordinate: "..."
Peter had only joined thepany this year, and judging from the CEO¡¯s actions, he was intending to have him take over thepany next year!
He was such an outstanding young man. Not only did he achieve a perfect score on the college entrance examinations at the tender age of ten andplete his university education in two years, but he alsopleted his double Master¡¯s degree in three years. On top of that, he even sessfully applied for a doctorate!
In addition, it was said that the AI system designed by Peter was equipped with the ability to think autonomously. This would undoubtedly revolutionize the world of IT engineering!
Was there anyone who wouldn¡¯t be impressed by someone like that?
Though Cheryl had clinched a gold medal and brought glory to the country, Peter¡¯s achievements had allowed the country¡¯s technological advancements to progress beyond what was thought possible!
But if the CEO said so, then...
With that, every Hunt Corporation employee now knew that Cheryl was Justin¡¯s daughter!
Had it just been the core employees in the know, the secret wouldn¡¯t have spread. However, it was obvious that Justin wanted people to know, so everybody automatically began to spread the news about Cheryl to outsiders.
Just to celebrate their little princess¡¯ victory, the Hunt Corporation¡¯s official Facebook page even held a giveaway that rewarded 1,000 lucky winners with $1,500 each.
Given the fanfare they were making, wasn¡¯t it obvious that Cheryl¡¯s family background would be exposed?
An uproar went through the Inte.
There was a Facebook post introducing all the members of Cheryl¡¯s family:
"Here¡¯s an introduction to Cheryl Smith¡¯s family."
"I¡¯m sure everybody already knows this, but Cheryl herself is a Harvard student."
"Cheryl¡¯s father is the CEO of Hunt Corporation and the holder of three Master¡¯s degrees."
"Her elder brother, Peter Hunt, is the valedictorian who achieved a perfect score on the college entrance examinations at the age of ten, five years ago. After graduating from university in just two years, he went on to further his education. It is said that the young man, who is a genius in the IT field, will soon take over Hunt Corporation!
"Alexander Yale, also her elder brother, was admitted to Harvard University at the age of thirteen and has graduated with a degree in medicine. He is also the youngest surgeon ever and his hands are said to be insured for millions of dors.
"Her paternal grandfather...
"Her paternal grandmother...
"Her maternal grandfather...
"Her maternal grandmother..."
Although Justin¡¯s father was somewhat of a jerk, it was undeniable that he had graduated from an Ivy League university back then. Iris, Ian, and Yvette didn¡¯t need further boration, either¡ªtheir academic qualifications were no secret. It wasn¡¯t difficult to look them up.
This information was all on Wikipedia, and someone had coted and publicly posted it.
Whenizens saw the post, they became incredibly excited.
As expected, intelligence ran in the family for star students!
What a family of geniuses!
However, among the envious and idolizingments, a jokingment appeared:
"Why didn¡¯t Cheryl Smith¡¯s mom attend school properly?"
Compared to the group of big bosses with excellent academic qualifications, there was indeed nothing about Cheryl¡¯s mother. Nobody could even find out which schools she had attended.
After all, Nora had never officially attended school her whole life. Therefore, she didn¡¯t leave any academic records.
The person who posted thement was actually just joking, and it should have blown over after eliciting someughter.
s, people found the joke especially amusing, so thement instantly garnered more Likes than the actual Facebook post itself, continuing all the way until it reached over a million Likes!
The hashtag #WhyDidntCherylsMomGoToSchool started to trend.
When Nora suddenly saw the news after she woke up, she was utterly bewildered.
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continue reading tomorrow, everyone!
Chapter 1038: A Birthday Party Filled With Big Bosses
Chapter 1038: A Birthday Party Filled With Big Bosses
Nora wasn¡¯t going to hold it against theizens, though.
After all, they were just joking.
She was a lot more easy-going these days. Though the sight of the news had angered Justin so much that he wanted to have the trending topic removed and delete the entire discussion online, Nora stopped him. She said, ¡°The topic is trending at its peak right now. If you delete it, everybody will find it strange. It¡¯s not like they are really ridiculing me anyway, so don¡¯t take it to heart.¡±
Justin narrowed his eyes, but then suddenly smiled and said, ¡°Fine. Your birthday will be here soon, though. A lot of people are nning to visit to celebrate it. Let¡¯s not turn them down.¡±
Nora: ¡°¡¡±
Honestly speaking, she couldn¡¯t be bothered to celebrate her birthday. If she had that much time to spare, she¡¯d rather catch up on sleep.
But since Justin had put it that way, if she continued to turn him down, it would make her seem a little unappreciative.
So, she nodded and replied, ¡°Okay.¡±
¡ª
There were still a few days to Nora¡¯s birthday, so after Cheryl clinched the champion title, she hurriedly returned to the club for more training.
On the day of her return, Lionel and the others decorated the clubhouse in celebration of her victory.
Although they now knew that she was a Hunt, they had indeed gotten along very well during the past month, so they didn¡¯t shun Cheryl.
Lionel, in particr, even wagged his brows and said, ¡°Hey, God C. Why did you hide your true capabilities? You should have just told us that you¡¯re a master marksman!¡±
A surprised Cheryl replied, ¡°But I¡¯m really not that good at shooting. Dad, Mom, and my brothers all outshine me at it.¡±
Lionel: ¡°?¡±
He swallowed hard. ¡°But didn¡¯t you say that shooting was your hobby¡?¡±
¡°Uh-huh! Shooting is my hobby, just not my favorite one. I also like skiing, jogging, long jump, and swimming. Among those hobbies, I¡¯m the weakest at shooting. That¡¯s why I can¡¯t really be bothered to spend much time training in it!¡±
The Olympics had age requirements for all the disciplines, but the one for shooting was the lowest, so Cheryl had participated in that. However, as every participant was only allowed to take part in three disciplines1 at the most, Cheryl would only be able to sign up for a maximum of three disciplines in the next iteration of the Olympics four yearster. She was still considering what she should sign up for.
Everyone: ¡°??¡±
All of them were bbergasted. ¡°What are you the best at, then?¡±
Cheryl raised the keyboard she was holding and replied, ¡°Gaming, of course. Didn¡¯t I already say so?¡±
¡°¡¡±
Lionel¡¯s lip corners spasmed a little.
Suddenly, he said, ¡°What a shame.¡±
¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±
Puzzled, Cheryl cocked her head to the side.
Lionel gave her a wry smile and replied, ¡°Considering how smart you are, it¡¯s a real shame that you¡¯re not spending your time on scientific research beneficial to humanity, instead!¡±
Games could indeed make one a champion.
So could the Olympics.
However, neither had as great an impact on humanity as scientific research.
Lionel wasn¡¯t looking down on gaming or the Olympics. He merely thought that if Cheryl had the ability to invent something that could benefit humanity, then wouldn¡¯t that be a better use of her superior intelligence?
However, Cheryl said, ¡°¡Nah, it¡¯s not a shame!¡±
Before Lionel could reply, Cheryl exined, ¡°I¡¯m already doing that!¡±
Had Cheryl only been studying all this time?
Nope!
After shepleted her studies, she also delved into scientific research.
For one, she was interested in human gics. For another, the gene serum hadn¡¯t been thoroughly destroyed and still existed in the world. Cheryl wanted to study and invent a real, proper gene serum that could bring out a human being¡¯s potential yet not harm their genes or reduce their lifespan.
A serum like that would be a lifesaver for a lot of patients.
It could even improve the constitution of someone with poor health or the genes of people with hereditary diseases¡
Justin had even gotten in touch with Harvard University and sponsored a huge sum of money to set up a research project exclusive to his daughter.
However, all that would only be set into motion after Cheryl won the gamingpetition.
As they said, slow and steady wins the race!
Lionel: ¡°!!!!!¡±
Everyone else: ¡°!!!!!¡±
Even Zac, someone seen as a golden boy and one of the standouts in San Francisco, suddenly felt a little small next to Cheryl.
He was an outstanding man, butpared to Cheryl¡¯s mutant-like family members, he was a far ways off.
¡ª
A few dayster, it was Nora¡¯s birthday.
A few reporters sneaked over furtively to the entrance of the Hunts¡¯ residence.
¡°Sigh, I¡¯m surprised that news of Mrs. Hunt¡¯s birthday was leaked. I can¡¯t tell if the Hunts were just too careless or what¡¡±
¡°Who cares? Any photographs we take would trend anyway! Even now, the topic about why Mrs. Hunt didn¡¯t study properly is still going viral!¡±
¡°Yeah, what kind of sheer dumb luck was it that allowed Mrs. Hunt to marry Mr. Hunt and even give birth to such amazing kids? This must be because Mr. Hunt has superior genes! Although, I¡¯ve heard that mothers contribute a lot to how intelligent a child is!¡±
¡°Haha! The Hunts have totally proven how untrue this statement is.¡±
¡°Mrs. Hunt was a Smith. The Smiths are also very clever and shockingly capable, so in terms of gics, she must also be very intelligent. It¡¯s just a shame because I heard she grew up in the boonies. Her talents must have gone to waste!¡±
¡°Yeah! I also heard that she grew up in a small town in California and has never attended school¡ For someone like her to marry Mr. Hunt, this must be a political marriage between the Hunts and the Smiths. Mrs. Hunt is so lucky! You can pretty much say that she¡¯s a winner in life without even needing to do anything!¡±
¡°Shh, a guest is here. Let¡¯s see who they are¡¡±
Chapter 1039: A Birthday Party Filled With Big Bosses (2)
Chapter 1039: A Birthday Party Filled With Big Bosses (2)
"Eh? Isn¡¯t that Lisa ck, the famous neurosurgeon? Why is she here?"
After her stint as Anti¡¯s postgraduate student, Lisa joined the medical field immediately after graduation. She was now a well-known doctor specializing in neurology in the country.
With her and Lily around, Nora had more or less stopped performing operations.
She only had one operation scheduled per month.
To keep her life quiet and peaceful, she gradually removed her identity as Anti from the public eye and slowly became low-profile. Apart from the cohorts of students from Lisa¡¯s schooling days, there was nobody who knew about Nora¡¯s identity as Anti now.
However, what made Lisa well-known was that to date, she was Anti¡¯s one and only postgraduate student. She could be said to be Anti¡¯s direct sessor.
The reporters were astonished to see her.
Lisa was very well-respected in the medical field and she had innumerable people in line hoping for her to operate on them or treat their illnesses. She had be particrly famous over thest two years and coincidentally had been interviewed recently, so both reporters knew who she was.
One of them said, "I seem to recall that Dr. ck is married to Louis Smith, the sixth son of the Smiths. So, it¡¯s not surprising that she would turn up, right?"
"That¡¯s true. I heard that Dr. ck and Mrs. Hunt both lived in the same town in California back then. They are probably old friends."
"Hm, yeah, it¡¯s perfectly normal that she would show up..."
As the two reporters conversed with each other, another car approached. Through the window, they saw that the passenger in the car was the most famous doctor in alternative medicine practice in New York at the moment.
He was Dr. Silvester Zabe¡¯s grandson.
Eight years ago, after Dr. Zabe passed away from poor health, his grandson took over the helm and began to study alternative medicine, eventually bing the chairman of the Alternative Medicine Association in New York.
He held an esteemed position in the circle.
However, he had no rtions to either the Smiths or the Hunts, so why was he here?
Both reporters were dumbfounded.
Due to Dr. Zabe¡¯s position in the alternative medicine field, everyone in New York respected the family a lot. Thus, the chairman also held a highly esteemed position in the field. It was said that he had learned all his skills from the only disciple that Dr. Zabe had ever taken. Dr. Zabe¡¯s disciple was said to be younger than him, but nobody knew who they were and they rarely made an appearance.
"... The Hunts are the number one family, after all. It¡¯s understandable that the chairman would show up to support them."
"Yeah..."
The two reporters continued to converse between themselves.
Then, they saw more people approaching. Some were famous personalities and some were celebrities. To sum it up, all the big bosses from various fields and circles had turned up, making the reporters¡¯ jaws drop.
The two exchanged a look. One of them said, "The Hunts really are impressive, huh. I heard that big bosses only hang out with fellow big bosses, so it¡¯s understandable that those people would be on good terms with the Hunts..."
"When you think of it that way, Mrs. Hunt sure has it tough. She definitely wouldn¡¯t have anything inmon with any of them. Also, even though all those big bosses have turned up because of Mr. Hunt, deep down, they must secretly look down on Mrs. Hunt..."
Just as the two were specting, a butler suddenly walked toward them.
Shocked, the reporters hastily turned to flee.
But the moment they turned, they found that the Hunts¡¯ bodyguards were right behind them.
The reporters panicked and hurriedly apologized. "Sorry, sorry! We¡¯ll leave right away..."
However, the butler smiled and said, "Please don¡¯t misunderstand, sirs. Mr. Hunt would like to invite the two of you into the house."
The reporters: "???"
They were dumbfounded. However, the butler didn¡¯t look like he was joking, so they followed behind him in trepidation and entered the Hunt manor.
In a show of goodwill, the reporters promised, "Don¡¯t worry, we won¡¯t make up any stories in our articles!"
However, the butler said seriously, "Oh, you have it wrong. Mr. Hunt would like the two of you to truthfully report what you see here!"
"..."
The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and
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Chapter 1040: A Birthday Party Filled With Big Bosses (3)
Chapter 1040: A Birthday Party Filled With Big Bosses (3)
When the reporters joined the party, their eyes widened even further.
Big bosses whom they hadn¡¯t seen at the entrance were at the party too. This party must be a top-secret one for sure, right? There were so many influential figures here! Any one of them easily made headlines in the news.
The Queen of the UK and Princess Lucy were here¡
So was Karl Moore, the boss of an overseas security service¡
Even the internationally famous star Kelvin Hart was here¡
And that wasn¡¯t all¡
The most renowned hacker Solo was also here!
Solo, who had been active in the United States thest few years, had assisted the police in solving numerous cases and was currently under employment in the United States. His im to fame came when he represented the United States in an internationalwork breach and defensepetition and clinched the champion title.
There were also many other familiar facesmonly seen on TV¡
One of them was Logan Anderson who had represented the United States in a car racingpetition and emerged as champion.
The reporters were dumbfounded.
Why were there so many people here?!
Had this been Justin¡¯s birthday party, the guest list would makeplete sense, but it wasn¡¯t! It was Mrs. Hunt¡¯s!
It didn¡¯t matter how much Justin doted on his wife because those big bosses would never go along with his frivolous demands.
What was going on?
The reporters parked themselves somewhere and squatted down.
They knew that if they wanted to know what was going on, all they had to do was wait. Once the guests started to present their gifts, they would eventually talk. When that happened, all would be clear.
¡ª
Nora didn¡¯t notice the reporters at all.
She yawned and looked at the bunch of familiar faces in front of her.
She had already spotted Kelvin long ago, but she merely raised her brows and looked at Justin.
The cousins certainly bore a striking resemnce to each other. With a bit of makeup, they would look like they were one and the same. Back then, when she had been overseas, Kelvin had even hit on her. However, after everything ended, Justin had exined everything to her.
It was imperative that he did so. Otherwise, it would be awfully awkward if a misunderstanding formed between his cousin and his wife.
Kelvin was exceptionally respectful toward Nora now, and he didn¡¯t behave as roguishly as Justin had when he was impersonating him.
Something worth mentioning was that Kelvin was now in a rtionship with Sheril Anderson.
After her boyfriend cheated on her, Sheril had thrown herself into her research. For the longest time, there was no love interest in her life¡ªuntil she met Kelvin one day.
As an international superstar, Kelvin was simply too dashing.
When he confessed to her, Sherilpletely fell for him.
The couple had already secretly gotten married. After all, Sheril only wanted to lead a peaceful life as a researcher and coop herself up in the pharmacy to study new drugs. She didn¡¯t want reporters tailing her and keeping tabs on her private life.
Both of them were currently focusing on their careers, so they hadn¡¯t had any children yet. This greatly troubled Nora¡¯s aunt, Melissa Anderson. She urged, ¡°You¡¯re already 33 years old. If you put this off any longer, you¡¯ll face much higher pregnancy risks!¡±
Logan, who was next to them, said, ¡°Yeah, Mom¡¯s right, Sheril. I want a niece or a nephew too!¡±
Sheril looked at Kelvin.
Kelvin rubbed his nose and suddenly said, ¡°We¡¯ll try for a kid when Logan finds a girlfriend. There¡¯s no hurry¡¡±
His words diverted Melissa¡¯s attention at once. She turned straight to Logan and said, ¡°He¡¯s right! Howe you haven¡¯t found a single girlfriend yet?!¡±
Logan: ¡°!!¡±
His brother-inw was as devious as Justin!
The family¡¯s banter with one another was a heartwarming sight.
Nora smiled. Suddenly, someone leaned toward her. Solo asked, ¡°Hey, Anti. Why isn¡¯t Brenny here yet?¡±
Though he had found a proper job and was already in his early thirties, Solo surprisingly still looked as young and handsome as he did back then.
Nora raised her brows at his question.
She asked, ¡°It¡¯s already been so many years, but you still haven¡¯t seeded in wooing her?¡±
A bleak look shed across Solo¡¯s eyes.
He scratched his head and replied, ¡°Well, you know how it is. Both Brenny and I don¡¯t believe in marriage, so there¡¯s not much point in obsessing over whether I¡¯ve managed to woo her or not. I just haven¡¯t seen her in two months, so I miss her a lot¡¡±
Nora: ¡°¡¡±
The two of them could be said to be star-crossed lovers.
Solo had unknowingly been an aplice in the events that led to the death of Brenda¡¯s teammate, and Brenda simply couldn¡¯t get over it or let it go.
Nora asked curiously, ¡°Didn¡¯t she already let it go after that case from five years ago?¡±
Solo and Brenda had worked together that time to catch a criminal.
To protect Brenda, Solo had taken a bullet to the chest.
A tearful Brenda had called Nora in the middle of the night, who then hurried over in a helicopter to operate on Solo. Only then did he manage to escape death.
They had already reconciled in the hospital ward at that time.
Brenda had also finally relented and forgiven Solo!
The two had even gotten engaged¡
But for some unknown reason, the couple had separated againter.
Solo gave Nora a resigned smile when he heard her question.
At this point, they heard some noiseing from the entrance. The pair turned to see Brenda striding into the room.
Chapter 1041: A Birthday Party Filled With Big Bosses (4)
Chapter 1041: A Birthday Party Filled With Big Bosses (4)
Brenda hadn¡¯t changed much. She merely looked more mature now, which made her even more charming and alluring. Dressed in a short red formal dress, her hips twisted from side to side when she walked, forming a sensual and alluring sight.
The moment she entered, she attracted everyone¡¯s gaze.
Her lips curled into a smile. However, when her gaze flitted past Solo, she avoided his eyes slightly. Then, she went up to Nora with a smile and said, "Happy 18th birthday, Nora!"
Nora: "..."
She nced at Solo quietly and then yawned and said, "Yeah, thanks. Justin is looking for me. You guys go ahead and chat."
Then, she turned and left.
Brenda hurriedly followed after her. "Hey, Nora. It¡¯s been more than two months since west met. Don¡¯t you miss me?"
"Nope, but someone else does," replied Nora.
As soon as she said that, an aggrieved Solo followed Brenda at the side. He looked at her innocently and said, "Brenny, I miss you so much. Where were you thest two months?"
Brenda rolled her eyes. "You¡¯re simply so... We¡¯ve already broken up. Why are you still saying such mushy things?"
"I didn¡¯t agree to it..."
"Even so, we¡¯ve still broken up. If you pester me any further, you¡¯ll be a huge nuisance."
After speaking, Brenda¡¯s gaze swept across everyone in the room. Then, she sighed and said, "I thought there would be at least a few hotties at your birthday party, Nora, but they are all people I know. It¡¯s not going to be easy for me to hit on them!"
"..."
Nora hesitated for a moment. Her gaze also swept across the people in the room, eventually stopping when she spotted Morris Ford. She said, "I think Captain Ford is still single."
Brenda¡¯s eyes lit up. "Captain Ford is strong and muscr. He¡¯s much better than a certain somebody¡¯s tiny weak-a*s physique. What a pity that I still haven¡¯t had a taste of it.
"..."
After so many years of friendship, Nora now understood Brenda very well. The woman just liked mouthing off. She said awfullyscivious things, but she didn¡¯t have the guts to act on her words at all.
She didn¡¯t pay any more attention to the two of them but walked off to the side instead.
A well-behaved Philip Coleman was currently following after Iris at the back. Both of them had gotten on in years, and Philip had finally be much more at peace.
As he followed after Iris, he said, "Um, Iris. It¡¯s my birthday next month. Can youe for the celebration?"
Iris was gentle but firm as she answered, "It¡¯s too far. I¡¯m not going."
"... But I¡¯m hosting the birthday party right here in New York!"
Iris: "..."
Philip sighed and said, "I know I went overboard in the past, and I¡¯ve really reflected on my mistakes. Besides, I don¡¯t have a sessor to my Imperial League ount yet. How about... I mean, look at how outstanding Cherry, Pete, and Xander are. It doesn¡¯t make sense if they don¡¯t have ounts in there, right?"
Iris: "..."
The man might have imed that he had changed, but he could never resist attempting to bribe people with benefits.
She was about to reply when a voice reached them. "It¡¯s fine, they already have ounts, thanks."
Given that Justin was King, the boss of the Imperial League, how could the three little guys possibly not have ounts in there?
Joel¡¯s ount had been passed on to the Smiths.
Nora¡¯s "cat" ount would be Cherry¡¯s in the future.
Xander was already ted to be the next King, so the only one left without an ount was Pete. However, they could just add him to the groupter.
To join the Imperial League, one must obtain rmendations from three members... Alternatively, King could directly add them to the group, too.
No matter which method it was, there wouldn¡¯t be a problem.
Philip: "..."
He couldn¡¯t help but nce at Nora. He heaved a quiet sigh and asked, "Will youe to my birthday party next month?"
Iris: "..."
Philip lowered his head and sighed. "I don¡¯t have children and I have already aged. I¡¯m already in my fifties this year, and my nephews have started to eye my position... I don¡¯t have anyone who truly cares for me by my side anymore..."
However, Iris cut him off. "You have a ton of girls willing to bear you children even at your age, don¡¯t you?"
Philip paused.
Iris said seriously, "Once you age, you¡¯ll find that it really is very lonely if you don¡¯t have children. I already have grandchildren of my own, so I really am very content with my life now. But what about you? At my age, I can¡¯t conceive anymore. You should look for a young woman instead."
To be honest, this was also part of the reason she had been rejecting Philip¡¯s requests to reconcile all these years.
However, Philip¡¯s expression darkened. "Those women are only interested in my money. Is there any point in a life like that?! I¡¯d rather die old and alone than have a wife and kids like that."
At the bottom of it all, the man was still the same as before.
Iris looked at him. "Why do you insist on doing that to yourself?"
Philip looked back at her. "Then what about you? You have been living your entire life for your mother, your son, and now your grandchildren. When are you ever going to live for yourself? We are already approaching our sixties. Iris, ask yourself this¡ªdo you really not love me at all?"
"..."
Iris fell silent.
Seeing her reaction, Nora knew at once that Iris still had feelings for Philip.
It was just that everything that had happened in the past had eroded her passion.
She took a couple of steps back, thinking to herself that there was still a possibility of reconciliation between the two.
But when she turned her head, she saw two unfamiliar faces staring at her. Puzzled, Nora raised her brows. However, when she saw the cameras in their hands, she suddenly realized that they were reporters.
After keeping quiet for half a day, the reporters had reached their limit. In their opinion, Mrs. Hunt was likely the most easy-going person in the room. After all, among all the big bosses in there, she was the most down-to-earth.
Thus, they asked, "Mrs. Hunt, these people... Why are they so polite to you?"
Nora: "?"
Chapter 1042: A Birthday Party Filled With Big Bosses (5)
Chapter 1042: A Birthday Party Filled With Big Bosses (5)
Nora raised her brows. However, before she could answer, Lisa suddenly walked over. The woman, who was full of smiles, waspletely engrossed in her life as a surgeon these days. With her life happy and worry-free, she didn¡¯t notice the two reporters at all.
She said sincerely, "Happy birthday, Nora!"
Nora didn¡¯t pay any more attention to the reporters.
When she noticed the reporters, she immediately understood something.
Obviously, showing off his daughter wasn¡¯t enough for Justin, so he was also showing off his wife now.
The corners of her lips spasmed a little as she nodded at Lisa. Then, she said, "I heard you performed neurosurgeryst week. Was the patient..."
She began to ask questions rted to the professional know-how of the operation.
Lisa listened to her seriously. Toward the end, enlightenment dawned upon her and she eximed, "So, that¡¯s how it is! Nora, if I had discussed this with you beforehand, those post-surgery problems wouldn¡¯t have happened! I shouldn¡¯t have skipped discussing this with you when you¡¯re my mentor."
However, Nora shook her head and said, "If you discuss every operation with me beforehand, how are you going to learn and gain experience? Besides, your operations are already perfect as they are now!"
There was nock of patients in the country, so this was a good opportunity for Lisa to practice her skills and improve.
Although this wasn¡¯t very fair to the patients in her care before she fully matured as a surgeon, that was how reality worked. If Nora interfered with everything Lisa did, the young woman would never be able to stand on her own.
Besides, should she really meet with a crisis of life and death, Nora would help for sure anyway.
Lisa was already the top neurosurgeon in the country. She would eventually be a doctor whose skills were on par with Anti¡¯s!
After the discussion, Solo returned and started to pester Nora.
Lisa wisely stepped back.
The reporters took the opportunity to step forward at this point. They looked at Lisa and asked, "Dr. ck, why did you refer to Mrs. Hunt as your mentor? Isn¡¯t your mentor Dr. Anti?"
Lisa: "?"
Upon hearing the question, she looked at the reporters.
Only then did she notice the gadgets they were holding. When she thought of the joke going around the Inte recently, she smiled and replied, "Didn¡¯t you just answer the question yourself?"
The reporters: "?"
As they watched Lisa leave, the pair exchanged a look with each other, both their brains malfunctioning for a split second. Suddenly, a realization hit one of them. "Is Mrs. Hunt Dr. Anti?"
The other reporter replied, "I remember now! Anti hade to the States back then! Let me check the news from ten years ago!"
With that, the reporter started to look up news from ten years ago.
Cameras were already highly advanced then. So, when he saw news reports from that period...
As expected, Mrs. Hunt was indeed Dr. Anti!!
The pair looked somewhere a distance away where Quentin Smith and Lily were standing together. Though Quentin had suffered devastating injuries back then, he had regained the ability to stand now.
As Nora¡¯s assistant, Lily was an excellent surgeon. She was good-looking and knew exactly how to handle Quentin.
When Quentin and Lily noticed the reporters looking at them, they leaned closer to each other and posed with victory signs at them, seemingly hoping that the reporters would snap a picture for them.
After posing for a while, Quentin refused to do it anymore. He said, "Alright, alright, that¡¯s enough! You look so silly doing this!"
Lily retorted, "No matter how silly I look, I¡¯m not going to look sillier than you. Who¡¯s the one who imed that he was going to protect his cousin but ended up being protected by her in the end?"
Being reminded of how he had been a teen who harbored delusions of grandeur in the past, Quentin turned as red as a tomato. "Ugh, don¡¯t say any more..."
However, Lily stepped forward and pinched his cheek. "How rare, you¡¯re actually blushing. You don¡¯t even blush when we do it at night anymore... It¡¯s a good thing that Boss saved you and helped you regain mobility. Otherwise, how boring would it be if I¡¯m always the one on top?"
... Lily really hasn¡¯t changed at all, Quentin thought to himself.
He coughed and said, "Alright, it¡¯s your boss¡¯ birthday today, so quit the dirty jokes already! Go and give her your well-wishes!"
"... Fine!"
The reporters standing in the distance were bbergasted.
However, they quickly understood what was going on. "I see, so that¡¯s how it is! Mrs. Hunt is Dr. Anti, that¡¯s why she is so popr! Think about it, people can fall sick anytime. That¡¯s why it¡¯s imperative that people maintain cordial rtionships with her!"
It was just that...
Although these people were also friendly and polite to Lisa, why did they seem to be more respectful toward Mrs. Hunt?
Just as they were utterly perplexed, they heard the conversation between Solo, the world-famous hacker, and Nora.
"I¡¯m thinking of hacking into Brenny¡¯sputer to search for clues and see what exactly she¡¯s thinking. Can you disable your firewall?"
"No, I can¡¯t."
Nora rejected his request coldly.
A grumpy look appeared on Solo¡¯s face at once.
Nora looked at him. "You two should talk it out face-to-face if there¡¯s a problem. It¡¯s exactly because you didn¡¯t have any moral boundaries in the past and did whatever was asked of you, as long as you were paid for your services, that Barbarian sessfully made use of you to hurt her. Do you want that to happen again?"
Her censuring words made Solo hang his head, and he heaved a quiet sigh.
It was true that he acted with barely any moral boundaries in the past. Short of taking someone else¡¯s life, he had pretty much been willing to do just about anything.
He couldn¡¯t even realize when someone made use of him.
Now that he was officially employed, he faced restrictions in everything he did. He had originally been rather unhappy about that, but Nora¡¯s words made him realize something.
People shouldn¡¯t be allowed to do as they please all the time. Sometimes, restrictions are also a form of protection.
He nodded. "Alright."
After Nora left, Solo got ready to approach Brenda again. However, when he turned around, he immediately spotted the two reporters standing next to him. They looked at him hopefully and asked, "Mr. Solo, you are aputer expert and champion of a hackerpetition yourself, so why are you still begging Mrs. Hunt for help?"
Solo raised his brows. "Don¡¯t you guys know who she is? Try looking up the news from ten years ago!"
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Chapter 1043: A Birthday Party Filled With Big Bosses (6)
Chapter 1043: A Birthday Party Filled With Big Bosses (6)
News from ten years ago again?
The reporters traveling here and there for news scoops these days were no longer the same ones from ten years ago. Therefore, it was perfectly understandable that they wouldn¡¯t know of incidents that happened a decade ago.
When the reporters heard Solo, they again buried their heads into their phones to search for news from a decade ago.
And the moment they did...
Guess what they found.
Mrs. Hunt was actually Q?
Even though numerous experts had emerged in the world of hackers in thest few years, Q and Y¡¯s positions had remained rock-solid!
The reporters swallowed hard. They turned and looked at Nora in unison, finding the whole thing more and more unbelievable.
How did this happen?!
How could this be?!
As they looked at each other, they noticed Logan approaching Nora. He said, "A race ising up in a few days. They would like to invite you to join the panel of judges. Are you interested?"
"Nah."
Nora yawned and added, "I¡¯d rather sleep."
"..."
Logan pressed his lips together. Although he was unhappy, he nevertheless uttered an "oh". The reporters feigned nonchnce and slowly crept closer, where they heard Logan grumble, "A lot of people want to meet you, Yanci, and many of them are your fans. But I guess they just aren¡¯t lucky enough to get the chance, unlike me who lucked out because we¡¯re cousins."
The reporters: "!!!"
Were their ears ying tricks on them?!
Never mind that Mrs. Hunt was not only Anti but also Q. Was she Yanci too?
Didn¡¯t she have too many hidden identities?
Could she get any more amazing?!
And it didn¡¯t end there. The reporters even saw the most influential bigwig of the alternative medicine circleing over and addressing her as his mentor. Didn¡¯t that mean that she was that mysterious disciple of Dr. Zabe¡¯s?!
When they observed Karl and the others, they noticed that they also treated her exceptionally respectfully...
The reporters were dumbfounded.
The social status of Karl and the other guests¡ªsuch as the Queen and so on¡ªmeant that information on them was already beyond the limits of what the reporters could ess. Therefore, no matter how respectful they were to Mrs. Hunt, the reporters would never ever understand why.
Things had gonepletely beyond their wildest imagination.
There was no way Mrs. Hunt could possibly be a spy or a special agent, right?
The pair, who were utterly dumbfounded, shook in their boots as they hid in a corner... They felt like any of the big bosses in front of them could easily crush them with a mere finger.
Just as they were feeling lost and frightened, Justin suddenly appeared in front of them.
The reporters swallowed.
With his hands in his pockets, Justin nced at them and asked leisurely, "Didn¡¯t you want to interview me?"
One of the reporters was silly enough to ask, "M-Mr. Hunt, when did we request to interview you...?"
After all, Justin was someone high up in the air and usually remained low-key. The only times he ever behaved mboyantly were when he showed off his daughter. Therefore, he rarely ever epted interview requests from reporters.
However, the other reporter suddenly realized something and quickly said, "Yes, yes! We wanted to interview you!"
"Yeah, then let¡¯s get on with it."
Justin adjusted his tie and cleared his throat lightly.
The reporters: "..."
They couldn¡¯t help but be lost for words¡ªit wasn¡¯t like they had prepared a script!
The more quick-witted reporter of the two asked sheepishly, "Uh, Mr. Hunt, what... was the topic of our interview again?"
Justin nced at him and replied, "It¡¯s my wife¡¯s birthday today. Didn¡¯t you want to know about my rtionship with her?"
"Ah, yes, yes, that¡¯s right! What are yourments on that, Mr. Hunt?"
Justin¡¯s gaze shifted to the center of the venue where his wife was surrounded by the big bosses of various industries. As he watched her shuffle among the guestszily like a big boss, the corners of his lips curled into a smile and he said, "I¡¯m lucky to have her as my wife¡ªbecause otherwise, she would have been out of my league."
"..."
...
Amid the reporters¡¯ astonishment, the birthday party finally came to an end.
When the dumbfounded pair exited the party, a group of reporters outside immediately came forward and surrounded them.
It was Mrs. Hunt¡¯s birthday party that day, so it went without saying that all of them would be there.
When they saw the pair, looks of envy appeared on all of their faces. Someone asked, "Did you manage to take any pictures?"
"Yeah! Those big bosses only came because of Mr. Hunt, right?"
Someone even made a reference to the joke trending online and asked, "Did you guys manage to find out anything? So, why didn¡¯t Mrs. Hunt study properly?"
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Chapter 1044: Feelings That She Shouldnt Have
Chapter 1044: Feelings That She Shouldn¡¯t Have
The reporters: ¡°???¡±
The corners of their lips spasmed.
At the sight of their reaction, the other reporters immediately asked, ¡°Come on, what on earth happened inside? I heard that Mrs. Hunt didn¡¯t even graduate from elementary school. Did you guys manage to interview her?¡±
¡°¡ No, we didn¡¯t.¡±
The two reporters answered.
Disdain filled the other reporters at once. ¡°Meh, Mrs. Hunt is probably the most easy-going one in the party today because the rest are all big bosses¡ Yet you didn¡¯t even manage to interview her¡ Did you even manage to interview anyone?¡±
¡°¡ We interviewed Mr. Hunt.¡± The two reporters answered.
¡°¡¡±
After a moment of silence, a huge buzz went through the other reporters.
¡°What?¡±
¡°Mr. Hunt agreed to the interview?¡±
¡°How can that be?! Don¡¯t you know that Mr. Hunt is the hardest person to get an interview with?! Besides, most of the guests today only came because of Mr. Hunt, which goes to show just how impressive of a man he is¡ Why would he ept an interview request from you two¡?¡±
Someone even directly offered the two reporters cigarettes and asked ingratiatingly, ¡°Bro, did Mr. Hunt say anything? Can you tell us some of it? Come on, it won¡¯t hurt to share a little, right¡?¡±
The reporters: ¡°¡¡±
One of them scratched his head and said, ¡°Uh, actually, we are allowed to share the content of the interview.¡±
Justin had tasked them with it.
He wanted them all to ¡°rify the rumors¡± for his wife¡ªeven if he was just tantly showing off his wife throughout the whole interview, despite using the word ¡°rify¡±.
As for the two reporters, they had been utterly stunned after learning about Nora¡¯s true identities. They coughed and then said, ¡°Let¡¯s find somewhere and have an in-depth talk about this.¡±
¡ª
Though the party didn¡¯tst long, the guests had specially made their way over from various corners of the earth, so they didn¡¯t leave that early.
Fortunately, the Hunts¡¯ manor was more than spacious enough to house them.
The men gathered and chatted with one another.
The women also gathered by themselves.
Cheryl and Mia were ying with thetter¡¯s younger brother whom Tanya and Joel hadter conceived. The five-year-old boy was especially lively and adorable and loved sticking to Cheryl. He stared at her with rapture and said, ¡°You¡¯re so pretty, Cherry. Can you marry me when I grow up?¡±
The reporters: ¡°???¡±
The corners of their lips spasmed.
At the sight of their reaction, the other reporters immediately asked, ¡°Come on, what on earth happened inside? I heard that Mrs. Hunt didn¡¯t even graduate from elementary school. Did you guys manage to interview her?¡±
¡°¡ No, we didn¡¯t.¡±
The two reporters answered.
Disdain filled the other reporters at once. ¡°Meh, Mrs. Hunt is probably the most easy-going one in the party today because the rest are all big bosses¡ Yet you didn¡¯t even manage to interview her¡ Did you even manage to interview anyone?¡±
¡°¡ We interviewed Mr. Hunt.¡± The two reporters answered.
¡°¡¡±
After a moment of silence, a huge buzz went through the other reporters.
¡°What?¡±
¡°Mr. Hunt agreed to the interview?¡±
¡°How can that be?! Don¡¯t you know that Mr. Hunt is the hardest person to get an interview with?! Besides, most of the guests today only came because of Mr. Hunt, which goes to show just how impressive of a man he is¡ Why would he ept an interview request from you two¡?¡±
Someone even directly offered the two reporters cigarettes and asked ingratiatingly, ¡°Bro, did Mr. Hunt say anything? Can you tell us some of it? Come on, it won¡¯t hurt to share a little, right¡?¡±
The reporters: ¡°¡¡±
One of them scratched his head and said, ¡°Uh, actually, we are allowed to share the content of the interview.¡±
Justin had tasked them with it.
He wanted them all to ¡°rify the rumors¡± for his wife¡ªeven if he was just tantly showing off his wife throughout the whole interview, despite using the word ¡°rify¡±.
As for the two reporters, they had been utterly stunned after learning about Nora¡¯s true identities. They coughed and then said, ¡°Let¡¯s find somewhere and have an in-depth talk about this.¡±
¡ª
Though the party didn¡¯tst long, the guests had specially made their way over from various corners of the earth, so they didn¡¯t leave that early.
Fortunately, the Hunts¡¯ manor was more than spacious enough to house them.
The men gathered and chatted with one another.
The women also gathered by themselves.
Cheryl and Mia were ying with thetter¡¯s younger brother whom Tanya and Joel hadter conceived. The five-year-old boy was especially lively and adorable and loved sticking to Cheryl. He stared at her with rapture and said, ¡°You¡¯re so pretty, Cherry. Can you marry me when I grow up?¡±
¡°¡Sure!¡± replied Cheryl.
Her reply made the little guy jump up and down in delight. Then, he looked around and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Pete?¡±
It wasn¡¯t a milestone birthday for Nora today, so it wasn¡¯t a particrly formal celebration party. As Pete was doing research work overseas, he didn¡¯t specially return for the party.
Come to think of it, Peter had already been away for a very long while.
Cheryl pouted and replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know. He seems very busy, though. I think his research is in a very crucial phase right now, so he doesn¡¯t even contact us now¡¡±
Cheryl nced at Mia carefully after she spoke. Though thetter didn¡¯t show any particr reaction, Cheryl noticed that there was ultimately still some disappointment in her eyes. Thus, she said, ¡°He didn¡¯t evene back for mypetition a while back! My club is already the champion in the country, though, so we¡¯ll be going overseas topete next month. Thepetition happens to be in the same city that Pete is currently living in, so I¡¯ll visit him then! I¡¯ll tell him to call Mia!¡±
Mia¡¯s cheeks turned red immediately. ¡°N-no, you don¡¯t have to¡¡±
The girl was soft-spoken, and her face was small with a pointed chin, making her the picture of a ssic beauty. She said, ¡°Um, I suddenly recall that I still have some assignments toplete. I¡¯ll get going now.¡±
Mia got up. After notifying Tanya and Joel, she left immediately.
Cheryl was a little stunned to see her like this.
It seemed like Mia¡¯s eyes had reddened just now?
However, ever since they grew up, the rtionship between Pete and Mia had be rather strange.
She heaved a quiet sigh. When she suddenly noticed that Joel and Ian had gone to the balcony, she followed after them. However, the moment she went near, she heard Joel say, ¡°Dad, I¡¯m thinking of giving half of the Smith Corporation¡¯s shares to Nora.¡±
Ian was taken aback. ¡°Why?¡±
Then, he frowned and asked, ¡°Did your parents approach you again?¡±
Joel kept quiet for a moment before he finally replied, ¡°¡ They want Warren to inherit the family business.¡±
¡°Fools!¡± Ian cursed furiously. Then, he sighed and said, ¡°No matter what, you will always be a Smith in my eyes, Joel!¡±
However, Joel hesitated for a moment and then said, ¡°But I¡¯m ultimately just an adopted child¡¡±
¡°Hah!¡± Ian sneered and said, ¡°So what even if you¡¯re adopted? Does that make you any worse than a child with blood ties to the family? It¡¯s not always blood ties that make a family, a family¡ When they couldn¡¯t conceive and secretly adopted you back then, they told everyone that you were their biological son. Yet when they finally managed to conceive their own child, they abandoned you¡ You don¡¯t need parents like them!¡±
Joel clenched his jaw.
Childhood memories flooded his mind.
As the eldest child of the Smiths, the family had had high hopes for him since he was little.
But he could never understand why his parents treated his younger brother so well but were always so callous toward him, and even wished for his death at times.
It wasn¡¯t until he heard the real reason one day that he finally understood¡ªhe was adopted.
In the fight with Ian over the inheritance of family assets, children were also a bargaining chip. Therefore, his father had never once told outsiders about it. It could be said that there were no more than five people who were aware of the truth.
Even his cousins and siblings among the Smiths were not aware of it.
Back then, when Ian wanted to adopt a child from among his siblings¡¯ families, he had selected him. Joel¡¯s parents had gotten into a huge row with Ian because of this, and it was also during that incident that Joel learned the truth.
¡ª
On the way back to the Smiths¡¯, Mia held her cell phone in the car, unable to make up her mind for the longest time.
She missed Pete very much.
She knew that she had developed some feelings for Pete that she shouldn¡¯t have¡ He must have sensed it too, right? That was why he had distanced himself from her¡
They hadn¡¯t contacted each other for over a year.
She had been studying very hard in hopes of enrolling in Harvard, so that she could visit the school that Pete had studied in and also go abroad after that¡ but she didn¡¯t dare to tell anyone.
From Cheryl¡¯s perspective, it seemed that Mia and Pete had fallen out, but in truth, that wasn¡¯t the case.
She heaved a quiet sigh and put down her cell phone in the end.
These feelings shouldn¡¯t exist. She would just hide them deep down in her heart¡ and keep them from being discovered by others.
¡°¡Sure!¡± replied Cheryl.
Her reply made the little guy jump up and down in delight. Then, he looked around and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Pete?¡±
It wasn¡¯t a milestone birthday for Nora today, so it wasn¡¯t a particrly formal celebration party. As Pete was doing research work overseas, he didn¡¯t return for the party.
Come to think of it, Peter had already been away for a very long while.
Cheryl pouted and replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know. He seems very busy, though. I think his research is in a very crucial phase right now, so he doesn¡¯t even contact us now¡¡±
Cheryl nced at Mia carefully after she spoke. Though thetter didn¡¯t show any particr reaction, Cheryl noticed that there was ultimately still some disappointment in her eyes. Thus, she said, ¡°He didn¡¯t evene back for mypetition a while back! My club is already the champion in the country, though, so we¡¯ll be going overseas topete next month. Thepetition happens to be in the same city that Pete is currently living in, so I¡¯ll visit him then! I¡¯ll tell him to call Mia!¡±
Mia¡¯s cheeks turned red immediately. ¡°N-no, you don¡¯t have to¡¡±
The girl was soft-spoken, and her face was small with a pointed chin, making her the picture of a ssic beauty. She said, ¡°Um, I suddenly recall that I still have some assignments toplete. I¡¯ll get going now.¡±
Mia got up. After notifying Tanya and Joel, she left immediately.
Cheryl was a little stunned to see her like this.
It seemed like Mia¡¯s eyes had reddened just now?
However, ever since they grew up, the rtionship between Pete and Mia had be rather strange.
She heaved a quiet sigh. When she suddenly noticed that Joel and Ian had gone to the balcony, she followed after them. However, the moment she went near, she heard Joel say, ¡°Dad, I¡¯m thinking of giving half of the Smith Corporation¡¯s shares to Nora.¡±
Ian was taken aback. ¡°Why?¡±
Then, he frowned and asked, ¡°Did your parents approach you again?¡±
Joel kept quiet for a moment before he finally replied, ¡°¡ They want Warren to inherit the family business.¡±
¡°Fools!¡± Ian cursed furiously. Then, he sighed and said, ¡°No matter what, you will always be a Smith in my eyes, Joel!¡±
However, Joel hesitated for a moment and then said, ¡°But I¡¯m ultimately just an adopted child¡¡±
¡°Hah!¡± Ian sneered and said, ¡°So what even if you¡¯re adopted? Does that make you any worse than a child with blood ties to the family? It¡¯s not always blood ties that make a family, a family¡ When they couldn¡¯t conceive and secretly adopted you back then, they told everyone that you were their biological son. Yet when they finally managed to conceive their own child, they abandoned you¡ You don¡¯t need parents like them!¡±
Joel clenched his jaw.
Childhood memories flooded his mind.
As the eldest child of the Smiths, the family had had high hopes for him since he was little.
But he could never understand why his parents treated his younger brother so well but were always so callous toward him, and even wished for his death at times.
It wasn¡¯t until he heard the real reason one day that he finally understood¡ªhe was adopted.
In the fight with Ian over the inheritance of family assets, children were also a bargaining chip. Therefore, his father had never once told outsiders about it. It could be said that there were no more than five people who were aware of the truth.
Even his cousins and siblings among the Smiths were not aware of it.
Back then, when Ian wanted to adopt a child from among his siblings¡¯ families, he had selected him. Joel¡¯s parents had gotten into a huge row with Ian because of this, and it was also during that incident that Joel had learned of the truth.
¡ª
On the way back to the Smiths¡¯, Mia held her cell phone in the car, unable to make up her mind for the longest time.
She missed Pete very much.
She knew that she had developed some feelings for Pete that she shouldn¡¯t have¡ He must have sensed it too, right? That was why he had distanced himself from her¡
They hadn¡¯t contacted each other for over a year.
She had been studying very hard in hopes of enrolling in Harvard, so that she could visit the school that Pete had studied in and also go abroad after that¡ but she didn¡¯t dare to tell anyone.
From Cheryl¡¯s perspective, it seemed that Mia and Pete had fallen out, but in truth, that wasn¡¯t the case.
She heaved a quiet sigh and put down her cell phone in the end.
These feelings shouldn¡¯t exist. She would just hide them deep down in her heart¡ and keep them from being discovered by others.
Chapter 1045: Abducted!!
Chapter 1045: Abducted!!
Mia tried to suppress her pining for Pete.
Soon, she arrived back home. She entered her study unhappily, opened up her practice papers, and began to go through them.
Even if they were not meant to be, she still wanted to chase after him and experience what he had experienced.
Mia began to study seriously.
To others, having a crush might be painful and might get one down. However, to Mia, this was her only motivation in life.
After studying for a long while, Mia gradually started to nod off.
Soon, she fell asleep at her desk.
However, it was at this moment that her cell phone suddenly beeped. On the disy, the notification showed that she had received a text message. The sender was Pete.
¡ª
At the Hunts¡¯.
As it gradually gotte, people who were supposed to leave left, and people who were supposed to rest went to rest for the night.
Nora sat in the living room and looked at Queenie.
Her aunt had also stayed single thest few years, but she remembered that she had once told her that she had a crush on someone.
Nora, who thought that she had been talking about Ian, said to Queenie, "Since you¡¯ve returned to the States, why not continue staying here, Aunt Queenie?"
She didn¡¯t mind Ian and Queenie bing a couple if it meant that it would lessen the pain for both of them.
However, Queenie raised her brows and replied, "Nah."
"Why?"
Nora walked up to her. For the first time ever, thezy woman took the initiative to be a matchmaker. She said, "Dad has been alone all these years too. If you want, I can help you woo him."
Queenie was taken aback. "Why would I woo your dad?"
Nora asked hesitantly, "Aren¡¯t you in love with him?"
Queenie: "?"
She stared at Nora in a daze. It was only after a short while that she finally recovered. "When did I ever say that I¡¯m in love with him?" She eximed.
"... You told mest time that you have had a crush on someone for many, many years."
Queenie burst intoughter. "Even so, that person is not your dad!"
"Then who is it?"
Nora asked curiously.
Queenie¡¯s cheeks suddenly turned red. After a while, she finally sighed and replied, "My feelings are considered taboo in this society, so I¡¯ve never told anyone about it before. Besides, the person I¡¯m in love with is already dead."
Nora: "!!"
As it turned out, she had misunderstood!
As Ian had been friendly to Queenie, and Queenie had also treated Ian well and even shown a lot of concern for his health, Nora had ended up misunderstanding.
Queenie, who seemed to notice her puzzlement, smiled and exined, "Mr. Smith and I are friends because the people we cared about, cared about us."
"People we cared about" was referring to Yvette.
"Cared about us" was referring to Ian and Queenie.
Nora looked at her with a puzzled look.
However, Queenie looked away.
In this instant, Nora suddenly understood who Queenie was in love with...
She retracted her gaze at once and said with a smile, "Aunt Queenie, I, like Mom, also hope that you can live for yourself."
"Yeah."
Queenie nodded. Then, she noticed an unfamiliar-looking man on the balcony nearby.
After a pause, she asked, "Is that Trueman?"
"Yeah."
Nora kept nothing from Queenie.
After the cosmetic surgery, Trueman now lookedpletely different from how he did back then. He was currently pestering Justin and trying to convince him to agree to a business deal. He said, "This is my first time doing business. What¡¯s the big deal about working with me this once?"
Justin was about to reply when
Trueman grumbled, "You¡¯re my younger brother, you know! And one rted by blood, no less!"
Uh...
Despite ten years going by, Justin had never once told Trueman the truth, in case thetter used his position as his uncle to take advantage of him.
Nora, who was aware of Justin¡¯s devious thoughts, broke into a smile.
While the few of them were chatting, they suddenly heard a hasty knocking at the door.
When the butler opened the door, Tanya and Joel hurriedly entered with Mia, who said, "Pete is in trouble!"
The look in Nora¡¯s eyes turned serious at once. "What?"
Mia said, "I... I received a text message from Pete earlier this evening. In the message, he asked me how I¡¯m doing and said that he misses the pot roast I made... but this is our secret code!"
Her eyes were wide in fear and shock, and she was shaking all over. "This sentence means that he has been abducted!!"
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continue reading tomorrow, everyone!
Chapter 1046: Going to Peter
Chapter 1046: Going to Peter
He had been abducted?
Nora narrowed her eyes and looked at Justin immediately.
Both of them reacted the same way.
Others might not know that much, but Nora knew this very well¡ªPete had been learning martial arts from Quinn for years and was already a skilled martial artist with pretty good moves by now.
Otherwise, Justin wouldn¡¯t have had the peace of mind to let him go abroad for further studies while hiding his identity.
But why had he been abducted?
Who had abducted him?
Nora immediately turned on herputer and searched for the location where Pete¡¯s cell phone signal had been when he sent the text message. When she did, she discovered that the location from where he had sent the text message was theboratory where he was studying and doing research work.
Nora¡¯s expression turned solemn.
After a moment¡¯s hesitation, she finally said, ¡°Pete is likely fine.¡±
Justin nodded. ¡°If someone wanted to capture him, they would need at least a dozen people attacking him at the same time, but this would cause too great amotion. Since there is no sign of Pete putting up resistance, there are two possible scenarios.¡±
¡°What are they?¡±
Mia asked anxiously.
Justin had already sent his men to theboratory to investigate, but they hadn¡¯t found any signs of struggle there. This was also the case a few hours ago; all they found were people reporting for work and knocking off work as usual.
He lowered his gaze and replied, ¡°Pete either gave up resistance because there were too many enemies, or he deliberately allowed himself to be captured.¡±
Nora was also of the same opinion.
However, Mia was still very anxious. ¡°Why would he allow himself to be captured on purpose? It¡¯s not like he doesn¡¯t know better!¡±
Even though she was terribly anxious, the adults were not surprised by her reaction.
After all, next to Nora and Justin¡¯s trio of mutants, every other child seemed a little immature. Besides, Mia had always been timid since she was little.
Nora said, ¡°Think about it carefully. Since he could send you a signal before he was captured, what does this mean?¡±
Mia paused for a moment and then answered, ¡°It means that Pete didn¡¯tpletely lose the freedom to move and act.¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
Nora continued to gently exin things to her. She said, ¡°If he wanted to resist the other party, he could have just texted Justin or me and told us directly that he had been captured, as well as who the abductors are, but he didn¡¯t. What does this mean?¡±
Mia thought carefully for a while and finally realized what she meant. She replied, ¡°It means that Pete has temporarily fallen under someone¡¯s control, but he can still ess electronic devices. His freedom has not been fully restricted, but he is unable to report the situation to outsiders. That¡¯s why he decided to use the secret code method!¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Nora nodded and said, ¡°This means that he is not in a life-threatening situation for the time being.¡±
Mia breathed a sigh of relief. Even so, she was still awfully anxious. She said, ¡°Aunt Nora, hurry up and save Pete!¡±
Nora: ¡°¡¡±
Actually, she didn¡¯t think that the situation was that serious.
Moreover, Justin had also assigned Pete secret bodyguards when he went abroad. However, the bodyguards hadn¡¯t reported anything out of the ordinary so far, which meant that Pete was definitely still in theboratory.
She nodded. ¡°Okay, tomorrow, I¡¯ll¡¡±
But before she could finish, Mia said, ¡°I¡¯ve already asked Dad to get a jet ready. Why don¡¯t we go over right away?¡±
Nora: ¡°???¡±
The corners of Justin¡¯s lips also spasmed. He said, ¡°We don¡¯t have to be in such a hurry. I¡¯ve already received news from the secret bodyguards. They have confirmed his presence¡ªhe really is working overtime in theb.¡±
However, Mia said very seriously, ¡°Aunt Nora, Uncle Justin, don¡¯t you understand what Pete is like? If he hadn¡¯t been captured, he wouldn¡¯t have texted me! Also, Pete alwayses back for Aunt Nora¡¯s birthday every year, yet he suddenly skipped it this year. This is already very odd in itself. So, let¡¯s go over there right away!¡±
¡°¡¡±
Under Mia¡¯s urging, the group set out in the jet overnight and headed to Manchester in the UK, where Pete currently was.
In the jet, Nora slept the whole way there.
However, the jet was awfully ufortable. After they got off and she confirmed with Justin once more that Pete was not in any danger, she decided to go to a hotel and catch up on sleep.
However, Mia kept urging the two of them. ¡°Aunt Nora, let¡¯s go to Pete¡¯sb right away! Even just a nce at him would do!¡±
Nora: ¡°¡¡±
What could she do? Mia was timid and soft-spoken. She usually didn¡¯t have much presence at home, yet for some reason, be it Nora, Justin, or even Tanya and Joel, none of them could say no to her.
No matter what request Mia made, all of them would agree to it.
Thus, the group went straight to theboratory where Peter was.
Chapter 1047: Mia Cares For Me the Most in the Whole Family
Chapter 1047: Mia Cares For Me the Most in the Whole Family
The moment they arrived at theboratory, they happened to run into a group of people who had just woken up and were getting ready to go for breakfast.
The group stopped the trio at the entrance and asked, "Ourpany is not a ce where any Tom, Dick, or Harry can enter. Who are you?"
Mia replied, "We¡¯re here to look for my elder brother. He¡¯s in there right now. These are my parents. We¡¯re here on vacation..."
The security guard nced at Nora and Justin and then sneered, "Are you kidding me?"
Mia: "?"
The security guard said, "These two look so young. The woman can only be your elder sister at best! How can they possibly be your parents?!"
Mia: "???"
In order to minimize potential trouble, she was pretending to be Cheryl.
That was why she had imed that Nora and Justin were her parents.
Yet the security guard wasn¡¯t taking her word for it?
The security guard then pointed at Nora and said, "She looks twenty years old at best. How can she possibly have a child as old as you? And this guy..."
The security guard pointed at Justin and said, "He¡¯s probably only about thirty years old?"
Justin was wearing a suit and had a stern look on his face. Even though his facial features looked young, he didn¡¯t look like a twenty-year-oldd still wet behind the ears.
Therefore, while the security guard might be persuaded to believe that Justin was Mia¡¯s father, there was no way he was going to believe that Nora was her mother.
"..."
A grouchy look took over Justin¡¯s face.
The security guard had outright made him and Nora people from two different generations. They were about the same age, alright?!
Mia exined, "It¡¯s true... They just look younger than most other people, that¡¯s all."
She took out their ID documents and showed them to the security guard. "My mom is already 34 years old this year. She gave birth to us when she was 19..."
The security guard examined the ID closely, flipping it over and over as he stared at it. Atst, he believed Mia¡¯s words and said, "Alright, I guess. Security is strict in theb, so outsiders are not allowed into the premises. I¡¯ll call Peter Hunt outside instead."
Asking him toe out...?
Then this would at least mean that Pete was free to move about.
Mia heaved a sigh of relief.
The security guard then went into the reception room and summoned Peter. About five minutester, Peter jogged over to the main entrance.
The fifteen-year-old young man was tall and handsome.
As he was going through a growth spurt, his height made him look awfully skinny as though he didn¡¯t have much strength.
He wore a loose t-shirt, and one could even faintly see the protruding shape of his spine.
Upon seeing the smile on the boy¡¯s good-looking face, Nora was relieved, and she felt that the tiring night was all worth it.
"Dad! Mom! Mia! You¡¯re here!"
Pete stopped and panted for a while. Then, he returned to his usual calm demeanor and greeted the trio.
He looked at the security guard and said, "These are my parents and younger sister. They already notified me long ago that they would be here for a vacation. Surely I can go for breakfast with them, right?"
The security guard stared hard at Pete and then replied, "Yeah, go ahead. It must have been a while since you guys met, so I¡¯m sure you miss your family. Have a good chat with them."
He emphasized the word "chat".
Peter, however, seemed to understand something. He nodded and said, "Sure."
Then, he went up to Nora and pointed at a caf¨¦ opposite the road. "Let¡¯s have breakfast there!"
The group went to the caf¨¦.
After ordering food, they settled down at a table. Justin asked coldly, "What on earth are you up to?"
Not only was Peter able to leave theboratory for breakfast, but judging from how he looked, it was obvious that he hadn¡¯t run into terrible trouble. In that case, he¡¯d best give him a good exnation for sending such a text message to Mia in the middle of the night. Otherwise, Justin wasn¡¯t going to let him off for disturbing Nora¡¯s beauty sleep.
Peter was still rather scared of his father.
After all... he couldn¡¯t beat him in a fight yet. He was still too young!
But once he could beat him... ahem.
Peter dismissed his thoughts and looked at them. "I really have run into trouble!"
"If you¡¯ve run into trouble, couldn¡¯t you juste to us directly? Why did you send Mia such a text messagete at night and frighten her so badly?"
Nora frowned in displeasure.
Mia had been awfully pale the whole way there and had looked terribly frightened.
Peter coughed lightly and gave Mia an apologetic look. Then, he couldn¡¯t help but heave a quiet sigh and say somewhat resentfully, "If I had sent you two the message instead, would the two of you havee over? In the entire family, Mia cares for my safety the most. If I contact her, you guys will definitelye."
Mia¡¯s cheeks turned red when she heard the words "cares for my safety the most".
She subconsciously looked at Nora and Justin. When she saw that neither of them had detected the hidden meaning of the words, she breathed a silent sigh of relief and then looked at Peter with infatuation in her eyes.
As for Nora and Justin, both of them were rather speechless.
Come to think of it, It was true that had Peter contacted them directly, they might not havee over once they learned of the situation!
Nora felt somewhat guilty.
Justin, however, was thick-skinned enough to continue pulling a long face. "Alright, that¡¯s enough. Get to the point."
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Chapter 1048: To Help or Not to Help?
Chapter 1048: To Help or Not to Help?
Peter turned serious.
He had always been simr in personality to Justin¡ªafter all, thetter had raised him single-handedly. Peter said seriously, ¡°Theb is forcibly keeping its employees here.¡±
His words made Nora raise her brows. ¡°Forcibly?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
Peter exined, ¡°They refuse to let the employees leave. Now that you guys are here, I reckon they¡¯ll also start monitoring you. They will never let me return to the States¡ªafter all, I¡¯m one of the talents they specially picked. They gave me a lot of benefits and even promised me real estate. The sry is also high¡¡±
But was he someone short of money?
Peter had never revealed his true identity to outsiders, that was all.
Nora said, ¡°You didn¡¯t make use all the way here just because of that, did you?¡± Not only was Peter a skilled martial artist himself, but he also had a few other guards by his side. He could easily escape anytime, so he didn¡¯t need to have them personally make a trip here if it was just about that.
A disapproving Justin also remarked, ¡°You can¡¯t even get away by yourself when the surveince is thisx? How useless!¡±
Peter: ¡°¡¡±
The corners of his lips spasmed and he nced at Mia.
Now that he had grown up, he didn¡¯t like being embarrassed in front of others. In particr, he was especially unustomed to being chastised by his parents in front of Mia.
He touched his nose¡ªthe boy had also picked up Justin¡¯s little habits¡ªand answered, ¡°I¡¯m not talking about myself.¡±
¡°My colleagues are affected too.¡±
He looked up at Nora and said, ¡°Mom, I have 23 colleagues from America who are also facing the same situation. All of them are Harvard and MIT graduates. After they left the country to pursue further studies, they didn¡¯t return to America even once. Because of this, they were even med byizens on the Inte, but not all of them had stayed here of their own volition. It¡¯s because they ended up bing exposed to high-end industries under their lecturer¡¯s guidance when they were still university students, resulting in them being forced to stay here and being forbidden from returning to America.
¡°They want to go back too¡¡±
¡°There are many others like them.¡±
There were already 23 such cases in Peter¡¯s school alone. Moreover, most of them had even gotten married and started a family there, so they wanted to return to their country with their wives, husbands, and children.
But there was only so much Peter could do.
He had no problem escaping by himself¡ªin fact, he could even take two or three people with him¡ªbut he couldn¡¯t take all of them with him.
All 23 of his colleagues wanted to leave this ce with him. It wouldn¡¯t be right, no matter who he abandoned or took with him.
So¡ In case of trouble, Mom was the person to go to.
He was only fifteen. It was perfectly normal that he wouldn¡¯t be able to resolve such a serious problem.
Nora: ¡°¡¡±
Justin also fell silent.
Peter gave Mia a look.
Mia immediately said gently to Nora, ¡°Aunt Nora, those people are so pitiful. Like Pete, all of them obviously want to go home, but not only are they unable to, their own countrymen misunderstood them and even called them traitors¡ I¡¯m sure their parents miss them a lot too.¡±
¡°¡ Fine, let¡¯s help them,¡± Nora said.
¡°How many do we help?¡± Peter asked.
Nora looked at him. ¡°Since we¡¯ve decided to help, then we must get every one of them out.¡±
Then, she cocked her head to the side and suddenly chuckled. ¡°Well, would you look at that? We¡¯ve gotpany. Since they have already set their sights on us, let¡¯s visit yourb and have a look!¡±
¡°Okay.¡±
After breakfast, the group went to theboratory entrance. Peter said, ¡°My parents and little sister haven¡¯t settled their amodation arrangements yet. Is it possible to let them stay in theboratory¡¯s lounge?¡±
The security guard looked at Nora and Justin and then replied, ¡°Give me a minute. I¡¯ll have to ask the higher-ups about that.¡±
With a walkie-talkie in his hand, he stepped aside and asked, ¡°Do I let them in, sir?¡±
The person on the other end replied, ¡°Let them in. Three small and skinny weaklings like them aren¡¯t going to be much of a threat, if at all. Don¡¯t get so nervous just because they are Americans; only the Big Brother of the Irvin School of Martial Arts and the Big Sister of the Quinn School of Martial Arts can pose a threat to us. The rest are no problem!¡±
¡°Yes, sir!¡±
Thus, the security guards let them in. None of them knew just what kind of monsters they had allowed into theboratory.
Chapter 1049: Black Cat
Chapter 1049: ck Cat
Rather than aboratory, Peter¡¯s workce was actually more like a research center.
As they went deeper into the facility, just on the way to the lounge alone, Nora observed that there were already about a few hundred people guarding the ce. From the looks of it, Peter and the others were doing research on something extremely important.
There were also a lot of employees¡ªat least a thousand of them¡ªin the research center.
Therefore, the research center had its own employee dormitories and canteen.
The families of most of the people under surveince also lived and worked there, so they couldn¡¯t leave even if they wanted to.
When they reached the lounge, Peter said, "Rest here. I¡¯ll bring you guys around and let you meet those people when lunchtimees. I¡¯ll give them a heads-up first, too."
"Okay."
After sleeping the morning away, when lunchtime approached, the trio went to the canteen with Peter. There, Nora met the 23 people in question.
The group was both excited and nervous.
But some of them looked clearly uneasy.
"What¡¯s wrong?" Nora asked.
Peter answered, "For some of them, their family members aren¡¯t here, but would also like to leave with us."
Nora broke into a frown. After a moment of contemtion, she exchanged a look with Justin and then said, "How about this? Get their families¡¯ addresses and give them to me. I¡¯ll send people to pick them up."
Peter nodded and went to talk to the others.
After a while, he came back again. The boy, who still looked as troubled as before, asked, "Must we act tonight, Mom?"
"Yeah."
For one, by taking action quickly, it was highly likely that they could get away before the people outside even realized what had happened.
For another, she wanted to go home earlier to sleep!
She couldn¡¯t possibly stay here just because of one or two people.
Peter said, "Actually, a few of them haven¡¯t made up their minds yet. After all, taking their families and children with them and leaving the country is a big decision. They are not sure whether their wives would agree to it."
Nora thought for a moment and finally said, "Get them to give me their addresses. I¡¯ll send people to pick them up at 1 a.m. tonight..."
She raised her head and looked at Peter intently. "If they want to leave, then have their families disy the national g at the entrance of their homes. If it¡¯s inconvenient for them to disy the g, or if they don¡¯t have one at home, they can draw stars and stripes on a piece of paper and put that up instead."
Her words took Peter by surprise.
Stars and stripes...
He suddenly smiled and said, "Okay, got it."
In this instant, Peter suddenly felt immensely proud of having a mother like Nora.
He looked back and ryed Nora¡¯s instructions to the others.
Then, he coted everyone¡¯s addresses and handed them to Nora.
As Nora stared at the addresses, she lowered her gaze.
In the afternoon, when they returned to the hotel, she immediately dialed Karl¡¯s number. "We have a new mission."
Karl immediately asked, "What is it?"
"Picking people up."
Without any hesitation whatsoever, Karl answered, "No problem."
After hanging up the phone, he gave out orders to ck Panther and Abbott. Both men immediately became excited. "Do we get to meet ck Cat this time?"
To chase after his idol, Abbott had joined Karl¡¯s team.
Unfortunately, ck Cat hadn¡¯t been in action much these recent years, so he hadn¡¯t managed to meet his idol yet. ck Panther said, "When Nora impersonated ck Cat back then, she did a pretty good job... Never mind, I¡¯m going to meet the real ck Cat this time! I wonder who¡¯s more impressive, Nora or ck Cat?"
As Karl stared at them, the corners of his lips couldn¡¯t help but spasm.
ck Cat¡¯s identity was sensitive¡ªafter all, she had taken so many lives, so it went without saying that her identity must be kept a secret¡ªso he hadn¡¯t told these two dummies the truth yet.
Upon hearing what they said, Karl cleared his throat and nodded. "Alright, get going now!"
Chapter 1050: Escape!
Chapter 1050: Escape!
At 4 a.m.
The hour right before daybreak was when people were the sleepiest.
In spite of that, Nora opened her eyes punctually. When she sat up, Justin, who was beside her, also sat up.
After exchanging a look with each other, Nora went to wash up leisurely. She put her hair up into a ponytail and stretched as she remarked, ¡°It¡¯s been a while since Ist did anything taxing. I should go get some good exercise tonight.¡±
¡°Yeah. How do you want to go about it?¡±
A doting Justin asked.
Nora blinked and replied, ¡°It¡¯d be really boring if we just leave quietly by ourselves. We should make them pay for what they¡¯ve done. After all, they kept Pete captive for so long. We shouldn¡¯t let them off the hook that easily, right?¡±
Justin smiled. ¡°Got it.¡±
Justin hadn¡¯t passed down his social connections to Pete yet. As for Pete himself, he was only fifteen years old, so he hadn¡¯t established his own connections yet. He was still in the phase of looking for reliable subordinates of his own.
Therefore, it was indeed rather hard for Pete to save his colleagues.
But to Nora and Justin, the same task was as easy as ABC.
The couple stepped out of the room and went next door to look for Mia. However, when they went over, they realized that she wasn¡¯t in the room.
¡°Oh, right. Mia said she would be with Pete tonight to help him with the logistical arrangements,¡± said Nora.
¡°Yeah, okay.¡±
The two then headed down leisurely.
The security guard at the lounge entrance had already fallen asleep. The middle-ageddy¡¯s head nodded forward again and again as she dozed. Nora and Justin, who had decided to openly leave through the door, then took out their cell phones and held them up to the scanner at the entrance, where the ss doors immediately opened.
The two stepped out.
The sky was dim and gray as daybreak slowly approached.
The two went to Pete¡¯s dormitory.
As soon as they arrived, they saw that Pete and the others had already assembled on the ground floor. All of them looked tired and weary. It was obvious that they hadn¡¯t slept the whole night because they were too nervous.
Nora yawned and signaled to Pete.
Pete immediately nodded and led the way in front. As he walked, he exined, ¡°I¡¯ve already scouted out the area nearby¡ªthere are no security cameras along this route. There¡¯s an iron gate in front, though, and the key is with the captain of the security officers.¡±
Nora raised her brows. ¡°If you had told me earlier, I¡¯d have gone to retrieve it.¡±
When Pete heard her, he let out a sneaky chuckle and fished out a key from his pocket. ¡°I already swiped the key a long time ago and duplicated it.¡±
Well done, thought Nora. As expected of her son, indeed.
In this instant, it urred to Nora that Pete did have the ability to bring his colleagues out of the research center. It was just that he couldn¡¯t ensure their sessful escape once they left.
When Justin saw the look of approval in Nora¡¯s eyes, he immediately poured cold water and said, ¡°They must have realized what you were up to, right? That¡¯s why you panicked and got us here to clean up your mess.¡±
Pete: ¡°¡¡±
Unfortunately, that was indeed what had happened. When he stole the key and duplicated it the other time, the captain of the security officers had sensed something amiss and had been tracing the culprit recently. The clues would probably lead him to Pete in another couple of days or so.
While he could certainly leave by himself, two days were too short a period for him to bring so many people with him.
He touched his nose and grumbled, ¡°Cough, quit it, Dad.¡±
Seeing the boy embarrassed, Justin was satisfied.
Ha, that little brat. Don¡¯t even think of showing off in front of Nora. You¡¯re still too young!
Nora nced at the people behind them. When she realized that there were fewer than 20 people behind, Pete exined, ¡°A few of them changed their minds at thest minute and decided to stay.¡±
¡°Yeah, okay.¡±
Nora didn¡¯t press for details.
With Pete familiar with the terrain, the group managed to reach the main entrance without any problems.
Pete stopped in his tracks. ¡°Mom, Dad, I¡¯m sure that there are surveince cameras at the entrance. If I open the door, they will find out immediately. We only have 30 seconds before they get here. Are the people who are supposed to meet us already outside?¡±
¡°Yeah, they are.¡±
¡°Alright, let¡¯s go, then!¡±
Pete did a tuck-and-roll and tried his best to hide his presence as he rushed over and opened the gate.
When the gate opened, everyone dashed toward it!
Outside.
Abbott, who had personally driven a truck over, craned his neck when he spotted them. ¡°Where¡¯s ck Cat?¡±
Chapter 1051: Get Them!
Chapter 1051: Get Them!
Peter stood beside the truck and watched as his colleagues got into the truck one by one. In the end, he looked at Mia and said, "Get in, Mia!"
Mia¡¯s eyes were bright and shiny.
This was the first time that the girl, who had always been well-behaved since she was little, was involved in something this exciting. It was an extremely novel experience for her.
However, she couldn¡¯t help but be worried about Pete¡¯s safety. She wanted to say something, yet she didn¡¯t dare to, so she merely nodded and grabbed the cargo bed of the truck. Just as she was about to prop herself up, a big and warm arm suddenly held her around the waist and held her up. With that, Mia got into the truck immediately.
Mia: "!!"
Her cheeks immediately turned as red as a tomato, and she felt as if her heart was pounding faster than usual.
She looked outside...
Just as she was about to speak, she noticed that the doors of the main entrance had opened, and security officers were rushing out of the building. They were about to surround them!
Some even raised their guns and pointed them at the truck¡¯s tires. Once the tires were punctured, they wouldn¡¯t be able to leave!
It was at this point that she saw Peter, who had been holding on to the cargo bed and nning to get in previously, suddenly jumping back down. He promptly shouted, "Go!"
Though Abbott didn¡¯t manage to catch a glimpse of ck Cat, he knew very well that his mission was to pick these people up today. The man immediately started the truck.
When someone fired at the truck, Abbott quickly changed its speed and direction to prevent the bullet from striking the tires.
Those guys didn¡¯t dare to go as far as to take lives¡ªafter all, they needed the researchers alive¡ªso they didn¡¯t fire at anyone. Just as more and more bullets were fired and it seemed that they wouldn¡¯t be able to dodge them anymore, amotion suddenly broke out in the distance where the security officers were!
Abbott immediately mmed his foot down on the gas pedal. The truck went charging out immediately and disappeared after rounding the corner.
When the captain of the security officers saw the truck disappear from his sight, he immediately knew that it was toote.
Despite that, he didn¡¯t panic.
Since he had decided to stay put, it went without saying that he had a n.
Those guys might be able to escape the research center, but leaving for good? Not so easy!
He looked coldly at the trio who had stayed behind and said derisively, "ying hero? Don¡¯t overestimate yourselves! Peter Hunt, you must be the one who stole my key, right?"
Peter nodded. "Yup."
The captain sneered. "I¡¯ll make you pay for that today! And give you a taste of what happens when you don¡¯t behave!"
Then, he took a step back and ordered, "Go, get them! Teach them a good lesson! I want Peter Hunt¡¯s legs broken!"
They certainly couldn¡¯t kill the researchers, but once their legs were broken, it would be even harder for them to escape, no?
As he gave the order, over 20 security officers rushed over and surrounded the trio.
However, Nora was looking at an ovend vehicle nearby. They might have missed the truck just now, but look what they had here? Their escape route had just presented itself!
"I¡¯ll hold them here. Which one of you is going to steal the car?"
"I¡¯ll protect you, Mom. Dad can go steal the car."
Justin: "..."
A grumpy look had alreadye over his countenance. It wasn¡¯t easy for him to have a chance to team up with his wife. What was that kid butting in for?
He scoffed, "Nothing but an unnecessary move."
Peter stroked his chin.
He was simply speechless at the tyrant. Did he really have to be so possessive even at a time like this? Never mind, it wasn¡¯t like he had the guts to piss his father off too badly, either. After all, he was still young. Should the tyrant really decide to make things difficult for him, he wouldn¡¯t be able to handle it.
Peter came around to the idea in no time. He said, "Dad, Mom, you guys hold ¡¯em back. I¡¯ll go get the car."
"Okay."
Upon seeing the trio still leisurely discussing ns despite being surrounded, the captain was furious. Fools sure were fearless!
Did the three of them really think that he and his team were just your average, run-of-the-mill security officers?
Normal people would never be able to keep those people in the facility.
They were all elites who had been carefully selected!
With a sneer, the captain ordered, "Get them!"
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Chapter 1052: Black Cat is Over Here!
Chapter 1052: ck Cat is Over Here!
Ten minutester.
Security officersy all over the ground as Nora and Justin stretched their arms and legs.
"Stretch a little more. You haven¡¯t exercised for too long. Take care not to hurt yourself," said Justin.
Peter who had driven over and was waiting for them to get into the car: "..."
Fine,pared to his father, he certainly still had a long way to go!
Nora did as Justin said.
He was right. Her life was bing more and more rxed and leisurely these days. All she did every day was sleep and go for strolls. She waspletely leading the life of a retiree. Given all the activity today, there was indeed a need for her to cool down properly.
She stretched her arms and legs seriously.
The captain, who was on the floor, stared at them in shock. He stammered, "W-who are you?"
He already had a vague idea of their identities by then...
At his question, Nora hesitated for a moment and then suddenly said with a straight face, "We¡¯re Americans."
"..."
I know that, of course! The captain thought.
Annoyed, the captain retorted, "Do you have any idea who we are?! How dare you do this to me! I will tell the Queen about this! I don¡¯t believe we can¡¯t catch you guys if the UK goes all out!"
"...Oh, okay," Nora replied.
The captain: "?"
After the two were done stretching, they got into the car. Peter sped into the distance at once.
ck Panther had personally gone to pick up the researchers¡¯ families at the ces specified by Nora. Whenever they spotted a house with the American g hung on the door or window, they would knock out the hidden agents monitoring the upants, rush into the houses, and then escort the researchers¡¯ family members into the transportation vehicle.
To be honest, after ck Panther started working for Karl and began his career as an assassin, the man, who had grown up in Switzend, had be someone who confounded right and wrong. He was someone who lived with his morals in the gray area.
But when he saw the star-spangled banners fluttering in the breeze, a feeling of patriotism suddenly arose in him.
However, he didn¡¯t dwell too long on it. He quickly took his charges to ck Cat and met up with her instead.
Though the two teams were working separately, both ultimately raced toward the same destination.
When ck Panther arrived at the pier where they were supposed to meet up, he saw Abbott and a group of people there. They were craning their necks anxiously and looking into the distance.
"Where¡¯s ck Cat?" ck Panther asked.
Abbott shook his head and replied, "ck Cat isn¡¯t here yet. They are going to find us very soon, though. If ck Cat doesn¡¯t get here soon, we won¡¯t be able to get away anymore."
ck Panther broke into a frown as well.
Neither of them knew that a certain security bureau was currently trying their hardest to find them via the traffic cameras on the roads.
However, someone hacked into the system at that moment...
In the cyber-security central bureau of the UK, Q and Y easily stopped the bureau from essing the system.
In fact, they even blocked the satellite signal. As a result, the bureau could only use the most traditional method to search for them. Because of this, even though five minutes had already passed since Abbott and the others reached their destination, the bureau still hadn¡¯t found their way over yet.
Screech!
While the group was waiting anxiously, a car stopped in front of them.
Peter, Nora, and Justin then got out of it.
Nora and Justin were both tapping away on their cell phones...
With cyber-security technology getting more and more advanced, even Q and Y couldn¡¯t afford to look away from the UK¡¯s cyber-security system for even a second if they wanted to stop them from finding their whereabouts. As soon as they stopped, the other party would be able to restore the system. Should that happen, it would only be a matter of mere seconds before their whereabouts are exposed.
The trio got out of the car and approached the group.
ck Panther panicked at once. He shouted, "Where¡¯s ck Cat?! Do you know that the vehicle we¡¯re about to use is absolute top-secret in the organization?! Only Boss and ck Cat are authorized to use it! Without ck Cat here, we won¡¯t be able to leave at all! What have you people done? Did you abandon ck Cat and leave ck Cat there to bring up the rear?!"
An anxious Abbott also asked, "Yeah. Where¡¯s ck Cat?"
Nora: "..."
The corners of her lips spasmed as she said, "Shut up."
Then, she closed the hacking program on her cell phone and opened a program that only Karl and she could ess.
Abbott and ck Panther: "?????"
Chapter 1053: They Can’t Be Together
Chapter 1053: They Can¡¯t Be Together
Abbott and ck Panther stared at Nora in shock and astonishment.
Both of them were incredulous.
Honestly speaking, they had already found Nora very impressive when they realized that she was the Big Sister of the Quinn School of Martial Arts. Among all the women... no, among everybody they had ever met, including the men, she was the most impressive one ever.
In that case, how much more impressive could ck Cat possibly be?
Now that they suddenly realized that Nora was, in fact, ck Cat herself, even though the discovery was certainly surprising, it also made perfect sense to them.
At the same time, they also felt rather bad for looking down on Nora back then.
How could they have been so clueless?!
While the two men were gued with guilt, Nora looked intently at her cell phone and wordlessly tapped the "Activate" button.
To hide their embarrassment, Abbott and ck Panther asked, "What¡¯s the emergency n, ck Cat?"
"Yeah, this is the ocean. You¡¯ll have to cross the ocean if you want to go back to America. How are you guys going to get there?"
Abbott wasn¡¯t an American, so he didn¡¯t feel much of a sense of loyalty to the United States.
While the two were talking, they suddenly heard a whirring sound. Then, the coast started to shake a little. The next moment, a ck, massive object suddenly emerged from the ocean.
Shocked, the two quickly looked over warily, whereupon they realized that it was actually a... submarine!!
On top of that, it was a huge one that could seat up to a hundred people!
Abbott and ck Panther were astounded. The two men stared at the behemoth in disbelief.
When did the organization get an ultimate weapon like this?!
With this around, they wouldn¡¯t have to fear even if they created a huge ruckus in the UK!
This was also Nora¡¯s first time seeing the submarine.
She and Karl had prepared this as their backup n in the past.
At the bottom of it all, the assassin organization was still an illegal business. Moreover, Karl still had an official identity¡ªa spy¡ªin the United States.
The two had hit it off immediately and prepared the submarine. In case there ever came a day when they could no longer bear the pressure from foreign authorities, they could use the submarine and escape to anywhere in the world in it.
Energy supplies were also replenished regrly. At the very least, there was definitely enough tost till they got to the United States!
Nora stepped forward and unlocked the system with a scan of her thumb. The submarine¡¯s door opened and everyone went in one by one. After everyone had entered, Nora and Justin finally went in and closed the door.
As soon as the door closed, Justin put his cell phone away.
The submarine started sinking into the waters and began its journey to the United States.
The submarine featured a lot of advanced technology, including even a counter-reconnaissance system. This more or less gave them a veil of invisibility and prevented radars from detecting them.
The submarine started moving in the ocean.
Everyone inside also quietened down.
From the UK, it would take roughly a week for them to reach the United States. Everything outside in the vast ocean was covered in darkness, making the passengers rather scared and panicky.
When ck Panther sensed their apprehension and anxiety, he started to chat with them to pass the time.
He looked at Peter first. "Do you have a girlfriend?"
This boy was ck Cat¡¯s son!
When Peter was about to answer, his colleagues next to him said, "Oh, Peter¡¯s super popr with the girls in theb! Even though he¡¯s still young, there are a lot of women throwing themselves at him!"
ck Panther immediately remarked jokingly, "Ooh, you lucky chap!"
Peter, however, nced at Mia subconsciously¡ªtrue enough, a flustered look appeared in the girl¡¯s eyes. Yet when he looked over, she hurriedly lowered her head to hide her emotions.
Peter heaved a sigh inwardly.
He had been diagnosed with mild autism when he was a child, but as the son of Justin Hunt, he was extremely prideful.
Among all the girls he had ever met, only Mia and Cherry were good enough in his eyes.
Cherry was his younger sister whom he doted on a lot.
As for Mia... Initially, he had found the girl weak and frail, so he couldn¡¯t bring himself to bully her at all, and he also started to subconsciously protect her. When he found out that she was his younger cousin, it became all the more natural for him to do so.
When had those changes in his feelings for her suddenly changed?
He couldn¡¯t quite recall anymore.
All he knew was that in his family where everyone was a big boss, Mia was the one who cared for him the most.
Yet, in spite of that, the two of them were not allowed to be together.
Chapter 1054: Welcome Home
Chapter 1054: Wee Home
Joel and Nora were recognized as siblings in the eyes of thew, but in terms of blood rtions, they were actually cousins. Although this meant that Peter and Mia were already a generation apart in blood rtions, they were ultimately still second cousins. Therefore, they still couldn¡¯t be together.
He knew that his parents didn¡¯t care about such things. If he and Mia made up their minds to be together, even if they didn¡¯t hold the actual wedding itself, his parents would still give them their blessings.
However, he knew that Mia loved kids, and people in consanguineous marriages easily produced children with deformities.
In that case, he¡¯d rather suppress his feelings than end up causing Mia to regret her decision in the future.
She was only fifteen; she still had many more years ahead of her. Peter didn¡¯t want to hold her back and cause her to have to pay for her folly in her youth after she grew up.
As the group chatted, Nora answered a phone call.
The caller was from the UK. There was faint anger in the Queen¡¯s voice as she said, "Now ck Cat, that¡¯s not quite nice of you. How can you snatch away all of our researchers?!"
Nora answered calmly, "... We didn¡¯t ¡¯snatch¡¯ them away¡ªthey came with me of their own ord."
"..."
The Queen was well aware of this, of course, but no way was she going to admit to it.
She scoffed and said in a stuck-up manner, "You made me aughingstock by snatching them away! No, I won¡¯t take this lying down. You have topensate me for my losses!"
By saying that, she was actually indirectly giving them the green light to leave.
Of course, even if she didn¡¯t, Nora wouldn¡¯tck ways and means to take the researchers home, either. However, if she did, their journey home would certainly be a lot smoother.
"What kind ofpensation do you want?" She asked.
"How about this? Have Alexandere over and keep Lucypany."
The little princess was extremely fond of Cherry and often flew over to the United States to visit since she was little. The Queen had always turned a blind eye to her actions because she thought that it would be nice if her daughter had a close friend.
She had only brought up Alexander because she knew that Peter would be going home to take over the Hunts¡¯ businesses. However, this meant that Alexander was free, wasn¡¯t he? That was why she wanted him to keep her daughterpany. Maybe she would have a chance of luring him to stay in the UK with the title of an earl or something in the future, who knows...?
The more the Queen thought about it, the more she found it a good deal.
After all, Alexander was the next King of the Imperial League!
It would be fantastic if she could get him to stay in the UK!
The Queen asked, "Isn¡¯t he studying overseas right now? Have hime over and tutor Lucy a little and see if he can make her a star student. I¡¯m not asking for too much, am I?"
"Not at all."
Nora didn¡¯t show the least bit of hesitation in selling her son out. However, she did set a condition. "But this means that you¡¯ll give our organization the green light whenever we save people from the UK in the future, right?"
The Queen: "!!!"
"How many more are you nning to save?!"
Nora said, "Everyone who wants to go back to their homnd."
The Queen was furious. "Don¡¯t push your luck, Nora!"
Nora coughed and said, "I¡¯m not pushing it that badly, am I? Well, if you¡¯re not agreeable to it, then never mind."
Even if the Queen didn¡¯t give the green light, she would still be able to save the researchers anymore. Things would be a bit more troublesome and take up more of her sleep time, that¡¯s all.
The Queen: "..."
The lip corners of the Queen, who could tell the underlying meaning of her words, couldn¡¯t help but spasm a little.
A momentter, through gritted teeth, she finally said, "Fine, I agree to your condition! Have Alexandere over immediately!"
Then, she asked, "How¡¯s Justin doingtely?"
When the Queen had first realized that Nora was ck Cat, she felt troubled and was caught in a dilemma for a while. But after that, she decided to ept reality¡ªafter all, she had alreadye to see ck Cat as a close friend.
She had even poured out a lot of her secret woes to ck Cat previously, so she couldn¡¯t bear to suddenly lose her friend.
Therefore, from that point onward, she always went through Nora whenever she wanted to contact Justin.
The Queen had been in love with Justin and pestered him before, after all, so she decided to maintain a respectable distance from him.
Nora was very pleased with this.
Thus, whenever she asked after Justin during their chat, she didn¡¯t mind letting him speak with the Queen. She handed the cell phone to Justin.
"Hello?" Justin said.
"Hello, Justin. How have you been?"
"I¡¯m doing pretty well. Still as loving a couple with my wife as always; no arguments whatsoever."
"..."
"Do you need anything else? Or do you want to hear about what we have been up totely?"
"... Beep... beep... beep..."
Did he think that the Queen didn¡¯t have a temper or what? Who would want to listen to him show off how loving a couple he was with his wife?!
Justin raised his brows and returned the cell phone to Nora. Then, he asked, "Can you bear to part with Xander, though?"
"No," Nora answered, "But it¡¯s not certain who¡¯s ultimately going to go home with who just yet!"
Surprised, Justin asked, "What do you mean?"
"Well, Lucy¡¯s pretty cute. Since her elder sister will be inheriting the throne, there¡¯s not much point in her staying in the UK. She might as welle to the States, then."
Justin: "????"
¡ª
A few dayster, the submarine finally arrived at a coastal area in the United States.
When the submarine emerged from the sea and docked, Morris¡¯ men, whom Nora had contacted beforehand, were already waiting for them onshore. They would be escorting the researchers back to their hometowns.
United with their families, the researchers turned their heads back and gave Nora looks of gratitude.
"Any words for them, Mom?" Peter asked.
Nora: "?"
After a moment¡¯s thought, she straightened her expression and only said one line: "Wee home."
Chapter 1055: You Care For Me the Most
Chapter 1055: You Care For Me the Most
Nora didn¡¯t just stop at saving the researchers; she also told Peter to spread a piece of news:
Should people find themselves in simr situations abroad, they could approach Karl¡¯s security agency for help to go back home. They would help to pick them up and send them home.
Peter did a great job at the task.
He was extremely popr among the international students, after all.
Now that Peter was back, he didn¡¯t n on leaving the country anymore. Instead, he took over the Hunt Corporation.
On the day that he officially became the head of the Hunt Corporation, his family held a handover ceremony at home. As a show of support, the Smiths all came over as well.
Ian could now walk by himself and didn¡¯t have to rely on a wheelchair anymore. With a walking stick in hand, he patted Peter on the shoulder and said, "You¡¯re even more capable than Grandpa! Back then, Grandpa only managed to take over thepany in his twenties!"
Next to them, Alexander said jokingly, "He¡¯s so envious of you, though."
A smiling Ian asked, "Why?"
"Because you have such awesome grandchildren! And three of them at that!"
Ian: "..."
Peter: "..."
Thed had not only praised Peter but also himself. What a cocky little narcissist he was!
Peter looked at him with a smile. "You¡¯re heading to the UK tomorrow, right?"
"Yeah. What about it? Are you gonna miss me? Come on, we¡¯re brothers. Don¡¯t be a sissy and go crying your eyes out now!"
Alexander said dismissively.
"... I just wanted to tell you to bring that person home soon," replied Peter.
"That person? Who?"
Alexander was perplexed.
A mysterious smile graced Peter¡¯s lips and he said, "Nah, it¡¯s nothing important."
He mustn¡¯t give away his mom¡¯s intentions so casually.
Seeing his reaction, Alexander rolled his eyes and said, "Ugh, you¡¯re being cryptic again."
After saying that, he turned his head to the side, where he saw Mia dozing on the sofa beside them. He couldn¡¯t help but nod in her direction at Peter. Then, he walked over. Just as he was about to y a prank on Mia from the back, Peter caught hold of his outstretched arm.
"What are you doing?" asked Alexander.
Peter replied, "She hasn¡¯t been getting enough sleep because she¡¯s doing a lot of practice papers every day. Now that she can finally rx a little tonight, you shouldn¡¯t disturb her."
"I just wanted to tease her a little. What are you being so protective for?" Alexander said.
Protective?
Peter coughed and said, "Don¡¯t talk nonsense. Isn¡¯t she your younger cousin too?"
Alexander pursed his lips and said, "She is, but she¡¯s always been weak and frail since she was little, so she¡¯s really boring and no fun at all."
"... Lucy isn¡¯t," said Peter.
That little princess had been as strong and healthy as Cherry since she was little!
Alexander grinned and said, "I know. Wait for it; once I go over, I¡¯m going to bully her."
Peter: "?"
Alexander raised his brows and said, "Once I bully her and make her cry, she¡¯ll go whining to the Queen. And once she does, the Queen will release me immediately, no?"
"..."
Peter gave him a smile that screamed "Good luck, pal".
However, Alexander, who didn¡¯t get it, turned and left instead.
After he left, Peter got ready to leave too. But just as he did, he noticed Mia¡¯sshes quivering, which surprised him a little.
Since their return to the country, both of them had been in New York the whole time. However, Mia hadn¡¯t approached him even once. Even when the two families met for meals, she would always use the excuse of studying to skip the gatherings.
This was their first time meeting since their return.
"Are you awake?" He asked.
Mia opened her eyes. Suddenly, she lowered her head and asked, "Am I useless, Pete?"
Peter immediately understood what she was saying.
During the operationst time, she hadn¡¯t been able to help with anything at all. From the start to the end, all she did was escape obediently. This made Mia feel horribly disheartened.
She felt like she was an utter failure who waspletely useless, and she felt like she wasn¡¯t worthy of liking Pete at all.
That was why she didn¡¯t even dare to bring herself to meet him recently.
On top of that, she was even harboring those feelings for him...
Mia was close to driving herself mad.
The more she tried to curb her feelings, the more she couldn¡¯t help but think of Peter.
It was to the extent that her heart would subconsciously start pounding a little faster whenever she heard his name...
Yet when she saw him, she couldn¡¯t help but be filled with trepidation and panic.
Just as her imagination was running wild, Peter slowly squatted down in front of her. He suddenly said, "Did you know, Mia? You actually yed the key role in the incident thest time."
Mia was taken aback. "How so?"
Peter smiled and answered, "Only sending you the message would give me the biggest peace of mind¡ªbecause I know that you will definitely pester Mom and Dad to save me."
In this world, you are the one who cares about everything I do the most.
Chapter 1056: Brenda’s Secret
Chapter 1056: Brenda¡¯s Secret
It wasn¡¯t so much that his parents didn¡¯t care about him.
However, more so than that, they trusted in his capabilities, so they no longer spoiled him as much as they had when he was a child. Sometimes, what his parents wanted more was to train him and let him solve the problem on his own.
Moreover, his parents were already half-retired. It was Peter¡¯s personal desire to help the researchers leave, and he hadn¡¯t informed them about the situation beforehand, either. Furthermore, he had even been under the watchful eye of the security officers during the emergency. This had prevented him from filling in his parents about the situation. As a result, he could only use the secret code that he had established with Mia.
If he had hinted at the situation to his parents instead, they definitely wouldn¡¯t have reacted as anxiously as Mia¡ªafter all, the two of them knew what he was capable of all too well.
Mia bit her lip as she listened to Peter. Then, she gave him a smile.
Seeing that she had thought things through, Peter breathed a sigh of relief.
The two of them were only fifteen this year. Neither of them could say for sure how long their budding feelings during their adolescence wouldst in the face of reality. Therefore, neither of them was going to reveal anything at this point, either.
In fact, Peter had even thought that perhaps Mia would find a boyfriend after she grew up.
After chatting a little, the two separated.
Mia went to Tanya.
When she went over, Tanya was rather surprised. Her daughter had been down in the dumps since she returned from overseas a few days ago, but now it seemed that she had thought things through!
Amid everyone¡¯s well wishes and congrattions, Peter officially took over as the head of the Hunt Corporation.
There were quite a lot of guests today¡ªafter all, all of them had to show Peter their support.
Brenda was also here.
As always, the woman was d in a red dress, making her a charming and alluring sight. People couldn¡¯t take their eyes off her at all.
Nora and Justin were currently surrounded by thetter¡¯s third uncle and his wife, who were also Brenda¡¯s parents.
Their daughter had been putting off marriage forever, making them terribly anxious. Didn¡¯t she know that they were looking forward to grandkids?!
"Hey, Nora. You¡¯re her sister-inw, so I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll listen to you if you talk to her. She¡¯s already thirty; if she continues to put off marriage, she won¡¯t be able to find a good man anymore!"
Brenda¡¯s mother dabbed at her eyes.
Brenda¡¯s father was also very troubled. "Wasn¡¯t that young hacker guy from some time back pretty nice? Why did they break up...? Also, I heard he¡¯s still single!"
Brenda¡¯s mother nodded. "I also heard that Solo is an orphan. He¡¯s pretty much all ready to be our son-inw. Where are you going to find someone better than him?"
Nora: "..."
She also wanted to know why Solo and Brenda had broken up. Even though Solo had been persistently trying to court Brenda, the woman simply wouldn¡¯t stop hiding from him!
She thought for a moment and then said, "Alright, I¡¯ll talk to her when I have the time."
"Okay."
Brenda¡¯s mother didn¡¯t pester her any further.
Out of all the Hunts, she understood the best just how infamous Nora was for her indolence. She was reluctant to take on any kind of responsibilities and would rather spend that time sleeping instead.
Also, she never made promises to anyone easily.
Now that she had given her word that she would talk to Brenda, this meant that she would definitely try to help.
As for Nora herself, she also felt that it was about time she did something.
Before this, she hadn¡¯t wanted to interfere with Brenda and Solo¡¯s rtionship because, for one, she felt that they were already adults¡ªit wasn¡¯t like they were kids like Cherry and Pete¡ªand everyone had the right to choose how they wanted to spend their lives. For another, the two of them might not want her to interfere, either.
But now, with Solo unable to improve the situation, as Brenda¡¯s sister-inw, she had no choice but to do something.
She sighed silently.
When was trouble ever going to stop?
This was no doubt going to keep her from her beauty sleep again!
Both the host and the guests enjoyed themselves at the party. Soon, the party ended. As the host, Peter went to see the guests out while Nora and Justin cked off behind the scenes.
Nora kept observing Brenda.
Solo was out on a mission today, so he hadn¡¯t attended the party. Though Brenda had a smile on, there was some forlornness in her eyes.
At this point, her cell phone rang.
She looked at it and hurriedly answered the phone call. The caller said something, upon which Brenda immediately replied, "Okay, I¡¯m on my way."
Then, she hurriedly left.
Nora looked at her and then exchanged a look with Justin.
Both of them knew that the reason for Brenda¡¯s rejection of Solo probablyy right in this phone call.
They followed after her immediately.
Chapter 1057: Brenda Has a Secret Lover?
Chapter 1057: Brenda Has a Secret Lover?
Brenda got into her car immediately after she left. The way she looked like she was in a huge hurry made her seem somewhat anxious, and she didn¡¯t notice that Nora and Justin were behind her.
Nora followed behind her in a car.
After some time, they arrived at a vi on the outskirts of New York.
Brenda stopped the car, got out, and started walking toward the vi. However, she had only taken a couple of steps when she stopped and returned to the car.
By the time she came out of the car again, she had already changed into another set of clothes.
The red gown was now a ck dress, turning her from a vibrant and gorgeous woman into a dignified and selfposed one.
Her actions confused Nora. Brenda had even beaten red lights just to race all the way here, so why did she change her clothes after she arrived?
Also, what was this ce?
After Brenda entered the vi, Justin finally said, "This is her vi."
Nora: "?"
Did this mean that Brenda had really found another man? Was she even keeping her secret lover here?
She broke into a frown.
To avoid disturbing Brenda, the two waited outside quietly.
After a good four to five hours¡ªNora even managed to take a nap during this time¡ªBrenda finally came out of the vi in a different ck dress. Her hair was damp, and it was obvious that she had just taken a bath.
Brenda got into her car and left.
Just as Nora and Justin were about to get out of their car and approach the vi to have a look around and see who exactly the vi was housing, a skinny figure suddenly rushed over to the vi.
It was... Solo?
So, apart from them, Solo was tailing Brenda, too?
Solo had an awful look on his countenance. He stared hard at the door of the vi, seemingly never having even considered the possibility that Brenda was keeping a lover here.
He then thought of how Brenda hade out of the vi looking like she had just taken a bath. On top of that, her cheeks were even rosy. It was obvious that she¡¯d just done some exercise.
And she even changed her clothes...
No matter how he looked at it, it was theplete picture of someonemitting adultery!
The corners of Nora¡¯s lips spasmed a little, and she finally got out of the car and walked up to Solo.
At the sound of footstepsing from behind, Solo turned around. When he saw Nora, his eyes immediately reddened as though he had just seen someone whom he could depend on. He said, "Say, Anti, just what exactly am I doing wrong? Why is Brenny doing this to me?"
Nora: "..."
But before she could even say anything, Solo lost it. He said, "I don¡¯t believe this is happening. My eyes must be ying tricks on me. The woman who went in isn¡¯t Brenny, right? Although she makes dirty jokes all the time, she¡¯s actually never been a promiscuous woman. I was her first man, as well as her only one... She would never cast me aside!"
Solo clenched his fists.
"... Actually, you don¡¯t have to be like this. If you want to know what¡¯s going on, why don¡¯t you just knock on the door?"
Solo: "!!"
He knew that the truth would present itself before him the instant he knocked, of course. The problem was¡ªhe didn¡¯t dare to.
He was afraid that his guess would turn into reality.
He could never ept it if that happened¡ªbecause after Brenda started ignoring him, he had thought of every possible reason under the sun except this one!
He trusted Brenda...
While he was in a dilemma, Nora went straight up to the door and pressed the doorbell.
Solo: "..."
Solo was also scared that he wanted to turn and flee, but a momentter, he heard a woman¡¯s voiceing from the door. "Who is it?"
Then, the door opened.
A middle-ageddy who looked to be in her fifties or sixties stood at the door and looked at them in trepidation. "Who are you looking for?"
Solo heaved a sigh of relief.
However, the next instant, he heard the middle-ageddy ask, "Are you looking for my son? He¡¯s already asleep..."
Her son...
Solo¡¯s mind instantly went nk.
So, Brenda was not only keeping a pretty boy secret lover but also taking care of his entire family?!
While he was lost in thought, Nora asked, "Oh, I saw Brenda leave this vi just now. May I know how she is rted to your son?"
Solo tensed up at once and looked at the middle-ageddy nervously.
Thedy smiled and answered, "Oh, Brenda? She¡¯s my daughter-inw!"
"..."
"Daughter-inw"... and "My son is already asleep"...
Thebination of these words immediately turned Solo as pale as a sheet!
Was Brenda already... married to someone else?
Chapter 1058: He’s Still Alive?!
Chapter 1058: He¡¯s Still Alive?!
Solo felt as if his mind had gonepletely nk, and he felt a little unsteady on his feet.
He turned away in shock, not quite sure who or where he should be looking, or what he should do at this moment.
After a brief silence, Nora asked, "What¡¯s your son¡¯s name?"
Thedy answered, "Oh, my son? He¡¯s a really tall and handsome chap! His name is Marcus, and he¡¯s a police officer. Do you guys know each other?"
Marcus?
Though Nora was puzzled, she did find the name somewhat familiar.
In contrast, it was Solo who suddenly understood what was going on. He stared at thedy in front of him in disbelief and then suddenly took a step back, his face turning even paler than before.
Nora, who detected his unusual reaction, looked at thedy again and asked, "Ma¡¯am, has your son been staying here all along?"
"Yeah!" Thedy smiled and said, "Shh, keep it down, my son is asleep. If you¡¯re looking for my daughter-inw, how about I give her a phone call for you?"
Nora nodded.
Thedy then closed the door.
Nora looked at Solo, who exined, "Marcus... He is Brenda¡¯srade who died protecting her back then, but isn¡¯t he dead?"
Nora¡¯s eyes narrowed at Solo¡¯s words.
No wonder she had found his name so familiar just now. She¡¯d heard about Brenda¡¯s past where Solo had, due to a freakbination of factors, identally caused Marcus to die while saving Brenda.
This was also why it had been impossible between Solo and Brenda back then.
Later, Solo had made countless attempts to redeem himself, which ultimately made Brenda relent and change her mind. The pair had been about to get engaged when Brenda suddenly started to reject him again and insisted on breaking off the engagement...
So, had all that been because of Marcus¡¯ return?
Nora looked at the vi again. Suddenly, the voice of the middle-ageddy from earlier reached their ears. "Oh, you¡¯re awake, son?"
"Yeah. Who¡¯s outside, Mom?" The other party¡¯s voice belonged to a man.
"I don¡¯t know, just a few passers-by. They are probably your wife¡¯s friends. By the way, when are the two of you going to have kids? I can¡¯t wait to have grandkids!"
"Well... it¡¯s no hurry! Aren¡¯t we already trying our best?"
"..."
The rest of the conversation was too soft to be audible; it was likely that they had gone into another room.
Solo turned even paler. For a moment, he didn¡¯t know whether he should feel guilty or scared.
Was it possible for the dead toe back to life?
Or... had Marcus been alive all along?
But Marcus had died in an explosion while trying to save Brenda, and his body had even beenid to rest. How could he possibly still be alive?
Nora and Justin exchanged a look.
Justin was currently tapping away on his cell phone. After a while, he passed the phone to her. During that short while, Justin had already hacked into the governmentwork and was checking the information in the police system.
Marcus¡¯ status was verified as deceased.
Solo was still lost in thought. Nora looked at him and said, "Rather than puzzling over it here, let¡¯s just ask the person involved and find out what exactly is going on."
Since they were unsure about the situation with the man inside the vi, they couldn¡¯t possibly force their way in. Their only option now was to contact Brenda.
Nora called Brenda, who answered right away.
She sounded rather tired. "Hi, Nora. What¡¯s up?"
Nora asked, "What on earth is going on with Marcus?"
Brenda fell silent.
Nora looked at the vi. "We¡¯re outside the vi right now. If you don¡¯t exin what¡¯s going on, I can¡¯t promise you that Solo won¡¯t force his way in."
The moment she said that, Brenda immediately panicked and said, "Don¡¯t! I... I¡¯lle back right away... no, wait, let¡¯s meet at the caf¨¦ at the entrance of the neighborhood instead."
"Okay."
After hanging up, Nora and Justin took the despondent Solo with them and went to the caf¨¦.
As soon as they entered, they saw Brenda racing over in the car. She entered the caf¨¦ immediately after she parked.
Solo had already gotten up from his seat and was looking at her in shock. "What on earth is going on, Brenny? Is Marcus still alive?!"
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Chapter 1059: The Truth
Chapter 1059: The Truth
A hesitant look formed in Brenda¡¯s eyes when she saw Solo.
A momentter, she lowered her gaze and suddenly said, "Come with me, guys."
Then, she headed straight toward the vi.
The group followed after her. Brenda took out a card key, swiped it at the entrance, and opened the door.
When Nora and the others saw how well she knew her way around the house, they couldn¡¯t help but exchange a look with one another. From the looks of it, Brenda often came over. It was likely she treated the vi as her home.
After Brenda entered, the middle-ageddy from earlier appeared. When she saw Brenda and the people behind her, she smiled and said, "You¡¯re back, Brenda? They must be your friends. Here, make yourselves at home! I¡¯ll get you guys some coffee."
Without giving them a chance to refuse, she went into the kitchen and began to boil some water.
Brenda pointed to the sofa and gestured for them to have a seat.
Then, she entered the kitchen and said, "Let me do it, Mom."
Solo¡¯s heart sank.
Brenda had called her "Mom"...
And she had even been so natural when she did it.
He clenched his fists.
However, thedy frowned and said, "Shoo, shoo. Go and keep the guestspany instead. Mom can handle all these just fine."
She ushered Brenda out of the kitchen and then said with a smile, "I¡¯ll go up and wake Marcus. How can he continue sleeping when there are guests in the house? Geez! I¡¯ll get him to go get some nice little snacks or something!"
Brenda¡¯s expression turned a little nervous.
However, she didn¡¯t say anything. Thedy then went up the stairs and pushed the door to the master bedroom open. She called out, "Hey, Marcus! Go out and get some snacks! We have guests in the house!"
A man¡¯s voice was then hearding from the second floor. "Alright, Mom."
Thedy then came back down and continued making coffee.
When Solo heard the voice from the upper floor, his expression turned even more awful.
Moreover, it sounded like the voice hade from the master bedroom...
Solo got onto his feet to charge upstairs.
His fists clenched again and again, but he ultimately forced himself to resist the urge.
He didn¡¯t want to make things difficult for Brenda.
If Brenda really was already married, he didn¡¯t want to break up her family.
As though all the strength in him had suddenly left him, he sat back down on the sofa.
At this point, thedy had finished making the coffee and brought it over. She said, "You guys are Brenda¡¯s friends, right? You should talk some sense into her... She¡¯s already in her thirties. It¡¯s about time she considers having kids..."
Solo lowered his gaze.
At this point, thedy suddenly looked at the stairs and got up. "Why isn¡¯t Marcus here yet? I¡¯ll get him."
She then went up the stairs again.
However, a short whileter, she suddenly screamed.
Brenda rushed up the stairs anxiously.
Nora and Justin followed closely behind her.
Solo was the only one who stayed where he was. However, after hesitating for a moment, he still decided to follow them upstairs.
When Nora arrived on the upper floor, she noticed that the door to the master bedroom was ajar. Thedy¡¯s voice could be hearding from within. "Marcus? Marcus! What happened?! Quick, get the doctor here!"
Nora rushed into the room immediately.
She was a doctor and could save the patient in times of emergency.
But when she went in, she saw thedy copsed on the floor. Brenda was squatting beside her and pulling her arm. "Mom, it¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay. Marcus is fine..."
"No, he¡¯s not! Doctor, doctor!"
Thedy screamed.
Nora quickly stepped forward and said calmly, "I¡¯m a doctor. What¡¯s wrong?"
As soon as she heard Nora, thedy grabbed her hand and said, "Please, save my son! Save my son!"
Nora¡¯s gaze followed the direction where she was pointing and looked at the bed.
Thedy screamed, "Why isn¡¯t my son waking up? Why isn¡¯t he getting up?!"
Nora¡¯s expression instantly changed.
There was nobody on the bed at all.
Chapter 1060: So Thats What Had Happened
Chapter 1060: So That¡¯s What Had Happened
Surprised, she looked at Brenda, who shook her head at her and then continued tofort the middle-ageddy. She said, ¡°Mom, why don¡¯t you go outside first? I¡¯ll wake him up. Don¡¯t worry, everything is okay¡¡±
¡°What do you mean everything is okay?! Something must have happened! I¡¯m not blind! Tell me, what exactly is going on with Marcus?!¡±
Thedy gripped Brenda¡¯s hands tightly, her emotions gradually changing. She demanded, ¡°Tell me, did you guys have an argument? Or is it because you¡¯re unwilling to have children with my son? Is that why he became like this? Brenda, how can you reject having children with him? You¡¯re too much!¡±
After speaking, she immediately started hitting and kicking Brenda!
Brenda held her tightly, not at all bothered even when thedy hit her a few times. It was Nora who couldn¡¯t stand to watch her actions any longer that knocked thedy out with a karate chop to the neck. Only then did themotion stop.
The huge skirmish had already made Brenda all out of breath, and even her clothes and hair were in a total mess. She sighed and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go take another bath.¡±
Nora nodded.
After giving thedy some medicine to calm her down, she left the room.
The trio waited for Brenda downstairs.
After the incident just now, Solo had understood something. ¡°So, she had taken a bath earlier because of this? It wasn¡¯t because she was married!¡±
He paced back and forth as he said, ¡°What on earth is going on, though? Why does she think that Marcus is alive? And who is that man who was talking in the room?¡±
While the trio was thinking, Brenda came down the stairs.
She toweled her damp hair and copsed onto the sofa. She was so exhausted that she was close to copsing.
The others didn¡¯t urge her to hurry.
After Brenda caught her breath, she finally sighed and said, ¡°That¡¯s an AI system.¡±
¡°What?¡±
Solo was taken aback.
Brenda tossed a pair of spectacles to him and gestured for him to put them on. The moment Solo did, a figure appeared in front of him, giving Solo such a huge shock that he couldn¡¯t help but take a step back.
In his vision, Marcus moved somewhat stiffly and unnaturally.
The figure said, ¡°Hi, friend!¡±
It was Marcus¡¯ voice.
Brenda rubbed her temples. ¡°Marcus¡¯ mom has been denying the fact that Marcus is already dead. I don¡¯t know who tricked her, but they inserted a chip into her eyes that allowed her to see and even talk to Marcus. Her mental health is terrible, and we are not allowed to say that Marcus has already passed away¡ The chip isn¡¯t very stable, though, and ¡®Marcus¡¯ would sometimes freeze and stop moving. When that happens, she panics and calls me. I was here just now to calm her down and reboot the system.¡±
Solo asked, ¡°Then she was referring to you as her daughter-inw because¡?¡±
Brenda sighed and answered, ¡°In her eyes, Marcus and I are married. That¡¯s why she keeps calling me her daughter-inw¡ She has also been dying for a grandchild.¡±
Brenda lowered her head.
However, Solo understood what was going on. He stepped forward and held Brenda¡¯s hands. ¡°So, this is why you¡¯ve been rejecting me?¡±
Brenda nodded.
Solo, however, was close to tears. He said, ¡°But I don¡¯t mind at all! I can support her and keep herpany with you! I can even treat her like she¡¯s my mom!¡±
Brenda gave him a wry smile and said, ¡°And then? What kind of identity are you going to use to stay by her side?¡±
Her question stumped Solo.
Brenda lowered her head and said, ¡°I¡¯ve never considered marriage at all in the past anyway, so let¡¯s just keep things this way. I¡¯m pretty okay with how things stand now.¡±
She then pointed at the door and added, ¡°You can leave now. Don¡¯t ever look for me again.¡±
Chapter 1061: Come With Me
Chapter 1061: Come With Me
However, Solo remained where he was.
Suddenly, he said, "Is the gadget broken? I¡¯ll take a look at it."
He looked around the room before looking in the direction where the sound wasing from. There, he spotted a ck box. He went over, opened the box, and began to study the electrical wiring inside.
As he did, he remarked, "This is an outdated version. They don¡¯t set up new ones like this anymore, so she certainly has been tricked. Here, I¡¯ll update the system."
While he spoke, he started to get down to work.
Brenda opened and then shut her mouth as she looked at him, hesitant to speak. When she was about to say something, Solo said, "To be honest, you don¡¯t have to feel so guilty about it. I¡¯m the one who caused his death. If someone must make up for it, then I should be the one doing it, not you. You really don¡¯t have to... make up for it with the rest of your entire life."
Brenda shut her mouth.
To be honest, she didn¡¯t feel like she had done anything wrong. But when she got engaged to Solo, Marcus¡¯ mother had approached her, stared straight into her eyes, and asked, "Are you getting engaged when my son died for you?"
Because of that, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to say those words anymore.
She felt awfully guilty and horrible, which made her give up thinking about the matter altogether. She threw herself into her work and used it to numb herself.
All her missions had actually been highly dangerous thest few years, and she had suffered grievous injuries as a result. Sometimes, she even wondered if all of this would end if she just gave her life back to Marcus?
But this was impossible...
She took a deep breath. At this point, Nora suddenly grabbed her arm.
She said, "Come with me."
Her words took Brenda by surprise.
Solo didn¡¯t pay them any attention but continued to fix the ck box instead.
Brenda then left the vi with Nora.
This time, Justin didn¡¯t follow them.
After making Brenda get into the passenger seat, Nora took out her cell phone and dialed Morris¡¯ number.
Morris soon picked up the call.
His voice was calm and steady as he asked, "Is something the matter, Nora?"
"Can Ie over to the special department?"
Morris¡¯ voice deepened a little as he answered, "You are always wee here."
Nora hung up.
Next to her, Brenda, who wanted to lighten up the mood, remarked, "Are you sure you should be flirting with another man in front of me, Nora? Aren¡¯t you afraid that Justin would be jealous?"
Nora didn¡¯t answer her.
Her stern demeanor made Brenda drop the flippant act, and she didn¡¯t dare to joke around anymore.
Soon, they arrived at the special department.
Nora stopped the car, got out with Brenda, and entered from the main entrance.
Morris, who was in his office, was standing at the window and watching them.
His secretary came in and asked, "It¡¯s time to knock off, Captain Ford. Aren¡¯t you leaving?"
"No, I still have something to do."
Morris replied.
Surprised, the secretary asked, "Is there a case that needs our attention? Do you need my help? We..."
"No, it¡¯s fine. You guys can go."
"... Alright, then."
The secretary didn¡¯t know why Morris, who usually knocked off on the dot, was working overtime today, but she was greatly relieved that she didn¡¯t have to work overtime along with him.
Thus, everyone left the office.
Nora entered the special department with Brenda. Thetter had once worked there for a period of time, so she knew everyone there and was on good terms with them. After greeting them all, she finally asked, "Where are we going, Nora?"
As soon as she popped the question, Nora stopped in front of a door with Brenda. She gazed at the door and then answered, "We¡¯re here."
She pushed the door open.
When Brenda got a clear look at the room, she was stunned.
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Chapter 1062: The Founder of the Special Department
Chapter 1062: The Founder of the Special Department
The secluded room was shroudedpletely in darkness, and there were no windows inside. When Nora opened the door, the sensor-operated lights switched on, lighting up the room with a dim yellow light and allowing Brenda to take a good look at the interior.
The walls were filled with ck and white headshots.
Nora entered the room. Brenda followed after her and looked at the photographs one by one.
Underneath the ck and white portraits were not even names but just serial codes. It was as though they were afraid of having their identities discovered even when they were in the special department.
Though Brenda had worked here before, she had never stepped into this room before because she knew very well that this was where those who had died in the line of duty were.
Nora said, "I don¡¯t know what it¡¯s like in Interpol, but here in America, these people are honored for their sacrifice. These brave soldiers sacrificed themselves for the country and for the people, but they have never demanded anything in return. Even after their deaths, they refuse to leave behind even their names, for fear that they may implicate their family.
"Brenda, when you joined this line of work, have you ever thought that you would die in the line of duty? Would you cower in fear and be hesitant to take action while carrying out missions because you¡¯re afraid that you would die?
"Would you want your teammates to live the rest of their lives in atonement after you die in the line of duty, unable to ever escape from the curse? There is no problem with looking after a deceased teammate¡¯s family, but is there a need for you to do it in such a lowly manner?
"Marcus may have died and sacrificed his life while trying to save you, but before he died, I¡¯m sure he wouldn¡¯t have wanted you to be his wife after his death to take care of his aging mother!
"The two of you arerades! The two of you are brothers-in-arms! The frontline is no ce for romance! At the bottom of it all, Marcus didn¡¯t die for your sake; he died in the line of duty while trying to catch Barbarian! He died for the greater good; for Barbarian¡¯s future victims, and for the ones whom he had already killed!
"But what are you doing now? You¡¯ve cheapened Marcus¡¯ sacrifice!
"Take a good look at these people... After their deaths, theirrades will certainly be their brothers and help them to take care of their families, but they will never sacrifice themselves to do so! Neither will they allow themselves to be their wives!"
Nora rarely spoke this much. If it wasn¡¯t because she wanted to give Brenda a wake-up call, she couldn¡¯t even be bothered to talk to her.
The woman had forced herself into a dead end, and her actions had sullied Marcus¡¯ sacrifice.
Marcus¡¯ death had indeed been partially due to Brenda and his own personal feelings, but it was more a sacrifice in the line of duty as an Interpol officer while trying to catch a criminal than anything else.
His sacrifice was for the people!
Brenda was stunned.
She naturally understood all these, but she simply couldn¡¯t ept it psychologically.
But in this instant, as she gazed at the wall of photographs of officers who had died in the line of duty, a solemn look came over Brenda¡¯s countenance, and she suddenly realized that her actions had indeed cheapened Marcus¡¯ sacrifice.
From a brave soldier who died trying to protect the country, it had turned him into an infatuated man who died for mere love and romance!
Brenda¡¯s eyes reddened.
She suddenly looked at Nora and said, "I understand now, Nora!"
Nora knew that Brenda would probably still need some time to think things through, but this was as much as she could do for her. The rest would depend on herself.
She nodded.
The pair stayed wordlessly in the room for a while and paid their respects to the warriors who gave their lives selflessly for others.
Footsteps suddenly came from the door at this point.
As Morris stood at the door, his deep voice suddenly reached them. "Wanna know who founded the special department?" He asked.
Both Nora and Brenda looked over in unison.
Admiration filled Morris¡¯ eyes as he said, "I¡¯ve never met the founder, but we all know him as Commander Xavier."
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Chapter 1063: They Are Legends
Chapter 1063: They Are Legends
Morris took a step forward and exined, "The founder¡¯s story has already be a legend. Nobody knows how much of it is true, but it¡¯s said that humans had gained superpowers during that time, and many used their superpowers for evil. Commander Xavier established the special department to protect regr humans."
He looked at Brenda and said, "Commander Xavier¡¯s real name is Hugh Xavier. I heard his wife was also part of the special department back then. Once, when Commander Xavier was out ofmission, she had led the special department to achieve various victories. The two ultimately retreated to the background and lived in seclusion in the end.
"The two of them were not just husband and wife but alsorades-in-arms. Commander Xavier¡¯s wife was a reticent woman, and the couple rarely spoke sweet nothings to each other like other married couples. But when they stood next to each other, they gave people the feeling that two of the mightiest people had formed a powerful alliance, and it was as if they knew exactly what the other was thinking. When Commander Xavier¡¯s wife was wanted by the entire world, he was willing to make an enemy of the whole world for her sake.
"They, who served the country and the people and also did everything they could for each other, then became the legends of the special department."
Morris went on and said, "It¡¯s also because that era was simply too glorious and spawned too many legends that people, in the pursuit of power, started developing an interest in gic research. That was what led to our existing V1 to V16 gene serums. At the core of it all, these gene serums are actually humanity¡¯s attempts at oveing their limits. They dream of bing as powerful as those super-humans, but little do they know that all those people who once possessed superpowers just wanted to be ordinary humans once more."
After saying all these, Morris realized that he had said a little too much. He then added, "Commander Xavier once said that with great poweres great responsibility. If yourrade-in-arms has died in the line of duty, then all the more you must take on their share of duty and live on properly instead of losing yourself in your grief.
"His wife, Simone Xavier, once lost a friend with red hair. After her friend¡¯s death, she dyed her own hair red and lived an exciting life in her friend¡¯s stead. All of them have neverined or regretted what they¡¯ve done."
As Nora listened to Morris, she suddenly found herself longing to live in that era.
As for Brenda, she balled up her fists. A wry smile formed on her countenance as she said, "I really was splitting hairs over minor issues, huh."
After chatting for a while longer, Nora¡¯s cell phone suddenly rang. She stepped aside and answered the call. The caller, Lisa, said, "I¡¯m at the vi now, Nora. Marcus¡¯ mom¡¯s mental illness stems from psychological reasons, not physical ones, so it¡¯s actually out of our control. At the bottom of it all, the truth is that she¡¯s not sick at all; she¡¯s just doing all this to numb her pain. As for insisting that Brenda is her daughter-inw... my guess is that she¡¯s jealous of her in a way."
She was jealous that Brenda was living her life properly when her son was dead.
To be honest, this was a perfectly understandable mindset.
A couple of days ago, Nora had even seen the news about an 18-year-old boy who saved a 16-year-old girl who was drowning. While the girl had survived, the boy had died.
The boy¡¯s parents were unable to bring themselves to forgive the girl and were unwilling to meet her.
It was obvious that Marcus¡¯ mom wanted Brenda to suffer along with her so that she could feel better.
She sighed silently.
Elsewhere.
When Nora stepped aside to pick up a phone call, Brenda came up to Morris and stood next to him. She followed his line of sight and looked at Nora, who was standing near them, from the back.
Brenda suddenly asked, "Captain Ford, have you stayed single all these years because of Nora?"
Her words took Morris by surprise.
Brenda went on. "Do you also want a wife like Commander Xavier¡¯s? A soulmate whom you can also form a powerful alliance with and who knows what exactly is on your mind?"
Morris fell silent.
He had never told anyone about his feelings.
He didn¡¯t expect Brenda to still detect them.
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Chapter 1064: Solo and Brenda
Chapter 1064: Solo and Brenda
Nora returned after the phone call to find the atmosphere around Morris and Brenda a bit strange. However, she didn¡¯t dwell on it too much. Instead, she said to Brenda, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±
¡°Oh, okay.¡±
Brenda followed Nora out. After they got into the car, they returned to the vi.
Justin was still using his cell phone on the sofa as he waited for them.
As for Solo, he was upied with the gadget. After dismantling the box, he had changed itsponents to the best ones avable and was installing them at the moment. Upon noticing the twodies, both men turned to face them.
Solo gazed at Brenda with a scorching look in his eyes while Justin gave Nora a gentle smile.
The man was not only smiling more often these days but also bing more and more charismatic.
Nora shifted her gaze to the upper floor and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go check up on Marcus¡¯ mom.¡±
¡°Okay.¡±
Upstairs, Lily and a psychologist were giving Marcus¡¯ mom a checkup. The woman, who had alreadye to, screamed, ¡°Stay away from me! Marcus, help! Save me!¡±
When Nora entered, Marcus¡¯ mom looked at her in panic. ¡°Who are you? What are you trying to do to me? Where¡¯s my daughter-inw? Brenda, save me!¡±
Nora cast her eyes down and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you just drop the act?¡±
Marcus¡¯ mom paused. However, a brief momentter, she continued to scream. ¡°Marcus! Where¡¯s Marcus?! Brenda! Help!¡±
Next to her, Lily said, ¡°This is Anti, the renowned surgeon and cornerstone of the Alternative Medicine Association. Identifying medical symptoms is as easy as ABC to her. Feigning illness is pointless in front of her, Mrs. Robinson.¡±
Mrs. Robinson was Marcus¡¯ mother.
Lily had avoided referring to her as Marcus¡¯ mother as she felt that the term of address would sadden her further.
When Mrs. Robinson heard what Lily said, she quietened down atst.
Nora looked at her and said, ¡°I know it¡¯s difficult for you, but the ones who have already passed wouldn¡¯t want you to torment the ones who are still alive.¡±
Mrs. Robinson immediately screamed, ¡°Why?!¡±
Tears trickled down her cheeks as she screamed, ¡°Why should she be allowed to marry another man when my son is dead?! My son loves her! He died trying to save her!¡±
However, Nora replied, ¡°No, your son died because he was trying to catch a fugitive. Helping and protecting his teammate is part of his duty! Even if the person in danger hadn¡¯t been Brenda, his superior, he would still be obligated to put his life on the line to save them! That¡¯s what it means to be teammates!¡±
Mrs. Robinson bit her lip and kept quiet.
She lowered her head and said, ¡°But I just can¡¯t ept this¡ I just can¡¯t¡¡±
In the middle of the conversation, Mrs. Robinson suddenly looked up to see Brenda at the door.
At the sight of her, she immediately hung her head in guilt.
She¡¯d thought that Brenda would be furious and upset, but unexpectedly, she entered the room and looked at her instead. However, before Brenda could speak¡ Thud!
Solo entered the room and got down on his knees in front of Mrs. Robinson.
Everyone in the room was stunned.
Solo said, ¡°I¡¯m an orphan who doesn¡¯t have parents. If you¡¯re alright with me, I can take care of you like your son in the future. Will you ept me?¡±
His eyes reddened as he added, ¡°I will treat you just like how Marcus had! I will take care of you for the rest of your life!¡±
He sighed and said, ¡°Brenda is not the main cause of Marcus¡¯ death; I am. If you must torment someone, then please just do it to me. She didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡±
Brenda clenched her jaw, her eyes reddening.
Mrs. Robinson stared at Solo. Suddenly, she also fell to her knees and started to hit him. ¡°You killed my son! You killed him! Why is my son dead when all of you are still alive? Sob¡¡±
But as she continued to hit him, she suddenly put her arms around him and said, ¡°Fine, I want you to be my son from now on! You must take care of my every need and want for the rest of your life! I am going to torment you from now on¡ And you!¡±
She looked at Brenda and said, ¡°I want you to be my daughter-inw and wait on me every day!¡±
Using the most vicious tone possible, the woman uttered the kindest words in the world.
Tears rolled down the cheeks of Brenda, who understood what she meant, again. She nodded and said, ¡°Okay, I understand, Mom!¡±
Solo also echoed Brenda and said, ¡°Okay, Mom!¡±
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